August for me has been a time for watching summery movies (mostly). The cinema has been slightly disappointing this summer, with few releases arriving at my local screen, except for Zoë Kravitz’s directorial debut Blink Twice, which left me blown away.
2nd August- 10 Things I Hate About You (Gil Junger, 1999)
A classic teen movie, I forgot how funny and charming this was. I watched this at the Picturehouse Open Cinema in Greenwich, and it was such a joyous vibe amongst the audience. Heath Ledger plays the stereotypical douchebag you should swoon over so well, and the fact that protagonist Kat chooses not to is so refreshing.
8/10.
3rd August- Triangle of Sadness (Ruben Östlund, 2022)
I have found Östlund's movies quite funny recently, among many films that deal with serious subjects (which by no means aren't important), the director chooses to take the subject of capitalism versus communism in Triangle of Sadness, and turn it into a hilarious yet realistic epic about billionaires being stranded on a desert island and left to fend for themselves. My only criticism is the ambiguous ending; for such a tumultuous film it feels necessary to know what happens in the end.
9/10.
6th August- The Craft (Andrew Fleming, 1996)
Another classic in the teen film department, this time alongside the niche topic of witchery. The Craft is actually quite terrifying at points, most notably Fairuza Balk's freakish performance which has influenced many of my Halloween costumes growing up. It definitely feels as though they're trying to lean more into the horror genre with the dramatic score and exciting visual effects, but it pulls off the cheesy with a horror twist American teen film just as well.
7/10.
10th August- BEEF (2023), Netflix.
I finally finished BEEF, a tale of two people who get into a road rage and decide to ruin each other’s lives. Their motive? Pure pointless frustration. Although this dragged on quite a bit, I thought it worked well as a reminder in life that anything can come from nothing. It was funny, sure, but it also quietly questioned emotional pain and distress, conditional love, and existence in itself. The ending is certainly worth it.
7/10.
Fast Girls (Regan Hall, 2012)
This was basically Bend it like Beckham with running but isn't Bend it like Beckham. I had never heard of this, but my friend nostalgically put it on. Would I recommend it? No. Did I enjoy it? Yes. It’s sometimes fun knowing what is going to happen, knowing that you can sit back and relax.
4/10.
11th August- Trap (M. Night Shyamalan, 2024)
This was the first Shyamalan film I've seen and although the premise of a serial killer getting away with killing so many people at a huge pop concert isn't really believable, he tries to do it anyway making this film a very enjoyable movie-going experience. The way the mega, Swift-esque, adrenaline-heavy concert is illustrated is amusingly accurate.
8/10.
17th August- The Favourite (Yorgos Lanthimos, 2018)
It doesn't feel like a monthly round-up if I don't watch a Lanthimos movie at this point. This was a really fun rewatch. Olivia Coleman's performance of Queen Anne is hilariously badger-like and the whole movie depicts the grotesque bourgeois of the Stuarts in caricature fashion, from costume, right down to the mimicry score. The way Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz's characters fight over Anne is cartoonish and entertaining. A truly unique period drama, which is refreshing among the Merchant Ivory lookalikes.
9/10.
Bridesmaids (Paul Feig, 2011)
It's been a while since I last saw this, and it really is top-tier romcom material. Almost on a par with Mean Girls, Bridesmaids is unflinching in its portrayal of interior girlhood fury.
8/10.
24th August- Blink Twice (Zoë Kravitz, 2024)
I went to see this spontaneously on a rainy day, knowing nothing about it other than how Kravitz had directed, but wow can she direct. The editing was awesome, subtly hinting at plot points, as well as the metaphorical soundtrack. The use of off-kilter shots to portray how a group of women who had randomly been invited to a billionaire’s island might not be safe, how someone was always pouring a glass of champagne for them, but we never saw who for instance. I was really surprised by Channing Tatum’s performance; he played the charming but conniving billionaire we have all gotten to know on screen from Get Out to Glass Onion so well.
10/10.
26th August- Shiva Baby (Emma Seligman, 2020)
Danielle attends a Shiva with her family, only to run into her ex-girlfriend and current sugar daddy. This was a short but sweet bundle of clumsiness, cast perfectly with Rachel Sennott. It was originally a short, which might have worked slightly better, but the 1 hour 18 minute run time never falls short.
7/10.
31st August- Quiz Show (Robert Redford, 1994)
Quiz Show is based on the true story of Herb Stempel who decides to expose the truth of cheating on the quiz show he participates in after losing to Charles Van Doren. It's an interesting premise, and Ralph Fiennes plays Van Doren, the nepo baby scholar connivingly. It drags on for a while as things get politically confusing. But for the most part, it’s a good watch and you might find yourself surprisingly invested. watching Martin Scorsese act is always an awkward pleasure too.
7/10.
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