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Reviews
Midnight Mass (2021)
Starts strong, but too many lengthy monologs
The idea is good and Hamish Linklater is AMAZING as the priest. But the rest is basically just lengthy and empty monologs with soft music and tears in the corner of the eyes. A couple of these moments would have been ok, but it's overdone here and it gets boring...
The Woman in the Window (2021)
Disappointed - and I didn't even read the book
I didn't read the book, but I've read a lot with the same kind of theme ("is she crazy or not?"), and I wasn't surprised at all at the twist in this movie. Also, the trailer had practically given away the plot and the twist. It was too slow and didn't succeed in making me care about the characters. The relationships seem shallow and superficial. I can imagine the book being better, but even as someone who didn't read it, I'm disappointed in this film. Julianne Moore was great! Amy Adams plays well, but her character is too numb and superficial to really understand.
The Highwaymen (2019)
Entertaining, but nothing new
A good movie with solid acting - but there's nothing new when it comes to storyline. It's very predictable and straight out of the Basic Hollywood-page book. The cinematography is really nice though!
The Serpent (2021)
Great story - but be more consistent with language!
It's an exiting story that's well told through flashbacks and the classic "cat after mouse"-game. Tahar Rahim plays phenomenally in the role of Charles/Alain and his side of the story was by far my favorite. Billy Howle as Knippenberg I was less impressed by.. I don't know if it's bad acting or the riddiculus accent from a language he doesn't speak, but that storyline needed more work. And it annoys me immensely when two natives of the same country (bee it French or Dutch) speak English together when they're alone. That would never happen in real life and wouldn't have happened here either if they had hired native actors instead of British actors to play French-Canadian, Dutch, German.... Other than that I liked the series!
One Night in Miami... (2020)
A lot different from what I expected!
It's a slow burn and much more discussion driven than I thought! For some reason I had imagined a more "night in a bar"-kind of movie, not having watched a trailer or read about the movie beforehand. But this was much better, more original and impactful than anything I expected. You can tell that it's based on a play, and some mobologues are better than others. I enjoyed the Boston-story told by Malcom X. The acting is really good, and Leslie Odom Jr. As always performs music splendidly.
My Octopus Teacher (2020)
Usually I love nature shows....
... But this was stretched verrrrryy thin. It's basically just a man who talks about one specific octopus he's obsessed with with soft piano music in the background. For a short documentary feature it would have been good, but 1.5 hours is way to long imo. I was bored so quickly and couldn't really connect to the man or the octopus because of the melodramatic vibe with the music and soft voice and "cliff hanger" script.
Emma. (2020)
Basically Victorian "Clueless" - but bad
Shallow and too whimsical, so predictable and honestly really boring. Unless you have a great love for Victorian dresses and hierarchy, skip it. The 4 stars are for Josh O'Connor.
Pieces of a Woman (2020)
First 30 min were phenomenal
The first 30 minutes were definitely the best. It felt so natural and unscripted, and Vanessa Kirkby was phenomenal throughout the movie. I'm still not sure about Shia's performance, it didn't feel as natural, but maybe that's just his style. Heartbreaking story for everyone involved! The second half of the movie (with the trial) was a little weak in my opinion.
Colectiv (2019)
This is why we need critical journalism!
I was shocked and horrified watching this documentary. The level of corruption and lack of humanity in a system that's supposed to be by and for the people is scary. Despite of the excellent journalistic work I've only given 7/10 stars because of the style and presentation. 95% of the focus was on the story, and even though that's obviously the most important thing, I missed a little more focus on storytelling. It seems a bit "raw" with little to no introduction of the people participating. It's a style choice to not have a narrator or narrating text during the documentary, but here I missed a little more presentation of the circumstances.
Hillbilly Elegy (2020)
Great acting, familiar storyline
It's a moving story with a lot of great acting!! I didn't reach for my phone while watching, which is always a good sign... However. The movie also follows a storyline that's been used a lot before. There are no surprises, and all the way through the movie I knew exactly how it was going to play out, because it follows the same script as any other movie about this subject. It would fit perfectly in a dramaturgical model. Glenn Close was really great though - and Amy Adams extraordinary. For their performances alone it's worth a watch.
Over the Moon (2020)
Beautiful animation
I absolutely love the animation style (mostly while Fei Fei is on the earth) and also love getting to see a different culture than my own. Unfortunately the plot is rather generic and overused (dead parent-trope) and the middle part on the moon with the horrible pop songs felt so out of place and ruined the vibe for me. It felt a little like Inside Out on the moon, but just not as well made.
Love and Monsters (2020)
Feels a little familiar, but enjoyable!
This movie reminds me a lot of Zombieland and the teen series Daybreaker in terms of style, comedy and theme. It's very enjoyable, and Dylan O'Brien is perfectly cast. He's funny and sarcastic while also a badass, just not the typical action hero-kind. The monsters are cool and I would love to get my hands on Joel's survival book!
Calls (2021)
Spooky sci-fi reinvented
I was sceptical at first - a TV show with no image and crappy phone audio? - but I ended up binging the show in one sitting! I really liked the format, it's new and unique and gives you a chance to make your own pictures in your head. Reminds me a little of listening to a podcast or audio book. I also liked the sci-fi aspect and the theories, even though I'm not sure I get 100% of it. Surprised to see how many A-list actors and actresses were part of this!
Moxie (2021)
The double standards are a let down
Good intentions, but I think it falls flat because of the genre confusion and cringy writing. My biggest let down was that, sadly, this movie doesn't walk the walk itself. It's filled with double standards. It talks about not judging women by their appearances, but then has a slo-mo shot of the "good guy" pulling up his shirt while skating, as the main female characters drool. It doesn't address how good guy Seth is also being portrayed as a hero, while litteraly just behaving like a normal human being. That would have been a great way to show how women have to be extraordinary in order to be noticed, but men are celebrated for being civil. A lot of the characters are extremely cliché and cringy and I agree that this movie doesn't really work outside of the US. As a European it's hard to connect with this genre - the mix between a serious topic and a light vibe doesn't feel like a success with this movie. I recommend that you watch "Unbelievable" instead.
Beau Séjour (2016)
Believable and captivating - until the end
I binged all 10 episodes in a weekend, and I really liked the dark, mysterious vibe in the show. It does have some clichés (corrupt cop, affairs and teenage pregnancy), but I was actually looking past that because of how real it felt! I liked the idea that only a handful of people could see Kato, and I really hoped that the killer was one of them! Sadly, the ending felt rushed and fake in relation to the rest of the show. It was a bit too "sought after" for my opinion, when an otherwise smart and capable man turns out to be in a psychotic haze and uncontrollably killing even his own daughter. Nah. Still worth the watch - especially in original language. Keeps you more focused (no double screening) and adds to the original vibe.
La Mante (2017)
Like a disappointing crime novel
The premise is good (albeit not very original) and the acting is also above avarage - but the story itself is so overly dramatized and unbelievable. It portraits all of the cops as corrupt to certain degree, unprofessional, egocentric and honestly not very clever. If you can look past the highly dramatic version of a crime-series that would never happen in real life, this could be a good show for you. The fictionious plot annoys me too much to really have enjoyed it, sadly. It reads like a bad crime novel with a disappointing "twist" ending. The role of Jeanne however acts really well.
The Affair: Episode #5.6 (2019)
Way off track
I'm not a fan of the futuristic part of Joanies side of the story, that's completely deprived of feelings. It feels like an entirely different show - one I wouldn't watch - and ruins the flow of the rest of the otherwise brilliant show.
Unbelievable (2019)
Best show I've seen this year
I binged this entire show and went through so many emotions during the episodes: Anger, disgust (mostly with the male policemen), sadness and finally a little bit of vindication. Sure, it's dramatized and the contrast between the officers who don't believe the rape victim and those who do are made as big as possible, but I think everyone can recognize the feelings and hopelessness the victim goes trough. It's an important show that asks a lot of important questions, such as: Why would anyone lie about being raped? And for those thinking "it's not like this in real life", the show is - unfortunately - based on real events. Everyone should watch this show!
Criminal: UK (2019)
Intriguing and original
I started with the UK episodes before I went on to the other shows (Spain, France, Germany) and found this to be the best. I especially love the first two episodes that is filled to the brim with excellent acting and suspense. Lee Ingleby, as I know as Stan Shunpike from Harry Potter, is fenomenal, as is David Tennant and Hayley Atwell. I find myself craving more episodes from this team, but I also like the exclusivity of this short peek into interrogation techniques.
Criminal: Spain (2019)
Not as good as the UK episodes
I love the fact that Netflix made four different takes on this with different languages. I first saw the UK episodes and loved them! The problem for me with the Spanish episodes is the character of Maria, the boss of the team. From the first five minutes and through the entire three episodes she seems unprofessional, reckless, chaotic and unlikable. She breaks rules, fakes warrants, sleeps with one of her employees and takes over interrogations as she sees fit. Maybe I'm just not getting her character, but it kind of ruined the Spanish episodes for me. The thing I loved about the UK episodes was the sense of professionalism and skill set, that I just don't get here. The stories are interesting though, and the other actors are great, so definitely still worth the watch. I watched it with original sound and subtitles, as I did with the UK episodes (I'm Danish).