Recent Films & TV
We have a lot to catch up on!
It’s been a while since I’ve shared all the films and television shows I’ve been consuming the past three or five months. So in no particular order, here is everything I’ve watched (somewhat recently):
Film
The Tragedy of Macbeth: Starring Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand, this adaptation of the classic Shakespeare play was nothing short of magical. I enjoyed the film noir vibes I got from the black and white cinematography and use of shadows and lighting. I think this adaptation was true to form and stayed on par with both capturing the mood and the verse of the original play we love by the King of Literature himself.
Nightmare Alley: While I haven’t seen the 1947 original directed by Goulding with Tyrone Power, I thoroughly enjoyed watching Bradley Cooper, Rooney Mara, and Cate Blanchett on the big screen. Plus I would watch anything directed by Guillermo del Toro. There was something about this film that felt alive…like I could almost hop in the car and find the carnival that is the main setting at the beginning of the movie. We follow a conman as he tries to make a name and a living for himself in face of the elite of NY in the 1940s. Along the way, he gets caught in a scheme that ends up costing him everything. It felt a little long but it was a wild ride.
Drive My Car: This is one of my favorite films on this list. It’s a Japanese drama that is primarily based on Haruki Murakami's short story collection, Men without Women (2014). It’s a three-hour film, integrating Russian literature (Anton Chekov to be exact), nine languages, and major themes of love, loss, art, and grief. It is a master class in intertextuality (which is a favorite trope of mine), method/experimental acting, and the journey one takes in confronting emotional scars. Read more here.
Parallel Mothers: This movie was…..interesting. It’s a melodrama about motherhood, womanhood, and friendships, starring Penelope Cruz and Milena Smit. It’s a gorgeous film. From the interior design of every room (Janis’ red dining room was to die for) to the backdrop of Spain’s painful and troubled history and political violence. This was my first Almodóvar film, and I’m hopeful it won’t be my last.
In the Heat of the Night: I grew up watching the t.v show of the same name. But when my local theatre hosted a screening starring Sidney Poitier, I had to see it. And I’m glad I did. Poitier knows how to command attention on the screen. I found the 1967 film to be insightful, humorous, and frustrating. 10 out of to from me.
The Worst Person in the World: This is another top favorite on this list. I loved this film so much that right after I saw it in theaters, I immediately bought tickets to see it the next night before I left my seat. And it was even better the second time around. This is a Norwegian black comedy/drama following a woman named Julie in 12 chapters. She’s on a journey to figure out what it is she wants: from motherhood and relationships to finding her career path. And along the way she confronts the messiness and rawness that comes with having an honest looking at yourself. I don’t think this is a film for everyone. Some people disliked it for how the film reduces Julie to flat character traits. But I for one was relieved to finally see a film that permits a woman to not have it figured out, to be messy, to hurt others, and to be reckless. It felt realistic to me in a good way.
Belfast: This one takes a while to get into but once you are in, you’re in. It’s a coming-of-age drama directed by Kenneth Branagh, detailing a working-class family during a tense Nothern Ireland in the late 1960s. It’s not a perfect film. But it’s a beautiful reminder, that even amidst chaos and uncertainty, people still find a way to live and love and find joy. And isn’t that a reminder that we all need? It feels deeply personal and yet universal at the same time. This will be a classic for sure.
Don’t Look Up: People love to dislike this film, but honestly I loved it. People were angry with how many issues it tried to cover, not getting its message to the correct audience, etc, etc, but I disagree with most of the criticisms out there. And what is so funny, is that as the film ages, everything the film touched on could not be any more true. I don’t think the film’s purpose was to get people to change their minds about climate change. Rather, just to hold up a mirror to the outlandish behavior our media, our policies, and our private sector partakes in. It’s very obvious in its humor, but when did that become a bad thing? I wouldn’t say it’s the best film ever, but if you’re looking to have some fun, then why not give it a watch?
The Lost Daughter: Dakota Johnson and Olivia Colman shine in the psychological drama. Colman plays a college professor vacationing in Italy, who comes across a young mother (Johnson) and her daughter. She quickly becomes obsessed with them, after their encounters bring the professor back to her days of early motherhood. It’s heartbreaking but much needed, as we expand the definitions of motherhood and interrogate the pressures, stigmas, and the “unspoken” that surrounds being a mother. Did I mention, that this one is a directorial debut by Maggie Gyllenhaal and an adaptation of the novel by the same name by Elena Ferrante?
The Power of The Dog: I’m not going to lie, I had no idea what this movie was about until I read up on it. My friends loved it. I left the theatre confused (but obsessed with Kodie Smit-McPhee). This is also based on the novel of the same name by Thomas Savage. This New York Times article helped me decipher some key messages.
Light Sleeper: Am I allowed to call this a cult classic? This 1992 film follows a Manhattan drug dealer (Willem Dafoe), who contemplates changing his life around for the better after connecting with an old lover, and his supplier (Susan Sarandon) is quitting. There is a lot of sadness and loneliness in this film, and although I’m not a big thriller fan, Paul Schrader captured me in the story right away.
Sunset Boulevard: This is one of the classic 1950 dramas you just have to watch if you are interested in old Hollywood. This film follows an aging silent movie star Norma Desmond who can’t accept that Hollywood has moved on without her. She ends up hiring (more like kidnapping) a struggling scriptwriter (William Holden), and the film follows their tumultuous relationship.
Citizen Ruth: Wow. This one was a ride. A young Laura Dern (addicted to spray paint films and newly pregnant) is caught up in a war between reproductive groups— who ultimately are using her for their political messages. It’s a black comedy, that’s pretty daring.
You Will Not Be Alone: Set in an isolated mountain village in 19th century Macedonia, this horror film feels like a visual folktale. An ancient spirit turns a newborn girl into a witch, giving her the ability to transform into different bodies. Throughout the film, the witch transforms into a woman, a man, a dog, and more while interrogating our definitions of what it means to be human. It has an all-star cast as well (including Noomi Rapace)!
Everything Everywhere All At Once: My final favorite on this list— was absolute perfection. I cried, laughed, gasped, and did it all over again and again while watching this. Michelle Yeoh shines in this captivating cinematic multiverse that gives her the ability to do it all. She plays Evelyn Qwan, an overwhelmed mother, wife, daughter, and business owner who becomes an unlikely hero as she is tasked with keeping the world on track. It’s a movie for those of us who love movies. It’s one of the most original movies I’ve seen in my life. And it has one of the most profound messages we need as a society right now. Give it a watch!! In a theatre near you!!!
Master: I love Regina Hall. I hated this movie. Actually traumatizing. It was thought-provoking, but I was not prepared for this film. At all.
After Yang: I was pleasantly surprised with this one. Described as “when his young daughter's beloved companion -- an android named Yang -- malfunctions, Jake searches for a way to repair it. In the process, Jake discovers the life that has been passing in front of him as he reconnects with his wife and daughter”. It made me realize how badly I’ve been missing out on science fiction dramas.
Compartment No. 6: On a cramped train journey across Russia, a miner and a student from Finland, discover a tender connection between them. Adapted from a novel by a Finnish author, Rosa Liksom, it’s a richly detailed and emotionally nuanced film that is worth the journey in every way.
The Northman: I have never been more bored watching a movie in my life. It was beautiful and it confirmed how badly I want to travel to Iceland and Northern Ireland, but I just could not get into the story (even if I am obsessed with Anya-Taylor Joy). I also made a mistake by watching it by myself instead of with friends. That might have changed my experience.
T.VInsecure, Season 5
You, Season 3
Euphoria, Season 2
DocumentaryHarvest of Shame
Newtok
Exterminate All Brutes
Lead Me Home
cover image by https://unsplash.com/@possessedphotography