Log: week 19 / 2025
I used to be quite the fan of Soderbergh, and I can still see the quality in a film like this. But two decades after my first watch, there are a few too many things keeping me from fully appreciating this one. I still enjoyed the rewatch, but there were too many lulls and a general lack of excitement to give this a proper high rating. The actors do a decent job, but they don't quite hit the mark for the drama to land. The presentation is also rather plain, though kudos for the slightly ambient-driven score. The structure of the film is pleasant, and it's nice to see masks slipping gradually, it's just that the packaging felt a bit underwhelming.Read all
Like many sci-fi movies these days, this feels a lot like a wanna-be Black Mirror episode. The sci-fi elements are superfluous and merely framing for a thriller based on human shortcomings. The sci-fi elements are disappointing, the film is pretty predictable, but the presentation was better than the norm. The cinematography, in particular, is a step up from the norm. It's not an eye-catching film, but there's a level of polish that makes it a bit more attractive. The rest of it is basic thriller material, with people turning on each other, as a result, the twists aren't that impressive, and the finale isn't as impactful as it wanted to be. But it was a bad flick.Read all
A neat little surprise. This one is not so much a full-blown horror. It's much closer to a dark fantasy, even though there are some nasty scenes scattered throughout. But most importantly, it has some original lore on offer, which I feel is something every horror fan should embrace. That's what made this one stand out. The presentation is also top-notch. The score is moody, the cinematography is lush, and the performances are strong. The plot structure and pacing are also on point, so there are no real complaints. The only thing lacking is that little extra grit and/or bite to make it a truly memorable film. Prime filler though.Read all
A decent enough crime flick. I wasn't expecting a lot from Nachtrit, I wasn't even too sure what it was about, but Lammers found a nice balance between caricature and proper character, which helps the film a lot. It gives weight to the dramatic parts, without dragging the rest of the film down. The presentation is solid (but nothing too out of the ordinary), the setting is original, and the pacing is ideal. There's not enough here to make it a truly memorable experience, the film aims to be proper genre fare and not much more, but that was enough for me. Pleasant genre filler with a decidedly Dutch twist.Read all
A fine Soderbergh, but not quite as impressive and captivating as I remembered it to be. It's been a long while since I last watched it. Back then, I might not even have been a full-on film fan, so that's probably why this felt a tad more pedestrian. But it's still a cool film, especially for those who haven't seen it yet. The various stories revolving around drug trafficking are interesting enough, the presentation is interesting, and the score deserves an extra mention, especially for including Brian Eno's An Ending. I would even go as far as to say that was the highlight of the film. The performances are solid, but Traffic's a bit too long, and my attention did drift at times.Read all
Garland's new war flick is tense, but also quite predictable, and it doesn't add anything new to similar films from the past. After a slow build-up, the chaos erupts, and a small group of men is caught in a small home in the middle of enemy territory. The film tries to be true to reality, though there's still quite a bit of cinematic polish. The performances are good, the build-up of the tension is solid, and there are some pretty gruesome/memorable moments, but Garland's style of direction keeps things at a distance, and I feel other films have done a better job at getting their audiences in there with the actors. Warfare is good, but not great.Read all
Despite being the full 100% on board with the theme of this episode, I still felt it was handled rather lazily. It's one of my main gripes with most Black Mirror episodes, and this is another fine example. Yes, companies are shite, the service model is meant to screw the customer and they'll do whatever makes them the most money, but I didn't need this episode for that. The writing is bland, the story doesn't go to interesting places, and it merely narrates the blatantly obvious. The performances are okay, but someone like O'Dowd is criminally underused. And the big takeaway here stopped being slick decades ago. But if you're looking for TV fare that aligns with some of your gripes, this is no doubt a decent option.Read all
A very traditional noir, with a pretty predictable plot structure. Sure enough, the twist at the end is difficult to predict (but that's by design, and there wasn't a doubt in my mind it would be revealed at the end), but even that in itself was rather predictable. If you're a noir fan, none of that's going to matter though. The film's a bit better than many of its peers, mostly thanks to some decent performances and pleasant pacing. The film isn't that long either, which also helped. The presentation is generic, and I didn't care much who'd killed the victim, but that's par for the course. Not the worst noir I've seen, which is something.Read all
I liked the first entry in the series quite a bit, so I was happy to try out the sequel. It's more of the same, as expected of course, but considering that this not your average Japanese horror, that's not such a bad thing. Go in with the right expectations and you'll have a good with this one. The performances are a little bland and the effects aren't top notch, but the film has enough charm, the pacing is perfect and the runtime isn't excessive. It's not a film I'll be remembering for the rest of my life, but it's good enough for me to check out the remaining sequels. In due time of course.Read all
I remembered Bernie as a film that was a tad weird and extra, but I'd forgotten just how completely mental it was. Revisiting this was an absolute blast. Sure enough, the beginning is a bit slow, but when Bernie is reunited with his dad, the training wheels come off. The performances are fun, the comedy is crude as can be, the plot is full of wacky twists, and Dupontel keeps piling on the madness. Even better, the film is short and aptly paced. I was half expecting to be disappointed, but this one survived the test of time surprisingly well.
Drawing Closer
Tragic romances have become Takahiro Miki's signature style. It's a very specific niche I don't find too appealing, but I will say that Miki has found some ways to keep things interesting. Drawing Closer is another illness-based romance/drama, but thanks to the colorful presentation, it's not as bad as some others. The performances are somewhat mediocre, and the construction of the plot is a little forced, but there are some genuinely touching moments. The presentation is pleasant, the pacing is fine, and the second half has a few emotional climaxes that kept me engaged. There are way better Japanese dramas out there, but I'd honestly expected worse.Read all
The premise is difficult to screw up, unless you're going to spend a lot of time on the characters and some inconsequential human drama, ignoring the giant space bugs for larger parts of the runtime. And that's exactly what Elevation set out to do, squandering the already limited potential of the premise. The actors don't do a bad job, but they can't prevent their characters from dragging the film down. The creature design is also a little dim, the presentation is too generic, and there were some pacing issues despite the relatively short runtime. It's not a terrible film, but this could've been a lot more fun.Read all