Genre: Horror/Thriller
Director: Michael Sarnoski
Cast: Lupita Nyong'o, Joseph Quinn, Djimon Hounsou, Alex Wolff, Thea Butler
Runtime: 1 hr 39 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Violence)
Released By: UIP
Official Website:
Opening Day: 27 June 2024
Synopsis: New York City is under siege by a deadly, unknown enemy that hunts by sound and kills ruthlessly in A Quiet Place: Day One. The third chapter and prequel to the wildly popular franchise leaves the rural home of the Abbott family to tell the story of the day meteorites fell from the sky and humans were snatched away by vicious creatures, never to be seen again. When Samira (Oscar® winner Lupita Nyong’o) returns to the city of her birth, all she wants is a slice from her favorite pizzeria. Instead, she finds herself trapped in a brutal waking nightmare that could be her last day on Earth. Accompanied by a virtual stranger named Eric (Joseph Quinn) and her cat Frodo, she embarks on a perilous journey past burning buildings, flooded subways, and smashed cars in a newly silent world where danger lurks everywhere.
Movie Review:
How long could this writer stay quiet when watching this third instalment in the A Quiet Place film series? Not very long, unfortunately. During a sequence where characters are trying to stay silent, this reviewer let out an uncontrollable sneeze in the quiet theatre. And in the post apocalyptic setting of this movie, it means that he would have been devoured by the extraterrestrial creatures with an acute sense of hearing.
Fans of the John Krasinski’s 2018 movie and its 2020 sequel would be familiar with how the story works. The protagonists are humans who have to navigate and survive in a world where the slightest noise can get them killed by the sightless aliens with sharp hearing and impenetrable armour plating.
With the known premise, there is nothing surprising about the plot in this spin off directed by Michael Sarnoski, which is also a prequel to the first film. Hence, it is wise of the filmmakers to focus on the human emotions here. And casting Lupita Nyong'o in the lead role of a terminally ill woman is a great choice too, because we haven’t seen a such a heartfelt performance on the big screen in a while.
The Academy Award winner (12 Years a Slave) plays Samira, a cancer patient who lives in a New York City hospice with her cat, Frodo (Sam and Frodo – get it?). After a group outing to Manhattan, she finds herself in the midst of chaos as the extraterrestrial creatures begin attacking. Besides how seeing how Sam and Frodo struggle to stay alive by trying their best not to make any noise, the movie is about Sam’s quest to enjoy a slice of pizza while people around her are fleeing for their lives. There is a sequence where Sam stands out in the crowd as she walks in a different direction from the people who are heading towards the evacuation point – the wide shot where Sam looks on in a sea of people back towards her hits the right note.
The 99 minute movie is a showcase for Nyong'o’s confident performance. Through poignant close up shots, we feel Sam’s determination to get that slice of pizza, and on a broader level, to make sense of what it means to live in a direly hopeless situation. While the reason of why she wants to have pizza isn’t exactly groundbreaking, it is feels wholehearted and sincere.
Nyong'o’s performance is complemented by Joseph Quinn, who plays Eric, an English law student who goes along with Sam on her quest to get pizza. The actor, best known for his role as the sarcastic and nonconformist but extremely kind and loyal Eddie Munson in the popular series Stranger Things, delivers a feel good performance as a lost individual looking for solace and company in a world that has nothing left for him.
Cat lovers would also embrace this movie because of Frodo. It is notable that the cat character isn’t created with CGI (it is played by two cats, Schnitzel and Nico). The unlikely hero is central to Sam’s emotional journey, and seeing how the service animal eventually become a soulmate is warmly rewarding.
Movie Rating:
(Lupita Nyong'o's committed performance makes this journey through a post-apocalyptic wasteland emotionally gripping)
Review by John Li
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Director: Joshua John Miller
Cast: Russell Crowe, Ryan Simpkins, Sam Worthington, Chloe Bailey, Adam Goldberg, David Hyde Pierce
Runtime: 1 hr 36 mins
Rating: M18 (Mature Content and Horror)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website:
Opening Day: 4 July 2024
Synopsis: The Exorcism stars Academy Award-winner Russell Crowe as Anthony Miller, a troubled actor who begins to unravel while shooting a supernatural horror film. His estranged daughter, Lee (Ryan Simpkins), wonders if he's slipping back into his past addictions or if there's something more sinister at play.
