Anatomy of a Film – A new film review and list blog.

Let’s All Go To The Lobby: Heat – 8/14/2026

August 20, 2026

The following article contains spoilers for Michael Mann’s 1995 film “Heat”.

Last Friday I had the pleasure of once again strolling down to Portland’s historic Hollywood Theatre, this time to watch Michael Mann’s 1995 classic crime saga, Heat.

Poster for Heat (1995)

I have now seen Heat three times in 2026. I had never seen it before, along with a bunch of other crime classics, and so I began a big crime movie spree in January this year. Heat was one of the first movies that kicked the spree all off, and the film hasn’t left my mind since that day.

To begin, I want to talk about my favorite things about this screening. Lately at the Hollywood, Katie and I have had some tough luck with getting good seats, so like with our Manhunter screening the weekend before, we ended up smack dab in the front row of the theater. We would never survive the pre-seat reservation era. That being said, the Hollywood’s front row actually sits a pretty comfortable distance from the screen, so it was much better than we thought it would be. After seeing the movie though, I would say we had some of the best seats in the house for one particular reason: the film’s sound design.

The first heist our crew commits was, by far, the loudest thing I have ever heard in a theater. As the semi rams into the armored car, it genuinely felt and sounded like the crash was about to come through the screen into the theater. I was immediately slack-jawed, my mouth agape with of the feeling of “Holy Shit. Welcome To HEAT!!!”. I have seen hundreds of films in theaters at this point in my life, but no movie has ever come close to that feeling of a loudness that truly penetrates through the screen. There was a lot of talk this summer about The Odysseys cyclops scene and how loud that was. I can assure you, dear reader, Heat takes the cake for pure loudness. That pained cyclops screech still haunts my dreams though…

Other excellent points of harrowing sound design include the downtown shoot-out (of course), but what came close to the feeling of that truck crash was the finale of the film at the airport. Again, it felt like a plane was about to fly into the theater. Heat really is an unreal film to see in the theater and is one of those rare movies that should be playing 24/7 in a theater, alongside The Matrix and James Cameron’s Avatar trilogy.

Al Pacino as Vincent Hanna, Heat (1995)

Two things in particular struck me the most about the movie itself during this viewing. The first was the symbolic dichotomy between McCauley and Hanna’s lives, and the second was the interlaid Greek tragedy that mirrors the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice. I have spent this week reading Heat reviews on various blogs and have yet to see others make these specific connections.

The visual dichotomy between McCauley and Hanna was particularly striking to me on this rewatch. Heat has a historic legacy in Hollywood for its striking visuals and ear shattering sound design. One visual parallel I never see highlighted, however, is the one between McCauley and Hanna in their homes. Obviously, we all have seen the photo of McCauley in his home after the first heist. Even if you haven’t seen Heat, this is the definitive “Heat” photo. I have typed Heat so many times now that the word doesn’t feel real.

Robert De Niro as Neil McCauley, Heat (1995)

However, what I caught on this rewatch was Hanna’s version of this shot, which comes a little before halfway through the movie.

Al Pacino as Vincent Hanna, Heat (1995)

Comparing the two men from these apartment scenes reveal many interesting threads. Neil lives in an empty, sterile condo, sparse with furniture, family, and dishes, but clarifies to the audience when he shares with Eady, “I am alone, I’m not lonely”. On the other side, we have Vincent, who lives in his wife’s “ex-husband’s… dead-tech, postmodernistic, bullshit house”, filled to the brim with dishes, furniture, stylized architecture, and art pieces from his step-daughter, Lauren. Hanna has everything he’s “supposed” to have as a successful police detective, yet we often see him alone, in the dark, at home. He is not alone, yet he is lonely.

It’s no coincidence that the next scene after we see Hanna, lonely in his home, is his and McCauley’s diner conversation, where they converse about what it takes to live the life of a criminal versus the life of a detective. While the two men muse about barbecues and ball games and the possibility of living the “normal” life, they both acknowledge that their existence as a cop and a thief means neither of them can ever have that. The diner scene is one of the best in any crime film, and we’re all lucky to be alive at the same time this movie exists.

Robert De Niro as Neil McCauley, Heat (1995)

The next connection I drew from this rewatch was the mirroring between McCauley and Eady‘s relationship and that of the Greek tragedy of Orpheus and Eurydice. The main thesis of Heat is quoted a few times in the film, and it is “Don’t let yourself get attached to anything you are not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat if you feel the heat around the corner”. Right off the bat, you know it’s going to happen at some point in the movie. The phrase evokes anxiety because you’re excited to see how it all will come together, and it’s a masterful payoff. Throughout the film, we see McCauley slowly breaking this code as he forms a compassionate, tender relationship with Eady, who was excellently portrayed by Amy Branneman.

The Tragedy of Orpheus and Eurydice at St. Marks Square in Venice, Italy (2025). I actually took this on my honeymoon last year.

For those unfamiliar with the Greek tragedy, Orpheus was a gifted musician that was blessed by the gods to enchant through the power of song, and married a woman named Eurydice. Through an unfortunate accident (there are multiple versions of the tale), Eurydice dies. Out of heartbreak, Orpheus descends into Hades and pleads with the god of the dead and his wife, Persephone, to let Eurydice leave with him. Orpheus achieved this by singing a song so beautiful that Hades agrees, but under the condition that Eurydice follows Orpheus out without him turning around to make sure she’s with him. Orpheus and Eurydice made it all the way to the exit of Hades, but in the final moment, Orpheus doubted his deal with Hades and turned around before they could exit the cave. This condemned Eurydice and she was pulled back into the underworld.

Now, you’re probably thinking “What the hell does this have to do with Heat?!”. Let me explain.

The tragedy of Heat begins and ends with McCauley’s original mistake: taking his eyes off of the new recruit, Waingro, in the diner parking lot after the first heist before he could be killed. Our tragedy begins as a sort of inverse version of the Greek tale. Instead of turning around and losing someone after seeing them, McCauley takes his eyes off Waingro for a second before he disappears into thin air. After he escapes McCauley and the crew, Waingro, as an agent of chaos and the ultimate villain of the film, fades in and out of the narrative before ultimately returning to kill Trejo after being hired by a paranoid Van Zant and foiling the final heist. There are many events and characters that weave in and out of eachother, but to get to the point, it is eventually discovered by Hanna that Waingro is reaping the rewards of his job with Van Zant. Hanna puts out an APB on Waingro’s location in order to bait out McCauley before he can flee the country, knowing he would want revenge for Trejo and getting the rest of the crew (minus Chris and Nate) killed. As McCauley and Eady are en route to the airport to escape, McCauley gets a call from Nate and they have this exchange:

NATE: One other thing. You asked, so I gotta tell you. The guy you wanted checked into the Marquis under “Jameson”… if you still give a shit, which I figured you wouldn’t.

MCCAULEY: You figured right.

NATE: So, so long, brother.

As this conversation occurs, McCauley and Eady enter a tunnel on the LA Highway. I’m interpreting this tunnel as Orpheus and Eurydice’s ascent out of Hades. McCauley has been given very clear instructions: get to the airport, get on the plane, and they’ll be home free. But, to quote the Fates speaking to Hades while he decides Orpheus’s Trial in the musical Hadestown (which is about this very same tragedy):

“Men are fools
Men are frail
Give them the rope and they’ll hang themselves”

Nate has essentially done the same here. That snippet of information about Waingro’s booking name and hotel is all McCauley needed to hang himself. A few moments after hanging up from his call with Nate, McCauley pulls off the highway and tells Eady he has to take care of one last thing, and to leave the car running. McCauley successfully infiltrates the hotel, kills Waingro (who has one of the most chilling deaths in the entire movie, completely deserved by the way), and makes it out of the hotel. Unbeknownst to McCauley, however, Waingro was under LAPD surveillance, and Hanna was arriving at the same time McCauley was trying to sneak out. There is a moment where McCauley reaches for the car, but like in the Greek tragedy, he turns around to see Hanna running at him through the crowd. His own personal representation of the underworld. In another inversion of the Greek tragedy, Eady is the one who plays the role of our Orpheus, and McCauley is our Eurydice, sucked back into the underworld before they can even say a word to each other.

McCauley, turning to see Hanna. It is a dark image, but you can see Eady in the car.

Hanna, chasing after McCauley after he was spotted. Eady stands there, shocked and speechless.

And that is all I have to say about Michael Mann’s 1995 masterpiece, Heat. This is the most effort I have put into an article so far. 17 drafts and a whole week later, we have made it. Much like the movie, this is a saga of an article. I love Heat. Thanks for reading.
Let’s All Go To The Lobby: Manhunter – 8/9/2026

August 10, 2026

Hello Anatomy of a Film readers! This article is our first ever review for a movie we’ve just seen in theaters, which for right now will be called Let’s All Go To The Lobby!

Today, we traveled to the historic Hollywood Theatre in Portland, Oregon, which is currently celebrating its 100th anniversary. It is always a treat to visit a non-corporate chain theater and get what feels like a more intimate experience than what I’m more regularly used to at the local Cinemark or Regal theater.

via the Hollywood Theatre website

It sounds silly to want to highlight, but I want to begin this review with the theater and its etiquette. It was a blast. During funny parts of the movie, the crowd was actually laughing, and at the end of the movie, everyone was clapping and whistling. Just being able to see a movie felt like a communal, celebratory experience at the Hollywood. On the flip side for example, during the opening weekend of the brand new Spider-Man, my local Cinemark was silent, with an almost lifeless crowd. Most of the independent theaters I have had the pleasure of visiting in Portland bring this memorable, communal experience. From people screaming out obscenities during more gruesome parts of The Substance at the St. John’s Twin Cinema in 2024, to a litany of funny comments and uproarious laughter from the crowd during a 70mm screening of One Battle After Another last year at the Hollywood, I am always left with a smile on my face and ready for the next showing. I’m excited to continue this segment throughout the month because we have tickets to two more Michael Mann films at the Hollywood Theatre for Heat (1996) and Thief (1981) on 35mm.

The theater also has a David Lynch themed bar attached, named Bar Hollywood. Here is me getting to hold the Eraserhead baby before our showing of One Battle After Another in 70mm.

Now onto the movie itself! I have been on a quest throughout 2026 watching Michael Mann’s films. He is an incredibly talented director whose acclaim is hard earned. I first fell in love with Mann’s films after blind-buying Thief during my birthday trip last year and we ended up watching it that weekend. I will be glazing that movie more in the next few weeks, believe me. Manhunter was the third film in my Mann Marathon that began in January, unbeknownst to anyone at the time that a 4k, recut remaster was coming down the pipeline later this year.

via @huntercalley on Letterboxd

The first time I saw Manhunter was on my crappy laptop screen at work and while I quite enjoyed it, I wasn’t sure how often I’d actually want to rewatch it apart from the sedated tiger scene. I actually teared up at work the first time I watched that scene. I wasn’t as emotional this most recent time around, but being able to see it in the theater was such a tremendous experience. A few weeks later, while trying to figure out a movie for movie night, I suggested the movie to my wife (who is a big Silence of the Lambs fan) and being able to see it on a TV sealed the deal for me for how great of a movie it is. For those curious, yes, Katie loved the movie too. Once the theatrical re-release was announced, it was a no brainer for us to go see.

Poster for Manhunter (1986)

Manhunter was just as good the third time around as it was the second. It’s a film that grows on you despite how desperate all the characters are and how sinister the overall vibe of the movie itself is. I’m a big proponent of the idea that the theatrical experience will always be better than what you can experience at home on a tv or a computer (or god forbid, a phone). Manhunter is no exception. The sound design, the crisp, refined, massive 4k image, and the audience itself all added to the experience. William Petersen, Tom Noonan, Brian Cox, and Joan Allen all are wonderful in the film and each deliver a truly staggering performance. Though Manhunter isn’t my favorite Michael Mann film, it is one I would certainly recommend you watch as soon as possible, especially if you’re a fan of Silence of the Lambs or Red Dragon.

Side note- Red Dragon is massively overhated. It’s a great modern adaptation of the story.

William Petersen as Will Graham, Manhunter (1986)

Bonus: here Katie’s and my sister Hannah’s review, who saw the movie for the first time with me and Katie on Sunday.

via @katieruder on Letterboxd

via @hdawgy69 on Letterboxd

Anyways- that’s all for now! See you for our next article, whenever that shall be.
James Cameron’s Avatar Trilogy is The Greatest Sci-Fi Trilogy of all Time: Part 1 – Avatar (2009)

August 5, 2026

Being an Avatar fan in 2026 means you exist on two sides of the same coin. On one side, you have to deal with some of the worst possible, sardonic, reductionist takes about the franchise on the both Internet and real life. On the other side, you can rest easy knowing you are better than everyone else for understanding the greatest sci-fi trilogy in cinema. The goal of this article isn’t to tear down any other sci fi classics by any means, such as Back to the Future or Star Wars, but to highlight the merits of Avatar.

Zoe Saldaña as Neytiri, Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025)

Part of what makes the first Avatar movie great is how unapologetically sci-fi it is. It throws you in through the eyes of Jake and it couldn’t be more perfect. The in-universe technology looks great, the cgi is still flawless to this day, and even though the movie has two primary aesthetics, one focused on hyper-militaristic sci-fi and the other focused on nature and basic tools, they are balanced with such an advanced degree of diligence and care. What makes the trilogy great, however, is the advancement in this balance. With each new entry, the technology, CGI, and aesthetic designs and balance continue to evolve in unique and exciting ways. The people involved in making the movie, the characters in the movie, the technology, and the audience truly grow with each new entry. There is beauty to be found there.

Aesthetics collide between Neytiri’s colorful war paint and the dark, sterile environment of the science lab, Avatar (2009)

It’s no secret that James Cameron is a god amongst men when it comes to Hollywood directors. We all grew up with classics like Terminator 1 & 2, Titanic, and Piranha II: The Spawning. Fun fact: he also wrote one of my favorite sci-fi movies, Kathryn Bigelow’s Strange Days (1995) and produced one of my favorite heist movies, Point Break (1991), also directed by Bigelow. But then, in 2009, Avatar took the world by storm. I remember being 10 years old and everyone in the family piling into my grandpas car to go see Avatar in 3D. I remember loving the movie, but never really having the opportunity to rewatch it again in the cinema or at home.

Kate Winslet, Leonardo DiCaprio, and James Cameron on the set of Titanic

Avatar and the world of Pandora became a distant memory for me, until in 2022, the first teaser for Avatar: The Way of Water (which from now on will be called Avatar 2) was released. The hype train began once again. Thanks to a friend of mine, who is an even bigger Avatar fan than me (also named Hunter), the Pandora fever gripped me until it was time to go see Avatar 2. I finally sat down and rewatched Avatar the day before Avatar 2, and immediately fell back in love with the universe. Seeing Avatar 2 the next day sealed my fate of being a lifelong Avatar truther from then on out. The Avatar Trilogy finds itself at #9 on my greatest films of all time list. Yes, I count them all as one. You can’t have any without the other.

A viral news report documenting Post Pandora Depression, 2009

I’ve seen the first Avatar movie close to 10 times now and believe it is as perfect as an introduction to a hard sci-fi universe as the original Star Wars. In fact, it’s better, because unlike Luke Skywalker, the main character, Jake Sully, is blue. All jokes aside though, I do think Jake is a better character than Luke. You see real growth and depth and pain and sorrow throughout the trilogy. I know it’s not exactly the most fair comparison, considering Luke’s characterization has been assassinated by Disney for the last 10 years. Moving on from that small rant, the first Avatar establishes our main conflict, world, and characters perfectly. Jake is a man torn between two worlds, no matter what body he finds himself in. In his human form, he is torn between being manipulated by Colonel Quaritch to betray the science team and the Na’vi for the sake of new legs and Unobtainium, and honoring his brother’s legacy by helping serve the science team. In his Na’vi form, he is torn between the world and life he once knew (his human form), and the world he’s fallen in love with (Neytiri, Pandora, and The People). To reduce those levels of complexity down to this being nothing but a white savior film and a blue alien recreation of FernGully is inherently anti-art.

Sam Worthington as Jake Sully, Avatar (2009)

My favorite part of the film as a kid was everything having to do with the nature of Pandora. I loved seeing the plants, the animals, the bugs, the concept of tsahaylu, and how everything glowed in the night. Pandora truly is an enchanting place. If only 10 year old me could have seen the Way of Water. He’d have been freaking out. Instead, 23 year old Hunter just sat there in awe off a 20mg edible and cried when the whales were on screen. That’s a story for the next article, however. As an adult, my favorite part of the first movie is when Jake opens his eyes at the end of the movie. There is so much hope and light and a future behind those eyes.

Jake Sully Capturing Toruk Makto, Avatar (2009)

In the end, it’s no surprise that Jake chooses the Na’vi. Even though he was seen as someone with demon-blood, he was ultimately accepted by The People and welcomed into the Omaticaya clan, even after his betrayal led to the destruction of the Home Tree. Rather than being controlled by the military or the gigacorp leading the Pandora expedition or going back to a dying Earth, he chose life, community, love, and nature. Avatar is a perfect introduction to this world, and continues to age like fine wine 17 years later.

The Omaticaya Clan gathers to celebrate Neteyam, Avatar (2009)
12 Days of Recapsmas 2025, Day 12: We Are So Back

August 5, 2026

So… this is a bit awkward. It’s been almost EIGHT months since my last post and never finished Recapsmas 2025. Brutal. It makes 0 sense to make a Christmas themed list post at the beginning of August the next year, but fuck it. It wouldn’t feel right to leave my first article series incomplete, so here we are! I did what I had to do and step up for the sake of my family, and now I’m enjoying my own little slice of heaven with my expanded little family. That means it’s time to start writing again!

This has been one of the busiest years of my life, but the film-watching and analysis has continued at a steady pace on my Letterboxd account. I’m excited to continue this blog, because I think about it almost every day. I just need to write!

via @huntercalley on Letterboxd

1. Fitzcarraldo (1982)

In December 2025, the Criterion Channel had a massive Werner Herzog collection full of absolute classics such as “Lessons of Darkness (1992)”, “Aguirre, The Wrath of God (1972)”, and “Fitzcarraldo (1982)”. This was my chance to finally dive a little deeper into Herzog, and Fitzcarraldo left me with a feeling of pure awe. Herzog and longtime collaborator Klaus Kinski are firing on all cylinders in this film about a madman trying to build an opera house in the middle of the brutal Peruvian jungle. For those who have seen “Burden of Dreams (1982)”, the documentary about the creation of this film, you can really see every ounce of blood, sweat, and tears put into this movie. I was tearing my hair out when the boat was sent back down the river during the climax of the film.

Fitzcarraldo is also a commentary on the bourgeois’ relentless exploitation of South American resources and native populations in the 18-1900s. When the natives met them with kindness, they were enslaved and worked to the bone like horses, and when they tried defending themselves or their territory, they would be massacred. Though a massacre doesn’t occur in the film (surprisingly), many in the movie were ready to jump to violence amid their first contact with the natives. That all being said- god damn. What an astounding accomplishment of a film. Herzogs camerawork is so unflinching. His camera is relentless. The still shots of Kinski on the boat moving through the jungle felt so monumental. I can’t wait to watch this on a larger screen. This movie truly blew me away.

