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This is such a fucking ingenious idea. I honestly can’t believe it exists. 

Dan Trachtenberg continues to push the Predator property in artistically interesting and creative directions. This is such an impressive anthology film as it weaves these three stories together into an actual narrative that has a significant payoff for all three main characters. 

All three stories utilize the medium of animation to the fullest potential with entertaining and visceral action set pieces. I loved that the animation aligns with Arcane and treads the line between CGI and hand-drawn animation. 

The film also gives us another awesome look at the Yautja home world and culture. I can’t wait to see Predator: Badlands in November. This franchise is in such a great place.

“Rules, and consequences.” 

The streak for the best live-action anime franchise continues. 

The story and emotional core of the film are tied to a pretty standard and bland revenge tale but when it’s time to deliver on action Ballerina brings the over-the-top insanity the John Wick franchise is famous for. 

This installment just continues to reinforce why I call these films live-action anime. The film even has its version of the classic anime beam battle that had me grinning ear to ear. The second half of the movie uses every opportunity available to find ludicrously stupid and entertaining ways to kill people. I honestly loved the setting and circumstances in which the conclusion takes place. The flamethrower scene is an exhilarating spectacle. 

Ana de Armas rises to the occasion as a wholly believable badass assassin in this universe. Her fighting style is gritty, resourceful, tenacious, and fun to watch. I appreciated how much she utilized and valued knives. Getting Keanu Reeves in a side dish role as the legendary El Baba Yaga is also fun. This film fits so perfectly into the universe as well as John Wick’s story with where his character is at between the third and fourth film. 

I did find the villain a tad lackluster for me personally but Gabriel Byrne does give a decent performance in the role. 

I wouldn't put Ballerina up there with the John Wick movies but it isn't far behind the worst of those which is probably Chapter 3. Overall, this continues the franchise's impressive run of consistent quality.

Jurassic June/July

“That's not breakers. That's drums.” 

“He’s always been king of his world, but we’ll teach him fear.”

The 1933 King Kong is film royalty along with being one of the most important and influential works in the history of cinema. The first film franchise and kaiju that would eventually become the inspiration for the King of the Monsters himself. The film also played a tremendous role in helping bring audiences back to the theatres during the great depression.  

The effects of this film are groundbreaking and still hold up marvelously nearly a century later. The meticulous beauty of stop-motion animation shines through in every set piece involving Kong and the dinosaurs. Willis O'Brien gives Kong a personality that in the end does eventually give way to sympathy as a viewer despite being depicted as terrifying through most of the run time. The seamless composition of both live-action and stop-motion is still so impressive and I can't imagine the awe and wonder many felt in 1933 seeing this for the first time. Max Steiner’s bombastic score also adds to the epicness of so many scenes. 

King Kong does possess thematic depth even if it doesn't quite measure up to the film's eventual Japanese counterpart in Gojira. The film touches on man’s need to exploit nature for greed along with the willingness to put someone of lesser stature of society in mortal danger to do it. Ann Darrow is so easily convinced by Carl Denham to his expedition to Skull Island. He and honestly John Driscoll completely ignore the trauma she suffers on the island by making her go to Kong’s reavel in New York despite her clearly not wanting to go because of everything she's been through. 

The imagery of Kong being taken from his foreign home to America in chains is also kind of obvious. Kong constantly saves Ann’s life on the island and he is the main reason she and John can live happily ever after—a foreigner taken in chains who preserves the happiness of a white couple.

The cynical nature of people in the 1930s is also on display. They are dismissive and skeptical that Denham could have possibly brought back anything from nature they would be astounded by until finally seeing Kong. Modernity has made them lose interest in the wonder and terrors of the world while the natives of Skull Island live in fear and respect for Kong along with all the other relics of time beyond the walls of their village.

“Bring on your mastodons! Bring on your mammoths!”

Happy Dinosaur Day and Happy Jurrasic June\July

This year I'm celebrating by going through past Dinosaur films leading up to the release of Jurassic World Rebirth. 

I decided to start with the 1925 classic and the one that truly started it all, The Lost World. 

This is my first time watching this now 100-year-old media relic. The obvious draw of the film is being the premiere of the legendary effects artist Willis O’Brien and how he was able to bring Dinosaurs to life like never before seen on the screen at the time. 

While Stop Motion would go on to become even better with O’Brien and eventually even more so under Ray Harryhausen, the effects hold up pretty damn well in 2025 and dwarf anything else at the time. 

The highlights are clearly the Allosaurus’ battling the Styracosaurus and the Brontosaurs. The last ten minutes of the Brontosuars rampaging through London is also run. The close-ups of the facial expressions look great. The ape-man suit and Pterodactylus flying don't hold up so well today. 

Like with many other Dinosaur movies, the people are pretty bland and uninteresting. Professor Challenger is probably the most engaging and entertaining of the characters and the film is hurt the less he is on screen.

“There is a new Marvel out that is supposed to be nuts, we should go see that.”

Friendship is so unfortunately relevant now in a time where social skills and connection to other people have both cratered. 

Tim Robinson is fantastic in the film and portrays the isolated and unaware selfishness of someone who is socially stunted. 

This film presents grounded and realistic examples of painfully awkward scenes of the main character Craig Waterman desperately seeking attention in all the wrong and dumbfounding ways.

The film nails the second-hand embarrassment that people would experience while watching someone completely fail to make an impression in social situations. 

I laughed out loud multiple times as the film made me think back to instances of people I know having these same issues with just basic social skills.

The comparison to The Cable Guy many might make is a valid one although this film is much more modern and less over the top. 
 
Director Andrew DeYoung does a fine job of giving the film an arthouse vibe with the way it is shot. 

Paul Rudd and Kate Mara also give solid ing performances.  

This style won't work for everyone looking for a laugh but it certainly did for me. I'm really intrigued to see if A24 will pursue doing more comedies.

So much of this movie’s plot feels like a direct-to-DVD or television sequel that somehow roped Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio into it. 

Ben Wang and Sadie Stanley do carry some charm through their performances. Chan is mostly there to give generic motivational sayings while Macchio almost feels like a borderline cameo. 

The action scenes are filmed decently and do add some entertainment to keep this from being bad or potentially worse.

“This is my family. I found it, all on my own.”

This my first rewatch in many years, maybe even since childhood. 

This has aged so wonderfully. 

Lil and Stitch is so impressively mature along with heartwarming and adorable. The character animation is so expressive and endearing. I adore the vibrant painted backgrounds of Hawaii. 

Sitch’s journey to self-actualization is so well realized for a character that barely speaks and half the time is being a menace. 

