EvilPhoEniX

Doctor Sleep might put you to sleep! Mike Flanagan tries his best, but once again I was not pleased. I find his films terribly uninteresting. This one is a direct sequel to The Shining after 40 years and introduces the main character played by Ewan McGregor (the boy in The Shining) who follows in the footsteps of the True Knot cult who suck the souls out of dead victims. Filmed decently, both Ewan and Rebecca Ferguson, playing the villain, are solid. The music is also good, fans of the first film will be pleased with the many references and the finale is quite intense. But the film is not scary, suspenseful, brutal and certainly not entertaining, I haven't seen such a slow film in the cinema for a long time. I'm personally not a big fan of The Shining either, so this story and mythology doesn't do anything for me and actually doesn't interest me much. I don't want to put it off completely, fans of The Shining will probably enjoy it and IMDB praises it as well, so it's not a dud, more like nothing for me. 55%

This is this year's big hit and a clear Comedy of the Year! After all those teen comedies set in high school comes a tween comedy from elementary school and not only will it take you back 20 years nostalgically, but it will also make you laugh, smile, be touched and maybe even shed a tear at the end. Jacob Tremblay is a already big Hollywood star (13 decent films at 13 years old!). The film has a rather funny story featuring the first porn movie, the first kissing party and the first buying and selling of drugs (the scene in the drug den is one of the highlights). An unexpected hit that I will definitely come back to. 85%

Danny Boyle has made stronger films, but this likeable and enjoyable musical also has charm. Have you also noticed that they've been ripping it up lately? After Queen and Elton John there's The Beatles, but it's presented in a fairly original way, which is appreciated. I would appreciate it if more than three things disappeared from this world. Himesh Patel is solid and the finale is moving. 75%

After the action comedy Midnight Runners, Joo-hwan Kim serves up a horror film about exorcism, starring Park Seo-joon (Parasite). The protagonist loses his father as a child, leaves the Christian faith and decides to believe only in himself. He becomes an MMA champion and has more or less everything he ever wanted until a strange wound appears on his palm – you guessed right Stigmata. He seeks help from a local priest who is currently battling possessed beings. What I like about the film is that there are quite a few possessed people, so fans of exorcisms will enjoy it to the fullest, and it wouldn't be Korea if the main character and the main villain didn't give each other a proper Korean smackdown at the end. It has nice visuals, it's not boring, and it's quite original within the genre. 60%

After Kundo: Age of the Rampant, Yoon Jong-bin serves up another historical spy-themed drama with a perfect performance by Jeong-min Hwang, but for my taste the film was rather tedious and didn't offer enough interesting sequences for the given running time. There were suspenseful and interesting sequences when meeting the leader, but there weren't that many of those. Nicely shot, well acted and definitely an interesting insight into the political situation in North and South Korea. I'm not the target audience, so a neutral three. 60%.

Jennifer Kent, director of The Babadook, delivers an Australian rape and revenge drama that is definitely not for mainstream audiences, especially NOT for pregnant women! The year is 1825 and the protagonist, Clare, is a young Irish convict in the Tasmanian outback chasing the British soldiers who have committed an unforgivable and horrific act of violence against her family. She is aided by an Australian Aboriginal tracker, also traumatised by past acts of violence. Once again, after a long time, we have an oppressive, chilling, unflinching, damn uncomfortable and disturbing film that doesn't shy away from violence against women or children. The rape scene in the cabin will be the deciding factor as to whether you will tolerate or give up on the film. For a film directed by a woman, it has unexpectedly more balls than those of other directors. The downside for me was the slower pace and a slightly excessive running time, but otherwise this is a solid film that adds a different dimension to my favorite subgenre. 75%.

Uff The new Terminator is a huge surprise and the ultimate action flick! With a few exceptions, I consider this year one of the weakest in terms of horror and blockbuster films, but October kicks the whole year off on a more positive note. I don't remember enough of the older installments to compare, so I'm rating this one and this one only, and although I went to the theater expecting a seven, I left with an enthusiastic ten. From start to finish, it is an intense, raucous and uncompromising action inferno with a perfect cast. Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger were good, but the big surprise is Mackenzie Davis, who gets gave me adrenaline and erections at the same time during the action scenes, and praise must also be given to the indestructible Gabriel Luna, who played the bad guy with grace. There is plenty of action, it's very varied, each time very spectacular and the music makes you slowly catch your breath, especially during the final scene where M. Davis spins the chain, I screamed with relish across the cinema, because the last time I saw such a choreography was from Iko Uwais in The Raid 2. Apart from the action, I praise the visuals, the dynamic pace, some apt wisecracks, the juicy R-rating and a pretty dark atmosphere. Great entertainment that I always have served up with a smile and enthusiasm. 10/10

A solid paranoid and disturbing haunted house flick, the likes of which has never been seen before. CM Punk (The Wrestler) goes out on his own to renovate the new house he bought for his family, but soon discovers that it has a horrific past, is cursed, and a lot of strange things are going on. All sorts of liquids spurt out of holes, glass marbles roll around on the floor, a seductive lady appears to seduce the protagonist and CM Punk literally goes insane. The finale is pretty brutal too, so a decent fun one-off. 65%.

A decent French gangster film about drug dealers with an excellent Isabelle Adjani, and Vincent Cassel is also good, even if only in a supporting role. The main character was a bit ulikeable because of how stupid he was and his mistake put him in an unpleasant situation, but I have to admit that the final fuck up with the viewer is impressive and very unexpected. I didn't find it very funny, but it is definitely an entertaining and film and Oulaya Amamra is a babe! 70%

A frightened woman living alone is chased by an unknown man who tries to break into her apartment. A typical Korean standard that is well shot, has a solid soundtrack and works reliably when it comes to suspense, but unfortunately it brings nothing new, there is hardly any violence, so more of a light thriller. 60%