rogier-86785 Reviews

The Expanse (2015–2022)

Visceral, Kinetic and Heart-Felt Scifi

[9/10 · 17 January 2024]

The Expanse is a mix of realistic space faring and higher Scifi, based on a book series, that should not be missed by anyone who has an affinity for space storytelling. The series focuses on a mysterious and inexplicable circumstance that heightens tensions between Earth, Mars and the so-called Belters in the near future when the human race has colonized its own solar system. This is where the realism starts to meet with the mysterious.

The brilliance of The Expanse is that it all starts of fairly insignificantly with a missing person case and a smart but unconventional detective. In fact, it was so 'small' that this reviewer actually stopped watching for a while, thinking what the fuss was all about. But when I put it back on... We are painfully slowly taken from one tiny clue to the other, but by the time we reach season three, we are in an epic, bizarre and incredibly tense story that may determine the future of the entire human race, involving things that makes one wonder about the cosmos, all while the three main factions are nervously trying not enter all-out conflict.

There are many great things to say about this series. For one, the look and feel is second to none. This was shot on a lower budget, tiny compared to most scifi series out there, but that has led its developers to make designs that are worn, torn, visceral and kinetic. It is in one word fantastic. It feels better than most other scifi out there, because it feels real.

Another great thing about it is space travel itself. No quantum-warp-hyper-drives here; sometimes we even need to make a slingshot around a moon or two to get somewhere. It gives the series even more realistic feels. Better still, it allows the actors to really get into their roles, and have space control their actions. The main cast does a superb job with all its limitations, and should be praised highly for it.

But the best thing this story gives us are the Belters: a group of space faring humans who have occupied the Asteroid Belt and plenty of other far away solar system spots, and have become completely accustomed to the hardships of space life. They have their own look, feel and language and need to be experience to be believed. If anything, their culture is the number one reason to put this show on.

The acting and dialogue are good to sometimes great, but also flawed at times. For me, the Drummer character just blew me away, that's how good she is. There are in general a lot of other good characters, and the main cast does great, yet some lesser important characters can come across as little more than story devices and fillers, either by some lesser acting or lesser dialogue.

And the big Belter bad guy in the later seasons is - to no fault of the actor - the clear low point of the series. He's more of a cartoon villain. You can almost hear him cackle, while drumming his fingers together plotting 'evil thingies to do and hurtful thingies to say'.

You won't be bothered by it at all though, because the overall plot, the long, mesmerizing through-line of this series is just overwhelmingly superb. It is highly original too, with an overall concept that will keep you glued to the screen. It's a shame the entire story has not been put to film yet, since the series ends after six seasons but could have gone further, but chances are that something will be added in the future, just by popular demand alone.

Whatever flaws, you're sticking with these people through thick and thin, that's just how good it is. And even the music, which felt minimal at first, grew on me in such a way that I got chills whenever it choose to enter the third and fourth chord, indicating that now we were really putting some pressure on... as if there wasn't enough of that already.

It's just superb and highly new original Scifi through and through. Put it on.

The Law According to Lidia Poët (2023– )

Sharp, Strong and Sarcastic

[8/10 · 26 December 2023]

Lidia Poët is set in Italy in a period where women were not supposed to be doing a 'man's job', such as being a lawyer, which our main character Lidia brilliantly - and often dryly - circumvents to let justice prevail. The show is worth it for it's great sense of humour, it's message, it's looks and main actress Matilda de Angelis. Now let's have a better look.

Poët is a graduated law student who is not allowed to practice law by the men in that profession, despite there not being any legal basis for such an exclusion. Yet don't worry, this is not a series that wags its fingers at such an injustice, just a show that uses this bigotry to its advantage with often very witty conversations and situations as a result. With our main actress taking the lead in a very strong performance.

Furthermore, the production itself is simply excellent. The feel of a somewhat older, posh yet also stylish Italy is captured really well, and the occasional use of modern music just hits it home superbly. The acting and directing is good to great, as is the writing, with a bunch of characters at odds yet also - often begrudgingly - working together to do the right thing.

Murder mystery fans be warned though, the plots are on the simplistic side and are more a tool to build characters than the endgoal. As such, you'll see the outcomes from miles away if you know your mysteries.

But that's not the goal of this show. It's light-hearted stuff really, with a great message that doesn't push itself and a production that is worth the look. Sharp, strong, sarcastic and especially a dryly witty show I can recommend wholeheartily.

Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire (2023)

Sofia Boutella Makes it Worthwile... Just

[6/10 · 23 December 2023]

Zack Snyders epic Rebel Moon aims to establish a new sci-fi universe and right of the bat, it's not a real pass. Yet, if you want to know if you should put this on, my answer weirdly is yes. It's worth the watch for Sofia Boutella's performance, although ultimately the film itself is lacking. Now you know, let's dive in deeper.

Rebel Moon is a mix of too many influences. Warhammer 40K springs to mind, as well as The Chronicles of Riddick for the fascist display of armies. There's some Greek mythology. Star Wars is heavily copied. And Alien is a reference for its grittiness in technology, which does work well. There is a bit of 'Avengers Assemble' to it, which is cool actually. And there are Zoë Saldana's action performances as an influence, of which Sofia Boutella shows us a new, slightly rougher version that is very, very likeable. She is hands down best part of the film.

And that's saying something, because the writers made it incredibly hard for her and all the other actors. The script is on the nose and Sofia's character Kora is used as an instrument for heavy exposition, which is a waste of talent and quite baffling really for a production of this magnitude. Instead of us experiencing the story, it's basically explained to us.

The weird thing is, the moment everybody shuts up and the action starts, the film is quite good. In some moments, it even nails the feel of the combat with fantastic shots, moves and sound design.

What comes out is too much noise and too little signal. Like many of Snyder's films, the plot is predictable, the dialogue more like boring monologues. It would be nice if he would realize an audience can handle a little bit more intelligence. With 160 million bucks... we love your camera Zack, but please hire an extra writer man.

All in all, we are left with a mix bag of extremes. The writing is bad. Yet the action is pretty good. And the cast - including big names Hopkins, Hunnam, Huonsou and plenty of upcoming talent like Huisman, Skrein and awesome Bae Doona - do really manage to shave off the worst thankfully.

So, I can't say the film is a pass. But I did find it an interesting watch. Here's me hoping they all get better lines in part two.

Yu Yu Hakusho (2023)

Vivid & Gleefully Funny

[7/10 · 14 December 2023]

In this live-action interpretation of the Yu Yu Hakusho story, we follow the tale of up-to-no-good Yusuke and unlikely allies, who secretly has a good heart, and needs to come back from the spirit world to save the day from demons. That's the gist, and it's good.

So far, so manga slash anime. It becomes more interesting however, when our anti-hero needs to make ambigious choices that are neither good nor evil, and suit our newly-found spirit detective. And most of the time, he will need to make those choices mid-fight.

As usual I will refrain from comparing it to original source matter and give it a judgement based on what this mini-series give us in the now. In short, it's both cool and alive. The fighting scenes are special because of the demon element and our cast has great comedic timing. It's on the sugary side though, just so you know.

It all really plays for fun, laughs and spectacle, and as such, it succeeds with flying colors. Plotwise it's best not to expect the world. Lots of clichés, melodrama, gushing violins and pumping horns... this is the pop-version of Japanese stories.

Also, the added CGI is on the simplistic side. And the music... You know, there's plenty of niggles to give, especially in comparison to original source material. Yet overall, you can feel the fun factor in this production, and I just had a good time gobbling this up with glee.

Leave the World Behind (2023)

Interesting... But Falls Flat

[5/10 · 13 December 2023]

With a top cast, an original concept and from a well-known book, Leave the world behind has a great promise. The best description is an apocalyptic thriller with worldly twists. Ultimately though, almost no effort is made to get a good connection going with the characters, which let to a film falling flat for me. Allow me to explain.

The film begins with interesting shots and conversations, but also with inconsist shots - sometimes round, sometimes quick, sometimes wide, or far zoomed in - and totally random and painful music choices, including one of those terribly lazy autotune theme songs, completely at odds with the rest of the musical score, that itself is, although meant as scary, little more than random soundscapy stuff.

I'm a forgiving reviewer who supports all art, but this time it took me out of the film too quickly, and made me notice plot inconsistensies that I would have easily forgiven otherwise. As a result, it starts failing big time after that. Because what is supposed to be scary, falls short when in the first part of the movie there was absolutely no effort made to establish empathy or understanding even.

That's not to say its concept isn't cool (which I'll leave open should you want to discover it) but the manner these people react to things that should have anyone in sharp survival mode, banding together, is just beyond believable at times. Almost no choice made sense, which made the supposedly deep conversations meandering at best. It's downright awful at times and halfway through I couldn't care less if they all just perished.

Sorry I couldn't be my usual positive reviewer this time, and absolutely no fault of the actors of course whatsoever, who play very well (Roberts is an amazing performer, and so are all the others hands down) but to me, the film felt off, as if it was missing its beats, and its direction of what it was trying to tell us.

As an artist, I can see the attempt at something highly original, which is much appreciated. Also, you may have a better time than me putting it on if you can look through it and accept it as a weirder thriller with a worldly theme. But as is, with no empathy, even with its big theme, shown in massive and well-done sequences, and an ending that if the film was executed better would have made you gasp and be amazed ... it just doesn't click. To the point it baffled me.

Green Book (2018)

Understated, Genius and Hella Funny

[8/10 · 19 November 2023]

Brilliant actors Ali and Mortensen team up to deliver great understated performances in a friendship-heavy road movie that tackles America's 1960's segregration troubles. And yes, you should definitely put it on.

Right off the bat, this is not a tearjerker nor a moralistic film at all. In fact it's a film that just shows you what it is, as a sophisticated black piano player with a lot of courage drives from show to show in the deep white South, backed by his hard-as-nails Italian driver.

It's a very welcome way of portraying heartbreaking practices in society, keeping its focus on the good we have inside, especially between these two unlikely friends. It pulls a trick to achieve this, deliberately skipping the hard moments and only showing the aftermaths, stripping it from too much drama.

The camera just never loses sight of either of our friends, and that makes it an exceptionally good film. Also, it has a mad sense of superb humour, and some great music to top it all of.

It's heartwarming, understated and funny when you least expect it. What more would you want to put this on.

Blue Eye Samurai (2023)

Incredibly Cool

[9/10 · 7 November 2023]

Blue Eye Samurai is an old-style ronin revenge story wrapped in a new-style moderm animation while adding a few really great characters and twists to their fates that make this show an absolute joy to watch.

We follow what was considered a 'monster' in Samurai-age Japan - a boy with blue eyes and a shining blue sword - as he plots a lonesome road to revenge on the handful of other 'blue-eyes' gaijin that have thrown him into his heavily discriminated fate. And while life has other plans for our anti-hero than just revenge, we as viewers are treated to incredibly beautiful life-like animation, superb music, perfect pacing, lovely snow-filled Japan and a rare, more adult take on anime.

It's got real sex, quick violence and dark humour, elevating this above many less adult anime shows out there. To me, the pacing and themes where akin to Castlevania, while the animation is closest to Arkane's... although it really is in its own league of originality both in style and substance.

My only niggle is that although I'm highly invested in its excellent characters, I wasn't completely blown away just yet. Yet make no mistake, you'll love this... especially since their is one more trick up its sleeve that ups the ante a thousandfold when it's revealed.

Put it on.

Bodies (2023)

Strong Murder Scifi Mashup

[7/10 · 5 November 2023]

The premise of Bodies is simple yet complicated at the same time, when in different moments of time, seamingly the same dead body appears in front of four different detectives. What follows is four seperate murder investigations in 1890, 1941, 2023 and 2053 that indicate someone or something is messing around with time travel.

Even though I'm a scifi lover, I usually avoid time travel stories because they stretch believability just too far and become too messy as a story to be liked. But also being a lover of a good murder mystery, I thought I'd give it a go.

And yes, the time travel aspect is easily the weakest aspect of the show, as it always becomes. But the interaction between four moments and detectives in time is really fascinating, and makes up for it.

All are good to great, and very well played in the English acting traditions but it's especially the World War 2 parts with its shady detective played by Jacob Fortune Lloyd that stole both the show and the setting for me.

All in all you'll find a strong mash of scifi and investigation, with an emotional finish, that has great shots, music and acting, just as long as you adjust for expectations of the time travel premise. Do that, and you'll have a great time.

The Pope's Exorcist (2023)

Classic, Action-packed Possession Story

[7/10 · 29 October 2023]

As horror goes, The Pope's Exorcist is more on the action-packed and classic side, with a possession story that combines elements of grief, mysterious objects, haunted house, history, deception and jump scares. It is well executed and played, and feels like a good, solid horror story with great action energy. As such it deserves a higher rating here than it gets.

Although frightening, the film will definitely not be the scariest horror you'll ever see. It relies on well-known horror tropes, which allows it to quickly get to the point of exorcising and drive the story forwards, sometimes more akin to an action-thriller.

This reliance on established cues however, also means it can mix new elements in it. The contentious relationship of main protagonist priest Gabriele Amorth (Crow's character) with the church being the absolute highlight for me. The dialogue in these scenes is often better than the horror elements all together. And a nice hidden sense of humor about faith tops it off well.

Amorth as a character is also highly lovable (what's in a name), and Crow's depiction of him is another highlight for the actor. Which is saying something... because in real life Amorth was quite controversial. However, this is more of a fantastical historical demon story, that seems to just use a name to make a good movie, and in no way seems historically accurate. There seems to even be a mild setup for future story, so maybe we'll see more.

All in all, don't let the lower ratings from reviewers fool you. Horror always gets a bad rap from them. This is a well-executed and entertaining exorcism story with a focus on action, twists and turns and some deeper historical thoughts. In other words, you'll have a good time.

Lupin (2021– )

Suspenseful, Clever and Fun

[8/10 · 10 October 2023]

This modern version of the Lupin thieving mysteries is a well written, well executed and above all superbly played addition to the mystery genre. The series centers around our master thief who runs into serious trouble with France's elite at almost every turn, and his ability to outsmart them all.

There is a lot of suspense to be found, as the plots often take you on twists and turns that are unexpected and thrilling. Overall, it's a well executed show with a clear focus on great character development. All the people in the stories are well fleshed out, and it is joy to follow all of them.

The entire production, from music to directing to costumes to writing to acting... it's all done really, really well. My only niggle is that our hero at times seems to get away a little too easy with a few moments when he's out of his usual disguises, which breaks the suspense and the immersion.

But the stories are great, and the finales are worth every second of watching. Highly recommended.

Castlevania: Nocturne (2023– )

The Belmonts Are Back

[8/10 · 4 October 2023]

After the highly unexpected and absolutely gobsmacking brilliant four seasons of Castlevania, we now get a sequel in Nocturne. We can rejoice with the Belmonts back at the wheel, so let's dive in.

Castlevania was a revelation. Instead of getting a bit of nice fan service that stayed close to its rather simple videogame narratives, we were treated with an emotional rollercoaster of a plot that was perfectly paced, dripping of incredible character development and jawdropping animation, that even touched on subjects like depression or life's bigger question. The slow, mysterious build up was just phenomenal, and the blood superb.

Now, although Nocturne does not disappoint, it lacks that surprise depth of its predecessor. The story is kinda cool, touching upon divine Gods and Godesses, and throwing in some ancient myths, but it doesn't have the same brilliant pacing and the build-up is just less interesting.

However, the animation still has the same sheen, and the music is very good, with sound effects being even better. And the characters do have good depth and development, and some really good twists, all helped by the new later setting of The French Revolution.

And that's why it still shines. The 'feel' is very much intact of the original, and the new setting gives it the freshness it needed to be a good follow up. It's just a lot quicker on the action.

So, in short, it's fun and looks great. Let the whip crack for the return of the Belmonts.

Heart of Stone (I) (2023)

Gabot saves the day... and the movie

[5/10 · 12 August 2023]

Heart of Stone is an action romp centered around technology and our often mistaken belief in it. It's full of blitz and gizmo's with a literal 'Heart' of clichéd tech that gives the owner control over the world of course. It's stone heart is also figurative, with plenty of completely senseless deaths and deeply clichéd stone-hearted bad guys. Luckily, Gal Gadot as agent Stone saves the day. Plus the movie at that.

With a movie like this you just know it's best to keep scriptwriting expectations low, especially since Netflix seems to flaunder a little too many scripts these days, while always hoping that the performances save it. The script flings Gabot all over the place, but thankfully she handles it well with the right understated performance we've seen her give before.

All in all, it's not great, and would have benefited at the very least from giving agent Stone more funny lines (Gadot has excellent comedic timing) but there is some superagent fun to be had and the actors give it the old college try with the lines handed to them.

So yeah... a little extra heart would've been nice.

The Batman (2022)

Batman in a Bad Mood

[8/10 · 24 July 2023]

Right off the bat, The Batman stands out. It is an even more brooding take on the bat than we're used to. It's slow, dark and gritty, but that's how all Batman stories should be. It's got Hollywood's finest doing their finest, but we've seen that before too. What makes it so special is the atmosphere of a murder mystery, dialed up to ten. It's genuinely scary at times. And the scariest of all, is the bat himself.

Part of it's mystery coolness is the way it's filmed, and the way it uses sound: both are muffled at times. This means we viewers are in on the atmosphere, without having all the information. It works wonders. And then, when it's needed, it rolls out its stumping punches in the reveals in absolutely spectacular fashion, while never once straying from its dark path.

I won't reveal anything but there is a car sequence... with the first time we hear a musical glimpse of the obligated orchestra horn-section, that demonstrates Batman's real vengeage power... and it blew the socks off this reviewer who has seen it all.

So no spoilers, but here's what you can expect from this must-see film: It's not fast, but it's punchy, building up slowly and beat by blood-dripped beat, until we get to a point where things will have to clash big time.

And the most beautiful thing of all this broodiness? Rejoice, we've got a new Batman in town. And he's in a bad, bad mood.

Vinland Saga (2019–2023)

Slow, But Keeps Growing

[7/10 · 16 May 2023]

Vinland Saga starts off fairly cool as a Japanese anime take on the era of the Vikings. It does nothing that special storywise, yet manages to engage with good characters in its beginning, and a nice sense of both honour and humor.

As deeper drama starts to unfold, the story also becomes better and thankfully, more original. The central premise revolves around family ties and the meaning of being a warrior, which I won't spoil for you here. The action is great, the twists sharp and the characters grow on you. In between the hardship, it also shows a good and very welcome sense of humour. Vikings are formidable warriors, which also makes them excellent subjects to poke fun at.

However, it is often far too slow. And that's coming from a reviewer who advocates pacing all the time. A good anime knows how to milk things of course, with long shots and animated slow-mo's, and us fans don't shy away from a little melodrama either, knowing it's part of the appeal. And that's alp here too. Yet the tempo is even more timid then in comparable anime, so consider yourself warned. It also doesn't suit the Viking era that well, and begs for quicker action at times.

The visuals themselves though, while maybe not reaching the heights of for instance the recent Castlevania series, are still very, very well made. And yes, your patience does pay off. The story keeps growing more interesting, the changes to our characters are very believable, and it builds up to satisfying finales.

All in all a great watch and one of the better anime out there. Just keep your patience in check, and you'll have a great time.

RRR (2022)

Wild & Alive

[8/10 · 1 April 2023]

This epic tale of two great superwarriors locked in both friendship and battle is a highly original, and very unexpected film. It's also, simply put, absolutely wild. And for that vividness alone, I think it's a must-see. I laughed, I cried rivers, but mostly I was bouncing off the walls.

Total honesty, I found this long film is not an easy watch, and I looked at it in chunks, pausing sometimes for several days. The movie doesn't just mix genres, but basically throws everything together in a blender at full speed. It's is both too much ánd blends well. There's action, comedy, horrible slaughter, rom-com, genius off-the-rails dance scenes, and plenty more. That too makes it already worthwile.

But it's the relationship between our two friends Bheem and Rama, put at odds by horrific colonial Englismen, that nails it. In essence, it's a love story on friendship, with two great guys trying to find a way out of trouble they didn't start: colonialism. And trouble it is, from heaps of soldiers fighting, to exploding bridges, to wild animals feasting and an imperial palace broken down... and that's just a taste.

Quick fire on the rest: visual effects are sometimes good, but also a mixed bag, length is too long, the music is awesome, dialogue clichéd but fitting, not all characters are fleshed out enough, consistency is shaky but not really a problem with so much going on, the stunts are excellent and editing is topclass. Oh and the dancing... the singing...

Ultimately, it attacks colonialism as much as it attacks your senses: in a very, very good, often bizarre way. And all the twists and turns between our two frenemies are unexpected and cool. So, go for it, but make sure the bag of popcorn is bigger than usual, 'cause this is a long and wild ride.

You're gonna need it.

We Have a Ghost (2023)

Endearing and witty enough

[6/10 · 30 March 2023]

We have a ghost has a family friendly spirit, both literally and figuratively. Plotwise, the ghost has its own story to follow, but it's the family dynamic that enables it to unfold in a satisfying way. I think although flawed, the film is endearing and well acted.

It's not flawed in a bad script sense, but in a too simplistic narrative sense. The story, although funny, just isn't exciting that much. And it takes a turn toward social media, which was a little shallow. The film does have an exciting ending but takes too long to get there.

However, this simplicity leaves space for something good: character development in a tight family setting. It leaves us with a group of actors that effortlessly bounce off each other's comedic timing, which I thought was a real joy to watch.

Seasoned Anthony Macky (always a joy), Erica Ash and our ghost David Harbour give us the solid foundation for this, allowing youngsters Jahi Di'allo Winston and Niles Fitch as the two sons of the family to shine some massive talent our way.

Ultimately, this is a 'what you see is what you get' affair that plays too many familiar tropes and takes too long. But the quick quips, excellently executed by the cast, did make it a fun watch for me. And as I said, it's endearing. So, if your cool with that, give it a go.

Luther: The Fallen Sun (2023)

Great Luther, Mediocre Story

[6/10 · 22 March 2023]

In this latest installment of Luther, we follow our avenging and rule-breaking anti-hero into the world of a horrible, hellishly cruel criminal pushing John Luther to the very edge. Of course, we the viewers know this usually does not end well for the criminal, yet a rollercoaster ride ensues with uncertain outcome nonetheless. It's a good ride, just not the best.

It is tempting to give Luther so much credit simply because of the brilliance of Idris Elba alone, which would both be deserved and accurate. But the truth is, it's the entire package of everything and everyone involved, with an extra shout out for the often almost alien music. It's the brooding vibe that made the series so memorable... but this time around, only up to a point. For a Luther story, it's unusually flawed.

That's because although well and viscerally played by Andy Serkis, our bad guy slipped way off my believability scale, in a plot that veered too far away from the 'avenger copper' vibe. It meant halfway through I started to have trouble with the suspension of disbelief and felt my attention slipping. The bad guy just felt way over the top.