A young Daveigh Chase is so delightful as LiLo. Tia Carrere Is also great as her sister Nani. 

This made me lose any small interest I may have had about watching the live-action remake because I know current day Disney isn't capable of making anything this deep, touching and honestly funny.

“I’ve spoken with an angel.”

Bring Her Back is one of the more harrowing and bleak horror films I’ve seen about the unbearable power of grief and guilt. 

Sally Hawkins proves once again how much of a superb and flexible actress she is. Her character brings this sense of brokenness that hovers over the entire film while still being unnerving when the story calls for it. She is fully worthy of award considerations and nominations. 

This film feels so cold. Like an unrelenting chill that never goes away. 

I also felt like the ending had a slight ambiguity to it with an unreliable narrator or potentially multiple unreliable narrators showing how unresolved suffering from loss can affect one's mental state. 

Billy Barratt and Sora Wong are also good in the film but Hawkins is ultimately the anchor on both an emotional and intrigue level. 

The sound design is so damn gross and disturbing that adds so much tension. A couple of scenes had me squirming in my seat because of how gruesome some of the imagery is in the film. 

RackaRacka (The Philippou brothers) are firmly planting their flag as premier horror directors in a time where the genre just continues to thrive as so much of Hollywood feels so corporate, safe, and boring. 

I’m a big fan of how they portray the disconnect and distrust that can often occur between maturing teens and adults. They did this so well in Talk to Me as well. 

This an another powerful piece by them even if some might find the overall conclusion a bit predictable.

“The world is changing. Truth is vanishing. War is coming.”

Mission Impossible-The Final Reckoning is the definition of a mixed bag. 

The first 90 minutes are so oddly paced, overstuffed with flashbacks to previous films in the franchise and repetitive exposition that drastically dragged down the film for me.

So much of the emotional connectivity and fun did feel lost through most of the nearly three-hour runtime. The lack of an active and engaging villain really hurts the film as well. 

However, the two action set pieces in the latter half are truly masterful summer movie spectacles.
The submarine scene has this unique and spooky feel like something out of an underwater horror video game. The final sequence with the two planes was phenomenal and had me on the edge of my seat. 

Tom Cruise’s physical ability to do these incredible stunts for this long is truly generational. If this is indeed his final time in the franchise and the action genre, then he will truly be missed. 

I did enjoy the politics of how governments, and specifically the United States, would deal with a hyper-advanced AI methodically taking control of all the nuclear weapons on Earth. Angela Bassett is once again amazing as the President and helps give the film some heart. 

An extremely flawed but fun time at the movies.

Toho Studio: We want a movie like Jaws. 

Nobuhiko Obayashi: Here is the horror of a teenage girl going through puberty wrapped into an allegory about the destruction of Japanese culture because of WWII. Oh, and I wrote it with my daughter. 
 
This is Cinema! 

“A Movie Hausu ”

“I think something's wrong with me. I make friends, then suddenly I can't bear to be with any of them. Seems like that other me, the cheerful and honest one, went away somewhere.”

Kiki’s Delivery Services is such a beautiful film about overcoming burnout and finding your place in the world at a young age. 

What makes Kiki’s journey of regaining her spirit and confidence so fulfillingand emotional is how much she messes up and struggles. Miyazaki tells her story in such a realistic and sincere manner. 

She struggles with anxiety, burnout, and depression in a nuanced way that can be relatable to so many people. He is also able make you fall in love and root for Kiki because of her huge heart and drive succeed. 

This film is so gorgeous with immaculate shots and drawings of the ocean, forests and the town Kiki lives in. Joe Hisaishi’s score has a wonderfully catchy JRPG feel to it. 

A simple but masterful film that is one of Miyazaki’s finest and endearing pieces.

“Something given has no value. Look, when you vote, you are exercising political authority. You are using force and force my friends, is violence, the supreme authority from which all other authority is derived.” 

Verhoeven’s epic war masterpiece 

This is my first time watching Starship Troopers in many years, and I appreciate this masterwork so much more in my older age. This film successfully captures the reality of warfare in modern-day society in all its brutality and propaganda through a fantastical Sci-Fi setting. 

The satire of the film has aged brilliantly with how war is sold to a society with weak information, specifically to a young demographic, after the United States' continued involvement in the Middle East, and how that conflict was sold following 9/11.

The Mormon extremist's colony is a clear false flag that is subtly alluded to. Rico’s journey of losing everything on the way to becoming a killing machine for the military is so well done. 

“Let me tell you somethin’. I'm from Buenos Aires, and I say kill ‘em all.” 

The special effects of this film are sensational on all levels, from CGI to practical. The CGI of the bugs is underrated and while maybe not of the level of the Dinosuars in Jurassic Park they are pretty damn close. The design and movements of the bugs are both believable and frightening. They feel like stop motion at times. Truly some of Phil Tippett’s best work. The effects dwarf so many films made now. 

The at times corny and over the top nature of the characters and acting of the younger cast plays into the naivete of many who are thrown into a faulty war. This aspect is so crucial to nail in while also making likable and interesting characters, and Paul Verhoeven juggles this superbly. The production design and Basil Poledouris'  score are also stellar. 

This is definitely my favorite Verhoeven film, and even though I do have some others to watch, I doubt they will top this. This is his magnum opus.

I can't explain how much I love this line. 

“Figuring things out for yourself is the only freedom anyone really has. Use that freedom. Make up your own mind, Rico.” 

“There's always someone younger and hungrier coming down the stairs after you.”

Another first-time watch, and while I certainly didn’t find Showgirls on the level of the previous Paul Verhoeven films I’ve seen, this is still pretty entertaining the more I reflect on it. 

The film is undoubtedly messy and chaotic, but somehow carries this endearing quality with all its over-the-top eroticism and lavish production design that just steadily bleeds through and ultimately sticks the landing for me. 

Elizabeth Berkley‘s performance also just slowly matures and rounds out as the story goes along.
Naomi kicking Andrew Carver’s ass in the third act is so freakin awesome and carathic with everything the film has led up to. 

Gina Gershon's performance as Cristal Connors is possibly the best of the movie for me. She just gives so much depth to her character in the moments we see and fits so naturally into this world.

“You’re gonna make a terrific character, Nick.”

This is a first-time watch for me, and I was honestly much more intrigued by what Basic Instinct does than I anticipated. 

I love what the story does by weaving in the obvious tongue-in-cheek circumstances surrounding Sharon Stone’s character while also giving just enough muddled ambiguity that allows the audience to guess second what might be true, even if we are just as foolishly seduced as Michael Douglas is in the movie. 

