lbsa71 Reviews

Atlas (2024)

Prepare to be amazed...

[2/10 · 5 June 2024]

... that it even possible to write, finance and green light this stupid a piece of cliche-ridden last-century sci-fi glop in the year 2024.

Apart from the story and world-building being blatantly derivative, the depiction of technology and science was quite dated already when the movie released. It would have been a kick-ass sci-fi in the 90s, but a LOT of water has run under that bridge since.

It does have non-stop action posing spectacular pacing, so if you have 2 hours to kill, want something to fall asleep to, or have on in the background while you're doing the dishes (like I am right now) - and aren't much disturbed by lack of sense, coherence or reason - this is the film for you.

To the moon!

Peterchens Mondfahrt (2021)

Why is European child movies always this dumb and boring?

[4/10 · 1 October 2022]

I am European, so I'm entitled to this question. I want my money and 90 minutes of my life back. This movie is straight to streaming material, stay well away from it in the cinemas. It is a prime example of how inferior European filmmaking is to American filmmaking when it comes to creating captivating movies that you can watch together with your children. This movie has no character development, no real engaging conflict, nothing in it for the parents. Just a shallow, derivative storyline peppered with sudden uncalled for jerks, farts and falls. Because, you know, children. And don't get me started on the uncomfortable stereotypes.

In the Earth (2021)

Ben Wheatley back up on the horse

[8/10 · 16 May 2021]

If you were blown away by the multi-layered plot of "Kill List", enjoyed the surrealism of "A field in England", the dark humor of "Sightseers" and chime with the themes of "Upstream Color" and "Beyond the Black Rainbow" - rest assured this IS a movie for you. If those movies don't mean anything to you, or if you have come to known the director by some of his more recent productions like 'High-Rise' and 'Rebecca', this will be a confusing and potentially disappointing ride. While this is not a pandemic-flick à la 'Outbreak' I consider it the truest, even the only, depiction of a pandemic-ridden world I have seen to date. The mundane and low key depictions of pandemic coping rituals are fuelling the core value proposition of the film as a dark horror fantasy about our biological mandate to make sense of it all even where there might be no sense to be made. Thank you for this movie Ben, and glad you're back.