Pearl

POSITIVES

  • This is a prequel origin story to one of the characters from the movie "X" by Ti West. If that's something you're really interested in, then you should go see this. 

  • Mia Goth is absolutely phenomenally incredible in this and is easily the main; if not only, reason to watch this movie. It's her performance of a lifetime. She's amazing. She kills it even during the end credits.

  • Besides Mia Goth, the other memorable things that people will likely gravitate towards are certain stand-out scenes, like a particular dinner scene that gets out of control, a fantastic dance number, to a gripping monologue that absolutely gets your attention. 

  • Of course some of you will want to see all that twisted, depraved, gross, bloody horror stuff. You get those too. 

  • The film’s goals to shock and disturb you are one thing, but how it shows its appreciation by attempting to capture the look, feel, and sound of that vintage era is worthy of some kudos as well. 

NEGATIVES

  • Kinda drags a bit at times, because it has this somewhat casual pacing to it, when it should consider picking things up more. 

  • Could be more disturbing and scary. Really could have just used more horror. 

  • It at the same time felt too indulgent, and not indulgent enough. 

  • A warning to those who would care, but they show vintage porn in this movie. Oh, and there’s bloody gory violence too, if that needs to be mentioned. 

  • That whole thing with the roast pig. Didn’t need to see that. 

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

Pearl - watched in IN THEATERS

Drifting Home

POSITIVES

  • Gotta hand it to this anime movie. It's unlike any survival story I've ever seen. Oh and young kids are the ones trying to survive here too, so there are expected elements that go with that fact which keeps things even more interesting. 

  • Adventure sequences are uniquely specific in this due to the premise, but they can be pretty exciting to watch. There is some cool parkour work too. 

  • Narrative is adept at provoking an emotional response from you, and that's one of the main reasons you're going to stay invested in seeing where the story is going. 

  • Visuals and animation are beautifully simple yet so evocative, and important in the sense of being an analogy to why this story is playing out the way it does. 

  • The themes and commentaries made in this anime is the whole backbone to the story. It felt quite personal, very relatable, and provided good life lessons for everybody. 

NEGATIVES 

  • Hope you don't mind all the melodrama and precious moments.  

  • Characters might take a while to grow on you before you want to get invested in them. 

  • Logic is not going to apply to the plot that much, and certain things will not be explained. Prepare to suspend your disbelief maybe more than you would prefer to. 

  • At almost two hours, and the way the plot progressed, this should either have been condensed further in its storytelling, or should have been a mini-series instead. 

  • Subject matters and certain situations might be too intense for younger viewers. In fact, I'm not even sure young kids will completely appreciate what this movie starring young kids is actually all about. 

lovedit ENJOYED IT likedititsokayitsmehitsterrible

Drifting Home - watched it on NETFLIX

Do Revenge

POSITIVES

  • Do you like elaborate and very involved revenge schemes, but done in a high school age setting? Well this movie will take you on that ride, and then some. 

  • Dug the style of narrative, the look of the film, the clothing, the soundtrack, and the general heightened world that these kids seem to live in. 

  • For a plot like this that goes in multiple directions, with characters that are equally typical archetypes and nuanced enough to add more depth to them, the writing is overall pretty solid. The dialogue for the conversations (and the double voice over monologues) are entertainingly on point too, and that is one of the film’s biggest strengths.

  • The main reason for many to see this movie are of course Camila Mendes and Maya Hawke in the lead roles. They are undeniably pretty awesome in this, really bring their characters to life, and make it easy to want to see what’s going to happen to them next. Supporting actors like Austin Abrams, Rish Shah, Talia Ryder, and Alisha Boe, were all excellent as well. 

  • Beyond the slickness of the plot directions and the fascinating view of the world by the characters, the underlying thematic commentaries that are at the heart of this story really should grab your attention.

NEGATIVES 

  • Privileged, entitled, arrogant, rich high school kids, who happen to not have any parents or adults supervising them. How much can you put up with all of that? 

  • While it has that breezy narrative that moves things along, there are some lulls in the pacing that tells me that this could have been tighter and much shorter than its 2 hours run time. 

