Tag: movie

“The Girl with the Needle” Review

January 26th, 2025

The Girl with the Needle is a 2024 Danish historical psychological horror film directed by Magnus von Horn, from a screenplay written by von Horn & Line Langebek. The film was selected to compete for the Palme d’Or at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, named one of the top 5 international films of the year by the National Board of Review, and nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards and for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards. The film takes place in 1919 where Karoline, played by Vic Carmen Sonne, who works as a wet nurse for a secretive adoption agency for disadvantaged mothers, grows suspicious of the woman who runs the operation.

I’ve been interested in the film for quite some time now, but a release date in the U.S., nor a digital screener, was available. Now that it became available on Mubi, I finally got around to seeing it. Since it’s now an Oscar nominee for the Best International Feature Film category, it felt like now was a perfect time to review it. Taking place 105 years prior to its release date, it’s fitting for the film to transport you back in time with it being in black-and-white. The opening credits are even in black-and-white (even if it goes on long enough to be a running gag).

This film truly blew me away. Many people are excited by the fact that The Substance is getting nominations at the Oscars, but I don’t think this one is getting the proper attention. To be fair, it’s been a lot harder to find and to watch. This story, though, is not for the faint of heart. It has imagery and story beats that will stay with you. For context, I am currently having to play Inside Out 2 in the background to having something more upbeat playing. If anything, I believe that goes to show how effective The Girl with the Needle is.

There’s quite a bit of story setup here that I clocked at around 40 minutes. For a 2-hour movie, that may not be for everyone. Some even may question if it was added just to fill up the runtime. To me, it adds so much development to the characters and to the story. Just when things get bad for Karoline, you think the major inciting incident is going to occur… and you’d be wrong. Everything she goes through gets worse and worse. At first, it seems like her problems of her own doing. Instead, her problems stem from the way people take advantage of her. It could speak on the way the horrors of war and societal issues were addressed at the time, but I’d go a step further to say that it still speaks on issues today.

From the way war veterans are treated when they come back home to tackling topics like abortion access and the morality around it is something that I believe viewers could strongly relate to. With a horror undertone, it brings shock, awe, and entertainment, but it will leave you with a dreadful feeling that we need do better for others and not do the things we believe will be for the best. The themes can get a little meddled at times. I wasn’t sure if the film was trying to condone abortion at times. I don’t believe that was the case. Then again, this is going to be a film that many people will get something different out of it.

One of the film’s strongest assets comes from the lead performance from actress Vic Carmen Sonne. Had I saw this sooner, she could have made possibly made it into my top 10 performances of the year. She is so earnest in her approach. You believe everything she is feeling. Every time things keeping worse for her, you feel even worse for her. It’s a performance that is 100% carried from start to finish. I can’t wait to see what she does next.

The film’s other strong assets stem from the cinematography and sound design. As mentioned, the film transports you back to its time, and that wouldn’t be possible without the film’s technical components. Not only does the film look like it was literally shot in 1919, but it has some beautiful imagery. It is consistently amazing to look at it, even in the film’s more disturbing scenes. The sound design is just as effective with bringing you back to its time. From the way the dialogue sounds to the eerie score, this offers something in film that is far too rare these days.

Overall, I can totally get on board with the praise The Girl with the Needle is getting, along with the awards recognition. The performances, cinematography, and sound design are all effective. The pacing may not be for everyone and the themes may get overlooked, but there is still something engaging and original here that’s worth exploring. I can’t see it winning Best International Feature Film at the Oscars, but the nomination warrants the film’s quality.

VERDICT: 4.5/5 (Amazing)
“Presence” Review

January 25th, 2025

Presence is a film that was released initially in 2024 at the Sundance Film Festival, but had it wide release this weekend. On a quick side note, it’s crazy how long it takes for certain films to be publicly available after a debut at a film festival. Directed by Steven Soderbergh (Ocean’s Trilogy, Logan Lucky) and written by David Koepp (Jurassic Park, Secret Window), the film stars Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan, and Callina Liang. The plot revolves around a family who moves into a suburban home and becomes convinced they’re not alone.

