Change Your Image
kennyomegamanx
Reviews
Visions (2015)
Well-written creepy mystery
I haven't heard of this movie before, but was glad I randomly chose to watch it on Netflix. The plot starts out a bit generic, but - like wine with time - it gets better. A couple from the city moves to a vineyard in the countryside for a fresh start, but weird things start happening in their dream house. Only the wife Eveleigh (Isla Fisher) can see these supernatural occurrences, so her husband believes they're hallucinations caused by her mental health. From here, the story follows Eveleigh on a journey to uncover the mystery of these supernatural events - and if they're even real.
Even though the audience can see the supernatural phenomena Evelyn experiences, there's also a "paranoia" aspect of the film which is set up to make the viewer question whether what we're seeing is real or just a figment of Eveleigh's imagination. This adds to the mystery of the film. Of course the audience wants to know the origins of the supernatural events (ghosts? demons? ancient curse?), but there's an added layer of whether the audience can even trust a protagonist with a history of mental health issues. This keeps the story intriguing.
As for the film's horror factor, I thought it was more creepy than scary. There are some cheap jump scares which are easily anticipated, but I think the movie shines on its mystery and tense moments. The film really fills you with dread and keeps you in suspense of what could happen next.
The acting was ok. Isla Fisher did a good job at playing the protagonist who seems paranoid to others, but is convinced her supernatural experiences are real. However, there were also some scenes where she should've turned up the volume on her emotions and acted more terrified to match the situation. The supporting cast had a few big names, but were mostly insignificant roles except in one scene.
The ending is when the viewer will ultimately judge the movie. I thought the ending was creative, original and tied up the mystery nicely. But I can also see how some viewers could think it's cheesy or tries too hard. "To each their own."
I enjoyed this movie and would recommend it for a good creepy mystery.
The Main Event (2020)
Enjoyable film for the young bucks
As a fan of "sports entertainment," I thought this was an entertaining watch that should keep the little ones giggling from start to finish.
The story revolves around a young boy who finds a magical luchador mask that allows him to have superhuman strength. Rather than fighting crime like many movies we've already seen, he chooses to enter a wrestling tournament to not only live out his dream, but also, and more importantly, win prize money to help his financially burdened father.
The kids will enjoy the cameos by WWE Superstars, endless cheesy elements, puns and the cartoonish heroes/villains. Parents will enjoy the moral ending of the story and lack of violence (the "fighting" scenes are extremely goofy and exaggerated to the point where they can't be attempted at home).
There are things that adults could criticize such as storyline, special effects and acting, but these are to be expected for what is essentially a straight-to-video children's title. Overall, it is a fun movie for little wrestling fans.
Polaroid (2019)
Good, creepy horror for teens
This is a pretty good movie as long as you understand this is a horror movie for teens. The plot isn't exactly original and there'll be a few jumpscares, characters investigating creepy sounds instead of running, and characters who fall at the worst possible moment. Even though I'm 10-15 years older than the target demographic, I still enjoyed this film and believe it was above average.
The haunted object plot is one we've all encountered before. In this version, the main character stumbles upon a haunted camera and anyone who gets their photo taken with it becomes the prey of a supernatural entity. After the main character and her friends become the entity's target, they have to find a way to kill it before it kills them.
The writer and director takes this generic plot and really brings the creepiness of it to life. The film is set in a small town during the gloomy winter when it seems like no one goes outside. This gives the film a dark atmosphere and makes me (and the characters) feel isolated and generally uneasy throughout the movie. Despite a few jump scares, most of the horror is well-timed and still present even when the entity isn't present. I thought this helped the film's pacing - not a slow-burn, but not constant action either - and made it feel like danger could be lurking at any time.
The protagonist Bird was a well-written character. She's a socially awkward teenager who's dealing with her own personal issues. In the beginning, we see her getting picked on and, throughout the film, her backstory slowly gets revealed. When learning more about her, I felt more and more empathetic for her. Her friends' characters were underdeveloped and made me not care if they were the entity's victims, but Bird's character was written in a way to keep me rooting for her to survive.
The supernatural entity wasn't bad either. I liked that it was slowly revealed as time passed - small glimpses here and there, but no full reveal until the climax. This, along with the characters' search for its origin, provided the mysterious element to the film.
Overall, I thought this was a very creepy film. The concept and most characters weren't the most original and the ending, while satisfying, could've been better, but the writer and director did a good job making me feel uncomfortable from start to finish.