Screen Musings

One of my favorite genres is the story of the underdog. An under-appreciated, undervalued hero who rises above extraordinary circumstances to win in the end. There have been a few of these movies this year – ranging in style and theme but with this common thread. 

I: From Slumdog to Underdog*

Monkey Man, created by Dev Patel and produced by Jordan Peele, follows the story of a young man, simply named Kid, who is striving to avenge the death of his mother at the hands of a corrupt cop in Mumbai. Orphaned at a young age, he has grown up on the streets and makes (a meager amount of) money as a fighter that always loses at rigged shows. Eventually, he gets a job at the club that’s owned by his nemesis, only to use it as an opportunity to fight back. Like its predecessors (thanks, Keanu), the fight is not easy or straight and Kid must lose a few battles and gain some scars. He is rescued by a band of kind outcasts who see the best in him, and end up playing an important part in his grand finale. The fight scenes are long but expertly choreographed. Patel trained in martial arts for years and famously did his own stunts. The story is pretty simple, and some of the characters more believable than others, but if you embrace the world of Kid and appreciate the many references to both American and Asian cinema, you will find yourself cheering for the unlikely heroes/heroines who rise up against cruelty and unjust power. 

II: Stuntman v. Frontman

On a lighter note, a more conventional underdog is the stunt person. The Fall Guy follows a seasoned stunt guy, Colt Seavers (played by the very funny Ryan Gosling), who is severely injured due to a jealous and reckless lead actor. Colt hides out, ditches his job and girlfriend, Jody (Emily Blunt), because he is disillusioned (thinks he caused the accident), only to be called back to set. When he finally returns for a feature directed by Jody, he comes to terms with the reality of what happened and fights back using the skills he knows best. He isn’t the star of the movie but he saves the day. The movie is funny and doesn’t take itself too seriously. Except to recognize, in often cheeky ways, the members of the crew who risk the most, but don’t have an Oscar category.  

III: Mission Possible 

The final movie in this theme is Thelma, starring the superb June Squibb. I was so surprised by this film. Went in expecting sentimental with a few laughs, but came out feeling refreshed. Thelma lives alone but her family (including the always fantastic Parker Posey) want her to move to a retirement community. She reclaims some independence and thrill when, inspired by Ethan Hunt, she goes on a hunt for the scammers who stole from her. Thelma could have been a victim but she, like the characters above, wasn’t going to be bullied or intimidated despite having the seeming disadvantage of being in her 90s. She enlists the help of an old friend who “loans” her his beloved golf cart. They take off across L.A. to reclaim her money and dignity. 

Why do we root for the underdog? Do we all see a bit of it in ourselves? That when life knocks you down, there’s still a chance to come back stronger than before? The story of someone who won’t give up, back down or fold, is inspiring. It gives us hope that if we too are struggling, we can beat the odds and defeat the proverbial bad guy. 

*Title name credit to fellow cinephile Maria Rosario Gonzalez.

When I read the Oscar nominees for last year’s films I didn’t feel disappointment, I felt anger. I read them so quickly that I initially missed that there was one female director nominated. BUT JUST ONE?!? When Barbie beat everyone in the box office (highest grossing film of 2023), charmed critics, and appealed to all ages, genders, and backgrounds? Why wasn’t Greta Gerwig nominated for her role as director? Celine Song for Past Lives? Or just last year Sarah Polley for Women Talking? I have a running list of excellent movies directed by women that came out in 2022 and 2023 which I recommend. They range from gripping suspense to cutting comedy. Do I think it’s great that Ryan Gosling got the nomination given his clever, on the mark Ken? Yes. But even Gosling had to call out this disparity.

On more positive notes, I am thrilled that Justine Triet made it to the best director list for Anatomy of a Fall which was my favorite movie of the year. I love that Sterling K. Brown (who did such impeccable work in American Crime Story as well) was nominated for his scene stealing role in American Fiction. Lily’s Gladstone’s historic nomination for Killers of the Flower Moon is fantastic and well deserved (great to see Carey Mulligan and Sandra Hüller recognized as well for stand out performances).

