Feels from Reels is a spoiler-free film review series, where I capture only the emotions I felt and thoughts that came from them, while viewing a movie. This helps me consider the emotional connection an audience has to characters and stories in my own screenplays and short or long-form writing. I hope you enjoy! ❤️

🎬 The Invite (2026)

Resources:

• 🍅 Rotton Tomatoes score: 96%

• 👥 IMDB ⬅️ see Trailer, Director, Producers, Writers, and Cast here

• 📖 Adapted from a Novel? No

• 🎯Logline: “Joe and Angela's marriage is on thin ice. When they invite their enigmatic upstairs neighbors for a dinner party, the night spirals into unexpected places.”

• 🗺️ Where I Was: Cinelux (Capitola, CA)

🫀Feelings and Emotions

“I felt…” “That left me feeling…”

Dread

Misery

Chaos

Amused

Awkward

Embarrassed

Educated

Charmed

Saddened

Hopeful

🤔 Thoughts from Feelings

“I know those hills!”

“I do not enjoy entertaining guests”

“This is so hilarious already”

“They’re so charming”

“This is great dialogue”

“I feel seen lol”

“People should talk more openly about sex”

“This music, haha”

“I haven’t laughed this hard at a movie since Project Hail Mary”

“This is so fun”

“Every couple has their flaws”

“I love Penelope Cruz”

“Such good words”

“Powerful moment”

“The silence is palpable”

“Beautiful”

Hilarious. Relatable. Moving.

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Eyes close.

“You’ll be left behind,” they say. Force multiplier. More time for creativity. Exhaustion from the day. From hearing it everywhere, from everyone.

Livelihoods are being stolen. Taps are running dry. But sure: the IPOs will save us.

My body settles into bed. Subconsciousness swallows the thoughts. Finally, rest.

Eyes open.

Pitch black. Shallow breaths in a tight space. Knuckles scrape wood all around me. The new confinement dampens my scream.

How did I end up here? I was only trying to dream.

Wearing myself out, I surrender. Only the tears move. Gradually, peace.

Maybe it’s better this way.

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To my first 100 subscribers: thank you so much for being here, for reading, for sharing, and for engaging with me on this journey 🖤

Feels from Reels is a spoiler-free film review series, where I capture only the emotions I felt and thoughts that came from them, while viewing a movie. This helps me consider the emotional connection an audience has to characters and stories in my own screenplays and short or long-form writing. I hope you enjoy! ❤️

🎬 Disclosure Day (2026)

Resources:

• 🍅 Rotton Tomatoes score

• 👥 IMDB ⬅️ see Trailer, Director, Producers, Writers, and Cast here

• 📖 Adapted from a Novel? No, but it is an original idea by Steven Spielberg and was written by his long-time collaborative writer David Koepp

• 🎯Logline: “If you found out we weren’t alone, if someone showed you, proved it to you, would that frighten you?”

• 🗺️ Where I Was: Cinelux (Capitola, CA)

🫀Feelings and Emotions

“I felt…” “That left me feeling…”

Intrigued

A little bored too soon

Surprised

Slightly annoyed

Confused

… now, very annoyed

Empathy

Charmed

Fascinated

Hopeful

Deeply moved

🤔 Thoughts from Feelings

“What is that thing?”

“It’s unclear what their relationship is”

“I would be a whistleblower— no problem”

“I immediately don’t like him”

“Whoa… who is she?”

“Does nobody park their car normally?”

“No ER doctor would do that 🙄”

“Oh now that’s cool”

“What are those things”

“Dude reminds me of JD Vance 😑”

“I do not like how this is written”

“The music doesn’t fit. Too orchestral.”

“How can this one guy not be affected?”

“Thank goodness for Emily Blunt’s character.”

“I’ll forgive the rest of it if they nail this part”

“Okay, they nailed this part!”

“So many women doing the right thing to do”

“The silence says so much”

“It is statistically improbable that we are alone”

“We need our Disclosure Day”

This one was a wild ride for me, but by the end, it was worth it.

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Feels from Reels is a spoiler-free film review series, where I capture only the emotions I felt and thoughts that came from them, after viewing a movie. This kind of reflection helps me consider the emotional connection an audience has to my own characters and stories in screenplay. I hope you enjoy! <3

🎬 Films: The Whale (2022)

Resources:

• IMDB ⬅️ see Trailer, Director, Producers, Writers, and Cast here

• Adapted from a Novel? No, but it’s based on a play written by Samuel D. Hunter (2012)

• Logline: “A reclusive, morbidly obese English teacher attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter.”

