The new literalism plaguing today’s movies

It seems at least to me that they don't really make very good movies anymore. The last time I remember watching a movie and thinking "That was pretty good" was the Dune films. Before that I can't even remember. I watched Thunderbolts and remember I thought it was the first Marvel movie that wasn't just terrible since End Game and that was primarily due to the Russian guy as a comedy source.

>It seems at least to me that they don't really make very good movies anymore

There are plenty of good films out there. Ignore Hollyood, broaden your horizon

I'm open to suggestions...

So personally I like films that makes me feel something without that feeling being explicitly forced upon me. This is an incredible thing to achieve that only a select few directors can do. Not “baiting” the viewers into emotions but also not being cold at the same time. Just by showing and how do they show it. Like the case of “a picture is worth a thousand words”. It’s a razor thin line but that makes these films I enjoy special and sincere.

(I'll only mentions stuff from the 21st century because otherwise I'd sit here for days)

I love japanese cinema so I'm very biased towards films from there.

- The Taste of Tea (2004) from Katsuhito Ishii

- Nobody Knows (2004) from Hirokazu Kore-eda

- Tony Takitani (2004) from Jun Ichikawa

- Memories of Matsuko (2006) from Tetsuya Nakashima

- Departures (2008) from Yojiro Takita

- Still Walking (2008) from Hirokazu Kore-eda

- Tokyo Sonata (2008) from Kiyoshi Kurosawa

- One Million Yen Girl (2008) from Yuki Tanada

- Haru’s Journey (2010) from Masahiro Kobayashi

- Story of Yonosuke (2013) from Shuichi Okita

- Shoplifters (2018) from Hirokazu Kore-eda

- Drive My Car (2021) from Ryūsuke Hamaguchi

Two korean film I've really liked

- The Handmaiden (2016) from Park Chan-wook

- Pieta (2012) from Kim Ki-duk

A chinese film I've seen recently and it was pretty good

- Black Coal, Thin Ice (2014) from Diao Yi-nan

Iranian films are incredibly good and crazy what they could make despite the situation there

- A Separation (2011) from Asghar Farhadi

- Taxi (2015) from Jafar Panahi

- The Salesman (2016) from Asghar Farhadi

- There Is No Evil (2020) from Mohammad Rasoulof

- My Favourite Cake (2024) from Maryam Moghaddam and Behtash Sanaeeha

Some european films I've enjoyed

- Enter the Void (2009) from Gaspar Noé

- Leviathan (2014) from Andrey Zvyagintsev

- Alcarràs (2022) from Carla Simón

- Fallen Leaves (2023) from Aki Kaurismäki

And last but not least some actual Hollywood films that I think are pretty good

- The Tree of Life (2011) from Terrence Malick

- Cloud Atlas (2012) from Lilly Wachowski and Lana Wachowski

- First Reformed (2017) from Paul Schrader

- Nickel Boys (2024) from RaMell Ross