Bria Lou Reviews

  This was one I hadn't heard of, but looking at the description and some of the reviews, it seemed like 'classic ghost story' horror, so I was excited to see it. I really liked this movie. The characters are great. They start off so endearing and likeable that you're immediately interested in them and willing to become invested in their story. It takes the time to really let the audience become connected to these people. It doesn't start with horrors or scares, but instead slowly draws you into their world, to get to know them, before the scares really start.  And even then, the horror aspects of the film begin in a really subtle way, which is great because we're really experiencing everything at the same time as our main character. We have no idea where it's going, or what the secrets are, and neither does she. It's easy to see how films like this influence modern horror. There are so many things here, not only in the horror elements but also in the ac...

  Scientist Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac) brings a mysterious creature (Jacob Elordi) to life and is forced to deal with the dangerous consequences. It took me way too long to finally see this film - but I'm glad I got to watch it and form an opinion before it got Oscar nominations! I liked this film, though I knew I probably would. I don't have a huge amount of experience with Frankenstein beyond reading the book and seeing an adaptation or two, but I've always loved the story, so I'm here for all the future adaptations! The cast is definitely one of the most interesting things about this version. They're all fantastic in their roles. The visuals were amazing - it's such a beautiful film to watch and was clearly crafted with care and intention. I liked that it took the time to flesh everything out. We really get to know this world before we even start to get into the main crux of the plot. Seeing the creation of the creature was interesting, but this is whe...

  After finding millions of dollars during a home raid, a group of Miami police detectives begin to question their loyalties to each other, as they discover that they can't all be trusted. As the biggest fan of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, both individually and as a collective, I'm always really excited to see what their upcoming projects are, so when this one finally came out I was seated! I liked this film - it was essentially what I thought it was going to be, which was great. I loved that it got right into the action. It didn't spend time explaining the characters and their relationships, and instead allowed us to learn this through their interactions. Even at the beginning when you don't really understand what's happening, it's still entertaining and engaging. So when you do start to get what's happening, you're already locked in. The whole cast are great. Of course I have to specifically mention Damon and Affleck who have always worked so well toget...

  I hadn't heard of this one, so it was fun to go in completely blind. I have mixed feelings about the film. It starts from a confusing place, particularly going in blind. It's fun to try and work out what's going on before things really get going. It took me longer to get into than I would have liked. The story starts slowly, and even when things start happening, they happen slowly. Which isn't to say that I lost interest in the film, but I wasn't as invested in the characters as I would have liked to be. At 30 minutes in it's been drip-feeding the audience ideas without exploring anything too deeply or drawing any conclusions. While this does a good job of sparking intrigue in the rest of the film, it doesn't engage the viewer as much as it needs to. There are a lot of characters that only have a few minutes of screen time each and it can be hard to keep them all straight. The cast is great, particularly Art Hindle, who easily evokes sympathy from the audi...

  In the 1980's, Bruce Springsteen (Jeremy Allen White) creates his album 'Nebraska' on the cusp of global stardom. This wasn't one I was particularly excited for. I heard a lot about it before it came out, but once it was actually released all the talk died down and no one seemed to have anything to say about it. And as someone who isn't particularly a Springsteen fan, I only really watched it for Jeremy Allen White. I didn't love this film. The first thing I noted was that none of the performances felt particularly authentic. It took me a while to believe that these actors were who they were pretending to be, which started the film on a sour note. The story felt more like a collection of scenes than anything with a coherent plot. There were some aspects of the story that were fun to watch, the beginning of the romance (if you can call it that) for example. But those small moments didn't help with the overall story. None of the characters, including Springs...

  After hiring a car from a mysterious company, strangers David (Colin Farrell) and Sarah (Margot Robbie) relive some of the most important moments of their pasts together. It took me way too long to watch this movie. The premise looked interesting, but it came out quietly and then no one really spoke about it. I think it got lost coming out in a year of so many big amazing movies, but I'm glad I've finally seen it! I liked this film. I like the characters together. Farrell and Robbie work well together and had chemistry, though I don't know if the chemistry they have is particularly romantic. With not much to go on, the audience are also just along for the ride, and I think this works well. I don't think it would have been as interesting if we knew more than they did. That being said, when they started going back in time I was struggling to understand the point of the story, and having seen it and sat with it, I still don't know if it's exactly what the filmmak...

I saw the 2022 remake of this film a couple of years ago. So even though I hadn't seen this film, I didn't go into it blind, which would have been really interesting. I liked this film. I'm actually sad that I saw the remake before seeing this one, not least because it made the plot feel really obvious, almost like I would have guessed it right away if I didn't already know. The actors are great. The boys who play Lukas and Elias (Lukas and Elias Schwarz) are amazing. I have no idea how old they were when they made the film but they did a great job, and Susanne Wuest who played their mother was also brilliant. The audience doesn't really get much to go on while watching this film. We don't know anything about these people, we don't get to understand their lives prior to these events and we don't understand who they are until the end of the film. Ordinarily, this would be a bad thing, but I think it works so well here. We're forced into this strange s...

  In 1943, lyricist Lorenz Hart (Ethan Hawke) spends an evening self-reflecting after his former collaborator Richard Rodgers (Andrew Scott) opens a hit musical without him. The only reason this was on my radar, other than being a huge Andrew Scott fan, is that Ethan Hawke has been brought up in award conversation multiple times, and has now received an Oscar nomination. This film was okay - the performances were the best thing about it. Hawke completely embodies this character. We really get a true sense of who Hart is, and even when the performance becomes more outlandish, it never feels inauthentic. Though it's a shame that Hawke is the only one being spoken about - all of the cast are amazing in their roles and they all deserve their flowers. Hart is an odd character. Putting us in the bar with him lets us get to know him, but his insufferable nature has the effect of making the film feel like a slog to get through. And this was a note I made at 22 minutes in so you can guess h...

  I had only heard of this movie in passing, but never really looked into what it was about, so I was looking forward to checking it out. I absolutely loved this film! One of the first things I noticed about the film was that it uses, and doesn't use, dialogue in a really effective way. For instance, the art gallery scene is incredible, and I can't remember if there was more than a couple of lines of dialogue spoken by anyone. It highlights how amazing the score is and also forces you to really focus on what's happening. Speaking of the score, it just got better and better. The music used was picked perfectly and really worked well to create the tone of whatever scene it was used in. The characters speak only when they have to, and this is really the mark of great direction that the audience is hanging on to the character's every word even when no words are spoken. The story is really engaging - I found myself way too invested in these characters and what would happen t...

  A woman (Sydney Sweeney) looking for a fresh start becomes a housemaid for a wealthy couple. I'm not going to lie, I was sceptical about this film. I hadn't heard the best things about the author's books (though I've never read any), and I hadn't heard good things about the acting. But I liked the plot so I tried to go in with an open mind. This is a weird one - it was undeniably stupid, and most of the bad things said about it are completely true, but I still had a good time! It was really entertaining! Even when things got really stupid and unrealistic, it never lost my attention for a second. But it did get unrealistic. There were so many plot holes that the whole first act of the film doesn't really make any sense. There are way too many questions to ask about all of the characters at this point, because none of their actions make sense. The comments on the acting are accurate, Seyfried definitely carried the film. But as much as things are said about Swee...

  After receiving a call late at night, a couple (Rosamund Pike and Matthew Rhys) race to the scene of an accident to help their daughter (Megan McDonnell). I’d seen the premise of this film pop up again and again and I’d always registered that it looked interesting, but for whatever reason there were other films to watch. So I’m glad I finally watched it! I really liked this film. It’s always great when a little 90-minute thriller can surprise you! The first thing I noted was how good the tension is. It’s created from almost the first moment of the film and it holds onto you for the entire runtime. You’re as stressed as they are the whole way through. The story is really simple, but it’s told in such an engaging way. Despite being entirely dialogue, this is a full story with well written three-dimensional characters that we really get to know through their interactions with each other. A situation like this strips the characters of their airs and graces, and we get to know who the...

  This film follows the life of John Davidson (Robert Aramayo), a man who grew up with Tourette's syndrome in 1980s Scotland. I saw the trailer for this film at some point last year, and that in itself looked so powerful that I couldn't wait to finally see the full product. So it's no surprise that I loved the film. One of the best things about the film is the performances. Aramayo was brilliant in the role, but Scott Ellis Watson, who plays a younger Davidson, was equally fantastic and deserves just as much praise. The story is really powerful, as shown in the trailer, particularly because this isn't a story that we hear often, if at all, so everything we learn is really impactful. It doesn't gloss over everything or make light of the hardships Davidson goes through. And while doing that, it's also really informative about the condition. Part of this is due to how well written is it. The characters feel so real and authentic, and there's never a moment when...

  After being thrown out of their family home for coming out as non-binary, Ben (Corey Fogelmanis) moves in with their estranged sister (Alexandra Daddario) and her husband (Cole Sprouse). I saw the trailer for this film randomly and immediately knew I wanted to watch it, so I was eagerly awaiting its release! I liked this film. Ben is such a great character to follow. They’re really sweet, and it’s easy to sympathise with them. All of the characters are great, and the actors do a really good job portraying them. Although the film moves slowly, it takes a long time before your interest starts to wane. For me I only started to lose interest towards the end, and by then I was invested enough in the lives of the characters that it didn’t matter. There were a few plot points that didn’t quite make sense to me, mostly around Ben’s parents, that took me out of the story. I couldn’t quite work out those characters and what their true thoughts and feelings were. At the beginning they were ...

  After an accident reveals deeply buried secrets, Morgan (Allison Williams) and her daughter Clara (McKenna Grace) reconnect as they rediscover life and love. I’m firmly in the middle of the Coleen Hoover discourse – I’m not a fan, but I haven’t read enough of her work to hate her writing either, so when this film came out, I was neutral about it. Unfortunately, this one wasn’t good. However, the actors were great! They all played their characters really well. The story is so cheesy and insane, in true Coleen Hoover fashion. But at least it’s fun! Everything about the way the story is told is heavy-handed. It doesn’t give you a chance to figure things out and instead just hits you over the head with themes again and again. While the couples all had believable chemistry, their relationships were underdeveloped and moved way too fast. The audience can’t connect with them, root for them or ‘ship’ them because they’re all together before we even have time to get used to the idea of th...

  When a woman in a small village is murdered, newscaster Anna Andrews and her ex-husband DCI Jack Harper both suspect each other's involvement. But in a town where everyone is lying about something, will the killer be caught before it's too late? This book was at the top of my 2026 reading list, mostly because I was really excited to check out the TV show adaptation (which I've seen and absolutely loved!). I've previously read one of Feeney's books and didn't love it, so I was slightly apprehensive about this one. Thankfully, I loved the book! I liked it from the opening. You get to know Anna really quickly and whether we trust her throughout the story or not, putting us on her side from the beginning is a great way to start things. I loved the dynamic between Anna and Jack. From the second they're together we understand so much about who they were, who they've become, and how explosive the rest of the story will be. Even though we don't trust eithe...

A down-on-her-luck mother (Rose Byrne) tries to navigate her daughter's (Delaney Quinn) mysterious illness. As we start getting into me watching movies just for the awards buzz, this is firmly in that category. The premise of the film didn’t appeal to me that much, so I’m firmly here for Rose Byrne’s performance. Unfortunately I didn’t love this film. It had a really slow start. The premise doesn’t give too much away so you’re essentially going in with not much information, and it takes a long time to get to grips with the story. The cast is so interesting – I’d never expect Conan O’Brien or A$AP Rocky to be in a story like this. But they didn’t pull me out at all, I really believed both of their characters. But of course Byrne is the standout. While I didn’t love the film, I think her performance was as good as everyone has said. She completely carried the movie and did it with ease. The story isn’t particularly engaging due to the way it is being told. It didn’t pull me in or mak...

  A woman (Tatiana Maslany) begins having terrifying visions while staying with her boyfriend (Rossif Sutherland) in a secluded cabin. I didn’t know much about this film before putting it on, but I really like Tatiana Maslany, so to be honest her being in it, and it being a horror film, were the only reasons I watched it. This film wasn’t great. There were parts of it that I liked, but the overall product had too many major flaws. But I will say that the actors all do a really great job, particularly Maslany who was the absolute standout. I was slightly apprehensive about the film when I heard who the director was – I’ve not been a fan of any of his previous movies, but that didn’t put me off. Unfortunately, this movie didn’t change my mind about his films. There was a lot of great imagery and visuals that made things feel genuinely creepy, particularly the visions. But as interesting as the visions could have been, they were too frequent and made the story feel disjointed and all ...

  Desperate to help his sick daughter, Ben Richards (Glen Powell) is convinced to compete in a deadly gameshow. I was really annoyed to miss this one in the cinema because I was looking forward to it. Based on the promotional interviews, it seemed like it would be a fun popcorn movie, and even though the reviews weren’t great I was open-minded about it. And thankfully I really liked it! It was really quick to get into the action. We meet Ben, we meet his family, we get to know a little bit about him, but before we really get into anything he’s in the competition fighting for his life and we’re right alongside him. It gets your adrenaline going from really early on and doesn’t let up. The downside of this is that the concept of the competition wasn’t explained as well as it could have been. You get the gist of things after a while, but it would have been would have been great to know more earlier on. That being said, it doesn’t matter too much because you’re invested in Ben and his ...

  Next up is some early Wes Craven! I saw the remake years ago and really liked it, but I'd never got around to seeing the original so I'm really glad it was on the list - it probably wouldn't have occurred to me to watch it otherwise. I liked this movie. I really enjoy the concept, so it wasn't a shock that I liked the original as much as the remake. I loved how classic this feels. When I think of old horror, this is the kind of thing that comes to mind - simple basic stories, obvious villains, actual scares. I love the way the genre has evolved over the years, and I can't wait to get into classic movies that are less obvious horror too, but I will always love things like this. Tension was created really well. Keeping the faces of the 'monsters' a secret until the last possible moment was a really great idea. It keeps the audience in suspense, and the longer it takes to see them, the scarier it gets. But even the amount of time it takes for the main plot to...

  A seemingly impossible murder inside a church causes Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) to become involved in a mystery that sees a close-knit community begin to turn on each other. I was really excited about this one! I didn’t love the movie that came before this, Glass Onion, but I loved the first Knives Out and the concepts of both, and I’ll definitely watch as many movies as they make. Unfortunately, and I think I’m completely alone in this, I was disappointed by the film. But one thing I really loved was the cast – this may be the best cast yet! All of the actors were amazing and did such a good job with their respective characters. I also liked the introductions to all the characters. This film goes back to the first of making the audience see all the characters from the point of view of an outsider, and that’s the best way to do these things. This was also the first time that Blanc wasn’t the most interesting character. It was funnier than I expected, and as with the other movies...

  Injured quarterback Cameron Cade (Tyriq Withers) receives the opportunity of a lifetime when his hero, Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans) offers to train him at his isolated compound. This film was heavily marketed as a Jordan Peele movie, obviously in the hopes of getting people to connect it to his other movies. This marketing didn’t really work for me due to me not being a huge fan of Peele’s movies post Get Out, but even with that it’s an absolute disservice to connect this film with Peele’s previous works. This movie wasn’t for me at all. It took a really long time to have any idea of what this was about or what was happening. It doesn’t let the audience get to know the character as well as we need to to really care about the story and what happens to Cade. None of the characters felt authentic or realistic, but the story isn’t fantastical enough for this to be a filmmaking choice. So again, this is another thing that makes you not really care about them. Speaking of the character...

  A woman (Camille Sullivan) becomes obsessed with finding her missing sister (Sarah Durn), leading her to uncover a horrifying secret. The only thing I knew about this film was that it was a debut movie by a director who is also a movie critic that I’d heard of. I didn’t have any thoughts about this in terms of the perceived quality of the movie, but it did make me more interested to see it. I didn’t love this one unfortunately. The concept was really interesting, though when it starts it has a really similar feel to The Blair Witch Project, which makes it feel a bit less original than it probably should. It would have been nice to get to know the characters outside of Mia (Sullivan) and her sister, as I never really connected with either of them. And as much as you don’t need to care about them for the film to work, it would help. It probably would have been better to see this story from someone else’s point of view. I don’t think Mia brought much to the story. If we saw this fro...

  As Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) fights for the people and animals of Oz after being branded the Wicked Witch of the West, she realises that she needs to reconnect with her best friend Glinda (Ariana Grande) to truly change Oz for good. This was one of my most highly anticipated films of the year. I absolutely loved the first movie, and being familiar with the theatre show, I really wanted to see how they’d translate the second part of the story to film. I loved this film. I went in with low expectations due to some negative reviews, but it was exactly what I wanted – the conclusion to this story with some songs that I’ve been waiting to hear! There has been a lot said about the casting choices, and I have to agree in some respects. There were a few people that were miscast, and a few instances where the singing could have been stronger, but for me this didn’t matter too much because when the casting works, it’s amazing. There is great chemistry in every corner of the film – particular...

  This is a random one to start off the 100 horror movies bucket list! I picked it more due to availability than anything else. I didn't know what it was about so it was really interesting to go in blind. I really like this film! It starts in a fascinating place - giving us a villain from the outset and having the viewer follow him rather than the victims of his tyranny is a really great way to start things because we get to see the full spectrum of character development. He's also the most interesting character, and played so well by Vincent Price. Though in saying that, Francesca ( played by Jane Asher ) is also a really great character, and gets some great development. She is a completely different character from the beginning to the end. The story is really engaging from the very beginning, long before we truly get into the horror. The more characters we meet, the better the film gets. There are a really eclectic group of well written people who may not always feel authenti...

  College professor Alma (Julia Roberts) faces internal conflict when one of her students (Ayo Edebiri) makes an accusation against her colleague (Andrew Garfield). I was apprehensive about this one. I started off excited but as the negative reviews started coming in, this seemed like one that was universally disliked. But because I really liked the premise I tried not to let it cloud my judgement too much. So I was surprised to find that I actually liked it more than I expected! Unfortunately it starts unbelievably slowly. I was interested to see where it would go so this didn’t bother me too much, but I was watching it at home and everyone I was watching it with gave up after less than 20 minutes, so I think it’s really easy to lose interest at this early stage. Not enough is done to grab the audience. One of the other reasons you might give up early is because the environment of this world just isn’t accessible, which makes the story really hard to get into. The actors are great...