Patrick Sackett 😎👊🏽

Okay, first things first. Let me kick off the review by saying this will be intentionally vague, since The Drama is nearly impossible to discuss without giving away its surprises. If I had to sum up The Drama in just two words, they would be provocative and unpredictable. If you go into this expecting a saccharine and straightforward romantic comedy, you’re going to be sorely disappointed. Instead, what you have is a film that pushes the limits of what a rom-com can be. It’s not just a darkly comedic, satirical rom-com. It’s an interesting character study that begs the question of how we perceive the worst things we have ever done versus what others have done. And additionally, how our race, gender, privileges, etc., impact that. It is also a movie that I am baffled works as well as it does, considering that it could have failed in a million different ways.   From the premise alone, The Drama is ripe with conflict and stakes. There is no easy way out. It’s a week before the wedding. Time is of the essence. Money is on the line. The emotions are high, as is the stress. More than anything, this couple’s future is on the line. So, of course, writer/director Kristofer Borgli skillfully & theatrically forces you into the headspace of our bride and groom as things start to go off the rails. Borgli’s filmmaking reflects the decaying stability of the characters. The editing, cinematography, and sound are, for lack of a better term, off sometimes. It is also theatrical in its filmmaking. And in doing so, he creates a palpable sense of suffocating stress and unease throughout the film. And within the script, he uses detailed core character traits to heavily influence key story moments. I will say, sometimes I found some scenes to be a slight detractor from the film. Since a character digging a bigger hole for themselves appeared a tad too manufactured to come off as natural. As a result, the movie drags in the middle. That said, these moments still contribute to the film’s suffocating nature, and it pays them off well in the climax. Additionally, it doesn’t lean too much into the absurd. Which is something satire often struggles with. (Review Continued Below…👇🏽)

25 🎂 * * * Here I am again—another trip around the sun. Yet if I’m honest, I don’t have anything profound to say this year. Instead, I am simply grateful to see another day and year. To still be here, despite everything. I cherish that. And as I look ahead to what the future holds, I just want to thank you all for being here and growing with me, too. I hope I get enough trips around the sun to stand alongside you when we finally weather this storm together. Sic Parvis Magna. 🫶🏽

Here we are, once again. Another year of cinema comes to a close.  2025 has been a solid year for movies. While the first half of the year had a slow start with a few beaming standouts, it was the second half that featured plenty of damn good cinema. It has been a big year for movies with an actor playing a double role. A solid year for directorial debuts. And a select few films, some of which are on this list, heavily defied the notion of modern cinema falling into ‘content.’ No matter how bleak the future of cinema might look as titans try to monopolize the industry, there is no shortage of great cinema. As always, if there is a movie you loved that isn’t on the list, or you think should be on there. I either have not seen it or didn’t like it as much as the ones listed here. I can think of a few films that slipped past me this year, such as Splitsville, Eternity, K-Pop Demon Hunters, The Ugly Stepsister, and Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc, among others. If you’d like to, feel free to share some of your favorite movies of the year in the comments! I will be honest. My output of movie reviews this year slowed significantly. Some of it boiled down to burnout, timing, and other times just life. Writing movie reviews is not my job, and I don’t like treating it as such. But I’d be a damn liar if I said it still isn’t enjoyable. 2026 boasts a massive slate of movies, and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.  Lastly, I thank any and all of you who left comments, left compliments, shared your critiques, shared advice, shared my posts, and provided any other form of support and feedback. It is always welcome & greatly appreciated. Thank you all so much for supporting me and my reviews this year. And just being awesome and generous. 💚 Onward with a new year of cinema.  {Tags} * * * #cinema #cinephile #filmstagram #2025 #movies * * * [Listed Films Below…👇🏽]

As the sun sets on 2025, I wanted to share a few honest words rather than list accomplishments.  It has been a tough year.  It has been a tough year from the start, to the point where it’s felt more like survival than life. For me, even though this year has had its share of highlights, it has been hard to keep hope up sometimes, with a constant barrage of badness bleeding into life again and again. It feels like our future is hanging in the balance. I’m still luckier than many. But it’s a lot, and it’s tiring. As they say, it’s okay not to feel okay. For many days this year, I definitely haven’t felt okay. Even as I’m writing this, I don’t feel okay. I feel tired. Yet that’s okay. After all, it has been and continues to be harder to think positively these days.  But that doesn’t mean it’s been impossible to feel some semblance of joy. If there is one thing I’ve taken away from this year, it’s this. Joy does not deny reality. With all that badness, all the lows, it’s okay to accept the highs. The unexpected pivots. The smiles. The small wins. The laughs. The happy tears. Not only surviving, but letting that little light of mine keep on shining. More than anything. As this year ends, I may not feel okay at the moment. But I’m feeling a larger sense of gratitude. For the people in my life, near and far. For the faces, new and familiar. For the opportunities & experiences. Both good and not-so-good. From me to you, if this year has been rough on you as well, I hope you find hope again. I hope you find reasons to smile again. I hope you have peace again. I hope you have faith again. I hope you dream again. You’re doing great just for being here. So, thanks for being here again. Lastly, I have no idea what to say or expect for 2026. So I’ll keep on keeping on. Nuff said. Be seeing you, 2025. Sic Parvis Magna. * * * #photodump #2025 #newyear

Happy Halloween. 🎃 - A chill guy

Happy Halloween, peeps. 🎃✨ This Minecraft-themed photoshoot was a lot of fun. So much so that I couldn't help but partake in it, too. Have a spooky, fun, and lovely day. 👻 The Creeper in the 1st and the 9th slides is yours truly. The rest are these two lovely peeps listed below. Creeper/BTS 🟩 : @ryanc.sanch Enderman/Editor 🟪 : @eve.vfx 📸 by me * * * #happyhalloween🎃👻 #halloweenpictures #minecraft #chickenjockey

Creeper & Enderman Photoshoot BTS!! 💜💚🧡 - From pre production on this mini project to the final product, here’s a few snippets from our Halloween costume photoshoot!! 🎃🧡✨ - 📸 BTS: @ryanc.sanch 📸 Photographer: @theb.f.p 👩🏻‍💻 Editor: @eve.vfx

The intention of found footage in general is for the creative’s hand to be absolutely invisible. It’s best when it feels like something you, as an audience member, should not be watching. This is one of the many reasons why I like The Blair Witch Project (1999). And also one of the reasons why I find it scary. Say what you want about the film itself, but it does more with less. Blair Witch (2016), on the other hand, does quite the opposite to a damning degree. The fundamental flaw within Blair Witch is that it feels inorganic. Its plot is almost beat-for-beat the same as the original. But it does not feel real or believable. It replaces the slow-burning dread and deterioration of the original with quick thrills and attempts at high intensity. Technically, nearly every facet of Blair Witch’s filmmaking is geared toward diluting the mystery that made the original movie scarier. It features plentiful audio stings at full volume, high-resolution cameras, out-of-place visual effects, glitches that mask edits, and, at times, incomprehensible shaky camera movements. The premise is flimsy from the start. It follows James Donahue, the brother of Heather Donahue from the first film. After seeing an HD YouTube video (yes, you read that right) with a woman he believes could be his sister, who disappeared near Burkittsville 20 years earlier, James wants to find out the truth. So, James, with the help of a film student, some friends, and two locals who posted the video, goes into the Black Hills woods to help and film James’ search as a documentary. Because that makes total sense. (Review Continued Below…👇🏽)

The Long Walk is one of those movies where, once the credits rolled, I left the theater and had to sit down for a good twenty minutes to take a breather. The film is about 50 young men who participate in a contest with a clear goal: walking until only one is left. The winner gets a prize, while the rest are eliminated—quite literally. I loved The Long Walk, but I would be lying if I said it didn’t ruin me. It’s an emotionally devastating, raw, heavy, and harrowing dystopian thriller that pulls no punches. With a concept such as this, it can easily become a boring film to watch. So, instead of concerning itself with dumping buckets of exposition onto the audience, the film focuses on character. Grounding itself in relationships and capturing the heart behind the horror. All the while, maintaining a concise plot. The filmmaking captures a palpable sense of dread and unease. And it retains these elements. From a ‘holy shit’ moment right before the title drops, to a haunting ending scene. Additionally, the actors bring out the best of the material. Though the film has its clichéd characters and can become repetitive, each death still hits hard. Thanks to some sturdy direction from Francis Lawrence and a good script from JT Mollner, which lets the audience see the world through the eyes of the characters. The characters themselves are brought to life with plenty of up-and-coming talent. With great performances, particularly from its two leads, it becomes difficult not to feel emotionally invested in the characters as the film progresses. (Review continued below…👇🏽)

