Hi, my name is Carlos Cuevas. Welcome to AfterImage, a personal blog I started in 2014. The idea was to write short reviews on the things I love, mostly movies, music, and books. Fast forward a few years and here we are still.

Please also check out my sister site Cinesthesia, where my friends and I dive deeper into fantastic films, including Sci-Fi, Horror, and other genres.

Thanks for visiting!

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Grading movies and shows is a largely silly exercise. While there are obvious indicators of craft, the experience is highly personal and elastic. But since we need some sort of guide, here is how I rate them:

****| Excellent

Emotionally resonant and technically impressive films that push the medium forward.

***½ | Very Good

A cut above the rest. Films that go above and beyond in terms of skill and overall effect.

*** | Good

Generally solid, well-rounded films, with some minor kinks here and there.

**½ | Above Average

Decent efforts with more hits than misses. Well worth watching, even if you can’t shake the feeling that they could’ve been better.

** | Average

These are the “just okay,” “meh,” “seen better” films that have entertaining moments but are unremarkable overall. Most movies belong to this category.

*½ | Below Average

If you’re counting the minutes, that’s a bad sign. Mostly groan-inducing, these films make you wish you’d spent some time at the dentist instead.

* | Awful

These are not “so bad they are good” cult films that could conceivably earn a higher spot on the list. No, these are just unwatchable.