Genre: Horror/Thriller
Director: Gary Dauberman
Cast: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Mckenna Grace, Madison Iseman
RunTime: 1 hr 46 mins
Rating: PG13 (Horror)
Released By: Warner Bros
Official Website:
Opening Day: 27 June 2019
Synopsis: Determined to keep Annabelle from wreaking more havoc, demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren bring the possessed doll to the locked artefacts room in their home, placing her “safely” behind sacred glass and enlisting a priest’s holy blessing. But an unholy night of horror awaits as Annabelle awakens the evil spirits in the room, who all set their sights on a new target—the Warrens’ ten-year-old daughter, Judy, and her friends.
Movie Review:
Slowly but surely, James Wan is building and reinforcing his horror legacy. Since the success of The Conjuring, the skillful director has extended his universe significantly, even crossing over to areas which we wouldn’t have expected. (Aquamanand Shazam!) It goes to show the pop culture appeal and power of his creations, and leading the pack, is none other than Annebelle.
Annabelle Comes Home is the third installment focusing on the - we’re going to say it - ugly doll, and it is still not clear if the doll is possessed by a ghost, demon, or in the case of this episode - a conduit. What’s next - a portal? We won’t put it past Wan. And this lack of direction shows in the latest chapter in the franchise.
Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) returns, but is relegated to a supporting role to the mostly teenage cast instead. We all know that the retro/child cast formula is currently trending in Hollywood, and can understand why Wan had to dabble, but he hands over the reins to Gary Dauberman in his directorial debut and the effort is a mixed experience.
Having just returned home with the cursed doll, the Warrens get whipped quickly away for another assignment soon after, leaving the caretaking of their daughter Judy (Mckenna Grace) to babysitter Mary Ellen (Madison Iseman). While Mary is a paragon of thoughtfulness and responsibility, her friend Daniela Rios (Katie Sarife) is not quite so. When the rebellious girl finds out about the Warrens’ occupation, she harasses Mary for permission into the house.
The story side arc that emerges from this obsessive curiosity is an excellent one, and Rios gives equal measure as a disaffected but tender young adult. Unlike many other standard wild child characters, her motivations are believable and sympathetic. The same can’t be said for the other two ladies.
While Iseman gives a decent performance, her responses flutter between gutsy and irrational. While still a good guardian, her priorities are not always clear, which makes for some baffling turns in the film.
Grace has a screen presence that far exceeds her years, and that cannot be denied in her scenes. Her doe-eyed innocence explains the strong protection she conjures in the people around her, and her own grit when she becomes the teenagers’ human supernatural library serves her well. But again the fluctuating reactions are confusing. One moment she’s nine, another, 49.
But the film’s biggest flaw isn’t the inconsistent behaviour, but more of its tedious plot. Once the room’s secrets are exposed, the line-up of spirits that manifests, and manifests… and manifests, become repetitive and annoying. There’s only that many shots of dropping coins and murderous brides we can take.
Which leads us to believe that this might be Wan’s way of setting up survey for his next universe’s character. By introducing a whole new host of monsters, the creator is eyeing his next spin-off by using his audience as test subjects. This is not wrong as much as it mars the viewing, but the fact remains that the spirit sequences are too much to take.
Thank the Warrens that some relief comes in the form of Bob “Bob’s got balls” Palmeri (Michael Cimino). His aw-shucks dorkiness lends a much-needed reprieve from the horror madhouse. Even a brief encounter with a gooned-out pizza delivery guy was thoroughly enjoyable, given its levity.
Annabelle Comes Home is way better than its original, but can afford a few choice snips to avoid scare fatigue. And when it comes to red herrings, this film has quite a few and will no doubt polarise the audience. But given its credible cast and funhouse sort of atmosphere, this entry will still stay as one of the better creations, which does justice to an end tribute to the recently deceased Lorraine Warren. May she rest in peace.
Movie Rating:
(A few experimental tricks works to throw scare expectations off-kilter, but the show can benefit from some edits in the chamber of monsters it introduces here for better focus. Scary still)
Review by Morgan Awyong
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Director: Andy Muschietti
Cast: Bill Skarsgård, Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill Hader, Sophia Lillis, Finn Wolfhard
RunTime: 2 hrs 49 mins
Rating: M18 (Coarse Language and Violence)
Released By: Warner Bros
Official Website:
Opening Day: 5 September 2019
Synopsis: Twenty-seven years after the Losers Club defeated Pennywise, he has returned to terrorize the town of Derry once more. Now adults, the Losers have long since gone their separate ways. However, kids are disappearing again, so Mike, the only one of the group to remain in their hometown, calls the others home. Damaged by the experiences of their past, they must each conquer their deepest fears to destroy Pennywise once and for all...putting them directly in the path of the clown that has become deadlier than ever.
Movie Review:
At close to three hours, ‘IT Chapter Two’ is visibly longer than its predecessor, but given how Stephen King’s book was a massive 1,000 pages, you cannot say that the filmmakers had not tried to cut the source material down to size. Indeed, fans of the novel will probably appreciate how writer Gary Dauberman has stayed true to the heart of King’s story, while reinventing the final act in order to avoid the metaphysical elements which were arguably not its strongest parts, such that this adaptation remains faithful but not slavish to the book.
As the conclusion of ‘Chapter One’ had hinted, the band of lovable misfits – who call themselves the Losers – will have to live up to the promise that they had made to one another when they were kids; that is, to come together to defeat Pennywise if ever he does return 27 years later to devour the kids of their hometown of Derry in Maine. True enough, a shocking opening in present day establishes that Pennywise has returned, claiming the life of a local teenager who had just been the victim of a gay-bashing hate crime (true to both the book and to Maine’s history).
Of the group, only Mike (Isaiah Mustafa) had remained in Derry, and upon confirming that It is back, he summons each of the other Losers to make good on their vow. Mike’s phone call interrupts the rest on their daily routines – the de facto leader Bill (James McAvoy) is a successful horror writer trying to establish himself in Hollywood; the motor-mouthed Richie (Bill Hader) is a self-loathing stand-up comedian; the formerly pudgy Ben (Jay Ryan) has slimmed down considerably and is a high-powered architect; the tightly-wound Eddie (James Ransone) is a risk analyst on Wall Street; and last but not least, Beverly (Jessica Chastain) is stuck in a marriage with an emotionally possessive and physically abusive husband.
Discovering how similar yet different these characters have become is part of the fun, especially as their physical reunion over a meal at a Chinese restaurant sees them bickering and ribbing one another as if time had stood still. Yet ironically, time has made all the difference, and the years away from Derry have dulled, even erased, their childhood memories of Pennywise, such that each of them will have to once again muster the courage they once displayed to overcome their childhood fears. They must do so in order to each retrieve a personal artefact from their past to be offered up in a final sacrificial ritual.
Such a setup serves as a narrative device for director Andy Muschetti to bring back the teenage cast from the first movie, which while certainly welcome, will inevitably come across as repetitive. After all, it requires that Bill revisit the guilt of letting his younger brother play in the rain; or for Ben, the humiliation of being the fat kid in school; or for Beverly, living under the shadow of a monstrous father; though to be fair, there are some new insights, such as Ritchie being labelled a ‘faggot’ after he displays some affection towards the town bully Bowers’ cousin. At the same time, juxtaposing their past and present selves reinforces the casting achievement in assembling an adult cast that so much resembles the teenage versions of their characters.
As with the structure of the earlier movie, each individual encounter with Pennywise is in itself a set-piece; and perhaps more so than before, Muschetti leans in on the creepy and grotesque for a number of chilling highlights, including a lumbering giant Paul Bunyan statue chasing Ritchie around the town square, Pennywise terrorising Ben along the deserted hallways during summer school, and Eddie’s encounter with the undead in the basement of the pharmacy where he gets his asthma medication. Effective though they may be, these sequences drag out the middle section of the film, and their episodic nature means that the movie alternately loses and gains momentum.
