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Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)
This one is for the Osage Nation, bravo!
Let's get to the point; yes, this movie is long, even for Star Wars enthusiasts and lovers of description overload, but it is an absolutely stunning piece of cinematography, with fantastic acting, about a part of American history, involving Native American oppression and racism that must be told!
Often in America, when we think of systemic racism, African Americans come to mind, and in fact the plight and struggles of black people, dealing with generational poverty and lack of opportunities, has rightly dominated Hollywood's narrative for the last 40 years or so. Now, I think the time has finally come to shine a light on other groups of Americans, who have also seen their lands stolen, who have been pushed to live in the fringe of society (reservoirs), who have been culled and had their lifespans dramatically reduced (Native American women have the youngest mortality rates), and who's stories have been ignored for way too long. THIS is a story about love (of family, of land, and of heritage), survival/resilience, and about a country ultimately learning from their mistakes and wanting to do better!
Bravo, Mr Scorsese, for taking such time and care to get this story right, and in doing so, creating a work of art that pays tribute to the Osage Nation and to Mollie Kyle and her family.
Baby Reindeer (2024)
A teaching moment
I knew nothing of the story behind this show before I started watching it. I only knew that it featured a female stalker... By the imagery I thought that it was a black comedy... As someone with a minor in forensic psychology not only am I interested in "deviant" behavior and how it can lead to criminal behavior, but I'm also always on the lookout for tell tale signs that someone is not only unstable but criminally so. This show provides the BEST example of this "flip of the switch" that I've ever witnessed on the screen; when Martha first arrives at the bar, she looks copletely broken and miserable, almost catatonic to the point that she cannot even make eye contact (we'll see her like that in later episodes when she's stalking from the bus stop)... yet when Donny extends her a kindness in the form of a gentle tone and a cup of tea, you can VISIBLY appreciate how she flips from catatonic to fully manically flirty and bubble! It is in a split second when she looks at him and smiles that we cab understand how she redirects her object of attention (or stalking) from some random guy to Donny!
People, if you EVER are on the receiving end of this type of situation/behavior run, because this type of person is malignant and cannot help themselves.
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998)
This movie has one redeeming fact
Say what you will about this watered down, general entry, excuse for a horror movie... you can also claim that it exists solely to provide an opportunity for its lead to prance around in a bikini and show of her screaming abilities...
However, there is one redeeming factor; this is the ONLY horror movie in which a black character, Brandy as Karla to be exact, survives until the very end!!! What is UP with Hollywood's obsession with killing off black characters, especially women?! It is refreshing to see that Karla/Brandy makes it until the very end with the lead, though at times I wish JLH didn't make it, she's just a tad annoying to me.
The Assistant (2019)
Unbelievable acting from Julia Garner
Not many actors can elicit an emotional and gut wrenching reaction out of me... not like Julia Garner can! In this movie we watch an intelligent, vibrant and empathetic young woman, with way more guts and heart than all of her shallow and incompetent co-workers, struggle to navigate a web of lies and deceit, while still holding on to her integrity and morals. Honestly, it is heartbreaking! This is one of these rare film where less is more and both silence and body language speak louder than words, and it was hard to watch at times! The anger and complete and utter desperation are palpable, nobody should be treated in such a way! Yet our heroine, Jane, takes every dig at her beauty, every out down of her intellect with grace and aplomb... heartbreaking!
The Caller (2011)
Not scary due to stupidity of lead
This movie was going strong and on its way to becoming a really good indie classic until it wasnt.
The reason why this movie gets such a low score from me is because, once the lead realises the caller was extremely hostile, insane and homicidal, she then goes and tells her the names of all the people in her life... honestly?! She hands her a hit list and then she acts all surprised when she follows through with murder and harm?!
I was loving the film until this point, as it makes no sense that a deeply traumatized and resourceful woman would expose herself and her loved ones in such a way.
Why cheapen a survivors experience in such a way?!
Fall (2022)
Climbing in Coverse?
Seriously, you're going to climb a decommissioned TV tower lime you're going to a beach party? Hot pants, cleavage and Chuck Taylor's?! Really? I don't know where to begin with this movie, if they were high school students, heck even freshmen/juniors in college I'd be more forgiving but one of these girls was married, so they are at least on the 30-side of 20! The acting is crap crap, the stunts bad CGI level unbelievable, and there are no chills given... this is NOT a scary movie or even a thriller, this is an extremely ANNOYING movie that, if you have an ounce of grey matter, will have you screaming in your head or at the TV... unwatchable!
Skinamarink (2022)
Unwatchable!
I couldn't get past the first 20 minutes, nobody on screen, muffled sounds, the screen is blurry and out of focus AND they purposely shoot the footge looking up towards the ceiling, so you cannot tell when is happening or that anyone is in distress... just a mess! People have told me that the final 5 minutes are terrifying... to that reply with that Im not going to watch paint dry for 94 minutes just for the last 5 minutes of action. Worst blurry excuse of a movie I've ever come across, please don't get suckered into this pseudo intellectual garbage! You'll be terribly bored, waiting for something to happen, anything!
Luckiest Girl Alive (2022)
If you've not dealt with trauma, you won't get this movie
I'm one of those people who rarely comments on IMDB threads, but for this movie, I HAD to "write up". As someone who did experience a traumatic event, and like Ani, it hardened me and made me appear indifferent and calculating (when I was seething within), I can honestly state that this is the most honest and raw depiction of how someone can deal with multiple traumatic events by "armouring" themselves.
To those who claim that Ani's character was one-dimsensional and unlikeable (you didn't care for her), consider what you're asking from a rape and gun violence survivor?! She doesn't need your "approval" to be worthy of justice and of speaking her truth! Just because she didn't break down for the viewers or turn into a warm fuzzy person doesn't make her less deserving of your compassion, that's just what Hollywood has imprinted on you.
Mila Kunis was superb, bravo!
Choose or Die (2022)
Why are all these Brits trying to sound American?!
I'm sorry but English people trying to sound American (even if it's to pay homage to the great horror flicks of the 80's), is extremely annoying and I cannot get passed it!
The Power of the Dog (2021)
A never-ending snooze fest (from a fellow Kiwi)
I've always admired Jane Campion's creative mind, but this movie was seriously underwhelming and boring. From a fellow New Zealander, these were my main issues with the film;
1. Phil's accent: With thousands of first and second rate American actors hungry for lead roles in this economy... why would you cast a posh Londoner to play Phil?! His accent bordered on cartoonish and was so distracting!
2. Montana does NOT resemble Mackenzie Country (NZ) and overuse of scenery: I think we all agree that the photography was the best thing about this boring film, but the South Island of New Zealand doesn't look anything like Montana and you cannot rely on photography alone to make a good movie.
3. It was tediously boring and excessively long...
4. The ending was OBVIOUS, I cannot believe many people didn't get it...
Seance (2021)
A nearly 30 year old posing as a high school student?!
No, just no! I'm sorry but as youthful as Suki Waterhouse looks, at almost 30 years of age (she'll be 30 on Jan 5), she is NOT a credible teenager. Come on! We forgave 'Grease' for casting 30 year old's as teenagers, and that was decades ago, surely the cast directors/producers could have cast someone in their late teens or early 20's, there's so many talented English actors that would have been so much better suited for this role!!!
Rocky IV (1985)
Millennial's two-cents
I was born in the mid 80's so I cannot judge this movie with the lens of the 80's like most of my fellow reviewers. However, I can say with 100% objectivity (I've seen the saga's movies back to back), knowledge of the sport (I'm an amateur boxer and karateka), that this is THE BEST of all the Rocky movies! Everything in this movie has a heart and is deeply human (characters, expectations, soundtrack, 80's vibe). I saw it first as a kid, not long after the first Rocky vs Apollo, and I was as utterly impressed and motivated to pursue the sport, as an impressionable, feisty and anger-prone female girl could be :) Not to mention that Burning Heart is one of my fave songs...
You're Next (2011)
Best heroine in horror movie history!
I LOVE horror movies, that's it, I said it! With that being said, I've always felt that final girls in scary movies are always unlikeable, slightly odd, self-righteous, stereotypically virginal, timid and pretty, yet not too pretty, and completely unrealistic bastions of morality that no normal woman could ever feel identified with... until this movie, which was a complete game changer! We've seen final girls develop into a force to be reckoned with (i.e. Jennifer in Revenge), but I have never seen a likeable, smart, down to earth and average Sheila (Aussie slang), who has come out "swinging" from the very beginning!
Sharni Vinson is on point and perfectly cast for this role. If It hadn't been for the mediocre ending, I would have given this movie a 10.
The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane (1976)
Out of character and unrealistic
This movie lost me at the point where she allowed the creepy Martin Sheen abuse and then murder her "beloved" hamster Gordon. No 13 year old sits idle and does nothing to defend her pet, especially not this lonely girl who is reluctant to even let people she likes pet the rodent...
The Invitation (2015)
An Invitation I have gladly accepted (on several ocassions)
The Invitation is one of the best slow-burn thrillers I've ever seen! One that I've re-watched many times with people who also like slow-burns with plenty of meaningful dialogue, ample character archs/development, flashbacks that hint at things (but don't reveal them outright), and ultimately movies that toy with your emotions because you don't know whether you're being paranoid (like the lead, Will), or you have reason to feel increasingly uneasy and getting ready to either fight or flight... this is why this movie is so divisive; you HAVE to like slow-burns! And it has NOTHING to do with being pretentious...
A Cure for Wellness (2016)
A "cure" we actually needed
A Cure for Wellness is one of the FINEST movies I've ever seen and a true coming-of-age thriller. In my opinion, it has one of the best male leads in horror movie history due to a beautifully played character arch (Dane DeHaan), a 5-star solid cast (Mia Goth, Jason Isaacs, Celia Imrie, Ivo Nandi, Adrian Schiller), fabulous cinematography, a believable premise (albeit, until the final scenes), and it STAYS WITH YOU, for a very, uncomfortably long time. Sure, you could see the twist a mile away and the spa staff actors seem as camp and overacted as the Crazy 88 in Kill Bill... but the way this movie takes a major swing at wellness culture and gets us to truly think about the need for such unregulated practices and bogus pseudoscience is worth a few narrative flaws!!! Wellness culture has never been taken down with such finesse....
