Movies Graded

Director: Adam Robitel Stars: Taylor Russell, Logan Miller, Jay Ellis Runtime: 99 minutes Synopsis:   Six strangers find themselves in a maze of deadly mystery rooms, and must use their wits to survive. Performances: 4/10 Screenplay: 2/10 Special Effects: 3/10 Costumes/Makeup: 5/10 Editing: 6/10 Cinematography: 4/10 Score/Soundtrack:  4/10 Verdict: Is "Escape Room" a good movie? Far from it. From bad acting to lazy cinematography, it checks all the boxes of yet another disposable horror film with no depth whatsoever. And yet, I can't help but recommend it. Adam Robitel's movie which follows a group of strangers trying to survive a series of lethally trapped escape rooms is undeniably a lot of fun. It recycles a concept we've seen time and time again, and adds an indescribable charm to it that had me invested since scene one. I had a blast nitpicking all the screenplay inconsistencies and errors and couldn't help but smile every ti...

Director: Neil Jordan Stars: Isabelle Huppert, Chloe Grace Moretz, Maika Monroe Runtime: 98 minutes Synopsis:   A young woman befriends a lonely widow who's harboring a dark and deadly agenda towards her. Performances: 8/10 Screenplay: 5/10 Costumes/Makeup: 7/10 Editing: 6/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  4/10 Verdict: With films such as "Peeping Tom", "Cape Fear", or "One Hour Photo", the stalker genre has offered us some of the best thrillers of all times. Neil Jordan's "Greta", which sees Isabelle Huppert portray a deranged woman obsessed with connecting with a young girl played by Chloe Grace Moretz, doesn't quite offer the thrills provided by the movies mentioned earlier, but still acts as a descent soft horror/thriller that definitely had its moments. The film's strong-point, and one of the main reasons I enjoyed it, is Huppert's chilling portrayal of the title character, matched by...

Director: Hirokazu Koreeda Stars: Lily Franky, Sakura Ando, Kirin Kiki Runtime: 121 minutes Synopsis:   A family of small-time crooks take in a child they find outside in the cold. Performances: 8/10 Screenplay: 7/10 Costumes/Makeup: 9/10 Editing: 6/10 Cinematography: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack:  7/10 Verdict: A heartwarming film about the true meaning of family (yes, better than any entry in the Fast and the Furious franchise), "Shoplifters" also delves deep into the lives and struggles faced by people living in poverty in Tokyo. Centered around an unconventional family that uses shoplifting as a way of coping with their misfortunes, Hirokazu Koreeda's Oscar nominated movie is enhanced by emotional performances and a sense of realism that highlighted the film's main themes. Koreeda's direction makes you care about every single character, and truly immerses the audience into their cruel, unjust world. In a year filled with movies aimed at...

Director: Julian Schnabel Stars: Willem Dafoe, Rupert Friend, Oscar Isaac Runtime: 111 minutes Synopsis:   A look at the life of painter  Vincent van Gogh  during the time he lived in Arles and Auvers-sur-Oise, France. Performances: 8/10 Screenplay: 6/10 Costumes/Makeup: 8/10 Editing: 6/10 Cinematography: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack:  7/10 Verdict: "When I see a flat landscape, I see nothing but eternity." Directed by Julian Schnabel, "At Eternity's Gate" remembers Vincent van Gogh's days in Arles, where he struggled with poverty, mental illness, and artistic loneliness. The film serves as a great character study of van Gogh, brilliantly portrayed by Willem Dafoe who hit all the right notes when it came to displaying all sorts of emotions, whether it was frustration, depression, or happiness. Dafoe's portrayal of the Dutch artist beautifully complimented Benoit Delhomme's cinematography which, through shaky and blurry images, e...

Director: Robert Rodriguez Stars: Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly Runtime: 122 minutes Synopsis:   A deactivated female cyborg is revived, but cannot remember anything of her past life and goes on a quest to find out who she is. Performances: 5/10 Screenplay: 4/10 Special Effects: 6/10 Costumes/Makeup: 5/10 Editing: 5/10 Cinematography: 6/10 Score/Soundtrack:  5/10 Verdict: Based on a manga of the same name, "Alita: Battle Angel" marks Robert Rodriguez and James Cameron's first collaboration as director and producer respectively. Being both titans of the industry that have impressed me more than once with titles such as "Sin City" for the first and "Titanic", "Aliens" or "Terminator 2" for the latter, I was excited to see what that alliance would result in. And I have to say, I walked out of the theater pretty disappointed by what I had witnessed, which was basically yet another boring an...

I have now watched almost every Oscar-nominated movies and feel sort of confident predicting who's going to take each of the big awards. Next to each title will be a percentage that I feel best represents its chances of winning the statue. The nominee I would've personally voted for will be in Italics . The nominated movies I still haven't watched are "If Beale Street Could Talk", "Mirai", "Shoplifters", "Never Look Away" and "Border". Picture: Black Panther - 5% BlacKkKlansman - 10% Bohemian Rhapsody - 5% The Favourite - 20% Green Book - 25% Roma - 20% A Star Is Born - 5% Vice - 10% Actor in a Leading Role: Christian Bale, Vice -  40% Bradley Cooper. A Star Is Born -  10% Willed Dafoe,  At Eternity's Gate -  1% Rami Malek - Bohemian Rhapsody -  45% Viggo Mortensen - Green Book -  4% Actress in a Leading Role: Yalitza Aparicio, Roma - 10% Glenn Close - The Wife - 40% Olivia Colman, The ...

Director: Stephen Merchant Stars: Florence Pugh, Jack Lowden, Vince Vaughn Runtime: 108 minutes Synopsis:   A former wrestler and his family make a living performing at small venues around the country while his kids dream of joining World Wrestling Entertainment. Performances: 7/10 Screenplay: 6/10 Costumes/Makeup: 7/10 Editing: 5/10 Cinematography: 5/10 Score/Soundtrack:  4/10 Verdict: Directed by Stephen Merchant and produced by none other than Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, "Fighting with My Family" tells the true story of Saraya Knight, an ambitious wrestler who started her career in a modest family-owned ring in Norwich, only to become today the WWE superstar known as Paige. I found the film to be a surprisingly charming one. Held together by mostly great performances, especially by lead Florence Pugh and Vince Vaughn (whose role is similar to the one he had in "Hacksaw Ridge"), it does a great job at depicting Paige's roa...