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Spider-Man: Brand New Day | Film Review

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  Isolated from everyone he knows, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) faces a new threat while experiencing dangerous changes that threaten his existence. I was looking forward to this movie. I've liked all of the Spider-Man movies, and while I wasn't rushing to the cinema to see it, hearing all of the positive reviews did make me excited to check it out. I loved this movie.  There are so many beautiful shots; the cinematography is great. From the very beginning of the movie, the visuals are stunning. The cast was great, and I loved the connections with other MCU characters. Having Mark Ruffalo and Jon Bernthal reprising Hulk and The Punisher in the movie was a stroke of genius that not only made sense in the context of this specific story, but also completely elevated the film. They are characters that I love anyway, but seeing them here and getting to explore different aspects of their personalities is fascinating. There are some characters that feel slightly inconsistent when compa...

Insidious: Out of the Further | Film Review

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  When Gemma (Amelia Eve) discovers that she can travel into the Further, she has to fight for her life when something follows her into the real world. I love the Insidious movies, so I was really excited when I heard there would be a new addition to the franchise - even though it definitely could have ended with the last one. I thought this movie was okay. Not one of the better instalments of the franchise but a solid horror nonetheless. I liked the focus on a new family, but when this happens (like with Insidious 3), the filmmakers have to actively remind the viewer that this is an Insidious film, and I didn't feel like this movie did that very well. Other than having Elise back (which was great!), this didn't particularly feel like an Insidious movie. As always with these movies, there are some great jump scares. The scares are obvious; you can see them coming a mile off, but they're still fun to experience. I wouldn't say the movie is particularly well written. It f...

The Others | 100 Movies Bucket List

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  This is a rewatch that I was saving because I was really looking forward to it. I've maybe seen this film twice and loved it both times, so I was really glad to see it on the list. I love this movie. The first thing to mention is how great the performances are. All of the actors are great, especially the children who, in a sense, carry the movie. Kidman is phenomenal.  The relationships and dynamics between the characters are so interesting. Because of the way the story is set up, with one location, we're essentially living with these characters for the entire runtime.  We really get to know them, and despite the mysteries surrounding them, we still understand who they are. I love how much of a classic ghost story this is. It's not a completely new concept to have characters living in a haunted house, but the first 2/3 of the movie feel fresh and original. Plus there are moments that are genuinely scary, which is a major plus! The writing is great. Even though it feels ...

Animals | Film Review

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  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...

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me | 100 Movies Bucket List

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  This is a first-time watch, and the one of the last movies I need to watch for the bucket list. The reason I've left it so long is that, after looking it up, it's recommended to watch the TV show first. So I left it hoping that I'd finish the show and then come back. But unfortunately, and this is a very unpopular opinion, I couldn't get into the show at all. I tried but it just wasn't for me. If the movie wasn't on the bucket list I would have left the whole Twin Peaks world alone. So this review is coming from someone who has only seen a few episodes of the show, which made me sceptical about whether I'd like, or even get it. And as I expected, this one wasn't for me. That's not to say there weren't enjoyable moments, or that I don't appreciate what it was, but this was a movie for the fans of the show, which I'm not. I'm really glad that I at least saw the beginning of the show, because I had no idea that the movie would be so cl...

A Tale of Two Sisters | 100 Movies Bucket List

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  I didn't know much about this film before putting it on, but it was listed as a psychological horror, which always excites me! I liked this film. Before watching, I saw that there's an American remake that I've already seen and absolutely love, so I thought the twist was spoiled from the very beginning. But in watching the film, it felt completely different, to the point that the twist in the remake didn't make sense here, which made me even more intrigued. Plus, the fact that I love the remake meant I already knew I loved the story. One of the best things about the film is the connection between the sisters. Their relationship feels extremely authentic, and they're the people you care the most about. Because I loved the remake so much, and watched it so long ago that it now feels like a nostalgic childhood movie, I couldn't help but compare the two. While I probably enjoyed the characters more in the remake, and felt better connected to both our main characte...

Spider Island | Film Review

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  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...