The last movie you've seen thread 2020

[Progressive Pessimist]

The last movie I watched was 'Double Dragon.' It's terrible, but also kind of endearing.

[Progressive Pessimist]

Oh boy, I just watched 'The Intruder' on cable. It's about a black couple who buy a house from Dennis Quaid's character who is still obsessed with it and keeps finding ways to insert himself into their lives. It came out last year, and my mom and her boyfriend said I should watch it. I heard it was enjoyably bad, even though they unironically enjoyed it. So I checked it out.

It's not the worst movie ever, nor is it that good of a bad movie, but Dennis Quaid absolutely makes this film! He is so over-the-top and lacking in subtlety. He acts as bonkers as his brother, Randy, does in real-life! Additionally the way the characters react to his craziness throughout the film, one in particular, is especially amusing. The wife character never seems to pick up on any of the hints that he may be dangerous and keeps making excuses for him. Beyond that, it's your run-of-the-mill trashy, psychological thriller with extremely predictable "twists and turns," subplots that go nowhere, and one of the worst and most abrupt endings I have ever seen in a film. I do kind of recommenced renting it or catching it on cable actually, but only if you tend to ironically enjoy sub-par movies.

There are also some subtle political messages in the film that many reviewers on IMDB obsessed over. IMDB is an underrated toxic part of the internet by the way; that I, for some reason, can't resist visiting and reading reviews on for some reason. And in reading a review for it, I feel that I needed to address the political subtext that some picked up on for the sake of my own catharsis.

The movie portrays Dennis Quaid's character as a guy who loves to hunt deer and is always carrying his rifle, but the main character had a brother who died of gun violence and so always insists that Quaid's character not bring his gun onto their property. Then at the end of the movie SPOILERS (if you really care) Quaid's character finally tries to kill the two main characters with his rifle and take his house back, but they manage to get the better of him and cripple him with a bat. Following that the main character, who previously hated guns, kills Quaid with his own rifle. That's where the movie abruptly stops and cuts to credits by the way-I can't call it an ending, since it doesn't actually "end."

So, people have been interpreting the film as having a left wing bias where Quaid is a red hat (not a MAGA hat, but still a red one) wearing older white man who terrorizes and gets killed by a younger black couple. But then when you take how the gun subplot is handled, that doesn't seem like the case. Of course, the main character doesn't even actually use the gun to get the better of Quaid, he uses a bat to disarm and give him a concussion or something, and then basically just kills Quaid for no reason after that, but still makes it seem like he is now embracing firearms. The police were already on their way though, they could have just let him be arrested. If you saw how badly he was injured, he wasn't getting up.

So considering how muddled that aspect of the film was, I don't think that this picture actually did have a coherent message it wanted to sell the audience on. His hat wasn't a MAGA hat, it had a deer on it even though it was red. He never says anything to indicate that he is even a right winger, outside of hunting deer "for sport" maybe, which still isn't exactly mutually exclusive with being a liberal Democrat. And it doesn't seem to really endorse nor oppose guns. This movie isn't smart enough to have a political message! I think, as usual, right wing internet users are reading too much into a movie, that quite frankly doesn't deserve it, and trying to project their persecution complexes onto it and, by extension, "liberal Hollywood" once more.

I really need to just restrict myself to the "trivia" section when I go to IMDB. Like with most of the internet I really need to stop finding ways to make myself bothered by other people when I don't have to.

[Progressive Pessimist]

-SNIP-

Pls review movies regularly from now on that review was lit af

I appreciate that you even read it. I really don't intend to always make my posts that long, but sometimes I can't help it. Especially when it comes to movies. The fact that you read, and liked my thoughts on 'The Intruder' means you're like my biggest fan on this forum, I think. Previously I wrote my thoughts on 'The Irishman' and 'Marriage Story' in previous threads, if you want to search for those. Or I guess I could and send them to you in a private message.

I don't want to overwhelm this thread with my posts, but maybe when we get to a new page I'll give my thoughts on 'Midsommar,' since I finally saw it. I have a lot to say about it, and few people to share my thoughts with. That's why I like posting here, whether you read my posts or not, I get to write my thoughts out and have them organized.

[Progressive Pessimist]

^ I generally liked Midsommar (super fun "journey," and the director is one of my favorites), but I thought the ending left a lot to be desired, at least if you view the main character as our "protagonist."


*** SPOILERS AHEAD ***


If you changed the genders of our main couple, can you imagine how problematic that ending would be??  Girl stays with guy she is losing feelings for out of concern for his depressed state, is drugged by a cult to have sex with a stranger against her will and is then burned alive for insufficient ... what, attraction toward the guy??  Lol.  Not saying he was the best boyfriend, but the only way that ending lands for me is if it is interpreted as Dani having a psychotic break.  JMO.

^ I generally liked Midsommar (super fun "journey," and the director is one of my favorites), but I thought the ending left a lot to be desired, at least if you view the main character as our "protagonist."


*** SPOILERS AHEAD ***


If you changed the genders of our main couple, can you imagine how problematic that ending would be??  Girl stays with guy she is losing feelings for out of concern for his depressed state, is drugged by a cult to have sex with a stranger against her will and is then burned alive for insufficient ... what, attraction toward the guy??  Lol.  Not saying he was the best boyfriend, but the only way that ending lands for me is if it is interpreted as Dani having a psychotic break.  JMO.

Well...you did it...you gave me the out. It's time for my thoughts.

Spoilers ahead, of course.

To start I actually liked the ending. At the same time though, I actually agree with you on what you said about the couple. I didn't find Christian that detestable. He was just aloof. He didn't meet Dani's emotional expectations, which is the main theme of the film, but he wasn't a bad person. Was his whole lazy co-opting of his friend's thesis supposed to instill that in us? I didn't get that out of the movie. Also when he ends up "cheating" on Dani, it's out of his control. He was drugged. Their relationship may have been in decline, but it wasn't apparent that Christian would have done that otherwise. Sure, Dani didn't know he was drugged, but maybe it would have been better to find and talk to him about it, or instruct her now attained followers to let him talk to her? Though I'm not entirely sure we were meant to sympathize with Dani at that point. Overall there is actually a large degree of missing agency from the characters much of the time, since they often end up drugged.

That paragraph I just wrote actually sort of sums up my opinions of this film. It left me feeling very conflicted much like Ari Aster's previous film, 'Hereditary,' though I like 'Midsommar' significantly more.

'Hereditary,' to me, was convoluted, frustrating, and it's ending is one that left me thoroughly underwhelmed. Sorry, I can't help but compare the two. It's a movie where the parts are better than the sum while also not seeming nearly as smart as it thinks it is, unlike 'Midsommar' which felt much more cohesive to me. Though 'Midsommar' isn't as smart as it thinks it is either. Actually, Ari Aster probably isn't as smart as he thinks he is. I wish he would just make a simpler horror film and stop trying to make them allegorical or metaphorical. Ari Aster seems obsessed with grief, and even though that aspect works better in 'Midsommar' than in 'Hereditary,' it still didn't feel like the movie actually wove that theme very well into its narrative. Aster also seems obsessed with cranial injuries, cults, and nudity (mostly by old, out-of-shape people). I hope that he pulls back on some of that in his next film.

He is a great director though, I just think he gets too ambitious in his writing for his own good and of all the recent art-house indie horrors movies that have been being released in the past six years or so, most of which I have liked or even loved, he is probably directs some of the lesser ones to me.

I'm not done with my criticisms quite yet. I touched on Christian as a character and with how the film portrays him, but I also disliked Will Poulter's character and how pointless he seemed. He was just there to be another body and provide some (admittedly effective) comic relief. He's a good actor too, and he seems to have found a niche in playing unlikable douche-nozzles. Hell, his character in 'Detroit' is one of the most reprehensible people I have ever seen in a movie. He is kind of wasted here to me. Most of the characters actually don't have much to them outside of Dani, come to think of it. They seem to take a backseat to the cult getting more development once they get to Sweden.

Also, considering how central the relationship between Christian and Dani is to the plot, I didn't buy them as a couple. Perhaps that was intentional since they are supposed to be a couple whose relationship is waning, but I seriously forgot they were even an item at points in the movie.

As for my positives: Speaking of the cult, they are the most compelling aspect of this move. Everything they do held my interest and made me keep guessing about what they were going to do next. I felt along for the ride with the Anhropology student and just wanted to keep learning more about this pagan commune and their way of life. I also bought why the tourists never suspected anything ominous from them: they were friendly and understanding most of the time. They lull both you and the outsider characters into a false sense of security. It makes sense why the characters never leave, even though you know they should as an audience member.

I also have to mention that Florence Pugh helps carry this movie. She is as good as Toni Collette was in 'Hereditary.' I have never seen her in anything prior to this, and now she seems to be everywhere, and for good reason. She has to portray a wide range of emotions in this film and does it well.

I also enjoyed how this film jettisoned horror conventions. I'm not actually the biggest fan of horror movies in general, but the few horror films I do love I really, really love. This one, however, is actually is only barely a horror film. It's more off-putting than it is scary. I will give 'Hereditary' that edge over 'Midsommar,' where it is actually a better horror film even though I really didn't find it that scary. Bu that's okay though. This movie didn't have to be the scariest thing ever. From everything I heard about this movie I went in with expectations of a film reminiscent of 'Cannibal Holocaust,' 'Hostel,' 'The Green Inferno,' or 'The Wicker Man.' Instead, while it does have similarities to all of those films, it's much more subdued and unique. The horror that does rear its head in the film is not as grotesque as I had expected, and it's all in the unconventional backdrop of this pristine, perpetually sunny scenery. Very little of the movie takes place during the night due to this part of Sweden being sunny all day at this point in the year. It's cool to see that something so simple can add so much uniqueness to a movie. There are also zero jump scares which is refreshing.

It also goes without saying that the film is excellent visually. 'Hereditary' was too, and much like it there are a litany of neat camera techniques and framing that this film contains. It also gets downright trippy and psychedelic at points. I also shouldn't fail to mention all the little details that add to the story, like tapestries that telegraph future events in the film.

The movie is also two-and-a-half hours long yet didn't feel that long due to how engrossed I was by how surreal and unpredictable it was. I appreciate that because as slow as it is at times, I didn't mind it as there was always something to think about or look for.

So overall, I'm mixed to positive on this film, I do stand by in saying that I'm conflicted about it because the things that bothered me almost, but not quite, take precedent over the aspects I liked or loved. In not being much of a fan of 'Hereditary' I actually expected to feel the same about this film. Thankfully, I ended up liking it more than I thought I would even though a few things Aster does continue to irk me. I might even re-watch it again in the future to try and observe some of the other weird little details within the film. I would recommend it while also noting that it definitely isn't for everyone. It might just be too gross, out-there, and slow for most mainstream audiences; like many of the oddities A24 produces that tend to attract me. But Aster and his films are undeniably unique, I can't deprive him of that.

[Progressive Pessimist]

-SNIP-

Pls review movies regularly from now on that review was lit af

I appreciate that you even read it. I really don't intend to always make my posts that long, but sometimes I can't help it. Especially when it comes to movies. The fact that you read, and liked my thoughts on 'The Intruder' means you're like my biggest fan on this forum, I think. Previously I wrote my thoughts on 'The Irishman' and 'Marriage Story' in previous threads, if you want to search for those. Or I guess I could and send them to you in a private message.

I don't want to overwhelm this thread with my posts, but maybe when we get to a new page I'll give my thoughts on 'Midsommar,' since I finally saw it. I have a lot to say about it, and few people to share my thoughts with. That's why I like posting here, whether you read my posts or not, I get to write my thoughts out and have them organized.

If you think that review was long, do not even get me started on Endgame. I probably hated that movie more than anybody on earth and I could easily make 4 or 5 full 22,000 character posts on it breaking down why I hated literally every single solitary little itty bitty detail of that "movie"

Wow! I've heard of people who disliked it, but not to that extent!

[Progressive Pessimist]

-SNIP-

Pls review movies regularly from now on that review was lit af

I appreciate that you even read it. I really don't intend to always make my posts that long, but sometimes I can't help it. Especially when it comes to movies. The fact that you read, and liked my thoughts on 'The Intruder' means you're like my biggest fan on this forum, I think. Previously I wrote my thoughts on 'The Irishman' and 'Marriage Story' in previous threads, if you want to search for those. Or I guess I could and send them to you in a private message.

I don't want to overwhelm this thread with my posts, but maybe when we get to a new page I'll give my thoughts on 'Midsommar,' since I finally saw it. I have a lot to say about it, and few people to share my thoughts with. That's why I like posting here, whether you read my posts or not, I get to write my thoughts out and have them organized.

If you think that review was long, do not even get me started on Endgame. I probably hated that movie more than anybody on earth and I could easily make 4 or 5 full 22,000 character posts on it breaking down why I hated literally every single solitary little itty bitty detail of that "movie"

Wow! I've heard of people who disliked it, but not to that extent!

Ill be real: it probably not that bad. I just am appalled that so many people overlook the glaring flaws of it because its the finale and had some spectacle, and I think it in no way deserved its 2.8 billion. If it had a more modest box office, and people on the whole were more realistic on their opinions of it, I would probably shrug it off and have been over it after opening weekend, like age of ultron. But people act like its genuinely a flawless masterpiece and made way too much and I can't help but have a boiling hatred as a result

Fair enough. I like it just fine, and it's admirable for being a major accomplishment and a massive feat being pulled off. I get why it made so much money, but I was ready to move on after seeing it.

[Progressive Pessimist]

.....like many of the oddities A24 produces that tend to attract me. But Aster and his films are undeniably unique, I can't deprive him of that.

Great review. His first two films were cinematic masterpieces.

Certainly a totally different approach to film making.

Cant wait to see what you think of "The Lighthouse".

'The Witch' is one of my favorite horror movies ever, and personally the scariest movie I have ever seen. It gave me nightmares! As such I am very excited to see 'The Lighthouse,' even as I hear that it's more of a surrealist thriller rather than an outright horror film. But so far Robert Eggers can do no wrong for me.

[Progressive Pessimist]

'The Witch' is one of my favorite horror movies ever, and personally the scariest movie I have ever seen. It gave me nightmares! As such I am very excited to see 'The Lighthouse,' even as I hear that it's more of a surrealist thriller rather than an outright horror film. But so far Robert Eggers can do no wrong for me.

One of my best friends saw that movie and f-cking hated it. So I sent him a screenshot of this comment, and now this comment is peak atlas

As I said in my 'Midsommar' diatribe, A24 horror films and other recent indie horror movies tend not to have widespread appeal to mainstream audiences, especially those who wants more conventional horror films. So, I fully expect that from many.