Here we go again...
I keep sating to myself that I am going to start reviewing again but so far, I haven't. So here are short reviews for the last year or so... Please note, I do have a plan with my creative partner to potentially do some video reviews in the new year, but we will see if that comes to fruition. If so, I will post links to our videos here. :) (MINOR SPOILERS PRESENT!!!)
So, LETS DIVE RIGHT IN!
Samson and Delilah (2009): Incredibly powerful film, beautifully acted, but this is a one time watch. Absolutely heartbreaking. 4.5/5 stars.
Monkey Man (2024): I love a great action film and I could not stop thinking about it for months afterward. The story of how it was made and the on set issues makes it even more impressive. All films need bad ass hijra fight scenes. 5/5 stars.
Mad God (2021): I understood the vibe but found it too slowly paced and sometimes gross for being gross sake. Not really my thing but very well executed for what it was. 2.5/5 stars.
Turtles all the Way Down (2024): Really fun, interesting and well put together. Basic story and execution, but the element of the reality of OCD was done very well. Solid film. 3/5 stars.
Civil War (2024): Not a fan. Politically insipid. I did like the acting and the cinematography, but I didn't buy the characters reasoning or motivations, and I didn't feel there was strong pay off's when it comes to the relationships forming in the film. 1.5/5 stars.
The Fall Guy (2024): So much fun! I've watched it a few times now and I love it. Can really feel the care and love of the craft it was made with. 4/5 stars.
Mona Lisa Smile (2003): I liked this film and thought it was well structured and executed. Not particularly revolutionary, but a nice watch. 3/5 stars.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024): It was a fun film, but I don't really understand why it exists... 3/5 stars.
I Saw the TV Glow (2024): Heartbreaking. Devastating. Unflinching. Magical and gut-wrenching all at once. Changed my life. I wish I had made this so badly. Cannot wait to see what this director does next. 5/5 stars.
Existenz (1999): Fabulous, fun and who doesn't love a poorly disguised allegory for anal sex? 3.5/5 stars.
The Foreigner (2017): I liked some of this film... but it honestly didn't make much of an impression. I had to jog my memory to write this review. 2/5 stars.
Uglies (2024): Sooooo many things wrong with this film, from the poor casting choices to the random "fun" moments that don't further the plot in any way. Also the wild CGI faces for the Pretties. I know a lot has been said about how bad this film is, but can I also point out the casting of a trans woman as a villain who wants to preform surgeries on people was a /choice/. 1/5 stars.
Boy Kills World (2023): So much fun! Really interestingly put together, and I found that the concept became not at all gimmicky in Bill Skarsgård's capable hands. 4/5 stars.
Birdman (2014): I haven't stopped thinking about this one. So amazing and perfectly done. BUT, I did see it for the first time with the original drummer who created the score playing live at an event, so I have never actually seen the film with the original score. 5/5 stars.
Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008): I adore the creature costumes, and I love it when nearly everything is made, rather than created in post. However, over all, I felt the story could use some work. Still fun though. 2.5/5 stars.
Matthias & Maxime (2019): Beautifully shot. Very real, natural, and surprisingly funny. The ending, however, was a little lacking for me. 4/5 stars.
Alien: Romulus (2024): So good! That alien was so moist! Which was totally delightful. The metaphors fucked me up some. Loved the parallels with the original. 4/5 stars.
Juror #2 (2024): Quite a good film. Fun to analyse and well acted, however, nothing to write home about. 3/5 stars.
Dead Poets Society (1989): I cannot believe I hadn't seen this before! It's been on my "to watch" list forever. Totally lives up to the hype. Great performances and a great watch. 4.5/5 stars.
Gladiator II (2024): It was fine... Would rather watch the original. 2/5 stars.
Nosferatu (2024): I really liked this film. Art and costuming really understood the assignment. A difficult one to rate because it may not have changed my life but it certainly made the excited about filmmaking and storytelling. 5/5 stars.
The Substance (2024): I. cannot. stop. thinking. about. this. film. Beautiful and grotesque. Absolutely LOVE how it is shot with so much colour and contrast. Love the story, love the acting, love the message. I was sold from the second it started, and the bloodbath at the end, while over the top, was absolutely spectacular. 5/5 stars.
Heretic (2024): I liked this film but felt that the message was a bit muddled in parts and overall, it didn't grip me like I had hoped. I do love the attention to detail paid to the Mormon faith though. Well acted, but missing something for me. 2/5 stars.
Brooklyn (2015): A beautifully acted and pretty film, however, overwhelmingly lacking in real conflict. Overall, very average, but I did enjoy watching it. 3/5 stars.
Novocaine (2025): This was fun, and funny, and just all-round enjoyable to watch. 3.5/5 stars.
Joy (2015): Some enjoyable moments and I liked the concept, however, I felt like there were too many ideas, and the voice-over was particularly naff. 2/5 stars.
Kajillionaire (2020): It's a film I really struggle to describe, but I loved it. Weirdly unsettling in moments. Some insinuations that fucked me up in ways I can't really articulate. This is a weird little film about an absolutely awful family. Well acted and executed, beautifully styled. 4/5 stars.
Sinners (2025): I started off with the question "why is he Irish?" What a well thought out and beautifully crafted project that never once holds your hand. You have to figure it out all yourself. It's shot like a music video half the time but that is used to such great effect. 4.5/5 stars.
Strange Days (1995): I am so glad I watched this film. A silly little white guy is helped and repeatedly saved by a kick-ass black woman (who loves him for some reason). The tech is cool, the film is gripping, and I am in love with Angela Bassett. 4/5 stars.
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina (2025): I think everything can be summed up in one word... Why? But just to give you a bit more depth, they could have just made another film. I don't know why John Wick is even in it. I don't need him to be there. The whole thing was below average. 2/5 stars.
Challengers (2024): You give me one scene of those two men hooking up without her (after she's antagonised them is fine) and I would have been completely sold. Great score, great art direction, I was hooked immediately. 4.5/5 stars.
Hellraiser (1987): What a great film! I probably laughed a lot more than the filmmakers were intending, but still. There was something beautiful and erotic about this film in the most messed up way. Love the heroin allegory. Love the practical effects and the whole design of the Cenobites. Loved it, and I want to make something as cool as this film someday. 5/5 stars.
Hellraiser (2022): This was... okay. I liked Pinhead the most out of all the Cenobites, and casting a trans woman was a smart choice here. One thing this was lacking was the use of metaphor and allegory. I was shown a lot of direct things, and told more than I should have been. Also some of the acting from the leads brother and friends was... not the best. I also think this film failed to capture the fucked up eroticism of the original. BUT, ultimately, I did find myself having fun. 2.5/5 stars.
Okay, that's it. I probably missed some films I've seen because I did kind of stop keeping track at the end there. I hope to post more in 2026!












