Day: November 18, 2022

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Movie Review

The Runner (2021) Movie Review

The Runner – Movie Review

Runner

Director: Michelle Danner

Writer: Jason Chase Tyrrell (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: After being busted for drug possession, Aiden, a troubled teenager, is forced by the cops to go undercover and risk his life to bring down a dangerous drug kingpin.

Runtime: 1 Hour 42 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Runner starts when teenage drug dealer Aiden (Philipponnat) gets busted by the police. Detective Wall (Douglas) forces him to go undercover to bring down a dangerous drug kingpin or face prison. Aiden starts to look at what he has done with his life, as he puts his own life on the line in search of answers.

The deeper Aiden gets into the world, the more dangerous the operation becomes. As he needs to rebuild his relationship with his mother Miranda (Rohm) and other loved ones affected by his actions.

Verdict on The Runner

Characters

Aiden is a troubled teenager that has found himself drawn into the drug world. He supplies the students around the school, building up a reputation. After he gets busted, he is forced into becoming an undercover connection for the police or face losing everyone he loves around him. He is filled with guilt because of what happened before the bust and is on the verge of ruining more of his life because of his addiction.

In the supporting characters, we have Detective Wall who is controlling Aiden into doing his bidding for him. He shows no remorse for anything he makes Aiden do, blackmailing him into believing he has no choice. Miranda is Aiden’s mother that saw that he needed help and called the police on him. They need to rebuild their relationship because of this action.

Blake is Aiden’s best friend who is always there for him, arranging the parties the two host all the time. Layla is the ex-girlfriend that has changed, and Aiden is filled with regret because of what happened to her.

Performances

Edouard Philipponnat in the leading role is great to watch. He shows an arrogant and regretful performance as one that is holding on to his life without many options. In the supporting cast, we have strong performances from everyone involved. Most are only in small chapters of Aiden’s life, where they can show the consequences of his actions.

Story

The story follows a teenage drug dealer that gets blackmailed into becoming an undercover connection for the police. He must risk his own life and face the consequences of his actions or lose everything in his life.

This is a story that shows the consequences of drug dealing. Showing how the young members of the underworld can be used to make things happen without knowing how to operate safely in this world. it gets to address the problems being faced by people who have made mistakes in it and how the lives around them would have been changed.

Final Thoughts – The Runner is a strong drama about understanding the consequences of one’s actions.

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Movie Review

The Monk and Samurai (2022) Short Movie Review

The Monk and Samurai – Movie Review

Monk and Samurai

Director: Troy Sandford

Plot: As our Story is an adaptive folk tale brought to life through a poetic fable, we took a filmic approach to represent it visually to the world

Runtime: 10 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Verdict on The Monk and Samurai

The Monk and Samurai is a short movie that brings a poem short tale to life in animated form. It shows the life of a samurai who rose through conflict and gets confronted by a monk about his actions. This is told in a wonderfully told story, diving into folk tale history’s fables.

The animation involved is unique, bringing the story along nicely and keeping us wanting to hear more. It works to help grab your attention to make us want to see where the conversation ends up going.

Final Thoughts – The Monk and Samurai is a beautiful short story, told in a fable style.

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Movie Review

Slumberland (2022) Movie Review

Slumberland – Movie Review

Slumberland

Director: Francis Lawrence

Writer: David Guion, Michael Handelman (Screenplay)

Cast

  • Jason Momoa (Aquaman)
  • Marlow Barkley
  • Chris O’Dowd (Bridesmaids)
  • Kyle Chandler (Argo)
  • Weruche Opia

Plot: A young girl discovers a secret map to the dreamworld of Slumberland, and with the help of an eccentric outlaw, she traverses dreams and flees nightmares, with the hope that she will be able to see her late father again.

Runtime: 1 Hour 57 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Slumberland starts when Nemo (Barkley) loses her father Peter (Chandler), who gets lost at sea. She moves in with her estranged Uncle Philip (O’Dowd) to start a regular life. That night Nemo gets visited in her dream an outlaw named Flip (Momoa), who uses dreams to search for a treasure.

Nemo forces Flip to take her with him, as she searches for a dream of where her father will be in. Entering into a massive dream world, passing through other people’s dreams, as she deals with her own grief.

Verdict on Slumberland

Characters

Nemo is a young girl that has lived off the map in a lighthouse with her father. She has been taught life lessons until one day he is lost at sea. Nemo is forced to move in with her estranged uncle and start living a more traditional life. Only for her to get a visit in her dreams from a mysterious outlaw. She is guided through the dreams as she looks to learn to deal with the loss in her life.

Flip is a colourful outlaw that visits Nemo in her dreams. He guides her through the dream world while looking to avoid Agent Green tracking him down. Flip has been stuck in the dream world for years now, being an example of not knowing who he really is to escape.

Philip is Nemo’s uncle that has been hiding from the world, he lives alone and hasn’t been involved in her life before the incident. He is trying his best but his social skills are holding him back. Peter is Nemo’s father who has raised her alone at a lighthouse. He goes missing at sea forcing Nemo to deal with the potential of losing her father.

Performances

Marlow Barkley is great in the leading role of the movie, she has a lto to deal with. From the adventurous side to the emotional side to her character. Jason Momoa is filled with charisma for his role, he steals the scenes with his performance. Chris O’Dowd is fun too, even though his performance is held from his usual comedy levels.

Story

The story follows a young girl who loses her father. She moves in with her uncle and struggles to adjust to the new life. This sees her finding solace in her dreams with an eccentric outlaw who guides her through the dream world.

The story throws us into a fantasy world, one where it gets to show the dream world that people can create to escape life. However, it does include a serious side, one that gets to explore the emotional change in life for a young girl. The two sides of the story are held together well, giving us an enjoyable story.

Themes

Slumberland is an adventure fantasy movie. It takes us into a dream world created by Nemo and others around the world. This gets to show how people create a host of different dream sequences. It is filled with wild ideas despite the massive green screen moments.

Where to Watch: Slumberland is available to watch on Netflix now.

Final Thoughts – Slumberland is a massive fantasy dream-filled adventure balancing amazement and emotional punches.

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Movie Review

Run with the Hunted (2019) Movie Review

ABC Film Challenge – Thriller – R – Run with the Hunted (2019) Movie Review

Run with the Hunted

Director: John Swab

Writer: John Swab (Screenplay)

Starring: Ron Perlman, Michael Pitt, William Forsythe, Mark Boone Junior, Kylie Rogers, Isiah Whitlock Jr

Plot: Oscar, a young boy, defends his best friend, Loux, and kills her abusive father in the process, forcing him to run away from his rural hometown. His innocence slips away as he is introduced to love, crime and corruption.

Runtime: 1 Hour 33 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Run with the Hunted starts when a young Oscar helps his friend escape from her abusive father. Only to find himself needing to go on the run, until he ends up in a small town. Taken in by Sway (Junior) who has a string of lost children doing his dirty work for him, robbing people, living off the lamb.

15-years-later Oscar (Pitt) now runs his own group of runaway children, with Peaches, under Birdie (Perlman) who has been running this game for decades now, but this will change when somebody for Oscar’s past starts searching for him.

Thoughts on Run with the Hunted

Run with the Hunted is a crime thriller showing us just how many children can become lost falling into the hands of the wrong people who will use them for criminal activities. The film is cut into two main time splits. Which will see the education in the first part, with the mentor role in the second part. Where this story doesn’t seem to come to the biggest factor is by not showing us the true effects just after the biggest moments in the story. Leaving a lot of the film feeling flat in places. The performances are fine but never bring us a character that will be memorable. This is a film that doesn’t seem to have the impact it wants to, falling flat more often than not.

Final Thoughts – Run with the Hunted is a flat thriller that just doesn’t seem to get started.

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Movie Review

Nafsi (2021) Movie Review

Nafsi – Movie Review

Nafsi

Director: Reuben Odanga

Writer: Reuben Odanga (Screenplay)

Cast

  • Catherine Kamau
  • Mumbi Maina
  • Alfred Munyua
  • Alex Mwakideu
  • Monique Angelyn Bett

Plot: A friendship is put in jeopardy when a mutual agreement goes south

Runtime: 2 Hours 17 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Nafsi starts when Aisha (Maina) and her husband Sebastian (Munyua) learn the tragic news about their baby. Looking to have some fun, Aisha has a girl’s weekend with Shiko (Kamau) where more truths come to light. Meanwhile, Shiko is having her own problems at home with her partner Clarence (Mwakideu).

After Shiko agrees to become a surrogate for Aisha, she sees her own life start to fall apart. However, not everything goes to plan and both women find themselves in a difficult position in their lives, testing their friendship.

Verdict on Nafsi

Nafsi is a drama following two best friends that make a big deal, only for things to go wrong between the two. This follows them making the decision to become a surrogate only to learn news about the baby’s health before it is born. Leading to a change in decision about whether to keep it or not.

This is a powerful drama that gives a different cultural view on difficult views of certain illnesses babies can have. It sees how a friendship can be pushed to the limits because of differences of opinion. Finally, it gets to deal with the outcome of what happens when things don’t go smoothly. All interwoven into a story with twists along the way, showing secrets the characters have in life. The acting is strong from the whole cast getting their moments to shine through the story.

Where to Watch: Nafsi is available on Netflix now.

Final Thoughts – Nafsi is a powerful drama with strong acting throughout.