ravenclaw_girlrules Reviews

From (2022– )

Best horror series ever created

[10/10 · 30 April 2024]

This is the first horror show I've ever watched that was genuinely scary. All of the acting is shockingly realistic and heartwrenching.

The deaths are wildly violent. I'll be thinking about the girl from the bus pinned to the tree by an arrow for a long time.

The stakes remained high the entire time and I never got the impression that any characters had plot armor or were completely safe from death.

Like others mentioned, I am also worried that the writers don't have an actual solution in mind. I thought the 'government experiment' angle was actually quite cool, but it doesn't seem to be going there.

Road House (2024)

Script must be written by AI/Chat GPT-4

[5/10 · 22 March 2024]

I'm seeing an increase in movies that sound like they were written by AI/Chat GPT-4.

For example, after the main character beats up several men and drives them to the hospital, a nurse asks him whether he wins any fights. Why would this be a logical question after seeing him hospitalize a bunch of people?

If this was written entirely by a real person, I'm sorry - you're terrible.

Either way, the acting couldn't save this abomination. Most of the actors should seek a new career path in Lifetime original films. The sound mixing is also strange - when they're on a boat, the sound of the waves nearly overwhelms the dialogue. I'm going to sit the rest of this one out.

Light as a Feather (2018–2019)

Surprisingly good

[10/10 · 31 January 2024]

I just marathoned this show and I was surprised by how good it was. Everyone's acting was seriously on point. The episodes ended on 'cliffhangers' and at suspenseful moments which kept me clicking through. I felt personally invested in the survival of the characters. Candace in particular was an extremely good actress - I was disappointed when she died in season 1. I really liked the tone of the show when everyone paired off and decided to work together. Violet was quite a compelling villain adjacent character - she reminded me of Georgina Sparks from Pretty Little Liars. Overall, this show is worth watching!

Surviving Summer (2022– )

Renew this I beg

[10/10 · 14 January 2024]

I am entering my late 20's and I'm so obsessed with this show. I was looking for an Outer Banks rebound show and this was perfect. I knew almost nothing concrete about surfing, but I was able to follow along and all of the surfing shots were mesmerizing.

I love that Summer ended up with Ari, and that the drama between them didn't end in a cliffhanger. It was wholesome to see that for once, most of the characters are teenagers in real life. As a POC myself, I appreciated that they integrated the plotline about how Bodhi felt out of place in a hobby that is so blonde and blue eyed.

I read some other feedback that people didn't like Summer, but she's a realistic teenager and also not a girly girl, and I loved that about her.

Hell Camp: Teen Nightmare (2023)

Deeply devastating and horrifying

[10/10 · 28 December 2023]

I think the poor reviews are due to the perpetrator's family and children's parents being featured. But this tactic is not uncommon - that does not mean the documentary makers agree with their perspectives. If anything, including them highlights their hypocrisy and evil.

The accounts of the children - because they are children (the label 'teens' diminishes this) - sent to wilderness camps was genuinely devastating and moving. This camp might have reformed behavior for some kids, but torture is not an acceptable method of reforming behavior.

I feel almost no empathy for the parents. At minimum, they knew they were approving a staged kidnapping for their children. The kidnapping in itself can be traumatizing. Knowing that your parents signed off on your torture is even more traumatizing.

This documentary should have also included the names of all the children who have died in wilderness camps inspired by Steve's. This man's evil should not be minimized in any way. A lot of people need to be in jail right now.

Fair Play (2023)

Realistic and tense thriller

[10/10 · 7 October 2023]

I was really surprised by this. This movie contains two of the best acting performances I've ever seen. Some have complained this is overacted, but I completely disagree. The emotions and tension were well captured. I felt similar intensity in watching Uncut Gems.

I honestly think you have to be a woman to fully understand this one. Realistic portrayal of a jealous male partner and his escalation from verbal and emotional abuse to an incident of violent physical abuse in which consent was retracted.

Some reviewers can't comprehend that this isn't meant to portray the reaction of the average man. This is the reaction of a weak, disgusting coward who can't cope with his fiancée's promotion. Their dynamic only worked when his career success was superior to hers. Lots of real couples have a similar dynamic and may never realize it.

Babylon (I) (2022)

No idea how this was disliked

[10/10 · 6 September 2023]

I have no idea why people disliked this movie.

It reminded me of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Last Night in Soho. They are time capsule films that may seem 'aimless', but you're meant to be invested in the characters. This movie was following the lives of actors and a musician whose careers changed as a result of the transition from silent films to movies with sound.

The most interesting element, to me, was the relationship between Nellie LaRoy and Manny Torres. He's in love with her from the first sighting, but she ends up destroying his career and nearly ending his life. Nellie's gradual self destruction and destruction of those around her was enough for me to adore this movie.

