Bria Lou Reviews

  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...

After wishing for his crush to finally love him back, Bear (Michael Johnston) is delighted when the wish comes true. But as his crush, Nikki (Inde Navarrette), falls deeper, Bear begins to realise that his wish has sinister consequences. The way this film completely took over social media, there was no way I couldn't see it. As much as I was excited for it, I was also kind of sceptical about all the praise. Thankfully, it was all warranted because I loved the movie! There's a lot to say about this film. While watching it, the first thing I noticed was the sense of unease. Even before you know what's really happening there's a feeling of discomfort and unease through the entire film. It was actually quite a stressful watch. We have no idea what's going to happen, we don't even understand fully what is happening. But without giving anything away, anticipation was what made up a lot of the scarier parts of the film, and this is what keeps you on the edge of your se...

After the death of her best friend, Eleanor (June Squibb) moves to New York. Desperate for community, she accidentally tells a lie that spirals out of control. I had been looking forward to seeing this film for such a long time. When I first saw the trailer I thought that it looked like such an interesting concept that could really pack a punch if it was done in the right way. I liked the film, but unfortunately it didn't pack the punch that I needed it to. It started in a great way. We get to know Eleanor really quickly, which is essential for a movie like this where we have to sympathise with her for it to work. The plot is genuinely insane, and I had a hard time working out whether or not it was in bad taste. I still don't really know, but an argument could definitely be made that it is. The cast is absolutely the best thing about the film, and they're all great. In particular, June Squibb is phenomenal in the role, but Erin Kellyman is almost equally fantastic, and is t...

  20 years after leaving her job at Runway, Andy (Anne Hathaway) is back. But after reuniting with old friends, old adversaries, and her old boss Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) she discovers exactly how much can change in two decades. The first movie is iconic, and absolutely one of my favourites, so I was really sceptical about this one from the very beginning. A sequel wasn't necessary, and there were so many ways that it could fall flat. And unfortunately, it did. I don't even know where to start. After getting back from the cinema I wrote down what I could remember, and a lot of it just ended up being things that I found really odd while watching.  So let's start with the reason for the sequel. When I love a sequel, especially if time has passed, it's because the filmmakers hit the sweet spot between giving me the characters I loved, but also making them develop enough that I feel like they've grown. That's what I needed from this film. And in some ways thi...

  As he gets closer to finally being released from prison, Taylor (David Jonsson) is given a new cellmate (Tom Blyth) that puts everything he's worked for in danger. I tend to quite like prison dramas, but a few of the ones I've seen have either hit me so deeply or been so average that it's not a genre I go back to with excitement. So I went into this one with a bit of trepidation. I liked this film, but I did think it would be a bit better than it was. One thing that stood out immediately was the found footage element. These clips were great and really added to the realism of the situation. From their first moments on screen together there was great chemistry between the leads. Jonsson and Blyth played off of each other really well and their relationship felt authentic. And they were both great in these roles. That being said, all of the actors felt authentic and added to the overall tone really well. The movie is shot in a unique way, there were so many interesting angles...

  When a family's chimpanzee becomes rabid, a group of friends has to fight for their survival. I can't lie, I love cheesy horror and creature features, so even before the film started I was feeling really positive about it. And thankfully I had such a good time! It's kind of exactly what you think it would be, in the best way. It was interesting that the film actually let us get to know the characters a bit. Usually in a film like this, the horror of the 'creature' is the most important thing and everything else falls to the side. While I don't think we necessarily needed as much information on the characters as we got, it was still nice to see. That being said, as much as we know about them, they're not as developed as they could be. This film is stupid decision central, which will have you rolling your eyes in frustration but is also actually quite fun to watch. It was a lot more tense than I thought it would be. This aspect of the film was done really we...

  In 1930s Chicago, The Bride (Jesse Buckley) is created as a companion to Frankenstein's monster (Christian Bale). I'd heard mixed things about this film, most of it on the bad side, but I'm a fan of the Frankenstein story, and the actors involved were great, so this was always going to be on my watchlist. I understand the mixed reviews because my thoughts on the film are also mixed. The first word I wrote while reviewing this was 'weird'. That's not unusual for a Frankenstein movie, but this was weird even for Frankenstein! I really loved the character of Frankenstein's monster, or Frank, played by Bale. He's such a well written, interesting, actually quite sweet character and I loved watching him. Weirdly, as this film is about The Bride, this is probably my favourite depiction of Frankenstein's monster to date. And in contrast, I didn't feel much for the character of The Bride. She's not the one I remember when thinking about this film, a...

  A thief (Chris Hemsworth) and an insurance broker (Halle Berry) team up to pull off a huge heist, while being pursued by a detective (Mark Ruffalo). I was looking forward to this one. It took me a while to actually see it, but even though the premise seemed quite generic, the cast was interesting enough to generate excitement. I think the film was fine, nothing really special, but I definitely had fun with it, so it's worth a watch. At the start there was too much going on in quick succession. The audience doesn't get a chance to breathe, which is an interesting way to mirror the main characters' emotions, but it also makes your head spin. As mentioned, the cast is great. But I did feel about halfway through that it may have suffered from having too many power players fighting for the spotlight. I personally would have liked to have more depth from both Berry and Ruffalo's characters, I didn't get to know them as well as I would have liked. I found the first 40 mi...

  Ella McCay (Emma Mackey) struggles to balance her family relationships and marriage with her job as governor. I heard really bad things about this film when it came out, which felt weird for a film that seemed quite simple and inoffensive. But it definitely made me more intrigued to see it. In fact, I don't know that I would have seen it without hearing the negative reviews. I thought the film was fine. I didn't love it, but it definitely wasn't as bad as the reviews suggested. I was surprised by the cast, though - there were, oddly, some great people in the film, and I do wonder why they all said yes to it. It's not exactly original or ground-breaking. I found the time jumps at the start of the film too significant, considering that all of the actors looked exactly the same in all time periods. The biggest problem of the movie for me was that it was more a collection of scenes than an actual movie. Some of them didn't even feel connected to each other. The charac...

  American actor Phillip (Brendan Fraser) takes an unusual gig with a Japanese agency, playing stand-in roles for strangers. But he soon finds himself becoming too invested in his clients' lives, building relationships that blur the lines between personal and professional. I really liked this movie. The concept is really really interesting. I didn't quite get what it would be based on the description alone, but seeing the idea play out is fascinating, and I'd love to know if the job really exists. Brendan Fraser plays this character perfectly, and with complete authenticity. You become invested in the story so quickly because of this character, and how connected you feel to him. I really empathised with him and loved following him on this journey. But all of the actors are so great and play their parts so well. They have great chemistry, in particular, Fraser and Shannon Mahina Gorman, who plays Mia - their relationship was so special and powerful. One underrated thing that...

  Science teacher Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) wakes up in space with no recollection of how he got there. As he starts putting the pieces of his life together, he soon discovers his mission to save the world. But he also discovers that he doesn't have to do it alone. I had heard great things about this film. I went into it completely blind, I had no idea what it was about, but because of all the positive reviews I was looking forward to it. Thankfully I loved the film. The story itself was a great one. It's genuinely interesting and is told in a great way. It moves backwards and forwards in the right places, it lets us get to know and love the characters, and it forces us to become truly invested. It was much more emotional than I expected it to be. Even when you start to understand the direction it's going in, I didn't expect to care as much as I did by the end. One thing about space-based sci-fi movies is there can be a lot of technical jargon that the audience doesn...

  After a surprise confession causes chaos a week before their wedding, Emma (Zendaya) and Charlie (Robert Pattinson) wonder if they can still make it down the aisle. I'd heard really mixed things about this movie before seeing it, on polar opposite scales, so while I was looking forward to it, I didn't have exceptionally high hopes. I liked the film, but all-in-all it felt quite average. There were things about it that I really liked but I didn't love it overall. But I have to start with the confession that kicks everything off. For me the whole situation felt a bit weird. Without spoiling anything, the confession was based on something that hadn't actually happened, mixed in with other confessions from people who actually had done things. So while I understand why that might give you slight pause when thinking of marrying someone, it felt like a lot of what happened as a result was a bit dramatic and based on a character's own issues than the confession itself. Th...

  While trying to raise his children following the unexpected loss of his wife, a man (Benedict Cumberbatch) has to deal with the physical manifestation of his grief. I heard about this film a while ago but it took me way too long to actually see it! That said, I'm glad I finally saw it because I liked it. From the first second, it feels really authentic. You never doubt that the characters are going through exactly what is being shown. Depicting grief in this way is really powerful. Even before the grief becomes physical, we really get to understand the characters through the way they grieve. The actors are great. Cumberbatch is fantastic in the role, and the child actors, Richard and Henry Boxall, are perfect and very authentic. There are times when the metaphor feels heavy-handed, particularly when the crow makes a speech. I don't think things needed to be spelled out for the audience like this. In fact, it took something away from the overall idea to make things too obvious...