Current Things: March 2025

Currently Reading

Currently reading: The Signal and the Noise by Nate Silver 📚

Currently Watching

Currently In Queue

Currently Listening

Currently Planning

  • Been too busy planning trips to blog about them!

Concurrently

  • Got through my week of watching all the best picture nominees– save I’m Still Here, which isn’t streaming or on VOD yet. Would love to have supported this one by going to the theater, but couldn’t make it work this week.
  • Here’s my ranking of the Best Picture nominees:

Time for my 100% correct ranking✝ of this year’s Oscar Best Picture Nominees:

  1. Anora
  2. The Brutalist
  3. Dune Part Two
  4. Nickel Boys
  5. Conclave
  6. A Complete Unknown
  7. Wicked
  8. Emilia Perez
  9. The Substance

✝Give or take an ‘I’m Still Here’

Finished in February:

Nickel Boys: mundane horror is still horror

Conclave: I could have used about a half click more pulp, but can’t complain too much with these performances, cinematography, and score. It’s not the main focus of the movie by any stretch, but it’s a nice warning about process getting in the way of humanity.

A Complete Unknown: interesting twist on the biopic where instead of learning more about the subject, you walk away almost feeling like you know less. It does a good job of illustrating Dylan’s talent, but doesn’t shy away from the possibility that he doesn’t stand for anything but contrarianism

The Brutalist: I’m a sucker for these types of movies that attempt to comment on an America as reflected in an individual’s experience. I’m a bit more hopeful about our chances than The Brutalist, so keep me on Team Anora for the moment.

The Substance: The idea is fine, but this movie needed someone who could realize it better than it was. It’s a textbook case of a solid first act with zero clue of where to go from there. (See also American Fiction from last year)

Emilia PĂ©rez: This felt like a high school production of Emilia PĂ©rez. I don’t mean that entirely derogatory

Dog Man: Nailed the spirit, but didn’t quite capture the energy of the comics. Still, even attempting to bring this to the screen was a big endeavor and I’m impressed how much they were able to fit in mostly organically

(Oh yeah, kids loved it. Guess that’s what’s important
)

Previously, in Current Things…

February 2025
January 2025
December 2024
November 2024
October 2024
September 2024
August 2024
July 2024
June 2024
May 2024
April 2024
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022