I’m late making this post, it’s been a busy September. Initially, I didn’t have a theme when I selected the movies for this month. Then I noticed that of the 5 movies I had originally picked, 4 of them had female leads. Therefore, I dropped Sneakers (which is a good movie, btw) for Salt so I could have a female lead mystery film month. Let’s get started.

Here is the list of films for the month in case you want to skip around. There is also the bonus & special event section if you wish to jump down there.

Again, feel free to leave your own thoughts on each, or all, of these films in the comments.

Boston Strangler (2023)

Boston Strangler poster

Starring: Keira Knightley, Carrie Coon, Chris Cooper
Directed by: Matt Ruskin
My Rating:

This film is based on the true story of the two women who broke the Boston Strangler story back in the early 1960s. The film is largely historically accurate from the description of the crimes to the sexism the two female reporters experienced.

Now, you know me, I’m a sucker for a true story, especially crime films. Therefore, it probably shouldn’t surprise you that I gave this film a positive rating. I did enjoy it. Keira Knightley is underrated and I need to find more films of hers.

Emily the Criminal (2022)

Emily the Criminal poster

Starring: Aubrey Plaza, Theo Rossi
Directed by: John Patton Ford
My Rating:

A woman, buried in debt and barely making ends meet, finds a lucrative way to earn money but she has to do something illegal. This film is about identity theft and credit card fraud, which is very apt today.

I love scrolling through various streaming services and finding random movies that I didn’t know existed. The only thing I’ve watched with Aubrey Plaza was Parks and Recreation (highly recommend). Sometimes it is a risk to watch an unknown movie that stars an actor/actress from a television series. I think she does a great job in this film. The plot of this film is in the same vein as other crime films like The Score and Heist (2001), both of which I enjoyed. I recommend checking it out.

Salt (2010)

Starring: Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor
Directed by: Phillip Noyce
My Rating:

CIA Agent Salt is accused of being a Russian spy by a defector. Now she’s on the run from the very government she swore to serve.

The thing I like about this movie is that it doesn’t slow down to move the plot along. The runtime is sufficiently long enough for you to understand what is going on and hook you into the mystery. There is a surprise twist at the end. It has been a while since I first saw this movie so I completely forgot that Chiwetel Ejiofor was in this. He’s an underrated actor; I’ve enjoyed his performance in everything I’ve seen him in.

Enola Holmes (2020/2022)

Enola Holmes poster

Starring: Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill
Directed by: Harry Bradbeer
My Rating:

The sister of the famous Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes tries to find her own place in the world. Enola is plagued by the sudden disappearance of her mother and the events her mother is mixed up in.

If you’re an avid fan of Sherlock Holmes then you know that, in the novels, Sherlock does not have a sister. Mycroft is his only sibling. I think some people gave this film a bad review for that reason alone. While I have read most of the Sherlock Holmes books I still found these movies quite enjoyable. Millie Bobby Brown is a great actress.

I also enjoyed the fact that the plot of the second film is based on true events. Obviously, Enola Holmes is a fictitious character but Sarah Chapman was a real person and the 1888 matchgirls’ strike is a real historical event.

Bonus/Special Event Movies

The only special event movie was on August 29th which is Judgement Day in the Terminator series. Last year I watched the first Terminator film, this year I watched Terminator 2 which is a much more appropriate film for Judgement Day since the date is specifically stated in the film.

I realized an interesting phenomenon about Terminator 2. It shares the same phenomenon as Aliens. Both are sequel films that are better than the first films. Don’t get me wrong I do enjoy the first Terminator movie but, just like Aliens, everyone quotes the second film more often.

Anyway, time to kick butt in September with some Martial Arts films.

film real

“The screen is a magic medium. It has such power that it can retain interest as it conveys emotions and moods that no other art form can hope to tackle.” 
– Stanley Kubrick