Happy 2026!

Happy 2026! My favorite film I saw this year was The Dig (though it was not new). Favorite show was Andor season 2, definitely. But also Stranger Things season 5 was monumental in so many ways.

A few highlights were: watching most of the Coen brothers films and a samurai film marathon. 

My goal for 2026 is to watch more films from the last 5 years, get to the theater a bit more, and revisit some Shakespearean classics and other period dramas. 

Best wishes!

Stranger Things Season 5

Stranger Things Season 5 (Matt and Ross Duffer, 2025)

Click here for the basics

Rating: DSQ=12, SP=8 / Decadence

Scale A=4, Scale B=4, Scale C=4, Scale D=4, Scale E=4

Retro, 1980s, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Thriller

I don't think I've ever cried so much during a season finale. Or thought so long and hard about all the plot lines of a show. Stranger Things Season 5 blew me away--but in ways I didn't expect. While some of the story reveals and plot twists didn't surprise me, I was still captivated. And the epic "final boss" battle was fantastic and fun to watch, even though it wasn't necessarily phenomenal. 

What really got me in this last season was: saying goodbye to these characters, this story, to childhood and the past. We saw each friendship at its peak, most powerful and most vulnerable, then watched all the friends go their separate ways. I sobbed because of how real and deeply moving each performance was. I remember being a teenager and not wanting childhood to end. I remember the many events that broke the magical veil of childhood and the instances when I realized nothing would be the same again. Stranger Things captured all of that. Sometimes it is easier to see our own lives through someone else's story. And sometimes we need to have a fantastical/sci-fi show with monsters and terror and superpowers to see our broken world more clearly. I am so glad this show was created and lasted as long as it did. I'm sure to come back to it again and again.

Read my reviews of Season 1, Season 2, Season 3, and Season 4.

--Don't understand the ratings? Click here

Wake Up, Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (Rian Johnson, 2025)

Click here for the basics

Rating: Q=6, P=6 / Average OJ

Scale 1=3, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=3

Mystery, Crime, Thriller, Comedy, Satire

This third movie in the Knives Out universe was great. I enjoyed the theme, the well-constructed plot for ultimate mystery and suspense, and the great acting. Josh Brolin is fantastic as a cynical, cruel priest and Glenn Close is... well, creepy and glorious as ever. I also enjoyed watching Josh O'Connor as the main character. Also some good satire and hilarious moments throughout. Another fun escape!

--Don't understand the ratings? Click here

Samurai Marathon: Ran

On our recent trip to Toronto and Algonquin park we read about a Kurosawa marathon happening in major cities in the US. Lamenting that we wouldn't be able to see these stunning, classic films on the big screen we decided to do the next best thing: have our own "Samurai Marathon" in the comfort of our own home. It wouldn't be quite the same, but still a lot of fun.

Ran (Akira Kurosawa, 1985)

Click here for the basics

Rating: Q=7, P=6 / Can't Get Enough

Scale 1=4, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=3

Samurai, Epic, Action, Shakespeare

I was thoroughly mesmerized at this brilliant, tragic, and beautiful adaptation of Shakespeare's King Lear. Kurosawa's masterpiece, many claim. I mostly agree--though some of his earlier films have more subtle, thought-provoking artistry. Ran, in contrast, is full of vibrant color, chaos, and silent drama. I felt that the tragedy of King Lear works even better in a samurai setting, with selfish brothers vying for power. There is so much tension. Kurosawa is able to build so much emotional anxiety in his pacing and emphasis on Hidetora's rapid downfall and insanity.  

--Don't understand the ratings? Click here