Welcome to the first Viewing Recap post of 2026!

The first month of 2026 has come and gone, though unlike previous months, I feel like January seemed to have passed rather slowly. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve likely heard about what’s happening in my home state of Minnesota 😔 Well, I’ve pretty much talked about it here in this post, so I’d rather not reiterate it again, other than to say that I sure hope the worst is behind us and there are brighter (and safer) days ahead.

You’d notice that there are a lot more feel-good movies I saw last month, for obvious reasons. I even watched a Hallmark movie (The Royal We), despite generally being averse to them, but I’m glad I picked a fun one that I quite enjoy. I recommend it if you’re looking for a cute rom-com around Valentine’s weekend.

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JANUARY VIEWINGS ON LETTERBOXD

(In the order of my rating)

FULL REVIEWS

Father Mother Sister Brother
Greenland 2: Migration:
The Choral
The Rip
Little Amélie

REVIEWS COMING SOON:

Have Fun Good Luck Don’t Die
Lies We Tell

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MINI REVIEWS

The Wrecking Crew
(Prime Video)

Dave Bautista and Jason Momoa make for an interesting duo, though not exactly the best comic pairing in an action movie. I like that the cast is racially diverse, providing a true representation of Hawaii, where the film is set. Many of the actors, including Momoa and Jacob Batalon from the Spider-Man movies, are Hawaii natives. It’s fun seeing Frankie Adams from my fave sci-fi series, The Expanse, but I wish she had a bigger role here.

Morena Baccarin plays another wife character after seeing her in Greenland 2, but at least she gets to do some badass driving action here. Danish actor Claes Bang is an inspired choice as the gangster villain here, and he meets his end in a way that lives up to his surname, ha! I’d say he’d make a good Bond villain as he’s got a strong screen presence and a menacing quality.

The setting in Hawaii is stunning, alas, the story is wholly unoriginal and packed with action-comedy clichés. The chase scenes are reminiscent of the Fast and Furious movies, with amped up violence and profanities. 

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Secret Mall Apartment
(Netflix)

Back in 2003, eight friends from Rhode Island set up a hidden apartment in a bustling mall and lived there for four years, capturing every moment on film. It was way more than just a prank; this secret apartment turned into a significant place for everyone involved. What a captivating story. I’m really glad this group of friends recorded most of their journey (using a cheap Pentax Optio camera), from discovering that concealed area in the massive mall to lugging big furniture from the Salvation Army up a narrow staircase, and even constructing a wall with 2 tons of cinder blocks. Now that’s some incredible teamwork and creativity!

Directed by Jeremy Workman, with Jesse Eisenberg serving as one of the executive producers, it’s such an inspiring, albeit bizarre, human story. It also highlights the haves and the have-nots in Providence. Some of the people who lived in this secret apartment, including its leader, Michael Townsend, lost their homes in an artist commune because of gentrification. Townsend himself is the quintessential artist who uses his tape-artistry talents to benefit the community, such as creating murals around NYC using tape to honor the victims of 9/11. 

The film can be a bit dizzying at times, as they used the low-res, shaky-cam footage the group originally shot, but it remains engaging throughout its 90-minute running time. I love the camaraderie of the group, and you can’t help but be inspired by these artists’ inventiveness and commitment to the project. Of course, there’s an underlying sense of mischief combined with rebellion against corporate greed. It’s art as a form of resistance, which is always a fascinating topic.

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52 Films By Women – 2026 Challenge

I am once again participating in this challenge. Per Women In Film (WIF) organization, the basic rules are simple: watch 52 films directed by women within one year and share what you watched on social media, using the hashtag #52FilmsByWomen to spread the word, and get more people talking about the women filmmakers that don’t always get attention.

I started the year strong with SEVEN new-to-me films #directedbywomen, woo hoo!! All of them were narrative features, including the Oscar-nominated animated feature Little Amélie. I’m hoping that I could beat the 2025 tally of 62, so wish me luck!!

Anyhoo, I ranked the movies on Letterboxd; you can follow my #52FilmsByWomen list as I will be updating it regularly.

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TV WATCHES

Stay tuned for my reviews of
The Copenhagen Test (Peacock) and Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials (Netflix)

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JANUARY MOVIE(S) OF THE MONTH

I can’t pick between these two, as both are excellent, though they couldn’t be more different in terms of genre, style, and tone. Both are directed by women, woot! You can check out my review of Little Amélie, and stay tuned for my review of the Gothic psychological drama Lies We Tell.

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So, what’s your favorite movie(s) you saw in January?