Movies Graded

I never believed in making end-of-year lists, since it is nearly impossible to watch all the movies that came out during that specific year. Having just finished viewing all the ones I was interested in, I feel now comfortable sharing the ones I liked and disliked the most. This list is made out of nearly 150 films, and will certainly expand as I have yet to see every single movie that came out in 2017. The release date is based on the one given on IMDb, which explains why "Split" for example is not listed underneath (it is considered to be a 2016 release on the website).  I have reviewed a lot of these movies, which are highlighted and will take you directly to my report when you click on them. The ones I have not reviewed are only characterized by the final grade I gave to them. I hope this list will help you chose what or what not to watch, and bring to light some lesser known films.   10: First Reformed Loveless 9: Blade Runner 2049 Call Me by Your Nam...

Director: Joseph Sargent Stars: Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw, Martin Balsam Runtime: 104 minutes Performances: 8/10 Screenplay: 8/10 Special Effects: N.A. Costumes/Makeup: 7/10 Editing: 8/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  8/10 Verdict:  The premise is quite simple: 4 highjackers take over a train and its passengers and demand one million dollars for their release. For each minute the ransom is late, they will kill one passenger. There's a reason this movie has been remade more than once. This is a riveting story that left me on the edge of my seat for the entire runtime of it. It is definitely one of the best hostage films ever made, and inspired many crime movies after it ("Reservoir Dogs", I'm looking at you). In addition to that, the acting, especially by Robert Shaw, was superb, and the score so effective it earned a place in music expert Andy Trudeau's top 10 film scores of all time. However, what, in my opinion, makes this p...

Director: Steven Soderbergh Stars: Claire Foy, Joshua Leonard, Jay Pharaoh Runtime: 98 minutes Performances: 8/10 Screenplay: 6/10 Special Effects: N.A.   Costumes/Makeup: 7/10 Editing: 5/10 Cinematography: 6/10 Score/Soundtrack:  5/10  Verdict:  Sawyer Valentini's life gets turned upside down when she is admitted to a mental institution against her will in  Steven Soderbergh's latest project. "Unsane" is a film I've been looking for since it was announced. The fact that it was starring everyone's favorite queen and was directed by a filmmaker known for being experimental only added to my anticipation. The lead actress did not disappoint in the least. Claire Foy displayed her acting range and proved once and for all that her talent is real. The rest of the cast was also great, and I can't say that there were any bad performances despite the fact that the film took place in a mental institute, which sometimes drives actors to...

Director: Vincent Grashaw Stars: Arman Darbo, Sawyer Barth, Melanie Lynskey Runtime: 99 minutes Performances: 8/10 Screenplay: 8/10 Special Effects: N.A. Costumes/Makeup: 7/10 Editing: 7/10 Cinematography: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack:  6/10 Verdict:  "And Then I Go" follows 2 kids as they suffer through the brutal world of Junior High, and takes a deep look at their relationship with their parents, classmates, teachers, and most of all, each other.  I absolutely loved this movie, which reminded a lot of Lynne Ramsay's "We Need to Talk About Kevin". It was beautifully presented, benefiting from pleasing cinematography and sharp editing. But what I enjoyed most about the film was how accurately the kids were portrayed. They were swearing, fighting, and rebellious, just like the average 14-year-old would behave, which was a relief since it plays a big part in the movie, and since writing such complex and interesting juvenile characters is no easy ...

Director: Ridley Scott Stars: Michelle Williams, Christopher Plummer, Mark Wahlberg Runtime: 132 minutes Performances: 8/10 Screenplay: 6/10 Special Effects: N.A. Costumes/Makeup: 8/10 Editing: 6/10 Cinematography: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack:  7/10  Verdict:  "All the Money in the World" is Ridley Scott's second project that came out in the year of 2017, after "Alien: Covenant". It focuses on the true story of John Paul Getty III's abduction in the early 1970s, and his mother's attempts to convince his billionaire grandfather to pay the ransom demanded for his release. Much like most movies based on real events, Scott's interpretation of the event slightly differs from the actual story, and this dramatization, in my opinion, was the picture's biggest liability. Those scenes were sloppily written, obvious, and messed with the organic flow of events depicted. Having said that, and apart from some editing flaws I noticed, everyth...

Director: Ben Lewin Stars: Dakota Fanning, Toni Collette, Alice Eve Runtime: 93 minutes Performances: 7/10 Screenplay: 4/10 Special Effects: N.A. Costumes/Makeup: 6/10 Editing: 5/10 Cinematography: 6/10 Score/Soundtrack:  4/10 Verdict:  A young autistic girl sets on a journey to submit a screenplay she wrote for a Star Trek competition in "Please Stand By", directed by Ben Lewin. A Star Trek fan (or Treky if I want to get technical) myself, I was really looking forward to watching this film, especially since the idea behind it was original and to some degree appropriate, as it is wildly regarded that Spock, much like the titular character of Wendy, has autistic traits. There are things I liked in it, and things I dislike. First of all, Dakota Fanning in the lead, while not being consistent in my opinion and far from the level of other actors who played similar roles (Sean Penn in "I Am Sam", which ironically also stars the now 24-year-old a...

Director: Brad Peyton Stars:  Dwayne Johnson, Naomi Harris, Malin Akerman Runtime: 107 minutes Performances: 6/10 Screenplay: 2/10 Special Effects: 5/10 Costumes/Makeup: 5/10 Editing: 4/10 Cinematography: 4/10 Score/Soundtrack:  5 /10 Verdict:  Inspired by the popular video game that made its debuts back in 1986, "Rampage" follows primatologist Davis Okoye as he goes on a mission to stop 3 genetically enhanced animals from destroying everything that stands in their way. I wasn't expecting much of this movie. After all, it's an action flick starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson where he has to defeat giant animals in order to save an entire city. And somehow, I still got out of the theater disappointed. It wasn't because the film was filled with obvious plot holes, lazy writing, and nonexistent character development, since they were rightfully and obviously not the filmmakers' priority, who knew that the people who were going to b...

Director: Lynne Ramsay Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Judith Roberts, Ekaterina Samsonov Runtime: 90 minutes Performances: 8/10 Screenplay: 7/10 Special Effects: N.A. Costumes/Makeup: 7/10 Editing: 6/10 Cinematography: 6/10 Score/Soundtrack:  7/10  Verdict:  "You Were Never Really  Here" follows Joe, a hired gun traumatized by a violent past on a blood-filled mission to retrieve a 13-year-old girl that went missing.  Ever since the film won the awards for Best Screenplay and Best Actor at Cannes, I have been eagerly waiting for a chance to watch it. I don't know if I enjoyed it as much as I wanted to, but it certainly stuck in my head for a couple of days. The subject dealt with throughout the movie is a disturbing one, and returning director Lynne Ramsay (whose last film was the excellent "We Need to Talk About Kevin", back in 2011) does a great job translating that sense of disturbance to the audience through a quite unique soun...

Director: Ritesh Batra Stars: Robert Redford, Jane Fonda, Iain Armitage Runtime: 103 minutes Performances: 6/10 Screenplay: 4/10 Special Effects: N.A. Costumes/Makeup: 6/10 Editing: 5/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  6/10 Verdict:   Addie and Louis, two widows who have lived next to each other for decades, decide to get in a relationship à la “Friends with Benefits”, but minus the sex. The movie stars  Jane Fonda and Robert Redford,  two titans of the industry ,  and they’re by far the best thing about it. They did their best to give life to a film that felt like it was leading to nowhere since the very beginning, unfortunately without really succeeding. The story was incredibly boring and predictable, and I never felt invested in what the characters were going through. The writers did try to make the narrative more interesting by adding some family drama that never worked for me, and by introducing Addie’s grandson as a way t...

Director: Suzi Ewing Stars: Luke Evans, Kelly Reilly, Noel Clarke Runtime:  88 minutes Performances: 4/10 Screenplay: 1/10 Special Effects: N.A. Costumes/Makeup: 6/10 Editing: 4/10 Cinematography: 5/10 Score/Soundtrack:  4/10 Verdict:   Kidnapped by a man called Lewis, Cathy must try to outsmart him and find a way out of the cell he’s holding her prisoner in in Suzi Ewing’s thriller, “10x10”. I’m not going to say much about this movie, simply because it’s been made a million times and offers nothing new to the genre. The performances were laughable, the script predictable, cheesy, and unintentionally hilarious at times, the dialogue cringe worthy, the characters extremely unlikeable, and the ending weak and quite frankly, lazy. The only average thing the movie had going for it was its cinematography, which occasionally offered some interesting, symmetrical shots. “10x10” is only 88 minutes long, but felt a lot longer. I’d recommend skipping it. ...

Director: John Hughes Stars: Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Justin Henry Runtime: 93 minutes Performances: 6/10 Screenplay: 5/10 Special Effects: N.A. Costumes/Makeup: 8/10 Editing: 5/10 Cinematography: 5/10 Score/Soundtrack:  4/10 Verdict:   As suggested by its title, “Sixteen Candles” takes place on the sixteenth birthday of Samantha, which to her dismay is forgotten by her entire family. Add to that a couple of problems encountered at her high school, and what should’ve been a day of celebration and happiness turns into one of the worst days of her teenage years. The only reason I watched that movie is the fact that it was directed by John Hughes and starred Molly Ringwald, a combination that proved to be effective in one of my favorite coming of age movies ever made: “The Breakfast Club”. And while “Sixteen Candles” doesn’t hold up as much as its follow up, I still had a lot of fun watching it. Yes, almost everything in it, ranging from the ...

