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Tributary Stu
@tributarystu.bsky.social
a tributary to the big screen: thoughts on movies and cinema(s)

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Movies of the Week #3 (2026): Romances Under Pressure, Animatronics Gone Wild

This week's movies cover a surprising range of emotional connections under pressure — some forged in the heat of deception, others unraveling through poor writing and missed chemistry. Black Bag shines as a classy spy…
Movies of the Week #3 (2026): Romances Under Pressure, Animatronics Gone Wild
This week's movies cover a surprising range of emotional connections under pressure — some forged in the heat of deception, others unraveling through poor writing and missed chemistry. Black Bag shines as a classy spy thriller with a grounded romantic through-line, while Neighborhood Watch leans on character warmth despite its procedural messiness. The two Five Nights at Freddy’s entries limp through chaotic animatronic lore, offering little beyond confusion. People We Meet on Vacation attempts heartfelt romance but falls into hollow genre habits.
tributarystu.com
January 17, 2026 at 3:52 PM
It's not flashy, but in their absolute devotion and determination, George and Kathryn become aspirational figures. The end result is a tight thriller, which doesn't innovate on story, but pays out in the sharpness of its tempo. 8

#MovieReviews #Cinephile #movies #BlackBag #StevenSoderbergh
January 17, 2026 at 3:46 PM
Jack Quaid and Jeffrey Dean Morgan star in this crime drama as an aloof but mostly earnest not-quite-cop duo. It's a wholesome movie by the end, and it ultimately left me with a fuzzy feeling inside. 7

#NeighborhoodWatch #MovieReviews #Cinephile #movies #IndieFilm
January 15, 2026 at 4:20 PM
It's probably a great experience if you've never seen any other romcom in your entire life, but odds are that you have, which will make PWMoV feel instantly familiar. I think the way the movie handles itself is not only trite, but inauthentic. 5

#PeopleWeMeetOnVacation #MovieReviews #movies
January 14, 2026 at 6:19 PM
For a while, I thought this would be less ridiculous than it's predecessor, by just playing it very safely. I was wrong. It does look a bit darker, but really doesn't do anything to warrant praise or elicit enjoyment. 3

#FiveNightsAtFreddys2 #JoshHutcherson #ElizabethLail #MovieReviews #movies
January 13, 2026 at 5:27 PM
Ultimately, the movie is just silly, poorly written and lifeless, but the strength of the gaming franchise does for it what it did for P.W. Anderson's Resident Evil - condemns it to sequelization. 3

#FiveNightsAtFreddys #videogameadaptation #2023films #MovieReviews #Cinephile #movies
January 12, 2026 at 4:57 PM
It's a shame that Lane's talents aren't put to better use, as she's surrounded by forgettable subplots and lackluster performances. Not a movie to make you upset, but not much else either. 5

#UnderTheTuscanSun #DianeLane#MovieReviews #Cinephile #movies #Tuscany #Italy #FeelGoodMovies #BookToFilm
January 10, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Movies of the Week #2 (2026): Vampires, Vanity, and Viral Anxieties

This week's movies cover a span of time and tone—from silent German expressionism to buzzy modern satire—with each film examining the tensions between illusion and reality, myth and identity. Murnau’s Nosferatu evokes eerie…
Movies of the Week #2 (2026): Vampires, Vanity, and Viral Anxieties
This week's movies cover a span of time and tone—from silent German expressionism to buzzy modern satire—with each film examining the tensions between illusion and reality, myth and identity. Murnau’s Nosferatu evokes eerie permanence through its shadowy legacy, while Eggers' version strains to reanimate its Gothic core with contemporary nuance. Bugonia and Influencers tackle manipulation in different guises- bees and brands, respectively- though both fall short of deeper subversion. Under the Tuscan Sun, meanwhile, offers escapism, but little nourishment.
tributarystu.com
January 10, 2026 at 3:32 PM
The set-up sounds amusing on paper and it does play out in an entertaining fashion for the most part. But by the end it feels more like a satirical pamphlet than something that has actual artistic or socio-political weight to it. 7

#Bugonia #YorgosLanthimos #MovieReviews #Cinephile #movies
January 9, 2026 at 5:50 PM
Following-up on the 2022 film, this plays out like a cool, moody extension to the original. I called it slick and sexy last time around, and that still stands. 7

#Influencers #KurtisDavidHarder #VeronicaLong #CassandraNaud #MovieReviews #Cinephile #movies
January 8, 2026 at 4:53 PM
The somber spectacle that Eggers goes for has a dark beauty to it at times, yet fails to coherently engage on an emotional level with any of its protagonists. 6

#Nosferatu #RobertEggers #MovieReviews #Cinephile #movies #VampireFilm #Remake #2024Films #ArtHouseHorror #DarkFantasy
January 7, 2026 at 5:00 PM
What stood out to me was the set of on-location shots, which make the movie feel a lot more real than many of its contemporaries. The distinctive lighting, which emphasizes the impact of expressionistic art on Murnau's visuals, goes a long way to create striking and memorable scenes. 8

#Nosferatu
January 6, 2026 at 5:36 PM
It's all beautifully shot and emotionally resonant, even if it doesn't do as much as it could to avoid genre templates. Director James Griffiths doesn't dwell as much on the centrality of the music, but it is an essential element in allowing TBoWI to impress upon you. 8

#TheBalladOfWallisIsland
January 4, 2026 at 11:32 AM
Movies of the Week #1 (2026): Franchise Fatigue, Queer Zombies, and Lonely Islands

This week’s movies cover creative swings that don’t always connect - offering glimpses of bold new voices, genre subversions, and franchise fatigue. The Ballad of Wallis Island is the clear standout, a slow-burning,…
Movies of the Week #1 (2026): Franchise Fatigue, Queer Zombies, and Lonely Islands
This week’s movies cover creative swings that don’t always connect - offering glimpses of bold new voices, genre subversions, and franchise fatigue. The Ballad of Wallis Island is the clear standout, a slow-burning, intimate dramedy with a gently poignant core, while Queens of the Dead and The Running Man attempt fresh spins on familiar frameworks with mixed success. Elsewhere, Fackham Hall and Now You See Me: Now You Don’t show the limits of talent stacked atop thin material.
tributarystu.com
January 4, 2026 at 11:26 AM
That's what the movie mostly lacks - a sense of actual entertainment. I wasn't the biggest fan of the 1987 adaptation, but I remember it as being more camp and loose. Strange that they didn't try to do more with this one. 6

#TheRunningMan #EdgarWright #MovieReviews #Cinephile #movies #StephenKing
January 1, 2026 at 5:08 PM
Not even Rosamund Pike's aggressive South African accent could distract from the series of set-ups and CGI magic that the plot wanted to befuddle us with. Strange to me that there are fans of these things. 5

#NowYouSeeMe #RubenFleischer #MovieReviews #Cinephile #movies
December 31, 2025 at 4:58 PM
The Romero legacy lives on, with daughter Tina Romero's first feature length film - and a zombie one at that! It does just about enough right to stand on its own, thanks in part to some lively performances, particularly from Jaquel Spivey and Tomas Matos. 6

#QueensOfTheDead #TinaRomero #movies
December 30, 2025 at 5:00 PM
You look at the pieces of this one, and it should be one of the funniest movies of the year. Instead, it's mostly a dud. At no point did I feel like Fackham Hall tried to be ambitious or gutsy, settling for a lowest common denominator kind of approach. Shame. 5

#FackhamHall #MovieReviews #movies
December 29, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Movie of the Week #52 (2025): Dysfunction, Disguise, and December Feels

The Holdovers (2023): I'll stay in the Christmas spirit, with one of the best new(er) additions to the list. My impressions after the first viewing remain all valid, and there's just this warmth and gentle dynamic that makes…
Movie of the Week #52 (2025): Dysfunction, Disguise, and December Feels
The Holdovers (2023): I'll stay in the Christmas spirit, with one of the best new(er) additions to the list. My impressions after the first viewing remain all valid, and there's just this warmth and gentle dynamic that makes The Holdovers a classic. It sure is helped by being set in the 1970s, which gives it a timeless feel. I also love Paul Giamatti in general and am very glad that he has a movie like this one in his filmography.
tributarystu.com
December 27, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Sure, it's a cute Christmas staple, with distinctive visuals and a few catchy songs, but I never connected to it. But I assume that's a flaw within me, more than a flaw in the movie. 7

#TheNightmareBeforeChristmas#MovieReviews #Cinephile
December 27, 2025 at 6:52 PM
My impressions after the first viewing remain all valid, and there's just this warmth and gentle dynamic that makes The Holdovers a classic. Witty and wholesome and honest to itself, The Holdovers sure is a Christmas treat. 8

#TheHoldovers #AlexanderPayne #PaulGiamatti #moviereviews #movies
December 26, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Watching it in 2025, it's definitely a joy to see someone stand up to an abusive US president, especially if that is Hugh Grant. Ultimately, Love, Actually is in many ways what Christmas is about - making things that should go together, stick together. 7

#LoveActually #movies #ChristmasMovie
December 25, 2025 at 6:21 PM
I still think GN is one of the better fun movies of the last decade, which makes it odd that it hasn't seen a sequel yet - and probably never will. The test of time has ensured that Jesse Plemons steals this one, and not only thanks to the legendary Frito-Lay line. 7

#GameNight #movies #DarkComedy
December 23, 2025 at 5:18 PM
What I didn't particularly care for were the D-Day flashbacks, the guilt loading for fallen comrades, the pain of years gone by. But all in all, this slots very well into its niche and is a worthy send off for both its leads. 6

#TheGreatEscaper #OliverParker #MichaelCaine #moviereviews
December 22, 2025 at 5:00 PM
If you haven't seen the movie, you've probably still seen the famous "you can't handle the truth" scene. It's the kind of moment that outgrows its source, thanks in equal parts to Nicholson's iconic rendition and the memorable build-up. RIP RR. 7
#AFewGoodMen #RobReiner #moviereviews #JackNicholson
December 20, 2025 at 5:00 PM