The arrow of cosmic seeds

At least when it comes to the characters, it's a bit like a madhouse. Although the film has macabre humor and Nordic irony, it has a rather serious and dark undertone. Here, we simultaneously laugh at life, celebrate it, and explore the impact of tragedy on the human psyche. Anders Thomas Jensen (Riders of Justice, Adam's Apples) is the next figure in the line of notable Danish filmmakers.

Two shades of mythical coldness

I read David Howarth's book Die Alone (1955) and noticed that it has been made into two films. Arne Skouen's Nine Lives (1957) and this Harald Zwart's The 12th Man (2017). An incredibly amazing survival story about a Norwegian soldier who, instead of carrying out a planned sabotage mission, flees the Nazis in perhaps the most barren and unforgiving terrain in the world. It also tells of people's selfless desire to help, even at the risk of the helpers risking their own lives and the lives of their families. The film is also excellent.

Born in a balloon

While vacationing in England, a Canadian man is suddenly embroiled in international espionage and is suspected of murdering a young woman! And the whole of Britain is after him. The trip to London has suddenly become a nightmare! 9 Steps, from 1935, is a wonderfully crafted suspense film by Alfred Hitchcock.

A headache to eternity

Although it took several years before the notorious terrorist leader Osama bin Laden was captured, this documentary is a great testament to the intense intelligence work that went into finding and killing him. Slow but very determined research work by CIA analysts. And finally, a precision-executed operation by special forces.

Going to buried in the frozen ground

Such a wicked fun to watch. A very genre-conscious and action-packed war film. While the previous movie Sisu (2022) focused on killing Nazis, now the fucking Russians get their share in Sisu: Road to Revenge. A lonely and very quiet, but honest and stubborn Finnish warrior, he cares little about the superior enemy and simply crushes them one by one to get his way. Nothing more than straightforward action, but works amazingly well.

Unfinished bloodshed

This isn't the first Korean film to combine naive humor with a serious suspense story. And let's be honest, it hasn't worked before. The film is about chasing a serial killer and the story is also dulled by overly long fight scenes. A well-made thriller otherwise.

Cursed with wickedness

Frankly, it's pretty shitty. A fantasy adventure film about the coexistence of humans and troll-like creatures on a remote island. There is hardly any background to the story or characters, and therefore the film does not engage the viewer at any point.

Throw caution to the thoughtless wind

Danish Christian's son has joined ISIS in Syria and to get her back he is pretending to be a heretic. Even participating in their atrocities. But how do you wean a boy from fundamentalist brainwashing in a violent kingdom of infidels? This is a pretty good attempt to portray an exceptionally cruel group and ideology, but overall it falls a bit flat, and it's not particularly thrilling. 

Life is filled with its little miseries

Withstood the test of time exceptionally well. Although they have had their share of hits with Airplane, The Naked Gun and Police Squad!, Top Secret (1984) is one of Jim Abrahams, Jerry Zucker and David Zucker's most enjoyable films. An American rock and roll icon travels to perform behind the Iron Curtain and suddenly finds himself part of a counter-revolution. The ageless and utterly hilarious jokes and Val Kilmer's brilliant performance make this a cult classic.

It's hell to pay when the fiddler stops

Movies are too long these days, you could skip half an hour of each without anyone noticing and then you get this short 18-minute short film that you could easily watch for two hours! The Singers is an incredibly captivating and beautiful story about a group of men in a suburban bar wondering who sings the best. The men's interaction brings sunlight and magic to the dark drinking den.

Shit always hits you

Tony Scott's directing style was something else. A real tour de force. Electric and punchy. With his trademark quick cuts, he never lost his rhythm. Magical energy and uniquely recognizable work. It's a shame that he left us prematurely. Fortunately, he bequeathed to us, among other things, True Romance (1993), Top Gun (1986), Enemy of the State (1998) and Man on Fire (2004). The Taking of Pelam 123 (2009) is a streamlined action film that is like taming chaos from start to finish. It hardly stops to breathe. And this, like his other films, is funny, not comedic, but ingeniously inventive with a nice witty undertone.