If you are like me, you can never get enough of Elba's greatest character. The film is still worth it because of that alone, and has a well chosen final chord too. Just know before you start, this isn't Luther his best story.

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

Genius, Brilliant... Film of the Year

[10/10 · 31 December 2022]

This film, very unexpectedly, blew me away. In one fell swoop, it also ends all multiverse story lines Hollywood can ever come up with, and forever will be number one in it's field. It's that good.

I will not and cannot tell you the plot, you'll have to experience it yourself. But I can tell you this film is about love, regret, making peace with one's choices, and also... taxes. And it does so in the most absurd, endearing and laugh-out-loud way possible, kung fu style, in a freaking launderette.

Quick fire on the production: it's top notch, the special effects are bang on point, the performances could not have been better but most of all, the editing is beyond fantastic.

I laughed, cried, then absolutely bellowed from all this awesomeness. I cannot wait to see what this production team comes up next. Do yourself a favor and take one good decision in this universe: go for it. Hands down, film of the year.

Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022)

Cool and compelling

[8/10 · 27 December 2022]

The court cases are really good. Of course, this show has a great original angle, depicting a highly autistic and brilliant young attorney with such overwhelming knowledge of the law, she comes up with superb original defences. But to make that work, the cases themselves also need to be complex and compelling enough. The show succeeds in this with flying colours.

In a way, I came for the premise, and the endearing and often funny sketches this brings - especially from our often gifted Korean showrunners - but I mostly kept watching because of the cases. South Korean culture can be very intricate, with laws that have complicated and not always just or fair origins, so it is fascinating to see how a brilliant autistic lawyer would approach them.

My only criticism is that the show is often to sweet and sugary, almost to the point of protective, yet that could also be seen as a big strenght. Regardless, the way our team surrounding our heroin go about their jobs is intelligent, warm and very well played by the cast. It just clicks and works, in large part because of how law is brought back to a human level and argued with great passion.

It's compelling. Or in a better word: cool. Give it a go.

Glass Onion (2022)

Excellent Mystery

[9/10 · 25 December 2022]

Glass Onion is a classic who-dunnit with not-so classic twists as our beloved detective Benoit Blanc (Craig) finds himself on a private island of a tech-billionaire who has devised a murder mystery of his own 'death' to entertain a select few old friends.

Of course, nothing is what it seems as layers of the mystery onion are unpeeled and we find out the backstories of broken friendships, money, love and other potential motives of a real murder hanging in the air.

The script is very good, set up like a theater play, keeping the viewer in suspense. But it's the performances of the actors that absolutely kill it, pun intended. No spoilers of course, but there is one scene where everybody is drinking in the living room where between the jolliness, the tension gets so high, and the actors stay in their respective roles so brilliantly, that it feels as if you're watching a perfectly choreographed ballet.

I gobbled it up with glee. This is the kind of film where when the mystery is finally resolved, you'd want to watch it again to see the clues that are subtly left behind throughout its runtime. It's a really entertaining film, with a good sense of humor, playfully played by its cast. And a special shout out to Janelle Monáe playing Andi, who rocks a lot of talent in this picture.

If you're in to a good murder mystery, this onion is worth un-peeling.

Jurassic World Dominion (2022)

Greatest hits... and misses

[5/10 · 24 December 2022]

Let's face it, if you're here for the dinosaurs you'll have a nice time. There's plenty of them in the movie and as the title suggests, they are poised to rule the world. Other than that though, this is a mediocre plot at best.

After a good setup in the previous films, the writers missed an opportunity to ask the big questions that were fascinating about the Spielberg original. Instead they go to familiar terrority and we are again put in some park with some evil scientist billionaire, treading worn out paths and scenes we've seen before, with too many coincidences and bad plot twists. A lot of misses are seen between this greatest hits show, most notably the bigger questions on genetics. And nostalgia is not enough to save it.

