The Letterboxd film roundup (March – April 2023)

Hey folks! Welcome back to the somewhat monthly Letterboxd film roundup. Haven’t seen as many films this past month, party due to holidays, but saw some exceptional films, and other questionable ones, both new and old. As usual, feel free to follow our Letterboxd account for more film reviews and recommendations.

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The Guilty (2021)

Yeah, no. The acting, writing and overall tone of the film was super underwhelming and laughable to me, and also quite predictable. The whole trying to humanize a piece of shit cop pleading guilty to manslaughter also doesn’t sit right with me. Giving it some stars just for it being marginally entertaining (2.5/5 ⭐)

Crimes of the Future (2022)

A gory, often shocking body horror from one of the greats, though I did feel let down by the lack of story resolution. Quite a few loose-ends that deserved more closure, but the great performances and the varied themes of how humans and ‘evolved’ humans deal with / and will deal in the future with, pain is interesting, and shows Cronenberg’s knack for challenging audiences. It merits a positive overall reaction (3.5/5 ⭐)

Close (2022)

A powerfully emotive tale about friendship, love, loss and grief. Shed a tear at one of the final scenes of the film, and the sad, gut wrenching reality of what life and death can bring emotionally to teenage boys going through their own struggles is really tough, but rewarding watching. (4/5 ⭐)

Possessor (2020)

This was one of the best films I’ve seen in a while. The story was absolutely gripping, with themes of body and mind control and the impact that has one one’s health, both physical and mental, done with such enough gruesome action and captivating visuals making this a real treat for the eyes. The soundtrack, combined with the great writing makes it great for the ears as well. A phenomenal movie, can’t wait to see Brandon Cronenberg’s others. (5/5 ⭐)

Triangle of Sadness (2022)

An interesting film, both thematically and the way it was written, with interesting but very unlikeable characters. It was very well shot, as are all Östlund films, but it felt a bit directionless and wasn’t subtle in the representation of its themes, which to an extent felt too cliché at times. Nevertheless, it was an entertaining watch, despite its length, and one that could welcome a rewatch at some point, as there were some, memorable, funny moments throughout. (3.5/5 ⭐)

Chopping Mall (1986)

more comedy than horror, less chopping than expected, characters more annoying than likeable. Entertaining tho! Thank you, have a nice day! (3.5/5 ⭐)

Fallen Angels (1995)

A claustrophobic, colourful and sometimes disorienting film about the complexities of love and the impact on loneliness on a person’s identity. It’s a deep and fascinating watch, and the cinematography throughout, the use of colour and the dark nature of it in general makes it aesthetically great. The soundtrack and music was pretty great too! (4/5 ⭐)

Raging Bull (1980)

Reviewing just because I rewatched it in cinemas recently. A classic and one of Scorsese’s finest (4.5/5 ⭐)

Suzume (2022)

The whole film was just a complete joy to watch. The story was interesting, intense and beautiful, with incredible visuals and characters that were colourful, as well as a fascinating theme of going back in time and revisiting what home and love means to the protagonists. (4.5/5 ⭐)

The Invitation (2022)

Despite how awful the dialogue, soundtrack, some of the acting was, was slightly more entertaining then I anticipated, though it did drag on a bit too much and the ending was very anticlimactic. (2/5 ⭐)

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