This is an important issue not just because women direct excellent movies. I know it’s stating the obvious, but it’s the same reason why it’s critical for women to be represented in positions of authority and leadership. Young people (not just girls!) benefit from this. Arts and culture influence society. When something that is just and fair is the norm, it makes us all better. It isn’t only about combating the male gaze. It’s about elevating voices that have been suppressed and controlled for generations.

My recommendation to everyone who is similarly frustrated with this issue is to GO SEE MOVIES DIRECTED BY WOMEN!!! Seek them out. Tell other people about them. And in addition, support movies directed by women of color, gay women, people with disabilities, and movies that tell stories of underrepresented people! If we see these movies, more will be made. I recently found out that one of my favorite older movies, American Psycho, was directed by a woman (something not on my radar 20+ years ago).

Recommended recent list: 

• Anatomy of a fall 
• Women Talking
• Barbie
• Priscilla
• Bottoms 
• Theater Camp
• Joy Ride 
• Past Lives
• She Said
• Aftersun
• The Royal Hotel

 On my list to see:

• Woman King
• Saltburn
• Promising Young Woman
• The Farewell
• Selma

Movies you may have missed (or need to rewatch!) in the last 20+ years:

• American Psycho
• The Matrix
• Lady Bird
• Clueless
• The Hurt Locker
• Boys Don’t Cry
• Nomadland

But there are so many more. And if we support women directors, the tide will change. I hope for a day when it wouldn’t be a shock for all 5 Best Director nominations to be women. Do we all know that the Oscars do not define quality or success? Yes (and quite the contrary sometimes). But it’s the biggest forum for recognition, the highest honor in an industry that often leads the way in cultural trends. I love Martin Scorsese, but for Christopher Nolan to be nominated over Greta Gerwig for a film that disproportionately represented white men seems like a crime worth mentioning.

*to quote an all time Great – Jennifer Lopez, who was also snubbed by the Academy.

I’m sure it’s a favorite sport of most first year film students to rank their top Scorsese movies, but what other director has so many that would fall in someone’s top 10? Starting out in the 60s but getting his first big break with Mean Streets in 1973, Martin Scorsese went on to become a household name, respected in all film circles, master of the award seasons, a gatekeeper for new talent. He created roles that gave voice to larger issues — violence, racism, poverty, misogyny — while incorporating a cutting humor and singular style into the story. He followed with Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, making DeNiro a star. By the time 1990’s Goodfellas came out, no one could be surprised at its success then or its enduring relevance. Making Joe Pesci a villain we almost wanted to root for, and delivering the most talked about one shot when Ray Liota’s Henry Hill enters the Copacabana for a night out. Marty had made it in Hollywood; he commanded respect, but would still go on to tell incomparable stories that lured in audiences despite their often unforgivable protagonists. In 2006 The Departed was released and became one of Scorsese’s most well known crime centered sagas. DiCaprio assumed the role of muse, continuing the tradition started with a young DeNiro. The Departed gave Matt Damon, Mark Whalberg, Alec Baldwin, Martin Sheen, and Vera Farmiga a chance to shine, and the well paced narrative kept audiences rapt. Of course Jack Nicholson doing a cranked up version of his Shining-esque madman moonlighting as an FBI informant solidified a cast performing at its best. The 2013 Wolf of Wall Street was another critical and commercial success and gave not just DiCaprio and Jonah Hill the spotlight but a (at the time) lesser known young Australian actress her big break: Margot Robbie. Who would have known that ten years later she would be staring in the biggest grossing film by a female director!

Which brings us to the latest in a long lineage of interesting, clever, impactful creations by Scorcese: Killers of the Flower Moon. Expertly crafted, perfectly cast, thoughtfully informed by conversations with the Osage Tribe, edited and scored masterfully, this movie reaches to the top of the aforementioned list. With a running time of over 3 hours, I was skeptical that it could live up to its festival and trailer hype. I’ve since heard commentary that it could have even been longer – such a compelling and heartbreaking story told within disparate genres ranging from historical drama to western, love story to mystery. Ultimately it is the tale of the Osage Tribe in Oklahoma that withstood years of abuse and murder. Having become very wealthy from oil, the Tribe was targeted by greedy white men. Based on a book by the same name, the film pulls from its source, but pivots from highlighting the role of the FBI to telling the story of the Burkhart family: a mother, her four daughters and their families. DeNiro’s calculating villain shows how a thief and murderer masqueraded as an upstanding community leader with complicity and protection from the Klan-connected law enforcement, bank, and doctors to silence and steal from the Osage. While this story remains specifically focused on a family, with DiCaprio as the two-faced husband of Mollie, one of the Burkhart sisters (played by the excellent Lily Gladstone), it does not shy from highlighting the widespread horror of the murders, or the painful and pervasive oppression of American Indians. The parallel drawn with the Tulsa Massacre is especially effective.

