What I Watched in January
The first month of 2023 was light on new year releases. Instead, I caught up with some releases from the past couple of years, had my mind blown by James Cameron’s long-awaited Avatar sequel, and indulged in a few more icky Cronenberg classics.
I watched a lot of films! Here are some quick thoughts on everything I watched or rewatched in January.
Voyage of Time: An IMAX Documentary ★★★★
20 billion years covered in less than an hour seems like an impossible task, but Malick pulls it off with aplomb. Voyage of Time is an exquisite ode to existence and a potent reminder of our place in the cosmos. An inspiring palette cleanser that has me ready to tackle whatever 2023 has in store.
Blank Narcissus (Passion of the Swamp) ★★★★
While my living room too often resembles an enchanting gay forest, Peter Strickland’s idea of reminiscing over an old love is far artsier than mine will ever be.
White Noise ★★
White Noise is too much of the wrong stuff. Boiled down it’s essentially three stories that don’t coalesce; a frustrating experience that, aside from a couple of modest chuckles and some pleasing surface-level visuals, lacks a discernible entry point for anyone other than those who pretend to enjoy superficial existentialism and pseudo-intellectual babble.
Nest ★★★★
Easily the best pandemic movie. Palmason finds a way into the hearts and minds of his three children, capturing the passage of time and blossoming adolescence without ever moving the camera. Beautiful stuff.
Thirteen Lives ★★★★
Fittingly intense and gripping but does so in a way that feels truly empathic. Committing so much to veracity does come at the cost of a big cathartic moment at its climax and letting us know more about the heroes involved. But something tells me Richard Stanton is probably fine with that.
Avatar: The Way of Water ★★★★
The first time we ventured to the impossibly CG Pandora, the line between real and crafted was so fine you could barely see it. Here that line is gone. If the world was to end tomorrow and all that survived was a copy of this film, future civilisations would truly believe we were 9-foot-tall blue aliens. Such is the tangibility of Cameron’s technological marvel.
The Pale Blue Eye ★★★
Once again, Cooper demonstrates a strong grasp of atmosphere as an immersive tool. The Pale Blue Eye ably captures the cold, harsh nature of its rustic, early New York setting. The pace is incredibly slow, clearly a stylistic choice, but as the truth begins to reveal, it’s hard to shake the feeling that this is an uncomfortably uneven experience.
Men ★★★★
Visually this is a striking effort. A simplistic, oversaturated colour palette plays a pivotal role in reincorporating themes in a way I’ve not seen done so well in a long time. Several images, particularly those featuring Buckley’s contorted expressions of horror, are irrevocably etched in memory. If the idea was to brew feelings of unease and dread, Men is an unqualified success.
Lady Vengeance ★★★★
Deliciously non-linear, darkly funny and absolutely brutal when it needs to be. It’s not my favourite from Park Chan-wook, but it’s an excellent rich thriller that, like much of his filmography, will run you across the entire emotional spectrum. Pairs very nicely with Tarantino’s Kill Bill, particularly Vol 2.
Petite Maman ★★★★
I’ll admit it didn’t have the same emotional impact on me as it has on many others, but that didn’t stop it from putting a big smile on my face. Petite Maman is masterfully crafted, beautifully acted, and will have even the dourest of viewers reaching out to call their mothers in the immediate aftermath.
Mayday ★★
Mayday is far too simplistic with its depiction of female struggle. Its anger reads like something concocted by a blue-haired Starbucks barista, smashing the patriarchy by half-assedly making frappuccino and writing long Twitter threads about how hard life in Los Angeles is.
Strange World ★★★
There is a feeling that this is Disney in a much lower gear. It doesn’t come close to the studio’s classics, nor does it touch recent offerings like Moana. But it’s light, inoffensive, undemanding and brimming with positive intent. The kind of disposable movie tailor-made for a Sunday afternoon with the family.
Nanny ★★★
Recommended for anyone who enjoyed 2020’s excellent His House, Nanny is an intriguing but flawed horror/thriller that should go down well with fans of the genre, fans of Anna Diop — who is simply tremendous here — and anyone looking for a different perspective from an exciting new filmmaking eye.
Good Luck to You, Leo Grande ★★★★
Much like its climax, this a film that will warm your soul, put a big smile on your face, and will very likely have you coming back for more. Is it weird that I’d happily recommend it to my mum?
Pleasure ★★★★
The least sexy film about sex ever made, something I imagine will be taken as a compliment by the people responsible for making it. Pleasure isn’t an easy watch. Several moments, including one particularly harrowing scene at the hour mark, might be forever etched in memory as effectively as the nastiest horror film.
Memento ★★★★★
Unforgettable.
