Welcome back to The Monthly Mention. This month’s edition is quite a bit lighter than the previous one. Today, we’re only going to be talking about four films, one of which was nominated for thirteen academy awards, as well as another that surprised many people by becoming one of the highest grossing films this month, despite having a relatively low budget.

When I saw the trailer for One Battle After Another, I expected it to be an action comedy, starring a well-known actor who I assumed would give a fantastic performance. While that second part was true, the first part wasn’t. What I actually got was a thematically rich drama, that was interested in exploring what it takes to sustain a revolution, especially in the face of an ever-expanding surveillance state, that happened to have a bit of a zany quality to it.

The film depicts individuals, all of whom are very different, engaging in acts of revolution. Through its more grounded narrative, it explores the key players in that revolution. Notably, it doesn’t portray any participants of the conflict as being completely morally black or white, but rather as human beings, who are mostly motivated by their own interests rather than ideology.

This may be one of the smartest films I’ve watched all year. Considering the incredible performances, writing and directing, it’s no surprise that it was nominated for thirteen Oscars, and I expect it to take home at least a few.

If you’re finding yourself in need of a thoughtful and nuanced meditation on our current political moment, this is the film for you.

I didn’t think a Sci-Fi horror thriller starring Markiplier would be one of the best movies I watched in February, but stranger things have happened. Iron Lung which was also directed, written and produced by the youtuber, is a very atmospheric and effective film. Despite its low budget of $3 million dollars, the production value of this movie was incredibly impressive and by far the strongest quality.

Simon, the main character, is the epitome of the hardened criminal with a soft spot trope, however, I think there’s something interesting about the way the film chooses to portray him as a deeply scared and anxious person. The writing and Markiplier’s surprisingly nuanced performance, make it easy to empathize with him despite not knowing all the circumstances surrounding his conviction.

If I had one complaint about this movie it’s that it doesn’t do a great job at explaining the lore. Most of the exposition we do get is told to us instead of shown and I left without feeling like I had a good understanding of the setting’s history.

Overall, I thought the film was great. If you’re a lover of Sci-Fi horror and independent film, then you need to see this as soon as possible.

Sorry, Baby, is a film whose subject matter is much more intense than I initially presumed it would be. That being said, those themes are handled with a great deal of care and thought. Nothing is shown on screen, though, there are descriptions that may make some viewers uncomfortable.

Eva Victor’s performance, writing and directing show the signs of a truly brilliant mind. She’s able to depict a topic as serious as sexual violence with a remarkable level of dexterity. I also appreciate that the film never veers into the territory of pessimism, instead it chooses to view the situation through a lens of hopefulness that suggests everything can and will get better.

I highly recommend this movie to anyone with a deep love for cinematography, great acting or stories that can handle sensitive topics well.

There aren’t many directors capable of delivering the high impact action choreography and style I demand in my action movies. When I find one who is, I tend to take notice. One such director, who I’ve been keeping my eye on is David Leitch, who’s best known for John Wick (which I’ve seen), Bullet Train and Atomic Blonde, an action spy thriller set at the end of the cold war.

This film has an absolutely star-studded cast featuring Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, John Goodman and Bill Skarsgard, just to name a few. The performances are as good as you’d expect from a group this talented, Though, I think the material they’re given to work with isn’t quite up to par. The plot is a little overly convoluted, with a bit too many twists and turns for my taste. It is good enough, however, to serve as a conduit for the film’s incredible action.

In general, the action is fun, brutal and highly engaging. I’m a big fan of long take action scenes and this movie has one of my absolute favorites of all time.

If you’re a fan of John Wick (which again, I’ve seen) or other high octane action thrillers, then you will probably love this film.

Let me know if you’ve seen these movies in the comments below. If you’re in the mood for more of my writing, check out my most recent piece on All of us Are Dead and last month’s edition of The Monthly Mention. That’s all for now. Thanks for reading!!