august '24 roundup
- 3shotcine
- Sep 9, 2024
- 8 min read
August slipped away into a moment of time... The good news though, is that we've got a funky roundup to share with you.
Disclaimer!
These monthly roundups include more mainstream titles than our usual lists, as our goal here is to document anything we watched in the past month.
It can be hard to keep up with regular movie-watching when so many other things are happening in the world, so we do this to remember first, share second, and uplift third.
That being said, we hope you enjoy this roundup! Feel free to leave a comment with your August watches, or tell us what you think about ours.
This list is available on our Letterboxd here.
danis’ picks
Alien Covenant (2017)
directed by Ridley Scott
This alien film has all the classics from the previous films that were directed by Ridley Scott. Atmospheric storytelling, a great range of actors, disgusting looking creatures and a philosophical war of words. Overall, this film’s a good, entertaining sequel to Prometheus but if you despised Prometheus, then this movie is definitely not for you. Oh and anyone who’s not into CGI aliens (even when it looks decent), you’re probably gonna be put off by the “xenomorphs” in the film. Other than that, Michael Fassbender deserves every bit of that phenomenal word called “legend” cause wow, to portray a humanlike artificial intelligence in the way he did, take a bow. The set designers really brought most of the atmosphere in the film to life, and Jed Kurzel’s music compliments the film intensely well.
Available on: cough cough DVD
Hit Man (2024)
directed by Richard Linklater
Funny, charming and unexpectedly cerebral. This film somehow gave me a shocked and surprised feeling that I never thought I would come across again. When the credits rolled, and I saw Richard Linklater’s name as the director, everything finally made sense as to how the film was made and that one compelling scene in the film. Overall, the movie’s good and yeah watch it whenever you’re free peeps.
Available on: Netflix
Elite Squad 1 & 2 (2007) (2010)
written and directed by José Padilha
This Brazilian crime film franchise is relentless in its pursuit of wanting to tell a gritty and brutal story of life in the favelas and the decaying aspect of Brazilian society through the perspective of 3 characters. The film explores themes of corruption on every scale, and the struggle of having to clean up a system that is well and truly broken. José Padilha and everyone on this film has crafted a story that isn’t afraid to be political while keeping the audience engaged with the heavy material that they have adapted from the autobiographies of Rodrigo Pimentel and André Batista who were directly involved in the real-life task force that the movie based its portrayal on.
This movie is complex in its depiction of the police and both films need to be watched before one gives their opinion on the film’s depiction of the political landscape of Brazil.
This film is a much-needed breath of fresh air that has given me that ray of hope of waking up to a reality where desperate criminals will no longer exist, instead the real exploitative criminals of this world will finally face judgement day.
Available on: Netflix/ DVD
sophia’s picks
Girl, Interrupted (1999)
written and directed by James Mangold
The movie is based on the real experiences of author Susanna Kaysen. The film provides a genuine and unvarnished depiction of life in a 1960s psychiatric institution. Girl, Interrupted challenges us to look beyond the surface of instability to see the humanity within each character. Their "craziness" is not just madness but a response to the pain, trauma, and confusion they experience. Each character, including the antagonists, is portrayed with depth, showing that behind every act of instability is a person fighting their own battles, longing for connection, and searching for a way to cope with a world that often feels overwhelming. As someone who loves psychological movies, this movie was thrilling to watch, there were no boring moments and every scene was filled with various chaotic moments and interactions between the characters.
Available on: Wink, wink. I mean uh, DVD
The Fall of the House of Usher (2023)
directed by Mike Flanagan
This miniseries is a spine-chilling thrill ride that plunges you into the dark heart of the Usher family’s empire. Imagine a dynasty built on wealth, power, and secrets—secrets so dark that they begin to tear the family apart, one gruesome death at a time. This series, masterfully crafted by Mike Flanagan, isn’t just another horror story; it’s an intense psychological drama that keeps you on the edge of your seat, unravelling the twisted lives of the Ushers. This was actually a rewatch. When this series came out last year I sat in my room and binged it until 6am. Thank you Mike Flanagan for another exciting watch!
Available on: Netflix
Alien: Romulus (2024)
written and directed by Fede Alvarez
It's another Alien movie that does not need a summary since they are almost all the same. There is an alien invasion. There is death. Except with the plot twist at the end that had me genuinely flabbergasted. Besides the abysmal plot, the acting was great, I love watching hot people. There was nothing serious about this movie so I physically cannot be serious about this writeup.
