My Thoughts on The Kid Who Would Be King and The Lego Movie 2

Attack the Block was a terrific science fiction/horror/comedy that pitted chavs against aliens and absolutely delivered on all fronts, establishing Joe Cornish as a true firebrand. So it's a little disappointing that we had to wait so long for his next film, The Kid Who Would Be King. Did it deliver? For the most part, yeah. It's not as good as Attack the Block, but it takes that films pleasing genre savviness and blends it with both joyous whimsy and a fairly impressive political edge, one that asks the audience what world they're leaving behind for future generations. That it does this so well while also being able to have fun with itself is another testament to Cornish's deft style of filmmaking. The film takes some well worn Arthurian legends and gives them a really fun, fresh, modern update that never cheapens their impact, or makes them feel like a gimmick, instead mirroring these stories with a coming of age tale that's well written, sharp, and acknowledges the mythology in a way that feels natural and clever. The film is one with real heart, and optimism, and feels genuinely impressive in an endless sea of King Arthur stories.

It's definitely not without issues, though. It feels way too long and suffers from poor pacing, with stretches between the plot points where not an awful lot happens. The writing is charming enough to keep the film engaging when this does happen, but the film becomes so jarring when the swiftness of the plot suddenly stops for a few minutes that definitely could have been cut. That long windedness is a shame, too because that time could have been much better spent developing the villain. It's not that Morgana is bad or anything, I actually think that Rebecca Ferguson is really good in this role and provides a pretty menacing presence, but it's just that she never seems to have enough to do, spending most of the film sitting around being nasty. It's here that the film really stumbles, which is a shame, because when it's good, it's really, really good. The Kid Who Would Be King isn't perfect, but you'll forgive it when it does slip up because it's just too fun not to enjoy. It has a real sense of charm that make it's noticeable issues forgivable. It's no Attack the Block, but after eight years, it'll do nicely

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Franchise fatigue can be a serious issue. Sequels are tough enough already, but if you spin off enough, even the best follow up can feel like more of the same. So it's to the credit of The Lego Movie 2 that it actually provides a worthwhile follow up to the original. Which is damn impressive when you consider just how fresh and fun that first movie felt. Even though this is the fourth Lego film we've gotten in almost as many years, it's safe to say that these guys haven't quite run out of steam just yet, delivering a movie that's definitely still awesome. I guess the best thing here is that it's an entirely different beast to the first one, which is mostly down to the fact that it's not just playing out in the head of the boy, but in his sister's head too. The way the story-within-a-story is able to explore the relationship between these two characters so well without ever bogging itself down with over explanation is a true testament to the writing here, and the fact that it's also a story about the power of idealism is even better. The idea that growing up means putting away your optimism is one that this movie is keen on discussing, and discusses it well, with Emmett getting a character arc that's actually really engaging. The way the film approaches the idea of cynicism vs. idealism is deft and clever, yes, but also wholesome, satisfying, and hell, even kind of important. It's intelligent, but it's always good natured, and as a result, feels genuinely special in the way that few family films these days can muster.

Of course, being a film in this series, it's also hilarious, with the knowing meta-comedy that made the others so damn fun on full display here. The pop culture references come quick in The Lego Movie 2, with many of them being absolutely hilarious (that recurring Bruce Willis cameo might just be one of the funniest things I've seen in these movies). That balance of smarts and heart is once again crucial to making this film work, but the writing here is so deft that it manages to be both sweet and funny, and always entertaining. It was never going to be easy to follow the Lego Movie, but this sequel actually does it well, playing out like an odd combination of Toy Story and Community that's gonna be hard to top as animated film of the year. In a word? Awesome.

The Best Scene in the MCU

So, Avengers Endgame is very nearly here, and whether you like the Marvel Cinematic Universe or not, you have to admit that this franchise is one that has seriously impacted pop culture. Personally, I like it a lot, but I definitely have my issues. But that's not something I want to focus on today, because with the biggest installment yet on its way, I want to put all my gripes aside and turn on celebration mode. So, what am I going to do? I mean there's a thousand different ways to celebrate something like this, but there is something in particular I'd like to do. I want to look at and analyse a certain scene in the MCU, one that I think is not just great, but legitimately fantastic, and hopefully highlight what I think this series can be at it's best. Because when the MCU is good, it's really good, and when it's at it's best, it's an unstoppable pillar of modern pop culture that stands tall even when it occasionally stumbles

So, what's the best scene in the MCU? Well, there's actually a lot of contenders here. There is of course Infinity War's snap, a good one to be sure, albeit one that didn't affect me quite as much as everyone else. The one vs. two fight at the end of Civil War is definitely a good shout here, not just an intense action scene but the moment where three character arcs intersect in a genuinely compelling way. If we're thinking unconventional, then it's got to be the Mr. Blue Sky scene from Guardians 2, which subverts expectations wonderfully, and is just a really fun moment in a film full of them. Either of the royal challenges from Black Panther would be great choices here too, as they display how great the MCU, and that film in particular are at using action to tell a story. But the best scene in the MCU, or at least my favourite scene in the MCU is something much quieter from a slightly more obscure place.

Avengers: Age of Ultron is not the best film in this series. Which isn't to say it's bad, it's definitely not, but it's one that maybe suffers from its flaws more than a lot of the installments do. Ultron himself isn't a particularly great villain. He's definitely quite intimidating, but his motives are kind of weak and most of his dialogue is a touch generic. Because of this, the film itself suffers, and as a whole, I think it lands on the better side of alright. But it does do one thing really, really well. It nails the character of Hawkeye. Here's a character who, following The Avengers, was the subject of countless memes and jokes. Hell, even now, there are people who label him the worst Avenger, and this is actually something that Age of Ultron lampshades. I mean, alongside some of earth's mightiest heroes, you've got a guy with a bow and arrow? But in one brilliantly quiet sequence, he goes from meme fodder to honestly one of my favourite characters in this series

When a fight with gets out of control and is broadcast worldwide, and tension within this group is at an all time high (up to this point, anyway), the Avengers need a place to lay low. The safehouse, it turns out, is Hawkeye's house, a secluded cabin that he and his family live in. Again, this is something that the film has been playing with, portraying Hawkeye's personal life with deliberate secrecy, never quite revealing too much about him. So up to this point, you've got a character that a lot of people didn't like, who wasn't as powerful as the people he fought with, and who never actually had much revealed about him. But this sequence in the cabin took all secrecy and preconceptions and used them to fantastic effect, showing you this guy's home life, and in turn, his human side.

