Otter's 2019 Movie Roundup

Spoilers below, proceed with caution. Updated to include Little Women, which I hadn't seen at the time of the original posting. 

14. What Men Want
To paraphrase an opinion about this movie I saw somewhere on the internet: "Some movies are just meant to be watched in economy class on a United airlines flight."

13. Rise of Skywalker
This movie didn't take any time to breathe, with our band of adventurers hurriedly running from one MacGuffin to the next. It did teach us that the best way to survive in the Star Wars universe is to be thrown down a bottomless pit. How else to explain the survival of Luke (falls down a pit in Ep 5), Kylo (falls down a pit at the end of this movie), Darth Maul (falls down a pit after being chopped in half in Ep 1) and, of course, the Emperor (after falling down a pit in a Death Star that promptly explodes in Ep 6.) 

12. The Lion King
It's strange to watch a movie that I practically had memorized as a child with entirely different animation and ever-so-slightly changed dialogue and songs. Still might have been worth it to hear Beyonce say "Lions, attack!" 

11. Captain Marvel
Earlier this year, I reluctantly watched quite a few Marvel movies to give myself much-needed context for when I would reluctantly watch Avengers: Endgame. After this marathon, I decided that I do not enjoy Marvel movies with outer space. Captain Marvel supports my theory, with the earthbound bits being far more entertaining than the (deliberately but annoyingly) incomplete and ambiguous memories of Captain Marvel's time on some mystery planet.

10. Late Night
There is a better movie in here somewhere with interesting things to say about women in the upper echelons of male-dominated industries and dealing with a boss who is excellent at their profession but horrible to their subordinates. However, this is a movie that features not just one, but two, scenes where our plucky protagonist is fake-fired only for her domineering boss to be impressed by her talent and grit and immediately re-hire her.

9. Yesterday
This movie couldn't decide if it wanted to be a rom-com, a satire of the music industry, or a delightful fantasy. If you're going to give a movie such a wonderfully bonkers premise, lean into it and explore it for all its worth. 

8. El Camino
Did Breaking Bad need a sequel? No, honestly. But this movie was an interesting continuation of Jesse Pinkman's story and very much in the spirit of the show. 

7. Motherless Brooklyn
A little overlong and convoluted, but an interesting mystery. Plus, I enjoyed trying to recognize some landmarks since this movie was partially filmed in Troy, NY, not too far from where I grew up. 

6. Avengers: Endgame
Yes, it's pretty much impossible to do time travel without plot holes. There was some outer space and some not entirely convincing (or necessary) de-aging. But, I will admit to tearing up at the Cap's long-awaited dance.

5. Spider-Man: Far from Home
This has the least outer space of the 2019 Marvel movies. Thus, it is the best.

4. Uncut Gems
This movie drops you right into a frantic few days in the life of Adam Sandler's Howard Rather without any context or background and proceeds to show you every nerve-wracking, impulsive, short-termed decision he makes. I'm surprised he didn't get the "critically derided comedian goes serious/gritty" Oscar nomination. He would have deserved it. 

3. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
As my number one pick shows, I love a movie that has movie stars acting like movie stars. Leonardo DiCaprio is immensely fun as a fading celebrity, and Brad Pitt brings charm and pathos to his role as Leo's stunt double / driver / handler / only real friend. 

2. Little Women
I was only mildly excited when I first heard that Greta Gerwig would be helming a Little Women remake. Sure, I loved Lady Bird, but did we really need yet another Little Women adaptation? Gerwig takes this and makes it into one of the best elements of the movie: We all know what's going to happen, so why not find an entirely new way to tell the story? The exceptional cast helps this story feel new, and I'm especially exited to re-read the book with a new vantage point on Amy March.

1. Knives Out
I spent a few middle school summers reading every Agatha Christie novel I could find, so there was no way I was missing this movie. This was a wonderfully enjoyable and modern update to the "whodunit." Only complaint is that it suffers a little from the "Law and Order: SVU" rule (the most famous person did it!) 

