eldreddsouza Reviews

The Archies (2023)

Flawless direction by Zoya!

[8/10 · 9 December 2023]

Now I get that this film isn't for everyone. For eg. A KGF 2 stan or an Animal movie enjoyer obviously won't like this film. Cause they are not the target audience in the first place. But they will still watch it and give their comments on the film, mean, harsh or downright disrespectful. But they won't sit down to discuss the technical aspects, etc.

This film is technically superior to other films, ones that Have even released in theatres. Director Zoya is a master at her craft and you will see perfection in all the shots, angles, frames, camerawork in general, etc. The film is shot beautifully and masterfully. The setting is just on point and makes you feel like you're transported to a different world.

This film has heart. The emotional connect bw the characters has been beautifully established by the director. The story though simple, just connects with you. The musical numbers are nice and fantastically choreographed. The new bunch of actors shine in these musical scenes. They all have such good screen presence. Agastya I think he's a sure shot future star. He possesses charm and is smooth and just breezes through his role. Suhana seems to have gone into a character which may resonate with some and less with others. That's fine though cuz I believe she has potential. She was nice though and def shone in some scenes. Khushi is just beautiful and has good screen presence. Her smile and expressions and body movements are just on point and she has character. It's a good sign since she obv wants to establish her career in the industry. Rest everyone, Dot., Mihir, Vedang and Dilton were also quite good. Vedang however, man he's like a young Ranveer Singh. I can totally see him becoming a big star in the future with his looks and charismatic.

Overall, this movie is something I was highly anticipating the release of since long and it did not disappoint. It gave me exactly what I signed up for and more. Good job Netflix and Zoya, no one could have done it better than you. What a launch you've given these new actors. Peace!

Jawan (2023)

Waah, kya scene hai!

[10/10 · 7 September 2023]

When grade A talents of Bollywood meet the true blue storytellers from the South, the result is a Pan-India Blockbuster! This is exactly what Jawan is. An extraordinary massy entertainer with an absolutely tight script. Unlike other mass movies, this has an interesting story, a fluid screenplay and the usual brilliant performances of the best of the best talents in the country.

If Pathan was SRK's comeback, Jawan is his second coming and guess what? It's even grander. This man appeals to not just the mass loving bachelors of this country but also the girls, women and children alike. When SRK said that he is the last true 'superstar' of Bollywood, I felt that while watching this movie.

Vijay Sethupati is splendid in his role and his witty one liners will make you chuckle. At the same time he is menacing. So good job by him. The rest of the cast, the girls, Priyamani, Sanya Malhotra and the others complemented the protagonist spectacularly.

The action sequences pack quite the punch and they are only elevated to another level with the BGM designed by the supremely talented Anirudh. The songs are fantastic and when Zinda Banda played, man, the theatre 'Erupted'. I couldn't get enough of this movie with just a single watch. I will be watching this absolute bonkers of a movie once again.

Talking about the main girls of the movie, Deepika in her limited screen time left quite an impression on me. She looked divine and radiated the cinema hall with her presence. Absolute A stuff as I said before. Nayanthara, what to say about her. She is one of the finest leading women of Kollywood and in Jawan, she is no exception. She looked gorgeous in every scene, did action like a boss lady and delivered a knockout performance.

This movie has 'class' written all over it and is in line to become the next true blue Blockbuster of 2023. The hype was real! Go without a second thought to watch Jawan.

Neeyat (2023)

A major disappointment and a waste of time.

[1/10 · 5 September 2023]

The actors were totally disconnected with the script but you can't blame them. Cause there was no script. The director looked like she went on directing whatever she felt like and there was no script in place. It looks more like a stage play than a film.

None of the actors seemed convincing. When Vidya Balan entered I expected some sort of relief but in fact I became more annoyed since she delivered her worst performance to date. It felt as if she were doing us a favour by just being in the film.

The only good thing was the 'Farebi' track, that's it. Then they also took this insta influencer called Prajakta Koli for some reason. What, they think her audience will go to watch it and it'll suddenly become a hit or something? The film bombed. Not even her audience was interested in watching this rubbish. And theses Bollywood guys should seriously stop casting her in more movies. Her acting is a pain in the . Awful movies just become more annoying with her useless acting and presence.

