Catocala Reviews

August: Osage County (2013)

I can't believe I'm saying this...

[6/10 · 17 March 2024]

There is a lot to like about this movie, so it took me some reflection to think of why it left me feeling disappointed. First, some of the good:

• The movie revolves about mainly the women of a dysfunctional family and every character has their own type of problems;
• What an amazing cast;
• With storytelling this complicated, the movie manages to avoid becoming messy or unstructured (which other movies often mess up);
• Most of the dialogue is very real-life feeling and portray a family where you can empathize with feeling like they're impossible to deal with, when at the same time you can - to some extent - empathize with most of them.

Now the problem: As much as it pains me to say, for me it was because of one of my most beloved actresses that ruined this movie for me. I am a huge Meryl Streep fan, but this wasn't it.

It felt like someone (over)acting out what they read about but don't fully understand. I have known a lot of women like this main character, but Streep behaved more like an offensive charicature. Within seconds she switched between speaking with a thick tongue, swaying around like how a child would imitate a drunk person, to becoming totally fluent, balanced and speaking fast again; it just hurt to watch.

I appreciate this movie for trying to shine a light on how complicated family dynamics can damage people. However, as for the watching experience, I could not get past the feeling of "I'm watching people act right now" instead of getting to forgetting you're watching a movie and truely falling in the story.

The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023)

Looks fantastic, solid acting, but no content

[5/10 · 6 March 2024]

With a character as interesting as Dracula, it really is a pity if the movie hardly elevates Dracula's intelligence above the intelligence of a hyena. The creature hardly says anything during the entire runtime and the only hint at intellect is the kills themselves.

The SFX and rest of moviemaking is great; the potential was definitely there. Also no blame on the cast, because they do very well with whatever monotonous script their given. The main problem is the lack of agency. The crew does basically nothing. Almost all are flat characters that you couldn't care less about.

I love vampire movies, so fans of the genre can check it out, but be prepared for another Hollywood disappointment. It seems - even though the monster theme is so rich in potential - the movie industry doesn't understand that more depth can also be scarier. Almost every movie after "Bram Stoker's Dracula" has been next to braindead, as if moviemakers believe we are too dumb to watch anything with a little more substance.

*sigh* I'll still watch any future movie about vampires though. I keep hoping for a good one.

Flight 7500 (2014)

Low expectations equals an okay watch

[5/10 · 5 March 2024]

I was expecting this movie to be terrible due to the imdb score and reviews, but I like this kind of horror genre so decided to watch it anyway. It was okay, but there were factors that very easily could have made this a much better movie.

The actors: most do an okay job, but some (e.g. The wedding obsessed woman) act so over the top that it feels more like the character belongs in Scary Movie rather than this film, which takes itself almost too seriously.

I actually liked the plot twist and the supernatural element, so in that respect the story is engaging enough for it's very short runtime of only 1 hour and 20 minutes.

The only real objection that makes this movie insufficient, is that it's not scary enough. There are a couple of exciting scenes where tension is built up, but eventually nothing much happened. This is ashame, especially considering the horror theme that is revealed during the movie could have given the filmmakers any opportunity to think of scary creatures, things or even just sounds. Even for a low budget movie, the scares could have been way better.

Hellboy (2019)

It had no flavour

[5/10 · 22 February 2024]

I would recommend you just watch it yourself if you like the genre, because there is so much obviously high budget work that got put into it.

• Many cool characters
• Loads of special effects (not everybody's taste btw)
• Cool looking scenes/camerawork
• Decisions to be more gorey (at times a bit too cheap/for shockfactor, but at least it's different)

However, there were a couple of things too problematic that didn't make this movie a worthy reboot.

I won't even compare to the previous movies, because reboot, but storywise this movie just didn't bring anything new compared to any other movie already out there. It reminded me of Suicide Squad in one major way: the only plot is there's an ancient witch played by a goodlooking model with medium acting skills.

A problem when you have such cool characters like Hellboy and his just-as-weird friends/coworkers, is that it is really noticable if they're still boring! Not one character gets a bit of depth aside from a one-minute backstory. Especially the witch is just "the end of all humans" and nothing else. I actually like Milla a lot in the Resident Evil movies, but her choices with this witch character are beyond me. It felt like a schoolplay performance. Nothing scary about her (aside from her magical power, but that was provided by special effects and not acting skills).

Moreover, the amount of plotholes is crazy. I would point them all out, but the story is actually so thin that they honestly aren't worth mentioning. In summary: it's worth your time because of the high-budget quality - if you're bored and can shut your brain off not to be bothered by the dumbness of it all - but ultimately, this movie is forgettable and just a 2 hour exposition of missed potential of the cool Hellboy world.

Dangerous Beauty (1998)

For the romantic or costume drama lovers

[7/10 · 21 February 2024]

Though a lot of artistic license is taken in this portrayal of a courtesan, I think it is a must watch for all those who like romantic movies or just like costume drama's. The acting style is heavy on the emotions, matching the drama/romance plot with some comedic elements.

The vibe is lighthearted combined with some heavier topics, but be prepared for some fairytale-like/over-the-top moments. In the wrong hands, those moments would have been corny, but in this movie it's still in the realm of sweet with a wink. If you want a 100% realistic feel, this movie is probably not for you.

One downside, is one can be bothered with the romanticised view of the sex worker profession. Most of the lovers are fairly handsome looking and the ccourtesan herself remains in control and smiling for the most of it. However, it could have been a conscious choice to de-emphasize the nasty parts, because the story mainly revolves around an "impossible love" scenario. Also the difficulties involved as a sex worker might just be too heavy to have been elaborated on in this more romcom/drama feeling film.

The movie did a fine job with the main protagonist's struggle between empowerment/freedom versus not having any say over her own fate. It stayed engaging throughout the almost two hour runtime, it looked beautiful and it had a certain charm that films past 2000 don't really have anymore.

The Silencing (2020)

An okay slowburn thriller with a mega disappointing ending

[6/10 · 21 February 2024]

Without any spoilers: the ending does not make sense at all. It ruined the entire thing actually. As stated in the movietrailer, the story is about hunting a vicious killer who basically hunts girls for sport; an exciting premise.

The pacing is fairly slow, as you follow the main characters gradually hunting the hunter, but the truth reveal is contrastingly sudden. With about 10 000 inconsistensies, the unraveling of the plot is just one big wtf moment.

Before the truth is revealed, the movie is okay. Not the best, but a fairly entertaining film supported mostly by solid acting. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and especially Annabelle Wallis are great at making their characters realistic, fleshed out characters. It is just a shame the same cannot be said for the plot.

Identity (2003)

Fantastically constructed movie - no spoilers apart from DID

[7/10 · 4 February 2024]

A criticism about this movie that bothers me, is that it misrepresents DID (previously known as multiple personality disorder). However, the movie does not claim to give an accurate portrayal of DID. Fact and accuracy have nothing to do with it. It is like science-fiction: it misuses actual real world concepts to create an entertaining and interesting story.

Plot twists and an excellently written plot combined with a claustrophobic atmosphere create a compelling psychological thriller. A who-done-it with a lot of mystery. Even watching it a second time is good, because then you see even more hints and clues as to what is really going on. The acting is good (although I got to admit I was disappointed by the overacting of John C. McGinley), with the best imo being John Cusack and Amanda Peet.

I highly recommend this movie to anybody who is not bothered by an absolutely incorrect view on mental illness. It bothers me sometimes when I watch a movie and there is "a loonybin filled with nutters" because it risks dumb people won't understand that real life is nothing like that. However, some movies take these pieces of info for a reason: there is something about it that scares us. E.g. Not knowing if we can trust what is going on in another persons mind. That's what makes it good material. If executed properly. And this movie succeeded in that.

Saltburn (2023)

I would recommend you watch it, but it has its problems

[6/10 · 9 January 2024]

A captivating plot: Scholarship boy Oliver is in over his ears with priviliged snotnoses at Oxford, but somehow becomes friends with "the popular guy at school" Felix. He is taking into Felix and his family's home when things turn darker.

