Indie Suspense/Thriller

“Profile”

By Brett_G on

6.2

Entertaining enough, but fell flat in the end. I and the rest of row B spent most of the third act laughing at the stupidity of the reporter’s actions. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. Hundreds of lessons of “what not to do” in the realm of personal security. Especially if you’re catfishing a terrorist. Like, come on!

Technically speaking, I understand why they chose this format for the film, but the screen capture genre seems to have met an appropriately timely death. It had a great deal of novelty in early indie horror films but now feels like it’s a cheap gimmick used to trim the budget of a poorly written project. The sleight of hand doesn’t cover for a story you won’t want to believe is based on a true story by the end. It’s similar to watching a video of a bullfighter being gored by a bull… We in row B left with a feeling of “what did you think was going to happen?”

No comments
Drama Indie

“Dream Horse”

By Brett_G on

7.6

I loved the sense of community that bled through the screen and into your heart while watching this one. The story was a bit cheesy at times, but the people were so damn relatable and likable, you couldn’t help but root for them and their horse. Get ready to cheer like a fool at a movie screen while watching the race scenes. After the past year, it’s great to see such an uplifting film that has a happy ending even more since it’s based on a true story.

No comments
Action Blockbuster Netflix

“Army of the Dead”

By Brett_G on

7.1.

Well, that road head did not have a happy ending…

Turn your brain off and watch the zombie brains explode and the screen fill with the screams and remains of the undead.

The story is a bit inconsistent, not bothering to decide whether it’s a serious family drama or pure action thriller. The runtime is a bit long, but it’s Zack Snyder, so… that’s to be expected. Nitpicks aside, it’s a beautifully done zombie/heist film, with great characters, great action, and one of the best opening sequences of the year. The soundtrack is subtle but spectacular. The characters aren’t the place to go looking for depth but well executed by all involved. Dave Bautista sticks the landing as the lead in this film and the anchor of the team.

Better on a big screen, but will be ok on a big TV. Seems sacrilegious to see the Netflix Studios opening in a theater.

No comments
Indie Romance

“Finding You”

By Brett_G on

8.2

With these types of movies, I typically judge them by the feeling I’m left with leaving the theater. Does it give me the butterflies? This one checked all of the boxes and left this forever bachelor inspired.

Uptight person who needs to learn how to relax from their polar opposite counterpart? Check.

Gorgeous leads who have spectacular chemistry? Check.

Beautiful locale? Check.

Overbearing manager/parent who makes it a forbidden love? Check.

Just enough twist on the story we’ve heard a million times before so we don’t mind rendition 1,000,001? Check.

Just wait until you find out the “you” that she finds… it’s going to blow your mind.

This film reminded me heavily of “Letters to Juliet” and “Leap Year,” which still stand as two of my favorites. Come to think of it, it’s also checking boxes that make it similar to “Somewhere in Time” as well. It’s also possible that this pounced on me in a time of sappiness to have a more significant impact. Totally possible. Either way, the cast was perfect, the story was exquisite, and the end product was *chef’s kiss*.

Side note: This rendition of “Whiskey in the Jar” was much different than the one I typically listen to.

No comments
Blockbuster Horror/Thriller

“Spiral”

By Brett_G on

5.8

I was really looking forward to this one… so much for wishful thinking.

It tried to straddle the psychological thriller aspect of the original and the bloodlustful, senseless gore of the next 7 films. These don’t go together, apparently. It failed on both. Jerky editing, horrific pacing, and a storyline that confuses the audience instead of intriguing them

That being said, no one in the world says “muthafucka” quite like Samuel L. Jackson.

They kept it tight, at an hour and a half runtime, which was great. Any longer, and I would have been even more harsh. The theme of hating cops was timely, but got lost with a throwaway villain out past their skis. And… STOP trying to redo the puppet! It’s not going to happen. Get ready to feel underwhelmed walking out of the theater.

No comments