Hunted (2021) Movie Review!

A young woman is trapped in a game of cat and mouse after she meets a charming man at a nightclub.

Shudder announced a lineup of 11 movies (The Dark and The Wicked being on of them and already releasing in 2020 via VOD so it won’t count as a 2021 movie) across the first 3 months of 2021 and Hunted is the first one. Which I have to say was a very strong start, it’s a “cat and mouse game” movie think of Alone which released recently last year. Although I have to say Hunted actually gets brutal which is something I was certainly not expecting, the movie does suffer from some tone issues at the beginning and a few parts in the middle. There’s some weirdly placed humor that feels very unnecessary, however the acting and just how brutal the movie does get is what ends up making this worth to watch. Plus the film does have a very strong atmosphere that’s especially effective during the last 30-40 minutes, the writing is also pretty solid as well! It doesn’t quite reach the simplistic and raw feel that Alone or Revenge had but it gets the job done and doesn’t feel over the top. Overall Hunted is not too bad, I’m actually quite impressed it turned out the way it did! It’s not going to break any new ground but it’s definitely something I would highly recommend giving a watch.

7/10 B

Locked Down (2021) Movie Review!


A couple attempts a high-risk, high-stakes jewelry heist at a department store.

There was a time when Doug Liman was really great between Edge Of Tomorrow (one of my favorite films of the 2010s), The Bourne Identity, and Mr. & Mrs. Smith were all really great and definitely the highlights. Liman’s recent work like American Made while not bad was nowhere near as good as his previous work, however Locked Down is definitely a new low. Locked Down is a movie about the lock down because of COVID-19 which I deeply fear more and more films are going to attempt at. Last year we had Songbird which was complete and total garbage now we have Locked Down. The only positive in this mess are Anne Hathaway and Chiwetel Ejiofor both of which try their absolute hardest with a piece of garbage script that sounds like it was written in less then two seconds, the film itself is for whatever reason very ugly. The filming is just not pleasing to look at and has barely any personality going on to make the film differentiate from other films, the writing also feels lifeless like there was absolutely no effort put into it to at least give it some life. Which I get it’s taking place during the pandemic but the problem is the movie doesn’t even do that well at all, it just sort of uses that as a premise and that’s it. The pandemic is mentioned a handful of times, there’s some zoom calls and that’s it. By the end the movie turns into a heist movie which is another problem with Locked Down. It has no idea what it wants to be, it completely switches genres in a matter of minutes without any real build up, my other major problem is how poorly written and developed the characters are, not one of them is interesting or has any kind of story. They took several cliches in this case a couple who has problems plus some other stock characters who are barely important and called it a day. Overall Locked Down is garbage and easily the worst original movie HBO Max has released so far, give this one a skip.

1/10 F

Quick Reviews: Synchronic (2020) and Batman Soul Of The Dragon (2021)


Two New Orleans paramedics’ lives are ripped apart after they encounter a series of horrific deaths linked to a designer drug with bizarre, otherworldly effects.

Synchronic is a very decent Sci-Fi Thriller that really shows some huge talent from Anthony Mackie and surprisingly Jamie Dornan as well as the rest of the cast! The direction from Justin Benson director of The Endless and Spring (both fantastic films) does a really great job of creating a very solid and thrilling atmosphere. Synchronic does take awhile to get going, but once the movie gets going it’s a very fun experience. The writing is a lot of fun with some great moments that build the atmosphere, while Synchronic might be weaker than The The Endless and Spring it’s still a solid movie that I recommend checking out.

7/10 B


In the 1970s, a missing teacher of martial arts is the subject of a quest by his devoted and brilliant but distant students, who include Batman.


Batman Soul Of The Dragon is the newest DC animated movie, I have a love and hate relationship with these movies. They either go in one or two ways either they are good or they are bad. Soul of the Dragon is pretty alright it has some decent action scenes and some pretty decent characters to back it up. The movie is heavily flawed however, the animation is really not that great. Especially when you compare it to a lot of the other DC animated movie’s animation this looks just terrible in comparison. My other huge issue is Batman is just sort of there, sure he does get involved in the story but he really doesn’t do much. I wouldn’t mind this that much if the villains were interesting…sadly they aren’t. They are the most generic villains you could think of, it’s a huge shame because I understand what the movie was trying to go for. Which was something very simple but unfortunately it doesn’t quite hit. Soul of the Dragon definitely is not a bad movie, it has a ton of fun moments and as I said some of the other characters are interesting this is just one of those DC animated movies that really does not standout all that much.

6/10 C+

2020 Movie Catchup: Herself (2020) and Fatale (2020)


This is the story of young mother Sandra who escapes her abusive husband and fights back against a broken housing system. She sets out to build her own home and in the process rebuilds her life and re-discovers herself.

Herself is a slight disappointment when it comes to telling a story, however that’s not to say it shines in other areas because it really does. As far as character building it does a really great job of giving a ton of character development to Clare Dune’s character Sandra, you as the viewer start feeling towards her character it’s beautifully done. Speaking of Clare Dune she’s another highlight of the movie, she really delivers in her role and gives a raw performance that reaches to the viewer. The last scene is also quite great, it’s a great way to wrap up the film! The rest of the movie left a bit more to be desired, as I said earlier it does disappoint when it comes to telling a story, it feels like a bit of a mess at times and has so many different ideas that it can’t focus on a few of them. It’s at its best when it focuses on characters rather then the story itself. With that said it is a solid film that I do recommend checking out!

7/10 B


After a one-night stand, a successful married man finds himself entangled in a cunning police detective’s latest investigation.

It’s amazing to me how Deon Taylor is still finding work, he’s the director of Chainletter, Meet The Blacks, Traffik and The Intruder (all are terrible) long story short this is another Fatal Attraction clone, just like The Perfect Guy, No Good Deed, The Boy Next Door, When The Bough Breaks and several others. Only this one throws in a few extra ideas that I guess is a little different. But that’s really not saying much because the movie itself is still terrible. Hillary Swank and Michael Ealy try their best with a script that’s very poor, the movie tried to throw in several different twists that just didn’t work at all, a lot of them were very predictable and the others just felt out of place. The ending definitely felt like the writers ran out of ideas and quickly just came up with something hoping it sticks. I say this every time I review these types of movies but what else do you want me to say? It’s exactly some of the movies I previously mentioned with a few extra ideas thrown in. The best compliment I can give this movie is that it could have been a whole lot worse.

3/10 D-

Malcolm & Marie (2021)

A director and his girlfriend’s relationship is tested after they return home from his movie premiere and await critics’ responses.

Malcolm & Marie was one of my most anticipated films of 2021, I got the chance to see it early and I’m really happy about that because this film truly delivers. I especially got excited when Sam Levinson director of Assassination Nation and Euphoria said that Malcolm & Marie is going to be a lot like the first part of the Euphoria special Trouble Don’t Last Always. In a lot of ways Malcolm & Marie is a lot like that, in Trouble Don’t Last Always Coleman Domingo and Zendaya are both in one location which is a diner and they entire time they talk about their problems mostly tackling drug addiction. Malcolm & Marie has a couple Marie (Zendaya) and John David Washington (Malcolm) talking about a wide range of topics mostly about Malcolm’s film in one location which is there home. So there’s a lot of similarities and let me tell you Sam Levinson’s direction is unbelievable, it’s truly some of the best direction I’ve seen. I can’t put into words how much power Levinson’s direction has, he’s able to take two characters and create a raw, emotional story with them with some very impactful dialogue. The film is also shot entirely in black and white which really gives it a special feel to it, the writing is brutally honest and doesn’t sugarcoat anything. The conversations, disagreements, arguments that both Zendaya and John David Washington both have comes off as very real. The music also helps create the setting and atmosphere, which is no surprise given that the music is done by Labrinth who is also heavily involved in Euphoria. There’s also some very strong song choices that also match the scenes as well! Zendaya gives the performance of her career, she gives such an authentic performance and has tons of dialogue that’s incredibly impactful to the point where you are left speechless. The same can be said for John David Washington, he truly gives it his all and shows how much of a fantastic actor he really is, both Zendaya and John David Washington show a huge range of emotions and of their acting abilities it’s something that you don’t see very often in a lot of films. The film itself also feels like a hybrid of a throwback film to the classic movie era combined with a modern film, the atmosphere really captures all of that in 1 hour and 46 minutes. The parts of the film that focuses on Malcolm’s film really gives off as I said before a classic movie feel, while a lot of the other topics and the mood of the film gives off a modern movie feel. It’s a perfect balance where one doesn’t make the other feel less. Lastly there’s final dialogues where Zendaya gives her absolute best moments throughout the film, she really shows how incredible of an actress she really is and gives some of the most realistic pieces of acting I’ve seen. Overall Malcolm & Marie is a one of a kind experience, it’s something truly can’t be matched. I strongly believe this is going to get Zendaya nominated for best actress, after this performance she will be one of the favorites to win. John David Washington could also score a best actor nomination as well, as I said before he truly gives it his all. Sam Levinson could also get a best director nomination, before seeing the film I wasn’t 100% sure but after seeing the film I truly think he has a strong shot. Finally there’s the film itself while it is going to be a very tough year, Malcolm & Marie feels like one of the most authentic and overall one of the best of the best picture candidates. Malcolm & Marie is a film that a lot of people are going to absolutely love, I highly recommend checking this one out when it comes out February 5th 2021 on Netflix! This is going to be very hard to push off of my list of the top spot of the best film of 2021!

10/10 A+

Pieces Of A Woman (2020) Review


When a young mother’s home birth ends in unfathomable tragedy, she begins a year-long odyssey of mourning that fractures relationships with loved ones in this deeply personal story of a woman learning to live alongside her loss.

There is a lot to like about Pieces Of A Woman and then there’s stuff that really could have been so much better. Vanessa Kirby hits it out of the park and absolutely deserves to be nominated when this Oscar season, she really gives it her all and brings a beautiful performance. The first 30 minutes of the film is done in a single take, it’s by far the best thing about this movie besides Vanessa Kirby. It’s emotional, feels incredibly grounded, the writing felt like a very real conversation and the chemistry between both Vanessa Kirby and Shia LaBeouf felt very real. After that the movie takes a dive when it comes to quality, the film struggles with juggling so many ideas at once it just sort of falls apart towards the end. Which is very disappointing considering this is from Kornél Mundruczó the director of White God (which Is one of my favorite films of the 2010s) the story just feels like it goes on and on for way too long, the running time doesn’t help either which is 2 hours and 8 minutes. The writing got way too formulaic as it went on which really takes you out of the film, it leaves you wanting more scenes like the first 30 minutes which you unfortunately don’t get again. I completely get what the movie was trying to go for but a lot of it got very predictable towards the end. Luckily the acting remained very strong throughout the film and the filming was quite beautiful, but really that’s about where it ends for me. Pieces Of A Woman is going to have it’s fans that absolutely love it, while I do appreciate the movie for what it is I’m just not the biggest fan unfortunately.

7/10 B

Most Anticipated Films Of January 2021!

Those of you who have followed me or have known me for awhile know that I used to do these types of lists quite a lot! Unfortunately yesterday got completely messed up with everything getting delayed or just refusing to come out I had to stop the lists for awhile. Luckily this year I can finally continue!! So here is what to look forward to this month!

The second part of the Euphoria special is my most anticipated, I absolutely loved the first part and I seriously can’t wait to see what they do next with it! There’s a few award season films coming out this month such as Pieces Of Woman, One Night In Miami, and MLK/FBI. All of which I hear are really good! The Euphoria second special premiers January 24th, Pieces Of Woman streams on Netflix January 7th, MLK/FBI goes on VOD January 15th and One Night In Miami goes on Amazon Prime Video January 15th

HBO Max’s first film of the Warner Bros 2021 deal is this month which is The Little Things, which looks incredibly solid and has a lot of potential to be quite interesting! The Little Things premiers on HBO Max January 29th

Surprisingly the Wrong Turn franchise returns with a reboot, but is one night only on January 26th!

Rest of the films and their release dates

The Reason I Jump – January 8th (Virtual)

Herself – January 8th (Amazon Prime Video)

#Like – January 8th (Virtual) also January 26th (VOD)

Hunted – January 14th (Shudder)

Downfalls High – January 15th (VOD)

Our Friend – January 22nd (VOD)

PG: Psycho Goreman – January 22nd (VOD)

Penguin Bloom – January 27th (VOD or Netflix) it’s kind of unclear.

Supernova – January 29th (Theater)

The Night January 29th (VOD)

Palmer – January 29th (Apple TV+)

The Dig – January 29th (Netflix)

Nomadland (2020) Review!


After losing everything in the Great Recession, a woman embarks on a journey through the American West, living as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad.


Nomadland is quite honestly one of the most beautiful films I’ve ever seen, it’s hard to choose where to start when talking about a film such as Nomadland, but let’s cover the basics and work our way up. First off everyone involved in the film did a fantastic job in their roles Frances McDormand gives one of the best performances of 2020 and goes all out. She really shows how incredible of an actress she really is, this just might be my favorite performance from her, mostly due to how real her performance is (which is saying a lot because a lot of her other performances feel the exact same way) with this movie it feels very different. I believe that is due to the whole film feeling very authentic, in the ways of a story it’s actually very straightforward. Frances McDormand goes around meets a bunch of people and repeats, what’s really special about this is Linda May, Charlene Swankie and Bob Welles are real life nomads who play fictionalized versions of themselves. Even though the versions are fictionalized they still very extremely authentic like you are actually seeing actual people rather then actors and actresses. The score, cinematography and setting all blend masterfully together, they all compliment each other and make each scene feel like a beautiful painting that you could look at for hours on end. Chloe Zhao as the director, editor, the screenplay writer and one of the producers is truly magnificent, especially as a director Chloe Zhao once again she likes to go for a very realistic approach and make her films as authentic and human as possible. It’s truly beautiful to see and it’s something you rarely ever see from a director, although Nomadland is based off of a book the film still feels like a very personal film to Chloe Zhao and everyone involved in the film, you completely forget that it’s actually based off of a book. Heck I didn’t even know it was based off of one until I looked up some information on it! Nomadland also has so much heart in it as well, leaving you with a sense of hope and gratitude like you were taken on a small road trip with Frances McDormand and you as the viewer are happy you went on the ride. The simple moments such as the conversations that Frances McDormand has with the other characters feel very powerful, simple conversations such as “how are you?” Just feels perfect it’s as real as a conversation can get, The final scenes are some of the most beautiful and powerful moments in a film I’ve seen, it truly leaves you with wanting more but ends the journey. It’s the type of journey you want to keep going but with most journeys there is a ending but it’s a truly beautiful one that you will never forget going on. Overall Nomadland is a masterful film that Chloe Zhao absolutely nailed, I can see this already winning best picture with Chloe Zhao winning best director and Frances McDormand winning best actress! The absolutely best film of 2020, truly a beautiful film that I highly recommend watching when it comes out February 19th 2021!

10/10 A+

“One of the things I love most about this life is that there’s no final goodbye. You know, I’ve met hundreds of people out here and I don’t ever say a final goodbye. I always just say, “I’ll see you down the road.”

Minari (2020) Movie Review!


A Korean family moves to Arkansas to start a farm in the 1980s.

Minari is the American dream in a film, it’s a very simple story about a Korean family that moves to Arkansas to start a farm in the 1980s. Minari is one of the most authentic films of 2020, everyone does a fantastic job in their roles but Steven Yeun, Yeri Han, Youn Yuh-jung and Alan S. Kim are the standouts. Steven Yeun has come a long way since The Walking Dead, this film really shows how incredible of an actor he really is. Youn Yuh-Jung is incredible her performance is as raw as a performance can get! The writing is outstanding with a ton of wholesome, emotional and powerful moments across the film, part of what really makes this great is that Minari puts everything together really well. The cinematography, the score and so on all come together really well to create something truly special. Minari is like watching a day of life go by, the script is filled with raw and endearing dialogue that really shows how much passion went into this film. Lee Isaac Chung’s direction is masterful he created characters who feel like real people who are complex and are multi dimensional, simple moments such as going for a walk are magnificent. Minari is based on Lee Isaac Chung’s childhood experiences which makes the film a personal film, it’s beautiful storytelling that really captures the viewer. It feels like you are having a conversation with Lee Isaac Chung and he just told you the story of Minari. Minari is truly one of the best films of 2020, be sure to catch this movie when it comes out February 12th 2021!

10/10 A+

Regarding my best and worst lists of 2020!

Alright so I’m getting a lot of questions regarding my end of the year lists and what movies are being counted as 2020 films. This year I will be doing a top 100 worst and best films of 2020, I thought I would do something a bit different! However I won’t be starting the two lists until I see these final 12 movies (already seen Minari and Nomadland just haven’t reviewed them yet) I will scrap some off the list if it takes way too long for the movies to come out online. The list can be found here https://boxd.it/auPZ6

Minari, Nomadland and The Father will be counted as 2020 films, all three films have been getting nominated across the board so it would make zero sense to say they are 2021 films. Plus Minari and Nomadland did get virtual screenings, also the reason why I haven’t reviewed Minari and Nomadland is because I’m waiting for both of them to release to collect more thoughts, I really want to see both again! Finally there’s The Killing Of Two Lovers which I have both reviewed and watched the film itself comes out February 23rd 2021 and had a virtual screening release. The difference here is it’s not getting nominated for awards, I said I would count it as both a 2020 film and 2021 film. But I think I’m going to go ahead and count it as a 2021 film. Simply due to only being released for a week where as Nomadland and Minari got multiple screenings throughout the year!

While this is going on I will be reviewing some 2021 films as well!