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Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: Awake (2021

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Awake is incredibly disappointing. Awake is a horror movie where the monster is human nature. People are no longer able to sleep, and sleep deprivation is slowly killing humanity. Now the race is on to find a cure before humanity goes extinct. The movie focuses on a dysfunctional family and their survival. You get to watch as society crumbles under the weight of sleep deprivation.

This movie is alright. The acting is decent, the action is appropriate, but the ending is terrible. This is a great example of a movie that uses its run time to build up to nothing. What makes this movie hard to recommend is that it makes some solid artistic choices, but it doesn’t make enough of them to make this movie work. Awake is good at showing the story rather than relying on exposition. For example, in the first few minutes, you are introduced to Jill who is a recovering addict who is trying to give her family a better life. You know this because the son will check the car for drugs or they will make slights at the mom for being late or looking tired. You get a lot of Jill’s back story without the characters having to explicitly say anything about it. I liked this form of storytelling and hope more movies can follow suit.

I liked Jill as a character. She isn’t perfect, some of her dialogue isn’t good, but she has some redeemable moments. Jill is smart, capable, and most importantly, human. Jill doesn’t go into situations guns blazing like she is immortal. Instead, she takes the time to think and only engages when she has to because there are stakes. These stakes give the movie much-needed tension, too bad it leads nowhere.

I can’t recommend this movie. There are parts of this movie that I liked, but I can’t forgive the ending. The movie does a good job of introducing different plausible conclusions. There could be a cure, God’s wrath, scientific mumbo-jumbo, or even aliens. But instead, the movie ends in disappointment. SPOILERS: The movie ends with a baptism. As a way to start over. The kids figure that people need to die to start over so they take Jill to the river and drown her and then the movie ends. You don’t know if the cure worked. You don’t know what happens to humanity. It just ends and I was left bitter about it.

Don’t watch this movie. This is another failed attempt at another A Quite Place clone. Go watch that instead. But if yo don’t believe me, you can watch it on Netflix.

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: Frances Ferguson (2019)

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It is hard to recommend this movie due to the subject matter. This is without a doubt the best movie about a sex offender that I have seen. What is tricky about this movie is that it attempts to create sympathy for the sex offender. What she did is wrong, there shouldn’t be any sympathy. If the genders were swapped, this movie wouldn’t work.

Frances Ferguson is a mockumentary about a substitute teacher that sleeps with one of her students. While the movie focuses on her rehabilitation after the incident, the film attempts to justify her actions. Frances is stuck in a loveless marriage working a job she hates. She sees the newfound attention she is getting from her male students as the excitement she is missing. She must now live with her mistake as she tries to have a normal life again.

I love the quirky almost wimsical style of this movie. The quirky narration is fitting of the narrative, although the subject matter is a bit inappropriate. The acting is fine, and the progression is solid, but it is still a movie about a sex offender. Frances is a great character. She is quirky enough to keep the narrative intersting.

I recommend this movie if you like quirky weird movies. The subject matter is an issue, but it is told well. I can say it is refreshing to see a movie that takes a lot of risks and seeing most of them pay off. You can watch this on Amazon Video with a Prime membership.

Series Reviews

TV Series Review: The White Lotus (2021)

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You should watch White Lotus because it is a great show. The pacing is a bit slow and some of the arguments get repetitive, but the narrative is well put together. White Lotus has fantastic actors giving wonderful performances in a beautiful setting, what more can you ask for? A fair bit of warning, however, this show gets sad. The ending triggered me. I found myself depressed for a few days after I finished the show. Experiences may vary, but I felt an obligation to issue the warning.

White Lotus follows four groups of people who are either on vacation or working at the resort in Hawaii. It is a modern-day tragedy of the working class as told by the experiences of disconnected rich white people. The main goal of the narrative is to show the disparities between classes against the backdrop of a vacation. Both groups are stuck in a cycle, but the rich get to leave and move on. It is very well done, and I fear I am not doing it justice. 

I love the complexity of this show and how it weaves together all these different stories. I love that by the end, everyone is stuck, although some are worse off than others. I love that it comes in the form of a mystery that they keep well through the whole series. Although the mystery isn’t the most important aspect of the narrative, it is very much appreciated. This is a great show and you need to watch it. Check it out on HBO.

Movie Reviews, movies

Spinster

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It is hard to recommend Spinster because the movie is slow and the character is annoying. The sound is bad, and most conversations exist within an echo. That said, the story is solid, and the journey that Gaby is pretty good.

