Mat_Nichol Reviews

Blacklight (2022)

The cardinal sin is dullness.

[3/10 · 10 September 2022]

Frank Capra wrote, "There are no rules to filmmaking. Only sins and the cardinal sin is dullness."

This film is dull. It started off with a bit of promise but quickly descended into cliché car chase after cliché gunfight. The characters are poorly written, the script is bad, the directing bad, the acting inconsistent and Canberra just doesn't really look like an American city. No matter how big the "Dual Control" sticker is on the right hand drive garbage truck. Sorry, but dull, dull, dull.

Why anyone would make and release a film this dull is beyond me. I really wish Liam Neeson would hold out and make a better quality of film.

The Deep Rig (2021)

A waste of brain cells, time & money

[1/10 · 1 August 2021]

Another attempt at right wing propaganda from the 45 cult. Spoiler alert: it's terrible.

High Society (2017)

Wow! Really bad!

[1/10 · 22 May 2021]

I don't know what's worse. The acting, the writing, the tired "swapped at birth" concept, the ridiculous characters are all in contention.

Beverly Hills Cop III (1994)

Wow, this is really bad.

[3/10 · 15 May 2021]

It's like it was made by somebody who hasn't seen the first two films. Pointless sidetracks like Serge turning up, the advert for Universal Studios tour and Axel rescuing the kids are a real distraction from what is already a goofy, poorly paced, lacklustre version of the first film.

The Playbook: José Mourinho: A Coach's Rules for Life (2020) Season 1, Episode 3

So, José didn't manage Manchester United then?

[6/10 · 16 December 2020]

A very strange interview with a very arrogant man. Jumps from Real Madrid to Tottenham Hotspur without mentioning Manchester United.

Kevin Can Wait: A Band Done (2018) Season 2, Episode 24

Desperate shark jumping

[2/10 · 2 August 2020]

Trying to save a dying show with pointless celebrity guests is desperate stuff.

Monte Carlo (2011)

Why would anyone make a movie this bad?

[1/10 · 5 April 2020]

I can't quite grasp how poorly made this is. The film lumbers from cliché to cliché via a very unoriginal plot. I understand that its target audience is very young people but this shouldn't stop professionals from trying to make a quality product. Do better.

Heartbeat (2016)

Formula medical drama

[2/10 · 16 February 2020]

They've taken the formula and just not done it very well. Take lots of good looking people, put them in a hospital, see what happens. I don't like to criticise individual actors and sometimes scripts and directors aren't ideal but some of the work in this show is very poor.

Keeping Faith (2017–2021)

Slow, unrealistic, nonsense.

[5/10 · 8 February 2020]

Did someone write this in the 90s? It's like someone took a bad script from an episode of The Bill, set in Wales and then spread it out over a complete series. Nice scenery though.

Guilt (2016)

Hollyoaks meets The Bill

[2/10 · 19 January 2020]

The depth of Hollyoaks with the quality of The Bill. Poorly researched, written, cast, acted and directed. Apart from that it's quite boring.

The Crown: Aberfan (2019) Season 3, Episode 3

Touching and sensitively made

[10/10 · 31 December 2019]

The best episode of an already great series. So sad and so well made. Having being born after the 60s I had heard of the tragedy but this episode really brought it to life. Well done.

The Dinner Party (I) (2013)

More of a scene than a short film

[1/10 · 27 December 2019]

Possibly the shortest and worst short film I've ever seen. I can't understand how the credits were so long. An embarrassment.

Criminal: Germany: Claudia (2019) Season 1, Episode 3

Brilliant, dark and intense.

[9/10 · 27 September 2019]

Nina Hoss is superb as serial killer, Claudia and the rest of the cast don't disappoint either. The best episode of the German trilogy for me.

The Great Hack (2019)

Well worth watching

[8/10 · 8 August 2019]

I knew a lot of this information already but it was good to see just how easy it is to manipulate people once you have their data.

Margaret (I) (2011)

Overly long, poorly edited mess.

[3/10 · 12 January 2019]

So many pointless scenes and conversations spoil what could have been a good story. I read that there were several law suits regarding the editing and it's a shame that it ended up with this cut. Some scenes are cut too early. Some too late. If I can spot that then there's something really wrong. I've been watching this film for what seems like days now and I've stopped caring. Life's too short to watch films this bad.

Kitchen Nightmares (2007–2023)

Too predictable.

[4/10 · 13 December 2018]

Spoiler: it's a family run restaurant and they all argue with each other and nobody takes responsibility for anything. One of the staff will storm out shouting/crying.

Friends: The One with Mac and C.H.E.E.S.E. (2000) Season 6, Episode 20

The one with all the flashbacks

[6/10 · 27 October 2018]

Was there a writer's strike? We see this more and more in the later episodes.

Ocean's Eight (2018)

Dull, pointless film.

[5/10 · 27 October 2018]

What a shame. Some really good actors in this but the script, the pace and the story all lacked something. Seems like a lack of chemistry between the actors too.

Extant (2014–2015)

What happened to this show?

[2/10 · 13 October 2018]

It started off with so much potential and then just became a series of unbelievable, illogical escapes, recaptures, escapes and even more recaptures and a double cross thrown in. It's like a sci-fi version of The A-Team. The script and acting don't help either. How did they get a 2nd season?

Undercover Boss (2010– )

Annoying

[3/10 · 3 September 2018]

Why does a reality show need a casting director? That should tell you everything you need to know.

The Big Wedding (2013)

Ouch!

[1/10 · 28 August 2018]

Painful to watch great actors going through the motions of this awful screenplay. Spoiler alert - it's not funny and doesn't get funny.

Death by China (2012)

Irresponsible propaganda

[1/10 · 20 August 2018]

To call this a documentary is foolish. It's flawed logic shows just how the current US administration is being run

Kevin Can Wait (2016–2018)

Like King of Queens but without the humour

[1/10 · 25 July 2018]

Already has 2 of the actors but not working so lets bring in another from the old show. Talk about jumping the shark.

He Who Dares: Downing Street Siege (2014)

SPOILER ALERT! - It's awful!

[1/10 · 11 June 2018]

I saw the preview and thought it must be a spoof but no, it really is just terrible. Why go and make a film like this? The acting is poor, the story line(if you can call it that) is badly thought out, the script lacks any interest or realism, the military inaccuracies are embarrassing and the editing is distracting. Why go to all the effort of producing a film that you know will be so bad? This really is just an exercise in narcissism.

Lost in Space: Impact (2018) Season 1, Episode 1

What a shame.

[4/10 · 16 April 2018]

Such potential for a good series here but I couldn't even get to the end of the first episode. So dull. Absolutely no chemistry between the characters.