Contagion (2011) - 3/5

The most fascinating part of this movie is its predictive qualities, weaving its narrative like CNN coverage of 2020, albeit nine years before it happened. The direction is dry but the acting, cinematography, and editing more than make up for it. The story is grounded and human, taking the good with the bad in a docudrama style that works well for the subject matter. Unfortunately, it doesn’t really go anywhere and can’t manage to pull the threads together in the end.

Content warning: mild gore

Closest comparison: It’s like Munich by way of Babel.

Setting: Spy Thriller
Plot: Disaster
Tone: DocuDrama

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) - 5/5

This is a movie that starts off fairly normal, gets weird and surreal in the middle, and then somehow manages to resolve in a surprisingly simple and straightforward ending. Jim Carrey is at his best and delivers an amazing, moving performance, and Kate Winslet has a lot of chemistry with him. Since many of the special effects were achieved in-camera and with precision editing, it still holds up after 14 years. Like all good sci-fi, it manages to be simultaneously high-concept and personally relatable. It’s a modern classic for good reason, and a must-see film fans.

Closest Comparison: It’s like Requiem for a Dream, but with hopeful realism in place of gritty despair.

Setting: Modern
Tone: Drama
Plot: Sci-fi

Mary and the Witch's Flower (2017) - 3/5

When Studio Ponoc split from Studio Ghibli, it took with it the stylistic sensibilities. This looks very much like a Miyazaki film, complete with beautiful scenery and villains labeled ‘misguided’, not ‘evil’. The characters are not as likable or well-realized as their Miyazaki counterparts, though the world building is quite good. The film does end abruptly, in that the last few minutes introduce a new idea that the main character pursues without establishing it at all. Had the script been through a few more drafts it could have been a much better movie.

Closest Comparison: It’s like a mashup of Castle in the Sky, Kiki’s Delivery Service, and Spirited Away, with bits of Howl’s Moving Castle.