Bria Lou Reviews

  When their son is taken hostage, mayoral candidate Mark Kimball (Ben Affleck) and his wife Abigail (Kerry Washington) must do whatever it takes to get him back. I was really looking forward to this movie. Not only am I a huge fan of Ben Affleck both as an actor and a director, but I'm also a fan of Ray Fisher and make sure to see whatever he does, so I was aware of this movie long before it came out. And I ended up being hugely disappointed with it. It has a really great cast. Every single actor has a great track record and with a great script, could have done so much with the characters in this movie. But there were too many issues with the movie to allow any of them to give great performances. The pacing doesn't work, everything happens too quickly. The son is taken before we really know what's happening, and when the story starts to twist and turn, it just doesn't feel like it makes sense or has earned its twists. We never really get to know the characters. And for...

  When a group of influencers travel to a secluded island, they find themselves having to fight for their lives against deadly spiders. I was really excited to see this film. Sometimes with creature features, the worse they are, the more fun they are to watch, and this one looked like it would be so bad it's good! I had a great time with this movie. It was as bad as I was expecting, in the best way. It starts in exactly the way I'd imagine an influencer holiday event. The acting wasn't amazing but I did believe all the characters the actors were playing. It's great that some of the actors were real influencers - it would have been fun if this was the makeup of the entire cast. You're on edge from the very beginning. There is a good ratio of spider sightings and attacks. Sometimes, with movies like this, the focus is too much on the characters and not enough on the creatures - this one had a good mix, though I still would have liked to see more of the creatures. It d...

  On the one night of the year when singles can legally have sex, Owen (Callum Turner) and Allie (Monica Barbaro) seem to be the only people in the city looking for something that lasts longer than just one night. There was a lot said about the premise of this movie before it came out, most of which pointing out how ridiculous it sounded and how many logistical problems it would cause. So I don't think anyone was really looking at this with any element of seriousness. And as someone who was also sceptical, I was surprised that I actually liked it! For a start, even though the concept does feel a bit stupid, it's also original and interesting, so you have to give it props for that! It has a really fun soundtrack and makes music an integral part of the story. You instantly like the characters - though the cast feels odd. The film is full of people that you wouldn't expect or choose for the roles they play. Much of the movie tries to go in a more comedic direction, but it'...

  When Olive (Lili Reinhart) accidentally kisses Professor Adam Carlsen (Tom Bateman) in an attempt to make her best friend believe that she's dating someone, the pair begin a fake romance that begins to unearth real feelings. I was really looking forward to this movie. I read the book a few years ago and loved it, so I was hoping that I'd love the movie as much. And while the movie wasn't as good as the book, I did really enjoy it. I loved the premise of the book, and was really happy to see that it works in movie form. The cast was great. I tend to really like Lili Reinhart's performances, and I'm a fan of Jaboukie Young-White and was so excited when he was announced as Malcolm. I loved the introduction to Olive and the fact that the audience could get to know her and some of the other supporting characters before the story even really begins. In terms of Olive and Adam, it was great to see the way their chemistry developed as the film went on, and for the most p...

  An ice cream man (Ari Millen) sells treats to children, with murderous consequences. Sometimes hearing bad things about a movie makes me more excited to see it than positive reviews, and this was definitely one of those times. I'd heard so many terrible things about the movie that I couldn't wait to see it for myself! And the reviews are right, this isn't a great film. Though for the most part I did enjoy watching it. From the beginning it's clear that the acting isn't going to be great. I think the majority of the kids did a good job, but generally speaking this isn't an acting masterclass. But the thing that lets it down majorly is the writing. For a start, the characters are caricatures, particularly the child bullies. It's like someone wrote down the traits of a typical bully, mixed them up and threw them into the script with no accounting for individual personalities or anything that could have been used to develop the characters or push the story for...

  Alice (Souheila Yacoub) and her in-laws are plagued by demonic forces following the death of her husband. I'm not the biggest fan of the Evil Dead franchise. I've seen most of the movies and haven't found one that I've really liked, but I still wanted to give this one a try. I actually liked this more than some of the other ones I've seen. That's not to say that I think it was a great movie, but it was better than I thought it would be. I really liked the opening. It does a great job of reminding you what world you're in. The introduction to the family is interesting, we get to understand their dynamics really quickly and it makes you want to get to know them. And while I did like the characters, I also felt distant from them, and this remained until the end of the movie. I never felt like I really knew them, and I never cared about them enough. But it's their dynamics that make things interesting. While we aren't particularly interested in the cha...

  When faced with a dangerous enemy, Supergirl (Milly Alcock) teams up with an unlikely ally for revenge. I had seen all of the bad reviews of this film before watching it, and while I didn't expect it to be as good as Superman, I was surprised by how much hate it was getting. I actually didn't hate the film, but it definitely had a lot of flaws. I really liked that they set it on another planet, rather than doing another story set on Earth. It would have been nice to see more of the planet and how the world was different to Earth. One of the first flaws of this movie is that it assumes Supergirl's appearance in the Superman movie was enough to make the audience care about Kara, and it really isn't. So because of that, no work was put into making us care about her. But in addition to that, Kara isn't as funny or likeable here as she was in her small Superman scene. And while she doesn't have to be, at times it doesn't feel like the same character. I kept wai...

  After witnessing an accident, a couple discover that they are being haunted by a demonic entity known as 'the passenger'. The trailer for this film was so fantastic that I couldn't wait to see the whole movie. It gave little away, previewed the potential scares and really left you wanting more. Unfortunately, the scenes in the trailer were the best part of the movie. The first half of the trailer makes up maybe 10 minutes of the movie, and it was a really great opening. We were immediately invested, scared, and really interested in where it would go. And then it just went downhill. The pacing isn't great - it speeds up, then slows to a glacial pace, then speeds up too quickly at random moments, making it hard to maintain interest. The scares are great, for the most part, but they begin to feel more important than the story itself. And part of that is because the story itself can be incoherent and messy, to the point where the only thing anchoring the story in a consis...

  Sophie (Sunny Sandler) just got the lead in the school musical. But when life at home takes a dramatic turn, she is forced to balance competing priorities with the fear of a changing future. This movie wasn't really on my radar until I saw people talking about it on social media. I didn't know much of what it was about, which ended up being a good thing. I liked this film a lot more than I initially thought I might.  I really liked the way music was incorporated. One thing I had seen on social media was a clip of the main character singing, and I really liked that music was used throughout rather than just in one scene. The actors are all great, but in particular I really loved Melanie Lynskey and Max Greenfield in these roles. You connect with this family really quickly and only get more invested in their lives as the movie continues. That said, I would have liked for some of the relationships to be explored a bit more. This is a mother/daughter story, but there are other f...

  When Oak Street is transported to an unknown time and place, the Platt family must work together to make it out alive. I was looking forward to this film, while also acknowledging that it probably wouldn't be amazing. But I love a dinosaur/creature movie, so I was definitely interested! I kind of got what I expected with this. It was fun, but didn't have a lot else going for it. For a start, it took a while to get used to some of the acting choices. I wouldn't say the entirety of the acting was good anyway, but after a while when you get into the film, it's not as jarring as it can be towards the beginning. The character development was odd. At the beginning, it tried really hard to give these characters backstories and full lives in hopes that the audience might be able to connect with them. But then this just went completely out of the window. When we didn't need to care about the characters, we were given too much, and when we actually needed to care about them...

  Two sisters (Kara Young and Mallori Johnson) get more than they bargain for when they set out on a quest for revenge. I'd heard a lot about this film before it came out, and the vast majority of reviews were really positive, so I was looking forward to seeing it. I liked this film, but I didn't love it as much as I thought I would, based on some of the reviews I read. I didn't know too much about the plot, but as the movie explains what the revenge mission actually is, I was invested - it was a really interesting and original plot. One of the best things about the film is the relationship between the two sisters, and the chemistry between the actresses playing them. The sisters are the heart of the movie and if their relationship wasn't as authentic as it is, the movie wouldn't work. I also loved their development as the movie continued. All of the performances are fantastic. A lot of the cast is supporting and only come in for a scene or two, but they all make th...

  Pinocchio, a wooden doll, will do whatever it takes to become a real boy. Even if his actions have deadly consequences. The newest instalment of the Twisted Childhood Universe (TCU)! I get so excited each time a new film in the franchise gets released, and they're getting progressively better, which is a major plus! I liked this film for what it was - and every single person involved in making it knows exactly what it is, which is great! The design of Pinocchio is really interesting, particularly the progression of this, the way he changes as he experiences different things and how he becomes a horror figure. The story, as I'd probably say for all TCU movies, is really original and creative. Even the ones that weren't good had a starting point of taking these classic childhood stories and adding original horror twists to them. This one spent time developing and allowing the audience to get to know the characters, which is something that was missing from some of the previo...

  A piano tuner's (Leo Woodall) life is turned upside down when he discovers a talent for cracking safes. I hadn't heard much about this film when it first came out, and I couldn't work out what the film was actually about from the premise, so it wasn't one that I was particularly excited about. So I was surprised that I ended up really liking the movie! You're invested from the very start. You get to know the characters quickly, you care about them almost right away, and you feel a connection with them that makes it easy to follow their journeys. I loved the relationship between the characters played by Woodall and Dustin Hoffman. It's a unique friendship that really grounds the movie. But all of the characters have great relationships and it's really lovely to see them develop as the story continues. It's really engaging, and also a lot sweeter than I expected. But it's also really entertaining. There are some deeper ideas and sadder scenes here, b...

  After the Trojan war, Odysseus (Matt Damon) begins a perilous journey back to his family. I was really looking forward to this film. I've read the book, so I was familiar with the story, and I heard amazing things when it came out. Despite not being the biggest Nolan fan, I thought I'd probably enjoy this. But I really didn't expect to love it as much as I did! There are so many great things about this movie I don't even know where to start. This is the first film that I've seen in IMAX and I'm so glad I got to experience it that way! One point of apprehension before seeing the movie was the length and pacing, given that the movie is almost three hours. But the pacing is so good that you really don't feel that runtime. You're invested and locked in from the second it starts, and because there are so many characters that we need to hear about, you're never stuck in one place for too long. There wasn't anything I'd cut out. There are a few sc...

  After being given the wrong number by a girl on a night out, Owen (Spike Fearn) teams up with a psychology student (Angourie Rice) to find the right Emily. I am here for all of the original rom-coms, so when I first heard about this one, I was really looking forward to seeing it. But I was even more excited when I saw all of the positive reviews. I really really liked this movie. As said, original rom-coms seem to be back in full force and I will always be a fan! The main character, Owen, is really sweet and fun to follow. The story is really grounded. All of the characters feel authentic and the story feels rooted in reality, even when the dialogue feels a bit over-the-top. The main actors, Fearn and Rice, have great chemistry and the relationship that they create with their characters is really sweet, and so much fun to watch. Their development is lovely and it's fun to be able to root for them as their relationship forms. If anything, all I wished was for them to have more tim...

  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...