Tag: 2019

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Movie Review

Yummy (2019) Movie Review

Yummy – Movie Review

Discover the gore and fun in Yummy, a thrilling movie with blood, violence, and suspense. Experience the twists and turns as a couple's surgery turns into a fight for survival.

ABC Film Challenge – World Cinema – Y

Director: Lars Damoiseaux

Writer: Lars Damoiseaux, Eveline Hagenbeek (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: An orgy of blood, violence and fun in which a young couple travel to a shabby Eastern European hospital for plastic surgery. Once there things unravel.

Runtime: 1 Hour 28 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Yummy starts when Alison (Neuville), Michael (Hollanders) and Sylvia (Christiaens) head to a shady hospital. The plan is to get breast reduction surgery for Alison. However, the hospital holds a bigger secret as they have been performing operations on the undead.

When the zombies get unleashed, the three must work with the staff members to escape before becoming the latest victim. However, escape leaves them with different problems to face as they search for the best option to survive.

Verdict on Yummy

Yummy is a horror comedy following a couple who visit a shady hospital. They soon learn they have been researching on the dead and zombies are lurking. It becomes a race to escape before they become the latest victims.

This is a fun horror comedy that paints an interesting way to introduce a zombie spread. It uses the idea that a medical facility is doing things it shouldn’t be doing that have a ripple effect on everyone involved. We get some excellent makeup effects and gory deaths along the way. It proves once again, that people can think of something outside the box and produce an entertaining project. 

Where to Watch

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JustWatch

Final Thoughts – Yummy is gory, comical and wildly entertaining.

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Movie Review

Break (2019) Movie Review

Break – Movie Review

Discover the suspense and excitement of Break - a movie about five friends trapped in a gondola lift. Watch the thrilling fight for survival on Tubi.

First Reaction – Break has some suspense and a great contained environment.

Watch Break on Tubi.

ABC Film Challenge – World Cinema – B

Director: Tigran Sahakyan

Writer: Denis Kosyakov, Alexandr Nazarov, Olga Rud, Tigran Sahakyan (Screenplay)

Cast

  • Irina Antonenko (Taken from Rio Bravo)
  • Andrey Nazimov (Invasion)
  • Denis Kosyakov
  • Ingrid Olerinskaya
  • Mikhail Filippov

Plot: Five young adults, who want to celebrate New Years Eve on top of a mountain, one of them drops out, they get stuck in a gondola lift. What started out as an adventurous party, soon becomes a fight for survival.

Runtime: 1 Hour 25 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Break starts when five friends look to celebrate New Year’s Eve on a mountaintop. Katya (Antonenko), Denis (Kosyakov), Vika (Olerinskaya) and Roman (Filippov) take a gondola lift to the top. However, it breaks down leaving them stranded between two mountains.

The four try to make the most of the night but when morning comes and they are still trapped, they search for solutions. However, it starts to bring out the worst in them and they must battle against themselves.

Verdict on Break

Recap

The movie follows four friends who take a gondola lift to a New Year’s Eve party, only for it to get stuck between the mountains. They wait for rescue but when nothing comes, they start turning on each other.

Best Parts

This creates a good, contained environment for the movie. The conditions make things worse, and we are left wondering what they could do to escape.

Worst Parts

This movie does make some strange decisions, mostly regarding how quickly the friendship falls apart. It doesn’t make any sense why they turn on each other so quickly or how we end up going the direction we do. It is also strange that nobody checks on the equipment daily.

Final Thoughts –Break has a great idea but not enough suspense.

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Movie Review

Brothers in Arms (2019) Movie Review

Brothers in Arms – Movie Review

Discover the intense and gripping movie 'Brothers in Arms' with an ethical dilemma that tests the bond between siblings.

ABC Film Challenge – Action – N (Nat Wolff)

Director: Henry Alex Rubin

Writer: Sean Mullin, Henry Alex Rubin (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A police officer who serves in the Marine Corps Reserves is faced with an ethical dilemma when it comes to helping his brother in prison.

Runtime: 1 Hour 39 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Brothers in Arms starts as we meet the group of Marine Corps Reserves, Callahan (Courtney), Oyster (Wolff), Jaeger (Wittrock), Snowball (Castro) and Milk (Knapp). Callahan is also a police officer who is trying to help his younger brother Oyster get his life in order, having built a reputation for causing trouble.

However, Oyster can’t handle his aggression and ends up involved in a bar fight. This leads to him being sent to prison, where he finds life even more difficult than he could imagine. Meanwhile, Callahan finds his military difficult and wants to help Oyster with his time locked up.

Verdict on Brothers in Arms

Brothers in Arms is an action drama following a brother trying to support his younger brother who is in prison. He has looked after him for years, but this time his trouble goes too far. However, he wants to get him out and give him another chance at life.

This movie leaves you scratching your head about what goes on. The concept of trying to help someone who killed someone all be it by accident, not going to jail is baffling. It uses military training to break them out, which shows the dangers behind training people to help criminals. Everything in this movie confuses us and leads us down a strange and dangerous path. On the positive side, the performances are good, and cover up the strange storyline choices.

Where to Watch

JustWatch

Final Thoughts – Brothers in Arms takes us down a strange path.

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Movie Review

Murder Mystery (2019) Movie Review

Murder Mystery – Movie Review

Murder Mystery is a light-hearted crime film about a couple framed for murder while vacationing in Europe, featuring humor and suspense.

First Reaction – Murder Mystery fun little crime caper.

Watch Murder Mystery on Netflix now.

ABC Film Challenge – Action – M

Director: Kyle Newacheck

Writer: James Vanderbilt (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A New York cop and his wife go on a European vacation to reinvigorate the spark in their marriage, but end up getting framed and on the run for the death of an elderly billionaire.

Runtime: 1 Hour 37 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Murder Mystery starts when Nick (Sandler) and Audrey (Aniston) finally vacation in Europe. On their way, they meet Charles Cavendish (Evans) who invites them to his luxury yacht. They discover they are involved in a family meeting but when Malcolm Quince (Stamp) is murdered, they find themselves at a crime scene.

Nick uses his amateur detective skills to try and solve the mystery. However, the suspect list includes plenty of people who have a chance to gain from Malcolm’s death.

Verdict on Murder Mystery

Recap

The movie follows an American couple who find themselves in the middle of a murder. They must use their knowledge and Nick’s desire to become a detective to investigate the case. However, they find themselves the prime suspect in the murder.

Best Parts

This gives us a fun mystery to watch get solved. It has a few laughs but not many, but still keeps us guessing along with the story. The fish out of water concept the American couple find themselves in works well for the story too.

Worst Parts

This feels like it wants to be as smart as Knives Out, but it is nowhere near it. In the end, it doesn’t do enough to be a full comedy or enough of a charming mystery.

Final Thoughts – Murder Mystery is a simple crime caper.

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Movie Review

True History of the Kelly Gang (2019) Movie Review

True History of the Kelly Gang – Movie Review

Discover the true story of the Kelly Gang in this action-packed movie review. Learn about the cast, the plot, and the runtime of this thrilling Australian film.

ABC Film Challenge – Action – J (Director Justin Kurzel)

Director: Justin Kurzel

Writer: Shaun Grant, Peter Carey (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: Australian bushranger Ned Kelly and his gang flee from authorities during the 1870s.

Runtime: 2 Hours 4 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: True History of the Kelly Gang starts as we meet a young Ned Kelly (Schwerdt) who comes from nothing. He ends up learning under Harry Power (Crowe), where he learns a more ruthless side to life.

Once Ned (MacKay) reaches adult life, he uses his skills to make money, mostly through fighting. However, his past still haunts him, as memories of his abusive father Sgt O’Neil (Hunnam). Returning home gives Ned a chance to reconnect with his siblings, as they start to show a different side. However, Ned clashes with Constable Fitzpatrick (Hoult), leading to the family becoming the targets of the authorities and needing to go on the run.

Verdict on True History of the Kelly Gang

True History of the Kelly Gang is an action thriller following the rise of Ned Kelly and his gang. It follows his upbringing through tough times before becoming the notorious outlaw leader.

This movie is a fictionalised story of the notorious outlaw and his crew, despite the title.  It creates a world where he becomes broken by society and leads to the uprising he creates. This is a strange series of events and it does show just how easily people can be broken. The performances are strong throughout, with an all-star cast who all shine.

Where to Watch

JustWatch

Final Thoughts – True History of the Kelly Gang is a strange take on the iconic outlaw.

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Movie Review

Daughter of the Wolf (2019) Movie Review

Daughter of the Wolf – Movie Review

Discover the gripping story of 'Daughter of the Wolf' - a thrilling action film about a mother's relentless pursuit to rescue her kidnapped son.

ABC Film Challenge – Action – D

Director: David Hackl (into the Grizzly Maze)

Writer: Nika Agiashvili (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A military veteran hunts the men who kidnapped her son.

Runtime: 1 Hour 28 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Daughter of the Wolf starts when a failed drop-off between Clair (Carano) and kidnappers occurs. Larsen (Fehr) is one of the men who has taken her daughter and now she chases him down for information. As the pair travel across the wilderness, she learns more about Father (Dreyfuss), who organised the kidnapping.

Clair must use all her military skills to survive the environment and the people hunting her down. However, neither side is prepared for what they will be facing in this battle of life and death.

Verdict on Daughter of the Wolf

Daughter of the Wolf is an action thriller following a mother trying to save her son. It sees her travelling across harsh wilderness facing off against a gang that would have their reasons to select her family.

This feels like a run-of-the-mill sort of action movie. Where it does stand out, is starting with the drop-off going wrong. This is instead of dealing with the whole, where or if she could get the money and poses a simple idea of getting the deal done quickly. However, things get out of hand launching us into the action. The action itself works well, without being anything we haven’t seen before. In the end, this is a simple late-night action movie taking up a tidy hour and a half.

Where to Watch

JustWatch

Final Thoughts – Daughter of the Wolf is a by-the-book late-night action movie.

Categories
Movie Review

Dark Light (2019) Movie Review

Dark Light – Movie Review

"Dark Light is a suspenseful film about a mother's struggle to save her daughter from unseen monsters, blending horror and action effectively."

First Reaction – Dark Light is an intense, late-night action movie.

Watch Dark Light on Tubi.

Director: Padraig Reynolds

Writer: Padraig Reynolds (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A woman returns to her family home and discovers it to be inhabited by monsters.

Runtime: 1 Hour 30 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Dark Light starts when Annie (Madsen) looks to start a fresh life with her daughter Emily (Littleton). They return to her childhood home, but she soon discovers something isn’t right. Annie deals with Emily having unexplained injuries and her ex-husband Paul (Brody) appearing.

It leads to Sheriff Dickerson (Clifford) arresting Annie. However, Annie knows she didn’t do anything wrong and risks everything to get back and save Emily from an unknown threat.

Verdict on Dark Light

Recap

The movie follows a mother who is desperately trying to find her daughter. However, the authorities believe she is behind the disappearance, but she knows there is something far more sinister happening.

Best Parts

One of the highlights is the creature creations here, they are disturbing, scary and most importantly terrifying. It teases a lot of options, which is nice too, leading us down the path of the unknown. Jessica Madsen is great in the leading role too.

Worst Parts

The timeline in the movie jumps a bit too much, which makes for an uncomfortable experience for no reason. It tries to tell the story more in flashbacks at times, but it doesn’t seem to land enough of that.

Final Thoughts – Dark Light has a terrifying creation for a twisted late-night horror.

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Movie Review

2099 The Soldier Protocol (2019) Movie Review

2099 The Soldier Protocol – Movie Review

Check out our first reaction review of 2099 The Soldier Protocol, a sci-fi movie with an intriguing concept and surprising twists.

First Reaction – 2099 The Soldier Protocol creates a great idea without the scale presented.

Watch 2099 The Soldier Protocol here.

a
JustWatch

Director: Dee McLachlan

Writer: James S Abrams (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: Matt volunteers for an experiment that promises to return mobility to his legs but he does not know at what price.

Runtime: 1 Hour 25 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: 2099 The Soldier Protocol starts when Dr Emmett Snyder (Arquette) gets his latest subject Matthew Allen Mills (Gallagher). He gets a new partner in Dr Allison Turner (Rae) who witnesses the torture Emmett puts Matthew through.

Allison questions the research process and learns how much stronger Matthew has become. Meanwhile. Matthew beats every test put on front on him and it turning out to be the best subject in a long time. However, when the subjects get stronger, they become a bigger threat.

Verdict on 2099 The Soldier Protocol

Recap

The movie follows scientists performing experiments on subjects to create perfect soldiers. However, the latest subject becomes stronger than anything they have seen before and a bigger threat.

Best Parts

This movie creates the secretive lab and builds on the idea that people are using nanobots to help cure problems. And of course, we dive into more of a military motivation for it. This all comes together nicely to show the smoother operation and ruthless nature.

Worst Parts

The creation feels great, but doesn’t seem to have the scale presented. It makes you feel like we could have plenty of subjects and it only seems to present a solo one in such a large-scale facility. This pushes heavily into another idea before we get the real reveal too.

Final Thoughts –2099 The Soldier Protocol plays into the mystery of experiments.

Categories
Movie Review

Witches in the Woods (2019) Movie Review

Witches in the Woods – ABC Film Challenge – Horror – W Witches in the Woods – Movie Review

Witches in the Woods

Director: Jordan Barker

Writer: Christopher Borrelli (Screenplay)

Writer: David Lafontaine (Story)

Cast

Plot: Jill, a tenacious UMass freshman, abandons her studies for an off-the-grid snowboarding trip. When their SUV mysteriously becomes lost, temperatures fall and the group dynamic unravels as a virtual and then literal witch hunt begins.

Runtime: 1 Hour 30 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Witches in the Woods starts when a group of 7 friends, Derek (Arnold), Jill (Kasulka), Alison (Clements), Philip (Bleu), Bree (Gonzalez), Matty (Jordy) and Tod (Mac) head off for a snowboarding trip. They have joined forces to help Jill overcome her problems at university.

However, they fail to reach their location after trying to take a shortcut. This leads to them getting stuck in the woods, with no reception and no idea where they are. With no help or a quick escape, the friends start to become divided in what they needed to survive.

Verdict on Witches in the Woods

Witches in the Woods is a horror thriller following a group of college students going on a snowboarding trip. It sees them getting stuck in their car and needing to find a way to escape before they freeze to death, or worse.

This is a horror movie that looks to use isolation to create tension between friends. The drama is already at the tipping point due to an incident at the college. This does get reflected in how a threat from outside the car could be here, despite putting the focus on the friend’s problems. However, this doesn’t seem to get into enough of the intensity of the situation and ends up going down the path of the students making a series of dumb decisions.

Final Thoughts – Witches in the Woods is about students doing dumb decisions to create a horror situation.