"We're not critics. We're professional fan-girls." --- This blog is dedicated to movies and the entertainment industry. We use random selection to bring into light the best and worst of streaming films and entertainment news.
Movie
Name/Year: The
Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare(2024)
Genre:
Drama, Action, Comedy, War
Length:
2h
Rating:
R
Director:
Guy Ritchie
Writers:
Guy Ritchie, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson, Arash Amel, Damien Lewis
Based
On: Book "The
Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare: How Churchill's Secret Warriors
Set Europe Ablaze and Gave Birth to Modern Black Ops"
by Damien Lewis
Actors:
Henry Cavill, Alan Ritchson, Alex Pettyfer, Eiza González, Babs
Olusanmokun, Cary Elwes, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Henry Golding, Rory
Kinnear, Til Schweiger, Freddie Fox, James Wilby, Henrique Zaga,
Danny Sapani, Matthew Hawksley, Simon Paisley Day, Mark Oosterveen,
Victor Oshin, Alessandro Babalola, Orshuff Emmanuel Mele, Tim Seyfi,
George Asprey, Luca Marrocco, Paul Antony-Barber, Bikiya Graham
Douglas, Nikolas Salmon
IMDb
Blurb: The British military
recruits a small group of highly skilled soldiers to strike against
German forces behind enemy lines during World War II.
Cat’s
Point of View:
When I tell you I was excited to watch
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare leading up to its April
2024 release, it's, in fact, a gross understatement. This movie was
one of the small handful in recent years I was practically bouncing
off the walls with the anticipation. There was never even a question
of where it would land on my personal Top 20 list that month. This
production about these marvelous military mad men was absolutely my
#1 pick.
It didn't surprise me that Selina had
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare pegged as her own #1
entry. What did give me a moment of pause, and made me giggle, was
that her blurb that month fairly echoed my own thoughts on the film
almost verbatim.
We were absolutely here for a movie
where we got to see Superman kill Nazis with gleeful abandon.
Yes, yes, it's clear that Henry Cavill (The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,
Enola Holmes, The Witcher) was not actually in the red & blue
super suit while gunning down Nazis, but ever since Man of Steel
(2013) he has etched himself into my heart and personal cinematic
landscape as the caped embodiment of the symbol of hope – and one
that the late Christopher Reeve (1952-2004) would be proud of. (Of
course, except when sporting long white hair, but that's an entirely
different scenario. I digress...)
Watching interviews of Cavill pretty
much, if low-key, geeking out over the actual history behind this
band of men that thwarted the 3rd Reich's Atlantic U-boat
campaign throught Operation Postmaster was one of the most
wholesomely joyous things ever. The man who was presumptively in line
for playing 007, himself, ended up in the role of the man that
inspired Ian Fleming to create James Bond in the first place. In one
interview, Alex Pettyfer (Magic Mike, Endless Love, Back Roads)
explained that Cavill also pretty much “saved his life” while
shooting this film. Pettyfer had a near misstep and loss of balance
while transitioning between boats while filming and attributes Cavill
for hauling him back to safety in the nick of time.
Okay, okay... enough rambling about
that. You get the point. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
simply gave me so many reasons to fangirl and do a lot of geeking out
of my own.
Cavill and Pettyfer weren't the only
names among the cast I was excited to see. Alan Ritchson (Titans,
Fast X, Reacher) playing Anders Lassen was another source of joy
from this production. It was glorious to watch him rack up possibly
the largest kill-count in close-combat with Nazis in the movie, with
his character's rage-fueled glee. Then, of course, Cary Elwes’
(Saw, The Princess Bride, BlackBerry) was magnificent with his
wry delivery, and Rory Kinnear (Penny Dreadful, Skyfall, Black
Mirror) was an excellent choice as Churchill. Hero Fiennes
Tiffin (After, The Silencing, The Woman King), Henry Golding
(Crazy Rich Asians, The Gentlemen, Last Christmas) , and Til
Schweiger (Inglourious Basterds, Atomic Blonde, Charlie
Countryman) were also on point. Eiza González (Baby Driver, I
Care A Lot, Godzilla vs. Kong) was an excellent choice for this
WWII badass lady of mystery and espionage. Babs Olusanmokun (Dune:
Part One, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, The Book of Clarence)
phenomenally delivered his character's measured and seemingly calm
demeanor – while being no more peaceful than a body of water with a
deceptively still, glassy surface but powerful and deadly currents
underneath.
When Guy Ritchie (Snatch, Wrath of
Man, The Man from U.N.C.L.E.) is involved with a project, I just
expect a really good viewing experience – and The Ministry of
Ungentlemanly Warfare was no exception. The banter was on point,
and the comedy was expertly woven in as Ritchie is known for. It was
all seamless and felt right in the moment. There were never any
forced laughs or any that didn't fit the scenes. This is a good
example of why people just say “Yes” when Ritchie calls them,
before they even know what he's pitching.
When you pair that with the experience
and production value that Producer Jerry Bruckheimer (Armageddon,
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Top Gun: Maverick)
brings to the table, it becomes pure movie magic. For example, all of
the boat shots used for this movie, for the most part, were shot on
actual boats out on the water and not on a sound-stage. It brought an
extra layer of realism with the practical effects, and helped the
story become more immersive.
