danielmanson

IMDb member since July 2018
    Lifetime Total
    250+
    IMDb Member
    5 years

Reviews

Barbie
(2023)

Don't get the hype. Sorry!
For me, this movie just didn't land. I don't think it helped that I had very high expectations with many saying it's film of the year and people asking why wasn't it nominated for Oscar's etc.

Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of decent positives that I liked about it. I thought the humour was on point, wasn't overbearing or daft (which I expected it to be) and the mix of adult humour in there was also funny. The cinematography and settings used was very pleasing for the eyes and the acting was also very good.

For me I had 2 issues that took to me only rating this a 5. The first is that I found the plot to be very preachy and the second is that the movie just didn't ever entice me in. Was a bit flat from the off.

Margot and Ryan actually did very good with their roles and nailed the performances, however everyone else I didn't see the point in. Characters such as Will Ferrel for example I just didn't think served any sort of purpose. The ending I also thought was very underwhelming overall.

But yeah, it's definitely an underwhelming film. It's not awful by any stretch and there's 100% positives to take from this and I'm happy I've watched. I just expected so much more.

Ricky Stanicky
(2024)

Actually quite funny
I have to say I was a little surprised by how much I actually enjoyed this movie. Yeah, it's not going to win awards, but it's a nice little enjoyable watch that gave me a good few laughs!

The plot is unique (or nothing I've seen before anyway) and I thought the comedic acting was on point. John Cena in particular was very funny and sold his role well. I will say that I thought the plot got a touch stale towards the end as since it's a comedy plot you typically know what the outcome of the movie will be about midway. I don't expect twists and turns as it's just a simple, brain switch off comedy. But, it was a bit stale towards the end and I would have liked just a little more "wow" factor.

But that's the only real negative I have to say. Ultimately it's a comedy, with a fun and unique plot that gave me some good laughs! Can't really ask for too much more. I honestly believe this is the type of movie that would have done so well in the box office about 15 years ago. But, at least more people can watch this with it on streaming.

I enjoyed! I would recommend.

Saltburn
(2023)

Definitely different
I really annoyingly enjoyed this movie. Sure, it has some really bizarre and in all honesty, needless scenes. But, on the whole it was a story that was very interesting and the storytelling was fantastic.

My main gripe with this movie is the main character Oliver (Barry Keoghan). It was a fantastic performance first and foremost. But, I would have loved a bit more into his character. There's no doubt he's a weird individual. But why? The sexual scenes that I think everyone is aware of, just why?? In my mind they were purely shock factor and didn't serve any purpose to the plot itself.

I thought that all the characters, although interesting, didn't give enough to really warrant rooting for them. You follow Oliver's character mainly, but due to the mystery of him you don't have that emotion towards that you'd like.

The story itself I actually found very gripping. About greed and wanting it all. Some reviews say it's pretentious crap and I don't agree, isn't the point to show just how "odd" and "out of touch" the rich really are. Saltburn is an estate that its own bubble of reality. The people in there will be eccentric and bizarre. Wouldn't it be a bit boring if it was just a regular old estate that he wanted to take over?

The ending is a touch underwhelming, it's set out like it's all some big twist to the tale, when it's really not. But, the story to get there I feel is an interesting narrative.

It's absolutely not a film for everyone. I think you'll either love it or hate it. But for me it was something that had interesting characters and an interesting plot. I just wish they toned down the shock value and focused on the storytelling itself.

The Kissing Booth 3
(2021)

So much cringe!!!
I have put myself through all 3 films and what I'm about to say could be said for all 3, so I thought let's just put my quick review on the final installment.

I will say as well for the 3 films, plot wise, it could easily be put together to make one movie. Felt so dragged on at times and endings weren't so much endings. Just made for this boring experience overall. I get this movie isn't aimed at someone like myself, but I can still recognise a good movie and good points in a movie. But, unfortunately this isn't it.

One word. CRINGE. So much cringe. Every single scene had some level of cringe. And I don't mean humour worthy cringe either. As in, it makes you seriously want to shrivel up and not continue watching. I found myself saying every 10 mins "oh the cringeeeee".

Think of a typical teen romance cliche. No matter what it is. This movie has it! Absolutely riddled with cliche's. To the point where I knew what the entire plot of the film was going to be about 20 minutes into each instalment. It actually became a game of mine to figure it out and in Kissing Booth 2 I got it dead on around 20 minutes in. I understand the point of these movies isn't to challenge you etc, but come on throw in something a touch different.

To sum up. Boring and cringe.

Waiting...
(2005)

A more rude office space
Early 2000s comedies are one of my favourite things to watch and seeing the likes of Ryan Reynolds, Justin Long & Anna Faris then I had to watch and it's not a bad watch if I'm honest.

I will say it will NOT be for everyone. I mentioned it's like Office Space and it is, but it's in a restaurant and more crude. The plot itself is a little pointless it's more like a day in the life of these workers. I think if you're like me and enjoy these comedies then you'll have a good time, there's definitely some laugh of loud moments and the characters are all very unique and funny in their own way. But, the lack of direction of the plot I definitely think will put a lot off. The ending isn't as such an ending either, like I said it's more just like a behind the scenes of a restaurant.

So yeah it's a fun little movie and I'll happily rate this a 6/10. I would have liked more direction and some more of a plot, but it's a niche comedy and I have to respect that!

Insidious: The Red Door
(2023)

Sadly wasn't a fan
I had no idea where they would take this movie as I thought Insidious 2 was good enough to end the series on. The prequel wasn't great, but wasn't bad. But unfortunately for me this is the worst instalment.

The story didn't feel like an addition to the previous story, just felt like the same story rehashed 9 years later. Was predictable to be honest a little dull. It really struggled to gain my attention. Maybe after years of not watching the movies this might feel like a fun refresher of a great horror plot, but I have just watched all 4 in a week and the decline on this movie was very noticeable.

The movie is centred around Dalton and to be blunt he just wasn't a likeable character at all. He was supposed to be a rude, bratty teen but I feel like they went too far with it to the point where he was someone I just didn't enjoy being on screen.

It's a shame the series ends on this movie, but unfortunately it was a flat plot, that didn't share the same intensity, emotion and suspense as the other instalments.

Insidious: Chapter 2
(2013)

Better than the first? Could well be
This could be one of those rare occasions where the sequel is actually better than the first movie. The linking back to the first movie was absolutely fantastic and the continuous suspense created through really kept you on the edge of your seat.

I will say that this ideally needs to be watched right after the first movie as there is a lot of references that link back. But if you do this really is a great sequel.

I mentioned the suspense and it really does keep you on the edge of your seat throughout, similar to the first installment in that I thought that the jump scares felt a bit too obvious, but it really keeps you in suspense from the get go.

I thought the characters in the first felt a little boring, however in this one they all started to come into their own and it was all just well acted.

With the plot essentially carrying on right where the first ended, i had doubts that it would be a little boring and maybe repetitive. But, it was a really engrossing storyline that had me wondering constantly.

I do genuinely believe that this movie is a better watch than the first, just make sure you have recently watched the first.

Insidious
(2010)

Good horror, but a tired premise
I'll start by saying this is a pretty good horror movie. It's not breathtaking by any stretch, but it's worth a watch if you haven't already.

I think I big problem I have is that it's quite frankly a tired premise that's been used so frequently in horror the last 20 years or so. Granted this is an older film now and I may not have felt this way when it first came out, but if you're watching this for the first time this could well be an issue for yourself. Nothing really surprised me as we've seen it all before. This isn't me saying this is a bad movie, just if you're watching in 2023 it could well feel a bit tired and boring even.

The characters was my other issue, I didn't really find them engrossing or interesting enough to really root for them. I know there's only so much you can do with this genre of horror, but I would have liked a little more depth and intrigue from the parents in particular.

Is this film scary? Yes. In a sense that the plot did a fantastic job of keeping suspense throughout the whole hour and a half. The jump scares felt a little obvious to me, but the suspense really keeps you on the edge of your seat.

It's 100% worth a watch, it had me feeling scared and I'm intrigued to watch Insidious 2. So all in all I can't complain.

Fool Me Once
(2024)

Keeps you guessing!
I don't often do reviews on TV shows, but I saw so many negative reviews (maybe because of the success) so had to throw in my 2 cents.

I have to say I really enjoyed this mini series. It's something that really keeps you guessing from start to finish. For me, what I enjoyed was that it didn't feel slow at any point. It went straight into it and nothing felt unneeded.

I will say I had one irritant which is that it did that cliche thing of "let's make this character do really suspect, when they don't have any relation to murder", which in theory makes you think that oh it could be this person. Which keeps you guessing. But, I found it just irritating, because I feel as though they massively overplayed it.

I see a lot of complaints about acting and Michelle Keegan, but honestly I didn't have an issue with it at all. It's not Oscar worthy acting by any stretch, but by no means was it poor. The character Sami I thought was really well acted and constructed, so special mention to him.

The final twists and the solution was really good I thought and it was something I really didn't even come close to getting. It answered all questions which is what you really need with a mini series.

All in all I'll give this a solid 7/10. It's binge worthy, fantastic for a lazy Sunday.

The Week Of
(2018)

Was a headache of a movie
The title of this really describes how I feel after watching this movie. I've been going through a bit of an Adam Sandler binge and this popped up out the blue on Netflix so thought let's go with it. And I have to say it's one of his worst films (not Jack and Jill bad, but bad enough).

I found this to just have too much going on, they have so many characters introduced that it's hard to remember half their names. Obviously the point of this plot was to illustrate how hectic wedding planning is and the merging of families is always interesting. But, they just tried far too much and you end up with this obnoxious headache of a movie.

Plot wise, it's very bland. Now that's okay with a comedy, you don't want complex writing you want a laugh. But, the comedy was just a huge miss for me. I think I smiled as a couple of jokes at best during the whole film. I think the issue was that the comedy just got overshadowed by the overuse of characters.

If they toned down the amount of main characters then this could have worked a lot better, but there is ultimately too much going on. You find yourself either confused or constantly questioning why a character is doing what they are doing and sadly nobody stood out (nobody was really given a chance to).

I did like the sentimental value the film offered towards the end and it was a nice way to end it all. But, for a comedy this just misfires and I wouldn't recommend personally. 4/10 today.

Saw X
(2023)

Much much better than I thought
Well I have to say, this is a genuinely fantastic film and I'm so glad I watched in the cinema for maximum viewing pleasure. Plot was fantastic, acting was very good and it has everything you want in a saw movie.

I think I had the thoughts of most when this was announced, "why another saw film" and I fully anticipated an almost gimmicky movie that was just a quick cash grab. However, this couldn't be further from. The plot gives us so much more in terms of depth with John Kramer, he had a much more central role and the writing makes you feel things for him you likely haven't felt before in any previous film.

The plot had a couple of great twists and turns. It didn't feel as one dimensional as the previous few instalments. I was genuinely guessing how this film is going to turn out and I can honestly say it has all the gore and torture devices you want and need in a saw plot. It's made in a way where even if you haven't seen any Saw films before you could watch this enjoy and understand it, which is also fantastic for new viewers.

I would happily rate this in the top 3/4 Saw movies and would easily recommend for both fans of the franchise and for new people to get started. Solid 8/10 from me today.

You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah
(2023)

I lost interest
I'll start by saying I didn't feel like I was the demographic this movie was going for, felt a lot like a young teen movie than anything else. So bare in mind before chucking it on.

Like most, I clicked because it's an Adam Sandler film. He doesn't appear in it often, he's more of a side character so again if you're expecting a classic Sandler comedy with him as the main aspect then think again. The humour just wasn't the same as they went for a more teen humour and not Sandler humour, so it's really not what I imagine most will expect when clicking on this.

So the film. Is it any good? It's very average and bland to put it bluntly. Humour didn't stick with me, forgettable plot and characters weren't particularly likeable either. I got a bit bored midway as you know how this film will end and the journey to get there isn't thrilling either.

For me, the characters were the most frustrating part of this watch. They definitely had elements nailed on in terms of how 13 year old girls act and behave at school etc but the personalities sucked. Stacy, the main character here, kept making awful decisions and just had a poor character arc that really made me not like her by the end.

It's honestly just an average watch that you will likely forget by tomorrow morning.

Gossip Girl
(2007)

More annoying as it went on
So one of my big annoyances is that from the off it's clear that one of the main plot lines will be "who is gossip girl?". But, realistically does it really matter? Any sort of justification on why they need to know is executed really poorly and in 6 seasons I recall them wanting to know who it is about twice (before the very end, obviously). It becomes such a pointless plot line. Because it's just a website that people post gossip on and very quickly the important plots end up being "will this character end up with this character?".

The "will this character end up with this character" got incredibly tedious the more it went on. We all know who's going to end as a couple and yet after 60-80 45 minute episodes and still not together, just becomes annoying and not fun to watch. Characters falling in love after about 15 seconds with other characters, then going nah I want the original one again. Tedious and repeated over and over. Really needed to mix it up a little, just became tiresome.

The characters I found to be frustrating, yet I think this was the point. These rich upper east teens do act this entitled. So although it can be very frustrating and almost making characters unlikeable, it's actually very well done from the writers/directors.

Although I've basically shunned the entire plot purpose of this show, it was still entertaining in parts. I just wish they did the whole romance plots better and a bit more in depth.

So I'll give it a 6/10. It's still watchable at the end of the day and I've seen much much worse TV shows in the past.

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
(2022)

I had a lot of fun
I honestly had no idea what to expect when putting this movie on. But, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. It's a fun little movie, that has a plot that keeps you very interested, subtle yet fun humour and very interesting characters.

So I assumed when clicking on this movie that it would be that "daft" humour, which I really dislike, however it couldn't be further from as it was almost very lowbrow comedy used. The subtle references to Nic Cage's previous films and characters etc really added a fun comedic dynamic which I really didn't expect, but made it a really fun watch. This also worked really well with the plot as although this film is a bit of a gimmick, it maintained a fun yet interesting story.

It's not a breathtaking plot, but it's one that absolutely keeps you interested from start to finish, it's one that makes you root for the characters, it's one that will make you laugh, it's one that will have you on the edge of your seat at times. It's honestly just such a fun little movie and I'm really glad I watched this.

Murder Mystery 2
(2023)

Exactly what you expect
It's quite a hard film to review as it did exactly what it said on the box. It was a very mediocre murder mystery comedy, some silly jokes thrown in and a basic plot. Basically what I'm trying to say is that if you enjoyed the first film, you'll likely enjoy this one as well.

From a more in depth point of view, I found the characters outside of Jennifer and Adam to be really annoying, half of them didn't serve any real purpose and the few that did were almost insufferable to watch. They tried to create these "wacky" characters, but it fell incredibly short.

The plot. With any murder mystery there needs to be some twists and turns. Was there? I mean, there was. But the plot was so middle of the lane, the little twists they did do didn't really impact you as an audience. I guarantee you most will probably guess the whole situation out within 40 minutes as well. The plot just never went out of its way to "wow" you, it was all so simple and mediocre.

Was it better than the first? I'd argue they are on very similar wavelengths. Very similar scenarios, comedy was similar. So if you did enjoy the first film, you'll enjoy this one to the same degree.

I honestly don't have much else to say on this one. If you like the first, you'll like the 2nd. It's a very middle of the lane plot and it's a really easy watch for a Friday night at home. It did exactly what it said on the tin, so don't expect to be wowed. 6/10.

A Quiet Place Part II
(2020)

Should be longer
This will be one of the only ever times I will say this, but this needed to be a longer film. We currently have a thing where every film seems to be around 2.5 hours for it to be considered "good". And I often disagree as they frequently have scenes etc that are just a waste. But, in this case I do feel like additional time would have benefitted it hugely.

So, to start I really enjoyed this movie regardless of time. Acting was really good, cinematography was outstanding and there was some really intense scenes that had me on the edge of my seat. Which is very hard to do when there's limited dialogue and sound. Ultimately this was very much worthy of a sequel.

I personally didn't find the kids annoying. This was something I picked up on in the first film also, but it's worth mentioning again. When you watch films where kids are part of the main cast it can be annoying (war of the worlds still gives me PTSD from just how frustrating the female child was), but this movie does a great job of that not being the case.

I feel the plot would have benefitted from more scenes. The journey to get to the boat etc, they had a lot of character arcs and storylines to get some depth in and ultimately it felt a little rushed at parts. The plot was definitely more predictable than the first, you knew where it was heading definitely. But the journey was still a fun and intense ride.

Was it a good sequel and a good film? Yes. Was it better than the first? No. But, I'm very glad I've watched and it's definitely one I'll remember.

Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging
(2008)

I really tried
Now, admittedly I understand that the demographic for this movie isn't for a guy in his mid 20s watching with his girlfriend. But, my god this just is not a good movie.

So, first off the main character just isn't a very likeable person generally. Very, obnoxious and just plain annoying to watch. As for the other characters, they served little purpose, all had basic to no personalities to the point I genuinely can't remember any of the names. The acting wasn't great either from anyone involved in all honesty.

The plot was the most basic thing I've seen in a while, you know how it's going to end within the first 15 minutes (no exaggeration). They set everything up far too early and you're basically sat there just waiting for what you know will happen, happen. And the journey to get to the end is, again, basic. And very VERY cliche. It's a very used storyline, girl fancies boy etc, but there are much better alternatives for this demographic to watch that doesn't make teen girls and boys seem odd. The humour was just not there, again I know it's not for me, but it was just cringe above anything else.

I think this movie just incorrectly illustrates what life is like for a teen girl and partners it with such a dull and cliche plot, that you're just left with this dull thing. Would I recommend. Nah.

Primal Fear
(1996)

Ed Norton IS this movie
Well I have to say I massively enjoyed this movie. Big fan of courtroom films and this is definitely up there as one of the better ones. It's a plot that keeps you guessing from start to finish, contains some really good twists and turns and is really engaging you the entire time. Unlike some courtroom movies I don't feel as though this runs on longer than it needs to either. The acting is absolutely superb. To say this was Ed Norton's debut, my word take a bow, because that was exceptional. Absolute standout.

Couple of minor things that stop this film being a 10/10. So none of this is game changing, I just feel the need to mention. So Richard Gere's character I was never totally sold on, the narrative was that he is the good guy, yet I couldn't get past the idea that I thought he was too self-obsessed. Other thing to mention was that I thought that they revealed the first "major twist" a bit too early into the movie, meaning the plot fell a touch flat for a little while. Certainly picks up though in a fantastic way.

But overall it's a fantastic courtroom crime movie that ultimately ticks all the boxes you want and if you haven't seen I would highly recommend to all. 8/10 from me.

Valentine's Day
(2010)

More soulless Love Actually
How I titled this is basically how I can describe this watch. It's not utterly horrendous, but this just lacks any sort of humour or charm. The cast is absolutely great, but it struggles to fit all the characters and storylines in. You don't see certain "couples" for what feels like ages, so it rids of any sort of emotion towards them.

I feel like this would have worked so much better with less storylines. They had good characters, but they had zero depth. They could have really gone into detail on some, but ultimately it just lacked. It felt like a soulless Love Actually. Huge, fantastic cast, but this lacked the emotion and the humour.

You're sort of just sat there watching it, not really bothered as to "who ends up with who". Typically with the romantic genre the couple end up together, it's the journey you watch. So it has to be an interesting plot to keep us entertained and emotion filled. And I feel like this lacked in all areas.

Would I recommend? I don't think it matters as it's likely your partner will end up putting this on anyway, but nah I wouldn't. It has some redeeming factors, which stops me putting this under 5/10. Acting is pretty decent and it's shot really well. But it just felt like a soulless Hollywood romantic movie forced out for Valentine's Day. 5/10 max from me.

Killer Elite
(2011)

Entertaining, but flat
So I was instantly taken back by the "inspired by true events" right away. Because I had no idea this was the case and had zero knowledge of the true story it was illustrating. So this quick review is based more on an entertaining film standpoint over how accurate it is.

So, for me personally, I found the film a little flat. I felt like you needed to have some sort of knowledge on said true story to know what was happening. Especially in the first half of the movie. I wouldn't say I was lost, but certain times I found myself questioning what is happening.

I found myself being mildly entertained by this, but just not to an extent where I was dying to know what was going to happen next, how's it going to end etc.

Knowing it's a true story, dissecting characters is always difficult. But, again I found them just a bit too flat. Not a huge amount of personality for any of them, so because of this I didn't really generate any feelings or empathy towards any.

Even though I've just basically slated this movie, I'm still going 6/10 (above average). The acting was pretty decent, I was still being entertained by the plot and once the film really got going, it did get better. There was some cool action scenes also.

But yeah, it's not a bad film. Would I recommend? Probably not, there's about 100 action films I could say and it would be better than this. But, I'm not disappointed I chose this film for my Saturday night.

Buddy Games
(2019)

Poorly written
Normally when it comes to comedies I don't tend to focus on the writing of the film too much. With a comedy, a basic plot with funny characters and scenes is more than enough. Sadly, this doesn't have any of that!

So why is it badly written? Well, to start none of the characters are particularly likeable. Completely rids of any relatability and humour from them. The idea for the plot is quite fun, but it's just so let down. It takes 45 mins to get going, yet doesn't really give us any sort of character depth in that time. I had forgotten the names of a couple of the "buddies" by the time the games started.

Olivia Munn's character and the "couple" storyline has to be the most pointless and mundane storyline I've ever seen in my life. But, I found the film a bit dull for what it was. They could have taken the plot down so many different routes and instead took the straight and narrow. Which would be fine if the film was funny! Which it isn't.

The humour was so forced and daft and don't get me wrong a love a daft comedy. But, this just fails on so many levels. I must have smiled twice at best watching this, with no audible laughs.

There's very few redeeming characteristics I'll be honest. It's a really easy watch and maybe the humour might be for you, but judging from the low IMDb score and low reviews I'm thinking many think the same. A very low 3/10 from me today!

Glass Onion
(2022)

Not as good as first. Good sequel however
I think like most here, I went into this film with good expectations. I really enjoyed the first movie and with the cast announced I was looking forward to this. I've come out of it, however, a little dissatisfied.

So I have 2 major plot annoyances, which for me really stops this movie being a great one. So the start was really slow. I wasn't really sold on any of the characters and it just seemed to take an age for the plot to get moving. However, once it does I really enjoyed it. A few really nice twists and the tension built along with the "who did it?" That's burning your brain as you watch, really made me want to watch more and more.

Until the end. It seemed to fall apart a bit. Listen, it's not the worst ending you'll see. But it reminds me of Death on the Nile, in that it's pretty obvious from the get go who the murderer is. Almost too obvious. And that really puts a downer on it as there's no real final twist or that "wow" factor to finalise the plot. How the case was solved was interesting and everything, but it's just too obvious.

Side note: I also thought they didn't do enough with the characters. They had some really intriguing characters here and half of them were pretty forgettable and the ones that were on screen more, there was no real arc's or depth there for us to enjoy.

I'm still going 7/10 today however. I did really enjoy the main base of this movie, the performances from everyone was fantastic. The cinematography was also great. And was I intrigued and interested the entire way? Yes. I guess, I just wanted more from this viewing and it's frustrating knowing that if this was done a touch differently it could have been amazing.

Would I recommend? I wouldn't shout over the hills about it. But, I'd say give it a watch one evening. It's not bad at all.

The Little Things
(2021)

Slow burner that never seemed to get going
I think like many I had good expectations heading into this movie. Good sounding plot and great looking cast, what could be wrong? Well I will tell you.

This felt like eating a bowl of tomato soup. You don't mind it, but it isn't blowing you away at the same time. It's the same taste completely throughout. No surprises.

Horrendous metaphor I know, but I can't think of a better way to say that this movie was just boring. It never got going at all, it felt far too slow and this hampered any sort of tension that the plot tried to bring in. This is a plot that's been done so many times before. Older cop teams with young one to catch a killer. It's something we all know and probably love, that's why the director went down this route. Done differently this could be a great movie, but it's just let down in so many areas.

The characters were okay. Acted well, but they just felt a little drab. They tried focusing on Denzel's character as this guy with a deep past, but it wasn't really explained well enough and wasn't emphasised enough for the audience to care. The chemistry never really felt there between any of the characters either.

The ending was a complete let down. I mean I guess things were answered, but I can't say much more, because I don't want to ruin. But, my god it's a let down!

Overall though, what let's this film down is just the pace of it. There is about 20 mins of plot there stretched into over 2 hours. A lot of needless conversations and scenes lead to this dull affair. The acting was decent and you are wondering how it will end, will they catch him etc but that's about all the positive words I can give on this. Poor execution on this massively and I wouldn't recommend. A weak 4/10 today.

Till Death
(2021)

Better than I anticipated
I didn't really have any expectations going into this movie I'll be honest. But I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised (in a good way), sure it's not going to be a film that's going to blow you away, but it's a decent little Friday night thriller.

The acting isn't amazing, but it certainly does a job. Megan Fox was the main base of this movie and she does okay. She did the basics pretty well, but I felt had a tendency to overact in areas.

The plot I definitely found unique and I felt the flow of this movie definitely paced well and didn't leave you uninterested at any stage. I was always keen to know what the next stage was going to be and how it was going to end. It had a relatively slow start don't get me wrong, but once you get past the first 15/20 mins it kicks into gear and stays there.

It doesn't go over a 6/10 however. Found it to be a touch predictable at times and of course, with any movie of this nature, the main character makes the occasional daft decision. I personally feel like the movie just needed that little more of a wow factor to it. It's hard to describe, but I felt it was missing that scene or scenes that really make you go "wow". Which I believe is important for any thriller.

But overall it's a decent little watch and I would recommend if you're debating giving this one a go.

The Possession of Hannah Grace
(2018)

Kind of what you expect
I'll be honest, I didn't particularly have any expectations with this movie and this probably helped, because it's very middle of the line. The plot never goes out of its way to surprise you, the characters are a bit bland and it has its scary moments, but they are a little predictable. However, it's still an okay watch. Shay Mitchell is pretty decent in it and the plot keeps you interested the entire time.

There was 2 things that annoyed me a lot during this watch. The first one is that the chemistry between the characters just never seemed to be there. An example of this is of Shay's character Megan and the Ex Boyfriend. The story is that they broke up, but she clearly loves him still. But that chemistry just isn't there to really show us that. My other point to make is that I thought the ending was incredibly lacklustre. When fighting a demon you expect it to be a huge fight, maybe a huge scene where you are killing it etc. But, this felt rushed and quite bland in all honesty. I'm trying to not say how they defeated the monster, because I don't want spoilers, but it's a pretty boring and lacklustre route they took.

Other little annoyances I'm going to quickly mention. The pacing of the film could have been a little better, the sub plots they had I thought just didn't really work well within the plot ie ex boyfriend and the drugs. And the characters outside of Megan were almost cardboard cutouts, they served little purpose.

However, I'm still giving this movie a 5/10. It has some scary moments, especially towards the back end of the film. The suspense created at times was really good and it was shot really well also to create that ambience. And I was intrigued the entire time and I wanted to know what was going to happen next.

It's a middle of the lane horror that does a job and nothing more. And for that it's an average 5/10.

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