The Usual Suspects (1995)

I was alone in a hotel room watching PayPerView in my 20s the first time I saw this. I don't remember what I thought during the watch, but I do remember that the ending blew my mind and my rating was an "A-." I was in my living room with my husband of more than 35 years the second time I saw this and, though I knew the twist couldn't surprise a second time around, I was excited to revisit it. After all, I've enjoyed repeat viewings of several movies that depend on a reveal (e.g. The Sixth Sense, L.A. Confidential, Fight Club). So, why did this film just flatten out?

My guess is that most of the high ratings are from people who remember fondly their first viewing and either haven't seen it since or, if they have, chalked up any disappointment experienced during a rewatch to the fact that the surprise was ruined.

C

Babygirl (2024)

Romy looks to be successful in both her career and her family. However, the very first scene hints at something being "off" in her sex life: immediately after having what looks to be mutually satisfying sex with her husband, she nearly runs out of the room to masturbate to porn -- clearly hiding this activity from him.

At work, there's a new crop of interns and Samuel captures her interest with his slightly entitled and unpolished behavior. He selects her as his mentor and she agrees after initial refusal. Somehow, though I completely missed the cues, they both pick up on her desire to be dominated and they have a couple of awkward encounters before settling on some ground rules. Though they both seem to want to keep their activities separate from the rest of their lives, she experiences jealousy when she sees him with someone else and he crosses a line when he shows up at her country home when her family is home.

Though I was kind of blown-away by the story's climax and denouement, I was mostly confused as to what Samuel picked up on. I'd assume this is just what he does and lucked into a willing participant, but we see him having a more traditional relationship, so that didn't seem to be it. This confusion rather overwhelmed the entire experience for me, making it feel like a fantasy rather than an actual possibility.

B

It Happened One Night (1934)

Colbert is a famous "poor little rich girl" who eloped against her father's wishes and is now being pressured -- on the family yacht in Miami -- to annul. Instead, she jumps overboard with no other plan other than to get to New York to reunite with her husband. Though her father has dispatched dozens of men to find her, she's savvy enough to stay on the downlow while pawning what she had on her to get travel clothes and a little bit of cash for a bus ticket. Clark Gable is a newspaper man who stumbles across this naive and entitled traveler and only realizes who she is after they've antagonized each other. It becomes a sort of "Planes Trains and Automobiles"-type story with everything possible going wrong, which gets them at each others' throats and hearts. 

It's impossible not to root for these two: they are clearly having fun on the road together even while grappling with problem after problem. Colbert goes from "I don't need you" to a grudging realization that she'd be in over her head without him while Gable is surprised at how capable and savvy this sheltered heiress actually is.

This is one of those movies that could probably still please a crowded theater.

B+

Non-Stop (2014)

Neeson's an alcoholic air marshal trying to figure out which of the people on his plane is demanding $150 million to stop people from dying every 20 minutes. There are more stupid decisions than there are red herrings and, trust me, that comes out to "a shit-ton."

A complete waste of a pretty stacked cast.

D+

Love Me (2025)

A satellite orbits the Earth long after life has left the planet, putting out a greeting to any who might be listening. A still operational smart buoy comes online and responds but -- as it's not a life form -- the satellite's help program is not interested. The buoy is smart, after all, and researches the vast archives of digital content still available in order to figure out how to be a life form and, perhaps, make a friend.

This longing for connection and life reminded me somehow of City of Angels. We take this messy existence for granted and forget just how absolutely wonderful it all is. Honest laughter. A simple glass of water. Working together. Gary walked in while I was watching and I became suddenly aware of the fact that I was literally wide-eyed and slack-jawed just staring up at what appeared to be a video of a couple of Sims eating dinner on the couch. Though the ending was a bit of a miss, the rest simply captivated me.

If nothing else, this proves once again that Kristen Stewart can pick 'em.

B