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Making of an Activist (2024)
A movement based on a lie
Being an activist is not a bad thing. Many huge changes in our society were brought out by the movements of activists. However, if you want to sink your heart and soul into something, at least be honest and upfront about it. Consider the fact that the very notion of the case of Michael Brown being not about race in any way; you might want to take that into account when you want to form your life around something and then turn it into a film
Remember "hands up, don't shoot?' Yeah that never happened. We've known this for years and years yet there are still people out there who swear it happened and they rant on and on about the lie the media made up when the case first happened. These kinds of people require strife and division in order to feel like they have a place or that they are important. Or most likely, for nothing more than attention.
Michael Brown was not killed by a blood-thirsty and racist police officer, he was killed because he was caught doing criminal things and he tried to take the officers gun. That is a fact. Two different investigations including one by the FBI, spear-headed by the attorney general of the United States even. They found that the officer did nothing wrong. Yet the media never said they got things incorrect. Then never even addressed it. How is that ok? This film is a farse based on a lie.
Shogun (2024)
Fantastic in every way
People who have read the book who gave this a low rating are merely doing so out of spite. I get that it isn't exactly page for page the same as the book or the 80s series but that doesn't magically make this series bad. Even if you take into account the changes from the source material, it still is a great series. I wish that people could be more realistic with their own expectations and their feelings when something isn't exactly what they want yet is still masterfully done.
Everything in this series is on point. There isn't a negative thing I can say about anything. Yes the story does extend on for a bit but there is a lot of nuance in the characters and their ambitions. I rich world like this one has to be delicately laid out and not just thrown together on a whim. Everything feels like it has a purpose in the filming. The colors, the set pieces, the costumes, everything. Everyone does a fantastic job in their characters and they bring real feelings and emotions out of them that are very tangible. I am pleased that this series has shown that there indeed are people out there who know how to make great film and artwork still. This series is as close to perfect as something can be.
Arcadian (2024)
A cut above most horror/thriller movies
I was very interested in the premise of this movie. It looked like a different sort of take on an end of the world scenario. That is exactly what I got out of it. The story takes place with two brothers who live on a farm with their father, who has raised them alone since they were babies. We're not sure what happened to the mother but we can assume she died shortly after they were born as the dad is seen raising them by himself. All three of them live together with their dog and do the best they can in a situation where we assume most of the population has died off.
The creatures are very interesting and are showcased effectively throughout the film. They live underground and only come up once the sun has set. The three survivors live together in a home where every day they have to prepare their home to ward off the possible invasion of the creatures. The oldest son splits his time away from the family at another farm, helping out the other family and getting to know their daughter. Some bad choices happen and the oldest son needs to be rescued at night by the father. After that, there is tension between the oldest and his younger brother who blames their dad getting injured on the oldest brother.
Things come to a head and the oldest brother decides that he is needed on his farm instead of staying with his girlfriend at the other families' place. The climax of the story effectively shows the remaining survivors fighting off a huge wave of creatures who have tunneled under their home, while their father is thought to be close to death. There is tragedy and carnage in the final act and the two brothers and the girl are left to fend off the creatures on their own. Overall, I feel like the movie is quite effective in showcasing the despair and sorrow the three remaining characters are confronted with. The two brothers seem to grow up in a short amount of time and ultimately realize that family and hope is the most important thing that they have in their lives. I very much enjoyed this movie and consider it above most other offerings in this genre lately.
Civil War (2024)
A well-filmed movie hampered by some idiotic writing
I would very much like to know the supposed backstory here of an America completely torn apart, with fighting seemingly everywhere. How did it get to this point? There are places where there is zero fighting and it feels like regular life as we are living now but then there are cities that are completely destroyed and places where even journalists are not safe. How did America get to the point where there was rampant murder and atrocities happening all across the country? We don't exactly know who the "bad guys" are supposed to be and this leaves a bit of a disconnect for the audience when shown average people committing war crimes without a second thought.
