Film Diary — September 2022 Watches
As we inch closer to the juicy quarter of the year where all of the award-nominated films will be released, it’s only right that I’ve gotten my odd viewing habits out of the way this month.
September Film Diary
No surprise to you, once again the list will be featured in obsessive-compulsive fashion: behold, my September watches in chronological viewing order.
9/1/22: Ingrid Goes West (2017) written by Matt Spicer and David Branson Smith, dir. by Matt Spicer
9/2/22: Mission: Impossible — Fallout (2018) written by Christopher McQuarrie and Bruce Geller, dir. by Christopher McQuarrie
9/4/22: The Invitation (2015) written by Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi, dir. by Karyn Kusama
9/4/22: Pieces of a Woman (2020) written by Kata Wéber, dir. by Kornél Mundruczó
9/5/22: The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017) written by Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthymis Filippou, dir. by Yorgos Lanthimos
9/5/22: Skyfall (2012) written by Robert Wade, Neal Purvis, and John Logan, dir. by Sam Mendes
9/5/22: Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist (2022) dir. by Ryan Duffy
9/6/22: No Time to Die (2021) written by Robert Wade, Neal Purvis, Cary Joji Fukunaga, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, dir. byCary Joji Fukunaga
9/8/22: Blade Runner 2049 (2017) written by Hampton Fancher and Michael Green, dir. by Denis Villenueve
9/9/22: Barbarian (2022) written and dir. by Zack Cregger
9/11/22: Parasite (2019) written by Bong Joon-ho and Han Jin-won, dir. by Bong Joon-ho
9/11/22: Skyfall (2012) written by Robert Wade, Neal Purvis, and John Logan, dir. by Sam Mendes
9/12/22: Spectre (2015) written by Robert Wade, Neal Purvis, John Logan, and Jez Butterworth, dir. by Sam Mendes
9/14/22: Hereditary (2018) written and dir. by Ari Aster
9/16/22: Do Revenge (2022) written by Celeste Ballard and Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, dir. by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson
9/16/22: Ex Machina (2015) written and dir. by Alex Garland
9/17/22: Do Revenge (2022) written by Celeste Ballard and Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, dir. by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson
9/19/22: The Power of the Dog (2021) written and dir. by Jane Campion
9/20/22: Black Swan (2010) written by John J. McLaughlin, Andres Heinz, and Mark Heyman, dir. by Darren Aronofsky
9/21/22: Midsommar (2019) written and dir. by Ari Aster
9/22/22: The Favourite (2018) dir. by Yorgos Lanthimos
9/23/22: Don’t Worry Darling (2022) written by Katie Silberman, dir. by Olivia Wilde
9/25/22: Speak No Evil (2022) written by Christian Tafdrup and Mads Tafdrup, dir. by Christian Tafdrup
Note: this movie is NOT for the faint of heart, oh my god.
9/25/22: The Night House (2020) written by Ben Collins and David Marks, dir. by David Bruckner
9/27/22: This is the End (2013) written and dir. by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg
9/27/22: Bullet Train (2022) written by Zak Olkewicz, dir. by David Leitch, based on the book of the same name by Kotaro Isaka
9/28/22: Yes, God, Yes (2019) written and dir. by Karen Maine
9/28/22: Se7en (1995) written by Andrew Kevin Walker, dir. by David Fincher
9/29/22: The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) written by Alvin Sargent, Steve Kloves, and James Vanderbilt, dir. by Marc Webb
9/29/22: Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) written by George Miller, Nick Lathouris, and Brendan McCarthy, dir. by George Miller
9/30/22: This Is 40 (2012) written and dir. by Judd Apatow
9/30/22: Smile (2022) written and dir. by Parker Finn
September 2022 Rankings
I recognize the amount of rewatches this month, and I have no shame. Just know that several movies brought me comfort in times of personal discomfort this month — as they do. Between the ease of at-home viewing, and the stellar theater experience (which will be discussed below), I had myself another great month of movie-watching. If I’m honest, it was really hard to rank these, even with adding a few Honorable Mentions, I still felt really torn about my selections. But nonetheless, my feelings are my feelings and so…here were some of my favorites.
Honorable Mentions
Hereditary (2018) and Midsommar (2019) written and dir. by Ari Aster — The only reason these are “honorable mentions” is because they were a rewatch. I wanted to make room for the other first watches from this month. But the way these movies stand on their own as two of the most disturbing films of all time is incredible. As hard as they are to watch, I find them both oddly rewatchable, and plan on visiting them (periodically, so I don’t go insane) over the years. Performances in both films are what elevates the disturbing natures of each; between Toni Collette and Alex Wolff in Hereditary, and our favorite final girl Florence Pugh, I don’t believe these films would have carried even half the weight they do individually, despite great direction, cinematography, and writing.
Ex Machina (2015) written and dir. by Alex Garland — This movie was one of those chilling, middle of the pack kind of movies. It’s chilling, it’s fascinating, and there’s a great villain in Oscar Isaac’s character in contrast with Domnhall Gleeson’s nerdy, nice guy and Alicia Vikander’s mysteriously cunning AI character in Ava. For me, there just wasn’t enough weight behind it. Even as the plot twisted into emotional reveal, I didn’t experience much of an emotional shift in tone. By the final few minutes, I ultimately chose to surrender to the creative decisions made, and allow myself to feel a bit of triumph for the character who came out on top, yet not entirely haunted by the final moments. I feel very even-keel about the film, and don’t believe there’s much room for changing that.
