Blockers

To preface this review: I had no intent on seeing this film but, after I heard all the positive reception it was getting, my interest was peaked. Blockers is a sex comedy film, very much in the same vein as something like American Pie, now what makes this so refreshing is that it is a from the perspective of a group of teenage girls. This unusual for the genre gender shift is not cheap, tacky or done just to be different, but actually as a means to tell a fresh story. It is this freshness that makes this film shine; vastly exceeding my expectations at every turn. The general plot focuses on a group of three teenage girls Julie, Kayla and Sam, (Kathryn Newton, Geraldine Viswanathan and Gideon Adlon) who plan to lose their virginities on prom night, so far so generic sex comedy. The other half of the cast is made up of the parents Lisa, Hunter and Mitchell (Leslie Mann, Ike Barinholtz and John Cena) who try and stop their daughters from their sex pact, and it is these two sides coming together that elevate this film to another level. The film is as much for a teenage audience as it is for parents, by this I mean that there are two themes running parallel the first: is what it means to grow up and become an adult, the other is what it is like to let your children go; both of these themes work well together. The script for this film is phenomenal being both incredibly funny, with Cena’s Mitchell and Hannibal Buress’ Frank being the two standouts, but also incredibly deep. The emotional beats it this film are all very genuine and real, with Barinholtz’s Mike being the most impacting. Mike at first seems to be a bad dad caring more about sleeping around then he does his daughter Sam, (Adlon), but as the film goes on and you learn more about his character, you see past his façade, seeing him as much more. That is the genius of this script: it creates these incredibly fleshed out, three-dimensional characters completely subverting your expectations. Furthermore, the plotline about Sam discovering her sexuality was very well done, and the touch of having her dad (Marinholtz) always knowing about it, without being told; made it feel incredibly sweet and heart-warming. My only issue with this film is that some of the jokes between the main teenage cast fell flat, with some even making me cringe, but these were very far and few between. Overall I strongly recommend you go and see this film: because it will make you laugh, think and at times even cry. Finally, the message this film has is very timely and worth listening to. This is a far cry from crude, dumb gross-out humour, with the under-reliance on constant sex jokes in favour of a more thoughtful plot helps to make this one of the best comedies I’ve seen recently.
4/5
Reviewed by Luke

The Florida Project

The Florida Project is an Oscar-nominated drama film, starring Willem Dafoe. The plot centres around the lives of Moonee, (Brooklyn Price) and other residents of the Magic Castle. Moonee is incredibly sweet, charming and thoroughly likeable throughout; being the emotional soul of the film. Seeing the film through her eyes makes for an excellent contrast to the adult characters, but more specifically Willem Dafoe’s Bobbie. Dafoe’s performance is outstanding because you can see a great sadness in his character: a sadness perhaps reflective of dreams he’s let go along the way. The film examines the childish innocents of Moonee, showing that she is completely oblivious to the heartbreaking world in which the adult characters reside. Perhaps the most standout performance is newcomer Bria Vinaite as Hailey Moonee’s mum. In many ways she is a truly tragic character; forced by bad choices to do unpleasant things to survive. Vinaite sells this desperation throughout making you sympathetic to her character; greatly complementing the emotional climax of the third act. The direction by Sean Baker is very strong; with each moment being used to develop the characters making them feel very real. The cinematography is beautiful: with some stunning wide-angle shots that capture the abandoned by time feeling of the Magic Castle. My only issue with the film is that there are some plot lines that feel needless. The final thing I’ll say is that the ending of this film is one of the most affecting, heart-breaking endings I’ve seen in a long time. This film is probably one you won’t watch again, but one that will stay with you for a long time. The best thing that the Florida Project does is that it starts a conversation about parenting, hell about life; leaving you after the credits roll with a broken heart and a lot on your mind. A must see.
5/5
Reviewed by Luke

Ready Player One

Ready Player One is a futurist Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; featuring more references to pop culture than you ever thought possible. The plot focuses on a video game developer who creates a virtual world, called the Oasis, which is up for grabs after his death. With people across the world searching for an easter egg, that will grant them control over the Oasis, passing tests and traps along the way so far so Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. This film wears its influences on its sleeve, ranging from King Kong to Battle Toads, in every way Ready Player, One is a love letter to the pop culture of the 80’s and 90’s. Spielberg helms this ship of nostalgia, bringing with him all the heart and magic that made his earlier films such hits. Said heart is shown through Wade, (Sheridan) and Samantha, (Cooke). Sheridan makes for a likeable lead with his Wade feeling oddly relatable throughout. Olivia Cooke’s Samantha is amazing right from the off, with the decision to make her the leader of some sort of resistance against the evil IOI being incredibly interesting; though not in the book. Furthermore, the villain Nolan Sorrento, (Mendelsohn) is a fantastic presence throughout feeling both very menacing, whilst also being quite human. The film struggles with supporting characters, for a start, they introduce an ally for Sorrento with F’Nale, (Played by Hannah John-Kamen). What makes F’Nale so bad is that until writing this review I didn’t know what her name was. Furthermore, the film does not develop the characters of Sho and Datio, (played by Phillip Zhao and Win Morisaki respectively). What makes this so egregious is the fact that both of these characters are members of the “High Five”, with the film instead decides to focus on the trio of Sheridan, Cooke and Mendelsohn characters; everyone else is reduced to forgettable background fodder. The references and cameos are mostly done to great effect; though they do occasionally pull you out of things. Finally, as this film is in a virtual world, only featuring a few short sequences in the real world, it is very much CGI heavy. Said CGI is a mixed bag, with the Oasis avatars for the main cast being particularly bad. This is the clearest with Samantha’s avatar of Art3mis who belongs on the wrong side of the uncanny valley. In closing, this film benefits greatly from old school Spielberg magic. However, fans of the book will feel somewhat disappointed, as a lot of the characters aren’t fleshed out and the film is too reliant on pop culture references. Overall it is a good popcorn movie but not a must-see.
3.5/5
Reviewed by Luke

Pacific Rim Uprising

Pacific Rim Uprising is a science fiction action film; and the second film in the Pacific Rim series. The general plot focuses on aliens sending giant beasts, called Kaiju, into our world with the Human resistance fighting back against them in robots called Jaegers. Pacific Rim Uprising is welcoming to new viewers of the franchise: as it recaps the events of the first film. However, the exposition becomes tired and repetitive leaving you thinking, “I already know this” Therein lies this films greatest problem, it doesn’t justify its existence. Uprising adds little to the mythology set up by the first film, leaving a lot of questions unanswered. The screenplay is also noticeably weaker, with numerous plot threads that lead nowhere, and characters that are redundant. Chief among these redundant characters is Scott Eastwood’s Nate; who lacks all the charm of Charlie Hunnam’s co-pilot from the first film, being the cliché of a soldier in almost every regard. Furthermore, this poor character development is also shown by Jules, (played by Adria Arjona) with her character being nothing more than a love interest for Nate and Jake; which might I add is one of the most pointless subplots of the whole film. John Boyega has a strong performance as Jake Pentecost, lending an air of credibility to the film. Another mayor returning character from the first film is Charlie Day’s Newt. This film completely butchers his character: this is done by a late in the game plot twist that is beyond questionable. The recruits are handled much better, with the comradery between them all seeming real; with Ivanna Sakhno’s Vik being especially good. The relationship between the film’s two main stars in Jake and Amara, (Cailee Spaeny) feels incredibly generic and predictable. Something is lost by not having del Toro back to direct, with the direction in this film by Steven S. DeKnight being without identity. Uprising is DeKnight’s film debut, with his approach being far too indulgent with close up shots and an oddly placed montage sequence. This film has more in common with the Transformers series than it does the original Pacific Rim, with Uprising being an example of a film that sells its soul for mass appeal. If you are a fan of this series then give Uprising a miss, as it is a worn-out husk of the first film favouring spectacle over substance; with a surprising lack of Kaiju.

2/5

Reviewed by Luke

Annihilation

Annihilation is a science fiction horror film by Alex Garland; the man behind Ex Machina. Annihilation follows a team of scientists led by Lena, (Natalie Portman) as they explore the shimmer: an area of land that has been overrun by a strange alien sphere. The script I found to be quite a mixed bag, with Tessa Thompson’s Josie, Jennifer Jason Leigh’s Dr Ventress and the before mentioned Lena being the only memorable characters. With Josie, in particular, being instantly likeable and relatable, also being well developed. However, this strong character development doesn’t reach all the cast members as most are underdeveloped: this is shown by Gina Rodriguez’s Anya. Anya is never really developed as a character, which then makes certain actions committed by her later in the film come across a little unbelievable. Natalie Portman gives a satisfyingly strong performance as Lena: as we see her become driven to find out what happened to her husband; played marvellously by Oscar Isaac. The film is visually stunning throughout, from the costume design to the creatures that inhabit the sphere: including a nightmare-inducing mutant bear. Said bear and the other creature that live inside the sphere are all very well designed; with them all being both beautiful and unique. My only real issue came from the ending, which was a little too ambiguous for my taste; with the plot twists at the end not really adding much outside of making it a bit more confusing. Furthermore, the ending doesn’t come across as satisfying more as a bit pretentious; as though the film is trying to remind you one last time just how clever it is. Other than that though this is a very strong science fiction film; I got notes throughout the film of other similar films, such as 2016’s Arrival to name but one. There is more than enough here to get genre fans very on board with this film. One closing note I would like to bring up is that cinematography is exquisite: with one shot from the inside of a crocodiles mouth being my favourite of the film. Overall, I would recommend this film, though perhaps not to casual science fiction fans. It’s just a shame about the needlessly pretentious ending.
3/5
Reviewed by Luke

Proud Mary

Proud Mary is an action thriller starring Taraji P. Henson as the titular Mary. Focusing on a relationship between a mob hit woman, (Mary) and a child of one of her previous targets. Henson however, is woefully miscast: not selling any of the emotional delivery; with her performance being quite standard and at times bad. Jahi Di’allo Winston is similarly boring; even at times being downright annoying; with the relationship between his character Danny and Mary being so forced it is in no way believable. However, these bad performances are a result of a very poor script. Further shown through the fact that the characters feel like tired action movie cliches, rather than real people. Said cliches can be best represented by Mary and Danny’s relationship; the adoptive mother-son thing feels played out; with the reasoning behind it not making sense at all. This film has plot holes of all shapes and sizes; that range from the ridiculous to the so dumb it will make you groan; with it becoming frustratingly apparent that this film wastes a good premise. The supporting cast with Danny Glover and Neal McDonough are wasted entirely. It is a sad state of affairs to see an actor of Danny Glover’s status being in a film like this; he tries his best elevate the film failing at every turn. Glover’s character is woefully underused and underdeveloped. The rest of the supporting cast has it surprisingly worse, with actors like the previously mentioned McDonough being nothing more than glorified cameos; so that Mary could have a mildly famous face to shoot. The direction by Babak Najafi is a strong disservice to the film; as he never manages to raise it beyond a generic action film. The cinematography is also dull and lifeless, with it being perhaps the most forgettable cinematography of recent memory. The only shallow praise I can afford this film is that the score is a welcome treat in an otherwise uninspired film; with it being memorable after the credits roll. To put it bluntly, this film is the most generic action film so far this year with nothing elevating it beyond mediocrity; with performances so hollow and wooden that you would question if the actors were forced to do it. Don’t go and see it!
1/5
Reviewed by Luke

Unsane

Unsane is a psychological thriller film starring Claire Foy as a person who is wrongfully committed to a mental health institution; whilst there she is terrorised by her stalker. Unsane is one of the most menacing films I’ve seen it a while: due in no small part to the real-life nature of the threat. This is because this isn’t a ghost or a ghoul or something mythical, but rather something very human. The initial shock of Foy’s character, (Sawyer Valentini) being by all intensive purposes tricked into voluntary commitment is quite substantial on it own: however, it is the introduction of the stalker into the mix that really raises the threat level. Joshua Leonard’s performance as David, (the stalker) is outstanding: particularly as his obsession with Foy’s Sawyer reals so genuine and real. Unsane is a foray into mental illness at it’s most disturbing, as it easily manages to get under your skin. The script has you at times both rooting for Sawyer and, at times rooting against her: as you are never quite sure whether what is happening is real or in her head. It is this sense of ambiguity that really makes you reflect on the idea of mental illness. This film is directed by Steven Soderbergh; with each shot giving you a further insight into Sawyer’s state of mind. Soderbergh shot this film on an iPhone, which I truly believe is quite a novel thing as it shows a whole new frontier for filmmaking: demonstrating how you don’t need an expensive camera to make a stunning piece of art. Filming Unsane on an iPhone gives it a raw feeling, which truly adds to the believability; making it strike a lot closer to home. The film itself has quite a Hitchcockian tone to it: which on more than one occasion caught my attention. The performances are all very well used with each actor squeezing every bit of life from the script that they can. Juno Temple’s performance as Violet; one of the other patients at the facility along with Sawyer is exquisite as she completely loses her self in the role. At points this film made me quite uncomfortable as it really got under my skin, this is truly the best praise I can give it. Unsane is not like a lot of modern horror/thriller film out there being reliant on quick scares and twists: being instead far more into building atmosphere and tension to a satisfying climax. This is a superb thriller and will really give you something to think about; definitely not for the faint of heart.
4.5/5
Reviewed by Luke

Mom and Dad

Mom and Dad is a horror film focusing on a television signal that turns the parents into murderous monsters. The film is a study about growing old and accepting change. However, this character study is conducted with the nuance of an atom bomb. This lack of nuance isn’t a detriment because this film is wonderfully tongue in cheek throughout, it revels in the sheer insanity of the plot. The plot is ridiculous from the get-go with a scene in the first act about a group of parents climbing over the walls of a school to kill their children. The slow-motion editing that follows this scene is very well used, really adding to the graphic nature of the scene. Continuing on, the film is paced very well with every second of screen time being used to full effect. The characters are quite two dimensional overall with only a few scenes and flashbacks serving to develop them outside the craziness. Nicolas Cage is in top form as Brent, with each manic action his character performs being elevated by the insanity in his eyes. This film features a performance by Cage at his most manic, and if that is what you’re into then this film has you covered. Selma Blair is similarly fantastic with her matching Cage’s insanity in every scene. Blair’s character of Kendall probably has some of the best emotional beats of the film, showing what it’s like for a mother having to let their child go. In this way I found myself feeling quite sorry for her for the first act of the film. However, the main issues of the film come from the performances of the children. To preface my complaint let me first say that the children are the protagonists and the parents are the antagonists, as such, I shouldn’t have been rooting for the parents. In that lies the problem the children just aren’t likeable. Annie Winter’s character of Carly is incredibly annoying throughout the first 30 minutes of the film and, is seemingly written as all the worst stereotypes about teenage girls rolled into one. Furthermore, Zachary Arthur’s character of Josh is just dull never really adding much to proceedings and feels like he’s just there for the sake of it. I don’t think that these are the faults of the actors but, rather the faults of the script. The script is good in a lot of ways which helps to boost the crazy on-screen visuals, but at the end of the day, it’s more spectacle than anything else.
Overall, I would highly recommend even if some of the performances are bad.
3.5/5
reviewed by Luke.

Tomb Raider

I am going to open this with a very bold statement I think that Tomb Raider may be the film that breaks the cycle of bad video game adaptions. First off let me just say that this film is not without its problems, some problems were just little things some were fundamental issues. The most prominent being the pacing, the film itself is far far too long. Some sequences feel needlessly drawn out and, others feel rushed. Additionally, whilst the screenplay is mostly quite good in parts it does feel a little too familiar to the games in a way that makes certain sections quite predictable. Furthermore, some of the dialogue seemed quite cliched and stilted, really taking me out of the film. On the positive side, Alicia Vikander is a great Lara Croft.Vikander captures the look of Lara Croft perfectly, (especially when you compare her to the new Crystal Dynamics Lara Croft). Vikander also manages to capture that sense of adventure that so drives Lara as a character. What’s more, Vikander’s heroine is incredibly likeable, charming and warm. Continuing on, the theme of fathers and daughters in this film is quite touching, yes it is somewhat predictable and has been done before but, I think it is done quite well here. Unlike in the recent games, her father Richard Croft is quite a big part of the overall story. Overall Lord Richard Croft is quite a memorable character thanks to a well-acted performance from Dominic West. West manages to elevate a lot of the dialogue and really sells this emotional bond between Richard and Lara. The film has a lot of nods to things fans of the game series would recognise, some subtle some not so subtle. All of these fan service moments feel quite natural and not forced in for the sake of it. The comedy of the film comes from Max played by Nick Frost. Frost’s character is a welcomed change of pace in the few scenes he’s in. Another good aspect of the film is the score which is incredibly well done with a lot of the music adding to the themes and message of the film. Furthermore, the non-diegetic sound for this film is also brilliant with all the grunts and moans from Lara being very reminiscent of the recent games where we can see the physical toll that adventuring has on her. Walton Goggins’ character of Vogel is a menacing presence for the films second act if a little two dimensional. However, by the third act, he starts to unravel and makes baffling choice after baffling choice. Though the ending of the film was shameless sequel bait, I believe it was quite well done as it sets up a whole lot of directions that the series could move in if this film proves popular. I would recommend this for fans of the game series and newcomers alike.
3.5/5
Reviewed by Luke

Gringo

Gringo is a comedy film centring around a trip to Mexico to look into the development of a weed pill that is the next breakthrough in medical marijuana. The company who is developing the marijuana pill has been selling to the cartels and, the trip is also to stop that much to the cartel’s annoyance. That is the main summary of the plot which is at times baffling with aimless subplots and pointless characters running amok throughout. The subplot that is particularly egregious is the love triangle between Charlize Theron’s character of Elaine Joel Edgerton’s character of Richard and, Thandie Newton’s character of Bonnie. This subplot adds absolutely nothing to the main plot and, feels as though it should have been cut out. Whilst it adds a small amount of character development for Theron’s character, it just feels completely unrelated to the rest of the film and, shows a complete lack of focus on the part of the director Nash Edgerton. In many ways, you can tell that this is Nash Edgerton’s first dive into the world of directing because the inexperience rings true throughout leading to a lot of problems. Theron is completely wasted in her role though she does have a few memorable moments. Furthermore, Amanda Seyfried’s character of Sunny is just pointless only really serving as a girlfriend character and, as an optimist to balance Harold out when he gets down. She is given no agency here and has very little to do, making it almost head scratching why Seyfried signed on for this project in the first place. Then there is the titular character of Harold played by David Oyelowo who whilst more likeable and, flushed out than the others is still nothing more than average. The main issue with the cast is that at there best they are nothing more than average with none of them having satisfying arcs and mostly just being wasted. Really this genericness is the issue of the film with it being very familiar in a bad way. The cartel boss who could have been a good and memorable villain is reduced to nothing more than a stereotype with bad jokes. The fundamental problem with this film is that the script is just very poorly written and, that is clear to see in the final product. Sharlto Copley does his best to save the film and, gives probably the best performance of the whole film but it just isn’t enough. The cinematography and score are just further examples of how the film squanders it’s potential with there being moments of greatness in both.
To conclude really other than Copley’s performance as the ex-mercenary Mitch there really isn’t a reason to go and see this. This film is simply a bad lazy comedy film and, not worth your time.
1.5/5
Reviewed by Luke