Four Brothers

I don't know about this one. Singleton usually delivers real substance in his films, but this felt very surface level to me. A lot of the acting seemed hammy, and the music was really distracting. This was just okay for me. 3/5

Four Brothers on Netflix

Countdown

This WWE action movie is bad. Pretty damn bad. Ziggler is not believable at all as a police detective, although Kane surprisingly is as his captain. Neither of them look the part though, so I was feeling this seemed ridiculous from the start. There's this long extended section of the film that actually takes place at a WWE event, complete with an inside joke at Ziggler's current feud at the time. This whole plot was lame from beginning to end, with a little decent action along the way, but not much even of that. I don't know who's been doling out these writing assignments lately, but they need to be fired. I certainly hope "Marine 5" is better than this, because I enjoy The Miz in those roles. But this? Don't waste your time with this. 2/5

Countdown on Netflix

The Divergent Series: Allegiant

I have mixed feelings about this movie and this series as a whole. I enjoyed the first film, but I felt the second veered too far into the "main character as a Christ-child" trope. This last film in the series doubled down on the Christ-child imagery and didn't give me enough of the people and city in which I had developed an interest. I appreciate knowing more of the story, but I felt it was at the expense of everything this series had worked so hard to build up. I saw every turn coming and every plot point the script was going to hit way before it did. However, in spite of that, I was engaged by the film and did enjoy it on some level. I would be interested in seeing the fourth installment if it ever gets made, as this really wasn't a satisfying ending for me. Overall, it was okay, but nothing spectacular. 3/5

The Divergent Series: Allegiant on Netflix

Lullaby

I hadn't know much about Garrett Hedlund before watching "Mojave" recently, and, on the strength of that performance, I wanted to seek out more of his work. This was a beautifully tragic story made near perfect by Hedlund's acting in the lead role. I loved all the nuance between the characters, and the whole cast gave tremendous performances. I had to take a star off for a really odd subplot with a dying 17-year-old girl and the inane subplot with Hedlund's girlfriend, who might as well have been a lamp for all the worth her character brought to the plot. Still, a strong story with a really solid performance by Hedlund. I think I'll seek out more work by this talented actor. 4/5

Lullaby on Netflix

Midnight Special

This sci-fi thriller was not your average fare. It was thoughtfully composed and never obvious in its intent. We are never given easy answers to the questions being asked, which was refreshing. The tone and feel of the film was very modern, but the direction felt a throwback to movies like "Close Encounters", which was, again, very thoughtfully done. The script was a bit barren at times, and there was no character development to speak of, which is why this isn't getting a higher rating. Still, a solid sci-fi film - I enjoyed it. 3.5/5

Midnight Special on Netflix

In the Realm of the Senses

I had heard many tales about this film and finally decided to watch it. I was frankly stunned by the explicit nature of it, given it was shot in 1976 in Japan. I found the first half hour somewhat erotic, but the movie quickly took on very disturbing tones. The intensely graphic sex lasted for virtually the entire film, which dulled the effect of it in my view. The ending was just profoundly disturbing. I had no idea how accurately this film displayed details of a true incident that happened in Japan until a couple of minutes ago when I read the article in Wikipedia. If you don't mind really explicit sex, this is an interesting film to see, and certainly an important one in the history of Japanese cinema, but be prepared to be disturbed by much of it. 3/5

In the Realm of the Senses on Netflix

Light and the Sufferer

I have no idea how this oddball, no budget, shot on video, arthouse, genre-bending film got on my queue, but I'm glad it did, because it was different. There was no money at all here, but oddly I didn't end up minding, even when it was important. Paul Dano looked all of sixteen or so, but gave a solid performance as per usual. I'm going to think about this for a bit. 3/5

Light and the Sufferer on Netflix

Miles Ahead

I get what Cheadle was trying to do with this film, I do. I feel it's much in the same vein as Spacey's ode to Bobby Darin, "Beyond the Sea", in both style and form. And, like Spacey, Cheadle wrote, directed, starred, and played much of the music in this film. Cheadle's acting was strong, but the script.... not so much. It became cartoonish for the most part and never sat down to tell a coherent story. Cheadle let the direction get away from him quite a bit as well. There was one moment when Cheadle, as Davis, pushed the camera out of the way as he passed through the scene. I was so shocked out of the story I had to rewind it and see it again. It was egregious and just tore me out of the film. I was left not knowing what to think about Miles Davis, which I suspect is the opposite intention of the film. Not great for me. 2.5/5

