What Katie Watched

Category: B Film

  • Beetlejuice (1988)

    1h 32mins

    9/10

    Rewatch

    Quirky – Dark Comedy – Fantasy

    A darkly whimsical tale about a recently deceased couple who seek help from an eccentric spirit to help reclaim their home from unexpected new occupants.

    One of my absolute favourites gifted to us by the wonderful Tim Burton films! This film has him stamped all over it and I would be surprised if anyone mistook it for the vision of anybody else.

    It’s weird, it’s wacky and it’s wonderful. I love it!

    An interesting take on what happens in life after death.

    Winona Ryder is the perfectly strange and unusual teen.

    Michael Keaton is this zany, hilarious, mischievous, iconic character who makes such an impact with only 17 minutes of screen time!

    Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin play such a cute loved up couple that you are routing for throughout.

    Catherine O’Hara does not disappoint as the eccentric, stereotypical upper class wannabe socialite artist.

    Such fabulous casting!

    The contrast between the worlds of the living and the dead is a visual feast fr the eyes, as well step into the magical mind of Tim Burton with his illustrations coming to life.

    It’s spooky. It’s funny. It will have you cracking up laughing wile enjoying a truly unique narrative and aesthetic of a film.

    Would watch again

  • The Big Lebowski (1998)

    1h 57mins

    9/10

    Rewatch at the cinema

    Comedy – Quirky – Crime

    “The Dude” is a cool, laid back guy who just wants to take life easy, but gets caught up in a chaotic series of events involving mistaken identity, crime, and an eccentric cast of characters.

    Probably my favourite Coen Brother’s film. I was delighted to be able to experience this on the big screen, especially the trippy dream sequence.

    You follow “The Dude” who just wants an easy life with his biggest plan in the week being going bowling and having a few beers with his buddies. When he is mistaken for a millionaire who happens to share his name, his simple quiet life is thrown into chaos as more and more bizarre characters are brought into his life.

    It is laugh out loud funny. Jeff Bridges as the Dude and John Goodman as one of his best friends are the stand out performances for me. I also love Julianne Moore’s character in this film too.

    Would watch again

  • The Dark Knight (2008)

    2h 32mins

    8/10

    Rewatch

    Gripping – Action-packed – Superhero

    Chaos consumes Gotham as the Joker steps onto the scene and does not play by the other villain’s rules, will Batman be able to put an end to his madness?

    I remember seeing this for the first time in the cinema and being in absolute awe of this film. I am still left with that warm “What a film?!” feeling every time I watch it.

    Batman has been my favourite superhero since I was a kid and although Batman Forever (1995) will always be my favourite for nostalgia reasons, I would say that The Dark Knight is the best Batman film. The more realistic and gritty darkness of Gotham city that Christopher Nolan brings to the Batman franchise creates such tension and suspense. It is so different from the intentionally over the top and comic book styled Batman’s that came before.

    This film leaves me with such mixed feelings, where I adore Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker, but then there’s the sadness of this being his last role.

    An intense storyline that has me gripped throughout. I can tell when a story has me hooked in, when it’s over 2 hours and I don’t notice how long I’ve been watching it. No quick glances at the time, I am there and fully invested. Amazing performances by all! Epic action shots. What a great film!

    Would watch again

  • Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (2025)

    2h 4mins

    6/10

    First time watch in the cinema

    Sweet – Funny – Easy watch

    Bridget Jones is back navigating the ups and downs of love, parenting and personal growth.

    Went in and got what I expected, an easy watching film, plenty of giggles, as well as touching on living with grief.

    I fondly watch the first one, but have to say it is not one of my top picks of 00s Rom-Coms. I have a vague memory of one scene from the second film and have not watched the third, so cannot say I am a loyal fan. However, I do not feel that seeing it’s counterparts are essential to being able to enjoy this film.

    Would watch again

  • Blue Velvet (1986)

    2h

    4/10

    First time watch

    Dark – Thriller – Unsettling

    A college boy comes back to his small hometown and takes it upon himself to investigate a mysterious nightclub singer who appears to be in trouble and soon discovers that his curiosity may get the better of him.

    I know that this film is a highly acclaimed classic, but it wasn’t for me.

    I spent large chunks of it with a “Huh?!” look on my face while thinking “What on earth is happening?”

    I could tell it was meant to be quirky, but this film’s version of quirky was not one I enjoyed.