I'm not saying it's a bad film. It's not but there are some glaring issues throughout the movie that I just can't get past. One is the fact that many times we see people outright murdering or torturing other Americans and for what? We don't exactly know. Were some of them at odds or on the opposite side? It's not explained for the most part. People just executing others on a whim I don't believe would happen without the complete breakdown of the entire country. Like Armageddon or complete nuclear holocaust. We see a completely untouched town where a couple of guys are dumping dozens of bodies in a mass grave and then executing two other people. All of this without a hit of conflict or fighting happening nearby. This is completely unrealistic. We are left with more inconsistencies in the writing.
The two main issues I have with the film are when the older journalist gets shot and they just let him bleed out slowly. Are you trying to tell me that combat journalists who have been covering war for years and have access to body armor, don't have a simple first aid kit on them? Complete horse crap. I don't know what the writers were thinking here. In addition, the journalists would have died a thousand times throughout this if it were real. They charge right in the fighting shoulder to shoulder with soldiers. Lastly, when Dunsts' character gets shot, the girl who idolizes her just ignores her and moves on. She doesn't even check to see if she's alive or not. Come on! What is this? They just move on and don't even give her a second glance. They show so much emotion seeing all the other fighting but at the end when their friend gets shot, they couldn't give less concern if they tried. I cannot abide this sort of nonsensical writing. The writing really hampers this film and I cannot forgive this kind of laziness.
Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey II (2024)
Number 2 is fittingly a load of Pooh
I am not sure what the people who gave this movie a 9 or 10 are smoking. This movie is utter garbage. The first one was bad yes but the second one isn't better. Does a higher body count equal a better movie? Seems like a lot of people think so. Sure this is a low-budget movie like the first one but a bad movie is a bad movie regardless of budget. The acting is a touch better but that hardly makes up for the rest of it. The special effects are not great, the music is bad and the story is bad. A movie like this even having a "story" is laughable at best. The kills aren't even creative either. Do yourself a favor and skip this one.
The Passenger (2023)
A fantastic thriller
I had not heard a single thing about this movie up until I found it online. I didn't even watch the trailer, just read a bit about it. What struck me the most about this movie was how real it felt. It felt as if this could really happen right down the road from me. People who suffer in silence can sometimes be pushed over the edge with just a breeze.
Kyle Gallner does a phenomenal job as the bad guy in this film. The emotion he brings from just his expressions is masterful. How has this man not gotten more and larger parts? The tension throughout the film was so heavy you could cut it with a knife. I had no idea what was going to happen minute from minute and it left me guessing the whole way. What I find most interesting is that in the end, Benson actually teaches Bradley to stand up for himself. Overall, everything was done very well in this film. I highly recommend it.
Road House (2024)
Pain don't hurt but watching this movie might
Having just watched this one I am left wondering why they even called it "Road House." It literally has nothing to do with the original movie except Daltons' character. The premise of a rich guy who wants to drive out locals so he can have their land has been done a thousand times already so it didn't even need to have the same name. Also Dalton's character is completely different than he was in the original. The new guy is just kind of weird. He is rarely serious and prefers to make bad dad jokes.
The humor in this movie is also very hit and miss. Some of the sarcasm and dry humor works in some situations and in others it falls flat. The Jake Gyllenhall does an ok job in the role but I don't think it's his acting that makes the character odd. It's the writing. All the other characters were either unnecessary or just bad. With the exception of the character of Frankie the bar owner. The actress does a good job. The strangest character is of course McGregor's. He's just some random dude who does crazy things and walks around like his neck is permanently fused in place. Overall kind of entertaining but not good in any stretch of the word.
Life of Belle (2024)
Definitely one of the films of all time
Most FF movies are of the lower-budget variety and this one is no exception. It feels as if this movie was made on a budget of about 20 bucks. Everything feels very amature. The pacing of the overall film is pretty slow and even the climax of the movie near the end is a letdown. There isn't much tension throughout the film mostly because the story and acting are just subpar. No one feels believable in this movie and you don't connect with any of the characters. It's supposed to be a FF movie about a mother who slowly goes insane and then murders her family for some reason. I think if there was more back story for the mom and why she has the tendency to act the way she does, it would have at least been passable. As it is, it's not good. Calling the performances here "amazing" as one reviewer has, is quite laughable.
Cellphone (2024)
Not good at all
This is not a good movie. I reviewed this already but for whatever reason, it got deleted. First of all, you need to understand that the high score reviews are from hilariously obvious people who know someone who worked on this movie or were paid to do so. Maybe both. This is both sad and pathetic and very, very dishonest. Besides the fact that it spits in the face of other indie films. People who legitimately make good films. This is not one of those good films.
The premise of this movie is already not great. A woman who suffers a tragedy goes to take care of an old house for whatever reason. Guess what? The house is haunted! Well, maybe. We never really are told for sure. So she spends her time sitting and looking out the window and having endless flashbacks to her boyfriend. Seriously, so many flashbacks. Her phone also rings randomly and makes weird creepy noises when it rings. So I guess ghosts know how to make phone calls and also change the preferences on your phone so that the creepy sound is a notification for when it calls. Awesome.
Soon we learn that another person hung himself after his girlfriend got killed by him while he was possessed or something? I don't even know. The only good thing in this movie is the guy who plays Chris. He's funny and actually a decent actor. The rest is just bad. The girl "fights" a demon or ghost or Pokémon that looks like her and learns to drive a car again and saves Chris from her evil twin. Seriously, this movie is just bad.
Her (2013)
Simply fantastic
I'm not really all that into dramas or more serious films if I'm being honest. I rarely will spend a few hours watching a film that makes me think too much. I really just want to be entertained for a while. Sometimes though, a movie has a concept that really draws me in. That's why I decided to watch this one. I am so very glad I did. This movie has heart that other movies only dream about having.
I knew that this movie was based on a man who has a relationship with an a.i. But I very much was not ready for how hard this movie hit. I consider myself to be a classic guy. Someone who likes the outdoors and someone who isn't exactly comfortable with showing a lot of emotion. Having said that, this movie floored me. I've watched a few thousands of movies and only teared up twice before. That was, before I saw this one. The depth of humanity that this movie brings out is shocking. It's not exactly what you think it's about at first. The movie, like the titular a.i., evolves. Movies have been made that were similar to this one but they did not achieve the greatness that this movie does.
Phoenix is outstanding in his role as is everyone else. The standout I feel is Johansson. The depth of emotion and expression she brings out without even technically being on screen is phenomenal. From the very start when we are introduced to her, she feels real. I guess that also touches on one of the themes of the film. There are so many questions you could explore from thoughts about this movie. Hell, I think you could teach a college course on it. Phoenix is a brilliant actor but I think that Scarlett does not get the praise she deserves for her role. She nails it. Absolutely spot on. As well as being naturally good at voice acting, she has a beautiful singing voice. Two things I was unaware of previously. I cannot overstate how brilliant she is in this film.
I feel that this movie is mostly about existence. What is real? Are humans any more "real" than Samantha? Sure we have tissue and blood but that really isn't what makes us real, or human for that matter. Is Samantha "real" in this movie? I would argue that indeed, she is. Does she feel love? Does she feel it the same way as Theo does? Maybe. Can you hold "love' in your hand? Since you can't, does that mean it's not real or tangible? You could spend an entire lifetime debating this. That's what makes me love this movie so much. The commentary on life is so foundationally sound in this movie. Everything about this movie from the sound, the cinematography, the lighting, the characters, the music, is so close to perfect that It's hard to not feel something significant while you watch it. It's funny, it's sad, it's introspective, it's existential but above all, it's real. I could not possibly recommend this movie more. It's brilliant.
Land of Bad (2024)
Honestly not bad
This film isn't going to win any Oscars or be nominated by any stretch of the imagination but it's a solid action flick. It's an interesting take on a military action movie where the drone operator (Crowe) can be the difference between life and death for an American team behind enemy lines. Of course some Hollywood magic carries the movie through scenes that wouldn't otherwise happen in real life but that's to be expected.
Crowe does a great job as an aging drone operator who should be higher in rank by now but is held back by his own stubbornness. Without Crowe in this role I think the movie would fall far under the radar (pun intended) of most people looking for a decent action movie to watch. Hemsworth does a decent job in his role but it's Crowe that holds the film together. Worth a watch.
The Seeding (2023)
Time I won't get back
For what this movie is, I guess the overall film wasn't terrible. It wasn't good either. The main problem I had with it was that the main character wasn't likeable in the least bit. He spends his time on screen being loud and annoying. This is why I don't feel a bit bad for what happens to him. He probably treats everyone around him the way he treats the other characters in this film. The acting wasn't awful but it wasn't exactly great either. The soundtrack is weird but I suppose it fits the movie. If you like a meandering story with not much explanation and static shots of nature; you might actually enjoy this film. For me though, I just found it boring.
Killing Season (2013)
It's really not that bad
Yes this movie features De Niro doing things that a 70 year old wouldn't be capable of doing in real life. Yes it features a very basic story without much that is very interesting or engaging. Yes it contains a very ridiculous Travolta with a ridiculous accent and an even more ridiculous and obviously created beard. Past all of this you actually get a passable story of two people who have seen too much death and war in their lives and want to find peace. I was ready to laugh out loud at this movie and there are definitely many times where I could have. However, I began to actually like the dynamic between the two characters as the film went on.
The two main characters are both soldiers. From very different kinds of war but they both live with pain and regret for what they've done. Both of them are trying to somehow overcome it. De Niro's character decides to isolate himself because he thinks he's less of a man but Travolta's character lives with the pain instead. Travolta's character thinks that if he kills the other, he will be free of his pain. They both want the same thing. In the end I feel like Travolta's character finally understands that it's ok to stop killing and to try and live. De Niro's character decides that it's time to stop avoiding his life and to try and live it again. This movie doesn't have any Oscar-winning performances by any stretch but if you can look past the things I mentioned before, you might find an actual watchable drama with a good message behind it.
Soft & Quiet (2022)
Not sure what this movie was meant to communicate
I went into this film not knowing a single thing about it. I think that viewing movies is better this way only knowing the maybe the bare minimum about a film. I give the makers props for making this movie in one continuous camera shot however, that is where the praise ends. The characters in this movie all feel off. They don't feel like real people. Are they supposed to be caricatures of types of people? I'm not really sure. I don't think the makers of this film knew either. The cinematography is pretty decent but the characters really take away from everything else. Are we supposed to believe that there are people like this out there? I mean sure, there might be but the story and how the characters develop just isn't believable. They all seem like cartoon characters.
Are we to believe that this is some sort of representation of actual life in America? A social commentary on race-relations? If so, how? And also: why? There are actual people here in the review section that believe this movie really showcases how some people are in the US. Or at least (as one reviewer put it) "they think about it." Really? How would someone know that? I for sure wouldn't. This movie is absolutely not a "snapshot" of modern America. Or even a loose representation of it. The characters in this movie are not even remotely realistic either. The main character is a teacher who is known in this small town and with barely a nudge she goes psycho and is involved in (what she thinks) the death of two people. A career woman who dresses nice and is well-spoken just turns insane murderer on a whim? Come on. I wish people wouldn't take things like this and over-dramatize how real life is in The States. It's not realistic and neither is this film.
V/H/S/85 (2023)
What a load of crap
The previous entries in this series have been a bit hit or miss. Some decent attempts at horror mixed in with some duds. Well I'm here to say that this entire movie was a dud. Uninspired, unoriginal and just boring. The 80's nostalgia actually hurts the film I think. Maybe the directors thought that with the grainy and low-quality look, people would ignore the fact that it's just not very good at all. I'm not sure how anyone could, honestly. The stories are just hokey. The smattering of 80's ads and old footage became tedious very quickly as well. Also, I don't think that the style of jumping back and forth between the stories works at all. If the stories were actually interesting then you would be wondering where they were going to go. For this though, I couldn't care less.
Monument (2018)
Hope you like watching hotel staff doing remedial duties
I'd like to start out this review by saying uh, what? That was my entire reaction to this film. Maybe I'm just not artsy enough to understand this? Maybe I'm not cultured enough to grasp the subtle nuances of young people doing cleaning and cooking duties in a hotel and extract the overall message? I don't think so though. Usually even artsy movies have some semblance of plot or character development. This movie has neither of those. I can't even figure out what the point was. There were some very weird things that happened and I suppose they were going for something intellectual and subtle right? Even with that very, very gracious point of view I can barely even call this an actual film. It has some decent cinematography but that's about it. I think even Tarrence Malick would look at this and say "what the hell did I just watch?" If you like plots and character development, don't watch this trash.
Hell House LLC Origins: The Carmichael Manor (2023)
I'm not sure what everyone is smoking giving this movie a higher rating
To me this one feels even worse than the second installment. Seeing that it has a 6+ star rating here I felt a bit hopeful that it would be along the lines of the first movie in the series. It was not, however. The characters are not at all very likable which makes it generally not a pleasant film to sit through. The acting is mediocre at best as well. It wasn't even remotely scary to me. I'm biased though as I have seen pretty much every horror movie known to man at this point. I guess maybe I'm just too used to it?
This gets us to the real problem with this movie. The story. What the heck is even going on? There are so many unanswered questions and loopholes in this movie you could drive a semi through them. Nothing is explained either. We already had a bit of a storyline for this series through the first two but this one just goes completely off the rails. We don't know who is dead or who is alive. Who is a demon or a ghost or whatever. The cult that is constantly eluded to isn't even addressed. Despite seeing people in black robes probably from Amazon running around in the background. At this point I don't even care anymore. Nothing could be added to make up for this mess.
Summer of 84 (2018)
I really want to rate this film higher but I just can't
For the majority of this movie I was having a great time. The four boys are all unique in their own way and really put me back in the 80's during the summer where kids had to make their own fun. They get caught up in a story about a serial killer who is taking teens from the area around them and for the most part, it works. The 80's throwback vibe was completely on point the entire film and it's hard to even tell that this movie was made five years ago and not forty.
I love all the characters in this film. The lead actor does a fantastic job as well as his three friends and the titular "girl next door" is awesome herself as well. It feels like reading a Hardy Boys mystery and looks as if it was taken right out of one of those novels. It has some great comedy around the four friends relating with each other and talking about girls and things that teens do. Everything was great up until the last ten minutes of the movie.
The huge problem I had with the ending is when the one boy actually gets killed by the serial killer. Yes the movie was about a serial killer on the loose but for nice tenths of the movie, it was done in a more adventure-type way. The majority of the movie didn't have any grim or depressing feel to it. The atmosphere was thriller-like but didn't have any of the horror aspect to it. That's why the killing of the boy was so completely out of place with the rest of the film.
They set it up as the main guy was the hero who went on detective adventures with his friends and was never in any real danger but then try and completely change the tone of the movie in the end. You can't do that. It just doesn't work. Also, how did the killer get both boys in his car with the entire town and police force out looking for him? It just didn't make sense or work at all. It's a well-crafted but ultimately disappointing film. Shame.
Super Dark Times (2017)
Super dark movie bro
I wanted to like this movie a lot more than I actually did. The trailer was interesting and for at least half of the movie I was thoroughly engrossed in it. The characters were good and the story was decent; although it was a bit typical as far as these kinds of movies go. The two main characters do a great job portraying teens coming to grips with their own sexuality and identities as individuals. It felt real. The supporting cast was effective as well. However, the third act of the film went off the rails a bit.
A tragic accidental killing of a "friend" leaves three teens' worlds in a spiraling turmoil. How they each react to this is shown quite effectively for the most part. The following trauma is communicated to the audience in expressive ways throughout the movie. We can relate to it. Although when the climax of the film comes around, there are more questions than answers. Some movies effectively leave you guessing at the end and that can work sometimes. This one however, left far too much hanging to be an effective film I believe.
The accidental killing of the boy is completely abandoned near the end and the body is never even found. Even despite being rather poorly hidden and even fully uncovered at one point. So was that not the point of the movie? If not then why spend so much time around this particular event? I have read the ridiculous theory on Reddit that Allison was "in" on the killing of the other girl and that she was secretly involved with Josh who is the psychopath of the film. I did not get any of that by watching this movie. We are not even shown what actually happens to the two main characters at the end. What happened to Josh regarding the first death? Or even the second? What happened to Zach afterwards? They spent so much time on these two characters and to just leave it out completely felt like a disservice to the viewers. So again, good acting and decent story but it ultimately falls apart in the end.
Mud (2012)
Great story about love and letting go
This was a fantastic movie that for some reason I hadn't gotten around to seeing yet. The real stars here are the teen actors in this film. They were very authentic feeling and brought some great perspective to what love and friendship is like for kids growing up with not a lot of good examples around them. McConaughey brings his usual swagger to this film as well and does not disappoint. The entire cast does a great job at making this film feel like a real-life situation that any of us could find ourselves in. There are a great many lessons in this movie. Most of all I feel that it reminds us all that love isn't perfect and sometimes love is letting go of something.
Promising Young Woman (2020)
I give it a 6 purely because of the performance of the lead
I'm not exactly sure what to make of this movie. Is it a "girl power" movie? Is it a revenge flick? Is it a comedy? I still don't know. It is written alright I suppose but there are a few things I don't get. Cass plays a very calculated and smart character throughout the film up until the very end. Or didn't she? This is a person who has had their life upended by their best friend killing herself after not being believed by the school after the incident. She has been obsessed with getting back at men who take advantage of women so much so that she puts herself in this position just to enact revenge on behalf of her friend.
She plans everything out and even keeps a list/journal about it where she crosses off a list of guys she "deals with." She even finds out her boyfriend was actually participating in this incident as well. So she plans some ultimate revenge on the main guy. So why did she wait this long? She has a list of all these guys but the main one hasn't been delt with yet? Why? She goes to the bachelor party to do the revenge thing but gets killed in the process. How? How did she let that happen with all her planning and intelligence displayed throughout the movie. She would have been two steps ahead of everyone. Or maybe she allowed herself to be killed? What? Why? What purpose would that serve?
She had the video so it would have been a slam dunk for the police. She does give the video to the psychologist but that doesn't make sense either. Why not just go to the police instead? She never displayed suicidal tendencies before. Why would she "let" herself be killed? But she knew somehow that the cops would come at the wedding because she set up those texts to be sent beforehand. So she knew she would be killed? How? Or did she let herself? I have no idea. If her dying was supposed to be the nail in the coffin then how did she know the police would find her body? It's all very messy and convenient. Too much so. I think the great acting by the main actress has distracted people from the subpar writing here.
The Outwaters (2022)
Ambition isn't always enough
I give the film credit for pushing the boundaries of movie-making and putting themselves out there but sometimes less is more. The trailer for this movie is quite interesting and that was what originally got me looking into this movie. The finished product though? I'm not so sure. You don't always have to know what's going on perfectly in a film. Keeping the audience guessing throughout a movie can be a good thing. Here though? I don't think so. What is this movie about even? I don't really know. A bunch of wandering in the desert and some blood and some more wandering. Some screaming. More screaming. Strange visual images. More screaming. Maybe I'm not artsy enough to get this? The film does have some very unique filming methods and I did like some of that. This movie is just a mess though.