A criticism of Scorsese, with all of his layered, complex and imperfect characters, is the lack of central female characters. He changes that approach in this most recent release by giving the appropriate screen time to Gladstone, lead narrator and heroine.

My list:

1. Goodfellas
2. Killers of the Flower Moon 
3. The Departed
4. Wolf of Wall Street
5. Taxi Driver
6. Raging Bull 

What is a blockbuster? Must it have Tom Cruise in it? Does it need to come out in the summer? All very important questions. Have you seen any this summer? Mission Impossible was predictably..entertaining! Every action scene, chase, hanging from the side of a train car teetering on the side of a Swiss Alp.. was refreshing! But also a complete regurgitation of past formulas.

It’s something you come to expect. You go in knowing what it will be. Should it transport you to another place? Or should it wink and nod at you – take you in for the joke. Maybe both?

If you’re looking for fun summer movies, there are many to pick from. Aside from messages that will self destruct in 5 seconds, there was the Barbenheimer phenomenon. Despite some early reviews favoring the nuclear war drama, Barbie definitively beat Oppenheimer in the box office and in general reception (all hail directors who happen to be women! More to come on that). Both focused on difficult topics, embedded in history, but they each took different approaches. Nolan’s three hour historical drama moved at an efficient pace despite its length, and included memorable scenes in both Washington and New Mexico. It used sound effectively, and withheld images in a way that worked profoundly in describing atrocities. Cillian Murphy and the whole cast worked hard (and well) to give the story justice. Unfortunately it is devastating and lingers omnisciently in our reality. It’s tough to walk out of such a long film and feel so exhausted by the sadness of this reality.

Conversely, Barbie had serious themes (cue America Ferrera’s monologue on the impossibleness of being a modern woman) but kept the tone digestible and hopeful (a huge accomplishment for a feminist comedy!). We can’t talk about Barbie, though, without talking about Ryan Gosling’s Ken. While Gosling has had so many great roles over the years (Half Nelson, Drive, La La Land), who knew that his best contribution would be in comedy? Not only was his goofiness believable, but (and thanks to Baumbach & Gerwig’s smart script) he drove the story’s conflict (rise of the patriarchy in Barbieland) in such an endearing and funny way that he outshone most of his costars. Margot Robie can lead any movie, and the scene with her at the bus stop is beautiful. Issa Rae’s President, Kate McKinnon’s Weird Barbie, Simu Liu’s Ken, Michael Cera as Alan, and all of the other Barbies and Kens round out a stellar cast (thanks also to an always good Will Ferrell). Cap this off with a dazzling set, original songs (I’m Just Ken), stand out scenes like neon rollerblading in Venice and a Matchbox Twenty inspired bonfire jam.

Ultimately what clinches the narrative is the personal connection with Ferrera and her daughter (played by Ariana Greenblatt) to what Barbie has represented. There are some parts about the ending that feel trite, with some exceptions (like a hilarious and well timed clip from Greenblatt – “Hell yeah, white savior Barbie!”). Ultimately it’s a first-rate summer blockbuster. Unfortunately, Barbie (the doll) has idealized an unrealistic and detrimental body type, and the movie caters a bit to the limitations of being a Mattel production. What resonates in the end, though, is that despite the despair from the Supreme Court decisions around women’s bodies, and the daily fear we face, there is power in numbers. What saves the Barbies from the Ken patriarchy is their ability to work together to outsmart their nemesis. Barbie acknowledges Ken in the end with a kindness that understands his need for recognition (of his ability to “Beach”?), and the imaginary world returns to form. Gerwig succeeds at questioning the norm through the deconstruction of a polarizing/hated/beloved plastic icon.

