It's nice to finally have a Saw movie that comes VERY close to being as good as the original. The traps are great and brutal, and the story is really well written. As an avid fan of the franchise, this is exactly what I wanted and more. But don't view this review as biased just because I'm a big fan of these movies, this is a great film for non- Saw fans too. The gore can be a bit much, but the emotional story beats between John and Amanda are amazing, and help foreshadow her character in Saw 3. The twist is a lot of fun, and is pulled off quite well. I love the massive focus on John Kramer's story in the first half of the movie. Makes everything feel much more grounded and heavy tonally. Aside from some personal gripes with the traps, this is an amazing movie, and is such a promising return to form for the Saw franchise.
Reviews
53 Reviews
A Transformers Fan's Dream
8 June 2023
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is EVERYTHING a Transformers would want. Now, this movie isn't 5 stars, but from the perspective of a Transformers fan, it is. I see why fans of the animated show and comics were unhappy with the Michael Bay adaptions, because THIS feels like a Transformers movie. The dialogue and important plot points feel ripped out of a comic, which is good but sometimes bad. The story is one of the strongest we've gotten from one of these movies, but it still isn't the best. Very over reliant on Macguffins. Noah is an actually good and (decently) well-written protagonist and shows that the human characters in these movies aren't bad, instead, it's the way they're written. Elena is a VERY weak main character, and her mediocre acting doesn't help.
The acting sequences are some of the best we've ever gotten. The mountains of Peru were a genius idea, and they serve us some awesome set pieces. The CGI is *amazing* and puts so many recent movies to shame. The voice acting is really good too. Pete Davidson and Peter Dinklage are standouts. Speaking of Peter Dinklage, Scourge is an awesome villain, and I'd argue he's the best one we've gotten. Awesome voice acting and design, but is still menacing. All the Autobots are actual characters too and are likeable. The Maximals feel underutilized for the most part, but they steal the show when they're onscreen.
The climax is one of my favorites out of the series and might be the best. An amazing set-piece and the soundtrack is pretty good. I will say, the absence of Steve Jablonsky is felt. His talent could have made the best scenes in the movie even better. There are a lot of interesting plot points that I won't talk about due to spoilers, but I think this is the best Transformers movie we've gotten. From a fan's perspective, and I think more casual audiences will agree. If you're interested in checking this out, please see it in theaters!
The acting sequences are some of the best we've ever gotten. The mountains of Peru were a genius idea, and they serve us some awesome set pieces. The CGI is *amazing* and puts so many recent movies to shame. The voice acting is really good too. Pete Davidson and Peter Dinklage are standouts. Speaking of Peter Dinklage, Scourge is an awesome villain, and I'd argue he's the best one we've gotten. Awesome voice acting and design, but is still menacing. All the Autobots are actual characters too and are likeable. The Maximals feel underutilized for the most part, but they steal the show when they're onscreen.
The climax is one of my favorites out of the series and might be the best. An amazing set-piece and the soundtrack is pretty good. I will say, the absence of Steve Jablonsky is felt. His talent could have made the best scenes in the movie even better. There are a lot of interesting plot points that I won't talk about due to spoilers, but I think this is the best Transformers movie we've gotten. From a fan's perspective, and I think more casual audiences will agree. If you're interested in checking this out, please see it in theaters!
The Greatest Comic Book Film of all Time
3 June 2023
An unparalleled feat in the animation genre and cinema as a whole. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is a masterpiece and everything a Spider-Man fan would want. Truly a masterclass in juggling plentiful references, amazing character moments, an interesting and well thought-out story, mesmerizing action sequences, and an incredibly memorable soundtrack. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse handles all of this, along with the best animation that has graced the film industry. The different styles of each world and character mesh with each other so smoothly, it leads to every frame being pure eye-candy.
While the breakneck pacing, frantic action sequences, and immensely colorful animation can lead to some viewers feeling overwhelmed (me included), those same viewers will find themselves ready to roll into the sequel once the credits start to roll. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse uses animation to convey so much emotion, which is incredibly difficult to do in the live-action medium. Even though this movie is still a kids movie, the story becomes so much darker and more emotional than I expected. Spider-Man Into the Spider-verse was much more mature than your average kids movie, but this is able to crank the maturity up a notch, but still maintains a fun atmosphere.
The comedy is also genuinely great, and manages to be leagues funnier than your average comedy show such as Family Guy . The banter and dialogue between the characters is so natural and well-written that the slowest parts of the movie are still incredibly entertaining. Each bit of long running dialogue has so many hints and jokes throughout, that the chance of your brain processing all of them in a single watch is unlikely. This also applies to the bountiful amount of references in the background of so many different shots. The soundtrack is also just perfect, and is filled with very memorable tracks.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is just perfection. Is it better than its predecessor? No doubt, and that's coming from someone who believes Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse is perfect. Yes, they somehow made a movie better than literal perfection. I can't wait for the conclusion to these two cinematic masterpieces and I have no doubt that they will stick the landing. There is so much to love in this movie, that I doubt I could cover everything in a single review. I believe Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse has solidified itself as the best Spider-Man film, the best superhero film, and quite possibly one of the greatest movies ever made.
While the breakneck pacing, frantic action sequences, and immensely colorful animation can lead to some viewers feeling overwhelmed (me included), those same viewers will find themselves ready to roll into the sequel once the credits start to roll. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse uses animation to convey so much emotion, which is incredibly difficult to do in the live-action medium. Even though this movie is still a kids movie, the story becomes so much darker and more emotional than I expected. Spider-Man Into the Spider-verse was much more mature than your average kids movie, but this is able to crank the maturity up a notch, but still maintains a fun atmosphere.
The comedy is also genuinely great, and manages to be leagues funnier than your average comedy show such as Family Guy . The banter and dialogue between the characters is so natural and well-written that the slowest parts of the movie are still incredibly entertaining. Each bit of long running dialogue has so many hints and jokes throughout, that the chance of your brain processing all of them in a single watch is unlikely. This also applies to the bountiful amount of references in the background of so many different shots. The soundtrack is also just perfect, and is filled with very memorable tracks.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is just perfection. Is it better than its predecessor? No doubt, and that's coming from someone who believes Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse is perfect. Yes, they somehow made a movie better than literal perfection. I can't wait for the conclusion to these two cinematic masterpieces and I have no doubt that they will stick the landing. There is so much to love in this movie, that I doubt I could cover everything in a single review. I believe Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse has solidified itself as the best Spider-Man film, the best superhero film, and quite possibly one of the greatest movies ever made.
Evil Dead Rise
(2023)
An Absolutely Insane Roller Coaster of Blood, Guts, and Entertainment
13 May 2023
What a blast. I expected to have a fun time, but did not expect for this to end up as my 13th favorite film of all time. There's just so much to love here. A big aspect that shocked me with how good it was, is the cinematography. Honestly, it somewhat felt like Sam Raimi directed this, but Lee Cronin added enough of his own style to it, that it didn't feel like a carbon copy of Sam Raimi's directing style. The acting is also phenomenal, and Beth is a great protagonist. Better than Mia from Evil Dead 2013, but obviously, not better than Ash. The gore is fantastic too, and while the movie isn't scary, there are some great tense moments. The characters Aren't the most in depth or deep, but I found myself hoping for their survival. I think making them all related to each other was smart. Almost anyone would want their siblings to live, so the tension in the movie feels more relatable. The climax is also completely off the rails, in the most "Evil Dead" way possible. One thing I love about Evil Dead Rise, is how outright insane it is.
Spoiler warning BTW!
You know a movie is crazy when the tension in a scene is "Is that little girl going to get killed by a chainsaw?" And with 99% of movies, you'd think, "No!" But during this, I didn't know what was going to happen. That's one of my favorite aspects of this movie. Great practical effects, awesome climax, an elevator filled with blood (yes, it's so good that I have to list it in my list of good things about the movie), a likeable protagonist, and an overall fantastic atmosphere. Highly recommend!
Spoiler warning BTW!
You know a movie is crazy when the tension in a scene is "Is that little girl going to get killed by a chainsaw?" And with 99% of movies, you'd think, "No!" But during this, I didn't know what was going to happen. That's one of my favorite aspects of this movie. Great practical effects, awesome climax, an elevator filled with blood (yes, it's so good that I have to list it in my list of good things about the movie), a likeable protagonist, and an overall fantastic atmosphere. Highly recommend!
Scream VI
(2023)
Up There With the Slasher Greats
10 May 2023
Finally got to see this. Sadly, it was not in the theater due to me somehow getting so unlucky that I continuously got sick during the theatrical release, and had to watch this on Paramount+, but holy... This did not disappoint. What an absolute thrill ride! I think the best word describe Scream VI is, perfection. I had very unrealistically high expectations before I watched this, but they were met in spades. The gore, the tension, the climax, the reveal, the absolute heart and soul put into this installment of the Scream franchise, makes it the closest we've gotten to having a sequel that is better than the original. Yes, it's that good. I adore that you can tell the creators of Scream VI are massive Scream fans. It is very refreshing to see sequels to a classic slasher franchise get done by people who care and enjoy the originals (if only the Halloween franchise got the same treatment). Okay, time for the review!
Just like every (long) review I make, I'll start with the story. The twist will be brought up in this paragraph (spoiler free), but I'll talk about it more in the spoiler notes. The set-up here works VERY well. The new setting makes a lot of sense, and I like how majority of the main characters have moved on. Very similar to Scream II in that sense (and same setting), but I think the story here stays much more compelling than the story in Scream II, which I found got somewhat uninteresting by the second half, Scream VI only gets better. The story isn't the most complex or groundbreaking, but with the help of great pacing, it never gets boring. I love how the Ghostface in this is absolutely relentless, and you start to feel it. Scream VI being described as a roller coaster makes a lot of sense. Once it starts, it just never stops. My heart could only take so much as it jumped from chase sequence to chase sequence. But somehow they were able to keep strong character moments in between the intense moments. Great stuff. And yes, the twist is great, and I'll get into that more in the spoiler notes.
Speaking of character moments, how are the characters? The characters in Scream movies are arguably the most important aspect. You want strong characters so those chase sequences are actually intense, or that feeling of dread when your favorite character gets *the* phone call. Now what I say might be controversial, but I think it's the truth. I understand a lot of people (if not the majority) are going to prefer the legacy cast of characters over the new Core Four, but I strongly believe that the new protagonists are better written. In the past Scream movies, it always felt like they touched upon interesting ideas for the characters, but never executed them to their best potential, and because of that, it is REFRESHING to see characters with depth, and grow throughout the course of the movie. Think Dewey, he never really changed did he? He got better in Scream V, but throughout Scream I-IV he was always the goofy cop that made dumb mistakes, but was likeable. Sidney didn't feel like she had *that* much growth. Don't get me wrong, she did, but it never felt like enough, and I believe they could have handled her character better, but seeing some characters in Scream VI have more development than some legacy characters had in the entirety of the franchise is... Great. Chad, Mindy, Sam, and Tara are such a strong group of characters, that I think they will become more popular than the original cast if Scream VII is good.
The acting is also a 10/10. I was genuinely shocked to see so many negative reviews criticize the acting. They must have been watching a different movie because I don't think there was a single bad actor. Or even any mediocre actors. Yes, Detective Bailey was a little over the top, but blame that on the script, not the actor. Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera are the obvious standouts and have the best performances in the movies.
The Scream movies have never been that scary or very intense, but is Scream VI any different? Well, if it wasn't obvious enough already, yes! Scream VI is one of the most intense movies I've ever seen, but it still balances the humor well. Scream VI also has so many great sequences such as the apartment ladder sequence, or Gale's phone call. Sadly though, I do think the climax could have been a bit more intense. This might sound crazy, but an extra ten minutes could have helped a lot. The climax having more tension-based buildup would have been fantastic, but that aside, the climax is second best in the Scream franchise, maybe even rivaling the original...
Man, the climax. Just like the original Scream, it will make you continuedly second guess who you think the killer is right up until the reveal. I want to avoid spoilers so I'll keep it as vague as I can (stop reading the review here if you want to keep all spoilers to a minimum), but holy crud is it satisfying to see the main characters fight back! Too often have the climaxes just been running from Ghostface until the very last couple of minutes. There is some running here, but even then Ghostface gets a taste of his own medicine, and it is a sight to behold. Also the violence is great. It doesn't feel gratuitous or sadistic (like Terrifier), but still made me flinch multiple times.
Another great aspect is the direction. There is a great use of lighting, especially in the climax, and lots of clever shots. The chase sequences were superbly shot, and so were the kills. I wouldn't say the direction was the most crazy or groundbreaking, but I found it to be much better than average. The soundtrack is good, but nothing to write home about.
This will be the conclusion paragraph, but I'll also have my spoiler notes after this. Scream VI is a disturbingly well done entry in the Scream franchise, and fills me with hope for Scream VII. So much love and care was put into this, and it shows. 10/10 across the board. I adore this movie, however, some of that may come from my unhealthy love for this franchise, but even if I didn't love the franchise, I would still see this as one of the strongest slasher films of all time.
Pros: Fantastic acting, incredibly intense, great kills, strong twist, good cinematography, amazing climax, and an awesome set of characters.
Cons: Could have used more tension in the climax, I guess. There really isn't any flaws aside from some required suspension of disbelief.
Spoiler notes: (reader beware!)
So, the twist. After looking at reviews, it does seem to be one of the more criticized aspects of Scream VI. I don't really get it. I saw people complain about Quinn being alive. I don't think it's that dumb, or cheap. Unlike majority of Scream deaths, we saw her body once and that was it. It didn't linger on her death, there was no funeral or anything like that. When I watched this a second time with my friends, they predicted the fact that she was alive. They actually predicted the entire twist aside from Ethan being one of the killers. That brings me to the second criticism. It's too obvious. For me it wasn't, but I can see what people mean. I'll be honest though, none of the Scream killer reveals are very shocking. I guessed Amber was one of the killers in Scream V the second time she appeared on screen. Of course, this doesn't mean they can have obvious killers, but overall, I found the twist to be pretty unexepected! The climax is great as a whole though. I want to address another complaint I saw for Scream VI, but I'm going to explain my refutation in Dead by Daylight terms, so if you haven't played that, it's going to sound like a lot of gibberish. I saw a lot of people get frustrated over not attacking Ghostface when he gets knocked down. And I get it can be annoying, but it makes sense. When you get marked by Ghostface in Dead by Daylight,and you pallet stun him, you aren't going to try to "dumb tech" him, or get a sneaky flashbang. You're going to run for your life and hope he doesn't catch up. I think that applies to the movies too. You make one mistake while he's on the ground, and you're done for. The movie also shows him recover and get back up REALLY fast.
Okay, I've spent 40 minutes writing this review, and now I want to end it. I might update it to add some more stuff, but for now... 10/10 movie go watch it now.
Just like every (long) review I make, I'll start with the story. The twist will be brought up in this paragraph (spoiler free), but I'll talk about it more in the spoiler notes. The set-up here works VERY well. The new setting makes a lot of sense, and I like how majority of the main characters have moved on. Very similar to Scream II in that sense (and same setting), but I think the story here stays much more compelling than the story in Scream II, which I found got somewhat uninteresting by the second half, Scream VI only gets better. The story isn't the most complex or groundbreaking, but with the help of great pacing, it never gets boring. I love how the Ghostface in this is absolutely relentless, and you start to feel it. Scream VI being described as a roller coaster makes a lot of sense. Once it starts, it just never stops. My heart could only take so much as it jumped from chase sequence to chase sequence. But somehow they were able to keep strong character moments in between the intense moments. Great stuff. And yes, the twist is great, and I'll get into that more in the spoiler notes.
Speaking of character moments, how are the characters? The characters in Scream movies are arguably the most important aspect. You want strong characters so those chase sequences are actually intense, or that feeling of dread when your favorite character gets *the* phone call. Now what I say might be controversial, but I think it's the truth. I understand a lot of people (if not the majority) are going to prefer the legacy cast of characters over the new Core Four, but I strongly believe that the new protagonists are better written. In the past Scream movies, it always felt like they touched upon interesting ideas for the characters, but never executed them to their best potential, and because of that, it is REFRESHING to see characters with depth, and grow throughout the course of the movie. Think Dewey, he never really changed did he? He got better in Scream V, but throughout Scream I-IV he was always the goofy cop that made dumb mistakes, but was likeable. Sidney didn't feel like she had *that* much growth. Don't get me wrong, she did, but it never felt like enough, and I believe they could have handled her character better, but seeing some characters in Scream VI have more development than some legacy characters had in the entirety of the franchise is... Great. Chad, Mindy, Sam, and Tara are such a strong group of characters, that I think they will become more popular than the original cast if Scream VII is good.
The acting is also a 10/10. I was genuinely shocked to see so many negative reviews criticize the acting. They must have been watching a different movie because I don't think there was a single bad actor. Or even any mediocre actors. Yes, Detective Bailey was a little over the top, but blame that on the script, not the actor. Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera are the obvious standouts and have the best performances in the movies.
The Scream movies have never been that scary or very intense, but is Scream VI any different? Well, if it wasn't obvious enough already, yes! Scream VI is one of the most intense movies I've ever seen, but it still balances the humor well. Scream VI also has so many great sequences such as the apartment ladder sequence, or Gale's phone call. Sadly though, I do think the climax could have been a bit more intense. This might sound crazy, but an extra ten minutes could have helped a lot. The climax having more tension-based buildup would have been fantastic, but that aside, the climax is second best in the Scream franchise, maybe even rivaling the original...
Man, the climax. Just like the original Scream, it will make you continuedly second guess who you think the killer is right up until the reveal. I want to avoid spoilers so I'll keep it as vague as I can (stop reading the review here if you want to keep all spoilers to a minimum), but holy crud is it satisfying to see the main characters fight back! Too often have the climaxes just been running from Ghostface until the very last couple of minutes. There is some running here, but even then Ghostface gets a taste of his own medicine, and it is a sight to behold. Also the violence is great. It doesn't feel gratuitous or sadistic (like Terrifier), but still made me flinch multiple times.
Another great aspect is the direction. There is a great use of lighting, especially in the climax, and lots of clever shots. The chase sequences were superbly shot, and so were the kills. I wouldn't say the direction was the most crazy or groundbreaking, but I found it to be much better than average. The soundtrack is good, but nothing to write home about.
This will be the conclusion paragraph, but I'll also have my spoiler notes after this. Scream VI is a disturbingly well done entry in the Scream franchise, and fills me with hope for Scream VII. So much love and care was put into this, and it shows. 10/10 across the board. I adore this movie, however, some of that may come from my unhealthy love for this franchise, but even if I didn't love the franchise, I would still see this as one of the strongest slasher films of all time.
Pros: Fantastic acting, incredibly intense, great kills, strong twist, good cinematography, amazing climax, and an awesome set of characters.
Cons: Could have used more tension in the climax, I guess. There really isn't any flaws aside from some required suspension of disbelief.
Spoiler notes: (reader beware!)
So, the twist. After looking at reviews, it does seem to be one of the more criticized aspects of Scream VI. I don't really get it. I saw people complain about Quinn being alive. I don't think it's that dumb, or cheap. Unlike majority of Scream deaths, we saw her body once and that was it. It didn't linger on her death, there was no funeral or anything like that. When I watched this a second time with my friends, they predicted the fact that she was alive. They actually predicted the entire twist aside from Ethan being one of the killers. That brings me to the second criticism. It's too obvious. For me it wasn't, but I can see what people mean. I'll be honest though, none of the Scream killer reveals are very shocking. I guessed Amber was one of the killers in Scream V the second time she appeared on screen. Of course, this doesn't mean they can have obvious killers, but overall, I found the twist to be pretty unexepected! The climax is great as a whole though. I want to address another complaint I saw for Scream VI, but I'm going to explain my refutation in Dead by Daylight terms, so if you haven't played that, it's going to sound like a lot of gibberish. I saw a lot of people get frustrated over not attacking Ghostface when he gets knocked down. And I get it can be annoying, but it makes sense. When you get marked by Ghostface in Dead by Daylight,and you pallet stun him, you aren't going to try to "dumb tech" him, or get a sneaky flashbang. You're going to run for your life and hope he doesn't catch up. I think that applies to the movies too. You make one mistake while he's on the ground, and you're done for. The movie also shows him recover and get back up REALLY fast.
Okay, I've spent 40 minutes writing this review, and now I want to end it. I might update it to add some more stuff, but for now... 10/10 movie go watch it now.
Destiny 2: Lightfall
(2023 Video Game)
Solid Quality of Life Improvements, and New Content are Bogged Down by a Horrible Story
17 March 2023
Lightfall is such a disappointing expansion in terms of story, and it makes me concerned for The Final Shape. As we near the end of a story that so many have followed, for 9 years now, many have had high hopes. The Witch Queen's campaign was fantastic, and the best Destiny has ever been. Expectations were high, but when Lightfall released, those expectations were shattered. Do you remember how incoherent and nonsensical the base game story of Destiny 1 was? Yup, we reached those levels of storytelling again.
