A Serbian Film

I couldn't find this very controversial film at Netflix, or on any mainstream platform, but I was able to finally seek it out and watch it. First thing - this isn't a horror film. The things that happen in this film are horrible and deeply disturbing, but this is a drama/thriller, not horror. Second thing - this film is deeply philosophical. I wondered why it was simply called "A Serbian Film", but now, having finally seen it, I see it couldn't be called anything else. It examines the culture of violence in Serbia, and when it became almost incidental to see or be a part of violent acts. It delves deeply into the nature of victimhood, of when you can blame someone for committing violence on others, and when forgiveness can be possible. These moral questions aren't subtle, but straightforwardly asked, and the escalating violence of the movie compels the viewer to decide when what they are seeing is too much, and when they feel they must, in good conscience, look away. I imagine not many viewers make it too the end, which is sad, because the final minutes of this movie are so profound and affecting I was stunned by them. Honestly, even given the horror of what I watched (and, to be clear, this is easily in the top five most disturbing films I've ever seen), there's nothing about this I would have changed. It's brilliant, it truly is. 5/5

A Serbian Film is not available on Netflix

Gerald's Game

I don't remember this book well, but I do remember thinking it was certainly one of King's weaker offerings. When I saw Netflix had made it into a film, I was mystified how it would play on the screen, but I was pleasantly surprised at how good this was. Carla Gugino was mesmerizing in the lead role, and Bruce Greenwood was very solid as Gerald. I thought the way the script dealt with the setting of the film and the action within it was imaginative and extremely well thought-out. I do have to say I felt it came to a resolution far too quickly and easily. I don't remember it being that way in the book, and it was less than satisfying for me. I would have liked to see the tension play out longer, but, nonetheless, I thought this was a very good adaptation. 3.5/5

Gerald's Game on Netflix

Dark Was the Night

So here's the big problem with this movie. It's set in a northern town that sits at the southern end of a great big huge forest. Nearly everyone in this town has livestock, is a hunter, or knows a lot about woods and the creatures in them. So when something large and predatory starts hunting the hunters in the town, you would think these knowledgeable people would make certain very very basic assumptions about what is after them, with one really basic assumption being the key thing. And when I say basic, I mean a really BASIC thing any child would know about animals. The entire end of the movie banks on the fact that no one in the town ever thought about this REALLY BASIC thing. The "twist" of this film requires both the viewer and all the characters in this movie to be idiots and never think of this extraordinarily basic thing which I figured out about half way through. I swear I got hoarse yelling at the TV about what idiots everyone in this movie was. This is a shame because this movie has some great acting and beautiful cinematography, but, I'm sorry, that gaping plot hole was just a bit much for me. 3/5

Dark Was the Night on Netflix

Wake Wood

I feel like this stylish thriller missed the mark a bit. It's waking the same ground as "Pet Cemetery", but with far less emotional impact. The main characters felt very underdeveloped to me. I didn't feel like I knew them well enough to truly connect with them and their struggle. The biggest miss is that we never get to know the daughter before her death, and not having that point of comparison seriously injured the chances of this film having true emotional impact. The acting was understated, but could have used more passion from time to time. The direction was lovely, but I felt there wasn't enough meat for a proper story. This was just okay for me. 3/5

Wake Wood on Netflix

House at the End of the Street

There was something here with this suspense thriller, but it just wasn't developed enough for me. The first half of the film was completely predictable and by-the-numbers. The second half had real promise as the details of the plot begin to unfold, but, ultimately, it failed to have the impact it should have had. I never cared about the characters enough to get invested in them, and the detail that would have made the "twist" really great was missing. This movie needed to both show and tell more than it did. Just okay for me. 3/5

