susana-c-fernandes Reviews

Hatching (2022)

Surprisingly good horror-drama

[8/10 · 6 April 2024]

Wow. I had low expectations, but this movie quickly got me glued to the seat. First if all because of the excellent performance of the young lead actress, playing a child who is victimized by her over demanding mother and dazed father. Her pain and her desperate desire to be loved for who she was shine across this performance, and I felt for her the entire movie. Wow. That poor girl! This picture perfect family hid a disturbing truth that, as most ugly secrets, can't be hidden inside a closet forever. The story progresses at a good pace and, even if it has one or two predictable moments, it remains gripping til the end. Visual effects don't disappoint and neither does the ending. (I don't want to spoil anything so I'll just say you should look for the metaphor in the movie if you want to understand and appreciate how it ends.) Anyway, excellent and heart breaking gem. Go watch it. Also, keep your eyes on this young actress, Hollywood, we have Black Swan material here.

Asteroid City (2023)

Not sure what this was about but...

[7/10 · 9 March 2024]

Maybe it's about searching for the meaning of life after the loss of a loved one? The main character (photographer) says he's lost, and the two first acts are very dream-like, there's even an alien involved. He burns himself violently on the toaster (trying to wake up?), and actually leaves the stage (his life) looking for meaning, which leads him to a conversation with his dead wife. These scenes along with the "you can't wake up if you don't fall asleep" part (this actually gave me chills), gave me the idea that the main character is struggling to wake himself up from mourning. The movie is a visual masterpiece and it's great to see high quality actors involved in projects that aren't from Marvel or the likes. But yes, I agree with the reviews, good luck understanding the plot.

Deep Dark (2015)

Something is off about this one

[4/10 · 1 November 2023]

Like Herman, the main character, this movie is lacking something. Great concept if you're into weird stuff, the story moves along nicely in the first half of the movie but then... Something goes wrong. It gets too slow, performances are subpar, the jealous artist and the girlfriend in particular, and the killings arrive too late. Things should have escalated further somewhere along the part the manager goes into the bedroom (whatever happened to her by the way?). It would be nice to explore other aspects of the story, like the hole's origin and Herman's feelings about it. I was hoping this would be one of those misunderstood gems with an unfair rating, but nope. It is lacking.

Evil Dead Rise (2023)

Homages can't make up for a ridiculous narrative

[3/10 · 13 July 2023]

I had hight expectations about this movie, as I enjoyed the remake by Fede Alvarez and was hoping this was somehow living up to those standards. I know fans if the original hated it, but at least the story made sense! This, on the contrary, ended up being a nonsensical excuse to present us with a bunch of gory kills and cheesy lines delivered by characters we couldn't care less about. An earthquake that reveals a creepy ass book and the DJ who finds it chooses to get it open at all costs, before playing the records he also found on the same spot? What would be more natural to a DJ than playing the records (and then deciding to put the book back, obviously)? The movie's first act is rushed and it feels like half of it was edited out to keep people from getting bored. The result is poor character development. And without character development, movies don't work. Most of the victims make a quick appearance only to be killed moments later. Some deaths are supposed to be funny but are too realistic and disturbing for that effect. Also, it would be hard to compete with the brilliant music in Alvarez's edition, but having no soundtrack whatsoever? Anyway, this no brainer of a movie might have been a successful recipe in the 80s but today's horror fans demand more. Pathetic.

The Discovery (I) (2017)

Needed another hour to make sense

[5/10 · 21 January 2023]

Extremely interesting plot line that leaves us wondering what we'd do if we knew that there was in fact an afterlife, even though we didn't know what it was. The movie could have gone in so many different directions with this idea, but definitely needed to run twice as long. I disagree with some of the reviews that mention poor acting, but some characters definitely needed more development. The movie ends unexpectedly just when I though the plot would dive deep into the subject matter. A summary is presented hastily and the movie ends. Half the questions remain unanswered. Not a total waste of time only for the fact it leaves you wondering about the topic, but that's it.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022– )

Surprisingly good

[9/10 · 21 October 2022]

I watched it with low expectations since there were a lot of bad reviews, but now that it's over, I must say I loved it. Good episode structure, when one ends we are quickly put up to speed as to what's happening in the different storylines in the beginning of the next. The cast is perfectly OK, diverse but not in an annoying quota-making way. The dialogs are rich and remind me of LOTR, the characters always had wise words to say in the show's more reflective moments. Visual effects are good. Music and creatures match the LOTR feeling. We get a chance to see Hobbits being Hobbits, elves being elves and Sauron being Sauron. None of it disappointed me. Can't say there were many "duh" moments, maybe one or 2 throughout the entire show, which is more that I can say for Stranger Things or GoT. Looking forward to season 2!

Malignant (I) (2021)

This could have been seriously creepy

[6/10 · 12 March 2022]

But an inadequate soundtrack and the matrix-like fights scenes ruined it. The concept, although not original (you'll know it from a Stephen King novel), is very good and had great potential. But the acting wasn't convincing enough, specially on the cops characters, the CGI was a little excessive, and yeah, the soundtrack sucked. If they'd gone with a score not made for teenagers, something dark and quieter, this movie could have gone a long way.

Wounds (2019)

A descent into alcohol driven madness

[7/10 · 20 August 2021]

People rating this move 1 have no idea of what's going on. Very well acted, filmed and the sound effects are particularly good across the whole movie. In my perspective this movie is about a man's ruin due to alcohol abuse. His conduct is questionable, his life empty, his loved ones suffer. To the point that the only way for him to be to be "whole" is found at the end of a tunnel/bottom of a bottle. Excellent allegory and great movie.

Wildling (2018)

Definitely a better love story than Twilight

[7/10 · 11 April 2020]

The title is meant to clarify those who might be led to believe this is worse than Twilight, one of the worst movie sagas ever made. Of course it's not!!!

Wildling is a fantasy movie set on current times, which may not be for everyone, involving a girl who is haunted by the fear of a wild creature that her kidnapper convinced her to be real.

We follow this girl's journey as she discovers not all of her fears were unfounded after all.

The movie is OK, acting and special effects completely decent, strong storytelling, but we are left with the sense that it could have all been better explored. This could have been a really powerful coming of age movie, but turned out a bit less - it's a teenage fantasy/creature movie.

Nevertheless, it is a good one for the genre. I had a good time watching it. Not childish, not ridiculous, not laughable, a pretty solid movie for its genre. If you're into it, it's worth a watch. Definitely a better love story than Twilight.

Inner Ghosts (2018)

Terrible (and avoid if epileptic)

[2/10 · 11 March 2020]

I wish I could say something nice, since I know some of the people involved. Unfortunately, the main storyline is the only good thing about this movie, it is quite novel and interesting. But as soon as you start diving into it, it goes to hell (and not in a good way). Some of the acting is laughable, I mean the villain looks like Santa Claus (he's so cute) and the other actors are also not believable. The extras are sooooo bad. The whole movie is just... Terrible, and not all can be justified by the small budget. The final sequence is so bad they had to add 10 minutes of strobing light to make it somewhat impactful. The only impact it had was me wanting to run off the theater. But I sucked it up to see the movie end. It wasn't worth it. Definitely avoid, specially if you're epileptic.

The Witcher (2019– )

Couldn't finish it - confusing, boring and miscast

[4/10 · 22 February 2020]

I played The Witcher III with all the expansions, but haven't read the books. Still, I'm a fan of the universe and characters in the game and was obviously looking forward to this show. A complete disappointment, the main negative points being casting, dialogues and story development. We can all look past the fact that Geralt should have been Mads Mikkelsen (Hannibal show) and that the main female characters in the game are gorgeous Slavs while in the show they... have a different kind of beauty (come on, how is that supposed to be Triss?!). But we can't look past poor dialogues, a confusing storyline and rushed storytelling. Overall I found the show boring, hard to follow (even when I know how it ends) and lost interest on episode 4 or 5. The only pay off is when Geralt appears shirtless, really. And after painfully enduring Swamp Thing, I decided not to waste time on shows that don't pay off, even if I invested in half a series already.

Piercing (2018)

Like a bad trip

[7/10 · 16 February 2020]

Very disturbing movie, very well done in my opinion. Mix sex with sadomasochism, drugs, child abuse and trauma, add a few galons of vomit and there you go. You will feel disgusted, uneasy, shocked and thankful you're not part of the nightmarish world some people live in. What a horror movie is all about really, other than to horrify you and make you happy to go back to the safety of your little life? I was relieved when it ended, this was a hell of a bad trip and quite the horror gem.

Swamp Thing (2019)

Started well, turned average, ended miserably

[4/10 · 27 December 2019]

Swamp Thing looked like a promising horror show, with decent special effects and acting. But after the first episode, it went downhill. Characters totally lack credibility, the story gets predictable, the CGI takes a turn for the worst and who the hell was that blue devil guy supposed to be? His presence seems like it's fron a complete unrelated story, he's got a special role to play out, out of nowhere, but ends up being as forgettable as useless to the plot. Maybe he's some reference to DC fans, but the rest of us are left clueless. Anyway, this show quickly started to look like a bad Sci-Fi movie production, something like Sharknado but without the laughs. Avoid.

Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)

The only sequel that should have happened

[8/10 · 5 November 2019]

After Terminator 2, it's a well known fact that the franchise went to hell. Several actors played the mythical characters John and Sarah Connor, none of them charismatic, and the sequels failed to reinvent the original story (except perhaps the one with Christian Bale) always returning to the basic plot: humans running from killer machines. Oh, by god, let us forget the one with "evil" John Connor (this could have been an interesting twist but got revealed in the trailer!!!!!! Oh well).

Anyway, regarding Dark Fate, my advise is to watch it as if none of the other sequels were ever made. Dark Fate also fails (if you want to see it like a failure) to reinvent the original story. It is still humans running from a killer machine, with the occasional difference to make it interesting. Still, there are 3 main positive points to it:

• it's the first sequel where almost all the characters are played by the original actors
• the (evil) Terminator does some very impressive stunts, is more powerful and versatile than ever and can be truly chilling. He is also the first to act as human as the baddest of them all (T1000). Still, Robert Patrick remains the best, why the hell wasn't he cast???
• it's one hell of an action movie! It's exciting, entertaining (CGI fails once or twice though) and thrilling to watch, and has an emotional side to it that reminds us of Terminator 2 - machines can learn to live with (and "love") people.

Two other points worthy of mention: SPOILERS AHEAD

• this is the first time a Terminator movie successfully places women in the spotlight. There are 3 female lead characters. Dani's not merely the womb that will give birth to a man who will save mankind, SHE is the one who will save us. Also, this is the first time that Sarah Connor is given the hero status she deserves. I loved this and it's what saves this from being "just another Terminator movie".
• in my opinion, killing John in the very beginning is the best thing that could have happened to the character. Edward Furlong is John Connor. If he's no longer interested in playing the part, you better kill the character for once, because no one will ever match his personality on T2.

END OF SPOILERS

I love Terminator 1 and 2 (probably watched the latter over 100 times, no joke) and its characters. That said, I might be a bit partial on this review. Keeping it real though: this is a "no brainer" action movie with impressive sequences that will have you grabbing your seat. It has the refreshing points I mention in the spoiler section and is the first time we get to see the real Sarah and John Connor again.

Go watch it on the big screen for the best experience and for a proper farewell to Terminator.

The Golden Glove (2019)

How every serial killer should be portrayed

[7/10 · 14 September 2019]

The Golden Glove is a solid horror movie. The acting is excellent, the movie swings from fun, to shocking, to dramatic while showing us the reality of a country broken by war and poverty. It's also a brutal and raw view on a disgusting person, the main character, responsible for the murders of several hopeless women in the 70s. Serial killers aren't glamorous or awe inducing personalities as they're usually sold to be by the media. This movie is a good reminder of that. Along with the main character (amazing performance!), there are other very colorful characters that complete this picture and make The Golden Glove an entertaining and disturbing experience, not fit for sensitive viewers.

Midsommar (2019)

Loved Hereditary, bored to death at Midsommar

[5/10 · 14 September 2019]

What a pity. The first sequence sets a disturbing mood only to become a poor excuse for two and a half hours of a single character development curve, while people are chanting, dancing and making other equally uninteresting/sleep inducing things to see on a horror movie. This wasn't entertaining in the slightest bit, it was simply boring... Not scary, not interesting, a bit intriguing at parts but definitely too funny for its own good. It doesn't pay off in the end. I think every director should ask themselves if they really want to subject audiences to movies this long... Maybe Ari got lost in his own success from Hereditary, because this was really bad. I only give it 5 for the photography and main actress' performance, all the rest kind of fell apart along with the (very basic) story.

Cabin Fever (2002)

Two separate movies

[5/10 · 21 August 2019]

A bunch of friends goes out for a short holliday in a cabin where a deadly virus awaits. Expect a gory horror/comedy that pays tribute to some of the classics, like Evil Dead, The Shinning, Texas Chainsaw Massacre or The Omen. The problem is... The first part of the movie feels bland, the characters are laughable, the acting terrible, the music score non existent. But after things take a turn for the worst, the movie improves. It completely changes. The acting gets a little better, we recognize the tributes, there are some funny moments and a few disturbing ones... Even the music gets exciting at last. An overall solid horror movie from then on. A pity it started so poorly. In short, this is not a master piece, but not a waste of time either.

The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)

Needs an instruction manual

[6/10 · 23 December 2018]

This movie looked interesting enough as I caught it near the end one night, so I stopped and watched it from the beginning. I knew nothing about it other than it was a thriller.

I noticed from the start that all the characters spoke in a robotic, lifeless tone, which was obviously to serve some kind of purpose, that I didn't get. Still kept one watching because the movie is too disturbing to look away and it certainty got me stuck to my chair and looking forward to be able to make sense of it. But I couldn't.

It ended in a WTF did I just watch manner and I had to read some reviews to understand it's a metaphor for an ancient Greek story. This is insulting to anyone who isn't familiar with it or doesn't know what the movie is supposed to be about.

A true shame that such an original, suspenseful and beautifully shot movie spits on the face of the audience with its intellectual arrogance. A fact that would be easily overcome if they had added "based on Agamemnom's daughter myth" to the synopses.

Watch it after reading about this Greek myth and you might enjoy it more than I have.

Brad's Status (2017)

Amazing performance by Ben Stiller

[8/10 · 18 November 2018]

Brad's Status tells the story of a middle-aged man going through a mid-life crisis of sorts, after constantly comparing himself with his apparently happier, wealthier and more successful college friends.

Ben Stiller makes us hate this petty, jealous little guy as he reveals his most inner thoughts to us - and the a**hole he truly is. What an ugly, ugly character. And yet, we can't help but feel a little bit sorry for the guy... and some sympathy. All of his frustrations, all that inner pain, the inability to appreciate what he has, nor to understand why he just can't be happy... Stiller delivers this wonderfully. And we've all felt like that at some point in our lives, I guess.

Austin Abrams plays the son of this poor man, a much more balanced and mentally healthy person, who has to deal with his dad's selfishness and self-centeredness without loosing it on a crucial part of his life. His performance is also excellent, his natural calm delivers a great contrast to Stiller's constant "on-edge" state. Their interactions were all so... real, and heart warming.

This movie is a great opportunity to look at your own life achievements and confront the way you feel about them. Of course the movie has to be "slow", as some angry reviewers said. It's an introspective. By the end, you might realize that everybody's lives are special in their own way. The point is: we are alive. We're STILL alive. So let us be satisfied about it, and live.

Hereditary (2018)

The best horror movie of 2018

[9/10 · 12 September 2018]

Hereditary is what a horror movie should be: you connect with the characters, feel their pain, dive into their madness and hope to have a decent night's sleep when it's over. The story is SO well built, first leading you into the demonic/cult typical plot, but always hinting into what's really going on with that family, until finally revealing itself on the last scenes. You really just have to get involved in the movie, that's all that is requested from any movie goer, not to turn off your brain and be entertained. Hereditary has it all: jump scares, an amazing build-up of tension, deep characters you actually care about, excellent performances (every single actor delivered) and a disturbing story because it's SO REAL. What a great, great movie. If you can't understand the plot or the ending, simply look at the movie's name.

A Ghost Story (2017)

A story about a ghost

[7/10 · 22 July 2018]

Don't expect a typical horror movie, don't expect a ghost story, this is a story about a ghost.

As we follow along the ghost of a man, the movie portraits the loneliness we associate to death, both on the living, who go on, and the dead. Grief is closely observed, almost voyeuristicly, and that is scary and disturbing as hell. Being left in this world "alone" by the one you love is definitely one of the most horrible things one can experience. And that's what horror is all about.

On another hand, we see the utter loneliness of someone who dies. We will all have to cross that final door, completely alone. I mean, while we're greeted and cheered on upon entering this world, there's that dread, specially for the non-religious, that we'll be completely alone in the end. That is also what horror is all about.

We have the opportunity to understand the logic of the ghost's voyage, from the director's perspective. What the ghost had to do to move on. What we will possibly have to do. And that's somewhat hopeful, the fact that the movie hints there's somewhere to move on to. But nothing too specific. And we can never be sure, right? You'd have to be pretty naive if you were expecting the ending to give you some straightforward answers.

Life and death don't give you answers. All you can do is take it one day at a time and take long walks by the sea and spend time laughing and loving. Because life will always end up against a brick wall, no matter what. That's the only clear message the movie leaves us with, told us by that random guy at the party. Other than that we can only watch and let those feelings sink in and grow up a little. Learn something. And turn tomorrow into a good day.

Crone Wood (2016)

Why God(dess), why?

[3/10 · 3 April 2018]

I was (again) fooled into watching this movie after not noticing only 4 people had reviewed it, hence the positive grade. It's simply terrible.

Boy meets girl and she challenges him into spending a night in the woods. Their chemistry is great, the acting is very genuine and I felt really curious about what expected them in Crone Wood.

The mood is reminiscent of The Blair Witch Project and, even if I don't particularly like found-footage, they pull it off reasonably. But as soon as we understand what's going on, the movie takes a turn for the worse.

The performances of every actor other that the main two are terrible. The explanation to what's going on is interesting enough, but it's no different that another very famous horror movie which is a hundred times better than this one. The whole thing get's too ridiculous to watch on the final 10 minutes and the ending is equally stupid.

I am annoyed to have spent yet another hour and a half watching a poor movie, indie or not, I don't care, you just can't make a bad movie and call it indie to make it look better. Don't waste your time on this, go watch something, anything else.

Ruin Me (2017)

Not good

[1/10 · 29 March 2018]

The 7 points rating is clearly a scam. I gave this movie a shot only because of that rating, so now I must let everyone know that the movie sucks.

A couple goes out into the woods in one of those group game experiences where the theme is Horror/Horror Movies. After finding some clues and solving some riddles, people start dying. The main character has to fight for survival while trying to figure out what's real in the game or not. A good premise, but it all goes straight to hell fast,

The main problem with this film is probably the acting, along with a feeble script and characters we couldn't care less about. All the clichés are there and even if this was an attempted homage to horror, it failed miserably.

It gets ridiculously predictable by the end and the ending itself comes as a relief after the hour and a half we just wasted.

Definitely: avoid.

A Cure for Wellness (2016)

Gothic novel with a philosophical undertone

[8/10 · 2 December 2017]

A Cure For Wellness tells the story of a young, successful and ambitious business executive who sets off to Switzerland to "retrieve" one his company's administrators, who had left to receive treatment at a clinic. He soon realizes that the "treatment" isn't quite what he was expecting and will have to unravel an old mystery if he wishes to leave that place alive.

The cinematography is stunning from the beginning, thanks to the beautiful location and the work of photography director Bojan Bazelli. The soundtrack adds to the mystery and Gothic feeling of the entire movie. The performances are excellent.

Similar to Shutter Island at parts, since you won't know for sure if the main character has gone mad or not, A Cure for Wellness has the ability to please many different audiences, if you can look at it right. From one standpoint you have an enticing, suspenseful (and somewhat sickening) mystery that will leave you stuck to your chair until the very end, which will not disappoint on this front.

If horror/thriller is not your thing, you can look at this movie from the philosophical perspective and try find your own answer to the questions brought up from the beginning. "There is a sickness inside us". Do you suffer from it? Are you one of those who build, buy, consume, and wrap themselves in the illusion of material success? Would you define achievement as being superior to other men? What is, after all, the meaning of wellness, of living well?

All very interesting questions you will have the opportunity to ponder upon after watching this great movie.

A Cure for Wellness hasn't gotten the credit it deserves, possibly because of its Hollywood ending. As for me, I'd certainly advise you to go watch it right now. 8/10

Mother! (2017)

Too much for some people

[8/10 · 10 October 2017]

Mother! is one of those riddle-movies I so adore. You have to pay close attention to what's happening and put all the pieces together to be able to decipher its metaphors and see beyond the plot. What truly matters isn't what's happening with the characters, but the message that those events look to convey.

A powerful and disturbing movie, I left the theater with a massive headache and couldn't sleep well that night. It was truly an overwhelming experience. For this, along with the cinematography and acting performances, everyone should watch the movie and try to make some sense of it. But ultimately, watch it for its important theme and hidden message.

*** SPOILERS AHEAD ***

Whose mother is it? Through the first half of the movie one can be left wondering if this was some sort of auto-biography and thinking that the Director must have had a really messed up experience with a lady- friend or with his own mother. One may also wonder if there's something paranormal or cult-like going on, because of all the mysterious sounds around the house, the adoration of the poet and his "horned" picture. But no, of course not.

This mother is Our mother - Mother Earth/Nature - and that becomes clear as the movie progresses. Besides the Biblical references (I've heard some theories stating that the movie is about Christianity and the Bible in particular), there are other things going on that advise us to look beyond that.

There is vanity, greed, war, violence, abuse and even death. All of them committed against (or at great cost to) the Mother. She can't leave the house, as our Planet has no place to "run away" to. Jennifer Lawrence is young, voluptuous, curvy and ultimately becomes pregnant, all powerful symbols of Mother Nature. By the time her baby is born I was thinking that He (Barden) would die, thus confirming my theory that the movie was a kind of allegory to the pagan myth of The God and Goddess, since the God is born of The Goddess, becomes her lover and then dies after impregnating her. That wasn't the case, so I assume He is the representation either of Men and his desire to create (that can never be equal to the Mother's ability to create); or of the Christian God, hence making this movie the ultimate redemption of the female figure in Christianity.

The violation of Mother's space, the disrespect, the abuse and the violence are overwhelming on the big screen, but even more if we parallel them to what Humans are doing to Earth every single day. *

*** END SPOILERS ***

A mandatory movie for those who don't mind deciphering messages and/or for those who choose to read the spoilers for an easier movie experience.

An amazing work of art that will linger for hours in your mind, with an impressive cast of actors and a truly crushing message.

I'd give it an 8,5 out of 10 score.