REVIEWS

JULY RECAP

WATCHED: 18
FIRST WATCHES: 16
REWATCHES: 2

FAV (4-5 stars):
Obsession | Phantom of the Paradise | Frank | Backrooms | Little Shop of Horrors | Attila Marcel | The Sheep Detectives | Tuner | Burning Days | The Odyssey

WORST (less than 3 stars):
NIL

OLDEST: Phantom of the Paradise [1974]
NEWEST: The Odyssey [2026]


[ CONTAINS SPOILERS ]


OBSESSION [2025]




DIRECTOR: CURRY BARKER

RUNTIME: 1H49MIN

CAST:
MICHAEL JOHNSTON [BEAR]
INDE NAVARRETTE [NIKKI]
COOPER TOMLINSON [IAN]
MEGAN LAWLESS [SARAH]

what a movie. i knew i wouldn't survive watching this on my own in the cinema.
First of all, Inde Nevarrette nailed this role. Her facial expressions are crazyyyy which adds to the creepiness of the movie. The delivery of her lines were amazing too. I like the way they light her especially when she was standing in front of his door. It's like just a flicker of light reflected from her eyes.
The way it was shot was good, nothing too crazy but it's effective. The sound design always gets me in a horror movie. In terms of the plot, i genuinely got teary eyed when she ask him to sleep with her. I was sick to my stomach fr. I HATE IT SO MUCH 😭 my heart was beating so fast the moment she flipped after his wish because im so upset for her. I had to pause the movie man.
I was cussing this man throughout the whole fucking movie because he's such a pussy. 1. cannot even confess his feelings and had to use a fucking willow wish. 2. knows something is up and still didn't try to get answers sooner 3. froze when his "gf" hurts herself and when his "gf" hurts his friend. 4. gets an easy way out leaving nikki to the aftermath of his fucking wish (although i did scream to the tv "just kys bro" halfway into the movie. there's no choice actually but shld have done it sooner before his friends died) so yeah ultimately his character is a coward and that's just what it is. i hate him.
Lemme continue on about him. I called him a dumbass multiple times as well. When Nikki said "kill me pls" and this guy still had the audacity to say "what's so bad about being with me?" I genuinely wanted to scream my lungs out at 4am. He's so dumb like what are u not understanding that she doesn't have control over her own body and she's her own person. If she doesn't feel the same way as u, she just doesn't. period. no matter how good u think u are. she's not entitled to be with ur dumbass. And that's why he didn't even clock that there's smth gg on with Ian and Nikki eventho they're in the same friend group. He's such a well written unlikeable character that im this triggered.
Im someone who says my feelings without much problem so seeing Bear being a coward omg bro. Also, why they gotta put a dead cat in this movie man. I hate animal death 😭
I was talking abt how i would wish for a billion dollars if it was me and Ian doing that a few moments ltr made me laugh tbh.


THE ODYSSEY [2026]




DIRECTOR: CHRISTOPHER NOLAN

RUNTIME: 2H53MIN

CAST:
MATT DAMON [ODYSSEUS]
TOM HOLLAND [TELEMACHUS]
ANNE HATHAWAY [PENELOPE]
ROBERT PATTINSON [ANTINOUS]
HIMESH PATEL [EURYLOCHUS]
JOHN LEGUIZAMO [EUMAEUS]
CHARLIZE THERON [CALYPSO]

