Top 10 Movies Of 2023

Hello all my lovelies! I hope you've all had a great holiday season! It's that time of year again where I list my favorite movies, tv shows, and Asian dramas of the year! I've been doing these for about seven years now so you should know the drill but if you don't, I'm going to be listing my Top 10 Movies of 2023 from 10 to 1 with number 1 being my favorite movie of the year! If you're interested, I also have Top 10 Movies Of 2013, Top 10 Movies Of 2014, Top 10 Movies Of 2015, Top 10 Movies Of 2016, Top 10 Movies Of 2017, Top 10 Movies Of 2018, Top 10 Movies Of 2019, Top 9 Movies of 2020, Top 10 Movies Of 2021, and Top 10 Movies Of 2022 as well as my Favorite YouTube Videos and My Movie OTPs & Ships lists! 

Coming in at number 10 is The Little Mermaid!! So I really didn't have any expectations for this movie given the fact that it's another Live Action Disney movie and other than Cinderella I haven't really and truly enjoyed one of these adaptations but I went into this with a fairly open mind figuring at least the songs will be good and came out of the movie fairly content. By no means is this movie better than the cartoon like in the case of Cinderella but it's not egregious either like the Lion King adaptation. To be completely honest it's only on this list cause I didn't have anything else I enjoyed more. The casting was fine, the music was fine, and the cinemography was fine. I did like the way Eric and Ariel were given the same drive for exploration in order to give them another reason to be into each other other than the typical wow this person is handsome thing but Eric's adoption was also strange.

At number 9 is The Marvels!! Okay so this movie even being on my Top might be a bit of a surprise for anyone cause 90% of the public have decided that this movie is the worst thing in the world and is the reason that Marvel is on a downward slope and blah blah blah but to be completely honest I had a blast watching this movie! I mean yeah it's no Infinity War or Winter Solider but it's not Antman Quantomania either! I thought this movie was meant to be a lighthearted space adventure and that's exactly what it was! I mean yes the plot was a bit wonky and yes the whole singing planet thing was not needed but on the whole I think Iman Vellani's charm was just so good that I couldn't help but like this movie! She actually made Carol Danvers seem interesting and that's something after everything we've gotten so far in the MCU which makes her dull as a rock. And like don't get me wrong cause it's definitely not Brie Lawson's fault cause I found her charming in the Fast franchise so it's definitely the writing. I loved the cat space station scene and I loved the post credits as well!

Coming in at number 8 is Fast X!! Once again this is probably a surprising move to be on this list but sue me I'm clearly a sucker for movies where I have fun or I see the cast having fun over movies which are grim and dark! I've always been a fan of the Fast movies and I really don't care that much that they've become so unrealistic that cars are driving in space or people are literally coming back from the dead. I'm just out here to see big explosions and hear Vin Diesel say family! Jason Momoa was another pleasant surprise in this movie cause for once I actually really enjoyed the villain of one of these movies! He was totally playing a version of Joker with his unhinged craziness and I loved it. I also loved Alan Ritchson who played a double agent cause I'm obsessed with him and how hot he is.

At number 7 is Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves!! This might surprise you but despite how nerdy I am, I've actually never played a single game of D&D. Now this isn't because of some need to say that I'm too cool for something like that but just because no one I know plays so I've never had the chance to! I have however watched a lot of online D&D campaigns and I've seen VOx Machina so that's all to say that I'm familiar with the way D&D works. This movie was truly a love letter to anyone who enjoys D&D and that made me smile. I love that the whole story plays out exactly like a campaign but subtly enough that it  feels like this is what the characters would do in different situations rather than we're just acting out a campaign. I loved the nods to different stereotypical character tropes and I loved the ending and how it was so bittersweet! The movie was hilarious to watch and I loved every second!

Coming in at number 6 is Oppenheimer!! Another surprising entry but only because I think this movie would be higher on so many other people's top 10 lists. My reasoning goes back to everything I've said before. I honestly just prefer more lighthearted movies! Tbh I probs wouldn't have even watched this movie in a normal year cause this isn't even the type of movie I go for but with Barbenheimer sweeping the world this summer I ended up checking this movie out and enjoying myself. Given that it's probs an Oscar bait movie obviously everything was top notch here. The plot, the cinematography, the acting was all chefs kiss. I loved how dark and emotional the whole movie was given what it was about! My only complaint would be that it felt like it ran a little too long cause by like halfway through I was checking my watch like wow it's only halfway?

At number 5 is Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes!! Of all the movies on my list this is the one that was probs the biggest shock to me while I was both watching this movie and after I left. I mean I love the original Hunger Games movies but I really and truly didn't expect this prequel to hit as hard as it did cause usually prequels and sequels never stand up to the original but low and behold this one did! I absolutely loved every moment of this movie from beginning to end. It was fascinating seeing how different this Hunger Games was compared to the 74th and the 75th cause of course like in real like the technology was poorer but more so it was interesting how differently the public viewed the Hunger Games compared to our present day. The characters were all fascinating to watch and Snow really hit the ball out of the park. My only complaint of the movie might be that Snow was played a bit too nice compared to how evil he was with Katniss but I suppose 60 years could change a person enough,

Coming in at number 4 is A Haunting In Venice!! This is another surprise movie that I was shocked to find out how much I enjoyed. If I think back to my favorite movie going experience this year it would be this movie over everything else! I'm always surprised every time another of these Agatha Christie movies come out cause I really don't know of anyone other than me who enjoys watching them compared to something like Knives Out which I never stop hearing people gush about. Murder On The Orient was my first experience of anything Agatha Christie and I fell in love with the way she wrote her mysteries. Yes Death On The Nile wasn't as good but this movie was perfection. I loved the haunted scary movie type of mood this film took given that it came out in October and I loved the way the mystery played out. For once you could actually follow along Hercule and discover clues alongside him in a way that you could yourself figure out whodunnit rather than it being some lame plot twist that was only there to show you that the detective was this genius. I totally figured out who the killer was very early on but I didn't guess how until the end!

At number 3 is Spiderman: Across The Spider-verse!! Honestly the next three movies on my top 1 are going to be pretty basic with no real surprises cause I feel like these three movies were universally loved! Spiderverse really did tell the best multiverse story I've seen so far. It was able to balance so many characters and worlds in a way that I was interested in them all while also making sure that you knew that Miles was our guy and the one we're still following and looking out for. So many movies (especially sequels) try to go bigger and better only to lose their main character in the jumble but this movie didn't. We followed Miles through his family problems and insecurity as we jumped from world to world and the ending truly shocked me cause I didn't see it coming even though all the clues were right there for you to see! I can't wait until the next move comes out!

