Film The Redcafe Movie review thread

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back

Jack Reacher must uncover the truth behind a major government conspiracy in order to clear his name while on the run as a fugitive from the law.
It was OK , not one of his best or worst
I thought the first film was better, this is not a bad sequel, just that the format has been done to death.

6/10
 
Swallowed

Follows two best friends on their final night together, with a nightmare of drugs, bugs, and horrific intimacy.
They missed a trick with this, its could've been so good.
The acting was decent , has was the story.
The problem was some of the scenes were just grim, very grim.
Not for everybody and wont be for me again EVER

5/10
 
Pain Hustlers
A down on her luck woman manages to get a job at a pharmaceutical company despite not being qualified for the position and eventually ends up in a conspiracy of illegal medicinal practices. Very loosely based on true events, starring Emily Blunt and Chris Evans. This is an ok watch, the movie is massively elevated by Blunt's performance but it feels like a million movies you've seen before, such as Wolf Of Wall Street, but with a pharmaceutical angle. A bit of a nothing movie in the end 5/10

The Killer
I REALLY liked the first 30 or so minutes and would have loved this movie if it stayed like that, instead we get two following acts that just feel like a generic revenge film. It does however, have that fantastically cold feel that Fincher creates so well and technically, it's a treat. Fincher has a great flair when directing and his involvement is a credit to this underwritten film. Also enjoyed the Trent Reznor soundtrack and there is one really great action scene that was terrifying :lol: I just wish there was more to this bare-boned film 6/10
 
Watched a couple of horrors:

Host (2020)
"The most scientifically scare movie ever made." according to reports. Not too much.

It was pretty decent though, a few jump scares, not too scary. The story is quite lineair. You just know what will happen next.
7 out of 10

Exorcist Believer (2023)
Start of a new trilogy. It's basically a copy as the story is similar to the original Exorcist, but takes place in a modern day setting. The final part of the movie got a bit too crazy for my liking. Overall, pretty good stuff
7.5 out of 10

Jessabelle (2014)
Didn't expect anything and was pleasantly surprised.
7.5 out of 10

Talk to Me (2022)
The best out of the bunch. I really like the story, loosely based on the Monkey's Paw story. The characters are relatable, good production value and it never gets boring. The ending is pretty good as well.
9 out of 10
 
I watched Fair Play , a new US film on Netflix. It's about a couple who both work at the same NY-based financial company, which is against the company's rules. All is well, but then the woman of the couples gets a promotion, which sands the man into a tailspin and creates enormous tension in the relationship. Critics appear to like this one, but I didn't. There is some exploration and criticism of gender roles and the toxic culture in finance firms, but it's all pretty obvious, and the way all the bad things and other negativity pile up is off-putting rather than interesting. Ultimately, it feels like an exercise in how much grimness can be put into one story, and that just doesn't do much for me. 2/5

I also saw 1998's The Negotiator again. It's too long, but it's a well done hostage thriller with a twist, and Samual L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey are good in it. 3/5

Finally, I have been watching those new Wes Anderson shorts on Netflix: The Swan, Poison, The Rat Catcher, and The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar. To me, this is the bad side of Wes Anderson: all style and no substance. All narrator, too; they are all much like visual audio books. There is nothing really wrong with any of it I guess, but the whole thing feels like a bit of a waste of time really. If you want to watch this anyway, just start with The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (also the best one in the series), cause the first minute of its opening scene serves as a kind of opening to the series - although you don't really miss anything if you don't start there, and there is no order to the rest. 2/5
 
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The Lookout (2007)

Neat little thriller with a good cast and an interesting protaganist. Joseph Gordon Levitt is the main character who's living a pretty grim life with a serious brain injury that gives him trouble with sequencing and keeping things in order. He's living in a crappy apartment with a blind room mate (jeff daniels) in a crappy dead end job working as night watch man in a small town bank. He's approached with an opportunity one night to recover his once promising life.
Its not a classic but deserves a watch and seems to have gone a bit under the radar over the years