This all was very exciting, however, the movie has a problem with pacing. The characters felt flat even though the cast and acting was good. But the movie lasts for over two hours. What went wrong? Firstly, I think it is too easy to see where the movie is going too soon. With a 2+ hour movie, you don't want to be able to solve any problems or mysteries within the first half hour.

Secondly, it would have been nice if more time had been spent on elaborating on the crazy rich people, instead of spending movie budget on extravagant scenes. Don't get me wrong, it looks amazing, but it takes away from character motives. A lot of the people act or respond in ways that don't seem to make sense, so some backup was needed to make those strange choices believable.

Despite this wasted potential, it was still entertaining and apart from the plotholes/loose ends, definitely worth watching simply because it is a fun story and the cast is great. Especially Barry Keoghan as the main character did a fantastic job imo.

Cell (I) (2016)

It's an okay B-horror, it does not deserve such a low rating!

[6/10 · 4 January 2024]

I have watched A LOT of movies and usually I 100% agree with the user rating on imdb. However, today I watched a movie with an okay score that was beyond-belief-terrible and I just watched Cell despite its aweful user rating and reviews, but I thought it wasn't so bad!

I haven't read the book, which is - going by the reviews - one of the criteria to be able to enjoy this movie, because people say it's nothing like the book. I personally don't care. However, there are a lot of flaws. Incredulous happenings. Many lacklusterly scripted scenes (e.g. Cringy, cliché dancing to music to forget about the apocalyps for a moment). But the BIGGEST one is that it's a total bodysnatcher ripoff! (If you're reading this after watching the movie yourself, I recommend looking up bodysnatcher endscene).

But I think the main point for whether or not you should watch this movie is a matter of taste. It's not a typical horror movie, despite being filled with horror clichés moments. It's bizar and almost more scifi than horror. I liked the acting of all the main characters, but most of the sidecharacters felt extremely dumb and cartoonish. It kept me entertained and with an elevated heartrate, so that's a Yes in my book. I recommend it for those who go into it with zero expectations other than that you will be watching a decently made, entertainging movie.

Curse of Crom: The Legend of Halloween (2022)

Don't believe the positive reviews, just watch ANYTHING else

[3/10 · 3 January 2024]

Out of respect for the people who worked on this low budget piece of crap movie, I give it three stars. But literally everything about it was terrible. If my review below won't convince you not to watch this movie, suit yourself, but I had to rant about how bad this was to get it out of my system :') which is also a sign of how extremely bad it was.

Music/backgroundnoises sounded like a child on a spooky synth keyboard. Acting so horrible it makes you physically cringe. The acting by the two main characters (the girl and boy teens) isn't the worst I've seen in lowbudget, but everyone else had the actingskills of a pornstar. The characters say the stupidest sht and do things in the strangest way, so the script seemed like a 10 year old's fanfiction... And the unnecessary family drama sideplot was so ridiculous!

The story sounded cool, an ancient Irish demon/monster chasing a bunch of teenagers. Original, sounds fun, you don't see many Irish demon movies. So I started watching, but immediately felt that typical low budget "acting is wooden and everything looks as if it's filmed with a cheap phonecamera" kinda thing. I looked it up on imdb and saw it got a 5,8 - not that bad for a B-horrorflick, I thought, because horror movies are generally rated lower than other genres - and (rounded up) a 6 usually means the movie isn't great but it's not bad either. Oooh, was it bad!

John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)

Beautiful but incredulous

[7/10 · 19 December 2023]

I love the John Wick films even though they're not everyone's cup of tea. If you prefer realistic stories, keep looking! However, this movie is no exception to the series in that the fight choreography is absolutely amazing.

Keanu does a solid job as usual, but Donnie Yen as Caine is the best thing about this movie. He is a true master and it shows in the difficulty of his choreo. Skarsgard as the Marquis is a wrong choice in my opinion, because his strange French accent is distracting. I wish they cast an actual French actor instead, or just got rid of the accent because it really takes you out of the experience. The role of Lawrence Fishburn as the Dowery King is totally unnecessary for the plot and I feel it was simply written in for more starpower.

The story itself was okay enough. However there was an absolute overload of two things:

• Covering the face with the bulletproof suit because otherwise no-matter-how-godlike-person would have had more holes in them than a fishingnet. Come on! It was already enough to ask us to believe in bulletproof suits, but using them a hundred times per fight scene was too much.

• John Wick gets slammed into things. A LOT. He gets thrown around like a ragdoll into cars, from buildings, balconies, you name it, they've done it... Internal bleeding and broken bones apparently isn't a thing in this movie. In the previous movies it was already unbelievable how much damage HP he had, but this movie took it up even further.

The aftercredits scene was also a strange choice, I was thinking about loose ends (there are multiple), but the aftercredits hints at resolving one in a way that just made me feel bad :') haha...

Contracted (2013)

Horrendous

[3/10 · 17 November 2023]

The acting and the script are so unbelievably terrible!! Dear lord! I kept waiting for something to happen, but it's amazing how you could make a kind-of-zombie movie this boring.

I thought, given the plot, it would at least be thoughtprovoking or lowbudget-arthouse or something. Boy was I wrong. To sum up this movie is that it's a whole lot of nothing.

Nothing happens, apart from this girl that it slowly decaying in a low budget manner. She doesn't get help like any normal person would, and the only medical attention that she does receive is so ridiculous and unbelievable that I just cringed for almost the entire movie. And of course none of the people that know her get her any help and they're blind to her looking like a dead person.

The only good thing I have to say about it is that (literally) the last five minutes were entertaining. But only that. I give it three stars on account of it being low budget, the camerawork was decent and at least they tried.

Let Us Prey (2014)

A movie with charisma

[6/10 · 17 November 2023]

This movie has obviously been made with a lot of love. The small cast all delivers a decent acting job with a script that is at times a bit stiff. The main problem I had is that the movie is about sinners, but the sins are so heavily extreme that any normal person would find it difficult to relate. The "sinners" (as not to spoil any plot) are almost cartoonesque and in some scenes downright ridiculous, which is a missed chance to show how real evil could slip into anyone's soul really.

However, everything it does, it does well. The story is clear and entertaining and the pacing is pretty even throughout the movie with enough interesting events to make for a nice movie night. It has some paranormal horror, which in my opinion is written into the plot very well compared to most of its genre, and it also contains quite graphic gore. The latter is an acquired taste. It was comically over the top, which made the lower budget effects more charming rather than a fail. It does mismatch the rather serious storyline a bit, but if you are okay with some horror with a *wink*, then I would definitely recommend this movie.

Red Snow (I) (2021)

Low budget but way more entertaining than I thought it would be

[6/10 · 7 November 2023]

This is a hard movie to rate stars for. If it weren't fun, I would flunk it on account of some cringy scenes and the lack of horror. It's not all that scary, but more of a dark comedy. If you're like me and you would watch just about any vampire movie out there, then definitely don't skip this one!

I was surprised, it was actually funny! And it just had a certain charm. The two main characters both do a very good job and are a key part of what makes the script and thus the movie work. It has some cliché tropes, but mainly as a frame for the funny dialogues and it has some small twists to make up for it.

I like the sense of humor, but if you don't like comedy vamps (e.g. "what we do in the shadows") then this movie might not be for you.

It is original and did a very good job with the low budget I expect it had.

Howl (I) (2015)

The only thing good about this movie is the summary discription

[4/10 · 7 November 2023]

I watched this movie because the story summary sounded cool. People trapped in the middle of nowhere on a broken down train surrounded by a creepy creature. Sounds cool!

However, that is just about it. Even for a genre that I love and know there are only very few actually good movies in, it still wasn't a good werewolf movie. The acting and characters are horrible, although I thought the main character did a decent acting job. The script wasn't anything to be saved. Stupid choices, dumb and predictable characters and a lot of chances of being better just unused.

The CGI and SFX makeup are low budget, but it wouldn't have been a problem for me, had the rest been better. The actors shout out lines that literally made me laugh (when it wasn't supposed to). I would only recommend this movie if you watch it with friends to have a dumb evening to laugh about a stupid movie. Other then that, I appreciate the effort that went into making this film, but it was just bad.

The Girl on the Mountain (2022)

Just bad. Not the 'it's so bad, it's good' kind. It's just bad.

[3/10 · 5 November 2023]

I am a dumbass, because I read the reviews before watching, but still wanted to give it a chance. Boy, do I regret it.

The acting, my god! The acting is so unbelievably horrible! I'm so sorry, because I can imagine how much effort goes into making a movie, but this is just a waste of everybody's time. The actors are unable to deliver a single line convincingly, but perhaps that is also due to the actual lines themselves.

The script is so wooden, that I thought I was watching a kind of spoof/parody movie during the first half hour. But they're serious. E.g. Main character comes across a little girl, dirty looking and alone, in the woods and his first response is to get mad at her for stealing his food...? Instead being concerned, because there is a friggin child abandoned in the wildlife middle of nowhere?

The story is basically about nothing, but the little plot that it does have, consists solely of clichés that have been done a thousand times before (and a thousand times better).

If you still watch this movie after reading this review, I wish you luck. My heart goes out to all the people who made this movie, don't quit your dayjobs folks!

Triangle (2009)

Could have been so much better, but definitely worth the watch

[7/10 · 11 August 2023]

Short version: This is a movie about a group of people shipwrecked , being saved but stranding on a seemingly abandoned ship with weird stuff going on. Even though the plot is cool, a lot of needless mistakes were made. It's a decent movie, but it could have been infinitely better if a little more effort was put into story and character development.

Plusses +++++++++

• The actress playing the main character does a good job;
• The story is a pretty good version of groundhog day versus Sisyphus (see Greek/Roman mythology). The latter myth is mentioned within basically the first second, which unfortunately immediatly spoils the plot. So even though the plot itself is a plus, the execution is a minus.

• The visuals (camera work, setting, directing, SFX) are well executed;
• Music/sounds are nice;
• Thrill without cheap jumpscares;
• Good pacing, distributed tension throughout the length of the film.

Minusses --------

• The acting (aside from solid main lead) could be better, although it's definitely not bad;
• None of the characters aside from main function as more than a flat, secundary character: no interesting personalities or even the tiniest background stories are explored. Aside from their name and looks, you basically know nothing about these people by the end of the movie. This also majorly obstructs any sympathy or empathy you have with anyone but the main lead;
• The plot (I won't spoil) is very predictable. A sin in itself, but an even bigger sin because there are very obvious, easy ways this transparant plot could have been prevented. The movie would have been 10 times better if it was more of a mystery to figure out what was going on. Sadly, I feel just about anyone will guess the cause of the strange things going on within the first "exciting" scene.

Host (II) (2020)

Actually scary, don't know why Host isn't more popular/better known

[7/10 · 7 August 2023]

Definitely got my heart racing, although I did watch it in the dark, behind the computer and by myself :') I assume it's low budget, but it was scarier than most horror movies out there. Aside from some silly details (, like why would you bring your computer/phone with you if none of the others in the call are watching), it was very realistic. One of the few downsides is that it is relatively predictable (, but nowadays that's unfortunately common in horror).

One of its main plusses is the script and acting: the conversations are very much like I speak with my friends and there are hardly any dumb lines that can ruin the experience. They also behave in different ways that make sense if you're scared out of your mind.

Also a big plus is that it doesn't try to (over)explain what is happening: it simply is scary and claustrophobic. And last but not least, it's a short movie with good pacing. They refrained from using fillers just to make it one and a half hours long, but chose quality over quantity. If you're a fan of horror, I definitely recommend this hidden gem.

Sick of Myself (2022)

Intense and dark humor, but it fizzles out at the end

[7/10 · 12 April 2023]

There is a lot of social commentary to be found in this film, which revolves around a young woman named Signe, who cannot deal with her pathological need for attention. It not only brings a character portrait of someone suffering from Münchhausen syndrome, but it also highlights topics like how we choose our beauty standards, even with "imperfect" beauty to be politically correct, or how we portray ourselves to the outside world.

A funny dynamic is her relationship with an equally attention hungry boyfriend Thomas: he asked for her help stealing furniture which he makes into his "art" and takes all the credit for himself. The more attention he receives, the more revolted she becomes and vice versa.

The movie starts off fantastically with increasingly absurd social situations and how far people are willing to go for a second in the spotlight. However, the speed decreases halfway through the movie and instead focusses more on the actual sickness Signe forced on herself. Even though her state of being gets worse and worse, the initial lighthearted yet dark humor that worked so well is kind of forgotten. The ending was felt anticlimactic and out of place for a movie that borded on the absurd and extreme during the first half.

The ideas and the script are really great, but all in all I feel the makers did not exactly know how to end the story. It would have been better - in my opinion - if it went out with a bang or at least a bit more on par with the intensity delivered in the beginning.

The Hating Game (2021)

So unfunny it was almost sad. Romcoms aren't what they once were anymore

[4/10 · 6 March 2023]

The premise seemed to funny, but the execution was so godawful that I can't imagine anyone actually enjoying this movie. I love romcoms, but this one is another for the list "thought it could do the bare minimum and still be good enough/charming", but it is just a big fail.

Austin Stowell is the only remotely charming thing about this romcom, but other than that: strap in for a lot of cringe, zero actual comedy, more awful softp*rn than romance development and a bad plot.

The whole movie is supposed to be about competitive coworkers who hate eachother. I was expecting a ripoff like "10 things I hate about you" or "You've Got Mail". Both amazing romcoms. Instead, I got a feeble attempt at being quirky-cute from Lucy Hale and a Ben Affleck level of emotional expression from Stowell.

All side-characters have as much dimension as a flat piece of cardboard. The main characters who supposedly hate eachother are already making out after 1 second. O yeah, and a sex dream about the other person already happened before that 1 second. So much for the hate part. Also, the oversexualized scenes don't necessarily bother me; if you want some 50 shades of boring in there, then be my guest, but at least have a script that sounds just a tiny bit better than a bad 80's adult film. Just too terrible to be hot.

And most of all: there was so much potential for funny situations, but literally none of them were seized! They don't prank eachother at work, so the "hate" is only evident in some snarky comments that aren't even that snarky and even flirty right from the get-go. Moreover, their problems are hardly even situated in actual work situations! One of the only things work-related, was a work trip to paintball, which also could have been funny. Nothing about it was funny.

Is the movie making industry just too tired to make movies with actual passion? Are they only interested in doing the bare minimum for money, as long as we are dumb enough to continue watching it and eating this crap up and reinforcing their pattern? As a movielover, it sincerely makes me sad. Romcoms used to be great, but in the last decade I have seen maybe 2 or 3 that are actually good instead of the straight-from-a-can crap like this movie.

M3GAN (2022)

Decent but it's just not scary

[5/10 · 5 February 2023]

Chucky goes AI in the form of M3gan. Predictable but fun. The story revolves around tech expert Gemma who makes a robot (M3gan) as a toy for her niece Cady. Her niece is grieving over the death of her parents - oddly enough we hardly see anything remotely like grief in Gemma - and soon becomes infatuated with her new toy that is so lifelike the lines between toy and person become blurry.

It is not a new concept, but the execution is quite nice. The special effects are solid, the acting is okay and the movie/flow is very structured. Do expect predictability though! I could literally guess the ending scene at the start of the movie, so it would have been nice to have been surprised at least once or twice. Another big reason why it could have been so much better, is that it is not actually scary. It also isn't funny enough to be called a (dark) comedy. So... not really a horror and not really a comedy.

I fail to see what audience it was targeted at. It could have been much more extreme in the gore or M3gan could have been more wicked in her actions or lines. I feel like this movie would have been cool when I was 12, so perhaps it's more a teen horror movie. But it's decent enough to watch if you're bored.

Midsommar (2019)

More an artistic psychological thriller than a horror

[7/10 · 2 January 2023]

If you are looking for your run-of-the-mill horror, I advise you continue your search. This movie is more psychological thriller with horrible elements, but in short, everything is too beautiful and "artsy" to be scary in the general sense. That is not to say it does not have frightening subject matter. It handles several severe topics in a tasteful manner, mainly revolving around our leading lady Pugh.

Pugh is in a stalemate relationship with an egotistical, longtime boyfriend (played by Reynor) when she is struck by horrible loss. To deal with her grief, she decides to join Reynor and three of his friends to a remote community. One of his friends (Blomgren) is actually from this community and has invited the group to attend to the 9-days-long Midsommar festival. Once there, everything seems idyllic, but slowly and surely events/rituals turn stranger and stranger...

One thing that bugged me was that the two other friends (Polter and Harper) remained very flat characters and seemed almost caricatural. Also, there was little attention to the villagers of the small community and gives the viewer little sense of who they are, other than very strange folk. However, Pugh's performance alone is enough to support the entire length of the film, which is almost 2,5 hours, plus Reynor and Blomgren definitely add to the cast quality.

The story is told in what I would call "arthouse" manner, which automatically means this movie is not for everyone. Even though I liked the music/sound and looks of the beautiful scenery, I felt at times it was too over the top and subtracted from the goal of the movie, instead of adding to it. E.g. Costume design going a little overboard with a flowery dress that is shaped like a pyramid (and is almost as huge as one).

Another flaw is that the happenings are so incredulous and strange, that it is hard to relate to the characters. In a positive sense, the topics are there. It makes you think about the flexibility of the human mind. How much could you change your 'normal' way of thinking if you were in a different environment? Would you call it bending or breaking if you go beyond a certain point? How far would you go to have the hole in you fullfilled? In my view, super interesting subject matter. Unfortunately, the bizarness of the rituals and the lack of knowing how the villagers view their festival, create a distance between the viewer and Pugh; understanding her emotions, but not fully able to agree with her not running the other way screaming for help. The same goes for the rest of the "guest" group.

All in all, I would recommend the watch if you can handle longer and strange films. It did keep me interested throughout and it is wellmade even though it goes overboard sometimes.

Christmas with You (2022)

Romcom with little comedy and lots of cringe, with Garcia as its single highlight

[4/10 · 18 November 2022]

Another christmas feelgood movie that is predictable and cheesy. If you are into that, then the movie is pretty okay, but there were a lot of cringe-worthy moments where it just felt so artificial and self-indulgent that it was pretty rough.

Aimee Garcia really carries the acting as the popstar who's lost her inspiration whilest being pressured to make a new hit in a ridiculously short amount of time. She is nice on the screen and has a knack for making those scriptlines that come straight out of a can feel a little more authentic. The same unfortunately can not be said for Freddie Prinze Jr. And Deja Monique Cruz... They respectively play the parts of a single dad - who conveniently happens to be a music teacher - and his daughter who is about to turn 15 and is also a fan of the popstar Garcia.

You can already guess the rest of the story: Garcia finds inspiration by "hanging out with the normal people" and falls for Prinze. No real reason why this happens, because other than they work together on the song, there is no real character development or anything that strengthens their relationship in any way. I don't really understand why Prinze was cast in the first place. Even though they are quite similar in age in real life, in the movie I feel like Prinze looks way older than Garcia and in a romcom, if your character is so 2D then please give the audience some eyecandy.

Some attempts at being funny were made, but I didn't actually laugh a single time. If you make a romcom, please don't forget the com part. Everything revolves around the popstar part and how amazing she is. Even at Cruz's quinceañera it's hardly about Cruz, instead just maintaining the spotlight forever on Garcia. It feels like someones powertrip fantasy about being so adored and wonderful, instead of anything remotely realistic and relatable.

