EvilPhoEniX

An intimate Spanish drama-thriller set in a prison. I really like prison movies, but this time the Spaniards chose don’t quite deliver. It's mediocrely shot, the characters are not very engaging, I didn't find the plot very interesting either. The classic tale of corruption and violence is raw in places, but not explicit enough for me to cheer. It's quite surprising that even though the film is only eighty minutes long, it drags in places and you feel like you are watching a two-hour movie. There is a rape scene, which is probably the most intense of the film, otherwise quite weak. 4/10.

Cruella is a Disney villain origin film that is surprisingly stylish. Genre-wise, it's completely different than what I normally watch and seek out, but it has to be said that considering it’s 140 minutes long and has no action or violence, I had an above-average time. Cruella has her own flair, a nice London setting, an impressive Emma Stone, who steals the whole show for herself, her entrances to the stage are always both epic and engaging, and the cool retro music playing all the time is a delight. Emma Thompson is also brilliant, playing the Baroness to a great standard, she commands respect and plays the bitch decently. The clashes between the two main characters are the strongest of the whole film. I also liked the dogs, the occasional humorous interludes. There are fine twists (though some are predictable), and it works as a heist genre film with a revenge theme all in one. The fashion element is also a big plus, with some of the dresses taking your breath away. Fashion oriented women will probably marvel here. A nice nice and entertaining film. 7.5/10.

An interesting short about a skeleton that can no longer get a job as a prop in a movie because of better CGI effects. I agree with the idea, it was quite interestingly shot, but I missed a stronger twist for a higher rating. 6/10.

Denis Villeneuve delivers a pretty solid original short that is slightly reminiscent of the Spanish film The Platform. I didn't find it very funny, but it was original and interesting. 7/10.

An unexpected animated gem from Thailand! Lore, like from “Warcraft”, incorporated into a classic martial arts beat-down in the style of Ong-bak! This is exactly something for me. It has amazing visuals (revolutionary by Thai standards in fact), a captivating story, breathtaking action (the choreography of the fights is top-notch), and most importantly, it seamlessly transitions from one action scene to another, giving it a great pace and drive. Although there isn't much blood and it didn't strike me as particularly funny, the action, the visuals, and the creative villains more than make up for it. Very good and highly recommended. A fantastic 7.6 overseas! 8/10.

Feel my Wrath! I'm shocked what a gem Wrath of Man turned out to be. I was expecting a classic Statham action movie, but instead I got a well thought-out revenge-heist and gangster film with an atmosphere so dense, raw, and unpleasant at times that I was genuinely scared. There is less action than I expected, but considering the overall result, I forgive everything. The trailer showed maybe 10%, and I was shocked at how the movie turned out. I had no idea where it was heading. Jason Statham definitely has the best role of his career playing an angry, pissed-off boss with a cold expression craving revenge, but at the same time, he has character and doesn't kill people who are not against him. This is the dreamed badass protagonist I love, and I finally got to see him. The young Scott Eastwood impresses as well. He shows for the first time that he can act, playing a slimy, cold, and evil character flawlessly. The story is told retrospectively from multiple angles and perspectives, just the way I like it. There are a lot of tough guys who command respect, blood is not spared, neither are corpses. The final heist plan is as well-thought-out as in Money Heist, and the action-packed half-hour at the end is more than satisfying. The sound effects of the guns are stunning! (no muffled gun barrels). The whole movie is accompanied by a gripping and dark soundtrack that elevates it even higher. I must praise the realism and authenticity of the entire story. (the scene with the SWAT team, those guys commanded so much respect that I started to wish they would never come out of that car, otherwise they would take me away!). The final reckoning is among the sweetest revenge endings I've ever seen, and of course, there was one unexpected twist. A truly amazing manly feat loaded in all directions, and I'm looking forward to watching it again! I enjoyed it immensely. A contender for movie of the year! 9/10.

The new mainstream horror fil Unholy, produced by Sam Raimi, unfortunately isn't worth much. it's nothing but a consumerist mainstream film, relatively nicely shot, but boring. The film was released in cinemas in the USA, so it's nice to know that it's not a completely cheap affair and a few people might enjoy Jeffrey Dean Morgan, though his character doesn't particularly stand out. The music didn't interest me much, there was maybe only one good jump scare, the atmosphere doesn't really grab you (unfortunately, most of the time it doesn't even happen in the dark), so probably nobody will be scared. The appearance of the Virgin Mary's ghost, especially towards the end, is slightly creepy, so at least there's that if nothing else. It's a shame it didn't push the envelope more (the body count is low), there are not enough scares and they not very effective, and at times it drags on quite a bit. An hour after it ended, I don't even remember what it was about, so I'm lowering my rating. 4/10.

I like anthology horror films, but unfortunately this one doesn't measure up to The Mortuary Collection and Southbound. It's kind of cheap, but you can survive it without any harm to your health. The story takes place in a library, where five writers are tasked with telling a scary story in which they themselves appear, and it has a surprise ending. Unfortunately, none of the stories are particularly interesting. They don't offer an interesting plot or any twists, which I could overlook if they were at least functional from a horror perspective, but there's nothing there. There's hardly any gore, just a little bit of blood, but that won't really surprise anyone these days. There aren't any jump scares either, and the atmosphere didn't strike me as dark or gripping. Visually, it's average at best. I can't think of many reasons why I would recommend this horror film, but there are worse things to choose from. The most interesting part was probably the third story, which has some pretty nice make-up effects, but again, they were underdeveloped and not fully utilized. 4/10.

Oriol Paulo is a God, a genius, and Maestro all in one, serving one of the best crime-thriller TV series of recent years. I admit I was skeptical about The Innocent and put it off for three weeks, mainly because I had suffered through similar series of the same caliber that I had seen recently (The Serpent and True Detective), but finally I got a proper crime series without frills, one that isn't afraid of corpses, violence, and intense twists. Oriol Paulo has already surprised us four times with his filmmaking, and now he brings us the best of his career. It's a combination of The Invisible Guest and Sky Rojo, and it looks fantastic. Mario Casas is excellent once again in the lead role, delivering his typical standard, but the show is stolen by Alexandra Jiménez, who plays the detective with great style and I really enjoyed her appearances. She's a strong female character, and you can feel the respect she commands (she reminded me a bit of Rachel from Money Heist). I also really liked Miki Esparbé, who plays an exemplary pimp and steals most of the scenes for himself. The rest of the cast, of course, doesn't lag behind and they all excel. Paulo captivates from the beginning with a decent pace (the tempo may be slower, but it moves from scene to scene, so it feels relatively brisk), corpses are not spared, there are usually about two per episode (I praise the excellent autopsy scenes, where the creators weren't afraid to show the insides or demolished faces – it really shocked me!). The technical side is of the highest quality, and there are even some fights (a flashback from prison), the issues addressed are excellent. Not only is there classic investigation, collecting evidence, fighting for life, proving the truth, but also people trafficking, child prostitution, prostitutes, brothels, prisons, and more. There is something for everyone here, and I love and am interested in all of it, so Oriol really hit my taste. But the biggest praise goes to the screenplay, I don’t remember seeing such a well-thought-out story. There are like five twists per episode, everything is twisted, the unpredictability of the series is absolutely fantastic, and just when you think everything is wrapped up, another twist comes! Twist after twist and great dosing of information, where surprisingly you don't get lost at all. The highlight of the series is episode 5. It felt the most intense in terms of twists, and the ending took my breath away and tore me into pieces! It's a bit disappointing that the final episode is somewhat expected, but considering the previous onslaught of twists it's almost logical that it's impossible to shock so many times in eight hours, but even so, Paulo managed it better than any other creator. A great Spanish Renaissance masterpiece, which I recommend to everyone! 9/10.

The Russian fantasy film The Last Knight got a sequel and it's more or less on a similar wave as the first one, it won't disappoint fans of fantasy fairy tales. The first part intrigued with the idea of a hero from the present world entering the fairy tale world of mythical creatures, which is a great idea. And now, thanks to a magical sword, he has the ability to switch between worlds indefinitely, until he gets on the radar of a powerful witch. I'm a bit disappointed that The Last Knight is aimed more towards younger viewers, but the production design and the visuals are solid, the action is decent, and the fantasy creatures are once again interesting. I would definitely welcome something darker and more brutal, but considering the dying fantasy genre, I appreciate every attempt that is at least entertaining and nicely shot. There are a few very decent ideas (the cottages!). 7/10.