Paul Verhoeven’s direction pairs so well with Stone’s erotic and stone-cold performance to craft a magnetic, captivating, and terrifying character in Catherine Tramell. Jerry Goldsmith’s score also does a great job of leading the audience through the mysterious workings of this thriller. 

I certainly wouldn’t say Douglas is bad in the film, but Stone’s powerhouse performance towers over him and almost everything else in this movie. 

Stone’s performance also gives off MAJOR Makima from Chainsaw Man vibes throughout this film. I’m almost willing to bet author Tatsuki Fujimoto has seen this film as he is a big fan of American cinema.

“She’s evil! She's brilliant!”

RIP to the legend Tony Todd

A stupidly ridiculous and entertaining romp that brings the franchise back in a clever way that will please many diehard fans. 

I’m not the biggest fan of the Final Destination franchise, but like many in my age range, I have fond memories of the insanity of the first couple of installments. 

This does deliver on the over-the-top fun the franchise is famous for, with some lore and Easter eggs diehards will enjoy. 

The MRI and vending machine scene is the best death scene in the movie. 

Even though I don’t have the love of this franchise others have I’m glad they are keeping it going for other generations.

“Melancholy of the youth”

What a wonderfully whacky and absurdly fun take on growing up through high school and taking on fascism. 

School in the Crosshairs feels like a live-action Shoujo anime with a touch of Super Sentai, along with zany off-the-wall humor. I had a good laugh at several scenes throughout the film. 

This is my first Nobuhiko Obayashi film, and I did indeed find his outlandish and at times chaotic style is both entertaining and endearing. 

I've been meaning to watch his classic House along with others in his filmography. 

Shoutout to the Stray Cat Film Center in Kansas City for playing this wonderful little gem.

“What do you want to do from now on? Do you want to be human, or wolf?” 

Wolf Children is a beautiful coming-of-age fairytale about love, parenting, and searching for your path in the world. 

Mamoru Hosoda does so much with silence and spacing. The backgrounds of the film are immaculate, with gorgeous shots of both cities and nature. 

I definitely felt some My Neighbor Totoro influence with the natural setting and showing the relationship kids have with nature at a young age. 

This is only my second Hosoda film, along with Belle, and he does such a great job of portraying anxious teenagers going through formative years of their lives and how complicated that can be. 

He shows their relationships and conversations with each other in a realistic, grounded way. I’m excited to dive into more of his filmography this year.

“Who told you to think? I don’t give you enough information to think. You do what you’re told. That’s what you do.”

This will be what video games are like in the future. 

The imagination and creativity of the practical makeup effects on display in Total Recall is some all time shit. Paul Verhoeven is a true master of his craft. 

These characters and stories do feel like aspects taken right out of the video game, but also feel wholly convincing and never too over the top to not be believable.

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s performance specifically feels like how a regular Joe would act given the chance to be a video game that was indistinguishable from real life. 

Jerry Goldsmith’s score is also front and center and almost feels like another character in the film. 

This film’s future doesn’t feel all that far-fetched with AI and technology in general continuing to grow alongside the rise of -generated entertainment with the younger generation.

"Good business is where you find it."

"We practically are the military."

"I'd buy that for a dollar!”

After my first watch as an adult, I can confidently say I fell into the camp that considers Paul Verhoeven's RoboCop to be a cinematic masterpiece.

The film is paced so brilliantly and perfectly captures Murphy's hero's journey to conquering both mechanization and his demons.

The film's dystopian crime ridden Detroit with a militaristic police force and satire of soulless, corporatized American entertainment and news feel all too relevant in 2025. The commercials in this film are fucking genius. I especially get a kick out of Nukem. "Get them before they get you."

The practical effects have helped this film age magnificently for nearly 40 years following its release. The ED 209 being realized in glorious stop motion animation by Phil Tippett is so satisfying and still holds up.

The film is visually captivating with beautiful cinematography and painted backdrops that almost feel invisible at times. Basil Poledouris' score and main theme of the film are also exceptionally underrated.

Peter Weller gives so much humanity and heart into the screentime he has as Murphy while also embodying RoboCop with both intimidating physicality and empathic vulnerability. Nancy Allen is also wonderful as Lewis, while Kurtwood Smith is masterful as the despicable and irredeemable Clarence Boddicker.

I've had the urge to go through Verhoeven's filmography as I've only seen a couple of his films when I was much younger. Beginning with his famed Sci-Fi classic didn't disappoint.

"Do you still not understand? The Earth will perish if it carries on like this. King Ghidorah will turn this planet into a tomb."

This is truly a crown jewel of not only the Showa era but the franchise in general for me. I watched this countless times when I was a kid just to see these four magnificent kaiju on the screen together.

I still adore Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster even as an adult because of its dedication to fantastical Sci-Fi in a story about the rejection of apathy and a call for alliances in 1964 when the entire planet felt on edge given the world events of the previous years.

This stands as one of my favorite scores from the legendary Akira Ifukube. The bombastic main theme of the film is arguably my favorite of the franchise.

The characters and storyline are also massive strengths of the film, especially Akiko Wakabayashi's performance as Princess Mas Dorina Salno. I love the plot line of her being a Venusian who comes to warn the Earth of the incoming destruction from Ghidorah.

The ending battle with Ghidorah, Godzilla, Rodan, and Mothra is so epic and fun to watch even all these years later. The practical wire work with all four on screen together is insanely impressive and is a detail some might miss without looking into the behind-the-scenes making of the film.

“Righteousness without power is just an opinion.”

I wasn’t sure if the MCU still possessed this amount of sauce. 

Thunderbolts* is not only the best MCU film in years but also feels like a logical narrative response to the current state of Marvel, the superhero genre as a whole, and has meaningful themes that matter to us as a society during these chaotic times. 

The whole cast is fun to watch interact and they play off each other well which has been sorely missed in the franchise. 

The film is shot so much better than a majority of anything the MCU has done in recent years because it doesn’t feel like something filmed on a sound stage and has a grounded sensibility. It's so refreshing how contained and intimate this film is. 

The absolutely stunning Florence Pugh continues to be wonderful as Yelena and brought me to tears in one scene specifically. Julia Louis-Dreyfus is terrific as the antagonist as well. 

I loved the final 40 minutes and how the film dives headfirst into weirdness and introspection, although many may be turned off by this turn. 

Maybe I'm over-praising because of how toothless and uninteresting Marvel has been outside of a few exceptions in the past five years but this film just pleasantly surprised me.

About five months ago I thought there was a decent chance this was going to be mediocre at best and potentially garbage.

I still have some reservations about the future of the MCU. I can't say I'm that excited for the next two Avengers movies but man did I thoroughly enjoy and ire what this installment goes for.

