Kim Namjoon, better know as RM and member of the musical supergroup BTS, released an album early in 2024 titled Right Place, Wrong Person (RPWP). Within the world of ARMY, BTS’ fanbase, it was beloved just as any release from any of the members always are. However, it didn’t end up being as much of a commercial success as his bandmate Jeon Jungkook’s Golden or Park Jimin’s Muse despite those two albums bookending his own release. That doesn’t diminish the quality of the songs contained within RPWP; as a matter of fact, it is a deep dive into the emotional state of RM as a man and an artist that doesn’t go for the easy listen or immediately relatable lyrics. It just gets better the more often you listen to it. That becomes even more evident with a viewing of the accompanying documentary he created as the album was produced.
EOY Catch Up: Hard Truths
Set in contemporary London we meet Pansy, a middle-aged black woman just trying to move forward in an increasingly stressful world. As we follow her accomplishing every day mundane tasks she seems to be set off by the most innocuous things from being bumped into walking down the street, to a cashier at the grocery rubbing her the wrong way. Her stress becomes our stress and it’s hard to understand just where all the hostility comes from.
Josh’s Favorite Films of 2024
As the year winds to a close, we’re sharing lists of our favorite films we’ve seen (so far).
EOY Catch Up: Flow
Cat is languidly living in an urban wilderness. Surrounded by worn-down buildings and lush greenery, you sense both the familiar and the unknown. Without any warning he is faced with quickly rising water; he moves farther and farther up surrounding buildings and to the top of a sculpture identical to our small protagonist. Nothing but water as far as the eye can see, he’s unsure of where to go.
Babygirl is the year’s most electric Christmas movie
A quarter century after Eyes Wide Shut, Halina Reijn puts Nicole Kidman again in a position to serve up a prickly and fun exploration of the dynamics of control, desire, and submission (also at Christmastime).
The Brutalist is a dark, slow-burning narrative of anguish, revival and redemption
A Hungarian-Jewish man, László Toth (Adrien Brody), was separated from his wife and niece during WWII and sent to an internment camp. He somehow manages to survive and escapes to America.
A Complete Unknown shows Dylan’s pricklier side
Based closely on the events of Bob Dylan’s life, A Complete Unknown follows the man himself from stepping fresh-faced into NYC to the height of his popularity as he alienates almost everyone who cares about him. We’re introduced to a young Dylan(Timotheé Chalamet) freshly arrived in New York City by way of Minnesota.
Nosferatu takes Robert Eggers Back to the Gothic Well
Nosferatu (2024 | USA, UK, Hungary | 133m | Robert Eggers) Writer/director Robert Eggers represents a genuine rarity in modern cinema—an idiosyncratic auteur who’s …
Seattle Film Critics Society announce 2024 Winners
This morning, across their social media channels, The Seattle Film Critics Society (counting a couple The SunBreak contributors among its membership) announced winners for the 2024 SFCS Awards, honoring the year’s best in film. At the top of the nominations heap: a pleasantly surprising win for Coralie Fargeat’s satirical body horror sensation The Substance. Sean Baker’s sex-worker cinderella to cross-country chaos comedy Anora took home the most awards; Dementus from Furiosa was crowned the Villain of the Year; and on the local front Rainier: A Beer Odyssey was named the best Pacific Northwest Finally, film and local programmers/directors/filmmakers/champions of short filmmaking here and afar, Megan Leonard and Carlos A.F. Lopez, were honored with a well-deserved Special Citation for their tireless efforts.
SFCS puts a spotlight on PNW films this weekend
Seattle Film Critics Society has been hard at work bringing attention to Pacific Northwest filmmakers and productions over the last several years. …