MikeyKup Reviews

The Night House (2020)

A Movie Filled with Substance

[10/10 · 24 November 2021]

(Spoilers): This movie is without a doubt, one of the best films of its genre that I've seen in a long time.

When you realize that this "Nothingness" or "demon" was a manifestation of her depression and trauma, of the sadness and grief she carried with her, it suddenly becomes even more terrifying.

The personal darkness we all carry with us, all the unresolved conflict... it will be darker than any supernatural demon you can think up or try conjuring. Our troubles can never fully go away, but we must not listen to the voices of our deep suffering that try convincing us there's something wrong. We are stronger than that.

In the end, her depression, with its grip so tightly around her, asked her to stay, asked her to make a final decision and to stop fighting. But, there's one voice that was stronger.

Profoundly artistic, and deep. You have to be willing to think, not mindlessly consume entertainment. Great movie.

Who's Stalking Me? (2019 TV Movie)

GREAT Potential, Poorly Executed

[6/10 · 24 August 2021]

The premise of the movie is actually very interesting, and they had a great cast (Michael Welch, in particular) but the dialogue just felt a bit cringey to me. Cheesy may be a better word.

I appreciate the artistry of filmmaking and in that light, I give it a 6/10. I like to find my own symbolism in the movies I watch, something I can grab from it, but it was a little hard to do that with this film.

Strong premise, poorly executed. Michael Welch and Chelsea Ricketts did a wonderful job, given the script they were given to work with. Could have been better.

Devil May Call (2013)

A Fully-Formed Creation

[10/10 · 13 August 2021]

First, a golden nugget of wisdom: "I always believed that survivors of trauma make the best counselors. Knowing the road, that's what makes a great guide. Every bit of change has a certain amount of push-back. You have to find the strength to know that you can fight it again, no matter what shape it takes."

This movie has a lot of great quotes, but I want to focus on the story.

Corrie English did an amazing job as Sam. I love the realism in this movie, as most of the characters have substance, a backstory.

As someone who has friends who've worked in call centers, and as someone who's volunteered for sort of a peer role in a similar way, this film hits home in a lot of ways.

John was an interesting character, but he wasn't explored very much in the ways of depth. He's clearly seen as an outcast with anger issues, and he hates the way people treat him. The only thing that makes him feel normal, or at peace, is talking to Sam, so he's become a repeated caller to Sam's crisis center. When he finds out through someone else that she's leaving, well... he tracks her down. What was once his place of comfort was the source of his greatest anger and rage.

Things like this happen, sometimes. It might not happen in the same way, but the story is pretty realistic in the way it represents the emotions of both the staff and the callers with certain issues.

Great film, and I especially like the narration at the end.

I'm not sure why this movie has such a low rating. I think it's great the way they implemented horror vibes to an otherwise dramatic plot of a suicide call center. The film was well done in all aspects.

The Enormity of Life (2021)

An Unexpected Gem

[10/10 · 12 August 2021]

This is a movie that will tug on your heartstrings. It handles a very serious topic in a very realistic way, and that's what I love about it. It doesn't overly-dramatize this particular story, but it also doesn't undersell the amount of pain Casey is going through.

I thoroughly enjoyed the humorous bits, but I also really enjoyed the more serious talks between Casey and Jess. I only wish more people like Jess existed because we could all use a friend like that.

I honestly wasn't expecting the ending to go the way it did, but I will just say that this is a movie that you won't forget.

We all know that not everyone makes it; some of us have more fight in us than others, and that's what speaks volumes about this film.

The Enormity of Life is truly an art: you cannot save people, you can only love them. They've got to do their own bit of saving, and oftentimes, it's our lack of desire to get it, that makes us our own worst enemy. Love truly does inspire, and it does make us do crazy things.

Love this unique story and it's definitely a movie I'd recommend.

Jexi (2019)

Hilarious! Realism Meets Comedy

[10/10 · 10 August 2021]

I watched this movie when it first came out and genuinely enjoyed the watch. I love how it blends comedy with realism and how it touches upon the fact that we use technology to the point of distraction. As Cate said to Phil, "I realized I was living a life based on how it looked, not how it felt." There are golden nuggets of wisdom in this movie, if you're willing to look hard enough to find it. As for entertainment value, Jexi was a hilarious AI! Some of the things she had said and done had me laughing quite harder than I have at a movie in a long time.

Nightmare (2007 TV Movie)

Great!

[10/10 · 31 July 2021]

I'm not sure why I only just heard about this movie, but I'm glad I gave it a watch. Sleep Paralysis, the mind-body disconnect, and a clearly troubled girl who has yet to move on from her childhood trauma... it makes for a really compelling story, with a creative and clever plot at that. For me, it's one of those movies that's hard for me to review in-depth because it was more about how the movie made you feel, and I related to the character on some level, and the horror was a great element to the story. I enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it!

Into the Arms of Danger (2020 TV Movie)

A Great Film!

[10/10 · 31 July 2021]

"Into The Arms of Danger" is without a doubt one of the most creative Lifetime dramas I've watched. The story is compelling, and I was on the edge of my seat throughout the entire film. The cast - especially Cathy, who played Momma - did an amazing job. The art of a truly good film is that it's supposed to put you in the zone, allowing you to absorb the emotions of the characters, and the director and writer did a good job with it. I genuinely felt for Momma and her clearly-brainwashed children, but on the other hand, I also felt very strongly for Jenny, who was clearly the victim. Momma clearly has her demons, but there were moments I saw what potential she had, if she'd gotten the help she needed and deserved. Anyway, the movie hit all my sweet spots and I genuinely enjoyed this watch over many other films because the storty has substance and isn't one of those overly-cliche Lifetime flicks, it's actually very interesting in its depth, but very entertaining as well.

Stalked by My Doctor (2015 TV Movie)

Intense!

[10/10 · 27 July 2021]

I thought this movie was fantastic, and I especially liked getting into the mind of a 'well-known heart surgeon who is emotionally unhinged.' During specific scenes, you can understand the depth of his pain as the viewer. He is lonely. Incredibly so, and he's dealing with that emptiness in a really unethical way. Getting confused about the boundaries between doctor and patient, seeing more to a situation than there is, and manipulating it? Well, it makes for a deeply troubled man, and great entertainment.

The Bachelor Next Door (2017 TV Movie)

Great Story

[10/10 · 26 July 2021]

Michael Welch did a great job yet again. I originally knew him from Born Bad, a role he did such a great job with. Anyway, this movie was solid and I thought the depth of his character was interesting. By the end of it, I actually sympathized with his backstory and saw where he was coming from during his final reveal. The villain has got to be the villain, after all, but I understood why he felt the way he did. As for Haylie Duff's character, so much realism there too. I find that many people have no patience for in-depth analysis, so it can quite boring for the average Joe who just wants action and something to happen at every millisecond. This movie takes its sweet time and really delivers most of its substance in the reveal. Either way, a 10/10 in my book. I personally preferred Michael Welch in Born Bad, but being that he played a much less intense character here, I understand it. He's a great actor, and I hope to see him in more roles like this, he makes the perfect villain.

Spell (2020)

The Skeleton Key, Re-imagaged

[7/10 · 18 July 2021]

This is just a rip-off of The Skeleton Key, the main difference being that you know something's off right from the beginning. That being said, it was very well done, and it's definitely one of those movies that keep you on the edge of your seat throughout. There are some nuggets of wisdom in the story, particularly "No matter what board room you're hiding in, your past will come to find you." You can learn a lot from how the main characters challenges his demons in times of fear. All in all, good film, but I prefer The Skeleton Key. This movie seemed a bit rushed, but again - very well done, and a great reboot.

Born Bad (2011 Video)

Teens...

[8/10 · 14 July 2021]

First, Michael Welch: he seems like he was born for this type of role, he did a great job. The movie itself was decent. It seems similar to FEAR, but I prefer this one, honestly. Denny was genuinely charismatic and Brooke, well she was a mess of a character. I cannot relate to the story, but I have known naive teens like her, so it's not unrealistic, just very unfortunate. Not much substance in the film, but it was still entertaining. Honestly, Denny / Mike Welch was what made this movie enjoyable, otherwise the story is rather bland. Great soundtrack + score. Shame they didn't release the OST.

Secrets in the Woods (2020 TV Movie)

Intense! I love it.

[10/10 · 14 July 2021]

I was not expecting it to go the way it did. Intense, interesting story. The entire cast did so well, I genuinely hated certain characters but simultaneously loved their portrayal. I don't want to spoil it, so I won't. All I can say is that I really liked the story and it kept me on the edge of my seat. Great watch. Unique story too. Well done on all ends.

A Dangerous Date (2018 TV Movie)

Good Story with a lot of potential, mediocre execution

[9/10 · 11 July 2021]

This is a good story; heartbroken and lonely, a man finds comfort in an attractive, lively woman that brings back a spark he's been missing since his wife passed. Little does he know that there's more than meets the eye. I think it's a good story. The acting was spotty at times, and the editing took me out of the zone of watching at points. I liked the villain's story and would have liked it to be explored more. Solid movie. Nothing amazing, but very entertaining and I liked how real it felt. Not necessarily with every detail, but there are definitely relationships like this unfortunately, and for a man who has felt so lonely, it makes sense why he was blind to the truth.

The Secrets She Keeps (2021 TV Movie)

Appreciate The Artistry of The Story

[10/10 · 10 July 2021]

I'm unaware of why so many people like to play the comparison game. It is the death of joy. You will always find a movie similar the one you're watching. It is impossible otherwise. "Dating A Killer" was a solid movie with an interesting story, and it was very well done on all fronts. I found myself on the edge of my seat throughout and wanting to know more. Even the trailer hooked me after about ten seconds. I'd say give it a go, but for the young and restless who have no patience; no, this is nothing spectacular, but it it entertaining and enjoyable, and might I add, it has a lot of realism to it.

Fatal Fiancé (2021)

Not sure why there's such a low rating

[9/10 · 7 July 2021]

First thing's first: the guy (Mark/Brian) reminds me so much of Christian Grey (from the movies), and I'm not sure why. He's just a similar vibe, especially in the aspect of control.

I don't think there's anything particularly special about the film. The editing could have used some work with specific scenes, but overall it was solid.

As for the story, there's a good enough amount of substance, here, and I think it speaks volumes because of the realism, in many ways. People truly do enter abusive relationships with seemingly-charming men who have it together, and well-enough so. Very interesting, and I felt bad for Faith. I still am curious what happened to her, but the movie in general kept me on the edge of my seat, everyone did so well. Good story, good film!

Blue Call (2021)

Good Story, Poorly Executed

[7/10 · 7 July 2021]

This is a good story. Nice to see they're exploring the life of an EMT with PTSD especially. Other than that, half of the scenes are too dark for me to see anything. The story is nothing special, but I think there aren't enough movies like this, and it took a good risk. I will not spoil the movie. I think it's worth a watch. The female lead with PTSD did a wonderful job.

Blood, Sweat, and Lies (2018 TV Movie)

"Images in this mirror may be distorted by socially constructed views on beauty."

[10/10 · 8 May 2021]

I'm going to be honest. At first, I didn't like it because Lifetime is known to be the epitome of "Men are terrible and will hurt you because this is Lifetime." I gave it a serious analytical watch a second time and found to really enjoy the lessons that could be learned from it. Heartbreak can wreck you, but with blood, sweat and sacrifice, pushing through the pain, you can come out much stronger and reach your goals.

I enjoyed the villain's reveal very much; the mirror scene in their room. It speaks to me on so many levels, and I am sure to many others; body-image issues, fighting against your own demons, etc. Having come so far, and yet the villain still sees themselves as their former, weaker selves. I found it sad and connected with them and their anger because of the realism there. Still, it felt a bit rushed and I think the movie could have been a bit better had it been explored more. Otherwise, I think this was pretty good and entertaining and there are some golden nuggets of wisdom thrown in here and there.