July 2023 – October 2023: Best Movies I Saw During the SAG-AFTRA Strike
2023 was a historic year for Hollywood when both the WGA (Writers Guild of America) and SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) unions went on strike. This blog supports the unions and during both strikes sought to support that ideal to the best of its ability. Since film criticism fell outside the bounds of the demands for solidarity from the WGA, I continued to operate this blog normally while doing my best to support and elevate the voices of writers in Hollywood. Once the SAG-AFTRA strike followed, it became harder to discern what counted as film promotion or not, what counted as struck work and what did not. To verge on the side of caution, I decided to cease all operations on this website until things were officially settled. That might have been extreme, but I felt good about showing my support even if it was in a small way.
With that being said, there are a lot of recommendations to get through, so get ready to be amazed with all the great cinema I can recommend from those months!
July 2023 Review: The Best Movies I Saw Last Month
27 Number of First Time Watches. 3 Number of Re-watches.
Re-Watch Highlight: Deliver Us from Evil (2014); Director: Scott Derrickson; United States
Officer Ralph Sarchie spends his evenings working the night shift for the NYPD and after coming across one peculiar case he finds himself falling down a rabbit hole. In his investigation of a series of disturbing crimes that tie back to a sinister demonic force, Officer Sarchie finds himself getting further entangled in a conspiracy that threatens the city. I first saw Deliver Us From Evil in college and I cannot say I gave it much of a chance. Re-visiting it, the darkness and grittiness of this demonic mystery is refreshing and gives it a different vibe than many of the other exorcism movies that came out of the 2010s. It’s also well-put together in terms of its effects because the creatures and demons look terrifying. The special effects team deserves their flowers for their work here. The cast gives an incredible go at the material, making their characters come to life convincingly. Pondering on it further, the only real crime of Deliver Us From Evil is that it isn’t as scary as it should be. That doesn’t take away from the fact that it is an engrossing story with memorable characters and moments.
Previous Rating: 5/10
New Rating: 6/10
BEST #6) You’re Killing Me (2023); Director: Beth Hanna, Jerren Lauder; United States
Please check out the full review here.
Overall Score? 6/10
BEST #5) Cube (2021); Director: Yaushiko Shimizu; Japan
Japan reimagines one of the 1990’s most iconic sci-fi horror films: Cube. In the 2021 adapation, six people wake up disoriented inside a mysterious cube-shaped room that has six doors leading to rooms with more doors. As they move forward inside the labyrinth, they discover that some rooms are rigged with various lethal traps. They must work together to solve the puzzle behind the rooms if they want to make it out alive. The Cube series has a special place in my heart; it is such an imaginative concept that allows for the film to show off great characters and gnarly death scenes. This Japanese version of Cube takes liberties with its re-telling of the story and adds some dimension to the concept. Unfortunately, it doesn’t go too far in improvements. It does, however, deliver on the basics with some toe-curling death traps and some choice survivor meltdowns making it entirely entertaining and worth the time.
Overall Score? 6/10
BEST #4) Dressed to Kill (1980); Director: Brian De Palma; United States
After witnessing a murder, a call girl does he best to evade detection from the killer. The police are baffled at the crime and turn to the victim’s psychiatrist to better understand what happened. With only a vague description of a blonde woman wielding a knife, our heroine must seek help in unusual places to stay alive. Originally released in 1980, Dressed to Kill is a classic yet controversial film due to its poor representation of trans people. It’s hard to watch without cringing nowadays, but when remembering its complicated history and cinematic merit, it is important to engage critically. Boasting plenty of suspense, masterful camerawork, and a beautiful set, Dressed to Kill is an important, if challenging film that requires more than passivity from the viewer to best be enjoyed.
Overall Score? 7/10
BEST #3) She Came from the Woods (2023); Director: Erik Bloomquist; United States
Please check out the full review here.
Overall Score? 7/10
BEST #2) Cobweb (2023); Director: Samuel Bodin; United States
Please check out the full review here.
Overall Score? 7/10
BEST #1) Death’s Roulette (2023); Director: Manolo Cardona; Mexico
Please check out the full review here.
Overall Score? 7/10
August 2023 Review: The Best Movies I Saw Last Month
19 Number of First Time Watches. 2 Number of Re-watches.
Re-Watch Highlight: The Bay (2012); Director: Barry Levinson; United States
Over the course of a few days, an outbreak of a mysterious disease brings a small Maryland town to its knees. Pulling from various footage shot throughout the event from cell phone cameras, a news broadcast, police dashcam footage, scientific records, and other sources, The Bay paints a picture of how the consequences of corporate greed overtake the ocean in the most terrifying of ways. I’m unsure why this unique eco found footage horror film didn’t strike me when I first watched it. Going into this rewatch, I couldn’t remember much from it but I imagine that the deluge of found footage films in the early 2010s contributed to some fatigue for me. Nevertheless, The Bay is a solid film even if it ventures out of believable territory often throughout its choppy narrative. While it isn’t consistent in its point of view, it does deliver some great scares and memorable moments that make it worth checking out.
Previous Rating: 5/10
New Rating: 6/10
BEST #6) Meg 2: The Trench (2023); Director: Ben Wheatley; United States/China
Please check out the full review here.
Overall Score? 6/10
BEST #5) Bird Box: Barcelona (2023); Director: David Pastor, Àlex Pastor; Spain
Please check out the full review here.
Overall Score? 6/10
BEST #4) Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023); Director: Andre Øvredal; United States/United Kingdom/Malta/Italy/Germany
Please check out the full review here.
Overall Score? 7/10
BEST #3) We Might Hurt Each Other (2022); Director: Jonas Trukanas; Lithuania
The senior class decides to improvise their graduation party and farewell at an abandoned cabin in the woods after a deal falls through with their original class trip. While reveling the way that teenagers do, the kids roughhouse, damage property, and tell stories of the man that killed his family in that very house. They take things too far when they begin destroying life-size wooden statues in a field near the house inadvertently anger a mysterious killer who is hellbent on revenge. This Lithuanian slasher occupies the same energy of late 90s/early 2000s American slashers which makes it familiar and refreshing compared to other modern slashers. It may not tread any new ground but the delightfully nihilistic and brutal nature of We Might Hurt Each Other should be enough to signal to slasher lovers that this is a can’t miss film.
Overall Score? 8/10
BEST #2) Mother, May I? (2023); Director: Laurence Vannicelli; United States
Please check out the full review here.
Overall Score? 8/10
BEST #1) Talk to Me (2023); Director: Danny Philippou, Michael Philippou; Australia
Please check out the full review here.
Overall Score? 9/10
September 2023 Review: The Best Movies I Saw Last Month
42 Number of First Time Watches. 3 Number of Re-watches.
Re-Watch Highlight: N/A
BEST #6) When Evil Lurks (2023); Director: Demián Rugna; Argentina/United States
Please check out the full review here.
Overall Score? 8/10
BEST #5) My Animal (2023); Director: Jacqueline Castel; Canada
Please check out the full review here.
Overall Score? 8/10
BEST #4) You’ll Never Find Me (UNRELEASED); Director: Josiah Allen, Indianna Bell; Australia
Please check out the full review here.
Overall Score? 8/10
BEST #3) Wake Up (UNRELEASED); Director: RKSS; Canada
Please check out the full review here.
Overall Score? 9/10
BEST #2) Suitable Flesh (2023); Director: Joe Lynch; United States
Please check out the full review here.
Overall Score? 9/10
BEST #1) Infested (2023); Director: Sébastian Vanicek; France
Please check out the full review here.
Overall Score? 10/10
October 2023 Review: The Best Movies I Saw Last Month
19 Number of First Time Watches. 3 Number of Re-watches.
Re-Watch Highlight: Dog Soldiers (2002); Director: Neil Marshall; United Kingdom
Sent on a training mission deep in the Scottish Highlands, two squads of soldiers find themselves in a predicament they are not prepared for. Their initial foray into the woods has been interrupted by a primal force that is determined to rip their throats out. Unable to identify what is attacking them, one squad flees and manages to hitch a ride with a zoologist. Once they find safety in a quaint cottage, they learn that they are being hunted by a family of werewolves determined to hunt down every one of them. Dog Soldiers is a strong debut from Neil Marshall who went on to direct one of the greatest horror films ever made, The Descent. Although I didn’t rate it poorly, I originally found it hard to connect with Dog Soldiers, but this rewatch shaped a more positive opinion of the fun werewolf film. Boasting amazing practical effects and strong action sequences, it is one of the stronger efforts to capture lycanthropy on film. Come for the werewolf action and stay for the charming British soldiers hopelessly fighting against their fates.
Previous Rating: 6/10
New Rating: 7/10
BEST #6) Hell House LLC Origins: The Carmichael Manor (2023); Director: Stephen Cognetti; United States
Please check out the full review here.
Overall Score? 7/10
BEST #5) Haunter (2013); Director: Vincenzo Natali; Canada/France
Lisa wakes up the day before her 16th birthday every day and is unsure how to shake herself and her family from the unbearable weight of hopeless brought on by tomorrow never coming. Making matters worse, her family is oblivious to the time loop meaning she must contend with the reality on her own. As she works to find a way out of this mess, she finds herself threatened by the supernatural force keeping her family hostage. Haunter is a criminally underrated film for how compelling it is. Mixing time travel and the supernatural, Vincenzo Natali creates a wonderfully weird and captivating mystery that forces audiences to stick along for the ride. Abigail Breslin delivers a harrowing performance opposite the delightfully sinister Stephen McHattie as the Pale Man. Definitely check out this supernatural chiller as soon as you get the chance.
Overall Score? 7/10
BEST #4) Appendage (2023); Director: Anna Zlokovic; United States
Please check out the full review here.
Overall Score? 7/10
BEST #3) Dark Harvest (2023); Director: David Slade; United States
Please check out the full review here.
Overall Score? 7/10
BEST #2) Door (1988); Director: Banmei Takahashi; Japan
A housewife finds herself the target of an increasingly desperate and psychopathic salesman after mistakenly slamming the door on his hand. His tactics escalate quickly as he seeks to take his frustrations with life onto her. Increasingly desperate attempts from both parties to get what they want leads to a bonkers finale where the two parties contend in a battle of wills. Door is a wild ride of a film. From the beginning, the audience is presented with a relatively simple situation that escalates into a violent and darkly comic home invasion thriller that just doesn’t let up. Yasuko and Yamakawa are evenly matches foes that stab, punch, and slash their way at each other to achieve their very separate goals of survival. Keiko Takahashi and Daijirô Tsutsumi deliver strong performances while managing to infuse a very tense and oddly psycho sexual energy into the film making it thoroughly unforgettable.
Overall Score? 7/10
BEST #1) No One Will Save You (2023); Director: Brian Duffield; United States
Please check out the full review here.
Overall Score? 7/10
