MCKillswitch123

March 8

July

Ping - $26.8m 3-day OW / $40m 5-day OW / $103m DOM / $291m WW

51 - $7m OW / $14m DOM / $15m WW

Freedom Day - $12m OW / $27.6m DOM / $37m WW

Second Dimension: Battle for North Kingdom - $82m OW / $219m DOM / $502m WW

The Furby Movie - $34.3m OW / $130.3m DOM / $323m WW

Lifeguards - $14m OW / $42m DOM / $96.5m WW

The Lottery - $16.4m OW / $58.5m DOM / $81m WW

Green Lantern Corps: Evolution - $175m OW / $501m DOM / $1.65b WW

Wii Sports Resort: Vacation on Wuhu Island - $6.5m OW / $16.1m DOM / $26.1m WW

August

Tornado - $31m OW / $103m DOM / $317m WW

Tatiana's Journey - $95m OW / $285m DOM / $803m WW

A Walk in the London Rain - $55m DOM / $82m WW

Six Souls - $13m OW / $32.2m DOM / $58.6m WW

Burnout Revenge - $21m OW / $57.8m DOM / $165m WW

Coyotes Wild - $6m OW / $18m DOM / $30m WW

September

Providence - $33.1m 3-day OW / $40m 4-day OW / $123.7m DOM / $355m WW

Smile - $22.7m 3-day OW / $31.8m 4-day OW / $83m DOM / $178m WW

9/11: Never Forget - $7m OW / $23.8m DOM / $31m WW

Adam & Cindy ft. Cersei, in: Guinea Piggest - $6.7m OW / $14.7m DOM / $20m WW

Fishergirls - $17m OW / $52.7m DOM / $93m WW

Kris' Plan - $22m OW / $63.3m DOM / $83m WW

Sweet Tooth - $14.5m OW / $32.6m DOM / $64m WW

October

Pac-Man - $25m OW / $68.9m DOM / 120m WW

Paranormal lamronaraP - $40.2m DOM / $73m WW

The Boy with the Green Eyes - $20.6m 3-day OW / $27.9m 4-day OW / $62.5m DOM / $89.7m WW

Monster Farm - $26.8m 3-day OW / $34.7m 4-day OW / $96.7m DOM / $225m WW

The Elevator - $19.6m OW / $52.3m DOM / $92.7m WW

Mouse Hunt - $8m OW / $25m DOM / $34m WW

Hilda and the Midnight Giant: Remastered - $8.5m OW / $20.5m DOM / $28.5m WW

Red Flag - $2.5m OW / $6.3m DOM / $7m WW

Life Picture - $13.7m OW / $52.1m DOM / $78.7m WW

November

MBWII: The Second Monster Bug Wars - $40m OW / $102m DOM / $326m WW

The Second Water War - $11.6m OW / $36m DOM / $46,9m WW

Soil - $60m DOM / $85m WW

The Unseen - $7.8m OW / $23.4m DOM / $30.5m WW

3 Hearts 3 Fires - $9.8m OW / $22.7m DOM / $43.5m WW

For Queen and Country - $3.6m OW / $8.1m DOM / $12m WW

Let's Eat Dad - $82m DOM / $215m WW

King of Kings - $36m OW / $92.5m DOM / $298m WW

More Than Just a Residency - $5m OW / $12m DOM / $14m WW

The Quest for Buster's Bones - $28.6m OW / $104.5m DOM / $188m WW

Cloud Cuckoo Land - $48m 3-day OW / $72m 5-day OW / $170.4m DOM / $467m WW

Meme Run - $2m OW / $4.1m DOM / $6m WW

December

My Winter Retreat - $10.5m OW / $25.2m DOM / $38m WW

SSX Tricky - $20.7m OW / $52.8m DOM / $154m WW

Happy Together - $19m OW / $69m DOM / $133m WW

Gateways: The Empire of Zenith - $135m OW / $540m DOM / $1.68b WW

Hidden Blood - $12.1m 3-day OW / $26m 5-day OW / $54m DOM / $89m WW

The Library of Babel - $16.7m 3-day OW / $32.3m 5-day OW / $83.5m DOM / $185m WW

Floodbath: The Play - $7.3m OW / $21.9m DOM / $27m WW

Maniac Magee - $24.5m OW / $137.2m DOM / $282m WW

March 7

DECEMBER

My Winter Retreat

dir. Rob Zombie

Spoiler

I admittedly have pretty much no exposure to Rob Zombie’s films (not even the cult classic 2007 Halloween remake), though I do think he has some banger songs lol. Regarding this Christmas horror collab with O$corp, it’s a big bleh. Just a cliched supernatural slasher with no nuance whatsoever and the stupidest characters of all time (tied with every other modern horror movie of the 2000’s, I guess). I believe that Zombie is known for his exploitation horror comedies, but even if that were the intent here, this has no real comedy to speak of - just plays it straight as Hell. As such, it’s just boring and trodden.

1.5/5

SSX Tricky

dir. Aaron and Adam Nee

Spoiler

I like the PS2-era SSX games a lot, but I don’t remember much about last year’s SSX film from Studio Groundswell and the Nee brothers, apart from thinking at the time that it was a semi-competent, but slight adaptation. This sequel, named after one of my personal favorite games in the series, does about the exact same thing: having a lot of fun snowboard sequences, an ensemble cast playing dumb characters, and little else, making it an extremely forgettable, but at least fun experience for its trashy worth. On a plus side, the whole “end of the world” MacGuffin thing elevated the silliness tenfold, paving for a movie that probably passes just fine if you get completely wasted and wash ashore on the seat of a movie theater. It’s decently entertaining and watchable, mainly for the pretty visuals and badass cinematography, but you won’t get anything substantial out of it.

2.5/5

Happy Together

dir. Adrian Lyne

Spoiler

Just before the end of the year, Endless Entertainment/Infinite Studios decided to grace us all with an Adrian Lyne masterclass, putting a very talented ensemble - headlined by Glen Powell and Tessa Thompson - in a dark erotic thriller about a married couple who refinds the spark after one of them commits murder. And, uh, yeah, this is about what you’d expect lol. It’s stupid, it’s trashy and it’s fun to watch, if for nothing else than to take your partner and get them in heat for a steamy night afterwards… or you can just get stoned or drunk with your friends and get a good laugh instead. It’s not a good movie per se, but it is a fun watch to witness Thompson and Powell’s relationship rekindle with the odd “eroticism” of leaving bloodshed, including a hilarious scene where Powell reveals himself as a foot fetishist. It’s really dumb, make no mistake -.literally, this plot could have resolved itself very early on without half the trouble, if the characters were remotely intelligent - but hey, it succeeds at what it’s trying to accomplish. So, if you’re a fan of the Fatal Attraction-type thriller, here you go lol.

2.5/5

Gateways: The Children of Zenith

dir. Jennifer Yuh Nelson and Adam Muto

Spoiler

The last and arguably biggest blockbuster of Y10, one that I pre-read on top. Endless Animation has always been known for pushing the boundaries of the so-called “mainstream animation” subgenre to its limits, and has produced some fine films in their chopshop of animation. Of course, greats like Can You Imagine? have already been installed in the CAYOM canon, and the studio has acquired as much as three different Best Picture nominations, including last year with Matilda and the Night Children. Gateways, from Pete Docter, was the studio’s biggest and most mediatic hit. Both a love letter to the medium of animation and a story of fatherhood and redemption, the connection between McKenna Grace’s heroic Bailee and Donald Glover’s suave but flawed demigod Levi instantly hooked viewers of the game, going on to gross an astounding $1.5 billion worldwide.

In this sequel, Bailee is still trying to live with her epic feat of saving the multiverse in the previous film, believing that she’s already hit her peak and that she needs to prove herself further, but as the biggest multiversal threat that ever existed arises, she and the remaining Majestic family begin to realize that heroism is much more than just doing… it’s, above all else, about trying. Gateways: The Children of Zenith amps up the scale of the series massively and becomes an absolute epic, with the villainy of Samuel L. Jackson’s Zenith carrying the weight of the conflict. Zenith, a zealous prophet with “magical” powers vowing to conquer the multiverse, has a turf with Levi, claiming that he is a false god and proning for his position as a Watcher. As Zenith becomes more and more incensed that his imperialist campaign has divine meaning and that he has come to save the multiverse, Bailee and family go through the trials and tribulations of stopping Zenith, in an adventure that, like the previous one, bends multiple animation styles and feasts on massive spectacle, but without losing the core essence of the series: the characters, and their inner dynamics. Bailee and Levi’s relationship is still essential to this movie, and as both journey towards the inevitable realizations in their stubborn heroic fight, it is still evident how likable and easy to root for these characters are. Zenith, by means, is every bit as worthy an opponent, with Sam Jackson effortlessly sinister and scary, while still maintaining a suave and darkly charismatic aura to him. Easy contender for Best Voice Performance in a Supporting Role there, for sure.

