Shirley (2024)

Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman elected to Congress, decides to run for the presidency just five years later. She's exactly the kind of person you want in Washington: she actually knows and cares about her constituency, she's tough, and she doesn't know how to give up. But this movie starts on her first day in Congress -- we learn nothing about what drove her to serve and how she decided to get involved and whether her husband was supportive of the idea and, well, anything. 

Basically: she's an inspirational figure who simply doesn't get fleshed-out and it makes for a pretty dry movie.

C+

The Accountant (2016)

Affleck is surprisingly good as Christian, an autistic man raised by a father determined to make sure his son could survive in an unforgiving world. With his natural affinity for patterns, numbers, and solitude, the brutal lessons provided by his father turn him into the perfect accountant for criminal organizations.

This boils down to a bunch of great fight scenes with a decent (if somewhat thin) plot underneath. Though both Gary and I enjoyed this it's very likely I'll forget it before the year is out.

B-

Relax, I'm From the Future (2023)

Casper travels from the future but struggles to get anything going until Holly, an aimless millennial, offers him some leftovers and a place to crash. Armed with Casper's lottery and sports knowledge, Holly can live a comfortable life and Casper can pursue his passion for memorabilia, mostly by befriending close-to-death nursing home residents in hopes of inheriting their stuff.

The script quickly dismisses the "butterfly effect" -- making it clear that small changes won't be felt, but they've got to be careful about altering anything big. The result is a charming, if somewhat weightless, story with winning performances. I had a good time.

B-

Will & Harper (2024)

Harper (formerly Alex) has transitioned to life as a woman. When living life as a man, one of her great pleasures was to road trip and visit holes-in-the-wall along the way. It occurs to Will Ferrell (one of her friends) that Harper might no longer feel safe doing this on her own, so he suggests a cross-country roadtrip together.

This would've been a fantastic movie if it just focused on the conversations in the car. We learn about Harper's loneliness and a desire to just be allowed to be herself -- even behind closed doors where no one else can see her. Harper's stories put me in mind of the truism "you are who you are when no one's looking" because it's clear that she's been a woman in every moment she could snatch for herself. 

But this film looks beyond the chat between friends and expands to the response from outsiders. Though most people are lovely, there's a bit of a question mark as to whether that's because they're excited to meet Will Ferrell. Many of the patrons of a certain Texas Steakhouse can go fuck themselves, though. Genuinely moving: more hopeful than sobering.

B+

Black Bag (2025)

I've just now realized that a movie directed by Soderbergh is not a slam dunk & I'm not sure why it took me so long to get here -- I should've noted this way back in 2005 when he gave us Bubble. And again in 2007 with Ocean's Thirteen. But then he goes and makes Logan Lucky, winning me back, right before he delivers Unsane, which lost me again.

Anyway. This movie is such a borefest. I had such a hard time focusing on the incessant dialogue that I just couldn't make myself care about any resolution.

C-

Reptile (2023)

I watched this -- well, stared at it -- with my sister and both of us were pretty lost throughout. Characters would disappear, plotlines would get dropped, and it seemed to move at a snail's pace until the last act which felt unreasonably rushed. Though I was confused, I wasn't at all surprised at the who and why reveals. 

It was just a basic story wrapped up in confusing storytelling. Also, you have to watch JT try to act. No thanks.

D

Ghostlight (2024)

Dan isn't doing well. He's unfocused and short-tempered at work, has no idea what to do about his daughter's defiance and problems at school, and is struggling to connect with his wife. There's obviously been some trauma in their family, but we're not immediately clued-in to what that is. When he gets curious about the community theater group practicing in a strip mall near his work site, he gets strong-armed by the tiny but forceful director into helping them out.

Though I could often see the acting happening, I was charmed nonetheless and the tears I shed were honest rather than feeling manipulated out of me. I believe in the power of art to heal and this film does too.

B

The Hater (2020)

Tomasz goes immediately into damage-control mode when he is expelled from college for plagiarizing. Though he is a born manipulator, his talents don't work on his patrons who view him as a yokel who squandered their largesse. He jumps at the opportunity to rake in cash as a professional troll and is soon indispensable to his company, making it possible to worm back into his patrons' lives.

What a compelling story! I saw this described as "Parasite meets Nightcrawler" which definitely works due to the themes of class and a talented/despicable outsider. But adding in the modern social media aspect takes this story to a different level -- a scarier level. Though it's difficult to be sympathetic to a character like Tomasz, it's easy to see how someone like him is created.

B+