Bria Lou Reviews

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 ...

  I'd never heard of this movie before seeing it on the bucket list, so I had no expectations. There aren't many comedies on the bucket list this year. Of the four they picked, I've seen and loved two, and not heard of the other two so it's a really mixed bag. From the very beginning of the film, it just didn't really work for me - probably because I'm not the intended audience. The fundamental issue for me, which remained the same from the beginning of the film to the end, was that I didn't care about either the characters or their mission.  But that being said, there were things that were done really well. For a start, the cast. You wouldn't think of putting Steve Coogan and Jackie Chan together in a movie like this but they both do a really good job. They worked well together, played off of each other well, and any comedy or humour in the film came from the characters being together. And then there are so many other unexpected great actors that show u...

  Matchmaker Lucy (Dakota Johnson) finds herself caught between two potential relationships, offering her two drastically different lives. I was really looking forward to seeing this film. Not only do I like the actors involved, but I'm always interested in a new rom-com, and this one seemed somewhat original. I liked this film a lot! For a start, I love that Lucy was a matchmaker - it's a really fun job to centre a romance movie around. The thing that struck me almost immediately, was that it felt like it would have made more sense for the male actors (Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans) to switch roles. Maybe it's from knowing their other projects, or due to the differences in their chemistry with Johnson, but neither felt particularly believable in the roles they had. Which doesn't take away the enjoyment, but the thought did keep coming up for me. Speaking of the chemistry, I'm not sure it completely worked with either suitor. I really liked Lucy as a character, but t...

I had never heard of this film before seeing it on the list, and even when I put it on I didn't really know what it was about.  Compared to last year when there was quite a few foreign movies on the bucket list, this is one of only a couple.  I enjoyed this film. I didn't love it, and it's not really one that I would watch again, but I had more fun with it than I thought I would.  It took me a little while to really get into the story, but what helped was that I liked the main character almost instantly. Not only is he a somewhat-underdog character that you can really root for, but he's just really likeable and fun. In fact, it was a bit annoying at the beginning when the film spent a lot of time on the characters that we didn't know or care too much about. But in saying that, one of the reasons I didn't get into the film as quickly as I wanted to was because I didn't really like (or care about) any of the other characters.  The movie is only 1 hour 25 mins,...

  An unconventional group of anti-heroes are forced to team up for a dangerous mission that makes them confront their dark pasts. I heard so many amazing things about this film, so I was really looking forward to seeing it. I loved the group of characters that were chosen to make up this new team, and I was excited to see them all in another movie! I absolutely loved this movie - all the great reviews are 100% true! Of all the supporting characters in all the other MCU movies, they absolutely chose the best few to make up this team. The actors worked perfectly together and the characters were so much fun to watch. Speaking of the actors, they are all amazing in their roles, but this movie absolutely belongs to Florence Pugh. She's incredible and completely carries this movie. The supporting cast (including Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, David Harbour and Lewis Pullman) do an amazing job, but the character I was the most engaged with was Yelena, and I would watch ...

  I saw this film in the cinema when it first came out and haven't seen it since, so this was a re-watch that felt like a first watch! I love that there are a few horror movies on the list this year - and while I would have assumed they'd be older classics, it's nice that there are some newer ones too. I enjoyed this movie. It probably wasn't as good as the original (despite the first hour being essentially the exact same film), but it still told the story really well and changed some things to make it feel original. This is one of those films where you spend pretty much the whole runtime criticising the characters for making stupid decisions, and that's as fun as it is frustrating. It's fun to hate the characters, and as things get worse, they also get more entertaining. The downfall of this film is the length, and how long it takes for things to happen. It takes almost an hour for us to get into the main plot. And even though this version and the original are ...

  When Zoya (Mary-Louise Parker), a quantum physicist becomes stuck in a time loop with only a week to live, she enlists the help of student Paula (Ayo Edebiri). Together, they try to solve the mystery of time travel.  I have to admit, I only put this film on in the first place because it starred Ayo Edebiri. It's not a premise that necessarily stuck out to me, and I'm not sure it was one I would have watched otherwise. Ultimately, while I did go from not liking the film at all to liking it, the overall product wasn't really for me. It had an agonisingly slow start. It never tried to make me care about the characters or their world, and for a film that's mainly focused on one character, it does help if we actually care about her. It took a really long time for anything meaningful to happen, and by the time things did start happening, you just don't care because you haven't built a connection with any of the characters. Time loop movies are no longer original, bu...

  Transformers is a franchise that I've never crossed paths with. I've never seen any of the movies, I've never known more than a vague description of what it was about, and I've never been particularly interested in seeing it. Nevertheless, seeing it on the bucket list did make me more intrigued about it than I have been before. I actually ended up liking the film a lot more than I thought I would. For some reason I connected to the characters really quickly, and I think that helped. I was invested in their stories almost immediately. Plus I didn't really know the actors that were in it, so seeing so many recognisable faces was really fun. In fact, that's how I would describe the whole film - it's a lot of fun. Yes the robot-cars are taken extremely seriously, and yes the stakes are high, but it's a really entertaining watch - and a lot funnier than I thought it would be, but also a lot more emotionally charged. It almost makes you go through every emot...

When Superman (David Corenswet) faces danger orchestrated by tech billionaire Lex Luthor, (Nicholas Hoult) he is forced to rely on his allies for help before it's too late. I was really looking forward to seeing this film. I've been a fan of Superman since Smallville days and while I liked the previous iterations, I was happy to have something new. I absolutely loved this film! I knew I'd love it from the start, because I loved where the film started from. This isn't an origin story and we don't need one. We're able to get straight into things and learn what we need to know along the way. I think this may be favourite movie version of Clark. It was so reminiscent of Smallville in the way he was played. This Clark was fun and sweet and actually had a personality! He was so much fun to watch even in the more tense moments And of course this is also down to the way this version of the character was written and played. Corenswet is both an amazing Superman and an am...

  With the new Superman movie out, I was really glad this was on the list so I could see it before I saw the new one. I love the character of Superman so much and I want to see as many iterations as possible! This wasn't the first time Superman was ever on film, but this definitely feels like the blueprint behind all the more recent adaptations, as well as so many other non-Superman comic book movies. It was nice that the film took the time to explore a few different stages of Clark's life (though I wish we got to see teenage Clark a bit more while he was still on the farm). It was also great to spend time in Krypton to get a feel for that world too. This film actually felt like a couple of different Superman movies jammed into one space. I think this is because it was so new, but there was a bit too much going on for me. As much as I love Superman's origin, I feel like a TV show is the perfect format for that story. In a film there's always going to be too much happeni...