Killer Countdown - 2:22 (2017)

 

 

Streaming Service: Hulu

Movie Name/Year: 2:22 (2017)

Genre: Drama, Mystery, Romance, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Length: 1h 38min

Rating: PG-13

Director: Paul Currie

Writers: Todd Stein, Nathan Parker

Actors: Michiel Huisman, Teresa Palmer, Sam Reid, John Waters, Kerry Armstrong, Richard Davies, Maeve Dermody, Remy Hii, Simone Kessell, Mitchell Butel, Barry Quin, Zara Michales, Nancy Denis, Duncan Ragg, Jessica Clarke, Jack Ellis

 

IMDb Blurb: A man's life is derailed when an ominous pattern of events repeats itself in exactly the same manner every day, ending at precisely 2:22 p.m.

 

 

Cat’s Point of View:

I've actually been dying to watch 2:22 ever since it released. Circumstances and timing just haven't fallen into place with attention span to make it happen before right now. I was excited that needing a thriller to fill a spot in our Killer Countdown opened up an opportunity for me to finally watch.

 

 

On paper, 2:22 is an ambitious story blending romance with some thrilling sci-fi, a dash of mystery, a puzzle, and a question regarding fate and the nature of the universe. Those might have been deeper concepts than anyone hoping for an action-thriller would want, unfortunately. 2:22 doesn't play out on the edge of your seat like that, though. It's more romance and drama than the more action-oriented genres.

 

All the same, I actually really enjoyed it. I like it when a movie makes me think, and I had a lot of fun putting this puzzle together along with the characters. I appreciated as each layer to the story settled in to create the bigger picture revealed by the end. I was drawn in like a moth to flame.

 

 

Of course, it helped a lot that the leads playing the couple in question are 2 actors who I really enjoy – Teresa Palmer (Berlin Syndrome, A Discovery of Witches, The Fall Guy) and Michiel Huisman (The Ottoman Lieutenant, The Red Sea Diving Resort, Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire). They had good chemistry in these roles and really sold their connection. 2:22 was so much more than that, though. The cinematography was fabulous – there were several moments that were actually rather breathtaking.

 

 

I imagine that this wasn't exactly what audiences had in mind, however, when attending a summer thriller. The pacing and the general ambiance of the movie, while great in this context, wouldn't likely appeal to anyone seeking a summer blockbuster popcorn flick.

 

If you enjoy this cast, a story laced with an ethereal soundtrack, contemplation upon fate, and a light time-centric concept then 2:22 might be up your alley. Just don't expect fight choreography or anything like that. It's just not that kind of movie. After a long day, this was a refreshing watch for me. While 2:22 wasn't full of blood and gore, I felt it was, in fact, killer.

 

 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 20%

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 38%

Metascore – None

Metacritic User Score – 6.0/10

IMDB Score – 5.7/10

 

Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 4/5

 

Movie Trailer:

Killing Gunther (2017)

Streaming Service: Hulu
Movie Name/Year: Killing Gunther (2017)
Genre: Action, Comedy, Thriller
Length: 1h 32min
Rating: R
Production/Distribution: Folktale Productions, Ingenious Media, Miscellaneous Entertainment, Rookfield Productions, Rowdy Row Productions, RuYi Media, StarStream Media, WWKG Productions, Lionsgate Home Entertainment, Saban Films
Director: Taran Killam
Writer: Taran Killam
Actors: Taran Killam, Bobby Moynihan, Hannah Simone, Amitai Marmorstein, Peter Kelamis, Paul Brittain, Aubrey Sixto, Amir Talai, Aaron Yoo, Allison Tolman, Ryan Gaul, Steve Bacic, Cobie Smulders, Arnold Schwarzenegger
 
Blurb from IMDb: A group of eccentric assassins are fed up with Gunther, the world's greatest hitman, and decide to kill him, but their plan turns into a series of bungled encounters as Gunther seems to always be one step ahead.
 

Selina’s Point of View:
I’m sure I saw the trailer for Killing Gunther at some point, but I didn’t remember it at all. As a result, I did not expect the mockumentary style that greeted me on the movie’s start. I had to recalibrate my expectations, especially once I realized it was also a parody flick.
 
If you look into the reviews for Killing Gunther, try to remember that parodies rarely do well with critics. Not unless they’re of Blazing Saddles (1974) fame and quality. It’s rare for critics to give most parody flicks a fair shake. They judge the entire sub-genre by serious comedy standards, and that doesn’t really work. Parodies should only be judged based on how they compare to other parodies. That’s always been my take on it.
 
The big issue with Killing Gunther, what caused the audience score to reflect even more negativity than the critics’, was the advertising.
 
Arnold Schwarzenegger (Terminator, Iron Mask, Aftermath) is splashed all over the promotional material. I watched the trailer, after I finished the film, and was shook by just how much he was featured in it. Audiences were expecting him to be the main character because of that – but he’s not. He’s in the story for about 15 minutes.
 

Whoever oversaw the trailer and posters for Killing Gunther shot the whole project in the foot. Not only would it have had more of a chance at impressing audiences without showing Arnie, but the story itself would have been better if he had been kept a secret until the last moment.
 
It’s all very unfortunate, because the movie is actually good.
 
Killing Gunther is funny and ridiculous. It even utilizes some interesting camera movements near the end that I haven’t seen in other mockumentaries. The shaky cam never gets to intolerable levels, and there are some decent actors involved – other than Arnold. Sure, the acting can be a little over the top – but it’s by design.
 
All-in-all, it’s a solid parody that lost out by lying to audiences in the advertising.
 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 46%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 28%
Metascore – 53%
Metacritic User Score – 4.9
IMDB Score –4.8/10
 
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 3.5/5
 
P.S. Some blink-and-you’ll-miss-it scenes during the credits, and a longer scene after.
 
Movie Trailer:

'Tis the Season - Christmas in Mississippi (2017)

 

Streaming Service: Amazon Prime
Movie Name/Year: Christmas in Mississippi (2017)
Genre: Drama, Romance
Length: 1h 30min
Rating: TV-PG
Production/Distribution: Active Entertainment, Factory Underground, Lifetime Television, Videoland
Director: Emily Moss Wilson
Writer: Marcy Holland
Actors: Jana Kramer, Wes Brown, Faith Ford, Trace Masters, April Asbury, Barry Bostwick, Gary Grubbs, Richard Karn, Avery Lynn Lewis, Davina Reid, Jordan Salloum, Roger J. Timber, Karina Willis
 
IMDb Blurb: Photographer Holly Logan (Jana Kramer) returns to her hometown of Gulfport, Mississippi for Christmas. The town is resurrecting their traditional holiday light show for the first time since a terrible hurricane struck five years earlier. Holly volunteers to pitch in, but has second thoughts when she discovers that the festival is run by her high-school sweetheart Mike (Wes Brown). Now Holly must spend the next few days with the man who broke her heart. With the help of her matchmaking mom Caroline (Faith Ford) and Mr. Kriss, the kind man who will play Santa in the town's celebration, Holly begins to fall in love with her hometown, and Mike, all over again.

 
Cat’s Point of View:
Okay, I know I’ve been a bit hard on the made-for-TV movies that show on the Hallmark Channel and Lifetime. They just tend to be basic melodramas. There’s nothing wrong with that. I grew up watching soaps with my great-grandmother and my paternal grandmother. I get it. It’s just not always my thing.
 
These TV movies tend to be sappy and predictable, so it’s really easy to say ‘been there, done that’ when one of these come up for review. In fact, the way the spoiler-ridden trailers tend to go, I recently called them speed-runs of the movies. It tends to take some of the magic out of the movie experience for me when everything becomes paint-by-numbers like that.

 
I wish I could say that Christmas in Mississippi was a film that bucked the trend of the Lifetime movies that have come before it. Alas, this was all of the things – except over-the-top. That was one element that was blessedly absent.
 
Don’t get me wrong, though. Christmas in Mississippi was enjoyable and gave me all of the appropriate warm fuzzies for the season. There just really weren’t any surprises. I called the twist very early on.
 
Even so, there was an extra element to this production that felt like a warm hug. The nostalgia of familiar faces was on a high level. Of course, these familiar faces belonged to highly competent actors, as well. The cast certainly elevated this little tale of Mississippi Christmas magic.

