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nielssloos-17186
Reviews
Stranger Things (2016)
Representation of PTSD
S4 makes more sense now, not completely finished but the PTSD themes are evident.
Modern classics in horror coming to light too.
Enjoy it, hope s4 will deliver final episodes.
Ojing-eo geim (2021)
Almost perfect, but fails to stick to the bigger idea
Squid Games received a lot of buzz since it came out and it is easy to understand why. Around 400 people who have their own financial problems decide to join a tournament, in which they have to play kids games where the losers will be killed. The premise is similar to franchises such as the hunger games, and other violent movies that became popular after that franchise.
And throughout the first couple of episodes we get kind of the same adrenaline filled experiences: the games are silly but due to the fact you get killed when you loose there is automatically tension. And eventhough it is pretty clear who will survive the first few games, audience still get what they want; a high body count and enough gore.
When the stakes are getting higher, you start to realize that the show has more similarities to 'the most dangerous game' and 'The Cabin in the Woods'. And without going too much into spoilers, the power distance between certain characters is present in all these three names. And soon you start to realize that it is a bold move for an American company (Netflix) to produce such anti-American series. I just wish they stocked with this idea.
Unfortunately, and maybe I am a bit too harsh in ranking it this low because of this, they completely flipped the premise on his head towards the end. And everything they build up in the previous episodes is wasted by a cheap plot twist that literally does not make sense at all. Don't get me wrong, the games are fun and there is plenty of tension, but it doesn't add up like The Cabin in The woods ended. The anti American propaganda is completely thrown out, and that is a huge dissapointment.
Pros: the games, the violence, references to inequality
Cons: plot twist, predictability, ending.
Midnight Mass (2021)
Best Flanagan work so far
The premise is simple; a young substitute priest arrives at a small island when suddenly miracles happen. To say more about the plot will spoil too much.
I do understand if viewers are a bit dissapointed in this new series of Flanagan since it is extremely slow and focuses heavily on the power of religion combined with an (original) twist that no everyone will buy into.
But personally, the show got me hooked right from the start. The beginning was really mysterious, and although the plot twist came early, it started to became scarier and scarier. With as highlight episode 3, which contains one of the best jump scares.
Besides the gore and the jump scares, that is actually not the scariest part. The most frightening part is the power and abuse of power around religion. And this struggle is perfectly portrayed by the young pries, who in my opinion, is not the villain in this movie.
As for a minor comment about the movie, the ending could have been a little bit more optimistic. And although many will not like the extensive lengths of many monologues. For me, the dialogues were a bit poor especially towards the end.
Highly recommend for everyone who will not be offended about its commentary on religion and the slow slow burn.
The Guilty (2021)
Potential wasted
Joe (gyllenhaal) is forced to work as a 911 operator during an ongoing internal investigation. When he get caught up in a kidnapping of a young mother, he does everything in his power to save the woman, while dealing with his personal situation at the same time.
The movie starts really strong with a couple of harrowing and frightening phone calls, which made me to believe I was in for a good movie experience. The switching between calls and the realization how much information you can obtain from one Call is done pretty realistically. And, as always, Gyllenhaal performs excellently.
But with many of the one location movies, the scenes and the movements between areas in the building seem a bit forced. And it is pretty obvious that the director did not know how to maintain the tension. There are some minor inconsistencies with the time frame (the time on the phone is hurting the timeline the most). Furthermore, the short cuts to the car are breaking the concept of one location movies entirely, there is just no purpose to it.
Unfortunately the twist, which I will not spoil, comes out of nowhere upon first viewing. It is an interesting twist, but is not build up well enough to be believable at all. And the ending scene, quiet literally explains what the movie is all about, in a lazy way.
Performances are good, there are some suspenseful scenes, but overall a quiet dull movie that have some really obvious inconsistencies. Only watch it for Gyllenhaal performance and the cameos of Keough and Hawke, which are enjoyable.
Amy (2015)
Incredibly sad and beautiful
There is no way around it, the whole world has heard about Amy in one way of another. Whether it is her songs, her addiction or her tragic end. And there are so many things this documentary could focus on, but I am glad that the personal opinion of the film maker is non existent in this doc, it basically tells Amy's life without making it more beautiful or uglier than it was.
This documentary will hit you hard even if you are not an Amy fan. Even though Amy made some mistakes herself, you cannot help to feel for Amy. The media is so relentless that those scenes are extremely hard to watch. But the hardest part is to realize that her oldest friends love her so much, and eventhough they don't agree with her lifestyle, when she really needs them, they are there.
Also, her love for her father is so beautiful and tragic. She loves her dad eventhough she is fully aware he is taking advantage of her fame without realizing he is hurting her so much. I only wished they focused also on her relationship with her mother.
It is definitely not a happy experience to watch, it will break many viewers, and probably even harder to watch than many of the most disturbing movies out there, but it is definitely a must see.
Krisha (2015)
More intense than horror
We follow Krisha, who after several years, finally reunites with her family during thanksgiving. However, sound the entire family start to realize that old wounds never heal.
Being a big fan of Schultz work (Waves, It Comes at Night), I can definitely say that this is his best work so far, and that is quiet impressive as this is his debut feature film.
While the story line is really thin, Schultz knows excactly how to use Film to bring over the feeling of anxiety. The first half, where not much is going on, is so extremely tense by the use of sound, that I had to pause and continue the next day. The second half, everything starts to unfold in a horrific escalation of arguments, which is both tense and sad at the same time. We feel and understand all characters, even the most unlivable characters.
But I think the most daring aspect of the movie is how personal the movie is to the director (who plays a big role). Definitely watch this movie if you like his other work. I probably will not rewatch this again because of how intense it is.
It Comes at Night (2017)
Frightening, intense slow burn
During a pandemic, a family's quiet life got interrupted when they decide to take another family in. While they agreed to follow certain rules, fear, paranoia and distrust will brutally interrupt their quiet life with unimaginable consequences.
There is so much to love (and to hate) about this movie. I think audience who have watched the trailer absolutely hate this movie, and audience who go into this movie blind will appreciate it way better.
After an intense and quiet disturbing opening sequence, the pace slows down rapidly up to a point that almost nothing is happening without loosing the overall tension that the movie set up from the beginning. Without using much dialogue we understand the situation every character is in, which is quiet impressive film making.
However, the most impressive thing about the movie is how the dream sequences and the real life sequences are slowly blending into each other. Directly at the same time, the tension is picking up without realizing until a final confrontation, which, in my opinion, is one of the hardest to watch confrontations ever. Hoping, as an audience, that it was all just a dream.
Highly recommend this movie just to experience it, because eventhough there is a message behind everything, the experience itself is maybe even more important than deeper meanings behind it.
And don't watch the trailer.
In the Earth (2021)
Not for everyone
Martin and Alma set off for an expedition in the woods during a global pandemic to help scientists, but soon they realize that they should have better stay home.
It is hard to explain anything without spoiling anything in this movie. This has a few benefits and disadvantages.
The advantages are that you will go in totally unaware what is going to happen. And especially the first half is therefore extremely suspenseful and gory which everyone will like. And even after the first half, the movie did work for me. Although it did slow down a bit, it kept me interesting
The disadvantage, you don't know what type of film it is. Because if the change halfway through, it is understandable that many viewers will be annoyed by what the movie actually is about and they will have the feeling they wasted time. It is a highly intellectual horror scifi movie.
The only thing I did not like was the ending, because I just didn't get it. They could have explained it more clearly because, like many others I guess, It is unlikely I will watch it again.
Censor (2021)
Must see
Enid works as a censor and watches every day extremely violent and disturbing scenes. But one film brings back her haunting past and she slowly looses a sense of reality.
The concepts is truly original, and prior to watching, I was excited to watch a lot of gore scenes like the tapes of sinister, unfortunately there were not that many (except for the great intro). But that is about the only thing that dissapointed me.
The story is good, and even sometimes funny and the acting is great. But the best part is the ending scene, the cuts are great and I think that the majority of the audience will understand what is going on. But it still is more an arthouse movie, so that is your warning.
Highly recommended.
Don't Breathe 2 (2021)
Stylish but unnecessary
Being for the most part fan of the first movie (except the assault on the woman), I was hoping to get more of the same with this movie since both writer/directors are back for this sequel. And it did not disappoint for the most part.
It is a huge risk to change the villain into a hero for the sequel and I could not help to think about Logan in this movie. But eventhough it is a completely story and movie, it stayed loyal to some elements of the first movie. Especially the glass roof scene was nice. And story wise there is not much to complain about, it is good not more not less.
The main issue is the writing. There is almost no dialogue, especially during the invasion. And when the dialogue happened, it was forced and did distract me a lot. I still think if it was better not to use dialogue at all as the shots did say everything you needed. This would have given an interesting edge. The man is blind but can hear, and can see but not hear.
If you liked the previous one, you will like this but don't expect a normal sequel or remake.
Malignant (2021)
Bonkers is an understatement
We follow Madison who suddenly gets visions of brutal murders that are happening and she thinks they might be related to her past. Based on the synopsis and the pretty good trailer, you would expect you are in for a pretty straightforward horror movie by the beloved James Wan. And for the most part that is correct Unfortunately, unlike his previous movies, the scares didn't work that well.
This movie has many issues, the tone is all over the place and the writing is extremely poor. Somehow, however, Wan's directions keeps you engaged in the silly first two acts. And if it was for the first two acts, I would have rated it much lower.
However, the third act is such a left turn that you would expect to hate it, but in fact, the opposite is true. It is such a weird twist that you as a viewer are wanting to walk away. But Wan is brave enough to stick with the ridiculous twist with confidence and determination that you can only admire it.
Don't expect a deep horror movie, just enjoy it. And if you don't enjoy it, still stick with it to watch that third act, I will never forget this act and am curious what Wan has to say about this movie.
CODA (2021)
Such a good watch!
Ruby is the only person in her family who is not deaf and therefore has the responsibility to take care of her family as they fully rely on her. But when she finds out she has a passion for singing, she needs to make a difficult decision.
I have heard some good things about this movie already, but I didn't feel like watching it as it seems like not wholly original (besides the deaf family). But I have to take that judgement back, because this is such a great movie for a few reasons.
First, the comedy is quiet different from the usual comedy / dramas. They make harsh jokes, they will be in really awkward situations at times and the comedic moments might not work for everyone, but they did for me.
Second, where many movies try to become over dramatic because of subject matter, CODA maintains a level of realism by not going too far.
Third, the music scenes are great. The practice sessions are enjoyable, and later on, when they have to perform, you immerse yourself completely in the situation.
As for flaws, the ending is a bit drawn out with several alternative endings they could make. As for the script, there are a few times that they use too much talk to explain what the family is feeling while we as audience already can feel it without needing the context explained.
Overall, a great much where everyone can find something to love even if you think it is not for you, go and give it a try, you won't regret it.
American Horror Stories (2021)
Entertaining, lacks depth
I am a big fan AHS S1, 2, 5, 6 &9, so I was excited to watch this new series. And the season started off with a nice reference to the murder house which led me to believe that we got actually got something good. The first two episodes were not perfect, but were entertaining enough.
Unfortunately the next few episodes were quiet messy. People need to know that all of the episodes are more leaning towards comedy and can be seen as a commentary on horror tropes like scream and the cabin in the woods. And the premise of each episode are interesting. What is missing is the depth. All episodes are quiet short, and they spend more time on build up, as a result, when the action start it feels extremely rushed.
And The entire season seems to have a strange order that does not make much sense, E1+2 murder house followed by some random short stories, to end back again with murder house again (which was one of the worst episodes).
I think if they continued the trend, expanding the universe of the previous AHS seasons, it would have been way more interesting. Now it is just entertaining, nothing else.
Arrival (2016)
Almost a masterpiece
When 12 alien ships land on the world, Louise (Adams) is brought in to learn the language of the Aliens in order to understand their intentions. In the mean time, world leaders are trying their best to keep the peace in the world and with each other.
After having seen Prisoners and Sicario, I was hyped to see this movie as the concept of the movie was really interesting. And what Villeneuve is doing really well is building up the tension towards the first encounter with the aliens. In the mean time, we learn in the background what is going on in the world and how the world is responding to the alien invasion.
But It is clear from the start that the director is not interested to fall into the cliche of fighting aliens with the army concept. Instead, the entire movie is hinting on something way more intelligent. We don't know how the cuts to Louises family drama relates to the story but we are eager to find out. And at the end of the movie everything becomes clear and I can't imagine anyone NOT being emotionally broken at the end.
Unfortunately it seems that there is a big exposition issue getting into the third act. It seems like Villeneuve doesn't believe that the audience can put the puzzle pieces together themselves. Instead, there are quiet a few scenes where the literally explain what is going on, not once, not twice, but several times. Which, in my opinion was a let down, and does not allow you to enjoy a rewatch. This to me suggest that the director was more focusing to reach the mass public than movie lovers who enjoy more intellectual films.
Luce (2019)
Interesting watch that will not dissapoint
The extremely talented Luce is the perfect example of a 'good student' who is loved by his parents, students and teachers. But when his teacher Harriet sees a reason to open his locker, her discovery makes her second guessing Luces true intentions.
There is much to love about this dialogue heavy drama/thriller. First of all, Kelvin Harrison Jr. And Octavia Spencer are fantastic in their role. And especially Kelvin is unrecognizable from his debut role 'It comes at night'. The director is providing clues throughout the movie as to whether we have to root for Luce or should be afraid for him. But instead of giving us the answer, the audience make their own verdict. The movie keeps you engaged the entire movie, which is hard to do.
Although it is nice to see Roth and Watts back as a couple (this time not tortured by crazy killers as in 'Funny Games'), I think especially Watts is miscast in this movie. Both are giving their best, however the script that they were given seems staged and their reactions are not natural development of their character. This is a shame, as it seems like the dialogue of the teens are so cleverly written, which makes their relationship less interesting. And their actions towards the end are kind of unrealistic.
The conclusion of the movie is great, and the story goes full circle. However, the main issue I had is how the scenes play out. It seems like everything is played out chronologically. If this is the case, it doesn't quiet fit in the time line. If there suppose to be flashbacks, they are not clear.
If you like dialogue heavy movies or social thrillers you probably like this movie. However if you are expecting a well constructed mystery thriller where every piece falls into its place at the end, you might be dissapointed at the end. (7.5/10)
The White Lotus (2021)
A bit of a mixed bag
The show started off really great introducing us to all the characters. Especially the struggles of the staff is portrayed well in this shown. Keeping up a happy face all the time.
The show starts with a murder mystery vibe, however, soon you start to learn that the slow build up of the escalating tension might is more going for dramatic effect. And I have to say that the plotting of the escalation spiraling out of control is done wonderfully, event until a point that I was planning on rating it higher than 7.
Unfortunately, the finale did not live up to the expectations. Without going too much in detail, the opening scene of the show is more of a hook used to keep audience stick to the story, than that it had any thematically purpose. For that reason the ending was a huge let down. Most of the character arcs were completed, great and satisfying except for a few.
I recommend watching it for the top cast, beautiful scenery and the build up of tension. However it is a bit of anticlimactic for a show that purposely builds up a tension. Furthermore you do not really connect with any of the characters on an emotional level, as you are watching from a distance unable to reach out or feel for them, like you are a member of The White Lotus, which might be intentional.
Brand New Cherry Flavor (2021)
Weird, stylish in a good way
Maybe one of the riskier projects Netflix has taken in a long time but that is a good thing.
There are so many smart movie references in this limited series, especially in the earlier episodes that only unpacking all these references is a fun thing to do by itself. But the acting is quiet good as well and the story comes to a close at the end without falling into an exposition trap.
There are enough gory moments that make you look away at times and the casting of the secondary characters is great as well.
The series keeps you engaged at the beginning, unfortunately at the midpoint it becomes quiet slow and in these episodes, there are also less references to pick out which is a shame. However, if you sit through the show, you will be satisfied by the ending, which is cleverly done.
High Flying Bird (2019)
Great camera work, lack of characterization
During the lockout of basketball players a business takes a risky move to end try and end the lockout which both benefit the players and his career, if he succeeds.
This is an interesting movie to say the least. The movie, like Unsane, is completely shot on a IPhone. And Soderbergh masters the camera work much better here than in Unsane. However, using the unique way of filming, is not everything that makes a great movie.
Although the dialogue is great, and the concept of the movie is interesting, I did not care for the characters and the talent of Andre Holland and Zazie Beetz was not used to its full potential. They just did not had a lot to work with, which left me feel empty and not completely engaged in the movie.
It might have been the intention of the writers and directors since the plotting of the scheme is extremely clever and rewarding at the end. I think it was a missed opportunity, as Holland's relatives back story was worth unpacking more.
Overall, if you like dialogue heavy movies or even heist movies, you probably like how the movie unfolds. However, if you are like me, and want to feel and engage with the characters, you will be slightly dissapointed as the movie is just not that engaging overall.
The Gift (2015)
Great acting, twist and overall movie
Simon (Bateman) and Robyn (Hall) movie to rural LA for Simon's career. When they meet Gordo (Edgerton), an old friend of Simon, strange presents are left behind their house. This forces the couple to look back at their actions of the past and rethink whether they know the person they live with.
This movie surprised me on so many levels. First of all, it slowly becomes a completely and far more serious movie than the trailer suggests, which can be off putting for the Movie goers who just want to be thrilled, but I think it works for the better for this movie. Secondly, the movie title seems simple but is multi layered, as all characters are. It is up to the audience to give meaning to the the title and decide what 'The Gift' actually means.
But the best part of this movie is the characters, which are so well developed both in writing and acting that you feel for all characters. They are all flawed characters who are hiding something and they all express their pain in a different way. Especially Hall, who slowly becomes the protagonist of the story gives yet again a stellar performance, hopefully one day she will get recognized.
As for flaws, the tone of the movie shifts quiet a few times which reduces the tension a little bit in the middle part of the movie. Furthermore, although the characters are well developed, their back stories are often revealed using small references or short dialogue. This could have been more expanded for dramatic effect as the story line of the past is extremely interesting. But these are really small flaws, that you will completely forget towards the ending, which has one of the best movie twists ever, and will reward you as an audience for sitting through the entire time. And the movie will stick with you for a long long time.
Gameboys (2020)
Best pandemic / BL series
After watching "Kalel, 15" and being impressed by the talent that is Elijah Canlas, I could not have been happier to see that he played a gay character in this series. The story is simple; two young boys meet each other online in the middle of the pandemic and fall in love. However, it is fair to say that there is so much else going on in this series
Both main characters are played well, but where Gavreel falls a bit flat (he does not have that much challenges to overcome), Cairo is portrayed perfectly and got me very emotional at some points.
There are many US shows that are using the COVID situation in a terrible and unrealistic way, therefore It was a delight to see how this show managed to come up with some original ideas and focusing more on the effect the pandemic has on a person
The episodes are short, funny, heartwarming and emotional at the same time and the ending is really satisfying. I can't wait to see the movie, Highly recommend this show.
Kalel, 15 (2019)
Beautiful in every way
The story follows the 15 year old Kalil, who got diagnosed with HIV, and how he tries to live a normal life while everything around him seems to fall apart.
Sometimes you will get rewarded by just randomly picking a movie on Netflix, going in with zero expectations, and how happy I am I did.
The movie is beautifully shot in black and white, often shot through windows suggesting that what you see should not be seen. And as the end credits suggest, having HIV is a taboo in the Filipinos while the country has a high HIV rate especially under youth.
And while the subject matter is really heavy, the movie avoids the trap many Hollywood movies fall into: making it too dramatic. Instead, the movie just tells the story, allowing you as the audience feel how you want to feel about the events that unfold.
The main reason why this movie works so well is due to the actor who portrays Kalil. His performance is so subtle and convincing. Both the director and the actor create really subtle manners and gestures, telling the audience everything we need to know. I won't spoil what I am referring to. You just have to watch it and experience the movie.
This might be one of the bigger surprises for me in 2021 and I will keep looking out at what this actor and director will make in the future.
Silence (2016)
Heartbreaking, violent and interesting
Two priests (Garfield & Driver) are sent to Japan to find their mentor who is believed to lost his faith while captured by Japanese authorities. While looking for their mentor, their faith will be tested to the limit.
It took me quiet some time to rewatch this movie because I found it extremely hard to watch due to the length of the movie and the violence which makes you feel extremely miserable. However, I finally managed to watch it again, and the movie still remains extremely powerful.
It has mainly to do with the great performances of Garfield, Neeson and Driver, it is a shame they did not get recognized at the academy awards. Especially upon second viewing, the conversations about faith, religion and selling religion in a foreign country are fascinating and never boring. Also the scenes with the Judas figure made much more sense upon second viewing.
While the movie is beautifully shot, the movie is a torture to sit through both because of the violence and the length I don't know if this was done on purpose so that we immerse ourselves with Garfield. This, together with a huge amount of dialogue in Japanese, which is not subtitled, can be off putting for some viewers. But I couldn't help to stop crying at the end of the movie (both times).
I highly recommend watching this movie because it will reward you at the end if you manage to sit through the entire movie.
Aftermath (2021)
Good ideas, bad movie overall
A young couple decide to follow the advice of their therapist to move to a new house in order to bring new life into their relationship. But soon they realize that there is something strange going on in the new home the moved to.
I wanted to like this movie and rate it higher. The job of Shawn Ashmores character is interesting and I loved his acting in The Following and Frozen. The movie keeps you guessing what is actually going on in the house for quiet some time. And although the guessing works rather well, as a horror movie, it is not that scary.
Furthermore, the acting is just hilariously bad, I'm sorry Ashmore.
But the worst part is how the movie concludes, it comes somewhat out of nowhere, and I can't help to think about The Boy, which makes the twist more effective than this movie does as the references it makes to some horror movie tropes are all over the place.
Ke zai ni xin di de ming zi (2020)
Recommended, one of the better gay romances
Taiwan 1987, Jia-Han and Birdy grow feelings for each other while the martial law has been lifted. While their attraction to each other is genuine, family pressure, society and peer pressure makes it difficult for the both. Their relationship will change their life's forever.
I was pleasantly surprised by this movie because I did not expect to be touched by it so much. The movie develops the characters really well and, although both main characters are flawed, you grow to feel for them. The movie does not explain the themes and the message clearly. Instead it uses some examples throughout such as the lifting of the martial law, a contest to make their point.
Without spoiling anything, there are a few really emotional scenes that are really emotional and sometimes hard to watch (shower scene, beach scene, phone booth scene) but so well made that they will stick in my mind for a long time.
However, the movie is not without its issues. First, the time jumps back and forth are at times confusing and are not necessary to tell a touching story. Second, the movie does seem to have multiple endings, which is not needed. As a result, the ending feels extremely long, and the final ending did feel a bit underwhelming. Finishing the movie 20 minutes earlier would have make the movie work much better.
Overall a great movie which is by far one of the better gay romance movies out there.