Reviews (3,943)
Boston Strangler (2023)
The latest adaptation of the Boston Strangler serial killer case from the early '60s is remarkable primarily because its main character is the legendary journalist Loretta McLaughlin (1928-2018). Keira Knightley captures all the attention and reshapes the traditional perspective on a case that was never satisfactorily resolved. This has made it a compelling subject in the world of true crime. Hulu's production is very good and could definitely hold up in movie theater distribution.
Wendell & Wild (2022)
Henry Selick seems to need to lean on a solid vision. Formally, Wendell & Wild is an excellent affair, but it doesn't have a chance to catch on like Coraline or The Nightmare Before Christmas. The animation is a beautiful sight, but the script betrays several gaps, whether in pacing or logic. However, if you want to refresh your autumn film list, you can comfortably add Wendell & Wild to the less demanding section.
Dangerous Liaisons - It's War (2022) (episode)
The labeling of this series as a work at least partially derived from the classic epistolary novel by Choderlos de Laclos is misleading. It has nothing in common with his narrative and completely misinterprets the epistolary form. The story doesn't unfold in the pages of letters; instead, letters are merely an overused prop. Valmont, the libertine adventurer, is transformed into a gigolo driven by a desire for wealth and status, and the Marquise Isabelle de Merteuil becomes a portable title. Even though it presents itself as quality TV show with a lavish historical production, the main storyline is merely a confident young adult romance about love without a happy ending. A total disappointment, and the only noteworthy performance is Carice van Houten in a supporting role, which is simply not enough.
Alwayz Bratz (2023) (series)
The big return of Bratz after ten years came with great fanfare... on TikTok! The new micro-episodes, of course, have a mobile format. In 2022, several reproductions were released for the overall 20th anniversary, and the new generation called Alwayz Bratz naturally came with new dolls, and the dolls couldn't be released without a new series. However, it’s hard to sustain this unless you belong to the hardcore fan base. But history will forever remember how, at one time, Bratz from MGA dethroned the queen Mattel Barbie. And it was significant. Mattel's defensive reaction was the My Scene series, but that’s quite another story.
Barbie Dream Besties (2024) (series)
Barbie Dream Besties is a new line from Mattel. The dolls feature key characters around Barbie, including Brooklyn, Teresa, and Renee. The series also includes Daisy and Ken. The show itself consists of micro-episodes aired on YouTube. The basic premise works with the idea of an alternative world (to explain why the dolls have larger cartoonish heads compared to the regular Barbies that simulate realistic proportions). However, the first episodes and themed music videos have not convinced me of their quality so far.
The Midnight Club - Road to Nowhere (2022) (episode)
Flanagan's concept was based on the premise of Are you afraid of the Dark?, so he decided to use The Midnight Club as a framing narrative for other books by Christopher Pike. In this episode, the story from the novel "Road to Nowhere" (1993) is told within the context of the midnight club, which was the very first book I read as part of the "Fear Street" series. And lo and behold, it still works the same way. A great premise and a surprising twist. It's truly unfortunate that Netflix didn't complete Flanagan's vision, and Pike will have to wait a while before he can again get under the skin of another generation.
Goebbels and the Führer (2024)
The portrayal of key figures from the Third Reich has a long-standing tradition that is not very flattering. Flattering in a cinematic sense, because since 1945, there has been an unwritten rule to depict all those Hitlers and co. as poster monsters. While this helped ensure that the vast majority of viewers did not sympathize with them, it also led to a loss of the fundamental understanding of how these individuals could have risen so far, whether in the terror for which they were responsible or in their individual careers. For example, it is nonsensical to portray Hitler in the pre-war years as an old man with a glassy gaze, which is just one of many examples. We must continually remind ourselves that if these later elite Nazis were merely primitive loudmouths with extremist political views, they would never have become an influential elite. The lesson for today is quite clear, even though the warning against the wolf in sheep's clothing is nothing new. It is crucial not to stop. Joachim Lang clearly positioned himself against the primitive depiction of evil, opting instead for a portrayal of realistic human natures, ambitions, and opportunism. He skillfully combined the infamous diary entries of Goebbels and, as one of the first in a feature film, delved into the comparison of iconic footage from various multimedia outputs from 1938 to 1945. He directs Robert Stadlober as Goebbels, showcasing all his faces and thus continuing the pioneering portrayal of Goebbels by Moritz Bleibtreu in Jew Suss: Rise And Fall. He is not some pathetic, choleric figure, which is the most important thing. Even the scenes from the famous marital crisis are not cringeworthy. Franziska Weisz does not play Magda Goebbels as a caricature, but as a woman who consciously prioritized her public role and, based on that, accepted the conditions that came with it. The people from the closest circle, such as Eva Braun (Raphaela Möst) or figures from the artistic world—Lída Baarová (Katia Fellin), Leni Riefenstahl (Helene Blechinger), Heinz Rühmann (Raphael Nicholas), the Harlans (Christoph Franken, Sophie Rabmer), or the Gottschalks (Damien Erminio Ballasina, Franziska Lindenthaler)—are equally well depicted. There is no naivety or cold calculation. If Lang's film sets a precedent and helps end the era of poster monsters, it would be a positive development.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)
After many years, when almost no one believed in a sequel (including Tim Burton), a miracle happened. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice connects to the first film so naturally, as if it were yesterday. Yes, generations change, Sylvia Sidney and Glenn Shadix are no longer with us, and Jeffrey Jones, Alec Baldwin, and Geena Davis have passed on within the story—but new faces like Jenna Ortega, Monica Bellucci, Justin Theroux, Willem Dafoe, and Danny DeVito are more than a worthy replacement. Newcomer Arthur Conti still needs to show what he's made of for any potential future. In any case, the second Beetlejuice is a modern genre classic upon first viewing, a comfort film from the very first shot. More time is spent in the underworld/homage to German expressionism, which is quite delightful in itself. At the same time, all the reminiscences, character psychology, and dark humor work alongside all that Halloween beauty. It's simply a cinematic joy that must be revisited regularly.
From Hilde, with Love (2024)
An intimate prison drama from World War II could easily turn into cheap melodrama in the hands of a less capable team, but Andreas Dresen's work yields such results that one can primarily enjoy the acting performance of Liv Lisa Fries as Hilde Coppi (1909-1943), and nothing distracts us from her straightforward path to the gallows. The firmly established conclusion of her life is enlivened by flashbacks in which we follow the resistance journey through the Coppi marriage, to which Hilde sacrificed everything.
Nero's Weekend (1956)
An Italian comedy from the times of Seneca. Emperor Nero makes foolish decisions, while his mother Agrippina rules the empire. Overall, it could have been an interesting spectacle for viewers curious about Technicolor and CinemaScope, but in competition with many other films from the era of the early emperors, Nero's Weekend barely holds its ground.