As mentioned, Children of Zenith focuses on what exactly entails heroism, what can or should you do to save what you love and those you love, and at what point do you start nagging at yourself for doing too much, until you realize that, in the end, the intention matters as much as anything. The story, chock full of big setpieces, is also replete with humor and sincerity, while the animations are still dazzling to see, though not necessarily a surprise or novelty anymore. Really, Gateways 2 is basically the natural evolution of the saga - bigger, more ambitious, far more adult and matured in themes and scale, but still quintessentially what made the first one so great: the characters, while not really looping on any of the past tropes (which has been a criticism of Endless Animation films in recent history). It’s a film that proves that the studio still has so much storytelling, heart and creativity to put out, while repositioning these as the studio’s most iconic characters (next to those from the Imagine saga). Great film.

4/5

Maniac Magee

dir. Robert Zemeckis

Spoiler

As Lager Pictures quickly embraces a place in my heart as one of the best curators of content in the CAYOM game, they went ahead and delivered one more film for the Holidays, with Robert Zemeckis’ Maniac Magee, an adaptation of a coming-of-age novel from 1990, hitting theaters on Christmas weekend. Zemeckis is a very unique director with an iconic filmography, but as his last few years have been mainly focused in pushing boundaries with technology (which has led to films with… uhh, mixed receptions lol), it was certainly unique to see him paired with source material quite like this.

Magee tells the story of a young boy who runs from his house and winds up in the fictional town of Two Mills, Pennsylvania, where he discovers just how segregated the town is, split with bitter racism. A boy who never says no to a challenge, he quickly becomes a myth and a legend… but as he meets new people, he still struggles to find a place in the world that he can truly call his own, and questions whether or not he really is great, or just a scared child and a fraud. The themes of empathy, self-belief and fitting in are at the center of a character that is marvelously played by Winslow Fegley in what is - at least in the game - a star-making performance. Fegley embodies Maniac with both the coolness and braveness, but also the fragility and insecurity that this young character requires, coming with a truly inspirational performance. The remaining ensemble cast is also strong, with particular emphasis on the performances of Lonnie Chavis and Tobin Bell as people whom Maniac changes.

As aforementioned, the film also dabbles with a population heavily torn in racism, segregation and inequality, and thankfully, Zemeckis and co-screenwriter Eric Roth approach these themes tastefully and appropriately, telling a story that manages to inspire and charm with so little effort. Another key aspect of the film worth mentioning is the fact that it utilizes dynamic HFR in some of its key sequences (it is, for a coming-of-age kids film, a $120m budget picture lol) – and I gotta say: I’ve always been a fan of how HFR looks in visually spectacular films, and this is no exception, as Zemeckis makes good use of the technology to reinforce the character of Maniac, while still giving a tech- and spectacle-savvy story for the big screen. Really, this is a fascinating film, all the way down to the fact that it’s incredibly idiosyncratic and zany. It doesn’t do anything substantially new with the coming-of-age genre, in fairness, but I think this is a film that, while not necessarily transpiring the genre, still manages to tell a powerful story, with well crafted characters, strong technical execution and a great cast at its core. It may not resonate well with everyone, but I feel like this film will fall in the canon with grace much faster out of the gate than some of Zemeckis’ past tech-heavy children’s films have.

4/5

March 7

NOVEMBER

The Second Water War

dir. David Bowers

Spoiler

I don’t recall details of The First Water War very well, apart from the hook and my basic reaction (a very forgettable kids filler). But Infinite Studios and David Bowers’ sequel tries to build on its foundation by making it strongly thematically charged and far more epic in scale, which is interesting, I guess. And, truth be told, there is credit to be given to a story skewing this young that has these kinds of themes. It definitely aims to debate segregation and class separation in a somewhat levelheaded way, at least as much as a kids movie about snowball fights would allow; and it isn’t afraid to aim big. Deserves big praise for the ambition. However, while the characters are okay for the kind of movie they are, they feel somewhat stock compared to the bigness of the themes. Not a huge dealbreaker in of itself, but there are also some other narrative choices that are kind of in poor taste, which made for a somewhat off-putting concoction, despite its impressive thematic depth for a kids filler. It’s fine, overall, but I don’t know, I kinda dislike some aspects of it.

2.5/5

The Unseen

dir. Jayro Bustamante

Spoiler

Another faith-based story from Studio Groundswell this year, this time dedicated to the dramatization of a real story set in Guatemala. The Unseen is fairly well intentioned, denouncing the corruption of its examined country’s law system and the easy exploitation of the prison system by capitalists, leaving absolutely no doubt that we’re dealing with cartoonish levels of evil here (assuming this film is loyal to its real life inspiration). It’s easy to root for the protagonists here, and it isn’t overlong. That said, once again, we have a scenario where overincisive faith-based messaging comes across as a bit too hammered down for the story to feel digestible as a whole. This is probably an issue for me personally due to my lack of religious inclination, and I’d still say that I, open-minded as I am, appreciate the film trying to say that a person’s faith will never judge them for having moments where they doubt said faith, which is a pleasant message for those who do follow faith. But, even if you accept that for what it is, then the movie does a 180 on you and abruptly ends at what feels like two thirds of the way in, crippling whatever goodwill it might have by simply being unfinished/rushed. Sure, the real story is still unfolding, but the choice to tell it in its current format is baffling all the same. Feels like one of CAYOM’s closest equivalents to that Devil Inside fiasco tbh. It’s not a completely terrible film, and still superior to plenty of other faith-based ventures out there. But even me not being its target audience aside, the poor structuring harms it plentifully, and when you do add the heavy-handed Christian stuff in it, it's a pretty massive turn-off altogether.

1.5/5

For Queen and Country

dir. Louis Theroux

Spoiler

The other Horizon Entertainment doc of the year, this one at least offers a little more than Red Flag, on the notion that its single line of plot summary actually hints at greater themes, promising to dive into Queen Elizabeth’s reign and the imperialism + colonialism it subsequently followed. As is, it’s slightly more interesting than the NASCAR doc, but make no mistake: this is still a movie that would work much better if it were given literally anything more.

2/5

Let's Eat Dad

dir. Taika Waititi

Spoiler

If you thought Thanksgiving couldn’t possibly surprise you, Endless Entertainment’s Infinite Studios branch has teamed up with Taika Waititi, acclaimed director of What We Do in the Shadows and Jojo Rabbit (and failed auteur of Next Goal Wins and Thor: Love and Thunder - he would want you to know that himself!), for a unique dark dramedy, centered on a Brazilian chef who’s reunited with his dying, aging father, who then reveals that, by custom of his culture, he wants his son to cook him.

Let’s Eat Dad holds onto Waititi’s trademark trade-off between zany comedy, and the heart and soul of finding good in a harrowing circumstance, while subverting conventions and expectations. The premise of this film, out-there and creative enough as it is, and the initial expectation that it will be about traditionalism, gentrification and reuniting with your past and your culture, is actually, surprisingly, only a ruse for the true nature of this story, which is mainly about family trauma, resentment and insecurity, by asking the question: is it worth committing to someone who mistreated us if there’s any possibility of change… or does that person ever change in the first place? Wagner Moura and Dedé Santana deliver very solid performances at the core of this story, while the screenplay is obviously as zany and inspired as you’d expect it to be.

The only real downside, besides a few characterizations that are left a little underdeveloped, to this film is probably the whole villainy subplot involving Chris Pine’s character. To be fair, Pine delivers a really fun, hammy performance as a bitter chef who cannot stand Moura’s character’s success. But I do think that the movie lost some of its more grounded mechanisms and emotions by taking more of a thriller route near the end, escalating the characters to a somewhat goofy degree that tonally clashed with the remainder of the film. I understand that this is Waititi’s way, for sure; but I wish that the film kept itself on solid ground all the way through. Still, I quite enjoyed Let’s Eat Dad, and I hope Endless/Infinite keep challenging themselves this way.

3.5/5

King of Kings

dir. Matt Shakman

Spoiler

It’s been a long time since we’ve had, both in CAYOM and in the game, a massive, big budget Biblical or Ancient History epic. (Something like Ridley Scott’s Napoleon, which is not really Ancient History, does not fully count lol. And I definitely don’t count the Angel Studios, Chosen-types either.) Matt Shakman, who’s directed all of WandaVision irl and also some of the Mass Effect and The Scavenger Wars films in the game, surely took some inspiration from Scott when making this surprisingly sorta tame, PG-13 Biblical epic, but some of the liberties taken with the old tale of the line of David are among the best aspects of King of Kings, allowing for a liberal, not fully constrained take on its source material. As are, of course, the absolutely mesmerizing battle sequences and epic production values that grant that you’re at least getting your money’s worth in the theater, as far as big scale filmmaking goes.

