The Batman (2022)– 7/10

Synopsis- In his second year of fighting crime, Batman uncovers corruption in Gotham City that connects to his own family while facing a serial killer known as The Riddler.

Robert Pattinson is unironically one of my favorite actors working right now, so obviously I was beyond excited to see The Batman. My favorite part of the film was the way they portrayed Batman. It makes so much sense that Bruce Wayne is this reclusive weirdo rather than some eccentric billionaire, and that is also what makes Robert such a perfect choice for the role. He is really great at playing weirdos, and if you need proof just watch Good Time and The Lighthouse (directed by the Safdie brothers and Robert Eggers respectively). Both of those films are modern classics. I also love how epic this film feels, and while I found the story to be fairly basic for a crime/mystery/noir film, the three-hour-long runtime never bothered me. Although I was mentally prepared for it going in, so maybe that has something to do with it. There wasn’t anything about the film that really blew me away, but it’s a cool watch nonetheless.

X (2022)– 7/10

Synopsis- In 1979, a group of young filmmakers set out to make an adult film in a secluded farmhouse in rural Texas. Their reclusive, elderly hosts take a special interest in their young guests and, as night falls in, the couple’s leering interest takes a violent turn.

X is yet another really cool horror film from A24. I especially loved the atmospheric and tense first 45 minutes. I enjoyed watching these characters interact and “do their thing” while tension slowly builds. Once the tension explodes and the audience is hurled into a slasher-Esque second half, I found the film to be less interesting, if not still a lot of fun. I’m glad jumpscare horror is back in style because when done right these types of movies can be a blast to watch.

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)– 10/10

Synopsis- An aging Chinese immigrant is swept up in an insane adventure, where she alone can save the world by exploring other universes connecting with the lives she could have led. Unfortunately, this sweeps her up into an even bigger adventure when she finds herself lost in the infinite worlds of the multiverse.

After watching Everything Everywhere All at Once, I genuinely felt like I obtained new knowledge about myself and the world around me. As I was driving home from the movie theater, I felt like I could tackle anything life threw at me. I felt excited to be alive. People always say movies have the ability to change minds, and while I believe in that sentiment, this is the only film I have ever seen to actually do that to me. Everything about this movie absolutely hits. Michelle Yeoh is amazing, Ke Huy Quan is amazing, the action is amazing. We follow the characters in basically real-time, which is my favorite way for a story to be told. It’s a beautiful family drama and romance, and I must admit that I cried a lot while watching it. This film has a lot of beautiful messages about human existence that really impacted me. My only gripe with the film is that the climactic fight scene at the end ran a bit too long, but it doesn’t even matter. I love this film so much, and it’s a film that I feel everyone will enjoy in some way.

Ambulance (2022)– 7/10

Synopsis- Decorated veteran Will Sharp, desperate for money to cover his wife’s medical bills, asks for help from his adoptive brother Danny. A charismatic career criminal, Danny instead offers him a score: the biggest bank heist in Los Angeles history: $32 million.

Going into Michael Bay’s testosterone fulled new bank robbery movie, I was fully expecting to hate it, but WOW was I entertained by this. It is certainly one of the dumbest movies I have ever seen, but it was impeccably fast-paced, funny, and the type of movie we don’t see a lot of these days, given that it is an original, mid-budged action movie. I guess I’ve always had a bit of a grudge towards Michael Bay, but I respect how unique and audacious his direction is here. Those drone shots alone were just incredible, if not overused. I was also thoroughly entertained by all the performances in this film, especially Jake Gyllenhaal, who goes all out here with the craziness.

The Northman (2022)– 9/10

Synopsis- Prince Amleth is on the verge of becoming a man when his father is brutally murdered by his uncle, who kidnaps the boy’s mother. Two decades later, Amleth is now a Viking who’s on a mission to save his mother, kill his uncle and avenge his father.

I had the time of my life watching Robert Eggers’s new 90-million-dollar Viking revenge epic. It’s rare to see a film of this budget get so weird and out there. It has a remarkable commitment to its creative vision, which is a really good thing when that creative vision is coming from the mind of Robert Eggers. Eggers gifts this film with some truly perfect direction and sequences that I will never forget watching. From Nicole Kidman’s monologue to the hypnotic Viking rituals, to all the brutally violent one-take action scenes that made me want to pump my fist into the air, this film left me breathless at a consistent rate. And Alexander Skarsgård. My goodness. His sheer physicality in this film is enough to get my blood pressure up. I also need to emphasize how beautiful this movie looks, especially the nighttime scenes and any time fire is used as a source of lighting. Needless to say, I was blown away by this movie and I can even see myself bumping my rating up to a 10/10 one day. With The Northman and Everything Everywhere All at Once in theaters, this is a very special time for movies. GO SEE BOTH OF THESE FILMS! THEY ARE INCREDIBLE!