Domina (2021)
How does Livia's accent change...?
This show started off slow but not bad. The English actress who played Livia was excellent... however, on the 3rd episode she's been replaced by a much older actress (looked 40), supposed to be 30 and with a Polish accent!!! Come on now! Couldn't you find another English actress that resembled her? I found out she's actually a Polish/Italian model, who cannot act... Such an amateur mistake!
Hannibal (2013)
Seasons 1 & 2: Divine! Season 3... not so much
I believe that the reason this show lost massive viewership (including mine), and wasn't renewed for a 4th season is because Season 3 destroyed the balance between reality and fiction. I'll explain, what was so compelling about seasons 1 & 2 was that the show maintained a deeply unsettling psychological and imaginative undertone, but the storyline was moving forward and evolving. Simply put; there was enough action and gorey events to keep us excited and entertained, and enough oniric and metaphorical elements to hypnotize our senses and engage our intellect.
Season 3 lost it's way, as it seems to take place in a dream-like place where nobody stays true to form, nothing is what it seems, and everyone lives in their own head... it's like they all died at the end of season 2, and now reside in their own version of Dante's Inferno (Hell) . Just as the writers lost interest and checked out; we simply didn't care about what happened to the characters anymore.
Infini (2015)
How can I take this movie seriously?
When the entire cast is comprised of well-known Australian actors (great in their home turf), with the most awful and stereotypical American accents I've ever heard! Normally Aussies are well know for mimicking any accent successfully... not this time!
I guess my question are; who thought it was a good idea for all cast members of an Australian movie to try and sound American? Was it because the setting was in space? Did the director and producer believe that maybe having the cast talk with the most phoney American accents ever would add validity to a b grade movie about manipulative zombies in space???
I am beyond confused...
The Danger of Positive Thinking (2018)
A 28 year old is not a teenager
I had so many issues with an "older looking" 27 year old playing a teenager that it was hard for me to take this movie seriously... the acting was also substandard and the plot so formulaic and predictable I could only watch half an hour of it!
The actress who played Mallory was so awful, perhaps she should stick to Mensa and give acting a break.
PS: WHO IN 2018 CAN'T RECOGNIZE A DRONE?!!!
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019)
A 110 minute snoozefest
Let's face it; other than the amazing performance of Zac Efron (which was completely unexpected), who truly embodied Ted Bundy, this movie is boring, uninspired and increadibly mediocre. When you have such a horrific and master manipulating lead character, why do you show him when he's ONLY in control of his temper and in the best possible light?! The biggest flaw of this movie is that it depicts a notoriously duplicitous character as a one dimensional good guy!!!
Ghostland (2018)
For all you genuine Horror lovers out there
I'm a seasoned horror genre enthusiast and I do not scare easy. Sick and tired of guts & gore nonsense (here's looking at you Saw), teenage murder by the numbers (I've had enough of Scream and always a sole survivor), demonic possessions, vampires & zombies, weird critters and misery porn disguised as horror (come on Hereditary!), I was not expecting much of this movie, other than a supernatural family reunion or perhaps a disgruntled cousin of the slayed perpetrators taking revenge on the family...
Boy was I wrong! This movie has layers of complexity and real depth! The lead characters are put through the most traumatizing experiences you can think off as they delude themselves and go into a catatonic dream world, attack each other, break down, literally spoil themselves and hit rock bottom, only to pick themselves up, support one another and develop resilience right before your eyes! This movie is so well made, it actually gets you to really care about the leads, who graduate from delusional and angry privileged teens, into restless fighters with real grit... I loved it!
Wolves at the Door (2016)
An utterly disappointing and redundant rendition
Besides from poorly acted, extremely cliché and boring as hell, this story has been told several times already, and deserves a lot more respect given what the victims went through... a total miss!
The Sinner (2017)
There's always more than meets the eye...
Wow! Such performances by Jessica Biel and Bill Pullman! If you haven't already, reach for Netflix and treat yourself to this haunting and mesmerizing mini-series, that teaches us that there's always more under the surface and that we shouldn't judge others before we've walked in their shoes. What a rare and unique gem!
Without a Trace: A Day in the Life (2005)
Best episode I've seen so far
Wow! I've just seen this episode 12 years after it aired and I cannot give it enough praise! From the parents of a missing 15 year old, you witness the entire process of locating a minor when "foul play" is suspected. What you also get to grasp is just how much of the daily life of a teenager parents are unaware of! It's actually this last point that is the scariest, the fact that your kids could be doing drugs, gambling, fighting and engaging in criminal behavior under your roof! These are good people and terrific parents, so they falsely assume that their kid is a saint, and when they find out that he may not be truly innocent, they break down, turn on each other and fight! Which is a totally normal response, by the way. I found this episode very realistic and insightful and I wish there could be more like this on TV right now...