Knock at the Cabin (2023)

 

 

Streaming Service: Peacock

Movie Name/Year: Knock at the Cabin (2023)

Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller

Length: 1h 40min

Rating: R

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Writers: M. Night Shyamalan, Steve Desmond, Michael Sherman, Paul Tremblay

Actors: Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Rupert Grint, Abby Quinn, Kristen Cui

 

IMDb Blurb: While vacationing, a girl and her parents are taken hostage by armed strangers who demand that the family make a choice to avert the apocalypse.

 

 

Cat’s Point of View:

When Knock at the Cabin was first set to hit theaters back in February of 2023, I had eagerly anticipated its release – as evident by the movie's #4 placement on my personal Top 20 list for that month. Selina had listed this film as her #11 pick. Needless to say, Knock at the Cabin was significantly on our radar. I watched as soon as it became available to stream On-Demand.

 

Looking back at that experience, in relation to now, I can tell you that the emotional ride of this movie was no less intense the 2^nd time around. I knew what was coming this time, of course. The only thing that changed about the experience was the fact that I knew what was going to happen.

 

 

M. Night Shyamalan (Glass, Old, The Watchers) skillfully crafted this emotionally wrenching and dark tale of literal apocalyptic weight. The cabin setting enhanced the feeling of suspense, as well as the up-in-the-air and somewhat nebulous concept that the world could be ending. The remote location was perfect to underscore the inability of the small family to ascertain the validity of what was claimed by their home-invaders merely by looking outside.

 

 

Speaking of the four intruders; Dave Bautista (Army of Thieves, The Boy and the Heron, Dune: Part Two), Rupert Grint (CBGB, Moonwalkers, Servant), Nikki Amuka-Bird (Old, The Outfit, Avenue 5), and Abby Quinn (Radium Girls, Mad About You, Hell of a Summer) were great choices for this cast. It's always a little jarring to me to see Grint in a role so far removed from his days of on-screen magic and mischief, but he only reinforced here that trying to keep him in that little box is a mistake. I could viscerally feel his performance here and it made me uncomfortable. I also have to give major kudos to Dave Bautista. Every new movie I see him in, I discover some new facet of his talent. Here, he was this massively intimidating presence in a room, yet his character's quiet and seemingly reasonable approach to this horrible situation just gave me chills.

 

It's always interesting to see characters put into situations where they have to make what feels like an impossible choice in the face of daunting odds and a ticking clock. Shyamalan dials up the anxiety facing all of the above here with Knock at the Cabin.

 

 

While this film is an adaptation of the novel The Cabin at the End of the World, by Paul G. Tremblay, fans of the book should go into this experience with an open mind. I couldn't begin to explain the differences between what happens in that specific story and the movie, but I have read enough articles and the like regarding this film to know there is at least one significant change. Don't let that dissuade you from giving this movie a chance, however.

 

The emotional rollercoaster is a bit much for me to partake of on a regular basis, however, I wasn't disappointed with a second experience with Knock at the Cabin. Fans of apocalyptic suspense and Shyamalan should definitely check this out and see for yourselves how the movie measures up.

 

 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 67%

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 63%

Metascore – 63%

Metacritic User Score – 5.5/10

IMDB Score – 6.1/10

 

Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 4/5

 

Movie Trailer:

Anthology - Revisiting Personal Cinematic Landscape

I’ve been sick for a few weeks, which is why these articles have been a little slow to come out, but I’m finally on the mend.
 
Moving on.
 
One of the things that have happened since the first time I wrote about my personal cinematic landscape was the pandemic. Say what you will about that time, but it felt pretty apocalyptic when it was going down. I’m from New York, the city that never sleeps. During that time, it slept. The streets of Times Square were barren, the sounds of the city quieted, and even the food trucks went on their way. Reports of deaths mixed with the sour tone of conspiracy theorists telling the world that our vaccines had tracking chips in them. People faced the fear with everything from a strange game where astronaut jellybeans killed each other in secret, to splattercore books (a genre I didn’t even know existed until then), to video chatting, to straight-up denial. I kidnapped my mother so that she wouldn’t be alone for, what was supposed to be, a couple of weeks but it stretched into almost a year.
 
I’d seen some scary things before COVID, but that was the first time it felt like the apocalypse could be more than just something that happened twice a season on Supernatural (2005-2020).
 
The pandemic definitely altered the way I view films in the apocalyptic genre.
 
