Four films (and more), April 2025
I literally only watched four films this month
As the end of April is nearing, I realize I have ignored my Letterboxd profile and haven’t logged what I’ve watched since April 8th.
Oops.
Life was up and down this past April. I don’t remember liking this month in particular—it’s just an unsure month weather wise (what do you mean it was 26C one day and then down to 10C the next?). Since I was catching up on my routine here after being away for a month, I got sick and adjusting to new medication for my PCOS threw me off track (why is it so hard to be a woman?). Sprinkle that with a ton of admin work (this past week, I picked up my residence permit, had my biometrics done for my UK visa application, and went to two apartment viewings—all in between work hours and being sick) and errands and what you get is a tired potato who just wants to spend her days rotting and not to be reintroduced back into society.
Anyway, I’m getting better. Despite the hurdle of depressive episodes I was bound to get back to (please no, 2023 Abbey needs to be buried deep in the grave), I remembered to open my laptop and type this out on a Sunday morning.
So let’s get to my very scarce list of four films—and I oop, it’s all Disney themed this April!
Not Just a Goof | ★★★
Where I watched: on my laptop, on the floor, in the middle of a random Wednesday afternoon while I was feeling sick to my stomach from Metformin
Why I watched: Goofy movies are underrated and I love knowing how movies are made
Who I watched it with: just me
What I think: I love a good documentary. Most of the footage was from 1995 (30 years ago!) and it truly was a treat getting to see how everything was well documented. In a way it felt like watching a vlog of the animators and film crew creating the Goofy movies back in the day.
I can’t stress how much I love the Goofy movies—they’re simple, easy to watch, and really tug at your heartstrings (well, at least they did for me).
Adjacent documentaries to check out:
Embrace the Panda: Making Turning Red
Good Chemistry: The Story of Elemental
Sleeping Beauty | ★★★
Where I watched: living room TV while packing mail
Why I watched: well Gabs suggested it immediately when I blurted out that I’ve never watched Sleeping Beauty in my entire life (all this time I just know she was asleep and that’s it)
Who I watched it with: Gabs, my good friend and fellow pop culture fangirl
What I think:
This was actually so fun because it was one of the earliest Disney animated films in the 1950s. Gabs was singing along while the film was playing, the humor aged well, the title cards were beautiful:
Also Prince Phillip is the exact definition of if he wanted to, he would and he’s my new favorite Disney prince now (actually, I don’t have any favorite, now that I think about it).
Pocahontas | ★★
Where I watched: living room TV
Why I watched: randomly thought about it while choosing what film to continue Sleeping Beauty with
Who I watched it with: (still) Gabs—we had a marathon one Sunday while packing mail
What I think: I don’t know…watching this as an adult hits different. I don’t think I like it because I was mostly cringing while watching. I backtracked the historical accuracy and of course it wasn’t accurate, but it was interesting to say the least.
I can’t say I dislike it though, I grew up having this, Cinderella, and Mulan on VHS so these three were on rotation, plus I had a Pocahontas tent and doll so I guess it was significant to me during my childhood.
I do want to point out that this is one of the few Disney female characters who chose herself at the end of the film, and I loved that. Let’s not discuss Pocahontas 2 into detail though…
Mulan | ★★★.5
Where I watched: living room TV
Why I watched: there is no reason needed to rewatch Mulan. Kidding aside, me & G couldn’t help but bring this up after watching Pocahontas so we decided to have a go at it and obviously, it was a good decision
Who I watched it with: Gabs
What I think: Always hits the spot. Future Abbey must write an essay about this (Mulan is my hero). Would you like to stay forever? slaps every damn time.
I didn’t watch that much films but I went deep into books, music, and TV (there is never enough time, you know?) so they warrant a space in this four films (I should maybe change the title?) essay as well.
🎶 Music
There isn’t much to say aside from I’m obsessed with Valley. I played their discography during last weekend’s camping and hiking trip and the vibes were vibing. I can’t believe I typed that. 🤪
I also recently found out that Kel Lauren designed this incredible album cover, which felt serendipitous because I was binge watching Elliot Ulm’s YouTube channel and ended up listening to the Kelliot podcast and looked up Kel’s Instagram and I’m like wait…I know this artwork WHAT
Anyway TL;DR Valley’s music is so good and I’ve just been having them on repeat together with HAIM’s Relationships just in time for summer.
📺 TV
The new season of Hacks is here, and I’m glued to my seat every Friday evening tuning in to the latest episode. The characters are more mature, the plot becomes thicker, the circumstances in the characters lives become more complicated. And while this is a comedy/drama, I lean in more to the drama bit because I can’t help but cry on certain scenes and I look like an absolute mess.
The new season of Black Mirror also dropped, and I’m not a huge fan of Black Mirror, mostly because it’s too close to a possible future we could have. I did end up watching Common People and Hotel Reverie as recommended by friends, both great, both creepy.
📚 Books
I have a habit of visiting Dussmann when I’m in the area, take photos of books I find intriguing, look up the reviews online, before I decide to read them on my Kindle. Call me stingy, but my greatest fear is purchasing a (physical) book and realizing I would never read it and not enjoy it by any means. (I know I should be looking into library stuff but I haven’t really had the time, and I don’t think I could finish in x time, and most books are in German anyway)
That being said, after finishing Sunrise on the Reaping earlier this month (which was brutal and heartbreaking at the same time), I’m halfway through Homesick by Silvia Saunders, which was marketed as “for fans of Dolly Alderton” to which I say: I love Good Material, I think this book will be a good one.
So far, it’s good. I now know what kind of fiction I like—nothing too deep, more contemporary, less romance-centric but okay to have it as part of the plot, but mostly navigating the mess of adulthood. I just prefer immersing myself into the reality of it even by way of fiction. The over the top cheesy romance ones hit the spot every once in a while, but lately, I’ve been avoiding them like the plague. I guess this is how I cope as I got over a silly little crush lol.
Next on my to-read looks like a fun ride: Who Wants to Live Forever by Hanna Thomas Uose. The cover caught my eye (I love a good type play!) but the story seemed intriguing, with a review comparing it to Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow (one of the first books I read in 2023 that got me back into reading), so I’m looking forward to it.
Anyway, the “near email length limit” bar just popped up, so it’s time to end this essay. What films/TV shows/music did you consume this April?