Month: June 2023

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Movie Review

The Covenant (2023) Movie Review

The Covenant – Movie Review

Covenant

Director: Guy Ritchie

Writer: Guy Ritchie, Vian Atkinson, Marn Davies (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: During the war in Afghanistan, a local interpreter risks his own life to carry an injured sergeant across miles of gruelling terrain.

Runtime: 2 Hours 3 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Covenant starts when Master Sergeant John Kinley (Gyllenhaal) gets a new interpreter Ahmed (Salim). He has a reputation for being difficult, but Kinley sees the benefits of having him in the unit. They are searching Afghanistan for weapons, which sees the pair clash over operations.

On one of their investigations into potential Taliban strongholds, they get ambushed. This leaves Ahmed and Kinley alone in the mountain range needing to find safety. However, this isn’t going to be made easy as they face the odds and Kinley gets injured. Ahmed looks to make the journey back and save the sergeant to prove which side of the war he is truly on.

Verdict on The Covenant

The Covenant is an action war thriller following two unlikely allies doing everything they can to save the other. It follows an American unit in Afghanistan searching for weapons only to come under attack. However, this is more about the aftermath and what the two men do to save each other.

This is an excellent intense survival war movie. It keeps everything on the edge of our seats while dividing the story up nicely. The idea that two people from different worlds put everything on the line to save the other against all the odds shows there are always two sides to war. Jake Gyllenhaal and Dar Salim are both fantastic throughout the movie along with a strong supporting cast used throughout the movie. When it comes to the action, we get plenty of military stand-offs and shootouts.

Where to Watch: The Covenant is available to watch on Amazon Prime now.

Final Thoughts – The Covenant is an intense non-stop suspense filled journey.

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Movie Review

The Devil Comes at Night (2023) Movie Review

The Devil Comes at Night – Movie Review

Devil Comes at Night

Director: Scott Leaver

Writer: Ryan Allen, Adrienne Kress, Scott Leaver (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A washed up boxer searching for his inheritance must fight for his life when he is trapped in his deceased father’s farmhouse by a local cannibal cult.

Runtime: 1 Hour 20 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Devil Comes at Night starts when Ben (Allen) looks to collect on his inheritance left by his estranged father. He gets to meet the neighbours including Mason (Martorino) but discovers Amy (Kress) hiding in the home.

It doesn’t take long before Ben finds himself getting drawn out by the residents of the town. They want him for a reason, but he remains safe inside the home. Can the two survive the night and figure out what the residents want from Ben?

Verdict on The Devil Comes at Night

The Devil Comes at Night is a horror thriller following two strangers that find themselves coming under attack from the rest of the town. It sees them trying to understand the change in the locals and learning about the past connections in the house.

This movie gets to use the idea of one night being the main timeframe for the movie. We have the constant discovery of secrets between the two, as the threats outside increase. There is a menacing presence created in the tension throughout the movie. This will keep you guessing and does have good shock moments. However, it could have had a more rounded conclusion because of how things unfolded.

Final Thoughts – The Devil Comes at Night has plenty of suspense and tension waiting to come to life.

Categories
Movie Review

A Hologram for the King (2016) Movie Review

ABC Film Challenge – Comedy – A – A Hologram for the King – Movie Review

A Hologram for the King

Director: Tom Tykwer (Cloud Atlas)

Writer: Tom Tykwer (Screenplay)

Writer: Dave Eggers (Novel)

Cast

Plot: A failed American sales rep looks to recoup his losses by travelling to Saudi Arabia and selling his company’s product to a wealthy monarch.

Runtime: 1 Hour 38 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: A Hologram for the King starts as failed American sales rep Alan (Hanks) looks to redeem his career. He heads to Saudi Arabia in an attempt to sell a product to a wealthy monarch. As he arrives, he learns the king hasn’t been to the location for years.

Alan starts to wonder what the point of his visit is and misses his family back home. The only friend he makes is driver Yousef (Elba) that offers to show him around the town. Alan soon starts to learn more about the country and culture to understand what he is doing there.

Verdict on A Hologram for the King

A Hologram for the King is a romantic comedy following a middle-aged man who has lost direction in his life. He takes a job in Saudi Arabia where he starts to learn about a new culture and learns to start living again.

This is a story about finding yourself against all the odds. Following on from many stories that tell people to explore a new world, one away from their own. It is interesting seeing how Alan is adapting to the new country, and new cultures and trying to make his job work. The bigger problem comes from not really seeing enough of the reason why he is in the country.

Tom Hanks is wonderful in the leading role, but would you expect anything less from him? The supporting performances are strong too, where we meet a host of different characters through the film.

Where to Watch: A Hologram for the King is available to stream on Freevee.

Final Thoughts – A Hologram for the King is an interesting journey through an unknown land.