The Deepest Breath (2023)

A Love Story

[10/10 · 22 July 2023]

I love extreme sport documentaries. It is worth noting that this documentary is less an encapsulation of the entire free diving sport, and more of a love story between a free diver and her safety.

The sheer amount of footage made this documentary extremely exciting. While free diving at this level is not something everyone can understand from a risk perspective - setting records is human nature. Attempting to beat records gives people a sense of purpose.

I actually think this one could've been a bit longer - but I understand from a love story perspective why the story 'ended' in the tragedy. I would like to know why Steve waited ~20 seconds to go down. I'm happy there was no 'blame' shifted to Alessia for missing the rope/being pulled off course.

Wrong Side of the Tracks (2021– )

Surprisingly addicting

[10/10 · 13 March 2023]

This show is way more addicting than it should be.

Some of the acting is cheesy, borderline camp, but the show maintains a certain level of drama and suspense that kept me obsessed.

The grandfather's racism is a little bit jarring, but if you've watched Gran Torino you'll be mentally prepared. I found it cringey that the grandfather ended up with Gladys after his racism toward her for practically the entire first season of the show.

Ezequiel's character and his acting carry this show at points, so much that you can forgive the outrageous plot armor he has. I actually thought Ezequiel and the lead police officer would become a couple - the police officer's actual romantic interest felt forced.

Nope (2022)

Not missing any marks for me

[10/10 · 16 December 2022]

This is genuinely one of the most creative and visually spectacular movies I've ever seen. Each ten minute segment was completely unpredictable to me. I did not expect an alien movie at all. I did not expect the "it's an animal consuming people" twist as opposed to it being a ship. Certain scenes were pure genius like the one with the little boy witnessing the chimpanzee's massacre.

I was struggling with the emphasis on "getting the shot" as it felt extremely selfish but it fit the characters and story.

It did feel a little bit disjointed but after finishing I'm forgiving everything. I get extra excited about happy endings in an age where doom and gloom seems to prevail.

Aftershock: Everest and the Nepal Earthquake (2022)

One of these plots is not like the other

[8/10 · 7 October 2022]

I genuinely cannot believe the plot of two grave robbers made it into this documentary, and that their perspective was even entertained. They really tried to paint a local the villain in the heat of a disaster that claimed 9,000 lives. They claimed to venture to the town for supplies and returned with a villager's money, which doesn't even make sense. How does money contribute in a survival situation? Why would you open a locked chest to "protect" what is inside and "return" it later?

Other than that, this documentary was freaking fantastic. The sheer amount of footage was astonishing. I can't imagine the horror everyone experienced, even after seeing it. I really enjoyed the contrast in experience between the locals and the mountain climbers - it is really an illustration of privilege, where privilege helps and where it is useless. And how stunned the privileged are when the playing field is leveled, at least for a brief time.

Blonde (2022)

Offensively bad

[2/10 · 30 September 2022]

I don't know if this is more offensive to the viewer or to Marilyn. Imagine someone compiling the worst moments of your life, some fictionalized, and making a movie out of it. A person's entire life is their entire life - the happy parts too.

Genuinely one of the worst "style over substance" offenders I've ever seen. Not to mention how it oversexualized marilyn and thus the lead actress. The question "is nudity/sex adding to this scene or is it gratuitous?" Should have been asked and answered a number of times.

The lead actress was okay, but it was obvious she was trying hard to do Marilyn's breathy voice. Overall, this was heinous.

Keep Breathing (2022)

Too many flashbacks

[5/10 · 3 August 2022]

Survival is one of my favorite genres, but this was a miss for me. This was more of a character study than a survival series - this wasn't clear at the beginning, since the show began with a survival scenario. Things like hunger and the freezing cold are severely understated and probably would've killed the protagonist quickly.

The bipolar mother character is beat-for-beat the same character as the bipolar mother from another Netflix show 'Maid.'

The lead actress was good, but the staleness of the entire show brought her down. Skip this one.

I Shouldn't Be Alive (2005–2012)

Bring this back!

[10/10 · 29 June 2022]

I changed from watching true crime where people die horribly at the end to watching survival stories and it improved my mood and perspective on life. As someone dealing with on and off depression, these stories are really inspiring. Please bring this back.

47 Meters Down: Uncaged (2019)

Love a sister story!

[7/10 · 20 June 2022]

As someone with a sister, I love a sister bonding story where they both survive at the end. The character development was actually good! The everyone dies endings are so low effort. I also love horror and B films, so this was definitely for me! I feel sorry for anyone who can't enjoy a movie unless it's up for awards.

Our Father (III) (2022)

Dramatic for a reason

[10/10 · 12 May 2022]

I'm already seeing a number of reviews I disagree with. This is genuinely a big deal.

1) Imagine finding out that your own father who raised you your whole life (these siblings are in their 30's and 40's) is not your biological father.