Coming in at number 2 is Barbie!! Like I said earlier, is this any surprise? I mean seriously this movie shook the world to it's core when it came out and proved to the world with it's numbers how much women enjoy movies written for women! This movie didn't hit so hard cause it's a Barbie movie but because it was a love letter to women. I loved the plot, the acting and the sets oh gosh the sets! I truly couldn't believe that Mattel let Margo and Greta tell the story they did but somehow they did and it was everything. I loved that you could go see this movie as a child and enjoy yourself but if you're an adult you can catch  so many of the heavier moments. I don't agree with any of the criticism saying this movie is a man-hater cause honestly this movie was meant to be a parody of a lot of male focused movies.

And finally at number 1 my favorite movie of 2023 is Guardians Of The Galaxy Volume 3!! Once again no surprise to the general public but maybe it was a bit of a surprise to me personally. I enjoy the Guardians well enough as characters but I never find myself loving them as much as the public does so I was surprised watching this movie and crying as much as I did. This movie really was a love letter to saying goodbye to the Guardians as we knew them. It told such a heavy story but was able to balance it with enough humor that it still felt like a Marvel movie. Every character had a moment to shine and it reminded me once again why Chris Pratt despite how hard he'd been meme-d about recently is still a movie star. It showed me that maybe I can trust James Gunn to do Superman given that he's able to do more than just comedy. It showed me that Marvel fatigue is not a thing cause we're not all tired of superheroes but of bad superhero movies.

And with that we've come to the end of my Top 10 Movies of 2023 list. I'll see you all tomorrow for my Top 10 TV Shows of 2023!

xoxo Allie

Top 10 Movies Of 2022

Hello all my lovelies! I hope you've all had a great holiday season! It's that time of year again where I list my favorite movies, tv shows, and asian dramas of the year! I've been doing these for about seven years now so you should know the drill but if you don't, I'm going to be listing my Top 10 Movies of 2021 from 10 to 1 with number 1 being my favorite movie of the year! If you're interested, I also have Top 10 Movies Of 2013, Top 10 Movies Of 2014, Top 10 Movies Of 2015, Top 10 Movies Of 2016, Top 10 Movies Of 2017, Top 10 Movies Of 2018, Top 10 Movies Of 2019, Top 9 Movies of 2020, and Top 10 Movies Of 2021 as well as my Favorite YouTube Videos and My Movie OTPs & Ships lists! 

Coming in at number 10 is Black Adam and guys to be completely honest I was so epically bored during so much of this movie! The only reason that it's even on my list of top 10 movies is cause I couldn't think of anything else that could take it's place! The saddest thing is that I didn't even go into this movie with high expectations so the fact that it fell even lower is really saying something. The movie's pacing was so off the whole time and there was so much focus on so many different characters that it felt like two different movies were shoved together. The fact that this movie is supposed to fit into the same world as the Justice League and Suicide Squad confuses the ever living hell out of me cause all of a sudden we have Amanda Waller running a superhero team in which we can enough heroes out there to have a shifting roster? Having said all that I did like the idea of Black Adam focusing on the fact that sometimes heroes aren't perfect like how they can ignore full countries being taken hostage by international gangs but the second a powered person shows up they arrive. I also loved Dr Fate's character and it was fun to see Aldis Hodge who I adored in Leverage. Superman's appearance deserves a shout out too but it has been soured since the movie released with the fact that Henry Cavill won't be returning as Superman again. 

At number 9 is Thor: Love And Thunder. I went into this movie curious because while I did enjoy Thor Ragnarok I had a few tonal problems with it. Unfortunately rather than fix those problems I feel like Love And Thunder doubled down on the abrupt shifts in tone which took me right out of the movie. I can't help but feel like this movie should have almost completely been about Jane and not Thor. I understand on a meta level why it had to be this way but I just could not get behind anything with Thor whereas Jane pulled on my heartstrings constantly. I also really hated everything with the Asgardian children and honestly that might be a little of me projecting cause I'm so tired of every big show suddenly making their leads parents. The only show that this has ever worked for me is Superman & Lois and that's only cause the kids there are fully grown themselves. It was also confusing how little screen time Gorr got for how much he was hyped up to be this big bad villain. All in all I'm over this and ready to move onto a different superhero who can balance humor with darkness.

Coming in at number 8 is Everything Everywhere All At Once. I didn't actually end up seeing this movie in theaters cause to be completely honest I didn't know anything about it until after Doctor Strange came out and everyone was dissing that movie to say this one was better so when I saw it come out on streaming I turned it on out of curiosity and I have to say it did not disappoint. It was everything everyone was gushing about! I loved the way it played with the multiverse and how it made you care about every version our main trio. I could not believe how emotionally invested I got into our characters and this just goes to show you that film makers should never use the excuse that there isn't enough screen time to invest in character development. The pace of the movie was perfect with the plot being slow enough to let you sit with scenes and fast enough to make it feel like things are happening. I laughed so hard at the rock scene but I also really loved the speech the father gave to the mother in the world she was a celebrity.

At number 7 is Doctor Strange: Multiverse Of Madness and I know you're laughing at me cause I literally just said that Everything Everywhere All At Once had a better multiverse but sue me I'm a sucker for comic book movies! I know that this movie had it's faults like America not needing to be a character in this or really even Christine who I was over in five minutes after of this movie but all in all I just had so much fun with this movie's plot and pacing. Yes I agree that this was a strange shift in Wanda's character after Wandavision where it felt like she was starting to heal but I could sort of understand why she went full on villain here after being corrupted by the Darkhold though I do wish we could have seen the transition on screen. Like what if Wanda originally showed up to help find America and Strange after they dimension hopped on accident but by using the Darkhold more and more to dream hop she actually got more and more corrupted into wanting to steal another Wanda's kids instead? Having said that I still loved the way this movie felt the closest to a horror movie the MCU could make (outside of Werewolf By Night) and I adored the Illuminati cameos!! 

