Standouts:
Unforgiven (1992) - I don't think it's really a controversial statement at all to say that this is one of the best westerns of all time. Out of them all, this one might be the most quiet, chilling, and all around gloomy, and I mean that in the best possible way. The entire film feels heavy and haunted by a sense of regret, much like the protagonist is and it sets such a beautifully dreary tone. There's a level of introspectiveness to this film that makes it incredibly unique compared to the other films of it's genre, and I think that's what really cements it as a masterpiece 10/10
Who's Lila (2022) - Holy SHIT, I loved this game. Nearly everything about it appeals to me. The bizarre art style, the clear and upfront Lynch inspo, the unsettling atmosphere, the ARG elements, the multiple endings. It's all SOOOO good. Above all else, I really enjoyed it as a metaphor for the people we present ourselves as being a projection masqurading our "true" selves. Maybe that's not the intended reading, but that's certainly what I got out of it and resonated with. 10/10
Milk Inside a Bag of Milk/Milk Outside a Bag of Milk (2020/21) - Oof, these games hurt a lot too. Not quite as much, since I'm pretty sure that they're meant to be about schizophrenia or any other hallucinagetic disorder, but there were still some things I clutch onto as relatable. In particular, I related to Milkchan's isolation, disillusionment with the internet and her thoughts scattering like fireflies. The blantant Lain influence was obvious too, so that was very enjoyable for me. All around, I loved these games and their strange yet sad atmosphere. 9/10
Challengers (2024) - I'm really impressed with how this film managed to make me give a shit about tennis of all things....and admittedly by making it homorotic as hell. But yeah, I always think it's interesting when stories about niche topics are used as a front to represent sex or a relationship. The ways this film makes a sport looks sexually charged as hell is an absolute work of art, but that's not surprising coming from Luca Guadagnino. Oddly enough, it's this horniness that makes it way more engaging than 90% of the other sport films out there in the world, likely because of how much the personal stakes of the love triangle are put into it. But yeah, a really fun, exceptionally directed film. 9/10
True Grit (2010) - This was the other western I watched this month, alongside and right before Unforgiven. While not a masterpiece like that film, I really loved this quite a lot as well. It has the Coen Brothers' signiture grittiness and wit, but inbetween it all is a suprisingly heartfelt story that I really didn't expect. Obviously Jeff Bridges' character is entertaining and engaging, but the Hailee Steinfeld gives an equally great performance for her age. I think this film is criminally underatted and probably the Coen's most unfairly overlooked. 9/10
Others:
Problemista (2023): 9/10
Battleship Potemkin (1925): 9/10
Naked Lunch (1991): 9/10
Evil Does Not Exist (2024): 9/10
Daughters of Darkness (1971): 8/10
The First Omen (2024): 8/10
The Secret World of Arrietty (2010): 8/10
Inside Out 2 (2024): 8/10
The Color Purple (1985): 7/10
MaXXXine (2024): 5/10
Five Night at Freddy's (2023): 4/10