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12 Kilometers (2016)
Great yet vague
I'd like to open by saying that I thoroughly enjoyed 12 Kilometers. It was intriguing and engaging, and it was genuinely unsettling, which is rare from a film like this nowadays. The dialogue doesn't feel overblown and the direction in this film doesn't fall short. Overall, writing, pacing, acting, and plot are strong here. The biggest nitpick I had with this film is with how it ended. I feel like I didn't fully attatch myself with the characters yet and the film could have explored more parts to flesh out these characters. However, I do recommend people check this out. Mike Pecci is a promising director/writer and his talent and potential is clearly visible for the world to see.
Babylon (2022)
Those who cling to death live, while those who cling to life die.
A quote that summarizes the movie quite well. The fall of Jack Conrad and Nellie LaRoy are caused by their need to feel their prime again. Even with people telling them the truth, their hubris and delusion leads them to keep on going. Doctor Faustus is a book that also summarizes this movie. Think of Hollywood as witchcraft. Conrad and LaRoy choose to carry on with witchcraft. Manny chooses witchcraft at first but sees the evil in it, the hard way. The only character that seems to have a good closure to their story is Sidney Palmer. He escapes the witchcraft using the slightest chance he receives and he doesn't take that for granted. He sees the evil in it and leaves on his own terms. This movie is a masterpiece at showing where hubris leads you, and how accepting the past and moving on can help you build up back where you started.
Final Verdict: Babylon is definitely not for everyone, but the message it gives, the masterclass of a third act, and the top-notch acting, writing, and especially soundtrack only add to the best of the factors.
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
Only Mission: Impossible Movies Work with These Plots
With Tom Cruise entering his 60's, he also shows the modern-day action stars how to do it right. With Keanu starting 2023 action sequels on a great note, Tom is here to back it up with a solid seventh addition to the franchise.
Is this better than MI: Fallout?
With Fallout possibly being the best action movie of the 21'st century, I do not think Dead Reckoning: Part One is better than it's predecessor. Fallout has better pacing, a better plot, and overall better sequences, but the set pieces in this movie are out of this world. With stakes being a lot more personal in this film, there is a tension that never leaves the screen. With humor that never breaks the tension but cracks you up in the right times, Dead Reckoning is an overall good additon to the franchise. Haley Atwell's presence on the screen was a delight, and the returning cast such as Simon Pegg, Rebecca Furgusen and especially Tom Cruise (and others) really do an amazing job in this film. Newer additions also dive straight in to claim a memorable spot in the franchise.
THOUGHTS ON THE PLOT
Only Mission: Impossible movies can get away with a plot like this. With a storyline that would be considered corny and ridiculous only two decades back, it feels quite realistic when tying the plot into modern-day artificial intelligence. It expands further into the globally-threatening robot (which I won't go into due to the heavy and respected embargos) storyline with just the right amount of emotion and execution. I would recommend checking this movie out in theaters, as you will have the best experience there.
Overall Score: 8.4/10
(Hit the right notes but played it quite safe)
Black Mirror: Beyond the Sea (2023)
What Isolation Does To A Broken Soul
(Before reading this review, please watch 'Black Mirror: Beyond the Sea' on Netflix first.) Although I usually find Black Mirror content average, 'Beyond the Sea' gives us the best performance in the entire show, thanks to Josh Harnett and Aaron Paul. The show starts off slow, getting into the two leads' lives, and it is implied and later explained that the leads we are seeing on Earth are actually replicas of astronauts out on a mission in deep space. Ross's family is shown living in the city, and Cliff'sfamily are shown in a countryside All is peaceful until Ross's life takes a turn for the worst. After his cyborg replica and his entire family is slayed and burned by a cult (that believes replicas go against the intended way of life) on Earth, Ross (Josh Harnett) is left alone, isolated, and broken in a two-man spacecraft with Cliff (Aaron Paul) as he copes with the fact that he will never be able to return to the Earth's surface again for over four years. Because of this, Cliff and Lana have a talk on how to improve the current broken Ross, as if he ever takes his own life or does anything stupid, Cliff would not be able to operate the two-man ship on his own. They eventually agree upon the conditions that Ross would be able to use Cliff's replica once a week for an hour or two. All goes well and Ross draws paintings using the time in Cliff's replica until he finds himself falling for Lana. Eventually, he attempts to get with Lana but she rejects him and the next week, Ross finds Lana leaving and escaping from the house, leaving Ross all by himself. After Cliff re-enters, he promises Lana that the next visit would be Ross's last. He reassures her for her safety, and the next week comes along. As Ross enters, Cliff discovers a collection of erotic drawings of Lana in Ross's quarters. As he threatens and questions both Ross and Lana (of course Ross in the spacecraft and Lana using the replica), he has a fallout with Ross and insults him for having fantasies with his wife when Ross attempts to apologize. In a fit of rage, he lies to Cliff and tells him that a coolant is leaking, sends him out of the spacecraft and uses his tag to enter Cliff's replica. As Ross lets Cliff return back, Cliff catches on and quickly enters his replica, only to find blood on his hands, leading to his dead son and wife. The movie ends with Ross pushing a chair out for Cliff, and the two have now gone through even pain. Cliff cannot kill him due to the spacecraft being a two-man ship. Apart from the predictable ending and the unexplained importance of the mission itslef, the two leads and sides make the episode a very memorable one. Definitely don't check out if you don't enjoy themes of child abuse.
Song to Song (2017)
Let go of the plot.
After many of my friends telling me that I needed a break from heavy-hitting movies and shows, they recommended me Song to Song. The first time I watched this I was tempted to write the worst review that I had written in years. However, when I rewatched it and really just let go of my expectations for the plot and other standard cinema directions, it was a fairly pleasant experience. You can really see that the actors (particularly Gosling) are having lots of fun while freestyling in this movie. Many state that this is one of Mallick's most disappointing and pretentious, slow films but I advise you: do not think of this movie as a juggernaut cast following a script and a plot.
Enola Holmes 2 (2022)
Writing and Deliverance
Enola Holmes comes back with the background of old England, also carrying with it, the popular message of mild feminism. However, that's not what I'll be talking about. I've rewatched the movie, so here's my brutally dead honest review. (Spoiler Alert, You Have Been Warned)
Enola Holmes 2 carries a great cast, with great potential. However, it feels like your cliche mystery film that tries to follow the classic rythm and mistake, explaining way too much, thus stumbling on an avoidable branch. The movie suffers from explaining too much, leading to unbelievably predictable and cheesy storyline. With the background of "corrupt leaders hiding their greed", the movie ends exactly how you predicted it to end. Some solid, enjoyable callbacks from the first movie, but overall it suffers the problems of it's predecessor. It explains too much, effecting the script and leaving absolutely no imagination to the viewers whatsoever.
Problems: Bad Script, Bad Writing, Predictable, Cheesy and Cliche, No Imagination Required
Props: Fine Storyline, Some Good Acting.
Euphoria (2019)
Euphoria is not trash, not a masterpiece either
This Saturday, I finally decided to watch Euphoria. I went in with high expectations due to the absolutely rediculous amount of praise it got from both critics and viewers. Euphoria is a show with emotional and outstanding acting, however this sin't a show many people could relate to, or enjoy. For the people who love this show, ok. Totally understandable, but I don't like or enjoy this show as much as many people do. It can be emotional a lot, but for me, it's a lot worse than I anticipated. Again, I don't like the show, but it's totally understandable why others do. No spoiler review, go watch it yourself, who knows? You might like it.