Welcome to the last month of the year!! This year has gone by so fast, I still can’t believe we’re just weeks away from Christmas!
This is a busy season for film critics as I have a slew of screeners sent my way that I’m playing catch-up with watching and reviewing. I’m hoping to watch The Order tomorrow night, and I’ll be seeing Complete Unknown later next week. I have my review of Nightbitch in my draft folder to be posted on Tuesday, and then I plan to post my review of Maria, Nickel Boys, September 5, and The Brutalist, not necessarily in that order.
Anyway, here’s what I watched last month:
NEW MOVIES
(films indicated with * are directed by women)
Small Things Like These
A Real Pain
Gladiator II
American Dreamer (2022)
This movie is based on an incredible story featured on Chicago Public Radio’s This American Life. Peter Dinklage plays Phil Loder, a down-on-his-luck, twice-divorced economics professor who feels like owning a home is just a fantasy. Everything changes when he meets Astrid Finnelli, played by Shirley MacLaine, a wealthy elderly widow without children. She suggests selling him her huge New England mansion (truly a beauty!) at a bargain price, sending Phil on a wild adventure that makes him reconsider what the American dream truly is.
Dinklage and MacLaine made for an amusing odd couple though I wish the two shared more screen time. Dinklage is always fun to watch and he did a lot of physical comedy here. I haven’t seen Matt Dillon in ages but boy he still looks great and I enjoyed watching him as Phil’s slimy real estate broker friend. The movie is uneven with some scenes that feel out of character, but still worth a watch for the cast.
Home for the Holidays*
The Brutalist
review upcoming
Juror #2
Wicked
The Three Musketeers
Part I: D’Artagnan + Part II: Milady
review upcoming
Hunter Killer (2018)
I have to admit that I was curious to see this movie because it’s got Gary Oldman, as I’ve been enjoying him in Slow Horses. Alas, his screen time is pretty small here as a US Navy Admiral, but what’s notable is this movie marks one of Swedish actor Michael Nyqvist‘s last roles. Hunter Killer follows a rookie American sub-captain (Gerard Butler) who joins forces with Navy SEALs to save the Russian president who’s kidnapped by a rogue general.
The story is inherently preposterous but it’s somehow still entertaining to watch. It’s no Hunt for the Red October, but it’s a decent entry in the submarine thriller movies. It hits all the right beats with action and suspense, despite not really offering anything groundbreaking. Butler brings his typical tough-guy vibe but he’s surprisingly understated. It’s Toby Stephens who’s the scene stealer as the special forces leader, the British thespian adds a lot of gravitas to an otherwise uninteresting role. If you’re an action/war movie fan looking for a feel-good, somewhat suspenseful submarine movie, this is the movie for you.
Moana 2*
September 5
review upcoming
Kandahar
review upcoming
Maria
review upcoming
I mentioned in the October recap that I’ve already passed the goal of watching 52 films by women by five movies. Well, I watched two more last month, which brings the tally of the year so far to 61. My goal is to watch a few more women-directed movies by the end of the year.
In case you missed it, here’s my list of 10 best movies directed by women I saw in the first half of 2024. I will do another top 10 list in January!
Rewatches
I hosted a couple of movie nights last month with my girlfriends and we ended up doing a Lily James fest with Cinderella and Mama Mia 2. The Mamma Mia movies are so enjoyable, they’re my go-to movies whenever I’m feeling down, I mean ABBA has a song for every emotion!
TV SERIES
INTERIOR CHINATOWN
This is a tale about an Asian-American actor who’s battling against the usual stereotypes and clichéd roles in both his career and personal life. It’s brought to life by showrunner Charles Yu, who adapted it from his 2020 novel, with Taika Waititi on board as an executive producer and director of the pilot.
The series features Jimmy O. Yang as a waiter in Chinatown who suddenly finds himself in the limelight after witnessing a crime. Yang really shines in this role, and it’s a blast to see fellow comedian Ronny Chieng in a supporting part. Chloe Bennet doesn’t exactly stretch her acting after the Agents of Shield series but she’s very watchable. There are some clever meta moments and enough intrigue to keep me interested. I’ve only seen three episodes so far, and I’m really enjoying it!
November 2024 MOVIE OF THE MONTH
THE BRUTALIST
I had the privilege of seeing this 3.5-hour-long film on the big screen in mid-November. It’s the only contemporary film I’ve seen with a built-in intermission. There’s such massive buzz surrounding this film out of the Venice Film Festival, and Brady Corbet won the Silver Lion for Best Director. Let’s just say it lives up to the hype and it’s quite a cinematic experience unlike any other.
So what did you see in November, and which one(s) are your favorites?
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FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG 
The best thing I saw this month is a tie between Anatomy of a Fall and The Substance. I really want to see The Brutalist and hopefully in 70mm as that looks like a film that HAS to be seen on the big screen.
I got the screener for The Substance but still mustering up the courage to see it. I don’t have the stomach for body horror and it sounds like it’s extremely gory!
The Brutalist looks fantastic on the big screen, so yeah!
It is a gory film but not in the ways you would expect it. I will say this though. Coralie Fargeat and Julia Ducournau have managed to outgross the master of body horror in David Cronenberg.
Two female filmmakers outgrossing Cronenberg?? Wow! When you said ‘outgross’ you meant in terms of gory-ness or in box office gross? Just to confirm, ahah.
In goriness. I’ll say this. When it comes to who can outgross who. I will always bet on a woman. After all, for all of the shit that Alice Cooper and other shock rockers did. Wendy O. Williams of the Plasmatics was way more shocking. There was also the time Donita Sparks of L7 threw her own blood-soaked tampon at the audience at the 1992 Reading Festival.
Well I’ve only seen THE FLY from Cronenberg and let’s just say I can’t handle his movies. So most likely I won’t be able to stomach Julia’s or Coralie’s movies either. I’m not surprised that women could go even more extreme in body horror, I mean childbirth is a pretty scary thing when you think about it!
That scene with the baby fly… oh man… that is fucked up. I will say this having seen all of Cronenberg’s features. That was quite extreme given the budget that he has though it kind of pales to what he was doing in films like The Brood, Scanners, and most of all, Videodrome. Still, I would not ignore The Substance as it’s really more about aging, the need to look a certain way, and the male gaze. It is BLOODY but not in the way you would think.
I can’t believe 2024 is almost over with, to me it’s still feel like 2024 just started.
The only new movie I saw in theater last month was the awful Gladiator 2. Just been watching TV series. I finally caught up with Ted Lasso and I thought it’s great. Finished new seasons of The Old Man and Tulsa King. Then started on a new series The Agency starring Michael Fassbender. I guess he realized he won’t get to play Bond and took this role. Lol! And started watching Silo season 2.
I did see the trailer of THE BRUTALIST and it looks good. Not sure if I want to sit in theater for that long, though. If I can pause it for a restroom break then that I would see in theater. Ha ha!
I really want to see The Agency but I don’t have Paramount, so maybe I’ll do a free trial when all of the episodes are out. It looks good! I’m hoping to see SILO S2 later this month, too!
As for The Brutalist, there’s a built-in intermission, Ted, so no need to worry about a bathroom break!
So, will you be reviewing The Brutalist? It sounds fascinating.
WHEW! It was quite the month for movies, and it appears you have a lot of watching ahead of you!
Terrific sum-up post Ruth!
PS (I’ll mail you soon, day or 2)
Yeah I’ll be reviewing The Brutalist, but it’ll be a long review, mwahaha!
It’s been a busy month and work has been well, interesting, as my department got sold to another company, so I pretty much had to go through a ‘rehiring’ process.
Looking forward to your email!! Now off to Graffity Lux Art! 🙂
Oh man! I hate the shuffling around thing. I hope the rehiring wasn’t too, painful, and that you like your job.
Looking forward to your Mwahahaha review!
Well the ‘rehiring’ process took a lot of patience, but it’s almost done now. I’m grateful I still have a job though.
Just replied to your email, woo wee!!! 🧡
Yay… and woo wee! xo
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