Although a load of new content appears on Netflix every week, I generally take the time to watch what interests me. I add it to my viewing list when it is announced and I often see it a few weeks after it has been released. However, last week was a week in which I could not wait until the releases of Triple Frontier (review will follow), season 2 of The OA and this series, Love, Death & Robots. With Tim Miller (director of Deadpool) and David Fincher as executive producers and a science fiction approach, I was very curious. I had not seen the trailer and I was totally unprepared for what I would experience, but when I started watching, I couldn’t get enough of it. Continue reading
Category Archives: Mystery
Captain Marvel (2019) – Review
Just like the real one, the Marvel universe also continues to expand. And although Thanos movie caused a lot to change in this universe in the last Avengers movie, the ending was the first mention of a new superhero, Captain Marvel. This film tells the origin story of this character and how Nick Fury (Samuel L.Jackson) met her. Is this film a worthy addition to this universe? Continue reading
The Thing From Another World (1951) – Review
One of my favorite sci-fi/horror films is John Carpenter’s The Thing, in which the tension is high and you, like the characters, have no idea what is going on and who may not be the person you think they are. Yet The Thing was a remake and according to some, one of the best ever made. I had never seen the original version before, but I was curious about the similarities/differences. Continue reading
Memoir of a Murderer (2017) – Review
As we get older, the chance that our body starts to show defects is increasing. If you injure yourself, you will recover less quickly, you may need a new hip and a cold can have more serious consequences. Yet slowly losing your brain, your thoughts and who you are may be the most frightening thing that can happen. That you can no longer rely on the thing which makes you who you are and could no longer recognize the world around you. Forgetting what you did yesterday. If you are a serial killer who has decided years ago to no longer murder and suddenly find out that bodies are found, how do you know if you did not when you can’t remember? Continue reading
Alita: Battle Angel (2019) – Review
When I think of director Robert Rodriguez, I do not immediately feel that I should see every project he does. His first film El Mariachi was good, I have been able to enjoy the Spy Kids films for what they are and Sin City is perhaps his best, but the feeling of Grindhouse-like films that he has done a lot (eg. the Machete titles) prevails. I did not really have any expectations about Alita: Battle Angel, but the fact that this is a project that James Cameron wanted to make for nearly twenty years, besides Avatar, and he was also involved in developing this Rodriguez version, could result in something interesting. I decided to watch the film the best way possible, in a Dolby Cinema. Is Alita: Battle Angel worth it? Continue reading
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (2018) – Review
When Netflix released the first interactive show on Netflix last year, Puss in Book: Trapped in Epic Tale, I was very curious about the concept. But when I played this short film, I did not get any interactive options. I did not investigate it any further, but the concept (which incidentally has also been used for some movies in the cinema) of leaving making choices about what happens to the viewer, is fascinating. Is it still a movie? Or is it more a game? Last Friday, Netflix released the first Black Mirror film, Bandersnatch, which also uses this concept. Again I did not get it working. Since Black Mirror is one of my favorite series and I had to see it, I decided to find out how you can watch it. My phone did not work (probably because it does not have a standard Android version), a Samsung tablet did not offer the option either. Apple TV, Chromecast and a Samsung smart TV were all the same story and the Netflix site does not offer an extensive list of supported devices. Eventually it worked on another smart TV from Samsung and after a lot of frustration I finally managed to enter the world of real interactive TV. Continue reading
Aquaman (2018) – Review
You only have one time to make a first impression and when DC, inspired by the success of Marvel and their “shared universe” of films, tried the same thing, it was not really successful. Batman vs. Superman disappointed and the same was true for Justice League. Where the Marvel films were mainly light-hearted and entertaining, that was not the case in the DC universe. That does not have to be a problem, as the Batman films of Christopher Nolan have proven that a realistic, dark atmosphere can work, but the general public doesn’t seem to look forward to the films of the studio as much. Wonder Woman might have been the exception, but that also succeeded because it had a different tone. Aquaman was introduced in the In Justice League film and Jason Mamoa gave the character both a serious as a lighthearted feel by for example joking about Batman. Now the character gets his own movie. Is this another disappointing DC movie or has the company finally found the right balance? Continue reading
Upgrade (2018) – Review
Every year there are only a few films in which there are shots that amaze me. Moments where I wonder how they are made or that overwhelms me visually (but that might be a subject for a separate article). When you watch a lot of movies it’s much more difficult to get wowed and you hope to see inventive imagery that feel fresh/new. Initially, I had no idea that Upgrade would be a title that had such characteristics. It starts as a fairly average science fiction story, but from the moment above I could not wait to see what else the film had in store. Continue reading
Searching (2018) – Review
How much time do you spend behind a screen every day? If you had an app that would keep track, you might be shocked. We know the interfaces that we use in detail. Nevertheless, in many cases, films and series often choose to present us with an interface that is unfamiliar to us, even if it takes place in the present. A screen that has been specially designed for a film and should look sleek. As a result, as a viewer you have no strong connection with what you see. Searching is an exception. It is a film that takes place completely in operating systems that we know: Windows and Mac OS. Continue reading
To Catch a Thief (1955) – Review
Some directors have made a name for themselves and as viewer you have specific expectations when you go see their films. Whether it is the violence, dialogue and references to other movies in Tarantino films, the weirdness of David Lynch’s work or the practical way Christopher Nolan shoots everything on film, you have an idea of what to expect. It is something you look forward to when checking their work out. Alfred Hitchcock is also one of those names. I’ve seen a lot of his work and love the look of them (of course because of the era they were shot in), the character interactions and of course (usually) the suspense. To Catch a Thief was a movie of his I hadn’t seen yet and added to my blindspot list for this year. It turned out to be slightly disappointing. Continue reading