Every Film I’ve Watched in 2023: June
Greetings friends! This is a record of every film I’ve watched in 2023, including rewatches, repeats and first viewings. Each film is accompanied by how / where I watched it, and my thoughts in 100 words or less. Welcome to part 6: June.
80. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
Where? - Cinema screening [first viewing]
Thoughts - I’m overjoyed to say this was phenomenal! Not only a wonderful standalone film, but a worthy sequel to Into the Spider-Verse. It’s beyond stunning in terms of visuals, with a creative sense of adventure. Like the original, it’s fresh, exciting, entertaining as hell, and has a strong emotional throughline. Miles Morales and Gwen Stacey’s individual arcs were compelling, thought-provoking, and took my feelings on a wild ride. It’s the perfect cure to any kind of superhero fatigue or multiverse fatigue, and it’s everything a film should be. I loved it, and I want to see it again.
81. Finding Nemo (2003)
Where? - Disney Plus [rewatch]
Thoughts - Another Pixar film I hadn’t seen for years, and another which holds up really well! The story is simple yet thoroughly engaging, the variety of characters are charming and warm, and the world is beautifully rendered. Knowing how easily I cry at films, I was expecting this to break me, however that didn’t happen. I don’t see that as the film failing, because I absolutely believe it works on multiple levels, it just wasn’t enough to make me cry on this occasion. I’m relieved this is as fun and engaging as I remember, and the animation is stunning.
82. Man of Steel (2013)
Where? - Blu Ray [rewatch]
Thoughts - I don’t like it, plain and simple. I think Zack Snyder totally misunderstood the character of Superman, which is the fundamental reason why this film doesn’t work. Superman is a hopeful and inspiring character, whose values resonate worldwide, yet this film turns him into a moody fun sponge and a personality vacuum. There are some good scenes and clear potential, but the overall film is a mess. It’s ill-disciplined, completely lacking in substance, ponderous but without actually having anything to say, and it’s unbelievably BORING. Man of Steel doesn’t make me feel hopeful, it makes me feel sad.
83. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Where? - Blu Ray [rewatch]
Thoughts - This film is a joke. It takes several films worth of plot and mashes them together, like a toddler clumisly playing with Play-Doh. Nothing makes sense, the characters don’t have any meaningful arcs, and even the entertainment factor is low. I don’t know what’s funniest: Jesse’s Eisenberg’s infuriating performance as Lex Luthor, the flimsy reasoning behind the central conflict, or the hysterical resolution to said conflict. Either way, this film is proof Zack Snyder cannot tell a coherent story, and is focused far too much on shoddy visuals. Ben Affleck is a fantastic Batman, but that’s the only positive.
84. Justice League (2017)
Where? - Blu Ray [rewatch]
Thoughts - As someone who likes DC Comics, this film makes me feel upset and infuriated in equal measure. It’s a strange Frankenstein patchwork of two filmmaker’s visions, neither of which are good. It feels horrendously cold and mechanical, and reeks of mismanagement and greed from the studio. Films like Batman v Superman are just shoddy, whereas films like Justice League are ugly and cynical because they have the nerve to pretend everything’s okay. Justice League presents a glossy, plastic front, but underneath its mask is an artificial organism, which grew in a petri dish then mutated into a horrible, acidic mess.
85. Bruce Almighty (2003)
Where? - Disney Plus [rewatch]
Thoughts - I was in the mood for a simple comedy that I didn’t need to think about, and Bruce Almighty delivered. The core premise is intriguing, it offers ample room for creativity and humour, but it doesn’t step too far into being offensive. What separates this from other comedies, aside from Jim Carrey’s endless energy, is the fact there’s actually some interesting room for discussion about heavy topics. The overall positive message of selflessness and kindness is heavy-handed, but it’s still positive. Overall, it’s nothing ground-breaking, it cracks if you think about it too hard, but it’s harmless fun.
86. The Imitation Game (2014)
Where? - Netflix [rewatch]
Thoughts - I rewatched this after a visit to Bletchley Park, and I think it holds up. It’s a somewhat glossy oversimplification, but that’s less a criticism of the film, and more a complement to the fascinating work which happened at Bletchley. In terms of tone, gravity and emotional engagement, The Imitation Game has its heart in exactly the right place. Beyond Benedict Cumberbatch’s outstanding central performance, the driving force of this film is the wonderful score by Alexandre Desplat. The music feels like a living, breathing element of the film which perfectly matches the atmosphere and emotion at any point.
87. Avatar (2009)
Where? - Disney Plus [rewatch]
Thoughts - Having not seen Avatar for years and remembering the hype upon first release, it’s surprisingly rubbish. It’s a strange patchwork of existing stories, and the characters are flimsy like wet tissue paper. The visuals are okay, although they don’t necessarily hold up, and they were never enough to make up for a story which lacks emotion and substance. The film is long, loud, boring and at times repetitive. So, with an absence of entertainment value, good storytelling, engaging plot, an emotional throughline, or characters we care about in a meaningful way, what does Avatar have to offer? Virtually nothing.
88. The Flash (2023)
Where? - Cinema screening [first viewing]
Thoughts - I was pleasantly surprised! I expected this to be a complete mess, but what I found was only a partial mess. It’s on the same level as Spider-Man: No Way Home; it’s a fun blockbuster which offers action, spectacle, multiversal cameos and Easter eggs, but ultimately has a messy plot and flimsy emotional beats. It’s far from perfect, and it offers some truly terrible VFX, but the overall product is fine. It’s worth paying the price of admission just to see Michael Keaton’s Batman in action while the classic Danny Elfman score plays.
89. Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
Where? - Disney Plus [first viewing]
Thoughts - This is without question one of the worst films I’ve seen all year. I won’t deny James Cameron can execute visual fluff, but his writing is appalling. It’s a painful retelling of the core narrative from Avatar, with preposterous, unforgivable gaps in the plot and internal logic. I don’t care about the visuals, because they’re not a substitute for good writing. The characters are hollow, the dialogue is cringeworthy and lifeless, the story is unbelievably boring, and it’s completely devoid of wider themes and meanings. Over three hours of my life wasted on an uninspired, clunky, thunderously stupid film.
90. Encanto (2021)
Where? - Disney Plus [rewatch]
Thoughts - In an oversaturated market of sequels and unnecessary remakes, this is the type of Disney film that gives me hope. It’s a fun, unique idea, and it’s full of warmth and emotion. You can tell it’s Disney without it needing to tick too many boxes which fall into the category of lazy Disney writing. Encanto being able to break away and do its own thing is very much to its benefit, and the audience gets a better experience. The songs are fantastic, the characters are compelling, the themes are deep and rich, and the design is stunning. It’s fantastic!
91. Black Widow (2021)
Where? - Disney Plus [rewatch]
Thoughts - Having not watched this since 2021, I was hoping my thoughts had changed. Sadly, this is still underwhelming. It copies tones, styles and themes executed to a higher standard elsewhere in the MCU. Granted, Florence Pugh is fantastic as Yelena, and the moments of delicate character interaction are fantastic, which is when the film is at its strongest. Beyond that, there’s an annoyingly flimsy story, forgettable villains, some interesting themes which are only explored at surface level, and a ludicrous third act. I’m on the film’s side and I wanted it to be great, so I’m sad it was underwhelming.
92. Isle of Dogs (2018)
Where? - Disney Plus [first viewing]
Thoughts - I found this charming, although not as charming as other Wes Anderson films. It was a different type of story from Wes Anderson, and there’s a strong emotional throughline which is missing from some of his other films. It didn’t totally capture my imagination in the same way as Fantastic Mr Fox, but I strangely enjoyed it. Although I couldn’t shake the feeling it was treading in problematic territory in terms of cultural appropriation. It’s possible to be both a love letter to Japanese culture and a whistle-stop tour of cliches and stereotypes. Isle of Dogs is ultimately both.
93. The French Dispatch (2021)
Where? - Disney Plus [first viewing]
Thoughts - For me, The French Dispatch has taken the lead as Wes Anderson’s worst film to date. It takes the worst elements of Anderson’s filmmaking, dials them up to eleven, and removes any sense of fun or heart. The narrative structure is dense, and the short stories included are all boring and unengaging. I can see a way of Wes Anderson making something good out of this concept, but the delivery is horrendously stale. At no point did I find myself interested or entertained, which is a shame given how much I’ve liked Wes Anderson’s work in the past.
94. Asteroid City (2023)
Where? - Cinema screening [first viewing]
Thoughts - It’s middle the road for Wes Anderson, offering equal amounts of charm and exaggerated quirks which achieve very little. It lacks the strong heart and humour of previous Wes Anderson films, but it didn’t test my patience as much as The French Dispatch. Ultimately, the film’s quirkiness overcompensates for a mostly flimsy and directionless story. However, there are good performances from Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Maya Hawke and Steve Carrell which thankfully keep it afloat. Some have labelled this a return to form for Wes Anderson. I didn’t feel the same way, but it’s a step in the right direction.
95. Supersonic (2016)
Where? - Netflix [rewatch]
Thoughts - I really enjoy this film. I’m a big Oasis fan, so I appreciate learning about the band’s history and music, but more than anything this is a thorough examination of the Gallagher brothers. It explores their relationship as siblings, their own experiences of music, and it includes narration from both of them to give a well-rounded picture. It’s funny, full of great music, and it knows when to shift tone and explore emotional territory sincerely. I don’t think it matters if you’re an Oasis fan or not, this is an accessible and captivating documentary.
Favourite new film of the month
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Thank you for checking out part 6, hopefully you’ll find yourself back here soon for part 7! If you’ve enjoyed this article, please check out my other recent articles:
