drifter_74 Reviews

1899 (2022)

Is there a point to it all?

[5/10 · 20 November 2022]

What we have here is an 8 episode mystery that could have been told in 4.

The very stylish series is set on a steam ship in 1899 transporting various European/Asian passengers from Europe to America. From the outset it is made clear that all of them are travelling to America to start a new life, none wanting the ship to return to Europe. The crew is mostly German while the passengers are multinational, each with their own reason for fleeing from their realities in their home country.

We learn that the shipping company recently lost a ship mid voyage and when this vessel turns up seeming abandoned things start to unravel. It is this point that the story starts to fall apart. Characters go from one bizarre situation to the next and the viewer is left puzzled by the meaning of it all. Somewhere around episode 4 a sci-fi storyline is introduced pushing the already confusing storyline firmly into the red.

We hear the same words repeated. "Realities, wake-up, memories, simulation, key" are all thrown into dialogues but no hints are offered as to what it all means. Only during episode 8 is some clarity offered and we realise the ship passengers are all really passengers on a space ship hurtling through space in 2099, all kept in stasis connected to some sort of computer that is running a Matrix-type of program. It would appear that the vessel is some sort of rescue/re-settling mission which ties back to the purpose of the 1899 voyage.

Somewhere in all of this is a mental hospital, a black pyramid, a boy with a health issue that is beyond saving, a tunnel below each bed that takes you to a memory, a father that owns the shipping line , a message to sink the ship, telegram messages made up of only triangle shapes and a missing brother that apparently wrote the simulation.

It feels like random ideas where just thrown together in an attempt to increase the "mystery" yet it does not contribute to the overall story.

Good luck trying to figure this one out.

Mr. Harrigan's Phone (2022)

Coming of age

[7/10 · 5 October 2022]

There is no doubt that Stephen King is a prolific author who is able to skip between genres with ease and deliver top notch material irrespective of the subject at hand, the Shawshank Redemption and IT attest.

Mr Harrigan's Phone is based on the King short story of the same title and in terms of genre this is more of a Shawshank Redemption than an IT. Don't expect a horror extravaganza.

The movie is a tale of two halves. The first tell the story of Craig, a young boy who lost his mother early in his life and finds a friend in an aged recluse. It is a coming of age tale that is beautifully told and if you give it your full attention you will be rewarded. The second half is less layered and more commentary on the impact of modern technology on our lives and relationships and it is here that the story loses some of its charm. For an ageing Boomer such as myself, I have experienced the impact that the evolution of technology and social media had first hand and can therefore relate. The Gen Z crowd who was born with a mobile phone in their hands will struggle to understand the underlying message.

I think the movie will resonate with the more mature audience and the younger folk may miss the underlying message.

Single Drunk Female (2022–2023)

Unrealistic yet somehow endearing

[6/10 · 11 June 2022]

Sam, a writer for an online news website, is a raging alcoholic and after destroying most of NY city is forced to move back to where she grew up and take up lodging with her recently widowed mother. She is forced to pick up the pieces of the relationships she had with her school friends, some more in tatters than others.

The portrayal of Sam as an alcoholic battling to stay sober is completely inaccurate and unrealistic. Alcoholism is a demon of a disease and one does not simply shrug it off like an old coat. That said Ally Sheedy is brilliant as the less than enthusiastic mother and Sophia Black-De'Elia is likeable enough as the rebel Sam. It is however Ian Gomez as the mother's boyfriend Bob that steels the show for me. He is quirky and inept in social situations yet has these moments of sharing wisdom and caring for his new family that is very endearing.

The casting is ridiculously diverse, so are the social situations the characters find themselves in. You have everything from mixed raced marriages, lesbian marriages, man hating lesbians, bisexual relationships, transsexual characters, Jewish characters, overweight hairdressers and a whole melting pot of other oddities all thrown together to the point that it borders in the bizarre.

Oddly enough, there was enough like-ability in the storyline and characters to keep me watching.

The Northman (2022)

Took me three tries to finish it

[6/10 · 14 May 2022]

Robert Eggers follows up The Lighthouse and the VVitch with another dreamlike folklore movie, this time about Norse mythology.

I'm sure Nordic folk will be thrilled about this one. I do believe that it is a pretty accurate representation of Nordic life and beliefs during the early AD period.

It is one thing though to rate a film based on historic accuracy, it is another to rate it from a technical and entertainment perspective. The acting in this one is a mixed bag sadly and a lot of it felt unnatural and forced and it detracts from this being a really great movie. The same with some of the set pieces which gives you the feeling that you are watching a stage play where the actors use plastic props rather than a high budget movie made in the digital age, it all just feels over dramatic and dare I say "fake".

The story is a simple one, the loss of a father through violence and a boy growing up dreaming about vengeance. There is a bit of twist in the tale which makes the protagonist question his path.

It is a bit of slow burner and I lost interest on several occasions as the pacing of the unfold of the story stuttered.

Still plenty to like though. Just be warned that this not an action movie. It is dark, slow and the dialogue is "heavy" and will take a bit of concentration to appreciate.

You Won't Be Alone (2022)

A must watch! (Normies stay far away)

[9/10 · 24 April 2022]

I had no idea what this movie was about when I stumbled across it. I just saw horror as a genre and Noomi Rapace underneath the title and as I like both I though I would give it a go. Before I watch anything, I generally check the rating on IMDB without reading any reviews and as this had a score of above 6/10 on IMDB it confirmed my decision so I pushed play.

I quite like Noomi but her last movie, Lamb, left me a bit disappointed so I was keen to see if this one was any better.

"Packaged" as a horror (a character deemed to be a witch, some blood and gore) this really is a reflection on life. It unfolds like a David Attenborough documentary and the filmography is just as fantastic even if it is in a 4:3 aspect ratio. The main character was raised in cave with no human interaction except seeing her mother for an hour or so a few times a week until the age of 16. She then departs her prison and we journey with her through life as she learns both the good and bad of human nature and emotion.

I don't generally like dramas but this had me spellbound. It is slow and you need to give this all of your attention to be rewarding. The TikTok generation will quit after the first 5 minutes and I won't try to persuade them. For the "more mature" folk who have finished a few seasonal cycles in life and who have loved, was loved, lost love, was bullied, ridiculed and outcast - there is a lot to reflect on.

Give this one a watch. It is the best movie I seen this year.

The Cellar (2022)

Not ground breaking but worth a watch

[6/10 · 15 April 2022]

Family moves into an old rural home and all hell breaks loose.

There is nothing here that you have not seen before. Old house with a Cellar, Lovecraft-esque demons and some silly decisions. At least the tension starts to build immediately and it keeps it going throughout the movie.

This could easily have been an 8/10 but the character development of the father is non-existent. He could just as well not have been in the story and average acting by the children detracts from the believability. The "research" of the history of the house is also brushed over - that is usually the part of a great horror that makes the viewer sit up and watch and turns the tension up a a notch or two.

Elisha Cuthbert still has the best chin in the business.

X (II) (2022)

Artistic slasher ....

[6/10 · 14 April 2022]

Make no mistake, this is a well made movie.

Important stuff: the acting is spot on, the directing is good and the general filmography is artsy.

So why only 6 stars you may ask. Well .. for a start pacing is slightly off. It is a slow start and a lengthy build-up to the crescendo. The make up is not convincing and makes some scenes feel cheap. The biggest downfall however is that the story is simply a rehash of slashers like Wrong Turn and The Hills have Eyes. Once the plot twist untangles you will no doubt remind yourself that you have seen this story before.

Good to burn 90 minutes - bad for the art of horror ....... (I would like to inform Hollywood that this is not a horror - it is a slasher. There is a big difference.)

Moonfall (2022)

Were they paid for this?

[3/10 · 30 March 2022]

After watching Moonfall, the latest "attempt" by Roland Emmerich to make a movie, I can only conclude that the reviewers on IMDB that gave it more than a 5/10 were paid off. As I received no offer from Emmerich to submit a fake review, I will stick to the truth.

This is a disaster movie. The earth is in grave danger. The only people left to safe it are the unwilling hero, the goofy nerd and the pretty strong female character.

If you add all the previous disaster movie scripts (think Armageddon, The Core, 2012, Knowing, Deep Impact) and feed it into a computer, I am sure it will come up with a better script than this disaster of a movie.

It defines the word "formulaic" and much as I love Patrick Wilson, he just does not have enough crazy in him to pull this movie from the ashes.

You have been warned.

The Batman (2022)

Why did I not enjoy this?

[4/10 · 12 March 2022]

Just got home from seeing The Batman.

Honestly I don't know how I feel about this one. As I walked out, I had 4/10 in mind but that may change as I think about the movie a bit.

Don't expect to see the Batman that you have come to know. In the new movie you are in essence just watching a guy wearing a mask trying to solve a politically and corruption motivated murder. The plot could just as well have been in a Jack Reacher or Ethan Hunt movie. The Batmobile is a suped up Corvette, there is no Bat Cave and he spends most of his time on a motorcycle. His gear is a leather mask, a cape and a torso shaped bullet proof vest. He rounds the costume off with some combat boots.

Pattinson is truly uninspiring - rivalling the worst of Seagal's performances. While the cinematography is great, the movie is utterly one trick and monotonous. You are literally sitting for 3 hours listening to eery orchestral tunes and looking at Pattinson staring into the distance while doing his best impression of an emo teenager.

There are some strong performances from Kravitz, Farrell and Dano but it is not enough to save the overly long movie.

Bring back the Batman from The Dark Night please. We need a hero.

Fresh (2022)

Dating is dangerous!

[8/10 · 6 March 2022]

Noa meets Steve in the vegetable isle of the store. Tinder has not been kind to her and she is at the point of giving up on dating when Steve enters her word. He seems like a good guy and meetings someone the "traditional" way these days is almost unheard of. It can't go bad right ---- or can it?

I delightful and twisted little movie with a great performance by Sebastian Stan. I was not expecting to enjoy this as much as I did.

The Weekend Away (2022)

Low budget "whodunnit"

[4/10 · 4 March 2022]

College friends Beth and Kate plan a weekend girls only getaway in Croatia to reconnect. Waking up after a night of heavy drinking, Beth cannot find Kate anywhere and starts an investigation to unravel the mystery of her disappearance.

As you watch this, you will notice the lack of music and sound effects which gives this movie a distinctly low budget feel. The acting is also generally pretty poor, the only redeeming factor is the Creation landscape.

If you like a whodunnit and you aren't too picky, this one will give you some mild twists and turns and should keep you occupied for 90 minutes. Don't go out of your see it though.

A below average movie.

Scream (I) (2022)

No more than a 5.5.

[5/10 · 24 February 2022]

As a late Gen X'er I am the same age as Neve Campbell and a few years younger than Arquette and Cox. When the original scream came out, I was a big fan.

Scream was never Academy Awards material but it did not matter to me. It was a great slasher that focussed on plot twists and scares.

I sadly watched the new generation trying to copy the movies from when I was young, butchering them it with their misguided views of life.

Honestly, if the 2022 version of Scream is a reflection of the way society is going, our gene pool needs a LOT of chlorine. Focus is shifted a serial killer movie to snowflake issues.

Lots of blood, lots of F-bombs, lots of hurt feelings, lots of self pity for things not going the way you want.

A disappointment for a movie carrying the title of SCREAM.

Archive 81 (2022)

Flawed but fun

[8/10 · 16 January 2022]

In 1994 Melody, an orphan who grew up in a Catholic Convent receives a letter from someone claiming to be her birth mother with last known address of sender being a building in NY known as the "Visser" building. She rents a room in the building, recording all her interactions with the residents on a camcorder hoping to locate her mother under the guise of doing a project for her studies and using the footage as part of her studies.

Jump to the current time and Dan, an archivist, is hired by a mysterious businessman to restore some camcorder tapes that were damaged during a fire in the Visser building in 1994. Due to the frailty of the tapes, he is instructed to do the restoration work in a remote building owned by the businessman's company. As Dan starts to repair and watch the tapes that turns out to being Melody's recorder interactions with the Visser's residents he soon learns that all is not as it seems, the Visser being the base of a cult who believed that a second parallel universe exists and they planned to open the door between our world and the other in the basement of the Visser.

I binged the series over a weekend. I must admit that on two or three occasions I lost interest, ended my viewing session and only picked it up a few hours later again, an indication that the series is slightly slow paced in sections. Pacing aside, as you might expect, the series has a large component of "found footage" being the recordings of Melody. In addition to this, Dan, who also had a challenging youth, has flashbacks of his childhood. There are also dreamlike sequences and flashbacks to the early days of the building and its first residents. Take it from me, this can get a bit confusing and requires some concentration to order the events for yourself in the correct timeline. One of the critics reviews that I read concluded that "the show is all over the place" and it is easy to see how the author drew this conclusion although it may be a tad harsh.

Acting is solid, Dina Shihabi who plays Melody being the standout. One of my main concerns is the quality of the cinematography that someone feels a bit amateurish with some strange camera angles being employed.

Gripes aside, who does not love a demonic cult story. Archive 81 tells a nuanced and intertwined tale of the nefarious plans to summon an entity and build enough suspense keeps most horror movie fans engaged while doing so.

Season 1 ended on a cliff-hanger. I truly hope Netflix makes season 2.

The Wasteland (2021)

Runs out of ideas

[4/10 · 9 January 2022]

This popped up on Netflix as The Wasteland directed by what seems to be first-time-full-length-movie director David Casademunt.

We are introduced to a small family of a father, mother and young boy who lives in a remote house where they live off the land. A series of wooden poles span the perimeter of the farm and we are informed that only death and destruction is outside the perimeter. As the story unfolds snippets are shared about a "Beast" that travels the land. Since it features a hammerless double barrel shotgun that was first invented somewhere around 1880 and jousting by the other equipment that the family uses, I would establish that the time period must the around the turn of that century although it never confirmed or mentioned in the film.

The first 30 minutes of the movie had me spellbound. The cinematography is amazing, the set design is superb and the acting is solid. The movie's start sets a solid foundation and builds tension, setting the viewer up for a fantastic thrill ride.

When the rowboat appeared and the resuscitated traveller pointed towards the wasteland and then proceeded to take his own life out of fear for what is out there, I was on the edge of my seat.

Sadly that is at good as it gets.

From there onwards the story runs out of steam and the unfolding storyline is weak and poorly conceived. The antogonist (Beast) is not shown or introduced into the story until the very end and the story focusses on the psychological breakdown of the mother to such an extent that it hijacks the storyline entirely.

As the story concluded I could not help but to draw parallels with M. Knight's "Signs" - although both are set in completely different periods and countries.

This could have been a little gem of a movie, but sadly the director runs out ideas on how to introduce the antagonist and tell a horror story first and foremost while still maintaining the human drama elements.

The Chestnut Man (2021– )

Slow burner but ultimately rewarding

[7/10 · 2 October 2021]

I have taken a liking of late in Nordic Netflix series and The Chestnut Man does not dissapoint.

The acting is solid and the story has enough mystery to keep you coming back for me.

Midnight Mass (2021)

Spellbinding

[9/10 · 27 September 2021]

Wow, did this one take me by surprise.

Truth be told, I was never a fan of The Haunting of Bly Manor. For a series billed as "horror", it had too much soap opera and too little horror. So when the early advertising blurbs for Midnight Mass indicated that it is from the same team that brought us THOBM, I pushed this to my "only watch if there is nothing better" list.

Well "nothing better" arrived and I pushed play on this series. The first few episodes were slightly slow, taking some time to introduce us to a small island community where people fighting their personal demons have lost their faith leading to empty pews. When the community's ageing preacher falls ill during a trip he is replaced by a much younger preacher.

As someone who grew up in an extremely religious house, much of the religious dogma and the congregations' battles with their faith resonated with me. For a moment there I forgot that this is supposed to be a horror series and then BAM!!!! Episode 4 hits and it blew me away.

I'm up to episode 5 now and the snowball is picking up speed. If it continues in this fashion the next 3 episodes is going to be killer.

By the way, the soundtrack is fantastic.

Foundation (2021– )

I am enjoying it so far ...

[8/10 · 27 September 2021]

I have read several of Asimov's works, admittedly I am not familiar with his books upon which this Apple+ series is based. Several IMDB reviewers expressed their disappointment that this series is not faithful to the literary works. To me it makes no difference - someone created a fictional world and brought it to life on the small screen, whether it is Asimov or one of Tim Apple's writers is irrelevant to me and I will judge the effort based on the storytelling and film making efforts.

For those unfamiliar with Asimov's series and in order for my short review to be spoiler free, not much detail can be divulged unfortunately. It is best to have the storyline unfold as you watch the episodes and that is the way that I have decided to approach my following of this Apple+ series. We are however introduced to an expansive empire that is ruled with an iron fist by a small group of monarchs.

As new episodes are released every Friday it is not possible to binge watch this but so far the the acting is solid. Stands outs are Jared Sheldon who plays the mathematician Harri Seldon and Lee Pace as one of the monarchs, Brother Day. Both are seasoned actors. The female lead was new to me however and, as a South African, as best she tried to maintain a posh UK accent, there were sporadic "flat" pronunciations that is endemic to South Africa. I had to do some research on her and discovered that she was raised in South Africa and Spain.

I hate movies/series that are "preachy" and focus on liberal social justice lectures and such. I have not noticed any of it so far in this series. The galaxy is a big place and there will be millions of different races and species who live in it, so we would expect to see quite a diverse cast of characters who have their own customs and religions. I also have no issue with a strong female lead. Woman are definitely not inferior to men from a cognitive perspective and the lead character's story revolves around her intellect. So no SJW and liberal propaganda here which is a good thing in my book.

Technically the series is excellent, as we can expect from Apple+. The CGI is fantastic, the Dolby Vision visuals are stunning and the Atmos soundtrack is enveloping.

I have finished the first two episodes. A word of warning: This is not Star Wars so don't expect an action packed sci-fi "shoot-em-up". While it certainly is not slow, it is not a "popcorn" series. There is a lot of dialogue to follow and plenty of backstory that is explained briefly and matter-of-factly. Viewers unfamiliar with the books will therefore have to concentrate in order to understand the happenings and follow the story.

As an account who dabbles in data modelling as day job, I was enthralled by the references to mathematics and the application thereof in the story.

So in conclusion: So far so good.

Old (2021)

A disgrace to the art of cinema

[1/10 · 17 September 2021]

I'm late to this new M Knight movie. It's been out for a while but I only managed to catch it now. At this time the IMDB rating is 5.9.

I saw the trailer and it did not look bad so I added it to my watch list. As a scifi/mystery/horror lover, M Knight's Sixth Sense and Signs enthralled me. The rest of his stuff not so much and everything from The Happening was just plain rubbish. Okay Split was not bad (saved by McAvoy) but Glass was just painful.

After the trailer I had high hopes that we get to see the M Knight of old, sadly the downward spiral just intensified.

The acting in Old is some of the worst I have seen in a general release. It even makes Sharknado look an Academy Award winning movie (that said, the Oscar accolade means nothing these days). The directing is confusing and the wide sweeping shots that is repeated over and over again is enough to give you sea sickness.

The customary "twist in the tale" is even more cringe than that of the The Happening.

Honestly, there is nothing to see here. The 5.9 rating surprises me. This should be no more than a 4/10.

M Knight should be defunded to save as all from the pain of watching his movies.

Malignant (I) (2021)

Above average as horror movies go .....

[7/10 · 11 September 2021]

As a horror and scifi movie nerd, I watch most of what is released in these two genres. There are so many really substandard movies in these two genres that it is easy to get excited when a well made movie is released.

Malignant ticks plenty of boxes and should satisfy most horror fans.

It is very difficult to say anything about this movie without giving away the plot. If you are sharp, you may spot the twist in the tale before it is revealed.

Zone 414 (2021)

Excruciatingly boring

[3/10 · 6 September 2021]

Set in the not so distant future, a robot designer hires a Private Investigator to look for his daughter in Zone 414, a district that allows humans to hire robots for "companionship".

Not even Pearce and Fimmel can save this snore fest. The dialogue between characters seems stretched out for no reason to just fill the running time, the plot is paper thin and predictable and the actors look bored. Oh and did I mention that this is clearly a Bladerunner knock off, even down to the synthesiser tones and flashing neon lights.

You will not miss out on any cinematic extravagance if you give this one a skip.

Beckett (2021)

Snooze Fest

[3/10 · 13 August 2021]

An odd pairing of lovers (Washington and Vikander) holidays in Greece. On a road trip they are involved in an accident and this sets of a series of events that forces Washington's character to go on the run.

The first time I saw Washington in a movie was in Tenet and he simply did not impress me. He is equally aloof in this film. His portrayal of Vikander's lover at the start of the movie is as unconvincing as it gets and once he becomes a fugitive, his stumbling through the Greek landscape snubs the last hope of finding decent acting in this film.

Acting aside, the script is equally constipated and the director attempts to build tension through a soundtrack that consists of electronic noises but that only manages to irritate.

Ultimately the movie just does not make sense.

I did enjoy the Greek landscape though, so 3 stars for the Mediterranean.

Aftermath (IV) (2021)

No horror here

[6/10 · 5 August 2021]

As a lover of horror movies, this one certainly is not horror.

I would classify this as a drama/thriller. Nothing wrong with it except you would have seen the same story done dozens of times.

Watchable if you really have nothing else to do.

The Tomorrow War (2021)

Switch off your brain, Buckle up and Hold on for dear life!!!

[10/10 · 3 July 2021]

If you want to overanalyse this you will find plenty of pot holes and ... shall we say "less well thought through actions".

This is not a movie to overanalyse. It is what it is .... A Proper Blockbuster SciFi spectacle with plenty of actions and monsters to satisfy any die hard action scifi fan.

Strahovski is brilliant and stand out head and shoulders from the rest of the crowd.

Don't miss this one.

Spiral (2021)

Trash!!!

[1/10 · 4 June 2021]

Chris Rock has the acting range of a jellyfish.

Story is lame, acting sucks, gore is at kindergarten level and no amount of F-bombs uttered by Rock and Jackson can save this.

Avoid this movie at all cost.

The Unholy (2021)

Such a shame

[4/10 · 29 May 2021]

As a big James Herbert fan, this movie is a let down. Low (and I mean bottom of the barrel) production values, CGI that looks like screen overlays and pretty poor acting left me very disappointed.

There is nothing here for the horror fan.