Movie Review:
Didn’t Russell Crowe just star in a movie about exorcism, where he played Father Gabriele Amorth who uncovered a conspiracy that the Vatican was trying to hide? One year on, the Academy Award winner is putting on a clerical attire again to portray, well, an actor playing a priest.
Crowe’s latest movie may remind viewers of the phenomenal classic The Exorcist (1973). And speaking about one of the greatest horror movies of all time, the writer and director of this 2024 title is Joshua John Miller, the real life son of actor Jason Miller, who played Father Damien Karras in The Exorcist. How’s that for meta horror?
Set in New York City, the movie’s protagonist is Anthony Miller (Crowe), an actor who has seen better days, no thanks to his alcohol and drug problems. Age isn’t on his side as well, as he gets plagued by health issues. The widower isn’t blessed with family love either, as shown from the strained relationship with his daughter Lee (Ryan Simpkins), who has returned home after getting kicked out of school.
Anthony seems to have gotten an opportunity to turn things around when he is asked to replace an actor on a supernatural horror movie “The Georgetown Project” (the movie set will remind you of The Exorcist) The thing is, the original actor died from a freak accident while inspecting the movie set, and we know things won’t bode well for Anthony.
As the 95 minute movie progresses, we find out more about Anthony’s sad past – it turns out that he was sexually abused by a priest when he was a child, and it seems like he never recovered from the trauma. When the film production begins, strange things begin happening which sees Anthony progressively becoming someone who looks like he’s possessed by the devil.
From the storyline, one can only imagine how the horror flick isn’t going to spark any joy. Crowe does an excellent job portraying a man haunted by his past, dealing with the death of his wife, and getting caught up with alcohol and drug addictions. There are many close up shots of the actor, and they heartbreakingly show the pain the guy is experiencing. This reminds us of the fine performances he delivered in Gladiator (2000), A Beautiful Mind (2001) and Cinderella Man (2005).
That said, there is also something that is weighing this movie down which makes it dreary to watch. We remember Crowe having quite a bit of fun with his role in The Pope’s Exorcist (complete with a great shots of him riding a scooter), and this is sorely missed here. The scares aren’t particularly memorable as well, and fans of the genre would have seen similar setups elsewhere. While familiar faces like David Hyde Pierce (as a priest who is a consultant for the film) and Sam Worthington (as a co star who replaces Anthony when his on set behaviour gets dangerous) show up, the result is a forgettable horror movie that doesn’t add any value to Crowe’s filmography. Looks like we have to await the sequel to The Pope’s Exorcist, where the actor is reportedly reprising his role.
Movie Rating:
(While Russell Crowe's performance as a man dealing with grief and pain is heartbreaking, it would have been nice if the otherwise dreary movie allowed him to have some fun)
Review by John Li
Genre: Action/Comedy
Director: Adil El Arbi, Bilall Fallah
Cast: Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, Paola Núñez, Eric Dane, Ioan Gruffudd, Jacob Scipio, Melanie Liburd‘, Tasha Smith, Tiffany Haddish, Joe Pantoliano
Runtime: 1 hr 55 mins
Rating: NC16 (Violence & Coarse Language)
Released By: Sony Pictures
Official Website:
Opening Day: 20 June 2024
Synopsis: This Summer, the world’s favorite Bad Boys are back with their iconic mix of edge-of-your seat action and outrageous comedy but this time with a twist: Miami’s finest are now on the run.
Movie Review:
Hard to believe that it has been three decades since Will Smith and Martin Lawrence established themselves as the proverbial Bad Boys, and what a three decades it has been since Michael Bay’s buddy-cop action movie that wrote the big-tentpole template at that time. And up until this latest ‘Bad Boys’, too much time used to pass between instalments that it did not make sense for them to be related narrative-wise, other than how Smith and Lawrence played the same temperamentally mismatched but eternally loyal Miami cops named Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett.