Klaus Kinski as Fitzcarraldo, Fitzcarraldo (1982)

2. Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025)

I am planning on doing a longer write up consisting of all 3 Avatar films. Long story short, this is the greatest Sci-Fi trilogy of all time, and James Cameron is a cinematic god because of it. Avatar 3 takes everything from the first 2 movies and elevates it 100-fold. Yes, these are extreme claims, but a future article will explain my point more thoroughly. James Cameron’s Neon Genesis Evangelion. That’s all you need to know.

Oona Chaplin as Varang, Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025)

3. Hamnet (2025)

Hamnet was a truly devastating film. I’m not sure I’ll feel the need to return to it for a rewatch because of how torturous it is, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s a damn fine movie. Chloe Zhao is a wonderful filmmaker, and as a fan of Nomadland, I was very excited to see this. Hamnet was especially poignant for my bride and I, as we visited Shakespeares Globe for a Wild West adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, as well as a harrowing adaptation of The Crucible in the summer of 2025 during our honeymoon. I am still rattled after seeing The Crucible there. It truly is a magical place. Back to the movie: Jessie Buckley especially delivers a beautiful and tragic performance. Her best actress Oscar was well earned on her part. Check this movie out if you want your day ruined (complimentary).

Jessie Buckley as Agnes, Hamnet (2025)

4. Fight Club (1999)

Since we live 2000 miles away from our nearest family members, it usually means we have to go home for the holidays around Christmas time. A recent tradition has been forcing my dad, Chris, to watch movies with me. It all started with Godzilla Minus One in 2024, to which he said it was in his top 10 movies of all time. He now eagerly looks forward to whatever movie I will have ready to show him when I come back to visit. Last year, it was One Battle After Another, to which he had many, many questions after. He loved Perfidia and Sean Penn especially. After, however, he looked at me and asked: “Have you seen fight club?”

When I said no, I was surprised to see how fast this man started moving to get the movie pulled up. It was a great Christmas memory, honestly. As for the movie itself, I thought it was amazing. I am certainly due for a rewatch, because watching Fight Club once isn’t enough to truly understand it. Edward Norton and Brad Pitt move like demons in this and it is such a good time.

Helena Bonham Carter as Marla Singer and Edward Norton as Narrator, Fight Club (1999)

And just like that… we’ve done it? We have finished Recapsmas 2025….

Will I follow the same format for 2026? Yes! I will do a 4 favorites of the month recap again at the end of the year. This time, with a little more preparation and a little less Christmas centric theming. 2026 has been one of the best years of my life when it comes to movies. I have seen so many that I hold with such high regard now and I can’t wait to write about them. Now it’s time to go through my old blog posts and see what I said I was planning on writing about this year, and try to fulfill those writing dreams a younger me once had.

Letterboxd reviews:

Fitzcarraldo

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Hamnet

Fight Club
12 Days of Recapsmas 2025, Day 11

January 21, 2026

The 12 Days of Recapsmas continues…. somehow! For the uninitiated: over the last few years, I have kept a list of my 4 favorite first-time watches for every month of the year, and end up with a great way of seeing my favorite 48 movies of that year. This will be a recurring series on Anatomy of a Film, where I break down my favorite discoveries for the year. Let the 2025 recap continue with our four favorites from November 2025! You can view the full list by clicking the image below.

via @huntercalley on Letterboxd

Before we begin.. yeah. We are 21 days into January and still recapping 2025 with nothing new stirring for 2026, but believe me, we have a lot of great articles planned for the year. January has just kind of been a crazy month.

1. Bugonia (2025)

Bugonia (2025) is the 4th collaboration between auteur Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone, and is a completely electric film from start to finish. Yorgos and Emily have never failed to make a staggering work of art together, whether that be 2023’s Poor Things or, the honestly harrowing film, The Favourite from 2018. 2025 was full of paranoid political thrillers, which is an accurate reflection of American society in the last year. We had Eddington, then One Battle After Another, then finally we topped the year off with Bugonia. All three share a similar vibe of political paranoia while each film tackles a completely different subject. It was a great year for political films in 2025. Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons engage in a battle of mental fortitude against each other in Bugonia, while the viewer is left feeling like Aidan Delbis’s character, Don, confused yet sincerely hoping for the right thing to happen. Bugonia landed in my top 4 for 2025 releases, which is nothing to sneeze at in any way considering the top 3 is One Battle After Another, Avatar: Fire and Ash, and Wake Up Dead Man. 2025 ended in such a spectacular way, and Bugonia really helped “save” what felt like a year with very few event films. Bugonia is just a wonderful movie that manages to have fun whilst tackling and depicting extremely grim actions and discussions.

Emma Stone as Michelle Fuller, Aidan Delbis as Don, Jesse Plemons as Teddy, Bugonia (2025)

2. Jurrasic Park (1993)

The shock that my wife felt when I told her I had never sincerely sat down to watch Jurassic Park could have powered our town for the rest of the month. We watched this before setting out on a road trip for my birthday, where we embarked on a journey from Portland to Spokane, WA to visit their Barnes and Noble. This particular Barnes and Noble is one of the few in the country that carries the entire Criterion Collection, which was having its semi-annual 50% off sale at the time. She said it was completely unacceptable for me to turn 26 without ever having seen this. She was correct. And so was everyone else about this movie from the time it released to the end of time. It is fantastic. What we did to deserve Steven Spielberg, I will never know.

Jurassic Park (1993)

3. Thief (1981)

Thief was one of the many blind-buys my wife and I acquired from the previously mentioned 50% off Criterion sale.

The wife and I at Barnes and Noble with a stack of happiness.

Now this is a movie I have not been able to get out of my head since we first watched it. It takes you places you never expect, makes you laugh when you least expect, and shocks you when you least expect. The fact that this was Michael Mann’s debut film is dumbfounding. James Caan gives an unforgettable performance as Frank, and Robert Prosky as Leo is so despicable that you can’t help but cheer at his final frame in the film. This really is the working mans heist film, there is nothing like it out there. Thief (1981) is a gorgeous film that is over before you realize it’s even started. You want so much more from this world and to see if Frank finally gets to live out his dream, and then it ends. It’s okay though, at least we eventually got Heat (1995). So glad I chose this to be a blind watch during that weekend!

Thief (1981)

4. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

First and foremost- Netflix, please, GIVE THESE FILMS A WIDE RELEASE IN THEATERS! We were lucky enough that a single theater in our area was showing this for 3 days, right before Thanksgiving. My wife is possibly the biggest Knives Out fan of all time, so we made a trek out 30 minutes into the country to a random local theater we had never heard of before just so we could see this on the big screen. And yeah, it was so great we went back the next day to see it again. It is completely unlike the previous 2 entries, and while it may have the most vulgarity and vitriol we have seen in a Knives Out film yet, it is also the kindest and most sincere of the series so far. Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc is as sharp as ever in this, and after his impressive performance in Challengers, Josh O’Connor plays an excellent case-partner as Father Judd. I also want to commend Rian Johnson because his camerawork is as good as it’s ever been in this. It’s just a wonderful film all around, especially if you have some unprocessed religious trauma.

