Best Movies of the Decade (Vol. 3)
Today's recommendations are all—hold for dramatic effect—thrillers.
Happy Friday! Today’s recommendations are all—hold for dramatic effect—thrillers. The suspense. The melodrama. The things my that might come out of my mother’s mouth. Okay, well, not all of today’s movies are traditional thrillers you’re used to, but they all use tension to drive the story forward. All of today’s recommendations are under 100 minutes for those of you with weekend plans.
But first, a couple great movies are out this weekend:
You, Me & Tuscany, a delightful slice-of-Italy romantic-comedy starring Halle Bailey and Regé-Jean Page, satiated my fill for a hearty comfort watch. Read my review.
Mother Mary is a relationship drama, gothic ghost story, pop musical, horror, or a genre all its own. It may be undefinable, but it’s definitely is clear-eyed in its search for raw intimacy in creative collaboration (with a side of pop divadom). Read my review.
Streaming on Paramount+
“Strange Darling”
What it’s about: A woman—only credited as “The Lady”—is relentlessly chased by a determined pursuant—credited as “The Devil”. But reader I assure you, nothing is as it seems.
Why you should watch it: The title card for Strange Darling splashes onto the screen paired with the subtitle “a thriller in six chapters” before cheekily jumping to chapter three. From that moment, director J.T. Toller keeps you guessing as he grabs you by your collar and takes you on a frenetic maximalist romp. When you think it is going to zig, it zags. When you think it’s going to jump, it soars. The opening chapters of the movie, shot in glorious 35mm by Giovanni Rabisi, are an assault on the senses. With saturated cinematography bringing a mad technicolor world to life and crisp near-deafening sound underlined by Craig DeLeon‘s discordant bass guitar score thrumming it feels like you’re on the fury road—and you might as well be. Read my full review here.
Recommended if you like: cheeky plot twists, simple suspense, heavy metal thrills
97 mins. Watch the trailer.
Streaming on HBO Max
“Kimi”
What it’s about: Tech worker Angela (Zoë Kravitz) thinks she uncovers a crime while reviewing audio recordings for her job. Suffering from agoraphobia and with the pandemic raging outside, Angela has to face her fears when a deeper conspiracy unveils itself.
Why you should watch it: Few movies have been able to capture the anxiety of the pandemic age quite as viscerally as Steven Soderbergh’s Kimi. While it’s mainly a techno-thriller that’s Rear Window—that is, if the window was actually a smart speaker—by way of The Conversation, the most interesting part of the movie is the subtle flourishes that immerse you. The claustrophobia of lockdown with the eerie omniscience of technology pervades throughout the entire movie. So when it turns into a more classic crime thriller, you’re able to sink yourself deep into the intrigue.
RIYL: classic crime thrillers, surveillance paranoia, corporate intrigue
89 mins. Watch the trailer.
Streaming on Netflix
“Shiva Baby”
What it’s about: Danielle (Rachel Sennott), a college student and seemingly never-good-enough daughter, attends a family shiva where her relatives constantly accost her with questions about her life, her ex-girlfriend looms large, and, oh yeah, her sugar daddy is there with his family. It turns out just as well as you think.
Why you should watch it: Okay, maybe Shiva Baby isn’t quite a thriller, but what is more suspenseful than a family gathering where anything can happen. Still, Shiva Baby takes the same approach as a thriller. The camera creeps around corners and Ariel Marx’s terrific score amplifies the suspense-filled mood with discordant strings where the horrors of family—that aunt that can’t just help but comment on your weight—lurks in the shadows. But director Emma Seligman doesn’t go full-tilt horror. She toes a precarious line between comedy, drama, horror, and tragedy. Let’s be honest. We all know what it feels like to come home for a family gathering. Shiva Baby captures that feeling with a witty sense of humor that will make you laugh through your trauma.
RIYL: melodramas, familial dry humor, cringe thrills
78 mins. Watch the trailer.
That’s all for today. Have a thrilling weekend!
Karl
📽 P.S. You can see every movie I’ve ever recommended right here.
🍅 I’m also a Tomatometer-approved critic on Rotten Tomatoes! You can find new movie reviews here and here.
🔗 Find me on Letterboxd and Twitter.