hi again! i hope your year is going well so far. i can’t believe we’re already over two months in. time is passing so fast for me!

the early months of the year are known for being slow and sometimes disappointing in terms of quality when it comes to new movie releases. for my “monthly” roundup i’m combining the couple i saw in january with the february releases. some were rough, but some were really amazing. one thing about me is i will watch any movie. a lot of these i got to see alongside friends or family members, and i had so much fun enjoying them with the people i care about, even if i didn’t find the movie itself to be all that great. i always love the experience! anyway, here’s my list:

✿ JANUARY ✿

Night Swim released January 6th, 2024

early-year horror movies are truly a hit or miss like no other. i really enjoyed last year’s Infinity Pool and M3GAN, and 2022’s Scream was met with primarily positive feedback. this year, i fear blumhouse took a few steps in the wrong direction with Night Swim, an underwhelming and clunky attempt at exploring the fear of what could be lurking beneath the surface of innocent-seeming water. the acting is stilted, primarily because of how awkward and unnatural most of the dialoguae is. the story is already a bit all over the place to begin with, and as more is “uncovered” about the truth behind the haunted swimming pool, it only makes less sense. before the feature film, Night Swim was a short film with a similar premise, and i think with a story like this it does it a disservice to draw it out and create a complicated backstory when the true fear lies in the unknown itself. Night Swim doesn’t start off strong, and as the film tries to explain the frightening events, it only gets worse. it entered and exited theaters without much fanfare, and i fear will probably exclusively be watched late at night at middle school sleepovers when they’re looking for something scary and accidentally skip over all the good options.

would i recommend it? no
watched 01/08/24
★☆☆☆☆

Mean Girls released January 12th, 2024

now there isn’t much i could say about the new Mean Girls that hasn’t been said already. reneé rapp is very talented, and most of the girls captured the essence of their characters very well. i found it interesting that the direction of the film made cady more of a quiet, mumbly awkward character as opposed to the musical and even the previous film, where she was louder and sort of the type of awkward where she doesn’t realize she needs to tone herself down. i think maybe they wanted it more ~nuanced~ so they made smaller choices. this applies to a LOT of the film actually, so many things were made smaller or more insignificant in the film than they were in the stage musical. and while i’m sure the goal was to make it more “palatable” for the screen, based on the reactions on tiktok and twitter it definitely seems like that decision backfired. the whole plot felt rushed, several great songs were dropped including two damian solos, the mathletes barely appeared at all, and while i liked the creative approach taken with the editing, a lot of parts felt either very under or over edited. i don’t think the broadway musical is perfect by any sense of the word, but i do think that it was fun in a way that the movie wasn’t. i didn’t hate the movie, i actually enjoyed watching it and it made me (almost) nostalgic for the time i spent in high school sitting in the library listening to the mean girls cast recording. however, i think it pales a lot in comparison to the original or as a remake, and it doesn’t stand up well as an adaptation of the stage musical either.

would i recommend it? not really
watched 01/18/24
★★☆☆☆

The Book of Clarence released January 12th, 2024

as someone who worships at the church of lakeith stanfield, i was intrigued by what i had seen from this movie (which was very little, as the movie wasn’t marketed very well in my opinion). overall, i enjoyed it, i liked the humor and found the costumes & sets to be really impressive. a lot of talented people were involved both behind the camera and in front, as is the case with all movies, but this one did really feel like a lot of love went into it. i do think the third act sort of spiraled into something completely different than maybe what it was meant to be, and it felt like it lost sight of where it began. i really enjoyed some of the earlier sequences, especially the cons/schemes and how the characters tricked masses of people into believing clarence was the messiah. the twin brother thing was also funny and lakeith is definitely talented enough to play opposite himself. the ending just went all over the place, got really intense and violent to an almost exploitative level, really spiritual(?), and then sort of abruptly ended. i feel like i lost sight of the filmmaker’s intentions that i saw much more clearly early on in the film. i think there were a lot of great parts, though, so the unsatisfying ending didn’t totally ruin it for me.

would i recommend it? maybe
watched 01/17/24
★★★1/2☆

✿ FEBRUARY ✿

Argylle released February 2nd, 2024

to me, my interest in this film sort of began and ended with dua lipa. her character is a fictional character being written by the author, which is clear in the trailer, so i knew she wouldn’t have a large part going in. however, i was expecting a litttleee more than one dance sequence that lead to a chase sequence immediately followed by her death. oh well, i thought, guess i’ll just have to focus on the mystery at the center of the story. i don’t really want to spoil it just in case, but honestly if i had known the “reveal” ahead of time i probably wouldn’t have seen the movie. i really liked the concept, but the execution and general plot direction lost me. bryce dallas howard and sam rockwell are both charming enough, but i did not get any sense of chemistry between them and for a while couldn’t tell if they were hinting at a romantic or platonic surrogate father/daughter friendship. as the movie devolves into a subversion on a parody of a twist on a classic trope (yeah. i know.) it loses all of the steam it started out with. i don’t think the humor was particularly strong, either, and with such a strong cast of actors who have proven their comic ability time and time again, it’s clear to me that the fault lies in the writing. i do really love movies about writers, though! The Lost City was a recent fun one and Mistress America and Ruby Sparks are both super underrated. i’d like to see another crack at a film surrounding a spy/heist writer again in a few years that commits to the storytelling a bit more thoughtfully.

would i recommend it? no
watched 02/16/24
★1/2☆☆☆

How to Have Sex released February 2nd, 2024

trigger warning: mentions of & references to sexual assault

definitely a hard watch, but a really special one, too. the party scenes were so much fun, and the tone shift was handled really gracefully. it felt painfully real in all aspects, from the toxic “best” friend to the emotions on tara’s face as the events unfolded. with the very disturbing history in film of how sexual assault gets depicted in movies, it makes it that much better to see something that feels realistic, not sexualized, and not completely re-traumatizing to watch. the scenes in which tara’s assaulted don’t take an ounce of pleasure or satisfaction in her pain, but doesn’t sugarcoat her experiences either. the acting is so natural and grounded, the cinematography is beautiful, and it’s so thoughtfully crafted. i absolutely love women making films from their experiences & the experiences of other women in their lives because the wistfulness and heartache and strength shines through beautifully. tara is irreversibly changed after the events of the film, but she is not ruined. her future is still wide open for her to explore. and that is such an important message for women who feel like their lives have ended with the pain they’ve experienced. there is always something on the other end, always something new ahead.

would i recommend it? YES. (cautiously)
watched 02/11/24
★★★★1/2

Perfect Days released February 7th, 2024

i love a good needledrop, and this film had plenty really really great ones. i loved the utilization of the music and how it worked with the characterization of hirayama. he takes pride and finds joy in his work, even though his job is not something that most people respect, with his job being a public toilet cleaner all over tokyo. i will always absolutely love films that serve as character studies, with conflict and traditional plot structure being sidelined in favor of spending time understanding and living alongside someone interesting. and hirayama is very interesting, his life could definitely be described as mundane but he finds peace in it and even in his loneliness, finds ways to make people smile and show up for the people who need him. the amount of joy from the simplest things in life that i felt watching Perfect Days really, really moved me. wim wenders is an extremely talented director and he described the feel of his film as “almost holy,” which i have to agree with.

would i recommend it? yes!
watched: 02/28/24
★★★★1/2

Lisa Frankenstein released February 9th, 2024

still my favorite release of the year, Lisa Frankenstein is so fun, colorful, campy, romantic, and overall an instant cult classic. i’ve written about it already, but i would be remiss if i didn’t use this opportunity to talk about it again! the dead boyfriend trope has been a friend of mine for many years (as someone who has loved vampires and evan peters in ahs for literally ever). something about someone existing solely for you, to be there for you, understand you, care for you (etc) fit well as a fantasy for a young lonely me. the way this movie uses it is perfect, and i know that had this movie come out 8 years ago i would’ve LOVED it then. and i still love it now! kathryn newton does such a good job embodying lisa in every stage of her character arc; from an awkward high schooler to a much more self-assured and confident version of herself. while she was physically transforming and “healing” the corpse’s imperfections, he was giving her space for her own internal transformation (that also came with an awesome wardrobe). the aesthetic and costumes are to die for, and i really want to go as lisa for halloween this year!