 
I’ve adored Jana Kramer (One Tree Hill, Approaching Midnight, Support the Girls) since she was a resident of Tree Hill, Faith Ford (Prom, Escapee, Killing It) played my second-favorite character on Murphy Brown (1988-2018), Barry Bostwick (Christmas in Louisiana, Rocky Horror Show: Livestream Theater, Love by Drowning) is the man, and Richard Karn (F*&% the Prom, Assembly Required, Carrie amd Jess Save the Universe!) played the only character I really liked on Home Improvement (1991-1999) back in the day. I could go on… there are a few more.
 
Be that as it may, I couldn’t find fault in any of the performances within Christmas in Mississippi. It makes things so much better when the cast in these dramatic romances isn’t asleep at the wheel.

 
Christmas in Mississippi encapsulates community resilience, family, finding yourself, the challenges faced during the holidays when having military service members in the family, reconnecting with roots, romance, some humor, and even a smidge of Christmas magic.
 
All told, it’s not a bad way to start off the sparkling season of lights. If this sort of movie is your cup of tea, then Christmas in Mississippi shouldn’t disappoint – and you don’t have to check your TV listings to find it, as it’s available now on Amazon Prime Video.

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – None
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 47%
Metascore – None
Metacritic User Score – None
IMDB Score – 6.4/10
 
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 3.5/5
 
Movie Trailer:

Cold Skin (2017)

Streaming Service: Prime Video
Movie Name/Year: Cold Skin (2017)
Genre: Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
Length: 1h 48min
Rating: Unrated
Production/Distribution: Babieka, Kanzaman, Ink Connection, Gran Babieka, Pontas Film & Literary Agency, The Ink Connection, Diamond Films, Happinet, Phars Film, Tiberius Film, Blue Swan Entertainment, Cinépolis Distribución, Condor, Eagle Entertainment, SC Movies, Samuel Goldwyn Films, Sunfilm Entertainment, Superfine Films, Televisión Española
Director: Xavier Gens
Writers: Jesús Olmo, Eron Sheean, Albert Sánchez Piñol
Actors: David Oakes, Ray Stevenson, Aura Garrido, Alejandro Rod, Ben Temple, Damián Montesdeoca, Iván González, John Benfield, Julien Blaschke, Winslow M. Iwaki
 
IMDb Blurb: A young man arrives at a remote island to take a post of weather observer only to find himself defending the watchtower from deadly creatures which live in the island shores.

Selina’s Point of View:
Cold Skin is, at heart, a monster movie.
 
When you go to see a monster flick, you know what to expect. Some decent action, some very basic tropes, an interesting design, and the end showing that humans are just as monstrous as the antagonists (if not more). Although there was a little of that in Cold Skin, it was not typical.
 
When it comes to monster movies, no one is expecting something that makes them think. The exception being Lovecraftian-style stories.
 
Cold Skin subverted expectations by being a very smart, almost poetic, film.
 
I was very surprised by that.

 
It started off with the Nietzsche quote about staring into the abyss and it staring back at you flashing on-screen. I’m not going to lie; I rolled my eyes. Although it’s a good quote, it is ridiculously overused. Then, about 16-minutes in, when the action finally started, I predicted something so closely that I could have held up the cue card for it.
 
I didn’t have high hopes.
 
It was only later, when the movie started to get into the heart of the story, that I took it seriously. If you can get to that point, the beginning is worth it.
 
One of the tropes I was immediately glad I didn’t have to deal with was the one where the protagonist refuses to believe the truth of what they’re seeing. There are no lengthy scenes of anyone explaining to him what the creatures are and trying to get him to believe his own eyes. Even before the rest of the movie had me, I found that impressive.
 
By the end of Cold Skin, I was a fan. It did take a bit, but once it had me – it never let go. 

 
Cat’s Point of View:
When I saw a movie titled “Cold Skin” on our docket for review today, I was hoping that it meant something other than people shivering in a frozen climate. While there was a little temperature-related trembling involved, I report with pleasure that it was not the central theme of the plot.
 
I decided on a whim to view Cold Skin blind. I didn’t watch the trailer or even read the blurb with the on-demand and Prime listings. Before I began writing, I did take a peek at the trailer. I am glad I went in this order. The trailer did give a good deal of the movie away.
 
Without foreknowledge of what was to come, there was more of an air of mystery about the story. To be fair, though, even with the teaser, some aspects wouldn’t be clear until the full movie unfolded.
 
Cold Skin started out as an apparent narrative of man vs. the elements and isolation, yet quickly revealed itself to be a fight for survival on multiple fronts with the monster revelation. Events started a bit on the slow side but once things picked up momentum, there was no ease to the building tensions or level of horror.

