I just saw it today and feel pretty much the same way. I'm convinced they only gave it a North-East setting to allow Jodi Comer to do another accent.
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Matt N
CF Legend
I managed to watch The Thursday Murder Club on Netflix earlier today.
I haven’t read the book, but I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the film! The plot, presumably taken from the book by Richard Osman, was compelling and easy to follow, which always makes for a good whodunnit kind of film, and there were some good twists and a good payoff at the end (even if, as per usual, my mum had the conclusion nailed from the beginning!). Also, I have to say it was highly amusing in places as well, and induced some good laughs out of me! It’s got a cast absolutely stacked with famous actors, including Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan, and I think they all play their characters well (even if it is strange hearing David Tennant do a Cockney accent!).
Overall, I just thought it was a really good, fun watch, and I’d definitely recommend it!
I haven’t read the book, but I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the film! The plot, presumably taken from the book by Richard Osman, was compelling and easy to follow, which always makes for a good whodunnit kind of film, and there were some good twists and a good payoff at the end (even if, as per usual, my mum had the conclusion nailed from the beginning!). Also, I have to say it was highly amusing in places as well, and induced some good laughs out of me! It’s got a cast absolutely stacked with famous actors, including Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan, and I think they all play their characters well (even if it is strange hearing David Tennant do a Cockney accent!).
Overall, I just thought it was a really good, fun watch, and I’d definitely recommend it!
davidm
Strata Poster
I was out with a pal the other day, and the topic of that ^ The Thursday Murder Club came up - I said to my pal that I thought I would watch it at some point although I expected it to be terrible.
I have just watched it.
Like a big-money ITV / Midsummer Murders thing.
Wasn't even a clever "whodunnit", it just trundled through the "plot" and fell out the end.
And despite Helen Mirren being quite good, everyone else was phoning it in.
It was terrible (sorry Matt).
--
On the other hand, I saw Weapons last week - film of the year I reckon. It's very odd, but very good.
I have just watched it.
Like a big-money ITV / Midsummer Murders thing.
Wasn't even a clever "whodunnit", it just trundled through the "plot" and fell out the end.
And despite Helen Mirren being quite good, everyone else was phoning it in.
It was terrible (sorry Matt).
--
On the other hand, I saw Weapons last week - film of the year I reckon. It's very odd, but very good.
Will
Strata Poster
I do intend to see Weapons at some point - takes me by surprise when what I'd assumed was a run of the mill horror is actually getting good reviews.
I'm in a bit of a film phase at the moment because I've been bored - and I've rediscovered the old 'film's scariest moments' countdowns. I watched Doctor Sleep on Friday night, and was rather impressed.
I also watched The Ghost and the Darkness - I've always had a slightly unhealthy interest in man-eating animals and this centred around the infamous Tsavo Lions - didn't stick to the real story as closely as I'd have liked and kind of turned into a slightly far-fetched 'Jaws with lions', but it was entertaining enough to keep my attention until fairly close to the end.
A few weeks ago, I finally watched Hereditary, which had been on my list for years. Not sure what my expectations were, but I was rather disappointed. There's some really nasty stuff, but in between that, I found it rather slow.
I'm in a bit of a film phase at the moment because I've been bored - and I've rediscovered the old 'film's scariest moments' countdowns. I watched Doctor Sleep on Friday night, and was rather impressed.
I also watched The Ghost and the Darkness - I've always had a slightly unhealthy interest in man-eating animals and this centred around the infamous Tsavo Lions - didn't stick to the real story as closely as I'd have liked and kind of turned into a slightly far-fetched 'Jaws with lions', but it was entertaining enough to keep my attention until fairly close to the end.
A few weeks ago, I finally watched Hereditary, which had been on my list for years. Not sure what my expectations were, but I was rather disappointed. There's some really nasty stuff, but in between that, I found it rather slow.
davidm
Strata Poster
28 Years Later:The Bone Temple
In preparation I rewatched last year's "28 Years" movie earlier this week and probably appreciated it more on the second viewing. And I thought more of this one (on first viewing) than I did for the first one. However, for a "zombie movie" there is quite a lack of actual zombies in it (I mean there are some, just not that many) - clearly I'm misunderstanding what it is all about then
But there is some real fab sequences in this one, often set to some great music. There is also a lot of painful gore sequences. Still not sure I appreciate the "Jimmys" though.
Overall I did enjoy it though - certainly a different horror movie than the usual stuff.
I thought it was better because there were fewer zombies. The whole running away from zombies thing has been done to death, so I think it's better that these films are moving away from that.28 Years Later:The Bone Temple
In preparation I rewatched last year's "28 Years" movie earlier this week and probably appreciated it more on the second viewing. And I thought more of this one (on first viewing) than I did for the first one. However, for a "zombie movie" there is quite a lack of actual zombies in it (I mean there are some, just not that many) - clearly I'm misunderstanding what it is all about then
But there is some real fab sequences in this one, often set to some great music. There is also a lot of painful gore sequences. Still not sure I appreciate the "Jimmys" though.
Overall I did enjoy it though - certainly a different horror movie than the usual stuff.
The one thing I didn't like was the scene at the end. It didn't need it and felt a bit too forced and a bit "Marvel"; look what's coming in the next film!
Howie
Donkey in a hat
Went to watch that there Project Hail Mary last night.
It's excellent, best film I've seen in quite some time in fact. To be fair, it's the only film in quite some time that I've actually felt the urge to go and see at the cinema, with it not being a sequel, prequel, reboot, franchise or a crappy, CGI smashy smashy fest. Just an original, well written story with great acting, great humour, thrills, spectacle and a whole range of human (and non human) emotions.
Ryan Gosling is fab. I mean, it's a two and a half hour film and he's onscreen virtually the entire time, more often than not completely alone and I gotta say, his character, Ryland Grace, is a great hang. You'll like him.
But the real star of the show is 'Rocky'. I was astounded to learn that he/it was brought to life largely through puppetry and is not some CGI creation, and the film is all the better for it. It just makes the whole thing more real, more 'tangible'. Who'd have thought a faceless pile of rocks could make you cry, and not just once.
Nitpicks? Well, there's a few, largely centred around the basic science of the movie's premise: I didn't really buy the concept of these interstellar microbes that bomb around the cosmos 'eating' suns (hence the name 'astrophage'), and the ease with which Grace and Rocky develop a communication system (about 2 minutes of screentime) certainly raises some eyebrows, but questioning the logic of Project Hail Mary is missing the point entirely. This isn't a documentary about something that could or might happen, it's a simple and very satisfying tale of two unlikely characters from completely different worlds thrown together in an extreme situation who must work together to overcome a really big problem, and that is something that the world could really do with right now.
I highly recommend it. Go see it.
It's excellent, best film I've seen in quite some time in fact. To be fair, it's the only film in quite some time that I've actually felt the urge to go and see at the cinema, with it not being a sequel, prequel, reboot, franchise or a crappy, CGI smashy smashy fest. Just an original, well written story with great acting, great humour, thrills, spectacle and a whole range of human (and non human) emotions.
Ryan Gosling is fab. I mean, it's a two and a half hour film and he's onscreen virtually the entire time, more often than not completely alone and I gotta say, his character, Ryland Grace, is a great hang. You'll like him.
But the real star of the show is 'Rocky'. I was astounded to learn that he/it was brought to life largely through puppetry and is not some CGI creation, and the film is all the better for it. It just makes the whole thing more real, more 'tangible'. Who'd have thought a faceless pile of rocks could make you cry, and not just once.
Nitpicks? Well, there's a few, largely centred around the basic science of the movie's premise: I didn't really buy the concept of these interstellar microbes that bomb around the cosmos 'eating' suns (hence the name 'astrophage'), and the ease with which Grace and Rocky develop a communication system (about 2 minutes of screentime) certainly raises some eyebrows, but questioning the logic of Project Hail Mary is missing the point entirely. This isn't a documentary about something that could or might happen, it's a simple and very satisfying tale of two unlikely characters from completely different worlds thrown together in an extreme situation who must work together to overcome a really big problem, and that is something that the world could really do with right now.
I highly recommend it. Go see it.
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I saw a bunch of movies in the past week. Splitsville was a fun little comedy, there's a really great fight sequence which goes on so much longer than you'd expect and gets some good chuckles. Sometimes the choices the characters make are frustrating but there's enough humour to tolerate those moments.
Ready or Not 2: Here I Come - The first film was great fun so I was looking forward to this and it delivered exactly what I wanted from it, lots of really crazy deaths and fun characters hamming it up. I really like the humour, especially the dance floor sequence which was so silly.
