RileyOnFilm's reviews

This film is written between chokes. It sucks. Bad.

Here we have a lesbian couple getting away into the woods to celebrate their one year anniversary. They have access to a large cabin home that has been in Sarah's family. In fact, it appears she grew up at least part of her youth in the house and woods. When a seeming stranger shows up knocking at the door, we find out Sarah has an old childhood friend still living across the woods. There is some discomfort as Sarah's new wife starts to get suspicious. Is it warranted? That's what the film sets out to discover. This is Mystery/Horror done well!

I love movies like this where things are not quite as they seem. This film peels back the veneer exposing reality. It's a thriller and probably a horror though I think it excels far more as a thriller.

The director is Colin Minihan who is known for the popular series "Grave Encounters." He also directed: "It Stains the Sands Red" and "Extraterrestrial." I intend to watch all three of these soon. When people say Horror is dead, they need to look at directors like Minihan. I think he shows it's alive and kicking.

There are many twists in this film. the ones toward the end are the most fun in my opinion, though some may disagree. I like how it presents as a lesbian lover film and then completely changes the theme. Some may be surprised at the direction this same sex married couple goes. After all, we should consider they have only been married a year when the conflicts begin to rain down in this plot.

A female abduction crime thriller that gets a lot right!

The "Disappearance of Alice Creed" is a British film starring Gemma Atherton. She plays the pretty young daughter of a millionaire and she is kidnapped and held for ransom. The crime part of it is very interesting.

Director is J Blakeson. He's known for the 5th wave which I found slow and boring. He also directed "The Descent Part 2" which I found refreshingly good in spite of being a sequel to a horror film I really like.

Gemma Atherton has done a lot through the years and continues to. You might recall her from "The Girl With All the Gifts" or "Hansel and Gretel" the horror film.

The two men who abduct her are played by Eddie Marsan & Martin Compston. They are at times abominable and at others buffoons. Either way, they mean business and will stop at nothing to extract the ransom for Atherton's character. I enjoyed the interplay between all three. There were times when she was alone with each one and the dialog makes it very interesting to see who is playing who.The cat and mouse game goes traditional wa ys but there may be a turn or two for fans of the genre to be surprised at. People may say I liked it for the female frontal nudity as well but I will always deny it!

If you like crime thrillers that show psychological battles, it may be for you. It's def for me: I surprisingly gave it 8/10.

Raymond Cruz, known as "Tuco" in Breaking Bad, is the only shaft of light in this listless excuse for a horror movie.

The theater was packed due to the fact that this is supposed to be the legend of La Llorona, the crying woman ghost who has drowned her sons after their father cheated. Perhaps Cruz reading the story by firelight would be more entertaining.

As it is, there are some jump scares that came as a surprise but none were classified as eerie or creepy scary. The evil looked like The Nun, and the Nun at least had context but still wasn't very scary. Hoe can James Wan, producer of Saw Insdious and Conjuring 2 keep financing these un-scary films?

IN conclusion,, this looks like a cash grab, feeding on the hispanic ticket buyer. The saddest thing about that is they never fleshed out the actual legend which is much scarier than the contrived story in this film. Horror fans should miss this one.

I've had so many let downs lately with horror. I caught this film at the dollar theater where the movies go before DVD. Tonight, as I watched "The Prodigy" I was released from my horror funk! This film takes you into the nursery and gets really emotional and comfortable with you and at one point starts the meat grinder on you!

It is unsettling and painstakingly made. Creativity with the camera and music is just as good as the acting and plot. No one had paid me to say these things. I highly recommend this film.

I'm unimpressed with Jordan Peele and the director of "Hereditary." Pay attention to Nicholas McCarthy, the director of this original film. Don't watch it expecting much, that way you'll be surprised and delighted by this horror film. See if you agree iwith me, this horror has renewed my hope in what horror can be in 2019. See it!

Not sure what this film is derived from. It goes into a romantic universe but the way there is uneven and unsure. I didn't know where the pretend began actually. None of this is reality, I know that's not what we go to the movies for. Still, a movie like When Harry Met Sally appeals to me more as a rom com because I recognize the struggles, the orgasms, the reality.

Not so in this one. This could have been a chance for Rebel to legitimize herself apart from Pitch Perfect but it just didn't happen. I love watching her on screen so I am still holding out hope she'll get a better movie next time.

I really liked this entry in Carpenter's legacy. He did a great job putting together the plot and ideas. The asylum imagery could be darker and there is a lot of needless dialog in the first half. Ultimately it becomes a fun asylum horror film for fans of the sub genre but not as scary as I would have hoped for. Still worth a watch.

Sometimes a low budget boosts the scares in a horror movie. The director is forced to work with what she/he has. In this case the acting and dialog is pretty awful. The humble use of blood and gore is accentuated as fake as a result. If the characters spent more time together embracing the material, it might have fared better. As it is, the lines seem forced and there isn't much to grab on to here.

Having said that, this is a horror film we have been given in 2018. Since it was a scant year for our genre, this one is worth watching. There are a few moments that thrill and chill so you won't be completely let down.

"They come back different" has been a concept in horror movies ever since Romero gave us zombie films, and before. It's in "the Walking Dead" and so many other horror films. Even vampires are tortured in their eternal state. This film looks at grief and the desire to get back ones loved one from the grave.

The acting is solid and there is a creepiness throughout. Most turns were predictable but the air of the film was dark and ominous throughout. Since those are my favorite types of films, I liked it a lot. In addition to come predictability, the plot lagged at times. I'd still recommend it as one of those thinking persons' horrors. 8/10

This film is often listed as a "must-watch" classic. For many years I have been intrigued by it but only now have I take the time to watch. I can tell you it has great cinematic moments and indeed every film lover should see it. At the same time, it has some slow segments that a modern audience may find dull. The final 1/3 is very exciting though and certainly wort the wait.

Our director is John Frankenheimer. He is known for many classic and modern films before his passing in 2002. I recognized "Ronin" on is list which is one of my favorite action films. It took a skilled and visionary director to make "The Manchurian Candidate." There are two stories running side by side and yet the overall plot must be told with subtlety and care.

Since the story is about a brainwashed puppet being used by forces hostile to the USA, the subject matter is close to home for an American. Still, it's easy to see how this sort of thing could be happening behind our back without us knowing it. The acting is incredible along with the writing making this a definite must see for movie fans and/or fans of the actors. The fight scenes unfortunate make me laugh. This is ironic since Frank Sinatra considered it some of his best acting ever. It is in fact dated in its pace and some of the effects look fake. It was avoided by many audiences for some time after its release due to the political public response to the film. 7/10.

It's great when you see a sequel with your favorite character doing more of what you loved the first time. Due to mediocre writing and an attempt to be flash over story, this film quickly veers away from the first film. All is not lost though, the visuals are indeed amazing and enjoyable.

One reason this film might have appeared out there and disjointed was because there are two directors. I really don't see that much. It could be like having 2 kings or 2 cooks on one stove. Like they say, "too many cooks spoil the broth."

Vannelope and Ralph have a complicated friendship. In a way, it appears to go beyond friendship and at the same time, he has a unselfish affection for her that allows him to not be possessive and let go. It's probably out of place for me to compare their characters to romantic lovers because they act like young kids. Still, the promos with all the Disney princesses along with that scene in the film allude to a woman's success in life owing to a man. It's sort of #metoo and sort of not. I didn't like the foggy lines of their relationship. I wish it were more clearly defined. It made the story uncomfortable at times and I forgot I was supposed to be having childlike fun. But there is still lots to enjoy in this film.

The visuals in this film come at you non-stop. I had a feeling about the visuals like I did when I saw "Trolls" for the first time. It was all inventive technology with a human element. In other words, it wasn't just like a strobe in your face. There are so many amazing visuals but probably my absolute favorite was at the end when all the little Ralphs form on monstrous one. That most have taken tons of code and animation science to pull off.

To close, this sequel is highly visual and very exciting. The story and it's character dynamics are very flawed in my opinion. I really felt they though the visuals were enough and so they skimped on story. It is rather good though and I would recommend you take your kids to it. It is nowhere near the masterpiece of the original "Wreck it Ralph" and that was a let down. 6/10

The Citadel tower stands ominously in the distance as the director tightens the screw against it. The hero begins to see it is the enemy. A renegade priest helps his see it and devises a plan in which they both can take down the Citadel by fire. It's a good plan but lest I forget, there are hooded juveniles that rely on it for shelter and they will protect it.

We've heard the catch phrase in horror so often: "Don't show fear it likes that." What this guy has gone through is more awful than anything we can imagine and yet he is able to right these hooded figures without fear. I had some issues with the characters and the portrayal of life around the Citadel. Where are the other people? This is a dark film with some mild scares. Overall, due to a flawed priest character and implausible writing it lost some points with me. 6/10.

A bunch of prep school kids left to kill each other on a deserted Island. Hunger Games anyone? I have read that Quentin Tarantino wanted the lead from this show to star in "Kill Bill" because he loved this film so much. I wouldn't call it a "Gore Fest" as some have. After all, gore is when what's in the body is taken out and shown. This is a blood fest for sure though. The director is also very good at building suspense through music and sound effects.

Action killing is something we like in America. That's probably why this scores so high on the democratic user score at IMDB. I found it exciting and cathartic. There will be those who will be turned off by the violence but it's a deeper message they miss. The "teacher" seems to have no compassion in him. One might compare him to Stanley Tucci's character in "The Hunger Games." It's not as much about the government but more about the risk of losing ones compassion for others. I think the teacher character may have done that. This is a fun watch but a bloody mess so be forewarned. I quite enjoyed it, 8/10.

I understand that heist movies often contain a nuts and bolts planning section of the film. That's why I tolerated the first 1/2 of this slow, uneventful film. I expected it to pick up the pace immensely, it didn't. That isn't my main gripe with this film.

There are side stories everywhere in this movie. It seems that they are there as some sort of puzzle to be assembled later. In my opinion, they are discordant and do not serve the plot at all. This film tries to be like recent films where women are empowered against men who cheat and use them. It's also tapping into racial inequality even though it is not an all black cast.

I just waited and waited for the heist and when it appeared it was muddled and sloppy. There were some cool camera angles and tricks but that is way less than this film was touted as. I think podcasters have been floated gifts by the film studio. This is not a good film.