Bria Lou Reviews

I've been looking forward to seeing this film for a while, mainly because I'm a fan of the main actors. But in saying that, I didn't really know what the film was about (other than being a romantic comedy) until I started watching it. When Sheila (Kaley Cuoco) and Gary (Pete Davidson) meet, it's love at first sight, complete with an amazing first date. But is this really their first date? I left the description as vague as possible because I do think it's worth not knowing much about it before going in. I didn't like this film. I don't love the premise, but I felt like it could have been good if the characters had been written differently. The first note I made was 'are the characters supposed to be insufferable?', and spoiler alert, they must be because they never got easier to watch, especially Sheila. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, for things to get less weird, and looking back on it, I don't think this ever really happened. Or may...

It's become a tradition for me to start the year with the new Karen M. McManus book, and this year was no exception. Four years ago, Brynn left her school after the unsolved murder of her favourite teacher. When she gets an internship for a popular true-crime show, she decides to investigate the murder and finally find out what the three students who discovered the body were hiding. This book was okay. It wasn't my favourite of McManus's books, but it also wasn't my least favourite. I love McManus's characters. They are always well-written, fleshed out and fun to read about. The story is interesting, but it takes a while for anything meaningful to happen. The story didn't really paint a picture of why Brynn liked her teacher, Mr. Larkin, so much. Other than his lemon quote and lemon tie, we know nothing about their friendship. There's no mystery or surprise to Brynn and her ex-best friend Tripp - we know as soon as we read their names what will happen betwee...

I watched this film pretty much as soon as it came out on Disney+ (UK). I didn't know what it was about but had seen people talking about it. And to be honest, I think not knowing what it's about is the best way to watch it. A group of people attend an exclusive restaurant with a tasting menu prepared by an acclaimed chef. But the chef has also prepared a plethora of surprises that none of the guests expect. This is a weird one for me. I didn't love the film while watching it, but after sitting with it for a few days, I actually liked it more than I initially thought. It took a while for me to 'get'. At the beginning of the film, I had no idea where it was going, and it took a while to actually understand. But this is definitely in the design of the film and just makes it more compelling. The film has such an odd tone. It puts you on edge and you have no idea why, particularly at the beginning. It's really well-written and only gets better as the film continues ...

I heard a lot about this film towards the end of last year, so I added it to my list to watch as soon as possible, and I'm so glad I did! When Tess (Georgina Campbell) discovers that her rental home has been double-booked, she spends the night in the home with a stranger. But soon, the stranger is the least of her worries. This film is best when you know nothing about it, so I've left the description somewhat vague. I absolutely loved this film. It's a really early contender for film of the year already! I found there was something nostalgic about the film, especially the beginning. It reminded me of old-school horror, which I didn't even realise I'd been missing. I warmed to the characters easily, especially Tess. The dialogue is authentic, and the characters and actors work well together. At less than half an hour in, before anything really happened, I was on the edge of my seat. There was so much tension that it was actually quite scary, but I had no idea why I w...

I'd been meaning to watch this movie since it first came out, so it seemed like the perfect review to start the year with! Emily (Aubrey Plaza), saddled with debt and unable to find a job, becomes involved in a credit card scam to start making money. I really enjoyed this film. I was interested in the premise immediately, but I was actually surprised by how much I liked it. The story, and Emily, are painted in a sympathetic, somewhat relatable light. Emily is a really interesting character, and it is easy to understand exactly how she gets into the situation she's in, even if you wouldn't make the same decisions she does. The film is really captivating - there were moments when I didn't want to look away from the screen. The characters are well-written and fleshed out. Great acting from everyone involved, but Aubrey Plaza and Theo Rossi (Youcef) are the obvious standouts, and they had great chemistry. The third act was my favourite. The film took a turn I wasn't exp...