jemmabaddock Reviews

House of Darkness (2022)

Give it a go!

[6/10 · 27 October 2023]

Overall I don't think this movie is as bad as most of these reviews are saying.

I have to commend any film that takes place "in real time" and can pull it off. This film has basically one location, 2-3 actors and relies on dialogue only. It's also spawned across about an hour-ish period in real life. Considering those things, I can appreciate this film and the way it was done.

Justin Long really drove this movie home and played a great character. He pretty much carries the movie so props to him.

Yes it's a bit cliche and you can predict what's going to happen - but it still had me hooked as to HOW it would happen, so that's a win for me!

65 (2023)

The characters let down this movie - and there was only 2.

[5/10 · 22 March 2023]

I'm giving this movie a 5 out of 10 because it was exactly average.

I'm glad it has a short run time of approx 90 minutes. This means it doesn't drag out, nor can you get too bored. So that's a positive.

I'll give credit where credit is due; the CGI/special effects were great. The overall concept is cool. I also thought Adam Driver's acting was good.

What really let it down for me, was the lack of character development and dialogue. I don't know why they had to make one of the two main characters not speak English/a language Mills could understand. It meant there was hardly any dialogue throughout the movie so you didn't really care too much for the characters and there was a lot of time spent on dramatic music/silence.

Pam & Tommy (2022)

Amazing Acting! We love you Pam.

[8/10 · 16 January 2023]

I feel a bit torn, as I know that Pamela Anderson herself hasn't consented to this show being made, however, it did justice to her so beautifully and really made you love her even more (even though it is fictional, but based on true events). I didn't know much about her prior, but have a lot of respect and warmth towards her now.

Lily James was phenomanal in this role. I don' think anyone could have done a better job. I was drawn to her the entire series.

Seth Rogen was also a standout, and his story was really intriguing throughout.

I thought this series was really great, with A-Grade acting and episodes that got you hooked, without drawing it out too long.

I'm interested to see Pamela's documentary on Netflix soon.

Barbarian (2022)

Bill Skarsgard is the scariest of them all.

[7/10 · 10 January 2023]

Okay, this movie actually scared me a bit from the get go.

Not because there was anything jumping out, or anything gory or crazy. Simply because Bill Skarsgard is so damn good and makes you question everything going on in the movie.

Is he the good guy? Is he terribly, awfully bad? That question stays with you up until his death .... and maybe even after that. He does a great job in this film, even if it is short lived.

The first half of the film is so intense and keeps you guessing, that I liked it better than the second half which got a bit ridiculous in some parts. Sometimes the scary thing, isn't as scary as the unknown.

But overall, this is a solid horror film that I think stands up with some of the best in 2022.

Poker Face (2022)

Average ... But not Terrible?

[5/10 · 24 November 2022]

I think this movie is being absolutely torn to shreds where it probably doesn't deserve that much backlash.

Is it amazing? No. But I didn't finish watching it with a sour taste in my mouth. It was alright.

The Australian shots are spectacular in some scenes, I particularly enjoyed the architecture and homes/apartments that were showcased. Russell Crowe's acting was good, I thought he fit the character well enough and the last 30-60 minutes where the action occurred was actually pretty good.

All of the other characters did have problems being understood and became irrelevant. I was excited to see Liam Hemsworth but became really confused why he was cast as a guy in his late 50s? It just didn't make sense at all. Also the first half of the movie is pretty slow and doesn't really go anywhere.

Overall it's okay to watch.

The Black Phone (2021)

I have more questions than answers.

[5/10 · 2 November 2022]

My partner and I had been wanting to watch this movie for quite a while - maybe we went in with expectations that were too high, because we definitely left disappointed.

The movie started off well enough - perhaps a storyline that we had heard before but nonetheless it was intriguing and kept me wanting to know more. You want to know what happens to the boy, does he escape? And how?

But what you REALLY want to know is who is this guy, The Blackphone? What's his story, his origin? We literally don't know anything about him during the whole film. He is an intriguing character so I don't know why there wasn't more depth and substance added to his storyline. That would have made the film so much better.

In summary, it's an average horror that had potential to unlock a new horror icon - but failed.