Forgotten even to the sea

I think Robert Eggers' previous The VVitch (2015) was overrated - I'd have to watch it again to be sure, but if my memory serves me right, it was boring. As we observe couple of lighthouse keepers in a desolate island, The Lighthouse has that, it can be slow-moving and tiresome, it feels pointless at times, but then again it's splendidly wrapped around delirium tremens, insanity, figments of imagination and bona fide chaos. Still leaves a little disappointed aftertaste.

It lives on

Mid-19th century, Oxford University has undertaken an inventory of entire English language. They chase and hunt down every single word of all centuries of writing basically by reading every book, studying the fuck out of every word. And that's pretty much to story of this movie, compiling the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary. Interestingly they chose to cast couple of odd choices, namely Mel Gibson (Mad Max, Braveheart, Lethal Weapon) and Sean Penn (Mystic River, U Turn, The Thin Red Line) in the lead (their first time in a movie together), but perhaps their charisma and presence were required to see the slow-moving drama through.

The Burger King of badness

Skizm is a reality game of death. Coder - and a nerd - Miles (Daniel Radcliffe), guns bolted into his hands, is forced to join the game and he's scared out of his tits. Guns Akimbo merely copycats the films that are making fun of violence and slaughter of people such as Shoot 'em Up, Kingsmen, Kick-Ass and Deadpool, but has none of their charm and laughs.

It came from the stars

It gets crazy and spooky after a meteorite hits the ground of alpaca farmer's house and just mysteriously disappears. Off-beat - literally lovecraftian - horror bizarre. Colourful, wicked and entertaining, Nicolas Cage is made for these.

Weekend rodeoing in the desert

Bruce Springsteen puts it brilliantly: "Westerm Stars is a 13-song meditation on the struggle between individual freedom and communal life.  The are two sides of the American character. One is transient, restless, solitary. But the other is collective and communal, in search of family, deep roots, and a home for the heart to reside. These two sides rub against one another always and forever in everyday American life." Never been much a fan of his music, and the film doesn't change it, but I've always appreciated Bruce Springsteen's perseverance, the assertiveness of his character.  The movie is a live concert performance of him - backed up by a band and full orchestra - singing songs from his album "Western Stars" in his own 100-year old barn. It's brilliant, shot and performed to perfection.

Pulling tongues out

FBI and NYPD are pissing in the wind while trying to put an end to the illegal fentanyl trade organized by Polish mafia in New York. Pete Koslow (Joel Kinnaman) is caught in a crossfire from all sides. It's a shitty situation, but miles away from the ludicrous story that wouldn't survive even a minute in a real world.

Domestic struggles and joys

A rather brilliant story of four sisters and their passion for literature, art, music and acting. Normally I'd throw these kind of movies to the wolves, but heard some good things about it, so gave it a go. Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh and Eliza Scanlen all dazzle as lovely little angels. Despite a fair share of sorrow, one of the best feelgood movies of the year.

Rich people are naive

Family Ki are proper shitheads. They are desperately poor and lazy cunts, however ingeniously infiltrate into the vicinity of a wealthy family and their home that helds a pretty ghastly secret. This fucker - Parasite - has won awards everywhere. A refreshing cut to the world of cinema, and it's a fun crazy story, but in all honesty, I'd handed the Academy Award to either The Irishman, Joker or Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, so it's not as mindblowing as advertised.

Dogs on the leash

Ken Loach has done quite a lot of these movies where a working class family copes with the perfect yet brutal everydayness. Ricky is a delivery driver and Abbie is a home care nurse, both working 14 hours a day to feed their children and make do. It's all hardship. Great emotional drama.

See you at the next funeral

Japan are eager to become a world power. The attack on Pearl Harbor, the battle of Midway and American patriotism puffed up into one big humbug. What to expect, it's a Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, The Patriot) movie, it tries to be bigger and better, but everything looks plastic and fake.

Everything stays in the family

A soldier with a little decency left, above the macho bullshit of the rest of his squad, suspects something's not right in the deaths of a few Afghan people, soldiers and otherwise. His commanding officer simply puts "We kill people, that's what we do", but are they guilty of a war crime? Based on true events, below average garbage and little of the war itself.