Bria Lou Reviews

I'd heard of this film in passing before seeing it on the bucket list, but I knew nothing about it.  I didn't want to do too much research on it before I watched it, but I did see it being compared favourably to Gladiator, so that gave me an idea of what it would probably be about.  The score of this movie is stunning. From the overture you already get the entire tone and feel for what the film will be, and moving forward the music underscores every scene really well.  The way this was filmed really stuck out to me. There are a lot of really interesting and inventive shots, definitely for a 1960s movie but also by today's standards. The fight scenes are some of the best scenes of the film, visually and narratively. It's really interesting to learn more about the characters through these scenes. Their fighting styles, and their actions throughout the fights tells us a lot about who they are, and how their characters have been written.  One of my favourite things about...

  After a horrific incident, Agnes (Eva Victor) has to work out how to navigate her new world. I hadn't heard much about this film before seeing it, other than seeing some really positive reviews. But I didn't know what it was about so I went in blind. I liked this film. It took me completely by surprise, but that was definitely a good thing. This is a good film to go into completely blind. One of the things that makes the film work so well for me is the chemistry between Agnes and her best friend Lydie (Naomi Ackie). The actors have such a lovely, believable chemistry that instantly authenticates the characters' friendship. And the fact that the friendship didn't take long to build allowed the audience to accept this friendship instantly and move on to what the film was actually about. The performances were amazing and the cast is great. I particularly like seeing Lucas Hedges in anything he does, and I hadn't seen him in something for a while, so this was nice! Th...

  I don't think there's anyone who hasn't heard of this film. As far as classics go, this would be high on the list of most revered movies ever made.  So while I hadn't seen it, I was looking forward to seeing it and finally getting to tick it off this, and virtually every other bucket list imaginable. The first thing that struck me about it was the score. It has the kind of score that makes you feel nostalgic for a time you never experienced. Scarlett O'Hara is a really interesting character to centre this story around. She is generally considered an unlikeable protagonist (with good reason), and yet you're completely drawn to her throughout the film. Even though we don't like her or the things she does, even though we can't relate to her or root for her, she is so endearing that the audience can't help but be in her corner - even while we're hating her! It's also really fun to follow her through this time period, to see the way she develops...

  In this reimagining of Peter Pan, Wendy Darling (Megan Placito) risks everything to rescue her brother Michael ( Peter DeSouza-Feighoney)  from the evil Peter Pan ( Martin Portlock) . I've made no secret of my love for the Twisted Childhood universe. As a lover of all kinds of horror movies good or bad, there's definitely a place for these smaller, independent, nowhere near critically acclaimed movies, and I'm here for it! I had varying feelings about the two Winnie-the-Pooh movies, and I was excited to see how similar or different this one would be. I never expected this to be good, and it wasn't, so it met my expectations! But first of all, I love the concept. I love the general idea of the TCU, and each film so far has had an interesting idea for their chosen characters. For this one, I wish they'd have stuck closer to the source material in terms of Peter's styling and appearance. While watching this it's really easy to forget that it's a Peter Pan...

  I hadn't really heard of this film before I saw it, and had no idea what it was about. Other than seeing the poster and knowing it fit into the sci-fi genre, I went in completely blind. It was odd to research the film after watching it and see that it won both positive and negative film awards - it seems like a film people either really love or really hate. But for me, I didn't have strong feelings about it one way or the other, though I did like it. At the beginning I wasn't that into it, but it definitely got more and more interesting as it continued. It starts in a really interesting way. Even though you don't really understand what's happening, you immediately get a feel for the tone and the characters, and you can even see how high the stakes are. There are some great actors involved in this. It's always good to see anything starring Bruce Willis, but the fact that this also stars Gary Oldman, Ian Holm, Milla Jovovich, Chris Tucker and Luke Perry among th...

  When the girl he likes is kidnapped, Nathan Caine (Jack Quaid) goes to extreme lengths to get her back - putting his inability to feel pain to the test. This is a film I heard a lot about in the lead-up to it being released, and then once it came out I didn't hear anything about it at all. I liked the basic premise, but I didn't really know what to expect. I was a bit disappointed with this film. But as I've said, I liked the concept. It was really original and interesting. Having a character with this ability (or inability) is something that could be used in a hundred different ways. The film is mostly character-based, and it works because the characters are so entertaining and endearing - which is mostly down to how good the actors are. Quaid, in particular, is completely perfect for this role. The soundtrack was also great - it was so much fun and contributed to the overall fun tone of the film. But as I said, I was disappointed. For a start, it took a while for things...

When all but one child from the same class vanish on the same night, the community is left searching for answers. Where did the children go? Will they ever come back? Who is behind their disappearance? I was looking forward to this film, but I was also a bit apprehensive. I heard so many amazing things that I was a bit worried I wouldn't like it as much as the general public seemed to. Thankfully, I absolutely loved this film! I thought it was amazing. I don't even know where to start. It's such an original and unique concept. The description itself could lead to so many different outcomes, but when you actually see the film and understand exactly what's happening, it's such a creative, inventive idea. The more you understand it, the more amazing it is. The performances were great. The cast includes Julia Garner, Josh Brolin, Cary Christopher, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Benedict Wong and Amy Madigan, and they were all amazing in their roles. They brought the r...

This is one that I was really looking forward to. I'd never seen the film but I had read the book, so it's been on my to-watch list for years! I loved this film. I'm annoyed it took me so long to watch it! For a start, because I read the book I had so many moments that I was looking forward to, and all of the moments were exactly like I wanted them to be.  I thought the actors were all great. Comparing to the books, the filmmakers made great choices.  But taking the book out of the equation, I loved every single actor and every choice they made. They all played their respective characters really well and made the audience feel invested. But another great thing about the actors was their chemistry, and the character relationships that were able to develop.  The length of the film was great - we get a good amount of time in each stage, we get to know the characters, and by the time things really start we're so engaged and invested that we can't look away until it ends...

  The story of an ordinary man called Chuck Krantz (Tom Hiddleston) and the multitudes contained within him. I was looking forward to seeing this film because of the actors involved, but I had no idea what it was about. Every description was vague, and in promotional interviews, the actors spoke about profound things like the meaning of life, so I went into it a bit apprehensive. I absolutely loved this film. I can't stop thinking about it. It starts from a really interesting point. The story is told in reverse order, and I loved this. You really get to know the world first, before the characters or anything else, so by the time we actually do get to know the characters, we're already invested and locked in. 20 minutes in and I'd already felt like I'd watched a whole movie, in the best way. You become so connected to this world so quickly that you feel like you're living in it with them. And this is because everything came together perfectly - the writing, direction...

  After tragically losing his wife in a terror attack, CIA decoder Charlie Heller (Rami Malek) uses everything at his disposal to find the people responsible. This film wasn't particularly high on my 'to-watch' list. The plot seemed quite generic, and other than the actors involved, I didn't have high hopes. I actually liked this more than I thought I would, especially at the beginning. For a start, the filmmakers did a great job of creating a full character and a full relationship really early on in the film with not much to go on. We get to know Charlie really quickly, we get to know his relationship with his wife (played by Rachel Brosnahan), and by the time we lose her, we actually care because it feels like we know them. I wish we saw more of them together. But while Charlie is a great character to follow, he's the only one. All of the other actors in the film are used sparingly, where they could have brought so much to the story. What's the point of castin...

  I hadn't heard of this film before, and deliberately went into it knowing as little as possible. I have to admit I don't always love films set in this period of time - in fact the ones I've liked are few and far between. So when this started, I was definitely apprehensive about it. And honestly, I can't say I loved it. But one thing I did love was the acting. It's really interesting to go back and watch Tom Cruise films outside of Mission Impossible and other completely action-based movies. It's easy to forget that he's a great actor as well as being a great action hero, and films like this remind you of that. And the film is filled with great actors who do a great job with their respective characters. Everything they say feels authentic and believable because they are all committed to embodying the people they're playing. The story itself didn't grab me. It definitely had some really interesting parts, but the overall product wasn't something ...

Two years after M3GAN, a new AI robot has gone rogue. To stop her, Gemma (Allison Williams) and Cady (Violet McGraw) will have to do the unthinkable - resurrect the robot who tried to kill them. I thought the first M3GAN film was great, so I was glad when a sequel was announced. I couldn't wait to see the different direction they would take a new film in. While this one wasn't as good as the first, I still think it did a good job of continuing the story. For a start, there were interesting developments for all the characters between movies, but especially Gemma, who became an even more interesting character than she was the first time around. There were also some really cool advances in technology, and it was great that the film explored both the positive and negative consequences of this. The film joins an interesting conversation about the use of AI and regulation, rather than just being an 'AI gone wrong' movie. It's a conversation that will be ongoing and I thin...

When five friends accidentally cause a fatal car crash, they decide to take the secret to their graves. But a year later, their past comes back to haunt them. I was looking forward to this one! I'm a fan of the original and sequel, despite how campy and at points outright bad they are. They're bad in a fun way, so I figured that even if this one was bad, it would still be fun. Unfortunately, this one was bad without being fun. For a start, I have no idea why there were so many characters. There were two that I couldn't tell apart until one of them died and ultimately most of them weren't even that important to the story. One of the best things about the first film was the chemistry with the group of friends. They felt like actual friends and you really believed in their relationships. In this film, if you told me the cast didn't meet until the second they stepped in front of the camera I'd believe you. There was absolutely no chemistry between any of them, espec...

I'd never heard of this movie before seeing it on the bucket list, and when I looked it up the only thing I saw was how low it was rated, so I went into it both blind and with low expectations. The film was entertaining but left a lot to be desired.  From the start, even though I didn't know what the plot was, I liked the direction the story was going. I was immediately interested and excited for this to turn into a twisty mystery thriller.  I think the first red flag for me was the writing. The actors did the best with what they had, and most of the performances were good, but the dialogue between the characters doesn't work. In the dream/book sequences particularly every word hits the ear wrong.  And of course these parts aren't necessarily supposed to be as real as the rest of the film, but it doesn't feel like a story or a dream, it feels like a bad parody of something you didn't want to watch in the first place. And they last way too long!  It's interes...

Rose (Elizabeth Reaser) has a life-changing experience when an elderly woman (Lois Smith) claims Rose's house as her own. Admittedly the first thing that caught my attention about this film is that it has the same name as a horror film that I love, and it also sounds a bit like a horror film itself. So to be clear, this isn't a horror film. I'm still not sure what to think about this film, after sitting with it for a couple of weeks. I liked individual parts of it, but I don't think I liked it as a whole piece. One thing I was hoping for at the beginning was that there wouldn't be a big obvious twist from the get-go, and while I won't spoil whether there was or not, I was a bit disappointed with the ending. The character relationships feel really authentic, and this is mainly down to how good the writing is. Each conversation between Rose and her husband Sammy (Walton Goggins) felt like the audience are intruding on a private moment, and that's exactly what ...

  A weekend retreat quickly descends into chaos when Elliot (Paul Rudd) and his daughter Ripley (Jenna Ortega) run over a unicorn. I remember when the trailer for this film came out, no one really took it seriously. But then after people actually started seeing it, there was a lot of 'it's actually better than you think it'll be', and that's the main reason I watched it. And thankfully, it was a lot better than I thought it was going to be! For a start, the cast is great. Sometimes if you feel iffy about a film but it has a great cast, there's something that makes the film interesting or unique, and that definitely applies here - it's a really unique film. All of the cast really lean into this fantastical world, play their parts completely straight and honestly, seem to be having a great time, which makes things fun for the audience. And while some of the characters didn't really fit that well into this world, it was still interesting to see them here. S...

This was a first time watch, but because it's been an inspiration for a lot of different films, including a couple from this year's bucket list, I already had a good idea of what it was about. Westerns have never been my go-to genre, but I did like the plot of this one, so I was looking forward to seeing it. I liked this film. For a start, as mentioned, I really liked the plot. It's an idea that has inspired many films because it's a somewhat universal tale of revenge and how far you'll go for family. The characters are really interesting. Obviously we are mainly focused on Ethan, as it is him that we follow, get to know and empathise with. But all of the characters in the film are well written, and even the ones with less screen time and dialogue are still written well enough that we can get to know them. Speaking of the writing, one of the best things about the film is the way it's written. This is a really well-rounded films that feels authentic and real. Res...

  Dom (Nick Kroll) and Cole (Andrew Rannells), a couple on the verge of adopting, go on an Italian getaway that quickly becomes deadly. I saw the trailer for this film a while ago and mentally noted it down as one to watch, but the premise looked so ridiculous even from the trailer that it wasn't one I was expecting to love. And while I enjoyed the film, I definitely also had some problems with it. I really really loved the characters. Kroll and Rannells had great chemistry and played a very believable, loveable couple - particularly in the beginning. The beginning of the film was great - really engaging. You're completely invested in this couple and their story. And then things started to get a bit silly, just like the trailer promised. Usually I'm able to suspend my disbelief, but I think the combination of the events, plus the dark slightly unrealistic humour just made things feel a bit too much for me. I stopped being able to believe a single thing that happened. Speaki...

  A year after the disappearance of her sister Melanie (Maia Mitchell), Clover (Ella Rubin) takes a group of friends back to the place Melanie was last seen. But when the friends are attacked by a masked killer, only to discover that they are living the same day over and over again, they have to find a way back home before they die for good. I knew this film was based on a game but I've never played it, so I didn't really know what it would be about. I also hadn't heard much about it since it came out, which is not usually a good thing. This was an average film. There were a few good things, but it definitely had a lot of flaws. I was immediately invested in the mystery of where Melanie was, which is something the film did really well. Even though we didn't know the characters well, we knew who Melanie was and we wanted to find her as much as they did. There were some great visuals and transitions. For the most part it was shot in a really creative way. I thought the sc...

  I've been waiting for a Marilyn Monroe film to be on a bucket list and it finally was! I hadn't seen this film before but I'd heard great things about it. This is a great film, and very deserving to be on a bucket list. For a start, I just loved the plot and characters. It works because we feel so invested in these characters from so early on. We're rooting for them, and so the more outlandish the story gets, the most invested we become, and the more fun we have. The plot is one that has been done multiple times, probably off the back of films like this that popularised the idea. The idea keeps coming back to popular culture because if it's done well, it can be really fun and entertaining, and it definitely is here! One of the reasons I was most looking forward to this is that it's one of the few romances on the list, so even though I didn't really know what it was about, I knew that there was probably a good chance I'd like it. And while it wasn't...

  A group of operatives travel to the most dangerous place on Earth to extract DNA from dinosaurs for ground-breaking medical research. That was a hard description to write because, despite having seen the film only a couple of weeks ago, I couldn't remember what it was about at all, which isn't a great sign! Note, there will be a mild spoiler or two. I'm a fan of the Jurassic Park/World movies, so even when they're terrible I don't hate them. This one isn't terrible, but it's definitely near the bottom of the list. The first thing I thought when I finished watching the film, which could be a small spoiler, is that I hate watching ensemble movies like this where it's really obvious that the paycheck dictates who lives and dies. We know exactly who will make it out without a gory death and that takes a lot of the excitement and fun away. As said, I love the world of Jurassic Park, and even I felt like this movie was unnecessary. There was no connection t...

  A  clairvoyant therapist (Ashley Greene) tries to help a girl who believes a dangerous entity is feeding on her. I hadn't heard much about this film before watching it, but the premise seemed original and interesting, and this has been a great year for original horror movies so of course I was going to check it out! Unfortunately the film was a bit disappointing. The first thing I noticed about the film was that despite it being original, in terms of actually being scary, the jump scares are doing a lot of the heavy lifting. In the long run it probably would have been better to prioritise a good story over scares. The order of events in the film were really weird - the first 40 minutes felt like it should have been the last 40 minutes, and it might have been a better structured film if that was the case. The characters were likeable and enjoyable to watch, but the film itself got progressively less enjoyable as it continued. Ultimately it tries to do too much and introduce t...

  This was a first-time watch that I was looking forward to seeing. I'm not usually that excited about disaster movies, but not only does this one star Ben Affleck (who I'm a huge fan of) amongst a host of amazing actors, but it's one that is spoken about a lot in pop culture - for both positive and negative reasons. It's also the third and final Michael Bay movie on the bucket list, so I was looking forward to comparing it to Bad Boys and Transformers. The first thing I need to mention about this movie is the amazing cast! I didn't know who was in the movie beyond Affleck and Bruce Willis, so it was such a nice surprise to see so many recognisable faces, especially because they all did a great job with their characters. Unlike other space-based movies, I liked the fact that the movie has a significant period of time set outside of space. We actually get to know the characters and this world outside of that environment. Which was great for someone who doesn't lo...

  Homicide detective Patrick Walker (Tom Hardy) fights his way through the criminal underworld to rescue a politician's son. The premise of this film didn't particularly grab me - it didn't feel that unique. So my main reason for watching it was being a fan of Tom Hardy. But I'm glad I watched it because it was definitely better than I thought it would be - even if that doesn't mean it was very good. Tom Hardy is definitely the heart of the film. He completely owns every scene and makes it worth watching. As said, the plot isn't particularly original but it was entertaining. Because the film was heavily plot-driven, it felt like the filmmakers didn't put much time into developing any of the characters. They tried to give us some details here or there, but never committed to letting us actually get to know them. The stakes never felt particularly high because we don't really care about the characters. A lot of the film was made up of action scenes, which ...

  Following the events of the first film, after a crazy night in Vegas, Abby (Virginia Gardner) and Travis (Dylan Sprouse) wake up to find that they're married. As the day gets crazier and crazier, the couple have to decide if they're really meant to be together, or if their marriage is just another disaster. I watched the first movie, Beautiful Disaster, fully expecting to hate it. So I was really surprised that I actually liked it and had good things to say about it. So when I heard that this one was coming out, as much as my hopes weren't that high, I thought that if it was anything like the first one I'd at least have a good time. Unfortunately, this wasn't good at all, and definitely didn't feel like the first one. The best thing about this film was the recap of the first film at the beginning. It reminded me why I liked this couple in the first place, and what I was hoping for from a sequel. And that's where the good things ended. Having seen the film ...