Two candles in the dark

The ocean floor is as unforgiving, desolate, lifeless and unexplored as space. And in good stories, extraterrestrial boogeymen can also venture there. One can only hope that these superior beings are kind. The Abyss is a 1989 science fiction film written and directed by James Cameron. It is starred by Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn, Leo Burmester, Todd Graff, Kimberly Scott and John Bedford Lloyd. It's one of the best claustrophobic survival movies of all time. At times, it's breathtakingly beautiful to watch.

Sit by the king or perish

There are pros and cons when an actor makes a film that polishes the public image of the country's president and covers up the stains from his past. In a way, he sells his soul and all his artistic integrity. At the same time, he surrounds himself with people he hates. His private life also suffers. But on the other hand, being in the dictator's favor, he gets certain concessions from the state leadership's office, for example, friends are released from prison and removed from their blacklist. Being in the inner circle of power can be fun for a while, but it can also lead to death. Eagles of the Republic is the final film of Tarik Saleh's Cairo trilogy (following The Nile Hilton Incident and Boy from Heaven). 

The epidemic of laziness

I don't think a movie plot can get any simpler than this: Walk or get shot. But in its simplicity, how deliciously enjoyable. Stephen King's book was already shocking, and now this Francis Lawrence film is unforgivably brutal and definitely not for the faint of heart. It's great that things like this are still being done.

Just saw the arms apart

A couple moves to the peace of the countryside, but they encounter nightmarish unnatural forces. Makes a pretty fun and creepy body horror movie. This isn't about reinventing the genre, but Michael Shanks' Together is sufficiently grotesque, scary, and disturbing. 

Ruining the good memories

A great-looking thing. Almost like watching an Edward Hopper painting transformed into a film. This first English-language movie by Pedro Almodóvar is absolutely fantastic eye candy. There's nothing wrong with the story itself, somehow some kind of twist was expected, but apparently, on purpose, no greater tragic turmoil has been sought here.

In the harsh face of stardom

This was tamer and kinder than I remembered. The rock escapism of this fictional band called Stillwater is delightfully smoothed over what contemporaries were certainly doing at the time. In the film, the band and its groupies are almost completely alienated from drugs and booze. But it's a nice snapshot of a rock band and a trusted journalist's journey across America. The purpose of the film is perhaps not to indulge in sensationalism but rather the joy of storytelling.

Ashes in the shadows of the alleys

Sir Alfred Hitchcocks's first (1927) true suspense film and his first commercial hit. A mysterious killer called the Avenger is terrorizing the streets of London. As the search for him continues, all eyes turn to the mysterious stranger who has taken up residence in the inn. Makes an atmospheric silent film thriller.

Some people are blurred

Based on a Stephen King book and at least loosely based on the active years of serial killer BTK, aka Dennis Rader. Quite good otherwise but unbelievable especially when the wife finds out her husband's secrets and instead of running to the police, she keeps quiet if the man promises not to continue killing. The film stars Joan Allen, Anthony Lapaglia and Stephen Lang.

A bottomless pit of need

Comedy is a difficult genre. When it doesn't succeed, it's annoying to watch. They try to be funny here too, the writers must have laughed with what they thought were genius antics, but unfortunately the fun doesn't transfer to the other side of the screen. You can hardly blame the two brilliant actors (Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch), although they didn't play to their strengths here either. And their chemistry didn't work. A relationship drama was built in between the comedy, but that too remained very lukewarm and distant because the characters were so uncomfortable and repulsive in their narcissism.

The latest version of the truth

A good action movie suffocates itself in its own impossibility. 20 million in drug cartel money has blinded officials from various units. Smoking dirty cops requires multi-layered twists and turns. The Rip, by Joe Carnahan, is a once-watchable macho film bathed in testosterone and gunpowder smoke, where the men are muscular, bulletproof killing machines.

Peace is preserved by hiding the truth

A forbidden friendship between four South and North Korean border guards. A completely absurd risk of getting caught. If it were to be revealed, the impact could be world-changing. Eliminating them would probably be the simplest option to keep their mouths shut for good. But first they have to be exposed. Joint Security Area (2000) is a little confusing at first because the story unfolds mostly through flashbacks, and very slowly, but fortunately it's rewarding in the end.

