I like horror movies. The scenery in this movie was something I particularly enjoyed. The dark, cold and snowy environment. It is a confusing movie at first but the end will make the pieces fall together. At first I was not sure what to think but I actually liked it. Mixed reviews by horror fans, some like it and some hate it. If you have not seen it give it a shot.
This one is a very dark thriller that definitely has you biting your nails throughout. I would reccommend this to any fans of dark/thriller movies. You are on the edge of your seat from the start with this one and it just gets worse by the minute.
If you have not seen this, turn the lights off, get as comfortable as you can because as soon as it begins you will be dragged into an uncomfortable mess!!
Its on my list to watch, the reviews I have seen are on the whole excellent.
Never really a huge fan of Brendan Frazier, the Mummy films were decent enough, well the first 2 were, the rest of his stuff goes from meh to utter rubbish, but I did sort of enjoy Bedazzled .
This one is a very dark thriller that definitely has you biting your nails throughout. I would reccommend this to any fans of dark/thriller movies. You are on the edge of your seat from the start with this one and it just gets worse by the minute.
If you have not seen this, turn the lights off, get as comfortable as you can because as soon as it begins you will be dragged into an uncomfortable mess!!
I would watch it blind to be honest, its a very good film, but a brief plot.
A schoolteacher is forced to confront a brutal act from his past when a pair of ruthless drifters take his family and him on a nightmare road trip.
I really enjoyed The Fabelmanns. I've found a lot of Spielbergs more recent stuff a bit drab, preachy and overly soppy but this wasn't as bad, and it was really funny too. Plus, Paul Dano and Michelle Williams are always great actors to watch.
Has anyone seen Skinamarink? Apparently it's an experimental horror film (low-budget) that's making a bit of a stir - although apparently partly because people go see it on the basis of cool short clips that have gone viral and are then irritated at how unconventional it actually is:
Skinamarink
Did you curse me?
Its a hard film to review. Its not enjoyable or watchable or good by any traditional measure. I mean i dont think the camera is pointing at the action or the subject once in the entire movie and its quite boring unless you like staring at the ceiling for an hour and a half. But its absolutely bloody terrifying, creepy and disturbing.
If hollywood got their hands on this it would be a prop in a movie starring Sarah Michelle Gellar where she finds a cursed video and has to get some idiot on redcafe to watch it to avoid being killed in 5 days.
10/0
If i die under mysterious circumstances then its Cheimoons fault and i want to be avenged please. Can someone else watch this?
So I've followed this director's YouTube channel for a while and have also enjoyed the short this film was based on so I was really excited for this... But I wasn't ready for how bad this movie was
I get it, it's meant to be an experimental horror film but it seems like the director forgot that it's still a film! I don't need a 3 act structure but I at least need there to be some sort of plot ffs. It's literally 90% of shots things such as walls, ceilings, skirting boards, carpet etc and every now and then some muffled dialogue that is subtitled for some reason and it's really frustrating with the over-use of digital grain...
There were a few moments where it genuinely could have been scary (check under the bed scene) but even then, the director shits the bed and it just builds suspense with no pay-off. Then there are a couple of random jump scare moments that don't work at all. The very end scene was decent but by that time I just was happy that it was finished.
It does really feel like a nightmare, which is the point of the film but it just needed more to happen. If the under the bed scene worked and it had just a couple more better moments like that and also shortened by 20 minutes... I could have got behind this. But in its current state, it's more of an art installation for pretentious knobs rather than an actual movie. I think this was the most bored I've ever been watching a film and don't get the hype its getting... maybe I'm low brow but yeah... I need more than this shit. Kudos for getting it done though, it's not easy to make a feature 2/10
San Andreas - Dwayne Johnson does it all, and then some, in this disaster epic set in LA and San Fran. A series of earthquakes devastate the region, so The 'Dwayne Johnson' Rock partnering with his estranged ex wife (Carla Gugino) look to find and rescue their daughter who's left behind in the devastation. Paul Giamatti also stars as the fidgety nerd scientist that knew everything was going to happen. This movie is as cliche as cliche can get, but it's a good time pass when your 13 week old daughter is asleep on your chest and you just need to sit still as she's cranky. 4/10
Love & Monsters - enjoyable 'monsterpocalypse' movie. A mutation has caused all lizards and insects to mutate into scary massive monster looking creatures, forcing the remaining 5% of humanity that survived underground. A boy who misses the love of his life decides to brave the outside world for the first time in 7 years to find her. It's only an hour and a half long, and has a lot of heart. It's a breezy, light movie with some genuinely laugh out loud moments. I enjoyed it. 7/10
San Andreas - Dwayne Johnson does it all, and then some, in this disaster epic set in LA and San Fran. A series of earthquakes devastate the region, so The 'Dwayne Johnson' Rock partnering with his estranged ex wife (Carla Gugino) look to find and rescue their daughter who's left behind in the devastation. Paul Giamatti also stars as the fidgety nerd scientist that knew everything was going to happen. This movie is as cliche as cliche can get, but it's a good time pass when your 13 week old daughter is asleep on your chest and you just need to sit still as she's cranky. 4/10
Love & Monsters - enjoyable 'monsterpocalypse' movie. A mutation has caused all lizards and insects to mutate into scary massive monster looking creatures, forcing the remaining 5% of humanity that survived underground. A boy who misses the love of his life decides to brave the outside world for the first time in 7 years to find her. It's only an hour and a half long, and has a lot of heart. It's a breezy, light movie with some genuinely laugh out loud moments. I enjoyed it. 7/10
I can say this, they are outside during the entire movie, murder is involved, and it is so dark because it is very realistic in the sense that the things happening in the movie happen everyday in society almost everywhere in the world.
So that aspect makes it more scary and more nail biting.
Give me Love and Monsters over TLOU any day. For all L&Ms generic familiarity it's the only recent post-collapse outbreak story I can think of that has had any degree of freshness to it. It's really good.
Has anyone seen Skinamarink? Apparently it's an experimental horror film (low-budget) that's making a bit of a stir - although apparently partly because people go see it on the basis of cool short clips that have gone viral and are then irritated at how unconventional it actually is:
It's an interesting film that I quite enjoyed. The way that the story occurs at the periphery of the frame works really well and it employs a brilliant visual design that invokes a pareidolic response to chilly affect. It's mostly leaning on designs and effects that are already staples in both the experimental film world and the more mainstream horror genre. For instance the fluid camera around dimly lit corridoors is David Lynch and the retro media used as a creepy motif is in everything. It's not breaking new ground and the bafflement that accompanies some reviews and audience responses says more about the sorry state of Cinema in general than any iconoclasm going on in the film itself.*
I'm a pussycat when it comes to horror and I wasn't particularly creeped out or scared overall but it has some nice spooky shots. The best and most unique thing about the film was the way in which it recreates that feeling of aloneness that comes from waking up in the middle of the night when you're a child and having to navigate round a house that is asleep to the world.
Cheers, it was definitely worth a look.
*Edit: This is not meant as a dig at @Dirty Schwein (whose film opinions I actually respect, particularly on horror) or anyone else in here. More about what I was reading elsewhere. Also yeah it's too long and because it's so long you become accustomed to the effects and they stop being as impactful.
So I've followed this director's YouTube channel for a while and have also enjoyed the short this film was based on so I was really excited for this... But I wasn't ready for how bad this movie was
I get it, it's meant to be an experimental horror film but it seems like the director forgot that it's still a film! I don't need a 3 act structure but I at least need there to be some sort of plot ffs. It's literally 90% of shots things such as walls, ceilings, skirting boards, carpet etc and every now and then some muffled dialogue that is subtitled for some reason and it's really frustrating with the over-use of digital grain...
There were a few moments where it genuinely could have been scary (check under the bed scene) but even then, the director shits the bed and it just builds suspense with no pay-off. Then there are a couple of random jump scare moments that don't work at all. The very end scene was decent but by that time I just was happy that it was finished.
It does really feel like a nightmare, which is the point of the film but it just needed more to happen. If the under the bed scene worked and it had just a couple more better moments like that and also shortened by 20 minutes... I could have got behind this. But in its current state, it's more of an art installation for pretentious knobs rather than an actual movie. I think this was the most bored I've ever been watching a film and don't get the hype its getting... maybe I'm low brow but yeah... I need more than this shit. Kudos for getting it done though, it's not easy to make a feature 2/10
It's an interesting film that I quite enjoyed. The way that the story occurs at the periphery of the frame works really well and it employs a brilliant visual design that invokes a pareidolic response to chilly affect. It's mostly leaning on designs and effects that are already staples in both the experimental film world and the more mainstream horror genre. For instance the fluid camera around dimly lit corridoors is David Lynch and the retro media used as a creepy motif is in everything. It's not breaking new ground and the bafflement that accompanies some reviews and audience responses says more about the sorry state of Cinema in general than any iconoclasm going on in the film itself.*
I'm a pussycat when it comes to horror and I wasn't particularly creeped out or scared overall but it has some nice spooky shots. The best and most unique thing about the film was the way in which it recreates that feeling of aloneness that comes from waking up in the middle of the night when you're a child and having to navigate round a house that is asleep to the world.
Cheers, it was definitely worth a look.
*Edit: This is not meant as a dig at @Dirty Schwein (whose film opinions I actually respect, particularly on horror) or anyone else in here. More about what I was reading elsewhere. Also yeah it's too long and because it's so long you become accustomed to the effects and they stop being as impactful.
Thanks for writing your reviews. Interesting. I'm getting the idea from this that the whole film is rather impressionistic, depicting sentiments and suggestion rather than much concrete subject matter. Which is an interesting approach but also something that I suppose can quickly become 'too much', and probably not something I'd enjoy for the full runtime of a feature film. I do think I should try it now though!
It's a very simple plot but there is a definite story arc with structure, that the film uses to hang it's effects and atmospheres on. It's not like a lot of experimental films that can be incomprehensible but neither is it focused on concluding a complex narrative. Visually it's impressionistic for certain, that's the best description of it.
The Banshees of Inisherin. I don't think this film needs much introduction anymore. I'm a bit conflicted about it myself. On the technical side, it's absolutely great: the scenery, shots, acting, dialogue, pacing - all very impressive. But I'm not sure the story can really stand on its own very well: it's maybe a bit too absurd and stilted. On the other hand, bring in the metaphor (the narrative as displaying the pettiness, absurdity, and pointlessness of conflict (I suppose the Irish Civil War in particular), brought down to the smallest human scale), and the narrative gains enormously in meaning and logic. (I'll admit I got some of that interpretatie online afterwards.) I'm not sure how I feel about that dependency; but the film does make its underlying point rather explicit itself at a few points, so the key to understanding is not hidden too deeply.
In the end, kinda like with Nope, looking back upon the film now through the filter of that interpretation, I'm mostly feeling really positive about it. So I'll go with 8/10.
It does really feel like a nightmare, which is the point of the film but it just needed more to happen. If the under the bed scene worked and it had just a couple more better moments like that and also shortened by 20 minutes... I could have got behind this. But in its current state, it's more of an art installation for pretentious knobs rather than an actual movie. I think this was the most bored I've ever been watching a film and don't get the hype its getting... maybe I'm low brow but yeah... I need more than this shit. Kudos for getting it done though, it's not easy to make a feature 2/10
It's a very simple plot but there is a definite story arc with structure, that the film uses to hang it's effects and atmospheres on. It's not like a lot of experimental films that can be incomprehensible but neither is it focused on concluding a complex narrative. Visually it's impressionistic for certain, that's the best description of it.
It's an interesting film that I quite enjoyed. The way that the story occurs at the periphery of the frame works really well and it employs a brilliant visual design that invokes a pareidolic response to chilly affect. It's mostly leaning on designs and effects that are already staples in both the experimental film world and the more mainstream horror genre. For instance the fluid camera around dimly lit corridoors is David Lynch and the retro media used as a creepy motif is in everything. It's not breaking new ground and the bafflement that accompanies some reviews and audience responses says more about the sorry state of Cinema in general than any iconoclasm going on in the film itself.*
I'm a pussycat when it comes to horror and I wasn't particularly creeped out or scared overall but it has some nice spooky shots. The best and most unique thing about the film was the way in which it recreates that feeling of aloneness that comes from waking up in the middle of the night when you're a child and having to navigate round a house that is asleep to the world.
Cheers, it was definitely worth a look.
*Edit: This is not meant as a dig at @Dirty Schwein (whose film opinions I actually respect, particularly on horror) or anyone else in here. More about what I was reading elsewhere. Also yeah it's too long and because it's so long you become accustomed to the effects and they stop being as impactful.
Haha nah no offense taken. It's experimental horror and that will always be divisive. But I'm a fan of all horror and will watch anything like a shit-eating wild man and I'm still glad I watched it. What did you think of the short? That's what I was hoping it would be more like...
Thanks for writing your reviews. Interesting. I'm getting the idea from this that the whole film is rather impressionistic, depicting sentiments and suggestion rather than much concrete subject matter. Which is an interesting approach but also something that I suppose can quickly become 'too much', and probably not something I'd enjoy for the full runtime of a feature film. I do think I should try it now though!
I really enjoyed this. I didn't know the story beforehand and found it fascinating, but aside from that - the cast, script and pacing throughout was excellent.
I thought the way they told Ian Flemming's part in the story was genius and even better when I got home and read it was all true.
And Matthew Macfadyen is as good playing his character as he is playing Tom in Succession. Perhaps because they're the same person, simply 75 years and a continent apart.
Take one of the most daring pieces of espionage from World War II, and then remove anything interesting about it. Add a pointless love triangle and then never resolve it, add an intrigue plot about a potential double agent and never resolve it, add a conflict between ranks and never resolve it, rush through the third act and finish the movie with a wet fart, and throw in Ian Fleming for a couple of scenes for no reason whatsoever. There's even a scene that makes you think "oh shit, their entire plan is ruined now because of yet another double agent" but within two minutes the characters all agree that it's nothing to worry about and it's never brought up again.
The film is utterly bizarre. It's a guide on how not to write a script. They just add drama for the sake of drama with it doing absolutely feck all to move the story forward. And the story they do end up telling is shite, which is an insult considering how impactful Operation Mincemeat actually was to the war effort and the world of counterintelligence.
Just saw this movie tonight. It was a bit all over the place so I’d agree more with Mr pigeon than diarm but overall it was good to bring that operation to light. I’d heard about this deception years ago, probably from my dad, but this movie gave more detail than I’d remembered.
Yeah the love triangle thing was daft alright and that British triple agent in Spain; the things they showed him doing for his country
Just saw this movie tonight. It was a bit all over the place so I’d agree more with Mr pigeon than diarm but overall it was good to bring that operation to light. I’d heard about this deception years ago, probably from my dad, but this movie gave more detail than I’d remembered.
Yeah the love triangle thing was daft alright and that British triple agent in Spain; the things they showed him doing for his country
I'm a huge fan of both In Bruges and Three Billboards and went in with high expectations. I loved the tone, the vibe, the setting, the dialogue and the humour but must admit I couldn't quite decipher the larger point of the story.
I watched The Worst Person in the World recently and it might be one of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen. When you see a movie with such natural scenes and believable characters, it seems effortless but it's so rare and difficult to create. Whereas Reprise and Oslo 31 August were pretty depressing (albeit brilliant), this film balanced shifting tones (from light-hearted satire to absolutely heartbreaking drama) so impressively. Renate Reinsve, a newcomer, and Joachim Trier regular Anders Lie Danielsen are amazing, and the film had two spectacular sequences, the wedding and the literal show-stopper.
You People
Racial stereotyping comedy starring Jonah Hill & Eddie Murphy. Focuses more on awkward humour (that wasn't really funny) and didn't really have a point to make. Laughed a couple of times 3/10
A relatively new genre, a 'screenlife thriller' which basically means the story is told through computer, tablet or smartphone screens, plus other things like Ring footage and CCTV.
I enjoyed it, very clever with lots of twists and keeps you guessing.
Nothing really stands out as award winning but it's definitely worth a watch for thriller fans. 7/10
The Whale
Rarely have I seen a film so utterly carried by one person.
Brendan Fraser is unbelievable as the lead, apparently he had to undergo 4 hours of prosthetics each day and did loads of research in to how obese people cope in daily life.
So his performance is worth the money alone, Hong Chau (who I'd forgotten was in The Menu until I checked Wiki) is OK but the other performances are like they've just found someone off the street - I've never watched Stranger Things but now I know Sadie Sink has been in it for so long I expected better from her.
Another rarity the film being filmed entirely within the confines of one room, over the course of one week but of course that is done for a reason that he is in such poor health and can't leave the house.
I'd still give it an 8/10 purely for Fraser but this had the potential of being perfect with better support.
A Knock At The Cabin
I personally enjoyed Old more than the latest Shyamalan offering, I know that wasn't the most popular film but I thought it offered more as a story than this.
I think AKATC is too predictable in parts and gets in to a habit of repeating the same thing over and over:
If one of you doesn't kill the other the world will end - yes we get it
I'd be interested to see what Shyamalan fans think of this - I'm not particularly one at all but this wasn't terrible. 6.5/10
A Man Called Otto
I really liked this - it's a very emotional film, equal parts funny and quirky but the overall thing I took away from it is the incredible sadness of it all.
I won't go in to detail because spoilers but the last half hour really got to me. I'm not really a crier when it comes to films but someone was chopping onions at the end of this.
It deals with so many things - illness, loss, loneliness to name just three and I really think this is a very good Hanks performance. He's very well supported too. 8/10
One I rewatched last night and feel is not mentioned enough is Under the Silver Lake, a neo-noir film of 2018 set in LA, directed by David Robert Mitchell. Andrew Garfield plays the part of a loser post-teen who becomes enamoured with one of his neighbors and after her disappearance, starts his own investigation to find out what happened to her.
It's the closest thing to Lynch not done by Lynch in my mind, the film is like a long dreamlike sequence, carried on by Garfield's excellent performance and the omnipresent symphonic music, that gives the film a surreal feel. LA is bleak, superficial and weird, and the character ensemble Garfield crosses during his investigation just gets weirder and weirder as the film progresses. The investigation itself is rather hilarious, Garfield seems to stumble from one clue to another by chance, and nothing really makes sense.
The film isn't really trying to say much (there's a bit of depth during one of the sequences involving a guy with a piano, but I'll say nothing else), but it's a wonderful 2hr trip through this weird LA. Definitely one to watch for those who like the genre.
One I rewatched last night and feel is not mentioned enough is Under the Silver Lake, a neo-noir film of 2018 set in LA, directed by David Robert Mitchell. Andrew Garfield plays the part of a loser post-teen who becomes enamoured with one of his neighbors and after her disappearance, starts his own investigation to find out what happened to her.
It's the closest thing to Lynch not done by Lynch in my mind, the film is like a long dreamlike sequence, carried on by Garfield's excellent performance and the omnipresent symphonic music, that gives the film a surreal feel. LA is bleak, superficial and weird, and the character ensemble Garfield crosses during his investigation just gets weirder and weirder as the film progresses. The investigation itself is rather hilarious, Garfield seems to stumble from one clue to another by chance, and nothing really makes sense.
The film isn't really trying to say much (there's a bit of depth during one of the sequences involving a guy with a piano, but I'll say nothing else), but it's a wonderful 2hr trip through this weird LA. Definitely one to watch for those who like the genre.
One I rewatched last night and feel is not mentioned enough is Under the Silver Lake, a neo-noir film of 2018 set in LA, directed by David Robert Mitchell. Andrew Garfield plays the part of a loser post-teen who becomes enamoured with one of his neighbors and after her disappearance, starts his own investigation to find out what happened to her.
