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Nicole Kidman in “AMC Theaters. We Make Movies Better.”
 

 

What was your favorite...? 

By the copy team 

12.21.2022

Triangle of Sadness (dir. Ruben Östlund)

I saw Triangle of Sadness with my most nausea-prone friend during a sold-out screening at Beyond Fest for the film’s “West Coast premiere.” Nothing fills my heart with hope and love more than a packed theater, but the concession line going out the door was concerning given the Neon-branded barf bags the theater left perched on every seat. Even through the tummy-turning second act, and despite Harris Dickinson’s mildly irritating mouth-breathing stare, I couldn’t stop smiling. It is “class commentary” not unlike anything we have seen before, but I don’t care because those dynamics are used as a vehicle for perfect comedic timing and taboo drama. As a Survivor and The White Lotus fan (thank you Mike White, noted genius and eerily sinister man), I can’t ignore anything that feels like it comes from a similar curiosity for human instinct. It’s beautiful. Hilarious. Dynamic. Yaya is a scene-stealer.

Triangle of Sadness

Therapy Dogs (dir. Ethan Eng)

Not even joking when I say the kids repeatedly punching locker doors with their bare hands just to see if they can make a dent are the future of filmmaking. I haven’t stopped thinking about this weird, experimental, documentary-ish, narrative-ish film since I saw it earlier this year at Slamdance Film Festival. Filmed over the course of the director/writers’ senior year of high school (while telling administrators they were making a yearbook video lol), it balances authentic love, friendship, conflict, and self-discovery with creative editing that dares you to look away. Earnest yet cynical. You just have to watch it.

Therapy Dogs

Lizzie

Tár (dir. Todd Field)

When I talk to people about what it was like to see Tár, I keep saying that I couldn’t believe the movie I was watching. It’s alternatingly funny, haunting, and tense, and I could never tell where it was going. It feels redundant at this point to call Cate Blanchett’s portrayal of Lydia Tár “magnetic” but very few other movies could convince me to sit through an entire New Yorker interview with an arrogant conductor simply because both the questions and answers are so revealing. Tár puts abuse in the arts under the microscope in a way that doesn’t feel annoyingly mimetic or ripped-from-the-headlines. Field creates a story so true to life that many people thought Tár was based on real events, but its position as a work of fiction allows him to dive deeper into Lydia’s state of mind and gives him more cinematic license. This movie could’ve become a two-and-a-half-hour complaint about cancel culture taking down a great conductor, but it morphs into something so much more complicated. It’s about power, it’s about legacy, it’s about art and who gets to decide its meaning. It leaves you with more questions than answers, but in a way that’s somehow completely satisfying.  

Tár

The Banshees of Inisherin (dir. Martin McDonagh)

This movie confirmed my belief that the most insulting thing you can call someone is boring. Even if you don’t particularly enjoy someone’s company, you can still find their mannerisms or opinions fascinating. You can watch them like a performance, rather than speak to them like a friend. But to find someone so dull that you can’t even be around them… and to tell them that… that’s enough to start a war. In Banshees, we’re shown just how much everyone wants to love and be loved, and how much searching for your life’s purpose can get in the way of that. This is a platonic breakup movie that goes in about every direction except the ones you’d expect.

Would it Kill You to Laugh? (dir. Andrew DeYoung)

Kate Berlant and John Early take up a huge part of my brain and I was so glad to get an hour of them doing sketches together. The way they’re able to embody the tiniest moments of suppressed tension, feigned politeness, and outrageous pretension is completely unique to their dynamic and has influenced all of the comedians that came after them. I just wish “He’s Gay, She’s Half-Jewish” was a real sitcom.

Would it Kill You to Laugh?

Aftersun (dir. Charlotte Wells)

A beautiful film. Perhaps the most successful I’ve seen in utilizing a camcorder. The karaoke scene got me.

Aftersun

Anything Released Weekly on HBO: Succession, House of the Dragon, The White Lotus, etc.

I’m a serial binger, so the week-to-week wait of HBO’s biggest shows this year has kept me patient. I’ve learned that I love to discuss television almost as much as I love watching it. Waiting for new episodes of these shows meant that I always had something to talk about with my coworkers, friends, and one-time acquaintances. As a lover of theater, I’m thrilled that the weekly release calendar can create a sense of community that grows and changes every day. It reminds me of a time when we used to throw food when we didn’t like something. Now we make memes.

The White Lotus

Cath

Triangle of Sadness 
(consider this a loud echo to Brooke’s review)

I can confidently say that I haven’t stopped thinking about this film. Go see it knowing nothing and you won’t be disappointed. Also eat at least an hour before and not during. I saw it at Nitehawk and ordered tacos… ended up flagging down the waitress for some ginger ale come act three.


