notethetwo

I went into this with zero expectations, just an algorithm recommendation and a horror itch to scratch. For most of the runtime I had no idea what I was watching. There were threads that were clearly connected, told out of order, building a dread I couldn't place yet. There's no big twist, just a slow click into place where earlier scenes suddenly make sense. That recontextualization is the film's best trick. Pacing dragged at points, but overall it was a genuinely interesting, unsettling watch.

80 _41%

Saint Maud (2020) - Rated 14 Jun 2026

Saint Maud is one of those films that picks a few ideas and commits to them completely. No padding, no over-explaining, just a tight focus on Maud's psychology. I expected something more conventionally "horror," but got something quieter and weirder, built entirely on interior collapse. Shot after shot feels like a painting, giving the whole thing a hushed, devotional quality that matches her delusion. Everything else clicks into place too, and it ends right where it needs to.

70 _13%

A Serbian Film (2010) - Rated 06 May 2026

Sits in an uncomfortable middle ground for me. It's not amateur, and the lead earns enough sympathy to make the back half land hard. But landing hard is the whole pitch, and that's where it loses me. The supposed message about Serbia and complicity feels less like the engine and more like an alibi. It's built to be read as smart extremity, which is its own kind of tell. I don't think it shouldn't exist. I just don't think there's anything left in it once the shock wears off.

85 _62%

Kill List (2011) - Rated 03 Jan 2026

Kill List didn’t hit me with the level of shock I was expecting, which is probably more about hype than the film itself. It’s bleak and mean spirited, but it's also honest? It blended realism and trauma with an underlying sense that something is deeply wrong long before the genre shift arrives. The final act doesn’t feel random, but inevitable, like this outcome has been circling the mains for years. I wanted more closure, but the abruptness reinforces the nihilism rather than undermining it.

75 _23%

Rookies (2025) - Rated 03 Jan 2026

Heated Rivalry pulled me in quickly, mostly on novelty alone. I never expected to see something like this built around my favorite sport. Once that initial hook settles, the story itself feels pretty basic, but the chemistry is real and hot. It’s clearly eye candy, and I’m a little skeptical of how deep it’ll go, but it also feels made by people who genuinely care. Even if it stays mostly surface-level, I can already tell I’m going to get attached to these two leads.

65 _8%

Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025) - Rated 02 Jan 2026

Avatar has always favored spectacle over script, but Fire and Ash is the first time the visuals feel like they’re running on fumes. The Ash People offered a chance for grit and the story ignores some compelling emotional stakes, like Neytiri’s grief, to focus on the grating presence of Spider. Without a "wow" factor to mask the thin writing, this 3 hour slog fails to expand the world in any meaningful way.

100 _93%

The Sopranos (1999) - Rated 15 Dec 2025

The Sopranos is THE blueprint for prestige TV. It's flawlessly written, psychologically rich, and endlessly rewatchable. The characters are so well drawn you forget they’re fictional, and the show’s ability to shift focus from mob politics to existential dread, is masterful. The final episode still stirs debate, but to me, it’s a perfect close: ambiguous, unsettling, and deeply in tune with the show's themes. Every rewatch reveals something new, which is the mark of true greatness.

85 _62%

Predator: Badlands (2025) - Rated 24 Nov 2025

Badlands feels like a fresh take on the franchise, but in a way that works. The team dynamic is simple yet effective and seeing things from the Predator’s perspective gives the story a fresh kick. The action-comedy lands well, keeping the movie consistently fun and engaging. The Weyland-Yutani tie-in pulled me out for a bit (only because it got my brain spinning with possibilities) but it’s the kind of lore nod I love. Overall, it’s a solid, enjoyable entry that knows exactly what it’s doing.

99 _85%

The Thing (1982) - Rated 14 Nov 2025

The Thing still completely holds up on a rewatch. Parts of it feel a little rough around the edges, almost like a grindhouse movie, but once the paranoia kicks in it just locks you in. The creature effects and big moments, like the kennel scene and the head falling off the body, are still wild to watch and almost too crazy to believe. The ending also hits the perfect kind of bleak. It’s tense, atmospheric, and really one of my favorite horror films because of how deep it pulls you in.

80 _41%

The Night Comes for Us (2018) - Rated 23 Oct 2025

The Night Comes for Us delivers some of the most brutal and technically jaw-dropping fight scenes in recent memory, especially the hotel showdown with The Operator, which is just pure chaos in the best way. But that same intensity ends up wearing you down; by the end, the film’s relentless pace starts to feel numbing instead of thrilling. It’s impressive for what it achieves on a technical level, but the lack of emotional weight keeps it from being more than a showcase of violence.