I remember there was a period of time back in 2017/2018 where all the movie people I follow (Maltins, CinemaSins etc.) talked about this movie and how great it was.
I finally gave it a shot couple of days ago, and to be fair, I didn’t know what to think of it for some time – not because I was lost plot wise, but maybe I was expecting a bit more. That’s not to say this isn’t a good movie, because it is, Melanie Lynskey proves she should get better roles as she can handle leading a movie (basically) by herself and she’s amazing in this one. One thing I loved about her performance – she isn’t afraid to look ugly. She’s usually stunning, lovely looking woman and in this movie, she’s almost opposite of that, as her character goes through something we all can relate to more and more unfortunately, tough times and wondering… why? Why are things the way they are? Why do people treat other people like this? What’s the point of… everything?
I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore. is definitely an interesting movie where my biggest gripe with it would be it’s not as unique as it thinks it is. Because for its entirety, I was waiting for this movie to standout from the “indie” crowd of the last couple of years and it didn’t, story wise. Respectively, I thought the story could’ve been crazier, deeper, something truly unexpected could’ve happened with Melanie’s character or with Elijah Wood‘s character (he’s living the life, as he’s choosing smaller, more interesting projects and you can tell how much fun he’s having) who almost overshadowed Melanie. But it kind of “stayed” in its lane the entire time, which is a good lane, but also a lane more and more indie movie goes towards lately and that makes them “blend in” more. To me, smaller movies should stand out bit more.
The movie’s main message is “be a dick, it will come back and bite you in the ass (or in this movie example, face…?) but if you choose not to be one, you have more chance of making it out unharmed” which I can get behind. Maybe I’ve expected bit more, given everything I’ve heard, so that’s not really the movie’s fault.
Is this film worth your time? I’d say yes, just brace yourself, as this is definitely not “the feel good” movie of the summer. Or fall. Or winter, for that matter. You will feel slightly down right after, even though it kind of finishes on a hopeful note (Gary Anthony Williams in a small, but great role tells Melanie’s character throughout the movie that him and his wife are going through divorce procedures, but at the very end he tells her “We are not doing that anymore, we’ve worked it out”) and to me, this is what the movie is about – things might look dark and gloom at times, but if you power through it and stay a good person, things might just look up. Might.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think of it? Let me know!
All the Star Wars movies we’ve had a prior to this one, had one, almost unique attribute – there was a general consensus about each one. Think about it – you can say that on the average, people agree the Empire Strikes Back is the best one, people tend to agree The Phantom Menace is (or now was, I guess) the worst one and everything in between varies, but for the most part, there was an “order” to all the movies prior to this one about where they “belong” quality wise.
Readers beware, there might be some spoilers below!
As with The Force Awakens, I went to see this movie at midnight, day before the official premiere to avoid any spoilers. I remember being so hyped about it, I remember wondering what we will learn about Rey, how her training with Luke will go, you know, the usual stuff. And what I’ve got was something so different, I didn’t know what to think of it for the longest time. And I wasn’t alone in this, not by far. I knew I really liked parts of it, but also wasn’t convinced about the other parts (the entire fuel thing, casino planet), but I knew it was a really solid Star Wars movie, that was beautifully shot (hate it or love, this is the best shot Star Wars movie to date, and that’s a hill I’m willing to die on) and I thought this might not go over well with some people. But I had no idea what was coming over the next couple of weeks, when more and more people were seeing the movie.
There was something that struck nerve with plenty of fans with The Last Jedi, that it quickly became almost 50/50 movie, where one half LOVED it and is willing to defend until they die, and the other half HATED it and considers it the worst thing that happened to Star Wars since… well ever! Alright, without sounding like Donald (you know who I mean) let’s look at this movie and see whether both sides are right.
The Last Jedi is directed by Rian Johnson. If you are familiar with his style, you’d probably know he loves to think of new ways to do basically everything, to subvert everyone’s expectations and that’s what ultimately pissed off (what seems to be) half of the fandom. It almost feels like he didn’t care this should’ve been a middle part of a trilogy, he’s done the movie he wanted, where he tried not to dwell on the past, but forge his own, new way, but still within the laws of the universe. That is if you’re up on your comics, and different Star Wars antiques, where you need to know almost every single detail about the Force for what Leia and Luke do in this movie to make sense. And I think this might be part of the reason why some people got angry – he overestimated majority of Star Wars fans, where for example, I count myself as a big Star Wars fan, but I had no idea you can use the Force to protect yourself in the space and turn into a space Superwoman, or project yourself onto a different planet and still react with the environment.
