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Reviews
Dracula (2020)
Oh Dear
I'm not a huge fan of the Dracula story but thought I'd give this a go. Episode 1 was overall quite good but it went downhill fast after that. I was bored by Episode 2 and totally disengaged by Episode 3. Stick to the original script next time.
A Christmas Carol (2019)
Dreadful
I love Charles Dickens and his storytelling. I watched episodes 1 and 2 of this but didn't want to watch episode 3. Contrary to what others have said, I did not like Guy Pearce as Scrooge. Patrick Stewart nailed it, Guy has not. I found elements distasteful. I don't want to hear swear words in a Dickens novel thank you very much and some of the other unsavoury parts to this drama. I switched off.
World on Fire (2019)
Superb. Ignore The Bad Reviews.
I'm frustrated reading some of the reviews here about this show. This drama I really enjoyed. Firstly, a drama is not a documentary. So many times I read that programs or movies are not historically accurate, facts don't match up or the characters aren't how they should have been for the era it's set in. If you want facts, watch a documentary. A drama is supposed to be the writers interpretation of events made to be dramatic for the viewers enjoyment. I have an 80 year old mother who loved this series. She remembers living through the war and hearing the sirens go off overhead and bombs being dropped during the Blitz. She had a grandfather and work colleague who suffered from shell shock. She loved the series because she felt that it was real for her and she could relate to it. Yes, the characters are like a soap and the facts don't add up but who cares. I loved Sean Bean in his role because it was different to what he usually does. His character has fought in WWI and is suffering from PTSD. As a person who works in mental health, the depiction of the psychological effects of war are very accurate. Myself and my husband didn't want to watch a documentary. We wanted to enjoy this adaptation and interpretation of the war from each of the characters viewpoints historically accurate or not! I thought it was excellent. I enjoyed the escapism. That's what I want when I sit down and watch a drama and that's what I got. Bring on series 2!
Spinning Man (2018)
Better Than Expected
I almost didn't watch this movie due to the poor reviews but I'm glad I did. Yes, it is slow at times but as the story unfolds it also has tension and is thought provoking. If you like cerebral movies, you may well like this one. And, no, a movie doesn't have to offer up a definitive ending.
Arctic (2018)
Familiar Premise
There's nothing original about this movie. It's all been done before. Let down by a limited back story means you don't care as much about the characters as you should do. A bit disappointing.
Apostle (2018)
Terrible
This movie drags on, doesn't know what it wants to be and is poorly edited and acted. Confusing at times, overly long and seriously boring, it's a no from me.
Selma (2014)
Disappointing
This movie is overly long with repetitive dialogue which delivers the same message like a broken record. It missed the point it's trying so hard to make and I became bored with it. It's got good actors in it but even they couldn't save it. I think the story should and could be told in a much better way.
Detroit (2017)
Excellent
I didn't have much interest in this movie and didn't think I'd relate to it in any way but thought I'd give it a shot. Was I wrong! I thought the direction, acting and, ultimately, the message it's trying to deliver was bang on point. It feels threatening and claustrophobic and frightening at times and this is all down to the close camera work and very good acting. I came away from this film feeling genuine anger for the people who suffered and the treatment of them. In this regard, for me, it is an excellent movie. Anything that I watch which invokes such strong emotions has made its point for me.
Joker (2019)
Excellent
I was gripped throughout this movie. I like psychological storytelling that makes you think a bit more. I felt the director delivered on this movie with the script, score and acting. Phoenix is captivating and not always in a good way. I experienced a rollercoaster of emotions. Sadness, fear, shock and empathy. It's a difficult film to watch at times which perhaps some people didn't like. I don't think the point is to feel sorry for the character of the Joker. More to connect with his journey and his mental state and what might have led him to this point and, ultimately, pushed him over the edge. It's not to condone violence but to understand where it might originate from. I hope this gets the awards it deserves.
Fractured (2019)
Enjoyed It
I didn't have high hopes for this movie particularly given some of the reviews here but, overall, I was entertained. I thought the acting was good and the plot, whilst a bit unoriginal, worked. It was well executed and kept me interested throughout. I think a lot of Netflix movies get less than decent reviews maybe because expectations are a bit too high given the budget for these movies. I would consider this watchable.
Glass (2019)
Not What You'd Expect
If you take this movie literally you probably won't like it. Despite some other reviewers saying it doesn't have the intellectualism of some of Shyamalan's previous movies, I disagree. Maybe watching it more than once will help with this as I had to watch Split twice before I appreciated it. This movie is not a straightforward super hero film so if you're looking for that I'd avoid it. There's a lot of messages here which make you think.
The Leftovers (2014)
Good but Not Great
Wow! This show has a lot of mixed reviews. I just finished watching Season 3. This is my take on it. It's a drama. Not science fiction, not action, not anything else. That being said, I think you would have had to experienced quite a lot of life, loss, grief, denial, blame, avoidance, fear, longing, abandonment, I could go on. Any loss is profound if the attachment emotionally is strong and if a person does disappear in whatever way that may occur it's impossible to grieve effectively as you don't know whether they will ever come back. For those who've made comments on losing someone being minor and that after 3 years why are these people falling apart? The answer is you never get over any loss. Only if you experience loss would you understand what this series is trying to portray and it does so very accurately. The answers to a lot are revealed over time as is often the case in relationships. No one ever reveals everything about themselves all at once. We get to know the characters over time. I give it good as season 3 changed tempo and wasn't as good as the first two. Overall it delivered a lot of different messages on life, living, death, love and regret and many more besides. You need to be able to be patient, think and read between the lines.