rachbruno Reviews

The Power (2023)

A decent adaptation that stays true to the book

[7/10 · 8 April 2023]

This is one of my favorite books, and I generally have very low expectations of any adaptation, so I went in to this with that mentality. It isn't perfect, but it feels like it's coming from the same place as the book, with the same themes driving the plot and characters (who are very well cast).

The source material covers a lot of ground, literally and figuratively. I've only seen four episodes, but I have been pleasantly surprised at the world and character building. I'm a little more concerned about how they will handle later events, as the story continues and women take power over the new world.

All in all, it's better than I expected and I'm excited to watch the rest.

Meet Me in the Bathroom (2022)

I really wanted to love this

[5/10 · 26 November 2022]

I have been anxiously awaiting this film, and it really let me down. I wanted to feel the excitement of this time and place and as soon as I would start to, it walked it back and jumped subjects, losing any momentum. These bands defined my early adulthood, at a time when things were really chaotic. But this film was chaotic in a different and uninspired way. I couldn't tap into the nostalgia I was hoping for, and it left me really sad and almost angry because there was so much potential and it could have been so much more.

I'm also disappointed that they gave Ryan Adams any kind of screen time, while giving next to nothing to TV on the Radio. They deserve their own movie. And so does Karen O, who was a bright spot in a really lackluster movie.

Nope (2022)

Pleasantly surprised

[8/10 · 27 July 2022]

After reading some reviews, it's clear that this movie isn't for everyone. There is a lot of social commentary about Hollywood, and people's need to exploit everything for their benefit. It felt like a subtler "Don't Look Up." It didn't hit you over the head with the parallels it draws to society- and I guess people want everything spelled out for them. I really enjoyed how strange it was, and how I didn't know where it was going.

Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey (2022)

Hard to watch but important

[9/10 · 8 June 2022]

This was incredibly hard to watch. I'm a native Utahn and EX Mormon and I left the church partly over its history of polygamy and oppression of women and girls. No, the mainstream church isn't this evil, but if Warren Jeffs can spring from what it teaches, it was too close for me. I've seen what religious indoctrination can do and these women are so brave for getting out.

The Midnight Gospel (2020)

Amazing

[10/10 · 15 March 2022]

I make fun of people who say a show has changed their life, but this show might. It's better than I ever expected. It's weird, funny, and incredibly moving at the end. This is something I will watch again. And maybe again.

The Batman (2022)

Long and pretentious

[4/10 · 13 March 2022]

This was not a bad movie. Pattinson does a great job and I enjoyed some of it. However...it takes itself way too seriously for a movie about a man who dresses as a bat. It also did not need to be 3 hours long. My other complaint is about the complete lack of female voices. We get one female character and she's dressed in a bustier and leather the entire movie. Overall it was fine but didn't say or do anything that justified a new movie franchise.

Licorice Pizza (2021)

Doesn't live up to the hype but still worth watching

[6/10 · 20 February 2022]

I didn't dislike this movie, I just wanted more from it. The acting was great, but I didn't get a sense for what motivated the characters. It could have been much more.

Nightmare Alley (2021)

Nothing New

[4/10 · 20 February 2022]

This film was okay. It should have been a lot better with the cast it had, but the talents of greats like Mary Steenburgen, Toni Collette, David Strathaurn, Rooney Mara, etc. Were wasted. The beginning of the film left plenty of time for character development but failed to make use of it. While the quality of the movie was excellent, I just wasn't invested in the flat characters. It also fails the Bechdel test, even with all of the amazing actresses. A huge disappointment based on all the hype. It feels like a big studio movie that could have been made at any point from 1980 until now, and had nothing new to showcase.

Servant (2019–2023)

More frustrating than Interesting

[5/10 · 29 January 2022]

I was intrigued by this show and especially by Dorothy's character. Her one dimensional strangeness was easily dismissed by her grief in season one, but now we are in season 3 and she still lacks any depth. There is little to no payoff and it really feels like Shyamalan doesn't even know where this is headed. It covers some really heart wrenching topics, but we never get a sense for what Dorothy is going through or see things from her perspective. I gave it a good try but there is too much wrong here.

King Richard (2021)

The story of King Richard isn't interesting enough for a movie

[1/10 · 24 November 2021]

Would love to have seen a movie about Venus and Serena, from their perspective. That story would have been more interesting. This movie is scene after scene of Will Smith arguing with everyone to prove he's right, over and over.

Zeros and Ones (2021)

Had to see if it was as bad as the reviews

[1/10 · 20 November 2021]

It's worse. Oh how Ethan Hawke has fallen. He's capable of more than this. Someone get Ethan Hawke a better role! Don't make the mistake I did in thinking, "It can't be THAT bad" and then watching it. Just skip it and save yourselves. It's too late for me.

Lamb (2021)

Not for everyone

[9/10 · 31 October 2021]

This was a beautiful, strange movie. While I love this kind of stuff, it won't be for everyone. I'm not a fan of the typical Hollywood movies that rely so much on plot and action sequences...this movie really gave the story, the setting, and the actors room to breathe and create something truly beautiful. You could interpret this in so many different ways but for me it was about grief and learning to find happiness in the isolation that grief brings. I took away a lot more but I don't want to spoil anything. This one will stick with me.

