10 favorite movies seen this year
Wild at Heart
Batshit insane movie with the best theater experience I’ve ever had watching anything. This one was so effective emotionally too and covered both the absurd and the all too real in a way I haven’t seen too many things pull off successfully.
Bugonia
You know something is great when it’s a “two people talk at eachother at length” movie and it still feels engrossing. It felt like being in the pressure cooker over the last act with some genuine tension and real visceral horror.
Frankenstein
At long last, after waiting in anticipation of this one for a while it was finally here. Despite having to make the extra effort to hunt it down it was still such a great watch. I’m so mad that second screens are considered with screenwriting because I think that holds this back from being truly perfect but visually and emotionally this was something to behold. The costumes, the sets, the art direction; this had the SAUCE.
Cure
Atmospherically the most effective horror movie I saw this year between its industrial, lurking soundscape and its performances. A masterclass in having the most unassuming guy show up on screen and still feeling your blood pressure rise because you know something horrible is about to happen.
28 Years Later
A legacy sequel that genuinely surprised me with how intentional and driven it was in the story it sought to tell. A genuinely interesting world in what is an oversaturated genre that continues to ask new questions and evolve into answers I find myself thinking about after leaving the theater. The ending heel turn was like getting hit in the face with a trout.
Nosferatu
Had to go on here. Brought the sauce for real in its nightmarish and dreamlike visuals along with ONE MILLION RATS. Great performances throughout building to a remake that stands tall with its original. It needs to be law that something fucked up and upsetting like this gets out to the general public once a year.
Shape of Water/Pacific Rim
I’m sorry, I’M SORRY I CANT PICK. This also makes this list one third Del Toro but there are no rules and it’s all fake anyways. Reality is whatever I want it to be and it including both of these captivating movies about love, humanity, and “wow cool monster” is a reality I want to live in. Del Toro loves subjecting one character to some fucked up horrible body horror and going for the face in his movies doesn’t he.
Barbarian
The people were absolutely right, an unmatched blind watch. Growing up reading Stephen King books, I’ve scarcely see a movie do what he does with shifting perspectives well but goddamn does this one deliver. The way it shifts gears and keeps getting better with each vignette is awesome and the style shift in the third act was so fucking cool. Great to see one of these where there was some real thought put into the “monster”.
Sinners
Told a cool story with a different setting and managed to keep things fun, interesting, and scary in new ways as it goes on. It’s cool that it took its time building to its main threat (where they really only crash in about halfway through) in a way that really earns its chaotic end. I really wish more was done practically with that, but I also know that it’s a me hang-up, the rest was so fun.
10 movie moments from this year
-The Weeknd gets stabbed and goes to hell
-Gurgy fucking kills himself
-Looking at weird shit happening in the background of HIM
-Bugonia antifreeze/secret basement room
-Wild At Heart (the whole thing)
-Shape of Water’s formal dance
-Phonecian Scheme Michael Cera heel turn
-Barbarian’s flashback act
-American Werewolf theater scene
-Sinners group invitation
