🎬 ~ The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It

rating: 4/10

watched this on bakreid so this review is late Imao. the movie wasn't really SCARY, and honestly, i expected something else. so my preconceived notion of what i wanted this movie to be did not match up with what it actually was, and i rlly was losing interest in some parts. it had potential but the execution was poor. the best part of this movie was ed and lorraine's dynamic, along with the first 15-ish minutes. that's the review ig. it's lackluster.

📖 ~ Lessons in Chemistry

rating: 4.75/5

first of all, the uk cover is much more appropriate to the tone of this story, unlike the us version, which is misleading.

secondly, as i have stated multiple times before, just because a book has a high rating doesn't mean i enjoyed it a lot. objectively, this book is great. it handles its themes with care and manages to convey its message quite successfully. but, i must admit, it is the characters that truly are the heart of this book. this book is real in the sense that it manages to accurately capture and convey the multifaceted nature of human beings, paving the way for a cast that is deeply nuanced. uncomfortable to read at times (in which i admit some of the fault lies with myself for not knowing any trigger warnings), this story is unfair in the same way that life is. it has made me want to scream, yell, commit horrendous acts of violence, and set fire to some of the people in this story. 

my only gripe lies with the protagonist elizabeth zott, who, despite her serious no-nonsense attitude, takes it a bit too far in terms of obliviousness sometimes and is also obtuse in certain common sense situations, even though this is pointed out in the book itself. it seems her obliviousness operates on a double standard, in which she only remains so because the plot demands it (edit 2025: i can also acknowledge that her characterization as such might've been deliberate as it's entirely possible she was neurodivergent, and being autistic in the sixties, there's very little chance she would've been diagnosed). 

i don't know what else to say for this book because i don't feel too strongly about it. part of the reason is because i'm not too keen about science, which does shape a big portion of this book, and find myself unable to have read it with the rapt attention that a stem kid would. say what you must, but personal relatability does form a big part of the reading experience. nonetheless, it's a decent book, and definitely discussion worthy at that. this would do well in a women and gender studies class.

🎬 ~ Insidious

rating: 7/10

i liked the gradual escalation of events leading upto the reveal of the paranormal instead of outright jumpscares. the filmography also keeps the important parts in the background so the reveal of certain things don't feel out of place. i look forward to the next part of this storyline. i completely forgot i watched this movie years ago lol that's how i remembered some of the things that happened in bits and pieces. nonetheless, it was a good movie. i'm excited to see more of the black bride.

🎬 ~ Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

rating: 9.25/10

just finished it. i think it's a perfect adaptation of a fantasy game and quite accurately captures the essence of a ragtag group of friends off on a grand quest. i said i would be disappointed if there wasn't an actual dragon in this, and boy oh boy that dragon was FAT. i couldn't believe it was a dragon until a character said it was lol. the humor is quite good, the characters were well-developed, the fight sequences and choreography were great, the plot was well-done as well. that witch was creepy and i applaud the actress who portrayed her coz her performance was phenomenal. 

it was good that even though the budget was high, as was clearly apparent in the set designs and costumes from the first scene itself, the movie didn't take itself too seriously and was self-aware, and that's what made it as good as it is. so i would like to offer a standing ovation to the people who developed this movie. i'm sure it was a tall order to make this but everyone did a great job. this film also gives me the same vibe as bullet train through its use of chekov's gun. most of the details mentioned do come into play later and that makes the story become more well-rounded and prevents the feeling of anything useless yk?

also sophia willis is in this movie. it was a pleasant surprise.

🎬 ~ Ocean's Eleven

rating: 7.25/10

listen, this is the quintessential big brain ideal heist movie. george clooney's performance was great, and brad pitt and matt damon were good too. i was a fan of those main three's dynamics together. it was like they became matt damon's character's surrogate dads lol. don cheadle's british accent caught me off guard but it was good fun. ("does he make you laugh?" "he doesn't make me cry.") great line. lovely. now let's get to it. 

this movie, as i stated before, is the "ideal heist" movie. nothing really goes wrong, at least not to great extents, and it is more of a feel-good movie than it is anything serious. but i do quite like it. i did not know this was a movie series until i went to tumblr and was less than whelmed hearing abt it coz i wanted this to be a standalone. but i hope the next couple movies are better than what i expect of them. all-in-all? a solid movie. i can understand why it's a cult classic.

🎬 ~ The Princess Bride

rating: 10/10

"my name is inigo montoya. you killed my father. prepare to die." ICONIC. i did not know this was the movie where it was from.

originally, i was trying to search for corpse bride but i couldn't find it and this came and i thought why not. AND I LOVED THIS. the fairytale-esque setting, the beautiful and smooth swordplay choreography, the characters, the humor—WONDERFULLY DONE.

there was perhaps ONE moment where i was put off by westley—when he threatens to slap buttercup—but otherwise, he's so witty and respectful? the latter aspect of his personality caught me off-guard but i can't say i didn't love it. inigo and fezzik were queer-coded. i could feel it in their interactions, you can't tell me otherwise. it was immensely entertaining and wholesome to watch. 

the chemistry and dynamics between the characters are solid and full of heart. it actually did feel like a fairytale. this is what my mind imagines when we talk of bedtime stories w princesses and handsomely intelligent men who sweep them away. i liked the outside storytelling perspective that was incorporated. it enhances the watching experience.

this movie is very rewatchable. this was a good impulse decision hehe. short, concise, right on mark.

🎬 ~ Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

rating: 10/10

baby, watching this in theatres gave me cognitive overload coz there was SO MUCH both visually and in terms of sound. the prowler theme is stuck in my head UGH— BUT. i had so many jawdrop moments. i swear, this movie is everything i wanted multiverse of madness to be and it surpassed my expectations. this was MoM done RIGHT. it felt like a genuine passion project and not a commercial cash grab ykwim? i could see the amount of effort that was put into this. i can't even imagine how hard the whole team behind it had to work to make this masterpicce. i will definitely watch it again when it comes out digitally coz i need to process it properly w breaks lol. let's get into the thick of this review.

miguel o'hara's entry had no right to be so sexy but it was and the animators know what they were doing for the hoes. MILES IS HOT I'LL FIGHT FOR THAT. i LOVED the trope subversion for the spot. i rlly thought he'd be just a comic lil side character for fun but DAMN Y'ALL JUST MADE THE GUY A WHOLE ASS MULTIVERSAL THREAT HUH. and that prowler!miles reveal YEEHAW PERFECTION I WAS READY TO SCREAM SHOUT AND WHOOP MY ASS OFF. 

also the references to andrew garfield and tobey maguire's spidermen UGH LOVED IT FJDKSK. AND THE GANG'S GETTING BACK TOGETHER ENDING SCENE WAS SUPERIOR I LOVE EVERYTHING ABT THIS MOVIE FHJDJSKSJS rlly felt like a new phase. can't wait to see what the finale in this trilogy is gonna be like. and the humor was just >>>>>

📺 ~ The Umbrella Academy (Season 3)

rating: 7.75/10

first of all, i loved the hotel concept. five was absolutely vibing w retirement in the beginning, and i was glad to see him in other outfits lol. idk how to feel about the whole sparrow academy thing. glad ben is back but he's kind of an asshole. he was mildly redeemed by the end so i look forward to seeing more of him next season. justin h. min's duality is insane lol. i would have felt better if diego's kid was actually real and not, well yk, a fake. i teared up at the scene where stanley tries to dissolve klaus' dead body (that death was shocking btw Imao) and then breaks down and diego comforts him. the wedding was cool—i accidentally spoiled myself abt it after getting impatient and reading five fics on tumblr yikes. but there were some fun scenes in this, esp the party the sparrows and umbrellas have after (not effectively) defeating the kugelblitz. characterwise, i saw development in this season, which is a plus. it was the plot that didn't quite grab me, but it was a good season and i'll admit that i cannot wait for the next season coz DAMN that ending got my jaw dropped with possibilities of what could happen, and it will be the last installment too so yes. fourth and final season, here we come.