As is our habit, we will be wrapping up the year with what our team thought about various aspects of culture this year. First up, this year at the movies!
Greg’s Picks
I only saw a sparse handful of movies in theaters this year, but “Everything, Everywhere, All at Once” was the most emotional experience by far. There were moments of screaming laughter, actual sobbing, a real emotional everything bagel. And I wasn’t alone! The whole audience was dialed in with incredible focus, as the directing duo Daniels drew on the broad career and deep talents of Michelle Yeoh to deliver an experience with unparalleled variety and amazing tactility. (Not to mention, this was far and away the most popular movie with our hosts, including Host Taylor of Pat’s Tap who saw it five times.) Practical effects truly shine in this film: this movie will make you believe a raccoon can cook and a rock can die. We also loved Ke Huy Quan’s return to the world of movies, and hope to see many more tear-jerking award acceptances in his future. Welcome to the Quannaissance. — Events Specialist Greg
Ruby’s Picks
Our hosts’ second-favorite movie of the year was definitely “Glass Onion,” which is pretty impressive since it was only in theaters for a week (one of the worst decisions out of Netflix this year, and that’s saying something). It’s up on Netflix now (although they failed to secure the rights to “Knives Out,” to which it is a sequel, again a bad decision), and you should watch it if you like to have fun! You don’t particularly need to watch the first one to follow this one, as the only throughline is Daniel Craig’s expert detective Benoit Blanc, who is thrust into yet another thorny murder mystery. “Knives Out” is set in an old money family, which “Glass Onion” follows up with a new money circle of friends. It’s also one of the few movies to portray a moment in the pandemic – it’s specifically set in May 2020 and uses the characters’ masking and isolation choices at that time as character-building. Everyone in this movie is firing on all cylinders. Discussing it with the friend I saw it with, there is a scene where three clues are set up – I noticed one, he noticed another, and we both missed the third. A perfectly paced mystery! — Editor Ruby
Ira’s Picks
Hey, do you like action movies? How about musicals? Romances? Historical epics? Comedies? Heartfelt portraits of male friendship? Dance movies? Special effects blockbusters? If your answer is "all of the above," you're going to have to watch "R-R-R," an indescribable and exhilarating Indian masterpiece that is somehow every kind of movie at the same time and is equally brilliant at handling each one of those elements. — Editor Ira
Greg’s Picks
On the horror side of cinema, there was only one real standout for me: “Barbarian.” This movie takes its approach to a mid-act twist with measured yet unpredictable impact. It returns Justin Long (see “Jeepers Creepers” and “Tusk,” but don’t see them, those are bad) to the world of horror cinema as a masterfully unlikable yet recognizable character. I won’t get into spoilers, but this movie is current, gutsy, and at times exceedingly gross. You might never look at locked doors in vacation rentals the same way again. — Events Specialist Greg
Sophie’s Picks
Throwing in a quick plug for Netflix’s “Wendell & Wild”! Listen, I’m a simple woman. If you hand me a Henry Selick-directed stop-motion animated film, there’s almost no way I’m not going to enjoy it. But if you take that film and add Jordan Peele as a writer/producer, a beautifully curated Afro-punk soundtrack, an all-star voice cast that includes a Key & Peele reunion, Ving Rhames, James Hong, and Angela Bassett, then top it off with the clearest indictment of the school-to-prison pipeline you could hope to find in a children’s film, well, you know you’ve got a winner on your hands. Definitely a worthwhile addition to your October spooky movie rotation. — Editor Sophie
Andrea’s Picks
What can I say about “Jackass Forever”? Upon seeing the very NSFW “Godzilla” parody opening sequence, I knew I was in for a ride. I watched all of “Jackass” the TV series before seeing “Jackass Forever” and I’m impressed with how gracefully Jeff Tremaine, Johnny Knoxville, et al. aged the franchise, paying tribute at the end of the film to Ryan Dunn. There’s a trivia-related prank pretty early in the film. It was great to see the oldheads pass the torch to the cadets of Jackass Academy. I have never screamed so hard and so much in a movie theater. To me, “Jackass Forever” is proof that getting older doesn’t have to mean growing up. — Editor Andrea
Our hosts also put in a good word for "Nope," "Bros," "Elvis," and "Marcel the Shell with Shoes On," if you’re looking for other things to watch this week. If you want more of our editorial teams’ thoughts on movies, please follow Ruby and Ira on Letterboxd, we want more Letterboxd friends!
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