It's the closest thing to Lynch not done by Lynch in my mind, the film is like a long dreamlike sequence, carried on by Garfield's excellent performance and the omnipresent symphonic music, that gives the film a surreal feel. LA is bleak, superficial and weird, and the character ensemble Garfield crosses during his investigation just gets weirder and weirder as the film progresses. The investigation itself is rather hilarious, Garfield seems to stumble from one clue to another by chance, and nothing really makes sense.
The film isn't really trying to say much (there's a bit of depth during one of the sequences involving a guy with a piano, but I'll say nothing else), but it's a wonderful 2hr trip through this weird LA. Definitely one to watch for those who like the genre.
I absolutely love Under the Silver Lake. I rewatch that film while working every few months. To me, it's more Pynchon than Lynch but that's fine margins. It's got some brilliant characters (balloon) and hilarious scenes (the old songwriter) I also love that the Garfield character is a bit of a dick (that hates the homeless). I think there are definitely some great subtle themes at play regarding class and power. I wish he would make another film.
Watched this last night after reading your review and well played, very funny to trick the guy who hates super hero’s into watch a 2 hour film about Spider-Man rubbing one out.
But really, found this to be a fun watch. In the best possible way, the film felt like a really good episode of the Joe Rogan podcast. It was at times : weird, confusing, interesting, stupid, and funny.
Agree with you the Lynch vibe, although if I have one criticism is that it’s almost too influenced. Riley Keough entrance was ripped straight out of Blue Velvet and also the inclusion of that guy from Mulholland Drive was a bit much.
What did set it apart, was it was surprising funny
and it captured the hyper real reality we currently live in and the strange mix of ideas people believe in. The first sex scene as they are fecking while watching a family on tv news, plea for information on a missing father felt strangle real and disturbing.
The tea drinking in the hut section, where the rich guy(Got weird Epstein vibes from him) admits the problem with Heaven is that it isn’t exclusive enough and the alternative to it is sex, drugs and watching endless tv(While also complaining about the meaninglessness of consumer culture)
Garfield knows something isn’t right and throughout the film he goes up and down the class ladder. Reaching the very top and the very bottom. Yet he can only understand this in forms of symbols and conspiracy theories, ultimately in the end he is left unchanged by his experiences. Which is a interesting take on America, to view it as a country that believes in nothing and believes in everything at the same time.
Also agree with you on Garfield performance, it was brilliant. I was also rooting for him but he is complete loser.
I watched The Worst Person in the World recently and it might be one of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen. When you see a movie with such natural scenes and believable characters, it seems effortless but it's so rare and difficult to create. Whereas Reprise and Oslo 31 August were pretty depressing (albeit brilliant), this film balanced shifting tones (from light-hearted satire to absolutely heartbreaking drama) so impressively. Renate Reinsve, a newcomer, and Joachim Trier regular Anders Lie Danielsen are amazing, and the film had two spectacular sequences, the wedding and the literal show-stopper.
Very powerful film. Don't think I've ever seen depression expressed so well in a film. Performances from the main actor and actress were both amazing. Liked the directing, soundtrack and cinematography as well.
Watched Aftersun yesterday and got to agree with all the above. One of the best things I've watched these past months, it's gorgeous, sad, subtle, and for a debut effort, it's pretty damn impressive. Frankie Corio gives one of the best kid performances I've seen on screen, and Paul Mescal is amazing at portraying all the subtleties of depression, the few scenes he breaks down in, whenever Sophie isn't around, are really hard to watch. Understanding what was coming by that point, his last scene, dancing with Sophie, was particularly heartbreaking.
Also very interesting how Charlotte Wells managed to balance the omnipresent sense of dread and sadness with some beautiful moments of levity.
Yep, the most impressive thing for me, was her ability to create dread and tensions from really nothing. Like I was expecting something to go horrible wrong all the time but on the surface level its very nice holiday and everyone is polite and helpful to each other.
Yep, the most impressive thing for me, was her ability to create dread and tensions from really nothing. Like I was expecting something to go horrible wrong all the time but on the surface level its very nice holiday and everyone is polite and helpful to each other.
There were so many moments like that! Like when she goes off to play pool with the older kids, when he goes scuba diving, etc. Really well done, top notch filmmaking.
