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    Berlin Syndrome (2017)

    “One of the most transformational experiences” of her life, and “the most liberating film experience” of her career, Teresa Palmer stated. If you have any doubts, her dynamic performance will certainly convince you. On the other hand, Max Riemelt does his absolute best to make you hate his guts. The fierce chemistry between the duo works around the clock, creating a character study to be put under the microscope. The cinematography gets a 10/10 for delivering the entrapment’s claustrophobic sense in Berlin’s atrocious winter, and the direction guides the editing pace carefully towards the unwrapping of Palmer’s emotional roller-coaster.

    Could it have been less than two hours? Yes. Could the ending be more satisfactory for the masses? Yes. Could… I’ll stop here. Be patient, try not to look for plot holes, imagine that this monstrosity is happening to you or someone you love, put your phone on silent or away, and this psychological turn visceral madness will get under your skin.

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    Apostle (2018)

    Brutal. Gory. Bloody. Savage. Relentless. ApostleThe Witch (2015) meets The Wicker Man – the 1973 one #justsaying.

    Dan Stevens delivers an amazing performance, simultaneously tough as nails and broken. Michael Sheen (who speaks in his Welsh accent – rare), on the other hand, nails it as a false prophet, an ostensibly stalwart leader who is torn deep down and bearing the consequences of his (im)moral choices. Last but not least, writer/editor/director Gareth Evans uses the lens as he only knows how to bring to life a H. P. Lovecraft-esque mysticism and fantastical horror world for us to get lost in.

    Welcome to the island…

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    Tucker and Dale vs Evil (2010)

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    I’ll just cut to the chase here… You feelin’ low? You wanna get high? Next stop… “Tucker and Dale vs Evil”. The remedy. The answer to your prayers. Everything that’s going wrong in this world is wrapped in one movie. It gets crazier… 10 wins, 14 nominations. If you are thinking, “WTF?!” no one will blame you. If you are not thinking, “WTF?!” then this film is for you.

    That said, Tucker and Dale vs Evil has the most honest intentions. It doesn’t trick you for a second. It is a spoof that brilliantly parodies horrors from Friday the 13th (1980) to every “Cabin in the Woods” version. Profusely, for the “male/female under 25” American audience. Sounds like your thing? Knock yourself out!

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    Hush (2016)

    Real-life couple writer/editor/director Mike Flanagan and writer/actress Kate Siegel beautifully collaborate for a second time in making Hush. An indie, low-budget, home invasion, one-location horror with a simple premise that cuts to the chase: A deaf woman needs to survive a masked intruder’s invasion.

    Hush stands tall amongst genre giants such as The Strangers (2008), The Last House on the Left (2009), When A Stranger Calls (2006), and more. Flawed yet effective, it proves undoubtedly that jump scares and unnecessary screaming are not horror’s obligatory elements for success. With Flanagan’s enthralling perspective and Siegel’s and Gallagher Jr.’s extremely engaging performances, a well-paced, thrilling hour and twenty minutes will fly by.

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    Wind River (2017)

    Underrated Sons of Anarchy actor Taylor Sheridan became the writer-director of Wind River, an American modern indie masterpiece. From the sheer will for survival to the against-all-odds rediscovery of the heroes’ inner, rigid strength to the subject matter’s tragic truth, Wind River emphasises the animals’ humanity and the humans’ animality.

    I salute all actors who poured their souls into their roles and Taylor Sheridan, who deservedly won the Un Certain Regard for Best Director after receiving a lengthy 8′ standing ovation at Cannes.

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    Coherence (2013)

    The epitome of an indie, low-budget, single-location film! The absolute mind-f@!# that, through largely impromptu dialogue and genuine reactions, makes you question who you are and/or who you could have been in multiple, alternate, fractured realities. A round of applause for the Director, the Production team, and the actors who achieved this with $50K in 5 nights, with 2 cameras, in 1 location.

    A piece of advice: Instinctively, you will try to rationalize and keep track of what is happening. When you start feeling your brain cells frying, STOP!

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    Dirty Dancing (1987)

    Ladies… Ladies… Ladies… How many times, in your youth, pending boring family holidays, didn’t you find yourselves daydreaming of being a Jennifer Grey… And that, during the tedious holidays, you would meet, dance, and fall in love with a – more often than not – half-naked Patrick Swayze. Before Hollywood’s decadence in the Romance genre… Before millions of dollars were spent on cliche, “soppiness”, unnecessary CGI, and kitsch… there was “Dirty Dancing”! There was the Jennifer Grey and the Patrick Swayze.

    In a production where everything that could go wrong did, I dare anyone to challenge its success and dethrone it. As for us gentlemen… we pay our respects to Patrick Swayze – dancer, bouncer, surfer, lover… who carved the path for modern actors like Ryan Gosling and Hugh Jackman… to take on multidisciplinary roles who fight, dance, sing, become superheroes and everyday people. Regardless… ladies and gentlemen… we all hope he rests in peace…

    For Petroula.

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    Animal Kingdom (2010)

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    A cinematic achievement from writer/director David Michôd that will keep you engaged from the opening scene to the end credits. In front of the camera, Detective Guy Pearce and the not-so-beloved and highly dysfunctional Cody family, Ben Mendelsohn, Joel Edgerton, Jackie Weaver, James Frecheville, Luke Ford, and Sullivan Stapleton, perform magic and take us back to some of the Melbourne crime scenes of the ’80s.

    Animal Kingdom is a realistic crime/drama straight out of the genuine Australian film school that always appeals to the deepest human emotions. It is true to its genres and honest in its execution. It earned its stripes, gave prominence to actors and crew, got nominations worldwide, and, unarguably, dominated at the AFI.

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    10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

    J.J Abrams strikes back! With a one-location, slow burn, claustrophobic, gripping mystery/thriller (occasionally horror) that will keep you on the edge of your seats. Is John Goodman actually a deranged child abuser? Should Mary Elizabeth Winstead escape? What’s happening out there? Are they better off inside? That said, the third act put off most of the fans. But I’ll leave it up to you.  Don’t read anything about it; just watch it. Whether it ties to “Cloverfield” (2008) or not, it is something that you need to figure out. Then, should you decide that it is a “blood-relative”, figure out how. And should you figure that one out, then when? After you think you have connected all the dots, watch The Cloverfield Paradox (2018) and feel free to gouge your eyes in.

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    McCanick (2013)

    As a force to be reckoned with, David Morse carries the burden of this journey. Cory Monteith catches up, though, and along with Josh C. Waller, they all give us a gritty, realistic, bittersweet Philly taste. Corruption, remorse, and tragedy all unravel proportionally, creating this low-budget, indie, psychological drama like Training Day (2001). Flawed yet effective makes it worthwhile as a simple story’s premise blurs its own “right and wrong” and “good and bad” lines. Cory Monteith’s final performance before his tragic death.

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    Before I Disappear (2014)

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    In 2012, Shawn Christensen wrote, edited, directed and starred in his short film Curfew. One fine day, the year after, 2013, he left his house, went to the Dolby Theatre, collected the Oscar, returned home, and decided to make it a feature. The year after, 2014, he wrote, edited, produced, directed, composed, and starred in the feature version of Before I Disappear. Christensen earned his standing ovations at the film festivals as he did a remarkable job in front and behind the camera.

    This is a grim story in which surrealistic antiheroes encounter realistic situations. From bottom-feeders, washed-up, and wannabe gangsters to decadent, self-destructive, hopeless “next door” people, bonding, regret, redemption, oblivion, and so much more become the common denominator and compose a virtuoso and hallucinatory piece of work.

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    Hold the Dark (2018)

    Following the stupendous performance in “Westworld”, Jeffrey Wright takes us on a journey where a man has to travel to the furthest corner of the Earth (Alaska) to overcome his deepest fears, seek redemption, and explore/discover the abyss of human nature. Alexander Skarsgård is as cruel as they come and gives Wright much more than he bargained for.

    Dark, allegorical, and mysterious, Hold the Dark stands tall compared to Jeremy Saulnier’s previous films, Blue Ruin and Green Room, with the DOP keeping it as aphotic as the human soul itself. It is not for the mainstream Hollywood film goer! It takes patience and attention. And pay close attention! Every utterance, action, choice, and decision truly matters to the story’s understanding. The devil’s in the details.

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    The Last Winter (2006)

    Kubrick’s and Carpenter’s influences mix in this thriller that went utterly under the radar. A slow burn, dark, claustrophobic, environmental, psychedelic mystery that will make the viewer want to find out how this arctic mystery ends. With characters like the ones you meet here, you’ll probably be undecided whether they deserve what’s happening to them. Production-wise, it’s an ambitious effort that falls short in using CGI. I guess the budget of two and a half lemons takes the blame for that one. Despite the school of thought you follow, the film does not make it easy for your final decision as to whether it is a half-baked or a well-crafted film. One thing is for sure, though: it won’t leave you indifferent.

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    What Keeps You Alive (2018)

    Other than the title and its genre, read nothing beforehand. Get comfy, and for the next hour and a half, see what happens to two women who have decided to spend their lives together, celebrating their one-year anniversary in the cabin in the woods.

    This is a story twisted beyond salvage. Suspicions of what might happen turn a perceptual mind game into a heart-pounding game of pure visceral, where the hunter becomes prey until the tide turns again.

    It is very well directed, produced, acted, and written, even though it inevitably falls into the pit of overwrought hyperbole.

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    Thelma (2017)

    Slow burn, Scandinavian “Carrie” will keep you on the edge of your seat. The story unfolds in baby steps, creating the viewer a concoction of emotions as it covers a variety of themes such as coming of age, coming out, domestic, self-discovery, revenge, religion, science, psychogenic abilities, redemption… And all that wrapped in a cinematic experience, out of the ordinary, mainstream filmmaking. It is a psychological/paranormal drama that is a tightrope walking between reality and fantasy, leading to a resolution that delivers and gives justice to the journey’s setup and confrontation.

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    The Beyond (2017)

    Interesting found-footage Syfy. There is no action at all, yet it is extremely well, scientifically written. It is definitely not a flawless found-footage film, but the eye-opening questions it raises, and a lot of them are “what ifs,” and its scientific realism makes up for it. Kudos to Hasraf Dulull, who directed, wrote, produced, edited, and worked on the film’s visual effects!

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    Ocean’s 8 (2018)

    The feminist version that no one asked for. Nothing funny. Nothing new. Multicultural cast to attract a diverse audience, which was not attracted anyway. No twists. More plot holes than Swiss cheese. I could go on and on… The adjectives to characterize this film reside only in Pandora’s box. I ran errands throughout the film, and I didn’t miss anything. But then, on the other hand, I knew what would happen before I even started watching. The disappointing part is not the film. It is not even the A-list cast signing on. It is Steven Soderbergh wearing the producer’s hat behind it. Thank you for reading!

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    The Ritual (2017)

    A breath of British, haunted, chilling air in the woodlands that will bring you back memories of The Blair Witch without the shaky camera. The hero’s journey to reach redemption pays an immense price. All in all:

    Opening sequence – Intense!

    Music: Bang on!

    Photography: Superb!

    Script: Solid!

    Acting: Pretty convincing!

    Production Design: Carved to the detail (especially dream sequences blending in with reality)!

    Directing: Hats off!

    Thank you for reading!

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    Mile 22 (2018)

    Yo fam! Fancy a piss-poorly written and directed film? Horribly edited, with the longest shot being no more than 4 seconds for an hour and a half? With terrible acting? With totally forgettable characters having backgrounds that have nothing to do with the present, and you won’t give two shits when they die? With Mark Wahlberg constantly yelling louder and faster than Basta Rhymes for absolutely no reason? Then look no further; stop whatever you’re doing right now, bruv and run to the movies ASAP to waste your time and money!

    Thank you for reading!

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    The Predator (2018)

    Boy… where do I begin… I found the film extremely… profound!

    Profoundly ridiculous intro where we straight away see the predator, no suspense, no nothing, getting caught like a b!@£$. Shane said: “screw you, you know the bastard, let’s get on with it, I’m hungry – or something”. Every single soldier we meet after that is profoundly buffoon, non-relatable to anyone, with a yawnsome background that you would laugh, devouring your nacho cheese, if they suffered a horrible, vicious, painful death.

    We also meet a profoundly nonsensical, supreme biologist who happens to be fit as a butcher’s dog. Other than being a prodigy in evolutionary biology, she runs as fast as the predator, jumps from rooftops onto running buses, shoots advanced weaponry like a commando without any previous training whatsoever, and swears like a dockyard worker after using scientific terminology. Before, during, and after the dumbasses deal with the predator, we, the mourning audience, have to suffer profoundly moronic lines from the aforementioned moronic buffoons, who couldn’t overuse the word “fuck” or any permutation of it to make their lines sound funny. Actually, on the rare occasion that you don’t hear the word “fuck” in the sentence, you scratch your head wondering “why”?

    Thankfully, the film finally concludes in a profoundly unfathomable, boring way, and I think to myself, “Did I enjoy more the Beverly Hills Chihuahua?” Well, I guess that’s my… profound review of the “film” that numerous producers, agents, actors, and a major distributor greenlit made it happen and took my £12.

    Conclusion: John McTiernan, where are you???

    Thank you for reading!

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    Suburbicon (2017)

    Somehow, back then, that film went under my radar. I must have been doing something really important when the trailer came out… or something really dull. Anyway, not that anyone cares, not knowing anything about it, I watched it and, 5′ into the film, I figured out that it’s, somehow, a Cohen brothers film. If you ask me, the disappeared Clooney does a spot-on job behind the camera. The acting is there, the character hyperbole is instantly obvious, and the Cohen atmosphere is overwhelming. Having said all that, the film performed overly poorly, and the reviews were bad, bordering horrendous. I can see why some of them, but the bad blood and the personal-level animosity feel entirely uncalled for. Dark comedies are not for everyone. Suck it up!

    Thank you for reading!

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    Hereditary (2018)

    It’s not very often one sees reviews either 1 or 10 on IMDb and almost nothing in between. The acting is 100% solid. The character development is as it should have been. Overall, I think that the ostensibly unjustified twists and turns of the level of paranormal activity, the takeover of the subgenre (drama) from the genre (horror), and the head-scratching ending that doesn’t meet the film’s own expectations exasperate the average viewer. Some scenes took my breath away and narrowed my spectrum of emotions down to terror and despondency, but each and every one of them reflects on its purpose. And that is what makes Ari Aster’s directing astounding.

    Thank you for reading!

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    Room (2015)

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    An unsettling story that digs deep into your feelings. Larson and Tremblay deliver indescribable performances in characters who got heavily hit and knocked down by life but must find unfathomable strength to get up and move on. Its development could have taken endless turns. Yet, as if years of claustrophobic torment were not enough, Donoghue’s sublime way of unfolding it is how a mother’s love can be accepted or repudiated by the rest of the world, with family coming first.

    Thank you for reading!

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    On The Beach (2000)

    Almost 15 years ago, late at night, I watched it in my basement (drinking and smoking) and, in the end, three hours later, plastered, I was left wondering, “Is anyone alive?”??? Over three hours of the perfect balance between world scale and personal drama/suffering that will depress and haunt you simultaneously. Don’t be afraid of getting sucked into what could be the end of mankind.

    Thank you for reading!

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    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

    Stay safe! P.S. I tried to watch it sober last month again – got sauced halfway there. P.P.S. At least I’ve quit smoking…

    Look Away (2018)

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    Teen story, teen music, adult language. At first, it is formulaic, then not. Somewhere down the line, you forget the inciting incident and how it relates to what you are watching. The acting is convincing, on the other hand, so thumbs up, as the characters’ actions/decisions don’t make much sense, like most parts of the story – including the ending. Thank you for reading!

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    Await Further Instructions (2018)

      It is my humble opinion that when one writes a script to raise more questions than to provide answers, they need, at least, an out-of-the-ordinary ending — a twist that actually introduces that radical change in the direction after acts one and two. Also, especially in one-location films, characters must be relatable and compelling. This is not the case here, but the acting gets a round of applause. Overall, it was an admirable effort, but it could have been a lot better. Thank you for reading!

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    Galveston (2018)

    This pulp noir piece doesn’t go easy on its (anti)heroes or the story’s unfolding. It is a chronicle of hopelessness and redemption and a homage to the American indie way of filming, de-idolizing America itself. All this, through the eyes of a French female director. Hats off!   Thank you for reading!

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