would i recommend it? yes ❤
watched: 02/05/24
★★★★★

Madame Web released February 14th, 2024

oh… well. listen. i’ll say it, i love dakota johnson. she is very talented as an actor and producer, and i’ve seen her turn in several really good performances. this… wasn’t one. the story was so convoluted and none of the characters were developed all that well, so it wasn’t her fault(!!!). for a story set in 2003, so many little motions and mannerisms that the characters showed were extremely “of the tiktok era,” it looked like one character even sort of hit a viral dance move at one point? and the sound editing was absolutely horrendous, the ADR was even worse, but none of this is really new information. i liked the idea of a found family, but four new spider-women is a lot to introduce in one movie! it definitely felt like it bit off more than it could chew. and i don’t know why they made such a show of having peter parker’s mother in it and pregnant with him only to never say the name peter, either. i genuinely don’t even think this was the worst film on this list, maybe that’s just because i am a huge fan of dakota johnson’s bangs, but it’s generally watchable! well, it’s memeable. the jokes don’t necessarily land, but the awkward moments around the lines are really funny. it’s definitely fun to watch with friends, but i fear it doesn’t really boast many other qualities.

would i recommend it? if you want her web to connect you !
watched 02/15/24

★1/2☆☆☆

Bob Marley: One Love released February 14th, 2024

music biopics are tough. it’s hard to distill someone’s life into one two-hour film, and it’s even harder when they (or their loved ones) are still alive and have a say in the process. one that probably utilizes the medium better than most is Rocketman, and i really loved the weird al parody biopic with daniel radcliffe, which poked fun at the formulaic nature and sensationalism of many singers’ movies. i do not think Bob Marley: One Love one really beats the “formulaic” allegations, and i didn’t find it to be overly compelling either. bob marley was an interesting person and kingsley ben-adir and lashana lynch are incredibly talented people, but there’s no other way to phrase it than to say that the film was unoriginal and pretty boring. it felt like it lacked a meaningful conflict, which is crazy because bob marley had to overcome a lot to get to where he got. the film didn’t really focus on or build itself around that though, and instead felt like reading a biography or wikipedia page of his life. the music was fun, and i think for diehard bob marley fans this would probably be more enjoyable than it was for me.

would i recommend it? if it seems like their thing!
watched 02/25/24

★★1/2☆☆

Ordinary Angels released February 22nd, 2024

a crowdpleaser about a sick young girl and the eccentric but troubled woman who puts her life on hold to help save her, Ordinary Angels is a sickeningly sweet film. my reaction to it then felt similar to my reaction to the inside of an oreo or a mouthful of cotton candy: like something sugary and artificial is being shoved down my throat. the story that the film is based on is of course beautiful, an example of human kindness and compassion, and i would never ever disparage that. the way the film presented it, though, felt very inauthentic, mostly in the way that the dialogue was written. hilary swank is a very talented actress and the kids did a great job, but the film felt like a hodge podge of tropes i’d seen before, sort of like someone dropped Erin Brockovich in the middle of a made-for-religious cable tv movie. i think the third act had its strongest points, with the peak of the emotional tension and a race against time, and even then it felt very repetitive with the way problems would arise and then immediately get resolved within the next scene. i didn’t dislike watching this movie, but i wasn’t particularly moved by it. it was made with a very specific audience in mind and i hope it reaches them!

would i recommend it? to certain audiences… sure!
watched 02/19/24
★1/2☆☆☆

Drive-Away Dolls released February 23rd, 2024

an absolute blast, Drive-Away Dolls is the raunchy lesbian b-movie that i didn’t even know i needed. margaret qualley and geraldine viswanathan are both really funny and nail their characters perfectly. the chemistry between them felt really natural and grounded in what is an otherwise very eccentric and heightened environment. it has the classic coen brother charm; i really love Raising Arizona and margaret qualley’s character sortaa channeled nic cage’s here a bit which was so funny. when i said raunchy though i meant it, so it could be divisive amongst a certain corner of the internet. generally, Girls Doing Stuff(tm) is one of my favorite film genres, and i usually have a lot of fun with road trip movies, so this worked really well for me and i ended up loving it! ethan coen said he has a lesbian b-movie trilogy planned, and i’m definitely looking forward to the other two.

would i recommend it? yeah!
watched 02/24/24
★★★★☆

if you missed any of these, but it sounds like something you’d enjoy, hopefully you’ll be able to catch it on streaming soon!

i’m really excited for what march has in store! dune pt. 2 is the big one… i haven’t seen it yet, i kinda want to rewatch the first part before i go since i haven’t seen that since seeing it in dolby in 2021, but i am looking forward to it! + in addition to new releases, i’ll be attending a film festival for the first time since starting my blog! it’ll be my 3rd year in a row at SXSW, and 7th film festival total. i can’t wait to post updates about my week ❤

xx
kendall