Author: Darren Lucas

Big Film fan and general entertainment fan

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Movie Review

The Subject (2020) Movie Review

The Subject – Movie Review

The Subject

Director: Lanie Zipoy

Writer: Chisa Hutchinson (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: THE SUBJECT follows a successful white documentary filmmaker dealing with the fallout from his previous film which caught the murder of a Black teen on tape. Now, someone films his every move, threatening his idyllic life.

Runtime: 1 Hour 59 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Subject starts as documentary filmmaker Phil Waterhouse (Biggs) is reflecting on his latest project. His project followed a black teen Malcolm Barnes (Bullock) but ended up catching his murder. Phil’s girlfriend Jess (Acosta) is trying to push him to get over his involvement in the project.

However, Phil discovers that he is being stalked by somebody, putting his own and Jess’ life in danger. As Phil looks to try and continue with his next project, he sees his own life becoming complicated. He sees the threat becoming more serious, but can he figure out who is following him?

Verdict on The Subject

The Subject is a drama following a creator who faces the consequences of his latest project. He saw the latest subject of his film murdered, leading to him seeing his own life put at risk. All this as he gets a chance to face the mother of the boy who wants to know what happened.

This is a powerful drama, which comes to life in the second half. Jason Biggs and Aunjanue Ellis take complete control of the movie. Their sequence of looking back on the incident gets to put the firm spotlight on art versus the artist. The first half of the movie doesn’t reach the same heights, despite being used to show Phil’s more honest personality. This movie does get elevated by the second half which pulls on the emotional part of anybody.

Where to Watch: Bulldog Film Distribution presents The Subject on digital HD on 20th February.

Final Thoughts –The Subject is a powerful drama with a career-best performance from Jason Biggs.

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Movie Review

The Omen (1976) Movie Review

The Omen – ABC Film Challenge – Oscar Nominations – O – The Omen – Movie Review

Omen

Director: Richard Donner

Writer: David Seltzer (Screenplay)

Cast

  • Gregory Peck (To Kill a Mockingbird)
  • Lee Remick (Anatomy of a Murder)
  • Harvey Stephens
  • David Warner (Titanic)
  • Billie Whitelaw (Hot Fuzz)

Plot: Mysterious deaths surround an American ambassador. Could the child that he is raising actually be the Antichrist? The Devil’s own son?

Runtime: 1 Hour 51 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Omen starts when American ambassador Robert Thorn (Peck) and his wife Katherine (Remick) adopt a baby after losing theirs. They adopt young Damien (Stephens) and start a life together with him. Robert gets a chance at a new life, moving his family to England.

Soon after they move, a sudden death rocks the family. This leads to journalist Jennings (Warner) making a startling discovery about Damien.  Robert learns about the discovery and must make a difficult decision when he learns he might be raising the Antichrist.

Verdict on The Omen

The Omen follows a family that has adopted a baby who learns he might well be the Antichrist as he grows. This sees the father needing to investigate what is happening before losing everything he loves and understand why he was selected to raise the child.

The Omen is considered one of the greatest horror movies of all time and you can see why. In the movie, we get a massive amount of tension and atmosphere developed throughout the story. The sense of dread is clear to see and by the end of the movie, a film about the Antichrist develops a character we fear. Nothing gets held back and when it comes to shock value, we get it all.

Final Thoughts – The Omen is a brilliant horror movie, filled with tension in every scene.

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Movie Review

The Inspection (2022) Movie Review

The Inspection – Movie Review

The Inspection

Director: Elegance Bratton

Writer: Elegance Bratton (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A young, gay Black man, rejected by his mother and with few options for his future, decides to join the Marines, doing whatever it takes to succeed in a system that would cast him aside.

Runtime: 1 Hour 35 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Inspection starts when a young gay black man Ellis (Pope) looks to turn his life around. He has been rejected by his mother Inez (Union) and has fought to stay alive. Ellis decides to become a marine and joins his fellow recruits. However, Ellis must keep his homosexuality secret to enlist.

When the soldiers learn that Ellis is gay, they start to shun him and his drill sergeant Laws (Woodbine) decides to push him to an extreme level. Ellis puts up with the intense training and hazing until he learns he can help his fellow recruits. He wants to prove he can succeed no matter what is in his way.

Verdict on The Inspection

The Inspection is a drama following the struggles a young gay man had joining the military. It follows the man who wants to simply turn his life around but finds just as much hate in the military. This shows him trying to tackle the prejudices he faces to prove he should be a marine.

The movie is based on the true story of director Elegance Bratton trying to find himself in 2005. It poses the bigger question about how the military operates in training and how it doesn’t treat people equally. However, it has started to change its ways in recent years. The routines we see Ellis go through, do feel like most training routines for someone considered an outsider. Even if this is normally just a troublemaker, rather than somebody’s sexual preference.

Deep down, this is a story about never giving up and never letting anyone keep you down. It proves that you can find a way to understand people and teach them to understand you. Jeremy Pope is brilliant in the leading role, standing head and shoulders above the rest of the cast. The rest of the cast is strong throughout the movie, with Raúl Castillo being the best of the rest.

Where to Watch: Signature Entertainment presents The Inspection in UK Cinemas on 17th February.

Final Thoughts – The Inspection is an inspiring story about defying the odds.

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Movie Review

Free to a Bad Home (2023) Movie Review

Free to a Bad Home – Movie Review

Free to a bad Home

Director: Kameron Hale, Scott Hale

Writer: Kameron Hale, Scott Hale (Screenplay)

Cast

  • Miranda Nieman
  • Jake C Young (A Night of the Undead)
  • Olivia Dennis
  • Hayley Sunshine
  • Roni Locke (Wrong Turn)

Plot: In this terrifying horror anthology, the lives of three strangers – a widow, a thief, and an addict – are changed by cursed objects and those that spread them.

Runtime: 1 Hour 20 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Free to a Bad Home starts when a young woman gets given a necklace from a box dumped on the street. This leads to a widow spending time around her home. A thief taking advantage of a situation. Meanwhile, addicts Julia (Dennis) and friends look to dive deeper into a cult following.

As each person interacts with something from the box, they see their lives changing. Most of which are going to be made for the worst.

Verdict on Free to a Bad Home

Free to a Bad Home is a horror anthology that follows three different people who interact with an item from a box left on the street. Each story gets to look at a different problem being faced, which shows why the character would want that item.

The short stories work very well to make the most of the limited time. It makes it feel like the people might well know each other, being surrounded within the same town. This is something that could have easily been skipped over. The horror elements do become more intense as the movie unfolds but never reach the highest shock value.

Final Thoughts –Free to a Bad Home is an entertaining horror anthology.

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Movie Review

Babylon (2022) Movie Review

Babylon – ABC Film Challenge – Oscar Nomination – N (Nellie LaRoy) – Babylon – Movie Review

Babylon Poster

Director: Damien Chazelle

Writer: Damien Chazelle (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A tale of outsized ambition and outrageous excess, it traces the rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of unbridled decadence and depravity in early Hollywood.

Runtime: 3 Horus 9 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Babylon starts in 1926 in Beverly Hills, as a massive drug-filled party for the elite is happening. Manuel (Calva) works as help for the party, where superstar actor Jack Conrad (Pitt) turns the most heads. Outside, Nellie LaRoy (Robbie) looks to crash the party, with Manuel helping her get to the drug stash.

The party gives Manuel and Nellie their first breaks in moviemaking. Nellie is in a movie, while Manuel gets to work as a runner on Jack’s latest picture. This gets to show the pure chaos of the era. The one is the beginning of the future for the stars, as they learn how early Hollywood would make and break stars.

Verdict on Babylon

Babylon is a comedy musical drama that follows three people’s careers in 1920s Hollywood. We have the established megastar, the aspiring star and the person that is working his way up behind the scenes. We get to see the rise and fall that the three go through as they try to adapt to the constantly changing environment.

This is a chaotic movie that is way too long, it never needs to be 3 hours long. The party sequences are crazy with so much going on that they are nearly impossible to keep up with things. While the movie does get a glimpse into the serious situation going on for the characters. It is the nonsense going on around the chaos that holds everything back.

The performances are strong even if it is very hard to support any of the characters in the film. Well, maybe Manuel as he is looking to work his way up with hard work. Tobey Maguire’s part of the movie is bar far the most interesting journey we take here.

Final Thoughts – Babylon is an overly long chaotic experience.

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Movie Review

All the Places (2023) Movie Review

All the Places (A Todas Partes) – Movie Review

All the Places

Director: Pitipol Ybarra

Writer: Adriana Pelusi (Screenplay)

Cast

  • Ana Serradilla
  • Diana Bovio
  • Mauricio Ochmann
  • David Chocarro
  • Iran Castillo

Plot: An estranged brother and sister reunite at their father’s funeral and make a spur of the moment decision to fulfill their childhood dream of driving across Mexico on their old motorbikes.

Runtime: 1 Hour 37 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: All the Places starts when Fernando (Ochmann) returns home for his father’s funeral. His sister Gabriela (Serradilla) isn’t impressed with his appearance after he vanished 15 years ago. Gabriela wants him to go back to his life in Singapore until they find a promise they once made as children.

Fernando and Gabriela decide to complete a road trip they promised to achieve when they were younger. This sees the pair looking back on their lives and remembering they still love each other. All this as they continue to push each other to challenge themselves to confront their own fears.

Verdict on All the Places

All the Places is an adventure comedy following two estranged siblings going on a road trip. It sees them needing to put aside their difference to remember the dreams they once had. They get to reveal secrets from their lives and catch up in a way they hadn’t ever planned.

This is a nice movie following the siblings discovering more about themselves. The idea of the pair getting a chance to rediscover themselves on the journey they take is inspiring. As it proves you are never too old to have an adventure of a lifetime. The performances are fun and the movie gives an overall feel-good factor about everything.

Where to Watch: All the Places is available on Netflix now.

Final Thoughts –All the Places is an enjoyable adventure movie.

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Movie Review

Re/Member (2022) Movie Review

Re/Member (Karada Sagashi) – Movie Review

Re/Member Poster

Director: Eiichirô Hasumi

Writer: Katsutoshi Murase, Welzard (Manga)

Cast

Plot: A high school student and her friends are trapped in a time loop by a ghost and the only way to escape is to find the corpse of the ghost’s previous victim

Runtime: 1 Hour 42 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Re/Member starts as a lonely high school student Asuka (Hashimoto) sees herself thrown into a nightmare situation. She finds herself around fellow students, Takahiro (Maeda), Rumiko (Yamamoto), Atsuhi (Kamio), Shôta (Daigo) and Rie (Yokota) in a game. The game sees the six students trying to elude the Red Person that will kill them.

However, in the morning, the friends get to live the day again. This gives them a chance to figure out what they need to do, as they learn they must solve the murder of the Red Person. They must locate the body parts to end the time loop they have become trapped in.

Verdict on Re/Member

Re/Member is a horror mystery following six students that must put their differences aside to solve the game they have been dragged into. The game is known as the Body Search and the Red Person hunts them down. However, they get to come back to life and re-live the same day over and over again until they complete it.

This movie can easily be compared to ‘Happy Death Day’. It is a lot more violent with the deaths the characters go through and doesn’t have the same sense of humour. However, the supernatural elements make this very interesting. The mystery of how they got trapped in the game is interesting. While the deeper meaning of treating people equally in life is clear.

The creature’s creation is brilliant, as it continues to morph with each encounter with it. It creates an amazing level of fear with what it can do, stronger, more powerful and more deadly. The performances are strong from the six stars who bring the different teenagers to life.

Where to Watch: Re/Member is available on Netflix Now.

Final Thoughts – Re/Member is a deadlier more violent vision of Happy Death Day.

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Movie Review

Next Exit (2022) Movie Review

Next Exit – Movie Review

Next Exit

Director: Mali Elfman

Writer: Mali Elfman (Screenplay)

Cast

  • Katie Parker (The Haunting of Bly Manor)
  • Rahul Kohli (Midnight Mass)
  • Karen Gillan (Jumanji Welcome to the Jungle)
  • Ty Molbak (Babylon)
  • Jim Ortlieb (Flatliners)

Plot: Two unhappy strangers find themselves on a road trip across the U.S. to partake in a scientist’s radical experiment with the afterlife.

Runtime: 1 Hour 46 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Next Exit starts as Dr Stevensen (Gillan) has created a way to communicate with ghosts. This has created a dangerous change in society, having an increased suicide rate. Rose (Parker) and Teddy (Kohli) are two of the latest candidates for the experiment and must reluctantly travel together across the country together.

Starting with a cold journey, Rose not wanting to communicate with Teddy. However, Rose starts to come around on the journey, as they both express why they both want to end their lives as part of the experiment.

Verdict on Next Exit

Characters

Rose has been selling everything in her life to take part in an experiment. She has been depressed for years and this is the answer to her depression before she gets to become a ghost. Rose is very cold toward strangers, showing no patience with them. However, she is haunted by something that lurks in the shadows.

Teddy is a much more open person, despite his own battles with depression. He tries to build a friendship on the journey, before opening up about his failed attempts.

The two characters get to show the difficulties and differences people with depression can see on the outside. They create an understanding of how to address the problems they have been through in life.

In the supporting characters, we get to meet people from their lives and Dr Stevensen, the mastermind behind the process.

Performances

Katie Parker and Rahul Kohli are both brilliant in the leading roles. They create a natural new friendship on the journey, as they put up with things that make each other mad. The pair create the emotional journey that their characters go on through the movie.

Story

The story follows two strangers that have signed up for the same experiment and find themselves needing to travel together across the country. It sees the pair express their decision as to why they have agreed to take part in this end-of-life process. As the journey unfolds they find new meaning to their depression and are left with the decision to go through with it or not.

This story gets to explore a world where a scientist claims to be able to bring ghosts back to the living. Following two depressed people who have agreed to be part of the experiment as they discuss what led them to this decision. This creates a big talking point about depression and how it can be seen. A moral discussion going on in the background around whether it should be legal or not.

The movie uses the mystery of what might happen in the afterlife to drive us forward. With the opening sequence is a massive drawing point for the movie. There are creepy sequences in the movie, that make things have an uneasy effect and show the past haunting people.

Where to Watch: Blue Finch Film Releasing presents Next Exit on digital platforms on 20th February.

Final Thoughts –Next Exit is a mesmerising mystery with a massive discussion on the table.

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Movie Review

The Midnight Sky (2020) Movie Review

The Midnight Sky – ABC Film Challenge – Oscar Nominations – M – The Midnight Sky – Movie Review

Midnight Sky

Director: George Clooney

Writer: Mark L Smith (Screenplay)

Writer: Lily Brooks-Dalton (Book)

Cast

Plot: This post-apocalyptic tale follows Augustine, a lonely scientist in the Arctic, as he races to stop Sully and her fellow astronauts from returning home to a mysterious global catastrophe.

Runtime: 1 Hour 58 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Midnight Sky starts when Augustine (Clooney) agrees to stay behind after a post-apocalyptic event. He remains in the Arctic, as the remaining humans head to a new home. After everyone has left, Augustine discovers a little girl Iris (Springall) left behind and contacts the first group of astronauts about not returning.

Sully (Jones) is leading the team in space, as they face their own problems. Meanwhile, Augustine must make a dangerous journey with Iris to save the remaining members of humanity.

Verdict on The Midnight Sky

The Midnight Sky is a sci-fi adventure movie that follows to main groups of people. First, we have a man remaining on Earth for communications only to learn he wasn’t the only one left behind. The second is the astronauts he is trying to communicate with as they deal with their own problems in space. Having the two stories running parallel shows us how intense the two situations are.

This is an interesting sci-fi movie, it holds back what has caused the problems on Earth, with the hopes of a new home off Earth being the driving force for everything. It offers up a big question about how it would be achieved and what people would end up leaving behind for this.

This becomes a very interesting movie, despite not getting everything perfect. The performances are strong, as you would expect from the cast placed upon us.

Where to Watch: The Midnight Sky is available on Netflix

Final Thoughts – The Midnight Sky is an interesting and complex sci-fi movie.