MCU Film Rankings

“Now it is time to choose! Are you free? Or an instrument of the nobility with a bayonet to point? Will you stand free with your fellow Parisians? Will you fight in this battle for the country you know and love?”

I’ve never seen the original series, but I found this so delightful and beautiful. As always MAPPA delivers gorgeous animation. 

Oscar François de Jarjayes is such a noble badass and an awesome protagonist.

I could tell some aspects of the story might have been shaved off or given less depth, although some still worked well for me. 

This does make me want to check out the original The Rose of Versailles series at some point. 

I love to see anime tackle real historical events and show how immensely versatile of a medium it is.

“We have turned a wolf into a lapdog.”

The legend of Ochi carries a distinct sense of whimsey that feels akin to an 80s cult classic with breathtaking visuals and a beautiful score to deliver a heartwarming tale about family and connection with nature. 

The Ochi are so well realized with the practical effects used in the film. The effects are able to capture them as real-life creatures who are to be respected or feared much better than CGI could. 

The main family cast all do a good job, especially Willem Dafoe and Emily Watson who both play off each other well as the parents. 

The film also subtly touches on what modernity and lack of connection to nature can do to people and society. 

The script itself isn’t anything all that new and could be viewed as derivative of previous movies although, I couldn’t help but love and ire first-time director Isaiah Saxon and the heart he put into the film along with his ability to shoot some gorgeously unique visuals. I look forward to whatever he does next. 

Saxon’s appreciation for the works of Miyazaki, Anderson, and Spielberg is clearly evident.

Amazingly, this is only the second worst movie to reference Wonderwall this year. 

This is about as generic, bland and boring as you can get with horror cliches, tropes and references just crawling all over this lackluster adaptation of a pretty decent and entertaining video game. 

Why the hell couldn’t they just adapt the original story from the source material?

"I've seen enough of this place."

Ryan Coogler's love for music, art, and his people's culture bleeds through a grindhouse horror film set in 1932 Mississippi with freaking vampires. This is the type of filmmaking and storytelling Hollywood desperately needs right now.

Sinners is such a gorgeously put-together film with masterful cinematography, costume design that pops, and confident direction from Coogler. So much of this film is a well-crafted and gritty gangster period drama that doesn't even need vampires.

Ludwig Göransson knocks it out of the park with his score. He continues to submit himself as one of the greats.

The musical sequences in this film are so well choreographed and are profound moments in the story while demonstrating the larger-than-life effect music and art can have on people. One musical scene in particular almost halfway through the runtime of the film is one long take that would maybe come across as silly with a lesser director but Coogler is able to capture magic.

The characters are well realized through performances from the actors. They are also written in a realistic and flawed manner that is refreshing to see. The movie has many moments of raunchiness.

I ire what the final sequence of the film does by tying in the themes of the story while also showing the tragedy and loneliness vampires can represent.

While I don't think this reaches masterpiece level for me personally like many others, I do think it gets pretty close. This will be nominated for many awards and will probably have shots at winning multiple technical categories. 

A thrilling original vision by a brilliant director. As many have said, "This is why you go to the movies."

"When the last Vampire is extinct who will mourn our ing? Will she? Will Anyone? Can anyone understand this pain, this loneliness?"

Gothic castles peaked with Carmella's castle in this film. Yoshiaki Kawajiri
directs the first and still the best "American anime." The aesthetic of the final 40 minutes in this masterpiece belongs in a fucking museum.

“The ion to build has cooled and the joy of reconstruction forgotten, and now it’s just a garbage heap made up of hedonistic fools.” 

“In all respects, this city is saturated. It’s like an overripe fruit. And within it is a new seed. We only need to wait for the wind which will make it fall. The wind called Akira!” 

One of the true OG cyberpunk dystopian Sci-fi stories. In a time of massive upheaval to the status quo, distrust of the powerful, and unstoppable growth of technology, Akira continues to be massively relevant. 

The animation is so rich and detailed in every frame from the sprawling cityscapes of Neo-Tokyo to the barbaric imagery its citizens inflict upon themselves. The film is nothing short of a masterpiece visually. 

The 1982 manga is considered a holy weeb text to me. While this film doesn't live up to the manga, I do appreciate the direction it takes and is still masterful in its own right.
 
Seeing this film’s beauty on display in glorious 4K is so satisfying. Can't wait for the other 80s masterpiece Angel’s Egg 4K release later this year. 

“But someday, we’ll also be able to…you see, it's already begun.”

Much like Alex Garland's previous films Warfare is both technically and visually brilliant. His collaboration with Iraq War Veteran and first-time director Ray Mendoza produces a visceral, intense, and uncomfortably grounded portrayal of a battle set during the 20-year old Middle East conflict.

Experiencing the film in IMAX perfectly drives home the chaos and brutality of war. The sound and production design are both impeccable. 

A couple of sequences when a fighter jet flies right above a town really stood out to me. The power that is displayed in those moments is jaw-dropping as well as a freighting reminder of the horrifying ferocity modern warfare technologically is capable of.

All the performances are solid and believable across the board.

To me, the film ultimately works as an almost Rorschach test for whatever preconceived notations an audience member might walk into a screening with. If they want to see a film commemorating the bravery of US military and everything they go through with conflicts in that region; That can definitely be taken from the film.

If someone wants to see how awful war is and how much the United States has been a disruptive and destabilizing force in the Middle East through numerous military involvement; That is present in the film as well.

Both of those sentiments have merit to me, but I would also urge anyone after seeing this film to contemplate the latter as the United States Government for years has and continues to flirt with what would be a horrific and disastrous war with Iran.

I watching this for the first time ever a few years ago and thinking this is truly something special and underrated. Those sentiments haven't diminished at all, especially after seeing this classic gothic masterpiece in the theater for the first time ever.

I adore Vampire Hunter D for the atmosphere, character designs, and the endlessly enduring 80s anime art style.

This obviously doesn't touch the next installment of the series in of animation, but I always felt a little bit more love for this film in reflection. I'll need to rewatch Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust soon.

I love how the movie hints at lore and how well it uses those hints in the story and deepens the characters.

D can come across as a typical cool loner edge lord but throughout the film, it's clearly shown how much he cherishes life and how empathic he can be to others. He deeply cares for Doris and Dan.

The ending of the film always brings me to tears. Being able to see D show even just a little emotion and a moment of happiness after witnessing so much pain and suffering throughout his life is such a beautiful moment that just hits me so hard each time.

“Dan listen, it’s only going get harder going forward and it’s alright to scream or cry. How you choose to deal with it is up to you, but promise me one thing Dan, if you are going to cry don’t do it around your sister, hold it in. Tears are contagious and right now she needs your hope and encouragement. Smile even if it hurts. That’s what being a man means.”

"Chicken Jockey!"

A true throwback to when all video game movies were pretty much utter garbage.

Jack Black and Jason Momoa being complete bumbling idiots throughout the entire movie do give brief, and boy do I mean brief moments of entertainment and humor.

Everything else is just miserably generic modern day Hollywood IP slop.

“It’s a fucking Unicorn”

Tonight the role of the T-rexes from The Lost World will be played by Unicorns

Death of a Unicorn is at its best when it embraces being a fun creature feature but becomes pretty uninteresting when leaning into the human characters and the typical man abusing nature and science plot. 

Jenna Ortega and Will Poulter are the standouts acting-wise although the movie does lean into Poulter's comedic chops a bit too much. 

Paul Rudd feels so out of place in this movie and scenes with him and Ortega just don't have much juice. 

The Unicorns are the clear highlight of the movie. I enjoyed the take on the mythical creatures in both design and lore. Their horns in particular look gnarly and badass. 

There are major Jurassic Park vibes throughout the movie especially some scenes and moments involving the Unicorns that feel ripped right out of The Lost World: Jurassic Park. 

The movie does squander some potential but is still a decently entertaining over the top horror B-movie.

“You cannot alter your fate. However, you can rise to meet it." 

I’ve been fortunate enough to have seen Miyazaki‘s magnum opus in the theater two previous times but this now this masterful achievement in cinema and storytelling is realized on the big screen like never seen before in gorgeous 4K. 

The awe-inspiring imagery is able to stand out even more and almost felt like I was watching the film for the first time ever. Some backgrounds truly just leap off the screen with vibrant beauty and majesty. 

Each time I watch this film so many new little details stand out that I can't help but be in awe of whether it's how magnificently realized the animals are or how swift and satisfying the fight between San and Lady Eboshi in Iron Town is. 

The facial expressions of the characters in this film remain maybe the best I've ever seen. 

I was so joyed to see so many people in the theatre to see what I maintain is one of the most important films of the last 30 years. 

Please give this masterpiece a 4K Steel book release and I will buy it instantly.

Just some more generic live-action Disney remake slop that seemed to get worse as the movie went along. 

So many bad and annoying songs. Rachel Zegler is the only person in this movie that can sing. She also gives the best performance even though I certainly wouldn’t say she’s amazing by any means. She’s a fine Snow White overall. 

Gal Gadot is pretty bad in this. So damn stiff and wooden throughout. She barely brings anything to the role of the legendary Evil Queen. 

The production design, costumes, and visuals are average and pedestrian at best and can feel lazy at times. 

The CGI for the Seven Dwarves looks downright horrific. Talk about uncanny valley. 

What maybe bugs me the most is that even with all the controversy about distancing itself from the original 1937 film, this ultimately feels like the same story with minor changes but doesn’t do anything interesting or daring with Disney’s first princess.

Just purely bland and inoffensive.

"Science is just another tool of politicians."

Truly one of the more beautifully bizarre Godzilla films in the franchise. This is my first ever time watching the film in Japanese thanks to the brand new 4K just released.

This does stand out as being the most original of the Heisei films. I specifically enjoyed the JRPG vibe Koichi Sugiyama's score brings to the film. The human story is also one of the better and fantastical ones of the franchise and takes both the series and the character of Godzilla back to its tragic mad science roots.

The scene where the children show all their drawings of Godzilla coupled with his classic score is legitimately one of the most awesome moments of the franchise. The scene still gives me chills to this day.

The action sequences are absolutely gorgeous to look at. Both battles between Godzilla and Biollante are visually engaging and pretty brutal. This is also arguably the best the standard Heisei suit ever looked, especially in the scene where Godzilla is tearing through a wonderfully put-together miniature Osaka.

Toho's practical effects are all top-notch in this film from the kaiju designs, miniatures, and production design.

Biollante remains one of the most impressive and gnarly Kaiju designs Toho has ever done. I like many others would love to see her return soon.

"It is the greatest privilege to have our existence."

Ash is a cosmic horror film that never shies away from being a lover letter to many other works of each genre like Event Horizon, Prometheus, Dead Space, and obviously the OG Alien.

The visuals in the film are nothing short of gorgeous with so many stunning shots of space and otherworldly sites. The score couples well with the visuals to create this techno psychedelic and Lovecraftian vibe to the film. 

Eiza González is solid in the lead role as Riya who of course feels reminiscent of Ripley.

The final 30 minutes do kind of save the movie from being just an average Alien copy for me, especially with the introduction of the creature and how it does feel different and unique due to some subtle world building late in the film.

I'm optimistic to see what Flying Lotus does next as director after this fun and entertaining Sci-fi outing.

Standard B movie robot schlock that is carried heavily by a good and convincing performance by Megan Fox albeit not exactly a challenging one as the seductive and unhinged female robot model named Alice. 

Not too much else stands out in the movie but it clearly knows exactly what it is and never aims beyond that. 

The visuals are also decent throughout the movie and the conclusion is entertaining enough to avoid being a complete waste of time. 

Also after watching The Electric State this might as well be freakin Ex Machina in comparison.

This is a complete and utter abomination. 

This might as well be AI generated garbage. This actively made me upset. This trash cost $320 million. Congrats you have good special effects in 2025. The Russo brothers should be ashamed. Well at least they aren't doing the next Aven….. Oh wait a minute.

If you want to watch something about Robots and war on Netflix then just watch the Pluto anime. It's phenomenal.

"When you can lie about everything, when you can deny everything then how do you tell the truth about anything?"

Black Bag is a riveting and sleek spy thriller led by two great lead performances alongside clever direction and writing.

Director Steven Soderbergh and writer David Koepp are able to fit a well-shot, intelligent, and engagingly written film with so much intrigue into about 90 minutes of run time that still delivers a satisfying experience.

Both Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender are terrific in the lead roles. Fassbender in particular does so much by saying very little but carries a sense of intimidation with his eyes and physicality.

The ing performances from top to bottom are also fantastic. The cast as a whole have great chemistry and play off each other well.

The film does partly deal with a current war involving Russia which isn't explicitly said to be the war in Ukraine but the timely tie-in is there to chew on if you chose to take it that way.

"You have to prove that you have faith in the system. You are going to need to get used to dying. That is your job now."

Mickey 17 is perhaps the weakest of Bong Joon-ho's films. However, it is still nonetheless an entertaining and humorous sci-fi tale about the plight of the working man and the way the upper class uses them to advance their and society's ambition.

