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Reviews
ZIWE (2021)
A show for the anti-woke liberal
Not sure why all the hate? This is a show for liberals who are able to take a little criticism through the lens of self-deprecating humor. Sometimes that entails making self-proclaimed activists and celebrities squirm, sometimes that means a cringey song, and sometimes that means having more serious (but still hilarious) conversations with politicians and civil rights icons. If that's not right up your alley, don't watch. But most of the negative reviews are people who would not enjoy this show because they are either conservative or so entrenched in performative allyship, they can't take any criticism. This is for the anti-woke progressive. Please, if you are not the intended audience, don't try to skew the reviews. This show is phenomenal!
Hypnotic (2021)
Why All The Hate?
Listen, I am not trying to say this movie should be nominated for any awards or anything. The plot is not particularly original, nor is it realistic, and it is at time exploitative. However, it does remain captivating throughout the entirety of its runtime, from start to finish. The acting and directing by the main cast is pretty great, and there is a consistently eerie feel and sense of dread. I have seen many argue that there is not enough suspense, and I would disagree. I think that despite the mysteries being solved minutes after they are proposed, the way the film plays out is consistently suspenseful. I would rewatch this movie again in an instant on a rainy day where I need a mindless thriller. 8/10 might be very generous, but I feel it needs it because the other reviews did not review this movie for what it was, and instead what they thought it should be.
Clickbait (2021)
Exciting Thriller (until the final episode)
Listen, this show was never going to win any awards, but it did keep the audience guessing, and the acting, direction, characters, plot, and plot twists were all believable. The characters were sympathetic, and the mystery was going somewhere. Until the ending comes along and makes you feel silly for caring. I don't want to not recommend this show, because the first 7 episodes are so fun! And it could have been profound! But the last episode? I'm going to have to disclaim that before recommending this to anyone.
Clickbait: The Answer (2021)
Exciting Show Ruined by a Cheap Final Twist
The entire show was exciting from start to finish. Definitely wasn't going to be winning any awards, but each episode kept you guessing as to who the killers might be, and who may have been responsible. The twists throughout were someone exploitative and shocking more than thought-provoking, but a good thriller nonetheless. The acting was good, and the direction was on par with the best of network television. However, this episode, the final episode, took it one step too far. Each twist before this one made some level of sense and nothing too far-fetched. Most of them were foreshadowed by subtle and less subtle clues. This twist was just stupid. It made you feel like you wasted the past 7 hours following a plot that had nothing to do with what happened. Additionally, it doesn't even solve every mystery (ahem, Tara Wilson). It was still exciting, but not at all what it could have been.
Short Term 12 (2013)
My absolute favorite film
Terrific performances from Brie Larson and. Lakeith Stanfield before they were household names, a story that is both heartbreaking and tremendously uplifting, characters that are so uniquely multi-dimensional, a script that delivers laughs and tears and introspection...what else is there to ask for?
The film follows a group of behavioral halfway house counselors (and the kids and teenagers they look after) as they advocate and care for these children when they may or may not have support from their families, therapists, or each other - as well as lives lives of their own. It starts on one counselor's first day as he listens to a funny story from a tenured counselor about a former kid they looked after. In what quickly becomes standard for the plot, the story is interrupted by one child who makes a run for the gates, hoping to escape the center. The counselors rush to catch him, and hold him down as he gets his frustration out, at which point the tenured counselor finishes his story, which ends rather unfortunately in the death of the child who was the subject of the story.
The film continues this pattern in an organic way that mimics life itself rather beautifully: things become happy, then sad, then the happy thing you thought was going to end well sometimes does and sometimes doesn't, the message being you have to live for the beautiful moments because life is full of crap sometimes.
You might think "Wow this sounds preachy and cheesy" and I don't think you'd be wrong. But where this film really makes it worth it is the performances, range of realistic characters, and the way it just makes you feel right. I watch it early morning every Christmas. Highly recommend.
Srpski film (2010)
Just made to be grotesque
A Serbian Film is not a poorly made movie by any means. The script, acting, set pieces, direction, and cinematography are all quality. Honestly, besides the subject matter, it is a respectable horror film. However, the sole basis of its horror is how disturbing the content is. This movie is not for anyone. I would say it isn't for anyone without thick skin, but quite honestly, this movie isn't for anyone. It deals with everything that makes everyone uncomfortable, and nobody should enjoy it. If you do, you should seriously seek help - and I don't mean that in a condescending way, I mean that in a supportive way. The only reason to watch this movie is to be able to say you have seen the most vile film that is not an actual snuff film.
I'm not sure why or how this film was made, but the reason I am giving it 5 stars is because it is, again, not a poorly made film. But it was made well in godawful taste.
Black Monday (2019)
You have to give it three episodes
I'm not going to lie. This show did not immediately grab me. However, it has quickly become one of my favorite shows I have binged in recent memory.
The show combines a tight, quick witted, and steady stream of jokes, with intense plot twists, cynical writing that pokes at sounds from the 80s, we still haven't entirely progressed from, terrific performances (from everyone, even Paul Sheer who I am not usually a fan of), and lively direction, costume design, set pieces, and editing. I never know what is going to happen next, whether it be an unexpected, yet perfect joke, or a power shift that gives a new character the upper hand.
No character, not even the seemingly inconsequential side characters are one-dimensional or unnecessary. Neither is any scene. This show is the pace of the West Wing combined with the humor of Happy Endings, and the coked up 80s fever dream of The Wolf of Wall Street.
I cannot recommend this show enough.
10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)
It's A Part of the Cloverfield Universe
Spoiler alert: it's a part of the Cloverfield universe. You know? The movie with the shaker found footage of the monster destroying the city? If you forgot about it, I don't blame you. But it seems that most of the people reviewing this movie poorly are taking their forgetfulness out on the movie itself.
Suspenseful, mysterious doomsday thriller about a man who rescues two people from the end of the world, but then holds them captive in his bunker. Tension grows and they try to escape, despite the man's strict rules. The script, direction, and performances by people who play anything but their typical roles, are all perfect and keep the experience tense, claustrophobic, and creepy.
Coyote Ugly (2000)
The critics are overthinking it
Is this movie technically good? Of course not. Is it only popular because of one LeAnn Rimes song? Yes. But is the rest of the soundtrack kickin'? Yes! Is it charming? Definitely! Is it fun from start to finish? HECK YEAH! DO WE SERVE WATER IN THIS BAR? HECK NO!!!!
The cliched plot is paired with a charming cast and a story of following your dreams regardless of the consequences or where it takes you. Some of the jokes did not age well, but the movie is, as a whole, just as fun as the first time I watched it.
Plus, unlike most movies at the time, while she is criticized for her "dancing job" by her loved ones, she doesn't ever actually apologize for it (as she shouldn't). Oddly feminist for a movie of the year 2000 which is awesome!
Don't overthink it. Just enjoy. You know you can't fight the moonlight.
Pieces of a Woman (2020)
Who's Calling the Second Half Slow?
Sorry if you saw some trailer that made you think differently, but *spoiler alert* this is not The Avengers: Endgame. This movie is not only superbly acted, expertly and precisely directed and shot, and so well written it feels like watching a piece of classic literature; it is also a relevant and touching story about a woman going through one of the most common and most gut-wrenching losses a person can go through. I think the reason people are lost after the first 15 minutes is because it starts on such a dramatic and captivating scene before dealing with the aftermath of that scene for the rest of the picture. However, the rest of the movie, is so quite perfectly paced itself. Are all of the scenes entertaining? Definitely not. But to see the way this loss and her difficulty coping with it can damage her relationships with everyone in her life was all so important to her character; and this movie is entirely about her growth as a character.
Marriage or Mortgage (2021)
It is what it is
This show is not original, it's not anything new. It's not particularly funny or fun. But it's moderately enjoyable and the people are all a great time to make fun of. The hosts are boring and use the same cliched jokes as any other realtor tv show. The guests are just the same, but maybe slightly more real? Barely? However, will I be watching every episode and laughing at each dull, cringe-worthy moment? Yes of course.
Let Them All Talk (2020)
Character driven, great acting
This movie is so very human, I. That there is not much by means of a plot, however, the story lays in the characters alone. The acting brings the characters to life, as well as the simplicity of the direction and subtly of the writing. Each character is at times likable, though at times selfish and frustrating. The journey and the story are truly directed by the way in which you react to the characters and the natural things they do and say. It's only effective if you lend yourself vulnerable to these characters. If you distance yourself from them, you will not enjoy this movie. If you let yourself get close, this will be thoroughly enjoyable.
Unhinged (2020)
Stupidest Characters I Have Ever Seen
Seems like you're run-of-the-mill suspenseful chase movies. Similar to The Call, Don't Breathe, etc. However, while those had sympathetic characters making at least somewhat smart decisions while being unluckily overtaken or outwitted by the villain, this movie has neither. The acting by the protagonists are fairly decent. But Russell Crowe's performance is lacking, and his motives are not even close to explained. He's just mad, from start to finish. He murders his ex-wife in the opening scene and then he's fine the next day, but then the small road rage incident sets him off even more? Nah. Not believable. This movie is fun, but mainly fun for the sake of yelling and screaming at completely imbecilic characters who it becomes increasingly more difficult to root for. The only thing that keeps you doing so is the villain's completely unbelievable anything.
Hubie Halloween (2020)
A Sandler Comeback?
Okay it's dumb. Duh, it's a Sandler movie. But it's dumb in all the ways you enjoy from him, and not dumb in nearly as many ways that make his recent flops so terrible. The acting in many scenes is cringe-inducing and Hubie's character is borderline offensive, but how could you not laugh at all the Harley Quinn costumes, the way he screams at literally everything scary, and his mom's shirts. Additionally, there are so many riffs and references to both horror classics, and Sandler faves that make this dumb movie seem almost smart at times?
This film ain't winning any awards anytime soon, but it might just be a good candidate for some all-ages family fun, to keep the kids laughing at the slapstick, and the parents laughing at the more adult humor that goes right over the littles' heads.
Ratched (2020)
Decent but where is this going?
Having now finished the season, I have to say that I enjoyed it, however, would have much more enjoyed it if it were not at all connected to One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest. This could be a show about a devious nurse and her outwitting her colleagues and friends, but when you make it a show about one of the most hated characters in cinema, it makes it hard to sympathize with the character at all. I recommend watching this show as a Ryan Murphy creation that dives deep in a seemingly psychopathic nurse, but please forgo any anticipation you have in relation to the film.
After Earth (2013)
Quite possibly the worst film I have ever seen
There are a lot of bad movies out there, but even a lot of the worst films are entertaining to watch for the simple joy of making fun of them. However, After Earth is no such film. It takes itself quite seriously but is far too boring to even be laughable. A mix of terrible performances and boring writing and directing make this film almost unwatchable. Do not recommend.