Piffritic-Half-arsedproductions

Congratulations, a standing ovation has never been earned more, you did it! The Thursday Murder Club is quite possibly the worst film of 2025, perhaps one for the ages. Adapted from Richard Osmon's UK best seller (Over 10 million copies sold), it seemed that Netflix was obviously keen to ride the guaranteed train of movie success and cash in on the overwhelming popularity of the book - strike while the iron is hot, guys! I saw the trailer for the film a few months ago, and my opinion was not too great then; it seemed twee, ridiculously British, and a little rushed, but as my anticipation for the movie was not at its greatest heights, I was mildly enthusiastic to give it a go as I'm not impartial to a solid murder mystery, but dear god I did not expect the levels to sink this low. Almost every single aspect of this movie is terrible, from the plot, characters, and overall execution of its style. It is so British that instead of it filling my heart with a slight case of homesickness, I found myself plunging into the sofa, wishing it would transform me into another realm, whilst my face cringed so hard it resembled a murder-related leather glove. There is a positive though, the cast is exceptional, featuring what is quite possibly the very best/legendary actors from the UK scene - honestly mention their name and they shall appear. Furthermore, it is directed by Christopher Columbus (Harry Potter, Home Alone), so what on earth happened here? Overall, it's fair to say that I did not enjoy The Thursday Murder Club at all. I found the movie an absolute slog to get through, the acting is hammy and corny, the style is more in line with Scooby Doo and The Famous Five, whilst aiming for a level of intelligence that kids in grade 5 would possibly disregard. What a marvelous triumph in disastrous filmmaking.

Brutal, unforgiving, gory, and certainly eyebrow-raising for better or worse, 28 Years Later is the third installment from director Danny Boyle, continuing the rage virus outbreak (zombie apocalypse) that began nearly 3 decades ago. I have been a lifelong fan of zombie films ever since I went to see Zack Snyder's Dawn of the Dead in 2004, and even though pretty much all zombie movies follow the exact same fundamentals, I can't help but be captivated by them. So, does 28 Years Later bring anything new to the table? Mostly, Yes! The film is a solid experience, with stellar performances across the entire cast, a filmmaking style that is glorious to witness, which complements the tone and feeling perfectly, and an insight into humanity as a whole that is raw, bleak, and frequently believable. But.......and I think you felt this coming? There is a but. Narrative-wise, the film takes some silly diversions, which caused me to scrunch my face in confusion. At first, the film expertly sets the scene of how people are surviving the outbreak, but halfway through the story, some character decisions and situations left me dumbfounded; it's a real shame. That being said, I did enjoy 28 Years Later. The film is, naturally, an uncomfortable watch with some serious, intense, and eye-opening moments (by design), but it's just a little disappointing, as I feel this is a film that I want to love, but I just can't.

Materialists is the latest venture from writer and director Celine Song, who previously gave us 2023's Past Lives, which I would refer to as a masterpiece in the relationship drama genre - honestly, if this is your bag of storytelling, you need to see it. So does Materialists (really want to add a "the" to the title) live up to the aforementioned project? In short, no. Although it is aesthetically equally beautiful to look at, maintaining Celine's ambient, long shot, dream-like style, the premise at hand just isn't as interesting to me, or should I say, the execution. Focusing more on the dating game rather than long-term love, Materialists highlights the cruelty, unpredictability, and just overall frustrating nature of the task at hand. The cast are decent in their roles, Dokota Johnson does a good job of leading the film, Pedro Pascal ticks the box of being in ANOTHER film, and Chris Evans is serviceable as the dreamy-eyed waiter; However, I felt the best performances came from some of the side characters. The script is highly stylized, and for most of the film, felt more like A. I bots trying to allocate the best chance of success, instead of people romantically trying to get to know each other, which kind of works, as this is a major aspect of Dokota's character. Overall, I thought the film was alright. I feel that some people would really like but this kind of romantic style of filmmaking (the ones where actors take 10-15 second breaks between their lines to create drama?) is not my thing.