August 17, 2020 “Below” (** out of four) was a scattershot comedy set in Australia about a security detention worker (Ryan Corr) who is lured by his boss (Anthony Lapaglia) and making big money into the lucrative underground world of staging fights between inmates but when a tragedy occurs with one fighter (Phoenix Raei) his conscience comes into play which puts him at a personal and career crossroads. Enthusiastic cast squeezes all the heart and humor it can out of a paper-thin script but it’s a hit-and-miss outing at best, mate. Even still, this was a standout at 2019’s Melbourne Film Festival. Continue reading →
August 17, 2020 “Death Follows” (* out of four) was a misbegotten murder melodrama about a young actress (Vicki Price) in London who finds herself being stalked by an unknown assailant and finds herself perplexed, flattered, and subsequently rattled by all this as the stalking gradually escalates into disturbia and a determined cop (Iain Hicken) investigates. Potentially interesting story about stalking and its effects on one’s psyche and even how one can be touched by this is completely undone by terrible filmmaking and slipshod production which makes this a patchwork. Hicken tries to liven things up as a hard-nosed cop but by no means is this worth “following” at all. Continue reading →
August 17, 2020 “The Discarded” (** out of four) was a pointless social/political melodrama about a young woman (Zara Jestadt) who is financially strapped and turns in desperation to a vigorous and vaguely defined military-like training program (led by Nick Biskupek) but soon realizes how harsh and grueling this really is and how this soon starts taking a toll on her mental and physical well-being. Director Piotr Skowronski attempts to make various points about training and brutality and the consequences of poverty but you’re unsure exactly what the main point is, especially when film’s wrap-up is so pat and abrupt. Biskupek sears the screen as the villainous head of the program. Continue reading →
August 16, 2020 “Follow Me” (** out of four) was a sordid horror thriller about a group of social media personalities and vloggers (Holland Roden, Ronin Rubenstein, Pasha D. Lychnikoff, and others) who travel to Moscow for a vacation getaway but soon become embroiled in a series of life-or-death games and traps and they struggle to survive both mentally and physically. Not bad by the standards of these things, with some creative kills and style in its second half, but takes too long to get going and is all-too-obviously inspired by the violent ugliness of the “Saw” series. Writer/director Will Wernick shows some creativity but needs to “follow” some more original ideas after this and his similarly themed “Escape Room” from a few years earlier. Continue reading →
August 16, 2020 “Ava” (**1/2 out of four) was a stylishly done but overly familiar action thriller about a ruthless and deadly female assassin (Jessica Chastain) who works for a black ops organization but finds herself thrown to the wolves by her sinister superiors (John Malkovich, Colin Farrell, and others) after a job goes wrong and has to fight for survival while trying to get to the bottom of a high-end conspiracy from the government. Solid production values and strong work from Chastain make this easy to watch but story seems to be following a much-too-routine pattern especially after many other similarly themed female assassin films (“Atomic Blonde”, “Lucy”, “Anna” just to name a few) over the last few years. Geena Davis and Joan Chen both have their best roles in years in minor but key parts. Continue reading →
August 16, 2020 “The Bad Nun 2” (* out of four) was a Godawful sequel to an original that I don’t think anyone was exactly saying their hail mary’s for a sequel to; this time, a young woman (Sarah T. Cohen) and her family move into an old and abandoned church and her grandmother (Nicola Wright) suddenly reveals that there are divine and unholy secrets associated with the church that results in all Hell breaking loose. Umpteenth movie about religious exorcisms and paranormal activity is made with absolutely no life or conviction whatsoever and is a real snooze. Avoid this “bad” sequel and re-watch “The Exorcist” or “The Amityville Horror” instead. Continue reading →
August 16, 2020 “His Deadly Affair” (** out of four) was an underwhelming suspense thriller about a violinist (Helina Mattson) who develops feelings for the intellectual conductor (Max Ryan) of the orchestra but soon realizes that he has a violent and obsessive wife (Gina Holden) who is waiting to enact revenge on anyone she thinks may get in the way of her and her husband’s happiness. Far from the worst of this genre but oh-so predictable by now and second-half has some pretty noticeable plot holes. Mattson’s sincere performance helps keep you watching but this still isn’t exactly an affair to remember. Continue reading →
August 16, 2020 “Curse Of The Blind Dead” (*1/2 out of four) was a tired supernatural horror thriller about a group of Satan worshippers called The Knight Templars who were executed in the 14th century but rise from the grave centuries later to wreak havoc and a father (Aaron Stielstra) and his daughter (Alice Zanini) try to fight back and stay alive. Cheesy and corny in equal measure and not helped by its grating soundtrack. Based on a short story by Gustavo Adolfo Becquer and short is what it should have stayed. Continue reading →
August 15, 2020 “The Bay Of Silence” (*1/2 out of four) was an enervated thriller about a devoted husband (Claes Bang) who refuses to believe that his wife (Olga Kurylenko) is guilty of their son’s suspected murder but soon comes to realize there is much more about her mysterious past that he never knew which forces him to question her innocence and question their marriage together. Hitchcockian-like thriller is encumbered by snail pacing and characters who are frustrating and aloof. Former Bond beauty Kurylenko is solid but this is unlikely to provide much “solace” to her career. Continue reading →
August 15, 2020 “A Daughter’s Plan To Kill” (** out of four) was a superficial melodramatic thriller about a seemingly perfect husband and wife (Claire Coffee and Matt Dallas) who take in his estranged daughter (Jordan Lane Price) to their household but soon realize all-too-late that she intends on wrecking havoc including foul play and murder. Yet another predictable thriller whose plot basically telegraphs itself within the first 10 minutes; any one who can’t guess the story and plot twists needs to get a new hobby. Handsomely shot and lit and competently made but otherwise not worth making “plans” to see. Continue reading →
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