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Reviews
Scream VI (2023)
Great film overall with one MAJOR problem
The kills, the chase scenes, the tension and suspense building and above all, the character development on this one... Man, absolutely the best! The one problem I have with it is that no one besides the killers died in the last two thirds of the movie. How could they not notice that? None of the returning characters dies and we get an extra one with Sam's boyfriend. Now, counting with Sidney, we have EIGHT survivors for the next film. That's ridiculous. I hope this was the build up for Scream 7 to feature only these eight survivors and in the end only one or two survive. This is a slasher, people must be killed, no matter if they're fan favorites or not. Dewey's death in 5 now feels like a waste, sisnce they didn't have the guts to kill anyone important on this one. I'm still a huge fan of the franchise and I still really enjoyed this entry. But they need to kill at least half of these people on the next one.
The Closer: You Have the Right to Remain Jolly (2011)
Lowest point on an otherwise amazing season
Almost nothing works on this episode, especially the comedy. The Closer usually makes us giggle and laugh with witty, smart and subtle humor. So subtle that many times you only get to understand a joke on rewatch. I don't know what happened on this one, but they definitely missed the mark by far. Turning all male characters into creeps over Buzz's sister was really off-putting. Maybe Flynn and Provenza could have cracked a couple of jokes at first, but then they would act normal. Not on this one. All of them act like 15 yo boys getting to meet the new hot neighbor. And it's really off-character the way most of them acted. Then there was Santa creep, sneakily touching the women's breasts all the time. When did they ever make fun of sexual harassment? That's off-character for the show itself. And even the non-creep humor was off the mark the entire time. None of the jokes ever landed. The one redeeming point here is Brenda's lawyer at the end of the episode spilling some secrets. That's the only reason I give this one 3 stars. The Closer is still my favorite procedure cop drama of all time, and season 7 is one of their best. However, this episode stains what could have been a perfect season.
Barbarian (2022)
HUGE potential wasted
The first 40 minutes consist of some of the best suspense build up I've seen on film in a very long time. I was expecting so many different possibilities, I was on the edge of my seat, I truly cared about those characters and I craved to learn what was going to happen. Those first 40 minutes set you up to expect the "big reveal", the great turning point that will let all hell break lose, and then... That's it?! Are you serious?! I followed a friend's advice and went in on this one knowing absolutely nothing, so I had no idea what to expect. Then those 40 friggin' minutes get me all electrified with so much expectation and the movie is about... THAT? Seriously, I can't praise those first 40 minutes enough, they're really amazing and the sole deserving moments that made me give this movie a 5/10. What comes next is as disappointing as what came before was exciting.
Bel-Air (2022)
Top notch drama
I went in with very low expectations, considering the amount of trash reboots and remakes Hollywood keeps throwing in our faces nowadays. Gladly all of my worries soon proved to be wrong. This new take on the classic story is very well done, and I honestly don't understand the hate in most of these comments. The acting is good, the writing is good, the set designs are good, the outfits are very nice and contemporary, the directing is also on par with every top tv show out there. I think people for some reason were expecting a lighter tone, maybe? I honestly loved it and I really hope they keep the vibe just as it is right now. It is the perfect amount of heavy drama without turning into some cheap exploitation of the viewer's feelings just to make people cry, like This Is Us, for instance. I watched the whole first season in two days and can't wait for the next one!
American Horror Story: Slashdance (2019)
An amazing twist on the slasher genre
I'm not a fan of the AHS series, so I can't compare it to other seasons. But I am a huge fan of slashers and I have to say this is probably the best twist on the genre since Scream in 1996. I know Ryan Murphy has the tendency to start every single project at an 11 and eventually things go downhill and you just wonder "How could he ruin this?" so I'm ready for the disappointment that I'm sure is just around the corner with this one. So far I'm just enjoying the wonders of a breath of fresh air into my favorite genre of film/shows and it is so worth it. I'm definitely recomending this one to all slasher fans out there!
The Office: The Target (2012)
Best episode in season 9
All the storylines were told in the best Office fashion, with the right amount of awkwardness and really funny jokes. Jim, Philys and Stanley were hilarious and heartwarming at the end. The complaint tower brought back the classic format when most of the cast is involved in reaching one absurd goal. Angela, Oscar and Dwight reaching the climax of the senator's plotline. Definitely a breath of fresh air from all the terrible moments the season had been suffering with, especially when you notice that Andy wasn't even there. He was the biggest mistake throughout season 9. Every episode he's not in are way above the average of the season.
Lucifer: Daniel Espinoza: Naked and Afraid (2021)
The worst episode on the entire run of the show
Dan is the one character nobody likes. He is the one that could easily get killed off and wouldn't change a thing about anything. So WHY on Earth did they think it would be a good idea to have an entire episode centered around him and with THAT ending? Gladly I figured what was coming and spent less than 20 minutes on it. I just skipped through the whole non-sense and only watched the bits with the main characters, who, by the way, add NOTHING to this whole absurdity. The one star goes for the F*bomb Lucifer drops at the final seconds of the episode. Literally the only good thing about this.
Hillbilly Elegy (2020)
Got me in nostalgic tears
I'm a huge Glenn Close fan and I was really sad by reading all negative reviews about the film and her performance. I delayed watching it until the last minute, the night before the Oscars, and boy do I regret it. I absolutely loved this film! I could relate to J. D. and his story a lot. Aside from the mother's drug problem, I had basically the same life story as his, and it was nearly impossible to hold back the tears throughout so many moments I could see myself and my own life on screen. I also had no idea it was based on a true story, so by the end credits I was just a complete ugly crying mess. The performances were amazing, the whole 90's ambiance was on point, the script and the way those lives were portrayed could not have been anymore realistic. I mean, we clearly have another case of "ignore the critics, ignore the bad reviews and just experience it yourself". Now I'm heading to Amazon to buy the book!
Midsommar (2019)
Just a bad trip from a very high writer
That's literally the only thing able to explain what I've just witnessed. What producer or executive gave it a green light? These people need to be fired. This is NOT a horror movie. It's not a drama. It's not a character study. It's just a bunch of ideas from someone who had smoked or sniffed something after the expiring date. There is no plot, no story, no character journey, no conflict, nothing. Thigs just happen. And then it ends.
At the beginning you get a vibe of a crazy overly attached girlfriend but you still give her the benefit of the doubt, considering she just went through a horrific situation. So you expect something to come out of that horrible trauma. And it doesn't happen. The matter is just forgotten. You get over 2 hours of people dancing around, getting high, making weird noises, and some terribly poor atempts of being serious. And all you can do is laugh when the movie is trying to be in its most serious moments.
I only gave it one star beacause we can't give zeros here. But still I think I would give this a 1/10 just for the male nude scenes. Yep, we get full male frontal nudity here. That's the only good thing I can point out of this bunch of trash.
American Housewife (2016)
What happened to comedy?
I honestly don't even know what to say about this show. It's just awful. None of the "jokes" land, all of the characters are extremely dislikeable, especially the main one, the acting is so over the top that for a few minutes I thought it was supposed to be a cheesy parody of something else. It's not. It's just bad. Poor writing, poor acting, poor comedy. I'm seriously baffled by the notion that this piece of garbage has made it to season 4. I believe American audiences used to be smarter...
Suits: One Last Con (2019)
Disappointing ending
I truly loved this show, I fell in love with its characters right on the pilot and definitely will love them forever. But I honestly hated this ending. I don't really know why, but I really believe the only plausible ending would be with Harvey getting disbarred. I mean, look at all the path of destruction his actions have left. Jessica got disbarred, Mike went to prison, Robert got disbarred, everyone sacrificed so much to save Harvey and this is what we get for an ending? Yes, I know most people would hate it and the general viewer likes happy endings. But I honestly don't think Harvey deserved this particular one. He could still be happy and married to Donna, but no longer a lawyer. He did all he did, crossed all those lines and nothing ever touches him? Come on... I also hated the very last scene. Why are we getting to see him walk out the firm alone? It would have been such a better ending if they faded to black during the Mike interview. I honestly thought that was the end, but then I saw there were like 12 minutes left. What about the can opener? They didn't even mention the subject. I mean, it would still be cool if they didn't reveal what the ritual was, but it deserved at least a mention to leave us wondering. What about the Katrina and Brian situation? They never got closure either. What about that 30 seconds drama with Sheila and the "labor complications"? It didn't have to happen at all if it was going to be literally a 30 second thing just to say everything went ok. And to close the entire list, did they really end the show playing Viva La Vida by Coldplay? That must be the tackiest song ever released in history. I just rolled my eyes during that entire segment. It was just painful. Overall, amazing show. One of the worst endings ever.
Manifest (2018)
Great premise wasted with awful writing
I can clearly see it. Someone goes "Hey, I had an interesting idea for a tv show. About two hundred people board on a plane and when they land, 5 years have passed, while for them only a few hours. Sounds good, right?". So they pitch the idea to a network, it gets picked and handed to a bunch of freshmen in writing school to develop it. I mean, seriously. What in the world is this? How does anyone in their right mind thinks the viewers are gonna buy such lazy writing? I'm honestly baffled that this show is scored at a 7.2 right now. It must be some sort of manipulation by the network to fool the unwarned. Please, do not spend your time on this. This is the kind of show that treats the viewer like a brainless moron and doesn't even feel sorry about it.
Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)
Mixed feelings about this one
I went in on this one knowing only the tag line "strangers at a hotel and secrets are uncovered". The start is pretty nice, you get to know a bit of the characters, a little suspense is introduced and then it loses itself for a bit not knowing where to go. Then things start happening, a (to me at least) shocking death and from here on it just sinks in deep. The events that unfold stop to seem like shocking twists and just start to feel like amateur writing to find a way to explain things and making the plot move forward. And I won't even mention the way Chris Hemsworth is actively introduced in the whole thing. It's pathetic, believe me. Even with all that, I have to praise the acting and directing. They almost make you forget about all the bad stuff, so much so that I started writing this review giving this movie a 6 and only by really thinking about it to write this, I had to drop it to a 4. Unfortunately it's another one of those with great potential that end up not finding a way to deliver.
The I-Land (2019)
I quit after episode 2
The 2 stars come from the settings, the rest is worth nothing. Yes, 30 seconds in and you feel like you're watching a Lost reboot. But it gets worse. All of the characters are extremely unlikable and stupid. Their actions make absolutely no sense in a situation like this. I mean, you're in a deserted island with no perspective of finding food, water and shelter and you decide to take a swim at the ocean? You're about to start starving to death and instead of saving energy to find the means to keep you alive you just decide to have fun? And then comes episode 2. They find a building with clean water and beds. Guess what? They decide to STAY ON THE BEACH for whatever reason we never get to know. It's absurd. Seriously, don't fall for this. It's not even cheap entertainment. It'll just make you mad for wasting your time.
Years and Years (2019)
This is what TV should always be
It might sound a bit vague to say "This Is Us meets Black Mirror" but honestly that's what it is, and it only takes the best from each. It's one of those pieces of art that leaves you thinking for a long time after each episode. It's terrifying really. The acting, the writing, the score, everything works perfectly in synch to make you feel what it wants you to feel. If this show doesn't scare you about what's going on in the world, there's something terribly wrong with you.
Roma (2018)
One of the greatest frauds of all time
Anyone saying this is the best movie of the year/of the decade/ever is just a complete liar. It has absolutely no qualities to justify any acclaim. Does it have any positive points? Yes, it is beautifully shot, but nothing groundbreaking or to be studied in years to come. The plot starts at nowhere and goes nowhere. That simple. You can't even call it a character study because the characters are presented in a shallow and generic way, they too start at nowhere and go to nowhere. The acting is just average, definitely not worthy of all the nominations. The main character will never really let you know if she's happy, sad, desperate, in love, in fear... She just keeps the same face throughout the way dragged 2:15h running of this waste of life. This could be a short of 15 minutes and it wouldn't make a difference, it would still be pointless. Seriously, don't make the same mistake lots of us did. Do not waste your time on this one.
This Is Us (2016)
Probably the best pilot episode I have ever seen
I just gave up on "Party of Five" due to the downhill trajectory the show took on its 5th season and I was really wondering if I was ready to start another family drama. Boy, I wish I had started it earlier. I went in on the pilot not knowing much about the show, I just wanted to watch something new. By the time that first episode was over I knew I had something special in front of me. It only took one episode to make me fall in love and really care about all those characters. That's how good the writing, the directing and the acting are. And of course, that little "twist" in the end was just the cherry on top. What makes this show special is the fact that the characters are real, it's believable and everything is perfectly balanced. There are little bits of perfectly timed comedy and the drama comes in a way and intensity that just makes you care about it, it's inevitable. I'm only on S1E4 right now, but the more I watch it, the more I like it. If it keeps this high level of quality drama, it has the potential to be my favorite show of the decade.
Hereditary (2018)
The final half ruins it
I went in on this one knowing nothing, just with promises of a few friends that it was one of the best movies of the year. During the first half I was really excited about it all, I thought it was going to be some sort of clever thriller about mental disease, someone going insane, not knowing what was real or not and expecting a nice twist in the end. And then there's the glass game. Right there I knew the only way to go was deep down hill. And this time I was right. As soon as the whole seance and demon crap came in, I lost my interest and respect for this movie. And it's not that I don't like this kind of theme, it's just been way overdone and there's really nothing new you could add to it. You can definitely tell they wanted to do something new and different to the whole demon thing, but the final result is just pathetic. Probably one of the biggest disappointments of the year.
Ocean's Eight (2018)
Flawed, but entertaining
I don't think all the hate on this review section is fair. Yeah, the movie doesn't give you an experience to remember for the rest of your life, it doesn't make you question your existence, it doesn't make you crack your mind in order to understand the hidden meanings and life changing messages it tries to convey... It only tries to be entertaining, and it delivers that pretty well. Yeah, they had a cast that could do sooo much more, but this is what we were given. The only thing that really bothered me was the fact that there was no moment of climax. There is not a single moment that makes you worry about the characters or just root for them to overcome any kind of problem with their plan. Everything just goes exactly as planned, and that's pretty underwhelming. It's not a bad movie however, and definitely not a waste of time. As a matter of fact, it's a nice way to spend 1:50h on some random afternoon when you have nothing to do. Just don't expect anything beyond that.
Flight 7500 (2014)
Not the worst thing ever
First I have to say I'm confused about the length of movie. On my streaming service it was 78 minutes long, but now I see some web pages saying it is 97 minutes long... Anyway... The whole thing definitely had potential, the real problem was the lazy writing (or maybe the 19 minutes I never got to see). The acting is not bad, you can see the actors did the best they could with what they had. The ending, even with its complete unoriginality, is not that bad either. The only problem is the way they deliver such ending. It just... Happens. The supposed "ok, this is the truth, brace yourself" moment just lacks some good writing. Again, it's not the worst movie in the world. You won't feel like a new human being after watching it. You probably won't even get scared (really, it is not scary at all). But I think you'll be entertained.