The film is a pointless watch, a boring and also laborious watch. It has nothing going for it. Just simply avoid.

Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023)

It's an ok movie.

[8/10 · 31 July 2023]

So this film is a good film. Not great like you HAVE TO watch it or anything. It's fine and has it's moments. I was expecting a laugh riot but honestly it didn't have many funny moments. Just the ones that you already saw in the trailer in fact. This film is like a roller coaster. It has its and downs and ups and downs. Never consistent though. Also in my opinion it's a bit dragged. The family swap thingy comes directly in the second half. And I must admit in the start it seems fun, especially where Ranveer moves in with the other family. Then again the ending is stretched. You want it to end quickly but it just goes on and on.

The sets are good in this movie and songs are beautiful to look at on the big screen. Idk why but for some reason, the opening song with Sara, Ananya, Janhvi got me really excited while I was watching it lol. Dharmendra and Shabana Azmi in their limited screen time shone the brightest.

Overall it's a watchable film. Do watch it if you have nothing to do. It gives a good message though, despite its script not being that tight like Kjo's previous films and housewives and certain individuals will really definitely connect with it. I would give it a 6/10 + 1 extra star for Dharam ji who really moved me along with Shabana Azmi ji.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

Unnecessarily stretched.

[5/10 · 26 July 2023]

The first hour was perfect. But then this movie started going downhill. It seemed to have gotten stuck on one track. The Apple love story bit was stretched beyond proportions. The lead actress did a pretty poor job. She didn't suit the role at all. There was hardly any chemistry between Pitt and herself. She was great as Hela in Thor Ragnarock but was very poor her performance wise.

The plot is very interesting. But only the first one hour and climax do it justice. Yes, the climax is very good. The movie should have been not longer than 2 hours. This is definitely one of the weaker Fincher films along with The Zodiac Killer. It seems like a mixture of FG and Big Fish but both those films are infinitely better than this. Was excited to watch this but the overdrawn middle portion and Blanchet's weak chemistry and acting brought this down for me.

Student of the Year 2 (2019)

The worst of the worst ever created.

[1/10 · 17 July 2023]

I'm serious. Not joking when I say that this movie belongs in the trash. The final cut which would then be used to make copies for distribution really belonged in the trash can. And not just any. But in the wetland where no one would dare to go to salvage it. Or rather it be burnt by an intern there who just took up smoking because of the pressure created by the mental folks involved in making this garbage.

This is a nepo feast galore. Somehow, the lead who is an outsider happens to be worse than the former. The screenplay, story and direction doesn't help. They're all worse tier. I cannot express enough how much disgusting this film is. Really, the makers should've been banned for coming up with something like this and taking the audience for granted. I wish it had come out today. The audience would show them their place and where their movie belongs. In the trash.

Shootout at Lokhandwala (2007)

Easy. The worst gangster movie ever.

[3/10 · 12 July 2023]

I'm a huge sucker for gangster movies. I love seeing the downfall of these "cool" gangsters. Currently I'm on a Bollywood gangster movie spree and I must say that this one is the worst I have come across.

The plot is same clichéd one with nothing interesting to offer. I understand this came out in the the mid 2000's but then again, Satya, Black Friday, Company, etc. Came out before and were much fantastic.

The actors are clear definition of 'amateur hout'. Each of them delivering one bad performance than the other. Vivek Oberoi overacted a lot and came across as cringe. Tushar Kapoor has proven once again that he has no relation with acting whatsoever. The other Tv actors are actually better than these guys. They are not good or anything, just better than the two nepo products is all.

The songs are repetitive. All bar songs. Because gangsters visit shady bars only. The plot is really really half baked in this half baked amateurish film. The acting and the screenplay is such that you can't take the film seriously. Also the cops are ridiculous in this one. There's one cop played by Arbaz who's only job is to give gyaan. His peachy, kids' elocution like delivery does not help. He's constantly preaching about something or the other. One bit is about how Hindi is sacred. Bunch of nonsense.

This film had good hype back in the day but when I finally got to watching it today I was only filled with disappointment and disgust. A very poor film indeed which fails on all counts.

