Tag: 2025

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Movie Review

Bank of Dave 2 The Loan Ranger (2025) Movie Review

Bank of Dave 2 The Loan Ranger – Movie Review

First Reaction – Bank of Dave 2 The Loan Ranger is British spirit and fight against the corruption in the system.

Watch Bank of Dave 2 The Loan Ranger on Netflix Now.

Director: Chris Foggin

Writer: Piers Ashworth (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: This sequel to Bank of Dave sees Dave Fishwick taking on a new and more dangerous adversary: The Payday Lenders

Runtime: 1 Hour 42 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Bank of Dave 2: The Loan Ranger starts with Dave Fishwick (Kinnear) finding a new celebrity with his work in banking. However, he learns about payday lenders and the crippling effects it has had on the people in Burnley. Dave contacts journalist Jessica (Metz) who has taken them on in America.

Jessica teaches him about the system and how American Carlo Mancini (Delaney) operates. The pair team up with Citizen Advice employee Oliver (Shah) who has witnessed the effects to take them on. However, they aren’t going down without a fight.

Verdict on Bank of Dave 2 The Loan Ranger

Recap

The movie follows banker Dave Fishwick who discovers the ruthless payday lenders actions. He wants to stop them before more victims are found and stop the system in the government system. Dave builds a team to take on the new enemy risking everything he has worked for again.

Best Parts

The continued battles the honest banker Dave Fishwick goes through are interesting. His work can’t be questioned, and he will do the best for people. This latest battle shows the ruthless nature behind payday lenders and how they cripple lives. Rory Kinnear is fantastic again and newcomers Chrissy Metz and Amit Shah bring plenty of heart to the story too. This is an excellent sequel and proves people will fight people. The movie is told in a perfect way that isn’t too serious but isn’t a comedy, you can laugh at moments throughout the movie.

Final Thoughts –Bank of Dave 2 The Loan Ranger is an excellent sequel with true British spirit.

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Movie Review

Sweeps Week (2025) Short Movie Review

Sweeps Week – Short Movie Review

Sweeps Week is a humorous short film that critiques soap operas, showcasing the challenges faced by actors in a comedic light.

First Reaction – Sweeps Week embraces the wacky world of soap operas.

Director: Steve Blackwood

Writer: Steve Blackwood (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A soap opera actor is fired from his show by his slimy producer – and his evil twin does not come back.

Runtime: 12 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Verdict on Sweeps Week

Recap

Sweeps Week follows soap opera Brock who gets replaced by producer Stevie (Blackwood). Stevie has been planning on replacing Brock for a while and is getting confused by the direction changes in his character.

Best Parts

The short embraces the wacky world of soap operas, where we see crazy ideas to keep the audience happy. It shows how disposable the cast can become and the difficult lives of actors in smaller roles who find their roles taken away.

Worst Parts

It works as a fun comedy, but it could easily be expanded to show the actor spiralling out of control after losing their role. There is also an overreliance on a joke about something serious that happened on a move set; it can feel tasteless.

Final Thoughts – Sweeps Week is a funny short pulling the curtain back behind soap operas.

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Movie Review

Dead Before They Wake (2025) Movie Review

Dead Before They Wake – Movie Review

First Reaction – Dead Before They Wake is a gritty and raw thriller.

Watch Dead Before They Wake Here.

7th January 2025 on VOD/DVD (United States)

27th January 2025 on VOD (United Kingdom)

Director: Andy Crane, Nathan Shepka

Writer: Nathan Shepka (Screenplay)

Cast

  • Nathan Shepka (When Darkness Falls)
  • Grace Cordell (Cara)
  • Manjot Sumal (The Last Bus)
  • Kareem Nasif (The Job)
  • Sylvester McCoy (The Hobbit Franchise)

Plot: Nightclub bouncer Alex is tasked with tracking down a young girl snared by a sex trafficking network.

Runtime: 1 Hour 48 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Dead Before They Wake starts when bouncer Alex (Shepka) gets recruited to locate a missing teenager. The 14-year-old is believed to have been taken into a sex trafficking ring which hooks their victims on drugs. Alex goes undercover to learn how they operate to deal with the problems.

However, his investigation takes him into a dangerous world, with differing problems. His journey is for the right reasons but how far will it push him?

Verdict on Dead Before They Wake

Recap

The movie follows a bouncer recruited to investigate a missing 14-year-old. It follows him to explore a sex trafficking ring that could hold the answers and needs to stop them from spreading further.

Best Parts

The movie shows us how easily criminals can operate and how they pick innocent victims off the streets. One of the big things about the story is that it isn’t an all-guns a blazing tackle of the criminals. Everything feels grittier and down to Earth with how things are tackled. Most importantly, it isn’t the predictable approach many others have.

Worst Parts

The lower budget side of things can be seen, with some of the fight sequences. While not so much a good or a bad thing, the subject matter could hit too close to home for some with certain real-life events too.

Final Thoughts –Dead Before They Wake is a gritty thriller.

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Movie Review

When It Rains in LA (2024) Movie Review

When It Rains in LA – Movie Review

First Reaction – When It Rains in LA is a creepy step into the unknown.

Where to Watch

When It Rains in LA is in theaters January 3rd, 2025 and on Digital/On-Demand platforms January 7th, 2025

Director: David M Parks

Writer: John Sillup (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: Following an Eastern European girl’s escape from trauma, she goes on a vacation with friends, where she confronts her unresolved past and the consequences of her relocation.

Runtime: 1 Hour 20 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: When It Rains in LA starts when Sasha’s (Cline) husband suddenly dies, and she decides to visit friends in LA. She needs to regroup and determine where he life is going next and her friends help, her relax.

However, an unusual storm hits LA, and a hooded killer targets the friends. Sasha must work with a handsome pilot to figure out who has been targeting her before they complete their path of vengeance.

Verdict on When It Rains in LA

Recap

The movie follows a widow who visits friends only to learn that something about her husband’s death has followed her. She must fight back to save her friends before they become the latest victims of their evil plan.

Best Parts

The movie uses the uncertainty behind the grieving process to drive Sasha to explore her life. This creates the important friends required to help through a difficult time.

Worst Parts

The scares can feel empty compared to everything else going on. For example, one of the early incidents is more comical than scary and doesn’t make sense for it to happen to someone. The rest continues to feel tame compared to what is being presented behind what the group get up to.

Final Thoughts –When It Rains in LA is creepy but never reaches scary.

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Movie Review

Alone in Venice (2025) Movie Review

Alone in Venice – Movie Review

First Reaction – Alone in Venice is filled with beautiful contemplation.

Director: Jules East

Writer: Jules East (Screenplay)

Cast

  • Lisa Jacqueline Starrett (To Die Alone)
  • Apollo Luce
  • Luca Rosini

Plot: A modern reversal of Death in Venice, a young aspiring actor is waiting for his director in Venice while questioning what love is.

Runtime: 1 Hour 24 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Alone in Venice starts when Mia (Starrett) visits her friend Saul (Luce) in Venice. He has moved there for love and is waiting for a director to join him. Mia visits to try and shake some sense into him after seeing him wait for a year.

Saul convinces her he is happy and describes his long wait for his true love to join him. However, it is a lonely journey, and nobody is around to support him. Saul is left to contemplate his decision and his future.

Verdict on Alone in Venice

Recap

The movie follows a young man who has given up his life in pursuit of love in Venice. He is waiting for his lover to join him but is forced to spend months alone in an unknown city, while loved ones try to convince him to return home.

Best Parts

The movie shows the contemplation people go through when it comes to love. It does an excellent job of showing an isolated figure in a crowded city. This also highlights how difficult love can be when you are waiting for the person, you think can fix everything in your life. Apollo Luce is fantastic in the leading role, showing the range of emotions, his character is going through. There is also a much-needed awareness of the problems Venice is facing with flooding.

Worst Parts

There are times when we see an overuse of montages throughout the city. While it tries to feel more like a glimpse into a silent movie presentation.

Final Thoughts –Alone in Venice is an enjoyable journey through Venice.

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Movie Review

The Magic of Santa Claus (2025) Short Movie Review

The Magic of Santa Claus – Short Movie Review

Explore the enchanting world of Santa Claus in this magical short animation. Discover the deeper meaning hidden behind the Christmas story.

Director: Andrew de Burgh

Writer: Andrew de Burgh (Screenplay)

Plot: Santa travels the world on Christmas Eve.

Runtime: 9 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Verdict on The Magic of Santa Claus

The Magic of Santa Claus is a short animation following Santa on his latest Christmas. He has a difficult moment in his life wanting to make sure everyone has a wonderful Christmas.

This short movie brings to life the importance of things and how Santa has been for generations. It does feel like there is a much bigger message behind the story. One that is bigger than Santa and Christmas. However, you will have to watch to understand that meaning. When it comes to the animation, we get an amazing display in the stop-motion field.

Final Thoughts – The Magic of Santa Claus is a wonderful Christmas treat.