I’ve decided not to review the movies and TV I consume individually. The main reason is one of time. Assume I read 120 books, watch 50 films and complete 40 TV shows; that’s 210 posts on Substack. That’s a fuck-tonne of material, even if I limit each review to 400 words. I don’t follow anyone who produces that sort of volume on this platform, and I have no desire to be a trendsetter.*

I could stop discussing movies and TV. But I like writing about contemporary culture, and, arguably, the visual medium sets the tone for the “current moment”. I could do what John Pistelli does and plonk my film and TV reviews in essay-long footnotes.** Instead, I’ve decided on a capsule review round-up—light on plot, heavy on throwaway opinions. So, here we go.

Movies

Anora, dir: Sean Baker

Apparently, this movie is a sign that civilisation is fucked. Personally, I thought it was great. I didn’t expect it to be so funny and profound. I also thought it was a sympathetic depiction of sex work. (Not that I’m an expert on this topic). The so-called stereotypical Russian goons were great because they didn’t fit the type; they weren’t actively nasty and cruel. And the ambiguity of the ending, the sort that provokes heated discussion, is precisely what art should be about. Mikey Madison as Anora is wonderful. I cheered when it won the Oscar for Best Movie. Sorry, Substack haters.

Nightbitch, dir: Marielle Heller

In contrast to Anora, Nightbitch is an utterly underwhelming film. I haven’t read the Rachel Yoder novel, so I’ve no idea if the stilted storytelling and thin character development are a feature of the source material. Anyway, Amy Adams is OK playing a former artist, who has given up her artistic career to stay at home with her son. But beyond the magic realist conceit (she transforms into a dog), I’m not sure this film is saying anything that a million essays, novels and movies haven’t said previously about female agency and empowerment.

Barton Fink, dir: the Coen Brothers.

No. I hadn’t seen it. I have rectified this. It’s magnificent. I could argue that the treatment of Judy Davis’s character has aged poorly, but I can forgive the film for that sin because everything else about it is magnificent. The Lynchian atmosphere, the bromance between John Turturro and John Goodman, the oppressive heat, the semen-like gunk seeping from the wallpaper, the explosive climax. It’s probably a masterpiece.

TV Shows

Shogun, created by Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks

I’ve not read James Clavell’s novel, which is odd, given how it was on everybody’s bookshelf when I was a kid. (I was more interested in Doctor Who novelisations; a story about feudal Japan in the 1600s couldn’t have been duller for teenage me). I believe the series is faithful, but it also addresses and rectifies the anachronisms and racial issues present in the novel. Whatever the case, it’s brilliant. Epic, intelligent and acted within an inch of its life. Hiroyuki Sanada as Lord Toranaga and Anna Sawai as Toda Mariko are sublime. But really, the whole cast is excellent.

True Detective: Night Country, created by Issa Lopez

Not sure what to make of this season. I loved the setting (Ennis, Alaska), the cinematography and the creepy atmosphere. It also has its heart in the right place, being both a story about the figurative and literal strip mining of indigenous native culture. I loved the image of the frozen eight scientists, and the unwillingness to pick a side—a natural or supernatural explanation—and instead opt for something a little more liminal is bold. Still, I’m not convinced it holds together. Jodie Foster is great, though.

*Also, I can’t sustain that amount of output, as evidenced by the fact that I’m writing my February round-up in April.

**John is sui generis and I have no desire to copy him.