Watchlist
GOAT (2026)
It was quite a cute movie. I loved the animation and the world building, and the cast being all related to NBA is such a nice touch too. Honestly, the only problem I had was the pacing. There were times where scenes just cut into the next scene without a good transition; it was jarring when I initially watched it, but that didn't stop it from being a good story. It mainly focuses on Will and Jett, the new blood and the legacy, and their conflicting ideologies. It also talks about how integral teamwork is; the team wasn't winning since Jett was so focused on herself and her legacy until Will joins and changes everything which threatens Jett's normalcy. He's basically the first drop of rain before the storm. I won't lie, I have no idea what the basketball industry is like so I won't know the nuance of what's happening, I only play the sport cause it's fun, so a lot of references or insider stuff went over my head. Still, this story was made for people who were inundated in the basketball community from a young age and casual watchers so everyone can watch it. Overall it was quite a good movie, nothing groundbreaking but it's still a fun watch.
The Amazing Digital Circus (2023–2026)
This was such a fun watch! I watched it with some of my friends since we wanted to prepare for the highly dreaded and anticipated episode 9. I honestly loved it, espcially how it's so alive. I won't say it's perfect—nothings really perfect—but it really grows with you. The first episodes were, with the lack of a better word, rough. It was fast paced and ovestimulating, but after you get through them the vibes shifted. This was literally "I came looking for copper, but found gold" kind of show. You can also see the animation get significantly better each episode. What I also loved about this is just how passionate it is, I love how it's so unapologietically different. It has a voice and they're not afraid to shout it. Another thing I loved about this show is the symbolism; it feels like a mix of Gravity Falls,JoJo's Circus, and Paprika. I can't wait to watch the final episode, hopefully in theaters. Now for my obsevations: I love the symbolism of their characters/avater to their personalities.
Project Hail Mary (2026)
I loved it! It has such good story beats, it's insane. Side note, I haven't read the book, so I won't be able to talk about the differences, but I read some comments from those who did. Starting from the story, again, I absolutely loved it. Grace is such a good MC, especially with his inner conflict. I love his hesitance in anything, and his self-doubt since we gathered from the first scenes that his work/thesis was rejected hard and he's just floating, pun intended, through life. And Stratt, God, I love her. I love the way she always made every delegate clap whenever Grace did something. In hindsight, it was probably to encourage him to stay and work more, kind of like a dog with treats, but with positive affirmation. I also love that they don't have a convoluted love story. I'm a bit tired of sci-fi movies having a romance plot, though that's just my opinion. Also, I love how she fully knows from the start that this is just a suicide mission, but she wants to save the world, so she's basically shooting through the stars. Let's not forget about Rocky! I love their outsider perspective. The way they—Grace and Rocky—communicate with each other not only shows their smarts but also the alien of it all. Neither Grace nor Rocky knows how to talk in the other's language, so they figure it out through symbols and actions, the first language of any creature, in my opinion. Another thing I love is the set design. I'm confident they studied what a real spaceship cockpit looks like, but I also love the random props to make it feel advanced, like a dentist's magnifying glass. It made me laugh when I noticed it. Also, the golden sheets with symbols of prominent scientific theories and cultures, probably an Easter egg to the Voyager Golden Records launched in 1977. Also, the sound design is phenomenal. The usage of silence as an emphasis on huge emotional moments is breathtaking. It's eerie, and it's gut-wrenching, especially since Grace is alone. And I especially loved the central thesis of "Who would you die for?" Grace is a coward, that's a fact, and when the question is brought up to him, that's when he notices that Earth doesn't have the reason for him to die. He constantly doubts himself until he meets Rocky. That's when the question becomes relevant again. Rocky is the reason, the being that Grace will die for. So he abandons Earth to go to Rocky, subsequently saving Erid.Now it's time for my film student side to take the stage. First, the shot at the beginning with Grace in a zipped-up bag; it's probably a representation of new birth or new beginnings, like a baby being born. Also, one of the first questions Armando/Mary asked when Grace woke up was "What is 2+2?" since it's an easy question, and it probably represents how many life forms there are on his and Rocky's ship, and only by combining those two can they find a cure. The machines on the ship, on the other hand, are shown as imposing, always surrounding Grace, since there are no other humans left. There's also a scene where Grace crawls into a room full of light, which might also foreshadow him finding a cure. There's also a scene of him looking up at a ladder, which might represent the quote "once you hit rock bottom, the only way is up." There are also a lot of shots framing Grace as small, like looking through small windows or surrounding him with technology; this might represent the loneliness. He's the only human left alive on the ship. Now, for the flashbacks, they use film reels; maybe it represents him piecing his memories together, or maybe, since flashbacks are the past, they used old film reels to represent that, an older medium of movies. Also, the flashback of him teaching in class using a crocheted Earth ball/hacky sack to make his students answer his questions and receiving it back foreshadows Earth's survival; literally, he has the fate of Earth in his hands. This could also foreshadow how he succeeds. Also, since this is an adaptation from a book, some crucial inner monologues are missed, so to stipulate this, they used the diary and Carl. The diary is to make the inner dialogue something spoken, and Carl is to showcase Grace solving the Astrophage. Another thing I noticed is Taumoeba—a bacterium that kills the astrophage—shown as transparent, a juxstaposition of the black opaque Astrophage. Also, I noticed how Rocky's glass walkways make the ship warmer. This represents how Grace has a reason to live to continue finding a cure, he's not alone anymore. Also, when they found the Taumoeba, Grace looked at Tau Ceti, and an insert shot of the explosion of light was shown. This might represent an epiphany that he can save the Earth. Then, when he decides to go to Rocky to save him from the Taumoeba eating through the casings, he names the four pods after the Beatles, while the background song is "Two Of Us" by the Beatles, this represents the pods going back to Earth, and also Grace going back to Rocky, who he considers home, and lets not forget Rocky is also going back to Erid, his own home with Grace now the two of them. Now, Grace is on Erid, and everything is brighter compared to when he was on Earth, representing Grace's new and fulfilling life. Then we see Grace as a teacher again, a full-circle moment. He really does love being a teacher since every time he teaches, light is always in the background of the scene.
Lastly, there is the fashion. It's not obvious, but Stratt would always wear something black, like she's in a funeral, and we see why when Project Hail Mary is shown as a suicide mission. It also represents how she's so closed off, always covered up. Now, for Grace, his wardrobe would always be on the darker side, dark blues, creams, off-whites, etc. It shows how aimless, bland and depressed he is. While the constant graphic tees show he sees himself as something childish, insignificant, and small. Especially what is on the t-shirts, like the "I had potential" shirt with a line graph going down. The fox cardigan he wears is also full of symbolism; the animal can be seen as intelligent and adaptable, but they could be seen as a pest or a nuisance. This is the dichotomy of how Grace sees himself and his arc. Then, when he's in Erid, all he wears is light colours, especially white, since this is Grace shedding his doubt about himself and being born anew.
