EvilPhoEniX

Another great short from the director of Ignore It!! A great idea set in a changing cabin. Creepy, atmospheric, spectacular. Really cool.

Dormani is a smart boy. His Milkman was already fine and Ornate can again rely on an interesting idea and unconventional concept. It may lack funding, but the creative vision and playfulness is there. The finale is fine and creepy. 6/10.

My good old and beloved Patryk Vega is back! I look forward to every film of this director, knowing I'm going to have a royal good time no matter what the topic, because it's always an incredible ride. This won't be one of his most celebrated films though (violence and gore are completely absent this time), and his previous, Small World, was pure exploitation purgatory. This time he takes on love relationships and coronavirus and once again delivers it with great candor and style. We have three girlfriends. One is a journalist (an unbelievable bitch!) who fucks Tinder guys and ruins the career biggest playboy in town's career (I felt really sorry for the guy and what he goes through for her is really unbelievable hell, including getting raped by a guy!). The other one is a photographer and she launches the acting career of a young model she’s sleeping with, but he makes it all the way to Porn, so she's mentally devastated. The third one is a lawyer who gets fooled by a charming Arab and experiences a literal Islamic relationship including humiliation and abuse – this relationship was really decently heated and nicely highlighted Muslim culture and its relationship with women. The last story is about a Jehovah's Witness who becomes a stripper and a world class slut – this was the funniest story. Vega incorporates the coronavirus in a very funny way, where the ensuing lockdown ruins everyone's love relationships and lives. I've never seen someone use the coronavirus in a script in such a way that it turns the whole movie 90 degrees. Visually it's very good, it has a great vibe at times, the music is brilliant, the characters are likeable, the pace is insanely fast, it goes from scene to scene, the film doesn't get boring for a moment, and there's some humour too. Vega has once again accomplished the mission.

An interesting semi-documentary insight into a police department tasked with protecting children from paedophiles and sexual predators, which in this case are usually their own fathers or grandfathers. It reminded me a bit of End of Watch, only set in France. It has a more TV look, but that adds to the authenticity and the daily work of the police is portrayed in detail, without any exaggerations and with all the problems. The interrogations of children and paedophiles, the arguments with colleagues or the insights into the personal lives of the police officers – this was the line I enjoyed the least. The acting is very good and the dialogue is chilling and uncomfortable. Some scenes are great, while some passages I found a bit boring. The ratings were tipping the scales for me as I watched, but then the finale came and it was decided. The final argument in the office among the colleagues was so brutal that it gave me chills. That was a proper acting tour-de-force. And the interrogation of the little boy who didn't want the gym teacher who groped him to go to jail because he liked him. Awesome! The final shot just underscores the whole depression and is properly shocking. Good film, anyone who likes crime dramas or anything with paedophiles should give it a chance. 7/10.

Awesome! Dinner is about to be served and the father goes to his son, saying that “The Woman” has returned. If you ignore her everything will be fine like last time. Great acting, creepy atmosphere, a well executed and interesting idea. A feature film would be welcome. 8/10.

Netflix made fans happy. After the best Viking-themed series ended, they decided to make a farewell movie and I believe all Uthred fans enjoyed it. Last Kingdom is a heartwarming film, a very enjoyable reunion with old friends. I also liked the many interesting new faces that spiced up the film decently, to the point where I thought a 6th season could easily play out with these characters. It feels very rushed at times, things that would take five episodes in the series had to be crammed into two hours here, but at least the pace is insanely fast and things move forward very quickly. Plot-wise, it's rather repetitive, but I didn't mind it. The depiction of the period is believable, the visuals are great, the characters are fun to root for, and the final battle is very good. There's also no shortage of tension and emotion, so thankfully the film has similar qualities to the series; it certainly doesn't put it to shame, on the contrary it complements it perfectly. It's hard to say whether it will appeal to people not familiar with the series, but it's made in such a way that the normal viewer won't be lost.

A shorty from Spain where a girl tries to convince her little sister that the figure who kidnaps children doesn't exist. But what if she's wrong? Decent atmosphere and two functional scares. I'm missing something for a higher rating, but it's okay. 3/5.

A very well done Thai drama/thriller with the right ingredients. I love movies about cooking. They have been on the rise lately, but each one is unique and engaging in some way. Hunger is a bit of a combination of Whiplash and The Menu, which was pretty fitting for me. I wouldn't compare it to Boiling Point or The Bear, which are more about showing hectic shifts, this is a regular zero to hero genre film set in a kitchen. The protagonist is a likeable young chef who cooks in the family business and is offered a job in a fancy modern restaurant ruled by a ruthless and famous chef. Since she wants to be special she takes the offer, only she has no idea that she will hit her rock bottom there. I found the opening quite intense. The chef is, in short, a ruthless bastard whose mental pressure is simply unbearable, anyone would have mentally collapsed, fallen apart. The protagonist has some unpleasant moments, and all the confrontations with the chef who plays the bad guy are awesome and have great performances. The Thai setting, the culture, and Thai food adds a lot to the film, making it a little different than the American ones, and again I liked that. In terms of craftsmanship, the film is very well done by Thai standards, and there’s a surprise twist in the second half where the main character makes an interesting decision. The finale was also good, with have Protege vs Sensei in an interesting culinary duel backed up with attractive visuals and a nice message where love and family is stronger than fame, pride, mania and obsession. 8/10.

A new psychological slowburn drama with a slight horror edge from Austria. We have an overweight girl who goes to spend Easter with her aunt, who is supposed to help her lose some weight as she is into nutrition, only that this visit won't be entirely idyllic as something is definitely not right. It's a bit evocative of the much praised Speak no Evil, only here the psychological terror isn't as thick, it's more in the hints. Something interesting starts to happen only in the final minutes, which saves the whole film at least to the average. The execution and acting are fine, but who needs this nowadays? The Austrians are not strong representatives in the horror field, so any effort can be appreciated, but it could definitely have been presented in a more intense and chilling way. 5.5/10.

A short from Sweden about how you shouldn't take home mysterious lockers fished from the sea. It could have been shorter, but the finale is great. 6/10.