ICYMI, I reviewed THE DRAMA. Sorry, but: good movie. #TheDrama #TheDramaMovie moviemanifesto.com/2026/04/the-...

“Deborah, we talked about you using McKinsey.” Welcome back, #Hacks, I missed you.

“How well do we know the ones we love? We like to concoct fantasies of absolute honesty—visions of metaphysical reciprocity that traffic in words like ‘true love’ and ‘soulmate’—but the truth tends to be blurrier and messier.” #TheDrama #TheDramaMovie moviemanifesto.com/2026/04/the-...

New piece: I’m not sure if I’m still allowed to like THE DRAMA, but screw it, I really liked THE DRAMA—a sharply made, emotionally astute movie, with a tremendous performance from Robert Pattinson. Review here: #TheDrama #TheDramaMovie moviemanifesto.com/2026/04/the-...

This story is terrifying for many reasons, but I think this is the most revealing tidbit. A bunch of toadies who are too cowardly to express actual opinions, and who happily flatter a madman’s ego in exchange for a government paycheck. It’s “masterful gambit, sir” as applied to global destruction.

Yes modern civilization is collapsing and America is tightening its grip as the most grotesque imperial power in the world, so you will forgive me if I distract myself by complaining about how the New York Times needs to hire more copy editors:

Cool reality we’re living in.

Evening bump: I wrote about Julia Ducournau’s ALPHA. Strange movie. #Alpha #AlphaMovie moviemanifesto.com/2026/04/alph...

“ALPHA is very much a work of body horror. But Ducournau isn’t just commenting on the frailty of the human form or the stain of societal contempt. She is also… well, I’m not entirely sure what she’s doing.” #Alpha #AlphaMovie moviemanifesto.com/2026/04/alph...

Publishing an AI-generated “interview” is deplorable enough, but this justification is somehow even more appalling. When you fabricate an entire story, that isn’t called “harnessing our creative license,” it’s called lying.

New piece: I wrote about Julia Ducournau’s new body horror movie, ALPHA. It’s strange, enigmatic, and not all that satisfying. It’s also oddly beautiful, with some terrific individual scenes and an enveloping atmosphere. Review here: #Alpha #AlphaMovie moviemanifesto.com/2026/04/alph...

Me when SHRINKING’s Luke Tennie shows up on #ThePitt:

Finished #Bait on Amazon. One terrific episode, one total misfire, and overall a pleasant, culturally specific comedy that nicely blends broad industry satire with spiky character dynamics. Not sure if you knew this, but Riz Ahmed is quite charming.

“Is there a vegetarian option?” “I will light you on fire.” Three episodes in, thoroughly enjoying Netflix’s SOMETHING VERY BAD IS GOING TO HAPPEN: a spooky, funny horror series with far more visual sensibility than the usual streaming slop. Skeptical it can hold up for 8 episodes, but we’ll see!

I would rather Zach Cregger make a new original horror movie than a WEAPONS prequel, but it might still be good. I would rather Chris Nolan make a new sci-fi movie than an ODYSSEY adaptation, but it will still be good. I would rather Denis Villeneuve make a new thriller than a James Bond film, but

I confess to always having been confused whenever Jesse said “ban screenwriters,” so I’m pleased that he articulated his point so thoughtfully here. Frankly I think he lets Deadpool off a little easy, fuck those smirking self-satisfied movies.

Evidence that I’ve been watching too much basketball: I initially assumed “Oscar Win Stats” was some sort of new analytical metric in which Nikola Jokić was lapping the field in the MVP race.

This is the part in the show’s development where the producer rejects the writer’s metaphorical dialogue as being too on the nose.

Bluesky lunatics somehow forced a rigorous and compassionate SCOTUS reporter to do one of these:

THEY WILL KILL YOU (Sokolov, C): Bland hotel #TheyWillKillYou letterboxd.com/moviemanifes...

THE TESTAMENT OF ANN LEE, one of the most unusual and rewarding musicals in recent years (with a great Amanda Seyfried performance), is now streaming on Hulu. moviemanifesto.com/2026/01/in-t...

This weekend in “I contain cinematic multitudes”:

Evening bump: I wrote about PROJECT HAIL MARY. Good movie. #ProjectHailMary moviemanifesto.com/2026/03/proj...

“In our era of imperialism and isolationism, here is an unabashedly corny movie that pays tribute to the salutary quality of teamwork: between people, between nations, between species.” #ProjectHailMary moviemanifesto.com/2026/03/proj...

New piece: I wrote about PROJECT HAIL MARY, an imperfect movie that’s nonetheless deeply enjoyable, with a meaningful focus on the value of collaboration—between people, between nations, between species. Review here: #ProjectHailMary moviemanifesto.com/2026/03/proj...

I try not to get attached to fictional characters but I am going to need Santos and Whitaker on THE PITT to live together forever.

OK now he’s crossed a line.

Between SHRINKING and PROJECT HAIL MARY, this has been quite the week for fictional characters saying “Whoomp, there it is.”

READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME (Bettinelli-Olpin & Gillett, C+): Hide and shriek #ReadyOrNot2 letterboxd.com/moviemanifes...

MERCY is now streaming on Amazon, so just a reminder that it’s less terrible than you may have heard. boxd.it/cOkuqJ

SIRĀT (Laxe, B): Guerilla, mean of the desert #Sirat letterboxd.com/moviemanifes...

#NW Heard this just won three Oscars, should probably see what the fuss is about, whoops wait a minute

My take on the trailer for DUNE: PART THREE is that DUNE: PART TWO was quite good. moviemanifesto.com/2024/03/dune...

UNDERTONE (Tuason, B-): To all the noise I’ve loved before #Undertone letterboxd.com/moviemanifes...

I wrote about last night’s Oscars, which had plenty of presentational problems, but which also honored some very good movies—and cherished the act of moviegoing itself, while we still have it. #Oscars moviemanifesto.com/2026/03/osca...

You are going to hear a lot of griping about how Best International Feature should have gone to IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT or THE SECRET AGENT, and they’re both very good movies, but let me remind you that SENTIMENTAL VALUE fucking rules. #Oscars moviemanifesto.com/2025/12/than...

Hey, the Oscars are tonight! Like, in five hours! Would you like a handy cheat sheet for all of my predictions, preferences, and don’t-call-them snubs in all 21 feature categories? You’re in luck! #Oscars moviemanifesto.com/2026/03/osca...

My dad told my mom to watch SINNERS so she could be informed before the Oscars, does anyone know a good divorce lawyer

I will probably end up seeing #RemindersOfHim because I love Maika Monroe, but I kinda feel like I correctly clocked Colleen Hoover’s Whole Deal here: letterboxd.com/moviemanifes...

ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER was my favorite movie of 2025, which is one the reasons that I hope SINNERS wins Best Picture. Welcome to Oscars Logic. #Oscars moviemanifesto.com/2026/03/osca...

We all know Paul Thomas Anderson is winning Best Director. But can SINNERS dethrone ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER? And which movie *should* win Best Picture, according to my demented “protect the ones you love” metric? Behold, my final Oscars piece. #Oscars moviemanifesto.com/2026/03/osca...

My take on the whole Timothée Chalamet ballet/opera thing is that he’s a good actor and MARTY SUPREME is a good movie. moviemanifesto.com/2026/01/mart...

The Best Actor race is my favorite at this year’s Oscars, in terms of both caliber of nominees and lingering suspense. As for Best Actress, sure we know the winner, but which five women *actually* should have been nominated? The answer may surprise you. #Oscars moviemanifesto.com/2026/03/osca...

I respect Roxana, and IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT made my top 10, but the rhetorical argument that “If you like [Movie X] more than [Movie Y] it’s because you’re racist”... gotta be honest, not a huge fan!

The screenplay races at this year’s Oscars: super boring! My independent ballots in both categories: much more interesting! Featuring No Other Choice, Universal Language, Sorry Baby, 100 Nights of Hero, and more! #Oscars moviemanifesto.com/2026/03/osca...

Hey look, Oscar categories that you’re actually interested in! Does Sean Penn really have Best Supporting Actor locked up? Is Supporting Actress a three-way toss-up? And most importantly, who *really* should’ve been nominated? Justice for Oona Chaplin! #Oscars moviemanifesto.com/2026/03/osca...

#Paradise is a fun show because the writers will be like “How can we organically get ‘Mr. Jones’ by Counting Crows on the soundtrack?” and then they’ll just reverse-engineer an entire subplot over a new character whose last name is Jones.

Scribbled a few words about this movie, and the challenge of appreciating a classic when you first watch it in the midst of encroaching middle age rather than during your formative years. letterboxd.com/moviemanifes...

Our weeklong Oscars analysis continues with a look at some super-sexy technical categories. Is Best Cinematography a proxy for Best Picture? How many awards will FRANKENSTEIN win? And is Best Film Editing the most interesting three-way race of the night? #Oscars moviemanifesto.com/2026/03/osca...