Coming in at number 6 is Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. My goodness did this movie had so much to do in it's limited screen time. We had to mourn Chadwick and figure out a way to move forward and on the whole I do think this movie was able to do that. I liked that we focused so much on Shuri and her grief and made it so though we were all trying to guess who the new Black Panther would be out in the real world, watching the movie made it clear that there was only ever one person who could take on the mantle. I do think that Riri wasn't exactly needed in this movie but everything with Namor was so incredible and interesting to watch that I didn't mind what didn't work. High key I was sympathizing with Namor more than anyone else and I couldn't help but feel like he stole the show. I was honestly shocked when he killed Shuri's mother and I was shocked that she was able to start to forgive him by the end and I can't wait to see where he shows up next. I am torn on Tchalla's son appearing at the end cause though it was sweet in the sense that Shuri knows she's not actually alone it was a bit cheesy to be like yeah he had a child offscreen.

At number 5 is Glass Onion. Though I wasn't the biggest fan of Knives Out you all know I love murder mysteries so I was definitely going to check this one out but then I started to hearing rave reviews and it made me even more curious. Rian is like really known for his plot twists and while sometimes they work and sometimes they feel lazy, here I thought the twist halfway through the movie was fascinating. The first half of this movie low key confused me cause it felt like a super straightforward and simple Agatha Christie style whodunnit only not as well done as one of her stories cause a good whodunnit is all dependent on the characters we're introduced to and here they all felt super one note and boring. That's when the twist hit and bam I was back on board! I do think the villain was kinda obvious from the start but I don't entirely think Rian meant to confuse us but instead make us look as society as a whole so it was fine for me.

Coming in at number 4 is Death On The Nile which is the second Agatha Christie murder mystery movie that has been released recently. Though Murder On The Orient Express is still up there as my favorite murder mystery movie this one was still a ton of fun. I love the way Agatha Christie writes her mysteries in a locked room scenario where we slowly remove each suspect from the list one by one. I was on board with the whole mystery and I loved the answer we got at the end cause I totally didn't see it coming just like with Murder On The Orient Express! I do think that Hercule's backstory was a bit unnecessary especially given that this is his second movie outing and it did take us away from the story each time but I've only seen this movie the one time in theaters so far and I feel like I need to give it a second shot to see if I feel the same way again.

At number 3 is Rosaline! I absolutely adore period pieces but what I adore even more is unique takes on stories that we know so well! After I watched Extraordinary You (the kdrama about a minor character in a rom com webtoon who comes to life and realizes that she's in a comic) I've had a soft spot for side characters finding new stories as well. I was a little thrown to find out this was actually a modern take on the story with how characters spoke as if they were in 2022 but once I realized that I was on board. This movie was absolutely hysterical and I loved the way it poked fun at the story of Romeo and Juliet and I loved that Rosaline was able to find herself a new love by the end. It was extra funny to see that our main lovers didn't even know what to speak of together once the excitement of being star crossed lovers wore off! If you like comedies this is for you!

Coming in at number 2 is The Batman! I mean at this point you should know that superheroes are everything to me but I was surprised at the fact that is a DC movie that ended up so high on this list rather than a Marvel one and low key when I was making this list I even forgot I had watched this movie this year cause it came out so early in 2022! I truly had a blast watching it. I mean yes there were some problems with the fact that I didn't really love Catwoman and Batman's chemistry and yes I wish we had gotten a bit more Bruce without the mask but I can pretty much either forgive or explain away any problems I had. I also loved that we went with Riddler as the villain here rather than another freaking version of the Joker even if I wish that Batman was able to a bit more detecting on his own. I loved the dark take on the world and the ending was so hopeful despite everything.

And finally at number 1 my favorite movie of 2022 is Bullet Train! I cannot tell you just how much fun I had watching this hilarious movie! I had been seeing trailers for this movie for months before it came out and I was so into the vibe but I was a bit worried going in cause I was afraid that sometimes when a trailer looks really cool it's just cause they picked the best scenes from a movie to showcase like was the case in Don't Worry Darling. Fortunately I was not able to find a single gripe I could have with this movie! It was so funny from start to finish and I had no problem with the pacing or the characters or the plot. In fact I found the plot twist to be so good! If you haven't seen this movie yet do it!!!

And with that we've come to the end of my Top 10 Movies of 2022 list. I'll see you all tomorrow for my Top 10 TV Shows of 2022!

xoxo Allie

Winter 2022 TV Schedule

Hey everyone!! It's finally September which means that the Winter 2022 TV Schedule is about to start!! As per usual I'm going to be posting what shows I will be watching!! I'll be posting the air dates for all the shows I will be watching. These all air from January to the end of March!

SUNDAY

Kimetsu no Yaiba: Entertainment District Arc - Anime

Let Me Be Your Knight - Kdrama (Series Finale January 23)

MONDAY

Princess Connect! Re: Dive - Anime (January 10)

The Gilded Age - 9 PM on HBO Max (January 24)

TUESDAY

Life With An Ordinary Guy Who Reincarnated Into A Total Fantasy Knockout - Anime (January 11)

The Genius Prince's Guide To Raising A Nation Out Of Debt - Anime (January 11)

FBI - 8 PM on CBS
FBI: International - 9 PM on CBS

Superman & Lois - 8 PM on CW (January 11)

Our Beloved Summer - Kdrama (Series Finale January 25)

The One And Only - Kdrama (Series Finale February 8)

WEDNESDAY

In The Land Of Leadale - Anime (January 5)

Love Of Kill - Anime (January 12)
Orient - Anime (January 5)

Police In A Pod - Anime (January 5)
Tokyo 24th Ward - Anime (January 5)

Legends Of Tomorrow - 8 PM on CW (January 12)

The Book Of Boba Fett - Netflix (Series Finale February 9)

The Flash - 8 PM on CW (March 9)

Rookie Cops - Kdrama (January 26) (Series Finale March 16)

THURSDAY

Peacemaker - HBO Max (January 13) (Series Finale February 17)

Star Trek Discovery Season 4 - CBS

The Orville - 9 PM on Hulu (March 10)

School 2021 - Kdrama (Series Finale January 13)

FRIDAY

The Case Study Of Vanitas Season 2 - Anime (January 14)

The Legend Of Vox Machina - Amazon Prime (January 28)

Reset - Cdrama (January 11) (Series Finale February 3)

SATURDAY

My Dress Up Darling - Anime (January 9)

The Faraway Paladin - Anime (Season Finale January 1)

F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers - THDrama (Series Finale April 2)

Through The Darkness - Kdrama (January 14) (Series Finale March 19)

User Not Found - Kdrama (Series Finale February 12)

STREAMING

All Of Us Are Dead - Netflix (January 28)

Irregular At Magic High School: Reminiscence Arc - Anime (December 31)

Vikings: Valhalla - Netflix (February 25)

xoxo Allie 

Top 10 Movies Of 2021

Hello all my lovelies! What an absolute crazy year this has been! I hope you've all been safe and healthy and well and that you had a great holiday season. It's that time of year again where I list my favorite movies, tv shows, and asian dramas of the year! I've been doing these for about seven years now so you should know the drill but if you don't, I'm going to be listing my Top 10 Movies of 2021 from 10 to 1 with number 1 being my favorite movie of the year! If you're interested, I also have Top 10 Movies Of 2013, Top 10 Movies Of 2014, Top 10 Movies Of 2015, Top 10 Movies Of 2016, Top 10 Movies Of 2017, Top 10 Movies Of 2018, Top 10 Movies Of 2019, and Top 9 Movies of 2020 as well as my Favorite YouTube Videos and My Movie OTPs & Ships lists! 

The Suicide Squad

Coming in at number 10 this year is James Gunn's The Suicide Squad. It's technically a sequel to the original Suicide Squad but it could also act as a soft reboot given how poorly the first one did. I wasn't one of the many people who watched the first and despised it beyond measure but that doesn't mean that I couldn't also see how many flaws it had so I went into this one curious to see how Gunn would do with this world given that he's kicked ass with the Guardians. On the whole I had a blast and I liked that this version dialed up the campiness to 11 rather than try to be serious with the nonsense like the first did. The new characters were fun too though I was glad that Harley and Rick Flagg remained behind. It's nowhere near as emotional or hitting as some of my more favorite Marvel movies but it's a fun turn your brain off kinda flick.

Eternals

At number 9 is Marvel's Eternals. Speaking of Marvel movies here we are with my first Marvel pick. It's kinda surprising how low it is but truthfully it really was my least favorite of the Marvel movies that came out this year so it can't be helped! I think in concept this movie should have been better than it was but I think it honestly worked better as it prelude to more exciting things. My biggest problem with this movie was the fact that I just couldn't believe what it was trying to convince me. Like it tells you that all these Eternals have known each other for thousands of years but the chemistry between the characters made it feel like it was the first time they were meeting one another and no one felt like they really cared for one another given how easy it was for most of them to try to kill the others. Circe was our main character and yet I felt she barely had a character and I was pissed as all hell that Icarus died at the end rather than having to stick around and try to redeem himself like Loki did. 

Red Notice

Coming in at number 8 is Red Notice! So I know that this movie has basically become a meme and synonymous with the idea that a movie will do well if it just has a star cast and little plot but honestly I unironically had a blast with it. I absolutely adore shows and movies about heists or con artists so I was totally on board with the plot of this movie and though the twist was fairly obvious, I didn't have any problem enjoying the journey to the reveal! Yes the characters were a bit bareboned but really isn't it just enough to sit back and watch a fun adventure movie?

Night Teeth

At number 7 is Night Teeth! Now this movie might be one that you're scratching your heads about given that it's a Netflix movie that I feel like no one really watched but it popped up on my feed one day and I thought I'd give it a chance and it was a true blast! The movie is about vampires and basically how one human lands in the middle of a vampire civil war over who will lead them and falls in love with one of the vampires. I loved the thriller aspect of this movie and though the romance was basically instalove I was into it anyway! The ending was basically a fantasy but sometimes we need that given the times we're living in.

Zack Snyder's Justice League

Coming in at number 6 is Zack Snyder's Justice League. When I was making this list I have to say that I was honestly a little shocked to realize that this movie actually came out this year cause of how insanely long this year has felt! I remember not really liking the original and truthfully I never really had a stake in whether the Snydercut would come out but when the movie finally came out on HBO Max you know that I was still out here ready to check it out and I can say that it definitely was better than the original. This can definitely be chalked up to the fact that it had a much longer run time. On the whole plot beats remained similar though a lot hit differently cause we were shown them in different ways. Flash was definitely less goofy and Cyborg actually had a purpose and a fleshed out backstory. The villain was much better this time around and I can see why the hype was real this time.

King's Man

At number 5 is King's Man. This movie is actually the prequel to the Kingsman duology and though I never actually had the thought before that I needed it, I still went out and checked it out cause I think this world plays with a lot of fun James Bond parody tropes. I do still think the original Kingsman movie was the best of the bunch but this one had it's moments as well. I liked the idea of the whole war being the evil plot of one man and that this movie was set as a period piece rather than a modern spy film though I do wish that Gemma had more to do given she was the only woman in this movie to have speaking lines.

No Time To Die

Coming in at number 4 is No Time To Die. The irony hasn't escaped me seeing as I put an actual James Bond film in front of a James Bond parody film. Honestly I just got into the Bond films this year with a binge of every Bond from Connery to Craig and though this one is definitely not my favorite it still was a great watch for me. I do personally find that I connect more with the modern take on Bond but I think that's heavily due to the fact that I've grown up in this time so I prefer my Bonds to be a little more action oriented even if Craig's not the most charming and suave Bond I've seen. Rami was great as the villain and I liked the vague ending in which we're not certain of Bond's fate given that this is the last Craig film even if I prefer Vesper over Madeline as Bond's love interest.

Black Widow

At number 3 is Black Widow. This movie was postponed and delayed to hell until it finally released this year and honestly the only reason it's so high on the list is cause we had such a poor showing for films this year. I felt like this movie was long overdue and at this point there was no need to return to a character that was already dead in the Marvel universe but I think the movie was saved entirely due to Yelena's existance. I loved the way Florence Pugh played her and I love that she has stuck with the Russian accent every time we've seen her unlike Wanda who's accent comes and goes. I actually ended up liking the cast and the plot of this movie and I think it's crazy that if you really sit down and think about the message this movie portrayed about the Widow program it's totally insane and dark but that's why it works for me.

