In The Heights (2021) Movie Review!


A film version of the Broadway musical in which Usnavi, a sympathetic New York bodega owner, saves every penny every day as he imagines and sings about a better life.

In The Heights is another film from last year that was delayed due to COVID, it was one of my most anticipated films of this year…the wait was most definitely worth it! Anthony Ramos, Melissa Barrera, Leslie Grace, Corey Hawkins and Olga Merediz all give incredible performances and have beautiful singing voices. Merediz gives a standout performance with Paciencia Y Fe which is beautifully done. Speaking of music the songs were all quite fantastic, it’s almost impossible to say which ones I preferred because each song really brings something different to the table whether it’s visual styles, camera angles, different types of singing or different moods they all have something fresh and interesting to say. The story itself is fascinating and very inspiring it truly makes you feel all sorts of emotions and gets you on your feet, it’s beautifully told from singing and the cinematography which both combined together truly makes something special. Speaking of which the cinematography is absolutely incredible it takes advantage of the setting (Washington Heights) and makes it truly special with tons of energy and passion. Which leads me to how much energy this film has which is quite great, you feel the connection between the characters who interact with each other which feels quite raw. It’s a very human type film in that aspect which is definitely a standout, the writing is fantastic it delivers on every single level and makes the character moments all the more interesting. The choreography is absolutely flawless it has a lot of passion put into it and tells the story like the singing does, overall In The Heights is truly a fantastic film with tons of beautiful performances and beautiful singing voices that will give you goosebumps, this is definitely one of my favorite films of the year! Definitely give this one a watch if you haven’t already!

In The Heights is now in theaters and on HBO Max!

10/10 A+

Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway and Wish Dragon (2021) Movie Reviews!

Thomas and Bea are now married and living with Peter and his rabbit family. Bored of life in the garden, Peter goes to the big city, where he meets shady characters and ends up creating chaos for the whole family.

Everything I said about the first Peter Rabbit can be applied with this one as well, Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway is pretty much the first movie only much more wacky. The voice acting is all decent and delivers what’s promised, the setting combined with some of the filming is actually great to look at. The movie does use every kids movie cliche in the book and the last half of the movie can be predicted very early into the movie, however that doesn’t stop it from being at least pretty fun, with some actually okay jokes here and there. I do feel the movie drags on a bit and the pacing is very uneven in some areas (mostly the middle that feels like it drags on for a bit too long) with that said it’s a very harmless movie for kids, I do wish I had a lot more to say which leads to my main problem with this movie….it’s more less the same thing as the first movie, I wasn’t expecting them to completely change it up but at times you do start to feel “oh I’ve seen this before in the first movie” but overall it doesn’t do anything offensively bad it’s a decent enough sequel that kids will most definitely love!

Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway Is now in theaters!

6/10 C+

Determined teen Din is longing to reconnect with his childhood best friend when he meets a wish-granting dragon who shows him the magic of possibilities.

Really not much to say about Wish Dragon. It’s a huge shame Netflix did a very poor job of marketing Wish Dragon because it is a very solid movie, yes it follows the same beats as Aladdin that I do think is the better film. However this is a case where the movie manages to still be really solid despite being a clone, the characters and the animation are quite great. The story itself is what you expect when you hear Aladdin clone it does have it’s meaningful moments that are actually quite effective, Wish Dragon does suffer from having a very oddly paced start that really doesn’t bring in the viewer. However that all changes when the movie gets going, the jokes are a hit or miss. Overall it’s a enjoyable movie that I don’t think I’m going to revisit anytime soon but I would give a recommendation.

Wish Dragon is now available on Netflix!

7/10 B

Infinite (2021) Movie Review!

A man discovers that his hallucinations are actually visions from past lives.

Infinite is one of those movies that got delayed numerous times due to COVID-19, apparently there’s rumors that the director Antoine Fuqua and Mark Wahlberg got pissed at Paramount when it was announced Infinite was going to go on Paramount Plus+ rather than theaters (don’t quote me on this it’s just a rumor) rumor or not Infinite is a terrible Sci-Fi movie that takes ideas from other far better films and completely fails on every single level. The only positive I can give this movie is Chiwetel Ejiofor gave a decent performance sure it was most definitely not his best but that is mainly due to the very poor script, which does give anyone any room to show their full acting ability. Mark Wahlberg is terrible and gives quite possibly one of his worst performances, the voiceover is very awkward and feels very out of place. The direction from Antoine Fuqua is also terrible, which is a huge shame because Fuqua is a very solid director (Training Day, Southpaw, The Equalizer and it’s sequel) even his not so good films like Olympus Has Fallen is nowhere near as bad as Infinite. It feels like it was made by an entirely different director, Infinite is one of those movies that adds nothing new to genre and ultimately feels like it was done without any care. Give this one a skip!

Infinite is now available on Paramount+!

1/10 F

The Amusement Park (1972/2021) Movie Review!

An elderly gentleman goes for what he assumes will be an ordinary day at the amusement park, only to find himself in the middle of a hellish nightmare instead.

It’s not everyday that a lost film gets found and released, earlier this year The Snyder Cut which was a huge topic among the lost media community was released and now another relatively big one has released. The Amusement Park is a film directed by George A. Romero it was produced back in 1972 but was lost for years until it was found and finally released. The film itself is quite interesting it plays as one of those disturbing PSAs that were popular back in the 90s and early 2000s only this being about elder abuse. The film itself is quite disturbing and has a few shocking scenes that I wasn’t expecting at all, the direction has George A. Romero’s early work feel to it, it’s very experimental and makes you keep wondering “what is going on here?” The film is 53 minutes long but those 53 minutes pack a serious punch that really leaves the viewer in shock, it’s a disturbing little movie that gets more and more terrifying as it goes on. The Amusement Park is most definitely not going to be for everyone but if you love Romero’s work you are most definitely going to love this one. I hope in the future we get to see more lost films!

The Amusement Park is now available on Shudder!

9/10 A

Undine (2021) Movie Review!

Undine works as a historian lecturing on Berlin’s urban development. But when the man she loves leaves her, the ancient myth catches up with her. Undine has to kill the man who betrays her and return to the water.

Undine is a fantastic film that really hits it out of the park, between Christian Petzold’s hypnotic direction that is seriously beautiful in every single way possible and the underwater shots that are captivating the film leads to several incredible results. The acting is quite great as well combined with beautiful writing that feels incredibly raw, Paula Beer is a standout here she gives one of the best performances so far this year that truly feels raw and quite beautiful. The film itself is like a beautiful painting that surprises you with every moment, the cinematography is absolutely beautiful and brings the viewer into the film. The chemistry between the characters is top notch and delivers in every single way possible, overall Undine is something I highly recommend as it’s one of those films that definitely needs to be seen!

Undine is now available on VOD!

8/10 B+

Awake (2021) Movie Review!

After a devastating global event wiped out all electronics and eliminated people’s ability to sleep, a former soldier may have found a solution with her daughter.

Awake is another Netflix apocalyptic thriller that completely misses the mark, it’s clear Netflix is trying to find another apocalyptic movie that gets views (Bird Box worked for them) but between some incredibly poor acting and a movie that feels like 3 different movies of the same genre blended into one very forgettable movie Awake is one of those movies people will forget almost immediately. Ariana Greenblatt is the standout, she gives a very decent performance despite having a script that is a complete mess. Gina Rodriguez has a few okay moments but for the most part her performance is completely forgettable, the direction is a whole lot of nothing. It feels completely empty with nothing going for it, the movie’s ending is very predictable it plays out exactly how you would expect it to. It’s one of those movies where all you have to do is watch 15-20 minutes of the movie and you will know what’s going to happen, I like the idea of the movie it was just executed in the most uninteresting way possible. Overall Awake is another forgettable Netflix original movie that has good ideas but just done very poorly. It’s definitely not the worst attempt out there but certainly not a good one.

Awake is now available on Netflix!

4/10 D+

The Water Man (2021) Movie Review!

A boy sets out on a quest to save his ill mother by searching for a mythic figure said to have magical healing powers.

Going to be honest here, The Water Man definitely surprised me! It’s a family movie that isn’t afraid to be dark at times, it’s a great blend between family friendly moments and dark moments. The acting is overall pretty decent as well as the writing that actually does deliver some solid dialogue, David Oyelowo does a solid job in the directors chair and really gives this movie it’s own style, Lonnie Chavis also does a fantastic job. It’s the type of fantasy adventure movie that’s a lot of fun and something I recommend giving a look!

The Water Man is now available on VOD!

7/10 B

Kitty Love: An Homage To Cats (2021) Movie Review!

Famous feline Abatutu presents this charming celebration of cats, showcasing their finest and friskiest moments with a collection of home videos.

Kitty Love: An Homage To Cats is basically an hour long special of compilation of cat videos! However what’s interesting about it is a famous cat from the Netherlands named Abatutu who presents the documentary and leave commentary. The special is exactly how you would expect it to be, show a bunch of cute cats talk a little bit about Abatutu and call it a day. However I found it cute and quite enjoyable, it’s not anything groundbreaking but for what it’s trying to go for you can’t really argue that it didn’t succeed. Sure it might not be as in depth as Kedi (a fantastic cat documentary) but it’s a very enjoyable one that any cat lover would absolutely love! As far as filmmaking again it’s nothing mind blowing but as I said a very cute documentary! Really not much else to say here!

Kitty Love: An Homage To Cats Is now available on Netflix!

7/10 B

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021) Movie Review!

The Warrens investigate a murder that may be linked to a demonic possession.

The Conjuring started out as film that was a surprise hit back in 2013 and slowly started growing into a universe. The first two Conjuring films are hands down the best of the series plus The Conjuring 2 being one of those rare sequels where you could say is better than the first. Both films were on Top 250 Best Films of the 2010s list so naturally I was very excited when a third movie was announced, a lot of that changed however when it was announced James Wan wouldn’t be returning and instead Michael Chaves the director of The Curse Of La Llorona which turned out to be a disaster would be directing. Luckily The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It isn’t a disaster and is a huge step up from Chaves previous movie. The movie starts off with a fantastic opening that is hands down one of the best parts about it, it’s atmospheric, haunting, filled with creepy moments and just really well filmed! Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga both return as the Warrens and they both do an incredible job I don’t think there performances are quite as strong as they were in The Conjuring 2 both they are still incredibly solid. One thing that a lot of people are going to notice very quickly is that you feel James Wan’s direction isn’t there which absolutely sucks because as good as this movie is there are certain scenes I feel like could have been a lot better. Take the last act for example as the movie goes on it starts to run out of steam and slowly starts becoming your traditional horror film, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing it’s just very different from James Wan how Wan took a concept of a horror film that has been done quite a lot and made it his own. With that said however the film is very well made and has a ton of shots that show off the very creepy setting and it’s backed up with a creepy atmosphere as well, the writing I have to say was actually pretty solid yes there are definitely some lines that could have been looked over but the movie does a good job of sticking with the story and manages to bring some great moments between the actors and actresses. As I said earlier the final act does feel more traditional, but I don’t think it was bad at all. The final act still has some really strong moments with creepy settings and some beautifully done scenes combined with the lighting, overall The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is a very worth sequel to the franchise, I would definitely be curious to see where they go with a fourth film if they plan on doing one. It’s not as good as the first two Conjuring films but it’s still incredibly solid and definitely worth checking out if your a fan of the series!

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is now in theaters and HBO Max!

8/10 B+

Flashback and Caveat (2021) Movie Reviews!

After a chance encounter with a man forgotten from his youth, Fred literally and metaphorically journeys into his past

Flashback is definitely a interesting little movie, the standout is Dylan O’Brien who does a fantastic job in his role. The idea of the movie I felt started out pretty strong but slowly ran of steam towards the end, plus I don’t think it was explored as much as it could have. There were certain areas where it felt a little too surface level, the acting and writing are both decent enough other than O’Brien’s acting the rest of the performances weren’t anything to write home about but they weren’t bad either. Flashback is overall a decent movie that I recommend giving a look!

Flashback is now available on VOD!

6/10 C+

A lone drifter suffering from partial memory loss accepts a job to look after a psychologically troubled woman in an abandoned house on an isolated island.

Caveat is a movie that has a ton of ideas but a lot of them don’t end up being as well executed as they could have been. However that doesn’t stop the movie from being pretty decent, for starters the movie itself is very atmospheric and has some genuinely creepy moments that actually creeped me out a bit! There’s some very well done shots that compliment the movie’s atmosphere very well, the acting and writing are also pretty decent as well. Jonathan French does a fantastic job in his role and really gives a haunting performance, the movie does drag a bit in the middle of the film where there is a huge lack of scares and the atmosphere isn’t quite as good, however it picks back up towards the end of the movie! Caveat is definitely one of the better Shudder original movies that I recommend giving a watch.

Caveat is now available on Shudder!

6/10 C+