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Reviews by: @tvnerdaran In order to understand what makes Francis Ford Coppola’s overlooked 1974 masterpiece, The Conversation so great, first we must understand the time it came out in and the socio-political events unfolding upon the time it was made. The Conversation premiered at the 1974 Cannes Film Festival, where it was awarded the the Palme D’or; the festival’s top prize. The film was released at the height of the Watergate scandal which led to the undoing of Richard Nixon’s presidency. Following both Watergate and the brutal aftermath of the Vietnam War, there was a deep sense of paranoia and trauma in the American psyche. The effects of America’s brutal campaign of terror in Vietnam and the fallout of the Watergate bugging left many American citizens in deep distrust of their government. Many could no longer trust everything their government told them, and some, in the case of Watergate, felt a deep sense of paranoia; that at any moment, their privacy was being invaded and their every move was being watched. Through the cultural events unfolding at the time of the film’s release, we can now understand why it is such a highly-regarded yet underseen masterpiece. The Conversation follows Harry Caul (played by Gene Hackman), a lonely and paranoid surveillance expert who is assigned with spying on a couple for a corporate boss. Through his recordings of their conversations, he discovers what he believes to be a murder plot and aims to protect the couple. The film is brilliant on both an aesthetic and thematic level. Coppola uses both Hitchcockian suspense and Godardian editing to toy with the viewer’s mind and instil a deep sense of paranoia and dread into the viewer’s brain. The film plays out like a slow but anxiety-inducing thriller; every moment is slowly leading to a terrible climax we have yet to see. Hackman’s brilliantly understated performance as Harry Caul may very well be his best, with Caul’s loneliness and paranoia perhaps evoking the deeply rooted trauma and paranoia felt by millions of US citizens in the aftermath of Vietnam and Watergate. Caul is an amalgamation of the millions of US citizens who deeply distrust their government and fear for their privacy and the possibility of being watched. Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, the film and its message of paranoia and invasion of privacy has sadly proven all the more relevant in the decades since its release. With widespread NSA surveillance in the post 9/11 era, and the exposure of mass surveillance by Edward Snowden, the deeply entrenched feelings of dread and paranoia in this film are now relevant and timely now more than ever. The age of technology and the Internet also possibly contributes to the barriers of privacy being eliminated in today’s society. Though it is often overlooked in favour of The Godfather films and Apocalypse Now, Coppola’s The Conversation is a chilling portrait of paranoia, loneliness and loss of individual privacy that has sadly only grown in relevance since its release. By @tvnerdaran

Reviews by: @augustkellerwrites Independence Day combines valid blockbuster with shlock. It has decent basics: character set-up, a cohesive story, balanced action, and abundant pay-off. However, it's simplistic and often contrived. Thus, Independence Day feels like a story outline rather than a final draft. Characters are one-dimensional, plot points are unbelievably convenient, and emotions are corny. None of this is individually deal-breaking, but collectively seems hollow. Depthful characters, themes, emotions, or creativity would have helped plenty. Meanwhile, the acting is mostly sufficient. Pullman is trying, Smith and Goldblum are having fun, and Quaid does well. It's just Connick Jr. who's annoying. Technically, Independence Day is fair. The cinematography and editing are adequate, with few heightening techniques. Similarly, the soundtrack flows with the emotional beats, but is generic. Conversely, the sound captures the massive destruction and alien tech. Plus, the alien designs are memorable. Their originality is questionable, but at least they have creativity put in. Lastly, the effects are dated, but complex. Miniatures explode, alien movements are animatronic, and air battles are green-screened. That combination sells the epic nature of the film. Ultimately, Independence Day is far from high art, but has enough to be a solid guilty pleasure. Writing: 4/10 Direction: 6/10 Cinematography: 6/10 Acting: 7/10 Editing: 6/10 Sound: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack: 6/10 Production Design: 8/10 Casting: 8/10 Effects: 9/10 Overall Score: 6.7/10 For more of my work: https://guskeller.wixsite.com/moviefilmreviews By @augustkellerwrites

Reviews by: @ryan_the_nixon @tylersnerdy_review @cinefeelic @ls6_films @_lights_cameron_action_ @silverscreencritiques 2022 15 Director: Matt Reeves. Starring: Robert Pattinson, Zoe Kravitz, Jeffrey Wright, Colin Farrell, Paul Dano, John Turturro, Andy Serkis, Peter Sarsgaard, Barry Keoghan, Jayme Lawson, Hana Hrzic, etc. When the Riddler, a sadistic serial killer, begins murdering key political figures in Gotham, Batman is forced to investigate the city's hidden corruption and question his family's involvement. Wow, I am honestly stunned at how incredible this film was. The cinematography was genuinely incredible and some of the strongest I have ever seen. The colour palette, the lore of Gotham and so many incredible shots that required so much careful thought and consideration from Matt Reeves. The score and the action was incredible, truly feeling impactful and cinematic. This film had an incredibly uncomfortable and intense tone and is the darkest version of Batman I have seen. There was a lot of interesting moments. Especially with Gotham itself and how it was run, it truly transported me into the world. The use of voiceover from Robert Pattinson was amazing. The directing from Matt Reeves was spectacular, what he managed to achieve here was something special. The performances from absolutely everyone were amazing. Robert Pattinson was incredible as Batman, he bought the intensity, intimidation and the darker side to this character. Zoe Kravitz was amazing as Catwomen. Paul Dano was absolutely terrifying as the Riddler. Plus, Colin Farrell was fantastic, as well as Jeffrey Wright, Andy Serkis and John Turturro. The set design was amazing. The mystery was fantastic, the Riddler was always 3 steps ahead of everyone and cleverly manipulated each and every character. The character motivation for the Riddler was great and how it was all linked to the Wayne's. With fantastic chemistry between the whole cast. The script was amazing. The Batsuit was my favourite version from all of the films. The plot development and twists were amazing. With great themes on power, greed and corruption. As well as fantastic character depth, a thrilling final act and a very satisfying ending that sets up a lot of things. Overall, for me, The Batman is not only my favourite Batman movie but my favourite superhero movie. It is visually captivating, thrilling, dark and intense. The whole cast do a fantastic job and there is not one thing I would change about this movie. Best movie of 2022 for me and I don't think that will change. Overall Score: 100/100. By @ryan_the_nixon Just got out of my fan event for Matt Reeves’s take on The Batman. I will say up front, this movie is not for everyone. It is three hours long and unlike Avengers: Endgame, you will feel every last second of this runtime. But the issue is, I don’t know what could be taken out to make it shorter, it’s all so necessary to the movie. That being said, I absolutely loved this movie. Reeves’s vision is so clear in every second of the film and god is that vision beautiful. Before I dive into actors, I have to shout out Michael Giacchino. Jesus Christ, this score is truly something else. Reeves really just let him go for it. Batman’s theme and Riddler’s theme are two of the greatest things I’ve ever heard, and Giacchino sprinkles them throughout the film a lot. I was a little nervous on Robert Pattinson but he’s fantastic here. I’ll wait for a second viewing to decide where he places on my list of Batman actors. But he is certainly really good here. His suit is easily one of my favorites, the silhouette it casts is gorgeous and badass. His Batmobile gets a phenomenal entrance followed by one of the best car chases I’ve seen. We don’t see much of Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne, his scenes as Bruce are fine, I need more to make a decision on that part. His fighting style is one of the most brutal so far and really reminded me of the Arkham games, often having to wonder, “how is that guy alive?” But he gets to fight a lot and it’s all so good. Zoë Kravitz plays a really good Catwoman but for the love of god why is her mask so dumb? So much of this movie is cool but they give Kravitz this dumb ass ski mask with no bottom half. Despite that, her action is really good but her fight scenes are hilariously short. But she works really well with Pattinson but we sadly never see them fight side by side. Paul Dano’s Riddler is truly terrifying and they implement so many great horror elements for his character. But out of the three hour runtime, he’s really not in much of the movie despite being some of the best parts of it. The riddles have pretty much all been seen already but the reasons for his doing this are really well thought out and delivered. They bring in some great commentary on the 1%, mass government corruption, and the dark web with their version of Riddler. Jeffrey Wright is a really good Gordon, Reeves must have taken some ideas from Charles Dickens. Dickens likes to give characters unique ticks to make them stand out. Wright’s Gordon says “man” at the end of almost every sentence directed to Batman. John Turturro plays a pretty good mob boss. I like what they did with his character. Andy Serkis is used a lot in the trailers but he’s really not in this much at all. I’d say three fourths of his scenes have been seen in the trailers. But he does play a damn good Alfred. Colin Farrell’s Penguin is really good, he’s still a little funny, but his prosthetics are insane. I am beyond excited to see the future of this version of Batman, there is some serious potential here. All the vibes are in tune to see a live action Court of Owls. I will say, the credits aren’t very long and there is something at the end. But it’s not a scene. Just a tiny tease, but many may not find it worth the wait. I think, if you care about the future of the franchise it’ll be worth staying for. This is fully worth an expensive trip to the theatre with a group of friends or family to watch on an IMAX screen. I’m giving The Batman a massive 10/10, this is the 2022 movie to beat so far. I’m excited to see what the popular internet consensus is for this one, I think it might be a bit polarizing, but we shall see. -Tyler. By @tylersnerdy_review Hoy quiero reseñar The Batman (2022) de Matt Reeves, sin spoilers, más adelante haré una publicación con spoilers para hablar más en profundidad de la película. The batman cuenta la historia de Batman en su segundo año luchando contra el crimen, él deberá investigar una serie de crímenes que se están perpetuando en la ciudad por parte de Enigma, a la vez que también deberá explorar la corrupción y la mafia de Gotham. The batman es una grandísima película, al principio era un poco escéptico con Matt Reeves, pero viendo la película me ha demostrado que es un absoluto crack. La película es una maravilla visualmente, la dirección es muy buena al igual que su fotografia y banda sonora, además sus actuaciones son muy buenas, Pattinson lo clava como Batman y Zoe Kravitz lo clava como Catwoman, pero si hay uno que sobresale ese es Paul Dano, que hace una actuación excelente como Enigma, convirtiéndolo así en probablemente el segundo mejor villano principal de Batman, en toda su historia. Hablando de la película en sí, la película es algo totalmente diferente a lo visto anteriormente en el cine de superhéroes, DC vuelve a sacar una película de superhéroes donde lo que priorizan es el buen cine y no la fórmula que ofrece la competencia que está ya un poco desgastada. Siguiendo con esto The Batman es una película oscura, es un thriller dentro del mundo de los superhéroes donde vemos a un Batman muy realista y a una Gotham muy fiel a su estilo original. Hablando ahora del propio Batman, tengo que decir que el estilo que le han dado al personaje es muy bueno, ese toque oscuro y realista que tiene el personaje es justo lo que le hacía falta al personaje y además Pattinson aprovecha ese toque del personaje para bordarlo como Batman. Hablar también del traje que es una maravilla y es muy satisfactorio ver los primeros planos de Pattinson con la máscara, le queda bastante bien el traje. Para acabar ya que no quiero profundizar para no dar spoilers, os quiero animar a que vayáis a ver la película al cine, y decir por último que para mí es la mejor película de Batman junto a El Caballero Oscuro 8'5/10 By @cinefeelic THE BATMAN 🍿 An expertly crafted super-hero flick that is effortlessly stylish and provides audiences with a fresh and more gritty take on the beloved character and franchise. There is something about this version of Gotham and it’s inhabitants that feels very real, and for the first-time in a super-hero flick I actually felt connected and empathetic towards the titular character. He was a man very clearly wounded by the death of his parents, someone who is much happier hiding in the shadows but motivated with his job to protect the city. Reeve’s interpretation of Batman was unique: dark and dingy and he presented us with a neo-noir detective story within one of movies’ most famous locations. The film was perfectly cast in all areas, with Pattinson, Kravitz, Serkis and Dano putting in hugely captivating performances. I also absolutely loved Jeffrey Wright’s representation of Gordon - there was something very 3D about all of the characterisations and I am so excited to see where this story goes next! I have to mention the cinematography, Greg Fraser makes this film look stunning and there are some truly breathtaking shots littered throughout the picture. Giacchino’s score is superb and Reeves deserves a huge amount of credit for producing a Batman flick that holds up against the work of Christopher Nolan. 9/10 By @ls6_films Tough act to follow you may think, but with the number of storylines, there are still many unexplored alleys. Matt Reeves had the role of bringing this film to life starting with casting. There’s always backlash with every casting decision in Batman movies, you had Heath Ledger as the Joker, Tom Hardy as Bane, Ben Affleck as Batman and now Pattinson. The problem for Pattinson which has followed him throughout his career is The Twilight saga (2008-2012) I find this strange as he’s an amazing actor, not forgetting his roles in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), Remember me (2011) and TeneT (2020). I was personally excited as I think he’s the perfect fit for this Bruce Wayne/Batman, who’s trying to figure out who to trust in a corruption-riddled city, who knew his parents and has his best interests at heart. All the while dealing with people who kill as a game whereas Bruce sticks to his moral rules through fear of becoming his enemies. Zoe Kravitz is cast as Catwoman/Selina Kyle and she’s the best on-screen iteration we’ve seen, the character always reminds Batman about her ability to take care of herself, but you can see under her unbreakable shell she wants for that feeling of having someone, not to protect her but just to understand her and vice versa for Batman/Bruce. The chemistry between them in this film is instant as their eyes lock and at the end it even becomes quite emotional as you know Gotham has sealed their fate of a happy life. Paul Dano is Riddler, the riddles are so dark and not cheesy. What makes this version of Riddler so interesting is what he does to his victims, using traps and their body parts as clues very reminiscent of the Jigsaw killer in the saw franchise using the dark secrets of people’s lives against them. Overall this is a brilliant Batman film, which shows us Bruce Wayne/Batman realising the true level of power crime has over Gotham City plunging it towards disaster and how far people will go to abuse power and use it to their gain. The darkest Batman film made encapsulating the true self of the character, this is a must-watch. #thebatman By @_lights_cameron_action_ The film follows Batman as he investigates a murder. As he's investigating, he finds out more and more about it; it takes him deeper into the corruption of Gotham. Overall, I did enjoy this one, but it's not without its flaws. The beginning in particular came off as a bit cartoony to me. I wish they went with just the score for the entire film. I didn't like the songs they added; they played "Ave Maria" several times throughout the movie, even the score mimicked that song. The songs they added to the film felt very out of place and didn't add anything to the film. You can also feel the length of the runtime, but only a little bit. One of the reasons you feel the runtime is because this film lacks a strong antagonist. With the Dark Knight Trilogy, as many issues, as I have with them, they generally have a strong antagonist, who all challenge Batman, challenge his morals, and his beliefs. The Riddler in this film had the potential to be one of the best antagonists in a live-action Batman film. He started off well; he was a captivating villain and had a strong presence you could feel in the film. But he's not present in the second act; they investigate other bad guys in the movie. While watching, I found myself asking, "Can we go back to The Riddler?" The other bad guys were fine. I just wanted The Riddler to be the main antagonist, not just one of many. Paul Dano was fantastic as The Riddler, and I think he's a capable enough actor to challenge Batman for 3 hours. Another reason why you can feel the runtime a little is that the pay-off in the third act isn't very satisfying. This is a real shame because they spent all this time crafting a complicated and convoluted plot. In the third act, my mood was like, "Oh, this is happening now." The things that were happening didn't impact me much. There were things that this movie did well. In fact this movie didn't do anything terrible, it just could have been more. I thought all the actors/actresses played their roles well. I enjoyed Andy Serkis as Alfred, he walked the fine line between being a strong, blunt person and being a caring Father figure to Bruce Wayne. I also wish we had more of him. It had a good score and good cinematography. I really enjoyed them showing Batman giving people hope and being a hero to the people. That's one thing you rarely see in a Batman movie. I will be buying this hopefully in 4k when it does come out! By @silverscreencritiques