I’m not entirely sure I still agree with the list I originally gave. Although I enjoy Zombieland (2009), I don’t think it’s really altered my cinematic landscape the way I once did. Same goes for This is the End (2013). They’re good films, but my take on apocalyptic movies would be the same without them. At least now. World War Z (2013) also doesn’t feel like an addition to the apocalyptic genre to me, but more of a flick to consider where adaptations are concerned.
 
World War Z, the book, is a compilation of various tales of people entering a zombie apocalypse. It’s set up as a kind of case study. None of the characters in the film are ever even seen in the book. I think the flick shows an interesting way to adapt that kind of novel. Instead of telling a story already told by author Max Brooks, the creators opted to add another to the anthology. From an adaptation stance, I think that’s brilliant. From an apocalypse perception, however, it’s basic zombies.
 
Cargo (2017) is the only film I originally listed that would still be a part of my apocalypse landscape today.
 
So, what apocalyptic films DO alter the way I view the genre?
 
I’ll start with the one that that means more to me now than it did before the pandemic: 28 Days Later (2002).
 

Watching that film in the aftermath of COVID gave me chills. Seeing London as empty as Times Square in 2020 was much more harrowing than it had been before. There’s a certain hollowness, a hopelessness, that grips me when watching that scene now. It’s the embodiment of what an apocalypse feels like, and it puts me on my heels as I watch the rest of the events unfold.
 
The zombie aspects are better than in most undead movies (fast, easier infection, etc.), but it’s that overall feel in the beginning that reflects something I’ve now actually felt. It allows me to relate on a deeper level and creates a more frightening experience.
 
There’s something to be said for pulling from real situations for a horror film. It makes the impossible seem more realistic and terrifying.
 

Then there’s Train to Busan (2016). Although it came out before 2018, I only saw it after my original articles were put out. It instantly became one of my favorite zombie movies. It also opened me up more to Korean cinema, which is where I prefer to find my horror these days. The story of a not-so-great dad taking care of his daughter and redeeming himself as the world turns to rot is one that tugs at the heart strings and absolutely destroys me by the conclusion.
 
Without Train to Busan I’d have seen maybe half the apocalyptic films I have by now. Most of them I watched because this one Korean zombie flick opened my eyes to them. Without it, my taste for the sub-genre would be much more basic.
 
The last addition to my personal cinematic landscape for the apocalypse sub-genre is A Quiet Place (2018).
 

I had to choose between three options for this spot because they all felt like a possible entry for the same basic reason. The other options were Bird Box (2018) and Blood Quantum (2019).
 
In all three films there’s an entire group of people that are unaffected by the subject of the apocalypse. In Blood Quantum, indigenous people have a quality to their blood that keeps them from being infected with the virus. While in A Quiet Place and Bird Box it’s a disability that protects people from invaders.
 
I decided to choose A Quiet Place for this article because it’s the one that does it best. I almost put it in the minimal dialogue category, but there’s actually quite a bit of talking that happens. The majority of that conversation just happens to be in sign language.
 
The idea of an entire group of people being protected from an apocalypse was relatively new to me with these films and, as it turns out, it’s an idea I really love. That idea that something can protect a person that’s completely out of their control – whether it’s heritage or a physical issue – is something that I feel gives a lot more depth to a story. I see it done more now, and I do tend to gravitate toward those plots when I see them. If A Quiet Place wasn’t as amazing as it was, it might not be something I looked at all that hard in the future.

'Tis the Season - Silent Night (2021)

Streaming Service: AMC+
Movie Name/Year: Silent Night (2021)
Genre: Comedy, Horror
Length: 92 minutes
Rating: Unrated
Production/Distribution: Maven Screen Media, Marv Films, BfParis, Shaw Organisation, AMC+, Altitude Film Entertainment, Capelight Pictures, Husky Films, Madman Entertainment, RLJE Films
Director: Camille Griffin
Writer: Camille Griffin
Actors: Annabelle Wallis, Davida McKenzie, Gilby Griffin Davis, Hardy Griffin Davis, Holly Aird, Keira Knightley, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Lily-Rose Melody Depp, Lucy Punch, Matthew Goode, Roman Griffin Davis, Rufus Jones, Sope Dirisu, Trudie Styler
 
IMDb Blurb: Nell, Simon, and their son Art are ready to welcome friends and family for what promises to be a perfect Christmas gathering. Perfect except for one thing: everyone is going to die.

 
Cat’s Point of View:
The words that came to mind as the credits rolled for Silent Night were “Holy shit!”
 
Silent Night went into an abyssal level of deep darkness with its dry comedy. The entire experience was an emotional rollercoaster…in flames. I was laughing one minute, cringing the next, and nearly in tears just a few moments later.
 
The trailer had significantly piqued my interest. I have to admit that the availability of Silent Night for streaming on AMC+ was one of the plethora of strong selling points for subscribing to the service. I digress… Silent Night certainly delivered and exceeded my expectations.

I’m saddened that I see so many negative reviews – saying it’s slow, the darkness doesn’t have actual comedy relief, or that the satire doesn’t land. I don’t really agree with these. Alright, I will have to concede that the pacing is a little slower than it could have been; but I believe that was done purposefully considering it’s underscoring that the characters are trying to eke out as much life as possible before the end comes.
 
Silent Night went on a deep dive that resonated, perhaps, a little harshly in this era of pandemic and climate change. To be fair, however, the film was already mostly done before the UK went into its first pandemic lockdown. The social commentary within predated Covid-19 and was meant to target class disparity, mass fear mentality, and climate change. I feel that Silent Night accomplished all that – without beating those points over your head.

The cast was phenomenal in their roles. Of course, Keira Knightley (The Imitation Game, Collateral Beauty, Misbehaviour) and Matthew Goode (Downton Abbey, Official Secrets, A Discovery of Witches) were a significant draw for me to watch. They didn’t disappoint. Another stand-out among the cast was Roman Griffin Davis (Jojo Rabbit, Felicità - La stagione delle buone notizie). His talent really belies his age. I believed every moment of his emotional journey. 
 
Silent Night isn’t a production you’d want to put on during a happy and festive holiday gathering, just based on its bleakness. While I understand it’s a bit divisive, I would heartily recommend at least giving it a shot. Just maybe line up something fun and uplifting to follow it. 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 62%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 49%
Metascore – 52%
Metacritic User Score – 4.6/10
IMDB Score – 5.7 /10
 
Trust the Dice: Parental Guidance Rating – R
 
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 4/5
 
Movie Trailer:

Apocalypse Rising (2018)

Streaming Service: Paramount+
Movie Name/Year: Apocalypse Rising (2018)
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
Length: 83 minutes
Rating: TV-MA
Production/Distribution: Giant Meteor Films, Rathe Productions, Gravitas Ventures
Director: Richard Lowry
Writer:  Gregory P. Wolk
Actors: Hunter Alexes Parker, Shane Samples, Justin Lebrun, Johanna Rae, Victoria Steadman, James R. Frey, Kelly Brown, Shiah Luna, David Namminga, Ketalyn Levario, Dennis Marin, John R. Mangus
 
Blurb from IMDb: They came from a doomed world to save us from the same fate.
 

Selina’s Point of View:
Apocalypse Rising is a low-budget B-movie, so I’ll be comparing it only to other films like it. Fish can’t climb trees, after all.
 
The thing that drew me to this movie was the plot. The mix of undead horror and hard sci-fi, at least in this context, is not something I’ve ever seen before. Aliens coming from a warring planet only to find Earth in the process of starting a zombie apocalypse? I knew it was risky, but I was so here for the idea.
 
What makes a B-movie good is not necessarily quality. It’s when the flick is fun to watch. Either because it’s over-the-top ridiculous – like Sharknado (2013), super relatable to at least one group – like The Gamers: Dorkness Rising (2008), accidentally funny – like The Wicker Man (2006), or because it’s so bad it’s good – like The VelociPastor (2018). Are any of them the kind that people would spend 20 bucks to see in theaters? Of course not. But they make for good watching with a group of friends and a bucket of popcorn.
 

Luckily, Apocalypse Rising didn’t take itself too seriously. I found it watchable, actually. It could have been as good as Starship Troopers (1997), but there were a few missteps. The most glaring of which was the sex scenes. I could have done with about 87 less of them. It might have made the flick come in at just around an hour long, but it also would have wound up being good enough to have that possibility of cult status.
 
I do believe that Apocalypse Rising dips a toe into the ‘so bad it’s good’ category. It walks the line a little closer than I’d prefer, but I don’t regret watching it. I did have some fun.
 