• Where I Was: Home (Aptos, CA), Airplay through my phone’s A24 app and this is where I sidebar for a minute

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I love A24 — like, a lot. If you also enjoy what they distribute, produce, and support, they have an incredible membership program called AAA24 that easily pays for itself if you have access to AMC theaters. Check out my friends & family referral link if you’re interested in joining ➡️ HERE ⬅️.

Of the five theater movie clubs I’m part of (what, you’re surprised?!), AAA24 brings me the most value for my money and time.

🫀Feelings and Emotions

“I felt…” “That left me feeling…”

Startled

Saddened

Anxious

Worried

Crushed

Hopeful

Emotional agony

🤔 Thoughts from Feelings

“What the hell just happened”

“This poor guy”

“Their friendship is really special”

“This is a different kind of horror”

“She is calloused”

“This is intense for being a drama so far”

“This is heartbreaking”

“Didn’t see that coming”

“Absolutely gut wrenching”

“What is he hoping to accomplish?”

“She’s awful”

“Whoa, what a twist”

“That’s devastating”

“This conversation is long overdue”

“Incredible writing”

“Brenden Fraser is so good”

“What a hellish form of self-sabotage”

“This single set is brilliant”

“Such deep, aching emotion”

Brendan Fraser deserved his six minute standing ovation for this performance. Watch this movie.

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Feels from Reels is a spoiler-free film review series, where I capture only the emotions I felt and thoughts that came from them, after viewing a movie. This kind of reflection helps me consider the emotional connection an audience has to my own characters and stories in screenplay. I hope you enjoy! <3

🎬 Film: Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026)

Resources:

• IMDB ⬅️ see Trailer, Director, Producers, Writers, and Cast here

• Adapted from a Novel? Nope, but it does extend an amazing TV Series called The Mandalorian, and this movie reminded me that I’m due for a rewatch!

• Logline: “Once a lone bounty hunter, Mandalorian Din Djarin and his apprentice Grogu embark on an exciting new Star Wars adventure.”

• Where I Was: Santa Cruz Cinema (Santa Cruz, CA)

🫀Feelings and Emotions

“I felt…” “That left me feeling…”

Excited

Adventurous

Captivated

Adoration

Sweetness

Fatigued

Nervous

Hopeful

Proud

Grateful

Relieved

🤔 Thoughts from Feelings

“I forgot how much I liked the Mandalorian soundtrack, and this one is fire too”

“Grogu is so adorable”

“Oh wow, I haven’t heard about the huts for a long time”

“It was too easy to see that coming, but I’ll allow it”

“They better not harm a hair on Grogu’s head”

“I love a comeback story”

“Good for him”

“These tiny mechanics are SO cute”

“The life of a bounty hunter would be so exhausting”

“Brave little guy”

“Their bond is so sweet”

“That’s a pretty incredible turnaround”

“I think it’s time to rewatch the Mandalorian series”

⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⢸⣿⡇⠀⣿⣿⡇⣿⣿⡇⣼⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠀⠀⡇⣿⣶⣦⣄⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠉⠉⣿⣿⠉⠉⢸⣿⡇⠀⣿⣿⡃⣿⣿⡇⣿⣿⡇⠀⣿⣿⠀⠀⡇⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣶⣄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⣿⣿⠀⠀⢸⣿⣧⣤⣿⣿⡇⣿⣿⡇⠻⣿⣷⣦⡀⠀⠀⠀⡇⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣦⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⣿⣿⠀⠀⢸⣿⡟⠛⣿⣿⡇⣿⣿⡇⠀⠈⠻⢿⣿⣦⠀⠀⡇⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⣿⣿⠀⠀⢸⣿⡇⠀⣿⣿⡇⣿⣿⡇⣿⣿⡇⠀⣿⣿⠀⠀⣷⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡆⠀⠀
⠀⠀⣿⣿⠀⠀⢸⣿⡇⠀⣿⣿⡇⣿⣿⡇⣿⣿⣷⣶⣿⣿⠀⠀⠿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠛⠛⠀⠀⠘⠛⠃⠀⠛⠛⠃⠛⠛⠃⠈⠛⠛⠛⠛⠋⠀⠀⠿⢟⣛⣛⣛⣛⣛⣛⣛⣛⣛⣰⡄
⣿⡇⢴⣿⣿⣿⡆⠀⢸⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠀⣿⡇⢸⣿⣿⣿⡇⠀⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⣿⣷
⣿⡇⢸⣿⡀⠛⠃⠀⠀⠀⣿⡇⠀⣿⣿⠀⣿⡇⢸⣿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣀⣀⣤⣴⣶⣶⣶⣾⣿⣿
⣿⡇⠈⠻⢿⣶⡄⠀⠀⠀⣿⡇⠀⣿⣿⠿⣿⡇⢸⣿⠿⠿⠇⠀⠀⠀⢸⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠛⠋⣹⡿
⣿⡇⢰⣶⡀⣿⡇⠀⠀⠀⣿⡇⠀⣿⣿⠀⣿⡇⢸⣿⣀⣀⡀⠀⠀⠀⢸⣿⣿⣿⣿⠋⠀⠀⢰⣿⡇
⠿⠇⠸⠿⠿⠿⠇⠀⠀⠀⠿⠇⠀⠿⠿⠀⠿⠇⠸⠿⠿⠿⠇⠀⠀⠀⣿⣿⣿⣿⠃⠀⠀⢠⣿⣿⡇
⣶⣶⡆⠀⣶⣶⠀⢰⣶⣶⠀⢰⣶⣶⡀⢲⣶⣦⠀⢰⣶⣶⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⣿⣿⠃⠀⣠⣤⣿⣿⣿⠃
⢸⣿⣧⠀⣿⣿⡇⢸⣿⣿⠀⣿⣿⣿⡇⠈⣿⣿⡀⣼⣿⡏⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⣿⡏⢀⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠀
⢸⣿⣿⢸⣿⣿⡇⣼⣿⡇⢸⣿⡿⣿⣧⠀⢻⣿⣇⣿⣿⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⣿⠇⣼⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠀
⠀⣿⣿⢸⣿⣿⣇⣿⣿⠇⢸⣿⡇⣿⣿⡀⠘⣿⣿⣿⡏⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⣿⢸⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠀
⠀⣿⣿⣿⣿⢿⣿⣿⣿⠀⣾⣿⠷⢿⣿⡇⠀⢻⣿⣿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⡿⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠟⠁⠀
⠀⢸⣿⣿⡏⢸⣿⣿⡿⢰⣿⣿⠀⢸⣿⣷⠀⢸⣿⣿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣿⡇⣿⣿⣿⠟⠋⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⢸⣿⣿⡇⢸⣿⣿⡇⢸⣿⡇⠀⠀⣿⣿⠀⢸⣿⣿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠻⡇⠟⠋⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

This got overshadowed by other films (Obsession, Backrooms), but I really enjoyed it!

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Feels from Reels is a spoiler-free film review series, where I capture only the emotions I felt and thoughts that came from them, after viewing a movie. This kind of reflection helps me consider the emotional connection an audience has to my own characters and stories in screenplay. I hope you enjoy! <3

🎬 Films: Backrooms (2026)

Resources:

• IMDB ⬅️ see Trailer, Director, Producers, Writers, and Cast here

• Adapted from a Novel? Nope. The concept began in May 2019 when an anonymous user posted an unsettling, empty image of yellow wallpaper, dingy carpet, and fluorescent lights on the imageboard 4chan. Another user replied, suggesting that you could end up in this place by "noclip[ping]" out of reality in the wrong areas—a video game term for glitching through a solid wall. Here’s a cool video that explains more.

• Logline: “After a therapist's patient disappears into a dimension beyond reality, she must venture into the unknown to save him.”

• Where I Was: Cinelux (Capitola, CA)

🫀Feelings and Emotions

“I felt…” “That left me feeling…”

Sympathy

Misery

Depression

Like a loser

Concerned

Surprised

Intrigued

Anticipation

Perplexed

Terrified

Anxious

Terrorized

Speechless

🤔 Thoughts from Feelings

“This looks like a furniture store my parents would take me to”

“His life seems hollow”

“The therapist seems cold”

“What the hell just happened?”

“The set design is incredible”

“I love when you cannot see what terrorizes you”

“I don’t think he’s okay…”

“I can’t believe she did that”

“This cast is amazing!”

“What an incredible psychological experiment”

“This is pretty terrifying”

“Whoever did the sound effects is brilliant”

“What a dizzying set”

“Powerful confrontation”

“Who are these guys?!”

“I don’t fully comprehend what I just saw”

“It’s been a long time since I heard post-movie applause after a horror film, and I’m here for it!”

Mind-blowing experience 🤯

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Feels from Reels is a spoiler-free film review series, where I capture only the emotions I felt and thoughts that came from them, after viewing a movie. This kind of reflection helps me consider the emotional connection an audience has to my own characters and stories in screenplay. I hope you enjoy! <3

🎬 Films: Obsession (2025)

Resources:

• IMDB ⬅️ see Trailer, Director, Producers, Writers, and Cast here

• Adapted from a Novel? Nope. Written and directed by Curry Barker, it was adapted by Barker from his own original script.

• Logline: “After breaking the mysterious "One Wish Willow" to win his crush's heart, a hopeless romantic finds himself getting exactly what he asked for but soon discovers that some desires come at a dark, sinister price.”

