Anonymous Killers: A Smart Gorefest

Anonymous Killer is a crime horror film directed by A.R Hilton. The plot sees a group of killers, from various walks of life, get captured and tortured and forced to judge one another by a mysterious man who seems to know them all deeply.

I enjoyed this film, I would say it is a thinking person’s Saw and I mean no disrespect to any with that, as I enjoy Saw as well, but this just feels better from a character point of view. The characters in this film have strong focus, we explore their pasts and their drives to get to know them on an almost intimate level; this might be some of the finest character development I have seen in a film all year.

I thought the threat and menace was there and done well, the gore didn’t overpower the film either. That is a common complaint of a lot of people with the Saw films, but I have to say the gore here is done tastefully well, but is still grisly at times.

I enjoyed the building mystery; it genuinely surprised me and went in a direction I wasn’t expecting it to go. No spoilers here though.

Overall, a well-acted, well written crime thriller that keeps you guessing and always on edge. It has just enough gore to appeal to gore fans, without too much that might put off more casual horror viewers. Don’t sleep on this film, make it your Halloween watch.

Pros.

Well written characters that feel fully developed and real

A nice amount of gore used tastefully

The mystery is compelling

The threat and the menace

Strong acting

5/5

Reviewed by Luke

For The Sake Of The Vicious: Motorcycle Gang Of Death

For The Sake Of The Vicious is an action thriller film directed by Gabriel Carrer and Reese Eveneshen. The plot revolves around a tragic misunderstanding. When Chris’s (Nick Smyth), daughter is raped he abducts the man he thinks is responsible, he then brings him to the house of nurse Romina (Lora Burke), for unsaid reasons to begin the investigation. However, things are far more complicated than any of them know.

This film is unrelentingly bleak, which can be an issue for some people, it is not as easy watch I myself had trouble with it at times; but it is well worth sticking around for. The unpleasantness creates a real visceral sense of brutality which nicely compliments the film in its later stages when it shifts from being a character piece into basically being a slasher film.

The performances were strong and compelling, Romina was very easy to root for and it was easy for us the audience to put ourselves in her shoes and empathise with her. I think the standout performance of the film was definitely Smyth’s Chris who played a man possessed well. You could tell how haunted and troubled he was every second he was on screen it was both off putting and fascinating

My one issue with the film would be that the first act is very slow, and I mean slow. It was a bit of a slog to get through, but it is worth sticking with for the all-out brawl at the end.

Overall, a very intense film that wont be to everyone’s tastes, but if it sounds like something you might enjoy then you should definitely check it out.

Pros.

The drama and slasher elements nicely complement each other

The action scenes in the final act are really well done

The performances are top notch

The drama is compelling and engaging

Cons.

It is very bleak

The first act is too slow

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

Kajillonaire: Icky And Problematic

Kajillionaire is a drama film directed by Miranda July. The plot centres around a dysfunctional family of three that defy the rules of modern society and live outside of the system. However, one day an outsider comes into the family’s orbit and old festering wounds are opened and abuse is brought to light.

So, before I get into this review I want to talk about the central romance that I found to be deeply troublesome. So the central character Old Dolio (Evan Rachel Wood), has been neglected by her parents and ignored and is basically learning challenged and seems to have the mental age of a much younger person, and as the film goes on we see that she is craving maternal affection. This maternal affection comes in the form of Melanie (Gina Rodriguez), the outsider that takes Old Dolio away from her abusive parents. At first the friendship they have is sweet, but it is clear from early on that Melanie has sexual feeling towards Old Dolio, which later come to the forefront. Now my issue with this is that it feels very much like Melanie is taking advantage of Old Dolio, who is in a deeply troubled mental state, the romance feels icky and problematic. The choice to make it a romance rather than a friendship is my key issue here. Also the film makes Old Dolio an incredibly stereotypical butch lesbian, which again is also troublesome, it doesn’t bother to have any real nuance at all.

That aside, there were parts of the film that I enjoyed. I thought that Wood did a lot to make her character feel very rounded and warm. Her performance was both endearing and also heart-breaking at the same time.

I also enjoyed the film’s exploration of abuse and the many forms it can take. As it looked at how parents can sometimes be incredibly toxic and harmful towards their kids. I thought the parent child dynamic in this film is fascinating and well done, it raises many interesting questions that I was left thinking about after the credits rolled.

Overall, I could give this film a much higher score if it wasn’t for the hugely problematic romance that didn’t need to be the in the film, a very poor choice.

Pros.

Wood

The exploration of the parent child dynamic

Cons

The romance

The use of stereotypes without any nuance

The odd sense of humour really doesn’t fit with everything else

2/5

Reviewed by Luke

Bottle Rocket: Anderson Before He Became His Quirky Self

Bottle-Rocket is a comedy crime film directed by Wes Anderson. The plot follows a trio of Texan friends who try to pull of a series of crimes to disastrous all-around results.

I find Wes Anderson films are at their best when they full embrace the kitsch eccentric Anderson aesthetic, and this one doesn’t do that. It is by far the most straight lace of all of Anderson’s filmography thus far. I found it to be a little rough around the edges, though I did find that added to the charm as the film progressed.

The Wilson Brothers were on top form here and I found them both to be quite compelling, I thought the interplay their characters had added nicely to the film and created a believable bond. Of the two I would say that Luke outperformed Owen, as Owen’s character is a little overdone, he is played up to a ridiculous extreme.

I thought the side stuff and world building elements were used well, and clearly set a pace for what we come to see of Anderson in the future. I enjoyed the romance between Luke Wilson’s character and Lumi Cavazos’ Inez, I found it to be a good emotional core for the film as well as his character. The two had believable chemistry and you want to see them end up together.

Overall, it is a rough start, but still a film that shows a lot of promise

Pros.

The Wilson Brothers

The world and the dialogue

The romance

Cons.

Lacking the Anderson eccentric

Owen Wilson’s character is a little overplayed

3/5

Reviewed by Luke

Ride Along: The Angriest Man In The World

Ride Along is a buddy cop, comedy film directed by Tim Story. The plot follows Ben (Kevin Hart), an avid gamer who dreams of becoming a police officer and making his fiancé proud. One day said fiancé tasks Ben with winning her brother’s approval, so they can wed. The issue is that her detective brother James (Ice Cube), doesn’t think Ben is good enough for his sister. In an effort to see what Ben is made of James invites him on a ride along.

So, I have recently been going through the filmography of Kevin Hart, this is the third movie of his I have seen to date. Sadly unlike Night School and Get Hard, this one isn’t very good.

The issue with this film doesn’t lie with Hart however, he is mostly funny throughout. It is his on-screen foil that I find weakens this film. The buddy cop formula works when both characters are very different and are at odds with each other but are forced to work together, and though that is the case here it just doesn’t work.

Yes, James is the antiphrasis of Ben, but other than that he doesn’t feel like a character. The only emotion Ben seems to feel for the whole film is anger, I get that is the bit, but even still it makes the character feel very one note and cliché. He is the brother in law cliché, as well as the overprotective brother cliché to a tee and not much beyond that. Even when he is supposed to be happy, he comes across as angry- though maybe that is the result of Ice Cube’s lack of acting ability.

Overall, good for a few laughs, but the dynamic just doesn’t work.

Pros.

Hart

The videogame stuff

A few laughs to be had

Cons.

Most of the jokes don’t land

The buddy cop dynamic doesn’t work

Ice Cube feels miscast

2.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Enola Holmes: When In Doubt Dress As A Yard-worker

Enola Holmes is a mystery film directed by Harry Bradbeer; it is based on the book series of the same name written by Nancy Springer. The plot focuses on the youngest of the three Holmes siblings Enola (Millie Bobby Brown). Enola’s world is turned upside down when her mother disappears suddenly, as such Enola ventures out into the world to find her, becoming tangled up in a conspiracy to kill a young lord.

Before, I had watched this film I thought Millie Bobby Brown was a one trick pony, I thought she was good in Stranger Things and serviceable enough in Godzilla, but she hadn’t convinced me of her acting ability. Now after watching this film I can say she is incredibly talented, and is destined for big things, my change of heart is the result of her performance here.

I found her performance and her character to be the perfect encapsulation of female empowerment. She is self-determined and driven, she is always in control of her own fate, she is a badass, but crucially she evolves over time. If you look at something like the recent Mulan (review on site), that fails as an act of empowerment as she starts off great and becomes superhuman, this does not reflect reality. Whereas Enola in this film trains, she constantly strives to better herself and that can be seen throughout the film, she is rootable and believable as a result.

I found Henry Cavil to be a bit bland as Sherlock, they could have given him more to do, as is he is basically just a Victorian version of Geralt from The Witcher. That said his interactions with Sam Claflin’s Mycroft are perfect and the two play off each other well and are always a pleasure to watch.

Overall, a terrific start to a series and proof that Millie Bobby Brown is more than just the girl from Stranger Things.

Pros.

Female empowerment done right

Millie Bobby Brown

Sherlock and Mycroft

The mystery

Cons.

Some of the feminist talking points are a little on the nose

The romance is quite weak

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

Patriots Day: A Sombre Moment In American History

Patriots Day is a true story based crime drama film directed by Peter Berg based on the Boston Marathon Bombing and the ensuing man hunt for the suspects.

I do enjoy a trashy Wahlberg action film, but I have to say I was unprepared for this. I went into this film expecting it to be very loud and to follow Mark Wahlberg’s Tommy Saunders as he beats up various groups of people trying to find out who did it. This is not that. It is a surprisingly sombre affair, wherein Marky Mark actually shows some strong drama chops and makes you feel something.

I am not going to lie to you as the film’s closing credits were rolling I had a fair few tears in my eyes.

I liked the fact that the film seemed to be respectful of the events that happened, it did not try and turn it into a bit of raar raar patriotism, it simply tried to stick to the events as they happened and showed the bravery of those on the ground; it seemed primarily interested in doing right by the victims and that I can respect.

It was interesting to see Alex Wolff playing a straight up evil monster here, as up until this point he hasn’t really branched out into that sort of performance before. I found him to be quite menacing.

Overall, I appreciate the way Berg and others chose to tell this story, it felt impactful and respectful and Wahlberg showed us all that he can act.

Pros.

Mark Wahlberg

Handles the subject matter with respect

It was impactful

Alex Wolff

Cons.

It does feel a little busy and like it is trying to cover too many people’s stories.

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Kill Me Three Times: Simon Pegg Makes A Surprisingly Likeable Cold Blooded Killer

Kill Me Three Times is a dark comedy film directed by Kriv Stenders. The plot follows Alice (Alice Braga), a young bartender who is caught cheating on her gangster boyfriend by infamous hitman Charlie Wolfe (Simon Pegg), who is then tasked with killing her. There is also a side story of a couple who is trying to fake one of their deaths to win big on an insurance claim.

Usually, I don’t care for films that have narrative that jump here there and everywhere and that have multiple different narratives happening side by side, but here I think it works well. Each time we are shown the same events we are given that bit more detail which really helps you sink into the world and become immersed.

Simon Pegg plays the likeable though cold villain very well, I have enjoyed seeing Pegg take these villainous turns recently in his career as I think he can have a real maliciousness when used correctly. Here is an example of that despite the comical appearance and bumbling, to a degree, nature he is still incredibly threatening and intimidating.

I found the film to be quite well written. There were no groanable lines and all of the characters felt fully developed and you connected with them, which is pretty much everything you want from a well written script.

Overall, a very amusing and intriguing dark comedy that has surprising depth to it.

Pros.

The separate timelines

Simon Pegg

All of the characters felt real and well developed

The dark sense of humour

Cons.

Maybe a bit too much going on.

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Devil All The Time: The Scent Of Sin Is Hard To Wash Out

The Devil All The Time is a crime thriller film directed by Antonio Campos. The plot follows Arvin Russell (Tom Holland), a man who witnesses the worst the world has to offer at a young age. One day he snaps and decides to right the wrongs of his past.

Can I just say before we get into this that this film has been mismarketed in the extreme. Netflix has presented this film as some sort of slow burn horror film, this is not that, rather it is a crime epic. An exploration of the depths of sin in a small town and how the tendrils of said sin spill out and infect the people therein. It is gruelling and quite hard to watch at times.

The performances are all great. This film really convinced me, as I am sure it will a lot of other people, of Tom Holland’s acting ability. The feature as a whole is unrelentingly violent and grim and Holland perfectly matches that and gives a very visceral turn. Robert Pattinson is not in it as much as has been promoted and yes, he does only have a small part, but he plays the the slimy preacher well. The real standout of the film for me was Bill Skarsgard as Arvin’s father, who we only really see at the start of the film briefly, Skarsgard dominates the screen and makes the most out of every second, it is he who you will be walking away from this talking about.

My one complaint would be that it is on for far too long and has a lot of bloat as a result. There are plenty of side characters and side stories that could have been cut to make this more succinct.

Pros.

The performances

The raw brutality of it

It is hard to look away from

Cons.

It might be a bit too dark for some

It has pacing issues galore

3.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Blue Iguana: Sam Rockwell and Ben Schwartz Are The Pairing You Never Knew You Needed

Blue Iguana is a crime comedy film directed by Hadi Hajaig. The plot sees two American bank robbers get drawn into a plot to steal from a UK gang lord and his underlings.

This film is held together by the sheer star power and likeability of Sam Rockwell, without his involvement this would surely have faded into the background becoming yet another forgettable crime film. The on-screen chemistry Rockwell has with his heisting partner Paul (Ben Schwartz), is magnetic and keeps you invested throughout, the two play off each other nicely.

The film itself is not as clever as it thinks it is, or even as smart as a lot of better crime/ heist films. Everything is fairly predictable and there are no real twists and turns. That said there are a few memorable moments mostly steaming from the films antagonist Deacon (Peter Ferdinando), who is definitely an asset of the film.

This is definitely more of a comedy film than a crime film, as the drama often takes backstage to the jokes. For me this is a problem as often the jokes don’t land and only serve to take away from any sense of tension. Whenever, the characters feel in danger you know they will be fine, because it is that sort of the film; one that has no stakes.

There are some neat visuals towards the start of the film that feel very Edgar Wright inspired, it is a promising start, but said visuals disappear midway into the film leaving a void and disrupting the style of the film.

Overall, a visually interesting if lacking comedy crime film. Boosted by the talents of Rockwell and Ferdinando

Pros

Rockwell

Swartz

Ferdinando

Cons.

No stakes or tension

The jokes didn’t work at all

2/5

Reviewed by Luke