The entire story of Lightfall revolves around characters we don't care about, a new location that we don't care about, finding a Mcguffin that the story REFUSES to explain (even the biggest lore fans have no clue what it is), a villain that's motivations are unclear, so we don't really feel any stakes, and the campaign just feels like a tutorial for the new subclass, Strand. I won't go into spoilers, but if you are playing the Lightfall campaign, and have questions, don't expect a SINGLE one to be answered. Instead, the writers expect you to care for the new race, Cloudstriders, and they base the entire story around THEIR home. Why should we care? Why does the story expect us to want to protect these people that we don't know about? You have to stop Calus and the Witness from reaching "The Veil." When the Veil was first mentioned, I just thought it was something I don't know about, because I took a break from the game. Nope! The entire story is based around defending the Veil and yet we have no clue what it is or what it is capable of! But guess what? If you walk around the new location, Neomuna, there is a chance that you will be able to hear Neomuna news, and it explains what the Veil is! Amazing. Just explain quite possibly one of the most important plot points, in a news coverage that is meant for comedic relief, and you might NEVER hear this if you don't explore the new location.
Strand, on the other hand, is incredibly fun, and is great. The new location is amazing visually, but feels so empty and bland, especially because it is meant to be a thriving city. We get 1 new strike, which is really fun, but no new crucible maps or gambit maps. It's baffling. The QOL additions are great though. If the internal leaks are true, and Lightfall was an expansion that was never planned, but had to be made because Bungie couldn't finish The Final Shape. The story feels rushed and made with ZERO care, and the writing is just bad. I really hope the Final Shape is good or the Destiny story is going to end, with not a bang, and not even a whimper, but a frail little sob.
(EDIT) I upped the score to a 6 because, despite how bad the story was, the gameplay was really good, despite some terrible encounters. The cutscenes were also spectacular, and Bungie's visual direction never ceases to amaze me.
The entire story of Lightfall revolves around characters we don't care about, a new location that we don't care about, finding a Mcguffin that the story REFUSES to explain (even the biggest lore fans have no clue what it is), a villain that's motivations are unclear, so we don't really feel any stakes, and the campaign just feels like a tutorial for the new subclass, Strand. I won't go into spoilers, but if you are playing the Lightfall campaign, and have questions, don't expect a SINGLE one to be answered. Instead, the writers expect you to care for the new race, Cloudstriders, and they base the entire story around THEIR home. Why should we care? Why does the story expect us to want to protect these people that we don't know about? You have to stop Calus and the Witness from reaching "The Veil." When the Veil was first mentioned, I just thought it was something I don't know about, because I took a break from the game. Nope! The entire story is based around defending the Veil and yet we have no clue what it is or what it is capable of! But guess what? If you walk around the new location, Neomuna, there is a chance that you will be able to hear Neomuna news, and it explains what the Veil is! Amazing. Just explain quite possibly one of the most important plot points, in a news coverage that is meant for comedic relief, and you might NEVER hear this if you don't explore the new location.
Strand, on the other hand, is incredibly fun, and is great. The new location is amazing visually, but feels so empty and bland, especially because it is meant to be a thriving city. We get 1 new strike, which is really fun, but no new crucible maps or gambit maps. It's baffling. The QOL additions are great though. If the internal leaks are true, and Lightfall was an expansion that was never planned, but had to be made because Bungie couldn't finish The Final Shape. The story feels rushed and made with ZERO care, and the writing is just bad. I really hope the Final Shape is good or the Destiny story is going to end, with not a bang, and not even a whimper, but a frail little sob.
(EDIT) I upped the score to a 6 because, despite how bad the story was, the gameplay was really good, despite some terrible encounters. The cutscenes were also spectacular, and Bungie's visual direction never ceases to amaze me.
The Strangers: Prey at Night
(2018)
One of the Best Modern Day Slashers
14 March 2023
This is my third time watching this, and I'm still confused on why so many people dislike, or even, hate this movie. Many times, I end up LOVING a movie that is overall, not very well made. The Transformer movies are a good example of that. But this is the rare occurrence where I believe that the movie is just good. I firmly believe this is a well-made and good movie that deserves far more praise than it gets. So many aspects are great, and I think this is one of the strongest modern-day slashers. A little disclaimer is I haven't seen the original. Weird right? I plan on watching it soon, but when I first watched this, I had a friend with me, who had seen the original, so they explained the basic plot. I can understand the fans of the first Strangers, being unhappy with this because of how vastly different they are. I think that's cool though. Not enough slasher sequels do something different, and instead they just rehash the first movie. But obviously, I'm not just going to talk about how good it is, without explaining why it's good, so time for the review!
Amazing transition, I know. I'm going to start off with the story. Now, the story isn't perfect, or even that great, and I'm not going to excuse that fact just because this is a slasher. I've seen this happen all the time with movies and video games. Just because something falls under a genre or type of game, doesn't mean you can excuse the flaws of the story or other aspects. I think the set-up is very strong, and it establishes our characters and setting very well. The opening kills still got me tense, even though I've already seen this. The tension is incredibly strong, and the scene is also really well shot. After that, we meet our main characters. In just a few minutes we learn the relationships of each character. The two parents seem happy with each other, the daughter is clearly unhappy with them, and the son is the well behaved one. Already, we have a basic understanding of the protagonists. The beginning is quite long, all things considered, especially because the runtime is 80 minutes. It takes about 30 minutes for things to really get going, but once they arrive at the mobile homes, the tension starts. At this point, the narrative comes to a halt, and lets the tension take over. What I just described is the only story this movie has. Once the Strangers arrive, they don't stop until the movie ends. For a movie like this, that kind of story works. Letting us understand the characters we're going to follow and form a basic emotional connection with them. Would this have been (even) better if there was a stronger narrative throughout? Yes. But the story lacks any big pitfalls, or glaring issues, and it does its job.
I think the characters are actually really good. As I said, it establishes them so early on, and lets you form an emotional connection, that you hope none of them die. Most slashers just have throw away characters, and most characters just serve to add to the body count, but I don't feel that here. Each character, and what happens to them, leaves an impression on another. I'll explain more what I mean in the spoiler notes. But to sum it up, no character feels like they exist just to die. And I think that's so rare in the slasher industry, that I will instantly like a movie more if they have actual characters. For me to feel tense or scared when watching a movie, give me characters to CARE about. And they do! At least in this movie. I think anyone who has seen The Strangers Prey at Night, will agree that Luke is the best character. He is likeable right off the bat, but has his own flaws, mainly the struggles he has with taking a life, and it gives him a struggle throughout the film. Kinsey, at the start, is the opposite. She is obviously the angsty teenager and troublemaker, but as the movie progresses, we start to see the more emotional and compassionate side. She cares for her brother, she cares for her parents, as much as it may not seem like it. She also faces the struggle of being the younger sibling and is treated as such. The parents are definitely the less complex characters, but great performances, and well-written dialogue between them, makes them both likeable.
The acting is fantastic. I think anyone can agree on this. Everyone seems to stand-out in their roles, but I think Bailee Madison's performance as Kinsey is the best of the bunch. This is the only movie I've seen her in, but she seems born for the role. Lewis Pullman is also great as Luke and makes his character really likeable.
Now the cinematography is mediocre and fantastic at the same time. The atmosphere is just amazing, and the lighting is so good. Just the shots of the "The Man in the Mask" standing in the street are spine chilling. The eerie lighting emitting from the streetlights adds so much to the environment visually and compliments the atmosphere. The pool scene is also just awesome visually and is the best scene in the movie (see spoiler notes for a whole paragraph on that scene). Another great example of the cinematography is the opening kills. Man, I got jumpscares by a shot in that scene, and I've seen this movie twice! That scene emits a great feeling of claustrophobia. But in some scenes the directing isn't very good. The number of times the camera slowly zooms in on something is frustrating, especially because it adds nothing. I was fine with it the first time it happened, but when it happened for the 4th time, it just became annoying.
The soundtrack is great. It's mainly boosted due to how many great 80s songs are in it, and when a scene utilizes a song well, it's just so good (The pool scene, first actual encounter with Dollface, or the Man in the Mask car sequence). But the original stingers, or ambient tracks are really good. A lot better than I remembered. The pacing is also great. The slow start would have been frustrating, but the opening kill is intense enough where you feel satisfied. By the time that feeling ends, the movie gets going and doesn't stop.
I have a lot more things to say, but they are all spoilers, so if you have seen the movie, just skip past this paragraph, but if you haven't, please check it out. Don't let the negative reviews give you low expectations. Go in with an open mind. Trust me, the tension is great, and the slasher thrills are top tier. If you have seen the first Strangers, don't expect this to be like it. At all. I think Dead Meat describes it perfectly. The first Strangers was meant to be like a 70s horror film, but The Strangers Prey at Night is meant to be an 80s slasher. With that in mind, have a fun time!
Pros: Great characters, well-paced, some brutal kills, great story moments, tense, has a satisfying ending, creepy atmosphere, fantastic acting, and is overall pretty well shot.
Cons: The final scene is executed poorly; some direction is mediocre.
***SPOILER WARNING***
One thing I liked about the characters, is how (as I said earlier) some character moments impact another character's development. What I mean by this is the mom's death and the dad's death. When the mom dies, you can clearly see her love for her mother, even though it didn't seem like she had any at the start of the movie. After this, her character changes for the rest of the movie. Of course, I think that would happen with anyone, but it was a nice detail. With the dad's death, I think it affected Luke's character, because he realizes that he has to take up the mantle.
I've noticed a lot of the negative reviews talk about dumb character decisions. Like Luke not shooting Dollface when he had the chance, or Kinsey just watching her mother die, instead of doing anything, but I think these moments are actually well done. Luke not shooting Dollface feels consistent with his character. When the Man in the Mask first appears, and the dad grabs the gun, Luke asks, "Are you going to shoot them?" Clearly not understanding the stakes of what's happening. And when the dad crashes the car, and gives Luke the gun, Luke says he doesn't know how to use it. Showing that he wasn't prepared, physically, therefore not prepared for it mentally. And for Kinsey watching her mother die instead of running away, I think she did that because cmon, I don't think anyone in this situation, especially as a teenager, would be able to react accordingly. And in my opinion, it makes her character more realistic.
So, the pool scene. I think everyone who has seen this movie, can agree that the pool scene is the best scene in the movie. Because it is. But not just because of how satisfying it is, or the great visuals, and awesome music. But in a storytelling perspective, it is just as strong as all the other great aspects of the scene. It SHOWS so much about the Strangers, and it never outright tells us it. Remember when they were basically messing with Luke when he was still in the building? Like them scaring him, and not outright killing him. And then when Pin-up Girl just rushes at him. I love how well this establishes how cocky they've become. At this point, they think they've won. But that backfires when Luke actually fights back. Him killing Pin-up Girl shows that the Strangers are human. They are not unkillable, killing machines. They're just like everyone else. It is also a great character moment. Because notice how before the pool scene, Luke had never been directly attacked by one of the Strangers? That adds to why he didn't shoot Dollface. He didn't have a life-or-death encounter, unlike every other family member. And once he does, he realizes what he must do. And when The Man in the Mask arrives and starts attacking him, it shows another aspect of his Strangers. They have emotions. The Man in the Mask always felt like the stone cold, Michael Myers-like killer. But when he realizes Pin-up Girl is dead, he starts violently swinging his axe, and missing. Intentional or not, it shows how he is angry over her death, and has become somewhat blinded by it.
Amazing transition, I know. I'm going to start off with the story. Now, the story isn't perfect, or even that great, and I'm not going to excuse that fact just because this is a slasher. I've seen this happen all the time with movies and video games. Just because something falls under a genre or type of game, doesn't mean you can excuse the flaws of the story or other aspects. I think the set-up is very strong, and it establishes our characters and setting very well. The opening kills still got me tense, even though I've already seen this. The tension is incredibly strong, and the scene is also really well shot. After that, we meet our main characters. In just a few minutes we learn the relationships of each character. The two parents seem happy with each other, the daughter is clearly unhappy with them, and the son is the well behaved one. Already, we have a basic understanding of the protagonists. The beginning is quite long, all things considered, especially because the runtime is 80 minutes. It takes about 30 minutes for things to really get going, but once they arrive at the mobile homes, the tension starts. At this point, the narrative comes to a halt, and lets the tension take over. What I just described is the only story this movie has. Once the Strangers arrive, they don't stop until the movie ends. For a movie like this, that kind of story works. Letting us understand the characters we're going to follow and form a basic emotional connection with them. Would this have been (even) better if there was a stronger narrative throughout? Yes. But the story lacks any big pitfalls, or glaring issues, and it does its job.
I think the characters are actually really good. As I said, it establishes them so early on, and lets you form an emotional connection, that you hope none of them die. Most slashers just have throw away characters, and most characters just serve to add to the body count, but I don't feel that here. Each character, and what happens to them, leaves an impression on another. I'll explain more what I mean in the spoiler notes. But to sum it up, no character feels like they exist just to die. And I think that's so rare in the slasher industry, that I will instantly like a movie more if they have actual characters. For me to feel tense or scared when watching a movie, give me characters to CARE about. And they do! At least in this movie. I think anyone who has seen The Strangers Prey at Night, will agree that Luke is the best character. He is likeable right off the bat, but has his own flaws, mainly the struggles he has with taking a life, and it gives him a struggle throughout the film. Kinsey, at the start, is the opposite. She is obviously the angsty teenager and troublemaker, but as the movie progresses, we start to see the more emotional and compassionate side. She cares for her brother, she cares for her parents, as much as it may not seem like it. She also faces the struggle of being the younger sibling and is treated as such. The parents are definitely the less complex characters, but great performances, and well-written dialogue between them, makes them both likeable.
The acting is fantastic. I think anyone can agree on this. Everyone seems to stand-out in their roles, but I think Bailee Madison's performance as Kinsey is the best of the bunch. This is the only movie I've seen her in, but she seems born for the role. Lewis Pullman is also great as Luke and makes his character really likeable.
Now the cinematography is mediocre and fantastic at the same time. The atmosphere is just amazing, and the lighting is so good. Just the shots of the "The Man in the Mask" standing in the street are spine chilling. The eerie lighting emitting from the streetlights adds so much to the environment visually and compliments the atmosphere. The pool scene is also just awesome visually and is the best scene in the movie (see spoiler notes for a whole paragraph on that scene). Another great example of the cinematography is the opening kills. Man, I got jumpscares by a shot in that scene, and I've seen this movie twice! That scene emits a great feeling of claustrophobia. But in some scenes the directing isn't very good. The number of times the camera slowly zooms in on something is frustrating, especially because it adds nothing. I was fine with it the first time it happened, but when it happened for the 4th time, it just became annoying.
The soundtrack is great. It's mainly boosted due to how many great 80s songs are in it, and when a scene utilizes a song well, it's just so good (The pool scene, first actual encounter with Dollface, or the Man in the Mask car sequence). But the original stingers, or ambient tracks are really good. A lot better than I remembered. The pacing is also great. The slow start would have been frustrating, but the opening kill is intense enough where you feel satisfied. By the time that feeling ends, the movie gets going and doesn't stop.
I have a lot more things to say, but they are all spoilers, so if you have seen the movie, just skip past this paragraph, but if you haven't, please check it out. Don't let the negative reviews give you low expectations. Go in with an open mind. Trust me, the tension is great, and the slasher thrills are top tier. If you have seen the first Strangers, don't expect this to be like it. At all. I think Dead Meat describes it perfectly. The first Strangers was meant to be like a 70s horror film, but The Strangers Prey at Night is meant to be an 80s slasher. With that in mind, have a fun time!
Pros: Great characters, well-paced, some brutal kills, great story moments, tense, has a satisfying ending, creepy atmosphere, fantastic acting, and is overall pretty well shot.
Cons: The final scene is executed poorly; some direction is mediocre.
***SPOILER WARNING***
One thing I liked about the characters, is how (as I said earlier) some character moments impact another character's development. What I mean by this is the mom's death and the dad's death. When the mom dies, you can clearly see her love for her mother, even though it didn't seem like she had any at the start of the movie. After this, her character changes for the rest of the movie. Of course, I think that would happen with anyone, but it was a nice detail. With the dad's death, I think it affected Luke's character, because he realizes that he has to take up the mantle.
I've noticed a lot of the negative reviews talk about dumb character decisions. Like Luke not shooting Dollface when he had the chance, or Kinsey just watching her mother die, instead of doing anything, but I think these moments are actually well done. Luke not shooting Dollface feels consistent with his character. When the Man in the Mask first appears, and the dad grabs the gun, Luke asks, "Are you going to shoot them?" Clearly not understanding the stakes of what's happening. And when the dad crashes the car, and gives Luke the gun, Luke says he doesn't know how to use it. Showing that he wasn't prepared, physically, therefore not prepared for it mentally. And for Kinsey watching her mother die instead of running away, I think she did that because cmon, I don't think anyone in this situation, especially as a teenager, would be able to react accordingly. And in my opinion, it makes her character more realistic.
So, the pool scene. I think everyone who has seen this movie, can agree that the pool scene is the best scene in the movie. Because it is. But not just because of how satisfying it is, or the great visuals, and awesome music. But in a storytelling perspective, it is just as strong as all the other great aspects of the scene. It SHOWS so much about the Strangers, and it never outright tells us it. Remember when they were basically messing with Luke when he was still in the building? Like them scaring him, and not outright killing him. And then when Pin-up Girl just rushes at him. I love how well this establishes how cocky they've become. At this point, they think they've won. But that backfires when Luke actually fights back. Him killing Pin-up Girl shows that the Strangers are human. They are not unkillable, killing machines. They're just like everyone else. It is also a great character moment. Because notice how before the pool scene, Luke had never been directly attacked by one of the Strangers? That adds to why he didn't shoot Dollface. He didn't have a life-or-death encounter, unlike every other family member. And once he does, he realizes what he must do. And when The Man in the Mask arrives and starts attacking him, it shows another aspect of his Strangers. They have emotions. The Man in the Mask always felt like the stone cold, Michael Myers-like killer. But when he realizes Pin-up Girl is dead, he starts violently swinging his axe, and missing. Intentional or not, it shows how he is angry over her death, and has become somewhat blinded by it.
One of the Best Episodes in the Show
4 March 2023
As we near the end of Attack on Titan, the show refuses to let up or slow down. This episode is filled to the brim with despair, action, and emotions. The visuals of the Rumbling, and the moral dilemma that follows is masterfully done, and encapsulates what this show is about. The action scenes are some of the best animation that Mappa has done in AOT, and the soundtrack is fantastic. I think the worst part about this episode is how well it ended, because waiting for the next part is going to be even more grueling. Some will expect a show of this quality to slow down as it reaches its end, but not Attack on Titan. Instead, it just gets better, and fans are going to find the final episode to be one of (if not) the best in the series. 10/10.
Atomic Heart
(2023 Video Game)
A Fantastic and Awesome FPS Game
24 February 2023
After eagerly waiting 5 years for this to come out, Atomic Heart has finally released. While I haven't finished the game, I've made solid progress, and will update my review once I finish it, but I can't see the game getting any worse. The combat is fantastic. It packs a punch, and requires fast reflexes, and lots of situational awareness. Once you get your dodge timings right, the combat starts to feel like a dance. It becomes incredibly smooth and you'll start swapping from abilities to guns, to melee weapons in no time. Each aspect of the combat compliments each other and creates an amazing experience. The visuals are stunning. The art direction is incredibly unique and unlike anything we've seen before. The graphics are INSANE and every location of the game will have you stop for a minute just to admire the scenery. One big complaint I've seen is the open world. The specific complaint being about the endless robots that will try to kill you. I understand this complaint, but there is a way around it. Just look up how to stop the robots from being repaired, and you'll find a guide in no time. The game doesn't directly explain it to you, but you can disable all the robots for a pretty long time, letting you explore to your heart's content. The story is really well done and very entertaining. There are moments where you might think the story is slowing down, but it picks right up and reengages you instantly. The main character talks A LOT and while many will find him annoying, I personally think he is hilarious, and I always enjoy his dialogue. The looting is very satisfying, and the crafting is great too. The soundtrack is also fantastic with some just awesome songs. Overall, even if the game becomes worse as I keep playing, I highly recommend this game. Check it out on Gamepass, and if you like it, please buy the game instead of just playing on Game Pass. The developers are being hated for no reason, and many are trying to boycott the game. Their reasoning is all wrong, but they refuse to accept that fact. If you have the money, please support the developers!
(EDIT) Now that I have finished the game, and completed all of the side objectives, my score stays the game. The story is great, and the reveals at the end are shocking, but don't feel forced and they didn't feel like it came out of nowhere. All of the reveals are things you could have guessed from reading in-game emails, and playing close attention to the dialogue. The ending is very open ended, and the announcement of a sequel and DLCS makes a lot of sense. The final boss is hard, but a lot of fun. Just such a fantastic game.
(EDIT) Now that I have finished the game, and completed all of the side objectives, my score stays the game. The story is great, and the reveals at the end are shocking, but don't feel forced and they didn't feel like it came out of nowhere. All of the reveals are things you could have guessed from reading in-game emails, and playing close attention to the dialogue. The ending is very open ended, and the announcement of a sequel and DLCS makes a lot of sense. The final boss is hard, but a lot of fun. Just such a fantastic game.
