Tag: 2023

The Year the Film was Released

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Movie Review

Birth/Rebirth (2023) Movie Review

Birth/Rebirth – Movie Review

Birth/Rebirth is a disturbing journey to understand reincarnations.

First Reaction – Birth/Rebirth is a disturbing journey to understand reincarnations.

Director: Laura Moss

Writer: Laura Moss, Brendan J O’Brien (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A morgue technician successfully reanimates the body of a little girl, but to keep her breathing, she will need to harvest biological materials from pregnant women. When the girl’s mother, a nurse, discovers her baby alive, they enter into a deal that forces them both down a dark path of no return.

Runtime: 1 Hour 38 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Birth/Rebirth starts when morgue technician Rose (Ireland) keeps a series of experiments in her apartment. Meanwhile, nurse Celie (Reyes) in the same hospital tragically loses her daughter. When Celie looks to collect her daughter’s remains, they discover the body is missing and she turns to Rose for answers.

Celie makes a disturbing discovery about Rose, as Rose has been keeping Lila (Lister) alive. The two reluctantly work together to save her daughter, but it comes at a cost, which not everyone is ever going to accept.

Verdict on Birth/Rebirth

Recap

The movie follows an experiment morgue technician exploring reincarnation and a grieving mother working to bring her daughter back to life. However, it explores a series of subjects that could change the future or ruin the future.

Best Parts

The concept of exploring a change in science is interesting, keeping things in a more scientific journey. It shows the unlikely friendship to achieve what is considered impossible. The performances are great with three very different performances from the case. There is a disturbing series of events when things get out of hand, which explores the darker nature behind it all.

Worst Parts

This is disturbing factors, and subject matter can be uncomfortable to watch. It is a much slower horror than many people would expect.

Final Thoughts – Birth/Rebirth has disturbing factors with uncomfortable series of events.

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Movie Review

They Cloned Tyrone (2023) Movie Review

They Cloned Tyrone – Movie Review

Discover the intriguing mystery of 'They Cloned Tyrone'. Join an unlikely trio as they uncover a government conspiracy in this thrilling movie review.

Director: Juel Taylor

Writer: Tony Rettenmaier, Juel Taylor (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A series of eerie events thrusts an unlikely trio onto the trail of a nefarious government conspiracy in this pulpy mystery caper.

Runtime: 2 Hours 2 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: They Cloned Tyrone starts when three friends Fontaine (Boyega), Slick Charles (Foxx) and Yo-Yo (Parris) hear an unusual story. They decide to investigate it, which leads them to an underground facility, where they make a shocking discovery.

The morning after, they team back up to explore the neighbourhood. However, they discover something far more sinister happening as they look to expose the truth and save their loved ones.

Verdict on They Cloned Tyrone

They Cloned Tyrone is a sci-fi comedy following three friends who discover a disturbing series of events in their neighbourhood. It follows them trying to uncover the truth as they see the changes in their loved ones, but can they stop them in time?

This movie takes an already entertaining concept and turns it into an even more comedic concept. The whole idea of people potentially being replaced brings the paranoia concept to life too. This plays into the comedy while keeping the series subject taking over. The three leads John Boyega, Jamie Foxx and Teyonah Parris are great together and show great chemistry throughout the story.

Where to Watch

JustWatch

Final Thoughts – They Cloned Tyrone is a wacky comedy that embraces the bigger style.

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Movie Review

The Sacrifice Game (2023) Movie Review

The Sacrifice Game – Movie Review

Uncover the chilling story of The Sacrifice Game. Samantha and Clara face a deadly threat when a murderous gang arrives at their boarding school during the holidays.

ABC Film Challenge – Horror – S

Director: Jenn Wexler

Writer: Sean Redlitz, Jenn Wexler (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: It’s bad enough that boarding school students Samantha and Clara can’t go home for the holidays, but things take a deadly turn when a murderous gang arrives on their doorstep – just in time for Christmas.

Runtime: 1 Hour 39 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Sacrifice Game starts when two boarding school students Samantha (Baines) and Clara (Acken) are forced to spend the holidays at the school. Meanwhile, a serial killer gang Jude (Massoud), Maisie (Welch), Grant (Johns) and Doug (Pitre) have been targeting family homes.

When the gang arrives at the school, the lone teacher Rose (Levine) agrees to help them. However, the gang doesn’t want to stop and decides to continue their rampage. Samantha and Clara must use their knowledge of the school to avoid capture and fight back.

Verdict on The Sacrifice Game

The Sacrifice Game is a horror thriller following two boarding school students who find themselves targeted by a demon worshipping cult. However, once the group gets inside the school, the night takes a dramatic turn for everyone involved.

This movie mixes home invasion with cult worshipping. It takes us down a twisted path, showing how easily people can be swayed into believe in evil and how weak they become when they are in danger. This brings a twist to what looks like a routine idea, that unleashes a darker side to the story. We get strong performances which sees the actors diving into the more twisted sides of their characters.

Where to Watch

a
JustWatch

Final Thoughts – The Sacrifice Game is a twisted concept that you will never see coming.

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Movie Review

Quicksand (2023) Movie Review

Quicksand – Movie Review

Read the thrilling movie review of Quicksand, a suspenseful film about a couple trapped in a rainforest, battling the elements to survive.

ABC Film Challenge – Horror – Q

Director: Andres Beltran

Writer: Matt Pitts (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: Follows a married couple almost divorcing who become trapped in quicksand while hiking through a rainforest in Colombia. They will battle the elements of the jungle and must work together in order to survive.

Runtime: 1 Hour 26 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Quicksand starts when a divorcing couple Sofia (Gaitan) and Josh (Hawco) visit Columbia for work. Josh wants to make more out of the holiday and go hiking, but Sofia wants to focus on work. However, their plans change and go hiking and are warned about a dangerous path.

When a storm comes in, they turn back and clash with a thieve. In their attempts to escape, they find themselves caught in a quicksand pit. The pair must put their differences aside if they are going to escape, a challenge they never thought they would need to do again. However, their plans are not as easy as they had hoped.

Verdict on Quicksand

Quicksand is a horror thriller following a divorcing couple who travel to Columbia. They decide to go hiking and end up falling into a quicksand pool. It leaves them needing to put aside their differences to try and survive as they face a race against time.

This movie uses the isolated location to give us a contained horror where it is a battle for survival. It puts the couple in a location they wouldn’t be expected to be, as they face a life-and-death situation. This uses the idea the couple have problems to create more problems, as they must search for a way to escape. It isn’t only the sand that is a threat, the local wildlife causes problems too. This is tense and does everything you expect, without reaching the highest levels of intensity.  

Where to Watch

a
JustWatch

Final Thoughts – Quicksand is a tense late-night horror movie.

Categories
Movie Review

Kill (2023) Movie Review

Kill – Movie Review

Kill is a tense thriller about three brothers facing paranoia after their abusive father's body goes missing from a shallow grave.

First Reaction – Kill is a tense thriller.

Where to Watch

a
JustWatch

ABC Film Challenge – Horror – K

Director: Rodger Griffiths

Writer: Rodger Griffiths, Robert Drummond (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: Three brothers return to the remote woodland where they killed their abusive father only to discover his shallow grave is now empty, forcing them to question one another’s loyalty with devastating consequences as fear and paranoia set in.

Runtime: 1 Hour 34 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Kill starts when three brothers John (Vernel), Henry (Portman) and Vince (Ross) kill their abusive stepfather Don (Higgins). They make it look like a hunting accident and bury the body. However, when they return home, they discover he still has something they need.

When they return to the shallow grave, they discover the body has gone. The three question each other and paranoia begins to set in. They try to figure out what happened before their crime was exposed, but can they trust each other?

Verdict on Kill

Recap

The movie follows three brothers who have lived with the abuse of their stepfather for too long. They decide to kill him but when they return to the shallow grave the body has gone. It leaves them to search the woods, where they start to lose their minds understanding what happened.

Best Parts

The movie creates a world where three brothers have faced and dealt with abuse for too long. It shows their plan to get it sorted after it went too far and reflects what others might think about being in the same situation. The paranoia created shows the strain on the brothers as they try to understand what is happening.

Worst Parts

The movie makes some strange decisions, which can feel out of place at times. It also doesn’t hit the horror levels it wants to.

Final Thoughts –Kill is a tense thriller with a serious subject.

Categories
Movie Review

It’s a Wonderful Knife (2023) Movie Review

It’s A Wonderful Knife – Movie Review

Read our review of 'It's a Wonderful Knife' and discover the thrilling story of Winnie Carruthers as she finds herself in a nightmare parallel universe.

ABC Film Challenge – Horror – I

Director: Tyler MacIntyre

Writer: Michael Kennedy (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: After saving her town from a psychotic killer, Winnie Carruthers’ life is less than wonderful. When she wishes she’d never been born, she finds herself in a nightmare parallel universe where without her, things could be much, much worse.

Runtime: 1 Hour 27 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: It’s A Wonderful Knife starts when a small town is preparing for Christmas and ruthless Mayor Henry Waters (Long) is trying to complete a deal. However, it would cause problems for the residents who don’t want to sell. Meanwhile, Winnie (Widdop) looks to celebrate with her high school friends. However, the party comes under attack by a masked killer until Winnie stops their rampage but loses her best friend in the attack.

One year later, Winnie is living with the pain of losing her best friend, while her father David (McHale) has become the number one in the town. However, that same night Winnie makes a wish, and she enters a world where she doesn’t exist, and the killer is never stopped. Now she must figure out what happened, save the town and return home.

Verdict on It’s A Wonderful Knife

It’s A Wonderful Knife is a horror comedy following a teenager who stops a serial killer. However, one year later, she finds people questioning her motives and she ends up in a world where she doesn’t exist, and the killer has terrorised the town for a year. She must figure out what is happening if she is ever going to get home.

This is an excellent spin on the slasher movie. First, it reveals the killer early on and then throws in the sci-fi nature of parallel universes. It brings a great twist to the ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ idea of not noticing the important things around you. When it comes to the slasher world, we get the typical, but fun fights to survive. Along with a killer Christmas Angel that could easily be one of the best for years to come.

Where to Watch

a
JustWatch

Final Thoughts – It’s A Wonderful Knife is a delightful Christmas slasher.

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Movie Review

Winnie the Pooh Blood and Honey (2023) Movie Review

Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey – Movie Review

Discover the twisted and dark tale of Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey in this movie review. Join Pooh and Piglet on a bloody rampage for survival.

ABC Film Challenge – Franchise Films – W

Director: Rhys Frake-Waterfield

Writer: Rhys Frake-Waterfield (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: After Christopher Robin abandons them for college, Pooh and Piglet embark on a bloody rampage as they search for a new source of food.

Runtime: 1 Hour 24 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey starts when Christopher Robin (Leon) returns to the 100 Arce Woods. He is surprised to learn Winnie and his friends have turned into savage creatures. Meanwhile, Maria (Taylor) is recovering from a traumatic experience and decides to spend time in the woods with friends. Maria is joined by Jessica (Mills), Alice (Doig-Thorne), Zoe (Ronald) and Lara (Tosini) as they plan their weekend getaway.

What the friends don’t know is that they are in Winnie’s hunting ground. Now Winnie and friends are hunting them down and it becomes a battle to survive.

Verdict on Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey

Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey is a horror thriller following a group of friends getting hunted by Winnie the Pooh and friends, well Piglet. They must battle to survive the psychotic creatures who won’t stop and have a lust for human flesh.

This is the movie which went viral because of the use of the beloved characters in a horror setting. It has a reputation for being terrible and one of the worst modern horrors. The reality is that the movie is fine, it works well as a slasher, with the bloody kills and masked killers. It makes some strange decisions, which don’t make sense for the storytelling of a slasher movie. Which would be the biggest frustration, but whatever people say, the movie did the important thing. It created a scene people will talk about and remember, which many horror struggle to achieve.

Where to Watch

a
JustWatch

Final Thoughts – Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey is fine for a late-night horror.

Categories
Movie Review

Don Q (2023) Movie Review

Don Q – Movie Review

"Don Q showcases a wannabe Mafia boss facing a real threat, blending humor with neighborhood values in a comical manner."

First Reaction – Don Q gets some good laughs and laughs the Mafia mentality.

Where to Watch

Don Q is on digital 15 September from Reel2Reel Films.

Director: Claudio Bellante

Writer: Claudio Bellante, Michael Domino (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: Don Q, a Little Italy resident, imagines himself as a powerful mafia boss aiming to restore the neighborhood’s values. The return of a ruthless ex-con challenges Q’s delusion, embroiling him and a loyal recruit in a turf war over the area.

Runtime: 1 Hour 48 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Don Q starts as we meet a little Italy resident Don Q (Assante) who believes he is a powerful Mafia boss. He values improving the local neighbourhood and keeping people safe. However, most people put up with him and let them enjoy his everyday routine.

His life is turned upside down when a real ruthless ex-con arrives in the area and his peaceful world is destroyed. He must turn to the locals to stand up for what is right before the ruthless gangster takes over.

Verdict on Don Q

Recap

The movie follows a senior member of a neighbourhood who believes he is a Mafia boss. However, the local crime boss returns and it leads to a clash between the two. He must decide where he stands in the area and protect his neighbourhood.

Best Parts

The movie gets to poke fun at the Mafia stereotypes in the neighbourhood. It shows the macho mentality becoming a Mafia gangster can create. The performances are good, and the leading one creates a fun comedic role without playing for laughs.

Worst Parts

The movie does most things well, but it can feel a little bit longer than it needs to. Elsewhere, the laughs are slightly shorter than expected and it becomes far too serious for no reason.

Final Thoughts –Don Q is a fun poking laughs at the Mafia life style.

Categories
Movie Review

Daruma (2023) Movie Review

Daruma – Movie Review

"Daruma is a heartfelt film about a wheelchair user learning to care for his daughter, showcasing struggles, growth, and great performances."

First Reaction – Daruma is a delightful story, with a big heart and wonderful performances.

Where to Watch

On digital 1 September from Miracle Media.

Director: Alexander Yellen

Writer: Kelli McNeil (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: PATRICK (bitter wheelchair user) enlists the help of his cantankerous neighbor ROBERT (double amputee) to transport the four-year-old daughter he never knew he had to live with her maternal grandparents on the other side of the country.

Runtime: 1 Hour 44 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Daruma starts when bitter wheelchair user Patrick (Forrest) discovers he has a daughter Camila (Scott). He must turn him like around and take care of the daughter he never new about. Patrick struggles with the early days with Camilla, but meeting a stranger in Anna (Hawk) opens up his world.

However, it becomes too much of a challenge for Patrick and he turns to his neighbour Rob (Lawson) to help him take her to grandparents. The journey tests Patrick as Rob must decide how to judge Patrick for his past problems and guide him.

Verdict on Daruma

Recap

The movie follows a wheelchair user who learns he has a daughter. He gets asked to care for her, but struggles with the work required. This sends him on a road trip with his neighbour to leave his daughter with his grandparents, before he can begin to turn his life around.

Best Parts

The movie shows the struggles a wheelchair user has in everyday life. It reflects the daily routine he goes through and adding a child into the mix would be difficult. There is a sense of learning how to adapt to change in life, address grief and taking responsibility. We get great performances from the whole cast, as we see the struggles they go through. It has all the heart needed to keep things flowing in a nice moving story.

Worst Parts

It takes time to direct us to why Patrick is obsessed with certain places, despite the additional responsibility in life.

Final Thoughts –Daruma is delightful story about understanding life.