Super Mario Galaxy movie - I think the first film was fine but this one was dull. It looks nice, I loved the little stars and Fox McCloud (who could pull off a solo movie) but overall it just felt like it was going through the motions of throwing in things fans might like to see from the games and as someone who doesn't play Mario games this just didn't entertain me.
Project Hail Mary - Absolutely fantastic film, it looks great and the humour really helps keep the film going at a nice pace. I quite liked the way it intercut the pre and post launch parts of the story (I'm not sure if the book does the same?). Rocky is Amaze! Amaze! Amaze!
The Magic Faraway Tree - I didn't grow up reading the books so I went in with no expectations and was taken on quite a cute little journey with plenty of whimsy. It felt like an old school family film that everyone can enjoy. The child actors were pretty decent which was nice.
The Drama - I was so intrigued from the trailer as to what Zendaya's character revealed and so glad I didn't know beforehand! It is a good enough secret that creates tension and discussion (although I think people outside of the States will have a different stance to those that live there and the film creates enough space for all opinions). Lots of interesting characters and dynamics but the spiralling towards the end was a tough watch for me, the second hand embarrassment is on a level I can't handle.
Fuse - I didn't know much about this one going in aside from who was in it. It was fine I guess, some decent double-triple crossing and the tension in some of the earlier moments is very good. I wouldn't go out of my way for this one but it's fine if you want something easy to watch on a Sunday afternoon.
They Will Kill You - I enjoyed this, maybe too many similarities to Ready or Not 2 but overall it had some fun sequences. Although it is strange that it seems to flip through various styles throughout, like one sequence is very Tarantino inspired but then it just drops it once that moment finishes. Again it's another very silly gory film which is up my street. However if it was a bit more focused and tighter in the edit it would be a better time.
The Good Boy - I was looking forward to this as Stephen Graham is great and the premise was different. It was... strange. I think I liked it, they certainly gave me enough reasons to despise Tommy and I liked how everything developed but maybe I needed a tiny bit more background on why it happened.
Ready or Not 2: Here I Come - The first film was great fun so I was looking forward to this and it delivered exactly what I wanted from it, lots of really crazy deaths and fun characters hamming it up. I really like the humour, especially the dance floor sequence which was so silly.
Super Mario Galaxy movie - I think the first film was fine but this one was dull. It looks nice, I loved the little stars and Fox McCloud (who could pull off a solo movie) but overall it just felt like it was going through the motions of throwing in things fans might like to see from the games and as someone who doesn't play Mario games this just didn't entertain me.
Project Hail Mary - Absolutely fantastic film, it looks great and the humour really helps keep the film going at a nice pace. I quite liked the way it intercut the pre and post launch parts of the story (I'm not sure if the book does the same?). Rocky is Amaze! Amaze! Amaze!
The Magic Faraway Tree - I didn't grow up reading the books so I went in with no expectations and was taken on quite a cute little journey with plenty of whimsy. It felt like an old school family film that everyone can enjoy. The child actors were pretty decent which was nice.
The Drama - I was so intrigued from the trailer as to what Zendaya's character revealed and so glad I didn't know beforehand! It is a good enough secret that creates tension and discussion (although I think people outside of the States will have a different stance to those that live there and the film creates enough space for all opinions). Lots of interesting characters and dynamics but the spiralling towards the end was a tough watch for me, the second hand embarrassment is on a level I can't handle.
Fuse - I didn't know much about this one going in aside from who was in it. It was fine I guess, some decent double-triple crossing and the tension in some of the earlier moments is very good. I wouldn't go out of my way for this one but it's fine if you want something easy to watch on a Sunday afternoon.
They Will Kill You - I enjoyed this, maybe too many similarities to Ready or Not 2 but overall it had some fun sequences. Although it is strange that it seems to flip through various styles throughout, like one sequence is very Tarantino inspired but then it just drops it once that moment finishes. Again it's another very silly gory film which is up my street. However if it was a bit more focused and tighter in the edit it would be a better time.
The Good Boy - I was looking forward to this as Stephen Graham is great and the premise was different. It was... strange. I think I liked it, they certainly gave me enough reasons to despise Tommy and I liked how everything developed but maybe I needed a tiny bit more background on why it happened.
Howie
Donkey in a hat
Disclosure Day.
Probably the film I've been looking forward to the most this year. I mean... Spielberg? Williams? Aliens? Shiiiiiit, take my money, please.
Was it worth the wait?
