I love when it feels like everyone is out consuming the same piece of media. Maybe its just that I’m on a very specific corner of the internet to feel that way, but it really does create a nice sense of camaraderie. Or huge fear and stress, depending on how you look at it. Especially when the internet is now so siloed, and moves SO fast from trend to trend.
I personally choose to lean in, and be carried by the cultural momentum straight to the bookstore or cinema or my couch to discover for myself. THEN the momentum carries me back to my laptop to deep dive into everything everyone is thinking. That is why I love Letterboxd, the film-logging social media, which I highly recommend you join because even if you are only a casual film watcher, it is valuable. Although, I will say the correlation between me becoming a very NOT casual film watcher and getting Letterboxd is stark. Classic correlation doesn’t equal causation though as I’m sure I also signed up because I was getting more into film, but it certainly snowballed the obsession, I mean, dedication.
ANYWAY, Letterboxd is just a real community atmosphere, where you can follow people, see what they’re watching and read their reviews. Said reviews range from snappy memes, to full thesis, but that’s a big part of the charm. It’s easy to discover new films to watch and add lots of them to your watchlist (and try to see this as an exciting thing, not a dread-inducing thing). Sorry I’m not selling it here, but it also gives you such a perfect snapshot of what thousands of people are watching due to its “Popular This Week” feature. For example, right now (as well as the usual new cinema releases), a lot of people are apparently watching Pride and Prejudice (2005). Why? Because it is the 20 year anniversary, and has been in the media a bunch in the past couple of days, as well as returning to select cinemas to mark the occasion. Also it is a GREAT film, and the cast of Dolly Alderton’s Netflix series remake was announced earlier this month too. All of this working to drive conversation and inform a wider, observable viewing trend. So you see, it is actually an anthropological study in the cultural zeitgeist to log your films on Letterboxd. If you do, you can follow me here.
Other than P&P, the big movie of the week is Sinners (2025) and for good reason. I trotted off to see it in cinemas on Monday and was pleasantly affirmed that the hype was 100% justified because it was actually a perfect film. I even gave it 5 stars AND a heart.
Sinners (2025)
Film
In Cinemas
Written and directed by the very talent Ryan Coogler (who you might know as the director of Black Panther (2018) and Creed (2015)), comes a horror-thriller film set in 1932 Mississippi over the course of around one day, exploring themes of Blackness, ownership, art and freedom in the ‘Jim Crow’ era of the early 20th century.
Starring Michael B. Jordan (Coogler doesn’t make a movie without him), as identical twins Smoke and Stack returning to Mississippi after serving in WWI and a stint working for the Chicago mobsters. Jordan gives an outstanding performance alongside himself, creating two unique characters with a perfect blend of individuality and overlapping mannerisms, accurate of twins. The film artfully spends the first act setting up our cast of characters, as Smoke and Stack recruit a team to help them run the opening night of their new juke joint (an informal establishment in the Black community for drinking and gambling) at an old saw mill, before festivities are interrupted by sinister forces. An ode to Blues music, with an incredible score, and transcendent storytelling created through EXQUISITE cinematography. There is one scene I shan’t spoil, about halfway through the film, so beautiful that it literally made my jaw drop, so visually and sonically striking in its choices.
If the horror label makes you nervous, but you can handle some (like Jordan Peele’s films, for example), this one isn’t super tense or scary. There’s a little gore and a couple of jump scares, but its not one that you’ll spend fearing for your life. Plus, its so good, its worth giving a chance whilst its in cinemas.
The Favorites (2025)
Fiction Book
Written by Layne Fargo
Hand me a book about a tortured professional/romantic partnership and I am guaranteed to love it (but also to be really upset during the inevitable drama in the middle where they can’t just bloody work it out grr). Reminiscent of Daisy Jones & The Six (2019), The Favorites blends transcripts of a fictitious documentary with the retelling of the real story from our main character’s point of view. Katarina Shaw is an American ice dancer, who we quickly learn has a documentary series being released covering her partnership and professional career, which ended in tragedy at the Sochi Winter Olympics. I loved the structure of this novel, moving between commentary from the documentary and Shaw’s own insights of the events starting from her youth through to her tumultuous professional career alongside childhood sweetheart turned dancing partner and lover, Heath.
The Favorites explores the nature of ambition and dedication to a sport, through a main character willing to sacrifice all else to achieve greatness. Their story is a rollercoaster that had me often screaming at the characters to get their acts together, as all good books with unlikeable protagonists do. It also deals with the public versus private perception on events, which as someone who loves pop culture and celebrity, is always enjoyable to dive into too.
Josie and the Pussycats (2001)
Film
Prime Video
A cult-classic that I could watch again and again, Josie and the Pussycats is a very funny, meta satire of American consumerism and commercialisation of the music industry. It feels super ahead of its time in its commentary, and holds up so well for that reason. Whilst also being quintessentially “of the time” - employing the bold, brash optimism of the turn of the century, a kick ass original soundtrack and starring a suite of the ultimate 2000s names, like Parker Posey and Tara Reid.
The film is based on the Archie comic of the same name (the same universe as Riverdale), follows a female pop-punk band as they get their first record deal and catapult to fame, however are controlled by their label’s own commercial agenda to use subliminal advertising to influence teenage fans. Its the classic struggle between art and capitalism, cleverly meta-ed through a film full of its fair share of product placements. Pay attention, because nearly every scene has a brand placement, none of which were paid for by the companies by the way.
Also note, I’ve just realised this is leaving Prime in a week and has notoriously been a hard-to-stream gem, so I do recommend jumping onto this this long weekend.
Thank you for reading, you’re the best.
Du Jour means seat belts,
Linley x