Saurus's 2019 Movie Roundup

Happy New Year! Amazingly, I've watched more new movies this year than ever before, due to some combination of theater-hopping (please don't arrest me), movie nights with friends, a local film festival, and of course, beautiful beautiful streaming sites (thank you, beloved friends and family who permit me to use their accounts. You know who you are). Here is my ranking of the 31 movies I saw in 2019:

Skip these:
31. Greener Grass 
This was one of the 6 films I watched over a 2-day period at the Sidewalk Film Festival in Birmingham. Unfortunately this satire of Midwestern suburban politeness was too weird for me.

30. Men in Black: International
I like the leads, Chris Hemsworth and especially Tessa Thompson. I wanted this to work. Reader, it did not work. Not even a little.

29. Spider-Man: Far From Home

I know Alicia loved this one, but I really felt the 2h+ runtime. You know it's bad when halfway through the movie, you look down at your watch thinking, "When is this going to end?" Granted, I'm not an action or Marvel movie person. I would've much preferred the Breakfast Club version of Peter Parker and his misfit friends. A whole movie centering on Zendaya as MJ? Yes, please.

28. Wine Country

Again, a wonderful, promising cast. Again, a disappointing script. Sorry, Amy Poehler.

27. Between Two Ferns: The Movie

I liked this series a lot on YouTube but the movie was completely pointless. Some fun cameos though.

Okay but not memorable:

26. Frances Ferguson 

(Sidewalk) The dry humor of the unseen Nick Offerman's omniscient narrator was a highlight, but otherwise this black comedy, about a female teacher-turned-sex-offender whose life unravels, was a little lifeless.

25. Premature

(Sidewalk) Lovely and artsy coming-of-age story about first love, but also sort of predictable and forgettable.

24. Safe Spaces 

(Sidewalk) This primarily felt like a showcase for lead Justin Long. However, it's the women in his family who steal the show, including Fran Drescher and Lynn Cohen, who play his mother and grandmother, respectively.

23. Isn't It Romantic

I watched this movie on the plane. Let me say it is an excellent plane movie choice: entertaining enough and requiring no brainpower whatsoever. 

22. Late Night

As a big fan of Mindy Kaling and Emma Thompson, I really, really wanted this to be good. Like a lot of Kaling's other projects, however, the movie was pretty uneven: some parts really were really good (see: Emma Thompson's speeches). Others stunk.

21. The Perfect Date

I, like most women, am not immune to Noah Centineo's charms. If you can get past the basic plot of a white guy named Brooks Rattigan lying his way into his dream school (which is of course Yale), the romantic plotline is sort of charming when he's not being a dick. 

Technically good but pass: 

20. Chasing Happiness 

I don't know what prompted me to watch a documentary about the Jonas Brothers, when I'm not a huge fan of docs or the Jonas Brothers at the time (this was long before I attended their concert, which was incredibly fun and joyful by the way). I liked that it presented a cohesive narrative about the JoBros, but I admit I was probably also texting or online shopping while watching this on Prime.

19. The Nightingale 

(Sidewalk) This movie was very well-done but also extremely painful to watch in all its brutality. The three women sitting in front of me walked out of the theater during a particularly horrifying scene near the beginning of the movie. I'm glad I stuck with it but I'll happily never watch it again.

18. Toy Story 4

Toy Story 3 ended perfectly. That is all I'll say about that. 

Fun but could be better: 

17. Yesterday

I think we can all agree, the basic concept makes no sense and the filmmakers could have gone further with it. But watching Himesh Patel's take on Beatles classics makes up for all that.

16. Aladdin

You would think I'd be biased negatively given that the 1992 animated Aladdin is my favorite Disney movie. In fact I'm happy to take any Aladdin I can get, especially if it takes the form of the extremely attractive Mena Massoud. (The man is unrealistically beautiful, ok!) 

15. Good Boys

The end of this movie feels like a separate movie altogether, but I thought the cast delivered on both its ridiculous raunchy jokes and innocent sweetness. 