Suspiria
(1977)
A Truly Magical Experience
17 February 2023
As I lay here in my bed, with my laptop, listening to the Suspiria Main Theme I knew this would be the perfect time to rate a review for... Well obviously, Suspiria. All things considered, my expectations were pretty high. I saw a lot of positive things about Suspiria and was pretty intrigued. I liked the plot and the visuals looked amazing. One night, I decided that I was going to watch it. I searched up "Suspiria" on Amazon and was only met with the remake. I checked Vudu, and was, once again, met with the remake. Now I don't know if I didn't search hard enough but I could only find this on Tubi TV. Now the problem with that is they have no captions and they HAVE ADS! Truly tragic. Well it barely affected my viewing experience, but I just want to know why no streaming service has this movie. I just wanted to add that in there because I was wondering if anyone else had this same dilemma. Last thing I want to talk about before the actual review is my initial impressions of the movie. I finished it and originally reviewed it and gave it 4 stars. Now it's five stars? Did I re-watch it? No. I just kept thinking about the movie, and every time I did, I loved it more. Now I'm craving a re-watch, which I will do once I get the time. This is the first time that a movie has done that to me, which gives me the impression that Suspiria is something special (that's because it is).
The story of Suspiria is very strong, and much better than I was expecting. The plot is fairly basic. A young woman attends a ballerina school in Germany, but that same ballerina school has recently been the home for a grisly murder. I've seen some people describe Suspiria as a slasher, which I find to be quite an incorrect way to describe it. Suspiria is more of a psychological thriller and mystery movie far more than it is a horror or slasher movie. Is that bad? No! The mystery aspect is one of the things that I think makes this movie so special. It kept me incredibly engaged and each plot point made the story more intriguing and it kept me guessing how it was going to end until the final minute (no joke, the credits don't start until there is one minute left). The story progresses very smoothly and never wastes your time, and the movie isn't too short either. It feels like every scene served a purpose and added some sort of substance to the film. One of my favorite aspects is how the story slowly becomes more disturbing and unexpected. A certain moment was very sad and disturbing (see spoiler section for more details). This continues until the story reaches a very uncomfortable and jarring climax. While that might sound bad, the weirdness of Suspiria is one of the best parts. The story is great, but what about the characters?
The characters are really good. Now I wouldn't say that they have too much depth, but majority of them are really likeable and they are very entertaining. I think the best part about the characters is there interactions with each other, and what they add to the story. The interactions with the students feel very normal and all the dialogue makes sense (even though the script was made with the main characters being children in mind, and none of the dialogue was changed when they made the main characters adults.) but the interactions between the teachers and the other students, or other teachers, are, most of the time, uncomfortable and make you feel off. I really liked Suzy as a protagonist too. The side characters are strong, and the movie successfully creates a strong connection with them, and it makes you hope nothing bad happens to them. That aspect is enhanced by Suzy's positive relationships with those characters, and since (at least for me) you become emotionally attached to her character, her reactions to what might happen and what does happen gets transferred over to you. *SIDE NOTE* I took some time to look at other reviews and it seems that me thinking the dialogue is well written seems to be controversial. Oh well, just thought that was interesting.
Now, let us talk about the cinematography. The cinematography is fantastic. Easily the most praised part about Suspiria and for good reason. The neon colors throughout the movie add to the atmosphere so much. Seeing a horror movie have such vibrant and bright colors just makes it more disturbing. The design of the ballerina school is amazing too. The fact that the colors are so vibrant, it makes the blood look nearly pink, is just awesome. In almost every shot, bright colors fill the screen and it just looks AMAZING. Another thing the neon-esque colors add is that when there are scenes when the colors are lifeless and grim, it makes that scene feel more empty and desolate. And the colors aren't the only good thing about the directing. The general framing of shots and overall camera skill is phenomenal. Dario Argento's directing skills create the wonderful atmosphere.
What about the soundtrack? Hot damn! It's amazing! I think the main theme may be one of my favorite movie soundtracks. Even this far into the review I'm still listening to it. It's oddly calming, but incredibly chilling at the same time. The "drop" is fantastic too, and the late 70s-80s inspiration comes into play, which just sounds so awesome. Obviously, the entire soundtrack is amazing, not just the main theme. I'll be honest though, if the main theme was the entire soundtrack, I wouldn't mind. It's incredibly flexible with how long it is, and how different it is in the first half and second half.
The acting is a bit hard to judge aside from Jessica Harper's performance, which is fantastic. Why is it hard to judge? Well, that's because almost the entire movie was dubbed over! And the dubbing isn't very good either, that's also why not being able to have captions made some dialogue hard to understand. The dubbing not being the best isn't necessarily the actors fault, which is why I don't think it is fair to say their acting was bad. But the dub wasn't very good. I'll admit though, it does add a nice charm to the movie.
The ending, is what I think is the weakest part of the movie. I say this because it feels very fast. Maybe not rushed, but it just all ends so fast, and it the credits just start rolling while you're sitting there struggling to process the fact that in just 10 minutes, you saw the conclusion to every single plot point. What happens at the ending isn't bad though. I thought the ending was going to take a different route, and if it took that route, I don't think I could give this 5 stars (see spoiler section for how I thought it was going to end). But luckily, it didn't go that route, so now Suspiria can join the 5 stars club, which isn't very exclusive but still. I can appreciate that (as mentioned early) they use almost EVERY single minute for the actual movie, and they leave the breadcrumbs of runtime for the credits, which more movies should do.
But does Suspiria succeed as a horror movie? No. Not. At. All. But a part of me questions if this was meant to be a horror movie. Some of the posters feel like it was meant to be, but the execution just doesn't give those vibes. That might be because of how old this is, that it just isn't scary, but I think it's more fair to consider this as a psychological thriller or mystery. I do just want to say, don't watch this expecting to be scared. Will you get disturbed? Yes, but not too much, which I can appreciate. I also want to mention the gore. The gore is really good, if you want that stuff. I found it kinda funny how quickly it becomes so gruesome and gory . The first kill starts with a couple of bloodless stabs, and then it shows someone's heart getting stabbed?! Like that was unexpected. Pretty kino though.
Suspiria met, and destroyed my expectations for how good it was going to be. I expected a lot too, which shows how good it is. I want to give a warning though. Don't go in expecting to love it. Suspiria is a very unique movie, and many will find it to be goofy or just not interesting, which is completely fair (just know that you are 100% wrong if you don't like this movie and I don't want you to interact with me ever again). All jokes aside, I really love this movie. At first, I just thought it was a solid 8/10, but it quickly became far better than that. When I re-watch this, I hope my opinion doesn't change, or this review is going to be a big waste of time. Oh well.
Pros:
Awesome cinematography, great characters, great acting (I think), good mystery, fantastic atmosphere, god-tier soundtrack, satisfying ending, good gore, pretty disturbing, well paced, and keeps you engaged.
Cons:
Ending feels kinda sudden, the dub is very obvious and sounds pretty bad at times.
****SPOILER NOTES*****
The really unexpected and disturbing scene I was referring to was the scene where Daniel dies. It was also really sad, and is easily the most disturbing/shocking scene in the movie. I thought the ending was going to end with Suzy dying as she finds out the truth about the witches, and I was going to be pretty unhappy with that, but luckily, the ending was very satisfying.
Total Word Count: 1649.
The story of Suspiria is very strong, and much better than I was expecting. The plot is fairly basic. A young woman attends a ballerina school in Germany, but that same ballerina school has recently been the home for a grisly murder. I've seen some people describe Suspiria as a slasher, which I find to be quite an incorrect way to describe it. Suspiria is more of a psychological thriller and mystery movie far more than it is a horror or slasher movie. Is that bad? No! The mystery aspect is one of the things that I think makes this movie so special. It kept me incredibly engaged and each plot point made the story more intriguing and it kept me guessing how it was going to end until the final minute (no joke, the credits don't start until there is one minute left). The story progresses very smoothly and never wastes your time, and the movie isn't too short either. It feels like every scene served a purpose and added some sort of substance to the film. One of my favorite aspects is how the story slowly becomes more disturbing and unexpected. A certain moment was very sad and disturbing (see spoiler section for more details). This continues until the story reaches a very uncomfortable and jarring climax. While that might sound bad, the weirdness of Suspiria is one of the best parts. The story is great, but what about the characters?
The characters are really good. Now I wouldn't say that they have too much depth, but majority of them are really likeable and they are very entertaining. I think the best part about the characters is there interactions with each other, and what they add to the story. The interactions with the students feel very normal and all the dialogue makes sense (even though the script was made with the main characters being children in mind, and none of the dialogue was changed when they made the main characters adults.) but the interactions between the teachers and the other students, or other teachers, are, most of the time, uncomfortable and make you feel off. I really liked Suzy as a protagonist too. The side characters are strong, and the movie successfully creates a strong connection with them, and it makes you hope nothing bad happens to them. That aspect is enhanced by Suzy's positive relationships with those characters, and since (at least for me) you become emotionally attached to her character, her reactions to what might happen and what does happen gets transferred over to you. *SIDE NOTE* I took some time to look at other reviews and it seems that me thinking the dialogue is well written seems to be controversial. Oh well, just thought that was interesting.
Now, let us talk about the cinematography. The cinematography is fantastic. Easily the most praised part about Suspiria and for good reason. The neon colors throughout the movie add to the atmosphere so much. Seeing a horror movie have such vibrant and bright colors just makes it more disturbing. The design of the ballerina school is amazing too. The fact that the colors are so vibrant, it makes the blood look nearly pink, is just awesome. In almost every shot, bright colors fill the screen and it just looks AMAZING. Another thing the neon-esque colors add is that when there are scenes when the colors are lifeless and grim, it makes that scene feel more empty and desolate. And the colors aren't the only good thing about the directing. The general framing of shots and overall camera skill is phenomenal. Dario Argento's directing skills create the wonderful atmosphere.
What about the soundtrack? Hot damn! It's amazing! I think the main theme may be one of my favorite movie soundtracks. Even this far into the review I'm still listening to it. It's oddly calming, but incredibly chilling at the same time. The "drop" is fantastic too, and the late 70s-80s inspiration comes into play, which just sounds so awesome. Obviously, the entire soundtrack is amazing, not just the main theme. I'll be honest though, if the main theme was the entire soundtrack, I wouldn't mind. It's incredibly flexible with how long it is, and how different it is in the first half and second half.
The acting is a bit hard to judge aside from Jessica Harper's performance, which is fantastic. Why is it hard to judge? Well, that's because almost the entire movie was dubbed over! And the dubbing isn't very good either, that's also why not being able to have captions made some dialogue hard to understand. The dubbing not being the best isn't necessarily the actors fault, which is why I don't think it is fair to say their acting was bad. But the dub wasn't very good. I'll admit though, it does add a nice charm to the movie.
The ending, is what I think is the weakest part of the movie. I say this because it feels very fast. Maybe not rushed, but it just all ends so fast, and it the credits just start rolling while you're sitting there struggling to process the fact that in just 10 minutes, you saw the conclusion to every single plot point. What happens at the ending isn't bad though. I thought the ending was going to take a different route, and if it took that route, I don't think I could give this 5 stars (see spoiler section for how I thought it was going to end). But luckily, it didn't go that route, so now Suspiria can join the 5 stars club, which isn't very exclusive but still. I can appreciate that (as mentioned early) they use almost EVERY single minute for the actual movie, and they leave the breadcrumbs of runtime for the credits, which more movies should do.
But does Suspiria succeed as a horror movie? No. Not. At. All. But a part of me questions if this was meant to be a horror movie. Some of the posters feel like it was meant to be, but the execution just doesn't give those vibes. That might be because of how old this is, that it just isn't scary, but I think it's more fair to consider this as a psychological thriller or mystery. I do just want to say, don't watch this expecting to be scared. Will you get disturbed? Yes, but not too much, which I can appreciate. I also want to mention the gore. The gore is really good, if you want that stuff. I found it kinda funny how quickly it becomes so gruesome and gory . The first kill starts with a couple of bloodless stabs, and then it shows someone's heart getting stabbed?! Like that was unexpected. Pretty kino though.
Suspiria met, and destroyed my expectations for how good it was going to be. I expected a lot too, which shows how good it is. I want to give a warning though. Don't go in expecting to love it. Suspiria is a very unique movie, and many will find it to be goofy or just not interesting, which is completely fair (just know that you are 100% wrong if you don't like this movie and I don't want you to interact with me ever again). All jokes aside, I really love this movie. At first, I just thought it was a solid 8/10, but it quickly became far better than that. When I re-watch this, I hope my opinion doesn't change, or this review is going to be a big waste of time. Oh well.
Pros:
Awesome cinematography, great characters, great acting (I think), good mystery, fantastic atmosphere, god-tier soundtrack, satisfying ending, good gore, pretty disturbing, well paced, and keeps you engaged.
Cons:
Ending feels kinda sudden, the dub is very obvious and sounds pretty bad at times.
****SPOILER NOTES*****
The really unexpected and disturbing scene I was referring to was the scene where Daniel dies. It was also really sad, and is easily the most disturbing/shocking scene in the movie. I thought the ending was going to end with Suzy dying as she finds out the truth about the witches, and I was going to be pretty unhappy with that, but luckily, the ending was very satisfying.
Total Word Count: 1649.
Ambulance
(2022)
This is What Happens When Michael Bay gets Paired With a Good Writer
10 February 2023
Before starting the actual review, I can *proudly* say I have found a way to make these reviews EVEN longer! Now my reviews will now feature a paragraph about the ending, and a paragraph at how successful the movie is at achieving its main genre (action, tension, scares, comedy, etc). I will also feature a pros and cons list at the end for those who want the TLDR version of my review, and a section AFTER the pros and cons for more exact complaints or praises that are spoilers. With that out of the way, time for the review!
Alright, it has been a while since I have done a long review for a movie. Originally, I was thinking of reviewing Old, but since then I have wanted to review something, I enjoyed more. Ambulance. Now my expectations going into this were somewhat high. I LOVE the Transformers movies and think Michael Bay is a talented director, mixed with bad writers. (Off-topic note, Michael Bay's great direction shines in the climax of Transformers: The Last Knight) Ambulance seemed to be one of his highest praised movies, and that made me excited. I liked the plot and the cast seemed pretty good so what could go wrong? Well, some stuff, sadly, but Ambulance was still a great time, nonetheless.
So, stories in Michael Bay movies are always.... Not very good to say the least. While some are decent (Dark of the Moon) they aren't masterpieces. That has always been the disappointing part about the Transformers movies. While I do think the stories in those are much better than people say, they still lack a lot of coherence, and the characters also tend to be lackluster. Now is Ambulance any different? Yes! Ambulance forms a coherent story that has a strong start, but keeps you engaged throughout the 140-minute runtime. Now the story isn't perfect by any chance (see spoiler notes at the end of the review to hear more exact thoughts) but it is far better than anything I've seen in the Transformers films. But what is the plot Mr. Funny Review man? Do not fret citizen! I shall explain the story in a mere sentence! The plot follows two brothers, 1 adopted, and they rob a bank, stuff happens, and now their getaway vehicle is an ambulance with an EMT member and dying officer in the back. So, the plot seems pretty basic right? Yes, and it seems like that because it is. Don't expect some elaborate and complex storyline with a gripping narrative and shocking twists because that's not what this is. But I'm not saying the story is bad. Too many times do people say, "Oh don't expect the story to be good! It is a *blank* movie/game!" An example of this could be the Transformers movies. Just because it is about CGI robots punching each other doesn't mean the story can't be good, and it especially doesn't mean that a poor script is excused. Ambulance is a simple story done right, albeit a little too drawn out, but that's beside the point. And that's something I appreciate about Ambulance. It knows what it is and doesn't try to be fancy. No shocking twists halfway through the movie or stuff like that. Just a good ol' simple storyline with a lot more emotion than I was prepared for. The story is good, but I think the strongest part of the movie in terms of story and narrative, is the characters, which is not what I expected.
The last thing I expected from this Ambulance was strong characters, but that's what I got. Danny and Will Sharp (the main characters) are a lot better than I was expecting, and that pleasant surprise really helped make the movie better. While Will is more of your good guy protagonist, he is still likeable and the situation he is put in helps show how his character conflicts with himself. No doubt is that entertaining and helps you root for him, the stronger character here is Danny. With a fantastic performance from Jake Gyllenhaal (more on that later) his descent into basically insanity is unexpected but a welcome surprise. The way he acts throughout the movie becomes very clearly more unhinged and makes you start to question if you can even trust him. Cam Thompson (the EMT medic) was a good character too, although she lacks less depth than Danny and Will. The other characters aren't anything special, as the spotlight is put on the two brothers, but for good reason.
Now, time to talk about the acting. I think anyone could look at the cast and just assume that none of the acting would be bad, and luckily, they are right. I think all of the performances were really strong, but let's be honest, the strongest performance out of everyone in this movie has to go to Jake Gyllenhaal. No doubt is he a great actor, but I found he shines in this. What I find interesting is that I whenever he gets brought up in a discussion, his performance here never gets mentioned, which is very disappointing. Starting off calm, cool, and collected, but slowly becoming more insane, but in such a smooth way, is not an easy feat, yet Jake Gyllenhaal executes it perfectly. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II also has a great performance as Will, and captures his internal battle between his morally right side, and the side that is willing to do anything for his brother. Eiza González also is great in this as Cam, but I didn't find her character very special, so I don't have much to talk about.
Now, let's talk about the directing. First things first, this is a Michael Bay movie. Sadly, there were no shots of American flags, but all of the other Michael Bay tropes are in this. Saturated colors, *a lot* of up-close shots of sweaty faces, lens flares (there is literally one in the third shot of the movie), and more. Now is this bad? That is completely subjective, but I think it works really well here and Michael Bay has now learned how to use drones, which might be the scariest sentence I have ever written. The drone shots are great though and work superbly in capturing the intensity of the car chase. Actually, now that I think about it, the cinematography in general is great at achieving a feeling of intensity throughout. Although the directing is good at creating a feeling of intensity, what about the script?
Ambulance is very tense. I'll say that. The directing highly compliments the script, and creates lots of tension throughout, and a VERY intense scene (see spoiler notes for what scene I am referring to). Ambulance is the definition of "On the edge of your seat" and it will keep you there for nearly the entire runtime. After watching Green Room, I found myself not getting stressed during movie scenes due to how intense it was, that I basically became numb to tension, but Ambulance made me feel PRETTY stressed at times. The tension is great, but I can't say the same about some of the action scenes. The shootout scenes, especially the ones at the start are boring. I never found shootouts to be very entertaining in movies, but if done right, I will be entertained, and Ambulance did not do that for me. I don't know if it was the way it was shot, or just how the script handled it, but I found any shootout scene to be boring. The car chase (which is majority of the movie) is great though, and highly entertaining.
Ambulance sounds like a pretty great movie so far, but does it stick the landing? Yes. At first, I was getting concerned with how the final act was going and I was beginning to fear that the ending was going to be lackluster, but when the credits rolled, I found those fears to not be confirmed, and instead, the ending was very satisfying. With how the movie progresses, there were not many ways they could end it, but luckily, they picked the best possible way to end it imo. But I do think the third act has its flaws, and suffers from the overly long runtime. Also, no paragraph about the soundtrack as it was very generic and nothing special. Some good tracks, but other than that, it was your standard action movie soundtrack.
Here we are at the conclusion. Wow, this was a very long review, but I don't mind all that much because Ambulance is a great movie, and I don't mind writing about it. No doubt does it have its flaws, but few movies are perfect. I really do wish it did better at the box office, but I feel like it released at a bad time, and movies weren't fully back when it came out. Ambulance is the perfect Friday night movie, and I highly recommend it.
PROS: Great characters, strong cinematography, amazing acting, fairly intense throughout the entire runtime, satisfying ending.
Cons: Some boring action, too long, a specific plotline felt out of place and unnecessary, at times it felt like the writer wrote himself into a hole and had to think of lazy excuses to get out, out of place comedic relief.
*****SPOILER TIME******
So this section won't be very long, but I do want to talk about some positives and negatives that are spoilers. Now the problems I have with the story are not massive, but they still do impact the movie viewing experience. The first problem I have is the plot point about Captain Monroe's dog. I get that he cares about his dog but calling off the ENTIRE police chase for him felt unrealistic and unnecessary. Either they wanted some comic relief or they just didn't know how to continue the story. I also found the plot points relating to Papi were out of place. I don't really understand why that whole plotline was added as it felt like it only existed to increase the runtime, which is something that was not necessary. The really tense scene I was talking about in my review was the surgery scene on Officer Zach in the back of the ambulance. That scene was STRESSFUL especially when the spleen burst. Like wow that was really good. Alright end of review.
Total word count: 1733.