Josh O’Connor as Father Judd, Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc, Wake Up Dead Man (2025)

One more entry of Recapsmas 2025 and then we are done! Stick around for Oscar predictions coming soon!

Letterboxd Reviews:

Bugonia

Jurassic Park

Thief

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
12 Days of Recapsmas 2025, Day 10

January 12, 2026

The 12 Days of Recapsmas continues! For the uninitiated: over the last few years, I have kept a list of my 4 favorite first-time watches for every month of the year, and end up with a great way of seeing my favorite 48 movies of that year. This will be a recurring series on Anatomy of a Film, where I break down my favorite discoveries for the year. Let the 2025 recap continue with our four favorites from October 2025! You can view the full list by clicking the image below.

via @huntercalley on Letterboxd

1. Black Swan (2010)

I had no idea what to expect going into Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan (2010). It has been a cultural touchstone for so long, and it is unreal to think the movie is over 15 years old at this point. It has certainly earned it’s place in the pantheon of GOATED psychological thrillers because of Natalie Portman’s absolutely harrowing performance as Nina Sayers. I had seen Perfect Blue (1997) for the first time a few days prior to this and can definitely see the comparisons and homages Aronofsky paid throughout Black Swan. Mila Kunis and Vincent Cassel also shine brightly in every scene they were in. Even if Cassel’s performance as Leroy makes you hate him, I still loved every time he was on screen. Nina’s descent into madness throughout the film is very difficult to watch, but it was still a great time.

Natalie Portman as Nina Sayers, Black Swan (2010)

2. Kuroneko (1968)

This entry will be a little different compared to basically every blurb I’ve written on this blog so far. I actually ended up watching some of Kaneto Shindo’s Kuroneko again recently. It’s shiny Criterion case called me this week, so I popped it in and watched the first 20 minutes or so. This was the day that Renee Good was murdered in Minneapolis, MN. by an ICE agent named Jonathon Ross. The name of this film, Kuroneko, translates to Black Cat. Historically, black cats are seen as omens of evil (including this film). Now, don’t get me wrong. In real life that is bullshit. I have owned black cats my entire life and have 2 beautiful ones in my home as I write this. Black Cats are lovely. But for this film specifically to call to me as I was staring at our new physical media cabinet looking for something to put on after a day of doomscrolling and poisoning my brain with politics and social media was interesting to me. One should view Renee Good’s murder as an omen for the United States this year. I put the film in the blu ray player and just couldn’t finish it once the connections in my brain started forming. The movie starts out with a lawless gang of bandits raiding a home and brutally murdering two innocent women. I just had to pause it there. It’s fascinating to compare the situations side by side. I hope the vengeful spirit of Renee Good brings some much needed changes to our nation. Anyways, I love this film, It is stylistically gorgeous with an intelligent story of supernatural psychosexual demons.

Kiwako Taichi as Shige, Kuroneko (1968)

We initially watched this on the 5 year anniversary of adopting the best cat in the world, BB. We love and miss you every day.

Rest in Power, BB

3. The Devils (1971)

Ken Russell’s THE DEVILS (1971) is one of the most viscerally beautiful films I have ever seen. I swear to God the Criterion Channel was streaming this in 240p in October but that’s okay because it was still THE DEVILS!! Can’t believe so much about this film, including the fact that it exists. I can’t believe how little this film is talked about, nor can I believe the fact that this has never had a full, unedited release. I loved this movie so much I ordered a bootleg blu-ray so I could own some semblance of it! Vanessa Redgrave and Oliver Reed are unstoppable forces in this film. The ending of this movie is still seared into my brain, it was utterly unbelievable. If you ever have the opportunity to watch this, please do as soon as you can. One of my new all time favorite witch-hunt movies. This was such a refreshing take on that genre for me. Just overall it is a tremendous film.

Oliver Reed as Father Grandier, Vanessa Redgrave as Sister Jeanne des Anges, The Devils (1971)

4. The Human Condition I: No Greater Love (1959)

Filmmaking master Masaki Kobayashi’s The Human Condition trilogy of films are considered one of the greatest trilogies in all of Cinema. I, a sinner, have only seen the first entry in this series because each movie is close to or over 4 hours long. I know, that is a weak argument, but these films deserve respect for the story they are trying to tell. Rest in Peace to one of the greatest actors of all time, Tatsuya Nadakai, who passed away recently. His performance here as Kaji, as well as in Seven Samurai and Harakiri, solidifies him as one of the greatest actors of all time. The Human Condition is harrowing, especially now that these concentration camp tactics have returned to our culture. I immediately related to Kaji and his never-ending struggle to do the right thing in the face of incomprehensible evil. Imperial Japan was a brutal regime that ground up soldiers, prisoners, and scholars and spit them out with no regard for human life, and this film shows that with unflinching detail. The ending of this movie is unforgettable. Everything about this movie is unforgettable. Thank you Kobayashi.

The Human Condition I: No Greater Love (1959)

Anyways, this was a heavier blog entry. The world gets heavier every day. Hopefully something gives.

Letterboxd Reviews:

Black Swan

Kuroneko

The Devils

The Human Condition I: No Greater Love
12 Days of Recapsmas 2025, Day 9

January 5, 2026

The 12 Days of Recapsmas continues! For the uninitiated: over the last few years, I have kept a list of my 4 favorite first-time watches for every month of the year, and end up with a great way of seeing my favorite 48 movies of that year. This will be a recurring series on Anatomy of a Film, where I break down my favorite discoveries for the year. Let the 2025 recap continue with our four favorites from September 2025! You can view the full list by clicking the image below.

1. Jaws (1975)

This year I reflected on how movies permeate and become their own identities among pop culture after being around for so long. Godzilla is an obvious case, but so is Steven Spielberg’s Jaws (1975). Everyone knows about Jaws, from the iconic poster, the Universal ride, the Spielberg name association, and of course the film itself. To me, it was easy for this to go under the radar my whole life without having actually seeing the movie all the way through. Of course, I loved it. Roy Scheider is amazing as Chief Brody and Robert Shaw’s Captain Quint delivers an unforgettable monologue that has gone down as one of the greatest in the history of the medium. Everyone knows Jaws! It was such a joy to experience this for the first time in theaters for its 50th anniversary release.

