Zootopia 2

Zootopia 2, while still just as fun and colorful, isn’t as clever or thoughtful as the original. The pacing is relentless, and everything is overexplained to the point that even the kids in our audience, were like “okay, we get it!” If you’ve seen the original, it’s still worth a watch, but it will leave a bit to be desired.

-Z

A fun, but not nearly as good, sequel to the original. The pacing here was my biggest issue - everything felt incredibly fast and splashy, like it was designed for someone with zero attention span. Still, the Zootopia universe is really creative and fun to explore! If there’s a third, I’ll definitely see it.

-E

I have already gotten hate for this take, but I may like this film more than the original, but for argument's sake I am going to give it a tie. To follow up the original Zootopia takes a lot. My favorite part of this film is the world building. We get a lot more insight into the world, how it works, and how it was created. Overall, it is important to remind myself that this is meant for kids, so a lot needs to be overly explained. That, along with some pacing issues with how the plot moves, causes it to miss an elite score, but I had a great time! I think anyone who likes the original needs to find time to see this because it is a fun ride.

-J

Z 7.0
E 7.25
J 8.0

ZEJ 7.42

Jurassic Park

Jurassic Park is my all-time favorite movie and after recently listening to a podcast about Michael Chricton’s ER / The Pitt debacle, I decided I really must read Jurassic Park the novel, and it was really fascinating. And that, of course, made me want to re-watch the movie. It’s the first movie I remember having on VHS as a kid, and I watched it countless times. I wanted to be a paleontologist because of this movie. How can I not give it a 10? Michael Crichton, Steven Spielberg, Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough…. what a list of names. And that’s not even to mention Samuel L Jackson or Wayne Knight. The highest grossing box office movie until Titanic, the movie, obviously was a phenomenon, but watching it back, it’s amazing how well it still holds up visually. Spielberg pioneered some of the very first CGI and combined that with incredible animatronics to create some truly timeless movie magic. The story, the characters and acting… I have no notes. Perfection.

-Z

This was a rewatch for me after about 10 years or so, and I definitely got more out of it this time around. I do not remember it being so dark and suspenseful though - there are some pretty scary scenes! The world-building is of course very cool, the visuals hold up well, and there are some really clever moments, but also some really cheesy and overly dramatic ones. Watching Z geek out about dinosaurs though? Priceless.

-E

Z 10
E 7.5
J n/a

~ZEJ 8.75

Hamnet

Hamnet is a masterpiece. I went back and worth, debating with myself, as to whether this was as 10/10 or 9.5/10, and ultimately landed at 9.75, but really my only criticism, if at all, is perhaps the lack of rewatchability this has for me compared to my other 10’s. This is an emotionally taxing for 90% of the movie, and then the final act, in the recreated Globe Theater, is so cathartic and rewarding, that it makes that first 90% extraordinarily worth it, but I’ll never get to watch it for the first time again, if that makes any sense. The Globe Theater scene, where this film culminates, is the most moved I’ve been in a film probably since Everything Everywhere All at Once. Many things are happening all at the same time to create such a beautifully masterful finish: tour de force acting from Paul Mescal, Jessie Buckley, Noah and Jacobi Jupe, inspired storytelling and pacing from Chloé Zhao, and meticulous set design to recreate the Globe Theater so authentically. The ZEJ team all agreed after our viewing that there was something especially satisfying about the scene in part because we had all learned in great detail about Shakespeare’s plays, and the wide audience that received them, not just the wealthy, but the commoners, and somehow that core childhood knowledge amplified our enjoyment. A lovely film. Chloé Zhao, take a bow. Our collective score of 9.67 makes this the top ZEJ movie of the year, and 4th highest rated movie of all time!

-Z

As an English major, I definitely was not as much of a Shakespeare fanatic as some of my peers, but I did study a few of his plays in detail, and Hamlet was one of them, which made me really excited about this film when I first saw it announced. Then I saw a preview which made me worried it was going to be a bleak, tragedy-porn-esque sobfest. But the end result here was a masterpiece from Chloe Zhao, and I'm going to declare it the best movie of the year so far for me. Yes, it is very sad (and there was definitely some sobbing in our theater), but the unbelievable acting prevented the plot from feeling like emotional manipulation. The ending scenes set in the Globe Theater were gripping and really moving. Very deserving of all of the awards this will no doubt receive.

-E

Paul Mescal is a new ‘must-watch’ for me after this performance, and he wasn’t even the best actor in the movie. When I left I was a little unsure of my feelings, but I let it grow into what this movie is; a true masterpiece in many ways. I think Chloé Zhao made a beautiful film, both in story and directing. It was shot perfectly in my opinion and ended in a great place with a strong payoff. A few things bothered me were the song at the end and a few parts that seemed to go nowhere in the cinema version (but I assume were a large part of the novel). Because of that, it stays away from a coveted 10, but I think anyone who wants to watch and appreciate true cinema needs to see this film ASAP!

-J

Z 9.75
E 9.75
J 9.5

ZEJ 9.67

Love Actually

Love Actually, on many lists, makes the Top 15 Christmas movies of all-time, and E and I finally watched this 22-year old movie for the first time, and with hindsight, it’s hard to fathom how this is so beloved. It certainly hasn’t aged well, but I’m not sure how the many problematic relationships depicted were ever considered not-so. The Liam Neeson and Bill Nighy storylines are very fun, and charming, and almost make this worth watching on their own merit, but you have to understand what you’re getting into - a rom com masquerading as a Christmas movie that is truly all over the place.

-Z

This is one of those movies that I’ve known I needed to watch for years due to the amount of references to it I’ve encountered, but my expectations were pretty low, and this did not exceed them. The story feels very disjointed and many of the storylines feel sad or incomplete. Not every Christmas movie needs to be feel-good, but this was seemingly setting up for that and just never quite fully got there.

-E

This is a really weird one. Culturally relevant, star-stacked, and a holiday favorite for most people. Sadly, I learned that I am not one of those people. I thought the plot was a bit clunky, and the movie got long and didn’t go anywhere very interesting. I am glad I watched it, though, based on how many new pop culture references I can make. I am aware there is an audience for this, but this is probably my one-time watch.

-E

Z 6.5
E 6.5
J 7.5

ZEJ 6.83

Planes, Trains & Automobiles

It’s hard to name Thanksgivings movies off the top of my head, but Planes, Trains and Automobiles has to best, right? E and I went and watched this at Des Moines’ historic Varsity Cinema, in an essentially sold out showing, and it was absolutely electric. And not just because theater had power issues, which it did. And popcorn issues. The line out the door of the theater was so long, that the popcorn machine couldn’t keep up, delaying the movie by about 15 minutes. And believe it or not, with 15 minutes to go, the screen shut off, and theater employee announced they were having power trouble and wouldn’t be able to get the screen back on. But if you’ve seen Planes, Trains & Automobiles, and who hasn’t, then it won’t surprise you to hear that the whole theater just kind of chuckled at not being able to finish the movie, as it’s theme - everything that can go wrong will go wrong was playing out in real life as well. E and I finished it back home, from front to back, it’s still one of the funniest movies I’ve seen. John Candy is iconic, and his “I like me” monologue is extremely moving. Steve Martin is also fascinating in this movie, playing more of a straight man, but still very funny, and really a perfect bouncing board for John Candy. Watching this also made me realize what a legendary run of movies John Hughes had in about a decade, this being approximately in the middle of them, and I don’t think I’ve appreciated his genius enough. One of the few movies I would happily re-watch.

-Z

I have watched this movie many, many times, but the chance to experience it in a packed theater during Thanksgiving week was definitely my favorite viewing experience (even despite the on-brand power outage at the theater that left us on our own to finish the last 15 minutes). There are SO many hilarious scenes that do not feel dated in the least - the experience of a nightmare travel experience is apparently universal. Steve Martin and John Candy are the perfect pair for this storyline. My only gripe - the scenes of Steve Martin’s family wistfully waiting for him at home really disrupt the comedy and do not seem very purposeful. Otherwise, I’m sure this is a film I’ll continue to revisit and enjoy for the rest of my life.

-E

Z 8.75
E 9.0
J n/a

~ZEJ 8.88

Movie Fantasy League November Update

Here’s your Thanksgiving Day Movie Fantasy League Update! Our first box office smash flick, Wicked: For Good came through last weekend, and was a bigger opening than part one, which delivered 260 points for those that partook. Austin T (St Shuffles) grabbed that along with Predator: Badlands, which had some box office success as well to spring himself into the lead over October’s leader Big Brett. Austin’s 447 points are almost entirely box office (422/447), which is impressive, and he has the most in that category by far. Shoutout to myself and Ruth, who have the least box office points, 12 and 25 respectively. Since October, we’ve had the Gotham Awards nominations and the AARP’s Movies for Grownups Awards nominations, which have added our first awards based points, and leading that front is Jord, who has racked up 240 award points via One Battle After Another (125), Hamnet (40), It Was Just an Accident (30) and the Secret Agent (30). On the flipside, Daddy has the least thus far, just 5 awards points, but his 301 box office points make up a lot of ground for him. And finally, a shoutout to E, who currently has the best value pick of the draft, Black Phone 2, whose $5 cost has racked up 156 box office points, for a high of 31.2 points per dollar. Zootopia 2, Eternity, the Secret Agent and Hamnet all release this weekend, and the Gotham Award winners are announced on December 1st, so more points to come! Happy Thanksgiving, MFL!

St Shuffles - 447 points (422 box office pts, 25 awards pts)

• Wicked: For Good — $45 = 260 points (260 box office pts, 0 awards pts)

• Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere — $25 = 32 points (22 box office pts, 10 awards pts)

• Predator: Badlands — $10 = 136 points (136 box office pts, 0 awards pts)

• K-Pop: Demon Hunters — $8 = 0 points

• Superman — $5 = 0 points

• Weapons — $3 = 5 points (0 box office pts, 5 awards pts)

• The Perfect Neighbor — $2 = 10 points (0 box office pts, 10 awards pts)

• Shelby Oaks — $2 = 4 points (4 box office pts, 0 awards pts)
  

BigBrett - 418 points (263 box office pts, 155 awards pts)

• One Battle After Another — $30 = 240 points (115 box office pts, 125 awards pts)

• Frankenstein — $25 = 20 points (0 box office pts, 20 awards pts)

• The Smashing Machine — $20 = 16 points (11 box office pts, 5 awards pts)

• Predator: Badlands — $10 = 136 points (136 box office pts, 0 awards pts)

• Anemone — $5 = 1 point (1 box office pts, 0 awards pts)

• A Private Life — $5 = 5 points (0 box office pts, 5 awards pts)

• Caught Stealing — $3 = 0 points

• Trap House — $2 = 0 points
  

Max - 390 points (170 box office pts, 220 awards pts)

• One Battle After Another — $30 = 240 points (115 box office pts, 125 awards pts)

• Zootopia 2 — $25 = 0 points

• Nuremberg — $10 = 31 points (11 box office pts, 20 awards pts)

• Die My Love — $8 = 20 points (5 box office pts, 15 awards pts)

• If I Had Legs I'd Kick You — $8 = 56 points (1 box office pts, 55 awards pts)

• The Running Man — $8 = 37 points (37 box office pts, 0 awards pts)

• A Private Life — $5 = 5 points (0 box office pts, 5 awards pts)

• Anemone — $5 = 1 point (1 box office pts, 0 awards pts)
  

J (Jord) - 369 points (129 box office pts, 240 awards pts)

• One Battle After Another — $30 = 240 points (115 box office pts, 125 awards pts)

• The Smashing Machine — $20 = 16 points (11 box office pts, 5 awards pts)

• Hamnet — $20 = 40 points (0 box office pts, 40 awards pts)

• It Was Just an Accident — $15 = 41 points (1 box office pts, 40 awards pts)

• The Secret Agent — $5 = 30 points (0 box office pts, 30 awards pts)

• Sisu 2 — $3 = 2 points (2 box office pts, 0 awards pts)

• Arco — $3 = 0 points

• The Man with the Bag — $3 = 0 points
  

Daddy - 306 points (301 box office pts, 5 awards pts)

• Wicked: For Good — $45 = 260 points (260 box office pts, 0 awards pts)

• Avatar: Fire and Ash — $30 = 5 points (0 box office pts, 5 awards pts)

• KPop Demon Hunters — $8 = 0 points

• Gabby's Dollhouse: The Movie — $5 = 41 points (41 box office pts, 0 awards pts)

• 28 Years Later — $5 = 0 points

• The Long Walk — $3 = 0 points

• Steve — $3 = 0 points

• Atropia — $1 = 0 points
  

Jetty - 296 points (276 box office pts, 20 awards pts)

• Wicked: For Good — $45 = 260 points (260 box office pts, 0 awards pts)

• Bugonia — $25 = 31 points (16 box office pts, 15 awards pts)

• Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 — $10 = 0 points

• Goodbye June — $8 = 5 points (0 box office pts, 5 awards pts)

• K-Pop: Demon Hunters — $8 = 0 points

• One of Them Days — $2 = 0 points

• The Conjuring: Last Rites — $1 = 0 points (0 box office pts, 0 awards pts)

• All of You — $1 = 0 points (0 box office pts, 0 awards pts)
  

Heather Huffs Great Picks - 291 points (271 box office pts, 20 awards pts)

• Wicked: For Good — $45 = 260 points (260 box office pts, 0 awards pts)

• Nuremberg — $10 = 31 points (11 box office pts, 20 awards pts)

• 28 Years Later — $5 = 0 points

• Black Bag — $5 = 0 points

• The Housemaid — $5 = 0 points

• A Minecraft Movie — $5 = 0 points

• Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning — $5 = 0 points

• The Woman in Cabin 10 — $1 = 0 points
  

E (ecrhodes) - 283 points (178 box office pts, 105 awards pts)

• Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere — $25 = 32 points (22 box office pts, 10 awards pts)

• Frankenstein — $25 = 20 points (0 box office pts, 20 awards pts)

• Hamnet — $20 = 40 points (0 box office pts, 40 awards pts)

• F1 — $8 = 0 points

• K-Pop: Demon Hunters — $8 = 0 points

• Black Phone 2 — $5 = 156 points (156 box office pts, 0 awards pts)

• The Testament of Ann Lee — $5 = 30 points (0 box office pts, 30 awards pts)

• Weapons — $3 = 5 points (0 box office pts, 5 awards pts)

Austo - 274 points (264 box office pts, 10 awards pts)

• Wicked: For Good — $45 = 260 points (260 box office pts, 0 awards pts)

• Avatar: Fire and Ash — $30 = 5 points (0 box office pts, 5 awards pts)

• Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 — $10 = 0 points

• K-Pop Demon Hunters — $8 = 0 points

• Weapons — $3 = 5 points (0 box office pts, 5 awards pts)

• Shelby Oaks — $2 = 4 points (4 box office pts, 0 awards pts)

• The Conjuring: Last Rites — $1 = 0 points

• “Silent Night, Deadly Night” — $1 = 0 points

Katie Late to the Party Picks - 250 points (220 box office pts, 30 awards pts)

• Zootopia 2 — $25 = 0 points

• Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere — $25 = 32 points (22 box office pts, 10 awards pts)

• Wake Up, Dead Man — $10 = 5 points (0 box office pts, 5 awards pts)

• Five Nights at Freddy’s — $10 = 0 points

• Predator: Badlands — $10 = 136 points (136 box office pts, 0 awards pts)

• Die My Love — $8 = 20 points (5 box office pts, 15 awards pts)

• The Housemaid — $5 = 0 points

• Regretting You — $3 = 57 points (57 box office pts, 0 awards pts)
  

Zach (runningwolf) - 167 points (12 box office pts, 155 awards pts)

• Hamnet — $20 = 40 points (0 box office pts, 40 awards pts)

• Marty Supreme — $20 = 10 points (0 box office pts, 10 awards pts)

• The Smashing Machine — $20 = 16 points (11 box office pts, 5 awards pts)

• It Was Just an Accident — $15 = 41 points (1 box office pts, 40 awards pts)

• Is This Thing On? — $15 = 10 points (0 box office pts, 10 awards pts)

• The Secret Agent — $5 = 30 points (0 box office pts, 30 awards pts)

• Sound of Falling — $3 = 20 points (0 box office pts, 20 awards pts)

• Eternity — $2 = 0 points
  

Ruthless - 102 points (22 box office pts, 80 awards pts)

• Jay Kelly — $30 = 30 points (0 box office pts, 30 awards pts)

• Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere — $25 = 32 points (22 box office pts, 10 awards pts)

• Hamnet — $20 = 40 points (0 box office pts, 40 awards pts)

• Song Sung Blue — $10 = 0 points

• The History of Sound — $5 = 0 points

• Jurassic World Rebirth — $3 = 0 points

• Arco — $3 = 0 points

• The Roses — $3 = 0 points

Wizard of Oz

I have never seen this film, so after Wicked I thought it could be the perfect time. I understand why it is a classic and I really did enjoy it. This year I am falling in love with the idea of watching old classics that I haven’t seen, and have really been enjoying it. I was surprised at how weird it was being from the 1930’s, but overall I really liked it. It is right up there with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory for me, but not quite as good!

-J

Z n/a
E n/a
J 9.0

~ZEJ 9.0

Wicked: For Good

I feel so vindicated. I wanted to hate the first Wicked so bad, the excessive marketing was nauseating, and yet, it defied my preconceptions and turned out to be an undeniably good movie. But part two, Wicked: For Good, is horrible, and that just feels right. Ariana’s acting is probably the only good thing I can say about it - everything else was just wrong. The songs and dialogue were bad, and the plot was just laughable. Don’t let Jord fool you, this is worse than mid. It’s bad. Full transparency though, I am docking this film a quarter point for having to sit next to a group of unattended children that talked the entire movie. If your film attracts unmoderated talking children, you reap what you sow.

-Z

What a disappointment! The second act of Wicked was much more what I expected the first to be. Last year’s edition was surprisingly great for a musical, and didn’t feel nearly as long as it was. This year’s edition felt like an eternity and had a lot more of the musical aspects I don’t enjoy (mostly, singing just to sing, with songs that don’t really advance the plot). The set design and cinematography were still very well-done here, and I’ll be perfectly happy if it gets some nominations apart from best picture/directing, but I am now convinced that Wicked should have been one movie as this really just felt like a cash-grab compared with the first.

-E

When you look at the reviews, expectations should be low. When you think about the first part, I really thought to myself that there was no way this wouldn’t be really solid. Sadly, the movie is drawn out and just missing that ‘it’ factor that the first film had. Overall there was nothing noticeably bad, but as the kids say, the movie was extremely mid. Honestly, I wish they would have pulled a ‘Materialist’ secret and made it one long movie with an intermission. The music was forgettable and I think partly I feel like I had already seen this film so all thoughts of surprise and magic were gone. Overall, in no way is it bad, just disappointing in my eyes.

-J

Z 5.75
E 6.75
J 7.0

ZEJ 6.5

10 Things I Hate About You

Last year was the 25th anniversary of 10 Things I Hate About You, which apparently got it trending online, and so glad it did, as E and I might never have watched it without the ravings of her students. It’s a very clever rom-com, constantly subverting your expectations, and while there are a few roll-your-eyes moments, the charm and fun of everything else going on allows you to forgive it. Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles are both fantastic, and it’s so cool to see a young Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who is as electric as Heath Ledger is in this movie. Super fun watch.

-Z

When I asked one of my classes this semester to go around the room and tell me what their favorite movie was, 3 out of 15 said this movie, and those 3 girls could NOT believe that I had never seen it. Z and I finally got around to watching this, and honestly, I’m also a little surprised that I never watched this in the 2000s as it fits right in with a lot of the movies I watched with my friends at that age. I really enjoyed the writing and the humor, especially for a rom-com - this definitely feels like a cult-classic type of film. Heath Ledger kind of steals the show here, which made me realize how few of his films I’ve seen. A very fun take on the Shakespeare play!

-E

Z 8.0
E 8.25
J n/a

~ZEJ 8.13

Predator: Badlands

Dan Trachtenberg’s Predator universe expands with his third film, Predator: Badlands, and in my opinion, it’s his best yet. Prey felt like a TV movie, and since Killer of Killers was a multi-chapter story, the quality level varied, but Badlands is a legitimate, feature length action film, made for the big screen, and it looked AWESOME! The planet and character designs are incredible, and the action sequences were really slick. While this movie, is plagued a bit from MCU-style “cute humor”, where dramatic moments are often undercut by a joke, which while it may be funny, sort of takes you out of the scene, and detracts from the darker tone of the universe. But that gripe, aside, this is very fun, and I hope Trachtenberg makes as many of these as he wants to.

-Z

I didn’t enjoy Prey and Killer of Killers as much as everyone else it seems, so my expectations for this were a bit low, but I was pleasantly surprised! With very few characters on the screen, it really is impressive how action-packed it feels. Elle Fanning does a fantastic acting job here that really elevated the mood of this movie for me. Genuinely excited to see where this franchise goes next!

-E

It has been a long time since I have felt this way about a blockbuster. I was wanting an action filled movie that was on the nose and looked cool, and boy did this deliver. I will tell anyone how I cannot believe Predator exists after the original being terrible, but this was really fun. I will continue to watch these and am genuinely excited to see where it goes. Overall, it is what it is, but I really think it hit!

-J

Z 8.25
E 8.0
J 7.75

ZEJ 8.0

Knocked Up

Can’t tell you why I watched this, but I did. I have seen it many times and I think just watching a mindless, funny, Seth Rogen flick was the vibe and it hits every note. I forgot how many famous actors are in this and that this really is a good movie, not just a good comedy. It's on Netflix if you are looking for something fun, throw it on!

-J

Z n/a
E n/a
J 7.5

~ZEJ 7.5

It Was Just an Accident

While the Palme d’Or winner, It Was Just an Accident, may have won this year because One Battle After Another wasn’t at the Cannes Film Festival, it is certainly very deserving of the award. While the subject matter limited its upside slightly for my personal enjoyment, it’s an extremely good film, especially on a technical level, the acting and directing are excellent. It’s also surprisingly funny, despite the dark focus of the film. The script and dialogue are particularly good - very 12 Angry Men. This is must watch for any Oscar movie fans, as it’s a very likely nomination for Best Picture. With a 8.75, this lands just outside the top 5 for the year for ZEJ.

-Z

A classic International Best Picture Nom super heavy plot with a surprising amount of humor thrown in, I really enjoyed this. The characters were well developed and the final scene was really powerful. Some of the dialogue-heavy scenes felt a bit long, but that also might be an issue of having to read so many subtitles. Even though I didn’t pick this for my Movie Fantasy League, I’ll be rooting for it to do well come awards season.

-E

The first high level foreign film of the season if I am not mistaken. Sadly, not the movie's fault, I was in a tired mood that wasn’t really ready for a film like this, but no matter the mood this is an objectively very good film. Acting was great and had a few extremely powerful moments, but to my surprise it was much more of a comedy than you would expect. This will win awards, so you better find time and see it!

-J

Z 8.75
E 8.75
J 8.75

ZEJ 8.75

Bugonia

Yorgos Lanthimos is SO back! While Kinds of Kindness wasn’t exactly bad, I still gave it a 8.25/10, it wasn’t quite the peak cinema I’ve come to expect from him, and Bugonia is peak cinema. Though, it’s a much simpler plot and set than say Poor Things, and that limits the upside a bit for me, it’s super fun, and just a brilliant actor’s showcase. Aidan Delbis, an autistic actor, who plays an autistic character in Bugonia is absolutely incredible, and really sells the household that he and Jesse Plemons live in and the majority of this movie is set in. As you would expect, Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons absolutely FEAST in this, and this might be my new favorite Jesse Plemons role, surpassing his legendary performance in season 2 of Fargo. He’s seriously so good. I say this is a must watch, and as E says, the more you go in blind, the better. A 9.08 puts this at a tie with Sinners for 2nd best movie of the year, behind only One Battle After Another (9.5).

-Z

Wow, what a ride! I’m really glad I went into this completely blind. Really keeps you on your toes with a surprising amount of humor thrown in. Jesse Plemons once again masters the art of acting purely unsettling. Watching this in a very small, hot theater filled with incredibly vocal audience members definitely added to the aesthetic.

-E

We now have a race. What is the best film I have seen in 2025? Maybe this! Initially I left a bit disappointed, as I had extremely unrealistic expectations with it being my favorite actress and top tier actor Jesse Plemmons and directed by Yorgos. Once I slept on it, I spent the entire next day thinking about it and actually want to go again! A completely different kind of movie with next level acting is always going to turn heads. I don’t know if it will win any awards as it is a bit out there, but it deserves them and I hope it does!

-J

Z 8.75
E 9.0
J 9.5

ZEJ 9.08

Ghostbusters

My girlfriend had never seen it and I thought it could be a great Halloween flick. Since most have seen it, I am not going to dive deep into the film but I want to say this; It holds up and is just a great example of why movies are awesome and classics become classics!

-J

Z n/a
E n/a
J 9.0

~ZEJ 9.0

Night of the Living Dead

This is a movie that grew on me. Obviously, an old iconic film and when it was spooky season, I thought it was the perfect time to give it a watch. There is always a charm to old films and at first I sadly didn’t think it had aged very well. Over time, I could see its relevance to film today and actually grew to appreciate it a lot more. What they were able to accomplish was impressive and despite it not being overtly scary, it definitely was unnerving. Overall, anyone who says they are a horror fan needs to see this to be a true horror fan.

-J

Z n/a
E n/a
J 8.5

~ZEJ 8.5

Frankenstein

Frankenstein is classic Guillermo Del Toro - truly unbelievable character and set design that is so good it makes it worth a watch even if other areas of the film are lacking. The areas of downfall in this particular film are pacing, direction, and adaptation of the source material. I largely don’t have issues with the artistic liberties he took, but as E says, removing the morally gray character component here definitely makes this a different morale tale and a less complex one. The acting is great, and the design of both the monster and the experimentation that leads to the monster is so detailed and well done that it still deserves watching despite its flaws.

-Z

One of my favorite aspects of the novel Frankenstein is how blurry the lines are between good and evil, so it’s a bit disappointing to me that Guillermo del Toro makes that so much more distinct here. The story is otherwise close enough to the novel to feel satisfying, and the acting and cinematography are excellent, but nothing about this blew me away.

-E

Vibes. As a high school teacher I am allowed to use this verbiage. The vibes of this are exactly what I wanted them to be. The set, costumes, and everything in between was exactly what I was looking for in this film. I heard it was book accurate, which meant I thought it was going to potentially be on the more boring side, which at times it was, but that was few and far between. Overall, I really enjoyed the film and despite a longer run-time, I stayed engaged the whole time. This isn’t for everyone, but it's perfect for those who think it is for them!

-J

Z 8.0
E 8.0
J 8.5

ZEJ 8.17

Sacramento

Preface, as I do a lot of films like these, that these movies are made almost specifically for people like me. You have a slow burn indie film that has coming of age feels with adult problems at the forefront. I eat these up. Michael Cera is always a joy in my opinion and it could have used more Kristen Stewart, but overall it worked. This was a better version of ‘A Real Pain’ in my opinion, but I believe I am the minority. Overall, I think this could be watched and enjoyed by anyone!

-J

Z n/a
E n/a
J 8.25

~ZEJ 8.25

The Ballad of Wallis Island

When looking for a movie to wrap up date night, we looked to some help from AI. We wanted a nice, lovey movie for Katie and I wanted a highly regarded movie that came out this year, and this ballad is what came from it. I had never heard of it before and was excited once it started. A very indie feel with a very larger than life character. Overall, it is undeniably good, but I think it becomes both predictable and played out. If you can get behind a good indie film you should find time, otherwise I fear you will become bored.

-J

Z n/a
E n/a
J 8.0

~ZEJ 8.0

Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere

The ZEJ team all-around was pleasantly surprised by how not terrible Springsteen was given the reviews, and it really made me wonder what complaints were. A rough summary of the critical analysis boils down to the movie being boring, tropish and too narrow of a focus on Springsteen’s life. The most valid of those complaints is that it fell into the classic musical biopic tropes, but where it struggled here, it also felt fresh in the genre in that it wasn’t just a 2 hour concert for your favorite old artist. This felt like an actual movie. While it was slow, I didn’t find it boring and appreciated the buildup of the story. The final critique, about the alleged wrong area of focus on Springsteen’s life is the dumbest to me. The movie is an adaptation of Warren Zanes book, which focuses solely on Springsteen’s Nebraska album, a fact I learned post-watch, but after watching the movie, it makes perfect sense why this chapter of Springsteen’s life would best tell his story. It encapsulates his emotional journey. The ZEJ team has been burned out on musical biopics for a while, but this is not like the others. In a good way. I think this is worth checking out.

-Z

I think we all went to this movie with pretty low expectations and hesitations after the disappointment of A Complete Unknown last year and the even lower reviews this had. This is not your typical biopic, and thank goodness. The more slow, even “boring”, feeling plot, while not perfect, actually works really well to tell this particular story. No rags-to-riches cliches, no big moment of sticking it to the man - this felt refreshingly creative, and I definitely came away from it with more of an appreciation for who Bruce Springsteen is as an artist. The more I sit with it, the more I like it. The reviews are just wrong on this one, folks!

-E

I know what I expected and what I got were two totally different things. Usually that means it was bad, but overall I was pleasantly surprised by this film. I liked it more than A Complete Unknown and thought that it really dove into the story of Bruce and not just a concert by J.A.W. Do I think this story needed to be told? Probably not yet at least, but all in all it was a strong film and I hope it gets more love than it currently has by other reviews.

-J

Z 7.75
E 8.5
J 8.0

ZEJ 8.08

The Wailing

Wow, if you like Korean films, horror, or just pure cinema, then you definitely have to watch the Wailing. It’s extremely clever, and like the best horror films, surprisingly funny. As E says, it’s really not scary, only in an intellectual sense. My only complaint is that it’s a little slow to start, and probably a little long. But definitely recommend.

-Z

The best way I can describe this is one long fever dream. I was pretty confused about who was good, who was evil, and what was happening for a lot of the movie, but I was also somehow okay with that. Not a scary movie per se, but very, very unsettling - a perfect way to wrap up Spooktober. Thanks to Austin for the recommendation!

-E

Z 8.5
E 8.25
J n/a

~ZEJ 8.38