Alright, it has been a while since I have done a long review for a movie. Originally, I was thinking of reviewing Old, but since then I have wanted to review something, I enjoyed more. Ambulance. Now my expectations going into this were somewhat high. I LOVE the Transformers movies and think Michael Bay is a talented director, mixed with bad writers. (Off-topic note, Michael Bay's great direction shines in the climax of Transformers: The Last Knight) Ambulance seemed to be one of his highest praised movies, and that made me excited. I liked the plot and the cast seemed pretty good so what could go wrong? Well, some stuff, sadly, but Ambulance was still a great time, nonetheless.
So, stories in Michael Bay movies are always.... Not very good to say the least. While some are decent (Dark of the Moon) they aren't masterpieces. That has always been the disappointing part about the Transformers movies. While I do think the stories in those are much better than people say, they still lack a lot of coherence, and the characters also tend to be lackluster. Now is Ambulance any different? Yes! Ambulance forms a coherent story that has a strong start, but keeps you engaged throughout the 140-minute runtime. Now the story isn't perfect by any chance (see spoiler notes at the end of the review to hear more exact thoughts) but it is far better than anything I've seen in the Transformers films. But what is the plot Mr. Funny Review man? Do not fret citizen! I shall explain the story in a mere sentence! The plot follows two brothers, 1 adopted, and they rob a bank, stuff happens, and now their getaway vehicle is an ambulance with an EMT member and dying officer in the back. So, the plot seems pretty basic right? Yes, and it seems like that because it is. Don't expect some elaborate and complex storyline with a gripping narrative and shocking twists because that's not what this is. But I'm not saying the story is bad. Too many times do people say, "Oh don't expect the story to be good! It is a *blank* movie/game!" An example of this could be the Transformers movies. Just because it is about CGI robots punching each other doesn't mean the story can't be good, and it especially doesn't mean that a poor script is excused. Ambulance is a simple story done right, albeit a little too drawn out, but that's beside the point. And that's something I appreciate about Ambulance. It knows what it is and doesn't try to be fancy. No shocking twists halfway through the movie or stuff like that. Just a good ol' simple storyline with a lot more emotion than I was prepared for. The story is good, but I think the strongest part of the movie in terms of story and narrative, is the characters, which is not what I expected.
The last thing I expected from this Ambulance was strong characters, but that's what I got. Danny and Will Sharp (the main characters) are a lot better than I was expecting, and that pleasant surprise really helped make the movie better. While Will is more of your good guy protagonist, he is still likeable and the situation he is put in helps show how his character conflicts with himself. No doubt is that entertaining and helps you root for him, the stronger character here is Danny. With a fantastic performance from Jake Gyllenhaal (more on that later) his descent into basically insanity is unexpected but a welcome surprise. The way he acts throughout the movie becomes very clearly more unhinged and makes you start to question if you can even trust him. Cam Thompson (the EMT medic) was a good character too, although she lacks less depth than Danny and Will. The other characters aren't anything special, as the spotlight is put on the two brothers, but for good reason.
Now, time to talk about the acting. I think anyone could look at the cast and just assume that none of the acting would be bad, and luckily, they are right. I think all of the performances were really strong, but let's be honest, the strongest performance out of everyone in this movie has to go to Jake Gyllenhaal. No doubt is he a great actor, but I found he shines in this. What I find interesting is that I whenever he gets brought up in a discussion, his performance here never gets mentioned, which is very disappointing. Starting off calm, cool, and collected, but slowly becoming more insane, but in such a smooth way, is not an easy feat, yet Jake Gyllenhaal executes it perfectly. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II also has a great performance as Will, and captures his internal battle between his morally right side, and the side that is willing to do anything for his brother. Eiza González also is great in this as Cam, but I didn't find her character very special, so I don't have much to talk about.
Now, let's talk about the directing. First things first, this is a Michael Bay movie. Sadly, there were no shots of American flags, but all of the other Michael Bay tropes are in this. Saturated colors, *a lot* of up-close shots of sweaty faces, lens flares (there is literally one in the third shot of the movie), and more. Now is this bad? That is completely subjective, but I think it works really well here and Michael Bay has now learned how to use drones, which might be the scariest sentence I have ever written. The drone shots are great though and work superbly in capturing the intensity of the car chase. Actually, now that I think about it, the cinematography in general is great at achieving a feeling of intensity throughout. Although the directing is good at creating a feeling of intensity, what about the script?
Ambulance is very tense. I'll say that. The directing highly compliments the script, and creates lots of tension throughout, and a VERY intense scene (see spoiler notes for what scene I am referring to). Ambulance is the definition of "On the edge of your seat" and it will keep you there for nearly the entire runtime. After watching Green Room, I found myself not getting stressed during movie scenes due to how intense it was, that I basically became numb to tension, but Ambulance made me feel PRETTY stressed at times. The tension is great, but I can't say the same about some of the action scenes. The shootout scenes, especially the ones at the start are boring. I never found shootouts to be very entertaining in movies, but if done right, I will be entertained, and Ambulance did not do that for me. I don't know if it was the way it was shot, or just how the script handled it, but I found any shootout scene to be boring. The car chase (which is majority of the movie) is great though, and highly entertaining.
Ambulance sounds like a pretty great movie so far, but does it stick the landing? Yes. At first, I was getting concerned with how the final act was going and I was beginning to fear that the ending was going to be lackluster, but when the credits rolled, I found those fears to not be confirmed, and instead, the ending was very satisfying. With how the movie progresses, there were not many ways they could end it, but luckily, they picked the best possible way to end it imo. But I do think the third act has its flaws, and suffers from the overly long runtime. Also, no paragraph about the soundtrack as it was very generic and nothing special. Some good tracks, but other than that, it was your standard action movie soundtrack.
Here we are at the conclusion. Wow, this was a very long review, but I don't mind all that much because Ambulance is a great movie, and I don't mind writing about it. No doubt does it have its flaws, but few movies are perfect. I really do wish it did better at the box office, but I feel like it released at a bad time, and movies weren't fully back when it came out. Ambulance is the perfect Friday night movie, and I highly recommend it.
PROS: Great characters, strong cinematography, amazing acting, fairly intense throughout the entire runtime, satisfying ending.
Cons: Some boring action, too long, a specific plotline felt out of place and unnecessary, at times it felt like the writer wrote himself into a hole and had to think of lazy excuses to get out, out of place comedic relief.
*****SPOILER TIME******
So this section won't be very long, but I do want to talk about some positives and negatives that are spoilers. Now the problems I have with the story are not massive, but they still do impact the movie viewing experience. The first problem I have is the plot point about Captain Monroe's dog. I get that he cares about his dog but calling off the ENTIRE police chase for him felt unrealistic and unnecessary. Either they wanted some comic relief or they just didn't know how to continue the story. I also found the plot points relating to Papi were out of place. I don't really understand why that whole plotline was added as it felt like it only existed to increase the runtime, which is something that was not necessary. The really tense scene I was talking about in my review was the surgery scene on Officer Zach in the back of the ambulance. That scene was STRESSFUL especially when the spleen burst. Like wow that was really good. Alright end of review.
Total word count: 1733.
Nope
(2022)
Much Better Than You Might Think
25 January 2023
Jordan Peele is an interesting director for me. Him going from acting in comedy shows, to directing actual films was a very interesting thing to see. Get Out was great, even amazing at times, and it seemed like Jordan Peele had a lot of potential in the thriller and horror genre. Excitement grew as the first trailer for Us came out. I had HIGH expectations, but those expectations were.... Well not met. I found Us to be mediocre-okay overall, even though it has some strong moments. I was disappointed, and was concerned that he might have been a one-hit wonder. Nope looked really good though! I didn't see it in theaters, as I had no chance to, but finally was able to watch it at home. And well, I think this is Jordan Peele's best film.
As always, I'll start out with the plot. The story follows two siblings, OJ, and Emerald. They eventually figure out that a UFO dwells above their ranch, and they decide that they want to get 4K footage of the UFO, for money. That's the plot, and I think even on paper it is a really interesting plot. The story has some nice twists and turns, and overall stays interesting throughout its 130 minute long runtime, which is long for a horror movie. But, Nope isn't a full horror movie, and I think anyone could figure that out by watching the second trailer, even though the first trailer advertises as this as a horror film, but in fact, it is a horror comedy. Get Out had some humor, Us had too much humor, and couldn't figure out which genre it wanted to be, but Nope is able to stay tense (and quite frankly, really disturbing), but has genuinely funny comedic moments. But the story never sacrifices important plot moments or character development for the sake of a funny joke here and there. While I think the story has, honestly close to no flaws, I do have one problem, and that is referring to the Gordy subplot. Yes, I can understand that the Gordy subplot connects to the overall story/message, but I just wish it didn't feel out of place.
While I do believe the Gordy subplot is out of place, I need to give it praise. The way the flashback is shot is amazing. It creates such a strong feeling of tension and dread, that it feels like watching a car crash. You don't want to look, but your eyes are drawn to the screen. Each second that passes as the camera slowly moves through the carnage, the dread builds. I'm going to be honest, when the camera reveals (spoiler) my stomach actually dropped. Easily the most disturbing and sad part of the movie.
The characters have a lot more depth than I expected, and the story would not have worked nearly as well as it did if the characters weren't so well done. But not every character is amazing, as I do have some flaws with some of the characters. Emerald is a very entertaining character, and her dynamic with AJ is incredible. They radiate off of each other really well, but I think that their energy wasn't utilized enough. Steven Yeun's character, Ricky, is a tragic character that has a good spot in the story, but isn't utilized enough imo. I think AJ has alot of depth, and his character was interesting, but I'm going to be honest, I just wish he showed more emotion. Don't get me wrong, Daniel Kaluuya is a FANTASTIC actor, but I think his character was written as too heroic and bold. He doesn't really show any emotions, but when he does, it is easily the most entertaining moments with his character. But even with that said, I became very attached to him and every character. Angel was funny, but served a lot to the plot. Antlers Host (crazy character name frfr) was likeable, but I wish we knew more about him, and he felt as a plot device, and nothing more.
The acting is fantastic. Everyone seemed to put their all into the characters they were playing, and it shows. Some of the standouts are, as I said, Daniel Kaluuya, and Keke Palmer. Keke Palmer breathes so much life into her character, and she shines. Brandon Perea was also great, especially considering he has not been in many movies.
I'm going to be honest. While I thought Get Out was amazing, I never found Jordan Peele's camerawork to be standout. He wasn't bad, not even close, but none of his work was very unique or special, in my opinion. But he seems to have a talent in directing larger scale movies. I say this because the direction and cinematography in Nope is fantastic. The atmosphere is great, and the UFO design is AWESOME and is INCREDIBLY unique. Some of the shots in Nope are just jaw-dropping. Some of are beautiful and haunting at the same time. The soundtrack is also great, and adds a lot to the film as a whole.
As I reach the end of this overly long review, I will say that my faith in Jordan Peele has been restored. I highly anticipate his next film, and I hope it is as good as this. While they are both very close in quality, I think this was better than Get Out, and obviously better than Us. I do understand why this is somewhat divisive as some moments may seem weird (Gordy and the Motorcyclist) but I do highly recommend this.
As always, I'll start out with the plot. The story follows two siblings, OJ, and Emerald. They eventually figure out that a UFO dwells above their ranch, and they decide that they want to get 4K footage of the UFO, for money. That's the plot, and I think even on paper it is a really interesting plot. The story has some nice twists and turns, and overall stays interesting throughout its 130 minute long runtime, which is long for a horror movie. But, Nope isn't a full horror movie, and I think anyone could figure that out by watching the second trailer, even though the first trailer advertises as this as a horror film, but in fact, it is a horror comedy. Get Out had some humor, Us had too much humor, and couldn't figure out which genre it wanted to be, but Nope is able to stay tense (and quite frankly, really disturbing), but has genuinely funny comedic moments. But the story never sacrifices important plot moments or character development for the sake of a funny joke here and there. While I think the story has, honestly close to no flaws, I do have one problem, and that is referring to the Gordy subplot. Yes, I can understand that the Gordy subplot connects to the overall story/message, but I just wish it didn't feel out of place.
While I do believe the Gordy subplot is out of place, I need to give it praise. The way the flashback is shot is amazing. It creates such a strong feeling of tension and dread, that it feels like watching a car crash. You don't want to look, but your eyes are drawn to the screen. Each second that passes as the camera slowly moves through the carnage, the dread builds. I'm going to be honest, when the camera reveals (spoiler) my stomach actually dropped. Easily the most disturbing and sad part of the movie.
The characters have a lot more depth than I expected, and the story would not have worked nearly as well as it did if the characters weren't so well done. But not every character is amazing, as I do have some flaws with some of the characters. Emerald is a very entertaining character, and her dynamic with AJ is incredible. They radiate off of each other really well, but I think that their energy wasn't utilized enough. Steven Yeun's character, Ricky, is a tragic character that has a good spot in the story, but isn't utilized enough imo. I think AJ has alot of depth, and his character was interesting, but I'm going to be honest, I just wish he showed more emotion. Don't get me wrong, Daniel Kaluuya is a FANTASTIC actor, but I think his character was written as too heroic and bold. He doesn't really show any emotions, but when he does, it is easily the most entertaining moments with his character. But even with that said, I became very attached to him and every character. Angel was funny, but served a lot to the plot. Antlers Host (crazy character name frfr) was likeable, but I wish we knew more about him, and he felt as a plot device, and nothing more.
The acting is fantastic. Everyone seemed to put their all into the characters they were playing, and it shows. Some of the standouts are, as I said, Daniel Kaluuya, and Keke Palmer. Keke Palmer breathes so much life into her character, and she shines. Brandon Perea was also great, especially considering he has not been in many movies.
I'm going to be honest. While I thought Get Out was amazing, I never found Jordan Peele's camerawork to be standout. He wasn't bad, not even close, but none of his work was very unique or special, in my opinion. But he seems to have a talent in directing larger scale movies. I say this because the direction and cinematography in Nope is fantastic. The atmosphere is great, and the UFO design is AWESOME and is INCREDIBLY unique. Some of the shots in Nope are just jaw-dropping. Some of are beautiful and haunting at the same time. The soundtrack is also great, and adds a lot to the film as a whole.
As I reach the end of this overly long review, I will say that my faith in Jordan Peele has been restored. I highly anticipate his next film, and I hope it is as good as this. While they are both very close in quality, I think this was better than Get Out, and obviously better than Us. I do understand why this is somewhat divisive as some moments may seem weird (Gordy and the Motorcyclist) but I do highly recommend this.
Blade Runner 2049
(2017)
One of the Best Movies of the Last Decade
13 January 2023
I said I was going to make my longer review, so here we are. As always, I'll start with my expectations. They were mixed. Blade Runner 2049 looked amazing from the trailers and gets great reviews, which automatically means I would have pretty high expectations right? Well, at first, yes, but they got lower after I watched the first Blade Runner, which as some of you may know, I didn't like. I was concerned that this would be pretty similar to the original in terms of storytelling, characters, etc, but luckily, as you can guess, that wasn't the case. Now, with me stating my expectations out of the way, I can safely move onto the review.
I'll start with the story. I can describe the story in one word, and I think that would be suitable enough. That one word would be, "Wow." And not "Wow" as in that was really bad, but "Wow" that was REALLY good. From the opening alone I knew I was in for a treat. Normally, I prefer faster paced movies, but if a movie can keep entertained for nearly 3 hours, and have almost all of that be story, that's an accomplishment. I was never bored. Every scene felt meaningful, and the times where the story wasn't *directly* progressing, Blade Runner 2049 immerses you into its world. I guess I could give the basic plot because that's what most reviews do (I think). The plot follows a Blade Runner known as K, who discovers a secret about Replicants, which he must keep a secret, and this secret leads to him needing to find an older Blade Runner, known as Deckard. The plot seems simple enough, and it *kind of* is. But the presentation of the story is far from simple. The biggest reason for that is the characters, but it ain't time to talk about them yet. My favorite part about the story is that, if you've seen the first, you will get INSTANTLY hooked once it gets going. I found myself genuinely interested with how the story was going to end. While most movies are good at this, I found Blade Runner 2049 hooking me in the best, which is especially surprising considering I didn't like the original. I can't talk too much about the story due to spoilers, so I'll start talking about the characters.
The characters are what boost the story from simple to complex. K is a very interesting protagonist who is very likeable, and has tons of depth. You'll be second guessing his past from the start to the end, and he is a very emotionally deep character. There is so much to unpack with his character that I obviously can't cover in this review, but I think he is incredibly well written, and he has an amazing character arc throughout the film. Another thing that adds a lot to K's character is his relationship with well.... An ai named Joi. The way you see him get attached to her so much throughout the story is just sad, but I think it adds so much to his character. The other important character is Deckard. I'll be honest, I found him to be like how he was in the original, and I'll describe that with one word, boring. That is probably controversial but that's just how I view his character, and he doesn't do much here to change that, but considering how he isn't in the film that much, I can't necessarily say I expected much more, but he is still entertaining at times, and he isn't that dislikable. Now the villains are an interesting topic, so I'll give them their own short paragraph.
I found the villains of the original to be pretty bad. I just didn't like them, and I didn't think they were interesting. Now, I do think they are better in Blade Runner 2049, but I'm just starting to wonder if villains just aren't the strong suit of the Blade Runner movies. The reason for that is I felt the villains here weren't the most interesting either. Luv had some interesting moments, and I do think there are some more complex parts to her character than it seems, but I just found her to be uninteresting. Great performance, but nothing else is great. The second villain, Wallace, is.. Eh. I don't even think I can really call him a villain considering how probably has only 5 minutes of screentime, which is why I find it weird that they put him on the poster, but that's not necessary to talk about. I think Jared Leto played him very well, and I wish he was in the film more, but I guess he is just a villain that's presence is meant to be felt throughout the entire movie, which it is, but I wish he had more screentime and was more interesting. So overall, I didn't think the villains were that good.
Now I'll talk about the cinematography. The cinematography is jaw-dropping. I agree with the statement that almost every shot can be framed. The lightning, atmosphere, mix of colors, and more are all just perfection, and this might be the best looking movie I've ever seen. The visuals help create a similar atmosphere to the first, but without sacrificing any bits of story for it. The atmosphere is cold and depressing, but fits the story.
Now I'll talk about the acting. Every bit of acting is amazing. Harrison Ford's performance as Deckard is really good, I just still think Deckard is a boring character, Ryan Gosling as K is phenomenal, and I see a lot of people saying Ryan Gosling is a bad actor, and if you still think that after seeing this movie, I can't help you. Ana de Armas is great at playing a fake woman, Sylvia Hoeks is great as Luv, and brought a lot more to her character, Jared Leto is also great too (much better than his performance in Morbius).
The final thing I'll bring up is the soundtrack. The soundtrack is (just like everything else) amazing. It ranges from somewhat calming to downright haunting near the end. The range is great, and it complements the set design and cinematography so much. Just amazing.
I know I kind of sped up the final topics of my review compared to the start, but these take a long time to write, and I got stuff to do, so I'll wrap this up. For me, blade Runner 2049 surpasses the original in everyway, and is one of the best movies I've ever seen. Of course does this mean it's my favorite, no, but no doubt will I remember this movie for a long time. I think this is a must-watch if you've seen the original. One disclaimer I'll give though, even if I didn't like the first Blade Runner, Blade Runner 2049 won't hit nearly as hard if you haven't seen the original, so go watch that first.
I'll start with the story. I can describe the story in one word, and I think that would be suitable enough. That one word would be, "Wow." And not "Wow" as in that was really bad, but "Wow" that was REALLY good. From the opening alone I knew I was in for a treat. Normally, I prefer faster paced movies, but if a movie can keep entertained for nearly 3 hours, and have almost all of that be story, that's an accomplishment. I was never bored. Every scene felt meaningful, and the times where the story wasn't *directly* progressing, Blade Runner 2049 immerses you into its world. I guess I could give the basic plot because that's what most reviews do (I think). The plot follows a Blade Runner known as K, who discovers a secret about Replicants, which he must keep a secret, and this secret leads to him needing to find an older Blade Runner, known as Deckard. The plot seems simple enough, and it *kind of* is. But the presentation of the story is far from simple. The biggest reason for that is the characters, but it ain't time to talk about them yet. My favorite part about the story is that, if you've seen the first, you will get INSTANTLY hooked once it gets going. I found myself genuinely interested with how the story was going to end. While most movies are good at this, I found Blade Runner 2049 hooking me in the best, which is especially surprising considering I didn't like the original. I can't talk too much about the story due to spoilers, so I'll start talking about the characters.
The characters are what boost the story from simple to complex. K is a very interesting protagonist who is very likeable, and has tons of depth. You'll be second guessing his past from the start to the end, and he is a very emotionally deep character. There is so much to unpack with his character that I obviously can't cover in this review, but I think he is incredibly well written, and he has an amazing character arc throughout the film. Another thing that adds a lot to K's character is his relationship with well.... An ai named Joi. The way you see him get attached to her so much throughout the story is just sad, but I think it adds so much to his character. The other important character is Deckard. I'll be honest, I found him to be like how he was in the original, and I'll describe that with one word, boring. That is probably controversial but that's just how I view his character, and he doesn't do much here to change that, but considering how he isn't in the film that much, I can't necessarily say I expected much more, but he is still entertaining at times, and he isn't that dislikable. Now the villains are an interesting topic, so I'll give them their own short paragraph.
