Movies

Before #Oscars2025 announcement, I invite you to read My Own Oscar Award for last year, where I discussed my favorite #movies. My picks were quite different from the official ones, and I believe this year’s choices will be even more distinct.

A Complete Unknown, 2024 - ★★★★

"A Complete Unknown" is about a journey for authenticity and artistic expression, highlighting the struggle of forging one's own identity. It explores the balance between staying true to oneself and conforming to external expectations. Growth is something personal, and it's challenging to make others understand the changes within you. And not everyone will understand why you must change at all. This is even more true in music industry, where resistance to change is so baffling common.

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I'm Still Here, 2024 - ★★★★½

I love this movie. The story is so powerful, for its message and its narrative. I believe it's best to enter this movie without any prior knowledge. Allow the characters and the narrative to guide you, enabling you to experience their confusion and pain more vividly. You just need to know that this is one of the great movies based on real event. — "I'm Still Here" can be interpreted in two ways: as a plea, begging someone to notice you, and simultaneously, as a declaration, taking a stance and holding your ground.

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The Girl with the Needle, 2024 - ★★★★

I had no idea what the movie was about; I didn’t even read the synopsis. However, nothing could prepare me for the horror in this film. The fact that it is inspired by real events sent chills down my spine. The film explores how societal pressures and economic hardship can alienate individuals, compelling them to take extreme measures for survival. This desperation drives people to make questionable choices and seek harmful relationships, all in an effort to survive and experience even a glimpse of warmth to keep going.

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Nickel Boys, 2024 - ★★★★

I was eager to love this film. Its innovative use of a first-person point of view in the cinematography intrigued me. The story also seemed to provoke many conversations and emotions, depicting the shared bond between two boys in an inhumane reform school. However, the movie disappointed me in its execution. After watching the movie, I understand the need for a first-person point of view in the narrative; however, it did not work as well as I had hoped.

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Conclave, 2024 - ★★★★½

In times of change, we are gifted with the perfect opportunity to reflect on our faith and the course of our lives. The quote from Conclave, “Faith is a living thing,” prompted me to contemplate the nature of faith. If faith truly is a living thing, it requires our nurturing, for its potential for growth is limitless. However, like any living thing, it is also vulnerable to decline and can ultimately perish.

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Nosferatu, 2024 - ★★★★½

Nosferatu is a remarkable film, an adaptation based on Dracula, crafted by true masters of filmmaking. The directing, cinematography, sound, music, editing, and performances all come together to create something truly extraordinary. Particularly, the cinematography stands out. The clever use of shadow and darkness gives the impression that the darkness itself is moving through each scene and set. You can literally feel the darkness creeping in with every scene, creating this constant tension that pulls you deeper into the story.

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Legends of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants, 2025 - ★★★½

The movie, *Legends of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants* (known as *มังกรหยก* in Thai), is a story that has been told countless times, with numerous remakes over the years. Despite this, this version stands out for its stunning visuals. The team clearly knows how to create impressive scenes and action sequences. The use of colors, visual effects, and cinematography is outstanding, making for a spectacular experience. However, while the movie excels in visuals, it heavily relies on prior knowledge of the story, making it difficult for newcomers or even casual fans to follow.

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The Substance, 2024 - ★★★★

The Substance is a wild ride and so over the top—like, how could you ever forget this movie, especially those last 30 minutes? It’s one of the most bizarre and grotesque experiences on screen. I love the style of this film; it has a unique taste in terms of cinematography, musical score, and all the technicalities involved. The movie excels at making you feel uncomfortable in your own skin and paints a vivid picture of the grotesque experience of society norms.

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September 5, 2024 - ★★★½

I have always been intrigued by stories that reveal the behind-the-scenes aspects of any production. So, it's no surprise that I thoroughly enjoyed September 5. At first glance, it appears to be a typical sports TV production—a narrative about people working in television during the 70s. However, it gradually unfolds into something far more dramatic, and much deeper themes. The film navigates the challenges faced by a team inexperienced in live crime broadcasting, highlighting the real-time consequences of their decisions and the moral dilemmas accompanying their pursuit of sensationalism.

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Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, 2025 - ★★★½

Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy is a charming addition to the beloved series that pleasantly surprised me—it exceeded my expectations. There were many great dialogues throughout, and I adored how these characters interacted with each other. They are filled with humor and affectionate moments, making it both cute and engaging. They also captured friendships and the challenges of adulthood, which adds layers to the overall narrative. However, I found the plot involving the boy to be less enjoyable.

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Captain America: Brave New World, 2025 - ★★★½

"Captain America: Brave New World" feels like an extended episode of "The Falcon and The Winter Soldier," lacking the reintroduction and depth needed for Sam Wilson as Captain America, or even as a person. The story maintains the same beats and tone that align with the TV series. To make matters worse, they attempted to connect it to *Incredible Hulk*—a 2008 film released even before *Iron Man*—without providing a proper reintroduction and sufficient context.

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Flat Girls, 2025 - ★★★★

While *Flat Girls* has an undertone of girls' love, its primary focus is on social class and how it affects our interactions with people and the world. The movie seeks to illustrate the various dimensions of gaps in relationships: love, power, interests, and even survival. Each relationship has many layers, each with its own texture. Our interpretations of relationships and thoughts profoundly influence our decisions. This film centers on characters who cannot escape their own values, cultural standards, and worldviews.

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Flow, 2024 - ★★★★

"Flow" is a visually stunning animated film that captures the compassion, relationships, and the interconnectedness of all beings amidst a natural disaster. I think that’s truly beautiful how the movie portray how we share a universal language of kindness, even among different species. Each character—a cat, a capybara, a lemur, a secretary bird, and a Labrador dog—is incredibly cute, adding to the charm as they navigate their way through rising waters.

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The Apprentice, 2024 - ★★★½

The Apprentice movie offers a unique perspective on Donald Trump, highlighting the influence of Roy Cohn. The movie’s release timing is interesting, providing a glimpse into how Trump became the person he is today. What stands out in The Apprentice is the remarkable acting. While many might focus on Sebastian Stan’s portrayal of Trump, Jeremy Strong’s portrayal of Roy Cohn brings more intrigue and depth to the screen. Both actors deserve significant recognition for their performances.

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A Real Pain, 2024 - ★★★★

Pain takes on many forms, and we can grieve over various things, expressing our emotions in many ways. Yet, we can sense the pain of those around us if we are willing to see it. Because pain and suffering are inherently rooted in every being—a part of life itself—making pain a shared experience for all of us. The dialogue in the film is beautifully authentic, with exceptional performances that convey deep pain and emotions.

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Companion, 2025 - ★★★★

I can’t say much about the story without giving away spoilers. If you’re interested in watching this film, I recommend going in blind—avoid trailers or any other information about it. What I truly appreciate is the metaphorical exploration of relationship dynamic and modern technology presented in the film. It serves as both entertainment and social commentary simultaneously. The screenplay is solid, and the performances by the main cast are great. All technical aspects effectively support the tone they aimed for.

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🎥 My Own Oscar Awards 2024 (Movies from 2023)

Welcome to my personal analysis of my favorite movies from 2023, which I like to call My Own Oscar Awards. After watching most of the nominations and beyond, I couldn’t help but compare these films to each other. My personal picks focused not on the names, prestige, or past work of the filmmakers, but rather on the impact these films had on me in each category. Each category features three nominations that truly sparked something within me.

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Flight Risk, 2025 - ★★★

I appreciated the cinematography and sound in this movie; they effectively set an atmosphere of suspense within a confined space with no way to escape. The premise also laid the groundwork for a compelling thriller. The performances of each cast member were good, given the script they had to work with. However, the screenplay was very lacking. The materials were all there to explore the idea of three individuals, each with complicated backstories, trapped together on an airplane.

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Sing Sing, 2023 - ★★★★

The story revolves around the notion that art has the power to heal the soul. Art is fundamentally human; it expresses the essence of our humanity and brings out the best in us. It also beautifully illustrates the process of grappling with our traumas, mistakes, hopes, and dreams for the future. Sometimes, when we step outside ourselves, we enter a transient space that transcends individuality and connects us to our shared humanity.