14. The Cat and the Moon

(Sidewalk) This coming-of-age story from Alex Wolff doesn't sound like much on the surface, but was surprisingly honest and understated in its portrayal of teenage... I won't call it angst. Let's say, grief, confusion, and resilience. 

13. Always Be My Maybe

I am quite obsessed with Ali Wong and over-the-moon thrilled about getting another Asian-American rom-com. The Keanu scenes were also immediately iconic. However, I didn't think Ali Wong and Randall Park's characters actually made sense together or seemed to even like each other that much, which is the lifeblood of a rom-com.

12. Someone Great

This is billed as a rom-com but is really an ode to female friendship, which I can always get behind. I thought the leads were all charming and every damn cameo was amazing (Michelle Buteau, Rosario Dawson, and Jaboukie Young-White, to name a few).

Very enjoyable: 

11. Paddleton

I watched this movie soon after Netflix released it back in February, so unfortunately I don't remember much other than it was good and heartfelt and you should just believe me on that.

10. Jojo Rabbit

This movie shouldn't work on paper, but Taika Waititi makes the shocking premise and abrupt tonal shift work beautifully.

9. Plus One

Give me a friends-to-lovers rom-com trope any day of the week. The leads have great rapport and Maya Erskine is a standout with her screwball sense of humor.

8. Brittany Runs a Marathon

Solid movie with a strong performance by Jillian Bell. I'm not sure why the word "unfussy" comes to mind, but maybe because no character or scene feels extraneous.

7. Knives Out

A friend may have had to drag me to see this movie but it was pretty great--a truly original whodunit with a fantastic cast that is only slightly outshined by ALL THE KNITWEAR.

6. The Peanut Butter Falcon

This movie will remind you that Shia LaBeouf, for all his Shia LaBeouf-iness, is in fact a talented actor. If you're really lucky, you may even be tricked into thinking he is hot for a few hours.

My top picks: 

5. Little Women

It's hard to make a story from the 1860s that's been adapted a million times feel modern and fresh but Greta Gerwig definitely succeeded. Not sure what is my favorite new bit: the shared androgyny of Jo and Laurie; the increased backstory and screen time given to oft-despised Amy March; the sweeping wide shots of the beach and rolling hills; Meryl Streep getting to be bitchy AF; or Emma Watson constantly dropping her American accent as Meg. Ha ha. 

4. The Farewell

I have a distinct memory of sobbing multiple times during the movie, looking around the theater and realizing that as (probably) the only 20-something Asian-American woman in that showing in Alabama, things were hitting me harder than most anyone else there. It's that powerful sense of recognition that reminds you at least one reason why representation in media is so important.

3. Booksmart

This reigned at the top of my list for months. I love a good coming-of-age story, and this one is full of heart and humor. Every character, from lead to random supporting minor, was a fully-fleshed, goddamn gem. If this is what an Olivia Wilde movie looks like, sign me up for many, many more. 

2. Marriage Story

The longer I thought about this movie, the more it inched its way up my rankings. Yes, this portrayal of the dissolution of a relationship gave us countless arguing memes and Laura Dern's angry feminist monologue, but it's surprisingly hopeful in depicting life after love (I do not apologize for quoting Cher).

1. Parasite

The twists and turns of this movie--I mean, holy shit. I was constantly surprised, taken aback, moved, etc. If you're reading this list it's because you're my friend and you've probably already watched this, so let's discuss Oscar odds!! 

Dactyl's 2018 Movie Roundup

I swore I didn't have time to do this, but now it's 2 hours later and here we are.

26. The Holiday Calendar

The pathetic dialogue almost distracted me from her brother-like love interest's little hair braids.  I did not finish this movie.

25. Annihilation

This synopsis sounded so cool on paper (a team of badass women scientists venture out to find Oscar Isaac!) but the movie itself was just wholly unenjoyable.

23. Avengers: Infinity War

Was not compelled by Thanos.  100% buying a ticket to see part 2.  Dammit, Marvel.

22. Won't You Be My Neighbor?

Sincerest apologies to Mr. Rogers, but I dozed off for a bit in the middle.

22. The Incredibles 2

Probably would not have seen this if I didn't have MoviePass.