Spinster is about a 39-year-old Gaby who is having an identity crisis. According to society, Gaby hasn’t hit any of the major achievements a woman her age should have. She has no kids or romantic relationships, and she runs her own business. Most will criticize her because she chooses to be alone instead of being a stay at home mom. The movie is about Gaby finding a self she is comfortable with, despite what society demands from her. It is really well done, and watching Gaby go from a grouchy aimless person to a positive happy person was worth the run time.

I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. Where I expected some generic feel-good movie about woman empowerment, I got a delightful story about growth and empowerment. I loved that the whole movie is about her coming to terms with doing her own thing, and they didn’t spoil it by making her find meaning in a relationship. Often with movies of this genre, the strong independent female lead needs to find meaning in her life by being in a heterosexual relationship. It is an offensive notion that women need a man to have meaning in their lives. It is refreshing that this movie didn’t go that route.

 It isn’t perfect. Some of the dialogue is odd, and the Gaby can be annoying. But if you can power through, it is a pretty solid movie. Now, this isn’t for everyone. If you aren’t a fan of Chelsea Peretti, you will have a bad time. A lot of the character is her, but I’d say it is worth watching her growth. She isn’t the same person she starts out as. It is a bit of a fairy-tale, but who cares. The pacing is the only thing keeping me from recommending Spinster outright. It can be slow at times, so if you don’t have much patience, this might not be the movie for you. I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch this, but if you are looking for something to watch, this is a safe option.

If you are interested, you can watch this on Amazon Video with a Prime membership. You can also watch it on Plutotv for free.

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: No Clue (2013)

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No Clue is a fun and quirky parody of the detective noir genre. It is similar to the Naked Gun series but less suave and more dorky. The movie is about a dorky pen salesman who gets hired as a PI by a mysterious woman. Now he must use the little skills he has to solve a murder and an overarching conspiracy.

I loved this movie, but I am a sucker for the dorky kind of comedy that is this movie. This movie isn’t for everyone. The jokes are cheesy and can be a little cringey, but Brent Bunt has the charisma (or lack of) to make it work. A lot of the comedy relies on Leo being aloof. The humor comes from his constant miscommunication and stammering awkwardness. Leo has no clue what he is doing, and he will fumble his way through this mystery. It isn’t perfect. Some of the acting is awkward, some of the writing is bad, and not all of the jokes land. But this movie has its own awkward charm as there are some genuinely funny moments. Then again, I am a huge fan of awkward comedy and dad jokes.

I would say, if you like comedy that is based on wordplay and misunderstandings, it is a safe bet. But if you don’t like Leo as a character, this is going to be a rough sit. You can watch it on Amazon Video with a Prime membership.

Movie Reviews, movies

YouTube Movie Review: Apartment 143 (2012)

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I am not a fan of found footage movies. I don’t like the lack of structure. There are some exceptions to this, but unfortunately, Apartment 143 isn’t one of them. Maybe I would have liked this movie if I could understand any of the conversations. In an odd artistic decision, the sound is recorded from a camera microphone too far away to pick up a lot of the dialogue. The idea was probably to make the found footage seem more authentic, but it is hard to care about a movie you can’t understand.

The movie is about a group of paranormal investigators on a job. Strange things have been happening to the family living in Apartment 143, and this team of experts is here to figure out what it is. The movie entertains the possibility of ghosts, demons, psychic powers, and even mental illness for the strange activity. There is a lot of pointless misdirection because the movie ends without a clear answer. The worst part of this movie is that it ends in sequel bait. Whatever is going on in the house isn’t done yet.

There are better found footage movies out there. Ones that don’t involve people waiting around having irrelevant conversations. This shamelessly relies on cheap jump scares to hide the fact that there is nothing valuable in the rest of the movie. As of writing this, you can watch this free on YouTube, but I wouldn’t bother.

Watch it Here!
Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: Honeymoon (2014)

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Honeymoon is a low-budget horror movie that is worth checking out. The movie follows a newlywed couple on their honeymoon in a lake town. Everything seems fine at first. They are able to enjoy a few moments of marital bliss before their lives change forever. Their honeymoon becomes shrouded by an ominous mystery, and Paul (the husband) spends the rest of the movie trying to solve it. There is something off about Bea, but you will need to watch the movie to find out what.

The plot is simple, and the ending is a bit disappointing, but the acting saves this movie from mediocrity. The leads do the best with what they are given. It is their chemistry and acting ability that make this movie enjoyable. I recommend you watch this movie just to see these great performances.

