- Faults – 2014
- The Endless – 2017
- The Master 2012
- The House of the Devil – 2009
- The Wicker Man – 1973
- The Seventh Victim – 1943
- The Empty Man – 2020
- Rosemary’s Baby 1968
- Split Image – 1982
- The Invitation – 2022
- Apostle – 2018
- Martha Marcy May Marlene – 2011
- Sound of My Voice – 2011
- Son – 2021
- The Black Cat – 1934
- The Devil Rides Out – 1968
- Susperia – 1977
- Eyes Wide Shut – 1999
- The City of the Dead – 1960
- The Devils – 1971
- The Cabin in the Woods – 2011
- Kill List – 2011
- Starry Eyes – 2014
- Jonestown: The Life and Death of the Peoples Temple – 2006
- Mandy – 2018
- Fresh – 2022
- The Perfection – 2018
- Jonestown: Paradise Lost – 2007
- V/H/S/2 – 2013
- V/H/S/94 – 2021
- Jesus Camp – 2006
- Waco: The Rules of Engagement 1997
- The Source Family – 2012
- The Other Lamb – 2019
- Wild Wild Country – 2018
- Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief – 2015
- Children of God: Lost and Found – 2007
- Manson – 1973
- El Topo – 1970
- Heaven’s Gate: The Cult of Cults – 2020
- The Lodge – 2019
- Prophet’s prey – 2015
- God Told Me To – 1976
- The Deep End – 2018
- The End of the World Cult – 2007
- Waco – 2018
- My Scientology Movie – 2015
- Sons of Perdition – 2010
- Seduced: Indside the NXIVM Cult – 2020
- The Cult of the Family – 2019
- Guerrilla: The Taking of Patty Hearst – 2004
- Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath – 2016-2019
- Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey – 2022
- Orgasm Inc.: The SStory of OneTaste – 2022
- The Way Down – 2021
- The Secrets of Hillsong – 2023
- Devil in Ohio – 2022
- Murder Among the Mormons – 2021
- Under the Banner of Heaven – 2022
- The Six Degrees of Helter Skelter – 2008
- Unorthodox – 2020
- Big Love 2006-2011
- Cults and Extreme Beliefs – 2018
- Lyle – 2014
- Waiting for John – 2015
- Yellowjackets – 2021-
- Help! – 1965
- Julieta – 2016
- The Siege at Ruby Ridge – 1996
- Welcome to Leith – 2015
- The Keepers – 2017
- Kumare – 2011
- A – 1998
- One of Us – 2017
- The Lost Key – 2014
- Elmer Gantry – 1960
- God Loves Uganda – 2013
- Gonzalez: Falsos Profetas – 2014
- Higher Ground – 2011
- Marjoe – 1972
- The Magdalene Sisters – 2002
- Boy Erased – 2018
- The Miseducation of Cameron Post – 2018
- Cross of Fire – 1989
- The Prophet Mimi – 1973
- The Wave – 2008
- Frailty – 2001
- The Unknown Saint – 2019
- Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator – 2019
- Women Talking – 2022
- Deprogrammed – 2015
- Waco: The American Apocalypse – 2023
- Orphan Black -2013-2017
- John of God: The Crimes of Spiritual Healer – 2021
- Unveiled: Surviving La Luz del Mundo – 2022
- Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence – 2023
- Sins Among the Amish – 2022
- In the Name of the Father – 2023
- Cult Killer: The Story of Rick Rodriguez – 2006
- Archive 81 – 29022
Top 150 Greatest Crime Movies and Documentaries
- The French Connection – 1971
- Tales of the Grim Sleeper – 2014
- The Usual Susoects – 1995
- The Act of Killing – 2012
- The Big Sleep – 1946
- The Thin Blue Line – 1988
- Pulp Fiction – 1994
- Murder on a Sunday Morning – 2001
- Chinatown – 1974
- O.J.: Made in America – 2016
- Goodfellas – 1990
- The Imposter – 2012
- The Godfather – 1972
- Brother’s Keeper – 1992
- The Godfather Part II – 1974
- Tower – 2016
- Heat – 1995
- Bus 174 – 2002
- Scarface – 1983
- F for Fake – 1973
- Fargo – 1996
- Made You Look: A True Story About Fake Art – 2020
- L.A. Confidential – 1997
- Capturing the Friedmans – 2003
- City of God – 2002
- Animal Kingdom – 2010
- Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father – 2008
- Trainspotting – 1996
- Lost for Life – 2013
- Rocco and His Brothers – 1960
- Mommy Dead and Dearest – 2017
- Graduation – 2016
- Sour Grapes – 2016
- Mystic River – 2003
- The Central Park Five – 2012
- The Big Risk – 1960
- The Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden – 2013
- Grisbi – 1954
- The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz – 2014
- The Last Seduction – 1994
- Thought Crimes: The Case of the Cannibal Cop – 2015
- The Silence of the Lambs – 1991
- The Newburgh Sting – 2014
- The Trial of the Chicago 7 – 2020
- The Iceman Confesses: Secrets of a Mafia Hitman – 2001
- The Departed – 2006
- The Iceman Tapes: Conversations with a Killer – 1992
- Widows – 2018
- The Cheshire Murders – 2013
- Sweet Sixteen – 2002
- The Grifters – 1990
- Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills – 1996
- Drug War – 2012
- Into the Abyss – 2011
- Traffic – 2000
- 1971 – 2014
- In the Bedroom – 2001
- The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley – 2019
- Boys Don’t Cry – 1999
- Our Father – 2022
- Dreamcatcher – 2015
- Murder to Mercy: The Cyntonia Brown Story – 2020
- The Murder of Fred Hampton – 1971
- Sophie: A Murder in West Cork – 2021
- The Executioner’s Song – 1982
- The Hunting Ground – 2015
- Serpico – 1973
- WeWork: Or the Making of $47 Billion Unicorn – 2021
- The Fugitive – 1993
- Fyre – 2019
- In Cold Blood – 1967
- Museo – 2018
- Baby God – 2020
- Hell or High Water – 2016
- American Murder: The Family Next Door – 2020
- Band of Outsiders – 1964
- The Tinder Swindler – 2022
- Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri – 2017
- Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist – 2022
- On the Waterfront – 1954
- Abducted in Plain Sight – 2017
- Assault on Precinct 13 – 1976
- The Girl in the Picture – 2022
- American Hustle – 2013
- 13th – 2016
- United 93 – 2006
- Athlete A – 2020
- A Bright Summer Day – 1991
- Strong Island – 2017
- The Crying Game – 1992
- The Fog of War – 2003
- No Country for Old Men – 2007
- 4 Little Girls – 1997
- Cool Hand Luke – 1967
- Big Men – 2013
- Badlands – 1973
- Time – 2020
- Elevator to the Gallows – 1958
- Let it Fall: Los Angeles 1982-1992 – 2017
- Taxi Driver – 1976
- I Called Him Morgan – 2016
- Double Indemnity – 1944
- Citizenfour – 2014
- Mean Streets – 1973
- Crime + Punishment – 2018
- 12 Angry Men – 1957
- Deliver Us from Evil – 2006
- Rififi – 1955
- Red Roll Red – 2018
- Touch of Evil – 1958
- The Night of the Hunter – 1955
- The Good Nurse – 2022
- My Friend Dahmer – 2017
- Audrie & Daisy – 2016
- L’Argent – 1983
- Charm City – 2018
- Tell Me Who I Am – 2019
- Shoplifters – 2018
- White Boy – 2017
- Why Did You Kill Me? – 2021
- The Red Circle – 1970
- Uncut Gems – 2019
- 16 Shots – 2018
- The Seven Five – 2014
- The Ladykillers – 1955
- The Wolf of Wall Street – 2013
- Pervert Park – 2014
- Team Foxcatcher – 2016
- Foxcatcher – 2014
- Dark Waters – 2019
- A Prophet – 2009
- 3 1/2 Minutes, Ten Bullets – 2015
- Private Violence – 2014
- Bonnie and Clyde – 1967
- The Fear of 13 – 2015
- Gangs of Wasseypur – 2012
- Piccadilly – 1929
- Bernie – 2011
- Man Bites Dog – 1992
- Bowling for Columbine – 2002
- The Phantom – 2021
- Capote – 2005
- Strangers on a Train – 1951
- Collective – 2019
- Icarus – 2017
- To Kill a Mockingbird – 1962
- Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room – 2005
- Inside Job – 2010
- Amanda Knox – 2016
- Gomorrah – 2008
The Good Nurse (2022)
The Good Nurse is a 2022 American drama film starring Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne as two nurses, one who suspects the other of being responsible of a string of patient deaths. The film is based on the 2013 true-crime book of the same name by Charles Graeber about the serial killer Charles Cullen. It was directed by Tobias Lindholm and also stars Nnamdi Asomugha, Kim Dickens, and Noah Emmerich.
In 1996, a patient admitted to the ICUward of St. Aloysius Hospital, Pennsylvania suffers a seizure. Despite the efforts of the hospital’s staff to resuscitate him, the patient dies.
Seven years later, in 2003, Amy Loughren, a single mother and nurse working night shifts at Parkfield Memorial Hospital, New Jersey, is introduced to Charles Cullen, an experienced nurse recently hired by the hospital as additional help to her shift. Uknown to the hospital’s administrative staff, Amy is suffering from cardiomyopathy; her lack of health insurance, lack of kin and the fear of retribution shoul her condition be revealed, prompts her to keep it a secret. Despite her condition, she has no other choice but to continue working as a nurse for another four months, in order to obtain health insurance to afford a health transplant. Charlie discorvers her condition and agrees to keep it a secret, also stepping in as a caregiver for her two daughters.
When Ana Martinez, a septuagenerian patient amitted to Parkfield mysteriously dies, the hospital’s administrative baord contacts the state police, represented by detectives Danny Baldwin and Tim Braun, to inform themof the incident. Nonetheless, the board, led by Linda Garran, the hospital’s risk manager, downplays it, claiming the death was unintentional and that the reason for reporting it was simply to go by health protocol. Regardless, Baldwin remains distrustful of the board, noting that it had acted to report Martinez’s death seven weeks after it had happened. He instantly zeros in on Charlie, noting that he had been convicted of minor charges in 1995. The duo begin interrogating the hospital’s medical staff; when Amy’s turn comes, she notices that insulin had been administered to Martinez, despite her being a non-diabetic. She is further questioned about Charlie’s character. but she speaks up for him. Braun tries to contact the hospitals where Charlie had previously worked at, but none are willing cooperate. Parkfield finally shares its investigation with the police, but Baldwin notices that it is fragmentary, leading him to snap at Garran for her being unprofessional, causing him and Braun to be banned from the hospital.
When Kelly and Anderson, another ICU patient, suddenly develops an odd cognitive symptoms, Amy discovers that insulin had been given to her. Kelly suffers a seizure and dies, despite Amy’s efforts ro save her. Baldwin and Braun subsequently visit Amy, revealing to her that Charlie had previously worked at nine different hospitals, and that none are willing to talk about him. Baffled, she visitis her friend Lori, a fellow nurse who had previously worked with Charlie at a different hospital. Lori reveals that during Charlie’s tenure, her hospital had dealt with the unfathomable deaths of numerous patients, with the finding of insulin in several of them.
With Redmayne and Chastain being two of the biggest names in film right now, and this being a true crime film and based on a best-selling book, you’d think this would be a really good movie, but it’s far from it. The story is great, the acting is superb, but the whole film is really slow, to the point of being really boring. The book is anything but boring, I couldn’t put it down when it came out, so when I found out there was to be a movie version starring them (and I’m a huge fan of both), I was expecting it to be outstanding and I was extremely disappointed. Not only is this film very boring, there is very little detail about Cullen’s life growing up, like in the book.
When you learn about Cullen’s crimes and how the other hospitals basically “covered them up,” it makes you question hospitals, health care, and the law then and now. Despite the slowness of the film, the plot is still bone chilling, especially learning that the horrific acts went on for years and years. This is a dark film and it has the feel of Ozark, which is another Netflix production and maybe it’s a Netflix thing that all new shows and movies and such from them have to look like this, which is a bit annoying and unoriginal and makes you wish someone would turn a light on.
Eddie Redmayne who plays Charles Cullen, is very soft spoken, except for to Amy’s daughters, which is not like the real Charlie, who is very talkative to most everyone. Ed goes a little broader in the final scesn but, he’s earned it, as for what he has been in up to that part. Jessica Chastain who plays Amy Loughren, is very shy, like the real Amy. Both Eddie and Jessica are great in their roles, but that may be the only awards this film wins, because I’ll be shocked if it wins Best Picture.
The film doesn’t go into nearly as much detail about Cullen’s crimes, life, and upbringing, but it does go into a good ammount of detail during the trials. Nnamdi Asomugha does a fine job as Danny Baldwin, Kim Dickens is really good as Linda Garran, and Noah Emmerich does a fine job as Tim Braun.
Had this film had more light and didn’t feel so Ozark-y or like an Investigative Discovery special or Dateline episode, it would have been more enjoyable. There’s not much gore or violence, which is odd for a crime film. You do see several sick people with scars and peeling skin and the interrogations scenes can be disturbing. There is lots of of cursing, but no drinking, smoking, or sex. Naked dead bodies are shown full frontal.
Overall, not one of Netflix’s best films. Go for the book, and skip this one. 18+ 2/5
Top 75 Films That Deal With Addiction and Recovery
- A Star is Born – 2018
- Notorious – 1946
- Drugstore Cowboy – 1989
- When a Man Loves a Woman – 1994
- Requiem for a Dream – 2000
- Sid & Nancy – 1986
- The Hustler – 1961
- The Panic in Needle Park – 1971
- Ray – 2004
- Leaving Las Vegas – 1995
- The Basketball Diaries – 1995
- Phantom Thread – 2017
- Shame – 2011
- Rocketman – 2019
- Uncut Gems – 2019
- Ben is Back – 2018
- The Man With the Golden Arm – 1955
- Clean & Sober – 1988
- Don Jon – 2013
- Half Nelson – 2006
- Flight – 2012
- Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot – 2018
- Traffic – 2000
- Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas – 1998
- Another Round – 2020
- Rachel Getting Married – 2008
- Beautiful Boy – 2018
- 6 Balloons – 2018
- Factotum – 2005
- Crazy Heart – 2009
- Rush – 1991
- Betty – 1992
- Trainspotting – 1996
- Gia – 1998
- Tender Mercies – 1983
- Barfly – 1987
- The Lost Weekend – 1945
- Days of Wine and Roses – 1962
- The Rose – 1979
- The Way Back – 2020
- Christiane F. – 1981
- Pay it Forward – 2000
- Basquiat – 1996
- Lenny – 1974
- The Sound of Metal – 2019
- Gridlock’d – 1997
- Judy – 2019
- Once Were Warriors – 1994
- Her Smell – 2018
- Nil By Mouth – 1997
- Clockers – 1995
- Down to the Bone – 2004
- Tarnation – 2003
- Jesus’ Son – 1999
- Devdas – 2002
- Midnight Cowboy – 1969
- Silver Linings Playbook – 2012
- Gone Baby Gone – 2007
- I’ll Cry Tomorrow – 1955
- The Gambler – 1974
- Bigger Than Life – 1956
- Easy Rider – 1969
- Julia – 2008
- Affliction – 1997
- Destroyer – 2018
- Long Day’s Journey into Night – 1962
- Drunken Angel – 1948
- Smashed – 2012
- A Star is Born – 1954
- A Star is Born – 1937
- I Walk the Line – 2005
- The Wolf of Wall Street – 2013
- My Left Foot – 1989
- Oslo, August 31st – 2011
- The Shining – 1980
Greatest Summertime Movies of All Time
- The Seven Year itch – 1955
- Vicky Christina Barcelona – 2008
- The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants – 2005
- Mamma Mia! – 2008
- Stand by Me – 1986
- Little Miss Sunshine – 2006
- The Notebook – 2004
- Crooklyn – 1994
- Real Women Have Curves – 2002
- Caddyshack – 1980
- National Lampoon’s Vacation – 1983
- Grease – 1978
- The Graduate – 1967
- Jaws – 1975
- Beaches – 1988
- Do the Right Thing – 1989
- The River Wild – 1994
- The Parent Trap – 1961
- The Parent Trap – 1998
- The Bridges of Madison County – 1995
- Summertime – 1955
- Summer Stock – 1950
- 500 Days of Summer – 2009
- Speed – 1994
- Thelma & Louise – 1991
- E.T. – 1982
- Clueless – 1995
- Dirty Dancing – 1987
- Point Break – 1991
- American Graffiti – 1973
- The Goonies – 1985
- What About Bob? – 1991
- Dazed and Confused – 1993
- The Endless Summer – 1966
- The Sandlot – 1993
- In the Heights – 2021
- Palm Springs – 2020
- King Richard – 2021
- The Talented Mr. Ripley – 1999
- Dope – 2015
- Lilo & Stitch – 2002
- Adventureland – 2009
- Sylvie’s Love – 2020
- Tomboy – 2011
- Moonrise Kingdom – 2012
- Everybody Wants Some! – 2016
- Luca – 2021
- Crazy Rich Asians – 2018
- Something’s Gotta Give – 2003
- Mystic Pizza – 1988
- Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar – 2021
- The Way Way Back – 2013
- Summer of ’42 – 1971
- Pauline at the Beach – 1983
- Breaking Away – 1979
- Moana – 2016
- Soul Surfer – 2011
- Muppet Treasure Island – 1996
- Finding Nemo – 2003
- Charlotte’s Web – 1973
- Say Anything… – 1989
- The Kings of Summer – 2013
- Miss Juneteenth – 2020
- From Here to Eternity – 1953
- Shirkers – 2019
- Before Sunrise – 1995
- Weekend at Bernie’s – 1989
- Monsoon Wedding – 2001
- My Summer of Love – 2004
- In the Good Old Summertime – 1949
- Porgy and Bess – 1959
- Beach Rats – 2017
- The Florida Project – 2017
- Kiss Me Kate – 1953
- The Little Mermaid – 1989
- Anything Goes – 1956
- Damn Yankees – 1958
- The Music Man – 1962
- Carousel – 1956
- An Affair to Remember – 1957
- King Creole – 1958
- The Long Hot Summer – 1958
- Suddenly Last Summer – 1959
- A Summer Place – 1959
- Gidget – 1959
- The Whales of August – 1987
- A League of Their Own – 1992
- Howard’s End – 1992
- Cha Cha Real Smooth – 2022
- Dog Day Afternoon – 1975
- Roman Holiday – 1953
- Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte – 1964
- On Golden Pond – 1981
- Summer With Monika – 1953
- Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday – 1953
- Smiles of a Summer Night – 1955
- The Talk of the Town – 1942
- Early Summer – 1951
- Almost Famous – 2000
- Summer Interlude – 1951
Beast (2022)
Beast is a 2022 American survival thriller film directed by Balasar Kormakor. The films stars Idris Elba, Iyana Halley, Leah Sava Jeffries, and Sharlto Copley.
A recently widowed husband returns to South Africa where he first met his wife, on a trip with his daughters to a game reserve managed by an old family friend and wildlife biologist. Soon a vicious wild lion, wanting human flesh, begins attacking them and killing everyone it finds.
This film’s plot is simple, yet this movie is extremely intense and at times, quite disturbing. You see characters get attacked, shot at, stabbed, and even killed. Violence comes mostly from the ferocious lion that wants to kill every human human he finds, as he thinks they are all out kill his pride and other animals, or as we call them poachers. You do see some poachers shoot and kill several wild animals and drag off their bodies, which is disturbing (and illegal), and poaching is still an ongoing problem in the world. Young viewers will be too disturbed for the movie.
Idris Elba does a great job as Dr. Nate Samuels, though his American could use some work on, as it fades to American to barely British (his real accent). Sharlto Copley does a good, not great job as Martin Battles. The film doesn’t have much of a before story, not telling much about the daughters’ mother’s death, or their parents’ marriage, except that they had divorced or seperated and first met in South Africa. The movie jumps right into the poaching and trying to survive from the lion and that’s pretty much the rest of the film, which though intense, it wasn’t that interesting and needed a lot more story, because alone, it is so one dimensional. Also this film is rather short at an hour and thirty-three minutes and I was expecting a film like this one to be at least two hours long.
Had this one more of a storyline, it would have been more interesting and not just plain gory and nail-bitingly distressful. Although the acting is really good and the scenery is beautiful, that doesn’t make up for the weakness of this movie. I found myself on the edge of my seat nearly the wole time, but also wanting more and thinking at the end of this one, “That’s it?”
Would I watch this one again? Maybe if it came on TV and there was nothing else on, but it would never be a first choice that’s for sure. This one is thrilling for sure, but that’s it. So much more plot is needed to make this an outstanding film. Don’t waste your time or money on this movie in theater. It leaves to too much out to make you scratch your head in the end. 18+ 2.5/5
Where the Crawdads Sing (2022)
Where the Crawdads Sing is a 2022 American coming of age crime film directed by Olivia Newman, based on the 2018 novel of the same name by Delia Owens. It stars Daisy Edgar-Jones, Taylor John Smith, Harris Dickinson, Michael Hyatt, Sterling Macer Jr. and David Strathairn.
Catherine “Kya” Clark is an imagainative girl grwing up in a North Carolina marsh on the coast during the 1950’s. Her poor family live in a shack with their alcoholic and abusive father who gambles their money away. After her mother and sibling leave one by one, due to the abuse, Kya is left alone with him. Over time he softens up and then leaves her without word, a fews after the only day she spends in school. Now at the age of seven, she is completely alone, but learns how to survive, and the only way she makes any money to buy gas for her boat and food is to sell mussels she digs up herself. The other residents of Barkley Cove know little about Kya, nicknaming her “The Marsh Girl.”
On the same day her father leaves her, Kya takes his boat as far as the ocean and gets lost trying to find her way home. Luckily she runs into an older boy named Tate Walker who shows her the way home safely. He was a friend of her older brother, Jodie and had known Kya since she was very little. Tate begins visiting her in the marsh and they become good friends as teenagers. He teaches her to read, write and even loans her books. Both share an interest in natures and they eventually start a romantic relationship. However, she gets left behind when Tate goes away to college and fails to keep his promise of visiting her on the fourth of July.
Over the next few years, as her knowledge and skills of biology grow, Kya sends her artwork and research to a publisher, as Tate encouraged previously and the payment from the book helps her keep her family’s property. The publishing of the book leads her to seeing her brother Jodie again, now a military veteran. He tells her that her mother wanted to reunite with her children became sick leukemia and died. Jodie promises to visit her when he can.
By 1965, now 19 years old, Kya gets into a tryst with Chase Andrews, Barkley Cove’s popular quaterback, who promises her marriage. When Kya finds out that Chase is already engaged to another girl, furious, she ends their relationship. Meanwhile Tate returns to town wanting to appologize to Kyra for leaving her behind and rekindle their relationship, but she is unsure. Chase keeps to get Kya back and wants to contunue their sexual relationship, but she rejects him. He then violently hits her and tries to rape her but Kya successfully fights him off and threatens to kill him if he messes with her again. The threat is overheard by a local fisherman.
Later Chase is found dead at the bottom of a fire tower, from which he had fallen. The tower is located in a muddy and wet bog that gets flooded at high tide. The surrounding area had no tracks from the killer and no fingerprints were found on the tower. A shell necklace Kya had given Chase was missing and he had be wearing it the evening of his death. The next day Kya is charged with murder and the townpeople jump to the conclusion that she is guilty.
This film is like Fried Green Tomatoes meets To Kill a Mockingbird, which makes it sound like it would be a great movie, but it is good at best. Based off a bestselling novel that is actually really good, you’d think the film version would be too. The acting is eqally great from all the main cast, the scenery is absolutely beautiful and they costumes are period and setting perfect. The soundtrack is also really good. The main problem with this one is it is really slow for much of the movie. Many scenes seem to drag on and I found myself getting rather bored many times throughout.
Had this film not been so slow, it would have been more enjoyable. Also, their is lots of kissing and sex, which I know this is also a romantic movie, but the director could have dialed that back a little, as we already knew the characters were in love without so much of that. This being mainly a murder myster film, made it fairly entertaining, but not captivating, though I love a good mystery and I like romance, as I am a hopeless romantic.
I really wanted to love this movie as much as I loved the book, but I just didn’t. With the book, I couldn’t put it down, with this film adaptation, I was thoroughly bored for a good bit of it. I am so disappointed I couldn’t like the movie as much as novel. I just don’t understand why it had to be so slow, why so much making out and sex and unlike the novel, why such little time was spent investigating the death of Chase. This film will very likely not win any Best Picture awards, probably not any Best Director awards either, but could possibly win a Best Actress or Actor trophy or Best Original Song for Taylor Swift’s “Carolina.”
Do I recommend this movie? Don’t waste your time and money with this one in theater. If you really want to see it, wait for it to go to Redbox or streaming. Another pretty disappointing film based on a phenominal book. 18+ 3.5/5
120 Greatest Teen Films
- Clueless – 1995
- Rushmore – 1998
- Dirty Dancing – 1987
- Heathers – 1988
- Grease – 1978
- Superbad – 2007
- The Hate U Give – 2018
- Juno – 2007
- Mean Girls – 2004
- The Breakfast Club – 1985
- Love, Simon – 2018
- The Last Picture Show – 1971
- Dazed and Confused – 1993
- Dead Poets Society – 1989
- Rebel Without a Cause – 1955
- Fast Times at Ridgemont Hight – 1982
- Lady Bird – 2017
- Ferris Bueller’s Day Off – 1986
- Blinded by the Light – 2019
- The Harry Potter Series – 2001-2011
- The Edge of Seventeen – 2016
- Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure – 1989
- Easy A – 2010
- Say Anything – 1989
- American Graffiti – 1973
- 10 Things I Hate About You – 1999
- Back to the Future – 1985
- Moonlight – 2016
- Freaky Friday – 2003
- Welcome to the Dollhouse – 1995
- Pariah – 2011
- Stuck in Love – 2012
- 13 Going on 30 – 2004
- The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants – 2005
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower – 2012
- Cry-Baby – 1990
- High Scool Confidential – 1958
- Submarine – 2010
- Yes, God, Yes – 2019
- The Lost Boys – 1987
- Anna and the Apocalypse – 2017
- Cooley High – 1975
- Some Kind of Wonderful – 1987
- If… – 1968
- Pretty in Pink – 1986
- Bend it Like Beckham – 2002
- Real Women Have Curves – 2002
- Love & Basketball – 2000
- To Sir, WIth Love – 1967
- Boyz n the Hood – 1991
- Sing Street – 2016
- Almost Fmous – 2000
- Juice – 1992
- Friday Night Lights – 2004
- Bring It On – 2000
- The Kings of Summer – 2013
- Dope – 2015
- The Half of It – 2020
- National Lampoon’s Animal House – 1978
- The Sure Thing – 1985
- See You Yesterday – 2019
- Divines – 2016
- Brick – 2005
- The Karate Kid – 1984
- Better Off Dead… – 1985
- Carrie – 1976
- Sixteen Candles – 1984
- Real Genius – 1985
- The Outsiders – 1983
- Ghost World – 2001
- Risky Business – 1983
- River’s Edge – 1986
- Rumble Fish – 1983
- Show Me Love – 1998
- Blackboard Jungle – 1955
- Hairspray – 1988
- West Side Story – 2021
- Prcious – 2009
- The Man in the Moon – 1991
- The Fault in Our Stars – 2014
- Holes – 2003
- My Bodyguard – 1980
- Less Than Zero – 1987
- Over the Edge – 1979
- Center Stage – 2000
- Peyton Place – 1957
- Little Women – 1933
- The Flamingo Kid – 1984
- West Side Story – 1961
- Lord Love a Duck – 1966
- Cruel Story of Youth – 1960
- Absolute Beginners – 1986
- Where the Boys Are – 1960
- A Summer Place – 1959
- Little Women – 1949
- Foxes – 1980
- The Miseducation of Cameron Post – 2018
- Boy Erased – 2018
- Speak – 2004
- Edge of Seventeen – 1998
- Little Women – 1994
- The Way He Looks – 2014
- East of Eden – 1955
- Palo Alto – 2013
- Little Women – 2019
- The Virgin Suicides – 1999
- Back to the Future – 1985-1990
- Scream – 1996
- Breaking Away – 1979
- Valley Girl – 1983
- The Way Way Back – 2013
- Skate Kitchen – 2018
- Maidentrip – 2013
- Whiplash – 2014
- The Blind Side – 2009
- Bowling for Columbine – 2002
- An Education – 2009
- Persepolis – 2007
- American Honey – 2016
- Licorice Pizza – 2021
The Fallout (2021)
The Fallout is a 2021 American high school drama film written directed by Megan Park in directorial debut. The film stars Jenna Ortega, Maddie Ziegler, Julie Bowen, John Oritz, Niles Fitch, Will Ropp and Shailene Woodley.
High school student Vada Cavell goes to the restroom in the middle of class after her younger sister Amelia calls her when she has her first period. While in the restroom, a school shooting accurs and Vada hides in a stall with her classmates Mia, a dancer, and Quinton, whose brother is killed in the shooting. In the following weeks after the incident, Vada’s trama causes her to become depressed and isolated from her family. She also isolates herself from her friend Nick, since she cannot relate to the gun control activism he has been coaxed to do. Instead, she becomes closer to Mia and begins to spend lots of time at her house.
Vada’s parents put her in therapy and returns to school, but finds the situation uncomfortable. She cannot bring herself to go to the restroom where she hid, resulting in her peeing on herself when she hears a soda can being crushed. To cope with the stress, she takes ecstasy, resulting in Nick having to help her through the high. She and Nick argue about her weak coping skills, resulting in her venting to Quinton and trying to kiss him. Quinton rejects her, as he is not emotionally ready for a relationship yet. She isolates herself more from her family and friends, including Mia.
Later, Amelia admits to Vada that she assumed Vada was mad at her for the call that has put her in more danger. Vada tells her that is not the case and they make up. Vada recconnects with her parents and Mia, with the two of them agreeing to remain friends. Vada makes progress with her therapy, in coming to terms with what happened, though she admits that she and Nick might not make up. Vada waits for Mia outside of the studio she takes lessons at. She recieves a notification of another school shooting in the country.
