As the year comes to an end, the out of offices turn on, and the Christmas lights get lit, it feels only right that the rrramble gang comes together over a hot drink to reflect on the year gone by. There have been some big hits, from Spider-Man in cinemas, to Spider-Man 2 in video games, all the way to the soundtrack for Spider-Man in music. But there were also those albums that failed to get us jazzed up, the shows with no showstopper, and the books we found totally spineless.
It's time for rrramble's contentious roundup: rrrevered and rrreviled. A snapshot of the team's best and worst from the year gone by.
rrrevered
The soundtrack to my 2023 has been The Record by Boygenius (that might be the giveaway that I’ve had a pretty tough year…). This album encapsulates the queer friendship which has saved me from myself and the world time and time again - seeing them play it in full, in the rain, surrounded by some of my favourite queer pals, will be on the highlight reel of my life, for sure.
rrreviled
It’s The Ultimatum: Queer Love for me. I’m all here for queering trashy reality tv, and was pretty invested in the series, until it became clear that the show was platforming and enabling an abuser. The reunion episode was painful to watch - it sucked to see Netflix be so irresponsible in their treatment of Tiff, and despite being a queer show, disappointingly seemed to perpetuate the horrendously incorrect narrative that women can’t be abusers. Gross.
rrrevered
'Damocles' by "revenge pop" artist Medusa, remains one of my most played songs of 2023. The song is intimate and Herculean all in one. It’s a song that houses a lot of pain but never ceases to display a beautiful chaos throughout. The cathartic ending gives me chills every time.
rrreviled
Asteroid City remains my least favourite film that came out in the UK this year. Wes Anderson’s socially stunted, theatre kid style of dialogue continues to drive me insane. Self-indulgent and shockingly unfunny. Several bad films this year at the very elicited a response from me.
rrrevered
Pain Killer on Netflix! By the end of it I was seething at the free rein selfishness has to corrupt people. Eat the rich x
rrreviled
Elemental. The sexual tention between the rabbit and the fox in Zootopia is much more believable (sorry bout it). Still eat the rich though.
rrrevered
CMAT has deffo been my artist of the year - incredible voice, funny (yet devastating) lyrics, and just seems like the kind of person you’d want to spend a night at the pub with her new album Crazymad for Me almost makes me want to go through a break up just to really indulge in the melodrama.
rrreviled
Killers of the Flower Moon. THREE HOURS IS TOO MANY HOURS.
rrrevered
There was so much groundbreaking art that I loved so much this year. Sadly they made the foolish decision to come out in the same year as This is Why. 100 more years of Paramore baby!
rrreviled
I had no expectations for Brandon Cronenberg's Infinity Pool and was still let down. A good concept, so wrapped up in it's own anxiety that the director fails to deliver the actual film.
rrrevered
Baldur's Gate 3 - enough said
rrreviled
Starfield. I know Todd is trying his best, but it's been nothing but bad news.
