Here’s my part two to the #AMonthofFaves on your screen post. As a reminder, here’s the prompt:
FRI | Dec. 23 – #AMonthofFaves On the Screen or in Your Ear. What did you watch this year that you absolutely loved? Did you see any movies inspired by books you’ve read – what did you think? Or, what are some of your favorite podcasts, audiobooks or songs / albums that you listened to and have on repeat.
GirlXOXO
Uhhh, so I didn’t talk about any movies this year, even though I watched 56 in total as of this posting. (A few were rewatches, and I don’t anticipate watching any movies today.) So here are the new-to-me ones I gave five stars along with the reviews. Unless otherwise noted, I saw the movie in theaters, huzzah.
Bullet Train
This movie knew exactly what it was and delivered on all fronts. My only complaint is that some of the lines were whispered or rushed and that made them hard to hear. Bonus points for showing how white woman tears work on white men to the detriment of us all.
(Really, this is 4.75 stars because of the whispering, but at that point, it really is just five.)
Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.
This movie is a searing indictment of mega churches and prosperity gospel as well as the toxicity of gender roles and homophobia in the church that still manages to treat both main characters and the church itself with respect. Regina Hall is devastatingly good in this–my heart broke clean in half for her character by the end of the film. Sterling K. Brown is also fantastic, but I think the movie was really about the indignities a first lady of the church faces because she’s trapped in a patriarchal structure that treats marriage as more important than women as people, and I felt that 100% by the end. Just…really good stuff, especially if you’ve struggled with reconciling your faith and what you know to be true about the world with what you’re taught in church.
The Woman King
This movie is just so, so, so, so deeply satisfying. I just…it is chef’s kiss.
The story works, the action scenes are amazing, the acting is perfect. It was more than I thought it would be, and I had a feeling it was going to be great.
Also, I was trying to stay out of the historical accuracy ~controversy~ but I have seen it cross my timeline enough on Twitter/Instagram and in reviews here that I feel it would be negligent not to say anything.
- The movie very explicitly states SEVERAL TIMES that the Dahomey sold people into slavery.
- The focus of the movie is not the slave trade, though the Dahomey’s involvement plays a very prominent part in the film. So all of these “movie critics” who are blasting it for whitewashing history are being disingenuous.
This is a movie about women, sisterhood, family, power, & empowerment. It does not center men, the male gaze, or the white gaze. It does not glorify violence against women or portray women as victims.
Needless to say, I loved it very much a lot and plan to see it again.
Valley Girl
This movie is AMAZING, and I cannot believe it took me until the year of our Lord 2022 for me to see it, especially since one of my college friends said this was a fave. Do you know how many movies we all watched together in college? And why was this not one of them? She really failed me.
The dialogue is amazing, the characters are fun, and I covet all of the bathing suits the girls wear in this movie. The dancing! The outfits! I am hard pressed to think of anything I don’t like about this movie that didn’t add to its charm, honestly. It all just worked.
I also watched some movies I gave 4 1/2 stars, which is basically five stars, so here those are.
Emergency (Amazon Prime)
This movie is billed as a comedy, drama, and suspense, and I think it follows that pretty closely in terms of plot. it’s super funny but then gets more serious and way more suspenseful as it moves to the movie’s climax.
This film deftly shows the varying kinds of liberal racists Black people and other people color of face while keeping the friendship of the three young men at its heart. The dialogue is tight, the pace is perfect, and the danger the three characters face as they try to party like their peers–without consequence–is adequately conveyed. All of that said, the humor stays constant so it never feels heavy.
Luca (Disney+)
This movie is so beautiful and so pure.
I had one small quibble with the end, but it worked out in the a way that made sense to the characters that I honestly can’t even be that mad at it.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
This was a lot of fun. I loved the bathtub cameos so, so much. I really enjoyed all the actors and characters, I have to say. Janelle Monae is phenomenal, full stop.
There were so many little great nods to Clue throughout, and I am OBSESSED with both Andi’s wardrobe and Birdie’s dress at dinner. THAT DRESS. Amazing. Just…amazing costumes all around (Benoit’s bathing suit! His ascot! etc.)
ILU, Edward Norton.
Four-star movies were:
- Love Hard (Netflix)
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
- Don’t Worry Darling (which…the title surprisingly works with or without the comma)
- Gravity (HBOMax)
- Interstellar (some streaming service)
- The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
Last year I said I hoped I wouldn’t have any one-star, and I didn’t. However, I watched that godawful Marilyn movie that I would have given zero stars if I could but couldn’t so had to give it a 1/2 star. Now that that’s happened, I can only go up, so I sincerely wish for all the movies I see next year to be enjoyable!
The Englishist 