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