Ready or Not dir. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett (2019)
I’ve played many tabletop games these past few years, in addition to the usual assortment of video games. What’s different about tabletop is I like playing with people who take the games too seriously. They’re easily provoked, in a fun sort of way. I don’t take the games seriously because I have no intention of winning. Who needs that stress? Well this movie here, it’s an entire movie of people who take games too seriously. I don’t know that I’d enjoy playing with them, but it’s fun to see them provoked and rebuked.
It dir. Andy Muschietti (2017)
Cosmic clown horror is something a kid would take seriously. It’d provide a good distraction from the real horror of parents and neighbors and other shitty kids. I can get behind that.
It Chapter Two dir. Andy Muschietti (2019)
This one got all the roles wrong. The one who stayed in town left, and the ones who should’ve been failures were all successful. I’m not as interested in a bunch of adults fighting literal demon clowns as I am in them fighting their buried trauma.
Hustlers dir. Lorene Scafaria (2019)
Good performances by all involved, and it’s always nice to see powerful shitheads get fucked. Plus I always wanna see Constance Wu in more things.
Rambo: Last Blood dir. Adrian Grunberg (2019)
I haven’t watched more than one or two of these, but this latest Rambo movie is an absolute waste of our time.
Ad Astra dir. James Gray (2019)
There’ve been more than a few space movies these last few years. It’s the depiction of a cold and lifeless space that I appreciate the most. This movie is like a blend of 2001: A Space Odyssey and Event Horizon in its visuals and the exploration of pushing the limits of our scientific inquiry. That’s the part I like. I don’t like another adventure in being a dude in a dude’s world.
Penny Dreadful (2014-2016)
The series had a lot of potential and I liked the first couple of seasons, but the third season goes so sideways that you can’t believe it’s meant to end that way. It’s a bummer of a finale. They’re planning a new series in Los Angeles and that’s exciting for me. LA is a good place for horror.
The Haunting of Hill House (2018)
I don’t know what to say. It’s a great series and one of the best things I’ve seen this year. The series is also incredibly sad. It’s quite different in tone and scope than the other horror series I’ve watched recently. It takes the human toll of these experiences more seriously.
The Good Place – Season 4 (2018)
This show is confirmed to end with the upcoming season 5, which feels perfect. These characters’ flaws have been laid bare and the final season looks like it’ll test the lessons they’re meant to have learned. You know, you just don’t wanna stretch out a good thing for too long.
Disenchantment – Part 2 (2019)
I like the approach here. They’re going all in on arcs between each part of the series, something these creators previously tried with Futurama. It’s also far less episodes than typical broadcast television requires, which is much appreciated. And, you know, it’s funny. The jokes-per-minute can’t compare to Groening’s earlier TV projects but it’s a welcome light touch.
American Horror Story: Apocalypse (2018)
I looked up a ranking of American Horror Story seasons from worst to best and this one was somehow not the worst. It’s a pile of threads thrown together into a ball. When discussing the current season, someone told me it’s started off well. That was the case with Apocalypse as well, then it devolves into too much camp and too intricate connections between characters. I’d recommend never watching it.
