ajk232 Reviews

The Clovehitch Killer (2018)

Well Acted and Well Shot

[11 April 2021]

General Thoughts:

I was fully engaged the entire way through this film. The shots linger long enough to let the setting breathe and establish the slower pace of life in this quiet town in Kentucky, yet the plot is so engaging one cant help but urge the film into its next plot development. The acting was absolutely incredible by Dylan McDermott, and no one actor stood out as being poor or sub-par. A great way to spend your time, though probably best spent with no distractions and on a rainy afternoon or in the evening when the mood can grasp you.

The Good:

As stated above, Dylan McDermott absolutely kills it in this role, and all of the dialogue was delivered well by the entire cast. I felt as though the town was established as its own character as some of its inhabitants behave in a manner not quite like what may happen more in the modern day or in a larger, more populated area. The cinematography was executed well, and the brief moments of dry humor in the film were perfectly timed to provide enough relief for the audience.

The Bad:

The protagonist makes some odd choices which I did not feel were fleshed out enough within the context of the film to make sense to me. I have a good idea of what they were going for, but to refrain from spoiling anything, I feel as though the first act could have fleshed out some relationships just a very little bit more than they did - though the relationships were all well established. Additionally, the person from whose perspective we see the film switches for just a little bit in the end of the second act, and I feel as though the film would have benefitted more from just keeping the story being told from the one characters perspective the entire way through.

Persona: The Dark Truth Behind Personality Tests (2021)

Avoid This Waste of Time

[2/10 · 10 April 2021]

General Thoughts:

Strong start, fumbles about a third of the way through, and by the halfway mark...I actually turned off the documentary and decided to spend my time some other way which is something I almost never do.

The Good:

The shots are edited in a way that tells a narrative ....that's about it.

The Bad:

There is absolutely no science behind what is being presented. The people being interviewed are not really identified for their credentials and by the halfway mark it feels as though the documentary was made by a millennial who is having a hard time finding a job and is using a fallacy bias to find something to blame it on. While I enjoy a contrarian documentary, there is absolutely nothing to back up the statements being made in this documentary aside from an anecdote from entry-level retail employees. Avoid this one.

Tiger King (2020–2021)

Worth a Watch

[7/10 · 4 April 2021]

General Thoughts:

Absolutely worth a watch if not for the memes than for the honestly engaging story. You cant help but be swept away in the story of these folks.

The Good:

The "story" the documentary plays out to you as a viewer is absolutely fascinating. The piece serves to remind me just how much people are willing to share when they have a camera pointed in their direction.

The Bad:

While extremely entertaining, the facts do not always feel to be presented in a way that is unbiased. There is a reason everybody thinks that Carol Baskin killed her first husband, and while I cant blame the creators of the documentary for editing it in such a way to bring out its maximum entertainment value, it left me questioning how truthful each side of the feud was presented, or if Joe's side was blown up for entertainment value.

Shazam! (2019)

A Fun Diversion from the DC Formula - More Like This Please!

[8/10 · 4 April 2021]

General Thoughts:

The most fun I've had in a superhero movie since...well I was going to say Infinity War but that plotline is not very fun. Point is: this movie is fun. It really feels like it was made for kids, with a sprinkling of adult themes here and there. As someone who is suffering from extreme super hero fatigue, this is an excellent film to enjoy without having to put too much thought into it.

The Good:

The characters do not feel like they make stupid decisions. Every time I was questioning something that was being done, I could essentially chalk it up to the kids being...well kids. The film treats its children like children in the best way. There is no profound philosophical dialogue coming from the mouth of an eight year old. The film was just plain fun.

The Bad:

There are some minor continuity errors throughout the film that would not distract most people but if you are thinking about the film-making it may take you out of the film for the briefest of moments. Two examples I can think of are characters swapping their locations very quickly (likely in-between takes), and a character flying through the air faster than a plane with absolutely no wind affecting him or his clothing whatsoever. The movie does make up for this with a comical flight scene near the end of the film which I wont spoil.

I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020)

Not For a Layman Viewer

[4/10 · 3 April 2021]

General Thoughts:

I'm not educated in the film industry to understand or enjoy this movie. While I can appreciate that it was shot well, has a good plot, and very good dialogue - the payoff came far too late for a layman viewer to enjoy or celebrate. If you are a true arthouse film veteran and enjoy dissecting a film over multiple viewings back to back with deep cuts to other parts of the industry, this film is for you. If you do not consider yourself in the upper crust of "film as art" critics, this film is likely not for you.

The Good:

The film has an expert craft quality to it. The acting and dialogue is absolutely superb with an attention to detail we rarely see from most directors these days. I (not unlike RedLetterMedia) will always support a director having complete creative control and bringing his vision to life.