Action lovers have plenty to enjoy here
from hand-to-hand, lots of gun-fighting, plenty of explosions, and
even a fair bit of archery.
While quite a lot of the movies based
in the history of WWII tend to be super serious, The Ministry of
Ungentlemanly Warfare manages to bring an edge of levity and an
extra helping of excitement to its task of bringing this slice of the
actual events from the last World War to the big screen without being
disrespectful. The story was taken straight from Churchill's
declassified documents and brought to the public eye and attention
through a historian and former war-reporter's book – and now The
Ministry of UngentlemanlyWarfare adapted that for the screen. Of
course, there's likely to be some wiggle-room in the historical
accuracy of some of the events for the sake of cinematic license, but
that doesn't change the core of the story based in fact.
If you are a fan of any of the cast,
production team, or genres I've mentioned here at length, my
recommendation is to watch The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
as soon as you can get your hands on it – and you likely won't be
disappointed.
Rotten
Tomatoes Critic Score – 69%
Rotten
Tomatoes Audience Score –
93%
Metascore
– 55%
Metacritic
User Score –
6.6/10
IMDB
Score –
6.8/10
Trust
the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 5/5
P.S. - While there isn't a mid or post-credits scene for this movie, there is a segment where the real people involved with Operation Postmaster as shown in this movie have an homage with their photo and a small epilogue blurb for each citing what happened for them afterwards.
A Little Lagniappe ("something extra") - You can visit the official website for the movie here. You can also watch the Extra interview where Cavill and crew discuss making the movie and includes Pettyfer's description of how Cavill saved him.
Streaming Service: Hulu Movie Name/Year: Shadow in the Cloud (2021) Genre: Action, Horror, War Length: 1h 23min Rating: R Production/Distribution: Four Knights Film, Rhea Films, Film & TV House,
GEM Entertainment, Splendid Film, Redbox Entertainment, Signature
Entertainment, Vertical Entertainment, Capelight Pictures, Cinemundo, Film1,
Gravel Road Distribution Group Director: Roseanne Liang Writers: Max Landis, Roseanne Liang Actors: Chloë Grace Moretz, Nick
Robinson, Beulah Koale, Taylor John Smith, Callan Mulvey, Benedict Wall, Byron
Coll, Joe Witkowski IMDb Blurb: A female WWII pilot traveling
with top-secret documents on a B-17 Flying Fortress encounters an evil presence
on board the flight.
Selina’s Point of View: I was excited to
see Shadow in the Cloud, then disappointed when the reviews started
trickling out. I tend to go with audiences over critics, and it caused me to
delay in seeing it. That makes this film a
very strong warning that reviews can only take you so far. I think the critics
are right where Shadow in the Cloud is concerned. I’m not sure
why audiences despised it so much, but I liked it. It had a few of the basic
issues that a lot of action/horrors have. Lack of realism, dumb (but fun)
stunts, and a whole lot of camp. The pitfalls may have
been a bit predictable, but the movie uses them well to move along the story.
Based n the plot, I
assumed the flick would be dreadfully long, but it’s only about 80 minutes. The
editing was so on point that there was barely any down time. Even though the
majority of Shadow in the Cloud is just Chloë Grace Moretz (Kick-Ass,
Let Me In, If I Stay) alone on screen, it never got boring. There was
always something to draw the eye. That’s a tough task to accomplish in
something meant to be this claustrophobic. I don’t normally call
out editors in my reviews, but maybe I should. I think editor Tom Eagles (Jojo
Rabbit, The Harder They Fall, Hunt for the Wilderpeople) really helped this
flick. I don’t know what he left on the cutting room floor, but I don’t think
it matters. I don’t need any further explanation for anything, and – even with
my ADHD – I never lost focus. That is a tough balance to strike. Eagles was
probably worth more to the film than some of the actors. I hope he made a
decent amount, otherwise, he should get a raise. In the end, Shadow
in the Cloud was a decent film. I know some of the reviews might be
scary, but I strongly urge trying it out for yourself.
Cat’s Point of View: I had high hopes and excited anticipation for Shadow in the Cloud when it was first
released. It even landed as my #2 pick on January 2021’s Top 20 list. Needless to say, the moment I
was able to watch Shadow in the Cloud,
I did. When it came up on our schedule for review, I was happy to watch this
movie again. A lot of that falls to the strong performance by Chloë Grace
Moretz (Brain on Fire, Tom & Jerry,
Mother/Android). She drew me in and held my attention, keeping me on the
edge of my seat with the tension of her character’s plight. I was hooked and my
curiosity was piqued regarding the contents of the confidential and classified
package she brought on board the plane. Once the big reveal happened, I was
even more invested in what was going on and it ramped up the suspense, thrills,
and horror factor.
I enjoyed the way that Roseanne Liang (My Wedding and Other Secrets, Flat3, Friday Night Bites) tackled this
particular story. The action sequences were both crazy and spectacular. It was
fairly easy to suspend disbelief and just hang in with what was going on – even
though at times it was a bit bananas. Though, as a sci-fi geek at heart, it was
all par for the course for me. I think some of the more out-there elements of
this tale were set up quite nicely. I couldn’t help getting flashback feelings
from the likes of The Twilight Zone:
Nightmare at 20,000 Feet (1963). (That episode is, honestly, the only one
out of that whole series that I remember in great detail – it struck that much
of a chord with me.) Shadow in the Cloud
wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, but I believe I got more out of it with
what actually transpired than what I had originally inferred from the trailer
in 2020. In fact, I picked up on so many more nuances of this production with
my 2nd viewing. I was still left wanting to know more about this
story and what might have happened next.
