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El páramo (2021)
Missed Potential
On a technical level, The Wasteland is rather bloody good. I cannot stress this enough that it is beautifully shot with great performances from every actor. Even the kid surprisingly enough. However, the film is mostly uneventful. Not a lot that is interesting happens aside from the occasional moment of decently built up tension. The film excessively lacks any interesting character and the third act feels like every other typical horror film.
The film is a metaphor for depression. On paper, this sounds like a really clever concept but it fails in it's execution. As the film has shoddy character development with it's characters just suddenly turning mad half way through and making unrealistic decisions, the metaphor just does not work as well as it should of done. I'm not invested in these characters as they are not fully defined. We are not given a full explanation on why they went mad, they just become mad and that is it and therefore I do not care.
The Wasteland should of been a great film. It had a clever concept with very talented actors and some incredible cinematography but the script just did not hit the mark.
Fear Street: 1666 (2021)
A decent end to the trilogy
This was definitely the best film in the trilogy. While the first two films had some good moments when it gets to the slasher sections of the films, the rest felt mediocre due to a cliché and predictable story and uninteresting characters. 1666 still has an issue with forgettable characters but the plot went to places that I did not expect it to go. There were some surprising moments and good ideas that were executed decently. The slasher elements here were solid too with some good kills here and there but it was not as strong in that area as 1978 was. I also wish that in previous films they developed Nick Goode more as the character could of been much more interesting here.
Overall, the film ends an otherwise mediocre trilogy in a fairly satisfying and in an unpredictable way. It is still flawed in a few areas and could be a lot stronger but was still a decent time once it gets going.
Luca (2021)
Really Enjoyable
This may just be me but this felt a lot like a Ghibli movie. Very little happened and it had very low stakes but it was still really enjoyable throughout. The whole third act was amazing with many memorable scenes and the animation was fantastic. The characters are all likeable and are all well written.
The film's biggest issues for me are the comedy and one particular plot point. I found many jokes to fall flat. Apart from the stuff with the cat. The cat was hilarious. I also didn't like the plot point with the parents where they were trying to find Luca by chucking water on him and exposing that he is a sea monster in front of everyone in the town... the town that is famous for hunting down sea monsters. However, the rest of the film is really strong so you can easily ignore it.
This bit isn't really a bad thing about the movie as it wouldn't really change much about the film but I wish we saw more scenes were Luca was living underwater. As the world seemed really interesting.
Overall, the movie was great with a few problems but the strengths FAR outweigh the negatives in my opinion.
Shookum Hills (2021)
Not Good
The characters in the film are either annoying or forgettable. This is made even worse by the acting as it ranges from terrible to barely mediocre and that these characters make very questionable decisions throughout the film such as shouting while being chased by creatures who hunt through their sense of hearing. The scares from this film are decent at times but some boil down to a sudden jump scare that is mainly irritating or there is so much shaky cam that it is difficult to tell what is going on like the sequence involving night vision. The pacing is all over the place. The film starts out way too slow but then it becomes fast out of nowhere and then slows down again etc. The dialogue is also really awkward. However, there were some decent things in the third act as the atmosphere in the caves were slightly creepy and it had some suspenseful moments but then the film ends in a slightly cheesy and predictable way.
Ghosts of War (2020)
Lots of missed potential
The most annoying thing about this film is that it had a really interesting concept. A group of World War 2 soldiers in a haunted house. This could of made a great film but it was ruined by many problems.
Firstly, the characters are all so forgettable and cliche. They are the same characters in basically every war film but with acting that ranges from mediocre to down right terrible.
Secondly, the last 30 minutes of the film makes it even worse by adding an unnecessary and stupid plot twist that makes little sense. It is honestly one of the worst plot twists i have seen.
The horror elements in the film can be decent at times but they generally choose to make it your average horror film with predictable jumpscares that annoys you more than it actually scares you. The build up can be tense at times but the scare never lives up to it. The film is made even less scary from the CGI that looks like it is from an unfinished short film from youtube.
Overall, it is a film that wastes a great concept through overused cliches, uninteresting characters, horror elements that rarely hit the mark and a god awful plot twist. It is incredibly average that you will forget about very quickly.
Kokuriko-zaka kara (2011)
Good movie with some flaws
Finally, I have now watched every Studio Ghibli film and the studio is by far my favourite animation (or just film in general) company. As From Up On Poppy Hill was the last film to see, I was incredibly excited to watch and had high hopes. While my expectations weren't exactly met, it was still an entertaining enough film. It never got boring or tedious but it also never got me at the edge of my seat. It was just a relaxing film. The main characters are both likeable and the films score was great and suited the film incredibly well. One of my biggest positives is the animation (especially in the scenes inside the clubhouse and around the town). It is obviously fantastic since it is from Studio Ghibli. The films pacing is also really solid as the film never lost my attention. This was great to see as the pacing was my biggest issue in Goro Miyazaki's last film, The Tales of Earthsea.
My negatives with the film is that the plot gets really awkward at points (If you have seen the film, you know what i mean) and the awkwardness definitely detracts from the film in a few scenes. Also, outside the animation, the film really isn't anything special and definitely is one of the more forgettable Ghibli films. The film is no Spirited Away or Princess Mononoke but at least it isn't Ocean Waves.
Overall, this is an enjoyable film with breathtaking animation and interesting characters. The plot is good but has a few really odd and awkward moments. The soundtrack is also quite fun and uplifting. If you are a fan of studio Ghibli I do recommend this film but if you aren't, or haven't seen a Ghibli film before, watch some of their other films first.