Honorable Mentions…
Memoir of a Snail
Let’s start with the moral—life can only be lived forward. In this exquisitely crafted stop-motion tale, we follow Grace, a girl dealt a catastrophically unfair hand. Her mother dies. Her father, a paraplegic, passes away soon after. The two siblings are scattered, their only connection the letters they write—threading hope through tragedy with every line, promises to reunite.
There’s magic in the final act, a hard-won light that filters through the film’s darkest corners. As one line says, with quiet power: “All things can be repaired, and our cracks celebrated.” It’s tragic, yes—but never cruel. It's tender and above all, it’s a reminder that even in our most broken moments, the beauty of life has a way of finding its way in.
Herectic
An intellectual horror story—can we please have more like this?
Two young sisters from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints knock on the wrong door: Mr. Reed’s (Hugh Grant). The pacing is razor-sharp, perfectly matched by phenomenal performances. Grant is both terrifying and charismatic as a sociopath, forcing us to question faith, obedience, and belief itself.
Sophie Thatcher (Yellowjackets) and Chloe East shine as the sisters, locked in a chilling cat-and-mouse game that builds toward an open, unsettling ending.
Other movies (in order of preference)
Conclave
Better Man
The Apprentice
Nickel Boy
The Girl with the needle
Bridget Jones
Moana 2
Sept 05
Incident
Annuja