The Block Island Sound: Aliens Or Just A Deeply Pretentious Writer?

2.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Something is going wrong in the ocean that is leading to fishermen losing their minds and attacking those around them.

I thought this film had some interesting ideas but that ultimately its slow pace and pretentious ending brought it plummeting back down to Earth. I liked the polysemic reading of what the threat was, it was never entirely clear and for the most part was left up to your interpretation. Even the ending that did to a degree say what was going on we are still never clearly shown anything so the answers still remain mysterious.

The threat and tension of the film come when the characters have black outs and act in strange and often violent ways. I thought that this was a concept that the film played with well and developed to an interesting degree. Though maybe there is a degree of othering happening with regards to how this film is presenting mental health. If read as there are no aliens or whatever is going on and the characters are simply suffering from a mental illness then the way the film presents it becomes quite insulting.

Furthermore, the biggest issue this film suffers with is pacing. As we approached the hour mark I was done with it, I had had my fun and was ready to move on with my evening, I thought the film was about to end, then it kept going. Honestly the pacing in this film has you turning off after about the first hour as it builds and builds and builds to what looks like an ending but no its just a midway point, then then rest of the film is dragged on.

Finally, the ending in which it seems the whole film is some sort of eco message is beyond pretentious but that is low hanging fruit so I won’t go after that.

Overall, a mixed bag but not one that can keep you invested for the runtime.

Pros.

An interesting concept

Good tension

The mystery

Cons.

The ending

The pacing

The mental health connotations

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Mayday: Really Has It Come To This

0.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A hotel worker, Grace Van Pattern, escapes her hellish life and travels to a different realm where she joins up with a band of other woman who live on a submarine during war time.

This film was poorly done, honestly it made me angry. In many ways this film is like Zack Snyder’s Sucker Punch, as in a character escaping into possible fantasy to deal with trauma, in many ways this film owes Snyder a debt.

What I disliked about this film is its morality. To not put too fine a point on it Van Pattern’s Ana is targeted and abused by men in her hotel work, this then translates to when she joins the band she has no issue killing men indiscriminately. Yes, the group of women that Ana joins up with lure in and kill men for the sake of it, not because they have done anything to them, in most cases, but just to prove that they shouldn’t be messed with. The film does show Ana eventually realise that what these women are doing is wrong, but it spends a long time before that justifying and also hero worshipping them.

Riddle me this dear reader, would a film that saw a group of men randomly killing women that for parts in its early run paints them as righteous in what they were doing even be allowed to be made? No, and for good reason. Yet here it is fine? That doesn’t make sense to me. I understand the need for strong feminist films that have powerful upfront themes and ideas, but I don’t think this is the way.

Honestly the bleakness and then the iffy justification makes this film unwatchable as far as I am concerned.

Overall, despite an interesting concept this film feels morally dubious and harmful.

Pros.

An initially interesting concept

Cons.

The mortality

Justifying the killers behaviour

It is bleak and hard to watch

It feels harmful to the discourse

The ending

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Intrusion: Are Netflix Even Trying Anymore

2/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

The film follows a couple in the aftermath of a home invasion, focusing on how it affected each personally.

My, my we are back to the boring era of Netflix thrillers. This film was so dull and hard to get through. Indeed many times I almost turned it off. I found there to be nothing new about this film during its runtime and everything it said or was trying to say had been said better elsewhere.

The emotional impact it was trying to put across again feel puddle deep. The film seems to think it is a lot deeper and more intelligent in its observations than it actually is, try as it might it can’t seem to come up with anything interesting or fresh to say.

Furthermore, the acting was also very mediocre. Normally I find Logan Marshall-Green can do no wrong, but he was just given nothing to work with here and it really shows in his performance, in truth his character is little more than a cliché. Freida Pinto’s lead is likewise uninspired, her character reads as a discount version of various other better written characters over the years which is a shame as Pinto is a very good performer normally.

Overall, uninspired.

Pros.

It is watchable

It is short

Cons.

It is dull

It is predictable

The performances are weak

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My Son: James McAvoy Doesn’t Need A Script

3.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A man, James McAvoy, goes on the hunt for answers after his son goes missing. Based on the French film Mon garcon.

My, my this is a bleak film. This is certainly one that you will need to watch something happy after to wash away that sense of despair and hopelessness.

I enjoyed my time with this film, maybe enjoyed is the wrong word. McAvoy was magnificent here truly. Rumour has it that for the shooting of this film McAvoy did not have any lines and instead just responded to the other characters on screen, if this is true it is a testament to McAvoy’s skills as a performer as you truly believe him as this manic, panicked father who would move heaven and earth to see his son home safely.

I found the final reveal, which I won’t spoil here, to be chilling and frightening in a very real way which stayed with me for days after watching it. I think what makes the reveal so impactful is the truth of it and how that kind of thing probably does happen in our world under our noses.

Overall, not a film for everyone the subject matter and the reveal will make this one hard to watch for some but if you do find yourself watching it you will be rewarded with a masterclass in acting from McAvoy.

Pros.

McAvoy

The ending

The reveal

The tension

Cons.

The bleakness

Clare Foy should have been given more to do

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The Card Counter: Scorsese Was Too Busy Watching Marvel Films To Help This Film Be Good

2/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

William Tell, Oscar Isaac, is a man fresh out of prison. In a past life he had been a torture specialist in the armed services and now he counts cards and is a fairly successful gambler.

That premise drips with promise, couple that with the fact that Martin Scorsese himself has taken a minute from attacking superhero movies to be involved with this film and you have me intrigued. However, sadly despite all that seems to be in this film’s favour it ends up as a classic case of style over substance.

Oscar Isaac does his best and tries to give the character an air of mystery, but it just doesn’t come together. Fundamentally this film is ruined on a script and plot level early on. You don’t care about the characters or their journey because they don’t really seem to have one. There is some back ground noise about Isaac’s character killing his former torture instructor but that feels as though it has come from nowhere.

Furthermore, the supporting cast also help to hold back any potential this film could have had, with Miles Teller wannabe Tye Sheridan and Tiffany Haddish impeding the film at every turn. Haddish is painfully miscast and then given nothing to do. I don’t buy her in a serious dramatic role, and her romance with Isaac’s lead is painful to watch. Sheridan on the otherhand is a nothingburger and fails to start.

Overall, I find it surprising that a film with this premise, with Scorsese’s involvement and Isaac in the lead could be this much of a disappointment- yet here we are.

Pros.

Isaac is trying

Aesthetically this film is interesting

Cons.

Haddish

Sheridan

It is hollow

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The Guilty: Jake Gyllenhaal’s Best?

4/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A police officer, Jake Gyllenhaal, facing criminal charges finds himself in the middle of an abduction case as he is stuck behind a desk, all he can do is talk to the victim over the phone and try and resolve the situation.

This film is brilliant and possibly one of Gyllenhaal’s best. The journey this film takes you on whilst for the most part just showing you a man at a desk taking calls is truly magnificent. The emotions this film is packing will certainly take you through the wringer.

Gyllenhaal is electric in this role his character is volatile and damaged and you see every minute of it. From the inhaler scenes in the toilet, the fits of rage throughout, to the vomiting scene and acceptance again in the toilet. Gyllenhaal is able to really flex his muscles as an actor and give a layered striking performance.

I thought the mystery was also very strong, there is a twist three quarters of the way through, which I won’t spoil, but one that recontextualises the film in the most heart-breaking way so be prepared for that as it will hit you like a ton of bricks.

Overall, a terrific thriller film and one of Netflix’s best.

Pros.

Gyllenhaal

The ending

The twist

The emotions

Cons.

A slow start

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Black Mass: The Comeback That Never Quite Panned Out

3.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

This film recounts the life of ‘Whitey’ Bulger, here played by Johnny Depp.

This film always feels like a shame to me. Not because the film is bad but because it could have been the start of a big comeback for Depp and yet it never panned out.

I think that this is one of Depp’s finest roles, he manages to capture the ruthless killer whilst also making us somewhat like/understand him. The character that Depp brings to life in a nuanced and multi layered way reminds us that no character is simply good or bad but shades in-between.

Moreover, this film is also strengthened by a terrific supporting cast with Benedict Cumberbatch, Jessie Plemons and Joel Edgerton all giving terrific performances and really helping to bring the film together. Cumberbatch in particular steals the show here.

I also think the score of the film adds a lot and serves to nicely compliment the film and reflect the emotion of the scenes. I would say of all the gangster films I have seen this one’s soundtrack was the only one to stick with me after watching.

My main criticism of the film would be the pace, the film takes a long time to get where it is going. Though his early life is interesting the film spends far too much time there and not nearly enough time on his later life.

Overall, a strong Johnny Deep fronted gangster film.

Pros.

Deep

The supporting cast

The score

The ending

Cons.

The pacing

A very slow start

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Rampart: The Film Known For One Disastrous AMA

2/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A crooked police officer, played by Woody Harrelson, finds his various crimes catching up with him.

I found this film to be quite hard to get through mainly because Harrelson’s character was so utterly loathsome. I understand that the character is supposed to be bad, you are not supposed to root for him or warm to him, but he is so unpleasant that it becomes hard to follow him. If anything maybe the film does too much of a good job in making his character hateable, which then backfires of them.

Harrelson himself was fine, personally I don’t understand all the praise he gets for this role- I have seen him be better elsewhere. I think another issue this film has is that it is so dedicated to Harrelson’s character that it ignores the rest of the supporting cast and gives them nothing to do. This is a huge issue when said supporting cast has the likes of Brie Larson and Robin Wright. A huge missed opportunity.

I would have liked for the ending to be a little bit more conclusive rather than as ambiguous as it is. Though that is a personal taste thing on my part.

Overall, Harrelson is trying however the character is so unlikeable that the film is hard to watch.

Pros.

It is an interesting premise

I enjoyed the escalation

Cons.

Harrelson

An incredibly off-putting lead

Wasting a great cast

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Villains: Please Stop Making Tables Turned Home Invasion Films, We Are Done With Them

2/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

After a bank robbery a young couple find their way into a house with a child tied up in the basement, when they stick around to ask questions the homeowners return and take them prisoner.

When you watch horror/thriller films on the regular you begin to notice that there only seem to be about 5 original premises within the genre. The idea of bad people breaking into someone’s house only to find out that the homeowners are actually even worse than them and doing the clichéd ‘tables turned’ twist. This film has been done before and done better.

The generic nature of the premise sadly holds back the acting talent herein. Bill Skarsgard and Maika Monroe are both strong actors and have a number of good performances to their names to back that claim, however here they are given nothing to work with and though they might try their best their characters are ultimately doomed to be forgotten about.

My biggest issue with this film was that nothing shocked me about it. It went through a Don’t Breathe esque list of check boxes, to make sure it could fully tap into the flipped home invasion cliché, and did everything that you would expect, but added nothing new to spice things up or to keep the audience guessing. From the beginning to the end this film is entirely guessable.

Overall, generic and nothing new.

Pros.

The actors are trying

It is watchable

Cons.

It is stale

It is predictable

It is deeply forgettable

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Kate: Mary Elizabeth Winstead Strikes Gold Again, Is There Anything She Can’t Do

4/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

An assassin, played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, finds herself fatally poisoned whilst on a job, so with mere hours to go before she dies she decides to go on a quest for revenge.

I will give Netflix props for this one. Finally they have managed to produce an action film that pushes beyond their mould of generic, forgettable punch them up fare and actually manages to be a solid genre film.

I enjoyed the stylistic choices present within this film; I think you can feel the Leitch influence here clearly: there are many scenes in this film that reminded me of Leitch’s Atomic Blond from a few summers ago now. The choice of setting and how Japanese culture impacts on the film also goes along way to shaping it into having a personality. Despite being Western this film does feel at times like a love letter to Japanese martial arts films.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead is a tremendous action lead and does a lot to make this film as good as it is. Winstead plays the character with just the right level of warmth to get you to care without sacrificing any of the badass moments or threat. As the film progresses you begin to care about her character and you become connected to her story, which is a big achievement for an action film and an even bigger one for a Netflix action film.

My one criticism would be that they waste Woody Harrelson. Harrelson is a mentor of sorts to Winstead’s character and does end up having a fairly important role in the narrative, however, despite this he is not given much to work with and often only has sort scenes of him sitting or talking, which doesn’t correlate to making us think of him as a badass assassin like Winstead’s character. We needed more of him in action.

Overall, The best Netflix action film in years.

Pros.

Winstead

The Japanese influence

The Leitch influence

The action and the comedy

Cons.

Harrelson is wasted

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