#to balance out this movie and midsommar

[lyledebeast]

Tonight's horror movie is The Ritual (2017), which features four British men looking at what is quite clearly a wicker man and going, "What the bloody hell is that thing?"

Listen. That Scottish cop didn't die screaming for you lads to not know your history!

[willknightauthor]

I'm so stoked! I've had so many breakthroughs simultaneously on this system!

I've been churning through RPG after RPG, trying to find everything useful, see every way it's been done. It's been a whirlwind, and I'm still in the middle of it, but I've been surprised at how little variation there is. Even the free form, "roleplaying forward," GM-less jam games do a lot of the same things as each other. Even if the mechanics are technically different, using different dice, the goals and ethos of the designs are identical. And we're all aware of the hoard of OSR/NSR games.

It started out with my fascination with balancing simulation and character-driven storytelling in a fun way, eventually becoming a desire to fix my frustrations with the World of Darkness. While I enjoy the campy, B-movie side of horror in the World of Darkness, I myself am more of an A24 type of writer (e.g. Midsommar, The VVitch, Under the Skin). The worlds I like to build, even when surreal, have solid internal logic. I crave that balance between the impossible and the gritty, between the beautiful and the horrifying.

I figured out how to tie everything to one health system, which itself is tied to one 10d6 dice pool. Now stress and health are one thing, and it directly affects what type of dice you roll, which changes odds and side effects. Your stats and your combat exhaustion determine the number of dice rolled, which means the more you do in combat, the fewer dice you have, and the lower your odds of success.

Because it's a d6 pool with success on one 6, the probability changes roughly linearly compared to other dice pool systems. Because there's only one vector for probability--more or less dice--difficulty is an easy thing for the GM to determine, and the probability of the roll quickly judged.

By tying actions to the dice pool via fatigue, I realized I can encourage scrappy, gritty, tactical combat by rewarding players with a second wind, meaning they get dice back. Now there's momentum between attackers and defenders. If you get backed into a corner with no options you start getting exhausted, but if you find a way to scramble out of it, jab them in the eyes, utilize the environment, make them hit their ally, then you recover and turn the tables. Even the initiative system ties into this scrappy back-and-forth, since initiative changes non-randomly during combat. And this is all in a zone-based “theater of the mind” combat system.

I've completely eliminated experience. Instead when you do difficult things and take risks, you get temporary boosts to that skill for future rolls. To permanently advance it you must engage in training, either as a side activity or during down time, over a realistic amount of time. At the highest levels you have to go on personal quests to advance your skills. Thus your skill advancement is tied to roleplaying.

Going up a single point in anything is very difficult though. Most of the "character advancement" instead is about character change. You gain new skills and abandon others, and via your new skills you can acquire a new "class." Basic advancement is quantitative, but all significant advancement is qualitative, using skills themselves as currency. You don’t just advance, you adapt.

Your "class" is advanced through a customizable narrative achievement tree. Thus to become a better mage, you must pursue life goals, narrative turning points, and personal transformations, based on their own ambitions and your ambitions for them as a character.

Almost every stat is an abstract representation of the character's internal qualities and state. Those internal states then have mechanical effects during the game if you can roleplay them: goals, passions, memories, knowledge, social ties, reputation, etc. It's conceptual, but it's not the loosy-goosy LARP style. There are mechanics with numerical and statistical effects, they're just tied to qualitative stats driven by roleplaying.

Importantly, there are many hooks for alternate or additional systems, especially weird and supernatural ones. I hate it when "magic" just amounts to a list of very narrow spells and their usages. Now there are many mechanical hooks for supernatural things tied to capabilities, knowledge, motivations, social role, self-image, core memories, etc.

I designed it backwards from multiple future games which will be very weird and abstract. The system as it stands represents the gritty foundation of any number of future games emphasizing social intrigue, personal horror, heart-pounding combat, and Lovecraftian worldbuilding. It's the ruleset for the regular, mortal humans, doing possible things in the real world… but with mechanical possibilities for much more.

Here are the games which inspired or influenced the design. I think it gives you a sense of how diverse and specific the design choices are.

Wraith: The Oblivion

Alien RPG

Over the Edge

Heart

The Wildsea

The Burning Wheel

Fate

Thousand Year Old Vampire

Na Ratunek Marsowi

Feng Shui

Barbarians of Lemuria

Mythras

Exalted

Fireborn

Delta Green

Reign

Gumshoe

Shock: Social Science Fiction

The True OSR: Obsolete Shitty Rules

The Devil, John Moulton

Cyberpunk RED

Dune RPG

Mothership

Streets of Peril

His Majesty the Worm

The Cypher System

Next I need to look into more (genuinely) experimental systems, especially ones involving memory and investigation. "The Between" and "Brindlewood Bay" are next on my list. The closest vibe design-wise I've gotten is from "Broken Empires" (which I'm so stoked for).

It's getting to the point where the overall rules are all set enough that I can drill down to specific numbers for everything, make some premade characters, and start playtesting. Fuck yeah.

[natasha-in-space]

oh, do you like horror movies too? if so please recommend 🤲

Oh anon... You have no idea what you just started. Haha, but, in all honesty, I'm a huge horror nerd! I just mention it very occasionally and reblog some stuff here and there, but nothing extreme, as this is a mainly SFW blog. That said, I am more than giddy to babble about anything and everything! Horror movies especially! I'm gonna try and recommend some not so mainstream films that come to my mind right now.

If we're talking the more recent films, I'd say last year's 'When Evil Lurks' is a wonderful chilling movie to check out if you haven't yet. I'd say it's one of my favorite ones of 2023, actually! Now, it is pretty brutal and grisly when it comes to violence shown on screen. Nothing too extreme for your standart horror film that is not just a sensitized Hollywood flick, but I do feel the need to mention it. If you like possession, grim endings and questionable characters, this one's for you. I'd say it's a story of two brothers desperately fighting a losing battle.

If you like horror mockumentaries (fake documentary) type of flicks, I really enjoyed 'Butterfly Kisses'! If you loved the infamous Blair Witch films, you'll definitely appreciate this one. Not so much a gruesome horror film, but more of a psychological thriller for you to dissect, but I love it for that. If themes of obsession and artistic desperation are something that you can relate to, you might wanna considering checking it out. Nothing totally unique or mind blowing, but I still very enjoyed it.

If you can stomach grotesque and very gross imagery, I'd recommend you to check out 'Mad God'. Animated horror movies are rare, but, God, do I appreciate them when they do happen. It's clear that a lot of passion went into this one, and I can't help but admire all the creativity and hard work that went into it. It has very little dialogue, and most of its storytelling is an environmental one, but that's another thing I appreciate about it. I should note that it's an experimental piece of art, so it is not rich on some grand morale or story. It is, first and foremost, an intense and confusing journey to sit through.

And I am a huge sucker for Ari Aster's movies, so Hereditary, Midsommar and Beau is Afraid are definitely something I'd recommend to see if you haven't yet. The balance of visual, sound design and story is one I am always blown away with. I know some folks don't really enjoy his work, and that's okay. But I love movies you can revisit after your first watch and see them in a completely different light. That's not mentioning all the care he and his team put into the tiniest of details to his works. I have Hereditary and Midsommar soundtrack saved up for a reason, hehe.

Oh! I also have a major soft spot for 'Perfect Blue'. I feel like it's a pretty well-known film, but, if you haven't seen it yet, please do! It's another animated one, and it is mostly a psychological horror for you to experience. Perfect for you if you don't want to deal with the more gross and violent sides of horror genre that are, undeniably, pretty prominent. It does deal with themes of sexual violence, though. Please stay safe and consume your media wisely!

[sloshed-cinema]

Don’t Worry Darling (2022)

Maybe Olivia Wilde should just take a deep breath and go watch a few 1970s political thrillers.  From the outset, it’s clear that Victory is a constructed world balancing on a knife’s edge.  That this isn’t concealed from the audience at outset isn’t a fault, but after that it must come down to how the characters come to question their own reality as well as any further twists which may occur.  Precious little time has elapsed before Alice starts experiencing strange hallucinations and glimpses of things not quite as they should be.  At this point it becomes all the worst parts of The Village blended with the likes of The Manchurian Candidate or The Parallax View. The authority figures of The Village preserve their lifestyles through carefully maintained mythos, and the truth of their existence remains obscure for quite some time.  Frank, the de facto patriarch of Victory, is a dipshit’s idea of a charismatic individual and in private he is a comically evil villain, goading on Alice.  His speeches feel like an all growed up version of YA dystopian novel exposition.  The idea of using a perfect 1950s suburban community as a horrifically “perfect” world which is built on lies, repression, and subjugation, a tool for deconstructing traditional gender roles, is by this point tired and passé, a well that plenty before have drawn from.  Hallucinatory imagery Alice glimpses throughout isn’t related in some subliminal sense to her own past experiences, by and large, but rather to some sort of… hypnosis projection that’s played on a loop above her sedate body.  This robs the visions of more potent narrative significance, as one might see in the likes of Abre los ojos.   By the time the final twist is revealed, nothing really matters and I don’t even particularly care about the movie.  It simply did the worst a movie could do: remind me of a bunch of other films I’d rather be watching.

Florence Pugh does her best in a relatively bland role and absolutely carries the movie on her shoulders.  She sinks in elbow deep to lean into the cringey faux-50s drunken housewife veneer to try to buoy the film of her own accord.  It does point out something of Pugh’s acting which can vary in impact wildly depending on the film.  She tends to be very gurgly and husky when expressing rage or sadness.  This works in the heightened phantasmagoria of Midsommar, but here in suburbia gone wrong, it seemed goofy at points.  At least she can still act circles around partner Harry Styles, who mostly seemed whelmed by everything.  Wilde indulges in a small role herself, which she mostly uses to mug for the camera and then have an annoying meta reveal that she knows that this is artifice and chooses to live in her story.  Blahhhh.

THE RULES

SIP

Anyone says ‘Victory’.

Someone drinks.

Any time you need to numb your mind so you stop thinking about the implications of the scenario.

BIG DRINK

Alice starts humming that one song.

Dancing begins.  Double that if it’s Harry.

Alice gets on or off the tram.

[snowangeldotmp3]

hi liv!! i'm sorry your brain is sabotaging you today. here's my question: which 3 books, movies and albums would you bring to a desert island (that magically equipped with electronics)?

three of each (if you're so inclined) <3

hi lou!! <3

hmmmm three books i’d take to a deserted island… probably…the priory of the orange tree, the once and future witches, and hm…maybe jesus and john wayne? i always Need a non-fiction book to balance everything out, so that one would have to come with me!

three movies… lady bird, midsommar OR nope (i have to have a horror movie <3) and hmmm probably heathers (1988) bc it’s just a classic <3 fave movie of all time tbh

three albums…oh geez okay. dolly parton’s greatest hits, this is why paramore…and EITHER paranoid black sabbath OR dreamboat annie by heart.

thank u thank u <3

[cooledtured]

The A24-Kojima Death Stranding Collaboration

The video game landscape has witnessed its share of cinematic adaptations, but few inspire such fervent anticipation as the upcoming collaboration between Hideo Kojima and A24 on a Death Stranding movie. This is more than just a game hitting the silver screen; it's a meeting of two artistic titans, each renowned for their singular visions and groundbreaking approaches. While excitement bubbles amongst fans, the question looms: can this partnership birth a cinematic masterpiece, or will it stumble under the weight of translation? To answer this, we must delve into the strengths of this union, acknowledge the inherent challenges, and ultimately, embrace the nuanced possibilities that lie ahead.

Kojima, the maestro of mind-bending narratives and immersive worlds, needs no introduction. Death Stranding, his magnum opus, is a testament to his visionary storytelling. Its desolate landscapes, hauntingly beautiful BTs, and the profound exploration of grief and connection resonated deeply with players. A24, the cinematic provocateur, brings its own brand of audacious artistry. Films like Hereditary and Midsommar stand out for their meticulous visual style, unsettling yet captivating narratives, and willingness to push boundaries. When these two forces converge, the potential for a truly groundbreaking film is undeniable.

Imagine Kojima's intricate symbolism finding expression through A24's haunting aesthetics. The desolate beauty of Death Stranding's landscapes, amplified by A24's minimalist lens, could become a canvas for existential contemplation. Kojima's penchant for cryptic storytelling, woven into A24's penchant for ambiguity, could weave a film rich with layers of hidden meaning, rewarding attentive viewers with Easter eggs and thematic echoes.