  • The final act felt quite a bit all over the place for the conclusion of the movie. 

  • Plot conveniences and some very familiar cliches and  tropes pop up more times than they probably should. Suspend your disbelief I guess. 

  • Aren’t they supposed to have a security lock on their phones?!! Lazy writing alert!

lovedit ENJOYED IT likedititsokayitsmehitsterrible

Do Revenge - watched it on NETFLIX

The Woman King

POSITIVES

  • It’s an awesome premise for a movie that’s based on true events. An African female warrior army fighting against slavers? Yes to that. 

  • Along with the entertaining action beats, the good set locations, the engaging narrative, the historical significance, and the social dynamics, the main highlight and the best thing about this movie is the camaraderie and relationship between the main female leads. That carries this film and everything that comes with it. 

  • Speaking of the female leads. Viola Davis is a powerful badass here as expected, Lashana Lynch is simply incredible, Sheila Atim is fantastic, and Thuso Mbedu as our actual lead protagonist Nawi that shows us how awesome and amazing she is. 

  • I don’t know about you all, but I like watching good solid training sequences, and this movie has them. 

  • Besides the obvious “slavery is bad” commentary, there are other themes this story focuses on that I think gave this movie a lot more heart and emotion than you might have expected. 

NEGATIVES

  • Those expecting this to be an action-packed movie might be disappointed. 

  • Plot conveniences. Manipulative plot devices. Plot tropes. This movie surprisingly has a rather derivative plot progression that doesn’t stray too far from what you’ve seen in other films. 

  • Narrative could move a little faster. It didn’t need to be over two hours long. 

  • Speaking of time… was there a longer cut to this movie, because there were some supporting actors who just didn’t get to do or say much at all, and yet they are framed like we’re supposed to know more about them. 

  • I get why they went with the accents, but I either needed closed-captioning, or would have preferred them just try and speak in an African language with subtitles. The accents were too thick for me. 

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

The Woman King - watched in IN THEATERS

Clerks III

POSITIVES

  • If you’re a Kevin Smith fan, or have enjoyed the View Askew movies, then there is absolutely no reason why you wouldn’t enjoy the much anticipated Clerks III. You the fans will feel rewarded by this film, and not just by the many cameos and call backs that you will find in it. Plus the soundtrack is awesome too. 

  • Huge kudos to the ensemble cast! Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Trevor Fehrman, Austin Zajur, Jason Mewes, Silent Bob, Rosario Dawson, Amy Sedaris, Marilyn Ghigliotti, Justin Long, and Jennifer Schwalbach Smith, plus many more. You all helped make this movie a very fun experience to watch. 

  • That dialogue. The writing is on point with the conversations and the jokes and all the references. I just wanted to keep listening to these characters talk. 

  • The back and forth between Dante and Randal AND Elias are a huge chunk of what makes this movie so very entertaining to watch. The supporting cast gets a piece of all that bantering too, and it’s all good stuff. In a Kevin Smith movie, the conversations are the action sequences. 

  • Besides all the meta stuff, and all that nostalgia, there is a legitimate thematic statement and commentary that is being relayed to us here. I’ll admit that I also got rather emotional by the time the end credits rolled. 

NEGATIVES

  • Is this only for the fans? Will they be the only ones who’ll really enjoy this? 

  • Certain plot decisions that may not please everybody at all. 

  • There’s a tonal shift that some people might be caught off guard with. 

  • Kevin Smith never claimed to be the most visual director, so yeah, this doesn’t necessarily offer a visually spectacular experience. 

  • This movie kinda cheated a bit with the movie within a movie movie. Plot hole? Or just suspend your disbelief as much as you can! 

lovedit ENJOYED IT likedititsokayitsmehitsterrible

Clerks III - watched in IN THEATERS

Barbarian

POSITIVES

  • It's always effective to make a house, a home, or the place you sleep in the setting of a scary horror movie and this one really takes advantage of that in that creepy, mysterious, disturbing, brutal kind of way. 

  • Love how this movie throws curveballs into the narrative. It just constantly keeps you on your toes and on the edge of your seat. I was going “WTF?!” so many times. What a roller coaster experience of a story. 

  • Excellent cinematography, and camera work. Really keeps you off balanced in what you are or aren’t seeing on screen. Makes you paranoid about what you might see in the background. Plus having us peer into the pitch blackness is a great way to keep that suspense and tension going. 

  • There are three primary actors featured in this movie, Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgård, and Justin Long. I appreciated how each one of them brought so much into their particular characters, and truly carried the movie. Also have to give a huge shout out to Matthew Patrick Davis for his supporting role in this. 

  • Just barely underneath the horror movie premise, there are clearly some messages and commentaries that this wants to relay to us. Some are really obvious, while others try to challenge your perspective. Discuss what happened in the plot all you want, but there are themes here that are worth chewing on.

NEGATIVES

  • Prepare to shout “why are you doing that?!” or “don’t go in there!” to the screen multiple times. I also have to point out that there is one particular moment when it seemed like the movie wasn’t going to be that kind of horror movie, but then proceeds to follow that trope anyway. 

  • Unfortunately still uses some convenient plot inconveniences just to move the story along. 

  • I think there’s one legitimate plot hole here that it doesn’t address, which I feel like took me out of the movie a bit. 

  • Some people might call out the narrative to be a bit repetitive in some regards, and how it’s just giving you the run-around. 

  • There’s one scene that is so unbelievably frustrating involving certain supporting characters that it kinda feels a bit too manipulative, and is forcing a specific perspective on you in an almost unrealistic sense within the context of the plot. 

lovedit ENJOYED IT likedititsokayitsmehitsterrible

Barbarian - watched in IN THEATERS

Pinocchio

POSITIVES

  • Well Pinocchio looks convincing enough more or less as a living wooden boy in a live action movie, and that’s what you’re here for right? I was amused with the fact that they took multiple opportunities to make his head rotate around like an owl.  

  • Benjamin Evan Ainsworth does a great job being the voice of Pinocchio, and the movie in general captures his innocence really well. 

  • This is already an iconic story, so it doesn’t take much to showcase some memorable plot points. With scenes involving Fabiana and Sabina, the “I Have No Strings” musical number, Luke Evan and Pleasure Island, plus Monstro,are just some of the times this movie springs to life. 

  • There is a fantastical odd and wild element to the world that definitely catches your attention, especially since this is a mostly live-action endeavor. 

  • As a cautionary tale and a moral lesson, this story still works well in that regard. 

NEGATIVES 

  • The pacing and plot progression is off. It’s unpleasant at times. Boring or uninteresting in some. Stupid or just dumb in others. Plus what’s with the Italian accents? 

  • Unsurprisingly and unfortunately, the CG work is a series of hits and misses. Especially Jiminy Cricket, which this movie just does not make look right. 

  • It should be pointed out that there are some scenes that might be too scary for kids. Especially since this is supposed to be a kid's movie right?

  • Those pop culture and Disney references felt a little too forced into this movie. 

  • Even Tom Hanks and Joseph Gordon-Levitt couldn't really save this movie. 

loveditenjoyeditlikedititsokay IT’S MEH itsterrible

Pinocchio (2022) - watched it on DISNEY+

Resurrection

POSITIVES

  • If you’re looking for a disturbingly creepy psychological horror-ish thriller-ish premise, about a Mother who is on the edge of a maddening situation, then this just might be the movie for you. 

  • Rebecca Hall is absolutely phenomenal in her role as Margaret and completely owns this film. She is the main reason to see this. Keep an eye for this one lengthy monologue that she does that will just keep you entranced. 

  • The relationship, interactions, and back and forth with characters like Grace Kaufman's Abbie, Tim Roth's David Moore, Angela Carbone's Gwyn, and Michael Esper's Peter, helps further take you and Margaret down the scary rabbit hole. 

  • Following the plot along, there is a good amount of suspense and tension to see what Margaret is going to do next; especially in the third act, which will only encourage you to keep watching. 

  • There are compelling thematic messages that enhance the urgency and agency of the plot. Definitely things to think about. 

NEGATIVES

  • Due to the nature of the story, it might take a while for you to get invested with it. 

  • It has odd and baffling moments that might just frustrate you. 

  • Oh believe me, this will push your suspension of disbelief. 

  • Even at just 103 minutes, this movie might feel longer than what you probably want it to actually be. 

  • That third act may not sit well for some people. Especially with how the movie concludes. 

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

Resurrection - watch it on VIDEO ON DEMAND

Fast & Feel Love

POSITIVES

  • What a premise! It’s a movie about somebody who wants to be the fastest at Sports Speed Stacking and the woman who can and cannot make that dream a reality for him. There are plot turns, reveals, and insightful revelations that will keep you invested in wanting to see how it plays out. 

  • For such a ridiculous idea for a movie, it really helped that its sense of humor completely entertained me. From the silly scenes, the meta self aware moments, sight gags, to all the pop culture references, to just the characters reacting to something, this movie is enjoyable as heck. 

  • Gotta love how it makes mundane minutiae of everyday life ultra dramatic, which truly adds to the comedy. That’s all thanks to the direction by Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit, the editing, the pacing, the camera work, and those profile shots, really makes all that work so well with the narrative. 

  • Amazing cast all around. The lead actors Nat Kitcharit as Kao and Urassaya "Yaya" Sperbund as Jay, really own their roles to perfection, no matter how absurd things could get for them. The supporting cast from Anusara Korsamphan, Wipawee Patnasiri, Keetapat Pongruea, and Kanokwan Butrachart, all deserve kudos for their roles as well.

  • There are a lot of thematic commentaries sprinkled throughout the plot. One could say that this is an excellent coming-of-age story about a 30 year old, and there are life lessons that need to be learned here. 

NEGATIVES 

  • The arrangement made by Kao and Jay seemed so infuriatingly unbelievable that I felt like I should just stop watching the movie. 

  • Has quite a bit of irreverent ridiculousness that may not work for you at all. 

  • Kao will really test your limits and frustrate you throughout the movie. 

  • I can see some people being disappointed with how the conclusion plays out. 

  • How much sports speed stacking do you actually want to see in a 2 hours and 12 minutes movie? 

lovedit ENJOYED IT likedititsokayitsmehitsterrible

Fast & Feel Love (เร็วโหด..เหมือนโกรธเธอ) - watched it on NETFLIX

Alienoid

POSITIVES

  • Love the gonzo premise for this mix-genre movie, which gives us robots, aliens, monsters, time travel, wire-fu, guns, magic, spaceships, plus so much more. 

  • The plot goes into many directions and I actually appreciate it for that, as it kept me on my toes into wondering where else this movie was going to go. Needless to say, I got invested pretty fast. 

  • Action sequences are pretty entertaining to watch, and have some nice creative ideas into the fight choreography. 

  • Main actors are all top notch here playing their characters, so shout-out to Kim Woo-bin, Ryu Jun-yeol, Choi Yu-ri, Kim Tae-ri, Yum Jung-ah, Jo Woo-jin, Shin Jung-geun, Lee Si-hoon, and Kim Dae-myung as the voice of Thunder. 

  • Sometimes you want to just watch a movie that is pure genre action-adventuring with cool characters and a fascinating narrative, that doesn’t necessarily have to say too much thematically. That’s what you get with this, so just join the ride with wanton abandonment. 

NEGATIVES

  • What is this? A Netflix TV show season that’s compressed into a 142 minutes movie? That’s seriously what it felt like. 

  • Honestly, the narrative can be a little bit all over the place, with nonsensical elements to further compound things. This might just turn some people off, or just overwhelmingly confuse them. 

  • Some basic and familiar plot tropes plus typical conveniences do show up here, which lend to some rather conventional story directions. 

  • I kinda wished the villains of this story were more fleshed out, than just being there to serve the plot. 

  • The way this movie concludes may not satisfy you.

lovedit ENJOYED IT likedititsokayitsmehitsterrible

Alienoid (oegye + in 1bu) - watched in IN THEATERS