The White Lotus Season 2, Episode 5: That’s Amore (written and dir. Mike White)

The entire season thus far has exceeded all my expectations, but this episode knocked it out of the park. There are so many great moments that the actors carry with perfectly delivered lines and subtext. (For extra fun, watch Mike’s season of Survivor to see where I feel his gears started turning for a series like this…) The “blonde hair blue eyes” had me on my knees!!!

LOOT (Apple TV)

Maya Rudolph deserves to be a leading lady for the rest of her career and I’m counting down the days until Season 2 airs. An absolute joy of a show to watch, with an outstanding ensemble cast.

Marcel the Shell With Shoes On (dir. Dean Fleischer-Camp)

I knew I’d laugh and I had a hint I’d cry but I didn’t expect how much I did of both. I’ve always been a fan of Jenny Slate’s warm and hilarious YouTube videos of Marcel, but this movie gives another dimension to the character. A story of swashbuckling hope and the multiple shades that grief can take on, it was an anchor for me during a summer of processing and believing in the value of both. Shoutout to Isabella Rossalini as Marcel’s unforgettable Nana Connie and to Nathan Fielder’s cameo as her brother.

Marcel the Shell With Shoes On

Erin

Everything Everywhere All at Once (dir. The Daniels)

This has everything I would want in a perfect film (therefore, it is): the multiverse, mommy issues, everything on everything bagels, Jamie Lee Curtis, and epic homages to two of my favorite films of all time (Ratatouille and In the Mood for Love). <3

Everything Everywhere All at Once

The Bear (Hulu)

Say it with me now: LOVE IS IN THE FOOD.

Natalie

After Yang (dir. Kogonada)

After Yang had a quiet theatre and streaming release in March. It was easy to miss in our world where something new seems to be dropping every week. I remember watching this film a few days after it came out in a cramped Airbnb in San Francisco, curled up on the twin-sized bed with my laptop a few inches from my face. I didn’t know what to expect; I was just looking for something to fill the void of another night alone in an unfamiliar city (and I always tune in to see Colin Farrell and his beautiful eyebrows).

After Yang greets its audience with a hopeful outlook for humankind, quite an unusual choice for a sci-fi film. That’s not to say it isn’t sad (I remember crying a whole lot by the time it was over), but in Kogonada’s world, humanity isn’t destroyed by evolving technology—it is complemented by it. After Yang is about love, growing up, and coming to terms with what it means to be human. It’s a subtle story with rich cinematography and superb acting. It also features a cover by Mitski if you need another reason to watch it.

After Yang

Sick of Myself (dir. Kristoffer Borgli)

If you left The Worst Person in the World thinking Julie didn’t deserve that title, well, do I have the film for you—Sick of Myself’s Signe puts Julie's compulsiveness and narcissism to shame. This film is dark, gross, and funny all at the same time (a la Triangle of Sadness). Borgli keeps upping the ante, even when you don’t think Signe could take her scheme any further. Whenever this film releases widely or ends up on streaming, I highly, highly recommend a watch (though maybe without popcorn).

Sick of Myself

Taylor

Nope (dir. Jordan Peele)

This year, I craved movies that felt like Movies. Top Gun: Maverick delivered on that front (I had a great time sitting in Alamo Drafthouse, giggling with my besties and eating my M&Ms) but it didn’t leave me with much else to chew on. Enter: 2022’s exciting takes on the horror genre, my favorite viewing experiences of the year. I like to be THRILLED! The leader of the pack, for me, is Jordan Peele’s Nope. It has all the vibes of your classic summer UFO blockbuster alongside examinations of surveillance and exploitation, plus an unforgettable use of “Sunglasses at Night,” a song that seems born to play in a horror movie (especially one that hinges on watching). A stunning shot of Daniel Kaluuya poised atop a horse, barely visible through kicked-up dust, remains stuck in my head.

Nope

Cita 

Holy Spider (dir. Ali Abbasi) 

A nightmare in reality—this film is a must see. A true horror film. Abbasi chooses to embrace the violence of its topic with his long and unwavering shots. His refusal to shy away during violent moments allows the viewer to stare directly into the eye of the film’s brutal murders. The decision to not sugarcoat these moments allows the film to be unlike any serial killer-based film I’ve ever seen. It rejected the glorification or typical re-telling of a story like this, which I greatly admired. It allowed me to rethink the horror genre itself. Please go see it! 

Holy Spider