Tag Archives: Drama

Disclosure Day – Movie Review

Posted on by
Reply

TL;DR – I can see this being a very divisive film, but it completely captured me. hook, line, and sinker.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I was invited to a press screening of this film.

Camera flashes go off.

Disclosure Day Review Introduction

When someone tells you that Steven Spielberg, David Koepp, John Williams, and the gang are teaming up for what might be the last time, it doesn’t matter what the film is, you know you must see it. I don’t think I have ever said yes to an invitation as quickly as I did here. And it was so worth it.
 
So, to set the scene, we open in a crash of bodies as a wrestling match is in full swing. But we are not here for the clashing brawny men; we are here for a man with a backpack that looks out of place. For Daniel Kellner is not here for sport; he is here to be part of an exchange. All the highly classified information he stole from the Wardex corporation was for his partner Jane (Eve Hewson). But Daniel is not just a helpless analyst; he has seen the information he stole, so he knows exactly what pressure point to use against the head of Wardex, Noah Scanlon (Colin Firth), and soon everyone is on the run.

Continue reading →

Touch Me – Movie Review

Posted on by
Reply

TL;DR – While this is a profoundly weird and visually interesting film, the subject matter almost became a walking red flag, undercutting any progress the film could make.

Rating: 1.5 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I was sent a screener of this film.

Warning – Contains scenes which may cause distress.

The four main cast illuminated in red light.

Touch Me Review Introduction

I will always prefer a film that takes risks rather than playing it safe, like having one man battle Hundreds of Beavers or piercing the veil of nostalgic memory through old videos in Aftersun. However, when you make a big swing at doing something profoundly odd, sometimes you miss, and I feel that is the sort of film we are looking at today.
 
So, to set the scene, we open with Joey (Olivia Taylor Dudley) engaging in some immersion therapy, recounting the story of the time she met and then ‘met’ an ‘alien’ called Brian (Lou Taylor Pucci). Joey has been trying to move on with her life, but she keeps getting brought back to that night, bringing with it many conflicting memories. But when her and her roommate Craig’s (Jordan Gavaris) house floods from a non-water plumbing issue and becomes uninhabitable, she has only one choice left, to go back to Brian.  

Continue reading →

Michael – Movie Review

Posted on by
1

TL;DR – A complicated film about a complicated person that stops just short of having to draw any lines in the sand by creating an interesting framing device for its narrative.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I was invited to a press screening of this film.

Warning – Contains scenes which may cause distress.

Warning – Contains scenes with flashing lights.

The crowd cheers for Michael.

Michael Review Introduction

Ever since the onslaught that was Bohemian Rhapsody, the cinema space has been full of other musical biopics trying to recreate that lightning in a bottle, assuming you rate Bohemian Rhapsody highly in the first place. We had the fascinating Kneecap, the historically revisionist  The Greatest Showman, and the shameless Oscar grab of A Complete Unknown, to name a few. However, there are always new musicians out there ready for their musical biopic, and today’s entry takes us to the complicated world of Michael Jackson. Now, given this is a movie about a real person’s life, someone who lived not that long ago, we won’t be as stringent with spoilers in this review as we would for a fictional work.

So, to set the scene, throughout the history of 20th-century music, few people have had the same reach and popularity as Michael Jackson (Jaafar Jackson). Even as a child, Michael’s (Juliano Krue Valdi) talent was clear to anyone who could see or hear. But talent can be a gift, and it can be a burden. It can lift a family from obscurity into the lounge rooms of every house in America and the world, and it can also rip that family apart.

Continue reading →

Deadloch: Season Two – TV Review

Posted on by
1

TL;DR – This is a series that fires more chaos at you in the space of thirty seconds than I have ever seen fired at you in thirty seconds.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Amazon Prime service that viewed this series.

Warning – Contains scenes which may cause distress.

A Crocodile.

Deadloch Review Introduction

I had no idea what I was getting into when I sat down to watch a Nordic noir translocated into the Tasmanian wilderness, and the crazy turned up to 11. Season 1 was a wild ride, but it was very Tasmanian-coded. So, I was a touch concerned when they relocated the series up north, literally as far as you could get from Tasmania from a distance, weather, temperature, and general humidity perspective. However, given how well the first season went, I had to find out if it could survive the shift, and I can now say that it has not lost one iota of momentum when it comes to the chaos.  

So, to set the scene, up in the Northern Territory, in a town called Barra Creek, a local croc tour is taking a bunch of tourists out on the river. But tragedy strikes when they find the local bull-crocodile has been murdered, but even more concerning was what was in the late crocodile’s mouth. Thankfully, Dulcie Collins (Kate Box) and Eddie Redcliffe (Madeleine Sami) were already in the area and were able to give a hand before the local detective looking into some missing Swedish backpackers came and made a mess of everything. The only issue, okay, one of many issues, is that Eddie used to live here back in the day. Now we will be looking at the season as a whole, so there may be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

Continue reading →

Shrinking: Season 3 – TV Review

Posted on by
Reply

TL;DR – Shrinking is the kind of show that has cornered the market in laugh-crying your way through an episode, and this final but not final season captured that beautifully

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the AppleTV service that I used to view this series.

Liz looking down from her balcony.

Shrinking Review introduction –

Today, we are looking at a very odd sort of ending. Because in one sense, we have reached the end of a story, three planned-out seasons careening towards a goal. However, because of the impact of the cast and characters, we know there will be another season with another story. It is like wondering if you are saying goodbye to characters you love or see you later. It is in that space that we explore the final season today.  

So, to set the scene, things are looking up for the group of friends working their way around life, love, and finding themselves. However, while everyone is growing and changing, life finds its way to throw curveballs everywhere. Jimmy (Jason Segel) wants Alice (Lukita Maxwell) to get into Wesleyan, but he is very much not ready for his daughter to move across the country for college in Connecticut. Paul’s (Harrison Ford) Parkinson’s is progressing, and he can’t hold a pencil anymore. But nothing prepares you for the reason someone says, “My bad”. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead. 

Continue reading →

Reminders of Him – Movie Review

Posted on by
Reply

TL;DR – While conceptually interesting, I never bought the romance and the heart of the film, which is a problem when your film is all about the romance.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I was invited to a press screening of this film.

An orange truck drives into the sunset.

Reminders of Him Review Introduction –

Having decided, probably wisely, to steer clear of everything to do with It Ends with Us, my first dive into the world of Colleen Hoover came last year with the very interesting Regretting You. It was a film that I fundamentally liked with interesting characters, so I was interested to see what other worlds she could create.

So, to set the scene, Kenna Rowan (Maika Monroe) is making a trip back to her hometown, but this is not a celebratory return. She has just been released from prison after serving 5–7 years for vehicular homicide. She is also not just returning to her hometown to reminisce, because the homicide was her former lover Scotty (Rudy Pankow), and their child Diem (Zoe Kosovic) now lives with their grandparents, Grace (Lauren Graham) and Patrick (Bradley Whitford). Kenna had her parental rights stripped from her, and now needs to reunite with her daughter. First step, finding a place to live, and a hotel aptly named Paradise is the place for that. The second step is finding a job, and that is where she runs into Ledger Ward (Tyriq Withers), Scottie’s old best friend.

Continue reading →

The Bride! – Movie Review

Posted on by
Reply

TL;DR – I’d be honestly surprised if “what if Bonnie and Clyde were Frankenstein and his Bride” was not written somewhere prominently in the pitch deck for this film.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is a mid-credit scene.

Disclosure – I was invited to a press screening of this film.

Warning – This film contains scenes which may cause distress.

Ida staring across a room, almost right in your soul.

The Bride! Review Introduction –

If you had told me a few years ago that Gothic Romance would come crashing back into the zeitgeist, I would have called you a fool. But indeed, it seems that I would have been the foolish one. Because we have had multiple big entries into this space, including other works adapting Frankenstein. Today, we are looking at a work that takes that classic tale and twists it on its head, and I am intrigued to see just how that works out. 

So, to set the scene, it is Chicago in the 1930s, the casinos are hot, the liquor is flowing, and the mob has their fingers in everything. Frank (Christian Bale) has been going through this world alone, but now he wants a partner in crime, and Dr. Euphronious (Annette Bening) might be just the person to do it. Thus, a local murdered and possibly possessed woman’s body becomes The Bride (Jessie Buckley). It was all very simple to pull off, but they may have got more than they bargained for.

Continue reading →

Anemone – Movie Review

Posted on by
Reply

TL;DR – While the scenery is stunning, the cast is giving their all, and the themes they are exploring are quite important. Unfortunately, Anemone is a victim of the whole not being as good as the sum of its parts.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I was invited to a press screening of this film.

Warning – This film contains scenes which may cause distress.

A man looking out to a storm coming in over the ocean.

Anemone Review Introduction –

Let’s be honest, there is a lot I could say here in my opening paragraph as to what made me want to watch this film. However, we all know why you are immediately captivated by this slightly odd film; it is because Daniel Day-Lewis came out of retirement to star in one more movie. No matter what else is happening, that makes it a must-watch.

So, to set the scene, we open with Jem Stoker (Sean Bean) making the long trek into the wilderness of England looking for his brother Ray Stoker (Daniel Day-Lewis). Twenty years ago, Ray left his house and his pregnant wife Nessa Stoker (Samantha Morton) to build a life in isolation. Well, now his son Brian Stoker (Samuel Bottomley) is in trouble because the absence of his father has followed him around wherever he goes, and Jem hopes that bringing Ray back to speak with Brian will stop the boy from going down a dark path.  

Continue reading →

Paradise: Graceland [S2:E1] – TV Review

Posted on by
5

TL;DR – They take a gamble with this first episode of the new season, but I think they pulled it off.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service that viewed this series.

Day 24.

Paradise Review –

Last year, there was one TV series that caught me off guard, because I was completely surprised that we were actually in a post-apocalyptic world. Season One of Paradise had its foibles, but it was also an electric romp all the way to the end. But that season was very self-contained, and I wonder if the show has the strength to branch out? Well, that is what we will start looking at today.  

So, to set the scene, Annie (Shailene Woodley) has not had the best of lives, looking after mother in trouble, who died young, bouncing out of medical school, and ending up as a tour guide at Graceland, which turned out to be a bunker when the world fell apart. But tragedy is everywhere in a world where summer never came, ash blots out the sky, and the simple things now kill. Now, from here, we will be looking at the season as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

Continue reading →

“Wuthering Heights” (2026) – Movie Review

Posted on by
2

TL;DR – I truly do not know who this film is for. It is an unpleasant experience for those who have never read the novel, and changes so much from the source material that it would be alienating for those who loved it.

Rating: 1.5 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I was invited to a press screening of this film.

Warning – This film contains scenes which may cause distress.

Cathy in a wedding dress flowing along the moors.

Wuthering Heights Review Introduction –

Okay, I feel like this is one of those films where I need to clarify where I am coming from here. When I was growing up, there were a number of classics on the curriculum, but my school didn’t dive into the works of the Brontë sisters. So, it didn’t form a strong bond with me when I was young. Now, don’t get me wrong, I do not dismiss those who did form a bond because if someone did a film of Dinotopia and botched it, I would also be mad. However, I’m coming into this film without those built-up expectations, for better or worse. [Editor’s Note: It would not have helped either way]

So, to set the scene, Cathy (Charlotte Mellington) is the only daughter of a drunkard fool, Mr Earnshaw (Martin Clunes), who once owned considerable land and prestige but has both figuratively and metaphorically pissed all that away through gambling debts. Cathy has one companion, Nelly (Vy Nguyen), who is, retrospectively, more of a paid lady-in-waiting than a friend. But her life changes when her father brings a boy home, who is given the name Heathcliff (Owen Cooper). They become a fast pair in a land of isolation. But years later, the adult [and probably too old for the source material] Cathy (Margot Robbie) is joyous to hear that they finally have a new neighbour, Edgar Linton (Shazad Latif). While Nelly (Hong Chau) advises against it, and Heathcliff (Jacob Elordi) clearly does not want her to go, Cathy goes to visit the new family, but one sprained ankle changes everyone’s lives.   

Continue reading →