**This article will contain slight to moderate spoilers for all the films mentioned**
This time last year, having jumped freshly off the stage from an incredibly joyous Apollo Night, I spent 24 hours straight taking part in the AMC Best Picture Showcase.
And because I decided I hadn’t suffered enough, I decided to do it again. Only this time, I had just performed alongside my partner-in-crime, Zach Lipsett, and the showcase was split over two weekends.
First up on the docket was “Train Dreams,” a Netflix film, one of the two screened because this year (unlike the film that must not be named), Netflix and AMC decided to get along. In any case, the film was a sobering portrayal of a man’s life, his triumphs, his tragedies and the way the relationships he formed shaped him. It’s a very quiet and wistful film, sporting some ingenious cinematography, a remarkably strong effort indeed.
“The Secret Agent” was awash in gorgeous colors and heartbreaking drama. It perfectly portrayed the vast cultural richness and diversity of Brazil, while also exhibiting a demanding leading performance by Wagner Moura, a man on the run from his past, pursued by trouble around every corner. Not one to be missed, that’s for sure.
“One Battle After Another” was the first rewatch, and just as enthralling and stressful as it had been the first time. As a Black female viewer, this film leaves me with many questions about representation and revolutionary ideals that I’ve yet to answer for myself, but it’s one I’ll be glad to watch again and again.
“Hamnet” was definitely my most anticipated first-time watch on day one. My theater experience made my own connection with the material more personal, and ultimately, it was an engrossing experience. The concept of loving someone so much that you create an immortal artwork so that you’ll never lose them had tears streaming down my face by the end. Jessie Buckley is a master of her art and delivers a performance that generations to come will recognize.
“Frankenstein” was a third-time watch in theaters, and it just keeps getting better. The set design and costumes are breathtaking, Oscar Isaac’s Victor is so thoroughly scummy that you grow to hate and love him, and even though I watched him speak at Vidiots, part of me will never accept that the Creature is Jacob Elordi. Transformative doesn’t even begin to describe it. A joy through and through.
Beginning the second weekend of films on a strong note, “Sentimental Value” resonated deeply with me, focusing on the broken relationship between an accomplished director and his two daughters, both of whom deal with the trauma of his absence differently. The film carries a similar quiet energy to “Train Dreams” and is natural and lovely throughout.
I had zero expectations going into “F1,” and wasn’t left seething by the end. One thing’s for sure, Damson Idris and his beautiful face make this entire experience worth it. That and the pulse-pounding race sequences, which actually stressed me out. Still, this film felt far less organic than pretty much every other nominee. The corporate, sterilized, “This was made by Apple” feeling doesn’t really go away at any point, and the several cameos by real-life F1 champion and film producer Lewis Hamilton were so jarring that they took me out of the film. Vroom, vroom.
“Marty Supreme” was a pleasant rewatch, but the hype from Christmas Day failed to carry over for me. It’s a chaotic, mildly terrifying affair of horrible people that you can’t help but root for anyway. As much as Timmy Tim delivers in this film, it lacked a lot of what the other films had to offer and left me feeling so-so by the end. I hope you got more than 14 cents in revenue from this one, boys.
My second-to-last watch, “Sinners,” left me as awestruck as ever. In all honesty, there’s not much I can say about this film that hasn’t already been said. I was fully consumed by joy for the entire runtime, and I don’t know what was in the air, but by the midway point, I found myself choked with sobs, probably the hardest I’ve cried ever in a theater. I was comforted that my fellow guests were emotional as well. Multiple factors fueled my response; both the sheer gravity of this ode to Blackness, resilience and love for music, and the fact that this may very well be the last time I get to experience this masterpiece in theaters. I cannot describe this film as anything more than miraculous.
I was anxious about ending with a new watch, but “Bugonia” was so odd and twisted that I found myself feeling shocked and distressed in the best way. I won’t say much about it except for this: Would it be too much to ask for Jesse Plemons to play a kind, warm-hearted character for once? I swear, in everything I’ve seen him in, he is always the scariest person in the room. “Breaking Bad,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Civil War” (well, the trailer, I didn’t actually watch the film, but my point still stands) and now this. Goodness. He’s starting to become a genuine phobia of mine.
AMC Theaters: I come to this place to spend copious amounts of money on snacks and feel engaged, enraged and ultimately changed. Somehow, a splitting headache and an empty bank account feel good in a place like this.
Contact Shelby Kernisant at kernisant@oxy.edu
