Stovepipe99 Reviews (20)

The Mount (2021)

Squanders a great main character

[3/10 · 22 April 2023]

This film starts out in a very promising way. Philomena is a great character and I loved spending time with her. Then the murderous, weirdo teens show up and the whole thing devolves into a loud, shrieking torture porn mess. There's no development of the teenagers, literally no information given except that they are siblings and it's the birthday of one of them. Everything about the last 3/4 of the film is unpleasant, but not in a way that is challenging or engaging. I can't blame the actors, who seem like they are trying. I think that the problem is how the movie was written and the lack of any kind of relationship between Philomena and the kids. Everything that happens is scary and horrible on paper, but a chore to actually watch. This would have been a better film if instead of being a horror movie we just spent 90 minutes watching Philomena getting high and eating popcorn on her couch.

Yeelen (1987)

Animal lovers--beware!

[17 January 2021]

This is not a "proper" review at all. But I strongly feel that people should be forewarned about actual animal cruelty, and this film features an animal being burned to death and screaming in pain as it dies.

I can't score the film, as I did not watch it past the animal torture (which was the very first scene). I wish I had known about this content before I started the film.

8 Days (2014)

Well-Intentioned. Important Issue. Flawed Presentation.

[5/10 · 24 May 2020]

I think that it's important to be able to separate the intention of the filmmakers and the importance of the issue from how effective the film actually is.

This movie follows a white, middle-class girl who is sold(?!) to a pimp by a group of her (white, upper-class) classmates. She endures 8 days of captivity as her family works to rescue her.

I think that child sex trafficking is a very important issue and one that should have a higher profile in our country. But the version presented in this film, while not impossible, is certainly an anomaly. Kidnapping a clean-cut middle class white teenage girl (who has zero substance abuse issues and very minimal teenager conflict with her family) is simply not a good strategy for a sex trafficker. We aren't talking about something like the Elizabeth Smart case where the victim is locked away in a cellar or something by a single kidnapper. These people are staying in a hotel. She is seeing (according to the voice over) almost 7 different men each day. Her photo and name are plastered all over the news and on fliers around town.

A much better representation of child sex trafficking come from the other girls. Sugar, who is sold by her mother and BB, a runaway who falls in with the wrong crowd. These girls truly have no one on their side. No one is looking for them. Their names and faces never made it to the local news, much less a missing poster. They represent the kind of sex trafficking that has happened in my community.

I was also frustrated at times by the portrayal of the process of finding her. This film continues the misconception that you have to wait 2 full days to report someone missing. You do not!! In another scene the mother of the missing girl nods along when a family friend says "All we can do is pray." Um, what?! How about canvasing? Talking to the other kids at the party? Posting to any and every social media platform? Fundraising a reward for information? We are later vaguely told that the HSI uses an "online search" to look for Amber. The portrayal of finding a missing person is muddled and confusing.

Again: this is a really important issue. By chance I recently watched the film Holly which also addressed child sex trafficking (albeit on an international level). This is something that needs to be brought to the forefront. But I felt the specific story told in this film came off as implausible and confused. I appreciate the intentions of the filmmakers but implying that never letting your 16 year old daughter go to a party is the solution feels misguided.

When the Old Phone Rings (2017)

A Mixed-Bag Haunted House Horror-Comedy

[7/10 · 17 March 2020]

First of all, I have a soft spot for low-budget films and I tend to cut them a lot of slack when it comes to things like special effects, sound quality, film quality, and acting (to an extent). Typically my score for a low-budget film is about 1- or 2-stars higher than what most others would give.

This film follows a crew of frat bros who relocate their frat house to a spooky old Victorian with a gruesome past. Things quickly go awry after the bros make a series of prank calls using an old phone they find in the house.

The horror part of the film was pretty good, in my opinion. I was a fan of several of the sequences (especially with a ghost girl figure), and really liked the simple horror of the bros prank calling a young woman who then audibly freaks out at their threats. It does feel like the film is missing one more "action" type scene--there's maybe a bit too much sitting around and talking.

The comedy element of the film is okay. There are some funny lines (such as one bro randomly deciding that he wants to escape to an island to run a leather shop, "We'd make the finest belts" or something like that) and a few clunkers.

I think that the main issue with the film is that the acting is only decent. The main actors (all male) all have a really similar tone of speech and affect. There is a lot of flat delivery of dialogue and lines that should pop just don't. One or two scenes sound much better rehearsed than the others (such as a conversation/confessional between two of the bros toward the end of the movie), but it kind of throws into relief the flat affect of most of the acting.

I liked the concept and the setting of the film. It held my interest until the end. I would give this writer/director another chance. I wish that the acting had been stronger or more varied.

Sorceress (2017)

Doesn't Live Up to Potential

[6/10 · 19 September 2019]

I love finding hidden gems on services like Amazon Prime, and I try not to let low ratings scare me away.

This film just didn't have enough spark to make it worth recommending.

A woman named Nina moves back to Europe (after a childhood in the US) following the death of her mother. Socially isolated, Nina strikes up a friendship with a local woman named Katya which quickly morphs into a romance. But Nina's belief that she is a witch (inherited from her mother through blood) begins to knock things off the rails.

This is a great premise! And I did like the way that they showed the romance develop between Nina and Katya. The two actresses have good chemistry. But the film just doesn't know where to go in its third act. It was already kind of slow and low-key (something I don't always mind), but it lacks any punch in it's final twenty-five minutes. There was one moment at the end that I thought was powerful, but by then it was pretty much too little, too late.

If you are interested, though, it's worth noting that the movie is only like 70 minutes long, so you aren't exactly throwing away a whole evening if you want to check it out.

Ready or Not (I) (2019)

Fun, bloody summer horror flick

[8/10 · 21 August 2019]

Is an 8/10 a little generous?

Maybe.

But I just got back from seeing this one in the theater and it was the perfect summer horror film: bloody and funny and just plain FUN.

I really have very few criticisms about this film. Was it maybe a little predictable? I guess. But knowing where the story was going didn't stop me from enjoying the ride.

Samara Weaving did a great job in the title role. Unlike a lot of films of this type, she doesn't just go from wilting violet to gun-toting war machine in the blink of an eye. Her character really goes through a complicated series of emotions and encounters, and the film wisely gives her strong scenes with the characters of her husband, her brother-in-law, and her mother-in-law. Even the more secondary characters are given distinct personalities and motivations, and so despite the sprawling cast I knew exactly who each character was and it added some impact to the violent scenes when they arrived.

Adam Brody is really good as Daniel, the brother who reluctantly participates in his family's cruel traditions. I didn't even recognize Melanie Scrofano (I know her from Wynonna Earp) as the coked up sister-in-law, but she was hilarious.

Without venturing into spoiler territory, I found the film to be violent and bloody, but not cruel or depressing. A lot of the violence was darkly funny, and the actors are generously doused with blood and gore. It has some broad themes about what people will do to become rich or to stay rich--a criticism of both rich people and the non-rich people who are willing to do horrible things to climb the ladder. But the film isn't overly concerned with delivering a message, so the broadness of its themes didn't bug me.

Movies are always better on the big screen, but I would highly recommend this film as a rental--especially for a movie night with a group of friends.

Kidnapping Stella (2019)

Maybe passable if you haven't seen "Alice Creed"; no reason to watch if you have seen "Alice Creed"

[5/10 · 19 July 2019]

This isn't just a "rip off" of "Disappearance of Alice Creed", it is a full blown remake with a handful of changes to the story. The first two-thirds of the film are almost identical to the original (the kidnapping, the ensuing complications).

I will keep this very vague so as to avoid spoilers, but the only real departure in the story comes in the final act. In my opinion, this remake does away with maybe the most interesting moment of the original.

This isn't a bad film, but by the same token I'm not sure why it needed to exist. There's nothing all that interesting about the acting, writing, or direction, and if you are familiar with the original there are no surprises to be had.

The Hatred (2018)

A pleasant surprise--low-budget horror that does not disappoint

[7/10 · 30 January 2019]

I've been in a low-budget horror rut lately--just lots of films with half an idea, poor lighting, and "edgy" twist endings. This film really surprised and impressed me.

A young woman loses her family to a murderous group of scavenging soldiers who are lost, freezing, and starving in the woods. Coming across the dead, hanged body of one of the soldiers (he was killed by the others when he didn't agree to slaughter the girl's family), her prayers and hatred combine into something supernatural and resurrect the dead soldier. Seeking revenge, they track down the rest of the soldiers.

I just really enjoyed watching this film. The scenery was very beautiful and ominous with several gorgeous shots of looming trees and water flowing under ice. The acting is pretty good--it's a mixed bag, as with any low-budget film, but the central actors play their parts well and no one is bad. I think that the strength of this film is that it is full of interesting shots, like someone splitting a log of wood to reveal someone standing in the spot that the log was blocking from the camera, or a scene where the protagonist is reaching to get a pair of guns off of the top of a tall shelf and it evokes a child trying to reach a tabletop. There was a lot of care put into shooting this film, and that really endeared it to me. It's also refreshing to see a revenge story starring a female character that isn't just some variation on rape-revenge, and also one that is interested in the dynamics of the group of bad guys, how they influence each other, and the difference between committing bad deeds and allowing bad deeds to be committed by others.

I only had two real criticisms of the film. The first is that most of the dialogue is voice-over by the lead actress. She does a pretty good job with it, but the writing starts to feel like a mish-mash of Victorian-sh language (think Deadwood) and vaguely biblical musings. Sometimes it crossed the line from ominous to nonsensical. I also had mixed feelings about the score, which is mostly distorted tones. It's effective when it's low and in the background, but it does that thing sometimes where they crank it up to a scream at certain intense parts and the electrical sounds of it distracts from what is happening on screen.

I was impressed with this film and I'd encourage you to check it out. Low-budget films are capable of much more than pandering T&A and cringy dialogue, and this is a good example of that. I'd rank it next to the 2006 film Salvage as one of the best low-budget horrors I've seen.

The Anatomy of Monsters (2014)

Unsuccessful attempt at psychological thriller/horror *MILD SPOILERS*

[4/10 · 27 January 2019]

A date between a man and a woman progresses to a hookup at a motel, where the man reveals that he's going to kill her. At first feigning fear, the woman quickly explains that she is actually a killer herself, and the rest of the film is largely flashbacks of the two characters (but mostly her) giving backstory.

I never like to criticize films for looking "low-budget," but in this case both the lighting and the sound give it far too much of a "home move" look and sound.

I appreciate the idea of a reversal (the hunter becomes the hunted!), but I felt like the movie was heading somewhere so obvious that I didn't really feel much suspense. There's definitely an attempt to add depth to the lead character, but her different stories about killing family pets or a homeless man are all variations on things I've seen before. Also: the way that some of the murders (in particular the murder of the homeless man and several animals) are portrayed is very flip, and it almost feels like the film thinks these are fun, charming stories as opposed to pretty horrific things.

This wasn't bad enough that I stopped watching it, or anything. But I don't think it's one I'd recommend.

Downside Up (2016)

Not Sure Who This is For

[6/10 · 20 January 2019]

The film follows a boy born into a future world where everyone else has Down Syndrome. The message, as you might guess, is about acceptance and trying to provoke thinking among non-disabled people about what it is like to function in a society where you area the odd one out.

I have worked with children and adults with disabilities in a professional capacity for the last 15 years. I am all about art that promotes acceptance and challenges people to think about how someone else experiences the world. But my problem with this film is that I'm not sure who it's for. The message is a bit simplistic (and has some weird plot issues) for an adult audience, and yet certain elements (like prostitutes soliciting or a slightly bloody post-birth shot) make it something that doesn't feel like it's for children.

Just from a storytelling point of view, I also struggled with the basic concept of the plot. This future just doesn't feel real at all. You're telling me that people who can't tie their own shoes are operating sophisticated equipment, delivering babies, performing surgery, building elaborate buildings, etc? I was never able to get past this element and really embrace the story.

I think that this film was well-intentioned, and I really enjoyed seeing so many actors with Down Syndrome. There were some fun moments (like their diagnosis that the child is "missing" a chromosome). I love the message, but don't think it was delivered well.

Rockaway (2007)

Uneven and Underwhelming Revenge Flick

[5/10 · 19 January 2019]

I checked this movie out because I was a HUGE fan of the directors' horror film Salvage (if you have not seen Salvage, check it out, because it's one of the best low-budget horrors I've ever seen and just a good movie, period).

This film, though, just didn't have that same magic. The story follows a veteran who returns from war to discover his wife and baby murdered and his neighborhood under the control of ruthless drug dealers. Realizing the police are complicit, the veteran sets out to take revenge.

I guess that my problem with this film just comes down to tone. It tries to have serious moments and funny moments, and in between all of that there's not enough character development. The lead actor is fine (as are most of the actors), but most of the secondary characters are too thinly drawn. The main characters seem to have a lot of contempt for women, and the film itself often treats them as punchlines or sex objects. There's a "funny" conversation between two of the bad guys about how to hit a prostitute to punish her. So, okay, I'm supposed to care about violence towards the veteran's wife and sister, but laugh about the abuse of the prostitutes?

There is a decent stretch of plotting in the middle as the veteran infiltrates the drug organization and begins to play the different bad guys against each other. This was the strongest part of the film and had the best action. But the third act felt sloppy and even confusing. Without revealing any spoilers, I got to the last moments and I was like "What?".

If I hadn't had so much faith in these directors from their previous film, I probably would not have stuck with it. There were strengths to the film, but not enough to overcome the tonal inconsistency and disrespectful treatment of female characters.

Aliens Ate My Homework (2018 Video)

A mediocre adaptation

[5/10 · 6 January 2019]

I loved the book Aliens Ate My Homework when I was in elementary school. I haven't read it in 20 years, so I can't really comment on how good the book would be to adult eyes.

Still, this film condenses and alters the plot to the point where I wasn't all that impressed. I did really like the look of the aliens, and the kids playing the younger siblings were fun and cute and a nice break from the usual sarcastic, precocious kids you see in most movies/shows.

But this film is also full of groan-worthy, and borderline inappropriate moments, ranging from the litany of horrible plant puns (from the plant alien) to a jaw-dropping shot where the main character holds a paper mache volcano at his crotch while it shoots out white foam.

Also, call me crazy, but this movie was full of references to the main character being fat and yet I felt like the actor looked like he was a healthy weight. And yet he is called "pudge-boy" and his cousin makes jokes about his diet not working out. It was weird seeing a child at a normal weight being fat-shamed. If they wanted this to be a part of the pot, then they should have found an actor who was actually overweight.

I was hoping that this would be a fun throwback to a childhood favorite, but ultimately it was pretty disappointing. Though I did realize a little ways through the film that the person playing the principal was Bruce Coville himself! If you really liked the book as a kid, maybe check it out. Otherwise, skip it. Would I show this film to a child? Probably not. Both because of the "humor" and because it's simply not that good.

The Apartment (2012– )

Doesn't Make for Good Design or Good Reality

[3/10 · 28 December 2018]

Like another reviewer, I went into this series hoping to get some inspiration for some design I have to do in my own house. Now, granted, design is highly subjective and I am not an expert. But with a few exceptions I thought that the designs were pretty ugly. There are also some really sketchy/dangerous shortcuts taken at times, and in one episode a huge wooden beam falls from the ceiling. There are two experts who seem to actually know what they're talking about: judge Jamie and a guest handyman called Darren. But we don't actually see how any of the work is actually accomplished.

The real turn-off, though, was the constant sexual banter/harassment from the male judges toward the female contestants and even the female guest judges. "I've always wanted to rub off on you" the lead judge leers at one young woman who laughs nervously. In another episode, Jamie lifts up a woman's leg (she is wearing a dress) and holds her leg in the air as he uses the heel of her shoe to make a point about the spacing of boards or something. Again, the woman in question is giving off major "uncomfortable but can't complain" vibes. It's icky to watch and it is *constant*.

In the season that I watched (season 2, I believe, the season on Netflix) I didn't actively dislike the contestants, but I didn't really like any of them either. It's kind of annoying how many of them are like *shrug* "We just don't know about interior design!". But you are on an interior design show!! One partnership gets assigned a room based on an artist and doesn't even bother to google the artist in question! It's hard to root for anyone, and I ended up just sort of hate-watching the series to its conclusion.

This series also indulges in the most stereotypical of "reality" elements: obviously staged sequences, drawn out and manipulative eliminations ("Susan, say goodbye . . . to Dave . . . because he's going home . . . eventually . . . but tonight you are going . . . back to your room because you've impressed me enough to last another week!"), choppy editing, etc. I love the concept of the show, but the execution is pretty bleak.

Christmas Time (2017)

Quirky, enjoyable little flick

[7/10 · 12 December 2018]

I watch a lot of low-budget, never-heard-of-it flicks on Amazon, and most of them are garbage. But every now any then I'm pleasantly surprised, and this was one of those cases. Despite some red flags (the characters share their names with the actors who play them, a suspiciously high IMDb star rating, etc) I gave this one a chance and I'm glad I did.

The film follows a couple, Maclain and Clare. They are struggling with infertility and Maclain is also dealing with strange dreams involving his brother and the childhood death of his parents. In an attempt to help Maclain, Clare finds Maclain's estranged brother, Jake, and invites him to have Christmas with them at the family cabin. What Clare doesn't realize is that the reason the brothers have drifted apart is that Jake is utterly convinced that he is a time traveler.

On the positive side, the three leads have pretty good chemistry. The lead couple are married in real life, and I see from looking through all of their pages that they've all worked on several films together. They have a real, lived-in comfort with each other that elevates the group banter. There are also several funny moments. I really like low-key sci-fi films (think Happy Accidents with Marissa Tomei), and so I enjoyed the goofy premise of Jake's possible time-traveling. If the film really was made in 6 days (as claimed in the trivia), that's pretty impressive. Overall it looks professional. If you're familiar with the horror-comedy "Crush the Skull," I'd compare this film to it in terms of how well it worked with a small cast and limited budget.

On the down side I only had two really negatives. One is that the film takes a turn in the last 20 minutes toward a more serious tone and some drama, and that shift is kind of jarring. I appreciate that the film is trying to address some of the issues it brought up throughout, but it packs a lot of serious moments/confrontations/outbursts into a short stretch of time and it feels too abrupt. My other complaint is specific maybe to me: there was a joke involving the killing of animals that I just didn't appreciate, and generally humor around the handling of a gun that made me cringe more than it made me laugh.

Overall I think that this one's worth checking out. It's a fun mash-up of a Christmas movie and a low-budget sci-fi drama and I quite enjoyed it.

The Happiest Place on Earth (I) (2015)

Simple but interesting story

[7/10 · 18 November 2018]

I thought that this film was more a drama than a thriller. A woman and her husband fall on hard times when he loses his job. When he goes missing on a camping trip, both his wife and the audience have to decide if he's really dead or possibly trying to scam the insurance company.

I watch a lot of low-budget films on Amazon and Hulu, and this was one of the better ones I've seen . The acting is good, and even if I sometimes knew where the plot was going there were still a few surprises in there. The direction is solid and makes good use of the natural lighting and sets that they worked with.

The only thing that bothered me was that it didn't seem like either the husband or the wife was really willing to hustle to pay their bills--like, walk some dogs or bus some tables. But then again, I guess some people can't get their heads around the idea of working a "lesser" job.

In any event, I watched this one for free on Amazon Prime and I think it's worth checking out. It's a pretty brisk 80 minutes, and you'll know about 15 minutes in whether or not you're invested in the story.

Bedlam (2011–2013)

Fun premise, underwhelming delivery

[6/10 · 25 July 2018]

First of all, I think it's good to know going in that season 1 and season 2 are different beasts. The first season follows Jed, a man who sees ghosts and returns to his family's asylum-turned-apartment building after being summoned by an unknown entity. While there he tries to understand his deeper connection to the place. Season 2 follows Ellie, a paramedic who has started seeing ghosts and goes to the asylum/apartments to seek out Jed (her access to medical files means she knows that he also saw ghosts).

The premise itself is good, and I was interested in both the "episode of the week" parts (ie always figuring out which former mental patient was haunting someone and why), and the long-form story (about Jed and Ellie and their connection to the asylum). But both aspects of the series let me down quite a bit. There are some creepy images here and there, but the resolutions are often not very satisfying. We are repeatedly shown mental patients who haunt the asylum because they were horribly abused, and usually their stories end with really superficial solutions, like returning a possession to a grave.

As other reviews have mentioned, there are several mysteries that are simply never solved or just dropped from the narrative and it's quite frustrating. Characters we care about--MAIN CHARACTERS--leave or die off-screen, as if the actors just simply didn't come back to work and another character explains what happened to them or where they are.

I don't mind shows that aren't awesome, but this one doesn't even have an episode that I could name as a stand-out or even totally good episode. On the whole they tend to range from boring to middling. On the plus side, there are only 12 episodes in the entire show, and I liked Theo James and Lacey Turner enough as the leads that I stayed relatively engaged. Hugo Speer (as the probably evil uncle Warren) is good, but given almost nothing to do except pop up now and then to be menacing.

I can't really recommend this one, nor can I say it should be avoided. It's just . . . eh. If you like ghosty/paranormal stuff, this is good enough for a Friday night binge watch.

A Bad Idea Gone Wrong (2017)

Decent comedy

[6/10 · 21 June 2018]

When I pick a film off of Amazon Prime having never heard of it before, I always go in with lowered expectations. From time to time I'm pleasantly surprised and this was one of those cases.

The film follows two men, Marlon and Leo, who break into a home in a gated community, only to find themselves trapped inside with a woman, Darcy, who has her own reasons for being in the house.

On the positive side of things, all of the actors did really well with their line delivery, which elevates the writing. Matt Jones has a voice that reminds me of Jake Johnson, with that very dry humor, and the actress playing Darcy also had a very good deadpan delivery. There were also a few well done scenes of physical comedy. Given that the film basically only has the three characters, it does enough dynamic things with them (and the runtime is short enough!) that you don't really get tired of them.

On the downside, the film lacks any actual compelling emotional center. The heart of the film really has to do with Leo getting over his ex-fiance, and I cannot emphasize enough how totally boring this element was for me. The ex-fiance is basically absent from the film, so we depend entirely on Leo telling us how much he loved her. It just isn't interesting, and the conflict it generates between the characters is underwhelming. I wish the writers had found a different way to create tension between the three main characters. I also didn't particularly care for the way that the film developed the relationship between Darcy and Leo--the writers go with the trope of the "nice guy" who deserves to have a woman be in love with him and I just find it to be an annoying cliche. Darcy's character is very quirky and I didn't find her attraction to Leo to be very believable.

This movie moves along at a good pace, it has several well-delivered, funny lines, and the actors generally have good rapport. It is certainly stronger in the first half and loses its way a bit in the second half. The actors do a good job of delivering their lines and keeping the energy of the film up. This isn't a movie I ever see myself rewatching, but I think it's worthy of a viewing.

Take Me to the River (2015)

Intentionally frustrating, strongly acted

[7/10 · 28 August 2017]

A young man visiting relatives in rural Nebraska goes into a barn to play a game with a 9 year old cousin. She emerges screaming from the barn with a blood-stained dress and, to put it mildly, things go downhill from there.

The strongest element of this film is also the element that makes it the most frustrating as a viewer--namely this is a movie that commits completely to holding the point of view of the main character, Ryder. There are undercurrents of emotion and resentment roiling beneath the setting of a folksy family reunion, in particular some very strained and strange dynamics between Ryder's mother and her brother (the father of the 9 year old girl). Ryder is totally lost at sea because not only is he on unfamiliar ground (a gay, California city boy out in the country), but his parents and especially his mother behave in a seemingly irrational manner as events continue to escalate.

By the middle of the movie I was thinking "Will someone just PLEASE explain what is going on here?!?!?!". On the one hand, I appreciate that this is exactly how Ryder himself must feel. But on the other hand, I got anxious and frustrated waiting for the film to reveal the background context needed to understand what was happening--to the point that it was hard to sit through scene after scene of coded conversations and meaningful looks.

I thought that the acting was very strong across the board, including the children.

Aside from feeling like the limited point-of-view was a double-edged sword, my only other criticism is that there were certain character actions that were just way too illogical or dumb. For example, despite the fact that he was all but accused of molesting his cousin, Ryder several times allows himself to be alone with other young girls without any other adults even in earshot. I just didn't believe it. Why if you had been accused (and also implicitly threatened) would you ever allow yourself to be in a position again where there were no witnesses to your behavior? There were a few character decisions (necessary to move the plot along) that didn't feel like real character choices--and they stand out because for the most part the acting and writing does come across as very realistic.

Generally speaking this is one I'd recommend, especially if you can watch it for free on a streaming service as I did.

Slasher (2016– )

Easy-to-binge Serial Killer Thriller

[5/10 · 31 July 2017]

This series follows Sarah, a young woman who has returned to the town (and the house!) where years earlier her parents were murdered. Her arrival seems to spark a new wave of killings by a masked murderer known as the Executioner.

This is the kind of show that is the equivalent of a page-turner. It moves the plot along at a fairly brisk pace, with scandalous murders and plot twists in each and every episode. The killings are gruesome and dramatic, and some of the actors really commit themselves to their sleazy, wicked characters. The show is at its best when it commits to the high drama and outrageous set pieces (this is the kind of show where EVERYONE goes alone to investigate clues, even when they suspect they are walking into a killer's trap).

My main issues with the show were to do with the central mystery itself. I was able to guess the killer/killers (leaving that ambiguous for you so that I don't give anything away) by the middle of the second episode, and the show doesn't do a great job of developing very many plausible suspects to begin with. This is the kind of show where the killer has "rules"--sort of--but there's a frustrating lack of consistency through the different episodes. I felt very let down by the last episode/conclusion. I also docked the show a full star for a totally obnoxious and off-putting final scene. If the final scene of the season is meant as a teaser for the second season, I will not be watching.

This is a perfect show for binge-watching, with just eight episodes and a fast-paced plot. If you watch a lot of thriller or horror movies, there isn't a lot here that is new, but it does many of the classic tricks and tropes just fine.

The Tribe (2016)

Uneven Post-Apocalyptic Thriller *MILD-TO-MODERATE SPOILERS*

[6/10 · 5 July 2017]

This movie is a great example of a film that I wish had just been slightly better. A trio of sisters is surviving on an isolated ranch after an apocalyptic plague event has devastated their surroundings. One day a handsome young man, Ryan, arrives and the sisters' equilibrium, already shaky, falls apart.

The movie's strength, in my opinion, was the acting. Setting aside the actress who plays the youngest daughter (who had an odd pouting expression for much of the movie that I found distracting), there was good chemistry between the sisters and between the sisters and Ryan. The movie is at its best when it taps into the very real emotional conflict that arises when there is an emergency and the people involved have very different ideas of what is the best course of action. One sister wants to kill Ryan, the other becomes fond of him. One sister thinks they should leave the homestead, the other wants to stay. This conflict felt very organic, and the movie does a good job of keeping the character of Ryan ambiguous so that you don't know which sister is in the right.

In the movie's final act, the sisters face a different threat, and this is where the movie loses its footing. The final act tries to bring in themes involving both the plague and the little sister, and both of those things have been too underdeveloped in the first two acts. The little sister has no dialogue, and she is also not given any powerful non-verbal content--so when she is pushed to the center of the action it doesn't click. Characters assert different things about the plague, and yet I as a viewer didn't have enough of an understanding of the plague to know how to take their opinions.

The very end of the movie was confusing to me. I'm not sure if it's a case of the writer/director having a solid idea and just not conveying it clearly, or if it's a case of the writer/director not knowing how to end the movie and just going with something kind of ambiguous and vaguely sensical. Whatever the case may be, I felt let down by the conclusion of the film.

I watched this movie for free on a streaming service, and I think it's worth checking out. I just really, really wish it had landed the ending.