alexanderstephencraig Reviews

The Hole in the Ground (2019)

Creepy slow burn horror

[8/10 · 7 April 2024]

I honestly enjoyed this film quite a bit. It's definitely one to shut off all the lights for. The sound design, to lighting, editing, pacing, and of course acting, all around was executed in the same tone perfectly.

Delivering correctly the right story and tone, the movie delivers to keep you on edge while giving you the creeps.

Without giving spoilers, a quick synopsis is a woman's child gets lost near a gigantic hole, he comes back, and he's different.

The rest of the film is the mystery of the hole as well as seeing id her son is really her son or just acting different.

Can't say anymore than that because you just need to watch it.

Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)

A fun ride to unveil an unexpected outcome

[9/10 · 1 April 2024]

I've seen a lot of complaints about Gen Z stuff. Personally, I didn't find it overwhelming. It's written into the script and characters in a realistic way.

The second thing I saw was people saying it was boring. I found the pacing to match perfect with the story. It didn't feel slow to me at all. If the lingo takes you out of the story, well yeah then you'll mentally check out and you may as well shut off the film.

I saw someone else complain about the game not being explained well enough. The game takes a back seat when it becomes a "who done it" but the game is literally explained before they play.

To the review. The characters were developed enough to do the story justice without being too obvious on who could be a potential culprit. The mindset of Gen Z characters reacting in the moment I felt was done perfectly to the point I was cracking up.

I feel like a lot of people don't understand Gen Z well enough to take in this movie. I am not a Gen Z but I found it hilarious and very entertaining so do with that what you will.

It's a dark comedy and that's how it came off to me. Very enjoyable movie and an ending I did not see coming. Worth a watch if you understand Gen Z humor I suppose.

Mercy Road (2023)

Cannot understand the bad reviews.

[8/10 · 29 February 2024]

I'll keep the top spoiler free and then add a space between the spoilers. Basically, if you like the film Locke or Buried, then you'll most likely like this one because it's the same style.

The only bit of this film that actually annoyed me was the bad CGI of the exterior vehicle shots. I'm assuming the budget was slim but.. the film was good enough to watch and ignore that detail.

The acting, intensity, callbacks you forgot about, sound design, and script were all great.

SPOILERS!!

The ending of the film did leave me with questions. It feels open ended which I'm not traditionally a huge fan of but this time it didn't sting as bad. It's hard to depict reality which works for the story and the viewer.

Though out the film they ask him to bring Ruby back, and is she safe, all implying everyone believes he has her. As the viewer by Tom's depiction he knows, and we know, that she is kidnapped and he's trying to save her.

Once we get closer to the end of the film Tom starts to let up and tells the negotiator he just needs 19 minutes which from her perspective probably makes him sound crazy. He ends up saying it to himself without answering her or explaining which further makes him sound off the rocker.

Now that there's some doubt in the viewer, when the multiple scenarios of Tom pop in and out of the police being there and him holding his daughter to no one being there but his daughter., you are equally confused and uncertain.

The last scene shows the scenario where the cops are there. Tom gets out of the car with the gun. Then it shows Ruby's perspective and yet again two different versions. She sees the roof of the car in the darker scenario where it was the two of them, and then it shows bloody handprints in the roof of the car and police lights (implying Tom died).

Then the last shot stops of Ruby's face smiling. Wtf lol. It was great. It then makes you wonder if she did everything or is she just happy cause she hates her dad and he's dead. Did she make a deal with The Associate? Was he even real? Did Tom shoot himself in the car and the rest was all a dream?

I don't think there's a definitive answer. And I think that's the point. It feels intentionally open ended for the viewer to decide. If that's not the case well then I am nowhere smart enough.

Anyway go give it a shot; it was great. See what you think happened.

Spiral (2021)

An unfortunate letdown

[3/10 · 21 March 2023]

I didn't go into this movie expecting it to be some masterpiece by any means. However, hearing the initial hype of it that Chris Rock was so excited by the story that he had to do the film, did peak my interest.

The story in itself, paced better, may have been good. However, with shorty editing, a weak written script, thrown out characters, and just all around lazy acting, it completely ruined the film.

Out of all of the Saw movies and even Jigsaw, this was the biggest let down in my opinion. I went it really wanting to like it but even with the bar set at a mediocre standpoint, I was still let down by how horrible it was. I own all the Saw movies but I won't be adding this to my collection.

Silent Hill: Revelation (2012)

The writing is absolutely awful

[3/10 · 19 October 2022]

I watched this film a long time ago when it came out because I loved the first one so bad.

When you throw 3D in the title, that's usually not good but I have it a shot and watched it again; what a mistake.

The pacing, spoon fed plot, and lines from Kit Harrington just killed me. I honestly think it could have been half way decent if it was written and paced better.

The acting wasn't great but when an action has bad lines and obviously bad direction from the director, you can't expect a whole lot.

I would love to see a true sequel to the original film. I honestly think they should act like this doesn't exist and completely redo a sequel.

I wish I could leave this as a suggestion for a guilty pleasure (as this is what I expected in my second viewing) but it's so bad I honestly won't watch it again.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

Campy

[6/10 · 23 May 2022]

The movie itself isn't bad but the tone and directing was all over the place. Just felt like Sam Raimi was a slight letdown on this one.

It has his signature shots of slow or very quick zooms on faces as well as a cameo from Bruce Campbell of course.

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

See it now!

[10/10 · 21 December 2021]

Stop reading reviews and just go see it. You won't regret it. My favorite Spider-Man film has always been Spider-Man 2. I honestly am rethinking that now that this exists.

No Escape (I) (2015)

Hold onto your seat!

[9/10 · 10 October 2021]

Absolutely intense ride! The stress doesn't stop once it picks up. Every action of desperation towards the end goal pushes you to scream in cheer of the actors on screen. Give it a watch. It's a hell of a thriller.

Paddleton (2019)

Heart wrenching beautiful drama/comedy

[8/10 · 6 January 2021]

Wow. Not what I expected and that's a good thing. This is a drama first, comedy second. About male friendship and the struggles of dealing with loss. Absolutely incredible. Cant say more without spoilers. Definitely go watch it.

Delirium (I) (2018)

Worth a viewing

[7/10 · 30 December 2020]

To be short, it was entertaining. Considering the plot it's hard to tell what's real and what isn't until it's over. I could not predict the ending. Give it a watch; it's worth your time.

Cargo (I) (2017)

A surprisingly beautiful zombie film

[8/10 · 30 December 2020]

This seemed almost more of a drama film than a horror/thriller to me. It has a great story that you're pulled into because of the high production value and great acting. It can pull at the heart strings and give you anxiety.

Good watch.

Family Blood (2018)

Slow Burn

[7/10 · 30 December 2020]

Not sure why people hated on this honestly. Not a bad film at all. It slow paced. It's a relatively simple plot of a mother fighting addiction and trying to keep her kids with some small sub plots.

Acting, editing, filming, choice of color tone and everything all works together just fine. Personally I would have made it longer at the end to work the ending out a bit better but that's really my only criticism. Maybe a little more character development.

But that's it. If you're wanting to watch a dark somewhat creepy film, it's worth at least one watch. Kind of a one and done film for me personally.

But again, not a bad film. Not sure if the hate people are leaving. An average film for sure but average is a 7. 5 and under I disagree with.

Unfriended (2014)

Surprisingly better than I anticipated.

[7/10 · 9 November 2018]

The only reason I watched this, is because my sister and I traded blu rays so we can each see horror films the other has that we haven't. I was very skeptical to watch this. Blumhouse lately is a hit or miss. Truthfully they find some amazing horror films, then add sequels until they're bled dry. This film, by the trailer looked, seemed similar to The Gallows which I was forced to go to with my younger brother-in-law and my wife even though I knew it would be terrible; it was by the way. The movie luckily was not like The Gallows. In fact he biggest thing that surprised me was that the writing and acting was actually good. Usually with low budget horror films they grab some teenagers that have never acted in their life. Drama seems to be the easiest catagory to act but still, the acting was believable. As for the writing, the premise is simple. However they take a simple idea of Skyping and add elements to the internet that push the story along without just showing the faces of the actors interacting. However, I would probably have more of a hard time watching his again. Films like Burried and Locke are the same premise as this film in a way and those are both incredible. This film shows more to the watchers eye, however it depends on the performance if you need that. I think with both it adds enough. One thing I hate in teen based horror movies, is lingo. Thank god this film didn't throw a bunch in which also helps age the film. All in all, it's worth watching at least once. It was entertaining. Blumhouse hit a triple with this film, and thanks to my sister I got to view it.

Prisoners (2013)

A gritty raw thriller

[10/10 · 25 October 2018]

This movie has been out for a long time. However I love it and wanted to write a review. The film itself has a fantastic dark tone. The ideal itself is fantastic. At it's core the film asks you a question about your own morals. "What would you do if your child was in danger?" There are characters representing different sides of the decision to answer the core question itself. I for one would probably lean towards Hugh Jackman but that's beyond the point. There is something incredibly entertaining in watching Hugh Jackman's change in character from the start of the film to the end of the film. I also appreciate a stand-alone film. There is much to gain from sequels. However this keeps you wanting more, it tells an incredible story, and it keeps you on the edge of your seat. Not to mention how captivating the acting is to where you feel what the character is portraying on screen; that is a real film. Without going into spoiler details, that's my pitch. If you honestly haven't seen this film you are missing out. Jackman and ghyllenhal's performance is enough of a sell but it has, as noted, everything else to make it the perfect film.

The Predator (2018)

Not the best predator film, not the worst.

[7/10 · 16 September 2018]

People are far too critical here. The acting was decent for the most part. There were just extremely odd characters. The action, why everyone realistically went to the movie, was pretty good. I for one liked the concept and why does everyone say there's no story? The premise has more story than Predator 2 or Predators. What I didn't like, was some of the cgi and the enhancement of the predator(seen in the trailer - not a spoiler) everyone goes to see predator movies to see a big brooding badass kill people. It delivered in that aspect. The humor was funny and fit well considering the group of misfits. The end, I will admit, I didn't care for. Everyone hates on it, and I ignored it but honestly it wasn't great. It does present room to grow. Personally I think they should scale up the story line with not evolving, but a use of more predators. She can grow the story off of the actions of the first predator in the film which would work very well. Long story short, it is an action film you're expecting and if you've seen the trailer, you know what to expect. Just enjoy it. And they can never make one to live up to the hype of the very first film. The first film was stripped down to mercs fighting an alien. People loved it because it was new. So to make something new for fans, it has to evolve. It makes sense. Just watch the movie.

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

In my opinion.. - Major Spoilers.

[10/10 · 4 May 2018]

The movie is perfect so just go watch it. But there's a few things about the ending that give away the next film. I immediately thought, once he snapped his fingers, that of course along with half of the world, some avengers are eating dirt.

Once they started dying I actually gasped which was embarrassing but once Black Panther, Peter Quill, and Spiderman all died I thought oh well who cares cause obviously they are coming back; they wouldn't kill these new and important characters that easily. This is the only thing that ruined it for me because now the next film is so obvious.

The one thing Doctor Strange said to Tony about this being the only way, makes me think they have to die and Thanos has to win so that he can let his guard down in the next film and they can get the stones and revive everyone.

The one thing I'm confused about, isn't the Spiderman Homecoming set in 2020? He's not an avenger in 2020 and he's still as young in this one. They clearly messed that up. He also would go back on now having the Nano suit. It doesn't make sense. Homecoming completely contradicts the entire thing but I'm sure it was a mistake.

And they already confirmed Guardians of the Galaxy 3 and yeah you could assume it's a prequel and that's probably what they want you to think but come on, they're definitely brining them back. They killed off a ton of characters because they have too much and the next movie will be better with less powers and characters for however specific they choreograph the fight. Honestly if they had every single one together they would win so fast.

Plus if Captain Marvel is as strong as they're saying she is, they'll need less powers to give her a spotlight and really kick ass at the last second.

Anyways, my bet for the next one, thanos will probably kill some avengers (for good). They will probably get the stone, resurrect whoever with probably some kind of consequence, destroy the stone, and when you think it's all happily ever after, someone will die, and they'll be screwed because the stone will already be destroyed. And if I'm correct, I better get a damn cookie.

Jeepers Creepers III (2017)

Not as bad as a one star.

[5/10 · 12 March 2018]

The worse thing about this film is the hair plugs. You're not fooling anyone man. The movie obviously got cut on their budget when it comes to effects. The writing isn't fantastic but I've seen way worse before. The acting for the most part was okay. The only acting that really suffered is brought upon because of the bad writing/directing. You can tell some actors bit their tongues when they had to hold back how people would really act in situations. I hate how many times they have actors look up. If you hear a ding on the top of a truck, you look up, like the first film. But if you see something pop up in the air and you're in a truck, there's not much you'll find staring up at your ceiling; you would pop your head out and look up at the sky. But again, bad directing. I will say that a third sequel set in the same timeline as the first two films is kind of annoying but the story works and connects in a cool way. Honestly I never would have gone to the theater to see this but spending the hour and forty minutes on Netflix is okay. If you watched the first two, honestly it's not a complete waste of time. It adds a little more depth to the truck and the character and some fairly cool shots. I will say that it didn't feel very much like a horror film though. They need better direction to take it back to it's roots. Eventually the story should include a way to kill this creature and where he came from, similar to how Alien built their own universe. All in all, watch it once at least. That's probably all you need.

I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore (2017)

Thank you Macon Blair and indie films alike!

[9/10 · 24 February 2017]

The first thing that drew my eye to this film was the involvement of Macon Blair and Elijah Wood. I have seen Melanie Lynskey in other films but not lead roles and she did not disappoint. The acting across the board was fantastic from the lead characters, to the smallest extras. I expect as much from Macon after watching his work with his friend Jeremy Saulnier. They both worked on Blue Ruin and Green Room together which were both very raw films with stories and characters that you can actually believe exist. So when I saw Blair was writing and directing his own film, I expected much of the same believable vibes, and I got it.

The film would not be the same if it were backed by a large film company and I think that's why these indie films shown at Sundance are so good. When I heard Netflix bought this film I was a little too excited. It will hopefully, collectively, with other great indie films, bring better standards for the average box office garbage.

The best quality about the film, in my opinion, is the acting and the characters. I wont go into detail because it's too much fun watching them unravel on screen; especially Elijah Wood's character. The film is listed as crime, drama, and a thriller. But it honestly has a bit of a dark humor vibe to it brought out by the story and sincere acting.

I can't wait to see Macon Blair's next project, along with Elijah Wood. This film is incredibly entertaining from start to finish and is just one of those films you can watch over and over. Definitely check it out and you will not be disappointed.

Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)

Well the first one was good anyways.

[2/10 · 23 February 2017]

I love Predator, Predator 2, Predators, and am looking forward to The Predator. I love Alien and Aliens on a different level. Alien 3 and 4 are okay and I can't wait for Alien:Covenant. I thought A.V.P. was such a cool idea and it really panned out. I only watched the trailer for A.V.P. Requiem and decided not to watch it. Now ten years later, I've watched it. I wish I didn't. The writing for this film was absolute garbage. I loved how the last one left off with it's new and inventive opening for this film but I still guessed that wouldn't be enough to make it good on it's own. I gave it the benefit of the doubt and watched it anyways. The characters were written so poorly and stereotyped to their characters. Even the recently-out-of-jail character had a leather jacket. Come on. And why.. WHY did he say "Get to the chopper". Never write that again for any character ever. Unless Arnold comes back. The directing.. Was horrible. To be honest I couldn't see anything with the quick cuts and very very dark filter which completely ruined the movie. Underworld does it right, this does it very very wrong. Even the first film did it but it looked good. And if you like those flashing lights helping emulate impending danger from Alien, well it's not done correctly in this film either. Nothing really is. It doesn't pay any homage to the franchises. When it comes down to it, I'm going to assume the studios and producers behind the film decided to find cheap actors, directors, and writers to make a big buck. And with a small budget they probably had to keep scenes dark for lack of authenticity in the image. I could be completely wrong, but even if I am, this film is still bad. I hate more than anything, that they left this on an ending that slightly sets it up for another film. They couldn't have really thought it was going to be good enough. But hey, they did better than Freddy V.S. Jason right? My advice would be to watch A.V.P. and then watch the "Silent Night" trailer to this film and leave it at that. I wouldn't even recommend watching it if it's free to you.

St. Vincent (2014)

Even better than I thought it would be.

[7/10 · 6 February 2017]

Simply put, it was a great film. The acting was incredible. I personally think that anyone who can do comedy well, is fantastic in drama. Comedy is much harder to tap into and act out than drama, in my opinion. So being that two of the main cast are known as comedians, is a good sign. The film 360 degrees was great. It was more than expected and more real than I would have though. Melissa McCarthy did very well as did the rest of the cast. Bill Murry was different than any other film I've seen him in but he kept it very real and emotional. Naomi Watts, unsurprisingly did amazing. Is that such a surprise though? Her character was a loud, bold, straight-forward hooker who definitely was needed. Without her the film would have been so much different. As well as the acting in the film, the story was great and very well written. It has more context than I thought it would have and it went places I didn't predict which was all the more better. I would watch this film again 100 percent. The acting by itself holds up the film but it doesn't need to as it delivers on every other aspect. It was a very fun yet emotional film. Definitely give it a watch!

Imperial Dreams (2014)

John Boyega shows true talent.

[8/10 · 6 February 2017]

John Boyega embodies this true character in every sense of the word. The acting from everyone, even the child acted as Ethan and Justin Coach. Acting and writing to me in a film is the most important because if it's done right, it can draw you in so much that you don't even realize you're watching the film, but feel as if you're living it. In this film, I absolutely felt that. The film in it's core is about how far a father will go to give his son a good honest life, even if that means going down the harder roads to get there. I don't have a great relationship with my father, so watching a film about a dad working so hard to be there for his son made me upset but that's because it was done so well and was so believable; which I loved. The story is a sad one as it's the struggle of a father who just got out of jail and has very limited options on how to get his life on track. You watch a man who tries so hard to get on track but because of the messed up system, it's almost impossible. I would compare this film to The Pursuit of Happiness(Yes that's how it's spelled) but I personally enjoyed this more. Ironically, this felt more real to me than The Pursuit of Happiness even though that's based on a real story. This film was so much more raw, real, and held up by acting more so than story that it's so incredible to watch. The film, being a drama, of course, is very sad. With everyone who worked on the film they really did a great job. It's a perfectly paced film and exactly what you would expect. Absolutely give this film a watch and hold high expectations because it's an incredible film. Thank you John Boyega!

Everything Must Go (2010)

Not a waste of time.

[7/10 · 6 February 2017]

I watched the trailer for this years ago and put it on a list to watch eventually. It popped up on Netflix and I gave it a go. The film was worth watching; it is a lot like the trailer which is a bit of a bummer because usually I like them to go more in-depth than what's offered by a two minute trailer. The film really was about an alcoholic battling his inner demon of alcoholism while his life falls apart. So really it's if he can overcome his addiction while at the lowest point in his life. I thought the acting was great across the board. Will Ferrell's character as you can imagine, constantly drinks. He drank so much in the film to where I could almost taste the beer making me sick, but that's on a positive note because I would imagine, that was the point of the excessiveness of the lead character drinking constantly. The film holds a lot of life lessons for multiple characters and has a lot of heart. To get to the end of the film it feels like a very dark road but that's clearly intentional. I wont say the end or give any context because people should really watch the film not read it. It's worth watching at least once.

Split (IX) (2016)

More Please!

[9/10 · 22 January 2017]

Yes I gave the film a nine. I personally enjoyed it regardless of what anyone else thought. The story was unpredictable when it comes to character actions and their final destinations in the plot, for the most part. I don't care about being kept guessing but more on the authenticity of it. As the film goes on and you learn more about the main characters, you can understand each and every one of their actions(Why they do what they do).

The story jumps from modern day to Casey, the female lead's, childhood. It shows a troubled past, the same as the lead character played by James McAvoy. The story really plays off of child abuse and shows the difference between the two leads and how their abuse has affected them differently. For the sake of entertainment, James's character is of course more fun to watch but in reality, would be horrifying.

The acting is great all around. But, like most I assume, I was drawn to this by James McAvoy, and not because of x-men. I like films off the mainstream because they usually aren't messed with by studios much. One film I very much like with McAvoy in, is Filth. If you've seen Filth, you'll understand how his character in that movie has - well it's very eccentric anyways so clearly he has the will to do the Split characters.

Shyamalan was not in The Visit but he was in this. Because it's his official comeback? Hopefully. He wrote a twist that's not much of a twist to the story so much but to - well I don't know. The connection to Unbreakable was awesome in it's own way. When I heard "fifteen years ago in a wheelchair" I yelled out Mr. Glass a few times in my head (I didn't want to make anyone mad by yelling it out loud). Shyamalan always said if he made an Unbreakable 2 that it would be much different to the first one. So is Split kind of a sequel? And if so, is this technically a comic book movie in the way that Unbreakable was? Who knows, but if they leave this as it's own film but let it bring a full film crossover sequel to Unbreakable, then I'm on board. Just take your time!

I personally will view Split as it's own film because I think it's much better that way but again, I absolutely loved the ending and I did get very excited.

The negativeness about the film and how DID is read wrong is incredibly annoying. It's film.. My dramatic arts teacher taught me that when you write a script, just make sure it's not too real; people like the fantasy. Anyways I could get into the fact that there are plenty of films that expand on medical problems to make the films better, same with films based on true stories. But come on, it's a movie.

So all in all, McAvoy was a blast and all of his characters. The story was solid and creepy. I did laugh at his portrayal of his Hedwig character because he did it so well. It was funny to me because it's an adult acting as a child. As the character in the film however, it was creepy.

Shyamalan did a great job all around and I hope he puts this film up as an example to all future projects. Personally I think this film is a masterpiece. Must watch film!

Standoff (I) (2016)

Great acting.

[7/10 · 21 January 2017]

The story is a simple one but entertaining. The acting is great all around. I mostly was drawn towards Fishburne; his portrayal of his character was very believable and acted well enough for you to truly hate him. The story, like most at their core, is a simple struggle of morals and what's easier, and what's right. But the acting between Fishburne and Jane is so great that I could watch this film again right now. Old films had one thing right; a series of long scenes with dialogue. Of course now you need explosions and quick cuts yada yada. If Tarantino proves anything, these long scenes still work. And this film(not directed by Tarantino) proves that to also be true. Anyways, it's not a bad movie and is worth watching at least once. Again, great acting, not a bad story.

The Good Neighbor (2016)

Good neighbor, good film.

[7/10 · 29 December 2016]

To keep it short, very average film but entertaining. All good, convincing acting. Truly a lot of the film is the two leads in a bedroom watching the cameras they put in place of their neighbor. The believable acting and differences in opinion between the characters was entertaining enough for me to watch this film. Unlike Paranormal Activity which is kind of the same concept only this film, The Good Neighbor, has dialogue. The story was cut up between three different time lines that were inserted bit by bit to unravel the complete story and it was executed beautifully. Without giving spoilers, it leads on in such a way that it makes you guess the ending. I personally guessed it wrong again and again and I could not predict the climax of the film but some smaller parts I could. One thing I like in the film were the references to other films and the posters of old films like, Attack of the 50 Foot Woman and Night of the Living Dead. It does make sense in the film to the main character, Ethan, played by Logan Miller who's character is into film. My favorite part of this film is the very last shot that shows the true nature of one of the characters. But no spoilers so I can't elaborate. I guess you'll just have to watch the film! I watched this on Netflix in my free time and I can't say I wasted my time. I would also recommend renting it but I personally wouldn't purchase this film unless I hadn't yet seen it. It feels like a one time watch but with the realistic performances, maybe I could watch it again.