I admired the feminist message underscoring this World War
II tale, as well. There were actual female pilots that participated in the war,
even if they were transporting planes rather than flying them into combat in
most cases. It was a hard won victory as the military in general had to
eventually admit that lady pilots were just as good as their male counterparts.
It wasn’t implausible for a situation such as this to happen in that timeframe.
Women weren’t confined to roles such as “Rosie the Riveter” during that
conflict. All told, Shadow in
the Cloud was a great popcorn movie and I really wouldn’t mind even
watching it again in the future. I absolutely don’t understand why it’s getting
such mangled reviews by audiences so the best bet is to check it out for
yourself and give it a chance.
Rotten Tomatoes Critic
Score – 77% Rotten Tomatoes Audience
Score – 32% Metascore – 66% Metacritic User Score – 3.6/10 IMDB Score – 4.9/10 Trust the Dice: Selina’s
Rating – 4/5 Trust the Dice: Cat’s
Rating – 4/5 P.S. – There are video clips
from WWII showing women involved with aviation during the credits. Movie Trailer:
Streaming Service: Netflix Movie Name/Year: Operation Mincemeat (2022) Genre: Drama, History, War Length: 2h 8min Rating: PG-13 Production/Distribution: See-Saw Films, Cohen Media Group, Archery Pictures,
FilmNation Entertainment, Ascot Elite Entertainment Group, Paradiz, Shaw
Organisation, Warner Bros. Pictures Germany, Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner
Bros., Joy n Cinema, Netflix Director: John Madden Writers: Michelle
Ashford, Ben Macintyre Actors: Charlotte Hamblin, Colin Firth,
Jason Isaacs, Johnny Flynn, Kelly Macdonald, Lorne MacFadyen, Mark Gatiss,
Matthew Macfadyen, Penelope Wilton, Ruby Bentall, Rufus Wright, Caspar
Jennings, Hattie Morahan, Dolly Gadsdon, Simon Russell Beale, Michael Bott,
Alex Jennings, Ellie Haddington, Paul Lancaster, Simon Rouse, Paul Ritter, Amy
Marston, Jonjo O'Neill, Gabrielle Creevy, Nicholas Rowe, Will Keen, Alexander
Beyer, Markus von Lingen, Nico Birnbaum, James Fleet, Mark Bonnar, Javier
Godino, Pedro Casablanc, Laura Morgan, Pep Tosar, Alba Brunet, Óscar Zafra, Lin
Gallagher, Graham Curry
IMDb Blurb: During WWII, two intelligence
officers use a corpse and false papers to outwit German troops.
Cat’s Point of View: While I have a soft spot for World War II movies, they can
sometimes be quite hard to watch. There are an abundance of reasons why - one
of them being that I miss my grandfathers terribly and they both served in the
conflict. I also have to be in a particular mood to enjoy straight war drama.
It’s just not generally my cup of tea. When you get into the nuts and bolts of
espionage, however, that’s a different story. I can identify with those tales
on a whole other level. It’s worth noting that my anticipation for Operation Mincemeat gave the movie a #4
placement on May’s Top 20 list. Spy stories carry weight and tension beyond the battlefield
carnage or even modern action sequences. I love that, if executed correctly,
how they can engage the mind and ensnare your senses. I enjoyed sinking into
the twists and turns of Operation Mincemeat’s
story and finding my pulse rising in spite of my fore-knowledge of the eventual
outcome.
While Operation
Mincemeat outlines a story crazy enough to be fiction, it is a retelling of
actual WWII events that saved countless lives in Europe. There were so many nuances that brought humanity to all of
the people involved with the task of pulling the wool over Hitler’s eyes so
that German forces wouldn’t be waiting on the beaches of Sicily that fateful
July. I loved the wry wit and the layers to each of the characters. The movie’s
tale wove in elements of humor, ambition, jealousy, and romance in organic ways
that didn’t undermine the bigger picture or the underpinning of suspense. Operation Mincemeat
didn’t need car chases, aerial dogfights, or explosions to keep my attention. I
was just as invested watching Colin Firth (Mary
Poppins Returns, 1917, Mothering Sunday) and Matthew Macfadyen's (Anna Karenina, Ripper Street, Succession)
characters pacing and staring at what was effectively a typewriter, waiting for
news.
I was charmed by the story and impressed with the details of
the caper that it brought to light. I never lost interest and didn’t find my
mind wandering, as it sometimes does – especially during long and/or dry
subject matters. I was engaged throughout, and that’s saying a lot for my ADHD
brain. Firth and Macfaydyen weren’t the only stand-outs among the
cast, either. Jason Isaacs (The Death of
Stalin, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, Occupation: Rainfall) embodied
once more a character that I loved every minute of disliking. Kelly Macdonald (Goodbye Christopher Robin, T2 Trainspotting,
Line of Duty) deftly brought to life a key player in this spy game with
real gravitas. I could go on, but I really don’t need to. I don’t regret for one minute placing Operation Mincemeat as high as it was on my list this month, and I
thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I even watched with my picky teen daughter
and she didn’t complain one bit (in spite of this not being her cup of tea). If you have Netflix and enjoy tales of intrigue, Operation Mincemeat is worth a shot.
Streaming Service: Netflix Movie Name/Year: Munich: The Edge of War (2022) Genre: Biography, Drama, History Length: 123 minutes Rating: PG-13 Production/Distribution: Turbine Studios, Netflix Director: Christian Schwochow Writers: Robert Harris, Ben Power Actors: Alex Jennings, Anjli Mohindra,
August Diehl, George MacKay, Jannis Niewöhner, Jeremy Irons, Jessica Brown
Findlay, Liv Lisa Fries, Ludwig Simon, Mark Lewis Jones, Nick Wymer, Raphael
Sowole, Robert Bathurst, Sandra Hüller IMDb Blurb: A British diplomat travels to
Munich in the run-up to World War II, where a former classmate of his from
Oxford is also en route, but is working for the German government.
Selina’s Point of View: I
gravitate toward films about World War II. I feel as though the history of my
ancestors is intertwined with the events to such a level that refusing to learn
as much as I can about that time would be like spitting on a whole lot of
graves. This
particular film made my blood run like ice. There
were conversations held throughout the film that sounded familiar to me. Not
because I saw them in other movies, or read them in books, but because I’ve
heard people have them in my lifetime. Every time a conversation like that came
on screen, chills ran up my spine. Not just because of the comparisons of
mass-apathy, but because there are people out there who don’t see the
similarities.
Although
the story in Munich – The Edge of War is fiction, it takes
place in a very real setting. One that was well crafted behind the
performances. Every step a character took in public was surrounded by an
accurate depiction of the daily life of people during the time leading up to
World War II. Every
watch through, more aspects of that daily life are exposed in the background.
I’ve rarely seen that level of apathy mixed with despair and hatred portrayed
as well on screen. To
get the full depth of Munich – The Edge of War, you really need to
focus on the bigger picture – not just the performances and script. A difficult
thing to do, since both aspects were entrancing.
I
always find it difficult to tear my gaze away from George MacKay to begin with,
but it was necessary here. In the past three years, I’ve become a huge fan of
his, and I only see that growing. He’s exceptionally talented. Despite
the importance I found in Munich – The Edge of War, I understand
that it’s not going to be for everyone. It’s more of a perpetually tense, slow
burn, spy film than a complete war movie. Not everyone has the attention span,
or interest, to really get into that. If it
is a part of your preferred genre, though, it’s worth a watch. Unfortunately,
I believe the people who need to watch it the most, would never get the
message.
Cat’s Point of View: While I’m drawn to World War II movies, as I discussed in my
#7 entry in January 2022’s Top 20 list, I’m never that enthusiastic
about watching them. I have to muster the resolve to watch, as the memories of
my grandfather’s stories and history lessons lurk with sadness in the back of
my mind. Munich: The Edge of War was
no different in that regard. I was impressed with the cast and curious as to
the real events that inspired the tale, yet wasn’t eagerly anticipating the
experience.
First, let me step back and explore this film from the
perspective of a pure spy thriller. Of course, this was more of a period piece
than your average spy flick. The trailer didn’t promise much action. A historical
biopic drama like this, not based on a battlefront, shouldn’t really have that
sort of expectation. All that was just fine. The setting was immersive and
highly nuanced. So much was happening in the background around the characters
that told a story unto itself. I had been a bit on the tired side before I started watching
Munich: The Edge of War, but I was
decidedly awake by the time the somber credits ran. This production kept me
sufficiently at the edge of my seat with worry for the characters and dread for
what I knew was coming in general. I appreciated how authentic it seemed as the
pair of schoolmates put themselves in harm’s way to uncover the underlying
German ruler’s deceit. If everyone in the movie was a slick and polished master
of spycraft, it would have thrown off the balance.
Munich: The Edge of
War provided an eerie window through which to view Hitler. The production
deftly examined how someone so malevolently charismatic could ensnare the hopes
and national pride of their people and then show their underlying darkness. The
fear of the masses and the zeal of those that followed blindly were clear on the
screen without it having to be overtly shoved in the audience’s face. It was particularly chilling, having heard strikingly
similar discussions happening in the real world around me in recent years. The performances of the cast really resonated with me.
Jeremy Irons fit the role of the elder statesman like a tailored glove. The
pair of George MacKay and Jannis Niewöhner gave me goosebumps at a few points
and nearly brought me to tears.
I have not read the book upon which Munich: The Edge of War was based, so I am unable to attest to how
faithful this adaptation was. However, if the book is anything like this movie
was – or better – it must be something powerful, indeed. If you’ve a mind for history, and appreciate World War II
stories, Munich: The Edge of War is
an excellent addition to your Netflix watch list.
Rotten
Tomatoes Critic Score – 84% Rotten
Tomatoes Audience Score – 77% Metascore –53% Metacritic
User Score – 6.6/10 IMDB
Score – 6.9/10 Trust
the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 4/5 Trust
the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 4/5 Movie Trailer:
Sometimes movies just stick with you. Whether it’s part of
the performances, a certain scene, or even just a piece of trivia – there are
somethings that have staying power. This list is not about whether or not a film is good.
Memories are neutral. I remember the first time I was seriously rejected, just
as well as I remember my first kiss. This list, instead, looks at those flicks
we reviewed in 2020 that we know we’ll remember years from now. A lot of the memorable moments involve plot twists and endings.
For that reason, we’re issuing a: SPOILER ALERT.
20 – Vivarium (2019) Vivarium was not a good film. It worked for critics
because it was cerebral and added up to something – it had a message. But, to
the average movie-goer is was boring, slow, repetitive, and more than a little
annoying. There are, however, some scenes that stand out. There’s one,
in particular, that I know I’ll remember well into the future. In this scene, Gemma has had enough of her alien non-child
and attacks him with a pick axe. He inhumanly crawls away and lifts the sidewalk
up as if it were a blanket, then crawls underneath. Using her weapon, the protagonist
wedges the sidewalk open and follows to find some kind of mirror universe. The visuals are insane and impossible to forget.
19 – Unhinged (2020) Unhinged was not a perfect film, but it was
thrilling. Russell Crowe is unstoppable when he can be as creepy, and tough, as
he wants to be. His performance is part of why Unhinged is
unforgettable, but it’s the realism of the plot that really drives it on home.
(No pun intended.) The movie focuses on road rage, and starts off with a bunch
of real-world examples. Then it flows into the story of a young divorced
mother trying to get to a job on time and bring her kid to school. She inadvertently
starts a psychopath on a rampage that he focuses on her. It’s not deep, but it’s
effective. Thinking about it makes me think of the worst road ragers I’ve
come across in my travels. Equally, when I see an instance of road rage, it
makes me think of this film. There’s been times since, where it’s caused me to
hesitate on my horn, and I don’t use it much to begin with. It’s the kind of thing that sticks with you.
18 – The VelociPastor (2018) This movie wasn’t for me, but I’ll be damned if it hasn’t
been burned into my retinas against my will. The VelociPastor is one of those films that was made
to be bad. No one making it was trying to create something of substance. It was
their intention to do something fun with friends and make a flick that was
completely balls-out weird as fuck. In that way, they succeeded. This movie was definitely the one that made us say ‘what the
fuck?’ the most. The part I remember best, is in the very beginning. The pastor’s
parents die in an explosion and instead of wasting time and money on CGI
effects, we got this: I have to say, it is one of the few part that DID work for me. I just about died laughing.
It was a great move for a parody film, and one I don’t think I’ll see
replicated.
17 – Project Power (2020) I, personally, enjoyed this movie as a whole. I thought it
was well acted and had some seriously cool action sequences. Then again,
I’m almost always going to like something starring Jamie Foxx or Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Regardless of that, I don’t think enjoyment of the plot is a
necessity to enjoy Project Power, and that’s where that staying power
comes from. Say what you will about the film, it was still
one of the most gorgeous films to come out this year – at least where CGI is
concerned. There are moments in the film that I will absolutely never
forget because of just how astounding they were to watch. I could have watched
the whole thing on mute and still given it a favorable review.
You see some of
the moments in the trailer. The way Gordon-Levitt’s face ripples when the bullet
hits the side of his head, the flames coming off the fire elemental… it was all
impossible to look away from. I will never forget some of the visuals in this flick.
16 – The Cleansing Hour (2019) There’s a lot about The Cleansing Hour that sticks
out in my mind. Alix Angelis’ performance, for one. The entire premise, as
another. Nothing beats the ending, though. Throughout the entire film, the demon possessing Lane has
forced them to stay connected to the internet – broadcasting the entire ‘exorcism’
to millions of fans. It blackmails them, saying that Lane will die if they pull
the plug. Some basic possession stuff happens, and a whole story is revealed
that turns the characters against each other. Almost predictably, they complete
the exorcism – seemingly just in the nick of time. Lane is saved! But the story is not over.
The demon possesses
one of the dead bodies in the room and they learn it wasn’t who they
thought, but the actual devil. He reveals his true form in a sickening body-horror
transformation scene, but it’s not the others in the room he’s concerned with.
He leans down to stare into the camera and speaks some Latin before biting into
the wire and disappearing. It’s confusing. Strange. Nothing seems to have happened. In
fact, I started to roll my eyes. Then the camera cuts to what’s happening all around the world.
People watching the stream have been infected with whatever the devil did and
are starting to grab weapons. Shooting and slicing through anyone who hasn’t
been affected. It’s the end of the world, and it started with a liar and a
fake exorcism. That ending is going to stick with me for a LONG time.
15 – Midsommar (2019) When I first saw Midsommar I didn’t really get the
hype. There were a lot of scenes that seemed on the melodramatic side and others that
just seemed to go on forever. Over time, though, something changed. This is one of those films that produces more meaning, and
packs a heavier punch, the longer you ruminate on it. It helps to watch it more
than once. That is actually what makes it so memorable. It’s rare to find a film with this kind of re-watchability. When I buy a video game, I take re-playability into account.
Are there side quests? Are there hidden trophies? Are there collectables? Are
there multiple options? These are all questions that come to mind when I’m
preparing to lay down $60 for a new game. That’s a lot of money. I don’t want to
spend it on something I’m going to play for 4 hours and never touch again. The same questions don’t come into play when I look into
watching a movie. Even if I only watch it once, it’s fine. Midsommar has so many nuances that as you re-watch it
over and over again, the story develops more meaning. You understand more about
the characters. You get to the ending easier. And that re-watchability is what I
find incredibly memorable.
14 – Extraction (2020) The story for extraction is a bit basic, but the way it was
shot, was not. I’ll admit, I couldn’t recount any of the non-action scenes
if someone asked me to. However, I could blow their mind with some behind-the-scenes
trivia on how the fast-paced scenes were shot. That’s what you get when you hire a stunt man as a director,
though. It felt like every single scene had some kind of long-take, should be
impossible, shot in it. Sam Hargrave, the director, wound up acting as the
camera man for almost all of those impressive shots. In one scene, he had to be strapped to the front of a car
driving at stupid-fast speeds in order to get the shots he wanted. In another,
he flat out jumped off a roof. Every risky shot he made, was worth it. In the
end, we wound up with crazy action gold.
13 – A Quiet Place (2018) This was a very well-made film. I’m a post-apocalyptic fan
and always knew that it would be added to a list of my favorites. I didn’t know
how badly it would seek to fuck me up, though. Many of the scenes were memorable. When Lee signs that he
has always loved his daughter to her, just before he dies – I cry every time.
It’s a gorgeous moment of closure for a little girl who thinks her father resents
her, and a phenomenal piece of cinema. It’s not the most memorable moment, though. That honor goes to the scene at the beginning of the film
that makes Regan think her father resents her in the first place. In the beginning we are being introduced to a world that has
already ended. The aliens have landed and won. Humanity must continue to
survive in total silence or be destroyed. In the middle of it all is a family
that has been saved because their daughter is deaf. They know sign language.
They can communicate without speaking. During a supply run, the parents need to wrangle three kids.
One of those children is sick and one is very young.
The young boy finds a toy
and begins to play with it, but the parents catch him and take it away, removing
the batteries. When they turn to leave, carrying their sick son with them, Regan
takes the toy and gives it back to her brother. The young child, not understanding the danger, takes the
batteries back and puts them into the toy as they’re all leaving. As an audience member, it’s something that made me tense,
but not too much. Early on in a movie, there doesn’t tend to be too many important
deaths. On top of that, a lot of films shy away from killing kids. It’s
something that makes almost everyone feel especially bad. By the end of that scene, though, the toy starts making
noise and that child is scooped up and eaten by one of the aliens. It’s horrific and done during a time in the film where
people feel mostly safe. It’s completely silent up until that moment, as well. We're forced into the belief that silence is safety. It was a
brilliant way to train the audience to associate anxiety with sound.
12 – Host (2020) Host was memorable for a different reason. I loved the hell out of Host. I thought it was a very
smart film, and it brought new life to a basic Ouija/haunting plot. Although I
would consider a lot of what happened memorable, it sticks out to me more based
on the situation surrounding it. In 2020 we all had to deal with the corona virus. Anyone who
wasn’t essential or stupid, locked down. I think a lot of people assumed it
would be easier than it was. I know, as an introvert, I can often forget that
humans are social creature. We survive best in packs. That loneliness and boredom led to an overconsumption of
entertainment – but it was hard to relate to much of it at that time. We couldn’t
go out. We couldn’t have friends over. Anything we watched could only be
escapism, because it wasn’t relevant anymore. Life had changed, and we didn’t
know how long it would last.
Then came Host. To my knowledge, it was the first flick that was filmed, and
set, entirely in Zoom, during the COVID-19 lockdown. It was amazing, and I’ll be revisiting it many times
in the future. More importantly, though, it’s a time capsule. It shows the
atmosphere of 2020 for what it was, for better or worse. A few films have done it since, but Host came first.
11 – The Call of the Wild (2020) I hate the reason The Call of the Wild is so
memorable. The thing is, I enjoy the story of this film. I like the
book, I like some of the past adaptations, and a ton of stories that were inspired
by the original. The marketing was not the best for this particular flick, but it
really shouldn’t have been that bad. I hate to say it like this, but the reason this adaptation
didn’t hold up is because of the dog.
If this exact film came out in the 90s, with no changes, I’d
have been fine with it. Might have been one of the best of the year, even. However,
we’re in the 21rst century and this movie was made by production companies that
have money. There’s absolutely no reason for how badly the dog in The Call
of the Wild was rendered. The shark in Santa Jaws (2018) was better. If this were an indie film, it might have been a little
distracting, but it would have been fine. If I’m laying down $20 to go see a
mainstream movie in a theater, I don’t want to be distracted by how bad the CGI
is. It’s not the best way for a film to be remembered, but here
we are.
10 – Anna and the Apocalypse (2018) Anna and the Apocalypse is what you get when you mix Shaun
of the Dead and High School Musical. It is hilarious and
good-clean-zombie fun. When I saw it this year, it instantly became one of my
favorite films ever. The whole thing is memorable just for the total randomness it is. Still, there’s one song that stands out. Anna is the main character of this flick and she’s a basic
teenager. She's in secondary school and about to move on when zombies attack.