21. Set It Up

Zoey Deutch and Lucy Liu were luminous.  Glen Powell and Taye Diggs played morons who didn't deserve them.  Also--I'll say it--that pizza looked gross.  For shame, fake-movie NYC.

20. Ocean's 8

Sadly not super memorable considering the cast, but I always give bonus points for Cate Blanchett's cheekbones.

19. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Aww, they fell in love through books.

18. A Simple Favor

Absurd and highly entertaining.

17. Widows

I think I would've enjoyed this more if I hadn't gone in expecting gravitas, but still a very decent action movie.

16. To All the Boys I've Loved Before

I ranked this movie #16.  If I were 16, it would be #1.  But now it kinda makes me feel old.  Definitely a fun addition to the high school rom com canon though.

15. If Beale Street Could Talk

It didn't capture the magic of Moonlight, but it's still beautifully shot.

14. Mary Queen of Scots

I'm biased because Saoirse is always queen in my book.

13. The Princess Switch 

This is everything I want from Netflix.  Kudos to Vanessa Hudgens for selling it.

12. Bohemian Rhapsody

A by-the-numbers biopic, but must-see for the music and Rami Malek's performance.

11. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

Bye everyone, gotta go escape to a Greek island and never look back.

10. Love, Simon

Man I really liked this.  Greg Berlanti gets me.

9. Mission: Impossible - Fallout

I don't know how but these MI movies are just consistently great.

8. The Favourite

"Look at me.  Look at me.  HOW DARE YOU.  CLOSE YOUR EYES."

7. On the Basis of Sex

The second-best RBG movie of the year.

6. Searching

A compelling, poignant story #starringJohnCho.

5. RBG

Inspiring, empowering, and just a little bit awkward.  Love you, RBG.

4. A Star Is Born

Simultaneously epic and intimate.  Lady Gaga blew me away. 

3. A Quiet Place

Such a creative concept, beautifully executed.

2. Black Panther

Brilliant in every aspect and worthy of a Best Picture win.  That upside-down shot of Michael B. Jordan entering the throne room is already iconic.  Wakanda forever!

1. Crazy Rich Asians

I could write an essay about how much this movie means to me, so I'll just say this: This was the first time I saw a mainstream movie character embody what it means to be Asian American.  Not Asian, not ethnically-neutral American, but specifically Asian American.  And to see Constance Wu radiate such warmth, empathy, and humanity for those of us so often portrayed as cold, calculating, or cartoonish---I cried buckets.

Saurus's 2018 Movie Roundup

I watched a surprising number of new movies in 2018 (23 is probably a personal record for me) thanks to some combination of Netflix exclusives, Redbox viewings with a friend, and an anomalous December in which I went to the movie theater more times than I think I had all year. Looking back, 2018 was a pretty excellent year for diversity in film, because (duh) representation matters.

Just Bad
23. Life of the Party (37% RT, 46 Metacritic)
I was hesitant about this movie because of its poor reviews, but my friend persuaded me with the thought that "oh, it's Melissa McCarthy, it'll probably be funny." Welp, the good people of RT don't lie, folks. We stopped this movie an hour in during a gratuitously long segment of Melissa rolling around a classroom floor in a public-speaking-induced allergic-like reaction--yes, you read that sentence correctly.

22. Annihilation (89% RT, 79 Metacritic)

Visuals were interesting, I guess? But the plot made no sense to me. And (*spoiler*) who would ever cheat on Oscar Isaac??! 

21. A Wrinkle In Time (42% RT, 53 Metacritic)

God, I wanted this to be good. As noted on Wikipedia, it's the "first live-action film with a nine-digit budget to be directed by a woman of color," Ava DuVernay. Unfortunately, about 15-20 minutes in, one of many stupid lines of dialogue made me realize, "Wow. This is not a good movie."

Mixed Feelings

20. Ibiza (70% RT, 56 Metacritic)

Had this film focused solely on the friendship between Gillian Jacobs and her hilarious pals, the perennial scene-stealer Vanessa Bayer and Phoebe Robinson, I think it would've turned out much better. However, they had to go and ruin a good thing with one of the most cringe-inducing, unconvincing romances I've seen on screen. Even Richard Madden's extreme attractiveness did not help.

