Favorite films

Recent reviews

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  A Real Pain 2024

  ★★★½ Watched 09 Mar 2025

  a little bit corny in places (benji is a uniquely american man he could literally never be english lol) but overall sweet, funny and sensitive. it definitely  touched me, but i didn’t think about it much afterwards despite the hungover sunday tears it coaxed from me w very little persuasion.

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  Anora 2024

  ★★★★½ Watched 09 Mar 2025

  a great story about vulnerability, transactional relationships and unfettered profligacy. love the way sean baker offers a kind of stubborn hope as people get chewed up and spat out by the seediest elements of the ugliest systems. the protagonists are not victims, but they’re not passive agents either, they find joy inside and out the moment via hedonism and fighting with whatever power they have, even if they (and we) know that it’s probably not going to be a fairly…

Popular reviews

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  Leviathan 2014

  ★★★★½ Watched 03 Apr 2017

  Leviathan is as monstrous as the biblical kraken himself, boiling oceans and ruthlessly devouring victim after victim of the corrupt Russian political system. The Church and State share a monopoly on control: the all-pervasive ideology of Orthodox Christianity features heavily, and is deeply entrenched into the minds of the population; crooked government officials crush anyone for conflicting with their personal interests and defending their basic rights. Consequently, it soon becomes clear that hierarchical subversion is impossible, and the powerlessness of those at the bottom is tragically mirrored in a constant and violent abuse of alcohol. Exquisitely shot and powerfully delivered, this film is an absolute must-see.

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  Cyrus 2010

  ★★½ Watched 23 Aug 2016 4

  While watching this film I got the distinct sense that it didn't quite know what it wanted to be. And so out came a clumsy mish mash of indie romcom, mumblecore and lacklustre comedy. We follow around our annoying and dislikeable protagonist (who has serious boundary issues and for some reason is best friends with his ex wife??) as he embarks on his first serious relationship post-existential crisis/divorce. Jonah Hill plays the equally annoying man-baby son of the protagonist's new…

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