Quick Movie Review

The Chaser (2008, South Korea) | Rating: 4/5
If you've been following my blog for a while, you'll notice that I've had some hits and misses when it comes to Korean action films. This movie was one I was looking forward to watching, so...what category did it end up in after I watched it? In short, it was a hit. This movie gave me plenty of action and some good detective elements. It shares some similar action mystery elements as the Vengeance trilogy, which is always a good thing. It did drag in places with the cat and mouse chase, but overall, the ride was pretty enjoyable and it met my expectations.



Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001, USA) | Rating: 4/5
After seeing Pawdugan's Music Movie review, I had a strong urge to see this movie musical. It's no secret that I don't shy away from movies or anything LGBT+ related, especially if it's something positively influential. For years, I've had bad luck trying to find places to watch this and I was ecstatic to see it featured on Logo's Cocktails & Classics. It was definitely an entertaining experience and an eye opening perspective on trans people with some good music. I did have to push aside my Michael Pitt trauma I've developed from Funny Games U.S., but the acting was quite good and I felt for Hedwig's struggle with identity, love, and musical expression.



The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015, USA) | Rating: 3/5
Kingsman: The Secret Service brought life to the James Bonds action genre on the big screen in an exciting, refreshing, and subtle satirical way. So, I expected another exciting, action packed movie similar to it. Much like Dark Shadows, I've never watched the source material (and not planning on it), but I am aware that there was a TV show of the same name years ago. I want to say that I've heard some good things about this movie, but I wasn't exactly hyped about seeing it. After watching it, I felt a bit underwhelmed. The actors were fine and the action was okay, but the story and chemistry lacked the fire that Kingsman had. If they're making a sequel, I hope it's more exciting than this one.



Return to Sender (2015, USA) | Rating: 2/5
I might be repeating myself, but it's no secret that I've been watching low quality horror movies and I considered this one as a potential candidate. It's not completely horror, but more suspense and drama. Rosamund Pike reprises her role as 'Amazing Amy' in this suspense drama as she's taken advantage on a blind date and faces her rapists through jail. /sarcasm Yeah, this movie is very much "Gone Girl 2" or something, but not as good. Certain relationships really don't make sense and the conclusion just doesn't feel that satisfying because of her shell of a character. I'm sure someone enjoyed it, but a lot of commenters on IMDb have deemed this movie the sequel to Gone Girl. Perhaps Pike is now typecasted after her role as Amy. Either way, you're not missing too much in this movie. It's not terrible, but there's no likable characters to be found here.



Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011, USA) | Rating: 3.5/5
I believe I heard about this movie from a little channel called Pretty Much It on YouTube and I finally came across it this year. It's a movie that I don't think everyone would enjoy, but it's definitely a movie you would see at a film festival, which is where this guy saw it. It's a slow, quiet burn of a movie that takes some thinking as things unfold. It goes back and forth from Martha's past cult history to her present life with her sister and brother-in-law. It offers a bit of an insight of what it's like to adjust to real life after being part of a cult. Some moments can be a little frustrating to watch, but the movie does present good reasons for being on either side of understanding and annoyance. I wouldn't recommend this movie to everyone as I can see certain people getting frustrated or bored with the slow pace, but it's worth the journey of getting inside the main character's head as she tries to figure out what to do with herself.


If there's something you want me to review (or want a more in depth review of the movies above or previous ones), check out this post on how you can submit requests.