Phil’s First Thoughts
This is a blog for me to write down my first thoughts straight after watching a film – simple as that. They can be of any genre, new or old, films I’ve never scene or have seen fifty times, if it’s a film I’m interested and will jot down a few short lines about watching it.
★★★★★ – Cinema Gold
★★★★ – Brilliant
★★★ – Good
★★ – Acceptable
★ – Poor
About Me
I finished my PhD in the History of Film at the University of Leicester; I specialise on the representation of racism and violence in American cinema, but I love all film. As well as a passion for watching cinema I also write and direct short films and enjoy acting and directing in theatre productions.
| Search by Genre: – Action – Comedy – Dark Comedy – Documentary – Drama – Family – Foreign Language – Horror – Musical – Mystery – Rom-Com – Sci-Fi – Western | Search by Review Score: – Five Star Reviews – Four Star Reviews – Three Star Reviews – Two Star Reviews – One Star Reviews | Search by Year: – Pre-1930s – 1930s – 1940s – 1950s – 1960s – 1970s – 1980s – 1990s – 2000s – 2010s – 2020s |
Recent Reviews
March 2024
American Fiction (2023) ★★★★½; The Big Sick (2017) ★★★★★; Wicked Letters (2023) ★★★½; Next Goal Wins (2023) ★★★½ American Fiction (2023) ★★★★½04/03/2024 First Time Viewing – PrimeDir. by Cord Jefferson – Comedy-Drama – 1hr 57mins American Fiction is a sublime film, it reminds me of Spike Lee’s Bamboozled (2000) which explores stereotypes and racism in…
Feburary 2024
All of Us Strangers (2023) ★★★★½; Bombardment (2021) ★★★★★; This is Spinal Tap (1984) ★★★★★; Operation Finale (2018) ★★★½ ; The Third Man (1949)★★★½; M3GAN (2022) ★★★; Shrek the Third (2007) ★★★★
January 2024
Munich – The Edge of War (2021) ★★★½; The Duke (2020) ★★★★; Poor Things (2023) ★★★; Tenet (2020) ★½; Talk to Me (2022) ★★★; Maria Full of Grace (2004) ★★★★ Welcome to the new look of my blog, one monthly post updated each film, quick statements or longer takes combined (most recent at the top). Click the film above…
Sisu (2022)
★★★★ 05/01/2024 First Time Viewing – Sky Cinema Dir. by Jalmari Helander – Action – 1hr 31mins
May December (2023) and Man on Wire (2008)
★★ (May December) 04/01/2024 First Time Viewing – Sky Cinema Dir. by Todd Haynes – Drama – 1hr 57mins ★★½ (Man on Wire) 05/01/2025 First Time Viewing – Sky Cinema Dir. by James Marsh – Documentry – 1hr 34min
Little Monsters (2019)
★★★½ 03/01/2024 First Time Viewing – Sky Cinema Dir. by Abe Forsythe – Horror-Comedy – 1hr 34mins
Tetris (2023)
★★★★ 03/01/2024 First Time Viewing – Apple TV+ Dir. by Jon S. Baird – Drama/Thriller – 1hr 58mins
Last Night in Soho (2021)
★★★★ 29/12/2023 First Time Viewing – Netflix Dir. by Edgar Wright –Psychological Horror – 1hr 56mins
Batman (1989)
★★½ 27/12/2023 First Time Viewing – Sky Cinema Dir. by Tim Burton – Action/Superhero – 2hrs 6mins
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (2023)
★★ 22/12/2023 First Time Viewing – Netflix Dir. by Sam Fell – Family – 1hr 41mins
Dream Scenario (2023)
★★★ 17/12/2023 First Time Viewing – Cinema Dir. by Kristoffer Borgli – Black Comedy Fantasy – 1hr 40mins
Barbie (2023) and Operation Mincemeat (2021)
★★★½ (Barbie) 14/12/2023 First Time Viewing – Sky Store Dir. by Greta Gerwig – Fantasy Comedy – 1hr 54mins ★½ (Operation Mincemeat) 04/12/2023 First Time Viewing – Sky Cinema Dir. by John Madden – Drama – 2hr 8mins
Promising Young Women (2020)
★★★★½ 03/12/2023 First Time Viewing – Sky Cinema Dir. by Emerald Fennell – Thriller – 1hr 53mins
David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived (2023) and Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2021)
★★★½ (David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived) 01/12/2023 First Time Viewing – Sky Documentaries Dir. by Dan Hartley – Documentary – 1hr 27mins ★★★½ (Marcel the Shell with Shoes On) 03/12/2023 First Time Viewing – Sky Cinema Dir. by Dean Fleischer Camp – Mockumentary/Family – 1hr 30mins
