Reviews

I’m so happy I finally got to see PRESENCE. The trailer really drew me in. Contrary to the movie’s marketing, this is not a horror, but a supernatural family drama. It tells the simple story of a family of 4 moving into a nice house. They consist of the overworked mother Rebecca (Lucy Liu), the empathetic father Chris (Chris Sullivan), the arrogant son Tyler (Eddy Maday), and the depressed daughter Chloe (Callina Liang). As they start settling in, they get the feeling that they might be alone in the house. I really enjoyed this movie the more I thought about it. First, the level of creativity from director Steven Soderbergh is next level. The entire movie is filmed in first-person perspective, but in the viewpoint of this mysterious spirit or ghost in the house. This made me endlessly wonder what the presence’s intent was, which kept me quietly captivated. The whole movie consists of these long, flowing uninterrupted steady-cam shots, which I know would’ve been hard to film. What impresses me even more is the fact it was filmed in only 11 days with a budget of $2 million. This also has some good character development, despite the limited space. Good family tension and sibling rivalry. Chris Sullivan is fantastic in this, as he was in the THIS IS US series. I really felt like a fly on the wall, like I was intruding on this family’s life. There was an unsettling sense of looming dread that made me nervous for the characters, showing just how much I cared about them. This movie is a slow burn, but at a brisk 85 minutes and with a powerful ending, it’s effective. One nit-pick I have is with the scene cuts. I think it would’ve been better if the scene cuts were “fade-to-blacks”, and not “cut-to-blacks”, making for smoother transitions. While last year’s HERE felt like one big gimmick, this movie switches it up constantly. One more thing that people might not be on board with is that some questions you will have go unanswered. I actually like this because it makes you wonder; The “Presence” knows exactly what the audience knows. I love movies that make you think or rethink about events that play out. Things that people want to talk about and discuss with each other. Soderbergh has made yet another inventive movie to add to his wildly varied portfolio. PRESENCE has a way of staying with you, pun fully intended. I highly recommend this experimental experience.

In the last 20 minutes, the action scenes are somewhat similar to the imitation of "The Bourne Supremacy"; as for the 70 minutes of lengthy drama before it, just skip it.

It can be regarded as a stunning feature debut by Seunghiko Ohbayashi - from the strange and colorful visuals to the sorrowful and anti-war core, the death and the girl's story and the gorgeous dream.

"The Omen" is a meticulously crafted horror classic in terms of audiovisual storytelling. Subtle details stand out, such as the husband’s indifference to his wife’s injury, focusing solely on the child. This depicts the wife as merely a vessel for reproduction. Similarly, the child’s relationship with the mother is framed as a token of her status. Beneath the polished exterior of a family lies coldness and distortion. The devil’s birth is not a matter of fate but a reflection of the alienation in human relationships.

It is undeniable that "Downfall" is anti-war. By focusing on the Nazi perspective, the film adopts a controversial but compelling approach. It humanizes its characters without glorifying them, challenging stereotypes and adding nuance to its portrayal. Instead of heavy-handed moralizing, it emphasizes the grotesque and brutal human cost of defeat, capturing the complexities of extremism through vivid depictions of death and despair.

When discussing black comedy, it’s impossible to overlook Guy Ritchie’s "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels." This film presents a hilariously chaotic heist, setting the standard for the genre. Its intricate multi-threaded narrative weaves a complex web of characters, each pursuing their self-interest, oblivious to the hidden connections that ultimately lead to an absurdly brilliant story. However, the film’s many factions and characters demand close attention from viewers to be understood fully.

Anti-war films are abundant, yet they never fail to resonate, perhaps because war represents a shared trauma of humanity. While French films often boast visuals as rich and vibrant as oil paintings, their storytelling can sometimes feel exaggerated and frivolous. Personally, I prefer the gravity of British films or the straightforwardness of American cinema.

This classic remains unmatched as the pinnacle of films about the birth of the devil. Though its narrative and scenes have been imitated countless times, the original's storytelling still feels masterfully paced, with information revealed gradually and deliberately. The atmospheric tension—such as the storm before the priest’s death or the chilling unease in the Jerusalem graveyard scene—is unparalleled. And, of course, the iconic closing shot of the child’s eerie smile has become a hallmark, inspiring countless imitators.

The director exhibits remarkable control over pacing and storytelling, weaving together the backdrop of British-Irish conflicts, police corruption, inhumane prison conditions, and the protagonist’s journey. This intricately layered narrative not only portrays how such circumstances shape an ordinary person’s growth but also delves deeply into the emotional journey of a father and son. On another level, it provides profound reflections on human nature.

"Death Proof" tells the story of a deranged serial killer who preys on women and uses car crashes as a method to dismember their bodies, indulging in his twisted desires. This is a quintessential slasher film, and Quentin Tarantino demonstrates his expertise in this genre, meticulously crafting the film’s structure, aesthetics, and character presentation.

Yeah

What incredible acting and cinematography! The panoramic shot starts by capturing a slice of contemporary young womanhood amidst the crowd—using the camera to record her unpredictable body movements, inexpressible emotions, and the relentless eruption of her raw, untamed self, like molten lava. Her exhaustion and anger serve as a response to the world. I absolutely love Yuumi’s portrayal of Kana, a character I completely, completely understood and identified with from beginning to end, as if I had known her for years.

POV: you work reviewing security cameras, and you have schizophrenia with paranoid delusions.
(I'm so snob that I would like to say I liked it but I'm not snob enough to say it)

I happened to writing about my travel literature about Corrientes, a small border city I visited last November, then learned about the Graham Greene novel and the film adaptation based on this place. I haven't read the novel, but the movie conveys the taste of secret love in a not good way. It is quite interesting to postpone the background of the story by a few years to the eve of Argentina's dirty war. After all, the movie was shot in 1982 and 1983 when the dirty war was about to end. The kidnapping by mistake was not designed to be too dramatic, but the unlucky and clumsy revolutionaries themselves said, "Of course we are amateurs, and the dictator and the military police are professionals."

La primer película fue mejor

Calidad suprema está y toda la saga pues la historia fantástica es espectacular, y todas las razas colosales como el reino de los elfos magistrales y poderosos, y la presencia en toda la saga de Gandalf el mago su actuación es única una maravilla 🏆

If they don't give Ralph Fiennes the Oscar, I will have myself baptized, and then sign the apostasy. Amen.

A magnificent film that has met with more than 20 million viewers. Watch it without getting bored.

January is normally the time movie studios dump their duds to keep people mildly satisfied until better stuff releases, but this year has been one of the best January’s in a long time. It’s going out with a bang, with COMPANION. This is a comedic psychological thriller, and a very hard movie to talk about without giving anything away. Don’t worry, I wouldn’t do that. On the other hand, the trailers are another story. If you want to know nothing about this, avoid any of the marketing. The vague story is this: Couple Josh (Jack Quaid) and Iris (Sophie Thatcher) go on a weekend getaway and visit their friends at a remote cabin. S*** gets wild from there. The movie hooks you in during the opening sequence and seemingly enjoys catching you off-guard. This is original, has clever twists, is a bit violent, is very fun, and is unpredictable. Writer and director Drew Hancock manages to address serious themes like toxicity, domestic abuse, and obsession verses love, but in a strangely fun way. The biggest reason to see this is Sophie Thatcher. She was great in last year's HERETIC, but this role is the one people are talking about. I had the privilege of seeing COMPANION early, and I can’t wait for people to embrace it. Another low-budget movie done right. Relationships are hard, so remember, find somebody made just for you.