In fact, the true pleasures of this sequel kick in at the third act when the adult Losers come together with their artefacts to confront Pennywise. More than the fact that the horrors kick up a notch with spider-legged severed heads and Pennywise’s transformation into a giant spider-like monster, it is the mix of twisted scares and sardonic levity that proves winning; in particular, Hader steals the scene with his ability to blend comedy and drama through his spot-on delivery of both witty one-liners and gut-wrenching emotion. There is real palpable chemistry among the cast, and the extended climax is all the more satisfying because of that.
Like ‘Chapter One’, this movie aims to end on a poignant note about the power of faith and friendship, but doesn’t quite pack the same amount of heart. That’s partly due to its exhausting length, and partly due to the more scattershot nature of the storytelling, which even though tackling intriguing themes of memory and childhood trauma, is not as tight, affecting or compelling as the original tale. Notwithstanding, it does offer fulfilling closure on a number of fronts, including the budding romance between Beverly and Ben, a deeper exploration of Ritchie’s insecurities and an unexpectedly touching send-off for Stanley (hint: he’s the only one of the teenage Losers who isn’t part of the adult reunion).
Adapting ‘IT’ for the big screen was never going to be easy, and in that regard, the one-two combination of ‘IT Chapter One’ and ‘IT Chapter Two’ is no doubt an impressive achievement. Even though a significant section of the latter feels like a retread of the former, and is probably worse off because of it, this concluding instalment still packs sizeable ambition, imagination and wit to thrill anyone looking for a good scare. Oh yes, as flawed as IT may be, the duology goes down as one of the best Stephen King adaptations of all time – and for fans of King himself, seeing him in a wink-wink cameo here is yet another reason to cheer.
Movie Rating:
(While not as tight or affecting as 'Chapter One', this concluding chapter is still a big, bold and bedazzling horror blockbuster that packs humour, horror and heart)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Thriller
Director: Johannes Roberts
Cast: John Corbett, Sophie Nélisse, Nia Long, Corinne Foxx, Sistine Rose Stallone
Runtime: 1 hr 30 mins
Rating: PG13
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website:
Opening Day: 29 August 2019
Synopsis: Four teen girls diving in a ruined underwater city quickly find themselves in a watery hell as their fun outing turns into heart-stopping fear when they learn they are not alone in the submerged caves. As they swim deeper into the claustrophobic labyrinth of caves they enter the territory of the deadliest shark species in the ocean.
Movie Review:
If you had seen the first movie, the significance of the title of this sequel will not be lost on you – whereas the former had a pair of sisters (played by Mandy Moore and Claire Holt) trapped 47 metres below the surface while on a cage dive, the latter ‘uncages’ its female protagonists but confines them within a maze-like web of claustrophobia-inducing underwater tunnels.
At the same time, you could say that Johannes Roberts – who returns to write and direct after the modest box-office success of his original – had intended for the title to signify how this sequel would up the ante; although, in that regard, those who remember its predecessor will probably agree that it is a much leaner, meaner and more intense shark peril thriller.
Here, the ones in peril are a quartet of high-school girls. There is Mia (Sophie Nélisse), a loner who hasn’t quite learned to fit in after moving to Yuacatan with her marine-archaeologist dad (John Corbett) so he can explore the ruins of a Mayan city; there is Mia’s step-sister Sasha (Corinne Foxx, Jamie’s daughter), whose mother Mia’s dad had married after Mia’s mother passed away; and there are Sasha’s friends, Alexa (Brianne Tju) and Nicole (Sistine Stallone, Sly’s daughter), who are stuck with Mia because Sasha is.
Than stick to the local tourist attraction of viewing the Great Whites from the bottom of a glass boat, the four girls sneak off to a remote cove that one of Mia’s dad’s assistants had brought Alexa to. After swimming around for some time, they decide why not to also explore the first section or two of the drowned city using the scuba gear at their disposal, which had been left for a larger team of archaeologists who would join Mia’s dad for the expedition.
As you can probably guess, the girls find themselves pursued by a gigantic Great White within the catacombs; and besides being bigger and more ferocious than the predators from the first movie, this one (or should we say, these ones) have evolved in the darkness without eyesight but with other highly attuned senses. It isn’t just the girls who will eventually become chomp though; oh no, as the decaying columns crash, the sharks will also find their way to Mia’s dad and his two assistants, who are on the other side of the city after having found an alternate entrance in.
That the girls should feel lost and disoriented is no excuse for a lack of compelling narrative, which unfortunately Roberts is guilty of here. Not only do the characters randomly find each other within the underwater depths, they are also equally randomly set upon by the beast, whose ability to appear out of nowhere seems almost supernatural. Indeed, you’d only have to look at how the original was held together by logic and coherence to realise how lacking this sequel is in those basic qualities.
What makes it even more frustrating is that the action is difficult to follow, which Roberts attempts to justify as a result of the silt making the water murky. Because the action is unclear, the menace is also largely unimpressive, so much so that the movie has to resort to jump scares in order to keep its audience from drifting away. And like we said, you’d only have to look at the earlier film to recognise where it had succeeded and where this one fails rather miserably, despite the fact that its setup should inspire an even more clear and present sense of dread.
Upping the numbers from two to four also dilutes the character development, such that instead of a tightly knit relationship between two sisters determined to get each other out, we have to contend with the shrillness and selfishness of two additional companions. It doesn’t help that Nélisse and Foxx are less experienced actresses than Moore and Holt, and pretty much forget to act besides alternately freaking out and calling for calm as soon as the sharks appear.
So even though the title promises a much more no-holds-barred affair, this sequel ultimately feels watered down and therefore unnecessary. In expanding the single-location predicament, it reduces what was gripping into something that feels meandering, and loses the excitement and thrills which propelled the original from the depths of the box-office abyss. Whereas we would agree for the first movie to have been rescued from straight-to-VOD, this one feels like it should have gone the other way instead, where you’re advised to leave it anyways.
Movie Rating:
(Compared to the lean and mean original, this meandering sequel loses itself in a frustrating mess of unclear and unfocused action)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: CG Animation
Director: Jill Culton, Todd Wilderman
Cast: Chloe Bennet, Tenzing Norgay Trainor, Albert Tsai, Eddie Izzard, Sarah Paulson, Tsai Chin, Michelle Wong
Runtime: 1 hr 38 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: UIP
Official Website:
Opening Day: 7 November 2019
Synopsis: Pearl Studio and DreamWorks Animation’s co-production Abominable takes audiences on an epic 3,000-mile journey from the streets of Shanghai to the breathtaking Himalayan snowscapes. When a mischievous group of friends encounter a young Yeti, they embark upon an epic quest to reunite the magical creature with his family at the highest point on Earth. But the trio of friends will have to stay one - step ahead of Burnish (Eddie Izzard), a wealthy man intent on capturing a Yeti, and zoologist Dr. Zara (Sarah Paulson) to help Everest get home.
Movie Review:
Had it not been for the news that the movie has been banned in some of our neighbouring countries for depicting China’s nine-dash line, we probably would never noticed the particular map of contention. That certain audiences around the world won’t be able to see ‘Abominable’ is a pity, for it tells a universally relatable, appealing and touching story of a teenager who discovers an unlikely friend and goes on an adventure that eventually teaches her some valuable life lessons.
That teenager is the scrappy tomboy Yi (Chloe Bennett), who comes across at the start as a resourceful individual working various odd jobs in order to save money for a trip around China she intends to embark on. It soon becomes clear that there is more to Yi than meets the eye – that trip was what her late father had envisioned for the family, and Yi is (not) coping with her father’s demise by distancing herself from her loving mother and grandmother.
Yi’s destiny changes the evening she meets the large Yeti creature, whom she nicknames Everest, on her roof. An opening POV sequence shows us how he had got there after escaping from a secret laboratory in downtown Shanghai, where he had been held in captivity by the nutty former explorer Burnish (Eddie Izzard) and his scheming zoologist Dr Zara (Sarah Paulson). Though initially frightened of the creature, Yi realises that he is terrified of the paramilitary forces on the hunt for him in the air and on the ground, and resolves to return him to his home in the Himalayas.
Accompanying them on the trek to the mountains is her irrepressible little cousin Peng (Albert Tsai) and her vain childhood friend/ pre-med student Jin (Tenzing Norgay Trainor), who experience along the way Everest’s nature-altering powers that make the couple of well-choreographed action sequences feel magical – including flying through the air while holding onto the stalk of a giant dandelion, surfing on a motorised boat amidst fields of yellow flowers, and gliding on koi fish-shaped clouds. The finale even offers a nod or two to the classic imagery of ‘King Kong’, and we dare say does it in such a way that is transcendent to behold.
But there is much more than just the vivid visuals to appreciate in Yi’s quest; indeed, those mature enough to grasp the emotional nuances will surely be moved by how Yi comes to terms with her personal loss, and eventually reconciles with the family who has been longing for her to open her heart again to them. Yi’s struggles are reflected in how she grapples with picking up the violin (a gift bequeathed by her dad), and that narrative device in turn translates to some soulful tunes which heighten the poignancy of her journey of self-discovery.
That ‘Abominable’ turns out as affecting as it does is credit to writer/ director Jill Coulton, a former Pixar artist whose career goes back to the first ‘Toy Story’. While the story may follow a familiar template, it isn’t afraid to handle the complexities of grief and identity, and handles these themes with surprising restraint. It is also to her credit that the movie reflects its Chinese influences in subtle yet meaningful ways, both in its depiction of Chinese landscapes (from the Huangshan mountain range to the Gobi desert to the Leshan Giant Buddha) and its emphasis on family as well as being in harmony with nature.
It’s a lovely ride to say the least, one that boasts its own unique lyricism and sweetness, and enriched by stunning animation and production design. There’s no doubt that unlike previous Dreamworks’ features (even the ‘Kung Fu Panda’ trilogy), ‘Abominable’ was intended for China first and foremost, but Coulton proves it is still possible to deliver a film that can connect to a universal audience. Comparisons with ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ or perhaps even last year’s ‘Smallfoot’ would be inevitable, but this funny, heartwarming and wonder-filled movie is utterly winning in its own right.
Movie Rating:
(Told with surprising emotional nuance and filled with breathtaking visuals, this China-centric animation about family, friendship and identity is a winning delight)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Director: Awi Suryadi
Cast: Amanda Rawles, Angga Aldi, Arya Vasco, Naomi Paulinda, Teuku Ryzki
Runtime: 1 hr 31 mins
Rating: PG13
Released By: Encore Films
Official Website:
Opening Day: 6 June 2019
Synopsis: Based on the prequel of Korean horror sensation Wishing Stairs. Being accepted in “Abdi Bangsa” High School is something special for most students. But for ALEX (Angga Aldi), being accepted there is nothing special, in fact it’s a disaster. The Culture of seniority at Abdi Bangsa” HighSchool is nothing but physical and mental violence - Bullying, becomes Alex daily “routine” at school. Luckily, Alex has found MAGGIE (Amanda Rawles), a junior student who becomes his best friend. Maggie makes life liveable even in the unpleasant situation caused by the senior students.Creepy incidents and hauntings are nonstop after ANDRE (Aarya Vasco), ERIKA (Naomi Paulinda) and FAHRI (Teuku Rizki), force Alex to do participate in a ritual to call the spirits. The favourite school becomes scary, creepy and deadly.
Movie Review:
Well, someone’s a big fan of the Korean Whispering Corridors.
From the rotating Hangeul characters during the opening credits to the gift of the actual film DVD to a student on campus, DEATH WHISPER makes no qualms about where it takes inspiration from.
This remake by Awi Suryadi bears many references to the original in terms of settings and vibes, but chooses to tackle the topic of school bullying instead rather than the former’s tale on authoritarianism gone wrong. It’s a more hot-button issue and the relevance hits home and gives us a more effective film.
With the help of Agasyah Karim on screenplay, Suryadi manages to craft a very decent script as compared to his earlier horror outings such as DANUR and DANUR 2. With a focus on storytelling, the scares work their way in with a punch, and a steady pacing keeps the mood build-up nurtured without dragginess.
Angga Yunanda is a likeable-enough lead as Alex, the son of a famous psychic who starts his first year in college. There, he quickly develops a crush on fellow schoolmate Maggie (Amanda Rawles) and tries to spend more time with her.
But this top school with its illustrious alumni has a bit of an unhealthy tradition. While third years are treated as Royalty, second years are just labelled as a Commoners. The freshmen? They are known as Slaves. This means no use of the toilets, canteen or library, along with other debasing rules that strip the dignity of the first years. All this in a bid to inculcate a warped discipline. Leading this charge are the tight trio of Fahri (Teuku Ryzki), Andre (Arya Vasco) and Erika (Naomi Paulinda), and Alex’s supernatural lineage piques the interest of Fahri who’s somewhat of a geek on the spooky.
The three believe Alex can help summon the spirits of three girls who died in the school from bullying, and forces him to do so… but we know that’s never a good idea. One by one, the spirits manifest themselves in terrifying ways to torment Alex and his seniors, and soon the body count begins.
While DEATH WHISPER may not have reinvented the wheel, the subject matter remains compelling and lends itself to the horrific turn of events in a very relatable way. Suryadi’s team has created a superior movie compared to many recent Indonesian titles because the focus is on the story - something they have picked up from K-horror very well.
There still is some maturing to do with the production - the editing is a little redundant at parts and some sets badly underlit - but with such a great showing from the cast and some great horrific moments, the film holds it own against the international market and deserves credit for being so well-rounded.
If Indonesian horror continues in this direction, we can definitely look forward to less copy-and-paste tropes from the West and embrace the terrifying talents Asia has to offer.
Movie Rating:
(A very decent showing from Suryadi and the cast, with a compelling story built at a steady pacing, and littered with various forms of creepy scares that should satisfy most)
Review by Morgan Awyong
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STALLONE RETURNS TO DRAW 'LAST BLOOD' WITH RAMBOPosted on 31 May 2019 |
Genre: Thriller
Director: Deon Taylor
Cast: Michael Ealy, Meagan Good, Joseph Sikora, Dennis Quaid
Runtime: 1 hr 42 mins
Rating: PG13 (Scene Of Intimacy & Violence)
Released By: Sony Pictures
Official Website:
Opening Day: 23 May 2019
Synopsis: When a young married couple (Michael Ealy and Meagan Good) buys their dream house in the Napa Valley, they think they have found the perfect home to take their next steps as a family. But when the strangely attached seller (Dennis Quaid) continues to infiltrate their lives, they begin to suspect that he has hidden motives beyond a quick sale.
Movie Review:
Ever read one of those potboilers where you felt compelled to finish reading the entire novel at one go, but then afterwards never picked the book up again? That is more or less the feeling you’ll have with Sony/ Screen Gems’ latest thriller ‘The Intruder’, which pits a young African-American married couple (Michael Ealy and Meagan Good) against the borderline psychotic former owner (Dennis Quaid) of the house which they had just bought over. Like them potboilers, the sheer luridness of the premise and execution keeps you riveted to your seat, but that is pretty much what it is worth.
If that setup sounds vaguely familiar, it’s probably because Sony’s low-budget genre division has produced a number of similar films over the years in which an upscale couple gets stalked by a not-quite-so-stable intruder – heck, writer David Loughery himself is responsible for a number of these, including ‘Lakeview Terrace’ and ‘Obsessed’. Yet Loughery’s experience with such material means that he knows just when and what buttons to push to rachet the tension and sustain the momentum of the storytelling, such that the plotting remains engaging from start to finish.
On his part, director Deon Taylor too is keenly aware of what sort of film this is supposed to be. In particular, Taylor leans in on the shlocky parts to make you jump; for example, the couple’s first encounter with Quaid’s “motivated seller” Charlie has them scared senseless when the latter fires a shotgun to kill a deer which they had just remarked to each other was cute. Oh yes, Taylor injects a cheeky sense of fun into the proceedings, especially through Charlie’s gradually escalating taunts – not just to the couple, but also their best buddy Mike (Joseph Sikora), to whom Charlie teaches a lesson or two about casually disposing his cigarette butt after a smoke at the back of the house.
If it isn’t yet obvious, much, if not most, of the film hinges on the unhinged performance of Quaid, who is clearly relishing the opportunity to play the bad guy. Indeed, this is a far, far cry from his usual Everyman roles, which are more akin to that which he plays in the most recent ‘A Dog’s Journey’ and ‘I Can Only Imagine’; here, he gets the chance to do his best interpretation of Jack Nicholson’s character in ‘The Shining’, exuding agitated energy with eyes bugged out and maniacal grins. Quaid over-acts in the best way possible for a film of this nature, going from morose to cheerful to resentful to psychotic in accordance with the cadence of the plotting.
On the other hand, you’ll probably won’t remember much about the couple themselves, which arguably have little to do besides being totally ill-prepared for a freakshow like Charlie. Ealy’s advertising creative director Scott is as bland and nondescript as it gets, while Good’s women’s magazine journalist Annie gets to be the one to be dumb enough to let Charlie get too close until it is too late. You’ll appreciate more definition to Scott’s character especially, seeing as how the denouement involves him ultimately getting his act together to stand up to Charlie in order to defend his life, his wife and their house.
As forgettable as the film may be after the credits roll, ‘The Intruder’ is still fun while it lasts. Like we said at the start, this is the sort of undemanding filmmaking that offers the same guilty pleasures as reading a lurid potboiler, so all you should ask for is whether it hooks you in with its excesses while it lasts. And in that regard, you’ll find yourself reasonably engaged with the formulaic but fun ‘Intruder’, not least because of how Quaid fully embraces the archetype of a horror movie psycho here. Leave your brains and logic at the door, and you’ll probably gleefully lap up this mix of crazy and creepy designed to make you jump and laugh at the same time.
Movie Rating:
(There is enough creepy and crazy to keep you entertained like a lurid potboiler would do, especially with a gleefully unhinged performance by Dennis Quaid)
Review by Gabriel Chong
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DISNEY/PIXAR GETS READY TO MOVE 'ONWARD' NEXT SPRING 2020Posted on 01 Jun 2019 |
Genre: Thriller
Director: Alex Aja
Cast: Barry Pepper, Kaya Scodelario
Runtime: 1 hr 27 mins
Rating: NC16 (Some Violence)
Released By: UIP
Official Website:
Opening Day: 11 July 2019
Synopsis: When a massive hurricane hits her Florida hometown, Haley (Kaya Scodelario) ignores evacuation orders to search for her missing father (Barry Pepper). Finding him gravely injured in the crawl space of their family home, the two become trapped by quickly encroaching floodwaters. As time runs out to escape the strengthening storm, Haley and her father discover that the rising water level is the least of their fears.
Movie Review:
Although it is unlikely that you will be in the same predicament as this movie’s protagonist, you may want to be careful the next time you stand too close to a zoo’s alligator enclosure.
French film director Alexandre Aja, who is best known for his horror movies like the 2006 remake of The Hill Have Eyes and the gore fest Piranha 3D (2010), has delivered an underrated but competent scare flick. It is going to do for alligators what Steven Spielberg’s Jaws (1975) did for sharks.
The story brings together the elements of a disaster blockbuster and scary animal movie. The protagonist is a college student (Kaya Scodelario) who has some family issues. When a hurricane strikes, she drives to her old family home to ensure that her estranged father (Barry Pepper) is safe. She finds him unconscious in a flooded house and what’s even more terrifying is the realisation that alligators are making their way into the house with the rainwater.
Amidst this season of pompous summer blockbusters, this movie’s 88-minute runtime is much welcomed. The taut story written by Michael and Shawn Rasmussen keeps the movie’s pace fast and furious, and there is not one bit of sluggishness. You will watch out for lurking alligators round the corner, and feel the urge to warn the traumatised father-and-daughter pair.
If you are a fan of horror movies, this one will remind you of The Shallows (where a stranded bikini-clad Blake Lively has to fight off a shark) and Don’t Breathe (where a group of trapped teenagers have to fight off a blind murderer). Much of the action takes place in the crawl space of the flooded house, and the scare factor goes up with the rising rainwater. Think you had a bad day? How about being trapped in a basement with bloodthirsty alligators?
Scodelario (Maze Runner: The Death Cure) gives it her all to play the heroine of the movie. Crawling from one corner to another in the claustrophobic basement, the English actress is a survivor who is tough as nails. Watch out for a tingling scene where lots of creepy crawlies unexpectedly fall onto her face – seeing it is almost as real as having spiders dropping onto you. Scodelario’s reunites with her Maze Runner co-star Pepper, who portrays her stubborn but kind father. The strong bond between the two characters is believable, and you will root for them to survive the ordeal.
You don’t watch a movie like this for a logical story. Cynics will pan the screenplay for being formulaic (supporting characters appear at predictable moments to be torn into pieces by the alligators, so the main characters can escape) and absurd (a brainless looter decides to steal a few more packets of potato chips in a flooded supermarket, only to realise that it wasn’t the wisest thing to do when an alligator appears at his feet).
But viewers are here to scream in glee at the bloodshed: expect heads and limbs to be chomped off. There are even alligator eggs to send chills down your spine. It won’t be a classic, but it will be a fun, scary and harrowing hell of a ride in the cinema.
Movie Rating:
(This movie isn’t going to win any Oscars, but that’s alright. Because it's going to do for alligators what Jaws did for sharks!)
Review by John Li
SYNOPSIS: Everyone assumed Sasha and Marcus would wind up together except for Sasha and Marcus. Reconnecting after 15 years, the two start to wonder... maybe?
MOVIE REVIEW:
Crazy Rich Asians makes every Asian proud by scoring over $200 million in the box-office on a mere $30 million budget. Who says an entire cast of Asians can’t spearhead a Hollywood rom-com movie? Henry Golding was basically an unknown at that point and you might only know Constance Wu from Fresh Off The Boat.
Now another cast member from Fresh Off The Boat, Randall Park (Ant-Man and the Wasp) has teamed up with stand-up comedian Ali Wong in a brand new Netflix’s rom-com, Always Be Maybe. All we can say is it’s definitely the right time now to showcase the talents of Asian. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan need not always be white after all.
Park plays Marcus who has been childhood friends with Sasha Tran (Wong) until an argument leads them to drift apart for more than 15 years. While Marcus has stop living his life after the death of his mother, Sasha has turned into a huge celebrity chef in LA. In order to open up a new restaurant in San Francisco, Sasha briefly moved back to her hometown and unexpectedly reunite with Marcus when her assistant hired Marcus and his dad to repair her faulty airconditioned unit. Sparks fly once again between the two but there are still obstacles to overcome before they can take their relationship further.
Always Be Maybe is fast-paced and witty all thanks to the impeccable chemistry between Park and Wong. It’s great that both of them are so likeable in their respective roles. Park is perfect as Marcus, the slacker weed-smoking dude who is actually quite a talented musician. And Wong is genuinely funny as the “elevated” celebrity chef who cooks for the super-rich white people. The dialogues are often well-written, sharp and laugh-out-loud even it’s pretty much predictable and adhere to all the rules of a typical rom-com.
Keanu Reeves aka John Wick turned up as one of Tran’s boyfriends in an outrageous extended cameo that is best watched rather than described. Familiar faces include Daniel Dae Kim seen recently in the Hellboy reboot who stars as Tran’s boyfriend and manager while Deadpool’s Karan Soni stars as one of Park’s undervalued bandmate.
Always Be Maybe is a flick that might be stuck with an old story mould but the excellent pair up of Park and Wong (the duo also contributes to the screenplay) and the appearance of John Wick kind of lifted this Asian-American rom-com to an exciting level.
MOVIE RATING:
Review by Linus Tee
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