Yet, translating the interactive, player-driven narrative of Death Stranding into a linear film presents its own set of challenges. How do you capture the essence of a world shaped by player choice and exploration within the confines of a two-hour runtime? Focusing on a specific storyline, while sacrificing some narrative flexibility, could be one approach. Alternatively, the film could adopt a more thematic focus, exploring the core themes of connection, isolation, and the struggle against the inevitable, offering a fresh perspective on the game's world.

Another potential hurdle lies in maintaining Kojima's singular vision while navigating A24's collaborative filmmaking style. Creative clashes, while potentially enriching, can also lead to discord. Open communication and mutual respect will be crucial in maintaining the core essence of Kojima's vision while benefiting from A24's expertise. Additionally, the film must find a way to balance catering to dedicated fans, already steeped in the game's lore, with attracting a wider audience unfamiliar with its intricate world. Striking this delicate balance will require careful world-building without bogging down the narrative with exposition.

Despite the challenges, the possibilities remain tantalizing. A24's arthouse sensibilities could elevate the film's thematic complexity, inviting viewers into a world open to interpretation and contemplation. Kojima's experience in directing cutscenes within his games could prove invaluable, allowing him to bridge the gap between video game storytelling and cinematic structure. Furthermore, the limitations of film could inspire creative reinterpretations of key narrative elements, leading to a fresh and unexpected perspective on the Death Stranding universe.

Ultimately, the success of the A24-Kojima collaboration hinges on embracing the nuances of their partnership. By harnessing their respective strengths, navigating potential pitfalls, and embracing the creative possibilities that arise from this unique convergence, this film has the potential to redefine video game adaptations. Whether it surpasses expectations or succumbs to the limitations of translation, the Death Stranding movie will undoubtedly be a cinematic event, a testament to the enduring power of storytelling and the transformative potential of artistic collaboration.

----------------

DANIEL SIMMONS | Writer POP-COOLEDTURED SPECIALIST cooledtured.com | GROW YOUR COLLECTION

[tuulikki]

I’m so sorry, it turns out I still have thoughts…

Obviously Midsommar is a movie about a cult. It’s about the kind of cult whose trappings are extremely popular right now: back-to-nature utopian longings, smiling believers, tight-knit community, and white supremacism conveniently disguised as “tradition” or “honouring mothers.”

But I want to emphasise that a “good for her” reaction doesn’t mean someone isn’t aware that it’s an evil cult. Ari Aster labelled it a “break up” film—a label paired with the obvious fact that it’s a horror film. They deliberately didn’t have the cult quoting Hitler: instead they showed us a balanced mix of “nice”-coded things and grisly monstrosities, which kept the “break up” half of the movie from being subsumed into pure, uncomplicated fear of the cult. Without that complexity, Midsommar would just be another Children of the Corn. It would be less scary.

That complexity is also why The Wicker Man works. Perhaps it’s possible to not enjoy watching Howie get pranked. But the movie spent time and energy making you want to see him get his comeuppance, just like Christian, the gaslighting, research-stealing asshole (did he even try to look for Josh?). Horror thrives on pandering to your id. So this doesn’t trouble me:

Those are people enjoying watching a shitty fictional dude get fictionally murdered. Horror is there for that. Ari Aster spent a whole movie creating an unlikable character. So until people burn their exes in bear costumes, I’m not gonna take a Bowling For Columbine position that the memers think murdering bad boyfriends is actually okay or worry that they couldn’t tell that the racist murder cult is a racist murder cult.

TL;DR:

“I want to go live with the Hårga!” <- Troubling, media illiterate, please stay away from any meditation retreat, New Age store, or material that mentions “women’s intuition.”

“Yesss, Dani! Good for her!” <- Does not mean they don’t know they watched a horror movie about an evil cult with an unhappy ending, normal dark-humoured horror fan joking until proven otherwise

ngl i genuinely worry for people who watched Midsommar and were like "omg what a happy girlpower ending, so amazing" like bb that girlboss got incredibly girlmanipulated by a creepy cult and apparently the cult did a number on you too like wtf did we watch different movies

[forensicfilez]

real shit though shoutout to ari aster for giving us now Two different movies with Unhinged Women... both movies were upsetting ofc but the fucking SATIFSFACTION i felt watching them eventually just saying fuck it all was unmatched and now all i want is more of it

[mediocre-daydreams]

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐮𝐲 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧: ask me any question/let's play some common tumblr games!

cym as different holidays! 💗

11 holidays for 11 mutuals!

christmas (dec 25) is @sw34terw34ther : i always see you chatting with your mutuals! you seem like the person who hosts the best holiday parties and can make their own seasonal drinks. plus with that voice of yours, i could totally see you going carolling. getting tagged in your posts is like a little christmas present.

new year's day (jan 1) is @sub-text : bro is my fucking favorite. i would clean up bottles with you on new year's day. you're so nice it makes me want to cry. i always get sentimental on new years and your writing makes me so sappy and soft bro. you write with such dedication to detail and i can't get enough of it. when i tell you my entire world reset after reading "the bet," i'm sirius serious.

valentine's day (feb 14) is @fairydxll : thanks for this ask btw! imma be honest i tried to urban dictionary what cym was but i'm hoping i got it right and it's "cast your mutuals." (UD was no help i used tumblr.) anyway, you're pink, sparkly, and precious, and you quite literally sent me a heart. i envison you as just the sweetest person ever.

johnny appleseed day (march 11) is @emmaev : i love this johnny dude. tbh no clue if he's real, but as a kid i read a book about him and it was great plus you make me just as happy as i feel when i'm apple picking. you're so insanely supportive and kind and seem down-to-earth and i think johnny would admire your thoughtfulness.

april fool's day (april 1) is @yourallihave : my tumblr wife, obviously. i appreciate you so much. your blog is bright pink and spunky, seeing your name in my notifs always makes me smile, and you have the rare ability to actually make me laugh from something i read online. not just one of those huffs or snorts, yknow?

may day (may 1) is @prettylestrange : colorful hair, colorful blog, and glowing personality. you're like the epitome of spring. i've only ever seen american may day, but it's always full of floral skirts, flower crowns, and the pole with the ribbons and stuff and if midsommar weren't a horror movie, you'd be the may queen.

national apple strudel day (june 17) is @forourmoons : (*said like timothee chalamet in don't look up*) i fucking love apple struedel just likei fucking love you. i'm your biggest fan. you're so talented and you're so interactive with everyone that it feels like you're the perfect flaky pastry crust gordon ramsey would approve of.

