tiaskyelandish

They/Them had my curiosity with the premise of a slasher movie set in an LGBTQ+ camp, which could've been entertaining and captivating. Sadly, not only is this one big missed opportunity, but it's barely a slasher movie. There are large portions of the movie where it doesn't feel like its respective genre as the murder spree doesn't happen until the third act. Then again, the kills are lackluster (offscreen kills? Please be for real). It's also a tonally inconsistent teen melodrama with a cringe-worthy music moment. Most of the characters aren't fleshed out, and the acting (at least some of it) isn't great. The last act is a letdown. Not only is the reveal of the killer predictable but it was rushed and left a lot to be desired. There's so much potential for this movie and has the best efforts of Kevin Bacon and Theo Germaine but between the lack of scares, underdeveloped characters, bad direction, jumbled themes, and writing that's equivalent to an after-school special, it's a disappointment.

I don't have the vitriol some have towards Emilia Pérez, but it's a muddled and ill-advised effort from director Jacques Audiard for the most part. Don't get me wrong: the direction isn't dreadful as he can decently stage a dance sequence and create an atmosphere but happens occasionally. Like most people, most of my issues revolve around the horrible screenplay. It has a starting point with some potential but proceeds to fumble it with weak plotting and underwhelming personal dynamics between the characters. For a film called Emilia Pérez, it spends way too much time on Rita, who doesn't do anything interesting and the development of Jessi is messily written. Also, there's no reason for this to be a musical as the songs range from forgettable to straight-up bad. It has a tonal whiplash that's baffling. And that ending is a complete trainwreck and flop. The sad part is that - outside of Selena Gomez (she was okay) - the performances from the ladies are excellent, particularly Karla Sofía Gascón. Some of the best parts involved the titular character and Epifanía. I wish that the writing was better. I also wish that it involved Emilia and her journey.

Ever since this was announced, this became one of my most anticipated films. Robert Eggers is one of the best filmmakers working in Hollywood, though I haven't seen The Northman yet. On top of that, it has a star-studded cast. But, I've avoided the trailers. The 1922 film will always be a classic but I haven't seen the 1979 one. The question is: how does this version compare to the original? I must say that it didn't disappoint whatsoever. It's an elegantly touching movie. Once again, Robert Eggers does a masterful job in the director's chair. The cast does an amazing job but Willem Dafoe and Bill Skarsgård (who looked completely unrecognizable). The slow-burn narrative is effective. The visuals are stunning and it's incredibly atmospheric and gothic. The music is fantastic and the production design is stellar. Also, some scenes will send chills down your spine. As a whole, it did resonate with me. It's one of my favorite films of 2024.