Let's spare the actors because they had to work with this script and did their best, and of course the special effects team because, hey, dinosaurs right?

So if you're here for those dinosaurs, they're good. But be prepared, and in the vain of chaos theorist Ian Malcolm (Goldblum): you'll probably root for them instead of humanity after this bit.

1899 (2022)

Brooding supernatural mystery

[8/10 · 20 December 2022]

1899 is a dark, highly suspenseful mystery story about a large ship running into unnatural trouble. It centers around a great cast of characters, turn of the 20th century, each with their own dark pasts that start to haunt them when a similar abandoned ship is found in the middle of the ocean.

Viewers are kept in the dark as to what is truly happening while the ships crew and passengers are pitted against each other when terrible things ensue. Tension is high and stakes are ramped up as the mystery slowly unfolds into unexpected areas.

The art direction is incredible. The sound design is top notch, although voices are a little too soft. The use of effects on the ocean works superbly, and symbolism is everywhere. The acting and directing is also superb, not in the least because of the plethora of different languages spoken. It's top of the bill casting, all seasoned non-Hollywood European actors.

The only thing not reaching the highest notes is the eventual conclusion. I'm pretty versed in my mysteries but I was a little baffled at first, which is a good thing. I thought the earlier episodes are better than the later ones, and the conclusion isn't as good as the feel of the mystery itself. Yet, I still highly recommend giving it a go, especially if you are into dark series.

Wednesday (2022– )

It's Alive

[9/10 · 27 November 2022]

Wednesday is Tim Burton his young-adult take on the Addam's Family story and it shows. Everything about this show feels alive and kicking. From the surprisingly cool murder mystery story to the set designs, customes, music and even the faces of the actors, everything just works to bring the absurdity to life. Blending the over-the-top world of this spooky family with Burton's masterful macabre abilities feels like a masterstroke, quickly elevating this to one of Netflix their current top shows.

The support of castmembers such as Zeta-Jones and the original Wednesday Christina Ricci certainly helps, but it's young Jenna Ortega who steals the show effortlessly. Her ice-cold depiction of deeply sarcastic Wednesday Addams is of Antarctic-freeze levels and will leave you all warm and fuzzy when watching her bend her entire world to her dark and brooding will.

A must see for any Tim Burton fan and anyone who loves some dark comedy really. It's alive.

Morbius (2022)

Just Enough Darkness

[6/10 · 8 November 2022]

Right off the bat (pun intended) Morbius is definitely the odd one out in the MCU. The concept as a cross between hero and villain, human and vamp works better than I expected it to on film. Yet the chosen story holds it back.

The film starts out a lot stronger than it finishes, with the main culprit being a deeply clichéd bad guy and the predictability this brings. The villain's arc is just not believable and feels out of character. It also doesn't explore the very cool idea of a human-bat hybrid enough, throwing us into an action-packed ride that doesn't go as deep as it should have.

There is a hint of missed opportunity to the film because of this. Yet the art direction is well done, moody and dark, and the chemistry between Jared Leto and Adria Arjona works well too. All in all it's a strange addition to the Marvel Universe, very different in tone and feel, that works on a conceptual level but is let down by an unoriginal script in practice.

It'll entertain, even intruige, just keep expectations in check. And there will probably not be new films for this title, but I would like to see Morbius return in some form to the MCU.

He's strange. But feels cool to fit him in.

The School for Good and Evil (2022)

Nicely Tacky

[6/10 · 29 October 2022]

The School of Good and Evil is a tacky, over-the-top young adult film that leans heavier on being funny than it does on a moral of good or evil as the title suggests. While the film definitely is not the best or most original you'll ever see, the young actors play with heart and glee, resulting into a fun little flick with well-timed comedic moments. The older stars serving as background characters help it too. All in all the production is good, the script is okay-ish, the effects cool and the humour on point. It's too clichéd for sure, and please keep your expectations in check, but it plays with good and evil in an entertaining way. If that's cool for you, give it a go.