Wonder Watchlist

I’m a few days late posting my August favorites, which has made me realize I am ever so close to reaching my goal for films watched this year. I usually don’t try to set goals like that for movie watching, because it’s easy for it to fall into a performative category. But each year that I’ve been reviewing films, I try to watch more than the previous year, and there’s only about one month’s worth of watching left until I achieve it. It makes these lists even more impactful; as someone who thrives on lists, I have a great archive of what I was into over the last few years. I’d recommend anyone who wants to look back at their thoughts on films do it!

August went by far too quickly. With some leftover Fantasia International Film Festival titles to watch, I was able to mix in some of those thrift store DVDs I’ve grown fond of grabbing. If you were to look at my Letterboxd for August, you’d think I’m just throwing something against the wall and hoping it sticks. And thankfully for me, there were a few titles that stuck with me. August is the end of Summer movie season, and to be frank, I’m ready for it to be over. Surprisingly, I watched mostly horror films, and they were mostly good!

Runners-up: Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026), The End of Oak Street (2026), and Motherwitch (2026).

Lockjaw (2026) Dir. Sabrina Greco

Synopsis: “Rayna, trapped in a car accident, finds herself drawn to a manipulative magician, whose illusions mirror her dysfunction. Their relationship worsens, leading to a dark exploration of guilt, attraction, and fractured friendships.”

In late August, I had a great conversation with both Sabrina and Star Blu Hunt; you can read it here!

My quick thoughts: I found this really funny and charming; especially after chatting with Sabrina and Blu, I got a new appreciation for the character Rayna. It’s a messy story about a messy woman who is just trying to find her footing in the world. It has a small-budget charm, and Blu Hunt really captures the infectious charm needed to play a character like Rayna.

Colony (2026) Dir. Yeon Sang-ho

Synopsis: “Professor Se-jeong is thrust into a bloody nightmare when a rapidly mutating virus is released during a biotech conference causing authorities to seal the facility. Trapped inside with no escape, Se-jeong along with a small group of survivors must fight to stay alive while the infected undergo horrific transformations.”

From my Nexus Point News review: “Narratively, Sang-ho hits his stride while exploring this new form of zombie and its significance. Controlled by a single host and empowered with abilities that make it almost impossible to see a way to survive an encounter. While the government wants to simply get the cure at any cost, the public screams for freedom. Colony is a collision of some of the world’s most powerful individuals fighting for control. They are willing to let innocent people die and replace their minds with something you can input information into. Even when humanity’s help is needed to overcome, human lives are seen as vessels for whatever a tech CEO or some evil genius wants to do at their bidding.”

Dracula: The Night Around Us (2026) Dir. Chris Schwab

Synopsis: “In this modern reimagining, Dr. John Seward regains his hope for humanity through a bond with Mina and her young daughter Lucy. However, his regained faith is systemically destroyed by an ancient evil.”

From my InSession Film review: “As a big fan of Dracula adaptations, I know there are many great options out there. Sadly, many of them fail to do anything new or interesting, coming across as mere copies of something better. Thankfully, Dracula: The Night Around Us isn’t pretending to be the next perfect retelling; it feels like a new, bare-bones approach to a legendary character that reminds audiences what makes the character so thrilling. Breathing new life into one of the most iconic novels ever written, it strips the vampire of his regality and places him in a minimalist modern world.”

Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (2026) Dir. Jane Schoenbrun

Synopsis: “After years of slapdash sequels and waning fandom, the Camp Miasma slasher franchise is handed over to an enthusiastic young director for resurrection. But when she visits the original’s star, a now-reclusive actress shrouded in mystery, the two women fall into a blood-soaked world of desire, fear, and delirium.”

My quick thoughts: I wasn’t really sure what to think about this one at first. I dug into everything about it, but I walked away thinking it was just “okay”. But the more I’ve sat and thought about it, I really love this one. It has so much to say about our relationships, about art, to one another, to ourselves. And how we tend to take from media to form our personalities. It was nice to see Gillian Anderson in a Sunset Boulevard role. I found myself getting emotional during the Little Death background; that has to be my favorite part of the film.

The Wrong Girls (2026) Dir. Dylan Meyer

Synopsis: “Two codependent best friends living paycheck to paycheck and bong rip to bong rip get caught in a case of mistaken identity that throws their lives into chaos.”

From my InSession Films review: “It’s hard not to see yourself in either roommate’s shoes; it’s the life everyone has wanted to live at least once. Eating junk food all day with your best friend and smoking weed together while living under the same roof. Getting baked while watching Shark Week, or taste-testing a new culinary concoction that only the inebriated mind can create. Barely making enough to get by but loving every minute of it, there’s no doubt that both Molly and Frankie share a bond that goes beyond a regular friendship. They are inseparable; it’s almost as if they share the same mind, split between two bodies. A sisterly connection that comes naturally to both Stewart and Shawat; it helps that both already genuinely exude a chill girl vibe as is. Their chemistry is what elevates the film from good to great, especially when the pair has to deliver their lines telepathically. It’s hard to see the film working with any other talent in Stewart’s shoes, especially given her performance, which leaves a yearning for more comedy roles.”

As August comes to a close, it marks the start of the Fall Festival season; there will surely be some coverage on my end. If you want to know what I’m watching throughout the month that doesn’t get on these lists, make sure to follow my Letterboxd.

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