Robert Pattinson is both fantastic and versatile as Mickey. He is able to embody many of the struggles that so many working people go through, especially young men who deal with feeling lesser from being used and abused in a hyper-capitalist system.

Mark Ruffalo is over the top but still pretty entertaining as an arrogant and pompous failed politician leading a ship on a colonial scientific expedition to another planet.

The creatures featured in the film also look great and feel reminiscent of Ohmu from Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. They were also given some depth and intrigue that I felt invested in.

Pattinson is the obvious highlight here with other aspects of the film not hitting on nearly the same level as some of Joon-ho's other work. I did still enjoy his whacky take on sci-fi overall.

Happy Pokémon Day!

R.I.P. Rachael Lillis You will always be missed.

"Don't cry Mewtwo. You should be happy. You are alive and life is wonderful."

It continues to be such a crime that 4Kids! cut the first ten minutes of this movie. Mewtwo's origin is beautiful, heartbreaking and gives so much better context to his character and the climax of the story.

Seeing Pokémon: The First Movie for the first time in theaters with my family is such a core childhood memory for me. Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh! were truly the springboards for my lifelong love of anime and both carry immense nostalgia for me.

Pikachu weeping when Ash is turned to stone still gets me emotional to this day. The iconic Mewtwo quote at the conclusion of the film that sounds like something Martin Luther King would've said still sticks with me.

"I see now that the circumstances of one's birth are irrelevant; it is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are."

On this most recent rewatch I also noticed some Jurassic Park influence, such as Dr. Fuji's daughter being named Amber, the purist of creating life and taking place on a remote island. Just goes to show how truly impactful of the film that masterpiece is, but I'll save that for the Jurassic Park review coming late this year.

*Also something that always bothers me whenever I watch a Pokémon show or movie is that the Japanese versions aren't really available legally and I desperately want to see those, especially the movies.

"When you start to think that you are invincible, that is when you are on a path to destruction."

Watching this for the first time in 4K restoration is such a joy.

Despite being derivative of many things from Star Wars, Dragon Ball, Seven Samurai, and an 18th-century Japanese novel, I can't help but appreciate how enjoyable a blast from the past this is for Japanese high fantasy and samurai films.

Legend of the Eight Samurai features extravagant sets and lavish costumes that pop in so many set pieces and scenes.

There are so many over-the-top action sequences that feel ripped right out of a manga or anime. The sword choreography is impressive in several scenes, especially the final set piece featuring hundreds of extras.

Seeing a young Hiroyuki Sanada is so cool, especially after his momentous success in Shogun. Same with a middle-aged Sonny Chiba.

Mari Natsuki is probably the standout performance as she is maniacally over-the-top as the evil Tamazusa.

From the synth-rock opening to the schlocky creature effects, this is the embodiment of a cult classic in every sense of the word, and I can't help but completely adore the film for that.

The delightful bear is back to deliver another wholesome film for the whole family.

Paddington In Peru feels less like the conclusion to a trilogy and rather a spinoff adventure of the beloved and magnanimous bear.

The film is filled to the brim with vibrant color and the filming on location in Colombia and Peru gives a sincere and grounded vibe to the movie. First-time director Dougal Wilson holds his own as he takes the baton from Paul King.

The story is simple but adds to Paddington's lore in a meaningful and emotional way that hammers home the significance of family and understanding where you come from.

Ben Whishaw is once again so wonderful in his third appearance as the lead bear, and the visual effects that bring the adorable Paddington to life are great.

Olivia Colman and Antonio Banderas are both entertaining in ing roles. The actors who make up the Brown family also help add to the emotional core of the film while also being fun to watch on screen.

Another toothless MCU film

Brave New World, which is an awful title, is yet another stale and paint-by-numbers entire into the Marvel Cinematic Universe that feels so inconsequential. 

The movie’s political plot fails to hit home in any significant way to the current climate of the United States and pails in comparison to the stories of all three previous Captain America films. 

The visual effects are generic and the final action set piece is a CGI slop fest that superhero films have become synonymous with in recent years. The villains are also extremely lackluster and uninteresting. 

Anthony Mackie and Harrison Ford are both fine in their roles but the writing gives neither much to work with. 

There was also a couple of dreaded memberberrie character cameos that like much of this movie feel useless. 

When all is said and done this movie feels like Winter Soldier light as it just rehashes many of the same things that we have seen in these franchises for so many years.

"Turn the key and see what happens."

A uniquely sadistic black comedy horror film that wears its masochism and petulant humor on its sleeve for better or for worse.

Osgood Perkins once again shows off his skills as a horror director in scenes where he brilliantly builds up tension and fear surrounding the killing machine, The Monkey.

The lore and mystery around the Monkey, gruesome and at times humorous over-the-top deaths help carry the first half of the film well, but once the rather thin story starts to take the lead the movie loses quite a bit of steam.

The gory deaths are entertaining but begin to feel hollow and repetitive in the final 40 minutes. However, one death towards the end involving some wasps did stand out from many others.

The emotional core of the film didn't really hit home for me due to the lack of character development outside of Theo James' character. James is good in the film as well.

"You could call what's happening right now the tragedy of life's being ruled by fear. A calamity of fear brought about by the meaningless activities of life."

Witnessing the conclusion to one of the greatest stories ever conceived by mankind as it should be.

Attack on Titan remains not only one of the most important pieces of anime that have helped catapult the medium into the stratosphere of popularity it has seen in the last ten years but is also a crucial examination of mankind's endless cycle of hatred, war, and persecution of those we deem as the other.

Hajime Isayama's masterpiece becomes even more relevant when looking at the violent history of humans and continues to be so today and sadly into the future.

The world continues to struggle through hatred and boundary lines we constantly draw on the globe, but even through all the suffering and destruction, there will always be those who fight for the life they hope to live and seek peace for those dear to them.

"I think your love was nothing but a long nightmare. The lives taken will never come back. Still, I exist because of the lives you created."

"This world is an outcome wrought by all of our choices."

"I just wanted to live."

Ex Machina's little punk rock sister

Companion is a new well-written entry into the all too eerily relevant sub-genre of robots and AI that does carve out a nice spot among those films thanks to a commanding directorial debut from Drew Hancock and a phenomenal performance from Sophie Thatcher.

Thatcher steals every scene she is in as the not-so-subtly-named Iris. She is able to be both vulnerable, frightened, and confident in this diverse and challenging performance. She impressively speaks multiple languages for a brief time in some scenes as well.

She kind of reminds me of Anya Taylor-Joy with how much power she carries in her eyes and physicality.

I also enjoyed Jack Quaid in the role of Josh. He does lean into a lot of his own cliches from previous works but finally strikes a little different tone for him as the antagonist of the film.

The film is also well-shot by Eli Born. The Art direction is also a standout with a lot of vibrant pink, red, and blue.

The film doesn't have much to say about the consequences or progression of Sex bots in society and AI but does have plenty to say about who will most likely be the main consumer of those products in frustrated young males with a severe lack of confidence.

An entertaining and fun watch that would go well as an AI Girlfriend trilogy with Ex Machina and Her, but obviously not of the level of those films.

A solid and unique take on the ghost and haunting genre. Presence examines the effect grief and trauma can have on a family in a well-polished and intimate fashion.

The intriguing idea to follow the spirit's perspective coupled with a smartly written script by David Koepp allows each character and scene to believably feel like a suburban family battling with the dysfunction and anxiety that surrounds them.

Steven Soderbergh's savviness as a director is on full display as he guides the camera to convey the emotions and thoughts of not only the of the family but the spirit in the house as well.

All the performances are solid with Chris Sullivan probably being the standout as the father of the family. You really buy him as this unsure but incredibly loving and sincere father who just wants what is best for his family.

This film is kind of d as horror but this is much of a thriller or even melodrama of a family dealing with the anguish and pain of loss.

Japanuary 2025 Film seven

"It's not unclean! There's joy, there's grief. All who live here feel them in all different shades."

An animated fairy tale masterpiece about the tragedy of the human experience.

A triumphant achievement in the realm of animation and the culmination of a legendary career from filmmaker Isao Takahata. The Tale of The Princess Kaguya is pure magic as every frame vibrantly gleams with spellbinding animation.

There is such a tranquil simplicity to the watercolor animation style the film utilizes that also feels powerful in the emotional moments of the story.

This masterwork based on an ancient Japanese folktale The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter is ultimately about the struggles and complexities of human life. 

This is yet another gorgeous score delivered by the legend himself Joe Hisaishi. He captures the purity of nature and living in such an eloquent and unique fashion only he is capable of.

Some of the several interpretations and themes that can be taken from the film include the loss of feminine innocence and wonder, seeking happiness in nature and simple living, and mankind's constant pursuit of youth and happiness through tressures and legends.

Much like with many final films by a director, it's hard not to see Takahata reflecting on his life and the continually changing and challenging world humans live in. Truly one of the most thought-provoking and subtly bold pieces of animation ever created in my eyes.

Japanuary 2025
Anime Films
 

"Everyone wants to suck a winner's cock. That's what it comes down to."

I'm such a sucker for a well-put-together examination of the hyper-capitalistic empire that is the United States of America and the origin story of the 45th and now 47th President is the perfect conduit into the cutthroat world that not only made him into everything he is today but America as well.

This is pure unadulterated Americana in all its sexiness and grotesque gluttony. 

The film is ultimately carried by the two monumental lead performances of Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong. Strong is absolutely mesmerizing as Roy Cohn and Stan slowly transforms into the famed towering tycoon.

Both actors add so much subtility and nuance to their performances and especially in Stan's case that is a difficult task when considering the amount of over-the-top comedic impersonations that have been done of his character.

The first hour of the film is masterful and paced almost like a gunshot to perfectly emulate the meteoric rise of America and the relentless businessmen the film follows.

Some scenes are filmed in such an abstract fashion that it almost feels like Cohn and The Apprentice are predators or hunters in the capitalist concert jungle that is New York, on the prowl, to pursue any advantage they can find to win by any means necessary.

The film is also able to use some powerful art direction that gives some scenes a larger-than-life circus feel to them while also still able to maintain a pretty grounded feel throughout most of the run time.

I do think the film does start to lose some steam in the final 40 minutes due to a rather thin script and feels emotionally flat for the most part. You could arguably say that is purposeful given who the film is about.

I grew up on films like The Godfather, Scarface, and Goodfellas so this film does have a nostalgic feel to it for me and I thought the first half was structured brilliantly with possibly the best lead and ing performances of the year. I thoroughly enjoyed this film even though the closing act does fall short a little bit.

2024 Films 

Japanuary 2025 Film six

Such a wonderfully wholesome and delightful film about finding your inner ion through music and friendship.

The Colors Within is one of the best-animated films of 2024 and boasts just gorgeous animation done by the masterful Science Saru. The movie has this kind of watercolor vibe that matches perfectly with the theme of free-flowing creativity through someone's mind.

The film shows how working creatively with others can help you rediscover long-lost callings and help you be more in touch with your life and the people around you.

The portrayal of the three main characters is also well done and how the film tackles teenage anxiety and the pressure of growing up.

The finale features three great musical numbers that are both cathartic and entertaining after the film does a sincere job of making you invested in the characters.

I'm really excited to check out Naoko Yamada's other two films Liz and the Blue Bird and A Silent Voice.

2024 Films
Japanuary 2025
Anime Films 

• The Lost World

  The one that started it all. 

• King Kong

  The first blockbuster and helped revive the theaters. Truly revolutionary. 

• The Land Unknown

  The worst T-Rex I've ever seen. 

• Dinosaurus!

  Decent stop motion Dinosaurs. Really dumb and annoying humans. 

• One Million Years B.C.
• The Valley of Gwangi
• When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth
• The Land That Time Forgot
• The Last Dinosaur
• Planet of Dinosaurs

...plus 14 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Alien and Predator have a pretty solid and balanced top-five films when put together as well as a pretty lonesome bottom three.

• Alien
• Aliens
• Predator
• Prey
• Prometheus
• Predator: Killer of Killers
• Alien: Romulus
• AVP: Alien vs. Predator
• Predator 2
• Alien³

...plus 5 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Predator films

• Predator
• Prey
• Predator: Killer of Killers
• Predator 2
• Predators
• The Predator

• Ex Machina
• Lady Bird
• Past Lives
• Under the Skin
• The Lighthouse
• The Witch
• Sing Sing
• The Zone of Interest
• The Brutalist
• Civil War

...plus 24 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Annihilation
2. Avengers: Infinity War
3. A Quiet Place
4. Mission: Impossible – Fallout
5. Dragon Ball Super: Broly
6. First Man
7. Vice
8. Halloween
9. A Star Is Born
10. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

...plus 24 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2. Jurassic Park
3. Princess Mononoke
4. Godzilla
5. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
6. Oppenheimer
7. Kill Bill: Vol. 1
8. Alien
9. The Dark Knight
10. Blade Runner 2049

...plus 52 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Drive My Car
2. Dune
3. Belle
4. Nightmare Alley
5. The Suicide Squad
6. Titane
7. Spider-Man: No Way Home
8. Jujutsu Kaisen 0
9. V/H/S/94
10. Last Night in Soho

