JUNE 2021 MOVIES RECAP

You know the drill, here we go.

• Following (1998)

Christopher Nolan's debut is pretty rough around the edges, but all of his trademark style and is already present, making it a great film to revisit.

• The Favourite (2018)

I hadn't seen this Yorgos Lanthimos film before, but being a fan of his work (Dogtooth being my favourite) I was really looking forward to seeing this one. No one needs to tell you this, but I'm going to say it anyway - Olivia Colman is one of the best actors working in film today. Seriously. And if you don't agree, watch The Favourite. 

• Bringing Out the Dead (1999)

This is a Scorsese deep cut that had slipped past me for a long time until I scrolled past it on Disney+. While it's certainly not Scorsese's best, I do like it a lot more than the people that seem to dunk on it as not just Scorsese's worst film but one of the worst of the '90s in general. Nic Cage gives a restrained performance (by his standards, at least), and it's a lot of fun. 

• A Quiet Place Part II (2021)

I loved this movie. It was really pure, exciting trip to the cinema that I really needed at the time, and as a horror film I think it functions better than the first film. There were a few cheap jump scares that I saw coming a mile away, but beyond those the film plays with its central conceit of sound really well to craft solid, tense and scary horror set pieces. I also love the way it expands on just about everything from the first film - from the characters, to the scope of the canvas it is playing on, and to the monsters, too. I think the monsters are really interesting and well-conceived, so I was pleasantly surprised to see them having substantially more screen-time here. Full review coming soon, I guess. 

• Children of Men (2006)

One of my all-time favourites, don't need to say much more about it. If you haven't already seen it, why not?

• Bo Burnham: Inside (2021)

In-depth blog post coming soon, the long and the short of it is that Bo Burnham is one of the most exciting artists working today, and I think Inside is a masterpiece. 

• Frances Ha (2012)

This didn't connect with me in the same way as some of Noah Baumbach's work has in the past, but I did like Frances Ha overall. In particular, I think Greta Gerwig is a really exciting screen presence, and I hope that her recent successes behind the camera don't stop her from spending more time in front of it.

• The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)

I saw this in the theatre, and it was solidly decent. I think the first film in the series is a pretty fantastic horror film, but not necessarily the type of horror film that I usually enjoy - subtlety is not a register these films play with all that often. That said, the first film did have some moments of genuine creepiness amongst the quiet quiet bang scares, and James Wan does know how to construct a horror set piece very well. The second one became more absurd and leaning more on the big supernatural elements the first film introduced in moderation, and had completely lost me by its explosive final act. This film, by comparison, swings back towards the relative groundedness of the first film, so I enjoyed it more than the second film on that count. Unfortunately for me the stakes just weren't there, and I was never scared. For a horror film, that is a problem. I was more invested in the procedural elements of the film, but it keeps trying to remind you that it is a horror film by shoving in sequences that don't fit the narrative and aren't scary. There were some visual references to both The Exorcist and The Exorcist III, but you've got to do more than just recreate iconic shots from movies I love to keep me interested. All in all, it's not a particularly bad movie, but it's just one that you'll probably forget about within a week of seeing. 

• Loki (2021)

At the time of writing this I have seen the first four episodes, of which the fourth was far and away the best episode so far. The episodes have been pretty patchy, particularly episodes 2 and 3, with some great moments mingled with some muddled storytelling, but episode 4 was such a step up in both stakes and storytelling skill that I am 100% hooked on these final two episodes to see where it is headed. 

• The French Connection (1971)

The French Connection is literally flawless. An all-time great director working at the top of his game. 

• Chronicle (2012)

I didn't really know much about Chronicle before watching it other than that it was a found-footage film centred around kids getting superpowers. I was about 14 when it came out and I didn't see it in theatres, and it showed up on Disney+ so I threw it on. It is a lot darker than I was expecting, particularly in its final act, which I was pleasantly surprised by. It takes an inherently silly set-up seriously in a way that gives it actual weight and consequence, and so I commend Chronicle for that. I'm now really curious to see Josh Trank's clearly awful Fantastic Four movie, because there is a lot that I like in Chronicle. 

• Mandy (2018)

I rewatched Mandy for the third or fourth time with some friends, and it was a lot of fun. It's definitely not a film that you watch with intention to dive into strict narrative storytelling, it's much more about the experience and the aesthetic of the filmmaking itself, which is bursting with creativity and exciting artistic choices. To steal the great Mark Kermode's fantastic one sentence review of the film; "it's a gore movie, but it's a bit kaleidoscopic." 

• Shin Godzilla (2016)

Awesome movie. The biggest criticism I have seen being aimed at Shin Godzilla is that it completely sidelines any character growth or investment for the sake of crazy Godzilla sequences, but that completely isn't the case. Yes, there are barely any characters that are on screen for longer than ten minutes, and the film cycles through characters like nothing else, but that isn't simply because they couldn't be bothered doing anything other than staging action sequences with Godzilla. The film is about how a country reacts to a natural disaster as a whole, as a nation state. And in that sense the film does an amazing job of staging all the different conflicts between divisions of the military, environmental agencies, government agencies, journalists, you name it. It is so methodical and planned out that you get the sense you are watching a completely accurate depiction of what would actually happen were Godzilla to stomp ashore tomorrow. 

• T2 Trainspotting (2017)

I rewatched this with my girlfriend having shown her the original for the first time a while back, and once again I was struck by how gentle and contemplative this film is. That's not to say that the original didn't have this quality, it certainly did, but it seems to be the driving force of T2; reflection and contemplation on years gone by. I know a lot of people gave this one a miss at the time of release, but i recommend it to everyone that loved the original. 

• The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009)

I don't know why I watched this, because I got exactly what I was expecting from it. It's not that it's bad, it's just so preoccupied with looking and feeling cool in its aesthetic and technique that it leaves a lot of other elements to the side. Denzel Washington and John Travolta at least make an interesting pairing, and they both give good performances. 

• Possessor (2020)

Because it's my favourite film from 2020 I rewatched it again. Sue me. 

• One Cut of the Dead (2017)

This completely blew me away! I had no idea what to expect, so I was so pleasantly surprised when it took the turns it does in the course of the film. I won't spoil anything, but I will say that the first third of the film is a single take in which a crew making a zombie film start being attacked by real zombies. I won't say any more than that, other than to say that if you are at all interested in the craft of filmmaking this is a must see. It is genuinely one of the most feel-good films I have seen in a long, long time.

• La Haine (1995)

I had heard a lot about this film being really gritty and tough to watch, so I was surprised to find that it is actually a much slower, empathetic film than I was led to believe. It's definitely tough and gritty, but for the majority of the film we are just hanging out with these characters in the aftermath of a riot the night before. There is tenderness and gentleness at the heart of the film, as well as a real sense of loss and sadness alongside the titular hate and rage. It balances these two competing elements really really well, and for me that is why this film works so well. It doesn't endorse or criticise either; it simply depicts a day in the life of a few young men caught up in a culture and zeitgeist that they really had no part in growing. 

• Memories of Murder (2003)

Bong Joon-Ho's 2003 crime procedural is always a gift to revisit. Personally, this might be my favourite film of his. 

• Bo Burnham: Inside (2021)

Again. 

• Stowaway (2021)

I don't really have much to say about Stowaway other than that it's really boring, and it probably won't cross my mind again. 

• The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

I do have issues with The Silence of the Lambs, but you can't deny the importance it holds as a landmark moment in the early 1990s. This was probably the fourth or fifth time seeing it, and probably the least rewarding experience with the film - the issues I have with the film become more noticeable and obtrusive for me each time I watch it. 

• Viva the Underdogs (2020)

I'm not a huge Parkway Drive fan, but as a heavy music fan from Australia I have an enormous amount of respect for this band and the way that they paved the road for other Australian bands to go overseas. This held my interest, but to say any more than that would be untrue; it's a kind of flat, boring portrayal of a band doing things that are anything but flat or boring. 

• Red Dragon (2002)

This was only the second time seeing Red Dragon, and I think I must have been 12 or 13 when I last saw it, and so after having seen The Silence of the Lambs again I thought it would be fun to revisit Red Dragon. I actually like the novel of Red Dragon more than The Silence of the Lambs, so I find it disappointing that the film seems like a retrospective attempt to copy the things that made its cinematic predecessor so successful, when the novel stands so strongly on its own feet. Edward Norton really seems to be phoning it in, and an interesting performance from Anthony Hopkins really isn't enough to elevate the film above simply fine. 

• Candyman (1992)

With the remake coming soon, I revisited one of my favourite horror films from the 1990s. If you haven't seen it I strongly recommend you do; it's one of the smartest horror films you'll see. 

• The Andromeda Strain (1971)

I blind bought this in a 2-for-1 Arrow Video flash sale, and I am so glad that I did. This really tickled my interest in the same way that films like Contagion do. It is technically a science fiction film, but it lies so close to the bleeding edge of where real-world technology ends that it has a real sense of urgency and authenticity. Add to that the obviously timely themes of infectious disease and you've got a compelling science fiction film that I am kicking myself over not finding sooner. 

• Rick & Morty: Season 4 (2019-20)

I rewatched the most recent season in preparation for the new season. 

• Rick & Morty: Season 5 (2021)

I'll talk about this more when the season finishes, but I'm loving being able to look forward to a new episode of Rick & Morty each week.

• Active Shooter: America Under Fire (2017)

While not necessarily an enjoyable watch, this series is really informative and eye-opening. I knew some basic elements of what happened at each of these events, but through dedicating an hour to each event and showing interviews with people involved, the series is meticulous and incredibly detailed not only at depicting the events as they happened, but laying out the road ahead of us to making sure tragedies like these never happen again. 

• Willy's Wonderland (2021)

I was excited to see this given the comparisons being made to Mandy, but I've got to say that I was pretty disappointed. As a concept I think the film works really well - Nicolas Cage jacked on energy drinks fighting demonic animatronics, yes please! - but it really just runs out of steam at the thirty minute mark and never recovers. I would love to see an edit of this film as a short, because I think that this idea would function much more effectively with the fat trimmed off it. Importantly, I was also never remotely scared. 

• Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992)

I think I enjoyed this film more than the second one, purely because this film cranks the camp factor through the roof. The second film is much more in line with the far superior original in terms of tone, but Hell on Earth, whether or not intentionally, shoots for a much more silly, self-aware tone that works pretty well. 

• Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Spider-Man: Homecoming is one of those MCU films that I put into the same category as most of them; it's well made and competent in its storytelling, but it doesn't have any defining characteristics that separate it from the others. It's good, and if you're a Spider-Man fan I'm sure you already love it, but for me it's incredibly forgettable. 

• Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)

Revisiting this gorgeous film with my girlfriend was an experience of reaffirming why Portrait of a Lady on Fire is one of my favourite films to come out this century. 

• Judas and the Black Messiah (2021)

I'll be writing a full-length review soon, but long story short I really liked this film. In particular, Daniel Kaluuya completely disappears into his role and was electric whenever he was on screen. 

FAVOURITE FIRST WATCH: One Cut of the Dead (2017)

FAVOURITE REWATCH: Children of Men (2006)

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: Willy's Wonderland (2021)

FILM YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY WATCH WITH YOUR PARENTS: Mandy (2018)

That's it for my June recap, see you soon!