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Reviews
Class of '07 (2023)
A clever Aussie comedy for Aussies
This was so much fun to watch. The casting, acting, & soundtrack will appeal to elder- regular millenial Aussies without doubt.
Everyone who is attending an all girls 10 year highschool reunion finds themselves stuck in the apocalypse, in the form of a countrywide/worldwide (?) flood.
Now they have to try to find ways to survive, while dealing with their individual and collective highschool traumas.
It's sweet, funny, cute, very clever and twists the knife in a few times too. The characters are excellently crafted, and as they regress a little to teenage issues they often flip and mix up between being likeable and unlikable, even though it is understandable given their situation.
It's unpredictable and original. Give it a go and ignore the bizarre 1 point reviews from the trolls.
Soft & Quiet (2022)
2/10 for the filming technique
After watching this I was left wondering why this was even made, and certainly wondered why I sat through it.
It was gripping at the beginning and came with a surprise early on but from there it just felt like a big uncomfortable build up to no point at all.
The filming was excellent, shot in only a few takes and this certainly made it feel more immersive and I definitely appreciate the intention there by the director.
The flip side to this is that italso felt a lot like watching "reality" TV, and the characters seemed to have the same development. Shallow and painful to watch.
It's a movie about real life and real life horrors - but it isn't scary (beyond the notion of what certain people who form groups can get up to). It seemed like a lecture on the topic without any real plot, point or reason. Perhaps that was the point, that there is no reason with these people? Which is something I guess.
God's Favorite Idiot (2022)
Murdoch media are no one's favourite idiot
Murdoch media is trashing the hell out of this show, as they are wont to do with anything really. And, as usual, they've got it completely wrong. This is a funny, sweet, heartfelt comedy that soothes the soul.
I'm an atheist, but I don't let that stop me having fun and I'd recommend this to anyone who is looking for a light comedy at the end of the day.
Sex Education (2019)
I wish there was a show like this in the late 90s
I wish there was a show like this in the mid-late 90s when I was a teen, instead of the likes of Dawson's Creek and Sex and the City that promoted unhealthy & unrealistic relationships.
Sex Education is the perfect antidote to those kind of shows and the 'reality TV' society gorges itself on currently.
And I wish I had a sex ed teacher like Gillian Anderson's sultry and strong character Jean Milburn the sex therapist. We follow her and her son Otis, as he struggles through high school while dabbling in providing sex advice to his peers. From there we meet a large cast of individuals and see things their way in focus for an episode at a time.
This is a really cleverly made, written and brilliantly acted English series about what sex means/feels/is like to a lot of individuals.
It's quaint while being very progressive, heartwarming, funny, sad, dramatic at times but there's always the underlying theme of reason and logic via conversation.
Sex Education promotes self awareness and personal growth, it encourages individuals to be true to themselves because that is the secret to happiness after all.
The Boy Behind the Door (2020)
Claustrophobic tension
This was a great little movie from the same writer/directors as The Djinn. You can see the step up they've taken with this one, it's far more polished and evolved but it has a similar claustrophobic tension throughout the whole movie that saw me having to remind myself to breathe at times.
Two smart kids who are best friends doing their best, which is excellent, to survive a sudden kidnapping. Not a blood/gore fest and no jump scares (bar one, but it was well done), this isn't a slasher, but a carefully crafted thrill ridden horror that will keep you on the edge of your seat, if you like that kind of thing. The terror is palpable!
The Djinn (2021)
Great tension
I can't fathom the bad reviews here.
The characters were well portrayed and easily empathised with. The story was a pretty old one but gave us the basic rules of play.
The tension was palpable, overwhelming even. I really wanted the little boy to win.
It wasn't drawn out too long to make it boring at any point.
All round I think it was a great movie.
The Witches (2020)
Good family movie
I grew up reading Roald Dahl and loved his stories, I enjoy his stories being made into movies. I honestly liked this one better than the old one. Octavia Spencer, Anne Hathaway and Chris Rock are all exceptional in it. Highly recommend if you're up for something fun.
Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel (2021)
Intriguing and well shot
It is a bit strange with the cyber sleuths being involved in so much of this, but I think it's more tasteful than using Elisa's friends and family (who I imagine just want to move on) in it. It's an intriguing story and I'd never heard it in full before. It could have been shorter but it was interesting taking the journey of solving the crime as it went along and trying to figure it out for yourself with the facts presented. Worth the watch.
Relic (2020)
SPOILERS - I just don't think the haters get suspension of disbelief
SPOILERS EVERYWHERE!
I found this movie beautiful and dark. Scary and sad. The acting was very powerful and sound was used in such a way to make up for the dark lighting throughout. You must suspend your disveirkd to watch this, not expect jump scares and just settle in for the ride. If you're expecting a horror with lots of murder/blood and guts - THIS IS NOT IT.
I was expecting it to be about some kind of entity for most of the movie, especially with the reference to the window from the old house that was put on the new, and the primordial clicking/throat noises throughout, but as time wore on it became apparent that this was more like the Babadook and cemented in the horrors of dementia.
So brilliantly done with the earlier generational aspects of the family. I think the decay/moul/rotting is a metaphor for the decay of the mind, the weird corridors making the viewer feel like the walls are closing in and gravity is shifting, we don't know which way is up or down.
What Sam experiences in there is a physical expression of what her Gran is going through, and she can likely look forward to. She'll go through this with her mother first and then it will be her.
I was most frightened during the corridor scenes, I stared feeling all Blair Witch panicky when Sam was first lost in there and then it kept getting worse, I felt so claustrophobic and sick- what about you? Brilliant of the writer/director to make me be able to experience a bit of what it feels like having dementia.
Poor Gran/Edna. I just wanted to hug her when she was asking Sam where everyone has gone.
I think the James, the neighbour with Down syndrome served 2 purposes: 1. To throw us off the trail and keep thinking it was an entity. Like when Sam asks him in the house and he acts scared and says no and 2. To help Sam's journey in realising what is going on with her Gran. The story about him being locked in the cupboard makes us, the viewers, angry at Gran, and when she calls him the name', in the same way it does to Sam. And before all of that Sam was stubbornly siding against her mother with her Gran. And poor Sam is weighed down with burdens and doesn't know what to do, but is trying her best, even with no one on her side.
The dreams that Kay was having about the old house (and the great grandpa who died the same way, that also throws us off trail) are her fears of the same, being much closer to the time. And that's why she can't leave her Mum there in the end, she shows compassion not only because she loves her mum, but she realises the weight of all of this, it's her future.
I loved the use of the window as a symbol of heritage & family.
So in the end there is no entity, despite the gory reveal of what's beneath Gran's decaying skin. I love the juxtaposition of emotion in this scene: how repulsive the skin peeling is, and how lovingly Kay pulls it away, finally accepting that this is now what her mother is.
The very end where they all lay on the bed and Sam finds the bruise on her Mum is such a great finish, the three generations of women laying there, exhausted, frightened but still wanting to care for each other.
Becky (2020)
Fun, Gory Vengence.
If you like gore and revenge then check out Lulu's performance as 13 year old Becky as she fends off great hulking convicts. Sit back and enjoy.
The Wretched (2019)
Great watch
I really enjoyed this one, the plot is quite simple but intriguing and thoroughly engaging. The visual and sound effects were perfect and the acting was good. Nice little gem this one. Watch it with the lights out at night for added effect 😉
The Lodge (2019)
An excellent film to immerse yourself in
If this doesn't leave you rattled then you might want to steer away from psychological horror/thrillers. Time flew watching this masterpiece. It grips you early and draws you into the characters' lives. The grip becomes a strangle hold as you fall down the rabbit hole with the characters. Enjoy this without distractions.
After Midnight (2019)
Brilliant filmmaking
This movie has everything possible going for it and delivers perfectly. It's sometimes poetic, sometimes funny, sometimes sad, often poignant and beautiful with some scary stuff thrown in to boot and a climax that no one sees coming. Really enjoyed this ride.
True History of the Kelly Gang (2019)
If you are looking for a classic Ned Kelly story and don't like art then don't bother
This is not your typical Ned Kelly movie.
It's as though Baz Luhrmann (think Moulin Rouge and Romeo and Juliet) was let loose on the film, story and portrayals.
It's a wild ride of emotions, breaking boundaries and it blatantly ignores prejudices and preconceived notions.
If you enjoy the part of the usual story of sticking it to the man (or at least trying to) and standing up to one's oppressors, AND you appreciate artistic flair in a movie then I highly recommend you check this out.
Marianne (2019)
Perfectly chilling and eerie
If you watch it on Netflix for the best experience change the audio to French original and then English subtitles. The dubbing is awful and almost ruined this gem for me at first.
The use of classic horror imagery like the lighthouse and the scary old lady will draw you into this, there is a good story which delves into interesting character backstories. Rarely corny, often eerie sometimes bone chilling this kept my heart rate up from the 2nd episode in and then raised it some.
It takes a little while to settle into the story, but that's because this series is anything but comfortable.
The confusion and tension in this are perfect, I haven't had a good scare in ages. Watch alone and in the dark.
The Second (2018)
Quite brilliant
You don't often see something of this quality, great scenery, acting and a twisty, almost implausible plot combined to perfection.
Braid (2018)
Beautifully surreal
I really enjoyed this one. The acting is flawless, the filming is brilliant and the characters are intriguing.
You have to go with the flow to watch this very trippy, and often time jumping story.