I found the villains of the original to be pretty bad. I just didn't like them, and I didn't think they were interesting. Now, I do think they are better in Blade Runner 2049, but I'm just starting to wonder if villains just aren't the strong suit of the Blade Runner movies. The reason for that is I felt the villains here weren't the most interesting either. Luv had some interesting moments, and I do think there are some more complex parts to her character than it seems, but I just found her to be uninteresting. Great performance, but nothing else is great. The second villain, Wallace, is.. Eh. I don't even think I can really call him a villain considering how probably has only 5 minutes of screentime, which is why I find it weird that they put him on the poster, but that's not necessary to talk about. I think Jared Leto played him very well, and I wish he was in the film more, but I guess he is just a villain that's presence is meant to be felt throughout the entire movie, which it is, but I wish he had more screentime and was more interesting. So overall, I didn't think the villains were that good.
Now I'll talk about the cinematography. The cinematography is jaw-dropping. I agree with the statement that almost every shot can be framed. The lightning, atmosphere, mix of colors, and more are all just perfection, and this might be the best looking movie I've ever seen. The visuals help create a similar atmosphere to the first, but without sacrificing any bits of story for it. The atmosphere is cold and depressing, but fits the story.
Now I'll talk about the acting. Every bit of acting is amazing. Harrison Ford's performance as Deckard is really good, I just still think Deckard is a boring character, Ryan Gosling as K is phenomenal, and I see a lot of people saying Ryan Gosling is a bad actor, and if you still think that after seeing this movie, I can't help you. Ana de Armas is great at playing a fake woman, Sylvia Hoeks is great as Luv, and brought a lot more to her character, Jared Leto is also great too (much better than his performance in Morbius).
The final thing I'll bring up is the soundtrack. The soundtrack is (just like everything else) amazing. It ranges from somewhat calming to downright haunting near the end. The range is great, and it complements the set design and cinematography so much. Just amazing.
I know I kind of sped up the final topics of my review compared to the start, but these take a long time to write, and I got stuff to do, so I'll wrap this up. For me, blade Runner 2049 surpasses the original in everyway, and is one of the best movies I've ever seen. Of course does this mean it's my favorite, no, but no doubt will I remember this movie for a long time. I think this is a must-watch if you've seen the original. One disclaimer I'll give though, even if I didn't like the first Blade Runner, Blade Runner 2049 won't hit nearly as hard if you haven't seen the original, so go watch that first.
Blade Runner
(1982)
A Classic, but I didn't Like It
5 January 2023
It's late so I'm not gonna make my long review right now, but wow this was underwhelming.
Okay, long review time. So I'll admit, I think my opinion of Blade Runner is swayed by the fact that my expectations were so high, but can you blame me? Everyone says this is one of the best sci-fi movies of all time. I see that opinion everywhere, and it became the point where I viewed this as required viewing for a movie fan, which is why I watched it. Now with that aside, I want to say some stuff before I actually get into the review. First, wow this is easily going to be my most controversial Letterboxd review yet, and I don't think that it is even close. I will say that I have the concerns that I'm not fulling grasping the meaning of Blade Runner, so just in case, I'm going to review this at a base level. Just from my opinion and what I thought of the story, characters, etc. Alright, now let's talk about the story.
The story is a mixed bag for me. A part of me really likes the basic premise and I think the idea of replicants and Blade Runners is really cool, but the other part of me doesn't really like the execution. There was a lot of promise at the start, and the story didn't go how I expected, which is fine, but where it went was.... Not what I would say I enjoyed. Some of the stuff I didn't like was how insignificant the replicants felt. They all went down so easily, and I expected more. Now I like slow movies, but I think Blade Runner moves too slow for its own good. The time it spends not progressing the plot, it spends creating a fantastic atmosphere and sets up the world, but I think it spends too much time doing this. The build up for each big plot is long, but the payoff never delivers. Some scenes are no doubt great, with my favorite scene in the movie being Roy meeting Dr. Tyrell. Great tension with great payoff, but that is the only scene I can say was tense. I found myself not caring what happened to the characters, and I think the reason for that is I don't think any of the characters are particularly good.
I wish the characters were better. Maybe they are more complex and in-depth than I think, but even if I'm just not understanding the characters, I doubt understanding them would change the fact that I didn't care for a single one, and that might be why I was uninterested in the story. Deckard was entertaining enough at first, but him basically sexually assaulting Rachael made his character just downright unlikeable. It didn't help that he had nothing else going for him. I liked Roy as a villain at first, and actually found him interesting, but he felt like an entirely different character at the climax (wtf was up with him howling and stuff), and that just killed his character for me. Rachael was interesting with the fact she was a replicant, but other than that, I formed no emotional connection with her. The other characters were just bland and uninteresting.
I feel like I've only been negative this entire time, so I'll talk about the part I REALLY like. The cinematography is amazing. The atmosphere is unmatched and the visuals are stunning, especially for when it came out. L. A. Looks very unique, and *very* clearly its design impacted the sci-fi genre ever since Blade Runner first released. Not only was the cinematography amazing, so was the sound design. Every little aspect of L. A. and the actions within sounded so real, not in the sense of realism. I don't really know how to describe it, but it sounded great.
The acting was good. I found Harrison Ford's acting to be a little bland, but everyone else was pretty good. Even if I found his character questionable at the end, Roy's acting was great, and was one of the reasons I was so interested in his character at the start.
Honestly, I don't hate Blade Runner, I just didn't like it, which is dissapointing considering how highly praised it is, but I do think this is essential viewing for movie fans considering how important it was for the sci-fi genre.
Okay, long review time. So I'll admit, I think my opinion of Blade Runner is swayed by the fact that my expectations were so high, but can you blame me? Everyone says this is one of the best sci-fi movies of all time. I see that opinion everywhere, and it became the point where I viewed this as required viewing for a movie fan, which is why I watched it. Now with that aside, I want to say some stuff before I actually get into the review. First, wow this is easily going to be my most controversial Letterboxd review yet, and I don't think that it is even close. I will say that I have the concerns that I'm not fulling grasping the meaning of Blade Runner, so just in case, I'm going to review this at a base level. Just from my opinion and what I thought of the story, characters, etc. Alright, now let's talk about the story.
The story is a mixed bag for me. A part of me really likes the basic premise and I think the idea of replicants and Blade Runners is really cool, but the other part of me doesn't really like the execution. There was a lot of promise at the start, and the story didn't go how I expected, which is fine, but where it went was.... Not what I would say I enjoyed. Some of the stuff I didn't like was how insignificant the replicants felt. They all went down so easily, and I expected more. Now I like slow movies, but I think Blade Runner moves too slow for its own good. The time it spends not progressing the plot, it spends creating a fantastic atmosphere and sets up the world, but I think it spends too much time doing this. The build up for each big plot is long, but the payoff never delivers. Some scenes are no doubt great, with my favorite scene in the movie being Roy meeting Dr. Tyrell. Great tension with great payoff, but that is the only scene I can say was tense. I found myself not caring what happened to the characters, and I think the reason for that is I don't think any of the characters are particularly good.
I wish the characters were better. Maybe they are more complex and in-depth than I think, but even if I'm just not understanding the characters, I doubt understanding them would change the fact that I didn't care for a single one, and that might be why I was uninterested in the story. Deckard was entertaining enough at first, but him basically sexually assaulting Rachael made his character just downright unlikeable. It didn't help that he had nothing else going for him. I liked Roy as a villain at first, and actually found him interesting, but he felt like an entirely different character at the climax (wtf was up with him howling and stuff), and that just killed his character for me. Rachael was interesting with the fact she was a replicant, but other than that, I formed no emotional connection with her. The other characters were just bland and uninteresting.
I feel like I've only been negative this entire time, so I'll talk about the part I REALLY like. The cinematography is amazing. The atmosphere is unmatched and the visuals are stunning, especially for when it came out. L. A. Looks very unique, and *very* clearly its design impacted the sci-fi genre ever since Blade Runner first released. Not only was the cinematography amazing, so was the sound design. Every little aspect of L. A. and the actions within sounded so real, not in the sense of realism. I don't really know how to describe it, but it sounded great.
The acting was good. I found Harrison Ford's acting to be a little bland, but everyone else was pretty good. Even if I found his character questionable at the end, Roy's acting was great, and was one of the reasons I was so interested in his character at the start.
Honestly, I don't hate Blade Runner, I just didn't like it, which is dissapointing considering how highly praised it is, but I do think this is essential viewing for movie fans considering how important it was for the sci-fi genre.
Bullet Train
(2022)
One of the Best Movies of 2022
26 December 2022
Pros and Cons at the end if you want to skip the actual review!
After seeing this 2 times, and I can confidently say this is one of the best movies of 2022. And to be honest, I did not think I was going to be this good, and I'm disappointed I didn't see this in theaters when I had the chance. From the looks of the trailer, Bullet Train just looks like a somewhat generic action movie that will suffice some entertainment, but the story is, shockingly, much more complex. So I guess let's talk about it (Youtube level transitions lmao)
The story in Bullet Train is so much more than it seems, and you start to recognize that at the beginning of the movie. The setup provides enough information to get you interested but doesn't overwhelm you. And for only being two hours, Bullet Train takes its time when adding plot points to the story. While some character arrivals may seem out of place at first (The Wolf) it really comes together at the end and everything starts to make sense. I think the strongest part of the story is the twist at the end. I was not expecting this to have any kind of twists, but I was proven wrong as we got multiple smaller twists throughout the entire movie, but even with all of those, I did not expect such a big twist. And a movie having a twist does not automatically mean the twist is good, obviously, but I can safely say that the twist in Bullet Train is very well done, and makes so many things make more sense in a satisfying and creative way. Another thing that makes the story so good are the characters.
Each character, even the ones with little screentime, all have something going for them. It helps that almost every single character gets their backstory when they are introduced and that quickly creates something that makes their character unique, right off the bat. But some characters are just so much better than the others, and I think anyone who has seen Bullet Train knows exactly who I'm talking about. Lemon and Tangerine are easily the best characters, and they add so much to the movie. They provide tons of comedic relief but also add emotional moments, and their characters aren't just meant to be funny. They actually have some nice depth to them that just makes them more likeable, and that is much appreciated. Brad Pitt's character, also known as "Ladybug" is quite good too. I feel like he didn't have as much depth as the other characters, but he was still likeable and was really funny. One thing I find interesting is that Brad Pitt was advertised as the main character, but honestly, everyone feels like the main character here, not just him. And Bullet Train has 2 great villains, The White Death (who I'll talk about soon) and The Prince. The Prince, at least for me, was very unique with how they were written. They were also really unlikable, but still very entertaining to watch, and an unlikable villain is not a bad thing. The White Death is also a badass character, and even though he doesn't have much screentime, I like how his presence is always there throughout the movie.
Before talking about the acting, I want to talk about the action and directing. The action isn't anything superb. BUT they made great use out of the fact that the entire movie takes place on a train, and the hand to hand combat was well choreographed. Considering the director of Bullet Train directed Hobbs and Shaw, and Deadpool 2, it was interesting watching him take on something that was a bit smaller scale. And while I think his larger scale action is better, he still clearly has talent in this department. The Hornet fight, and The Wolf fight are standouts when it comes to the hand to hand fighting, but the climax is easily the best when it comes to the action. The directing is also great. The neon lights pop, the clean colors and design of the Bullet Train add to the atmosphere and make every scene pleasing to the eyes.
I talked so much about the characters, but not the acting, which is weird considering acting is probably the most important part to a character. An amazing actor and help remove the viewer's attention away from the character's flaws, in terms of writing (Thanos), but a bad actor can make the audience ignore how well written a character is and instead talk about how bad the character was. But luckily the acting here is fantastic. I think the standouts here are Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Tangerine, and Joey King as the prince. Both of them add so much to their characters. I also really liked Hiroyuki Sanada's performance as the Elder, but I might be a bit biased because Ryuji is my favorite horror movie character. But there are no bad roles, and I would say every performance was above average.
Now this is where more pros, and some cons come in. The climax. I loved the climax but didn't like the climax of the climax. I think the fight with the White Death is great, and something hits different about a katana fight on a bullet train while a Japanese cover of "I need a hero" is playing. The entire climax is very well shot and entertaining. The fighting is great, it has a lot of blood, and the twists, like I said earlier, are great. My problems with it are I think it goes on for too long at the end, and the jokes they put in there aren't that funny, and I think the slow-mo scene of *spoiler* looked a bit ugly and was unnecessary, but other than that, the climax is great. The last thing I'm going to talk about is the soundtrack. I LOVE the soundtrack. The Japanese covers of famous song was a nice detail, and also sounded great, and the theme that plays for the White Death is great too. I didn't expect this to have such a good soundtrack, but it having a goo soundtrack was a welcome surprise.
I think the chance of anyone reading this whole review is close to zero, and I can't blame them, but as we reach the end of this review, there is a chance that someone skipped to my final paragraph, and for that, I will end a pros and cons here:
Pros: Great action, amazing acting, very well written story, super well shot, well paced, and a shockingly good soundtrack.
Cons: The climax fumbles a little bit.
Overall, an amazing movie, and I'm happy that I'm reviewing this after such a long break from actual reviews.
After seeing this 2 times, and I can confidently say this is one of the best movies of 2022. And to be honest, I did not think I was going to be this good, and I'm disappointed I didn't see this in theaters when I had the chance. From the looks of the trailer, Bullet Train just looks like a somewhat generic action movie that will suffice some entertainment, but the story is, shockingly, much more complex. So I guess let's talk about it (Youtube level transitions lmao)
The story in Bullet Train is so much more than it seems, and you start to recognize that at the beginning of the movie. The setup provides enough information to get you interested but doesn't overwhelm you. And for only being two hours, Bullet Train takes its time when adding plot points to the story. While some character arrivals may seem out of place at first (The Wolf) it really comes together at the end and everything starts to make sense. I think the strongest part of the story is the twist at the end. I was not expecting this to have any kind of twists, but I was proven wrong as we got multiple smaller twists throughout the entire movie, but even with all of those, I did not expect such a big twist. And a movie having a twist does not automatically mean the twist is good, obviously, but I can safely say that the twist in Bullet Train is very well done, and makes so many things make more sense in a satisfying and creative way. Another thing that makes the story so good are the characters.
Each character, even the ones with little screentime, all have something going for them. It helps that almost every single character gets their backstory when they are introduced and that quickly creates something that makes their character unique, right off the bat. But some characters are just so much better than the others, and I think anyone who has seen Bullet Train knows exactly who I'm talking about. Lemon and Tangerine are easily the best characters, and they add so much to the movie. They provide tons of comedic relief but also add emotional moments, and their characters aren't just meant to be funny. They actually have some nice depth to them that just makes them more likeable, and that is much appreciated. Brad Pitt's character, also known as "Ladybug" is quite good too. I feel like he didn't have as much depth as the other characters, but he was still likeable and was really funny. One thing I find interesting is that Brad Pitt was advertised as the main character, but honestly, everyone feels like the main character here, not just him. And Bullet Train has 2 great villains, The White Death (who I'll talk about soon) and The Prince. The Prince, at least for me, was very unique with how they were written. They were also really unlikable, but still very entertaining to watch, and an unlikable villain is not a bad thing. The White Death is also a badass character, and even though he doesn't have much screentime, I like how his presence is always there throughout the movie.
Before talking about the acting, I want to talk about the action and directing. The action isn't anything superb. BUT they made great use out of the fact that the entire movie takes place on a train, and the hand to hand combat was well choreographed. Considering the director of Bullet Train directed Hobbs and Shaw, and Deadpool 2, it was interesting watching him take on something that was a bit smaller scale. And while I think his larger scale action is better, he still clearly has talent in this department. The Hornet fight, and The Wolf fight are standouts when it comes to the hand to hand fighting, but the climax is easily the best when it comes to the action. The directing is also great. The neon lights pop, the clean colors and design of the Bullet Train add to the atmosphere and make every scene pleasing to the eyes.
I talked so much about the characters, but not the acting, which is weird considering acting is probably the most important part to a character. An amazing actor and help remove the viewer's attention away from the character's flaws, in terms of writing (Thanos), but a bad actor can make the audience ignore how well written a character is and instead talk about how bad the character was. But luckily the acting here is fantastic. I think the standouts here are Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Tangerine, and Joey King as the prince. Both of them add so much to their characters. I also really liked Hiroyuki Sanada's performance as the Elder, but I might be a bit biased because Ryuji is my favorite horror movie character. But there are no bad roles, and I would say every performance was above average.
Now this is where more pros, and some cons come in. The climax. I loved the climax but didn't like the climax of the climax. I think the fight with the White Death is great, and something hits different about a katana fight on a bullet train while a Japanese cover of "I need a hero" is playing. The entire climax is very well shot and entertaining. The fighting is great, it has a lot of blood, and the twists, like I said earlier, are great. My problems with it are I think it goes on for too long at the end, and the jokes they put in there aren't that funny, and I think the slow-mo scene of *spoiler* looked a bit ugly and was unnecessary, but other than that, the climax is great. The last thing I'm going to talk about is the soundtrack. I LOVE the soundtrack. The Japanese covers of famous song was a nice detail, and also sounded great, and the theme that plays for the White Death is great too. I didn't expect this to have such a good soundtrack, but it having a goo soundtrack was a welcome surprise.
I think the chance of anyone reading this whole review is close to zero, and I can't blame them, but as we reach the end of this review, there is a chance that someone skipped to my final paragraph, and for that, I will end a pros and cons here:
Pros: Great action, amazing acting, very well written story, super well shot, well paced, and a shockingly good soundtrack.
Cons: The climax fumbles a little bit.
Overall, an amazing movie, and I'm happy that I'm reviewing this after such a long break from actual reviews.
Black Christmas
(1974)
A Mustwatch Classic
2 December 2022
So, for my expectations going into this, I didn't know what to expect, but I knew my expectations were high. I heard so many good things about Black Christmas that I hoped it would be at least good. Aside from knowing the general plot and knowing what happens in the 2006, and 2019 remakes (watched the killcounts) I had no clue what was going to happen in the story, and I'm happy I didn't know much, because the story here is very unpredictable, but I'll get more into that soon. So, all in all, my expectations were high, but not unreasonably high. Luckily, I can safely say that Black Christmas succeeded by expectations greatly.
The plot for Black Christmas is basic, no doubt, but nonetheless, is still very effective. The basic plot is that a sorority house gets creepy and obscene phone calls while one the members of said sorority goes missing. Sounds pretty basic right? Well, that's because it is, but as I say every time I review a movie with a basic plot, a simple plot does not immediately equal bad or uninteresting. While I tend to enjoy movies that have more complex plots, I don't instantly dislike a movie if the story is simple. Black Christmas utilizes its simple story and creates an incredibly effective psychological thriller with it. Black Christmas does a great job at showing what the main characters are doing, and what the Caller is doing, and doing this creates a extremely strong sense of paranoia, which will stick with the viewer until the movie ends. I'll say this now, I don't count Black Christmas as a horror movie, or a slasher, which is how many people think of it when they hear the name "Black Christmas". But the phone calls are genuinely disturbing and haunting. The phone calls are spread out through the movie, which creates a sense of dread every time that damn phone rings. Each phone call is mentally taxing and by doing this, the viewer can relate to the main character, Jess, and understand they're point of view of the situation. The ending is the part I'm most mixed on, but it didn't ruin it for me, or even make me take off any points. I like the mystery and the fact that they never explain who the Caller is, but I would have liked to have known what went down at the end. We are left to wonder what happened, and I don't know if I like that, especially when you put that on top of the fact that the Caller's identity remains unknown. While the latter part isn't bad, mixing the two unknown aspects just feels like they didn't want to bother with answering questions, but this is a nitpick for me.
The characters are some of the best I've seen in this genre. Everyone is likeable (aside from Barb) and, unlike most thrillers/slashers, you don't care if someone dies because everyone, aside from the final girl, is always a bad person in someway. But even the side characters I didn't want to die. And Jess was a great final girl, who felt very realistic and was easy to root for throughout the movie. A praise I can give for every character, likeable or not, is the fact that everyone feels so realistic and down to earth. All the decisions made feel real and like what the characters in this situation would actually do. I also have to give the writer praise, the way comedy relief is woven into the story is buttery smooth. The comedy relief doesn't feel out of place or unfunny, almost every joke lands, and even when it doesn't, it doesn't come off as desperate or cringeworthy. Imagine if when Jess hangs up the phone after an obscene phone call, she says, "So, that just happened." Man that would be terrible but also so funny.
The cinematography is amazing. Even Black Christmas is 48 years old, it still holds up visually. I don't think I was watching a remastered version or anything like that, the entire atmosphere starts off feeling cozy and Christmassy, but soon devolves into paranoia, fear, and an overall feeling of feeling unsafe. Aside from the great atmosphere, most of the shots just look good. I love the first person shots with the Caller.
