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Reviews
28 Days Haunted (2022)
Cheap sitcom with horror elements
I think the concept of the miniseries is good and very interesting. But the implementation is incredibly bad, looks cheap and sometimes feels more like comedy than scientifically based work. The biggest problem, however, is that the viewer is treated to a bunch of edited footage with sounds and dramatic music inserted, giving a strong feeling that whatever paranormal activity is shown could be fake. At least it isn't made easy for the viewer to believe in the "unnatural".
Any "evidence" no matter how small has no substance and is partly based on just a few people saying that they felt or heard something.
And the best are the absurdly obviously scripted "quarrels" within 2 of the 3 groups. Forced disagreements that lead to theatrical arguments.
In the end, the whole thing is produced far too cheaply for a Netflix production, is unbelievable and is more reminiscent of a sitcom with horror elements.
The Watcher (2022)
An incredibly good psycho horror series to binge on
I'll make it short: I've rarely had as much fun with a series as I had with this one. The acting, the musical accompaniment, the scenery and how the viewer is kept going until the last minute is unbelievably good.
The fact that the story is based on true events ties you even more to the series. You don't get horror in the classic sense, but constant psychological terror.
We watch a family slowly being broken apart by insanity and the drama is conveyed so believably by everyone in the cast. I especially loved Bobby Cannavale in his role.
"The Watcher" is definitely worth a recommendation and is something to be proud of.
Andor (2022)
A new, refreshing Star Wars experience
Andor convinces with his down-to-earthness, with his dark facets and above all with an extremely successful portrayal of the characters.
Andor is a Star Wars series that sometimes manages not to look like something from the Star Wars universe and still doesn't fail at all. It creates a breathtaking atmosphere.
The music and the pictures are nice. Especially scenes taking part in nature let you realize how refreshing it is to see a Star Wars series that was shot on real sets.
The story itself is great, nothing seems forced. It almost seems as if they looked at what went wrong with the Obi-Wan Kenobi series and just did it differently, better.
But what I like most is how the main antagonist around Kyle Soller is staged in such a way that you can almost develop sympathy with him or the empire. Andor breaks down that basic bad-good, black-and-white thinking, which makes the series much more interesting.
Day Shift (2022)
The definition of a guilty pleasure
Let's be honest: Day Shift is not a blockbuster, not a profound film, not a masterpiece. Day Shift is a guilty pleasure.
With overloaded action, exaggerated fight scenes, a great performance by Snoop Dog and ingenious tracking shots, this Netflix production is definitely convincing. A fun movie.
In fact, I thought the acting was great in general. Jamie Foxx does a good job and Dave Franco's performance, which is exaggerated but fits the whole film, is also successful. The dialogues are realistic. Personally, I think it's good when the actors interrupt each other during conversations. This makes longer dialogues more lively and dynamic.
The camera was mostly okay up to one scene. Fight scenes were held longer instead of wildly cutting back and forth. You can also see beautiful slow motion scenes and in general every fight is made into a spectacle.
But as just mentioned, one scene in terms of camera work wasn't okay, it was GENIUS. And I think that anyone who has seen the film will know which scene I mean. In order not to take anything away from everyone else, I'll leave it at the keyword: chase.
And if you think that was the highlight of this film, then we get a little homage to Rambo at the end of the film that knocked me out of my seat, literally.
I think in summary you can say that the film really doesn't take itself seriously and that's a good thing, because no matter which action-packed scene you're in: there's always something to smile about. Day Shift is simply a film that you can comfortably watch on the TV in the evening with a few friends, pizza and beer and just have a good time.
Ku bei (2021)
Disturbing, brutal, critical
The Sadness is by far the most brutal film I've seen so far with really disturbing scenes that shake you to the core. And despite the disturbing carnage and horrible rape scenes, the film has a surprising depth and room for interpretation. It seems like Rob Jabbaz wants to hold the mirror in our face, much more our society. How far do we let our instincts guide us? What brings out the darkest in us and what would that darkness look like in you?
A topic that is extremely profound and which the film illustrates incredibly well, in addition to the brutally bloody and almost unbearable scenes.
Ultimately, "The Sadness" isn't a movie for the faint-hearted that will shake the viewer and won't be forgotten after watching.
Moon Knight (2022)
One of the better Marvel series, but not perfect
Bloody, action-packed, funny, strange. The series is just as multifaceted as Oscar Isaac's acting.
With a mixture of Indiana Jones, Batman and Night at the Museum you are thrown into an incredibly exciting adventure that you can hardly get enough of.
Good fight scenes, nice camera work, good acting.
What I didn't like is how little the series takes itself seriously towards the end. Also, and I mean this especially with reference to Khonshu, I would have liked less depth. We don't need to know EVERYTHING about Khonshu. Let this dark-looking god remain a mystery to the viewer. On top of that, the CGI is really not good in some scenes.
Manifest (2018)
Exciting mystery series with good plots
First of all, I'm currently on season 2.
Until then, Manifest is definitely a good show. The story is incredibly interesting and compelling, often deviating from too many parallel side storylines but never losing its red paths. The first season in particular is so incredibly dynamic and really fun. One mystery follows the next, plot by plot the viewer is drawn more and more into the events. The dialogues between the individual characters are wonderfully realistic, the camera work is simple and even if the CGI doesn't look good at times, the series looks very nice all in all. With the second season, the series unfortunately becomes a bit weaker as far as the storyline is concerned, but it doesn't lose any of its excitement.
In my opinion, Manifest is a very successful series and it is definitely worth checking out here.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013)
My personal feel-good-series
I haven't watched a series as often as this one. It's the perfect feel-good series. The jokes are incredibly good, the acting is fantastic, the stories shallow and uncomplicated. You definitely have to see it!
Outer Banks (2020)
Nice shots, good vibes, mediocre story
Outer Banks is definitely one of those series that is totally okay. The landscape shots and camera work are incredibly beautiful and well done, good actors, the story itself is very interesting and really pulls you in.
The problem: Unfortunately, many plots are not really realistic, they seem compulsive.
Surprisingly, that didn't bother me personally, because some illogical storylines just fit the whole thing. A group of teenagers looking for a pot of gold, encountering all sorts of dangers and solving mysteries. Anyone who gets involved can only have fun with the series.
And just because of the incredibly beautiful pictures, the catchy music, the shallow but interesting storyline and the complete vibe in general, it is worth giving the series a chance.
Finch (2021)
An emotional roller coaster ride across the post apocalypse
Where do I start...
I found the film by accident on Apple TV+ and didn't think much about it until I saw Tom Hanks starring.
First off, it's definitely not his best film, but it's certainly not bad either. We start in the post apocalypse, civilization is destroyed, the temperatures are extremely high and the skin is burned as soon as it is hit by the sun's rays. Tom Hanks, aka "Finch" seems to be able to take care of himself well in his home. At his side his dog "Goodyear". Due to an imminent storm, however, he has to give up his home, his destination: San Francisco.
At his side is his dog, a robot that we get to know briefly at the beginning and "Jeff".
"Jeff" is also a robot, built by "Finch" and has communication skills. I won't go into detail about "Jeff" because I don't want to spoil it, but so much for the beginning of the film.
Unfortunately, there isn't really much else to tell, because the entire film is only about the trip to San Francisco, if you at least don't have an eye for detail. As already mentioned in the title of my review, the film is a rollercoaster of emotions, a constant up and down. From really funny scenes to serious conversations and tragic, absolutely sad events.
The staging, the set, the music and the cuts also play incredibly well together and are so dynamic that even with little action "Finch" is so beautiful to look at that the 2 hour film length almost seems too small, that's how I felt at least.
I understand if you don't like the film, because it's actually very predictable, the plot, as already mentioned, doesn't really go deep and you have the feeling that you already know the film without having seen it because it's a classic post-apocalypse film is.
However, I thought it was okay. I was emotionally carried away through ups and downs for 2 hours, through vivid scenarios and you experience such an incredibly multifaceted Tom Hanks. It almost seems like the film adaptation of the last pages of a diary of a lost and torn soul.
In my opinion, "Finch" isn't perfect, but it's definitely worth a look.
Fear the Walking Dead (2015)
Too many seasons for too little content
I really enjoyed the series at first. With Alycia Debnam-Carey and Colman Domingo, two of countless many interesting characters were created, who, with their background and their actions, really made the anticipation of each further episode increase.
I was carried away right from the first episode and found the change of perspective from -we are already in the middle of the apocalypse with TWD- to -how it all began- mega interesting and vivid.
The first 4 seasons were almost like accompanying a journey through all the chaos as a viewer. From the absolutely brutal and disturbing moments you already know from TWD, to beautiful and sad scenes like when Victor Strand has a really heartbreaking conversation with the Russian astronaut.
But as with every series, you should just end the whole thing at some point.
Seasons 5 through 7 shouldn't have been produced. Even if the staging is great, dark and cold, you can almost put yourself in the characters' shoes just because of the chosen surroundings and the depressive filter, but the story loses itself in an endless spiral on the way down and has nothing more to do with it actual storyline to do. Actually, it can be said that FTWD Season 5 to 7 is a copy of TWD. There are good and bad groups fighting each other and wanting power, a few main characters are dying, blah... blah... blah...
First Kill (2022)
Series with bright spots but also bad moments
Anyone expecting a deep and mysterious vampire and monster hunter storyline might be a bit disappointed.
Because as expected, this is a somewhat shallow teen series, lots of gore, lots of drama, lots of action but not enough depth.
Dialogue and acting are good, dynamic, but sometimes it seems as if you would rather skip the intimate conversations between two characters in order to be able to show more blood and fight scenes again.
If you expect high-quality CGI, you will be disappointed beyond measure. The artificially created monsters and mythical creatures look like something out of a 20-year-old video game.
Conclusion:
If you don't mind that there is bad CGI and little depth between teen drama, gore and action, you should have fun with the series. For a Netflix production, more could have been gotten out of the script.