Movies Graded

Director: Alfred Hitchcock Stars: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles Runtime:   109  minutes Synopsis:  A Phoenix secretary embezzles $40,000 from her employer's client, goes on the run, and checks into a remote motel run by a young man under the domination of his mother. Verdict: Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" is not only the director's best-known work, but it's also a landmark in the history of the Horror genre and Cinema as a whole. Just like Kubrick's "A Space Odyssey", it's a film that wasn't received with the most positive feedback at the time of its release and grew in popularity and admiration with time. Being impossible to properly talk about it without touching on some spoiler-heavy moments, I suggest clicking away if you still haven't seen this masterpiece and come back when you do because yes, it's as good as you heard it was. It's so good in fact that I don't know how to begin praising it, so I'll proce...

Director: Ahmad Ghossein Stars: Flavia Bechara, Issam Bou Khaled, Adel Chahine Runtime: 93   minutes Synopsis:  Lebanon, July 2006. War is raging between Hezbollah and Israel. During a 24h ceasefire, Marwan heads out in search of his father who refused to leave his Southern village and leaves his wife Rana preparing alone their immigration to Canada. Marwan finds no traces of his father and the ceasefire is quickly broken, forcing him to take shelter in Najib's house, his father's friend. Marwan finds himself trapped under the rain of bombs with Najib and a group of elders, friends of his father. Tension rises inside and outside of the house. Suddenly, a group of Israeli soldiers enters the first floor. The next three days see the situation spiral out of control. Verdict: I was only 11 years old when the 2006 Lebanon War (or July War) took place. I still vividly remember climbing to the roof of the building in which I used to live in and witness Israeli fighters drop bombs on ...

Creator: Scott Frank, Allan Scott Stars: Anya Taylor-Joy, Bill Camp, Marielle Heller Synopsis:  Nine-year-old orphan Beth Harmon is quiet, sullen, and by all appearances unremarkable. That is until she plays her first game of chess. Her senses grow sharper, her thinking clearer, and for the first time in her life, she feels herself fully in control. By the age of sixteen, she's competing for the U.S. Open championship. But as Beth hones her skills on the professional circuit, the stakes get higher, her isolation grows more frightening, and the thought of escape becomes all the more tempting. Based on the book by Walter Tevis. Verdict: I'll be honest: when the trailer of the latest Netflix limited series debuted, I wasn't sold on it at all. It looked like your typical overdramatized period piece, executed using a safe narrative structure. Even though I'm never against watching anything chess-related, I was sure that I was going to pass on this one. That is until the favo...

Director: Wes Craven Stars: Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, David Arquette Runtime:  111 minutes Synopsis:  A year after the murder of her mother, a teenage girl is terrorized by a new killer, who targets the girl and her friends by using horror films as part of a deadly game. Performances: 6/10 Screenplay: 4/10 Editing: 6/10 Cinematography: 6/10 Score/Soundtrack:  7/10 Entertainment Factor:  6/10 Verdict: It was a Sunday evening. I had the time to squeeze in one last movie to end what was a very cinematically rich weekend. I was in the mood for a horror movie, preferably one I've seen in the past and want to revisit. Wes Craven's "Scream" pops up and, with all the news of a sequel being currently shot, I decided to put it on. Before this rewatch, I had seen "Scream" only once, a very long time ago. Being the cultural event that it is, I vaguely remembered the premise and some scenes here and there, but overall forgot what the experience of watching it felt lik...

Director: Raja Gosnell Stars: Mattew Lillard, Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar Runtime:  86 minutes Synopsis:  After an acrimonious break up, the Mystery Inc. gang are individually brought to an island resort to investigate strange going on. Verdict:  The live-action adaptation of Scooby-Doo is simultaneously the best and worst thing to exist. Worst because it is objectively a bad movie that was justifiably trashed by critics upon its release. And best because it knows it, and uses it to its advantage in the best possible way. Written by James Gunn and directed by Raja Gosnell, the film is essentially a parody of "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" in which the perfectly-cast gang travel to an island resort to come to the bottom of sinister things going on there that may or may not be initiated by an underground cult. The self-aware approach to the story, which somehow got away with a PG rating, is, to me, the only correct way to make a live-action adaptation ...

