Movies Graded

Director: David Leitch Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Idris Elba Runtime: 135 minutes Synopsis:   Lawman Luke Hobbs and outcast Deckard Shaw form an unlikely alliance when a cyber-genetically enhanced villain threatens the future of humanity. Performances: 3/5 Screenplay: 3/5 Special Effects: 2/5 Editing: 2/5 Cinematography: 3/5 Score/Soundtrack:  2/5 Entertainment Factor: 3/5 Verdict: The trailer promised an over-the-top action flick fueled by a love-hate relationship between the two leads, resulting in a very dumb but also very fun entry in the Fast & Furious franchise. And while there definitely were a few scenes that checked these boxes, it wasn't nearly as entertaining as I was expecting it to be. Directed by David Leitch, "Hobbs & Shaw" follows charismatic leads Dwayne Johnson's Luke Hobbs and Jason Statham's  Deckard  Shaw in their quest to protect Hattie from the nefarious Brixton, respectfully played by a bad...

Director: Vincent D'Onofrio Stars: Jake Schur, Leila George, Chris Pratt Runtime: 100 minutes Synopsis:   The story of a young boy who witnesses Billy the Kid's encounter with Sheriff Pat Garrett. Performances: 3/5 Screenplay: 3/5 Costumes/Makeup: 4/5 Editing: 2/5 Cinematography: 3/5 Score/Soundtrack:  3/5 Verdict: I wouldn't call "The Kid" a bad movie, but rather an underwhelming one. The second directorial effort of Vincent D'Onofrio follows young Rio's encounter with famous outlaw Billy the Kid as he was being hunted down by Sheriff Pat Garrett. The decision of making Rio's story the focus of the movie was an odd one that I couldn't get behind for many reasons. The first being the fact that Billy's confrontation with the law was by far the most interesting aspect of the film and could've perfectly been fleshed out more. The second was the fact that Dane DeHaan and Ethan Hawke, who respectably play Billy and Pa...

Director: Alex Ross Perry Stars: Elisabeth Moss, Cara Delevingne, Dan Stevens Runtime: 134 minutes Synopsis:   A self-destructive punk rocker struggles with sobriety while trying to recapture the creative inspiration that led her band to success. Performances: 5/5 Screenplay: 5/5 Costumes/Makeup: 5/5 Editing: 4/5 Cinematography: 5/5 Score/Soundtrack:  5/5 Verdict: Boy oh boy I wasn't expecting THAT. "Her Smell", directed by Alex Ross Perry, was an absolute treat from beginning to end, and quite possibly one of the most overlooked movies of the entire year. It baffles me that the film didn't find the success it deserves during last year's award season despite premiering at TIFF to globally positive reviews, and it baffles me even more that it only made a little more than $200,000 at the box office. The film serves mostly as a character study of punk rock vocalist Becky Something, played by an unrecognizable, easily Oscar-worthy Elisabet...

Director: Justin Kelly Stars: Kristen Stewart, Laura Dern, Jim Sturgess Runtime: 108 minutes Synopsis:   A young woman named Savannah Knoop spends six years pretending to be the celebrated author JT LeRoy, the made-up literary persona of her sister-in-law. Performances: 4/5 Screenplay: 3/5 Costumes/Makeup: 3/5 Editing: 3/5 Cinematography: 4/5 Score/Soundtrack:  2/5 Verdict: Based on a quite fascinating true story, "JT LeRoy" tells the story of Savannah Knoop, who spent 6 years playing the body of Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy, a famous author and pen name of her sister-in-law Laura, played by Laura Dern, who provided the voice of the character behind the scenes. To be perfectly honest, I found the story told to be more captivating and interesting than the movie itself. It's not a bad film by any means. In fact, it's pretty well shot and well acted overall, but it sadly lacked so much personality that it ends up being something I probably won...

Director: Peter Watkins Runtime: 48 minutes Synopsis:   A docudrama depicting a hypothetical nuclear attack on Britain. Verdict: The only fictional docudrama to ever win the Best Documentary Oscar is one I consider a must watch. In it, British director Peter Watkins attempts and succeeds in making a short but very dense film about a hypothetical nuclear attack on Britain in the midst of a Cold War and only a couple of year following the Cuban Missile Crisis that ignited a fear of the bomb everywhere in the world. Watkins' "documentary" is filled with fake interviews, fake footage, and fake reactions of the hypothetical Russian attack, making the film an extremely realistic, chilling watch that does an amazing job at showing the repercussions of such an attack on a micro and macro scale. The film is also an incredibly edited one, with the documentary format pretty much nailed and the building of tension handled as perfectly as possible. It's only ...

Director: Mark Steven Johnson Stars: Rachael Taylor, Travis Fimmel, Jake Weary Runtime: 91 minutes Synopsis:   In 1972, a gang of close-knit thieves from Youngstown, Ohio attempt to steal $30 million in illegal contributions and blackmail money from President Richard Nixon's secret fund. Performances: 2/5 Screenplay: 1/5 Costumes/Makeup: 3/5 Editing: 2/5 Cinematography: 3/5 Score/Soundtrack:  2/5 Verdict: Somewhere, hidden within the depths of this movie, is an interesting story. Alas, the tale of the biggest heist to ever be conducted in the US never reached the surfaced. Far from it. Set in 1972, "Finding Steve McQueen" (which has absolutely nothing to do with the famous actor) follows a group of thieves in their attempt to steal $30 million from President Richard Nixon's secret fund in Ohio. Seems interesting, right? Well, think again, because unfortunately the project was handed to Mark Steven Johnson, the man responsible for the atroc...

Director: Cristina Gallego, Ciro Guerra Stars: Carmina Martinez, José Acosta, Natalia Reyes Runtime: 125 minutes Synopsis:   During the marijuana bonanza, a violent decade that saw the origins of drug trafficking in Colombia, Rapayet and his indigenous family get involved in a war to control the business that ends up destroying their lives and their culture. Performances: 5/5 Screenplay: 5/5 Costumes/Makeup: 5/5 Editing: 4/5 Cinematography: 5/5 Score/Soundtrack:  4/5 Verdict: I called Ciro Guerra's directorial debut "Embrace of the Serpent" an instant classic a few weeks ago. In it, the Colombian filmmaker showcased signs of a naturally talented, extremely bold director with an eye for detail. His second project, "Birds of Passage" definitely cements him as one of the very best directors working today and one I'll most certainly be keeping a very close eye on. Co-directed with his (now ex) wife Cristina Gallega, the film recounts ...

Director: Srdjan Spasojevic Stars: Srdjan Todorovic, Sergej Trifunovic, Jelena Gavrilovic Runtime: 104 minutes Synopsis:   An aging porn star agrees to participate in an "art film" in order to make a clean break from the business, only to discover that he has been drafted into making a pedophilia and necrophilia themed snuff film. Performances: 4/5 Screenplay: 2/5 Costumes/Makeup: 4/5 Editing: 2/5 Cinematography: 4/5 Score/Soundtrack:  3/5 Verdict: There it is, folks. The most disturbing movie ever made. A movie so disturbing that it was banned in at least 46 countries. A movie so disturbing that a few minutes of it had to be cut for it to get an NC-17 rating in the US. A movie so disturbing that it made me cringe on multiple occasions. And I've seen it twice. Two times more than any sane person on this planet ever should in their lifetime. Without getting into the details of what happens as they're horrifying even in text form, the film s...

Director: David Fairhead Runtime: 100 minutes Synopsis:   Dramatic, moving and deeply human, ARMSTRONG offers the definitive life story of Neil Armstrong: from his childhood in Ohio to his first steps on the Moon, and beyond. Verdict: July 20th 1969, exactly 50 years ago today, the small step of one man changed the world as we see it. That step was the result of a lifetime of preparation, determination, and hard work of a team on a quest of achieving the impossible: Put a man on the moon. That man, chosen to be the face of that ambitious project, was Neil Armstrong, a brilliant engineer and talented pilot. A great companion piece to "Apollo 11", a documentary that came out earlier this year that focused on the mission as a whole. "Armstrong"'s aim is to tell the much more personal story of the first astronaut to walk on the lunar surface, starting with his childhood in Ohio and ending with his unfortunate passing in 2012. In other words, it...

Director: Jon Favreau Stars: Donald Glover, Beyoncé, Seth Rogen Runtime: 118 minutes Synopsis:   After the murder of his father, a young lion prince flees his kingdom only to learn the true meaning of responsibility and bravery. Performances: 3/5 Screenplay: 1/5 Special Effects: 2/5 Editing: 2/5 Cinematography: 2/5 Score/Soundtrack:  3/5 Entertainment Factor: 1/5 Verdict: I'm aware that this review will probably result in me getting some heated messages, and I don't mind answering them as long as they're respectful, but I do want to start off by saying that I'm writing this review to express my own opinion, and not validate other people's. With that out of the way, I think that it's clear by now that I really disliked the live-action (or should I say photorealistic?) remake of "The Lion King". I really, really disliked it in fact. For me, it's a movie that exists solely for the purpose of making a lazy, quick buck with...

Director: Todd Solondz Stars: Jane Adams, Jon Lovitz, Philip Seymour Hoffman Runtime: 134 minutes Synopsis:   The lives of several individuals intertwine as they go about their lives in their own unique ways, engaging in acts society as a whole might find disturbing in a desperate search for human connection. Performances: 5/5 Screenplay: 3/5 Editing: 3/5 Cinematography: 3/5 Score/Soundtrack:  2/5 Verdict: "Happiness", directed by Todd Solondz, was the movie I was most looking forward to watching for my series of most disturbing movies ever made due to its interesting topic and generally positive reception by pretty much everybody (it holds a rating of 7.8 on IMDb, an approval rate of 81% on Rotten Tomatoes, and a perfect score of 4/4 given by Roger Ebert). The movie follows a bunch of characters as they search for happiness in places considered taboo by society, and shows the cost and consequences of their actions. The film may not explicitly ...

Director: Wolfgang Peterson Stars: Noah Hathaway, Barret Oliver, Tami Stronach Runtime: 102 minutes Synopsis:   A troubled boy dives into a wondrous fantasy world through the pages of a mysterious book. Performances: 3/5 Screenplay: 3/5 Special Effects: 4/5 Costumes/Makeup: 5/5 Editing: 3/5 Cinematography: 3/5 Score/Soundtrack:  4/5 Entertainment Factor: 3/5 Verdict: If like me you're a fan of the Netflix hit TV show "Stranger Things", you've probably had the NeverEnding song stuck in your head for the past days. Having never seen the film that featured that catchy tune, I thought that the opportunity was perfect to experience it for the first time. And I was wrong. The perfect time to discover it would've been about 10 to 15 years ago when I was still a child obsessed with the Harry Potter books. Nevertheless, even the 24-year-old me was able to appreciate what was the most expensive movie to be made in Germany at the time of its re...

Director: Chad Archibald Stars: Aidan Devine, Ava Preston, Jess Salgueiro Runtime: 83 minutes Synopsis:   A farmer makes a living disposing of bodies. One day, 3 bodies are delivered - except the young woman is still alive. If set free, the gang will come after him and his daughter. Performances: 2/5 Screenplay: 1/5 Special Effects: 2/5 Costumes/Makeup: 2/5 Editing: 2/5 Cinematography: 3/5 Score/Soundtrack:  2/5 Entertainment Factor: 3/5 Verdict: Let's be honest here, no one's going to watch this movie expecting it to be the next "Exorcist" or "Psycho". People who'll watch it, including me, will probably want a short, fun horror flick to watch with a bunch of friends with their brains completely turned off, and "I'll Take Your Dead" kinda checks these boxes. I say kinda because yes, the film was short (clocking at only 83 minutes), light, and if watched with the right mindset, fun at times. The dialogue, actin...

Director: Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff Stars: Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons, James Earl Jones Runtime: 88 minutes Synopsis:   A Lion cub crown prince is tricked by a treacherous uncle into thinking he caused his father's death and flees into exile in despair, only to learn in adulthood his identity and his responsibilities. Animation: 5/5 Performances: 5/5 Screenplay: 5/5 Editing: 5/5 Score/Soundtrack:  5/5 Entertainment Factor: 5/5 Verdict: You've all probably seen "The Lion King" and know what it's about. And if you haven't for one reason or another, I urge you to stop whatever you're doing right now and watch it because, and I rarely use that word when describing movies, it's a masterpiece. Having said that, there will be spoilers in that review, so read at your own risk. Famously made by Disney's B team as their A team was busy making Pocahontas, "The Lion King" went on to win 2 Oscars and be regarded as on...

Director: Alexandre Aja Stars: Kaya Scodelario, Barry Pepper, Ross Anderson Runtime: 87 minutes Synopsis:   A young woman, while attempting to save her father during a Category 5 hurricane, finds herself trapped in a flooding house and must fight for her life against alligators. Performances: 2/5 Screenplay: 1/5 Special Effects: 2/5 Costumes/Makeup: 3/5 Editing: 2/5 Cinematography: 3/5 Score/Soundtrack:  2/5 Entertainment Factor: 2/5 Verdict: Set in Florida, "Crawl" stars Kaya Scodelario as Haley, a young swimmer trapped in a basement with her father and a couple of alligators during a Florida hurricane. Yes, it's a dumb premise that has been done to death in the last 20 years, but the setting and Sam Raimi's involvement as a producer led me to believe that it was going to be a self-aware parody of the genre, paving the way to an entertaining and hilarious flick. Alas, we got none of that. Director Alexandre Aja ("The Hills Have Eye...

Director: Ron Howard Runtime: 114 minutes Synopsis:   A look at the life and work of opera legend,  Luciano Pavarotti . Verdict: For his second venture in the documentary realm following 2013's poorly received "Made in America", Ron Howard chose opera legend Luciano Pavarotti as his subject. And while I wasn't blown away by it, I certainly left the theater with a newfound respect for the Italian tenor. "Pavarotti" does a more than solid job at highlighting the kindness hidden behind Luciano's large voice. Behind the scenes clips and interviews with his surrounding helped paint a picture of an extremely talented man obsessed in making the world a better place. Despite taking a slightly subjective approach which is understandable considering the documentary's goal, I'd say that the film did a pretty great job at giving homaging Pavarotti, both the man and the artist. My issues with the documentary rather lie in its simplistic ...

Director: Takashi Miike Stars: Ryo Ishibashi, Eihi Shiina, Tetsu Sawaki Runtime: 115 minutes Synopsis:   A widower takes an offer to screen girls at a special audition, arranged for him by a friend to find him a new wife. The one he fancies is not who she appears to be after all. Performances: 4/5 Screenplay: 3/5 Costumes/Makeup: 4/5 Editing: 3/5 Cinematography: 3/5 Score/Soundtrack:  4/5 Verdict: The second movie I watched in my series of Most Disturbing Movies ever made is Takashi Miike's "Audition", a recurrent entry in many lists I saw online while picking the films that were going to be featured and a film I've been meaning to check out for a while now. About a widower's search for a new wife arranged through auditions, the film tells a fascinating story but never struck me as something I'd want to revisit. Not because it's disturbing because apart from a scene or two that are hard to watch and an at times unnerving atmosph...

Director: Alonso Ruizpalacios Stars: Gael Garcia Bernal, Simon Russell Beale, Lynn Gilmartin Runtime: 128 minutes Synopsis:   In 1985, a group of criminals mocks the security of the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City to extract 140 pre-Hispanic pieces from their showcases. Performances: 5/5 Screenplay: 5/5 Editing: 4/5 Cinematography: 4/5 Score/Soundtrack:  4/5 Verdict: "Museo" is an award-winning YouTube original movie directed by Alonso Ruizpalacios. Set in Mexico during the 1980s, it follows a couple of criminals as they pull one of the biggest heists in the Latin country's history and shows the aftermath of that heist, focusing on how it affected both protagonists and their families. I honestly didn't really know what to expect from the movie. I mean, similar stories have been told many, many times before on the big screen, and YouTube isn't exactly known for producing quality films. But Ruizpalacios' vision managed ...

Director: Steven Soderbergh Stars: André Holland, Melvin Gregg, Eddie Tavares Runtime: 90 minutes Synopsis:   A sports agent pitches a rookie basketball client on an intriguing and controversial business opportunity during a lockout. Performances: 4/5 Screenplay: 3/5 Editing: 4/5 Cinematography: 2/5 Score/Soundtrack:  3/5 Verdict: Steven Soderbergh is an ambitious filmmaker to say the least. In his latest movie "High Flying Bird", available on Netflix, he delves into the world of professional Basketball and manages to make a sport movie without any sports in it. Instead, Soderbergh focuses on the behind the scenes of the game, making its business side the centre of attention. While I do enjoy the occasional Basketball game, I don't really consider myself a fan of the sport. I don't follow the NBA at all, and know nothing about agents or transfers. And this is probably why I couldn't enjoy "High Flying Bird" that much. Starring...

Director: Jennifer Fox Stars: Elizabeth Debicki, Laura Dern, Ellen Burstyn Runtime: 114 minutes Synopsis:   A woman filming a documentary on childhood rape victims starts to question the nature of her childhood relationship with her riding instructor and running coach. Performances: 4/5 Screenplay: 4/5 Editing: 4/5 Cinematography: 4/5 Score/Soundtrack:  3/5 Verdict: Jennifer Fox's directorial debut, while definitely not perfect, was still a very impressive one, especially when taking into account how personal the story was to her. Starring Laura Dern as Jennifer herself, the film follows our lead character's struggle to deal with the freshly brought back memories of a childhood trauma. The story is a deeply emotional one that doesn't shy away from showing disturbing images to emphasize the main theme of child abuse, making the experience of watching it a highly uncomfortable one as it should be. Most of the star studded cast do a great job at tran...

Director: Jon Watts Stars: Zendaya, Tom Holland, Jake Gyllenhaal Runtime: 129 minutes Synopsis:   Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man must step up to take on new threats in a world that has changed forever. Performances: 4/5 Screenplay: 2/5 Special Effects: 5/5 Costumes/Makeup: 4/5 Editing: 3/5 Cinematography: 3/5 Score/Soundtrack:  3/5 Entertainment Factor: 4/5 Verdict: "Far from Home" is the third entry in the MCU to hit theaters this year (following "Captain Marvel" and "Endgame") and while it did pretty much follow the same recipe we've been accustomed to by now in the Universe, I'd still consider it to be my favorite of the lot. In it, Tom Holland is back as your favorite friendly neighborhood Spider-Man and has to deal with a bunch of new threats in a post-Endgame world, as well as manage his high school life and romance with MJ, played by a wonderful and charming Zendaya. And while every retur...

Director: Lars von Trier Stars: Willem Dafoe, Charlotte Gainsbourg Runtime: 108 minutes Synopsis:   A grieving couple retreat to their cabin in the woods, hoping to repair their broken hearts and troubled marriage, but nature takes its course and things go from bad to worse. Performances: 5/5 Screenplay: 4/5 Costumes/Makeup: 4/5 Editing: 5/5 Cinematography: 5/5 Verdict: I have seen "Antichrist" 3 times already, and still feel that I need to rewatch it a couple of more times to fully take it in. Yes, it's disturbing, gruesome, evil, upsetting... but it's also a perfectly crafted work of art. Directed by controversial Danish director Lars von Trier, the film is the first chapter in his trilogy of depression (followed by "Melancholia" and "Nymphomaniac"), made right after he left a mental hospital in which he received treatment for it. Starring Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg as a couple mourning the loss of their onl...