If you’re looking for a more unsettling time in a cold theater this hot summer, you can check out the Australian new release “Talk to Me.” It’s not an uplifting ride, but is helmed expertly by the lead actress Sophie Wilde. Its themes are loss, the supernatural, and the dangers of impressionable teenagers. The opening single shot scene surprises impressively. No doubt that the Philippou brothers have seen The Sixth Sense, but it doesn’t feel like stealing, rather a stylistic homage. The end is chilling, as are many scenes, and doesn’t follow the Final Girl blueprint. You may want to look away, and you won’t look back. The words “Talk to me” and “I let you in” may join the ranks of other unforgettable lines like The Ring’s “Seven Days.”

Pro tip: if you find a severed embalmed hand, refrain from shaking it. 

Stay tuned for more fall updates..

*Note: highly recommend Theater Camp – a surprisingly funny, well edited and perfectly timed summer comedy.

What makes a throwback a throwback? And I don’t mean the definition. I mean what is it that inspires us to return to something bygone. Something containing a universal experience that can resonate years later. When theaters show movies that were originally released 10, 20+ years ago, it’s an opportunity to watch with new perspective, to challenge previous notions of quality and entertainment. Here I’ll touch on a few movies from the last 80+ years: Taxi Driver, the Dark Knight, & Wizard of Oz. Genre-bending!

I thought I had seen Taxi Driver, especially as a committed Scorcese admirer. From watching Raging Bull 20+ years ago at the historic Roxy Theater, to seeing Goodfellas way too young with my dad, to The Departed multiple times, and on. So I assumed I had seen Taxi Driver. Either I did and forgot a lot or mixed it up with something else. In any case, I had the opportunity to see it recently at a local independent theater, and it was packed. It was half price night, but still packed for a Tuesday. I’m obviously not the only cinephile in DC. It was perfect. Flawed in many ways, but still perfect. By the time the famous scene of “You talkin’ to me?” came on, it was impossible not to be completely absorbed in 1970s NYC – the dirty streets, drugs, exploited sex workers, corrupt cops, phony politicians (maybe not too disparate from 60 years later). There were elements that pushed the boundaries of what would be made today – racist monologues, underage actors in adult situations, idolization of a troubled violent vigilante. And it stays with you for days.

Another (at times melancholic) movie from another time, though more recent, is Dark Night. It was shown on its 15 year anniversary and who wouldn’t jump at the chance to see Heath Ledger’s magnetic Joker again. The opening scene is one that could be taught in film classes (some would argue that it could stand alone as a short film) and sets the tone for a succinct pace. There is melodrama, and some self righteousness, but it wouldn’t be a Batman movie without that. It was starkly apparently that there has been some progressive change since 2008. The entire leading cast was almost entirely white men, with the exception of Morgan Freeman and Maggie Gyllenhaal (with limited script options in her case). It was entertaining and especially cutting to watch Ledger – who didn’t need to steal the scene – he WAS the scene.

Speaking of scene stealers – have you seen a little dog named Toto lately? Be careful because one of film’s best villains may have him! Give Margaret Hamilton an Oscar! Watching the Wizard of Oz after many years was a totally different experience. The witch petrified me as a kid. And now I find her hilarious. How could she have scared me so – was it the music, the bike, the cackle? The movie is a joy ride across munchkin land, complete with conniving wizards and flying monkeys (also not scary now). Judy Garland was put through hell in Hollywood, but she will live on as the resourceful, kind, and very brave Dorothy. It’s ultimately a story about getting lost and finding your way home. With a really fun pair of shoes.

New movies are great (and there are so many right now: Joy Ride & Barbie!) but go back and watch some old ones. Classics or not. You may change your mind about them.

Honorable mention: Scream, Elf, The Guest, Vertigo.

Where to start when you’ve been away from something for so long? I’ve had so many ideas but didn’t act on any of them. I am finally putting pen to paper, fingers to keyboard, words to the internet. We are back at the movies. Well, some of us since our first vaccine. It was a haven for me. Despite living in constant fear and wearing N95s everywhere, I felt safe in the theater. Granted, there weren’t a lot of us at first. But somehow it felt like we were gathered in worship. The collective awe and appreciation for cinema in a shared space was palpable. Real. And it still is. I appreciate it so much. 

So to return, I want to focus on power, or the lack thereof, specifically of women. In doing this I’ll look at three films I saw over the last few months. The first is “Barbarian,” a smart, concise, abrupt, terrifying yet funny indie horror film about an Airbnb visit gone wrong. There will be some spoilers about this movie so if you plan to see it, proceed with caution. The second will focus on the much talked about “Don’t Worry Darling” — Olivia Wilde’s second feature film and the subject of alleged set drama. And finally, the newly released “Tár” — a masterpiece featuring the incomparable Cate Blanchett.

All films touch on themes of power and what happens when you lose it or have too much. In “Barbarian,” an independent traveler finds herself very alone and powerless, at the mercy of an almost inhuman creature (who we later learn more about). She is resourceful and determined to escape her confinement but her efforts are foiled by an arrogant Hollywood pariah (played both hilariously and tragically by Justin Long). The darkness they flee is far worse than they had imagined, and (without giving too much away) permeates the story once we realize the depth of terror. The story touches on the powerlessness women face when telling their stories (not being believed, for example), and how often a man’s hubris can derail the storytelling.

While “Don’t Worry Darling” is in many ways a disappointment (it had so much hype!), it grapples with compelling themes, helmed masterfully by Florence Pugh. Despite any behind the scenes feuds, her performance anchored the disjointed narrative. Joined by a reliable Harry Styles, and some strong supporting roles (namely Chris Pine — the kitchen scene!), Pugh’s character believably inhabits a visually stunning prison. Her questions about the place she finds herself grow more urgent and frantic, as her clarity increases. She doesn’t know how powerless she is at first, and most of the film is her discovering the lack of control she has over her life. Unfortunately the end fizzles what could have been an interesting discovery, and simultaneously wraps up too quickly while leaving much unanswered. It’s great to support women directors given the extreme inequities in the film industry, and I’m happy I saw this in the theater, but overall far less successful than Wilde’s breakthrough “Booksmart.”

The last movie on this list is “Tár” staring Cate Blanchett and a very strong supporting cast. Blanchett plays the fictional Tár, a prestigious symphony conductor at the top of her career. We know early on that something isn’t right, but the sense of dread slowly builds like one of the pieces she passionately directs. Set in New York and Berlin, the scenes are expertly edited to reflect Tár’s state of mind and the unraveling soon to come. This film contrasts nicely with the two mentioned above as the perpetrator here is a woman in power – an unusual twist in a post-Me Too world. Blanchett’s perfect portrayal of a narcissistic, self obsessed, yet exceedingly charming artist who abuses her power over others is the root of the story. The storytelling doesn’t get bogged down in exposition or explanation, but it’s clear who the villain is.

What is the relationship between lack of power and victims? How is this role reversed in these lead roles? When is it clear that someone has lost touch of the line between influence and harm? In each story, the lead character finds a kind of resolution but each end with varying levels of ambiguity. We’ll never know exactly how these characters’ stories end. What we do know is that we’re back at the movies.

(Two newer movies on this topic: “She Said” about the reporters who broke the Weinstein story, and “Women Talking” – a verbal accounting of the 2009 incidents that happened in the Bolivian Mennonite community).

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Is it already Oscar season?? Almost. The Golden Globe nominations are out. And they are only 50% predictable. The most disappointing part was the lack of best director nominations for women. Shocking. Especially considering how great 2019 was for women directors. Booksmart, Hustlers, The Farewell, to name just a few. And all of those films have nominations and excellent reviews, not to mention success in the Box Office. This post is mostly dedicated to Jennifer Lopez because it really was a great year for her, and good for us because we got to see her shine, most memorably as Ramona in Lorene Scafaria’s summer breakout hit. From the time she enters the stage (of both the film and the club) she commands the audience’s attention and is fully aware of it. While Constance Wu is an excellent actor, it’s really hard to share a scene with Lopez’s Ramona. She is confident, plotting, tough, and seemingly impregnable. Her years of practicing dance give her an advantage to the grueling training she had to endure for the role, and her comfort as a stage persona is evident. While the movie was entertaining and well paced, it was mostly a vehicle for Lopez to flex her talent. This is not her first rodeo. She broke into the scene with 1997’s “Selena” and went on to steal scenes in “Out of Sight” and “Money Train,” to then star in Hollywood successes like “The Wedding Planner,” “Enough” and “El Cantante” (I personally thought she was great in “The Cell”). But she became mostly known for her signature dance moves, sold out stadium shows, and highly publicized romances. This is why this role was made for the JLo I grew up singing along to, admiring in music videos, and watching stand up to bullies in movies. She embodies a wholly original character who while flawed, represents a post #metoo heroine who beats the good ol’ boys at their own game. Well, at least for a little while. Can one argue the morality of her (based on a true story) deeds? Of course. But for a woman living on the edge, trying to support her family, with little training or skill, survival may not always look like a holiday Hallmark card. Lopez plays the role so well that you truly believe, despite the star’s aforementioned notoriety, that she is the hardened yet deeply perceptive (imperceptibly) aging exotic dancer who rules the club. So all of this to say, I hope that JLo gets the appropriate accolades for a role that culminated for her after 25+ years in the industry, and as a Latina woman who had to fight for her shot at success. In her recent SNL opening monologue (hers was the best show of the season), she dropped some examples of her success and said “And I’m not bragging, that’s just, you know, gossip.” But I say, where there’s smoke there’s fire, Ms. Lopez, and you continue to set the world ablaze.

It’s that time of year again. Halloween! Fall! Pumpkins! Goblins! Witches! Black cats! Ok so maybe that’s just a bunch of clichés. But still, it really is the best time of year. And why is that? Well, mostly because scary movies come out. Some “jump out of your seat” fun-scary, some terrifying and uncannily realistic, others with ghosts (or characters that “might” be ghosts), and still others that break traditional horror molds. Of course not all scary movies come out in the fall, but if you’re lucky you will catch some of the re-screenings/showings of the classics like “The Shining,” “Carrie,” more contemporary campier favorites like “Halloween” itself, “Scream,” and “I know What You Did Last Summer.” And there’s TV too! “American Horror Story (AHS)” usually leads the charge, but the list is endless. The last few years have encountered a resurgence of fandom for the 80s with “Stranger Things,” remakes like “It,” “Pet Sematary,” and “Child’s Play.” AHS’ newest season will focus on the 80s too. But if we had to choose the best, if you could only pick 5 classic horror/mystery/thriller films to show to an eager student/fan of film, what would they be? I’ll tell you mine (and I’m sure I’m missing some great ones, but the night is young, right?).

Top Five

Psycho

The Shining

Rear Window

The Others

The Sixth Sense

Runner Ups

Strangers on a Train

The Blair Witch Project

Carrie

The Exorcist

A Quiet Place

Honorable Mention 

A Nightmare on Elm Street

Scream

Us

So I know I’ve conflated some genres, but some of the best movies do this. Hands down, the best filmmaker in this arena (and arguably in all cinema) is Hitchcock. And while it’s his most famous, I still think “Psycho” is one of, if not the best in his repertoire. The setting, characters, story, music, cinematography, and on and on. It’s bone chilling. Both the anticipation of and the actual violence, which in turn pales to the relationship between Norman Bates and his mother. Hitchcock was a master of deception – showing the audience what he wanted us to see and nothing else until it was too late to figure it out on our own. Kubrick is also a master storyteller and adept at the art of chilling motion pictures. There are few scary movies as effective and unsettling that linger with you as long as “The Shining.” We have Stephen King to thank for that too! It took me a few attempts to watch the whole film (granted, I was still a kid! Much to my parents’ dismay) but when I did, it stayed with me. Indubitably Jack Nicholson’s performance is unrivaled. As is the eerie way in which the scenes are shot – often without dialogue — that slowly and inevitably builds terror. As the snow falls around the Overlook, we become frozen in a space that transcends the hedge maze. This level of scary is not for the easily rattled. In other words, do not watch alone in an abandoned hotel. Next on the list is another Hitchcock: “Rear Window.” I can’t say enough about this masterpiece. It’s hands down one of the most clever suspense/horror films. What starts as voyeuristic curiosity, turns quickly into dangerous obsession. With two of the biggest stars of the time, James Stewart (at his best here) and Grace Kelly (mesmerizing), the film transformed cinema and left us hanging at the edge of our seats, while L.B. was bound to his. A spectacular horror film featuring one of the best actors of recent generations, Nicole Kidman, is “The Others.” Directed by Alejandro Fernando, it dismantled predictable formulas through a slow creeping reveal of the unknown. Kidman’s character so expertly paired loss and fear that her reality became ours. Finally, to round off the top 5, is the acclaimed “Sixth Sense,” with Bruce Willis in an out of form role. This tour de force emerged in theaters with surprising fervor, and stayed on our minds because M. Night Shyamalan did something that hadn’t been done before. At times a jaw-dropping, in-your-face whodunnit. Though ultimately a story about a boy and his friend, who (spoiler alert) happens to be dead.

My runner up/honorable mention lists are all reliably good – a mix of high quality thoughtful creations (“A Quiet Place”), to the epitome of camp (“Scream”), to unique stylistic barebones thrillers like “The Blair Witch Project” which changed the art of the scare and made fiction appear “real.” Well known productions like “Carrie” and “The Exorcist” used cultural fear and repression to tell stories of the supernatural. Others like “A Nightmare on Elm Street” (has any movie done make up like Freddy Krueger since??) became embedded in pop culture references and inspired other slasher/shock horror directors to follow. I had to add one more Hitchcock with “Strangers on a Train” – the best example of when not to rely on the kindness of strangers, as well as inspiration for countless filmmakers that followed. The final runner up is last year’s “Us” by Jordan Peele. While I loved “Get Out”, and thought it was a tighter more succinct film generally, “Us” took on complicated themes in a singular style. With Lupita Nyong’o’s urgent, breathless, cutting performance, it rises to the level of top tier horror and does what the best scary movies do: never, ever leaves you.

Don’t be afraid of the dark, but definitely be afraid of these movies.

*Author’s Note: I would have added the “It” remake of 2017 because it was very entertaining and well edited, but I was capping this list at 13..for obvious reasons. And I still have to see all of “Jaws” (I know, I know).

Shifting gears a bit on this post. I’ve usually focused on film and themes around specific movies/genres/events. Here I want to look at a show that I’ve long admired, and reflect on it 21 years after it premiered on a still developing HBO platform. This show..drumroll..is the unparalleled Sex and The City (otherwise known as “SATC”)! Starring four talented NYC women, who on the surface are navigating dating, work, and fashion in the most powerful city in the world right before the turn of the Century. However, for the trained eye (i.e. pretty much any woman over 18 from 1998 on who has watched all 6 seasons more than 3x, as well as the movies – well, just the first one), it’s a story about friendship and finding oneself. And is it a love story? Yes, though I would argue not one about Mr. Big, but rather about the love one has as a young woman for a city that defines and shapes you, whether you’re getting splashed by a bus hitting a muddy puddle, running with a broken heel, or eating cheap pizza at 3am after a disappointing evening.

I recently listened to Sarah Jessica Parker’s interview on NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross and it was really nice to hear that her first critical observation in looking back is the lack of diversity, specifically a lack of women of color (or really any recurring characters). As I’ve re-watched the series, this is my biggest complaint. SJP also talked about the characters’ relationship with money and how this differed from her own experience (she grew up with very few resources and received government assistance as a child). I moved to NYC when I was 18 after having grown up in Vermont and Puerto Rico, raised by progressive, smart parents who despite not having vast amounts of monetary resources, exposed me to a myriad of cultures and experiences so that when I got to NY I felt right at home. I lived on a tight budget for all 12+ years there, so cannot relate personally to Carrie’s experience of high fashion parties, $400+ shoes, summers in the Hamptons, etc., or this homogenous version of the world.

But this isn’t an indictment of the show. I still think it holds up as one of the best shows ever made (of course behind The Sopranos and The Wire), so many years later. The witty, sharp dialogue; the prominence that LGBTQ characters play throughout the show’s arc; the hilarious, albeit dated, homages to contemporary fashion, all make it truly funny and worthwhile to watch. What really draws me in, though, is what lays at the core of Carrie’s many New York Star column musings – how we navigate the sharp ups and downs of life, and how we support each other along the way. How? Well, sometimes not well, and occasionally sitting on an apartment stoop crying in the rain. But, on a good night in SATC land you might find yourself feeling pretty good, sipping a cosmopolitan, waiting to get into a “hot” new restaurant, next to your also very cool best friends. Most importantly, you will be standing in the center of it, or as I like to call it..Manhattan.