Reviews

Script rushes characters and plot setup in hot and fast. That being said, there is no real "plot" at all ever established in the truest sense, more just a situation which itself is rather ridiculous. The main character has no arc of growth in which he's evolving as a person and the "secret" referenced in the title doesn't seem to even exist. The dramatic moments are unconvincing and the random comic moments don't work much on the humor level. The director isn't too skilled at establishing tone in scenes and the pace of the overall film lulls at times because of the fact. The flashback sequences are rather distracting and seem to be just there to fill time which could have been used telling narrative and diving in depth of characters. Glynn Turman is the sole highlight on the acting side of things, which is otherwise below average across the board. The camerawork and visual editing was nothing special but not bad for a production at this level. Sound editing decent. With films such as this, the intended good messages too often get lost to the bad execution of the filmmaking process itself. This project is no exception to the rule. Not recommended for serious fans of good storytelling or character driven narratives.

A textbook example of the idea of 'film magic.' Even now, this story is not just entertaining but effective and philosophical in a way that only a handful (maybe) of other science fiction films of its time were. Suspense and tension are built well through the writing and direction. The only thing I had a bit of an issue with as far as the writing was the handling of the men from the ship's earliest interactions with the daughter character. I do feel like things got better with that as the plot moved forward, however. Expert pacing and tone. Great acting from all performers. The special effects still hold up from a film that's nearly seventy years old. Good sound and visual editing. Effective musical score. All elements required of great film are present here. It's quite easy and understandable to see the impact and influence this one had (and technically is still having) on the genre. An undisputed cinema classic.

Amateurish is the perfect term to describe this affair. The film uses concept of a "self-help" book being utilized as a tool by characters as a MacGuffin and not that well. The script makes the mistake like many other films of using the idea of mental health as an explanation for character becoming a violent antagonist. Labeled as a thriller, the film has too many comedic scenes to not be placed in the 'comedy' genre as well. On those terms, it's not very funny and for the first hour doesn't even attempt to be a true thriller, building no suspension or tension. After that, it suddenly becomes a free-for-all with multiple attacks and kills. The film moves at a fine pace but it doesn't matter because the tone itself is all over the place. A lot of the films scenes only purpose seems to be to fill time as they add little to the plotline. The acting is below average. Both the sound and visual editing can be a bit wonky at times. I will not be revisiting this one.

I'm going to just start this saying the premise of this film which the viewer figures out after about the first twenty minutes could be considered rather offensive/triggering. As far as the movie itself, there's not much plotline, just a situation the main character is involved in. There's no subtleness to the writing in terms of character, plot, or dialogue. The script is filled with stereotypically written black characters. The Black men are dumb, excessively violent and murderous criminals. The Black women simply lust after such types and are hypersexual figures. If a white person wrote it more than likely critics would have deemed them as racist. The pace isn't too bad but the tone of the movie is rather schizophrenic in how it jumps from attempting to be tense/thrilling in one scene to comical/whimsical the next with little effect on either side. The acting is below average. There's a number of unnecessary scenes included in the film that don't drive the plotline at all. The film's shot decent enough for this level production. The music score is rather generic. I couldn't recommend this film at all based on the subject matter in particular but even from a more general standpoint it's just not too good.

I just don't get Tyler Perry, period. What he's attempting to accomplish, what point he's ever trying to make, nothing. Perry seemingly gets an idea for a project and believes his "gift" is in writing scripts in record fashion then getting the film produced as fast as possible. A melodramatic as all hell affair, none of the characters in this movie are likeable/redeemable enough to root for. The main character is not the "hero/protagonist" Perry portrays her as or even a tragic figure in the truest sense seeing as she could have left the situation from the beginning. As the audience, we are waiting for a sudden change in the "antagonist's" actions which would give the lead character's thoughts and motives some creedence; it never comes and when a possible mental health issue is introduced it feels more like a copout from Perry as an excuse to the lack of rationality/reason. The "antagonist" of the film is in fact the tragic figure Perry is attempting to pass the lead character off as being. The lead however is an enabler and later becomes a threat to this person even after having something quite generous done for her by them. The pacing and tone of the film are handled ok. The decision to use voiceover narration in the film was bad as it is annoying, excessive, and unneeded here. The performances are phoned-in but solid from actors that are all above the material in terms of credibility and/or skill. From the visual standpoint, the film is shot and edited decent. However, there are CGI effects being used at times for no good reason and not that well. The music used is decent. Knowing the fact that Perry shot the film in eight days gives more of an understanding of why the film plays the way it does but no excuse for it. This is a bad movie, for sure. Perry is a confusing filmmaker in desperate need of a team around him that can help him flesh out his ideas into something with more depth and range then this.

I sought this flick out after seeing one of the scenes that went viral on social media. There's honestly no real plot ever established, more just a basic idea/situation to put the characters in. The script never even establishes the true main protagonist of the film. There are repetitive "revelations" about the nature of the dolls that are met with the most unbelievable disbelief ever lol. Then, the end kind of just..... comes to an end. The director shows minimal skills at establishing true pace and/or tone. Performances from the actors is average or less. The camera work is handled decent enough but the visual as well as sound editing are flimsy at times. The music score and chosen songs is generic. This is a horrible film in terms of execution that does however manage to be semi-entertaining in that "so bad, it's good" kind of way. Not that I'd recommend it, just that my expectations were so very low I wasn't upset about the final product.

Film is a Rob Zombie-style torture horror/thriller. The plot is run-of-the-mill and predictable from the jump. Characters are paper thin, both the protagonists and antagonists. The villains are given weak motives and the revelations will leave one unfazed. Films of this kind aren't about good plotlines or strong character studies. They're for filmgoers that like watching people get tortured in horrific ways onscreen. The pacing at times can drag a bit and the tone, like Zombie films (not a personal fan) is just weird rather than frightening or suspenseful. The acting is, for lack of a better word, basic. Those playing villains get to have the most fun but aren't impressive, either. Shot decent far as the visuals. The kills are not only unoriginal but it seems at the end the ideas just ran out because the filmmakers were set to reuse one from earlier again. Would not recommend or revisit. (No pun intended here lol)

The first installment's style of writing was more episodic than film narrative format, this one is more of the same. None of the characters actions are truly redeemable so there's no one to root for in a film like this. Dialogue between characters often has no subtlety, giving the scenes an unnatural feel. Acting is also again below average to solid. Same level of technical craft as before, music generic, camera work decent, sound editing mostly fairly good. I'm not crazy for shock endings and that one was quite excessive to say the least lol. As I tend to say with White's productions, if you dig his style you'll probably like it but if not it'll feel like a waste of time.

The plotline of the film is more episodic, with narrative ending on a cliffhanger and no true resolution. The tone shifts are too frequent, making it hard for rhythm to be established. Most of the elements that tend to be present in a White production are here, so those that take to his writing/directing style will be pleased. Some of the performers do solid enough in their roles, others below average. The camera work is decent but the exterior establishing shots gets annoying. There are a few sound editing issues throughout certain scenes. The music/score is generic and overdramatic. Enough elements involved to keep viewers entertained but as a piece of craft, is lacking in a lot of aspects.

This film suffers from all the same issues as the previous installment. The films have an episodic plotline style and play more like a miniseries. The narrative even picks up right where the previous film left off, with a whole recap to boot. Due to the nature of the writing approach neither really works dramatically without the other. The acting is still below average. Camera work decent enough for this level production, none of the visual editing too bad. Sound editing however needs work, as actors go out of range on occasion and it's harder to make out the dialogue. Music/score is generic and unneeded in quite a few of the scenes. I guess anyone that liked the first installment will be getting more of the same. If you were critical of that one, don't expect to be shocked by any new developments in plot or sudden steps up in production value this time around. Of the two, I'd give this one the slight edge for the pure entertainment value factor but there was no rise in quality.

As usual with his films of shorter running time, White jumps right into character's driving motivation but sets up no real dramatic premise. None of the characters are written as likeable in the truest sense, so it's hard to root for the success of the leads in the narrative. The film's tone is schizophrenic in its constant changing from scene to scene. Acting is more solid than I've seen in a Silk White production thus far though none could be called strong. Camera work not too bad though scene cuts/transitions are sometimes jarring. White still has the bad habit in his productions of feeling music/score has to play under the majority of the scenes. On top of that, some of the selections disrupt the scene's tone when edited in all of a sudden while others have a generic sound. I want to give the film an extra star just for Whitney Code being so fine but refuse to do so lol. On top of all else, we aren't even given a real resolution and it seems to have been crafted from the jump with the intent of being able to have a sequel. I do see White growing as a filmmaker but in small infant steps, certainly not leaps and bounds. At this point, it only seems that growth is coming simply from having lead multiple productions. Not my choice as one of his better projects.

Incredible. Absolutely incredible. Oh do NOT get it twisted, this is not anywhere near the periphery of being a good film but goodness gracious, was I entertained. The script gets right to the point and builds no dramatic premise. The director's only props are in the fact that the film is so short it doesn't drag time-wise and most of the dialogue is utilized for the specific purpose of moving one scene to the next, even if said dialogue is not written well. Filmmaker has issues establishing tone and pacing isn't great but again, short running time and economical scene shooting style helps. The acting is below average. The audio/visual aspects of the film are amateurish all around, from establishing shots, to scene transitions, to the wonky sound editing. The music and score were not well chosen, placed, or timed. With all that said, I still managed to be entertained with this ridiculous work. I wouldn't recommend it because I know others would not have my warped sensibilities when watching films like this but I can look past the incredible amount of flaws and manage to entertain myself with these kind of productions. It's still a bad film though, lol.

There is no subtleness to the writing or execution with this one. Characters often do not behave or talk like real human beings and it does not help the atmosphere of the narrative if that was the intention. The film is a first time feature for the director and it shows. Filmmaker has very little skills at setting tone. However, credit is given for movie's economic approach with its use of dialogue and scenes to move plotline along for the most part. Also, with short running time of the film the pacing is not too bad. The acting is below average from all members of the cast. Audio and visual technical aspects show obvious low budget of film. Music constantly playing underneath scenes can be distracting. I actually laughed at the ridiculousness of this flick, which made the experience not so bad but I would NEVER recommend it to anyone lol.

Film has a weak dramatic premise and no real plotline at all. More or less a simple situation involving a fake engagement for no legit reason. The movie seems to take its plot cues from other rom-coms of its kind like "I'm in Love With a Church Girl," "Love Don't Cost a Thing," and "Meet the Parents." The father/pastor character being written and played against usual hardass stereotype of such a role was a good touch. The thin depiction of the jealous sister, her emasculated husband and their unruly child was not. Acting is below average to JUST barely solid. Chico Benymon as main character is game if nowhere near the most skilled/talented comedic actor in the business. There's an overall waste of talent from known veteran performers in lesser roles. Movie is shot and visually edited fine. Attractive cast looks good as far as clothing, hair, and makeup. The sound editing can be a bit shaky at times. Most of the score and some of the music used is rather generic sounding. The film has good messages but the issue with this production lies in the lack of understanding that the message is best received through strong storytelling, which isn't what's going on here. A lot of lame, uninspired jokes to boot makes this one hard to see myself ever coming back to, no matter where the heart of the filmmakers might have been.

No creative drive behind the well-worn "teens being stalked in the cabin in the woods" narrative from the slasher subgenre. Characters not written with enough depth or aspects/qualities to make the audience sympathize with and/or care about them. Uninteresting protagonist or antagonist. The open ending is no fun at all, made for the sole purpose of leaving a chance for a sequel. (Which of course happened) The tone was handled alright but the pacing is rather dull. Acting is lackluster, below average/solid at best. Filmed decent though some scenes were not lit well. Generic horror film music/score. Overall, the film's a bore, doing nothing to distinguish itself in the slasher genre.

I had a hard time keeping focus on this one lol. The writing was not subtle at all and came off predictable, uninspired, and unoriginal. There was no genuine sense of suspense because all the details were being shown right to audience rather than allowing us to gain perspective through watching the narrative unfold. More episodic then cinematic, the ending in particular. The pacing and tone of the film wasn't handled quite that well. Acting from all involved is below average to barely solid. Though film looks/sounds to have been made from a competent technical crew it still doesn't feel like it was executed well. Music/score rouse no emotion and camerawork is just basic. Filmmaker attempted to make a stylish crime drama but turned in a rather mediocre addition to the genre.

The last addition to this series is probably the most tension filled. Per usual, the "main" character in the film Gena takes a backseat to the assorted characters and their stories involved in the criminal underworld. Bodies start dropping left and right, including a couple the audience might not have expected. Direction keeps pacing and tone the most level of all three installments. Acting still decent at best from the cast of performers. However, Kris D. Lofton as the main villain in this sequel is a standout. True to fashion in the series, production value remains a high point, with decent camerawork, editing, sound design, and music/score. The ending was bizarre on one front (I assume the books made certain things more clear than the films did) and offered an annoying trope on another. Recommendation? Anyone invested this far will probably want closure to the series. As a standalone crime thriller, nothing new is given to the genre here.

One of my biggest issues with this series of films is the main character (Gena) is treated almost as a side character to the crime narrative. Her character isn't experiencing growth through a strong dramatic arc and continues to be involved in situations where things are happening to her rather than her making something happen herself. For what it was, it works decent enough as a crime thriller but isn't worth writing home about. The resolution felt rushed and had a number of implausible occurrences in it. Acting is again decent but nothing special. It's cool that there were fans of the first movie but there was an excess of unneeded celeb cameo appearances for me. Also, as with the predecessor, the film looks good from the technical standpoint. Well shot, edited, characters well styled, music blends quite well and is rarely overdramatic. Film sequels should open us up to new dimensions of the characters and their narrative inhabited universe and expand on the original. This doesn't do so at all. It just comes off as a cash grab for fans of the genre. If it's the type of films you're into, you could do worse than this one but also better. Much, much better.

The script is standard urban crime/romance fare; hustler falls for girl uninterested in the lifestyle, girl realizes he's "different" and falls for him, friction as girl must deal with consequences of hustler's said background. The dialogue doesn't have much punch to it, and the film itself doesn't offer much from the freshness or originality side of things other than a few people you wouldn't expect dying off. Even then, the film lacks a much needed emotional punch due to immediate scene shifts right after a character is killed. Acting is solid, nothing outstanding. There's unfortunately no real chemistry achieved between the two lead performers, however. The film is VERY solid across the board on the production value side. Camerawork, clothing, hair/makeup, music/score, sound, visual editing seemed to have been top priority for this filmmaker. Decent but being based on an urban fiction classic could've been so much more.

This one isn't subtle at all. It's simple and straightforward; a movie on the simple Christian value of celibacy before marriage. Unfortunately, the writer should've made more of an effort to show the benefits of said lifestyle which few films of this kind ever do. The characters have little to no depth, with the main character seeming to be concerned with getting married and nothing else. This makes it hard to relate to her and in essence the stakes of her love life aren't quite as interesting or concerning for us as viewers. The performances leave much to be desired but isn't the worst you'll ever see in the subgenre. From the visual standpoint, the film looks just as one would assume a lower budget, independent film from the early 2000s would look like. The music is generic sounding and dull, which always surprises me when it comes to films with musical acts involved and their character's are based on. The off-camera sound editing isn't always crisp which can be a slight distraction. I will give the director a decent grade as the film does run with the right kind of pacing to not make it a laborious watch. Though neither the comedic, dramatic or romantic elements worked too well it's lightly entertaining enough to not be upset for giving it a watch.

This ensemble film seems to take influence from the likes of 'Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married?' in approach and tone. That description alone should serve notice that the film isn't going to offer much in freshness or originality. A personal issue I have with films such as this is the fact that the characters as written aren't likeable enough to root for them and filmmakers seem to assume because the actors in the roles are attractive we should always want to see them win at the conclusion of the plot. This film is no exception to that rule. On top of that, certain improbable coincidences occur during the plot to keep the narrative going which always irks me. Good looking cast with performances that waver in quality, teetering from slightly below average to solid, at times from the same actor(s). I was entertained at the climactic dinner scene in the third act which, as stated before, seemed to take a note from the Tyler Perry school of melodrama and humor. Rather basic camerawork, nothing special but looks decent for a lower budget film. The scene transition editing wasn't smooth. Did not like the music/score in the film. Felt rather generic and histrionic. Film doesn't make much of an impression but is alright for a little light entertainment if some of these performers are personal favorites to anyone.

The plot, the ending in particular, is VERY contrived. The main (title) character has no real dramatic purpose and isn't much of a compelling figure. The creators were aiming to craft a crime-thriller but the director isn't skilled enough at establishing tone to make the whole affair feel like anything more than melodrama. Acting is so-so, which always upsets me in films that bring so many talented performers together. I put this on the director as more skillful ones bring the best out of their cast, something this one clearly could not. D. B. Woodside and Kellita Smith as the police detectives are the most believable in their roles. On the technical side, it's shot well enough but the editing in terms of cutting from scene-to-scene is almost student-level at times. Again, more than anything I just wish filmmakers that are able to assemble this much onscreen talent could match it with better writing/direction. Not the worst film you'll ever see but nowhere near one that could be classified as "good/quality."

I truly wanted to rank this film a zero. Writing is atrocious. Film plays like a dramedy but is described as a horror/drama/thriller. This was either as a selling point or based on the fact the director and/or writer couldn't figure out what kind of movie this was going to be. It doesn't even attempt to become a "thriller" until the last fifteen minutes and at that point trust me, you will NOT even care what happens to these characters lol. The acting is amateurish all around, which is wild to me for the film to have a vet like Taral Hicks in the production. Shot like what one would imagine a low budget independent film would look like. The sound editing is bad too and gets quite annoying in some scenes. Overall, I would definitely recommend this film.......... to someone I couldn't stand.

A main character is never strongly established in the plot. There's no real plot at all anyway, just a group of friends going through a haunted house being picked off by an obvious killer. The "twist" was predictable. Ending just leaves the audience stumped. No standout acting from any performers involved. Film doesn't look bad, shot professional enough though some scenes weren't lit well. Might in fact be the best thing that can be said for it. Textbook bad exploitation-style movie writing and with director having no style or flair when it comes to horror elements or skill with performers the overall film is a complete bore. Not recommended.