2) Imagine finding out your biological father has no remorse for his crimes.

3) Imagine you're a man in his sixties (way past the ethical window for having more kids) finding out that your own child isn't yours - that the family line ended with you because of this doctor.

4) Imagine finding out that all the stories about your family history don't directly apply to you.

5) Imagine realizing you only have an autoimmune disorder because a donor who wasn't qualified passed on his genes without consent.

There is a widespread empathy and compassion fatigue problem that is perpetuated by seeing the worst pain and suffering 24/7 online. The people features in this documentary aren't starving children, but they are still enduring trauma.

The Rental (2020)

Okay then

[6/10 · 2 April 2022]

Interpersonal drama was more engaging than the horror elements. Tension was well woven. Setting was beautiful and the acting was above average for B horror.

Ending was not creative enough. At first, it looked like the twist was that the villain killed them all to keep their dog, which would've been hysterical. Instead, it was just a psycho who regularly hijacked rentals to kill the guests, with no motivation at all. How dull.

Also, everyone dies endings in horror are stale. They're very low effort - you just kill everyone. Not to mention, most of the characters were intentionally gray/unlikeable, so who cares if they die? There are also some plot conveniences here i.e. Noticing a pretty obvious camera only after cheating, so you can't tell anyone.

The Weekend Away (2022)

Boring

[4/10 · 4 March 2022]

This movie was just boring and had the most predictable ending possible. The characters were very surface level and tropey i.e. The party girl best friend, the chaste woman in a stalled marriage, the spouse with a wandering eye. This was a 'who done it,' where I did not care who did it. Nor will you.

As an aside, I didn't notice the casting diversity because it's 2022 and I'm not obsessed with people's skin colors.

All of Us Are Dead (2022– )

The dark zombie show I'd been looking for

[8/10 · 11 February 2022]

I felt compelled to write a review just because someone compared this to High School of the Dead. This wasn't similar in any way.

I actually think the zombies in this show were quite horrifying. I liked the depressing tone, the scary visuals, and the gore. I liked that anyone could die at any time. There were a lot of terrible decisions by the main cast, but overall I found this to be enjoyable.

The Tinder Swindler (2022)

Arrest this sociopath

[10/10 · 3 February 2022]

This was super satisfying up until the very end - seeing that Simon is living as a free man was really disappointing. But that moment of sweetness when Simon got arrested at the airport was worth the anger built up by the rest of the documentary.

14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible (2021)

Wholesome and inspiring: Nirmal Purja

[10/10 · 3 December 2021]

This documentary is completely wholesome - I can't get enough of these mountain climbing docus.

The 'protagonist' Nirmal Purja is so friendly and humble the whole time. He loves his culture, his mother, his girlfriend, and his sport. It really makes you cheer for his success.

Dirty John (2018–2020)

Season 2 miles above Season 1

[10/10 · 3 December 2021]

Season 2 shouldn't have been the same show as Season 1 - it would've been a hit if released individually. I loved the perspective of a woman who is unfairly gaslighted and mistreated, though she helped her husband through his whole career. She made him. And it's equally interesting to observe how she eventually loses her mind and takes her revenge a step too far.

Expedition Happiness (2017)

Missing a message

[5/10 · 1 November 2021]

This documentary is missing a message, big time. I don't feel anything after watching it. The couple simply got tired of traveling and flew home. Some other issues I have, summarized.

1) Ignorance of Mexico - not even knowing the symbol for pesos and dollars is the same. Traveling to potentially dangerous areas without a care in the world. Eating local food without thinking about consequences for your body - getting yourself and your dog sick.

2) Ignorance of the U. S. - not acknowledging the broad range of cultures within the U. S. itself - not doing any research on U. S. immigration and simply 'hoping for the best' at borders. I can't believe this worked. White privilege at its finest.

3) Stress on the dog - taking your dog, which has a thick coat of fur, into extremely hot environments without considering shaving the coat down, or even thinking about the dog's health beforehand. Only going home when the dog is on death's door.

Maid (2021)

Had me sobbing by the end

[10/10 · 7 October 2021]

Most fluid and realistic writing in any show I've ever seen. It really puts you in the shoes of the protagonist, struggling with her, crying with her. It was such a rough journey that by the last episode tears were streaming down my face. Never has a show conjured such strong empathy from me while highlighting the bear trap of poverty in the U. S. and the world.

On the Verge (2021)

I'm obsessed with this show!

[10/10 · 15 September 2021]

This show is everything. I love the flawed characters - I love the inclusion of middle aged women on screen. Why do people leave negative reviews solely because the characters are flawed? That's the point. This show is the best soul sequel Sex and the City could've had. It makes me go through the same motions of wishing I was upper class and aloof without the resentment - something Gossip Girl and SATC did so well.