Hello Summer!! 🌞
Glad the summer season is here, and it’s getting quite hot here in Minnesota. I came back from Japan on Memorial Day weekend, and it’s already sweltering hot there even in mid-May. My hubby and I went to Tokyo and Kyoto, and we absolutely loved our Japan trip, perhaps one of the most memorable vacations we’ve ever had. We spent the majority of our time in Kyoto, and it was amazing. Let’s connect on Instagram, and you can see some of the pics from my Japan holiday.
The cuisine alone was undoubtedly the best out of all our overseas trips from the past decade; even the food from their ubiquitous 7-Eleven in Japan is amazing. As many Japanese travelers have said, the convenience store is truly a culinary and cultural phenomenon. I’m obsessed with their egg salad sandwich!
One of the highlights in Kyoto was stumbling upon a Studio Ghibli store tucked behind a souvenir shop! I love this huge Totoro plushie that I wish I could take home with me, ha!
I didn’t get a chance to visit some of the iconic Tokyo locations in movies, i.e., the bar at the Park Hyatt Tokyo in Lost in Translation. But we were able to visit two of the public toilets featured in Perfect Days! Only in Japan are public toilets worthy tourist attractions! The transparent one at Yoyogi Fukamachi Mini Park is really cool. The walls are transparent when the toilet is empty, but the glass becomes opaque when locked. We definitely want to go back to Japan one day!
MAY VIEWINGS ON LETTERBOXD
I didn’t get to see too many films in May because of my Japan trip, though I was able to watch quite a few movies on the plane. In fact, I got to see five in-flight movies on the way to Tokyo, which was a record! I saw The Dinner (La Cena), a Spanish dark comedy; a French period/modern drama Colours of Time, and three rewatches: The Devil Wears Prada, Notting Hill, and Beauty & the Beast.
(What I watched in May in the order of my rating)
FULL REVIEWS
I also made a list of 10 Memorable Japanese Films to commemorate my Japan Trip
REVIEWS COMING SOON:
Power Ballad, Tuner, Masters of the Universe, Toy Story 5
TV WATCHES
SPIDER NOIR (Prime Video)
Glad that this series was released on Prime Video when we’re back from Japan. I love the noir style of this superhero detective series, where Nicolas Cage had the time of his life combining his two passions—classic cinema and comics. Cage is fun to watch as Ben Reilly, a seasoned private investigator who’s down on his luck in 1930s New York.
This groundbreaking Marvel series is the first TV show that lets viewers choose to watch episodes in either “true hue color” or “authentic black & white.” I went with the black and white version, of course, since the show draws a lot from classic noir films, and Cage even based his performance on Humphrey Bogart’s. He’s not as unhinged as we expect Cage to be, but Rilley sure is the most eccentric Spider-Man I’ve ever seen on screen.
Brendan Gleeson is great as an Irish crime boss, though his thick accent is a bit tough to discern at times. Shout out to a pair of actors I’ve never seen before who are memorable as two prominent characters in the series: Li Jun Li as femme fatale lounge singer Cat Hardy and Lamorne Morris as a determined reporter Robbie Robertson who wants to work for the Daily Bugle.
I’m really into the 30s vibe and the gritty detective tales packed with twists, creatures, and fascinating backstories. The cinematography is definitely the standout feature, mainly shot by Darran Tiernan (who also did amazing work for The Penguin). The camera work in every episode is absolutely breathtaking, especially in black and white. The production design, costumes, and everything else are just fantastic; I really hope this show gets a bunch of Emmy nominations! I’ve still got three episodes to go, but I’m really enjoying it so far, and I hope there’ll be more seasons of Spider-Noir.
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 managed to watch 4 new movies #directedbywomen this month, one of them is a documentary. So that brings the tally so far to 28 out of 52, so only 24 more to go until I hit my goal!!
Anyhoo, I ranked the movies on Letterboxd; you can follow my #52FilmsByWomen list as I will be updating it regularly. I have no doubt I’ll be able to at least meet the 2025 tally of 62.
MAY MOVIE(S) OF THE MONTH
Two of my favorite films this month couldn’t be more different from each other, but both turned out to be such a pleasant surprise! I adore The Sheep Detectives. I actually can’t wait to rewatch it when it arrives on streaming.
As for Tuner, it’s a unique original story that combines heist thriller and music-themed drama from Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Daniel Roher, featuring a fantastic performance from Leo Woodall. It’s in theaters today, and I highly recommend it. Stay tuned for my review later this week!
FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG 
Other than a Mother’s Day short film Pixar and a Charlotte Wells-directed conversation between Paul McCartney and Paul Mescal. Not much except a few re-watches while I’m nearly half-done with my review of The Last Emperor which I had not seen in years.
Oh wow, I saw The Last Emperor on the big screen when I was in my early teens with my family! It was a big deal, and I remember being quite affected by it for some time, but it was so long ago I can’t remember the details anymore. One thing for sure, John Lone and Joan Chen were amazing!
I’m excited to start watching Spider-Noir and trying to track all the classic noir references!
Hey Katie! I was thinking as I was watching the series that classic film fans like you would really enjoy this. I think the BW version is far more striking than the color version, and so many of the shots remind me of classic noirs. Enjoy!
I’m keen to watch Spider Noir in B/W and compare the visuals with Ripley, which I thought were breathtaking and cinematic for a TV production.
Haha, glad you made it to two of the toilets in Perfect Days.
Spider-Noir is really stunning visually! I haven’t seen Ripley, but the BW trailer looks gorgeous! I got the privilege of receiving Netflix’s magazine with Andrew Scott on the cover; the photos look beautifully cinematic.
I was hoping to visit at least 3 in Tokyo, but there just wasn’t enough time. But the two I saw were the best ones! 🙂
I think my next overseas trip will be going back to Japan! I’m heading back to Thailand in January, was supposed to be Dubai but of course I had to switched. Then the next trip will be to Japan!
I had a blast with both Mortal Kombat 2 and The Mandalorian and Grogu, so those two movies are my movies of the month of May. The other two new movies I saw were Jack Ryan, not good and Shelter, Jason Statham’s latest action film and it was decent.
I watched a few TV series last month. Spider Noir is great, I have 3 episodes left go to. I finished the last season of The Boys, it was okay, not great and not bad for a series finale. I binged a couple of series. The reimagining Man on Fire on Netflix. It started out well but fell apart in the second half. Then I watched Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars, a show on Apple TV+ about restaurant owners in major cities chasing Michelin Star for their restaurants. And I started watching another new show on Apple TV, Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, so far so good.
You should absolutely visit Japan again, Ted! Just don’t go in the summer, as it was already so hot even in mid-May. I might try to go in early Spring or Fall, but we definitely will be back!
I heard Mortal Kombat 2 was better than expected. The Mandalorian and Grogu was enjoyable, we decided to see it on the big screen as there was a power outage in my area last week. It happened to be on a Tuesday so we got to see it at a discount too!
How violent/gory is Shelter? I generally like Statham though his films tend to be very formulaic and too violent for me. Wow you watched a ton of series! I didn’t know there’s a Man on Fire series on Netflix, I actually just watched the Denzel film for the first time a few months ago.
Oh no, I never go to touristy spots in the summer time because I know everyone is going and the prices are high and it’s busy everywhere. I’m looking at going in the fall of 2027. Assuming of course WW3 doesn’t breakout. Lol!
Shelter was quite tame compared to other Statham’s typical action films. Also, Statham is getting up there in age, so he didn’t do a lot of fights in the movie. There were lots of quick cuts during the fight scenes, so I think they used body double for the more physical scenes. The man is almost 60 years old. Ha ha!
WELCOME BACK!
Okay, I am so waiting for The Sheep Detectives to start streaming. I’m also excited to watch Spider Noir, and am thrilled it got a good review here. I don’t have Prime, so I’ll have to watch it on their Emmy viewing plaform. As As my massive TV is stupid, that means watching it on my computer screen.
YAY! Your progress on 52 Films by Women is impressive.
Thank you!
XOXOXOXO
The Sheep Detectives is sooo adorable! I can’t wait to rewatch it when it arrives on streaming! Spider-Noir should be fun for you since you love classic films, Resa. The costumes are stunning; you’d love that!
I’m glad I was able to watch 4 movies by women even with my 2-week Japan trip. It helps that I could watch movies on my Delta flights and there were movies by women available!
Cheers!
XOXOXOXO
It seems films by women are getting around more. Good news you saw them in-flight.
I really look forward to bot Sheep Detectives and Spider-Noir.
Chers back to. you! xoxoXOXOxoxo
Welcome back, Ruth!🗼🎌 Super exciting trip. If I ever go I would prefer this lowkey itinerary; I would have such culture. The Studio Ghibli store— great find! Love the pic of you and Totoro🐻❄️
culture shock* I meant to say… Like Bob and Charlotte but way worse probs😅
Hey EF! It was my first time in Japan, and I’m glad I spent more time in Kyoto than Tokyo, as the big city could be a bit overwhelming. I didn’t experience too much culture shock, perhaps because I had been watching so many YT videos on Japan so I knew what to expect.
I’m thrilled that I stumbled into the Ghibli store! Totoro is so darn cute!! I bought a tiny keychain attached to my day bag and it made me smile every time I look at it!
Excellent souvenir!🎒😀
Btw I watched Rental Family a few months ago, per your rec, and really enjoyed it! His relationship with his “daughter” just pulls at the heart strings . Other relationships too!
Ohhh that’s awesome to hear!! I actually was kicking myself for not including Rental Family on this list! It’s definitely one of my faves I saw recently, I’ll actually add it as a bonus entry. Glad you enjoyed it. The relationship Brendan’s character had with his clients, especially the ‘daughter’ and the aging actor are really touching!
Thanks for the heads-up review and that this is Prime. Always LOVE Cage! The thing that’s most amazing to me is the production design, especially building interiors and exteriors. The Art Deco vibe is through the roof here and I love it!
If you love Cage and noir films, you’ll definitely enjoy Spider-Noir, Becky. It’s less of a superhero series but more of a detective noir, just the way I like it!
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