Movie Nights: Week in review 7.5-7.11
We watched a few fantastic films this week and then there was No way up…
The Reef (2010)
Still riding the Shark Week high we decided to watch The Reef, it has a very real feel to it. It follows a group of 5 very average looking people when their boat overturns in the ocean near Australia. As they attempt to make it to land they are stalked by a shark/sharks and are picked off one by one. It is a slow feeling movie while still being quite tense. Not too much happens throughout but you are on edge the whole time. The behavior they exhibit feels pretty realistic and there is a really creepy shot with a sea turtle that we enjoyed. They swim very slowly and this was pissing us off the whole time but other than that you feel yourself rooting for them. We really liked the ending. A great pick if you’ve still got a hankering to watch some sharks.
STREAMING ON: AMAZON PRIME $
Photo Credit IMDB
No Way Up (2024)
No Way Up was a bit disappointing but only because we were very excited about this premise, it is probably pretty on par with what most people would be expecting for a plane crash shark movie. This is the story of some of the surviving crew and passengers from a crashed flight in the ocean trying to find a way out safely. It was entertaining in a way for the most part but it felt pretty silly and nonsensical to us and was a bit too slow at times. We didn’t really feel attached to any of the characters and the plot was messy and not believable. Acting isn’t really convincing and feels awkward throughout. We kinda hated all the characters, they made pretty foolish decisions that made it hard to root for them. When you do get to see sharks it doesn’t really make any sense. Very mediocre sea horror if you ask us, not really worth any time or money.
STREAMING ON: AMAZON PRIME $ (AMC+)
Photo Credit Photo by Kevin Baker - © Altitude Films
Speak No Evil (2022)
Don’t watch the trailer! For this or the 2024 remake! It straight up ruins ALL the fun.
Speak No Evil is one of the most frustrating movies we have seen in a long time. It is a psychological thriller about a Danish couple Bjørn, his wife Louise and their young daughter Agnes and their travel experiences. They go to stay with a family they just met Patrick, Karin and their young son Abel at their rural home in The Netherlands after they meet and hit it off on a vacation in Italy. We absolutely vehemently hated both couples. (Aletha more so but still) In fact to take it one step further, every single person bothered us, even the kids! All behavior at almost every moment rubbed us the wrong way. This is the type of film that has you on nobody’s side by the end. They don’t do the things they should EVER, that is the whole movie. You are in a constant state of anxiety and frustration until the end. Despite all of this we somehow still enjoyed the film. It had really good acting from all parties and the plot was really fun. If you don’t mind being really frustrated at the characters and enjoy a dark ominous vibe give it a try.
STREAMING ON: AMAZON PRIME $ (AMC+)
Photo Credit IMDB
Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)
The Killing of a Sacred Deer is such a unique movie. We came across the term “absurdist psychological horror thriller” and that feels pretty accurate. This one is directed by Yorgos Lanthimos so you know its going to be a little odd, it definitely delivers a very disturbing and unsettling vibe throughout. The acting feels incredibly stiff, almost like theater or a play, it feels very off putting at first before you adjust to everybody’s strange cadence but it sets a very strong tone. The story follows a cardiac surgeon Stephen (Colin Ferrell) who accidentally kills a patient during surgery and after befriends the deceased patient’s son Martin (Barry Keoghan), seemingly out of guilt. They become closer, developing an almost inappropriate, secretive relationship and he eventually introduces Martin to his family. Nicole Kidman plays Anna, his very supportive wife, he also has two younger children Anna and Bob (Sunny Suljic and Raffey Cassidy). Very strange things begin to happen after they are all introduced, his children fall ill and somehow Martin is to Blame. We enjoyed it quite a bit, worth a watch if you wanna feel a bit disturbed and unsettled.
STREAMING ON: HBO MAX
Photo Credit IMDB
Funny Games (1997)
The original Funny Games is one of our favorite movies! Although we also enjoy the remake it just isn’t as disturbing somehow. This is a home invasion story with a sick twist. It has a very raw and real feel to it. The actors do a great job throughout especially Susanne Lothar, by the end of the film she seems truly broken and hopeless (mentally and physically) in a way that is very rarely portrayed this well. Essentially two young men (Arno Frisch and Frank Giering) find their way inside the summer home of a family vacationing in what seems to be their summer home. Posing as friends of the neighbors asking for some extra eggs they begin to terrorize the family and hold them hostage. They say they want to play a game and make a bet that the family will be dead by morning, that’s where the fun really begins. Fantastic psychological torture blended with some actual torture makes the perfect combo here. This is a classic in our eyes and is always worth a watch. We love the ending!
STREAMING ON: HBO MAX
Photo Credit IMDB
Donnie Darko
Donnie Darko is another classic we had the pleasure of revisiting this week. It has a pretty fun cast of familiar faces like Jake Gyllenhaal , Maggie Gyllenhaal, Patrick Swayze, Beth Grant, Drew Barrymore and even Seth Rogen in his feature film debut. It follows a psychologically disturbed young man (Jake Gyllenhaal) who is having hallucinations and sees a Rabbit named Frank who convinces him to commit several increasingly destructive crimes. He is convinced the world will end in 28 days if he doesn’t save the world because of strange dreams he is having. The movie was also filmed over a period of 28 days which is cool. The opening scene is fantastic and there are hardcore fall and halloween vibes throughout which we love. It also has a really great soundtrack which is always a plus and we love the ending! Donnie Darko is always worth a watch and a rewatch.
STREAMING ON: SHUDDER
Photo Credit IMDB
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