Leave The World Behind (2023) 🎬 →

It had been a while since I sat down at home, alone, to watch a new movie. With a few hours to myself last night, I decided to put on a film I’d bookmarked and see what it had to offer.

The movie of the night was Leave The World Behind (2023).

I hadn’t watched the trailer or come across much about it online before pressing play. I’d likely saved it based on a compelling description and a solid cast lineup.

But— what can I say? I abandoned it halfway through.

The storyline moved at a crawl, but not in the way that lends itself to a slow-burn thriller. The dialogue felt shallow and unconvincing, and the portrayal of "cyber-attack" scenarios left much to be desired. Perhaps the subtle commentary on race relations was too understated to resonate in that moment.

In the end, there was nothing to hold my attention.

So, I hit STOP and switched to a comfort film—a reliable choice I’ve seen before, predictable and uncomplicated. Last Knights (2015) isn’t a great movie; it’s not even a good one. But that’s alright, because it doesn’t try to be anything other than what it is.

The Black Phone (2022) 🎬 →

Last night, as part of our family Halloween tradition whereby: my sister-in-law comes over for dinner, we make pizza, collectively hand out candy, and watch a movie— we decided to watch The Black Phone (2022).

In the past five years, we've struck out on movie picks more often than we've won. The selections have been so bad that I can't recall any of the titles, except Hocus Pocus (1993), which remains as disappointing now as it was when first released.

Needless to say, I wasn't feeling too optimistic about The Black Phone. But when it comes to horror films, I'm willing to give anything a go just to see if a 'diamond in the rough' can be found.

The film centered on a typical trope— someone is kidnapped and tries multiple different ways to escape. The delivery was okay, though I would have preferred Wes Craven's approach in The People Under the Stairs (1991). However, I wouldn't have much luck convincing my family to take in that classic.

As someone who likes to live in reality most of the time, the idea of random phone calls coming through a disconnected landline phone is a stretch, but I was willing to play along. I figured any movie centered on phone conversations couldn't be as bad as Cellular (2004) or The Call (2013)— both films so forgettable they don't deserve mention.

What I enjoyed most was Ethan Hawke's portrayal of the antagonist, The Grabber, and to a lesser extent, James Ransone's performance as The Grabber's brother. These characters brought entertainment value while building some foundation for understanding what drives people to kidnap and abuse. While their screen time wasn't nearly enough compared to that of the protagonist, Finney (Mason Thames), they brought humor and complexity to what felt like an otherwise blasé cast of characters.

Had I been able to get behind the supernatural elements, I likely would have enjoyed it much more. Additionally, fewer interruptions from candy-seeking trick-or-treaters might have helped me invest more deeply in the characters and their interactions.

With all that said, I wasn't completely disappointed.

There's something to be said about the way shadows catch my eye, especially in the moonlight.

"Makers gotta make."

Too good to not share.

The plan each year is to carve one pumpkin for each Halloween we’ve been in our current home. This year that count comes to 5.

Given the challenges in past years with squirrels, we opted to slowly build up our stock until we’re ready to carve. We thought we were being proactive by spraying them with hairspray to keep the creatures at bay.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough.

May I present— Pumpkin, throwing up. 🎃🤮