Westcoastal Reviews

It Comes at Night (2017)

Misunderstood - subtlety should be appreciated

[7/10 · 14 August 2023]

I initially gave this a 6 star rating but decided to up it a star after reading a bunch of reviews here. The reviews reminded me of how rare subtlety is in film, especially in this genre, and also how risky it is. I feel like that deserves appreciation.

This film was very creepy, a kind of creepy that stays with you for a few days. I had trouble sleeping after watching it. There is a lot to be said for that. The ambiguity is getting ripped to shreds by some viewers, but to me the ambiguity is what makes the film so enjoyable.

My complaint about the film has little to do with the ambiguity. For me it was more about the pacing, especially toward the end. The whole film is a slow burn until the last few minutes, then everything moves very quickly.

While it does add a bit to the excitement and tension, it does so at the expense of cohesiveness. It makes the climax feel more like an afterthought, like something rushed through. It just didn't land with me as well as a slightly deeper approach might have. They didn't 'stick the landing' as the saying goes, but it was still a pretty exciting, enjoyable film.

People complaining about the ambiguity or about not understanding the film or needing more explanation about what's happening are missing the entire point. It's a film where fear is one of the main characters. Viewing it from that perspective might shed more light on things.

Overall I did enjoy this film. It's worth watching if you're looking for something creepy.

The Dead Don't Die (2019)

Negative reviews = salty people who don't like being satirized.

[10/10 · 4 September 2019]

This film is nothing short of brilliant. One of the most hilarious and entertaining films I've seen in ages. Right up there with Ballad of Buster Scruggs in terms of off-beat humour mixed with dark realities. Can't say enough good things about this film.

Ignore the bad reviews this film is getting and 'consider the source'. Most people require spoon-fed, brain-dead pap that reaffirms their relationship to the status quo in order to be entertained. When you look at the kinds of films that make billions in a weekend, don't be surprised that a film with smart, ironic, dark humour that goes right over most people's heads is going to be despised by many. The vast majority of humans are offended by anything that challenges them or their conventional ideas.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)

Some cool moments, but overall terrible

[3/10 · 6 August 2019]

I get why some people are raving about this movie. If you are a Godzilla Kaiju fan all the little nods to the canon are so amazing to see. I absolutely loved some of those moments.

BUT

The movie was undeniably horrible. Terrible writing, terrible acting, laughable storyline, terrible on every level. There was one moment in particular that made me roll my eyes so much they almost dropped out of my skull. That moment alone is worth a drop of 2 points on the rating.

This could have been an excellent film. It had all the potential in the world. But people shouldn't be raving about it just because a few bones were thrown at true Godzilla fans. There wasn't any meat on those bones.

Tales of the City (2019)

A big disappointment

[7/10 · 18 June 2019]

I really wanted to like this series and went into it with a very generous, open mind because it's the sort of series I tend to enjoy. Unfortunately the weak writing, wooden acting, constant cliches and cloyingly over-sentimentalized tropes made it really difficult to love.

I did stick with it in hopes that it would 'get better' but unfortunately it never did. A real shame because the idea had potential but it felt more like a bad after school special than a ground-breaking diversity story. It actually feels dated (in a bad way) and it's from 2019.

I gave it 7 stars because there are so few LGBT-friendly series out there I just didn't have the heart to give it less, but if I was being more honest it really doesn't deserve much more than a 5 or 6. While it does have some charming moments, it's too cutesy and devoid of grit to be truly ground-breaking.

Special (2019–2021)

More shows like this, please!

[8/10 · 11 May 2019]

This series starts off a bit awkwardly but rewards patience by evolving into a sweet, addictive story with characters I want to see more from. As a viewer I found it incredibly refreshing to get a different perspective from voices I almost never see represented in TV and film. This is exactly the sort of story I want more of. I'm sick of culture and media that has such a narrow focus on characters I can't relate to, but which producers seem to think we want to see because they tick off certain physical and demographic boxes. It's so much more interesting for me to see representations of real people from different segments of the population. This series isn't good because the central character has CP, it's good because it's genuine, and it's genuine because it presents a character whose life experience is a bit different, yet so relatable. The show isn't about his CP, but his CP is part of what makes the show real and intimate and human. I am really looking forward to season 2, and I hope they expand it a bit because my one complaint is that it was too short.

Octavio Is Dead! (2018)

Interesting but flawed

[5/10 · 3 November 2018]

This movie isn't as bad as the ratings/reviews imply. It definitely has flaws but it if you are into unusual indie films it's worth a watch.

As much as I like Sarah Gadon I felt she was a poor casting choice given the role she needed to take on. She wasn't convincing and that wasn't her fault. Dimitris Kitsos was magnetic and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for his future projects. There were a couple of other performances I liked but they don't appear to be credited.

The story is a bit incoherent at times and there were a couple of scenes where I felt Sook-Yin Lee was trying too hard to be dramatic and edgy. This is something her films regularly struggle with. She tends to include scenes that don't advance the story or develop the characters. It wouldn't be such a problem if it wasn't for the fact that those are often the scenes that confuse or alienate audiences. I wish she would just tell a story in the best, clearest, most emotional way possible and cut out all the detritus.

I liked the overall idea behind the film and felt it had a lot of potential, but it didn't really satisfy. A shame because it really was an interesting concept. Still, I didn't regret watching the film which is a lot more than I can say for some big-budget movies I've seen.

The Ritual (I) (2017)

Excellent horror with unexpected depth and a strong ending

[8/10 · 9 September 2018]

The biggest beef I tend to have with horror is that partway through the film, inevitably I get to a point where I start rolling my eyes and finding everything foolish, or else I start feeling alienated from what's happening. There is such a fine line between scary and gratuitous, and such a fine line between creepy and absurd.

This film does an excellent job of staying on the right side of those equations. The events of the film are unusual enough to be disorienting and scary without feeling absurd or unbelievable. The horror and dread are intense enough to keep people on the edge of their seats without crossing over into the realm of gratuitous suffering or torture. Perfect balance.

The performances are really strong and believable, especially Rafe Spall's performance of Luke. I felt connected to his experience and invested in his struggles. But what I liked best about this film was the depiction and exploration of trauma and grief. Spall carries this theme exceptionally well throughout the film. There were a couple of moments that blew me away.

The ending was incredibly powerful. The deeper theme of trauma/grief and dealing with one's inner conflicts really shines through.

Recommended.

Hereditary (2018)

Excellent, worth seeing, disappointing ending

[7/10 · 24 August 2018]

I enjoyed this film tremendously. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that I was totally blown away by it until the last 20 minutes or so. It is an exceptional psychological thriller that has the right mix of tension, suspense and disorientation, and the long silences helped to intensify those elements.

The soundtrack/score for this film is outstanding. One of the best I've heard in any genre, definitely the best I've heard in this genre. The acting is also excellent. The only thing I didn't like about the film was the direction they decided to take it in at the end. It was a letdown. I had hoped for something a bit less silly.

Despite that, the film is still very much worth seeing.

Why Him? (2016)

Misogynistic and just... bad

[3/10 · 20 September 2017]

I wanted to like this movie. A friend really was enthusiastic about it and couldn't wait for me to see it. I came into it with an open mind, but it just didn't deliver anything I could enjoy.

It's one of those films that is so 'male gaze' that it's almost unwatchable. The movie was supposedly about a woman dating a guy her father doesn't like, but she was almost completely irrelevant and peripheral to the story and the conflict. This is a perfect example of misogyny in Hollywood - women mattering only insofar as they affect the men, who are central to the story.

It reminds me so much of "The Adorkable Misogyny of the Big Bang Theory". We are meant to forgive the utter misogyny we are presented with because "Aww, look at how cute and harmless these guys are." Sorry, it just doesn't fly.

Misogyny aside it was just a weak film with almost no redeeming qualities. I laughed a few times, but mostly found the film dull and even embarrassingly bad at some points.

You'd have to be a pretty big Franco/Cranston fan to enjoy this film. I personally feel like it's a waste of a couple of hours.

The Circle (I) (2017)

Suffers from terrible writing and acting

[5/10 · 30 August 2017]

I wanted to love this movie. It had a great concept that is right up my alley. I love sci-fi and I am very concerned about the ways in which technology is being perverted to control, manipulate and exploit people. The social dynamics that feed into that phenomenon are also of great interest to me.

This film had a real opportunity to shine a light on the issues and in some ways it did, but sadly it all happened in the context of a laughably bad story that was full of plot holes and some of the worst acting I've seen in a long time.

Normally I could overlook weak acting and a few badly written lines of dialogue, but this film absolutely dripped with wooden, sophomoric cheesiness to the degree that it was difficult to get through because it keeps pulling the viewer out of the story. A real shame.

Worth wading through if you are interested in the issues it covers, but if you're looking for a good film then you might want to look elsewhere.

The Butler (I) (2013)

Shockingly bad - a disservice to important subject matter

[4/10 · 9 July 2017]

I am frankly shocked that this movie did so well in ratings and awards. It's utter dreck. Apparently it isn't even historically accurate. For shame. What a huge disservice to the message and subject matter, which is so important for people to see.

This is one of those terrible, schlocky, emotionally manipulative films that tries to cram in as many cameos of beloved actors as possible, often to hilarious effect. James Marsden as JFK. What more can I say? Oh, and Alan Rickman as Reagan and Robin Williams as Eisenhower. I have never in my life seen such laughable casting. The absolute pinnacle was John Cusack as Nixon. It sounds like a great idea for an SNL sketch, not such a great idea for a movie that intends to present itself as a drama.

The editing was incoherent and abrupt, as though it was done with a chainsaw.

Most unforgivable of all is the way in which this film made an unintentional farce of such important subject matter as racism and civil rights. I cannot for the life of me understand why anyone would take this film seriously, let alone rave about it and shower it with awards. Are people this starved for good African-American/Civil Rights material? If so, that in itself is a huge injustice.

Wolf Children (2012)

Can't say enough good things about this film

[9/10 · 10 July 2016]

I absolutely loved this film, and will definitely be watching it again and again. Beautifully animated, gorgeous settings, and a really sad but sweet story. Heartbreaking in places, and utterly charming and adorable in others. The stunning visuals are the perfect backdrop to such an emotionally evocative story.

There is something so memorable about the way this story is presented, and it's the sort of thing audiences of all ages and backgrounds could enjoy. It has an understated humanity that shines through in every scene. The characters have so much personality and their connections are so believable, it's easy to get very absorbed in their experiences. Highly recommended.

The Garden of Words (2013)

The story is OK, the animation is incredible

[8/10 · 10 July 2016]

One of the most visually stunning animated films I've ever seen. The story was lovely, but really, the main reason I've rated this film so highly is the gorgeous visuals.

I liked the story well enough. There is something simple and human about it. It didn't hit the audience over the head - it just unfolded in a natural, quiet way, which I appreciated. I know some people found the story a bit cheesy. I didn't. There's something to be said for allowing an earnest narrative to happen. Not everything needs to be cynical, self-conscious and guarded.

Overall, well worth watching.

Olympus Has Fallen (2013)

Testosterone-soaked, racist, jingoistic garbage

[1/10 · 2 July 2016]

'Unsophisticated' would be the polite way to describe the audience for this type of film.

I can't decide whether this film was written for dumb people, or by dumb people. Probably both. There was not a single moment in the entire film that wasn't outright absurd. It would have been funny, I suppose, and I did get some good laughs throughout the film, but frankly it's a bit terrifying to think people actually enjoy this stuff and believe in what it represents. There was also a tremendously racist representation of Koreans, that kind of took my breath away. Overall just utterly terrible.

It was perhaps the wankiest, most chauvinistic film I've ever seen in my life, and as someone who enjoys the 'action/disaster' genre, I've seen them all!

Midnight Special (2016)

Exceptional film, intelligently presented

[9/10 · 2 July 2016]

After so many disappointments lately, it was a nice treat to see a film that gave everything I was hoping it would, and more.

Midnight Special is a film that thankfully doesn't insult the intelligence of the audience. It allows the story to unfold, and allows viewers to draw their own conclusions about what's happening. This is SO RARE and SO REFRESHING, you have no idea. It is such a precious and appreciated treat for those who want something to stimulate the mind, rather than to simply 'entertain'. In that sense, the film is almost literary in its presentation, and draws the viewer into an experience of the story, rather than corralling viewers around as passive spectators.

I came to IMDb and was shocked at the poor rating. I shouldn't have been. I suspect this type of fine, smart storytelling is rare for a reason.

Interstellar (2014)

Shallow and Hugely Disappointing

[6/10 · 4 April 2015]

I love sci fi, and I'm a pretty easy target because I am really able to get into a story without ripping it to shreds every step of the way. I should LOVE this movie, but I found it profoundly disappointing. For one thing, the story was SO overly melodramatic that at times I was wondering if they were being sarcastic. I am a sucker for emotional depth, but this story was incredibly shallow and superficial. The tech was interesting, but again, really not very believable on so many levels. The plot was so full of holes that I stopped bothering after awhile. In terms of performances, nothing to get excited about. Really, the actors did their best with an embarrassingly poor script.

I'm going to give these guys the benefit of the doubt and assume that a huge chunk of what this film was about ended up on the cutting room floor. There was a lot of potential that was squandered here, and I hate to think this is the movie they intended to make.

Revenge (2011–2015)

A Guilty Pleasure

[6/10 · 19 January 2015]

I rarely admit to watching this show. It's one of the trashiest, most poorly written shows on television, and it has some of the biggest plot holes and storyline issues of any series I've ever watched. Everything in the show seems designed for maximum melodrama, and it seems every storyline is written to reinforce a broadly-believed myth, misconception or stereotype. The goal with the show isn't to make people think - quite the contrary - it seems the goal is to suck people uncritically into the story so they don't have to think. It's every bit as brain dead as a daytime soap, with all the typical soap opera tropes you'll have seen a million times. Total pablum, and the utter antithesis of 'thought provoking', but for some reason I still enjoy it.

Gone Girl (2014)

An insult to human intelligence

[3/10 · 23 December 2014]

This movie was honestly among the worst and most over-hyped pieces of garbage I've ever seen. Politically/morally repugnant in its irresponsible, misogynistic stereotypes, yeah, but almost as repugnant is the unendurably bad delivery of an abysmally written story. The sound was good, I will give it that, but everything else about it was terrible. Just terrible.

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that it's so well rated. Given the audience for this type of drivel, I suppose there are plenty enough people to enjoy it and rate it highly. That fills me with existential dread. Beam me up, Scotty! ASAP.

United 93 (2006)

Unbelievably bad

[1/10 · 1 July 2014]

I have avoided this movie for years because I knew it was bound to be bad, but I had no idea just how bad. A truly offensive piece of film-making. The acting/direction was atrocious and almost unwatchable, the writing was so bad that, if the subject matter hadn't been so serious, it would have been totally laughable. The film was, predictably, emotionally manipulative and melodramatic, but what amazes me - when looking at the absurdly inflated score here - is that the manipulation seems to have worked despite the heavy-handed approach. Perhaps that's why it worked. Certain audiences seem to really lap up this kind of dreck... the more dumbed down, the better. If you've got an IQ over 80, this film is not for you.

Merlin and the Book of Beasts (2009 TV Movie)

Unwatchably Bad

[1/10 · 22 November 2012]

I had to take the time to write a review of this movie, in the hope that it might save someone else who may be sucked into watching it. My clear advice here is to stay away from it - it's a dismal waste of time. I am someone who loves fantasy, who loves swords and sorcery, who loves Merlin and King Arthur, who should have loved this movie or at least found it enjoyable. I have no issues with low budget production or crude effects. I have imagination enough that stuff like that does not bother me at all. What I do have a problem with is bad writing and wooden, laughably bad acting. That is what killed this movie. The concept was fine, but the execution was terrible. I really felt like I was watching some terrible cosplay event among amateur roleplayers. Not recommended. Unless that's your thing.

Hugo (2011)

Massively Overrated - Big Disappointment

[4/10 · 5 March 2012]

Another great example of why I trust reviews, award shows and hype less and less every year. Here's a film that's been hyped and hyped and won tons of awards; a movie everyone is talking about, but which has almost no redeeming value.

Sure, it's visually stunning and beautifully made, but the story and characters are dimensionless and empty. It was almost unwatchable. I kept holding out hope that something compelling or meaningful or interesting would happen, but it never did. The fact that the movie was so long only made matters worse.

The mechanics and clockworks they plastered all over the ads created a sense of excitement, mystery and adventure that is never realized in the film. What seems really exciting and inviting in the posters and ads is cold and dull in the actual film. It felt monochromatic and alienating when I was actually watching it.

One last nitpick - a pet peeve of mine is movies where the character's accents don't match the location. In this case, a movie set in France, where all the characters have English accents. A bit annoying.

The Adjustment Bureau (2011)

Religious GARBAGE

[2/10 · 29 August 2011]

If you are any kind of free-thinker, don't waste your time with this. The movie is TERRIBLE. Practically unwatchable. It's religion disguised as sci-fi. Unforgivably bad.

I gave it 2 stars because of the first couple scenes. It could have gone interesting places from there, but it really didn't. And that was only 10 or 15 minutes into the film.

Don't waste your time. It truly is among the worst I've seen in ages. I fervently wish I'd turned it off when it started to get lame. It's just a manifestation of ideas I find thoroughly repulsive, and I can't get that 2 hours back.

The Fourth Kind (2009)

What a huge disappointment

[2/10 · 4 February 2010]

This movie was outright terrible. I am amazed at some of the comments and reviews. It's hard to imagine what people see in this piece of garbage. The writing was bad, most of the acting was bad, the story was bad. The choices they made in presenting the material were also unbelievably bad. Showing two actors portraying the same scenes for much of the film was just... I can't even find the words to describe how misguided that was.

The thing is, I was totally willing to suspend disbelief and watch this with an open mind, as I knew in advance it was about alien abductions and therefore would likely have some major silliness in it. But they didn't throw me a single bone in terms of something - anything to cling onto to keep the story believable and engrossing. By halfway through the movie, it was clear that "scary" or "thrilling" was completely out of the question, but I would have settled for "halfway compelling" or at the very least "entertaining". Sadly that wasn't in the cards.

There was only one thing in the entire film that I liked, and that I found creepy. The so-called abductees kept saying they saw an owl outside their window (and it was really creepy when they'd get this look of horror on their face and say, "That's not an owl!!"). The use of the owl as similar in appearance to the typical alien face was, in my opinion, a brilliant move - and it really was creepy. Too bad it was wasted on an otherwise offensively bad film.

The Hangover (2009)

Ridiculously Overrated

[5/10 · 30 December 2009]

I found reading the reviews of this movie more entertaining than the movie itself. Yeah, there are some funny moments, but for the most part it just over-promises and under-delivers. There are so many elements to the story that go too far over the top, but don't have enough absurdity or humour to make it work. There are plenty of comedies that are more outrageous than this one, but they pull it off because they have the comic delivery to make us laugh enough that we just don't care. In the case of The Hangover, the delivery is just not funny, witty or foolish enough to make any of the major comic devices work. As a result, most of the content just seems gratuitous and annoying, and falls really flat.

The Hangover is watchable enough, and you will laugh a couple of times, but don't let the over-the-top reviews fool you. It's just not that great. Unoriginal, and stupid in a bad way.

One last thing. PLEASE, people, stop comparing this to Wedding Crashers. It's not anywhere near as funny or as well executed. You're just embarrassing yourselves.

The Andromeda Strain (2008)

Dumbed down beyond recognition

[2/10 · 1 June 2008]

I can say without hesitation that this is one of the worst dramas I have ever seen. The writing was lousy, the effects were unintentionally hilarious and the "America, F*** Yeah!!" style melodrama was truly nauseating.

It's difficult to imagine a worse remake than this. I'm a big fan of sci fi/tech thrillers, but this turd is just an embarrassment to the genre. I could feel my brain cells dying as I watched. The positive reviews for this film demonstrate that there's an audience for drivel like this, and that makes me want to move to another galaxy.

Do yourself a favor and pass this one over. There's nothing redeeming about it at all.