Reviews

Very ambitious multiversal drama. I honestly was not expecting this movie to be built around a family delivered through a multiverse of astounding scenes and imagery but I was pleasantly surprised and intrigued by it. Particularly impressed by the brilliant Michelle Yeoh and the underhyped performance of Ke Huy Quan.

However, considering the high standards the movie sets for itself - despite the brilliance of its characters, how the story is told, and how the movie's plot unfolds, and - if Everything, Everywhere, All at Once is perceived as the fast-paced drama it is albeit set across a multiverse: The movie underdelivers. To be clear, yes, the movie borrows a lot from multiple genres but at its core it is mostly a drama.

In that light, it struggles to provide sufficient emotional fulfillment by the end of the movie and all the brilliance of the movie's methodology amounts to little. It also fails to deliver anything new or unique to match its multiversal ambitions, undermining its brilliance with a bagel. Point being: The movie shows that it can tell its story across a multiverse but ultimately does not prove that it has a reason to do so.

Also, while Stephanie Hsu was good for the most part, I think she perhaps lacked a functional range to portray the varieties of her character. Thus contributing to the emotional gap at the end of the movie.

Overall, it's a mostly superb movie, seriously original and put together with Oscar worthy editing. If there was one Oscar this movie would easily win, it would have to be for the editing work.

Morbius the movie - is bad. I guess the sound, visual effects & CGI isn't entirely bad and neither is Jared Leto. But, other than that, this movie is a sad and unfortunate embarrassment, especially to any key decision maker involved in its release.

There was probably a sensible Morbius movie at some point but this movie is not it. This movie is a choppy mess. It's senseless, incoherent and disjointed, stitched together with questionable editing that'll leave viewers befuddled and utterly dissatisfied.

I cannot believe Sony released this.

The problem with - Single All the Way - is not that it is unlikable. It is a Christmas themed romantic comedy, and those things are by default supposed to be liked - plus, there's Jennifer Coolidge. Instead the problem is how superficial and shallow the movie is, more-so than your average rom-com. It's all just too fake and unrealistically perfect.

The movie is sweet, you get a few laughs here and there - and as most Christmas movies tend to be there's some feel-goodness involved. But the movie is just too shallow and superficial. It's full of stereotypes & clichés, and almost everything is trite. Not to mention that the main plot device that brings the protagonists together (i.e. Meddling friends and family) is really not-okay at all, and very questionable.

All in all, it is just a movie: an average one at best. It is thoroughly passable and it struggles to be a decent romantic comedy at all. The fact that it is a gay rom-com is probably its only redeeming bit.

Pretty standard high school dramedy, even though its not exceptionally funny, you'll definitely get laughs out of it occasionally. I think the movie does not set its standards too high and it does what it sets out to do pretty well, while bringing on a tolerable amount of cringe.

The humorous take of being in high school in 2022 as well as the Gen Z high school seniors definitely give the movie extra life as well as some very 2022 vibes.

Generally, an OK movie. Do not expect much and you will not be disappointed. It was pretty fun.

Conventional animated movie. Very likable and very familiar. Nothing exceptional as nothing really stands out. All round pretty good, standard animation.

There's definitely been better but The Bad Guys doesn't really do anything wrong. But it also does not do anything that stands out.

Honestly, the whole movie seemed derivative. And while I don't entirely support comparisons to: Call Me By Your Name, such comparisons are not unreasonable.

Cobalt Blue is pretentious and perfunctory while its referencing of art is laughably cheap. Its plot is poor and it doesn't help that the movie's main character is shallow, selfish, and mostly horrible. As a result, it's incredibly difficult to feel what he feels or root for him. Some other characters are decent but they are all mostly inconsequential.

Overall, Cobalt Blue fails to conjure up anything real, emotionally or otherwise. As the movie takes itself too seriously and sadly fails in almost every way. Ultimately, I do not think it's worth anyone's time.

Alana Haim was magnificent in this film, especially considering its her movie debut. Other than that, why does this movie even exist? And why is it so hyped?

Sadly, my disinterest in the movie began from its very first scene and it grew with every subsequent scene. Overall, I think it is a very uninteresting movie. Not to mention, highly questionable and toxic.

The plot/story of Licorice Pizza is awful and the movie aspires to nothing other than justifying its atrocious story while being entirely full-of-itself. Who was this movie made for, and why?

Heartstopper is tender, charming and truly heartwarming. It thrives in every way possible in its honest and grounded depiction of young love.

It's Absolutely Brilliant. There are no other words.

I do not get what the fuss is about. I once heard or read a saying about ambiguity not being profoundness - and this movie is bang-on ambiguous. I can only imagine that it is its ambiguity that's been taken as profoundness.

Two brothers - both weird, one's a bully and then stuff happens. All this set in the old west, so the movie is a western - it does not have a reason to be but it is. To its credit, the movie holds your attention and lingers on and on - as if something is going to happen, but nothing especially does and then the movie ends.

It definitely has some talent and quality - but for some reason the not-main-actors (i.e. The extras/bit part) were its most interesting bit. The Power of the Dog is a ridiculously unexceptional and unnecessarily abstract movie lacking in anything particularly noteworthy. Again, I do not get what the fuss is about.

A truly beautiful and a deeply heartfelt film. About troubling times in late 60's Belfast, as experienced by a sweet 9-year-old boy played by the absolutely brilliant Jude Hill.

Belfast is a tender and honest experience - full of genuine sentiment and charm.

Don't Look Up is a perfect satire of our current world state, especially from an American point-of-view. It actually, properly articulates and illustrates the terribly unfortunate idiosyncrasies of our society - from the Politics to Ariana Grande. It's likely very fair to think that: "if Covid-19 was a massive comet hurtling towards the earth, this is what could happen". But - It is also hilarious, sad, chilling, and deeply troubling to watch. Probably one of the saddest and scariest movies of the year.

The movie boasts an incredible heavy weight ensemble cast and absolutely no one disappoints. Special mention goes to the amazing chemistry between many of the characters as they work fantastically well with each other: Blanchett-DiCaprio, Perry-Blanchett, Lawrence-Hill and cheers to Timothee Chalamet for stealing that scene at the end.

Admittedly, the movie sometimes try to be overly-styled (or especially artsy) which is totally unnecessary - but that doesn't detract from the overall movie itself.

Don't Look Up is a beauty. I was not expecting it to be profound but it was and I definitely do not regret watching it - I recommend it highly, it is a must watch.

I must say I often wonder why anyone would rate or review a series based on some episodes rather than an entire season. If I had rated Wheel of Time based of off only the first six episodes, I would give a far better rating. That's because I went into this show really wanting to like it - and for the first six episodes, I did. The entire season however, leaves a lot to be desired.

Wheel of Time showed an intriguing world full of promise. A world unique but familiar, and one you'd imagine would continue to expand beautifully. It was not perfect in its entirety but it was fascinating, rich, and alive. Also showing a clearly high production value.

Unfortunately, more and more movies and shows seem to not understand simple concepts around storytelling, and this show is no exception. Have a strong bunch of motivated characters audiences can get behind - and tell stories with a beginning, middle, and an end; even when the stories are lengthy or multilayered over a long journey. I mean Harry Potter was seven (7) books, each one was clearly defined. On the other hand, this show has weak characters; as some characters are paper-thin, unexplored and without proper motives. While the show as a whole, is not defined, open-ended and lacks a closing.

From the start, the show build and builds, raising questions. Once it gets to episode five or six, where it's expected to answer some of those questions, it plateaus. And then it tries to build further and reach for more without providing answers or adequate reasoning behind all it does. By the end of episode seven it descends into inexplicable gibberish, while the whole of episode eight is a massively underwhelming and anticlimactic "to be continued". It all makes very little sense and simply put, it crumbles under its own weight; hardly meaning anything and failing to tell a definitive story.

Also, the show consciously puts forward a strong and interesting matriarchal world. But, it was indeed unsettling that there was no positive-male-presence within its seemingly vast expanse. And I wondered, if patriarchy is simply replaced with matriarchy isn't it simply just a role-reversal and inequality remains? So although Wheel of Time tries to be progressive, it sort of fails in its attempt to portray equality.