Robert Shaw as Captain Quin, Roy Scheider as Chief Brody, Richard Dreyfuss as Dr. Hooper

2. The Suicide Squad (2021)

I was one of the people in 2021 who saw this was coming out and thought “Really? We’re doing this again?” and didn’t give it a second thought. I was implored this year to finally watch James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad (2021) by friends so that I could check out the Peacemaker show which they had also highly recommended to me. This immediately joined the pantheon of movies (including the original Knives Out) that made me incredibly sad that I got in my own way of witnessing greatness. Honestly I came out of this viewing thinking that this is one of the greatest superhero movies of all time, like in the top 5 for me. It is a wild ride that perfectly balances it’s action, comedy, and heartfelt moments between the cast. Apart from the final shot (which is retconned in Peacemaker Season 2), I honestly think this fits in really well to be watched after Superman (2025). The DCU is in great hands with James Gunn, and I can’t wait to see what they do with these characters going forward.

Joel Kinnamon as Rick Flag Jr., John Cena as Peacemaker, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Peter Capaldi as The Thinker, Idris Elba as Bloodsport, The Suicide Squad (2021)

3. Notting Hill (1999)

Roger Mitchell’s Notting Hill (1999) kind of hit me out of nowhere. I know I’ve brought up my honeymoon a few times throughout the Recapsmas series, but this was particularly fun to watch because my wife and I actually stayed in Notting Hill yet had never seen the film! Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts share a deliciously toxic yet straightforward chemistry throughout the film, and it is just full of overall good vibes. My favorite scene is when he needs to improv an interview about horses. It had me belly laughing the whole time. A new favorite rom-com for sure.

Julia Roberts as Anna Scott, Hugh Grant as William Thacker, Emma Chambers as Honey, Notting Hill (2001)

4. One Battle After Another (2025)

This is the first opportunity I have had to finally write about Paul Thomas Anderson’s magnum opus, One Battle After Another (2025). I left the theater that day feeling absolutely electric. Before 2025 had ended, it was my most rewatched film of the year with 7 watches total (including squeezing it in on New Years Eve before the year ended). I plan on writing some more extensive writeups for this film and more for my 2026 Oscars predictions, but I will talk about my favorite theater experience of the year. I will never forget such as seeing this in 70mm at the Hollywood Theatre in Portland and having my face melted off by the final chase scene. This was my second time having seen the film. The screen opens up and consumes you wholly. Also this movie is just so damn funny and ridiculous and takes you on a journey you fully invest in during the first 40 minutes. I sat my family down when we visited for Christmas and forced them to watch this, and I have never seen my mom and dad more locked in on watching a film all the way through. My mom usually gets up anywhere from 5-10 times to do a random chore or smoke a cigarette, but we only paused once for a bathroom break and half a cig! I couldn’t believe it! Anyways, expect A LOT more on this film in the coming weeks! This is not only my movie of the year, but it is my movie of the decade thus far. Thank you PTA.

Teyana Taylor as Perfidia Beverly Hills, One Battle After Another (2025)

This was such a stacked month that I have to give honorable mentions to the following:

Caught Stealing (2025) – Brilliant crime drama straight out of 2003. Excellent film.

Boogie Nights (1997) – Unfortunately a different PTA film beat this one out.

And that concludes September’s Recapsmas 2025! Thanks for reading and Happy New Year! We still aren’t 12 days into the new year, so this is fine, right?

Letterboxd Reviews:

Jaws

The Suicide Squad

Notting Hill

One Battle After Another
12 Days of Recapsmas 2025, Day 8

December 31, 2025

The 12 Days of Recapsmas continues! For the uninitiated: over the last few years, I have kept a list of my 4 favorite first-time watches for every month of the year, and end up with a great way of seeing my favorite 48 movies of that year. This will be a recurring series on Anatomy of a Film, where I break down my favorite discoveries for the year. Let the 2025 recap continue with our four favorites from August 2025! You can view the full list by clicking the image below.

1. Sunset Boulevard (1950)

I caught Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard (1950) during its Fathom re-release in theaters this year. It was such a classic that we’d never seen before, so what better way to experience this for the first time than at the theater? It is a surprisingly intense psychological thriller that blew me away. I wont spend too much time on this because it’s Sunset Boulevard. It’s amazing. Gloria Swanson, you will always be a star. Also this meant the entire world to my wife and I because the very next day we finished Twin Peaks: The Return having no idea the role this film would play. IF YOU KNOW YOU KNOW!!!

Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond, Sunset Boulevard (1950)

2. Twin Peaks: The Return (2017)

I am counting David Lynch’s 2017 masterpiece, Twin Peaks: The Return, because he calls it an 18-hour long movie. I have decided I will be doing some Twin Peaks posts sometime in the new year, so again, I won’t say much other than it was a wonderful, terrifying, unsettling, frustrating, and satisfying conclusion to the series for me. It really is one of the greatest things I have ever seen and I can’t wait to talk about it more later.

Naomi Watts as Janie-E Jones, Kyle MacLachlan as Dougie Jones, Twin Peaks: The Return

3. Weapons (2025)

Zach Cregger’s WEAPONS (2025) was one of the most fun and talked about horror films of 2025, and I think it is one of the best of the decade so far. It’s tense, scary, funny, and completely ridiculous. Julia Garner delivers a great performance as the paranoid manic pixie dream girl Justine, who is an elementary school teacher who is blamed by her community for the disappearance for all but 1 child in her class. Josh Brolin also shines in this movie as Archer, a grief addled conspiracy theorist determined to find his son, who is in Justine’s class. There is a great child performance in this movie that has gone forgotten in the wake of Jacobi Jupe’s heart wrenching Hamnet performance, and that is Cary Christopher as Alex, the sole student that remained after the disappearance. Finally, we have the showstopping performance from Amy Madigan as Aunt Gladys. This is a great ensemble movie with other fantastic performances in every corner of the film, but this group has remained my favorite among them all. I don’t want to get deeply into spoiler territory, but this movie is a real treat. Cregger directed the indie hit Barbarian back in 2022, and if you enjoyed that movie, you’ll love this one. To me this was definitely more refined and had a much better script overall than Barbarian, if we’re comparing them.

