Change Your Image
swkvyjrw
Reviews
Thanksgiving (2023)
It was... creative?
As far as cheesy stereotypical slasher films go, this one hit all the stops. A teenage girl and her group of friends are stalked by a mask-wearing killer and are killed off in brutal (yet, compelling?) ways.
(Scroll down for TLDR and possible triggers)
Characters:
-Let me start off by saying first: Patrick Dempsey is always a delight. Let me say second: that was all I really cared about in this cast. The kids did alright, I don't think Addison Rae has much acting experience and it did show, I think it was hard given their script was so awkward.
Writing style:
- The dialogue was no work of art. The lines were absurdly cheesy and the random pop culture references didn't hit. I can excuse the cheesy lines to some degree, because it wouldn't be a dumb slasher film without a few of them, but the main friend group's interactions and dialogue could have been written so much better. It sounded like a group of middle-aged folk piecing together words and things they thought they had seen teenagers saying and doing at some point and decided to toss it into the movie at random.
Plot:
- Seriously, it's like watching Scream but if it was a special Thanksgiving crossover thing. Begrudgingly, I did find myself intrigued in all of the ways the killer would end his victims. (It was giving Final Destination, but not nearly as good).
TLDR: all in all, it was no Oscar winner. The acting was okay, the script was neither here nor there, the plot was somewhat underdeveloped and I didn't care for the end either all that much. BUT it was a unique take on a classic slasher film and there is an under-representation of Thanksgiving horror films, AND there are some creative ways to kill people in there for sure. (None of them were realistic though). Just go watch it if you have nothing better to do. If it was anything, it was entertaining.
Triggers: -There is a lot of gore in this movie. None of it is overly realistic, but still.
-Very poor language -Jump scares.
Mother! (2017)
Metaphorically, of course.
Mother spent every second of her time building a home. She worked tirelessly for it to be perfect. She built it from the ground up. She didn't do it for herself, but she did it happily.
She gets overlooked often. All of her feelings are brushed aside, His opinions are always at the forefront even though her love is his most prized possession. She's seen as dramatic. It isn't a big deal. It never is.
People take up Mother's space like it is their own. People assume that they can take whatever they want from her. People push her and push her. When she reaches her limit, people hate her.
She gives what she can. Even when she is angry, and upset, and at her limit. She gives in. She gives what she can. Nobody listens.
She runs out of things to give. They've taken everything. Somehow they find more to take. They claw at her very roots. The things she's worked so hard to build. They tear it all apart. She begs them. Nobody ever listens. Her entire world is destroyed.
Mother claws her way out. She creates something that is hers. Something she loves more than anything else. Something that she makes sure nobody will be able to take away. But she's tired. She's given so much and she's so tired. And the second she lets her walls down, they take the one thing they were never supposed to even see. And not only do they take it, but they destroy it. And when she gets upset, people blame her. They call her names. They beat her.
Mother reached her limit. She can create homes and life, she can destroy homes and life. And they took everything. They destroyed everything.
Whether she wanted to or not, she gave until she had nothing left. And when people wanted to take more, she gave more. She had no other choice.
And the cycle repeats itself.
Her (2013)
Stood the test of time.
I watched this movie for the first time in 2023. 10 years after it debuted in theaters. It's hard to believe it came out in 2013, when the content of the movie feels much more prevalent today with all of the AI and technological advancement. It felt like something that could really be happening today. Considering the technology that was available when this movie was written, it felt almost like a prediction.
Quality of writing:
- For the most part, this movie was brilliantly written. The dialogue fit well, the concepts and main ideas worked great. The aesthetic of the film itself was beautifully shot and the creativity of it all really surprised me. I thought listening to a disembodied voice for a few hours would bore me, but it wasn't like that at all.
- The only con I have for the writing was likely somebody else's main pro. Some of the lines and scenes that were added for comedic value felt out of place to me. Some of the lines were crude and shocking for no seeable reason. They were funny, just felt weird in the moment.
Characters:
- Not much to say about the characters. They were all amazing. Joaquin Phoenix is amazing in nearly everything he does, as is Scarlett Johansson. His acting was amazing and so was her voice over (she has such a pretty voice).
Plot:
- Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix's character) works at a job where he writes love letters for other peoples' significant others. This clear separation of human relationships in this movie is seen from the get go. Theodore meets Samantha, the equivalent of an advanced AI bot that learns more as you speak to it. Throughout the film, Theodore struggles with the morality of loving and Samantha struggles with the ideas of humanity. It all works very well, with plenty of touching moments.
Watch it. If you've seen it, watch it again.
Wuthering Heights (2022)
It was ... true to the original?
As a preface, I have read Wuthering Heights several times and adore the story. This movie did not necessarily miss the mark; as far as the plot goes, it was brilliant. It got everything it needed. I wish I could say the same thing for the acting. The actors themselves were beautiful and (for the most part) accurate, especially considering it looked like they were working on a specific budget for the film. But the actual acting? It wasn't there. It really wasn't. Nelly did a good job, but that's all I can say. The entire movie sounded like the original audio had problems so they had to voice over the entire film. It is also a lengthy watch. I don't regret watching it, but wouldn't watch it again.
The Fallout (2021)
An interesting perspective of trauma.
I was very eager to watch The Fallout. The previews and trailers all looked promising, and after watching it I wasn't entirely disappointed. The movie in whole is an excellent way to describe how trauma can affect people, with several ups and downs. The story line was good and didn't drag on for too long. It was a surprise to see that this movie wasn't about the school shooting itself, but the trauma that comes after an experience like it. The movie had good actors that all had decent chemistry, and the relationships formed were all realistic. The only thing that bothered me a bit was the shaky camera work, and the outdated and sometimes cringy scripting.