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Babygirl, 2024 - ★★★½

"Babygirl" presents an intriguing premise, featuring a high-powered CEO engaging in a controversial sub-dom romance with her younger intern. However, the film struggles to deliver a cohesive and engaging narrative, as the power dynamics between the characters are ambiguously portrayed. The story is barely there and the intern is poorly developed, making it difficult to invest in the story. Instead of a deep exploration of their relationship, viewers are left with two confused individuals navigating a sub-dom dynamic that feels awkward, uncomfortable and at times, surprisingly dull.

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Memoir of a Snail, 2024 - ★★★★½

“Life can only be understood backwards, but we have to live it forwards.” Memoir of a Snail is a beautiful way to honor Søren Kierkegaard’s philosophy. Particularly in the opening scene where we wouldn’t understand the significance of things on the floor until we later learned about their history. Then the film’s progression to the final arc solidified the notion that life must be lived forward. It was a profound film that helped me grasp the meaning of life a bit better.

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Tetris, 2023 - ★★★½

Who would have thought that a game as simple as Tetris could have such a wild and complicated origin story involving business deals and politics? I do think it could’ve leaned into the gaming elements a bit more—maybe with some visuals or nods to the actual gameplay—but it was still super entertaining. The characters are engaging, and the stakes feel (ridiculously) high, which keeps you invested the whole time. I wish I could have watched it on the big screen!

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Kraven the Hunter, 2024 - ★★★

The film is visually appealing, but it misses the mark by failing to capitalize on the atmosphere of intense hunting, instead relying on generic chase scenes. It’s also puzzling how they cut scenes to avoid gruesome content, despite being an R-rated movie. There’s an interesting moral dilemma at play, but it gets overshadowed by the bland execution of the plot and poor dialogue. I seriously doubt how they believed they succeeded in portraying Kraven as the villain of the story.

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Mufasa: The Lion King, 2024 - ★★★½

I appreciate how this prequel reveals the depth of its characters, particularly the relationship between Mufasa and Taka. This adds complexity to the overall story and allows for greater empathy towards each character. While Mufasa is portrayed as a great leader, I found myself more drawn to Taka’s narrative, and I hope there will be another installment focusing on this character. Visually, the film is spectacular, showcasing the advancements in technology within the film industry.

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Damsel, 2024 - ★★★½

I liked the dragon, so I bumped the score up. That’s it. That’s the only good thing I’d like to say about this movie.

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How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies, 2024 - ★★★★½

ประทับใจเรื่องนี้มาก ถ้าใครเป็นลูกหลานคนจีนจะยิ่งอินเข้าไปอีก เป็นบทที่ดีที่สุดในรอบหลายปีของหนังไทย ไม่ใช่แค่เฉพาะจากของ GDH ความละเมียดในรายละเอียด ความละเอียดในเชิงอารมณ์ ความสมจริงจนเหมือนกำลังมองชีวิตตัวเองและคนรอบข้าง ยกให้ขึ้นหิ้งหนังไทยในดวงใจไปเลยกับ “หลานม่า”

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Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, 2024 - ★★★½

Godzilla vs. Kong: The New Empire is a total blast if you're into giant monster showdowns. The story itself made no sense at all, but it's still entertaining as hell. Although, for a moment, I felt like I was watching Planet of the Apes. They should have made a crossover with Caesar at this point, lol.

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The Iron Claw, 2023 - ★★★★

“The Iron Claw” was a truly heart-wrenching story. They fought tooth and claw, desperate for even a mere of recognition that should already have been granted to them from the start. The pain they endured would have been unbearable for anyone. The final scene hit so hard, especially with the song of “Live That Way Forever” playing in the end.

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Love Lies Bleeding, 2024 - ★★★★

Love Lies Bleeding is like an imaginary dream of a queer love story. And I'm all for it! This movie has everything - from family drama, romance, comedy, crime, violence, thriller, horror, and muscles! The intense atmosphere filled with manic energy contrasted perfectly with the humor, and I absolutely loved it! Additionally, everyone looked incredibly sexy and cool in this film. What’s not to love, am I right? P.S. This movie inspired me to hit the gym and lift more weights from now on lol.

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