Film Short Takes: 45 One-Line Reviews
First published on my writing site: www.aliamin.info/2026/10/film-short-takes/
My shortest Letterboxd reviews, from July 2025 to February 2026, newest first. Copied as written; they may contain spoilers.
- Lady Vengeance (2005), 3.5/5, February 2026: Pretty disjointed. Some disorienting transitions. Very clearly the work of a Park Chan Wook in process.
- The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), 4/5, February 2026: His style wasn’t completely developed here
- La Haine (1995), 5/5, February 2026: “Do you believe in God? That’s the wrong question. The correct question is: does God believe in us?”
- It Was Just an Accident (2025), 3/5, February 2026: Very disappointing. Meandering. Directionless. Morally confused.
- How Green Was My Valley (1941), 5/5, January 2026: I think this is way better than Citizen Kane.
- Saloum (2021), 3.5/5, January 2026: Sinners prototype
- True Grit (1969), 3.5/5, January 2026: John Wayne is the stiffest “actor” a person will ever lay eyes on
- The Wind Rises (2013), 3.5/5, January 2026: My least favorite Miyazaki movie. This is perhaps the only one that has no real reason to be an anime.
- Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005), 4/5, December 2025: Jumanji in space
- Memories of Murder (2003), 4.5/5, December 2025: Beautifully shot but just missing some narrative depth with the plot. Some of the most gorgeous cinematography you’ll ever see.
- Caddo Lake (2024), 4.5/5, November 2025: Brilliant mind bender
- Bugonia (2025), 3/5, November 2025: This movie has no idea what it’s trying to say
- The Strange Thing About the Johnsons (2011), 4/5, September 2025: One of the most horrific pieces of media you’ll ever see
- Burning (2018), 2.5/5, September 2025: Another insufferable slow burn. Please make it stop
- Jeremiah Johnson (1972), 5/5, September 2025: One of the best Westerns of all time and it’s set in the snowy mountains.
- Caught Stealing (2025), 4/5, August 2025: A good old fashioned 90s action movie with all the tropes and some unexpected surprises.
- Grave of the Fireflies (1988), 5/5, August 2025: One of the most important films ever made
- Nomadland (2020), 1.5/5, August 2025: One of those unbearably boring “slow burn” films with absolutely nothing to say and nothing to give
- Drive My Car (2021), 1/5, August 2025: Another painfully intolerably slow burn
- Nope (2022), 2.5/5, August 2025: I feel like Peele had one brilliant idea for a movie and is now sputtering out of control.
- The Cabin in the Woods (2011), 4.5/5, August 2025: A total subversion of the entire horror genre
- All Quiet on the Western Front (2022), 5/5, August 2025: A brutal depiction of the reality and senselessness of war
- Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022), 5/5, August 2025: An instant sci-fi action drama classic. On par with The Matrix and The Fifth Element.
- Knives Out (2019), 5/5, August 2025: A perfect Agatha Christie esque whodunnit translated to film
- Iron Man (2008), 2.5/5, August 2025: Back when it was still vogue to include every possible stereotype about Arabs & Muslims
- Parasite (2019), 5/5, August 2025: A masterpiece. A subtle yet darkly hilarious meditation on class & capitalism.
- Dune: Part Two (2024), 3.5/5, August 2025: This should have been better
- Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood (2019), 3/5, August 2025: Perhaps the worst Tarantino film. Boring.
- The Hateful Eight (2015), 3/5, August 2025: How do we get Tarantino to go back to making interesting movies?
- Good Will Hunting (1997), 2.5/5, August 2025: One of the most over rated films ever
- The Woman in Black (2012), 2.5/5, August 2025: If you make heaven canon in your horror film the horror is gone because all the characters have to do is die and they’re good forever.
- Speak No Evil (2022), 2/5, August 2025: Gratuitous torture porn intended to drive home the lesson of self assertiveness.
- Sinners (2025), 4/5, July 2025: Too many ideas, all of them interesting. Needed more focus.
- Karate Kid: Legends (2025), 3.5/5, July 2025: They had two scripts and just collaged them together I guess
- Black Bag (2025), 2.5/5, July 2025: Tries so hard to be smart that it only succeeds in being irritating and forgettable
- Companion (2025), 3.5/5, July 2025: This will probably happen in less than ten years
- Drop (2025), 3.5/5, July 2025: The first half was so good. The second half was so dumb. The result is a mediocre film in aggregate that had the potential for greatness
- Trap (2024), 4/5, July 2025: One of my favorite M. Night movies
- Don't Breathe (2016), 2.5/5, July 2025: It just gets more ridiculous
- Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022), 3/5, July 2025: Basically a mediocre film with a nice twist
- Pig (2021), 4.5/5, July 2025: This film is on the cusp of greatness. Incredibly well done.
- The Nun's Story (1959), 4.5/5, July 2025: The final shot is one of my favorites in film history.
- Nocturnal Animals (2016), 3/5, July 2025: I literally cannot remember this film and almost rewatched it. It’s that forgettable.
- Mystic River (2003), 2.5/5, July 2025: What an absolute mess of a film. Nonsensical plot. I can’t believe so many big name actors are involved in this mess.
- Friendship (2024), 3/5, July 2025: Ari Aster social anxiety but trying to be funny
More of my film diary is on Letterboxd, and more of what I watch, read and eat is on my portfolio: alishukriamin.com.
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