9th July 2026

Project Hail Mary (2026, dir. Phil Lord, Christopher Miller)

I loved this film so much!! It truly did not disappoint. Grace and Rocky's relationship is so sweet and amazing, I love the lengths they were willing to go for each other despite not having known each other very long and both having their own desires to get back home. But they both put their lives at risk for the other with little hesitation. The unravelling mystery throughout was compelling and the contrast between the flashbacks and the present really bolstered that. Eva Stratt is a fantastic character who you cannot help but understand because she, like everyone in this movie, is so human. I also appreciate how it touched on the expendability with which people who do not conform to societal ideals of a "fulfilled" life are treated.

30th June 2026

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014, dir. Wes Anderson)

To state the obvious: this film is absolutely gorgeous visually. I adore how the sets give the impression of fondant on a cake, it feels fitting for a film about the artificiality of luxury. There's definitely something to be said about how the film's pastel visuals contrast with the growing undercurrent of fascism throughout. The characters were all delightful and I also really loved the "story within a story within a story" framing. It's given me an itch for more films like that.

27th June 2026

Only Yesterday (1991, dir. Iwao Takahata)

Taeko's character is so deeply relatable it almost makes you ache. I've found myself recently caught up in memories of my child self just like she is, so I feel like I couldn't have watched this at a better time. The movie captures how your childhood chases you, how the faces of people you haven't seen since you were small imprint on your mind, perfectly. It really put the "algia" (in the sense of an ache) in "nostalgia".

21st June 2026

I Saw the TV Glow (2024, dir. Jane Schoenbrun)

I couldn't move for the entire duration. It left me with a deep ache in my chest and I wouldn't trade that for anything. Horror surrounding the rejection of queerness, the rejection of transition, as opposed to queerness As the horror/monstrosity is something I can never get enough of and the final few scenes shook me. What a stunning and devastating movie.