Favorite films

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Pinned reviews

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  Black Narcissus 1947

  ★★★★ Watched by kiraaa_nightly 12 May 2021

  Enduring 100 minutes of racism against my people just to stare at David Farrar's bare chest😍

  Of course, the aesthetic pleasures and qualities of Black Narcissus run deeper than visceral sexuality, and its relationship to colonialism is more complicated than an accusation of racism implies. No, Black Narcissus is more than a British Birth of a Nation. It is intensely interested in the failures of British colonial rule of India, but its perspective remains blinkered and obscured, reducing its Indian…

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  Zero Dark Thirty 2012

  ★★★★★ Rewatched by kiraaa_nightly 17 Mar 2021 2

  Zero Dark Thirty has been hounded by accusations of inaccuracy, jingoism, Islamophobia, and the glorification of torture. Commissioned and paid for by the DoD, its critics charge, Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal's pitch-black thriller is an expression of American bloodlust.

  The inaccurate portrayals of the Middle East and Islam, the lack of characterization of anyone who isn't a CIA spook, and the graphic depictions of torture all warrant critique and examination. But Zero Dark Thirty is such a rich text,…

Recent reviews

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  Mermaids 1990

  ★★★★★ Watched by kiraaa_nightly 16 May 2022

  I wish Cher was my mom man

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  Inland Empire 2006

  ★★★★★ Watched by kiraaa_nightly 10 May 2022

  Watched for the first time at IFC, remastered. Blown away, terrified, and elated all at once. This thing goes everywhere and yet has such a pointed message and clear throughline amidst all the disparate tones, settings, and stories. The last stretch of this film is so deeply unsettling that when we reach a place of genuine warmth, it too feels surreal and intangible. There's truly nothing like this and it might be my favorite Lynch. Of course, that's to be expected when you put three hours of Laura Dern in front of me.

Popular reviews

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  The Trial of the Chicago 7 2020

  ★★★ Watched by kiraaa_nightly 27 Sep 2020

  Like the best historical films, The Trial of the Chicago 7 is able to resonate in the year 2020 by simply showing us the story of 1968. Despite showboating courtroom scenes, a simplified narrative, and a saccharine ending, the film still manages to feel powerful and important.

  That doesn’t mean Sorkin avoids his usual pitfalls—in fact, he stumbles into nearly all of them. The ratatat dialogue can be enthralling until it isn’t. Sometimes a line simply rings false, but in…

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  The Handmaiden 2016

  ★★★★★ Watched by kiraaa_nightly 21 Nov 2019

  What a wild fucking movie! Is it male gazey or just very gayzy? Both??? When the movie is so much about performance, specifically the performance of sex and love, and how we use those performances to get what we want, it’s difficult to parse exactly where the line is between exploitation and honest art. Either way, the story is incredible, the performances are pitch-perfect, and it is v fun to watch. Also, yes, it’s hot