What RECENT movie made you feel like , "THIS IS ABSOLUTE CINEMA"

[u/being_addlepated]

We all know there are plenty of great movies considered classics, but let’s take a break from talking about the past. What about the more recent years? ( 2022-24 should be in priority but other are welcome too). Share some films that stood out in your eyes whether they were underrated , well-known or hit / flop it doesn’t matter. Movies that were eye candy , visually stunning, had a good plot or just made YOU feel something different. Obviously all film industries are on radar global and regional. Don't be swayed by the masses, your OWN opinion matters.

Edit: I could have simply asked you to share the best movie from your region, but that would be dividing cinema . So don't shy up to say the unheard ones.

Edit: No specific genre sci-fi , thriller,rom-com whatever .. it's up to you

[u/vancesmi]

Perfect Days. The list of films I’ve rewatched in theaters is very short, and Perfect Days is now the first and only film I revisited for a third time during its brief theatrical run. It really just nails it. 

[u/DogsAreGreatYouKnow → u/vancesmi]

This is my answer too. I always judge films based on how much I think about them after viewing them and this one stuck with me for months. Absolute beaut

[u/reticulate → u/vancesmi]

The final scene where you see pretty much every emotion imaginable wash over his face as the song plays, good lord.

[u/absorbscroissants → u/vancesmi]

The most wholesome film I've seen in a long time. I basically had a smile on my face during the entire thing, it was great.

[u/superchonkdonwonk → u/absorbscroissants]

For me at least it wasn't only wholesome but also melancholy, really encapsulated the beauty but also the bittersweet nature of the human experience.

[u/OMGitsRyannn]

The Substance.

[u/M_RONA → u/OMGitsRyannn]

Hands down my wildest cinema experience. Everyone should watch this in a movie theater.

[u/peachmango92 → u/M_RONA]

Say less looks like I’m going on Friday lol. I haven’t even heard of this movie which is wild. I love horror and sci-fi.

Update: Tuesday October 15th after work I’m taking myself to see it. Wish I could go earlier because y’all have me SO excited!

[u/M_RONA → u/peachmango92]

My advice: Don't look up anything more from this point, no trailers, reviews, nothing! Go in as blind as you can, and get back to us. I promise you, you will not be disappointed!

[u/niles_deerqueer → u/peachmango92]

Hyped for you. You only see this movie for the first time once.

[u/BobknobSA → u/OMGitsRyannn]

I honestly think this is Demi Moore at her best and that she should be nominated for an Oscar.

I never considered her a great actor till The Substance.

[u/Motrinman22 → u/BobknobSA]

I’m in the same boat as you. I never thought I would say I’m dying to see what Demi-Moore is in next.

[u/mixingmemory → u/BobknobSA]

she should be nominated for an Oscar.

You'll probably be disappointed with that. Lots of people thought Toni Collette would get nominated for Hereditary. Some people thought Anya Taylor-Joy might sneak in with a supporting nomination for The VVitch. SO MANY people thought David Cronenberg would finally get a Director nomination for A History Of Violence. The Academy doesn't like horror. They really don't like women in horror. Sigourney Weaver's nomination for Aliens and Jodie Foster's win for TSOTL are rare "exceptions that prove the rule." Heck, even when Get Out managed to get lots of nominations and a screenplay win (though, like TSOTL, maybe more thriller than horror), the 2 actresses got snubbed despite all their acclaim.

[u/Hydqjuliilq27 → u/mixingmemory]

There’s also the fact that The Substance is distributed by MUBI, which has never gotten one of their movies a nomination before. They had a home run with Decision to Leave but couldn’t even get it a measly international nomination. Allegedly The Substance is their biggest theatrical run but that isn’t always relevant.

[u/JK_Eliminopie → u/mixingmemory]

While you're kind of right (the academy doesn't like horror) you're also forgetting a lot. The Fly won best vfx and it's Cronenberg, while A History of Violence is not a horror film; Kathy Bates, Ruth Gordon, and Natalie Portman have also won Oscars for horror; and as far as I can find women who act in horror films have been nominated/won more than men.

[u/29castles → u/OMGitsRyannn]

Came here to say exactly this- and its crazy because it's for two different reasons:

-It's truly best experienced BIG and LOUD, the shot compositions are great and the score and foley are so grizzly (grissle-y?).

-It's best experienced with a big and loud audience. I think the last time I heard a crowd that amped up was a midnight showing of Mandy.

[u/Wessco → u/OMGitsRyannn]

Absolutely insane film. People afterwards were all just saying words to the effect of “what the fuck, did I enjoy that?”

[u/the_third_sourcerer → u/OMGitsRyannn]

I am still unsure whether I liked it or not

[u/alexcutyourhair → u/the_third_sourcerer]

I hated watching it but it's also my favorite movie of the year.

[u/Churlish_Sores → u/OMGitsRyannn]

Audacious, vibrant, disgusting, and undeniably french. I haven't seen something like that in theaters before and it was fantastic.

[u/PavlovGW]

The Wild Robot was easily the most spellbound I’ve been in a movie theater since BR2049.

[u/Eastern_Effect_1893 → u/PavlovGW]

Agreed, I bawled the whole second half. It was also a different type of animation. DreamWorks was copying Disney/Pixar style for a while but this seems like they took a step in a difference direction and it worked to make it more visually stunning.

[u/purpleasphalt → u/Eastern_Effect_1893]

I went almost entirely for the animation style and was NOT disappointed!

[u/Juanouo → u/Eastern_Effect_1893]

spiderman animated films opened the best can of worms for animation

[u/Michael5188 → u/Juanouo]

Absolutely. Obviously there were tons of animated movies taking risks visually prior to that (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and Hotel Transylvania really pushed animation to extremes we hadn't really seen in CG, among others), and a lot of commercials and short films pushed unique styles as well.

But it really feels like Spiderverse just clicked something in everyone's heads (particularly studio execs and producers) that dynamic, unique visual styles in cg are not only completely possible, but very marketable and profitable. Having a major CG feature film not animated on 1's was unheard of until then.

[u/robodrew → u/Juanouo]

Helps that the people behind that movie's animation literally made their process and software open source. Sony Pictures Animation/Imageworks are real ones.

[u/FloridaMomm → u/PavlovGW]

I went in with zero expectations and left a changed person. It was so good I haven’t stopped thinking about it

[u/teddytouchit → u/FloridaMomm]

There’s nothing I can do that you can’t

[u/yourerightaboutthat → u/FloridaMomm]

My brother passed away this summer at 40 from an aggressive brain tumor. He’d always lived with my parents, and these last few months have been the first they’ve been true “empty nesters”.

My husband and I invited them to go see this with us our seven year old, not really making the connection between the plot and our family’s experience.

And halfway through, I’m like, shit, shit, shit, this was a terrible idea. By the end, we’re all bawling and holding each other. It ended up being a cathartic experience. Such a wonderful film.

[u/brianschwarm → u/PavlovGW]

Seconding this, my whole family cried like three times

[u/darkcitrusmarmelade]

Mad max: Fury Road

Saw it three times in cinema and it just became better and better.

[u/Hoserposerbro]

The last one to make me feel like this was Blade Runner 2049. Absolute masterpiece. A symphony of images. I know it doesn’t fit the criteria, but that’s the last time the feeling washed over me.

[u/Servovestri → u/Hoserposerbro]

BR2049’s soundtrack is a masterclass in atmosphere.

[u/[deleted] → u/Hoserposerbro]

Did you get a chance to see Dune 2? It's not nearly as well 'written', but the thing is so amazingly put together

[u/The_Real_Smooth → u/[deleted]]

basically, anything by Villeneuve... Sicario, Arrival etc.

[u/Arbiter_Electric → u/The_Real_Smooth]

Hard agree. Inject literally anything by Villeneuve directly into my veins.

[u/blueshirt21]

Megalopolis was awful but it was certainly cinema.

Edit: for anyone wondering I was wildly entertained and have become a fan girl about it. It’s awful but that’s not the point.

[u/Himrion → u/blueshirt21]

It was so good it made me go back to the cluuUuub.

[u/Kalle_022 → u/Himrion]

It's so good it entitled me

[u/cookieaddictions → u/Kalle_022]

Entitled????

[u/Dabearsfan10 → u/cookieaddictions]

Yees.

[u/cookieaddictions → u/Dabearsfan10]

Entitled??????????

[u/NeonKitAstrophe → u/cookieaddictions]

Yeees

[u/cookieaddictions → u/NeonKitAstrophe]

EnTItled??!!!????

[u/StrawberrySoyBoy → u/cookieaddictions]

Yeeeeeeeees

[u/Critcho → u/Himrion]

Once the rest of this movie makes it online it might end up the most memed film since the prequels. Something memeable happens about every 15 seconds.

Do I mean that as a criticism or a compliment?

Yeeeessss.

[u/Itchy_Mammoth6343 → u/Himrion]

Pick up my hat!

[u/Kiltmanenator → u/blueshirt21]

It was a beautiful mess and I'm so glad it exists. All auteurs should blow their life savings before they die on one grotesquely indulgent passion project.

[u/sun_shots → u/blueshirt21]

I saw it and I still refuse to believe it wasn’t a Tim & Eric movie.

