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

Each month, I handpick one extraordinary under-the-radar movie (usually international, queer, female-directed, or otherwise off-the-beaten-path) for Reel Ruminators Members to watch and discuss with other film enthusiasts.

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

Dive into meaningful cinema, share your thoughts, and do it all stress-free.

Doors are now closed. Doors will re-open to new members in October.

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Text says "Reel Ruminators". Logo for Seventh Row's movie-of-the-month club.

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

I’ve been connecting film enthusiasts like you to under-the-radar arthouse films from around the world for over a decade. I’ve been going to film festivals around the world for more than half my life (22 years and counting!), and have seen so many amazing movies that, even if they get released, effectively disappear.

My favourite movies are ones I’m still thinking about days later. I can’t wait to rewatch them, talk about them, and hear what someone else thinks, and those are the movies I’m picking for Reel Ruminators. I also curate and host the Seventh Row Podcast, which spotlights hidden gems like those in Reel Ruminators.

My work at Seventh Row has been to help people think more deeply about cinema. An engineer by training, I love getting into the nuts and bolts of how films are made (costumes, performances, production design, editing, sound design). I’ve edited and co-written over a dozen ebooks on film. I’ve interviewed many of the world’s leading directors. Everything on Seventh Row has been carefully curated by me, even the pieces I don’t write.

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

Each month, I’ll handpick one extraordinary under-the-radar movie (usually international, queer, female-directed, or otherwise off-the-beaten-path) to watch and discuss with other film enthusiasts. Dive into intellectually and emotionally nourishing cinema, discover other people’s perspectives on the film, and do it all stress-free.

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

Unlike more casual, amateur movie discussion clubs, this is a group full of engaged movie watchers who want to dive deep into a film. We really excavate the text and go beyond surface-level questions like “did you like this?” I provide a framework for the discussion to help you stay on topic and ensure it’s an environment of mutual respect where active listening is prioritized. That way, you won’t ever run out of things to say or think about.

What Reel Ruminators Members are saying

A deeper experience of film than I would usually have

Reel Ruminators allowed me to have a deeper experience of the film than I would usually have—aided first by the opportunity the prep gave me to think about aspects of the film that I might not have had on my own…

Alex, who leads Reel Ruminators, knows a tremendous amount about film and isn’t just focused on one aspect, for example the characters or the story, but really looks at its entirety, including its more technical elements……

So if you’re interested in seeing, enjoying—and learning more—about wonderful movies, I think you’d like it. Plus, the group of Reel Ruminators participants, from my one experience, have very thoughtful things to contribute to the discussion.
Founding Member
Nancy Mills

I feel more connected to the movie-watching community and reinvigorated in my excitement about movies

Reel Ruminators has helped to bring back the excitement and adventure of watching movies. Having this discussion group, adds a community aspect. I feel less alone in my journey, less alone in in liking what I like. There’s real validation from speaking to people about this random movie that I know for a fact nobody I know in my life has watched it. 

….I enjoyed the conversation most. It was fun to connect about the movie. It was fun to meet new people, to hear things that did not occur to me at all but that were insightful or surprising.  I liked the movie even more after we discussed it…I feel more connected to the movie watching community. I feel reinvigorated in my excitement about the possibility of movies and what they can offer. And I’m excited for the next one. 
Michael Borek
Founding Member

Reel Ruminators brings films back to life

I feel oversaturated with films that don’t speak to me that much. I often feel like my tastes are a “niche of a niche”. With Reel Ruminators, we watch and discuss films that would otherwise be buried. We bring them back to life. I feel like we’re nurturing films together.

Plus, when I know we’re going to discuss a film, I watch it much more carefully. I even watched the July 2024 film twice. I followed Alex’s very thorough and thoughtful discussion questions. This helped me get even more out of the film. I learned so much about myself, the story, and the director’s intentions.
Nurri Kim
Founding Member

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 August, you’ll have:

  • Watched an extraordinary under-the-radar movie that will linger with you for days 
  • Met other film enthusiasts from around the world who have watched the same movie, whose perspectives you’ve learned from, and with whom you’ve shared your thoughts.
  • Avoided the overwhelm of too many choices for what to watch, at least one weekend, by watching a film curated by me.

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 August 9 at 11:59 p.m. On August 10, doors will be closed, the movie club will begin, and I’ll announce the film and discussion date for our new members!

Doors will only open again to new members in October. So if you want to join in September, you need to join this month.

So, if you’d like to start August knowing you’ll watch at least one thought-provoking film (without endlessly scrolling through options!) and get to discuss it with other film lovers…

Click here to save your seat

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