Uhm... well, yes and no. Wasn't quite the 'event movie' that I was hoping for, don't think it'll be going down as classic Spielberg along with the likes of Jaws, Jurassic or Raiders, but still a very entertaining couple of hours in a dark room.
Plot wise it's rather simple: bloke has some classified material. Some shadowy, chasey stuff happens. Bloke releases material. The end.
He knows what it is, we know what it is and to be fair, anyone who's ever watched an episode of Ancient Aliens knows what it is, there are no startling revelations here.
There's also a couple of not-very-convincing CGI animals which distract from things somewhat.
On the plus side, Emily Blunt is kinda fab, John Williams (at 94 years old ffs!) is still on fine form and the whole thing rips along pretty well. Couple of sweaty action scenes thrown in for good measure too.
And let's face it, average Spielberg is still way better than most filmmakers working at their absolute peak.
Worth a watch.
Probably the film I've been looking forward to the most this year. I mean... Spielberg? Williams? Aliens? Shiiiiiit, take my money, please.
Was it worth the wait?
Uhm... well, yes and no. Wasn't quite the 'event movie' that I was hoping for, don't think it'll be going down as classic Spielberg along with the likes of Jaws, Jurassic or Raiders, but still a very entertaining couple of hours in a dark room.
Plot wise it's rather simple: bloke has some classified material. Some shadowy, chasey stuff happens. Bloke releases material. The end.
He knows what it is, we know what it is and to be fair, anyone who's ever watched an episode of Ancient Aliens knows what it is, there are no startling revelations here.
There's also a couple of not-very-convincing CGI animals which distract from things somewhat.
On the plus side, Emily Blunt is kinda fab, John Williams (at 94 years old ffs!) is still on fine form and the whole thing rips along pretty well. Couple of sweaty action scenes thrown in for good measure too.
And let's face it, average Spielberg is still way better than most filmmakers working at their absolute peak.
Worth a watch.
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I saw Disclosure Day yesterday and was really disappointed. I was waiting for some kind of surprise or twist to make it interesting, but nothing ever came. Crap.
Masters of the Universe, however, I really enjoyed, but having been a kid in the '80s, I was obviously the perfect target audience for it.
Masters of the Universe, however, I really enjoyed, but having been a kid in the '80s, I was obviously the perfect target audience for it.
davidm
Strata Poster
Yeah I saw Disclosure Day earlier today, and it wasn't a great story I thought. Some good performances/filmy bits for sure (and to be honest the ending sequence was spine-tingly good for me) but overall a bit "meh". CE3K did it better - missable.
On the other hand I saw Backrooms last week, and that was FAB.
--
EDIT : This is a good review of Disclosure Day I think - Kermode gets the film-critical stuff spot on, but Mayo (perhaps a little spoiler-ish) really makes a lot of sense of it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMnSzPzEewg - worth watching (probably after you see the film though)
On the other hand I saw Backrooms last week, and that was FAB.
--
EDIT : This is a good review of Disclosure Day I think - Kermode gets the film-critical stuff spot on, but Mayo (perhaps a little spoiler-ish) really makes a lot of sense of it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMnSzPzEewg - worth watching (probably after you see the film though)
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Rob Coasters
Rob Poster
Only Obsession is in cinemas, but I felt the need to touch on the other two.
Obsession - absolutely terrifying horror movie. I've never rooted for the downfall of a main character so much, who strongly affected the lives of everyone he knew because he was too scared to communicate his feelings. A fantastic film with one of the strongest jumpscares my friends have witnessed.
The Long Walk - it impressed me how much they were able to do with a simple concept, they truly thought about every possible way someone could die in a case of endurance walking and I enjoyed that. The horror dystopian aspects were pulled off pretty well, and any friendships that formed had you on the edge of your seat with full knowledge that every one was going to end in tragedy - a matter of when, not if.
Get Out - a super interesting premise for a film, and one of the most "true" film titles ever - he really, really needed to get out. Its take on racism is done in a way that you would never expect, and the fate of Chris is constantly in jeopardy from the first red flag right up until the final five minutes.
Obsession - absolutely terrifying horror movie. I've never rooted for the downfall of a main character so much, who strongly affected the lives of everyone he knew because he was too scared to communicate his feelings. A fantastic film with one of the strongest jumpscares my friends have witnessed.
The Long Walk - it impressed me how much they were able to do with a simple concept, they truly thought about every possible way someone could die in a case of endurance walking and I enjoyed that. The horror dystopian aspects were pulled off pretty well, and any friendships that formed had you on the edge of your seat with full knowledge that every one was going to end in tragedy - a matter of when, not if.
Get Out - a super interesting premise for a film, and one of the most "true" film titles ever - he really, really needed to get out. Its take on racism is done in a way that you would never expect, and the fate of Chris is constantly in jeopardy from the first red flag right up until the final five minutes.
Rob Coasters
Rob Poster
I've recently hit 10 2026 releases, here are my thoughts on them.
1. Obsession
a man uses a wish-granting device to win his crush's heart, but not in the way he was probably hoping
While technically a 2025 release, it didn't hit theatres until 2026. Obsession absolutely deserves all of the praise it's getting, and is one of the most tense and "sense of dread around every corner" movies I've seen. It's somehow more terrifying on a rewatch when you know what's coming, and it's never EVER good. The acting here is simply phenomenal, and the lighting is insanely good. Easily one of my all-time favourites but I understand that it may not appeal to some.
2. Pizza Movie
two boys in university must travel down two flights of stairs to get pizza, but they've just taken a homemade drug that will make this very difficult
Here's where my biases start to shine in... This is an unbelievably stupid premise but got SO much audible laughter out of me. This was a fantastic viewing experience, you could give me ten years to predict where it was gonna go next and I never would have guessed. I'm a little sad it ended but it's a great introduction to the "stoner movie" genre and makes me want to delve a little deeper into this niche.
3. The Odyssey
the king of an ancient Greek city must make his way home following a large war but his adventure will be filled with peril, fear, and the deaths of his men
This was wild. An epic retelling of Homer's story and had me glued to the screen for the full three hours and zero bathroom breaks... however, I wasn't familiar with the source material upon my first watch, and so after discussing the movie with some other roller coaster friends, I quickly understood that I hadn't a clue of what was going on, I just simply saw "beautifully shot scenes" and "massive fights" and seemingly failed to understand anything else that happened. My post-watch confusion got to a point where one of my friends I was conversing with privately messaged me to double-check on whether or not I was leading them all on as a joke. This was a movie where I did slightly question the casting choices too, as with Telemachus (who was one of the multiple characters that I never ever learnt the name of), I couldn't see anyone other than "that is very obviously Tom Holland in fancy dress". I think that knowing the source material a little better, or the name of ANYONE beyond Odysseus, I might enjoy this a lot more. It's at the top of my "due for a rewatch" list, but I'm not sure if I really want to do that over seeing something new for the first time instead.
4. The Sheep Detectives
a farm owner reads detective stories to his flock of sheep every night, but when he disappears, the sheep must band together to discover what happened
This was a wonderful and moving story about death, and how blocking out any and all negative memories won't allow you to progress as a person. Plugging your ears isn't always the way to go, sometimes you must face the music head-first and you may just get rewarded for your efforts in rising up against your fears. By far my favourite movie genre is "the same event from multiple perspectives" which is why works such as Weapons and Hoodwinked! are among my favourites, and this one is no different.
5. Masters of the Universe
a prince returns home after 15 years to discover it has been destroyed and must join forces to take matters into their own hands
I feel like I may be overrating this a little bit, but I did really enjoy this for what it was at the time. My review note only says "I like how Skeletor's insults are basically 'you dumb little nincompoop'". Anyway, it should be noted that one of my least favourite tropes in movies is "the two heroes get together and form a romantic couple at the end" as I think it feels incredibly forced on multiple occasions. Sometimes people have better chemistry just being friends/coworkers/a dynamic duo who works together to save civilisation, so I was glad to see that this wasn't the case here (even if He-Man did try a little to make it happen). There are definitely movies where this can work like a charm, but definitely others where it feels a little forced (the worst offender in my opinion being Ready Player One).
6. Iron Lung
99% of the universe is gone - a prisoner is sent on an expedition to find vital resources in an ocean of blood, but he is not alone in the water
Could it be any more obvious that this was inspired by a video game? Well, this was still a really fun watch despite that. The "loop" starts to get pretty repetitive with the radioactive camera flash, but it does always attempt to do something new and I'd say it does a damn good job with putting some 90 minutes of entertainment almost entirely in this tiny claustrophobic little submarine. It has you pretty constantly on edge and this general "you know what this situation is so horrific that I'm probably just better off dead here" vibe to it. Like Obsession, there is this uneasy feeling of "nothing good is going to happen" and the ending is absolutely WILD.
