Nerve. So fun! Saw it on an airplane. Got such great zip and momentum and soundtrack. It loses some of that momentum as the stakes rise, but minor fault. Worth a watch. It took me forever to realize why Emma Roberts and Dave Franco each looked so familiar even though I knew I'd never seen either one before.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. It's not perfect, and I'm a little annoyed that they're still making these... but, now that they are, I think this is the kind of story I'd like to see more of. Sort of putting some shape around the original 6-episode arc rather than extending it. I wish it were more melodramatic. Also a wee long and kind of a bad script? Dumb fan service (I assume we're due for lots more) and the CGI Tarkin and Leia are huuuuuuge mistakes. Still, seeing Mendelsohn, Mikkelsen, and Whitaker in the same movie? What a treat! Much, much better than The Force Awakens. Filed under: Star Wars.

Ocean's Eleven. It's decent! It doesn't have the same zany charm as the first time I saw it, but holds up well enough. Filed under: Steven Soderbergh.

Star Trek: Beyond. These movies are getting worse. :( Hope they don't keep going this route, where they turn into basically superhero films. I fear it's too late. Filed under: Star Trek.

Eyes Wide Shut. Third or fourth time I've seen it. I like it more. Probably bump this up to #3 after 2001 and The Killing. Overall I'm not a huge Kubrick fan, though. Filed under: Stanley Kubrick.

Close-Up. I decided to dig into some Iranian films this year. This one is based on a true story where a guy convinces a family he is a famous director and wants to use them in his film. He is found out. This movie re-tells the story... using those same people as the actors. One of those movies where talking about it afterward was more interesting than watching it, but still compelling crazy stuff. The only other Abbas Kiarostami I've seen is Certified Copy, and it was marvelous.

The Mummy (1999). Why did we ever stop making solid, pure adventure films? These old movies always have a bunch of lazy exoticizing that doesn't age well, but I miss the spirit of the whole thing.

Her. Third viewing. Just as compelling as the first time, though these days the hook seems more unlikely and even more unappealing. Filed under: Spike Jonze.

Train to Busan. Mostly pretty fun. Genre films are at their best when they let you know the rules and then explore them. It has some surprising worthwhile characters, too. They're not all zombie fodder.