Reviews by: @movie_pill 솔직히 이영화 안본사람도 있을까 배우 박보영을 수면위로 확실히 끌어올려준 의미있는 작품 소재 자체도 마냥 진부하진 않고(개봉때 생각하면) 등장인물들 캐릭터도 너무확실하게 잡혔고(왕석현 하면 아직도 썩소부터 생각나버리고...) 전개도 나름 시원시원하고 엔딩도 깔끔해서 기분좋게 영화보기엔 참 좋은영화다 당시에 이거 처음보고 한동안 박보영한테 꽂혀살았었는데... 핸드폰배경도 박보영해놓고 사진 찾아보던 기억이난다 여튼 박보영은 진짜 흡입력있는 배우같은게 웃으면 같이 행복해지고 울면 같이 속이 아린다.. 표정만보고도 공감을 이끌어낼 수 있는 훌륭한 배우랄까 다만 공포영화찍을때는 이상하게도 입체적이지 못한 연기를 해줬었는데 그외 많은 작품들에선 항상 기대이상을 보여줬다고본다 이래저래 뭔가 하나 확실하게 꽂히진 않지만 소재 스토리 배우 전부 좋았던 육각형영화인걸로.. 오랜만에보니 좋았다! By @movie_pill

Reviews by: @ryan_the_nixon Escape Room 2: Tournament of champions 2021 15 Director: Adam Robitel Starring: Taylor Russell, Logan Miller, Deborah Ann Woll, Thomas Cocquerel, Holland Roden, Indya Moore, Carlito Olivero etc Escape Room 2: Tournament of Champions is about six people who unwittingly find themselves locked in another series of escape rooms, slowly uncovering what they have in common to survive. Joining forces with two of the original survivors, they soon discover they’ve all played the game before. At its best escape room 2 was mediocre, at its worst it was an absolute cash grabbing mess. My first few positives would be the set up and fun idea. The good cinematography. As well as the good character background and humour. I liked that the film gave the main two characters from the first film Zoey (Taylor Russell) and Ben (Logan Miller) some good background into where they were at with their lives and dealing with the aftermath of the first film. It gave you some insight into both characters and due to the attachment to them from the first film, set this up on the right path. I also thought the set up and general idea was fun and a good idea for a sequel. Having everyone competing having previously taken part in the games was a fun idea, and it made it more interesting in terms of it being different as to why they were all chosen. This added a compelling element to the film and set up a good mystery. I also thought the cinematography improved considerably within this film. You could tell they put a higher budget within the rooms and the overall look of the film, and it showed. With much more realistic and aesthetically pleasing rooms, and it made it look more like a film that could hold its own with other horror thrillers within this genre, so they stepped up in this department. I also thought some (not all as will be discussed in upcoming paragraphs) of the humour landed well. Some of the cast especially Logan Miller and Holland Roden had some good comedic chemistry, it bought some much-needed breaks within the tension to learn or just have that little moment with the characters to connect with them more. Now for some negatives. The opening was unneeded, the dialogue was terrible. The characters were unfortunately direct copies from the first film and the performances were not very good. The opening for this film felt unneeded, it just repeated what happened in the previous film. It treated the audience who have all most likely have seen the first film like they were dumb. It just felt unnecessary and it was almost treated like a tv episode not another feature film. The dialogue was terrible. Extremely corny, simple, and ineffective. The script was lazy and amateurish and really cheapened the film. The writing really wasn’t up to standard and was a very noticeable issue. Unfortunately, the performances here were not very good, they ranged from laughably bad too mediocre. It just felt like a student film, no offense to the actors it might have just been how they were directed or the script, but all they were doing was shouting at the screen the whole time and reacting in an over-the-top manner, I did not see any star making performances here which is a shame. What also didn’t help this was the fact that the characters felt like direct copies of the ones from the first film. From how they looked or behaved, to even their specific role within the film. The new characters didn’t stand out at all and no effort was put into making the audience care for them. My final few positives would be the tense tone, building of tension. The creative escape rooms. As well as the decent final twist and final act. The film was at its best when it focused on its escape rooms. They were fun and creative with some really interesting puzzles for the characters to solve. The bank escape room was incredibly strong and easily where the film was at its strongest. It executed a great tense tone and built tension very well, with the rooms unpredictable nature, and for those brief moments of adrenaline you cared about what happened to the characters. I also thought the final act and the plot twist was decent. I respect the film for going in a surprising and different direction that I didn’t see coming. Was it executed in the best way, definitely not but it added an interesting new dynamic to the film and rose the stakes well. My final few negatives for the film would be the dumb character decisions, lack of character depth. Lack of development to the plot, and finally the odd creative decisions. This film was riddled with odd creative decisions and dumb character choices. It felt like the film deliberately removed the characters or seemingly killed them off to then have them reappear without any explanation twenty minutes later. It was creatively strange and made the film come across as very clunky to me, and the characters made too many dumb decisions, disobeying the other characters, or not listening to them even though they were right, it just came across as forced and irritating. I also thought that the characters lacked any form of depth. What I liked so much about the first film was that they spent time giving each character a motivation and some background so you could connect or understand them as people more. All of that went out of the window here, the film treated the characters like afterthoughts, with no background or depth so therefore my interest in them decreased as the film developed, it was very lazy writing. Finally, there just wasn’t enough development to the story, it just felt like a repeat of the first film with the escape rooms. They didn’t expand the story world or develop the villains at all keeping the audience in the dark to lazily set up another film. This made my interest in the film slowly decrease as nothing of notable was happening to expand the franchise. Overall, Escape Room 2: Tournament of champions is a fun idea and is certainly watchable. With some creative escape rooms. But It offers nothing new and loses what worked so well with the first film. The tension got lower as my interest waned. Leaving you with a recycled, cheap, and messy sequel. That just honestly felt lazily made. Overall rating 47/100 By @ryan_the_nixon

Reviews by: @augustkellerwrites Kurosawa's Seven Samurai is a foundational film. Despite its age, it remains an ideal template for current blockbusters. It's rich with themes, defined characters, and meaningful action. First, the plot is a quintessential tale of heroes uniting for an honorable cause. Marvel constantly mimics this trope, but the imitators are countless. Meanwhile, characters are developed beyond warriors in battle. Viewers learn their mindsets and motivations. Each unique samurai adds to the story. Thus, Seven Samurai is ripe with ideas like unity, morality, humility, accountability, and identity. However, despite the film's intellectual density, its relatability keeps it entertaining. Next, Seven Samurai's filmmaking established every blockbuster fundamental. The music sets a daunting tone, the immersive production sells the era, the acting displays a cohesive range, and the effects are real stunts. Lastly, defined by its fluent motion, Seven Samurai has iconic cinematography and editing. Crowds, flames, and weather consistently motivate every shot and cut. Each frame is wholly utilized for meaning. Each edit expands on the action and its emotional weight. Overall, Kurosawa's vision makes Seven Samurai a concrete experience that carefully builds on itself. Therefore, Seven Samurai remains the gold standard of modern epics. Writing: 10/10 Direction: 10/10 Cinematography: 10/10 Acting: 10/10 Editing: 10/10 Sound: 9/10 Score/Soundtrack: 10/10 Production Design: 10/10 Casting: 10/10 Effects: 9/10 Overall Score: 9.8/10 For more of my work: https://guskeller.wixsite.com/moviefilmreviews By @augustkellerwrites

Reviews by: @silverscreencritiques The film follows John L. Sullivan, a Hollywood director known a making comedies. He wants to make a "Serious picture about modern conditions." Then realizes he knows nothing about hard ships, and decides to become a hobo to understand the life and have the sentiment to make a picture about it. This film asks a lot of questions about what films should be. Should they be serious social commentaries or should they be light and funny? Art is a way to challenge society, it can also hold up a mirror to society, and can capture their moment in time to give us an understanding of what it was like. It's important to note when when was made, 1941. It came out right off of the heels of the Great Depression and literally as the U.S joined WWII. So there were plenty of things and reasons why a serious picture could be made. There is also the argument that the average person needs a break from everything going on in the world and needs something light and fun to get a break from all that. There are so many thought provoking lines and questions in this film that really do question or call out "Serious Pictures." One of my favorites goes something like "Only the morbidly rich can appreciate the struggles of poor people." So, should films be serious tragedies or light entertainment? This film leans a little more towards the latter, but it also uses the poor everyday people to say give us that message. So this film says both have their place in our culture. By @silverscreencritiques

Reviews by: @ryan_the_nixon @tylersnerdy_review 2022 12A Director: Roland Emmerich. Starring: Halle Berry, Patrick Wilson, John Bradley, Charlie Plummer, Michael Pena, Carolina Bartczak, Donald Sutherland, etc. A mysterious force knocks the moon from its orbit around Earth and sends it hurtling on a collision course with life as we know it. With mere weeks before impact and the world on the brink of annihilation, a NASA executive and former astronaut Jo Fowler is convinced she has the key to saving everyone. But only one astronaut from her past, Brian Harper and a conspiracy theorist KC Houseman believer her. This movie was just a complete mess. The film did have strong cinematography. The set up was good and the characters were likeable. With some interesting elements and ideas that were introduced and explored. Some of the action was entertaining and the score was solid. However, the pacing was extremely rushed and terrible, never allowing anything to fully process or develop properly. The structure of the movie was a complete mess and all over the place. There was countless inconsistencies with the logic that were just too ridiculous. The characters and the plot itself were very generic. I didn't connect with any of the characters. The script was very bad and the dialogue felt very recycled and corny, like it was supposed to be released 20 years ago. The characters lacked chemistry with each other, perhaps due to the poor writing. The CGI in parts was surprisingly bad considering the high budget, the obvious green screen was often very distracting. There was either inconsistent or underwhelming action. It was tonally inconsistent and felt like 3 different movies, and the final act, despite introducing some interesting ideas was a mess and it failed with its execution. Overall, Moonfall has brief moments of entertainment, great visuals and Patrick Wilson and Halle Berry try their best. But this movie was poorly written, inconsistent and messy. This film didn't have a clue what it wanted to be and it just turned into a poorly executed disaster movie that failed on all levels. Overall Score 32/100. By @ryan_the_nixon I actually saw this on Thursday but damn this semester is kicking my ass. But I’ve found some time to review this. I’m hoping to watch a few things to review later tonight as well. So with Moonfall, all I have to say is, you saw the trailer and still decided to go see this, you’ve lost the ability to complain about how weird it gets. Whatever conclusions you drew from the trailer, trash them, it gets so much crazier. I’m a sucker for a good end of the world movie, I find them very fun. This one is actually a little light on the destruction though, unless you prefer to see mountains get destroyed instead of cities lower your excitement for that. The one city we see get ruined on a massive scale is one of the coolest I’ve ever seen though. Halle Berry is pretty great here and gets far more of the story then I was expecting. Patrick Wilson plays a decent fallen from grace astronaut dealing with past trauma, but I think he could have sold it better. But he has fantastic screen chemistry with John Bradley. Bradley played one of my favorite GoT characters and I’m so excited to see that he’s in two movies in back to back weeks. I loved him here so much and I’m so excited to see him in Marry Me on Thursday. I had no idea Michael Peña was going to be in this and he delivers a fantastic performance in a very short amount of time. Donald Sutherland is quite literally in a single scene that’s not very long. I have no idea why they used him for it. Charlie Plummer, Yu Wenwen, Kelly Reilly, Eme Ikwuakor, Carolina Bartczak, Chris Sandiford, Jonathan Silver, and Stephen Bogaert are alright, none of them get a whole lot of screen time other than Plummer but they all play characters you come to care a bit about. Which is what’s very different about this movie. Most end of the world movies give you a bunch of characters that take away from the action that you couldn’t care for at all. But this gives characters that you do actually care for and want to see make it out to the end. This movie looks great on IMAX and just adds to the whole experience. Some of the VFX looks a little off in some parts but not enough to take away too much from the overall enjoyment of the movie. 7/10. -Tyler. By @tylersnerdy_review

Reviews by: @augustkellerwrites The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is a hot mess. First, the script is a jumble of several stories, haphazardly crammed together. Each plotline is rush and unmotivated, making the film constantly contrived. Peter and Gwen inexplicably breakup and makeup, people become villains for ridiculous reasons, and the backstory of Peter's parents is convoluted and pointless. Furthermore, the combination of these half-baked narratives is worse than each individually because their moods are incompatible and the overall film swiftly becomes tone deaf. Almost instantly, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 devolves into a noisy cluster of visuals rather than a cohesive movie. Meanwhile, the filmmaking of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is absent. The imagery is uninspired and ugly, the structureless editing creates emotional whiplash, and the production design is asinine. Garfield and Stone try to salvage the material but clearly have little character instruction. The same goes for the supporting cast, all of whom are lost about what tone to strike. Audiences might hope that the special effects are a saving grace, but even that looks goofy at key moments. Overall, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 tries to do too much and accomplishes nothing, making it a chore to sit though. Writing: 2/10 Direction: 2/10 Cinematography: 3/10 Acting: 4/10 Editing: 3/10 Sound: 6/10 Score/Soundtrack: 5/10 Production Design: 3/10 Casting: 7/10 Effects: 6/10 Overall Score: 4.1/10 For more of my work: https://guskeller.wixsite.com/moviefilmreviews By @augustkellerwrites

Reviews by: @loquepuedesverhoy REPARTO: Joey King, Annalise Basso, Javier Botet, Julia Goldani Telles, Jaz Sinclair, Kevin Chapman, Michael Reilly Burke. PLATAFORMA: Amazon Prime Video. Los "creepypasta" dejaron en el ostracismo a las leyendas urbanas que se asentaban el folclore popular. Usando las redes como medio de difusión, se contaban historias apoyadas con documentos fotográficos falsos, para darle más realismo. Esta fuente de inspiración ha servido para hacer muchas películas con un corte moderno que llegue a los más jóvenes, como es el caso. Entre los más jóvenes se ha hecho popular la figura de "Slender Man", un tipo sin rostro, alto, y bien vestido que secuestra y asesina a adolescentes. Historia creada por un tal Victor Surge en un foro de Internet, que acompañó con una colección de imágenes que hacian más verosímil lo narrado. Pues esto es lo único interesante que puedo decir de todo ésto, porque la película es un auténtico aburrimiento, muy poco original y resulta un batiburrillo de mil cosas ya vistas en cintas de terror. Una cinta insulsa, con poco cuerpo, un título más donde la tecnología se adueña de la trama y unos adolescentes completamente desubicados y desatendidos, aunque podría destacar algunas escenas bien hechas, la verdad que, en términos generales, es una película muy poco original para lo novedoso de su trama. No vale la pena pasar por aquí por mucho que os llamen la atención estás cosas, ya que se ha desaprovechado una muy buena historia con una cinta muy mediocre y poco original. Una amalgama de clichés del cine de terror que no aporta nada. By @loquepuedesverhoy

Reviews by: @averagejoereviews As I look back at my time in ‘eighth grade’ (it’s Year 9 in the UK where I live), I often think of myself as a shy, fairly quiet kid that came alive when placed with the right people. These are supposedly how Kayla, our title character, feels, though admittedly she hasn’t met the right people yet. However, watching Eighth Grade I still struggled to relate to broader aspects of it, perhaps its because I’m a guy and there is obviously a difference in growing up between guys and girls. But then I thought, no, I still faced the same pressures she did in the film, but I don’t remember any of those awkward conversations where you have nothing to say. That’s my problem with the film, it should be a film which I can relate to, at the time it came out I was 13 myself, however, I seriously struggled to see my past self reflected in any of the characters. The film begins with a youtube video from Kayla (Elsie Fisher) in which she gives advice to her audience about topics such as “Being Yourself” and “Putting Yourself Out There”. In typical 13-year-old youtuber fashion this is done with several ‘ums’ and has ‘like’ after nearly every word, even the dreaded look to the script as she delivers her advice to her non-existent audience. Trust me, it sucks, I’ve been there. This is a very good opening, and one of my favourite aspects of the film - the use of Kayla’s youtube videos is at times masterful by writer-director Bo Burnham, the message they convey is perfectly clear - Kayla has all the right answers and advice, she just needs to use them herself if she wants to be the popular girl she craves to be. In these videos Kayla has airbrushed out her acne and put on eyeliner as a way to give herself confidence that she can’t have at school, and this part is so real to many young girls, who will put swathes of filters and makeup on just so that they can have that ‘Instagram look’ - its fine, I’m not judging, but I just think it’s interesting how accurate this part was in contrast to other elements later in the film. Kayla lives at home with her dad (Josh Hamilton), who struggles to stay connected with his daughter, made even harder by the fact that there is no mum in the picture. Kayla is, like most teens determined to spend as little time with her parents as possible, shutting her dad out and keeping her EarPods in at the dinner table on Friday night. All of his praises and compliments are abhorrent to Kayla, who sees them as condescending and babyish - she’d much rather spend time scrolling through Instagram and seeing what her classmates have been up to, than talk with her boring old dad about her boring day at middle school. Not that she’ll be having boring days at middle school for much longer - Kayla’s moving up in the world, high school is fast approaching and she’s just got a week left of the hellhole that is middle school. That means one more week to stare at her confident crush Aiden, the sleepy-eyed kid that everyone thought was super cool when in reality he’s kind of a dick. It also means she’s only got one more week of being envious of Kennedy, the Queen Bee of middle school - who reluctantly invites Kayla to her birthday party. Kayla reluctantly attends said birthday party and it delivers perhaps the film’s best scene, as Kayla, a bag of nerves, shuffles towards the big glass sliding door in her bright green swimsuit to join the kids outside. They’re all running and swimming around having a good time, but Kayla can’t, too many people she’s thinking, what will I say to them, what if they stare at me. Most kids have experienced something similar in their lives and it is truly the epitome of horror, never had 13-year-old me been more scared than when I had to go and meet a group of my classmates outside of school. Fittingly, Burnham evokes a sense of horror about the scene and in that moment you are genuinely terrified for Kayla and worried about how she’ll interact with her classmates. Later in the film we see Kayla and classmates on a “shadow” day, where all the graduating middle school kids go and get buddied up with a high schooler for a day as they’re shown around. Nothing like this exists to my knowledge in the UK, however, I seriously doubt that they would make a bunch of 13 year olds put their hands on the shoulders of the person in front as they walk through a corridor, that’s the kind of thing 6 year olds do here. At the shadow day Kayla meets Olivia and they quickly hit it off, whilst I liked the character of Olivia and she was acted well the problem I had here was that Olivia does not act like anyone my age. Nobody my age is that welcoming to a younger year, nobody my age is inviting said person out with them, the entire portrayal of her and her friend group feels off and it irked me. What also irked me was some of the editing used by Bo Burnham. At times the film feels weirdly cut, jumping between scenes and you often have to take a few moments to pick up the in-between moments that you don’t see. The film would have been far better had these been added, the film already has a short runtime, just adding perhaps 10 seconds more in these sequences would have added greater depth and meant that I wasn’t rushing to catch back up every few minutes. I’d also like to expand on the awkwardly scripted conversations, nobody I’ve known has ever talked like that. I understand you want to portray Kayla and some of the others as unsociable and nervous, but this is an extreme portrayal of that. It’s the lengthily pauses or waffling about “also wearing a shirt” that did my head in, never once, no matter who I’ve spoken to, whether it be a girl I’m crushing hard on or one of the popular boys have I ever had a conversation like that. However, the poor editing and at times poor dialogue is made a whole lot better by the performance of Elsie Fisher, who you will feel every step of the way. In roles like these you normally see 20-somethings casted but here we see an actual 13-year-old (at the time of filming) take centre stage. Lets just say this casting gamble works extremely well - Fisher is immense, drawing you in so that by the end you’ll just want to reach out for her and give her a big hug. At times she is rude and abrasive but you’ll still be on her side because more than anything else Fisher’s performance makes her seem as though you’re watching a friend go through all these troubles. Quite ironic given Kayla’s lack of friends don’t you think. Generally, I get a lot of enjoyment out of coming-of-age films, largely because I can relate to some of the characters, however with Eighth Grade I struggled to do so. It’s a film that wants to be taken seriously without ever really going further into serious issues, leaving plenty of uncomfortable pauses if you’re bold enough to watch with the hated parents but little to talk about afterwards. For large parts it prioritises style over substance, but then when you consider Elsie Fisher’s perfect performance and the fluid modern soundtrack you realise that perhaps there is something to it after all. Uncertain is how I’d describe Kayla as a character and uncertain is how I’d describe my feelings towards the film, the only thing I can really take away from it is that Elsie Fisher will be a future Oscar winner. “Gucci” By @averagejoereviews

Reviews by: @augustkellerwrites Zodiac is meticulously researched and embodies its theme of obsession. Fincher is known for detail, but Zodiac's recreations are uniquely thorough. The movie doesn't function like a typical mystery thriller because it reaches beyond formulaic excitement, to the truth. Viewers won't receive conventional closure, but, instead, will witness procedural realities and weighty fixations collapsing on our protagonists. Gyllenhaal, Ruffalo, and Downey all bring complexities as their roles twist and turn. Zodiac isn't primarily a character study, but displays how people can evolve with a case. This gives the film an emotional bond as well as its mysterious intrigue. Meanwhile, Zodiac is Fincher's most technical film. The subtle effects assist the methodical environment without announcing themselves. The production implements exact details of the story. The music is a perfect balance of era appropriate mood elevation and intimate silence. Furthermore, the sound is wholly visceral, personal, and gut-wrenching. The editing masterfully weaves multiple plot threads and establishes the exhaustive nature of the case. Finally, the cinematography is beautifully mechanical and hauntingly cold, using fixed motion, crisp lighting, objective framing, and muted colors. In conclusion, Zodiac is a gripping experience that will possess viewers long after it's over. Writing: 9/10 Direction: 10/10 Cinematography: 10/10 Acting: 9/10 Editing: 10/10 Sound: 10/10 Score/Soundtrack: 10/10 Production Design: 9/10 Casting: 9/10 Effects: 8/10 Overall Score: 9.4/10 For more of my work: https://guskeller.wixsite.com/moviefilmreviews By @augustkellerwrites

Reviews by: @coldculture_films Brian DePalma’s 1983 classic crime drama ‘SCARFACE’ is a bold tale of a Cuban immigrant and his rise to power within the Miami drug trade catalysed by the Cuban crime wave in the early 1980’s. DePalma is able to create an experience that helps soar the audience to the heights of ambition inhibited by the central character, while contrasting his fall due to the nature of his fatal hamartia. Tony Montana (Al Pacino) is a young political refugee that has escaped the communist rule of his home in Cuba. To finally achieve his goals and become a success within the liberties presented to him by American Society, Tony climbs the ladders of the burgeoning drug trade in Miami accompanied by his best friend Manny. The film shows his rise and fall, as Tony chases his own twisted version of the ‘American Dream’, where in which he fully embraces his given opportunities to accomplish his goals. DePalma subverts the gangster narrative by presenting it as a clever Shakespearean drama of a man that chase success at the cost of his sanity and soul. Akin to the tragic tale of Macbeth, Montana has a fatal hamartia that becomes detrimental to the success he has amassed by the end of the film. His pursuit of what he wanted most has drained him of those he has loved and ones that had supported in becoming the drug kingpin of Miami. DePalma’s twisted perception of the American Dream is well explored within Scarface as Tony’s pursuit of materialism is what consumed his soul. Like Macbeth, Tony’s character flaw is his unchecked ambition and paranoia. This leads into his eventual downfall in a climatic third act that is an adrenaline fuelled blend of drama, action, and tragedy. Al Pacino gives a versatile performance of a Cuban that must assimilate to his new environment. The supporting casts all give great performances. Although polarised by critics upon release, Scarface is a timeless classic that shows the corruptive influence of Avarice. The film is an action centred tragedy of a man that wanted to achieve greatness, however brought upon his own downfall. RATING: 5/5 By @coldculture_films

Reviews by: @augustkellerwrites Titanic is pop culture perfection. It's everything wide audiences crave and has elite craft. Even the writing (its weakest aspect) is fair. The love story is generic, but it's efficient and accents the dramatic disaster. In some ways, that romance is just right because the setting is already complex. More nuance could've overly complicated the film. Sometimes, simplicity is not only desired by audiences, but also required by circumstances. Meanwhile, the acting is quality. Leo is fine, Winslet is great, and the supporting cast is strong. All together, this provides the ideal amount of emotional investment to synergize with Titanic's grand spectacle. Despite Titanic's sentimentality, its filmmaking is its core. Each ingredient supports a sense of grandeur that elevates the experience. The steady camerawork is constantly sweeping, emphasizing the ship's scale and heightening the action. The elaborate sound symbolically amplifies the daunting ocean and immense tragedy. The editing begins gracefully and smoothly builds energy during the chaos. The music is iconic, elegant, and fitting. The production is incredibly elaborate and detailed. The effects are dedicated, real, and versatile. Lastly, the passionate direction wholly commits to authenticity, emotion, and excitement, making Titanic a truly captivating experience. Ultimately, Titanic has it all. Writing: 7/10 Direction: 10/10 Cinematography: 9/10 Acting: 8/10 Editing: 9/10 Sound: 10/10 Score/Soundtrack: 10/10 Production Design: 10/10 Casting: 10/10 Effects: 10/10 Overall Score: 9.3/10 For more of my work: https://guskeller.wixsite.com/moviefilmreviews By @augustkellerwrites

Reviews by: @ryan_the_nixon 2021 15 director: Alan Taylor starring: Alessandro Nivola, Leslie Odom Jr, Jon Bernthal, Corey Stoll, Ray Liotta, Michela De Rossi, Michael Gandolfini, Vera Farmega Young Anthony Soprano is growing up in one of the most tumultuous eras in Newark's history, becoming a man just as rival gangsters begin to rise up and challenge the all-powerful DiMeo crime family's hold over the increasingly race-torn city. Caught up in the changing times is the uncle he idolizes, Dickie Moltisanti, who struggles to manage both his professional and personal responsibilities and whose influence over his nephew will help make the impressionable teenager into the all-powerful mob boss we'll later come to know Tony Soprano. This for me was a massive disappointment. My first few positives would be the cinematography and set pieces. As well as the chemistry between the cast, background into gang culture and the performances. This film was visually creative and really played around with contrasting almost peaceful and normal settings and then with the characters dying and the use of colour really adding a sharp contrast. There were some creative long and mid shots used very effectively within certain scenes as well. I also did like the set locations as well; they really bought the 60’s and 70’s aesthetic to life and it was charming and fascinating to see the culture and how everything looked in the past. I also liked the background into how different gang cultures worked and how the people interacted with each other. It was all about sustaining power and it was very private, and the film went into a good amount of detail into how gangsters and conflicting gangs interacted with each other at the time. I also thought the performances were strong from the whole cast. Alessandro Nivola, Vera Farmega and Michela Rossi. Who all delivered charming yet powerful and complex performances that really bought their characters to life. It also helped that the whole cast had fantastic chemistry and their relationships felt authentic and were fun to watch as the family dynamics were explored. My first few negatives would be the annoying voiceover, inconsistent pacing. As well as a lack of main character and lack of emotional connection, and unneeded conflict. For me the voiceover used was very annoying and unnecessary. It rushed over important information or was spoon feeding the audience information that could have been told in the present. I also thought the pacing was inconsistent and all over the place. There were parts that felt random and completely rushed over, and then a large chunk of the film completely dragged. I found myself losing interest on many occasions and the film struggled to win it back. For me as well there was an unclear main character. Yes, it was Dicky, but my point is the cast was way too big and the film would constantly jump between all these different characters it became difficult and just boring to keep up with it all. And considering its a film about Tony soprano he was hardly even in the film. I also felt a lot of the conflict felt unneeded and felt added for the sake of it. There was a lack of context and randomness to a lot of the arguments between the characters, it became tiring to keep up with and the lack of attention with the writing was on full display. I also had a complete emotional disconnect. I wasn’t sure if the film was supposed to make you feel bad for the characters, but they achieved the complete opposite. The character deaths were sudden and executed in a strange and anticlimactic way that really didn’t connect with me emotionally to the characters. My final few positives would be the dark and mysterious tone. Some good action, a solid script, and finally some decent character development. I liked how dark and shocking the film was. Especially with how it explored racial conflict at the time, there was a lot of scenes that were tough to watch and the film wasn’t afraid to hold back, I also liked it had a classic gangster mysterious tone, it really hammed up all the accents and bought a lot of the genre tropes and made them fairly refreshing and they still worked. I also thought the action was good, it was hard hitting and shocking. And really provided a lot of impact to the scenes keeping the film entertaining. I also thought the script and the character development was solid. I think they crafted a good character study of Dicky and how he wanted to become a better man, but the pressures of his job and his family history got the better of him. As his influence on others became greater so did the tension between the gangs so his character was a bright spot for the film. My final few negatives would be the lack of depth to the themes, how predictable the film was and the unsatisfying ending. The film for me played it safe with its deeper themes. The themes on domestic abuse and racism for me felt more used for shock factor and should have had more of an integral purpose and depth. I also thought the film was predictable in a lot of places. The film made it obvious that some of the twists were going to happen therefore it took any form of surprise that the film was going for away, it made the film feel underwhelming and lacklustre. Finally, I thought the film ended in a very unsatisfactory way. It was very abrupt, and it killed off characters it didn’t need to. Tony Soprano never really felt needed and therefore it the message the film was trying to convey fell flat. Overall, the many saints of Newark has a strong cast, plenty of style and a strong script. But if falls flat due to how messy and unfocused it was. Lacking the depth that was needed. The whole premise of the film was who made Tony Soprano? and in my opinion the film didn’t answer that question. Overall score 57/100 By @ryan_the_nixon

Reviews by: @augustkellerwrites @h_k_reviews Jackass Forever is sad. The target audiences are teenagers and established fans, yet teenagers might not relate to the aging cast and original fans might've outgrown the shtick. Frankly, it's surprising that the Jackass members haven't evolved themselves. Maybe they're normal adults in their personal lives and present characters for the cameras. Still, these grown men must have new career avenues by now. There comes a point when it's not funny to see middle-aged men get seriously injured or play with their genitals for laughs. It's just off-putting that these declining adults are still resorting to demeaning forms of entertainment. Technically, it's almost unfair to evaluate Jackass Forever because it isn't a movie. Still, this patchwork of exhibitions has been released in theaters, so it deserves the critique. The writing is nonexistent. The imagery has little intention outside of catching the gags in frame. The editing and sound are irrelevant. The music has little contextual relation. And the production design is cheap and amateur. Really, the only effort is in the effects because the stunts are real. However, it's hard to give that much credit, since even those are sloppily executed. Overall, Jackass Forever has a very specific audience and it's fading. Writing: 0/10 Direction: 1/10 Cinematography: 2/10 Acting: 3/10 Editing: 3/10 Sound: 3/10 Score/Soundtrack: 2/10 Production Design: 1/10 Casting: 2/10 Effects: 5/10 Overall Score: 2.2/10 For more of my work: https://guskeller.wixsite.com/moviefilmreviews By @augustkellerwrites Jackass Forever is well another jackass movie but one which really brings the series together for a film that goes above and beyond the other installments. There's a real sense of family and comradery throughout the film which really brings it together and the cast of old and new faces really tighten the bond between everyone. Both halves of the cast all have their own moments to shine and they're all equally as hilarious. Jackass Forever provides perhaps the best opening to a jackass film yet going above and beyond what you expected from the series, and the stunts and gags follow this formula too being some of the funniest of the entire series. The first half of the film is absolutely filled to the brim with a new laugh every single minute and gave me once of the best cinema experiences in a few years. Unfortunately the film does have something missing without Bam Margera and Ryan Dunn who are both sorely missed in this installment, but quite a nice and touching tribute is given to Dunn in the end credits that cements his legacy in the series. There's not too much to say about Jackass Forever, it's just another Jackass movie but it absolutely hits the nail on the head with what it's achieving, 20 years later and it still feels as fresh as ever. 8.5/10 By @h_k_reviews

Reviews by: @cinetvin4parole Well done Alessandra Mastronardi in this Rai Fiction production, directed by Luca Ribuoli, who surprisingly enthralled and seduced me to the point of seeing it all in one breath. It is the story of Alice, a graduate student who is undecided about her future until she runs into the charming Doctor Conforti (Lino Guanciale) who will inspire her to pursue Forensic Medicine. Here, it will seem like a simple plot, it is undoubtedly so, but it is the lightness of this story, well written and constructed (taken from the novels of the writer Alessia Gazzola) and nice to make the viewer passionate and fall in love with the characters. All described in a profound, never superficial way. Excellent interpretation for Mastronardi in the guise of a simple graduate student, cute at times awkward but always very nice. Lino Guanciale, handsome and unattainable, almost perfectly depicts his character with a firm, almost unaffectionate character (although ...); the result is a story that intertwines the sentimental part with the investigative part in an engaging way right away, with a very well-constructed development of the characters. The fiction ends in the third season, and despite constant requests from fans for a fourth, there doesn't seem to be any glimmers at the moment. And perhaps it's even better this way (I'm not saying anything else due to my "no-spoiler" rule), given that "forced" sequels have rarely led to good products. Fiction currently available on RaiReplay 🆅🅾🆃🅾 7 By @cinetvin4parole

Reviews by: @ryan_the_nixon 2021 15 Director: Navot Papushado Starring: Karen Gillan, Lena Headey, Carla Gugino, Michelle Yeoh, Paul Giamatti, Angela Bassett, Chloe Coleman etc. In her turbulent life as a professional assassin, Scarlet was cruelly forced to abandon her daughter Sam and go on the run. Years later, despite the estrangement, Sam has also grown up into a cold blooded hitwoman. After a high stake mission spins out of control, putting an innocent 8 year old girl in the middle of the gang war she has unleashed, Sam has no choice but to go rogue. This ultimately leads her back to her mother and her former hitwoman sidekicks, who all join forces in an avenging war against those who took everything from them. This film is very flawed, but I was consistently entertained and never bored. My first few positives would be the great set up and cinematography. As well as the strong gore and action. Plus the great linked plot points and fun tone. The set up with Sam and mother was strong in terms of introducing us to their relationship and the premise of the movie. And was an effective way of introducing us to Sam as a character which reflected nicely into how she was in the present. I also thought that the set locations and the cinematography of the film was great. The use of neon and bright colours gave the film a fun and distinct visual style that was interesting and visually attractive. I also thought the gore and action was very strong. The film didn't hold back with its use of gore, the action sequences were hard hitting, entertaining and thrilling to watch and were inventive therefore matching the tone of the film. The film's tone was very unique, it never took itself too seriously and played around a lot with the fun characters and action that it established itself as something different compared to films similar to this. Plus the linked plot points with how Sam behaved like her mother were clever making their eventual reunion that much more satisfying to watch. However, I did have a fair amount of issues with the movie. The character background felt rushed, and the structure and pacing was very messy. With underdeveloped plot points and an unneeded ending. I would have liked more set up and background into Sam and the relationship with her mother. To me, it felt rushed and it lacked that emotional connection that would have helped me connect with the characters a lot better. I also thought the structure and pacing was very messy. It was constantly rushing through scenes leaving so many things underdeveloped and not explained often making the film very manic and as polished as it could have been. There was so many underdeveloped plot points and characters that were either introduced but never really developed, or characters especially the villains that felt very under utilised. Finally, the ending felt unneeded and the movie didn't know when to stop. It just kept on going and ended multiple times when it didn't need to keep going and it lost its impact slightly. My final few positives would be the high stakes. Great performances and chemistry between the cast. As well as some great humour, a fantastic soundtrack and a fun final act. The film managed to have surprisingly high stakes for the characters, particularly with Sam and the cooperation she was working for, it made the film more intense and engaging. I also thought the performances from the whole cast were great and they all had really fun chemistry with each other. Karen Gillan delivered an excellent lead performance, and Chloe Coleman proved that she is a very talented young actress. I also thought the humour was great, the film was often very absurd and out there with its humour but I loved that, it gave a fresh and fun feel to the movie and the soundtrack added even more fun humour. Finally, the final act was a lot of fun. It was brutal and violent and all the actors involved looked like they were really enjoying themselves. With a sequel left open which I would like to see. Overall, Gunpowder Milkshake struggles to keep up with its own plot and suffers from a lacklustre script. But the stylish visual style, fantastic chemistry between the cast and the wild and absurd tone makes the film a very entertaining watch even if the quality isn't as good as it could be. Overall rating 71/100. By @ryan_the_nixon

Reviews by: @augustkellerwrites The Social Network is razor sharp. Despite its lack of action, the film is incredibly fun and engaging. First, the story is both personal and monumental, while the dialogue is extremely witty. Each character is potent, each plot point builds tension, and every scene propels the narrative. Plus, the subject matter illuminates a major aspect of contemporary life, providing significance and social commentary. Meanwhile, the entire cast is fantastic. The material sets a high bar, but each main player elevates their role. Eisenberg, Garfield, Timberlake, and Hammer all fuel the film with impressive range and subtle complexity. Furthermore, the technicals of The Social Network are pristine. David Fincher is an efficiency master, creating weighty atmospheres with minimal flash, evoking emotion with empty spaces, and shifting moods with minor details. Color pallets are thematic yet minute, camerawork is powerful yet gentle, and composition is clear yet natural. The editing swiftly weaves perspectives, the sound softly underscores the narrative, and the soundtrack is uniquely fitting (setting a cold yet modern tone). Overall, the filmmaking of The Social Network is a phantom force, producing a robust experience without revealing itself. All together, this film is a fountain of craft. Writing: 10/10 Direction: 10/10 Cinematography: 9/10 Acting: 9/10 Editing: 10/10 Sound: 9/10 Score/Soundtrack: 10/10 Production Design: 7/10 Casting: 9/10 Effects: 8/10 Overall Score: 9.1/10 For more of my work: https://guskeller.wixsite.com/moviefilmreviews By @augustkellerwrites

Reviews by: @augustkellerwrites Cloverfield has a catchy idea yet mediocre execution. The premise of a monster attack told from a found footage perspective is entertaining, but unfortunately, that’s all Cloverfield offers. The monster is intentionally mysterious, so the movie focuses on its characters. Therefore, these people are principal to Cloverfield's success (along with the messy action). The first act establishes their generic motivations, but it’s woefully thin and uninspired. The actors do alright with the slim material, but it all feels like a means to an end. Neither the plot nor the characters are meaningful or constructed. It’s all transparently in service of the gimmick. Meanwhile, the gimmick isn’t completely effective. First, the camerawork is believably clumsy, but often chaotic and unpleasant. That's the idea, but it’s a downside to the experience. Next, the design of the monster is unremarkable, which is disappointing since that’s the film's main draw. Plus, the effects are overwhelmingly CGI and occasionally ugly. Lastly, the direction is generally void of creativity, so Cloverfield is missing a sense of craft or cohesion. Conversely, the editing is well-paced and the sound is complex, but these qualities only go so far. Overall, Cloverfield is fine entertainment, but more of a theme park ride than a film. Writing: 4/10 Direction: 6/10 Cinematography: 5/10 Acting: 7/10 Editing: 7/10 Sound: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack: 6/10 Production Design: 4/10 Casting: 5/10 Effects: 7/10 Overall Score: 5.9/10 For more of my work: https://guskeller.wixsite.com/moviefilmreviews By @augustkellerwrites

Reviews by: @ryan_the_nixon @tylersnerdy_review 2021 15 director: Sian Heder starring: Emilia Jones, Marlee Matlin, Troy Kutser, Daniel Durant, Amy Forsyth, Ferdia Walsh Peelo, Eugenio Derbez. As a CODA (child of deaf adults) Ruby (Emilia Jones) is the only hearing person in her deaf family. When the families fishing business is threatened, Ruby finds herself torn between pursuing her love for music and her fear of abandoning her parents. Wow what a truly moving and incredible film, I have so many amazing things to talk about here. My first few positives would be the amazing cinematography. The charming tone and humour. Excellent chemistry and performances from the cast. As well as the deep themes and excellent representation. This film was visually amazing. Not for its creative shots but for its beautiful simplicity, with long shots really highlighting the beautiful set locations of the film. The film had such a charming tone as well especially with its humour. None of it felt forced and it came across authentically, the family’s interactions were so heartfelt and charming, and the awkward situations with Ruby’s parents and Ruby and her brother offered a lot of great comedic moments. The whole family had such fantastic chemistry with each other, and it made the film seem so genuine and much more fun to watch. The whole cast also delivered excellent performances here. Everyone executed passionate, charismatic, and powerful performances showing a lot of versatility, specifically with Emilia Jones who was insanely impressive here. The themes that this film touched upon was also very moving. It tackled anxiety, fear of abandonment, responsibility, and the difficulties of having a disability so well and in so much depth it was amazing to watch. It was written so well and was often really moving to see. The representation for the deaf community this film gave was also amazing. It truly was done in a genuine and authentic way, highlighting the struggles the deaf community face, but also highlighting how they adapt and can live a normal life. My next few positives would be the soundtrack and music elements, the great character conflict and depth. As well as balance to the conflict. As well as the likeable main character and strong supporting cast with unique storytelling. The film did a really good job with its music elements. The Soundtrack was fun and Ruby or shall I say Emilia Jones had a beautiful voice and it was amazing to see her grow in confidence with her voice as the film developed. Ruby as a character was also just extremely likeable. I really connected to her character with her anxiety and social awkwardness, she got so used to people making fun of her due to her family it really knocked back her confidence. But as the film developed her confidence grew and so did my love for her character. She helped her family so much and sacrificed a lot for them. The character depth was some of the best I have seen. Each character had their own journey or things to grow on throughout the film. The son felt left out of the family and was finding his path into being accepted as a man. And the mother and father really grew in terms of their openness to see their daughter happy. Ruby as a character had a tremendous amount of depth, which is linked to the conflict. Her family have always been so reliant on her to interpret what other people say or to help with the business, in the process stopping Ruby from achieving her goals in life, and this film showed a great balance to both sides of the conflict and all the characters really grew from this conflict in terms of understanding each other. I also thought the supporting cast was very strong. Ferdia Peelo and Eugenio Derbez in particular. Eugenio Derbez delivered a charismatic performance; his character was so likeable. Despite a perhaps slightly harsh way of teaching occasionally he genuinely cares about his students and his chemistry with Ruby was a fantastic element to the film. Ferdia Peelo was also fantastic. The romance wasn’t a big part of the film which I loved as it didn’t need to be the main focus. But he delivered a charming performance and his romantic chemistry with Emilia was great to see. Finally, I loved the unique storytelling. This film really incorporated sign language into how the story was told which I loved. Often due to being with a deaf family Ruby expressed her emotions through sign even though she could speak, due to her confidence issues she found this the best way to communicate. It was such a clever and interesting way to incorporate sign language that felt fresh and unique to the film. My final few positives would be the uplifting moments, emotional weight and moving ending. This film was so uplifting and offered such a hopeful message about living with a disability and showing that you can learn and adapt to live a normal life. This film had so much emotional weight and really got to me. It was just heart-breaking to see the families struggles, they couldn’t enjoy Ruby’s singing because they couldn’t hear it and the personal scenes between Ruby and her parents really touched me. This movie handled its deep themes and really showed what it’s like to be deaf, and it has really stuck with me. The ending was so moving, the family were such a strong unit by the end, fully supporting Ruby. And Ruby getting accepted into music school was so powerfully done, with her audition being sung and done in sign language at the same time. It was truly moving cinema. Overall, CODA is my favourite film of the year and completely deserved its win at Sundance. In a powerful, moving, and uplifting story. That was incredibly written. Filled with incredible performances and it really moved me emotionally. Offering so many beautiful messages about love, acceptance, and family. Giving important representation to the deaf community showing that with hard work, determination, and cooperation with the people around you, people with disabilities are just as capable at living a normal life. Overall rating 100/100 By @ryan_the_nixon I have been trying to watch Coda for so long now, but I never set aside enough time for myself to have to pay attention so I could read it. But what better time to do it then on a Friday night after I read a three hour Japanese movie. Coda is such a heartwarming and touching film full of so many powerful moments. I know it has a cheesy plot but come on, it’s so well put together and so well acted and will make you cry so hard you have to look past it. This Apple TV+ original got itself three nominations this year; Best Picture, Troy Kotsur for Best Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay. It’s definitely not winning Best Picture, and shouldn’t really but it’s very very good. But Kostur 101% deserves the best actor award. He has two of the most powerful scenes I’ve seen this year. The Adapted Screenplay I think was them being nice, there’s better options this year. I’m pretty mad that Emilia Jones isn’t nominated for something this year, she delivers such a great performance alongside Kotsur. Marlee Matlin is great as the mother and delivers some good scenes as well. Daniel Durant is alright, he just doesn’t get as much time as the others. But he does have one great scene. Eugenio Derbez is so good as the eccentric choir teacher who refuses to give up on a kid. Ferdia Walsh-Peelo plays really well off of Jones but the poor guy gets no scenes without her. I kid you not I cried about five times watching this and one of the times I was full on sobbing. And I do mean sobbing, like, tears pooling on my neck. The final ten minutes or so is just so god damn touching. This movie is also filmed really well, Director Siân Heder sneaks some beautiful shots into the movie starting with the very first one. This movie takes an unoriginal plot and gives it new life by adding an amazing depiction of a deaf family and what it means to have to be an interpreter for your entire life. Call me crazy, I’m giving Coda a full on 10/10 and I’ll accept no hate for it. I just can’t overlook how it made me feel. If you don’t cry at this at least once, what kind of emotionless monster are you. Please give this a watch, there’s something here for many different kinds of people to like. -Tyler. By @tylersnerdy_review

Reviews by: @ryan_the_nixon 2021 12A Director: Jamie Magnus Stone, Azhur Saleem. Starring: Jodie Whittaker, Mandip Gill, John Bishop, Sam Spruell, Rochenda Sandall, Steve oram, Kevin McNally, Craig Els, Thaddea Graham, Craig Parkinson, Annabel Scholey, Jacob Anderson etc. At Halloween, all across the universe, terrifying forces are stirring. From the arctic circle to deep space, an ancient evil is breaking free. And in present day Liverpool, the life of Dan Lewis is about to change forever. This series was a lot of fun, it still had its flaws just like Jodie's others series, but I had a good time with it. The cinematography and the worldbuilding was particularly strong. With a fun opening episode. There was great chemistry between Jodie, Mandip and John Bishop. John did a good job this series and surprised me. The set designs were excellent. The creature designs for both the newer aliens and the older enemies were great, bringing back the older design for the Sontarans was a great decision. The set up with the flux was strong. With a great balance of fun, over the top and campy episodes and also more darker and more intense episodes with the weeping angels. The plot development and the interconnected stories was very strong and a lot more focused then the previous seasons. The stakes were high. With some good character background and development for the doctor surrounding her past. There was a lot of interesting elements to do with the worldbuilding and the antagonists. With some great plot twists and season finale. Plus, episode 4 is the strongest episode since Jodie has started it was excellently written, and the inclusion of the weeping angels was clever. Plus the performances from Jodie Whittaker and Mandip Gill were strong. However, this series still has some issues that it couldn't escape from. There was some rushed background into a lot of the characters. The script was poorly written in parts and the dialogue was too noticeably bad not to avoid. Some episodes fell into some worn out genre tropes, particularly with the series as a whole. And the series needed a couple of extra episodes as particular characters and plot points felt underdeveloped. Overall, Doctor who series 13 still suffers with similar issues too previous seasons. However, the more focused and interconnected plot. Great chemistry between the cast and fun worldbuilding makes this series a lot of fun, and I would say the strongest series for Jodie Whittaker's regeneration which is a good way to go out on a high. Overall rating 84/100 By @ryan_the_nixon

Reviews by: @augustkellerwrites @salade_de_films A Star Is Born is genuine emotion. Romance films are often insincere, but A Star Is Born is vulnerable and meaningful. Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper have irresistible chemistry that's essential to the experience. Gaga convincingly blossoms from a discouraged talent to an assured star. Meanwhile, Cooper is electric, soothing his tortured soul with intoxication and artistic passion. He embodies his character with a sultry voice and dazed mannerisms. Plus, excellent performances from Elliott and Dice Clay solidify this journey of ascension, destruction, and connection. The story is straightforward, but its focus allows for moving examinations of success and loss. Technically, A Star Is Born is unified in its raw drama. The music displays careers and emphasizes mental states. The sound symbolically exposes viewers to hearing loss. The production uses real crowds, the intimate camerawork is intentionally unrefined, and the passive editing provides emotional space. Also, Cooper and Gaga are perfect casts because of their elite acting and singing skills. Finally, the direction combines these pieces into an emotional force that is significantly more than the sum of its parts. Overall, A Star Is Born is everything a romance film should be and is a guaranteed strike through the heart. Writing: 10/10 Direction: 9/10 Cinematography: 8/10 Acting: 10/10 Editing: 8/10 Sound: 9/10 Score/Soundtrack: 10/10 Production Design: 8/10 Casting: 9/10 Effects: 7/10 Overall Score: 8.8/10 For more of my work: https://guskeller.wixsite.com/moviefilmreviews By @augustkellerwrites 🇫🇷 Le film A Star is Born est surprenant mais pas forcément pour son scénario. Star oubliée, Jackson Maine découvre Ally, une jeune chanteuse très prometteuse. Tandis qu'ils tombent follement amoureux, Jack propulse Ally sur le devant de la scène et fait d'elle une artiste adulée par le public. Bientôt éclipsé par le succès de la jeune femme, il vit de plus en plus mal son propre déclin. Ce remake réalisé par Bradley Cooper révèle une histoire banale, néanmoins poignante, notamment grâce à la merveilleuse interprétation d’une artiste qu’on redécouvre sans cesse. Encore une fois, la performance de Lady Gaga nous fait découvrir une autre facette de sa personnalité avec une nouvelle métamorphose à la fois physique et musicale. On pense d’abord à une histoire d’amour idéale entre les deux protagonistes, mais celle-ci s’écroule progressivement à cause du star system tandis que l’alcoolisme de Jack et la célébrité d’Ally grandissent. Un remake qui démontre encore que cette histoire s’adapte à différentes époques. 🇬🇧 ‘’A Star is Born’’ is a surprising movie but not necessarily for its scenario. Jackson Maine is a famous singer who has been forgotten. He discovers Ally, a promising young singer. While they fall in love to each other, Jack fast-track her fame by bringing her on stage. Soon eclipsed by the success of the young woman, he lives his own decline more and more badly. This remake released by Bradley Cooper reveals a common story, nevertheless poignant, particularly because of the wonderful interpretation of an artist that we constantly rediscover. Once again, Lady Gaga’s performance lets us discover another aspect of her personality with a new physical and musical transformation. First, we think of a perfect love story between the two main characters, but it’s gradually falling apart because of the star-system, while Jack’s alcoholism and Ally’s fame are growing. This remake demonstrates again that this story can be adapted in different eras. By @salade_de_films

Reviews by: @filmcore98 Gangster squad is a very entertaining and fun movie to watch. At its core it’s a good, popcorn grabbing, shoot em up that’s a throwback to the old B-movie gangster flicks of the 40’s and 50’s. With all the one liners to boot. It follows some real life counter part characters such as Mickey Cohen, played well by Sean Penn, as a ruthless criminal boss, as well as some of the police officers turned into a crime fighting squad. Jerry Wooters played by Gosling and John O’ Mara played by Josh Brolin respectively. While many of the events of the film are exaggerated or stretched for stylized storytelling. When this movie came out I feel many people were expecting too much. It was marketed as almost a direct portrayal of the story of Mickey Cohen and the take down of his criminal empire by the real life “LAPD Gangster squad” instead it was really an alternate telling of that story with many elements fixed to make it a sometimes over the top, sleek, action movie. With very stylized action scenes, witty dialogue and one liners, (while the whole script isn’t always rock solid) and a great back drop of late 1940’s post WW2 seedy Los Angeles, going back to its noire roots. Gangster squad makes for a very energetic and all around fun film. It may not always be spot on with the script or plot, but what it’s short on in the story department it makes up for in its high tension and sometimes outlandish action and fight sequences. Not to mention the stacked cast and performances, while sometimes with low points the movie is worth watching alone for the characters and intense sequences. And it’s awesome just watching the actors spar with each other or exchange banter back and forth. Just don’t go looking for a history lesson from this movie. By @filmcore98

Reviews by: @ryan_the_nixon 2022 U Director: Garth Jennings Starring: Mathew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Tori Kelly, Taron Egerton, Nick Kroll, Garth Jennings, Jennifer Saunders, Chelsea Peretti, Bobby Cannavale, Adam Buxton, Eric Andre, Halsey, Letitia Wright, Bono, Pharrell Williams etc. Supported by the motley crew of his loyal all star performers, Buster Moon has set his sights on taking dazzling Redshore City by storm with an out of this world theatrical extravaganza at infamous billionaire Jimmy Crystal's crystal tower theatre. However, in order to conquer the glamourous entertainment capital of the world, Moon will have to find and talk to reclusive global rock icon Clay Calloway into joining them. This film managed to achieve something very few sequels can do and match the quality of the first film and in some parts exceed it. The animation in this movie was absolutely stunning and some of the most best and most colourful and vibrant I have seen, even down to the photo realism of the animals fur. The soundtrack was excellent and included some great songs. Also with a fantastic voice cast. Key highlights being Tori Kelly, Scarlett Johansson, Taron Egerton and Halsey. The characters were all just so likeable and had great chemistry with each other. The film was hilarious and had multiple laugh out loud moments. The worldbuilding was great with some really fun scenes involving different character interactions. The set up was strong. With a fun villain and great new characters added. The character development was great, with some fantastic themes on loving yourself, rising above fear and finding your spark, and it had a very moving, emotional and well done final act. My couple of negatives for the film would be that there was some repetitive and predictable moments with the characters, and the film didn't have as much personal character moments and character depth as the first film. Overall, Sing 2 is beautifully animated, and will make you smile and want to sing along from start to finish. With a very talented voice cast and its full of heart and great messages. Something for the whole family to enjoy and easily as good if not better than the first film. Overall Score 92/100 By @ryan_the_nixon

Reviews by: @augustkellerwrites @cinematic.thrills Fight Club is a slick combination of art and entertainment. Ultimately, it’s a cautionary tale of consumerism's breeding and antagonization of toxic masculinity. Through the chaos, Fight Club offers emotional vulnerability as the solution to that vicious cycle. Indeed, this narrative is as relevant as ever. Plus, Pitt and Norton bring intense passion to their roles. Norton fluidly evolves from dejected, to invigorated, to overwhelmed, to empowered. Meanwhile, Pitt is at his absolute best, forcefully embodying his cult of personality. Collectively, these dynamics produce a perfect storm of commentary, impact, and relatability that will draw a reaction from all viewers. Simultaneously, Fincher creates an existential atmosphere that feels both alluring and unhinged. Visually, this is done with symbolic colors, hypnotic camerawork, and surreal composition. The audio contributes with meta narrations, psychological distortions, and exaggerated sounds. The editing has a super-charged structure and tempo, melding realities and giving the film a dreamlike quality. Additionally, the production design blends chic with decay, the effects are modern yet gritty, and the soundtrack ends with the best song possible (all of which underscore the themes). Overall, Fight Club is a masterpiece of contemporary angst and a punch of renegade art. Writing: 10/10 Direction: 10/10 Cinematography: 10/10 Acting: 10/10 Editing: 10/10 Sound: 10/10 Score/Soundtrack: 8/10 Production Design: 9/10 Casting: 10/10 Effects: 9/10 Overall Score: 9.6/10 For more of my work: https://guskeller.wixsite.com/moviefilmreviews By @augustkellerwrites 💤Fight Club (1999)👊 Unhappy with his capitalistic lifestyle, a white-collared insomniac forms an underground fight club with Tyler Durden, a careless soap salesman. Soon, their venture spirals down into something sinister. "The first rule of Fight Club is, You do not talk about Fight Club." I might have to break that first rule just to say how amazing this movie was! This film is one everyone talks about, but I never really gave it a thought until I stumbled upon it one day on Netflix. I recognised it was a David Fincher movie, which never disappoint, so I just couldn't hold back! This movie is an adaption of the 1996 novel by the same name. This is relevant because there are very few changes to the layout of the movie and writing of the script, which I appreciate. Books typically go into alot more depth when telling a story and have the reader really connect to the characters, so I liked that they kept that element in the film. The main character is an insomniac who attends Trama Recovery groups and sessions as a means to help him get better sleep. When he goes there he cries, and that helps him get much needed rest, a couple more hours each night. Sounds kind of odd, I know, but he soon becomes frustrated when the novelty of it all begins to fade as he grows distracted by his surroundings, preventing him from letting out his emotion. This leads to him losing sleep once again. I wont go into too much detail as this film is much more enjoyable when you have no prior knowledge of the events that take place. It makes it even more shocking and confusing (in a good way). But I will say that I liked that most of what you needed to know was all explained by the end of the film, and just a little bit of information was left for you to piece together. This film will leave you questioning everything and everyone, but I think that's one of the best attributes of this movie. So with that being said, when people say this film is good, they mean this film is great! David Fincher has directed so many outstanding films with mind bending endings and this is definitely one of them! 9.3/10 By @cinematic.thrills

Reviews by: @cine_contigo REFLECTION (spoilers) It is a film that I like because it shows another type of love, one that goes beyond the topic of a couple. It reminds us that a beautiful friendship is that bond that is built over time and ends up becoming a beautiful place to take refuge and enjoy. Together you advance hand in hand sharing all kinds of experiences. From confessions, obstacles and comedowns to laughter, dreams and achievements. It is about that person who grows, and decides to grow with you. It is part of you. And, sometimes, it even seems that he knows you better than you do. You know that no matter what happens, he will always be by your side, because it was long before, without realizing it, you made a pact. The one of not conceiving a life without l@ otr@, and that is something very valuable to take care of. Like Liv and Emma, when they were little and dreamed of their future magnificent show wedding. They wanted to find a person who would love and support them for the rest of their lives, but what they did not know is that they had already found it: a best friend to count on until death do them part, or not.✨ By @cine_contigo

Reviews by: @imo.movies After a week of procrastination, I finally got back on track with my Ridley Scott marathon and watched ‘American Gangster’. Once again, another not-groundbreaking but definitely solid movie from the director. It has to be said that I think this film isn’t wholly original or inventive in its narrative approach to its true story. In that regard, it’s somewhat reminiscent of other crime sagas like ‘Goodfellas’ and ‘Casino’. However, I also think that this film is resoundingly sturdy in its execution of its narrative approach. It stands at two hours and 36 minutes, but it never found me bored or disengaged, nor did I particularly feel the length of the runtime. I am beginning to think that Russel Crowe and Denzel Washington are a pair of ever so sightly overrated actors (a controversial statement, I know) but are still great nevertheless. Here, I felt they lead a fine cast with two strong performances of their own. Overall, I’d say this gangster movie is an almost faultless and highly recommendable one, especially if you like films of a similar ilk 🇺🇸 In my opinion, ‘American Gangster’ is… 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐲 I give the movie… 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 By @imo.movies

Reviews by: @augustkellerwrites @capsulereviewofficial Kimi is fruitful yet incomplete. First, the story introduces interesting ideas, but doesn't follow through. Zoe Kravitz's agoraphobic protagonist leads a confined life before stumbling upon a crime recorded on a home device. From there, Kravitz attempts to expose the crime, but she's met with a bureaucratic conspiracy. This premise establishes themes of captivity, surveillance, and systemic injustice. However, these subjects don't concretely pay off. Similarly, the acting is inconsistent. Kravitz optimizes the role, yet her material is one note. She adds layers but the script lacks a clear arc, stagnating her performance. Meanwhile, her supporting cast (besides Wilson) is weak. Beyond Kravitz, Kimi's virtue is its filmmaking. The cast, production, and effects are sparse, but craftsmanship is potent. For example, the cinematography uses varied shots and compositions to keep entertainment high and emotions palpable. In Kravitz's apartment, overheads and extreme close-ups convey importance and maintain engagement. Outside, Dutch angles, unsteady movement, and confined spacing express intense anxiety. Plus, the editing efficiently matches Kravitz's mental state, the sound symbolically reflects her perspective, and the music is oddly fitting. Soderbergh gets plenty out of this limited project. Ultimately, Kimi has merit but isn't a must-see. Writing: 6/10 Direction: 8/10 Cinematography: 9/10 Acting: 8/10 Editing: 8/10 Sound: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack: 7/10 Production Design: 6/10 Casting: 6/10 Effects: 6/10 Overall Score: 7.2/10 For more of my work: https://guskeller.wixsite.com/moviefilmreviews By @augustkellerwrites Kimi is a digital-age Alfred Hitchcock reinvention directed by the Contagion director Steven Soderbergh, and written by David Koepp, who has written movies like Jurassic Park, Mission Impossible, The Mummy, The Panic Room. It is a well-crafted tech-noir. It has an emphatic modernistic aesthetic with cool tones to convey a sense of isolation and forsakenness. It has hitchcockesque ominous music pieces in beautifully choreographed scenes. Hitchcock’s Rear Window has been reinterpreted in many other films and shows, like Amy Adam’s ‘The Woman in the Window’, or Kristen Bell’s ‘The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window’. Kimi is more of an Homage to Alfred Hitchcock than just a reinterpretation of one of his movies. It not only reinterprets the story of ‘people in the windows across each other’, but it also pays tribute to Hitchcock through its cinematic style, music, and even the fonts. It does so with confidence and self-awareness, and with a solid ground of a real-world story, with real-world worries, and consequences. It’s an inspired and realized work. The movie tells the story of an agoraphobic tech employee, who while working from home finds a disturbing recording in the audio data from one of the users of the AI, Kimi. Other than Hitchcock, the movie is also inspired by a real-life case dubbed the Amazon Arkansas Case, where data from Alexa on an Amazon Echo device was used by the police to charge a man with murder. The movie also makes a mention of the said case. Though fairly predictable, it never pretends to be about surprising you. It rather wants to take you through the ideas, worries, and paranoia of our age in a cinematic flair. Me-too, Covid, violence against women, toxic work culture, mental health, aggressive technology, oversharing, over-accessing, privacy concerns, manipulation of personal data, t&c frauds, isolation, and many more concerns are touched upon in the movie. It has an undertone of humor and irony, and it makes for an engaging watch. Zoe Kravitz rocks blue hair and crafts an impressive portrayal of a tech genius struggling with agoraphobia. The way Kravitz portrays Angela Childs by not defining her by gender is interesting and aligned with a modern sensibility. Even in the movie’s apparent humor she doesn’t fail to convey the emotion of the matter. It’s a Hitchcock-themed movie, and oddly enough, even in her chopped blue hair and hoodies & sweats, she looks like an old Hollywood beauty. There are some instances where things won’t quite make sense, and some choices that the characters make would seem questionable. But Kimi’s cinematic spirit and Zoe Kravitz pull the movie through nonetheless. The final scene of the movie is exciting and humorous and satisfying. By @capsulereviewofficial

Reviews by: @augustkellerwrites @tylersnerdy_review @ryan_the_nixon Death on the Nile is similar to its predecessor. The mystery mechanics are superb (expected from Agatha Christie), but the execution feels underwhelming. All the pieces are in place: the setting is fun, the characters are diverse, and the reveal is both earned and surprising. However, it all falls a bit flat because time is mismanaged. Fundamentally, Gadot and Hammer (the main additions) are stiff and stale, dampening the film's momentum. Meanwhile, the newcomers who are interesting (Okonedo, Mackey, and Brand) never get enough time to shine. Branagh is clearly an engaged protagonist, but the script is log-jammed around him. Technically, Death on the Nile is hit and miss. The symbolic silence is effective, the cinematography utilizes movement and composition, and the production design sells the time period. However, the highlights mostly stop there. The editing successfully introduces the mystery, yet drags in the first act. The music is fun during band performances, but is otherwise forgettable. The cast is recognizable but hardly optimized. Lastly, there's simply too much CGI. It's distracting, cheapens the extravagant location, and undercuts the era. Overall, Death on the Nile means well but contains too many missteps to land as a universal success. Writing: 6/10 Direction: 7/10 Cinematography: 8/10 Acting: 7/10 Editing: 7/10 Sound: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack: 7/10 Production Design: 8/10 Casting: 7/10 Effects: 6/10 Overall Score: 7.1/10 For more of my work: https://guskeller.wixsite.com/moviefilmreviews By @augustkellerwrites So, I managed to get to my theatre and see Death on the Nile and I absolutely loved it. I really liked the first movie, Murder on the Orient Express, but this was so much better for me. I think the only thing I didn’t like was the answer to who dunnit, but the answer is better than the one for the first (I was starting to get scared they were about to do it again). The best thing about this is easily the beautiful cinematography with the Egypt setting. They do a phenomenal job showing the grandeur and importance of each major spot they go to, I think they could have worked in just one more location though. Kenneth Branagh does a decent directing job, but I really like what he does with his character in this one. Poirot felt so distance from the drama of the first but this one expands his character and gives him personal stakes in the case. Gal Gadot is just as lovely and beautiful as always, she does a great job in this and even manages to tease her Cleopatra role coming soon. Armie Hammer is a great actor when he’s not fantasizing about eating people. Russel Brand has done a full 180 on his career and I’m so happy with the serious actor he’s becoming, perhaps one of his best recent roles. Tom Bateman will quickly make you love his character and never let up. Annette Bening doesn’t have many scenes in this but she’s really good with the emotional stuff. Ali Fazal is like an afterthought here, he’s the one you’ll forget about and then be like “oh yeah the lawyer is here too”. Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders are rarely apart here and I really like where they took their characters. Rose Leslie is alright here, I think she works better when acting with her husband though. Emma Mackey has some baddie moments and then just falls to the back fast. Sophie Okonedo is marvelous and gets a far bigger role than I had expected. I absolutely hate how good Letitia Wright is, she makes it so hard to be mad at her. The score here needs to be nominated at the Oscars next year, it is such a standout part of this film. Everyone gets at least one scene to shine in and everyone has a motive. Great fun in IMAX, I would highly recommend! 9/10. -Tyler. By @tylersnerdy_review 2022 12A Director: Kenneth Branagh Starring: Kenneth Branagh, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Emma Mackey, Letitia Wright, Sophie Okonedo, Tom Bateman, Annette Bening, Russell Brand, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Susannah Fielding, Rose Leslie, Ali Fazel, etc. While on vacation on the Nile, Hercule Poirot must investigate the murder of a young heiress. I personally absolutely loves this film and it was much better then Murder on the Orient Express. The cinematography, lighting and set design was fantastic. Also with fantastic costume design. I thought they bought the time period and setting to life in a fun way. The character background for Poirot was interesting and a great element to the movie. The performances from the whole cast were great. My key highlights were Gal Gadot, Jennifer Saunders, Letitia Wright and Sophie Okonedo. But the star of the film for me was Emma Mackey. She was absolutely incredible here. Her performance was intense, passionate and she captured the essence of her character excellently, and the subtle way she would be so expresionate with her face was amazing. The film did a good job at balancing the whole cast and giving everyone a good motivation for the murder. The film had a very stylish and slick tone. There was some fun comedic moments. The mystery was very strong, the film misled you and I didn't have a clue who the killers were until the very end. The plot twists were great and unexpected, with an intense and well constructed final act. I only had a few minor issues with the film. It took a little while for the mystery of the film to start being developed. There was some slight overreliance on exposition in parts, and there was a few odd character decisions. Overall, despite a few minor issues. Death on the Nile is a stylish, slick and intense murder mystery that keeps you constantly guessing from beginning to end. With a talented cast that highlights a star making performance from Emma Mackey who should get a lot more work after this. Overall Score 90/100. By @ryan_the_nixon

Reviews by: @thefoxgoestotthemovies 7.5/10 A couple years ago a French friend dissuaded me from taking my mom to Marseilles for a Christmas holiday, suggesting there were better, nicer and more importantly, safer places to travel to within Southern France. I ended up going to Montpellier instead but I’ve always been curious about the port city since. So I was intrigued to watch Stillwater, Director Tom McCarthy’s follow up to his Best Picture winning film Spotlight, especially when I learned that it was the story of an American father who travels to Marseille to prove that his incarcerated daughter is innocent of murder. Watching the film I can’t help but wonder whether McCarthy was inspired by the true life case of Amanda Knox, the American student who was jailed for a few years in Italy for the murder of her roommate, only to be acquitted when new evidence came to light. The similarities are clearly there. But McCarthy is interested in telling another story, focusing instead on the accused’s father, in a terrific performance by Matt Damon, a meat-and-potatoes American who is clearly out of his depth as he struggles to find justice in a foreign land. And here we get a depiction of Marseilles that seems to corroborate my friend’s description of the city - one that has seen better days, with a slight undercurrent of danger that could pose a threat to outsiders who try to venture out of its tourism bubble. But McCarthy has always been a Director with nuance. And so what could have been a thriller with Damon going full Neeson against the unsavoury locals instead becomes a film about finding community and second chances. And this unexpected transition works, thanks to the chemistry Damon has with Camille Cottin and Lilou Siauvaud, playing a single mother and her young daughter who offers Damon’s character a chance for redemption. It’s a shame then that the film needs to return to its main premise in the third act, especially with all the complexities involved in the murder case. It feels like an incomplete mashup of two very different films, with a too neat resolution that leaves plenty to ponder about. By @thefoxgoestotthemovies

Reviews by: @augustkellerwrites @tylernerdy_review @ryan_the_nixon @picturesinflow Uncharted is toothless. Despite its decent tools, the film never stands out. Globetrotting treasure hunts are exciting, the core cast is intriguing, and the budget was clearly decent. However, Uncharted lacks creative thought, so it's fundamentally average. First, the script is bare. The story is shallow, the characters are flat, and the surprises are underwhelming. Frequently, choices are contrived plot devices rather than authentic developments. Motivations are weak and character arcs are flimsy. Plus, the chemistry between Holland and Wahlberg is awkward. Holland is charming and Wahlberg likes his counterpart, but their styles of banter don't gel. Meanwhile, the filmmaking of Uncharted is too sterile for a rugged adventure. The effects are extensive but CGI heavy, defusing tension and engagement. Furthermore, the violence is excessively clean. Deaths are only implied and blood is minimal, contradicting the film's promise of excitement. This also applies to the production design, which is elaborate yet too polished to feel like a true journey. Beyond that, Uncharted is basic. The music, editing, sound, and cinematography are all competent but plain. The film just isn't elevated by its technicals. Overall, Uncharted isn't painfully bad but also doesn't have noticeable strengths, making it squarely mediocre. Writing: 3/10 Direction: 4/10 Cinematography: 5/10 Acting: 6/10 Editing: 5/10 Sound: 6/10 Score/Soundtrack: 5/10 Production Design: 5/10 Casting: 8/10 Effects: 6/10 Overall Score: 5.3/10 For more of my work: https://guskeller.wixsite.com/moviefilmreviews By @augustkellerwrites I got out and saw Uncharted, which I was supposed to see earlier but it was canceled due to snow. I was also pleasantly surprised by Uncharted. I have to say here at the start, god bless the Director that knows what the fans want. Tom’s ass looks great in almost every scene of this movie. Sorry, just had to say what we were all thinking. Anyway, Tom Holland is pretty good here. I was shocked how much I ended up liking his Nathan, granted, I’ve never played even a second of this game series. But I’ve seen enough gameplay to get a lot of the Easter eggs here. I’m not a big fan of Mark Walhberg and I don’t think I will be no matter how they package him. He’s okay here, I just can’t really get excited for him. He just brings nothing new to the table whatsoever. Antonio Banderas is one of the most basic and boring villains I’ve seen in quite some time. Sophia Ali is your essential femme fatale who does a good job playing a very basic character. I really like Tati Gabrielle but this wasn’t it for her, I like her character and her acting but she’s almost an even more basic villain than Banderas’s. I’m shocked how much of this movie Sony showed off in the ad campaign, one of the prominent scenes of the trailers is the damn post credit scene. There are two of them, nothing at the very very end though. IMAX is never bad but I feel like they never used the format to their advantage. There are some gorgeous locations on display here and they just look meh. Despite being a basic history based treasure hunt, I’m a massive sucker for a history based treasure hunt. We don’t get enough of them any more and this one has some pretty solid history on display. I think Uncharted is definitely worth a trip to the theatre, IMAX is totally up to you, not necessary here. This has potential to grow into a great movie franchise if Sony plays their cards right (which isn’t likely based on their Spider-Verse). I’m also giving Uncharted a 7/10, it’s a fun jaunt through the basics of the genre with a nice Tom Holland bow on top, his Drake is basically just Peter Parker that cursed and occasionally killed people. -Tyler. By @tylersnerdy_review 2022 12A Director: Ruben Fleischer Starring: Tom Holland, Mark Wahlberg, Antonio Banderas, Sophia Ali, Tati Gabrielle, Steven Waddington, Tiernan Jones, Rudy Pankow, etc. Street smart Nathan Drake is recruited by seasoned treasure hunter Victor "Sully" Sullivan to recover a fortune amassed by Ferdinand Magellan, and lost 500 years ago by the house of Moncada. This film was pretty solid and one of the stronger game to film adaptations, which isn't saying much as it was still disappointing. The cinematography and set design was great, capturing the lore and grand scale of the games. The game references were really strong and well crafted. The action was great and very entertaining. With brilliant performances from Sophia Ali and particularly Tom Holland who did a great job here and made the character of Nathan Drake his own. Plus, Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg had fantastic chemistry with each other, capturing the same chemistry as Nate and Sully in the games. The humour was good, with a lot of fun scenes were it bought the sense of adventure and fun of the games out really well. The characters were very likeable, with some good plot development. Some fun plot twists and an entertaining final act that ended the film on a high note. However, there was a lack of character background between Nate and his brother so therefore the emotional connection with their relationship just wasn't there for me. The set up felt very rushed and I would have liked to have seen a more established storyworld and more of Nate by himself. It was generic, taking inspirations from multiple films in the genre. The villains were very weak. They were just bland, thinly written and lacked any real threat. I think Mark Wahlberg, despite trying his best was definitely miscast as Sully. The mystery involving Drake's brother felt underdeveloped. The structure of the film got messy towards the second half, and the CGI wasn't great in parts. So overall, Uncharted adds nothing new to the genre, and suffers from a weak script and some bad creative decisions. But offers enough entertainment and fun to be a good diversion, proving to be one of the stronger game to movie adaptations. Plus the chemistry between the leads is strong for this to be something that you should give it a watch, and I am invested enough to want a sequel. Overall score 64/100. By @ryan_the_nixon Uncharted is the one of the newer films trying to succeed in the category of video game movies and stumbles just like almost all the others. From questionable casting and pacing to dodgy vfx and adaptation, this movie offers and shows too much for a single outing. To clear things up, as someone who has not played these games, my experience and opinion varies from that of a fan. Although, I did watch it with a friend who so happens to be a fan and he was upset with almost all of the movie from the start. Adapting set pieces from all the games, without following their storyline or even keeping it true to the source material is what brought it down heavily. It seems that Tom Holland is becoming Sony’s favorite actor, with him playing Spider-Man and now Uncharted, now get him to do Kratos from God of War (please don’t). Not going to lie, Tom has certain charisma that makes him joy to watch on the screen and that elevated everything bad that was being shown. Visual effects were inconsistent at best and for so many delays with having this much time to make it as good as it possibly can, seeing the final result is disheartening. After seeing the character Tom is supposed to be based on, add about 15 years and a different actor and we may have someone who is closer to the original. Mark Wahlberg does what he does best and that is playing Mark Wahlberg, serviceable performance from a serviceable actor. A typical action movie with fast paced action, explosive set pieces and many more staples of the action movie genre, if the movie was just that and nothing more, it would be actually above average. However, the video game part of it was what placed it under average for me. The video game movie curse is still going strong, and while some have actually been able to break it and even succeed, the percentage of those who fail is still above 80%. By @picturesinflow

Reviews by: @wackyfrikeando ✅De nuevo os traigo otra "Peli de siesta". Esta vez #infinite , protagonizada por #markwahlberg y que podéis ver en #primevideo ↪Un film que combina acción y ciencia ficción, donde el protagonista (como siempre) es el único que puede salvar el mundo ⬆️Me ha parecido interesante el mundo planteado en la película, mezclando ciencia y religión, y creando una realidad en la que existe la reencarnación y una estirpe que vela por el mundo. Las escenas de acción están muy logradas y la historia no te da respiro. ⬇️Todo lo que al principio me pareció interesante, se fue diluyendo en una orgía de efectos especiales, explosiones y mamporrazos que me hicieron perder un poco el hilo de la historia. Y ese final dejando la puerta abierta a secuelas a porrillo no me entusiasmó, pero es el business, baby!!! La habeis visto? Os van este tipo de pelis? Os leo recordando vidas pasadas👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼 Saludos y hasta pronto!!!🖖🏼 By @wackyfrikeando

Reviews by: @silverscreencritiques The film follows Emmett, a normal, everyday guy, who one day comes across the fabled "Piece of resistance" which then attaches itself to Emmett. Then he learns of a prophecy where he learns he is "The Special" and must stop President Buisness. It's easy to not expect much from this film, actually it took me a few years after it's release to watch it, but when I did, I loved it! And overtime I've been thinking of it, and rewatching it sometimes, and it surprisingly, it commentates on some political, sociological, and economical ideas that reflect today's world. It's interesting and refreshing to see a film where the hero is an ordinary person. He must try to save the world and tries to do so with "Master Builders." I see Emmett as a stand in for everyday people like you and I. And I see the Master Builders as stand ins for Celebrities, the rich, and/or political figures. They hear that this guy is the "Prophesied Special" and they expect Emmett to act and think like they do, but he doesn't. A lot of the Master Builders have this arrogance about them, they all think their own ideas are the best and will get the job done, and is best for everyone in general. The preach independence which can be a good thing, but they fail hard to work together. Which how I feel how some celebrities and/or prominent figures in our society act. Our hero is a great contrast to them, he only knows how to work as a group. And his thoughts and ideas are rather simple. Which is looked down upon by everyone, even in our culture today. But that can be a good thing, a lot of our prominent figures like to complicate some problems we face today, they complicate it so much so that nothing actually gets fixed.Whereas The Lego Movie shows us that sometimes the simplest idea is the best way to solve things and can actually get results, and there is no need to over-think some things. Ultimately in the end, the Master Builders fail to save the day throughout the film. It's not until they get the help of everyday people to stand up and fight back against the powers that oversee them. And it's the everyday people that help save the day. This film touches on a few other subjects like Individuality vs Conformity, Copyright, Totalitarianism, the power of Media, Capitalism and consumer culture. This film is always great to watch with friends and it's always a joy to revisit it! By @silverscreencritiques

Reviews by: @thefoxgoestotthemovies @tylersnerdy_review 8/10 You can’t help but wonder just how much of himself Director Ryusuke Hamaguchi had instilled into his lead character, the similarly-named Yusuke. A theatre actor and director who specialises in the avant-garde, Yusuke’s seemingly successful life comes undone with the sudden death of his wife. Not that anyone can tell with the way he keeps his emotions in check, stoically keeping calm and carrying on. But when he is commissioned to adapt a theatre production of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya, he is forced to confront all that he has repressed. It’s a film that celebrates the making of art, as Hamaguchi gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the process involved with staging a theatre production. It’s almost like a documentary, as we go through the auditions, the rehearsals and finally opening night. And through this we gain a better understanding of who Yusuke really is. It’s thus a film that requires active participation from its audience, especially as Hamaguchi combines a couple of Marukami’s short stories, as well as Chekhov’s play, using them as metaphors and allegories to craft character studies of both Yusuke and his driver Misaki, a seemingly side character that gradually emerges into a co-lead as the film progresses. The result is a deceptively dense yet leisurely paced film that justifies its audacious 45 minute prologue. It shows an auteur who’s not afraid to let his film plenty of time to breathe in order to lure its audience with its tale of grief, guilt and regret. And for a three hour film it never lulls, as Director challenges narrative conventions with his Russian doll of a film, one that opens up to reveal deeper shades of his characters and the journey they’re going through. By @thefoxgoestotthemovies Drive My Car is an absolutely beautiful movie on every single level, but why is it three hours long? Many scenes could have been significantly shorter. Now, I’m more willing to ignore it because I loved this movie. But someone not more prepared for cinema might get bored. That being said, this gorgeous film scored itself four Oscar nominations this year; Best Picture, Best International Feature, Ryûsuke Hamaguchi for Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. I think this one has Best Picture winner potential but it won’t win, but it is 100% winning the International Feature award. I think Director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi has really good direction here but I think the Academy was just being nice with that nom. Same with Adapted Screenplay, although I think it should win that. Hidetoshi Nishijima gives an absolutely fantastic deadpan performance. Toko Miura has a few good scenes scattered around the first two hours of the movie. But the last hour is where she really gets to shine, and she’s amazing in that last hour. Everyone else does such a good job with these very fleshed out characters. This movie is great with these deep and personal character moments, many of them taking place inside this car. This movie is such a good narrative of grief and the effect it can have on people. But also a really good love letter to the art of acting and the different forms it can take and the directions it can do when a good cast is brought together. But it explores different forms of grief and whether or not we should feel bad for certain deaths or feel bad for not feeling bad. The two scenes that play before the last one are so incredibly powerful and really drive home the point of the movie. Thank god for HBO max for carrying this movie on their service. I think anyone who is willing to sit down and read for three hours should watch this movie. It’s so fantastic, I just can’t get past how unnecessarily long it is. But catch me rooting for this one on Sunday for a few categories. I need to start watching some more International films outside of ones that are nominated for Oscars. I’m giving Drive My Car a big 9/10. -Tyler. By @tylersnerdy_review

Reviews by: @loquepuedesverhoy REPARTO: Hayden Christensen, Jamie Bell, Rachel Bilson, Diane Lane, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Rooker, AnnaSophia Robb, Kristen Stewart. PLATAFORMAS: Netflix y Amazon Prime Video. El "young adult" es un género literario que ha dado al cine muchas alegrías. Obras como "LOS JUEGOS DEL HAMBRE" o "CREPÚSCULO" son novelas que cuentan historias de adolescentes metidos en acontecimientos más bien destinados adultos, es por ello por lo que tanta aceptación tiene por el público adolescente, ya que no se le trata en las situaciones cotidianas, evitando caer en el estereotipo. En esta ocasión, conocemos la historia de un chico que descubre que tiene el poder de teletransportarse a cualquier parte del mundo, algo con lo que ha conseguido robar en grandes bancos y amasar una gran fortuna. Creyendo ser un tipo singular, descubre a un chico que también tiene los mismos poderes, advirtiéndole que hay una asociación secreta que persigue a estas personas con la anomalía genética que le ayuda a teletransportarse para acabar con ellos. Buena obra de ciencia ficción que nos trajo el director de "EL CASO BOURNE" o "SR. O SRA. SMITH", un cineasta con experiencia en blockbusters. En este caso, adapta la obra de Steven Gould, que escribió una serie de libros con personajes con este poder de teletransportación que tuvo mucho éxito y atracción entre los lectores jóvenes. Con una historia intrincada y unas muy buenas actuaciones de parte de un buen elenco, esta película tuvo éxito por su recaudación, y es que tiene un argumento sencillo y efectivo, además de una historia cargada de acción, acompañado todo ello con unos brutales efectos especiales. Buena recomendación para ver en familia con los chavales de la casa, para iniciarlos en el mejor cine de acción y de ciencia ficción. Y si os ha gustado, deciros que YouTube distribuyó en 2016 una secuela en formato serie llamada "Impulse", donde se adaptan otras historias de Jumpers de Steven Gould y en la que está involucrado el mismo Doug Liman. By @loquepuedesverhoy

Reviews by: @terrordetective I scream, you scream, we all scream for Ice Cream! 🍨 'Ice Cream Man" started out as a spoof of the 'Nightmare on Elm Street' movies, with more maiming and killing of children. But creator Norman Apstein didn't think the script was strong enough so he spent four months reworking it into a youth-oriented horror picture with: a) subtle references to classic horror films; b) obvious humor delivered thru the ice cream man's dialogue; c) familiar preteen archetypes (the fat kid, the brain, the wise guy, the token girl); d) references to fairy tales where parents ignore their children. Much like the Pied Piper, the Ice Cream Man leads self-absorbed suburban parents 'out of town' (to their graves). It may be rated R, but Apstein made the movie for young teens. Even so, I still get a kick out of it thanks to Clint Howard's high-energy acting style. By @terrordetective

Reviews by: @therenzog I already have more than 20 hours into this game and none of those hours have felt tiresome or frustrating, in the bad sense of the word, because you are obviously going to get frustrated in this game one way or another like you would in every other soulsborne title, but that is expected and I am already at a point that when I happen to loss 50K souls or more I stop, reflect on what just happened and more than 90% of the time I come to the conclusion it was my fault and I will learn from my mistake. I'm not saying this game doesn't have bullshit levels like every other souls title, because it does, like those freaking flying manta rays or every invisible hole in Tower of Latria for you to fall to your death, but isn't that what we love and hate about these games? Boss-wise this game so far has shown me a little bit of everything. Good bosses, crappy ones, memorable and disappointing (yes, you Dragon God), however, they do all have in common a really good intro cutscene, which I love because it does add more to the immersion and increases the stakes because now you know you are in presence of a Demon whose soul you can collect to continue upgrading your weapons and attributes. This game already feels shorter than Dark Souls and I truly miss how in that game the world was so amazingly inter-connected because here you can easily teleport to every level through the main hub "Nexus", which definitely is quality of life but also a bit of level design laziness lol. Quick shout-out to my friends at @keynutrients that they were kind enough to send me a sample of their electrolyte replenishment drink. So far this one and the peach mango are my favorites! Healthy and tasty! Go check them out. I think I should probably end this game soon and the next title in line will be Dark Souls II (wish me luck with that one). How many hours did you take to finish Demon's Souls? Let me know in the comment section below. And as always... No matter what, never stop #gaming By @therenzog

Reviews by: @imo.movies Last night, I spontaneously decided to begin a Ridley Scott mini-marathon, starting with ‘Thelma & Louise’. I’ve been unknowledgeable and thus intrigued about this film for a while, and I’m glad I finally got around to it. For me, its two highlights were the leading stars, Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis, who had fantastic chemistry with one another and were excellent at subtly portraying their characters’ development throughout the film. Seeing Harvey Keitel’s name appear in the opening titles also put a smile on my face, as he’s an actor I love to watch on screen, and Brad Pitt is always a bonus. Although slightly predictable, the story never appeared tiresome. I thought it provided deft social commentary on subjects that remain relevant even in the present day, and I felt the film as a whole was a great advocate of female empowerment, with representation far ahead of its time. Overall, this movie was solid through and through, with a terrific cast, a great score, and plenty of entertainment 👭🏼 In my opinion, ‘Thelma & Louise’ is… 𝐀𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐮𝐧𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 I give the movie… 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 By @imo.movies

Reviews by: @filmcore98 Driven by an absolutely perfect cast, American Hustle is a darkly funny, outrageous, off the wall, dynamic and stylish Crime drama. A engrossing and intoxicating tale of high stakes professional con artists, corrupt politicians, and Federal agents. And all the mis adventures in between. Set in the backdrop of late 1970’s-1980’s New York and New Jersey, professional Con man, Irving Rosenfeld played by Christian Bale in one of his best performances ever, is caught up in a large scale bust after him and his partner and mistress played by Amy Adams get caught ripping off fake loans. Forced to help Federal Agents led by Bradley Cooper, to help them and construct stings to bribe high ranking officials and other petty criminals due to the departments incompetence and in exchange for no prison time. The result is a large scale, sometimes messy and uneven and especially confusing story for those not all familiar with the content but always engrossing and interesting. As they slowly lead their way to each sting even reaching all the way up to high ranking politicians and Mafia chairmen for funding. Including a great cameo by Robert De Niro, a high ranking Mob Boss and enforcer trying to poke holes and see through their lies and forgery. Christian Bale commands the screen in possibly his best transformation in a role to date and every actor brings their A game. Including Jennifer Lawrence who plays his psychotic and mentally unstable wife caught in the middle of their schemes and treachery. And always at their throats and causing peril to the whole operation. American Hustle is definitely an acquired taste and isn’t your average crime Drama. But for those looking for an interesting acting driven epic also boasting a great 70’s backdrop and soundtrack, as well as being inspired by true events and characters. It surely won’t disappoint. By @filmcore98

Reviews by: @coldculture_films David Fincher’s 2011 mystery thriller ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ showcases the corrosive effects of human evil that when left unsolved can be burned and linger within the fading memory of a dying town. The film is a hyper realistic depiction of a disgraced journalistic and his assistant trying to solve a 40-year-old mystery regarding a missing woman on a remote Swedish island. Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) plays a journalist that has been publicly discredited due to a libel lawsuit. He is approached by businessman Henrik Vanger who as a form of redemption offer an invitation for Mikael to solve a 40-year-old mystery surrounding Hedestead Island involving the disappearance of his then teenage niece. Mikael is joined by Lisbeth Slander (Rooney Mara) an asocial hacker to investigate the disappearance as they encounter the presence of a malevolent human evil hidden deep within the island and its many secrets. The film offers a tight, masterfully written and directed narrative that explores the deepest human depravities covered deep within a dying town. The performances delivered by both Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara deserves special commendation as their characters fit perfectly within the world created by Fincher. Mara gives a career defining performance as the brilliant yet damaged Lisbeth, who must work together with a man that she had contributed to bring down. The film emphasizes the infiltration of evil within this small island frozen in time. The new age Stockholm showcased in the first act is well juxtaposed to the island, a place covered in snow and misery, dying against the backdrop of a new world Sweden. The ideas of ‘new’ and ‘old’ are well contrasted by the horrors of corporate espionage of the ‘new world’ to the physical evil lingering within the cold winter nights of Hedestead island. An aging memorial housing relics of generational traumas and sins. ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ is a complete body of work from Fincher perfectly adapted from the original source material. A true underrated gem. Rating: 5/5 By @coldculture_films

Reviews by: @averagejoereviews The ‘Rocky’ franchise has been down on its knees for quite some time now. Not since the campy fun of ‘Rocky IV’ has it made it through all 12 rounds, and it has fallen early on in ‘Rocky V’ and ‘Rocky Balboa’. But now, ten years on from the ill-fated sixth Rocky film, ‘Creed’ brings new life to the franchise whilst lingering onto the past just enough to remind you what made ‘Rocky’ so great in the first place. Not the fighting, though it has always been spectacular, but the characters - and in our new champ Adonis Creed we have someone that can live up to the Rocky Balboa name. Adonis Creed (Michael B Jordan) is the illegitimate son of Rocky’s great rival-turned-friend Apollo Creed, who died in the ring fighting the Russian Drago in ‘Rocky IV’. Adonis is brought up in foster care after his mother died shortly after his birth and he frequently finds himself in trouble, getting into fights with all the other boys. He doesn’t know who his father is and that doesn’t seem to bother him, not until Apollo Creed’s widow, Mary Anne (Phylicia Rashad) turns up and raises him as her own, offering him a chance of a future but also a glimpse into the past. So, Donnie (as he’s called for most of the film) grows up and gets a neat office job, but on the side he’s delving into his father’s legacy and taking fights in Mexico. He’s not doing it because of his father, at least he doesn’t think he is because he resents the man - no, he’s doing it for himself, to create his own legacy. Also, at 16-0, he’s rather good at it. Mary Anne doesn’t want Donnie to go and fight - she’s already seen her husband die in the ring and she doesn’t want to see her adopted son go the same way. It’s understandable and told in a terrific speech but it falls on deaf ears and Adonis head to Philadelphia, home of Rocky Balboa. Now Rocky (Sylvester Stallone), after his triumphant comeback in ‘Rocky Balboa’ has settled into retirement and lives a lonely life running Adrian’s restaurant. There’s no Paulie, there’s no Adrian, there’s no Mickey. His son, Robert, want nothing to do with him and Marie is absent - he’s living a lonely life and just wants to give up. This melancholy tone is played with heart by Stallone, who’s close relationship with the character really comes to the fore, after all he was the one that created Rocky Balboa in the first place. It’s a performance that reminds us of his first, Oscar-nominated turn as Rocky, and in truth, is a reminder that under the right direction Stallone can be a brilliant actor. When Donnie arrives in Philly he immediately goes to seek out the great Balboa and he finds him easily enough, the problem is convincing him to come back into the boxing world. Rocky doesn’t want to train Donnie, even when he reveals his surname, Rocky’s too old and stepped away from anything ring-related a long while ago. It does take some convincing, and the turnaround is one of the film’s least though out moments, but Rocky does change his mind with an admittedly touching tribute to those that haunt his tormented face. Rocky’s not the only one in Donnie’s camp though, he’s joined by Bianca (Tessa Thompson) a local singer that is Donnie’s Adrian. Jordan and Thompson have good chemistry and their relationship is initially believable as he knocks on her door at 3AM because her loud music is keeping him awake. From there, their relationship blossoms into something else and we discover that Bianca has progressive hearing loss. Whilst this doesn’t become a major plot point, it is a nice metaphor for a film which at its heart is about loss and how you cope. It’s a strangely melancholic tone which has been with the ‘Rocky’ franchise from the very beginning. Each film juxtaposes loss and emotional anguish with hope and inspirational success. It’s an interesting and surprising note which has been built upon with each instalment of the series as they steadily became less campy fun. It’s a feeling which you wouldn’t expect from a boxing film - let alone seven of them - and yet each time it has appeared, though none can claim to reach the level of depth which is afforded to it by Ryan Coogler in ‘Creed’. Whilst Bianca struggles, or rather goes on, with life and her progressive hearing loss, there’s Donnie - trying to deal with the loss of a father he never met and the sense that he has something to prove. Then, and most importantly, there’s Rocky, who’s lost everyone he cared about in life and could be losing even more. There’s something which happens to Rocky that connects each character’s sense of loss and the film excels in exploring it. However, whilst the romance between Adonis and Bianca began assuredly and seemed to suggest that Bianca wouldn’t be a throwaway romantic interest, in the second half she becomes just that. It is a shame, because she threatened to be an extremely captivating character - and for the the first half of the film she was - but then she is forgotten for a long stretch and by the time she returns it felt so fanciful that it distinctly lacked any emotional involvement. That being said, their early relationship is handled to a tee - as they share a tender first kiss in a creative upside down shot, I found myself gushing with joy. Again, as they shared a rather more passionate act of love I felt obliged to call the overly sensual scene warranted given how the filmmakers hadn’t rushed into it - as was perhaps the mistake in the original ‘Rocky’ film. Michael B Jordan both looks and acts the part as Adonis Creed. Chiselled and endlessly talented, this is the performance which will elevate him to the status he is deserving of. Working again with Ryan Coogler, after the pair collaborated on ‘Fruitvale Station’, they prove themselves to be a glorious double act, with Coogler’s intense directing style complementing Jordan’s eagerness and presentability. Although, Creed may be the title character this time around, it is Sylvester Stallone who steals the screen as Rocky, eating up the screen with the kind of display we’ve never seen him give - he loses the macho side and goes tender, something which suits his aged face rather well. Had Stallone not made countless terrible action films over the years then he’d be thought of as a far greater actor than he is, because this proves that he’s got all the ability in the world. Creed is as inspirational as all of it’s Rocky predecessors but also darker, more serious and all more grown up. Whereas in previous entries Rocky has appeared like a fairytale hero, here we see a battered old man, tired of life and more than willing to pass over the gloves to a much younger man that is determined to prove himself - he just needs a little help along the way. Rocky has been and always will be a legendary character, but ‘Creed’ gives us a glimpse into a world without ‘Rocky’ and the start of a new legend, Adonis Creed. By @averagejoereviews

Reviews by: @_gameing_dude Story: There is no story just parks where you have missions to do thats all. Gameplay: It feels like the old tony hawk games but i think its a bit faster and takes time to get used to it. Visuals: What can i say the visuals are just wow.I was already flashed from the trailer back then. There is not a lot i can say in each part its a tony hawk remake that we all have been waiting for.The game is fast and looks good.The soundtrack is just amazing i loved it every second of it i lisen to it from time to time.I was kinda sad its really short you could beat it very fast if you played it back in the day.Some tasks are easy but some you have to think how do i do them for me it was like that because i never played them back in the day.Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 gets a..... 8/10 By @_gameing_dude_

Reviews by: @michaels_movie_bay 3.5/5 The remarkable story of Kurt Warner, college football star turned grocery store shelf stocker turned NFL Super Bowl MVP. This is a truly awe-inspiring true story of human triumph and perseverance and makes for a perfect feel-good narrative. It is a very traditional sports movie, doing nothing to reinvent or reinterpret the genre. It leans hard into every tried and true trope and cliche and much of the dialogue is ripped straight from the playbook of sports movie platitudes. This film, directed by The Erwin Brothers and produced by Kingdom Story Company, emphasizes the Christian faith of Kurt and Brenda Warner but stops short of preaching or proselytizing. Rather, the characters are portrayed as having relationships with God and the film shows how those relationships impact their respective journeys. This approach makes the faith-based film much more accessible to a wider audience—encouraging to those that share the character’s faith, but not repellant to those who don’t. The film was made on a low budget and, for the most part, makes the most of its limited resources. Apart from a few moments—some of which are unfortunately pretty glaring—the financial disadvantages do not substantially detract from the experience. The football scenes are filmed well and feature some unique camera tricks I hadn’t seen before. But the obvious green-screening was an occasional distraction. The film features two very good central performances from Zachary Levi and Anna Paquin who do a good job capturing the characters and the weight and trauma they carry. Unfortunately, with no attempt at de-aging, it is sometimes difficult to buy them as college-age youths. Adam Baldwin, Dennis Quaid, Chance Kelly, and Bruce McGill give nice supporting performances. The movie tugs at heartstrings, is effective at manipulating emotions, and has a satisfying ending that will make you want to cheer. Hot take: Its low-budget constraints can be overly distracting at times, but Levi’s charisma and Warner’s truly rousing story make him an underdog anyone can root for. By @michaels_movie_bay

Reviews by: @decinelibrosymas DIRECTORS: Sterlin Harjo, Taika Waititi CAST: Elva Guerra, D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Paulina Alexis, Lane Factor 🎞️ Four Native American teenagers create a gang to get money and go to California. 🎬 Series created and directed by Taika Waititi, famous for movies like JoJo Rabbit, What We Do in the Shadows or Thor: Ragnarok, and his friend Sterlin Harjo. 📃 If you know Waititi's particular humor, you won't be surprised by the script of this crazy youth comedy. Its easy laugh humor mixed with a social message and with its typical touches of absurd comedy make each chapter fly by, with a well-carried rhythm. It also includes constant popular references to The Lord of the Rings, Godzilla or the Reservoir Dogs of the title itself. The locations are atypical of other types of comedy series because the protagonists live on an Indian reservation in eastern Oklahoma. Features of the region, food, locations or music are constantly seen. 🎭 The main actors are little known but they have surprised me with their good performances, they get into the role and believe what they do. Also highlight other more secondary but with more experience such as Zahn MacClarnon or Wes Studi, known among others for The Last of the Mohicans. 🎶 Taika Waititi is an expert in choosing good music for his projects and this is not going to be a separate case. It mixes various pre-existing tracks such as I Wanna Be Your Dog by The Stooges or Pop Pop by Lil Mike and Funny bone (who make curious appearances in almost every episode) with the soundtrack by Mato, a composer involved in the integration of American musicians/ natives. 🍿 Hilarious comedy that you can see on Disney + and that has already been renewed for a second season. The good performances of the cast, a daring script and in the purest Waititi style will make you enjoy the eight chapters it has. By @decinelibrosymas

Reviews by: @kieranatthemovies The gold standard of comic book movies. The apex of superhero movies. The greatest Batman movie there has ever been. My favourite film of all time. Every single aspect of this movie is beyond spectacular. The performances, the story, the characters, the set pieces, it’s has everything you could possibly want and more. The storyline is filled with twists and turns, all of which are paid off to perfection. The addition of more action and improving upon it is masterfully done. It’s ridiculously clever in its dialogue, it’s set ups for what’s yet to come and each scene leaves you constantly hungry for more. Christian Bale is a fantastic Batman, I love how he’s developed the character in TDK so that we come to realise that Batman is who he is and Bruce Wayne is the mask he wears. But the stand out is obviously the late, great Heath Ledger as the Joker. He’s chaotic, creepy, terrifying, utterly insane and dominates the screen. His introduction is one of my favourite scenes and he just gets better and better as the film goes on, he truly steals the show. The whole cast performs perfectly and I was particularly impressed with Eckhart’s take on Dent. Oldman, Freeman and Caine are as brilliant as ever and Maggie Gyllenhall is a marked improvement as Rachel Dawes. Zimmer’s score is once again out of this world. At times gritty and highly strung, giving some real horror suspense vibes and then again epic and grand when it needs to be. Beautifully directed and shot by Chris Nolan. It’s his crowning jewel as a director and I feel this should’ve been up for best film and it would’ve won easily. His attention to detail is astounding. From the cinematography, to the music, the acting, the story, the writing, I cannot pick a single flaw. It’s thrilling, gruesome, high octane, white knuckling, awe-inspiring cinema. If you get the opportunity to see it on the big screen I urge you to go. It’ll leave you speechless. The GOAT. Rating: 11/10 🌟🌟🌟 “Madness, as you know, is a lot like gravity. All it takes is a little push.” Where to watch: @nowtv Runtime: 2h 32mins By @kieranatthemovies

Reviews by: @aquel_maldito_cine_ochentado The Lord of the Beasts (The Beastmaster) 1982 Don Coscarelli 🇺🇸 🔎 What's it about? Pseudo-medieval adventures in tailcoats. 📽 Who made it? Coscarelli, one of the forgotten of the modern B series, director of sublime horror fables such as: Phantasma (79), sinister totem of pre-eighties horror that introduces us to the hypnotic universe of the Tall Man; Ghost II. The return (88), facelift overbudgeted from the original story; Survival School (89), an adventurous plot of young people involved in a survival game with the magnetic Lance Henriksen; Phantasma III: The Passage of Terror/ Phantasma Apocalypse (94/98), taciturn returns to the horror of flying spheres and underworld dwarfs; Bubba Ho-tep (02), a nostalgic and funny scary tale with a plot as delicious as it is out of the ordinary; Human Sculptures (05), the first episode of Masters of Horror is a duel between a mutant and a superheroine, hard to forget; and John dies at the end (012), a surreal and paranoid sci-fi story that we can understand as a summary of the director's career. 💎 What shines? A fiery and clueless warrior named Marc Singer (the one from V), an attractive pre-bond girl named Tanya Roberts, Lee Holdridge's musical epic, the classicist photography of the Kubrickian John Alcott, his pure Z series design (contemporary to all Italian exploits with unforgettable warriors like Ator, Gunan, Thor, Krotar...), and the pure and successful simplicity with which it is filmed and narrated. 👑 Why do we like it? Because it is the best Sorcery after the fresh irruption of John Milius's Conan, due to its inexhaustible range of enemies (the necromancer Maax, the juns, the birdmen, the guardians of death...), due to its environmental air underlined by the super-intelligent bestiary (the dyed tiger, the playful ferrets, the visionary eagle), and because there is something of it in later talented film adventures like Willow (88) or The Lord of the Rings (01). By @aquel_maldito_cine_ochentado

Reviews by: @conorfilmreviews 2/10 - Directed By: Monika Mitchell - Cast: Alyssa Milano, Samuel Page, Colleen Wheeler, Matthew Finland, Lossen Chambers - Distributed By: Netflix So this is my first review of a film released in 2022, and has it started off good? Definitely not. This film was simply too silly for it's own good, it's seriously awful at handling any serious emotions the characters have, and I don't even know what to call the rest of the film. One of these scenes where emotions are wrote very poorly is in the first 10 minutes of the film. We travel with our protagonist to her sister's house where we hear she is dealing with a legal battle against her ex. The scene wasn't originally bad at first but the edit of the film cuts away as soon as the sister begins to feel upset. It's like the editors thought "this film is getting a bit too serious, we don't want that". It's even more insensitive because the scene cuts away to an awfully choreographed robbery and it immediately dismisses any dignity the previous scene had. Ultimately it makes the death less impactful because we shared no more than a couple scenes of the sisters together. The romance of this film was deep fried in cringe and felt incredibly forced. We spend barely anytime with the two people before they share their first kiss which makes the relationship feel as though it was strictly physical attraction. It's not that this is a bad start, but the officer takes on the case because of his feelings for the victim, feelings that we've barely scratched the surface of visualising. The fact that this film completely ignored it's mystery genre was the nail in the coffin. Usually when there's a murder in the mystery genre the right thing to do is not reveal too much too soon. Whereas this film decides to show us how the murder happened with nothing missing. The worst thing about this is that our protagonists don't have this knowledge of what happened. But the audience know for over half the film's duration which also dismisses any empathy we could have for these protagonists because we aren't wondering the same thing, the characters are still finding out whilst we're a step ahead. By @conorfilmreviews

Reviews by: @therenzog I finally decided to jump into this classic. I've heard so many good things about this game, especially regarding the main antagonist, Vaas Montenegro, who's particularly interesting because of the amount of insane psychopath craziness he delivers in this game. I've only played a couple of hours in the game but it has me already hooked with the story, characters, and beautiful world to explore, maybe too much to explore? Too early to say, but there's no question this paradise is incredible to discover while trying to survive it. However, I'm not a fan of gameplay so far. Aiming feels awkward, especially when you aiming down sights, I had to increase the sensitivity to make it go smoother and faster because before that was slow and almost clunky and still is not great. So far, I'm not impressed by weapons either, they look cool but the feedback is just not there. This is only my first impression but for now, I want to continue playing because of the story and exploration but not because I enjoy the combat and, that's not good for a first-person shooter. Maybe I'm being too hard... I mean, this is a game that was originally released in 2012 and I recently played Doom Eternal and Star Wars Battlefront II, and possibly that clouds my judgment so, I'll continue playing and enjoying the game. Have you played Far Cry 3? It seems I'm the only one who hasn't. Let me know in the comment section below. And as always... No matter what, never stop #gaming By @therenzog

Reviews by: @kevinfilmreviews Rating: 1 out of 10 Oh my goodness... I absolutely hated this movie. I don't often say that about films, but The Resort... just yikes. 😂 First off, it is an extremely short movie, at only 1 hour and 16 minutes long. With that, you would expect this to be fast-paced, with lots of stuff happening. Nope! The characters waste half their time on the island doing things that aren't even central to the plot, just so that it will lead to drama with them cutting the trolley deadline close. Not only that, but with only 30 minutes left in the movie... literally nothing had happened yet. The Resort is also labeled as a horror movie and it's really not scary at all. The film spends an abundance of time on pointless comedic gags that aren't even funny in the slightest. All of the "scares" are jumpscares, which weren't even effective. The next gigantic issue I had with the flick was the characters. No time is spent developing them, so there is no reason to care about any of them. The acting is subpar at best and their dialogue is extremely cringey throughout. They make some of the most questionable decisions I've ever seen from any movie in my life. First, when thinking about going to an abandoned island with no people, no help, and only one time to get home or else they'll be stranded for a week, they think, "SIGN ME UP! SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT IDEA!" This is a slight spoiler as well, but a major plotpoint in this movie is that one character's backpack was left in the Resort, so she adamantly says they need to go back and get it. Quite literally only a few scenes later, she drops the backpack and abandons it... like are you kidding me? The "plot twist", or whatever you would call the ending of this movie, was absolutely infuriating as well. The way this ended basically canceled out the entire reasoning for the movie's existence. I don't know why they thought this was a good idea, but it certainly wasn't. In the end, this entire movie drove me insane. The characters and story direction made no sense and a few "pretty" waterfall shots can't save that. Please don't watch this flick, unless you have an hour of your life that you don't want back. Sorry for this rant! 😂 By @kevinfilmreviews