Available on: A cinema screen near you!
zeff’s picks
Captain Alatriste: The Spanish Musketeer / Alatriste (2006)
directed by Agustín Díaz Yanes
One of my all time historical fiction favourites, with none other than Viggo Mortensen–of Aragorn fame–as the main character, Alatriste, eking out his fortunes as a mercenary in the tumultuous times of the 17th century. Very few films come to mind when I think of historical epics as cinematic as this. Although the scope of the narrative is relatively narrow, and focuses mostly on Alatriste and his adventures, unlike other much grander historical epics like War and Peace or Waterloo, this film is highly worth a watch, and I would recommend it greatly. Everything about the film, the costumes, the sets, the action scenes are all so well crafted it needs to be appreciated.
Available on: There’s actually a full version with English subtitles available on YouTube, but since this is a Spanish production, it might not be available on a lot of sites.
Children of Men (2006)
directed by Alfonso Cuarón
Perhaps I was born too late to have seen this in theatres, where the cinematic effect might have been amplified. But instead I watched this movie on a rainy, melancholic afternoon at a friend’s house, where we sat on his bed and had this movie on his bedroom TV. Thinking of it now, it might have delivered a more solemn effect to what was certainly a rather melancholic and dystopian image of the future where humans have become unable to reproduce, and the world is struck in crisis.
This film didn’t need action, it didn’t need witty quips from a Marvel-like comedic relief character. This film paralyses you in your seat as it grasps at your heartstrings with the incredible emotional acting and just amazing writing and worldbuilding. This world is not only believable, but also palpable, as you might stop and think of how a world like this could realistically play out in our own times, in another form maybe. Some of the long shots in this movie–where the camera does one take without cutting–are a must to be watched. Highly recommended, prepare yourself for a gut wrenching tale, and perhaps some tears at the end.
Available on: Netflix
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
directed by Stanley Kubrick
Kubrick’s grand vision of what we consider to be some of the foundational themes and flavour of the modern sci-fi genre comes to life in this incredible piece of cinematic history. This film was perhaps *the* defining film of Kubrick, and certainly his greatest success in my opinion. As a modern viewer, the film's runtime might be long, and some scenes do indeed drag out a lot, unlike his other works like Barry Lyndon, where long takes are quite a staple.
But even so, his vision remains enchanting, and also haunting, as it explores the great empty vastness of space and of course lays the foundation of the evil AI beings trope with the introduction of HAL. It’s a wonder then how I came to watch this film so late, because this is a must watch for all lifetimes. You must certainly experience this cultural landmark of a movie.
Available on: Netflix
komal’s picks
Hit Man (2024)
directed by Richard Linklater
I cannot explain the speed with which my jaw dropped when the director’s name came up at the end - I knew nothing about this film apart from the fact Glen Powell would be in it. I thoroughly enjoyed this watch - compelling characters, fun storyline, strong performances, immensely sexy in every way. A very, very fun watch.
Available on: Netflix
Always Be My Maybe (2019)
directed by Nahnatchka Khan
Happy to report that real rom-coms are so back! A really fun, light-hearted story that starts with friendship in childhood, which blooms into stunning awkwardness, which then turns into distance. Upon rekindling, the awkwardness is HIGH, portrayed really well by the leads, but I couldn’t help but root for the two all the way through. It paid off, the incredible chemistry between the leads made it so worth it. This rom-com has, perhaps, one of my top 3 favourite confession scenes at the end. Particularly loved that they came from the same place, but grew up so different, yet came together so naturally. And what a phenomenal soundtrack! A love letter to San Francisco lowkey.
Update: I have realised the average person on Letterboxd does not think this is a good movie. HUH? Losers. Learn to have fun.
Available on: Netflix
Mona Lisa Smile (2003)
directed by Mike Newell
Finally watching something from my watchlist. What an incredible movie. Feminine, enlightening, artistic, queer. Julia Roberts’ character was a joy to follow, and portrayed extremely realistically. The girls of Wellesley played brutal so well, and came around so perfectly in the end. Every role was a stand-out role. Kirsten Dunst and Ginnifer Goodwin - in their struggles for romance, to love and be loved, to understand who they are in the face of it; Julia Stiles - in understanding what her dreams are, and what she truly wants to do; Maggie Gyllenhall - I know what you are… But really, I highly recommend this movie. Beautiful shots with beautiful sound, beautiful story. Timeless.
Available on: Netflix
Kalki 2898-AD (2024)
directed by Nag Ashwin
Somebody somewhere thought - let me combine Dune, The Matrix, Guardians of the Galaxy, Elysium, Black Adam, and about 5 other movies to make a mega movie, that has poor dialogue, low cohesion, terrible editing, and… Amitabh Bachchan. In case that wasn’t clear - I do not recommend.
Available on: Netflix
That's the end of this monthly roundup! Tell us what you think of our picks, and then tell us yours!
You can find this list on our Letterboxd here.
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