Bria Lou Reviews

  When Angela (Olivia Wilde) and Joe (Seth Rogan) invite their upstairs neighbours over for dinner, the night takes an unexpected turn that forces the couple to examine the future of their marriage. I'd heard such great things about this movie when it first came out, including many predictions for Oscar nominations, so of course I had to see it! To be honest, I was a bit disappointed. I liked the movie, but I didn't fully understand all of the exceptional praise it was receiving. The cast is a definite standout though. They're all fantastic and feel authentic in their roles. The dialogue is really fun and quippy, particularly at the beginning when we're getting to know the characters. It gives an interesting insight into who they really are. But with that, the film is very dialogue-heavy, to the point that it definitely feels like it could, or should, be a play. And it stays like this until the end, so if you're not a fan of dialogue-heavy movies, or just don't ...

  When a bioterrorist attack causes a zombie-like reaction from its victims, the survivors must work together to stay alive. I hadn't heard of this film until it came out, but after seeing that it was directed by Yeon Sang-ho, who also directed 'Train to Busan', the best zombie movie I've ever seen, I was really hopeful about it. I loved this movie. It had a great start. There was a build-up that gave us enough necessary character information to make us care, while also being short enough that we could get into the main plot quickly. We got to know the characters as much as we needed to, and once we get into the story we really get the chance to build connections with them. You care about them really quickly, which makes you all the more invested. The zombies are designed really well, in a way that's genuinely scary while also feeling fresh and different from the designs used in previous movies. The film is so engaging and fast-paced that you don't want to look ...

  When a newcomer joins their cult, Apple (Lili Reinhart), Fig (Alexandra Shipp) and Cherry (Victoria Pedretti) soon find their inner darkness exposed. I didn't know much about this film before it came out, but it starred a group of great, recognisable actresses so I was excited to see what they would do with it. I liked this more than I thought I would! I've already mentioned the cast, and they're absolutely the best thing about the movie. All of the actresses do such a great job with their characters and really elevate the material. The film knows what it is and really leans into being campy, which is so much fun. The characters are absurd, and because of that, a lot of the dialogue hits the ear wrong and generally the whole thing feels somewhat badly written. But this is probably just down to the story itself and the character creation rather than the actual writing. It was really hard to tell where the story was going, but it's interesting and engaging enough that i...

  When a family are trapped in their home with no way out, they have to work together to protect themselves from the dangerous threat outside. This film was on my radar for a while before it came out because I'm a huge fan of Wagner Moura, so I was excitedly anticipating it! There are some major flaws with this movie, but I did enjoy it. The first point, which is why so many people watched this as soon as it came out and are still watching it - the concept is so inventive and original! The starting point is really simple, but could go in so many different directions that you really want to see what happens. Even just watching you feel trapped, both in the film's house with the family, but also in your own house! It's so claustrophobic that watching it becomes an intense experience. The cast are all great and play their parts really well. The young actors are fantastic and felt really authentic, as did all of the performances. These are characters that we can really root for...

  Two unrelated people are forced to work together to expose government secrets. I heard really mixed things about this film before seeing it - from it's the best film of the year to it's so bad it's not worth watching, so I was looking forward to seeing it. I too had mixed feelings about it. I actually liked it, but there were definitely huge flaws, so I can understand why a lot of people don't. From the start, it throws you into the situation with no context, in a way that's jarring and makes it difficult to build a connection with the characters. It's not always necessary to connect with the characters but I feel like that connection really would have helped the film. The cast is great, and for the most part the actors do a great job with their characters. That being said, some of the characters had more interesting stories than others. I found I was more interested in the character played by Emily Blunt than anyone else. But when you're interested in the...

  A distant father and daughter (Steve Zahn and Audrey Clair Zahn) are forced to reconnect when he chaperones a dance competition. I watched the trailer for this film and immediately wanted to watch it. It seemed like it would be really sweet but also potentially quite powerful, so I was looking forward to it. And that's kind of what it was; a sweet, powerful story that I enjoyed watching. The filmmakers came up with a really interesting, original way of showing the parallels in the characters' lives, and it allows the audience to build connections with the father and daughter simultaneously. And the whole way through, the film makes such good use out of a split screen and really uses this method to give us much more of an insight into the characters than we would have had otherwise. All the characters have such fun dynamics. It's really nice seeing them interact. The casting is great. The fact that the characters are actually father and daughter adds a beautiful layer to t...

  When wedding singer Rick (Paul Rudd) meets boy-band star Danny (Nick Jonas) the two bond over their fading careers. But when Rick discovers that Danny has stolen one of his songs, and it becomes a huge hit, he resolves to take back what's rightfully his at all costs. I didn't know much about this film before it got released, and mostly just watched it on a whim because the premise had a lot of potential. So I really didn't expect to love the film as much as I did! For a start, the casting is absolutely perfect. Rudd and Jonas fit these characters so well and play the parts perfectly. The whole cast has great chemistry and their relationships are believable. But in addition to them working well together, they're all giving powerhouse performances. Rudd in particular is absolutely fantastic, and he and Jonas play off of each other so well. If anything, something that I'd change is that I'd give them more time together. Due to the nature of the film and where it...

  A group of shoplifters get more than they bargain for when they set their sights on a fashion mogul. I didn't go into this one with high expectations, mostly based on the director's first movie. I gave it a positive review but I didn't love it, and as time has gone on I've liked it less and less. Based on the way this one was spoken about it seemed similar, so I thought I'd probably feel the same way. And that's what happened. It just wasn't for me. That being said, one of the main reasons I wanted to watch it was because of the cast, and it's worth watching for them alone because all of the actors are fantastic. I personally have a hard time with absurdity and absurdist comedy, so that was always going to factor into how much I liked the film. That being said, visually it's really pleasant to watch. It's so vibrant and colourful, and you can tell that so much thought went into creating each detail. And while this was great, it did get to a poi...

  The life and legacy of pop superstar Michael Jackson (Jaafar Jackson). I have to preface this review by saying that I wouldn't consider myself a fan of Michael Jackson's life or music, and I probably wouldn't have seen this if I hadn't watched it with actual fans, so my thoughts on it will be different than if I was a big fan. As it stands, I thought the film was fine. I didn't love it, but I wouldn't say it was bad either. Though some of that is definitely tied to not being a fan. If you're not interested in Michael's history then the story itself isn't that interesting. That being said, it does a good job of giving you an insight into the struggles he went through, and definitely draws sympathy. The story became somewhat incoherent when it moved from childhood to adulthood, but individually both periods of the character's life had merit and made for interesting individual stories. The thing that lets the story down is the writing. This would ...

  When Jill's (Zoey Deutch) voicemails to her late sister are redirected to a stranger (Nick Robinson), he begins to fall in love with her by listening to her stories. I really loved the premise of this film, so I was looking forward to seeing it. Thankfully, I loved the movie! Considering we only got to see the sisters together for the first 10 minutes of the film, it does a really good job of building a believable friendship and connection that carries through the entire movie. If anything, it would have been nice to see more of them together. In terms of being a rom-com, it's more romantic than comedic, but it definitely has fun rom-com vibes throughout. Deutch and Robinson have great chemistry and you want to root for them. That being said, it's really hard to tell this story without having the male character come across as slightly creepy for the decisions he makes. It's a shame because he's a really likeable character, but even if you can rationalise some of h...

  A novelist (Adam Scott) staying in a remote inn in Ireland is forced to confront his dark past after hearing tales of a witch haunting the honeymoon suite. This has been such a great year for original horror. Whether the movies are good or not, I've been really enjoying getting to see them all! Unfortunately, I didn't love the movie. That being said, the main character, Ohm Bauman, is a great example of how to create an unlikeable character that you still want to follow and stay interested in.  The beginning feels very odd and discombobulated. It's quite hard to get into or take seriously, and then it starts to feel like a fever dream. The scenes feel disconnected from each other in a way that makes it hard to stay interested in. Though this does add to our impression of the character's state of mind. It also adds to the horror atmosphere. The horrors are overt from the very beginning, which feels original. They come thick and fast, and they don't really let up. T...

  After her husband is murdered, patrol officer Jane (Georgina Campbell) sets out to find the killer. I knew this film would be bad. I saw the ratings, I read the description, I went into it with my eyes completely open. I mainly watched it as a fan of Georgina Campbell, but also because I do genuinely like to occasionally watch bad movies, even if it just makes me appreciate how good the good ones are. So this was completely as expected. For a start, you can kind of tell it's going to be bad with a name like this. This is the absolute worst title to give a film about a psycho killer. The story itself isn't the most entertaining. It doesn't do enough to make us care about the characters. At the beginning I thought it might - the opening scene gave a lot of promise, but things quickly went downhill from there. The weakest scenes are the scenes with the killer. Not only do they feel totally unrealistic, but they're not even entertaining to watch. The movie tries to be bot...

  A team of specialist operatives work together to retrieve a billion-dollar fortune. I was wary about this film, not just because the premise was quite vague, but because I don't tend to enjoy Guy Richie movies (with a couple of exceptions). But because of the cast, I wanted to give it a try. Unfortunately, but unsurprisingly, I didn't love this one. From the beginning, nothing about the film felt particularly original. The concept of the mission, and the characters, felt like amalgamations of other things that have already been seen. The voiceover was telling the audience way too much, rather than letting us figure things out by ourselves. The movie never tries to make the audience care about the mission. It does try to make us care about a select few characters, but even then this isn't particularly effective. It moves really quickly and is more than happy to leave the audience behind - it doesn't care if we catch up or not. Throughout the film some of the acting cho...

  Disowned by his wealthy family, Becket Redfellow (Glen Powell) will stop at nothing to get his inheritance. I didn't hear great things about this film when it first came out, but the premise sounded interesting, and I've liked Glen Powell in the few films I've seen him in, so it was added to my watchlist. I thought the film was fine - nothing special but I did enjoy it. The idea, while not the most original concept, is an interesting one that allows you to really focus on the character. The outcome of a story like this is completely dependant on what kind of character we're following. It took me a while to really understand or like the character of Becket. The voice-over didn't really work for me, and I never felt particularly interested in him, which is more about the writing than the acting as I do think Powell played him well, he was great in the role and felt suited to it. And to that end, the entire cast is great and make the story fun to watch. Sometimes the...

  When podcast host Evy (Nina Kiri) is sent recordings of a couple's paranormal encounters, she soon discovers that the encounters mirror her own. Horror movies have been getting great word of mouth lately, there are at least four that I've heard great things about, this being one of them, so it was immediately on the to-watch list. I liked this movie, but there are definitely some issues with it. It's really interesting to have a horror movie focused so much on sound. A lot of the atmosphere is created from what we can hear rather than what we see, which makes things incredibly unique. That being said, the shots also do a good job of creating this unsettling feeling that's present throughout the movie. Filming from afar and behind works really well for a film like this, with a single location. It means that, even though we're mostly in one room, it never feels claustrophobic or boring. The varying lighting changes also help with this. Having both a single location ...

  Trying to deal with an impending divorce, Alex (Will Arnet) develops a new hobby as an amateur stand-up comedian. It took me a little while to watch this one. The premise seemed somewhat interesting, and I'll always have time for anything Bradley Cooper directs, but I didn't really feel like it would be for me. The movie is fine, but I didn't like it as much as I wanted to. One of the best things about the film is how authentic all the comedy scenes feel. The dialogue between the comedians feels really realistic, which in part may be because it seems like most of the comedians are actually comedians. These scenes are some of the best and what keeps the film interesting. Alex isn't the most entertaining or endearing main character, and I'd actually say that about all of the main or supporting characters. I didn't care about any of them enough. It was hard to work out what the audience is supposed to be feeling, which is mainly because I felt absolutely nothing ...

  Three friends on a road trip suddenly find themselves in danger when they witness a murder inside a gated community. I was looking forward to this movie. I saw the trailer ages ago and thought it looked really interesting, but then it seemed to never come out until it was quietly released on digital, so it felt like it came out of nowhere. There were definitely good and bad things about this film. I enjoyed it, but there were a lot of issues. But it started well. We get right into things from the very beginning, and even though we can see what's going to happen a mile away, it's still fun to go on the journey with them. The film is incredibly plot-driven, which makes sense when you get into it because the characters are all either bland of unlikeable. This does get better the more you watch, and the more time they're given to develop, but even thinking back on the film, I couldn't tell you a character's name or any distinct personality trait beyond the stereotypic...

26 years after escaping a masked killer - Cindy (Anna Faris), Brenda (Regina Hall), Shorty (Marlon Wayans), Ray (Shawn Wayans) and their kids are hunted by a masked killer once again. I'm a fan of the Scary Movie franchise, so while I wasn't hugely excited to see this one, I was looking forward to it. I had such a weird experience with this film. The first time I saw it, I really liked it. I think this was down to the atmosphere and the surprise of the parodies and cameos, because going to see it again less than a week later, I disliked it so much I could almost say I hated it. So I'm gonna go down the middle and say this film was fine - but there will definitely be polarising opinions because there's some great things about it, but also a lot of bad things. The way this film was being promoted, the filmmakers kept saying that it was made to offend, it pokes fun at everything, it pushes boundaries, and even the tag line on the poster is 'every line will be crossed...

  After getting out of prison, Kenna (Maika Monroe) is desperate to reconnect with her young daughter. But when she's forced to face the consequences of past mistakes, she builds a connection with a bar owner (Tyriq Withers), who has unexpected ties to her former life. I think it's normal at this point to go into Colleen Hoover-adapted movies with scepticism. I've only read one of her books but I'd heard about this one, so I knew what I was getting into. But for some reason, this one took me by surprise! The plot was what I thought it would be, but I didn't expect it to have as much heart as it did. Part of this is because of how great the actors are. Monroe and Withers have great chemistry and play these characters so well. They are both 100% committed, which makes the material so much better. The relationships in the film, from romantic to familial to found-family, are all really sweet and created with an air of authenticity that just works. All of the actors work...

  After breaking into a stranger's (Lorenzo de Moor) villa during an impulsive trip to Italy, Anna (Halle Bailey) pretends to be his fiancée to get herself out of trouble with his family. But she faces a huge problem when she begins to develop a connection with the stranger's cousin, Michael ( Regé-Jean Page). I was really looking forward to seeing this. Not only am I a fan of the main actors involved, but we just don't get enough romcoms, especially black ones, so I was here for this! Thankfully, I really liked the movie. It starts in a really classic way, and is reminiscent of a lot of the romcoms that came before it. It's fun and Anna is a great main character to follow. You like her instantly. Italy is always a great setting, but especially for a romance movie. One thing I was worried about before starting the film was Bailey and Page's chemistry, but thankfully this worked well. They had a believable attraction and it was so lovely to watch them together as the...