rws_20 Reviews

Abigail (2024)

Solid film

[7/10 · 13 May 2024]

I think people are being way too harsh on this film.

For what it was, I liked it. It's a fun time.

It's regrettable that it has one of those trailers that give away a lot of the plot, but luckily for me, I never saw it and went into it blind.

This is one of those films that's best to watch with as little info about the plot as possible; it's far more enjoyable that way.

For me, it ticks all the boxes. Great acting, direction, cinematography, set design, effects - all the elements that make a solid film come together nicely here.

Definitely worth a watch if you like a horror/thriller with a bit of comedy thrown in here and there.

I think the thing I appreciated about it the most, is that it's not trying to shove a message down your throat. Refreshing, considering so much mainstream stuff these days has an ulterior motive.

It just takes you along on a creepy, funny, gory little thrill ride.

Cool film.

Imaginary (2024)

Baby horror

[3/10 · 23 April 2024]

It's like a new genre of horror: Baby Horror.

Horror aimed at prepubescent children.

It just came off like one of my childhood fever dreams - not really scary, just strange and random.

They could have done so much more with this idea. It's one of those films that hits like a big waste of an opportunity.

The story is very weak. Would have been better served as a short, because when you try to stretch something like this to feature length, the cracks start to appear.

The whole thing felt like a Halloween special of some kiddie show.

Something that should have never been greenlit, in my opinion.

Little Women (2019)

Hindered by its structure

[4/10 · 11 March 2024]

This film has everything it needs to be great: good acting, great costumes, beautiful locations and sets, pleasant cinematography, etc.

However, like many others have pointed out, the structure of the story seriously kills it. It jumps about all over the place, backwards and forwards in time, for no reason whatsoever.

If the story was told in chronological order, then it would have been a solid film.

I don't know what possessed Greta to write the film this way. Maybe she was trying to put a little unique spin on it or something, I don't know? But it doesn't work. It just comes off very confusing and disjointed.

It's a shame because there are some wonderful performances in it; particularly Florence Pugh, this is easily one of her best.

But I think with a film like this, you can't have the story jumping about all over the shop, it's the sort that needs to be told from start to finish.

Otherwise, not only is it confusing for the viewer to take in, but it also ruins certain moments in the story that should be built up to. I don't want to know the end of a plot point before I know the beginning of it.

Miller's Girl (2024)

Pretentiously Aimless

[3/10 · 23 February 2024]

One of those films that starts, dwindles along, and randomly ends.

In other words: a boring pile of manure.

It's as if the writer was planning to enter this screenplay into the running for the Most Pretentious Film of the Year award - it's definitely a frontrunner for how incredibly pompous and conceited it is.

Judging by the trailer it looked like it was going to be something far more than what it ended up being. I was hoping it was a slow burn that was eventually going to evolve into some sort of Teacher Vs Psycho Student thriller/horror type deal - needless to say I was wrong.

Ultimately, it just ended up one of those flicks that you think is going to be a lit fuse, sizzling its way to gratifying bang, only to be left disappointed that the film was too self-absorbed and egocentric to have ever thought of igniting the fuse in the first place.

Night Swim (2024)

About what I was expecting given the premise

[3/10 · 18 February 2024]

Stupid film. Just an all-round terrible concept.

Not really anything wrong with it from an acting or cinematography standpoint, but it's just boring. The story is like something an 8-year-old has drummed-up in a nightmare.

Doesn't take any risks either, just follows the same old formula: a prologue of a death, a family moving into a house unaware of its past, few jump scares, a weird 'boogeyman' type creature, throw in a creepy old lady for good measure and boom, you've got yourself a prosaic, subpar horror.

Just one of those films where you think, 'why did they bother?' All that money, time and effort, all for something wildly bland and forgettable.

Dave Chappelle: The Dreamer (2023 TV Special)

Glad I'm not the only one

[4/10 · 2 January 2024]

I thought this special was weak.

Much like Gervais' special, just poor and nowhere near his best.

If you're going to make jokes about the disabled, at least make them clever.

And that joke about the 'underwater grave' in a gurgly voice. Who was telling that joke? Dave, or an eight-year-old?

His older stuff was so well thought-out. It always had a direction, it was always building to something bigger. This one was like watching an amateur comedian getting a few cheap laughs.

Ironically, the jokes I found the funniest were the ones where the crowd wasn't laughing nearly as hard. I was rolling when he was tearing into Lil Nas, because it was one of those 'funny because it's so true' moments.

The crowd was a joke. Practically falling off their chairs at a bunch of weak stuff, but the moment it got a little clever and brutal, they go silent. Pathetic.

Leave the World Behind (2023)

Started well, but fizzles out

[5/10 · 9 December 2023]

I was looking forward to this when I found out Sam Esmail was writing and directing, as I loved his series 'Mr. Robot'.

This film, however, is one of those slow-burners that feels like it's building, and building, but then never really goes anywhere.

You get about halfway through and then the boredom begins to creep in, so you start thinking things like, 'I hope this ends up being worth the wait.'

Unfortunately, the boredom only continues to grow, with no 'saving grace' coming to the rescue.

Now, you've got your usual arrogant, wannabe sophisticates in these reviews saying things like, 'God! Just dumb people not understanding this mASteRPieCE! Hurrrr durrrrr!!!'

No, I understood the message fine. This film is about humans being more concerned with a load of mundane, nothing stuff - TV shows, social media, sports, etc. - instead of being concerned about things that actually matter, things that have a drastic effect on our planet and race, and how we have to get along and work together to survive crisis, blah blah blah.

There's nothing there that requires a high level of intelligence to grasp. It's pretty basic stuff.

People are confused about the deer. Personally, I feel like that's more of an 'open to interpretation' aspect. The way I saw it was, the deer were gathering around and just staring out the humans as if to say, 'It's your fault. You humans. That's why this is all happening.' But it's one of those things where you just take it how you want to take it; I decided to go more on the metaphorical side with it.

Ultimately, this film tries to scare you with the 'This could happen in real life, at any moment' rhetoric, but it puts so much of its focus on that side of things, that it forgets to have a gripping narrative and dialogue to keep you invested.

There was some good there, but the bad outweighed the good, for me.

The Fall of the House of Usher (2023)

Paying homage

[7/10 · 27 October 2023]

I was under the impression when going in that this mini-series was going to revolve around Edgar Allan Poe's short story of the same name, instead it was more of something that used Edgar's literary universe as a way of telling a story of a brother and sister whom want to take over a pharmaceutical company to build themselves a life of luxury - and they'll do whatever it takes to get there.

I can see why people would be annoyed or feel duped, as this series isn't exactly 'what it says on the tin', however, what you receive instead is still a well-written, chilling story that depicts the consequences of selling one's soul and burying one's morals to be able to live a life of royalty.

If you're a fan of Poe you will see that Flanagan has taken great care to weave in some influences of his works in each episode: the episodes are all named after a different short story from Edgar, containing subtle (and sometimes blatant) nods to specific details in each tale.

Whilst it wasn't what I thought it would be, I still enjoyed watching the story unravel and spotting when and where Poe's mind would start creeping in through the undergrowth.

This series definitely paid a great homage to Edgar and really captured the essence of what makes his works so chilling and scintillating.

Having said that, even though I'm a Poe fan and liked what this series did, I have preferred other series from Flanagan more than this one, but it's still a good watch regardless.

Totally Killer (2023)

Pathetic

[1/10 · 21 October 2023]

The jokes in this film were awful, can't believe this is what 'comedy' has been reduced to.

Are really in a state today where 'funny' is just a bunch of condescending PC remarks about the world of the past?

Absolutely pathetic.

Thank god we still have the classics to keep us occupied, because anything the fragile world of today musters up is always the same old heedful, cowardly rubbish.

Problem is Hollywood is bought and paid for, so anything with a script that is even slightly reminiscent of an era where writers weren't afraid to produce something bold and dauntless, gets thrown straight in the bin.

What a sad world we live in.

Saw X (2023)

Better than a lot of the sequels

[6/10 · 21 October 2023]

Meh, it was better than a lot of the sequels, but of course it was never going to top the first couple.

It gives you a lot of what you ask for out of a Saw film. But what I loved the most about the first couple of films is that it wasn't just stringing people up in traps, it had a sense of crime/mystery to it as well, and that's something that these films lost over the years.

They began to focus too much on the gore and trap elements that they forgot to tie in an interesting narrative to go along with them.

The first half of this film was pretty decent, but it did start to dwindle a bit, and the 'happily ever after' ending seemed a bit incongruous.

Wouldn't feel compelled to revisit this one. If I ever rewatch the Saw films I only ever do the first 3 or 4.

Farewell, John Kramer. Hopefully they don't feel compelled to carry on the franchise, because we know it won't be the same without Jigsaw.

57 Seconds (2023)

One and done

[5/10 · 10 October 2023]

One of those films that's not a bad watch if you can't find anything else.

Yeah, it has a bit of a stupid plot, but if you just look at it from the point of view of a bit of innocent sci-fi fun, then it's an OK watch to pass the time.

The script could have been more solid, it definitely felt rushed and like it could have used another draft or two.

Isn't really any rewatch value there for me, it's a one and done type film.

Just don't go into it expecting an avant-garde sci-fi masterpiece and take it for what it is. People are judging way too seriously in these reviews. It's not trying to be Oscar-worthy, it's just a breezy sci-fi thriller.

Incident in a Ghostland (2018)

Fell flat for me

[5/10 · 4 October 2023]

This film has a very satisfyingly quirky, eclectic setting and vibe to it, which is what really stands out above all else. However, it sets itself up to be a psychological horror, but eventually that aspect of the film dwindles away into mundane kidnap horror territory, and it fails to find its way back to where it initially set off.

For what it was trying to be, it could have ended up really being a film to remember, but the fact that, about halfway through, it suddenly decides to give up on its psychological facet (that it spent the first half of the film working hard to build), made it become a bit 'meh' and left me feeling disappointed.

Overall, what it ended up being wasn't bad, but it struggles to break out of the 'just average' area of the spectrum for me.

Retribution (I) (2023)

Just another Neeson crapfest

[3/10 · 17 September 2023]

Just another generic Neeson flick, but unfortunately, they just seem to get worse and worse.

I love Liam as an actor, but I wish he'd stop doing these crappy cookie cutter action films.

The script in this one was really awful, it was as if someone told the writer, 'Hey, go and write a 90-minute advert for Mercedes. You have one hour. Go!'

Films like this are supposed to be nothing but suspense and thrills, but for me, within about 20 minutes I was thinking, 'Ah sod it, just blow the car.'

Having his kids in the back of the car added absolutely nothing to the film either, you could have axed their characters completely and it would have made zero difference.

Not really anything wrong with it in terms of cinematography, but just about everything else was way under par.

Really wouldn't bother with this one.

From (2022– )

Loving it so far

[8/10 · 4 September 2023]

This series is a mixture of psychological thriller, horror and mystery, and for that reason it's a match made in heaven for me!

I've loved watching the story unravel with all of its twists and turns, the way it keeps you constantly on the tips of your toes, trying to figure out what the meaning behind it all is.

The producers of this show are the same producers that brought us Lost - and it shows. If there's one series out there I could relate this show to, it certainly has a Lost-esque feel to it, and I love that about it. I haven't watched a series since Lost that gives you that 'I-have-no-idea-where-the-hell-this-is-going-but-I-love-it' feeling, so From has definitely been a welcome surprise!

The second season doesn't deserve all the crap it's getting, I really enjoyed it, just as much as the first. Yeah, it's a bit slower than the first season, and it's given us more questions than answers, but shows of this nature are more about the journey than the destination if you ask me.

My only fear is that it's going to follow Lost in the way that it keeps throwing all these random goings-on at you but has no intention of ever resolving them.

It's still early days yet though, so I'll give it a chance to start dishing out some answers.

Bring on season 3!

Nefarious (2023)

Why?

[3/10 · 8 June 2023]

It's a shame. It could have been a great film if it wasn't trying to shove Christianity down your throat at every opportunity.

I've heard that this film had a lot of 'truth' in it so I was excited to give it a look, although it turns out it's only a very minimal amount of truth overshadowed by a load of religious rambling.

It definitely sums up the state of the world to great effect in one part, and I do believe that it's right when it says there is a force of evil plaguing the earth. But do I believe that in the religious sense? No.

Why has everything today got to have some sort of religious or political propagation weaved in for crying out loud? Art is at its best when it's simply telling a story without having an ulterior motive.

Despite the script being completely biased and agenda driven, I thought the acting from Sean Patrick Flanery was good; he was the only thing keeping me watching honestly.

But unfortunately, like everything else today, the propaganda takes over and completely ruins a potentially good thing.

A Small Light (2023)

Strong series!

[9/10 · 24 May 2023]

Very powerful series, and that is thanks to some brilliant acting from the cast, and some incredibly absorbing writing. Got to give the direction its respect as well - all the elements of film making come together beautifully here.

After the first two episodes aired this series made me pick up Anne's diary and read it from cover to cover. I'd never read it before, nor did I ever study it in school, but after having read it and continuing with the series - wow, did it hit me incredibly hard; much harder than what it would have if I hadn't read it.

A Small Light really captures the story of Miep and the Frank family in the most human way it can. It helps you see what these poor unfortunate souls had to put up with during such a ridiculous and pathetic time in history.

It's a great piece of storytelling. There's so much rubbish out there today, so it's nice to find something that isn't trying desperately to throw a political message in your face! I'm glad that good writers still exist even if they are in a very small minority these days.

Scream VI (2023)

Why do I bother?

[3/10 · 29 April 2023]

God, review sites these days are just so rigged it's unbelievable. How the hell does *this* have a (current rating of) 6.9? It's terrible.

Boring script, full of characters I want to punch in the face - especially that Mindy, man, was I disappointed that she pulled through...

Please say this is the last one; even Scream 3 was one too many.

They just always have to milk these franchises into oblivion, to the point where they're not even remotely worth anyone's time, yet people still flock to them hoping that 'this time it'll be different'.

Well, this time it's not different, so don't bother. I'm just glad I didn't pay to see this steaming pile - my condolences to you and your money if you did.

Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game (2022)

Ticks all the right boxes

[10/10 · 11 April 2023]

It's rare that I give something a ten, but you know what? This film deserves it. Beautifully produced: great acting, cinematography, directing, writing - it's all there.

Pinball is definitely a game that's before my time, I grew up in the era when game consoles really began to take off, so things like pinball had unfortunately all but died out. But what this film does very well is that it helps you find love and appreciation for a game that stood the test of time for many a decade before the digital age began to take over.

Honestly makes me want to buy a pinball machine so I can keep the legacy of the game alive... Maybe some day?

Definitely recommend this if you're in the mood for a light, funny, feel-good film.

Inside (I) (2023)

Arty-farty

[4/10 · 10 April 2023]

The sort of film that one can find a lot of 'arty-farty' messages within, but unfortunately that's about all it is really. Not much else going on other than a man trying to escape a penthouse and constantly failing whilst slowly slipping into insanity.

Depends on what way you look at it as to whether or not you'll take something from it. For me, yeah, definitely made me think in places, and that's ultimately what it's trying to do, but on the other hand, it's just plain boring.

There wasn't enough to it for me to think it was good, it sort of just... is. If you're an art buff you might like it, otherwise it's a bit of a snoozefest.

Knock at the Cabin (2023)

Boring

[3/10 · 24 March 2023]

Desperately needed a big twist to give it a pay off that's worth spending 90 mins of your life on.

I was waiting, and waiting for some big, mind-blowing twist - hell, I just finished the film and I'm *still* waiting for it for some reason.

Once I realised I wasn't getting the pay off I immediately decided this film was a giant waste of time and I regret watching it.

So boring. I really didn't think it was going to stick to its linear plot, I really thought it would eventually swerve off course and surprise me - nope.

Lick my macadamias Shamalamadingdong, you time-wasting, insipid, lacklustre bore.

Servant (2019–2023)

I enjoyed it

[7/10 · 21 March 2023]

I enjoyed Servant from start to finish. I love a psychological thriller so this series is right up my street.

It's shot beautifully, has some clever writing in places, and the actors give some good performances. The story definitely kept me wanting to know more and was satisfyingly creepy throughout.

It did have its dips in form, but overall it was a fun mystery with some nice dark humour. I liked the love-hate bromance between Sean and Julian, that was one of the highlights of the series for me; they have some good banter.

Shame that it doesn't look like they'll be doing the originally planned 6 seasons, but it rounds off to a place that's satisfying enough I suppose.

That '90s Show (2023– )

That '80s Show was a flop, and so is this

[4/10 · 24 January 2023]

That '80s show was bad because it just wasn't nearly as fun or charismatic or quirky as '70s, it just felt bland - but this, this is just beating a dead horse.

It feels like Disney have bought the rights (much like they've done with almost everything else) or something.

It was nice to see the '70s characters reprising their roles, but the novelty wears off fast when the focus sets in on the '90s kids.

The characters are just carbon copies of the '70s kids but no where near as captivating or alluring.

The whole thing just feels weak, honestly. I can't see this doing a second season; if it does I'll be surprised.

Emily in Paris (2020– )

My guilty pleasure show

[4/10 · 22 December 2022]

This show is one big piece of pretentious, self-indulgent, sybaritic waffle, and yet for some reason ... I keep tuning in whenever there's a new season?

Why do I do it to myself? Is the real question. I'm watching all these characters floating around in their "first world problem" lives, with their rich families, their arrogant apathetic attitudes, and their utterly ludicrous outfits that look like vomit personified, and for some reason I still watch!?

I said I was done with it after season 2. I had a full year of Emily-in-Paris-free sobriety under my belt... but then they released season 3! And instantly - without even trying to find help - I caved like some soul-vacant, hopeless junkie!

I think it's safe to say that I have a problem and need help. I wonder if there's a support group for people who become addicted to pompous, asinine crap on Netflix?

You (2018–2024)

Terrible 3rd season

[3/10 · 18 December 2022]

First two seasons were good. It was nice to find a show with hardly any PC crap involved. It was a decent show with a quirky, messed up premise that was addictive and served as a fun bit of escapism. Then season three happens...

It was as if different writers took over for season 3 (maybe they did, I haven't checked?). It became super PC and really bland and dragged out: no excitement going on, no likeable characters - just a big pile of manure basically.

They really should have thought of the phrase "quality not quantity" before they decided on another season.

My advice? Watch the first two seasons and then stop.

Wednesday (2022– )

I'm in between

[5/10 · 24 November 2022]

It was watchable but I didn't love it.

I'm not sure just how involved Burton actually was with this project, it doesn't feel like he was massively involved because this series really didn't scream "Burton-esque" to me. He supposedly directed the series, but a few different directors' names pop up in the credits?

I was excited to see it when I found out Tim's name was attached to it, but it ended up being far too "teeny high school drama" for my liking.

I did like Jenna Ortega as Wednesday, I thought she portrayed the character well and made it her own. Uncle Fester was okay as well. And Thing, but, ya know, he's a hand. The casting for the rest of the Addams however, I didn't like; they just didn't capture the essence of the characters in my eyes.

This series had its moments, but as a whole I just didn't get what I was hoping for and was left a bit disappointed.