She Said (2022)
★★★★ 30/11/2023 First Time Viewing – Sky Cinema Dir. by Maria Schrader – Drama – 2hrs 9mins
Saltburn (2023)
★★★ 19/11/2023 First Time Viewing – Cinema Dir. by Emerald Fennell – Psychological Thriller – 2hrs 11mins
Brave (2012) and Tangled (2010)
★★★★ (Brave) 20/11/2023 Viewed Before – Disney+ Dir. by Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman – Family – 1hr 33mins ★★★½ (Tangled) 24/11/2023 Viewed Before – Disney+ Dir. by Nathan Greno and Byron Howard– Family/Musical – 1hr 40mins
Novmeber Catch Up (Shrek, Shrek 2, Raising Arizona, Snakes on a Plane)
As I noted in my last review of Pearl (2022) I’ve been having lots of internet issues that still persist annoyingly. This has not helped me to keep up with my blog, all of these reviews are from my DVD collection although the exact dates are somewhat of a blur to me now. I was…
Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)
★★½ 25/10/2023 First Time Viewing – Cinema Dir. by Martin Scorsese – Drama/Crime – 3hrs 26mins
Texas Chainsaw (2013)
★½ 24/10/2023 First Time Viewing – Sky Cinema Dir. by John Luessenhop – Horror – 1hr 32mins
Frozen II (2019) and Rogue One (2016)
★★★ (Frozen II) 22/10/2023 Viewed Before – Disney+ Dir. by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee – Family – 1hr 43mins ★★ (Rogue One) 23/10/2023 Viewed Before – Disney+ Dir. by Gareth Edwards– Sci-Fi – 2hrs 14mins
Spotlight (2015)
★★★★★ 16/10/2023 Viewed Before – Prime Dir. by Tom McCarthy – Historical Drama – 2hrs 9mins
Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) with a brief note on Elemental (2023)
★★★★ 13/10/2023 First Time Viewing – Disney+ Dir. by Robert Zemeckis – Comedy – 1hr 44mins
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)
★½ 08/10/2023 First Time Viewing – Freevee Dir. by Tobe Hooper – Horror-Comedy – 1hr 41mins
Red, White & Royal Blue (2023)
★★½ 30/09/2023 First Time Viewing – Prime Dir. by Matthew Lopez – Rom-Com – 1hr 58mins
Barbarian (2022)
★★★★ 25/09/2023 First Time Viewing – Disney+ Dir. by Zach Cregger– Horror – 1hr 42mins
Boston Strangler (2023)
★★½ 21/09/2023 First Time Viewing – Disney+ Dir. by Matt Ruskin – Drama/Mystery – 1hr 52mins
The Fault in Our Stars (2014)
★★★★★ 18/09/2023 First Time Viewing – Disney+ Dir. by Josh Boone – Drama/Romance – 2hrs 6mins
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)
★★★½ 17/09/2023 First Time Viewing – Prime Dir. by Frank Oz – Comedy – 1hr 50mins
The Inbetweeners Movie (2011) and The Inbetweeners 2 (2014)
★★★ (The Inbetweeners Movie) 7/09/2023 Viewed Before – All4 Dir. by Ben Palmer– Comedy – 1hr 37mins ★★★½ (The Inbetweeners 2) 9/09/2023 Viewed Before – All4 Dir. by Damon Beesley and Iain Morris – Comedy – 1hr 36mins
The Naked Gun Trilogy (1988, 1991, 1994)
★★★ 30/08-02/09/2023 Partly Viewed Before – All4 Dir. by David Zucker (1&2) and Peter Segal (3) – Comedy – 3hrs 58mins
Crazy Heart (2009)
★★★★ 25/08/2023 First Time Viewing – Youtube Movies Dir. by Scott Cooper – Drama – 1hr 52mins
Dune: Part One (2021)
★★½ 24/08/2023 First Time Viewing – Prime Dir. by Denis Villeneuve – Sci-Fi – 2hrs 35mins
Possession (1981)
★★½ 23/08/2023 First Time Viewing – Prime Dir. by Andrzej Żuławski – Horror – 2hrs 4mins
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) and the Deathly Hallows (2010, 2011)
★★★★ (Goblet of Fire) 17/08/2023 Viewed Before – Blu-Ray Dir. by Mike Newell – Family/Fantasy – 2hrs 26mins ★★★½ (Deathly Hallows – Part 1) 19/08/2023 Viewed Before – Blu-Ray Dir. by David Yates – Family/Fantasy – 2hrs 26mins ★★★★½ (Deathly Hallows – Part 2) 20/08/2023 Viewed Before – Blu-Ray Dir. by David Yates – Family/Fantasy…
Us (2019)
★★★★ 16/08/2023 Viewed Before – Blu-Ray Dir. by Jordan Peele – Horror/Thriller – 1hr 56mins
Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
★★★½ 14/08/2023 First Time Viewing – ITVX Dir. by Sergio Leone – Western – 2hrs 46mins
What We Did on Our Holiday (2014)
★★★★ 10/08/2023 First Time Viewing – Prime Dir. by Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin – Comedy – 1hr 35mins
The Birdcage (1996)
★★★½ 09/08/2023 First Time Viewing – Freevee Dir. by Mike Nichols – Comedy – 1hr 57mins
Oppenheimer (2023)
★★★ 07/08/2023 First Time Viewing – Cinema [IMAX] Dir. by Christopher Nolan – Biopic/Drama – 3hrs 1min
Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
★★★★ 06/08/2023 Viewed Before – BBC iPlayer Dir. by Jon M. Chu – Rom-Com – 2hrs 1min
Stardust (2007)
★★★★½ 05/08/2023 First Time Viewing – All4 Dir. by Matthew Vaughn – Fantasy-Adventure/Romance – 2hrs 8mins
Amélie (2001)
★★★★½ 04/08/2023 First Time Viewing – Prime Dir. by Jean-Pierre Jeunet – Romance/Comedy-Drama – 2hrs 1min French Language – English Subtitles
The Intern (2015)
★★★½ 03/08/2023 Viewed Before – Prime Dir. by Nancy Meyers– Rom-Com/Comedy –2hrs 1min
Argentina, 1985 (2022)
★★★★ 27/07/2023 First Time Viewing – Prime Dir. by Santiago Mitre – Drama – 2hrs 20mins Spanish Language – English Subtitles
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
★★★★★ 26/07/2023 First Time Viewing – Freevee Dir. by Joseph Sargent – Drama/Thriller – 1hr 44mins
Still Alice (2014)
★★★★½ 25/07/2023 First Time Viewing – Prime Dir. by Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland – Drama – 1hr 41mins
The Living Daylights (1987)
★★★½ 24/07/2023 Viewed Before – DVD Dir. by John Glen – Action – 2hrs 10mins
Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011)
★★★★ 21/07/2023 Viewed Before – Prime Dir. by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa – Rom-Com – 1hr 58mins
Casino (1995)
★★★½ 12/07/2023 First Time Viewing – Prime Dir. by Martin Scorsese – Drama/Gangster film – 2hrs 58mins
The Killing (1956)
★★★½ 11/07/2023 First Time Viewing – Prime Dir. by Stanley Kubrick – Film-noir – 1hr 24mins
Beetjuice (1988)
★★★½ 10/07/2023 First Time Viewing – Prime Dir. by Tim Burton – Horror-Comedy – 1hr 32mins
Carrie (2013)
★★★½ 06/07/2023 First Time Viewing – Freevee Dir. by Kimberly Peirce – Horror/Drama – 1hr 39mins
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
★★★★½ 02/07/2023 Viewed Before – Cinema Dir. by Jonathan Demme – Thriller/Horror – 1hr 58mins
Men in Black 3 (2012)
★★★½ 27/06/2023 Viewed Before – Prime Dir. by Barry Sonnenfeld – Sci-Fi/Action-Comedy – 1hr 46mins
Men in Black II (2002)
★★★ 25/06/2023 Viewed Before – Prime Dir. by Barry Sonnenfeld – Sci-Fi/Action-Comedy – 1hr 28mins
Men in Black (1997)
★★★★ 25/06/2023 Viewed Before – Prime Dir. by Barry Sonnenfeld – Sci-Fi/Action-Comedy – 1hr 38mins
The World is Not Enough (1999)
★★½ 01/06/2023 Viewed Before – DVD Dir. by Michael Apted – Action – 2hrs 3mins
Super Size Me (2004)
★★★★½ 31/05/2023 Viewed Before – Prime Dir. by Morgan Spurlock – Documentary – 1hr 38mins
The Whale (2022)
★★★★½ 30/05/2023 First Time Viewing – Prime Dir. by Darren Aronofsky – Drama – 1hr 57mins
Trading Places (1983)
★★ 29/05/2023 First Time Viewing – All4 Dir. by John Landis – Comedy – 1hr 56min
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
★★★★ 23/05/2023 First Time Viewing – Prime Dir. by Nicholas Stoller – Rom-Com – 1hr 51min
The Man Who Saved the World (2013)
★★★ 21/05/2023 First Time Viewing – Prime Dir. by Peter Anthony – Docudrama – 1hr 50min
What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
★★★★ 14/05/2023 Viewed Before – BBC iPlayer Dir. by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi – Mockumentary – 1hr 25min
28 Weeks Later (2007)
★★½ 07/05/2023 Viewed Before – DVD Dir. by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo – Horror – 1hr 39mins
Shoplifters (2018)
★★★★½ 05/05/2023 First Time Viewing – Chili Dir. by Hirokazu Kore-eda – Drama – 2hrs 1min Japenese Language – English Subtitles
12 Angry Men (1957)
★★★★ 24/04/2023 First Time Viewing – Prime Dir. by Sidney Lumet – Drama – 1hr 36mins
Wild (2014)
★★★ 21/04/2023 First Time Viewing – Disney+ Dir. by Jean-Marc Vallée – Drama – 1hr 55mins
Aliens (1986) with notes on Alien (1979)
★★★½ 16/04/2023 First Time Viewing – Disney+ Dir. by James Cameron – Sci-Fi Horror – 2hrs 17mins
Ron’s Gone Wrong (2021)
★★★½ 14/04/2023 First Time Viewing – Disney+ Dir. by Sarah Smith – Family – 1hr 47mins
The King of Comedy (1982)
★★★ 06/04/2023 First Time Viewing – Disney+ Dir. by Martin Scorsese – Drama– 1hr 49mins
Braveheart (1995)
★★★½ 05/04/2023 First Time Viewing – Disney+ Dir. by Mel Gibson – Drama/War – 2hrs 58mins
Movie Marathon: 10 Films, 2 Days (Day 2)
31/03/2023 Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995) ★★★½ Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) ★★ The Disaster Artist (2017) ★★★★½ The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) ★★★★★ Pulp Fiction (1994) ★★★★★ The Birds (1963) ★★
Movie Marathon: 10 Films, 2 Days (Day 1)
30/03/2023 Quantum of Solace (2008) ★★★½ Big Nothing (2006) ★★★★★ Get Out (2017) ★★★★★ Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) ★★½
Chariots of Fire (1981)
★★★★ 29/03/2023 First Time Viewing – Disney+ Dir. by Hugh Hudson – Sports Drama – 2hrs 3mins
Cocaine Bear (2023)
★★★½ 27/03/2023 First Time Viewing – Cinema Dir. by Elizabeth Banks – Horror-Black Comedy – 1hr 35mins
Judas and the Black Messiah (2021)
★★★ 27/03/2023 First Time Viewing – Prime Dir. by Shaka King – Drama – 2hrs 6mins
The Bob’s Burgers Movie (2022)
★★½ 20/03/2023 First Time Viewing – Disney+ Dir. by Loren Bouchard and Bernard Derriman – Comedy – 1hr 42mins
The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)
★★★½ 19/03/2023 First Time Viewing – Disney+ Dir. by Martin McDonagh – Drama-Comedy – 1hr 54mins
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
★★★★ 14/03/2023 First Time Viewing – Prime Dir. by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert – Comedy-Drama – 2hrs 19mins
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)
★★ 12/03/2023 First Time Watching – Prime Dir. by Michael Chaves – Horror – 1hr 52mins
Jojo Rabbit (2019)
★★★½ 09/03/2023 Viewed Before – Disney+ Dir. by Taika Waititi – Drama-Comedy – 1hr 48mins
Soul (2020)
★★★★★ 16/02/2023 First Time Viewing – Disney+ Dir. by Pete Docter – Comedy-Drama/Family – 1hr 41mins
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
★★ 15/02/2023 First Time Viewing – Disney+ Dir. by Wes Anderson – Comedy-Drama – 1hr 49mins
See How They Run (2022)
★★★★ 13/02/2023 First Time Viewing – Disney+ Dir. by Tom George – Comedy-Mystery – 1hr 38mins
The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker (2023)
★★★★ 07/02/2023 First Time Viewing – Netflix Dir. by Colette Camden – Documentary – 1hr 25mins
Murder on the Orient Express (2017)
★½ 05/02/2023 First Time Viewing – Disney+ Dir. by Kenneth Branagh – Mystery – 1hr 54mins
Ready or Not (2019)
★★★½ 29/01/2023 First Time Viewing – Disney+ Dir. by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett – Horror/Dark Comedy – 1hr 35mins
The Dajeeling Limited (2007)
★★★½ 26/01/2023 Viewed Before – Disney+ Dir. by Wes Anderson– Comedy-Drama– 1hr 31mins
Lightyear (2022)
★★★★ 24/01/2023 First Time Viewing – Disney+ Dir. by Angus MacLane – Family/comedy – 1hr 45mins
The Menu (2022)
★★★½ 22/01/2023 First Time Viewing – Disney+ Dir. by Mark Mylod – Horror/ Dark Comedy/ Drama– 1hr 46mins
Disenchanted (2022)
★★½ 22/01/2023 First Time Viewing – Disney+ Dir. by Adam Shankman – Musical/Family– 1hr 58mins
Phil's First Thoughts 