Reviews

I was convinced to watch this movie by the high ratings on here. I'm not sure who the people are who found the movie to be so enthralling, because I found the movie to be totally cringe-worthy. The two main characters aren't very likeable or convincing. They are not very good actors. The movie starts out with the couple talking to the camera - or at least to webcams as they stream themselves sitting in their living room. It's awkward. I definitely don't recommend paying to view this movie - at the very least wait until the movie shows up for free on one of your streaming services. Even then, I recommend taking a pass.

Fans of murder mysteries may find this series a bit frustrating for being overlong, with the lengthy dramatics ultimately failing to reveal the mystery in any meaningful way. I found myself completely losing interest, at which point I jumped to the end - I watched until episode 3 then jumped to the last 15 minutes of the last episode and don't feel like I missed out on much. That being said, if you are a lover of dramas, period pieces and rambling yarns, then this is certainly a high quality production with excellent acting. You may enjoy the relationships between the different characters, which takes place in 3 different time periods with links between all three. I, however, am more interested in the "mystery" elements so wasn't a big fan of the long rambling tale. For production value, I would give it an 8 but as a compelling mystery, I give it a 6.

Good story, excellent acting, quality production overall. At its heart, it's a mystery series- it seems like the accused is guilty, OR IS SHE??? But my main complaint is that the series is slow. Sloooow. The film could have benefited from better editing. There are lots of meaningless clips which could easily have been cut out to make the show move a bit quicker- just for example, in one scene, it shows the mom getting into an elevator, and the mom is filmed going down several floors and then exiting the elevator. You feel like something is going to happen while she is riding the elevator since all this focus is on her, but nope, it's just a shot of someone riding an elevator. So not interesting. In fact, I found the whole show rather dull until episode 5, then it picks up. Is it worth a watch? For sure. I just recommend having your phone handy to give you something interesting to do during those long boring elevator scenes. 6/10.

For those who like murder mysteries like me, this is an excellent movie. My fave shows and movies are BBC mysteries and Nordic Noir - well written and well acted productions. Certainly, for the mystery-affectionado, this is a quality production from top to bottom - acting, writing, story-line, camera work, production. Benicio Del Torro is a pleasure to watch. I feel like the story was somewhat familiar but I appreciate a movie which re-covers a certain theme but in a quality way. For those who enjoy an intelligent mystery / thriller, they will enjoy this movie. For those who want a more shoot 'em up, car chase, action-packed show, this will disappoint. Overall, I recommend to anyone who enjoys quality mystery / thriller productions.

I don't normally give such low scores to movies - I try to focus on the positive instead of the negative. And certainly this movie offered solid acting, good production quality and what seemed to be a good script. I was engrossed by the various mysteries which were the subject of the movie. I *almost* enjoyed this movie, but the ending ruined the enjoyment of the rest of the movie because nothing got resolved at the end. There is the build up of these different mysteries, but they literally went no where. There is a rather non-sensical ending which did not address the outstanding questions or wrap up the mysteries in any way. Ultimately, it felt like the time I spent watching the beginning of the movie was a waste. I would love to watch this movie again, with a proper ending!!! So viewer beware - you will get sucked into the suspense of this movie, but IMO it ultimately goes nowhere.

Well, the acting is well done. But I am not sure what the point of this movie was. It made my skin crawl. Who wants to watch the absolute worst of humanity engage in depraved acts? Who wants to be entertained by the expression of base, indefensible thoughts? I was hoping this movie was a thriller, or perhaps suspense but it is none of those things. Nor is it a "cautionary tale" or something that leaves you with some kind of valuable take-away or message. Perhaps it intended to be "thought provoking"? If you consider certain behaviour abhorrent, you don't give it air-time, you don't give it "space" in our society & you certainly don't make entertainment out of it. I am not sure how this movie got funding, why the actors would want to participate, or why anyone would want to watch it. I had to fast forward through it to make it to the banal ending. I am not sure how it presently has its high rating because there is little to redeem this movie. I gave it 3 because the acting was decent. I hope the director and screenwriter find a way to merit their existence on earth going forward, because this movie is a complete waste.

The acting, production quality is all good. It is also a decent story. Unfortunately, the movie comes across a bit flat, without mystery or that tension that gives a movie its interest and "pull". The movie is about Sam, who becomes convinced a complete stranger is actually a woman he once loved. Sam goes to extraordinary lengths to find out whether the stranger is indeed his former love-interest. Once you figure out whether the object of Sam's obsession is or isn't who Sam believes she is, there is really not much tension or suspense left in the story. So I tend to agree with other reviewers who found the movie flat & a bit dull.

The movie has such an interesting premise - an entire town hikes into the mountains and the people are never heard from again. Years later, an expedition retraces the steps of the town-folk to find out what happened. To me, it sounded like good ghost story with mystery and suspense to hold the viewer's attention. Unfortunately, the acting is pretty bad & just not convincing. Bad acting is hard to watch - it's like the viewer has to work harder to suspend disbelief. Plus, the characters all look like one another - they are all white people with brown hair dressed in outdoor gear in neutral tones. I couldn't tell one from the other. None of the characters is particularly relatable or likeable - they all come across as flat and interchangeable so as a viewer, you are not invested in any of them. None of them had any "personality". Then, once they hike into the woods, from my perspective, nothing remotely interesting happens. It wasn't spooky or creepy. I paid to view this movie - If you really want to watch, at least wait until you get it for "free" on a streaming service you already subscribe to. It's definitely not worth spending extra money to watch. 4/10.

This is more of a ghost story than a horror. It demonstrates how good storytelling can entertain viewers without the need for state-of-the-art graphics, stunts or other gimmicky distractions. This movie offers an intriguing story of mystery & suspense. The movie is well done in terms of likeable characters, good actors, good production quality. The one thing I did not like was the ending. It seems to be a trend in recent movies I've watched where the movie leaves some questions unanswered. It is my pet peeve about movies or series - where they don't solve all the mysteries at the end. I think it is the responsibility of the story teller to end the story with answers. No matter how hard that might be. Bottom-line: This is a mysterious, spooky story, akin to a ghost story and not a horror story. I recommend!

I enjoyed this witty Kevin Hart / Mark Wahlberg comedy which contains some burst-out-laughing moments. It has a low rating currently and as a result, I almost passed it by - but instead I think it deserves a higher rating. I personally think it is worth a watch - Mark Wahlberg is always a pleasure to watch and Kevin Hart really shines - he carries the movie. I am impressed with Hart's acting skills - he's more than just a funny comedian. Kevin Hart plays a sensible and devoted stay-at-home dad who reconnects with his more-adventurous childhood friend for a birthday celebration, and trouble ensues. It is a light-hearted movie, with clever dialogue, many amusing scenes & some laugh-out-loud moments. I enjoyed the movie and hope you do too.

I really had no idea what was going on in 80 percent of this movie, but held on for resolution at the end. But many things weren't tied up or explained at the end. I found the movie claustrophobic, confusing, hard to follow and hard to understand. Others may love it. Some people tolerate more ambiguity than others. If you love figuring out symbolic meanings and interpreting nebulous themes, then you may be more inclined to enjoy this movie. The movie offers good production quality, excellent acting but otherwise, I just don't know what it all meant.

This is a quality Icelandic mystery series that I think most fans of "Nordic Noir" will enjoy. This series has many of the characteristics of Nordic Noir mysteries: set in a dark, chilly landscape, flawed or troubled protagonists and criticism of the community where the mystery is set and/or featuring social issues. In this series, there are layers of mystery - the "main" mystery about the death of the German tourist (was it an accident? Was it a murder?), the mystery of the investigating detective's history, and the mystery of one or more characters I don't want to mention specifically for fear of ruining it for you! Basically, the mystery of the characters unfolds at the same pace as the mystery of the death of the German tourist is revealed. The layers of mystery held my attention during every minute of the series. As for the series being too dark or grim, it's supposed to be dark!! - dark landscape, cold climate, dark story, dark underbelly of society (in this series: family structures )- these are all important characteristics of a good "Noir" mystery. I think some viewers who are perhaps not Nordic Noir fans may have found the story grim because underlying the main story-line is the social issue of dysfunctional families and the lasting impact on the child. One theme is the impact on the child, not just from the maladaptive family dynamics, but also from the failure to act on the part of those aware of what is going on in the family & in a position to intervene. The child / family issue is handled with subtlety. Without revealing anything, suffice it to say there is nothing graphic or vulgar in the images or content about child vulnerability within the home - the content is suggestive rather than graphic. The bottom-lines is I found the series held my attention throughout the 10 episodes. The landscapes are so striking & beautiful, the characters are generally likeable and the story moved quickly. I didn't notice any glaring issues with the production in terms of editing that another viewer mentioned. I found this to be an intense, fascinating and entertaining series, with talented actors & high production quality. I recommend for Nordic Noir fans who are looking for a quality mystery / thriller, with the added bonus that it is set in breathtaking Iceland! I'm hoping there is a season 2 coming!! With English sub-titles. 9/10.

Show is very confusing due to the use of British actors, with British accents, playing characters who are supposedly French. There is no advance warning or "clues" to the viewer that they should assume the 2 main characters are French despite the pronounced British accents. (Why wouldn't they use French actors, with real, authentic French accents? It would be so much less confusing). For instance, the 2 main "French" characters, who speak with British accents, make fun of marmite, which as we all know is a much-loved British spread with an acquired taste. The joke would likely have been quite funny being delivered by actual French actors with authentic French accents. Instead, it was confusing - why are the 2 main characters, who certainly sound British themselves, were making fun of other British people who ate marmite? Why are the characters talking about British people in the third person, as if they weren't British themselves?? It makes me think of how in Shakespearean plays in the 1200's, the female roles would be played by men (bc women weren't allowed to act in theatres). The men would dress in wigs and dresses & speak in high voices as a clue to the audience, so the audience knew the men were playing characters who were female. So it's like that, except you are not given any "clues" to let you know you should assume to be French the British speaking people on your screen. There is no shortage of talented French actors, so why not use French actors with authentic French accents to play French characters??? It's just a mystery to me & not the kind of mystery I was turning to this series to find.

This series is basically about two things: (1) A mom trying to overturn her son's conviction for murder; (2) A murder mystery - if the son didn't do it, who did? Or is the son the culprit & deserves to be where he is? The setting is a small town in Quebec. It started off with the mom meeting with 2 investigators - at this stage, I wasn't sure I was going to like it but it became very suspensful! This is an excellent quality production, top rate acting. As I mentioned, the series becomes incrementally more engrossing as it progresses. Initially I found the mother's character rather abrasive, but I got used to her over time - LOL! I really love murder mystery shows - it's my favourite type of program to watch, especially BBC mysteries (i.e., Vera) and Nordic Noir / Iceland / Finnish productions. If you enjoy a good mystery TV show, then recommend you give this one a try. It isn't gory or with gratuitous violence - it's pure suspense. It is in French with English subtitles.

This version of "Macbeth" was promoted as an "adventurous cinematic experience". So I was expecting, you know, a movie, and an "adventurous" one at that. What this *actually* is, is a stage production. So the concept is basically filming actors doing the Shakespearean play in a theatre, on a stage. If you like going to the theatre to see plays, then perhaps you will like this. Certainly all the actors are top-notch and their performances are excellent. However, if you're like me, and hoping for a MOVIE, then you're going to be disappointed. Like me. If I wanted to watch a stage play, I would go to a theatre. Thanks, but no thanks.

Yet another detective series featuring a middle-aged white male investigator with a female side-kick partner. It's certainly watchable, but there is just nothing unique, intriguing or different about this detective series or the murder mysteries the detectives work to solve. It's too generic for me.

Highly addictive mystery / drama. It starts off with the death of 2 young men (age 22 & 35 years) in a car "accident". As a viewer, you do not know whether it was truly an "accident", who each of the men were, or what events lead to their deaths. The show tells the story of each of the men's lives, how they intersected, and the events in their lives that culminated in their deaths. The show is captivating. The characters & stories of the 2 men are so relatable and sympathetic - it is hard when the show ends & they are no longer part of your life anymore! The acting is top notch by every single actor involved. The two leads are such incredible, talented actors and give understated but moving performances. Just the look in "Felix's" eyes would convey so much about what the character was going through. I am a huge fan of BBC mystery productions - this show truly outshines even the best of the BBC in my mind! If you are looking for an addictive mystery program, I highly recommend "Fragile". I watched in French with English sub-titles & loved every minute.

My favourite shows to watch are British or Nordic mystery series. And this 3 episode mini-series did not disappoint. Excellent acting, good story-line, well written, believable. The show is about a crime that seems straight-forward to begin with, but then more and more details are unearthed that show it to be something else all together. I binge watched all 3 episodes. I hope there will be a season 2! Note: I almost didn't watch this mini-series courtesy of the poor reviews on here. I recommend you watch the series and make your own judgements. I expect that true fans of British mysteries will LOVE this series.

Yes, I have also seen the original. I think this version is as good, if not better than the original. Jake Gyllenhal offers an intensity not seen in the original. Judge for yourself. This is worth a watch. By the way, it is not what you think it is - you need to watch it to the end.

Here is a review based on my enjoyment of the film, bearing in mind I have no film background or any credentials as a film critic. Basically I am just telling you my own personal perspective, which I fully accept others may or may not agree with: The acting was convincing and engaging, the settings were authentic (I really felt like I was there with them in Cambodia)... It's just that the movie goes on and on and on... and there really is no mystery in the end (I don't want to say more bc it might spoil it for you). I spent most of the movie trying to entertain myself - surfing the net, taking breaks to do laundry and chores - so I could still watch but keep myself occupied bc basically I was bored. I thought the ending was good as it pulls the story together. I just would have preferred they got to the ending quicker. Wish it had been a 45 minute movie, instead of 1.5 hours. I did watch the beginning of the movie (it was good), and I watched the end of the movie - it was mostly the stuff in the middle that ran over-long.

Listen, I am not a film student or professional critic, just an ordinary person looking for something enjoyable to watch. I don't watch a lot of comedy movies, because generally I don't find them that funny. (I am more into thrillers & mysteries). I must admit though, I really enjoyed "The War With Grandpa" - it is fun, light-hearted and has highly relatable & non-offensive humour. It isn't a rowdy, laugh-until-you-cry kind of comedy. However, it is amusing throughout. I spent most of the movie giggling & thinking, "THAT IS SO TRUE!!!!". For instance, (without revealing any major plot details) - the shoppers furious with the grocery store self-serve checkouts, the young son being moved to the bat-filled attic to make way for his grandfather moving in (I giggled when I saw the creepy attic which is only outdone by the even nastier basement!!!), the little girl (played by Poppy Gagnon) who is obsessed with Christmas, the older sister embarrassing her younger brother at school (wow, is she effective!), the husband not permitted by his wife to use a chainsaw.... Seriously, even the scenes of the kids in grade school will take you back to your own school days, no matter what age you are! If you told me before today I would watch a movie and laugh aloud at humour about Grade 6 students, (which is FAR too many years ago - I didn't think I even remembered!) - I would NOT have believed you. Although the main character played by Robert De Niro is a rather stereotypical senior citizen (for example - reluctant to embrace technology), the movie also shows that the "stereotype" is a broad generalization that is (of course) not universally accurate - because Robert De Niro's senior citizen friends are hip, fresh, active & keep up with the latest trends. And trust me, you don't need to be Robert De Niro's age to be amused at his character - I found his difficulty using a tablet reflected my own, & the staring-at-nothing-while-listening-to-soppy-music is an almost universal cheezy experience. All of the actors are good in their roles (Uma Thurman is a bit wooden IMO but again, what do I know?). Poppy Gagnon, who plays the Christmas-obsessed daughter, really "pops" in this- she is so relatable, likeable and enjoyable to watch (and normally I find it hard to "suspend disbelief" when watching child actors). Poppy Gagnon is delightful in her role. BOTTOM-LINE: The movie is lighthearted fun & suitable for most viewers, including youngsters. Or in my case, an uplifting movie to enjoy on a rainy COVID day! I give it 8 out of 10 stars for general enjoy-ability and everybody-friendly humour.