Bullet Train ★★
Blending visuals lifted wholesale from John Wick, Atomic Blonde, and Joe Carnahan’s Smokin’ Aces, with endless dialogue that’s less Tarantino and more discount-grade late-career Guy Richie, Bullet Train is as relentless as it is thuddingly obnoxious.
Dead Ringers ★★★★
Think The Prestige, but with less magic and more vagina. Dead Ringers lacks Cronenberg’s trademark visceral thrills, but it’s every bit as twisted as some of his best. An absorbing and depressing downward spiral that’s hauntingly beautiful on the inside as well as out.
Blonde ★★★★
Blonde is a bleak, brutal nightmare laced with sensationalism, misery and misogyny. And that’s the point. This isn’t a biopic; this is a straight-up horror story about the tragedy of a broken, incomplete childhood and the commodification of a life, our only portal to now being a set of increasingly time-worn polaroids. This isn’t a celebration; it’s a warning. And a highly effective one at that.
The Black Phone ★★★
It might be a little tame for some tastes, but what The Black Phone lacks in outright terror, it makes up for with atmosphere, an unrelenting feeling of unease, and some legitimately nail-biting sequences.
Goodnight Mommy ★★
As she almost always is, Watts is impeccable, a stellar actress struggling with the weight of yet another drab picture on her back. But her performance alone isn’t enough to recommend this, another tedious horror, desperate to emulate the success of vastly superior contemporaries that helped put the genre back on the pedestal.
All My Friends Hate Me ★★★★
Good horror doesn’t necessarily need blood and gore to be effective. Here the ill feeling comes from the slow-build paranoia, the wincing exchanges and the slight facial expressions that whipped my brain into an ugly conspiratorial frenzy.
Planet of the Apes (1968) ★★★★
Planet of the Apes is so much more than just a sci-fi creature feature. It takes what could’ve been a silly premise and elevates it with innovative production, fine acting performances, and a message that, due to our nature, will likely always be a necessary one.
Jackie Brown ★★★★
A sordid treat, filled with colourful characters spouting endlessly quotable dialogue; its soundtrack might be the best of Tarantino’s entire filmography, and when the words simply escape me, it’s just…cool.
JUNG_E ★★★
Fun, but frustrating. There’s a far more appealing film here, but it’s lost in a slurry of story beats and visuals destined to remind you of better films like Robocop, Edge of Tomorrow, The Terminator, and any moment of I, Robot that doesn’t have Shia LaBeouf in it.
Black Bear ★★★
By far the best thing about this is Aubrey Plaza. Her talent for comedy has long been known, but here she demonstrates considerable range in a multi-faceted performance that elevates the film from its fart-huffing pretentiousness.
La Jetée ★★★★★
If you’ve seen Twelve Monkeys you’ll already know the outcome, but remarkably it won’t lessen its impact. This is a remarkable film, an inventive and indispensable slice of cinematic history that will continue to inspire filmmakers for as long as we continue to commit ideas to the form.
Mad God ★★★★
Wallace and Gromit’s A Grand Day Out, but it’s actually hell. A complete slog, but it’s also beautiful in a demented sort of way. A staggering technical feat, well worth the effort and the wait.
Crimes of the Future ★★★
Cronenberg certainly hasn’t lost a step in his ability to provoke, but I do think there were too many ideas in the mix. A consequence of world-building that left many of the more intriguing (and alluring) concepts frustratingly underexamined.
Space Truckers ★★★
Crass, cheap, lewd, poorly plotted and tonally all over the place. And do you know what? I kinda loved it. Space Truckers bears all the hallmarks of a cult classic, one of those craptastic delights, a film so bad it’s good, perfect for a watch party with a gallon of beer.
Pocahontas ★★★
Its anti-racist, anti-colonial messaging is simplified in ways children can grasp, which is admirable. Its animation is utterly breathtaking in places and still holds up today. But unlike its golden era contemporaries, there’s precious little to draw you back other than childhood nostalgia.
Avatar ★★★★
Visually stunning even after all these years. I love popping back to Pandora every now and then, but it’s clear why James Cameron decided to stay there for good.
Heat ★★★★★
The absolute gold standard. An effortlessly cool, immersive experience with a rich aesthetic that’s oft-imitated but never quite replicated, led by two of the finest actors ever to do it, and a director at the very top of his game.
You People ★
The cinematic equivalent of a shart on a packed bus. A staggeringly ineffective exercise in relentless humourless quipping, filled with Drake jokes that weren’t funny five years ago. It looks like the kind of film a bargain bin, Logan Paul-wannabe editor would throw together on a cocaine and Prime-fuelled rampage, and comes with a denouement delivered with all the conviction and believability of a Dhar Mann life lesson on YouTube.
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