The other things people tend to complain about when comes to The Last Jedi, is the entire trip to the casino planet where it seems to disrupt the flow of the movie, and the fuel thing, where one ship goes just fast enough so the other, much bigger ship can’t catch up with it…? Really? Also the fact they just killed Snoke without us learning (at least in this episode) who he actually was, made some people really angry. These things are the most talked about negative points and to be fair, I understand why. Especially the fuel thing seems to be slightly silly.
Let’s go over some positives – the entire “red room” battle, where Rey and Kylo join forces for a few minutes and deliver what might very well be the best lightsaber fight of any Star Wars movie, was really well done, shot, executed. My hat is off. The sacrifice the Vice Admiral Holdo (played by Laura Dern) makes where she does something we’ve NEVER seen in any Star Wars movie was also breathtaking (even though, they could’ve just let Poe on their plan, plenty of other issues could’ve been avoided) and the Luke versus Kylo Ren fight at the very end, was great on its own, but the twist… definitely really cool moment too.
I’ve recently re-watched this, for the first time since I’ve seen it in the cinemas, and was hoping it would help me establish where do I stand with this movie (prior to that, I was around 4*). I can definitely say now, without a shadow of a doubt, I belong to the first group of people, where I love the movie, as the things that bothered me too while watching it for the first time (fuel and casino planet mainly) didn’t bother me as much. I’ve watched it alongside my girlfriend (first time for her with all Star Wars movie, was introducing her to all of them) and her immediate reaction after this movie’s finished was “Fucking hell, why would anyone hate this movie?” and I think I know the answer.
I remember after The Force Awakens, the general consensus was “it’s a good movie that sets up plenty of things, let see how they pay off” and then everybody and their dog started to post their own Star Wars predictions, theories, what the next one will be about, every time there was a new trailer, people would pick up on one split second of a random footage and hyped themselves with “This confirms I might be right and we will see this, and this and that!!” and to a certain extent, made up their own “perfect” sequel in their minds before seeing this one. Is there any wonder, that after they’ve watched The Last Jedi, something so drastically different from what they’ve expected, they were not only let down, they were pissed that the movie wasn’t everything they theorised about? And even though I wasn’t pissed about this movie, I felt this too. I was slightly disappointed because it didn’t give me the things I wanted it to. But now, after the second viewing, I’ve let go of what I wanted and tried to accept the movie on its own terms and that’s where I realised it’s actually a great Star Wars movie, that just tried to be different, against all odds. If you think about it, this is exactly what this movie is about – letting the past go, make a new way for new stories and characters.
But this is a typical Star Wars fandom for you – do something ordinary (like a copy of A New Hope) people will tell you “We’ve seen this before, give us something new!” You do something nobody before you even attempted to do in this universe and the same people will now shout at you “No, this is TOO different, make it Star Wars again!” You can’t win. Speaking of Star Wars fandom, let me just talk to the what I hope is a really, really tiny bunch of them, please stop harassing people (mainly woman like Kelly Marie Tran) for being in a movie you don’t like! It’s one thing not to like a movie, it’s completely other thing to be poisonous to the point where she needs to delete her Instagram account (link for this unfortunate news is here).
Back to the movie – as mentioned before, the second viewing really helped me make up my mind. Are there (still) things I might not agree with 100%. Yes. But am I able to enjoy something new, that feels fresh, and be glad about having a really unique and cool looking Star Wars movie? Also 100%. After seeingThe Rise of Skywalker my only big gripe with this movie is they could’ve at least hinted at what/who’s coming as the “big bad” in the last one… but more about that tomorrow.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
That’s all for the most controversial Star Wars movie to date. What did you think of it? Let me know!
This review will contain spoilers (not that it matters that much, as most of it can be predicted by a semi-intelligent toddler).
Where to start… The Circle is an okay movie, that thinks it’s smart as fuck motherfucker. But it isn’t. This movie has some really capable actors, but only 3 are trying their best (Emma Watson, Karen Gillan and Tom Hanks) and one isn’t given enough space (John Boyega). I would like to discuss Tom’s performance in this movie for a bit, to make you understand why I was really underwhelmed with this film.
I really wish more people (especially in a movie like this) would act the same way as him – he’s probably the only “bad” character there that isn’t “cartoonishly” (yep, that’s 100% a word, believe me! I have words, many words, the best words…) bad, because he actually tries to come from a place where he plays this character like a good guy (at least for most of the movie). The others, supporting characters around him, they are paint by number weird, cult-like acting people and look, I do understand the point that “The Circle” made them that way, to the point they don’t realise how they’re behaving, but Jesus-Pole-Dancing-Christ, it doesn’t always have to be so on the nose. Because whatever message you’re trying to send, audience isn’t receiving.
