J*A*S*M

A perfect take on the popular premise of the time loop and having to live the same day over and over again. Surprisingly, it doesn’t feel at all repetitive. The creators explore many of the nooks and crannies offered by a similar premise and the series never gets boring. And all those moods! It starts as a typical comedy about the life on New York’s pissheads, but the atmosphere gradually thickens and, by the seventh episode, it has become your average psychological horror. At first sight, the main character is an unlikeable, cynical slag, but the series gradually reveals her human side, and by the it’s already impossible not to root for her.

Well… Given that I was mentally prepared for the worst, I’m not disappointed. In fact, I’m relatively a tiny bit pleasantly surprised that, at least conceptually, it makes some sense. IMHO, it is well though-out. In Glass, Shyalaman explores a well known but slightly different motif of comics films - how it would be in the real world - without the viewer actually anticipating it until de last moment. For the closure of a trilogy, it makes sense overall. Unfortunately, the film is almost impossible to enjoy purely at the level of the viewer, but only after it finishes, if you are able and willing to appreciate its structure. There are several stupid moments that ruin what could be a pleasant experience, along with empty dialogues and inconsistent performances (I like Sarah Paulson, but here she was badly cast). What’s utter nonsense is the character of Taylor-Joy (what she’s forced to do there is unbelievable), as well as the final alliance of some of the characters.

The Prodigy was invisible in the competition of the horror films coming the cinemas this year. It’s one of those projects that would’ve been better served by VOD, where it could be considered a pleasant surprise. In all respects, it’s inoffensive; well shot, with solid performances, and with at least two creepy moments that made me feel uncomfortable. But as a whole, it’s way too indistinct to attract much attention in the cinemas. The core problem for me was the enormous predictability of the plot, where as soon as it is clear what it is about, you know where it’s going.

I don’t understand why there’ve been so many one-star ratings at the beginning, St. Agatha is not that tragic. That lowered my expectations a lot, and I waited throughout the film for the moment when things would get so unbearable, but somehow it didn’t happen. Surely, the film won’t get an Oscar for its screenplay, but worse atrocities can be found in the horror waters. This time, Bousman delivers at least flawless craftsmanship, as well as solid performances (mainly, the evil nun) and an atmospheric score. So, compared, for instance, with the atrocious 11-11-11, Agatha is a winner on all fronts. Plotwise, it’s stupid both in the details and as a whole, but show me one sophisticated nunsploitation movie. On the other hand, when I think of it as a parable of a community that a higher power cut off from funding and had to find a new model to operate, I think it does have some basis for meaningful content. But I don’t want to give the impression that I’m praising the film – my rating is around five points out of ten – but I feel that the other reviewers so far maybe didn’t sleep well before the screening and have been way too strict.

Overall, the nicely captured and performed 19th century period atmosphere on an almost abandoned Scottish island is competently rendered. But I waited patiently for the plot to become full-horror and, unfortunately, it doesn’t. If it did, if the creators had somehow escalated the tension in the second half, I can imagine being quite satisfied. As it is, however, it’s too light in all aspects.

When it’s time to reminisce this year’s horror BESTs, The Final Wish will very probably be in several. The least likeable hero. The most overacting actress (the friend of the main character). The most idiotic editing. Even thought the film is not that bad in the visual sense (it’s clear that the budget wasn’t small, the photography is nice overall), the direction is very incompetent – the supposedly tense and spooky scenes are in fact funny. I’m sorry for Lin Shaye, but her character goes from nowhere to nothing. Another example of critics at Rotten Tomatoes being paid (currently it’s at 88%, with a 6.7/10 rating), in this case, a positive review can hardly be defended.

A tarted-up lot of nothing that’s nice to look at. The visuals are unsurprisingly superb, Rodríguez’s direction is surprisingly solid and focused, and the robotic/computer generated main character is very likeable. I wouldn’t have a problem with it overall, if, somewhere in the middle, I hadn’t realised that the film not only wasn’t moving towards the central clash, but that it would also elegantly avoid it. To be continued, basically.

I was really looking forward to it. The notes and the distribution backing of my beloved A24 suggested that it could be a horror film fitting to my taste. It kind of is, but not very tight. The plot is unfortunately way too clearly drawn and simple, and it doesn’t get interesting until the last third, where The Hole in the Ground gets a character of its own and begins to tread nicely. Up to that point, though, it’s a parade of clichés that failed to interest me. It’s fine as a snack, but as a film that’s supposed compete with, for example, The Babadook (with which it overlaps several times), Cronin’s début doesn’t manage it at all.

A nicely shot, manipulative, hipster, eco-agitprop. For a while, I wanted to acknowledge its above-average quality, but, no, I won’t make myself do it. This is a film that uncritically forces the viewer to sympathize with an ecoterrorist, while ostentatiously overlooking the possibility that her actions are not all that kosher, because all of her ideological antagonists are portrayed as psychopaths unwilling to listen. Why doesn’t this woman engage in civil action for instance? For what it’s shown, I’d conclude that she has plenty of time for that. Another thing is that we really don’t know that much about this heroine. Why doesn’t this one and only “rational lady” have a relationship or try to find one? She can’t have her own children or she’s had bad experiences with men? We don’t know. What we do know is that she “knows she’s right” and that’s why she’s cutting power lines and would love to adopt a Ukrainian girl. Spoiler: The conclusion is supposed to be something positive, like “the lady enjoyed a little bit of happiness”, but what I saw was mostly a selfish person for whom everything is clear-cut, even what she’s willing to sacrifice, and who, without hesitation, avoids assuming any responsibility. That’s because these eco-activists are used to the fact that rules don’t apply to them – we’ve seen that here, haven’t we? End of spoiler. So I won’t applaud that. I realised Benedikt Erlingsson was not my cup of tea already with Of Horses and Men, now I can confirm it.

I still don’t fully understand how it’s possible that two essentially identical projects have come out of Korea at the same time: this Netflix series and Rage. They are so similar that they have to be adapting the same template, but even that it’s weird – just like the almost identical names of their directors :D In any case, Netflix comes on top. Kingdom beats its film competitor thanks to better drawn and more likeable characters and a clearer and better narrated plot. The craftsmanship is flawless, the scenery of the Korean landscape and ancient palaces is gorgeously captured, and when it comes to the zombie action, there’s nothing to complain. The first half of the third episode is one of the best zombie sequences that I’ve ever seen on film. All the time I looked forward to the sixth episode, expecting it to be brutal, but instead of a zombie massacre, what we got was an episode that moves the plot forward with several interesting twists. All we’ve left to do is to look forward to the second season.