Episode 1 was aweful and plenty of reviews here point out that it gets better further on but not by much. Dedicating each show to the perspective of an individual character worked well enough but that technique wasn't all that novel. If you still dislike the series after watching the Andy centered 3rd episode then I recommend you abandon it...as it more or less plateaus from there. I gave it a 6 but is probably a 6.5 but I can't justify rounding it up to a 7. I wouldn't purchase this series on its own but if your provider includes it in its lineup go ahead and take it for a test drive.
Reviews
49 Reviews
Tell Me Your Secrets
(I) (2021)
A bit crazy towards the end but binge worthy.
21 February 2021
This series is better than many of the reviews here. The last two episodes were all over the place and rushed but the build up was good and the initial premise was fine. There were some wonky twists towards the end that went overboard but it's a limited series so I guess they didn't feel constrained to reign anything in for seasons that are never gonna happen.
A Reason
(2014)
Boring
28 November 2020
I was praying that a comet would crash into the family's house and kill them all by the end of this film. None of the characters were very likeable. They all more or less hated each other and pointed fingers at who they felt was greedy yet the only reason they felt compelled to stay was the hope that the old woman wouldn't cut them out of her will. The entitlement and self pity levels for most of the characters is astronomical. Skip it.
Vivarium
(2019)
WTF is this film?
20 November 2020
It features some interesting concepts and seems to want viewers to ask a lot of questions. Unfortunately, you'll be sitting around waiting for answers for an eternity in vain because they do not come. Maybe it is set in a parallel universe where only questions can exist but not answers. Maybe it was all just some sort of dystopian purgatory or vivid dream. It could be a subliminal message advertising that home ownership really isn't really what it cracks out to be. I honestly wasn't interested enough to try to find out. I hope the director recreates the overall mood and set design schemes used in this film for other projects that actually make sense.
Gerry
(2002)
Beautiful but boring
20 November 2020
As many reviews here mention this film is painstakingly slow. It has an arthouse feel with lots of unhurried shots of the vast desert and several meandering takes that follow the two desperate travelers as they wander aimlessly into certain doom. Do not watch if you are in a bad mood or have major attention span issues. Unless you are really into this genre it mostly just serves as a 2 hour advert to get you to procure a decent emergency satellite phone. Mother nature may be pretty but she most certainly isn't nice or interested in self pity. I will say that this is an interesting and non-traditional effort for Matt Damon and Casey Affleck to undertake so I yield an extra star for their decision to act against the grain. I watched for free on Peacock TV and it is available on a few other free streaming platforms right now as well. You may need a couple glasses of wine to help you get through the whole thing so consider yourself warned.
Even Lambs Have Teeth
(2015)
Had potential
18 November 2020
I like me a good revenge tale if the story is compelling and the production value is decent. I liked the story but the acting kinda sucked. I won't give anything away that the trailer didn't already elude to but the girls did nothing except scream during the first half and then magically did a 180 overnight by turning into sadistic blood thirsty animals. There are a whole bunch of competely riduculous scenarios as they strut around town looking for their tormentors. TBH, even though the 2nd half was way over the top I enjoyed it more than the 1st because I was sick of hearing the girls scream their way through entire scenes. This miscarriage of a movie is free on Tubi right now and I can't recommend buying/renting let alone watching it unless you are totally bored.
Alex Rider
(2020–2024)
Meh
14 November 2020
Geared for kids. Alex is recruited by an all powerful super secret government spy agency that can "scrub" any disserter off the face of this planet with little more than a mere thought. Yet every time the agency tells Alex that he can't endanger himself by participating in a mission he simply replies "oh yes I can because I said that I can" and the agency just concedes and the story moves forward. I find that trope unbelievably lazy. Fortunately, it is impossible to pay $ to watch this show right now. It isn't bad but writers get paid more than enough money to come up with a semi-realistic reason why an intelligence service would permit a teenager to risk his life that isn't "because I said so". 1 star for pouring millions of dollars into a completely unbelievable storyline.
Viper Club
(2018)
Better than most reviews
12 November 2020
I liked this film well enough. It told a sad story about some of the horrible realities that some of us face due to the gravitational pull created by the "war on terror". Sarandon carried the film but the part was written that way. This would have been better as a miniseries. I liked a lot of the characters despite their small parts. More about the son's current and previous trips to the Middle East and a less abrupt ending could have rounded out another episode or two. This was an American film which doesn't do mini-series nearly as much as the UK but it would have been better as a two parter. Anyone that rated this a 1 probably didn't watch it but scored it low because of Sarandon's political views. I don't care about that. If she sucked in a movie then I will say so but she did just fine in this one.
In the Dark
(2017)
Easy to watch but disjointed and nothing special
12 November 2020
Binged this today. It was OK but nothing special. The casting was fine and the story engaging but the 1st two episodes are more or less unrelated to the last two. I know the UK is the King of the mini-series but give me a break. A series with only 4 episodes doesn't need to be subdivided any further. If each half were aired across two seasons then fine...kinda like Prime Suspect but that it not the case here. Maybe the goal was for this show to last longer with multiple "who done it" arcs but was cancelled early on but with sunk costs to consider the creators were told to produce it as a 4 part limited mini-series and so they stitched two arcs together and called it a day. I wouldn't pay to rent/buy this individually but it is a perfectly fine watch if available to you through a free or already subscribed to streaming service. There are plenty of better BBC produced copper shows out there though.
Eighty-12
(2020– )
Hilarious and obscure
11 November 2020
I'm not sure how this ended up on my watch list. Either I or one of my friends or family members must have gotten drunk and purchased the whole season. I just finished the first episode and found it rather entertaining. It reminds me a little of Strangers with Candy and the Heathers TV remake but on a shoestring budget. The musical selection is excellent. I knew all the songs but they must have used a cover band because Shazam didn't recognize most of them. This is an indie production so some things like lighting are a bit rough around the edges. I hope this makes its way onto a subscription or ad supported free streaming service to get more exposure so props to the lush that drunk dialed this on my Prime membership. I give it 7 stars for now. I hope the remaining episodes are just as good.
Inner City Rats
(2019)
Generally entertaining low budget indie
11 November 2020
Indie films like this one are what they are and not for everyone but I enjoyed it. The comedy is mostly basic and crass but I still laughed. The way some of these NYC locals hoodwinked starry eyed tourists was pretty hilarious. This flick helped pass the time of a boring night by providing me a few chuckles about how ridiculous life can be if you are young, broke and dumb while trying to survive by hustling in the Big Apple. There are several "edgier" scenes as well which I'll refrain from commenting about to avoid spoilers. That said it is always good advice to watch your 6 (and your 12 and every minute in between) when navigating in a huge metropolis. Anyway, this movie made me miss and not miss NY NY simultaneously so 6 stars.
The Cattle Farmer
(2020)
Could have been good
10 November 2020
The concept was fine. I liked the lead antagonist actor but his part was too cowardly. The whole thing was a bit rushed in the end and there was an unbelievably low level of struggle. If the goal was to make it seem that this was because the boy was brainwashed then it failed miserably because he clearly wasn't. I think the story and even the weak "twist" at the end was interesting but not very original. If remade the antagonist needs to put up more of a fight and the girl foster friend character needs a bit more development. IMDB shows that this was filmed in Europe and the farm setting was pretty. I'd rate higher but the film really fell apart in the end with way too much stuff wrapping up in the last 15 minutes. When the credits rolled I was left with a "...umm...well I guess that just happened" sense of dumbfoundedness. The cast and crew should keep at it though. The story has "good bones" so to speak but just wasn't fleshed out enough and felt really rushed towards the end IMO.
LX 2048
(2020)
I liked it better than I expected
10 November 2020
I liked this concept as it shows that nothing is future proof. Cloning products battle with VR and other upcoming contenders to help give the dying human race options to remain into perpetuity. It was super cheap to buy on Amazon but it is probably better to wait until it lands on a subscription streaming service or one of the free ad supported ones.
Good Grief
9 November 2020
This documentary is a essentially an example of life imitating art in that the heinous acts that really happened were so horrible that the best way to make comparisons is to refer to slasher films/novels. The ratings and comments here and elsewhere speak for themselves. Just watch it.
We Go On
(2016)
Better than I was expecting
9 November 2020
This popped up on the AMC+ channel recently so I gave it a shot despite not being too jazzed by the description. I wouldn't pay to rent/own it but it is worth viewing if included in any subscriptions you may have. I gave it a 7th star because the last 10-15 minutes were pretty great.
