Yup. Even The Guilty with Gyllenhaal was not so bad for a remake imo.
Film The worst year of cinema?
- Thread starter simonhch
- Start date
And DUNE ofcourse.
fecking wise guy over here
Triangle of Sadness is so much past it and it’s so repetitive in terms of “oh look embarrassing rich people acting like idiots” that I’m impressed it’s from last year, not few years back. Boring as feck and well too late, we’ve seen it multiple times!
I can't be arsed to look it up but there have to have been worse years.
My top two movies from 2022 were Broker and Decision to Leave both of which left a lasting impression and would vie for spots in my favorites lists for years to come. And for popcorn entertainment, there were some very entertaining movies across genres like Dune, Nope, Bullet Train plus a few more serious films with something to say in Breaking and Till. Without Broker and Decision to Leave, I probably would have been disappointed but I think there were worse years in the 21st century.
My top two movies from 2022 were Broker and Decision to Leave both of which left a lasting impression and would vie for spots in my favorites lists for years to come. And for popcorn entertainment, there were some very entertaining movies across genres like Dune, Nope, Bullet Train plus a few more serious films with something to say in Breaking and Till. Without Broker and Decision to Leave, I probably would have been disappointed but I think there were worse years in the 21st century.
Like every time anyone makes this specific thread, once a year, because every year is the worst, it turns out it was not, in fact, the worst, but actually quite good.
Sonic 2? Seriously...Sonic 2?
I had to watch that movie this year and, even for a kids movie, it has to have been one of the fecking stupidest movies I've ever seen. I guess you are a horror fan and that was a horrifying film from a certain point of view.
Also, Nightmare Alley was a 2021 film
I genuinely can't remember when was the last time I trully couldn't wait for a certain movie to come out. actually, I think the last such title for me was Star Trek Into Darkness and even that was mostly because I was always into the whole franchise anyway.
I watch pretty much every one of those "important" movies that come out during the year, but they simply don't hit me like they used to. every drama movie feels the same to me these days and blockbusters are getting insultingly stupid, although the new Top Gun was surprisingly good.
It's probably partly due to the fact I rated more than 2800 movies on imdb, but also due to the fact I'm waching more shows than before. it's getting harder and harder for a movie to stand out for me these days unless nostalgia is involved, like it was the case with mentioned Star Trek sequel.
I watch pretty much every one of those "important" movies that come out during the year, but they simply don't hit me like they used to. every drama movie feels the same to me these days and blockbusters are getting insultingly stupid, although the new Top Gun was surprisingly good.
It's probably partly due to the fact I rated more than 2800 movies on imdb, but also due to the fact I'm waching more shows than before. it's getting harder and harder for a movie to stand out for me these days unless nostalgia is involved, like it was the case with mentioned Star Trek sequel.
Think Nolan's Oppenheimer could positively surprise you, me and many others if you're into a movie with bit more complicated structure and not explosions every three seconds. I'm sure there will be one big explosion in this, but still big cinema isn't a lost cause... just yet.
Nightmare Alley came out in 2022 in UK?
But yeah Sonic was fine (if you ignore the wedding shit). My daughter loves it and so do most kids she knows.
I absolutely won't have it. Brian and Charles is peak cinema.
Brian and Charles was a decent little flick.
Cronenberg's Crimes of the Future, another interesting picture.
Cronenberg's Crimes of the Future, another interesting picture.
Last edited:
While I agree personally that it’s seemed pretty shit of late, I also dont think you can see the wood for the trees when you’re in a specific era itself. Certainly regarding what does and doesn’t last, culturally: We cherry pick the best things to look back on in years gone by, whereas remember the far greater amount of surrounding shit when we’re living it..
Here’s a video of Stallone talking about making Rocky, and why he was compelled to write it because of what he saw as an unappealing cinema landscape that was at an “all time low”
He’s taking about the fecking mid-70s! A time a lot of people hold as a banner time in quality film making.
Here’s a video of Stallone talking about making Rocky, and why he was compelled to write it because of what he saw as an unappealing cinema landscape that was at an “all time low”
He’s taking about the fecking mid-70s! A time a lot of people hold as a banner time in quality film making.
Last edited:
Again, you can't judge the quality of films in a year primarily based on Oscar picks. There's been numerous, numerous excellent and thought provoking films in the last decade alone that have not been picked.
Yearly Independent film festivals are usually the best bet for looking for refreshing, thought provoking and exciting new pictures.
The BFI Southbank alone has a continual stream of excellent new (and old) films in circulation, just shame you have to be in London to experience them.
Yearly Independent film festivals are usually the best bet for looking for refreshing, thought provoking and exciting new pictures.
The BFI Southbank alone has a continual stream of excellent new (and old) films in circulation, just shame you have to be in London to experience them.
meh
Of these I only saw Belfast (utterly hated it) and The Last Duel (not Scott's finest moment).
Last edited:
Sir Ridley Scott has always been somewhat inconsistent but I enjoyed Rashomon The Last Duel enough. For all of the criticism thrown at Scott in recent years he's still got, arguably , the best eye for design in film and The Last Duel is no different. Its a beautifully well crafted film visually speaking.
Belfast is a good film but I may need to watch it again.
Another great film, that came out in 2021 but I've only watched recently, is Sean Baker's Red Rocket.
Belfast is a good film but I may need to watch it again.
Another great film, that came out in 2021 but I've only watched recently, is Sean Baker's Red Rocket.
I'm a Scott fan and it did look good, but retelling the same story three times was very boring. Exclude many of the bits that were exactly the same each time and it would have been a much better film.
Disney does The Troubles. It actually made my wife (who lived through it) angry.
Argentina, 1985.
TAR. Good. Not great.
The Menu is probably the best film of the year. Really has been the worst year for film in a long time. Never mind, thought you meant Boiling Point which was last year. So even fewer good films.
I can see the comparison but Rashomon did it much better. My problem with The Last Duel is that there were too few differences between the perspectives. Even with the Driver character's PoV it came off as a rape. So it really missed the potence of Rashomon. I think they needed to really differentiate the PoVs more to have it work approaching the same level as Kurosawa's classic (for me Rashomon is still a top 5 film of all time).
As a parent who had to sit through this I concur ….
1994 was the best year for the movies for me. I ran a movie theater in college and often had to screen movies. I screened Shawshank and Forrest Gump back to back the same night.. surreal.
Pulp fiction, Leon, interview w a vamp, Apollo 13, natural born killers, clerks, reality bites, legends of the fall, ace Ventura ,the crow … there are major movies I’m leaving off here …
Cinema has been going seriously downhill for a decade… BUT ..some of the stuff being made for home is unbelievably good. So the talent kinda just … moved? Chernobyl was fantastic.
Cinema style cinema seems kinda dead.
Agreed, which made it repetitive, over;y long and boring even though it looked good.
I went to the bar in the theatre halfway through and ordered a double. The bartender asked what I was seeing and I said, "Sonic" and made a face and she said, "We have a lot of parents coming to order a drink during that one." I wished I just stayed at the bar for the rest of it.
I'm catching up a bit and watched Aftersun, Women Talking and The Quiet Girl right after trying to watch 1899. I swear it's like in Emperor's New Clothes these days. it's almost as if you're not only expected to pay the ticket/subscription, but also to pretend there's a plot in the movie. seriously.
it's actually incredible how highly rated these movies are. they're so basic they remind me of something a student would made. half of the reviews are 100% paid, I have no doubt about that. I'm literally watching the kid in swimming pool for about 20 minutes and trying to accept that's it, that's the plot. "touching", "emotional rollercoaster" etc. give me a break.
on the other hand, I enjoyed the The Banshees of Inisherin. this is how you do your silent, slow and "plotless" movie.
it's actually incredible how highly rated these movies are. they're so basic they remind me of something a student would made. half of the reviews are 100% paid, I have no doubt about that. I'm literally watching the kid in swimming pool for about 20 minutes and trying to accept that's it, that's the plot. "touching", "emotional rollercoaster" etc. give me a break.
on the other hand, I enjoyed the The Banshees of Inisherin. this is how you do your silent, slow and "plotless" movie.
Oh absolutely. It feels like we're inundated with these types of movies right now and most of the time they leave me thinking critics are being far too kind to them.
I went to watch a movie called Return to Seoul last week and it's exactly like you described: slow and pointless. It's got 100% on RT whereas to me the story never felt like it got out of third gear. Some scenes were also cringe as feck.
I feel sometimes like critics play review bingo so if the movie contains a certain theme they will absolutely lap it up regardless of quality. Right now it feels like any methodical drama about young women will get lauded for the sake of it.
Strange thing is that I absolutely love slow movies when they're done right. Movies by Bela Tarr or Edward Yang for example because they're absolutely majestic filmmakers. More recently, Drive my Car was phenomenal.
On the plus side, I'm going to watch an Irish sci-fi movie called LOLA later which looks quite inventive. Irish cinema has been surprisingly good lately.
I'd extend that to the last maybe even 10 years.
I've WANTED to like a few, like the Irishman and Once upon a time in Hollywood but it's hard work. Those two (for instance) are basically nowhere near Scorsese and Tarantino's earlier stuff quality wise, but I am glad they are least try to be real cinema.
I've WANTED to like a few, like the Irishman and Once upon a time in Hollywood but it's hard work. Those two (for instance) are basically nowhere near Scorsese and Tarantino's earlier stuff quality wise, but I am glad they are least try to be real cinema.
Next year will be worse.
Think Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is one of Tarantino's best, personally. Would certainly have it above The Hateful Eight, Inglorious Basterds and Django
I feel like that's a low bar, unfortunately. I'd argue Django and Inglorious Basterds are both better films but I think even those just absolutely pale in comparison with Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction.
Clearly all way, way, way in advance of literally anything modern cinema gives us, of course and I can appreciate why anyone would like them over the others stylistically at least.
Has anyone else watched Tar? I watched it with 3 classically trained musicians and they hated it more than I did. Thankfully, as I thought it was just going over my head as I’m clueless on the subject matter.
It’s exceptionally well shot, individual scene by scene it was impeccable, it told a solid tale, Blanchett was brilliant. But good grief it was the most boring thing I’ve seen. Easy to appreciate but almost impossible to enjoy. I thought it was a mess and it was critically adored. This despite never getting any kind of emotional investment at any point.
Genuinely staggered that it garnered so many plaudits.
It’s exceptionally well shot, individual scene by scene it was impeccable, it told a solid tale, Blanchett was brilliant. But good grief it was the most boring thing I’ve seen. Easy to appreciate but almost impossible to enjoy. I thought it was a mess and it was critically adored. This despite never getting any kind of emotional investment at any point.
Genuinely staggered that it garnered so many plaudits.
Yeah I thought it was really good but I enjoy movies about flawed characters. Did you not have emotional investment in the sense of thinking she was a terrible person who deserved comeuppance?
Oh 100%. But the movie existed as a vehicle for us to view her fall from grace. ‘Ha ha look at what she’s now creating’ is so damn hollow against what her victims lot was.
Professional humiliation was a death for her. But someone actually died. She didn’t suffer real world consequences, only internal ones. There’s something in that, but I think it was done really poorly.
There’s probably something in managing to have me worry about her and pity her for such a severe mirror being held up to the consequences of her actions. But ‘I didn’t get to complete my masterpiece’ is so blunt as an end point.
Its casual commentary on cancel culture rang hollow too. There was something important to be said there and it was set up so well, but they didn’t stick the landing on that subplot.
6/10 movie with 9/10 performances, directing, and camera work.
For me it was 2017, Blade Runner 2049. Which was so much better than I feared.
Rewatched Aftersun last night and boy was I missing the mark with this post. I must have been distracted or in a weird frame of mind because I was very, very moved by it second time around. This time I watched it with my daughter and it was a completely different experience. A masterpiece.
I know this thread is a year old, but yeah, don't agree at all. I get that there's always gonna be some who feels a particular year is the worst year for cinema, but I think cinema has really bounced back the past couple of years after hitting a bit of a barren run since the first half of the 2010s (maybe with the exception of 2019). Especially 2023 has been excellent for cinema with a wide array of films that are truly very good. I hope 2024 follows suit.