Coming off the unexpected success of the last chapter, ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’ takes the story forwards by assuming you’ll remember Mike had an illegitimate son with a Mexican mob widow and the kid Armando Aretas (Jake Scipio) was a ruthless but expert assassin for the cartels. It also assumes you’ll remember that the boys’ beloved captain (Joe Pantoliano) had been shot dead by Armando, and hence the animosity between Armando and Captain Howard’s daughter Judy (Rhea Seehorn), who is determined to clear her father’s name when he is framed posthumously of being on the cartel’s payroll.
Truth be told, the plot is secondary to the excuse it gives us (the audience), as well as both Smith and Lawrence, to indulge in their incredible brand of on-screen chemistry that has been the franchise’s secret sauce all this while. To their credit, both stars take age in their stride, knowing full well that their fans from ‘Bad Boys’ and ‘Bad Boys 2’ are also middle-aged at this point and how contrived it would otherwise be to pretend that they are still the bad boys from 30 years ago. So rather that assume the same bravado, both take turns acknowledging how they might be getting too old for this sh*t, and to have plenty of silly, dorky fun in the process.
That tone is established right from the start with a prologue that sees our pair of bad boys having to foil a robbery at a convenience store where they have made a pitstop at – while speeding down Miami’s roads to make sure Mike gets to his wedding on time – just so that Marcus can get a ginger ale on the way. Later that night, while dancing at Mike’s wedding party, Marcus suffers a heart attack that allows his soul to meet up with Howard, who tells him that ‘it’s not his time’. And with that, this fourquel does a role reversal, with Marcus bouncing back from his near-death experience by becoming utterly fearless while Mike endures a series of panic attacks arising from his self-imposed guilt of being responsible for Howard’s death.
Like we said, it is Smith and Lawrence who are the juice of the series, and both play off each other in absolutely hilarious ways. A gunfight in a club offers a number of amusing slo-mos as Marcus relishes the opportunity to indulge in candy and soda before openly engaging the shooters as if he were bulletproof. While on the run from the cops with Armando during a botched prisoner transfer, Mike and Marcus try to convince a couple of rednecks that they are fans of country singer Reba McEntire, before breaking out in their signature Bad Boys song. And last but not least, there is a playful nod to Will Smith’s real-life slapping saga at the Oscars two years ago just before the movie’s piece de resistance, which we dare say could only have worked with Lawrence.
Speaking of action, there is just three set-pieces throughout the entire two-hour movie – the shootout at a club set to a Barry White needle-drop; a midway sequence where Mike, Marcus and Armando have to wrestle with an out-of-control helicopter while fighting off a bunch of bad guys; and the climactic raid at an abandoned amusement park whose star attraction, an albino alligator named Duke, remains on the premises. Like they did in the last entry, directors Adil and Bilall employ plenty of camera tricks during the bang-bang gunplay, including swirling aerial shots, first-person-shooter and intense handheld close-ups. Though distracting and even dizzying at times, there is no denying that their kinetic camerawork does jazz things up visually.
If ever there was any doubt why the Belgian duo were chosen to take over Michael Bay at the reins, then ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’ should dispel it entirely. Respecting both the spirit and form of Bay’s testosterone-fuelled blockbusters, they saturate the movie with neons, throw in a scene with Tiffany Hadish cameoing as a stripper with an entire arsenal in her g-string, and employ all sorts of technical flourishes that Bay would have been proud of. Both directors have openly said that they have designed the movie to be fast and to make it feel like a ride, and in both respects, they have done so in such over-the-top fashion that both Bay and producer Jerry Bruckheimer should be eminently proud of.
As much as it is a throwback, ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’ never feels like it is stuck in the past; instead, it doubles down on the newfound vulnerabilities of Mike and Marcus, but anchors it in the easy, timeless and still-enjoyable rapport of Smith and Lawrence. And with a wink and a nod, both stars embrace their age, their double act and even their real-life personas to make their dynamic feel fresh, familiar and utterly fetching. It is a riotous triumph in our opinion, and reinforces yet again why Smith and Lawrence have every right to remain our bad boys – for life.
Movie Rating:
(Thanks to the infectious chemistry between Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, this fourth chapter of the 'Bad Boys' saga is a riotous triumph of star-fuelled popcorn entertainment)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: CG Animation
Director: Chris Renaud
Cast: Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Will Ferrell, Pierre Coffin, Joey King, Sofia Vergara, Stephen Colbert, Miranda Cosgrove, Chloe Fineman, Steve Coogan, Chris Renaud, Dana Gaier, Madison Polan
Runtime: 1 hr 35 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: UIP
Official Website:
Opening Day: 4 July 2024
Synopsis: In the first Despicable Me movie in seven years, Gru, the world’s favorite supervillain-turned-Anti-Villain League-agent, returns for an exciting, bold new era of Minions mayhem in Illumination’s Despicable Me 4. Following the 2022 summer blockbuster phenomenon of Illumination’s Minions: The Rise of Gru, which earned almost $1 billion worldwide, the biggest global animated franchise in history now begins a new chapter as Gru (Oscar® nominee Steve Carrell) and Lucy (Oscar® nominee Kristen Wiig) and their girls —Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier) and Agnes (Madison Polan)—welcome a new member to the Gru family, Gru Jr., who is intent on tormenting his dad. Gru faces a new nemesis in Maxime Le Mal (Emmy winner Will Ferrell) and his femme fatale girlfriend Valentina (Emmy nominee Sofia Vergara), and the family is forced to go on the run.
Movie Review:
It may have been seven years since the last ‘Despicable Me’ outing, but as the last Minions spinoff just two years ago has proved, there is definitely no love lost for the adorable yellow henchmen. Even so, this latest instalment does leave one to question whether its franchise stalwarts Chris Renaud (who co-directed the first two movies) and Ken Daurio (who wrote each of the three previous films) have run out of ideas creatively to keep the series going; and if so though, then unfortunately new joiner Mike White (who co-wrote this latest with Daurio) doesn’t seem to have much up his sleeve too.
More so than any of the earlier entries, ‘Despicable Me 4’ feels disjointed. On paper, it is about how Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) and his family – besides Lucy (Kristen Wiig) and the girls Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Galer) and Agnes (Madison Polan), there is also Gru and Lucy’s new baby Gru Jr. – are forced to relocate to a nondescript residential neighbourhood in Mayflower and adopt new identities after Gru’s nemesis Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell) escapes from the Anti-Villain League’s (AVL) maximum security prison vowing to exterminate Gru; in truth however, there are at least four different subplots within, which fail to come together meaningfully.
There is Gru, who while pretending to be a solar panel salesman, gets outed by their next-door teenage neighbour Poppy (Joey King), an aspiring baddie with braces and a lisp, and is blackmailed by Poppy to help her steal the honey badger mascot from Gru’s alma mater – for what it is worth though, the heist at the Hogwarts-like academy named Lycée Pas Bon is maniacal fun, especially with Gru Jr. living up to his name. Then there is Lucy, who while pretending to be a hair stylist, burns off her client’s hair, setting the stage for a supermarket chase with the girls that is unfortunately as much as they end up contributing to the movie.
There is also Maxine, who after endowing himself with the qualities of the near-indestructible cockroach in the prologue, spends his time outside prison reuniting with his army of vermin and coasting around in his roach-shaped ship with his girlfriend Valentina (Sofia Vergara) before the headmaster of Lycée Pas Bon phones in to help connect the dots. And last but not least, there is the Minions, or more specifically, five of them who have been selected by the AVL’s director Silas Ramsbottom (Steve Coogan) to undergo an experimental treatment that turns them into Mega Minions with somewhat uncontrollable superpowers, be it elasticity, strength, flight, laser vision or rock powers.
If it reads like a chaotic melange, it does play like one too. Each of these stories is entertaining in its own right, but strung together into a feature, it feels like an amalgam of unrelated elements. Thankfully then, the animation remains top-notch, not just the zany Looney Tunes-like sequences that will still prove diverting for Mom and Dad and their underage charges, but also the inventive character design that has plenty of loony details to offer. The all-star voice cast also deliver engaging performances all around, whether the over-the-top accents that Carell and Ferrell put on or the deadpanning by Coogan and Vergara.
So while it certainly hasn’t lost its sense of fun, ‘Despicable Me 4’ more than not is held together by its string of gags from start to finish. Despite the addition of Gru Jr., there isn’t much heart by way of father-baby bonding; and for that matter, it is a pity that Lucy and the girls are somewhat sidelined amidst everything else going on. We’d also wish we had more of the Minions, notwithstanding how they now have their own spinoffs, and in particular more of them in action with Gru. So even though it’s still great family entertainment, we can’t say we weren’t disappointed by how scattershot this entry was, and how amidst the gags, it had kept more of the heart that made the earlier movies sweet and heart-warming.
Movie Rating:
(Chock-full of subplots, characters and gags, this latest 'Despicable Me' entry hasn't lost any of the zany fun that defined the franchise, but otherwise lacks focus and most importantly, heart)
Review by Gabriel Chong
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DONALD SUTHERLAND (1936 - 2024)Posted on 21 Jun 2024 |
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Director: Choi Byung-gil
Cast: Cho Yeo-jeong, Kim Jin-young, Ko Kyu-phil, Park Ha-sun, Seo Ji-hoon
Runtime: 1 hr 34 mins
Rating: M18 (Disturbing Scenes and Violence)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website:
Opening Day: 11 July 2024
Synopsis: Three people experience something sinister after receiving tarot cards. The cards hold dual meanings, and no one can escape their prophecy. Mystery tales that could happen somewhere, featuring situations in our everyday encounters with family, neighbours and strangers. After characters receive a single tarot card each time, some believe in the tarot cards predicting the future while others ignore them, but nobody knows the truth. Soon, they experience extreme horrors opposite to the predictions of the tarot cards…
Movie Review:
The premise of this Korean horror movie is simple enough. The protagonists of three different stories each chance upon a tarot card and end up in quite a bit of trouble. We have seen enough horror flicks to know that while some people believe that tarot cards can provide insights into their lives and predict the future, they can be associated with supernatural practices and lead to sinister outcomes. So, watching the three segments would be like catching three episodes of a TV series.
And that’s exactly what the marketing spin is for this 94 minute movie directed by Choi Byung-gil. The three stories are actually three episodes from a horror mystery thriller series of the same name. It’s like a sampler for audiences so that they can decide whether to follow the seven episode series when it premieres in mid July.
To create hype, the team probably chose the most buzz worthy tales to be told on the big screen. The first segment titled “Do you believe in Santa?” sees a working mom going through hardship as she raises her daughter. To make things worse, the single mother has to work on Christmas Day and leave her daughter alone at home. As she goes through the day working as a cashier in a department store, she is also seeing some strange things happenin to her daughter at home. She becomes anxious and it doesn’t help that her unreasonable supervisor is on her back, and accusing her of a possible theft.
Cho Yeo-jeong (Parasite) headlines this segment and delivers a heartfelt performance that will make all mothers proud of what they have gone through for their kids. There is nothing particularly scary about this story, and while there are some foreboding moments, the ending is bittersweet enough to make viewers feel for the situation. Naturally, this segment was selected for the Short Form Competition at the 7th Cannes International Series Festival in April.
The second segment titled “Going home” is the most entertaining of the lot. Ko Kyu-pil (The Roundup: No Way Out) plays a man who seems to have had a really bad day. We first see him in a police car as he tries to explain his misfortunes to a cop. The married man talks about how he was spending time with his girlfriend in a hotel, indicating that he isn’t a wholesome dude. One thing leads to another, and he soon finds himself getting paranoid in a taxi after leaving the hotel, no thanks to the suspicious cab driver who can’t seem to handle his rage. Without saying too much, this segment will end in a bloody mess.
There are some funny moments in this segment that audiences will be tickled by. While the concept of having a character go through a series of unfortunate events due to bad luck isn’t new, it still makes of good entertainment. Furthermore, the chubby actor has what it takes to play the role and have you sympathising with his misadventure.
Fans of gore will embrace the third segment titled “Delivery call”. Kim Jin-young, whom fans know as Dex, plays a confident delivery rider who finds himself sending food to a woman in a dilapidated apartment. The woman starts behaving bizarrely and he tries to distance himself, only to meet with dire consequences.
The good looking celebrity whom many know from the reality TV series Single’s Inferno provides eye candy for most part of this segment, and sheds his idol package in a shocking ending that concludes the movie. This is the part where horror fans would snigger in glee and understand why this movie received a M18 (Disturbing Scenes and Violence) rating and consumer advice.
