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Hereditary- I heard this was a good horror movie and avoided any detail about it so I got to watch it fresh. This is really impressive right from the start and the slide into madness is one wild ride.

The movie starts at a funeral. Annie’s mother has passed and with just a few carefully chosen sentences in the eulogy that veil her true feelings about her mother, we get the idea that the world is a better place without this woman.

This is Ari Aster’s first feature length movie and let me just say this guy knows how to write and direct. Perfectly paced and expertly framed, this story immediately establishes that something is off with this family and the sense of dread mounts from there. We learn about how Annie’s childhood scarred her for life, to the point where Annie kept her first child, Peter, away from her for years. When her daughter Charlie was born, her mother managed to maneuver her way in and became close to Charlie. Annie never liked that and as the movie progresses we find that grandma had been up to no good.

Aster puts the camera wherever he can to effectively keep the audience on their toes. This man does not simply set up a camera in front of two talking people and lets things play out. Scrumptious cinematography also helps make forboding and disturbing scenes pop off the screen. One of my favorite design choices matches Annie’s job. In her art studio in the home. she makes miniature models of buildings and scenes, essentially professional dioramas. Her job doubles as a therapeutic outlet which plays a role in the story. There’s one shot that starts on the bedroom of the miniature of their home that Annie has made and it transitions directly into a scene in the actual house (something director Wes Anderson loves to do). After that, you can see it in the set design. Everything is super clean, everything at 90 degree angles with the furniture placed far apart. It’s hard to tell if Annie made the model based on her home or if it was the other way around.

It’s the subtle details that show a tremendous amount of care and thought went into this project and that makes it stand out more. Plus, Toni Collette puts in a hell of a performance as Annie (and I saw that without downplaying the rest of the fantastic cast).

Paddington 2- This might be the most adorable movie I’ve ever seen. When it was released in 2017 it got amazing reviews and I agree with the glowing praise. This is the perfect movie for children and adults. It so well made, every single minute has purpose and heart.

Paddington Bear is happily living with the Brown family in London. His Aunt Lucy’s birthday is coming up and he finds the perfect present for her, a pop up book about London. The problem is it’s a expensive so he works to save up the money but then the book is stolen which makes a whole world of trouble for Paddington.

Paddington is one of the sweetest, warmest, and sincere characters put on film. He’s a phenomenal role model as he’s kind, thoughtful, and he always looks at the bright side no matter what. He makes a positive difference to everyone around him and it’s a joy to watch him work.

I didn’t think this movie would be anywhere near as funny as it is and the action sequences are fantastic! During the last one, I thought I was watching a James Bond movie! The direction can be best described as kinetic, it’s so lively and fun. The movie is bright and colorful, the supporting cast is terrific, and the special effects are top notch. I totally bought that Paddington is a living, breathing, walking, talking bear.

I can’t say enough positive things about this creative and touching movie. Absolutely watch it no matter your age or the age of anyone around you.