No more excuses: Barry Lyndon is not the stuffy snore film dilettantes have made it out to be. Despite being a period piece, Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of 1844 novel The Luck of Barry Lyndon tells the timeless story of a f*ckboy. His failure upward charts over multiple eras, through loved children and scorned wives, through duels won and lost, and never once does dear Barry learn a god-damn thing – and ultimately lands back in the mud. While reality continues to torture us with oafs whose wealth protects them from consequence, this sly story reminds us that, for better or worse, everyone’s going out the same exit door. – James Scott