House at the End of the Street on Netflix

Eden Lake

I really did not expect this to be as brutal as it was, but I appreciated the reality of the violence. Most films that depict human suffering tend to either show as little as possible, or go over the top with the gore. This film had the guts to show violence as it would truly be, and the realism of it made the film more impactful to watch. I also liked how the gang of teens weren't all massive sadists, because, in reality, that would be a truly rare occurrence. Instead, we saw how a brutal gang leader can take a flock of misguided sheep and lead them all to a slaughterhouse. The acting was solid, and the direction was tight and well-paced. I really liked this horror thriller. 4/5

Eden Lake on Netflix

It Comes at Night

This is a gorgeously directed psychological horror film that reminded me in tone and feel to "The Witch", which I found spectacular. The acting is solid, and the script is doled out very slowly and carefully, creating a sense of tension that was almost palpable. I admire post-apocalyptic films that never show the apocalypse, but rather leave that horror in the past and unseen. I also have to mention there was an interesting visual trick that happened slowly over the course of the film. I didn't notice it until the end, and I actually started the film again and advanced through it slowly to see if I was right in what I saw, which I was. I've never seen it done before, and I'm not going to spoil it for anyone who rents this, but, if you do rent this, just keep your eyes open, and if you miss it, start it again immediately. You'll see it. Kudos to this film, I definitely enjoyed it. 4/5

It Comes at Night on Netflix

Sleight

This wasn't the movie I was expecting from the ad campaign, which I always find a bit disconcerting, but it was a movie that I became more and more interested in as it developed. The acting was quite strong from a group of young actors with whom I was not familiar. I enjoyed the direction and pacing as well. I do feel like the script left a few things out I wish had been further developed, and the ending was just a big giant tease for an apparent sequel with no pay off for the film I had just been watching. Overall I thought this was a fun and fairly strong film. 3.5/5

Sleight on Netflix

Annabelle

When I first saw "The Conjuring" I was supremely interested in the Annabelle doll and it's story. I had hoped that eventually we would learn more about the doll, so when I heard that this movie had been released I was really happy. The good news is that this film really looks and feels like like it belongs in the "Conjuring" universe, and that's a compliment. Although not directed by Wan, this film had a similar tone and pacing to Wan's films, and I appreciated the attention to detail. The acting was fairly good, but I felt let down by the script, which felt very by-the-numbers to me. Plot-wise there wasn't much to this film, and atmosphere alone will only take a horror movie so far. In the end, this was good but not great, but I do hope for more films set in the "Conjuring" universe. 3/5

Annabelle on Netflix

Project Almanac

I really don't get the hate in Netflix reviews for this, as I really enjoyed it. It's tough to do a time travel film that makes sense, and I thought this film was smart and well thought out. Yes, even I rolled my eyes at the found-footage aspect of it, but it really was the only way the story could have been told. The acting was fairly decent as well. As a bonus, there were a few alternate endings and openings on the disc, which I always enjoy. I liked this a lot, I recommend it to time-travel movie fans. 4/5

Project Almanac on Netflix

To Jennifer

Up front, I have to say it, the "twist" is so obvious it's kind of ridiculous. About ten minutes in, if you know anything about modern psychiatry, you know something is up, and it's not a big leap to figure out what it is. Having said that, for a movie that appears to be shot, acting in, produced and directed by four people for about $20, it's not a bad effort. I certainly give them points for trying, but, end of the day, this isn't a great movie. 2.5/5

To Jennifer on Netflix

The Childhood of a Leader

I don't even know how this film ended up in my queue, but I'm so glad it did, because it just blew me away. This is the actor Brady Corbet's directorial debut, but it felt like the polished hand of Kubrick more than the the first work of a new director. It was lush and beautifully framed throughout in impressive fashion. But I have to talk about the score for this, because that was the real star. The moment the credits started and the overture began, I was captured. The music is bombastic and cacophonous and just perfect in every way. I was utterly entranced by it, so imagine how stunned I was when I saw that it was none other than Scott Walker who composed it. I only recently discovered Walker in a documentary called "Scoot Walker: 30th Century Man" about his life and career, and, when I saw it, I really disliked his work, rather immensely so in fact. Clearly I need to listen again, because this was amazing. This movie won't be for everyone. It's brash and intense and stylistic and nebulous, and I will say I didn't get the very very end at all, which is why I deducted a half star. But I loved it, really. Highly recommended. 4.5/5

The Childhood of a Leader on Netflix

Triangle

I did not expect this movie to be this good. I'm pretty stunned right now with how this movie just got better and better with every passing moment. I have to agree with a lot of the reviewers on Netflix - it's impossible to discuss the plot without giving key things away. All I can say is that Melissa George, who I *LOVED* on "In Treatment" on HBO, was just fantastic in this. Give this film time to start to unfold. Trust me, it's worth it. 4/5

Triangle on Netflix

Goodnight Mommy

I was unsure about this film for the first thirty minutes or so. The eerie blend between reality and fantasy, between waking and dreaming was visually beautiful, but left me a bit confused from time to time. As the film continued and the plot intensified, I grew utterly transfixed, I couldn't look away. And then the last ten minutes happened, and I sat in slack jawed amazement repeatedly whispering "oh my god" over and over again because I was so stunned. Despite what some reviewers said (and please don't spoil this film for yourself by looking around before you see it), I never saw it coming. Not for a second. I loved this, truly. 4.5/5

Goodnight Mommy on Netflix

Morgan

I wanted to like this more, especially with this cast, but I found everything that happened to be so predictable. This was very by-the-numbers, even the direction felt retread. The acting was indeed excellent, but this was just okay for me. 3/5

Morgan on Netflix

The River

I live my life by a strict code of morals. I do the right thing, even when it's hard, even when it's really the last thing I may want to do. But even I might not be able to make some of the decisions the main character had to make in this film. The tension between when to mind your own business and when to take action is really present throughout, and that is where this film shines. But the lack of character development, or any explanation really of why some of what happens happens really drags the plot down. Even five solid minutes of giving some of the characters more weight and backstory would have helped a lot. A good movie, but not a great one. 3/5

The River on Netflix

Rebirth

I have to agree with the as-of-now sole review for this Netflix original film. It was great... right until the very very end. The whole of the concept was great, the acting by Kranz and Goldberg was great, and I thought they had the perfect ending... until the end wasn't actually the finish of the film. I feel like that extra ending had to be tacked on later, it just didn't seem right at all. Do yourself a favor. If you watch this, and your get to what seems to be the obvious end, and then you see something else start and the first of the credits show up, turn it off. You already got the best possible ending. Don't spoil it further with anything else. 3/5

Rebirth on Netflix

The Free World

This gritty drama is a complete gutwrencher. Boyd Holbrook and Elizabeth Moss are at the tops of their games in this. They were both absolutely genuine, down to the smallest little tics that give away chronic trauma. The connection between them was so intense I could almost feel it myself. The story is sparingly told, which was the right call in my book. I didn't want to know much more - it was far better to let me paint the details in my head. The direction was beautiful as well. This was a total home run on all fronts. Loved this. 4.5/5

The Free World on Netflix

The Ward

I wasn't really having this film until the last ten minutes, and then everything fell beautifully into place. I literally went "OHHHH!" out loud. I haven't seen a John Carpenter film in ages so it's good to see he still has a good directorial touch. I have been liking Amber Heard's work as of late - this, being several years ago, was still a bit shaky for me, but she was getting there. An interesting film. 3.5/5

The Ward on Netflix

Time Lapse

It's so rare when a sci-fi time-travel movie gets it right, and this film gets it SO SO SO right. The script is very tight, original, and detail-oriented. The direction was simple and yet extremely effective. One of the three leads was truly great, another on their way to great, and the last solid and good. This film kept me on my toes - I spent the film trying to guess what was next and delightfully failing every time. I greatly enjoyed this. 4/5

Time Lapse on Netflix