Reviews

How do you describe Ripley. It's phenomenally shot with such beauty you want to spend a year in Italy just digesting the art and architecture. This is better than the Talented Mr Ripley and Ripley's Game because it goes into painstaking detail the trials and tribulations and genius of our anti-hero. You want him to succeed and you are taken on a journey with someone who is so precise, ingenious and sociopathic. Imagine a dream/nightmare where you've killed someone and are trying to hide the body, probably relating to past sins you've always been ashamed of... well Ripley is that nightmare... on the run from justice, lying, stealing... always looking over your shoulder.

Andrew Scott is on another level. How much of himself is in his portrayal of Ripley is hard to say but I'd better he'd make an amazing dinner guest.

Masterful acting, storytelling and cinematography.

Ignore the negative reviews, Arcadian is a really good sci-fi horror thriller - it's tense, well written. Cage is great, as usual. The story isn't complicated, as all films should be - a battle against evil, a fight to survive against the odds, a fathers sacrificial love for his sons, boy meets girl - just good, honest, story telling.

Also, it's encouraging to see a lack of shoe-horned woke inclusivity, why? Because every film doesn't need a token diverse cast for the sake of it. People deep down care about the fundamentals in life, love / hate / passion / sacrifice / revenge / jealousy / good vs evil - and Arcadian manages to touch on some of these core values that make great stories.

I genuinely put this off for decades. I'd heard great things back when I was in my late teens when this came out, but I wasn't art house enough yet to give it a shot. So last week (early 2024), I put my misconceptions aside, and boy am I glad I did.

The film is both epic and heartfelt, sensitive, surreal and gritty. It reminded me a bit of the classic Boyz N The Hood, another 10/10 film. It has a strong emphasis of brotherhood and friendship in the face of adversity, like Stand By Me, in a way.

But the films real strength lies in its narrative, acting and pacing. It never sits still and yet you digest every morsel of every second. The energy, the warmth, the sadness and the tragedy.

This isn't a simple film about the anti establishment or police brutality, nor is it about poverty or crime. It's a cinematic masterpiece because it tells the truth about life, whether you're from the projects or a palace.

For the first 5 minutes I had high hopes, my first ever True Detective... by the 15 minute mark I was reaching for my phone. Not sure what to think - a crime thriller, wrapped in horror paper? Not sure. But what is clear is the same narrative as we're fed over and over again this past five years, white heterosexual men are weak, women are strong.

Yawn. Can a director maybe cast men as strong and worth looking up to, for a change.

Did anyone catch the female cop partially forcing herself on the man in bed, when he said stop, she didn't, and he couldn't stop her because she was stronger 🤦🏻🤦🏻🤦🏻. I think 2024 is going to be worse for white straight men than last year.

I also can't tell whether the character played by Kali Reis is meant to be Native American... I think she is - and seeing as Kali is clearly mixed race with some black ancestry, I just don't see how this would a okay?

Anyhoot. Won't be watching part two. The last scene of part one, the fake snow was very fake.

Poor choice of roles Jodie, poor choice.

I think I still prefer 'Alive'. Maybe because 30yrs ago I skipped school with my best friend to watch it at the Chester Odeon. Alive was Hollywoods take on this amazing story and a much more palatable version. But this is more visceral, gritty and a very good film. I'm glad it's been retold in this way. The ending is incredibly moving. I'd highly recommend a watch. No swearing, no nudity, no boring moments. Just a shocking, inspiring and eye opening film that truly opens the eyes to what we can achieve if we don't give up. Put it this way, Society of the Snow is everything that 'Saltburn' isn't. Watch and be inspired.

Trying to think of a positive male role model in this film. Hmmmm, nope, not even the man of the old couple celebrating their anniversary... he was a bit of a coward. So there's about 30-40 men in this film, and 5 male leads - all of them are either drunkard, violent, weak, sexist, stupid, cowardly or sexually aggressive. Of the 3 main female leads, they are heroic, brave, kind, long suffering, wise and strong. The only other 2 women are in it for a fleeting moment and are seen to be promiscuous.

So what we have here is another well made, well shot, well acted, anti-masculine film.

Watch it and judge for yourselves, the narrative of many indie (and mainstream) films nowadays contains some sort of anti male agenda where the men are almost entirely portrayed in a negative light.

Teens (Gen Z) will love it: cute but not so cute aliens on a mission to cure the past.

Promising to be a thrilling tale of good versus evil, it instead delves into the murky waters of teenage PTSD, leaving the reader with a sense of missed potential and frustration.

From the outset, the title suggested a gripping narrative where the battle between good and evil would take center stage. However, as I delved watched for longer, I found myself increasingly perplexed by the author's decision to prioritize the portrayal of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in teenagers over the grander themes of good versus evil.

The protagonist, a teenager named Bryn, is haunted by a traumatic event from her past. While it's important to shed light on the experiences of those grappling with PTSD, the initial promise led me to expect a more substantial exploration of the battle between morality and malevolence. Instead, the story meanders through Bryn's internal struggles, often leaving the central conflict between good and evil on the periphery.

The pacing of the film exacerbates this frustration. Rather than maintaining a sense of urgency, the narrative bogs down in Bryn's trauma-induced flashbacks and therapy sessions. These segments, while crucial for character development, detract from the overarching plot, making it challenging to become emotionally invested in the supposed battle between good and evil.

...Morgan Freeman was once asked by a Jewish journalist', he responded 'we stop talking about it'.

I wanted to like this film, I really did. As a white man (I wish I lived in a world where we didn't see each others skin colour). It doesn't hold back, it groups all the bad groups - anti feminists, racists, far right religious, homophobics - into one group of white women.

It doesn't even entertain the fact that there are black misogynists, Asian anti-gays, Hispanic right wing 'Christian's' - it just merges all the bad ideologies into the melting pot of one type of people, middle American white women. The film is well made, tense, shocking - but it's a shame the director felt it ever had to be made in what is the most progressive era in modern history. Perhaps the USA population is more divided than us Europeans, perhaps my situation in post modern Britain is so far removed from some US States, that I can't fathom these people existing anywhere. I'm so used to the multicultural, multiethnic society that these kinds of people are alien to me. Either way, soft and quiet makes a huge statement - it's up to us to use or wisdom in whether we believe it or not.

"Black Mirror" has captivated audiences for its dark and thought-provoking tales, but the episode titled "Demon 69" left me deeply unsatisfied. Rather than presenting a compelling narrative, the episode seemed preoccupied with pushing a left-wing political agenda and embracing what some might label as "woke ideology."

The heavy-handed nature of the left-wing undertones felt more like an agenda-driven statement than a genuinely thought-provoking exploration. The subtlety and nuance that often made "Black Mirror" shine were sorely absent. Instead, viewers were subjected to an overtly political narrative that overshadowed the potential for a compelling story.

Adding to the frustration, it is worth mentioning that the director of "Demon 69" is connected to the BBC, which may have influenced the episode's direction. This connection raises questions about the objectivity of the creative process and whether the episode's intention was truly to entertain and provoke thought or to promote a specific worldview.

In my opinion, a successful episode of "Black Mirror" should engage viewers on a deeper level, challenging them to question their relationship with technology and society. Unfortunately, "Demon 69" seemed more focused on delivering a partisan message than offering a meaningful exploration of the human condition in a technologically advanced world.

Overall, "Demon 69" left me disappointed, longing for the thought-provoking and genuinely unsettling experiences that "Black Mirror" is known for. It is disheartening to witness a once-revered series succumb to heavy-handed political messaging and veer away from its roots as a platform for challenging, mind-bending storytelling.

I can see why Hollywood don't like this film, it's a direct finger in the face at the short life span of fame and success, and yet it also places movies where they belong, on a pedestal. Margot Robbie is phenomenal, her acting goes above and beyond her natural good looks. The cinematography is sublime, the choreography is outstanding, the story is heartbreaking and yet beautiful. I was gobsmacked by many scenes, not least the desert war movie, but the ending is something to behold. You have to watch it to understand how this film about film is also about all of our futile lives. Lives that are a speck in eternity and yet have the power to leave a lasting legacy.

... quite possibly on of the most sexist remarks of modern day film and yet no one will mention it. If only this film was made 30yrs ago when sexism a against women really was a problem in western society. Unfortunately the heart of this movie isn't the noble cause of equality for women in the workplace, it's far more woke that that. This has come at a time where we have made leaps and bounds in the issue it's trying to raise. What it does is it collides with all the other woke movements today and coupled with its blatant attack at masculinity, it self combusts in political and woke agendas.

It's a shame because the acting is good and it has an interesting shooting style. ESP. That 'door' scene.

In fact I didn't think it could get more woke or political or sexist until I noticed all the advertising images in the scenes throughout the movie. All of provocative images of white women...

I'm dumbfounded by this film and the current bandwagon social climate it's jumped on.

I also love the kind dog, who by the way is a girl dog.

The message is loud and clear: We live in a patriarchal society and white men are like demons.

I'm one of those fans, who read the books in my childhood, the Silmarillion in my teens, adored the movies when they were released and has firmly placed The Fellowship of the Ring as my GOAT. ROP will never beat them (how can a TV series?), but this is a close as it can be.

Slightly inferior to those classics of cinema, but massively superior to the Hobbit films. The narrative is vast and wide and yet narrow enough to keep you hooked and sticks to basics. As Tolkien always aimed, this is a tale of good vs evil. Simple and profound. This formula, plus the amazing film sets, costumes, acting makes for a classic show.

It's a slow burner, but clearly on purpose. We've been promised 5 seasons and there's a few thousand years and a huge backstory to fill. The main cast are excellent, heroic figures in the same lineage as those we all know and love.

I was moved to tears in episode six in the same way I was when the Rohan charged on the Orcs besieging Minas Tirith... I can speak highly enough of this show. I've waited 20yrs for something that comes close to the LOTR saga, and by episode six, all being well from here on in, I believe I've found it.

Words fail me for a film like this. Most of us have known someone, perhaps a loved one, suffering from dementia. This is like watching real life. Never before in cinema have I seen a more accurate portrayal of a real life illness, played out with beautiful acting a direction. I've seen it twice, it's too sad to watch a third time. But it has to be seen at least once.

If they hadn't have gone down the politically charged racism route. Jordan Peele and Ana, you've let beautiful art be plagued by a left wing agenda. I get why, in the USA racism is prevalent, and this tackles the issue in a fresh way, but still, are we keeping racism alive with art or using art to help destroy it?

It's beautiful, sad, hopeful, moving, tense and it has the famous shayalaman twist. His 2nd best movie after the Sixth Sense. I'd highly recommend it to anyone who likes a twisty and hopeful horror/thriller and who appreciates great cinematography and great film scores.

I didn't think Stranger Things could get any better, but it did. Season 1, more nostalgic, with a variety of classic 80s film nods and alternative music, followed by the development of the characters and the depth of the story reaches its peak in season 3. But season 4... just wow. Literally one of the best things I've EVER seen, each episode almost like it's own movie, all staying true to its 80s roots, and the simple and yet great narrative of good vs evil.

I'm an 80s child, the era that this is set in my was 10yrs old, and all that romance, coolness, neon, eclectic, vibrant decade is pulled through this show, probably the greatest TV series of all time.

It mainly shows two things, how manipulative and how fiercely protective people be to protect what they love. There are men and women like this, perhaps not as extreme, but subtly. The only real negative was the post credits scene - not in keeping with the tone of the film.

Not as funny as last year's and definitely more left wing. Everyone has an agenda, even Netflix. It has its humour, and it's clever narrative on climate change, Covid and the royals. But still, Netflix, please believe in something bigger. Please believe that, similar to the Chinese government, you are hypocrites, promoting socialism and equality for all mankind, but actually closet conservative capitalists, raking in a huge profit for the few and far between.

The opening narrative sounded exactly like Galadriel in the opening sequence of the Fellowship of the Ring... Rosmund Pike even says 'above all else' ... it was here that I realised if Amazon can't create something original and need to plagiarise, so I switched it off. Can anyone make anything original?

Isaacs is convincing, the story, less so. It's dark, but not dark enough. Emotional and yet aloof. It doesn't sink in as deep as it's intended to, and yet cuts deep enough to make some kind of mark. Shallow and yet just about enough depth to swim in.

It starts out promising, sets the scene, has exciting moments... then it dive bombs in act 2 and 3. Put it this way, if you compared this to one of the great vampire films, The Lost Boys, it would be like comparing toddlers playing basketball to The Chicago Bulls '95 team.

I love Nic Cage. He's one of a kind, and you can see why the director would choose him for this film. It's wacky, trippy, mad as a box of frogs... but it just doesn't have the gravitas of other cage bonkers films like Mandy, Raising Arizona, or Willy's Wonderland. There are some great samurai moments, sword fighting choreography etc, but the other loony ideas end up being lost in a loose script.