19. Fantastic Beasts 2: The Crimes of Grindelwald (38% RT, 52 Metacritic)

I love the Harry Potter universe, Jude Law's charms, and Eddie Redmayne's beautiful cinnamon roll face as much as the next girl. That doesn't mean I can overlook a) the casting of Johnny Depp, b) the inclusion of random new spells we've never seen before, and c) oh yeah, an excruciatingly complicated and confusing story that made little sense.

Okay but Forgettable:
18. Alex Strangelove (82% RT, 62 Metacritic)

This Netflix movie seemed to fall in the shadow of the thematically similar Love, Simon from earlier in the year. It's not as emotionally impactful as the latter (not that we should pit the two against each other), but it is still entertaining. 

17. I Feel Pretty (35% RT, 48 Metacritic)

I watched this on the plane back from Europe. Maybe it was the altitude but I thought it was pretty funny and enjoyable for a movie with a fairly dumb conceit.

16. Mary, Queen of Scots (62% RT, 61 Metacritic)

Fantastic acting, especially by our queen Saoirse Ronan, but the plot dragged on. I would sooner rewatch I Feel Pretty.

Decent:

15. The Holiday Calendar (40% RT)

I'm a cheeseball who likes rom-coms, okay?! Yes, this was extremely predictable and the ending was almost too cheesy, but Kat Graham was fun to watch and had impressive chemistry with everyone. 

14. The Incredibles 2 (94% RT, 80 Metacritic)

The animation was wonderful of course, but like most sequels, it lacked the zing of the original. I barely remember when happened. Also, Mr. Incredible is kind of an ass.

13. Ralph Breaks the Internet (88% RT, 71 Metacritic)

Sometimes this felt like more flash than substance what with all the memes, but... the Disney princesses! And Vanellope's song! Also, I admit that the insecurity storyline got me (some people were even bawling in my theater, which was a bit much). 

12. Ocean's 8 (68% RT, 61 Metacritic)

I love all the actresses and fashion in this movie, but somehow the heist wasn't as exciting as it should have been. The low stakes, unclear character motivations, and lack of backstory made me pretty indifferent about whether the team succeeded or failed in their con. As Hannah Gadsby might say, where was the tension?

Pretty Good: 

11. Mary Poppins Returns (78% RT, 66 Metacritic)

This wasn't so much a sequel as a near-remake of the original. Yet Emily Blunt's Mary is delightfully cocky, and Ben Whishaw is moving in his desperate grief. 

10. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (81% RT, 65 Metacritic)

I didn't expect much from this period piece/Downton Abbey reunion, but it is surprisingly nuanced with its evocative take on wartime losses and new connections.

9. Instant Family (82% RT, 57 Metacritic)

I would have never picked this movie on my own (uh, Mark Wahlberg), but my friend had free tickets. It manages to shine a light on the complex issue of adoption and come across as funny and heartfelt rather than hackneyed.

Top Picks: 

8. BlacKkKlansman (95% RT, 83 Metacritic)

Spike Lee is not at all subtle in using this dramatization of historical events to criticize modern racism and jab at the current administration. Although the ending is particularly heavy-handed, the most powerful imagery I saw in film all year was probably the interweaving of scenes from the KKK and the black student group, each telling their narratives and chanting for white and black power respectively. What a juxtaposition.

7. Love, Simon (92% RT, 72 Metacritic)

This movie was groundbreaking for those kids who finally get to see themselves represented as leads on the screen, but also just incredibly sweet, charming, and funny. I'm thrilled that this has joined the canon of great teen coming-of-age romantic comedy-dramas, pretty much all of my favorite genres in one. 

6. Crazy Rich Asians (91% RT, 74 Metacritic)

Hellz yes, a movie full of beautiful (East) Asian people who do normal people things like fall in love and fight with their family (in stunning outfits), with absolutely no martial arts in sight. It's been a long time coming, and I thought they knocked it out of the park.

