This isn’t going to tell you to stop using Instagram. That would be hypocritical.

What I’ve been thinking

I swear this isn’t just navel-gazing. This is about the CEOs and the malice. This is about the rotting state of the internet, where everything is breaking all at once. With everything going wrong everywhere at the moment, 2025 could easily classified as yet another “This is fine dog” kind of year, where the fires are burning and … I really wanted to use that metaphor so I’m glad I waited until March for this one.

Increasingly, though, fewer people are cosplaying as that canine at the table and acting as if all’s well. Even those in power are screaming about their plagiarism engines getting copied. But I don’t really care about the DeepSeek, except in that it’s causing Sam Altman pain — which makes me root for DeepSeek.

Instead, I’m focused on the stuff I use and value — and I’ve been deeply hooked on Instagram for the last many years, just like I was once attached at the Tweet. And that’s why my focus on some of the digital life’s more-Meta problems becomes a difficult scenario to continue. This focus led me to ask about a half dozen friends to move conversations off of Instagram, and think "wouldn't it be great if I didn't value Instagram?"

Context!

There are many reasons to be upset with Meta, ranging from the banal discovery of how the rug pull of that first Instagram post you saw disappearing was basically a feature not a bug (sorry for linking to Threads, but it’s at least to friend of the newsletter Wes’ account) to … well … never forget they rebranded to that name after whistleblower actions led to the Facebook Files report. I recently rage-deleted the app when I saw apparent censorship of abortion rights content in the form of blurred posts on the aidaccess account. I first saw this when someone else posted it, but I checked for myself and confirmed the issue:

If this sounds familiar, congrats, your brain contains knowledge from 2022! Meta’s been antagonistic to abortion rights posts long before the above screenshot was taken. Ed Zitron’s Better Offline podcast has been a great source of knowledge on how Meta didn’t just change or anything, by the way.

The most recent malpractice at the Meta palace, of course saw the comany “remove restrictions on topics like immigration and gender that are out of touch with mainstream discourse.” This means that "women can be compared to household objects [and] ethnic groups can be called filth," as noted by Axios.

On top of that, Meta put these words in its rules for community standards: “We do allow allegations of mental illness or abnormality when based on gender or sexual orientation, given political and religious discourse about transgenderism and homosexuality and common non-serious usage of words like ‘weird.’” It also removed LGBTQ+ Pride themes from Messenger, that app it forces you to use if you want to privately message someone in Facebook from your phone.

As Casey Newton reported, the following are acceptable to say on Facebook and Instagram:

Newton also procured the revelation that Facebook CMO Alex Schultz suggested in an internal post that — Newton’s words here — “people seeing their queer friends and family members abused on Facebook and Instagram could lead to increased support for LGBTQ rights." Bleak, right? All after Zuckerberg himself cited “recent elections” as a contributing factor for these decisions, though that might just be him using that as cover fire. He’s also proselytized for masculine corporate energy on the Joe Rogan podcast, which is a weird thing to say if you ask me.

All of the above makes me question my feverish use of Instagram, the one Meta social media app I’ve got any fondness for. Yes, even though Instagram is getting worse — notice that AI circle button at the bottom right corner, which reads like another way for Meta to juice the daily active user numbers for its AI stuff that I continue to believe that nobody actually wants — I still have reasons to use it. Even if I’m not happy about that.

So, what am I going to do about it?

To answer a question a family member asked me a few weeks ago: I was never “boycotting” Instagram. Why not? Because the app can provide me with things I value, as it’s a decent distribution system to folks who get too much email as it is. And the number of enjoyable things these days are fewer and further between, so I don't feel like robbing myself when no viable alternative is out there. Recently, Bluesky launched its own Flashes app, which is meant to be an Instagram alternative, but it’s simply a way to only view media posts on Bluesky. At least so far.

Instagram is where I get and send funny means from my friends who aren’t leaving either. Instagram is the current standard "You probably have this messaging app" that you can use to connect with new friends — at least as long as you're an American because we don't really use WhatsApp that much.

I have conversations with friends in Instagram group chats that just aren’t moving away because a lot of people just use it because that’s where the people are. I know damn good people who still use Twitter publicly, so this isn’t anything new. Also, Instagram might be the best way to get news from local businesses and various photos and life updates from friends — as grim as that is to admit. Having an account here also has professional benefits for myself, but your mileage may vary in that regard.

So, I’m trying reduce my time spent on the app — to give Meta less of myself. At first, that meant deleting the Instagram app from my phone, and using it the service in the Safari web browser. It’s a terrible user experience, so I thought that would cut down my usage of the app. I also thought Safari was going to be better about protecting my privacy, putting more of a wall between Meta and myself, but a friend who is both an expert in law and privacy advised this was not actually the case. So, while all of that kinda worked, that same privacy expert advised something smarter: reinstall the Instagram app and use it less by setting Screen Time limits through the iPhone Settings app.

Then, I realized one way to go about step further: I can simply just put Instagram out of sight and out of mind. iOS 18’s Require Face ID feature will tuck any app away and into a little hidden app folder in the App Library, and that means I need to work to open the app. Swiping left from the home screen, scrolling all the way to the bottom and tapping “Hidden.” I then must pass the biometric security login to actually see the Instagram icon. If your iPhone has Face ID (or if you still have an iPhone or iPad with Touch ID), you can add any app to this folder, just long press on the app icon and select Require Face/Touch ID.

So, what am I doing? One person called it a sort of harm reduction, which kinda fits. Am I happy about it? Not really, but it’s at least some progress on pushing myself to my own goals.

Anyway, that’s all I have to say about this for now, onto the movie diary.

Movies I've seen

As you might know, I organize this section in a sort of least-enjoyed to most-adored manner. This time, though, I'm doing these in sections.

I want my time back

The Room Next Door (2024)

Yes, I’m telling you one of my worst experiences at a movie theater since last we talked was the new Pedro Almodóvar flick — I’m as shocked as you are. This movie earned by ire with the absolute oddest dialogue ever, which wouldn’t sound unusual at first considering this is the director’s first English-language film. And yet each character sounds as unnatural as can be, expressing all of their thoughts and context flatly as if written by ChatGPT. Is this somehow commentary from Almodóvar on English speakers? I’m not sure.

@ the Brooklyn Alamo Drafthouse

Captain America: Brave New World (2025)

Watchable tedium and passable slop. That's most of what you get here in the latest chapter of Disney’s Diminishing Returns division better known as Marvel Studios. What once was an exciting little world full of surprise is now anything but. New Captain America Sam Wilson got that title during one of the Marvel TV shows, and then there's the matter of Harrison Ford's "Thunderbolt" Ross, a character whose previous MCU appearance wasn't played by Ford, and was in a movie nobody really talks about, "The Incredible Hulk."

If that wasn't confusing enough, Wilson's character has an inexplicable patriotic duty that isn't really justified in any way when this government's been as bad to him as it has. On top of that, you have the trailer problem, where a red Hulk has been shown so much that you'll expect it to appear by the second act. Which it doesn't.

Why did I see this? I'm a sucker for a group outing to a movie theater, plus I've already followed so much of the Marvel movies that I will keep going until something's truly regrettable.

@ the Regal UA Kaufman Astoria

Pretty good

Disembodied (1998)

A twisted little brain worm, fun for the splatter-horror crowd, and a reminder that sex workers are the most kind-hearted among us.

@ the Brooklyn Alamo Drafthouse

Digital Devil Story - Megami Tensei (1987)

If you like the Persona games, and want something really weird from the world that led to those Japanese role playing games, then you might find this one to be good. It’s also a blast for those who want some monster horror.

@ the Brooklyn Alamo Drafthouse

The Wallace & Gromit speedrun

So, I saw "A Grand Day Out" (1989), "The Wrong Trousers" (1993), "A Close Shave" (1995), "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" (2005), and "A Matter of Loaf and Death" (2008) in order, and I didn't retain a whole lot.

That said, they’re neat. I’m excited to watch the latest one.

via digital

Companion (2025)

When is a good movie ruined after it’s made? When the marketing spoils what should be a great big twist. If you like thrillers and surprise, I hope you’ve somehow reached this post without learning the big twist of “Companion.” It’s got a good cast, it's well-made and serviceable. I am so frustrated by the spoiler that I have a hard timing coming down on either side of it.

