I had COVID for about a week in the middle of February, and ended up watching quite a few more movies than usual as I quarantined and recuperated. With that in mind, some quick thoughts on movies I watched last month, followed by lists of my current favorite films and performances of the year so far...
- an asterisk (*) indicates a first time viewing
Death Proof (2007)*
This was the only Quentin Tarantino feature I'd never seen. Though, to be fair, I had seen Grindhouse, and I thought this was basically just his portion of that film padded out a bit. Turns out, that's not really the case and the new material in this version of his concept is actually a lot more satisfying than what I remember being the portion from Grindhouse.
The American President (1995)
Anytime someone makes a movie about a fictional president, I find myself considering the plausibility of their election and, despite the whole "dead wife equals pity votes" thing stated in the film, I just find it highly unlikely Andy Shepard would ever get elected. But hey, getting obsessed with some dumbass crime bill in the 1990s is maybe the most realistic thing in any movie ever?
Independence Day (1996)
Accidentally watched this back to back with Rob Reiner's The American President and, as unrealistic as Michael Douglas' Andy Shepard is as a president there, he's worlds more believable than Bill Pullman as president here. We're supposed to believe this guy went from being a fighter pilot in the Gulf War to POTUS within 5 years? And that he's married to Mary McDonnell? Now make McDonnell president and maybe I'd believe it, but hey, I guess Pullman as Prez isn't even the dumbest thing going in this movie, so who cares?
Pickpocket (1959)*
Rumor has it that sometime in the sixties a young man was bitten by a radioactive film strip from Pickpocket and went on to become Paul Schrader.
Margaret (2011)
The 3 hour cut is definitely a lot better than whatever version I originally saw. Somehow, Lonergan and company manage to make something that should feel like a small, intimate portrait feel as epic in scope and stakes as a David Lean or Sergio Leone picture. And Anna Paquin is astounding in it as the young girl trying to both process the emotional shock, grief, and guilt of a tragic accident she bore close-up witness to, all while trying to just learn how to be a person in an ever more complicated world.
Zodiac (2007)
Watched this while at the least functional point of a COVID quarantine. Is it weird that it's become something of a comfort movie for me?
Prisoners (2013)
There's so much in this film that is impressively executed, but I still can't escape the overarching feeling that the sum is lesser than the parts somehow.
La Haine (1995)*
Every single second of this seems vital and alive in a way that I've only experienced in a handful of films in my life. And as a first time watch, it's a real treat to be able to feel that sense of discovery that only comes with finally seeing a well-regarded film from years past that totally lives up to and even exceeds the hype that's attached itself to it over time.
Eephus (2025)*
I'm not entirely sure this actually qualifies as slow cinema, but it made me realize that 1) baseball totally makes sense as a subject for slow cinema; 2) maybe slow cinema can be about a bunch of aging dudes who are trying to hold on to something they have a complicated relationship with; and 3) I like the idea of a baseball movie set in New England being in the same genre as Mirror, Jeanne Dielman, Taste of Cherry, and Beau Travail.
Eight Men Out (1988)
[In David Byrne Voice]
Heaven...
Heaven is a place...
A place where Eight Men Out...
Eight Men Out and Field of Dreams play in an infinitely repeating double bill.
The Batman (2022)
The thing most unique about Robert Pattinson's portrayal of Batman/Bruce Wayne is how he plays them both us pretty damned unhinged rather than aloof. Also, it's a solid watch, for sure, but if any project has ever begged the debate, "should this have been a movie or a 6 part limited series?" this one does. That's not a knock on it so much as a reaction to how much they manage to pack into the runtime, long as it may be.
Blue Moon (2005)*
The project of Ethan Hawke talking nearly non-stop in a Richard Linklater movie was always headed to something like this and I was totally here for it along with every moment of wit, cringiness, and insight it had to offer.
Paddington (2014)
My daughter and I watched large chunks of this when she was younger–long enough ago that she couldn't even remember it. But this was our first time watching it all the way through. It's still as charming as the first time I saw it, but I have to admit the CGI fur definitely doesn't hold up as well as you might hope.
Wuthering Heights (2026)*
Is it great? No, not really. Is it pretty entertaining overall, and does it feature some very good looking people photographed in outrageous locations and sets that are great fun to look at? Yes, for sure. All that said, I think it's time for Emerald Fennel to just direct something without writing it, maybe?
Paddington 2 (2017)
A perfect family film and also the perfect thing to watch as a salve against nearly any bad thing at play in the world that's got you feeling down or otherwise discouraged.
One Battle After Another (2025)
This was my fourth viewing and, not sure if it's specifically because this movie triggered something in the world or if it's more of an instance of Baader-Meinhof phenomenon, but I've been hearing Steely Dan's "Dirty Work" out in the wild a lot more in the days since I watched this again.
Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie (2026)*
I had a lot of fun watching this, but maybe it was just a bit too overhyped in advance for me to recognize it as the masterpiece so many other people seem to see it as. Still, I recommend it highly and look forward to seeing it again sometime down the road.
Sirāt (2025)*
Remind me never to go get myself lost in the desert looking for a rave while World War III is breaking out, fun as that may sound. It certainly makes for a solid if stressful movie, though. Pump that electronic score into my veins, by the way...
It Was Just an Accident (2025)
On second viewing, I think this is a nearly perfect object of art and storytelling – and my favorite movie of 2025.
Also Seen:
- Django Unchained (2012)
- In the Loop (2009)
- Secrets & Lies (1996)
- You Were Never Really Here (2017)
- Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)
- Inception (2010)
- X-Men: First Class (2011)
Current Favorite Films of 2025
Current Favorite Performances of 2025
- an asterisk (*) indicates a new addition since last month
Best Lead Female Actor:
- Eva Victor, Sorry, Baby
- Jessie Buckley, Hamnet
- Renate Reinsve, Sentimental Value
- Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I'd Kick You
- Alicia Vikander, The Assessment
- Chase Infiniti, One Battle After Another
Best Lead Male Actor:
- Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme
- Joaquin Phoenix, Eddington
- Michael B. Jordan, Sinners
- Ethan Hawke, Blue Moon*
- Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent
- Stellan Skarsgård, Sentimental Value
Best Supporting Female Actor:
- Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another
- Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners
- Amy Madigan, Weapons
- Rachel Brosnahan, Superman
- Felicity Jones, Train Dreams
- Gwyneth Paltrow, Marty Supreme
Best Supporting Male Actor:
- Delroy Lindo, Sinners
- Sean Penn, One Battle After Another
- Nicholas Hoult, Superman
- Benicio del Toro, One Battle After Another
- Ralph Fiennes, 28 Years Later
- Jacobi Jupe, Hamnet
Current Favorite Films of 2026
Current Favorite Performances of 2026
- an asterisk (*) indicates a new addition since last month
Best Lead Female Actor:
- Rachel McAdams, Send Help
- Margot Robbie, Wuthering Heights*
Best Lead Male Actor:
- Ralph Fiennes, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
- Dylan O'Brien, Send Help
- Matt Johnson, Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie*
Best Supporting Female Actor:
- Erin Kellyman, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
Best Supporting Male Actor:
- Jack O’Connell, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
- Jay McCarrol, Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie*
- Ben Affleck, The Rip
Follow me on Letterboxd for more thoughts on film...