Movie Rating:
(There is enough drama, entertainment and gore in the three stories featured in this movie to make you interested to find out what the TV sereis has to offer)
Review by John Li
Genre: Thriller
Director: Michael Keaton
Cast: Michael Keaton, James Marsden, Suzy Nakamura, Ray McKinnon, John Hoogenakker, Dennis Dugan, Joanna Kulig, Marcia Gay Harden, Al Pacino
Runtime: 1 hr 55 mins
Rating: NC16 (Some Coarse Language and Nudity)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website:
Opening Day: 25 July 2024
Synopsis: When a contract killer has a rapidly evolving form of dementia, he is offered an opportunity to redeem himself by saving the life of his estranged adult son.
Movie Review:
Apologies to Mr Christian Bale, Michael Keaton will forever be the best Batman in my humble opinion. While at times, he gets a shot at a great part (Birdman, Spotlight and The Founder), he remains mostly an underrated actor with just a single Oscar nomination.
For his sophomore directing feature, Keaton directs himself by playing a character named John Knox (sounds more like a placeholder name John Doe), an active hitman who has just been diagnosed with an aggressive form of dementia. It’s a matter of weeks not months or years before he lose his entire memory. In the meantime, his plan is to carry out one last hit with his partner, Muncie, (Ray McKinnon) and cash out his valuables with the help of his friend, Xavier Crane (Al Pacino).
At his end, he might have a concrete retirement plan panned out but one night, his estranged son, Miles (James Marsden) pays him a surprise visit and request his help. Miles has just killed the man that cheated his teenage daughter and he needs John to help cover his evil deed. A hitman father sure comes in handy at this point. However, will his sometimes disoriented and confused mind help in the whole shenanigan?
Knox Goes Away is geared towards a character study piece than a full-blown crime drama. John is a complicated character. A learnt man with PhD in both history and literature and an ex-military man, he probably knows more about life than the average person on the street. There’s no clear reason why he left his wife (Marcia Gay Harden in a cameo) and son, still it doesn’t take away all the engrossing aspects of the colourful character who also indulged in some weekly relaxing time with a hooker, Annie (Joanna Kulig).
The dementia aspect allows Keaton to commit himself to a performance that requires him to turn from a lucid, tactical hitman to a man who has no time to face his illness yet has to desperately resort to clearing his son’s mess within days. The end result is fascinating but never in an exhilarating manner that leaves you breathless. The premise might be high-concept on one hand although the pacing is mostly deliberate and at least 15 minutes too long.
There’s two committed detectives, Ikari (Suzy Nakamura) and Rale (John Hoogenakker) hot on John’s trail suspecting him for being a shady fellow and likely a murder suspect. It’s a subplot that doesn’t add much to the proceedings except the occasionally funny battering between Ikari and Rale. The great Al Pacino appears prob as a favour to Keaton delivering a reliable performance as always even his screen time is far limited than Kulig. And talking about Annie, hers is a nice addition to the final narrative, providing a nice decent closure to a man who loves his books as much as his gun.
The entire story played out as an old school thriller especially the frequent inclusion of dated fade out effect. Marsden might also be miscast as John’s son if you are the picky sort. It’s very much of a slow-burn yet you can’t deny Keaton’s talented efforts behind the camera and his highly solid turn as a troubled contract killer.
Movie Rating:
(Keaton steers away from the loud, popcorn action thrillers to deliver something a little different)
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Director: Osgood Perkins
Cast: Nicholas Cage, Maika Monroe, Alicia Witt, Blair Underwood
Runtime: 1 hr 41 mins
Rating: NC16 (Violence)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website:
Opening Day: 11 July 2024
Synopsis: In pursuit of a serial killer, an FBI agent uncovers a series of occult clues that she must solve to end his terrifying killing spree.
Movie Review:
You may have read how this horror thriller is one of the scariest movies of all time. While there is a certain truth to that (more details in a while), what’s commendable about this independent horror flick is the guerilla marketing approach from the distributor.
