every movie i watched in Q1
i am already watching too many movies... or should i say films...
I guess 2025 is the year of the cinephile!
January
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) [rewatch]
Watched with my sister and she called Andrew Garfield and Toby MacGuire OLD
Theater Camp (2023) [rewatch]
Nothing better than watching this movie and seeing the other person enjoy it
Saturday Night (2024)
I’ve never done cocaine before, but I imagine it must feel like this movie.
A Real Pain (2024)
I love Kieran Culkin, and I love Jesse Eisenberg. I love that their characters feel like magnified versions of how their personalities come across in press interviews.
Gladiator II (2024)
Genuinely a fun time. Will never watch again despite it having 2 of my favorite celebrities.
Wonka (2023)
Oh, Timmy…
Juror #2 (2024)
I felt like this movie wanted to make a point but stopped the movie before the point was made.
Twilight (2008) [rewatch]
Part 1 of the Kristen Stewart double feature.
Love Lies Bleeding (2024)
Really fun. I love Katy O’Brian. Part 2 of the Kristen Stewart double feature.
Queer (2024)
Super wacky, got second-hand embarrassment from Daniel Craig’s character…
Stand By Me (2024)
Terribly depressing but has a good ending so yay?
Theater Camp (2023) [rewatch]
Nothing worse than watching this movie and seeing the other person not enjoy it as much :(
Before Sunrise (1995)
I get it now.
Before Sunset (2004)
Loved it even more than Before Sunrise until the last 10 minutes
Before Midnight (2013)
Hated this one! Hit a little too close to home.
Nosferatu (2024)
Objectively, a great movie. Not my thing, though.
The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009) [rewatch]
Genuinely, nothing happens in this movie. We had to watch it on 1.5x speed.
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010) [rewatch]
Again, barely anything happens. 1.5x speed.
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (2011) [rewatch]
Dare I say, the best one in the saga.
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012) [rewatch]
YOU NICKNAMED MY DAUGHTER AFTER THE LOCH NESS MONSTER?
Pride & Prejudice (2005) [rewatch]
Really needed this at the time. If you know, you know.
Babygirl (2024)
Way funnier than I was expecting. Lots to think about. Still don’t get the Harris Dickinson hype, though.
Dune (2021) [rewatch]
Such a beautiful movie where barely anything happens.
Dune: Part Two (2024) [rewatch]
Such a beautiful movie where things definitely happen.
Okay, I watched way too many movies in January, so here’s my second favorite.
February
Isle of Dogs (2018)
The humor in this movie is top notch. I can’t wait to rewatch it with my sister.
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
I get the hype. What a beautiful, wonderfully paced film!The Gorge (2025)
I literally do not give a flying f*** what the critics say, I loved it. A new classic Valentine’s Day movie… hopefully
Top Gun: Maverick (2022) [rewatch]
I watched this right after The Gorge because I love Miles Teller. I’m only ever patriotic for 2 occasions: the Olympics and this movie.
Spirited Away (2001) [rewatch]
If I may speak… I really don’t know why white cinephiles go feral for this movie. It’s beautiful, sure, but Studio Ghibli has done better.Divergent (2014) [rewatch]
So much fun to recite the lines. I can’t believe I messed up a few. Five stars forever. Love you, Theo James <3My Fault: London (2025)
Yes, I’m embarrassed by this one, but it is better than the original Spanish one by a long shot. The story actually felt coherent, and the characters felt more believable. I fear The Buccaneers (2023) on Apple TV+ was overshadowed by Bridgerton hype, but Matthew Broome is fantastic and needs more recognition for his charm.Conclave (2024)
Absolutely incredible in production, cinematography, sound, writing, and performance. Will be thinking about this movie for a long time.Insurgent (2015) [rewatch]
There’s a huge tone shift from the first movie because a new director signed on for this one and the last, and it’s absolutely terrible… At least Theo James looked good.Allegiant (2016) [rewatch]
Miles Teller really shines in this one because the premise is so ridiculous that his comedic beats land each time. At least Theo James looked good.
March
The Brutalist (2024)
After the Oscars, I had to see what this was all about (especially since they beat out Conclave for Best Original Score). I’m a firm believer that movies should not be longer than 3 hours long. When movies are over 2 hours long, I am already highly skeptical that every second is truly valuable to the story. Although I can see how this movie has been received the way it has, it felt, in whole, like Adrien Brody’s incredibly longwinded and unmemorable Oscar acceptance speech. The deconstructed American Dream story just fell flat with this one. And the score was not good enough to beat out Conclave.A Complete Unknown (2024)
Bob Dylan is truly such a menace, and his mumbling doesn’t help his case. Monica Barbaro and her voice were really the star of the film for me. I know Timothée will get his flowers soon, but I don’t think this was it. Anyway, I loved the music! Yay folk and folk rock music! Bring back harmonicas…The Apprentice (2024)
I have been putting this one off for forever. I absolutely adore Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong, but I was so sick of That Man that I was not in the mood for this movie. It is incredible to see these men transform into the characters, and I am so impressed by their performance. FDT. He should have stuck to reality T.V.Companion (2024)
Hyped up to be a profound commentary on women as the subject of violence by men in the premise of a world seeping of artificial intelligence technology but feels like a man wrote it because he recently discovered feminism. (It was directed and written by a man, who’s surprised?) Still decently fun overall courtesy of Sophie Thatcher.A Different Man (2024)
Sebastian Stan has done it again. The comedic beat placements were 10/10. Cinematography and sound design? Also 10/10. What a film! What a year for doppelgänger media!Sing Sing (2024)
Tears, tears, tears. Talk about a movie that will break you and heal you at the same time. This film encapsulates humanity and serves as a reminder for how important play and nurturing your inner child is, no matter how old you are and no matter what situation you are in. Art truly is a wonderful conduit for rehabilitation. I cannot say enough good things about this film, but if you have not watched it yet, move it to the top of your list NOW. Also, Colman Domingo was absolutely snubbed at the Oscars!!!!Tár (2022) [rewatch-ish]
This was technically a rewatch BUT the first time I watched it, I was barely paying attention. This film is so incredibly cold from the magnificent and eerie but magnificent sound design to the cinematography and composition of each shot to the snappy editing. I love Lydia Tár the same way I love Selina Meyer from Veep if you know what I mean.Monkey Man (2024)
What an incredible directorial debut for Dev Patel. I normally don’t enjoy action/adventure films, but my god… this man can do it all. Plus, I love that he hit the themes head-on and didn’t shy away. Please add this to your watch list if you haven’t seen it yet!Lady Bird (2017) [rewatch]
Hits a little different watching it now. I think the first time I watched it was in 2020. Unfortunately, the movie is still extremely relatable! Anyway, everyone always talks about the mother-daughter dynamic in this movie, but I think the overall family dynamic recontextualizes everything and makes things hit a little harder for me.Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)
Tried to watch Frances Ha right after Lady Bird, but I was not in the mood for an artsy fartsy film. So I watched the exact opposite! I’ve actually never seen this movie despite watching the sequel that Pedro Pascal is in, and boy did I get a kick out of Samuel L. Jackson’s fake lisp…The Life List (2025)
One of those Netflix movies that you could probably watch with your family and have a good time but forget about the next day. Not bad, but a solid 3 star movie. Anyway, if I had a nickel for every time Kyle Allen plays the romantic interest of a girl grieving her mother I’d have two nickels. If I had a nickel for every movie I’ve seen with him as a romantic interest at all, I’d also have two nickels.Fire Island (2022) [rewatch]
I listened to 3 episodes of Las Culturistas before watching this, and I loved it even more. I also learned it was based on Pride and Prejudice right before watching, and considering how often I rewatch the 2005 film, I’m just sad I never put the two together. I feel like this movie also has such a solid commentary on toxic queer culture and also spotlights Asian American queer culture (!!!!) in a way that hasn’t been done on the big screens before.Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017) [rewatch]
Unfortunately, a very fun movie. Silly action movies are always better than serious ones. I get secondhand embarrassment from that one viral Pedro Pascal scene (you know the one).The King’s Man (2021)
Worst movie ever made probably. Plot was simultaneously boring and hard to follow. I can’t believe how many A-list actors they got for this movie.
Yeah, my Letterboxd screen time went up in March… comment your Letterboxd account if I don’t already follow you <3
truer things have never been said about juror #2