All in all, it started off with promise with an enticing new world full of potential. Along with some strong and intriguing performances from Rosamund Pike, Zoe Robins, and Sophie Okonedo. You can see how much work and effort has been put into the show, as well as how much money has been spent on the production. However, it struggles to deliver on its promises and the world it spends so much time building - such that in the end it simply falls apart into unintelligible mediocrity. Failing to strike the balance that would have made it truly exceptional. Also, all the Game of Thrones comparisons are meaningless and unfounded - both shows differ immensely.

I enjoyed Maya and the Three. I found the Mesoamerican Mythology that it was built around really interesting, particularly the gods that populate the mythos - as well as the indigenous cultures. It provided a new and insightful view into that rich and wonderous world.

The show has good energy and charming characters, along with good animation that brought the series to life, while honoring the cultures that the show's born from. However, despite the unique and rich civilizations it derives from, parts of the show was unexceptional and not unusual - having familiar plot points that have been seen elsewhere.

All in all, a refreshing watch with a renowned voice cast. Really enjoyable.

A simple movie that evokes some wonderment. The movie is not horror and it does not do too much - but in what it does, it does pretty well.

It strikes a decent balance between mystery, thriller and mythoi with some really good acting, particularly from the young Jeremy Thomas. While it touches on some issues in small communities without going into detail. Along with some fine cinematography, it was overall a decent watch.

Honestly, I'm a fan of Wachowski movies. I think they're special filmmakers - unconventional and somewhat profound. From The Matrix to Cloud Atlas to Jupiter Ascending, and even the much maligned Matrix Revolutions I've found them all brilliantly intriguing. However, The Matrix Resurrections is a different movie.

It differs so much from its original trilogy the only commonalities they share are their titles and characters. This movie looks modern, polished, and very in the times - a whole lot more than the trilogy that precedes it but it unfortunately, ends up feeling much cheaper and very conventional.

There's some beautiful CGI and Visual Effects, some of which is entirely impressive. So the movie looks good enough and properly 2021. It also presents concepts that shine and introduce some new ideas or implementations of AI programs in cinema. And this is one of only a few positives the movie offers - positives are few and far between. While, it also does an OK job of representing aspects of our current world within the context of The Matrix.

The movie certainly doesn't take itself too seriously. It does not try to be revolutionary and while that could have been a plus, in the end, it plays out negatively. The plot is weak, sterile and unexciting. Its action sequences are poor and barring the casting of Neil Patrick Harris as The Analyst and Toby Onwumere as Seq most of the cast of the movie while talented - seem completely out of place, and uninspired. As if, they were simply - easy and convenient casting choices.

Every Matrix movie from the original trilogy was about a world vast and deep, with consequences that carried a whole lot more purpose for everyone linked to that world including its audiences, this movie however is based upon simpler, less interesting, less impactful - terms. There's some sprinkling of profundity within The Matrix Resurrections but throughout the movie it seems to be battling with the depths and grandeur of its past so much that it fails, and cannot realize its purpose. It cannot escape the shadow of its predecessors, it does not separate itself from them, and it ends up being worse off as a result.

It tries to do too much and explain too much all in one movie. So much so that this fourth installment alone could be a trilogy of its own, which I think would have helped the story and its characters - but here, everything is rushed and packed into this singular title that just ends up feeling a little ambitious but truly disjointed. While sometimes literally trying to recreate its past.

This is probably not only the poorest Matrix movie but also the poorest and most meaningless Wachowski Movie. Perhaps, the point was to kill any hope, idea, or possibility of the franchise having a future. Because this is a lifeless, conventional, and unfortunate disappointment.

This movie was an absolute delight and I was definitely pleasantly surprised when I watched it. A fun family movie full of heart and connection, sometimes without too many words. It was all in the feelings which was carried beautifully. Also, had some subtext if you're willing to pay enough attention.

The animation was brilliant, bright and exciting. The characters were sweet and relatable but sometimes just annoying, which makes them even more relatable because that's kind of how people are. A thoroughly pleasing and enjoyable experience and with a whole lot of re-watch value. Plus, the music was perfect.

This movie surely made me question how underrated Sony movies are because I think they do a lot of good work - especially by taking risks. This movie was off an original script with no franchise backing but was pulled-off beautifully.

Why all the undeserved hate? I do not get why people keep panning this film. It is a psychological thriller that speaks quite aptly to the world we live in by asking a very uncomfortable question. It speaks in particular to race relations in America and questions a world where the fantasies of a violent, regressive and exploitative power is met at the expense of a brutalized, traumatized and oppressed other. All the while these fantasies are supposed to be a pastime that people should have healed and moved on from, in order to face other (newer) challenges. Except - "the past is never dead, it is not even past." This is true & perfect to our time and it is a reality rightly questioned.

Antebellum compresses a lot of political, ideological and societal trauma into this intelligent and brilliant film. Special commendation goes to Janelle Monae who is not an established actress - yet, but she delivers a commanding performance in a movie that is absolutely thrilling to watch. Some have compared this film to Get Out, I must say such comparisons are reductive, deprecatory and unwarranted.

The movie's well shot, possess a great script, has good acting, with wonderful storytelling and it's score is fantastic, paired well with the movie's atmosphere. It's overall, a really good film.

Judas and the Black Messiah is an excellent movie based on historical events of the late 60's and it does not hide what it is about. As a result, it is gut-wrenching and triggering. I must confess that it took me a while to watch the film, as I anticipated that - I might come out of this movie triggered, angered, but most importantly just plain hurt.

The movie details a small part of the long history of vile, cowardly men, and a reprehensible system of corruption, injustice, criminality and oppression. All born from the disdain for a truly free, fair, just and equitable society - especially for Black people.

Judas and the Black Messiah is a brilliant movie without doubt. It thoroughly communicates its message and does so with a talented cast that does not disappoint. Lakeith Stanfield portrays Bill O'Neal with spellbinding conscience, while Daniel Kaluuya is breathtakingly captivating. All within an intriguing plot that tells a true story of exactly how unjust the system is. A system that will become criminal in order to disempower people and counter true freedom & liberation.

I must say I have not really been much of a fan of the military aspects of the MCU - But 2022 is just around the corner, and Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye is about to complete its first season. Thus wrapping up the Disney+ aspect of the MCU Phase 4 slate for 2021. And so far, Falcon and the Winter Soldier is the best and most meaningful offering from Phase 4 of the MCU at the time of this writing.

The show puts in the work and does a lot very well. It is profound and emotional on many levels as it tries to tackle both real problems, as well as MCU problems resulting from many years of storytelling which culminated the infinity saga in Endgame. Although it does not tackle all these problems perfectly, it does more than enough to tell a well-rounded story. A story where events occur within a coherent plot that carries forward both the MCU and the characters in the show in a genuine and meaningful way. This all allowed for real character growth as well as a richer universe which made an unexpected fourth Captain America movie with Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson as 'Cap' a reality. Not to mention Sam and Bucky are great frenemies.

Overall, it's superb and a must watch for phase 4. Binge-watch it.

What can be said about (the show) Loki? Outside the beautifully mesmeric sound of the opening title sequence, the already established brilliance of Tom Hiddleston as Loki and the surprising chemistry he shared with a witty Owen Wilson - there's not much that is refreshing, fun or interesting about the show.

The entirety of the show, Loki - seems to exist for three (3) reasons. 1) Revive, reform, redefine, redeem and repurpose the character Loki. 2) Establish the multiverse and initiate the narrative for it. 3) Remedy or amend some of the senseless time-travel mumbo-jumbo shenanigans of Endgame by offering boring and senseless explanations. And while there is perhaps no fault in wanting to achieve the aforementioned - all those things where done so poorly that at the end you are glad that it's over. Worst of all is the show's production design, which was bland and uninspired.

I could say watch the last 2 episodes and save yourself some time but even then I would not be saving you from the disappointment that Loki is.

Wrath of Man is quite frankly a perfect film. Not much can be said of it but praise. The film itself is based off a French film which I've not seen, so that being said - the plot of Wrath of Man is not new or original or exceptional. However, that takes nothing away from its brilliance. The film is pure class from Guy Ritchie.

The movie is skillfully executed to perfection, creating subtle yet breathtaking intensity. Immaculately shot, it looks fantastic with its excellent aesthetic - its score is profoundly chilling, haunting and unsettling which is impeccable to the tone of the film.

Wrath of Man is often mistaken for a heist movie, a revenge movie or just another "men's" action flick. It is not exactly those things. Yes, it has guns - to me, that makes it a sort of psychological thriller, but with guns. The plot is surely not the movie's strongest asset but it does seem to be misunderstood.

Simply put, Wrath of Man is absolutely brilliant. No one disappoints, neither from the films cast nor its crew, and definitely not the film itself. It is indeed a Guy Ritchie film, and probably one of his best.

Concrete Cowboy starts beautifully. Moving with meaning and purpose, leaving you curious as to how the story will unfold but unfortunately it quickly looses its way. Halfway through you wonder if the story is at all worth your time. The plot looses focus and the movie becomes a patchwork of its characters going through random events. Although the movie is beautifully shot, it sometimes tries to overstate its very real drama without doing much storytelling.

However, in its final thirty minutes Concrete Cowboy finds its way back to its center. Which is the strained relationship between Idris Elba's character Harp - and his son Cole played by Caleb McLaughlin (from Stranger Things), with the backdrop of the Fletcher Street Stables.

Harp and Cole's relationship is the most interesting part of the movie. And both Idris Elba and especially Caleb McLaughlin showcase their acting ability, doing brilliantly in their respective roles. Definitely, both actors are the brightest parts of Concrete Cowboy's somewhat disjointed plot.

Overall, the movie tries to tell the true story that black people are cowboys too. And how the Fletcher Street Stables represented a moment in Black Cowboy history while being a place of stability for the community. It is a very watchable movie that shows part of the heritage of Black Cowboys. Albeit it could have been better executed with a more coherent plot.

Much has been made about the works of M. Night Shyamalan and which of his previous movies is worse than the other. However, I have always found his unique take on stories somewhat captivating and interesting to varying degrees - until now.

Put simply, the entire movie (Old) and all its potential best parts are adequately represented in its plot summary. There's hardly anything worth writing about outside the plot summary and the fact that it is a M. Night Shyamalan movie. The movie presents absolutely nothing of note.

M. Night Shyamalan does an awful job here. The cinematography is also awful and annoying, and the use of CGI (or visual effects) is questionable in parts. The movie fails to explore anything and its characters do nothing.

It is honestly impossible to recommend this movie to anyone for any reason. Your time is better spent doing literally anything else. I almost cannot believe this movie even exists; especially considering the cast and crew behind it. An unfortunate waste.

Edgar Wright presents a really good Edgar Wright movie. It is as you would expect; a fast-paced, lively, colorful psychological thriller tailored with really good music. Whilst everything, takes place in a city he seemingly is quite fond of.

Both leading ladies are charming, brilliant and truly captivating. McKenzie's soft charisma and innocence, alongside Anna Taylor-Joy's sophistication and confidence is pulsating to watch.

Last Night in Soho shines brightest in its depiction of the horror and trauma young Eloise Turner experiences as she relives the particular past-experiences that fuels the unravelling mind of her young mind.

Although, the movie does not really bring anything new to the genre especially with the usual mild twist at the end - it does however, highlight the horrifying trauma people can wreak upon others.

Dev Patel shows again that he's undoubtedly a brilliant actor. While Barry Keoghan and Joel Edgerton remain truly fascinating favorites of mine in this Arthurian tale.

Unfortunately, The Green Knight does not seem bold enough in its convictions - sometimes leaving the depths of the nuances it posits unexplored. Instead, it focuses all its efforts on its styling, and its unusualness which it embraces tightly.

The movie occasionally seems drawn out and lingering, though that seems to be the overall idea and sadly it does so to a fault. In some scenes it is almost as if every character on screen is spaced-out, only set to deliver their lines.

At the end, although simple and complete, this Lowery movie leaves you with a feeling of wanting. As if it ought to be, at the least, a more powerful movie but unfortunately, it isn't.