Movies seen in 2025#
(Work in progress as the year progresses, so remember to check every now and then if anything new popped up in the meantime.)
Beware: There are a couple of spoilers ahead as those are predominantly notes for myself. Nothing all too serious but one or two twists are revealed.
MaXXXine#
"MaXXXine" (2024) is the final entry in the X trilogy. The story continues "X's" Maxine's journey to being a star. The movie's plot resembles "Hardcore" (1980) a lot. The director claims the order is not relevant, but I would watch them as they were released. The style and recreations of the 1980s in this movie are truly remarkable. Funnily enough, despite having XXX in the title, there isn't really that much erotic scenes ("X" had more).
The Last King of Scotland#
"The Last King of Scotland" (2006) has been on my radar since its premiere (in no small part to Juriusz's recommendation), but it never fell in my direction. Now, thanks to Max, it has. Based on true events but mixed with MacBeth [sic!], it tells a story of an Ugandan dictator through the eyes of his Scottish doctor. Strong performances by Forest Whitaker and James McAvoy. It shows nicely why it's better to avoid people in power.
Filth#
"Filth" from 2013 is an adaptation of Irving Welsh's book of the same title. The source material was believed to be unadaptable, but it turned out to be doable, albeit, some framing devices were demoted to one-scene wonders (looking at ya, tapeworm). A story of a terrible cop and a horrible and repulsive person but also kind of sad one, starring fantastic James McAvoy. As the story progresses, we learn to see he's a bit a of an unreliable narrator.
Love Lies Bleeding#
"Love Lies Bleeding" (2024) is yet another example of a movie recreating 1980s to a very granular detail. Colours, props, music, and hairstyles—pure eighties. And the plot had a couple of twists that I didn't see coming. In fact, the plot was unpredictable in general. Huge props for casting Kirsten Steward and Jena Malone as sisters, albeit, it went a little unexplored. Two main characters reminded me of Wachowski's "Bound."
Exit Through the Gift Shop#
"Exit Through the Gift Shop" is a 2010's Banksy's documentary about a man who was making a documentary about Banksy but turned out to be a more interesting subject. I was eyeing this film for a long while but only seeing "F for Fake" last year inspired me to finally have a go at it. It's a high-octane cocktail about street art and art as well, and very funny at that. A bit like a video clip, perhaps. And those narrative layers!
Dark Crimes#
"Dark Crimes" from 2016 is generally a bad movie. The writing lacks and the realisation is far behind, and it's 1 of 2 movies that I know to have 0% on Rotten Tomatoes. So, on paper, it sounds like something to avoid at all costs, right? Well, unless you're me, so... [Full thread here]
Cunk on Life#
"Cunk of Life" (2024) is a single-entry continuation on "Cunk on Earth," where titular Philomena Cunk presents us with some wisdoms and interviews real-life scientists, putting them constantly in a tight spot (I can't imagine how they convinced all those people to participate in it, but maybe they did that for laughs as well). Extra points for using "Pump Up the Jam" again.
A Boy and His Dog#
"A Boy And His Dog" is 1975 post-apocalyptic movie with action set in 2024, with young Don Johnson in the titular role (the boy, not the dog). Visually it resembles Mad Max a lot, and it turned out it was an inspiration for his movies. As well as for "Fallout" (e.g., the underground community). The scenography was pretty convincing, with all the sets build from old furniture. Don Johnson speaks a bit like Matthew McConaughey here.
I do find it interesting that the plot starts from a telepathic dog that helps the boy to find "females" which he can basically rape. That is a plot point that would be unlike do be used in the actual year 2024. In all fairness, the closing comment from the dog was controversial even back then, so maybe I'm too harsh with the past here.
But fishing out the old cringe, which possibly wasn't cringe back in the days, is part of an experience of watching old movies.