Forget PR influenced interviews with the stars, glitzy world tours and glamourous red carpets – the movie benefited from the mysterious teaser trailers that were released earlier this year, and the puzzling clips, images and coded messages that can only be cracked using symbiology created for the movie. Then there are the videos released online (like this one) which added the to the creepiness. Finally, there was a printed advertisement in the Seattle Times (it’s nice to know that there are still people who read the papers) which pointed readers to a website with even more spine chilling details which suggest that there is a Satan worshipping serial killer on the loose.
The anticipation for the actual movie was high, and judging by how this writer was left with a lingering sense feeling disturbed when the end credits rolled, it means that this unsettling film written and directed by Osgood Perkins has delivered the goods. Maybe this warped personality runs in the family, because it is also noteworthy that Perkins’ father Anthony played the twisted Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) and its subsequent sequels.
Back to the movie. The story is straightforward, as we follow a female FBI agent as she attempts to track down a serial killer who is supposedly responsible for murdering families across America, leaving the bodies in a bloody mess. The strange thing is, evidence suggest that this killer isn’t physically at the scenes of crime, and there seems to be some evil supernatural force behind these cruel murders.
What we know is that the killer is someone who goes by Longlegs (a brilliant name for a serial murderer in this writer’s opinion, because there are all sorts of images that can pop up in the mind, including those which are not kid friendly), and he has an accomplice aiding him in the killings. What we do not know is his motive, and how he exactly looks like.
And when we finally see Longlegs his full getup, we are glad that he is played by Nicolas Cage. We have seen the award winning actor going berserk in Mandy (2018), and hamming it up as Dracula in Renfield (2023), so we were all set for an unhinged Cage in this role. The dementedness of the character is truly bloodcurdling, and there are a few scenes where you’ll hear Cage howling in maniacal laughter and singing an unnerving tune. With his face covered in white makeup while sporting a shabby hairdo, you do not want this guy to be visiting you in your dreams.
Elsewhere, you also know things are not right with Maika Monroe’s FBI agent character. She seems distant most of the time, and there is a foreboding atmosphere whenever she appears on screen. The shots are stylishly put together, but you are not enjoying them because you know something terrible is going to happen. And when the movie culminates in a moment of supposed truth, you are not very sure how to react. Whether or not you prefer closure in horror movies, this one will leave you feeling uneasy.
Movie Rating:
(A moody serial killer flick that will make you a little uneasy, featuring Nicolas Cage's unhinged performance as the demented titular character)
Review by John Li
SYNOPSIS: A surprising romance kicks off comic consequences for a young woman (Joey King), her mother (Nicole Kidman) and her movie star boss (Zac Efron) as they face the complications of love, sex, and identity.
MOVIE REVIEW:
A Family Affair marks the screen reunion of Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron after their infamous stingray encounter in the Lee Daniels’ drama, The Paperboy which was released in 2012. Hopefully, we hope we won’t need to wait another 12 years before we can see both of them in a more note-worthy rom-com.
It’s the season of May-December love as we just caught the Amazon release of The Idea of You. At least that is a better movie that this one. Efron plays an egotistical superstar, Chris Cole while former child star Joey King plays his long-suffering personal assistant, Zara.
After a long setup in which we sees Zara being constantly humiliated by Cole, the former decides to quit her job knowing her desire to be an associate producer is not going to be anytime soon. Cole on the other hand decides to apologise and make his way to Zara’s home only to find her mother, Brooke Harwood (Kidman), an award-winning writer alone in the house. One thing leads to another and to her horror, Zara finds them both in bed in the movie’s sole funny scene.
A Family Affair is a movie that can’t make up its mind to be a romcom between a lonely superstar and a lonely writer or a sad drama about Zara’s coming-of-age woes and Brooke embracing a new love after her husband passed away 11 years ago. If you are expecting something comedic, there isn’t any unless you count the scene where a grown-up has to consult a paediatric for a head injury. The constant gags on Cole’s "Icarus Rush" action movies isn’t particularly slapstick either.
The romance portion on one hand is beautiful staged and shot. As expected, Kidman is gorgeous in all sorts of fancy gowns. Of course, who can forget the obligatory romantic montage. Even a supermarket is thrown in as if it’s going to be memorable and romantic for the closing scene. For comparison sake, that’s not the same as the Empire State Building in Sleepless in Seattle. At the same time, Zara is dead against the relationship consider she has first hand knowledge of how a jerk Cole is to his many girlfriends. Yet she continues to be Cole’s personal assistant, writer, helper whatever.
Then there is Zara’s grandmother, Leila (Kathy Bates) who conveniently happens to be Harwood’s literary agent as well. Bates’ character pops in and out dispensing nuggets of wisdow to Harwood and Zara because she is playing a warm understanding senior figure. And then there is Eugenie (Liza Koshy), the best friend of Zara who has an unexpected sudden fallout with her because the plot says so.
Director Richard LaGravenese who wrote movies liked The Fisher King, The Bridges of Madison County and The Mirror Has Two Faces helmed this cringy mess. We are not exactly sure what LaGravenese brought to the table since the entire affair is 30 minutes too long and passionless even for a predicable Hollywood rom-com.
The cast is obviously watchable especially Joey King who turns in an effective performance as a likeable, plucky young Gen Z. The May-December angle however is less convincing and poorly derived. We need some real heart in the whole delivery but it’s hard to find it here.
MOVIE RATING:
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: Drama
Director: Ly Hai
Cast: Quach Ngoc Ngoan, Tram Anh, Truong Minh Cuong, Tran Kim Hai, Thanh Hien, Dinh Y Nhung
Runtime: 2 hrs 20 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website:
Opening Day: 18 July 2024
Synopsis: The longest and most successful franchise in Vietnam delivers a rejuvenating twist with its latest instalment, taking audiences on an enlightening journey with Ba Hai, a 73-year-old widow who questions the meaning of family love after an injury forces her to depend on the care of her 5 busy adult children.
Movie Review:
Naturally, you’d think that this Vietnamese movie is riding on the popularity of Pat Boonnitipat’s commercially and critically successful How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies.
The protagonists of both movies are kind looking grandma characters, and because of their old age, you know it’s a matter of time before they pass on. And you’d be heartless if you don’t feel anything or relate the story to your own experience.
It is important to note that for the Vietnamese production we are reviewing is a longest and most successful franchise in its home country. Known as the “Face Off” series in Vietnam, each title is a standalone tale. Director Ly Hai made the instalment in 2015, and he is delivering the seventh movie nine years later. Considering how each instalment has earned bigger bucks at the box office than the previous one, it is only a matter of time the success is seen in other parts of the world, especially in the Southeast Asian region where we are situated. In fact, there were many Vietnamese in the audience at the preview screening this writer attended, and it was evident that they enjoyed the 140 minute movie.
And rightly so, because the sentimental film plays out like a travelogue and features some of the most scenic locations in Vietnam. This makes it instantly relatable to Vietnamese who have been away from home for a while. The movie is also like a soap opera series with individual episodes that can be viewed independently.
This then brings us to the story. Ba Hai (Thanh Hien) is a widow who gave her all raising her children. When the kids grow up, she enjoys her time selling flowers and interacting with neighbours in a slow paced countryside of the country. A vehicle rams into her roadside stall one day and she ends up injured, and this prompts her five children to come up with a plan to take turns caring for their mother. The thing is, they live in different parts of the country and are seemingly too busy to make time for the poor old lady.
The movie conveniently segmentises the story to have Mdm Hai travelling to the different children’s homes. And expectedly, each chapter sees a situation where Mdm Hai saving the day with her almost perfect motherly instinct. There is the eldest son who stays in a swanky apartment but has a hard time with his uptight wife and rebellious daughter. Then there is the son who earns a living as a fisherman and you know something bad is going to happen when he heads out to sea during a stormy season. There is also the daughter who works as a farmer and tries to convince Mdm Hai that she lives a comfortable and luxurious life – this entertaining segment also happens to be our favourite. And not forgetting the son who runs a construction business and gets into trouble when some calculations go wrong.
As much as you think the drama in each child’s home is too conveniently scripted, you also have to admit that these are the issues that happen in your family. Amidst the shouting and arguing, it is also what makes the family, and at the end of the day, these are the people in your life that matter.
Movie Rating:
(A sentimental family drama that reminds you to appreciate of all the great things your mother has done)
Review by John Li
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