Soderbergh happens to be one of the biggest names in film working right now, and yet, he continues to make smaller independent films. His ability allows him to release movies once, sometimes twice, a year. He already had another film with David Koepp as writer coming out in about 2 months titled Black Bag. What’s so surprising is how he continues to create something new, fresh, and exciting. I can already see this not being for everyone as it’s not as horror as the promos would like you to think; however, it’s Soderbergh’s ability to create something that mimics the horror tone for this family drama.

Lucy Liu is an underrated actress, and she’s great here, but seeing Chris Sullivan act as her husband was quite surprising. The actor is 12 years younger than the actress. Even though the couple’s marriage in the film is strained due to Liu’s character committed something illegal, there is something familiar between the fictional husband and wife. Some may be familiar with Sullivan’s work on This Is Us. It’s great to see Sullivan get some bigger work, especially with the like Liu & Soderbergh. Liu & Sullivan act completely in sync and totally believable as a couple. That’s why it’s even more convincing to believe what this couple goes through, making it easier to sympathize with their situation.

Many viewers will tell you this is not at all what you’d expect from a movie like this. My best suggestion is to keep it that way. I heard the film’s true format before I saw it. While it’s not the film’s major twist, it’s unique approach took the surprise of the film’s format away from me. Since the film follows a strict format throughout, there are a lot of one-take shots, showing how much time Soderbergh spends with his talent to create authentic performances, all while allowing the cast to fully memorize their dialogue. The camera work is also quite seamless and never misses a beat. This approach may not be for everyone as it doesn’t answer all the questions, but the film ends on a note that gives you more than enough to piece the rest together.

One major standout in the film is star Callina Liang, who plays as the couple’s teenage daughter. I can see Liang’s career taking off after this. It’s great to see a talented actor or actress who’s career will take off when they haven’t been in anything major. From what I can see, she has a few credits under her belt. Truthfully, she is the film’s major character. Without her, the film’s thematic messages don’t work. The way she displays anxiety & emotion is deeply authentic.

Liu’s character as her mom is more obsessed with her brother, Tyler, played Eddy Maday. It doesn’t seem like his character is as important as you would think. Liu’s character treats him as some sort of god, and it can get weird with how much she treats him like a surrogate husband. When the true reality of his character comes into play, it will make you reevaluate everything you saw, especially with the way he treats his family and how his family treats him.

The way this film concludes literally had my jaw on the floor. I didn’t want to accept it, and that’s something that will also turn people off. While the twist does work for its story and themes, the reality of the fallout doesn’t make as much sense. There’s so much that’s open in the air that the family manages to piece together. I guess it is believable, but I also think the film could have spent more time showing that fallout. I would have loved to have seen how the family reacted to it all. The ending not only had me almost in tears, but it made me want to rewatch it as it made me view the film in a brand new perspective.

Overall, Presence won’t for everyone, even those looking for a simply ghost horror story. To me, this felt like director Steven Soderbergh utilizing his past techniques as a filmmaker to create something new and exciting that’s fitting for the film’s story. The twist is amongst one of the best one’s I have seen in recent memory. In the end, it will probably give you emotional damage, but it also probably wouldn’t have been possible without the film’s talented cast and tremendous camera work.

VERDICT: 4/5 (Great)
“Inheritance” Review

January 22nd, 2025

Inheritance is a new film set for release in theaters on January 24, 2025. The film follows a young woman drawn into an international conspiracy after discovering her father is a spy. Phoebe Dynevor & Rhys Ifans star in the leading roles with a script from Neil Burger & Olen Steinhauer and it is directed by Burger himself.

I knew almost nothing about the film other than the small logline. I initially didn’t even have this on my watchlist for the month. However, it grabbed my attention when I got an early screening for the film. I am so happy I watched it immediately. January has been good to us so far, but this film easily takes the cake. I have already seen some reviews on Letterboxd, and I hope this film gets the attention it deserves.

What was really surprising about the film is how it just throws you right into the situation. Within the first 20 minutes, you understand this character and her motives. The film just takes off from there and never lets go. It’s actually quite impressive what the film is able to do within its smaller runtime that’s something between 90 and 100 minutes. Dynevor is convincing her role as someone who always gets the bad end of the stick. On a personal level, I could relate to how much she tries to believe people are good, which ends up giving her a dynamic story that’s easy to follow.

I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Dynevor gets more leading roles after this. Rhys Ifans is great, but even on a supporting level, he never overshadows the film’s main star. Ifans was a perfect fit for the role as someone who will manipulate those around him to get what he deserves. You feel things from Dynevor’s perspective, and you want to believe her dad is a good person.

Dynevor’s characterization helps keep the momentum going as you see her travel from country to country evading trouble. There’s a particular car chase that truly blew my mind. It reinvented what an action scene could look like in an espionage thriller. As someone who grew up on spy movies, I haven’t seen something this inventive since The Bourne Ultimatum. The way the camera cuts from all angles is truly impressive. What’s even more impressive is how the editing looks so seamless, when I am sure in reality, it was not easy to stop traffic to film these scenes.

The cinematography may not be for everyone. I noticed it immediately when we get a close up of characters next to each other. It’s uncomfortable, but it’s also quite unique. I wouldn’t have thought to have used this particular style. The film is all the better for it. While I had no problem with it, it works better in the film’s more intense scenes. There’s a sense of feeling like you are right there with these characters. It’s almost like you are someone spying in on these spies. It’s very fun and creative.

While the film has a lot of high points, the film’s script doesn’t always work int the film’s favor. There are some performances that are wooden and sound robotic that could have been easily improved, but I am sure a tight schedule was the cause of it. The ending, while it is deeply thematic, is also deeply unrealistic. The way the film wraps up is satisfying, but it also forgets all of the loose ends. It acts like a sequel is inevitable, when in reality, it won’t ever happen. More problems come up for this character. Just because she gets one solution, all of her problems apparently vanish. A sequel could be a good way to flesh out what happens. Realistically, I would be surprised if it did get a sequel. It works better on its own. Due to that, it would have been far better had the film found a way to either resolve everything or not bring up more problems for the main character.

Overall, Inheritance truly surprised me in nearly every way. It’s style may not be for everyone, but it offers something new and exciting on what has to be a smaller budget. For a January release, I was consistently enthralled in the suspense and with the story. Pheobe Dynevor & Rhys Ifans both give some terrific performances. While the story can be quite unbelievable at times, the film still offers plenty of entertainment value. This is without a doubt one of the most thrilling movies I have seen in quite some time. It’s certainly worth checking out when it comes out this weekend.

VERDICT: 4/5 (Great)
“Back in Action” Review

January 16th, 2025

Initially set for a late 2024 release, Back in Action is set to debut on the Netflix platform this weekend. Cameron Diaz comes out of retirement from acting to join Jamie Foxx in a spy action comedy film. The film is simply about former CIA spies, Emily (Diaz) and Matt (Foxx), who are pulled back into espionage after their secret identities are exposed. The fact that Diaz was coming out of retirement sounded really exciting. Foxx has mentioned that he convinced her to come out of retirement just to have fun… and that’s exactly what this film sets out to do.

As much as I wanted to like this film, there are movies that are not meant for critics. Sure, it’s nice to have fun and turn your brain off. The film’s glaring problem out of all the problems it has is the fact that it is past its prime. It feels like what a mid-life crisis must feel like. It’s trying so hard to capture the glory days of mediocre movies that were simply fun. Between recycled plot lines, predictable actions & dialogue, and noticeably bad effects. Even though the film has 2 writers credited to the project, there was a total of 17 additional people who also contributed to the script. That’s insane, and the film shows it.

It’s great to see Diaz back on screen again. It’s clear she is having fun, and I am glad she was able to since that’s why she came out of retirement. Having her be in a relationship with Foxx allows the two to work perfectly together. It’s clear they have undeniable chemistry. The problems the film has I do not put on them. At the end of the day, they are there to speak the dialogue and act the parts that were given to them. If a friend wanted to watch this, I honestly wouldn’t mind watching it with them. It’s the exact type of film to not take seriously with your friends. I am just glad Netflix exists. If this went to theaters, this would have bombed HARD.

The film boasts an impressive supporting cast that includes Andrew Scott, Kyle Chandler, and Glenn Close. That’s a winning cast! Unfortunately, they are all in a separate movie whenever they are on screen. If I were to tell you this was directed by the same guy who did Horrible Bosses, that would set the tone for a good time. If I told you after it was also directed by the same guy who did Baywatch (2017), it would all make sense. The film is overly ambitious for its own good with a nice cast to disguise just how bad the direction and script is.

The film starts off as the equivalent of a James Bond film. The script is ridiculous that the cast manages to make it somewhat entertaining. There is a prologue set 15 years in the past before Diaz and Foxx’s characters has kids. There is a terribly edited and shot action scene in a flying plane. When we glimpses of the plane from the outside, it looks like it is still rendering from the computer. I can’t even imagine what the budget was for this. For context, this film wrapped in April of 2023. That’s almost 2 years where the film could have used more time to clean up the editing and the effects. Since the film was shot with body doubles while Foxx was in the hospital, it’s clear no one really cared nor what to do with this movie.

Fast forward to present day and we see the couple acting cringier than ever. They have 2 kids who behave just as about as what you would think for a film like this. The older teenage daughter has attitude problems and is somehow able to get into bars. The younger son has awkward dialogue that is meant to be important to the story later. The kids offer nothing new that hasn’t been done before. I think they were only added to make it make sense for this couple at this age. Nothing against the kids who actually played the characters, but the story would have been far better if it focused primarily on the two main characters. The more I think about it, I think this film was solely made out of test groups of people who wanted different things, resulting in a random mess.

The film lingers on for the rest of its runtime. It wastes its cast and uses outdated twists that are infuriating to witness. I am trying to stay away from spoilers here in case anyone is still interested in watching it. There are just certain aspects of the plot that occur with the side characters that are redundant and wasted. Characters overcomplicate certain situations that make no sense. With a near 2-hour runtime, you can only imagine how this film feels like it goes on and on. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, but when you have a cast like this, this should have been at least fun.

Overall, if you are looking to watch something with a group of people, need something playing in the background, or simply don’t mind a mindless movie with a charming cast, I suppose you could do much worse. The film has so much potential though that could have made it a lot of fun. Instead, I was ready for the film to end halfway through. I hope everyone in front of the camera has a quick bounce back, and I hope Diaz had fun, even if it meant I didn’t have fun.

VERDICT: 1.5/5 (Very Bad)
“Wolf Man” Review

January 15th, 2025

Directed by Leigh Whannell and written by Whannell & Corbett Tuck, Wolf Man marks Whannell’s second feature film in the Monsters franchise after the success of The Invisible Man. It’s hard to believe it’s been five years after that film. Whannell has curated so much success in his career. Between his signature camera style and authenticity to horror, it makes sense as to why Universal found him to be the perfect fit for this. While I can imagine where a majority of people will undoubtedly enjoy this, this was just not for me.

The premise is quite simply. Family man Blake relocates his wife, daughter, and himself from San Francisco to his childhood home in Oregon after his father passes away. As soon as they arrive, a werewolf claws Blake’s arm, leading the family to barricade themselves in the family home. When Blake begins to transform into the werewolf, he puts the lives of his loved ones as risk. Simple and to the point. Unfortunately, it’s the weakest character driven drama I have seen from Whannell’s filmography by far.

The film opens up Blake’s upbringing and it’s as generic as it comes. We see how he was raised with his father and we get some understanding of this world, but we have zero clue as to the why. You’d think we’d get some big dramatic moment that leads into the present day. Nope, it just cuts to the present day just as Blake’s dad gets done summarizing how he saw something in the forest. He clearly knows what it is, but decides to knowingly risk his and his son’s life for this? I guess if this took place in the 1600’s or something, that would make sense. Boom. There you go. Why not do that? You could have really leaned into the origins of this character. Instead, we get another family drama surrounded by an iconic character that deserved better writing.

When we cut to the present, we see grown up Blake, played by Christopher Abbott. His wife, Charlotte, played by Julia Garner, is there along with their daughter, Ginger, played by Matilda Firth. We get a by-the-books explanation as to who these people are and where they are at in their life. Abbott & Garner already have zero chemistry and their marital rift is simply random. It lacks any purpose as to why they feel the way they do. Charlotte plays sympathetic towards Blake’s grieving. Then, out of nowhere, Blake convinces Charlotte to move back to his family childhood home, literally for no reason. It’s been at least 20 years. Why endure that trauma again? I guess that’s one theme the film has going for it. If you go chasing your past, you’ll regret it. It’s best to appreciate what you have now. Unfortunately, the film quickly glimpses over it as the family decides to pack everything up… for no reason. I guess it would make sense if they lost their home. Nope, that’s not the case. Similar to 2024’s Speak No Evil, another Blumhouse film, the film is less interested in the drama or the story and is more excited about the action and horror.

The film then quickly gets into what you paid your money for, and it does have its highs. There are some creative decisions made from Whannell’s signature camera work to the makeup transformation of the creatures. When the film leans into the horror is when the film is at its best. Unfortunately, it’s not as much as you’d think. It doesn’t quite lean into the horror as much as it should. The film is actually effective when it simply just shows the imagery without the music. Big fan of that. With dragged out family drama and limited location, the film doesn’t get the opportunity to do more with what it has. If you blended A Quiet Place and Speak No Evil (2024), you’d get a movie that doesn’t feel quite that original.

When the film hits its high, I can certainly understand the appeal. Abbott’s transformation into the werewolf is truly unreal. As a fan of practical effects, I am glad this film gets that right. There are some moments where Whannell uses the same POV cinematography where the camera follows the character’s movements. He know how to make the camera a character. The score is also haunting and riveting. The sound design is also insanely impressive.

Besides the amazing makeup transformation, POV cinematography, and haunting score, the film quickly gets redundant in the third act. It feels like a mix between dragging out the runtime and not know how to end the film. It not only copies the first act, but it is literally just people running back and forth with little to nothing changing. There is also a “twist” that I saw coming a mile away. The problem stems from the film relying on the beginning to give you clues as to what’s to come rather than giving meaningful character development that leaves you feeling like you learned something. I know Whannell is capable of that according to his last film.

I am already hearing where viewers want Whannell to lead the Monsters franchise. As long as he can make the stories more original, he is capable of it. I know people will enjoy this. This feels like Speak No Evil (2024) all over again. I just really wanted a better story that sparked more shock & originality and left me feeling for what these characters went through. Instead, I just can’t stop thinking about the daughter’s future therapist not believing a single word she says. Also, what was up with that final shot? What exactly am I supposed to take from that? Just so much lost potential.

Overall, viewers will enjoy this and Blumhouse is going be happy with the box-office results. At the end of the day, I can’t complain about that. If you are looking for some mindless monster fun, I’ve got the perfect recommendation for you. While Whannell shines in the horror, the story and dialogue really holds the film back from reaching its full potential when it lacks any importance as to why characters make the decisions they do.

VERDICT: 2/5 (Bad)