inspektorr Reviews

3 Body Problem (2024– )

Ignore the book worms, this is excellent sci-fi!

[9/10 · 25 March 2024]

I read the book and yes, it's amazing! But I have zero qualms about the tv show trimming down some of the fat and adjusting things for the screen version. Expecting anything else is just childish.

We live in an age where majority of tv shows barely make it to season 2, so of course the writers are moving things along at an accelerated pace. They do not have the luxury of unlimited page numbers, especially considering the season 1 is only eight episodes long.

With that said, I found the show to be extremely well produced, with top notch visuals and excellent and engaging storytelling. The cast is for the most part a good fit for their characters, with Asian actors especially standing out in their performances, which will definitively appeal to the audiences in the east.

What I really liked is the world building. We get an incredibly vivid sense of the world and jumping between Asia, Europe and USA, definitively helps appreciate the scale and gravity of the events unfolding. At moments it feels as if we're watching a global blockbuster movie.

A lot of the philosophycal and existential questions are posed and if you enjoy your brain getting tickled by large topics, this will be very enjoyable.

The Zone of Interest (2023)

Not what you expect and not in a good way

[5/10 · 22 February 2024]

On paper, this movie sounds incredible. I eagerly awaited a chance to see it, knowing fully that it will focus on the Hoess family and the fact that they lived literally right next to the biggest death factory in WW2 - Auschwitz.

It saddens me to write this, but that incredible concept doesn't translate into an incredible movie. While I do understand that all of the artistic choices were deliberate, I feel like the director went too far with reductions. This is almost an anti-movie, which at some point starts looking pretentious.

Everything that makes a movie a movie is stripped away - there is no music, there is almost no camera motion or camera creativity for that matter, there is no plot, no driving story, no action, no emotion. It's just a series of mundane shots of the national-socialist family living next door to a death camp.

We watch the characters go about their daily business from a distance. Almost all of the shots feel like we are just standing there in a corner of a room, observing people we don't feel nothing for do totally meaningless things.

Here and there there are carefully sprinkled hints of the horrors happening over the fence. Sometimes it's a smoke from a cremation chamber, other times it's the smoke from the train or a distant gunshot or someone screaming, begging for mercy.

But, we learn nothing about it. This is just a distant backdrop and it has zero to do with The Zone of interest. We are forced to look the other way, just like the Hoess family chooses to do. We are forcefully complicit in ignoring the organized death happening yards away.

Occasionally, the movie stops. The screen goes red. Or black. Or white. And then nothing. Some weird sounds or dissonant voices echo away for far too long and then we're back to the boring lives of Hoess family.

Here and there we do see the characters actually do have an opinion, but it is never vocalized, nothing is ever discussed and the only thing we can say for sure is that their living situation, as strange and bizarre as it is, seems to be fine for them. There are some begrudging closing of windows, to stop the smoke coming in. That's it. That's the whole movie. It just ends.

Being fairly familiar with Holocaust and atrocities committed by the Germans in WW2, it wasn't that hard to piece together the incredibly subtle hints of what is happening beyond the wall in terms of historical timeframe, phases of war etc. I understood what the director was trying to tell, but for me, this movie falls short. I think it would've worked better if the main characters were at least at some point forced to confront with reality beyond their garden more directly. Unfortunately, that is not what happens. Instead you're left relying on your own imagination, or more accurately on your own memory to remember other Holocaust movies.

Sixth Bus (2022)

Such a waste

[2/10 · 12 February 2024]

Watching this is a test of patience... Dialogs are SO bad. Why do they force these poor actors to talk this way is a total mistery to me. None of it works, because this is not the natural way for people to talk.

The editing is sloppy, slow and confusing. The scenes linger for too long, the pauses between the lines are stretched out, it all starts to feel a bit boring very quickly. This very old-school approach to movie making, almost like the old Yugoslav propaganda WW2 movies.

Camera work is average. Sometimes the camera is static, other times it wobbles for no reason, there's very little consistency in style. Also, the inconsistent color grading doesn't help.

The mixed timelines and their different tones are tiring the viewer. Am I watching a war movie, a documentary or a soap opera? So many tropes, so many cliches and making sure to mention all the famous names of Vukovar siege story feels contrived.

And that's it. Another missed chance to actually make a good movie about what happened in Vukovar. Who knows if we'll ever get the definitive movie about it...

Just about the only reedeming quality are the fighting scenes, where Zivko Anocic saves the day with his acting.

Masters of the Air (2024)

Band of brothers when you order it from Wish

[5/10 · 12 February 2024]

It's just a pale replica of the greatest WW2 tv show ever to have graced the screens. The characters are two dimensional tropes, utter cliches galore left and right and 6 episodes in I don't care about any of them because I don't know them. I have no idea what makes them tick, no idea about their backgrounds, dreams or desires. Every single character is either distant or highly unlikable.

Sometimes it feels like I'm watching the same episode over again, with certain scenes being framed and filmed exactly the same. They wake up, they walk into a staff room, they watch some maps, fly, bomb, some die, others come home. Rinse and repeat.

There is no sense of progress or where things are in the war and there's very little sense of urgency or importance to what they're doing. Finally, there's nothing to show the effects or results of their raids.

Sorry to say it, but I expected so much more.

The Night Eats the World (2018)

Good ideas squandered on a poorly written story

[5/10 · 31 January 2024]

Yes, there are a few good and original ideas here. Zombies are quiet and it does somehow make them more scary. Some of the plot twists are intelligent.

But in all honesty, it's SO boring. Seriously, it's a snoozy. The whole thing doesn't go anywhere. The protagonist is aimless, he just stays in this one apartment and does absolute minimum. He gathers a bit of food and water and that's it. No ambition to venture and explore, no ambition to improve his security or accomodation, no desire to figure out what these things are... nothing. He does nothing.

And then when he actually does do something, it's incredibly stupid, it causes so many problems for him it's borderline suicidal.

But for some reason this lethargic man who does nothing at the same time just doesn't want to die. And this is why this movie is so confusing. You either give up and die or you fight. This guy doesn't do either.

Underwater (2020)

If you're a scuba diver... this will drive you nuts

[3/10 · 22 December 2023]

Pressure ar 10km depth is so insanely high, it's impossible even for most submarines to withstand it, let alone a diving suit. There are no airbubbles at 1000x atmospheric pressure, because air liquifies. It would simply dissolve into water. Then there's bouyancy - their suits would have to be insanely heavy outside of water, yet they happily run around in them, then go for a little water dive, then get out, run, go back into water... just rediculous.

The gases at that depth would be lethal.

Leaks? There are no little leaks at 10km depth. If there is even the tiniest crack, the water getting in acts like a laser beam. Think of a strongest powerwasher x1000. Any hull breach would immediately turn all air into fire and then miliseconds later, everything would implode into little bits and pieces.

Just about the only thing they did get right is low light and poor visibility - the two things everybody seems to be complaigning about.

Leave the World Behind (2023)

Thrill and mistery as the world falls apart!

[9/10 · 9 December 2023]

Loved it. The cast was obviously stellar, but there is some strong storytelling and direction that wraps this up into one of my favorite movies of the year.

And ignore reviews that say things weren't explained or that they were let down by the plot. In fact, I'd go as far to say that this is one of the rare "end of the world" movies with very clear answers to all major plot points and many clever refferences to real world events. All you have to do is pay minimum attention to what is shown on the screen and there really is no mistery left unanswered.

The movie wonderfully explores just how fragile this comfy, western world is and how easily it can all come to an end. Everything from our reliance on internet and tech, Teslas and GPS - without our modern day crutches we are lost, frustrated and confused.

Big pluses for very innovative ideas and several impressive CGI moments.

Aftermath (2016)

I haven't seen a show this bad for a long time

[2/10 · 29 September 2016]

Let's get one thing straight right away - this show is a disaster. With a decent budget actually. It is beyond me why this mess was approved in the first place, but having seen the pilot, I'm really wondering who in their right mind OKed the script. Casting is poor and the characters are like card-board cutouts with zero common sense or natural reactions. The lack of realistic emotional reaction is so extreme you start wondering if maybe the main characters are losing their minds as well.

*** Mild spoilers ahead ***

Watching the pilot is a very strange experience. The amount of various disasters and strange events is so huge that the show feels like a disaster theme park. It's grotesque. It's like the writers couldn't settle for one challenge, so we get worlds largest hurricanes, fish and snakes and cars falling out of the sky, demon possessions, volcano eruptions, freezing oceans, flying people, zombies, earthquakes, mass paranoia, fires, food shortages... Seriously, I was waiting for aliens, because that's pretty much the only thing left.

Some of the characters actions were so unbelievable that it felt almost like this is a parody show. But it's not. And that's possibly it's biggest fault. Had they gone down the comedy route, than this TV show might have made some sense. As it stands, avoid this mess and spend your time on something better.

The Revenant (I) (2015)

Visual experience like no other

[10/10 · 26 December 2015]

I have no intention repeating what other reviewers have said about this film, but I do want to chime in with an often overlooked aspect of The Revenant - cinematography.

First of all, the whole film is shot on digital 65mm Arri camera with not a single medium or telephoto lens. Everything is shot with wide angle lenses and the framing is done basically by moving the camera either further away or very, very close to the main actors.

This super-close framing combined with wide angle lenses creates an incredible immersive effect, where you simply cannot help but physically feel the cold, the water, the dirt, the blood splatter, the nature. Many times during the movie the lens itself gets splashed in blood or dirt, it fogs up from the breath of the protagonists or even gets kicked during fight scenes. Also, the faces are so close they get distorted from the wide-angle lenses, which in turn creates an even greater effect of honesty. There are no masterfully lit beauty shots here. Instead, it's all very, very, very rough and very real.

Also, the movement of the camera is incredible. The huge sweeping 360-degree vistas right in the middle of massive combat scenes create the effect of the viewer being "in the middle of action", it is almost as if you're turning your head to look around. The fact that the whole movie is made with only natural light is an interesting factoid, but it's important because the DoP Emmanuael Lubezki suddenly isn't confined in his framing by where the artificial lights are placed. He's free to move any where and any way he wants and that sense of liberty is definitively something we don't get to see very often.

Every one of these visual aspects add a new layer of authenticity and what you end up with is an incredible movie that can almost be described as "an experience". It's a ride that's hard to forget and is certainly something that anyone interested in film-making is going to want to take a good, hard look into.

Narcos (2015–2017)

Goodfellas meets The Wire meets The Wolf of Wall Street

[10/10 · 31 August 2015]

It's great when a show sinks it's claws into you from the very first minutes. Even before the show title came up, I knew this would be great.

The pacing is brilliant. Director really nails it on the head, guiding us effortlessly from the micro cosmos of Miami's DEA police hunting small time pot-smoking criminals to an already accomplished smuggling scheme of Pablo Escobar. We're served with a colorful economical, political and social global picture, but also introduced to the everyday lives of both the good guys and the bad guys. Truth and fiction are blended seamlessly with the help of archive footage and historical details from the era.

The main protagonists and antagonists are beautifully set up on the scenic backdrop of late-80's Miami, but also on the violent streets of drug-capital Medellin.

The voice-over and freeze-frame techniques as well as the dynamic soundtrack clearly borrow from hits such as Goodfellas or The Wolf of Wall Street, but make no mistake - the brutality of the drug-trafficking world is displayed without holding back. Headshots and tortured bodies hanging from trees are shown all the way through, giving an additional sense of credibility to the show.

With the blend of macabre realism and authority by which the show tells the story, it's almost impossible not to be dazzled by Narcos. It's an honest look at the rapid spread of cocaine into the USA, as well ass the futility of the law enforcement trying to stop it. Told in interesting way that mixes both drama, reality, violence and archive footage that gives it almost a documentary feeling, Narcos is definitively a treat for fans of crime shows.

Interstellar (2014)

Sensory overload of human will, inspiration, science, visuals and sounds

[10/10 · 7 November 2014]

This is the movie future world's top scientists will refer to as the source of their inspiration. I have no doubt that somewhere in the darkness of the movie theaters there are awed kids seeing this film today; kids that will grow up and dedicate their lives to space exploration of tomorrow.

After a long time I have left the movie theater with that feeling of witnessing something special, something that really changes your perspective. And for that, I congratulate Mr. Nolan, because I have no doubt that he set out making this movie for that exact purpose. Influence. And this film carries tons of it. It's an instant classic, one that will fuel debates and ideas for years to come.

The visuals are stunning. You are literally sucked into the film. The scientific foundation is there, some will say it's too much to grasp, but I disagree. Even the basic knowledge of long distance space travel is enough to understand the concepts and issues we are faced with. Finally, the musical score, while strongly reminiscent of the Kubric's classic, is still incredibly powerful and further conveys the epic scale of what's happening on the screen.

Plot holes? Errors? Forget the nitpicking and look at the greater picture. You will not regret it.

Fury (2014)

Boiled down review

[8/10 · 22 October 2014]

Let me just skip the "the director that brought us this and that" or "Pitt delivers a such and such performance". Everyone already wrote those lines, so I'll just get down to saying what you really want to know.

Is this a good war movie? Yes. It's not a masterpiece, but it's definitively a very good film. Experiencing it on a big screen is something I recommend.

There's a LOT of very realistic gore. Heads exploding like pinatas, body parts being taken, rotting bodies everywhere etc. If you're sensitive to this sort of stuff, this is not a movie for you. It's also not a date-movie. With that said, I brought my fiancée along and she liked the movie.

The action is gripping, it really draws you in and the battle scenes are spectacular. I will not say more, but they're definitively some of the best tank battle scenes I've ever seen. Also, the chaotic dynamics of war are pretty realistically displayed. To me it also seemed pretty detailed in historic realism, although I'm sure that trained eyes will probably note that some weapon has a wooden oak handle instead of pine or stuff like that.

Now onto the negatives. There are a couple of "Murica f*** yeah" moments, which didn't bother me, but a lot of people burst into sarcastic laughter in my theater. Some of the constant and loooong Bible quotations almost made me expect Samuel L Jackson himself will pop up to deliver the famous Pulp Fiction speech. One or two would be OK. This was over the top. Germans seem to be VERY bad at aiming, refilling their weapons and generally surviving.

Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)

Hipster cinema at it's worst

[4/10 · 10 March 2014]

Seeing that "Contains spoilers" check mark while writing this review I thought to myself - is there anything in this movie that I could write that would actually "spoil" anything for other people. The answer I'm afraid is: no.

Inside Llewyn Davis is a pretentious, pointless and incredibly contrived film by two brothers that have obviously lost touch with reality. This is hipster cinema at it's worst. No plot, no development, no climax and no resolution. Now, I'm no stranger to less known, artistic films. I'll take anything from Korean, Spanish, Swedish, Danish, Portuguese, Japanese, Polish, Czech, English or American cinema. I really do enjoy slow, intricate movies. And I love character studies! Except, this movie doesn't really study this self-destructive jerk of an folk singer that's trying to work his way into music business. Because there's nothing to study. The guy's a talented a-hole with issues. I know a lot of those in person. And they're all the same.

When the movie ended my girlfriend, a musician herself, simply said "what a load of bull". And I couldn't agree more. Even though I was desperately waiting till the very end for some kind of a big "gotcha" that would tie it all together and show that this movie does in fact make sense, that moment never came.

The only good thing is that the songs are okay and the atmosphere of the 60's seems well portrayed. So I'm giving 2 stars for each.

True Detective (2014– )

Slow paced, dark, tense masterpiece

[10/10 · 10 February 2014]

15 minutes into the the first episode my only thought was - this is an instant classic. Now, several episodes later, I can only say this show is an absolute masterpiece of cinematography. The constant feeling of dread, despair and darkness is enveloping. You just can't look away from the screen. There's nothing bloody on the screen, there's no gore or the usual TV visual gratification, yet you can't shake that uneasy feeling in your stomach. It's one of those programs that take you on an emotional roller coaster with each and every episode and leave you desperate for more. It's also a great example as to why many directors are switching from film to TV. The contemporary TV format is allowing for a much more layered story telling.

The dialogs and camera work have been taken beyond perfection, and both Harellson and McConaughey deliver amazing performances. McConaughey is especially fascinating to watch as the storyline keeps switching from past to present. Overall, this is one for the books. A must watch for any serious TV aficionado! 10/10, up there with the likes of The Wire, Oz, Twin Peaks and The Killing.

World War Z (2013)

Go in open minded - and hope for a sequel...

[8/10 · 20 June 2013]

Well, I've seen it today in 3D. First of all, I actually didn't mind 3D, although normally I hate it. I guess it's because the movie was obviously made in 2D, so the 3D effects that were added later on didn't really rape my eyes. And there are several of scenes in which 3D really gives you a sense of depth and scale.

Oh, I also read both books and knew beforehand that the movie doesn't really follow the storyline.

To sum it up: it's a really nice zombie flick.

Perhaps a bit too nice, since the aimed PG13 rating hides away something that is a staple of all zombie movies: gore. If you're a gore fan, there's NONE here. I mean zero. This movie is gore-free. Gore is implied, it's part of the storyline, but you don't actually get to see it. Kinda like soft porn.

The story follows Gerry Lane, an ex UN investigator who finds himself and his family engulfed in the developing world wide pandemic. The story quickly jumps from a nice family setting into running for their lives and we get a glimpse of how fast this thing is spreading, of the panic that ensues, the collapse of the modern society etc.

Gerry's skills as a UN investigator are his get-out-of-jail card, since he is rescued by remaining military forces and sent off with a SEAL team to figure out the source of the infection in order to procure a vaccine.

From there on, we follow Gerry around the world and learn little bits of information that help us paint the global disaster that seems to be getting worse by the minute.

The action is non-stop. There's really no slow parts, it's a jump from one action packed scene to another and just as we barely catch a breath, the zeeks start pouring over walls, ever eager to take a bite at the closest human.

CGI scenes are epic. There's no better way to describe it. We have never seen zombies like this, literally huge pouring masses of them, rolling through cities like an unstoppable river of hungry undead. This is a great concept and it's kind of a shame they showed some of those scenes in the trailer. Still, seeing them again is breathtaking.

The ride is really full of thrills, and while some of the plot devices seem too simple, it's easy to understand how hard it is to film a global story like this and still keep it in focus. There's not much time for character development, so except our hero and his family, we don't really get to know much about others. Which is actually also kind of understandable, because, as anyone who's ever been in a war, you basically don't have time to care that much about others. You're looking out for yourself and your closest family. Brad Pitt offers a good performance, as well as the supporting cast.

The bad things about WWZ... Well, there are several. First of all, I can't say the screenwriters managed to paint the global picture as much as I'd hoped for. I know it's very hard thing to do, but still. The climax is basically an anti-climax. It's a quiet ending that more then obviously states it's intention to reveal more in the possible sequel.

It basically tells us that this is just the begging, it even takes a couple of clear hints from the books, which leads me to believe that if they ever make a sequel, it will follow the books more closely. And I hope they will.

The lack of gore is disappointing. We live in a time when there's a split zombie head every week on The Walking Dead. I expected more. Also, I'm not too keen on the concept of super-fast, super-strong zombies. Aforementioned The Walking Dead proved that you can do very impressive stuff even with walkers.

The thing that strikes me the most is the fact that in terms of revelations, everything is really, really toned down. There's no epochal findings, there's no grand discoveries, or gotcha scenes, it all sort of happens... Well, like in real life, I suppose. And this is something that is also the underline of the book. While it offers much more details and stories from around the world, it deals with the subject at hand in a basic "trying to survive" way.

So, in the end, the 116 minutes went by very quickly. I was definitively entertained, scared and left wanting for more in the end. With all that said, I would recommend you do go and see the movie.

The Divide (2011)

Lord of the ... stupid

[2/10 · 29 March 2012]

Well, yes. I'm another person who got suckered into watching this piece of garbage. The most important thing you need to know about this movie is that it's just not worth spending two hours of your life to watch it. It's just bad.

You already know the plot, so there's no need to go over that. What you don't know is that, after quite an interesting start, things simply go to hell in every possible way - the plot is thrown out the window, the characters start behaving completely stupid 5 minutes into the movie, and the are really no explanations for anything that goes on from that point.

The acting is actually not bad - it's simply that the characters these actors put life into make no sense. Their decisions and actions that get them spiraling into gore and violence, simply don't add up at all. Here we have a group of random individuals that start arguing, fighting and provoking each other just moments after a nuke bomb has taken the city apart. And most of them act like total a**holes every single minute. When they find out crucially important information, they don't share it, but rather keep it to themselves. They don't stop for a second to think about rationing food and water. They don't care how long before the power runs out, or the toilet fills up, or air is spent, or... Well, they just don't care about anything that's really important. And it get's really frustrating to watch - REALLY fast.

I'm writing this as a person who has actually spent time in a similar situation - stuck in a basement with bunch of neighbors while the bombs hit the city above you for days, even weeks. And I can honestly say that, while this movie clearly wants us to believe we're all sick f*cks ready to snap and start beating, torturing, beating and raping each other, it's just not true. Also, speaking from my own experience, people want to survive and actually talk constructively and work together while utilizing common sense and common interest. Yes, there are conflicts, yes some people lose it, yes there is trauma, yes there are groups formed, but this... This is simply over the top.

This movie desperately tried to be the new Lord of the flies / The Road, but failed completely. Because it didn't make any sense. The violence and the perverted situations are obviously more of a director's reflection of his own mind, rather then a portrait of a realistic situation. Which would be fine, but the problem is the movie is constantly trying to come off as a real possible scenario. It's just not.

Worse of all, even if you go through this mess, you'll get no answers to anything and no hope at the end.

Oh, and btw, just to clarify - I'm a big movie buff, I devour serious cinema from all over the world and from all kinds of genres. I have no problem with gore, violence, exploring the dark side of human nature, sci-fi etc.

So, that's why I am going to recommend to skip this awful pretentious piece of trash and watch a much, much, MUCH better Spanish post apocalyptic movie, called The cold hour - a film that has all the same elements and then some, ends up just as bleak, but actually works!

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

Epic cinematic misery that will keep you grabbing the armchair

[10/10 · 30 December 2011]

Two years after seeing the original Swedish films, I couldn't wait for the Girl with the dragon tattoo to hit the theaters. Ever since that incredible first trailer burned into my retinas, I had a feeling this remake wouldn't fail. And not only it didn't fail, it delivered with style, grit and dark edginess I was hoping for. The cast is pretty much spot on. Daniel Craig, with a few extra pounds, gives an impressive and convincing role of a journalist Mikael Blomkvist. Compared to Michael Nyquist from the original trilogy, which performance I enjoyed very much, Craig is definitively up to the task.

Of course, all eyes are on Rooney Mara playing Lisbeth Salander - an incredibly complex, solitary and traumatized hacker, who is hired to help Blomkvist solve a 40 year old mystery. Mara is simply amazing in portraying Lisbeth, both visually and emotionally, it's such a believable performance that after a while you simply cannot imagine her not being Lisbeth in real life.

Cinematically, Fincher leads the movie with strings of superbly done shots, great dialogs and occasional shocker scenes that will get the hair on your neck stand up. While the run-time of 2 and a half hours may seem long, the time simply flies by and you end up wanting the movie to never end.

I only have two small complaints: first is casting Sarsgard as Martin Vanger. While I love Skarsgard and have seen many of his movies, for someone who's even slightly familiar with his work, there will be no doubt about what happens at the end. Second is about Lisbeth Salander character. While I can not praise Mara's performance enough, I have to say that Noomi Rapace in the original movie was more "manly". I know that it may not make much sense, but little details in walking, expressions and gestures made Rapace even more detached from any feminine characteristic. Rapace's performance made me feel that Lisbeth was so troubled and traumatized that she had lost almost any feeling of connection to humanity. For example, I loved the fact that Noomi in original movie had unshaven armpits. It was such a small detail, but it instantly made you realize just how messed up her life is. While Mara is astonishing as Lisbeth, there's no mistake that she's a woman - albeit damaged, but still feminine enough.

Many have mentioned violence and some other "tough to swallow" scenes. Honestly, they will make you feel really uncomfortable, but that's the point. They are not gore, they're not glorified and are certainly there for a good reason. Ommiting them would be a big mistake.

One more thing - the intro scene is pure audio-visual orgasm. I can hardly think of anything I enjoyed watching more on big screen then those first few minutes.

Overall - 10/10. And watch the originals as well.

Harper's Island (2009)

Quite an entertaining show - up to episode 9...

[27 July 2011]

Nowdays most of the USA TV production is quite shortlived - many shows don't make it to the end of season 1, so the viewers are reluctant to devote their attention not knowing how long the show will live. So, investing into a show that has only 1 season (and you get everything explained at the end) seems to be a pretty good deal.

Harper's Island won't sweep you off your feet in the first episode, but give it a few more and you'll soon find it entertaining. While the concept is nothing new and basically comes down to guessing who the killer is only to find that in each episode the prime suspect ends up being hacked, slashed, spiked, chopped or hanged, and thus eliminated from the offered suspect pool.

HP has some good creepy moments, but also tends to drift into being overly dramatic. The actors are mostly OK, they pull what they can from the paper characters they're assigned with, and somehow the show pulls through episode after episode.

Unfortunately, exactly at the beginning of episode 9 everything goes to hell. The characters start acting like their IQ has been reduced to zero, they make completely stupid and illogical decisions and you're left wondering what the heck happened with this show.

SPOILER ALERT!!! For example, in one scene the killer finally presents himself to the trapped survivors. He's armed with some sort of a harpoon and they're armed with 2 shotguns. He manages to butcher one girl that's holding the shotgun, while everyone else observes this without interfering. Then everyone escapes, leaving one guy armed with a pocket knife to fight off the killer. That includes the girl with the other shotgun. She locks herself in the bathroom with the gun, waits for the killer to kill the poor guy, and then at the first sound of him going for the door of the toilet, she blasts two holes in the door - and of course misses the killer.

At this point I just turned it off and have no intention to watch the remaining 4 episodes. It's really disappointing.

Let the Right One In (2008)

Best vampire movie ever made.

[10/10 · 20 January 2009]

Having just seen glimpse of the movie via the trailer, I was definitively intrigued. But boy, was I in for a surprise... This is one of those movies that slowly suck you into their world and then simply blow you away.

Since so many others already outlined the plot, I'd just like to add that to fully understand this movie, you really need to pay attention to delicate details and dialogs... or you might just miss those important bits that set the "background" of the characters, and end up with many "whys" and "hows". This is especially important in parts that describe the relationship between Eli (the young girl vampire) and her deeply troubled caretaker.

If you were to take out the vampire theme, this would still be a masterpiece in describing the good and the bad, as well as deep love and violence we're all capable of inflicting upon someone else - even as children. The fact that the story is told through the eyes of a 12-year old boy, in that horrible age that you're no longer a kid and still not a teenager, is what makes this movie so powerful. It helps keep things simple and clear. There are no grand schemes, no masks to drop, there's no faking - that's all reserved for the world of grownups. Here everything is just the way you see it - cruel, beautiful and sincere.