1st Reviews

  Based on Patricia Highsmith’s acclaimed 1955 crime novel, Ripley is a gripping Hitchcockian thriller that doubles as a chilling character study. This eight episode limited series lights a slow burning fuse that can’t be extinguished, with Andrew Scott’s mesmerizing performance at the centre of it all.  I should start by saying this series is my introduction to these characters and this story. I haven’t read the novels nor have I seen any of the film adaptations, so I went in with a fresh perspective not knowing what to expect. While I do agree that the age of the characters and the actors portraying them is pushing the limit, it’s hard to find many faults beyond that. This is an outstanding piece of storytelling that kept me in suspense from start to finish. The somewhat slow pacing worked very well when it came to developing Tom Ripley as a character, allowing the viewer a glimpse into the mind of a sociopath.  Andrew Scott eats up every moment of screen time with his ...

  The beloved post-apocalyptic video game, Fallout, makes its live action debut in the form of an eight episode Amazon season today! Taking place over 200 years after a nuclear war, the world is a wasteland and a shell of its past self. Contamination from Nuclear radiation has drastically altered life and everyone is struggling to survive in their own way.   The series follows three main leads; Lucy, a vault dweller, The Ghoul, Cooper Howard and Brotherhood member, Maximus. Each character expands on the large story and adds their unique perspective on the world as we know it.  When the nuclear holocaust was looming, vaults were built and sold to consumers as protection, two hundred years later, the dwellers were left scared to return to the surface to face reality but one dweller from Vault 33, Lucy must go on a mission to the surface and face the challenges ahead. Ella Purnell is perfect as Lucy, She plays this happy-go-lucky and incredibly naive dweller who acts like sh...

  When Andrew Scott began his career, he was mainly a background actor floating from television series to series. He had done some independent films, but he shortly after appeared in some features like  Spectre  and made an impact. Even if you didn’t remember his name, you remembered his presence. When Scott was cast in BBC’s  Sherlock  as Jim Moriarty, everything changed for him. People saw how brilliant he was, and after he made himself known. Scott is an underrated actor who can tap into the darkness of one’s soul. He can deliver a layered performance with ease. And expose every corner of the character he’s portraying. After watching  Ripley,  adapted by Steve Zaillian for Netflix, you will appreciate how talented he is on another level. Every time we see Scott in a new role, he shows audiences a different side of himself. The series is adapted from Patricia Highsmith’s novel  The Talented Mr. Ripley.  This is the best new limited series t...

  The first season of Invincible soared into the tv landscape to deliver an exciting take on animated superhero fare. Well written, impressively voiced and ultra violent - it was a breath of fresh air in an overcrowded genre. After a very long hiatus, the much anticipated second season has landed. In many ways, it’s a worthy follow up, but fails to reach the heights of season one.  The first episode picks up in the devastating aftermath of season one’s finale, and as many premiers do, takes a necessary breather while setting up things to come. We follow Mark in his first year of college, as he struggles to balance school, his relationship with Amber, and his role as a hero. We also get to see the Guardians, as they adapt to Mark and Eve’s departure, while preparing new members. This lower stakes cool-down is welcome, as it would be almost impossible to continue the momentum the first season built by the time it concludes. Unfortunately, the second season isn’t able to build mu...

  Monkey Man isn’t afraid to fight dirty, using brute force to overpower its simple narrative structure. This high octane revenge thriller will leave you breathless in the wake of the the beatdown it inflicts.  Marking the directorial debut of actor Dev Patel, this movie is hopefully a sign of great things to come. Patel served as writer, director and star, which I can’t imagine was easy given how physically demanding this performance is. It’s a fairly standard revenge story, but Patel ensures it’s kicked into overdrive with how gritty and brutal the action gets. The story also has a nice emotional core, both surrounding Patel’s past and some companions he meets along the way.  It’s rough around the edges, but the guerrilla style cinematography gives it a beautiful kind of chaos that heightens the intensity of the action. There are a handful of scenes where the camera work is a little too unwieldy, not allowing you to get a proper grasp on what’s happening on screen. The ...

  Late Night with the Devil utilizes its late night talk show format perfectly, delivering a refreshing take on found footage and possession horror. Although it falters on occasion adhering to its own rules, this is the kind of ambitious, original horror film we need more of. The movie takes place in almost real time, combining the master tape of a late night talk show broadcast with behind the scenes footage. “Night Owls with Jack Delroy” captures the vibe of retro late night flawlessly. The broadcast segments genuinely feel as if you’re watching a talk show from the late ‘70s, and that cheap, old school aesthetic lends itself perfectly to the terrifying undertones. It’s funny, and a little corny - a product of its time really, but behind the cheesiness and jokes, you feel this looming sense of impending dread. David Dastmalchian is phenomenal as Jack Delroy, and if I wasn’t already familiar with his work, I would’ve thought this man was actually a late night television host. He p...

  Bigger, bloodier and more competently made, Blood and Honey 2 is an improvement over the first movie in every way (that’s not saying much, I know). However, now that the novelty of an R-rated Winnie the Pooh horror flick has worn off, we’re left with a sequel that has no tricks left in its honeypot.  With a modest budget of half a million (which is ten times that of the first movie), the production value is noticeably higher. Everything from the cinematography to the gruesome gore effects gets a massive upgrade, making for a sequel that feels closer to a full fledged movie rather than a cheap fan film. The most notable improvement though, is the work that went into Pooh and his friends’ faces. Replacing the stiff rubber masks from the first film are prosthetics with plenty of detail. These villains now look like actual monsters, rather than actors in low quality Halloween masks.  That shiny new coat of paint is almost enough to trick you into thinking this is a halfway ...