The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)
Strange but poignant feking film
Due to the nature of the trailer for this movie, one might think that it's a dark comedy. It is not. Even about halfway through you still feel that. As the characters move onwards in the stories development, you come to the conclusion that it has something a bit more serious to say. I can't fault any of the acting in this movie. Everyone does a bang up job. Especially the two leads. What we get here is a commentary on life. At least that's why I got out of it.
Set amid the backdrop of the Irish civil war, we see two friends who inevitably come to a crossroads in their shared lives. One wants to make something that will last and the other just wants to continue how their lives have been up until this point. This is a film about human loneliness. What each person gets out of life is ultimately their own. Sometimes that doesn't leave room for everyone. We don't get the typical Hollywood ending in this film and that I think, is a good thing. Sometimes things just don't turn out the way we want them to. There is a sadness to this movie but I respect the realism and introspection that it brings out.
Cop Land (1997)
Stallone's finest performance
I'm not sure how this movie only has a 7/10 overall. It's packed to the brim with Oscar talent and A-listers. Most people have been used to Stallone mainly from action films so it was a big gamble to put him in the lead for a thriller/drama. However, he knocks it out of the park for his role in Cop Land. It's a great premise about shady cops on one side of the river and small town police officers who just want to do their job. Do they turn the other way when they see how crooked the NYPD cops are or do they take a stand?
I knew that Stallone had potential when I saw him in First Blood. He was fantastic in that one. He just needed the right script. Stallone is enough by himself to see this film. He plays the part perfectly, as small town Sherrif who just wants to do a good job and keep his town safe. Eventually though, the big city problems come into this small town and the Sherriff has to make a decision. Ray Liotta (RIP) also is fantastic in his supporting role. There is nothing bad I can say about this movie. It's one of the best out there.
The Vow (2020)
Real, devastating and fascinating.
I had heard about this case off and on in the years after some of it had come to light but never had known exactly what had happened inside this secretive organization. The way the company starts and builds up momentum and then morphs into something altogether different is absolutely fascinating. You see all these everyday, average people and you think that one of them could have very well been you or someone you know. They are just average people who live regular lives who want desperately to change something about themselves. In comes Keith Raniere.
He is a very intelligent man and on the outside he seems honest and forthcoming enough to be just a person ahead of the curve. He talks with everyone and is friendly and makes people feel at home with him and the group. He acts sincerely interested in helping people improve their lives. But as his story goes on, you start to see the cracks in his persona. Keith spent decades of his life coming up with a system that seems very innocent on the surface. It legitimately does have benefits to it. However, as Keith gains followers, he begins to form a sort of inner-circle of "privileged" few. You start to see patterns in whom he deems worthy of joining this circle. Young, attractive women. Unfortunately for them, it is far too late to realize what has happened.
I enjoyed the viewing of this series and was completely enthralled by it. The implications just on the psychological front are Earth-shattering. This simple man was able to create a "program" that essentially and completely unravels a person's identity and then re-makes them by his own design. Complete with fail safes imbedded in their minds in case any of them start to question him. The utter and complete control Keith wields over these people is nothing short of all-encompassing. It would be impossibly impressive if it weren't for the vast evil manipulation that lies underneath it all. Everyone becomes a puppet around Keith. Women are enrolled in a "women's empowerment" program that teaches them that all of men's problems are their fault and that if you want to be a "better woman" they have to stop being victims. According to Keith though, there are no victims because abuse does not exist.
I do however wish there weren't as many filler scenes showing what various people do day-to-day outside of NIXVM. I think that this could have easily been condensed down into just one season of say 10 episodes and still have been just as effective. It came as no surprise to me to see the verdicts of the court case. I had no doubt that Keith would maintain his innocence either. He is one of the biggest cases of psychopathic narcissism that I have ever seen. Even with the fact that he had sex with a 15 year old multiple times and with evidence presented in court to this Keith never waivered in his god complex vision of himself. You could write a thousand term papers on this story and still have more to dive into after. It's horrifying and so curiously interesting in perfectly equal measures.