4v291o

This review may contain spoilers.

Strange film. Starts off rly strong, unsettling vibes through the first half, the paranoia and deep seated guilt of an unscrupulous reseller grifter, who then gets kidnapped, is saved by his young assistant who turns out to be some hitman??? And his devoted girlfriend tries to kill him at the end .. for credit cards??? Weird film

The film was just people standing around delivering exposition at each other, reminding each other of ticking time bombs (literal), and not saying anything remotely human. Then, Tom Cruise ran unbelievably fast several times in this too long movie that it became somewhat comical. I wanted to leave the cinema several times, it was really bad.

It gets 1 star because the underwater submarine and final dogfight scenes were great. Tom Cruise really delivered a convincing physical performance but he and his costars were delivering the worst written script ever.

It’s not very smart, the story isn’t really good but heck, this is an Avengers-level event, bringing our 5 fav heroes - Jill, Claire, Chris, Leon and Rebecca together for one outing that has all of RE’s best tropes - scary zombies, cringe af villains that talk too much, that one overpowered villain’s lackey, Leon always fighting and losing to a hot woman, expendable but well-meaning side characters that our heroes forget instantly, and one helluva large bioweapon monster.

If there’s two things Japanese cinema does incredibly well - it’s disaster porn and films about train drivers, nuclear plant workers and other expert professions, doing good for society.

If you need help, call a hotline or have your friends come fight your depression demon with you. You are not alone ❤️

An absolute blast to watch from start to finish, the horror and the thrills so electric and Michael B Jordan is pulling double time his A game. I would be surprised if he doesn't win an award for his dual performances. 

This is just such a fun movie and I am ready to watch it a second time already.

Pretty alright Netflix watching - the sword fighting is kinda fun. The film sets up the main villain to be this guy who mistakenly thinks his slave and best bro killed his family but in the end, learns that his own wife is a class A bitch who’d rather step into the fire then be touched by a slave LOL.

The film sets up the emperor of Korea to be this incompetent and out of touch ruler, but he never gets his comeuppance; and the main villain is killed by the side villain, a really cool Japanese warlord. The main character doesn’t really do much other than show up from scene to scene aura farming and fighting real good with a cool sword.

Exceptionally tense from start to finish, with a magnetic lead who disarms with a sharp but polite wit, and even sharper unarmed combat. The social commentary on the corruption of the police system is painfully real, but even more so that the film ends on an uncertain note - the truth being that the bad guys don’t quite get their comeuppance in the way we hope for, especially not in the United States.

A lot more melodramatic than I ed it, and also the actual sniper battles were a lot more one-sided too than I ed LOL. However, as a depiction of the cruelty and tragedy of war, this was a masterpiece.

A slow burn masterpiece led by a magnetic young Jodie Foster and a great Anthony Hopkins. What I'm reminded by is the cinematography that always feels like a cross between an unsettling male gaze and something far more sinister, and this extends into the imagery across this film.

The jokes are the same, Wallace and Gromit are the same and even the animation and attention to detail is the same. But that's all anyone wants when they sign up for a Wallace and Gromit movie. And although the last mainline Wallace and Gromit movie was in 2005, it feels like it was just last year ❤️ 

Everything is the way it should be.

A really fun Bong Joon Ho flick with all his favorite film tropes intact: loser male protagonist, highly competent women, asshole slimeball characters, class warfare, injustices against the downtrodden and an absurdist comedy point of view. 

Robert Pattinson is great playing two versions of the same character and the ing cast are all top notch.

Incredible film that was so far ahead of its time, and unfortunately swallowed up by the MCU. But when it came out, this was such peak superhero comic book stuff as well as being just a downright good movie.

Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In is a wonderful homage to old school HK martial arts movies - full of mustache-twirling villains, honorable men, bros that have each others' backs, and most of all, legendary warriors with seemingly inhuman strength, skill and athleticism.

I missed this kind of HK movie - less CGI-laden, great stunt and wire work, and a deep focus on character drama and action. All the legends are out in full force, Louis Koo, Aaron Kwok, Sammo Hung doing incredible martial arts work full of gravitas, but the younger cast is just as exceptional throughout. You really root for them and their stories.

I also love the depiction of old-school HK, and all the ordinary folk eking out a living amidst Kowloon City's cramped quarters. Despite a grimy, underbelly depiction of the place, there is a sort of romantic charm to the whole thing.

The last act climactic battle between good and evil is epic and anime as hell, but if you saw the HK comics it was adapted from, the movie is definitely more toned down in comparison. What a blast of a ride from start to finish.

Pretty bold to have made the show romance heavy if people were coming for a horror good time, but when the action thriller bits hit, they hit good enough. Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy are a great couple in this and you genuinely do root for them. Definitely not one I'd have watched in the cinema, so thanks Apple TV for bringing it to the service 👌

A surprisingly better film than expected. The character drama punches above its weight, with Sam Wilson's self-doubt, Ross' struggle to change, Torres' noble goodness and Isaiah Bradley being the emotional center of the film. The political thriller intrigue is pacey and pulp fun, and the action shows off Captain America's Falcon powers in the best ways possible. 