The nights were deathly cold

Wow, painfully bad movies are still being made. The rights to Walt Disney's Winnie the Pooh characters were transferred to the public domain in January 2022, and of course someone had the idea to rape it for use in horror films. The movie is apparently made without any thought. But there's a sequel coming, so maybe it'll be improved. In the end, though, this is just a teenage slasher horror story. A bad one. A meaningless, blood-soaked mess. 

A semen demon

Undoubtedly one of the most significant and best films of recent times. One could speak of a complete cinematic experience. It is chaotic, just the right amount of raunchy and opinionated, and above all, exciting and gripping. The technical execution is absolutely top-notch, such as the captivating cinematography, soundtrack and acting. You can't help but enjoy it to the fullest.

Rotting nuclear waste blues

Not everyone will like this kind of campy humor and gore. That's why these films retain their value and the fan base is loyal. The 2023 Toxic Avenger remake, directed by Macon Blair, is admirably faithful to the original film's insanity. And that's a good thing. It's a bad superhero movie, but a thousand times funnier than all the other modern superhero movies that have to follow a certain code of conduct. So much gore and blood that the target audience is thankfully completely different.

Choose to be content

David and Sarah, who have only recently met, go where their car's GPS tells them to go. They drive to different places in the past and get to know each other in the process. The film is pretty typical stuff for this period. The kind of clever, weird humor that tries to cover up the more serious and intelligent and - this time also - romantic arc of the story. Colin Farrell and Margot Robbie give good acting, which is always rewarding, but as a film A Big Bold Beautiful Journey (by Kogonada) is annoyingly self-sufficient.

A hundred die so that a thousand may live

A sadly forgotten gem of '90s noir. A number of renowned actors (Nick Nolte, Michael Madsen, John Malkovich, Melanie Griffith, Chazz Palminteri, Jennifer Connelly, Chris Penn, Treat Williams) and a visually appealing depiction of 1950s Los Angeles, where the laws are a bit hazy and almost scripted to be broken. The film's atmosphere is very close to Curtis Hanson's L.A. Confidental (1997) and Roman Polanski's Chinatown (1974), so comparing it to these two masterpieces is already a huge compliment. Mulholland Falls (1996) is directed by Lee Tamahori.  

A jockey without a horse

For Tommy Seebach, Eurovision Song Contest was an obsession. He participated in it many times and even won three times. Even getting older didn't stop him. But people's interest in him was fading. He wasn't the youthful disco charmer he used to be. Tommy found this as a reason to drink alcohol. He drank so much that his family had enough. Alcohol then became his destiny. A sad story about a musician pursuing his dreams and the end result when not all dreams always come true. A fairly ordinary, yet impressive and touching film based on true events and people.

Room for chance

It seems like the story of the old grumpy man has been told to the end. His sons are about to throw their father into a nursing home, but the man finds new energy in the company of a female artist. And together they turn everyday life into a celebration. The best thing about this Mika Kaurismäki film is its unhurried portrayal of the timeless Finnish countryside.

Song for a silver eye

It's kind of baffling that there are still filmmakers who underestimate the intelligence of their viewers. There's hardly any other reason for this kind of outright garbage to be released. Guns Up is unspeakably bad. There's absolutely nothing exciting, fun or interesting about this action piece of shit. But at least, you don't have to think about what the shittiest movie of the year is anymore.

It's awfully easy to lie

A brilliantly contradictory, suggestive, yet still quite gentle film. A simple love story but seasoned with all the elements of humanity. Interpreted as almost a thriller without the malevolent criminals. Brief Encounter is a 1945 British romantic tragedy film directed by David Lean. 

That's the second bullet

A narcotics officer on his honeymoon in a small town on the US-Mexico border witnesses a suspicious explosion and, upon investigating the case further, realizes that the biggest problem in solving the case is the prejudiced local police. Orson Welles' Touch of Evil (1958) is dark film noir at its best, dealing with racism and corruption in a jarringly direct style.