However, this is still a Bible adaptation, and it really does not shy away from that. The extremely blatant messaging of not betraying God is certainly there to be seen, and it goes about as well as you’d expect it to, depending on which side you’re on (whether if you’re religious, or even what kind of faith you believe in). As such, the whole point of King of Kings is not really for me and the most enjoyable aspect of it is to basically just shut your brain down and enjoy it as a film spectacle. Even then, though, the choice of an all-white cast to play Middle Eastern Jewish people made a bad impression right out of the gate; and if you still choose to disregard that and just take it, the film relies heavily on Michael Douglas’ performance and the chemistry between Elordi and Blyth to hold onto anything, alongside the big battles.

In the end, King of Kings is a really mixed bag. It’s an interesting, fascinating epic that harkens back to the times where films like this were made, and has some unique elements even within its genre that make it stand out. But the on-the-nose Christian themes and the poorly chosen cast draw a large shadow over it for this Atheist.

2/5

More Than Just a Residency

dir. Sam Wrench

Spoiler

I guess this concert film is marginally more interesting than the usual for the game, if only because those behind-the-scenes add a little bit more than what the other CAYOM concert flicks offer? That would be it, I presume; otherwise, it’s a routine concert flick. But, even at 55, Kylie Minogue baaaad (wink wink).

2.5/5

March 6

Burnout Revenge

Best Film Editing

Best Sound Mixing

Best Sound Editing

Cloud Cuckoo Land

Best Picture

Best Director (Ridley Scott)
Best Ensemble

Best Adapted Screenplay

Best Original Score (Harry Gregson-Williams)

Best Cinematography

Best Film Editing

Best Production Design

Best Costume Design

Best Makeup & Hairstyling

Best Sound Mixing

Best Sound Editing

Best Visual Effects

Best Use of Action

The Elevator

Best Actor (Sterling K. Brown)

Best Cinematography

Best Film Editing

The Enormous Radio

Best Picture

Best Director (Christina Choe)

Best Actor (Ben Foster)
Best Actress (Scarlett Johansson)

Best Adapted Screenplay

Best Cinematography

Best Film Editing

Best Production Design

Best Costume Design

Best Makeup & Hairstyling

Freedom Day

Best Cinematography

Best Film Editing

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Best Film Editing

Best Production Design

Best Costume Design

Best Makeup & Hairstyling

Best Sound Mixing

Best Sound Editing

Best Visual Effects

Best Use of Action

Gran Turismo 2

Best Sound Mixing

Best Sound Editing

Kris' Plan

Best Actor (Jalyn Webb)

Best Supporting Actor (Brian Michael Smith)

Best Supporting Actress (Danielle Deadwyler)

Best Production Design

Best Visual Effects

The Legend of Hollis Brown

Best Picture

Best Director (Clint Eastwood)

Best Actor (Clint Eastwood)

Best Supporting Actress (Angela Bassett)

Best Original Screenplay

Best Cinematography

Best Film Editing

The Library of Babel

Best Actor (Dev Patel)
Best Adapted Screenplay

Best Cinematography

Best Film Editing

Best Production Design

Best Costume Design

Best Visual Effects

Life Picture

Best Picture

Best Actress (Jennifer Lawrence)
Best Supporting Actor (Ke Huy Quan)

Best Original Screenplay

Best Film Editing

The Lottery

Best Picture

Best Director (Sarah Polley)

Best Ensemble

Best Actress (Michaela Coel)
Best Supporting Actor (Bryan Cranston)
Best Supporting Actor (Daveed Diggs)

Best Adapted Screenplay

Best Original Score (Hildur Guðnadóttir)

Best Cinematography

Best Film Editing

Best Production Design

Best Makeup & Hairstyling

MBWII: The Second Monster Bug Wars

Best Voice Actor/Actress in a Supporting Role (Idris Elba)
Best Voice Actor/Actress in a Supporting Role (Wagner Moura)

Best Film Editing

Best Production Design

Best Costume Design

Best Sound Mixing

Best Sound Editing

Best Visual Effects

Best Use of Action

Money Heist

Best Ensemble

Best Film Editing

Best Costume Design

Old Men Walking

Best Original Screenplay

The Quest for Buster's Bones

Best Animated Feature

Best Voice Actor/Actress in a Leading Role (Ving Rhames)
Best Voice Actor/Actress in a Supporting Role (Andy Richter)

Soil

Best Picture

Best Director (Charlotte Wells)
Best Actress (Sabrina Bartlett)
Best Supporting Actor (Riz Ahmed)
Best Supporting Actor (Archie Yates)

Best Adapted Screenplay

Best Cinematography

Best Film Editing

Sony vs. Nintendo

Best Documentary Feature

Tatiana's Journey

Best Picture

Best Animated Feature

Best Director (Mike Owens and Shadi Petosky)

Best Ensemble

Best Actress (Olivia Cooke)
Best Actress (Naomi Scott)

Best Supporting Actor (Finn Wolfhard)

Best Voice Actor/Actress in a Supporting Role (Leslie Jones)

Best Adapted Screenplay

Best Original Score (Mark Mothersbaugh)
Best Original Song ("Unity" by FM-84 ft. Hailee Steinfeld) (inspiration)

Best Cinematography

Best Film Editing

Best Costume Design

Best Makeup & Hairstyling

Best Sound Mixing

Best Sound Editing

Best Visual Effects

Best Use of Action

A Walk in the London Rain

Best Picture

Best Director (Emma Seligman)

Best Actress (Rachel Sennott)

Best Supporting Actress (Jodie Turner-Smith)

Best Original Screenplay

Best Cinematography

Best Film Editing

Best Sound Mixing

March 6

Full Top 25:

Spoiler

Penpal
Gateways: The Children of Zenith
The Lottery
Maniac Magee
Soil
Berserk: The Golden Age
Tatiana's Journey
Tailypo
Green Lantern Corps: Evolution
A Walk in the London Rain
Let's Eat Dad
Life Picture
The Enormous Radio
The Valkyries vs. the Galaxy
Fishergirls
The Set-Up
The Legend of Hollis Brown
Providence
Time After Time
The Siege of Savage
Operation Finality
The Boy with the Green Eyes
Second Dimension: Battle for North Kingdom
Sony vs. Nintendo
Mouse Hunt

HM's:

9/11: Never Forget
Speed Demon
Room 131
Cloud Cuckoo Land
Father vs. Son

Tomorrow, November and December.

March 6

#5

Spoiler

Soil

This one is subtle... very, very subtle. Maybe a bit *too* subtle. But I think that the short story by Arianna Reiche deserved that kind of hard understatedness and quietness to resonate. This was a risky story to adapt, because the story, thematically, approaches its main subjects from an outsider perspective - the lead character helps people, rather than being someone going through it, which makes for a story that is perhaps not close enough to its subject matter. However, that's precisely what this film, which very much expands massively on the short story, is about: it's about knowing that, whatever that person may be going through, you cannot know for sure, but you are always welcome to tell that person they have your support.

Slight spoilers for Soil:

Spoiler

I fully believe in the right to abortion and I fully believe in women's autonomy to decide what they do with their body, and this film is ultimately meant to be a warm hug to remind everyone that, no matter what you have gone through, or if you're just someone looking from the outside, you can always help or be helped.

#4

Spoiler

Maniac Magee

I'm sure Lager Pictures did not expect this to rank so high, but here we are lol. I'll be a little more specific in my December write-ups, but I think this was just a joyful film that really inhabited the soul of its source material (which I've never read, but I can just tell from this adaptation is all sorts of wacky, different and extremely full of personality). Winslow Begley deserves an Oscar nom, Zemeckis' use of HFR works strongly, and the anti-racist, sense of belonging themes do great for a Christmas-released coming-of-age story. Just a wonderful, supremely charming little movie.

#3

Spoiler

The Lottery

This is probably my favorite movie that I've written to date. I don't think it *fuuuuully* captures the dystopia and pure spine-tingling chills of Shirley Jackson's original story, but man, this is a movie that I think causes discourse and makes one think about traditionalism, scapegoatism and the haunting idea that you can be desensitized to human atrocities in the name of "it's what everyone does". Basically, the kind of themes that Jonathan Glazer's The Zone of Interest just explored, but on a different kind of setting and scale. I believe some will disagree, but I feel strong putting this as my personal best film in the game to date.