Unlike most of the characters in the series, Hawkeye is just a guy doing his job, and seeing the way he interacts with his wife and kids takes his relative normalcy and uses it to define his character. He's not a god, or a super soldier, or a genius playboy billionaire philanthropist. His life isn't as interesting as these other characters, but in a universe like this, that's precisely why he's interesting. A lot happens in the scenes in Hawkeye's cabin. Nick Fury shows up, there's some nice moments between Natasha and Banner, early tension between Cap and Iron Man, and Thor leaves. I guess Chris Hemsworth doesn't like cabins in the woods. But even with all of this going on, moments that are in themselves awesome character moments, the real value of this scene lies is Hawkeye's character. There's a problem now with universe cinema, that everything has to be explained. Everyone needs an origin story, a prequel, a spin-off. Everything needs to be gotten from this franchise, squeezed out of it until there isn't much left, and this scene is an example of how efficient storytelling can be more effective in worldbuilding. Not every character needs an origin story, and while this isn't a Hawkeye movie, the stuff we find out about him in this scene sticks and comes back, not only later in the plot, but across the series as a whole. It's especially effective in the story of this film, because the fact that parent makes him a little more sympathetic towards the Maximoff twins, which comes back in a big way in the climax.

It's a brilliant scene precisely because it's a quiet one. Age of Ultron has no shortage of action scenes, most of which are pretty good, but it's when it steps back, when it lets these characters just lay low and reconsider everything going on that this film reaches its peak, and becomes one of the best sequences that this series has given us. Understated character moments here tell us more than exposition ever could, and this rings true for the whole team, but as I said, I think what makes this scene so special is that, in the space of about fifteen minutes, everything we need to know about Hawkeye is told to us in a moment of ridiculously impressive, less-is-more storytelling, giving us story beats and character beats that every film he's been in since has drawn on. Ironically for a blockbuster franchise that excels at spectacle, the best scene is the one that tells the story quietly, and without much actually happening. Yet it's the atmosphere and environment that really communicate here, using the setting itself to develop Hawkeye's character, which is in turn a fantastic payoff to the restraint they've been using for the whole film. We get to know him not by seeing what he does when he's working, but by seeing where he is when he isn't. It's such a simple method of storytelling, but damn is it effective, especially in a relatively flawed film like this. For all of the thrust and spectacle of the action, it's when the story slows down that it truly thrills. It's an awesome way to develop a character that, up to that point at least, was sorely underloved. The MCU is a series where the scale has gotten bigger and bigger, and that makes it kind of easy for character moments like this to get lost. I mean, when put beside some of the series larger moments, it's easy for quiet scenes like this to go unnoticed or even lose their weight, but the stuff that's evoked here is much more likely to resonate than a large, showy action scene. For all of its issues, when the MCU tries to do smaller, character driven storytelling, it definitely succeeds, because it defies the cheap universe building that this series gives us at its worst. This moment is genuinely fantastic, and proof that this series is more than blockbuster fluff.

"You don't think they need me?"

"Actually I think they do. They're gods, and they need somebody to keep them down to earth"

2019 Roundup: January-March

Before I start this, I want to address something. Because I live in Ireland, release dates are always really weird. I've done two end of year best lists, one by general release date and one by Irish release date. I did this mainly to try each out and see what works. Yeah, going off of general is harder because a lot of awardsy movies come out here at the start of the year after they're released, but I actually prefer just doing first release date. If the way I've done those lists has caused any confusion, I apologise, I'm just trying new things and figuring out what works for me, so from now on I think I will just use first release date for things. It is a little bit trickier, but it's just the way I prefer to do things, having now tried both. This is just something I've been thinking about for a while, and I think that this is the best way to do things. So with that out of the way, let's talk about the start of 2019

People generally look down on start of year releases, and I guess that makes sense. Traditionally, January has been where studios put their unwanted junk, flops that suffer less than if they were released in the summer. And with awards  season in full swing, it's easy for shit films to fly under the radar. Especially with an awards season as crazy as this one (sidenote, as much as I did like Green Book, it definitely didn't deserve best picture, and probably shouldn't have been nominated to begin with). That said, the first three months have actually been alright. There's been ups and downs, but on the whole, things have been good. A few disappointments, but also some great surprises, too, making for an overall pretty decent three months. I didn't see everything I wanted to, so I'll definitely have to play catch-up on a few releases, so I'll definitely review them when I see them. For now, let's talk movies!

All reviews are spoiler free unless stated otherwise

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So let's start with the bad. The start of the year is traditionally a time for bad movies, there's been definitely been some duds already. Like The Dirt, one of the most bizarrely awful biopics I've ever seen. Okay, true, I don't have much of an interest in Mötley Crüe as a band, and I knew next to nothing about their story, but even then, this film is terrible. It tells these guys' stories in the worst way possible, one that tells you absolutely nothing about them, because it doesn't actually care about that. What this movie wants to do is show you how these guys were crazy, wild party machines, who  don't care about anything but drugs and sex and partying. But in trying to make them wild and fun, they just came off as so unlikeable. Like, the film makes these guys seem genuinely awful. And any time they do bad things, the film just comes out and says; "well, that's just rock and roll, man". It's entirely possible to make a good movie about bad people, but the movie wants us to love these guys, and think that they're to coolest thing ever. And as a result, they don't feel human. And that's not even mentioning the awful performances, terrible writing and inconsistent fourth wall breaks that just feel so random. Things just kind of happen, and so important stuff feels inconsequential. Like remember the guitarists illness that's slowly crippling him? The movie apparently doesn't. Yeah, sorry. These guys seem pretty interesting, but this just ain't it, man

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On a similar note of baffling awfulness, we got Serenity, a film that could have been really, really good, but ultimately really, really wasn't. Serenity takes an intriguing noir premise and some incredibly talented actors, only to spoil these things with godawful writing, sloppy tone and one of the weirdest reveals I've seen in a movie like this. Without giving too much away, it's The Lego Movie as directed by Brian de Palma, and if you think that sounds awful, you're not wrong. Serenity feels like such a waste of potential, too, because the movie it is at the start could have been great, as was the one it was by the end. The film has a genuinely clever use of details that make the twist at least feel plausible, but the film is so all over the place and unnecessarily stylised that getting to all of the nuances just feels like a chore. I wanted to like it, really I did, but much like McConaughey and that fish, it never quite achieves its goal. Such a disappointment, especially because it's not even interestingly bad. Like if this seems short, it's because I genuinely don't have much to say about it. Yeah, it's just bland, disappointing, boring trash

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Another hot mess was Dan Gilroy's Velvet Buzzsaw, which you may remember was one of my most anticipated releases this year. While this horror-satire certainly isn't bad, it's definitely confused in what it wants to be. I mean yeah, there's undoubtedly good stuff here. The deaths are creative and effective, Jake Gyllenhaal and Rene Russo give great performances, and it definitely doesn't lack ideas, but the problem is that the movie itself is so damn unpleasant to watch. Some of the characters are well acted, but none of them are well written, so it's pretty difficult to actually care about what's going on here. Also, Zawe Ashton was hideously miscast. I do think that she's a good actor (I loved her in Fresh Meat), but her performance is so bafflingly misjudged her that it's maybe the scariest thing about the film. But the best word for this is messy. Everything about it just feels like it was done wrong, and so a legitimately interesting original studio horror becomes, well, this. Velvet Buzzsaw could have been good, but ends up as ham fisted satire with some nice looking shocks thrown in. Also, is that really how people see critics? Hmmm....

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Speaking of Netflix, extreme violence and shit films, Polar came out. And oh man, it's baaaaaad. Like I'll be surprised if many films are worse than it in 2019. Here's a movie that thinks that style is a substitute for personality, and that intense gore is automatically badass (it isn't). Mads Mikkelsen's bland assassin exists in the shadow of John Wick and Frank Castle, but because he's as hollow and vapid as the film he's in, he becomes a forgettable pseudo character whose defining personality trait is that he has an eyepatch. The film also lacks restraint, and not in a good way. People don't get killed, they get absolutely disintegrated. There's a sex scene that's so unnecessarily over the top that it's actually a relief when the awful, shallow plot resumes, because at least it's something. But the film doesn't understand how to go over the top properly, instead just doing these things because..... they're cool(?) Look, maybe it could have worked with a little more substance, but honestly? It's pure trash, and not the fun kind. Avoid, avoid, avoid. A rancid piece of filth that makes Eli Roth's Death Wish look like The Wizard of Oz

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And then there's Isn't It Romantic, which I think is an unfortunate film. It's unfortunate not because it sucks, which it does, but because it's actually got a fantastic message: you can't love someone until you love yourself. And yeah, we've heard that and seen that before, but if a modern rom-com could pull that off, it could be something truly special. Alas, it doesn't. The film suffers from clunky dialogue, a story that invokes rom-com tropes but never actually does anything with them, and a cast that's never more than passable. And that's a real shame, because a message like that needs a vessel that can support it, but here, it feels like an afterthought. It's not awful, but I really don't like how they handled it, because it could have been better. It's never as fun as it needs to be, instead being this weird kind of fake fun, that pretends to be subversive while actually just being predictable, safe, and yeah, a little shit. It's obvious that Rebel Wilson is passionate about this project, and her performance is definitely okay, and Liam Hemsworth actually isn't bad either (especially not when he gives it socks on the saxophone), but even their decent performances can't compensate for the film's shortcomings. Self love is definitely important, but this definitely isn't

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On a good note, we finally got David Robert Mitchell's Under the Silver Lake, which has definitely split opinions. I really, really liked it. Mitchell keeps the same ominousness that made It Follows pop, but this time blends it with a neo noir cool that really works. Andrew Garfield is the film's stoner soul, keeping the whole thing together when it starts to wear thin. And that's a key issue here. It's long-winded, and has a tendency to meander. I definitely don't think it needed to be this long, especially not with a such a slow pace, but the film's strange imagery is definitely interesting, and when it's good, it's fantastic. The whole subliminal messages thing has been done before and better, but there's a scene in there that does something really special with it that makes it worthwhile. I did spend a lot of it wondering if it was as smart as it thought it was, and I think that ultimately, it's the payoffs that really make it work. Especially when it starts to instill doubt in both Garfield and the viewer, asking "is there really something to be gained from uncovering the truth?". And when it does this, it does actually deliver some of really strange, oddly satisfying reveals. Under the Silver Lake is the kind of movie that would probably come alive upon a rewatch, because there are so many deatils to catch here.  It's spooky atmosphere, surrealism, and genuinely effective reveals definitely compensate for it's stumbles. I get why some people disliked it, and I see why some people loved it, but I definitely thought that it was a good watch, even with its flaws. Do watch it yourself if you're curious

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Another interesting one was Chiwitel Ejiofor's directorial debut, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. For what could have been a basic approach to a true story, this film is actually very impressive. Ejiofor tells this story in a way that feels organic and real, but never sacrifices the heart, either. He shows us so much of the day to day life in the village, so that when things start to turn around, it feels like a genuine triumph instead of a clichéd "inspirational true story". And that's awesome, because it could have been that so easily. It would have been so easy to churn out an insincere version of this story, but instead, it's told with intelligence and honesty, the exact approach that it deserves. It's an interesting kitchen sink tale that feels real, while also being a really nice story of triumph over adversity. Throw in excellent performances across the board (especially from Ejiofor himself, who turns what could have been a one dimensional caricature  into an organic portrait of a stubborn man) and you've got yourself an honest, emotionally intelligent tale of doing a lot with very little, one that lets you get to know these people and their situation, and so when it turns around, you're right there with them. This is an earnest, genuinely uplifting film that I think is definitely worthy of your attention

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In the comedy department, we got The Breaker Upperers, an early shout for funniest movie of the year. This anti-romantic comedy is as fresh, acidic, and genuinely sweet as they come, telling such a uniquely enjoyable story of friendship that just made me feel so good. Oh, and it's piss funny, to boot. Jackie Van Beek and Madeline Sami's film is a sharp one, with an acidic wit that cuts through the sickening sentimentality to find a genuine sweetness that never feels cloying. And that goes the other way, as this sweetness prevents the film from ever being too nasty. When it's mean, it's pleasingly mean, and when it's sweet, it's so effortlessly charming that it's impossible not to love. It's undeniably quirky, but with such bite that it's refreshing as well as endearing. Granted, it never quite reaches the comic heights of What We Do In the Shadows, or the unapologetic charm of Hunt For The Wilderpeople, but The Breaker Upperers takes its place in the Kiwi comedy pantheon with wit and gusto. Definitely do not miss this ridiculous and raunchy tale

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Bear with me on this one. I didn't care for High Flying Bird. I love Steven Soderbergh, but his second phone-shot film was just such a letdown for me. It's undeniably well made, with great performances and a sharp script, but I almost feel that it's too well made. Like Soderbergh captures basketball management so well that he's created an unintentional barrier between the film and the audience. Or me, at least. Truth is, I just don't find this movie that interesting. It was just people talking, and never saying anything especially interesting. It just bored me, and I found myself wondering what the point of anything was. Don't get me wrong, it's probably a great film, and I'm glad to see people loving it, but it just did not work for me at all. I don't know, all that walking and talking just got repetitive for me, and never went anywhere that I found especially interesting. A huge disappointment from a filmmaker that I know can do better. Sorry guys

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You've got to be careful making films about current events. It's easy to lose a lot of the story, or be so focused on the wrong thing that it ends up as dated and messy as time goes on. And in terms of current events, it's downright impossible to avoid Brexit. And though I have no doubt that a good Brexit film could be made in ten-fifteen years, but Brexit: The Uncivil War was just.... not it. The Big Short style approach with the slick self awareness is definitely clever and fun, and it effectively taps into the horror of political manipulation, but God is this film flawed. Everything about how it's made is solid. Good performances, sharp writing, and effectively paced, but it just feels too soon. We're far too close to Brexit (which hasn't even actually happened yet) for a film to capture it efficiently. I applaud the filmmakers for staying largely neutral, but it's just a weak chronicle of a still ongoing event. It's serviceable for now, but I have no doubt that this will be done better in about a decade or so

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Three months into the year and we've already gotten a generic, forgettable but serviceable action movie in the form of Triple Frontier. The plot is about as thin as heist films get (spoiler alert: this is their last job), the characters are cardboard cutouts holding guns, and the dialogue feels like it was written by a computer spewing out stock action movie lines. It's far from a bad movie, but it's just.... fine. It's decent, with serviceable performances, adequate direction and a story that progresses with no notable issues. The action is engaging enough (one setpiece involving an improvised helicopter landing is actually fairly thrilling), the setting is an interesting one and the ending, while as bland as they come, does actually work despite it's familiarity. Triple Frontier is never more than okay, never great but far from bad, and though I wouldn't recommend it, I wouldn't not recommend it either. It's exactly what it looks like it's going to be, which is a serviceable heist thriller that you'll enjoy, but probably forget about in a week

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An early contender for saddest film of the year is Paddleton, a low-key tale of a friendship between two men, one of whom just happens to have terminal cancer. I really have to hand it to this film, because it rejects being purely melancholic in favour of telling a genuinely affecting story that really resonates. It would have been so, so, so easy to force a sad story here, but they don't. Because it's not about the illness. It's about their friendship. It's about kung fu movies, and puzzles, and a squash-like game that they've invented. The friendship between these guys has so many quirky little intricacies, not just to be twee for the sake of it, but so that you understand how much they mean to each other, used to devastating effect in the film's home stretch, and extended, crushingly realistic sequence that just had me in floods of tears. Paddleton sneaks up on you, gradually leading up to that finale, which is an absolute gut wrencher. Mark Duplass and Ray Romano are nothing short of wonderful here, idiosyncratic but also completely believable. Yeah, this film is a little heartbreaker, and I just dug it

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With so many franchises, universes and never ending sequels out there, you really have to hand it to How to Train Your Dragon. After all, the third and final installment (How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World) is actually a strong, definitive ending to what has been a very consistent animated saga. I don't think that either of the sequels have been as good as the first one, but this conclusion is certainly effective. I mean, it's probably the best looking movie that DreamWorks have put out. Seriously, this film is absolutely beautiful, intricately designed and really well realised. The story isn't the strongest, but the stuff with Toothless is adorable and hilarious, the action is deft and fluid, and the humour is definitely very funny. Yeah, the villain is terrible; your bog-standard, thinly written bad guy with next to no substance and a palpable lack of personality. But hey, with a finale like this, you can certainly forgive it for having a weak plot and villain, because it certainly isn't about that. It's about giving this story a suitable ending, which it definitely does, and does very well. The ending is satisfying and pleasingly emotional, making everything we've seen throughout the trilogy feel absolutely necessary. Yeah, this was definitely a strong note for this trilogy to end on

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And now for something I've been excited about for some time. Captain Marvel. I was so happy with this film. Not just one of the best films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but one of the best blockbusters I've seen in ages. I'm a huge Brie Larson fan anyway, and she definitely brings so much to this film, embodying a hero that, despite the fact that she's operating in the past, feels so contemporary. Carol Danvers' story isn't your standard origin tale, not about how she gets her powers as much as why she uses them, and eventually comes into her own. Her arc doesn't begin with her getting those abilities, instead seeing her stepping up and becoming one of the best heroes the MCU has ever had. The film itself is fresh and crammed with personality. A (significantly and impressively de-aged) Samuel L Jackson is so wonderfully charming as Nick Fury, and Ben Mendelsohn is fantastic as the leader of the Skrulls, but make no mistake: this is absolutely Larson's film. One earth-shattering line that she delivers in the climax sums the whole thing up,  but no spoilers here. Captain Marvel is a stratospheric, breathlessly thrilling, and simply incredible tale that fills a slot that I think this universe has been sorely missing. Yeah, this was fantastic

Also, that Stan Lee cameo was one of the best ever. Not the opening credits (although they were superb), but the scene on the train. As a huge Kevin Smith fan, and a lover of Stan Lee's cameo in Mallrats in particular, I absolutely adored this moment. So sweet, so funny, and just so clever

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If you've seen my 2019 anticipation list, you'll know that I was very excited for Us. I didn't elaborate on any of those entries in that post, so I don't know if I expressed how much I was looking forward to it. I didn't even watch any of the trailers, instead just going in as blind as possible. Part of this came from the fact that, when I saw the trailer for Get Out, I actually thought it looked awful, and didn't see it in the cinema. Thankfully, I bought the DVD, and absolutely fell in love with it. So when Us was announced, I was so excited. And oh. My. God. Us is sensational. Jordan Peele has followed up made a film that lacks the political edge of Get Out, instead favouring sheer, cranked up terror. It's a welcome change of pace, especially with how well this story was done. It's slow and deliberate, expertly working its way towards a terrifying ending that'll undoubtedly haunt my nightmares for years to come. The cast are unbelievable, especially Lupita Nyong'o, astonishing in a double role, both as a traumatised survivor and her mysterious doppelganger, and as questions start to be answered, Nyong'o is more than able to support the ever escalating craziness of the whole thing. Again, it isn't as much of a zeitgeist as Get Out was (but there's still some pleasing commentary), but it's obvious that Peele is knows what makes good horror. Even with the immediate shocks, the really scary stuff lies much deeper, resulting in a horrifying exploration of trauma and psychological damage that's just stunning. The scene with Good Vibrations is genuinely one of the scariest things I've ever seen. Every little detail here is ingenious, every small story beat, and tiny tonal nuance is just glorious, until it explodes into a masterfully unsettling ending. Us is a fantastic, unpredictable work of horror brilliance that took my expectations and absolutely demolished them. I absolutely cannot wait to see what Peele does next, because this man is a true treasure

So that's everything I've seen from the first three months of the year, not including some of the ones I've missed (Glass, Alita, The Lego Movie 2, The Kid Who Would Be King among others) and will definitely try to catch up on. After a slightly shaky start, 2019 has definitely found its feet. Let's hope it stays that way

Clerks: A Nonchalant Masterpiece

I think Kevin Smith is really interesting. Because even though he hasn't made a legitimately good film for some time, you could never accuse him of being boring. But before he made movies that his earlier films would have definitely made fun of, he was a really interesting filmmaker, with an insane talent: he could spin a story out of nothing. And okay, that sounds trivial. Minimalism is nothing new in cinema. It's not new now, and it wasn't new in 1994, when Clerks was released. But the thing about Clerks is that it's just that; a story about nothing. A movie that covers so much ground while simultaneously not saying much at all. This is something that I think Smith excelled at in his first few movies, but he never did it better than he did here. So, let's talk about why Clerks works, even when it's characters are slacking off

I think Clerks is great because it's simple. Everything from the monochromatic imagery to the relatively small cast and single setting that it only really leaves once (for one of the most unbearably awkward car journeys I've ever seen) is so effective. Most of this movie is just two guys in a shop. That's pretty much the entire plot. And story-wise, that's why it works. See, Dante and Randall, and all of the other characters have eventful lives with enough going on in them to stretch over a whole narrative. I mean, if we're getting technical, then Dante's ex-girlfriend getting engaged, but returning and kind of still being in love with him is the actual story, no doubt one that lesser films would fill an entire run-time with. But here's the thing: that doesn't matter. The whole ex-getting-married plot is really just miscellaneous information for the first two thirds of the movie, and only really becomes part of the plot when she returns. Until then, it's just another part of Dante's life, another thing that happens alongside rooftop hockey games, undercover gum salesmen, and old men who go into bathrooms to.... you'll see.

I mean Clerks is really just a day in the life of Dante. And everything that happens..... just kind of happens. What makes it so masterful though is the way Smith approaches the story. Clerks is a nonchalant movie. Like his character in the film, Smith is just a casual observer. Even though he's the one telling this story, it never feels like he has any bearing on what happens. It's a huge contrast to uber-stylised directors who have so much control in what happens in the world's they create. No, Smith is just an observer here. Because he's just watching these people, for one day, in one place. So are you, by the way. The events of the plot aren't resolved, because what you're seeing is just a small portion of the larger plot. Does Dante reconcile with Veronica? What happens to Jay and Silent Bob? Does the gum ever come out of the locks? The movie never answers these questions, because that's not what it's there to do. Watching Clerks is like catching a small part of someone's conversation on the street, or in a shop. What you see and hear isn't really your business. You don't know what's come before this, and you're not going to see what comes after. Hell, at the end of the day, in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't even matter, not to you anyway

And that's exactly why it matters. Smith is a genius when it comes to stuff like this, because he understands that in real life, big stories are made up of individual days, and although those days aren't particularly eventful, they're made up of smaller stories that stand out. Every joke here is a little anecdote, and through dialogue that sounds like real people talking, these anecdotes start to come to life. Because in real life, people talk about random details in Star Wars, and their exes, and yeah, occasionally something unusual happens (like a strange man inspecting eggs), but for the most part, they just.... talk. Smiths dialogue is great because it doesn't feel like it was written. Yes, it's sharp and witty, but with the general aimless nature of the plot, it just feels like things that these people are saying, and talking about. It's not just great minimalism, it's great observation. It's watching people to see what happens. Ultimately, not a lot does, but it's so identifiable, and real, that by just being relatable, it says so much. Clerks is the reason that Kevin Smith became the voice of a generation. His stories aren't grand tales, they're just bored people standing around and waiting for things to happen. We've all been there, and when Smith combines all of these components, and puts them in a situation that pretty much everyone is familiar with, you get something so very special. Clerks is a treasure because it gets slackers. Yeah, the aimless twenty-somethings who occupy this movie may be of a certain generation, but anyone who's ever sat around, twiddling their thumbs and shooting the shit will be able to relate to some aspect of this, no matter when they were born. And it does that because it's nonchalant, and casual, and says everything without feeling the need to say anything. And you know what? Sometimes that's even more powerful

"I wasn't even supposed to be here today!"

My Love Letter to Harold and Maude

Let's talk about love stories. Cinema has no shortage of tales of romance, and I think everyone has their own favourite. And yeah, though some may groan, the truth is that this is a genre that's as old as storytelling itself. So what I want to do today is celebrate my favourite romantic film, Hal Ashby's wonderfully strange Harold and Maude. Because love, and the movies about it, can be odd, and inexplicable, and I think that's what makes them wonderful. The romantic genre is a fluid one, and within it is a diverse spectrum of stories that can resonate and charm for different reasons, and in different ways. And I think that people respond to the unconventional. Films that operate on a wavelength that is truly unique, and often forces the viewer to shift their preconceptions and see something different. When something can do this, it becomes really special.

So let's set the scene. Harold is a young man who's obsessed with death, constantly staging his own suicide, visiting the funerals of people he doesn't know and driving a hearse around. He's also deeply lonely, living with his status obsessed mother and having to endure a string of arranged dates with various women that he couldn't have less of an interest in. His existence is a strange one, with the people around him constantly trying to make sense of him and analyse him, when really he can't make sense of anything himself.

Enter Maude, a wide eyed 79 year old agent of chaos determined to live her life to the absolute fullest. Playful, joyful and full of wonder, Maude sees every day as a chance to do something different, to be something different, to really get out there and live. She'll casually commit crimes, experiment with various art forms and generally just do things for the sake of doing them. And it's at the funeral of somebody that she didn't know where she meets Harold.

A meet cute as bizarre as that definitely sets the tone for what's to come. Harold and Maude have a variety of misadventures; picnics on scrapheaps, ripping trees out of the pavement and replanting them, fantastic singing sessions and conversations about what it means to live. All the while, Maude is dragging Harold out of that morbid comfort zone that he keeps himself trapped in. Through her, he starts to understand what life is really about, while also giving her a companion to share these wonderful experiences with. Harold begins to become more and more detached from the straight laced world that his mother wants him to live in, coming up with ways to dodge these arranged dates that get increasingly morbid and surreal. Harold opens up to Maude in a way that he's never been able to anyone else in his life, and gradually his eyes start to open, and he begins to realise that quirkiness and spontaneity and new experiences are what life is all about.

And that's what their relationship is all about, too. In a genre that frequently gets criticised for being so shallow and superficial, Harold and Maude is a rom-com that really gets what makes an on screen relationship work. These are two characters who compliment each other, as wildly different as they may seem. She's able to open him up and allow him to escape the upper class oppression of his mother's world, while he's able to give her someone to share her life with. Not that she's particularly lonely, but now she has someone that she can pass all of this wonder and joy on to. The film nails that quirky balance, too. It's never twee for the sake of it. Instead, the quirkiness is used as a point of contrast to the atmosphere that Harold's mother creates for him. The delightful madness of Maude's reality gives Harold somewhere to escape to, and when their relationship comes to an end that's fittingly morbid and hilarious, he makes the choice to stay in Maude's world. It's a moment that resonates so much because their relationship really does impact on the world of the story, a world viewed through Harold's eyes; as his life changes, the film does too, and because the film ends with his life changed for ever, the conclusion makes that much more of an impact, driving the point of the story home in a way that's as gloriously twee as the way it began.

I love Harold and Maude. It's everything that I need from a love story, and it's combination of morbid dark humour and wonderfully quirky insight never fails to cheer me up. Thank you, Hal Ashby.

"I love you. I love you"

"Oh Harold, that's wonderful. Now go and love some more"

My Favourite TV Shows of 2018

Let's conclude this look back at 2018 with a quick gaze at the small screen! 2018 was a good year for TV, and I watched a lot of it. Like an awful lot of it. And while I didn't have a whole list devised, I thought I'd just focus on my absolute favourites from 2018, in no particular order, and just discuss why each of them are great. Same rules as always, if I saw it and liked it, it'll make the list. With that out of the way, let's talk about my favourite shows of 2018!

The Young Offenders

I went in depth on this one before, so check that out if you haven't already. Peter Foott kind of nailed it when he made the original movie. It was funny, sharply written and ridiculously charming. So the idea of making a series may have seemed a little odd. Turns out, there was nothing to fear, because the show was awesome. Any worries about the show just copying the movie were quickly put to bed, with direction shifts that actually really worked, broadening out the narrative and creating strange but hilarious situations for these characters to navigate. The show also kept the same charm as the movie, with a heart that was potent without being sloppy, and a gleeful irreverence that solidified it as one of the best kitchen sink comedies on the air today. The series is just so good natured and likable, and since I talked about it, we've had a Christmas special that was just the cherry on top of an already fantastic show. Long live Conor and Jock

Maniac

How do you even talk about a show like this? Maniac is a work of strange brilliance, not just in what the story is about, but how that's presented to the audience. Ideas of trauma, grief and guilt were discussed in a way that was surreal, but also, often painfully, honest. Emma Stone and Jonah Hill were just magnetic, no matter what simulation they were in, and watching their characters lose and find each other across all of these wonderfully strange narratives was just stunning. Was the genre hopping thing for everyone? Maybe not, but the way that the show used genre to explore it's characters was really impressive for me ans the way this show kept changing and shifting and keeping me guessing was awesome, and. But my favourite thing about Maniac was the message; no matter how alone we may feel, or how consumed we are by chaos, we're never truly alone in the world. Nothing is truly chaotic as long as we have other people, something that really comes through in the arc of Jonah Hill's Owen. And that ending? A powerful and fitting end to a mindblowingly cool miniseries

Derry Girls

Coming out around the same time as The Young Offenders, and possessing a similarly brash irreverence, it's easy to see how Derry Girls could be considered a sister series to Peter Foott's cracking comedy. Yet as much as I love The Young Offenders, this just had an extra dimension that the Cork-set bike theft saga just didn't have. The way the show handles the politics of its setting is impressive and deft, keeping these things largely peripheral, which allows it to just tell a coming of age story, and a damn good one at that. Sharply written and fantastically acted, this is a show that really knows how to find the funny in difficult times, with some of the best dialogue of the year. Seriously, it can't be overstated how funny this show is, but when writing like this is added to a setting like this, you end up with something stunning and impressive

Killing Eve

Killing Eve is the best TV thriller I've seen in years. That may sound like a bold statement, but I just can't remember the last time there's been something this kinetic and fresh. And I think kinetic is a good word for this show. It's always in motion, and can shift between dark comedy and stone cold thrills effortlessly. I think a lot of this comes from Phoebe Waller Bridge, who brings both black humour and a serious edge to this show, again proving that she's one of the most versatile and interesting creators working today. But of course, you can't have a cat and mouse game without the cat and the mouse, and Jodie Comer and Sandra Oh are just sensational as the deadly (yet surprisingly entertaining) assassin and the MI5 agent desperately trying to bring her down. This is one of the best dynamics I've seen in a while. They're on a similar sort of spectrum, both being women who are overlooked or underestimated, but while Eve works hard to overcome this and prove to people that she can bring this killer down, Villainelle uses this to her advantage, blending in and constantly changing identity to always seem like she belongs in a set situation. And the way the show explores both their similarities and differences is just intoxicating, as is the intense obsession that forms between the two. I love these two characters, and I really cannot wait for the second season to continue this twisted game

Flowers

And under the radar gem from 2016 gets a second season that proves to be an under the radar gem from 2018. Flowers is truly something special. If you haven't seen it, it follows a highly dysfunctional family as they navigate trauma, mental illness and tragedy. It is, broadly, a comedy, but it has a knack for really getting under the skin of its characters, with moments that are emotionally raw and genuinely moving. The second season builds on that by really starting to explore ideas of lineage, and inherited issues. It's often a pretty painful watch, but it plays out in a way that's surreal and dreamlike, and almost hypnotising at times. The emotional moments are delicate and genuine, and each of the characters are so fantastically realised, with all of them just feeling so real, with a dynamic that's organic and natural. This is all down to the cast, who are all just superb. Flowers is a gorgeously emotional and deeply strange watch, and the fact that it manages to do this while being so incredibly funny is a testament to Will Sharpe and his incredible writing. Yeah, this show is a truly stunning one that I really would urge you to watch if you haven't

Atlanta

I know I said I wasn't ranking these, but Atlanta's second season is my favourite show of 2018. If the first season was a revelation, this one is a revolution, definitive proof (if we even needed it) that Donald Glover is a creative force of nature. Following up that incredible first run was never going to be easy, but this season (Robbin' Season) somehow did. Every episode feels monumental, like eleven individual epiphanies. Because now moreso than ever, these characters are utterly trapped in their situation. This is something that's even felt in the more lighthearted episodes. Glover exhibits such a fluency and versatility in front of and behind the camera, and it's this that allows him to apply absurdity and poignancy to his razor sharp social observations. Even the barbershop episode is a social comment. This is a show that is truly unique, one in which every chapter mesmerises (that Teddy Perkins episode was the stuff of legend), and every observation resonates. I really can't think of anything else that's like Atlanta. It's a fantastic blend of comedy and drama punctuated by real world horror that's just unbelievable

My Top 10 Least Favourite Films of 2018

I've never written a truly negative post, but that ends today. 2018 was a year of wonderful films, from outstanding indies to awards heavyweights, top shelf blockbusters to awesome surprises. But with the good comes the bad, and 2018 had some truly groanworthy cinema. Christmas may be over, but we've still got a load of turkey to get through. Rules are pretty much the same as my best list, if it came out in Ireland in 2018, then it's eligible. Oh, and this is my opinion. If you like these movies, that's  absolutely fine, I just didn't. Let's get this over with, these are my least favourite movies of 2018!

10. The Nun

I've never had any real interest in The Conjuring movies. I don't know, they just never appealed to me. But at least I kind of get why other people love them. The Nun on the other hand, is as bloated and boring as horror movies get. It's not even an interesting kind of bad. It's just.... bland. It's hard to get invested enough to be actually scared by anything here. There's no particularly frightening ideas, just "AHH! SCARY NUN!". And honestly, it's just kind of boring. The film doesn't even have much of a plot, it's just a typical haunted house movie with a nun. But it's a bad, scary nun, I guess? And yeah, there is a reason for her to be so demonic and scary, but with how shallow the whole thing feels, it's pretty difficult to care about why she's doing this. The horror is even occasionally quite funny, as the film takes itself so seriously that it just kind of goes the other way. And when the comic relief (?) does come in, it's just.... awkward. Like, is a French Canadian really that funny? Even better, is a nun even that scary? No it isn't, and no it isn't. The Nun is bland, shapeless, boring horror that isn't even bad enough to be interesting. But pray for me, because it's only number ten....

9. An Evening With Beverly Luff Linn

Oh man. I wanted to like this one, I really, really did. I love Aubrey Plaza, I love Jemaine Clement, and I love Matt Berry. But this film just didn't come together. At all. It attempts the quirky, deadpan style of Wes Anderson or Yorgos Lanthimos, but doesn't seem to understand how those guys can make it work. The cast, great as they are, don't seem to know what they're doing most of the time. Plaza does her best to be the film's emotional core, and Clement is genuinely quite funny, but Matt Berry is absolutely wasted in this movie, and Craig Robinson is just.... grunting. And that gets old. FAST. Above anything else, nothing feels like it means anything. The quirkiness is just there for the sake of it, it doesn't hide any real pathos, and isn't even especially funny. The frustrating thing is that there's flashes of brilliance, but they're just bogged down by so many, creaky, awkward, confused moments. Again, this is the kind of movie I should like, but it just didn't go anywhere particularly interesting. A love triangle with too many sides becomes a movie with too many issues, and it's a real shame.

8. The Happytime Murders

I suppose the biggest surprise here is that this movie isn't higher. And as a Muppet fanatic, I really should hate this. But the thing is, when you put so much effort into trying to shock and offend, you end up being toothless, and actually kind of sad. Wasted potential? Maybe, but was it ever gonna be good? Like, is anyone surprised that it sucks? The movie acts like it's so crass and so edgy, when all it's doing is just making puppets do "raunchy" things, and failing to understand how to make it actually funny. Putting puppets into adult situations isn't funny on its own. You need something else, but this film just doesn't do that. There's also this really weird, glum kind of cynicism to the whole thing. The film never has fun with itself, because that wouldn't be "gross" and "edgy", not understanding that The Muppets broke ground by being both sly and wholesome. And while anyone can watch The Muppets, this film doesn't seem to know who it's audience is. If you're curious about this one, just revisit The Muppets. They're actually funny, and unlike this movie, their stuff is never going to date. Just like it's cast, this film is mainly fluff, and is a lot softer than it wants to be

7. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.

Why are we still making these? Was Jurassic Park actually supposed to be a series? It was good first time around, but 25 years and four movies later, we have this flabby, flaccid mess of a movie. We start with a rescue mission that's really hard to care about, and end with a dinosaur auction that's really hard to care about. I'm gonna list every reason I don't care about this, because I've got a few

1- The characters are so bland. Even from the start, none of them are interesting. None of them develop or change, or go beyond being hollow mannequins that don't do much more than give concerned looks over the horizon. The characters feel empty here, nobody had any personality, and as such, I really don't care about them

2- The plot is a mess. The transition between the volcano and the auction is limp and messy, and the way the film just introduces another genetic hybrid because "hey, people liked when we did that last time" is sloppy and lazy

3- The dinosaurs have no presence. Think about the first movie. The mix of CGI and practical effects gave them weight, and impact. They felt like they were there. And as good as the effects are, the dinosaurs, you know, the things we're supposed to really care about, just don't feel like they're actually in the movie. Especially the Indoraptor, the superbeast that drives the conflict of the third act. It's pretty embarrassing that they couldn't do something that was done perfectly 25 years before.

4- The villains suck. Big budget blockbusters are full of bland evil businessmen, and if you can't care about the source of conflict, then you're hardly gonna care about anything else in the plot. Toby Jones looks like he's having fun (I think?), and I actually had to remind myself that Rafe Spall was in this. Which about sums that up

There's definitely more that I hate about this movie, and I've got a lot more to say about this and nostalgia manipulation in general. Maybe some day I'll write a post about that, but for now, just appreciate the irony that this is a film about greedy sellouts exploiting dead things for financial gain

6. A Wrinkle in Time

Oh dear. I didn't want to hate it. Some movies suck because they're lazy, manipulative and hollow, but it's especially painful to watch a film with good intentions be an absolute trainwreck. Ava DuVernay is awesome, one of the most interesting filmmakers at the moment and hearing everything she wanted this film to be kind of makes me feel bad for hating it. But it's an honourable failure, nothing dishonest or malicious about it. And I suppose that's something to be admired, especially when everything is as messy as it is. The cast is talented but given nothing to do, and the film does the impossible: it makes Reese Witherspoon unlikable. The characters are poorly drawn, except for Meg, whose journey of self discovery is muddled and never feels earned. The sentimentality feels forced and stiff, and the film's over-reliance on CGI makes it feel even more artificial and shallow. And that's not what it should have been. I know what DuVernay was trying for, and she's definitely trying to say something important, but the film never quite makes it to where it needs to be. And maybe I'm the wrong target audience for this film, but as someone who loves when a film can show me the world from a different perspective, I was just let down by this. I hope it does find it's audience, and inspire someone, because I just did not like it at all. Sorry, Ava

5. Sierra Burgess is a Loser

Netflix made some great things this year. This film was not one of them. I'm going to be brief about this, because a film this redundant and shallow really deserves a write up that's redundant and shallow, but a film that romanticises catfishing and makes fun of the deaf is not a good film. Shannon Purser seems cool in real life, but plays probably the most unlikable character in a film this year, who I think we're supposed to like? Look, if you want to watch a good Netflix coming of age movie, watch To All the Boys I Loved Before. Because if you watch this movie, the real loser will be you

4. Winchester

Nothing is worse than a horror movie made by someone who doesn't understand horror. Horror isn't just about scares. It's an effective storytelling medium that uses the fear of the characters and danger of their situations to tell a story, and when it's at its best, it finds real emotion in their turmoil, or says something interesting about the world we live in. And maybe that's what a film about Sarah Winchester, the heiress to the gun company, should have been. An expression of guilt and remorse for all of those who died looking down the barrel of the weapons her family made. Alas, we got this. A boring slog of a film filled with cheap scares and forgettable story beats that takes Helen Mirren, of whom I am a big fan, and just kind of wastes her. YOU HAVE AN OSCAR WINNER IN YOUR MOVIE. USE. HER. But no, we get ghost jumpscares, and random, boring backstory, and bland visuals. Mirren looks like she's there for the cheque, the effects team must have been gone to lunch, and nothing is actually scary. I'm going to be completely honest with you too. I'm sitting here writing this, actually struggling to remember what happened in this film. Which isn't something I can say about any of the other movies on this list. It can't even be an interesting kind of bad. Even The Nun, which was also really freaking boring, wasn't this forgettable. At least I can remember what happened in that movie. But this? This is baaaaaaaaaaaad. Even if you're a Dame Helen Mirren completionist like myself, do yourself a favour and skip this

3. Overboard

I think it says a lot that the first of the two remakes on this list lands at number three. Did an Overboard remake need to happen? No. Does the plot of the original work in a modern context? Not really. Was the gender flipping unnecessary? Very much so. Overboard is the kind of movie that thinks it's being fresh and modern and subversive by taking an older movie and updating it. It seems to think that by flipping the script, it's breaking new ground. Which is actually kind of understandable. Romantic comedies are at a really interesting point. Because people are so genre savvy now, clichéd and dated romantic comedy tropes are dying out. People aren't as willing to settle for trash anymore. And that can result in some really great stuff, like Crazy Rich Asians, which makes the romantic comedy interesting by exploring a narrative that we don't see enough of. So I can see what they were trying to do by remaking Overboard. They were trying to take this story and apply it to now, pointing out everything that's a little bit dated, or strange. The problem is that, first of all, the story of Overboard just doesn't work in 2018. And by trying to point out how creepy and dated the whole idea is, it becomes pretty creepy and dated. And that could be ignored if the leads had chemistry, but they don't. They're hollow, and unlikable, and they don't gel together on screen. And in trying to be subversive, the film fails to answer its own question: "can a relationship built on lies work?" And while the film suggests it can, it never quite explains why, so all the genre savviness and subversion just falls through, with no chemistry or charm to fall back on. If you're going to watch any version of this story, go with the 1987 movie. It actually makes it work, where this remake just goes.....

*puts on sunglasses*

Overboard

2. The Cloverfield Paradox

*takes sunglasses off*

Some films are just inexplicably awful. Awful to a mind boggling degree, to the point that they forge their own kind of terrible brilliance. This is one such movie, one that dives so deeply into its own batshit crazy logic that it's just irresistibly bad. I mean, it's really lazy, and the plot is pretty dull, but the stiffness of the actors, and how seriously they take this ridiculous story, makes it a masterpiece of awfulness. Something that actually happens in this movie is that the earth goes missing, and Chris O'Dowd's severed arm finds it. Chris O'Dowd's severed arm finds the earth. Chris O'Dowd's severed arm. Finds. THE. EARTH. This actually happens. From there, it's mind bogglingly bad, with laughably awful dialogue, and things that happen because.... they just.... do.....? And everything in this movie is taken 100% seriously, too. Which makes it even more enjoyably shit. When bad things happen, it's done in a way that's so over the top "ohnoit'sabadthing", and that makes everything all the more silly. Is it so bad it's good? Not quite, but it's so staggeringly awful, that it's kind of fun to watch. But because that definitely wasn't the intention, that's not really a good thing, either. Can Chris O'Dowd's severed arm find me a better film?

1. Death Wish

If you had told me at the start of the year that my least favourite film would have been an Eli Roth remake of Death Wish starring Bruce Willis, I wouldn't have doubted you. If you had told me that it was somehow, somehow, worse than that description makes it seem, I probably wouldn't have believed that. But alas, it's actually worse than it sounds. I've always hated Eli Roth's bizarre fascination with gore and violence. Not that I'm squeamish or anything, but it's just so tasteless. And weirdly, this film, a remake of Death Wish, is too violent. See, violence on screen goes deeper than just content. A filmmaker can put anything on screen if they know what they're doing. It's all in the handling, and Roth's weird sadism and hollow gore just gets tiring after a while. Not to mention this film's perspective on its hero. It thinks it's discussing vigilantism, violence and the lengths we go to pursue justice, but it's just showing us Bruce Willis killing people, and the half heartedly saying "but he's doing it for his family, so it can't be wrong!". Everything in this movie rubs me the wrong way. That scene in the gun shop is just unbearable, completely missing the style and slickness of what it was going for an ending up as a cynical and grim celebration of violence that just feels wrong. Violence on its own isn't cool. Good filmmakers can take violent ideas and shape them into something fantastic. This film doesn't do that. It thinks that putting random bloodshed on-screen, it automatically becomes badass. It doesn't. It just becomes sad. This film is truly awful, and I'm trying to pretend I've never saw it