Skyfall (2012) and No Time to Die (2021) — both of these films I really, really enjoyed. Historically, I have not cared much about the Bond movies, but these two I could have (and kind of did) rewatched over and over again. They are two of the most solid major movie production action films I’ve seen in a long time. Skyfall turned me into the Bond girl I am today, and it is of no surprise that tears did form by the end of No Time. Also the best two Bond songs (sorry Sam Smith, yours is beautiful, too, but that film is not) by Adele and Billie Eilish, respectively. For “cheesy” action films, these two actually hold up really well and both have impressive performances across the board.
Pieces of a Woman (2020) — from the second this film started, I was captured. Vanessa Kirby gave one of the best performances I have ever witnessed on screen before, honestly. It’s hard to say that the film itself is one of my favorite watches from the month, but given the tragic, difficult nature of the narrative, after watching, one can’t help but have been emotionally transported for the two hours of the film. I mean this film was completely captivating from the very start, and the weight of the tragedy and the emotions were carried completely by the performances from everyone onscreen, but most specifically Vanessa Kirby. Her performance made me very excited to see where she goes from here, and assured me that she is one of the greatest on-screen talents of this generation.
Top 6 Ranked
6. Do Revenge (2022)
I have a lot of feelings about this new release, and many of them are great. I rewatched this satirical, self-aware homage flick more times than I felt necessary (comfortable) logging on Letterboxd. Instantly, hints of several cult classics from the ’90s and ’00s made their presences known, but with a modernized, explicit, queer twist on the teenage revenge stories we all know and love. With a killer soundtrack and hilarious line deliveries, I happily ate up every beautiful second of this easy-going, light-on-its-feet satire, again and again and again. Read my full review of Do Revenge, if you’re interested.
5. The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)
Going into this viewing, I didn’t really know much at all about the narrative or the tone of the film. I only guessed there was some kind of disturbing undertone based on the cast and the logline, but I wanted to go into my experience otherwise unaware of what would unfold. And much to my surprise, there was A LOT to unpack here. It may seem strange to rank it as one of my favorite watches of the month, but the sheer discomfort that Barry Keoghan’s performance gave me was very hard to ignore, and it only carried on into deeper, darker, more unsettling events through the midpoint until the end of the film. Given its harrowing tone and nature, The Killing of a Sacred Deer was such a visceral experience, immediately sinking its pointed antlers into my memory forever.
4. Se7en (1995)
Unfortunately, the Internet ruined the grand reveal in the final scenes of this incredible film. That and my own ignorance of it until 27 years after its release. As a viewer, I tend to struggle with “older” crime films — sometimes they drag in ways that don’t hold my short attention span — but this film held my attention throughout, without question. I won’t say his name, but the killer portrays such a deeply disturbed man that made my skin prickle and itch every moment he was on the screen. I enjoyed the budding dynamic between Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman’s characters; Pitt’s character carried such a pompous, smug way about him, which aligned perfectly with Freeman’s yoda-esque mentorship and paternal protection over Pitt’s psyche, as a man on the elder end of the job. Se7en is haughty in its style, performances, and overall storytelling, making for a timeless crime classic.
3. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Watching this for the first time, I was aware of how beloved Mad Max is to the film community, but I never quite knew the depths of the narrative behind it. Truthfully, I thought it was based on a graphic novel since the style of the film reflects such comic book nature in visual aesthetic and general plot. Instantaneously, it became very clear why this film receives such love and admiration from its audience. What more could we ask for as an audience? Mad Max: Fury Road surprised me with its ability to draw emotions out of me through its beautiful color palette, intense, on-the-edge-of-your-seat action sequences, and stellar performances from a star-studded cast of badasses. For a movie that is 90% driving in the desert, it packed a punch for me. Also, quick shout out to the flamethrower guitarist — I wish I obtained his level of dedication.
2. Barbarian (2022)
PSA: Go to the theater and watch this while/if you still can. I saw this on opening weekend with a theater full of eager horror movie lovers, and it completely enhanced the experience for me. Without spoiling the twists and turns, it’s hard to provide an honest review of Zach Cregger’s horror masterpiece. Barbarian is made for the theatrical experience, made for a screening surrounded by friends and strangers. This horror film holds audiences in its grasp while providing successful shifts in tone and style throughout, only to carry them through an adventure through dark tunnels, popping them out at a completely different place on the other side. I left the theater both impressed and giddy by way of great filmmaking.
1. Parasite (2019)
For the longest time, I put off watching Parasite for no particular reason other than thinking it was going to be a horror film. The movie poster suggested this notion for some reason, but I was scared to be scared. But so many people This INCREDIBLE movie had me laughing so hard. I was completely in awe of the two very different family dynamics being portrayed, and I was honestly very impressed with the way the narrative unfolded for the first and second acts. Once Act Two hits the midpoint and rolls into Act Three, I couldn’t believe it. A near-perfect movie that left me gleefully astonished, appalled, and surprised throughout this offbeat, sentimental-at-its-core dark family dramedy.
Thank you for taking the time to read through September‘s Everything written is opinion-based and I am not affiliated with any of these movies, brands, or production companies. I like movies and books, and I like to talk about them.
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