---

#2

Spoiler

Gateways: The Children of Zenith

A huge monster of a film that dives head first into themes of religious fanaticism, personal peaking and the thought that no matter how much you tinker, it gets worse, being countered by the universal feeling that the real good is in just trying to do better. It's perhaps not as immediately fresh as the first Gateways was, but it goes for something drastically different anyway (even if the quirky humor is still there), and as a more adult, bigger and more confident beast of a film, I think - bias of having pre-read it aside - it's Endless Animation's best film in a large, large amount of years.

---

#1

Spoiler

Penpal

Reflecting on the year as a whole, no other film has made me feel these many chills down my spine, and this much brooding rumination in my brain. A nightmarish adaptation of a creepypasta-turned-novel with a lot of made-up context that shapes this one into a story about memory and the price to pay for seeking memory, remind us that some secrets probably should just stay buried, but in the end, no matter what happens, we can still choose to be defined by the memories that we cherish. And while I'm not entirely positive that the multiple timeline structure will be for everyone, the story is pretty universal, with a powerful ensemble cast (great showing from Kate Siegel) and strong direction from David Robert Mitchell. Penpal - my #1 film of the year.

March 6

#10

Spoiler

A Walk in the London Rain

Writing stories about realities I'm not a part of - like in the case of the LGBT community - is difficult, but I feel like the best way to approach this is to tell the kind of stories you believe (keyword: you believe, not know for sure lol) they would want to tell. This is a film about, well, accepting that maybe you're not beloved for what you are and want to be by everyone, but someone out there will love you for sure; while also throwing a bone at the role of capitalism in modern day oppression. Also, VIBES. C'mon, Piccadilly Circus in a rainy January morning is pure vibes. There's a bit of an experimental aura to this one that makes me think Emma Seligman may have not been the best choice for it, but given the way Shiva Baby played, I'm okay with it.

#9

Spoiler

Green Lantern Corps: Evolution

It's the best of its trilogy, close enough between it and Home. Even though I wish that the film's intimate moments worked better for me (I think this was a combination of its screenplay and scale being too expository and dense) and that, as I already hinted, it were better written, I do still think that the characters, themes, visuals and performances are all still on point, with Hal-John-Sinestro-Parallax being a great quartet of main characters. DC has told some awesome stories in the past, and I feel like this Endless Corps saga is one that really encapsulates the heart and soul that their comics about people with Godly powers, but Godly powers - in this case - that literally embody human emotions, are capable of reaching.

#8

Spoiler

Tailypo

This one just stunned me, right out of the gate. A harrowing folk horror film about the wrong choices that you've made in your past, this is expertly crafted, directed and paced and is valiantly carried forth by a supreme double performance from Andy Serkis. Who says January is incapable of great films?

#7

Spoiler

Tatiana's Journey

I'll be honest: Mighty Fall was a mighty mess lol. I'm still happy that I put it out onto the world and I'm glad that its characters resonated with people, but as I look back at it, it was just poorly made. Reflective of what my state as a storyteller was, back then. Happy to report that I've (hopefully) managed to streamline all of the different concepts and ideas into a package that's way better structured and far more cohesive. It approaches the world of the previous film with a much lighter mood - for all intents and purposes, it's a comedy - while still being faithful to its characters and world. And at heart, it's an anti-fascist story that also reflects on the fear of losing those you love the most, and facing that fear when you realize that it's the right thing to do. I worked hard to get Olivia Cooke a Best Actress nom!

#6

Spoiler

Berserk: The Golden Age

Yeah, I'm crushed this isn't in the top 5 lol. But I'll be frank: it's not in the top 5 by a minimal margin. It's a massive undertaking of a film - relentlessly brutal, both in action, visuals and themes - but one that reflects on having a place in the world, overcoming brutal trauma and becoming a survivor and a fighter. It's an excellent fantasy epic that I'm sure easily ranks as a top tier manga/anime adaptation, and I'm rooting for many of its ensemble cast members to get Voice Acting noms at the Oscars. Just kinda feel like it was a bit too long, and ultimately, the loose threads left untied in the end kinda made me a little weary of its ending. But, hopefully, Part 2 brings this Golden Age arc together as brilliantly as this first film did.

March 6

There was a fuck-up, meaning that the real #20 was belatedly added to the previous post and everything before is actually #19-15. Sorry lol.

Anyway...

#14

Spoiler

The Valkyries vs. the Galaxy

While it sorta skimps on its central characters, the overall story and the themes of exploitation in the music industry are really strong, as are its colorful ensemble of characters (great showings from RuPaul, Seth MacFarlane and Olivia Rodrigo), its upbeat soundtrack and epic visual effects. It's a really fun package, full of personality and charm.

#13

Spoiler

The Enormous Radio

Honestly, the praise this has gotten (from just one person so far lol, but still) was somewhat unexpected lol, but in hindsight, yeah, I'm happy with it. It's more than just a romance story paying tribute to 1940's melodramas: it's a story about the corruptive secrets in relationships, and the idea that all of us hide something, no matter how much we've fooled ourselves into thinking we're better than our noisy neighbors. Hope for an Oscar campaign for ScarJo and Foster.

#12

Spoiler

Life Picture

I was worried whether or not this came out somewhat muddled in its message, but I revisited it soon and I was pretty satisfied with it still. A story about grief, overcoming grief and acceptance of overcoming grief, with two neat performances (not biased at all lolol) from JLaw and Ke Huy Quan.

#11

Spoiler

Let's Eat Dad

It brings the same type of rebellious attitude and dark comedy to its out-there premise as something like a Jojo Rabbit or a What We Do in the Shadows, but slowly morphs into something else entirely in a surprising, but not disappointing way. A sobering dramedy about the pains of childhood trauma, change of character, the dark side of being uprooted in traditionalism and coming terms with the way you were uprooted. Two strong performances from Wagner Moura and Dedé Santana carry the ship tenfold as well.

March 6

#20

Spoiler

The Siege of Savage

It does the usual superhero team-up stuff that you've seen before in Avengers, Justice League and all of that, but the interactions between its huge ensemble are very entertaining, and it still manages to sneak in a few types of setpieces that are new enough to its genre. It's a breezy, light watch that entertains throughout and does everything you'd want it to.

#19

Spoiler

Time After Time

Apart from the goofy-ass McDonald's and Sprite product placement, this is a fun, rollicking adventure with solid social commentary on how backwards we still are in the 21st Century, and steady performances from its small cast. A nice watch at the movies, all things considered.

#18

Spoiler

Providence

Kinda wish that it weren't afraid to go all out with its themes; instead, it cast them aside for a more simplistic action thriller in the latter third. However, it still boasts some good writing, amazing direction/cinematography/production values and strong themes about being mediatic in war, and the conflict of manual experience vs. technology. Solid watch, though it had potential to go way higher.

#17

Spoiler

The Legend of Hollis Brown

Happy with this one. A sturdy character study about a man who believed himself cast aside by destiny, until he realizes, through the help of a romantic interest, that he can choose his own destiny.

#16

Spoiler

The Set-Up

A very smart approach to the teen rom-com genre, by subverting conventions and commenting on how, perhaps, there might be something else a teenager would prefer to love in high school, and that some relationships maybe just aren't meant to be, but that's okay. A warm hug of a film that came out of nowhere.

#15

Spoiler

Fishergirls

Shame about the rushed ending, because this is an otherwise thoughtful, ruminative work of sci-fi animation, with clear messaging about sexist oppression and the need to break through societal norms and gender roles. Beautiful animation, good characters and a story that keeps you on your toes with its mystery tones.

March 6

#25-21

#25

Spoiler

Mouse Hunt

Yeah, it's conventional, for all intents and purposes, but it approaches the themes of art that never was with the appropriate dissatisfaction and is just about entertaining and thorough enough to be satisfying. A solid, well made (if in need of a grammar edit or two) doc.

#24

Spoiler

Sony vs. Nintendo

(The video above is a shot Sony took at Microsoft, not Nintendo, btw lol.) Just like Mouse Hunt, this is *intended* to be a conventional, but well constructed and enjoyable doc, with themes of overcoming the odds and proving you can fight any fight... although, I will recognize that a billionaire company being an underdog hero is kinda strange, but the movie does address that too lmao.

#23

Spoiler

Second Dimension: Battle for North Kingdom

While it's still a Part 2 and feels episodic and not really huge on stakes, it's more entertaining, much better written than Last Hope and still visually sprawling, on top of having a solid ensemble of characters carrying it. Hopefully, Part 3 concludes this saga in a worthy way.

#22

Spoiler

The Boy with the Green Eyes

It's a big podge-modge of different elements - LGBTQ+ romance, childhood abuse and trauma, fantasy, musical, and so on - but tbh, it comes together shockingly uniformly. It has solid performances at its core, some fun musical pieces and a gripping story. Still too wild and wacky for my tastes, but definitely the Poison and Wine franchise's highest point yet.

#21

Spoiler

Operation Finality

A solid, well-made, thoroughly enjoyable, if somewhat unsurprising sci-fi action-adventure, with a great lead performance from Michael B. Jordan and an entertaining supporting cast. Gets the job done to a tee and is confident at it.

March 6

And now, for the mentions that are actually honorable... to a degree, at least.

Consider this #30-26.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Spoiler

Father vs. Son

I admit I was sort of harsh with it in my original review, and I maintain that it is a pretty cliched revenge-action-thriller driven primarily by the performances of Denzel (mostly Denzel) and John David. But at least, it has a fun little premise and it does boast some good action sequences, on top of its lead performances. It's not rocket-science, but it does just about enough to not be a waste of time.

Spoiler

Cloud Cuckoo Land

This might be a surprise to some people, but I personally do not feel very confident on the prospects of this movie lol. I hope to be surprised, but I feel like the structure here is very flawed. But we'll see.

Spoiler

Room 131

Tbh this is one of the movies I'm most split on this year, and part of me is kinda sad that I can't really bring myself to put it on the list, on the basis that, yeah, it goes waaaay too over-the-top with its latter half/final third nonsense. However, it still tells a fascinating story about homophobic abuse and childhood trauma, and I can't help but respect it as an outlet for Hiccup to release his pain to the world. It doesn't fully work, but at the very least, it's a unique experience.

Spoiler

Speed Demon

I will grant its critics that, sure, it is a very derivative edgy superhero story that lacks any kind of subversiveness, and it's really tropey. But I will also say that it entertained me from A to Z, and that I do still enjoy these R-rated violent superhero stories. It's popcorn fluff and it succeeds at being popcorn fluff. And I know I criticized Father vs. Son for being derivative and yet rank this higher, but to be honest, Father vs. Son bored me more lol.

Spoiler

9/11: Never Forget

One of three documentaries I pre-selected wasn't gonna make the list, and I think this is the one that had to be cut, on the notion of being the slightest. But it's still a touching film with a unique artistic vision to portray a history-changing tragedy unlike before, and I'm happy to at least recognize it as such.

March 6

But before we get on with the Top 25, we need to give a special shout out to, well, the *less* good of the year.

TOP 5 WORST FILMS OF Y10

#5

Spoiler

Wii Sports Resort: Vacation on Wuhu Island

A simple premise goes about as well as a Summer vacation devastated by a tropical storm. Has that trademark awkwardness and silly straightness that other weird Studio Groundswell films have, and just did not work whatsoever lol.

#4

Spoiler

Toppings: A Pizza Romance

Yeah, just C&P what I said about Wii Sports Resort into here lol. At times, it does kinda feel like a parody of the rom-com genre, but that's the issue: I'm not really sure whether or not it wanted to be a parody or not. Just about the most bizarre film of the year.

#3

Spoiler

The Unseen

Kind of a promising concept, and has just about enough sympathy and anger against capitalism and corruption to solicit minimal emotional attachment, but it's way too on-the-nose with its Christian preachiness and then it's straight up unfinished. That ending is taken right out of a Devil Inside sequel.

#2

Spoiler

Red Flag

Feel bad for putting this down here, since I guess its existence is better than not, but this really was just a one-liner that does not develop anything on its story.

#1

Spoiler

51

Yeah, this was not a very good idea. I will still give it credit for inspiring discourse on abuse in religion and senseless violence, but as a film, it's constructed in an exploitative, gratuitous way that was not the right path to take whatsoever.

March 6

TODAY...

MCKILL'S TOP 25

March 5

OCTOBER

Pac-Man

dir. Gil Kenan

Spoiler

Studio Groundswell doing a live-action Pac-Man movie sounds surely like something that would be, at the very least, strangely interesting, right? Well, eh. While it is fun to look at, it is too shallow as a film to stand out in pretty much any way. Sort of like what happened with Animal Crossing, Klonoa and Wii Sports Resort (among others), this is basically a very literal adaptation of the Pac-Man games… and with that, I sorta mean it in the "a bit *overly* literal sense". It feels like a bizarre offset of something like the 2020 Sonic the Hedgehog, or Pokémon: Detective Pikachu: just like those, it’s trying similar kind of storytelling - a fan-pleasing human-meets-otherworldly-video-game-character fantasy adventure comedy, but Sonic and Pikachu, despite their evident flaws, are proper films with characters and story; whereas Pac-Man… has characters, per say, but apart from Davidson's very minuscule and honestly muddled personal journey, there's pretty much the barest minimum of storytelling here, as the film is very much devoted to replicating the visuals and mechanics of the games in live-action instead.

The lack of anything to hold onto, besides the nostalgia of looking at the popular arcade titles remade, makes it boring pretty quickly. Sure, Davidson’s character is mildly relatable, while the visual concept is quite fun and wacky, but both are insufficient to make the film as a whole stand out from the pack. There’s also some problematic secondary elements - gotta appreciate how the ultimate conclusion of the film literally takes the most interesting aspect of the iconic Ms. Pac-Man game and turns it into the exact opposite, in a way that completely flips the key element that made the game so memorable in the first place. Or the criminal act of hiring an Oscar nominee for a couple throwaway lines and still billing her as part of the main cast. So yeah, I see what they were going for here, but this was not really for me.

2/5

Paranormal lamronaraP

dir. Daniel Stemm

Spoiler

Getting the director of a bunch of religious horror films, including last year’s infamous Prey for the Devil, is not really an immediately good indicator of what experience you’re getting, but this O$corp Pictures entry for spooky season, even though just about a really cliched supernatural haunting story, is at least well made and fun from an audiovisual spectacle perspective. With its concept to kinda make a horror-comedy out of the house exorcism process, it sorta mixes Paranormal Activity and active campiness within the structure of a modern exorcism film, and while the story isn’t worth caring for per se, it’s at least a very entertaining watch to chug down popcorn and soda on a movie theater (or at home) during Halloween. And bonus points for not really hammering faith-based messaging down my throat, which is very refreshing in these movies lol. So credit to everyone involved for at least making this fun, if anything. It’s still not good overall (as I said, it’s tropey, been-there-done-that and kinda dumb), but as a horror film, it’s, at least, well directed and entertainingly campy. Not a waste of time!

2.5/5

The Boy with the Green Eyes

dir. Zach Creggers

Spoiler

The Poison and Wine Cinematic Universe continues with yet another erotic, brutal and wild entry, as Barbarian filmmaker Zach Creggers teams with O$corp for this fittingly twisty musical dramedy, starring Elliot Fletcher as a rival of the series’ infamous Tyler and Hunter couple, who meets a mysterious, handsome fellow that guards a set of secrets. Unsurprisingly at this point, The Boy with the Green Eyes is wacky and crazy, but thankfully, this film manages to keep a far more cohesive line of thought altogether and tells a pretty solid story, with the habitual themes of romance, abuse and trauma... while packaged as a zany musical with fantasy elements attached as well lol. Yeah, don’t try to decipher what the Poison series will do at this point - but what I will say is that, in spite of the amount of different things it throws in the blender, this film comes together surprisingly well, much more so than Room 131 from earlier this year. The musical pieces are mostly good, fun and energetic, while the cast all does a solid job, with Fletcher and James Patrick Daly having good chemistry as the lead characters in a story that forces them to confront how far they’d go to become greater, or to simply survive. Of course, this wouldn’t be a film in its series without the dial being turned up to a full hundred at some point, but I will say that it’s not as jarring in this one as it has been in others. The combination of story, characters, music and worldbuilding makes for a very unique film - like all others in the franchise - and one that, though pretty harrowing and difficult to watch at points (there is one particular sequence that is absolutely unflinching), is honestly quite interesting in its own right. It’s not a fantastic film, but it’s probably my favorite, out of the ones I’ve seen, of the series. (Not that it’s an enormous accomplishment, to be fair, but I dug this one.)

3/5

Monster Farm

dir. Henry Midas

Spoiler

I guess The Turkey Squad wasn’t gonna be the last big sci-fi turkey-centric story of the game lol.

The final Fossil Record/The Workshop release of this year, which does at least mix an unknown cast with that of seasoned voice actors, Monster Farm adapts an eponymous cartoon into a very much children’s-oriented animated comedy feature as well. There are gonna be a lot of obvious parallels between the likes of Hotel Transylvania, the animated Addams Family and this, as this also leans pretty young with its dumb, childish humor and slapstick shenanigans. I will say this: at least, it offers a story that tries to actually do something different occasionally, by diverging into capitalistic exploitation and the darker elements of the town its action occurs in. It is charming and it has a nice message about accepting the unusual that I’m sure kids will appreciate. That said, I zoned out when it devolved into a big action third act with giant robot turkeys and farts. You may like it more than I do, and I’m positive it will make money at the box office (at least during October), but I’m not walking away amazed.

