Black Widow
It’s so good to see a new Marvel movie. It’s easy to get an action fix, but Marvel films just hit different.
Bill & Ted Face the Music
This is a delightful movie.
The Mitchells vs The Machines
This is a brilliant film that’ll be in heavy rotation in my home for years to come.
Tom Clancy's Without Remorse
I’m confused by this film.
Godzilla vs Kong
The “vs” in the title is inaccurate.
Zack Snyder's Justice League
This is such an odd cultural artifact.
The Trial of the Chicago 7
I see why writer/director Aaron Sorkin was attracted to this real-world story.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
The writing is atrocious and some of the effects are iffy, but …
Mank
This is a charming film that’s anchored by charming performances.
Nomadland
“Nomadland” follows a pensive woman named Fern (Frances McDormand) as she wanders across the western United States.
Tom and Jerry
A very dumb movie.
Sonic the Hedgehog
It’s remarkable what low expectations can yield.
Flora and Ulysses
As films about superhero squirrels go, this isn’t half bad.
The Hobbit
I’m evaluating the three “Hobbit” movies as a single entity because, really, it’s just one long story.
One Night in Miami
This is a powerful film that captures a tipping point in America.
Locked Down
You know what I didn’t need? This movie.
Clue
I hadn’t realized how sophisticated the IP-to-film process had become until I re-watched 1985’s “Clue.”
Tenet
I’ve watched “Tenet” two times and I think I understand most of it. Maybe.
Birds of Prey
I had no reason to think “Birds of Prey” would work.
Footloose (1984)
I must have seen this film in pieces in the past. I remembered sections but I didn’t remember the entire story.
13 Going on 30
It’s a cute but frivolous film that benefits from great music and a cast that’s better than the material.
Death to 2020
Too soon.
Soul
There are two types of Pixar films: Fun Pixar and transcendent Pixar.
The Midnight Sky
This is not a science fiction film. Anyone going into it expecting sci-fi thrills is going to be disappointed.
Wonder Woman 1984
“Wonder Woman 1984” needs to be 25 minutes shorter.
The Princess Switch: Switched Again
Because I am a completist–or a masochist–I watched this sequel to “The Princess Switch.”
The Princess Switch
A very dumb holiday movie.
The Lovebirds
The first 2/3rds of “The Lovebirds” is a series of comedy riffs.
Happiest Season
This is a cute and clunky holiday film.
Mulan (2020)
I have questions about “Mulan.”
Kingdom of Heaven
What is this movie?
Easy A
“Easy A” is a bad movie that’s transformed into a decent movie through the sheer likability of Emma Stone.
The Abyss
I know this movie is ridiculous, but I have always loved it.
On the Rocks
This film has a specific vibe, but I’m struggling to define it.
Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles
“Interview with the Vampire” is campy and dark and borderline Grand Guignol. And those are the things I like about it.
Newsies
“Newsies” is a mess.
Terminator: Dark Fate
I don’t understand why this movie exists. It’s a perfectly fine action trifle and it’s perhaps the best of the recent “Terminator” films. But was there a great thirst for another “Terminator” installment?
A Knight's Tale
It’s such a shame Heath Ledger died.
Gemini Man
They thought de-aging technology was far enough along to have Will Smith play a current and younger version of himself in the same film. They were wrong.
Must read: Oral history of Best in Show
The Ringer has a tremendous oral history of “Best in Show” that coincides with the film’s 20th anniversary.
The Take (aka Bastille Day)
This was renamed “The Take” after being released in theaters as “Bastille Day.”
Set It Off
I’m confused by this film.
Thor: The Dark World
I saw “Thor: The Dark World” on an airplane many years ago. That’s probably why I didn’t remember it.
Contact
I care about what this movie represents.
The One and Only Ivan
“The One and Only Ivan” tells the (true? truish?) story of a gorilla who lives in captivity and is part of a small animal circus run out of a mall. Really. Animal show in a mall.
RoboCop
What a wonderfully bonkers movie.
State of Play
How many good journalism movies are there? I mean, really good journalism movies. Not adequate. Not okay. But damn fine movies set in the journalism world?
In Bruges
This movie is a mish-mash of tones.
Michael Clayton
They don’t make movies like this anymore.
Bridesmaids
There are parts of “Bridesmaids” that are really funny, but the film is a series of set pieces rather than an actual story.
Justice League
“Justice League” is the third best DC extended universe (DCEU) movie after “Wonder Woman” and “Shazam,” but that’s not saying much.
Ford v Ferrari
Matt Damon and Christian Bale are both very good and the racing scenes are visceral, but the film is too long.
The Call of the Wild
Oh, Buck. Because you’re a computer-generated dog in a live-action movie, you never look quite right.
Long Shot
Ah, low expectations. You yield such wonderful surprises.
Palm Springs
After muddling my way through the high-priced action fair on Netflix—and lamenting how none if it is particularly good—I went into this Hulu movie with trepidation.