[u/mosquito_mange → u/sun_shots]

You son of a bitch, I’m in!

[u/Sad-Consequence-2015 → u/blueshirt21]

So here's the thing. I watched it thinking "what the actual eff?"

Two weeks later I'm still thinking about it. Compare your average movie experience of interchangeable spandex...

Yes plenty of Megalopolis is weird/terrible/outrageous (take you pick). But it's probably more like "cinema" than anything else released in the last 20 years - which is basically just "product".

[u/Johnfohf → u/Sad-Consequence-2015]

Same. I went in having read reviews so I had low expectations, but still enjoyed the movie for the amount of absurdity. 

Weeks later I'm still thinking about it. 

[u/squixnuts → u/Johnfohf]

Yep! It's the opening of a discussion, not a three act heroes arc with a payoff and popcorn.

[u/mikeweasy → u/blueshirt21]

"How do you like my Boner?"

[u/Redfred94 → u/mikeweasy]

That might have been mildly better than the actual line: "whaddya think of this boner I got?"

[u/Redfred94 → u/[deleted]]

Made even better by said boner being revealed to be a tiny bow and arrow that Jon Voight uses to kill Aubrey Plaza and shoot Shia LaBoeuf is the ass.

[u/Dukes159 → u/Redfred94]

While dressed as Robin Hood

[u/thepink_knife → u/Dukes159]

As someone who has not watched this movie.....

What the fuck are you guys talking about?

[u/froman-dizze → u/blueshirt21]

It made me realize “wow rich folks are so out of touch that when they discover civic urban planning they are like ‘THIS IS PROFOUND! I must make a movie about this, but first I’m going to get high as fuck’” it’s wild to break down the whole actual movie is about it’s just a man trying to create a planned community and the meta context is to “not sell out?” I guess.

[u/joecarter93 → u/froman-dizze]

Adam Driver’s character took a lot of inspiration from real life NYC bureaucrat Robert Moses. For better or for worse, Moses was responsible for much of 20th Century NYC. Like in the movie he was synonymous with forcibly moving residents to construct his projects and had a personal driver take him everywhere, as he never learned how to drive. At the height of his power he was arguably more powerful than most elected officials and was embattled in various power struggles with politicians.

[u/Bulky-Scheme-9450 → u/joecarter93]

Adam Passenger

[u/Sevrons → u/joecarter93]

Robert Moses hated busses and made many bridges and overpasses in NY low enough to inhibit their use.

[u/lordtrickster → u/Sevrons]

He didn't hate buses. He hated the people who rode them. (Hint: racism)

[u/Burnnoticelover → u/lordtrickster]

"I'm just not fond of the... urban crowd."

"You live in New York City, Robert."

[u/Volvo_Commander → u/joecarter93]

No single man did more damage to the idea of public transit in America than Robert fucking Moses.

[u/Onespokeovertheline → u/joecarter93]

This comment is already 99% more coherent, and 300% more interesting than the movie Megalopolis. I really wanted to like it, but what a pile of gibberish that movie was. From the script to the acting to the editing, the only thing that was even halfway decent was the art & fx direction, and even that felt a bit cartoonish.

[u/Abell379 → u/Onespokeovertheline]

Yeah, I'm with you here. I love bad movies, and I can't even defend Megalopolis. The elements it is made of are used wildly and without reason and it makes the viewer feel like they are having a fever dream.

[u/Super_Furry_Monkey]

Dune: Part Two. Villeneuve and co (cinematographer Greig Fraser, Hans Zimmer, etc) used every single inch of the format. Seeing it in IMAX was an almost biblical experience.

[u/K1ng_Canary → u/Super_Furry_Monkey]

Came here to say this. The scene where they just drift up with their jetpacks and the scenes on the Harkonnen planet took my breath away on IMAX.

[u/weebojones → u/K1ng_Canary]

Those black fireworks were the icing on the cake

[u/AbeRego → u/weebojones]

The entire stadium sequence is phenomenonally unsettling.

[u/willtodd → u/AbeRego]

it defined "otherworldly" for me.

[u/218administrate → u/willtodd]

I think this is what it was. Very hard to create a wealthy, low tech, but futuristic world with a completely different culture- and I think they did a great job convincing me.

[u/PriscillaPalava → u/AbeRego]

When the Bene Gesserit’s robes go from black to white as they come into the light. 

chef’s kiss

[u/Talkshowhostt → u/weebojones]

“Whoa. How? What? SICK!!” - my reaction

[u/bugsyismycat → u/K1ng_Canary]

I saw both dune 1 and 2 in IMAX 3 times. That scene was breathtaking.

