April 2023 Review: The Best Movies I Saw Last Month

Originally published May 15, 2023

This is truly not my year! Despite some more personal issues, I am finally finishing up my review of the last month. I am stoked I was able to attend 2023’s Panic Film Festival virtually. There were quite a few gems stacked in there and with the quality of films picked, it makes me want to attend in person next year. Without any more fanfare, here are my favorite films of the last month, all of which I either saw at Panic Fest or were shown at their in-person festival.

Last month, I logged 33 First Time Watches and rewatched 4 films.

Re-Watch Highlight: Saw 5 (2008); Director: David Hackl; United States/Canada

I am a huge fan of the Saw series but I, like most fans, note the clear lapse in quality after the first few. After re-watching with a friend, I found myself softening a bit to some of the later entries. Saw 5, is one that I met with much more fondness on a re-watch. For those unaware, Saw 5 details a new set of games orchestrated by Mark Hoffman, the man Jigsaw set up to be his successor after his death. Agent Strahm has spent considerable time obsessing over the case and discovers that Hoffman is continuing the games. The film follows the two’s cat-and-mouse chase of one another as the latest set of victims fall apart. It is easy to acknowledge that the writers of the franchise dug themselves into a corner by the time the fifth entry was ordered, but their choices make a lot of sense. The twists are fairly obvious but Saw 5 makes up for it with a continued devotion to deepening the lore, building up its longstanding characters, and providing some wicked gore in the process.

Previous Rating: 5/10

New Rating: 6/10

BEST #6) Blue Hour: The Disappearance of Nick Brandreth (2023); Director: Dan Bowhers; United States