Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

This review may contain spoilers!

There are plenty of things wrong with this film but perhaps the worst is just how clear it is that Johnny Depp is cashing in big time. I would give Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales a 4/10.

This film has a few good moments that link back to the classic original three Pirates films; seeing Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann show up really adds a lot to the film, particularly in regards to Henry Turner's character. I also liked how there were a couple of scenes that attempted to capture some of that 'Pirates of the Caribbean' tone; the giant bank heist scene at the beginning of the film was great, watching Henry Turner's ship get butchered by Salazar and his crew and the flashback scene to how Salazar and his crew became cursed were all very impressive scenes. The score for the film is probably the best aspect of the entire film, the brilliant rising swells of music when chaos and chase sequences erupt and the return to some of the classical themes from the original films were all very well done.

Brenton Thwaites, who played Henry Turner, really works hard as the young protagonist who guides the action for this film; Thwaites brings forth a character who can be a little naive and thrilled by the adventure he is flung into. Kevin McNally, who played Gibbs, has the worldly knowledgeable pirate role absolutely spot on; McNally is one of the most consistent performers in the Pirates franchise and the exasperated exchanges he has with Jack and the crew are always quite witty. Golshifteh Farahani, who played Shansa, portrays one of the more intriguing characters of the film; Farahani is a mystic role that is completely unpredictable which can really lend an edge to her scenes. Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley, who played Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann respectively, make for some amazing minor appearances in this film; Bloom in particular does a great job of showing just how badly becoming the Dutchman's captain has afflicted him.

However the best performance came from Geoffrey Rush, who played Captain Hector Barbossa. Barbossa has always been my favourite character within the Pirates franchise and Rush does an exceptional job portraying him. What I like about Barbossa is that he feels so genuinely like a pirate; that comes down to the voice, his gait and his manner at face value. If you look back at Barbossa over the years we've been afraid of him in the first feature, seen him as a schemer in the third, watched him mauled and broken after losing the Black Pearl in the fourth and now he rules a pirate empire on the seas. This self-assuredness and fearless quality in the face of becoming the hostage of a great cursed threat is pretty impressive. I also like how Rush explored his role as a father figure, the conflict he brought forth over such responsibility is quite fascinating to watch and adds a new dimension to the character. I'm not really pleased with how they killed him off nor how they ended things with his character but I have to admit Rush committed to everything asked of him in this film and really brought some quality acting to his scenes.

The amount this film really does not know which story it wants to tell is quite appalling, the film begins by making you think saving Will Turner is going to be an important aspect of the film yet as the feature porgresses you're not really sure which direction the film is wanting to go. Suddenly it gets distracted by Captain Salazar and his ghost crew, yet this intense vendetta he has against Jack Sparrow doesn't have much depth and feels like a really poorly developed subplot. Then the storylines that are actually intended as subplots don't make much impact; you care very little for the relationship between Jack and his crew, Carina's quest to follow the map left by her father is a bit of an forgettable moment, the British keep popping up in the story for no reason and the 'big twist' that Carina and Barbossa are related is incredibly late in the game. The film is so slow to present all of these moments throughout the film, to be frank half the feature seems fairly unnecessary. The cinematography is kinda bland for a blockbuster film, every shot appears set up and you aren't immersed in the world. The special effects look really bad, watching the Black Pearl grow back to a sea-faring vessel was poorly animated but it was Salazar's corpse army that looked especially bad.

Johnny Depp, who played Captain Jack Sparrow, really cashed out hard in this film; Depp shows no consistency in how he performs his role nor even much interest in giving a good performance. Javier Bardem, who played Captain Salazar, is an antagonist without a great deal of depth and who has no progression over the entire film; Bardem gives up after the second act and is reduced to a babbling mess of a role. Kaya Scodelario, who played Carina Smyth, is quite an arrogant role who is hard to like; Scodelario is quite a sharp icy role which never really goes away making her a poor addition to the main cast. Angus Barnett and Giles New, who played Mullroy and Murtogg respectively, have lost the spark they had in the first three films; now their comedic relief is more miss than hit. Paul McCartney, who played Uncle Jack, really did not make for a good pirate role; his banter with Depp was just a glaring gratuitous cameo that gave nothing to the film.

Snatched

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It's an Amy Schumer film, you get what you pay for. I would give Snatched a 1/10.

One thing I really appreciated about this film were the jokes around old paternal figures; scenes where Linda bumbles terribly through social media or suffocates her children with overprotective parenting it's quite amusing to watch.

Ike Barinholtz, who played Jeffrey Middleton, is such an over the top needy whiny role that he fits the 'mama's boy' persona perfectly; I thought the manner in which he encounters the kidnapping problems and responds to them leads to some entertaining moments of comedy. Bashir Salahuddin, who played Morgan Russell, is a very stern tired character who does a great job in portraying his role's lack of interest in interacting with the other characters; the conflict between him and Barinholtz leads to some highly entertaining moments. Christopher Meloni, who played Roger Simmons, is a good comedic role as the over the top jungle explorer role; the plot twist that he's actually a store manager who'd been diagnosed with cancer is hilariously delivered by Meloni.

However the best performance came from Tom Bateman, who played James. Bateman is a suave charmer who's a lot of fun when he's onscreen, you really can't help but like him which is why the very obvious plot twist with him being a kidnapper works so well. Bateman commits well to the charming role he plays but he manages to hint at his true persona very casually so you can join the dots quite nicely. The scene in which Schumer confronts Bateman over his lies is quite satisfying as we see the duplicitous and cowardly nature of Bateman's role exposed under the threat of torture.

The comedy used throughout this film isn't very funny for one major reason, it doesn't let up. There are moments of the film where monologues or dialogues of comedy are flying non-stop; it's hard to keep up and you often feel stuck in a weak stand up routine where you chuckle occasionally but for the most part you feel talked at. The plot of the film is so generic that it really writes itself; you can predict every 'twist' as it happens and often there a re a lot of scenes filled with meaningless moments of comedy to serve the running time. The journey that mother and daughter go on in order to become closer is rather disappointing and you don't really feel like much has changed once the ending of the film comes around. The cinematography is quite disappointing, in fact most of the moments where the director tries to get creative with their shots you feel really pulled out of the film. The editing does nothing to add to this, you would think a film about kidnapping would move quickly but it's a feature that drags out. The score for the film is non-existent; while the soundtrack for the film is made up of a variety of admittedly forgettable pieces of music that often adds little to the scenes it's being used within.

Amy Schumer, who played Emily Middleton, makes for a terrible lead for this film; Schumer's constant monotonous comedic delivery wears the film down pretty quickly. Randall Park, who played Michael, has no chemistry with Schumer whatsoever so their supposed 'relationship' is hard to buy at best; Park is also far removed from the rising star musician role that he's been cast in for this film. Goldie Hawn, who played Linda Middleton, seems to have lost her range as an actress; her chemistry with Schumer just isn't really there so it's hard to buy them as a good mother/daughter pair. Wanda Sykes and Joan Cusack, who played Ruth and Barb respectively, are some of the most ridiculous characters within the film; these vacationing women with a history in 'special ops' makes you roll your eyes a bit. Oscar Jaenada, who played Morgado, is quite weak as the film's overall antagonist; he isn't scary nor does he exude the power you'd expect a major crime boss to have. Arturo Castro and Pedro Haro, who played Dr Armando and Maco respectively, don't have much presence in the film and are used as a bit of a tongue in cheek jab at Colombian culture; Castro and Haro's scenes get kind of slapstick particularly when they're removing that ridiculous tapeworm from Schumer.

King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword

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This isn't really the King Arthur story that we've come to expect but you won't care because Guy Ritchie delivers one brilliant fantasy epic in this feature. I would give King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword an 8/10.

This is a film where the setting and world that is built up is a lot of fun to view, you're immediately embroiled in a world where political factions vie for power and those who wield magic have their own interests as a faction, in fact exploring this world where street crime is just as intricate as a fantasy world with monstrous creatures is an absolute delight. The film itself is a character piece, a solid look at Arthur and how he takes on the mantle of the true king of England. It's a great story that carefully places a streetwise Arthur as head of a small band of outlaws then swiftly transitions him to reluctant head of the resistance poised to dethrone King Vortigern, Arthur's uncle. It's great to see Arthur grapple with the responsibility of leading his people, clearly he has the natural talent to do this but he's often working hard to find a reason to fight and resist. You'll also love this film purely to see how well Vortigern is crafted as an antagonist, his lust for power is intense and his ruthless attitude towards any who stand his way gets very dark. I loved how the film was edited together, the way multiple scenes were spliced together into one was such an original form of storytelling unlike anything most other films have done before. The cinematography is stunning, with giant landscape sequences brilliantly captured and close action street chases carefully crafted too. The special effects look pretty good, the various CGI monsters are well done and the manner in which magic is portrayed in this film sets the dark tone. The music in this film is by far one of the best qualities; most scenes actually use the score and as a result you feel completely energised over the duration of the feature, Sam Lee and Daniel Pemberton deserve some serious recognition for their work here.

Charlie Hunnam, who played Arthur, is exceptional as the cocky lead of this feature; Hunnam does a great job of showing how his role grapples with the responsibility of becoming a leader over the course of this film. Djimon Hounsou, who played Bedivere, makes for a solid rational advisor figure; his stern demeanour makes him a resolute follower of Hunnam's role. Eric Bana, who played Uther, stands out as Arthur's badass Dad at the start of the film; Bana makes a strong hero and has a great moment of self-sacrifice that kicks this film off. Aidan Gillen, who played Bill, is a very snarky character who's quite self-assured of himself; I think Gillen's sharp wit and wry delivery makes for another great advisor character. Kingsley Ben-Adir, Neil Maskell and Bleu Landau, who played Wet Stick, Back Lack and Blue respectively, were each a good source of comedy for this film; I also felt that each of these performers had a real genuine connection with Hunnam and became the heart of the film to some extent. Michael McElhatton, who played Jack's Eye, had some nice dry wit running with Hunnam in their scenes together; McElhatton does a good job of portraying a stern guard that can play to either the side of the King or the thieves depending on which suits him at the drop of a hat.

However the best performance came from Jude Law, who played Vortigern. Law brings out some of his better work in this film, crafting an antagonist who is utterly twisted yet completely riddled with guilt. The scenes throughout the feature in which he must sacrifice his loved ones are made to be so powerful due to Law's emotional depth and heartfelt delivery. He has complete mastery of the scenes he's in, knowing exactly how subtle he needs to get with his delivery to gain maximum impact. His incredible fits of rage or displays of venomous contempt on his path to gain complete control of the kingdom are quite frightening. This is one of those films that demanded an exceptional performer for the leading antagonist and Law captures this completely.

This film does suffer when it comes to the pacing for two major reasons, firstly as much as I loved the form of storytelling the way it jumps between scenes can be jarring at times, secondly the second act of the film is quite a weighty piece of plot that slows the film right down. The feature also suffers because aside from Arthur and Vortigern none of the characters are given any great depth; it's a film with a large ensemble but there's no great amount of depth provided to this cast of characters.

Astrid Berges-Frisbey, who played The Mage, gives quite a stiff delivery; Berges-Frisbey and Hunnam have quite a forced chemistry that doesn't really justify the number of scenes they have together. Freddie Fox and Craig McGinlay, who played Rubio and Percival respectively, have absolutely little impact on the feature; this pair are a part of the resistance but you aren't placed with them long enough to care for their characters very much. Tom Wu, who played George, is immediately quite a stereotypical character as a martial arts instructor; Wu is used sparingly throughout the film and as such you never really come to care for this role as much as you should. Annabelle Wallis, who played Maggie, is perhaps one role too many in this film; Wallis is a member of Law's court and often falls into the background until the plot comes up with some excuse to use her. Geoff Bell and Peter Ferdinando, who played Mischief John and Earl of Mercia respectively, each serve as Law's right hand man at different stages of the film; it grows quite annoying that neither has much time to make their mark as an antagonist and the film should have just used one of these performers. Poppy Delevingne, Millie Brady and Katie McGrath, who played Igraine, Catia and Elsa respectively, each serve as a form of collateral role to either Bana or Law unfortunately; these are actresses playing wives or daughters who are only really there to be killed off.

A Dog's Purpose

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I've seen a lot of dog films that have really surprised me over the past few years, sadly this wasn't one of them. I would give A Dog's Purpose a 4/10.

This is a really good-natured film that will make you fall in love with the numerous cute dogs and bond well to the message of living a full and happy life. The film has a real solid first act where it focuses upon Bailey's relationship with his human owner, Ethan. It's a very enjoyable story of a boy growing up and nurturing a genuine friendship with his pet companion, and as the story progresses to his teenage years you are treated to some very realistic experiences in life for both dog and owner. I enjoyed that the film felt it could be open about some issues such as the dangers of alcoholism and the impact this can have on a family. The music for the film was very light and kept your spirits high throughout; while the soundtrack did a great job of placing you within the differing time periods.

Bryce Gheisar, who played Ethan - 8 Years Old, is a brilliantly charming child actor; Gheisar really gives this film the heart it needs to kick the film off. K.J. Apa, who played Teen Ethan, reall carries the mantle on from Gheisar and forms a bond with his canine companion that feels truly genuine; Apa is a very heroic figure who handles scenes in which he must fend off his drunk father just as well as the ones in which he must sullenly deal with a lifelong injury. Luke Kirby, who played Ethan's Dad, is quite as the stiff father figure opposed to a pet at first; yet where Kirby shines are the scenes in which we see the self-loathing man spiral deeply into his alcoholic rages and depression. Kirby Howell-Baptiste, who played Maya, is a role that is nothing but energy which seems to suit Howell-Baptiste quite well; the way she moved between a very bubbly persona to more of a nervous wreck felt very realistic.

However the best performance came from Josh Gad, who voiced Bailey, Buddy, Tino and Ellie. What this film needed from a role like this was a soft presence who felt kind and was also a person that could make you laugh. Which is Gad perfectly. This is a witty role chiefly because you find moments taken from the dog's perspective to be a lot of fun and quirky. I also felt that in a film where the main theme is around happiest even in the face of some pretty dismal moments you need a voice you can sympathise with.

You can't expect a movie where the central protagonist is a dog to be award-winning; frankly I feel that a lot of live-action dog films tend to follow very similar formulas. This film has been one of the most predictable ones I've seen in recent years, it plays cute and cuddly but never takes risks or tries to get creative. The second and third acts get progressively worse and worse with each new life the dog goes through; this is mainly because some of these lives don't actually benefit the story in any way shape or form. The final act when the dog tries to reveal to his owner that he's the same dog is a truly cringeworthy moment, it's just one of those moments where the film pushes the envelope a bit too far. The cinematography suffers because it follows around an animal protagonist; often you get pulled straight out of some scenes or the camera has to move in a way that doesn't feel natural. The editing is slow and doesn't advance the story well, it's the sort of film you could easily fall asleep watching on a lazy evening.

Dennis Quaid, who played Adult Ethan, just looks like he's cashing it in throughout this film; he barely puts any effort into the scenes that he's in. Peggy Lipton, who played Adult Hannah, has a performance not wildly dissimilar from Quaid; her romance subplot with Quaid is incredibly forced and doesn't have the emotional payoff that the writer clearly hoped it would. Juliet Rylance, who played Ethan's Mom, lacked the screen presence throughout this film; Rylance didn't do much to add to the alcoholism or the main dog storyline. Gabrielle Rose and Michael Bofshever, who played Grandma Fran and Grandpa Bill respectively, were very minor roles with only a light presence in the Ethan storyline; the felt as if they were stereotypical grandparents and neither of the performers tried to break this mold at all. Britt Robertson, who played Teen Hannah, really didn't push to make too much of a mark upon this film; Robertson was quite a stock bubbly teen girl who didn't extend much further than being a love interest for Apa. Logan Miller, who played Todd, was a simple kind of antagonist who turned from annoying sidekick to arsonist far too quickly; Miller's rather camp attempts at playing up the jerk teen role felt like he was hearkening back to his Disney Channel days. Pooch Hall, who played Al, really has no chemistry with Howell-Baptiste but they push a relationship subplot anyway; really Hall just doesn't put much energy into his scenes which pales in the face of what his co-star is bringing to each scene she's in. John Ortiz, who played Carlos, has one of the more lacking segments of the film due to his character having very little depth; Ortiz's stony police officer with a tragic backstory was a pretty heavy handed cliche. Peter Kelamis and Caroline Cave, who played Dad's Boss and Boss' Wife respectively, were just cheap gag characters; the way their scene played out felt like it was out of some dumb slapstick comedy.

Alien: Covenant

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This is fairly entertaining if you're a Prometheus fan but if you're an Alien fan there's not much here for you. I would give Alien: Covenant a 6.5/10.

This film does a good job at adding to the world of the Alien universe; it was great to be onboard a colony ship and get some of the history there, likewise it was good to learn more on the Weyland corporation and the regulations they had around space travel. The way this film talks about synthetics is really interesting too; not surprising as this particular element of the Alien franchise has always been the most interesting part. The manner in which synthetic emerging sentience is discussed is by far the most well thought out aspect of the plot, I think the stark contrast between David and Walter shows the potential for characters like these. The cinematography really captures the scale of the alien world these characters explore, however small intimate moments and conversations between characters are well caught too. The special effects for the feature are pretty good, the ship design is the really worth noting but the neomorphs/xenomorphs look pretty good too. The score for the film stands out, particularly the Wagner sequences around David and the recorder scenes between Walter and David.

Katherine Waterston, who played Daniels, makes for a really good compassionate lead; she's the heart of the crew and by extension the story. Danny McBride, who played Tennessee, was just as convincing as the tough 'doesn't play by the rules' pilot as Elba was in Prometheus; McBride also has some quiet moments of grief in this film which reveal his range as an actor. Billy Crudup, who played Oram, makes for an interesting character conflicted by the responsibility of becoming captain and whether his crew respects him; the manner in which this role can torture himself over these thoughts and displays a decent amount of self-loathing is a great aspect of Bichir's performance. Guy Pearce, who played Peter Weyland, was a great cameo to have in this film; not only was this a solid link to Prometheus but it provided a lot of depth to the interesting synth subplot at the heart of this film.

However the best performance came from Michael Fassbender, who played David and Walter. Fassbender portrays two very different roles who both feel absolutely convincing as synthetic androids due to their mannerisms and behaviour. In Walter we get a very reasoned, yet caring role who is like a child in his understanding of human emotion. He has a great chemistry with Waterston and you can see the tentative bond that is formed over the duration of the film. As David we get more of a calculated character, a sinister mad machine with a God complex. The chaotic way in which this character has come to understand human emotion and philosophy is quite twisted, so even while the xenomorphs are disappointing in the film you will still feel horrified by this character. What Fassbender brings to this film is all of his talent, every last bit of it and he is without a doubt what you will walk away from this film remembering.

This film goes wrong in a number of places, most notably was that it didn't even feel like a horror film. In fact the film really struggled to settle on what type of story it was trying to portray; one part horror film, one part drama, another part philosophical debate and most disappointingly an origin film. The film doesn't serve it's characters very well, instead choosing to stick with stereotypes or not even bothering to make some characters much more than cannon fodder. It's a shame this movie plays things so basic, you can't appreciate some of themes of the film at all as a result; in fact the plotline around faith and creation are poorly presented. This film grounds itself too heavily in bridging the gap with Prometheus without deciding how to make a coherent connection to any of the Alien films. The fact there are only five neomorphs/xenomorphs is a real disappointment and means that the film doesn't feel as dangerous as what you would expect. The number of times a character mounrs the loss of their wife or husband in this film is ridiculous, having a cast of romantic partners was a weak way of attempting to make the audience feel the loss of the numerous characters who died in the film.

Demian Bichir, who played Lope, seems to be a leading military figure in this film; I say'seems to be' because he never gets enough of an opportunity to define his character and make him stand out despite surviving most the film. Carmen Ejogo, who played Karine, has a really poor chemistry with Crudup her romantic interest for the film; Ejogo's role within the team is poorly defined and it's quite obvious she'll be one of the first to go. Jussie Smollett and Callie Hernandez, who played Ricks and Upworth respectively, are rather forgettable mouthpieces who just bounce off McBride's talent; these characters are just the young fresh stars who are unsurprisingly killed in a raunchy shower scene. Amy Seimetz, who played Faris, isn't even recognisable as McBride's supposed 'wife'; later in the film she turns into this shrieking panicked mess of a role who rather recklessly blows up the drop ship in a rather eye-roll inducing scene. Nathaniel Dean, Alexander England, Benjamin Rigby, Uli Latukefu and Tess Haubrich, who played Hallett, Ankor, Ledward, Cole and Rosenthal respectively, are all essentially lazily written cannon fodder; you forget the names of most of these characters and would only remember them if they had a particularly grisly death scene. Lorelei King, who voiced Mother, is a real toneless presence in this film; Mother is a component of the Alien films used a bit too frequently. James Franco, who played Branson, is a cameo that is ridiculously redundant in this film; Franco is there to tug on the heartstrings but misses the mark completely.

Table 19

This review may contain spoilers!

It's an incredibly simple film that doesn't claim to be anything more, and it's one brilliant feel-good story. I would give Table 19 a 7/10.

I didn't know where this film was going to place me emotionally by the end of the film when I first started watching Table 19, I had expected a laugh out loud comedy or some big soppy romance. But it was neither of these things. This is a film that sits very intimately with the cast of characters who make up the denizens of Table 19, you become very familiar very fast with who they are and the hardships that they feel in life currently. The film really does it's best to work as a best of a therapy session, as the struggles our characters are faced with are revealed it becomes increasingly obvious how lost they all are. So it's a really nice, heartening moment when this group of misfits comes together at the end happier and better for the collective experience that they faced.

Anna Kendrick, who played Eloise McGarry, was a really strong relatable lead for this film; Kendrick's was a very vulnerable role in a horrible position and I think that made her such an interesting performance to watch. Lisa Kudrow and Craig Robinson, who played Bina Kepp and Jerry Kepp respectively, really fit well as this couple who were standoffish with one another and at risk of falling out of love; the intensity that these two took their storyline to by the end made it all worth watching.Stephen Merchant, who played Walter Thimple, made for one of the most naturally comedic performances of the film; Merchant's awkward presence in a scene alone will have you in fits. June Squibb, who played Jo Flanagan, is really the heart of this film; the good-natured nanny that Squibb portrays is a very kind and protective figure you'll love. Thomas Cocquerel, who played Huck, is a bit of a charismatic Prince Charming in most of the scenes we see him in; Cocquerel does a great job of creating a bit of a dreamy typecast figure only to yank the blanket out from under us in later scenes.

However the best performance came from Wyatt Russell, who played Teddy. This was a character who could have been very hard to like and Russell hints at this at first. Yet as the film progresses you find that he isn't that bad of a person and he doesn't seem any less lost than Kendrick's role. I thought it was brilliant that his feelings of fear, rejection and hopelessness over having a baby came to light; Russell did a great job of showing a vulnerable man who was so absolutely human. I thought the relationship he had with Kendrick was great and the manner in which he reconciled with her by the film's end was really heartwarming.

This film is slow to kick off and doesn't exactly feel like it introduces us to the film's events in exactly the right manner. This means that the tone gets misplaced very early on, feeling like a dry rom-com instead of the dramedy it really is. I also thought it was a film bogged down with a lot of filler scenes and pointless plotlines, there's a point in the film where we keep getting shown moment after moment of minor roles making forgettable jokes and it really intrudes on more important scenes. The cinematography for the film feels very poorly crafted, often with noticeable poor decision-making when it comes to framing. The editing also moves at a very slow speed, which really does no wonders for the film's pacing issues. The soundtrack for Table 19 is another let down, often what plays is quite flavourless for the scene it accompanies.

Tony Revolori, who played Rezno Eckberg, is one of the most cringeworthy of the main leads; Revolori's character is really lustful and driven to be in a relationship which leads to an absolutely awkward subplot. Margo Martindale, who voiced Freda Eckberg, was quite an annoying presence; her piercing performance really tended to come as a severe interruption to scenes. Megan Lawless and Andrew Daly, who played Megan-Ann and Luke Pfaffler respectively, were the awkward targets of Revolori's poorly conceptualised subplot; there was nothing really funny in this exchange and it's kind of tough for Lawless and Daly to make anything out of their roles. Amanda Crew, who played Nikki, was the harsh bitchy role that tends to be in romantic movies like these; Crew's very blunt style didn't create a character with much range sadly. Richard Haylor, who played Roger Millner, didn't really develop any chemistry with Merchant beyond acknowledging him; this really wasted the potential these characters had with one another as we learn there is significant background there later on. Becky Ann Baker, who played Carol Milner, was quite an easy bit of comedy as the loud drunken mother; her obnoxious temperament wasn't really a new gag.

Get Out

This review may contain spoilers!

This is a movie that quite simply feels like a stroke of genius, really relevant and a masterful story. I would give Get Out an 8/10.

This is a horror/thriller unlike any film I've ever seen; it manages to construct a story that you get really intrigued by with some cool twists along the way. It's a feature that follows an African-American man, Chris, who has reached the point in his relationship with his white girlfriend, Rose, where he's going to meet her parents. He's a bit worried about what they'll think about him being black and he probably should worry about that cause Rose's family is a twisted lot. I love how this story feels so fresh, the dialogue is really clever, the concept is it's own thing and it manages to have some comedy that doesn't feel misplaced. I like how the concept of these black people being snatched by upper-class old white people has a bit of a running social commentary that is presented in a very clever manner. The cinematography is great and moves with the main character a lot, I also enjoyed the framing especially in the 'therapy' scenes. The editing moved at a good pace, I never felt bored by this movie and it had a good sense of timing. The soundtrack was very eerie, in particular the use of 'Run Rabbit Run' by Flanagan and Allen; the score also heightened the discord throughout the film and puts you on the edge of your seat.

Daniel Kaluuya, who played Chris Washington, makes for a very strong lead for this film; Kaluuya brings out a performance that really highlights his role's skepticism and unease. Catherine Keener, who played Missy Armitage, was a very still and transfixing antagonist; Keener's very measured performance makes her one of the more terrifying members of the Armitage family. Bradley Whitford, who played Dean Armitage, is quite a fun performance to watch when he's trying to play up the charismatic father figure role at the start of the film; yet Whitford lends a serious edge to the role that causes you to distrust him as the feature progresses. Caleb Landry Jones, who played Jeremy Armitage, was a real wild card in this film; the way Jones often seemed inebriated and violent in scenes made him quite unpredictable. Betty Gabriel, who played Georgina, really sold on the idea that the black people who lived with the Armitages weren't normal; the way in which her personality would feel abnormal led to some of the more unnerving scenes. Lakeith Stanfield, who played Andrew Logan King, had one of the most realistic reactions to being put in a horror scenario at the start of this film; I also really enjoyed how King played up the persona of a 'prim and proper' gentleman when we meet him again later in the film. Stephen Root, who played Jim Hudson, had a real nice connection with Kaluuya when first we meet him; so it makes it all the more depraved when we witness him as yet another one of the antagonists. Richard Herd, who played Roman Armitage, was a great minor role in this film; Herd had a character who delivered a lot of exposition yet in quite a fascinating way that really drummed in the background to the events which take place in this feature. Erika Alexander, who played Detective Latoya, was only a minor role but had a really funny scene with Howery; I enjoyed watching Alexander rather obviously humour and then mock Howery over the course of this scene.

However the best performance came from LilRel Howery, who played Rod Williams. I'd say Howery is the best performer in this film because he got the biggest reaction out of me and because I never see comedy done well in a horror film, or if it is the film often isn't a good one. I liked this role because he felt like a very real person, who was more than aware of how creepy everything was that was going on. Howery hit his scenes with a ton of energy and often stole the show in these. I don't think I've loved so hard all year, this was brilliant comedy that didn't reall come out of nowhere; this was comedy to fit the plot.

Despite my love for Howery's character, Rod, in this film the final act of the feature did have a few too many scenes with him in it; the sudden increase in the amount of comedy took away from the serious overtones of what was happening in other scenes. I also felt that the final act was quite happy to ramp up the ridiculous factor, in some moments this felt satisfying but in others you would be left questioning if what had happened really needed to be that over the top.

Allison Williams, who played Rose Armitage, didn't really have that much chemistry with Kaluuya so you weren't surprised when it was revealed she worked alongside her family; I also felt that her sudden snap personality change after this reveal was performed way too over the top. Marcus Henderson, who played Walter, was one of the few black people who had had they're body snatched to make the performance feel artificial; Henderson had a tendency to over-exaggerate himself which only worked to the detriment of some scenes.