Weekly Round Up #1

One of my goals for the new year is to keep better track of what I watch/read. In order to be a better artist myself, I want to engage with art more critically. Distilling my thoughts in a quick update every week will help me do that.

However, I’m not going to force myself to subscribe to any specific ranking system or to analyze everything like I’m writing an academic essay. I’m sure I’ll mention technique things like structure but if there’s one thing my reactions to media contain it’s random thoughts/vibes.

So here goes. Here’s what I watched/read/listened to in the first week of 2025.

Movies

• Gladiator II (2024)

  Look, I love Paul Mescal as much as the next girl but I don’t think he did anything that Russel Crowe didn’t already do in the first movie. I know there’s only so many ways you can take a story literally called “Gladiator” but it felt like this movie relied too heavily on the success of the original and didn’t make any unique choices other than creating a really bad CGI zoo of animals for Paul to fight. Two stars.

  
  

• The Year of Spectacular Men (2017)

  Clunky at times but very heartfelt. The dialogue in the first couple scenes was rough, but gradually found its footing. The fact that this movie was a family affair was very clear, the cast had incredibly chemistry. However, I found the protagonist Izzy a little insufferable. Your main character doesn't have to be likeable but they have to be relatable and so much of Izzy's behavior felt erratic and annoying. I think that was in part because she didn't have a clear goal in the film, "find yourself" is a vague goal and I think it left tension and stakes to be desired throughout the film. I did really like the beat with the sisters at the very end, cheesy as it may be. Two and a half stars.

  
  

• A Complete Unknown (2024)

  Biopics are generally not my thing. I find them boring and lacking drive as often they're just trying to show off the major moments in the person's life without a strong thematic throughline. This film was entertaining and held my interest because of the strong performances by the actors. Everyone seemed perfectly cast. Without the all-stars they assembled I don't think this movie would have worked so well. So much of the story was in the details. Three stars.

TV

• Dune Prophecy

  Absolutely obsessed with this. Emily Watson is fantastic and Jessica Barden who plays young Valya absolutely sells every scene she's in. The stakes are constantly high and every character has strong motivations and clear backstory informing their choices (even if it's revealed to us painfully slowly). I love watching Desmond Hart and Valya go toe to toe. I still have two episodes left to finish the first season and I cannot wait to see what happens. Cannot recommend this show enough!

  
  

• Black Sails

  I've been watching this series for a little over a month now and I'm currently in the middle of season three. I love the world of pirates and am currently working on a feature film about pirates so watching this counts as research. I think the character dynamics are so well-executed and the writers & actors did a fantastic job creating characters that you root for in spite of their (numerous) flaws. Anyone who loves sword fights and other tense action sequences, morally-gray heroes and powerful, queer women should definitely check this out.

Books

• The Cat who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa

  What a sweet little book, featuring such cute characters. I could totally see this adapted as a Studio Ghibli film, that's the cozy vibes it gives. Anyone who loves books and is concerned about how technology effects them will enjoy this story. And it has a talking tabby cat! Who can resist that? Four stars.

Music

• Billie Marten

  I've been listening to so much of Billie Marten's work on Apple Music. The singer-songwriter captures so well what it is to be young and lost. If you like Laura Marling, Noah Kahan or Birdy you'll probably like Billie's stuff, too.

Podcast

• Giggly Squad: Giggling about updates, crying, and stuff

  I love the Giggly Squad. I have been a fan of Paige and Hannah since their first season on Summer House (which I watch religiously). Hearing Paige speak so honestly about what it means to be a woman, to be single, to choose yourself was much needed. And listening to her open up about a past abusive relationship to such a large audience is so important in normalizing those conversations. Will always be a Giggler.