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Cocaine Bear (2023)
The movie that mauled itself to death
Yikes. I was embarrassed for the actors. I cringed imagining the cast and crew watching this together at the Hollywood premiere, pretending to laugh, to be scared, and to not be dying inside. If this is a comedy it's not funny. If it's a horror film it's not scary. If it's a date film it's not fun. The script isn't terrible but the direction is flat, the tone confused and the pacing way off. Edits choose the wrong moments to cut. Jokes fall flat. The acting seems directionless and low energy. Elizabeth Banks did not score one for herself as a director with this one. The only winner is the marketing campaign. The movie should have fulfilled THAT vision.
The Menu (2022)
Social Horror in the league of Parasite and Get Out
The best horror is a reflection or commentary on society. Frankenstein (1931) was a metaphor for Black lynchings in America. Japanese monsters like Godzilla came from the nightmares of surviving atomic warfare. And films like Invasion of the Body Snatchers tapped into McCarthy-era paranoia that a Commie sleeper cell was under every bed.
The best horror if today reflects the great divide between the privileged haves and aspirational have-nots (Parasite, Squid Game). The Menu joins the best of this class warfare commentary.
The next paragraph might be a SPOILER if you think too hard about it, so don't proceed if you haven't seen the film yet, but...
It's a little bit of Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (Chef Wonka and Margot as Charlie) meets Midsommar. And it's perfect. And I loved it.
The White Lotus: Arrivederci (2022)
A finale worthy of an Italian opera
This season's tight interwoven narrative sticks the landing in a satisfying if tragically operatic finale. I love the evolution of Mike White's career - I admit nothing in his writer's resume (Pitch Perfect 3? The Emoji Movie?!) prepared me for his startling talent that's been on display since White Lotus' first season, and which has become even more layered and sophisticated in this second season. The complexity, vulnerability and manipulations found in pursuits of love and/or sex are embedded masterfully in White's story-telling and direction. The messiness of emotions, of desire, of yearning, of wishful thinking, and the potential for bad faith, predation, and lust to subvert and devastate those human motivations is beautifully conveyed all season. Here in the finale we get the gamut of conclusions, all inevitable in their own ways, ranging from heartbreaking to joyous, but none neat and tidy, and none with all our questions answered. It's a perfect balance of resolution and ambiguity, happy and sad, surprising and obvious.
White's ability to tackle all these themes, throwing them all up in the air in a precarious juggling act, and catch them all in the finale - just a masterclass and joy to experience.
A beautiful job. I hope I can sustain this level of excellence with a third season. I think he's so smart to make each season about a theme. First season was about money, entitlement and privilege. This one about sex and love. Pretty ambitious. I can't wait to see where Mike White goes from here.
Old (2021)
Oh. My. God. I heard it was terrible, but the reality is worse.
I am embarrassed for everyone involved. Terrible, terrible writing, pacing, dialog, direction, editing, camera work. M Night needs to retire while he's wayyyy behind.
If only the characters ages a lifetime in 1 minute I would have 2 hours of my own life back.
Seriously. Truly awful. I couldn't be worse if M Night tried.
I'm in shock.
Operation Mincemeat (2021)
Weekend at Bernie's goes to War
Interesting episode from World War II, but not enough to sustain a compelling movie. Romantic subplot is gratuitous padding. Result is an okay film that's worth a look.
Gomorrah: Episode #5.10 (2021)
Cat-and-mouse season, then this throwaway finale?
The entire finale hinges on one incredible unbelievable plot hole: none of Genny's men escort his ambulance to the hospital, allowing him to be delivered to Ciro on an uncontested platter. If you can get over that WTF fact in the first 5 minutes of the episode, then maybe you can enjoy everything that follows. I myself felt betrayed by sloppy lazy writing when it mattered the most to be smart about plotting.
The Turning (2020)
Deserves better reviews.
I saw this EXPECTING a D+ but think it is more a B-
Very creepy and effective, blurring the lines between haunting and madness quite well. Pretty decent scare flick without cheap gore.
Black Mirror: Striking Vipers (2019)
Brokeback Mountain meets Scott Pilgrim Vs the World
But it doesn't quite work despite good acting and art direction. The video game "gimmick" disguises a straightforward marriage drama that isn't enhanced by the gimmick.
Into Thin Air: Death on Everest (1997)
Ignoring heavy-handed soundtrack elevates appreciation
Objectively this is a very good, well-acted, realistic and emotional depiction of what happened on Everest. What HURT this film was the syrupy, tell-us-how-to-feel, SNL-parody-of-melodramatic-TV-movie-sounding soundtrack. SO intrusive and undermining of what could have been authentic emotions and gravitas. Like a drunk aunt crying histrionically at a funeral to make it all about her.
If you can recognize and ignore that, this is a gripping, well-told story.
The Many Saints of Newark (2021)
The Star Wars Episode I of Sopranos
That is to say... unnecessary, thin on plot and unsatisfying.
Clickbait (2021)
Skip final episode & make-up your own ending
Kudos for a tight, tense, keep-em-guessing first 7 episodes.
Then comes Episode 8 "The Answer".
First-and-Goal fumble and turnover. BOOOOO! C'mon!! Seriously?! Every scenario I THOUGHT might be coming would've been better than what came.
If not for the quality of 7/8ths if the series, I'd be giving this 2 stars.