It’s absolutely not for everyone. As mentioned, there are WAY too many sex scenes (even if they are more parody than porn), there’s a lot of over-the-top acting, and one-note characters. If I was comparing Apocalypse Rising to a bigger film, it would not make the cut. For what it is, however… it was a lot better than most. It had a decent story, and I liked the ending. It was unique.
 
Apocalypse Rising could make for some funny watching for a friends-night-in or a zoom-movie-call. Just make sure to bring your sense of humor. Don’t take it too seriously.
 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – None
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – None
Metascore – None
Metacritic User Score – None
IMDB Score – 4.4/10
 
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 3/5
 
Movie Trailer:

Awake (2021)

Streaming Services: Netflix
Movie Name/Year: Awake (2021)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
Length: 96 minutes
Rating: TV-MA
Production/Distribution: Entertainment One, Netflix, Paul Schiff Productions
Director: Mark Raso
Writer:  Gregory Poirier, Joseph Raso, Mark Raso
Actors: Gina Rodriguez, Shamier Anderson, Dan Beirne, Gil Bellows, Frances Fisher, Ariana Greenblatt, Lucius Hoyos
 
Blurb from IMDb: After a devastating global event wipes out all electronics and eliminated people's ability to sleep, a former soldier may have found a solution with her daughter.
 

Selina’s Point of View:
Awake wasn’t quite as original as I’d hoped, but I still really enjoyed it.
 
There were tropes. There always are, though. What impressed me about the utilization of them is that Awake did manage to subvert some.
 
I mean, when I see an apocalypse movie and a character is shown to have insulin-dependent diabetes – or some other illness that they need constant access to medication for – I immediately know that’s going to come into play. They’re going to lose their insulin, or it’ll be stolen, or they’ll just run out and it’ll be a whole thing. Although they showed a character taking insulin early on in the film, they didn’t take the road that trope normally goes.
 
I know that seems small – but I have NEVER seen an apocalypse movie do that. Not ever. I’ve seen everything from insulin, to inhalers, to anti-psychotics get lost. It’s such a recurring side-plot, that I go into every movie like this assuming it will be a thing. I’m usually right.
 
Not all of the tropes were subverted, but a few did go the way of the not-missing-insulin. Which was nice.
 

It did end the way I thought it would – but there was so much suspense leading up to it, that I didn’t mind. The whole flick felt incredibly fast-paced. About 7-minutes in, the catalyst for the apocalypse happened and there were no more chances to take a breath.
 
I didn’t feel time move.
 
Gina Rodriguez (Annihilation, Kajillionaire, Carmen Sandiego) made me feel every moment of her character’s journey to protect her kids. Ariana Greenblatt (Scoob!, Love and Monsters, In the Heights) also did a stunning job. I believed her. There were moments that she played her character so well, that it heightened my immersion – despite my not having any issues with that to begin with. She’s young, but she’s already got a decent amount of experience. If she keeps going, she’ll be a future A-lister.
 
The reviews are showing that a lot of people disagree with me about Awake. I think they’re wrong, and I think Awake has the chance to become a cult film. There are going to be people like me who see mostly good in it. It’s just a matter of how many.
 
Time will tell.
 

Cat’s Point of View:
I’ve been looking forward to Awake since I saw the trailer. It felt like this would be a fresh take for the disaster-flick genre.
 
In recent years, there have been TV shows and films featuring loss of electricity in the world – however nothing quite with this particular flavor for the apocalypse. It was fresh and intriguing. I went in with so many questions.
 
I wish I could say that I got some answers, if not the ones I was hoping for. There’s a mild explanation that left me fairly dissatisfied on that front – it felt like a few throw-away lines. I get it that the delivery was given while the character was generally delirious, but you’d think there’d be more substance to it.
 
Aside from that, the rest of Awake had my attention and I was far from any danger of zoning out.
 

Gina Rodriguez was impressive, as usual, in her role as a young mother with a troubled past now fighting for her children’s future. I enjoyed seeing this new facet to her range -- portraying someone desperately trying not to unravel. 

We should definitely keep our eyes on young Ariana Greenblatt. She’s come a long way from the precocious younger sister in Disney’s Stuck in the Middle (2016-2018), and I have a feeling her career is only going up from here.
 
Aside from a few great moments here and there, I’m afraid there weren’t a lot of elements in Awake to set it apart from the majority of the productions that focus on the crumbling of society – whether from disasters or illness.
 
