When people ask me whether or not I liked this movie I ask...which one?

The first movie was raw, intense, and an intimate portrayal of the suffocating expectations of a young black athlete. It shows unwavering commitment to success, success that is only achieved by the accumulation of his bodily capital. An injury leads him down a road of destruction and harm. An intense soundtrack accompanies the gradual deterioration of his life. The climax of the film genuinely made me…

Wow.

Usually when I google a movie and the first thing to pop up is “______ explained” it is a sign of bad film making. I think that when a director makes something that requires the viewer to watch a film essay afterwards is not a sign of good filmmaking. Rather, it is the fault of the director for not making the message of a film clear. I really dislike leaving a movie feeling stupid and as if the movie…

Luca Guadagnino's Call Me by Your Name is, hands down, one of the best movies romance movies of all time. The whole movie was stunningly atmospheric. Guadagnino's intentional use of a consistent camera lense made the audience feel like they were among the characters, basking in the Italian sun. Guadagnino manipulated color to create a sensual warmth that came beaming from the screen. There was lack of scripted lines, and yet such complicated feelings for the main character, Ellio Perlman,…

First Reformed tells the story of Reverend Toller, a leader of a small, historical, and deeply traditional church. One day he is approached by a pregnant woman in his parish urging him to come talk to her husband, Micheal. Her husband, a formerly incarcerated radical environmentalist, is convinced that it would be immoral to bring a child into this deteriorating world. At first, Reverend Toller starkly disagrees with Micheal’s assessment, but as the film progresses, his thoughts become more radicalized…