🎬 ~ No Hard Feelings

rating: 8/10

THIS IS A GENUINELY FUNNY MOVIE. i've never seen a comedy like this before and this was hilarious. the sex jokes, jennifer's character, percy's awkwardness: i loved it all, and i liked how their relationship becomes genuine too lol. jennifer lawrence was mothering HARD and probably 99.999999% of people who've watched this movie have wanted to be percy. they were adorable. they had good chemistry despite the age difference, and the movie did what it came to do. did i, at any point, think jennifer lawrence was gonna choke slam a teenager while naked at the beach? no. but was it funny? yes. i would want to watch this movie w someone if i'm at a movie night. i was never bored at any part, which is hard to do for a romcom—although i'm told this is a sex comedy, which is fair too. it's short, it's sweet, it slaps. good job everyone.

🎬 ~ Saltburn

rating: 9.75/10

okay, this movie could almost be a ten coz WHAT DID I JUST WATCH. i have no words honestly. somewhere along the line i started feeling like the main character may not be so reliable and as soon as he started manipulating the mother i just KNEW. man, what on earth. the only thing that made me back out was slurping that bath water coz that was just gross and i had a visceral gag reaction to it. and man, having sex w a grave is insane—it's hard to watch (i'm just a baby cinephile. that was hardcore for me). i did not have to get almost flashed by a buck naked barry keoghan. good thing i have the ability to have selective vision at times. the first third of this movie has to be my favourite because of the energy in the college and the bright colors, the interactions, the settings: they were great. cinematography also 10/10—it was so vibrant and there was also this slight sinister edge to it, like wow. some of the still frames were pure cinema. if it weren't for the explicit scenes i would want to watch this movie again just to catch all the foreshadowing. the main character is WILD. bro's a psychopath—a literal wolf in sheep's clothing, and he's such a pathological liar haha. insanity, the way i see it. he loved felix sm in his own way that ultimately he wanted to have some part of it. maybe he just wanted to become felix because he was so loved. idk that's why he wanted saltburn ig.

📖 ~ The Sea of Monsters

rating: 5/5

yee yee, second book trend lives on. twas a fun book. tbh i was living for the baby percabeth crumbs (underwater bubble, annabeth kissing his cheek, her hugging him) and liked seeing smart percy. grover becoming a cyclops' bride was hilarious. also, tyson was adorable. i wanted to hug him, he's so baby (literally) and adorable. i liked seeing percy teaming up w clarisse—they're cool frenemies. also JASON NAMEDROP?? i have no idea who that dude is but i'm excited to meet him. thalia's reveal was also pretty cool. i like that she's a punk rock kid lol. the only one left now is nico. i can't wait to meet him bro. i've heard ppl raving abt him. ik he's the child of prophecy haha (at least that's what i remember sorta from long back when i read a percy jackson fic on quotev coz i'm impatient and i like him). the next book is the one i know the least about so i'm curious to see what the plot is, but that's gonna be next year.

🎬 ~ MAD

rating: 10/10

WAS I SILENT OR SILENCED!? I AM BAMBOOZLED BY THE FACT THAT I DID NOT WRITE A REVIEW FOR THIS. it's 2025 bro. i watched this in december 2023. damn. i'll try to recall whatever i can. i remember LOVING this movie. the pacing, acting, direction, screenplay: everything was perfect. the mystery girl plot twist was insane (the reveal scene almost made my heart drop lol it could've gone way worse), and the comedy and humor was top notch. the cast is so colorful and full of life. even the romances were fun to watch. i love seeing college comedies coz they always show fun friendships and i was living for the relationships in this movie. even the musical numbers were so catchy. thank you sana for introducing me to this movie. never thought i'd give a telugu movie 10/10 but here we are. this was like, 3 idiots level good.

🎬 ~ The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2

rating: 7.5/10

ohhh look at that: after almost a whole month, i have completed both the hunger games books and movies (except ofc the prequel). review time: not my favourite entry. i mean, it's a good movie, but if i ranked the four it would be 1&3>2>4. i think in part, this low ranking is owed to the shoddy movie-watching experience. someday i hope to marathon all the movies and change my view. anyways, let's talk abt the movie itself. gale pissed me off—glad katniss kicked him out of her life in the end. now i've finally understood the prim reaper nickname. prim's death itself felt kinda underwhelming to me, but the initial parachute explosion scene prior to it was just as chill-inducing as it should've been. i agree that the last two or so chapters were more abt katniss' own viewpoint than any external happenings, and the filmmakers tried their best to translate internal dialogue onscreen. the scene from district 2 where the injured soldier holds katniss at gunpoint was almost exactly like i imagined it so kudos to that coz it was a damn good scene and it made me happy. finnick and annie's wedding too almost matched my vision w the bard music and dancing lol. and ofc, how could i forget the ending w peeta and that absolutely adorable kid of his—almost contracted baby fever from that cute interaction. he'd be such a good dad. i must say though, the execution scene gave the perfect subtext of what was happening. it felt like the victor's parade of the hunger games with coin in snow's pedestal. it actually was a capitol 2.0 situation. so kudos for that. i'm glad this film series saw the light. it's a good franchise. over and out.

🎬 ~ The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1

rating: 10/10

whoops late review coz i watched it 2-3 days ago on the tv at midnight. it was like a theatre experience. katniss may not be pregnant but this movie DELIVERED. admittedly, the first half of the mockingjay book is a drag, but this movie somehow made it interesting asf. and ohmygod, can we talk abt the production design of district 13? i just imagined a drab gray place but the set designers said NOPE and somehow made it more majestic and jaw-dropping than i thought it would be. i also love the additions in the movie, like effie trinket coming back, and katniss actually being involved in the victor retrieval heist—that entire sequence was one of the best in the movie. AND HOW COULD I FORGET THE HANGING TREE SONG BRO—when the chorus starts with everyone singing along it was almost chill-inducing and absolutely wonderful. peeta choking katniss was way more brutal in this movie lol i could almost feel it. so the cinematography, the direction, acting, pacing, plot: all perfect. 10/10 deserved fr.

📖 ~ Not Here to Be Liked

rating: 4.25/5

LEN DIMARTILE I'M IN YOUR WALLS. honestly, i LOVED the romance. the book got me kicking my blankets, giggling into my pillows, and covering my face w my hands to hide a stupid grin at 3 am. abeer's recommendations always slap. and this book was already on my radar coz of the cover. man, this is almost like a better version of If You Could See The Sun. i expected too much of that book and got nothing, and here i expected nothing and got everything. one thing i've come to realise is that i actually like well-developed love interests with actual nuance and personality (loved the layers that len was wrapped in, like his fear of failing and succeeding both becoming a factor for determining his identity and not wanting to be defined by a single trait) unlike those tiktok book bfs *cough* ifyoucouldseethesun *cough* who only seem to be cardboard cutouts of what a desirable boy is in the female gaze. speaking of that, i appreciated the theme of feminism and the rampant internalised misogyny in all the characters lol. ALSO THE ENTIRE THING WITH THAT FRENCH BOOK (Life: A User's Manual) being used to explain eliza's arc early on—that life is bigger than any constraints you can put on it—it turns out to be true in the end, too. but also sometimes, there were uhh situations where i was like girl, just do what u want instead of falling into the clutches of societal constructs (eg. really liking len but not wanting to go farther coz it's not very feminist of her. actually, i kind of have a problem w that type of feminism. for me at least, it's not abt being above men but at the same level as them—egalitarianism with special emphasis on women's voices and struggles being heard. wanting a man doesn't make you any less feminist. it's just a human need for connection, soo i was a bit peeved by that coz i don't think that aspect was explored??) but in the end it was a well written book and it did what it came to do so kudos <3

📖 ~ The Lightning Thief

rating: 3.75/5

i think i sort of ruined my own reading experience coz i read the first half of this book twenty days ago and then had to reread more than 150 pages again. but ehh anyways, at least it's over. the real stars were the last three chapters and i got emotional in the last one where percy is being congratulated by the camp at the end and says it's the happiest and saddest he's ever felt. i loved the emotional growth of the characters and their relationship. the plot was also so interesting to put together even though i already knew the real villain. i like the fact that luke's betrayal was in a low-stakes setting instead of being an explosive reveal coz the slow realisation hits way harder. and percy's narration and his interactions with his friends are so funny—i laughed out loud multiple times lol. this type of humour is exactly my cup of tea. i'm excited to see more of this in the tv show because this book really is perfect for an episodic adaptation.

🎬 ~ The Adam Project

rating: 6.5/10

watched it to get familiar w walker scobell's work and lol he delivers on the comedy that's for sure. he's definitely a good actor so i'm looking forward to percy jackson. now for the actual movie review: i liked the cinematography. it looked cool and i can already see some frames becoming gifsets. the plot felt a bit cliché, but i felt it was well-rounded for what it was worth. but the thing that i really liked was the characters and how they deal with grief, like adam being sad but thinking he's angry. the kid version of him is somehow wiser than the adult version and that goes to say something. i also really liked the scene w the dad at the end where he says how proud he is of adult adam and he starts crying. it was a really wholesome scene. in conclusion, it was a fun one fosho.

🎬 ~ The Archies

rating: 4.25/10

is that a merciless rating? yes? honestly, i watched the last hour or so of this movie in 2x speed coz i was bored beyond belief and i felt like nothing was happening. i feel like the plot was trying to do too many things at once? was this supposed to be a coming of age movie, or an ode to the town of riverdale? it was such a cliche plot, but not even in a way that's fun. i'm sure zoya did the best she could with what she was given because at least the direction in this movie was well-done and i quite liked the 60s anglo-indian small town production design. i liked some songs but even for a musical there were way too many in this. i didn't even keep count. the only ones i liked and/or remember are the intro song and the plum pudding song coz it was cute and i'm a sucker for the vibe. not gonna lie, i was rooting BADLY for dilly and reggie coz i did not give three flying shits abt archie's love triangle with veronica and betty. at least betty was fine. i liked jughead in this lol. from what i know, he seemed to be more comic accurate and i appreciate that. well, i guess that was the movie. it was... mid. very ehh. till later then.

🎬 ~ Love and Leashes

rating: 9/10

i... LOVE THIS?????? WHAT??? listen listen LISTEN. did i think i would watch a movie abt bdsm and giggle the whole time? no. but did i do it? yes. and did i like it? YES. I LOVED IT. this movie VALIDATED my feelings about femdoms so wonderfully and THAT SCENE WITH THE KISS WITH THE TIED HANDS HAS ME IN A CHOKEHOLD FDKJJS. and no sex? NO SEX?? THIS IS THE BEST ROMCOM I'VE SEEN IN AGES AHHHH. boy, do i LOVE this, have i mentioned that i love this coz i LOVE this. i watched this movie instead of studying for my psychology pre-board exam but this was time well spent. i liked the development of the characters and liked that the male lead's preference for being a malesub had proper reasons behind it and even with that, he wasn't a full wimp and an actual person who could stand up for himself and yk, had a whole personality outside of being a malesub. and miss femdom lady was so cool. i liked that she initially has no interest in bdsm but is not judgemental either and when offered the chance, she goes about it in a very mature and well-prepared way. i love those two together and i love this movie—i have said that way too many times. i'll go now, bye.

📖 ~ Mockingjay

rating: 4/5

i cannot in good conscience give this book a five because i cannot ignore the fact that i was struggling to get through it and getting pissed off at everything happening here coz it just kept on dragging. now that i know i was not the only one with this plight, i feel a bit more comfortable sharing my thoughts. first of all, the ending. boy, lord, god, i was floored, speechless, in fact i still am. i can't describe the feelings in me but that conclusion was so... raw? and real? i won't say perfect because that's the last thing it is. it's fitting—this crap happened, and now we have to live with it. endings of chapter 26, chapter 27, and the epilogue? my absolute darlings. gave me everything i didn't know i could hope for: prim's death, and me being right abt district 13 and capitol basically being two sides of the same coin. the feeling of it all—i just can't forget it. i most sincerely respect the author for what they've created. this is a STORY, this is art. the only drawback of this entire series that lowered my opinion of it was the absolutely unnecessary drama caused by katniss and gale's relationship. that relationship could've been platonic and saved everyone involved so much trouble. it truly is the most headache-inducing aspect of this narrative, i refuse to give it the benefit of the doubt. other than that, hats off man. suzanne collins came to the kitchen and she COOKED.

🎬 ~ The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

rating: 8.5/10

my movie reviews are heavily dependent upon the experience of watching the movie and unfortunately, the laptop stopped working so i had to watch this banger of a movie on my phone. but meh, anyway. if i re-watch it sometime in the future, my feelings might change, so lemme get to the actual review. 

the biggest highlight of this movie for me was that aspect ratio change as soon as the games started coz WHEW. idk abt u but i turn into a nerd geeking out whenever that happens in cinema. i feel like it's such a clever trick to change perceptions and the feeling of the movie. the cinematography was top notch as always. i noticed the director for this movie was different, and consequently, the style of the movie differed too. say what you want, but elizabeth banks absolutely eats her role as effie—she's so good at it. i was taken by the reaping scene because it is quite evident that it anguished her to choose people she had become close with to go to kill each other AGAIN. also sidenote: haymitch and effie do be giving lowkey vibes uhh (i ship) *COUGH* n e ways, this movie was good in its own right. johanna undressing in front of katniss and her seizing up will never not be funny Imao. soo ye, cool movie. i had fun fr.

📖 ~ Catching Fire

rating: 5/5

i always love the second book of every trilogy more than the first because of the pre-existing setup and the way the author can make the most wild things happen that make me scream, jump and run around in excitement and shock. that most certainly was the case with this book. this has been my favourite reading experience in a long while and i'm happy about it. there were a lot of new relationship dynamics that i liked: katniss and finnick's brother-sister relationship, plus snow and haymitch both having some sort of father-daughter dynamic with her even though the vibes are on opposite sides of the spectrum. and ofc, BAKERY GOT GOOD BONDING TIME. katniss is positively in love with him but has repressed or denied it, but just you wait missy. i'm looking forward to seeing how this trilogy comes to an end because quite obviously, the stakes are higher than ever this time. the only thing that puts me off in the book series so far is katniss' preoccupation with gale. obviously she cares a lot for him but the constant confusion of her feelings for something romantic keeps annoying me. gale is by far the least interesting character in all of this—just seeing him come into the picture makes me want to groan. i hope he dies. it's unfair that finnick's gonna die and gale isn't (yes i got spoiled) but who knows, maybe my wishes will manifest (edit 2025: ig u can say he's dead to katniss in the end lol manifestation worked). so aside from that, i adored the vibe amongst the tributes of the hunger games in this book. something about all of them already being victors gave this feeling of shared camaraderie during the training phase that i really liked. it gave the same feeling as my humanities classroom where we were all distinct in personality yet united by a common factor (our defiance of societal norms). in conclusion, i loved this book.