7. Spider-Man: Brand New Day
previously, after an incident, spider-man had no choice but to erase everyone's memories of him, and now he has to watch his friends move on without him
It was pretty difficult to put this below MotU and IL, but ultimately the decision was made. This is my second Spider-Man movie after seeing Homecoming, and I really enjoyed it. It's the type of "turn off your brain and enjoy some popcorn entertainment" media in a good way. The type of thing you'd watch on a plane. Spider-Man tries to make his friends remember him while a threat looms over the city. While it is a little long, and I didn't really have that much to say about it, it succeeded damn well with what it set out to do. It's a fun watch.
8. Hokum
a man scattering his parents' ashes is taken aback by stories of a witch who is haunting the hotel he is staying at
Unfortunately I wasn't really engaged with this one at all. The characters had potential and certain scenes were fun, a friend said that it felt like a video game, ultimately it just didn't convince me as much as I'd wanted it to. I did struggle to pay attention sometimes. I had to Google the ending to see what it meant, which I really don't enjoy having to do. Maybe it's worth a rewatch, I'd like to give it a second chance, because there really is potential here.
9. Backrooms
the owner of a store discovers a mysterious doorway in the basement that leads to a maze of rooms that all look the same
Sadly, I either sat there bored or confused. I understand that this is the director's personal idea of what the Backrooms are like, and that they are all up to anyone's interpretation, but I really wish that the Backrooms themselves were explored a lot more than they were. I felt that a lot of it was just the first few rooms except for the initial chase sequence, and I never got the whole "there are millions of rooms here and you will never escape" vibe that is supposed to come with every Backrooms interpretation. Unfortunately I don't think the potential was explored enough here, and a few moments left me scratching my head, but the 7ft Captain Clark animatronic was super creepy and very well done.
10. Citizen Vigilante
a man is tired of police not taking enough action against abusers and puts matters into his own hands
I understand what this movie is going for, and I do somewhat agree with one half of the message, but I'm lost on the second half which says that you're more likely to be an abuser if you're of certain nationalities and the whole thing devolves into a pathetic and very racist commentary that fails to understand anything. Directly pinning the blame on migrants, it is unapologetically uninformed on why these things happen and just seems like an excuse to promote dangerously racist premises. It's a shame because if the blatant racism wasn't there, it would almost be a half-decent movie because there genuinely were moments where I was engaged. Even if it was very poorly produced & edited.
1. Obsession
a man uses a wish-granting device to win his crush's heart, but not in the way he was probably hoping
While technically a 2025 release, it didn't hit theatres until 2026. Obsession absolutely deserves all of the praise it's getting, and is one of the most tense and "sense of dread around every corner" movies I've seen. It's somehow more terrifying on a rewatch when you know what's coming, and it's never EVER good. The acting here is simply phenomenal, and the lighting is insanely good. Easily one of my all-time favourites but I understand that it may not appeal to some.
2. Pizza Movie
two boys in university must travel down two flights of stairs to get pizza, but they've just taken a homemade drug that will make this very difficult
Here's where my biases start to shine in... This is an unbelievably stupid premise but got SO much audible laughter out of me. This was a fantastic viewing experience, you could give me ten years to predict where it was gonna go next and I never would have guessed. I'm a little sad it ended but it's a great introduction to the "stoner movie" genre and makes me want to delve a little deeper into this niche.
3. The Odyssey
the king of an ancient Greek city must make his way home following a large war but his adventure will be filled with peril, fear, and the deaths of his men
This was wild. An epic retelling of Homer's story and had me glued to the screen for the full three hours and zero bathroom breaks... however, I wasn't familiar with the source material upon my first watch, and so after discussing the movie with some other roller coaster friends, I quickly understood that I hadn't a clue of what was going on, I just simply saw "beautifully shot scenes" and "massive fights" and seemingly failed to understand anything else that happened. My post-watch confusion got to a point where one of my friends I was conversing with privately messaged me to double-check on whether or not I was leading them all on as a joke. This was a movie where I did slightly question the casting choices too, as with Telemachus (who was one of the multiple characters that I never ever learnt the name of), I couldn't see anyone other than "that is very obviously Tom Holland in fancy dress". I think that knowing the source material a little better, or the name of ANYONE beyond Odysseus, I might enjoy this a lot more. It's at the top of my "due for a rewatch" list, but I'm not sure if I really want to do that over seeing something new for the first time instead.
4. The Sheep Detectives
a farm owner reads detective stories to his flock of sheep every night, but when he disappears, the sheep must band together to discover what happened
This was a wonderful and moving story about death, and how blocking out any and all negative memories won't allow you to progress as a person. Plugging your ears isn't always the way to go, sometimes you must face the music head-first and you may just get rewarded for your efforts in rising up against your fears. By far my favourite movie genre is "the same event from multiple perspectives" which is why works such as Weapons and Hoodwinked! are among my favourites, and this one is no different.
5. Masters of the Universe
a prince returns home after 15 years to discover it has been destroyed and must join forces to take matters into their own hands
I feel like I may be overrating this a little bit, but I did really enjoy this for what it was at the time. My review note only says "I like how Skeletor's insults are basically 'you dumb little nincompoop'". Anyway, it should be noted that one of my least favourite tropes in movies is "the two heroes get together and form a romantic couple at the end" as I think it feels incredibly forced on multiple occasions. Sometimes people have better chemistry just being friends/coworkers/a dynamic duo who works together to save civilisation, so I was glad to see that this wasn't the case here (even if He-Man did try a little to make it happen). There are definitely movies where this can work like a charm, but definitely others where it feels a little forced (the worst offender in my opinion being Ready Player One).
6. Iron Lung
99% of the universe is gone - a prisoner is sent on an expedition to find vital resources in an ocean of blood, but he is not alone in the water
Could it be any more obvious that this was inspired by a video game? Well, this was still a really fun watch despite that. The "loop" starts to get pretty repetitive with the radioactive camera flash, but it does always attempt to do something new and I'd say it does a damn good job with putting some 90 minutes of entertainment almost entirely in this tiny claustrophobic little submarine. It has you pretty constantly on edge and this general "you know what this situation is so horrific that I'm probably just better off dead here" vibe to it. Like Obsession, there is this uneasy feeling of "nothing good is going to happen" and the ending is absolutely WILD.
7. Spider-Man: Brand New Day
previously, after an incident, spider-man had no choice but to erase everyone's memories of him, and now he has to watch his friends move on without him
It was pretty difficult to put this below MotU and IL, but ultimately the decision was made. This is my second Spider-Man movie after seeing Homecoming, and I really enjoyed it. It's the type of "turn off your brain and enjoy some popcorn entertainment" media in a good way. The type of thing you'd watch on a plane. Spider-Man tries to make his friends remember him while a threat looms over the city. While it is a little long, and I didn't really have that much to say about it, it succeeded damn well with what it set out to do. It's a fun watch.
8. Hokum
a man scattering his parents' ashes is taken aback by stories of a witch who is haunting the hotel he is staying at
Unfortunately I wasn't really engaged with this one at all. The characters had potential and certain scenes were fun, a friend said that it felt like a video game, ultimately it just didn't convince me as much as I'd wanted it to. I did struggle to pay attention sometimes. I had to Google the ending to see what it meant, which I really don't enjoy having to do. Maybe it's worth a rewatch, I'd like to give it a second chance, because there really is potential here.
9. Backrooms
the owner of a store discovers a mysterious doorway in the basement that leads to a maze of rooms that all look the same
Sadly, I either sat there bored or confused. I understand that this is the director's personal idea of what the Backrooms are like, and that they are all up to anyone's interpretation, but I really wish that the Backrooms themselves were explored a lot more than they were. I felt that a lot of it was just the first few rooms except for the initial chase sequence, and I never got the whole "there are millions of rooms here and you will never escape" vibe that is supposed to come with every Backrooms interpretation. Unfortunately I don't think the potential was explored enough here, and a few moments left me scratching my head, but the 7ft Captain Clark animatronic was super creepy and very well done.
10. Citizen Vigilante
a man is tired of police not taking enough action against abusers and puts matters into his own hands
I understand what this movie is going for, and I do somewhat agree with one half of the message, but I'm lost on the second half which says that you're more likely to be an abuser if you're of certain nationalities and the whole thing devolves into a pathetic and very racist commentary that fails to understand anything. Directly pinning the blame on migrants, it is unapologetically uninformed on why these things happen and just seems like an excuse to promote dangerously racist premises. It's a shame because if the blatant racism wasn't there, it would almost be a half-decent movie because there genuinely were moments where I was engaged. Even if it was very poorly produced & edited.
