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Sandy Wexler (2017)
Sweet, dumb, and quite a lot of fun!
I've been watching a lot of dark, cerebral sci-fi lately, but today I really just wanted to switch my brain off, snuggle up on the couch with a hot tea, and watch something "nice" as my mum would say. This was just the ticket.
No it's not as good as some of Sandler's better known movies, objectively speaking (The Wedding Singer will always be my favourite), nor was it as laugh out loud funny as many others currently on Netflix (The Hangover, Game Night, Don't Look Up). What it is, is sweet. It's a traditional rags-to-riches Cinderella story, with some zany, occasionally dark, humour thrown in. All standard fare for a Sandler movie I suppose...
What isn't standard, however, is the real emotion that creeps up on you and hits home in just the right spot by the film's conclusion. Credit, where credit is due: you actually end up really caring about the characters. I doth my proverbial cap to you, Adam Sandler. You've still got it.
Pearl (2022)
It's good. But ignore the 9 star reviews, it's not even in the top 5 Mia Goth films!
Look, it's fine. Arguably, better than fine - it's good. But that's it! Yes Mia Goth is terrific, as she always is, but the delirious level of praise I'm seeing in numerous reviews giving it 8 or 9 stars is frankly mind boggling, and was what spurred me to write this "everyone just calm down" of a review.
To those reviewers that raved about this movie and bestowed the superlative 9 stars, I have but a simple question: have you not watched any other films before? I'm trying really hard not to be condescending (ok, not that hard), but if this flic merits 9 stars, then what on earth do any of the following films merit? Alien, The Shining, Interstellar, The Departed, The Prestige, Inception... to name but a few.
Like I said, it's good. But it's not even in the top 5 Mia Goth films: The Survivalist, Suspiria, Emma, Infinity Pool, A cure for wellness. Go watch those before this!
Apostle (2018)
A perfect horror story
I think movies should be judged primarily on whether they achieve what they set out to achieve, and in that regard, "Apostle" is a perfect horror film. It's a mystery and a thriller in equal measure, expertly paced, with an unreletening foreboding tension that had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. New questions and twists crop up consistently along the way, but they all get answered in a satisfying manner by the film's conclusion. The only reason I'm not giving it 9 or 10 stars is because: 1) it's a tough, almost harrowing watch (again, as intended, but still...), and 2) there's little to no rewatch value once you know how everything plays out.
If you enjoyed movies like The Ritual, Midsommar, Hereditary, Get Out, Us, and Mother! Then I reckon you'll really enjoy this one too.
Leave the World Behind (2023)
Ignore the low reviews... unless you too need to be spoon fed!
Watched this last night and was really pleasantly surprised. This is a taut sci-fi drama of the best kind: one that feels unnervingly plausible in the real world.
I won't summarise the plot since I think the most enjoyment will come from going into this knowing as little as possible about the plot, just as I did. I'll just say that the script is sharp as a tack, the soundtrack subtlety disturbing, the cinematography and selective use of CGI majestic, and the performances all stellar.
I can only assume that all the 4 and 5 star reviews are the result of people projecting their own expectations onto it before sitting down to watch; perhaps they were hoping for some B-grade action thriller, replete with jump scares and laughably implausible action sequences? Or perhaps they simply don't have the attention span for such deliberate pacing and unwavering building of tension? (Maybe they've spent too long on Tik-Tok of late?)
If you, on the other hand, enjoy clever movies (but not too clever - don't worry, this isn't Primer or Interstellar - although those movies are amazing!), then I urge you to give it a chance. In terms of tone & pacing (but not story), think movies like Ex Machina, Annihalation, Arrival, Hereditary, Midsommar. Enjoy!