Smile (V) (2022)

This was a waste of time.

[3/10 · 1 July 2023]

In fact, writing this review is a waste of time. But I am doing it anyway with a view to saving more people's time and not letting it go to waste by watching this inconsequential movie in the horror genre. The audacity of the makers to make something as half baked as this!

Just forget everything and just don't waste your time. Don't even watch this out of curiosity. It's not worth anything.

This movie seems like over 4 hours long because of how boring it is. The plot is interesting but these guys have sucked the life out of it and presented something so shallow, it's not worth watching.

Disgusting and disappointing!

Abbott Elementary: Principal's Office (2022) Season 2, Episode 4

I struggled to find a single moment to laugh.

[4/10 · 9 May 2023]

Before this I watched an episode of Arrested Development. I couldn't stop laughing. Then I watched this episode of this show and there was literally not one single moment that made me even chuckle. This is hands down the poorest episode of this show. I enjoyed a couple of episodes, in this season till now as well as in season 1 but no episode has been this much of a snooze fest and off pitting than this one. There are two plots, one about the Principal's office and the other about the rift between the sisters. Both were one worse than the other. The Principal one seemed forced and random, while the sister one was just too meh. I couldn't care less about either plot. I'm really sad cuz I really like this show but this episode was extremely weak and unnecessary. This single handedly brings the show down for me. It will be interesting to see how long it is until I feel motivated to watch this show further.

Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan (2023)

It's a Salman show, completely action packed and a fun film overall.

[8/10 · 21 April 2023]

Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan is a complete package. There's drama in it, great songs, absolutely class action sequences and is a hardcore mass entertainer. Was not expecting much from this movie but the movie is filled with moments that will make you clap and cheer. The theatre I watched it in was electrifying. Such an enthusiastic crowd and clap worthy scenes made the whole experience worthwhile.

The action in this movie is really good. I absolutely loved the pre interval block where there is a hand combat scene shot in the metro followed by an intense dramatic scene. It was a complete intense scene. The action was of top quality. Absolutely insane. One of the highlights of this movie. Also the ending action sequence is beautifully choreographed.

Some of the dialogues are really good. Venky mama as the elder brother of Pooja Hegde is so good. He's a treat to watch. Such a fine actor and his character is written very well. The rest of the cast too were good. Siddharth Nigam was a complete surprise. He shone really bright. Also Farhad Samji has finally done a good job. Some of his creative choices, especially in the beginning are really applaudable.

Overall nice movie, full on action packed and having many but nice songs which is worth watching with family. I give it an 8/10 easily.

Govinda Naam Mera (2022)

How do such atrocious movies get made?

[1/10 · 13 April 2023]

Well this movie was a waste of time. Such ludicrous movie, I've never watched in my life. The writers should be put behind bars for coming up with the most nonsensical random script. The Director doesn't know the D of Direction. I've not liked any of his movies till date and this one's no exception. How producers back him is beyond me.

Words fall short to describe how random the plot is. It's a nonsense khichadi and not a movie. People who like to indulge in system upsetting mess will surely like this one. How it has such high ratings is beyond me. Pathetic movie, a total waste of time. Rubbish songs too. Absolutely nothing you like in this.

I'm fuming right now. The only reason I completed it was because I had started it. Only the first quarter hour was okayish but then the clueless director continued his work and just went on till he decided he needs to wind up. The first half was pathetic, the second was also bad only, nothing great. Such nonsensical plots should not be allowed to turn into movies. We need quality control otherwise such sh;t will keep coming on ott platforms.

An Action Hero (2022)

Underrated was the word that first came to mind.

[8/10 · 28 February 2023]

Now this is a good movie. Aayushmann Khurana was good in it, Jaideep Alahawat was good. The cinematography and locations were high quality. The BGM was still playing in my head after watching this film. It was bomb! But why did this film bomb? It's unfortunate that a film like this failed so badly at the BO. It's one of the better films in a line of bad films and remakes from Bolly in the year 2022.

The marketing team behind this should be avoided for future projects at all costs. Absolute bunch of clowns who let such a good film go unnoticed by the public.

