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Flash Movie Review: The Nun II
I HAVE ALWAYS SAID, IF THE sinister character is not scary then the story will not succeed. There have been many films I sat through where the “bad” character does not exude evilness. I remember one superhero movie where the evil character was milquetoast; there was nothing about him that would make someone quack in their boots, or in this case movie seat. I sat in the theater and wondered why his followers were attracted to him and even sacrificed their lives for him. Thinking back at some of the horror films I sat through, I can only remember the ones where the evil character was this sinister, manipulating being that thrived on victims’ suffering. Not that I enjoy watching people get tortured, maimed or killed; but the “bad” being should be something that triggers a response in the viewer that sends a shudder through them or at least takes their breath away for a moment. I have wondered why writers wind up with a so-so evil character in their stories. Was it because the writer could not allow themselves to tap into their dark side, or was it possible their upbringing would not let them cross the line between decency and decadency? Sometimes, I wish I knew the answer. I THINK IF I EVER HAD to write a screenplay for a horror movie, I could create an evil character just based on some of the mean people I encountered throughout my life. If memory serves me, I believe I talked about this classmate who set a cat’s tail on fire and watched the cat burn to death. He would be a good one to base a “bad” character on. Though weirdly, he was not a troublemaker or bully in class; in fact, I do not recall him ever getting in trouble with the teacher. But isn’t that the best kind of evil? Later there was another classmate who I was actually afraid to be around. He would shove students who were in his way in the school’s hallways. I found it especially creepy if he used his hand that had the tip of a finger blown off by a firecracker or for all I know, a bullet. This one finger ended in a ball shape with scars and little hairs growing out of it; he loved shoving it into students’ faces while uttering vile words at them. I did my best to never cross paths with him. And I must tell you, I would equally not want to encounter the evil being in this horror, mystery suspense sequel. WHEN A MURDERED PRIEST IS DISCOVERED, Sister Irene, played by Taissa Farmiga (Rules Don’t Apply, The Bling Ring), is sent to investigate. What she finds is something she had encountered before. With Jonas Bloquet (3 Days to Kill, Alone at My Wedding) as Maurice, Storm Reid (A Wrinkle in Time, Missing) as Debra, Anna Popplewell (The Chronicles of Narnia franchise, Reign-TV) as Kate and Bonnie Aarons (I Live Alone, Frank) as The Demon Nun; this horror, mystery thriller surprised me; I thought it was better than the original. The filming and atmosphere created were perfect as the suspense kept building up in snippets. I thought the cast did an excellent job with their characters, especially Taissa and Jonas, and the director put them in the best of circumstances, creating a sense of dread as the movie progressed. The script was the weak spot for me; it could have been more creative to move the story away from the usual story lines for this genre. However, I enjoyed the little details that made the whole look of this film gothic and creepy. If the studio can keep up improving on this franchise, then I will certainly make a point of seeing future sequels in the movie theater. There was an extra scene during the ending credits.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: A Haunting in Venice
THE LAST TIME I VISITED THE city, the museum was closed; so, I was excited that I was finally able to get inside this time. The museum building itself was originally a millionaire’s mansion. But it was nothing like any of the mansions I had seen on walking tours or driving by. This structure had a combination of marble and granite, making it look partially like a Venetian palace from the 15th century. The owner who had this place built was an art collector, philanthropist and patron of the arts. The owner’s intentions were to have their art collection permanently housed and displayed in the house for everyone to come and enjoy them. Upon their death an endowment was created to turn the mansion into a “living” museum. I had heard many things about the place, but I wanted to see it for myself. There was something fascinating about going through someone’s place from a century ago to see how they lived back then, besides seeing how many things they were able to collect in their lifetime. From what I read, artists they were fond of would come and pay a call to them from time to time. And they collected from multiple genres such as paintings, sculptures, textiles, and a variety of historical items. ONCE I WAS ADMITTED INSIDE, I was taken aback by the largeness of the hallways. The walls were stone/brick, and the floors were some types of flagstones or slate. There were two suits of armor positioned across from each other. Further down there was a tapestry hanging on the wall that filled that portion of the wall from the floor to ceiling. It looked ancient to me. I walked into a room that had artwork covering all the walls. Some of the works I was able to recognize the artists, but others I did not have a clue because nothing was labeled. The room must have been used as a sitting room, I am guessing, for visitors who first arrived. There was a sofa lushly upholstered in a thick damask fabric