(L-R) The Changeling (Apple TV+); Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (Apple TV+), The Crown (Netflix).
In this edition of Additional Bite-Sized Reviews, the point of this post is to function as a review compilation, if you will, of some notable 2023 television series that I’ve either caught up with in the last few months or which I never found the time to write about when they were released way back when (i.e. my review notes backlog). For this post, I have specifically highlighted three shows from the past year that didn’t fully work for me, even though I liked a fair bit about them.
Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry in James Wan’s AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM — PHOTO: WARNER BROS. PICTURES (Still image from trailers).
Directed by James Wan — Screenplay by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick.
Once upon a time, the kickstarting of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) felt like such a big deal. Warner Bros. was going to do what Marvel did and actually have a connected cinematic superhero universe and it was going to be this prestige project with the first film, titled Man of Steel, echoing a kind of director-led importance that was supposed to follow in the footsteps of Christopher Nolan’s critically acclaimed Dark Knight trilogy. I think, however, that it is fair to say that it never got off on the right foot. Their Superman-universe opener was met with a mixed critical reception and fans criticized certain choices that they felt were against the core tenets of the beloved iconic character. In the next years, the DCEU was never fully embraced despite certain successes along the way (e.g. Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman) in large part due to several films that missed the mark in one way or another (e.g. David Ayer’s Suicide Squad). Online toxicity, director idolization, and mild-at-best reception followed, and now the universe is being fully rebooted by James Gunn. Before that could happen though, they had to release a couple of ‘lame duck’ films that they already had in the can but which everyone knew mattered not. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is the last one of those, and, unfortunately, the DCEU went out with a whimper.
John David Washington in THE CREATOR — PHOTO: 20TH CENTURY STUDIOS.
Directed by Gareth Edwards — Screenplay by Gareth Edwards and Chris Weitz.
Gareth Edwards’ The Creator was originally released back in late September of 2023, but, in spite of it once being one of my most anticipated films of 2023, I didn’t end up seeing it until January of 2024. In fact, it was the very first film that I saw in 2024. Why did I wait for the VOD release? Well, frankly, the marketing controversy rubbed me the wrong way (one of the trailers used footage from a real-life tragedy as a visual effects plate shot). The film’s director later revealed that the shot wasn’t actually in the film, and, when I eventually sat down to watch the film, I will admit that I actually really liked what I saw. Ultimately, I am firmly in the ‘The Creator is good actually’ club. Frankly, it might be my favorite film that director Gareth Edwards has made thus far, despite the fact that his oeuvre also includes two fairly well-received sci-fi franchise films from universes that I generally enjoy.
(Clockwise L-R) STEVE! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces (APPLE TV+), Der Amerikanische Freund (Filmverlag der Autoren), Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Disney+), Role Play (Prime Video), and Wish (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures).
In this edition of Additional Bite-Sized Reviews, I give you my thoughts on 1) a recent two-part documentary that I enjoyed quite a bit, 2) my first Wim Wenders film, 3) one of the biggest event films of last year, 4) a streaming film that didn’t fully work for me, and, finally, 5) a Disney film that is chock-full of references.
(Clockwise from top left): The Burial (Amazon Prime Video); Merry Little Batman (Amazon Prime Video); Timeless Heroes: Indiana Jones and Harrison Ford (Disney+); Underverden II (Nordisk Film); The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial (Republic Pictures).
For this edition of Additional Bite-Sized Reviews, I have highlighted five films that I saw in the past few months, these include a Danish action-crime sequel, a remake from a filmmaking master, a tribute to a big screen legend, a great animated comic book movie surprise, and, finally, an underseen courtroom drama with some really strong performances from Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones.
(Clockwise from top left): The Pope’s Exorcist (Sony Pictures Releasing); Talk To Me (A24); The Crow (Miramax); Sympathy for the Devil (RLJE Films); Totally Killer (Amazon Prime Video).
In the next couple of editions of Additional Bite-Sized Reviews (including this one), these review compilations will consist of my thoughts on certain films or shows that I saw in the last year that I, for some reason, never published full reviews for. Often, I see a bunch of stuff that I write notes for or about on Letterboxd, and I don’t want to miss the opportunity to post those review thoughts here, as I want to share them with you. For this post, I have specifically highlighted five horror-thrillers, including a modern comic book adaptation classic that I finally saw in the past few months.
