aghostofachance

If the original "American Psycho" was a razor-sharp satire with style and menace, which is not so much (!), its unneeded sequel is the exact opposite: a cheap, straight-to-video-feeling mess that never should have been made(!) The film is riddled with all the hallmarks of a bad B-movie: wooden acting, painfully forced low IQ dialogue, and paper-thin caricatured characters. Mila Kunis, who has proven her talent in her other roles, is definitely miscast here, and the direction gives her nothing to work with. She looks painfully bored for the entire movie. This can only be one of her few worse movies. William Shatner's appearance feels more like a parody cameo than a performance, further undermining any chance of seriousness. Only if he is chosen for the character stereotype (the flirtatious old professor), because otherwise, I don't understand why he is even in this movie. Oh, sure, for the money, like Kunis.

Plot holes abound-characters behave in ways that make no sense, motivations are too simple, and the connection to the original film is flimsy at best. It's as if the "American Psycho" name was slapped on just to sell tickets for this one, with no real effort to continue or respect the source material. (RIP Patrick Bateman!)

The soundtrack is the final insult: an absurd western style music that undercuts rather than enhances the mood, making already awkward scenes even harder to take seriously. If you watched the first one, you already know that soundtrack was one of the strongest elements of the original. In this one, it's a joke... This movie is a pointless sequel that strips away everything that made the first film memorable for some. Cheap, poorly acted, and incoherent. If you liked the first, better stay right there (and away) from this one.

Despite its cult reputation, "American Psycho" ultimately left me disappointed. I recently watched it again after more than 20 years and my thoughts haven't changed much. While Christian Bale, as a brilliant actor, gives a committed and often chilling performance as Patrick Bateman, displaying the character's inner turmoil with top notch acting. In the meantime, the rest of the film feels uneven and hollow. The satire of Wall Street greed and consumer culture is clear, but it's delivered with such heavy-handedness that it loses subtlety and impact.

The pacing is another issue-long stretches feel repetitive, dwelling too much on Bateman's routines and monologues without building meaningful tension. Supporting characters are underdeveloped and interchangeable, which may be intentional to underline the themes of shallow identity, but it makes the film emotionally flat. The violence, while shocking, often feels redundant rather than meaningful.

Visually, the slick 1980's aesthetic is well captured, the soundtrack is great, but the film struggles to balance horror and satire I think. Instead of blending the two seamlessly, it swings awkwardly between them, leaving neither particularly effective. By the end, the ambiguity about what is real versus imagined feels less like clever mystery and more like a lack of narrative payoff. You can still enjoy the movie for the acting though if you can only believe in the absurdity and inconsistencies of the plot.

I recently saw "The Gorge," directed by director Scott Derrickson whom I knew from his supernatural and sci-fi movies such as: "The Exorcism of Emily Rose", "Sinister", "Doctor Strange" and "Black Phone", which I enjoyed watching in the past. "The Gorge" is a "genre-fusion" movie that blends action, horror, and romance together which can charm the fans of these genres. Above everything else, I really loved the characters and the chemistry between them. Miles Teller (who looks especially hot in this movie) and Anya Taylor-Joy (who always look hot in every movie) portray Levi and Drasa, two very sharp-shooting snipers stationed on the opposite sides of a mysterious and deadly chasm. Teller-Joy performances are so good as a couple and they really look so good as a perfect match. I would really love to see these two continue their own story in a totally different location with a new story after the events of "The Gorge". I hope Scott Derrickson do NOT give up on this amazing couple after a single shot.

Not only the romance but also the intense action sequences in the movie makes the film an entertaining watch. The story picks up speed fast and there are some really good action scenes, which could have been much better due to the low quality of the CGI effects. Most of the time, those effects were too raw or simple, as if from a computer game... "The Gorge" can also be considered as a sci-fi monster movie too and there are some really terrifying mutant creatures in it. And as the queen of all sci-fi monster movies, "Alien" star Sigourney Weaver is masterfully but very briefly portraying a villainess as a cruel operation master. However like in most genre-fusion movies, the genre transitions feel a bit weird and uneven at times although it's pretty long movie to tell a simple story. Not boring at all but some parts felt rushed or incomplete.

I often enjoy those movies who can really make the audience form a good bond with the lead characters and this adds too much to the tension and anticipation. "The Gorge" successfully does that as we delve into the background stories of the two leads alternatively, we begin to like them and care about their survival and love amidst all those risks. I was expecting a little bit more about exploring the mystery of the chasm, the supernatural and the scientific facts were not as satisfying as the authenticity of the characters. This was the only underdeveloped part of the movie, which could have been great with a much better explanation of the origins. Dan Laustsen's cinematography successfully captures the eerie atmosphere of the gorge. I almost knew what to expect from such a brilliant cinematographer who worked with Guillermo del Toro in his many movies, plus the horror classic "Silent Hill" of course. The original score and the songs chosen for soundtrack were also great for an action movie like this one. I am giving this movie 8+ only with the expectation for the lead characters return with a future installment and a totally new story. These two could for example become a free-lance team and continue exploring secret test sites and conspiracy theories all over the world. Hear me out Mr Derrickson... Those who will love this movie, will also definitely want more.