nope (2022) & the pressure to laugh things off
Why do we sometimes laugh off painful experiences, even when they genuinely hurt us? A reflection on Jordan Peele’s Nope (2022), trauma, family stories, and the pressure to adopt the “acceptable” version of events.
hunt for the wilderpeople (2016) shows us that we’re worthy of love
Hunt for the Wilderpeople challenges the idea that you must love yourself before you can be loved. Through Ricky, Hec, and Bella, the film shows how being loved, exactly as we are, can teach us we’re worthy of love long before we believe it ourselves. Sometimes love reaches us first.
sibling bonds & survival: reflections on prey (2022) for native american heritage month
November is Native American Heritage Month, and I’m reflecting on Prey (2022)—a fresh take on the Predator franchise featuring a Comanche heroine and her brother, Taabe. Beyond the alien hunt, Prey offers a powerful look at sibling love, rivalry, and the tension between being seen and being outshined
repurposing the unfinished: lessons on failure from everything everywhere all at once
What if failure isn’t real? Everything Everywhere All At Once invites us to reconsider what it means not to succeed—and to see the leftovers of our choices as the beginning of something new.
distraction & meaning in everything everywhere all at once
In Everything Everywhere All At Once, the chaos of the multiverse mirrors our struggle with distraction and meaning. What happens when everything demands our attention?
loving someone who struggles with addiction: reflections on the film vengeance
Addiction doesn’t define a life. Drawing on the film Vengeance, this post explores how families love, grieve, and honor someone beyond their struggle.