I must have misread the synopsis: I thought it was going to be a supernatural chiller in a caring home but it was just some geriatric bullying.
Disappointing. Tremendously acted, and the photography adds up to the eerie atmosphere, but the bullying parts, while terrifying, become repetitive and ridiculous. Where's the staff? How can he go on like that? Took me gradually out of the movie.

When an energy company is hosting a gala on the umptieth floor of an apartment building, they are overtaken by eco-terrorists. Thankfully, Ridley, as ex soldier turned window cleaner, is doing her job at that time for saving the day (and her brother).
Die hard! There, I said it. Probably everyone will mention this, as there are some similarities (hero on the phone with the police, the awkward situations, the evil villains,...), but alas, the same quality, it isn't. Everyone is depicted so caricaturally and I never really cared about the characters, especially not the corrupt board of the energy company. The window cleaning angle is great though, and some scenes carry a certain intensity. In the end though, it's just passable and quite forgettable entertainment. And the watchlist is cleansed, ha.

An introvert and slightly paranoid (because his line of work) surveillance expert becomes more and more worried about the fate of the couple he's following.
The conversation, indeed. By bits and pieces the puzzle pieces are laid down and we understand what's really going on. I think it's safe to say that, by modern standards, this can be catalogued as slow moving or uneventful (that 'party scene' was everlasting), but its pace assures to perfectly portray the mental breakdown of Hackman's character. We're treated to a small twist, and the final sequence of him tearing down his apartment is haunting.

Captain America and his sidekick preventing a global catastrophe with a US president "under influence" and a malignant bad guy with mind control capabilities.
It wasn't that bad actually, just mildly enjoyable entertainment. Some action, some laughter, and CGI that didn't hurt the eyes. Some things are laughable however, like the two of them entering the top secret military base, but gladly that didn't really hamper the experience as I felt some of the dialogue was thought through. Ford was decent as the president (he's been there, done that), Mackie's reliable and direction is solid. Still a bit stupid though. But hey, superheroes, eh?

Howard's Mill is a piece of land somewhere in rural Tennessee where over the course of decades multiple people disappeared. By combining a faux documentary with found footage we're presented to the details of this terrifying mystery.
It's really well executed actually: the acting's decent, and the different person cases are brought intelligently. There's a bit too much re-using of the same footage, but OK. Towards the finale we're treated to an extra layer that only adds to the mystery and really kept me engaged.
A surprise, and more of this is welcome!

Carrying on in the same vibe as the original Ju-on, this sequel is effectively more of the same, which isn't necessarily a bad thing is this case. One might argue why it's needlessly complicated with the overlapping and timejumping vignettes, but that only contributes to the mysterious atmosphere and a sense of hopelessness.

The calendar killer starts out very promising, with this phone companion service (think the guilty) mixed with a serial killer on the loose, but it completely nosedives already in the second act to made for tv movie quality. It looks good, and acting is decent, but the places the story goes are hard toe reach.

Mud it is.
In Mudbound we follow the lives of two differently colored families before and after WWII along all the racial abuses. When one member of each family returns from WWII, things will get better, right? Wrong.
A powerful drama, well acted and nicely shot, but this seemed to go on until eternity. There are some very intense scenes present, and the fate of the WWII soldiers is haunting, but if this were more concise I feel the message would have been even stronger. Still decent though.

An unexpected tour de force.
4 episodes, 4 shots.
I entered without any knowledge, and I thought it was going to be a policier drama about a murder investigation, a crime committed by a 13-year old boy. It ended up in being so much more.
Each episode contains its own theme and vibe, and each is compelling in its own way. The acting performances are stellar, each and every single one. The young kid is unnaturally good.
As a parent, the final episode really hits hard: the powerlessness you experience while raising a kid into the young adult years while trying just your f*cking best, with your own limitations and flaws.
A must watch.
And now I learned an emoji is not just an emoji.

From Mary and Max to Grace and Sylvia the snail.
I still remember logging Mary and Max 13 years ago, and now, Elliot's back, again with bittersweet and tragic musings about life. This tells the story about separated twins leading their own lives far away from each other. As you can imagine, as does in life, things happen.
It's constantly chuckle funny, sad and hopeful at the same time. I just feel like they look too much for the quirky situations to occur, but the message with a big M (just checked, also used this in my Mary and Max' review) about going forward in life and the snail metaphor is beautiful and strong. Animation is amazing, needless to say.
Powerful stuff.

Brace yourself, misery porn incoming.
Damn, this was hard hitting. Even so hard hitting you become numbed down by all the horrible situations Liam has to endure. Your childhood determines who you become.
Some scenes are powerful and emotional, but others are too over the top to be taken seriously, like nearly all the ones with the overacting and yelling parents. What the hell was that.
Shot very grainy and bleak, there's not much color in Liam's life. He's a time bomb, ready to go off.
Depressing watch, not for the faint of heart.

Robots vs humans, umpteenth episode.
This is watchable. Biggest problems are not the sentimental message it's carrying, some slow moving sequences or Pratt's haircut, but with all that money they could have spent some more on the dialogue. Some lines are really like a nail on a board, and nearly all of the humor falls flat.
Surprising really how some productions are put in the waiting room (or in the recycle bin), but this big budget is greenlit.

Watched on Sunday March 16, 2025.

Why am I completing this series?

Wallace invents a new gnome to help in the household. Gromit isn't really fond of him, and pretty soon he has to save them from an army of rogue technology.
In the recent spin of technology going out of control, Vengeance Most Fowl is incredibly well made but the story was unfortunately not on the same level. However, some visual gags are awesome, as is the typical British humor (pay attention as it's blink or you miss it), and again lots of movie references (an Alien one for instance).
If the next ones are the same quality, let's keep them coming.

A pregnant couple gets stuck on the side of a Norwegian road while waiting in a blizzard and their car becomes snowed under.
Single location thriller. So your engagement depends largely on your position towards the characters, and admittedly, they do a decent job, also actingwise. While tension builds and stress levels rise, their quibbles are believable and relatable. Problem is that after a certain event the movie doesn't manage to remain as entertaining, and together with the temperatures, my interest also went below zero.

Some closing thoughts:
*imagine they having rented a Renault Clio or something similar
*if you don't like babies crying: steer away from this

While browsing on my son's Amazon Prime account, I stumbled onto this one and it immediately peaked my interest. You know, I love these X-filish mysteries and the snowy surroundings even more, this this was right up in my alley.
It starts out really well: there's some room for characterization when we're introduced to the creators of a travel show on a boat with other tourists in the arctic region. Some humor, cool photography, some foreshadowing. After a certain event, everyone else but our three leads have disappeared from the boat. With a powerboat they reach a coastal village in order to seek help and find out what the hell's going on.
The second act is a bit sluggish as they wander around in this seemingly abandoned village, but the cool locations make up for that. Online there seems to be some hassle about the finale, but I actually liked it (and predicted a certain event): some loose ends remain, but it's totally in the vibe of the entire movie.
Your mileage may vary, bit I would gently recommend this.

Based on real-life events, Casualties of War (apt title) tells the story of a small army group in Vietnam which decide to kidnap a Vietnamese civilian. One soldier doesn't approve and conflicts arise.
Less about the war itself, this is more about people doing horrendous things under horrendous circumstances. It surely does take its time to become acquainted with the different characters setting up the stage for the upcoming conflict. Fox is amazing as the soldier with his heart at the right place, while Penn tends to overacting. De Palma sprinkles some terrific shots aided by a phenomenal photography. Watched the extended version, but still I felt the finale feels rushed, yet this is a powerful war drama.

A mother, suffering from a difficult divorce, is forced to move to an old fashioned apartment building with her daughter. Water is dripping from the ceiling, and a child from the floor above is missing. Are these facts related?
Wow, this was heavy. It surely is deliberately slow, adding up to the ominous atmosphere. Life is bleak, colorless, lots of beige and brown (apart from the red bag and the yellow coat). A lot of water also: rain, bathtubs, water tanks, leaks. More brooding than scary, with a traumatic finale.

In this romcom meets slasher your enjoyment largely depends on how invested you are towards the 'couple' on display, and I have to say, Holt and Gooding are believable and do a tremendous job, not as lovers but as coworkers (initially).
I felt the tone was a bit uneven, like sometimes way too much romcom and too little slasher. Although I had some chuckles, a little bit more com would have been nice. It's passable entertainment, nothing more, nothing less, but I expected a tad more.

"Now she has become dead, a destroyer of worlds"

After a body has been found, old wounds of seasoned detective Erin Bell are opened.
You won't come out happy from this. There's lots of trauma. On a private level, on work level. Everything's f*cked. Bell is going on a private investigation for a gang of criminals she once was undercover in. Segments are told non chronological, but the different timelines are switched pretty organic. It's totally engaging throughout, sometimes only hard to imagine how recent Bell is performing the policework considering the state she's in, so it's not always as believable.
Still a decent piece of work, with an outstanding Kidman, and a not so everyday policier.

There may be a high desert, but there's certainly no horror there.
So frustrating. Talking heads, flashlights peering into the darkness, but not a single scare and unease to be found, and the one scare that does work is just setting the stage for the next sequel.

Color me simple, but when an action comedy delivers in both departments, well then, I believe it can be categorized as entertaining.
Bautista plays a professional hitman with an annoying headache/tinnitus/double sight. While waiting on some blood tests, he meets Boutella, they fall in love, and he gets a nasty diagnose. But the plot thickens...
Another Friday evening, another slice of brainless fun. It's a bit stupid, yes, but the movie embraces it, like, come here, I'll give you a hug.
Bautista is, yes, Bautista; Boutella is, well, gorgeous; the action is mostly decent; and the jokes often land. And Terry Crews is in it. And a nearly unrecognizable Mantis. She's not praying though.

Wanted to like this more, but alas.
Coal miners and a professor, also down for taking some samples, are trapped and discover an ancient evil.
This entirely looked like my cup of tea (or black coffee more appropriately), but I never felt the anxiety of the characters or the claustrophobic survival feeling. The creature pops up when the plot asks it to (but they probably always do) and it never was scary or anything.

Gradually very much growing on you, Sing Sing tells the tale of inmates listing for a theater production in order to get on and build some friendships along the way.
With only a few professional actors around, that's just pure awesomeness what the entire cast delivers. With all the necessary ups and downs, the group comes closer and friendships are forged. Really nothing more to say, just pure and heartfelt cinema.

Perfectly serviceable entertainment with a balanced mixture of comraderie, silence parts, and of course, shoot-outs.
For those who watched it: Pollo was having a bad day at the office, right?

This was sitting in my watchlist for ages now, and I decided this was a good choice to conclude this not feeling all too well day.
I'm pretty neutral towards it: sure, the setting with the world war is great, and some of the action sequences were enjoyable, but I felt it was way too episodic and slow sometimes. Biggest takeaway is the (surprising?) amount of funny lines sprinkled between the proceedings.

One of the pieces in Wadlow's truly impressive filmography.

I believe the creators of Smile watched this and thought, hey, we got a better idea with that grinning face. And the rest is history.

Not a murder mystery this time, but this is like an espionage thriller mixed with a love triangle drama between a most beautiful woman (the spy), the man spied upon (Nazi in Brazil) and a US government agent, both handsome men as the movie tells us so.
Lots of visual flair combined with some of the oldschool moviemaking charms, Notorious manages to remain compelling as the plot thickens. Lead actors are phenomenal as I didn't experience this dialogue proclaiming as often occurred.
My oldest Hitchcock until now, might dig deeper though.

A family of four moves into a new house. Each member has their issues, especially the daughter who lost a good friend. Pretty soon we and they realize that there's a fifth member in the house, and it appears to be the one that's holding the camera.
Grounded in reality, with family members going through some hard times and discussions, Presence never really takes off. There's quite some nonsensical dialogue going on withholding me from being truly invested. The gimmick is there, it surely doesn't outstay its welcome, but this feels more like an inbetween movie than a full fleshed out feature film.

The key to the Mon-key is the perfect combination of the gory horrific deaths and and the offbeat (black) humor. It embraces its own goofiness and silliness to the extreme, in situations, dialogue and even performances. The atmosphere is completely the opposite to the one in Longlegs: that was depressing and tense, and here you're sitting in your cinema chair with a smile on your face.
Do continue, Mr. Perkins.

Superbly crafted, with decent characters and a fabulous one piece setting, the plot is engaging and intriguing, but towards the third act proceedings became too convoluted. The police officer was terrific though.

Watched on Monday February 24, 2025.

"Listen carefully. I shan't say this only once".
Newlyweds and young parents have been there.

After a long week I already turned on my weekend brain before starting this, and it seems that wasn't the best of ideas.
Lots of characters, remember the names, and a non-linear structure. So I don't think I fully grasped what was going on, but still I was able to be entertained by the mysteriousness of the proceedings and the peculiar vibe the movie carries. Well, it's never really scary, but it's decently crafted and the interconnectivity (if that's a word) is well constructed.

1972 is the year. Olympic Games, Munich. Apparently the first terrorist attack on live broadcast.
We follow the crew of ABC whose studio is very close to the hostage situation of the Israeli athletes. Away from the sports, onto the news. On air.
It took a while before I was onboard: quite some characters, fast-talking. It asks some processing. Gradually I was sucked into this whirlwind of (mis)leading information, you feel the anxiety and animosity among the crew as they undergo the proceedings that happen in front of them. And they actually become a part of the plot. That must have been quite a realization.

Young couples on a luxury weekend getaway. After a 'certain' event there's a 'certain' reveal putting the story on another foot.
You probably read it before to go into this as blind as possible. Unfortunately I heard a little bit too much beforehand, hampering my enjoyment towards this. Not that it's a bad movie, far from it, performances are decent (Thatcher is hauntingly effective) and further down the line there are some more surprises.
Short, crispy and fresh.

Attended the Belgian premiere in presence of some of the cast members.
This sequel, 7 years after the original, brings the group back together, however in different circumstances this time.
This was less catchy than the original: looks like the freshness has disappeared, and habituation is lurking around the corner. Simoni brings his usual intensity, and Kerremans delivers a nasty villain, but other side characters are below par. The visual style is trademark Adil and Bilall, but some things really hampered my enjoyment. It's way too explanatory (hence the 2 hour runtime), and the devil-angel thing on one character is truly annoying.
It's a decent pastime activity, but I expected a bit more.

Who needs a pilot when there's an autopilot, right?
How did any of these well respected actors decided this would be a great idea? Plus Gibson, right? How much I like to see Dockery and the goofiness of Wahlberg, but they reach uncharted heights. And Grace, what the hell was that.
There's initially a bit of camp keeping this thing in the air, but silliness and sleaziness take over. Don't take this flight, risk is there you feel sorry for taking off.

There's a brooding atmosphere present, and some of the scene transitions were really nifty, but I felt the acting was surprisingly wooden and the dialogue very unnatural.

What a great Friday evening. Being alone in the house, putting on Pantera (the movie), cranking up the volume, and let the heist plot roll all over me.

That has been a while: such an elaborate, long winded (but meant positively) heist crime drama. Great European locations (starting out in Antwerp, lol), lots of bad guys groups, and a place with all the diamonds. Butler is as comfortable as ever, skillful direction and a gradually increasing pace. Some plot conveniences, but hey, who's complaining?

A perfectly serviceable heist thriller.
When is number 3 coming Christian?

This was a strange and bewildering experience: for a large part of the duration I never doubted more whether I already saw this or not. Gradually I realized, certainly after a nearly identical rooftop scene, that I was mixing this up with Frantic, which has a nearly identical setup.

An American couple, Jones and Neeson, are visiting Berlin as he's about to give a presentation at a scientific convention. Upon checking in at the hotel, he realizes that he forget a briefcase in the airport, and gets into an accident on the way back, leaving him in a coma for four days. When he wakes up, someone seems to have stolen his identity. Difficult to prove who you are when you have nothing left.

The proceedings are fairly engaging. The pace is decent, and some additions (like Ganz his character) bring some extra flair. The two beautiful woman (Jones and Kruger) Neeson is clinging on to aren't harming the fun neither. It keeps you guessing, important part for remaining engaging.

A rewatch or not, good to be able to wipe this of the good old watchlist.

Watched on Thursday February 13, 2025.

There's demons in the cinema. And the viewers are trapped.
Sneak previews can be dangerous. When the proceedings of the movie are mimicked in the real world, the game's on. We're treated to lots of infected demons, screaming ladies, lots of (body) juices and awesome gory and nasty practical effects.
And there's not one, but two deus ex machinas. And a bike race in the cinema.
Quite something, this.

After the abominable Luz I gave Singer a second chance for regaining my confidence.
He totally blew it.
Schafer was OK, but the rest was sleepwalking through it as if they realized themselves that this won't work out.
Twin Peaks-lite in the Alps.
Best flute player since Fassbender in one of those Alien atrocities.
Madly disappointed.

Peculiar.
Starting as a mystery, turns into a sacrifice.
Apparently some nice weather in Scotland.

Spider-Man the upside down kiss: the unrated version.
The before and after is worthless.
Eli Rothless.

This historical romantic drama is all you can expect from a partly British/US production: boy does it look good, and it features very decent leads (Corrin as a gorgeous mylady), but there's not an ounce of unpredictability present as it plays out entirely as expected. A surprising amount of nudity adds some extra spice to the overlong proceedings, but this won't be lingering for long in my old mind.

The one where the storyline and the traps become more "twisted" as the plot progresses...
One of my good intentions for the new year was not to watch too many recent movies, so here I am, just filling in some blanks I needed to take care of.
Once again, John has developed a very complicated scheme as if he knows beforehand what the outcomes will be of all the trap situations. I also think he has a big mouth having just received some cranial surgery.
Whatever, we're all here for the traps, right, and they deliver in spades.
Still to go: 5, 6 and 7. Yay.

Blessed with an inspired poster, Grafted is about a Chinese student at a university in New Zealand, where she's able to continue her father's work regarding skin repair. Her "friends" beauty ideals let her do horrible things though.
This was one of those films which are generally well received which I didn't like. It seems to play in a parallel universe, with no real likeable characters and they are as stereotypical as they come. I just didn't care, and I wasn't able to buy her "skin routine". The use of the typical chemical lab experiments where some colored liquid is always bubbling further heightened my annoyance. I was never into it, although the ending was rather fitting.

• Training Day
• Joker
• Parasite
• James White
• Hi My Name Is Jonny Polonsky
• The Last Dance
• The Ripper
• The Day
• The Queen's Gambit
• El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie

...plus 13 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Progress: 5/20

Challenge: letterboxd.com/tajlv/list/autumn-rewatch-challenge-2021/

• Arlington Road

  task 1 place name

• Rush

  task 2 sports

• The Hurt Locker

  task 7 female director

  letterboxd.com/fredm/film/the-hurt-locker/

• Game Night

  task 8 comedy > 4 stars

  letterboxd.com/fredm/film/game-night/1/

• Requiem for a Dream

  task 9 pick any actress in one of her top ten

• Training Day

  task 10 black actor

  letterboxd.com/fredm/film/training-day/

• Valkyrie

  task 11 historical drama from 21st century

• Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

  task 16 personal top 10

• True Romance

  task 18 romance genre

• Argo

  task 19 political theme

...plus 10 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

• 1917
• Knives Out
• Terminator 2: Judgment Day
• Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
• Tully
• Hobo with a Shotgun
• Ricky Gervais: Humanity
• Alien
• Aliens
• Black Mass

...plus 27 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

• Pulp Fiction
• Stronger
• The Godfather
• American Animals
• Us
• Thunder Road
• The Favourite
• Head Count
• Chernobyl
• Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood

...plus 8 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

• Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
• The Big Sick
• Small Town Crime
• Phoenix Forgotten
• Paddington 2
• Unsane
• Incredibles 2
• The Guilty
• Game Night
• Predator

...plus 4 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

• Oslo, August 31st

  Norway

• The Wailing

  South Korea

• Macabre

  Indonesia

• Belgica

  Belgium

• Desierto

  Mexico

• Dogtooth

  Greece

• Hunt for the Wilderpeople

  New Zealand

• The Return

  Russia

• Mustang

  Turkey

• Accused

  The Netherlands

...plus 17 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Gravity
2. Blackfish
3. Pacific Rim
4. Pain & Gain
5. Drinking Buddies

OK, now here I am.
On the verge of a new era.

I'm about to watch my 'millennium' movie.

At the same time, I got a confession to make.
I never ever rated a movie 5/5...

Would you please be so kind, and give me suggestions about what my milestone movie should be to make it unforgettable? Maybe browse through my ratings and watchlist to get an idea.

I thank you for your cooperation.

• Milestones

No description needed, title is self-explanatory ;-)

Disclaimer: I'll NEVER make it to 100 movies, but I do try to beat my december 2012 challenge list.

1. Ted

   review
   June 1

2. Unfaithful

   review
   June 1

3. Mama

   review
   June 2

4. The Last Stand

   review
   June 3

5. A Good Day to Die Hard

   review
   June 3

6. Dark Skies

   review
   June 4

7. Bullet to the Head

   review
   June 5

8. Treasure Planet

   review
   June 6

9. Side Effects

   review
   June 6

10. Run Lola Run

    review
    June 8

...plus 26 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

• Requiem for a Dream
• Mary and Max
• A Separation

Late to the december madness 100 movie-party, but I'm also in.
Very curious what the Christmas holidays will bring ;-)

1. Premium Rush

   review 91 mins

2. Star Trek: First Contact

   review 111 mins

3. Star Trek: Insurrection

   review 103 mins

4. Weekend

   review 96 mins

5. A Prophet

   review 155 mins

6. Red Lights

   review 119 mins

7. Requiem for a Dream

   review 102 mins

8. Jaws

   review 124 mins

9. Apollo 18

   review 86 mins

10. Being Flynn

    review 102 mins

...plus 15 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.