I've never read The Odyssey so I went into this with just basic Greek Mythology knowledge from Percy Jackson. I know it's not 100% accurate to the book and it's not the entirety of The Odyssey's plot. But it still got me hooked right into it and I truly enjoyed watching it.
I trusted Christopher Nolan to deliver and he did. Seeing the star studded cast made me more excited to watch it. I think everyone played their parts well especially Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway and Robert Pattinson (which I can't take him seriously sometimes, he just makes me laugh). My personal favourite is John Leguizamo's performance in this.
The technical side are amazing. I applaud everyone that took part in making this because omg the visuals are just magnificent to watch. I just wanna rewatch it straight away after it ended. During the battle at Troy, when they were rushing to the door to open the gates, my god, my heart was beating along to the same beat as the score. Another stand out was the sound design for the sirens scene where the song was blocked out and only Odysseus got to hear it. The sound was kinda too loud tho in IMAX. It scared the shit out of me a couple times.
Reading some of the reviews, some people said they can't hear the dialogue and was struggling to understand. It made me realised that Singapore always have subtitles nowadays which I'm not complaining about actually.
I don't mind the non linear narrative as it puts the viewers in Odysseus's perspective in trying to remember what happened and what he's supposed to do. And because I've never read The Odyssey, bear with me if ure reading this. It does make me think about religion. About God, fate, temptations, sins, etc. It all leads back to religion and belief. Him surrendering himself to the seas believing that Zeus will protect him, that's just us trusting God to guide us and etc. The scene that made me think about religion the most was the Hell scene. Just thinking about how much our actions stayed and impacted the dead. Like I'm getting way too deep here. Maybe that's what it's about, idk I've never read it. I need to read it soon since I'm reading classics now.
I don't like watching movies about war because I despise war. My hatred for war always amplifies beyond the limit whenever I watch them movies so giving this a 5/5 just shows how much I enjoyed watching this. And I definitely would want to rewatch it asap.
Possibly the best 2026 movie I've seen this year. Especially in IMAX.


TUNER [2025]




DIRECTOR: DANIEL ROHER

RUNTIME: 1H48MIN

CAST:
LEO WOODALL [NIKI WHITE]
HAVANA ROSE LIU [RUTHIE WAYMON]
DUSTIN HOFFMAN [HARRY HOROWITZ]
LIOR RAZ [URI]

Niki is cute tho ngl. I'm jealous of that eyelashes. The chemistry between him and Ruthie is top!!
Solid watch. Romance scenes were buzzy and the crime thriller scenes got me hooked. Kinda predictable how things are gonna go but still enjoyable. It felt shorter than the actual length of the movie.
I gotta say tho...why did he gave a stolen watch to his gf? That's dumb. It's clearly personalised. I geddit, it looks pretty but bro it's stolen....Sell it and buy a new watch man.


THE SHEEP DETECTIVES [2026]




DIRECTOR: KYLE BALDA

RUNTIME: 1H49MIN

CAST:
HUGH JACKMAN [GEORGE HARDY]
NICHOLAS BRAUN [OFFICER TIM DERRY]
NICHOLAS GALITZINE [ELLIOT MATTHEWS]
MOLLY GORDON [REBECCA HAMPSTEAD]
JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS [LILY (VOICE)]
BRYAN CRANSTON [SEBASTIAN (VOICE)]

I loved this more than I expected. Murder mystery is my jam and I didn't expect this to be much more heartfelt and emotional. Whenever they discriminated that baby winter lamb, my heart broke. Definitely will rewatch it again. It was an enjoyable watch.


FRANK [2014]




DIRECTOR: LENNY ABRAHAMSON

RUNTIME: 1H35MIN

CAST:
MICHAEL FASSBENDER [FRANK]
DOMHNALL GLEESON [JON BURROUGHS]
MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL [CLARA]
SCOOT MCNAIRY [DON]
FRANÇOIS CIVIL [BARAQUE]
CARLA AZAR [NANA]

This movie feels like a calm before a storm. like the sea. It's soothing but there's something you don't see beneath that is brewing. It's not a hard crash of waves of realisation but more of a gentle enlightenment. This is definitely the kind of film I like.


PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE [1974]




DIRECTOR: BRIAN DE PALMA

RUNTIME: 1H32MIN

CAST:
WILLIAM FINLEY [WINSLOW LEACH/THE PHANTOM]
PAUL WILLIAMS [SWAN]
JESSICA HARPER [PHOENIX]

This was just entertaining to watch even though some things don't make fucking sense. love the visuals in this. I love that the movie is just mocking the music industry. I'm glad I got to watch this and I definitely would rewatch it again someday.

JUNE RECAP

WATCHED: 14
FIRST WATCHES: 13
REWATCHES: 1

FAV (4-5 stars):
The Rocky Horror Picture Show | Prey | The Mandalorian & Grogu

WORST (less than 3 stars):
The Wolf of Snow Hollow

OLDEST: The Rocky Horror Picture Show [1975]
NEWEST: Star Wars: The Mandalorian & Grogu [2026]


[ CONTAINS SPOILERS ]


THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW [1975]




DIRECTOR: JIM SHARMAN

RUNTIME: 1H40MIN

CAST:
TIM CURRY [DR. FRANK-N-FURTER]
SUSAN SARANDON [JANET WEISS]
BARRY BOSTWICK [BRAD MAJORS]
PETER HINWOOD [ROCKY HORROR]

I put this on randomly and I didn't know it was gonna be this good. Bisexuality was just flashing constantly in my head while watching this. Tim Curry was incredible in this. I didn't realised it was him until it was like 3/4 into the movie. This was so good, I can't keep my eyes off of the screen. The wardrobe and sets ate! Love the numbers.


STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU [2026]




DIRECTOR: JON FAVREAU

RUNTIME: 2H12MIN

CAST:
PEDRO PASCAL [THE MANDALORIAN]
JEREMY ALLEN WHITE [ROTTA (VOICE)]
SIGOURNEY WEAVER [COLONEL WARD]

Grogu is so fucking cute!! Score is amazing. Just a fun time with Mando and his lil baby Grogu. When Din Djarin said, "Hey Kiddo", I got a flashback of Joel MIller with Ellie. Din Djarin! You don't need to take off the helmet with me.


PREY [2022]




DIRECTOR: DAN TRACHTENBERG

RUNTIME: 1H40MIN

CAST:
AMBER MIDTHUNDER [NARU]
DAKOTA BEAVERS [TAABE]
DANE DILIEGRO [PREDATOR]
MICHELLE THRUSH [ARUKA]

I am constantly worried about the dog. I wasn't emotionally prepared to watch a movie involving animals in this way. I've only seen the first Predator movie and Predator: badlands. I think the action scenes in this were the most thrilling one from what I've seen. Some things do make me question a lil bit but overall a pretty decent watch. Them predators are called predator for a reason because they're just so OP.

MAY RECAP

WATCHED: 12
FIRST WATCHES: 9
REWATCHES: 3

FAV (4-5 stars):
Penelope | A Few Good Men | Practical Magic | Dredd | Theater Camp | Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie

WORST (less than 3 stars):
NIL

OLDEST: The Lost Boys [1987]
NEWEST: Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie [2025]


[ CONTAINS SPOILERS ]


THE LINE [2023]




DIRECTOR: ETHAN BERGER

RUNTIME: 1H40MIN

CAST:
ALEX WOLFF [TOM BAXTER]
LEWIS PULLMAN [TODD STEVENS]
BO MITCHELL [MITCH MILLER]
AUSTIN ABRAMS [GETTYS O'BRIEN]
HALLE BAILEY [ANNABELLE BASCOM]
ANGUS CLOUD [ROBERT DEWITT]

I didn't know this movie existed until I looked up Angus Cloud and Lewis Pullman's filmography.
There were a couple of times in the beginning where I was genuinely thinking about dropping this film. I physically and internally recoiled everytime the frat boys were on screen which is basically almost the entire movie. The amount of disgust I felt.....immeasurable. Really well acted because I'm so repulsed by them.
Pet peeve of mine is when someone slurring their words while speaking and I know it's the character but omg it was bothering me. And also I hate it when guys try to do a sexual dance thinking they're all that but they have no dancing skills in their bodies at all. Ts makes me feel sick, angry and sad.


PENELOPE [2006]




DIRECTOR: MARK PALANSKY

RUNTIME: 1H44MIN

CAST:
CHRISTINA RICCI [PENELOPE WILHERN]
JAMES MCAVOY [JOHNNY/MAX]
CATHERINE O'HARA [JESSICA WILHERN]
PETER DINKLAGE [LEMON]
RICHARD E. GRANT [FRANKLIN WILHERN]
REESE WITHERSPOON [ANNIE]
SIMON WOODS [EDWARD VANDERMAN]

Found my new favourite romance movie!
Penelope would love the covid era. She don't even look that bad guys....James Mcavoy got me biting my fingers with that kiss. The witch reveal got me cackling.


A FEW GOOD MEN [1992]




DIRECTOR: ROB REINER

RUNTIME: 2H18MIN

CAST:
TOM CRUISE [LT. DANIEL KAFFEE]
JACK NICHOLSON [COL. NATHAN R. JESSEP]
DEMI MOORE [LT. CDR. JOANNE GALLOWAY]
KEVIN BACON [CAPT. JACK ROSS]
KIEFER SUTHERLAND [LT. JONATHAN KENDRICK]
KEVIN POLLAK [LT. SAM WEINBERG]

Ngl I thought I might ger bored in the beginning but the courtroom scenes really got my attention.


DREDD [2012]




DIRECTOR: PETE TRAVIS

RUNTIME: 1H36MIN

CAST:
KARL URBAN [JUDGE DREDD]
OLIVIA THIRLBY [CASSANDRA ANDERSON]
LENA HEADEY [MA-MA]

Man in uniform wearing a helmet??? Sign me up!!! This is just straight up badass. I'm shipping them idc.


THEATER CAMP [2023]




DIRECTOR: MOLLY GORDON, NICK LIEBERMAN

RUNTIME: 1H33MIN

CAST:
BEN PLATT [AMOS KLOBUCHAR]
MOLLY GORDON [REBECCA-DIANE]
NOAH GALVIN [GLENN WINTHROP]
JIMMY TATRO [TROY RUBINKSY]

Solid and fun watch for me. I like this type of awkward, unhinged and somewhat ridiculous type of comedy. The kids performance were great as well.


NIRVANNA THE BAND THE SHOW THE MOVIE [2026]




DIRECTOR: MATT JOHNSON

RUNTIME: 1H40MIN

CAST:
MATT JOHNSON [MATT]
JAY MCCARROL [JAY]
BEN PETRIE [BEN]

Yooo I went into this not knowing anything and it actually rocks! Especially how trippy it was with them with their past selves.

APRIL RECAP

WATCHED: 19
FIRST WATCHES: 15
REWATCHES: 4

FAV (4-5 stars):
Project Hail Mary | An American Werewolf In London | The Faculty | The Drama | After Hours | In Bruges

WORST (less than 3 stars):
Cold Storage

OLDEST: An American Werewolf In London [1981]
NEWEST: The Drama [2026]


[ CONTAINS SPOILERS ]


HERETIC [2024]




DIRECTOR: SCOTT BECK, BRYAN WOODS

RUNTIME: 1H51MIN

CAST:
HUGH GRANT [MR. REED]
SOPHIE THATCHER [SISTER BARNES]
CHLOE EAST [SISTER PAXTON]
TOPHER GRACE [ELDER KENNEDY]

I would camp by the front door til morning yall, that's just me. And don't put keys in your coat pockets bruh.I like the first 30 min of this movie. Any hard hitting questions about religion, I'm locked in. It's why I love watching religious debates and conversations. AS a muslim myself, we are encouraged to seek knowlege and not believe in the religion blindly. So for that aspect, I enjoyed it. It kinda fell off a lil bit in the 2nd half althought it had its moments. This is also how I learned that Monopoly was stolen from a woman.
Just a tangent for me, it;s interesting that some people who don't belive in God, when nearing death, they start to say something like, "If there's a God out there, please save me" etc, something along those lines. Would God save you when you rejected God throughout your life? Only God knows. He's the most forgiving after all. This man was literally dying and he still wanted to kill the sister that was praying. That just shows how sick he is.