• Where I Was: Cinemark (San Jose, CA)

🫀Feelings and Emotions

“I felt…” “That left me feeling…”

Empathy

Sorrow

Guilt

Charm

Creeped out

Startled

Terrified

Grossed out

Intense… so much intensity

🤔 Thoughts from Feelings

“Blumhouse is growing on me”

“Oh no! Sandy!”

“This guy is in deep”

“He blew it”

“That was fast”

“Nice effect in her eyes”

“Wow wow wow”

“That took a turn”

“She is insane”

“That place has a lot of employees for such a small business”

“Dude, run”

“She is so good”

“This is so scary”

“That’s heartbreaking”

“Oh, my gosh. That’s graphic”

“Sooooo much emotional manipulation”

“It’s hard to watch”

“Apparently that wound hasn’t healed for me yet”

“Whew 😅”

“It’s clear who was the real monster here”

“This movie and its relatively tiny budget give me hope as a screenwriter, and also hope for a horror renaissance in film”

Worth the hype. Go see this.

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“Morning,” says a humanoid behind the counter, who pushes a few buttons that make coffee and a place setting appear. “Big day!”

“The day, Jess!” Tom says, “I still can’t believe I qualified.”

“I can,” Jess says. “You’re born to ride the waves! The usual?”

“Yep,” Tom nods.

Jess pushes more buttons. Breakfast materializes: eggs, sausage, and a bottle of mustard.

“Favorable conditions today?” asks Jess.

“Looks like it,” Tom agrees. “Waves look evenly dispersed over the first hundred parsecs. The Twins are in perfect gravitational stability.”

“Listen Tom,” Jess leans in, their solid black eyes searching for contact with his slit pupils. “You’ve been coming into this diner for over a year now. That pair of neutron stars… They’re unpredictable. I’ve given a last meal to more solar sailors than this planet has moons. Don’t be a hero, you hear me?”

Tom nods.

Jess stands upright, smiles with uncertainty, and walks away. Tom waves his wrist over the counter to pay for the breakfast tab, and leaves.

Moments later, Tom seals the spaceport hatch behind him, and the computer chimes on.

“All systems are nominal.”

“Copy that,” Tom says, checking gravity readings on the interferometer. He enters a series of commands at the helm, and the sailship slowly advances to the starting line. As it does, a race portal activates on the view screen.

“Good morning, sailors!” says the announcer. “Five minutes until launch.”

Tom and the computer make the vessel ready for sailing, just in time for a green orb in the distance to detonate.

“Go!” Tom shouts, grinning as he works the helm. The delicate, gold mesh solar sail unfurls from the mast, and the sailship thrusts forward.

“Velocity: 0.1c,” announces the computer. “0.2c. 0.3c.”

Tom notices the redshift of the slower ships as they streak behind him.

“Yes!” Tom exclaims. The ship gently vibrates, but Tom adjusts a few settings to settle the ship.

“0.4c.”

“Wow!” Tom shouts. He checks the beacons for the other competitors on the view screen to find that they’re far behind him.

The alarm on the interferometer sounds, breaking the excitement.

Tom checks the interferometer, and gasps.

“No,” he whispers, as panic sets in. “Computer, project the next four waves…”

The view screen display shows three steady waveforms, then a peak that is too large or the screen. A gravity swell.

Tom sits down, and takes his hands off the helm.

“Computer, time to impact?”

“Thirty seconds.”

Tom shakes his head in disbelief. He’s lost all control of the vessel. The neutron stars are unstable, throwing gravity swells across kiloparsecs. He’s not the fastest. He’s the only one to launch!

“Four seconds to impact. Three. Two. One.”

The sailship capsizes as space and time expand, then contract. Everything goes black.

“Morning,” says a humanoid behind the counter. “Big day!”

“The day, Jess!” Tom says.

Ways to Support Me 🖤

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Feels from Reels is a spoiler-free film review series, where I capture only the emotions I felt and thoughts that came from them, after viewing a movie. This kind of reflection helps me consider the emotional connection an audience has to my own characters and stories in screenplay. I hope you enjoy! <3

🎬 Films: The Devil Wears Prada 1 (2006) & 2 (2026)

Resources:

• IMDB Part 1, IMDB Part 2 ⬅️ see Trailer, Director, Producers, Writers, and Cast here

• Adapted from a Novel? Yep! A series of them, starting with the first book of the same name by Lauren Weisberger

• Logline for Part 1: “Andy, a smart but sensible young journalist, starts working as an assistant to the cynical high fashion magazine editor Miranda Priestly.”

• Logline for Part 2: “Andy Sachs reunites with Miranda Priestly as they navigate their careers amid the decline of traditional magazine publishing.”

• Where I Was: Home for Part 1, streaming on Hulu (Aptos, CA); Santa Cruz Cinema for Part 2 (Santa Cruz, CA)

🫀Feelings and Emotions

“I felt…” “That left me feeling…”

Part 1:

Chaotic

Amused

Disenchanted

Overwhelmed

Annoyed

Sad

Shocked

Sympathy

Speechless

Relieved

Part 2:

Ouch (too real)

Lighthearted

Charmed

Dismayed

Excited

Vindicated

Hopeful

Determined

Thrilled

Overjoyed

Relieved

🤔 Thoughts from Feelings

Part 1:

“She’s so young!”

“I was a very different person when this came out”

“I could never work there”

“I don’t understand fashion”

“What a miserable existence”

“I don’t even know most of these brands”

“Wow, what a transformation”

“Such a bad New York accent lol”

“A job should never be this all-consuming”

“High fashion is full of fat shaming”

“Actually, most every industry is”

“Always some rich dude trying to get what he wants”

“He has awful eyebrows”

“Finally, some humanity, and she’s amazing”

“A toe ring?!”

“I wouldn’t want that life”

Part 2:

“Blue belt throwback…. Nice”

“This occupational bit is so timely, it hurts”

“Everyone looks amazing 20 years later”

“Still couldn’t do that job”

“Love Emily Blunt”

“Miranda still cuts”

“Tight plot line”

“This part is a fist bump to MacKenzie Scott and soooo many daggers at Jeff Bezos. WE NEED MORE OF THIS.”

“Okay, all the throwbacks in Part 2 are deliberate and delicious”

“Cerulean! I get it now!”

“Way to extend a plot line and redeem the portions of Part 1 that didn’t age well”

“Andy now represents a majority of women at this point in their careers, and I’m here for it

That’s all 💋

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“Good evening, Doctor.” The host greets me with a warm smile. He glances down at the guest list. “Party of…”

“One,” I say. “Just one.”

He looks up, his eyes acknowledging what that means. He nods and gestures. “This way.”

I follow him down the dimly lit corridor, flanked on each side by private rooms behind sealed doors. As we pass, each window reveals a scene. In one room, a crew member sits at a table, surrounded by people who are both crying and smiling as he opens their gifts. In the next, a couple is seated side by side, one weeping on the other’s shoulder while their food goes untouched.

“Your room, Doctor.” He raises his badge over the sensor, and the door slides open. I step inside, taking my seat at the otherwise empty table.

“Do you need a moment to review the database?” he asks.

“No, I’ve decided,” I say.

“Very well. Bon voyage,” he says. He steps into the hallway, secures the door, and walks away.

The room is small and quiet. Three floating lighted orbs hover over the dining table. In the corner of the room, the screen from the stasis pod displays scientific telemetry, and reads:

Mission: Centauri Colony

Status: Empty

Time to Destination: 44 years

The screen changes to solid gray. A white circle pulsates on the gray screen, emitting a baritone voice.

“Good evening, Doctor Lorna. The Time to Stasis is thirty-six minutes. Have you selected your final meal?”

“I have,” I respond.

All I could think about was my first meal with her. A crowded spaceport diner. Her hair tousled from running to catch the last lift of the night. A laugh I would never hear again. A tear falls, and I wipe it away.

“A sparkling water with a squeeze of lime. And a cheeseburger.”

The screen produces a pulse, and the three orbs hovering over the table begin to vibrate. A meal setting materializes in front of me: a cheeseburger, and a glass of sparkling water with a wedge of lime on the rim.

The meal carries a sense of finality. She isn’t here, and she wouldn’t be coming. Too painful, she said, to say goodbye forever.

Tears stream down my face, dropping steadily onto my lap. I lean forward, and take the first bite. Time moves at an agonizing pace as I eat and I grieve, alone.

“Time to stasis: eight minutes. Please prepare for pod integration.”

I stand and step aside. The table disappears, and an orb approaches, stopping in front of my face. I part my lips, and ultrasonic waves clean the inside of my mouth.

“Time to stasis: five minutes. Please initiate pod integration.”

I step into the pod, lay down, and connect all of the pod ports to my suit. The pod seals shut.

“Engaging stasis.”

I close my eyes and breathe out. One final tear drops, and then freezes.

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Feels from Reels is a spoiler-free film review series, where I capture only the emotions I felt and thoughts that came from them, after viewing a movie. This kind of reflection helps me consider the emotional connection an audience has to my own characters and stories in screenplay. I hope you enjoy! <3

🎬 Film: Mother Mary (2026)

Resources:

• IMDB ⬅️ see Trailer, Director, Producers, Writers, and Cast here

• Adapted from a Novel? No. It is an original screenplay written and directed by David Lowery.

• Logline: “Long-buried wounds rise to the surface when iconic pop star Mother Mary reunites with her estranged best friend and former costume designer, Sam Anselm, on the eve of her comeback performance.”

• Where I Was: AMC (Santa Clara, CA)

🫀Feelings and Emotions

“I felt…” “That left me feeling…”

I 🖤 A24 movies, so much!

🤔 Thoughts from Feelings

“Already visually stunning”

“What a monologue”

“Incredible music”

“A verbally loaded exchange”

“Exceptional dialogue”

“Michaela Coel is a genius”

“Anne Hathaway is superb”

“Best on screen dynamic I’ve seen in years”

“I love the mini scenes”

“Powerful imagery”

“Wow”

“What just happened?”

“So bizarre and a bit erotic”

“Really beautiful moment”

“So much love derived from one moment”

“This one is so thought provoking”

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A mosquito and a gnat are suspended in silver threads that neither of them saw.

She knows what she is doing.

Geometries are woven well, the tethers are strong, and through her hard work and creativity, she has crafted something that works for her while she rests.

Resilient. Strong. Formidable.

She will feast today, and I have observed how it is to be done.

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Feels from Reels is a spoiler-free film review series, where I capture only the emotions I felt and thoughts that came from them, after viewing a movie. This kind of reflection helps me consider the emotional connection an audience has to my own characters and stories in screenplay. I hope you enjoy! <3

🎬 Film: Lee Cronin’s The Mummy (2026)

Resources:

• IMDB ⬅️ see Trailer, Director, Producers, Writers, and Cast here

• Screenplay 👀 Couldn’t find one, but I also won’t be going out of my way to read it

• Adapted from a Novel? No, thank goodness

• Logline: “The young daughter of a journalist disappears into the desert without a trace. Eight years later, the broken family is shocked when she is returned to them, as what should be a joyful reunion turns into a living nightmare.”

• Where I Was: Cinelux (Capitola, CA)

🫀Feelings and Emotions

“I felt…” “That left me feeling…”

🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

🤔 Thoughts from Feelings

“Off to a good start”

“This woman is terrifying on her own”

“That was fast”

“Excellent transition”

“Didn’t see that coming”

“That’s improbable”

“Lots of location shoots”

“Alive is a strong word”

“Must smell terrible”

“This is requiring a lot of suspended disbelief”

“I wanted to like this in some way 🤷🏼‍♀️”

“What do they expect?”

“This is very poorly written”

“What a terrible movie”

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The ocean swelled around me. I gripped the edges of my bodyboard and leaned forward, riding the swell of the waves. My board coasted smoothly to the beach. As I stood up, my feet descended beneath the sand, creating tiny rivers as the tide receded between my toes. Dusk painted the sky in purple and gold gradients. It was my third time in the water as a bodyboarder, and I was finally getting the hang of things. The ocean water pulled on my ankles, beckoning me back into the water for one last wave before nightfall.

The lower tide meant that I had to paddle nearly twice as far out, but my patience was rewarded when the ocean bloated beneath me. I rose quickly with the water, but this time was different: I could not see over the crest of the wave wall. My board slid along the backside of the waves, down and further away from the coast. The waves rushed towards the beach without me. I felt like a fish caught on an invisible hook, being pulled helplessly by the riptide.

Fueled by adrenaline, I exerted all of my energy to overpower the current, kicking vigorously in parallel to the direction of the flow, but it was no use. The torrent was too intense, and I was headed straight towards the sharp rocks that lined the edge of the cove. At high tide, I could try to land safely and wait, but at low tide, the exposed, jagged peaks would break my body. I clung to my board, closed my eyes, and braced for the impact.

My eyes adjusted to let in the last rays of the recently set sun while I drifted back into consciousness. A bright spotlight shifted into and out of my peripheral view. It was a rescue boat, and they were headed straight for me. Sitting upright, I was surprised to have felt no pain, but relieved to learn I was able to move. I jumped up, waving my arms above my head.

“I’m here! Help me! Over here!” I shouted.

The boat approached the rocks to my right, and the spotlight scanned the shadows. I expected the light to stop as it passed over me, but instead, it kept traveling along the edge of the cove. As the light shifted to my left, my neon yellow bodyboard appeared, mangled and wedged between two sharp boulders. The boat stopped, and they retrieved the remnants of my board. The spotlight operator gave a solemn nod, and the driver turned the boat around to search again.

“Can’t you see me?! I’m here!” I pleaded. The rescuers had completely missed me, again. My voice tightened with desperation as I screamed from deep inside my belly, waving my arms and jumping in place.

The spotlight approached a second time, but when the light reached me, my eyes were not sensitive to the light. My body remained unlit. I lowered my arms and examined my hands. No shadow. I clapped, but heard no sound. I was there, but I was not.

Over and over again, the light would come and go. They searched for hours, but they could not see or hear me. Eventually, the light turned off, and the boat turned back towards the shore. Sorrow expanded in me until I wept, and with my tears came a terrible knowing: the salt of the sea comes from the unending tears of the dead. Ever since the riptide, I have contributed mine.

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Feels from Reels is a spoiler-free film review series, where I capture only the emotions I felt and thoughts that came from them, after viewing a movie. This kind of reflection helps me consider the emotional connection an audience has to my own characters and stories in screenplay. I hope you enjoy! <3

🎬 Film: The Drama (2026)

Resources:

• IMDB ⬅️ see Trailer, Director, Producers, Writers, and Cast here

• Screenplay 👀 Couldn’t find one, but A24 does a good job releasing these, so perhaps one will drop later this year

• Adapted from a Novel? I don’t think so? If that’s not quite right, please comment, but I couldn’t find evidence of this

• Logline: “A happily engaged couple is put to the test when an unexpected turn sends their wedding week off the rails.”

• Where I Was: Cinelux (Scotts Valley, CA)

🫀Feelings and Emotions

“I felt…” “That left me feeling…”

🤔 Thoughts from Feelings

“That’s a little creepy.”

“I don’t ever want to plan a wedding again.”

“I’m so glad I don’t drink anymore.”

“I really like the silent cut scenes.”

“I wonder how many people have stories like this.”

“Really great story flashback and flash forward sequences.”

“They have great chemistry.”

“He’s capable of understanding.”

“This film takes on an extremely sensitive topic in America.”

“This is not the way to handle it…”

“Wow, I did not see that coming.”

“Sabotage, everywhere.”

“Those eyes have daggers”

“…and words that cut.” 😳

“I don’t know how he’ll get out of this one.”

“Oh… my… gosh”

“This is insane!”

“Who is the monster here?”

“What a disaster”

“When they said THE DRAMA, they meant it.”

“So pathetic…”

“This is so well written!”

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Perhaps I could just… do a little more to “catch up” at work. To “get ahead.” Jump back into that unresolved problem now, so that I don’t have to worry about it on Monday. To “feel lighter.” To “make space.”

There’s the lie, right there: the “making space.”

In physics, we are taught to treat systems as nearly isolated. Allow energy exchange between the isolated system and its surroundings, but never matter. Never the actual stuff that systems are made of. Matter is to remain inside its perfect little box. We do this so that we can understand, because when we treat systems as they truly are—as permeable to the flow of matter and energy—they get too hard to evaluate, calculate, quantify, and predict.

How do I get the stuff in my little isolated box, my ideal, closed system, out without removing a partition? And what do I expect when I remove that partition and let the stuff out?

I can’t allow this anymore.

I know that if I let the current stuff out, other stuff moves in whether I like it or not. Always. There is no void that remains a void. The natural order requires that something fills the void.

When we “make space,” we don’t always get to keep it.

We make our best plans, those rigid little systems, and then we observe the natural world do its thing. Nothing is truly impervious; sometimes, your appendix gets angry, or it rains, or a job that you’ve permitted to take up too much space just spills over the edges, and these things must be dealt with first. We must have the surgery, accommodate the weather, and cut out the job that does not want to remain contained within our boundaries.

The walls must have windows, doors, and vents. We must let matter and energy in, and out. This is how we integrate.

I should stop trying to swim upstream, to prevent the flow of matter and energy into and out of my life. I am the damper. I am the valve, the flow regulator.

The natural universe is fluid, and so, this new life system I’ve constructed must do a better job of accommodating this flow, and I should too.

Feels from Reels is a spoiler-free film review series, where I capture only the emotions I felt and thoughts that came from them, after viewing a movie. This kind of reflection helps me consider the emotional connection an audience has to my own characters and stories in screenplay. I hope you enjoy! <3

🎬 Film: Project Hail Mary (2026)

Resources:

• IMDB ⬅️ see Trailer, Director, Producers, Writers, and Cast here

• Screenplay 👀 Couldn’t find one, but if you find a safe screenplay copy for download, please comment!

• Adapted from a Novel? Yes, “Project Hail Mary” by Andy Weir

• Logline: “A science teacher wakes up alone on a spaceship. As his memory returns, he uncovers a mission to stop a mysterious substance killing Earth's sun and that an unexpected friendship may be the key.”

• Where I Was: Cinelux (Scotts Valley, CA), then Santa Cruz Cinema (Santa Cruz, CA) (yes, I saw it twice!)

🫀Feelings and Emotions

“I felt…” “That left me feeling…”

🤔 Thoughts from Feelings

“I hope Ryan Gosling is as good of a dude in real life as he seems”

“So much plot is introduced in the first 30 minutes!”

“Communication can be so basic”

“I hope aliens are sweet like Rocky”

“This film does a good job of adding plot throughout the film”

“This is hilarious”

“Such good writing”

“This soundtrack is amazing”

“Expert timeline transitions”

“Is he okay 🥺”

“Thank goodness”

“I would do the same thing”

“This is beautiful”

“I think we’re capable of this kind of cooperation”

“Okay, now that’s adorable”

“One of the most hopeful movies I’ve seen in years”

Feels from Reels is a spoiler-free film review series, where I capture only the emotions I felt and thoughts that came from them, after viewing a movie. This kind of reflection helps me consider the emotional connection an audience has to my own characters and stories in screenplay. I hope you enjoy! <3

🎬 Film: Undertone (2025)

Resources:

• IMDB ⬅️ see Trailer, Director, Producers, Writers, and Cast here

• Screenplay 👀 Couldn’t find one, but if you find a safe screenplay copy for download, please comment!

• Adapted from a Novel? No

• Logline: “The host of a popular paranormal podcast becomes haunted by terrifying recordings mysteriously sent her way.”

• Where I Was: Cinelux (Scotts Valley, CA)

🫀Feelings and Emotions

“I felt…” “That left me feeling…”

🤔 Thoughts from Feelings

“I love the videography!”

“The audio effects and editing are incredible”

“Yeah… lullabies are creepy”

“It could be cool to have a podcast someday”

“Oh now here we are go 🫣”

“Very effective camera work”

“The silence is terrifying”

“Wow, that was creepy”

“That’s awful”

“Oh my God”

“I love this kind of suspenseful horror”

“I can’t believe this only stars two in person actors”

“Oh my God” (again)

“Truly, terrifying”

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Feels from Reels is a spoiler-free film review series, where I capture only the emotions I felt and thoughts that came from them, after viewing a movie. This kind of reflection helps me consider the emotional connection an audience has to my own characters and stories in screenplay. I hope you enjoy! <3

🎬 Film: Pillion (2025)

Resources:

• IMDB ⬅️ see Trailer, Director, Producers, Writers, and Cast here

• Screenplay ⬅️ Source: A24 Awards (shooting script)

• Adapted from a Novel? Yes, “Box Hill” by Adam Mars-Jones

• Logline: “A directionless man is swept off his feet when an enigmatic, impossibly handsome biker takes him on as his submissive.”

• Where I Was: Cinemark Century Oakridge 20 (San Jose, CA)

🫀Feelings and Emotions

“I felt…” “That left me feeling…”

🤔 Thoughts from Feelings

“What a quiet little man”

“How did he know that about Colin?”

(About Skarsgard) 😮🙇‍♀️

“Oh… oh my.”

“Such care and attention”

“What a beautiful thing they have”

“What an incredible glimpse into this lifestyle”

“Maybe Ray isn’t so rigid”

“Why doesn’t he just ask?”

“There’s the brat I was expecting”

“What a lovely day together”

“What happened?!”

Feels from Reels is a spoiler-free film review series, where I capture only the emotions I felt and thoughts that came from them, after viewing a movie. This kind of reflection helps me consider the emotional connection an audience has to my own characters and stories in screenplay. I hope you enjoy! <3

🎬 Film: Kokuho (2025)

Resources:

• IMDB ⬅️ see Trailer, Director, Producers, Writers, and Cast here

• Screenplay 👀 Couldn’t find one, but if you find a safe screenplay copy for download, please comment!

• Adapted from a Novel? Yes, “Kokuho” by Shûichi Yoshida

• Logline: “In post-war Japan's economic boom, gangster family-born Kikuo Tachibana finds himself adopted by a kabuki actor. Despite life's challenges, he develops into a gifted performer.”

• Where I Was: Santa Cruz Cinema, after Kokuho’s 2026 release in the United States

🫀Feelings and Emotions

“I felt…” “That left me feeling…”

🤔 Thoughts from Feelings

“What an unexpected start”

“I’m learning so much about Kobuki and the lifestyle of Onnagata”

“Why does she follow him?”

“So much reverence”

“I’m so glad this still exists today”

“Why the rivalry?”

“How lonely”

“Such discipline”

“Of course they don’t understand”

“Beauty and tragedy woven throughout”

“What a graceful way to exist”

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