Tag: 2018

Categories
Movie Review

The Cannibal Club (2018)

Director: Guto Parente

Writer: Guto Parente (Screenplay)

Starring: Tavinho Teixeira, Ana Luiza Rios, Pedro Domingues, Ze Maria, Breno Baptista

 

Plot: Otavio and Gilda are a very wealthy couple of the Brazilian elite who have the habit of eating their employees. Otavio owns a private security company and is a notable member of The Cannibal Club. When Gilda accidentally discovers a secret from Borges, a powerful congressman and the Club’s leader, her and her husband’s lives are in danger.

Runtime: 1 Hour 21 Minutes

 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

 

Verdict: High Tension and Quirky

 

Story: The Cannibal Club starts as we meet rich couple Otavio (Teixeira) and Gilda (Rios) who live the life of luxury, having people work for them, with their own security around their home. When the couple get tired of their employees, they kill and eat them to fulfill their fantasies.

When Otavio’s powerful congressman friend and leader of their club Borges (Domingues) believes somebody is letting their secrets out, he assigns Otavio to learn the truth, things only take a turn for a worse when Gilda catches Borges in an uncompromising position, the couple find their own lives in danger.

 

Thoughts on The Cannibal Club

 

Characters – Otavio runs a private security company, at home his wife Gilda and himself have very dark fantasies, which sees them being cannibals, getting sexual pleasure from the murder of their own workers, he is good friends with a congressman, well within the elite of the secret club of cannibals. Gilda is the wife of Otavio, she selects the newest employees that the couple can have, she gets the pleasure she requires, but it is her curiosity which puts both their lives in danger. Borges is the leader of the secret club that Otavio is part of, he has a secret with Gilda witnesses, he is afraid it will come out and looks to clean it up before it does.

Performances – Tavinho Teixeira gives us a performance that shows us how a man can balance his high-powered life, with a secret that is against the law, which also sees him controlled by his wife. Ana Luiza Rios brings us a seductive figure to life, she makes the men want to do anything for her. Pedro Domingues fills the mysterious leader role well, not giving too much away about his real life.

Story – The story follows an elite couple in Brazil that get their pleasure out of killing their employees and eating them. The story does take us into a world where the elite can get away with this kind of activities is clearly built and showed how the couple have the routine down to perfection in their eyes. It does, however, show us how a secret club can look to clean up if they believe somebody is getting out of control. The story is short, which is just what we want in places, though we could have been given more when it comes to the enjoyment the couple have from this world.

Horror/Comedy – The horror in the film comes from the world created with cannibals, the comedy comes from the idea of the world being used to create this world, which will give the film dark humour.

Settings – The film is set in Brazil which will see the high class position which will work for the club to happen, the rich could get away with anything in the eyes of the law.

Special Effects – The effects in the film are clever, they use the ideas of showing us the aftermath of the attacks, rather than the impact of them.


Scene of the Movie – The first kill.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – We don’t get to see the couple go through a lot of kills, which feels like we could have done.

Final Thoughts – This is a cannibal film that creates a wonderfully imaginative world for them to live in, only to not give us the blood or body count we desired.

 

Overall: Interesting Cannibal film.

Rating

 

 

Categories
Movie Review

Two for Joy (2018)

Director: Tom Beard

Writer: Tom Beard (Screenplay)

Starring: Samantha Morton, Billie Piper, Bella Ramsey, Emilia Jones, Daniel Mays, Ibinabo Jack, David Elliot, Badger Skelton

 

Plot: A troubled family’s problems come to a head during a stay in a seaside town.

 

Runtime: 1 Hour 30 Minutes

 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

 

Verdict: Truly Fantastic

 

Story: Two for Joy starts as a small family, mother Aisha (Morton) and children Violet (Jones) and Troy (Skelton) are living the poor life with their own problems, with Aisha struggling with depression, Troy falling in with the wrong crowd and Vi just trying to hold things together.

The three go on a low budget family holiday by the seaside to get away from the troubles back home, here they meet Lillah (Piper) and Miranda (Ramsey) another family with their own problems too and caretaker Lias (Mays) tries to put a positive spin on the caravan site.

 

Thoughts on Two For Joy

 

Characters – Aisha is the mother is Vi and Troy, she is stuck in deep depression after the death of her husband, their father, she struggles with everyday tasks leading to leave Vi in charge of the household chores. She does take the children to the caravan to escape for a while, which does try to help her have communication with other adults. Vi short for Violet is the eldest daughter of Aisha, she is the one trying to hold the family together, she will do everything she can while trying to escape the life with her studies too, she desperately needs a friend. Troy is the youngster child of the family, he likes to fish, only he has started to hang around a troublesome older boy that has put gotten him in trouble. Lillah is a fellow single mother that has used the caravan home to escape the traumas of back home, she doesn’t have much control over her daughter, while her brother tries to help her escape the abusive father. Miranda is Lillah’s daughter, she takes a shine to Troy and sees him as somebody she can have adventures with, she does come off like a bratty figure, but it is clear she is dealing with the depression of not having her father around and what he did to her. Lias runs the caravan camp, he only has two visitors and tries his best to make sure they are all having a good time there.

Performances – Samantha Morton gives us a brilliant performance as the mother who has nearly given up hope on her life, we believe the struggles she is facing too. Billie Piper and Daniel Mays complete the adult cast as they both shine too. It is Emilia Jones which give the standout of a stunning performance piece here, as she must hide the pain, she is feeling to remain strong even with nobody around her. Bella Ramsey and Badger Skelton complete the cast and shine on an equal level to the rest of the cast.

Story – The story follows the lives of two broken families that are spending time at a seaside caravan site, they are the only ones here, they must use the time to try and help each other accept what has happened and move on with their lives only for one moment to become the catalyst for the biggest change. If you did see the movie ‘The Florida Project’ you will understand what you will be experience, with the children struggle to find things to do, while the parents have almost given up on their own endeavours. The story is bleak and full of darkness when it comes to everything that we go through, we touch on real matters that don’t always get talked about, especially when the people are going through the problems, this will test your emotional levels through the film.

Settings – The film has a couple of settings, first the housing area which shows how close the family is living close to poverty and just waiting to fall into troubles, before we move to seaside resort that shows us just where the poor families will spend holidays.


Scene of the Movie – The boat trip.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – There are certain parts of the Lillah relationship we could have seen more from.

Final Thoughts – This is one of the best dramas you will see this year, it will play on the emotions of the audience and leave you emotionally exhausted by the end of the film.

 

Overall: Essential viewing.

Rating

 

 

Available to pre-order on I-Tunes here

Screening on the Green, Isington Wednesday 20th February, click here for tickets

Categories
Movie Review

The 6th Friend (2018)

Director: Letia Clouston

Writer: Letia Clouston, Jamie Bernadette (Screenplay)

Starring: Jamie Bernadette, Chantelle Albers, Dominique Swain, Jessica Morris, Tania Nolan, David Villada, Monique Rosario

 

Plot: Six college best friends throw their own private graduation party that goes terribly wrong when an uninvited guest arrives. Five years later, the girls gather once again and endure a night of far more horror and bloodshed.


Tagline – how far would you go for your best friend?

Runtime: 1 Hour 25 Minutes

 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

 

Verdict: Horror Fans Enjoy the Slasher

 

Story: The 6th Friend starts when six college friends Joey (Bernadette), Melissa (Albers), Heather (Swain), Katie (Morris), Sahara (Nolan) and Becca (Rosario) who have reunited after a traumatic experience while high on drugs, the group come back together to help each other move on with their lives, only for them all to be suffering with their own problems.

The night takes a dramatic turn when the past comes back to haunt the women and they must now fight to survive against a masked killer, one they believe to be waiting them since the original traumatic night.

 

Thoughts on The 6th Friend

 

Characters – Joey is one of the six women, she is the least interested in the reunion because has dealt with the night in her own way, never wanting to face the reality of that night she is forced to when a killer comes back for the friends. She takes charge while others panic and her decision seems to be the one the friends lean towards. Melissa is the one that bought the friends back together, she has become a celebrity because of the previous events, it is her family home where the women are spending the weekend, though she is the first to lose control once they face the killer. The remaining four women are Heather, Katie, Sahara and Becca each have their own traits to make them be their own characters even if they do fall into the generic supporting figures.

Performances – When it comes to the performances our lead is Jamie Bernadette who also co-wrote the screenplay, we see Jamie deliver another strong leading performance fitting in the final girl figure that we have gotten to know in the slasher genre. Chantelle Albers as the arranger of the big reunion is strong too because of the range she must show, playing the figure that is used to the spotlight. The remain women are solid in their roles and show good chemistry for the friendship between the women.

Story – The story follows six friends that head out for a reunion five years after a traumatic night it soon turns sour when a masked killer from their past arrives and they must fight to survive. This does fit the slasher genre well for a story line, it is the additions which do give this story another edge, because we get to see how after the first event the women have raised to celebrity status, which reflects how the modern world is treating the victims. This is a horror so, imagine we would get twists and this is full of them, even if certain moments of the film you feel you are about to put your finger on what is going on things take a change.

Horror – The slasher genre is one of the easiest to watch in the horror sub-genre, it has a generic formula which this film does follow, until the final act which needs to be different to make the film stand out.

Settings – The film is set in a cabin in the woods, with no where to run and with the cars disabled, we get isolation for the characters involved.

Special Effects – The effects used are strong for the most part, I liked how the killer’s appearance comes off, even if certain injuries are not at the strongest level.


Scene of the Movie – The final act.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – The goodnight process.

Final Thoughts – This is a good fun slasher, that offers a twist you won’t see coming, even if certain moments can feel like you have seen before.

 

Overall: Slasher film you can enjoy.

Rating

 

 

Categories
Movie Review

8 Remains (2018)

Find 8 Remains on Amazon Prime US, UK, Germany and Other English Speaking Territories Now.

Director: Juliane Block

Writer: Laura Sommer (Screenplay)

Starring: Maja-Celine Probst, Gregory B Waldis, Priscilla Wittman, Hanna Schmidt-Fob, Anne Alexander Sieder, Kevin Leslie

 

Plot: Preceding her death a young woman relives her life in a mirror world, giving her the chance to fight her killer.

 

Runtime: 1 Hour 20 Minutes

 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

 

Verdict: Mind Bending Mystery

 

Story: 8 Remains starts when Talli (Probst) is on her latest date with Damian (Waldis) only for it to take a twist, as he murders her, instantly spawning next to the crime, Talli must navigate through a mirror world, which will see her confront her past, present and future as she must figure out how to save herself from the killer.

As Talli travels through doors, she must confront her own past, leaving her questioning each decision she has made, while trying to out to escape the circle she has become trapped in.

 

Thoughts on 8 Remains

 

Characters – Talli is a young woman starting a relationship with the older, richer Damian, her latest getaway to one of his castles will change everything, she must navigate through a mirror world which will force her to face her past, one that hasn’t been easy for her, if she wants a future she must survive this maze and confront her murderer. Damian is the killer that takes Talli’s life, only to continue to haunt her in the afterlife as she searches for answers. He is controlling everything and enjoying leaving the women tortured in this world he has created. Josephine is another woman with a connection to Damian trapped in this world, she advises Talli how to get out of this world.

Performances – The performance from Maja-Celine Probst is the highlight of the performers, she must take her character through the largest range of emotions and see makes each believable through the journey. Gregory B Waldis as the villainous figure works very well too, he makes you hate him which is the most important part of this performance. The supporting cast do everything asked of them without stealing the spotlight too.

Story – The story is one that starts instantly by surprising us, it then becomes one that takes us on a journey that will be connected once everything has been seen, you will need to make sure you notice the smallest details to add the dots together. This story does remind me of another film that only I seem to have heard off ‘Left in Darkness’ which focuses on a victim tackling a killer after their death, only this one deals with the idea that she could escape this world. if you want to watch a story that will make you stop and think about everything you see, you will enjoy this one a lot.

Mystery – A Mystery film that continues to make you think even when you think you know what is happening, this is something we all want right? This doesn’t let you down.

Settings – The film keeps the settings simple, they are important locations in the life of Talli which explains why she is visiting them, they are used to help with the journey.

Special Effects – The effects are used when needed, we focus on the idea of the mirror world having walls Talli can’t get through.


Scene of the Movie – Taking control.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – This is a blink and you might miss something movie.

Final Thoughts – This is a mystery thriller that will keep you guessing, it will pull you in as you want to help Talli on her journey and it is anchored by a strong leading performance from Maja-Celine Probst.

 

Overall: Mystery film that keeps you guessing.

Rating

 

 

Categories
Movie Review

Anthem of a Teenage Prophet (2018)

Director: Robin Hays

Writer: Joshua Close, Andy Matic, Elisha Matic (Screenplay) Joanne Proulx (Novel)

Starring: Cameron Monaghan, Grayson Gabriel, Peyton List, Juliette Lewis, Aaron Pearl, Richard de Klerk, Alex MacNicoll

 

Plot: Anthem tells the story of Luke (Monaghan) a teenager who foresees the death of his new best friend Stan (MacNicoll), the most popular guy in school. When this premonition becomes reality, Luke must deal with the trials and tribulations of being dubbed “The Prophet of Death” and being titled a freak by the entire town.

 

Runtime: 1 Hour 41 Minutes

 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

 

Verdict: Brilliant Coming-of-Age Film

 

Story: Anthem of a Teenage Prophet starts when high school stoner Luke Hunter (Monaghan) gets a vision that his close friend Stan (MacNicoll) will be killed on the way to school in the morning, the next morning, Stan is killed, leaving the rumours about his vision spreading like wildfire through the town. Stan’s girlfriend Faith (List) is broken up about his death as you would imagine, while Luke feels the guilt of not being able to help.

When Luke suffers a second vision of death, he tries to stop it, failing in the process, his mother Mary (Lewis) tries to help him as Luke must face the reality that he will be heading off to college and this new pressure is only going to make his life more stressful.

 

Thoughts on Anthem of a Teenage Prophet

 

Characters – Luke Hunter is the normal high school slacker, he spends his time getting stoned more often than studying and it is while getting high, he gets the vision of his best friend dying, when it actually happens, he is left guilt riddled and scared of just what he might be capable off, add in the pressures of high school, the anxiety of growing up and living up to his parents expectations, Luke will face the toughest couple of months of his life. Faith was the girlfriend of Stan the teenager killed, she is left broken and turns to Luke for friendship through the difficult time. Mary is Luke’s mother that does her best to help him through his own struggles with what he saw and what he is going through when it comes to his future. Fang is Luke’s oldest friend, he has his own problems and with Luke being there for him, the question remains can they help each other through the struggles.

Performances – Cameron Monaghan in the leading role here is outstanding, we get to see him show nearly every emotion imaginable for a teenager going through the troubles of high school, we understand each moment and this is because of his performance. Peyton List continues to give us strong performances here with her work, showing the loss she suffered in the film. Juliette Lewis bring the experience to the film handling the mother role effortlessly and knowing how to like Monaghan take centre stage.

Story – The story here shows the struggles a teenager has after having a vision of his best friend being killed becomes a reality and he must deal with the guilt of not being able to stop the accident, while continuing to use this gift to try and help other people close to his life with their own struggles. This story gets to reflect high school anxiety, pressure and demand with the guilt of not being there for friends, showing us how a couple of moments extra time with each person in your own life will provide a positive out light which will make life more enjoyable, even after getting through tragic events. This is going to be one of the best coming of age stories you will see this year, balancing everything out perfectly for the story to unfold at a natural pace.

Settings – The film is set in mall town America, showing the unity between the people in the neighbourhood and the desire to escape to make the most of life from the students, we have iconic settings that will help people achieve what they want from their moments in life.


Scene of the Movie – Climbing.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – How easy it is for the teenagers to get drugs.

Final Thoughts – This is easily one of the best films you will see, it has a serious subject matter that is relatable for the audience as well as showing us just how hard the modern pressures of teenage life can be.

 

Overall: Must watch coming of age film.

Rating

 

 

Categories
Movie Review

Clyde Cooper (2018)

Director: Peter Daskaloff

Writer: Peter Daskaloff (Screenplay)

Starring: Jordi Vilasuso, Abigail Titmuss, Richard Neil, Aria Sirvaitis, Isabella Racco, Joanna Fyllidou, Alexander Aguila

 

Plot: A private investigator is hired to track down a missing girl on the run from a mysterious Silicon Valley corporation.

 

Runtime: 1 Hour 21 Minutes

 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

 

Verdict: Fun, Easy to Watching Mystery

 

Story: Clyde Cooper starts as we meet private detective Clyde Cooper (Vilasuso) who gets hired by Vincent Donovan (Neil) to locate a girl he spent a couple of nights with and gave money too. The investigation leads Clyde down the path to meet to one of the girls which only sees him facing more obstacles.

Clyde finds himself dealing with Loretta Berman (Titmuss) who has her own agenda with the girls, but is will to work with Clyde to keep everything under wraps, can Clyde crack the case before it is too late.

 

Thoughts on Clyde Cooper

 

Characters – Clyde Cooper is a private investigator that has been searching for the missing woman, with his trusted vape in hand, he uses his knowledge from his time on the police force to get inside hooker ring that one of the girls is part off. He attracts the attention of many different people and is always able to talk his way out of the trouble he can find himself in. Loretta Berman is the lady running the hooker business in the town, she knows she can trust Clyde, it is the others being pulled into the trouble that she is afraid of. Vincent is the businessman who has lost the woman he has fallen for, he hires Clyde in hope of learning some answers. Nina is the girl that has gone missing, part of a bigger picture she the mystery about everything in this film.

Performances – Jordi Vilasuso in the leading role is strong, he shows the confidence required for his character even if the flair you feel could be around more doesn’t shine through. Abigail Titmuss in the supporting role is solid enough though she does add mystery to herself. The supporting cast in general is solid throughout with the hookers needing to sexy and the truth about them needing them to have a blank expression at times.

Story – The story here is a missing person case with private investigator starting an investigating into just where she has gone, with the mystery going down a path Clyde couldn’t even have imagined. Much like many detective shows or stories we are led down certain paths only to be sent down another one with a new clue, this does keep us guessing which is nice to guess along with. This isn’t going to be the most challenge of stories and does end up feeling like a pilot to a potential television series.

Mystery – Mystery is one of the most interesting genres, it gives the audience a chance guess along with the story which his film gives us a chance to.

Settings – The film is set in Santa Clara which has been used before and shows us how many stories could be happening in this city.


Scene of the Movie – The piano stairs.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – I would have liked a little bit more flair from Clyde’s character.

Final Thoughts – This is a fun mystery film, it might feel like a pilot episode of a television show which might turn people off, but you can have fun with it and guess along with it too.

 

Overall: Mystery film fans enjoy.

Rating

 

 

Categories
Movie Review

Game Night (2018)

Max, Annie and Friends' Game Night Adventure: A Review

Directors: John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein

Writer: Mark Perez (Screenplay)

Starring: Jason Bateman, Rachel McAdams, Kyle Chandler, Sharon Horgan, Billy Magnussen, Lamorne Morris, Kyle Bunbury

 

Plot: A group of friends who meet regularly for game nights find themselves entangled in a real-life mystery.


Tagline – This is not a game.

Runtime: 1 Hour 40 Minutes

 

There may be spoilers the rest of the review

 

Verdict: Funny Comedy

 

Story: Game Night starts as competitive couple Max (Bateman) and Annie (McAdams) preparing for the latest game night with friends Ryan (Magnussen), Kevin (Morris) and Michelle (Bunbury) when Max’s brother Brooks (Chandler) arrives to put Max off his game.

When Brooks invites the group and Ryan’s trademark random date Sarah (Horgan) to his hosted Game Night, it involves one member of the party being kidnapped and the rest needing to solve the case. The night takes a twist when Brook is really kidnapped by criminals and the friends must work together to stay alive.

 

Thoughts on Game Night

 

Characters – Max has always been competitive when it comes to quiz or game nights, he has his perfect match in Annie, but has always been overshadowed by his brother and now he must be the one to help his brother. Annie is the perfect match for Max, strangely we don’t learn much else about her through the film, which is easily going to be the problem with most of the characters, we enter just one night of their lives, so we don’t need to learn too much back story. Brooks is the brother that has a shady past that has caught up with him tonight. Ryan and Sarah are funny as the first date couple that don’t want to admit their attraction and Kevin and Michelle as the married couple who are going through a situation.

Performances – Jason Bateman gives us one of his best comedic performances of his career and his chemistry and Rachel McAdams (Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret) who shows she can handle the comedy genre whenever she wants. The supporting cast all get the laughs with Billy Magnussen getting most of the laughs and Jesse Plemons seems to steal every scene.

Story – The story follows a group of friends that entertain on a weekly game night only for the latest one to take a deadly twist as they must take on criminals. The film takes place over one night which helps the story keep the pacing with each situation the friends finding themselves in feeling legitimate for the story. while we don’t learn too much about the characters we get everything we want from the story unfold which does keep us guessing.

Comedy/Crime/Mystery – The comedy in the film hits on the most part with each character offering different moments of laughs with Billy Magnussen and Jesse Plemons giving the most laughs. The crime twists the game night to what is real or not through the film which increases the suspense and the mystery keeps us guessing throughout.

Settings – The film is set in one city over one night, which puts the characters that don’t normally attend.


Scene of the Movie – Nearly every scene with Jesse Plemons.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – Tries too much for twists.

Final Thoughts – This is a fun comedy that hits on the laughs more often than it misses and does keep us guessing to where the story will go with characters that will make you laugh throughout.

 

Overall: Comedy film I enjoyed.

Rating