Honestly I haven’t been blown away by much this year, but if you can find it (it was still in festivals last I saw), She’s the He was delightful. Just something very fun about an early 2000s style teen comedy made by and for queer/trans folks. Might not be what you’re asking for, though.
December 29, 2025 at 12:22 AM
Honestly I haven’t been blown away by much this year, but if you can find it (it was still in festivals last I saw), She’s the He was delightful. Just something very fun about an early 2000s style teen comedy made by and for queer/trans folks. Might not be what you’re asking for, though.
I hope you somehow get commission for the black lipstick this just sold me.
December 26, 2025 at 10:07 PM
I hope you somehow get commission for the black lipstick this just sold me.
I’m not sure we can even give Cameron that much benefit of the doubt on this. I just feel like the movies are trying so hard to sand down any potential friction for a viewer that they end up with nothing to actually latch onto. Everything resembling a point of view has to be negated or undermined.
December 26, 2025 at 10:04 PM
I’m not sure we can even give Cameron that much benefit of the doubt on this. I just feel like the movies are trying so hard to sand down any potential friction for a viewer that they end up with nothing to actually latch onto. Everything resembling a point of view has to be negated or undermined.
That’s my entire text thread with my partner. I think she just didn’t correct me because she didn’t want me googling the spelling and getting spoiled on anything. And it makes Gavin not being, like, Gohvynn even funnier.
December 26, 2025 at 9:58 PM
That’s my entire text thread with my partner. I think she just didn’t correct me because she didn’t want me googling the spelling and getting spoiled on anything. And it makes Gavin not being, like, Gohvynn even funnier.
Sure, the villains are the military, but the heroes are a nuclear family with two military parents who run their family on military principles. It’s about fighting oppression, but *always* in a way that can also be read as protecting your family from the government.
December 26, 2025 at 9:49 PM
Sure, the villains are the military, but the heroes are a nuclear family with two military parents who run their family on military principles. It’s about fighting oppression, but *always* in a way that can also be read as protecting your family from the government.
Yeah, I feel like that’s true in the same way it would be true to say that white light is green. Like, sure, it’s technically in there, but the statement only makes sense if you ignore most of the other stuff that’s in there too that completely undermines it.
December 26, 2025 at 9:43 PM
Yeah, I feel like that’s true in the same way it would be true to say that white light is green. Like, sure, it’s technically in there, but the statement only makes sense if you ignore most of the other stuff that’s in there too that completely undermines it.
Speaking of names, as an audiobook listener, my shock when I saw how Celaena was spelled…
December 26, 2025 at 9:11 PM
Speaking of names, as an audiobook listener, my shock when I saw how Celaena was spelled…
I feel like this is exactly why I like SF authors like Ted Chiang so much. Division by Zero isn’t a story about how the world falls apart when a mathematician disproves arithmetic, it’s a story about how that specific mathematician’s life falls apart when she breaks something she cares about.
December 26, 2025 at 7:23 PM
I feel like this is exactly why I like SF authors like Ted Chiang so much. Division by Zero isn’t a story about how the world falls apart when a mathematician disproves arithmetic, it’s a story about how that specific mathematician’s life falls apart when she breaks something she cares about.
And IIRC it’s not even short for something. It’s not like “oh, but his full name is Gævinarïs, that’s appropriately fantasy.” He’s just Gav.
December 26, 2025 at 7:15 PM
And IIRC it’s not even short for something. It’s not like “oh, but his full name is Gævinarïs, that’s appropriately fantasy.” He’s just Gav.
I’ve got my fingers crossed for Meredith Meredith. It’s long odds but I’ve got a good feeling about it.
December 23, 2025 at 10:43 PM
I’ve got my fingers crossed for Meredith Meredith. It’s long odds but I’ve got a good feeling about it.
As someone who’s had limited success with prog, even I will vouch for it + injections being The Good Stuff. Hardest part really is getting over the fear. It really do be the mind killer.
December 23, 2025 at 6:02 PM
As someone who’s had limited success with prog, even I will vouch for it + injections being The Good Stuff. Hardest part really is getting over the fear. It really do be the mind killer.
It’s a little hard to tell if you’re dipping at the end of the cycle or if it’s just Monday, but otherwise it’s great! Congrats on starting injections, and Tuesday gang is glad to have you!
December 23, 2025 at 5:00 PM
It’s a little hard to tell if you’re dipping at the end of the cycle or if it’s just Monday, but otherwise it’s great! Congrats on starting injections, and Tuesday gang is glad to have you!
I hadn’t thought about Blood Meridian and Tell Me I’m Worthless together before, but holy shit yes. Those are two books that blew entire walls off of what I thought storytelling could be.
December 23, 2025 at 5:04 AM
I hadn’t thought about Blood Meridian and Tell Me I’m Worthless together before, but holy shit yes. Those are two books that blew entire walls off of what I thought storytelling could be.
Couldn’t agree more. Genuinely one of my favorite things I read this year.
December 23, 2025 at 4:46 AM
Couldn’t agree more. Genuinely one of my favorite things I read this year.
I’d second this. I missed it in theaters because I wrote it off as remake trash, but it really surprised me!
December 22, 2025 at 7:42 AM
I’d second this. I missed it in theaters because I wrote it off as remake trash, but it really surprised me!
I think it’s still looking for a proper distributor, but if you can find it, She’s the He was probably the most delightful film I saw this year. Early 2000s style teen comedy with two trans leads and very queer cast and crew. Gave me a pleasant case of the warm and fuzzies during a rough autumn.
December 22, 2025 at 7:38 AM
I think it’s still looking for a proper distributor, but if you can find it, She’s the He was probably the most delightful film I saw this year. Early 2000s style teen comedy with two trans leads and very queer cast and crew. Gave me a pleasant case of the warm and fuzzies during a rough autumn.
Bugonia is what officially pushed me into acknowledging that I am just a Lanthimos hater, but also what convinced me that history will prove me right.
December 21, 2025 at 12:05 AM
Bugonia is what officially pushed me into acknowledging that I am just a Lanthimos hater, but also what convinced me that history will prove me right.
Nothing that I love more than an EoY list where I adored half of the entries and haven’t listened to the other half yet!
December 15, 2025 at 11:25 PM
Nothing that I love more than an EoY list where I adored half of the entries and haven’t listened to the other half yet!
Live music once again managing to push back against a true shit-hole of a year.
December 15, 2025 at 5:30 AM
Live music once again managing to push back against a true shit-hole of a year.
Totally. And, at least over the summer, it was her, 2 dancers, and some signs, but she made it feel BIG. Which is always one of my favorite experiences.
December 14, 2025 at 11:45 PM
Totally. And, at least over the summer, it was her, 2 dancers, and some signs, but she made it feel BIG. Which is always one of my favorite experiences.
Fucking Yes! Also she’s great live.
December 14, 2025 at 10:47 PM
Fucking Yes! Also she’s great live.
Wait yes that’s going to be so good!!
December 13, 2025 at 11:38 PM
Wait yes that’s going to be so good!!
I can only read this to the tune of the opening to Party Traumatic by Black Kids
December 13, 2025 at 11:36 PM
I can only read this to the tune of the opening to Party Traumatic by Black Kids
I'm glad I'm not the only one who had the "I think Dommu accidentally almost wrote litfic" thought! Like, it'd still be bad litfic, but at least that would have been a genre in which Julia makes some kind of sense as a protagonist.
December 9, 2025 at 5:39 AM
I'm glad I'm not the only one who had the "I think Dommu accidentally almost wrote litfic" thought! Like, it'd still be bad litfic, but at least that would have been a genre in which Julia makes some kind of sense as a protagonist.
Kind of hard to say? Like, it’s in the mix for sure, but it also feels like the show is very conscious of the “for reasons I can’t actually justify” part.
December 7, 2025 at 11:29 PM
Kind of hard to say? Like, it’s in the mix for sure, but it also feels like the show is very conscious of the “for reasons I can’t actually justify” part.