2.5/5

Mouse Hunt

dir. John-Paul Davidson

Spoiler

From Endless/Infinite and the same director as The War Between Ants from a few years ago, comes a new documentary centered around the harrowing in-and-outs of the giants in the animation industry - namely, Disney and the tumultuous times the company lived during the 2000’s. Mouse Hunt approaches this story with empathy and melancholy, showcasing the history of Disney’s multiple failed projects, shut down studios and ideas that were never to see the light of day, and reinforcing its hopes that the big powers to be do not give up on original animation, even if recent Disney failures (such as Wish from this past November) would demotivate them to do so. It's an informative, thoroughly enjoyable documentary with an acceptable amount of righteousness, optimism and disappointment in what never was. However, I do have to admit that, while the storytelling here is efficient, I guess it's the kind of documentary that is informative, but never a transcendental experience in any way; similar to my Sony vs. Nintendo doc from this year, really lol. Also, worth lamenting as well the many typos in writing which at times made this hard to follow. Otherwise, this is a very solid, entertaining and informative doc.

3/5

Red Flag

dir. Jason Hehir

Spoiler

Horizon Entertainment has returned to the game to put out a duo of documentaries that I frankly wish were much more fleshed out than they are. In the case of Jason Hehir’s Red Flag, the story, which dives into the fall of NASCAR in modern years, does have potential to be something interesting. But because it’s pretty unremarkably structured (off-character: just one line with no real story), there’s little to find here, other than the implication that, well, NASCAR has seen a downfall, which, even though I have a vague idea as to why, would have no further explanation and feel like total gibberish for anyone who’s never had any interest in sports altogether. Kinda wish the filmmakers actually did something here, but I guess that, at least, its existence is better than nothing.

1.5/5

March 5

SEPTEMBER

Providence

dir. James Wan

Spoiler

James Wan makes his long-awaited return to the CAYOM big screen with this adaptation of a 2020 sci-fi novel for Studio Groundswell. The prospect of a big novel adaptation blockbuster is usually exciting, as that’s normally a source of good fictional work and Groundswell themselves have been fine selectors of material to adapt (namely, that two-punch of Everything I Never Told You and The World That We Knew a few years ago).

But strangely, I feel somewhat… mixed on this one? Don’t get me wrong: this is a fine film, overall. Wan makes good use of the $100m budget and creates a visually stunning experience with the right amount of thrills, and a story that touches on the tensions of mediatism in war and technology vs. manual experience, with Paul Mescal’s central character going through a neat little arc of believing himself to be a perfect engineer, only to realize that he wasn’t doing as much as he suspected. It’s a finely directed, enthralling time at the movies, for sure. But I can’t help but feel like a lot of potential was sidelined here in favor of a pulpier experience. Providence comes across as a film that somewhat aspires to be meditative, with its understated performances (make exception for Charles Melton’s hammy Anders) and calculated direction; but it’s still written like a basic sci-fi thriller with underdeveloped morality spectrums, uninspiring characters (Mescal’s Gilly certainly has some potential, and I really like the arc he goes through, but his portrayal is kinda awkward; and everyone else is just the perfect version of the archetypes they’re supposed to be) and a pretty bare-bones story that winds up abandoning the vast majority of its initial sense of themes for an action-oriented final stretch. And while it’s still an entertaining, well-made film, I just kinda wish that it did more with its potential than what it concluded as. Still, it’s worth the watch, but it isn’t a big home-run.

3/5

Smile

dir. Kirsten Lester

Spoiler

In the aftermath of Zimmer Pictures’ previous animated film, Lions and Dragons, being a dud, the hope was on Smile to redeem the studio’s launch year. As such, this memoir adaptation comes out… and, strangely, it’s pretty much the anti-Lions and Dragons in regards to its issues. While the former is acceptably structured but painfully generic and derivative in every other way, this film has pretty much no real semblance of traditional construction and only the lightest amount of conflict, instead focusing on a series of loosely structured vignettes that flash through many middle-to-high school years of the lead character’s life in the aftermath of an injury-causing accident. While there is praise to be given to an animated film that places the spotlight on a “naturalistic” story about a pre-teen with realistic coming-of-age problems, some of which I related to myself, I just found the film hard to really connect with. The characters are completely interchangeable and paper-thin, apart from the lead; it doesn’t really have momentum or vibes to ride off of; and most of its vignettes contain only the loosest kind of character arcs, without much of anything going underneath the surface that would bring this whole thing together as a cohesive film. Maybe it’ll be for others, but I found it too conflictless and boneless to really enjoy.

2/5

9/11: Never Forget

dir. Keith Maitland

Spoiler

The newest Studio Groundswell documentary wants to present itself as a museum piece and beacon of hope and patriotism for anyone who was there, and anyone who has come since the fatal events of September 11, 2001. It both shows first-hand accounts of survivors, which, while similar to what has been shown many times before in films, documentaries or news reports, is still a touching enough way to tell the stories of that horrible day; and it also does try something new as well: the usage of rotoscoping animation sort of makes for an interesting visual experiment, managing to feel something akin to going through a nightmarish flipbook of collective trauma. And while its choice to forego political commentary might be risky, it ultimately takes a position in of itself that this is a supportive and universally comforting film for anyone, regardless of political stance, that's still dealing with the impact of 9/11 even more than two decades later, which is a very positive way to go about things. I guess it doesn’t really offer anything substantially new in terms of breaking information on the attacks, but this isn’t trying to be an investigative doc - more so a memorial to its victims, and as such, it succeeds. Good movie.

3/5

Fishergirls

dir. Chris Wayan

Spoiler

Ignoring the already foretold issue of the utilization of fictional voice actors, as well as the fact that the author only reveals the film’s animation style at the very end of the writeup (I’m going to ignore this as I caught this detail before engaging with the actual film, but the warning goes out all the same), this Fossil Record R-rated animation tells a very topical story in its otherworldly fantasy setting, in what is probably the studio’s best effort to date by a healthy margin (coming from a fan of some of their prior works, like Funny Business and Raven Island - but this is probably their first film that truly transpires the quality of their prior works). Fishergirls isn’t particularly subtle with its themes, though that’s not a big issue in of itself; its biggest defect is perhaps how suddenly and anticlimactically it ends, even if it does leave an appropriately bittersweet aftertaste. But in spite of its problems, this is a film that wears its feminist, pro-progression, anti-traditionalism themes loud and proud, and meshes them with the melancholy and tragedy of a gorgeous, unique artstyle to create an atmospheric and thorough experience. Alongside a likable main set of characters and a gripping story, this is both a smart and artistically sound film that’s only brought down by its meh structuring. Still worthy of solid praise nonetheless, but should there ever be more, hopefully it’ll fix the few issues of the first.

3.5/5

Sweet Tooth

dir. Adam Robitel

Spoiler

Just around the beginning of Halloween season, Endless/Infinite Studios releases this slasher horror from Escape Room director Adam Robitel, starring Dave Bautista as a manic dentist. By all accounts, Sweet Tooth follows every slasher cliche in the book, dumps characterizations altogether (apart from that of the Dentist) and is by no means an innovative piece of horror. That said, credit where credit is due: the production design of the Dentist’s maze is neat, the kills are creative enough and the ending is pretty funny. So, for a slasher, it gets the job done. Nothing else needs to be added.

2/5

March 5

Updated as of March 5th, 2024!

Keynotes:

Sound of Freedom has been bumped off the Top 100 DOM OW's list;
the opening weekends of Bad Boys for Life and Holy Spider have been bumped off the Top 100 DOM PTA's list;
Dog has been bumped off the Top 100 DOM list.

March 5

AUGUST

Tornado

dir. Ric Roman Waugh

Spoiler

Angel Has Fallen and Greenland director Ric Roman Waugh teams up with O$corp Pictures for a big late-Summer disaster spectacle. Aaaand it is about what you’d expect at this point lol. It looks amazing, with its massive CGI effects towering on-screen, but it has a story about as deep as a shallow river, with not even any movie stars to really fall back on for charisma purposes, on top of being super derivative of something like Twister. For what it is, it’s a bunch of cheap thrills that does, in fact, look really good, and should be a blast to power through on the biggest screen possible; but other than that, you’ll forget about it very quickly. At least it skips the stereotypes and overly patriotic tones of your 2012’s of the world, I guess?

