Tag: 2023

The Year the Film was Released

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Movie Review

The Fearway (2023) Movie Review

The Fearway – Movie Review

Fearway

Director: Robert Gajic

Writer: Noah Bessey (Screenplay)

Cast

  • Shannon Dalonzo
  • Justin Gordon (Before I Wake)
  • Eileen Dietz (Halloween II)
  • Simon Phillips (Survive the Game)
  • John D Hickman (Jiu Jitsu)

Plot: A young couple travelling down the freeway seem to be unable to get off the road after being hunted by someone intent on keeping them on the road.

Runtime: 1 Hour 22 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Fearway starts as Sarah (Dalonzo) and Michael (Gordon) are travelling down a freeway. They hit something and find an ice patch on the desert road. Believing it is strange, they look to regroup and continue on their way. However, the same incident happens.

Sarah and Michael find themselves getting hunted down the road by another car. This leads them to question what is going on and struggle to understand what is going on. As a mysterious diner seems to be the only shelter for them.

Verdict on The Fearway

Characters

Sarah and Michael are a couple travelling cross country, reaching the desert highway. They seem like any other couple until they deal with something hunting them down. The couple works together to try and solve the problem, this sees them challenging the bigger picture they find themselves in.

The Manager runs the diner and has a bigger understanding of everything going on. He makes sure the people in the diner follow the rules to keep everything in order. A well-spoken figure that feels out of place in this location.

The Hunter is driving the faster car closing down on the couple. We don’t see much of him until later in the movie, keeping his full image a mystery. Once we get to see this figure, it is one you would be scared of meeting.

Performances

Shannon Dalonzo and Justin Gordon do work very well as the couple in the movie. Between them, they keep the performances calm, instead of showing any elevated problems they are going through as characters.

Simon Phillips gives us a character we want to learn more about, but his performance manages to hold everything back. The rest of the supporting cast do well through the movie, only giving us enough information to move the story along.

Story

The story follows a couple that is getting hunted down by a crazed driver down a desert road. They have one place for shelter but each time they stop, it is getting closer to them. as we continue to see them trying to escape.

This is a story that feels like a few we have seen before. Ones, we can’t mention that they give too much away. On the surface, it has the makings of ‘Duel’ meets ‘Jeepers Creepers’ but the contained environment keeps the mystery tighter together. This is a story that will keep you guessing even if the surprise is one you could put together yourself quite easily. That doesn’t stop this from being fun, it has a unique-looking figure you want to see more from in the Hunter.

Where to Watch: The Fearway is coming to UK digital platforms on 13th February 2023.

Final Thoughts –The Fearway is Duel meets Jeepers Creepers.

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Movie Review

Your Place or Mine (2023) Movie Review

Your Place or Mine – Movie Review

Your Place or Mine Poster

Director: Aline Brosh McKenna

Writer: Aline Brosh McKenna (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: Two long-distance best friends change each other’s lives when she decides to pursue a lifelong dream and he volunteers to keep an eye on her teenage son.

Runtime: 1 Hour 49 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Your Place or Mine starts as we meet the two best friends, Debbie (Witherspoon) in LA and Peter (Kutcher) in New York. They chat everyday day and have known each other for 20 years. The two have lived different lives, Peter as a playboy who is rich, and Debbie as a single mother trying to further her career.

When Debbie is meant to be heading to New York for a course that would help her future. The pair look forward to catching up, however, her son Jack’s (Kimmel) father bails last minute. Peter refuses to let Debbie give up on her dream, so he offers to head to LA to look after Jack, while Debbie stays at his place.

Verdict on Your Place or Mine

Characters

Debbie lives in LA with her teenage son, she is a control freak needing everything in a certain order. She has been best friends with Peter for 20 years now, chatting every day. Debbie has an opportunity to take some classes to help her future in New York, where she is looking forward to spending time with Peter. However, she has to put that dream aside when her ex-husband lets her down. Only for Peter to refuse to let her, offering to step in. Debbie gets to spend a week in New York, where she gets to meet new people.

Peter lives in New York, he is a playboy who has made a lot of money. He has spent most of his life keeping himself single, keeping his life empty. Peter offers to help Debbie by looking after Jack for the week as he tries to bond with the teenager. He does bring embarrassing energy but is determined to help him unlock more of his potential.

The two have a unique friendship that comes through years of friendship. They stay connected to support each other, while there seems to be a distant spark from their first meeting. On their journeys Debbie looks to help Peter’s secret, mixing with a famous author. While Peter gets to learn about what is like to have had a family.

Performances

Reese Witherspoon has always been brilliant in romantic comedies, she is great as always in the awkward moments and sweet moments. Ashton Kutcher is great in the awkward playboy figure. He shows the smooth side of his character, as well as the nervous figure he has been through. The supporting cast gets plenty of laughs, Tig Notaro steals every scene she is in.

