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The Devil All the Time (2020)
A Brutal Collage
The Devil All the Time is bedazzling with the solid characters, acting, pacing, and story throughout its terrifying showcase of a slice of the twentieth century sticks. I was expecting darkness and tension throughout, but was delighted by the way my expectations were demolished and belittled for anticipating much less than what this film provides. The gruesome on display here comes so abruptly and never diminishes in effect, nor do we get sensitized as the story progresses. A movie with rewatchability and a branching narrative that I highly recommend.
It Comes at Night (2017)
This movie is clickbait
Quite boring with minimal payoff. Acting isn't the best. The best part of the movie was probably the ambush scene - from that point on the quality slowly deteriorates. This movie could've been a great horror if they focused on the "it" and having it come. As it stands, it's not a horror and has a flatlined enjoyment throughout.
I would say pass if someone asked. Not much to see here.
The Maus (2017)
Unfortunate ratings for a compelling film
The reviews here reveal the impatience and low attention span of viewers. This movie is capturing, in my opinion, and doesn't need to rely on plot solely to entertain. That's one of the problems with audiences: their obsession with instant gratification and with plot as the only valuable aspect of film.
This movie is tense from start to finish, and a lot of these reviews appear ironically bigoted. The Maus portrays meaning through horror (I would consider this horror) in very creative, not quite original, ways. I see many complaints about the cinematography in these reviews, but we should consider the intent in style. The constant zoom on faces and the overtly blurred background create a stifling atmosphere that adds to us feeling Selma's frustration and paranoia, while also allowing the director to provide chilling visuals. We rarely get to witness full frames so that what is behind the character (thus vicariously, behind us) is always in question, while the camera rotations build up that anticipation until something does appear for better or worse.
This movie is far from being a classic or any grand achievement, so it does not deserve an 8 or above, but this movie deserves more than the average that is given by these user reviews. I was enthralled from start to finish. Atmospheric, unsettling, and talented.
P. S. - For those expecting a trigger warning I have two points: (1) It is a horror film (terror, disgust, uncomfortable), and (2) you can find online the explicit nature of films before viewing. In fact, you can do so here, on IMDB!
13 Reasons Why: The Smile at the End of the Dock (2018)
Absolute Nonsense
It's just bad, sloppy and immature stuff. Come on.
Babylon Berlin: Episode #1.1 (2017)
Solid Tone-Setter
Introductions to character and tension. Babylon Berlin's beginning episode is a solid tone-setter, and upon second watch post-season, you'll notice how subtle this episode hints towards what will unfold. This first episode showcases the suspense, the humor, the unique qualities of our characters; and it contains a beautiful scene in the soon to be familiar Moka Efti, where the violinist (Kardakov), just out frame, harmonizes unknowingly with the portentous conversation, providing a clever diagetic analogue to the scene.
There are many seeds planted here, and we can only wonder if the ambition will wane into a yieldless harvest.
American Horror Story: Afterbirth (2011)
.......
The failing of this finale is so phenomenal that no merit from this montage of mediocrities could be mined for allowing one to more eloquently declare: "This is really really bad TV." Nor does the episode deserve an analysis of its laughable superficiality. I can only presume that the director and writer either reached an apathy-inducing point of no return, or they have no experience with how humans interact with each other in ways not imitating the falsity of lazy TV/cinema. Every moment between Ben's trouble with the chandelier and Constance's entering a salon is meaningless to the show as a whole and filled with cringe-inducing scripting and acting.
A second star added for setting a new standard of awful.