Fun fact: I still like to watch movies. I haven't been writing a lot of movie reviews because I have been SO busy. Luckily, the semester is over, and now I can watch some more movies. In the meantime, here is a collection of films I saw a while ago but didn't have the time to make full reviews. Click here to read the last one. Let's go.
The Peanut Butter Falcon
Release Date: August 23
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Dakota Johnson, John Hawkes, and Zack Gottsagen
Score: 8/10 (Great)
What a delightful, wholesome film. The Peanut Butter Falcon is one of the most feel good movies of the year, and while some use that label as a crutch, this film manages to go above and beyond, resulting in a really good film. The performances are fantastic, the chemistry between the characters (particularly LaBeouf and Gottsagen) is phenomenal, and the sense of adventure and wonder this film has is great. This movie never talks down to its audience and never treats Gottsagen's character like a baby for having down syndrome. The way this film progressed felt very natural and real. The story is well written, charming, funny, heartfelt, and highly entertaining. The visuals were gorgeous and the music was nice as well. Everything about this movie is pure delight. In fact, it can be so charming that it can get a bit cheesy. There aren't a lot of instances where that happens, but there are a few moments when the sentiment gets in the way of believability. Another nitpick I have includes not having a lot of focus to an element of LaBeouf's character's backstory. There is an interesting aspect to his character that doesn't feel as important as it should be, and by the end, it's completely glossed over. Speaking of endings, I think this one is rushed. Something happens near the end that promises some kind of emotional resolve, but then... the movie ends. The ending that does happen is nice, but it definitely feels underdeveloped. Despite those flaws, I thoroughly enjoyed The Peanut Butter Falcon. If you want a movie that makes you feel good, then you should absolutely check this out. I had a big dumb grin throughout the duration of this movie, and I think you will too.
It Chapter Two
Release Date: September 6
Starring: Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill Hader, Isaiah Mustafa, Jay Ryan, James Ransone, Andy Bean, and Bill Skarsgard
Score: 3/10 (Bad)
I wasn't crazy about Chapter One, but it was pretty entertaining. It was tense, creepy, and had some fantastic acting. It also managed to balance the horror and comedy elements very well. Chapter Two had little to none of that. There were some great performances and the cinematography was pretty good, but in terms of story, pacing, comedy, and creepiness, this film left a lot to be desired. This film is long. That fact is not inherently a bad thing, but was makes this film so bad is how repetitive it is. There is a definite formula to this film, and it doesn't break away from it at all. When you figure out the formula, this film becomes incredibly predictable and tedious. The script is boring, and little to none of the drama or comedy hit. And the horror elements are even worse. None of it is scary, all of the CGI looks like garbage, and a lot of the scares are undercut by cheap humor. And when the scares are not cheapened by the addition of comedy, they are laughable because of how ridiculously stupid and not scary they get. Seriously, some of these jump scares are awful. However, the worse parts about the film are the strobe scenes. There are two different scenes involving a lot of flashing lights- one five minute scene about halfway into the movie, and one that lasts 30 MINUTES LONG! I'm not epileptic, yet the constant flashing lights bugged the hell out of me. It got to the point where I had to cover my eyes while watching, and once those scenes were over, my eyes felt heavy and teary. I'm surprised that more people haven't been talking about that. If they put up seizure warnings for Incredibles 2, they should do the same for It 2. But I digress. This film is really bad. The script, characters, story, and scares are all substantially worse in this film than in the first one. If you absolutely love the first It film, you like this. However, for everyone else, I would not waste your time here.
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie
Release Date: October 11
Starring: Aaron Paul
Score: 7.5/10 (Good)
This definitely feels more like an extended epilogue of Breaking Bad instead of a movie. That's not a bad thing, for Breaking Bad is a fantastic show, and El Camino acts as a very nice bit of closure for Jesse. The writing is great, the directing is fantastic, the performances are excellent, and the way the overall story wraps up is very satisfying. Jesse is a great character, and watching him do everything in his power to escape is thrilling. There is an element of fan service in this film, as quite a few returning characters and locations appear, yet they all felt completely necessary to the story. My one gripe is that the film doesn't quite reach the stakes it sets up for itself. With the way Breaking Bad ends and the way El Camino begins, it promises a "Jesse on the lamb" story that does not fully reach the heights that it could. This film is a lot smaller scale than one would expect, and while the smallness makes sense, it doesn't quite get up to the height of its stakes. However, there are some great scenes of tension. El Camino was a nice epilogue to the Breaking Bad series. If you have not seen or are unfamiliar with Breaking Bad, then this movie will mean absolutely nothing to you, so don't bother watching this yet. Watch Breaking Bad first. However, for fans of Breaking Bad, this is a very nice companion piece. Did it need to exist? No. Am I happy it's here? Oh yeah.
Doctor Sleep
Release Date: November 8
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Kyleigh Curran, and Cliff Curtis
Score: 7/10 (Good)
Fun fact: I saw both Doctor Sleep and The Shining in the same day. The Shining is a fantastic horror movie, and Doctor Sleep is a pretty solid follow up. It's visually well presented with some very clever shot compositions. The performances are all great, and there is some nice development with some of the characters. There are some scenes where the movie achieves a genuine level of discomfort that I found quite impressive. I also like the story. I like how it focuses on the shining itself and some of the different attributes of it. It was interesting to watch, and it made the villain's motivation and actions all the more palpable. And I appreciated that this film did not rely on Shining fan service... until the ending. For most of the film, almost all of the Shining references were through dialogue, and it all felt natural. However, the final twenty minutes or so used a lot of assets from The Shining, and it started to get obnoxious. I'm fine with some fan service, but this felt like the movie was shoving it down our throats. As for other negatives, the pacing of the first act is pretty choppy. There are multiple different storylines the first act is setting up, and it does so in a way were the scenes don't quite fit together. The flow of the first act is a little all over the place. Luckily, after a while it smooths out, and the overall movie is a pretty entertaining time. It's not my favorite film of the year, nor is it better than The Shining, but I wasn't expecting it to be. In fact, this film was a lot better than I originally thought. If you liked The Shining, I think you'll get some enjoyment out of it. It's pretty good.
The Lighthouse
Release Date: November 1
Starring: Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe
Score: 10/10 (Masterpiece)
The Lighthouse is one of the most bizarre movies I've ever seen, and I loved every second of it. Winslow and Thomas are two highly entertaining characters, and both actors breathe so much life into their roles. Both of them give absolutely phenomenal performances, with Dafoe giving my personal favorite performance of the entire year. There is a certain monologue he gives about halfway through the movie that is truly a tour de force moment. It is one of the greatest monologues ever conceived, and Dafoe eats up the screen. If you've seen the movie, you know exactly what monologue I'm talking about, and without spoiling anything, I will say "HAAAAARK," and leave it at that. I love the intense mental battle the two played with each other, and the way their machismo leads them down a path of madness is as terrifying and insane as it is hilarious. This movie is genuinely funny, as dark and warped as it is. This story is amazing, with very well thought out themes of lust, obsession, and power, and the way those themes are executed, even paralleling Greek mythology, is so genius. And that's not to mention this movie is phenomenal aesthetically. The black and white filming adds so much dreariness and dread to the film, and the 1.19:1 aspect ratio not only makes the movie feel extra claustrophobic, but makes the film look like it came straight out of the 1940s. I love the look of the island and the architecture of the lighthouse. It's so ominous yet acts like a character in of itself. The cinematography, lighting, and uses of practical effects are so beautifully twisted and amazingly well done. And the score is one of the best you'll hear all year. This movie had me from the very first shot and kept me interested until the very end. And out of all the movies I've seen this year, this movie has, without question, my favorite ending. It's genuinely terrifying and hilarious all at the same time. I don't want to spoil anything because this movie needs to be seen, but I will say that I have never heard audio like that in a movie before. So... yeah, this movie is a masterpiece. As of writing this, I saw the movie about a month ago, but I still remember specific scenes so vividly as if I just saw the film yesterday. Even the movies I saw after this one I remember less. It's that memorable, and it's one of those instances where every little part of the film plays so perfectly with each other to make an amazing film experience. This is one of the best movies I've ever seen, and I can't wait for this to hit Amazon Prime. As of writing this, according to Amazon Prime, The Lighthouse will be hitting the streaming service on December 20, 2019, which is in about a week. Please, if you have Amazon Prime, I implore you to watch this movie. In the midst of the Oscar campaign that is currently happening, we cannot forget about this gem. It shall not be overlooked. This is my favorite movie of the year, and I highly doubt any other film will top it.
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