Tag: 2020

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Movie Review

Over the Moon (2020) Movie Review

Over the Moon – Movie Review

Read our review of Over the Moon: a heartwarming animated musical about love, loss, and the power of imagination.

First Reaction – Over the Moon is beautiful, emotional and gorgeous.

Watch Over the Moon on Netflix

ABC Film Challenge – Oscar Nominated – O

Director: Glen Keane, John Kahrs

Writer: Audrey Wells (Screenplay)

Cast (Voice Talents)

Plot: In this animated musical, a girl builds a rocket ship and blasts off, hoping to meet a mythical moon goddess.

Runtime: 1 Hour 35 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Over the Moon starts as Fei Fei grows up with her parents in their small business. They have a perfect life until tragedy strikes and her mother passes away. Fei Fei and her father continue the company but when he starts to move on with his life dating Mrs Zhong, Fei Fei searches for a way to contact the Moon Goddess.

This leads to Fei Fei building a rocket ship to take her to the moon and she gets a chance to face her grief and understand what is important in life.

Verdict on Over the Moon

Recap

The movie follows a teenage girl who struggles to cope with the loss of her mother. She decides to build a rocket ship to visit the Moon Goddess and understand how important life changes can be.

Best Parts

The opening sequence is beautiful and heartbreaking and could be compared to Up. We get an excellent adventure diving into the myths and stories about the moon. There is also an important message about understanding grief and needing to move on with life, no matter how painful it can be. It is a beautiful story and the animation if amazing.

Final Thoughts – Over the Moon is a wonderful story with beautiful animation.

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Movie Review

Black Bear (2020) Movie Review

Black Bear – Movie Review

Black Bear features a filmmaker confronting her past during a retreat, leading to unexpected twists and an overcomplicated narrative.

First Reaction – Black Bear tries to bring plenty of surprises throughout the story.

Watch Black Bear here.

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Director: Lawrence Michael Levine

Writer: Lawrence Michael Levine (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A filmmaker at a creative impasse seeks solace from her tumultuous past at a rural retreat, only to find that the woods summon her inner demons in intense and surprising ways.

Runtime: 1 Hour 44 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Black Bear starts when filmmaker Allison (Plaza) heads to a retreat run by Gabe (Abbott) and Blair (Gadon). It doesn’t take long for Allison to take notice of Gabe and an uneasy connection with his wife. However, things spiral out of control leading to a series of unusual outcomes.

This takes things in a different direction leading to an unexpected series of events. Allison must deal with her sanity to understand the bigger picture of her time away.

Verdict on Black Bear

Recap

The movie follows an actress taking a retreat from her busy life. She ends up in the middle of a marriage before the events of the weekend take an unexpected twist.

Best Parts

This movie has brilliant performances even if the story seems a little bit all over the place. They carry the movie through the uncertain directions we go, taking us down the path.

Worst Parts

The story tries to bring us something outside the normal. However, it takes a twist which makes some of the story feel empty and then takes us down a destructive path that no longer invests us.

Final Thoughts – Black Bear goes for the overcomplicated story and fails to land it.

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Movie Review

Amulet (2020) Movie Review

Amulet – Movie Review

Read the gripping review of the movie Amulet. Follow an ex-soldier's journey as he uncovers the dark truth behind a decaying house and its inhabitants.

Director: Romola Garai

Writer: Romola Garai (Screenplay)

Starring: Carla Juri, Alec Secareanu, Imelda Staunton, Anah Ruddin, Angeliki Papoulia, Elowen Harris, Joey Akubeze

Plot: An ex-soldier, living homeless in London, is offered a place to stay at a decaying house inhabited by a young woman and her dying mother. As he starts to fall for her, he cannot ignore his suspicion that something sinister is going on.

Runtime: 1 Hour 39 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Amulet starts when Tomaz (Secareanu) is offered a home by a nun Sister Claire (Staunton). She is also looking after Magda (Juri) and her Mother (Ruddin) and he is looking to rebuild his life. However, he has a strange sense that something isn’t right, even after getting closer to Magda.

As Tomaz spends more time at home, he notices things he can’t explain. However, he can’t figure out the problem, and his investigation takes him down a dark path, which he wasn’t prepared for.

Thoughts on Amulet

Amulet is a horror thriller following a man given a fresh start in life. However, the home he is welcomed into has a big secret and he must understand what is going on before it is too late. It leads to him making a terrifying discovery that changes everything he once knew.

This movie dives into how people could be offered a fresh start, with something else planned for them. It has uneasy moments as he makes small discoveries before exploding into reality. This does a great job of building a relationship that keeps Tomaz around, while a bigger secret is waiting to be explored. It does end up with a big final sequence that is filled with surprise and shocking moments.

Final Thoughts – Amulet is a surprising and shocking series of events.

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Movie Review

Revenge of the Gweilo (2020) Movie Review

Revenge of the Gweilo – Movie Review

Revenge of the Gweilo features a former cop seeking vengeance against the Asian mafia for his fiancée's murder, but lacks impactful execution.