with two heavy chairs on either side. In front of the sofa was a small table that had a vase on it that looked Asian, but again I had no idea if it meant anything. As I made my way through the museum, I appreciated the amount of effort and money it must have taken to acquire such a massive collection. The artworks were beautiful, and I appreciated that the guidebook talked about a few of them for each room; however, there were more times than not, I did not know what I was looking at. It was disappointing. Interestingly, I felt the same way about seeing this murder mystery drama. CONTENT WITH RETIRED LIFE, FORMER DETECTIVE Hercule Poirot, played by Kenneth Branagh (Oppenheimer, My Week with Marilyn), reluctantly agrees to go with a friend to a séance. When one of the guests is found murdered, Detective Poirot has no choice but to find the culprit. With Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once, Gunpowder Milkshake) as Mrs. Reynolds, Jamie Dornan (Belfast, Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar) as Dr. Leslie Ferrier, Tina Fey (Wine Country, Mean Girls) as Ariadne Oliver and relative newcomer Dylan Corbett Bader as Baker; this latest Agatha Christie story from Kenneth was the least interesting of his Christie films for me. The visuals were wonderful, set in Venice; but the script started out slowly and I never felt an emotional connection to any of the characters. They seemed to all be on the same plateau with no difference in feelings. As I said it was disappointing because I respected the cast and knew they could do so much more with their characters. Another thing, I was not fond of some of the camera shoots with their close-ups and shadows. They seemed to have been put in for effect that fell flat. Having recently been in Italy, I loved all the scenery filmed for this story; but I just felt empty by the end of the movie.
2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Hypnotic
I TEND TO BE SKEPTICAL BY nature. This may have come about from having experienced trust issues in the past. The bottom line though, is I do not always accept what has been presented before me. Case in point, on my recent trip we visited a palace from the Ottoman empire. Because the area had been the sight of several conflicts where they were victorious for part of them, they wound up as the protectors of a collection of ancient artifacts. We entered the building and all around us were glass cases filled with an array of different items. In one case on display was Moses’ staff. Of course, I took a photo of it as soon as it was possible; however, as I stood there looking at it, I had to question if this was real. I would have expected the staff, after all these centuries, to be in some form of decay. Let us face it, it was made of wood and to the naked eye it looked too new to have come from Moses’ time. With a reddish-brown color, there was a dull shine bouncing off it, as if it had been waxed or polished. It just did not look real to me, yet there it was propped up in its glass case with a multi-language label affixed to the front of the case. There were other items in this room where I had to question their authenticity. AS WE MADE OUR WAY THROUGH the displays, we encountered several individuals who stood quietly in front of cases and prayed. I absolutely accepted their belief that the item was real, but when I came up to see the item they were praying at, I could not believe that this strand of hair from an ancient religious leader’s head survived all these centuries; let alone, that someone back then had the fortitude to take and keep the strand of hair, then have it passed down from generation to generation. It was too hard to process such a concept. Maybe my feelings are tied in with how I establish trust. It is something I just do not hand out; it must be earned. For example, I met the sibling of a friend of mine. On the surface they were sweet but there was something about them that sent up a red flag in my mind. As it turned out this sibling had promised to give my friend their portion of an estate that was in probate due to the death of the owner. It did not happen; the sibling kept saying there was little cash, yet they suddenly were planning elaborate vacation destinations. It goes to show you, do not always trust what you see and/or hear. This was an issue that was plaguing the main character in this action, mystery thriller. WHILE INVESTIGATING A SERIES OF BANK heists, a detective discovers a clue about his young daughter who went missing a few years prior. His investigation would lead him to a plot that included a government agency. With Ben Affleck (Air, The Tender Bar) as Detective Danny Rourke, Alice Braga (Repo Man, The New Mutants) as Diana Cruz, JD Pardo (A Cinderella Story, Mayans M.C.-TV) as Randy Nicks, William Fichtner (The Space Between, Black Hawk Down) as Lev Dellrayne and Dayo Okeniyi (Rise, Shades of Blue-TV) as River; this movie had a familiar vibe to me for some reason. It reminded me of a poor man’s version of the film Inception. I had a hard time following the story, though I was intrigued with it. More so because the locations where the story takes place were areas where I had visited recently. The scenery was incredible. I enjoyed Ben’s and Alice’s characters individually; it was a shame they did not have any chemistry between them. There were some scenes that did not make any sense to me and after a while, I stopped trying to figure things out and just let the action play out. Sadly, this film did not hypnotize me. There were extra scenes during the ending credits.
2 stars
Flash Movie Review: They Cloned Tyrone
FOR ME, IT ALL STARTED WITH bell bottom pants. They were the latest fashion trend when I was young, and it seemed as if everyone in school was getting a pair. I desperately wanted a pair, but no manufacturer had come out with pants in my size. It troubled me deeply because everywhere I looked kids were wearing these bell bottom pants in all kinds of styles. There were some that were huge at the bottom, so they were called elephant bells. Several girls in school had accents going down the sides of their pants, like rhinestones or metal studs. Boys stuck to basic styles on their pants like patterns that included stripes and plaids. I was stuck wearing my wide waisted pants and felt like an outsider. This was my first encounter where I was aware of peer pressure. Everyone wanted to “fit in” with the new style. Though no one said anything to me about it, I could tell something was different. I could not be part of the conversation about bell bottom pants and fashions. In the scheme of things, this was not a huge deal; however, it did mess my mind up where I felt like a large loser and put the focus on my weight which was the last thing I wanted to happen. Months went by and I quietly yearned to have a pair of those pants. Then one day while browsing in the neighborhood department store, I came across a display table filled with men’s pants. Rifling through all of them, I discovered a blue pair of bell bottom pants with white pinstripes, in my size. I finally arrived and could be part of the majority. DURING AND AFTER MY COLLEGE YEARS, I became keenly aware of the importance of looking and acting like everyone around you. This was particularly so at the bars and dance clubs. Walking into the club and not dressed for the part immediately left one being the only resident of an island in the middle of a sea of dancing, drinking, and laughing patrons. I did not have the physique to wear clingy, tight-fitting clothes with shirts unbuttoned enough to display one’s wares so to speak. I found myself staying on the fringes and to be honest, I soon found it preferable because I discovered, or it was self-preservation, I had an aversion to looking like a clone, like everyone else. As I looked around the bar, everyone was the same person. If one individual was wearing one of those Qiana silky shirts, they all were wearing the same kind. There was no room for individuality; I was feeling like a minority within a minority. Looking back now, it reminds me of those gated communities where everyone’s house and lawn must look the same. It also reminds me, in a way, of that movie, “The Stepford Wives;” where all the women live in the same way. If you are not familiar with it, you might see a similar vibe taking place in this action, comedy mystery. AFTER BEING TOLD HE WAS SHOT dead the night before, a drug dealer and two associates delve into the previous night’s events and discover something forbidding taking place right in their own neighborhood. With John Boyega (Star Wars franchise, The Woman King) as Fontaine, Jamie Foxx (Dreamgirls, Day Shift) as Slick Charles, Teyonah Parris (Dear White People, If Beale Street Could Talk) as Yo-Yo, Kiefer Sutherland (Flatliners, Forsaken) as Nixon and David Alan Grier (Native Son, Clifford the Big Red Dog) as The Preacher; this satire was slicker than Slick Charles. The throwback vibe of the script touched on the blaxploitation films of the 1970s, making this a wicked fun viewing experience. There was craziness, humor and science fiction blended in a smart, cool way. My only issue was part of the dialog was spoken too fast for me to understand it very well. I could make out some of the one liners being spoken, but not all the time. The pacing and direction were both on point and kept the story engaging and interesting. This was a smart, fun film with a unique style of its own.
3 ¼ stars
Flash Movie Review: The Boogeyman
TO THIS DAY, WHENEVER I AM home alone, I always have the television on. Not because I am addicted to TV shows; I have it on as background noise. It is my version of white noise, that mix of sound waves made up of a wide frequency range. Think of a running fan; a constant sound that begins to blend into the background of your awareness. The reason I have the television on is because I do not want to hear any other noises, especially if they are unexplainable sounds. It may be a creak in the wall or gurgling in the pipes or a humming from the AC unit; I do not want to sit and wonder what they might be or mean. Gratefully, some sounds might have an easy explanation, though I may not know it. However, it is those sounds that cannot be explained that will cause me distress. I used to live in an apartment where periodically I would hear this scratching sound in the walls. With my imagination, I immediately assumed it was a mouse or something larger. It did not happen often; but when it did, I would try to figure out exactly where in the wall it was happening then pound my fist on what I thought was the exact spot to scare whatever was behind the plaster. I only stayed at that place until my lease was up. MY DISLIKE OF HOUSE SOUNDS BEGAN when I was a little child. I grew up in one of those large, solid apartment buildings that extended around the corner of a city block. There was a ceramic tiled floor in the lobby separated by a glass door that buzzed open to let one enter the inner chamber, where the staircase would surround the light coming down from a large skylight at the top. In our apartment was a room we called the front room, where there was a sofa, chairs and coffee tables. One of the earliest sounds I recall hearing first was this fluttering sound, like a hummingbird’s wings. I was in another part of our home but heard that sound and stopped to figure out where the noise was coming from. As I walked into the front room where the noise was the loudest, I saw one of the venetian blinds covering the window was shaking. I walked over and discovered the window was open, which allowed a breeze to flow through and vibrate the metal slats. That was the sound I was hearing; I closed the window. Through my early years there, anytime I heard an unfamiliar sound at night, I would hide under my blanket. And now after watching this film; I can say I was quite lucky I never got to hear the unfamiliar sounds that were emitted in this horror, mystery thriller. AFTER A STRANGER ENTERED THEIR HOME seeking help from their father, the younger of the two sisters was convinced something was trying to get her during the nights. With Sophie Thatcher (The Tomorrow Man, Yellowjackets-TV) as Sadie Harper, Chris Messina (Air, Call Jane) as Will Harper, Vivien Lyra Blair (We Can Be Heroes, Dear Zoe) as Sawyer Harper, David Dastmalchian (Dune, The Suicide Squad) as Lester Billings and Marin Ireland (Hell or High Water, Sneaky Pete-TV) as Rita Billings; this movie based on a Stephen King story had a few decent scares, which were aided by the cast’s acting abilities. There was a creep factor throughout the story, but things were kept at a steady pace without much deviation. Though I did not read the book, it was not too difficult to figure out what was going to happen in the scenes. For the most part, there really was not much in the script to provide a true dramatic punch to the story. It seems as if each Stephen King story never translates well onto the big screen. I do not think this film will keep you up at night; but it might make you pay more attention to the sounds you hear.
2 ¼ stars
Flash Movie Review: Burning
I FELT LIKE I WAS WEARING a disguise because he did not recognize me. One night I was about to start my yoga class when an unfamiliar couple walked in. As was my custom, I went up to introduce myself and ask if they had ever done yoga before. Through the conversation, I never let on that I recognized the man; I was friends with him in elementary school. Granted, I had lost a lot of weight, had a beard and was wearing a baseball hat; so, chances were he would not have remembered me after all these years. However, after class I went up to ask both how they felt. At some point during the conversation, I came out and asked if he recognized me. He looked at me for a moment and said no. I chuckled and asked how his sister was, to see if that would jog his memory. His face showed such utter confusion that I chuckled and told him my name. Not only did he stare at me in disbelief, but he asked me what happened to me, that I was so skinny now. It was my turn to chuckle before I answered him. I TOLD HIM EVERYTHING I LEARNED about fitness; I learned after I left high school. That statement got us started on talking about our years together in school. I mentioned that I could only recall us having a gym class together in high school and he said he remembered the class; but he cut it often. I shared with him how I had to cut gym class sometimes out of concerns for my safety. That is not a typical statement, I know; he asked what happened. From what I told him, we each shared our horror stories about high school. The thing that amazed me the most was how my perceptions of him did not match who I thought he was in school. Because of his laid-back appearance and lack of enthusiasm during the school day, I thought he had little motivation. He explained how he found most of the classes boring, naming a few teachers he thought were the worst. When he would cut class, he would go downtown to explore the different museums or go to a particular exhibit or concert. I was so surprised to hear this since I interpreted his actions as a slacker. On the contrary, he was at the city’s main library studying the same school subjects we were, but he really wanted to learn about the assigned topic. What a surprise! It just goes to show, you can never assume you know how a person will turn out from your childhood. It can be seen in this film festival winning, mystery thriller. IT WAS A BIT OF A SHOCK that the employee during her performance was flirting with him. It was a bigger shock when she said she knew him. With Yao Ah-in (The Throne, Voice of Silence) as Lee Jong-ju, Steven Yeun (I Origins, Minari) as Ben, Jeon Jong-seo (Nothing Serious, Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon) as Shin Hae-mi, newcomer Kim Sao-Kyung as Yeon-ju and newcomer Choi Seung-ho as Lee Yong-seok; this drama was a slow burn, pun intended. For the beginning portion of the movie, I kept wondering when things would pick up. Things slowly took place in what seemed to be no particular direction. On a better note, I was fascinated seeing on display the Korean culture and landscape. One could argue there were different stories taking place, that were filled with symbolism and metaphors. Maybe there was, but I am not the type to delve into a movie story’s psyche and try to figure out what the writer and director were trying to say. Korean was spoken with English subtitles.
2 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: Smile
WHEN I WENT TO THE NEW dentist my first time, I did not realize he came from a line of dentists. I was sitting in the exam room waiting for him, looking at the different certificates that were hanging on the walls. He came in and introduced himself, extending his hand out to me to shake. Once we went over the preliminary discussion on why I was there and such, I asked him about one of the graduation certificates on the wall. The reason being the school was in one of my favorite cities. He told me that was not his certificate but his father’s. I was momentarily surprised which he detected because he offered me his family history. The dentist practice was started by his grandfather, who came to the states from Germany. My dentist’s father came into the practice after graduating college. I asked the dentist if he always wanted to be a dentist like his father and grandfather. He said he did from a young age, when his dad would bring him to the office, and he became fascinated by the X-rays of teeth and all the tools. To me, it was just interesting that the practice was made up by three generations. I have always wondered if multiple generational occupations happen by chance or some other variant. I WAS WATCHING A TELEVISION INTERVIEW, where the interviewee was explaining why she became a medical scientist. She explained when she was young, she watched her mother die of cancer. She remembered wishing she had a way of saving her mother. When the mother died, she decided she wanted to find a cure for cancer and that is what led her to the position she was now in. Though I understood how tragic the circumstances were for the scientist, I was intrigued how a set of events affects a child/person’s options in what they want to do for an occupation. I look at my history and I started out wanting to be a singer, to veterinarian to dancer to a DJ to a fitness teacher to credit and finances. There was no one who influenced or swayed me to any of these professions. For example, I have always loved animals. As I was growing up, I thought I wanted to be a veterinarian. When I was getting closer to my college years, I decided to apply to schools that had extensive networks to achieve my goal. It was not until I was halfway through the program when I realized I was not meant to become an animal doctor. Seeing what the main character in this horror, mystery thriller experienced in childhood, I had to wonder if she could do it all over again, would she have chosen the same line of work. AFTER WITNESSING A TRAUMATIC EVENT IN her office with a patient, Doctor Rose Cotter, played by Sosie Bacon (13 Reasons Why, Off Season) began seeing and experiencing unusual events. With Jesse T. Usher (Shaft, Independence Day: Resurgence) as Trevor, Kyle Gallner (Scream, Ghosts of War) as Joel, Robin Weigert (The Sessions, Big Little Lies-TV) as Dr. Madeline Northcott and Caitlin Stasey (Kindred Spirits, Please Like Me-TV) as Laura Weaver: this picture surprised me. Not being a fan of horror films in general, this movie offered legitimate eerie and scary scenes as it told its story. Because there was an element of suspense, I was entertained more than I had expected. Sure, there were elements of other films in this story and some of the characters had little back story to help connect with the viewer; but I felt the writers accomplished what they wanted to do and that is provide a tense mystery drama. What helped in my opinion was the absence of evil beings and spirits created from the makeup/CGI department. It was more of an old school horror vibe film, which I appreciated.
2 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: Luckiest Girl Alive
WHEN I WAS TOLD GIRLS WERE nasty fighters, I did not understand what it meant. I remember looking around at the girls in my classroom and wondering how any of them could be “nasty.” It was not too long after hearing this “fact” before I saw it with my own eyes. A fight broke out on the playground between two girls when we were all outside for recess. Only seeing a group of boys and girls congregating at a corner of the playground was the only reason I even knew something must have been going on. I thought it might have been a stray dog that wandered onto the playground or some weird looking insect; but it was nothing like that. As I came up behind the crowd of kids, I could hear two girls yelling at each other. Within a matter of seconds, the crowd started shouting out stuff as the two girls’ argument became physical. I only caught glimpses of it as the girls were scratching and slapping each other, besides throwing punches and kicks. One of the girl’s punches missed the face and hit the other girl in the shoulder. When she recoiled back, her blouse ripped from the fist still holding onto some decorative ruffles. Both girls’ faces started bleeding just as a group of teachers broke up the fight. THE GIRL WHO TOOK THE WORSE beating was in my class. When she walked into the room the next day, I could see the other students glancing at her bruises and scratches. She did not make eye contact with anyone, keeping her face down as best as she could while walking to her desk. I felt bad for her. When she reached her desk and sat down at it, a boy who sat kitty-corner to her leaned over and called her a loser. A couple of the kids who heard started to giggle. I could not believe it. The poor girl just sat there staring at her desktop. Whatever caused the fight did not matter, it still was not right to make fun of her. Since the boy who called her a loser was one of the alpha male bullies in the class, a couple of the other boys started to call her names whenever they saw her in the hallway. I did not see her the next year, so I had to assume she either went to a different school or moved out of the neighborhood; I could not blame her if that was indeed the case. This is why I partially understood what the main character in this dramatic, mystery thriller did to herself. ANI FANELLI, PLAYED BY MILA KUNIS (Black Swan, Bad Moms franchise) appeared to have a perfectly charmed life. Yet no one knew she was a survivor from a horrific tragedy. With Chiara Aurelia (Gerald’s Game, Cruel Summer-TV) as young Ani, Finn Wittrock (Unbroken, American Horror Story-TV) as Luke Harrison, Connie Britton (Joe Bell, Nashville-TV) as Dina and Scoot McNairy (Frank, 12 Years a Slave) as Andrew Larson; this movie was lucky to have Mila in the lead role. I thought she was the big standout from the cast; her acting was excellent. Unfortunately, it was not enough to make up for the uneven direction of the choppy script. There were elements of the story that were engaging, but jumping back and forth in time was a distraction for me. I feel if the writers had stuck with one story line, then this film would have had a greater impact on me. The topic was tough to watch as were the other main story lines. By the end of the film, I had to sit there and think about people in general who have survived a brutal tragedy. It must be beyond awful on all levels.
2 ¼ stars
Flash Movie Review: Knock at the Cabin
IT HAD TO BE THE HARDEST decision in the world; I could not think of anything worse. I was watching the news report about an accident involving a father and his two sons. They were on vacation, and something happened to the vehicle they were driving in. There were no details yet about what caused the vehicle to go off the road, but it wound up plunging down an embankment and into a rush of turbulent rapids. The young boys and their father were stranded in the water apart from each other at some point. Purely on instinct, the father made his way towards his children. However, with the strong current dragging the boys further apart from one another, the father was being forced to decide which son to head for first, to try and save. I could not even imagine! How could anyone make such a decision? I was grateful there was not a video of the scene; only thing the news report showed was the mangled vehicle in the water. Sadly, the father was only able to grab and save one son. The other boy was dragged under the water and was found a distance away near the edge of the river, face down. He did not survive. THAT STORY STUCK WITH ME FOR some time. Just the idea of having to choose, whether one wanted to or not, which family member to save was such a horrific position to be in; I honestly do not know what I would have done if I was in that type of situation. I do know what can happen when one has to make that type of decision, however. A friend of mine has a relative who caused an accident in the car she was driving. Her two children were strapped in the back seat. She had trouble undoing the seatbelt from one child’s safety seat. By the time she was able to free that child from their seat, the fire had spread past the front seat of the car. Though the temperature was getting intense, she tried to undo the second child’s seat. Her sleeves caught fire a few seconds before it spread to her arms. She kept trying but the heat got to be too intense and a policeman who arrived at the scene had to pull her back in case the car was about to explode. With the loss of her 2nd child, she turned to drugs and alcohol to numb her grief and pain. As I said, it was such a tragedy that she could never recover from. Because of my knowing about this, I completely understood the predicament the couple found themselves in inside this horror, mystery thriller. THE SETTING WAS PERFECT FOR THE family to have an idyllic vacation; but it all changed when there was a knock at the door. With Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, Glass Onion) as Leonard, Jonathan Groff (The Matrix Resurrections, Glee-TV) as Eric, Rupert Grint (Harry Potter franchise, Into the White) as Redmond, Nikki Amuka-Bird (Jupiter Ascending, Persuasion) as Sabrina and Ben Aldridge (Our Girl-TV, Pennyworth-TV) as Andrew; this movie was written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan (Old, The Visit). I thought Dave Bautista was a standout in this cast, playing a character that the audience could not tell was sincere or not. There were scenes that were excellently staged to keep the tension and thrills high; but, there were also spots that did not reach the same level due to the script. A majority of the time I was focusing more on myself, whether I believed what I was seeing was true or not. Also, the last quarter of the film turned weird for me, to the point where I left the theater feeling confused. There were a few scenes of violence and blood, though I appreciated the way they were filmed to prevent the audience from seeing the full results from the actions. I picked this movie to go see; maybe I did not make the smartest choice.
2 ½ stars
moviejoltz 