THE DRAMA [2026]




DIRECTOR: KRISTOFFER BORGLI

RUNTIME: 1H45MIN

CAST:
ZENDAYA [EMMA HARWOOD]
ROBERT PATTINSON [CHARLIE THOMPSON]
MAMOUDOU ATHIE [MIKE]
ALANA HELM [RACHEL]
JORDYN CURET [YOUNG EMMA]

I'm keeping the worst thing I had done to the grave bro. This is the test of a ride or die. Heavy subject movie but it's hilarious ngl. Had a few laughs in the cinema. Watched it with my boyfriend and he finds Rachel so annoying and I geddit bc she's such a hypocrite. I think this whole movie shows how hypocritical people can be.
I know the subject isn't really a big issue for me at least but it's more about how Charlie is going down a spiral for overthinking it. I just know there's people who would actually not give a fuck, going all in baby. Really well acted. Robert Pattison is so good at playing a loser. I love his delivery. Looking forward to seeing more of Zendaya in roles like this. I like how it was shot and edited as well. Solid and good watch for me. I actually dont understand how someone can go from breaking down to having sexual urges like Charlie. I really can't.


AFTER HOURS [1985]




DIRECTOR: MARTIN SCORSESE

RUNTIME: 1H37MIN

CAST:
GRIFFIN DUNNE [PAUL HACKETT]
ROSANNA ARQUETTE [MARCY]
VERNA BLOOM [JUNE]
TOMMY CHONG [PEPE]
LINDA FLORENTINO [KIKI]
TERI GARR [JULIE]
JOHN HEARD [TOM THE BARTENDER]
CHEECH MARIN [NEIL]
CATHERINE O' HARA [GAIL]

I think bro would have reached home if he just kept walking.


THE FACULTY [1998]




DIRECTOR: ROBERT RODRIGUEZ

RUNTIME: 1H44MIN

CAST:
JOSH HARTNETT [ZEKE TYLER]
ELIJAH WOOD [CASEY CONNOR]
JORDANA BREWSTER [DELILAH PROFITT]
CLEA DUVALL [STOKELY 'STOKES' MITCHELL]
SHAWN HATOSY [STAN ROSADO]
LAURA HARRIS [MARYBETH LOUISE HUTCHINSON]

"I worked hard for that D, that was my D, I deserved that D" LMAOOOO
Fun, kinda dumb teen movie which is a solid watch. Love that reference from The Thing. Stokely is me in school when people thought im a lesbian but actually im straight af. I hate that they changed her look at the end. This movie spoiled Invasion of the Body Snatchers for me because that was the movie in my lineups to watch mannnn. The leader was kinda obvious but still fun to catch the pieces of information. Ms Burke and Zeke's dynamic is WEIRD! I did not like that at all. Also, her head was literally decapitated, idk how she still alive (yeah the alien parasite wtv).


PROJECT HAIL MARY [2026]




DIRECTOR: PHIL LORD, CHRISTOPHER MILLER

RUNTIME: 2H36MIN

CAST:
RYAN GOSLING [RYLAND GRACE]
JAMES ORTIZ [ROCKY]
SANDRA HÜLLER [EVA STRATT]

FIST MY BUMP


IN BRUGES [2008]




DIRECTOR: MARTIN MCDONAGH

RUNTIME: 1H48MIN

CAST:
COLIN FARRELL [RAY]
BRENDAN GLEESON [KEN]
RALPH FIENNES [HARRY]
CLÉMENCE POÉSY [CHLOË]
THEKLA REUTEN [MARIE]
JORDAN PRENTICE [JIMMY]

The most british I've seen of Ralph Fiennes. Damn, I've never hated a place as much as Ray hated Bruges. Love the dark comedy but wow I can't put into words what I've seen in the third act. I figured that everything is gonna come back around somehow but I'm still devastated. Ray describing her as someone nice after she admitted to rob tourists...


READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME [2026]




DIRECTOR: TYLER GILLETT, MATT BETTINELLI-OLPIN

RUNTIME: 1H48MIN

CAST:
SAMARA WEAVING [GRACE MACCAULLEY]
KATHRYN NEWTON [FAITH MACCAULLEY]
ELIJAH WOOD [THE LAWYER]
SARAH MICHELLE GELLAR [URSULA DANFORTH]
SHAWN HATOSY [TITUS DANFORTH]

I did not see the point of a sequel for Ready Or Not but it is still fun to watch satan worshippers dying. She is still on the run from the police tho.


AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON [1981]




DIRECTOR: JOHN LANDIS

RUNTIME: 1H37MIN

CAST:
DAVID NAUGHTON [DAVID KESSLER]
JENNY AGUTTER [NURSE ALEX PRICE]
GRIFFIN DUNNE [JACK GOODMAN]
JOHN WOODVINE [DR. J.S. HIRSCH]

Damn girl, he's just a situationship.

MARCH RECAP

WATCHED: 31
FIRST WATCHES: 23
REWATCHES: 8

FAV (4-5 stars):
Training Day | Southpaw | Marcel The Shell With Shoes On

WORST (less than 3 stars):
Silent Night, Deadly Night

OLDEST: The Fly [1958]
NEWEST: Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die [2025]


[ CONTAINS SPOILERS ]


MARTY SUPREME [2025]




DIRECTOR: JOSH SAFDIE

RUNTIME: 2H30MIN

CAST:
TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET [MARTY MAUSER]
GWYNETH PALTROW [KAY STONE]
ODESSA A' ZION [RACHEL MIZLER]
KEVIN O'LEARY [MILTON ROCKWELL]
TYLER, THE CREATOR [WALLY]

Finally watched this for the Oscars. Still have more to catch up. I'm going into this with the expectations that people have said online that it is one of the best movie of 2025. I think it may be slightly overhyped. It's not a bad movie, watching Marty Mauser's character which was intriguing considering he scammed his ways around but still having conscience sometimes. I love the score and of course Safdie's way of shooting it. For a moment in the last game, I was brought back to Challengers and was hoping for that kind of satisfaction from the game but it was underwhelming. Overall, I enjoyed it and the expectations were the reason why it felt overhyped for me. The baby's expression at the end cracks me up.


CHRONICLE [2012]




DIRECTOR: JOSH TRANK

RUNTIME: 1H24MIN

CAST:
DANE DEHAAN [ANDREN DETMER]
ALEX RUSSELL [MATT GARETTY]
MICHAEL B. JORDAN [STEVE MONTGOMERY]

I think I've seen some scenes of this when I was younger. The found footage was good in the beginning but as it went on, I'm kinda annoyed by it. I do love the plot of unstable teenagers getting powers and it turns darker. It's what I've been picturing in my head when unhealthy people gets the power they do not deserve. Overall, I like it and would rewatch it someday.


GOOD LUCK, HAVE FUN, DON'T DIE [2025]




DIRECTOR: GORE VERBINSKI

RUNTIME: 2H15MIN

CAST:
SAM ROCKWELL [MAN FROM FUTURE]
JUNO TEMPLE [SUSAN]
HALEY LU RICHARDSON [INGRID]
MICHAEL PEÑA [MARK]
ZAZIE BEETZ [JANET]

This was unexpectedly fun to watch eventhough the twist was obvious. It feels like Black Mirror but goofier. And I got dejavu from this. Fuck AI!


MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON [2021]




DIRECTOR: DEAN FLEISCHER CAMP

RUNTIME: 1H30MIN

CAST:
JENNY SLATE [MARCEL]
DEAN FLEISCHER CAMP [DEAN]
ISABELLA ROSSELLINI [CONNIE]

#BDAYWATCH3
A movie that I wanna watch over and over again right away. INJECT THIS INTO MY VEINS!!!!

FEBRUARY RECAP

WATCHED: 22
FIRST WATCHES: 17
REWATCHES: 5

FAV (4-5 stars):
Rocky | Doubt | Ex Machina | Before Sunrise

WORST (less than 3 stars):
Reunion

OLDEST: My Man Godfrey [1936]
NEWEST: Reunion [2024]


[ CONTAINS SPOILERS ]


ROCKY [1976]




DIRECTOR:
JOHN G. AVILDSEN

RUNTIME: 2H

CAST:
SYLVESTER STALLONE [ROBERT 'ROCKY' BALBOA]
TALIA SHIRE [ADRIANA 'ADRIAN' PENNINO]
BURT YOUNG [PAULINE PENNINO]
CARL WEATHERS [APOLLO CREED]

It is inherently an underdog love story. I cannot stop smiling watching Rocky and Adrian whenever they are together. Love the cinematography and the iconic soundtrack. I cannot help but to root for the both of them.


DOUBT [2008]




DIRECTOR: JOHN PATRICK SHANLEY

RUNTIME: 1H44MIN

CAST:
MERYL STREEP [SISTER ALOYSIUS BEAUVIER]
PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN [FATHER BRENDAN FLYNN]
AMY ADAMS [SISTER JAMES]
VIOLA DAVIS [MRS. MILLER]

Phenomenal actong I've seen in awhile. Everyone brought their 'A' game to this. Like the title, this movie really made me doubt at the start and slowly convinced me towards one of the side. The performances by the actors really brought out the characters and it's interesting to see different types of people trying to confront the situation. There are tons of dutch angle in this one which I love because I don't see it being used much nowadays. It's definitely a movie I see myself rewatching it again someday.


EX MACHINA [2015]




DIRECTOR: ALEX GARLAND

RUNTIME: 1H48MIN

CAST:
DOMHNALL GLEESON [CALEB SMITH]
ALICIA VIKANDER [AVA]
OSCAR ISAAC [NATHAN]
SONOYA MIZUNO [KYOKO]

Fuck AI. I've always asked why do people want to create AI to such a point that it could overpower us? (we have not reach this point yet but I'm afraid this is going to happen at some point). Then I realised, these "geniuses" techies and elites don't give a fuck about humanity. That's why they want to create their own creation. So we're fucked. I think this was perfectly casted. Everyone played their part really well. The visuals of the AI looks good to me. In terms of the plot, am I surprised? No. After that first system failure interaction between Ava and Caleb had, I've deduced that either, 1. She's telling the truth, 2. She's manipulating Caleb and 3. Nathan wanted this and everything is going to his plan. I've called Caleb dumb seeing all the manipulation he's going through but I might be manipulated myself if it's a humanoid robot catered to my ideal type tbh. Since the beginning, I'm like he could have created a male version and study the differences of interactions between the genders but then I learned that he's just a mere man that even fucks robot.

JANUARY RECAP

WATCHED: 30
FIRST WATCHES: 26
REWATCHES: 4

FAV (4-5 stars):
Sentimental Value | The Martian | The League of Gentlemen | Incendies | Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade | Django Unchained | Predator: Badlands | La La Land | Infernal Affairs

WORST (less than 3 stars):
Murder By Death | Now You See Me: Now You Don't | The Bronze

OLDEST: Black Narcissus [1947]
NEWEST: The Rip [2026]


[ CONTAINS SPOILERS ]


INFERNAL AFFAIRS [2002]




DIRECTOR:
ALAN MAK SIU-FAI
ANDREW LAU WAI-KEUNG

RUNTIME: 1H41MIN

CAST:
ANDY LAU [LAU KIN MING]
TONY LEUNG CHIU-WAI [CHAN WING YAN]

A good solid watch. I hate the ending for Yan.... I am a firm believer that if someone from a low status being thrown into and grew up in the environment that give him an honourable reputation, they would want to leave their dirty past behind and clean their hands from that so I kinda called that part from the start. Love the tension in this. Bonus, Tony Leung looks so good in this movie.


LA LA LAND [2016]




DIRECTOR: DAMIEN CHAZELLE

RUNTIME: 2H9MIN

CAST:
RYAN GOSLING [SEBASTIAN]
EMMA STONE [MIA]

This movie will make you think of your biggest heartbreak that you've ever experienced.
I love the use of colours in this, makes me think of what it symbolises. Heartbreaking, beautiful and realistic all in one. We all need someone that believes in us to reach our dreams. Last scene makes me cry. I like that they include the 'What If' scene but for the reason that, that is their 'La La Land'. Everything led them to where they are because it happened. It won't guarantee them success if they have different decision to prioritise their relationship. It's really bittersweet. The main score that represents their relationship is so beautiful, I had to add it to my playlist right away.


