Manda's MovieWatch

This is an overdue post: I watched this movie in summer. It was only released on prime, I believe. I knew about it because my brother had worked on the movie. I watched the trailer and my interest was peaked. It’s shot in a Blair Witch Project type of documentary style but it takes a turn.  I’ve said this before: I’m not a huge scary movie fan but it did surprise me, I thought I knew where it was going with Bigfoot lore but then went boogeyman darker. I’m not sure I can give it a real fair rating as it’s not the genre I enjoy, but I was glued to my television watching it- maybe not for the best reasons; high shock factor. I do love a low budget cult classic and this has the makings for that. I was saying “whaaaaaatttt??” a lot. 3 watch checks, your only option is to rent and Ryan would stay awake for this while looking at me in disbelief and saying “what the heck are we watching?!”

I love a dark horse story, and this is a good one. Puzzle loving nerds can be dangerous too! Some unexpected twists and a good set up for a sequel that I’m guessing is coming. My only complaint is some of the gruff bad guys felt a bit too cliche for me. Only 1 watch check, Ryan would stay awake and you could rent it but big screen would be better.

Pleasantly surprised at this one. A solid sci-fi thriller for sure with a little heart thrown in. An easy watch, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Yes there’s some very bizarre things, but it’s Sci-Fi, expect weird. I liked the mix of action and both main characters are pretty awesome to watch. Probably would be better on a big screen (but I think it’s an Apple TV movie so not even sure if that’s an option), 2 watch checks for me and Ryan did stay awake!

I’m so bummed that I couldn’t get to all the Best Picture nominated films this year. The only one I did not see was I’m Still Here and I’ve heard it’s amazing, probably a front runner for international feature Oscar. I’ve gone back-and-forth between Conclave, A Complete Unknown, and Anora for which one I think will win. I have to pick a lane and we’re down to the wire…so I’m going with Conclave. I thought that movie was gonna be boring and I found myself kind of fascinated by it so I’m impressed that it kept my attention so well, so that’s my pick. Side-note: I think my favorite one to watch of all of them was A Complete Unknown. I just enjoyed it and was entertained. Ryan’s pick is Anora- (no surprise there, of course he’s rooting for the porno).

This movie was based on real events (from a book) and it was such a sad mark on our history but I was not a big fan of how they chose to tell it. The switching of perspectives, flashbacks, real news clips, and imagined symbolism felt random and left me with whiplash. It was distracting from the brutal events this movie was bringing to light. It felt disjointed or trying too hard to make a statement, which was unnecessary in my view as the subject matter alone makes a clear enough statement. All that said, it was a powerful and profoundly upsetting film but…I still got a little bored (which I kind-of hate to admit but I’m keeping it real). 3 watch checks, you can rent it (but I do wonder if the big screen would have kept me more engaged?) Ryan would not have made it through this one.

Absolutely beautiful animation. Truly incredible and worth watching just for that. But it gets a little boring, might be because there’s no dialogue…watching animals interact is fun on 30 second clips posted on social media feeds but hard to hold up for an entire movie. It’s a sweet story though (cat & dog lovers will adore it) and again, the animation is outstanding. This would be better on the big screen, I think Ryan would fall asleep, I had 3 watch checks. (I’m rooting for The Wild Robot over this one for the best animated Oscar although both are worthy.)

Disturbing but an important look at the brave men & women who hunt down nut jobs. I like true stories because seeing a sound bite on the news only gives you a small piece of a complex issue that this movie allows you to watch unfold. Jude Law is really awesome in this movie. It’s worth a watch, and you can rent this one. Ryan would stay awake and I only had 1 watch check.

Solid movie but a little boring. I like the premise: two cousins going to visit where their grandmother came from. It’s a funny thing that happens when you travel with somebody in such close quarters where you can not get away. You’re forced to deal with some things you’ve been avoiding. It’s also fascinating to watch one person act annoying and everyone just tolerate it. But then the gold is when the movie scratches under the surface: I wish there had been a little bit more of that. Impressed with Eisenberg that he both directed and starred in it, and Kieran Culkin is really good at being a huge pain. My guess is you might see different family members reflected in these two characters. 3 watch checks, you can rent this one, Ryan would be asleep in the first 20 minutes.

I kind of liked this movie, it felt like a more realistic version of Pretty Woman. Be prepared for some graphic sex scenes and language, and some laughable naivety but you just can’t help but root for the main character. I wanted to see her win. I’m not sure it has the chops to actually win best picture but the best thing about the Oscar nominations is it causes me to see movies I might’ve missed otherwise, I’m glad I saw it. I had 1 watch check, you can rent it for sure and Ryan would absolutely stay awake for this (I mentioned all the sex scenes, need I say more?).

Eeeeeewwww. If you like gross, you will love this movie. If the sound of people chewing and the squishy noises of a puss pocket grosses you out- you may want to skip it. Although the concept of a beautiful woman desperate to do anything to look younger & more beautiful is not a new one, this was an original take. The movie started out so good but the ending gets too weird and gross and just goes too far. The ending ruined it for me, I was a little bummed (I had high hopes). Demi was brilliant, a front runner for the Oscar. 3 watch checks, I think Ryan would stay awake for this one, it’s pretty hard to look away. You can definitely rent it.