The Old Guard
“The Old Guard” has an interesting idea.
Superman (1978)
I revisited this film to remember what a circa-1978 blockbuster looked like.
John Wick 3 - Parabellum
Like the first two “John Wick” movies, the plot in “John Wick 3” is less important than the choreographed violence and the world building.
Hobbs & Shaw
The stunts are good. The cast is charismatic. The writing is horrible.
Black Hawk Down
I always enjoy Ridley Scott movies. He’s a confident and skilled director.
Knives Out
This movie is a little long–it could have been 10 minutes shorter–but it’s a fun and twisty murder mystery with lots of good performances.
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Tom Hanks as Mister Rogers. Yep! That works!
Ronin
This move came out in 1998, but it’s got the look and sensibilities of a 1970s crime / heist thriller.
The Kingdom
I saw this a long time ago. I watched it again because it was one of those movies that popped up on Starz and I had a vague memory of liking it–or maybe just not hating it?
Salt
This movie has a promising start, but it degrades into a muddled mess of action and double crosses.
Master and Commander
“Master and Commander” is a lively and straightforward film.
I Am Not Your Negro
This documentary focuses on writer and activist James Baldwin.
Bad Teacher
I usually like Cameron Diaz, but this film doesn’t take advantage of her comedic talent.
The Social Network
I’d only seen “The Social Network” once before, but I was inspired to watch it again after it popped up on a lot of the “best of the 2010s” lists.
Mad Max: Fury Road
I saw “Fury Road” years back but I only remembered the feeling it created. The details were hazy.
Bad Boys II
This is the worst movie I’ve ever seen.
John Carter
It’s amazing what low expectations can yield.
Den of Thieves
I liked parts of this movie but I didn’t like the movie itself.
National Treasure
I thought I had seen this movie, but I guess I saw the second one.
Extraction
“Extraction” has great action sequences, but the story isn’t much of anything and it’s clear it wasn’t meant to be.
Venom
I liked this. I didn’t expect to. But I did.
Escape from New York
This is a bizarre film.
The Freshman
I saw this years ago and liked it. I rewatched it and liked it even more.
Angels & Demons
About 3/4 of the way through this movie I was thinking “this is so much better than ‘The Da Vinci Code’.”
Never Surrender: A Galaxy Quest Documentary
This documentary about “Galaxy Quest” makes me want to rewatch “Galaxy Quest” because I apparently didn’t pay close enough attention the first one or two times.
Sicario: Day of the Soldado
I don’t recall the specifics of the first “Sicario” all that well, but I remember the feeling.
Smokin' Aces
A very dumb movie.
The Conversation
I decided to watch this again after re-watching “Enemy of the State.”
The Da Vinci Code
I saw this when it came out in 2006.
Zombieland: Double Tap
I remember enjoying “Zombieland,” but I didn’t know I’d ever want a sequel.
The Hunt for the Wilderpeople
Taika Waititi is a fascinating director.
Onward
I didn’t expect to watch this, even though I love many of Pixar’s movies.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
I’m not a big fan of Quentin Tarantino. I think the only movie of his I own is “Pulp Fiction.” But I’m not not a fan of his either.
American Gangster
I like Ridley Scott. I like Denzel Washington. I like Russell Crowe. But I didn’t like this movie.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
I saw “Rise of Skywalker” in the theater when it came out in December 2019, but I forgot to put it on this list. The digital edition was released in mid-March of 2020 so this entry represents the second and third times I’ve seen the film.
Fighting with My Family
I started watching this on a plane months ago and didn’t have a chance to finish it until now.
The Irishman
I appreciate the obvious skill of this film, but I don’t understand the fixation and infatuation with bad men doing bad things.
The Laundromat
I don’t know what this is. It’s technically a movie.
Unstoppable
This is one of the tightest, simplest, most entertaining action movies I’ve ever seen.
What We Do in the Shadows
This is a faux documentary about a group of vampires who live together. How’s that for a set up?
Booksmart
Pretty damn great.
The Report
I enjoy historical stories that seek to show the inherently messy nature of democracy, and that the messiness is a feature, not a bug.
Inside Man
I think I only saw this once before, likely right after it came out in 2006, and I remember liking it quite a lot.
The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)
I thought I liked this movie.
The Spy Who Dumped Me
“The Spy Who Dumped Me” is a rare R-rated comedy.
6 Underground
What happens when Netflix gives Michael Bay a blank check and an R rating?
Creed II
There are parts of this movie that are quite good: Tessa Thompson, Michael B. Jordan, and Sylvester Stallone all give strong performances.
Late Night
Mindy Kaling wrote and stars in this comedy opposite Emma Thompson. I appreciated that this didn’t turn into a romantic comedy.
Spider-Man: Far From Home
Tom Holland is the best Peter Parker. Zendaya is really charismatic.