First Reaction – Revenge of the Gweilo holds back too much for everything it presents.

Watch Revenge of the Gweilo Here

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Director: Nathan Hill

Writer: Nathan Hill (Screenplay)

Cast

  • Nathan Hill (I, Portrait)
  • Mary Annegeline (Neighbours)
  • Tritia DeViSha (The Debt Collector)
  • Joanne Nguyen
  • Andy McPhee (2067)

Plot: An ex-cop goes on a rampage after his fiancé is killed by the Asian mafia.

Runtime: 1 Hour 30 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Revenge of the Gweilo starts when former cop Joseph (Hill) discovers his fiancée Esmay (Annegeline) murdered. He wants to use his connections to hunt down the people behind it. However, being out of the force means he must go rogue.

Joseph tracks down the leader of the Asian Mafia, Ishtar (DeViSha), who runs her operation ruthlessly. This leads to a showdown between the two and anyone she sends to stop him.

Verdict on Revenge of the Gweilo

Recap

The movie follows a former cop whose fiancée is murdered. He decides to take on the Asian Mafia to take down everyone involved in her murder. However, he doesn’t know how many people he needs to eliminate.

Best Parts

The core story works because it gives us a one-man going against a ruthless gang. It also has a personal touch, as it feels like it wants to pay respect to a former era of action movies.

Worst Parts

The problems come from the low-budget effects that stick out, be it the explosions, blood splatter or even the fighting sequences never looking like they hit home. This ends up creating a film where the villains never feel like a threat and leave you not believing a moment in the action scenes. We could see people enjoy the style if they enjoy vintage fighting movies, but outside of that, the movie lacks the hard-hitting nature it presents.

Final Thoughts –Revenge of the Gweilo fails to hit hard enough.

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Movie Review

The Dark and the Wicked (2020) Movie Review

The Dark and the Wicked – Movie Review

Discover the chilling horror of 'The Dark and the Wicked' in this gripping movie review. Experience the slow descent into darkness and the sinister presence haunting a family on a secluded farm.

ABC Film Challenge – Horror – X (Xander Berkeley)

Director: Bryan Bertino

Writer: Bryan Bertino (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: On a secluded farm in a nondescript rural town, a man is slowly dying. His family gathers to mourn, and soon a darkness grows, marked by waking nightmares and a growing sense that something evil is taking over the family.

Runtime: 1 Hour 35 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Dark and the Wicked starts when Louise (Ireland) and Michael (Abbott Jr) return to help on their parent’s farm. Their Father (Zagst) is dying, and their mother (Oliver-Touchstone) has been acting strange.

The events become stranger; the siblings discover a shocking secret about the area. They must try to uncover what is going on and save their family before it is too late.

Verdict on The Dark and the Wicked

The Dark and the Wicked is a horror mystery following a family dealing with a strange series of events. It follows the siblings trying to support their parents but finding an evil presence lurking on their secluded farm.

This movie takes us down a dark path, following a family dealing with an unknown darkness. It uses the isolation of a secluded farm to create unease and show that people won’t know what is happening away from them. This creates a darkness, unlike most things we have seen, which sends us down a disturbing path to unlock the truth. Despite having strong moments of horror, it does take a little bit too long to get going and ends up not getting enough out of the biggest reveal.

Where to Watch

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Final Thoughts – The Dark and the Wicked is disturbing, uncomfortable and unsettling.

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Movie Review

Spontaneous (2020) Movie Review

Spontaneous – ABC Film Challenge – Horror – S – Spontaneous – Movie Review

Spontaneous – ABC Film Challenge – Horror – S – Spontaneous - Movie Review

Director: Brian Duffield

Writer: Brian Duffield, Aaron Starmer (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: Get ready for the outrageous coming-of-age love story about growing up…and blowing up. When students in their school begin exploding (literally), seniors Mara and Dylan struggle to survive in a world where each moment may be their last.

Runtime: 1 Hour 41 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Spontaneous starts when Mara (Langford) sees one of her classmates blow up in the middle of class. There was nothing political and nobody can explain what caused it. Her classmate Dlyan (Plummer) decides to use this opportunity to get to know Mara more. However, when another student blows up, the school becomes panic.

As the rest of the school starts worrying about what will happen next. The students start to worry about their own futures, before it is their time to go. However, the bigger mystery is more about what is causing it to happen in the first place.

Verdict on Spontaneous

Spontaneous is a horror comedy following a high school class that suddenly start blowing up. In the middle of this, two student fall in love. However, the mystery about why their classmates is blowing up remains the biggest worry for them all.

This is an unique horror comedy showing the panic created by the sudden spontaneous combustion of a high school class. It shows the panic of not being sure what is happening while trying to keep on enjoying a young life. There is a thrown in love story that pulls away from the bigger mystery and chaos. However, it seems to want to point toward one idea, but keeps the mystery waiting for us to see the truth.

Final Thoughts – Spontaneous is a weird, strange movie with an added chaos.

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Movie Review

Ghosts of War (2020) Movie Review

Ghosts of War – ABC Film Challenge – Horror – G – Ghosts of War – Movie Review 

Ghosts of War – ABC Film Challenge – Horror – G – Ghosts of War - Movie Review 

Director: Eric Bress

Writer: Eric Bress (Screenplay)

Cast

 

Plot: Five American soldiers assigned to hold a French Chateau near the end of World War II. This unexpected respite quickly descends into madness when they encounter a supernatural enemy more terrifying than anything seen on the battlefield.  

Runtime: 1 Hour 34 Minutes  

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review 

Story: Ghosts of War starts when five American soldiers Chris (Thwaites), Tappert (Gallner), Butchie (Ritchson), Kirk (Rossi) and Eugene (Astin) arrive at their French Chateau assignment. As World War II is ending, they find themselves concerned about why the previous unit are so fast to leave. The unit soon starts seeing strange events around the chateau, warning them to stay.

To make matters worse, a German unit arrives to take control of the chateau. Now, the five must fight back against a massive unit of soldiers. However, they find themselves getting help from the spirits murdered by the nazis who are out for revenge.  

Verdict on Ghosts of War

Ghosts of War is an action war horror movie following a group of soldiers in World War II. They are taking over covering a chateau; however, they find themselves in a nightmare scenario. But are left to wonder how they can escape the situation.

This is a horror that plays out extremely well for the first ¾ of the movie. It creates an atmospheric concept using World War II horrors to make things feel uneasy. However, this falls into one of the movies that take all the hard work and leaves us scratching our heads with the final quarter. It takes everything away from us to give us a disturbing alternative angle and then just ends. This feels like two movies rammed together and end up leaving you scratching your head. 

Final Thoughts –Ghosts of War starts so well but leaves us with an empty ending.

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Movie Review

Disturbing the Peace (2020) Movie Review

Disturbing the Peace – ABC Film Challenge – Thriller – Y (York Alec Shackleton) – Disturbing the Peace – Movie Review

Disturbing the Peace – ABC Film Challenge – Thriller – Y (York Alec Shackleton) – Disturbing the Peace - Movie Review

Director: York Alec Shackleton

Writer: Chuck Hustmyre (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A small-town marshal who hasn’t carried a gun since he left the Texas Rangers after a tragic shooting, must pick up his gun again to battle with a gang of outlaw bikers that has invaded the town to pull off a brazen and violent heist.

Runtime: 1 Hour 31 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Disturbing the Peace starts when a small-town comes under attack by a biker gang led by Diablo (Sawa). His men take complete control, holding everyone hostage including the marshal Jim (Pearce). However, once Jim gets freed, he teams up with his rookie officer Matt (Sirow) to try and take back control.

The two men must rely on Jim’s previous experience dealing with criminals and put aside his own nightmares. However, the numbers game makes this a difficult battle for the pair, as they must stop the residents from becoming the latest victims.

Verdict on Disturbing the Peace

Disturbing the Peace is an action thriller following a small town coming under attack by a biker game. It sees a tormented former Texas Ranger needing to lead the fight back to save the residents of the town.

This is a by-the-book type of thriller using the popular concept of a lone or small number fighting back against a large number. It does the basics well without excelling in anyway. The big moments don’t see to hit well and the shootout never look that realistic. While the tormented side of the story never feels as conflicted as it could be. This ends up becoming a standard late night action movie that is largely forgettable.

Where to Watch

JustWatch

Final Thoughts –Disturbing the Peace is a by-the-book late-night action movie.

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Movie Review

Lost Girls and Love Hotels (2020) Movie Review

Lost Girls and Love Hotels – Movie Review

Discover the captivating story of Lost Girls and Love Hotels, a thrilling movie set in Tokyo. Follow Margaret's journey as she searches for meaning and love in a foreign city.

ABC Film Challenge – Thriller – K (Kazu)

Director: William Olsson

Writer: Catherine Hanrahan (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: Disillusioned with the world she knows, a woman searches for meaning and affirmations of life with a dashing Yakuza gangster in Tokyo.

Runtime: 1 Hour 37 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Lost Girls and Love Hotels starts as we meet Margaret (Daddario) a woman living in Japan. She works as a teacher for a flight attendant school but struggles to find herself in the new city and country.

Margaret finds herself drawn to a Yakuza member Kazu (Hira) as she searches for someone to connect to in the city. However, their relationship is complicated, and Margaret must learn to understand the cultural differences.

Verdict on Lost Girls and Love Hotels

Lost Girls and Love Hotels is a thriller following an American woman trying to get to grips with life in Japan. She struggles to connect to too many people until she meets a dashing Yakuza gangster. however, he life becomes more dangerous as she is drawn into a sexual underworld of the city.

This dives into the difficulties of adapting to a new life away from home. It shows the draw of something outside of the normal and how easily people can get trapped in a world they dislike. Sadly, it doesn’t seem to do that much to stand out and we have seen things similar and more interestingly done before. Despite Alexandra Daddario’s attempts to make a big impact.

Where to Watch

JustWatch

Final Thoughts – Lost Girls and Love Hotels falls into the same paths as many lost in the big city movies.