The main villain is incredibly weak and every time he shows up is a laughable moment. His behind the scenes machinations are fine but he feels so ridiculous as this mastermind with his brain outside of his head hoodwinking all these superheroes. The inclusion of Ruth Bat-Seraph also did not sit right with me given the state of the world today.

In the end, the notion of America destroying itself is incredibly on the nose.

An absolutely unserious show. The seriousness of Denzel’s performance is only matched by the strange overblown filmmaking of the action scenes lol.

A sublime transmutation of our basest desires of hunger, blood and life into a masterful film that is as bracing as the intensity of the direction and storytelling.

Everyone brought their A-game, Willem Dafoe spit fire the entire movie and that ending was incredible.

Not sure whether the bad rap this film got was warranted. I found this a wholly enjoyable, at times actually suspenseful watch and Josh Hartnett is a savage monster in this. Expertly crafted and riveting from start to finish, with the weird twists that you come to expect (and like me, enjoy) from Shyamalan.

I don't know. Seems over-hyped to me because when I watch it, it reminded me of those YouTube horror shorts where everything is front and center of the camera, the characters spell out everything and the production seems low-budget.

Overhyped and over-produced rendition of a legendary stage musical. The part I hated the most was that the songs just were tweaked enough for film that it sounds off to me, and there were too many stop-starts to make it fit the cinematic vision.

I found Ariana Grande's Glinda agreeable but not necessarily my favorite rendition, likewise for Cynthia Erivo's Elphaba.

Anyway, I'm glad that this show got a lot of people into Wicked, but Defying Gravity deserves the poised grandeur of a proper stage performance.

An absolutely sinister Hugh Grant, an escape room horror thriller and a heady contemplation on the nature of religion and its meaning makes this a riveting watch from start to finish.

It is a good Lord of the Rings story told in strong Tolkien-esque fashion. The animation felt wonky and uneven at times but the heroine was compelling, and message clear and uncomplicated. The good will persevere and triumph over evil.

I’d venture to say it is a better insert into Tolkien’s universe than Rings of Power tries to be.

It may be a little on the nose with its commentary on men but it is also the frightening reality of the small and large violences men wrought on women, both literally and psychologically.

Watched The Substance. A modern day Dorian Gray but it’s just a bad trip all the way down. The real monsters are the institutions imposing impossible beauty standards, but also the baddie inside us all along. 

The film direction is gratuitously arthouse but overall a good watch

Motherhood is like raising the runt of the litter to become the leader of the geese

An incredible time capsule of animation (I watched this nearly 10 years later). It is so joyous and delightful in its creation, every second is packed with a joke or moment. It feels like something that couldn’t get made in today’s animation scene.

I'm sorry guys, I'm not sure I can handle Gen-Z Optimus Prime and Megatron.

A perfectly average movie about an extraordinary woman.

Another year, another Ma Dong-seok movie about crime rings, police busts and beating the bad guys with fists.

The formula hasn't changed - there's a villain and then there's the real villain who is really cool and always uses hand to hand combat so that the inevitable final fight between them and MA Dong-seok can be a fisticuff.

Not sure why this was called a comedy because it just got increasingly more depressing and melancholic by the end lol

A really fun detective mystery and compelling main character, set in a lavishly realized Calcutta, only let down by some tonally off creative choices

After rewatching Prometheus, I finally watched Alien: Covenant which I had put off because of how much I disliked Prometheus on first viewing. I was surprised to find, not only did I love Covenant as a follow up to Prometheus, I thought it was an exceptional film.

I could see that after watching so many people play in his sandbox that is the Alien franchise, Ridley Scott was disinterested in retreading old ground - instead preferring to explore themes of faith, belief, humanity and expanding the Alien universe in such interesting ways.

I'm glad Alien: Romulus is doing well, but it feels to me like a reboot/refresh to the franchise. But if you want to see Alien taken in a new, interesting direction, the Prometheus-Covenant duology is it. I hope Ridley Scott is compelled to follow it w a sequel to Covenant.

I gave Prometheus an unfair shake when I first watched this film back in 2012. I was clearly looking for more Aliens, but what we got instead was a thoughtful take on the folly and arrogance of humanity, in looking for things best not found, and David is the best boi.

Came for the twisters, stayed for the charming romance of a country gal and a country guy who say stuff like shear and precip and EF with real earnestness.

It doesn’t have the charm of the original, and it seems like every plot beat is punctuated by a natural disaster to keep the audience hooked - as if they were unconfident in Glenn Powell’s charm carrying the show lol.

A near-perfect organism of a film.

Alien Romulus is a well crafted, well paced and well acted horror thriller that hits all the notes that any fan of the Alien franchise would enjoy. Not necessarily a bad thing, if anything, the film’s remixing of familiar elements and setpieces like the androids, xenomorph acid, or the final boss fight is quite sharp. Alien Romulus’ only crime is playing it a little too safe in telling this story.