Story

The story follows two best friends that live different lives across the country. They chat every day and support each other through their biggest issues. When one is about to lose out on their big trip for a course, the other offers to watch their child for them. The two get a week in the other one’s shoes where they get a chance to see a new life they could have had.

This is a fun romantic comedy that mixes Trading Places in a more romantic formula. It lets two people see how life could have been different, as their friendship could have been a lot more. This also gets to show how they have both faced their fears in life and seen a much better side to life. There is a bigger message that life happens when you least expect it.

Where to Watch: Your Place or Mine is available on Netflix now.

Final Thoughts – Your Place or Mine is the Valentine’s Day Ticket for 2023.

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Movie Review

Dear David (2023) Movie Review

Dear David – Movie Review

Dear David

Director: Lucky Kuswandi

Writer: Winnie Benjamin, Daud Sumolang, Muhammad Zaidy (Screenplay)

Cast

  • Shenina Cinnamon
  • Emir Mahira
  • Caitlin North Lewis
  • Michael James

Plot: A Secret fantasy blog might jeopardize the promising future of Laras, a talented student, when the blog is revealed to her entire school.

Runtime: 1 Hour 57 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Dear David starts as Laras (Cinnamon) has created a secret fantasy blog about a male student David (Mahira). However, Laras’ life is turned upside down when somebody leaks the blog. The school turns into a witch-hunt searching for the author.

In the meantime, David knows it was Laras, but it is his life that changes because of the fan fiction about him. The pair make a deal that Laras will help David get close to his crush Dilla and her former best friend. This leaves Laras in a difficult position as she sees her own crush David with another girl.

Verdict on Dear David

Dear David is a romantic comedy following a school student whose secret gets exposed. While she isn’t exposed as the author, the subject matter sends shockwaves through the school. This includes the subject they are on, who sees his quiet life turned upside too. The two make a deal as they become close during the aftermath of the incident.

This does fall into the hopeful romantic tales in life. It shows how high school can be difficult for everyone there and understanding love makes things even more complicated. This gets to highlight how social media has added pressure to the younger generation and chasing dreams can cause more problems in this world. it has a strong message and gets everything together nicely.

Where to Watch: Dear David is available on Netflix now.

Final Thoughts – Dear David is a nice romantic comedy with a deeper meaning.

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Movie Review

Doomsday Stories (2023) Movie Review

Doomsday Stories – Movie Review

Doomsday STories Poster

Director: Derek Braasch, Marcelo Fabani, Phil Herman, James Panetta, Joel D Wynkoop

Writer: Derek Braasch, Marcelo Fabani, Phil Herman, James Panetta, Joel D Wynkoop, Nina Trader (Screenplay)

Cast

  • Lillian Lamour
  • Joel D Wynkoop
  • Constance Payne
  • Debbie D
  • Kimberly Lynn Cole

Plot: A survivor in an Apocalyptic world tells stories leading to the end of the world.

Runtime: 2 Hours

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Doomsday Stories starts as a virus has wiped out most of humanity. Zorack (Herman) has learned to survive in the disturbing world, adapting to survive the dangerous people in it. He looks back at the stories he has heard from the apocalypse as he explores other people’s journeys.

First up, Rick (Bower) travels around helping honest people and standing up against the deadly ones. He will do anything to protect his child, risking everything to survive. Second, a woman gets more than she bargained for when searching for shelter. The stories keep showing the extremes that people must go through to survive and the wildly disturbing world evolving.

Verdict on Doomsday Stories

Doomsday Stories is an anthology series following different characters during a doomsday situation. They have a connection to Zorack a survivor of the horrors who has heard chapters on his journey.

Each story brings a different scenario, diving into stories we might have heard before. This gets to show us just how many different ideas can come from this world. Each chapter gets to offer up something new and if one doesn’t work for you, the next one should. The low budgets used help create the empty world we visit, taking away the gloss other movies place on them.

Final Thoughts – Doomsday Stories is a nice apocalyptic anthology of stories.

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Movie Review

Missing (2023) Movie Review

Missing – Movie Review

Missing Poster

Director: Nicholas D Johnson, Will Merrick

Writer: Nicholas D Johnson, Will Merrick (Screenplay)

Writer: Sev Ohanian, Aneesh Chaganty (Story)

Cast

Plot: After her mother goes missing, a young woman tries to find her from home, using tools available to her online.

Runtime: 1 Hour 51 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Missing starts when teenager June (Reid) gets to see her mother Grace (Long) go on a weekend getaway with her boyfriend Kevin (Leung). June has a weekend of partying and when the time comes to pick her mum up, she never appears at the airport.

This leads to June going into detective mode, as she looks to learn what happened to her mother. She makes a connection in Columbia in Javier, while the investigation goes national. However, the mystery behind what happened to her mother will leave her shocked.

