Tag Archives: 2024

Nosferatu (2024) Review – Lesson in Perfection

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If I made a list of the most anticipated movies of 2024, Nosferatu would probably be very close to the number one spot. I was excited about this movie for a while. I am a fan of Robert Eggers, so him making a remake of the classic Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1921) just made so much sense. And everything about it worked, even before seeing any trailers. Well, there was one thing I thought I might struggle with – originally, the main protagonist was meant to be Anya Taylor-Joy, and then she dropped out and was replaced by Lily-Rose Depp. And I wasn’t as familiar with Lily-Rose; the only thing I knew of hers was The Idol (2023), a show I haven’t seen yet but heard awful things about. But the moment this movie opened in the UK, I had to be among the first ones to see it, and now, I feel like I owe Lily-Rose an apology for ever doubting her. Nosferatu is a perfect example of how one movie can make many excellent decisions when it could have gone wrong.

I don’t even know where to start because I don’t know what to compliment first. Firstly, the movie looks stunning. Whether you love him or hate him, Eggers understands how to frame a shot, transport you back in time, and put you in a certain mind space, and Nosferatu does all of the above and does it superbly. Eggers is someone who I will watch anything he makes from now on, as his movies seem to be my vibe. The phrase “every frame a painting” gets thrown around a lot these days, but this movie deserves it because there are so many shots you could pause the film, print what’s on the screen, hang it on your wall and be happy about it. Jarin Blaschke (the director of photography who worked on all Eggers’ movies) is one to acknowledge as someone who should be much busier and shoot many more films.

I also loved how this remake honours the original film, but only with one or two scenes. Nothing over the top, the movie forges its own path, and it’s better for it. It stays true to the story of Count Orlok, but Eggers uses this film to talk about a clash of science and faith about love and sacrifice, and everything feels natural. Nosferatu is 132 minutes long, but I never felt that runtime. The movie definitely has a lot of setup, but because of its mood, vibe, call it whatever you want, I was in it, and not one scene felt useless or like something that could have been cut out. The pacing was as smooth as the blood on Lily-Rose’s mouth in some scenes.

It’s time to talk about all the performers, and let me start with Lily-Rose. I have already apologised for not believing in her, so let me just add this – she just gained a new fan. The way she commands the screen every time she is on is phenomenal. She felt vulnerable, and, at the same time, you can see her being a powerful woman who, if need be, can face someone like Count Orlok. Speaking of him, we need to mention Bill Skarsgård. For many, he will always be Pennywise from It movies (my reviews for the first It (2017) can be found here, and for It Chapter Two (2019) here), and even though he is brilliant in both, he is on another level in this film. That’s another decision the people behind this film did well – they never revealed Count Orlok’s look or voice. So the first time you hear him, it’s chilling. And then, later on, you finally see him, and all I can say is wow. Not only did the creature design work well, but there was a tiny thing about Count Orlok’s face that was a choice, but that choice made that already creepy character ultra creepy. I won’t spoil it, but it took me out from a movie for a bit but in the best way. And Bill transcends on the screen and portrays this pure evil so well; I wouldn’t hesitate to put him right next to Heath Ledger‘s Joker. He is menacing and calm; he is this bigger-than-life presence that is somehow felt throughout the movie, and even when he isn’t in the scene, it’s almost like you can feel his aura in every scene. Everything about this character is spot on.

The same goes for Nicholas Hoult, Willem Dafoe and Emma Corrin. They each get at least one scene where they shine, and it’s hard to say anything negative about either of these actors. But Nosferatu isn’t “their” movie; you will leave the cinema thinking about Bill’s and Lily-Rose’s performances the most. I must discuss Aaron Taylor-Johnson because, at first, he was the only performer I struggled with. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but he felt out of place, almost as if he was in a different movie than the rest of the cast. And then it hit me – his performance must be like that because he is us. He is the only “normal” character who tries desperately hard not to lose his mind when his world is collapsing and doesn’t believe immediately. The moment I realised it about his character was when I got on board with his choices.

I also need to mention the soundtrack, which is beautifully haunting. However, another smart decision about this movie is that Eggers understands when to have none of it, resulting in some moments/scenes with no music, and it’s just as effective, maybe even more. I thought Robin Carolan did a stellar job, as it doesn’t sound like your stereotypical “spooky medieval vampire horror”.

If you couldn’t guess by now, I adore this movie, which is a bit strange because my expectations were extremely high going into it. But everything from the casting, camera work, soundtrack, atmosphere, story… it clicked for me and formed a unique cinema experience where the horror is almost secondary. This is, first and foremost, a story about control, love, modern thinking vs “old fashioned” one, and what strength looks like. It’s hauntingly beautiful, and it’s a film I definitely must own when it comes out on 4K.

Overall, Nosferatu is one of the best movies of 2024. I haven’t seen all the major ones yet, but I can’t imagine many would top the experience I had with this movie. I am glad when I am proven wrong, and Lily-Rose in this film proved me wrong. Any other tiny concerns I had also disappeared, and this film is a must-see in the cinema. Funnily enough, despite this being a vampire horror film, this might be Eggers’ most “audience friendly” movie yet, and that is saying something about his wild filmography of only four movies, but each one is unique in its own way. Nosferatu is one hell of an experience.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

The Wild Robot (2024) Review – Pixar Found Dead in a Ditch

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This movie wasn’t on my radar at first because it takes something special to get my ass into the cinema to watch an animated film. Mostly, that something special either must have “Spider-Man” in its title or Pixar producing it. DreamWorks has had some great films, but historically, their catalogue is full of fine-ish movies. But that seems to be slowly turning, and lately, they have been coming out with new, innovative animated movies, and The Wild Robot feels like the most Pixar film DreamWorks has done to date.

Ever since Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), many animated films have started experimenting with their animation style and incorporating different techniques, making their animation stand out. This movie is no exception. Sure, for the most part, it’s beautifully “conventional” animation, but even here, you can find hints of different styles and frame rates, and I always appreciate those little touches. Needless to say, The Wild Robot looks incredibly beautiful. There were sequences where you just wished you could live in such a vivid and animated world.

I also loved this movie’s dark sense of humour. I think where this movie stands out is that sense of humour, which, many times, gets derived from death or how some animals should be killing others. That is not something you would often see in a mainstream animated movie, but here, it fits. It almost felt like the parody movies of the golden years, where characters say the most outrageous/funniest stuff with this dry, deadpan delivery. The film is aware that death is a very natural and frequent occurrence in the animal world, and it doesn’t shy away from it, and by talking about it and making fun of it, it feels honest.

Whoever decided to cast Lupita Nyong’o in the leading role of Roz deserves a nice, chunky Xmas bonus. Her line readings hit every time, and she puts so much into her performance that you can tell how much that robot evolves throughout this movie. There is a believable growth with Roz’s character, and you will quickly fall in love with her. A special shout-out also goes to Pedro Pascal, as his Fink character plays well off anyone he encounters.

But the main selling point and the reason I absolutely loved this movie was the story and how effortlessly this film talks about so many different things. From parenthood, AI, environment, class system, adoption… You find all these themes in this film and more, but the film meshes them so well with each other that I never felt like it was hitting me over the head with anything in particular. The story flew naturally; the pacing was spot on, and I can’t say I would change anything about this movie. The Wild Robot is one of those rare movies that feels perfect. It’s almost like you have a giant puzzle and put all the pieces together; you can’t just replace one or two pieces, as the entire picture gets ruined.

And this is where my Pixar comparison from earlier comes from. This is how I used to feel watching any of their movies. Sure, they still produce great ones, but lately, they haven’t hit me as much as they used to. You could argue it’s because I have grown, but that argument is rendered mute when I tell you The Wild Robot had me choked up about five times. Yep, it almost made me cry that many times because it understood the emotional peaks and valleys this story had to hit to nail all the emotions, and they did. It bares repeating not once I felt emotionally blackmailed or cheated; all of those emotions felt raw, and the movie earned them. I know this will be a long shot, but I know which animated film I will be rooting for at the 2025 Oscars. And as far as DreamWorks is concerned, I really hope they will produce more movies like The Wild Robot. Especially now, when Pixar won’t be taking many chances with original ideas, we desperately need a big animation studio to step up and take that mantle.

Overall, The Wild Robot is one of the most touching and delightful movies of 2024. Everything from the animation to the voice casting to the story and its themes worked for me beautifully, and I can’t wait to get my 4K copy and rewatch it. It’s one of those “proper” family movies where kids will laugh, and parents might cry just a tiny bit, but the entire family can have an absolutely great time with it. If you haven’t watched it yet, do yourself a favour and check it out.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

Joker: Folie à Deux (2024) Review – You Never Go Full Joker

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Everything about this sequel felt a bit off from the very beginning. From the fact it was reported as a musical to the main stars promoting it as not a musical (this is what I am talking about), the first reviews that were almost unanimously bad, and the fact this sequel even exists… I will tell you, when I sat down in the cinema, I was ready to be disappointed. The first hour definitely drags on as the musical bits are “a bit” weird; however, the second part, when we get to the court, was pretty fun. Is it a downgrade from the first Joker (2019)? Yes. Does this movie deserve all the negative reviews it is getting? I don’t think so.

This film picks up two years after the original movie. Arthur Fleck is getting ready for a trial and just so happens to meet Lee (Lady Gaga). And since his freak matches hers, they fall in love almost instantly. The problem with the first hour was the pacing. It nearly felt like the movie relied on you wanting to spend as much time as possible with Joker/Arthur in this dark prison, so you can… enjoy seeing him suffer? Have more mercy/pity for him when you see him at his lowest? I don’t know, to be honest. And it seems like neither does the movie.

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room, the musical sequence in this totally not musical movie. Those were the prime examples of me understanding why the people behind this film decided to go with them, and I still didn’t enjoy most of them, at least in the context. I think it was the third or fourth musical sequence that “unlocked” all of them for me and made me understand their purpose. But even with that understanding, they still were mostly disruptive. It’s one of those tools when used effectively underlines and punctuates your point, but if used with a story that doesn’t justify it, it feels wrong, and each new one just takes you out of the movie.

Also, can studios stop this bullshit and if they make a musical, they make sure to promote it as such? The link above where Lady Gaga straight-up makes no sense and lies about Joker: Folie à Deux being a musical; I can’t blame her because I understand she was instructed by the studios and the people around her to say those things. I won’t blame any actors because this falls onto the studios and some bullshit research they had done saying that people are less likely to buy tickets for musicals. I wonder whether someone ever researched how many people will never buy a ticket again because they were deceived one too many times about the movies they went to see being musicals. Long story short – if your film has musical scenes where the characters break into songs that propel either the story or show us how those characters feel (like this movie does), it is a musical. And any studio should make sure to communicate it clearly enough to any potential viewer in the promotion of that film.

Let’s talk about the performances – I thought Joaquin Phoenix was just like this movie – rough start but a strong finish. I liked his performance more in the second half, mainly because the courtroom scenes were much better, and they allowed him to showcase the split between Arthur and Joker well enough. As far as Lady Gaga goes… I just don’t get her. She is an amazing pop icon and someone who has shaped music ever since 2008; I also love her as a singer and performer. She also seems to be a pretty down-to-earth person by all accounts. But I have yet to watch a movie starring her, thinking she’s a great actress. I have seen all her biggest films and always thought the same – she’s ok. If we count only the movies where she doesn’t play herself and has a bigger role, this is her third one (behind House of Gucci (2021, my review here) and A Star is Born (2018)), and I can say she’s been the same in two of them. I can’t blame her for House of Gucci; everyone was way too cringe/not great in that film. I feel like there’s this disconnect for me, where every time she is on the screen, I can see her act. I can see the wheels in her head turning. That might be a “me” problem, but she hasn’t convinced me so far.

As far as the movie goes, I think if you go into it with no preconceived notions and accept it for what it is, you might somewhat enjoy it. What I thought was interesting was the ultimate message, where this movie shows us the power of a cult, the idea itself being bigger than just one person, to the point where even if the “leader” refuses and rejects the idea, it’s too late. After this movie, I’ve read many opinions on how this was a middle finger to the audience or to the reception of the first movie, and I fail to see that. Maybe it is, and I am just too dumb to see it; that’s possible. But for my money, Joker: Folie à Deux knows what it wants to say and says it out loud. Now, the way it goes about it, it’s clunky and, ultimately, it’s not anything radically new, sure. But if you try to accept the movie on its own terms, I can’t see how you would end up hating it.

That brings me to my last point – this movie goes full Joker. If I were to compliment Todd Phillips on anything, it would be two things. Firstly, this movie is well done on a technical level. The camera work is excellent, and the editing and most performances are also good. Secondly, this movie feels like it was made by Joker. It’s dark, at times manic, at times crazy; it delves into that world of him understanding why what he did was wrong and lets us see everything from his point of view. If you can see this movie from this lens, from the point of view of this broken person who was abandoned and failed by the system and nobody listens to him, it can be dark. It is a shame that those elements just don’t “gel” together.

Overall, Joker: Folie à Deux is a technically brilliant movie in which the moving parts are better than the overall picture. When I step back and break down this movie in my head, I like many elements to a certain point; I even like the musical sequences. But this movie never feels cohesive in the way it blends those elements together. Also, quite a few scenes that were in trailers didn’t make it into the final movie, and that’s always a bummer. It’s a few steps below the first Joker, however, it’s hardly the worst movie of this year.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

The Substance (2024) Review – One of A Kind, Future Cult Classic

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In the age where many movies look and feel the same, it doesn’t take much to stand out. But if you make a film that deals with several things surrounding women and package it in the “body horror” genre, you have something unique on your hands. The Substance is “that something unique”, and whilst watching it, I knew halfway through that this would become a cult classic and (hopefully) one of the reasons smart body horror movies might come back into the mainstream.

The biggest reason I loved this movie was how unapologetic, raw and sure of itself it was. Coralie Fargeat isn’t a name I was familiar with, but after watching this movie, I will remember her, and she gained a new fan. The sign of a great director is to create a living, breathing world within your movie where we can get lost in, but more importantly, one that feels real. Despite everything that happens in this movie (especially in the last 30 minutes), The Substance always felt grounded, poignant and sure of its world and what it was trying to say; it was easy to just let go and get lost in this stylised world.

Many times, I can be critical of movies that seem to shout their message in your face, and there are many movies that lack any subtlety. However, with this one, “it’s not a bug, it’s a feature”, as the IT saying goes. As far as the main themes, The Substance can feel like it has a megaphone and is shouting at you for most of its runtime. But that is very much the point. The themes of beauty standards, the pressure society (whether it’s Hollywood or not) puts on women to look a certain way, how we deal with age, and just replacing an older woman with a newer, “fresher” looking one… Those are the most prevalent, “loudest” themes this movie wants to examine, alongside seeing men as these caricatures. But it never felt simplistic because the movie doesn’t say it hates all men. The one man we get to know is almost a personification of the entire industry, rather than the “men bad, women good” message, and I thought this was one of the most fascinating choices.

The man in question is Dennis Quaid, and I enjoyed his performance so much. He is hamming it up, dialling this awful character up to 20 and not once winks at the camera. You are disgusted by him and laugh at him, but there are a few scenes where you understand just how much power he has. All I will say is I wonder how Ray Liotta would have portrayed this role as he was originally scheduled to portray this character, but sadly, he passed away before the shooting began.

But as much as I liked Dennis’ performance, it has nothing on our titular duo, Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley. Let me start with the Hollywood legend herself as Demi bares it all (both literally and figuratively) and her slow descent into this… different characters throughout the movie felt raw, vulnerable and honest. There is a scene where her character is getting ready for a date. And without giving anything away, that was her standout performance in that one scene alone. It takes about five minutes; there is no dialogue. We simply watch Demi struggle with her image and constantly question herself. The Substance, for all its loudness and the “main” themes being shouted at you, also deals with many other things that are communicated/shown in a more subtle way. This was one of them as Demi’s character, this absolutely stunning woman, fails to see how stunning she is because she is comparing herself against this younger, beautiful woman. And each subsequent visit to the bathroom for “just a tiny bit more” make-up kills her and makes you understand and feel for her character.

That brings me to Margaret Qualley. I understand she’s been acting for a bit, and they were high-profile movies, but I hope this movie will be her “coming out” film because she was perfect. From all her little mannerisms to her showing us she’s willing to do whatever it takes, she rules in this movie. What I found fascinating, almost on a meta-level, is the fact that for her nude scenes, she had a breastplate. Let me quote IMDb:

Margaret Qualley has revealed in interviews that her breasts in the movie are not her own. They are a prosthetic designed by French makeup artist Pierre Olivier Persin. Qualley: “Unfortunately there is no magic boob potion, so we had to glue those on. Coralie (the movie’s director) found an incredible prosthetic team to endow me with the rack of a lifetime, just not my lifetime.”

Source: IMDb.com

The reason I am mentioning it is that it fits the theme of this movie so well. The idea that even someone as stunning as Margaret Qualley “had to” wear a breast prosthetic because she wasn’t “perfect enough” in the movie about self-love and how the pursuit of perfection can send you down a spiral you might not come back from… That is meta as fuck. Anyway, every time her character Sue is on the screen, you are glued to her. Margaret showcases her star quality, and I hope this will change the trajectory of her career, and she will get more challenging and intriguing roles.

One thing I expected (and got) was how we put pressure on women to look a certain way, no matter their age. What I didn’t expect was how the film openly talks about women hating other women, mainly at these high-profile jobs that are “based” on looks and how that goes back to societal pressure. It doesn’t take long for Elisabeth to despise Sue and vice versa, but as the movie keeps reminding us and them, they are one. It is the same person, except one is younger. That is where the theme of self-love, respecting your body and finding a healthy balance between living in the moment and not on the account of your future is very poignant.

I must touch briefly on the last 30 minutes because… the level of body horror this movie unleashes is next level. The best way to describe it would be “David Cronenberg‘s wet dream.” Again, without spoiling anything, the film goes insane, but in the best possible way, where it still has fun with all the craziness happening on the screen. I was so happy to watch this on the big screen because I guarantee you, this will be a future cult classic of this genre. Coralie Fargeat proved that she understood the assignment and delivered one hell of a movie that I will rewatch soon. We need people like her, especially in this day and age of “playing it safe” we need people like Coralie, who aren’t afraid to challenge us on our shit whilst having an absolute blast doing it. I can’t wait to see what she does next.

Overall, The Substance is a movie I fell in love with the more I thought about the smaller things about it. It’s a film that won’t leave you cold, and you will either love it or be absolutely disgusted by it. It is a movie that proves that Demi can still be a leading lady and Margaret should be in the conversation as far as “future of Hollywood” goes. Most importantly, The Substance made me learn and memorize one name – Coralie Fargeat. Someone, please give her all the money and let her shoot anything she wants. The movie world desperately needs more unique voices like hers.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

Speak No Evil (2024) Review – All About That Ending

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Another year, another remake of a recent foreign movie. I managed to see the Danish/Dutch original, also titled Speak No Evil (2022), one night before watching this movie. That movie is a masterclass in tension while it touches on many societal themes (emasculation, politeness, power dynamics). Long story short, I enjoyed my time with it, and it stayed with me until now. That was one of the reasons I was hopeful that this remake would add something on top of it. That is the ultimate issue with any remake; there should be some justification for it, whether you want to tell the same story with different elements or put your unique twist on it… Well, this remake definitely changed the ending, but unfortunately, not every change is for the better.

The first two-thirds of this movie are almost as excellent as the original film. There are some additional scenes and dialogues, but you can argue that it’s virtually a shot-for-shot remake. So, for the first two-thirds of this movie, I was with it because everything felt familiar as I had watched the original the night before. It’s the last third when this remake decides to go its way and do its thing, and… yeah. Before we delve into that, let’s talk about some positives first.

The cast was awesome. The clear standout is James McAvoy, who you believe every word he says. His presence, intensity, physique, everything about him just worked, and you will remember his character for some time. Mackenzie Davis was also great; her character was much more “involved” than the character in the original, but she always delivers. Who I have never heard of and who surprised me was Aisling Franciosi, who played Ciara. I thought she gave this character that extra something that made her stand out; she had that spark, and her chemistry with McAvoy’s character was off the charts. Unfortunately, her character is one of the victims of the third act, but it had nothing to do with her portrayal; I hope to see more of her.

I will try to avoid direct spoilers and give you certain aspects of the third act that didn’t work for me. Therefore, if you haven’t watched this movie yet, proceed at your own risk, as I don’t want to spoil anything per se, but I will talk about the ending in more depth.

The issue with this remake is that it adopts the same themes as the original but then changes the ending, and the outcome defeats the ultimate point of the story. That’s why you will experience a tonal whiplash when this tense movie with little to no action suddenly turns into all-out guns blazing. I am trying so hard to separate this from the original film because we should judge movies based on what they are. But even with that caveat, it doesn’t work because the themes didn’t change!

Let me give you this example, both movies talk very openly about lost masculinity, and it’s on our main protagonist to try and recapture it before it’s too late. In the remake, they deal with it by… having Mackenzie Davis to be the go-get-shit-done person. And she is awesome and can kick ass, no issue there. However, that wasn’t the point of this story. The movie almost dodged this and makes her husband help in the final mayhem a bit, but it is ultimately her who does the most “work”.

Another problem I had was with Ciara’s character and her sudden doubts. In the original, this couple was one unit. You were terrified of both of them as they did horrible things without a single twitch or doubt. Here, towards the end, all of a sudden, by the way, she hesitates. There are two scenes where she suddenly turns against her husband, and I think the first is a fake out. But then we have the scene on the roof where she hesitates to do something. And that doesn’t track with her character, at least with what we were shown prior.

Finally, this movie explains everything to you. There is no room for any nuance, any audience interpretation regarding what will happen next, why they are doing it… nothing. Where the original leaves you hanging a bit and ends on a brutal note, this movie has a totally different ending. And I will be honest, I struggled with the original’s ending too, at first. But the more I sit with that movie and think about it, the more I love it. How everything is implied but never told because of the blanks we can fill in using our imagination as far as their motive goes is much more unnerving than anything the movie can show us. And this movie doesn’t have that. Everything feels more “Hollywoody”.

Ultimately, that’s where this remake lost me. Unlike the original, I haven’t really thought about this movie that much because that last third just changed everything; it was hard for me to find anything positive about that change. I will give Speak No Evil this – at least they justified their existence, and this remake is different from the original. Change is often needed and good, but there are times when that’s not the case, and this is one of those cases.

Overall, Speak No Evil is a great movie for the first 2/3 of it, and then an okay-ish action fest for the last third. I think your enjoyment of this movie will be linked to whether or not you have seen the original. I was thinking how watching it the night before almost made it feel like I was rewatching this movie already. And that’s how I ultimately knew that I wouldn’t rewatch this any time soon, if ever. However, the original from 2022… that’s a different story.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024) Review – Slow Start, Great Finish

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Before watching this sequel in cinemas, I decided to rewatch the original Beetlejuice (1988), which I hadn’t seen in over a decade. During that rewatch, it dawned on me just how original, quirky and full of imagination that movie was. It got me thinking how difficult it would be for the sequel to recapture the magic of this almost accidental cult classic. So when I sat down, I hoped for the best but braced myself for the worst and surprisingly, it wasn’t bad at all…?

It took me probably the entire first act before I got into Beetlejuice Beetlejuice as the movie starts big. As opposed to the original film, we begin in New York; we need to establish a couple of details (like why Jeffrey Jones‘s character had to die; if you don’t know, I recommend reading his “trivia” section) before we get back to Winter River and the house we all know and love. The movie definitely gets better once we have all the remaining, not-so-problematic pieces of this puzzle back together, and we follow three generations of women trying to cope with everything.

The youngest is Jenna Ortega, the new “it” girl. I don’t think you could have picked a better daughter for Winona Ryder‘s character, Lydia. I am saying that as someone who believes she doesn’t have much to do in this movie. Don’t get me wrong, Jenna is in many scenes, but her story is a B plot that serves as a throughline for other stories.

The second generation is the already mentioned Lydia Deetz, as portrayed by Winona. I thought it was great to see grown Lydia having to deal with many things, including her daughter not believing that she can see and speak to ghosts. That mother-daughter conflict didn’t feel forced, especially once we learn the reason Jenna’s character is sceptical and doesn’t like her mom; it made total sense to me and felt right. Also, it’s great seeing Winona back in the cinema.

Someone who almost stole this movie for me was Catherine O’Hara. I love seeing her career renaissance; ever since she struck gold with Schitt’s Creek (2015 – 2020, my review here), she seems to be in everything, reminding us she is one hell of a comedienne. Her character was as chaotic, extra and funny as I remember, but it was never in the “we didn’t know what to do with her character, so here is what you loved but more” vain. There was some growth, where you could see her be unapologetically herself and living her best life.

The reason I said “almost” is there were two surprising characters I loved every time they appeared on the screen – Bob and Willem Dafoe. Firstly, I loved how much more time they gave to Bob and his… friends? It was the ultimate example of how to do so much with so little as Bob and others don’t speak; they just emote. I did enjoy every scene they were in. As far as Willem goes, talk about someone who seems to be in every movie now, replacing Samuel L. Jackson as the hardest-working actor in Hollywood. Anyway, for some reason, his actor character, who plays a cop even after he dies, was the highlight of this movie. I think it was his dedication mixed with the fact that his performance was tipping on the “self-awareness” scale, where he almost winked at us once or twice, but he never does and instead gives us this character his all and has a blast doing it.

I thought Michael Keaton as the titular Beetlejuice was fine, but given his manic state, there was no real growth, so this was “more of the same” as the original, but with his character, it made sense. Who I thought was totally underused was Monica Bellucci. Look, if I were Tim Burton and managed to date Monica, I would also cast her in my movies. But then give her something to do! Her introduction sequence was fun, but afterwards, she spent most of the movie walking because she was on a quest to find Beetlejuice. And without going into spoilers, the end of her storyline was underwhelming. I would also go as far as to say that we didn’t need Justin Theroux‘s subplot in this movie, and he doesn’t fit here. I like the guy, but it would be fine if his role had been completely cut out.

I wonder how Beetlejuice Beetlejuice will work when I eventually rewatch it because, during the movie, there were moments I was struggling to be in it, as mentioned above. But the movie makes some interesting twists and turns I didn’t expect, so I appreciated that. Also, it seems to find its footing as it goes. Even though I had an issue with Monica’s character “end”, I thought the end was great. Especially, I loved seeing practical effects, sets and not green screen, you know, all that good stuff. Looking at Tim’s directorial credits, this seems, by far, to be his best movie in a while (I haven’t seen Frankenweenie (2012) or Big Eyes (2014)), but that doesn’t mean as much as it used to. I need to give Tim some credit as this movie seems the most “Tim Burton” he has been in a while, but part of me thinks it will be so hard to go anywhere near what he used to do, especially in the ’90s. I hope I am wrong.

Overall, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a much better legacy sequel than I anticipated. The movie definitely struggles at times, I am not sure whether we needed the producer subplot at all, but I left the cinema in a good mood, hopeful that the success this sequel has will light a creative fire under Burton’s ass, and we may get something excellent out of him again. This movie was a step in the right direction.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

Twisters (2024) Review – The Dictionary Definition of Fine

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Unlike many, I didn’t grow up on the original Twister (1996), and I only watched it for the first time a couple of years ago and thought it was fine. So, I wasn’t particularly “hyped” for this sequel; however, after some initial reactions, I felt if I were to see this movie, I should do it properly – on the big screen. And as the title of this review hints, I seem to be on this island where I know people who love both the original and this sequel. I don’t hate either, but for me, both movies were just “fine”.

My biggest problem with Twisters was that the movie seemed to try so hard to be something different, more grounded, and be a blockbuster with a brain. Cool, I can get behind that. But what happens after that follows the same formula we’ve seen times and times again. We open with a scene that defines our protagonist (most of her friends die). Fast forward a couple of years later, where she leads a safe but unsatisfied life, yearning to chase tornadoes. And what would you know, when she thought she was out, they brought her back in. But it is 2024, so we must have a subplot about corporate greed. And she may or may not develop a substance that kills tornadoes. The end.

Am I simplifying this movie to make a funny (?) point? Yes. But Twisters is really that. The thing is, I went in hoping to see a big blockbuster that I would enjoy. And the movie has two awesome sequences (the rodeo tornado and the end) where you can feel the insane power of nature. But the rest was… neither here nor there. For a big blockbuster, I found myself bored a bit despite everything being just fine.

Take our protagonists. The titular trio are people I like to watch and believe are the future of Hollywood – Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell and Anthony Ramos. Each of them is perfectly fine in their role, but nobody stands out, and they all have had much better roles in movies where they played much smaller parts. Or take the subplot of corporate greed – yes, Anthony’s character works for the “bad guys” who exploit people right after the tornado hits them, but of course, he flips on the dime, facing no repercussions. What’s more, his turn makes it seem like everything is fine now, even though he helped this company scheme many people out of their homes. That was my biggest hang-up with Twisters; you can tell this film wants so badly to be a “better”, “more intelligent” blockbuster, focusing more on the people and their stories rather than the spectacle. But the story here is paper thin, and we have seen this exact formula done to death.

Even the themes of getting over someone’s death, not blaming yourself, and living with that guilt this movie wanted to explore with Daisy’s character fell flat because the film never digs too deep there. We see everything explored, don’t get me wrong, but it all feels shallow because we have more data to collect so we can stop them tornadoes. What I am trying to say, probably not as well, is everything in this movie felt like it wanted to be much more, but it’s ultimately very shallow.

To make something clear – I don’t understand tornado chasers and never will. However, I don’t understand many things and why people would choose to do those things, and they still make excellent movies about them. So I don’t think it’s a “me issue”, at least not from this angle. I understand that the original Twister was a phenomenal success, and many people worship that film. And I have seen many others support this one, calling it one of the best films of 2024. I am genuinely happy for them and won’t try to tell anyone they are wrong. It seems like this franchise (?) is simply something that’s not meant for me.

Overall, Twisters is one of the most “fine” movies I have ever seen. The story, performances, action, CGI, everything was just… fine. For slightly over two hours, it occupied my time, and I didn’t hate anything about it, but the same night, I couldn’t recall much about this film. Besides those two big set pieces, everything feels like a “by the numbers” blockbuster. I think your enjoyment is directly related to whether you are into chasing tornadoes and watching those YouTube videos or you enjoyed the original film. If the answer is “yes” to either of those two prompts above, you will have a blast with Twisters. If not, you may struggle to latch onto anything here, just like me.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

Trap (2024) Review – The Game of Cat and Ninja

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I didn’t even know there was a new M. Night Shyamalan coming out this year until about two months ago when I watched the trailer in front of a different movie. But that trailer did everything right; it showed me just enough to interest me. Seeing M. Night’s name on the screen also added to my excitement, given he has redeemed himself from his… questionable period (2008 – 2013, you know what I am talking about). And even if not all of his recent films blew me away, I still appreciate them, as he is one of those few directors who always try for something new. Trap was just that, and that is what makes it my favourite movie of his since Split (2016).

What I loved the most was that simple premise. Dad and daughter go to a concert together; how wholesome is that? Except for the fact that he is a serial killer, and this entire concert is one big, deliberate trap for him, as the FBI knows he will be there. ‘How do they know?’ you might ask, and I won’t tell you because the movie answers that. And it is with this simple premise that M. Night puts us on the rollercoaster of emotions, hide and seek and the game of cat and ninja. Why not “cat and mouse”, you ask? I will get to that shortly.

I never thought I would write this, but I am so glad Josh Hartnett is back to starring in major movies and seems better than ever in this acting thing. It was so smart to make him our protagonist despite the fact he is, in fact, an antagonist. But just like in many films and TV shows of late, it is because we see everything through his eyes that we almost root for him. It’s more like I was intrigued about how he would get around this obstacle and how he escaped from this situation… and Josh plays his character so well. You believe he is a caring dad and husband, but you also see that animal inside him, ready to snap and chop you out. The fact he hovers over most (if not) all the people in this movie because of him being 191 cm (or 6′ 3″ for my US readers) also helped. He is as menacing as he appears and genuinely cares about his family.

I also liked Ariel Donoghue, who played his daughter, as she portrayed the teenager of today very well. That might be because she was only born in 2010, the fact I didn’t know while watching this movie, and now, I feel super old. Anyway, I thought she was great and never became annoying, which is super impressive, given all the yelling/fangirling her character does. I enjoyed Saleka Shyamalan, too, although you could argue this entire movie is just a big promo for her singing career, which is fine with me. You know what they say – nepotism starts at home. But I thought she was not just a good singer, but a decent enough actress, so I wouldn’t mind seeing her in other roles.

As I mentioned above, this movie is one giant thrill ride where you can sum it up by “bad guy sees a problem, he figures out a solution, moves on, just to stumble upon another problem”. My only major problem with it was that, especially in the last third, Cooper (Josh’s character) was in some situations he shouldn’t have escaped from. Or, let me phrase it differently – the only way he escapes is due to the power of editing. I don’t want to go into spoilers, but because of this, I started to refer to him as “bad ninja dad”. Because for you to enjoy Trap, you need to suspend your disbelief. And it’s gradual most things he does in the first two-thirds of this film; I could see how some could work, but once something happens, I don’t care how smart/nifty he is; he should have been caught a few times.

But besides this, I enjoyed Trap. I liked the push-and-pull aspect of this “chase”; I liked this film’s dark sense of humour at times, and I enjoyed the mid-credit scene… There’s a lot to like about this movie, and Josh Hartnett is, by far, the best thing. His performance is excellent, and I want to see him in more meatier roles like this.

Overall, Trap is an enjoyable thrill ride that will entertain you as long as you can suspend your disbelief in the last third. It’s a good old-fashioned “simple” movie with some M. Night elements sprinkled here and there, and he continues to prove that he is a fascinating director who had a period of bad movies in a row, but he’s long past it. I can’t wait to see what he does next because I am here for this kind of Shyamalan.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke