Bria Lou Reviews

  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...

  This is a re-watch that I was really looking forward to. I watched it for the first time last year and really enjoyed it, so I was glad it was on the list! As with my first watch, I really like this film. It's great that the mystery was held for as long as it could be. The audience are in the same position as the characters, trying to work out what's actually happening, and as this is teased out to us, it is also teased out for them. As someone who's not always the biggest fan of sci-fi/horror, this film is the perfect blend of both genres. The visuals are so great. Not only do the creatures look unique and original, but they also look genuinely scary. They're really well designed and, at times, hard to look at. Outside of the horror aspect, it's really interesting to watch the group dynamics. To see the way their relationships change and they start to lose trust in each other as the events continue. Most of the characters get the chance to develop and it's re...

  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...

  I decided to watch and write about these films together due to them both being quite short, as well as the second being a direct sequel. Plus after watching The Bride!, I was really in the mood for more Frankenstein content! I liked these movies. First up is Frankenstein. As short as the film is, I was surprised by how long it took to really get into the story. It was interesting to get the background, but after watching so many adaptations, I just wanted to see where it would go. The film spends time letting us get to know the characters, and as great as this is, it takes a while to see or get to know the character we're actually here to meet. But when we do get to meet the creature, it's definitely worth the wait! The design of the creature is great. Simple for today's standards but it really works. It's an iconic image. But what makes it work so well are the movements and actions. The creature is played amazingly by Boris Karloff. If I had one criticism of the char...

  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...

  Alone in her new home, Eve opens the door one night to a man with his family, claiming that he grew up in this very house, asking to look around for old times sake. As a people pleaser, Eve obliges. But once the family enter, strange things start happening, and Eve starts to lose her grip on reality. I feel like every book-tuber mentioned this book last year, and as I'm trying to get more into horror books, it was definitely high on my list. I loved this book. It felt scary from 3 pages in. We get right into the story from the second we open the book, and it pulls us in so well that we become invested immediately. I really liked Eve as a main character. Particularly at the beginning, she's somewhat easy to relate to, and her reactions feel authentic. Not that most people would do what she did in the first place, but you can sympathise with her and root for her. The author makes things feel scary effortlessly. Things are teased out really well, and the overall unsettling atmos...

  I'd never heard of this film before seeing it on the bucket list but the premise was really interesting. I liked this film. It took a while to get going, particularly knowing what the film is actually about. But it was great that this time was used to develop the characters and have the audience become really acquainted with them. Getting to know the characters really helps in terms of how interested and engaged the audience is, but even without knowing the main character that well this film is really engaging, particularly after about 30 minutes when we really get into it. There are some really interesting shots and techniques used here, particularly the split screen to show exactly how much time is passing. It allows the audience to build frustration and eagerness, which again adds to how engaging it is. I didn't expect the film to be so timely - it could be made today and be at least as relevant as it was at the time, if not moreso. The characters are great. Not only are t...