#gwledd

THE FEAST / GWLEDD (2021) dir. Lee Haven Jones

Vote for your favorite:

Propaganda under the cut. (spoilers)

She is frantic about making sure everything is perfect. There is not a spare moment—yet she and Cadi begin to sing. She didn't say anything about flowers!! and yet she won't tell Cadi to remove them from the table; she stares at them instead, uneasy, flint-eyed. She knows what her husband is. She knows what the black room is too, but she calls it a retreat from the city and makes a point of seeming to luxuriate in it.

After the bitter screed that was my Worst list, now comes my Best list! Told you I wanted to end the year on a positive note. Well, end January 2023, since that's when I ended up making this list. OK! Let's go!

5. Good Luck To You, Leo Grande

One of two 2022 films in which a middle-aged white lady and half-naked black man sit in a hotel room talking about everything, weirdly. This one is a nuanced take on sex, age, and sex work, topics typically considered taboo. It could have easily slipped into stereotypes and/or being mean-spirited, but is a heartwarming two-hander that flies by.

4. Barbarian

One of two mind-fucking 2022 horror films in which the basic message is 'men are Terrible', weirdly. Unlike the other one (Alex Garland's Men), Barbarian is enjoyable, elaborates on that message more, and gives more work to Bill Skarsgard, which is something I'm always up for. Plus, the end credits song is the best one since Edge of Tomorrow's. Fight me.

3. The Northman

An intense slow-burner that is absolutely NOT for everyone (and I'm still waiting on the BBFC's justification for giving it a 15 and not an 18). Gutted that it bombed, but fair play to everyone involved for giving it their all. A passion project for director Robert Eggers and lead Alexander Skarsgard, and a scene-stealing Bjork, whose lines were also probably advice she gave to her son before he started university.

2. X

The first film from Ti "I See What's Going On Over There, And I Am Absolutely Going To Make It My Business" West that I can genuinely say I liked. Really liked, in fact. Far more than I expected to. The editing is brilliant, and the gore is not restricted, which is the kind of thing I'd want from a '70s slasher throwback. This is how you do homage.

Honourable Mentions

Scream V: Honestly, this is mostly here because it used an Alkaline Trio song, and as a fan of the band, that's not something I'm used to and would like more of. Also, between this and X, Jenna Ortega has a promising career in film, and I look forward to seeing her in more things.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness: Yeah, this surprised me too. The music fight is great, the body horror (when it gets there) is insane, and I overall enjoyed it. It was a blast.

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent: Don't look at me like that.

The Feast (Gwledd): Always happy to support local talent, always happy to watch a folk horror. Social commentary and an 18 rating also helps. And how often do you see a Welsh-language film being shown in largely-English-speaking metropolitan areas??

And now, my top pick of the year...

1. Hatching (Pahanhautoja)

I was very lucky in that I didn't grow up with a fraction of the shit poor Tinja endures from her family, especially at an age where puberty is just around the corner. Still, this one hit me on a deeply personal level, and I still can't explain why. Maybe I don't need to explain why. What I do know is that this is a tight ninety-minute coming-of-age horror with a satirical take on influencer culture that is way better than any directorial debut has any right to be. And again, it's in a language that isn't widely spoken in Anglophone countries, so it being shown near me was a miracle, to be frank.

Thank you for reading and for your support this year! To read up on everything I've seen this year, click here. If you want to support me monetarily, there's the option to tip me or there's a Ko-fi link in my bio. If not, thank you for supporting me anyway!

Here's to the rest of 2023.

Love,