Suzume

Film has been the predominant artform for everyday people for the last century. The thing about the movies are they can be anything that you want them to be. They can be crowdpleasing, they can be heartbreaking. They can stretch the limits of possibility or show you the rawness of the real world. They can be an escape, they can be an eye opener. To make a great movie is nearly impossible, yet it happens many times a year. You have thousands of different artists working toward one larger vision that aims to please millions of people, and it has to be a concise and authentic yet fresh voice or people aren’t going to buy it.

There’s an importance to film. Take a film like Schindler’s List or 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days, or even a very recent example such as The Voice of Hind Rajab. These are films that can change the world because they change perspective by putting you into the awful situations happening around the globe. Films shape culture because the visual aspect allows the artform to interact as a universal language across different cultures and share stories that other artforms may struggle with. It’s immersive, putting you in other people’s shoes. This allows us to not only shape, but share our history and our experiences, ultimately sharing our humanity in the process. We argue that this is the innately human thing that we have to offer because it’s for humans, by humans, about humans.

When Chris Nolan accepted the Academy Award for Best Director for his work on Oppenheimer, he noted that “movies are just 100 years old. I couldn’t imagine being there for the first 100 years of painting, theatre.” It’s a good reminder that we’re watching the most innovative artistic offerings early in its infancy.

What films did our staff select?

Jameus Mooney, Admin of Dirt Sheet Radio and Editor at Comic Book Clique.

Poor Things, Yorgos Lanthimos.

My favorite films of the decade are Oppenheimer and Sinners, the latter of which will come up again, but I feel like those are two very widely seen and widely beloved films. This took me to a film that did get buzz, notably winning the best actress of this generation her second Academy Award.

For a character such as Bella Baxter to work there needs to be a shared vision with a director and an actress, but also sincerity from the director and bravery from the actress. That describes every time Emma Stone has worked with Yorgos Lanthimos.”Stone is the perfect lead for this,” I wrote after my initial viewing. “Charming, funny, but takes great care with the subtleties of her character that makes the movie work. Stone’s always been a fine actress, but the level of physical acting she achieves here is something I didn’t ever expect from her, truly showing range that she hasn’t always been allowed to show. She walks a delicate tightrope of a complicated character to a tee, while [Mark] Ruffalo took a very flawed and nuanced character and had the audience hanging onto every word of his over-the-top delivery in one of the funniest supporting roles of the year.”

I think what makes this work so polarizing is that it’s based on a book that came out during third-wave as a movie that came out during fourth-wave. I think that’s where the debate particularly from women, not to speak for them as I’m not one, becomes heated. Poor Things is a third-wave film that focuses on the atrocities Bella Baxter has to go through as not just a woman, but essentially somebody who’s disabled because their brain isn’t fully developed. As Bella becomes her own person, she ultimately gets to decide how she feels about what those aggressions meant to her experientially. In a fourth-wave era dominated by Twitter morality, the actions of not just Duncan and Godwin, but also the microaggressions of Max stand out and many, in a time where media literacy is at its lowest, feel as though it glorifies those actions because of how Bella Baxter chooses to respond to them. The choice is and should be Bella’s, and all great art should make somebody feel something, starting a conversation in the process. I think the fact that the film sparked so much conversation, regardless of your thoughts on it, confirms its merit.

As for the filmmaking itself, Yorgos has such a fascinating eye and the aesthetic here really pops. This is at the top of the list of examples to show people as to why practical sets and shooting on film need to come back in vogue.

Nick LaRocco, Admin of Dirt Sheet Radio.

Bo Burnham Inside, Bo Burnham.

I didn't watch Bo Burnham: Inside until after the height of the pandemic, but that almost made it hit even harder. It perfectly encapsulated many of the emotions I had felt, not just during COVID, but through periods of isolation brought on by my own mental health. What starts as a comedy special slowly transforms into something much deeper. It becomes a reflection on loneliness, creativity, the internet, mental health, and the pressure we place on ourselves to keep going, even when life feels overwhelming. To me, it is Bo Burnham's magnum opus.

What makes Inside so remarkable is that Bo created the entire project himself. He wrote it, performed it, filmed it, lit it, and edited it, all while confined to his guesthouse. That alone is an incredible artistic achievement, but it is the way he uses that limitation that makes the film unforgettable. Every shot has purpose. Every song serves the story. Every joke has another layer beneath it. It is hilarious one moment, heartbreaking the next, and somehow manages to call out society while also holding a mirror up to ourselves.

The soundtrack is every bit as memorable as the filmmaking. "Welcome to the Internet" perfectly captures the chaotic, addictive, and overwhelming nature of the online world. It is funny, uncomfortable, and painfully accurate all at the same time. Then there is "All Eyes on Me," which feels like the emotional centerpiece of the entire film. Whether you’re an entertainer, a leader, or simply someone others depend on, the song captures the weight of feeling like everything rests on your shoulders. It also carries a quiet reminder that life does not always go according to plan, and that’s okay. Even when circumstances are beyond our control, there is still beauty that can be found when we move forward.

