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Reviews
Smile 2 (2024)
Better than the original
After a consistent let down of various sequels, many of which being horror movies, Smile 2 feels like a needle in a haystack. So many sequels, reboots, and horror movies that just miss the mark but when the trailer for this movie was released I was intrigued. This first movie was pretty good so I decided to check this one out and it exceeded my expectations.
I didn't love the first movie because I didn't connect to the performance of the lead actor as much, however, the lead in this film was excellent!! I am a horror fan so I tend to be hard on these films and I truly enjoyed this film. This film is more fun, more shocking, and more gruesome than the 1st. It is definitely worth a watch.
A Quiet Place: Day One (2024)
This felt like I watched act 1 of a movie then the movie ended.
I quite enjoy this franchise including this entry. However, my biggest complaint with all of them this one in particular is that while the acting is always great the plot is lackluster. In a film that is 95% whispers or no talking at all extra tension, extra character development, and extra fleshed out story is necessary to make up for the lack of verbal communication. I don't necessarily need a long spoken monologue but something throughout the movie that grabs our attention as audience members.
With this potentially being the final movie in a trilogy and a prequel we needed something fresh. These movies have the exact same formula, the protagonist is introduced with minimal backstory the monsters attack, the protagonist and their counterpart run around in different area trying to be quite and then someone dies. We don't need the exact some formula for every movie. They could've at least explained or theorized how these monsters arrived or introduced some new element we've never seen before. I was actually confused at the end because it felt like we were just entering act 2 when Lupita started wondering the streets of New York freely and then it cut to the credits and I felt like I had missed something. This is basically Quite Place 1 with two new characters and a cat. Not bad at all but nothing special.
Challengers (2024)
A sexy movie
This is already the best movie of 2024 (so far). It is a story of a love triangle based around the sport of tennis. The movie is quite fast paced with a wicked score that builds the tension in every scene it is used in. It is well shot with some excellent pov shots of various tennis matches that allows the audience to feel the intensity of the sport. The actors all shine equally with each one bringing a different aspect to the story. It does get quite steamy, more so than I was expecting (they do show partial and full frontal nudity). If you are coming for the romantic sensual aspects shown in the trailer then you won't be disappointed.
The only downside to this film is the timeline, the film has various back and forth time jumps that can be confusing. Over all it is worth a watch in the cinema.
Saltburn (2023)
Bizarre and awkward but not bad.
This might be the first time I almost left the theater, not because it was boring or bad but because I was truly uncomfortable. This film starts off well paced and had my attention from the start. The first act is quite pleasant, however when we get to Saltburn is when things get quite bizarre. I will not spoil any major plot details but a depiction of oral sex while a female is on her period is the first scene I had to turn away from, and that arguably is not the most uncomfortable scene.
The first act for me is the best part of the movie, the main characters are being fleshed out and we're getting an insight to who we think they are. However, when things start to get twisted and there's a big reveal there doesn't seem to be any explanation. There also doesn't seem to be justification for various scenes that are frankly disgusting. I am all for shock and jaw dropping scenes but if there isn't any substance or meaning behind it and it's just for the sake of shock value then it's lazy. There are good twists and there are good ideas with brilliant actors however various ideas didn't seem to be fully thought out or fully explained to the audience.
Thanksgiving (2023)
It wasn't bad but it wasn't good.
I was quite surprised yet happy to see a thanksgiving horror film getting such high praise. I went in with no expectations and only saw the trailer possibly once. Let me start by saying that this film has quite graphic kills and inventive kills at that. This film starts solid with an extremely dramatic opening and then follows the basic slasher whodunnit outline. I didn't find any of the characters interesting nor do I remember a single person's name so it was kinda hard to stay invested when I don't have a connection to anyone.
After the killer is revealed the movie then rushes to the end. Not sure if the director wanted to keep the run time short or if they just didn't know how to end the film but it literally sprints to the end. If you're looking for a cheesy horror movie and just watching for fun this is for you. I just need a little more substance.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023)
The second best Hunger Games film, right behind Catching Fire.
Stellar performances from everyone in this film. Tom Blyth really does a great performance as a young Snow and as the main character of this movie. I was not sure if I would be interested in a Snow origin story however the writers and Tom Blyth convinced me otherwise. While every actor holds their own it is no shock that Viola Davis is a standout as the evil doctor and might be my favorite performance of the entire movie.
There is not much if anything I can critique about this film. Many having seemingly disliked Rachel Zegler's performance as the main female protagonist, but as someone who was not expecting much from this film I will say that she did very well. Not sure if they're expecting another Katniss but she is not that nor was she suppose to be. I will say that the biggest problem for me is the length of the film especially in the 3rd act. Various scenes could've been shortened particularly the singing scenes. It is definitely worth a watch in theaters it is a strong 7.5-8/10.
The Exorcist: Believer (2023)
Is this a terrible movie? No, but is it good? Meh.
I'm not some huge fan the original Exorcist, however I do respect it. Jason Blum and David Gordon Green also worked on "reviving" the Halloween franchise and I had much more of an attachment or nostalgia for those movies. With that being said I did not go into this movie with any expectations or any deep attachment to the original, and yet I still left disappointed.
This movie felt like any other modern possession movie, meaning it felt soulless, unoriginal, and not very scary. It was very middle of the road with none of the feeling or atmosphere of the original. I can understand why this has such low ratings because you can't just make a cookie cuter possession movie and then slap on the Exorcist title, because it is a beloved movie/franchise. This all seems so odd to me because while the newest Halloween series felt inconsistent you could still see the references and felt some of the spirit of the original franchise, and here none of that is present. You would think that with all the problems Green had with that trilogy he would learn from it. I believe he intended this new entry to be part of a trilogy, I hope he steps it up.
Saw X (2023)
A Saw movie with a solid storyline, surprising!
Let me be the first to say that I am not a huge fan of Saw movies. I watched the first 3 or 4 films when I was young, I guess I could handle characters being tortured more back then. Through the years it seemed to be focused solely on comically shocking kills and less about a solid plot. However, this film steps away from the convoluted mess that is the last entries and brings it back to basic.
I was quite surprised to see this movie doing so well and getting very good feedback and I wanted to see a horror film so it was between this or The Nun II. By the looks of it I chose wisely. I turned away halfway through all of the deaths, but I still had a good time. It is a solid film with a fleshed out story and it is refreshing to see in any series with 10 movies, especially Saw. If you are a hardcore fan I'm sure you will rate it higher.
The Boogeyman (2023)
I'm writing this review as a I sit in the theater.
It's not a terrible movie and it's definitely not a good movie. It is extremely boring, and unfortunately I attended with family so I won't be able to walk out. With this kind of review I would expect to actively hate this film, however, I'm just quite apathetic. It is shallow and empty, I felt no emotions for the characters and could not even tell you one of their names. I was not even scared because I wasn't invested enough to care. The plot jumps all over the place and it seems to lose focus quite a few times. I would say just wait to stream it or rent it but that would be a waste of your time. Speaking of time, the film has a runtime of 1 hour and 38 minutes but it felt much longer. I will say that the kid actors were pretty decent.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
It's good, but I still like the first one better. (7.5)
Let me just say that the first hour of this film had me hooked and I just knew this film surpass it's predecessor in terms of the story & entertainment. Around the 2 hour mark I started wondering when or if there would be a climax? Various scenes felt like they were dragging on for way too long. We really didn't need all the scenes of Peter B. Parker and his child. For me personally I felt like there was no build up or anticipation due to how long certain scenes played out. Then the film ended on a cliffhanger and then I understood, this film is a middle movie, a gateway between the first film and the next film and unfortunately it showed. They didn't have a definitive ending for this film which is fine but at some point the scenes just felt like filler. I believe it is still a movie worth seeing, however, it falls short of the first movie in terms of keeping my attention.
The Little Mermaid (2023)
Another live-action remake that doesn't quite live up to the original.
Let me start off by saying I was impatiently awaiting this movies' arrival. I bought my tickets 1 week in advance and was ready! However, during the film I nearly feel asleep half way through as did the other guests who attended with me. Not to say that this is a bad movie, it just doesn't hold as much magic as the original does and it is not nearly as captivating. It felt that the new elements and songs that were added took up a lot of time and then the parts that I was waiting for felt rushed. For instance, Vanessa's arrival and the ceremony that follows felt like they lasted only 5 minutes and there was no big pay off and I felt the same with Ursula's final scene.
I thought that Hallie and Melissa did a good job. I believe my favorite characters were the side characters such as Flounder, Sebastian, and even Scuttle (they should think about removing the rap from the DVD).
Maybe that's an impossible expectation to compare it the original? Seeing as I personally feel that non of the Disney remakes have added any substance or reason for needing a remake. But when taking the original out of the equation it is an overall decent film.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
Everyone is so fixated on rotten tomatoes scores, it really is a solid film.
I am someone who is not swayed by "critics" or rotten tomato scores. I didn't even really have any expectations going into this movie. As someone who grew up playing Super Mario Bros, Super Mario World etc., I was really just going to see this movie based on nostalgia and it does deliver on nostalgia. The visuals are stunning, and while everyone has their reservations about Chris Pratt the voice acting is perfect (except one for one elderly character). While many have said this movie moves quickly or "too fast", I would say it has great pacing and never leaves you bored. While it is not a perfect film it leaves little to be desired. It is everything you want from an animated Super Mario Movie.
Scream VI (2023)
Change of scenery, gory deaths, chase scenes and twists. Not perfect but very good for a 6th sequel.
My first viewing of Scream 6 was much more enjoyable than my first viewing of Scream 5. There is a cohesiveness to the cast this time, and the returning actors have definitely stepped up their acting. Tara and Sam feel like final girls and I love that character development. After some time and viewing Scream 5 a fourth time I have finally come to truly enjoy it. However, it only took me one viewing to enjoy the newest entry in the Scream franchise. The script follows what was set up in the previous sequels before it (i.e. The killers) unlike Scream 3's Ghost Face. The setting is a nice change of pace that doesn't feel trite. There are set pieces and sequences that really build suspense in true Scream fashion which was missing in part 5. The apartment ladder scene and Gale's Ghost Face fight will become fan favorites.
The film does ask for quite a bit of suspension of disbelief and seems to be scared of killing any charters off besides ghost face and non-essential characters which is something I missed from Scream 5. The film could've been 10-20 minutes shorter just to help it feel more concise. Also, lets stop with the Billy hallucinations.
Halloween Ends (2022)
People are being a bit dramatic...it was good.
This film was no where near perfect, however, it was a good ending to this new trilogy. It is definitely better than Kills (no more "evil dies tonight) but was not on par with Halloween 2018. While the pacing was off and some of the editing choices were interesting it took a step in a new direction which I appreciate. We get to see a young man who is wrongfully accused of murdering a child he babysat turned into a monster and become the new boogeyman. While the didn't follow through with that in the end I believe it still worked, however, it would've been nice to establish Corey in previous film. We get to see Laurie much more through the movie but sadly we don't get enough of Micheal. The finale is what really made this movie for me, while it wasn't a scary film more of a thriller the last 30 minutes had me blighting my nails.
Senior Year (2022)
Another Netflix comedy.
It was extremely promising in the opening, then she woke up from her coma. Rebel Wilson seemed a bit off in this film. Not that Rebel Wilson is the best actor of our time but some of her previous roles were actually funny, however this one was not funny or believable. It really hurts a movie when the main character is not doing a good job, however it was not just Rebel many of the adult characters seemed shallow and not likable.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022)
Oh It's bad...but not the worst in the entire franchise.
Going into this I saw that it was only about an hour and 20 minutes and that was one of many red flags. I was scared that this was gonna be too short but an hour in a I wanted it to hurry up and end. This movie felt like an incomplete idea. In the age of remakes, direct sequels or "requels" if you will, this film never succeeded in deciding what it truly was. I'll take a guess and say the writers took a page out of Halloween (2018) and tried to revamp a classic horror film timeline with the main protagonist coming back to get some redemption. Except in this movie no one, including this audience gets any fulfillment or redemption.
The characters all fell flat, no character development, no cohesive plot, and the time line is confusing. I'm not sure who to route for because I don't have any background or story to understand who anybody is.
Scream (2022)
Middle of the road, and quite predictable.
Let me start off by saying this movie isn't actually a bad movie. BUT when it's presumably the "last" movie of an iconic franchise a lot is expected. This movie felt generic and honestly the returning characters are the only reasons why this felt like a Scream movie.
Cons:
There was no suspense to be found and the magic created in the original is something that can only be created once. There was no reward in this movie, Billy Loomis' daughter isn't enough because it doesn't serve as anything more than fan service. We're not surprised when it's the boyfriend at the end and the best friend, we need new content and for the love of god motives that make sense or at least good. The new characters had no character development so we didn't get to connect we just saw what felt like random people being brutally murdered by other random people.
So by the end of the movie when the killer reveal happened I wasn't phased because I was trying to remember who this girl was? Even the returning characters' stories were unfulfilling. I was hoping that by the end there would be a 3rd killer twist, maybe even the girl who got the 1st call but nope the boyfriend and best friend are the killers trope with some half-baked reasonings.
Pro:
This had the bloodiest deaths! Furthermore, the deaths were not creative or suspenseful, I wanted getting killed in a movie theater or getting jammed in a garage door, Scream signatures that provide NEW and creative content not just gore.
Halloween Kills (2021)
It was an okay and unnecessary sequel. A bit lazy.
If there needed to be a sequel to 2018 then this should've been the ending to this storyline that tied it up. Actually, Halloween (2018) was so well done that could've served as a stand-alone sequel. However, they made this into a trilogy and now this movie just feels like filler.
This movie just does not flow as smooth and the acting is not as urgent as that of its predecessor. Jamie Lee Curtis also falls short in the scenes that she is even in. Jamie's lines seem to be somewhat disingenuous and not delivered well and that goes for Tommy, Karen and other characters. Another major flaw includes the tone of this film, it feels like down right satire sometimes from the deaths to the mob mentality and trite chanting. Also, can the writers decide if Michael can or cannot die? He got beat to death by the mob and then at the last second he automatically resurrects because the writers need a sequel. It's lazy.
Knives Out (2019)
Misleading reviews
I was so hyped for this movie after seeing the star studded cast and the rave reviews online. A movie with Daniel Craig, Chris Evans and Jamie Lee Curtis, I couldn't ask for more. However, the pacing is slow and the "big twist" is quite underwhelming. The jokes fall flat and aren't done well, I was expecting some great thrilling mystery and bust out laughing jokes but it sadly was a dud.
How to Get Away with Murder (2014)
The best show in recent memory!
Season 5 just finished (on a cliffhanger of course) and I can't wait to see what comes in season 6. This show is thrilling, funny, sad and just pure excellence! The whole cast is packed with great actors, however, every season without a doubt the show stealer is Viola Davis.
I want to add that season 1 starts off kinda rocky in my opinion, I guess just based off of comparing it to the other seasons. However, season 2 gets better and then season 3 is great and the next 2 seasons just skyrocketed. Highly recommend this show!
Bird Box (2018)
The First 10 minutes is the best part of the movie!
The first 10 minutes is the best part of the movie. The suspense and story telling in those first 10 minutes is the only part of the movie that really grabs your attention. The rest of the movie is kinda stale and feels redundant. If you've seen either "A Quiet Place" or "The Happening" then you've essentially seen this movie.
Incredibles 2 (2018)
Don't Believe Any Of The Negativity IT WAS INCREDIBLE
This was great maybe even better than the first, maybe! I loved all the added action and new superheroes. I actually loved the villain I thought it was quite clever how they created her and how she was the mastermind that just controlled everybody else. And this movie actually included JackJack and I loved every minute of him figuring out his powers.People are overthinking this animated movie and trying to twist in their political points of view and getting offended over nothing. There's nothing to make of this movie other than it's another classic Pixar movie!
Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
Ehh it was okay..I wouldn't rush to the movies to see it
It was funny but the humor did not save it from being kinda pointless and the "villains" were lackluster . The Marvel universe would've been completely okay if this sequel didn't exist. It seems that Marvel just keeps spitting out movies just so they can say they've had a movie for every Avenger. They need to focus on quality and not quantity.
Love, Simon (2018)
WE NEED A SEQUEL!
I was going into this movie with high expectations because the trailers looked amazing. I was a little nervous because many movies have let me down contrary to their great trailers. HOWEVER, this movie blew my expectations out of the water.
This movie left you guessing until the very end about who the secret messager is, who is Blue? I was so relieved to see that it was Bram (played by Keiynan Lonsdale) even watching the trailers I knew he would be a perfect love interest. Nick Robinson smashes the lead role and brings you to emotional highs and lows. Speaking of which brings me to Jennifer's Gardens speech probably the BEST lines of the movie, "I could feel you holding your breath...you get to exhale now Simon" literally still brings tears to my eyes. Even though you don't get to see the two love interest interact face to face until the last moments of the movie it still causes sparks and goosebumps. This is the most emotionally attached I've ever felt to a movie. I walked out of the theater so happy and full joy. This movie is so important and it definitely did an amazing job fulfilling the void of lgbt big budget movies! Maybe the small face to face interaction between the love interest left a door open for a sequel! GO SEE THIS NOW and then watch it again!