thomas_mann90 Reviews

Daughter (V) (2022)

Solid premise that doesn't quite reach its potential

[6/10 · 1 March 2023]

It's a decent film which provides enough tension to keep you interested. Personally, I would have preferred more depth and back story. I don't normally say this, but the film could have benefited from being an extra 20-30 minutes longer.

There are whispers of interesting sub-plots which don't ever get off the ground. This film in part, has a bit of an identity crisis as it doesn't know whether it is a thriller, drama or even an art house film at times. It results in a memorable yet underwhelming film.

I still enjoyed watching this film but am ultimately left disappointed with the wasted potential this great story could have been.

Nightmare Alley (2021)

A few tweaks and this could have been great

[7/10 · 17 September 2022]

The most common complaint of this movie ultimately comes down to pacing. The pacing is inconsistent.

The acting and the script are decent however the story is the root cause of the poor pacing. There are a handful of scenes which are very enjoyable however moments in between those scenes seem to drag on.

Where I disagree with most negative reviews are that I think a story like this requires a long runtime to achieve what the ending was going for (which I loved). The problem is not the runtime, just the content.

It's still worth a watch and isn't a bad movie. Just don't go in with super high expectations.

Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021)

Not good

[4/10 · 31 July 2022]

It's gotten to the point where I don't care if the media is faithful to the games. I just want a decent movie. I feel as though the money goes into special effects and every result is a poor script. I think the movie would have been better served as an indie horror. For example if the whole movie was purely just Leon trapped in the police station trying to get out. (I guess kinda like Rec). Instead what we are left with is a collection of video game Easter eggs executed poorly.

Licorice Pizza (2021)

Not for everyone

[8/10 · 31 July 2022]

This film is polarising even amongst Paul Thomas Anderson fans (which I am). This film is more a vibe ride as opposed to a story driven narrative. The cinematography, direction, etc are all top notch as to be expected. The acting is average or above. The story seems more of a collection of random events than a purposeful linear direction. When emotional plot points aren't obviously spoon fed to viewers it generally means mileage will vary on what the audience gets out of it emotionally. I enjoyed this film more than inherit vice and hard eight but don't expect this to be most PTA fan's favourite movie.

A Simple Favor (2018)

A bit of a mess but has some moments

[6/10 · 31 July 2022]

Unfortunately this movie tries to blend too genres, comedy and mystery. I originally watched this film for the thriller / mystery aspects which are close to non-existent. I quickly shut down any expectations I had and treated this as a dramedy. The first and third acts are a bit weak but there are some laughs along the way. I think I would have enjoyed this more if they focussed more on the comedy since that's all it has to offer.