EvilPhoEniX

Stranger Things in movie form and a big surprise! A serial killer is on the loose in the town and he is targeting young boys in particular. Four teen friends decide to spend their summer vacation investigating and collecting evidence on their suspicious neighbor, who also happens to be a cop. The more they poke around, the more dangerous the whole thing gets. An incredibly nicely shot period retro with a likeable young cast – the main character in particular is excellent, I was fascinated by his detective zeal. The villain is great too, the tension works, the atmosphere is pretty thick at the end, and there are some unexpectedly grittier scenes. A very entertaining affair and definitely a nice addition this year. 75%

Lee Hae-yeong decided to make a remake of Johnnie To's Drug War and it turned out surprisingly well. I don't remember the original well enough to compare, but the newcomer handled it decently. He had some more familiar faces, the traditional excellent visuals are a given, the snorting scene is the most thrilling of the film here too, and there are only two action scenes: one big shootout and a final double female vs male fight that was more than solid. I wasn't bored for a second despite the slower pace, but I'm still forced to only give it a better 3* since I think the original had more charm. But I'm glad to see something from Korea again after a long time. 70%

A depressing as fuck and unexpectedly great film. The excellent Diane Kruger loses her son and husband in a bomb attack, which results in incredible pressure and stress from the police and a subsequent trial where I couldn't breathe. Excellent dialogue, perfect acting, stifling atmosphere and a shocking finale. Good job by the Germans. 80%.

After Game Night, the second comedy notch and success from the USA, where excellent Jeremy Renner in one of his best roles ever. I like the idea, which is also based on true events, the five protagonists were good and next to Renner I enjoyed Jake Johnson a lot. There are fewer gags than one might expect, but the film maintains a funny tone throughout. Praise also for the great slow motion during the "action" scenes. P.S. I really wish Renner had his own action series.

For fans of post-apocalyptic films, a refreshingly fine debut. The 19-year-old protagonist lives alone in her cabin after the death of her mother, but everything changes when an unknown traveler knocks on the door and offers her shelter in his community, which is very religious. The film nicely combines the post-apocalyptic genre and a fanatical religious sect. It's nicely shot, decently acted, the action may not be much, but it's watchable and suspenseful. I had fun, I enjoy these kind of independent genre films. 65%.

Antoine Fuqua and Denzel Washington together again. The first part is very high among my favourite films, so the sequel had a hard time in many ways and of course it doesn't have the same quality as the first one, but it is still a decent old-school action thriller. Denzel is still the same, he's hardly aged, he's still fit, his acting is impeccable and his quirky antics are some of the best to be found here. The action is surprisingly less, apart from the smaller short disposals there is only the big final set-piece where the setting is well chosen. The pace is slower, but the film doesn't get boring, it passes quickly, the side lines are interesting and it is nicely suspenseful at times. What sucks is that there is not much R-rated action, the villain Marton Csokas from the first film is unbeatable and it annoyed me that the train scene in the trailer was cut from the film. All in all, a minor disappointment, but I certainly don't regret going to the cinema. P.S. I'm glad to see Pedro Pascal getting more and more screen time after Narcos (Kingsman and here), and the future looks promising as well. 75%.

Jon Turteltaub serves up a solid shark spectacle for 130 million USD. I went to the cinema without expectations and left pleasantly surprised. Jason Statham is absolutely superb and pulls the whole film up, and the gorgeous Ruby Rose and the verbose black guy who provides the entertainment are also good. The budget really comes through and it's a pleasure to see the underwater world with all that goes with it, including the giant Megalodon, which is nicely cunning and sneaky. The film reminds me of a mix of Deep Blue Sea and Jaws, and for a PG-13 film it's very bloody in places (the scene with the whale with its guts sticking out on camera just had me gawking). The scares work, a few people jumped out of their seats nicely during the screening, and the director serves up some great suspense with Statham's life on the line several times. For me, perfect entertainment with nerve-wracking suspense. The scene with the helicopter is the highlight. 80%.

After two years of waiting, we got the anticipated Boar from Australian director Chris Sun, who shocked us with his first film Daddy's Little Girl, left us at a loss with Charlie's Farm and now comes with Boar, which will not make a big dent in the world. I remember when this movie was raising money to get made in the first place, so despite the low budget, the director did a pretty decent job with it. Story-wise it's a complete dud and the characters are very uninteresting, although there is an appearance by Bill Moseley, and John Jarrat, the bad guy from Wolf Creek, and even Nathan Jones, the giant wrestler who also starred in Charlie's Farm, They are a nice touch, but unfortunately the characters have nothing to work with and when there's the wild boar is not on the set it's a total chore. The wild boar itself looks decent – praise for the practical effects, even though the camera focuses mainly on his snout. Then, of course, there’s the gore, which is perhaps the only thing the director is good at. This time, though, I felt like half the deaths were out of frame and the other half was shown, which I don't quite get, but it was something to watch. I would have appreciated if the director had started working with suspense or a more entertaining pace, it could have been much more enjoyable, this way just a better average. 65%.

Uncompromising action mayhem orgasm! Leigh Whannell, writer of Insidious and Saw, tries directing for the second time and it turns out great. Logan Marshall-Green, who has a Tom Hardy vibe, excels in the lead role and you root for him throughout the film. For the first time in a long while, a truly original film unlike anything I had seen before, and the action scenes are awesome, with no blood or violence spared. Combining my favourite sub-genre of revenge in a high-tech jacket was a great choice and suits the film perfectly. I find the fights (the final one is a treat) and the denouement satisfying as well. Although it is hardly a horror film at all, it is a solid action-sci-fi-revenge thriller. 85%.

An eager little thriller from the director of Geostorm. The story revolves around two young thieves who break into houses, but everything changes when one of them sees something he shouldn't have and starts a duel with sleazy psychopath (an excellent David Tennant) who is up to no good. The suspense works nicely, the film has a good pace, the actors are likeable, there are some minor surprises, so as a thriller, the film meets the criteria. It's nothing special, but I had a decent time and I'm happy to give the film a thumbs up. 70%