2.5/5

Six Souls

dir. Bryce McGuire

Spoiler

This R-rated horror from O$corp and the director of Night Swim is suitably trashy for late Summer, with its gruesome kills and religious themes making for a film that I could easily see lots of stoned college kids flocking to, if there is any demographic interested in it lol. It has not much in the way of intelligence or charm - it’s just a dumb slasher made for commercial viability, and is really best enjoyed as a theatrical experience for mindless thrills. For this viewer, it’s at least campy enough (at least near the end, where the kids realize what is causing so much havoc) to be enjoyable, but there’s little else to find here.

2/5

Coyotes Wild

dir. Mark Linfield

Spoiler

I was kinda hoping that this would have a reference or two to Wile E. Coyote, the greatest coyote of them all. Anyways, it’s a serviceable nature documentary, as all others are. Nothing to report here.

2.5/5

March 4

2 minutes ago, Rorschach said:

Thank you to @MCKillswitch123 for keeping track of this year's schedule and to @YM! for helping to finalize it. Also, a special thank you to our wonderful forum moderator @Eric Atreides for inserting the completed schedule into the original main post for everyone to easily access and navigate.

But most of all, thank you to everyone who participated in Y10 (@SLAM!, @Hiccup23, @cookie, @Reddroast,@lamamama, @El Squibbonator, @tyson67roberts) and for your patience in seeing through the completion of both halves of the year. This was, without a doubt, a challenging year, with a few long-time players exiting the game and irl commitments taking priority for everyone, resulting in a pretty thin first half. We recognize that the past couple of game years have gradually gotten longer and longer, but going forward, we are dedicated to keeping this game moving at a more reasonable pace.

However, major kudos to everyone who pulled through to deliver a stellar second half to Y10. Thanks to y'all, we closed the year off with a packed total of 83 films, our highest since Y6, ending the final year of this completed first decade of Cayom on a high note. As someone who has been around since the end of the second iteration of the game and the beginning of this new iteration, it's surreal to think that we've reached this point.

But none of it would've been possible without you guys or any of our wonderful past players (@SLAM!, @4815162342, @Blankments, @Alpha, @Ezen Baklattan, @Ethan Hunt, @Xillix, @Bastien, plus anyone else who I'm forgetting). I can only speak for myself, but having played for nearly a decade now (god, I feel old lol), this game means a lot to me, and I know wouldn't be the person I am today without it. I don't know what the future holds in store for this, but I know for certain I'll continue to participate for however long it continues.

With that all said, once again, thank you to everyone who contributed this year. And to repeat what @MCKillswitch123 said, with the official closing of Part 1, we may now move on to Part 2 of this game year – reviews and box office predictions. Happy reading to all!

Echo everything Rory said, thank you to everyone who has been pulling hard strings to keep this game - which is more than a game: it's a creative community where we all get to share our love of storytelling with one geek after another lol - alive and well, especially given the strain of players who were unable to commit for any longer. Hopefully, it goes on for years and years. Bravo everyone.

March 4

Ladies, gentlemen and in-between, think we can officially close Part 2 and the official schedule thread.

March 4

Part 2 is over, so it's time to resume reviews right from where we left off:

JULY

Ping

dir. Cal Brunker

Spoiler

Starting off the second half of the year, O$corp Pictures has come up with this family animated film from the director of the PAW Patrol films (and The Nut Job 2 lol). It certainly lives up to being a film precisely for that audience, because Ping is pretty much for young kids at heart, qualifying it as a film with little more to it other than a decent contender at the box office. That said, it’s not unbearable as a film for all audiences - just rather slight, all things considered. I like the representation of Chinese fauna and flora, for sure, but that’s about the other most praise-worthy thing about this otherwise normal CG family animation about a duck who gets lost and needs to reunite with its family. Nothing offensive or terrible by any means, just very derivative and generic. Will surely make $300 million at the Chinese box office, though.

2/5

51

dir. Jonathan Liebesman

Spoiler

From the filmmaker of 2014’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot, comes this found-footage docudrama about the infamous Waco siege of 1993. O$corp Pictures' and Liebesman’s focus seems to be on the innocent collateral victims it generated and how their faith was betrayed, though, ironically, just like the story it tries to tell, it’s as if the movie itself has no real reason to exist other than shock value. While you get the point - the innocence of the victimized children was destroyed by the people gatekeeping the faith they were supposed to believe in - the movie evidently relishes in showing every graphic detail of the abuses and violence before and during the siege, without really taking any time to explore character. It makes for a very threadbare portrayal of the siege, staged almost like a gratuitous action film, where the focus is on the kids’ veiled attempts to survive in a disaster that goes without any explanation for them, after they were already being abused by the Branch Davidians that held them up, who then promised them that God was there to deliver them at the end of times. It’s an experience that raises some interesting questions about innocence, senseless violence and the ties between abuse and religion, but in the end, it seems like a very misguided, almost exploitative portrayal of an event that had so many horrible ramifications in North America, including an increase in volatility from conservative demographic segments. Can’t say I liked it.

1/5

Second Dimension: Battle for North Kingdom

dir. Chloé Zhao

Spoiler

One year after the premiere of Good Movie Studios' and Chloé Zhao’s first Second Dimension film, they have returned for the big sequel. Y9’s Last Hope, while showing plenty of potential, was a film that simply couldn’t overcome its base issues: its erroneous formatting, making it confusing and messy to go through; its excessive male gazing, especially for a film directed by a woman; and its narrative structuring, as it was very much a Part 1 film that led to an unfinished story. It seems that, in some ways, the studio and Zhao have learned from their mistakes, as Battle for North Kingdom is a vast improvement over the previous film, without a doubt.

And the first notable improvement is, again, the formatting: it is written in precisely the same way as Operation Finality was, with its screenplay style, but again, it’s fine, as it gets the information across well enough. As for its characterizations, it makes up for the errors of the first movie for the most part. Amongst the good things of Last Hope - which did have a few - that are retained here, are the action setpieces and the few characters which were already enjoyable enough, such as Himesh Patel’s Keif and Jason Clarke’s Condor. Meanwhile, some other characters are improved. Erin Kellyman’s Madeline gets a massive glow up from her sexualized sidekick role, being effectively one of the center characters of this sequel, even if the role she plays here is more so personal rather than heavily influencing of the greater picture (which is a good thing, in a way, but it also leans into some pacing problems that are general to the film as a whole). In fact, I’d say everyone else gets at least something to do of note. Maitreyi Ramakrishnan’s Azlea is also a highlight here, being effectively the movie’s comic relief, and her relation with Kerry Washington’s Chanelle adds a lot of personality.

Battle for North Kingdom takes cues from the Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones school of epic fantasy multi-plotline storytelling, jumping across a number of different stories and characters, leading the way for its big conclusion. Some of the cutting back and forth between narratives gets tiresome after a while, especially since you learn early on that the movie is still very much a really episodic middle chapter and is letting things open for the inevitable third and final entry in the series - meaning that these stop points are sort of padding the franchise runtime until we get to the big finale. Because of this, the stakes in this film don’t feel as high as they should. However, the film smartly does make good use of its middle chapter roots and takes its sweet time to develop characters, spend time with them, introduce new and fun presences on-screen (such as Lana Condor’s Poppy), and establish that this colorful ensemble is collectively driven by their fears and insecurities, mostly of failing other people, or themselves. But beside that, I do think that the story of the Second Dimension saga is rather derivative as a whole, and other than the big dimension-jumping worldbuilding stuff, as well as a few subversive tricks along the way (such as the wonderful choice to cast a hugely diverse array of actors; as well as some of the interpretations of classic fantasy tropes - like the orcs, who are not at all the angry war-ready brutes of many other tales), we’ve all seen this type of stuff before. Plus, as this is indeed a Part 2 of 3, it leaves everything on a very “to be continued” note, with certain plot threads waiting to be closed off.

That said, I enjoyed my time with this movie. It’s fun, zany, has a solid ensemble of characters which it gives enough to do, looks gorgeous (Zhao is such a strong visual director, and some of the imagery here is superb) and it's sprawling, although its narrative structure and its derivativity may test your patience a little bit.

3/5

The Furby Movie

dir. Chris Wedge

Spoiler

Fossil Record/The Workshop have addressed the many criticisms thrown at them for casting unknown actors and actresses for voice roles (off-character: this is an issue mainly because voice roles are so specific and things you can’t just fabricate in your head, especially since there are many professional voice actors out there anyway) and went ahead for a considerably more high profile effort with this adaptation of a very famous Hasbro toy, starring actually recognizable people and directed by an also well-known director. But while I’m positive that Chris Wedge’s The Furby Movie will make heaps of money at the box office (assuming kids won't be terrified by the Furbies lol), that’s really gonna be its highest achievement. This is a fairly cliched, generic animated fantasy-adventure-comedy that hits all the usual beats and tropes of its genre while talking about kindness and standing up to all the rudeness in the world. I can’t say it is, by any means, a poorly made film - it’s borderline competent in just about every front, other than maybe a slightly rushed climactic stretch - but it’s by-the-numbers to the point where I was outright bored with it. Your children will very much enjoy it, and I’d say it’s at least superior to something like a Lions and Dragons or a Ping from earlier this year, but that’s as much praise as I think it deserves.