I am not quite sure why was this film pitched, written, or even shot – it feels more like a rejected episode of Black Mirror (if you are looking for something that actually shows you various dangerous of technology, without being preachy or over the top, this is a brilliant show) which was around for 6 years (technically 5 years, as movies tend to take time to be filmed, edited etc., but you know, technicality) by the time this movie was made. And for the life of me I can’t figure out who actually thought they are making something “high-stake”? I mean, honestly?
When comes to movies like this, I genuinely hope all the actors got paid good money, as there was only one thing I’ve enjoyed about this movie (read, didn’t feel predictable), the SoulSearching sequence felt like something that was a pretty good idea. It’s a shame they didn’t surround the movie around this, maybe development of this, and eventually using this to track down more people. But no, instead we get this wannabe Facebook, that hammers us with the same message, that somehow thinks it’s original…? I’m honestly lost with this movie.
What I always do after I finish a movie, is go to Trivia section on IMDb to read them and see, if there is anything interesting. And this one really caught my attention:
The ending was changed significantly for the film adaptation. In the novel, Mae, fully believing in The Circle’s goals and mantras, betrays Ty in his attempt to bring down the company and he is effectively silenced.
Can I just politely ask one, quite simple question? Why the FUCK would you change it to that Hollywood ending? I am honestly curious who thought this paint by numbers movie needed a generic ending. If they’ve kept this ending, focusing more on Mae’s character getting lost in “The Circle”, so it’d make sense for her to do that, it could’ve been a pretty decent, non-generic movie, with an interesting twist at the end. Shame, as this way by the next week, I’ll probably forget everything about this movie, as nothing stands out.
And BTW, if you hire John Boyega, can you maybe give him more than 10 minutes of the movie time, especially if he’s supposed to be the founder (I know he’s in hiding and what not, but still…) People who’ve seen Attack the Block know he can carry a movie with no issues.
⭐⭐
Rating: 2 out of 5.
This is all for this movie. What did you think? Was I too harsh? Let me know!
I need to preface something – I love these kind of movies. Shaun of the Dead is probably in my TOP 20 movies of all time, I even like when cheesy horror meets cheesy musical (I really need to re-watch and write a review for Repo! The Genetic Opera to see whether I still love it the same way I have a decade or so ago), so I was quite excited for this movie. And from a few people I trust on the internet I’ve heard it a pleasant movie, that’s worth watching.
Maybe that’s why I feel slightly disappointed with what I’ve seen. Anna and the Apocalypse is not a BAD movie, that’s not what I am trying to say. It flows well, the main protagonists are likable, I liked that they’ve taken some bolder choices regarding who survives and who dies and when, so far we are good.
My two big issues with this film are these:
The music is like something from the High School Musical movies. I’m really sorry to the creators, if that was the intention, but it didn’t work at all. I think it was supposed to add the “cheesy” factor to this movie, but I feel like it’d have worked better if only one or two songs were like that and after we would’ve gotten some kick ass songs. Opera/rock/metal literally any other style than what we’ve gotten for the entirety of this movie, because eventually they all blend together where there wasn’t any standout song. And I was patiently waiting for that ONE scene/song that would stand out above them all, something that would’ve embrace this genre more, something I might be inclined to re-listen after the movie was over, and nothing.
This movie wants to have a “heart” so much and I honestly wanted to love it even more, but it falls flat. There was something about it, where for a comedy it wasn’t funny enough, for a horror it wasn’t scary enough, and for a musical it wasn’t good enough. If only the director had managed to blend at least 2 out of those 3 factors successfully, it’d have been a better film with some heart, but it falls flat so many times where it’s supposed to shine (some deaths we were supposed to care about more didn’t hit me as much as they should have).
I feel like by a complete (and I guess unwanted) accident, this film only highlights how brilliant of a director Edgar Wright truly is for making Shaun of the Dead and blending the horror genre with comedy so flawlessly. That movie has no (W)right (see what I did there? Ok, I see myself out now…) to be as brilliant as it is.
I’m really hoping I get to see more of Ella Hunt in the future, as she’s tried her best to make Anna and the Apocalypse work. If it wasn’t for her, my rating would have been lower.
Is Anna and the Apocalypse worth seeing? Let me put it this way – if you have a chance, see Shaun of the Dead first. If you don’t have the means to see it, and your only other choice is this movie, I’d go for it, don’t expect much, maybe you’ll be surprised. I wanted to be, believe me.
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
That’s all for this movie? Did you see it? If so, what did you think? Am I too harsh, or were you underwhelmed too? Let me know!
I am not going to lie, I’ve enjoyed Thoroughbreds much more than I’ve anticipated. This is the kind of movie that is really hard to describe without going into spoilers, so for those who want to see the movie and therefore won’t be reading any further, I’ll just say this – it’s a really good movie where all the main stars get to shine, but the one that shines the brightest is Anya Taylor-Joy.
Following review might contain spoilers.
On a surface level, this movie isn’t something new – all kind of “psychotic” disorders have been portrayed on the big and the small screen for the past 20+ years and it seems people are enjoying them, as Hollywood studios keep making them.
Where this movie differs from the rest is it puts you on the edge of your seat from the very beginning, where the cards are seemingly on the table, the introduction tells us who’s the “crazy” girl (brilliant performance by Olivia Cooke), but not even 10 minutes in and you start to question whether you couldn’t make the case for Anya Taylor-Joy and as the movie progresses, one thing is for certain – there is something uneasy about both.
First hour or so the movie has a great atmosphere, where it builds up the main villain (step-dad) just to pull the rug right under you. Where a lesser movie would just keep him a villain, maybe made him slightly creepy, this one chooses a different path. For me, the pivotal scene of this entire movie, is the confrontation between him and Lily, Anya’s character, in the kitchen. After that scene you realize that everything you thought you knew about this story/character is skewed by Lily. That’s the point where the second “twist” happens, where you realize it’s not Amanda (again, Olivia is superb) who’s the propeller of this story, even though, she can’t feel any emotions, so she’s just faking everything, but Lily. That’s the point you realize Amanda is trying to fit in, in her own way, and just because she can’t feel anything she’s not inherently bad, but Lily is as she is choosing to kill her step-dad and nothing is stopping her.
If you were to put anybody less talented in the role of Lily, this movie would’ve been an alright movie at best, and easily forgettable. By casting Anya, the director (Cory Finley, for whom this was his debut film) made an excellent choice as she definitely has the raw talent to pull this off. The entirety of this movie lies on her and her ability to convince you of her evilness in a really subtle, non-cartoony way and she’s nailed it.
The final nail in this would be the end scene with Anton Yelchin (this was one of his last movie before his untimely and really unfortunate death) where she embraces everything and goes along, knowing very well she’s not the “good guy” in this story, even though she got away with everything.
Overall, this movie surprised me, gave me chills at some places and made me even more aware that Anya Taylor-Joy is (or at least should be) the next big thing and I really hope she’ll have a long, long carrier.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
That’s all for this movie? Did you like it or thought it wasn’t anything special? Let me know!
I usually don’t include the plot, as I don’t really see the point in reviews to give you a plot of movie you either have seen or are considering seeing (therefore reading this, hopefully) but given the fact this will be an under-seen movie not matter what, I’ll make an exception:
When slaughterhouse workers Endre and Mária discover they share the same dreams – where they meet in a forest as deer and fall in love – they decide to make their dreams come true but it’s difficult in real life.
This Hungarian movie (nominated for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year at 2018 Oscars) is really worth it, even if you consider subtitles to be just really annoying part of a weird, usually different movie you’re not used to. See for yourself, the trailer below:
I know. I’ve done it. I’ve just hit a jackpot where all the keywords like “Endre”, “Maria”, “Hungarian” and “subtitles” will make sure most of you reading this until now click away, washing their eyes in terror and hoping that somebody better invent the goddamn time machine quick, so you can travel back in time a minute before reading this review and stop your past self from reading this.
But that’d be dumb not that wise. This movie is different, and yes, it might be bit on the “artsy” side (yet another keyword, yey! This is going well…) but it’s not self-indulgent. This is just a simple story told slightly differently with killer performances, that are nuanced and feel honest.
On Body and Soul is unique look at relationships, and how easy or difficult they can be, especially if you are not sure how to communicate your feelings, if you’re socially awkward, or if you don’t have anyone else to go to for an advice. It is relatable on a very basic level where (almost) everybody just wants to find somebody to share their happiness, pain, life, you know, the entire package with.
It’s also visually stunning movie, combining some harsh images (people who struggle with blood should maybe consider skipping this one) with poetic images of pure, untainted nature.
I’m not going to lie, I’ve only seen this movie once, over 2 years ago, but it stayed with me until today. Because to me, this is the perfect blend of a movie being “artsy” without having to bore you to death, or where you’d have to ask yourself every 10 minutes “what the fuck am I watching?” The story isn’t complicated at all, it’s told beautifully and only asks you to suspend your disbelief for a tiny bit, after all, why couldn’t 2 people meet within one dream?
I’m going to leave you with this – if you going to watch just ONE Hungarian movie in your entire life, this might a choice you (hopefully) shouldn’t regret.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
And I’ll leave you with this song from the movie that perfectly encapsulates the feel of it (the video with it will make more sense once you’ve seen the movie, trust me on that :-))
Hope you’ve enjoyed this review, let me know what you think!
![On Body and Soul | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix](https://i0.wp.com/i.ytimg.com/vi/0UE6IU2mhU8/hqdefault.jpg?w=474&ssl=1)
