Last Night in Soho is a 2021 British psychological horror film starring Thomasin McKenzie, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Matt Smith. The film follows Eloise “Ellie” Turner (McKenzie) moving to London to study fashion design at the London College of Fashion. When she moves into a bedsit, she has fantastical dreams as a glamorous young woman named Sandie (Taylor-Joy) living in the 1960s, who desperately wants to become a singer. These dreams becoming living nightmares for Ellie when they interfere with her daily life as a student.
The plot of the film excites the viewer with Sandie’s mysterious allure and her love of the stage. After all, we’re seeing these visions of Sandie as Ellie, who is nearly the opposite of Sandie until she slowly starts to become her. As Ellie transforms into Sandie, the dreams also escalate, and we are lost in this fever dream in what’s real and what’s fantasy.
The pacing with the events were just right: we alternate well between Ellie’s real life and the life she lives as Sandie in her dreams, all the while keeping viewers on their toes with the growing suspense of their quickly unravelling lives. What stood out to me the most was the imagery and coloring throughout the film. The entirety of the film was beautifully edited. An example of this was the contrast between the bright daylight seen as Ellie went about as a student, and the seductive darkness of the nights that Sandie thrives in.
I thought the actors all did fantastic in each of their roles and displayed the various complexities of their respective characters very well. With each passing moment, the viewer learns more about each character and how they are not quite as they seem. This really played into the “psychological horror” genre that they aimed for, showing that their characters are more complex than you think.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with this film, and I hope I can encounter more similar films like it in the future.
Amish Witches: The True Story of Holmes County is a 2016 supernatural horror film based on a true story of a reality TV crew and a small group of young Amish women working together to document an evil force plaguing the community with unexplainable events.
The plot, as you can imagine from the title, deals with rumors of witchcraft in an Amish community. Majority of the film is shown as “found footage,” as it is shot by the reality TV crew, who is waiting in the wings to get proof that witchcraft does exist, despite the denial of some of the community members. What’s funny about the film is that it is supposedly based on “a true story,” when in actuality, The True Story of Holmes County is the name of the reality TV show that the film is based on, not something that actually happened in real life. I would’ve been amazed if such a story existed because the plot itself was… unbelievable.
I mean, from the title of the film, the idea of something supernatural happening in what’s portrayed to be such an isolated community (in reality) was intriguing to me, hence why I wanted to watch the film, but the way the events in the plot happened was laughably bad. Many of them seemed out of place and didn’t seem very convincing.
The actors weren’t very believable either, other than the ones who played the three Amish women the TV crew focused on. You can feel the tension of the women’s differing beliefs on the subject of witchcraft in the community.
The writing was pretty bland. There wasn’t much depth in anything the characters said. (Then again, it was supposedly a reality TV show lol.) I did like the set design; the film covered a lot of the land the settlement was on. The thing that stuck out to me the most in the film was the special effects used for the supernatural events. They were poorly executed, to the point where I laughed in one of the found footage scenes.
Overall, I didn’t really enjoy this movie and will probably not rewatch.
The Protégé is a 2021 American action thriller film that follows a young orphan (played by Maggie Q) who ends up being raised by skilled assassin Moody (Samuel L. Jackson), and her quest for vengeance after he is brutally murdered.
The plot of the film was okay: not terrible, not great. We’ve seen this type of “vow of vengeance” film time and time again, but I will say that it was executed well by the Director, who is interestingly also the Director of the cult-favorite John Wick franchise. There are definitely similarities in the choreography between the two, but there’s less of the sheer ferocity in The Protégé. Other than that, pacing was also good.
The plot started to become a bit convoluted towards the end of the film. Some things that played out didn’t make any sense to me, nor did it make the plot more dynamic.
For a movie that is supposedly about Anna, the titular character, I feel like I didn’t really get to know her at all. There’s was so much room for the exploration of Anna’s history and mental health; the film could’ve dove deep in the psychological repercussions in the flashbacks to her childhood, but the viewers… don’t really get anything substantial. Clearly, when Anna returns to Vietnam, she seems stricken to be back in her home country, but we don’t get to see her come to terms with her feelings.
While the purpose of the film was for Anna to avenge Moody, it ultimately felt like she was only a pawn for Moody in the end.
(Also, imagine my pain as I watch Jackson speak in poor Vietnamese instead of Q, who is actually of Vietnamese descent. In addition to that, the 30-year age gap between Michael Keaton and Q was a lil weird, in regards to their attraction to each other throughout the film.)
Set designs and music were standard, although my heart sang at how beautiful Anna’s little rare book shop was. Nothing much to add there.
Overall, The Protégé is an average action flick, despite its star power with Jackson and Keaton. Would only rewatch for the scenes of Anna’s romantic life in London.
Really good!! You don’t necessarily have to know the backstory in order to understand what the movie’s about. Like what everyone else has been saying about Black Panther, it was wonderful to see a caster primarily made up of people of color. :-) The cast was spectacular as well! Overall, I really enjoyed the movie and highly recommend it!
WandaVision is a 2021 American television series featuring the Marvel Comics characters Wanda Maximoff (better known as Scarlet Witch) and Vision. The series follows the characters living through different time period sitcoms, but nothing is what it seems to be.
There was a lot of hype around WandaVision, and as a casual Marvel fan, I wanted to watch it.
I thought the cast did amazingly well in this series. I’m intrigued with Wanda Maximoff (the Scarlet Witch) as a comic book series character, so it was great to watch something that centers around her (played by Elizabeth Olsen) instead of the main Avenger films, which view the character as only someone wielding mysterious abilities and volatile power of destruction. The series also does a well-done job of exploring Maximoff’s childhood and personality, as we grow to sympathize with the character. The other character I’ve enjoyed the most was Agatha Harkness, played by Kathryn Hahn. She fit the “nosy neighbor” role so well! I liked the rest of the cast as well, but I found Olsen and Hahn’s characters to be the most intriguing.
In terms of plot, WandaVision achieved a dynamic plot that only the power of Marvel Films could do. I think it’d be more difficult for someone to understand or appreciate the series who isn’t very well-versed in the MCU, but I still enjoyed the series’ subtle hints of reality-bending.
I don’t remember the music very well (I’m writing this review nearly a year after I watched the series, lol), but the set was very well designed. I love how committed they were in creating the perfect family sitcom home.
I would love to rewatch again, and see if there was anything I missed while watching it the first time.
King of Thieves is a 2018 British heist film based on the Hatton Garden safe deposit burglary of 2015. It features a star-studded cast, featuring Michael Caine, Charlie Cox, and other British actors I’m not quite familiar with lol. I was perusing Prime Video and finally decided to watch King of Thieves since Michael Caine was in it, and who doesn’t like heist films?
I thought that the acting by the cast was done well. I especially found Jim Broadbent, who played Terry Perkins, to be very compelling as a sweet (grand)father yet intimidating criminal. I also enjoyed the bickering between the characters, and the jabs at each other’s old age.
However, the film fails to really stand out, despite its cast, and the plot was boring due to the fact that you can anticipate what happens next. I did like the tensions that came up between the characters after the heist, which added a nice slow burn for the rest of the film.
Overall, it was an okay film. I wouldn’t recommend to watch it.
Julia is a 2021 American documentary film about the life of American chef Julia Child, who was famous for introducing French cuisine to the American public.
I grew up watching Julia Child’s cooking shows on PBS, so I was definitely intrigued when I saw the thumbnail of this documentary on my dashboard.
What I’ve enjoyed the most about this documentary was how intimate it felt. I feel like I’ve gotten to learn so much more about Julia, in terms of her childhood, her life before she became a chef, her hardships, and more. I also appreciated the clips of people that knew her personally and the handwritten notes/letters from Julia; it added more authenticity to the documentary.
Overall, I thought this was a wonderful documentary, and I’ve learned just how amazing Julia was. I actually rewatched this with my partner (first watch was solo), and I’d be willing to rewatch it again!
Flooded Tombs of the Nile is a 2021 documentary that explores the titular location.
While I thought the content was interesting, the documentary itself was quite lacklustre and boring, and I felt that I didn’t really learn anything, and that nothing was achieved by the end of the documentary.
I wouldn’t rewatch.
Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah is a 1991 Japanese kaiju (monster) film and is part of the Godzilla franchise. It features the titular kaijus Godzilla and King Ghidorah battling it out, with the latter being unleashed by time-travelers. Again, me being a fan of the Godzilla franchise, I had to watch this!
I’m not sure if this is the case for most (Japanese?) films during this era, but they seem to cast a whole lot of actors and actresses, to the point where the cast seemed overpopulated. The acting can come off as a little corny, but I didn’t mind it at all.
The plot was alright; due to competition with the Back to the Future franchise, this film introduced elements of time travel to the Godzilla franchise. I also thought some visual effects of the film were innovative for its time.
Despite this, I wouldn’t rewatch, as the film itself was a little forgettable.
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement is a 2004 American family comedy film starring Julie Andrews and Anne Hathaway. This film is also the sequel to 2001’s The Princess Diaries. In this film, Queen Clarisse (Andrews) is abdicating the throne, and Mia Thermopolis (Hathaway) learns that she needs to marry within a month in order to be Queen of Genovia. At Mia’s 21st birthday party, she meets the dashing Lord Nicholas Devereaux (played by Chris Pine in his film debut).
I’ve actually never watched the first film, but pop culture has filled me on the context of the characters, setting, etc. That being said, I was interested in watching this Disney classic, regardless of the order!
I thought that the acting, especially by Hathaway and Pine, were well done. Hathaway still portrays Mia as the down-to-earth, rambunctious girl I’ve come to perceive her as, and Pine is a charming and bantering young lord who often bickers with Mia throughout the film. And of course, Julie Andrews is superb as Queen Clarisse, as she is the definition of grace, class, and beauty.
The plot was honestly predictable, but c’mon... it’s a Disney film. It was still enjoyable to watch! And the music gave it a nostalgic touch (at least for me, watching it in 2021), making it a great feel-good movie.
With the plot being predictable, I wouldn’t rewatch the film.
“A Knight’s Tale” is a 2001 American medieval, adventure, comedy, and romance film and stars the late Heath Ledger as squire William Thatcher. This film is loosely based on Geoffrey Chaucer (played in the film by Paul Bettany)’s The Canterbury Tales.
I’ll begin by saying that it’s been a while since I’ve watched “A Knight’s Tale,” so my memory will be lacking. That being said, I can’t bring myself to love it as much as everyone else who’s raving about the film in the comments. Was the plot interesting? I guess. Although it takes points from Chaucer’s work, it does incorporate modern elements (including a racially ambiguous female lead) and great music from the 70s. Was Ledger committed to his role of a cool-headed optimist? Yeah. How was the set design? Great. How was the banter between Thatcher’s mates? Funny and charming. In the end, I thought “A Knight’s Tale” was pretty... good, but not outstanding.
I think I’d rewatch again, just to (try to) see what the fuss is about.
“27 Dresses” is a 2008 American romantic comedy starring Katherine Heigl, whose character loves weddings and even owns the titular 27 bridesmaid dresses from weddings she’s been in. This is supposedly a popular chick flick, and despite me not being the biggest fan of the genre, decided to watch it because of its supposed popularity.
The film has the typical chick flick scenario: pretty female (Heigl as main female character Jane) has an unrequited crush on a handsome male (Edward Burns as George, Jane’s boss). Handsome male falls for pretty female’s rival (in this case, her sister Tess, played by Malin Åkerman). Pretty female meets a charming man (James Marsden as Kevin Doyle, the main male character), bickers with him constantly, and they fall in love.
I’m not gonna lie, the way “27 Dresses” goes about this typical scenario is pretty enjoyable. You can’t help but feel for Jane, who is a hopeless romantic and hopelessly in love with someone who only sees her as a loyal assistant. Then, when Jane “gets real” and decides to no longer be a pushover, you root for her character growth. Even her childish fight with Tess was funny. In addition, I thought the acting and casting in “27 Dresses” was well done; everyone was surprisingly likable.
The soundtrack was your typical romcom music, although I will say that the “Bennie and the Jets” scene was pretty entertaining.
Despite my feelings for “27 Dresses,” I probably wouldn’t rewatch this.
Released in 1974, “Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla” is a classic Japanese kaiju (giant monster) film that features Godzilla fighting the alien superweapon Mechagodzilla. Of course, me being a fan of the Godzilla franchise, I had to watch this!
I don’t have much to say about the casting, but the acting was a little corny at times. Given that this was released in the ‘70s, I’m going to give the film some credit and not be as a snob lol.
The story had more of a “mystery” element to it, as the cast figures out who’s responsible for the creation and purpose of Mechagodzilla, but it wasn’t very captivating.
... Which brings me to my next point. The special effects of the aliens’ human faces morphing into ape masks were hilarious. It made the film so much more entertaining.
I thought that the appearances of some of the other kaijus were kind of... irrelevant? I don’t think they’ve provided that much substance to the film, but I understand that they were used to move the plot along. The fights between the monsters were pretty entertaining, especially knowing how there were actors underneath those costumes. :’)
I didn’t really pay attention to the music, but as most kaiju films do, there’s a song (sung by a beautiful woman) that helps wake/revitalize the monster. It was nice, I suppose, but not memorable.
I probably wouldn’t rewatch this film, just because I know that there are other Godzilla films out there with a more dynamic plotline.
“GoldenEye” is a 1995 film based on the James Bond series. It features Pierce Brosnan, who plays the fictional MI6 character for the first time.
Ah, “GoldenEye”... This film has a very special place in my heart, as Pierce Brosnan is personally my favorite actor to play Bond. I believe I watched “GoldenEye” and the majority of Bond films before when I was a lot younger, but this most recent rewatch is the first time I’ve watched it from start to finish.
Brosnan as Bond was, simply, a great match. His wit, charm, and charisma made the film so fun and enjoyable to watch. Izabella Scorupco, the actress who plays the female lead, was... alright? I don’t really have much to say about her other than that it felt like she was made a “Bond Girl” out of pure convenience. I also don’t have much of an opinion on Sean Bean, the actor who plays the main antagonist. I think the true star of the film was Famke Janssen, the actress who plays Xenia Onatopp, the henchwoman. Onatopp is honestly iconic (name included!). I’m pretty sure that it wasn’t intended to so, but the sheer absurdity of Onatopp’s... passionate way of killing always made me laugh. I think what impressed me the most was how well and how much Janssen committed to the role. I truly loved her character.
I can’t say the same for the plot though. It was forgettable, but made somewhat interesting to watch by the action scenes.
No music stood out to me this time either.
I think I’d rewatch this film solely for how well Brosnan and Janssen did, and nothing more.
This documentary showcases the physical changes of dinosaurs that make them rather "unique." A quirky, informative series, but lacks being entertaining enough for viewers to be intrigued by the bizarreness.
"High on the Hog" travels alongside host Stephen Satterfield as he (re)discovers the history of African American cuisine in America. While this docuseries was beautifully shot, I agree with user Dragen that it was a bit boring. The gentle demeanor of Stephen and the guests who he interviews gives the docuseries an overall dreamy, almost too calm of a tone. I did, however, thoroughly enjoyed "High on the Hog," and learned a lot. I look forward to the second season!
Riding on the hype train that was Frozen, I was actually excited to watch the film's sequel. I think Eugene from the Try Guys described the movie perfectly: it was more of an anime this time around, with the protagonist coming to terms with her powers by meeting with others like her who have their own elemental powers. Honestly, I'd be lying if I said Frozen II was just as good as its prequel... because it wasn't. While I did enjoy the adventure aspect of Frozen II, it was a bit of a let down for me, especially with the facts that there wasn't much a (physical) antagonist this time around and that the other characters introduced in this film acted as a filler.
Essentially, I'd rewatch the first movie instead of watching this movie. While it was good, I can live without it.
I work with kids, so I know that for them, Frozen is all the rage. However, I actually never watched until this year with some friends. Essentially, my verdict is........ I can understand why children love this movie. The art and animation is pretty, there are princesses, princes, and cute animals/anthropomorphic friends, and the music is, of course, iconic. Given that it's been seven years since the film has been released, I essentially knew what was going to happen; what I didn't know was how it was going to happen. Even the now 25-year-old me was captivated by the storyline and the twists and turns of the film.
The final line is... even if you are a skeptic like me, give this film a try! It might surprise you.
The anticipation was real when my friend wanted to watch this. Obviously, the art is a no-brainer: it's stunning and it's clear that so much hard work was put into the details (e.g. Moana's hair, the shifting of the tattoos, etc.). Love, love, love. I loved that each character was headstrong yet have the capacity/ability to show weakness in times of vulnerability. (I was dismayed that Pua was not in the rest of the movie, though.) The story overall was rich in the island's history and myths, allowing us to be part of the adventure with the protagonist. I thought the music was great, but not as memorable as other Disney films (or, at least to me). Overall, a great movie for all ages! :smile:
