Diary
April 2026
Bugonia
It still shocks me just how much this film didn't get recognized. Aidan Delbis as Don, Robbie Ryan for the Cinematography, James Price and the entire Set Decoration team (Prue Howard, Sarah Carter, Lauren Tanner, and Nicholas Storm) for the Production Design, Yorgos Mavropsaridis for the Editing, and most importantly, Jesse Plemons as Teddy. These people give the best of their categories for the entire year (top 3 at worse). Bugonia has become a very special movie for me, so special that I've managed to carve 7 viewings out of it when the film hasn't been released for a full year. Truly tremendous things being done in Bugonia where I wish more people recognized the near perfection demonstrated in this film.
Speed Racer
Speed Racer was put back in a theater nearby so I took the opportunity to see it, especially since it had been getting a lot of attention on Twitter. I went in expecting myself to absolutely love this film, and while I still believe Speed Racer is good, it's not the masterpiece I was expecting. In fact, a lot of the film felt fake. Fictional films are fake (no way), but I always felt that films were meant to heighten reality while using the tools that reality offers. So when most of the locations in this film have a shitty green screen, it's quite disappointing. I also never loved the idea of things looking bad on purpose, it feels like a gimmick, which might be why I dislike campy films. However, this world also brings a lot of something that I deeply admire. Personality. I will never tell anyone that Speed Racer is a bad movie or that I didn't like it because this film gushes with it's own distinct personality through the incredible performances of , lighting, colors, and editing. While I might not always love the choices made in the film, it's still a fun watch. Do you think you made a mistake? Hiding the truth from them? If I did, it's a mistake I have to live with.
The Fall Guy
I decided to watch this to celebrate my grandma's birthday by watching what she said was her favorite film (I started at 11:58pm so I'm counting it as celebrating even if I'm still logging it the day after) and I gotta say, this is a lot funnier than I remembered, which is wild since this was made by the same guy who made Deadpool 2. I'm still confused how this film didn't become huge on a scale similar to Barbie or Project Hail Mary. Something I found really interesting about this film was the editing, which I think was done pretty well. There's a lot of cross cutting and I also liked the split screen, even if it was super on the nose, but that's a problem constant the entire film. The writing almost never goes for subtext, which makes things super direct and at times awkward. Interestingly, I think this film has one of the best oners in recent films, which is the shot during the beginning of the film before the accident. I think this film convinced me that Ryan Gosling is one of the best working comedic actors alive. His ability to have chemistry with anyone is admirable. This film is also such a nice love letter to stunt crews and I'm glad that The Academy is finally giving them recognition for the next Oscars.
Fear & Shame
Robert Pattinson is one of the greatest actors, not only currently, but I'd make an argument for all time. He has such incredible control over his vocal abilities and he delivers in this short film as well.
Persuasion
I'll probably give this film another shot when I don't have to write a 3-page paper on it vs. the play. I think my viewing on the much worse live play dampened my opinion on this film which feels unfair, especially all I really want to do is play more Pokemon Champions. I started thinking about using Incineroar's Parting Shot into Kingambit to activate Defiant, which would be really helpful if it makes Kingambit +3 instead of +1 since I think it can kill Sneasler 252 HP and 252+ Def with one Kowtow Cleave. I have also been playing around with the uncommon idea of Mega Evolving my Aerodactyl to use Dual Wingbeat into Sneasler to also kill in case it holds the Focus Sash. But also, I'm trying to find a way to possibly add Aegislash to my team to absolutely shut down opposing Sneaslers as well. The big issue with that is I'd be running 4 pokemon weak to Earthquakes, especially with both my Garchomp and Garchomps in general since Garchomp is a very popular pokemon. I think having Mega Gardevoir for that particular reason would be really good, especially since it also kills Tyranitar's from also spamming Earthquakes.
Michael
This is probably the flashiest Wikipedia article to ever be visualized. This movie is not concerned with telling an interesting story about Michael Jackson, it's only goal is to recreate Michael Jackson concerts. This is a story about a flawless person who faced nearly zero conflicts throughout the entire runtime. Honestly, it's a feat to make Michael Jackson, the worlds biggest artist, be turned into such a weak character. Another big issue with the film is that there is no diving into the context behind the songs besides "I have thoughts in my head." The film is constructed so you can cheer on for the songs you recognize without showing us what inspired the hits. For example, the entire ending of the film is Michael Jackson performing "Bad," but there is no build up to the song. It just happens and you listen to a really amazing song while showing for the millionth time how much the people love him. However, this film isn't all bad. Even with as little to work with as he does, Jaafar Jackson kills it. He does an incredible job portraying his uncle and Colman Domingo also does a good job with what he has as well. As it turns out, they also made Joseph Jackson a 1-Dimensional character. I also think diving into Michael Jackson's relationship with animals and his obsession with his childhood were the most narratively interesting choices. But it falls flat when we don't see anything within the second half of his life. I also don't think this is all John Logan's fault because the Jackson Family sensitized the shit out of the original script, but at the same time, I don't know how interesting the original film would have been given that this was the end result. Antoine Fuqua also doesn't help make the film look visually appealing or meaningful. Especially when both the cinematography and the editing are not great, highlighted every time he performs any song. It's very telling that the best parts of the film are when you get to listen to Michael Jackson's songs. The makeup and hairstyling is also done very well, especially for Colman Domingo who is only recognizable from his voice. Overall, there is a lot that could've been improved about Michael.
Cat City
Beautiful animation and a funny story with a funky score. I probably would've liked it more if I had a cat.
The Evil Dead
Final film I had to watch for a class as a college Freshman. I'm not a huge fan of Sam Raimi's style and The Evil Dead is the most Raimi film. I think the writing mostly sucks (some dialogue is hilarious) and performances aren't helping the film out. However, one thing I can never deny about this film is how beautiful the cinematography is. Oh my fucking god. I'm not trying to be hyperbolic, but The Evil Dead is genuinely a top 5 film when it comes to cinematography. It makes The Evil Dead looks so mesmerizing. Another great thing this film does is usage of special effects on such a low budget. It was neat to meet the producer of the film, Robert Tapert, through Zoom (MSU privilege coming in clutch). First thing he said was "Technology" which I thought was hilarious. Another funny thing he mentioned was that the decomposing scene cost a crew member their marriage. Hearing the stories surrounding the film definitely gives me respect for this film and Raimi's career, but I value honesty in my reviews and I'm not going to butter it up because I got to meet the producer behind The Evil Dead, as sweet as that is. I also don't HATE The Evil Dead. I'm sure if I watched it in 5 years time, I will find some enjoyment out of the film, but the tree rape scene will always leave me conflicted about my feelings towards this film.
The Drama
Today is National Movie Theater Day so in order to celebrate the unofficial holiday, I decided to rewatch one of my favorite new releases, The Drama. I still really love this movie, especially its writing, acting, and editing. However, I really found myself appreciating the cinematography a lot more on a rewatch. I love it when the movie I'm watching isn't afraid of contrast because this film's lighting is done quite well, which feels more rare during the current era of film (thanks a lot, Netflix). It still really saddens me that Kristoffer Borgli turned out to be a pedophile because I think both The Drama and Dream Scenario are some of the best works within their respective years, and by proxy, some of the best works of the 2020s. Still, this film is quite incredible and I'm excited for when it gets a physical release in the upcoming future.
Project Hail Mary
I didn't get you anything. You gave me everything. This movie is so beautiful. I got to see it in IMAX today (unfortunately not in 70mm) and it's still easily the best film of the year. It's such an incredible film about finding courage and finding something worth sacrificing yourself for. PHM is something truly special and I'm not sure what else could top it this year.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
I watched this for my Intro to Screenwriting class during our final class. I didn't sleep the night prior since I worked on my script, but this film still managed to keep my attention. This film is written quite well and the score is great, but the editing was the stand out to me. I would love to watch this film while not sleep deprived or without my professor pausing the movie a couple of times throughout, but on a first watch, I was super impressed by this film. As of now, my favorite Fincher film, but I still need to see The Social Network and I also need to rewatch both The Game and Se7en. I don't have a lot to write because I am incredibly tired and I want to make it to the IMAX screening of Project Hail Mary.
Beauty and the Beast
I'm too tired to be making a review, but it was decent. Nothing special, but it's fine.
The Drama
I went in with lower expectations than most did. I was hooked by the trailer, like everyone else, but I didn't go in expecting something great. What I got was still somewhat true, because the film ended up being better than great. So far, it has the best writing of a film released in 2026. So much about it was very thought provoking, dark, incredibly cringy (in a good way) and absolutely hilarious. The four main actors in this film are killing it. Even the cast beyond that are great in the film, there's not a single bad performance. I think the most cinematically interesting thing about The Drama is it's approach to the editing. When watching the trailer, you would think it was edited specifically for that, but when he describes her laugh, it is exactly the same from the trailer. I had a blast watching this film while also feeling like nail on a chalkboard. I wish I could say that since Kristoffer Borgli made another favorite of mine, Dream Scenario, that I am looking forward to whatever he makes next, but unfortunately he thought it was okay at 27 to have a relationship with a high schooler. I don't care if the age of consent laws are different in Norway, it's still fucked up. Otherwise, incredible film. I want to rewatch it before I decide on whether it's a 9/10 or a 10/10, but I'll settle on 9 for now.
Chicago
The more thought I put into this film, the more I find wrong with it. First off, this ending sucked and completely destroys the entire message that the film was building up. What made this film so great was how it presented a very dark subject while presenting itself with fun and vibrant musical numbers. So when the ending turns out to be the characters getting exactly what they want, it really undermines the message. The ending also disrupts the entire identity of who Roxie is. She is so obsessed with becoming a star (to the point where it makes her one dimensional) that she will do anything to get there. So when she is declared innocent and no one cares, it makes it a satisfying end to her character. Yet she only suffers from this for 5 minutes. Then, she gets exactly what she wants and everyone holds hands and sings kumbaya. It's bullshit and it really pisses me off. My other major issue with this film is that it loves to beat you to death with what the film is about. How society cares about the headlines or a good story, but once they've chewed that up, leaving them and going right on to the next story. It's a great theme for a film, but in Chicago, it's way too on-the-nose about it. It's on a level of subtlety that I think is similar to The Substance. Otherwise, I did like this film and I thought it was quite good.
Hoppers
Hoppers is a sweet film and it's always nice to see a Pixar film about environmentalism. I always appreciate it when films intended for kids touches on just how cruel people can be (even if I didn't super like it, Zootopia 2 is a film I respect for that). However, I am not anywhere close to saying Pixar is "back." This film is far from incredible, but it was undeniably fun and just a good time all around.
RRR
The two most locked-in people in the existence of ever. The fight choreography and the score also kick major ass in this film. Actually, the story is awesome as well. This movie is just so cool.
Noah’s Shark
If I could come up with a singular word to describe this film, it would be lazy. The acting is abysmal. I'm not expecting anyone to be Daniel Day-Lewis, but some effort would've been appreciated. The writing is absolute bullshit the entire way through. Almost nothing in this film is enjoyable at all. I want you to look at this poster. That looks awesome. Now, what if I told you that the movie does not have a single animal outside of the shark and the film is much more concerned with a priest trying to uncover the mystery behind the ark and the third shark. It's total bullshit. The cinematography is just as lazy as the acting and writing. They picked up a camera, hit record, and put no thought into the shot composition. I'd be surprised if a single thought entered any of their heads. Highly likely that it was all empty. I know this was a low budget film, so I wasn't expecting anything crazy, but putting a PNG of Noah's Ark and calling it a day does not cut it. But I think the worst element of this film is its editing. There are so many instances of recycled footage, it's mind boggling. How many times do I need to see that shark do the same fucking jump. It's still the same, even if you mirror it ONE time. What about the witch looking into the camera. Why do I need to see it so many times?! Hell, we see the same footage of the mountains THREE times. This film is apologetically lazy, to a point where I ask myself why this was even made. This filmmaker clearly does not love the art form or he would've tried making somewhat of a fucking effort. Absolutely ridiculous waste of time and very likely one of the worst movies that will ever get made.
No Exit
I watched this short film because as of now, Auden Lincoln-Vogel and Philip Rabalais have just made their first true feature length film together and I was fortunate enough to see it before the festival run. I want to talk about that film, but since it's not on Letterboxd yet, I decided to write my review here as a placeholder until The Tower is added. First off, I'm a big fan of these two filmmakers. Ever since they presented their short films, Zorg II: Fall of Thera, Perpetual Motion (a re-edited version of Utopia Park), and Purgatorio, I was hooked onto their career. They always have a super interesting approach to their films, especially through their editing. So it's no surprise that No Exit keeps up with that theme. Because I've seen so much of their work prior to this experience, this comes across to me as a weaker effort from them, but what is weak for them is still incredibly interesting. The Tower also follows this interesting approach to its editing. The way the narrative is constructed keeps you guessing as to who we're going to follow next. It gets even more interesting when their individual stories start intertwining. Learning that none of the movie was scripted was wild to hear, even the moments in the dialogue that felt intentionally constructed. I can't wait until I can rewatch it and I hope only for the best for both Auden Lincoln-Vogel and Philip Rabalais on their festival run.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
It was fun watching with a friend, but this writing is quite horrendous. At least it looks pretty, but this film was made for children who still drool. The new talent brought into this film are quite good. Donald Glover is incredible as Yoshi, Brie Larson was amazing as Rosalina (wish we got more of her), Benny Safdie was better than I thought he was going to be, and Glen Powell was the best possible choice for Fox. Easily the worst part of this film and its predecessor is the absurd lack of Dry Bones representation. Throughout the film, there were so many Koopa Troopas (excellent enemy btw) and I thought it could've been neat if they made some of them into Dry Bones instead. At least they showed up at all.
Coming Out
Again, I watched a short film to keep the streak going since I either slept for most of the day or was out of the house, but I will not lose this streak, even if this is kinda cheap. But today's film was this film. For it being one of the highest rated short films on the website, I was expecting a little more. It wasn't interesting for the most part, but it is wholesome.