2/5

Lifeguards

dir. Peter Billingsley

Spoiler

O$corp Pictures' and Peter Billingsley’s R-rated Summer rom-com is probably a solid watch if you have a romantic interest that you wanna bring to the movies with, and serves right as very much that, though it has little merit in any other way as a film. It’s a by-the-numbers, tropey story of a love square of lifeguards, two of which cheat on their partners and the others who revenge-prank them, and then the two pairs fall in love. For what it is, it gets the job done and you get to see sweaty people in lifeguard outfits, I guess; but even for rom-com standards, you can do much, much better, though there is sadly little offer in this regard that is actually getting a theatrical release, nowadays. As far as this goes, it’s as thin as it gets, the characters are dicks and the script is kinda dumb and unfunny. But I’d still take a girl to see it, for a lack of better date movie options; though even then, I’d hope her standards were higher.

2/5

Green Lantern Corps: Evolution

dir. Christopher McQuarrie

Spoiler

Endless Entertainment’s superhero sci-fi epic franchise, based on the DC Comics ensemble of characters, has always been driven by the ambition to create a series that rivals your Sparks or Scavenger Wars of the world, while diving into the idea of emotions as physical embodiments of power. Y5’s Rise of the Manhunters, while certainly carried by strong performances and visuals, was brought down by messy structuring. Y7’s Home was much more streamlined and accomplished in examining themes of colonialism and systemic racism, though the casting of Joaquin Phoenix as a darker-skinned character still remains one of the weak spots of the franchise thus far (despite him doing a great job with the character).

So where does Evolution stand, amidst the others in the saga? It’s probably the best in the trilogy, though still not without its share of problems. The Corps series is always at its best when diving headfirst into both its characters, and its sprawling concepts of emotions as fuel for power, and that’s also where this film excels. It expands massively on the idea of willpower/courage vs. fear, with the conflict between the Green Lanterns and the Guardians of the Universe vs. Thaal Sinestro’s Yellow Lanterns and Parallax being a very literal and figurative war of attrition between two polar opposite sentiments. At the core of the series are its most emblematic characters. Hal Jordan (played by Sam Heughan, replacing that other sexual predator) and Sinestro (Phoenix) remain as the soul of the saga, with Hal stuck on the fact that his friendship with Sinestro is now ravished by the latter’s ambitions to create a Lantern Corps out of the yellow energy of fear, but himself also afraid of what a war might entail, both for Sinestro and for the universe at large; coupled with his outspoken disapproval of the Guardians’ policing system (hinting also at themes of reformism - still very much drawing parallels with US society). The insecurities and aspirations of these characters attract the big bad of Parallax (voiced by a stupendous Tony Todd), the embodiment of fear, who is intent on latching himself to someone who carries great fear and vengeance with them. Other supporting characters, like Patrick Stewart’s Ganthet and Kelly Marie Tran’s Ni’in, get their moments to shine - and then, there is also Sterling K. Brown’s John Stewart. John emerges as a loyal, dedicated Lantern whose courage and will to continue are stronger than his personality; and while he is definitely not as interesting a character as Hal or Sinestro, I do find his stubborn drive to pull through, for everyone - including his earthbound family - to be welcome in a superhero film.

Really, the ensemble cast does a very good job in general, while the film is visually and technically spectacular as well, and it continues to retain the same type of awe-inspiring personality and massive concepts that make Green Lantern Corps stand out as a franchise. Though, as I said, it’s not without flaws. The screenplay is probably Evolution’s biggest issue - it’s expository to a massive degree, with characters often falling into explanation or monologuing about the plot, indicating that McQuarrie and the filmmakers don’t fully trust the audience. I guess I also felt that the film, so huge and massive in scale, never always felt as intimate or close to its characters as it should be - as aforementioned, it’s always concerned with plot first, which gets a little tiring after a while. There was plenty of downtime with the ensemble, to be clear, but I guess the combination of shaky screenplay and story density made for downtime moments that don’t really land the way they’re supposed to.

Honestly, I feel like those are the biggest things I can pick at here, though I would still say that, as a whole, I very much enjoyed this. It can at times be overwhelmingly massive in scale and be too winded in exposition, but with a likable and entertaining ensemble of actors and characters, and appropriately big concepts, themes and visual/technical execution, it’s a blockbuster that genuinely tries and succeeds fine enough at being both brawny and brainy. Thumbs up.

3.5/5

Wii Sports Resort: Vacation on Wuhu Island

dir. B.J. Novak

Spoiler

Lmao, the return of Studio Groundswell’s iconic Wii franchise to theaters. I went in hoping that this would be less of the only semi-intentional cornball of the first Wii Sports or the last one, Wii Fit - yes, the movie that bafflingly managed to get Tilda Swinton nominated for Best Supporting Actress because yolo - and more in the lines of the batshit wonkiness of Wii Play. (My knowledge of this franchise is a bit odd, I’ll admit.) In the end, fitting for the final film in the series to be the most bizarre one of them all. It starts off harmless enough with a simple setup, but as it turns out, it’s one of those video game adaptations that’s trying to adapt the gameplay, wanting to cram in every single different activity you can play in the actual Wii Sports Resort game - including basketball duels being followed by laser sword fights, and frisbee throws where for some reason the dad throws the little girl’s wallet and gets a million points - within the confines of a seemingly routine family comedy film. It is as silly as it sounds, but sadly, despite having an amazingly stupid plot, it plays way too straight and awkwardly to really land, making it more “so bad it's good” than anything. I dunno lol.

1.5/5

March 3

The horror novel Mister Magic, by Kiersten White

March 2

HIDDEN BLOOD

Studio: Phoenix Fire Pictures; SP International

Loosely Based On: The Portuguese series Sangue Oculto, by Sandra Santos

Director: Meera Menon

Genre: Romance/Dramedy/Thriller

Release Date: December 23rd, Y10

Theater Count: 3191

Rating: PG-13

Format: 2D

Budget: $25 million

Runtime: 110 minutes

Cast:

Selena Gomez as Carol / Bennie
Simu Liu as George

Plot Summary: Carol, a professional athlete and Bennie, a nurse, are twin sisters, but they have no idea that the other exists. One day, Carol and her boyfriend George get on a bus ride in Los Angeles, only to crash due to an accident that was quickly determined to be caused by sabotage. Carol goes to the hospital, where she crosses paths with Bennie for the very first time. The two are in absolute shock of the other's existence, while George accidentally kisses Bennie. The two sisters are forced to live with each other, as they learn that Carol's mother gave birth to a sister that she never heard of, and Bennie's biological mother is not who she believed. George keeps floundering which one is which, as he too becomes a mediator between the sisters, ultimately convincing both that the existence of one another is a blessing that both should be happy with. Carol and Bennie slowly grow accustomed to the other, until eventually, weeks later, they've finally become comfortable together. One day, Carol is kidnapped, and Bennie and George team up with the cops to find her out. It is revealed that Carol's kidnapper, and the perpetrator of the bus crash, is actually a woman named Julia... who, in fact, is Carol and Bennie's triplet sister (played by Selena Gomez as well). As George curses aloud just how much of a parody this triplet sisters thing really is, Carol and Bennie try to incentive Julia to turn a new leaf, but Julia, who says she knows the whereabouts of their real mother, knows she and Bennie were abandoned for greedy reasons, and tries to convince Bennie to murder Carol. George and Julia have a fight, until Bennie releases Carol. George winds up pushing Julia off a cliff. But when he notices, she has vanished, seemingly still alive. Carol and Bennie, in each other's arms, have fully accepted and chosen to love one another, as they know that now, they have to find out where Julia and their real mom are.

March 1

The short story "The Catbird Seat", by James Thurber

February 27

Updated as of February 27th, 2024!

Keynotes:

Onward and Napoleon have been bumped off the Top 100 DOM list;
Be Somebody (Chinese film) has been bumped off the Top 100 OS list.

February 23

@Hiccup23 Just wondering if you're still gonna put out King of Kings? Besides YM's Let's Eat Dad, it would be the final addition to the schedule, meaning reviews can start right after.

Sign In

Profiles

Forums

Events

Blogs

Gallery

Annual Subscriptions

Media Demo

Posts posted by MCKillswitch123

Important Information