House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths (2021)

Wow. What an examination of the human psyche

[10/10 · 9 October 2021]

This was a fascinating look at a situation in which 10 people handed over all control of themselves to one person. And it's a terrifying example of how far from reality we can be from the selves we present to the world and who we really are. Secrets are powerful. At the end of this they mention watching this and talking about these topics is "closure," both for these victims and for us. I hope he's right. So watch this and sit with it. Talk about it. Let's make sure nobody is this isolated from society.

The Guilty (2021)

Not even remotely realistic

[1/10 · 5 October 2021]

Watch the original Danish movie. This was an unnecessary mess. The sound was awful and the main character was so annoying. Why did he have to yell so much? 911 dispatchers don't act like this. It's ridiculous. I don't understand the good ratings.

Maid (2021)

Good acting but predictable storytelling

[6/10 · 2 October 2021]

It's not that this show is bad. The acting is great and the actors are doing their best. Episodes are both too long to keep my interest and too short to effectively explore the topics it brought up. It scratched the surface of lots of important topics like: domestic violence, alcoholism, mental illness, homelessness, food insecurity, the lack of social safety nets, etc. This could have been a good movie but it's too much for an entire series.

Malignant (I) (2021)

Passes the line from camp to ridiculous

[4/10 · 11 September 2021]

I get that this movie is supposed to be campy fun...but it doesn't achieve this because it is such a sharp turn from creepy ghost story to utter ridiculous ending. I loved the premise and the setting (underground Seattle) but it doesn't pay off. Annabelle Wallis' acting left much to be desired and while I was up for a fun ending, it just didn't get where it wanted to go.

Post Mortem: No One Dies in Skarnes (2021)

Not your typical vampire show

[9/10 · 3 September 2021]

What an amazing dark comedy. It's very dark, so if that's not your thing, you probably won't like it. I'm so glad this popped up on Netflix. I hope there is more coming!

We've Forgotten More Than We Ever Knew (2016)

Unexpected

[8/10 · 8 August 2021]

The more I sat with this movie, the more it grew on me. I understand it's not everyone's cup of tea but I thought it was haunting and beautiful. The acting and the music and the setting all come together and create something unique and beautiful and sad. But I enjoy movies that ask us to answer the questions. Here is my take on what it all meant. It's just a theory and what I took away from it.

"It's lonely being lonely." I saw this film as a metaphor for relationships and being lonely in them. In the woods it is man and woman against the world. They rely on each other to survive. They don't question each other or if they are right together. In the tower they start drifting apart, finding interests outside of each other. Woman starts to resent man and wants something else. I saw the building as a story they told each other. But it didn't make sense because it wasn't reality. The man in the pool was consumed by loneliness and unwilling to move on. In the end are they staying together because the idea of being that lonely is unacceptable? One line that makes me think it's a metaphor for relationships is when she says, "Where would we go? There's nowhere else, is there?" They stay and tell their stories because it's easier. Loneliness is harder. But the ending is hopeful. They do move on and get past that story.

12 Monkeys (2015–2018)

You don't get better storytelling than this

[10/10 · 8 August 2021]

This show is as near to perfection as you can get. Complex characters who are flawed and relationships between these characters examined. It gets bigger and better each season. I'm so sad it's over.

Schmigadoon! (2021–2023)

Temptation Island the Musical

[3/10 · 24 July 2021]

Not my cup of tea. I can see why people like it, and I'm sure it has an audience. I'm an occasional fan of musicals but I had a hard time finding anything to enjoy.

Fear of Rain (2021)

Unwatchable

[1/10 · 21 July 2021]

There was not one redeeming quality about this movie. The acting is horrible, the writing so bad, and the camera work was making me nauseous. It felt like a lifetime movie but with worse acting.

How It Ends (2021)

A lot of talent was wasted on this forgettable film

[3/10 · 20 July 2021]

I really wanted to like this movie. It could have been really good but I didn't think that the main character had enough substance to carry the plot in an interesting way. I would have rather watched any of the side character's stories. It wasn't unwatchable or bad, it was just nothing special. The writer and director could have really said something about some big themes like regret and facing our mortality. But instead we got awkward, clunky dialog and a protagonist who I didn't care about or feel invested in.

Settlers (2021)

A great understated story

[7/10 · 11 July 2021]

Fans of low-budget, good sci-fi will appreciate this movie. There are no cgi affects and only a few actors, but I think it was a beautiful story. I agree with other reviews that it was a little frustrating to have so little information and back story, but I felt like it put me in the position of the daughter who was also frustrated at the lack of information she was given.

Gaia (2021)

A beautiful and haunting film - if you give it a chance

[8/10 · 4 July 2021]

This was such a beautiful, thought-provoking, and well acted story. It poses some big questions about the nature of our reality and the ways in which man fights for (but can never achieve) control over our existence and surroundings. I don't think this is a movie you explain or solve, so if you don't like ambiguous stories, this isn't for you. Whether we are in high rise buildings or worshipping nature, we can't escape the fact that we are just one part of nature. We don't and can't control it and we can't exist outside of it. Ultimately we will be transformed in whatever way nature wants because we're at her mercy. We are all powerless but we still fight and we will always be our own worst enemies by trying to display dominance over our surroundings.

The Woman in the Window (2021)

More a mockery of Hitchcock than an homage

[2/10 · 15 May 2021]

From the start, the pacing and camera work are extremely off-putting. It was choppy, uneven, and left no room for character development. Such a disappointment. It was difficult to get through.