Bad luck is just an invention of losers and poors

A charming and pedantic courier for Cosa Nostra lives in the same hotel year after year, waiting for assignments. It's a bit boring sometimes, which is probably why he suffers from insomnia, but luckily he has heroin and people to watch. Falling in love with people can be a problem. The Consqeuences of Love, by Paolo Sorrentino, is an Italian thriller with a slightly erratic plot, but comes with a nicely tuned atmosphere.

Used to be a helluva town

It is not certain, but it seems ominously that a catastrophic earthquake will hit Los Angeles. And the city is threatened with chaos if the residents are told about it. Scientists, politicians, engineers and authorities must find the right solution to save human lives. They can't afford to waste any time or even more terrible things will happen. Earthquake is a pretty sympathetic disaster film, they probably did the best they could with the resources of the time (1974), but it still falls a bit flat. Directed by Mark Robson, starring Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, George Kennedy, Geneviève Bujold and Walter Matthau.

Treasure your individuality

Just wicked good shit. Extraterrestrial virus transforms humanity into a peaceful and content hive mind. However, thirteen people are immune to this mysterious and deranged entity. One of them is the author Carol Sturka (Rhea Sheehorn) who is determined to disrupt the hivemind's plans and restore the world to its original state. Pluribus is an absolutely amazing series, sci-fi storytelling at its most brilliant. Although, sadly, after the first season was made and aired, we were told that the sequel would not be released until a year later. So the great story will remain unfinished and will probably be forgotten in a year's time.

The jerk store are running out of you

Season 8 sees the departure of Larry David. If perhaps the wit and thoughtful humour are lost, the episodes are much freer and more relaxed. Genius comedy in a different way than with him. 22 dazzlingly good episodes. The second to last season of the Seinfeld series.

Slick pearls in the reeds

A young samurai wants to join the elite ranks to defend the general and other dignitaries, but he also has something to defend in his own small village. Outlaw bandits are a threat almost everywhere. And he soon discovers that a warrior needs much more than just agile sword skills. Killing is a short film (80 minutes) and the boring oriental philosophical emotional sentiment at the end was completely unnecessary. 

Hidden tranquillity in a state of emergency

A prison escapee and an orphan girl - for very different but humane reasons - try to get their hands on a certain reel of film. Yimou Zhang's One Second is a story set during China's 1960s Cultural Revolution and the role of film in it. Emotional drama and ironic comedy interpreted warmly and interestingly.

Running out of dead curses

The setting for a very delicious gothic horror experience. A couple is restoring an old farmhouse and the wife begins to suspect that the house is haunted. Fast forward a few years and the man's new girlfriend begins to suspect that all is not well in the manor. Oddity (2024) has the atmosphere of old-time horror movies, a couple of reasonably creepy jump scares, quite predictable but gripping ghost horror. 

Blasphemy by the muddy swamp

The most famous flagships of trash film culture are perhaps the Troma Entertainment films, Russ Meyer and John Waters. Of course, it is always a bit tricky to categorize between sexploitation, orthodox trash and pure cult film art. In any case, in Finland this style is most spectacularly represented by Christer "CHRZU" Lindström and his character Carlotta Moore, an American actress. Carlotta Moore and Me (2023) presents his three slightly wacky short films in a very cult-like, hilarious way, and you can't help but like it. A very different and slightly tasteless, but pleasantly self-ironic and satirical docufiction.

Born to write martial arts stories

Two neighbors' spouses are having a secret affair. The two betrayed people then approach each other cautiously. In the Mood for Love (by Wong Kar-Wai) is a very nostalgic love story brimming with romance. An almost poetically flowing film, brilliantly supported by the music and the small details of the costumes and set design. For many, one of the masterpieces of the film world.

Sucking fucking Hitler’s cock in hell

Far from his best stand-up performances. At times, it even felt like Ricky Gervais was digging out the last few jokes from his previously inexhaustible store of humor. But on the other hand, there was some incredibly funny and intelligent material. So good that you'll laugh out loud.

Like a gust of wind

Due to financial constraints, an Irish family is forced to send one of their daughters to be fed and housed by relatives for the summer. There, this neglected child finally learns to understand togetherness, love, and life. This relatively slow-paced film begins to unfold scene by scene, and eventually you realize that you have immensely enjoyed its quiet beauty. The Quiet Girl (2022) was directed and written by Colm Bairéad.