Know Fear: Commune With The Darkness

Written by Luke Barnes

Know Fear is a horror film directed by Jamison S. LoCascio. The plot follows a family who come under demonic attack and must do battle with an otherworldly beast. Each member of the family has to commune with the demon in order to fight back, this takes multiple forms for each different family member, but one by one they do battle.

Demonic possession films are a dime a dozen at his point, and the genre is oversaturated, and that is why this film makes me happy- because it provides us with something fresh. The demon here doesn’t just target the kids, or the wife no it goes after everyone which makes for a nice change from the usual Conjuring Universe shenanigans.

Moreover, this film has far more of an intensely personal dimension to it, than a lot of other genre fare. We are given a very intimate look into the film of this film; we view them as real people more so than characters in a film and that makes the scares and the threat far more impactful.

Overall, a nice breath of fresh air in an overcrowded subgenre.

Pros.

The intimate feel

Focusing on the whole family and each individually

The scares

The freshness of it

Cons.

A bit slow at times

4/5

Coming To America 2: The Antithesis Of Wakanda

Written by Luke Barnes

Coming To America 2 is a comedy film directed by Craig Brewer. The plot sees Prince Akeem (Eddie Murphy), become King and travel back to America once again to find his long lost son: who is needed for a succession crisis in Zamunda.

So, it needs to be said that this film is problematic and what makes it worse is that no one seems to be talking about it. Apparently, during the events of the first film, (though unseen to us), Prince Akeem was set up by his best friend and tricked into having sex with a woman- already pretty icky right? To make it worse Mary (Leslie Jones), is shown to openly get Akeem high, once again without his consent, thereby drugging him to make him easier to have sex with. This is all treated as a joke.

Moreover, the vaguely racist Jewish white face character of Saul returns once again played by Murphy, and it doesn’t sit well.

However, I will compliment the film and say that it is funnier that the first film it made me laugh far more than the first one did. It is not laugh out loud funny by any means, though it goes without saying that comedy is subjective, but it does have a few moments that make you laugh.

I also enjoyed Wesley Snipes’ character General Izzi, I thought he was wonderfully strange, and it was a shame he did not get more screen time, because Snipes made the most out of every second he was on screen- maybe even stealing the show from Murphy.

I think the major issue with this film was fairly obvious, and almost inevitable. There was no need for his film to exist, it adds nothing to the first film, and has an incredibly predicatable story that follows all modern sequel tropes as though it has a checklist. If you don’t see the successor twist coming at the end, then you must have your eyes closed, as it is blinding.

Overall, though funnier than the first film, this film feels trapped in a bygone time.

Pros.

It is funnier than the first film

Wesley Snipes is great

Cons.

The rape storyline and the fact it is played as a joke

The white face and the stereotypes

A lot of the side characters feel paper thin

2/5

Ghostbusters: Loud Does Not Equal Funny, An Irritation

Ghostbusters is a science fiction comedy film directed by Paul Feig. The plot sees a new group of Ghostbusters rise up to take the fight to everything that goes bump in the night.

Yes, much like my Rise Of Skywalker review this will be a long one so buckle up.

I have seen this film 3 times now, the first two times were on release when I firstly went to see if it was as bad as I had heard, and then secondly went after being invited by a friend. After the second time I vowed that I would just forget about this film and move on, however, the other night (years later), I saw in on streaming and thought ‘eh maybe I am remembering it worse than it is’, nope….. It is just as bad as I remembered.

Do you know what the main issue is with this film? It seems too much creative freedom was given, usually it is a good thing for the creative in control of making a film to have a large amount of freedom, not here however, as they abused that privilege.

This film feels like a sketch that they dragged out for over two hours (that is a common complaint of mine with the films of Kristen Wiig, but it is especially true here). There is far too much improv comedy, that reeks to me of them thinking that they are naturally funnier then they are. The original Ghostbusters were silly, yes they were comedy films, but there was also a seriousness to them. The balance between comedy and seriousness is maintained and used well hence why they are funny, here the balance is way, way off and it is painfully unfunny.

As many others have said, the only funny thing about this film is Chris Hemsworth’s dumb receptionist character, which in itself could be viewed as a harmful stereotype adding to the ‘hot but dumb’ cliché. Hemsworth is the only part of the film that actually worked for me in a comedic sense, there was not even any unintentional humour as you might expect from this kind of thing, no it was all just flat and repetitive.

Moreover, the characters are all almost entirely unlikeable, they all seem to have one personality trait that is played up and up and up to the point of mind-blowing annoyance, to be funny? They have all the depth of a puddle of vomit, and seem to go out of their way to be confrontational towards the audience in kind of a meta way that just comes across as petty that it was left in.

Overall, this will be remembered as one of the biggest misfires in the history of modern Hollywood and for very good reasons the sequel to it is dead in the water, with the next film in the series ignoring it all together. Just bad all-round.
Pros.

Chris Hemsworth is funny when he is on-screen

Cons.

The rest of the cast are painfully unfunny

The comments scene feels overly petty

The characters are one note and annoying

This is a stain on the career of everyone involved in it, with the exception of Hemsworth

The CGI is bad

0.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Chocolat: Chocolate’s To Boost Your Sex Drive

Chocolat is a romantic comedy drama film directed by Lasse Hallstrom, based on the book of the same name by Joanne Harris. The plot sees chocolatier Vianne (Juliette Binoche), move to a small religious French town in the middle of Lent, as she begins to sell her devilish wares whilst most of the residents of the small town are fasting she quickly makes herself a number of enemies. Can a good heart and a lot of chocolates change the locals minds about her?

Finally! After all this time, after countless numbers of films that demonise them, finally I have found a film that has positive Traveller representation: honestly it is nice to finally find a film that treats this group of people as humans, as not as some sort of easy scape goat for whatever ills are going on at the time, however, it is also sad as it makes me think of few other films share this film’s progressive outlook.

I enjoyed this film for the wholesome good time that it is. There are some sad things that happen in it, but in the end everything works out and everyone has a nice party- and in the times we are currently living in sometimes that is all you need to stop the nihilism for finally settling in.

There are a number of strong actors giving great performances here. Firstly, you have Binoche who creates a character that is perhaps one of the most likeable characters in all of cinema, and who you immediately want to see succeed, but also one that clearly has a dark past and is somewhat empty. Secondly you have Doctor Octopus himself Alfred Molina, as the films villain who is equally as sublime as the lead. Molina plays the leader of the town who takes an immediate dislike to Vianne and who goes to war with her, the two have an interesting relationship and Molina adds a lot of layers and depth to the character. Finally, you have the always marvellous but often overlooked Peter Stormare, as the real villain of the film an angry drunk/ wife beater shopkeeper who also forms a dislike of Vianne after she has a negative impact on his life. Stormare brings us a character that is easy to hate, but who also has more to him than simple villainy: moreover, he also brings some of his trademark weirdness to the role and gives us a few scenes that are unintentionally hilarious.

Johnny Depp is also in this film, at the height of his heart stealing good looks and he is a perfectly fine romantic lead. Shame they didn’t cast an actual traveller in the role but ah well it is Hollywood after all.

Overall, a lovely heart-warming film.

Pros.

The wholesomeness

A nice happy ending

The romance

Positive Traveller representation

Cons.

A few slow moments

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Six Minutes To Midnight: Peak Britishness

Six Minutes To Midnight is a British spy thriller film directed by Andy Goddard. The plot sees Thomas Miller (Eddie Izzard), a British spy sent to infiltrate a boarding school for the daughter of the Nazi high command operating on British soil mere weeks before the onset of WW2.

There is something so British about a period piece, set around the war, and featuring Judy Dench; it is almost like a Britishness trifactor.

When I first saw the trailer for this film, I thought it was going to be a very tense spy film. However, when I watched it my expectations were met, though they were also a little underwhelmed at the same time. Yes, there is some spy thriller elements, but the film could do with losing a few of the slower sequences in favour of more sustained prolonged tension. Like honestly, I don’t care that one of the girls clearly feels left out from the rest, this is not a coming of age film, I want spy thrills.

Izzard handles most of the dramatic heavy lifting and manages to have quite a few strong character moments. I would dare say she is the strongest performer in this film, yes even out performing Dench and veteran actor Jim Broadbent. However, that might not be that hard as neither is given much to do, and Dench is just playing the same character she always plays, a sassy old woman.

The villainous reveal in this film also receives a portion of my ire, it is so painfully obvious. I won’t spoil it for you, but from the opening few minutes you will be able to guess it.

Overall, Izzard is trying to keep this film together and just about manages thanks to some strong tension and character moments. However, the film could do with being trimmed down and with having Judi Dench and Jim Broadbent being given far more to work with.

Pros.

Izzard

Some strong tense sequences

The ending

Cons.

Wastes a large amount of the cast

The identity of the villain is painfully obvious

3/5

Reviewed by Luke

Curse Of The Blind Dead: The Templars Were Even More Evil Than Assassin’s Creed Led Us To Believe

Curse Of The Blind Dead is an action horror film directed by Raffaele Picchio. The plot sees the restless spirits of a group of satanic Knights Templar haunt a forest after being massacred by a group of locals. Years later in a far-flung future a father and his daughter must be battle against the undead knights along with a post-apocalyptic murderous religious sect led by a mad preacher.

So, there is a lot going on with this one and I do mean a lot. What might on the surface sound overly complicated or too much actually works really well here. The old and the new come together beautifully, in a way I would not expect them to, really giving this film a nice sense of originality and personality.

I enjoyed the horror and the gory violence of this film. I thought the gore was just right, it was nice and visceral but also not too much. The battle scenes, if you can call them that, with the knights are well done and leave quite a menacing impression. Moreover, the scares are quite strong here it is not so much jump scares scary as it is an oppressive atmosphere that builds over time, until a satisfying and impactful climax.

Overall, it ticks all the boxes you would want it too based on the premise and is mostly satisfying, no major complaints.

Pros.

The gore

The Knights Templar

It is an interesting idea

The future and the past plotlines actually complement each other quite well.

Cons.

The leads are lifeless and dull, but its okay as the gory action is what you are watching it for

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

Rain Beau’s End

Rain Beau’s End is a drama film directed by Tracy Wren. The plot focuses on a lesbian couple who adopt a child with a genetic condition that makes them more likely to be violent, as such they have to find a way to help and support the child whilst revaluating their own acceptance.

This film has a lot to say about how LGBTQ+ couples are viewed within society, pointing out the higher standard and the subconscious judgements that they face on a daily basis, and how though we view ourselves and our society as progressive we still have a ways to go to better ourselves.

This film brought a tear to my eye twofold, both because there are beautiful moments that punch you in the heart with enough force that you think it is going to break and also because parts of it are desperately sad.

The performances from both Amanda Powell and Janelle Snow are transcendent, they real and genuine. You sink into these characters, forgetting that you are watching a film and think instead that you are having an outer body experience watching friends you have known all you life as they are tested; though it might be confusing that was a compliment towards the films writing.

Overall, an important film that prompts much needed self-reflection.

Pros

The lead performances

The emotions

The comments on society

The ending

Cons.

Some of the supporting characters could be stronger

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

Nomadland: Vast and Empty

Nomadland is a drama film directed by Chloe Zhao. We follow Fern (Frances McDormand), a homeless woman who travels across America in her van looking for a family, a community, the American dream…. Something.

This is a strikingly addressing film, it is beautiful, and it is haunting. It allows us to see a look into fringe America, the area usually forgotten by Hollywood, a place where there are no good guys and bad guys, and there is certainly no happy ending- there is just life, complicated, often obtuse life.

From a cinematography stand point I don’t think I’ve seen a film that makes America look so vast and so empty. The vista and the establishing or wide-angle shots throughout this film are simply breath taking, if this film does not win for anything else it should see some awards love for its cinematography.

The film is very depressing, and I can only recommend it for you to watch if you have either a happy film lined up for afterwards or if you are properly prepared for it, this film bummed me out so much I had to take a break midway through and do something else.

I didn’t love this film, and I think as far as awards contenders go this is on the weaker side. Mainly these issues come from a storytelling perspective, as the film doesn’t really have a story, it almost plays more like a documentary capturing a journey.

Overall, I think this a very bold first film for Zhao and I am eagerly awaiting her Dracula film, and though the film is beautiful, it is also quite weak on story and massively depressing.

Pros.

McDormand

The cinematography

The fringe focus

Cons.

It is depressing

The story feels quite weak and a bit too segmented

3/5

Reviewed by Luke

Dementer: Cults Can’t Live With Them, Can’t Maintain The Safety Of Those Around You Without Them.

Dementer Is a horror film directed by Chad Crawford Kinkel. The plot sees Brandy (Brand Edmiston), escape a rural cult, later taking upon work at an assisted living facility for adults with special needs: to try and make up for her dark past. However, that very dark past threatens to tear back into her life and effect those closest to her.

The horror in this film is very effecting, mainly because it is so personal and human. As I have said in other reviews, with demons and ghost there is a degree of fantasy there you can convince yourself after the film that they don’t exist. However, the threats in this film, cults, and local evil is very real and not as easily pushed from one’s mind.

Edmiston make for a solid lead, we like her and want to see her life turn around and it does that despite the challenges she faces. Honestly, the personal journey her character goes through in this beautiful and very well constructed.

My one critique of the film would be that there are several lulls over the course of the film where things slow down, these bits lost my attention and took me out of the film. Moreover, the ending also doesn’t feel as satisfying as it should and instead feels rushed which makes the film end on a sour note

Overall, a very harrowing film that despite a few lulls and a botched ending manages to scare and leave a mark on the viewer.

Pros.

The scares

The very real sense of danger

Edmiston

Cons.

The lulls

The supporting characters need more development

The ending felt a little rushed

3/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Map Of Tiny Perfect Things: My 1000th Post!

The Map Of Tiny Perfect Thing is a romantic comedy film directed by Ian Samuels. The plot sees two people stuck in a time loop together, though they don’t realise this until a little bit into the film, who decide to make a map of all the perfect things that happen in their loop in hopes of better understanding it.

I have said before the time loop concept is quickly becoming dried up and samey, however, this film narrowly avoids feeling repetitive, and instead manages to still feel real, genuine and dare I say it fresh.

The romance between Mark (Kyle Allen) and Margaret (Katheryn Newton), feels heart warming and rootable, there are no troublesome elements as there often are in romantic comedies, I am pleased to report. I thought of the two performances Newton vastly outperforms Allen, and it was her character and her journey that made the film.

For the time loop to end, Margaret needs to do something, as she has effectively caused the loop itself: when she finally takes action and crosses that line it really adds to the strengths of the film in a dramatic sense and helps to elevate it in my opinion.

My only issue with the film is that it can be a little too mushy and over sentimental at times and has a very teen feeling to it, which is not a knock against the film as no doubt they are the target audience, but it does put me off a little bit.

Overall, a nice couple watch that though not perfect is entertaining.

Pros.

Using the time loop concept in a way that didn’t feel played out

Newton

The central relationship

The ending

Cons.

Overly sentimental

4/5

Reviewed by Luke