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milosmilanovic-88314
Reviews
Fallout (2024)
Phenomenal!
This is an amazing TV show, whether you played the games or not. Immaculate casting led to incredible performances, backed up by an excellent script and spot-on pacing. Cherry on top is the production level, which is through the roof.
Just like The Last of Us, this also captures the essence of the original material, while also making it work flawlessly in a different medium. But, again just like in TLOU, you don't need to have played the games to appreciate the immense effort and quality behind this TV show, because it stands on its own as a genuine work of art that will value every moment of your time you choose to dedicate to it. Highly recommended!
3 Body Problem (2024)
It's... Ok I guess
I haven't read the books, so I can't compare how faithfully they adapted the material, but purely as a sci fi TV show, this is the typical Netflix mediocrity we'll have to get used to.
Some aspects are interesting, and some are painful to watch. While production is top-notch, casting is mostly a miss and the dialogue is extremely cringey at times. The science part is massively let down from the start (apparently, these super model scientists can individually "check" the source code of all the software in CERN and conclude there are no bugs), and the conversations and behavior of the "scientists" (especially the ones from UK) could not be more ridiculous. Also, who swears all the time for no reason?
The show spends a lot of time in the group of friends and we get to see their relationships and dynamics, but they're all nonsensical and bland, and the characters are immediately forgettable, with zero arches or development. The acting itself is hit and miss as well.
Cinematography is good, however, but let down by the music score. As for the story itself, it's strange, a lot of plot holes (these aliens are so advanced they can get into our heads and make the stars disappear, but they haven't solved the 3 body problem, and only decided to move from the literal hell they live in to another planet once they were contacted by a random Chinese girl). But if you ignore the super advanced, space-faring aliens who had to be reminded by the Communist Party of China (of all people?) that other planets are a thing, and why would they then choose already populated Earth (of all planets?) to move to, I guess it's watchable.
The 7+ rating is a bit high, 1s and 2s are too low, I feel the 6 (which in my head means "barely passing the mark") is the appropriate rating.
All of Us Strangers (2023)
Not great, not terrible
A sad, depressed, practically orphaned gay writer guy (there's probably more than 12 people on the planet that can relate to this very specific character setup) decides to write a novel about what he would tell his parents if they were alive. He is depressed, cries a lot, and he "is not rich", but his awesome apartment with a spectacular view is spotlessly clean all the time, and he never has to do any actual work. The movie presents his imaginary conversations with his parents as if they are literally happening in his old house.
He then meets his neighbor, another sad, depressed gay guy who hits on him, but he rejects his advances. However, he immediately regrets that decision and tries to rectify it the next time they meet in the elevator, but it's too late. Not being off the quitting type, he writes/imagines a relationship with the neighbor anyway.
At the end of the movie, he takes his imaginary dead parents to a shopping mall, orders three milkshakes, has an epiphany, decides to give the neighbor one more attempt, but instead of happiness, finds a rotting corpse in the neighbor's apartment. The neighbor has been dead since the scene in the elevator. Being a nice guy, he imagines/writes an ending for the neighbor, and they all end up as lonely stars in the constellation of strangers.
The conversations with his parents and the neighbor are ok, the movie has good pacing, cinematography, and soundtrack, and everyone involved has a really good performance.
However, the movie is also boring, there are no real insights or layers, it's a mediocre, boring story with instantly forgettable characters, packed in a good production and acting performance. It's ok to watch, but you'll forget about it the next day.
The Tree of Life (2011)
Don't bother
I realized I write movie reviews (the most pointless way to spend your time, other than watching a bad movie) only when I'm either really impressed by what I've seen, in which case I hope the people who made it get to see what I wrote and it puts a smile on their face, and also to tell others about how good the movie made me feel, or when I really hate the movie, in which case I want to warn others not to waste their time, but also to put a frown on the face of whoever made the movie, because they ruined two hours of my life, so I might as well have my little revenge.
In this case, it's the latter. The three stars come from occasional decent shots, though even that is ruined by terribly made dinosaurs and an obsession with treetops, while everything else is bad to the point of making you angry.
The message here seems to be that we're small and irrelevant, so why are we here, and where are we going. Or something like that, it's literally highschool level philosophy with random images to make the "message" more clear, about how suffering is part of life, but why, oh why are we suffering?
It's all really, really very shallow and boring while trying to be deep and thought-provoking, to the point of honestly making you angry for wasting your time. It's like listening to someone talk for hours, but not ever saying anything meaningful, while being convinced they're smart, deep, and loving the sound of their own voice.