Shang Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings

Coming in at number 2 is Shang Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings. I absolutely adored this movie from start to finish and though it was an introduction I also liked that it didn't exactly play as an origin movie given that Shang Chi was already established and we really only went back into his world. I loved the mystical elements of this movie and I think Wen Wu was hands down maybe the best villain we've had in the MCU barring Loki though they feel like such different kinds of villains. Every fight was incredibly choreographed and the characters were all super fun. I mean yes I did think that maybe Katie was a little shoehorned in especially at the end with Wong but I also loved the fact that she and Shang could be friends and friends alone.

Spider-Man: No Way Home

And last but not least at number 1 is Spider-Man: No Way Home. I mean really what else could number 1 have been? Okay yes I did go back and forth over whether this or Shang Chi deserved to be in this spot but in the end I think the highs and lows of this movie hit harder than Shang Chi just cause we've seen these characters much longer. I loved that this movie was basically the live action Spiderverse movie and despite the fact that I think we all knew that Toby and Andrew would be in this movie, it didn't hit any less when they appeared not to mention the fact that Matt freaking Murdock showed up as well! I truly loved the plot of this movie and how different each Spiderman felt and yet also showcased the same goodness. The bittersweet ending really broke my heart and I don't think a single other movie other than maybe Infinity War destroyed a whole character's world as hard as this one did.

And with that we've come to the end of my Top 10 Movies of 2021 list. I'll see you all tomorrow for my Top 10 TV Shows of 2021!

xoxo Allie

Top 9 Movies Of 2020

Hello all my lovelies! What an absolute crazy year this has been! I hope you've all been safe and healthy and well and that you had a great holiday season no matter how different it may have been this year. It's that time of year again where I list my favorite movies, tv shows, and asian dramas of the year! I've been doing these for about seven years now so you should know the drill but if you don't, I'm going to be listing my Top 10 Movies of 2020 from 10 to 1 with number 1 being my favorite movie of the year! If you're interested, I also have Top 10 Movies of 2013, Top 10 Movies of 2014, Top 10 Movies of 2015, Top 10 Movies of 2016, and Top 10 Movies of 2017, Top 10 Movies Of 2018 and Top 10 Movies Of 2019 as well as my Favorite YouTube Videos and My Movie OTPs & Ships lists! With this year be slightly different as it turns out, I wasn't able to watch 10 new movies this year so my list actually only has 9!

Onward

Coming in at number 9 is Onward! This Disney Pixar movie came out so long ago that honestly it feels like another year. It follows two brothers as they go on a quest in order to bring their father back to life and honestly it's everything a D&D/fantasy nerd would want. And I don't mean this in a subtle way cause the older brother is a diehard roleplaying fan so everything the brothers do has some mention with how it would be like in a D&D session which is hilarious. Of course being a Disney Pixar movie there is plenty of heart to this movie too and I absolutely cried buckets of tears at the end of this movie when the younger brother realized that he never had to search for his father cause his older brother had always been there for him. 

Mulan

At number 8 is Mulan! I'm going to be honest here. I really didn't like this adaptation of Mulan and in a normal movie year maybe it wouldn't have even ended up on a Top 10 list but here we are. Look okay I'm not one of those people who automatically hate every live action Disney movie just cause it's an adaptation cause if you know me you know that I've adored Cinderella and Aladdin so much while Beauty And The Beast and Lion King were meh. I was actually really excited to check out Mulan at first cause it's actually my third favorite Disney movie (after Aladdin and Tangled) and I liked the idea of all the changes but after I watched the opening scene to this movie all that changed. In all honesty the whole movie felt like it was missing something. It was absolutely lovely to look at but the magic of the animated movie was gone. It felt like moments were just happening cause they did in the original. And seriously don't even get me started on the addition of chi to the whole thing. The main reason that we all fell in love with Mulan originally was because she wasn't special! She worked hard for everything she got and she did it all out of love for her father and wanting to protect him. This Mulan already had this special chi in her and it felt like the villain got more character development than her! The lack of music and Mushu weren't that terrible but I also wasn't a fan of rewriting Shang for some random guy.

#Alive

Coming in at number 7 is #Alive! Maybe this is cheating cause technically this is a Korean movie and I already have a separate Top 10 asian dramas list (keep an eye out for that coming soon) but seriously guys I watched so few movies this year that I decided that this one should count given that it's a movie and not a drama! I'm not usually the biggest fan of zombie movies but this one was led by two Korean actors I adore and I wondered if it could live up to my enjoyment of Train To Busan which had a similar premise about a zombie outbreak. I did think this movie was super creative cause it took the idea of a zombie outbreak and added in what it would be like to be too scared to leave your house and the struggle to survive with what you had. I really liked the way the leads bonded and that there was no romance cause seriously there was no time for that!

Soul

At number 6 is Soul! This movie follows the a middle school music teacher who has always wanted to do nothing more than play music only to die right after getting his big shot. He then ends up meeting a new soul in the Great Beyond and due to a set of circumstances ends back on Earth only his soul is in a cat and the new soul is in his body. The highlight of this movie is definitely the way it acts as a love letter to jazz music and it warms my soul every time Joe gets into how music moves him. I do kind of wish that the plot of the movie wasn't so focused on the whole afterlife thing cause it reminds me a little of Inside Out and this movie wanting to be that one but I did love the lessons Joe and 22 learned throughout the movie about what makes life worth living and how not to take your life for granted which is a wonderful message.

A Whisker Away

Coming in at number 5 is A Whisker Away! This movie is actually a Netflix anime movie that I watched and I absolutely adored. I am always super down for cute rom com anime films but I tend to find that I disconnect with most anime films. Like they're all so beautifully animated but most of them like to do the Nolan thing and make you think about philosophical questions and wonder if what you're watching is even real rather than giving us a good plot to sink our teeth into which is why when I started this show and found a fantastic story, I was all in! The story follows the girl of divorced parents who struggles with the changes in her life and ends up wishing that she were a cat. While she's a cat she falls in love with a boy who's kind to her and shenanigans ensue. The story is much more complex and heartwarming than it first sounds and I definitely cried at least once by the end!

