Sorrow is God's spade.

The Wonder — 4.5/5

As pretentious as its framing device sets the movie out to be, I loved it. That, coupled with the thaumatrope, are the prime showcases of a movie that is guiding you towards what to think. We look at these people as silly, yet we engage in that same silliness all day every day. We pay millions of dollars to create our fantasies, we fly people from around the globe to appear inside them, we make them put on a fake accent, we cut off the lights and put facts aside. Only ours is better, it's normal, it's less delusional, but not really. It's not just what you believe, but what you want to believe. No one wants to ruin a fantasy that creates joy; or purpose. 

For the poor, it's a fine.

For the rich, it's a fee.

I know there are people who are normal, but I don't know what those people do.

House of Games – 4/5

In Mamet's debut, he lays out his thesis statement for his career: those who have a desire to enter places they're not invited into, will be shown just how unwelcome they are. Stiff acting abounds but it all works towards the movie's aims—if no one's laughing around you, it's because you're the fucking joke. And the only answer to that awakening is violence. 

Nothing but heartache.

Black Adam - 1.5/5

Trash. But if it's the final piece of plastic at the top of Dwayne Johnson's trash empire that sets the whole mountain tumbling, then it's useful trash. Points to Pierce Brosnan, who tried, and to Noah Centineo for bringing charm to a role that had no reason to exist.

The game is trying to guess the overarching theme.

The Menu – 3.5/5

For a while, there's a lovely tone, which I think Nicholas Hoult helps to cement. Obliviousness. Eagerness to participate in your own destruction, because at least you get to be a part of the narrative. Entranced by the story of it all. It loses that tone as it focuses more on Anya Taylor-Joy, and the menu's central thesis gets complicated as it tries to create a movie-sized hero—and a third way out. Tertium non datur. The movie then calls out its own imperfections, which is never clever, just lazy. We yearn to see the rich eaten. Give us our cake.

There is no end.

This Place Rules – 4/5

Andrew Callaghan has this weaponized laziness about him. He's mostly a non-entity outside of his appearance. He doesn't try very hard. His greatest talent is knowing where to be, and knowing that it's enough to just be there. Just show up and they'll let you in. He wraps it all up in an opinion, he points a clear finger, which I appreciate, but I'm not even sure it's needed. It's cameras on the ground as the world dissolves around us. Rich get richer. Poor get poorer. It makes me wonder—do you think the revolution of 1776 was also this embarrassing? 

Death is the end of life.

But maybe not for me. 

Your gift

is the breeze. 

Sending someone down the right path

could lead them away from you. 

And that is beautiful

or close enough.

— Catharsis, Duende

Tell me

your secret name.

I miss

the violence. 

Am I

night?

The body

breaks.

— Devendra Banhart

Violence

at a distance.