James Patron

Favorite films

  • Before Sunrise
  • Wild Strawberries
  • Mulholland Drive
  • Once Upon a Time in the West

All
  • The Swarm

    ★★½

  • Sinners

    ★★★★½

  • Death of a Unicorn

    ★★½

  • Mountainhead

    ★½

More
Come and See

1985

★★★★★ Liked 5

When I started watching this film, I had high expectations. A movie that receives such critical acclaim has to be great, right? However, I felt a sense of caution, fearing it might turn out to be another one of those overly dramatized works that strive for sincerity and power without truly living up to the praise it receives. Yet, within the first thirty-something minutes, all my skepticism was shattered as I grasped just how devastating and perfect this film was…

Before Sunrise

1995

★★★★★ Liked Rewatched

You know, it's quite hard for someone who watches the amount of films I do to decide which one should be the first of the year. You want to start with a bang, but you also don't want to be predictable or boring. You find yourself asking: what kind of year will this be? Should I start with something arthouse? Something I know I like? Something really old? Or perhaps something I know will be forgettable? Isn't life tough?

Anyway,…

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The Swarm

1978

★★½ Liked Watched

The Swarm is a weird one. On one hand, it has some genuinely well-crafted shots. But then it crashes headfirst into what feels like B-level cinema: wooden acting, screaming matches, hilariously bad dialogue, and plot threads that doesn’t really go anywhere.

It’s painfully dull for long stretches, and the seriousness with which it treats the film borders on parody. There are characters yelling at each other like they’re in a courtroom drama, but they're just talking about bees. Some of…

Sinners

2025

★★★★½ Liked Watched

Just an incredibly good time. It blends various genres in a way that surprisingly works well together. It's chaotic, entertaining, and truly unique. The originality is what sets it apart. You're not watching it for perfection; you're watching it because it's a lot of fun, and it definitely delivers on that front.

That's not to say it isn't great, because it is. From dual performances that impress and keep things dynamic, to some truly great practical effects that ground the…

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The Graduate

1967

★★★★★ Liked 9

I graduated yesterday. By all s, I should feel excited—ready to embrace the next chapter, proud of the milestone I’ve just ed. But instead, I feel this strange cocktail of despair, numbness, and uncertainty. It’s not that I loved school—if I’m being honest, I didn’t. Not the noise, not the awkward social rituals, not most of the students. But it gave my life shape. It gave me something predictable, something to move through. And now that it’s over, I’m left…

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

1974

★★★★★ Liked 2

This movie feels like something you shouldn't be watching. Like some lost snuff film that accidentally became an iconic masterpiece. It's dirty, loud, and chaotic but it works. Entirely.

The atmosphere is relentless. You can almost feel the heat, the sweat, the stink of the rotting house. Everything looks decayed and broken, and the longer it goes on, the more trapped you feel. It doesn’t let up, not with the sound, not with the screaming, not with the tension. It’s…