Looking for movies

So, you should know this about me.  I rarely watch movies.  Somehow I got out of the habit of my teenage years, where like most teens, I spent every weekend binge-watching movies (before binge-watching was a term, I believe).  Part of it is ADD–isn’t that supposed to get better as you get older?  Part of it is just that movies are getting SO MUCH LONGER.  It’s a chore to stay in a seat for that long.  I’m up, I’m out, I’m roaming the theater.

But, I kind of miss movies.  I love the world-building that goes into them.  Shot for shot, it seems that most movies pack in more immersive detail than a television show.  Budget, I presume.

The point of this confessional being that I’ve taken a vow to watch at least 1 new-to-me movie a month.  Can’t hack the theater that much!  Too loud, too long, too slow, too cold, too much freaking 3D.  But there’s a whole slew of movies I’ve missed and I’m daunted by the selection.  Mostly what I’ve seen in the past few years have been the Marvel blockbusters–all spectacle and well-choreographed violence.  Though I did watch Resident Evil: the Final Chapter, and enjoyed it.  Which tells you a lot about my tastes, I bet.

Help me out!  Tell me what SF/F movies you’d recommend.

I’m not a huge fan of “gritty”, especially when it feels shoehorned in for the sake of it.  Do not get me started on my opinion of Seven.  (shorthand–I loathed it. LOATHED.) I don’t like characters making multiple dumb choices.  Despite Res Evil up there, I’m not a fan of zombies.  I will not watch anything that could be labeled “torture porn”.  Just not my cuppa.  My brain is enough of a horror show; I don’t need to give it more material.  I don’t like movies that take place almost entirely in the dark; that’s a technical thing.  I watch movies on my computer and I just can’t SEE the dark movies very well.  I made the mistake of watching Immortals (so many mistakes there), but the most irksome one was that I physically could not see what was happening in a whole bunch of scenes.

I like competence in characters.  Leverage was my TV jam. I will watch movies that are badly flawed if they’re interesting anyway (Jupiter Ascending, I’m looking at you.).  I especially like movies that have significant roles for women.   I love witty banter.  I get very tired of the one-liners that pass for witty banter.  Anyway, if you feel inclined, throw some titles at me.  Please, pretty please?