...plus 26 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. The Tale of The Princess Kaguya
2. Prisoners
3. 12 Years a Slave
4. Her
5. The Wind Rises
6. Inside Llewyn Davis
7. Snowpiercer
8. The Wolf of Wall Street
9. American Hustle
10. Nebraska

...plus 36 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Zero Dark Thirty
2. Django Unchained
3. Life of Pi
4. Skyfall
5. Wolf Children
6. Silver Linings Playbook
7. The Avengers
8. Argo
9. The Dark Knight Rises
10. Looper

...plus 30 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Avengers: Infinity War
2. Thor: Ragnarok
3. The Avengers
4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
5. Spider-Man: No Way Home
6. Guardians of the Galaxy
7. Thunderbolts*
8. Black Panther
9. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
10. Captain America: Civil War

...plus 26 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Blade Runner 2049
2. Lady Bird
3. Logan
4. War for the Planet of the Apes
5. The Shape of Water
6. I, Tonya
7. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
8. Wind River
9. Dunkirk
10. Okja

...plus 44 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

• Princess Mononoke
• Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
• Spirited Away
• The Boy and the Heron
• Kiki's Delivery Service
• My Neighbor Totoro
• The Wind Rises
• Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro
• Castle in the Sky
• Porco Rosso

...plus 2 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Arrival
2. La La Land
3. The Handmaiden
4. The Wailing
5. Train to Busan
6. Manchester by the Sea
7. The Witch
8. Your Name.
9. Shin Godzilla
10. Zootopia

...plus 33 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Oppenheimer
2. Godzilla Minus One
3. The Boy and the Heron
4. Past Lives
5. Poor Things
6. Monster
7. The Holdovers
8. The Zone of Interest
9. The Iron Claw
10. Perfect Days

...plus 27 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Godzilla
2. Godzilla Minus One
3. Godzilla vs. Destoroyah
4. Shin Godzilla
5. Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster
6. Mothra vs. Godzilla
7. Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack
8. Godzilla vs. Biollante
9. Godzilla
10. Godzilla: King of the Monsters

...plus 6 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. The Substance
2. Nosferatu
3. Look Back
4. Dune: Part Two
5. Sing Sing
6. The Brutalist
7. Evil Does Not Exist
8. Civil War
9. Strange Darling
10. Flow

...plus 42 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Parasite
2. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
3. Portrait of a Lady on Fire
4. The Lighthouse
5. 1917
6. The Irishman
7. Uncut Gems
8. Knives Out
9. Weathering with You
10. Marriage Story

...plus 35 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

• A Different Man
• Maria
• Blitz
• The Bikeriders
• The First Omen
• Oddity
• I Saw the TV Glow
• A Quiet Place: Day One
• Trap
• Drive-Away Dolls

...plus 13 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

• Paprika
• Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro
• Evil Does Not Exist
• Monster
• Drive My Car
• The Colors Within
• The Tale of The Princess Kaguya

• Princess Mononoke
• Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
• Ghost in the Shell
• Spirited Away
• The Boy and the Heron
• Angel's Egg
• Grave of the Fireflies
• Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion
• Vampire Hunter D
• Akira

...plus 32 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

• The Substance
• Nosferatu

1. Pan's Labyrinth
2. Children of Men
3. Paprika
4. The Departed
5. The Host
6. Blood Diamond
7. Flags of Our Fathers
8. Inside Man
9. V for Vendetta
10. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

...plus 24 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. The Dark Knight
2. WALL·E
3. The Wrestler
4. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
5. In Bruges
6. Changeling
7. Doubt
8. Kung Fu Panda
9. Frost/Nixon
10. Ip Man

...plus 54 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. There Will Be Blood
2. No Country for Old Men
3. Zodiac
4. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
5. Atonement
6. Eastern Promises
7. Gone Baby Gone
8. Michael Clayton
9. 28 Weeks Later
10. American Gangster

...plus 30 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Inglourious Basterds
2. Where the Wild Things Are
3. (500) Days of Summer
4. District 9
5. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
6. Up in the Air
7. Moon
8. The Hurt Locker
9. The Messenger
10. The Road

...plus 46 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Black Swan
2. Inception
3. The Social Network
4. True Grit
5. The Fighter
6. The Town
7. Toy Story 3
8. How to Train Your Dragon
9. Shutter Island
10. TRON: Legacy

...plus 32 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
2. Moneyball
3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
4. X-Men: First Class
5. The Descendants
6. The Ides of March
7. Warrior
8. Crazy, Stupid, Love.
9. My Week with Marilyn
10. War Horse

...plus 31 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. The Northman
2. Inu-Oh
3. TÁR
4. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
5. Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
6. Decision to Leave
7. The Batman
8. Top Gun: Maverick
9. Everything Everywhere All at Once
10. Prey

...plus 21 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

• Interstellar
• Under the Skin
• Gone Girl
• Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
• X-Men: Days of Future Past
• Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
• Whiplash
• Snowpiercer
• How to Train Your Dragon 2
• A Most Violent Year

...plus 34 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

• Ex Machina
• Sicario
• Spotlight
• The Revenant
• Mad Max: Fury Road
• Straight Outta Compton
• Creed
• The Hateful Eight
• Paddington
• Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation

...plus 29 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

• Venom: Let There Be Carnage
• Venom
• Venom: The Last Dance

• Terminator 2: Judgment Day
• The Terminator
• Terminator: Dark Fate
• Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
• Terminator Genisys
• Terminator Salvation

1. Alien

   Review

2. Aliens

   Review

3. Prometheus

   Review

4. Alien: Romulus

   Review

5. Alien³

   Review

6. Alien: Covenant

   Review

7. Alien Resurrection

   Review

• Alien
• The Thing
• Black Swan
• Vampire Hunter D
• The Wailing
• The Descent
• The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
• Se7en
• The Babadook
• Perfect Blue

...plus 1 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

• Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train
• Judas and the Black Messiah
• Minari
• Soul
• Tenet
• Sound of Metal
• Mank
• The Way Back
• Let Him Go
• Wonder Woman 1984

...plus 7 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

• Jurassic Park
• The Lost World: Jurassic Park
• Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
• Jurassic World
• Jurassic Park III
• Jurassic World Dominion

• Planet of the Apes
• Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
• War for the Planet of the Apes
• Escape from the Planet of the Apes
• Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
• Rise of the Planet of the Apes
• Conquest of the Planet of the Apes
• Planet of the Apes
• Beneath the Planet of the Apes
• Battle for the Planet of the Apes