A few years ago, I had the New Years resolution of watching 365 movies in one year. I got a few months in, and life got in the way. I got burnt out and began to see watching movies as a chore. Why would I attempt it again?

I have a few reasons for attempting this challenge again, but one of the most important reasons I think I can do it this year is that I have more people supporting this hobby. I watch films with my friends on a weekly basis, and have started to go the movie theatre more often. I have also started working on The Lincoln Theatre's TikTok again. These habits have reignited a spark.

So, what are my goals this year? Besides the main goal of 365 movies, I also want to complete every year from 1888-2026; there's only a handful of years, but I will be filling in those blind spots. I also want to check off a lot of classics I haven't seen. I will finally sit down and watch 2001: A Space Odyssey, Gone With The Wind, and many other people are surprised to hear I haven't seen. Lastly, I want to watch more films directed by women, people of color, queer people, and more independent films in general.

I've started this journey with a list of 52 weekly themes. They may change and move around as the year goes on, but I think that themes will help me not only compare and contrast films but also branch out into genres I usually don't gravitate towards. During each week, I will be watching five new-to-me movies that match that theme, rewatching one of my favorites in that genre, and I'm leaving one day a week for a random new watch. I also want to set a separate but important goal of seeing at least one movie a month in a theatre that is not The Lincoln.

If you want to follow along, I will be making weekly TikToks and blog posts talking about what I watched each week. You can also follow me on Letterboxd @wotadream to see more lists and film reviews.