PREDATOR: BADLANDS [2025]




DIRECTOR: DAN TRACHTENBERG

RUNTIME: 1H47MIN

CAST:
ELLE FANNING [THIA/TESSA]
DIMITRIUS SCHUSTER-KOLOAMATANGI [DEK/FATHER]
NAVI NARAYAN [BUD]

I love this!!! I went into this with not much expectations because I've never seen any other Predator movies except for the first one. I did not expect the humour and totally not the cute lil creature. I've said this before...cute creatures will always have my heart. I'm smiling ear to ear watching Thia and Dek, even teared up because of Bud before the final scene. I just can't keep my eyes off the screen. I'm probably giving this 4.5 because it's a found family trope that I like that I didn't expect in a Predator movie.

The 'Before" Trilogy'

BEFORE SUNRISE [1995], BEFORE SUNSET [2004], BEFORE MIDNIGHT [2013]

[ CONTAINS SPOILERS ]

Last month, I finally mustered myself to watch the Before trilogy. I wasn’t expecting an extraordinary movie that’s going to change my life because I’ve read the description for the first movie. It wasn’t my type of romance that I seek out to watch. It’s like strangers to lovers with a sprinkle of love at first sight? I’m an ‘enemies to lovers’ trope eater thru and thru. I love to see yearning that hurts so bad and it’s worth it when the main characters finally got together. I gotta say this trilogy was underwhelming and I feel like I’m in the minority for this. I know that movies are not catered to your moral beliefs and values. It’s telling different perspectives of life and some are meant to go against the audiences’ values. However, I’m only human and sometimes I can’t separate my values from the movies.

In Before Sunrise, the two strangers had a meet cute on a train. They instantly clicked and the conversations were flowing smoothly. Some of the things I love about the movies was the conversations that they had and the idea of fleeting connection you have with someone you’ve just met. I could listen to them speak all day. It makes me yearn to have that kind of connection with someone at least once. I don’t think I’ve ever met and dated a man with that kind of depth and eloquence, it’s such a shame. I don’t think I’ve been truly honest with anyone ever in my life and just be vulnerable to talk about feelings that way. My favourite scene of them was the fake telephone call to their friends. The chemistry between them was undeniably amazing I love Céline and the way she thinks. I relate to her. However, the more I watch, the lesser I like Jesse which is what I’m conflicted about. Like Céline said about wanting to sleep with him when she got off the train with him but not anymore after hearing him talk. That’s how I feel about Jesse. Because at the end of the day, it’s just a fleeting experience with rose tinted glasses on which is what I’m taking from this because I’m kinda cynical about love at first sight romance.

Before Sunset makes me realised that I may not be a romantic like I thought and more of a cynical. I don’t know whether it’s the movies or it’s me, now 26, feels cynical about love itself. Jesse gave me icks a couple times more in this one. I just don’t think I like his character to be honest. But that’s also the point of the movie as well that it is not as rose tinted as Before Sunrise. It’s where you can feel the ugliness and reality seeps in a little. The dialogues feel more natural in this movie. I like this one slightly less than the first. What I’m not a fan of in romance stories is cheating. The both of them are technically emotionally cheating in this one and I hate it.

Before Midnight is the weakest one in the trilogy in my opinion. This movie explains why I feel conflicted with the previous two movies. It is seen as the reality of their relationship and showing that every relationship goes through this stage (which I don’t believe in). This movie is what I envisioned their relationship would be like and it’s bad. I could see why both of them turned out to be like that at this stage of their relationship. I could see the red flags from Jesse from the previous two movies so I’m not affected by that but it makes me feel speechless to see Céline lost her wisdom in this one. I get that grew to be angrier and just letting it all out on Jesse but I thought her character would be much more mature with time. She became irrational and I really did not want to side with Jesse on this. It’s just sad to see her change to this extent. They did not resolve anything at the end. They chose to show Jesse and Céline’s reality and they did. Am I surprised with how they turned out? No, because I knew I did not like that they got together when they were both in relationships in the first place. Before Midnight shows how miserable their love is and may this love not find me.