Naturally, the movie focuses on her life a little before the apocalypse. Her
school is filled with cliques. It’s based in England, but it’s not really different in that way. The rebels, the nerds, the jocks, the indie
kids/hipsters… simple formula. Universal, really. The song that sticks out the most is “Soldier at War,” and
it comes in while Anna and her friends are trying to escape some zombies while
hiding under an inflatable pool. The rebels are grouped together, of course,
and come across the protagonist. It’s their song that makes the most memorable cut. It’s not just interesting because it’s catchy – though it
is. It’s also different in that it shows a group of people who are not afraid
of the zombies and, in fact, kind of enjoy kicking their asses. That’s not
something that pops up a lot in horror films, unless there’s some kind of seedy
underbelly to the group – which this doesn’t really have. Check it out, but be prepared to have it stuck in your head
for the foreseeable future.
9 – The Hunt (2020) The Hunt was decent. It was action packed and had
some good acting, especially from Betty Gilpin. Of its content, the most memorable moment would be the
beginning. The camera follows one character as though they’re going to be the protagonist,
but that character dies. So, the camera follows someone else, and then they
die. It pulls the same hunt for a main character a few times before it settles
on Gilpin’s character. As interesting as that was, it’s not what's going to stick with me the longest. In fact, it didn’t even make this list based on the content.
It’s one of the most memorable of the year because of the controversy
surrounding it. You’re going to find a great many different stories about
what that controversy is, though. Some sources say that the drama went down because of a school
shooting happening near the intended release (which would have been in 2019)
and it caused this overly violent film to postpone. Others say it was based on
the politics, which was kind of backed up by the Cheeto-in-Chief tweeting about
how it was created to cause chaos. Whatever the height of the controversy, the movie was actually
pretty benign. It made both liberals and conservatives look like idiots, and
the one person who walks out alive is never said to be one or the other. It WAS
violent, but no more so than most horror films these days. Still, the controversy is unforgettable.
8 – 365 Days (2020) This film is as memorable as it is because of how bad it is. 365 Days (alternately known as 365 dni) sits at a high of 0% critics, and 29% audience, score on Rotten Tomatoes and yet,
somehow, had such positive word of mouth that it caught our attention. That’s
how this glorified porn wound up on our schedule.
It’s not the film itself that we’re going to remember. It’s just
how much faith we lost in humanity that it ever came to our attention to begin
with. I can’t even add a clip to this list. It’s so close to being
a full-on porn, that I can’t find anything even remotely appropriate. I’d tell
you to go watch it yourself, but that would be a waste of nearly 2 hours of
your life. Let’s just move on and try to burn it from our brains.
7 – Ready or Not (2019) It’s really difficult for me to not just say “Samara Weaving’s
scream” here. To be fair, this was one of the first films that really made
me start looking at Weaving as a modern-day scream queen. Her performance is
practically perfect, and it’s very difficult to not remember every moment of
it. It’s the movie itself that really gets me, though. I was so surprised that this was not a basic bitch slasher
film. Aside from that, the humor of it is what makes the whole thing so memorable. The depictions of family members using weapons they’ve never
seen in real life is paired with someone hiding in a bathroom to watch a quick YouTube
tutorial, for one example. It’s all like that. The writers don’t go with the easy story.
Instead, they take any expectations they know people are going to have and
subvert them in the funniest way possible. I felt like the creators were living
rent free in my head just to troll me. The ending is insanely memorable, too. Also, Samara Weaving’s scream.
6 – Hamilton (2020) We all know what I’m going to say here. What’s most memorable
about Hamilton? The music. Long before this movie came out on Disney+, I had the
soundtrack memorized. When I saw it put to screen, though… it was a whole different
story. The songs I found to be most memorable when listening to the
album are not the songs that I would pick from the film. On Disney+, the song
that will visually stick with me the longest, is "Hurricane." Set with the choreography, it is one of the most goosebump
raising moments I’ve seen in anything. Hamilton stands in the middle of the stage and he begins
to sing. It’s quiet. A memory. Then the tempo picks up and the stage begins to
revolve around him in two different directions while dancers in white make
their way onto it, spinning like the winds of a hurricane. They lift furniture
and people and there’s a flash as it all pauses. It looks like a force of
destruction coming in on him… but there’s quiet. For just a moment.
(Couldn’t find a clip of the performance, but it can be found at the following time on the film on Disney+: 1:56:20)
And Hamilton never moves. He stands in the middle of the
stage, the world turning to madness around him. I feel like every one of us related to that moment during
the pandemic. Of course, there were other memorable moments only found in
the stage performance. Death guiding the bullet. The varied and nuanced
performances of Daveed Diggs, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Leslie Odom Jr., Anthony
Ramos, Chris Jackson, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Okieriete Onaodowan, and Phillipa
Soo. The spittle from Jonathan Groff that became a meme. Hamilton was a nearly 3 hour masterpiece that is memorable
because we needed it.
5 – The Invisible Man (2020) Watching Elisabeth Moss play a gaslit protagonist (Cecilia)
that seems to be slowly going crazy as she’s stalked by her invisible ex was
one of the best film experiences of the entire year. I could just cop out and
say that it was her entire performance that made the movie memorable. I’d be
lying if I didn’t say that was part of it. It’s one single scene that stands
out in my mind when I think back, though. It’s made very clear throughout the film that Cecilia’s
sister (Emily) doesn’t really get the depth of what’s gone wrong in her life. Emily
helps her to the most minor extent possible, and doesn’t give her the time of
day to explain what’s going on most of the time. That makes it a bit of a shock when she actually shows up to
a restaurant Cecilia’s asked to meet her at. I expected the scene to go one of two ways. I figured it was
either going to lead to some kind of reconciliation, or the invisible ex would
do something to drive her off. The scene went completely off the wall, though, as the ex
actually slits Emily’s throat and frames Cecilia. It came out of no where and broke
through the safety of a scene that didn’t feel tense. I believe that scene alone is going to keep me from making
off-the-cuff predictions so easily in the future.
4 – The Platform (2019) There is no one scene in The Platform that sticks
out. Instead, it’s the whole film. Throughout the movie we are shown a pessimistic and jaded
look at humanity and greed. It’s so realistic to what I believe would actually
happen in such a situation, that it left a lasting impression. In the world shown, the characters inhabit a vertical prison.
There are 2 people per cell and, presumably, 150 levels. Every day, once a day,
a platform full of gourmet food – stuff requested by the inmates themselves –
lowers into the prison. If everyone only takes what they order, then there’s enough
food for everyone. That’s not what happens.
Instead, every single layer, the prisoners stuff themselves
as much as is physically possible. As a result, there’s never enough food to go
around. We follow the main character, Goreng, as he gets switched from
level to level every month. We see the higher levels spitting and pissing on
the lower ones. We watch as he gets trapped on a lower level with no food. We
watch people resort to cannibalism. It’s haunting and unforgettable. It’s a scathing commentary
on greed and a very visual representation of why trickle down economics is a
scam.
3 – Onward (2020) The ending of this film straight-up made me ugly cry in the
theater. COVID-19 was a thing, but lockdowns hadn’t been called for
yet when I went to go see it. So, there weren’t that many people in the room. That
means I didn’t disturb anyone. It was a Pixar film. I naturally expected some feels, but
they decided to give me the one ending I never saw coming. It caught me off guard
and elevated it to one of the most memorable kids films I’ve ever seen. Throughout the entire movie, the main character (Ian) and
his brother (Barley) are trying to get the bottom half of their late dad to a
place where they can revive him fully. The spell only works for one day and Ian
is absolutely obsessed with getting to meet his father. Because the man died
when Ian was very young, he has no full memories of him. I figured they would get to what they needed and get the dad
back just in time for about a 60-second piece of closure. Something sweet and
tear jerking, but ultimately happy… if a bit bittersweet. Instead, there’s a huge fight scene and, Ian being the only
one able to do magic, leaves to take care of it. He lets his brother see their
dad. Meanwhile, Ian can only watch from a distance. It was fucking heartbreaking. I had no idea that Pixar had
the balls for that. It was the perfect ending.
2 – Marriage Story (2019) This movie was outstanding, and it should have probably been
on our favorite new discoveries for last year, but Cat had some triggering
issues. As a result, we opted not to revisit it. That’s what’s so memorable about it, though. It was a VERY honest
flick. Every moment of argument, of betrayal, of heartache felt
real. You could sympathize with every character. You could feel their tears and
hopelessness. The one scene that stands out, is when Charlie and Nicole
are arguing in his new apartment. It’s not an action sequence. The camera doesn’t pull any
stunts. There’s no outside influence. The scene is just about two characters in
their emotions, rising to a climax of pain that results in the crossing of a
line. It’s an argument we’ve all had with someone. A lost friend, our parents
during puberty, an ex. It’s relatable and so superbly acted that you can see
the excess saliva in their mouths and the tears running down their cheeks. Watching it causes the heart to race and ache. You want life
to get better and, at times, you don’t even know who to side with. It’s one of the most perfectly scripted and acted argument
scenes I’ve ever witnessed.
1 – Jojo Rabbit (2019) This movie was only surprising because it worked. I don’t
think anyone expected that from a dramedy about World War II. The holocaust is
just way too sensitive of a topic to be joked about. Still, Taika Watiti
somehow pulled it off. It helped that he didn’t leave out the gut punches. There was one scene in this movie that absolutely
fucked me up. In the film, Jojo spends a lot of time with his mother. She’s
a resistance fighter, but she’s very careful with her work and she tries to
shelter Jojo from it. It’s hard, because he idolizes Hitler. He’s a young German
boy growing up in the time of the Third Reich. He’s been indoctrinated, raised
into the beliefs that he only has because he doesn’t know there’s another way. As he spends time with his mother, the camera can be seen
focusing on her shoes now and then. They’re a unique pair. Red and white, while
most of the clothing in the film is seen as shades of grey. They’re one of a
kind. In the scene, Jojo is walking around when he finds a blue butterfly, and joyfully follows behind it until it leads
him to gallows. We never see his mother, but we see her shoes. They dangle beside
Jojo's head and leave no question as to what has happened. The scene is an instant lump in the throat, and one that is
unforgettably tragic.