Miles Ahead on Netflix

No Way Jose

This mid-life-crisis comedy was funny enough with strong acting from the entire cast, but was a little to surface level and gimmicky for me. I did really like the ending though, so that was a nice touch. 3/5

No Way Jose on Netflix

7 Boxes

This Paraguayan action thriller is tautly paced and quite well directed. The acting was quite solid as well. I was thoroughly engaged throughout - I enjoyed this. 4/5

7 Boxes on Netflix

Mojave

The weight of this movie and whether it succeeds or fails rest entirely on the two lead actors, Garrett Hedlund and Oscar Isaac. If these two fell down on the job, this movie would have been an utter disaster, but it surely was not. Hedlund is smoldering and unerringly fallible as Tom. However, the revelation for me was Isaac as the drifter. He was simply astounding in this. He delivered his dialogue as poetry, and he burned so brightly in his intensity that I couldn't look away. It was an amazing performance that totally sold the film. This is a solid piece of work by two actors in their prime - I recommend this one.  4/5

Mojave on Netflix

Unbranded

I wasn't sure about the direction of this movie at the outset, but it morphed into a really nice buddy film with some great information about the state of wild horses in America to boot. I enjoyed this. 4/5

Unbranded on Netflix

The Way Back

This extraordinary tale of survival is in the legacy of films like "Papillon" and "Midnight Express", but focuses almost entirely on the escape rather than the gulag. Breathtakingly directed and solidly acted throughout. Well done! 4/5

The Way Back on Netflix

I Saw the Light

So, here's the thing. I don't know anything at all about Hank Williams, so I was looking forward to seeing this film so I might learn. But I've just finished it, and I'm sorry to say I still don't know anything about Hank Williams. He seemed to be a mess of a man, but there's no indication why, or what happened, or how he moved from point A to point B in his life. There's no character development at all, so, if, like me, you know nothing about Hank Williams, you'll be left scratching your head after this. I also felt that Olsen and Hiddleston's accents were a bit unbelievable, which didn't help me in immersing myself in this film. This just didn't work for me. 2.5/5

I Saw the Light on Netflix

Ratter

I liked the camera work and the fact that we know very little going in and leaving this story. However, it's a short movie that felt loooong. It dragged a lot, and the acting was shaky at best, and I'm being somewhat kind. Decent premise, but the execution was off. 2.5/5

Ratter on Netflix

Twinsters

I ran across this title on a list of great documentaries, and I wasn't disappointed. It's both a heartwarming and, at time, emotionally complex and heartbreaking story, that I found captivating. I was glad the documentary was captured as the events occurred, it brought an immediacy to the emotional content that was needed. Well done. 4/5

Twinsters on Netflix

Terminator: Genisys

Let's get this straight. I'm a Terminator fan. I grew up on The Terminator. T2 was a total game-changer for me. This franchise is a large part of why I'm a sci-fi geek. And I *HATED* "Terminator: Salvation" so bloody much that I thought there would be no coming back from that. I was wrong. This movie is everything I could have wanted in a Terminator sequel. I saw a lot of people reviewing it at Netflix had problems following it, but if you're a true Terminator fan it will all make perfect sense. I honestly didn't find a single flaw in the logic or a hole in the plot. Everything I could have wanted to see was there, every reference, every location, every line of dialogue. I'm so happy and excited right now - I feel ten again. Thank you Alan Taylor for making this film. You made this fangirl very happy tonight. 5/5

Terminator: Genisys on Netflix

Dear Eleanor

On the one hand, a lot of the dialogue in this comedy is snappy and smart. All the leads show great comic timing and do solid acting jobs. One the other hand, the plot to this is ridiculous, overly sugary, and, at times, eye-roll worthy. So I'm torn - it's okay, but nothing special. 3/5

Dear Eleanor on Netflix

The Odd Way Home

I had never heard of Chris Marquette before his wonderful turn in "Broken Horses", where he managed to outshine Yelchin and D'onofrio, no means feat. He was equally astonishing in this, and I can't believe someone with such astonishing control over his facial emotions doesn't get bigger and loftier work. The other takeaway from this film is that, any time anyone thinks they need Kristen Stewart for a movie they should hire Rumer Willis instead. She was just lovely, with another full-bodied range of emotion to match Marquette. I really loved this film, a definite recommendation. 4/5

The Odd Way Home on Netflix

Extinction

The apocalypse, three people, and ice age, and zombies. That's really all you need to know to enter the world of "Extinction", and it's an interesting world at that. How we got where we are and what caused the world to spin so far off its axis we never learn, and that's okay. It's refreshing not to be spoon-fed all the details of a plot for once, and we learn enough as the movie builds to grow with it. The effects are great, the acting is solid, and I was engaged throughout. A solid film. 3.5/5

Extinction on Netflix

The Adderall Diaries

I wanted to love this film, but I only liked it. The script was strong and well-crafted, and I appreciated the direction as well. Most of the cast is very solid, with a standout performance from Amber Heard that really held the story together. The weakest link was Franco, which surprised me quite a bit, as I usually like his roles and choices. His acting felt hollow, staged, more a performance than an authentic representation of the character. Ultimately, that feeling of emptiness dropped my estimation of this film into feeling it was okay, good maybe, but certainly not great. 3/5

The Adderall Diaries on Netflix

Bullitt

Yes, the car chase scene is iconic. Yes, the airport chase scene was incredible. Yes, there are many great things about this classic action film. But, for me, it just felt wooden and hollow. I didn't feel anything really there, no emotion to back up the action. Maybe I'm asking too much, but this was just okay for me. 3/5

Bullitt on Netflix

A Walk Among the Tombstones

This thriller is pretty by the books with pretty generic characters. It's effective though, and I was engaged throughout. Bonus points for have the most amazing cover of "Black Hole Sun" by Swann over the end credits - I couldn't turn it off. 3/5

A Walk Among the Tombstones on Netflix

The Hateful Eight

Oh dear. If I hadn't seen "Inglourious" or "Django" I might be tempted to be done with Tarantino after this god awful mess. This was needlessly long, gory for no real point, crass, and just plain annoying. I lost count of how many times I heard the "n" word, most of the time just for shock value and not to further the plot. By the end of the first hour I was rolling my eyes at how ridiculous a story this was. By the end of the second, I was exclaiming out loud. By the end I was just cursing Tarantino for being so utterly self-indulgent at the sake of what could have been a decent movie if it had an editor and a much better writer. The actors were all great, but that's to be expected. Oh, and only Kim Ki-Duk gets to write things like "The 8th film by" before the title. Tarantino gets maybe one more shot from me before i toss him on the same pile I threw Malick a while back. Ugh. 2/5

The Hateful Eight on Netflix

No Escape

I feared this action thriller would be very by-the-numbers and thus boring, but it actually had some bite to it. There are two scenes in particular, both involving the children of the family, that really had me shaking and holding back a scream. It was well-paced, well directed, and avoided most of the preaching I also feared might happen. I enjoyed this, well done. 4/5

No Escape on Netflix

Men, Women & Children

This reminded me of a Todd Solondz film, very edgy and interesting. I liked the various explorations of how each character used the Internet to define or find themselves. Solid acting as well, good film. 3.5/5

Men, Women & Children on Netflix

Air

The apocalypse. Two men. One bunker. Very little air. That's all I can tell you about this fantastic thriller without ruining this plot, but hopefully it's enough to peak your interest. The plot is a simple story well told, something I love to find. The set and direction are sparse, almost naked. There wasn't much of a budget for this, but it didn't need one, and it works all the same. There are a few moments of character development I found odd, and I'm not sure about the last few minutes of the film, but it certainly left an impact on me. Recommended. 4/5


Air on Netflix

A War

This Danish drama asks interesting questions about the nature and realities of war without passing judgment on any of the sides. I appreciated the honesty of the acting and the visceral nature of the story itself. Well done and an interesting morality drama. 4/5

A War on Netflix