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Reviews
Agnes (2021)
Not quite horror, but something different and interesting
I watch a lot of horror, so maybe I'm jaded, but this film does not deserve the hate it seems to have gotten. It's a beautifully filmed, well acted, somewhat nonlinear piece that's hard to put a finger on and offers no great resolution. It feels more European to me, in a good way, than American, but I'm not a film expert.
I like how the protagonist shifts midway. I like how it feels intentionally like two or three short movies stitched together. I like the mostly implied menace of the maybe real, maybe metaphoric demon. It has a sort of Twin Peaks vibe.
Another show that left me with similar feelings was Black Narcissus, the series not the original b&w movie. Completely different, but, you know, nuns, ambiguity, tension...
If you're open to a film that's not quite horror and that leaves you with more questions than answers, you might enjoy this. I watched it on Hulu expecting a Conjuring/Nun type flick - which I enjoy - and was pleasantly surprised with my mistake.
Don't Look Up (2021)
Painfully on-the-nose mess of a movie
Ridiculous caricatures all around, some fun (Mark Rylance, Cate Blanchett,) some painful (Meryl Streep, Ron Perlman, Jonah Hill.)
Maybe appropriate that the surface plot was about a comet crashing into Earth in that more stars were thrown at this movie than any other in recent memory. (And, yes, a comet is not a star, thanks.)
The film, obviously, is not about comets, it's about climate change and recent politics, worthy and interesting topics. Unfortunately it was a long mess that never rose above parody. Purely a get-the-emotions-out primal scream of an event that will hopefully diminish to a footnote - or a blemish for some of the performers - as time passes.
Another Life (2019)
Revenge of the (Space) Nerds
I'm shocked at the number of one-star reviews for this title. Really? One star?? That's what it looks like when a bunch of male science nerds don't get the literal, physics-based storyline they need to feel right with the world. One-star reviews should probably be thrown out, as they are anything but a scientific assessment of a series. They are little more than a tantrum - middle-aged men attempting to game an imperfect rating system to punish a film.
This is a fun, sci-fi distraction. I loved the first season and am looking forward to seeing what happens in the second. Sackhoff, Anderson and the others feel well cast. The conflicts and relationships are enjoyable and pretty believable. The plotlines with the AI, while not terribly original - though what, at this stage, is? - are still satisfying and keep you guessing. (SPOILER) I like the second alien race they come into contact with, I hope they meet others. This series is Star Trek, not 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Back to the nerds: It's admirable that you know enough science to roll your eyes at some of the more dubious concepts, but If you hold your sci-fi to a reality-purity test, I'm afraid most of the shows available will not satisfy you. It's FICTION. Maybe you should stick to documentaries?