ashtonsharman Reviews

Asteroid City (2023)

Wes Anderson's "Nope"

[7/10 · 26 June 2023]

One of the standout features of "Asteroid City" is Anderson's attention to detail. Every shot has something going for it, whether it's in the background or a character, there's always something to look out for. Obviously, with any Wes Anderson film, the art direction and set design is top notch. In fact, I think it deserves an intergalactic accolade.

The atmosphere created was impressive as it made me feel on edge. Some of the lighting techniques like having the green lights fill the screen made it feel eerie. The humour is very offbeat, it's a film that will make you laugh but also marvel at the absurdity of it all. The over arching theme of the film is the meaning of life which is cool as it adds some needed depth to the film. I feel that Wes Anderson wants us as the audience to watch this film and question our own existence which is really clever.

However, there are various parts of the film when the absurdity went a tad too far, even for a Wes Anderson film. For example, some of the quirkiness of the characters and the setting was a lot to take in. But hey, a film set in "Asteroid City" anything goes. Overall, I feel this is one for the hardcore fans and maybe not so much for the general audience.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)

Prepare to be entangled in a web of emotions

[9/10 · 16 June 2023]

"Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" has done what made the first one so special but elevated it to another level. The amazing visuals, engaging storytelling, and well-crafted characters make it just that much better. In particular, I loved how they expanded on Gwen's character and her storyline by her making key decisions in the plot. The diverse Spider-men and their unique abilities, coupled with heartfelt moments and exhilarating action sequences, create an unforgettable cinematic experience. It's a celebration of diversity and the power of embracing one's true self. Overall, "Across the Spider-Verse" is a triumph that leaves you wanting more.

Evil Dead Rise (2023)

Had me rising from my seat

[7/10 · 24 April 2023]

Evil Dead Rise is written and directed by Lee Cronin and is only his second feature film to date. Focusing on a family this time round, he creates an original and intense story that flows smoothly. The originality is impressive as Cronin takes us out of the cabin in the woods and into a city apartment building in Los Angeles which adds a fresh new look on this franchise.

Probably the strongest part about this film is how much tension there is from start to finish, as an audience you never feel that any character is safe. He does this by creating such a creepy and unsettling atmosphere, especially the hallway scenes. The dark and blue lighting really add to this. The pacing of the film is excellent, when it starts it really gets going and the characters are always doing something interesting to keep the plot progressing in such restricted locations. Speaking about the characters, the performances across the board are all great. Especially Sutherland, who plays the mother and possessed mother very well which shows her big talent. Her practical and visual effects were terrifyingly good so massive props to the special effects and make-up artists for that. Also a great protagonist performance from Sullivan, who is a very likeable lead and someone who the audience can easily root for. As with every Evil Dead film, there's silly humour (although not as much this time) and lots and I mean LOTS of blood and gore (6500 litres of fake blood used). This film also has an amazing title sequence which is very visually appealing and links in with the main story satisfyingly.

Overall, the Evil Dead franchise certainly is on the rise after a strong instalment, better than Evil Dead (2013) and The Evil Dead (1981) but having not quite reached the levels of Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness, it definitely has third place in my eyes.

The Menu (2022)

An acquired taste

[7/10 · 1 April 2023]

The Menu is a hilarious dark comedy thriller about high-end restaurants which explores popular themes in cinema lately like capitalism and elitism. This movie isn't for everyone because of its political views and you'll either love it or hate it. But I feel this is a well written piece with lots of humour and is meta. The cast is phenomenal with Ralph Fiennes putting on a brilliant performance playing Chef Slowik. Mark Mylod has made a beautiful looking movie which fittingly suits the meals being served, especially that cheeseburger. As well as this, Seth Reiss and Will Tracy wrote a very creative piece and the idea of showing the description of each meal being served was genius and felt like a character in itself.

However, there are some flaws. There isn't much character development in this movie and it felt like there needed to be. I feel there are missed opportunities with some of the characters in relation to their backstories not being explored any further. Not only that, the length of the movie seemed too short and felt like that was more to be told and if the writers chose to explore the characters more the film could have benefited from being longer. Overall, this is an extremely funny movie with many of its jokes landing perfectly and lots of depth to it but falls short in its character development and length.

BoJack Horseman (2014–2020)

This show ain't horsin' around

[9/10 · 25 March 2023]

Who would've thought a tv show about a horse and other animals would be the most human show ever? This dark comedy goes through the life of a washed up Hollywood star in the perfect way and with surprising depth too. The character of BoJack is so interesting as he isn't a good guy and we see him go through all the bad things in his life. But we still root for him because the writers do a great job on making us care for him and making us want him to succeed. I think this is because of the main themes explored like mental illness, substance abuse and trauma. Not only that, the other characters like Diane, Mr Peanutbutter, Princess Caroline and Todd just continue to add more depth. Above all else, the most important thing BoJack taught us is that forgiveness is complicated but it is never owed. The last episode perfectly encapsulates this and it's an amazing ending to an amazing tv series.

Scream VI (2023)

Ghostface takes Manhattan

[7/10 · 18 March 2023]

I just want to start by saying how great it is that this franchise just doesn't have a bad movie. But not only that, to maintain its quality in the sixth instalment is impressive as most other horror franchises have failed miserably with. This simply felt original and fresh which was something its predecessor lacked a little.

The decision to switch it up and move from Woodsboro to New York worked very well. The location being set in a big city makes it feel more unsafe and unsettling. Also referencing Jason takes Manhattan simply by the location was such a "Scream" thing to do.

You could really tell Matt Bettinelli and Tyler Gillet put a lot of effort into the feel of this movie as the set pieces were so intense to watch. Especially the shop scene, you could tell their inspiration was from the Jurassic Park kitchen scene. The ladder set piece was intense as well, although it lacked some logic (who has a ladder in their New York apartment with the perfect length between the two windows).

The development of the core four characters is there and it's great to see them further form their friendships but Samantha's character was the most interesting. The writers continued where they left off with the character dynamic of Billy Loomis as her father. They played with this by making you feel more uneasy and not totally sure about her motives. Also she seems to have replaced Sidney as the face of Scream and it surprisingly works as this film did not miss Sid at all.

However, as with every movie, it isn't perfect. The pacing of the film seemed off as some scenes dragged on a little too long and you could tell this is the longest movie in the franchise. As well as this, because of the shift in tone, this is probably the least funniest and meta Scream movie yet. But having said all that, I still love this movie because it continued the story with originality and gave opportunities for more sequels... or requels.