Random Movie Birb

Ready Player One Starring: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, and Ben Mendelsohn Directed By Steven Speilberg US Release Date: March 29th, 2018 My First Viewing: March 21st, 2018 image credit: movieposter.com If you ever wondered what it would be like to see a futuristic sci-fi action film deep with 1980's nostalgia, Steven Spielberg presents Ready Player One, based on the 2011 Ernest Cline novel starring Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, and Ben Mendelsohn.  Set in the year 2045 in Columbus, Ohio, Wade Watts (Sheridan) is your average kid who, like many, escapes reality into the virtual world known as The Oasis and becomes Parzival. In the Oasis, you can essentially do anything, be anyone, and interact with people around the world. The more coin you have, your experiences in the Oasis can be just that much more enjoyable. When one of the creators of the Oasis passes away, he creates a scavenger hunt inside the Oasis to find three keys to unlock the Easter Egg, and gain control of th

A Wrinkle in Time Starring: Storm Reid, Oprah Winfrey, and Reese Witherspoon Directed By Ava DuVernay  US Release Date: March 9th, 2018 My First Viewing: March 10th, 2018 image credit: movieposter.com The ideas of space and time get turned on their head's in Ava DuVernay's A Wrinkle in Time, based on the 1962 beloved novel written by Madeleine L'Engle.  After a time travel experiment causes scientist Mr. Murray (Chris Pine) to go missing for several years, his daughter Meg (Storm Reid), her adopted brother Charles Wallace (Deric McCabe) and school friend Calvin (Levi Miller) go on a quest to find him and bring him home. Joining them on this journey are three magical beings, Mrs. Which (Oprah Winfrey), Mrs. Who (Mindy Kaling), and Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon).  Looking at this as an adult watching a film geared towards kids, and knowing nothing about the source material, I was left asking a lot of questions. What was the purpose of the Calvin character? How d

The Strangers: Prey at Night Starring: Bailee Madison and Christina Hendricks Directed by Johannes Roberts US Release Date: March 9th, 2018 My First Viewing: March 8th, 2018 image credit: imdb.com Ten years after the release of The Strangers  (starring Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman), The Man in the Mask, Dollface, and Pin-Up Girl are back in The Strangers: Prey at Night.  In an unknown timeframe after the events of the first Strangers, we see at the beginning of the film picking off an older couple. While making a trip to drop their daughter off at boarding school, Cindy (Christina Hendricks), Mike (Martin Henderson), and their kids Kinsey (Bailee Madison) and Luke (Lewis Pullman) stop by a family members trailer park, where they are soon terrorized by the three masked murderers. The reason the trio is going after them, much like in the first film, was because they were there. There are some fun callbacks to the first film, and some of the scares were earned, but the film fal

Thoroughbreds Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy and Olivia Cooke Written and Directed by Cory Finley US Release Date: March 9th, 2018 My First Viewing: March 7th, 2018 Making his feature-length debut, writer/director Corey Finley poses the question "what lengths would to in order to get rid of something that you hate." In the case of Lily (Anya Taylor-Joy, Split ) and Amanda (Olivia Cooke, Me, Earl & the Dying Girl), that problem they want to get rid of is Lily's stepfather.  Reuniting after a falling out that involved Amanda killing her horse, upper-class polar opposites Lily and Amanda serve as foils and sounding boards, trying to get a sense of emotion and understanding out of each other. For Amanda, she has an emotionless streak that she chalks up to as some sort of mental disorder du jour, and for Lily, it is being able to emote and show and vocalize her frustration toward her stepfather (Paul Sparks, House of Cards ). As the movie progresses, they end up takin

In the Fade (Aus dem Nichts) Starring: Diane Kruger and Denis Moschitto Directed by Faith Akin US Release Date: December 27, 2017 My First Viewing: March 6, 2018 image credit: imdb.com Winner of the Golden Globe and Critic's Choice Award for Best Foreign Language film, In the Fade German actress Diane Kruger in her first German-language film.  Kruger (who won Best Actress at Cannes for this role) plays Katja, a wife and mother who loses her husband and child after an explosion at his work. Broken up into three sections (The Family, Justice, and The Sea), we follow Katja's journey from a solemn widow to justice seeker. Kruger shines in the starring role, where you feel her pain through the screen. You feel invested in her as a character and her motivations.  Some may question how a film that won so many awards leading up to The Oscars ended up being snubbed without a nomination for Best Foreign Language film. While I found the first two-thirds riveting and heartwren

Call Me by Your Name Starring: Armie Hammer and Timothée Chalamet Directed by Luca Guadagnino US Release Date: November 24, 2017 Most Recent Viewing: March 3, 2018 Image Credit: movieposter.com Nominated for four Academy Awards (including Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture), Call Me by Your Name is directed by Luca Guadagnino, and is based on the novel by Andrée Acimen.  Set in Northern Italy in the Summer of 1983, 17-year-old Elio (Best Actor nominee Timothée Chalamet) spends his days transcribing music and hanging out with his friends and family (Michael Stuhlbarg and Amira Casar playing Elio's parents). When doctoral student Oliver (Armie Hammer) comes to work with Elio's father, the relationship between Oliver and Elio goes from curiosity to wonder to love in the matter on months.  This is a beautiful film that is as warm and raw as it is visually stunning. Everyone has a story of their first love, and sometimes it is more complicated than others. You rea

Get Out Starring: Daniel Kaluuya and Allison Williams Written and Directed by Jordan Peele US Release Date: February 24, 2017 Most Recent Viewing: March 3, 2018 Image Credit: movieposter.com Nominated for four Academy Awards (including Best Actor and Best Picture), Get Out is the directorial debut of Key & Peele star Jordan Peele, who also produced and wrote the screenplay.  Part horror-thriller, part social commentary on race in our society, Get Out  tells the story of the relationship between Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) and Rose (Allison Williams), and their dynamic when Rose brings Chris to meet her family for the first time. Bradley Whitford, Catherine Keener, and Caleb Landry Jones play Rose's parents and siblings.  This is so much more than your standard horror fare, and I am so happy that the Academy honored this film with as many nominations as it did. Blumhouse Productions, who have their hands in many of the big horror franchises on the last decade plus, like

The Shape of Water Starring: Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer, and Richard Jenkins Written and Directed by Guillermo del Toro US Release Date: December 1st, 2017 Most Recent Viewing: March 3rd, 2018 Image Credit: movieposter.com Garnering the most nominations at the 90th Academy Awards with thirteen, The Shape of Water  gives us Guillermo del Toro's best film since Pan's Labyrinth. This cold war fairy tale is a visual tour de force and a compelling story, all of which was told through the eyes of the main character who doesn't say a word.  Sally Hawkins stars as Eliza, a mute janitorial worker at a secret government facility who is trying to find her place in the world. When an Amazonian monster is brought to the facility by the head of security Richard Stickland (Michael Shannon), Eliza and the monster (Doug Jones) build a bond. Octavia Spencer plays Eliza's workmate and friend Zelda, and Richard Jenkins plays Giles, Eliza's neighbor, and best friend. Jenk

The Post Starring: Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks Directed by Steven Spielberg US Release Date: December 22nd, 2017 Most Recent Viewing: March 3rd, 2018 Image Credit: movieposter.com Nominated for two Academy Awards (Best Actress- Meryl Streep and Best Picture), The Post tells the story of the Washington Post and their handling of The Pentagon Papers, confidential information on the United States actions in the Vietnam War that spanned over five different presidential reigns.  Streep and Hanks are plastered all over the advertising as the leads, Streep playing Post owner Kay Graham, who takes over the family business after her husband's death. Streep is predictably good in this role, showing her evolution from quiet background player to a presence. Hanks plays editor-in-chief Ben Bradlee, who is headstrong in the Post's First Amendment rights of freedom of the press, pushing hard to be able to publish the story even with the Nixon administration doing what they can to bl

Dunkirk Starring: Mark Rylance and Tom Hardy Written and Directed by Christopher Nolan US Release Date: July 21st, 2017 Most Recent Viewing: March 3rd, 2018 Image Credit: movieposter.com Nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Director (Christopher Nolan) and Best Picture, Dunkirk tells the story of Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of British soldiers from Dunkirk Beach during World War II in 1940.  Told from three different perspectives from land, sea, and air, it also interweaves its story over one hour, one day, and one week. By air, we see the one-hour perspective of a team of fighter pilots led by Tom Hardy as they attach German planes. By sea, we get the one-day look at Mark Rylance's journey from Britain to Dunkirk, where he is going in his personal boat with his son and friend to pick up British soldiers. By land, we follow different soldiers as they try to evacuate the beach over the course of a week. Personally, I found the time jump to be unnecess

Lady Bird Starring: Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf Written and Directed by Greta Gerwig US Release Date: November 3rd, 2017 Most Recent Viewing: March 3rd, 2018 Image Credit: movieposter.com Nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Actress (Saoirse Ronan) and Best Picture, Lady Bird is the directorial debut of indy favorite Greta Gerwig, who also received nominations for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay.  Set in Sacramento, California in 2002-2003, Lady Bird  is a coming-of-age film of self-discovery and the family dynamic bond between Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson and her mother Marion (played by Best Supporting Actress nominee Laurie Metcalf). Lady Bird is confident, knows what she wants, and isn't afraid to voice her opinion, which sounds a lot like most seventeen-year-olds. Between her Catholic high school career coming to an end, her want to get out of Sacramento, and her friendships and relationships all swirling around her, it'

Darkest Hour Starring: Gary Oldman, Lily James, and Kristin Scott Thomas Directed By Joe Wright US Release Date: November 22nd, 2017 Most Recent Viewing: March 3rd, 2018 Image Credit: movieposter.com Nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Actor (Gary Oldman) and Best Picture, Joe Wright's Darkest Hour follows the days after Winston Churchill became Prime Minister amidst the pressure of Hitler's advance France and Great Britain during World War II. This is a good movie that is elevated to a great one on the back of Oldman's performance of Churchill. He is unrecognizable in the role, which takes talent. When actors play historical figures, it appears as the actor playing the figure. That is not the case here. From the first time you see him on screen, you see Churchill, not Oldman.  The cinematography, score, and costume design also add to the appeal of the film. Joe Wright has a knack for long shots and interesting camera work, and you feel a real ten

A Fantastic Woman (Una Mujer Fantástica) Starring: Daniela Vega and Francisco Reyes Directed By Sebastián Lelio US Release Date: November 17, 2017 My First Viewing: March 2, 2018 A nominee for Best Foreign Language Film at the 90th Academy Awards, A Fantastic Woman stars Daniela Vega as Marina, a woman who is dealing with grief and the prejudice of those around her life after the death of her older partner.  This is a beautiful movie that is carried by Vega. She makes this movie so profoundly powerful that you feel with her through her journey, even if this is not something a lot of people can directly relate to. Marina has a difficult enough time in her life dealing with the death of her partner Orlando (Francisco Reyes), but with this being a relationship with a much older man and a trans woman, there are added layers. Between the police, doctors, and Orlando's family, Marina has a lot to deal with, but she is strong and isn't afraid to fight for what she believes

Red Sparrow Starring: Jennifer Lawrence and Joel Edgerton Directed By Francis Lawrence US Release Date: March 2nd, 2018 My First Viewing: March 2nd, 2018 image credit: movieposter.com Red Sparrow stars Jennifer Lawrence as Dominika, a Russian ballet dancer turned spy and Joel Edgerton as the CIA agent Nate Nash, who Dominika is tasked with following and gaining his trust to be able to find out who Nash's mole inside the Russian government is.  We follow Dominika every step of the way, from ballet dancer through her Sparrow training (Sparrows being secret intelligence agents who use their minds and bodies as weapons to gain trust and power), and her journey with Nash. Lawrence is very good in the lead role, putting herself in many different vulnerable positions but always trying to be a step ahead. Director Francis Lawrence has plenty of experience directing Jennifer Lawrence, with his last three films being the last three Hunger Games movies. We don't really know where

Annihilation Starring: Natalie Portman, Tessa Thompson, and Oscar Isaac Written and Directed By Alex Garland US Release Date: February 23rd, 2018 My First Viewing: March 1st, 2018 Image Credit: movieposter.com Annihilation is the second film written and directed by Alex Garland, following up on the fantastic Ex Machina  in 2015. The film stars Natalie Portman as Lena, an Army veteran-turned biology professor, and is based on the novel by Jeff VanderMeer.  It's hard to talk about this film without diving into spoiler territory. Portman's Lena and a team of four other women from different professional backgrounds lead a mission into The Shimmer, a mysterious land area where the laws of science are different than the outside world. Lena's husband Kane (Oscar Isaac) led the last team into The Shimmer and no one, including himself, knows how he got out alive.  This is definitely a film that should be seen on the biggest screen possible just from the visual and soun