Movie notes

A Quiet Place

A thrilling, interesting, and well-done monster movie. The monsters in this are very sound-oriented, so any noise will bring them running, and they will kill you and eat you. The family at the center of this movie has an advantage: their daughter is Deaf, and they all know ASL, so they can communicate without speaking. They have a number of survival strategies in place, and yet the monsters are formidable. The Deaf character is played by a Deaf actress. Starring and directed by John Krisinski. Content notes for: jump scares, guns, pregnancy and childbirth, child harm. The gore/blood is minimal. This is recommended if you like monster movies and thrillers.

Annihilation

A Sci-fi thriller featuring mostly women! A "shimmer" has descended over part of the US, and it is expanding. No one who enters comes out, except for Lena's husband, who shows up at her door after a year gone. Lena (Natalie Portman) decides to join the team of scientists going into the Shimmer to investigate. This is a horror-type movie where the people get picked off. It was pretty to watch and well-made, but a bit thin on characterization. Content notes for: jump scares, guns, some gore.

Hilda - netflix

Hilda - netflix kids' cartoon

This is pleasant, beautiful, sort of unchallenging viewing. Nice to have on in the background or to watch while you are sick. It might be too scary for young kids, as it does feature trolls, ghosts, and other creatures in most of the episodes.

The story centers on Hilda, a fearless girl who befriends all sorts of spirits and creatures. She starts out living in the remote woods with her mom. Due to various happenings, they move to the city, Trolberg, where Hilda joins the Sparrow Scouts and makes some friends.

I love the color palette, which uses lots of red, yellow, and brown; cool colors are used sparingly. Hilda has a nice relationship with her mother.