I would only recommend this movie if you love the genre and have a taste for teethrotting sweetness. It's a bad movie, but all christmas movies kind of are. A guilty pleasure movie that is guilty of being not so pleasurable.

The Wonder (I) (2022)

If it's your cup of tea, you will enjoy it greatly

[7/10 · 16 November 2022]

A very interesting watch, for the patient viewer or for any fan of periode pieces, drama, or psychological themed movies. The movie is not fastpaced, but it suits its topic: the wasting away of a child supposed to be able to survive off of God's sustenance only (read: without actually eating food). A miracle indeed, or is there more to it?

The movie is incredibly well scripted and fleshed out. The way the topics are developed throughout the movie are very engaging and original. This is a special movie in the sense that it brings up topics other movies have done before, but never in this novel-like way. Even the unlikely or hard to believe elements aren't that much of a nuissance because it makes for a good story. It is slow, which is one of the reasons I would consider it more arthouse instead of a movie for larger audiences. The slow pace emphasizes how agonizing and painful some of the themes and events are.

The only thing that rubbed me the wrong way is there are a few short parts where the fourth wall is broken. In my opinion, it did not have a clear function and only reduced my ability to really immerse myself. Especially since it is a movie about 19th century Ireland, I would have preferred everything stuck to that. I don't mind fourth wall breaks in general, but here, it just kept me questioning for the first hour what it's purpose was. All of this is set during a period of time in Ireland when the Great famine was a problem. There was no need for a narrator. It was not a comedy. It did not add to the understanding of the plot. Even after finishing the film, I don't understand nor agree with the odd choice.

Other than that, the acting is very good, especially by the main character (Florence Pugh plays the nurse who's supposed to keep watch of the fasting girl). Some characters seem a bit instrumental, e.g. The parents of the fasting girl, though their motives are eluded at, hardly say anything throughout it all. The scenery and camerawork is very much like most aspects of the movie: professionally well done, a pleasure to watch and fitting to the plot.

In short, it has a couple of downsides, but it is very much worth the watch and I imagine the right viewer will be very impressed by "The Wonder".

My Cousin Rachel (2017)

For a mystery it had too little motives, making it dull and disjointed

[6/10 · 1 November 2022]

Solid performances by both Rachel Weisz and Sam Claflin. Beautiful costumes and scenary. Exciting summary that drew me to watch it in the first place. But still it felt lacking...

The story is "did she, or didn't she", a mystery about a man called Philip whose cousin - Ambrose, basically a father to him - turns ill and ships off to Italy. There he writes he's met a lovely woman, Rachel, and that they will marry. After that, he dies. Philip is also left with clues that Rachel might have been the cause of Ambrose's early demise.

After that, almost all of the movie is inefficient in showing what the actual relationship between Philip and Rachel is. Does she have real feelings for him, or is she simply so charming that she manages to indulge him? Or perhaps she indulges him out of fear or pressure? Is she a golddigger who manipulates him into thinking she doesn't want all his gifts, when in fact she is after money, or are her words true? Does Philip actually see who she is on the inside or does he only fancy her looks? None of these important qualities are explained.

The main question of whether or not she murdered Ambrose is the main theme. However, we get almost no clues pointing in the direction that she's innocent and the way Weisz plays Rachel makes it seem like she is super guilty right off the bat. Regardless of the conclusion (guilty or not), this makes it less exciting to watch. Too much emphasis was put on the character of Rachel being guilty, instead of on why she might not be. This is also partly because not enough attention is given to the motives of Philip, e.g. How he views Rachel, other than just as being beautiful? Or even Ambrose (who's not actually shown in person more than a second) - considering it was so surprising for his character to fall in love at all. And was he a realiable person or would the viewer have any reason to question his letters in the first place?

All these questions and no answers. I like movies that keep you guessing, but there's a difference between letting the viewer think for themselves and downright ommitting important and interesting information.