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Hollington Drive (2021)
A realistic take on a small town murder mystery, with lifelike characters
I feel that Hollington Drive gets a lot of bad rep because of its characters. They are realistic (horrible) humans, making all kinds of stupid illogical mistakes under pressure and shedding all morality to defend their kids - which is, I think, the biggest strength of the series, although it makes it hard to watch sometimes. It never feels like it's just to move the plot forward. It's what real (stupid) people would do.
The acting is very good, there are some characters that can seem flat, but it makes sense in context of the setting and story - there's a guy who can't read social situations properly and is overenthusiastic in general (probably has Asperger's or low IQ), there's a lady at school that seems kinda naive, but realistically, she wouldn't be suspicious or go after her superior so easily without a solid reason.
The series certainly doesn't deserve ratings as low as 1-4. It's concise, makes sense, is well shot and is solid overall. But ... If you're looking for an edgy cop thriller with competent (or even brilliant) detectives chasing a charismatic killer, you should look elsewhere.
Alien Warfare (2019)
"So bad it's good", and it knows it is, aaand it doesn't spoil the fun trying to hide it ;-)
This movie plays its cards right :) It has just enough good in the bad to be entertaining. If you have some imagination I'm sure you can enjoy it for what it is and for what it could be with a bigger budget. It could have easily become a blockbuster, actually better than many blockbusters in some ways. Clearly a lot of thought, humour and effort went into it. I just hope they had as much fun filming it as I had watching it.
As Above, So Below (2014)
Mystery, adventure, horror. Done better than most found footage flicks.
This review might contain mild spoilers for the first 15 minutes of the movie or so.
I'll try to keep this short. If you're totally allergic to "found footage", shaky cam films, this probably isn't for you.
That said, it isn't your typical shaky cam flick either. It uses elements of found footage films, but it does so effectively and without relying on clichés. Sure, if you pick it apart piece by piece you will find a fair deal of the typical found footage tropes in some form or another, but they serve their purpose and aren't detracting attention from the story. Also the movie is, IMHO, shot very well and the cam isn't THAT shaky.
The thing I loved the most about this movie is the buildup, pacing, adventure and mystery. The main character is a Lara Croft-esque, light- hearted archaeologist who enjoys living on the edge, and, following in her deceased father's footsteps, is on the verge of discovering a hidden Philosopher's Stone. That's what the movie focuses on. There are scares, but it tries to rely on building tension and developing the story rather than cheap tricks and running around screaming.
At this point I have to say I was really unimpressed by Descent. It was a mediocre movie to me, focusing on jumps scares, grotesque and violence, and neglecting to tell any meaningful story. This movie, is the other way around. So, if you really loved Descent, and expect this to be like it, you might be disappointed (fewer direct "nerve-wrecking" action moments). On the other hand, if you like Indiana Jones and found footage / horror you should enjoy this as much as i have.
Harper's Island (2009)
Disappointing for a fan of the genre
I found this surprisingly weak for its high IMDb score. From episode one it seemed to have a teen drama vibe to it. I assumed it came with the territory since the plot revolves around a young couple's wedding to be. But as the episodes progressed I still couldn't shake the feeling that the mystery and horror were just forced additions to a typical soap.
There are wedding problems, couple problems, father and boyfriend troubles, problems with kids, not-so-comic-relief friends of the groom and so on, and THEN there's a splash of a slasher/mystery thriller. Since it is tagged as mystery/thriller, I expected it to be the other way around. The mystery plot line, sidetracked and underdeveloped as it is, doesn't seem very interesting at the beginning and doesn't get much more interesting to the very end. There is no real focus on it or tension.
I couldn't really complain about production values, the show looks and sounds fine. Acting isn't atrocious but it isn't great either. I felt that casting was off though. Almost none of the characters seemed believable enough. Blatant lack of logic or realism throughout the second half of the show doesn't help.
On the other hand, I think that the show could work fine as it is, as long as you expect it to be teen drama with a splash of mystery and gore. Perhaps then the casting (beautiful people all around) acting, pacing and focus on side stories would seem more appropriate. For a mystery thriller though I couldn't give it more than 4 out of 10.