It's tense, it's gripping, well directed, beautifully filmed and most importantly it is fresh. It pains to see good films fail and mediocre affairs *Cough* BB2 *Cough*, *Cough* D2 *Cough* become super hit.

Drishyam 2 (2022)

Just ok...

[6/10 · 3 January 2023]

Keeping it short, I just didn't enjoy this movie as much as I hoped i would. I've watched the Malayalam Dhrishyam 2 several times. Despite knowing the suspense that too. It's because the film apart from its strong story was also technically brilliant. Also the chemistry between its cast members was impeccable. That family looked like a legit family and Mohanlal and his wife looked like a traditional Indian couple. Absolutely flawless chemistry. Same thing unfortunately can't be said about this Hindi remake. There was zero chemistry here. Also the kids were forgettable unlike the original where you will clearly remember the kids in the family.

I'm not against remakes as long as they are done perfectly. But this is, forget perfect, not even just good enough. I liked The Hindi part 1 and his absence in this part can be clearly felt here. This director doesn't hold a candle to Nishikant Kamat who made a remake also equally good as the brilliant original.

I guess it's all due to comparison. My younger cousin seemed to like this and she hadn't watched the original. So maybe if you haven't watched the original Malayalam movie then you will like this but as someone who holds the original to his heart, this remake was absolutely disappointing. Very forgettable.

What We Do in the Shadows (2014)

Waste of time. Not even 4% of Borat.

[3/10 · 21 November 2022]

This movie is in the same league as 'Death of Stalin'. Interesting premise, seems fun on the outset but absolutely poor a product.

There were only a couple of jokes that worked for me. I liked the scene where the cops come to investigate. But that's it. Rest of the movie was resting to be funny but none of it ever landed. It's a poor try of doing something like Borat. But a big failure as it ultimately doesn't seem to deliver even 4% of what Borat does. I admire TW's films but this is hands down his weakest. His expressions were good though, but I guess NZ's aren't naturally good at acting in films. None of the other actors stood out imo and were forgotten soon after.

This was a real waste of my time. Idk why it has such high ratings. But I guess I understood why it isn't much popular now. This is in the same league as Death of Stalin, another poor film with a very interesting premise.

Avatar (2009)

It's an experience! A magical one.

[10/10 · 23 September 2022]

I was waiting for this day for the longest time. I was a kid back in 2009 when this movie released. So never got to watch it back then. But now when it rereleased I booked the first day show to a IMAX show and oh boy was I blown away! This is nothing short of a masterpiece! It's beyond belief how a film like this could've been made. Every scene, every shot is perfection. You are transferred to a different world and become so engrossed in the film. Never have I attended a movie where at the end of it people got up from their seats and started clapping! Last time this happened was after Infinity War. That movie too was a damn brilliant one. I'm from India and this is legit rare, where people go crazy, so crazy after any English film. This was one experience that I will never forget. I'm definitely going for it again next weekend cuz just once was not enough.

Every human on the planet needs to experience this magnificent work of art!

Raksha Bandhan (I) (2022)

Is it the 90's. A 90's B film.

[1/10 · 11 August 2022]

So I just came out of the 9 o'clock show and my head is seriously paining. Also my wallet hurts because I wasted hard earned cash on this pile of g. This movie is only 30 years late in its release. Such a silly topic and what's even poor is it's execution. The only good thing about this movie is the title track which is kinda sweet and the short runtime. But seriously, we could've watched this film on ott. It's just like Atrangi re, the whole vibe of it. It's suited for OTT only. Lame story, cringe writing, poor acting by the sisters and some serious overacting by C Kumar. I am headed straight home. Have called my boss and told him that I'm not gonna be coming to work today. Thanks to this movie.

Better Call Saul: Waterworks (2022) Season 6, Episode 12

Are you sure there's no way to give this a 11?

[10/10 · 10 August 2022]

I've been rating every episode of this show and more than half of them I've rated 10. Because this show is so impeccable that it blows my mind. This episode is beyond perfect. It's indescribable, the emotions I've felt watching this episode. I'm gonna miss this show so badly and it's gonna hurt like a mf next week when it's all over. This episode is a 11. I wish there were a way to give it a rating that it deserves cause what we have now just isn't enough.

Explained: Cults (2019) Season 2, Episode 1

An interesting topic made boring.

[2/10 · 13 May 2022]

Cults is such an interesting topic but somehow they managed to make it boring. Throughout the episode they were just rambling. Nothing interesting to show.

Beast (II) (2022)

Was not a Vijay fan but become one after this film.

[9/10 · 12 May 2022]

Before this I had watched Vijay's only one movie that is Master which was fine and director Nelson's Doctor which I absolutely loved. But Master didn't really make me appreciate his acting or screen presence or anything (maybe cuz I watched it in Hindi). But I watched this Beast movie in Tamil and found myself in complete awe of his screen presence. Even his dialogue delivery packs quite a punch.

The action scenes though few in number definitely are very creative and intense. Absolutely loved the creativity in choreographing the action scenes. Something unique and high octane for sure. Vijay looks absolutely suave while performing those action scenes.

Also humour is present throughout the film and every pun gave me a good laugh. The characters are your typical Nelson characters and honestly loved the humour in this film. Which means that the film doesn't take its plot quite seriously so don't find plot holes and take them seriously. This film is clearly just meant for entertainment. Plot holes like CCTV footage and all will take the fun out of the film. I realised the tone of this film in the start only and watched it accordingly which is why I absolutely enjoyed it. The screenplay was good and I don't remember being bored or finding any scene dragged at all. Also the female lead Pooja is looking beautiful as ever. She's gotten sufficient screen time and you'll see her throughout the movie.

The music in this film is amazing. Completely enjoy led the two songs in this film, one in the first half hour and then one at the end. The movie ends on a really high note because of that last plane action scene and then this song.

Now let's try to understand why this film has gotten so much hate. Honestly this level of hate is not justified. And I mainly see it coming from rival actor's fans and north audience. My understanding is that the Hindi dubbing has brought this film down. After all when you dub it you are not able to capture the essence of the film. I don't know though because I watched it in the original language and can confidently say it's a good film. Nearly the level of Doctor. An easy 9/10 from me. This is the most misunderstood film.

The Haunting of Hill House: Silence Lay Steadily (2018) Season 1, Episode 10

A 10/10 show brought down to an 8 due to this disappointing ending.

[5/10 · 2 May 2022]

This is one of the best written shows ever and absolutely perfect was what I believed until the penultimate episode. The final episode was filled with boring monologues. From ghosts. Boring, long and ultimately disappointing finale to an otherwise amazing show. I thought the finale would top all the episodes but boy was I wrong. Instead of taking a straight path, this episode seemed like a mess that didn't know how to end so took this path. All land up in the house, fall asleep and have weird dreams in succession where the ghosts put us to sleep with their unnecessary and overdrawn monologues. It would have been best if I ended the show on the 9th episode only hadn't ended up watching this poor finale as it brought down the show as a whole. Also I wanted to add that the father (oldie) was the most boring character throughout the show and unfortunately had the most screentime in this finale thus more boredom, contributed mainly by him.

The Haunting of Hill House: The Bent-Neck Lady (2018) Season 1, Episode 5

Holy smokes! The most spine chilling hour of television.

[10/10 · 30 April 2022]

This is such a beautifully layered episode. The direction is just impeccable. Everything has been shown so insanely well. How do you show paralysis? Well the director has managed to do it brilliantly. Seriously, this was literally the most spine chilling hour of any show I've ever experienced. Fine writing, fine direction and absolutely splendid performance by Victoria. The ending is also surely gonna send shivers down your spine. Outstanding stuff!

Heropanti 2 (2022)

O Bollywood lol. Feel like laughing at your state.

[1/10 · 29 April 2022]

Same old nonsense continues to be done in this industry. Tiger Shroff has been doing one thing from the start of his career and is not capable of giving any other expressions. With him it's always like 'action at the cost of expression'. He's been in this industry for almost a decade now but has not improved even one percent at the things that he's bad at, which is obviously acting, emoting and dialogue delivery. How long are we gonna see the same old jumping and dancing with the same bland face? Is he ever gonna change?