Carolina Gaitan and Allan Hawco in QUICKSAND — PHOTO: Shudder / Altitude (Still image from trailers).
Directed by Andres Beltran — Screenplay by Matt Pitts.
I know there is a belief among some that all critics enjoy endlessly spewing hatred toward films that they dislike. I think the truth isn’t that simple. I can say that disliking a film frustrates and/or disappoints me quite a bit. The reason why negative reviews from critics may often sound more hyperbolic, ‘colorful,’ or invested than reviews of, say, mediocre films is because actively disliking something is a powerful emotion, while most films don’t inspire the kind of passion that actively liking or disliking something does. When you dislike something, then you know immediately what bothers you about it, and it’s much easier to get it onto the page than with a frustrating but merely underwhelming flick. So, rest assured that I take no please in saying this, but… I think Andres Beltran’s Quicksand is one of the worst films of 2023.
Directed by Andrew Haigh — Screenplay by Andrew Haigh.
Loosely based on Taichi Yamada’s 1987 novel titled Strangers, Andrew Haigh’s All of Us Strangers follows Adam (played by Andrew Scott), a lonely screenwriter living in a high-rise London apartment building. One night, a drunk neighbor, Harry (played by Paul Mescal), knocks on his door hoping to have a good time with Adam that night. Though Adam refuses, Adam starts getting closer to Harry in the days to come. This is in part because he’s starting to work through some of his issues. Why now all of a sudden? Well, when, one day, Adam takes the train back to his hometown to look at the town he grew up in and around, he is approached by a man (played by Jamie Bell) who turns out to be his father. Adam’s parents died in an accident when he was just a young boy, and yet here is his father — at the exact same age that he was when he passed away. His father invites Adam back to his childhood home where he finds his mother (played by Claire Foy), who is also the same age that she was when she died. Overjoyed to reconnect, Adam and his parents gradually start to open up about things once left unsaid.
(L-R) Emma Stone, Christopher Nolan, and Ryan Gosling at the 96th Academy Awards — IMAGE STILLS: A.M.P.A.S. 2024.
Last night, Jimmy Kimmel hosted the 96th edition of the Academy Awards on a night where awards prognosticators felt most of the big awards were already spoken for beforehand. However, conventional prognosticating wisdom did not always win out, as the presenters read out the winners of the Academy’s 23 categories. The early frontrunner and expected Best Picture winner Oppenheimer did, indeed, become the biggest winner of the night with seven total Oscars including wins that saw shatteringly good work from Robert Downey, Jr. and Cillian Murphy earn them their first ‘Little Golden Men.’ Hollywood’s safest bet and — as I liked to call him last night on social media — the ‘Crown Prince of Cinema,’ Christopher Nolan, had his grand coronation as Steven Spielberg passed the baton, awarded him with the Best Director award, and gave him a big hug. For many, that is what the night will be remembered for — i.e. the triumph of the immensely popular biopic and Christopher Nolan who, as some will undoubtedly perceive it, went toe-to-toe with Barbie and came out of the explosion that was ‘Barbenheimer’ with 7 golden statuettes in tow. Indeed, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is a hugely deserving winner of all of the awards that the cast and crew went home with (including Best Picture, which was announced in a relatively confusing way by film-legend Al Pacino), but that’s not all the 96th edition of the Academy Awards should be remembered for.
Teo Yoo and Greta Lee in PAST LIVES (Screenshot from the trailer) — PHOTO: A24.
On March 1st or 2nd depending on your time zone, the International Film Society Critics Association (IFSCA / @IFSCritics on Twitter), of which I am a voting member, announced their full list of winners for their awards, which, in this case, celebrated the best in film for 2023. The most nominated films of the year were indeed the wonderful behemoth duo of Barbie and Oppenheimer, and, indeed, one of these films won the most awards here. However, there was another critical darling that took the top award. Below you can read the full list of winning films, performers, artists, and filmmakers.
I'm Jeffrey Rex 