The story of a school shooting is both powerful and disturbing and this film does cover that part, but it spends far too much time on Vada withdrawing from others in her life and her depression as well as her relationship with Mia. Not enough of this film is spent on the actual shooting, mostly just the aftermath and the students, school staff and the students’ parents’ reactions. Had the film focused more on the incident and not the feedback of the school community, I would have enjoyed it more. The acting from all the main stars is great. The soundtrack by Finneas O’Connell was also great.
The character of Vada Cavell is a tomboy with no real sense of fashion, dressing like a cross between a female basketball player, a rapper, hippie and Billie Eilish and had very little as far as personality, making her a rather boring protagonist. Mia Reed, the rich girl Vada becomes best friends with, also has very little perosnality and does underage and inappriate things, even with Vada like drink wine, skip school, smoke weed, have sex and listen to unedited music, making her not a likable character much at all either. Vada’s mother Patricia is overprotective of her daughters and her father is more likable as he is more lenient, fun and not afraid to curse (though some may not like that).
Overall, I found this film to be anything but spectacular. It is good and that is all. You’d think for a story about school gun violence, it would’ve been great, but I found myself rather bored for a good portion of this movie. Also the abrupt ending, just made it worse to me. Powerful story, not executed powerfully enough. 18+ 3/5
Last Night in Soho (2021)
Last Night in Soho is a 2021 British psychological horror film directed by Edgar Wright and starring Thomasin McKenzie, Anya Taylor-Joy, Matt Smith, Michael Ajao, Diana Rigg and Terrence Stamp. It is the final film appearances of Rigg and Margaret Nolan, who both died in 2020.
The film follows Eloise “Ellie” Turner, who loves the music and fashion of the Swinging Sixties and dreams of becoming a fashion designer. Her mother, who was also a designer, killed herself when Ellie was a child. Ellie occasionally sees her mother’s ghost in mirrors.
Ellie moves from her rural house in Redruth, Cornwall, to London, to study at the London College of Fashion, where she has trouble fitting in with the other students, especially her stuck up roommate Jocasta. Only John, another student, is sympathetic towards her. Unhappy in the dorms of the school, Ellie moves into a bedsit in Goodge Place owned by the elderly Ms. Collins.
That night, Ellie has a vivid dream where she is carried back in time to the 1960s. At the Cafe de Paris, she sees a brave young blonde woman, Sandie, ask about becoming a singer at the club. Sandie begins a relationship with charming teddy boy manager, Jack. The next morning, Ellie designs a dress inspired by Sandie and discovers a love bite on her neck.
Ellie has another dream in which Sandie auditions at a Soho nightclub, arranged by Jack. before returning to the same bedsit that Ellie has rented. Inspired by these dreams, Ellie dyes her hair blonde, changes her clothing style and gets a job at a pub. She is approached by a grey haired man, who recognizes her resemblance to Sandie is not living the life she had wanted and Jack begins to pimp Sandie to his male business partners. Ellie begins an investigation after discovering in a dream that murders have taken place in the bedsit and soon discovers that the owner of the place she is renting from has a dark past and that she may or may not be the real Sandie.
This film is equal parts intense, twisted, bizarre and disturbing. The combination of putting present day London and 1960s London together is ingeniously done, combining the fashion and music of today’s Britain to the fashion and music and to what it was in 60s, along with the two stories clashing together as one and at times separately. The soundtrack is great combining both sixties and 2000s hits, the fashion is fantastic, everything Sandie and Jack (others from the 60s) wear is beautiful and spot on with the time period, making the film both gorgeous and thrilling at the same time.
Thomasin McKenzie does a good, not great job in the film as Ellie Turner, but was not the best fit for the role. Anya Taylor-Joy is outstanding job as Sandie , Matt Smith is equally outstanding as Jack. Terrance Stamp is good as Lindsey, the grey haired older man who stalks Ellie at the pub, I just wish he had had more lines in the movie.
The film seems to jump into the wickedness almost too quickly, not really building up much beforehand. You do learn how Sandie meets Jack, but you learn too fast, so that part is bit rushed, making it seem like she becomes nightclub star and he becomes her boyfriend and pimp overnight, which is impossible. The story is almost all intensity and too much of it takes place in the 60s world and not in the present day. Also, the film towards the end, stretches the horror factor too far, making the landlady into the overdone insane character, which at first you think is Ellie.
If the director would’ve spent equal time in both eras, stopped the overdoing of the weird towards the end and cast a better actress for Ellie, the film would have been fantastic. It is still entertaining, but I don’t see it winning any best picture awards or Palme d’Or at Cannes. But both Taylor-Joy and Smith deserve awards for their performances. 18+ 3.5/5