A Family Affair (2024)

Pretty light fluff. I didn't buy into Zac Efron's character. The bits with him and Nicole K are also the dullest parts of the film for me. And as shallow as this whole film is suppose to be, at least Joey King is somewhat watchable, and there's a somewhat decent scene between Nicole K and Kathy Bates during a Christmas scene. And a few of the supportings do shine. But overall, this is basically a generic and bland affair, IMHO.
 

A Quiet Place: Day One (2024)

More like an art film than a mainstream pic cos it didn't really fit the standard mould. That cat is unbelievably calm and quiet throughout. And I didn't quite get the ending. Huh? What? Why?
 

The Convert (2023)

Nice!

Strong performance from Pearce. Liked it cos it's pretty gripping and touched on bits like the ugly sides of human nature, and the attempts to find peace while the rest of the world is just filled with thoughts of conquest. Can't help but think of comparisons to modern times. Most of the characters were nicely fleshed out, even the captain of the ship who only appeared bits.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)

 Nice!

Hit Man (2023)

I wanted to like this. How many movies do you get where you have a character like this? But the way the story wrapped left me unsatisfied and shortchanged.
 

Thelma (2024)

After watching this, I think I get why independence is so important for some seniors. And that line: "We're old, we're diminished and we're a liability to the ones we love" hits hard. Yet, despite some heavy poignant moments and recreations, I really enjoyed this lighthearted mainstream pic, which screams like a love letter by the director to his grandma. Can't help but leave the theatre with a smile after watching this.

And it was great catching this with the short, Of the Last Reel in Front of You (2023) by Ge Yang at the State Theatre during the Sydney Film Festival. 

Việt and Nam (2024)

Hypnotic, immersive mesmerizing and also sad. Beautifully filmed, and poignantly controlled and slow paced in the unraveling of its narrative. Also, the sound design greatly enhanced my engagement with the narrative.

All Shall Be Well《從今以後》(2024)

Lovely insight into themes of home, family and moving on after one's partner passes. Love what the director said about how the situation was dramatic enough, and so he took a more restrained approach with the narrative. While I love the focus on the main and supporting family characters, I also love the friends who played a smaller role in the film. One particular scene with a lawyer friend had me tickled. Most of all, I love that this story zeroed in on characters whose stories are usually not told a lot currently amongst popular culture. Those who caught the director's last film Suk Suk《叔。叔》will find a similar style here.

Late Night with the Devil (2023)

Not really my cup of tea, but I thought this was a simple premise but very nicely executed.

Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In《九龍城寨之圍城》(2024)

Hot! The fight sequences are amazing and the production design is wowzer! So glad I got to catch this in Cantonese, which helped with my appreciation for the film (why a country like Singapore still has language restrictions for commercial cinema flicks is brain stumping)
 

Atlas (2024)

Pretty by the numbers entertainment that doesn't really wow but isn't a stinker either.