national bagelfest day (july 26) is @vendettaparker : if i have extra time in the morning, i'll sit down and grab a bagel before school. your writing is so indulgent and part of the reason i started writing so thank you very much i love you very much. it actually took me a long time to start liking bagels, but when i tried soft bagels for the first time dear god i ascended discovering your blog literally awakened a new jenny.

world plant milk day (aug 22) is @munsonsreputation : hear me out. i'm very passionate about soymilk, but my adoration for your blog comes close second. the way you write with such a balance of artistry, fourth-wall-defying humor, and an understanding of characters makes you as cool as plant milk imo.

dear diary day (sep 22) is @masivechaos : nobody pulls off dark academia like you do. you remind me of hand-me-down sweaters, scrapbook journals, and chocolate covered coffee beans. you're friendly and courteous and i think anyone would feel comfortable talking to you.

halloween (oct 31) is @omenhel : the whole black and white theme fits the vibe and all, but most importantly you seem like someone bold, lighthearted, and who values trying to stay true to themselves. plus you send me asks and it's like getting trick-or-treaters at my door.

(no th*nksg*v*ng on this blog boooo colonization boooo)

[inquisitorius-sin-bin]

4, 24, 25

Thank you fo asking! Man this ask game is fun I love horror movies lol

favorite holiday themed horror

I haven't seen Leprechan which is a shame because that might just take it. I love both Gremlins and Krampus. But I'm probably going to have to give this one to Midsommar.

a movie you find visually stunning/compelling etc

Oooo hmmm horror is a particularly good genre for this. I recently watched Pan's Labryinth for the first time, which was long overdue and I found that movie so moving, heartbreaking and gut-wrenching.

The recent Color Out of Space was also really visually unique as horror isn't something we typically associate with vibrant, ultraviolet and sensational color but that made good use of that.

Again I have to shout out The Lighthouse, the use of black and white, the strange, unsettling and erotic imagery used throughout.

a movie that genuinely scared you

When I was a kid the first film that ever gave me nightmares and truly shook me was Signs. I love that movie sooo much. It was so realistic, the perfect balance of "not showing the monster" and the realism of it really got to me.

[trs-cpr]

Here’s a request:

Jason and Freddy are watching a horror movie and drinking too much. Y/N is hiding in a closet and secretly filming their drunken reactions to the movie they’re watching.

Freddy Krueger / Jason Voorhees. Drunk horror night.

Freddy Krueger

- NO WAY! Get him big boy! What happened to you? Can't run?!

The piercing sound of a chainsaw and the screeching screams begging for mercy mixed well with the strident laugh of the only, apparent, watcher in the cinema. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was the movie choice of the day for the date night in the new dream realm that your amusing soulmate made with the excuse of "Hey, we should watch something funny together" that in your mind sounded more like "Hey, there's my attempt of spending time with you. Grab a beer or something!" Well, you were sure that you'll get your fun one way or another.

He groped the comfy seat with his gloved hand and maintained with the other some strong smell substance... Yep, definitely alcohol and you were despising it.

When a loud screak came he would make silly remarks in everyone and everything in the film, pinching the other slashers body in the big screen with his large claws.

- AH! You let another victim escape! THIS IS ALL THAT YOU'VE GOT? MOVE YOUR BIG ASS! You see what I'm doing, Y/N?!

You already left a long time ago with your phone in hand, right behind some dark seats a little far away from Freddy. Clunching your mouth with your hand to prevent your incessant river of laughs you moved to one side to catch better a catch for the video "This better go viral"

"What is this? Why is sticky?" Your eyes catched a glimpse of the liquid below you, all the beer was laying on the floor. Lifting your head you saw the inquisitory stare of Freddy pointing at you with one of the claws faking an even sharper voice.

- What we got here... OH! I KNOW! A sneaky cute thing! You really though that I wouldn't know in my own dream? Ow... POOR YOU

You grinned while glaring at him with the same intensity. This is a game that two could play.

Jason Voorhees

Heavy breathing sounds is the only noise that the legend of Camp Cristal Lake made in a half drunken state in the couch of his cosy cabin. The old TV was still playing the middle of the film, a new type of phsychological movie that moved all the stereotypes of the horror genre.

Midsommar was a good choice in your point of view, he enjoyed aesthetic pleasing movies and you were delighted to bring him company, cuddle sessions and right now a funny memory to see later. Yeah, many would say that you should have been more careful with your bottles of wine laying around the kitchen, but who thought that your parents little gift would have been mistaken for homemade juice by Jason?

You just needed to open the closet and hide with the camera you carried usually around in the woods, this time Jason would be the star of the day.

THUM!

-Tss... That hurt.

Your head hit one of the closet frames with a loud noise that woke up your looking sleepy boyfriend.

Closing the door you began to rub the sore spot where you hit yourself, grabbing with the other hand the camera. "Later we can take care of that"

The show just began.

He lifted himself from the couch to get a better view of the room, Y/N was already gone without a trace. Maybe they went to a walk without him?

This thought of leaving you alone made him cross his arms around his chest while staring intensily at the screen in front of him more than ten minutes without figuring out the plotline of the movie.

A little nod of the head would be made between scenes while he started to lay down again the seat, gripping the machete handle like it was made of the softest sponge, you combined your face reactions in the video along with random thumb ups.

Turning off the camera, you decided to wake him up of his lost expression. Two gente pats on the arm woke him up of his state, and in a few moments you've got a disoriented slasher trying to maintain his balance while making little circles with his hands on your head.

- Circle? Angel circle? You saw it?

He shakes his head, no. And tried again with more effort.

- Head... Hair! No, crown?

By his body expressions that was it! "what's up with that?" Until you remembered it perfectly.

- Do you want a flower crown? Like the one the protagonist wore?

You've got a happy, trippy Jason grabbing you by the hand taking you outside.

[meat--grindr]

Opinions on Malignant? 👀

never seen | want to see | the worst | bad | whatever | not my thing | good | great | favorite | masterpiece

I took me forever to get around to this one, but holy fucking shit!! The camera work, the atmosphere, the acting (Anabelle Wallis picked me up, dropped me into a pringles can and shook me around! Her performance was stunning!!), the TWIST!! HOLY MACKREL!

No spoilers (aside from the villain's name if you count that) but I'm gonna put my longer thoughts under a cut to cut down on your scrolling. We're respectful in this house.

Physicality is something I really love about acting, especially in horror movies. I love when people and creatures move and you just go 'EW!! HOLY FUCK WHY ARE THEY DOING THAT!' And it was utilized to the fullest extent here with our villain Gabriel (which is where I love to see it the most, honestly) Everything from the way he crawled about like a scary little demon to the way his shoulders moved when he breathed had me HANGING off of my seat. The way he moved was certainly not something I'd ever seen before. When you stop and thing about it the concept it a little silly, but it never looks or feels as silly as it should thanks to some top tier choreography and camera work! Wowza!

The twist was partially spoiled for me on here before I got to see it, which sucked, but as it turned out, I really didn't know the half of it and I still startled yelling when the full reveal came out. And I think even if I did have the whole thing spoiled it still would have been scary and fun. That being said, watch this shit as blind as you can, and if you can't do that and know the twist, find someone who doesn't and watch it with them just to see their expression. I'm sure it'll be worth it.

I also think they did a really good job of balancing the really tragic elements of this story with the scary ones. It didn't go fully down the Hereditary/Midsommar grief and bad choices are all consuming and inescapable route, and doesn't just ignore that trauma has an impact on people. Sometimes I find characters in movies will throw all their emotions out at the audience in a single scene to show they are feeling a certain way, or that something that happened to them impacted them, then we don't ever see it impacting them again. It's like we're just supposed to remember that they feel that way even when they take actions that would suggest otherwise. But I didn't think this was true in this film. Maddie's emotional state seemed to build upon itself like real a real person's. It was really nice to see.

I know a lot of people were not impressed with this one, but James Wan had me utterly enthralled the whole way through not gonna lie! It wasn't at all what I thought it was going to be because I (sort of on purpose) only saw one promo for it--I thought it was going to be more of a girl falls victim to the matrix-esque hellscape of her dreams type situation, which it really, really isn't. That would have been really cool, but I cannot say I was disappointed to be wrong.

But I think my favourite thing about this film is the fact that it doesn't take itself super seriously. The concept is balls to the wall crazy and though the tone of the movie is over-all serious, you can tell the people had a ton of fun making it and that they all really believed in the project. It just has a ton of heart <3

This movie is a fucking trip and it is definitely an instant favourite!

[moribundanchor]

The Pelle/Dani Receipts: Post One, Introduction

Hello and welcome to Rimanez and AnonLady present: Midsommar: The Pelle/Dani Receipts. 

Are you sitting comfortably? Got your tea with special properties, rune-stitched white linen solstice clothing, and flower crown? Then let’s begin. Skål!

We are going to step you through the film more-or-less chronologically, detailing evidence supporting the Pelle/Dani ship in dialogue and behavior, cinematography, costuming, set design, and artwork featured throughout the film. This will include not just the signs that Pelle loves Dani--compelling, but low-hanging fruit when discussing this ship--but that Dani has feelings for Pelle, that their onscreen intimacy indicates a friendship, at least, that is independent of their individual relationships to Christian, and that Dani and Pelle are destined for each other. We should note that Ari Aster is meticulous, so meticulous, and it’s possible there are still things we have missed and perhaps some of our interpretations you may disagree with. That’s fine! We’ve got a lot to work with here. Additionally, while we will touch on elements relating to Dani’s destiny as May Queen, we will concentrate on those elements that pertain to her destiny with Pelle specifically.

There will be 12 individual posts, which Rimanez and I will be posting over the course of the next week or so as we get them ready, two at a time, with each post hyperlinked to the succeeding post, and then at the end, we’ll have a convenient table of hyperlinks.

All gifs and high quality images have been wrangled by @amy-amell. Rune expertise will be provided by @daydreamers.

Before we get into specific evidence, a brief word about general motifs to be aware of in Midsommar. These are not things that directly speak to the Pelle/Dani romance, but will feature in scenes we discuss and contribute to their meaning. These include:

The color yellow. Yellow generally relates to Dani’s journey, her yellow brick road. For example: the prevalence of the color in the Ardor house, particularly in pictures of Dani and the flower arrangement over the bedside picture of her; the hose that Terri uses to pipe the gas fumes into the upstairs is yellow; the path through the woods to Hårga features a thickening carpet of yellow flowers; the yonic sun gate to Hårga is yellow; Dani’s flower crown during the competition is mainly yellow; the Fire Temple, of course, is bright yellow.

The sun. While they’re not sun worshipers, per se, the sun is the ultimate symbol of Hårgan belief in the Great Cycle. It also effectively doubles as a symbol for Dani’s destiny to join the family at the end, folding in the significance of the color yellow. Also note that in Old Norse myth, the sun is female and the moon is male, as opposed to Western traditions, which makes sense since, while it’s not explicitly stated, Hårga seems to be a matriarchy, with Siv as head honcho and the May Queen ultimately given the power of life and death in the Fire Temple ceremony.

The color blue. Blue generally relates to the Hårgans. You will notice it in their special solstice clothes�� embroidery, but also in sneakier places, like the lit trees behind Christian as he approaches Dani’s apartment to, sigh, sorta hold her in the beginning.

Flowers and plants. Flowers, plants everywhere. Not just real ones, but design elements, too, everywhere from Dani’s parents’ room to Hårga. Flowers, of course, have their own subtle language -- brilliantly and comprehensively explored in this post -- not unlike the Hårgans, but you will notice their presence waxes as Dani comes home to Hårga. In addition to the individual meanings of certain plants and flowers, note their generic connotations of sex, nature, growth, and balance. As Pelle muses in the meadow, “Nature just knows instinctually how to stay in harmony.” And that’s the essence of Dani’s journey: finding the harmony and balance she lacks.

Mirrors. Mirrors indicate something going on beneath the surface. We first see Dani’s parents, apparently sleeping, reflected in their bedroom mirror as Dani’s call goes to voicemail, only to learn they were actually dead. Christian’s lies to Dani, his friends, and himself are reflected in mirrors at Dani’s apartment and his own. Dani has her terrifying glimpse of Terri in the bathroom mirror. We first meet Maja primping in a mirror, and we soon learn she’s not just primping but primping for a plot. And most importantly for this piece, we see Pelle reflected in a mirror while sketching the newly-crowned May Queen, but of course, even in that idyllic moment, he is still plotting to get Christian out of the way. Mirrors = look again.

OK, with those principal motifs set to one side, let’s look at general underlying evidence of Pelle and Dani destiny, shall we?

Names. Dani Ardor. Ardor means love or passion and it comes from the Latin word ardere: to burn. Her first name, like sister Terri’s, is a male-sounding female name, a time-honored convention for Final Girls in horror movies. It also recalls Danny from The Shining (1980), a film that is referenced visually in the soaring overhead shots of the journey to Hårga, but also in the design of Dani’s bedsheet in the Hårgan Youth House.  

It’s also worth noting that Dani is a common short form of Danielle, which literally means “God is my judge.” Taken alongside Dani’s ultimate judging of Christian, that’s...pretty suggestive. (Big thanks to @henrys-side-blog​ for pointing this out!)

Pelle is a name on its own and a pet form of Per, both Swedish forms of Peter, from the Greek petros, stone or rock, i.e. the foundation. It brings to mind the Ättestupa, the ultimate symbol of Hårgan unity, and the way that Pelle offers himself as a support for Dani, too. There’s also the association with Peter, the disciple who denied Christ. I mean...his romantic rival’s name is Christian, although Ari Aster says there are lots of ways to read Christian’s naming...which he won’t tell us. “He is thrown to the lions, so to speak.”

Lastly, this may just be a coincidence, but Dani has unique pronunciations of both Pelle and Christian that differ from the way the rest of the cast pronounces their names. (OK, I think Mark says Pell-ay once.) This is in spite of Florence Pugh’s flawless American accent, and it’s not replicated with any characters that aren’t Dani’s love interests. It’s just weird.

Dani and Pelle’s Costuming. After arriving, Pelle initially only dons a Hårgan shirt while retaining the rest of his outsider clothing. Dani dons a Hårgan apron initially before changing into full Hårgan costume for the maypole dance. Their costuming throughout the movie, as with many of their movements and behaviors, show a continuous synchrony that also charts Dani’s assimilation into the family. It’s worth noting that Pelle doesn’t kiss her until they are both in full Hårgan dress.

Runes are another big underlying source of meaning, but frankly, they are so complex and multivalent, including elements that we only really discovered while working on this post, they are going to get their own section at the end, where all of our contextual evidence will help guide interpretation.

OK, let’s crack the film open and find us a love story.

The Pelle/Dani Receipts Masterpost

[the-working-class-guide-to-films]

Tenet-No Spoilers

I am a massive Christopher Nolan fan. I’m a fanboy, I’ll admit. Nolan, for me, is the goat. I don’t think there’s a director out there today that can create movies like he does, the way he does it. The mix of pure spectacle, blockbuster action using real effects, combined with interesting characters and personal, real stories is something that is rarely achieved in the film industry today. 

John David Washington is The Protagonist, who after a mission goes wrong is recruited by a secret organisation, Tenet, to prevent the end of the world. He learns that there is a technology in the future that allows objects to be reversed through time and that people are buying these and selling them on the black market. Objects such as inverted bullets that cause much more damage than regular ones.

There has been criticism of Tenet that it is too complicated and confusing. And yes, this is definitely the most complex Nolan film to date. The inverted/reverse time business is quite bizarre and takes a while to get your head round but towards the end it certainly becomes a little easier to understand. The plot itself however is more complicated. All Nolan films are complex and there are always clues throughout that you won’t notice on the first watch that you will on the second. But the plots aren’t as difficult to understand than Tenet. With Tenet, I think the second watch will be to understand what you didn’t from the first one, and then on the third viewing it will click. Maybe, maybe some people got it straightaway, maybe some people won’t get it on the third. I think the film, and this isn’t just a criticism of Tenet, but of most films, is that the dialogue at times was difficult to understand. It’s hard to get your head round this in the first place, never mind when you can’t make out what they are saying. During the more exposition scenes it was hard to make out what was going on, and Tenet needed these scenes to be clear in order for the viewers to maybe get a better understanding of the plot. My biggest criticism of Tenet however is that it lacks the human side of his films, especially in comparison to his other films. Not that I went in over-hyped because I never think that is a good idea. And maybe the film was his homage to the spy genre where it wasn’t intending us to care as much about the characters. But in all his films, and however epic the scenes we always care about the character, that I feel is the main part of the film, it is what we are drawn to. Whether that be magicians in the Victorian era, a caped crusader, three layers deep in a dream or floating through space; it is the human element that always keeps the film grounded. I felt that Tenet didn’t strike that balance. And that’s not to say that John David Washington wasn’t good, because he was fantastic, but I didn’t necessarily care about his character because he didn’t have anything personal for us to relate to. In Inception and Interstellar, the two main characters are fighting to see their children again. It’s personal, it shows the human side. Washington’s character didn’t have that, it was him saving the world, and yes that’s brave and courageous, but why, why did he care? What was HE fighting for? And that was what disappointed me the most about Tenet because that side of Nolan is I think the most under appreciated. I LOVE the set pieces, the action, the mind-boggling plot, but the human side is what brings it all home. I was blown away during Interstellar with the visual side of it, the black hole, the waves, all of that. But it is when Matthew McConaughey’s character breaks down seeing his grown up daughter via a TV or reuniting with her at the end of the movie that overshadows everything else. Tenet didn’t have these personal moments and that was a real shame.

No doubt about it, Tenet is the biggest Nolan film to date. It is honestly huge. No matter how confused you may, or may not get, you won’t be bored. It’s a lot of fun. In most action films you’d expect to see maybe 2 or 3 small action sequences followed by the big kick ass action sequence at the end. Tenet has 4 or 5 big kick ass action sequences. The opening of previous Nolan films, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises really set the standard for opening sequences in action movies, Tenet follows suit and kicks off from there without skipping a beat. A lot of the scenes involve the inverted time structure, where the object is going backwards in time (I think that’s how it works), it’s incredible to watch.

It’s absolute madness. I don’t think I’ve seen something like it before. If I have, not to this extent. It’s barmy, but it is fantastic. Technically it’s a delight. The whole plane scene has been talked about, how Nolan bought a real plane to crash instead of just using visual effects. That’s the standard that action films should be aiming for. Yes, visual effects are a work of art, there is no denying it and I certainly won’t be shitting on it that some people do. I am incredibly envious of the skill. But there is something magical about watching real effects, and it’s become part of Nolan’s signature. 

Away from the jaw-dropping action scenes and the incredible technical ability on show the acting is fantastic. John David Washington is superb in this and should hopefully cement his name as an A-list. His character has it all, cool, scary, witty, he captures all of this. And it isn’t just his acting that is top notch but it is a very physically demanding role which as you might expect from a former American Football player, you might expect. I don’t think there are many actors who could have struck the balance quite like JDW did. Sure, an actor like Daniel Day-Lewis could do the acting, but he couldn’t do the physical side. Dwayne Johnson could do the physical side, but he can’t act. Washington achieves both terrifically. There is a huge, and brilliant supporting cast in Tenet, most notably Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki and Kenneth Branagh who each bring something different and exciting. Nolan comes under criticism for portrayals of women in his films which is something I don’t necessarily agree with but in this Debicki’s character is the one who we probably care about the most and it is her character that brings the humanity to the story. 

4/5 Now I’ve had a day to digest it, and now I have written this review, I’m really excited to watch it again. If it wasn’t for COVID I would probably watch it about 4 times. Maybe on subsequent showings I could give it slightly lower (although I’ve tried to be impartial) maybe I’ll think it is better once I understand it more. Yes it is a shame that the human side of the film is lacking slightly, but the technical ability on showing will blow you away. No matter how confused you are, you won’t be bored.

p.s There has been criticisms from some corners of the film industry saying that Nolan, and the studios, are irresponsible for releasing Tenet as the film to bring cinema-goers back, especially when the film is complex. Why would the audience want to watch a film they can’t understand? Now I have an issue with this. Critics slam the Fast and Furious franchise because it is over the top, silly, action fuelled, spectacle garbage. Critics will also jizz over films such as Midsommar, The Shining, The Lighthouse for their complex and interesting storylines. Now I love these films, but what exactly are those films about, and would you know directly coming out of the cinema. Would the link between Greek Mythology, Prometheus and giving knowledge to civilisation be known to you when you came out of The Lighthouse? Probably not. Isn’t there like a whole documentary on The Shining because there are so many fan theories? That film is weird af. I’ve always found an issue of classism within the film industry, especially when reviewing certain films. Action films are seen as dumb, lowest common denominator garbage, and yet odd artsy stuff is seen as the pinnacle of film. Nolan somehow manages to get these both together and yet now they criticism him when this complex stuff is the shit they love. Now critics want a film like Fast and Furious to bring people back, but you know they’d shit on it at any other point. Maybe Nolan can do no right, people have called his films obnoxious because they are too smart. Well maybe these people mistake the intelligence of the general viewer? Who knows, I’m just mad the Nolan hasn’t won a Best Director award, or hasn’t even got a knighthood when people like Ed Sheeran or Phillip Green have?

[albertserra]

Would you mind elaborating on why you don’t like A24. I love your analyses & im so curious to hear what you have to say abt them

i mean its nothing super deep i just find them to be extremely annoying with their tactic of marketing themselves as some icon of non-mainstream ~cinema~ that film twitter eats tf up when in reality they dont even actually produce the majority of the movies they put out, theyre just distributors primarily. like i love moonlight and hereditary but the companys little ‘fanbase’ is so obnoxious i have to hate them to try to balance it out a bit. plus their ‘merch’ is disgustingly overpriced (including their screenplay books that print images across two pages so the spine messes up the shots they want to emphasize, and their stupid midsommar ‘limited edition’ that was like 45 bucks and had no special features lol)

also fucking release saint maud virtually you greedy pigs

[starwarsnonsense]

Top 10 films of 2019

Here’s my very belated top 10 films of 2019! Note that this is a list of films that were released in the UK theatrically in 2019, meaning it includes certain releases that would be considered to belong to 2018 by others.

Honourable mentions: Joker, Hustlers, Booksmart, A Private War, Fighting With My Family

(And don’t worry - Little Women, 1917 and Uncut Gems are all already on my list for 2020.)

Look out for my most anticipated films of 2020 list, coming soon!

With that out of the way, here’s my list (in ascending order)! Do share your picks in the comments!

10. The Irishman (dir. Martin Scorsese)

This is clearly the work of a master filmmaker with much on his mind. In telling the story of Frank Sheeran, Scorsese is telling the story of a man who makes his trade in violence. Instead of elevating Frank as a hero or a figure of glamour, he’s consistently shown to be rather pathetic. He stumbles into the role of hitman for various factions of the criminal underworld, and sticks to it seemingly because it’s what comes most easily to him. The violence enacted by Sheeran is inane and routine, with no thought given to the personal cost until it is far too late. The final 15 minutes of this film show a life petering out with a whimper, laying bare the indignities of old age and the cold, empty horror of enduring it with no company besides your own regrets. The Irishman is a portrait of a life lived badly, and in the hands of anyone besides Scorsese it could have been dry and tedious. Instead, the filmmaking is incredibly assured and the editing is whip-sharp (in Thelma Schoonmaker we trust), making it a pleasure to watch even with the lengthy runtime. 

9. The Farewell (dir. Lulu Wang)

The Farewell is a personal story about a young Asian-American woman (Awkwafina) struggling to reconcile her heritage with her current situation and values - specifically, she is tested when her grandmother is diagnosed with cancer and the wider family make the decision to hide the truth from her. The Farewell does a fantastic job of generating empathy for all the different perspectives and positions in play, but it’s truly anchored by Awkwafina’s amazingly nuanced and tender performance - basically, anyone who’s ever loved a grandparent should leave this feeling incredibly moved and inspired. The themes of The Farewell are both specific to the Asian-American experience and general to anyone who has struggled with maintaining bonds over a vast distance, whether physical or cultural. Lulu Wang is an exciting new voice in cinema, and I will watch her career with great interest.           

8. Pain & Glory (dir. Pedro Almodóvar)

Almodóvar is one of my favourite filmmakers, and one of the reasons I love his work so much is its wild diversity. My favourite from him is The Skin I Live In, a film that could not be more different than Pain & Glory. This is a small, very personal film telling the story of a middle-aged director (Banderas, clearly playing a version of  Almodóvar himself) who’s struggling with his legacy as a filmmaker and the increasing privations attached to middle age. Suffering in the present, Salvador finds himself retreating into memories of his childhood - particularly of his mother (Penelope Cruz) and his first crush. The childhood sequences were where the film really sung for me, perfectly capturing the sun-dappled glow of reminiscences of childhood. And the ending, where  Almodóvar truly shows his hand, is delightfully mischievous and the perfect cap on this very personal picture.

