What I Was Watching in October 2022
I finally made my way back into the theaters! Between this and my reviews, I’ve made my Regal membership get one heck of a workout. I’m trying to cross off all the movies on my list that are just semi-intriguing so I have a fully open “schedule” to watch all the Oscar bait films as they start rolling in over the next couple of months. Bring it on!
Domino
HBO Max
This movie is a legitimate mess, but I had an amazing time watching it. I discovered another friend has a love of movies that take the turn from so bad to good, and since I’ll watch anything Keira Knightley even thinks about doing, it was a perfect choice for a random movie night. Apparently, it’s based on a true story, but they took quite a few liberties, so who knows how far off it is.
The Verdict: 2.75/5
Meet Cute
Peacock
I will tell you right now that I could have sworn to you I would never be truly emotionally moved by a Pete Davidson performance, and yet, here I am, having sobbed at a pseudo romantic comedy starring him and Kaley Cuoco. Without shame. If you have Peacock, it’s well worth a watch. It’s funny, touching and all around a great experience. I’m surprised by how much I loved it.
The Verdict: 4/5
See How They Run
In theaters
I simultaneously truly enjoyed this film and also can’t remember much about it. There was a lot of tongue in cheek humor and winks at the audience and Saoirse Ronan was an utter delight. I hate that so much of it is a void in my mind. The cast was stacked, and the mystery was enjoyable, but the narration may not be everyone’s favorite storytelling tool.
The Verdict: 3.5/5
Amsterdam
In theaters
For being about a stranger-than-fiction true story, this movie fell impressively flat. It was wandering, often boring and full of accents that were absolutely more comical than intended. I vaguely remember not being impressed with David O. Russell’s American Hustle but adoring Silver-Linings Playbook and, despite an incredible cast, Amsterdam falls into the same category as the former.
The Verdict: 2.5/5
Black Adam
In theaters
An entertainment journalist I admire greatly summed up the main issue with this movie concisely and perfectly, and I’m not sure I could do better, so I’m stealing from him. The problem is Dwayne Johnson, a man known for his charm and charisma, was cast in the lead role as a god-esque character that has zero charm and next to no personality in general.
The Verdict: 2.5/5
The Da Vinci Code
HBO Max
This may be on me, but I had it in my head this movie was basically a kindred spirit to the National Treasure franchise. And there are similarities, but wow, did this one make some leaps that made Nic Cage’s series seem grounded in reality. Full disclaimer: I am Catholic, but I am not defensive of the church’s portrayal by any means, but rather baffled by some of the choices made.
The Verdict: 2.5/5
Angels & Demons
HBO Max
And here we go. I thought the first had to be the worse of the two based solely off rotten tomatoes scores, but despite this one being more interesting, it was paced so poorly and yet incredibly predictable, so it was no better than it’s predecessor. Okay, that’s a lie. I would have rated it 2 out of 5, but this one gave me Ewan McGregor, so it bumped it up half a point.
The Verdict: 2.5/5
Man, it feels good to be back on my movie game. It’s also a lot of fun to “force” myself to watch films outside of my comfort zone. Definitely something I want to keep up with.