Mal's Gherkin Pram

Movies/Series I've Watched, Enjoyed and Appreciated Recently 🎥🎬

► What movies have You enjoyed recently? ❔

► Movies I've YET to watch, enjoy and appreciate (out of the recent batch of movies I have sourced and are ready-to-go)

► Also: Mal's Movie Collection (1,000+ titles)

► Also: Mal's 5 out of 5 Movies

March-April 2024

⭐ I've just rewatched the 2015 6-part TV Series "Wolf Hall". Based on the viewpoint of Thomas Cromwell's service to both Cardinal Wolsey and then England's King Henry VIII in the 16th century.

I love Mark Rylance's understand acting, and the great arrogance of Damian Lewis' portrayal of a petty and bi-polar King Henry.
I enjoy these historical-type dramas.
Me: 4 out of 5: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

⭐ I rewatched the terrifyingly-excellent TV Mini Series "Chernobyl" (2019) again. "Terrifying" as whilst this is very accurate and graphic, in reality: IT WAS FAR WORSE!
This is a must-see: great acting, storytelling, direction, cinematography etc etc.

Me: 4-1/2 out of 5: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ +

⭐ Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) (Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Jamie Lee Curtis) is a gorgeous absurdist surreal philosophical comedy-drama I just enjoyed. An Academy Award winner (deservedly)... beware of the Bagel [laffs].

"Do yourself a favour" [grins]

Me: 4-1/2 out of 5: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ +

IMDb
Rotten Tomatoes
AllMovie
Metacritic

Girls' Last Tour (2017) (English dub) Anime directed by Takaharu Ozaki

Read my Blogpost about it

Rated: 2.5/5 ⭐⭐+

💥 Constantine (2005) - Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz

Wow, just wow. I'd heard a lot about it, and it was worth it. Not one of those goofy Superhero movies at all; great acting, atmosphere, characters, story; thought-provoking stuff, for sure.
Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

💥 Contact (1997) - Jodie Foster, Matthew McConaughey

Another flick I had in my DVD folders that I pulled out randomly, having not watched it as yet. Totally unexpected how good I found it.
LOVED IT! Great story, acting, direction, atmosphere, characters.
Science v Faith? Are they compatible?
Me: 4.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐+

Road to Perdition (2002) - Tom Hanks, Paul Newman

Fascinating graphic crime movie about fatherhood, and the consequences of crime. Great acting, great atmospheres and cinematography. Although I rarely watch things like this, I enjoyed it.
Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Beetlejuice (1988) - Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Michael Keaton

Classic fun silly dark comedy horror, perfect Tim Burton flick. I'd watched it years ago, and it'd been on my 're-watch list' for ages... so I did, and muchly enjoyed.
The Dinner Scene is worth the price of admission alone.
- Me: 3.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐+

The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985) - Mia Farrow, Jeff Daniels

A fascinating (altho deliberately hammily-acted) film about the fantasy of the cinema, the allure of the fictions it portrays and about distinguishing real dreams from false dreams.
It didn't quite 'do it' for me, but I wholly appreciate what Woody was trying to do.
Me: 2.5/5 ⭐⭐+

January-February 2024

I bought myself a glorious-sounding and ultra-comfortable set of headphones just to listen to my DVD's, for both sitting up in bed or on my TV. Why haven't I done this years ago? D'oh!

The Good Place (Series; 53 Episodes) (2016-2020) – Kristen Bell, William Jackson Harper, Jameela Jamil, Manny Jacinto, Ted Danson, D'Arcy Carden
Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I’ve been re-watching a few episodes a day over this month, even though I watched it a few years ago – I love it, despite its flaws. I adore its originality, writing, acting, setting, and tone, and their exploration and creative use of ethics and philosophy. And great characters... and some very fun very silly moments!
I mean, dayum… how can I become so emotionally attached to fictional characters, that I always cry at the end? To me, that is the mark of good writing.

28 Days Later (2002) - Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris

An updated attempt at a "Day of the Triffids" apocalyptic zombie horror thing; not my cup of tea (I've never been into horror/zombie etc flicks; just thought I'd give this one a go all the same), but there some beautiful poetic shots of water falling and a deceased London.
Me: 2.5/5 ⭐⭐+

The Zone of Interest (2023) - Christian Friedel, Sandra Hüller

An icy-cold dispassionate domestic look at life outside of Auschwitz; somehow it displays the entire "Banality of Evil" around this atrocious time in history. Brilliantly done, but still very unsettling; definitely not for everyone.
Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

💥 Soul (2020) - Pixar 💥

I enjoyed rewatching this GREAT classic Pixar story about passion; great characters, animation, awesome jazz; highly recommend this one.
Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Encanto (2021) - Disney (Prod.)

