windycty-08853
Joined Jul 2015
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Reviews6
windycty-08853's rating
This is a movie with some interesting opportunities, that are mostly wasted. (Also, this is the first moment I realized it was PG-13, so I'll give it an extra star for navigating those waters.)
PG-13 horror movies are awful. Anyone between 13 and 17 who wants to see an R movie can see it. So you're making a horror movie for 12 year olds. This could have been a solid slasher, but all the violence takes place off screen, because it has to.
Some of the twists are surprising, but they also come out of nowhere. When does a plot twist become... the other thing? I mean, if I'm making a rom-com, and then it turns out the girl makes socks out of her exes faces, that's not even on the radar. There is at least one twist that would be the equivalent of finding out that Sheriff Brody was best friends with Aquaman.
Meh, I was just wildly unimpressed.
Some of the twists are surprising, but they also come out of nowhere. When does a plot twist become... the other thing? I mean, if I'm making a rom-com, and then it turns out the girl makes socks out of her exes faces, that's not even on the radar. There is at least one twist that would be the equivalent of finding out that Sheriff Brody was best friends with Aquaman.
Meh, I was just wildly unimpressed.
Most of this review is written on the idea that this was a parody of slasher films. And if it is, then this exceeded all expectations. If it's not a parody- still five or six stars- a solid watch.
A quick note- another reviewer on here said it's not filled with nudity. There's literally a scene with high school girls showering after gym. There's that cliched scene from every high school/college movie where the boys look through the window and watch girls change. There's plenty of silly, gratuitous nudity.
That being said, it works within the scope of a parody. There are plenty of slashers that make you wonder why on EARTH that woman took her shirt off. This one plays up that ridiculous trope to the max.
But I didn't rate this seven stars for anything to do with overdone sex tropes. It's actually sneaky smart and sneaky subversive. The girls in the movie are relatively independent. There is a woman working as a telephone repair person. The introduction to the characters is playing basketball. (It's 1982, so they aren't Cheryl Miller, but they're not talking about boys.) The coach is smart and cares about her athletes. At the Slumber Party, the girls have a discussion that you would not expect, especially from an early 80s body count film.
When the killer strikes, the girls aren't running helplessly. They come up with a plan and arm themselves. They fight back as best they can. For 75 minutes, the movie has a lot of story, and some poignant social commentary.
I probably won't watch it again, but I will definitely be watching the sequels. And I would recommend it to any fan of slasher flicks.
A quick note- another reviewer on here said it's not filled with nudity. There's literally a scene with high school girls showering after gym. There's that cliched scene from every high school/college movie where the boys look through the window and watch girls change. There's plenty of silly, gratuitous nudity.
That being said, it works within the scope of a parody. There are plenty of slashers that make you wonder why on EARTH that woman took her shirt off. This one plays up that ridiculous trope to the max.
But I didn't rate this seven stars for anything to do with overdone sex tropes. It's actually sneaky smart and sneaky subversive. The girls in the movie are relatively independent. There is a woman working as a telephone repair person. The introduction to the characters is playing basketball. (It's 1982, so they aren't Cheryl Miller, but they're not talking about boys.) The coach is smart and cares about her athletes. At the Slumber Party, the girls have a discussion that you would not expect, especially from an early 80s body count film.
When the killer strikes, the girls aren't running helplessly. They come up with a plan and arm themselves. They fight back as best they can. For 75 minutes, the movie has a lot of story, and some poignant social commentary.
I probably won't watch it again, but I will definitely be watching the sequels. And I would recommend it to any fan of slasher flicks.
Let's start with the good: the show is beautifully shot, and wonderfully acted. It is loyal to the book, and the changes it makes are worthwhile.
The bad: Cora is the same character from book to the screen, which makes it incredibly hard. She is an unrelatable character. Other than getting on the Underground Railroad, almost everything that happens, happens TO her. She simply lacks any kind of agency. The show lacks almost any kind of uplift. Most episodes are like climbing a mountain. Sure its beautiful, but you're going to get blisters, and your joints are going to hurt.
There are times when I think Cora is a stand in for Black America- she is undoubtedly, and understandably traumatized by her life on the plantation. Her decision to gain freedom is reasonable and logical. But, once she is on the run, Cora lives a life of fear, even when she is surrounded by vibrant communities of free Black people. She is untrusting, scared and hesitant. The joy that accompanies Black communities, despite 400 years of attempted oppression does not come to Cora, ever. And that is a strange decision for both Jenkins, the director, and Whitehead, the author.
There is much to think about in this show. There are successful Black families, white people who dream of a world that respects Black people and scenes of selfless love. Regrettably, even when Cora is the focus of those scenes, she does not change as a character. She is almost a lens by which we see the development of Black history, from the brutality of the agricultural south, to the hope of independent communities in the more industrial north.
If you were moved by the book, or can handle well made television that won't make you smile, this is a worthwhile watch.
The bad: Cora is the same character from book to the screen, which makes it incredibly hard. She is an unrelatable character. Other than getting on the Underground Railroad, almost everything that happens, happens TO her. She simply lacks any kind of agency. The show lacks almost any kind of uplift. Most episodes are like climbing a mountain. Sure its beautiful, but you're going to get blisters, and your joints are going to hurt.
There are times when I think Cora is a stand in for Black America- she is undoubtedly, and understandably traumatized by her life on the plantation. Her decision to gain freedom is reasonable and logical. But, once she is on the run, Cora lives a life of fear, even when she is surrounded by vibrant communities of free Black people. She is untrusting, scared and hesitant. The joy that accompanies Black communities, despite 400 years of attempted oppression does not come to Cora, ever. And that is a strange decision for both Jenkins, the director, and Whitehead, the author.
There is much to think about in this show. There are successful Black families, white people who dream of a world that respects Black people and scenes of selfless love. Regrettably, even when Cora is the focus of those scenes, she does not change as a character. She is almost a lens by which we see the development of Black history, from the brutality of the agricultural south, to the hope of independent communities in the more industrial north.
If you were moved by the book, or can handle well made television that won't make you smile, this is a worthwhile watch.
