after credits: nickel boys, traitors uk season 3 & other hotties
A monthly guide to what to watch for every watching mood you're in.
Hello my lovelies,
My film books mock me. Not in the gentle way coffee table decorations usually do, but with the surgical rigour of untapped knowledge. I pulled them all down yesterday – a small avalanche of cinema theory and glossy photos – and spread them across my living room floor like evidence at a crime scene. The crime? Intellectual neglect in the first degree.
The thing about these books is they fall into two categories in my life: the ones I've actually studied and the ones I bought with ambitious intentions that calcified into decoration. Ian Haydn Smith's "A Chronology of Film" belongs firmly in the first camp. I've gone through its pages multiple times, using it as my compass through global cinema. This year I want to revisit it with fresh eyes, see what new connections sparks.
On the other hand, my copy of "501 Must-See Movies" sits beside it, still crisp despite my best intentions. It’s a book that, in my head, sounds like it was written by someone who's never had to explain to their mother why they're watching a 3-hour Korean film about sentient plants at Christmas dinner. But this year I’m pushing my ‘judgy feelings’ to the side, and you know…actually opening the damn thing. I’m also curious. Did number 502 lose sleep over not making the cut?
For those new to That Final Scene (welcome!), After Credits is where I share a curated monthly watchlist of 30 films & tv shows, that match your very real, very specific states of being. I’m hoping these books, among others I keep stacked on my shelf, are going to help us expand that territory.
Just like last time, I've added Justwatch links to everything - these tell you exactly where to watch these shows and films no matter where you are in the world.
And a quick callout
Before we dive in, I want to point you to
’s devastating piece about the Altadena fires. His writing captures the systematic destruction of Black historical spaces happening in real-time. There's a GoFundMe recovery fund for Black residents in Altadena and Pasadena that needs our support - you can donate HERE. And while you're at it, subscribe to his Substack. His voice is vital right now.
Now, onto your monthly watchlist:
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