abashima

Do you enjoy 1800s arctic cozy ghost story horror? Then may I recommend The Damned (2024), which sets things up scary and maybe uses two too many quiet-then-sudden-noise type cat scares, but otherwise does a good job of everything else, especially atmosphere and production, to be spooky.

Do you rarely if ever see musicals but enjoy musicals when they’re shockingly good? Then may I recommend Wicked, which—in a musical first for me—actually made me almost weepy eyed at the very end from just the Everything about All of It. The whole production is bewilderingly good.

If you like musicals, you’ve already seen it.

If you don’t like musicals—see this one anyway, and
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Do you enjoy perfect masterpieces of exquisite gothic horror? Then may I recommend Nosferatu (2024), a movie so beautifully shot that every scene is a postcard, so well acted that you may not realize humans could have that amount of control, and so well remade you’ll willingly succumb to darkness.

Do you enjoy “That’s not how this works—that’s not how any of this works” tech thrillers that aren’t? Then may I recommend a double feature of Subservience and Afraid, two movies that are so turbo charged unbelievable they blast right past silly faster you can unlock your phone with your face.

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Do you enjoy big budget Christmas enemies-to-acquaintances buddy action movies? Then may I recommend Red One, which is just what it says it is. It’s big, has excellent character design, great action sequences, a simple plot that doesn’t get in the way, and lots of Christmas magic mythology. A hoot!

Do you enjoy Liam Neeson action movies? Then may I recommend Non-Stop, an action movie starring Liam Neeson, as Liam Neeson doing action things. This time, Liam Neeson is on a plane. The movie is just what it says on the tin, with all the good and bad you expect and look forward to. Comfort movie!

Do you enjoy period piece big budget movies that’re overlong, a little overdramatic, and a little overdone? Then may I recommend Gladiator 2, our pizzatainment movie seen in theater since we have no power. It’s good, not great, has lots of fights, and Denzel steals not the scene but the whole movie.

Do you enjoy good thrillers that begin with a course in comparative religion? Then may I recommend the excellently performed and directed Heretic, which is low tense slow burn that rises a bit but doesn’t get out of hand. Instead, it relies on psychological horror almost exclusively. Well done.

Do you enjoy watching originals _after_ seeing the sequel? Then may I recommend seeing Ghostbusters: Afterlife after seeing Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. See, we had no idea there were two of them, let alone an order. Anyway, Afterlife was much better. Better plot and character development.

Do you enjoy undiscovered gems of well-performed unique vampire horror with almost no gore? Then may I recommend Blood (2022), a small story with a fresh angle script that is realized by the actors who work so well together that the movie has an unexpected heft. Michelle Monaghan in particular. I wish there was a sequel—I want to know what her character does next. Includes...
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