Movies Worth Watching #4
The 2023 Oscar Nominees were revealed yesterday, and I’m honestly not as annoyed as I usually am. The only real snubs in my opinion are Nope and Decision to Leave. How Decision to Leave didn’t get nominated for at least International Feature Film is beyond me.
Maybe later in the week, I’ll do a prediction and personal favorite pick for each category. Regardless, in this Movies Worth Watching, I’m sort of all over the place with my picks. As always, I won’t spoil any major plot points so don’t worry if you have any interest in these films.
1. City of God (2002)
Genre - Crime/Drama
Directors - Fernando Meirelles, Kátia Lund (Co-Director)
Writers - Paulo Lins (Novel), Bráulio Mantovani (Screenplay)
Starring - Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino, Matheus Nachtergaele
About - In the slums of Rio, two kids' paths diverge as one struggles to become a photographer and the other a kingpin.
Why You Should Watch
Gangs, crime, drugs, power, wealth, and survival are the central themes in 2002’s City of God. Running a crisp yet dense 130-minute runtime, City of God is a novel film that’s hard to pinpoint or draw comparisons from. Most film students are aware of the chicken chase scene and the significance it has from a technical and metaphorical standpoint, but as with any film with an iconic scene, there’s a lot more to it than those few minutes.
What I admire most about the film is its ability to portray life in the slums of Rio de Janeiro over decades without feeling bloated in the slightest. Every scene meticulously captures the various characters in the film and their respective interests, desires, and future. All of it is presented from the perspective of its central character Rocket, an aspiring young photographer who finds himself in the middle of everything despite wanting nothing to do with it. It’s a remarkable achievement in cinema and a beautiful tale of trying to escape.
2. The Vast Of Night (2019)
Genre - Sci-Fi/Mystery
Director - Andrew Patterson
Writer - Andrew Patterson, Craig W. Sanger
Starring - Sierra McCormick, Jake Horowitz, Gail Cronauer
About - One night in New Mexico, in the late 1950s, a switchboard operator and radio DJ discover a strange audio frequency which could change the future forever.
Why You Should Watch
I’ve been preaching about the genius of The Vast Of Night to friends and family since first seeing it back in 2019. What the film manages to accomplish as a Sci-Fi film is impressive in and of itself, especially when you discover it did so on a $700,000 budget. For any film to be made under one million dollars is impressive, and is tenfold when it’s in a genre that relies so much on that big-budget spectacle.
Upon watching it, you won’t feel the film cut corners at all because of its budget—though you can assume many of the longer takes were done to conserve time—and much of that is thanks to the great director behind the film Andrew Patterson. As said, there are fantastic long takes—an aspect I’ll always appreciate—but the film also has superb acting, truly chilling dialogue at times, and an ending that’ll leave you wanting more. The setting is also very immersive and makes the small U.S. town from the 1950s feel very realistic like you’ve been there. Whether you’re a fan of Sci-Fi or not, The Vast Of Night is a must-watch.
3. The Vanishing (1988)
Genre - Mystery/Thriller
Director - George Sluizer
Writers - Tim Krabbé, George Sluizer
Starring - Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu, Gene Bervoets, Johanna ter Steege
About - Rex and Saskia, a young couple in love, are on vacation. They stop at a busy service station and Saskia is abducted. After three years and no sign of Saskia, Rex begins receiving letters from the abductor.
Why You Should Watch
Stanley Kubrick once referred to The Vanishing as the most terrifying film he ever saw, and though it takes a while to get there, once it does, it’ll crush you. In its simplest, The Vanishing is a painfully realistic portrayal of kidnapping and what someone goes through after their love disappears with no real answers of what happened. Once that event happens, we witness the regret and tragedy of the character Rex (Gene Bervoets)—how does his life go on after his love seemingly vanishes?
It also heavily focuses on the antagonist Raymond (Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu), a man who in his teens realized he was a sociopath. The Vanishing might be too grim for some, but if you can handle this sort of thing, it’s a great film. There’s also a 1993 American remake from the same director George Sluizer (how many directors have remade their own films?), but don’t waste your time with it.
4. Raging Bull (1980)
Genre - Drama/Sport
Director - Martin Scorsese
Writers - Paul Schrader, Jake LaMotta, Joseph Carter, Peter Savage, Mardik Martin
Starring - Robert De Niro, Cathy Moriarty, Joe Pesci
About - The life of boxer Jake LaMotta, whose violence and temper that led him to the top in the ring destroyed his life outside of it.
Why You Should Watch
Pretty much everyone has enjoyed at least one Martin Scorsese film in their life. Even someone who barely watches movies has most likely experienced something from the iconic director. Though I go back and forth about which Scorsese film is my favorite, Raging Bull is definitely up there. Telling the story of boxer Jake LaMotta through stunning black and white film, Raging Bull is a daring film with themes of aggression, masculinity, self-hatred, and jealousy.
Arguably at his best, Robert De Niro plays a character in LaMotta that’s impossible to root for—he’s a jerk, a bad husband, a creep, and has essentially zero redeeming qualities outside of being a great athlete, if that’s even considered one. The protagonist villain is an aspect of writing that many say is impossible to pull off and would consider a writing sin. Well for all those who preach that nonsense, what do you say about Raging Bull? Truly a masterful film.
5. Possessor (2020)
Genre - Horror/Sci-Fi/Mystery
Director - Brandon Cronenberg
Writer - Brandon Cronenberg
Starring - Andrea Riseborough, Christopher Abbott, Jennifer Jason Leigh
About - An agent works for a secretive organization that uses brain-implant technology to inhabit other people's bodies - ultimately driving them to commit assassinations for high-paying clients.
Why You Should Watch
I can’t wait for Brandon Cronenberg’s latest Infinity Pool and have plans to see it this weekend. Besides being the son of iconic filmmaker David Cronenberg, Brandon gained a lot of attention back in 2020 with his second film Possessor. Possessor is a very impressive film and floats around in a world that explores consciousness transfer—utilizing body control for nefarious purposes.
It’s a very violent Sci-Fi flick but is more than just its gore, touching themes of identity, alienation, and imposter syndrome. It has one of the best openings I’ve seen in a film and manages to carry the initial impressiveness throughout its 102-minute runtime. I believe it’s on Hulu so go into it blind and enjoy the ride. Also, look for my review for Infinity Pool this upcoming weekend.