7. Once Upon a Time in ... Hollywood (dir. Quentin Tarantino)

This is a slice of life movie, but while that might call to mind ‘kitchen sink’ dramas, this is unabashedly a ‘slice of life’ movie about Hollywood and the mythology that has developed around it. It’s meandering and feels rather aimless for the bulk of its runtime, but that’s kind of the point. It’s exactly what the title promises in that it recaptures what life was like in a very specific time and in a very specific place - it’s an idealised, loving depiction of the Hollywood of the time, with the movie stars, flawed and fading as they are, cast as heroes menaced by the drugged-up hippies poised to dismantle the status quo. It ends in the fashion you’d expect from Tarantino, but here I found his revisionist approach to history remarkably poignant and effective. Film is a magic medium, with Hollywood serving as the ultimate dream factory - it feels completely right that Tarantino would attempt to use celluloid to right one of the great tragedies of Hollywood history.

6. One Cut of the Dead (dir. Shinichirou Ueda)

I went into this with no expectations whatsoever - and what a treat it was! One Cut of the Dead is easily one of the funniest movies I’ve seen in years, taking what initially seems like a trite concept (a crew is filming a zombie movie at a desolate location ... only to discover that the zombies are real!) and twisting it in a truly ingenious way. The comedy is very broad, but it is consistently delightful and always manages to avoid becoming crass - the movie even has some really sweet family dynamics at the centre of it, which gives it some real emotional heft. The success of this film is heavily reliant on a major twist that occurs part-way through, so the best advice I can give you is to stay as far away from spoilers for this one as possible - go in blind, and you will be amply rewarded for your faith.

5. Midsommar (dir. Ari Aster)

I went into this film with reservations, since I wasn’t a huge fan of Hereditary (by the same director), which I found to have extraordinary moments but iffy execution overall. This movie, however, wowed me. While marketed as a freaky/arty horror film, the director has described it as a fairy tale, which is the level on which is spoke to me. Midsommar follows Dani (an incredible Florence Pugh), a young woman who has suffered a terrible loss, as she travels with her boyfriend and his friends to a pagan festival in the Swedish countryside. Dani is painfully isolated, and her grief is hers to shoulder alone since her boyfriend is un-receptive and entirely unprepared to help her. Over the course of the film, destruction and creation are conflated in ways that are both beautiful and horrific - this film spoke to me on a profound level, and the way it ended gave me an incredible sense of catharsis. This won’t be for everyone, for I found it to be a deeply special film. Let’s all raise a toast to the imminent, and much welcome, reign of Florence Pugh.

4. Parasite (dir. Bong Joon-Ho)

Parasite is that rare film that more than lives up to the massive hype surrounding it (you don’t get more hyped than winning Best Picture at the Academy Awards!). It’s hard to write about this film without spoilers, since so much of the joy of Parasite lies in discovering what the hell is going on. This is an ‘upstairs downstairs’ movie for the 21st century, where the downstairs people have fierce designs on the lives and pleasures enjoyed by their social superiors. The rich people here are not vilified, though they are depicted as vapid and shallow, perpetually searching for new ways to fill their lives with meaning. Their struggling counterparts from the rough side of the city are struggling only to get by - their lives too hard to allow time for such indulgences. This is a film about the fantasy of social advancement, and the power that dreams have to hold us in thrall to hopeless ambitions. It’s masterfully directed, acted and designed, and it has been extremely gratifying to see it receive such widespread recognition.

3. Marriage Story (dir. Noah Baumbach)

I was always going to see this (hey Adam Driver!) but I was entirely unprepared for how great Marriage Story was. Easily Baumbach’s best film, Marriage Story is a masterclass in acting and character writing - it’s fiercely intelligent in how it constantly forces you to reassess what you’re seeing and where your sympathies lie. Does Charlie seem like an oblivious, navel-gazing asshole? Sure, but he’s also confused and vulnerable and thrown entirely off balance by his awakening consciousness of his wife’s dreams and ambitions. Nicole is self-effacing and self-denying, as so many women are, which makes her emerging confidence and newfound sense of direction incredibly satisfying to witness. In the second half of Marriage Story, Driver’s Charlie undoubtedly takes the spotlight - it’s clear to me that he becomes the focus largely because he continues to flounder as Nicole finds her footing. Baumbach, wisely I feel, is most interested in his characters when they’re lost, struggling to be better but barely understanding what that means. Even if you don’t sympathise with Charlie by the end of Marriage Story, I can promise you will come away with a thorough understanding of him thanks to Driver’s extraordinary performance. Superlative work, all round. (It’s also, just for the record, the only film of 2019 to make me cry.)

2. Portrait of a Lady on Fire (dir. Céline Sciamma)

This is the 2019 film I am most excited to see again (it’s coming out in a week in the UK - I’m so excited!). Sciamma’s film is an incredibly moving and deeply beautiful love story, depicting how a female artist in 18th century France falls in love with the woman she has been covertly employed to paint. Portrait is very much a film about the act of looking, and in many ways it’s the ultimate female gaze film - it’s all about women looking at women, as depicted by a female filmmaker. Gazes are political as much as they’re romantic - here, our two heroines drink each other, aware of exactly how dangerous and forbidden their mutual intoxication is. The woozy thrall of their relationship is exquisitely conveyed through the cinematography and direction, and the final shot - which I won’t spoil - is an all-timer that serves as an exquisite coda to the entire film. This is a truly superb film, and I’m still incensed that it received no substantial awards recognition. Let’s hope it goes down in film history as the masterpiece it is, yet another omission proving the limitations of the Oscars as a metric for great art.

1. The Favourite (dir.  Yorgos Lanthimos)

This completely wowed me, and against all the odds it stuck with me as the best film I saw in 2019 - it features a trio of magnificently compelling female characters (played by Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone) operating at the court of Queen Anne (Colman is Anne, Weisz and Stone are courtiers), and is laser-focused on the shifting sands of the power dynamics between them. The script is savage without sacrificing poignancy, witty without ceasing to be emotionally honest. And while I’ve seen some react to this film as a comedy (and it certainly has laughs, most of which are tightly packaged with shock), for me it was very clearly a drama about the inscrutable and complicated relationships that exist between women. Specifically, it is about how those relationships run the gamut from sincere affinity to ruthless manipulation. This is a spectacular movie, visually and thematically rich in every frame, and it also has the best use of an Elton John song in 2019 (sorry, Rocketman!).

Fly away, skyline pigeon fly, towards the things you’ve left so very, so very far, behind.