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Reviews
Nefarious (2023)
Not good... but not altogether bad.
The film isn't great. It's preachy, political, and honestly, and a little cliche... that said, it's got some good things going for it. Sean Patrick Flannery really pulled out all the stops here. It's a tightrope walk, playing a part like this. Played a little larger and it would've been over the top; A little more subdued, and the film would've fallen flat. Given how much of the film is just a two-hander, it really needed a strong performance from the two... it got half of that, but Flannery carries the film for both of them.
Faith-based horror films can be a mixed bag. They can be fun, interesting, thought provoking... this really isn't any of those things. The writers know their audience, and have zero interest in making a film that does anything than pander to them, or insult those who don't agree.
If you're an evangelical who likes a tamer horror-thriller, you'll probably like it. If you're not a big fan of right wing talking points, I'd say it's probably it's probably not for you (though the fact that the cast included Glenn Beck as "Glenn Beck" shoulda told you that).
If you're looking for something in the same vein, I recommend checking out Fallen, with Denzel Washington, instead. It's better in just about every capacity, and doesn't rely on insulting those outside it's intended audience to garner a higher rating on IMDb.
The Craft: Legacy (2020)
It's alright...
Honestly, this film is... okay. A "5," but the people giving a "1" because of their political bull**** tanking the number made me rate it on the higher end. Not unlike Mad Max: Fury Road, or Captain Marvel, there are a bunch of triggered viewers out there seeking to tank the numbers, simply because they see it as some sort of personal attack that the film aims to appeal to an audience outside of their demographic. It's not bad... Not nearly as good as the original, but many of the poor reviews are undoubtedly unfair. It's mediocre, for sure, but not unwatchable, or even altogether unenjoyable. It has its moments of actually standing on its own... though it never manages to be anything other than a sequel which is only really for fans of the original... and, obviously, not all of them. Overall, the film is watchable as straight to streaming sequels go, but that's about as high of an endorsement as I can give it... that said... its shortcomings are not due to its "wokeness" or its political statements... it's just lacking in creativity or originality.
Captain Marvel (2019)
Don't let the 1-star reviews fool you.
This isn't a bad film. It's not the best Marvel film, but it's far from the worst.
Most of the 1-star reviews seem to lack much logic, and were probably as short as they were because, they either didn't see the film, or saw it as a "SJW film." Accusing Brie Larson of being wooden in her performance is about as dumb as criticizing Schwarzenegger of being wooden in The Terminator. Her character's coming from a society that is pressing her to keep her emotions in check... it's part of who she is.
If anything, the only grievance of merit is them taking such liberties with the origin story... but, as with much of the MCU, each character and their storylines are tailored to make the Cinematic Universe fit together.
It's not a perfect Marvel film, but it's far from a bad one. If anything, I'd say it's on par with Dr. Strange or Ant-Man, both in terms of levity, and of quality.
The Twilight Zone (2019)
A modern take with social commentary.
I, originally, considered giving it a 10-star rating, just to offset the 1-star ratings. It doesn't deserve any of the 1-star ratings, but it is far from a 10-star show.
It does, however, reframe the Twilight Zone for today's social climate. Half of the episodes, so far, have taken task with xenophobia and racism, and possibly even our current president, and therefore, have offended the far right... and while this probably has given them a reason to give a lower rating than the show is worth, it's by no means, a 1-star show. It's fairly intelligent, and on occasion, even thought provoking... But, even so, the show doesn't quite live up to the level of the Rod Serling original... nor is it on par with the films that Peele has made up to this point. Not a total loss... but don't write it off for the bad reviews alone.