8/10
 
Cheimoon said:
I watched Fair Play , a new US film on Netflix. It's about a couple who both work at the same NY-based financial company, which is against the company's rules. All is well, but then the woman of the couples gets a promotion, which sands the man into a tailspin and creates enormous tension in the relationship. Critics appear to like this one, but I didn't. There is some exploration and criticism of gender roles and the toxic culture in finance firms, but it's all pretty obvious, and the way all the bad things and other negativity pile up is off-putting rather than interesting. Ultimately, it feels like an exercise in how much grimness can be put into one story, and that just doesn't do much for me. 2/5

I also saw 1998's The Negotiator again. It's too long, but it's a well done hostage thriller with a twist, and Samual L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey are good in it. 3/5

Finally, I have been watching those new Wes Anderson shorts on Netflix: The Swan, Poison, The Rat Catcher, and The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar. To me, this is the bad side of Wes Anderson: all style and no substance. All narrator, too; they are all much like visual audio books. There is nothing really wrong with any of it I guess, but the whole thing feels like a bit of a waste of time really. If you want to watch this anyway, just start with The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, cause the first minute of its opening scene serves as a kind of opening to the series - although you don't really miss anything if you don't start there, and there is no order to the rest. 2/5
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Yeah i found them like stage plays and a bit boring.
 
caid said:
The Lookout (2007)

Neat little thriller with a good cast and an interesting protaganist. Joseph Gordon Levitt is the main character who's living a pretty grim life with a serious brain injury that gives him trouble with sequencing and keeping things in order. He's living in a crappy apartment with a blind room mate (jeff daniels) in a crappy dead end job working as night watch man in a small town bank. He's approached with an opportunity one night to recover his once promising life.
Its not a classic but deserves a watch and seems to have gone a bit under the radar over the years

8/10
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The thing that bothered me about this movie is that JGL’s character
causes the deaths of half a dozen people and the movie wants you to believe that his therapist is suddenly so turned on by his new control over his life that she is fairly bursting with desire. JGL suffers no consequences for his actions that killed those people,
explained via cheesy narration at the end. Also, I worked on this fecking movie and it wasn’t a good experience.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
They’s super stagey. I really enjoyed them though. Great cast and very clever stage design. I watched them with my 12 year old daughter and it’s rare for us to both enjoy a show as much as we did these.
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Yeah, it is quite clever, but that's Anderson's usual approach. In Asteroid City I though it was all very functional and well done, here it felt just gimmicky to me. Maybe it's Anderson fatigue, or maybe just taste. Great that you did enjoy it together of course. :)
 
Cheimoon said:
Yeah, it is quite clever, but that's Anderson's usual approach. In Asteroid City I though it was all very functional and well done, here it felt just gimmicky to me. Maybe it's Anderson fatigue, or maybe just taste. Great that you did enjoy it together of course. :)
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Could be that. The last Wes Anderson film I watched was The Isle of Dogs. So the timing was right for me to watch another one, without being jaded by how mannered it all is.
 
pauldyson1uk said:
30 Days of Nights.

After an Alaskan town is plunged into darkness for a month, it is attacked by a bloodthirsty gang of vampires.
I am not a huge vampire fan, dont normally watch them, but the review were good, so thought I would give it a go.
Has Vampire films go, it was good, good acting decent story, the ending was better than I expected.
There was lots of blood and gory, lots of tension, you was not sure what was going to happen next, the Vampire's were indeed scary, there was a lot to like about this film.

7/10
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30 days of night -> ?
After an Alaskan town is plunged into darkness for a month -> ...
it is attacked by a bloodthirsty gang of vampires -> frown, change focus
pauldyson1uk -> recognition, comprehension
 
pauldyson1uk said:
30 Days of Nights.

After an Alaskan town is plunged into darkness for a month, it is attacked by a bloodthirsty gang of vampires.
I am not a huge vampire fan, dont normally watch them, but the review were good, so thought I would give it a go.
Has Vampire films go, it was good, good acting decent story, the ending was better than I expected.
There was lots of blood and gory, lots of tension, you was not sure what was going to happen next, the Vampire's were indeed scary, there was a lot to like about this film.

7/10
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It had its moments. The LGV (little girl vampire) was the best. I don’t mind Josh Hartnett, he was good, so was Ben Foster (although his “Cajun” accent was one never previously heard on earth). Melissa George though, yikes.
 
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Scandi Red said:
Monster (2023)

Wow! I think that this is Kore-eda's best film. Yes, even better than Shoplifters and Broker. I just found out that it won Best Screenplay at Cannes this year and I'm not surprised!

I strongly advice you to not read about the film or watch any trailers. You'll have a much better viewing experience then. And if you find yourself watching it at home for some reason, please endure the first 30-40 minutes even if you find the characters frustrating and nonsensical.
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I am so excited for this. @Invictus alerted me to it and it doesn't open here in Los Angeles until Dec.1 so I got my ticket. I'm super excited you said this is even better than Shoplifters and Broker which are two of my favorite films.

Wing Attack Plan R said:
Without reviews or a trailer there’s no way to tell what kind of film it is. Comedy? Horror? Cop on the edge sexual thriller?
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Invictus sent me the trailer. If you want it I can PM you. I saw it before reading Scandi's post though so maybe it's better to hold off. But it's Kore-eda so the vibe will be similar to Shoplifters and Broker (definitely not comedy or horror or cop sexual thriller :lol:)
 
pauldyson1uk said:
30 Days of Nights.

After an Alaskan town is plunged into darkness for a month, it is attacked by a bloodthirsty gang of vampires.
I am not a huge vampire fan, dont normally watch them, but the review were good, so thought I would give it a go.
Has Vampire films go, it was good, good acting decent story, the ending was better than I expected.
There was lots of blood and gory, lots of tension, you was not sure what was going to happen next, the Vampire's were indeed scary, there was a lot to like about this film.

7/10
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Have you seen Dog Soldiers ? It’s a very similar theme but with SAS soldiers and werewolves. Also set during one night. It’s a really great fun film.
 
Wing Attack Plan R said:
The thing that bothered me about this movie is that JGL’s character
causes the deaths of half a dozen people and the movie wants you to believe that his therapist is suddenly so turned on by his new control over his life that she is fairly bursting with desire. JGL suffers no consequences for his actions that killed those people,
explained via cheesy narration at the end. Also, I worked on this fecking movie and it wasn’t a good experience.
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Well that sucks.
Yeah, the morality of it is pretty fecked up really.
he does kind of destroy most of the lives he comes into contact with. The cop dies presumably, Jeff Daniels probably has hardcore trauma from being held hostage, the bank probably goes under afterwards between insurance costs and loss of trust (thats why the bank manager has to eat in his shitty diner). 5 random thieves get killed which is pretty harsh punishment for trying to rob a bank. It kind of works in movie logic because they were jerks a couple of times. But yeah, its definitely a bit off
 
I just watched The Equaliser 1, 2 and 3 in consecutive nights. All a bit formulaic and meh. 1 is probably the best but 2 isn't as bad as the reviews (what do you expect from this sort of film) an 3 is probably shot better but spends too much time away from the action (which is why people watch this popcorn tosh). 3ish/5 each - doubt I'd watch a 4th if it came out.
 
caid said:
Well that sucks.
Yeah, the morality of it is pretty fecked up really.
he does kind of destroy most of the lives he comes into contact with. The cop dies presumably, Jeff Daniels probably has hardcore trauma from being held hostage, the bank probably goes under afterwards between insurance costs and loss of trust (thats why the bank manager has to eat in his shitty diner). 5 random thieves get killed which is pretty harsh punishment for trying to rob a bank. It kind of works in movie logic because they were jerks a couple of times. But yeah, its definitely a bit off
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I ended up quitting after about 6 weeks. I worked for a bipolar nightmare.
caid said:
Well that sucks.
Yeah, the morality of it is pretty fecked up really.
he does kind of destroy most of the lives he comes into contact with. The cop dies presumably, Jeff Daniels probably has hardcore trauma from being held hostage, the bank probably goes under afterwards between insurance costs and loss of trust (thats why the bank manager has to eat in his shitty diner). 5 random thieves get killed which is pretty harsh punishment for trying to rob a bank. It kind of works in movie logic because they were jerks a couple of times. But yeah, its definitely a bit off
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He agreed to help the robbery,
then changed his mind but didn’t try to stop it. he killed that carful of kids in the beginning, then caused the cop to get killed as you said, plus all the bank robbers died — and he’s portrayed as so fecked up he can only do a menial job like sweep floors but suddenly after the bank robbery goes wrong and he survives suddenly
Carla Cugino, his social worker, wants to feck him. What?! I kinda thought Jeff Daniel’s was stupid in it too, deciding to play it blind for no good reason, which was a Jeff choice not a script choice.
 
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Wibble said:
I just watched The Equaliser 1, 2 and 3 in consecutive nights. All a bit formulaic and meh. 1 is probably the best but 2 isn't as bad as the reviews (what do you expect from this sort of film) an 3 is probably shot better but spends too much time away from the action (which is why people watch this popcorn tosh). 3ish/5 each - doubt I'd watch a 4th if it came out.
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Good report of the trilogy. I think the first one eeks out a 4/5, but the remainder exist in the 3s.
 
Saltburn (2023)

Not quite sure where to start with this.

There's no doubt Emerald Fennell has made a great film.

With the scenes at Saltburn (90% of the film) they're obviously going for a dark theme but at times perhaps it was overdone and you can't even see who is in the scene, that's my only criticism.

There are two scenes which when you see them it's a real sideswipe and I could hear gasps from some people in the cinema!

The bath scene and the grave scene in particular but the blood too, all very brave film making!

The cast are great, all of the characters are challenging in their own way because they're all a bit damaged, there isn't really one normal character in the main cast.

At 2.07 it's probably about right in terms of length and is well paced with the introductions at University then off to Saltburn.

I'd give this an 8/10, Barry Keoghan goes from strength to strength and is a very capable actor although going from Banshees to this, I hope he doesn't get himself typecast. I think he's done enough elsewhere to be safe.

I like Richard E. Grant and was glad he got a decent role in this as well.
 
ChrisNelson said:
Saltburn (2023)

Not quite sure where to start with this.

There's no doubt Emerald Fennell has made a great film.

With the scenes at Saltburn (90% of the film) they're obviously going for a dark theme but at times perhaps it was overdone and you can't even see who is in the scene, that's my only criticism.

There are two scenes which when you see them it's a real sideswipe and I could hear gasps from some people in the cinema!

The bath scene and the grave scene in particular but the blood too, all very brave film making!

The cast are great, all of the characters are challenging in their own way because they're all a bit damaged, there isn't really one normal character in the main cast.

At 2.07 it's probably about right in terms of length and is well paced with the introductions at University then off to Saltburn.

I'd give this an 8/10, Barry Keoghan goes from strength to strength and is a very capable actor although going from Banshees to this, I hope he doesn't get himself typecast. I think he's done enough elsewhere to be safe.

I like Richard E. Grant and was glad he got a decent role in this as well.
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Yep, saw Saltburn a month ago & those two scenes brought the proverbial house down. I was in a 500 seat theater & it took the crowd some time to settle down enough each time to be able to hear the following dialogue.

They are definitely now in the pantheon of scene shockers of modern times.
 
pauldyson1uk said:
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back

Jack Reacher must uncover the truth behind a major government conspiracy in order to clear his name while on the run as a fugitive from the law.
It was OK , not one of his best or worst
I thought the first film was better, this is not a bad sequel, just that the format has been done to death.

6/10
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If you’ve not seen it, the Amazon TV show is so much better.
 
Dirty Schwein said:
I second this recommendation. It's so much fun.
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Pogue Mahone said:
I third this recommendation.
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“I mean, think about it. We bust into their house, we eat all their porridge, we sleep in their fecking beds. No wonder they're pissed.

Dog Soldiers is maybe the film I recommend the most to people. It’s perfect in every way - The run time is spot on, the group of characters work well together with everyone having their own distinct personality, there’s a ton of memorable one liners and the action scenes have a amateur realism which is really great.

It’s Night Of The Living Dead remake but with lads who get pissed and start fights in Wetherspoons.
 
Sweet Square said:
“I mean, think about it. We bust into their house, we eat all their porridge, we sleep in their fecking beds. No wonder they're pissed.

Dog Soldiers is maybe the film I recommend the most to people. It’s perfect in every way - The run time is spot on, the group of characters work well together with everyone having their own distinct personality, there’s a ton of memorable one liners and the action scenes have a amateur realism which is really great.

It’s Night Of The Living Dead remake but with lads who get pissed and start fights in Wetherspoons.
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I haven’t watched it since it first came out. Such a fun film. How do you watch it these days?
 
Sweet Square said:
“I mean, think about it. We bust into their house, we eat all their porridge, we sleep in their fecking beds. No wonder they're pissed.

Dog Soldiers is maybe the film I recommend the most to people. It’s perfect in every way - The run time is spot on, the group of characters work well together with everyone having their own distinct personality, there’s a ton of memorable one liners and the action scenes have a amateur realism which is really great.

It’s Night Of The Living Dead remake but with lads who get pissed and start fights in Wetherspoons.
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On a Friday night.

I know the writer/director through a friend and met him a few times. Really nice and down to earth guy.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
I haven’t watched it since it first came out. Such a fun film. How do you watch it these days?
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It well worth watching again. I’ve got a old dvd from years ago. But now in the UK it’s on ITVX/ITV player for free. It’s available to buy on YouTube(There is also a free version but the visual quality is a bit shite). If you have a VPN I would say the ITVX player is the best one.


Dirty Schwein said:
On a Friday night.
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:lol:

Definitely. I could be wrong but I think it takes places the during England 5 - 1 win against Germany.

Dirty Schwein said:
I know the writer/director through a friend and met him a few times. Really nice and down to earth guy.
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Oh wow that’s cool. Did he go on to direct one of the the Hellboy films ? I remember watching a interview from talking about how he got completely screwed over by the studio. Seemed like a nice bloke.
 
Sweet Square said:
Oh wow that’s cool. Did he go on to direct one of the the Hellboy films ? I remember watching a interview from talking about how he got completely screwed over by the studio. Seemed like a nice bloke.
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Yes, he did the latest one. I bought it up in conversation and he legit said "don't" and went outside to stare into the distance for 10 minutes. Don't think he was a fan of it :lol:
 
Sweet Square said:
Oh wow that’s cool. Did he go on to direct one of the the Hellboy films ? I remember watching a interview from talking about how he got completely screwed over by the studio. Seemed like a nice bloke.
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If it's Neill Marshall, yeah he did - he also did The Descent (which was a good, claustrophobic horror film), Doomsday (which was silly but kinda fun, a wonderful hommage to @Mr Pigeon's country), Centurion (a very good survival flick set in Roman times) and then he did do a Hellboy film but never saw that one or any of his other films.
 
Rooney in Paris said:
If it's Neill Marshall, yeah he did - he also did The Descent (which was a good, claustrophobic horror film), Doomsday (which was silly but kinda fun, a wonderful hommage to @Mr Pigeon's country), Centurion (a very good survival flick set in Roman times) and then he did do a Hellboy film but never saw that one or any of his other films.
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Two of the best Game of Thrones episodes too.
 
pauldyson1uk said:
Yes , good film enjoyed it
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Nice.
Dirty Schwein said:
Yes, he did the latest one. I bought it up in conversation and he legit said "don't" and went outside to stare into the distance for 10 minutes. Don't think he was a fan of it :lol:
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:lol:

Poor guy.

Rooney in Paris said:
If it's Neill Marshall, yeah he did - he also did The Descent (which was a good, claustrophobic horror film), Doomsday (which was silly but kinda fun, a wonderful hommage to @Mr Pigeon's country), Centurion (a very good survival flick set in Roman times) and then he did do a Hellboy film but never saw that one or any of his other films.
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Cheers. I had no idea he did these films. Centurion sounds fun.
 
Sweet Square said:
Nice.

:lol:

Poor guy.


Cheers. I had no idea he did these films. Centurion sounds fun.
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It's quite good, decent cast, with notably a younger Fassbender in a very physical performance. It's not perfect, but it's raw and visceral (as far as I remember it). I also have a fondness for films set in that period, when well done.
 
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