Movies Graded

Director: Sidney Lumet Stars: Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Martin Balsam Runtime:  96 minutes Synopsis:  A jury holdout attempts to prevent a miscarriage of justice by forcing his colleagues to reconsider the evidence. Performances: 10/10 Screenplay: 10/10 Editing: 10/10 Cinematography: 9/10 Verdict: The movie opens in a courtroom where a judge nonchalantly instructs the 12 members of a jury to decide the fate of a young man accused of murdering his father. That nonchalant attitude is still seen in the jury room, where everyone is taking that responsibility lightly, worrying instead about cracking jokes, lighting cigarettes, and get the job done quickly to get home in time for a baseball game. The verdict is clear to all of them: the kid is guilty without a reasonable doubt. A preliminary vote is conducted, which to many of them was only a formality, but to their dismay and annoyance, the 8th Juror doesn't share their enthusiasm and votes "Not Guilty...

Director: Severin Fiala, Veronika Franz Stars: Riley Keough, Jaeden Martell, Lia McHugh Runtime:  108 minutes Synopsis:  A soon-to-be stepmom is snowed in with her fiancé's two children at a remote holiday village. Just as relations begin to thaw between the trio, some strange and frightening events take place. Performances: 8/10 Screenplay: 6/10 Editing: 6/10 Cinematography: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack:  7/10 Verdict: Branded by many as the next big horror film, I have been eager to check out "The Lodge" ever since the positive buzz about it started spreading around. I have a soft spot for the horror genre, especially the psychological kind, and this one seemed to be right up my alley. And I'm glad to say that the film did a lot of things right. The gorgeous cinematography complemented by a haunting score did a fantastic job of building up the unnerving atmosphere. An atmosphere made even more effective thanks to Riley Keough's as always gre...

Director: Cory Finley Stars: Hugh Jackman, Ray Romano, Welker White Runtime:  103 minutes Synopsis:  The beloved superintendent of New York's Roslyn school district and his staff, friends, and relatives become the prime suspects in the unfolding of the single largest public school embezzlement scandal in American history. Performances: 9/10 Screenplay: 7/10 Editing: 8/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  7/10 Verdict: Based on a true scandal that took the American public school sector by storm, "Bad Education" serves as director Cory Finley's second directorial effort following "Thoroughbreds", which to me was one of the very best movies of 2017 and a pleasant surprise if there ever was one. In his newest project, Hugh Jackman flawlessly portrays Frank Tassone, a beloved, perfect-in-every-way superintendent whose life takes a drastic turn when some secrets begin to surface. Aside from the exceptional performances by not only...

Director: Michael Haneke Stars: Jean-Louis Trintignant, Emmanuelle Riva, Isabelle Huppert Runtime:  127 minutes Synopsis:  Georges and Anne are an octogenarian couple. They are cultivated, retired music teachers. Their daughter, also a musician, lives in Britain with her family. One day, Anne has a stroke, and the couple's bond of love is severely tested. Performances: 10/10 Screenplay: 9/10 Editing: 9/10 Cinematography: 9/10 Verdict: A horror movie without actually being one, Michael Haneke's "Amour" tells the haunting story of an elderly couple whose love for one another is tested when one of them suffers a stroke. What makes the winner of the 2012 Palme d'Or such a devastating watch is its portrayal of the illness, and how it affected both Georges and Anne, amazingly portrayed by Jean-Louis Trintignant and the late Emmanuelle Riva. It's not easy to witness the person with whom you shared a good portion of your life with fall into ...

Director: Kris Pearn Stars: Will Forte, Maya Rudolph, Alessia Cara Runtime:  90 minutes Synopsis:  Convinced they'd be better off raising themselves, the Willoughby children hatch a sneaky plan to send their selfish parents on vacation. The siblings then embark on their own high-flying adventure to find the true meaning of family. Animation: 8/10 Performances: 7/10 Screenplay: 5/10 Editing: 5/10 Score/Soundtrack:   7 /10 Entertainment Factor:  5/10 Verdict: After the successes of "Klaus" and "I Lost My Body" last year, I was eager to see what else Netflix had in its promising animated box. And while it certainly prides itself with having gorgeous animation, I can't help but feel that "The Willoughbys" was a bit of a misstep for them. That is not to say that I didn't find the message behind it, which tackles the question of what truly constitutes a family, to be a pretty great one, but my issues rather come from the ...

Director: Benh Zeitlin  Stars:  Yashua Mack, Devin France, Gage Naquin Runtime:  111 minutes Synopsis:  Lost on a mysterious island where aging and time have come unglued, Wendy must fight to save her family, her freedom, and the joyous spirit of youth from the deadly peril of growing up. Performances: 5/10 Screenplay: 5/10 Editing: 6/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  8/10 Verdict: It was only a few weeks ago that I found myself wondering what Benh Zeitlin was working on these days. Ever since his wildly acclaimed directorial debut "Beasts of the Southern Wild", which earned him an Oscar nomination, he proceeded to completely disappear from the filmmaking map. A couple of days later, the trailer for "Wendy" dropped and I was instantly sold. The most important thing to remember going into the movie is the fact that it's not an exact retelling of the Peter Pan story. The Darling family doesn't live in a big house in L...

Director:  Tomomi Mochizuki Stars:   Nobuo Tobita, Toshihiko Seki, Yoko Sakamoto  Runtime:  76 minutes Synopsis:   As a young man returns home after his first year away at college he recalls his senior year of high school and the iron-willed, big city girl that turned his world upside down. Animation: 8/10 Screenplay: 6/10 Editing: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  7/10 Verdict: Even when they're not great, there's always something about Studio Ghibli's projects that make them moving to watch. "Ocean Waves" has a bit of a messy structure, and the synopsis, at its core, doesn't really tell a story we haven't seen a million times already. Also known as "I Can Hear the Sea", the animated film focuses on a love triangle between three high school students, brought together by a school trip to Hawaii. It's a heartwarming tale of love, friendship, and, in a way, repressed sexuality that despite being a little chaotic, still prides i...

Director: Steven Spielberg Stars: Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Alison Doody Runtime:  126 minutes Synopsis:  In 1938, after his father Professor Henry Jones, Sr. goes missing while pursuing the Holy Grail, Professor Henry "Indiana" Jones, Jr. finds himself up against  Adolf Hitler 's Nazis again to stop them from obtaining its powers. Performances: 8/10 Screenplay: 7/10 Editing: 8/10 Cinematography: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack:  8/10 Entertainment Factor:  8/10 Verdict: "Last Crusade" is the final entry in the Indiana Jones franchise. Released 8 years after first, it sees the main hero ride off into the sunset and retirement from the archeology field. I'm glad that they knew when to stop and didn't pointlessly go for a fourth movie set 20 years after this one that ruins everything the series had build over the course of a decade. Can you imagine if Spielberg greenlit a film in which Indiana Jones is 60 years old and battling off Sov...

Director: Steven Spielberg Stars: Harrison Ford, Kate Capshaw, Ke Huy Quan Runtime:  118 minutes Synopsis:  In 1935, Indiana Jones arrives in India, still part of the British Empire, and is asked to find a mystical stone. He then stumbles upon a secret cult committing enslavement and human sacrifices in the catacombs of an ancient palace. Performances: 7/10 Screenplay: 7/10 Editing: 6/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  8/10 Entertainment Factor:  8/10 Verdict: To this day, I still have no idea how that movie received a PG rating despite containing some of the most frightening and traumatizing scenes in any mainstream adventure film. But that never stopped me from watching it over and over again as a kid, and quite frankly my most recent rewatch of it was quite a pleasant one despite it being nowadays labeled as the weak link of the trilogy. The prequel takes place a year prior to the events of "Raiders", and sees Indiana Jones on ...

Director: Steven Spielberg Stars: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman Runtime:  115 minutes Synopsis:  In 1936, archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the U.S. government to find the Ark of the Covenant before  Adolf Hitler 's Nazis can obtain its awesome powers. Performances: 8/10 Screenplay: 7/10 Editing: 7/10 Cinematography: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack:  9/10 Entertainment Factor:  7/10 Verdict: Growing up, I used to idolize the character of Indiana Jones. The original trilogy most certainly belongs on the list of movies I've watched most times, and I'll always feel nostalgic towards it. I was initially planning on revisiting the franchise just before the 5th installment was due to come out, but since I don't see it getting any sort of release any time soon, I decided to break the pact I made with myself and for the first time in years, witnessed Indy fight off Nazis in search of the Ark of the Covenant. Right off t...

Director: Alice Winocour Stars: Eva Green, Zélie Boulant, Matt Dillon Runtime:  107 minutes Synopsis:  An astronaut prepares for a one-year mission aboard the International Space Station. Performances: 9/10 Screenplay: 8/10 Editing: 7/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  6/10 Verdict: I've always been a big fan of Eva Green, but it's been a while since she released a film I genuinely enjoyed. In fact, she hasn't been very active as of late, with only about 4 releases to her name in the past 5 or 6 years. "Proxima", for me, marks the French actress' return to glory. It's by far her best work in years, and quite possibly one of my favorite films of 2019. Directed by Alice Winocour, it follows the relationship between an astronaut set to go on a year-long mission in space and her daughter, who's having a hard time adjusting to the big change that's about to hit her. Despite showing us the ruthless training that our m...

Director: Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi Stars: Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi, Jonny Brugh Runtime:  86 minutes Synopsis:   Viago, Deacon and Vladislav are vampires who are finding that modern life has them struggling with the mundane - like paying rent, keeping up with the chore wheel, trying to get into nightclubs and overcoming flatmate conflicts. Performances: 5/5 Screenplay: 4/5 Special Effects: 4/5 Costumes/Makeup: 4/5 Editing: 3/5 Cinematography: 3/5 Score/Soundtrack:  4/5 Entertainment Factor: 4/5 Verdict: "What We Do in the Shadows" is an absolute gem of a comedy and the film that put Taika Waititi on the map. The 2014 Kiwi mockumentary follows a group of vampire roommates, each inspired by a different historical vampire (Nosferatu, Dracula, or Edward Cullen), as they attempt to adapt to modern life in the city. Starring co-directors Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement, I strongly believe that "What We Did in the Shadows" is one...

Director: Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava Stars: Patton Oswald, Ian Holm, Lou Romano Runtime:  111 minutes Synopsis:  A rat who can cook makes an unusual alliance with a young kitchen worker at a famous restaurant. Animation: 8/10 Screenplay: 7/10 Editing: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack:  9/10 Verdict: Where there's a will, there's a way. The message of what I consider to be my favorite Pixar release to date couldn't be any clearer. Set in a gorgeously animated city of Paris, the story of Remy the Rat's journey into the world of haute cuisine is nothing short of inspiring for young and old audiences alike. It's unfortunately not exempt from Pixar's formula of which we're all well too familiar with at this point, but it's at the same time driven by its innocence, its simplicity, its eagerness to tell a multilayered narrative that will resonate with anyone who watches it. It prides itself in having an immersive atmosphere that, thanks to Michael G...

Director: Elem Klimov Stars:  Aleksey Kravchenko, Olga Mironova, Liubomiras Laucevicius  Runtime:  142 minutes Synopsis:  After finding an old rifle, a young boy joins the Soviet resistance movement against ruthless German forces and experiences the horrors of World War II. Performances: 10/10 Screenplay: 9/10 Editing: 8/10 Cinematography: 9/10 Verdict: Elem Klimov's "Come and See" is one of the most powerful war films ever made. Taking place in Belarus during WW2, it follows a young boy's journey as a member of the Soviet resistance movement and sees him witnessing the horrors and inhumanities of the conflict. Aleksey Kravchenko's facial expressions combined with Klimov's technical execution make the movie an extremely immersive one, for better or worse. It invites you into the mind of the protagonist, turning the viewers into active participants in the narrative. You'll almost get out of it with PTSD because it features som...

Director: Park Chan-wook Stars: Song Kang-ho, Kim Ok-bin, Choi Hee-jin Runtime:  148 minutes Synopsis:  Through a failed medical experiment, a priest is stricken with vampirism and is forced to abandon his ascetic ways. Performances: 8/10 Screenplay: 7/10 Editing: 6/10 Cinematography: 9/10 Score/Soundtrack:  8/10 Verdict: Directed by legendary Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook, mostly known for films such as "Oldboy" or "The Handmaiden", "Thirst" doesn't exactly serve as a twist on the vampire mythos, but rather redefines the romance genre. Loosely based on Emile Zola's "Thérèse Raquin", it tells the very unconventional love story between a blood-thirsty priest and an unhappily married woman. It's a very sensual watch, filled with gruesome imagery that will bother more than one, that very effectively discusses themes of morality, desire, and passion. The two lead performances by  Song Kang-ho and Kim Ok-bin ar...

Director: Christopher Nolan Stars:  Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain Runtime:  169 minutes Synopsis:  A team of explorers travel through a wormhole in space in an attempt to ensure humanity's survival. Performances: 8/10 Screenplay: 6/10 Editing: 7/10 Cinematography: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack:  9/10 Verdict: From masterpiece to overrated, Christopher Nolan's "Interstellar" has been labeled pretty much everything. I personally was enchanted by it the first time I watched it on an IMAX screen, but a recent rewatch made me reevaluate my position on it. It's still certainly an impressive feature, in which the visuals, score, and approach to theoretical physics were its most interesting elements. As someone with a background in science, it was refreshing to see a mainstream movie that tackles wormholes, time dilation, and black holes in the way "Interstellar" did. And despite some decisions that felt incredibly chee...

Director: Carlo Mirabella-Davis Stars: Haley Bennett, Austin Stowell, Denis O'Hare Runtime:  94 minutes Synopsis:  Hunter, a newly pregnant housewife, finds herself increasingly compelled to consume dangerous objects. As her husband and his family tighten their control over her life, she must confront the dark secret behind her new obsession. Performances: 7/10 Screenplay: 6/10 Editing: 6/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  6/10 Verdict: For a movie with such an ugly poster, "Swallow" was quite the pleasant surprise! Starring Haley Bennett, the film follows Hunter, a pregnant housewife who, having long lost control over her life, picks up a nasty habit of swallowing random things whole just to feel something. If you've seen Elizabeth Moss' "The Invisible Man", it feels like a prequel to it in some way, where we get to witness the toxic marriage between a young, rich CEO and his unhappy wife. But what struck me the most ...

Director: Oz Perkins Stars: Sophia Lillis, Samuel Leaky, Charles Babalola Runtime:  87 minutes Synopsis:   A long time ago in a distant fairy tale countryside, a young girl leads her little brother into a dark wood in desperate search of food and work, only to stumble upon a nexus of terrifying evil. Performances: 5/10 Screenplay: 2/10 Editing: 4/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  5/10 Entertainment Factor:  3/10 Verdict: A dark retelling of the Grimm fairy tale isn't the worse idea on paper considering the twisted nature of the story itself. I mean think about it, it's about a cannibalistic witch that lures kids into her house to enslave and eat them. The fact that many children, me included, grew up with that fable is something to think about. "Gretel & Hansel" does follow the dark and gritty route, but unfortunately fails hard on delivering on its premise. I'm not even sure to which audience it's catering for, becaus...

Director: Denis Villeneuve Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Mélanie Laurent, Sarah Gadon Runtime:  91 minutes Synopsis:  A man seeks out his exact look-alike after spotting him in a movie. Performances: 10/10 Screenplay: 10/10 Editing: 9/10 Cinematography: 9/10 Score/Soundtrack:  8/10 Verdict:  "Chaos is order yet undeciphered." Denis Villeneuve's least accessible film to date opens with these mysterious words. And as "Enemy" progresses, chaos and confusion appear more and more to be a recurrent theme of what at one point in time was my favorite movie ever. The premise on paper appears to be simple: While watching a movie recommended to him by a coworker, a history teacher, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, is shocked to discover that one of the actors resembles him to the last detail. He then naturally becomes obsessed with uncovering the truth about his doppelganger, who's revealed to be a married man expected to soon become a father. Without ...

Director: Karim Aïnouz Stars:  Julia Stockler, Carol Duarte, Flávia Gusmão Runtime:  139 minutes Synopsis:  Kept apart by a terrible lie and a conservative society, two sisters born in Rio de Janeiro make their way through life each believing the other is living out her dreams half a world away. Performances: 9/10 Screenplay: 8/10 Editing: 7/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack: 8/10 Verdict: Guida and Euridice are two sisters who have always been there for one another. That is until an impulsive decision by the former suddenly sends her to Greece, leaving her family in a state of shock in her hometown of Rio de Janeiro. But it's what comes after that event that makes the movie such a riveting and depressing one about broken dreams and the effect toxic masculinity has on women's lives. The chemistry between the two sisters was palpable, and that is despite them barely sharing any scenes together. You can tell that they deeply...

Director: Eliza Hittman Stars: Sidney Flanigan, Talia Ryder, Théodore Pellerin Runtime:  101 minutes Synopsis:  A pair of teenage girls in rural Pennsylvania travel to New York City to seek out medical help after an unintended pregnancy. Performances: 9/10 Screenplay: 7/10 Editing: 7/10 Cinematography: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack:  7/10 Verdict: If you've seen Eliza Hittman's previous project "Beach Rats", you pretty much already have an idea of the tone her newest film adopts. But if you're not familiar with the indie filmmaker's style, let me just warn you first and foremost that her movies aren't exactly joyous, fast-paced rides that will leave the audience entertained. They're heavy, emotional, and deal with themes that a lot will find haunting. In "Never Rarely Sometimes Always", we follow a teenager who, with the help of her cousin, travels from Pennsylvania to New York City to get an abortion without having to get...

Director: Greta Gerwig Stars: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts Runtime:  94 minutes Synopsis:   In 2002, an artistically inclined seventeen-year-old girl comes of age in Sacramento, California. Performances: 9/10 Screenplay: 8/10 Editing: 7/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  6/10 Verdict:  Obviously inspired by some aspects of her own upbringing, Greta Gerwig's directorial debut serves as much more than a regular coming of age story. The Oscar-nominated film, which holds a score of 99% on Rotten Tomatoes, follows the last few months of the rebellious Christine's Catholic high school days and her struggles to fit in a world clearly not designed for her. It's a dramatic yet comedic look at the importance of finding one's own voice without taking anything for granted. The relationship between the self-named "Lady Bird" and her mother, respectfully played by the talented Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf, is one of the film...

Director: Damien Chazelle Stars: Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Jason Clarke Runtime:  141 minutes Synopsis:  A look at the life of the astronaut,  Neil Armstrong , and the legendary space mission that led him to become the first man to walk on the Moon on July 20, 1969. Performances: 10/10 Screenplay: 8/10 Editing: 9/10 Cinematography: 9/10 Score/Soundtrack:  8/10 Special Effects: 10/10 Verdict: Despite being Damien Chazelle's most recent release, "First Man" also serves as the young director's least talked about movie to date. "Whiplash" and "La La Land" are both instant classics in my eyes, and while I do enjoy both of them over the Neil Armstrong biopic, I still believe that it deserves as much acclaim as his previous projects. "First Man" is quite the departure from Chazelle's very musical-heavy style, and that may be the reason why people don't remember it as fondly. Ironically enough, it acts as a ...

Director: Derek Cianfrance Stars: Ryan Gosling, Michelle Williams, John Doman Runtime:  112 minutes Synopsis:  The relationship of a contemporary married couple, charting their evolution over a span of years by cross-cutting between time periods. Performances: 9/10 Screenplay: 8/10 Editing: 9/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  7/10 Verdict: Don't be fooled by the title or the fact that it stars the guy from "The Notebook" (in 2010, that's the role Gosling was most known for), because "Blue Valentine" is definitely not your typical date night romantic flick. It serves instead as a devastating look at a failing marriage, or rather at the different stages of that imperfect relationship. Told through a very fitting non-linear narrative that alternates between tones, we see the characters of Dean and Cindie evolve into something they despise. We witness them go from being likable to unlikable, joyful to sinister. In a way, it...

Director: William Eubank Stars: Kristen Stewart, Vincent Cassel, T.J. Miller Runtime:  95 minutes Synopsis:   A crew of oceanic researchers working for a deep-sea drilling company try to get to safety after a mysterious earthquake devastates their deepwater research and drilling facility located at the bottom of the Mariana Trench. Performances: 5/10 Screenplay: 3/10 Editing: 4/10 Cinematography: 5/10 Score/Soundtrack:  4/10 Entertainment Factor:  3/10 Verdict:   Someone watched "Life" (2017) on a boat and made a movie about it. And like its inspiration, it's pretty generic, boring, and lacking depth (pun intended). FINAL GRADE:  4/10

Director: Sean Baker Stars: Brooklynn Prince, Bria Vinaite, Willem Dafoe Runtime: 111 minutes Performances: 10/10 Screenplay: 8/10 Costumes/Makeup: 9/10 Editing:  6/10 Cinematography:  8/10 Verdict:  Sean Baker became known to the public in 2015 with the release of "Tangerine", a movie entirely shot on an iPhone that I strongly suggest checking out. Two years later, he came back with a film that very much feels related to its predecessor as it also is driven by the study of its characters and the conditions they live in. "The Florida Project" follows Moonee and her relationship with her rebellious mother, Halley, who lives in a motel just next door to the happiest place on Earth. The decision to set this movie just outside Disney World added so much depth and contrast to both its atmosphere and themes of poverty, friendship, and the innocence of childhood. The film's purpose is to serve as a look at the lives of those unfortunate enough to li...