The Bad:

The film views similarly to a Jackson Pollock to those uninitiated to the art world. If you do not find yourself with a complete understanding of various parts of the film industry, including its history, or do not find yourself enjoying having to do research to figure out what these characters are talking about then I predict you will fall asleep within the first half of the film. This is no-doubt an expert film for those who love the directors work, but for 80% of the audience that will check out this film, I would not suggest sitting through it.

The Little Things (2021)

Good Acting, Slightly Above Average Plot

[8/10 · 3 April 2021]

General Thoughts:

An entertaining thriller that is easy to get lost in. The films plot pulled me in immediately with the mystery of Denzel Washington's character and propelled itself well throughout the film, only fizzling a little bit towards the end of the second act.

The Good:

The acting chops on display by Rami Malek, Denzel Washington, and Jared Leto make the film a captivating experience. The film oozes its mood and there were enough twists in the mystery to keep me entertained from start to finish.

The Bad:

I found myself a little bored around the end of the second act. All things considered, a slight dip in the pacing does not hinder the overall film. It wears its inspiration form Se7en on its sleeve.

Ingrid Goes West (2017)

An Entirely Okay Commentary On Current Social media

[6/10 · 3 April 2021]

General Thoughts:

A great film if you love secondhand cringe, a terrible experience if you feel secondhand cringe. The film isn't afraid to portray its protagonist in thorough need of mental help, as right from the onset of the film we are shown Ingrid at one of her worst moments, and I thoroughly enjoyed the rollercoaster of her mental instability throughout the films high and low moments.

The Good:

The film was well shot, and it did a good shot of helping me to project onto the protagonist who is both incredibly unlike me and incredibly unlikable. I wasn't initially captivated by the plot, but watching Ingrid's life unfold into a disastrously slippery slope was an enjoyable ride.

The Bad:

Objectively, the acting and cinematography felt okay. The plot moved forward at an okay pace, but I had a hard time buying certain choices the characters made within the context of the movie. It did a relatively good job of portraying how a sociopath would try to infiltrate a strangers life, but its message felt incredibly heavy handed at the end and it likely did not need or benefit from the happy ending it provided. I felt as though it would have been more impactful if we got to see a grittier version of how someone in Ingrid's position could spiral out of control. In some ways, her cultivated online personality helped her become the thing she both loved and hated. In time and perhaps on another viewing I might be inclined to increase my rating, but as it stands it didn't do anything to innovate on its genre or leave an impression I would be thinking about for more than hour after my viewing.

Chaos Walking (2021)

Creative Premise Wasted

[3/10 · 2 April 2021]

General Thoughts:

A less thought out and less exciting or interesting "YA" movie aping off of the success of The Hunger Games and recent similar films. The general premise of a man's thoughts being vocalized without their consent has potential to be interesting, but is never used in a way more creative than a tween-level comedy trope of what I believe is supposed to be a teenager being unable to hide his affections for a girl. This film would have benefitted from a harder rating and its writer allowing more depraved or "honest" thoughts to escape from the men's brains in this film.

The Good:

The movie is relatively well shot, even though its color palate is extremely boring to look at, and blends together over the course of the film. It does not fall into the realm of un-watchable thanks to its creative premise, which it unfortunately does nothing interesting with.

The Bad:

Typical "YA" movie tropes in the form of taking an interesting or creative idea which has the potential to be fleshed out in a creative way and dumbing it down to appeal to a tween audience. Daisey Ridley and Tom Holland give relatively convincing performances, but I'm left asking too many questions about the world they live in (which are never answered) and questioning the decisions being made to really get caught up in the action.

Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)

Needless Plot and Visually Good, But Boring Fights

[4/10 · 2 April 2021]

General Thoughts:

The plot is barely hanging on by a thread and I'm left asking too many questions about what's happening on screen to really enjoy what's happening. The movie comes up with convoluted ways to get its creatures into crazy set pieces ( HOW is there a SUN in "hollow earth" ) but does not give its monsters enough to do in them.

The Good:

The fights are pretty good, while generic. I did not feel like I was seeing anything that hadn't already been done from a kaiju-esque combat scene, but the computer generated monsters were beautiful and I'm sure someone worked very hard on animating Kong and Godzilla.

The Bad:

Milly Bobby Brown, Julian Dennison, and nearly all of the human characters were left with nothing to really do to embrace their acting chops, with a shout out to Demian Bichir, who I felt pulled off the bad-guy pretty well. Blink and you'll miss Lance Reddick. The film would have been better off cutting out 60% of the human interaction and pumping the movie full of monster combat - which is after all the main draw of the film.