deloudelouvain Reviews

The First Omen (2024)

A good prequel to the original.

[7/10 · 31 May 2024]

In 1976 Richard Donner's The Omen, with Gregory Peck, had a lot of people glued to the big screen. That was for that time a good evil horror movie, even winning an academy award for music, not often a horror movie gets an award. A good soundtrack is essential to create an eerie atmosphere and in The Omen they got that right. Lots of sequels and remakes later, some good and bad, Arkasha Stevenson comes with The First Omen, a prequel to the original. I was curious about it as Damian is still a synonym my wife and I give to an evil maleducated child, half a century later. An interesting story, pleasant to follow, good acting, and again a good soundtrack made The First Omen a more than decent prequel. The fans should like it.

The Fall Guy (2024)

Entertaining but a bit cheesy sometimes.

[7/10 · 30 May 2024]

The Fall Guy, I immediately had to think about the series that aired from 1981 to 1986, with Lee Majors as the investigating stuntman. A series I enjoyed a lot when I was young. So when I saw this movie was based on the adventures of Colt Seavers I was curious about it. This time no Lee Majors (just a little appearance in the end credits) but Ryan Gosling as Colt Seavers. Emily Blunt plays the woman Colt has a crush on. Not really a comedy if you ask me, more an action movie with a lot of stunts, go figure, it's an easy watch. I prefer Emily Blunt in more serious roles than as a comedian. The story is sometimes a bit cheesy, not really the best parts of this movie, but the stunts and the fast pace make up for it. All in all an entertaining movie, a typical popcorn blockbuster.

Await Further Instructions (2018)

Made before Covid...

[7/10 · 29 May 2024]

Some people don't get why this movie gets positive reviews. Well I don't get why Await Further Instructions is getting so many negative reviews. First I thought the makers were inspired by the whole Covid hysteria where people (well the vast majority of the earthlings) got brainwashed by everything said to them by the mainstream media, television and newspapers. When people feel insecure or even in danger you can make them swallow anything and this was the whole concept of this movie. But then I saw the movie was made before the worldwide panic so I guess the makers had a pretty good idea of what people are capable of. It's a low budget movie but the idea was certainly not bad. The ending could have been more elaborated but overall we all get the idea behind the story. Decent acting, not Oscar winning performances but good enough for me to stay interested.

Civil War (2024)

Following war correspondents.

[7/10 · 28 May 2024]

Civil War from writer/director Alex Garland is an okay movie but the story could have been better developed. It was not really clear how and why the whole situation started and that could have made the movie better. Now it's just more about following the journalists and photographers, more specifically war correspondents. Kirsten Dunst and Wagner Moura as well as the rest of the cast were believable in their roles. I hoped that Nick Offerman would have had more screen time, now he was just a poster filler and that's too bad. Strange to see him without his thick moustache. The movie isn't bad, I was just expecting something else.

Motherly (2021)

Average.

[5/10 · 27 May 2024]

Motherly is a bit too slow paced to my liking. It just lacks the momentum to keep you interested. From the start you have the feeling what the outcome will be and although the ending was a bit surprising (at least to me as my wife figured it all out before) it still didn't managed to wow me. The acting wasn't bad, just average I would say. If you're expecting horror you won't get it unless you're easily horrified. It wasn't even that thrilling to be honest. It's watchable, I've seen a lot worse, but it definitely won't make it in my list of movies that I will remember, on the contrary I already forgot most about it.

Quasi (2023)

Silly but funny.

[7/10 · 25 May 2024]

I remember watching The Hunchback Of Notre Dame (1939) with my mother when I was little. She liked that movie, I can't say I did. Maybe I was too young to appreciate it. That said when my wife chose Quasi for the evening movie I wasn't thrilled as I thought it was going to be another romance/feeling pity movie but it was quite the opposite. It's for sure a comedy, okay maybe a silly comedy, so it won't please everybody but we had good fun watching this remake (if you can call it that as it's just about the character and a total different story). Decent acting, plenty of parodying and absurd humour, right up my street.

Contorted (2022)

Disappointing.

[4/10 · 24 May 2024]

South Korean cinema is one of my favourites, definitely the best Asian country to make good movies. Despite this one having a low rating I gave it a shot but the low ratings were deserved. It's not that great. The idea is there but the low budget is clearly visible. A horror movie needs a good soundtrack and scary moments but besides a couple jump scares (not even that great) there was none of that in this movie. Contorted could have been much better. The acting wasn't awful, but with good acting alone you're not guaranteed to make a good movie. It's been awhile since I was disappointed by a South Korean movie.

The Holdovers (2023)

Not Oscar material, just a watchable drama.

[6/10 · 23 May 2024]

I will always be amazed by some of the movies that get nominated for the Oscars. Four nominations for best motion picture of the year, best performance by an actor in a leading role, best original screenplay, and best achievement in film editing and one winner for best performance by an actress in a supporting role for Da'Vine Joy Randolph. Now, I'm not saying the movie is bad but Oscar material? I don't think so. It's a lighthearted drama, not really a comedy or I must not get the humour. It's basically a clash between the old teacher played by Paul Giamatti and the youngster with problems played by Dominic Sessa. Nothing thrilling about that, borderline boring if you ask me. The acting is all okay, again not Oscar material. But it's watchable, it's just not my genre of movies.

Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema (2008)

Good action/crime from South Africa.

[7/10 · 22 May 2024]

Gangster's Paradise Jerusalema is a crime/action movie from South Africa. Subtitles will be needed as the English wasn't easy to understand, let alone the South African which was actually more a dialect from the suburbs than anything else. Normally as a Dutch speaking you can understand it a little bit but this was far from what I'm used to. The story is easy to follow, with loads of action scenes so you never have slow moments. A good movie if you like gangster flicks. Overall the acting was good, but some were more convincing than others. The quality of the images could have been better but that's if you start too look at the small details. Inspired by true event, which is always a bonus, but then again they can do whatever with it as it's only inspired.

The Mill (2023)

One actor, one location, difficult to be a great movie.

[6/10 · 21 May 2024]

The Mill isn't a bad movie but it was a bit too monotone to be standing out. Everything, well almost everything, is shot in the same place with basically just one actor (Lil Rel Howery) talking to other actors we don't see. There are some intriguing moments but it's never really suspenseful. The ending was surprising, not bad actually, but it couldn't make this movie stand out from the rest. The idea was there, so it was a bit refreshing, and the acting was not bad but movies with just one actor and one location are rarely really good. I can't say I regret watching it, even though I found it a tiny bit too long.

A Murder at the End of the World (2023)

Good enough to watch once.

[6/10 · 20 May 2024]

A Murder At The End Of The World is a whodunnit murder mystery somewhere in the middle of nowhere in Iceland. Sometimes a bit confusing so not the easiest plot to follow, and it was a bit too slow paced also at times. Emma Corrin plays the head character, the one that likes to investigate, and although she's not a bad actress I found her sometimes overdramatic. Maybe because of the script, that could have been better. Certainly the ending that I found disappointing. The series is only seven episodes long and is about two different stories in different timelines. The main story takes place in a ultramodern bunker whilst the side story, a hunt for a serial killer, was in my opinion much more interesting to follow. Because of the unsatisfying ending and the few overdramatised scenes I'm just going to score it a six which means good enough to watch once.

Sting (2024)

I don't like spiders, never did, never will.

[7/10 · 19 May 2024]

When I saw Sting was a horror movie about a spider I immediately had to think of Frank Marshall's Arachnophobia (1990) with Jeff Daniels, a movie that gave me the creeps. Me and spiders, it's not a great combination as it's one of the only things that I fear. Sting wasn't as scary as Arachnophobia, where it looked like millions of spiders crawled from everywhere, but it was an enjoyable and entertaining movie. The spider looked dangerous, the actors did their job and the cinematography was of good quality. Definitely a horror movie that will give the arachnophobes among us the chills. No way this movie will heal my fear.

Problemista (2023)

Not a tearjerker but not a bad movie.

[7/10 · 17 May 2024]

The problem with a comedy is that you will never please everybody as we all have a different sense of humour. I read that some other reviewers found it very funny whilst I found Problemista an entertaining movie that I enjoyed watching but not really funny. It has an ironic tone but it's not a tearjerker. Writer/director Julio Torres also played the main character, a weird looking nerd that tries to get sponsored by Tilda Swinton who plays an annoying "Karen". They both did a good job with their performances. The rest of the cast was good as well, but it was more about the two main characters than anyone else. It's worth watching.

Force of Nature: The Dry 2 (2024)

Equal to the first one.

[7/10 · 16 May 2024]

Force Of Nature: The Dry 2 is a total different story than the first movie so it's not really necessary to have seen that one first. It's again with Eric Bana, who plays the major character, a fed trying to solve the disappearance of a woman played by Anna Torv. I didn't know she was Australian, in the sci-fi series Fringe she could hide her Australian accent easily. Good acting from the entire cast. Nothing dry about the movie though, quite the opposite, as everything is very green and wet. The story is of equal quality as the first movie. You have to stay focussed so not really an easy watch.

Abigail (2024)

It's better to just watch it without reading about it.

[8/10 · 15 May 2024]

If you don't know anything about the movie I wouldn't read anything about it and just watch it to experience it better. I immediately had to think of Quentin Tarantino's From Dusk Till Dawn, another movie with a similar story that surprises you when you watch it without any knowledge. Personally I think Abigail as the title for the movie wasn't a good choice. It kinda gives it away, that the girl is special. Still I did enjoy it. Believable actors, even the little Alisha Weir that I found better as the evil kid than the 'normal' kid. Nice job with the creepy scenes, credits to the make-up artists.

Late Night with the Devil (2023)

Straight from the seventies on tv.

[7/10 · 14 May 2024]

Late Night With The Devil looks like an old movie but that's only because the story is happening in the seventies. Well done for sure as the talkshow looks like something that would be popular in those times. The costumes, hairdos, decor, or even style are all from the seventies so it looked all correct. The various pauses for commercials every five or ten minutes were also original and made this movie look like it was aired on tv (well American tv then, famous for their constant very annoying interruptions). Writers/directors Cameron and Colin Cairnes did a good job making this easy to follow mild horror movie. Good acting as well from the entire cast. Just don't expect hardcore horror, it's more the mysterious tension that keeps the audience interested. I enjoyed watching this one.

Deadstream (2022)

Better than I expected it to be.

[7/10 · 13 May 2024]

I'll admit I had doubts about this movie. The reason, it looked like it was going to be a homemade low budget movie, with a very small cast, just one location, and the main actor being also the writer and director. Also shot with a handycam, not really the style I normally like to watch. But Joseph Winter did a good job combining it all. Also the fact that it was about followers and an influencer, not really things or persons I have a high opinion about. But it turned out be subtle irony and that was the thing that made me laugh more than once. As for the horror, for a low budget, it was decent. Mostly jump scares but good ones. Found footage movies can be slow and ultimately boring but this one, although not really a found footage but in the same style, was good entertainment. In this genre well worth a watch.

Scream Queens (2015–2016)

I say what now...

[7/10 · 11 May 2024]

It took me a couple episodes to get into this show. At first I had a bit of a problem by the annoying characters "The Chanels" played by Emma Roberts, Abigail Breslin and Billie Lourd. I didn't get the irony by then but as soon as I realized it was more a parody than horror I got into it. They did a great job playing those posh dumb know-it-better. Of course you wish them to be butchered like the vast majority of the cast. Glen Powell was by far the most comical in Scream Queens. His role as a hot dumb stud, that thinks the planet turns around himself was just perfect for the comedy part. Miecy Nash was her usual self, like in Reno 911, a loud mouthful hothead. She was also very funny. Nice to see Jamie Lee Curtis again. A lot of horror classics got parodied, sometimes almost exact copy-paste scenes. Movies like Nightmare On Elm Street, Scream, The Shining, or Silence Of The Lambs were a good inspiration to the makers of this enjoyable short (only 2 seasons) series. Okay sometimes it's a bit dumb, but that was actually the best part of Scream Queens.

Jimmy Carr: Natural Born Killer (2024)

I guess some people are easily offended...

[7/10 · 10 May 2024]

Jimmy Carr brings another show with the kind of jokes we're used from him, the short one liners that make you think for a second, and that makes you giggle once you got the pun. Of course you will get people that get offended as his jokes are raw and risqué, but then again he's doing this for ages so why would you even watch his shows if you're that easily offended? Anyway, Natural Born Killer might not be his best performance but it's certainly good enough if you like Jimmy Carr. He joked about every delicate subject possible so I'm not surprised he gets negative reviews. But if you think you can laugh at anything and everything just give this show a go, you might enjoy it.

Finestkind (2023)

Watchable but not great.

[6/10 · 9 May 2024]

I get the negative reviews some wrote for this movie. Some people are not easily satisfied and this movie could have been better considering the cast. It felt and looked more like a tv-movie than anything else. Tommy Lee Jones is getting older although I thought he was older than he actually is. He just looks older, still can act though. Like the rest of the cast he's been in better movies. It's watchable but some scenes were, or a bit cheesy or a bit too macho. A bit too long as well in my opinion. But there are way worse movies. This one is just a watchable tv-movie, nothing more, nothing less.

Avengement (I) (2019)

Bloody revenge movie.

[7/10 · 7 May 2024]

I was in the mood for a good action/crime movie and I stumbled on this one. When my wife said there was an Eastenders (a popular English soap that seems to go on forever) actress I was already cooled down as I find soap actors just bad actors, well most of them that is. But the actors (some familiar faces) gave a pretty decent performance in this brutal and bloody revenge movie. The fights were well choreographed and looked real, an important thing as the movie consists mostly of fighting scenes. Sure, a bit over the top, like usual I would say in these kind of movies, but certainly entertaining. A good watch.

Barbarian (2022)

Suspenseful, mysterious, and creepy.

[8/10 · 5 May 2024]

Writer/director Zach Cregger made an entertaining horror movie. In this genre it's not always easy to create something 'new' and to also be good. The story is certainly gripping, in the first half of the movie it's a lot of wondering what is going on. There is definitely a tension that keeps you guessing, that makes you thinking you figured it all out. The second half it gets more serious, more horror and still a good intense suspense. A freaky looking character that will scare more than one. Good acting from the entire cast. The cinematography was very effective, with dark chilling scenes, and a good soundtrack to keep it suspenseful.

You'll Never Find Me (2023)

A bit too slow paced.

[5/10 · 4 May 2024]

An Australian horror movie, it had been awhile since I watched one. I remember some good bloody horror movies from down under so I was expecting something similar but it turned out to be quite the opposite. You'll Never Find Me is more a psychological than visual horror. I'll admit there was a bit of mystery what kept me interested in the story but it was a bit too slow paced to be excellent. Nothing wrong with the acting from the very small cast. As for the cinematography it was quite simple as almost everything is shot in one place. Not bad though, just small budget. The ending was a bit disappointing in my opinion so I score it only a five.

Humane (2024)

Watchable but a bit low budget.

[6/10 · 3 May 2024]

Humane is just good enough to watch once if there's nothing else to do, nothing more, nothing less. It feels a bit low budget. The acting is so-so from certain members of the cast, the rest was okay. It's not really a horror story unless you're easily horrified. Nothing really scary about this movie, maybe a bit thrilling. As for the sci-fi aspect I guess the plot will not be sci-fi for much longer. I mean overpopulation, it's already starting and it's only a matter of time before we get stuff happening like in Humane. In short, the movie is watchable, just don't expect to be amazed because you won't be.

Studio 666 (2022)

Good funny slasher with great sound.

[8/10 · 2 May 2024]

I don't get the bad reviews for this movie. I was looking for a comedy/horror and having The Foo Fighters as the actors turned out to be a nice bonus. Before watching Studio 666 I read some reviews stating the acting wasn't good so I expected just some laughs watching Dave Grohl and co trying to act but fail. In my opinion it was quite the opposite, they all were believable in their roles. Not what I was expecting from musicians. Nice to see Kerry King from Slayer playing a character. I bet those guys had a lot of fun making this movie. I sure did when watching it. Good slasher scenes as well. Also much better than I expected. There aren't too much bloody scenes but the ones you get are well made and shot. Creative ways of dying in a slasher, can't get enough of it. Musicals, normally the genre I despise, and although this one isn't a musical, the sound was just great. I would watch any movie with that music. Great sound and funny slasher, what else do you want?