January was a whirlwind of movies, ranging from rewatches for Sipping On Cinema to first-time watches that left me thinking (or cringing). Some films reaffirmed my love for the medium, while others challenged my tastes in ways I wasn’t expecting. Here’s a full-ish recap of what I watched, what stuck with me, and what I’ll (probably) never watch again.
Revisiting the Classics
I started the year off with The Big Lebowski, a rewatch for an upcoming podcast episode. This movie always leaves me with a craving for a White Russian, which is fitting given how deeply the drink is woven into the film’s DNA.
We started Sipping On Cinema at the beginning of the month, so the first few episodes are based on our favorite films.
Another rewatch for the podcast was The Truman Show (another one of my favorites). The meta layers of this movie never fail to fascinate me, and revisiting it for the podcast only deepened my appreciation. That episode is live now and you can listen here if you’d like to hear me talk about it with my cohost Bethanne Ciaccio-Tarpley.
Thanks to the new podcast, Iron Man was also on the watchlist this month, and this time it was with family. Watching it with my grandparents was a special experience, especially seeing my grandma react to it for the first time. She kept saying she couldn’t believe she’d waited so long to watch it, and honestly, getting to share that with them was better than any other rewatch.
But enough about my new endeavors—let’s get into some new movies I put on to start the year.
First-Time Watches: The Good, the Thought-Provoking, and the Disappointing
I checked off some big first-time watches in January, including Prisoners, Inglourious Basterds, The Devil Wears Prada, Mr. Deeds (huge), and The Substance.
Prisoners was an absolute gut punch. The storytelling was so meticulous, weaving together multiple threads until they all converged in one perfectly crafted cinematic moment. Every character had a flaw that was deeply explored, making the movie feel uncomfortably intimate. The brutality caught me off guard, but the acting was so convincing that I was too invested to look away. My only gripe was one plot element that felt underexplained—something to unpack on an inevitable rewatch.
Inglourious Basterds—which I watched for another Sipping On Cinema episode that you’ll hear soon—felt like a wild, revisionist-history fever dream. I loved the opening sequence, especially the way it used Ennio Morricone’s The Verdict, which I initially mistook for Beethoven. I think that was the point and I can’t wait to gush to Bethanne over that little detail. The film’s use of cinema as a literal weapon was brilliant—very creative way of writing about what you know. Brad Pitt played Aldo Raine like a video game character who walked straight out of a cutscene. The King Kong joke was wild. Tune into Sipping On Cinema to hear how I knew this was a Weinstein production (spoiler alert: it’s because all the women die).
Then came The Devil Wears Prada, a movie I watched because my wife loves it. My biggest question throughout: How on Earth is Miranda a mother? She was ruthless, and yet, at times, strangely pathetic—essentially a giant baby in designer heels. Also, I hate that early-2000s trend where movies name-drop celebrities for emphasis but don’t actually show them. If you say Snoop Dogg is in your movie, I expect Snoop Dogg to actually be in your movie. I was told he’d be RIGHT NEXT TO Miranda at the ceremony. At least Stanley Tucci was there to make everything better.
On the other end of the spectrum, Mr. Deeds was… fine? Most of Adam Sandler’s movies hover around the same level of quality, but since I didn’t have nostalgia for this one, it just felt silly without being particularly funny.
And then there was The Substance. I should’ve known better when I had to subscribe to an obscure service (Mubi?) just to watch it. The Oscars tricked me into thinking this was a must-see, but I was not prepared for the amount of blood and nudity I’d have to sit through. The movie had an interesting premise—about not being able to escape yourself—but instead of exploring that idea, it let it simmer in the background while it focused on the horrors of fame, ego, and identity. Technically, it was well-made, but it was also frustratingly “too perfect” in its storytelling, constantly reinforcing clues to make sure the audience got the point. The writing was so-so, the visual storytelling was over-the-top, and the whole thing was just too much for me. If I had to sum it up in one word: exhausting.
Comfort Watches & Fun Surprises
After some heavier films, I balanced things out with some lighter viewing. My wife and I spent a whole day just relaxing and watching the Rush Hour movies, which was exactly the kind of feel-good film day we needed. The mix of action and comedy still holds up, btw, and watching Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker bounce off each other was just as fun as I remembered.
Speaking of fun, I introduced my wife to Men in Black this month, a childhood favorite of mine. Her response when I suggested it? “Put it on! You know I love Jack Black! And whoever the white guy is!” (She meant Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones.) Watching it again, I was surprised by how well it held up—especially the humor. Also, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Tommy Lee Jones this animated in anything else.
And then there’s tick, tick… BOOM!, which I watch so frequently that I usually don’t bother writing about it anymore. But this time, something hit me differently. Jonathan Larson’s struggle of ambition vs. love really got to me, especially the moment when Michael scolds him for buying food for a party instead of paying his electric bill. Larson jots down “Fear or Love?”—a question he carries with him until he realizes it’s the key to his artistic breakthrough. The film’s deep connection to Broadway history also resonated more this time, particularly the Sunday in the Park with George tribute that I somehow hadn’t fully appreciated before. Lin-Manuel Miranda did an incredible job honoring Larson’s legacy, and every time I revisit this film, I find something new to love.
Closing Out January with a Cinematic Trance
I ended the month with Inherent Vice, a movie that left me both intrigued and exhausted. It’s one of those films where you’re constantly questioning reality, and I love that about it. The dreamy, off-kilter tone is mesmerizing, but it also requires a lot of energy to fully engage with. It’s definitely a movie that demands multiple rewatches to grasp everything, but whether or not I actually want to go through it all again anytime soon is another question.
Final Thoughts + February forecast
January was a mix of deep rewatches, first-time discoveries, and a few misfires, but that’s what made it so fun. Some movies made me think, some made me laugh, and others tested my patience (looking at you, The Substance). But overall, this month reminded me why I love movies in the first place—they’re unpredictable, immersive, and sometimes, even when they’re not perfect, they still give you something to talk about.
For February, Alexis and I are watching at least one rom-com per week that neither of us have seen. We started with When Harry Met Sally last night. Pretty solid start, and I’m SO glad I can finally say I’ve seen it.
And I may not have the energy to go back thru something borderline-nonsensical like inherent vice, but Something I will go through again is the fast & furious franchise. I put on Fast & Furious 6 the other night, just to scratch that “Mission impossible with hot wheels” itch, and I felt inspired to go back through the fast films and really try to understand where things went off the rails. I just rewatched the first one again and no one had super strength in that, so i know something’s gotta happen. More to come.