In any case, I’d still give Awake a recommendation as a good warm-up movie to kick the summer season off. It might not blow your socks off, but it’s not a bad flick.
 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 38%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 33%
Metascore – 36/100
Metacritic User Score – None
IMDB Score – 5.1/10
 
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 4.5/5
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 3/5
 
Movie Trailer:

Greenland (2020)

Streaming Services: Amazon Prime Video ($5.99)
Movie Name/Year: Greenland (2020)
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller
Length: 119 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Production/Distribution: STX Films, Anton, Thunder Road Pictures, G-BASE, Riverstone Pictures, Film & TV House, GEM Entertainment, CatchPlay, Cinépolis Distribución, Diamond Films, Elevation Pictures, ErosSTX International, Golden Village Pictures, Impuls Pictures, Joyncontents Group, Kinomania, Metropolitan Filmexport, Pony Canyon, Roadshow Film Distributors (NZ) Ltd., Roadshow Films, STX International, Spentzos Films, Square Box Pictures, TGV Pictures, TOBIS Film, The Searchers, Top Film, Vertical Entertainment, Amazon Prime Video, Cinemundo, Encore Films, Eros Now, HBO Max, JL Vision Film, Leonine Distribution, TOBIS Home Entertainment, The Filmbridge
Director: Ric Roman Waugh
Writer: Chris Sparling
Actors: Gerard Butler, Morena Baccarin, Roger Dale Floyd, Scott Glenn, Randal Gonzalez, Scott Poythress, Claire Bronson, Madison Johnson, Gary Weeks, Tracey Bonner, Hope Davis, David Denman, Andrew Bachelor, Joshua Mikel, James Logan, Randall Archer
 
Blurb from IMDb: A family struggles for survival in the face of a cataclysmic natural disaster.
 

Selina’s Point of View:
I have been looking forward to Greenland for a long time. Maybe even since the start of the pandemic.
 
It was delayed several times before being released to streaming in the USA. Sometimes, that’s a bad sign. It could indicate reshoots or post-production issues. I think it’s pretty clear that, this time, it was delayed solely because of COVID.
 
Apocalypse movies are my thing. No matter what ends the world in those films, they always draw me.
 
These days, apocalypse movies hit different. They just pack a lot more of a punch since the coronavirus shut down our world. I imagine this is because if everyone was as absolutely moronic as the anti-maskers & anti-vaxxers are, it very well could have been an extinction-level disease.
 

That said, I was happy to see a film like this that focused on comets. Most of the apocalypse flicks I’ve seen have involved zombies, aliens, ice ages, or Earthbound natural disasters – with a scattering of religion. It’s nice to see something different. There’ve been a few comet/meteor/asteroid/thing crashing into Earth movies, but not a whole lot that I can recall. That means the majority of them probably weren’t all that memorable.
 
Greenland is.
 
It did sport some of my least favorite apocalypse tropes. Among them are: a couple starting on the rocks (we all know they’ll bond over the trauma and be back together in the end) and a child needing access to meds (you just know they’re going to lose, or be separated from, the meds at some point). I feel like, in this case, those tropes (and a couple of others) could have been subverted easily.
 

If they were, Greenland would have gotten a perfect score from me. Even with the small plot holes that picked at me by the conclusion.
 
The rest of the film was phenomenal. All the serious, emotional scenes, were so well done that I wound up ugly crying in the middle of the movie. That kind of reaction is normally ear-marked for the very end.
 
I have to give props to director Ric Roman Waugh (Felon, In the Shadows, Snitch) and writer Chris Sparling (Buried, ATM, The Warning). They created something special. It’s difficult to make an apocalyptic film feel fresh, but they did. I do believe their project was elevated by the work of Gerard Butler (The Vanishing, 300, Angel Has Fallen), Morena Baccarin (Deadpool, Gotham, Ode to Joy), and even the child star, Roger Dale Floyd (Doctor Sleep, Dr. Bird’s Advice for Sad Poets, Kronos). The various side-actors also felt perfect.
 

The ladies in charge of casting, Mary Vernieu (Euphoria, Promising Young Woman, Knives Out) and Michelle Wade Byrd (The Photograph, Bird Box, We Can Be Heroes), damn well earned their paychecks.
 
Greenland dug deep. It told a terrifying, gut-punch, of a story. One that will stand out – even to someone like me. I watch over 300 movies a year and I forget roughly 80% of them. I don’t believe this will be one of those.  
 
It’s only $5.99 to rent Greenland on Amazon Prime Video. I think it’s totally worth it.
 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 78%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 64%
Metascore – 64/100
Metacritic User Score – 6.3/10
IMDB Score – 6.4/10
 
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 4/5
 
Movie Trailer:

Breach (2020)

 

Streaming Services: Apple iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango Now, VUDU, Microsoft Store, Redbox, DirecTV, Xfinity
Movie Name/Year: Breach (2020)
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi
Length: 89 minutes
Rating: R
Production/Distribution: 308 Ent, Almost Never Films Inc., Aloe Entertainment, Film Mode Entertainment, Dutch FilmWorks, Saban Films, Signature Entertainment, Storm Pictures Korea
Director: John Suits
Writers: Edward Drake, Corey Large
Actors: Cody Kearsley, Bruce Willis, Rachel Nichols, Kassandra Clementi, Johnny Messner, Corey Large, Callan Mulvey, Timothy V. Murphy, Johann Urb, Ralf Moeller, Thomas Jane, Angie Pack, Swen Temmel, Elicia Davies, Alexander Kane, Robert Laenen, Adam Huel Potter, Mitchell Baker
 
Blurb from RottenTomatoes: Fleeing a devastating plague on Earth, an interstellar ark comes under attack from a new threat -- a shape-shifting alien force intent on slaughtering what's left of humanity.

Cat’s Point of View:

My expectations for Breach were relatively high, as I noted in my Top 20 Movies article for December 2020. I listed this film at #7 at that time and went as far as to say ‘shut up and take my money’ as part of my enthusiastic endorsement.
 
I have rarely been as disappointed in a film as I was with this one. I was so eager to watch this sci-fi thriller that I didn’t mind paying nearly $8.00 to rent it from my cable provider’s On Demand service. If this had been one of the $19.99 rentals, as many of these movies releasing to stream concurrently with theater runs have done, I would have been very upset. In this case, I at least got my money’s worth by watching it more than once.

You might wonder why I viewed this production multiple times if I was that disappointed in it. My answer is that my lackluster response to the film was exactly why I viewed it about two and a half times. I fell asleep during my first late-night viewing. I wondered if it was just a fatigue thing since that happens to me frequently, or if it was the movie that acted as a lullaby.
 
My second watch-through proved to me that fatigue had been the likely culprit, but also only furthered my frustration with the movie. My third watch-through was just to ensure I wasn’t getting it wrong. Was it really that bad? Was I really seeing what I thought? Unfortunately, my disappointment had merit.
 
Why was I so let down by Breach? Where do I even begin?

 
Let’s start with the thoughts I put forward with my Top 20 article in the film’s #7 listing. I was expecting something that blended elements from the Alien (1979) franchise and the Syfy channel TV series Helix (2014-2015). I’ve seen a lot of buzz surrounding the movie also compare it to elements from The Thing (1982). I can see where that comes from, but I don’t believe it borrows quite enough. That’s really neither here nor there.
 
I was excited to see Bruce Willis (Glass, Trauma Center, Hard Kill) and Thomas Jane (Standoff, 1922, The Expanse) sharing the screen together. They’ve both had experience with both action and space-themed projects in the past. This project did not utilize their full potential. It seems like Willis had some fun shooting this one if the candid production photos are to be believed… but this clearly wasn’t his best role. Jane barely had any screen time and the direction he received for what little time he had was apparently lackluster.

There were so many faults with this film that it was extremely hard to look past them. I really try very hard to find something positive to say, and I’m really struggling here. Probably the best thing I could offer was that Breach posed an interesting premise. If it had been treated correctly, this had the potential for being great… or at the very least far better than the film that was released.
 
The writing and some of the character interactions (which I imagine were direction-driven) were awkward and just odd. The situation on Earth just wasn’t adequately explained, and there were many plot holes that were large enough to swallow a bus. I’ve seen movies with shoestring budgets get far better bang for their buck than exhibited here. The effects were bargain basement, the shaky cam was annoying, and I couldn’t suspend disbelief for the creature effects. It felt like a poor rubber suit was lumbering around, or extremely amateur CGI. Don’t even get me started on the guns vs. lasers used in the fire-fights. The lighting and hazy settings were strange, and rather than otherworldly they came across nauseating.
 
Other elements bugged me as well, but in spite of my chagrin and disappointment, I am loath to spoil the film for any curious enough to watch it for themselves.
 
There are far better films out there. If you absolutely can’t stay away from this one, maybe wait until it appears on a subscription service you already pay for, rather than shelling out for it On Demand. 

 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 20%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 46%
Metascore –  None
Metacritic User Score – 0.9/10
IMDB Score – 3.6/10
 
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 2/5
 
Movie Trailer:

Turbo Kid (2015) - Shudder Spree

 

Streaming Services: Shudder, Prime Video, Tubi, Crackle
Movie Name/Year: Turbo Kid (2015)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy
Length:  95 minutes
Rating: Unrated
Production/Distribution: EMA Films, Epic Pictures Group, Timpson Films, Epic Pictures Group, Atlantic Film, Filmoption International, Nippon Shuppan Hanbai, A Contracorriente Films, Amplify, Eagle Films, Epic Pictures Releasing, Film1, Filmfreak Distributie, Ledick Filmhandel, Lionsgate Home Entertainment, Raven Banner Entertainment, Remain In Light, Transmission Films
Director: François Simard, Anouk Whissell, Yoann-Karl Whissell
Writer: François Simard, Anouk Whissell, Yoann-Karl Whissell
Actors: Munro Chambers, Laurence Leboeuf, Michael Ironside, Edwin Wright, Aaron Jeffery, Romano Orzari, Orphée Ladouceur-Nguyen, Steeve Léonard, Yves Corbeil, Evan Manoukian, Anouk Whissell, François Simard, Tyler Hall, Pierre-André Sigouin
 
Blurb from IMDb: In a post-apocalyptic wasteland in 1997, a comic book fan adopts the persona of his favourite hero to save his enthusiastic friend and fight a tyrannical overlord.

Cat’s Point of View:

This latest movie in our month-long Shudder Spree isn’t exactly a traditional horror movie, as most of the films we’re watching this month are. There isn’t anything supernatural about it, in fact. It’s got a grindhouse level of blood-fountain gore – but only because of the ultra-violent post-apocalyptic setting.
 
When I say blood-fountain, I’m telling you that they gave a new definition to ‘making it rain.’
 
That being said, Turbo Kid is definitely packed with some crazy nostalgic fun. One of the quotes seen on some posters and the DVD covers likens this movie to “Mad Max on a BMX.” I think that sums things up rather well – if a bit understated.

 
It feels like the world, today, is going insane already. All these post-apocalyptic movies get more believable by the day. I’m not sure that I 100% buy into this particular vision… but I really don’t think we’re supposed to. Take into consideration the fact that a movie released in 2015 is calling 1997 “the future.” (Though, I do believe that bicycles are a more feasible mode of transportation in an apocalyptic situation, considering the finite supply of gasoline. I digress…)

This film was heavily weighted to 80’s retro. I have a great love for that decade, and so my inner-kid was having a happy-dance with each new ‘artifact’ that made its appearance on the screen. This love-letter to the 80’s post-apocalyptic sub-genre is even reflected in Turbo Kid’s synth score. It was well-done and was a good fit for the action on-screen. I could ramble on about all of the references, but I think you get the point.

The cherry on top for me, and frankly one of the deciding factors to watch this movie in the first place, was Michael Ironside’s (Extraterrestrial, Patient 7, The Harrowing) involvement with the production. I can’t think of a single movie I’ve seen him in that I haven’t enjoyed. He does tend to get involved with some off-the-wall projects and crazy B-movies; but he’s also held key roles in hits such as Starship Troopers (1997), Top Gun (1986), and Total Recall (1990). He was a perfect choice for the ‘big bad’ of this movie.

Turbo Kid definitely has some camp and cheese involved with it, but it is also very aware of such, and I was loving it. It hits just the right tone so that it’s not an eye-rolling situation and I definitely wasn’t bored as this film pedaled its way into my heart.

I realize this won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. If, however, you’re not a fan of the ultra-spooky or other nightmare-fuel driven horror movies; or even if you just need a break for a few laughs in between heavier films Turbo Kid might just be for you. 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 91%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 77%
Metascore – 60/100
Metacritic User Score – 8.0/10
IMDB Score – 6.7/10
 
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 3.5/5
 
Trust the Dice: Parental Advisory Rating – R

 
Movie Trailer:

How It Ends (2018)

Movie Name/Year: How It Ends (2018)

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Length: 113 minutes

Rating: TV-MA

Production/Distribution: Paul Schiff Productions, Sierra / Affinity, Netflix

Director: David M. Rosenthal

Writer: Brooks McLaren

Actors: Theo James, Forest Whitaker, Katerina Graham, Kerry Bishé, Mark O'Brien, Nancy Sorel, Eric Keenleyside, Grace Dove

Blurb from IMDb: A a desperate man tries to return home to his pregnant fiancee after a mysterious apocalyptic event turns everything to chaos.

Selina’s Point of View:

Apocalyptic movies are part of my bread and butter. I don’t know why I’m so drawn to them, but I very much am. So, I got excited about our movie this week.

How it Ends is a Netflix original, so I had no expectations one way or the other. Some of them are very, very good. Others are awful. There’s no real consistency from film to film. That’s the thing about turning out so much new content so often. There’s no way they could hit it out of the park every time – but they’re not going to be known as the next Asylum production company, either.

I’m left with some conflict on how I feel about this one.

On one hand, I love that I wasn’t punched in the head with exposition right out of the gate. Brooks McLaren (Rambo: New Blood, XOXO, Nightingale), the writer, allowed there to be some intrigue and guidance without spelling everything out for me like I’m an idiot. As a result, there’s some dialogue that’s unusual for a movie, but very natural for real life. They also managed to divert expectations in several interactions. It was impressive.

The problem with making everything feel a little more natural is that the ‘fantastic’ that normally weaves itself through a film like this was absent some of the time.

It was never hard to watch, but I did wind up with some questions I don’t think I was supposed to have. I’m not including the stuff you’re supposed to wonder about, but other things. It didn’t equal out to huge plot holes, but there were smaller ones that kind of added up in the end.

The acting was good. Theo James (Castlevania, Divergent, Golden Boy) and Forest Whitaker (Burden, Arrival, Out of the Furnace) are both great at what they do. I expected nothing less. Kat Graham (The Vampire Diaries, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Poison Rose) is also amazing, but she wasn’t in much of the flick. I would have liked to see more of her.

When all is said and done, I did enjoy How it Ends, but I don’t think it was one of Netflix’s best. 

Cat’s Point of View:

Overall, I didn’t mind How It Ends. I can’t say that it’s my favorite Netflix original, but it certainly wasn’t the worst. The film’s name is a little ironic, really, but I’ll get into that in a minute.

I was initially drawn to this movie via the trifecta of actors that I really enjoy – namely, Kat Graham (17 Again, Addicted, All Eyez on Me), Forest Whitaker (Arrival, Sorry To Bother You, Finding Steve McQueen), and Theo James (Underworld Awakening, The Secret Scripture, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance). I’ve generally liked most of their collective work, and can count on solid performances from them. I had no disappointments from their respective roles. I might wish for a little more screen-time from Graham, but I understand that since the tale was being told from William’s perspective, that meant that we would only ever know what he knew and his fiancee's well-being was a pivotal point of the suspense in the plot.

Stories about the ‘end of the world,’ disasters, and apocalyptic events are always intriguing to me. I find the ideas that writers come up with fascinating. The best ones play off of an entirely plausible scenario, making the concept even more chilling. When supernatural means are involved, it has to be extremely well executed to allow the suspense of disbelief. Sci-fi and fantasy are my favorite genres, though, so flights into the fantastical are quite welcome.

With this film, the disaster that plays out seems as believable as it is enigmatic. I really liked the fact that the narrative wasn’t cluttered with too much detail, and the puzzle pieces to put the bigger picture together were doled out with subtlety. I’m OK with how this plays out and even all of the unanswered questions surrounding what was – or wasn’t – going on.

I just didn’t like the ending. There were both good and bad notes for how the final scene plays out, but it mostly left me hanging uncomfortably. The movie had me hooked right up until the credits began to roll, and I felt it a bit like a slap in the face that it was over. I had a moment asking myself “That’s all? They’re leaving it there???”

If put on the spot, I wouldn’t steer anyone away from the film, but I don’t think I’d go out of my way to endorse or recommend it all the same. If not for that ending, I’d likely give it a higher score. As it stands, I would say this falls in the high-end of the middle where the quality of Netflix originals is concerned. There are some that are exceedingly better but there are others that, quite frankly, reek. This one is just good – and OK.

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 19%

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 17%

Metascore – 35/100

Metacritic User Score – 4.4/10

IMDB Score – 5.0/10

CinemaScore – None

Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 3.5/5

Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 3/5

Movie Trailer: