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Reviews
Goodnight Mommy (2022)
Reminds me of George Clooney as Batman.
Why cast such an obvious face in this role. As mentioned in the title, it reminds me of George Clooney as Batman. Completely unbelievable and obvious underneath that mask! It would have been better if there was a more neutral, or unknown, face underneath the bandages. The bandage arrangement in the 2014 original was a lot more effective and creepy, and covered more of the actress' face (which is kind of key to the mystery).
Maybe Naomi Watts was cheap to hire, who knows, but this is a very bad case of miscasting. And her SIXTH remake of a film, none of which compared to the original - Shaft (2001), The Ring (2002), The Ring 2 (2004), King Kong (2005), Funny Games (2007). Apart from King Kong, all of those films were originally foreign language films. I didn't agree with her casting in King Kong (2005), or as Priness Diana in "Diana" (2013), and feel that she has been miscast again.
Also, this is yet another instance of America making money off of a foreign horror film, by producing a rubbish remake. It is offensive to foreign filmmakers. Why not release the original film, dubbed in English, or with subtitles? No, instead they capitalize on someone else's idea to try and make a quick buck.
Six Feet Under (2001)
A Sharp Decline from Season 3 Onwards
Season 1 & 2 - I'd give it 10/10.
The rest... 4/10. So I'm giving this a generous 7.
I absolutely love the characters of David (Michael C Hall), Ruth (Frances Conway) and Nate (Peter Krause). All of them are amazing actors, and brought much needed comic relief at times. However, I HATE the Nate that appeared from Season 3 onwards. Having brain surgery does not equal an entire personality transplant.... And that episode where David got beat up and robbed, was awful to watch. I didn't really get the point or message. We already understand that you shouldn't give lifts to hitch-hikers... It was very disturbing. Michael C. Hall's acting however was outstanding. I think the show would have survived, and probably would've been better, if it stayed with the light-hearted tone of Season 1 & 2. No idea why it got so dark.
Also, the character of Brenda (Rachel Griffiths) screams "poor little rich girl". Yawn. I absolutely do not buy Nate's attraction to her. She looks like a man in drag! I actually googled it to find out if she was a man in real life. And all the terrible things she did to him at the beginning and throughout were inexcusable, yet we are meant to feel sorry for this narcissistic, self-pitying person? No. She is definitely punching with Nate. She questuoned his faith when he had lost the mother of his child in tragic circumstances, and then she even called him narcissistic on his death bed! She didnt care about his health at all, she only cared about why he was with Maggie. It is everyone else's fault that Nate went to Maggie of course, not hers at all (!). And to shout at the child "daddy's dead" twice is just...wow. I don't think custody should have been given to her, and I honestly don't think I've ever hated a character more.
I have no idea about Claire's (Lauren Ambrose) story as I started skipping all of her scenes at some point in Season 3. So incredibly boring, and if I had to look at her put on "doe eyes" one more time, I think I would've flung the remote at the TV. An overwhelming measure of bad acting, and a boring character.
Ruth is amazing. She doesn't even look like she's acting. She was cast perfectly, and her performance is outstanding. She definitely should have won Emmy's for her portrayal of Ruth.
David, I couldn't love more. He is a beautiful character, and Michael C Hall depicted him PERFECTLY. I had no idea Michael C Hall could be so hilarious, emotional (and a great dancer).
I am glad I discovered this show, but disappointed with the route it took after Season 2. If I rewatch, I'll only be watching the first two seasons.
Dexter: New Blood (2021)
Really wanted to give this a better rating, but the ending was abysmal
I wanted Dexter to end up like a 'Hannibal Lecter' type character. What happened to the fun of the bad guy getting away with it, in movie/TV. But no, we all need taught the lesson that bad guys always or should lose... because apparently we are too stupid to distinguish fiction from real-life!
Dexter is a likeable CHARACTER, despite his obvious faults... And I'm gutted that they have killed him off. Michael C Hall is amazing in the role, and we'll never see him in it again! Unless of course, he becomes Harrison's dark passenger in any future show..
Also, what is with Debra screaming every sentence? I had to turn the TV down a few times it was so irritating. Over-acting to say the least.
A few boring clichés aswell. Cute new boy meets cute girl at school, who seems to understand and accept everything about him straightaway. Yawn.
Cute boy joins new school, rejects the 'cool crowd' at first to hang about with a loner. THIS WOULD NOT HAPPEN. Yawn.
Maybe I miss the show being set in Miami, maybe I miss Dexter's boat, who knows.. but it just didn't meet the standards of the original series.
It also would have been good to have seen reoccurring characters like Batista (barely in it), Masuka and Quinn, maybe even Cody and Astor.
I enjoyed the Kurt Caldwell aspect, that was an interesting storyline. But sorry not sorry, I'm not satisfied at all with Dexter's fate.
Boo to the writers!!
Files of the Unexplained (2024)
Not in the same league as 'Unsolved Mysteries'
I was pleased to see the 'Yuba County Five' mystery on this series. This has baffled me for years, and I am glad that there will now be more awareness of it. I disliked the Narrator, I may be biased as I was comparing it to the captivating voice of the late Robert Stack (Narrator and host of the Original Unsolved Mysteries series). However I thought she spoke far too deliberately and slowly, and I simply just wasn't a fan. It is hard not to compare this series to Unsolved Mysteries, as both shows have the same premise, and a similar structure. Of the eight episodes, only three of them (3, 5, 8) are based on missing persons or unexplained deaths/mysteries. I barely count Episode 5 'Haunting of Lake Lanier' in this, as although it is based on apparently unexplained deaths, they claim the reason for this is unrested spirits/paranormal, which I think is hogwash. Personally, I think there should have been more episodes which focused on missing persons/unsolved mysteries, as they are simply more important. I dislike anything paranormal or UFO related, as the only 'evidence' is ALWAYS word-of-mouth or 'eyewitnesses'. Don't get me wrong, they are on occasion vaguely interesting stories (this is being generous), but personally I have a hard time believing it and I think this show could have utilized its episodes better. There are so many unexplained deaths/mysteries they could have taken their pick at.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Savant (2007)
I love Munch in this episode
I really enjoyed this episode. I have seen criticims that an actress who did not have Williams Syndrome, portrayed a character who did. However the Williams Syndrome Accociation says that children with WS can have emotional issues, and anxiety is common. Most with WS also have sensitive hearing. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that a child with WS may find a busy and noisy film set, and the subject matter of this episode, more difficult to deal with than a neurotypical child. So there is the child's welfare to consider too. I thought the actress did a great job, and didn't feel like WS was portrayed negatively. I love Munch in this episode when he kindly teaches her the 'stranger danger' notion. It was also funny to see Finn have his ponytail pulled! This is not offensive, it would have been funny if any child did that to him. Munch and Finn should have had more scenes together throughout the whole series.
Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)
A story that needed to be told
I think this story is so important, and I wish the film had been made long before 2023. I admittedly knew nothing about the Osage Nation prior to watching the film, or most of the events, yet I was crying in anger and disbelief throughout it. So if I feel that way, I cannot imagine how the people directly impacted, and current members of the tribe must feel. Shocking to think that something so unfair and devastating actually happened! The real Molly Kyle was a woman ahead of her times, and Lily Gladstone portrayed her so perfectly. Robert De Niro is also brilliant in his depiction of William King Hale. It made me unexpectedly emotional to see Martin Scorcese in the film at the end. I thought that this was very moving, and demonstrated how important the telling of the story was to him.
Dead in the Water (2024)
Makes you Grateful
This documentary is so unique and powerful. You really get a sense of how a terrible event can impact so many people. The pain that Vincent Boston, son of the murderer, has carried for years is very evident throughout the series. The documentary allows room for the viewer to feel gut wrenching sympathy for all of those affected, including the victims and their family, and also Vince and Russel Boston.
It is a great miscarriage of justice, and the resilience of Peta and Chris' family members is both admirable and exceptional. No one deserves to go through that, and I don't think anyone knows what it could possibly feel like unless you experience it. Chris' mother, Audrey Farmer (aged 99 as of 2024), is such a strong and wonderful woman. The thought provoking documentary leaves you with a sense of feeling grateful for the good things in our lives, and a few tears will undoubtedly be shed.
Andere Welt (2014)
Badly assembled
Very badly assembled. No narration / off camera commentary. I didn't realise how essential this is for documentaries until I watched this one. Many long shots of pointless things that are not interesting or relevant, such as filming staff using the eye recognition technology when entering the facility. No introduction to the patients, just a lot of filming them in vulnerable moments. The camera pans on them for too long, when they are doing nothing! This was done when a woman was sitting outside smoking - why do we need 10-15 seconds of that. We don't. This could have been great and insightful but it feels like a badly shot, amateur documentary.
Last Stop Larrimah (2023)
Original and interesting
Larrimah redefines 'small town'. Almost everyone is a murder suspect in this town, with a population of 10 citizens, and almost everyone had an altercation or feud with Patrick Moriarty. It is a very interesting documentary. To see the once thriving Larrimah be run into the ground, by its own residents, was very sad. The clashes between the neighbours seems petty at first, but we soon learn that the tension run much deeper and darker than expected. I felt sympathy for Fran Hodgetts. I do not believe she was treated fairly by those interviewing her and the filmmakers. Instead, it looked like there was attempts to make her into a laughing stock, purely based on her eccentric personality. The things she said about Patrick in the past footage was edited and replayed to make her seem suspicious or the likely murderer - but on reflection, anyone who had a feud with someone would say similar tongue in cheek phrases such as 'What goes around comes around'. Nothing she said screamed 'Murderer' to me, and as we see at the end of the documentary, it is fairly obvious who the likely killer is. I expected the town to crumble as the documentary was coming to a close, however I was surprised at how pleased and emotional I was to see that there is new hope for Larrimah. Hopefully the new and old residents can learn from past mistakes and build a promising future together. I have every hope.
Us (2019)
Had potential, but failed in lazy ways
Overall I was disappointed by Us. It had a good premise but too much was unexplained and rushed. Some filmmakers have mastered, and got away with, not explaining everything to the viewer. There have been fantastic films where the full facts are not explained, and audiences are left to interpret there own theories. This, unfortunately, is not one of those films.
How did the government brainwash the tethered? How did it continue after the government abandoned the facility? Why is the facility so clean, and who delivers the food? Why could Adelaide not teach the tethered to speak, considering Red who was tethered, managed to learn to speak on her own when she was a child?
There are simply too many plot holes. It feels that there are no plausible explanations, so the filmmakers just decided to leave it out as they had none. This is why I feel the film is lazy, and after the clever plot if 'Get Out', I feel disappointed that this film seems to only be made for commercial purposes.
There could also have been more focus on the son and his tethered. I would like to have heard more of the sons back story.
It is also a bit too disturbing that Adelaide was taken as a child and brought up in that environment. Somehow she is made out to be the villan and killed in the end when she has been trying her whole life to get back to the world she remembers. I don't condone mass murder... but you can see why she was upset. It just felt sad and was only done due to the 'twist' that 'Adelaide' is actually Red and has been one of the tethered all along. Which I have to say was obvious very early on i.e with the clicking fingers scene in the car.
Maybe the peak for this filmmaker was 'Get Out' and we have all expected too much from his subsequent films. Still, a lazy film and it should have either changed certain things to make it more plausible, or explained the situation better.
The Crowded Room (2023)
Worth a watch. Holland is great
The first 1-2 episodes can seem a bit slow but it is worth sticking with it. Interesting plot, and completely up the street of those who enjoy films/TV series with a psychological theme. I had already read in advance who the story was based on due to articles in the media, therefore knew the plot twist before I watched it. This is one of these times where I wish I could erase that from my memory, and watch it without knowing the plot twist. Remember The Sixth Sense (1999)? No one knew the plot twist unless some spoiled it via word of mouth. The good old days. The series is only very loosely based on the individual which is why they changed the name of the main character. I thought I would constantly think of Tom Holland as Spiderman, but I honestly forgot that within the first five minutes of him being on screen and completely believed him as Danny. It is great to see Tom's versatility and in my opinion it is impossible not to feel empathy for his character. One negative is that there are some scenes which go on too long, or do not feel relevant. One such scene is 'Ariana' dancing in a club for several minutes, I actually fast forwarded and it was still going on when I stopped it. Just not needed and did not add to the plot or quality. A great story but it could have been told in 6-8 episodes not 10.
La chica de nieve (2023)
Too many episodes
No need for this to be six episodes. Far too dragged out like similar mystery miniseries. It takes away interest and suspense. Could of told the story in 3-4 episodes. The same plot has been used in countless television series so it is unoriginal. The whole thing didn't need 6 hours. The main actress had one facial expression/pout throughout the entire series which was irritating, lots of staring fir no reason. Sub plot was boring for a viewer. Also the story is supposed to be over 9 years yet there is not the slightest effort to make any of the adult characters look any older. Just a forgettable watch with no originality whatsoever.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022)
Offensive
I find this series offensive so far. In the space of a 35 minutes episode, the Hulk's journey throughout the Marvel films is belittled and ridiculed.
Why immediately is the She-Hulk better than everything?
Why does the She-Hulk have such a smooth transition compared to what Bruce faced through the years.
Don't understand why Mark Ruffalo read the script and agreed to be part of this...
The Hulk was one of my favourite characters in Marvel and the downplaying of his journey and qualities is extremely disappointing.