Reviews

The "drama" around this movie certainly created some buzz, but it didn't take long for it all to die down. Why? Because the movie's not very good. The real shame is that it's not terrible, which would've been more entertaining. Instead, it's just bad, and thereby boring.

Florence Pugh saves this from being completely without merit. She's good in just about everything she does, so that shouldn't come as a shock. Chris Pine also does a fine job. Harry Styles, though...ooh boy. I'd keep this one off the résumé, 'cause this is not a good performance.

Visually, the movie is fine. Nothing to write home about, but it's not an eyesore, so there's that. The story is just hardly interesting enough to want to know where it'll end up - I say hardly because by the time things were being explained, I really didn't care anymore. And my word, the big reveal. That might be the only part of this movie that is actually entertaining, and it's because it's truly awful. They're obviously trying to make a point about gender inequality, which I'm all for, but they failed.

What people have been saying is right, in a sense: this is an above-average mainstream horror movie. The problem is that the average mainstream horror movie is atrociously bad, so yeah, this is better, but it's not great.

To be fair, I don't think this is a "bad" movie; it's just not much better than okay. I can say it's shot pretty well. The music is good at points. Other things, though, can vary. The performances ranged drastically in quality, with some great and some terrible. The lead actress does a serviceable job for the most part, although there are some points where she's not quite convincing. The story itself isn't all that original: if you've seen a transferable curse movie before (The Ring, The Grudge, It Follows), you know exactly how this will play out.

The real shame is that there are flashes of greatness buried in all the mediocrity.

*MILD SPOILER* The monster design was (as far as I can tell) done practically and looked great. There are scenes that have some really interesting ideas. Unfortunately, there are also scenes like the birthday party, which, for me, was unintentionally hilarious.

All in all, yes, this is a watchable movie, but not nearly as good as the hype I've seen around it.

If this is what we can expect from Alan Resnick in the future, then I want more. With a relatively small budget, he's made a genuinely impressive short. (I'm aware there's a website tie-in to this, but I didn't look into it, so I won't comment on it other than saying it exists.) First of all, this short is greatly helped by the way it was broadcast. Seeing this at 3 a.m. Is definitely (probably) the best way to experience this. Sadly, I didn't. What makes me say this in the first place is the weird, lucid dream feel that Resnick creates. This lends to a lot of comedy and horror, and it's balanced better than in a lot of mainstream horror-comedy efforts. Certain shots are burned into my memory, not because they're "terrifying," but because they're so unique. There were plenty of points throughout the short that I just thought to myself, "This is awesome." If Resnick had a budget for a feature, I really hope he'd be able to do something that's up to this quality. So to all producers out there: PLEASE give this man more money, he is a treasure.

Knives Out was such a blast when it came out. I saw it twice in theaters. I've missed these kinds of whodunnit mystery movies, and Knives Out was exactly what I wanted.

Glass Onion isn't as good as Knives Out, at least in my opinion, but it's still a great deal of fun.

My main issue is the mystery itself, particularly because it's not too difficult to figure it out early enough on. That can make some of the explanation scenes feel unnecessary, like Rian Johnson's beating you over the head with a solution you already found. However, the other strengths of Knives Out are still here: the cast is great and having a lot of fun, the shot composition is very nice, and the pace is, for the most part, appropriate. It doesn't feel nearly as long as it is, which is a big plus.

I was a little disappointed with the mystery, and I have a feeling others will be too, but there's still lots of fun to be had. (And I desperately want more of these. We don't get enough of these kinds of movies. Please support this movie!)

Theoretically this should be a perfect movie. All of the actors are being filmed separately on a webcam, so the directors could have combined all of the best takes from each of the actors. But I don't think that ended up happening.

Some of the acting here is atrocious. Honestly, I can't really blame the actors that much. They don't seem untalented. I don't think they were given much direction.

A movie that takes place entirely over Skype isn't a bad idea. The base story could have been interesting. But the characters consistently make the most idiotic decisions - to the point that they aren't relatable anymore. I understand that being in this situation would cloud your head, but there's a limit to the stupidity I can accept, and this exceeds it by a mile.

There are also some technical issues I have (some bad foley, continuity errors, etc,), but I know not everybody is bothered by that sort of thing. Really I just thought this was boring, and considering the runtime, it shouldn't have felt so long.

I'm not the target demographic here. If you like this movie then power to you. I just don't.

The concept is decent enough - slightly reminiscent of Fincher's The Game, a movie I really enjoy. But most of the "dares" in this movie aren't really that thrilling. And even if they were, it wouldn't be in service of much. The characters in this movie are dreadfully flat. The acting is actually pretty bad, too, and I usually don't mind these actors. It's hard to care about what's happening when it's happening to people the movie hasn't gotten me to care about. By the end, we're supposed to root for the romance between the characters and worry about what will happen, and yet the entire movie before this has given us no reason to.

The entire movie has an obnoxiously neon-color-corrected aesthetic that just looks like a music video. I know not everyone cares or pays attention to that sort of thing, but it's something that bothered me. Also, while the plot itself mostly makes sense, there are a few things towards the end that just don't make sense. (No spoilers, but it involves money transfers.) I just find this movie painfully boring. If you enjoy it, don't let anyone take that away from you. It's just my opinion, and if you're like me, this isn't for you.

I saw this in theaters when it was released. I was young and hadn't seen Superman on the big screen in years. Even then I was disappointed. This was a Superman movie, but it didn't feel like one.

The problems start right away. I'm fine with retooling the mythos, but the movie just spends too much time on Krypton. The drama there is minimally interesting and when I watch it I just want to skip it.

Then we get Superman's childhood on Earth through flashbacks, which I guess is fine, but we don't really get a lot of insight into his character. The things we do get to see only give us the bare minimum in terms of development.

The acting is all around pretty good. I think Henry Cavill is good, I think Amy Adams is good - everyone's good, but no one stands out. It's shot professionally, but everything is so desaturated and dark that it just makes everything feel gloomy.

The action might be the biggest problem here. With the technology available today, a Superman movie where he fights against other Kryptonians should, at the very least, have some entertaining fights. These action scenes are just plain boring. Each one is almost exactly the same: Superman and another Kryptonian throw each other into buildings and punch each other in the air. It gets old really fast. Sadly, action makes up the entire second half of this movie.

Maybe this is the natural answer to people's dislike of Superman Returns (which I actually like, but I know I'm in the minority on that one). People wanted more action. They got it, but it came at the cost of just about everything else. And every subsequent Zack Snyder superhero movie has had the same dull, boring, bloated feeling. This really was the start of the downfall.

I have nothing against Zack Snyder, but I have to admit I'm not a fan. Sucker Punch is just further confirmation of all the things I don't enjoy about his work.

The story is needlessly convoluted - I say needlessly because by the end of it there's almost no consequence to any of what happens. The idea of dreams within fantasies is interesting, but it needs to have a purpose. The purpose here is just to have action set pieces. (Also, why is the fantasy she escapes into so hopeless and sad? What's the point of escaping then?) The action is pretty okay. It's nothing audiences haven't seen before. Also, the adherence to the PG-13 rating is pretty damaging, and I know that's not Snyder's fault - it's the studio's. I haven't seen the director's cut of this movie, so I'm can't attest to whether it's better or not.

I just find this movie boring. The acting is fine but nothing special. Same with the action. Same with the visuals. I just wish it would've gone further, thrown logic to the wind. If this was a mindless action flick starring attractive women with guns, it'd at least be fun. For me, at least, this movie is not.

I love camp. I love stupidity. My only stipulation is that a campy movie shouldn't pretend to be smarter than it is. And thankfully, this one doesn't. I'm not going to say this is a great, well-made movie, but I will say that it's entertaining. Some of the time.

Any of the scenes in the club, including the musical numbers, are pure dumb fun, and I love every second of it. The acting isn't good and I don't care; if anything, that adds to it. There are plenty quotable lines, too. I will say that I wish Cher did a little more singing in it, but I can get past that.

My problem with this movie is that when it's not a full-blown camp extravaganza, it's boring. Anything having to do with Christina Aguilera's boyfriend or personal life is just dreadfully, painfully boring, and I'm just begging to get back to the good stuff.

To summarize: If you want a professional, well-constructed story, this isn't it. If you want brainless fun and like this sort of thing, this is it.

We're really in the trenches now. I'll start by saying I respect that this is an original story. I'm also a big fan of Naomi Watts. So I was cautiously optimistic walking into this. Bad choice.

This movie's setting is perfect for a horror/thriller story, and it's wasted. The majority of this movie's runtime is either false jumps or Skype calls. The acting is fine, but you can really tell these actors are stranded - there's no material for them to build off of. It's shot professionally enough, but it's nothing special, and I've already forgotten the music.

Maybe the biggest sin this movie makes is a logical one. No spoilers, but towards the beginning of the movie I thought, "It'd be really stupid if things turned out THAT way." And they turned out that way. The movie's resolution retroactively makes the entire film make no sense.

Bottom line: it's just boring, stupid, and not tense.

Maybe it's just me, but I really connected with this one. Don't get me wrong, I can totally see why it's gotten such a mixed reaction: it's definitely not for everyone. But I still think that, even if you end up hating it, you should give this one a shot.

First of all, the acting is brilliant from everyone involved. It's also Garland's best looking movie by a long shot - there are tons of really poetic, haunting shots, and the shallow depth of field is really suited to this kind of story.

What it comes down to is whether you're okay with a movie not being grounded. This is a very non-literal story, and no explanation is given for any of the events that take place.

I think there is some misinformation being perpetuated about the movie as well. I did not get the message of "Men are bad" from this movie. It's a lot more nuanced than that, at least for me.

If you're going to watch this, be prepared for some uncomfortable and disturbing imagery, and be ready to not fully understand every last thing that happens. If neither of these things bothers you, this might just be for you.

This movie isn't nearly as bad as critics would have you believe. That being said, it's not exactly "good," either.

I have to admit, I have a bias towards this movie: I saw it when I was a kid and it scared me to death. Watching it now, it definitely hasn't aged perfectly. Some of the computer effects are pretty bad. The acting is strangely wooden from just about everyone. A lot of the dialogue is pretty cringe-inducing.

Nevertheless, I enjoy myself with this movie. The story is mostly interesting and I like a lot of the mystery that's set up. The explanations given towards the end aren't very satisfying, but honestly, I don't care. This is definitely dumb fun, but it's fun.

I'm not very familiar with Denis's other work, so I went into this movie with no real expectations. After having seen it, I don't know if I'll be rushing to see her other films.

This wasn't a disaster by any stretch. For starters, all the acting was mostly really good. I love Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche, and Mia Goth, and seeing André 3000 in a new movie was pretty cool. The concept on its own is interesting.

There's quite a bit holding this back for me, though. One big issue is the visual effects work. Some of it is genuinely embarrassingly bad. Another problem I have is the storytelling, which, if I had to describe it in one word, it'd be "messy." We get a brief scene on Earth suddenly for some exposition, and then we never revisit those characters or that setting again. It just seems out of place. By the end of it, I felt like I was supposed to have felt something really profound, but I didn't.

The biggest problem I have with this movie is that it feels empty. There are some good scenes here and there, but overall I don't really get the point it's trying to make (if it even is trying to make a point).

(Side Note: in the movie, it's explained that all the people on the ship are, like, "addicted" to the weird sex chamber, but the only time we see the inside of it is when Juliette Binoche goes into it. Unless the room has different equipment for all of the ship's passengers, I doubt everyone's into that. Idk, I just don't think most straight guys would want what Juliette Binoche was getting done to her done to them. No kink shaming, and I know everyone's different, but still...it's a very particular set of "equipment," so are all of them just into that? This doesn't even matter and I don't know why I'm thinking about it this much.)

First off, I want to say that I respect that this movie is original, and there's definitely effort put into it. That being said, I think it's a failure.

I didn't have a problem with the lack of dialogue. It just wasn't a very interesting story. Mads Mikkelsen is an incredible actor, and he does well here. There's just a lot holding this movie back. The cinematography, an area in which Nicholas Winding Refn usually excels, is unpleasant. The entire film has a desaturated, grey, lifeless feel. Maybe it was an artistic choice, so I can deal with that. However, the scenes shot at night look awful. The actors pop out from the background in the most unnatural, distracting way. The fight scenes aren't great either. In one of the first fights there's a re-used scream sound effect and some really bad foley sound. I wasn't paying super close attention to it, it just stuck out like a sore thumb. A shot near the end of the movie, where Mikkelsen's face is superimposed over the sky, looks like it could've been from an old YouTube Poop.

I'm sure there's merit to this, but I just couldn't get into it.

I love musicals. I like Hugh Jackman and Zendaya. I went into this movie hopeful. Sadly, it's just not good.

My number one problem is the music. A few of the songs were decently written and catchy, but the real issue is how overly-processed all of the singing is. Some of these people have sung professionally - surely they don't need this much autotune. And for the ones that aren't professional singers...it's a musical, why did you hire them. "This is Me" is the song that really took off when this movie was released, and for the life of me I can't see why. It's easily the most soulless, factory-produced piece of plastic pop music in the whole movie.

The story is another problem: there is essentially no conflict. A guy wants to start a circus. He does. The end. What's concerning is that real historical aspects of P. T. Barnum are brushed aside to make him more likable. He wasn't a nice guy. Why not make a movie about that? It'd be infinitely more interesting than what's here.

I know a lot of people really like this. I'm not trying to take that away from anyone who likes it. This just isn't good in my opinion. (Also, the Golden Globes nominating this for so many awards is insulting.)

I am not the target audience of this series. If you love the Twilight saga, I am happy for you and no one should try and take that away from you. But I have to be honest about my own opinion, and that's that, for me, this is just a boring slog.

All of the memes about this movie are mostly true. The entire thing is color corrected to look blue. The acting is robotic. The writing is laughable. As far as guilty pleasures go, this movie has plenty of moments I either ironically or genuinely enjoy. But as a whole, I'm just not crazy about it. Later installments provide more of the same (except for the blue thing, which is abandoned right away). I like Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart and think they're both very talented performers, but, whether it be the direction they were given or just lack of material, they're not good here.

I tend to love campy, stupid movies, so this should be right up my alley, but...there's just so little happening for most of it. There's barely any story. They fall in love, other things of no consequence happen, and at the end they're still in love. Don't let me take away from your enjoyment of it if you're a fan. I guess this just isn't for me.

I don't think the filmmakers saw the original Black Christmas. I doubt they saw the first remake, either. This is a Twitter argument disguised as a movie with a well-known title slapped on to help at the box office.

Every last character in this movie is unbearable. The bad guys are exaggeratedly bad, no amount of subtlety. The "good" guys are sometimes even more annoying, to be honest. Some of the conversations in this movie feel like internet fights that were repurposed for a screenplay.

I don't mind when a remake is different from the original. The problem is that this is very clearly just a cash grab with the title Black Christmas tacked on for name recognition. Zero tension, zero fun. Complete waste of time and money.

I swear Disney has been punking us for the past decade. Of all the live-action remakes, this one hurts the most for me. That's because I have a really strong attachment to the original. Watching this was like getting my fingernails ripped off.

Where to start? The only person who sounded like they could even sort of sing was Jasmine, and even she was Autotuned beyond recognition. Every song is processed past the point of being listenable. Most of the movie is hard to look at because of how dark it constantly is - probably because it's easier to mask bad VFX in darkness. The acting is horrendous from almost everyone involved. Will Smith is particularly bad, but at least he provides the slightest amount of levity.

This movie is longer than the original and I really can't see why. It accomplishes less and it takes considerably longer. This isn't just my bias for the original. If this was a completely new story, I'm pretty sure I'd dislike it just as much. The only difference would be that I wouldn't be so upset about it.

This is one of the worst movies I've sat through and I can't stress enough that we've gotta stop giving these people money, because they will keep making these until the end of time with lower and lower effort. I wouldn't be surprised if they start remaking the remakes soon.

Death Note 2017 is what happens when you let an "auteur" put his own spin on source material he clearly doesn't understand. Wingard isn't an untalented director, but this is seriously embarrassing. The original anime series is already so beloved, you'd think a live-action adaptation would be carefully made to stay in the fans' good graces. Apparently not, though, because anything that worked in the show is thrown out. What's left is essentially a rejected Final Destination script.

Anything that could have been a redeeming quality is squashed, too. The special effects were dated when the movie came out, and it's even worse now. The acting gave me second-hand embarrassment half the time. Willem Dafoe as Ryuk, one of the movie's only interesting ideas, is criminally underused.

I don't have a problem with an adaptation that's wildly different from the source material. I do have a problem with destroying the charm of the source material and making a mockery of it. This is the latter. This was a joyless experience. It's seriously, SERIOUSLY not worth your time.

The original Grudge movie is far from great. That being said, it's about a million times better and more respectable than this dumpster fire. If I didn't know any better, I'd say the director had never seen The Grudge (or Ju-On, or any of them). This movie treats its audience like toddlers, feeling the need to very clearly dictate what is happening and how we should feel. The acting is quite bad, which is a shame, because I actually like a lot of these actors. And I don't think they're to blame, either: they're not working with much of anything.

The creepy sound design of the ghost from the original movies is gone, which makes no sense to me. If you're going to reboot something, wouldn't you include the things that people liked in the first place? This is just bad, plain and simple. Nothing was done better than in the originals, nothing was even on par, it was just bad. Hollywood's got to see that people are tired of these horror remakes, right?

Unplanned is PureFlix's attempt to examine the abortion debate. I say "attempt" because the "good" characters are so exaggeratedly good, and the "bad" characters are so exaggeratedly bad, this might as well be a Saturday cartoon. To say nothing of politics or religion, I think most sensible people on either side of the aisle will see that this is just pro-life propaganda. Right out of the gate, the "true story" it's based on is contentious at best. If anything, I'd hope pro-lifers are offended by how reductive this movie is.

The technical aspects of this movie are nothing special. It's shot like an average TV movie. The acting is...not wonderful. Really, it's just how heavy handed its messaging is that makes it so unbearable. And for the people complaining that this shouldn't have gotten an R rating: have you seen the movie? Some of these scenes reach horror movie levels of blood and gore (which is just another manipulation tactic on the filmmakers' part).

Don't waste your time on this. It's really, really not worth it.

Hell's Kitchen is mindless reality TV entertainment of a pretty high caliber. I know nothing about cooking or the world of professional chefs, but any time this is on I get sucked in. Gordon Ramsay is a large part of why the show works so well. He's not mean in the way Abby Lee Miller is mean. He's mean with a purpose: to bring the best out of contestants. Maybe not always, but a good chunk of the time, at least. The show has the same problems that any reality competition show has, and oftentimes the "drama" seems very clearly constructed by producers. Still, I'd be lying if I said it didn't work.

Dance Moms is little more than a woman psychologically tormenting numerous children. Sure, there's a lot of focus on the moms, but we're constantly being shown how Abby Lee Miller berates and belittles kids as young as seven years old, usually for no other reason than she can and wants to. I'm sorry, but NO career opportunity is worth putting your children through this. On top of that, she's often punishing her students for things that their mothers do, which is infuriating in its own right. Dr. Holly is probably the most levelheaded of the bunch, and you really do feel for her and her daughter, because there's some real racism directed their way a lot of the time. This show shouldn't be allowed to air. I just hope the kids are able to grow up and put all this behind them.