That said, Jack Quaid does well with his evil douchebag tech guy role, to the point where I think he should play Zuckerberg sometime soon (Sorkin's teasing a "The Social Network" sequel, right?), Sophie Thatcher makes fun with what she's given, and holy hell we need to put Harvey Guillén in more movies. I've heard it criticized as a bit made-for-TV, but I didn't think that was the case at all.

@ the Brooklyn Alamo Drafthouse

Loved it

Juror #2 (2024)

While some of the casting just feels odd — you can't put people from "Reno 911!" in a serious court drama, sorry Cedric Yarbrough — Juror #2 is as good as they say it is. Really quite tense, and that's before they keep turning the screws on the kid Nick Hoult. I almost wish I’d gone in cold on this, except I’ll admit I probably wouldn’t have seen it had I not known the twist. As much as I like Hoult, my interest in director Clint Eastwood is about as low as it gets. So, while I hate to admit that the old man still has it, but I can throw another caveat on this one. He couldn't get a convincing performance out of Zoey Deutch, whose Allison is a wafer-thin plot device and by-the-books grating wife.

via Max

Paddington in Peru (2024)

The easiest thing to say here is that it's no "Paddington 2," but that sentiment is the kind of thing plenty of people won't read the same way. Some people would react by saying "you can't match perfection" while others who still haven't seen a Paddington movie yet are probably perplexed about how there is such grand devotion to a movie with a talking bear.

I don't think I can name two actors who looked like they had as much fun in a recent movie as Olivia Colman and Antonio Banderas do in this one. Absolutely scene chewing and goofiness. Oh, and I bawled a bit at the end. Basically, this film is al dente.

@ the Brooklyn Alamo Drafthouse

Grand Theft Hamlet (2024)

With the exception of an epilogue, all of "Grand Theft Hamlet" takes place within Grand Theft Auto Online, that weird little massive multiplayer online game where chaos reigns — and two obviously depressed dudes (and one of their partners) decide to stage an in-game production of "Hamlet," because this is happening during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A marvelously loopy flick, featuring a hilarious supporting cast of weirdos, "Grand Theft Hamlet" is the kind of thing that makes you happy that people enable people.

@ the lower Manhattan Alamo Drafthouse

The Monkey (2025)

Adapting a short story into a feature film likely requires imbuing it with something more, and that's always a risky thing — just ask the folks who had to give Game of Thrones a conclusion — but Os Perkins' flip on Stephen King's "The Monkey" works because it doesn't try and go too far. This horror flick asks a fair bit of star Theo James, who delivers in multiple ways. Go in expecting a fun time, and you won't be disappointed. Good kills and creepy vibes abound, and you get neat little performances from Adam Scott and Tatiana Maslany.

@ the Brooklyn Alamo Drafthouse

The Last Showgirl (2024)

If there's one thing a Coppola child knows it's how to deliver a movie with a focus so soft you'll wonder if the Vaseline company itself lathered its best jelly all over the lens. Anyway, "The Last Showgirl" will draw comps to "The Substance" because it’s all about a centerpiece lead roles for an actress in her late 50's / early 60's — roles that are harder to come by than ever. Plus, both movies give these actors roles where they’re facing dire moments as their rugs have been pulled out from under them.

But the similarities stop there, as Pam Anderson's star turn is an arguably even more meta, as her Shelly is forced to deal with how people don't respect her work — something the "Baywatch" and "Barb Wire" star had to deal with. Oh, and take a look the supporting cast here: we’ve got an excellent turn from Kiernan Shipka, a new side of Dave Bautista and a phenomenal sad moment for Jamie Lee Curtis.

@ the Angelika Film Center

Hard Truths (2024)

Mike Leigh's latest doesn't feel subtle until its wave of grief breaks on your brain. That's in part due to how Marianne Jean-Baptiste's character is so effortless with how she hands out insults. Can I say anything more than that? Not without feeling like I'm doing the film a disservice.

@ the Brooklyn Alamo Drafthouse

Presence (2024)

I really hope Stephen Soderberg's ghost movie is still playing at a theater near you, because wow you gotta see this one on the big screen. Not only is Callina Liang tremendous as the grieving Chloe, but newcomer Eddy Maday surprises in his work as her dumb himbo brother. Admittedly, there's some loose ends here with their parents, but it's such a good twist on the paranormal genre.

