mattforner

For a controversial picture, Joker surprised me as a film with great depth and thought put into it. Its riveting performance from Phoenix mixed with the grittiness of the universe in which it was set made the film one of the best of the year.

Don't hit play expecting this film to outperform one of the greatest TV series ever produced. If you hit play expecting great acting from Aaron Paul and a movie from Gilligan as a director, you won't be disappointed.

Mr. Jones should be required viewing for every American. It's a gripping historical thriller that tells the story of Stalin's Soviet Union man-made famine, also known as the Holodomor. This is through the lens of Gareth Jones, a Welsh journalist who traveled to Ukraine to see it for himself and then was the first to report it under his real name and without equivocation. Estimates vary between 3 to 12 million were killed in the span of two years. The film should also remind us of how the Moscow editor of one of our own newspapers (The New York Times) covered it up.

Dark, moody visuals. A piercing fog horn. Intense acting. This is what makes The Lighthouse a film that pulls you in and won't let you go until the end.

If you're here for a top-tier WW2 film...this isn't your movie. However, if you're here for a wildly entertaining and over-the-top patriotic movie celebrating American exceptionalism with some awesome action scenes...hop along for the ride.

Claustrophobic and intense, Uncut Gems takes you on a journey that makes you both empathize and feel contempt for Sandler's character. Also, one of his best performances.

1917 is the pinnacle of filmmaking and my favorite movie of 2019. Sam Mendes went above and beyond with his WWI epic. From the personal, up-close one-take cinematography approach to the believable characters, 1917 is filmmaking at its best.

Hustlers passed the time and featured good performances from Wu and Lopez in this provocative picture.

Nothing but the best from Tarantino in this mature apologist tribute to the Golden Age of Hollywood.

This movie is a cherry on top of an awesome hardcore action trilogy. If you haven't seen the first two...stop! Go watch them first. You won't regret it. Then come back and watch this one.

The Highwaymen is a sometimes slow but superbly acted movie from Netflix starring Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson telling the story of how Bonnie and Clyde were finally taken down. Worth your time if you're into movies about American history.

Triple Frontier is another fun action flick from Netflix. Nothing outstanding and nothing to strongly dislike...this film is great for a movie night with friends.

With great performances from Kevin Hart, Bryan Cranston, Nicole Kidman, and Golshifteh Farahani, The Upside told a feel-good story that I enjoyed from start to finish.

While this will never compare to the 1998 original animated Disney film...the 2020 live-action version of Mulan is a good movie for a clean, family-friendly action movie night. It can seem dull and soulless at times, lacking the humor and good-natured fun of the original, but is easily one of the better live-action remakes from Disney.

The Trial of the Chicago 7 tells an important story in American history. If you don't know about what happened during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, this film is worth your time. Not the best work from Aaron Sorkin, but a story that needed telling, nonetheless.

The Old Guard has an interesting plot and executes it well. It's not an all-star action film...but it's a solid average movie from Netflix that just works. I'm ready for the sequel!

It's not as good as the first Wonder Woman from Gal Gadot. Yes, this one is flimsier in every way...but the underlying message is a good one and is essentially Jeremiah 17:9.

More stupid than funny. Can I get my 96 minutes back?

Extraction is a fun and average action flick that has awesome action, good performances, and a totally "meh" plot. But hey, this is exactly what Netflix is for and I'm totally okay with that.

Solidly entertaining and hilariously funny movie. A must-watch of 2020.

Honest Thief is a Liam Neeson movie that probably wouldn't go anywhere if he wasn't starring in it. His lead makes it worthwhile. With that said, you'll like it if you go into it bored and are looking to be entertained.

Tenet is my favorite movie of 2020. It is Christopher Nolan at his best. And yes, another movie that plays with time. Perfection.

The Little Things is a fun late night "who-done-it" thriller. It can be slow at times...but has strong performances by Washington, Malek, and Leto.

This film is a good movie not because of its director, the on-screen performances, or the filmmaking talent, though all of those were superb. It's a good movie because of the questions it asks and the important points it raises about living in America in 2021. It's well worth your time, no matter which side of the aisle you are currently inhabiting.