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Smile (2022)
Gripping through n through
If you think that Ari Aster blew a new spirit in horror genre then you need to think again. This one was more sinister and darker than Hereditary.
The premise and the structure of the plot are quite familiar. A woman (psychiatrist) who is supposed to help others is compelled to answer the questions for her own past. When her relationship with her boyfriend/fiancé and family goes awry she must embark on a journey to find the root cause of evil that torments her. In some ways, it will remind of Verbinski's (though, not his technically) The Ring.
Either way, the jump scares, it has many of those are well-placed across the plot. The psychological tension that it builds is worthwhile.
Why did I compare it to Ari Aster's work? Because if you have seen any of the latter's work you'd know where many movies close the scene after a scary happening Ari wants you to observe what his character does afterwards. Same here with Parker Finns, he wants you to see his character humiliated, doing stupid things etc.
All in all, a truly refreshing take on horror genre. There is a good reason Paramount Pictures distributed this one. A must watch for horror geeks.
Blindspotting (2018)
City, Friendship, and Race
Having always been a big fan of movies where coziness of a neighborhood/town/city are highlights, this one really turned out to be an all times favorite for me.
There's no need to say anymore about the plot than is given in the storyline section above except that it balances pain, anxiety and comedy in quite a tidy manner.
Acting of both actors, Daveed and Casal, is fantastic and the dialogue will keep you hooked through every minute.
Last but not least, the matter of race as it evolves from being a non-issue to an issue between two friends really hits the heart.
Trying not to sound condescending, doesn't mean that brown people (myself included) cannot be, I must say that it captures the bittersweet experience of being black and being made to realize by society that you're black is one of the most unmatched I have seen in movies.
Nevertheless, if you enjoy a movie which goes from being comic to being dead serious to being almost painful, the latter in a good way, then it is a must watch. For me, it will always be a 10/10.
The Last of Us: Part II (2020)
Why I liked this game so much?
Note: If my rating fills your head with presumptions then save time and avoid reading this review.
This is one of the best ps4 games I have ever played. Before you throw labels like woke at me I need to tell you that I am writing this from a hilly area of Pakistan far removed from urban areas. We don't have that gender stuff here, and where it is found in our society it is not anywhere near the top of our priorities for a distant foreseeable future. Now let's get back to the game.
The graphics were so amazing that you won't even feel that you were playing it on a console that was released at the end of 2013. The sound design and background score were fantastic, though the latter was not as good as in the first one which would immediately strike a plethora of emotions at you.
While the last game was a journey across four seasons, this one took place over a period of a few days. Story-wise, the game is still on par with the first part. I was not pleased to see when they showcased Abby's gameplay back in 2018. I immediately wanted to see one from the amazing duo of Ellie and Joel into action. When I saw all the fan reviews, I was further disappointed thinking that Naughty Dog has actually messed it up. But was I wrong?
Starting the game, captivated by graphics but repulsed by having to play a new character, I thought that it would clearly go down the hill but then the story began to take its darker toll. I was hurt, began to feel anguish, and really wanted to embark on the journey to take revenge. But as the first half ended and the character was switched, I was like "why would they do that to us?", "Why would they have us play the bad guy?"
Without pondering it for too long I kept playing and got to the end. Being a Muslim and deeply aware of what goes about in Israel/Palestine, I couldn't misinterpret a lot of themes from that place carefully plugged into the game. I could relate to the anguish of losing a loved one in a never-ending revenge campaign between two sides. And while I have loved the lesson of going to any level for selfish reasons of affection from the first game. I equally loved the lesson of letting go. Likewise, I learned that doing so (let-go) is not a walk in the park, that it hurts, it haunts.
I do not agree with people who say that a revenge story is a cliche. What makes a story good is largely, clearly not solely, dependent on how it is told. Do characters feel ambivalence? Are their actions guilt-ridden? How do they weigh a situation? How prepared they are to take it to the end? These are the questions that the characters of this game resolve beautifully; all in their own way. Thus I could not help but believe that this one has been told with so much love and care.
Please note that I have only presented my experience with the game equipped only with my own narrative competence. Nonetheless, I will urge everyone who owns a PlayStation 4 or 5 to try this game at least once.
Moloch (2022)
A low-key horror flick
Moloch starts with a little girl (Betreik) stranded to witness a gruesome murder in her family. 30 years on, she's all grown-up, a violin player, and parenting a daughter of her own.
The story takes inspiration from a folk tale which per the film itself is made up to prevent people from roaming around the bogs lest they be possessed by evil whispers and lose all their consciousness/agency in the process.
The film is very cautious in that that where it imposes the truth of a folk tale on you it also counters it with skepticism. So while Betreik, having grown up with the fact that there had been a murder in her family, is susceptible to superstition, she comes to be friends with an archeologist working near her house in the bogs, who thinks rationally.
As for what cinematic material the horror consists of, it won't throw the usual out-of-the-textbook horror tropes at you except only where and when it is necessary. You won't be made to remember the map of a house so that when ghosts/evil may tease the residents you have to recall where it is happening, there would be no thudding in the middle of the night, people won't wake up to see dead arrested in their ritual, occupying basement/attic of the house. Nonetheless, some of the horror scenes could have been better improvised.
Anyhow, the eerie atmosphere of cold, the fog, and the bogs themselves make up for a commendable art direction of a good horror story.
The movie is a fair realization of the adage the shorter the expression, the greater the impact. Thus, while the movie takes it slow, it gives you enough time with Betreik the traumatized, archeologist the reasonable, and the others - those being succumbed to the truth of the tale or are indifferent to it. All said and done, this makes for a memorable finale where reason seems living in its own bubble, and the superstition it's own.
Final word, this is the kind of movie that will make you scratch your head when it is over. But IMO, it is always for the best when a movie does that.
Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes (2021)
A work of art for competent viewers
Story-wise, it starts with a couple driving towards an old castle at night. The husband is an imposing one, the wife forbearing. The place which the wife is supposed to inherit, the richer of the two, has been left in a derelict form. It is a place, not simply housing unknown horror, but a locus to test their character i.e., habit, disposition, and morals.
The rest shall be left for the viewer to find out.
The movie has a multilayered narrative. It expects a lot of competence from the viewer's side to make sense.
The cinematography is magical. A love letter, indeed.
The sound editing is fantastic. And performance? To quote from the movie "You were born for this role".
The film students and nerds "of the higher order" will certainly be busy breaking it down piece by piece and then pulling it together again to see what becomes of it. But the average viewer with expectations of good old thrills and jump scares are not going to be able to enjoy it to the end.
It is a movie that not only pays homage to the horror cinema of the late 60s and early 70s but attempts a critique with the purpose of turning movies of the yore inside out. Does it succeed? By large, Yes.
But the more important question is this: as an average viewer do you really want to witness this success?