Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare
Cinematic Sommelier
6.8
Vastly outperformed what sounded like an incredibly dumb concept. The cast, especially lead Elizabth Lail, knock it out of the park. The perfect balance of suspense and absurdity. It also benefited from being the only thing even resembling a horror movie in theaters Halloween week… take that as you a may. A solid, middle of the road horror movie.
Here it comes… a film that is far better than I ever expected it to be. Somewhere between “Clue” and “The Purge” lays this story of family tradition, quarrels, and intrigue. Wonderfully executed, this film hits the ground running and never stops until your laughing as the credits begin to roll after a perfectly chosen runtime. A definite recommendation for a fun, yet gruesome adventure. Definitely not a kids movie.
9.5
Some (myself included) have claimed that books ruin the surprise of the movies. Well, I’m here to tell you that in this case, it did just the opposite. The depth of storytelling by Stephen King is echoed in this film and its predecessor so well that it actually caused my jaw to drop at 3-4 moments in this film. The risks taken, the superb acting by all involved, and a setting so expertly filled with dread and tension… It’s a truly breathtaking experience. Didn’t feel anywhere near the 3 hour run time, which is impressive. Definitely recommend.
WARNING: Not a kids movie!
7.1
Fast & Furious has butts and cars… This movie has butts and sharks. With about the same depth of story as a Fast & Furious movie. Good to see the guy from “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” still out there killing it, though. The title pretty much sums it up. There are girls in over their heads in sharks again, but this time *gasp* they don’t have a cage to protect them this time. If you plan on cave diving any time, I’d probably avoid this one. Otherwise, it’s a fun time at the theater and the perfect length film. Great self-awareness by the filmmakers… just the right amount of story to go with epic shark kills.
7.7
Shout-out to a buddy of mine for the recommendation. A great Netflix find! Far more fear than expected. Far greater film than this had any right to be… but here we are. Great low-budget horror, in the style of the original “SAW.” Even the potentially cheesy moments played really well. Overall, very impressive.
Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare 