My Watchlist

📽️ Godzilla Minus One (2023)

New Release | Drama / Science-Fiction | In Theaters (limited time) 🟢

In postwar Japan, a new terror rises. Will the devastated people be able to survive…let alone fight back?

Godzilla is back to being a symbol of the horrors of war and nuclear destruction. No motivation, no explanation, he just rises from the sea to bring death to the innocent. The story weaves Godzilla and his symbolism perfectly into this post-World War II setting and sheds light on how the people in this territory were impacted.

Godzilla isn't an anti-hero here like how Hollywood typically portrays him...he's the clear villain, and he’s terrifying. His atomic blast use here is WILDLY creative and made me laugh out of pure awe. Seeing this in IMAX made me deaf and melted my face - I swear. This is the first time in any monster film that I genuinely cared for the characters and hoped for their safety. They were all great, played their role, fit into the narrative and progressed the stories and character arcs forward. If you take Godzilla out and make this a straight-up war film, it works just the same, and that's what sets it apart from other installments.

Panic. Stress. Anxiety. Grief. Survivor syndrome. On top of the brilliant themes, the screenplay is tight and the visuals are masterful for a $15M budget. Stop giving Marvel films $200M and fund more of these, please. 

Go see this in theaters, I promise you it's worth your time. The next Godzilla film we're getting looks like Kong has the Infinity gauntlet and Godzilla is rallying the Avengers...so we have to enjoy these deeper blockbusters when they come around. This is the shocker of the year and left me stunned. Will certainly be in my top 5 of 2023.

"Is your war finally over?

4.5 stars. Letterboxd review here. TikTok review here.

📽️ The Killer (2023)

New Release | Thriller | Netflix 🟢

After a fateful near-miss, an assassin battles his employers, and himself, on an international manhunt he insists isn’t personal.

Little late on seeing this, but incredibly glad I made some time. David Fincher and Michael Fassbender need to do more films together. I knew I’d love this one, but I was shocked at how comical it was at some points. Technically fantastic (it’s Fincher, duh) and the cinematography had me hooked.

The narration is a fun touch and this was a creative take on the character study type film. Watching a perfect, ‘batting 1.000’ hitman make a mistake and unravel made for a great narrative. The side characters, though sparse, were a massive highlight and Tilda Swinton stole the show in her (maybe) 8 minutes of screentime.

It was raw, gritty and visceral - highlighted by the fight scene vs the brute in Florida. Using everyday items (some will call it product placement, I felt it was warranted) was a fantastic way to put us in his shoes and show how this exact assassin could exist in our world. Ordering murder weapons on Amazon? Relatable.

The more I talk about this movie, the more I think I love it? Might have to rewatch this soon and see if my score goes up.

“Of those who like to put their faith in the inherent goodness of mankind, I have to ask, ‘based on what, exactly?’”

4 stars. Letterbox review here.

📽️ The Hunger Games (2012)

First Watch | Science Fiction/Suspense | Prime 🟢

I need someone to clearly and calmly explain to me how Peeta was able to paint his fucking face like a forest floor while bleeding out. This is one of films greatest mysteries that needs to be answered.

This was fun - shocked I somehow never saw this during my college days but I’m now on the journey to getting caught up with the franchise. Outside of the shaky cam giving me an aneurysm and some wonky CGI, I enjoyed this 2010’s dystopian classic. Witnessing straight up dead kids was a bit jarring, but it provides realism and depth…that violence is needed to set the scene. Excited for the second film.

“Thank you…for your consideration.”

3.5 stars. Letterboxd review here.

📺 Invincible

New Release | Action-Adventure / Drama | Prime 🟢

I finally got caught up with season 2 of this show and HOLY SHIT does it still bang. The animation took a gigantic leap forward from the first season and the world-building is excellent. Friends have told me to hold off on reading the comics so I’ll be surprised by the show, and so far it’s living up to the hype.

If you haven’t watched Invincible because it’s an animated show - please remedy that. It’s an adult take on superheroes that deconstructs the genre (like The Boys, also Amazon) and has some genuinely draw-dropping moments. I won’t spoil it for you, because the end of the very first episode had me stunned, but your homework is to watch episode 1 and report back with your thoughts. If you’re not hooked, you don’t have a soul and I'm reporting you to the authorities.

Part 2 of Season 2 releases ‘sometime in early 2024’, so if you binge all of it now, you’ll probably be caught up before it returns. Could not recommend this enough.

My Playlist

🎮Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (2023)

New Release | Action/Adventure | PS5 Exclusive 🟢

I think we’ve all learned to trust Insomniac when they’re handling Spider-Man - and this installment is no different. It hits most of the right areas and provides a phenomenal gaming experience…but it felt like something small was missing.

After sitting on it for a bit, I realized the story didn’t impact me as it did in the first game - and the atmosphere didn’t immerse me the same way the Miles Morales installment did. Mechanically it was far superior and the graphics were immaculate…but I just didn’t fall in love with it in the same way I did with previous games.

The characters and voice acting continue to be top-tier (Yuri Lowenthal was robbed at The Game Awards) and I’m still excited about the future of this game and the franchise at large with The Wolverine looming in the distance…the post-credit scene here was enough to hold me over for a while.

🎮 Hogwarts Legacy (2023)

Spring 2023 | Action/Adventure | All Platforms 🟢

I was grinding this game on release but put it to the side for a while and deferred to my wife, who somehow put 100 hours of gameplay into this without being a gamer, due to her diehard Harry Potter fandom….and I’ve heard dozens of experiences like this, where non-gamers became addicted, which says a lot of positive things for the studio and developers. I decided the holiday season was a good time to jump back in due to its elite holiday vibes and I’m having a good time.

It’s not mind-blowing, but the warm atmosphere is something I can’t explain and it has an interesting enough combat system to keep me interested…it feels like home.

Shit, maybe I’m a Harry Potter-addicted millennial, too.

Will probably finish the main story and the important side stuff and then let this one go - though I’m stoked for this studio to get another shot at DLC or the sequel.

🎮 Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 1

New Release | Battle Royale | All Platforms 🟢

If you know me, you know I was a Fortnite addict between 2018 and 2021, until I slowly moved away into Warzone & Apex Legends as my main FPS titles. I have no idea why, but OG Fortnite brought back my addiction to this game and it’s stayed strong as they moved into a new map, new movement mechanics and a new loot pool.

I truly love it, but most of the fun I’m having is probably because (most) of my original Fortnite gaming crew (there's like, 8 of us) came back and we’ve been playing more consistently in the last month than we have in the previous three years combined. I’m not sure how long that will last, but I’ll covet it and try not to take it for granted while we're on a roll.

On top of the BR mode, they added a LEGO Fortnite mode that looks to rival Minecraft and I’m sure I’ll dive into that sometime soon - if anyone wants to build a Lego version of Westeros, you know where to find me.