The Idea of You (2024)

 

Streaming Service: Amazon Prime

Movie Name/Year: The Idea of You0 (2024)

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Length: 1h 55min

Rating: R

Director: Michael Showalter

Writers: Robinne Lee, Michael Showalter, Jennifer Westfeldt

Actors:Anne Hathaway, Nicholas Galitzine, Ella Rubin, Annie Mumolo, Reid Scott, Perry Mattfeld, Jordan Aaron Hall, Mathilda Gianopoulos, Meg Millidge, Cheech Manohar, Raymond Cham Jr., Jaiden Anthony, Viktor White, Dakota Adan, Roxy Rivera, Graham Norton, Grace Junot, Jon Levine, Demián Castro, Trevor David, Brent Bailey, Chandler Lovelle, Nina Bloomgarden, Hedy Nasser, Luke Pierre Roness, Rashal James, Angela Davis, Tanya Lim, Bethany Brown, Trinity Ansah, Holly A. Morris

 

IMDb Blurb: Solène, a 40-year-old single mom, begins an unexpected romance with 24-year-old Hayes Campbell, the lead singer of August Moon, the hottest boy band on the planet.

 

 

Cat’s Point of View:

When I was building my Top20 article for this month, I passed on including The Idea of You on my list. I was sorely tempted because I absolutely adore Anne Hathaway (Dark Waters, WeCrashed, Eileen) . It just didn't speak to me as much as the other films that made the final cut, however. I wasn't upset about giving this movie a chance, though.

 

The trailer for The Idea of You gave me the impression of a cute drama-romance on the guilty-pleasure side. It painted a picture of a mid-life fantasy where the older woman reveled in her vibrance and cast caution to the wind to chase a fairytale in spite of her own misgivings.

 

 

The fact that this was a novel adaptation didn't factor in to my desire to watch, as I haven't read the book. Fans of the source material may want to watch with a grain of salt, however. I've seen several reviews that advised that there were some changes made. I couldn't tell you whether or not the screenplay honored the spirit of the book or not. This just isn't my usual go-to.

 

All told, The Idea of You played out pretty much as I expected. The fact that there weren't any surprises here wasn't a bad thing. I enjoyed and took comfort in things playing out as I'd envisioned.

 

 

It was solid for a whirlwind romance and had some deeper emotions and themes than initially anticipated. Hathaway's performance held the whole production together, and I also appreciated that Nicholas Galitzine's (The Craft: Legacy, Cinderella, Bottoms) character was given more depth than just “the young boy-band hot guy.”

 

Considering this isn't my preferred genre, I likely won't queue this up for re-watch, but I definitely wouldn't steer anyone away from The Idea of You.

 

 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 82%

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 62%

Metascore – 67%

Metacritic User Score – 5.1/10

IMDB Score – 6.4/10

 

Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 3/5

 

 Movie Trailer:

Nightwatch: Demons are Forever (2024)

Streaming Service: Shudder 
Movie Name/Year: Nightwatch: Demons are Forever (2024)
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Length: 113 mins
Rating: Not Rated
Director: Ole Bornedal
Writer: Ole Bornedal
Actors: Fanny Leander Bornedal, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Kim Bodnia, Sonja Richter, Ulf Pilgaard, Casper Kjær Jensen, Paprika Steen, Nina Rask, Alex Høgh Andersen, Sonny Lindberg, Niels Anders Thorn, Tina Gylling, Casper Phillipson, Vibeke Hastrup, Christopher Læssø
 
Blurb from Shudder: 22-year-old medical student Emma (Fanny Leander Bornedal) has just taken a job as the night watch in the same forensic department where her parents were once almost killed by the famed psychopathic police inspector Wörmer. The events led to her mother’s suicide, and her father Martin (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) has turned to tranquilizers to suppress the memories. Determined to investigate what exactly happened to them, Emma tracks down and confronts Wörmer, only to unintentionally reawaken his bloodthirst and ignite a violent revenge on everyone who sealed his destiny years ago.
 

Cat’s Point of View:

Holy shit.

I just finished watching Nightwatch (1994) and its brand new direct sequel Nightwatch: Demons are Forever back to back, and those were the two words that pretty much sum up what I'm feeling at the moment.

Let's rewind a second.

When Nightwatch: Demons are Forever came to our attention, Selina and I first thought that it was another sequel in the Russian fantasy-horror franchise which includes Night Watch (2004) and Day Watch (2006). We were far off the mark, however. This new movie is a sequel to a Danish horror-thriller led by a very young Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Headhunters, Gods of Egypt, God is a Bullet) long before Game of Thrones (2011-2019) became a household name, and the first books of that series were only just barely out in print.

When Shudder offered us a chance to view the original as well as screen the new film, we jumped at the chance, even though this wasn't the familiar storyline we had originally anticipated.

I was riveted to the screen for the entirety of Nightwatch and was left with an unsettled feeling as the credits rolled. Nightwatch: Demons are Forever picked up with a large time jump from the first movie's ending and explored a “where are they now” perspective regarding the people impacted by events in Nightwatch. The key cast members from the 1994 film also reprised their roles within Nightwatch: Demons are Forever. That definitely helped maintain continuity and a seemingly seamless streamlining to the story.

Nightwatch: Demons are Forever just kept riding on that wave of dread and suspense that built in the first film. I was uncomfortable watching, almost. I lost count of how many times I gasped 'oh no.'

The good news, however, is that this sequel was set up to have just enough explanation within it that you generally wouldn't have to have seen the 1994 original to understand what is going on. It does help keep up the level of tension and chills if you start out familiar with the first film.

Nightwatch: Demons are Forever was a solid sequel full of twistiness and psychological horror just as much as it was suspesne and blood-splatter. Both films are in Danish with subtitles. If that isn't something that bothers you, I would definitely say that they're worth a watch.

 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 68%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – None
Metascore – 49%
Metacritic User Score – None
IMDB Score – 6.1/10
 
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 4.5/5
 
Movie Trailer: