BryanAndrew

My life is now complete. This was infinitely better than the theatrical cut. No exaggeration there at all. Thank you Zack Snyder!

A beautifully disturbing film that hypnotizingly edges the viewer into a colorful yet horrifying nightmare, prevalent with themes of overcoming grief, dealing with toxic relationships, and ultimately, finding a sense of belonging in an apathetic world. The film portrays possibly one of the best horror film performances to date by Florence Pugh (the main female protagonist) who pours her heart and soul out so completely and yet in a way that feels utterly real and human. 'Midsommar' also boasts its best work with enchanting cinematography and a psychedelic soundscape, and slowly unveils unnerving revelations that would make one squirm and yet fail to avert their gaze from the entrancing, almost hypnotic feel of the picture. Ultimately though, the film falls short to a slow-moving and fairly simplistic narrative, that spans over a largely excessive run time. I would recommend this film to those who are fans of the artistic and moody side of the psychological horror genre, who can also forgive the elongated runtime and the dismal, contemplative pace. 'Midsommar' scores a 7/10.

Isle of dogs is a world-building visual masterpiece suitable for all ages, with the most painstakingly detailed characters and set designs I've ever seen in a stop motion picture. The plot of this film has a pretty large scope for a stop motion film, covering an array of characters and subplots, with lots of heart and character development naturally integrated into it. The director seems to have struck a good balance between story and art. The characterisation of the dogs fit perfectly with the actual voice actors, with some of the dialogue feeling like they were tailor-made for Jeff Goldblum's or Bill Murray's character. The musical score adds an extra layer of lightheartedness to the overall feel of an already humorous and entertaining film. However, I do believe that there are deeper underlying themes surrounding political propaganda and how they can incite xenophobic fear and hatred. Is it any coincidence that this film was in development during the rise of Trump's presidency? In any case, Isle of Dogs can be viewed multiple times for its immaculately detailed aesthetics (as it is so detailed you will never see everything upon the first viewing) or you can simply enjoy it for a heartwarming tale of the endearing relationship between a boy and his dog. Isle of Dogs gets an 8.5/10.

Essentially a Twilight Zone episode that is drawn out way too long and over-relies on suspense to carry its entirety to the end. The film is set in a single setting that is so dark that it is genuinely difficult to tell what is going on at times - especially in the basement where everything is literally bathed in a red hue. There is praise, however, in the unique decision in placing the events of the film during Christmas with festive decor, creating a disturbing dissonance that juxtaposes itself sharply against the actual mood of the film. The actor of Steve did a marvelous job at selling his character's disposition by portraying a somewhat nervous twitchiness at key moments. Also, at one point he had to deliver some movie exposition to get the audience up to speed and he does so with a sort of ease that makes his performance believable. However, I think the remaining two characters of Matt and Karen were under-developed and lacked substance, and it shows in the actors bland portrayals of them. The music score is highly effective but is so overused throughout the film that it loses its effect by the time it truly matters. In terms of sound mixing and editing, I think the voice of the 'Devil' has a genuinely creepy vibe to it and an almost ominous presence. The same can be said for the 'Blindfolded woman' in Steve's vision, with her freakish cries actually giving me goosebumps as I watched along. The movie leaves much to be desired and more questions than answers in the end, and while I think open-ended endings are good in some cases, it doesn't quite work for me in this film. For example - Who was calling? Who were the people in Steve's vision? Mystery is good when it adds to the story's themes and motifs but in this case it just adds mystery for the sake of it. In the end, the plot is ultimately pretty straightforward and moves at the pacing of a slow burn with little payoff. 'I Trapped the Devil' gets a 5.5/10.

The Shining is easily one of my all-time favorite horror films, mainly because it doesn't rely on cheap jump-scares or gore/violence; the antagonist never physically hurts the characters on screen, only providing the mere (and very real) threat of violence toward the end. The film also does well by avoiding typical cinematographic tools of the genre: dark lighting, close-up shots, and fast jump cuts, all of which would play on the viewer's fear of the unknown, claustrophobia and anxiety. However, The Shining manages to provide all of these unnerving sensations in scores, despite doing the exact opposite of the typical horror genre, by portraying the Overlook Hotel as brightly as possible, using wide angle shots throughout the film, and by using long, lingering shots of the environment of the Hotel. Director Stanley Kubrick did a marvelous job of putting the viewers at unease by showing the vast expanses of the Hotel in full lighting, assuring the audience that our protagonists are truly alone in the Hotel - until they are not. He also puts sharp, jarring noises (usually reserved for scenes where the killer is lurking in the dark, or when the monster moves past outside the window) throughout the Shining, even when nothing of significance is happening, further playing on the audience's anxiety and keeping them engaged thinking something could happen at any time - although mostly it doesn't, but it still worked in getting my palms perspiring. The Shining is unique in this sense, that it provides some of the most unnerving cinematic experiences in history, and leaves the viewer absolutely terrified and not able to answer why. For these reasons, The Shining gets a 9/10 from me.

'Doctor Sleep' is personally a disappointing sequel to the iconic cult classic 'The Shining', that sways toward being an superhero-eque action thriller rather than a psychological horror, and yet drags on way more than it should have, filled with unfulfilled build-up and directionless dialogue that poorly attempts to convey a deeper meaning. The plot of the film, although comparatively broader than that of 'The Shining', opts for a more shallow and straight-forward storytelling style. The acting was also rather dull and fails to evoke any sense of fear or desperation in the otherwise horrendous situations that the characters find themselves in. The set and costume/makeup design of the film's rendition of the Overlook Hotel and its ghostly residents is certainly nostalgic but fails to bring anything new to the table despite being almost 40 years apart from the original film; the same goes for the movie's run-of-the-mill cinematography and bland sound design. The visual effects of the 'astral projection' scenes toward the early middle of the film were promising and actually entertaining to behold but the film detracts from that later on in the film and we are left with sloppy CGI scenes later on. All-in-all, the film is still an interesting watch for those who enjoy thrillers and those who are fond of Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece, but don't expect anything that would evoke anywhere close to the same level of disturbance or terror as the classic film did back in 1980. 'Doctor Sleep' scores a 6.25/10.