Bria Lou Reviews

  The only thing I knew about this film before watching it was that it was a remake of a film that was based on a book. I haven't read the book but I have heard good things about it, so I was definitely interested in seeing the film. Otto (Tom Hanks) is a grieving, unhappy widower who makes a drastic decision about his life. But when a new family move in across the street, everything changes. I loved this film. I knew I'd probably like it, but I had no idea how much it would affect me. I found the character of Otto really endearing from the very beginning, even when he was this 'grumpy' character that we weren't supposed to like. But this is true of most of the characters - I liked them from the very beginning. I've watched a couple of films recently that deal with grief, and the way grief is portrayed in this film is one of the most interesting ones I've seen, especially as we find out more about Otto and his wife. This is a universal story, but the crux of...

I'm surprised that I didn't hear much about this film until long after it came out. Even when it started getting awards buzz I didn't really know what it was about, so I really wish I'd seen it sooner. Two New York Times journalists investigate and eventually publish a report that exposes sexual abuse allegations against Harvey Weinstein, inadvertently beginning the #MeToo movement. This was such a good movie - so good that I was surprised more people weren't talking about it. For a start, not only is this a really powerful story, but it's told in a really interesting, engaging way. There wasn't a time when I was bored, or when I didn't care about the characters. I loved that the film featured a few of the real people that were actually involved in the Weinstein scandal, which just makes the events of the film feel that much more authentic. It also makes it feel like the film was made with the best intentions, rather than only being made for entertainmen...

I love a musical, so this film had been on my radar for a while. And although I'm not Take That's number one fan, I'm familiar enough with their music that I was really looking forward to seeing this. A group of childhood best friends reunite when one wins tickets to the reunion tour of their favourite childhood boyband. This film was okay. I didn't hate it, but I spent a good portion of the film not really liking it either. For a start, the first thing I found confusing was that the band that the film is about isn't Take That. They use Take That's music, but the band is completely fictional. And I think that threw me for a loop because I expected Take That to be featured in the film - so it took a bit of time to get used to. While at times I didn't feel completely interested in the younger lives of the characters, by the end of the film I was really glad that so much of them was shown. You don't really know how important it is until the film ends. Havin...

I've had this book for about two years. I loved the premise, but I always felt a bit intimidated by it. Not because it was long, but it felt like it would be really heavy, and I didn't know how the premise would work or what the main themes would be. At the time I wasn't a huge fan of fantasy and thought I might not enjoy it. But finally I decided to pick it up. In 1714, a girl makes a desperate plea to the Gods of darkness and is rewarded with eternal life, with the condition that everyone who meets her will instantly forget. For 300 years Addie LaRue silently makes her way through the world with no one ever remembering who she is. Until one day in a bookstore in New York when she meets Henry... and he remembers her. I loved this book. So much. I loved the writing style from the first page. Not only is the book well-written, but it's also written beautifully. Reading the build-up to Addie's decision/prayer, and the reasons why, is really interesting. We get to know...

This is a movie that I saw on Netflix and watched pretty much on a whim. I didn't know much about it, but as I have watched a few 'evil AI' movies recently, it felt familiar enough to be comfortable while also being interesting. Plus it stars Georgina Campbell, who I loved in Barbarian and her other projects, so again it felt familiar. When a robotics engineer (Georgina Campbell) is given a human-like AI servant (Eamon Farren), she and her husband (Mark Rowley) discover that T.I.M. is not as artificial as he seems. I actually liked this film, which surprised me, particularly after reading reviews! It wasn't the best thing I've ever seen, but I could see where the filmmakers were going with it and it definitely kept me entertained. For a start, I really like T.I.M. - as a 'character' and as a piece of equipment. Where a lot of these AI movies are focused on a voice, it was interesting to see the AI be an actual human-like person. It allows us to see the AI as...

I had never heard of this film, but as soon as I saw it on Amazon Prime Video, and read the premise, I immediately put it on. Not only was I intrigued by it, but I think it's an important topic to talk and think about, and seeing it on film is a good way to do that. Stuck in an emotionally abusive relationship, Alice (Anna Kendrick) rediscovers herself while on vacation with two friends. It's weird to say that this was an enjoyable movie, but I think the concept is really interesting and the film did a great job of portraying that. The film is really powerful from the first scene onwards. All of the cast were great, but Anna Kendrick plays her role perfectly. Not only in subtle nuances, but in every move her character makes. She is authentic and real, and as you're watching the film you don't doubt for a second that this character is going through something awful. The most interesting thing about the film, to me, was the portrayal of isolation. Not only how it begins an...

I was really looking forward to seeing this film, just from the poster alone! I knew that, if the film was done well I'd absolutely love it, so it was definitely one of my most anticipated releases of the year. When a group of friends go away for the weekend, they end up trapped in a cabin with a killer. I loved this film! I loved the concept, the execution, the writing, the direction, everything. It was really well done. One of the things that works best about the film is the humour. It's hilarious literally from the first scene, and even as the horror amplifies, it never really loses that humour. It's modern without feeling patronising. I'm not sure about improvisation or anything, but a lot of the dialogue feels like it was written by the actors themselves, because it sounds so authentic. As funny as it is, the thing that surprised me the most was that it was actually scary. Not scary in the same way that a film like 'The Conjuring' is scary, but the idea of ...

I had never heard of this film when it came out on the Sky Premiere channel. But the premise definitely had potential, either to be good, or so bad it's good, so I really wanted to check it out. When a group of friends rent a smart house for a weekend, they realise that the house's advanced AI system, Margaux, has sinister plans for them. I didn't know what to expect from this film, and while I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed it, I can also acknowledge that it wasn't that good. The opening felt very comedic, and I wasn't sure if it was supposed to be. And this was definitely a theme throughout the film - from the way Margaux spoke, to the things that happened, I couldn't always decide if it was supposed to be funny or not. The characters are fine, though none are developed particularly well. But the story is heavily plot-based, so in some ways the characters don't matter that much. In fact, even though she was an AI system, Margaux was actually a cha...

I saw the trailer for this back when it first came out and I wasn't that interested in it, I didn't really get what it was about. So when it came out I watched it on a whim, but I had almost no expectations for it. Maddie (Jennifer Lawrence), desperate and on the brink of losing her childhood home, agrees to date a wealthy couple's 19-year-old son Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman) to give him some social and life experience before going to college. But this arrangement becomes more complicated than Maddie could ever have imagined. I really liked this film, so much more than I expected to. The premise has a similar feel to some older rom-coms - it specifically reminds me of 'Failure to Launch', which I loved. It was a lot funnier than I thought it would be, though some moments of comedy were too over the top. The characters are all really endearing and make for a fun watch. Both of the main characters, Maddie and Percy, had great character development throughout the film,...

This film came out on Amazon Prime video recently. I knew nothing about it, and was intrigued by the premise. Beth's (Julia Louis-Dreyfuss) life turns upside down after she accidentally overhears her husband's (Tobias Menzies) honest reaction to her latest book. I liked this more at the beginning than I did by the end. The humour is very specific, and in the first 5 minutes, you'll know whether you like it or not, and thankfully I liked it. The collection of characters were great. We meet them all within the first 10-15 minutes and they're all really well-written with distinct personalities. Some of them I wanted to see more of, but they all complimented each other really well. The premise is a simple one, but as the film goes on it becomes really thought-provoking. Having said that, not much happens in the film. As mentioned, the premise is very simple, and it's almost not enough to make a feature-length movie out of. I found myself getting a bit bored near the end...

I knew nothing about this film. I saw one trailer right before watching it, but the trailer was great, so I was definitely looking forward to seeing the film. Peter (Woody Norman) constantly hears a tapping in his bedroom wall - a noise that his parents say is in his imagination. But as the noises become more real, Peter begins to believe that his parents are hiding a terrible secret. I really liked this movie. I love when a random movie like this actually ends up being quite good. The first thing I thought was that the lighting was really interesting. There are many sources of light visible, yet the scenes remain really dark. Yes, it adds to the atmosphere, but it also says a lot about the house these characters live in, especially when you see the contrast of the outside world. And in addition to that, the house is almost a character in and of itself, and a really interesting character at that The setting of the film is quite weird. It reminded me a bit of 'The Black Phone', ...