Inside succeeds because there are so many things at once. It is funny. It is relatable. It is thought-provoking. It critiques modern society while remaining deeply personal, and it never loses sight of the humanity behind it all. Every rewatch leads to new feelings and new finds of things you never noticed before. Few films from the 2020s have left such a lasting impression on me. If you have never experienced it, I cannot recommend it enough.

Robert Acosta, Contributor at Comic Book Clique.
Past Lives, Celine Song.

I’m a sucker for a good love story, if that hasn’t been made clear yet. Celine Song, in both her directorial and writing debut for the big screen, crafted a story from her real life experiences into a touching but emotionally crushing tale of lost love, fate and how timing is truly everything.

Romance movies like this often are set up to have you rooting for a particular couple to get together and kudos to the movie for subverting that. Hell, it may even be subversive over what you’d expect out of a Romance movie as it really deals with themes of being an immigrant trying to hang on to a shred of a culture you left behind.

A story with well written characters, cinematography that had me hanging on to every frame and an ending that quite honestly left me in a pool of my own tears on the floor.

Jhuvin Palaganas, Contributor at Comic Book Clique.

Suzume, Mikoto Shinkai.

I am not a movie person; it’s hard to get me to sit down and watch a thing for 1-2 hours. However, when Makoto Shinkai speaks, I listen. The Japanese filmmaker is a master at taking a supernatural/magical realism concept and molding it into a poignant message of love and identity that makes me feel emotions I didn’t realize I could feel. That combined with his beautiful animation and orchestral style makes every movie of his a delight to the senses.

In 2022, the world was graced with another addition to the Shinkai Criterion (Shinkai-terion). Suzume is a movie about a high school girl teaming up with a young man to lock doors around Japan, preventing a supernatural worm from causing earthquakes around Japan. It is also a movie about learning how to let go of the past and not letting your trauma control your life. And also there’s a talking cat. If that doesn’t appeal to you, I don’t know what to tell you.

Amanda Woods, Contributor at Comic Book Clique.

Tick Tick…Boom!, Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Hands down it’s Tick Tick...Boom!, directed by Lin Manuel Miranda. I think this movie is quintessential viewing for anyone in any artistic medium, regardless of said medium. It’s also a rare example of a well done stage to screen adaptation that expands on the stage version in a positive way.

Tick Tick...Boom! follows a pre-RENT Johnathan Larson (played by Andrew Garfield - and yes I still believe he should’ve won that Oscar for this movie after “The Slap”) on the days leading up to his 30th birthday and the workshop of his musical, Superbia. The film showcases the trials and tribulations that many artists go through for their work with the hope that some day, it will all pay off. Composed of music originally written by Larson, the soundtrack blends beautifully with the narrative of the film. It’s not overbearing like some other movie musicals, instead helping drive home some of the key moments of the film while realistically fitting with the personalities established throughout the film. Although Garfield is the main standout for many, I think the supporting cast of this film is really what elevates the Tick Tick...Boom! from good to great. Both Alexandra Shipp and Robin de Jesús give phenomenal performances as Susan and Michael respectively, with their chemistry with Garfield giving weight to more serious moments of the film. Vocally, all three sound amazing both on their own and together, serving as some of my favorite songs from any musical, stage or screen.

Tick Tick...Boom! will forever be the creative work that I watch to realign myself as a filmmaker every year as my birthday movie. Despite the plot taking place over 30 years ago, a lot of the themes Larson covers in the original stage adaptation resonate just as strong today. This film is a love letter to the creative process that it takes to truly make something special and why you should never wait to follow your dreams, because you never know when your time is going to run out.

Jenny Catlin, Contributor at Comic Book Clique.

Bones and All, Luca Guadignino.

Going with first thought, best thought: Luca Guadagnino’s Bones and All (2022). This is about as close as it gets to a perfect film for me. Drifters, outcasts, American road odyssey, cannibalism. What’s not to like? I’m a sucker for a gruesome love story, and few in recent years beat this one.

Andre Porter, Contributor at Comic Book Clique.

Dune Part Two, Denis Villeneuve.

My favorite movie of the 2020s is Dune: Part Two. I think Denis Villeneuve made the story even better than the book with a few of the key changes, though I do find it interesting how even when it matches the book, Denis really simplifies the dialogue. It isn’t simple dialogue, but it uses brevity in clever ways to discuss deep elements to the plot.

Sean Paul, Contributor at Comic Book Clique.

Sinners, Ryan Coogler.

Just when I thought I couldn't love Ryan Coogler more as a director, he goes out there and makes this masterpiece of original work. Who knew that combining music and vampires would make for such a compelling story? Michael B. Jordan killed it as the Smokestack Twins, Miles Caton was great in his first big movie role as Sammie, Jack O'Connell was both charming and menacing as Remmick and the supporting cast featuring Delroy Lindo, Jayme Lawson, Omar Miller, Wunmi Mosaku and Hailee Stenfield all had standout moments as well. My movie of the decade so far.

Andy Chen, Admin of Dirt Sheet Radio and Contributor at Comic Book Clique.

Man in Love, Yin Chen-hao.

Without a doubt, my favorite film is Man in Love. Everyone has a different idea of what love means, but to me, this movie shows love at its most beautiful. Sometimes love means being willing to change yourself for someone else, even if you don't get anything in return. Not every great love story has a happy ending, but the most unforgettable ones stay with you forever.

Abel Loza, Contributor at Comic Book Clique.

The Odyssey, Christopher Nolan.

I’m glad I waited to write about my favorite movie of the decade, as I would not be writing about the movie I just saw over the weekend [submitted one month before publish date]. The Odyssey was the most immersed I have felt in a movie since Interstellar, which, of course, is also a Christopher Nolan movie — I have a tattoo of Interstellar for God's sake. I can not get Nolan’s latest installment out of my head. I have just started to re-read the Iliad and the Odyssey (Emily Wilson edition, of course) and am digging back into the classics. I can't believe a movie like that was made. The scope, acting, plot, score, EVERYTHING in this movie is a masterpiece. While Interstellar is still my favorite Nolan movie, The Odyssey is easily #2. The nearest 70mm IMAX theater is three and a half hours away. I'm going. I could not forgive myself if I didn't watch it the way Nolan intended.

Ryan Norton, Contributor at Comic Book Clique.

Smile, Parker Finn.

As a massive horror movie fan, I had reached a point where not very much was happening that felt new or innovative in the 2020s. Then came Smile, the outstanding full movie debut from writer and director Parker Finn. Starring Sosie Bacon as therapist, Rose Cotter, who witnesses the gruesome suicide of patient Laura Weaver. What was particularly eerie about this incident however, was the permanent smile on her face as she was committing the act. Traumatising? Yes! But this goes deeper than your run of the mill traumatic event in a movie. An entity that is invisible to all but the one affected begins to haunt the person who witnesses the event and is able to spread this ‘disease’ of ultra gruesome suicides. I won’t give everything away because you should absolutely watch it for yourself, and its sequel. Truly phenomenal work from a new face on the horror scene.

Dustin Lee, Contributor at Comic Book Clique.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Michael Jelenic, Aaron Horvath.

My movie recommendation is The Super Mario Bros Movie. As someone who grew up with Nintendo games, it was a lot of fun seeing those worlds and characters brought to life on the big screen. The movie is colorful, energetic, and packed with references that longtime fans will recognize but it's also approachable for people who simply want a fun family adventure. It reminded me why these characters have remained so popular for generations, and it left me with a smile by the time the credits rolled.

Jessica Roberts, Editor at Comic Book Clique.

Unstuck in Time, Robert B. Weide.

Bob Weide did a Kurt Vonnegut documentary called Unstuck In Time. I had never read Vonnegut before I watched it, but it spoke to me in a way that I don't get from my typical watching-a-movie experience. I've read Vonnegut since then, and it's good stuff. But Vonnegut isn't who I connected with in the documentary honestly. It’s Weide; it's the way he crafts Vonnegut’s authentic life into an homage to the man’s own storytelling. His adoration and genuine love for Vonnegut oozes from every second of the work. I'll watch it a thousand times.

George Serrano, Founder of Comic Book Clique.

Everything Everywhere All at Once, The Daniels.

Everything Everywhere All at Once changed my mind about what a multiversal story could be. It has a tremendous message about not comparing yourself to the best or worst versions of yourself, and realizing that all of us are going on a unique journey that we will only ever go through once. No matter what you do in life, you will have regrets, mistakes, and moments you wish you could rewind. We don't get that convenience. We are given seconds and minutes at a time to live, and we have to make them purposeful to build the lives we want, even when life is seemingly trying to rally against us. It does not need a typical young, sexy cast, the action is not mind-numbing, and the moment with the googly-eyed rocks brings the house down every time.

Jon Escudero, Founder of Dirt Sheet Radio.

Attack on Titan: The Last Attack, Yuichiro Hayashi.

Attack on Titan is legitimately the greatest piece of fiction I've ever experienced.

The long foreshadowing, the moral ambiguity, the thoughts that have been provoked, the way this show has made me feel every emotion in the damn spectrum.

Being able to experience the movie that essentially acts as the series finale on the biggest screen possible with my son, surrounded by fans of the series, was an unforgettable experience.

Join us tomorrow for day five: television!