@ the IFC Center

All We Imagine as Light (2024)

One of the best things I can say about a movie is that it reminded me of "La Chimera" in a good way, and that was the case here. This slow simmer drama asks for some patience from its audience, but that's rewarded here. It's a story of sisterhood in Mumbai, where nothing is going well and tenuous relationships strain under the weight of secrets. Beautifully shot, meditative, and definitely benefits from seeing it in theaters.

@ Film Forum, and streaming on Criterion Channel on Sunday, March 9th at 8pm ET

A League of Their Own (1992)

The exact opposite of "Light" in a few ways, Penny Marshall's baseball comedy offers a huge ensemble and bite-sized scenes that offer the joy and sugar rush of shoveling snacks into your gullet at the ballpark. Can't believe it took me 32 years to see this one.

Oh, and if you’re like me and you’re a little inexperienced with Tom Hanks’ earlier work … that’s another reason to hit play.

via digital rental

Soundtrack to a Coup d’État (2024)

Here, we see how U.S. government used jazz musicians as a front for covert CIA operations in the African Congo. These revelations alone are big enough to make this "Soundtrack" worth a spin — but this documentary is something special.

An impressive bit of historical storytelling through archival footage, movies, and well-designed text, but wow it's a long one. While its story is compelling — and its desire to let its subjects "tell" its story is noble — it just doesn't quite hit the highs I expected. As I will always say, expectations are the enemy of enjoyment.

@ Film Forum

Flow (2024)

Cats are noble, dogs are dumb, lemurs are easily distracted, and capybaras need help. Or at least that's what I took away from this excellent animated feature.

@ the Brooklyn Alamo Drafthouse

Mulholland Drive (2001), Eraserhead (1977)

Surreal and inscrutable, and full of tension, Lynch’s films are not meant to be decoded. So that’s why I’m not going to be frustrated with myself for having fallen asleep at these showings — especially since "Eraserhead" was a 12:10am screening. Don't take my brevity for anything other than respect.

Both will be revisited soon, once I'm through "Twin Peaks: The Return."

@ the IFC Center

The Seed of the Sacred Fig (2024)

Honestly, with the exception of those moments in the final scene that remind me of an animated show of my youth, The Seed of the Sacred Fig is basically a perfect piece of epic storytelling. It starts in a moment of civilian unrest, where you feel like anything is possible because everything for this family is at stake — and then the third act pushes you into a genre you didn’t expect, and has you rooting hard for a protagonist you didn’t realize you would.

Oh, and on top of that, it was filmed entirely in secrecy.

This all adds up to a film that I demand you see in theaters, partially because it’s not in the English language and there are subtitles and I know that will make it tougher to watch when you’re at home. Unless your brain can support such a situation.

@ Film Forum

Repeat viewings

Videodrome (1983)

If you get the chance to see Croneberg's classic twisted tale on the big screen, do so immediately. This viewing made me realize it fits as a grotesque sibling of "They Live," and made me wonder about the director's running theme of additional bodily orifices (see "eXistenZ," which I'll be revisiting soon).

@ Film Forum

Babygirl (2024)

Expectations were a mother-fucker (ha-ha) with this one. Marketed as an erotic thriller when its director argues it’s a “comedy of manners,” Babygirl definitely improved on the second go-round, especially when I was ready for the lines that the kids use to describe Antonio Banderas’ character’s spiraling depression. 

@ the Brooklyn Alamo Drafthouse

The Brutalist (2024)

The repeat viewing helped work through Brady Corbet’s improbably long immigration story, especially while watching the worst people in this movie knowing who they really are.

People will always show you who they are, and they often do it bright and early. Believe your eyes and ears and critical thinking.

That said? The use of generative AI? Well, it kinda ruins the whole thing retrospectively, because from the VistaVision film to the movie’s philosophy about artistry, to learn that they took a digital shortcut? Corbet is no Toth.

@ the Lincoln Square AMC, in IMAX

Perfect Days (2023)

An absolute gem of a movie, and a quiet one at that. Watch when you’re in the mood to focus.

via Criterion’s 4K Blu-ray