Superman is the latest iteration of the iconic character from DC Comics. This time around, it is from writer/director James Gunn. I had a lot of anticipation for this movie for many different reasons. Still, James Gunn is one of my favorite filmmakers, but even then, I walked in weary. And when the credits rolled, I breathed a sigh of relief. Superman isn’t perfect, but it is pretty damn good. It could have benefited from a longer runtime or, at the very least, given some more scenes more room to breathe, as the first twenty minutes or so can feel messy and rapidly paced. Additionally, when the movie slows down and prioritizes character moments, that’s when it shines the most. However, despite its messiness, it makes up for it with style, sincerity, and personality. And also reintroducing a bright, human, colorful, and vulnerable new take on Superman to a new generation, with plenty of stellar casting, heart, humor, and spectacle surrounding him. It is a movie that embraces its comic book inspirations and translates them so well that it genuinely feels like it came straight out of a comic book. It was hard for my inner child not to geek out, because at times it felt like I was watching a live-action version of Justice League Unlimited. Complete with fake countries (accompanied by fitting commentary), colorful heroes, an abundance of sci-fi technology, Krypto the Superdog, a kaiju, and portals to a pocket universe. To name a few things. It can feel like a lot. At the same time, Gunn incorporates timely themes of kindness, morality, legacy, and media manipulation. These may not be subtle examinations, but the themes are explored with such conviction and ethos in the story that they resonated with me and even moved me, which can also be said about how the film brings its titular character, Superman himself, to life.  (Review Continued Below…👇🏽)

I first stepped foot on SMC about six years ago for a campus tour. On that day, I had a panic attack because I was afraid and felt really lost. I didn’t have a plan. Nor did I have a clue of what my dream would be.  A few months later, I still had no idea what I wanted to do when I officially started. I thought I could give photography a try. Then, I stepped into the world of filmmaking and got sent back to square one not long after.   But that decision ultimately became one of the best of my life. It wasn’t easy. Many challenges arose as time went on. Some frightening and unexpected hands were dealt by life at very inconvenient times or by poor choices on my end. I struggled with maintaining a work-life balance, and sometimes I ended up failing. In some ways, I’m amazed I graduated with honors, but this dream came true nevertheless. I’ve finally done it. And none of it, absolutely none of it, was done without the many people by my side, new and familiar, whom I want to thank for helping me achieve this dream.  There are far too many to name. But to ~all~ the fantastic people I’ve met. From Creative Writing to Ceramics. From Math 21 to Media 1. From Art History to Counseling. From Film 31 to 33 and all the film classes in between. Whether you are tagged or featured in this post or not, saying ‘thank you’ doesn’t cut it. I hope you all know how much you are appreciated. You made this dream not only real but also worth it. You made me feel like I belonged here. I love you fools so much, and your love and friendship are worth more than silver and gold. And the best for last. A special thanks to all my family—my parents, my brother, everyone. Thank you for always believing in me, staying in my corner, and keeping me on my feet, even when I wanted to throw in the towel. I love you. 💚 That’s a wrap on SMC. Sic Parvis Magna.

5/5 days done, and my time on ‘Mind Games’ is now complete.  I joined this crew at the last stretch. Admittedly, I had a slight worry or two going in. Going out, I wished I had joined the project sooner because I wanted to stay on longer. At the same time, I emerged from this project feeling neither sad nor bittersweet but rather satisfied. To the best key grip out there and contributor to my C47 prank war, @cilffchen , for inviting me onto this. I’m immensely grateful to have worked with such an amazing G&E team.  (@takumi_nakayama @savsofine @tseneelin @filmmaker_abhishek @shahan_rao ) And that gratefulness extends to all of the crew. From the amazing DP ( @zanefarmerdp ) and camera team (@meg.weck and @mads.mov ). From the PD (@marykate.douglas ) to the PAs (@jordan.winick @thedailynorth @ahtmkia ). ADs (@carlosgomez436 ) to Scripties and Steadicam (@shotbyajstarzak ) Cast to the Costume Designer (@erinlucid_ ). Our producers (@jordanlanerice @thejuliahess ) and H/MU (@alanaareyzga ). And, of course, none of this would be possible without our writer/director/leader, @jjlippman To all of you—to everyone—to the entire crew during my time there, whether or not you have been tagged or mentioned here, I hope you know that your work is appreciated. And that a ‘thank you’ doesn’t seem to cut it. This was my first feature film set, and I couldn’t have asked for a better crew and set to start this new journey with. It’ll be hard to find another crew like all of you, as lovely and talented as you all are.