Part of Recommendations, 11 sections of picks from GritCult's posts.
cinema isn't comfort, it's catechism. for him film is a delivery system for virtue — courage, brotherhood, vengeance, faith — smuggled past the modern man's defences. a good film teaches you how to live, how to fight, how to hope. delete netflix; watch with intent.
Views
watch films that forge you, not ones that sedate you. he hates filler and waffle — he wants tight scripts, real stakes, david vs goliath, men forced to become warriors or victims [4]. cinema is a teacher: scarface is your MBA [2], and the right film is contrarian fuel for going to first principles.
his taste runs biblical and aronofsky-shaped — Noah is his underrated pick, his favourite director, faustian and violent in the right way [3]. but he also worships craft: the world-building of tinker tailor [9], the painted stillness of barry lyndon [10], the sound design that makes a city feel lonely. beauty and lesson, never one without the other.
these days he leans into revenge — evil doers violently deleted. but the throughline is hope despite fear, brotherhood despite the shithole town [6], being brave anyway [1]. watch at the cinema, marathon them, treat it like a religious event. screens are for scripture, not scrolling.
Picks
10 recommendations, each linked to the post it comes from.
| # | Pick | Why | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Project Hail Mary | despite all odds, hope and optimism. despite fear you can still be brave. watch it. | Post |
| 2 | Scarface | teaches all you need to know about business. skip the MBA, just watch scarface. | Post |
| 3 | Noah (2014) | underrated rec of the week. aronofsky, his favourite director. biblical, faustian. | Post |
| 4 | Shot Caller | a place like this forces us to become warriors or victims. sublime and eerie. | Post |
| 5 | Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind | one of the best films depicting a dystopia — a dystopia of the mind. | Post |
| 6 | In Bruges | british comedy classic. worldclass dialogue, well paced, hilarious. | Post |
| 7 | Road to Perdition | underrated mendes classic, based on a comic based on a manga. | Post |
| 8 | 3:10 to Yuma (2007) | if he had to rewatch one film for the rest of time, this is it. | Post |
| 9 | Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy | one of the best films of all time. world-building, ambiance, intrigue. | Post |
| 10 | Barry Lyndon | such a good film. beautifully shot. need more films with an intermission. | Post |
Recurring themes
- delete netflix, watch with intent
- film as moral instruction not sedation
- biblical / aronofsky reverence
- tight scripts, no filler, no waffle
- revenge — evil doers violently deleted
- craft worship: world-building, sound, cinematography