To All The Boys I Loved Before: PS I Still Love You

At number 4 is To All The Boys I Loved Before: PS I Still Love You! So this movie is a sequel to To All The Boys I Love Before and I might be in the minority here but I really adored it. The major plot of this movie follows the fact that Lara Jean ends up feeling like Peter doesn't love her the way she does and so she ends up finding a friend in John Ambrose and a love triangle is formed. In the end she chooses Peter cause she loves him and this is where everyone who watched this movie fell off the wagon. Personally since I've read the books these movies were based on, I shipped Lara Jean and Peter so what actually ended up bothering me was the way this movie made Lara Jean so wishy-washy. Lara Jean kept leading John Ambrose on and treated Peter truly horrifically while in the books Lara Jean broke up with Peter for a good reason. Having said that I still enjoyed this movie a ton and of course I'm looking forward to the next one!

Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn)

Coming in at number 3 is Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn!) This movie is an absolute gem and I will truly never understand why it didn't hit it big in the box office. It's everything you could want from a Harley Quinn movie. It follows Harley after she breaks up with Joker and teams up with the Birds Of Prey in order to protect a girl who's being hunted by the Black Mask. It manages to balance humor and complete madness with a current of sadness and seriousness. Ewan McGregor is practically unrecognizable with how into this role he gets and Margot Robbie shines of course. I loved every single moment of this movie and I think it deserves more love than it gets.

Hamilton

At number 2 is Hamilton! Once again I'm not entirely sure if placing this on my list is cheating cause it's technically just a filmed broadcast of the Broadway musical but I think that the fact that this film originally was meant to be shown in theaters counts! Unless you've been living under a rock then you probably know about Hamilton and the way it swept through the world. Tickets were killer to get which is why when I found out that this movie was being released on Disney Plus I was thrilled. I actually had heard the soundtrack multiple times before but I was stunned to see how much the acting and staging of the show added to my pleasure. Of course the lyrics are so well written and the cast is extremely talented but I also think the stagehands and direction of the musical really added to the whole experience too. I've definitely rewatched this more than once!

Wonder Woman 1984

And finally my number 1 movie of 2020 is Wonder Woman 1984! I mean could this spot have gone to any other movie this year?? Wonder Woman 1984 has had a hell of a time releasing with how it's been pushed back so many times and was screwed back in the Summer when the pandemic forced it to be pulled from theaters. I know a lot of people including Patty Jenkins herself weren't happy with the movie coming out on HBO Max but I personally was thrilled cause I would get to see this movie earlier. Wonder Woman while I did like it didn't strike me as much as it did for others so unlike most people who ended up thinking this sequel wasn't as good, I found myself thinking that this movie hit me better. It had the opposite problem as the prequel in my opinion because while Wonder Woman was excellent for the first 2/3 of the movie, Wonder Woman 1984 was excellent for it's final 2/3 of the movie! I loved the way the movie played with Steve and Diana and for once I actually fell in love with them. I adored Cheetah and Max Lord as villains and Pedro Pascal really brought so much magic to this movie. The ending was perfect in my opinion too cause I am always proud when superhero movies like to have their final fight be different than a punching match so the fact that Wonder Woman who is all about love and justice and truth won the day by winning the hearts of the people was everything! 

I'll see you all tomorrow for my Top 10 TV Shows of 2020!

xoxo Allie

Top 10 Movies Of 2019

Hello all my lovelies! I hope you all had a great holiday season and now it's that time of year again where I list my favorite movies and tv shows of the year! I've been doing these for about six years now so you should know the drill but if you don't, I'm going to be listing my Top 10 Movies of 2019 from 10 to 1 with number 1 being my favorite movie of the year! If you're interested, I also have Top 10 Movies of 2013, Top 10 Movies of 2014, Top 10 Movies of 2015, Top 10 Movies of 2016, and Top 10 Movies of 2017, and Top 10 Movies Of 2018 as well as my Favorite YouTube Videos and My Movie OTPs & Ships lists! Anyway, let's get right to it with our top 10!

The Lion King

Coming in at number 10 is Lion King! Disney live-action movies are kind of like a coin toss. Sometimes they're amazing and sometimes they're terrible and unfortunately this one landed closer to the terrible side than the amazing one like Beauty And The Beast. Part of the problem was that Lion King is one of my most adored Disney animated movies so the fact that the "live action" version was basically a shot-for-shot remake really lended to the fact that the original was just so much better! It was hard to see any emotions in the photo-realistic animals and tbh most of the voice cast wasn't strong enough to show us those emotions and I'll never not be bitter that they decided to make Be Prepared which is one of the best Disney villain numbers into a spoken version! Having said that it was a fun enough jaunt and paired with the fact that I didn't watch that many movies this year, that's why it ended up on my list.

Shazam

At number 9 is Shazam! Is this a surprise? I know a ton of people adored this movie but honestly I think it was too safe if that makes sense cause I just felt meh during most of it. I like the concept and I like the uniqueness of the origin story and how most of the movie was just Billy being silly before he finally had to fight the villain but it all felt like something I'd seen before even if in fact it was more unique than most superhero movies. Having said that I did enjoy the villain and his fall into villainy totally made sense and I loved that the theme of the movie was about family so we got the entire Marvel Family.

Captain Marvel

Coming in at number 8 is Captain Marvel! Maybe this is unfair but like Shazam I was meh during most of this movie. I liked the plot of this movie and how it used Nick Fury and that we got to experience more alien worlds but Carol was just so boring as a lead. The entire movie everyone kept telling her to watch her emotions and all we got from Carol was a stoic face and I was sitting there like dude what emotions?? I loved Jude Law and was totally crushed when his character became the epitome of douche-y sexist bro but I was also low key bitter that the movie decided to switch things up and have the Skrulls be the good guys rather than the slightly better than Kree version in the comics. Having said that I do have to admit that I thought it was creative the way the movie went about showing us Carol's origin story through a case of amnesia and basically going backwards through her life and of course her powers are the damn coolest so there's that.

Knives Out

At number 7 is Knives Out! Dudes you know my love for murder mysteries and somehow this one almost squeaked by without me knowing about it but as soon as I realized that it was one, I was all in and I have to admit that I was low key disappointed by the whole thing... I didn't love that the story started as a series of flashbacks rather than us seeing the party sequentially which I know was probs the movie trying to be creative but tropes are well loved for a reason! It was interesting however having the whole mystery being told through the eyes of one of the suspects rather than the detective which gave us a sense of urgency but the pacing was a little strange cause there was a whole chunk of the movie where I was like wait are we almost done? Having said that I did love all the characters though and the way they were acted and portrayed and like a special shoutout needs to go to Chris Evans looking absolutely delectable in every single scene of this movie!

