Happy June, everyone! Those of you in the States, the Memorial Weekend officially kicks off the Summer months. My hubby and I have been fully vaccinated for over a week now, with no major side effects thank goodness! In Minnesota, the mask mandate has been lifted and strangely enough now I feel somewhat ‘naked’ without putting a mask on indoors, so I’m still doing that in most places.
Thanks to MSPIFF, I got to watch quite a few international movies this week, most of them are very good! Most theaters are open already as well, though I actually skipped the cinema visit this weekend as I had a pretty busy schedule catching up with four different sets of friends from Friday-Monday, in person instead of via Zoom while enjoying patio weather once again. So suffice to say I haven’t got much time to blog anything all weekend. In any event, here’s what I watched in May:
NEW TO ME MOVIES
Movies indicated with * (asterisk) indicates directed by women – and I watched a total of 5 films by women this month. I’m hoping to complete the 52 Films By Women challenge by end of the year, something I failed to do a few years ago (thanks Katy for prompting me to pick this up again!)
Things Heard and Seen (2021)*
Strangely enough, the first movie I watched in May is a horror movie. My bestie and I try to have a weekly movie night when we can, and since we’re both fans of James Norton, we decided to see this one about an artist (Amanda Seyfred) who relocates to the Hudson Valley and begins to suspect that her marriage has a sinister darkness, one that rivals her new home’s history. It’s pretty spooky at first but it grew more frustrating than scary, and the ending is pretty bonkers but not in a good way. Cliché-ridden and downright silly in parts that it’s hard to connect with any of the characters which makes the whole affair pretty boring.
Coded Bias – documentary (2020)*
The film focuses on MIT Media Lab researcher Joy Buolamwini who discovers that facial recognition does not see dark-skinned faces accurately, which sets her on a journey to push for the first-ever U.S. legislation against it. Directed by Shalini Kantayya, this is a really fascinating and important topic about the algorithm bias in AI, but not exactly the most interesting film to watch. Given the topic of high-tech and innovation, etc. I’d expect a film that’s inventive in presenting its arguments, but still it’s worth a look for its subject matter alone.
Wrath of Man (2021)
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit (2021) *
MSPIFF – full review coming soon
Love It Was Not – documentary (2021)*
MSPIFF – full review coming soon
Hope Gap (2019)
I have to admit my bestie and I watched this for Josh O’Connor, having recently seen him in the National Theatre Live’s adaptation of Romeo & Juliet on PBS. I like understated dramas like this one and though it’s on the slow-side, the actors’ performances kept me engaged. Annette Bening and Bill Nighy are terrific as a couple dealing with the breakup of a marriage and O’Connor is especially soulful here as their son who’s torn between the two parents in the split.
Riders of Justice (2021)
Undine (2021)
MSPIFF – full review coming soon
Those Who Wish Me Dead (2021)
Antoinette dans les Cevennes – My Donkey, My Lover & I (2021)*
MSPIFF – full review coming soon
The Dry (2021)
Cruella (2021)
Zombieland (2019)
I tweeted that my hubby and I was going to watch Army of the Dead, the latest zombie flick from Zack Snyder. Well, after about 10 minutes my hubby convinced me to switch to Zombieland instead, which is exactly 1 hour shorter than Snyder’s 2 hours 28 minute movie!! I’m so glad we did as this movie is a lot of fun! The cast is great, but it’s Bill Murray’s cameo that’s especially a highlight. I don’t even mind watching the sequel!
Dream Horse (2021)
full review coming soon
TV SERIES
I definitely need to do a blog just for my TV watches this month! Happy to say that I was able to complete not one but TWO extremely good series!! One is a fantasy based on YA books and the other is a spy thriller based on John le Carré’s novel, but both are good and binge-worthy!
HBO – The Nevers (episode 4-6)
Netflix – Shadow and Bone
The Chosen – Season 2
PBS – National Theatre Live’s Romeo & Juliet
Sundance TV – Little Drummer Girl (limited series)
HBO – Friends: The Reunion
Sundance TV – Gold Digger (limited series)
REWATCHES
This is quite unusual but I did not rewatch a single movie [gasp!] – that is quite unusual but I did binged quite a bit of new TV series this month!
MAY MOVIE OF THE MONTH
RIDERS OF JUSTICE
(full review)
Well this one would likely end up on my Top 10 list of the year, I’m sure of it. Here’s an excerpt from my full review: This Danish action comedy could be the gem of the year, delivering laughs and intense brutal action in equal measure. It can switch from hilarity to extreme brutality in quick succession, yet it doesn’t feel jarring.
FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG 
Glad to hear that you guys are fully vaccinated. I got my second shot at the beginning of May so I’ve been fully vaccinated for a month now. I still wear mask when I’m at a grocery store or Target. I think I’ll probably wear mask in public places until Covid is no longer a threat.
I’ve been so busy with work since things are opening up and we’re prepping for events that were cancelled last year. I’m happy since I’ve started doing more video shoots and later will be traveling for shoots all over the country again. So I didn’t have time to watch a lot of TV shows like last year. Lol!
I did see some new movies: ARMY OF THE DEAD, WRATH OF MAN, THOSE WHO WISH ME DEAD, WITHOUT REMORSE & RIDERS OF JUSTICE. Out of them, my faves are WRATH OF MAN & RIDERS OF JUSTICE.
Glad to know you’re vaccinated and doing fine. I got my 2nd vaccination early in May and despite a slight headache. I felt fine.
That;s amazing news about your vaccine! I finally got my first dose this week, the second one is booked in for the end of August. I’m really craving that normal life now.
We both watched the same movie at the start of May! And both feel very much the same about it, ha.
Cruella is my favourite movie of the month for sure ❤
Hey Allie! How come there’s such a long span of time between your first and second dose? I think here for Pfizer they want us to get the 2nd dose within 3 weeks. I think we all can’t wait for a normal life. I mean I haven’t been on a plane since March 2020, I so miss traveling!!!
Did you like Things Heard and Seen? As for Cruella, well I wish I loved it more. I’ve posted my full review of it, as it is now I enjoy parts of it, but overall it’s a let down for me.
I had Pfizer too! Here in the UK our government pushed for an 8-12 week gap in between doses in order to get our most vulnerable their first doses as quickly as possibe. We’ve got a really strict schedule and rules for who is allowed a vaccine and when. We started vaccinating in December 2020 but the majority of the young haven’t had their first dose yet. It’s meant our cases are rising again now because it’s the young who are socialising more, but our hospitalisations and deaths are down dramatically 🙂
A lot of stuff I’ve not heard of here! Looking forward to the full reviews. Too bad Things Heard and Seen is disappointing as that’s totally the type of movie I enjoy watching (when they’re good). I’ll wait until Cruella is part of the standard Disney subscription as I really don’t like the look of it & my expectations are low. And Zombieland is MUCH better & way more fun than Army of the Dead. 🙂
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