    A telltale sign I’m not enjoying a film is when I check how long is left. I did this frequently and felt surprised when I saw only 10 minutes had passed!

    Would not watch again

  • Bring It On (2000)

    1h 38mins

    9/10

    Rewatch

    Playful – 00s Teen Rom Com – Relationships

    The newly appointed captain of a champion cheerleading squad discovers that their past successes have no been what they seemed and fights to keep their number one spot in the championships.

    I can watch this film on repeat happily quoting away throughout. Such a fun watch, with high energy comedic performances by all, poking fun at the stereotypes around cheerleading.

    Would watch again

  • Blue Valentine (2010)

    2h

    8/10

    Rewatch

    Romance – Emotional – Beautiful

    An intimate and raw portrayal of a couple’s relationship, exploring both the passionate beginning and heartbreaking unraveling of their love.

    Love watching this film, even if it’s heartbreaking to watch. Seeing a couple who start out with such beautiful promise, it’s difficult to watch what their relationship becomes.

    It’s painful seeing the two in such different places. One who is desperately trying to hold onto who they were in the past and one who sees the relationship for what it now is and doesn’t see it as something worth fighting for.

    The film and both Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams’ performances do an incredible job of having you see it from both sides, hopping between each of their points of view, but not having a strong feeling of one is more in the right than the other.

    Such a stunning film which is a pleasure to watch, even if it’s not the happiest.

    Would watch again

  • Becoming Led Zeppelin (2025)

    2h 17mins

    4/10

    First time watch in the cinema

    Documentary – Rock Band – Archive Footage

    A documentary exploring the early stages of Led Zeppelins music career.

    This film is exactly what the title says, a documentary about how the band was formed and how they got themselves recognised. It stops at that and doesn’t go on to their continued success. It felt like the introduction film where maybe there is a part 2 (and possibly even a part 3 with the pacing of this film) to follow the rest of their music career.

    I went into this film knowing I enjoy a handful of their songs and I came away from the film still feeling that I do not know that much about the band. This was pretty frustrating to have spent over 2 hours watching something, to feel I was left with the same information I had before watching it. I was introduced to more of their earlier music and discovered most of it wasn’t for me.

    This feels like a film for true Led Zeppelin fans or serious music fans who enjoy learning about the technical parts of how music is made.

    I found it odd that the band members were interviewed separately for the whole film. Where I do not know much about the band, I don’t know if they have all fallen out so didn’t want to meet up. It created a very divided feeling in the film rather than a unity of being in a band.

    Would not watch again

  • Babygirl (2024)

    1h 54mins

    4/10

    First time watch in the cinema

    I absolutely love Nicole Kidman and will always give something a go if I see she is in it.

    This is described as an erotic thriller, but I don’t think that I would describe it that way.

    There wasn’t any point where I was on edge waiting for the “dun dun dah” moment that you get in most thrillers. With a married woman having an affair, I don’t think it can be categorised as a thriller because she is worried her husband will find out.

    The “erotic” scenes felt more uncomfortable to watch than sexy, where I wasn’t sure if either of them were really into what they were doing.

    I guess a film that this slightly reminds me of which I feel satisfies the “erotic thriller” genre would be Chloe (2019).

    I spent a lot of the time watching Babygirl wondering do I like this, do I care what happens, do I feel like there’s a story to follow here. I left wanting to go home and watch Chloe again.

    Would not watch again

  • Better Man (2024)

    2h 16mins

    6/10

    First time watch in the cinema

    I went into this film really wanting to like it, but it just didn’t click with me.

    I do not understand why it is being so heavily criticised, where although I didn’t love it, I don’t think it’s a bad film.

    It left me wanting to listen to Robbie Williams and remember some of my old favourites that didn’t make it into the film.

    I found myself comparing it to the recent biopics that have been around the past few years. I absolutely love Rocketman (2019) and have watched it multiple times. I really like Bohemian Rhapsody (2018), but find the ending too sad to want to watch it frequently. With Better Man, I understand that Robbie wanted to address his struggles with his mental health in this film, but I found the way it was portrayed quite repetitive, staying at surface level and didn’t tap into anything for me emotionally. I also felt that the different aspects of his life were dipped in and out of too quickly for me to get a feel of what was going on for him with the different people in his life.

    I guess I was hoping for something that felt more like a celebration of his music and what he has overcome to get to where he is now. Instead, I felt a bit like I was watching a “f*ck you” to the people Robbie has felt wronged by in his past.

    Would not watch again