Amy Madigan as Aunt Gladys, Weapons (2025)

4. The Wailing (2016) (Also Known as ‘Goksung’ or ‘Gokseong’)

I can’t remember what compelled me to watch Na Hong-jin’s The Wailing (2016) this summer while having covid, but I think it’s safe to say that Hwang Jung-min performing an absolutely insane ritual as Il-gwang had something to do with healing me. The Wailing is a horror-mystery-supernatural-thriller that absolutely blew me away and you should know as little as possible about it before going into it. That being said, I want to take the time to say this really quick. One of the biggest criticisms I see about this movie is the length. Why on earth would that ever be a problem for a movie of this scale and magnitude? What kind of “my steak is too juicy” ass take is that? This is an absolute masterpiece without a single moment wasted. Come on now. Get real.

Hwang Jung-min as Il-gwang, The Wailing (2016)

And that concludes August’s Recapsmas 2025! Thanks for reading and Happy New Year! The 12 Days of Recapsmas will continue into 2026, see you then!

Letterboxd Reviews:

Sunset Boulevard

Twin Peaks: The Return

Weapons

The Wailing
12 Days of Recapsmas 2025, Day 7

December 23, 2025

The 12 Days of Recapsmas continues! For the uninitiated: over the last few years, I have kept a list of my 4 favorite first-time watches for every month of the year, and end up with a great way of seeing my favorite 48 movies of that year. This will be a recurring series on Anatomy of a Film, where I break down my favorite discoveries for the year. Let the 2025 recap continue with our four favorites from July 2025! You can view the full list by clicking the image below.

1. Superman (2025)

James Gunn’s Superman (2025) is one of the new crown jewels of comic book movies. This film marked the first official movie in the new DCU helmed by James Gunn following his official and triumphant departure from the MCU with Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 (2023). As someone who thought GotG 3 was pretty good (4/5 stars on Letterboxd), but not a fan at all of Zack Snyders DCEU, I went into Superman with very mild expectations. Instead, I was transported into a beautifully and clearly meticulously crafted comic book world, full of monsters and heroes ripe for some Grade-A storytelling. I had never seen The Suicide Squad (2021) or the Peacemaker TV show prior to this, so I really didn’t know what to expect with Gunn at the helm. I left the theater with a newfound appreciation for DC as a whole and I cannot wait to see what they do with this universe. Superman is a hopeful story in an age of doomerist cinema and a beacon of light for comic book movies going forward. David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan’s dynamic immediately sets their tone as Clark Kent and Lois Lane, with Clark being a little bit of a passionate airhead while Lois stays grounded. When I saw that Nicholas Hoult was going to be Lex, I was in the same boat as most of the internet thinking “uhh what?” but I think now we can breathe easy knowing we have him in that role. In this movie, Lex Luthor is an analogue that you can ascribe most billionaires to, except he is a mostly competent genius that is fueled more by hatred and insecurity than pure greed. Let’s not forget to mention the Justice Gang either, I had no idea who Mr. Terrific (played by Edi Gethegi) was and now I can’t wait to see how they move forward with him. I also loved Nathan Fillion’s Green Lantern, who is everyone’s favorite asshole Guy Gardner, and Isabela Merced’s loyal yet constantly irritated Hawkgirl. I just want more of all of this please. I can’t not mention Metamorpho who I immediately loved, the guy just has a literal heart of gold. I loved this movie, and again, can’t wait to see what movies like Supergirl, Clayface, and Man of Tomorrow have in store for us. And yeah. It is cool that he saved the squirrel.

David Corenswet as Clark Kent / Superman, Superman (2025)

2. Onibaba (1964)

Kaneto Shindō’s Onibaba (1964) is one of my new favorite movies of all time. It is what I have dubbed the quintessential “why is Hunter showing me this” movie.

– Black and White
– Foreign Film / Subtitles
– Boobs
– Demons
– Everyone is insane

It has all of my favorites to subject non cinephile friends to! Why did nobody tell me about it sooner? The least you know about this film, the better. Just watch this as soon as you can please. This was a blind-buy during the first 50% off Criterion sale this year, and is one of my favorite blind-buys of all time now. Just a wonderful film.

Kei Satō as Hachi, Nobuko Otowa as The Woman, Onibaba (1964)

3. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006)

Gore Verbinski’s Pirates of the Caribbean series is one of those that I definitely saw as a kid but retained 0 information about anything in the franchise. I had the pleasure of being shown these movies by a really good friend who is passionate about the original “Pirates” trilogy and watches them every summer, which added a lot to the experience. I would easily say this movie is LOTR-tier when it comes to the sheer scale of the adventure here and how committed the film is to its practical aesthetics. Especially during a Lord of the Rings rewatch recently, I found myself thinking about Pirates of the Caribbean and how they did such a great job of recreating that vibe. The first movie was good, but Dead Man’s Chest is on entirely different level. In fact, it’s one of those movies that I watched this year that I was genuinely baffled I had never sat down to watch before. This would have been my shit as a teenager in high school. There have been a few I have written about in this series so far, and I am very excited to write about for the next few days. Our trio of Captain Jack Sparrow (played by Johnny Depp), Yearner in Chief William Turner (played by Orlando Bloom), and the Pirate King herself, Elizabeth Swann (played by Kiera Knightley) all have been properly set up to take us on an epic adventure that you really can root for.

Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow Orlando Bloom as William Turner, Kiera Knightley as Elizabeth Swann, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006)

4. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992)

This summer marked the beginning of what I can only imagine will be a lifelong relationship with the series Twin Peaks. To me, Twin Peaks is David Lynch’s ultimate masterpiece. Though it was controversial upon it’s release, I think this was the perfect follow up to the cliffhanger in season 2. Fire Walk With Me is a retelling of the final 2 weeks of Laura Palmer’s (portrayed by Sheryl Lee) life. Throughout the first 2 seasons of Twin Peaks, we are fed bits and pieces of other peoples experiences with Laura during this harrowing time, but to see it be brought to life was something entirely different. I have no idea how Sheryl Lee didn’t come out of this movie to become an absolute superstar. She delivers one of the greatest performances of all time as Laura Palmer in this film. Everything about this movie is haunting, but Lynch being Lynch, there is a good bit of humor sprinkled throughout this as well. The companion film to this, Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces, is in fact required viewing once you have seen Fire Walk With Me. If you haven’t seen Twin Peaks, what are you doing with your life? Don’t just go watch it, you need to sit down and LISTEN. Twin Peaks as a whole deserves its own writeup on this blog, so I will hold off on going too deep right now.

Dana Ashbrook as Bobby Briggs, Sheryl Lee as Laura Palmer, Moira Kelly as Donna Hayward

And that concludes July’s Recapsmas 2025! Thanks for reading.

