I don’t do star ratings here anymore, but I am giving 5 stars here to boost its average rating on letterboxd. People of letterboxd, here my pitch: Give this movie 5 stars so its aggregate rating beats out anything by Spielberg, Fincher, Tarrantino, or the Cohen brothers, and let the film bros weep. 😿
And just to be clear: this movie fucking slaps.
✨🔪😻🍌👯♀️
I love Ayo. I liked the concept, the visual execution was incredibly impressive for a director’s first feature, but the script was absurdly novice. The Star Wars prequels had better dialogue, and the story’s structure felt like a hackneyed regurgitation of moments from other famous A24 films instead of a coherent narrative. The “A24 vibes” existed for their own sake, not to convey any deeper point of view about what it means to be human. Midsommar isn’t just about a trip…
This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.
An incredible film with Sean Baker’s most sophisticated work as a director. I was so deeply moved by the ending, but my favorite moment was when the parents emphatically say “My son has no one to apologize to.”
The same parents who love to complain about their irresponsible children are almost always the same parents who are incapable of actually teaching their child to take responsibility for anything. They love their pride more anything, even their own child.
Minus color. I felt I had a different experience of the framing and composition; some choices worked better for me in b&w. I found myself paying closer attention to the actors faces even in wider shots. But this story captivated me from beginning to end—again. This script should be paid very close attention to by producers of spectacular entertainment. It makes all these wonderful choices a committee can’t, and it’s pacing and structure are so masterfully crafted in a way only a seasoned creative mind can do with the full support of a producing team. American popcorn entertainment needs to be more like this movie.
