Soul (2020, Movie, Animation): This now has to be one of my favourite Pixar films. The animation is stunning, the characters engaging, the ideas introduced thought-provoking, and the music is great. Jamie Foxx and Tina Fey are great as the leads, and Graham Norton steals the show as a Hipster-like soul. The comedy is quite strong, with several laugh-out-loud moments, but the real reason to see this film is the world-building done on the Soul Realm, espically involving the 'Zone'. Enjoyed all throughout, though the middle body-swap slowed the film down a little for me, though it still led to some great momments. I loved the ending, despite many people dislikeing it - I though it was an emotional and heartfelt ending to a great animation. With a layered story and high-quality animation, Soul will undoubtedly become a Pixar Classic. Definitely recommend for families and fans of animation.

Many people, including me, became interested in Midsommar based on the strength of Aster's breakout debut, Hereditary. Midsommar is not Hereditary II. Hereditary is mostly an unflinching family drama with horror elements imbued. Midsommar feels more like a mystery or thriller, only using the drama elements mostly as a setup. However, there are a a lot of similarities - both films contain extreme grief, the occult, a genetically deficit child, and fractured skulls. The most important similarity of all is they are both great films. Although labeled a horror film, Midsommar is intentionally funny. Mark, played by Will Poulter, adds a dose of refreshing levity I didn't know I needed in an Aster film. Midsommar is also immensely tense - more so than Hereditary. Throughout the entire film you are constantly wary of the unsettling scenario, and anxiously on watch for the next shocking incident. I didn't feel its longer runtime at all. Apparent from the trailers and other promotional material, the film is gorgeous. It's unapologetically bright and colorful. It has subtle but mesmerizing visual effects that make it obvious the filmmaker has had some experience with hallucinogens. Another surprising element I liked was the subplots between the main characters - especially the thesis conflict. It added another layer of complexity and realism to make viewers invested in the story. Ari Aster made another special film. I can't wait to see what he does next.

What begins as a comedic social satire soon descends into sharp absurdism depicting the apathetic and degrading treatment of the poor by the economic elite. The escalation of violence is understandable once it is made apparent just how apathetic the house owners are to those dying right in front of them... With the rich father being more disgusted by the smell than the carnage itself. It is a very wonderfully crafted depiction. While the caretaking family does commit fraud, their actions are simply to survive and create a ladder that has been otherwise made inaccessible... Although they too themselves are not immune to the allure of the niceties of luxury... Ultimately a night of reckless greed inadvertently leads to their own demise. The ending is icing on the cake and highlights the futile struggle of those born at the bottom to ever hope to own what is held carelessly by the top. The son of the caretaking family hopes to someday purchase the luxury house as his father has been forced to hide in the bunker to avoid persecution by the authorities. Of course, save for some miracle of chance, there is no hope to achieve this in their economic situation. Performances are masterclass in this film by the entire cast. What is in essence a mundane situation is made interesting and thrilling by the excellent direction and screenplay.