Cute fun soppy animated Disney fare, with a lot of songs
Me: 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐

💥 The Lobster (2015) - Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz 💥

I rewatched this after seeing it for the first time a few years ago... still a remarkable experience.
Note: it's definitely not a film for everyone, but it's so bizarre (in a good way[?]) that I love it.
Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

"The Lobster" is an offbeat absurdist surreal deadpan dark comedy drama film that explores human behavior and relationships, touching on topics like social pressure and conformity, made with a dynamic artistic quality.
Basic Premise: It is set in a dystopian near-future society where being single is prohibited... a world in which love is mandatory, and people who don’t find a match are turned into animals.
The film's satirical style presents a world that seems absurd and irrational, while also making it believable for the audience.

A really great way to explain this wonderful albeit bizarre film: https://gamerant.com/the-lobster-ending-explained/

💥 Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018) - John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Disney (Prod.) 💥

I rewatched some great fun enjoyable Disney animated entertainment, with enough emotional highs, lows and Disney references to be swallowed by a whale... [lol]
Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

💥 The Prestige (2006) - Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale 💥

Great acting and atmosphere; magic, magicians, rivalry, mystery
Me: 4.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐+

Napoleon (2023) - Joaquin Phoenix, Vanessa Kirby

Spectacular historical sweeping epic, but didn't quite 'do it' for me... too much swept over I think.
Me: 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐

October-November 2023

💥 Oppenheimer (2023) - Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt 💥

Awesome exploration of a very human unique individual
Me: 4.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ +

Biosphere (2022) - Sterling K. Brown, Mark Duplass

sci-fi comedy, that started well, but went somewhere I was NOT expecting, and I didn't finish watching it.

Isle of Dogs (2018) - Wes Anderson (Dir.)

Enjoyable animated adventure
Me: 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐

August 2023

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) - Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge

Good old-fashioned suspend-belief Indiana Jones rollicking adventure fun.
Me: 3.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐ +

Primer (2004) - Shane Carruth, David Sullivan

Fascinating concept of the problems associated with time travel
Me: 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐

Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010) - Werner Herzog (Director)

Absolutely amazing exploration of recently-discovered prehistoric Cave Art; some of them resemble (to me) Picasso!
Me: 3.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐ +

Rango (2011) - Johnny Depp

Great fun animation; a fun rewatch laying in bed
Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

June 2023

Meeting The Beatles in India (2020) - Paul Saltzman

Interesting personal documentary when four individuals were trying to find some personal answers.
Me: 3.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐ +

Made In Abyss (2023) - Chapters 61-65

WOW! Just wow!
Me: 4.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ +

Updated Manga (to Chapter 65)
Animated Magna with Music

May 2023

Stranger Than Fiction (2006) - Will Ferrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman, Queen Latifah, Emma Thompson

Wonderfully-restrained performance from Ferrel, and Emma Thompsons' performance is STUNNING in this comedy/drama 'fiction?'
Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The World's End (2013) - Simon Pegg, Nick Frost

fun silliness
Me: 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐

Sisu (2023) - Jorma Tommila, Aksel Hennie

WW2 action lust over gold with a definite Tarantino gore ethos (NB. I'm not normally interested in this kind of stuff, but this is brilliantly directed, acted, and atmospheric, albeit a bit of a silly plot, but that's OK!)
Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Shaun of the Dead (2004) - Simon Pegg, Kate Ashfield

Zombie comedy - didn't meet my expectations tbh
Me: 2/5 ⭐⭐

Paul (2011) - Simon Pegg, Nick Frost

Fun silly alien 'road movie' comedy
Me: 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐

Renfield (2023) - Nicholas Hoult, Nicolas Cage

Fun silly Dracula nonsense, with a Tarantino splatter aesthetic...
Me: 3.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐ +

Absolutely Anything (2015) - Simon Pegg, Kate Beckinsale

Fun silliness with a Python connection
Me: 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016) - Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone

Just some light silly fluff to blow away some impending blues
Me: 2.5/5 ⭐⭐ +

The Beatles; Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years (2016) - Ron Howard (Dir.)

I needed a Beatles hit to drive away some impending blues - did the trick!
Me: 3.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐ +

January-April 2023

Mummies (2023) - Joe Thomas, Eleanor Tomlinson

Cute animated light entertainment
Me: 3.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐ +

I started watching "Idiocracy" (2006), but turned it off after c.30 minutes. Absolute rubbish. The concept is HIGHLY contemporarily relevant, tho...

The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019) - Shia LaBeouf, Dakota Johnson, John Hawkes, Zack Gottsagen

Me: 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐

💥 The French Dispatch (2021) - Benicio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton 💥

Brilliantly funny yet so quirky - love it! If you enjoyed "The Grand Budapest Hotel", you'll appreciate this, I assure you.
Me: 4.5/5: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ +

The Summit of the Gods (2021) - Patrick Imbert (Prod.)

Great animation; together with "Fall" (below), this does nothing to dispel my fear of heights [laffs].
Me: 3.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐ +

Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022) - Ewan McGregor, David Bradley

Great animation, exploring a different version of what we grew up with
Me: 3.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐ +

Treasure Planet (2002) - Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Brian Murray, Emma Thompson (Disney)

Classic Disney hand-drawn animation
Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Big Eyes (2014) - Amy Adams, Christoph Waltz, Tim Burton (Dir.)

Who owns what? Possibly miscast imho...
Me: 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐

Fall (2022) - Grace Caroline Currey, Virginia Gardner

I don't like heights as it is! Good 'climbing' suspense
Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

💥 Close (2022) - Eden Dambrine, Gustav de Waele 💥

Wow... just wow!! Powerfully emotive, then there's the 'cinema'...
Me: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
My Blogpost 💥

💥 Babylon (2022) - Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva 💥

A spectacular movie about making movies in the 1920's
Me: 4.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ +

💥 All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) - Felix Kammerer

Great acting and cinematography; a tough but rewarding watch 💥
Me: 4.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐+

1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything

Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
My Blogpost 💥

💥 The U.S. and The Holocaust (2022) 💥

Me: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
My Blogpost 💥

💥 Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) 💥

The 'Big Bad Wolf' is scarily awesome!
Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Marianne and Leonard - Words of Love (2019) - Nick Broomfield (Dir).

The Greeks island of Hyrda connection for me (George Johnson and Charmian Clift - my favourite authors)
Me: 2.5/5 ⭐⭐ +

Mister Roberts (1955) - Henry Fonda, James Cagney

Fun silliness classic old-skool with a twist...
Me: 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐

'Round Midnight (1986) - Dexter Gordon

Jazz legends
Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sept-December 2022

💥 The Beatles: Get Back (2021) 💥

Me: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
My Blogpost 💥

C'mon C'mon (2021)

Do yourself a favour... enjoy this.
Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Elvis (2022) - Austin Butler

You have to feel pity for the guy!
Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)

Me: 3.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐+

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022)

Me: 3.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐+

💥 Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun (2022) 💥

I don't watch anime... but this is A-maze-ing! 💥
Me: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

My Blogpost 💥

Fandom Wikki

Man on the Moon (1999)

Jim Carrey plays a great original quirky entertainer
Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Power of the Dog (2021) - Benedict Cumberbatch

Slow burn revenge with awesome acting
Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

💥 The Prestige (2006) - Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale 💥

Magic, magicians, rivalry, mystery
Me: 4.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐+

Russian Doll (2019-22)

I loved the concepts in this Series
Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Sea Beast (2022) - Chris Williams (Dir.)

Nice animated fantasy adventure
Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Turning Red (2022)

fun silly enjoyable animation adventure
Me: 3.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐+

WandaVision (2022)

I'm not into any of those superhero movies at all. This Series has a great concept that starts well and then ends disappointingly silly
Me: 3.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐+

Wednesday (2022)
Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

My Blogpost 💥

Zelig (1983)

I hadn't seen this mildly amusing Woody Allen b/w pic before now
Me: 2.5/5 ⭐⭐+

💥 Movies I've YET to watch, enjoy and appreciate (out of the recent batch of movies I have sourced and are ready-to-go):

About Time (2013)

Affliction (1997)

Aftersun (2022)

Ammonite (2020)

The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)

Belfast (2022)

Carnage (2011)

CODA (2021)

Don Juan DeMarco (1994)

Don't Look Up (2021)

The Fabelmans (2022)

Grave of the Fireflies (1988) (NB. I know what this is about; I will have to be in an emotionally-strong place to experience this masterpiece).

Grey Gardens (1975)

Her (2013)

In Bruges (2008)

Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)

Juniper (2021)

King Richard (2022)

The Last Duel (2021)

Living (2022)

The Lost Daughter (2021)

Luca (2021)

The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)

Marty (1955)

The Menu (2022)

The Nightingale (2018)

Nobody (2021)

Nope (2022)

Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) (nb. I'm not into Westerns, but after "The Good The Bad and the Ugly" [a true classic!], this is something to anticipate).