haleyriley97 Reviews

1BR (2019)

I wanted more from it

[3/10 · 26 August 2020]

First, I want to start by mentioning that if fictional animal cruelty is triggering for you, do not watch this film or skip 23:53-24:13.

I thought the idea for this film was interesting. I always enjoy checking out different cult-related movies and was interested after I read that some events were based off of real life experiences from ex-cult members. However, this one just didn't do it for me.

There's a lot of telling instead of showing, underdevelopment, and rushing through the interesting parts while lagging through the boring stuff. I didn't feel like I was shown why I should like and care for the main character. I felt like I was simply supposed to care because that's what the movie wanted. And the whole performance of the main actress was incredibly bland to me, which didn't help. I also wanted to see more of the creepiness of the apartment and other tenants before things really picked up. Same with the work friend. They had two conversations and then they're acting like close friends. None of it felt believable, which is unfortunate. Like I said, I think it's an interesting plot. But the development of the plot and the characters just wasn't enough for me.

Patchwork (2015)

Dumb, campy fun

[6/10 · 1 February 2019]

This movie knows exactly what it is and has fun with it! It isn't groundbreaking, however it obviously want trying to be.

There's a lot of cliches and stereotypical characters, but nothing too bad. Two of the main characters, Jennifer and Garrett, were poorly acted at times, but they're tolerable. The humor was cheesy at times, but enjoyable nonetheless (the owlcat's escape and "we lost both of the Brads" being a couple of my favorite parts.) I was pleasantly surprised with the twist. I wasn't expecting a competent story going in to this movie, so that was a little nice. And there were quite a few solid camera shots that were really nice.

Overall, the movie is dumb, campy fun and I enjoyed watching it! It definitely wasn't that best movie I've ever seen, but it's far from the worse! Give it a try!

The Monster (2016)

Meh

[5/10 · 14 January 2019]

What's worse then a really bad movie? A mediocre one. And that's exactly what this movie is; just meh.

The dialogue and acting is very shallow and simple. The movie drags at times with some scenes being longer then they need to be. Sometimes logic is just tossed out the window. The creature is clearly meant to be deep and symbolic, but instead it just comes off as very cheesy and lame.

You can tell what the writer and director were trying to do with the story and themes. Unfortunately, it just didn't come together for them.

Inside (I) (2016)

Wow, what a stupid movie

[1/10 · 11 August 2018]

After reading a few other reviews, I guess this movie is an American remake of a French film by the same name. I have never seen the original, but I'm sure it is far better then this garbage.

I spent a majority of this movie literally yelling at the main character to just use her brain and pay attention. I get the whole "you don't always think straight when you're terrified" argument, but this was atrocious and almost unbearable.

For example, after getting out of the car crash (making this her 567th unsuccessful attempt at escaping), she decides to seek help from a house that is clearly under construction in the middle of a dark, rainy night where there will obviously be no people. And instead of leaving and trying another home, she , of course, decides to go exploring. While the killer in still after her and clearly not dead. And she's in labor. While she's dealing with being knocked in the head, haven fallen on her back/side, having fallen just straight up on her stomach, and other injuries/stressors. All while pregnant.

However, I decided to stick with it to see how this show was going to end and wow. It's not like the ending was a surprise since they spoiled it in the VERY BEGINNING OF THE MOVIE.

All I can say about this movie is that it is idiotic, nonsensical garbage. I beg you not to waste your time on it.

Calibre (2018)

Not that original, but great nonetheless

[8/10 · 9 August 2018]

While the concept of friends having a dreadful, life-altering experience in the woods has been done time and time again, this go at it isn't bad by any means.

The suspense of this movie is what kept my eyes from straying. There were moments when I was unconsciously holding my breath. And while the ending could be guessed if you watched a high volume of this particular genre, I was so caught up in the moment, I didn't want to guess and ruin the ending for myself.

The characters were very rooted in reality. I found myself liking both the "good" and "bad" guys. You understood why everyone did what they did. Everything made sense.

The acting can be a little cheesy at times, but the cheesy moments don't take away or add from the real meat of this movie. So those tiny moments can be brushed aside or forgotten. Overall, the acting was very grounded and believable.

The camera work was generally pretty average. However, there were a couple moments where shots were so incredibly pretty and felt like they would never end. Those moments surprised and pleased me.

While the plot is nothing new, this movie is not another cheese fest that I'll easy forget within the hour. I am definitely glad I happened to switch this little gem on.

The Conjuring (2013)

A personal favorite

[8/10 · 9 June 2018]

This movie is not groundbreaking, but in a time of repetitious stories/plots, this movie is a little refreshing. Don't get me wrong, it still relies heavily on jump scares and other predictable tropes. However, I found the humor and occasional well acted scenes are what kept me interested. Plus, there is some really nice camera work that makes it seem like the team that made this movie actually cared.

It's a great movie for a movie night with a group of friends or alone. I can't even tell you how many times I've rewatched this movie. It's not trying to win any awards, just entertain you. So give it a try and have fun with it!

Mercy (IV) (2016)

Interesting ideas, sloppy execution.

[2/10 · 25 March 2018]

I won't go too in depth on the plot of the movie, since quite a few have already done so in these reviews. This movie had a few interesting ideas that I personally haven't encountered too often. However I found the movie's story writing to be very sloppy. There wasn't much to figure as a viewer, so a lot of the suspense was lost. You could tell the jumpscares we're coming a mile away. They spent no time developing the characters, so you didn't care when anything happens to them. For me personally, by the time I learned their name, they were gone. If I had to describe this movie in two words it would sloppy and, most importantly, BORING. Seems as though Netflix is no longer concerned with the quality of their own content. Big surprise.