Jumanji: The Next Level

Coming in at number 6 is Jumanji: The Next Level! I adored the prequel to this movie so much that I was low key afraid to check this movie out but after I did I was so glad cause it was just as fun as I wanted it to be. I think half the fun of these movies are just watching the actors play weird characters and you can practically see how much of a blast the cast it having. Ironically this is one of the only action movies in which the plot and action matter so little cause we're all attached to the characters! I loved the idea of all the main characters ending up in new video game bodies cause it allowed them to have to relearn how to do well in this game and in a meta sense gave us a reason to go back and have a sequel so that it wasn't just a repeat of the first movie. Honestly I'm still stunned that this movie didn't flop!

Spiderman: Homecoming

At number 5 is Spiderman: Far From Home! Though I think I enjoyed Spiderman: Homecoming a lot more than this movie I still had plenty of fun! I really liked the version of Peter we got in this movie and how tired and worn down he was cause it's like he's just a kid and he's mourning the man who helped him become who he is and I totally understood why he latched onto Mysterio so quickly even though Mysterio was walking around with a villain sticker practically plastered to his forehead. I also loved seeing Ned and the whole cast again but I do think the romance with MJ kinda went from 0 to 100 in this movie and the whole Europe setting was totally underutilized cause there was nothing in this movie that said that it couldn't take place in NYC. I really loved the ending though cause it leaves so many cool places for the MCU to go.

Avengers: Endgame

At number 4 is Avengers: Endgame! Though I might be like the only person on this planet that wasn't blown away by Endgame, I was still so into watching this movie and having a blast doing it! I loved that this was a culmination of 10 years of our lives and that it gave such lovely endings to so many characters that we won't see again and gave so many characters a new path to walk. I wasn't the hugest fan of the whole time travel aspect of the movie cause it felt too much like one of those let's look back on all we've experienced kind of things but at the same time we got so many beautiful moments in the final fight with Thanos that I can't help but be excited. I do think that Thor was reduced to close too a joke for all the trauma he had been through and I just can't see him giving up and walking away from his people at the end of the film but I do think that Steve's ending was perfect for him cause my romantic heart thinks that he deserves to spend his life with the one woman he loved!

Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker

Coming in at number 3 is Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker! Surprised at how high this movie ended up being? Low key so am I! I haven't been the hugest fan of this new Star Wars trilogy and Last Jedi was honestly meh but I actually really ended up enjoying this conclusion to the Skywalker Saga. Maybe it has to do with my extremely low expectations going in but I didn't have any complaints with this movie and unlike many others I didn't nitpick at the plot holes cause I just straight up turned my brain off. Yeah yeah Palpatine returning was out of nowhere and yeah yeah a lot of this movie felt like course correcting from Last Jedi but I loved the way Rey and Ben were the heart of this movie and the return of Palpatine and Rey's parentage and the way that the movie used Leia after Carrie's passing! Leia's passing made me cry as did the final scene between Ben and Rey oddly enough which was super unexpected cause I never liked Ben until this movie!

Aladdin

Coming in at number 2 is Aladdin! Remember when I talked about how some Disney movies are hits earlier? Well this is one of those! I just can't describe to you just how much fun I had watching this movie and this is coming from a girl who's favorite Disney animated movie is Aladdin! I was a bit worried at the start of the film cause I didn't particularly think Mena who played Aladdin seemed like an Aladdin in posters but as soon as I saw him act, I was blown away! He was this perfect mix of smooth and dorky and charming all in one. Jasmine was stunning and just as feisty as I wanted her to be. I loved the small changes to the movie and how Jasmine was placed at the center and how her new goal was to become Sultan and how the movie picked some of the Broadway songs to throw in. Will Smith as the Genie was amazing and I loved that it was so different than the Robin Williams's genie. The colors and cinematography was perfect and if I had only one complaint it would be that I wasn't the hugest fan of this Jafar.

Pokemon: Detective Pikachu

And finally, at number 1 is Pokemon: Detective Pikachu! I mean how could it not have been?? I am a huge Pokemon fan having grown up with the cartoons (I was a Pokemon Advanced generation lover) and the games so of course I had to go see this movie but the surprise was in just how much of a blast I had! I mean yeah yeah the plot was totally ice thin and yeah yeah the final twist banked on the main character not recognizing his father's voice but seriously I could not care less about any of that! I loved seeing all the different Pokemon reimagined into real life and how they were the perfect mix of cute and real. I loved the world that the movie built and the way the Pokemon existed and helped. I loved Pikachu and his caffeine addiction! I just don't have enough words to describe how I squealed every other minute while sitting in the theater!


I'll see you all tomorrow for my Top 10 TV Shows of 2019!

xoxo Allie

Top 10 Movies of 2018

Hello all my lovelies! I hope you all had a great holiday season and now it's that time of year again where I list my favorite movies and tv shows of the year! I've been doing these for about five years now so you should know the drill but if you don't, I'm going to be listing my Top 10 Movies of 2017 from 10 to 1 with number 1 being my favorite movie of the year! It turns out that I actually didn't watch that many movies this year so there will be no honorable mentions list at the top! If you're interested, I also have Top 10 Movies of 2013, Top 10 Movies of 2014, Top 10 Movies of 2015, Top 10 Movies of 2016 and Top 10 Movies of 2017! Anyway, let's get right to it with our top 10!

Ocean's 8

Coming in at number 10 is Ocean's 8! Now this movie was by no means a spectacular success and I wouldn't say that I loved it enough to rewatch it again but based on my first viewing of this movie, I had a lot of fun and so onto my top 10 it goes! I've always been a huge fan of heist movies and con artists cause I love watching people outwit others and watching schemes go down and that's pretty much what attracted me to this movie aside from it's killer cast. I loved watching the plan go down and how it turned out that the target was also in on the plan in the end and how they were able to steal what they wanted in the end. My favorite moment though was at the top in the makeup store when Sandra Bullock stole all that makeup by pretending to have lost her receipt when trying to return it.

Wreck It Ralph 2: Ralph Breaks The Internet

At number 9 is Wreck It Ralph 2: Ralph Breaks The Internet! I really enjoyed the first movie and the second was just as fun! I adored this new world we experienced and all the new characters we met though of course my favorites were the Disney princesses who were such a big deal to have and their scene when they met Vanellope was everything! I loved the humor in this movie that was just as good as the last and the new Easter Eggs and hints that popped up everywhere! It was a little crazy that there was no real villain in this movie cause the message was all about finding new things to fall in love with when you're feeling unfulfilled so Ralph was technically the villain cause he was afraid to lose Vanellope and thus tried to sabotage her fun.

Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse

Coming in at number 8 is Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse! I'm always down for another superhero movie and this one looked amazing from almost the first trailer I saw! I loved every moment of this movie from it's animation style to the characters to how many Easter Eggs there were! I loved how many different versions of Spiderman there were without the movie feeling overstuffed! We've seen so many versions of Peter Parker that it was about time to see Miles and even Spider Gwen! I loved the take on Kingpin in this cause I couldn't help but keep comparing him to the Daredevil version! This movie honestly had everything from comedy to action to heartwarming moments and if you haven't checked it out or was like meh it's another Spiderman movie or meh it's animated, you're seriously missing out!

Ant Man And The Wasp

At number 7 is Ant Man And The Wasp! I actually had a ton of fun in this movie and it reminded me of how much I loved the first one though in my opinion, this one might be slightly better! It was the perfect pick-me-up after Infinity War and I loved so much in this from Hope finally getting her Wasp costume to the heist feel of the plot to the humor that seriously killed me watching it. I loved that there was a good reason that Scott wasn't in the Avengers movie and that there were callbacks to him going out during Civil War and how that led to an estranged relationship with the Hank and Hope. It was a ton of fun seeing Luis and the other members of the crew as well as Cassie who was the cutest in this movie. I loved seeing the quantum realm again but the best part of the movie was when Luis was under the truth serum and narrating what happened in his point of view. The only thing I didn't care for was the villains of this movie both Ghost and that gangster dude who wanted to steal all their tech to sell later.

Aquaman

Coming in at number 6 is Aquaman! This was such a fun movie to watch you guys cause though it was nothing new or deep, I was totally on board from beginning to end. I loved the world this movie built and how real it felt and how each underwater kingdom felt different from the last. The underwater graphics were amazing as were all the creatures we met. I loved that there were no air bubbles and that this felt like more of a scavenger hunt than a superhero movie cause though there was a big battle at the end, most of the movie was spent searching for the trident. Jason Momoa was amazing as expected but I was really impressed with Amber Heard who I'd never seen act before. Though their chemistry was a bit lacking and the script was a bit cheesy and one-dimensional, I thought everyone did a great job on their own.

To All The Boys I've Loved Before

At number 5 is To All The Boys I've Loved Before! Though this is a Netflix movie, it was released this year and I loved it enough to decide it deserved a spot on this list! I was a pretty big fan of this book series so when I heard that the movie was coming out, I was pumped! I loved the main cast of this movie and how sweet Peter came out as he was played by Noah and how quirky Lara Jean was as played by Lana! The build of their relationship was perfect and I loved how so many scenes felt taken straight from the book and that the only big changes were made to make the movie better! I loved that the ending was changed so that the hot tub incident was less important and that Peter handled it better. The reconciliation at the end was great but it was a little weird because I'll be interested to see if the sequels follow the books too or if they get changed up a little to fit.

Black Panther

Coming in at number 4 is Black Panther! I liked Black Panther alright in Civil War but I was fascinated by the world he came from and this movie was everything in showing us that! I loved seeing Wakanda and learning about it's strengths and weaknesses and the culture and the tribes! It was amazing and it gave the normal Marvel formulaic storytelling a new light. All the characters were fascinating from Shuri to Nakia to Okoye and I loved seeing all the cool tech that the world had but what really sold me on this movie was Michael B Jordan as Killmonger. He was such a compelling villain and the most fascinating part was how you could understand his point of view and though he was going about it wrong, his complaints had merit. It was fascinating that in a movie about Black Panther, he was the least important part.

Crazy Rich Asians

Number 3 is Crazy Rich Asians! This movie blew up the world when it came out and it was funny to me cause since I watch so many asian dramas and movies, this wasn't a new concept to me but to most American audiences this was and after I watched it, despite having a plot that I've seen before many times, I loved it too! It was so much fun seeing the world that this movie created and seeing what a complete badass Rachel was and how she took no shit from Nick's rich world. If that was me, I would have run for the hills a long time ago! I loved meeting all of his family and how insane they were and seeing how the rich 1% lived in Singapore. The cinematography was gorgeous and I loved all the colors. Peik Lin was hilarious and I adored how much Rachel and Nick loved each other and that Eleanor eventually came around after she realized what a good person Rachel was and just how much Nick couldn't live without her. It was beautiful and fun and such a wild ride!

Incredibles 2

Coming in at number 2 is Incredibles 2! This was a long awaited movie cause Incredibles was so good and we all wanted a sequel and Disney Pixar listened and gave us a sequel that was just as fun as the first. I know some people were bothered that the plot was pretty similar to the first but I didn't mind it! I loved that the gender roles were switched so that Helen went off to fight crime and that Bob was left to take care of the kids and how well written it was because the movie showed just how important of a job being a parent is as well. I loved seeing Bob struggle to do well and how he never took it out on the kids and how he buckled down to do his best. Jack Jack stole the show with his two amazing scenes when he was chasing that raccoon and when he was left with Edna! I do wish that there was more action as a family but I loved the final confrontation on the yacht!

Avengers: Infinity War

And finally my number 1 movie of 2018 is Avengers: Infinity War! Seriously is this a surprise to anyone? I'm a huge Marvel nerd as you all know and I've watched everything Marvel from it's tv shows to all of it's movies so this being the culmination of 10 years in the making made this movie all the more incredible. I was astounded by how every single character was fit into this movie and how each one had something to do and no one felt unnecessary. I loved seeing all these characters who have never met before interact with each other and it was so heartbreaking watching some of them die! Thor was a breakout cause after Ragnarok he was basically reborn as a character and he stole the show for me with his hilarious interactions with the Guardians to his pain over losing Loki to his badass entrance into Wakanda when he almost won the day! I loved that the only ones left at the end were the original Avengers plus a few and I'm sure that most of the character interactions that were missed in this movie will be done there (things like Steve and Tony reconciling.)


I hope you enjoyed this list and I'll see you all tomorrow for my Top 10 TV Shows of 2018 and then Monday for my Top 10 Asian Dramas of 2018!

xoxo Allie