I have absolute respect for this movie’s creative storytelling. You can tell where the budget affects the movie, but it isn’t terrible or distracting. The way they use the isolation and peacefulness of the lake to create horror is impressive. I appreciate that this isn’t another generic horror movie that relies on cheap jump scares and gimmicks. Instead, Honeymoon attempts to create horror around an overbearing mystery that we get to piece along with Paul. I would love to see what the filmmakers could do with a bigger budget. But as is, it works. 

This movie is worth checking out if you like suspenseful horror and don’t mind the low budget. As I said, the acting is what sets this movie apart. You can watch this on Amazon Video if you have a Prime membership.

Series Reviews

TV Series Review: Outer Range

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Outer Range is a brand new show on Amazon that should at least be on your radar. As of writing this, there are only two episodes out, but they are enough to at the very least get you invested. This is a suspenseful, ominous, and mysterious take on the rancher’s story, and I for one am here for it. It is a little early to judge this show fully, but so far it is doing a spectacular job.

Outer Range has an exceptional cast that makes it easy to get lost in the drama and mystery. The acting and the unique storytelling are more than enough to recommend this show. Whether it becomes a story about the multi-verse or cowboys vs. aliens, I have faith that the journey will be a good one. The way that it masterfully weaves in this ominous mystery with the story about an ongoing land dispute is proof enough.  

My only complaint with this show so far is that I have to wait another week for the next episode. You can watch it over on Amazon if you have a Prime membership.

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: Kept Woman (2015)

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Kept Woman is a horror movie where the monster is toxic masculinity. The film is about a strong, intelligent, independent Jessica who is kidnapped and forced to live the rest of her life as a 1950’s American housewife in her neighbor’s basement. It is a story about the struggle between modern womanhood and the pressure of an always creeping outdated ideal. Kept Woman attempts to create horror in the mundane, almost like in Stepford Wives or Get Out. The monster isn’t scary, but rather the need for idyllic perfection. As a result, there are some beautiful set designs, but faulty execution.

The movie spends the first half of the movie establishing Jessica as the here. She is a quirky and intelligent amateur sleuth. The movie wastes so much time on her development, that the horror is limited to the last 30 minutes of the film. It is dull and disappointing. I believe the intent was to build up to a powerful moment when she escapes, but it doesn’t pan out as such. It feels rushed and forced. Some cool moments in this movie suggest that a bigger budget and better writing might have saved this movie, but as is, this movie is a waste of time. 

If you want a movie with the same plot done better, watch 10 Cloverfield Lane. It has the same plot done better, even with the whole alien subplot. But if you don’t believe me, you can watch it on Amazon Video with a Prime subscription. 

Series Reviews

TV Series Review: I Know What You Did Last Summer (2021)

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I have mixed feelings about this series. I am really impressed with what this show does well, but it is slow. It builds proper suspense and mystery, the death scenes are well done, there are some cool set designs, and the twist is surprising. The biggest problem with this show is that it is too long. You have to sit through a lot of pointless relationships and teen drama to get to the good parts. There are a lot of plot points and development that lead nowhere. I tuned out a lot of this show because of this. But some well-done moments kept me interested till the end. It is hard to recommend this show because of how slow it gets.

The show follows the same formula as the original movies. A group of friends is out partying and they hit someone with a car. They decide to hide their crime and live with the guilt. Someone knows what they did and now is terrorizing them, hunting them down one by one. For the most part, this show presents a solid mystery. That is if you can sit through all the filler. Most of you have better things to do. I think if you are the target audience, you might fair a little better with all the teen drama than I did.

I wish this series were a movie instead. If they cut out all the filler, you have a solid mystery and some impressive creativity. There are some fun death scenes and some suspenseful moments, but the pacing takes away from this. I want more creative deaths and mystery because the show does the few it has well.

I also thought the use of shifting perspectives was a neat idea. Every episode would follow a different victim and you would get a different perspective of a shared experience. It provided context and deeper insight into each character. The problem is that it got repetitive, and often it would be a rehashing of the same story you’ve already seen too many times. I think if each retelling added useful information about the mystery instead of drama it would have been more effective. Maybe even have some details misremembered because everyone was so high. But I appreciate the attempt nonetheless.

I am not surprised it got cancelled after one season. I think it ends fine enough, any story after would have been too off the rails to be tolerable. Overall, the pacing really hurts the show. Watch this if you want something that doesn’t require much attention because you will zone a lot of this out. I wouldn’t rush out to watch this, but it is something to check out if you have nothing else to do. You can check it out on Amazon if you have a Prime membership.