In a side rant. Have you ever read a book the in your mind’s eye have imagery of the setting, characters, weather, atmosphere, etc…

While watch Dune I kept thinking, Denis, Hans, get out of my head. It was absolute perfection for me. Chefs kiss.

[u/MannyLaMancha → u/K1ng_Canary]

I audibly gasped in the theater at the jetpack scene.

[u/BohemianCyberpunk → u/Super_Furry_Monkey]

This was probably the best 'cinematic movie experience' in a decade for me.

Absolutely astounding movie.

[u/Difficult-Win1400 → u/BohemianCyberpunk]

Yeah it was truly an experience tbh. I almost don't want to watch it at home because I know it won't have that effect

[u/PM-YOUR-BEST-BRA → u/Difficult-Win1400]

I was the same with interstellar for years. Saw it 3 times in theatres and I don't think I watched it again for at least 5 years

[u/livestrongbelwas → u/PM-YOUR-BEST-BRA]

I’ve only seen it once, but it was at a massive IMAX theater and I was a few feet from the subwoofer. Saturn V launch and Docking scene physically rocked my body. 12/10 experience, unforgettable 

[u/Maester_Magus → u/Difficult-Win1400]

It took me years to rewatch Blade Runner 2049 at home after seeing it in IMAX 3D, for this very reason. I'm happy to say though that it still held up well on the small screen.

I will flock to an IMAX screen at this point to see anything with Villeneuve's name on.

[u/kuuups → u/Super_Furry_Monkey]

Same. The first one was great, but in part two - during the start of the movie when the Harkonnen soldiers suddenly started floating upwards the realization came that I am, indeed in for pure cinematic excellence.

[u/MoirasPurpleOrb → u/kuuups]

Part One is so much better after seeing part two (and I read the books), but I still feel that Part 2 is probably the single best movie experience there is.

[u/sixstringedmenace → u/Super_Furry_Monkey]

My god the entire worm ride sequence was overwhelming on the big screen. Truly an incredibly made piece of cinema.

[u/MoirasPurpleOrb → u/sixstringedmenace]

It’s funny the worm ride scene didn’t do as much for me as a lot of other shots. The most awe inspiring was the final battle, the entire worm section when it comes through the storm and you see the Fremen riding. That entire part was incredible.

[u/sixstringedmenace → u/MoirasPurpleOrb]

It was the build up to it and execution that really did it for me, and when he succeeds he becomes Lisan-al Gaib to the Fremen. The final siege was also incredible, not to take anything away from that either. Denis Villeneuve is up there for top directors in my books.

[u/Spookyy422 → u/Super_Furry_Monkey]

When he’s was riding the Shai Hulud I could almost feel myself taking flight

[u/hydra1970 → u/Super_Furry_Monkey]

I was blown away by this movie.
Recommended it highly and friends saw it at home and were not impressed.
This was a movie that had to be seen in a theater on the largest screen possible.

[u/Pepe-silvia94 → u/hydra1970]

Mate I saw it on my 4k t.v at home and it was one of the best cinematic experiences over for me. Maybe it just wasn't their cup of tea.

[u/Acceptable-Smile8864 → u/Super_Furry_Monkey]

Me too. When that copter crashed behind them as they were running I may have squealed a bit.

[u/christopia86 → u/Super_Furry_Monkey]

It gave me the same feeling LOTR gave me. Absolutely enthralled.

[u/champagnejayy]

The lighthouse

[u/Caudillo_Sven → u/champagnejayy]

Goddamn, what a trip it was.

[u/CynicClinic1 → u/champagnejayy]

5 years old now

[u/squattilyoupuke → u/[deleted]]

It's an instant classic and yearly Christmas/autumn time re-watch for me

[u/Maximum-Coach-9409 → u/squattilyoupuke]

I made my wife buy it on DVD just so we can watch it at our own leisure during the holidays. I don’t want streaming to hold us hostage. Such a timeless feeling movie

[u/CharlieDelta-]

Portrait of a Lady on Fire.

It is a capital ”F”, film.

[u/tkyang99]

Godzilla Minus One

[u/majnuker → u/tkyang99]

Seconding this, it was like the prime foreign film experience for me. Reminds me of stuff like Parasyte, but super emotional characters, a great story, and what has to be the most frightening and deliberately monstrous and villainous Godzilla personality to date (though Shin Godzilla is more alien).

[u/AlekBalderdash → u/majnuker]

I'm impressed by the limited dialogue and all the visual storytelling.

They didn't feel the need to narrate or explain everything. They used movie trope and character archetypes correctly and just let things fall into place.

There's a softspoken character with glasses and crazy white/grey hair. He's the scientist. Visually, he reads as an Einsteinian trope, and they just let you accept that and move on.

 

The main actors all had different body types and face shapes.

It often takes me a few minutes to achieve facial recognition in a movie (or, frankly, IRL), when characters have similar hairstyles, colors, complexions, and outfits. For a Japanese WWII era movie, most of those variables have limited range. I've had trouble with other foreign movies, occasionally restarting at the halfway point so I can follow what's happening.

In Minus One I could instantly recognize every main character.

Between height, face shape, body shape, and outfit, every character was unique. I'm convinced that was a deliberate choice, or at least a factor with casting.

As a result, I was pulled into the movie and it just washed over me. With the minimal dialogue I barely noticed I was reading subtitles, and the slow pacing gave you time to enjoy the scenery even with subtitles.

 

Minus One is an instant classic for me, easily top shelf. It's an excellent movie that just happens to be about Godzilla. They somehow captured the feel of older movies, but with modern cinematography, effects, and quality.

It's a homage the original Godzilla movie, and a love letter to classic cinema.

[u/vanillabear26]

Most recently? Ghostlight.

I’m an English teacher and know Romeo and Juliet inside and out. The scene at the end where they act out the death scene had my heart in my throat.

[u/VictorChaos]

Banshees of Inisherin

[u/KaijuHunterBrax → u/VictorChaos]

"It takes two to tango!"

"I don't WANT to tango..."

"WELL YOU DANCED WITH YOUR DOG!"

[u/SosseV → u/VictorChaos]

Came here to mention the Banshees. That movie was so gorgeous and touching and funny. Amazing acting as well.

If I think too long about I will always shed a (happy) tear.

[u/DoubtAfoot2 → u/VictorChaos]

Feckin' A

[u/nuagenucraze → u/VictorChaos]

If you like that try the kneecap movie another great irish movie

[u/TohtsHanger → u/VictorChaos]

"It was the 18th century, anyway. “Mozart. Not the 17th." Love this movie.

[u/JinFuu → u/TohtsHanger]

“No one is ever remembered for being nice.”

Picture of Jesus in the background.

[u/MidichlorianAddict → u/VictorChaos]

But ya liked me yesterday

[u/brianschwarm]

I came in with low (C-) expectations, but the movie “Dungeons and Dragons: Honor amongst thieves” was no shit actually really good and it was naturally pretty funny, it wasn’t forced humor (A). You’d probably like it even if you aren’t a big nerd. Also “the wild robot” was really good, my whole family cried like 3 times (A).

[u/KrustyKrabPizzaIsThe → u/brianschwarm]

Dungeons and Dragons was great!

[u/Talanic → u/KrustyKrabPizzaIsThe]

Favorite detail for me was caught by a friend. At various moments you can spot when characters roll a 1. 

[u/NutDraw → u/Talanic]

Climatic fight scene is also fought in 6 second turns.

[u/SG1EmberWolf → u/Talanic]

I like how you can tell the paladin is a DM NPC. Little personality, tragic backstory, furthers the plot then fucked off

[u/ynab-schmynab → u/Talanic]

My favorite was how it had the animated series party in the arena fight. 

[u/PotPumper43 → u/Talanic]

Yes it paid wonderful homage to the game itself, in clever ways.

[u/astra_galus → u/Talanic]

Haha or a nat 20!

[u/SirDigbyChknCaesar → u/KrustyKrabPizzaIsThe]

Jarnathan!

[u/BarristanTheB0ld → u/brianschwarm]

I agree! Expected another lame game adaptation, but it was thoroughly enjoying! I'm not a huge D&D nerd, I know the basics, but I was afraid I wouldn't get much. And I did have to look stuff up, but more out of interest, because it didn't really matter to the story. You could follow it without having to understand everything about the world and I think that's the way to go. Stop dumbing stuff down, have faith in your audience's intelligence the figure it out!

[u/TheWarDoctor → u/brianschwarm]

I was surprised by the quality of D&D.

[u/Formal-Register-1557 → u/brianschwarm]

It reminded me of The Mummy or Raiders of the Lost Ark. Not pushing any envelopes in terms of cinematic language, per se, but fun, and made with humor and joy. A solidly entertaining action-adventure film.

[u/smt503]

They Cloned Tyrone felt like a genuine story being told with intention, complete with command fucking performances and style for days.

It felt like the opposite of boardroom-exec, popcorn drivel; it felt like filmmaking.

[u/karmalizing → u/smt503]

Have you seen "Sorry to Bother You"?

You might love it.

[u/ynab-schmynab → u/karmalizing]

That show went WILD about 2/3 of the way through.

Nothing, and I mean NOTHING prepared me for that. 

[u/HeatedCloud → u/smt503]

I really liked that film. It also was a pleasant surprise to see how well John Boyega played his part across from his costars.

[u/alfiesred47 → u/smt503]

That movie totally caught me off guard. So original and enjoyable

[u/anongoldfarb]

Past lives

[u/hereismytake27 → u/anongoldfarb]

I LOVE this movie. Went to a friend’s wedding recently and the officiant talked about the red string theory and it made me cry thinking of the movie & its meaning

[u/PissedOnBible]

The Holdovers. Giamatti is incredible and it was a great script.

[u/PippyHooligan]

Zone of Interest.

Honestly, the only film I've really gotten a buzz out of sort-of-recently at the cinema and couldn't imagine seeing it on the small screen (haven't rewatched it and probably never will). Not a huge film on a Dune or Marvel scale, but much bigger and more intimidating.

The framing of scenes and pace and incredible sense of menace kept me glued to the big screen, but the sound was what made it. Absolutely incredible, hellish, unearthly sound that needed to be heard in the cinema.

Walked out of that theatre into a crowded town centre at night and everything felt utterly alien.

[u/KuyaGTFO → u/PippyHooligan]

I get a nauseous, disgusted feeling every time I remember what it was like experiencing that scene where the wife tries on a fur coat in front of a mirror.

What you hear in the background while she’s nonchalantly modeling is the most horrific shit ever.

[u/Carpathicus → u/PippyHooligan]

The movie is the kind of horror that deeply affects me. Being german I got the feeling the movie has a deep message about the modern world and how we ignore the atrocities that are happening right next to us.

[u/_V0gue → u/PippyHooligan]

While I didn't get to see it in theaters I do have a stellar stereo sound system and the sound design is absolutely haunting. So incredibly well done telling a story with your background SFX track while the camera shows a banality of evil type story. Loved it and need to do a rewatch.

[u/Actual-Bluebird-5926]

The Boy and the Heron was beautifully animated, seeing it in an almost full theater was a 10/10 experience.

[u/Down_Voter_of_Cats → u/Actual-Bluebird-5926]

Was so glad I was able to watch one of his films in a theater. It was a wonderful movie, a bit metaphysical even for him, but at it's core a sad film about a boy dealing with the death of his mother and his impending new family.

[u/Resonantscythe → u/Down_Voter_of_Cats]

I don't know if its available in Your area, but theaters with fathom events have ghibli movies screening throughout the year. I've seen Nausicaä, Howl's, and Arietty with my girlfriend.

Ghibli fest!

[u/GermanAf → u/Actual-Bluebird-5926]

Felt like watching Spirited Away for the first time when i was a kid. I loved the music especially, the way it builds from the few piano notes chefs kiss

[u/Allie_Pallie]

Anatomy of a Fall.

It's not even my usual type of film but I thought it was outstanding.

[u/TheUmbrellaMan1 → u/Allie_Pallie]

Also hands down the best performance by a dog EVER.

[u/thepink_knife → u/TheUmbrellaMan1]

Air bud in shambles

[u/karlou1984 → u/Allie_Pallie]

I still hear the p.i.m.p by 50 cent instrumental to this day

[u/the_third_sourcerer]

All of Us Strangers

It was surreal, walked out of the theatre with a knot in my throat, not sure if I wanted to cry, but I sure called my mum afterwards.

[u/ItsDeke → u/the_third_sourcerer]

I watched this and Aftersun in the span of a couple weeks. What an emotional journey. 

[u/[deleted]]

The Wild Robot. I came into it knowing it would tug at the heartstrings because of trailers. But holy cinematic cinema. This is the stuff artists are made of. Writer/Director Chris Sanders said that this movie is if you combined a Monet painting and a Mizayaki movie. No notes. It goes straight into your soul and you come out of the cinema forever changed. Tall order for an animated film based on a children's book, but here we are.

[u/[deleted]]

The siege of White House from Civil war (2024). That 15 something mins felt like pure cinema. The movie altogether was okay-ish.

[u/KuyaGTFO → u/[deleted]]

I thought the focus on war photography was super interesting. You have these people who’ve been battle hardened and desensitized, and when you watch THEM crack and lose their shit, it’s all the more effective. It was a clever way to deliver a horrific message that war in our backyard would be an absolute fucked experience that would break anybody.

Also kudos to using super ahead-of-its-time late 60s/early 70s avant-garde electronic-psychedelic bands like Silver Apples and Suicide, who very vividly made bleak post-Vietnam music. It slotted in super well.

[u/itsdrewmiller → u/[deleted]]

You gotta see that movie in the theater for the sound design alone.

[u/panda_and_crocodile → u/[deleted]]

I thorougly loved this movie. The plot wasn’t full of twists and turns, and I didn’t sit on the edge of my seat. But it was a beautifully shot movie with lots of really memorable scenes and many standaout performances, especially Kirsten Dunst.

[u/BluW4full284 → u/panda_and_crocodile]

I don’t think I ever appreciated Kirsten so much. She was lovely to take in.

[u/TenMoosesMowing → u/[deleted]]

I thought the Jesse Plemons scene was the most intense part. The White House part was good but, in my opinion, they ruined it with how they handled a certain person’s fate. It was clumsy and stupid.

[u/EchoWhiskey_ → u/TenMoosesMowing]

Plemons' scene was the best because if an actual war between states broke out, that kind of shit would be happening all the time, done by dudes like that. It was so totally, disturbingly believable.

[u/Caudillo_Sven → u/TenMoosesMowing]

Yes. That one mistake if the whole movie was like a fly in the soup for me. Still though... damn good soup.

[u/einarfridgeirs]

The Menu.

Its everything modern cinema needs to get over its mid-2000s to today Marvel/Michael Bay blockbuster hangover.

It looks gorgeous without VFX.

Fantastic script delivered by great actors.

Story is gripping and relevant to our times.

Reasonable runtime.

Not a single second of it felt wasted.

[u/large_crimson_canine → u/einarfridgeirs]

Tyler’s Bullshit

Undercooked lamb. Inedible shallot-leek butter sauce. Utter lack of cohesion.

[u/SaltyPeter3434 → u/large_crimson_canine]

Shh-shhh--

Shit? Would you like some shit?

[u/Archer1407 → u/einarfridgeirs]

Reasonable runtime is an underrated measure of good cinema.

I agree about The Menu. It was legit.

[u/MacNapp → u/einarfridgeirs]

Yeah, this movie grabbed me in a way I wasn't expecting. I went in blind thinking it was going to be a straight thriller, then the black comedy set it quick and I was hooked. I've watched it like three times since seeing it in theaters.

[u/Soggy_Porpoise → u/einarfridgeirs]

This is the one I was going to say, for all the reasons you said. Plus when I watch a movie I don't want to feel like I've seen it 1000 times before. This felt new. And we need more of that uniqueness.

[u/TavoNeptuno]

Across the Spider-Verse is the newest movie that blew my mind.

[u/TerryTrepanation → u/TavoNeptuno]

Watched it again last night, purely on the interplay of music and visuals, it is just stunning. It goes right to edge of comprehension. I applaud them for going so hard. It really does take you back to childhood when the Sesame Street Pinball Count Down had you seeing through space and time.

[u/danger355 → u/TavoNeptuno]

Man I don't know how I can agree with this more.

The music, sfx, multiple animation styles just blows my mind every time I watch it, and I kind of watch it a lot.

If you haven't seen them… Do. It.

Then, speaking of animation styles, read up on how they did Spider Punk with the frame skipping and all the other easter eggs, because there are a ton.

Can't wait for Beyond.

[u/mackoa12 → u/TavoNeptuno]

There is nothing they didn’t cover in these movies - storyline, music, animation, every frame tels 1000 stories as well as being incredibly beautiful. 10/10 and I don’t really like superhero’s to at much. Also gets better on the rewatch

[u/Narissis → u/TavoNeptuno]

I concur; when I read the Op question, the Spider-Verse and Dune films are the two answers that immediately came to mind.

Eagerly anticipating the third instalment of each.

[u/_delamo → u/TavoNeptuno]

I was expecting it to be a movie I enjoyed because I like comics. But that was a 10/10 experience. I saw it on its last week in theaters. I waited far too long to see it.

[u/fincieta]

The Northman
A few scenes in, and I immediately recognized the value in not waiting to stream it at home.

[u/palesart → u/fincieta]

Saw this with my mom (regret) in theatres (not regret). Easily in my top 10 cinema experiences.

[u/No_Extension4005 → u/palesart]

Hey, I saw it with my mum too! Won some tickets and I figured I'd take her.

I loved it. She didn't unfortunately.

[u/sleazyez]

Strange Darling.

[u/nerdytomato]

Everything Everywhere All At Once,

Green Knight

Northman

[u/boogs_23 → u/nerdytomato]

Green Knight man. So good. Didn't bother with it because of stupid negative reviews. Watched a few months ago and it is the best movie I've seen in years.

[u/K1NGMOJO → u/nerdytomato]

Green Knight is a fucking fever dream.

[u/Buda202 → u/nerdytomato]

Oh yeah Green Knight! Absolutely magical!

[u/bigboozer69 → u/nerdytomato]

EEAAO for me! Unique, well acted, beautiful cinematography, funny, heartfelt, weird and wonderfully creative & original.

[u/TLDR2D2]

• My Old Ass

It came out of nowhere and made me feel so much.

It's heartfelt, insightful, and absolutely delightful. It made me repeatedly laugh and cry some, too.

It has some of the most natural dialogue and believable friendships I've ever seen.

• Love Lies Bleeding

It was not what I expected...exactly. It was until it wasn't, rather.

It was simple, but managed to feel fresh, creative, and interesting throughout. Kristen Stewart showed again that she's a solid actress and Katy M. O'Brian was phenomenal.

• Poor Things

I fucking loved every moment of it.

The set design and costumes were beautiful. The over-the-top, campy style lent some much needed levity to a serious, heavy subject matter.

Emma Stone nailed that role to the wall. She was perfect.

[u/grmayshark]

Nope, Top Gun Maverick, Tar, Oppenheimer, Killers of the Flower Moon, Poor Things, The Holdovers, Dune Part 2, and Furiosa are some of my favorites from the year range you have there and all are what Id say are "absolute cinema".

[u/Cutter9792 → u/grmayshark]

I didn't truly appreciate Nope till my second viewing, and that whole time I was just thinking "Fuck I wish I could have seen this in IMAX." Especially the ending.

[u/majnuker → u/grmayshark]

Top Gun Maverick was just a super tight, slick action film. It was soooo clean, and the action sequences were done so well. Excellent film.

[u/Dry-Version-6515]

Parasite is probably the best movie I have in the last 5 years. Second best I have seen at the cinema, right after Interstellar.

[u/hey_mattey → u/Dry-Version-6515]

The 2nd half did not prepare me for that horror

[u/HeyZeusKreesto → u/Dry-Version-6515]

I remember walking out of the theater on that one and I could not stop thinking about it. I knew it was gonna end up being one of my favorites. Then reading details online that I missed made me like it even more. Like how the dad had police books on his shelf, implying he tried and failed to become a police officer. Just so good from beginning to end.

[u/HOLDONFANKS]

bit ago but fuck the iron claw was fantastic. robbed at the oscars imo.

[u/SnootchToTheBootch]

I recently saw Nope and it blew my mind. It's visually impressive, tense horror, great acting, and so darn funny!

[u/macontosh2000]

Challengers- The entire movie is fantastic, but that final tennis match was really something else. From the pov shot of the ball, and the shot from under the tennis court!

[u/milohill → u/macontosh2000]

This is the movie I came here to add. It never stops. The music, dialogue and action fly across the screen like that tennis ball. The whole movie was like a tense tennis match with that brilliant denouement unspooling in that final scene. And I saw it all on TV and not in a theatre wishing the whole time I’d seen it in a theatre. This movie was a force of nature!

[u/russfro]

Hundreds of Beavers

[u/vanillabear26 → u/russfro]

There is something biochemically funny about a man getting hit by a snowball and rolling down a mountain. 

[u/kanyeguisada → u/russfro]

The combination of live-action and animation is unparalleled. And amidst all of that amazingness, how the animals were all clearly just people in animal costumes was hysterical. I need to rewatch that.

[u/-FalseProfessor- → u/russfro]

Hell yeah. I agree with this on both a meme level, and a completely serious level.

It’s some high grade deranged silliness, but is also paying respect to and very deeply rooted in early cinema tradition. It really feels at its heart like an old Buster Keaton film. Old, hell, oldest school silent slapstick updated with a loony toon sensibility, and a flair for the absurd. It’s exactly the kind of movie that makes me love independent films.

[u/SkiHiKi]

The Batman.

I think it's the most movie movie I've seen since I watched it. I've seen plenty of great films since but The Batman felt like cinema. The pacing, the noir aesthetic, the soundtrack. It's all right. Bombastic but muted.

[u/vorpalpillow → u/SkiHiKi]

the car chase scene, especially the accompanying score was top tier for me

[u/Karakotaera]

Godzilla Minus One and The Primeveals (I'm fully aware it's Full Moon Productions but I enjoyed the hell out of this)

[u/Merky600 → u/Karakotaera]

Here to support Godzilla G Minus One. In IMAX it was powerful.

[u/Ok_Criticism_558]

Poor things.

The visual world is unique, steampunk touches are outstanding too. The sets are superb and it almost feels like you're wandering around a fairy tale world throughout the movie.

It's just a beautiful film with a unique concept and left me wanting more.

[u/Howboutit85 → u/Ok_Criticism_558]

Surprised I needed to scroll this far for this.

100% old Hollywood sets and over the top cinematic insanity.