Letterboxd Reviews:

Superman

Onibaba

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
12 Days of Recapsmas 2025, Day 6

December 22, 2025

The 12 Days of Recapsmas continues! For the uninitiated: over the last few years, I have kept a list of my 4 favorite first-time watches for every month of the year, and end up with a great way of seeing my favorite 48 movies of that year. This will be a recurring series on Anatomy of a Film, where I break down my favorite discoveries for the year. Let the 2025 recap continue with our four favorites from June 2025! You can view the full list by clicking the image below.

via @huntercalley on Letterboxd

1. Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)

This summer we embarked on a nearly impossible mission, which was to watch all of the Mission: Impossible films before the release of The Final Reckoning. It was an amazing journey that resulted in Ethan Hunt becoming one of my favorite characters in cinema, and falling in love with a franchise I was utterly clueless about. Throughout all of these group watches with friends, I was steadfast in my belief that the original was the best so far, even maintaining that opinion in the face of the strongest Ghost Protocol defenders out there. That was until we got to Fallout. Our core of Ethan (Tom Cruise), Luther (Ving Rhames), Benji (Simon Pegg), and Ilsa (Rebecca Ferguson, or more affectionately called Becky Fergz during our watch-through) are all at their best here, Henry Cavill’s conniving performance as Walker is an excellent foil to Cruise’s battle scarred yet still loyal Hunt. The real star of the movie is Vanessa Kirby as The White Widow. Every word she says is pure velvet. I could listen to her just say the name John Lark for 9 hours and I would still have given the movie a 10/10. These movies are all built around big stunts, big personalities, and big payoffs. This movie has it all and executes them flawlessly over the course of this conspiratorial action thriller. To me, it is the most “Mission: Impossible” Mission: Impossible movie. It manages to have fun without it coming at the expense of the plot, writing, or action. Just a perfect action movie.

Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, Vanessa Kirby as The White Widow – Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)

2. Zatoichi and the Chest of Gold (1964)

We now go from the multi-hundred million dollar budget action spectacles of the Mission: Impossible series to the 6th Zatoichi film, Zatoichi and the Chest of Gold (1964). It surprises me how little the Zatoichi franchise is talked about today in the context of Samurai films. You would think by browsing movie forums, Reddit, and Letterboxd lists, that Kurosawa and Kobayashi were the only ones who did it right while jokingly mentioning Lady Snowblood and Lone Wolf & Cub for their use of extreme amounts of blood that they aren’t really “serious” films. Samurai movies have the ability to gain exposure much easier in the era of social media, but Zatoichi still hasn’t caught the masses attention yet. The series itself is very simple to grasp. Zatoichi is a blind masseur who has mastered the blade, and usually gets into some hijinks as a result of either his incessant need to be a man of chivalry or love of gambling. From what I’ve gathered by watching 9 of the 26 films in this franchise, it is fairly formulaic but I love it all the same. Zatoichi is played by the legendary Shintaro Katsu during the entirety of the franchise. I would normally have these on while at work but stopped at the 10th film due to the brothel setting and haven’t found time to watch it outside of work. Mark my words, though, the Zatoichi journey will continue in 2026. As for the film itself, it is definitely my favorite of the series so far. Directed by Kazuo Ikehiro, this film is one of the most beautifully stylistic samurai films I have ever seen. Ikehiro’s camerawork is top notch for this being his second film. This film feels like a true evolution of the franchise and should be talked about in the same breath as Kenji Misumi’s Samurai Trilogy. The action, comedy, and drama are all perfectly balanced here to create a criminally underrated classic.

Zatoichi and the Chest of Gold (1964)

3. Thelma & Louise (1991)

Story time! My wife picked this up while we were visiting a movie store in London (lets go region-free players!) and we spent the rest of the honeymoon excited to get home and watch this for the first time. The standard criterion blu-ray was stunning and safely made the trip back to the States with us. Ridley Scott’s Thelma and Louise (1991) is an absolute blast about friendship, womanhood, and resilience. When we finally sat down to watch it, we were shocked at how stacked this cast was! Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis, Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen, and Brad Pitt!? Susan Sarandon’s Louise and Geena Davis’s Thelma are absolute knockouts in this, both performance and looks wise. You can’t help but root and cheer for them during their journey. This is a classic, I don’t need to get down into the weeds for this one, it’s a perfect summer movie about the right people meeting each other at the wrong time.

Susan Sarandon as Louise, Geena Davis as Thelma, Thelma and Louise (1991)

4. 28 Days Later (2002)

Danny Boyle’s lo-fi zombie masterpiece 28 Days Later (2002) thunderously re-entered the cultural zeitgeist upon the announcement of a 28 Years Later (2025) trilogy. This movie was widely inaccessible for the longest time, even for rentals, until close to the release of 28YL. Personally, this was a movie I grew up with and had some trauma bound to it as a result of my dad. He enjoyed showing me horror movies I was way too young to watch, such as this, REC (2007), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), and Evil Dead II (1987) when I was around 8 years old. I have since gone back as an adult and conquered what I have dubbed these “trauma films” that gave me endless nightmares as a kid, but surprisingly, 28 Days Later was one of the last of these movies to be conquered due to just how inaccessible it was for the longest time. For those wondering, the final movie I need to overcome is the original Final Destination (2000). I tried and just couldn’t do it a few years ago. Anyways! I am counting this as a first time watch even if I have seen the film before just because this was the first time watching it as a non-terrified sentient being. The movie is shot in a handheld format at what seems to be 240p. As annoying as that is to a lot of people (especially those who want a 4k release), I think it works perfectly as a device for conveying the story of the film. The best use of it in the movie is when Cillian Murphy’s character, Jim, escapes a military camp and begins stealthily taking out soldiers. There is an overhead shot that looks like it is from a decrepit security camera, but for some reason the genius of that shot in the context of the film was seared into my mind. 28 Days Later is, in my opinion, the most innovative zombie movie of the 21st century to this day still. The hopelessness and shock you feel through Jim at the beginning of the film, the family dynamic between Frank (Brendan Gleeson) and Hannah (Megan Burns), and the slow burning romance between Jim and Selena (Naomie Harris) are all perfectly balanced that when the insane military shows up you are genuinely terrified for all of them. The villain deaths are all extremely satisfying. It’s just a great movie. 28 Years Later was a phenomenal film as well, and I have extremely high hopes for The Bone Temple to take the crown once we are able to spend more time with The Jimmies. Thank you Danny Boyle.

Selena (Naomie Harris), Jim (Cillian Murphy), Hannah (Megan Burns), Frank (Brendan Gleeson), 28 Days Later (2002)

And that concludes June’s Recapsmas 2025! Thanks for reading.

Letterboxd Reviews:

Mission: Impossible – Fallout

Zatoichi and the Chest of Gold

Thelma & Louise

28 Days Later