I suggest you avoid this and read actual philosophy on the topic, because there is nothing to be gained here.
Family Switch (2023)
Why all the hate?
I have no idea why this movie gets these low ratings. It isn't anywhere near some top-notch Oscar-worthy quality, but so what? It's not supposed to be and it isn't pretending to be.
What this movie is is a feel-good comedy with really good cast (they all do a really good job), excellent pacing and a script that has all you need in a movie like this - all the happy and sad moments you'd expect. Every single character is likeable and relatable and every actress and actor nail their role.
This is two hours of fun and joy that will respect your time and make you feel good and give you a few laughs along the way. Perfect for the holidays.
The Mist (2007)
Comically bad
I've watched this movie for the first time in 2023 and I have to say, it did NOT age well, or maybe it was bad to begin with.
Everything here is B-movie level at best - script, acting, camera work, characters, special "effects", the attempted tragic ending, dialogue, oh my God. If you watch it as a parody then it sort of works? I've no idea where the high ratings are coming from, there is nothing of value here.
I need to fill 150 more characters, but I'm not sure what to write. I'm trying to think of a redeeming quality, but when a kid looks at mist and asks "What's that, daddy?", and daddy says "Mist", and the "antagonist" is a genuinely terribly rendered tentacle, and it's all a metaphor for society and religious nuts or something...
Oh hey character limit met. I wrote this to warn you to not waste your time on this. You're welcome.
Bodies (2023)
Passable, barely
There is nothing remarkable about this TV show, it's yet another time-loop with a little bit of detective drama sprinkled on top.
The characters are ok, but forgettable (there isn't a single character arch present), the plot is sort-of complicated but with predictable twists, and the ending not really satisfactory, although endings in material about time travel rarely are. Nothing really stands out in Bodies, it is too long and too slow, it could have been 4-6 episodes long.
Watch it on 1.5x speed and skip about half of each episode, you will not miss anything important, and you won't really take away anything with you, except maybe it being that TV show about that time loop that was started by an angsty teenager because he wasn't loved.
To be honest, it doesn't really seem like it's trying too hard to be good, feels more like another filler content from Netflix.
Anatomie d'une chute (2023)
This movie is a bore
This is one of the most boring two and a half hours that you can spend in your life. A procedural drama where lawyers discuss the case without ever mentioning the motive, instead dissecting the victim's taste in music or the accused ability to work or sleep anywhere, under any circumstances.
Two and a half hours of pointless drivel that, yes, relationships are complex, most people have layers, but my God, some people have the ability to take a 15-minute plot and turn it into an epic equivalent of a YouTube video that has 2 minutes of material and 20 minutes of sponsored content.
Yeah, the point isn't if she did it or not (spoiler: you won't find out, kinda peculiar for a "murder mystery"), the point is to see how many stupid details about forgettable characters can fit into one movie without the audience jumping from a window onto a shed.
Go paint a shed and watch paint dry instead of this movie, it offers the same amount of introspection, but also has a utilitarian side to it.
Liebes Kind (2023)
Yet another run off the mill mystery
I'm not sure who they make these for any more. My guess is for the audiences who have not yet seen anything similar, but this is just another generic, unoriginal, run-of-the-mill TV show with zero creativity or any real quality, so in that sense, a true Netflix original.
I have 328 more characters to write, but I really don't know what to say. Everything in here has already been done a million times, with stupid characters doing stupid things (the police, as usual, being the main culprits, because how else could the "plot" move on) and deus ex "revelations" that bring in an idiotic ending.
I hate it when I have to stoop down to sarcasm, but Netflix should just stop already.
From (2022)
This really isn't good
This isn't a good TV show. Maybe it could be, but it isn't.
The main issue is that is just below acceptable in every aspect. The mystery is poorly developed to the point it's barely there (it's a strange place with strange things happening, that's pretty much it), but then all other elements are also weak - acting, cinematography, characters, plot, it amounts to pretty much nothing.
Nothing happens, nothing is explained or progressed, which could be fine if, for instance, the show was character-driven, but it isn't, since all of them are generic with generic dialogue and generic stories.
Basically, every episode is 90% filler. Compared this to, for instance, Silo, which is phenomenal with excellent pacing, and things look even worse for this TV show.
The White Lotus (2021)
First season is great, second not really
Not sure how to rate this. The first season is really good, with good characters and some genuinely good humour. It doesn't really have a "point" other than to tell you a story about some characters about some difficult topics with some good comic relief. It is almost entirely character-driven.
Season two is the same, but with really boring, uninspired characters and no comic relief, and the stupidest plot and ending. It's barely watchable, the only exception being Aubrey Plaza, but even her character is weak. I don't mind characters that aren't good people, but I do mind simply bad, boring characters, and season 2 only has those, in my opinion.
In short, watch only the first season, skip the second, and I doubt I'll stick around for the third.
The Last of Us (2023)
So far, so amazing!
Only one episode in, but you can already see and feel this is the real deal. As someone who played the games and loved them (they really are the best story in video games, in my humble opinion), I am blown away by the casting, production, pacing, cinematography, everything - but most of all I am thrilled with how true to the original material the show is.
That doesn't mean you have to know the games in order to enjoy this. They transferred the story from one medium to another amazingly well, so all the details are there, just make sure you pay attention. Also, this is a end-of-the-world zombie show, but it isn't about zombies. The apocalypse is the backdrop to what is/will be one of the most emotional and beautiful stories ever told in entertainment.
I know I sound like I'm exaggerating, but I can't describe how happy I am with what they managed to do here.
Finally, the first episode is great, both Bella and Pedro are literally like watching the video game characters come to life (same goes for all other ones, too), but I also have to give special mention to Nico Parker, the actress that plays Sarah, I really feel like she stole the show in the first episode.
All in all, do not miss this one.
Nope (2022)
If you watch it as a parody, it's excellent
I can't find one good thing about this movie, and I forced myself to watch it till the end.
I get it, the "deeper" meaning how the alien creature is a metaphor for cameras and/or fame, or whatever. It sucks people in, chews them alive, and spits out the remains, and its eye or mouth - or whatever that hole is - is the eye of the camera. I have no idea if that is what they had in mind with the movie or it's just fans clutching for straws.
But my God, it is horrible either way. The "horror" scenes are literally histerical. The alien just looks like some OG Star Trek attempt at a costume, and when it sucks people to eat them it just looks like they're lying under a blanket trying to look scared instead of cozy... And then when it flies above and you head the screams sound like you're standing under a rollercoaster, I mean frankly, it's hilarious. If that was on purpose or not, it doesn't matter, it's just comically bad. There is a scene where the "monster" chews the people it ate and then goes to toilet right above the protagonists' house, with bits and pieces falling on the roof, and how the script that involves a man dying by being hit on the head by alien poop isn't one of them, I'll never know. Or the ending where the monster is beaten by chewing on a balloon that pops and makes the monster literally explode. Is Hollywood a balloon waiting to pop? Ah, we'll never know.
But the worst offenders are the main characters - the sister is obnoxious and acted massively over the top, while the brother just has one facial expression and one emotion, and neither of them are fun. The pacing is at the speed of an indecisive-moving glacier, the first 40 minutes of the movie are one big drawn-out nothing. Finally, the plot is one big gaping hole, and the subplots - the one with the bad chimpanzee CGI especially - are boring and add nothing to the movie. How people can see an alien life form that eats people alive right in front of them and not call the police or get out of there but instead try to record it for... Ah, right, that's the supposed message and the deeper meaning of the movie, don't get eaten alive by the fame you're trying to achieve.
But maybe the people who made this mess should have made a decent movie. Maybe if your message is that people shouldn't do stupid things in order to get rich and famous, you shouldn't do stupid things trying to get that message across... Especially if you're already rich and famous and you're trying to get more of both. As I said, this movie is hilarious in that it's actually part of the problem it's trying to warn us about, but doesn't realize it at all.
A Quiet Place Part II (2020)
Yeah, no
This didn't need to happen, this sequel. It adds nothing to the first part, it even ends by the same realization as the first one does - namely how to hurt the aliens.
But the plot and the character behavior is nonsensical. While the first movie was forgiven for many issues because it was sort of original, the sequel doesn't get that benefit, because it's literally just more of the same. The miniscule advancements in the story could and should have all been in the first part, there isn't nearly enough content here for a sequel.
But the worst thing is how things happen just to add to the drama, not because they are meaningful. The aliens sometimes hear things and sometimes not, the baby cries only when it's needed to add to the drama, characters do things for the same reason, not because their actions make any sort of sense. You can be under "three feet of concrete" so the aliens don't hear you, while still getting perfect radio reception on an ancient transistor... That is broadcasting some random song that is actually a secret message to go to a random island because just telling people to come to the island was too easy I guess.
And then the aliens (that by now have demonstrated a complete lack of intellect, they feel more like animals than a space-faring species, but somehow these reached Earth on a spaceship) can't swim but one of them somehow ends up on the island because it's more dramatic that way.
I'm sorry, there's just too many stupidities per minute in this one to make it worth your time. Don't let it ruin a Saturday evening to you, like it did to me.
The Rig (2023)
Greater than the sum of its parts
This is a good show, somehow none of the individual parts are great, but all put together, it's an enjoyable watch.
It's a sci-fi mystery where both the science and the mystery part are taken good care of. It's no documentary, but the science parts make sense and the characters react in a genuine human way to the situation. The mystery unfolds just fast enough to keep you occupied.
The setting is also very interesting (I've no idea what real oil rigs look like), though some special effects look a bit cheep on occasion.
What's not present is likeable characters. While they all have a well developed personality, they are mostly there to progress the plot and most of them are not very good people, for some reason. If you like your shows to have someone you can identify with, you're probably not going to find that here.
Other than that, it's a fun watch that will respect your time.
Katla (2021)
Looks amazing, but that's about it
The show starts really well, people coming out of a volcano, but then quickly falls on its face. How you manage to make that kind of premise boring, I've no idea, but there you go.
The problem with this show is that it's not really a sci-fi series. It's a drama about people facing their fear/sadness/past/whatever, with a caveat that those come in the form of zombies coming out of a volcano. Why? No idea. As a result, it doesn't work either way - the mystery sci-fi part is just "a meteor did it", and the drama part - that really needs layered, well written characters - is just nonsensical. A couple meets a zombie version of their dead kid, a father's daughter comes back from the dead, a girl's copy of herself shows up, a woman's - I dunno, bad memory? - comes back, and what do the characters do? They drown the zombie kid in the ocean, and the sister plays Russian roulette with her doppelganger because that's what people do when they see basically alien life forms, they shoot themselves in the face.
Not to mention this event gets no attention from the rest of the world, though after how some people acted under covid pandemic, the world ignoring a zombie apocalypse is the least of problems this show has.
Finally, the drama part could have at least been what saves the series, but the character's behavior in the events that unfold just makes it impossible for them to be taken seriously by the viewer.
I absolutely loved the cinematography, it almost makes the show worth it on its own. If you'll watch this, let that be the main and only reason.
Behind Her Eyes (2021)
Netflix, please stop
The slowest of burns to the stupidest of endings, what I imagine elementary school children would find "amazing".
I've no idea how they think this could work. In short, the doctor's wife, Adele, is not really Adele, but instead it's her friend from her time in a psychiatric hospital who stole her body in order to be with her husband. Jesus Christ, I cringe as I'm writing this. He killed his original body with Adele's soul in it and had his new doctor husband help him cover up the crime. So the whole time, it's not Adele, but Rob, got it?
Here's why this doesn't work - Rob in Adele's body is nothing, and I mean nothing, like Rob in the flashbacks. Of course he isn't, or it would have been an easy giveaway. But it makes the whole thing simply stupid. It also doesn't work because swapping bodies is a crazy superpower that you think you'd use more than twice in your life and for a bit more fun, but hey, who am I to judge what one does with their talents.
And then, because the doctor is falling for the protagonist and will probably leave Adele/Rob, Rob sets up a trap and now steals Louise's body and traps her soul inside Adele's body. You can't make this up... Or you can, but you really shouldn't. The better title could be "Rob, the Astral Body Snatcher". Oh and he is gay, but I guess he never thought of taking over a man's body and giving that a go. I mean, he has this awesome superpower that he only used twice, once to get into a broken, pointless marriage and another time to become a mother of a black boy. Nice work there, Rob, you're an inspiration to us all.
Anyway, this should have been a comedy and, frankly, now that I've realized that, I might watch it again for the laughs.
On second thought, no, and neither should you, things like this shouldn't exist, they should have astralo-projectionary swapped the screenplay for something else.
Outer Range (2022)
A really good mystery with amazing cinematics
This seems to be one of those polarizing shows, where people who like it don't understand why someone wouldn't like it and vice versa, people not enjoying it think the ones liking it are pretentious or ignorant or both at the same time.
Well, I love this thing. It's a proper sci-fi mystery where something you have to figure out on your own, something the show explains you, and something is (still) left vague. So, on other words, a proper "mystery".
The casting is done really well, one of those situations where you can't really imagine anyone else for any of the roles, and the setting and the cinematics are top-notch. The show does take its time with a lot of scenes, but they are a joy to watch and it all pays off in the end.
There are a lot of strange comments in low ratings here (e.g. "why doesn't he tell them about the hole?", or "people suddenly go berserk and start killing each other"). I mean, they either weren't paying attention or didn't watch the whole thing through. There are a lot of little details that you have to, first, notice, and second, connect, but most of it is there. What's still vague after the first season is intentional, and I hope they get enough time to explain it all.
In short - a phenomenal-looking slow burner with a dash of surrealism and a lot of mystery, with great acting and a story that is interesting and original.
The Peripheral (2022)
One of the best shows in recent times
I absolutely love this show, to me it came out of nowhere and blew me away.
Everything is done exactly right - the casting, the characters, the story, the pacing, the production, everything. It's based on a book, and that's the feeling I get while watching it - like I'm reading a good Stephen King book, which is the highest praise I can give it (the author of the book is William Gibson, not Stephen King).
You can see that Amazon didn't cut any corners in making this, but I have to say again how greatly they picked the right people for the right roles, they all seem so natural in their surrounding.
In short, highly recommended.
Secret Obsession (2019)
What the hell was this
The only got thing about this movie is that it led me to reading the reviews, which are really good, so I'm thankful for that, and it gets a star.
As for the movie, I've no idea who made this and why and how they managed to keep a straight face while making it. Such a waste of talent and effort and internet traffic.
I'd like to write a review on the plot holes, but there is no coherent plot here, just a string of random unrelated events.
Who was the guy at the hospital with the flowers that got killed? How come no one came looking for all these dead people? He used her maiden name as his computer password? Why? The cop figured out her last name because she had letter "A" tattooed on her back? Why the hell did everyone at the hospital believe him he was her husband? Her parents decomposed but her boyfriend's body didn't? How did the villain even think this could go through, like she would never go online or something?
You know what, maybe do watch this movie for the unintentional comedy it provides, and then get an even better laugh by reading the reviews.
The Guilty (2021)
Awesome, touching and gut-wrenching
This is a phenomenal movie, very intense and difficult to watch, and the ending is amazing. I haven't seen the original, but absolutely loved this, especially Jake Gyllenhaal's acting. An excellent psychological thriller drama.
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
A triumph of epic proportions
Wow. I've just come back from the movie theatre, and I'm trying to write a review, but the words just won't come out. I am speechless.
If you, like me, watched this movie so many times as a kid, you're embarrassed to say how many. If you, like me, grew up with idolizing Maverick and you wanted to be a naval aviator. If you, like me, waited for a sequel all these years....
You're going to love every moment of this movie. It leaves you breathless, on the verge of tears, basically the entire time. It's a tribute to the original, but also does its own thing in its own way. It has action, emotion, dialogue, amazing shots, script that just flows on its own, and actors that seemingly lived the characters they were portraying. It has everything, it is all you hoped for from a sequel, and then some. It is, simply put, what a movie is supposed to be. What art is supposed to be.
Even if you have little or no relation to the original, you're in for a ride you'll remember as long as you live. It will show you why we all love Tom Cruise so much, and what he can do on the big screen.
At almost 40, I thought nothing more can surprise me, blow me away, I was convinced I've seen it all, and boy, was I wrong.
Thank you, Maverick, for giving me the goose bumps I haven't felt from a movie in a long, long time.
Now, time to watch this one until I learn the entire dialogue by heart, which is something I may or may have not done with the original.
The Pentaverate (2022)
What even is this
Netflix keeps surpassing itself in genuinely bad material, and this is the latest example. I've no idea who thought this would be a good idea, it has no redeeming qualities, it's literally painful to watch.
The Expanse (2015)
Are you watching, Star Trek producers?
This is a brilliant show, with amazing plot, world-building, setting, production, acting, and fleshed-out believable characters. You know the actor is doing a good job portraying the villain when they annoy you in real life, too!
Every second of every episode is meaningful and tense, there are no filler episodes, and yet, they manage to tell everyone's backstory and showcase the world to the tiniest detail. They also nailed the actors selection, they all fit their roles perfectly.
Don't miss this one, it has everything.
Annihilation (2018)
Slow and boring
Forgettable plot, forgettable characters, forgettable alligator CGI, there is nothing to take away here, the entire movie feels like it was made just for the sake of it. This could have been half the length and it would still be too long and too shallow.
I don't enjoy criticizing other's work, but my advice is to watch something else.