There's no story in this film. This film relies solely on its action which is still way over the top and completely nonsensical. Tara Sutaria is overrated. Haven't liked her acting since her debut film SOTY 2 but I don't know how people still have faith in her.

The songs in this film are terrible. 1st rate torture if I may. They only make the film more unbearable. Can't believe AR Rahman worked on the music of this film. Even the original whistle baja is so good compared to this. This one is so bad I can't even describe it in words. Nawazuddin Siddiqui is doing his same acting from Kick. So in short this film offers nothing new. Pathetic acting, dialogues and their delivery, worst songs, action that you've already seen a million times and no good story at all (horrible in fact), I wouldn't recommend this film even to my debtors. Don't pay me back but also don't waste my money on such horrible films.

Desh Drohi (2008)

Don't believe the negative reviews. It's a gem truly.

[10/10 · 28 April 2022]

This review is after watching KGF 2 actually. In front of that, this is a Sholay. Hence this rating. Excited for DD 2. Even if that will be 1% of KGF2 but a bit poor compared to this film I'll give that a 9.

Sarpatta Parambarai (2021)

Outstanding boxing drama!

[10/10 · 7 April 2022]

This is the absolute best boxing movie I've ever watched. Also it's not just a boxing movie but has so many different elements. I started to watch this movie and got up only 2 hours later and was surprised to know that so much time had gone by. I was that glued to my laptop screen. Such was the screenplay, so effective, so engaging that I didn't even realise how time had flown by. Most modern movies are of that duration and this movie had more. More awesomeness to come by. Seriously, the first 2 hours are Perfect! Absolutely flawless. Then I started the final hour. The movie took a complete shift in tone. It took me a while to totally get into it but I accepted that it's the reality in life. Not every moment of life can be a high road. We all have a phase in our life where we feel completely bettered, like a complete mess. But we also have the choice to get back to glory. That's the last hour of this film. Absolutely beautiful. Absolutely poetic.

Idk what any of you may say, but this is a perfect movie. I was left wondering that how can anyone make a movie like this today. It was that good. Impeccable direction, such good looking, handsome actors with absolute acting talent. Most of all, such impeccable action choreography. The blows looked so real and shakes you as well. Outstanding acting by even the supporting cast. The mom, the wife, the coach all were damn fn brilliant. My favourite supporting character however was Daddy played by John. So funny, so innocent and what amazing comic timing. Uff, too good the screenplay was.

I just have nothing else to stay. Outstanding stuff. Amazon please continue making such freaking awesome movies man. Brilliant!

Rocketman (I) (2019)

This movie does not do justice to Sir Elton John.

[6/10 · 7 April 2022]

No wonder this movie performed so badly compared to Boh Rhap. This movie is nowhere as entertaining or uplifting as Boh Rap. It's a very mediocre movie full of self pity and doesn't even qualify to be a musical. It feels very amateur in all departments. Right from direction, to acting, to screenplay, to music, every single aspect is straight up mediocre.

Elton John is one of the greatest musicians on this planet and this is such a poor movie that he doesn't deserve. He deserves so much better. The actor portraying him also barely passes. He doesn't possess an iota of charm that Sir Elton does. Sir Elton is always dorning that adorable smile of his whereas this actor comes across as quite obnoxious. But I don't entirely blame him as the screenplay and direction is only such that the poor fellow couldn't help it. I loved Kingsman in which he was there and know his potential, but here he disappointed me.

Being a musical you would expect every hit of Elton to be played but they only play a few lines every now and then and two full songs that are not that well recreated.

This movie deserved no nominations and idk why some people were whinny about it. Rightly so, it didn't get any major nominations or win any for that matter. On one hand we have Boh Rhap that was a true musical which was very uplifting and on the other hand, this film which is neither a proper biopic nor a musical. It's full of self pity and depression and out right boring.

Only scoring it a 6/10 because of the real life photos of Sir Elton John that they put at the end, right from his childhood to today, where he was giving that charming smile, rocking his crazy costumes and just being so damn amazing. So only for the photos and the start of the movie which was good, giving it a rating of 6. Otherwise a really bad film.