Nolan really lost it after this film; by and large his seminal work. What familial themes Inception sacrificed for INSANE action sequences, the Nolans (Jonah, the writer, and director Chris) managed to balance here with some of the most seat-gripping sequences in any film I’ve seen so far. No matter how many times I watch it, I’m stressed, I’m crying, and I’m yearning for the stars 🤩. Excellent work, Chris.

At first, I was confused as to why people loved this movie so much. It was pretentious, obnoxiously cynical, and just downright disagreeable. But as the realization sets in on both us, the watchers, and the protagonist, the need for the offensive nature of the film becomes apparent. I hate to say this, but the film bros might be on to something with this film (hate to give credit to the film bros, not to praise <i>Fight Club</i>) Excellent work, David.

Yes, I hate musicals. Yes, I hate(d) romances. Yes, I hated <i>La La Land</i> initially because it was both a romance and a musical. But what the hell was I thinking? Upon subsequent rewatches, I just love this film more and more. It’s universal; not one single person I’ve shown this to has hated it. It cannot be said that what it lacks in the romance aspect, it makes up in the "Ode to Hollywood" aspect, because this film lacks nothing. The chemistry between Mia and Seb pulls the audience in constantly, even when we think there's nothing left for either character to give. Then, of course, there's the argument of themes. The lessons taught in this film follow that Chazellian cynical optimism common in his earlier work, <i>Whiplash<i>, featured later on this list. But to delve into that is to spoil the film. I'll let you figure it out for yourself. Nice work, Damien

SPOILERS AHEAD Initially, I didn’t like Lowry’s ending. The ambiguity seemed like a cheap way out. Gawain is brave, yes, but what next? Facing death is one thing, what the Green Knight does is another. Then, I read a shortened version of the actual Tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the Arthurian legend this film is based on. That ending would not work in film. It serves the purpose of teaching children to be brave, but I like Lowry’s approach. Maybe it IS enough for Gawain to merely accept the Green Knight’s axe on his neck. Maybe that is what it means to be a knight. Maybe that’s what honor is: knowing when to quit and when you’ve been defeated. Safe to say that the Gawain kneeling before the Knight would not have severed his head a year prior in Arthur’s court. Then again, I could be reading too far into it. Brilliant work, David

When you've heard so much about a film, it seldom lives up to expectations. Moreover, when my father simultaneously detests it, it's more often than not exactly the type of movie I need to see. Chazelle's movies that have hype deserve it. Both <i>La La Land<i> and <i>Whiplash<i> begin relentlessly and then descend into something that transcends "movie" and truly becomes something sublime. This movie embodies the Chazellian cynical optimism I mentioned when discussing <i>La La Land<i>. There's something so infectious about watching an artist at work and something even more compelling about watching what they lose to achieve it. What JK Simmons and Miles Teller achieved in their efforts to show "artists at work" is what ties it all together: it warrants five stars just for the chair scene (you'll know it when you see it). And beyond all that, it's got a damn nice soundtrack. Nice work, Damien

<i>The Truman Show<i> is one of those films that makes me question how I'm consuming media. Is it secretly genius or am I reading too far into it? Because on its surface, it seems obvious enough-- Plato's cave manifest. But the further I read into it, the more I see the cutting relevancy of this film, especially in today's hyperdigitalized world. But if I read too far into the symbolism, I start to wonder if it was by accident or not I am consistently reminded of a quote from Nietzche: "to live is to suffer, to survive is to find meaning in the suffering." Truman is a little more like all of us than we might give him credit for. I highly recommend watching through this film consciously, feeling everything. Nice work, Weir.