cliffmerayah Reviews

Severance (2022– )

On another level!

[9/10 · 29 September 2022]

I can't even describe the show. It's unlike anything I have ever seen.

Remember that feeling you had after watching The Truman Show or The Sixth Sense for the very first time? The feeling that you had experienced something unique? It's the exact same sensation Severance gave me. It's odd, it's smart, it's fresh and I loved every single minute of it. It's the best writing and acting I have seen in years.

Every episode makes you hungry for the next one, and the next one, and... well, you get the point. All I can say is, stop scrolling through these reviews and go watch it, because you're in for a treat.

The Matrix Resurrections (I) (2021)

Bad? No. Intensely painfully bad? Yes.

[2/10 · 24 December 2021]

I will keep this short. I am a The Matrix fan. This 4th installment did not deliver. And it seemed other folks at the theatre felt the same way. First time ever that I went to see a movie and the audience was cursing and booing when the closing credits appeared.

Personally, this isn't only an awful Matrix movie but this is one of the worst films I've seen in a long time. Terrible story, mediocre directing, boring and long conversations (I honestly fell asleep for about 10 minutes), useless flashbacks to the old movies and characters you never care about. Even the action sequences were below average. It all felt cheap, rushed, lifeless and not at all original. Some parts, that weren't ment to be funny, made people in the theatre laugh (although I think it was out of misery)...

It's so sad to say this... but if you love the original The Matrix, you will not like this one.

Invasion (2021–2024)

This is so bad

[2/10 · 14 December 2021]

Where to start... How boring can an alien invasion be? Watch this show and you'll know.. It starts off pretty good. Episode one with a strong acting Sam Neill sets the bar pretty high. Unfortunately it's the only episode that stars Neill and the only one worth watching.

These are a bunch of seperate stories and they all suppose to be linked to one another but they don't connect at all.

I found that the story line with the Indian family was totally useless. The actress who plays the wife and mother of two, does a horrible job. I didn't believe anything she did or said. Then there is the soldier and, although his story is a little more compelling, it's hardly worth your time. The Japanese story is just okay but nothing to pull you in. Finally the story about the troubled kids in England turns out to be the most interesting but falls flat eventually. Oh yeah, there is some kind of alien invasion thing going on but not worth mentioning.. Overall this is a really bad show. It's the only invasion where you'd wish the aliens destroy earth in episode two.

The Irregulars (2021)

Oh my eyes.. My eyes!

[2/10 · 27 March 2021]

Came here to warn people. Stay away from this. It's cringe worthy.

Whoever thought this would make good television, should get fired. Everything feels off, cheap and ridiculous: the acting, the lines, the script. What a waste of time.

We couldn't get passed the first 40 minutes of the 1st episode. I'd rather watch paint dry than to waste time watching this mess.

Scream: The TV Series (2015–2019)

Predictable but fun

[7/10 · 22 September 2020]

I've watched both the first and second season. There is something addictive about the series. As an old Scream fan, who enjoyed the first one as a teen, over 25 years ago, it was fun to see this concept still works. However... As much as I wanted to, I didn't connect with the leading lady in the show. The acting is fine but her character doesn't have a lot to offer. Noah and Audrey are far more compelling. The biggest flaw of the show is its predictability. It took me just a few episodes to find out who the killer was, in both seasons. From then on you just complete the series, just to see how the killer will be revealed. So this isn't the big 'who dunnit' show I was hoping for, but it was kinda fun to watch.

Time Trap (2017)

Time Trash

[4/10 · 17 August 2020]

This is such a great concept that it's unforgivable how bad this movie turned out. I mean, wow! There is time travel and a pretty interesting back story. You got this exciting mix of past, present and future, a mystical cave and a bunch of attractive and adventurous teenagers. Not much that can go wrong, you might think. Guess again. At one point the characters start talking (nonsense, by the way) and they neeeever stop. They take so long to wrap their heads around what is happening that even I felt like time was slowing down and this movie lasted forever. By the time cool stuff is starting to happen, you don't really care anymore. That's a shame because if you take away 70 minutes of lame and annoying conversation, you end up with about 20 minutes of okay movie. This movie gets a 10/10 for creativity but a 0/10 for execution. With a bigger budget, decent script and professional directing this could be a gem.

The Old Guard (2020)

Old Guard, No Heart...

[5/10 · 18 July 2020]

Everything about this movie is average. The problem is that it doesn't deliver a single memorable sequence, scene or line. You never go "wow" or even "ha" and it's all due to average writing, poor delivery and dull action (except for maybe one or two fighting scenes). It's not terrible but it's far from thrilling. The worst thing is the villain. His persona, his motives,... It is all so cartoonish that you expect him to go "mwuhaha" any time. This could have been great, like the 1986 movie 'Highlander' with Christopher Lambert, which has clearly inspired this film. But unlike the latter, this one won't stick. Too bad.

Gemini Man (2019)

Too distracting to enjoy

[5/10 · 27 June 2020]

Okay, this isn't the greatest plot. And okay, this isn't Smith's best performance. But it's the bad CGI that makes it hard to enjoy this movie. Everytime we see the young version of Will Smith, it feels like you are watching a PlayStation 5 cutscene. Yes, PlayStation 5.. because it's better than PS4 graphics but not even close to the real thing. The movement of his mouth, the over dramatic look in his eyes and the light reflecting on his skin.. it's just not good enough to forget that you are watching a computer generated person. It just feels off. I wasn't too crazy about the SFX stunts and fights either. Even the director seems confused by all this unwanted distraction and makes some questionable decisions: zooming in on a character's face without any particular reason or dismissing the 180 degree rule (that's a real thing, look it up!). And last but not least: how great of an actor Will Smith may be (twice!), this movie lacks star power. Emma Stone, Emily Blunt or Jennifer Lawrence could've spiced this whole flick up a little. Too bad but this movie is just too messy to fully enjoy.

Brightburn (2019)

Predictable but enjoyable

[6/10 · 6 April 2020]

Get the popcorn ready, this is an okay movie. The acting is good, the story is alright, the suspense is enjoyable. If you start watching this without expectations, you'll like this film. However, if you're looking for the greatest horror sensation of the year, you won't find it here.

Bullet to the Head (2012)

Bad production

[4/10 · 6 April 2020]

The whole movie has a 90's action flick vibe. But not in a good way. Not at all. It's as if the director and script writer watched an online tutorial about film making and decided to give it a try themselves. It's one big mess. There is zero connection between Sly's character and Kang's. There is no build up or believable story line, no plot twists and even the acting is terrible for the most part. The only two actors that read through the script before going on set, must've been Stallone and Jason Mamoa, and those two are the only reason you can sit through these 90 minutes of misery. There are more fun ways to spend your time, like doing the dishes or staring at a wall. Because by the end of this movie you'll wish for a bullit to the head.

Journal 64 (2018)

Another solid Department Q case!

[7/10 · 19 March 2020]

If you haven't seen the previous episodes, I strongly suggest you do. It explains the bound between the two protagonists. Once again Department Q delivers an emotional and strongly written police adventure. By now it's hard to imagine a movie in these series without the constant switch between past and present. It's an interesting way to uncover the timeline and the motives of each character. It just works really well. Is it the best one in these series? Probably not. But it's still worth your time, even if you haven't seen the previous three films. I hope there will be more of these.

Creed II (2018)

Not the greatest but still really good

[7/10 · 2 January 2020]

Creed II delivers the punch but doesn't quite land the knockout. While the familiar formula still works as inspiring as ever, it is mainly good ol' Rock that steals the protagonist's spotlight. Without Sly's solid rock performance this movie would have been just another fight movie. And although the Creed saga reaches new hights in storytelling, we must admit that Adonis just isn't as charismatic as Rocky or as his dad, Apollo. This time he can't even step out of his opponent's shadow, who has a far more compelling story to tell than the one Adonis brings. So, this might not be the fight of the century but there is certainly some rumbling in the jungle. Hopefully we haven't seen the last of Rocky Balboa, cause he still knows how to bring magic to the big screen.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

What a ride!

[10/10 · 26 September 2019]

There's not much to say here. At least nothing bad. I had very high expectations for this movie and still I wasn't prepared for what I just whitnessed. For the last 15 years it's been The Incredibles but tonight I just saw my new favourite animated movie!