 
The creatures were fascinating and the situation was terrifying – considering the remote nature of the island setting. The practical effects really sold the aquatic cryptids in a very organic and believable way, as well as a stellar performance by the cast.
 
Cold Skin wasn’t without some of the typical monster movie tropes, but it didn’t lean too heavily on them. I appreciated the nuance and thought put into the erosion of humanity of learned and well-read men that the constant fight for survival, exhaustion, loss, and general stress caused. There were so many little details that spoke to the broader story. I really appreciated that this was just as much an intelligent horror as a thrilling sort.
 
While I began my viewing of Cold Skin with assorted fidget tools at the ready, anticipating I would begin to zone out at some point; I soon found that it held my attention thoroughly for its duration. I feel that I pieced most of the puzzle together, and yet the ending left me wanting more. That would be a decided earmark of a successful production.
 
While Cold Skin wasn’t a movie I might have gone out of my way to watch before, I definitely enjoyed my experience and it’s even grown on me further since the end credits rolled. 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 48%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score –56%
Metascore – None
Metacritic User Score – 6.2/10
IMDB Score – 6.0/10
 
Trust the Dice: Parental Advisory Rating – R

Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating –4/5
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 4/5
 
Movie Trailer:

Attack of the Southern Fried Zombie (2017)

Streaming Service: Paramount +
Movie Name/Year: Attack of the Southern Fried Zombie (2017)
Genre: Action, Comedy, Horror
Length: 1h 23min
Rating: TV-MA
Production/Distribution: FilmQuake, Movie Magic and Entertainment, Dimension Pictures, Gravitas Ventures
Director: Mark Newton
Writer: Christian Hokenson, Mark Newton, Stephan Stromer, Daniel Wood
Actors: Timothy Haug, Wyntergrace Williams, Escalante Lundy, Susan McPhail, Megan Few, Kaitlin Mesh, Moses J. Moseley, Clay Acker, Michael Joiner, Bruce Penton, Johnny McPhail, Michael Emery, Scotty Whitehurst, Miles Doleac, Kiyomi Fukazawa
 
Blurb from IMDb: Lonnie, a crop duster pilot, must lead a mismatched group of survivors to escape the deadly zombie horde after an experimental chemical, intended to control the invasive kudzu vine, transforms the citizens of Charleston, MS into zombies.
 

Selina’s Point of View:
Good bad movies are a guilty pleasure of mine. Give me a low budget flick with some ketchup-style blood and a campily amusing script and I’m a happy camper. The thing is, there needs to be something about it that makes it watchable. The comedy must be on point, or the action, or… something else. It needs a certain ‘je ne sais quoi’.
 
If you’re a bad movie connoisseur, then you know what I mean.
 
Some films just don’t have it. The ‘bad’ about them is all there is. Attack of the Southern Fried Zombies is just that.
 
Save for a single line that made me cackle, it was painful to sit through.
 

I WANTED to like it, though.
 
The first time I saw a film utilizing plants as the catalyst for a zombie outbreak, not just spores, was with Brain Freeze (2021). I absolutely adored that film. Like Attack of the Southern Friend Zombies it had a low budget, but it focused heavily on a unique and interesting story. It had that special something it needed to rise above. I hoped this film would do the same.
 
After an interesting first transformation, it was all down-hill. Everything was paint-by-numbers and just awful.
 
I wish I had something better to say. If you’re looking for a zombie movie with this kind of backwoods feel, check out Cockneys vs. Zombies (2012) instead.
 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 56%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – None
Metascore – None
Metacritic User Score – None
IMDB Score – 4.1/10
 
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 1/5
 
P.S. There are 2 mid-credit scenes.
 
Movie Trailer:

It Came From the Desert (2017)

 

 
Streaming Service: Hulu
Movie Name/Year: It Came From the Desert (2017)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Horror
Length: 90 minutes
Rating: Unrated
Production/Distribution: AMP International, Cinemaware, Oy Bufo Ab, Roger! Pictures, Crystalsky Multimedia, Black Lion Pictures, Elisa Viihde, Fox, GAGA., Horrify, Horror Channel, Hulu, ITN Distribution, Impact Films, Minerva Pictures, Raven Banner Entertainment, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Sunfilm Entertainment, The Orchard, Thunderbird Releasing, Tiberius Film, Zylo
Director: Marko Mäkilaakso
Writers: Trent Haaga, Marko Mäkilaakso, Hank Woon Jr.
Actors: Harry Lister Smith, Alex Mills, Vanessa Grasse, Mark Arnold, Callum McGowan, Andrew Horton, James Alper, Michael Majalahti, José Varela, Jose Leonardo Garcia Torres, Ross Ellis, Gregory Rowbottom, Larry Wayne, L.J. Ruth, Christy Fabbri, Rob Drex, Perry Norton, Rick Shockley, Genevieve Baer
 
IMDb Blurb: A pulpy monster movie inspired by the cult classic 1980s video game "It Came from the Desert," featuring rival motocross heroes and heroines, kegger parties in the desert, secret underground military bases...and of course giant ants!

 
Cat’s Point of View:
I must admit that when I watched It Came From the Desert, I had no idea that this film was an adaptation of an 80’s video game. (The story takes place 60+ years after the events in the game.) In retrospect, it makes so much more sense now. I just figured someone had a crazy idea along the same vein as Big Ass Spider! (2013), Lavalantula (2015), or Eight Legged Freaks (2002).
 
That’s really the main thing to keep in mind while watching It Came From the Desert. This isn’t a serious piece of cinema here. This is campy and playing to the pulp fiction genre. No one was fishing with Oscar bait here – even though the acting on the part of the leads was generally fine.

 
There were little nods here and there that gave the audience a clear picture that the key players were aware of how ridiculous the situation was.
 
I mean, have you ever wondered what it would look like if an ant snickered? Well, worry not – It Came From the Desert has a compelling visual for you. (The production value on the effects was pretty good, as well.)
 
The sci-fi elements here weren’t so far-flung as to defy suspension of disbelief, at least. The setting even felt like an ideal place for a monstrous anthill. It was certainly remote enough that a ‘secret facility' would be plausible.

 
While computer technology and cell phones prevent this actually from being set in the 1980s, It Came From The Desert certainly pays a good deal of homage to the 80s action tropes. It plays out like a love letter to campy serialized B-movies from that era – but doesn’t leave out the occasional homage to more serious works such as Aliens (1986) and Jurassic Park (1993).
 
Of course, then there’s the random motocross element. Hey, it works here though.
 
There was really only one thing that bothered me about this production. I didn’t like the song they generally use as the main theme throughout the movie and end credits. Melodically, and as a piece of music, it was fine. The lyrics just rubbed me the wrong way with their repeated reference to River Phoenix (1970-1993). That’s just my own personal bias talking, though. If you tune out the words and just vibe with the scenes, it was easy enough to get past.
 
As long as you don’t set expectations too high, and approach It Came From the Desert with the simple desire to be entertained, it’s a fun ride that would be great to share with friends and plenty of popcorn.

 
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 60%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 31%
Metascore – None
Metacritic User Score – None
IMDB Score – 4.2/10
 

P.S. - 8-bit animations of plot elements are at beginning of the credits, there is a small additional scene mid-credits, and then as the rest of the credits roll, actual game-play from the 80s video game is shown in a window on-screen.

Trust the Dice: Parental Guidance Rating – PG-13
 
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 3.5/5
 
Movie Trailer:

Kung Fu Yoga (2017)

Streaming Service: Amazon Prime
Movie Name/Year: Kung Fu Yoga (2017)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy
Length: 107 minutes
Rating: Unrated
Production/Distribution: ABS-CBN Film Productions, Baidu Nuomi Pictures, Beijing Herui FIlm Culture, Beijing Idea Media, Beijing Taihe Zeruo Culture Investment, China Film, China Film Co., Ltd., China Film Group Corporation (CFGC), Clover Films, Film & TV House, GEM Entertainment, Golden Network Asia, Golden Screen Cinemas, Golden Village Pictures, Hero Productions, Huace Pictures, Huaxia Film Distribution, Icon Film Distribution, Kadokawa, Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment, Kashgar J.Q. Media & Culture, Khorgos Taihe Digital Entertainment Cultural Development, Koch Media, Long Shong Entertainment Multimedia Company, Nextainment Pictures, Phars Film, Prosperity Pictures, Rui Off, Shanghai Taihe Pictures, Shanghai Taopiaopiao Film Culture, Shinework Pictures, Sparkle Roll Media, Taihe Entertainment, Tanweer Films, TOABH Talent Management, Top Entertainment, Well Go USA Entertainment, Xi'an Qujiang Film & TV Investment, Youth Film Studio
Director: Stanley Tong
Writer: Stanley Tong
Actors: Jackie Chan, Yixing Zhang, Miya Muqi, Disha Patani, Aarif Rahman, Amyra Dastur, Sonu Sood, Paul Philip Clark, Yuxian Shang, Jiang Wen, Eric Tsang, Guoli Zhang
 
Blurb from IMDb: Two professors team up to locate a lost treasure and embark on an adventure that takes them from a Tibetan ice cave to Dubai, and to a mountain temple in India.
 

Selina’s Point of View:
I’m not going to judge Kung Fu Yoga as a mainstream flick. I don’t think that’s what they were aiming for. Instead, it seems to me that it falls into the sub-genre of caricature parody.
 
If you look at Kung Fu Yoga as a real kung fu, mainstream, movie… you’re not going to enjoy it. The script was not great, everything was super campy, and there were a few CGI scenes that felt straight out of an early 2000s video game cut-scene. Once you accept that it’s a parody, however, it’s not all that bad.
 
You pretty much know what to expect when Jackie Chan is in the credits. Especially when it’s not meant to be a serious film. The fight choreography was hilarious, even when it didn’t 100% make sense. That’s his bread and butter. No one does silly comedic impressive fighting quite like Chan.
 
As a parody, it still had flaws, though.
 

I mentioned already that the script was bad. That almost feels like an understatement. However, I think only part of that quality can be attributed to the script itself. A lot of the flaw was with the delivery.
 
I have to assume the acting was intentionally bad. I mean, I’ve seen a few of the actors in other projects and they don’t strike me as bad in general. That possibility lends to my belief that it’s a caricature.
 
There were also some other genre anomalies.
 
Kung Fu Yoga seemed to blend bits of Chinese film with Bollywood aspects, there was even a bit a Westernization thrown in. I think there’s something to be said for the diversity in that. It did lead to some confusing switch ups, and a wholly unsatisfying ending, though.
 
The bottom line was that it did have qualities that I would describe as ‘so bad it’s good’. It definitely wouldn’t be for everyone, but I’m glad I watched it for the fight scenes alone.

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 48%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 35%
Metascore – 50%
Metacritic User Score – 4.7
IMDB Score – 5.1/10
 
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 3/5
 
Trust-the-Dice’s Parental Advisory Rating: PG-13
 
Movie Trailer:

'Tis the Season - Mercy Christmas (2017)

Streaming Service: Paramount+
Movie Name/Year: Mercy Christmas (2017)
Genre: Action, Comedy, Horror
Length: 83 minutes
Rating: TV-MA
Production/Distribution: No Mercy Pictures, Other Paw Films, Gravitas Ventures, White Pearl Movies, daredo, High Fliers Films, Devilworks
Director: Ryan Nelson
Writers: Ryan Nelson, Beth Levy Nelson
Actors: Cole Gleason, Casey O'Keefe, David Ruprecht, Whitney Nielsen, Gwen Van Dam, Steven Hubbell, D.J. Hale, Steven T. Bartlett, Dakota Shepard, Joseph Keane, Ryan Boyd, Tina Hartell, Catie Boles
 
IMDb Blurb: When Michael Briskett meets the perfect woman, his ideal Christmas dream comes true when she invites him to her family's holiday celebration. Dreams shattered, Michael struggles to survive once he realizes HE will be Christmas dinner.
 

Cat’s Point of View:
I have lost another hour and change to the void.
 
Mercy Christmas falls under the category of ‘things that cannot be unseen.’ I wouldn’t go so far as to throw it in with the centipede movies; yet, all the same, I have struggled to find positive words to describe my experience.
 
First of all, I have no idea where they came up with the ‘Action’ genre label for this one. None of the standard action movie recipe elements were present. You’d have to be feeling really generous to call any of the on-screen scuffles “fight scenes.”

 
Not all of the comedy within Mercy Christmas fell flat, but just about everything else did. There are simply far better horror comedies out there – even in the holiday horror sub-genre.
 
I just couldn’t in good conscience recommend Mercy Christmas with any seriousness. Now, if you’re looking for a movie to play in the background and laugh at with your friends (for all the wrong reasons), then by all means fire this one up. Otherwise, maybe have mercy on yourself and your loved ones and give Mercy Christmas a pass. 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – None
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – None
Metascore – None
Metacritic User Score – None
IMDB Score – 5.2 /10
 
Trust the Dice: Parental Guidance Rating – R
 
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 2/5
 
P.S. – There is a small mid-credits scene.
 
Movie Trailer:

Can’t Take it Back (2017) - Shudder Spree

Streaming Services: Shudder
Movie Name/Year: Can’t Take it Back (2017)
Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Length: 88 minutes
Rating: NR
Production/Distribution: Big Block Media Holdings, Screen Gems, Afterparty VFX
Director: Tim Shechmeister
Writer: Matt Shechmeister, Tim Shechmeister
Actors: Ana Coto, Noah Centineo, Ivanna Sakhno, Lexi Atkins, Jill Larson, Logan Paul, Meredith Foster, Keith Pillow, Mandy Gonzalez, Paul Urcioli, Brenna Bloom
 
Blurb from IMDb: Following a group of students who leave hateful comments on the page of a fellow pupil who recently committed suicide.
 

Selina’s Point of View:
My first thought? “Ew. Logan Paul’s in this movie.” I mean, he’s on the cover so, naturally, I expected him to be in the movie quite a bit. Instead he’s pretty much inconsequential.
 
The significance of him being involved in a film about the soul of a girl who killed herself seeking revenge, is not lost on me. Logan Paul (The Thinning, Where's the Money, Airplane Mode) is just the worst.
 
Moving on.
 

Can’t Take it Back was basic. It was a paranormal horror film. It followed all the tropes and painted by all the numbers. It was acceptable, but not something I see myself even remembering by tomorrow.
 

It just didn’t have anything to set itself apart from every other flick tackling the same subject and sub-genre.
 
Ana Coto (DisCONNECTED, Ouija, True Fiction) was decent in her part and I enjoyed seeing Noah Centineo (The Fosters, Charlie's Angels, To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You) in a movie that wasn’t a teen romantic comedy – but even they didn’t elevate it. Hell, it had an ending that I rather enjoyed… but it needed something more.
 
Can’t Take it Back was meh. I won’t steer anyone away from it, but I also won’t be recommending it. There are much better paranormal, and revenge, flicks on Shudder.
 

Cat’s Point of View:
When I saw that we would be watching Can’t Take it Back during October, I was just as divided about it then as I am now. It bugs me. Some things you just can’t shake, though.
 
I’ll address the elephant in the room first. I can’t bring myself to forgive Logan Paul for his 2018 stunt in Japan. The world keeps turning and he was, technically, punished through loss of sponsorships for his distasteful antics. I, however, don’t feel that earned him redemption by any means. For that reason, I find myself going out of my way to avoid his work in an effort to not support him.
 
At the same time, the other actors and production crew working on films he just happens to be a part of are not responsible for him being a shit person. I was excited to see Lexi Atkins (Anatomy of Deception, The Boy Next Door, Some Kind of Hate) and Noah Centineo attached to this movie. I wanted to watch for their sake. We’ve reviewed and enjoyed other projects of theirs over the years, after all.
 
That being said, let’s talk about Can’t Take it Back.
 

I generally enjoyed my experience with the movie and was relieved to see that a certain person had a relatively small role. Atkins was great in her ‘mean girl’ role. Centineo did a great job with his part, as well. There was a fresh face at the forefront of this production. Ana Coto was a good fit leading the cast. I bought her story 100%.
 
There were a few spots here and there throughout the movie that were a bit more of a hard sell for me, but I was invested all the same. Nothing was wonky enough to lose my interest or make me roll my eyes.
 
The overall production value was really pretty good. The spectral effects were creepy, even if some of the jump-scares felt a smidge over-the-top. But hey, for a teen-centric horror, it wasn’t that bad.
 
I think Can’t Take it Back got the message across, as well as offered some good thrills and chills. I’m afraid this won’t haunt me as long as some of the other films within our Shudder Spree, though.
 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – None
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – None
Metascore – None
Metacritic User Score – None
IMDB Score – 4.1/10
 
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 2.5/5
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 3/5
 
Trust the Dice Parental Advisory Rating: R
 
Movie Trailer: