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Lazareth (2024)
Misunderstood
I watched this movie randomly, like I usually do and I liked it, later I was surprised when I saw the low ratings and the reviews.
So, I felt obliged to mention and explain why I liked it and how it is actually a good movie. In my humble opinion.
Most modern movies are based on action and/or visuals, and totally disregard the substance of the story.
You might get the visuals from those; you might get popular actors and you might get some superficial ambiguous plot filled with holes and cliches.
This one is obviously different.
The plot is solid, the idea and the philosophy of this movie is like clear yet very deep water.
You should stare into it a bit to discover what lays beneath, you should pay attention to understand.
I would also like to spend a moment to appreciate the actresses who have done a great job, it is hard not to sympathize.
Moreover, the characters - without giving us any superficial info about their background, we get to experience them through a series of small interactions, which paint a good and realistic picture of their personalities. This is some work well done.
Somehow this movie manages to sell you an idea of a cult (I guess you can call it a cult) and moreover give you a perspective on how it can be appropriate or morally good to have one.
And all of this while avoiding silly cliches and meaningless dialogues.
Not saying all of this is totally new or flawlessly executed.
Maybe it's not a flawless gem, but it surely is good enough to ponder on.
This movie is much better than it is being given credit to.
However, you really need to be in the right mood to appreciate the beauty and the idea, and how it is different from many similar ones you might've seen before.
The Silent Hour (2024)
Disappointing
I had to put on fast forward to finish it, unfortunately. It is too predictable and the wait is not worth it at all.
You have to get me right, I love Joel since 'The Killing', but there is simply not much to judge about this particular movie. I guess the overall idea is fine, the acting was okay. And that's it.
The whole movie basically takes place in a few rooms. There is no character development, the whole backstory for the characters is fed to us in couple of dialogue lines. Introduction feels abrupt. Decorations are sterile. There are some actions scenes, but half of them are cartoonishly silly. And I could bear with it all easily if only the plot was good...
But the plot is the worst part. Movie is totally ruined by it, the predictability and the giant holes it has. It is just the most basic screenplay that could exist. And the way some of the issues are explained is ridiculous. Maybe it's just me, I did really see too many movies in my life, so I knew where this one is going instantly and there was no effort made to throw the viewer off the only predictable path or to cover it and add at least some degree of mystery.
Its really sad, I was hoping for it to be a good movie. At best it could serve as a background while you're falling asleep. Any valuable substance here is missing.
The G (2023)
Finally some good stuff
Got to see this movie randomly.
To be honest, I was skeptical when I saw the poster and read the synopsis. Still, I thought I'd give it a shot, I like looking for gems.
The overall pace is slow and there is not much action going on. It's a thriller, but most gets resolved in talking. There's a lot of angry talking with a straight face if you know what I mean, this movie is built upon that. I do not consider this to be a drawback however, these movies are good if your mood is right. And I was in the right mood.
It turned out to be a good movie. Not perfect. The pace is shifting, characters seem to be poorly introduced and there are places where its really hard to follow who did what.
Considering all the mentioned flaws, I still really liked the movie.
First of all, the subject is no joke, this nursing home scam is a real thing and people who engage in this stuff must be put to justice as soon as possible, this must stop.
Secondly, I really liked the characters, they do feel human and we get to see clearly how everyone is flawed and yet finds his own way to maintain, I guess that's how you discover a real character. The lead is strong.
This movie is grim, I really liked that, it's serious and it earns its respect.
The drama is okay, acceptable, its honest, but it could've been much deeper. I guess, this is a part where a lot could've been improved for this movie to become a real gem. An opportunity was lost here, unfortunately.
The plot... I mean it's nothing new and this type of plot has obvious drawbacks, but this movie has served it quite well in my opinion. It was well executed. Someone has put a thought in it and I can tell it was someone who has some sense.
This is actually great movie. I will recommend it to my friends.
Fresh Kills (2023)
Honest review
Just saw this movie randomly, like I usually do, didn't read the details or watch the trailer, I like to surprise myself.
From the poster I was expecting it to be some 80's style gangster movie about ladies playing lead roles.
When I saw the blood in the first scene, I thought to myself 'this could've been done much better', and I instantly thought that it's probably gonna be a 'meh' type of movie.
I must say I really don't like the sterility of these scenes, it boggles my mind why can't people throw in some actual dirt for once to make dirty things look dirty, instead of everything shining like it was just wiped perfectly clean, every décor, every face, all the surfaces - all look like they are part of the set, as they are so clean and fresh, it looks silly... but I guess that can be said about almost any modern movie, so I don't really hold it against this one specifically.
I did continue watching and I was pleasantly surprised eventually.
I think this is a great drama really, a tragedy if you will. It digs deep and it has a punch to it.
The characters are likeable, you can relate to their feeling. Actresses do such a great job here, I do see they have put their hearts into it, so I respect that very much. It looks real.
The story is simple, yes, but I cannot say it makes the movie worse. Because this simplicity is part of the movie as it is part of every life and that is what this movie is about. People suffer, simple people, not some magical, unrealistic, plastic people. Real people do.
I think the acting was almost impeccable, especially by the lead Emily Bader.
So yes, the scenes might look a bit sterile, the story might be simple, the execution is not flawless by any means.
But then when we get to the substance of this movie (which is the most important thing to me about any drama), its deep, and it carries weight and it hits the spot.
I was skeptical about this movie at start, but eventually it did win my heart, its touching, tragical and sweet.
It has that soul that many modern movies lack, so it has my respect.
You'll Never Find Me (2023)
Literally a gem
I must admit it's quite slow to bloom, so if you're not in a mood of watching fire burn, you might not sit through this one and you might never get to know how good it actually is.
Initially the doings of the characters and the ways they act, their dialogues seem so strange, it creates a mysterious atmosphere, but it does feel heavy and unnatural (although later it is explained, which is good), which might confuse the viewer at first.
Hints are being placed here and there and they are good, they can actually trick the viewer and they keep you wondering.
Overall, the whole theme of the movie is terrifying actually.
The ending is quite well executed, its logical and powerful. It is also the best part of the movie, which is very rare in modern horrors, and that's why I called it a gem.
Double Blind (2023)
Scary in theory, yet practically unrealistic
I have enjoyed the movie for the most part. Setup was interesting, the eerie atmosphere of the potential experiment going bad is present and is made well.
The story is nothing new. It is scary if you think about, how something similar might be happening in real life. Certainly, it's not going the way it is going in the movie though, because it would be really practically unreasonable and unrealistic, like "ha-ha, we are evil pharma, now we gonna make yall suffer cause that's what we do, ha-ha". Don't even get me started on that 'drug' and the death scenes (to me it seems highly implausible and overdramatic)... Yet even distant possibility of similar experiments is enough to consider and is something to be alerted about.
Millie Brady is beautiful, but the characters are quite superficial. Can't say it's a big problem for a type of movie this is. We do get a small insight in each of their lives, but it's not dramatic enough to make us care really, apart from the main heroine (where we get bit more, while still not really enough). Most character interactions and dialogues are no good.
Execution is on a 'okay' level I'd say. Obviously, looks like budget is limited (the whole movie takes place in like 3 rooms, and each of them is sterile, which can be explained by this being a locked experimental facility and/or also low movie budget and the lack of attention to detail at the same time), yet the existing scenes seem to be well made. In other words, camera operators and editors did their job well. Overall, the picture is a pleasant view.
The ending is controversial to me. It is logical story wise and obviously we all root for the main character, yet ideologically it's empty and it's also unrealistic, so its not satisfying to anyone who wants some answers or an unexpected turn, or something similar.
All that said, somehow, I did enjoy it for the most part still, I guess my expectations were low and I really liked the setup and the image, and Millie Brady of course. So I'd say my scoring here is generous.
Lord of Misrule (2023)
Quite boring
If you ever seen a horror movie, the chances are you know from the start where all this is going. And there will be no surprises.
So the main problem of this movie is the plot, its based on classic folklore stories and follows the path that so many movies (or even child stories) have shown before. Which might be good... but it does not exceed any expectation.
So some might call it a classic, some might call it a cliche. Either way, its not unique, its not new, even the creature - I saw it in dozen other movies, and I can name multiple where its simply executed better ("The Ritual", for example).
In other terms, it is mediocre. Characters are not very likable or believable. The motivation of the antagonist (for example) and his image - I believe they are severly lacking any originality or style, they are so superficial it hurts.
Ending is simply weak - culmination is unsatisfying. It is simple (which is good sometimes), but it ain't smart or fulfilling, or entertaining in this case.
So I'd say the score I've given in generous. It's a mediocre movie. Some might say its okay, some might say its bad, but there is no basis to call it great - that is for sure.
I see multiple ways this could've been a better movie (just add a single thing that isn't a trope), but it is obvious that nobody bothered here to create something new or unique, this is just same old same old once again.
Blue Eye Samurai (2023)
Good attempt at greatness, yet...
It is good, interesting to watch.
The story has its strong and weak sides. It has some nice surprises in terms of character exploring, but overall, it is not very original. "Kill 'em all" type of story. John Wick samurai type of story. Its nothing new, but currently such story is in value.
It is entertaining. It has style. It has drive. And it is logically complete, unlike most modern series. It creates a certain atmosphere and embraces it beautifully at most times.
Yet, it is not nearly perfect and, as per my humble opinion, it falls flat away from being a masterpiece.
First of all, these humor bits are ridiculous. It turns a serious story in some kind of a Shrek adventure. Jokes are good in moderation and if they are funny, but these clumsy attempts are simply terribly out of place.
Secondly, all these antagonists are just lazy writing. No depth to them, no good story to them.
Third thing, unnecessary sexualization. Don't get me wrong, it can be beautiful. A bit is a must surely, but what we have here is just spilling over the top. What it shows is just lack of taste.
And that leads to the last thing I'd like to mention. It is that this series starts off embracing its original style, but it somehow manages to lose it along the way. The further it goes, the blunter it becomes, it becomes tasteless... The ending is rushed, pretentious and just unfulfilling.
The point is, I was expecting a 'Samurai Jack' thing here and the buildup was there, but what we get eventually is some 'John Wick' stuff. If you watched both of these mentions, then you surely know the difference between real greatness and some popular fun.
I have enjoyed it, yet I was still disappointed about all the missed opportunities and unfulfilled promises.
Desperation Road (2023)
A bit cheesy, but wholesome overall
A simple, honest attempt to make a good movie.
I loved the overall idea and setup, sort of a countryside atmosphere, the views, the takes on questions of life and religion, the slow burn, thoughts on redemption - whole picture comes well together.
Characters felt natural and realistic, plenty likable ones to root for. The cast is perfect.
Story is probably the weakest aspect of the movie for me here. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't any clever or mysterios, or entangled (and I really feel like story is usually the most important part in a movie). Just simple straightforward plot with a cheesy twist. It could've been better if another path was chosen, a harder or more complicated one. But then, I guess, this wasn't the point of the movie. It seems that this movie aimed to be what it was.
I enjoyed it, I would describe it as simple and wholesome. Cruel, yet honest. Light, yet meaningful. It should leave a warm feeling after watching, if you let it sink in.
It might also be a good choice to fall asleep to.
Foe (2023)
Masterfully executed, yet flawed in the essence
The movie is slow and there is barely any action, so if you are just here for the sci-fi, you probably won't find it entertaining.
Sci-fi is there, but movie is mostly based over sociology and psychology of what the future holds.
There is plenty of thinking to do throughout the movie and I really liked that, subtle implications about the world, character interactions hinting the outcome - that is all quite interesting and mysterious.
I felt that chill, yet gripping vibe to it.
Only problem I found to myself about this movie, is the question 'why?' As I was not able to find a satisfying justification for what was happening. Why would someone do this?! It appears to me that in reality people would find a better, easier, cheaper solution to avoid toying with other people's feeling like that. To me this core part didn't made sense.
Other than that, I found the movie compelling and gripping.
Skinford (2017)
Better than expected
This movie was actually quite interesting to watch. Well, the most part of it.
It has style and some unique originality to it. Its gory, dark, messy, yet light and quick.
The plot is not bad, even though it falls flat in the end, it is exciting in the beginning and initially kept me guessing, which in turn kept me watching.
I also feel like characters weren't savored well enough, there were actually multiple interesting ones, so exploring them could've made the movie much better.
I stumbled upon this one randomly, as I usually do, I didn't read the annotation or watch the trailer, so I went in without knowing what awaits and it was worth it this time.
If only it had a better ending to it, it could've been a real gem. Setup is quite cool. Unfortunately, the ending is weak and superficial.
I still enjoyed it. It surely deserves a higher score than it has now.
Seance (2021)
Not bad
It's kind of a slasher with a classic story to it. Reminds me of the 'Scream' and 'I know what you did last summer', got that exact same vibe to it, but with a bit better setting to my taste.
This movie definitely has some style as per my humble opinion, it is straightforward, yet honest (not pretentious) at the same time. I can respect that and I did enjoy that.
A more sophisticated ending though would've suited it much better and could've made the whole movie much more entertaining. I mean, this ending was just too obvious and blunt, it lacked a trick.
Honestly, it was not a bad movie. It was totally better than I had expected it to be. But then after seeing how it started, my expectations grew while the story unfolded, and then the ending, as I mentioned... maybe it holds up to the standards of a basic slasher, but it sure doesn't hold up to the standards of a good thriller or mystery.
Superposition (2023)
Weak
First of all, I am in love with sci-fi thrillers and all that dark fantasy stuff is my favorite dish. So, I must say that the main idea of the story is okayish, as it might seem interesting for someone who never saw anything similar before, but I did see this idea play out before plenty of times, so I saw that main twist coming literally from the first moments of the movie (even though I put the movie on randomly and I never read the annotation or watch trailer, I guess the name of the movie was the ultimate precursor to the whole story and gave it away in my case).
I initially liked the atmosphere and the setting, so I thought I'd give it a chance and see it through. As it turned out there is very little emphasis on that throughout the movie which is a bummer. Nature and world were left unexplored (I mean there are some attempts and some views are great, but there is no emphasis or relation to the initial idea, which just makes it obsolete), even though there were plenty of chances and possibilities to do it right, in my humble opinion.
Same thing with the characters. During first few conversations I thought this would be a movie that might do a good job exploring its characters. Yet all the philosophical mightiness was gone in an instant once the introduction phase ended, characters quickly dropped their facade and became irrational, childish and borderline tragically stupid to favor the development of the plot.
We basically end up with no likable characters a viewer could invest their trust in.
Then the pace of the movie. If it was taking advantage of that slow burn, it might've been good. But as I already mentioned, it doesn't happen.
Once again, this might be a mind-blowing sci-fi thriller for someone who has zero to none experience with sci-fi thrillers in their life. But I saw a lot of those and for me this one is predictable, boring and also kind of pretentious. I mean, it's kind of overpromises a lot in the beginning, then rapidly drops the level of consciousness and reasoning to the ground. Ends up being too blunt.
I wanted to enjoy the movie, but I cannot say I did. Unfortunately. An honest attempt though.
Deliver Us (2023)
Artistically beautiful, yet lacking storywise
I would say this movie was quite well made cinematically. The picture is crisp and beautiful, the colors nicely match the atmosphere and empower it. Unfortunately, crisp picture is not enough to make a good movie, it lacks in other departments.
First of all, even though characters are stylistically solid,
their visuals match their identities, the bad guy looks bad, the lead actresses look stunning, the protagonist looks humble, etc. Still, they are lacking any kind of good background, they are not explored well enough to introduce us to feel for them.
The religion theme chosen is just used together with the most basic plot you can come around. It seems like all the story boxes are checked, but those boxes are for the most straight-forward, basic movie, it's not original in any way. And lack of character development does not go well with that.
The horror part is weak. Which is sad, because aside from the good plot, this is also another very important thing for me in a horror movie. There are some scenes of gore, some soft screamers involved, but I would say that overall, its far on mild side for a horror. Unless, maybe, if you are a very religious person, otherwise I don't see how any part of this movie might actually frighten you.
Last thing, I guess, to which all of the other things mentioned contribute, is the overall sense of sterility of the movie. It looks beautiful as I mentioned, yet at the same time it's so clean, crisp, it feels ice cold. It seems just unnatural for a horror movie. Probably scenes just lack in small details that could add to any natural environments. This also applies to characters, which are all so clean to fit the narrative and picture, but it does look unnatural. Once again, they check all the boxes, and that's beautiful, but they fail to display any depth and any originality within it.
I believe, you would best enjoy such movie on a big screen, ideally in a theater of course where you'd be able to catch all the beautiful sides of it.
Clearly it is made by artists who done their job well. Yet I just want to take this moment to mention how important a good writer's job is. As this movie is a good example.
So, there is a huge difference between a regular artist and a good writer. Artists tend to reproduce the already known thing in their own new perspective (which might be beautiful), yet still is much easier to do in comparison with what a great writer should do - come up with a totally new and unseen thing, while making it seem real and plausible all the way through.
Patrick Melrose (2018)
Appalling
It's appalling! Look at all the praise people are giving to this depressive, destructive and malicious thing. I only have one question to all of you people: what have you just watched?
The acting is on point, no doubt about it. Everything a good series should have is there! But the story?! What's is this show about?! Spoiled society of rich people who never worked a day in their life, yet go around entitled like they're the center of the world. They poison anything they touch and feel like they are in the right to do that. And that is your royalty, oh look, the princess is there too! This is disgusting!
Which of the main characters should I sympathize with?! The destructive, cruel, abusive ones or should it be the unreliable, irresponsible, ignorant ones?! Well, the show is clearly trying to make you feel pity for the guy in the title, and I guess people who do feel pity for him are the reason people like him exist in the first place. See you are supposed to condemn violence and destructiveness, not indulge it.
No wonder this story is sort of an autobiography. No good author would make this a story about self-pity of rich royals, unless he expected that pity to befall on himself.
I gave it 7/10. It is well made, but you guys need to really consider what this story is about and who all these characters are.
13 wins and 33 nominations... these rich people are really into themselves, aren't they?!
Pantafa (2022)
Enjoyed the premise, but was left unsatisfied.
I would very much like to support any non-Hollywood horror feature. And you can feel it in this movie, it was created by someone who has his own idea about how movies should be made. That I can respect, although on the other hand some takes and ideas here do look amateurish.
I do like that this movie managed to avoid the pretentiousness that is filling up all the Hollywood movies, the characters feel more lively, more realistic.
You can feel ethnic uniqueness in this one, the atmosphere is well developed, and the whole background of a small, country town is well delivered.
Characters are believable and once again more realistic than you would see in Hollywood movies. Yet it feels like they are not explored well, we are not given any real insight in their past, and can only make assumptions.
The pace of the movie feels way too slow, although you might argue that details may hold meaning (yes, there are hints here and there, and they do give clues), it is just hard to watch how they unravel so slowly and then leave so many loose ends.
Scene in this movie feel distant from each other, like they are not creating a good flow for a story, it feels like a mess how some transitions are made.
Horror part is lackluster. It felt a lot like a dark fairytale, like the danger is there, but it doesn't feel imminent.
So overall, this movie has left me unsatisfied. I did find some good parts for myself, and it made me expect it to end up being much better, yet it just falls flat with its crumpled ending.
Corner Office (2022)
Artistic and thought provoking, yet monotonous and demanding, yet quite good.
A great movie.
It really had my attention from the very start until the last moment and it left me wondering. Just the type of movie that I enjoy the most. It was intriguing and it kept me guessing, it was a journey.
I see how some people wouldn't like the experience, you have to have a certain mood to like this one, you have to be ready to dive in. It's not a type of movie you would watch with your friends or even family, I guess. After all, it is about loneliness some might say...
It is mostly grey, calm, monotonous, it demands focus and commitment, it is like a study in a way, and most people, won't find that entertaining.
Now for the good stuff, first of all, how good it was artistically! First it catches your eye with that cold concreate, the office, perfect shapes, yet then you hear the soft voice. And then the room - warm and comfy like the voice, because the voice comes from the room from the very start, doesn't it?! It is perfectly executed visually, I'd say. The atmosphere is on point.
The lead is perfectly executed, as well as the manager, but I do feel like other side characters were a bit lackluster and it could've made it better if they were explored and developed a bit more.
One thing that I noticed is that it might be hard to correctly explore the feelings of the protagonist here, it could be hard to back his decisions, as he doesn't seem to be a good guy overall, being egotistic, narcissistic and self-absorbed as he is. All the other characters seem quite flawed too, although quite more simply displayed. It is almost like they are all a puzzle that might fit together to show a picture, yet not really good on their own.
Apart from the obvious exploration of the psychology it's hard to pin point what this movie is really about. First thing that came to my mind was art. To me the protagonist looked like an artist - he had a vision and a way to execute it, it was genius as it was there in plain sight for him and it had great value, yet no one else could see it, until the fruit of it came out. He wanted the admiration, yet he also wanted to keep the fruit all to himself. Eventually it looks like he just wanted peace of mind and understanding. But then he got tangled in the admiration and fruit, and people wanting the process for their gain and fruit as a simple currency. Eventually understanding became to be not an option, so he resorted to the last thing he got left - himself.
It could also very well be the other way around, since the character is so egoistic, I could assume the whole story is about people being so self-absorbed by their own good work and talent, demanding privacy and comfort, ignoring the fact that being good at certain tasks doesn't automatically allow you to ignore morality and other people and just ignore the society overall, just because you yourself decided that. I mean, it sits well with current state of things in modern world, where people are so obsessed with themselves, like everyone is a star in their own movie, all those social networks, steamers, vlogs, etc. People do seem obsessed with themselves a lot nowadays and they sure do seem to think this makes them entitled to make unreasonable demands. Does it really mean, if you have a talent (or even not), you suddenly become entitled to make unreasonable demands, based on something that is real only for you?!
I mean, as you see this movie brings some thoughts up. I liked it.
Sympathy for the Devil (2023)
An attractive slowburn.
First of all, I got to praise the actors, great performance. If it wouldn't be Cage, it probably wouldn't be nearly as good!
Then the neon, the music, the night road trip atmosphere, the initial mystery - this is all good stuff I enjoyed about the movie.
On the other hand, it gets a bit tedious still, as movie is non stop dialogue between two main characters and I was waiting for more mysterious twist, for a deeper hook, a better face off and a heavier outcome... As the eventual twist, it was good enough, I guess, ironical, lives up to the name of the movie. Yet I feel it could've been better, there was a room for better.
Anyhow, overall, I did enjoy the movie.
Its another enjoyable modern Cage flick that has style.
God Is a Bullet (2023)
Horrifying theme, not so good execution.
The story and the theme of this movie was solely enough to make it a masterpiece. Truly devilish and scary premise, just knowing this could really be the world we live in is on its own terrifying.
Unfortunately, the execution leaves me wanting for so much more that could've been there instead. It could've been so much better.
I feel like all of it could've just been made differently, less pretentious and more true, less superficial, more blunt, as it should be, considering the theme.
The evil, for example, is portrayed to be undefeatable, yet then we get the ending, and then it kind of crashes the whole initial plot.
Maika is so beautiful, Nikolaj fits great and he is really certainly the best actor in this movie, yet it is not good enough. Characters are just too superficial and undeveloped. Some are eye-catching, but they do lack any build up to them.
All the evil guys, they play crazy quite nice, but this is not how the real evil looks like, is it?! Moreover, there is no uniqueness to them, they are just a bunch of evil guys and that is where the movie leaves it.
All those dialogues feel like they're coming from some anime. They are cool if you look onto them from a certain perspective, but then if you look realistically, artistically, they were just too much and put in the wrong places.
Same with the visuals, the quiet and sad, all among the evil, yet it all doesn't stand out, doesn't support the feel that all of this supposed to give you initially.
The quiet romantical part is sweet, and it is heartwarming, but it's hardly fitting the overall narrative in a way that it has played out.
I just feel like whoever actually made this movie, did a bad job at their job, poor overall decisions were made. It's like this movie is filled with these great cards, but they truly were played bad.
I felt the idea of this movie, the theme is horrifying, yet it lacks in many other parts, unfortunately. I give it 8/10, but it's mostly due to the theme.
Dark Nature (2022)
Honest review
This doesn't really succeed in any of the points it is trying to make.
It is not a good drama, because characters are not really explored.
It is not a good horror, because the creators didn't learn properly from 'Descent'.
It's obviously had potential, but eventually fell flat.
Even though creature is explained in bits and pieces, it's not really a good explanation.
The buildup is weak.
Indeed, the whole thing feels a bit pointless.
Overall, the movie is pretty simple and straightforward, in case you wondering to watch it or not, I must say that there are no interesting turns or unexpected occurrences.
I cannot say I enjoyed it. I was waiting for something to happen, waiting for movie to bloom, but it does not live up to any good expectations.
The basics are there, you can watch it before falling asleep, surely, but it won't be a movie to remember.
The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008)
In retrospective
I only watched this movie in 2023, not sure why I never watched it when it came out.
Most people say it's ruined by Jaden Smith and his character, I tend to agree. Yet there is some irony to this part, not sure if it was planned, but the kid character in the movie acts like a spoiled brat, who does not undestand the way things work, takes everything for granted - kind of mirroring how society reacts to earth and aliens that come to protect it. So maybe, in some way, his character makes sense.
I believe, the problem with this movie, actually, is far deeper than Jaden Smith's performance. The main issue is in the plot, here are some things that don't make reasonable sense:
1) Why does the main part happen in Manhattan? (I mean, cmon, they could've picked something that would make more sense)
2) Why there is just a single 'person' of contact? (they could've sent a fleet of aliens to interact with different people to get to see different point of views)
3) How are they so advanced yet primitive at the same time? (this can be seen in many aspects)
4) Why didn't they properly study humans beforehand? (there was this guy living on Earth for 7 years, is he the only one?!)
5) Why they alert humans before they make a decision? (if you come to execute, you might as well do it quietly)
6) Why are they portrayed similar to robots with suppressed/none feelings? (if they are so advanced, they should probably also be advanced in feelings and emotions, and communication)
7) Why do they let humanity live eventually? (Dude just had a talk to a single mom for like 2 days and now he's convinced that all humanity will change and make peace - yeah, sure, classic)
8) Why don't they have better means of communication? (he had to touch the ball to communicate with it, how about some long-distance-communication? Would be rational, wouldn't it?!)
I can go on and on here, I think.
I get the overall idea and the dilemma, and that details might be overlooked in favor of just showing the overall idea and asking the questions like 'what if'.
It's not a terrible movie, I guess, but it's far from good too. The ending also hurts the movie a lot, I guess. As the movie ends abruptly with an outcome that is not explained or good reasoned anyhow.
Simulant (2023)
A.I. dilemma
I liked the movie and I believe it deserves a higher score of at least 6+.
There are a lot of movies being made today and a lot of them have flashy graphics and cool action, but they do miss any serious point fequently.
Well, the good thing about this one is that it has a point and a good one, it's interesting and even thought it has been raised before it still seems to entertain and entagle thoughts, as A. I. future is more close now than ever.
It's not a flashy blockbuster, it is quite slow paced, some character actions are questionable, dialogue is simple, some scenes seem quite cheaply made, yet I did enjoy this movie.
It has some style.
And I liked it's soul.
Last Sentinel (2023)
Mixed feelings
The movie was engaging for me, it was perfect for my Friday chill night. I did enjoy it.
It is a bit of a slow burn, but the setting is good, the atmosphere is there, the actors performed well.
Overall, a good take on the whole 'stranded at sea' idea with some twists, and raises awareness of climate change.
No horror here, except maybe for the cruelty of life kind one. No sci-fi either, apart from the dystopian future setting.
Some good takes on the idiology and the state of the world, some drama, but not too much.
Yet what I really didn't like is how there are multiple logical plot holes along the way and the main one is in the movie's core, which really ruins the movie for me. My question is: why the heck 'the thing' exists at all and if it does, why is it so unsecured and unreasonably placed? Makes no sense to me at all.
Blood (2022)
Better than expected
Not sure what exactly, but there is something really good about this movie.
I say that because I have mixed feelings and I am confused about what exactly did I like about it, yet I did like it.
There's bunch of cliches in it, as most modern horrors, and there's the drama that I don't like at all, but nontheless something grabbed my attention. I think it's the mystery part, somehow it feels really good.
Maybe it is because there is no guidence provided, no explanation for the sinister occurance.
I feel like this leaves good potential for a part 2 for this movie, where the curse can be explored better.
And last, but not the least, I liked how mother and daugther characters were written, they seem sensible (unlike the son character) which is rare occurance for a horror movie. Also great performance by Michelle Monaghan.
The Integrity of Joseph Chambers (2022)
Should've been a short film
I get the point of this movie, it's not bad in that sense, as it has one.
Overall it looks quite realistic and you can relate to the characters, they are believable.
There are some quite lengthy parts in this movie that seemingly do nothing.
And the biggest problem is the abrupt ending with no good conclusion other than the obvious.
So what I'd like to say is that you can have all those lengthy parts in the movie, where the character is explored and developed and etc, even if nothing much happens, but it is only reasonable and justifiable if you then have an ending where the character and the whole story blooms and all of this previous stalling now gets a meaning. But there was no such thing in this one.
So there is clearly no reason to stretch this story to 90 minutes. This whole movie could've been 15 minutes long and conceptually it would lose absolutely nothing.