Breaking

POSITIVES

  • Despite the simple production value, you should absolutely see this movie that is based on a true story. You need to know this story of Brian Brown-Easley. 

  • I appreciated the purposeful steady pacing and narrative that really makes you feel like you are experiencing this story minute by minute and in real time. If you don’t already know how it concludes, then it’ll definitely keep your attention to see it through. 

  • There’s a certain casual naturalism to the dialogue of the main characters that it really brings them to life as human beings that you should feel empathy / sympathy with. 

  • John Boyega gives us an absolutely amazing performance in his role as Brian Brown-Easley. Rounding up the ensemble main cast are the also fantastic Nicole Beharie, Selenis Leyva, London Covington, Olivia Washington, Connie Britton, Jeffrey Donovan, and especially the great Michael Kenneth Williams in his last acting role. 

  • Needless to say, there are some very specific commentaries here that you really need to be aware of. 

NEGATIVES

  • This has a simple straightforward nature to the narrative that isn’t exactly the most exciting bank hostage movie, if that’s what you were actually hoping for. 

  • Based on a true story and all, but there are moments where you might think seems unbelievable. 

  • It’s set in one location for the majority of the movie, and doesn’t really do too much in a visually cinematic sense. 

  • There’s absolutely no nuances to the obvious antagonists in this movie, that it seemed a little manipulative? 

  • Kinda wanted a little more exposition to the conclusion of the story. 

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

Breaking - watched in IN THEATERS

Three Thousand Years of Longing

POSITIVES

  • As a visual love letter to storytelling that includes historical references, mythological figures, fantastical elements, and modern socio-political culture dynamics, this incredible film is full of imagination and wonder, plus there’s a wish granting genie in this! All under the amazing direction of the super talented George Miller. 

  • The beautiful colorful imagery and the fantastic sound design are a huge delicious banquet to the eyes and ears. I was engaged with wanting to see what else this movie was going to show me next. 

  • Since storytelling is a big part of this, the dialogue, conversations, monologues, descriptions, self-awareness, variety of languages, and word choices that are all included with the visual narrative are all simply excellent. It’s not without some subtle nuanced humor too, which is a delight. 

  • Bouncing off each other, Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba are fantastic working together here. That initial meeting between their characters in the movie is a wonderful sequence that dictates an important tone for the rest of the plot’s progression. 

  • This narrative has a lot of messaging to share with us, and the thematic focus is insightfully bittersweet. 

NEGATIVES

  • It’s an unusual film that goes many places with the narrative, and that’s not necessarily going to be everybody’s kinda vibe. 

  • With a movie filmed with multiple different languages, some will be annoyed that it doesn’t always give us translated subtitles to what they are saying. 

  • I was disappointed with what the first wish was. Felt like it was a manipulative and unbelievable plot turn that tainted the rest of the film. Although I get the thematic messaging that comes from that. 

  • That third act and the conclusion. Not sure if you’ll be completely satisfied with it.

  • The nudity in this will probably be too much for some people. 

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

Three Thousand Years of Longing - watched in IN THEATERS

Vengeance

POSITIVES

  • Fish out of water premise. Cultural infused comedy. Socio-political discussions. Mystery. Death. Plot reveals and surprises. Podcasting. Whataburger. This film has a solid plot that kept me hooked throughout, and really made me want to see where the story was going. 

  • I really enjoyed the clever and witty writing. From word play miscommunications, interesting monologues, awkward silly humor, to fascinating and insightful conversations. 

  • A highlight is undoubtedly the characters that B.J.Novak’s "Ben Manalowitz" meets in Texas. Heck, Texas is itself a character! It’s very entertaining seeing Ben try to figure out how to talk and interact with these people, and get a handle on the Texas way of life. 

  • Along with Novak, the rest of the cast is absolutely fantastic! Shout out to Boyd Holbrook, J. Smith-Cameron, Eli Bickel, Isabella Amara, Dove Cameron, Louanne Stephens, Issa Rae, Ashton Kutcher, plus many more. 

  • Appreciated the fact that this is one of those character driven films that has something important to say. The social-cultural-political commentaries aren’t as straightforward as you might expect it to be, and I really loved the nuances that were applied to all that. Take heed to this movie’s message. 

NEGATIVES

  • With a movie title like “Vengeance,” I can only imagine some people might go into this thinking that it’s a Liam Neeson type action thriller. You might be disappointed with the fact that it’s not. 

  • It’s not without some plot tropes and cliches, but there is one particular story beat, where you are expecting it to happen, because it would with this kind of story, but at the same time you wished this movie would actually buck the trend and not go there anyway. Well it unfortunately did go there. Serves the plot and all, but still… 

  • Gotta say, there are some moments when I would go “I can’t believe he does not know that already?!” I mean seriously now. Took me out of the movie from how unbelievable it was. 

  • Depending on your reaction to the narrative and commentaries made in this movie; not to mention the stereotypes, you might get offended or patronized or insulted? 

  • You may or may not have issues with how the movie concludes. It’ll definitely make you have to digest how you feel about how that went down. 

lovedit ENJOYED IT likedititsokayitsmehitsterrible

Vengeance - watch it on VIDEO ON DEMAND

Orphan: First Kill

POSITIVES

  • If you liked Orphan from 2009, this installment has more of what that offered here, if that’s what you’re looking for. Plus it still has some surprises to keep you on your toes. 

  • The con job and observing how Leena pretends to be Esther is compelling to watch. 

  • Isabelle Fuhrman does a tremendous job reprising the role she played 13 years prior. Julia Stiles is also great as Tricia Albright here, and provides the best interactions with Fuhrman in this movie. 

  • I appreciated the fact that this movie does add more dynamics to Esther's situation and personality.  

  • Purely from a filmmaking point of view, I was fascinated with its visual attempts of movie magic in trying to convince us that a grown woman is playing a child. 

NEGATIVES 

  • Sorry, but as much as they made the effort, a 20 something Isabelle Fuhrman still looks too old to be playing a very young girl. 

  • Some derivative cliches and familiar tropes show up here and there. 

  • Stupid plot conveniences and/or stupid decisions made by characters. 

  • The last act is just so utterly ridiculous. 

  • Maybe the most disappointing thing about the movie is the fact that it's not exactly a thrilling, suspenseful, or scary experience. Felt far too reserved for a sequel/prequel film. 

loveditenjoyeditlikedititsokay IT’S MEH itsterrible

Orphan: First Kill - watched it on PARAMOUNT+

Look Both Ways

POSITIVES

  • Fascinating premise, charming, cute, with a lot of heart. It really piqued my curiosity with seeing where this narrative was going to take me, as an idea that I’m sure is something we’ve all wondered about.  

  • Intercutting between both realities is the gimmick that defines this movie, and will be the reason to keep watching. 

  • Lili Reinhart is excellent in the lead role as Natalie, but huge kudos to the supporting cast who are very great in their roles. Danny Ramirez, David Corenswet, Aisha Dee, Nia Long, plus especially Luke Wilson and Andrea Savage as the parents, all really added to the story in good ways. 

  • Gotta say. I actually do love the drawn illustrations shown to us in this movie. 

  • Themes and lessons aside, I feel like this is the kind of movie young adults really need to check out. Especially those who are apprehensive about transitioning into this more adult era of their lives. 

NEGATIVES 

  • The movie can feel a bit on the derivative side. Yes, there is that narrative gimmick, but that isn’t exactly originally fresh either. 

  • It's like two different movies squished into one, and both honestly wouldn't be that remarkable to watch on their own. 

  • Some plot moments can feel a bit cliche or manipulative, and there's even a shameless plug by Netflix in this too. 

  • Not exactly a cinematic experience. Perfect example of “made for TV” or “made for streaming.” 

  • With its leisurely pacing and lack of super exciting plot elements, I can imagine some people might get bored with it. 

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

Look Both Ways - watched it on NETFLIX

Bodies Bodies Bodies

POSITIVES

  • Love the idea of a self-aware satirical gen z style whodunnit. The commentaries and dialogue tackles just about most issues and discourse surrounding the current social climate. 

  • Where the plot goes are a series of narrative whiplash. Yeah. It constantly grabs your attention and will keep you guessing. 

  • The cast sells their characters quite effectively, even in very unflattering ways. Kudos to Maria Bakalova, Myha'la Herrold, Chase Sui Wonders, Amandla Stenberg, Rachel Sennott, Pete Davidson, and Lee Pace. 

  • Visually the cinematography and camera work do an impressive job of putting you inside a mansion of a house that doesn't have lights and power. That feeling of being lost and confused is on point. 

  • That final conclusion and reveal. For what this movie is about, I've gotta say that it's just the perfect way to end things. 

NEGATIVES

  • The first 20, 30, 45, 65, 80 minutes can be so obnoxious and frustrating to put up with. Oh wait... 

  • I wanted to yell at the screen "What are you doing?!!!" as I did a facepalm and rolled my eyes so much at the terrible decisions these characters were making. It just seemed too unbelievable to me. 

  • Why am I watching a whole movie with such pretentious, idiotic, and toxic characters?! 

  • Wait, this is a satire right? Because if it's not, then there's way too much cringe in what was said and done by the characters. So many embarrassing and disappointing moments that make me concerned with how damaged Gen Z is. 

  • Could this movie be too cynical and unfair perhaps? 

loveditenjoyeditlikedit IT’S OKAY itsmehitsterrible

Bodies Bodies Bodies - watched in IN THEATERS

Fall

POSITIVES

  • I liked the straightforward premise. This is a good idea for a movie that capitalizes on possibly triggering your fear of heights. 

  • It provides entertaining tense build-ups, thrills, heart stopping moments, and action beats. Climbing, jumping, and falling, oh my!

  • Kudos to the screenwriters for managing to keep this simple narrative going far longer than I expected it to. Way to go coming up with even more suspense and dramatic turn of events. 

  • Considering the limited locations used for this film, it impressively provides some great visuals and imagery anyway, courtesy of some good camera work, nice wide shots, drone footage, and clever editing. 

  • Grace Fulton and Virginia Gardner are very solid here. Excellent job carrying the movie in the acting and physical departments, plus their chemistry together works. 

NEGATIVES

  • So many “that doesn’t even make sense!” or “why are you doing that?” moments that made me roll my eyes and want to just yell at the screen in frustration. 

  • There is a disappointing cliché plot reveal that is so unnecessary for this story. 

  • Speaking of clichés. The tech used by the characters in this movie sure went through a check list of derivative and tired plot tropes. 

  • The character of Hunter is probably going to annoy some people, and there are only two characters on screen for the majority of the movie. 

  • You’re going to immediately get tired of “Cherry Pie” by Warrant. 

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

Fall - watched in IN THEATERS

Easter Sunday

POSITIVES

  • A Filipino culture infused dysfunctional Family story set in Daly City starring popular Fil-Am stand-up comic Jo Koy. It’s a premise that’s pleasantly charming and comfortably familiar. 

  • Excellent ensemble cast of actors, that had great chemistry and amusing interactions with each other. Shout out to Jo Koy, Eugene Cordero, Lydia Gaston, Brandon Wardell, Eva Noblezada, Rodney To, Tia Carrere, Elena Juatco, plus so many more. 

  • One of the main highlights and surprises actually come from the well known actors who only show up in a limited supporting role, but they absolutely steal their scene. 

  • Some running jokes that I really enjoyed involved a sibling rivalry, a technique of hanging up on someone on the phone, the Santo Niño, and PacMan. 

  • There are several major things it got right in showcasing Filipino culture into this film that I appreciated; besides the family aspect or the accent. The delicious cuisine, Karaoke, the struggle to maintain the Filipino identity, and how Pinoys just love recognizing celebrities who are Filipinos.

NEGATIVES

  • Some people will go into this thinking it’s going to be a laugh-riot. It’s not. It’s a relatively straightforward dramedy at most. I agree though, it could have used a lot more jokes. 

  • There’s a plot thread that seemed way too forced to be included in this movie just to create some action. Unnecessary, and arguably cheapens the narrative a bit. 

  • Unfortunately has several unusual plot conveniences that defy logic just to move the plot along. 

  • A little nitpick. This had the most unbelievable Easter Mass I’ve ever seen! I got that liberties are taken for the story, but this killed my suspension of disbelief much more than I wanted. 

  • It tries to pick and choose a path on how to integrate Tagalog into the narrative and it’s a bit all over the place. No subtitles. Wrong subtitles. Too much Tagalog. Not enough Tagalog. Non-Tagalog speakers will have to just try and keep up. 

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

Easter Sunday - watched in IN THEATERS

Bullet Train

POSITIVES

  • It’s got a cool premise. Underworld thieves and killers, coincidentally encounter each other on a Bullet Train in Japan, commence irreverence and self-aware humor and death.

  • Easily one of the huge highlights is the ensemble cast itself, as well as the surprise cameo or big name stars only doing a small bit role. Brad Pitt, Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Andrew Koji, just to name a handful of such a huge excellent cast.  

  • Another big highlight are the action beats and the choreography that comes with that. It gets bloody violent too, so that’s a plus if that’s what you’re into.  

  • Without a doubt, the whole movie was just a big set-up to the third and final act. Was it worth getting there? Yeah. I think so.  

  • The super stylish narrative and direction runs parallel with the story’s commentary about fate, and I think it hits the landing with its messaging. 

NEGATIVES

  • Comedy is subjective, but the humor in this movie; which is mostly banter or clever mistakes, didn’t really make me laugh much at all.  I think I audibly laughed just once. They might think they’re amusing, but it could also be considered annoying.

  • Forced coincidences that might just kill your suspension of disbelief? I think so. 

  • Makes a big deal pointing out a conceit surrounding Brad Pitt’s character, and it hardly takes advantage of that aspect for the majority of the movie, which is disappointing. 

  • Yet another example of romanticizing a violent criminal life filled with clever cool characters. 

  • Really tows the line into a bit of cultural appropriation… 

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

Bullet Train - watched in IN THEATERS

Luck

POSITIVES

  • Cute premise and idea for a movie. A super unlucky human and a lucky talking animal.

  • Tons of moments of choreographed bad luck and good luck that were really fun to watch. Easily my favorite aspect of the movie.

  • Narrative moves at a good pace, and it has its fair share of plot surprises here and there. 

  • Eva Noblezada as Sam and Simon Pegg as Bob are fantastic in their roles. Their characters easily carry the movie quite well. 

  • As a kids movie, the thematic lessons taught here; including the notions of good and bad luck, are worthwhile. 

NEGATIVES 

  • Animation style and visuals might be too unextraordinary for some. 

  • So much exposition in its world building, it’ll remind you that this is a kids movie. 

  • Plot progression isn't exactly challenging, because it's a kids movie! 

  • There’s a specific running plot point involving Latvia that is just kinda dumb. 

  • The whole subplot with Captain seems a little unnecessary. 

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

Luck - watched it on APPLE TV+