slimsadlik

In the first episode, we are immediately thrown into a brief whirlwind of action-the arrest of a 13-year-old boy on suspicion of murder. During the first 30 minutes of screen time, I thought this would be just another common Crime production, but as the story unfolded, the Psychological Drama element-rightfully ranked as the top tag-became increasingly evident.

With smooth camera movements and meticulously choreographed actor motions (the series contains no cuts), we individually uncover each character's layers. We don't just see their actions and scripted dialogue-we enter their emotions, wander through their motives alongside the camera operator, and try to decipher their thoughts and beliefs. It didn't feel like an actor was speaking to me through my laptop screen; I felt like one of the background figures, a silent observer of the events unfolding.

Owen Cooper's voice, breaking due to adolescence, adds to the drama. We silently plead with him to cast aside his cloak of uncertainty and anger-to tell us his story. We step into the lives of a shattered family, broken into tiny fragments by the ongoing trial, and listen in on school conversations between teachers and detectives, who in turn open a small window into their own lives. We understand the intentions and concerns of Katie's (the victim)best friend. We want to comfort her, to offer her even a little solace. We analyze her accusation in the second episode, and then it hits us-this is not a series that will present a criminal trial from point A to B based on facts. This is a journey, a wandering camera that moves through minds, leaving only us-the passive viewers-free from analysis.

In an era of widespread desensitization, where countless crimes are documented as mere statistics every day, and graphic content is available at the click of a button, we often forget that victims are people-just like you, me, and all of us. They had dreams, ambitions, beating hearts, and working lungs. Eyes that could be read like books, and a will-a will to live longer, to smile more, and to cherish what they had.

After experiencing a fair amount of suspense and plenty of fun in the first three (though mostly the first two) Resident Evil installments, I decided to give the fourth part of the series-Afterlife-a shot.

Full of hope, I went to my local library, borrowed the DVD, and played it on my Disc Player in the comfort of my home. I never expected to be so disappointed by the halfway mark.

Knowing Paul W. S. Anderson from the first Resident Evil installment, I didn't think I would have a completely different experience with this film. For an hour and a half, I struggled to stay awake, predicting every next scene, watching fight sequences unfold with such ridiculous execution that it's hard to believe the movie was released in 2010. The special effects, by some miracle, looked worse than in the previous films, and the characters, devoid of any personality, resembled puppets in a marionette theater.

The only reason I even considered giving it a 3/10 was probably Milla Jovovich carrying the film on her shoulders-though, admittedly, I may be biased in her favor. I have so many questions and so few answers-mostly due to the gaping plot holes.

Was this a waste of an hour and a half of my life? No, I've seen worse. Did it change my life in any way? Yes, I've found a substitute for sleeping pills.

Long story short, the amount of dissapointment I felt after watching this movie escalates over the roof of Empire State Building. I have never in my life watched something so corny, cringe, and edge-like at the same time. The script is straight up taken from ,,Freedom Writers",but make it tasteless and appealing to clasless idiots. I have a rule- I never turn off any movie after deciding to watch it- so every minute and every scene I spiraled more into the abyss of abomination. The jokes were like 20 years old, and all of the comedy in this "work" is satirical portrayal of teenage polish low-lifes which made me want to throw up with cringeness.