Movie Review: A Haunting in Venice (2023)

Title: A Haunting in Venice

Length: 1h 48m

Released: 2023

Genre:  Crime, Drama, Horror
Rating: PG-13
Where I Got It: Hulu 

SUMMARY:

In post-World War II Venice, Poirot, now retired and living in his own exile, reluctantly attends a seance. But when one of the guests is murdered, it is up to the former detective to once again uncover the killer.

Trailer

REVIEW:

Oooo! Another Poirot!! I hope they keep making more. 

It is post-WWII. Poirot is now retired and hiding in Venice. He is forced, to help a friend, by attending a séance to try and debunk this Medium. When one of the guests is murdered, it is up to the former detective to uncover the killer. 

Gotta love Poirot! He is a gem. An arrogant gem, but he has really earned to not be humble. However, this case will be one of his toughest. Is the haunting real? Who did the murders? There is a lot on his plate and he is not doing okay. 

What a freakin' amazing cast. This series has done an amazing job of getting some pretty good folks to join. 

Ooo this was spooky and intense. I loved it!!!! Even if there isn't a ghost, that house is creepy AF. *shutters*

The big reveal was good. I had zero idea. I thought I did and I was partially right but the big reveal...damn. You got me there. 

I think what I love about these movies is that you can truly watch them in any order. Sure it is better to watch in order, but you can totally get away with watching them out of order. I do suggest maybe watching #2 before this one, but it's fine. It works!

All-in-all, I really enjoyed this. This would've been amazing to see on the big screen. Damn. 5 stars. Intense, spooky, and fun.  

Movie Review: Knives Out (2019)

Title: Knives Out

Length: 2 h & 10 m

Released: 2019

Genre:  Comedy, Drama, Crime
Rating: PG-13
Where I Got It: DVD

SUMMARY:

A detective investigates the death of the patriarch of an eccentric, combative family.

REVIEW:

Another movie I have wanted to watch but so little time in life. My parents recently watched this and they liked it so much they bought the DVD of it so when we went over there we all watched it together. 

A well-known detective is hired to investigate the death of a patriarch on the night of his birthday. His family is eccentric, combative...and they all have motives. 

This is a slow-paced movie at first. I was getting worried, but I kept on watching because I knew it had to be good. Look at this great cast! Lucky for me things too speed up and get real good, real fast. 

I was only 50% right. I had two main suspects and one of them was right. I still have my suspicions about a certain character. *points at the unnamed character*

The ending was good and Benoit made me chuckle. Of course, he realized something for being this good. 

But yes, slow beginning, but totally worth it. We had a lot of characters to go through. I'll give this 4 stars. 

Movie Review: Death on the Nile (2022)

Title: Death on the Nile

Length: 2 hr & 7 mins

Released: 2022

Genre:  Mystery, Crime, Drama
Rating: PG-13
Where I Got It: Hulu

SUMMARY:

While on vacation on the Nile, Hercule Poirot must investigate the murder of a young heiress

REVIEW:

Been meaning to watch this. I honestly wanted to watch it at the theater, but I have gotten lazy with theater-watching esp since my hubby is meh about theaters. Sometimes I can con him to go with me, but maybe once or twice a year. 

We are back with Hercule! He is dragged along on a Honeymoon party with a rich heiress and her new husband to keep an eye on their guests because they fear for their lives. And of course, Linnette does not make it and now Hercule has to investigate the murder on a boat stuck with a lot of suspects in the middle of the Nile. 

I really adored the intro. It was nice getting to see some backup story on our hero. I did have a tear or two for sure when we find out what happens a little later on. Ooooo Hercule! You are a vain man, but we love you. You deserve to be a hair vain with all your success. 

I felt so bad for Linnette. She is rich but she can't trust anyone. Everyone has some sort of motive for wanting her dead. Gah. I couldn't live my life like that! Eeee.

Sooo....the whodunnit......I surprised myself by guessing very early on and being RIGHT!!!!!!!!!! Something teeny tiny happened and I was all "OOOOOOO there!" I must pat myself on the back for this. However, there was so much more on the who, why, how, etc. Plus, I wasn't 100% sure there are def some red herrings. I have read some Hercule stories in the past so maybe I am good at pinpointing the little things that people miss in his stories. Oh Hercule!

The setting was beautiful. Egypt is lovely. 

In some ways, I liked this more than the first, but I did have one big, big issue.........after the little prequel at the beginning the setup took forever. It felt like a lot of filler and tbh it could've been trimmed. Yes, yes, we do want to see everyone and learn about them. However, it just felt like it took too long for the murdering parts. The first film had a slow beginning too and it worked well. This felt too long though. 

But yes, a nice sequel. I don't remember ever reading this one so it was fun just watching as a newbie. I really should read more Hercule. There are 33 novels, 2 plays, and more than 50 short stories!! So much to read. Not sure how the writers are picking. 

Def recommend watching the first one first and then this one.

4 stars. 

Movie Review: The Batman (2022)

Film Title: The Batman

Length:  2h 56 min

Released: 2022

Genre:  Crime, Drama
Rating: PG-13
Where I Got It: HBO Max

SUMMARY:

When the Riddler, a sadistic serial killer, begins murdering key political figures in Gotham, Batman is forced to investigate the city's hidden corruption and question his family's involvement..

Click here for the trailer

REVIEW:

Been wanting to watch this, but didn't want to sit in the theaters for 3 hours so we waited for it to go on a streaming service. 

The Riddler, a sadistic serial killer, begins murdering key political figures in Gotham, Batman is forced to investigate and find the key to who is next and who the Riddler is. During this, he will uncover hidden corruption, lies, and his family's dirty secrets. 

This was a dark, dark version of Batman and I was all for it. Bruce obviously has depression, anger, and hermit issues. Which would make sense and I loved him being serious....that is the way Bruce/Batman is supposed to be. So many people were worried about Robert Pattison's portrayal and you know what? I think he killed it! I enjoyed this version and I want more. I feel like he added a layer of complexity to this character. He certainly made it his own. 

The Riddler was darrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrk and certainly sadistic. I'm glad they beefed up this character and gave him the limelight. The Joker always takes over and I'm glad a side villain got to be the main one. The Riddler's crusade was insane, yes, but I can't fully blame him. Yes, yes, murder is wrong, but he had a lot of points. Damn corrupt a-holes stealing from orphans. >_> But yes, he was crazy but he did have a point. 

I loved how complex they made the characters and stories. Nothing is black and white in here...even Bruce's family has some skeletons.

Yayy for Catwoman! She is one of my favorite female villians/anti-heroes. I would LOVE to see Poison Ivy make an appearance one day. 

The Penguin was fantastic. 

I only had 2 issues. 1) The length...I feel like they could've trimmed it down to 2 hours and 30-45 mins. 2) I wanted more time with Alfred! The actor killed the role and is perfect. Maybe we'll get more of that character in the second move *fingers crossed*. 

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised. I wasn't sure if I was going to like this, but I did! It was pretty darn good and I want a second movie. Dang...when was the last time I said that for a DC or Marvel movie????? But yes, I wanted more Alfred and there were some scenes that could've been trimmed a bit. Besides those two issues, I liked it. I'll give this 4 stars. 

Movie Review: Legend (2015)

Film Title: Legend

Length:  2h 12m

Released: 2015

Genre:  Crime, Biography, Drama
Rating: R
Where I Got It: Netflix

SUMMARY:

Identical twin gangsters Ronald and Reginald Kray terrorize London during the 1960s.

Click here for the trailer

REVIEW:

Fiancé forced me to watch this movie. Okay, okay "forced" is not the right word. I do like movies like this and I adore Tom Hardy...so it was a win-win. Just a long movie and I'm becoming an old lady ;) 

The story follows twin gangsters Ronald and Reginald Kray during the 1960s. They are building their gang and power in London. Reginald is suave and charming but volatile, while his brother Ronald is unstable and a wild card. 

I went into this film not really knowing anything about the Krays and their gang. I had heard the name in passing but I didn't know anything. So once the film was done I did some research just to see how accurate the film was (naturally). Not too shabby. They def Hollywood-ed it up a bit and left out some stuff. There are so many rumors and complexities that would've beefed up the film, but I think they tried to make it simplistic and show only really what Frances knew since she was the one narrating the film in a sense. It made sense, but I feel like there were some rumors they could've addressed.  

The cast was great. I adore Tom Hardy so I am biased...of course. However, he played the twins so well that you would swear it was two different people. I certainly did!! I will say I didn't really buy the chemistry and love/lust between Reggie and Frances. They did well with the hate parts, but there was no spark there for me. Maybe it was done on purpose? IDK.

I liked the fact that Frances was the narrator and mainly shown through her limited POV. She drops a lot of foreshadowing which made me itch to want to google (I tried my damnedest, but I did spoil myself on one thing).

Overall, I enjoyed the film. The cast did excellent minus the lack of a spark between the two. I liked the narration and how the showcased the story of these two crazy Kray brothers. In the end, I'll give this 4 stars. 

Movie Review: Abducted in Plain Sight

Film Title: Abducted in Plain Sight

Length:   1h 31min
Released:   15 January 2019 (USA)
Genre:  Documentary, Crime
Rating: TV-14
Where I Got It: Netflix

SUMMARY:

The twisting, turning, stranger-than-fiction true story of the Brobergs, a naive, church-going Idaho family that fell under the spell of a sociopathic neighbor with designs on their twelve-year-old daughter.

REVIEW:

A couple of my friends demanded that FH and I sit down and watch this since we love true crime shows (like every other person). I had never heard of this story before and I resisted the urge to look it up because I wanted to watch this with unbiased eyes. 

This is the true story of the Brobergs who were s small-town family that fell under the spell of a sociopathic, pedo who had designs on their young daughter. 

This............

Um............

Wow. Just wow. It was like a bad accident that you can't help but fixate on. WHAT was that family thinking. Yes, yes, he was charming and cute and a fellow Christian family-man. OKAY. UhHuh. NO one in that family thought it was weird how FIXATED he was on that little girl? WHAT?

*SPOILER ALERT/rant*And the parents all being in love with him and cheating on each other with him? WHAT!? The insanity! And NO one called the cops for days?????? You have got to be kidding me!!!! That dude didn't have to work at all to kidnap her TWICE. JUST wow. That FBI dude should have taken the kids away from those morons. SURE they fell for his charms and whatever....but idiots. Pure idiots. And that poor girl. She was SO convinced that the fate of the world rested on her shoulders. That poor thing. *END of spoiler/rant*

Sorry. This was for sure a hard review to write without giving away spoilers. It is for sure something you need to watch and discuss. I've been telling all my friends to watch it. I want...NO need to discuss this. Even FH was all OMG!

So good. So sad. So...insane. Watch it! It is good. 5 stars. 

Movie Review: Promising Young Woman (2020)

Film Title: Promising Young Woman

Length:   1h 53min 
Released:   2020
Genre:  Crime, Drama, Thriller 
Rating: R
Where I Got It: Amazon Prime

SUMMARY:
A young woman, traumatized by a tragic event in her past, seeks out vengeance against those who crossed her path.

TRAILER:

REVIEW:

Had a mini girls' night and we decided to watch this. I even went in with zero idea what this film was about so I was pleasantly surprised. For sure a shocker for me. I even ended up having my fiancé watch it the next day. 

The story follows Cassandra who is living a double life. During the day she works at the local cafe house. At night she is spreading fear of taking advantage of women. She is traumatized from an event that happened years ago and now revenge has landed in her lap. 

Not sure where to even start........

I liked it a lot. I would say I nearly loved it. I was upset at the ending at first...but then I watched it for a second time and after talking about it and reading other reviews and I realized....that ending was the best ending for this story. Can't spoil nothing ;) but it the best ending even though I was bummed, but happy at the same time. Lots of complex feelings for this. 

The girl who played Cassandra was amazingggg. I loved her for the role. She was perfect and I adored her performance. She is good at playing scary and a badass. And sexy when the need calls for it. A+ for her!

Cassandra herself? You can't help but feel bad for her especially when the truth comes out of what happened that fateful night. It broke my heart. I can't imagine living with that sadness and guilt of what happened to Nina. However, she really knows how to get under your skin and she can play you like a fiddle. It's scary awesome. Can't say more tho, but gah. Such a sad story and overall...this was a dark film. Dark but with spots of light. 

This film really does tackle the sensitive issue of scumbags taking advantage of women...sober or drunk. It's disgusting and depressing. And it's just not the men but all the people who defend their actions which this film does touch that too. This one quote really it me in the feels and I feel like is an excellent example of the tone of the movie. 

"Look how easy that was. I guess you just had to think about it in the right way. I guess it feels different when it's someone you love.."

So good. 

Oooo I was so happy to see Bo Burnham in a movie. He's fun. I love him. 

Overall, I loved the casting done for this.

This really is a must-watch. And honestly? A great movie to watch with a group of people because you will want to discuss and talk about this movies. Days later my friends and I were still discussing this. The ending will make you love-hate it though, so be aware of that. 

4 stars overall. 

Movie Review: Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019)

Film Title: Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile

Length:     1h 26min 
Released:   2019
Genre:  Biography, Crime, Drama 
Rating: R
Where I Got It: Netflix

SUMMARY:
A chronicle of the crimes of Ted Bundy from the perspective of Liz, his longtime girlfriend, who refused to believe the truth about him for years

TRAILER:

REVIEW:

Went down a rabbit hole for sure. BF and I watched the documentary on Netflix and then decided to watch this film. So good. 

This is the story of Ted Bundy. We all know about the horrible and wicked things he did. But here is a POV to the story we never got to see. Before Ted would go down in history as America's most notorious and charming killer...he was a family man. He and his longtime girlfriend had a life together. He helped raise her daughter and went to school to be a lawyer. Everything fell apart because of one phone call. 

Zac Efron was FANTASTIC. He gave me chills. He deserves all the awards for his role. He really brought this terrible man to life. He had the charm and lovability....but behind it all you see the glimpses of evil. Especially the scene with the dog. Right then and there you see behind that mask of handsome....you see the monster slipping through. I was always meh about Zac. Sure he was hot and all....but this film really flipped my opinion. Zac is an amazing actor. I want to see him do more films like this. He can really pull off complex roles. All the other cast members did awesome too 100% BUT Zac carried the film. 

People were pissed that they had such a good looking fella like Zac play him. Some people felt like this movie was glorifying the man and romanticizing him. Those people really don't know their history then. He was romanticized. Women across the world LOVED him and thought he was innocent. Even the judge had moments of DANG he is good. BUT he was evil. He did it...100%. He was a monster, but damn...he was charming especially to women. HOW do you THINK he could get his way into those women's paths? They trusted him for that short amount of time. They trusted him and were brought in by his good boy looks and charms. It lead them to their doom. This film really shows this. It was hauntingly perfect. Women and some men fell for his lies. He was evil. 

I have never read the book which was written by Liz the real life ex of Ted, but I want to. I can't imagine being in her shoes. *shudders* I would be just as guilt-ridden and haunted. 

They really don't show any of the gruesome murders. We all know what he did. This was about the show that Ted created in court and in life. This is about watching Liz get through that circus. I'm sure a lot of people were not happy that we didn't see any of that. I'm not. It would've just been a slasher movie at that point. This was more complex and deep this way. It was done well. 

I can rant and rave about this movie all day. It really blew me away. 5 stars. You should watch it. I want to re-watch it soon. So good. For sure a candidate for best of the year ;) 

Movie/Documentary Review: Soaked in Bleach (2015)

Film Title: Soaked in Bleach

Length:    1h 30min
Released:    11 June 2015
Genre:  Documentary, Crime
Rating: Not Rated (I would say PG) 
Where I Got It: Amazon Prime

SUMMARY:
Tom Grant, a private investigator once hired by Courtney Love, reveals his take on the death of Kurt Cobain.

TRAILER:

REVIEW:
I have watched this now 3 times in the last couple of months. I didn't feel like I wanted to write a review since this isn't a movie-movie. But after this last watch through I wanted to give this documentary some spotlight. 

This takes a deep look into the alleged suicide of Kurt Cobain. Was it really? Or was there someone like Courtney Love who was behind his murder. There are a lot of questions and red flags that everyone ignored. Especially the police who closed this case the same day they found his body. There was no real investigation. 

Tom Grant was a PI that Courtney Love hired to "find" Kurt. Tom didn't fully trust her and he felt like something was wrong so he recorded all his conversations with her and any other interview. Even after Kurt's body was found something didn't seem right so Tom kept on investigating. We get to hear this story and get some experts. 

My whole life I was on the fence about if he really did commit suicide, but I never really took the time to check the facts and look into it. I love the band and him, but I guess I never really looked into it because I was told he was depressed and a druggie so no one batted an eye when he took that final step. 

After watching this, I was invested. I watched more and read more about this. In the end...I think Courtney Love had something to do with his murder. It was murder and the police need to re-open this and have unbiased parties review the case. They are not going to want to admit they f-ed up big. Courtney Love needs to be investigated for sure. 

At first, I wasn't crazy about the actors acting out scenes, but I grew to like it especially when they blended real recordings of the people talking. It really emphasized the points that the speakers were making. So I grew to like it. 

I won't spoil the facts and red flags, because you need to watch it. 5 stars. 

Movie Review: 1922 (2017)

Film Title: 1922 (2017)

Length:    1h 42min 
Released:    20 October 2017
Genre:    Crime, Drama, Horror
Rating: TV- MA
Where I Got It: Netlfix

SUMMARY:
A simple yet proud farmer in the year 1922 conspires to murder his wife for financial gain, convincing his teenage son to assist. But their actions have unintended consequences.

TRAILER:

REVIEW:
A random watch the BF wanted to check out. I'm up for trying pretty much any movie. 

The story follows a farmer, Wilfred, who is about to lose the land he loves because his wife is tired of being there. With the help of the young son, Wilfred decides it's time to get rid of this troublesome wife. But their actions will curse them forever. 

An interesting concept for sure. And no one was innocent even the wife was a jerk and weird. Did she deserve it? Of course not - but I had little sympathy. I felt more for that dang cow. POOR COW! *Sobs* And I did feel for the son, but dang boy - be dumber. Love is blind I guess. 

This was suppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppper slow. So extremely slow I felt like this was a 2 hour movie. Yes, there was a lot of needed build-up and tension. Sure, but after the deed was done and we are waiting for the spooky to start happening I found myself yawning. Too slow that it took away the scariness for me. 

I also wish we got to see more of the spookiness. I think we seen the supernatural only a couple of times overall? Not enough and it was mainly just creepy...not scary. It really was more a psychological thriller. After a while it really did become more of a study of this character and how he is dealing with this curse/bad luck. It was intriguing to slowly see him slip into madness with his guilt and regret especially after what happens with the son. I didn't see that coming at all and Wilfred could not handle it. 

Overall, this wasn't a bad film. I did enjoy it for what it was. It was super slow and not really horror-y like I was hoping for. I do wish we got to see more of the supernatural aspects, but I did enjoy slowly watching this horrible man fall into madness. He deserved what he got for sure. It is all his fault for all the bad things. I'll give this 3 stars. 

Movie Review: Murder Mystery (2019)

Film Title: Murder Mystery

Length:   1h 37min 
Released:   2019
Genre:    Action, Comedy, Crime 
Rating: PG-13 
Where I Got It: Netflix

SUMMARY:
A New York cop and his wife go on a European vacation to reinvigorate the spark in their marriage, but end up getting framed and on the run for the death of an elderly billionaire.

TRAILER:

REVIEW:

On the insistence of the lovely Blodeuedd, I got BF to agree and we watched it. And when Blodeuedd is right...she is right. ;)

The story follows Audrey and Nick who have been married a million years and they finally taking that European honeymoon he promised. Well...things go from being great. Meeting a rich man who invites them to go to a party on a yacht. As it would...it explodes in their face and they are faced with murder and being framed for that murder.

This was a good movie for sure. I liked it. It isn't side-ripping funny, but it was a realistic funny. If that makes any sense. A few laughs and you can't help but relate to this couple.

Oooo Luke Evans. You are the best in anything you do ;) 

But the cast was funny and fun and they did well. 

The murder mystery was good. I was not correct at all. Bummer! But good job writers! I was shocked at the end. Shoulda seen that coming! 

This is for sure a good movie for a date or being on the couch with your honey. It was fun and funny and a good mystery. 

Overall, I enjoyed this. No issues. Funny, but not cheesy or unrealistic. It had a good cast and a good murder mystery. I'll stamp this with 5 stars.