Movies Graded

Director: Craig Johnson Stars: Daniel Doheny, Madeline Weinstein, Antonio Marziale Runtime: 99 minutes Synopsis:  Alex's plans to lose his virginity to his girlfriend Claire go awry when he meets Elliot at a party. Performances: 4/10 Why? None of the characters felt genuine for me. And while they were not given the greatest of material to work with, the actors had their share of the blame as well. They approached their roles with more of a comedic approach despite the film's very real and important themes. They weren't the movie's biggest problem, but definitely not part of the solution. Screenplay: 2/10 Why? A missed opportunity to say the least. When I read the synopsis of the film while browsing for a movie to watch on Netflix, it immediately reminded me of the plot of "Call Me by Your Name", my favorite film of 2017. But what I got instead was a cliché, goofy film that was focusing more on being this cheesy teenage drama than a...

Director: David Yates Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint Runtime: 153 minutes Synopsis: In his sixth year at Hogwarts, Harry comes into possession of a mysterious book written previously owned by the Half-Blood Prince. Performances: 7/10 Screenplay: 7/10 Special Effects: 9/10 Costumes/Makeup: 9/10 Editing: 6/10 Cinematography: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack:  9/10 Verdict: ( SPOILERS AHEAD! ) "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" is David Yates' second film of the franchise and the sixth chapter in the Harry Potter series. Much like in its predecessor, Yates opted for a darker tone that goes wonderfully well with the state of the situation the characters are going through. This movie feels and looks a lot like "Order of the Phoenix", to the point where, if played back to back, you probably wouldn't really notice that they are two different movies. Obviously and as you probably already know, a lot happens in this film. And ...

Director: Ari Aster Stars: Toni Collette, Gabriel Byrne, Alex Wolff Runtime: 127 minutes Synopsis:   After the family matriarch passes away, a grieving family is haunted by tragic and disturbing occurrences, and begin to unravel dark secrets. Performances:  5/5 Screenplay:  4/5 Editing:  5/5 Cinematography:  5/5 Score/Soundtrack:  4/5 Verdict:  Before the much-awaited "Midsommar" is released in theaters, a rewatch of Ari Aster's widely acclaimed directorial debut "Hereditary" was obviously in order. The horror movie was featured in my best of 2018 list, and my second viewing certainly cemented its place not only as one of my favorite movies to come out last year but also as one of my favorite horror movies to come out in the past decade. Revolving around a family struck with grief and haunted by an unknown presence that's tearing its members apart, Aster, rather than throwing the main focus of the film on the supernatural eleme...

Director: Susan Johnson Stars: Lana Condor, Noah Centineo, Janel Parrish Runtime: 99 minutes Synopsis:  A shy teenager's love life is turned upside down when letters she wrote to 5 of her crushes are sent to them. Performances: 5/10 Why? While I didn't hate Lana Condor's take on Lara Jean, I never really felt that her performance elevated her character's representation. I also didn't buy her male co-stars' (Noah Centineo and Israel Broussard) acting at all. They both lacked emotional range and were plainly reciting lines for the entirety of the flick. However, I enjoyed Anna Cathcart as the feisty Kitty, Lara Jean's younger sister. Screenplay: 6/10 Why? Light, fun, and sweet. The movie checks all the boxes of a perfect Netflix film to watch when you have an hour and a half to kill. I found myself enjoying the romcom more than I was expecting to, and that is despite some convenience and inevitable clichés. The characters are likable...

Director: Lauren Miller Rogen Stars: Kristen Bell, Kelsey Grammer, Danielle Davenport Runtime: 103 minutes Synopsis:  A workaholic woman is joined by her father who abandoned her at a young age on her honeymoon instead of her fiance who left her at the altar. Performances: 5/10 Why? Bell and Grammer played their roles well and even had a couple of scenes where they were able to showcase their acting abilities. However, the material they were given didn't really help them develop their characters or give them any depth. The supporting cast wasn't on par with the two leads, unfortunately.  Screenplay: 2/10 Why? Cheese? Check. Unoriginal story? Check. Predictable outcome? Check and check. The film never was able to grasp me, but instead succeeded to bore the hell out of me. The characters were unlikable and underdeveloped. The jokes were all safe and poorly incorporated (except for one that I found amusing). Costumes/Makeup: 4/10 Why? Nothi...

Director: Baltasar Kormakur Stars: Shailene Woodley, Sam Claflin, Jeffrey Thomas Runtime: 96 minutes Synopsis:  The true story of Tami Oldham who, while on a boat trip with her boyfriend, had to face a hurricane that completely destroyed their ship.    Performances: 6/10 Why? In a movie that relied a lot on Woodley and Claflin's performances to showcase their respective characters' desperation and mental status, I felt that the acting was too two dimensional, especially from Claflin's part, too truly deliver these feelings. Woodley had some strong scenes, though.  Screenplay: 3/10 Why? While the story of Tami is one that deserves a big screen adaptation without a doubt, the screenwriters made the weird decision to focus a lot on her romance with Richard, to the point of altering her actual story to better include it. The film turned into a Nicholas Spark-like romance flick really fast, and I didn't care for it at all.  Special Effec...

Director: David Yates Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint Runtime: 138 minutes Synopsis: Harry and Dumbledore's warnings about Voldemort's return are not taken seriously by the Ministry of Magic, leading both parties to take drastic measures.  Performances: 8/10 Screenplay: 8/10 Special Effects: 7/10 Costumes/Makeup: 10/10 Editing: 7/10 Cinematography: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack:  9/10 Verdict:  ( SPOILERS AHEAD! ) "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" is the first film in the franchise to be directed by David Yates, who has been in charge of it ever since. Prior to that project, the British director never helmed something of that magnitude, and the fact that he pulled it off the way he did is an incredible achievement. I can safely say that Yates' directorial style, which is close to Cuaron's, is the one I found to work best with the series. The greyish blue color palette sets up a tone that immediately tells the audien...

Director: Leigh Whannell Stars: Logan Marshall-Green, Richard Anastasios, Rosco Campbell Runtime: 100 minutes Synopsis:  A revenge story set in the near future where artificial intelligence has become a reality. Basically "John Wick" meets "Her". Performances: 5/10 Screenplay: 6/10 Special Effects: 8/10 Costumes/Makeup: 5/10 Editing: 6/10 Cinematography: 6/10 Score/Soundtrack:  5/10 Verdict:  I was excited to watch this movie mostly because of the incredible reviews it got. I'm always looking for a good, original horror movie and this one seemed to be one of those. And while it's not atrocious, I was a bit disappointed by it. The best part of it was by far its idea. Despite it not really being entirely original, it still felt fresh and up to date. Unfortunately, I found everything else to be mediocre, to say the least. The acting was rocky, and the dialogue and humor awkward. The movie also dragged a lot in the middle and wasn't p...

Director: Ava DuVernay Stars: Storm Reid, Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon Runtime: 109 minutes Synopsis: Meg, whose scientist father mysteriously disappeared, is sent to space with her friend and her brother in order to find him. Based on the famous fantasy novel written by Madeleine L'Engle. Performances: 3/10 Screenplay: 1/10 Special Effects: 4/10 Costumes/Makeup: 4/10 Editing: 5/10 Cinematography: 4/10 Score/Soundtrack:  4/10  Verdict:  Where do I even start? There is not one characteristic I enjoyed about the movie. Every single performance was terrible, the special effects looked undone and amateurish, the soundtrack consisted of cringy popular pop songs being played every 15 minutes, and the story was confusing and nonsensical. The movie had the potential to be sort of an interesting science lesson tailored for children but ends up being a chaotic mess. I recommend staying away. Final Grade:  2/10

Director: Alex Garland Stars: Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tessa Thompson Runtime: 115 minutes Performances: 7/10 Screenplay: 6/10 Special Effects: 8/10 Costumes/Makeup: 7/10 Editing: 5/10 Cinematography: 6/10 Score/Soundtrack:  7/10 Verdict:   Mainly set in an area called the Shimmer where the laws of biology and physics are altered by a mysterious crashed meteor, “Annihilation” follows a group of scientists who enter that zone with the objective of coming out of it with some answers. The world director Alex Garland builds in the Shimmer is both beautiful and terrifying at the same time, which makes it perfectly suited to accompany the two main genres of the film: horror and science fiction. The performances, mainly by Natalie Portman and Jennifer Jason Leigh, succeed in giving depth to their respective characters, and not present them as the usual disposable horror protagonists. However, these performances were tainted by mediocre dialogue and...

Director: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger Stars: David Niven, Kim Hunter, Roger Livesey Runtime: 104 minutes Performances: 8/10 Screenplay: 10/10 Special Effects: 8/10 Costumes/Makeup: 8/10 Editing: 8/10 Cinematography: 9/10 Score/Soundtrack:  7/10 Verdict:   After cheating death by jumping from a crashing airplane and surviving the fall, Peter must prove his love and devotion to June, a woman he met immediately after his miraculous leap, if he wants to remain on Earth and not meet his original fate. “Stairway to Heaven”, also known as “A Matter of Life and Death” outside the United States, is a gem that deserves a place amongst other classics that stood the test of time. While it is without a doubt exceptionally made, benefiting from beautiful cinematography and special effects that still hold up to this day, it’s in its screenplay that the film truly grabbed me. The themes of life, death, the afterlife and even mental illness are all perfectly bala...

Director: Mike Newell Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint Runtime: 157 minutes Synopsis: When his name is mysteriously thrown in the Goblet of Fire,   Harry must take part in the Triwizard Tournament, a dangerous wizarding competition between rival schools. Performances: 7/10 Screenplay: 7/10 Special Effects: 8/10 Costumes/Makeup: 9/10 Editing: 6/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  8/10 Verdict:   (SPOILERS AHEAD!) "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" is one of my favorite Harry Potter books. I read it more than once and enjoyed it every single time. The movie, on the other hand, and despite the fact that I really like it, is probably one of my least favorite. Mike Newell (from "Four Weddings and a Funeral" fame) took over the director's chair, and my biggest issue with his vision for the franchise is the fact that, instead of following Alfonso Cuaron's visual style and tone, he opted to use Chris Columbus...

Director: Jon Turteltaub Stars: Jason Statham, Bingbing Li, Rainn Wilson Runtime: 113 minutes Synopsis:  After an expedition deep underwater goes wrong, a giant shark is set loose and starts attacking everything that stands in its way.  Performances: 3/10 Screenplay: 2/10 Special Effects: 6/10 Costumes/Makeup: 4/10 Editing: 4/10 Cinematography: 3/10 Score/Soundtrack:  5/10 Verdict: Your enjoyment of "The Meg" will entirely depend on your expectations going in. If you're approaching the film expecting it to be 2018's "Jaws", you'll be massively disappointed. But if you enter the theaters with a turned off brain hoping for a silly blockbuster à la "Piranha 3DD", then like me, you'll find it to be quite decent and even amusing at times. "The Meg" is not a movie that should be taken seriously and understands it. Yes, the acting is awful, the plot nonsensical, and the dialogue laughable, but in the end, that was...

Director: Steven Spielberg Stars: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn Runtime: 140 minutes Performances: 5/10 Screenplay: 5/10 Special Effects: 8/10 Costumes/Makeup: 7/10 Editing: 6/10 Cinematography: 6/10 Score/Soundtrack:  7/10 Verdict: When the creator of a virtual reality world called the OASIS dies, it's revealed that he had hidden one easter egg somewhere in the game which will gift its finder the fortune he has left behind, as well as total control of the game. This obviously led to a race between Parzival (Tye Sheridan), helped by his friends, and the evil corporation IOI, presided by Sorrento (Ben Mendelsohn) to find it. I honestly wasn't expecting much from the film. The idea behind it seemed like a lot of fun, and that's all I wanted to experience. Having watched it now, I'd say that fun is the perfect word to describe the movie. It is filled with pop culture references that I had a blast looking for, and I found the journey to ...

Directors: Haoling Li, Yoshitaka Takeuch, Xiaoxing Yi Stars: Taito Ban, Dorothy Fahn, Matt Fowler Runtime: 74 minutes Synopsis: Three short stories with similar themes are told, all set in China. Animation: 7/10 Performances: N.A. (I don't speak Mandarin) Screenplay: 6/10 Special Effects: N.A. Editing: 5/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  8/10 Verdict:  This is not an easy movie to judge. Mostly because I'm not sure if it counts as one. The film is divided into 3 segments each telling its own story and each directed by a different person. And while they have similar themes and similar animation style, they are not connected in any shape or form. What drove me to watch this movie was the phrase "From the creator of Your Name" on its poster. If you don't know what "Your Name" is, I suggest you leave everything right away and go check it out. It's one of my favorite animes to come out in the past few years. Hell, it'...

Director: David Leitch Stars:  Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Zazie Beetz Runtime: 119 minutes Synopsis: The Merc with a mouth is back to protect a young boy with dangerous abilities from the time-traveling mutant known as Cable. Performances: 8/10 Screenplay: 7/10 Special Effects: 7/10 Costumes/Makeup: 8/10 Editing: 6/10 Cinematography: 6/10 Score/Soundtrack:  8/10  Verdict:  "Deadpool 2" is far from perfect. It has some pacing issues, not very well fleshed new characters, borrows a lot from its predecessor, and isn't aesthetically gripping. But damn it, I laughed. And that is all that matters. Final Grade:  7/10

Director: David Fincher Stars: Jodie Foster, Kristen Stewart, Forest Whitaker Runtime: 112 minutes Synopsis: A mother and her daughter hide in their new house's panic room when 3 burglars break in. Performances: 8/10 Screenplay: 5/10 Special Effects: N.A. Costumes/Makeup: 7/10 Editing: 7/10 Cinematography: 6/10 Score/Soundtrack:  7/10 Verdict:  "Panic Room" is the only movie directed by David Fincher that I have not seen in the past 3 to 4 years (with "Alien 3", but even he doesn't consider it to be part of his filmography). Fincher being one of my favorite directors working today, I wanted to right this wrong as soon as possible. And I finally did. And I can state with almost certainty that "Panic Room" is probably my least favorite project of his. Now obviously, the film is not a complete disaster, and I found myself enjoying quite a bit of it. The performances are all great, especially Kristen Stewart's as the diabeti...

Director: Alfonso Cuaron Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint Runtime: 142 minutes Synopsis: Sirius Black, a dangerous wizard involved in James and Lily' murder, has escaped the inescapable magical prison of Azkaban and is coming after Harry. Performances: 7/10 Screenplay: 8/10 Special Effects: 8/10 Costumes/Makeup: 9/10 Editing: 7/10 Cinematography: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack:  8/10 Verdict:  "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" is considered by many to be the best Harry Potter film in the franchise. And while I don't particularly agree with that statement, I have to concede the fact that it's probably the first really good movie in the series. Alfonso Cuaron chose to give the film a more mature tone that reflects the changes our main characters are going through. A tone much darker than its predecessors, and that fits perfectly with the story and its themes. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are growing before our very eyes, and so...

Director: Gerard McMurray Stars: Y'lan Noel, Lex Scott Davis, Joivan Wade Runtime: 98 minutes Synopsis: A depiction of the very first Purge to take place. Performances: 3/10 Screenplay: 1/10 Special Effects: 4/10 Costumes/Makeup: 5/10 Editing: 2/10 Cinematography: 3/10 Score/Soundtrack:  3/10 Verdict:  "The First Purge" is the fourth installment in the Purge franchise. And as for every fourth installment in a horror franchise, I went in expecting a dumb, self-aware, hilarious flick that wasn't taking itself too seriously, especially with such a ridiculous concept that could be played with endlessly. And while the very first scene was exactly that and kind of set up an over the top tone for the movie, I was ultimately let down by the end product which was filled with sloppily directed action scenes and cheap jump scares. I felt that the movie didn't really know what it wanted to be, and ended up being a mix of ridiculousness and seriousness ...

Director: Paul Schrader Stars: Amanda Seyfried, Ethan Hawke, Cedric the Entertainer Runtime: 113 minutes Synopsis: The story of a reverend struck by despair following the loss of a beloved one. Performances: 8/10 Screenplay: 6/10 Special Effects: N.A. Costumes/Makeup: 7/10 Editing: 5/10 Cinematography: 8/10   Score/Soundtrack:  3/10 Verdict:  I watched "First Reformed" for two main reasons. The first one being that it was distributed by A24, a studio that has proved time and time again that the quality of their projects is great. The second reason why I watched the movie is its director. Paul Schrader is more known for his writing skills and associations with Martin Scorsese (he wrote the screenplays for "Taxi Driver", "Raging Bull", or "The Last Temptation of Christ"), and has directed quite a bit of well-received projects in the past. While "First Reformed" is definitely not his best work both as a writer and a ...

Director: Rob Reiner Stars: Rob Reiner, Michael McKean, Christopher Guest Runtime: 82 minutes Synopsis: A mockumentary about British hard rock band Spinal Tap. Performances: 9/10 Screenplay: 6/10 Special Effects: N.A. Costumes/Makeup: 8/10 Editing: 7/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  9/10  Verdict:  "This is Spinal Tap" is before anything else a hilarious comedy elevated by the incredibly likable and funny lead characters portrayed magnificently by comedy geniuses. It's also a beautiful sort of love letter to the 1980s and the music industry that made me smile more than once. The soundtrack is one of the best ever written for a movie, and the concerts scene looked genuine and real. The only problem I had with the film was the screenplay which didn't really tell a story and dragged at times. The film is only 82 minutes long but felt a bit longer as a result. "This is Spinal Tap" is still a hilarious mockumentary and still one o...

Director: Frank Capra Stars: James Stewart, Jean Arthur, Claude Rains Runtime: 129 minutes Synopsis: A naive man must fight corruption when, to his big surprise, he is chosen to fill a vacancy in the US Senate. Performances: 6/10 Screenplay: 7/10 Special Effects: N.A. Costumes/Makeup: 6/10 Editing: 6/10 Cinematography: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack:  6/10 Verdict:  "It's a Wonderful Life" is perhaps Frank Capra and Jimmy Stewart's most famous collaboration. A close second would be 11 times Oscar-nominated (for 1 win) "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington". The Christmas classic is one of my favorite holiday movies of all time not because it stood the test of time - as a matter of fact, I don't think it does - but because Capra made the classic a magical experience that truly change my life and the way I perceive it. Unfortunately, that magic is not present in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington". And while the story is a pretty interesting on...

Director: Ben Young Stars: Lizzy Caplan, Michael Pena, Mike Colter Runtime: 95 minutes Synopsis: A family of four must survive what appears to be an alien attempt to invade the planet. Performances: 6/10 Screenplay: 3/10 Special Effects: 4/10 Costumes/Makeup: 6/10 Editing: 5/10 Cinematography: 6/10 Score/Soundtrack:  3/10 Verdict:  As you probably know by now, I am not a huge fan of the quality of Netflix original movies. "Extinction", unfortunately, won't change my mind on that matter. I've seen this type of film done time and again, and I can safely say that the same plot has been explored in a way more interesting way more than once. What sank the movie to me were the characters, which I didn't enjoy at all. The children were incredibly annoying and the adults too dull and two dimensional. Now I know that there comes a point in the movie where all of this is given an explanation, and on some level, it works really well, but that doesn...