Director: Michael Haneke Stars: Isabelle Huppert, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Mathieu Kassovitz Runtime: 107 minutes Performances: 9/10 Screenplay: 6/10 Special Effects: N.A. Costumes/Makeup: 5/10 Editing: 6/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  N.A. Verdict:   I don’t really know how to describe Michael Haneke’s latest film since it’s more of a character (or family?) study than a narrative with a beginning, middle, and end. Having said that, out of the three movies directed by the German director that I have seen (the other two being “Amour” and the “Funny Games” remake), this one’s probably my least favorite. I’m not saying I didn’t like it. Far from it. The performances were all amazing, with a special mention to Fantine Harduin, who played the young Eve and who I hope I’ll see more of in the future. Isabelle Huppert and Jean-Louis Trintignant are as usual incredible, and truly proved why Haneke constantly casts them in his projects. Some of the re...

Director: Nora Twomey Stars: Saara Chaudry, Soma Chhaya, Noorin Gulamgaus Runtime:  94 minutes Animation: 9/10 Performances: 7/10 Screenplay: 8/10 Editing: 8/10 Cinematography: 9/10 Score/Soundtrack:  7/10 Verdict: Based on the best-selling novel by Deborah Ellis, "The Breadwinner" tells the story of Parvana who, after the arrest of her father, must disguise herself as a boy to provide for her family, as women are not allowed to walk alone or make a living in Kabul, Afghanistan. I absolutely loved almost every aspect of this movie. Beautifully animated, the film reminded me why 2D animation is still used in today's three-dimensional world. Not only are the characters ravishingly drawn, but so is the city of Kabul. However, what made the movie special to me was by far the excellent script, which sent a very powerful message about gender inequalities in the Middle East without rubbing it in the audience's face. The film also featured a story told ...

Director: John Krasinski Stars: Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Noah Jupe, Millicent Simmonds Runtime: 90 minutes Performances: 7/10 Screenplay: 5/10 Special Effects: N.A. Costumes/Makeup: 7/10 Editing: 8/10 Cinematography: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack:  6/10  Verdict:  Set in a world where any little sound immediately attracts deadly creatures, "A Quiet Place" follows a family of four and their struggle to survive in such horrific conditions. A longtime fan of John Krasinski and Emily Blunt, I was eagerly waiting for this movie to come out as it not only marks the first time the real-life couple star in a movie together, but was also directed by the man who is best known for playing Jim in the American version of "The Office". There's a lot I liked about this movie, starting with the performances. Krasinski and especially Blunt were truly great in their roles, bringing the emotional range needed for their characters to work. Noah Jupe and Millic...

Director: Kathryn Bigelow Stars: John Boyega, Anthony Mackie, Will Poulter Runtime: 143 minutes Performances: 8/10 Screenplay: 9/10 Special Effects: N.A. Costumes/Makeup: 7/10 Editing: 7/10 Cinematography: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack:  N.A. Verdict:   Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, “Detroit” is the true story of the riots that shook the city back in the late 1960s. I believe that the less you know about the events that take place in the movie, the more shocking and disturbing the experience is going to be. I went in completely blind, and was on the edge of my seat for the entire runtime of the film, which despite it being scary at first sight (almost two and a half hours long), never bothered me once. This feeling of shock was the result of excellent camera work and direction by Kathryn Bigelow. The entire film is shot with a shaky camera to make it look like a documentary, which constantly reminded me that what I was witnessing really did take place once. The...

Director: Bryan Bertino Stars: Zoe Kazan, Ella Ballentine, Aaron Douglas Runtime:  91 minutes Performances: 6/10 Screenplay: 2/10 Special Effects: N.A. Costumes/Makeup: 7/10 Editing: 6/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  6/10 Verdict:   Much like in Stephen King’s “Cujo”, “The Monster” follows Kathy and her daughter Lizzy as they are trapped in their car and surrounded by a mysterious, bloodthirsty creature. Horror films set in confined locations are not easy to make, and this movie perfectly illustrates why. For such a movie to work, moviegoers have to feel what the characters are feeling, which is usually translated to them with the use of tense and realistic filmmaking. And despite setting an atmosphere that very much checked both these criteria, the movie fails to deliver them, and this is mainly due to very unconvincing performances by Zoe Kazan and Ella Ballentine, as well as an incredibly poorly written script that followed the same f...

Director:  Duncan Jones Stars: Alexander Skarsgard, Paul Rudd, Justin Theroux Runtime: 126 minutes Performances: 5/10 Screenplay: 3/10 Special Effects: 7/10 Costumes/Makeup: 4/10 Editing: 5/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  8/10 Verdict:   Alexander Skarsgard stars as Leo, a man who lost his voice at an early age, and whose girlfriend’s mysterious disappearance sends him looking for her in a futuristic Berlin, where a couple of shady Americans character portrayed by Paul Rudd and Justin Theroux seem to have answers to his questions. There’s a good movie hidden somewhere in “Mute”, mainly showcased by the great design of the German capital and its futuristic aspects. You can really tell that Jones spent a lot of time crafting the neon-lit city, and even though some features of it can be considered as clichés (the costumes, for example), the end result was pretty impressive and nice to look at. Another thing I really liked was the score th...