Electrick Children
(2012)
Interesting story but a bit too slow to develop IMO
8 November 2020
I liked the stories and the characters but the pacing was rather slow and didn't really resolve anything when it ended. I actually had more questions once the credits started rolling but maybe that's the point. Definitely worth a watch if you are a Prime member as it has lingered on that platform for a really long time now. I wouldn't spend money to rent this flick specifically but if it's on offer to you through an existing subscription then give it a go to see if it tickles your fancy.
You're Next
(2011)
Well executed generic slasher
7 November 2020
There isn't much that's unique about this slasher except for a relatively weak plot twist but the pacing and believability factor was pretty well done. I can't imagine seeking this out to watch a second time but it was an enjoyable watch during the first go round.
How I Live Now
(2013)
Excellent
4 November 2020
Many films dedicate their purpose to the "what will happen to us when society tries to off itself" question but few are very convincing. If apocalypse films aren't your thing then skip this one. I liked this movie. The storyline was convincing felt fleshed out. It is awesome to see that this effort helped springboard Tom Holland into the proverbial high life. I liked it enough to buy it but I recommend you see it for free first if you can before doing that. I watched for free the 1st time and decided to buy some as not to forget that I really liked it. I payed $5 US but can't recommend doing so for much more.
Heathers
(2018)
Awkward Juxtaposition Incorporated
4 November 2020
The original film had lots to apologize for but they refused to as a matter of principle. This new take was equally controversial in that it didn't stick to a generic rewrite but decided to posit itself as a "on opposite day" rewrite of sorts. The PC vibe is obvious and much of it is delberate. Like it...or don't like it...who cares? The overall "Heathers" franchise is more about disenfranchisement, hypocrisy, and satire. This series would have been more successful had it been aired on HBO or Starz alongside Euphoria or Now Apocalypse which both came later. I decided to pay the $20 bucks to buy this series to see how the big networks decided to move this story forward. It didn't resonate well and was subsequently cancelled...so bravo but that'shouldn't OK too. Nonetheless, if you want to watch it you can still rent/buy it. I don't love this retelling but don't hate it either. At the very least, the casting department did take a risk on a few new people who eventually moved onto better things. Watch...don't watch...or whatever. Just remember to lick it up baby...lick it up :)
Oranges and Sunshine
(2010)
Excellent...Emily Watson at her best
3 November 2020
This popped up on my Kanopy feed and nowhere else and am glad I decided to watch. I recommend this film to anyone that likes fictional reenactments about actual events. There were a few scenes that I thought would have escalated more than they did because I assumed the story would delve more into a fictional gulf like "House of Cards". Overall, this movie told a great story based on actual events.
Light from Light
(2019)
Indie on a treadmill
3 November 2020
This indie is well made from a cinematography perspective and the actors did a good job but this film ultimately went nowhere. I really wanted to like it more than I did but all but the last 15 minutes or so left me pretty bored. There's plenty to like about this movie but it just feels lacking by the time the credits roll.
Dark
(I) (2015)
More 2 stars than 3
28 October 2020
I gave 3 stars because I spent so much time rolling my eyes watching this that I may have missed something worth seeing. There are few if any redeeming qualities associated with this film. I'm curious if it provided any inspiration for the 2019 film "The Wolf Hour" with Naomi Watts which is a far better film but still middle of the road for the genre. Skip this snooze fest.
The Witch in the Window
(2018)
Different but good
28 October 2020
This movie is probably closer to a 7 but too many people here gave low scores because they have the attention span of a rock. Movies don't have to provide all of the answers to be good. There's nothing wrong with a little residual guesswork. That said I don't think I'd pay to rent this. It was included with AMC+ for me. If you can stream it for no extra charge you should. The last 10-15 minutes are bizarre but they feel like a sequel setup to me in the form of a prequel maybe.
Swallow
(I) (2019)
Disturbing
24 October 2020
I had a hard time watching but I did like it. The atmosphere and tone was creepy and unfullfilling which is the intent. You can really feel the emptiness associated with the disorder. I won't pretend to understand why people do things like this but I guess really is a form of control for some who live in an environment where everyone around you makes most of the decisions or otherwise feel powerless for one reason or another. I don't think I'll ever feel compelled to watch it again but do recommend this film. I hope the director stays in the biz. 7 stars.
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