5. Set It Up (90% RT, 62 Metacritic)

That's right, friends: I. Love. Rom-Coms. "Predictable" and "cheesy" are easy critiques to make of all romantic-comedies, but are those qualities not intrinsic to the genre, almost by definition? I know they're going to get together in the end, but I want to see how and when and why they fall in love. Set It Up does it so delightfully. 

4. Black Panther (97% RT, 88 Metacritic)

Can you believe (JVN voice) this movie came out in 2018? It's been a helluva long year. This is getting to be a long post and I'm tired, so I'll sum up by saying a) representation, b) hipster Michael B. Jordan with the wire-rimmed glasses, c) an amazing cast whose names I can't all list because that would be ridiculous, and d) Michael B. Jordan again. #thirst

3. Eighth Grade (99% RT, 90 Metacritic)

This is a beautiful, near-perfect little movie with the most realistically awkward depiction of middle school that brought me back to my own pubescent days. Allll the cringes, but in the most painfully real way.

2. A Star Is Born (90% RT, 88 Metacritic)

I'd heard the hype for about a month before I saw it, but Lady Gaga truly delivers. The whole soundtrack is a frickin' earworm and I expect Gaga will win big this awards season. Well done, Bradley Cooper.

1. To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before (96% RT, 64 Metacritic)

Ok, this movie probably should not top my list, but I adore it like the millions of other Netflix viewers who have been hankering for a sequel. It speaks to me in a way it could for anyone who was ever a shy Asian-American teenage girl with unrequited crushes and fanciful daydreams (lol). Even beyond the palpable chemistry of the romantic leads and the charms of new teen hearthrob Noah Centineo (on a separate issue, Lana Condor deserves equal amount of press), I also love the close-knit multicultural family, the intimate sister dynamic, and the generally adorable aesthetic of the whole movie. Don't judge me if I go watch it again; I just might.

Otter's 2017 Movies

Once again, I failed to go to many movies in the year 2017. I only saw five of these in an actual theater - the rest were viewed on streaming or over a very long flight to Asia.

Without futher ado, here is my typically brief set of rankings:

9. Beauty and the Beast
The original is beautiful and perfect, and I will hear no criticisms (what Stockholm syndrome?) I have as much affinity for Emma Watson as the next Hermione wanna-be, but this movie didn't need to exist.

8. The Lego Batman Movie
Not as good as The Lego Movie, but still pretty cute.

7. Logan
Not all superhero movies need to be "dark and gritty", but this is about as good of an example of the form as there is.

6. The Last Jedi
This ranking probably suffers from overhyped expectations - I expected it to be almost as good as The Empire Strikes Back, and it wasn't. Also, despite the fact that I know they were engineered to manipulate me into buying toys, I really want a porg.

5. The Post
Seth Meyers did an excellent parody of this genre, complete with payphones, cigarettes, and an imposing figure saying "run it." Even though I knew what was coming due to a combination of genre tropes and the actual history, it's just fun to see Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks play off each other.

4. Wonder Woman
My office paid for a group of us to go see this movie for reasons I have yet to understand. Still, it was a delightful way to spend an afternoon, and dare I say I felt empowered (ugh) as I left the movie.

3. Get Out
As a champion re-reader, I tend to get just as much enjoyment out of entertainment that I've spoiled for myself as I do going in blind. This is one case where I'm actually mad at myself for knowing (SPOILER) Allison Williams's motivations. Still, this movie works so well as a thriller and dissection of race relations in American that I would have enjoyed it immensely no matter what.

2. The Big Sick
I will never stop defending rom-coms, but movies like this make it a lot easier. Charming movie filled with excellent performances, especially Zoe Kazan, who is able to make her presence missed despite spending half the movie in a coma.

1. Lady Bird
This movie hit me. I remember having the same arguments beat-for-beat with my mother and the longing to leave my hometown forever, and yet this movie never resorts to the cliches I've already resorted to in this sentence. I saw it a few weeks ago and can't wait to watch it again.