But the cinematography, acting and moment to moment beats keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to end.

Fujimoto faces when stunned or crying are so funny sad.

An interesting John Wick-like movie (highly skilled fighter goes on a one-man murder rampage), but where it gets interesting isn't in the sappy Bollywood moments of melodrama (which to the film's credit, is quite muted comparative to most other Bollywood films) - it's that everyone including the bandits that act despicably is portrayed with a heavy dose of pathos.

Whenever the main guy kills any one of the bandits, you find out it's some family member or relative of some other bandits, and you realize "oh shit, the people doing all the looting and killing on the other side are people too". I only wished they pushed this pathos a little further, and demonstrated their desperation born of poverty or circumstance - but as it is, you kind of feel a mix of pity but also schadenfreude when the main guy comes for them.

And boy, does he come for them. The film moves at a breakneck speed and gets pretty bloody. It's a good film.

Deadpool and Wolverine achieved the one thing a lot of the recent superhero films post-Endgame failed to do - make a joyful film about the characters and stories so many people have loved over the years. This was a pretty heartfelt sendoff for two beloved characters and Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds gave it their all.

The film started really strong, with a compelling lead character and intense atmosphere created through strong cinematography.

But as the film went on, a pervasive horror creeps in. A realization that perhaps the film doesn’t actually have anything interesting to keep us invested so they have Nicolas Cage act really weird and the cops do a lot of by the numbers things. The film starts to drag and has to use shock factor to keep us reeled in despite its lean runtime. 

When the cops finally catch Cage’s villain character, he doesn’t say or do anything interesting or meaningful. And when the dark secret is finally revealed - it is the weakest connection to a previously built up plot point that it honestly just feels unconvincing.

The cryptic messages also go nowhere, and I feel the dolls are not made central enough to the plot or to the villain to have been the intended revelation the director thought this would be. I get the whole Satan-panic of that time period but other films have touched on this subject and the mythology of serial killers better. 

Lastly, this film and the conversations surrounding it overhyped it massively. A disappointing watch ultimately.

A heartbreaking tale of the struggles of unseen people eking out a meagre existence in a society that neither wants nor cares for them. What little help they get is squandered as their despair and distrust of good faith is overwhelming.

The film is a haunting look at Malaysia, and absolutely destroyed my heart by the end. A reminder of my privilege in a world where so many do not even have a chance at life.

It would be more cringe if it weren’t for the fact that Timothee Chalamet is just a fucking good actor. His Wonka is pretty great.

An effortlessly good film.

Next time is next time. Now is now. 

No wonder public toilets in Japan are so clean.

How did they get Jeremy Irons to star in this bad movie with really bad dialogue and the only good thing being Jason Statham kicking crypto bro ass.

An incredible adaptation of Forrest Gump, infused with such depth of spirituality and humanity. Yes it is purposefully built to be a tearjerker but it so effortlessly transitions between humor, and drama, and pathos, not just of Laal played by an amazing Aamir Khan, but also of an India going through massive upheaval and change. 

The sights and sounds of India are so lovingly captured and the story is just so well told.

I am generally not a fan of vanity projects - where the creator is also the main character in a story about their own life. But Richard Gadd managed to write himself to be the most unlikeable, frustrating protagonist who just continues to barrel through bad decisions and horrifying moments. And then he opens up about past traumas and deep-seated shame and confusion, and everything comes into sharp focus.

This is such an honest, uncomfortable and comprehensive look at trauma, obsession for both victim and stalker, what hurt people do to others, and most importantly, to themselves. Martha Scott is portrayed so intensely as both villain and empathetic victim of circumstance, kudos to Jessica Gunning. All the ing cast also play their roles well.

This was such a hard watch and yet is also one of the most compelling things to be put on TV in recent times.

Whether you are well aware of the Omen franchise or you're coming into it for the first time, this is a great horror film that stands on its own. Full of unsettling imagery, a compelling main character, and an uncovering of the dark depths of depravity within the Church.

Pregnancy never looked so horrific.

If Fury Road reads like a fast-paced pulp page turner, Furiosa is a slower but no less riveting epic novel, taking you through Furiosa’s entire life’s journey up until her escape from Immortan Joe with his wives.

The action setpieces starring vehicular combat are still the stars of the show, so incredibly directed and shot. Chris Hemsworth chews every scene he is in. Immortan Joe seems more muted as a villain in this one, and his relationship with Furiosa is disappointingly absent. 

But just as he had done with Max, Miller has forged a new legend with his titular character, Furiosa. And we all witness her “purposeful savagery” with great satisfaction.

I prefer Fury Road but that Miller is still cranking these out at his age is a blessing for us all.

Just rewatched Mad Max Fury Road in prep for Furiosa, and yep, it's still an absolute masterpiece. From the start to finish, the ride is absolute pedal to the metal. Every one brings it, the badass grannies are still my fav, and it is, to me, a perfect movie.