Verdict on Missing

Characters

June is a typical teenager who gets tired of her mother giving her the same messages. She is glued to social media and can’t wait for her freedom. When her mother goes away she uses it as a chance to get drunk over the whole weekend, until she needs to pick her parents up. June is left waiting at the airport, which sees her diving into the internet to search for answers. She must play detective as the police can’t help her, leading her down a path she wasn’t prepared for.

Grace is June’s mother, she always checks on her to a level which frustrates June. She is having a weekend getaway in Columbia but never returns. The mystery is where has she gone and everything we learn about her is from what June learns.

Kevin is Grace’s new boyfriend who is taking her on vacation to Columbia. We learn plenty about him along the same way June does. This is the same for everyone involved, June starts to learn more about everyone in her life.

Story

The story follows a teenage girl who goes to pick up her mother at the airport. However, when she doesn’t turn up, she ends up trying to figure out what happened. She tries to unlock the secrets of her mother’s life to learn what might have happened.

This comes from the people who brought us ‘Searching’ and you can see them using the same techniques. The idea we see everything unfolding from within a computer screen through different apps and websites. It helps show the chaotic mindset June is going through. However, it does make you question how anyone can operate on a computer/laptop screen so messy.

This does keep the story going with twists and turns, which keeps us guessing throughout the movie. The mystery is excellent to see unfold constantly putting the spotlight on different suspects.

Final Thoughts – Missing is an intense thriller that keeps you guessing throughout.

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Movie Review

Bad Romance (2023) Movie Review

Bad Romance – Movie Review

Bad ROmance Poster

Director: Chad Hamilton

Writer: Chad Hamilton (Screenplay)

Cast

  • Sanjay Rao (Flight Attendant)
  • Emily Trent
  • Jeff Riberdy (Finders Keepers)
  • Kristen Marie Perry
  • Raleigh Moore

Plot: Bad Romance is a comedic neo-noir about a socially awkward lonely guy, Rob, who attempts to track down the man who killed his wife — but not for revenge, just to make friends and find love along the way.

Runtime: 1 Hour 51 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Bad Romance starts as Rob (Rao) goes in search of the man who killed his wife, Jack S (Moore). Rob follows the final footsteps of his wife Erin (Perry), which sends him across town for answers.

Rob meets bartender Hannah (Trent) in his search, and they work together to figure out who the murderer is. However, Rob’s search sees him making more friends along the way than anything else.

Verdict on Bad Romance

Bad Romance is a neo-noir romantic comedy following a lonely man searching for his wife’s killer. As the man goes in search of answers, he starts making new friends and learning more about himself along the way.

This is a movie that does an excellent job of keeping us guessing. It has plenty of twists and turns along the way to keep us wondering what is real or not. In a weird way, it feels more like a comedic vision of Memento without giving away too much along the way.

Sanjay Rao is the star of the show here, getting laughs in nearly every scene. This is down to the awkward comedy he presence throughout the movie. The supporting cast is strong too, playing into the bigger story going on.

Where to Watch: Bad Romance is Available on Amazon Prime, Vudu, and Tubi this Valentine’s Day

Final Thoughts –Bad Romance is a delightful odd romantic comedy.

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Movie Review

Knock at the Cabin (2023) Movie Review

Learn About the Gripping Plot of Knock at the Cabin Movie Review

Learn About the Gripping Plot of Knock at the Cabin Movie Review

Director: M Night Shyamalan

Writer: M. Night Shyamalan, Steve Desmond, Michael Sherman (Screenplay)

Writer: Paul Tremblay (Book)

Cast

Plot: While vacationing, a girl and her parents are taken hostage by armed strangers who demand that the family make a choice to avert the apocalypse.

Runtime: 1 Hour 40 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Knock at the Cabin starts when a vacationing family, Eric (Groff), Andrew (Aldridge) and their daughter Wen (Cui) get a surprise visit. Leonard (Bautista), Sabrina (Amuka-Bird), Redmond (Grint) and Ardiane (Quinn) arrive to make a startling revelation.

The group claim that a member of the family must sacrifice themselves to stop the end of the world. This leaves the family questioning whether this is real or not, as the group try to explain why this must be done.

Verdict on Knock at the Cabin

Characters

Eric and Andrew are a gay couple taking their adopted daughter on a vacation. They have faced discrimination in the past and from within their own family. This vacation is meant to let them unwind, as Andrew has a built-up rage in him. The pair face the decision presented to them and try to use rational thinking to solve it. Throughout the story, we get to look at moments that have impacted the pair too.

Wen is the couple’s young daughter, she is introduced to capturing and studying grasshoppers. She makes friends with Leonard before learning what he and the group want. Wen is scared, despite using her innocent nature to show her fear of the situation.

The group is led by Leonard, a softly-spoken teacher. He wants to use a calm approach to the situation never using his size to take control. Leonard is open about his group’s visions and believes his approach will get the best results. Sabrina, Redmon and Ardiane have their own ways to convince. They manage to show restraint in the situation they are going through.

Performances

Dave Bautista is the leader of the group, his size makes him feel imposing but he is so softly spoken throughout the movie. He captures our attention and creates a true unease about what his character might do next.

Jonathan Groff and Ben Aldridge are wonderful as the couple with the decision. They often have to show more of their performance through expression and tone over any actions. Kristen Cui is excellent too giving us an innocent figure in the complicated situation.

Nikki Amuka-Bird, Rupert Grint and Abby Quinn complete the main cast and all bring determination and pain to their characters. As they know and believe everything they are saying.

Story

The story follows a vacationing family that gets approached by a group that makes a disturbing request from them. They ask the family to sacrifice a member to save the world from the apocalypse. What follows is the group and the family needing to figure out what is real and what is made up.

This is an excellent story, it manages to bring a mystery from the request and mixes it with the horror of a potential outcome. There is plenty to the discussion going on as the group presents what they believe will happen. This goes hand in hand with exploring both sides of the discussion as the tension involved rises.

The movie will offer plenty of discussion from the audience in the aftermath. Elsewhere, there is plenty of beliefs put into play and nothing holds us back from what we are made to believe. Meanwile, the location of the vacationing cabin is crucial to the movie. It creates isolation from being able to get help, so the request can take place.

Final Thoughts –Knock at the Cabin is an excellent tension-riddled mystery that will leave you stunned.

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Movie Review

Dress Code (2023) Movie Review

Dress Code – Movie Review

Dress Code Poster

Director: Joseph Pupello

Writer: Peter Panagos (Screenplay)

Cast

  • Gerard Garilli (Hard Laughter)
  • Frank Osso
  • Robert Asencio
  • Edward John Socienski
  • Maria Marinaro

Plot: Bobby Russo was born into a life of organized crime. A life of secrets and lies. As he gets older Bobby realizes that the most dangerous secrets of all, are his own.

Runtime: 1 Hour 48 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Dress Code starts as we meet Bobby Russo (Garilli) a man raised in a criminal family to take over the business. However, he has a massive secret, one that his father drilled out of him. When Bobby loses his mother, he finds his life becoming more complicated again.

His role in the family business is in question and he is expecting his first child with his childhood sweetheart Clarie (Marinaro). Bobby must decide whether to remain in the family or embrace what makes him happy in life.

Verdict on Dress Code

Dress Code is a crime thriller following a young man that stepped into the criminal family business. He has dealt with abuse from his father about what makes him happy forcing him to hide it for years. However, when his secret comes out, his role in the family is tested.

This is a very different movie from what we have seen before in the criminal family stories. It challenges the stereotypes in the world and whether choices people make that give them happiness should be questioned. The bigger talking points are the most important parts of the story. In the performances, we get strong performances throughout, with Gerard Garilli in the leading role. He gets to bring the most to the movie, everything that plays into the bigger story.

Final Thoughts – Dress Code Brings a much bigger conversation to the gangster movie.

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Movie Review

Infiesto (2023) Movie Review

Infiesto – Movie Review

Infiesto Poster

Director: Patxi Amezcua

Writer: Patzi Amezcua (Screenplay)

Cast

  • Isak Férriz
  • Iria del Río
  • Antonio Buíl
  • Juan Fernández
  • Andrea Barrado

Plot: Two detectives are called to a small mining town in the Asturian mountains where a young woman who had been left for dead for months has suddenly appeared, leaving the detectives to question what dark forces are at work.

Runtime: 1 Hour 36 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Infiesto starts when a young woman Saioa (Barrado) is discovered injured and walking the streets. She has been missing for 3 months and now two detectives Castro (del Río) and Garcia (Férriz) lead the investigation.

The pair must deal with the lingering lockdowns controlling the city and their own personal problems within the lockdown. As the investigation starts getting deeper, they learn of a shocking larger cover-up going on, one in which much darker forces are involved.

Verdict on Infiesto

Infiesto is a crime thriller following two detectives investigating a missing person case. It sees them needing to figure out what happened to an injured woman, only for it to take them down a dangerous path with many dark secrets.

This is an incredibly dark thriller and it only gets dark and more disturbing, the deeper we go. On this side of the story, it is very intense and keeps us wanting to watch more. However, this is another movie that decides to use the Covid pandemic as a stalling tactic within the movie. The story uses it as a way to keep the bigger mystery quiet, which is only annoying, holding back the much more interesting elements involves.

When it comes to the performances, the two leads are great together, with Garcia character needing to have a bigger mystery about his own past.

Where to Watch: Infiesto is available on Netflix now.

Final Thoughts – Infiesto is a very dark mystery that constantly keeps shocking you.