Reel Ruminators: A Movie-of-The-Month Discussion Club

Each month, you’ll discover and watch a hidden gem of world cinema.

At the end of the month, join us for a meaningful, live discussion about the film with fellow members and movie lovers.

Ensure you have at least one emotionally an intellectually fulfilling movie experience this month.

Doors are open until Friday, October 18 at 11:59 p.m. Doors will not reopen until January 2025.

Join the Waitlist

Have you got “movie block”?

“I’ve heard about writer’s block. But I’ve had movie block, where I’ve been watching less overall,” Reel Ruminators Founding Member Michael Borek told me.

“There’s so much out there, and I get a little dizzy. When I’m alone, I feel pressure that, when I pick a movie, it has to be worth my time! I start constructing arguments in my mind about what I should watch. And that’s too much. Historically, movies have given me energy, helped me relax, helped me explore.”

Do you feel like your taste in movies is a niche within a niche?

Maybe one of your favourite films is one that nobody you know has seen, even your other cinephile friends. You just don’t always feel represented by mainstream movies, and even arthouse hits like Anatomy of a Fall or Parasite aren’t necessarily your films, even if you really like them.

You may wonder, “Does anyone else even like these movies? Will I ever be able to share them with somebody else?”

Do you want to extend the afterglow of a great film?

Have you ever watched an amazing movie, and found yourself thinking about it for days after. You want to keep exploring it, but you just don’t know how? Why did you cry? Why did you laugh? Why did this film give you an existential crisis?

If you feel that way after watching a big movie like Oppenheimer, everyone has seen it and you can find hundreds of think pieces about it. But if you feel that way about one of these “niche within a niche” movies, what can you do?

Does any of this resonate with you?

About Me

Hi, I’m Alex Heeney, Film Critic and Founder/Editor-in-Chief of Seventh Row

At Seventh Row, my mission is to help movie lovers like you have more meaningful movie-watching experiences. As a curator and critic, I’ve been scouring international film festivals for over 22 years to find the best films (not necessarily the most commercials) that explore new perspectives and places and will keep you thinking about them for days afterward.

My work at Seventh Row has been to help people think more deeply about cinema. I want to empower movie lovers to better understand and articulate their feelings about films and why films invoke those feelings. To that end, I host the Seventh Row Podcast, where I curate the meatiest films I’ve seen and discuss them in depth. I’ve also edited and co-written over a dozen ebooks on film, which dive into the nuts and bolts of how films are made through interviews (with directors, costume designers, cinematographers, actors, and more) and essays..

Reel Ruminators: A Movie-of-the-Month Discussion Club

As a Reel Ruminators member, you’ll discover a new hidden gem of contemporary world cinema each month. From month to month, you’ll travel across continents, styles, and genres, exploring films that will keep you turning them over for days.

At the end of each month, you’ll join fellow movie lovers live on Zoom for a meaningful in-depth discussion full of thought-provoking questions and ideas where you’ll never run out of things to share.

This is for the passionate movie lover seeking thought-provoking films but struggling with the vast selection. It’s for the cinematic adventurer who wants to take risks with their viewing by looking outside the zeitgeist or the algorithms — but not do it all alone.

Here’s what’s included:

• 1 x hand-picked extraordinary film to watch each month (and info on where to watch it)
• 1 x 90-minute live Zoom meet-up each month. I’ll introduce the film, offer some discussion questions, and then break you off into small groups of fellow movie lovers from around the world to discuss the film!
• Bonus: Discussion questions to get you started on your thinking before the call and guide the live discussion

Reel Ruminators is full of engaged movie watchers who want to dive deep into a film, with a range of perspectives, backgrounds in film, and prep work before the discussion. You need to watch the film, but it’s up to you how deeply you want to delve into the film (e.g., through rewatches, criticism, and interviews with the filmmakers.) This is a safe environment of mutual respect where active listening is prioritized and difficult topics can (but won’t always!) be broached.

What Reel Ruminators Members are saying

Is Reel Ruminators right for me?

When I designed Reel Ruminators, I had one goal in mind: for you to end the month having seen at least one emotionally and intellectually nourishing movie and get to discuss it with fellow film enthusiasts from around the world.

I know that deciding where to invest (and save) your budget can be tricky, so I want to make sure this is the right decision for you.

First up, Reel Ruminators is not for you if: 

❌ You aren’t interested in stepping outside your comfort zone with your movie watching.

I’ll be curating films from different continents, filmmakers, genres, and filmmaking styles by and about people you don’t always see on screen in the mainstream (including stories by and about women, queer people, and BIPOC people).

❌ You’re not interested in meeting other film enthusiasts to discuss movies.

Although you’ll still get the benefit of a curated movie each month and discussion questions to step you through your thinking on the film, Reel Ruminators is designed to help you build a community of film lovers who are watching the same movies.

❌ You’re sure that if there’s a movie you might want to watch, you already know about or are sure to discover on your own, you’ll watch it on your own steam, and you don’t need anyone to share it with…

I’d rather you didn’t waste your money, especially if you’ve never found value in Seventh Row’s curation before.

If you can see yourself in any of the points above, you can leave this page knowing that it’s not right for you right now.

On the other hand, Reel Ruminators IS for you even if…

✔️ You’re not sure if you’ll like the film.

While I can’t guarantee I’ll always pick a film you love, I will pick films that give you lots to discuss.

✔️ You have so many other watch projects you don’t think you can find the time.

Here’s the thing: when you know you’ll have someone to talk to about the film on a particular day (i.e., a deadline), you’ll want to prioritize it. It’s just one movie, and I bet you watch multiple movies every month.

✔️ You’re not sure if you can make the live discussion.

The live discussion should work for most time zones. I’ll give you multiple weeks’ notice so you can fit it into your schedule.

Even if you can’t attend this month, you’ll still get to watch an amazing movie with discussion questions and resources to help you think it through independently.

When you return next month, you’ll have seen the same movies as everyone else, and you’ll be able to bring these movies into the discussion for the month’s new movie.

✔️ You’re uncomfortable sharing your thoughts in a live discussion session with strangers.

I don’t want you to feel intimidated, so I’m breaking the discussions into small groups where everyone can participate.

Everyone in the club is a movie lover who wants to hear what other movie lovers think, even if they disagree!

If you’re still nervous, you can spend some time with the discussion questions before the live discussion to organize your thoughts in advance.

As a quick recap, by the time we wrap at the end of October, you’ll have:

Here’s what you get with each month of Reel Ruminators:

• 1 x extraordinary under-the-radar movie curated to watch, with info on how to watch it in your country
• 1 x 90-minute live Zoom discussion with fellow film enthusiasts to discuss the film
• Bonus: Discussion questions to help you organize your thoughts on the film on your own (optional) and during the live discussion
• Bonus: More resources to explore the film, such as recommended interviews and criticism, including sometimes some by yours truly.

I’m in! How do I sign up?

Because this is a movie club where I only reveal the movie once we start the month, it’s only available until October 17 at 11:59 p.m. As soon as you sign up, you’ll discover the film we’ll be discussing in October.

Doors will only open again to new members in January 2025. So if you want to join in November and/or December, you need to join this month.

If you’d like to end October having seen at least one thought-provoking film (without endlessly scrolling through options!) and get to discuss it with other film lovers…

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