Director: Claire Denis Stars: Denis Lavant, Michel Subor, Grégoire Colin Runtime: 92 minutes Synopsis:  This film focuses on an ex-Foreign Legion officer as he recalls his once glorious life, leading troops in Djibouti. Performances:  9/10 Screenplay:  7/10 Editing:  7/10 Cinematography:  8/10 Score/Soundtrack:  9/10 Enjoyment Factor:  7/10 Verdict: Slow, minimalistic, cold, and yet so efficient. Sitting through Claire Denis' "Beau Travail" may come across as a tedious chore for many people as it contains very little dialogue and no real narrative, but to all you patient souls out there interested in watching a magnificently crafted character study structured similarly to a personal diary, you'll find the watch to be rewarding. The film focuses on Galoup, an ex-officer who, from his house in Marseilles, remembers his days in Djibouti where he was in charge of a small group of soldiers. Portrayed by a phenomenal Denis Lavant, the protagonist is a comple...

Director: Glen Keane, John Kahrs Stars: Cathy Ang, Robert G. Chiu, Phillipa Soo Runtime:   95  minutes Synopsis:   In this animated musical, a girl builds a rocket ship and blasts off, hoping to meet a mythical moon goddess. Verdict: The latest Netflix animated feature was a disappointment. Directed by Glen Keane, a pioneer in Disney's animation studios, and starring an all Asian cast which includes names such as Sandra Oh, Ken Jeong, John Cho, or even Phillipa Soo, "Over the Moon" follows Fei Fei, a young teenager who, after being struck by a great tragedy, builds a rocket to get to the moon in the hope to meet Chang'e, a mythical goddess she believes will help her overcome her problems. The biggest issue I had with the movie is its try-hard approach to follow the same formula that made so many Disney films successful during its renaissance era. There are no princesses per se, but you do get the traditional cute sidekick pet, comic relief, catchy songs, or recurrent ...

Director: Sofia Coppola Stars: Bill Murray, Rashida Jones, Marlon Wayans Runtime:   96  minutes Synopsis:  A young mother reconnects with her larger-than-life playboy father on an adventure through New York. Verdict:  Sofia Coppola's filmography tends to border the hit and miss territory for me. Going into her latest project, my expectations were all over the place as I quite enjoyed "The Bling Ring", her previous collaboration with A24, but am in the minority who couldn't get into "Lost in Translation" which also stars Bill Murray. She's a talented filmmaker, there's no question about it, but I always have a difficult time connecting with the characters in her movies. And while I feel that the same case could be made against "On the Rocks", I for one was surprised at how engaging I found the watch to be. What I enjoyed most about the film is its light yet sincere tone. Despite dealing with heavy subjects such as parenthood or trust, it nev...

Director: Ben Wheatly Stars: Lily James, Armie Hammer, Kristin Scott Thomas Runtime:   121  minutes Synopsis:   A young newlywed arrives at her husband's imposing family estate on a windswept English coast and finds herself battling the shadow of his first wife, Rebecca, whose legacy lives on in the house long after her death. Verdict:  I'm always skeptical about remakes of classics that aren't entirely justified. "Rebecca" may be an adaptation of a known novel, but it's already been made for the big screen by one Alfred Hitchcock in 1940, famously earning him his only Best Picture win at the Academy Awards. I wasn't sure how to feel about this version, directed by Ben Wheatly and starring Lily James, Armie Hammer, and Kristin Scott Thomas, but I was going to give it the benefit of the doubt as it could always stand on its own two feet by introducing new ideas to the mix and serve as more of a reimagining than a retelling. But my fears were quickly confirm...

Director: Alfred Hitchcock Stars: Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, George Sanders Runtime:  130 minutes Synopsis:  A self-conscious woman juggles adjusting to her new role as an aristocrat's wife and avoiding being intimidated by his first wife's spectral presence. Verdict: With a new adaptation of Daphne Du Maurier's acclaimed novel hitting Netflix soon, I found the perfect excuse to finally cross Alfred Hitchcock's only Best Picture winner film off my watchlist. Shot in black and white, the film also serves as the famous director's first American feature and stars names such as Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, and Judith Anderson who, in my opinion, delivered a performance for the ages as the mysterious and tyrannical Mrs. Danvers. I personally adore Hitchcock's work. He's a master at what he does and, even though his films are about three-quarters of a century old, most of them still hold up beautifully to this day. Not only does he excel at creating atmo...

Director: Alfred Hitchcock Stars: Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason Runtime:   136  minutes Synopsis:  A New York City advertising executive goes on the run after being mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies. Verdict: I remember doing a small Hitchcock marathon when I was in high school in which I watched his most famous work for the first time. And I remember finishing that marathon with the conclusion that, while I did not dislike any of his movies or even found any of them to be just fine, my least favorite classics of his were "Vertigo" and "North by Northwest". That was a long time ago, and with a recent rewatch of "Vertigo" proving to me that tastes can change over time, the timing was perfect to revisit the final and possibly most famous collaboration between Hitchcock and Cary Grant. "North by Northwest", in simple terms, is what would've happened if Hitchcock was given the opportunity to direct a film in t...

Director: Aaron Sorkin Stars: Eddie Redmayne, Alex Sharp, Sacha Baron Cohen Runtime:  129  minu tes Synopsis:  The story of 7 people on trial stemming from various charges surrounding the uprising at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois. Verdict: Talk about history repeating itself! It's crazy to think that in a year characterized by massive anti-establishment protests all around the world, one of the films leading the awards race deals with that exact same topic. Written by Aaron Sorkin back in 2007 (!), the project had been in development hell for well over a decade now and was even initially handed over to Steven Spielberg. With no results in sight, Sorkin decided to take matters into his own hands and direct the feature himself, making it the follow up to "Molly's Game", his successful debut released three years ago. "The Trial of the Chicago 7" is the true story of the infamous trial that took place between 1969 and 1970 against ...

Director: Sean Durkin Stars: Jude Law, Carrie Coon, Oona Roche Runtime:   107 minutes Synopsis:  Life for an entrepreneur and his American family begins to take a twisted turn after moving into an English country manor. Verdict:  There's no better feeling than watching a movie knowing virtually nothing about it and leaving the theater convinced that you've just watched one of the finest films of the year. With today's easy access to information, it's nearly impossible to keep that sense of mystery alive as buzz generates online way before the release of a movie of which you've probably seen the trailer of a few months prior. But I learned about "The Nest" this week while browsing the coming soon section of my local theater and saw that it starred Jude Law and Carrie Coon, two actors whose work I usually admire. The poster also indicated that it was directed by Sean Durkin, whose underrated debut "Martha Marcy May Marlene" almost a decade ago skyr...

Creator: Mike Flanagan Stars: Victoria Pedretti, T'Nia Miller, Amelia Eve Synopsis:   After an au pair’s tragic death, Henry hires a young American nanny to care for his orphaned niece and nephew who reside at Bly Manor with the chef Owen, groundskeeper Jamie and housekeeper, Mrs. Grose. Performances:  6/10 Screenplay:  4/10 Editing:  5/10 Cinematography:  8/10 Score/Soundtrack:  7/10 Enjoyment Factor:  4/10 Verdict: Full disclosure, I'm not the biggest fan of Mike Flanagan's work. Hailed as one of the most promising filmmakers in the horror genre today by many, his films never spoke to me personally despite them clearly being a step up from what the genre has to offer nowadays. In other words, I wouldn't put him in the same league as Ari Aster, Robert Eggers, or even Jordan Peele, but I also wouldn't consider his projects to be as bad as your "Unfriended", "Rings", or "The Bye Bye Man", However, I did quite enjoy "The Haunting of ...

Director: Jim Cummings Stars: Jim Cummings, Riki Lindhome, Robert Forster Runtime:  83 minutes Synopsis:  Terror grips a small mountain town as bodies are discovered after each full moon. Losing sleep, raising a teenage daughter, and caring for his ailing father, officer Marshall struggles to remind himself there's no such thing as werewolves. Performances:  8/10 Screenplay:  8/10 Editing:  8/10 Cinematography:  5/10 Score/Soundtrack:  6/10 Enjoyment Factor:  7/10 Verdict: Protect Jim Cummings at all costs. Following his thunderous directorial debut (get it?) a couple of years ago that blended drama and comedy perfectly, the comedian is back with another gem that proves that he's got a bright future ahead of him. This time, he chose to scrap the dramatic aspects of the narrative and replace them with horror elements as the story takes place in a small town terrorized by what appears to be a werewolf. "The Wolf of Snow Hollow" is the perfect movie ...

Director: Alfred Hitchcock Stars: James Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes Runtime:  128 minutes Synopsis:  A former police detective juggles wrestling with his personal demons and becoming obsessed with a hauntingly beautiful woman. Performances:  9/10 Screenplay:  9/10 Editing:  10/10 Cinematography:  10/10 Score/Soundtrack:  9/10 Enjoyment Factor:  9/10 Verdict: Back in 1954, Alfred Hitchcock was only a few hours away from acquiring the rights to adapt Boileau and Narcejac's novel "Celle qui n'était plus" (French for "She who was no more") for the big screen, losing to Henri-Georges Clouzot who turned it into a personal favorite of mine in the genre: "Les Diaboliques". As a consolation prize, the novelists promised the British director that the rights to their next book would be his to adapt, and that's how Hitchcock got his hands on "D'entre les morts" (or "From among the dead") which became the foundation of one...

Director: Mounia Meddour Stars: Lyna Khoudri, Shirine Boutella, Amira Hilda Douaouda Runtime:  108 minutes Synopsis:  Algiers, 1997. Terrorists wanting an Islamic and archaic state are everywhere. Women are oppressed, in a seek to take control of their bodies, clothing, and public space. Young student Nedjma is passionate about making a fashion show. Performances:  8/10 Screenplay:  6/10 Editing:  6/10 Cinematography:  7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  7/10 Enjoyment Factor:  7/10 Verdict: It's no secret that most women don't benefit from a lot of freedoms in the Arab world. Whether it's by pressuring them into getting married at an early age, by forcing them to wear a hijab when they don't necessarily want to, or by depriving them of the same rights as men, sexism is without a doubt engrained in this part of the world's culture. At some point, a lot of them are even faced with a dilemma: continue to live in an oppressive state where living in dignity is of...

Director: Brandon Cronenberg Stars: Andrea Riseborough, Christopher Abbott, Jennifer Jason Leigh Runtime:  102 minutes Synopsis:  Possessor follows an agent who works for a secretive organization that uses brain-implant technology to inhabit other people's bodies - ultimately driving them to commit assassinations for high-paying clients. Performances: 7/10 Screenplay: 6/10 Editing: 6/10 Cinematography: 5/10 Score/Soundtrack:  5/10 Special Effects: 7/10 Verdict: Directed by Brandon Cronenberg (son of David), "Possessor" is a sci-fi/thriller that follows an assassin working for an organization that operates by taking over the bodies of other people and pushes them to commit the crimes for them. While the concept itself is certainly intriguing and for the most part well-developed, there was definitely room for improvement in a movie that on many occasions threw its focus on shocking the audience with the use of practical effects aimed at recreating g...

Director: Robin Hardy Stars: Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Diane Cilento Runtime:  88 minutes Synopsis:  A puritan Police Sergeant arrives in a Scottish island village in search of a missing girl who the locals claim never existed. Performances:  8/10 Screenplay:  6/10 Editing:  8/10 Cinematography:  7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  8/10 Enjoyment Factor:  7/10 Verdict:  While "Midsommar" was making its successful run last year, many compared it to 1973's "The Wicker Man". Prior to this analogy, I didn't know much about the Robin Hardy cult classic (literally) aside from the fact that it was remade in 2006 with Nicolas Cage in the lead, giving us the now iconic bee scene. I decided to add it to my watchlist but, much like most things on it, time was not kind to it and I completely forgot about it. It was only recently that its existence came back to me as I was browsing the net searching for horror flicks to watch this Halloween season, and decide...

Director: Oualid Mouaness Stars: Nadine Labaki, Mohamad Dalli, Ghassan Maalouf Runtime:  100 minutes Synopsis:  During the 1982 invasion of Lebanon at a private school on the outskirts of Beirut, 11-year-old Wissam tries to tell a classmate about his crush on her, while his teachers on different sides of the political divide, try to mask their fears. Performances:  5/10 Screenplay:  5/10 Editing:  6/10 Cinematography:  6/10 Score/Soundtrack:  5/10 Enjoyment Factor:  7/10 Verdict: Being born in the mid-1990s, I wasn't alive during the Lebanese Civil War that started in 1975 and ended in 1990. Its ghost is still haunting us to this day, maybe now more than ever, but I can't even begin to imagine what life was like during these dark days. And since there are no official records to brief my generation about what happened then (the result of the country being governed today by the same warlords who led militias into battles against one another), all we...