The Marine 5: Battleground

The Miz is back again as Jake Carter, the poor beleaguered ex-Marine who can't seem to find a job where people aren't shooting at him, and I'm happy to say this is a much better installment in the franchise than the last film was. The script is simple, but was everything it needed to be for a popcorn action flick. This fifth "Marine" film was packed to the gills with WWE stars, with solid and believable performances by Heath Slater, Maryse, Naomi, and Curtis Axel. The Miz ia awesome as always, and I like how he's allowing the cumulative emotional toll from the previous two films to build up and show through his performance in subtle ways. He is a profession and very proficient actor, and I'm glad he now owns this role. However, I have to say the true star of this film is Bo Dallas. His turn as the big bad boss in this was just tremendous. His range of emotion and commitment to the character was great. I predict he could have a long career in film, if only he can get that first push (a push, I might add, that he has been long deserving of and not getting in the WWE). This was a solid installment in the "Marine" franchise and a big improvement from the last film, and I hope The Miz gets a whole slew of new sequels to come. 3.5/5

The Marine 5: Battleground on Netflix

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

The Poughkeepsie Tapes

I don't know how I've never seen or heard of this film before. I'm frankly not even sure how it got on my queue, but boy, was this a revelation. Super low budget horror, more often than not, goes horridly wrong, because it become hard to suspend disbelief when the acting or the filming is done poorly. However, the Dowdle brothers took a micro budget and made an utterly real and completely believable world that was convincing enough I had to check Google to find out if what I was seeing was real or fiction. It was such a masterful film is every way - I was on the edge of my seat the whole movie trying to guess what was coming. Given the budget and time constraints of filming, it's amazing to me how great this was. I loved it, truly. 5/5

The Poughkeepsie Tapes on Netflix

The Collection

I only recent saw "The Collector" and was impressed by it quite a bit. I was interested to see if the sequel would live up to the standard the first did, and, by and large, it did. I somehow missed this when I watched the first film, but these two movies are written and directed by team that wrote the last half of the "Saw" franchise, Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan. They even got Charlie Clouser to score "The Collection", so it seems like the "Saw" team may be back together for a new franchise I was also very happy to see Josh Stewart back in the lead role, as his solid acting really helped sell the first film. The direction and pace of the film were excellent again, but I will say I wish this film had a bit more meat to it. I wanted to know a little more about The Collector before this film ended, but, just from the final scenes, this won't be the last we see of him. A solid film, and I hope to see more in the future. 3.5/5

The Collection on Netflix

The Collector

If I'm being very honest, this is pure torture-porn with a premise I've seen before. However, this is some of the best high-violence horror I've seen in a while, and, given how much horror I watch, that's serious praise. Marcus Dunstan's direction is high-octane and creative, with shot-composition and lighting I don't see often in horror. Josh Stewart's acting was pretty damn solid for horror, as was most of the cast. Jerome Dillon's score was exceptional and kept the energy high. The traps were better than the similarly-themed "Saw II", and the premise better executed than in "The Hoarder" and "Don't Breathe", which are also similar plot-wise. I was thoroughly glued to my screen by this - a very impressive film. 4/5

The Collector on Netflix

Armed Response

I've been waiting to see this movie for a long time as one of my favorite wrestlers, Seth Rollins, made his acting debut in this Wesley Snipes action thriller. I'll be honest, I didn't have high hopes, as most WWE stars have a rocky first film. Honwever, I have to give it up to the Architect, as he delivered a solid and believable performance in this. I enjoyed his work and I truly believe he will have a long and ripe acting career. So now that I've given praise where it was due, I have to talk about what didn't work... which was literally everything else in the film. Oh my gods.... this script was just atrocious. As in horridly bad across the board. The direction was just okay, and honestly the only actor besides Rollins to show up for work was Heche, who was the one other bright spot in this disaster of a film. Pretty much only watch this if you want to see Seth Rollins act, and you can believe that. /obshieldreference  2/5

Armed Response 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

Hunger

Here's the thing. If you're going to make a movie about trapped people who have gone weeks without any food whatsoever, you might want to do something to make sure your cast looks like they've been losing weight. You know, as you would, if you haven't eaten anything for weeks. Like... I don't know.... things like make up, prosthetics, progressively baggier clothes.... anything. Also, don't dress one of your female cast members in pajama bottoms and a tank top, because then it's really easy to see she's lost no weight at all. Which doesn't make sense, if your characters haven't eaten in weeks. So... yeah. Not good. 2/5

Hunger 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

Free Fire

Frankly, I'm not sure what to make of this film. There really is no plot. There are barely characters, and certainly no real character development. I actually don't think there's a single likeable character in this. On the other hand, it's directed really well and I had a lot of fun watching it. It's witty action comedy, but little else. If you'd like a bit of fun, this might be for you, but if you're looking for any real depth, look elsewhere. 3/5

Free Fire 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

Burning Sands

The more I learn about hazing and the more movies I see depicting it realistically, the less and less I understand it. Why on earth would you ever trust someone as your "brother" who spent a week physically, emotionally, and often sexually torturing you? It floors me. This film did a particularly excellent job of showing the horrors that are Hell Week. The acting was especially strong, as was the tight and controlled direction. I highly recommend this one if you don't mind strong physical violence. 4/5

Burning Sands 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

T2: Trainspotting

I was pretty terrified to watch this if I'm honest. For me, "Trainspotting" was one of those rare films that got everything right. The acting, the writing, the directing, the music... it was all so perfect and I felt there could be no way in hell this sequel could ever live up to that. But, the whole original cast, Danny Boyle back, even the same writers... how could I not watch it? The first 40 minutes were rough. Meeting everyone again, slowly bringing everyone together... something was off. The music wasn't quite right, the direction felt odd, the tone was too serious, because, let's remember, the original is a comedy. And then, exactly 40 minutes in, suddenly, like someone flipped a switch... it was right. Everything was right. It felt like "Trainspotting". It looked and sounded like "Trainspotting". It was truly blessed. Now, even after that magical turn, there were problems. Some things never quite turned around, but, wow... they really did it. They made a worthy sequel, one I laughed and cried at. And, as the gods are my witness, some of Boyle's best shots in his whole career are in this film. If you are a fan of the original, sit through the not-great first 40 minutes, and enjoy most of the rest. 4/5

T2: Trainspotting on Netflix

Ironclad

Oh wow, this was truly excellent. I always seem to forget how awesome Paul Giamatti is, and then I see him slaying in a film like this and I remember why I love him. Everything in this film is on point. The script is tight, the direction really compelling, and all the acting is excellent. It's also really violent, so be warned. An excellent film. 4.5/5

Ironclad on Netflix

Train to Busan

HOLY SNOT THIS IS THE BEST ZOMBIE FILM I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE. Hell, it's the best action film I've ever seen, let alone the best zombie film. And how many zombie films have you seen that will make you cry from sheer tragic gutwreching emotion on multiple occasions? I swear, a film like this could only be made in Korea. Korean directors have a unique visual and visceral style that lent itself perfectly to this film. The direction was outstanding, and the script fleshed out and perfectly told. The acting was incredible, and so was the music. I can't say a single bad thing about this film. It's just amazing. OMG, rent this. 5/5

Train to Busan on Netflix

John Wick: Chapter 2

I loved the first John Wick film, and I loved this one even more. I haven't been a Keanu fan in some time, but his gun-handling in these films is a large part of why they work so well. He's so damn good at three-gun it's ridiculous. Now, granted, his acting is as sub-par as ever, but that hardly matters here. The action is fantastic, the direction is gorgeous, the music is great, and so are most of the performances. I can't wait for the third one now! 4/5

John Wick: Chapter 2 on Netflix

#Horror

This film tries so hard to be edgy and cool and just misfires at every crucial point. The rapid edit style made this hazy and convoluted plot more confusing, and I was never clear about what "game" these girls were supposedly playing. To top it off, the dialogue is about as unrealistic as it gets. I will say that, when the film settles down at points, the visual composition is excellent. I think Tara Subkoff has real talent that was hidden in this - I will be interested to see new work from her. 2/5

#Horror on Netflix

Silenced

This drama about the sexual and physical brutalization of deaf children at a school in Korea is tremendously difficult to watch. The scenes of the abuse are incredibly graphic, disturbingly so. I honestly questioned how some of these scenes were shot, that's how realistic it seemed. The child actors were all tremendously talented. The script was well crafted, and the direction breathtaking. The fact that this is a true story of an at-the-time ongoing case is the kicker. If you watched and enjoyed "Spotlight" this is definitely something you should watch as well. It's a smaller story than in "Spotlight", but a better film in my opinion. Just... be prepared. This is gut-wrenching. 5/5

Silenced on Netflix

Officer Downe

Honestly, I don't mind campy cult films, but this was so out-of-this-world bad I only made it about thirty minutes in before I has to just turn it off. WAAAAAY too over the top for me. Just.... no. 1/5

Officer Downe on Netflix