Bookboo7's Reviews

In the Heat of the Night (1967)

8/10

16 January 2024

Yes. 100% you should watch this film.

The tension is there from the start and will keep you hooked. Yes the acting is great, yes not a scene is wasted, yes it's well shot, yes it's a well crafted film overall.

A frustrated cop/ forensics expert is trying to solve a crime in a small town that doesn't want him there. The local cops want rid of him but they can't solve the crime without him. Tension and tempers flare.

I've seen this film more than once, if that counts for anything. It's moody and oppressive like the small town, but the pacing is good and switches between scenes at a nice rate to keep attention.

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Shadow in the Cloud (2020)

7/10

70 minutes of pure tension

13 October 2023

Wow. I don't know why this punchy little film has a score as low as it does. It's ridiculous, over the top, and tense as heck. My heart was racing the whole time.

Don't read what it's about, just let yourself be surprised. Watch it in the dark and enjoy the jump scares.

The run time of the film excluding credits is about 70 minutes so it's short, but from start to finish every single second is high stakes and not a scene goes to waste.

If you liked Linda Hamilton laying down the law in in the Terminator, you'll probably like this.

Action packed, never a down second, this film flew by. (Pun intended)

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Phantom Thread (2017)

4/10

Abusive relationship warning.

29 March 2022

Warning: Spoilers

This is not a romance! I was expecting a nice period love story.

The acting is excellent but the story came off as very confused. As if it wasn't sure what it wanted to be.

For me the tailor didn't read as boring, he read as sensitive. A person for whom noise, lights, and certain tastes can be overwhelming. What for most are seen as dull routines are for some survival techniques. What is portrayed as Alma shaking up his routines I found disrespectful. That someone with active coping mechanisms should be asked to, "lighten up" was upsetting. I get that the film is set in a different time period but even so. It could have been a profoundly touching relationship but it's like a sledge hammer was taken to it. I spent the last half of this film in the flight mode of fight or flight. I found it disturbing and upsetting and offensive.

Alma wanted him weak, lost to himself, at the point of breakdown. Resigned. Yes I understand the whole thing about his mother but it landed badly. Probably the lack of consent issue.

The last 5 minutes were surreal - Think the end of Grease with the flying car - It was infantile like Alma. They should have just gone the last mile and done the brave ending I expected. It wouldn't have liked it but I would have respected it.

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Hitman: Agent 47 (2015)

8/10

I kinda dig it!

20 March 2022

It's a slick, fast-paced action film. It's not pretending to be anything else. I actually found it a ton of fun.

It's trope filled so it's not meant to be taken too seriously and I think the acting is perfect for the archetypes they portray. The stern Agent searching for a mysterious scientist. People being killed in new and cinematic ways, never super gory but always entertaining. Everything is so pretty and shiny, the actors, the visuals, it has a really polished almost heightened reality look.

I've never played the games, so what do I know, but I think this film has a distinctive quality that elevates it to feeling almost artistic, well choreographed, like a ballet or something.

Some truly memorable sequences including a chase in a multi-storey car park and the final showdown. I've seen this film more than once and it's just as good on a rewatch.

Nice bit of escapism. Great film to watch with beer and a pizza.

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Dark Encounter (2019)

7/10

Unexpectedly thoughtful

1 October 2021

I almost didn't watch this because the title put me off but I was pleasantly surprised by what the film is actually all about.

It's fast paced and the acting couldn't be better. While I understand the film's title I do not think it does the story justice.

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Happy End (2017)

1/10

Warning for image of animal cruelty

25 August 2021

There's a scene about 5 minutes in where a kid, the protagonist?, feeds a pet hamster one of their mom's anti-depressants, or spikes their food with it.

Yes I'm sure it's not real but it looks real enough. Right then and there is when I stopped caring, about the kid and the film, so I turned it off. I've seen animals treated poorly in films before but this film is only from 2017. Why is this still happening?

There are other, smarter ways to get your point across. Animals aren't props. Do better.

(One star given for the cast list which is the reason I was going to watch.)

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Hotel Artemis (2018)

9/10

Thoughtful, human, entertaining

23 June 2021

This is a slightly futuristic/ near future story with a heart. Yes the acting and cast list is amazing and the action fast paced, but there's also a human element to it that really makes you care for the characters. It actually surprised me how emotionally driven the story is compared to what I was expecting and this is why it stands out.

It's stylish, and beautifully shot against a dystopian background that serves as a warning to how we are right now and as violent as it is there's also a humane side running parallel. At the heart of the story is family, found or born in to and how both of these are powerful in their own way.

I think the IMDB ratings score is kinda low and it deserves better. I guess it's one of those niche (why do I want to say almost sleeper cult/ camp classic here??) films that aren't for everybody but it is a little gem and those that love it will LOVE IT.

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American Fable (2016)

7/10

Beautiful, sweet, strange, and tense

11 June 2021

Wonderful acting, the whole story felt so smooth and natural even with the slight fantasy element. It's a sort of coming of age mystery focused around a young girl and it's beautifully shot. It is also sweet, funny, and dark and kinda hard to put into words as it's one of those films that makes you feel.

Watched on a whim because I was bored and let me tell you despite having a low attention span I did not move my butt from my chair the whole hour and 30 minutes. (Except once because the sun went down and I had to close the window because I was cold.) If you like quiet, emotional, character driven stories with mystery and tension to keep you put then this is probably for you.

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Aardvark (2017)

8/10

Sweet and quirky

8 December 2018

I went into this with low expectations because of the rating and came out with a big old smile on my face. There are some slightly fantastical elements to this film because the lead character has mental health issues, one of the main reasons I wanted to see this film. Josh is confused about his reality. And so is the viewer. It sets us in the mind of Josh, smart, vulnerable, but hopeful. The only awkward moments for me were between his therapist and the brother. It was messy, but that's the point, right? Life is messy, regardless of who you are. The film was beautifully shot. The night scenes with Josh especially, and the acting was fantastic. Josh makes a statement towards the end and I screamed. Because why not? At that point I was up for anything. This film isn't perfect but it IS thoughtful. It's all about perspectives and how we don't all see things the same way, whether it's a single event, or the world in general, but that doesn't mean we're not happy. Josh is a benevolent catalyst for change that leaves you wondering who really needed help the most. The last minute or so were perfect.

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