Even though the cinematography still holds up, what about some other aspects? Starting off with the acting. A movie like this, you would expect to have bad acting. A low budget horror film from the early 70s? That doesn't sound like it will end well, but wow, the acting here is actually really good! There were no bad performances, and while the characters were written realistically, the actors also played them incredibly well, and helped bring out that writing. The only part that doesn't hold up as well, but also does at the same time, is the sound design. I LOVE the sound design. The creaking of the house, the slamming of the doors, just everything, but you can tell the movie is old when you hear the sound design. Lots of sounds sound edited in, and you can tell because the sounds that aren't edited in, suddenly become quiet and then become loud again. This isn't too common though and does not take away from the experience.
Overall, I loved Black Christmas. A classic for sure, and a masterpiece in tension. So many scenes had me on the edge of my seat, which a lot of movies can't do to me. I do agree that this is a Christmas movie and Halloween movie at the same time. I think the rewatch value here is high because I already feel like I could rewatch it. I highly recommend you check this out. Especially if you are a big horror fan because this is basically a must watch, but it's also great for those who are new to horror, or just like watching a horror movie every now and then.
The plot for Black Christmas is basic, no doubt, but nonetheless, is still very effective. The basic plot is that a sorority house gets creepy and obscene phone calls while one the members of said sorority goes missing. Sounds pretty basic right? Well, that's because it is, but as I say every time I review a movie with a basic plot, a simple plot does not immediately equal bad or uninteresting. While I tend to enjoy movies that have more complex plots, I don't instantly dislike a movie if the story is simple. Black Christmas utilizes its simple story and creates an incredibly effective psychological thriller with it. Black Christmas does a great job at showing what the main characters are doing, and what the Caller is doing, and doing this creates a extremely strong sense of paranoia, which will stick with the viewer until the movie ends. I'll say this now, I don't count Black Christmas as a horror movie, or a slasher, which is how many people think of it when they hear the name "Black Christmas". But the phone calls are genuinely disturbing and haunting. The phone calls are spread out through the movie, which creates a sense of dread every time that damn phone rings. Each phone call is mentally taxing and by doing this, the viewer can relate to the main character, Jess, and understand they're point of view of the situation. The ending is the part I'm most mixed on, but it didn't ruin it for me, or even make me take off any points. I like the mystery and the fact that they never explain who the Caller is, but I would have liked to have known what went down at the end. We are left to wonder what happened, and I don't know if I like that, especially when you put that on top of the fact that the Caller's identity remains unknown. While the latter part isn't bad, mixing the two unknown aspects just feels like they didn't want to bother with answering questions, but this is a nitpick for me.
The characters are some of the best I've seen in this genre. Everyone is likeable (aside from Barb) and, unlike most thrillers/slashers, you don't care if someone dies because everyone, aside from the final girl, is always a bad person in someway. But even the side characters I didn't want to die. And Jess was a great final girl, who felt very realistic and was easy to root for throughout the movie. A praise I can give for every character, likeable or not, is the fact that everyone feels so realistic and down to earth. All the decisions made feel real and like what the characters in this situation would actually do. I also have to give the writer praise, the way comedy relief is woven into the story is buttery smooth. The comedy relief doesn't feel out of place or unfunny, almost every joke lands, and even when it doesn't, it doesn't come off as desperate or cringeworthy. Imagine if when Jess hangs up the phone after an obscene phone call, she says, "So, that just happened." Man that would be terrible but also so funny.
The cinematography is amazing. Even Black Christmas is 48 years old, it still holds up visually. I don't think I was watching a remastered version or anything like that, the entire atmosphere starts off feeling cozy and Christmassy, but soon devolves into paranoia, fear, and an overall feeling of feeling unsafe. Aside from the great atmosphere, most of the shots just look good. I love the first person shots with the Caller.
Even though the cinematography still holds up, what about some other aspects? Starting off with the acting. A movie like this, you would expect to have bad acting. A low budget horror film from the early 70s? That doesn't sound like it will end well, but wow, the acting here is actually really good! There were no bad performances, and while the characters were written realistically, the actors also played them incredibly well, and helped bring out that writing. The only part that doesn't hold up as well, but also does at the same time, is the sound design. I LOVE the sound design. The creaking of the house, the slamming of the doors, just everything, but you can tell the movie is old when you hear the sound design. Lots of sounds sound edited in, and you can tell because the sounds that aren't edited in, suddenly become quiet and then become loud again. This isn't too common though and does not take away from the experience.
Overall, I loved Black Christmas. A classic for sure, and a masterpiece in tension. So many scenes had me on the edge of my seat, which a lot of movies can't do to me. I do agree that this is a Christmas movie and Halloween movie at the same time. I think the rewatch value here is high because I already feel like I could rewatch it. I highly recommend you check this out. Especially if you are a big horror fan because this is basically a must watch, but it's also great for those who are new to horror, or just like watching a horror movie every now and then.
Ringu
(1998)
A Classic that Forever Impacted the Genre
22 November 2022
So, day 4 of my Thanksgiving week movie thing. I watched this yesterday (and re-watched it today lmao). Originally I was going to watch the American version, but last second I decided I wanted to watch this version instead. I didn't really have any expectations for this to be honest. I knew it was supposed to be good, but that was it. I didn't watch any reviews or anything. I knew a good amount of the plot due to how the popular it is now, so, it was bound to happen. But wow, this was way better than I expected.
The story is incredibly strong especially for a horror movie, but this isn't much of a horror movie (more on that later), but nonetheless, the story was great. The opening hooks you instantly, and gets you wondering what's going to happen. The mystery aspect is the best part of the story. There are a lot of questions that you want to have answered, and don't worry, they get answered, but the way we reach those answers is great. The tape is genuinely creepy, and adds another layer of creepy to the atmosphere, along with more mystery. Ringu moves at a very fast pace and hits all the main plot points with efficiency, but gives you time to breath and process what's happening, and that's a strong pro. Ringu is also a movie shrouded in mystery, especially with Yoichi and his dad. But as I said before, Ringu isn't a movie that leaves many questions unanswered, nearly every question is answered, which for some movies, especially horror movies, is quite rare.
Now, this is a horror movie so how are the scares? Well, this is where I start to wonder a bit because very few scenes are actually scary, but there is still tension, lots of it. Many scenes are very tense and have you on the edge of your seat, and I appreciate that the tension comes from the fact that you are concerned with what is going to happen in the story, and not the fact that you are scared of a jumpscare or something scary happen. I wouldn't fully consider this a horror movie, but it still has some good creepy imagery, but all things considered, it's more of a mystery film.
Now, the characters. With the 90 minute runtime, Ringu successfully sets up multiple characters for us to care for and be invested in. Ryuji is a very interesting character with a good amount of depth to him, and Reiko is a likeable protagonist who may not have the most amount of depth, you still root for and don't want to see lose.
One of my other biggest praises is the cinematography. This movie is beautiful. So many shots are just serene and peaceful to look at while others are haunting and fill you with dread. The camera work is just overall very impressive. There are lots of shots that could have been done in more generic ways, but have a unique style to them that really adds to the movie. Especially the more close quarter shots, but of course, the more landscape focused shots are just as good, and are a nice feeling of peace, which is always nice to have in such a grim movie. The acting is also great. No performances are bad, and everyone seems to be trying their best, and it really shows because I found everyone to have a really good performance. The dialogue is also very realistic feeling, and is entertaining to watch. I never found there to be any lies that were cringe or out of place, or maybe just didn't land well. Overall, Ringu is an incredibly well-written movie.
I'll be honest, all I knew about the Ring movies were some snippets of the American remake and the Ringu chapter in Dead by Daylight, but this blew my expectations away. Genuinely intense at times, had a great mystery and overall fantastic story, likeable characters, who had good mystery attached to them, a nice twist at the end, and AMAZING cinematography. This is for sure a must watch for horror fans, and people new to the genre because this isn't very scary, and had a massive impact on the genre. Highly recommend!
The story is incredibly strong especially for a horror movie, but this isn't much of a horror movie (more on that later), but nonetheless, the story was great. The opening hooks you instantly, and gets you wondering what's going to happen. The mystery aspect is the best part of the story. There are a lot of questions that you want to have answered, and don't worry, they get answered, but the way we reach those answers is great. The tape is genuinely creepy, and adds another layer of creepy to the atmosphere, along with more mystery. Ringu moves at a very fast pace and hits all the main plot points with efficiency, but gives you time to breath and process what's happening, and that's a strong pro. Ringu is also a movie shrouded in mystery, especially with Yoichi and his dad. But as I said before, Ringu isn't a movie that leaves many questions unanswered, nearly every question is answered, which for some movies, especially horror movies, is quite rare.
Now, this is a horror movie so how are the scares? Well, this is where I start to wonder a bit because very few scenes are actually scary, but there is still tension, lots of it. Many scenes are very tense and have you on the edge of your seat, and I appreciate that the tension comes from the fact that you are concerned with what is going to happen in the story, and not the fact that you are scared of a jumpscare or something scary happen. I wouldn't fully consider this a horror movie, but it still has some good creepy imagery, but all things considered, it's more of a mystery film.
Now, the characters. With the 90 minute runtime, Ringu successfully sets up multiple characters for us to care for and be invested in. Ryuji is a very interesting character with a good amount of depth to him, and Reiko is a likeable protagonist who may not have the most amount of depth, you still root for and don't want to see lose.
One of my other biggest praises is the cinematography. This movie is beautiful. So many shots are just serene and peaceful to look at while others are haunting and fill you with dread. The camera work is just overall very impressive. There are lots of shots that could have been done in more generic ways, but have a unique style to them that really adds to the movie. Especially the more close quarter shots, but of course, the more landscape focused shots are just as good, and are a nice feeling of peace, which is always nice to have in such a grim movie. The acting is also great. No performances are bad, and everyone seems to be trying their best, and it really shows because I found everyone to have a really good performance. The dialogue is also very realistic feeling, and is entertaining to watch. I never found there to be any lies that were cringe or out of place, or maybe just didn't land well. Overall, Ringu is an incredibly well-written movie.
I'll be honest, all I knew about the Ring movies were some snippets of the American remake and the Ringu chapter in Dead by Daylight, but this blew my expectations away. Genuinely intense at times, had a great mystery and overall fantastic story, likeable characters, who had good mystery attached to them, a nice twist at the end, and AMAZING cinematography. This is for sure a must watch for horror fans, and people new to the genre because this isn't very scary, and had a massive impact on the genre. Highly recommend!
Lady Bird
(2017)
Holy Hell, That was Amazing
19 November 2022
So, for the week of Thanksgiving, I decided I would watch 1 movie every day starting as of now, 11/18/2022 and end it at 11/27/2022. The first movie on my watchlist was, well obviously, Lady Bird. I knew nothing of this movie until a couple of days ago. I watched the trailer, and thought it looked really good! The trailer had good jokes in it, and it looked very heartfelt. Safe to say the trailer perfectly described the movie.
The story of Lady Bird is honestly amazing and filled with emotion. The opening scene perfectly captures what the movie is going to be. The dialogue between "Lady Bird" and her mom is very entertaining and shows what their relationship is. Aside from the great opener, the rest of the story is, of course, fantastic. The simple plot of "Lady Bird" wanting to go to college in New York so she can escape Sacramento doesn't sound in depth or quite frankly, even that original, but how it is done here feels so real and touching. The entire movie felt incredibly real. Every character, piece of dialogue, character action, and plot point feels incredibly grounded and real, which I can not say about nearly any movie I have seen. It was painful, but also really entertaining seeing (I'm just going to say their actual character name at this point) Christine slowly become more troublesome to her family, and her actions slowly become more rebellious. Honestly, I hated seeing her make all the run decisions, but it worked for the movie, and honestly, I can't complain. I love how so many scenes show glimpses of how Christine loves her mom, but is unable realize those emotions (that's at least how I view it).
Honestly, the strongest point in the entire movie has to be the characters. So many of them are annoying, unlikeable, especially Christine, but I never found myself rooting against her. I wanted everything to "end happily ever after". As I said multiple times earlier in this review, every character feels incredibly real. Every time Christine argues with her mother, it feels freakishly real. The way Christine interacts with her friends also feels real. Seeing each character go through the highs and lows of the school year is very touching, especially when something goes well. That's one thing I'll say, is that Lady Bird (I'm referring to the movie now, not the character) doesn't feel like it flows like a traditional movie when it comes to pacing. Maybe I just didn't realize, but it didn't seem like it had the traditional pacing where the end of the middle act is the lowest point for the protagonist. Maybe it was, and I just didn't realize, but the entire movie has so many highs and lows that no part ever feels like the "lowest" point.
The cinematography is incredible. Lady Bird isn't a spectacle movie or anything, but the entire movie is shot in an old-school feeling way. It feels like it came from the year the movie takes place in, 2002. The colors aren't super vibrant, but aren't muted either. All colors feel very balanced with each other, and none feel brighter than others, if that makes sense. There were so many shots that just invoke so many emotions into you. Those feelings may be peace, nostalgia, or sadness.
I used the word "emotion" a lot, and the reason for that is because Lady Bird is an incredibly emotion movie. I still feels that it falls under the genre of comedy, but it borderlines drama in my opinion. I didn't cry during it, but I'd be laying if I said I didn't come close. I imagine I didn't cry at certain scenes due to me not finding this movie relatable, but that does not take away from its quality. Not at all.
So, Lady Bird is officially the first movie of Thanksgiving movie week (I made that name up on the spot) and it is a great opener. I probably was redundant in this review, and I also probably missed out on a lot things that I should have talked about, but just watch this. Please. It's amazing. Alright, time to finish this review because I feel very nauseated and have a horrible headache right now :(
The story of Lady Bird is honestly amazing and filled with emotion. The opening scene perfectly captures what the movie is going to be. The dialogue between "Lady Bird" and her mom is very entertaining and shows what their relationship is. Aside from the great opener, the rest of the story is, of course, fantastic. The simple plot of "Lady Bird" wanting to go to college in New York so she can escape Sacramento doesn't sound in depth or quite frankly, even that original, but how it is done here feels so real and touching. The entire movie felt incredibly real. Every character, piece of dialogue, character action, and plot point feels incredibly grounded and real, which I can not say about nearly any movie I have seen. It was painful, but also really entertaining seeing (I'm just going to say their actual character name at this point) Christine slowly become more troublesome to her family, and her actions slowly become more rebellious. Honestly, I hated seeing her make all the run decisions, but it worked for the movie, and honestly, I can't complain. I love how so many scenes show glimpses of how Christine loves her mom, but is unable realize those emotions (that's at least how I view it).
Honestly, the strongest point in the entire movie has to be the characters. So many of them are annoying, unlikeable, especially Christine, but I never found myself rooting against her. I wanted everything to "end happily ever after". As I said multiple times earlier in this review, every character feels incredibly real. Every time Christine argues with her mother, it feels freakishly real. The way Christine interacts with her friends also feels real. Seeing each character go through the highs and lows of the school year is very touching, especially when something goes well. That's one thing I'll say, is that Lady Bird (I'm referring to the movie now, not the character) doesn't feel like it flows like a traditional movie when it comes to pacing. Maybe I just didn't realize, but it didn't seem like it had the traditional pacing where the end of the middle act is the lowest point for the protagonist. Maybe it was, and I just didn't realize, but the entire movie has so many highs and lows that no part ever feels like the "lowest" point.
The cinematography is incredible. Lady Bird isn't a spectacle movie or anything, but the entire movie is shot in an old-school feeling way. It feels like it came from the year the movie takes place in, 2002. The colors aren't super vibrant, but aren't muted either. All colors feel very balanced with each other, and none feel brighter than others, if that makes sense. There were so many shots that just invoke so many emotions into you. Those feelings may be peace, nostalgia, or sadness.
I used the word "emotion" a lot, and the reason for that is because Lady Bird is an incredibly emotion movie. I still feels that it falls under the genre of comedy, but it borderlines drama in my opinion. I didn't cry during it, but I'd be laying if I said I didn't come close. I imagine I didn't cry at certain scenes due to me not finding this movie relatable, but that does not take away from its quality. Not at all.
So, Lady Bird is officially the first movie of Thanksgiving movie week (I made that name up on the spot) and it is a great opener. I probably was redundant in this review, and I also probably missed out on a lot things that I should have talked about, but just watch this. Please. It's amazing. Alright, time to finish this review because I feel very nauseated and have a horrible headache right now :(
Spiral
(2021)
A Nice Take on the Saw Franchise
18 November 2022
Ahhh, finally. The final movie (so far) in the Saw series. Took me a while to get here. I lost a decent amount of interest in the series after Saw IV. I really didn't like it that much, but at least it was better than Saw 3D, but let's get back on track and start talking about, Spiral. Quite frankly, I didn't know what to expect from this. It had a decent amount of praise, and not just from casual fans, but also from the more dedicated Saw fans. I liked the general concept a lot. A group of people who have to go through a series of traps was getting boring, even after how good Jigsaw was, so this sounded much more refreshing. Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, who directed the great Saw II and Saw III, but the mediocre Saw IV. So knowing the director of Saw III was behind this, made me a bit more excited, and honestly, I enjoyed this (just barely) more than Saw III, which means this was pretty good!
The plot is about two cops who have to solve a series of killings. Pretty similar to the plots of the cop stories in the other Saw movies. One of the problems I felt with the cop storylines is that we never get attached to the cop characters. They serve their purpose and have slight character development, but barely enough for me to care for them. And it doesn't help that barely any characters survive past the movie they get introduced in, which means they can't expand on the little character they created. Luckily, Spiral doesn't suffer from that problem. We spend a lot less time on the traps and instead of the characters of Zeke and William. The two protagonists, who are fun characters to follow. Zeke has a shocking amount of character to him, especially for a Saw movie, and William slowly gets developed throughout the movie. I greatly enjoyed the relief and break from nonstop traps with some cop mystery thrown in their, which was a lot of the Saw movies. Having actual characters to follow with backstory, motivations, and character moments, feels like a first for the series, and I really hope they continue that in Saw X.
One thing I noticed that Darren likes to do in Saw movies (I haven't seen anything else he has made) is having a strong visual filter over it. Saw II was VERY green, Saw III had a lot of muted colors, and Saw IV was a mix between the two. Spiral follows the trend, but actually isn't ugly. It has a strong orange filter over it to capture the heat wave that the city the movie takes place in is going through, and it works. The filter doesn't only work, but you can tell Darren has gotten more experience behind the camera because the way this is shot is better than Saw II, III, and IV combined. There are some actually cool shots that I enjoyed, and little shots that I thought were bad. Overall, one of the best shot Saw films.
The twist is the worst part of the movie. Sadly, I was spoiled it due to Youtube recommendations, but I'll admit, a lot of people say the twist is predictable, but if it wasn't spoiled for me, I don't think I could've guessed it. Maybe I'm just dumb, but I felt they did a good job keeping you guessing. But the twist itself feels bland overall. The reveal is done very poorly, and goes on for too long. They played the Saw theme at the worst timing instead of when the twist is first revealed, and I think the decision they made in the last 30 seconds of the movie was a big mistake. Ruins some of the possibilities with where they could've gone with the series. Aside from the reveal, nothing else in the climax surprised me, which was super disappointing.
The final aspect I'll talk about are the traps. For a mainstream Saw film, these traps were gory. Like some of the most gory in the series. Well, maybe not gory, but some (mainly talking about the hot wax trap) were so painful to watch. I thought the most painful trap to watch was The Rack, but The Hot Wax trap easily takes the cake. It was genuinely hard to watch, and I have a super high gore tolerance. There are for sure less traps compared to the other movies, but each trap is good, violent, and intense.
I'll say this every review, but I know I didn't talk about everything I could have. I went through the most important parts, in my opinion, and I'll leave it at that. I don't want this review to be TOO long. Spiral was a shockingly good Saw movie with a solid mystery, that sadly fails to stick the landing. But aside from the bad ending, the traps are good, the characters are entertaining, and the cinematography is some of the best in the series. A must-watch for a Saw fan, and if you can handle the gore, a decent entry into the Saw series, but always start with the first.
The plot is about two cops who have to solve a series of killings. Pretty similar to the plots of the cop stories in the other Saw movies. One of the problems I felt with the cop storylines is that we never get attached to the cop characters. They serve their purpose and have slight character development, but barely enough for me to care for them. And it doesn't help that barely any characters survive past the movie they get introduced in, which means they can't expand on the little character they created. Luckily, Spiral doesn't suffer from that problem. We spend a lot less time on the traps and instead of the characters of Zeke and William. The two protagonists, who are fun characters to follow. Zeke has a shocking amount of character to him, especially for a Saw movie, and William slowly gets developed throughout the movie. I greatly enjoyed the relief and break from nonstop traps with some cop mystery thrown in their, which was a lot of the Saw movies. Having actual characters to follow with backstory, motivations, and character moments, feels like a first for the series, and I really hope they continue that in Saw X.
One thing I noticed that Darren likes to do in Saw movies (I haven't seen anything else he has made) is having a strong visual filter over it. Saw II was VERY green, Saw III had a lot of muted colors, and Saw IV was a mix between the two. Spiral follows the trend, but actually isn't ugly. It has a strong orange filter over it to capture the heat wave that the city the movie takes place in is going through, and it works. The filter doesn't only work, but you can tell Darren has gotten more experience behind the camera because the way this is shot is better than Saw II, III, and IV combined. There are some actually cool shots that I enjoyed, and little shots that I thought were bad. Overall, one of the best shot Saw films.
The twist is the worst part of the movie. Sadly, I was spoiled it due to Youtube recommendations, but I'll admit, a lot of people say the twist is predictable, but if it wasn't spoiled for me, I don't think I could've guessed it. Maybe I'm just dumb, but I felt they did a good job keeping you guessing. But the twist itself feels bland overall. The reveal is done very poorly, and goes on for too long. They played the Saw theme at the worst timing instead of when the twist is first revealed, and I think the decision they made in the last 30 seconds of the movie was a big mistake. Ruins some of the possibilities with where they could've gone with the series. Aside from the reveal, nothing else in the climax surprised me, which was super disappointing.
The final aspect I'll talk about are the traps. For a mainstream Saw film, these traps were gory. Like some of the most gory in the series. Well, maybe not gory, but some (mainly talking about the hot wax trap) were so painful to watch. I thought the most painful trap to watch was The Rack, but The Hot Wax trap easily takes the cake. It was genuinely hard to watch, and I have a super high gore tolerance. There are for sure less traps compared to the other movies, but each trap is good, violent, and intense.
I'll say this every review, but I know I didn't talk about everything I could have. I went through the most important parts, in my opinion, and I'll leave it at that. I don't want this review to be TOO long. Spiral was a shockingly good Saw movie with a solid mystery, that sadly fails to stick the landing. But aside from the bad ending, the traps are good, the characters are entertaining, and the cinematography is some of the best in the series. A must-watch for a Saw fan, and if you can handle the gore, a decent entry into the Saw series, but always start with the first.
Arrival
(II) (2016)
So Good it is Jaw-Dropping
11 November 2022
Wow. I had high expectations and this surpassed them in everyway imaginable. When people say this movie is good, believe them. One of the best movies I have seen in recent times. Like holy crap.
Starting off with the story, like I always do. Words can't describe the masterpiece that this story is. When you start the movie, it is not going to finish how you expect. The introduction to the arrival of the alien ships is amazing and haunting. Same goes when we actually finally see the aliens. The way the aliens are designed is top notch. This movie isn't a horror movie, not even close, but if you told me the aliens were form a horror movie, I'd believe you. The way the story progresses is slow, but never boring. I found myself interested and focused in every scene. Arrival always has a sense of intrigue and mystery right until the end, and that is one of its strongest aspects. My brain was jumbled up because of the amount of possibilities it thought of for how this movie was going to go. I had so many questions of "Are the aliens friendly?" "What is the reason for the aliens?" "How is this going to end?" And it takes a special kind of movie to be able to form those questions and keep me thinking throughout the entire runtime. It gives you the answers, but damn you have to be a genius to be able to figure out where this is going to go before it ends. Aside from the amazing story, the other best part of Arrival is the cinematography.
The talent Denis Villeneuve has is absurd. He was able to create such a haunting and beautiful movie with jaw dropping scenes and goosebumps inducing scenes. The entire design of the spaceship is spectacular. The pitch black walls that, from afar, look like they have zero texture, but up close look rough and detailed, the weird oval-ish shape of the spaceship is incredibly unique, and such a spectacle. I can't even imagine how amazing this looked in theaters. Another thing I can't imagine experiencing in theaters is the soundtrack.
The soundtrack is something else. It ranges from terrifying to mesmerizing. The movie was amazing enough, but you throw in this god-tier soundtrack and you have created something truly special. Like I said with the design of the aliens, this soundtrack could work perfectly in a horror movie. It is genuinely spine chilling. The acting is also amazing. The fact that Amy Adams didn't get an Oscar let alone get nominated makes me remember not to trust the Oscars in anything entertainment related. The pacing is also really good. Arrival is a slow burn, don't get me wrong, but it never gets boring because something interesting is always happening. The ending is also amazing (just like everything else). I love how it feels like the entire movie was a 10,000 piece puzzle, and the ending scenes were the final pieces required to finish it. Everything just makes sense at the end.
All in all, Arrival is one of the best movies I've seen. This has a very high chance of showing up in my top 4 favorite movies of all time. A movie with such high scores has a decent chance of being disappointing. That's just how movies go, but this was not disappointing. Not at all. Arrival lives up to every bit of hype, compliment, and praise it has gotten. Watch it once you get the chance.
Starting off with the story, like I always do. Words can't describe the masterpiece that this story is. When you start the movie, it is not going to finish how you expect. The introduction to the arrival of the alien ships is amazing and haunting. Same goes when we actually finally see the aliens. The way the aliens are designed is top notch. This movie isn't a horror movie, not even close, but if you told me the aliens were form a horror movie, I'd believe you. The way the story progresses is slow, but never boring. I found myself interested and focused in every scene. Arrival always has a sense of intrigue and mystery right until the end, and that is one of its strongest aspects. My brain was jumbled up because of the amount of possibilities it thought of for how this movie was going to go. I had so many questions of "Are the aliens friendly?" "What is the reason for the aliens?" "How is this going to end?" And it takes a special kind of movie to be able to form those questions and keep me thinking throughout the entire runtime. It gives you the answers, but damn you have to be a genius to be able to figure out where this is going to go before it ends. Aside from the amazing story, the other best part of Arrival is the cinematography.
The talent Denis Villeneuve has is absurd. He was able to create such a haunting and beautiful movie with jaw dropping scenes and goosebumps inducing scenes. The entire design of the spaceship is spectacular. The pitch black walls that, from afar, look like they have zero texture, but up close look rough and detailed, the weird oval-ish shape of the spaceship is incredibly unique, and such a spectacle. I can't even imagine how amazing this looked in theaters. Another thing I can't imagine experiencing in theaters is the soundtrack.
The soundtrack is something else. It ranges from terrifying to mesmerizing. The movie was amazing enough, but you throw in this god-tier soundtrack and you have created something truly special. Like I said with the design of the aliens, this soundtrack could work perfectly in a horror movie. It is genuinely spine chilling. The acting is also amazing. The fact that Amy Adams didn't get an Oscar let alone get nominated makes me remember not to trust the Oscars in anything entertainment related. The pacing is also really good. Arrival is a slow burn, don't get me wrong, but it never gets boring because something interesting is always happening. The ending is also amazing (just like everything else). I love how it feels like the entire movie was a 10,000 piece puzzle, and the ending scenes were the final pieces required to finish it. Everything just makes sense at the end.
All in all, Arrival is one of the best movies I've seen. This has a very high chance of showing up in my top 4 favorite movies of all time. A movie with such high scores has a decent chance of being disappointing. That's just how movies go, but this was not disappointing. Not at all. Arrival lives up to every bit of hype, compliment, and praise it has gotten. Watch it once you get the chance.
Jigsaw
(I) (2017)
The Best Saw Film in a While
10 November 2022
So, I said I was going to do a longer review on Jigsaw, and I wasn't lying.
My expectations for this were mixed. On one hand, Saw: 3D was REALLY bad, but on the other hand, this is the highest rated Saw movie when it comes to audience reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, which is a good sign. I have found myself enjoying every Saw movie, some more than others, but I knew that I was going to at least get some enjoyment from this. But man, I could have never expected it to be this good.
The story here is the second best in the Saw series. It may not top the original, but it is much better than every other entry in the series. The opening alone sets the tone for the entire movie, and prepares you for what's to come. The police investigation aspect of the movie is very well done, and I hope it is this good in Spiral. I like how they introduce each character because it is pretty smooth. The reason I describe it as "smooth" is because they progress the story, and slyly introduce a couple of characters in a single scene, and you may not even realize the characters are going to be important until they start having more scenes and then it clicks in your head, "Ohhh so they're one of the leads!" A lot of movies do this, but I noticed it the most in this. The pacing is brisk, and balances the "game" and the investigation very well. The way both plot lines come together in the end is satisfying as all get out. And as every Saw movie has to have one, the movie's conclusion includes the twist. And let me say... This twist is AMAZING
After the mediocre twists of Saw 4, 5, and 7, I wasn't expecting anything amazing. Maybe something that makes me slightly amused or think, "Hey, that's not too shabby." But I was not expecting something so good. It's also a twist that you can call from halfway through the movie because you get enough hints. While the execution of the twist isn't the best (it kinda drags) the twist itself is the best we've gotten since Saw 1. Aside from the slightly rough execution, the way they reveal the twist is amazing. You realize the twist at the same exact time the characters realize it, and that makes the twist even better. Does the twist mess with the timeline a bit? Yes. Does it create some plot holes? Yes, but I think those problems aren't big enough for me to even think about considering this twist to be bad. But enough about the twist, let's talk about the real reasons you guys watch these movies. The traps.
The traps aren't that graphic compared to others in the series (Saw 3, Saw 4) but they are pretty clever. The bucket head trap is funny visually, but honestly pretty scary when you think about it, but also REALLY easy to escape from. The acid trap is nightmare fuel, and I can't imagine how painful it was, the leg trap and grain trap are really well done and super intense to watch, the spinning trap thing is extremely graphic and very intense. The shotgun trap and laser collar traps are both good too. I wouldn't say these are the best traps in the series, but they land a nice balance of extreme gore and pretty tame considering this is a Saw movie.
The cinematography is actual... Not bad. Considering every Saw movie is a nightmare to look at, whetever it be bad color contrasts or just poorly shot, I wouldn't necessarily say these movies are pleasant to the eyes, but I actually thought this one was pretty well shot. The colors were normal looking, there weren't any unnecessary close up shots of people screaming or anything like that. It looked like a normal movie, and while some consider that a bad thing, I think since there are 9 movies in this franchise, some nice direction is a breath of fresh air.
The acting, unlike the nightmare of Saw: 3D, is good. I wouldn't necessarily say there are any roles that deserve an Oscar or anything, but there were no bad roles. Each actor played the character they were given very well, and it was nice to finally have a Saw movie where everyone's acting is great. The soundtrack is also nothing special, but it isn't bad. The classic "Hello Zep" or better known as "The Saw Theme" makes multiple appearances in different ways, and I found that nice. I like that they saved the original version of the theme for the twist, and had the special versions (like the piano version) used in less important scenes.
I REALLY liked Jigsaw. It was fast paced, well-made, violent, super entertaining, and had a great twist. Like every review I make, there were things I didn't talk about, but I got the most important parts out of the way. For any Saw fans, this is a must watch. I think if you are interested in the Saw franchise, but don't want to watch the bad Saw movies, I think the best course of action is watching Saw 1-3 and Jigsaw. Of course, you can do whatever you want. This is a strong recommendation from me though.
My expectations for this were mixed. On one hand, Saw: 3D was REALLY bad, but on the other hand, this is the highest rated Saw movie when it comes to audience reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, which is a good sign. I have found myself enjoying every Saw movie, some more than others, but I knew that I was going to at least get some enjoyment from this. But man, I could have never expected it to be this good.
The story here is the second best in the Saw series. It may not top the original, but it is much better than every other entry in the series. The opening alone sets the tone for the entire movie, and prepares you for what's to come. The police investigation aspect of the movie is very well done, and I hope it is this good in Spiral. I like how they introduce each character because it is pretty smooth. The reason I describe it as "smooth" is because they progress the story, and slyly introduce a couple of characters in a single scene, and you may not even realize the characters are going to be important until they start having more scenes and then it clicks in your head, "Ohhh so they're one of the leads!" A lot of movies do this, but I noticed it the most in this. The pacing is brisk, and balances the "game" and the investigation very well. The way both plot lines come together in the end is satisfying as all get out. And as every Saw movie has to have one, the movie's conclusion includes the twist. And let me say... This twist is AMAZING
After the mediocre twists of Saw 4, 5, and 7, I wasn't expecting anything amazing. Maybe something that makes me slightly amused or think, "Hey, that's not too shabby." But I was not expecting something so good. It's also a twist that you can call from halfway through the movie because you get enough hints. While the execution of the twist isn't the best (it kinda drags) the twist itself is the best we've gotten since Saw 1. Aside from the slightly rough execution, the way they reveal the twist is amazing. You realize the twist at the same exact time the characters realize it, and that makes the twist even better. Does the twist mess with the timeline a bit? Yes. Does it create some plot holes? Yes, but I think those problems aren't big enough for me to even think about considering this twist to be bad. But enough about the twist, let's talk about the real reasons you guys watch these movies. The traps.
The traps aren't that graphic compared to others in the series (Saw 3, Saw 4) but they are pretty clever. The bucket head trap is funny visually, but honestly pretty scary when you think about it, but also REALLY easy to escape from. The acid trap is nightmare fuel, and I can't imagine how painful it was, the leg trap and grain trap are really well done and super intense to watch, the spinning trap thing is extremely graphic and very intense. The shotgun trap and laser collar traps are both good too. I wouldn't say these are the best traps in the series, but they land a nice balance of extreme gore and pretty tame considering this is a Saw movie.
The cinematography is actual... Not bad. Considering every Saw movie is a nightmare to look at, whetever it be bad color contrasts or just poorly shot, I wouldn't necessarily say these movies are pleasant to the eyes, but I actually thought this one was pretty well shot. The colors were normal looking, there weren't any unnecessary close up shots of people screaming or anything like that. It looked like a normal movie, and while some consider that a bad thing, I think since there are 9 movies in this franchise, some nice direction is a breath of fresh air.
The acting, unlike the nightmare of Saw: 3D, is good. I wouldn't necessarily say there are any roles that deserve an Oscar or anything, but there were no bad roles. Each actor played the character they were given very well, and it was nice to finally have a Saw movie where everyone's acting is great. The soundtrack is also nothing special, but it isn't bad. The classic "Hello Zep" or better known as "The Saw Theme" makes multiple appearances in different ways, and I found that nice. I like that they saved the original version of the theme for the twist, and had the special versions (like the piano version) used in less important scenes.
I REALLY liked Jigsaw. It was fast paced, well-made, violent, super entertaining, and had a great twist. Like every review I make, there were things I didn't talk about, but I got the most important parts out of the way. For any Saw fans, this is a must watch. I think if you are interested in the Saw franchise, but don't want to watch the bad Saw movies, I think the best course of action is watching Saw 1-3 and Jigsaw. Of course, you can do whatever you want. This is a strong recommendation from me though.
The Game
(1997)
Just Didn't Do It for Me
7 November 2022
I went into this nearly completely blind, and it was an interesting experience to say the least. Obviously, judging by the rating, I didn't like this very much, but it has some really good positives, but lots of negatives. This review will most likely be shorter than average, but that doesn't really matter. So, I guess it's time to start the review? I don't know, I'm not good at transitions lmao
The story here is actually good! The psychological aspect was done really well, and the mystery was intriguing. The problem I have is nearly every other aspect. But before I talk about the negatives, it's only fair if I talk about the stuff I did like. I liked the ending a lot. With the amount of build up they had, it would be hard to stick a landing like this, but surprisingly, they pull it off, which I can not say for a lot of movies that have tons of build up for the ending. The set up for the story is good because it hooks you in. I was interested to see how this was going to go. The other positive is that the acting was great. No bad actors, instead everyone did good jobs in the roles they were given. I think that's all I can say in terms of positives though.
To start with the negatives, let's start with the characters. The protagonist was ok-ish. He was entertaining to watch, but I never formed any connection with him. Normally I'm able to form connections with characters very easily, and at the minimum, I don't want any characters to die, but in The Game, I could care less if the protagonist died, same with any other main characters/side characters, which is not a good thing. The other characters were annoying and the ending didn't change my opinion of them. The next problem I have is the soundtrack. The soundtrack SUCKS! It is SO repetitive that at certain point you're just going to wish they did what No Country for Old Men did, and have no soundtrack at all. This kind of movie could have benefitted greatly from a strong soundtrack, and disappointingly, this never had the chance to benefit from a good soundtrack, because it didn't have one.
Another thing I didn't like was the cinematography. It wasn't bad, but nothing ever stood out. There were some nice set-designs, but that's it. A really good atmosphere could have been set up, and it kinda is, but never reaches the potential it had. The movie is also too long. 15-20 minutes could have been shaved off, and it would have been a lot better. The ending itself is good, but the entire third act is too long, and starts to drag. The pacing in general is very slow at the start, very fast in the second act, and slows down at the third. The movie just starts to become boring. I found myself losing interest in the whole psychological aspect because they dragged it out for too long. It's not like I can't handle long movies or slow movies, but they just didn't do a good job with the pacing.
There are somethings that I didn't touch on like dialogue, and that's because the topics I didn't touch on, are things that I don't think are bad, but they aren't great either. Honestly, this movie has lots of great reviews, and it's disappointing to see that it didn't live up to those reviews for me. Maybe it's an acquired taste? I don't know, but what I do know is that I didn't enjoy this movie that much, and I wish I watched something else instead. But I do think that this is something you need to see for yourself to create an opinion. Every movie is like this, but I feel it especially with this, so don't let my negative opinion sway you.
The story here is actually good! The psychological aspect was done really well, and the mystery was intriguing. The problem I have is nearly every other aspect. But before I talk about the negatives, it's only fair if I talk about the stuff I did like. I liked the ending a lot. With the amount of build up they had, it would be hard to stick a landing like this, but surprisingly, they pull it off, which I can not say for a lot of movies that have tons of build up for the ending. The set up for the story is good because it hooks you in. I was interested to see how this was going to go. The other positive is that the acting was great. No bad actors, instead everyone did good jobs in the roles they were given. I think that's all I can say in terms of positives though.
To start with the negatives, let's start with the characters. The protagonist was ok-ish. He was entertaining to watch, but I never formed any connection with him. Normally I'm able to form connections with characters very easily, and at the minimum, I don't want any characters to die, but in The Game, I could care less if the protagonist died, same with any other main characters/side characters, which is not a good thing. The other characters were annoying and the ending didn't change my opinion of them. The next problem I have is the soundtrack. The soundtrack SUCKS! It is SO repetitive that at certain point you're just going to wish they did what No Country for Old Men did, and have no soundtrack at all. This kind of movie could have benefitted greatly from a strong soundtrack, and disappointingly, this never had the chance to benefit from a good soundtrack, because it didn't have one.
Another thing I didn't like was the cinematography. It wasn't bad, but nothing ever stood out. There were some nice set-designs, but that's it. A really good atmosphere could have been set up, and it kinda is, but never reaches the potential it had. The movie is also too long. 15-20 minutes could have been shaved off, and it would have been a lot better. The ending itself is good, but the entire third act is too long, and starts to drag. The pacing in general is very slow at the start, very fast in the second act, and slows down at the third. The movie just starts to become boring. I found myself losing interest in the whole psychological aspect because they dragged it out for too long. It's not like I can't handle long movies or slow movies, but they just didn't do a good job with the pacing.
There are somethings that I didn't touch on like dialogue, and that's because the topics I didn't touch on, are things that I don't think are bad, but they aren't great either. Honestly, this movie has lots of great reviews, and it's disappointing to see that it didn't live up to those reviews for me. Maybe it's an acquired taste? I don't know, but what I do know is that I didn't enjoy this movie that much, and I wish I watched something else instead. But I do think that this is something you need to see for yourself to create an opinion. Every movie is like this, but I feel it especially with this, so don't let my negative opinion sway you.
Barbarian
(2022)
Great, but could have been Better
1 November 2022
I had very high expectations going into this. Everything I heard was a positive for me. Weird, outrageous, scary, and so on. It sounded like everything I would want in a movie, and it kind of was, but it also suffers from a ending that struggles to find its footing. But no matter! This is a certified, "TheRealPetraeus" review, and that means it's time to make a review that is far too long!
The story is probably one of the strongest (if not the strongest) part of Barbarian. The opening alone is extremely well done and sets everything up so well. Establishing the bad neighborhood, the characters of Keith and Tess, and the house where we are going to spend most of the movie in (or technically below). I think the VERY slow start was a great idea. It takes 40 minutes to reach the tunnels part that the trailers advertised! For a movie that isn't even 2 hours long, that is a very slow start. But the slow start is so good. Featuring some genuinely creepy scenes and worldbuilding. But the story, while good, sometimes is not presented as well as it could be, and I think this problem comes from the editing. The editing can be extremely jarring, and I feel like it's going for a style, but it doesn't work in my opinion. The introduction to Justin Long's character is hilarious and super entertaining, but the editing that happens right before it, is... Weird. It isn't terrible, or even bad, but it feels out of nowhere, and I think they could have transitioned to his part of the movie a bit smoother.
I see a lot of people talking about the "twists and turns" and I'm going to be honest, I don't know what they are talking about. The story very smoothly guides you along a track that explains all the story beats along the way, and I never felt shocked at a reveal or anything like that. There were some nice "reveals" but still, nothing jaw dropping or shocking. The entire premise is extremely weird, yes, but not shocking.
Speaking of how weird this movie is, it is EXTREMELY WEIRD. I have never been so grossed out at a movie in a while. Some of the stuff in here is close to being repulsive, and it probably is for more casual horror fans. I'm surprised this kind of movie went so mainstream. It feels like some horrific indie abomination, in a good way. The monster design is incredibly unique, but it has one big flaw. It isn't very scary. During the parts where the visibility is low, yea, it's terrifying, but once you see it in full view, and in a brightly lit area, it loses almost all of its scare factor. This happens with majority of horror movie monsters though.
The cinematography is phonemical. Probably the best I've seen all year. Each shot is extremely good looking, and either creates a very creepy atmosphere, or creates a somewhat peaceful feeling. Especially during some sections halfway through the movie. Every shot in the house is creepy and unsettling, which is not what I can say for majority of horror movies. Honestly, I can't wait to see what else Zach Cregger comes up with, because his visuals are stunning.
The acting is amazing. Everyone plays their roles perfectly. Justin Long is hilarious and even though he is a morally terrible person, I couldn't help not rooting for him. This has made me want to watch what else he has been in considering this is the first time I've seen him in a movie. Well, I've seen him in some other stuff, but I don't remember him. Georgina Campbell was great at creating a likeable protagonist right off the bat. And Bill Skarsgård played the role of some innocent guy really well.
The characters are an interesting subject. Everyone here is entertaining or likeable, but I wouldn't say any of them are very deep. I don't think any of the characters here are that memorable (aside from AJ). Tess, as I said, was likeable, but I couldn't form a strong emotional connection to her, same with Keith. Considering those are the only main characters, they could have been a bit stronger.
The ending is by far the weakest part. Maybe not the ending, but instead the entire climax. It goes on for too long, and is kinda predictable. There is going to be a part where you think the movie is over, and honestly, I think that's where they should have ended it. It would have been unexpected and would have been more memorable. The ending is also where we see the monster the most, and the scariness is basically gone at this point. There are also some scenes and shots that are REALLY goofy. I don't know if that was intentional, but they definitely mess up how serious this climax feels.
Did Barbarian live up to my expectations? That's a difficult question because I knew so much about this movie before going in, and yet it was nothing how I expected. It was great, but it didn't live up to the potential it had, which is disappointing, but I would still recommend it. If the ending was just a bit different, this would have been a 4 and 1/2 (or 9 stars on IMDB), but it just didn't work out. Actually scary though, and nearly no movie is scary anymore, so I have to give it credit for that. I do think whoever is reading this should watch Barbarian. It's really good. But make sure you have your expectations ready for how weird it is.
The story is probably one of the strongest (if not the strongest) part of Barbarian. The opening alone is extremely well done and sets everything up so well. Establishing the bad neighborhood, the characters of Keith and Tess, and the house where we are going to spend most of the movie in (or technically below). I think the VERY slow start was a great idea. It takes 40 minutes to reach the tunnels part that the trailers advertised! For a movie that isn't even 2 hours long, that is a very slow start. But the slow start is so good. Featuring some genuinely creepy scenes and worldbuilding. But the story, while good, sometimes is not presented as well as it could be, and I think this problem comes from the editing. The editing can be extremely jarring, and I feel like it's going for a style, but it doesn't work in my opinion. The introduction to Justin Long's character is hilarious and super entertaining, but the editing that happens right before it, is... Weird. It isn't terrible, or even bad, but it feels out of nowhere, and I think they could have transitioned to his part of the movie a bit smoother.
I see a lot of people talking about the "twists and turns" and I'm going to be honest, I don't know what they are talking about. The story very smoothly guides you along a track that explains all the story beats along the way, and I never felt shocked at a reveal or anything like that. There were some nice "reveals" but still, nothing jaw dropping or shocking. The entire premise is extremely weird, yes, but not shocking.
Speaking of how weird this movie is, it is EXTREMELY WEIRD. I have never been so grossed out at a movie in a while. Some of the stuff in here is close to being repulsive, and it probably is for more casual horror fans. I'm surprised this kind of movie went so mainstream. It feels like some horrific indie abomination, in a good way. The monster design is incredibly unique, but it has one big flaw. It isn't very scary. During the parts where the visibility is low, yea, it's terrifying, but once you see it in full view, and in a brightly lit area, it loses almost all of its scare factor. This happens with majority of horror movie monsters though.
The cinematography is phonemical. Probably the best I've seen all year. Each shot is extremely good looking, and either creates a very creepy atmosphere, or creates a somewhat peaceful feeling. Especially during some sections halfway through the movie. Every shot in the house is creepy and unsettling, which is not what I can say for majority of horror movies. Honestly, I can't wait to see what else Zach Cregger comes up with, because his visuals are stunning.
The acting is amazing. Everyone plays their roles perfectly. Justin Long is hilarious and even though he is a morally terrible person, I couldn't help not rooting for him. This has made me want to watch what else he has been in considering this is the first time I've seen him in a movie. Well, I've seen him in some other stuff, but I don't remember him. Georgina Campbell was great at creating a likeable protagonist right off the bat. And Bill Skarsgård played the role of some innocent guy really well.
The characters are an interesting subject. Everyone here is entertaining or likeable, but I wouldn't say any of them are very deep. I don't think any of the characters here are that memorable (aside from AJ). Tess, as I said, was likeable, but I couldn't form a strong emotional connection to her, same with Keith. Considering those are the only main characters, they could have been a bit stronger.
The ending is by far the weakest part. Maybe not the ending, but instead the entire climax. It goes on for too long, and is kinda predictable. There is going to be a part where you think the movie is over, and honestly, I think that's where they should have ended it. It would have been unexpected and would have been more memorable. The ending is also where we see the monster the most, and the scariness is basically gone at this point. There are also some scenes and shots that are REALLY goofy. I don't know if that was intentional, but they definitely mess up how serious this climax feels.
Did Barbarian live up to my expectations? That's a difficult question because I knew so much about this movie before going in, and yet it was nothing how I expected. It was great, but it didn't live up to the potential it had, which is disappointing, but I would still recommend it. If the ending was just a bit different, this would have been a 4 and 1/2 (or 9 stars on IMDB), but it just didn't work out. Actually scary though, and nearly no movie is scary anymore, so I have to give it credit for that. I do think whoever is reading this should watch Barbarian. It's really good. But make sure you have your expectations ready for how weird it is.
Do Revenge
(2022)
I Had no Reason to Like this So Much
30 October 2022
I'll go more in depth in a later review soon, but why did I like this so much?
Alright time for that "more in depth review" now. So, I guess I'll start with my expectations? I didn't know what to expect going into this. I didn't watch the trailer or anything, I just saw that the poster had pretty colors, and I wanted to check it out. The thing that makes me enjoying this so much, so weird, is the fact that I AM NOT the target audience for this. Not even close. As a straight white male, it made no sense for me to have any sort of motivation to watch this, especially because I haven't seen any movie like this, but I loved it. So I guess that means it must be good?
I really enjoyed the story here. The set-up was nice and fast paced, so we had more time to spend with the characters. I think Max was an entertaining villain, and I thoroughly enjoyed how they went throughout the school year throughout the entire movie. I REALLY liked seeing the relationship form with Drea and Eleanor, and it was fun seeing how they planned to do each other's "revenges".
The most standout part of the entire story is the twist. The twist is actually good. I did not see it coming at all, and it definitely made this feel more unique, and I'm happy they did it, even though I have some problems with the twist. My biggest complaint about it is that I feel like they didn't flesh it out enough. Similar to Orphan: First Kill, the twist wasn't utilized as much as they could have. I would have loved to have seen this twist used earlier in the movie, or maybe extend the runtime? Probably not a good idea, considering this is 2 hours already, but I wish they found a way to have the twist keep its buildup, but also be able to use it more, because the twist happens, and pretty quickly it feels like the movie ended. Part of me does have the feeling that they didn't need to even do the twist, considering it feels like they stepped away from it too quickly, but oh well, didn't impact my enjoyment of the movie that much.
The strongest factor is EASILY the characters. Drea and Eleanor were such fun characters to follow, that I think if they were handled differently, I wouldn't have enjoyed this nearly as much as I did. In any movie, I like seeing relationships/friendships, grow and form throughout, and this has plenty of that, which is why like it so much. I'd say that nearly every character was enjoyable. Maybe not likeable, but were entertaining to watch, especially Max. He was a total dick, but so funny to watch, and see how his character "develops". Really the only character I didn't like was Tara. I felt that she was just annoying, and not the annoying but funny character, similar to Max. Instead, she just was a pain to watch, and she didn't add much to the story. But it goes without saying, that these characters are only so entertaining and likeable because of the acting. I didn't see any bad acting throughout the entire movie. Everyone seemed to care for their roles, and even though some of the actors are far too old for these roles, they play the characters so well that I'm willing to let the age slide. Obviously, the standout actors (or actresses) are Camila Mendes and Maya Hawke. They bring their characters alive, and their interactions feel real and genuine.
The cinematography is very pleasing to the eyes. I love the bright colors, and the aesthetic of the school and school outfits. The vibrant and pretty colors create a lighthearted atmosphere, which heavily compliments the movie's tone and storyline. While there isn't anything special about the directing, like there isn't any standout shots or anything, or a scene that makes you think, "Wow! That shot was amazing!" Or something like that, it's still good enough where there isn't any bad shots.
The soundtrack isn't special enough to talk about imo. The entire soundtrack consist of popular modern day songs, which of course makes sense, but I can't write more than five sentences about the soundtrack, but I will say that it made me remember how much I like the pop genre lmao.
So, I'm at the conclusion paragraph now. There is probably lots of stuff that I didn't even mention, but I doubt you made it this far anyway. I'm still confused why I had such an amazing time watching this. I would love a sequel of sorts because I just want to revisit these characters again. Maybe I'm a fan of this kind of movie, and I'm just now realizing it? That could be the case, even though it's kind of weird. Honestly, even if you like these kind of movies, you probably won't enjoy this as much as I did, and that makes sense. The movie isn't perfect, and it has flaws, but I'm willing to look past those flaws and just look at pure enjoyment, like I do with a lot of movies. If you check this out, set your expectations right, and have a good time. (Also kind of forgot to mention this, but the comedy is great. Almost every joke landed with me, so that's a big plus.)
Alright time for that "more in depth review" now. So, I guess I'll start with my expectations? I didn't know what to expect going into this. I didn't watch the trailer or anything, I just saw that the poster had pretty colors, and I wanted to check it out. The thing that makes me enjoying this so much, so weird, is the fact that I AM NOT the target audience for this. Not even close. As a straight white male, it made no sense for me to have any sort of motivation to watch this, especially because I haven't seen any movie like this, but I loved it. So I guess that means it must be good?
I really enjoyed the story here. The set-up was nice and fast paced, so we had more time to spend with the characters. I think Max was an entertaining villain, and I thoroughly enjoyed how they went throughout the school year throughout the entire movie. I REALLY liked seeing the relationship form with Drea and Eleanor, and it was fun seeing how they planned to do each other's "revenges".
The most standout part of the entire story is the twist. The twist is actually good. I did not see it coming at all, and it definitely made this feel more unique, and I'm happy they did it, even though I have some problems with the twist. My biggest complaint about it is that I feel like they didn't flesh it out enough. Similar to Orphan: First Kill, the twist wasn't utilized as much as they could have. I would have loved to have seen this twist used earlier in the movie, or maybe extend the runtime? Probably not a good idea, considering this is 2 hours already, but I wish they found a way to have the twist keep its buildup, but also be able to use it more, because the twist happens, and pretty quickly it feels like the movie ended. Part of me does have the feeling that they didn't need to even do the twist, considering it feels like they stepped away from it too quickly, but oh well, didn't impact my enjoyment of the movie that much.
The strongest factor is EASILY the characters. Drea and Eleanor were such fun characters to follow, that I think if they were handled differently, I wouldn't have enjoyed this nearly as much as I did. In any movie, I like seeing relationships/friendships, grow and form throughout, and this has plenty of that, which is why like it so much. I'd say that nearly every character was enjoyable. Maybe not likeable, but were entertaining to watch, especially Max. He was a total dick, but so funny to watch, and see how his character "develops". Really the only character I didn't like was Tara. I felt that she was just annoying, and not the annoying but funny character, similar to Max. Instead, she just was a pain to watch, and she didn't add much to the story. But it goes without saying, that these characters are only so entertaining and likeable because of the acting. I didn't see any bad acting throughout the entire movie. Everyone seemed to care for their roles, and even though some of the actors are far too old for these roles, they play the characters so well that I'm willing to let the age slide. Obviously, the standout actors (or actresses) are Camila Mendes and Maya Hawke. They bring their characters alive, and their interactions feel real and genuine.
The cinematography is very pleasing to the eyes. I love the bright colors, and the aesthetic of the school and school outfits. The vibrant and pretty colors create a lighthearted atmosphere, which heavily compliments the movie's tone and storyline. While there isn't anything special about the directing, like there isn't any standout shots or anything, or a scene that makes you think, "Wow! That shot was amazing!" Or something like that, it's still good enough where there isn't any bad shots.
The soundtrack isn't special enough to talk about imo. The entire soundtrack consist of popular modern day songs, which of course makes sense, but I can't write more than five sentences about the soundtrack, but I will say that it made me remember how much I like the pop genre lmao.
So, I'm at the conclusion paragraph now. There is probably lots of stuff that I didn't even mention, but I doubt you made it this far anyway. I'm still confused why I had such an amazing time watching this. I would love a sequel of sorts because I just want to revisit these characters again. Maybe I'm a fan of this kind of movie, and I'm just now realizing it? That could be the case, even though it's kind of weird. Honestly, even if you like these kind of movies, you probably won't enjoy this as much as I did, and that makes sense. The movie isn't perfect, and it has flaws, but I'm willing to look past those flaws and just look at pure enjoyment, like I do with a lot of movies. If you check this out, set your expectations right, and have a good time. (Also kind of forgot to mention this, but the comedy is great. Almost every joke landed with me, so that's a big plus.)
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
(1974)
A Classic and Masterpiece
27 October 2022
When I was getting ready to watch this, I expected a well done, creepy, and disturbing horror film, because that's what everyone said this was. Most classics, I feel aren't as amazing as people say they are, and are viewed as masterpieces because of the impact they had on the genre, instead of how good they are. I feel this mainly with the original Nightmare on Elm Street and Halloween, but this does not have those same problems. As I said at the start, I expected something well done disturbing, and creepy, and I got all of those x100.
I love how The Texas Chain Saw Massacre opens (wow the title is a mouth full so I'll refer to it as TCM instead). I would say the section in the van is about 20 minutes long (it might be a bit shorter) and for an 80 minute long movie, that's a good chunk of the runtime before Leatherface even arrives, but this whole part is just as important and good as the rest of the movie. It does a fantastic job at introducing us to each character while keeping the unsettling atmosphere by introducing the hitchhiker character. The whole section with the hitchhiker is genuinely creepy and disturbing, and it forms an atmosphere that keeps you on your toes throughout the entire movie. Once they arrive at their little vacation spot, it's a little "calm before the storm" but at the same time it stays tense because you get that feeling that something is off. It spends a little more time with the characters just so you feel at least something when they start to die. But once they enter the Sawyer house is when the stuff gets real.
The way the introduction of the Sawyer house is done, is so phenomenal. At first nothing seems wrong, but when you start to realize that something is *horribly* wrong, it's too late. The visual design of the interior of the house is extremely unsettling. The bright walls, weird furniture, and of course, the mass amounts of bones just chilling on the floor. It's hard for me to describe how much I love the steady increase of concern that generates the further they explore the house. And I love how once the characters realize how messed up this place is, the man himself finally makes his grand entrance!
The arrival of Leatherface is jaw-dropping and brutal. It's an amazing jumpscare too, and I knew it was coming because of how iconic the scene is, and yet it still scared me (really bad lmao). After the arrival of Leatherface, the movie really picks up the pace, and doesn't slow down for a while. You start to gain a feeling of panic as it progresses because you, even if it's just a little, care about the characters, and it's so stressful to see them be oblivious to what's happening. I'm going to stop recapping the movie here because I already spoiled enough, but it becomes (somehow) even better. The dinner scene, the final scene of the movie, going through the forest with Franklin, and more are all such amazing scenes. But out of every scene in the movie, the best will always be the dinner scene.
Never have I been so disturbed in a movie. I was genuinely so disturbed during the entire dinner scene that I felt like I needed to take a break after it. I didn't, but rarely do I get that feeling when watching a movie. The direction in the dinner scene captures the feeling of fear and panic, and transfers that feeling from the main character to the viewer. The soundtrack, if you can even call it that, makes it so much more disturbing too. Knowing how horrible it was to film that scene makes a lot of sense after you see it. I don't doubt the fact that no one enjoyed filming that scene.
Speaking of soundtrack, the soundtrack is amazing in a horrible way. My ears felt so violated after watching this. The fact that the entire soundtrack was made using only utensils and things like pots and pans, etc. It creates such a horrible feeling and the soundtrack is used scarcely, which makes it worse every time its used, because when it tends to be only used at the already disturbing scenes, like the dinner scene, and the soundtrack adds onto it making it even more disturbing.
I love the cinematography. The movie has some wonderful shots, but most of the time, the directing is used to create a claustrophobic environment and (once again) an unsettling atmosphere. The use of up close shots was done really well and shines in the dinner scene (everything I talk about shines in the dinner scene).
The characters are also pretty good. Nothing special, but Sally is a good final girl, and the Sawyer family is extremely well acted.
I feel like I could say more, but this review is far too long. Overall, this movie is a masterpiece and a classic that will always be remembered for its quality and how it redefined the horror and slasher genre. Easily one of, if not, the most disturbing movie I've seen. An easy must watch if you get the chance.
I love how The Texas Chain Saw Massacre opens (wow the title is a mouth full so I'll refer to it as TCM instead). I would say the section in the van is about 20 minutes long (it might be a bit shorter) and for an 80 minute long movie, that's a good chunk of the runtime before Leatherface even arrives, but this whole part is just as important and good as the rest of the movie. It does a fantastic job at introducing us to each character while keeping the unsettling atmosphere by introducing the hitchhiker character. The whole section with the hitchhiker is genuinely creepy and disturbing, and it forms an atmosphere that keeps you on your toes throughout the entire movie. Once they arrive at their little vacation spot, it's a little "calm before the storm" but at the same time it stays tense because you get that feeling that something is off. It spends a little more time with the characters just so you feel at least something when they start to die. But once they enter the Sawyer house is when the stuff gets real.
The way the introduction of the Sawyer house is done, is so phenomenal. At first nothing seems wrong, but when you start to realize that something is *horribly* wrong, it's too late. The visual design of the interior of the house is extremely unsettling. The bright walls, weird furniture, and of course, the mass amounts of bones just chilling on the floor. It's hard for me to describe how much I love the steady increase of concern that generates the further they explore the house. And I love how once the characters realize how messed up this place is, the man himself finally makes his grand entrance!
The arrival of Leatherface is jaw-dropping and brutal. It's an amazing jumpscare too, and I knew it was coming because of how iconic the scene is, and yet it still scared me (really bad lmao). After the arrival of Leatherface, the movie really picks up the pace, and doesn't slow down for a while. You start to gain a feeling of panic as it progresses because you, even if it's just a little, care about the characters, and it's so stressful to see them be oblivious to what's happening. I'm going to stop recapping the movie here because I already spoiled enough, but it becomes (somehow) even better. The dinner scene, the final scene of the movie, going through the forest with Franklin, and more are all such amazing scenes. But out of every scene in the movie, the best will always be the dinner scene.
Never have I been so disturbed in a movie. I was genuinely so disturbed during the entire dinner scene that I felt like I needed to take a break after it. I didn't, but rarely do I get that feeling when watching a movie. The direction in the dinner scene captures the feeling of fear and panic, and transfers that feeling from the main character to the viewer. The soundtrack, if you can even call it that, makes it so much more disturbing too. Knowing how horrible it was to film that scene makes a lot of sense after you see it. I don't doubt the fact that no one enjoyed filming that scene.
Speaking of soundtrack, the soundtrack is amazing in a horrible way. My ears felt so violated after watching this. The fact that the entire soundtrack was made using only utensils and things like pots and pans, etc. It creates such a horrible feeling and the soundtrack is used scarcely, which makes it worse every time its used, because when it tends to be only used at the already disturbing scenes, like the dinner scene, and the soundtrack adds onto it making it even more disturbing.
I love the cinematography. The movie has some wonderful shots, but most of the time, the directing is used to create a claustrophobic environment and (once again) an unsettling atmosphere. The use of up close shots was done really well and shines in the dinner scene (everything I talk about shines in the dinner scene).
The characters are also pretty good. Nothing special, but Sally is a good final girl, and the Sawyer family is extremely well acted.
I feel like I could say more, but this review is far too long. Overall, this movie is a masterpiece and a classic that will always be remembered for its quality and how it redefined the horror and slasher genre. Easily one of, if not, the most disturbing movie I've seen. An easy must watch if you get the chance.
Tell Your Friends