Sinners (2025): Ryan Coogler’s new movie has been raved about to the point that it’s probably the most exciting thing to have watched in cinemas this year. And while it sticks to a lot of familiar elements and set-pieces, the way it puts them together and frames them justifies all the acclaim. If you’ve seen Midnight Mass, a lot of the key moments will feel even more familiar, but being set in the 1930s and covered in a layer of black culture that’s being poked by the white supremacy movement gives it a different kind of spin. Coogler gives it all a proper run and the movie vibes strongly throughout, capturing the highs and the lows that ultimately establish the persistent racial tension in present day America. The looks might change, but there’s an unavoidable connection running through the ages, no matter how we try to approach it. 8
Small Things Like These (2024): While Cillian Murphy has drawn in a lot of people to watch this slow paced, intricate and flawed story of abuse and complicity, I think it should be remembered for Emily Watson’s fierce performance in the movie’s key scene. She strikes the vein from which the best female villains stem, a veiled maleficence showing as generosity, with menacing undertones. The rest of the movie is strong and questions our individual responsibility to stand up in the face of injustice, finding complexity in its central character’s own complicated upbringing. I can’t quite put my finger on what was missing, but the abrupt ending probably plays a part, even as it makes sense within the wider context of the frequently abbreviated stories that are loosely tied into the overall narrative. Maybe worth a revisit. 7
Girl (2018): Lukas Dhont broke our hearts with Close, but in his debut feature he takes on a more direct approach to, in principle, the same subject matter: acceptance of otherness. The story is, in some ways, a simple one: Lara is a ballet dancer who is in the process of transitioning, which poses not only social complications in her dance school, but also technical ones. There is obvious overlap in her struggle to adapt as a female ballet dancer to the physical demands of the role and her transitioning process. There are many things that work in the favour of the movie, as it meanders through familiar terrain, but with enough specificity to make it memorable. I think it fails in its finale, which is overly dramatic and makes a discordant note to the realist texture the movie had established. Also, Victor Polster is perfectly convincing in interpreting Lara, but I thought the character itself is very dry and one note – which makes sense, but also covers for a lack of complexity in its interpretation. Still, a very worthwhile debut feature. 7
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008): Is FSM a classic? It was definitely a big thing at the time, with a bunch of well known TV show actors getting together for a movie event. Jason Segel also wrote this one, in which he co-stars with Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis and Russel Brand, with Jonah Hill, Paul Rudd and Bill Hader also in memorable supporting roles. The set-up, i.e. first hour of the movie, felt a bit mundane, but the movie picks up afterwards and becomes more inspired. I mean, it’s the kind of flick that could coast on the talent of the cast alone, but it does all come together well enough to justify some degree of memorability. 7
Theater Camp (2023): Although it’s labelled as a mockumentary, I didn’t think Theater Camp leaned too hard in that direction. There are quirky characters and it’s easy to find fun in observations about a summer camp themed around theatrical pursuits, but Theater Camp is very kind to both. Which is a nice thing to see, making for an all-around feel good movie, with a handful of able and likeable actors. Does it do enough to be more than just a niche affair? I think it just about does, finding the funny and the caring when it matters. 7
tributary stu 