Streaming is a good way to watch films, and as long as they maintain the quality of their services, it can function as a digital archive. But ultimately, going to the theater is the best way to watch films in terms of the amount of focus that goes in. It’s the only place where the audience can’t pause the film. The film will continue to play and the audience has to watch it according to the rhythm the filmmaker created.” Bong Joon-ho interview with Variety

Bong Joon-ho is on the name of everyone’s lips in Hollywood and for good reason. As you probably already know Parasite had an almighty evening on February 9^th. The South Korean drama picked up 4 major awards at The Oscars including Best Picture & Best Director for Joon-ho. Back in January during a Golden Globes acceptance speech, Joon-ho stated:

Once you overcome the one-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.”

With everything above there’s no surprise in one of the films that feature in my top three for February 2020:

Parasite

Rating 9/10

I went into Parasite with high expectations and I wasn’t disappointed. The pacing and overall flow of the film are fantastic, I couldn’t take my eyes off the big screen. Minimal detail from myself as I can’t recommend enough to go into this blind.  The quote above from Joon-ho during the Variety interview couldn’t be more accurate for the film he has created; this was a great cinema-going experience. The instant dismissal of films not in the English language by a lot of mainstream cinema-goers has always confused me. I think I was lucky enough to have my Dad introduce me to City of God when I was 15, this was the moment where I jumped over the “one-inch-tall barrier”.

Parasite was released in UK cinemas on February 7^th.

Apocalypse Now: Final Cut  

Rating 10/10

Francis Ford Coppola’s Vietnam War classic was a film that always eluded me. Whilst reading John Yorke’s excellent “Into the Woods: How Stories Work and Why We Tell Them” there was reference to Apocalypse Now which prompted me to finally watch it. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting but I was completely drawn into this nightmare from start to finish. I always knew of Vittorio Storaro’s iconic cinematography but the quality of acting went above and beyond my expectations. It’s without a doubt Robert Duvall’s finest performance that I’ve seen. Martin Sheen and his Naval crew put in terrific performances and the great Dennis Hopper puts the icing on the cake. This will sit high on my list of greatest War movies.

American Factory

Rating 8/10

Oscar-winning documentary American Factory is a truly fascinating watch. The 2008 closure of the General Motors factory in Dayton resulted in thousands of Ohioans unemployed. Fast forward to 2014 and Cao Dewang, chairman of the Chinese company Fuyao Group, has taken control of the factory to expand his car glass manufacturing business. The Dayton community has job opportunities once again and this is where we begin to see a real culture clash in the workplace with Chinese staff being brought over to manage the American workers. Directors Steve Bognar & Julia Reichert must have been jumping for joy with the amount of access they had to the factory. From the fly on the wall access for team meetings to the workplace atmosphere during the union vote. They balance it perfectly with interviews from both the Chinese & American workers and there’s a real personal feeling to this documentary.

You can watch American Factory on Netflix.

Honourable mentions of other films I watched last month:

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Dark Waters Rating 8/10

This eye-opening legal drama covers the true story of lawyer Rob Bilott’s investigation into American chemical giant DuPont. I found myself thoroughly engaged in the slow burn story due to the sublime acting of both Mark Ruffalo & Bill Camp.

Dark Waters was released in UK cinemas on February 28^th.

The Wailing Rating 8/10

The tension in this South Korean genre-bending horror is nothing short of crazy. This was my second viewing and I think I can fully understand what happened. Again, like Parasite, I don’t want to go into real detail to keep this spoiler-free. If you’re a fan of being scared shitless and like a slow burn mystery like myself then give this challenging film a go.  

You can watch The Wailing on Netflix.

Breakdown Rating 8/10

A super tight thriller starring Kurt Russell with a nice and compact 90-minute run time with no bullshit. A husband and wife run into car trouble in the desert and drama unfolds after the wife goes missing.  Netflix really should add more under the radar 90’s gems like this.

Amazing Grace Rating 8/10

Filmed in 1972, this concert film documents the live recording of Aretha Franklin’s gospel album Amazing Grace in the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles. This film has pure, raw emotion and a Mick Jagger cameo in the crowd.

You can watch Amazing Grace on Prime Video.

The Endless Rating 7.5/10

An interesting and creative indie Sci-Fi from directorial duo Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead. Two brothers return to a UFO cult, having left years previously, after receiving a mysterious tape in the post. This is the third film Benson & Moorhead have directed together and for the first time, they both play the lead characters. Their latest film Synchronic will have a limited release this year, including a screening at the Glasgow Film Festival. A bigger budget means bigger star power with the film featuring Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan.  

You can watch The Endless on Netflix.

You can find all my film ratings on my Letterboxd account.

See you next month with my March recommendations!

Alex