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Reviews
Landfill (2021)
It was a decent flick. Not a bad concept
Interesting premise. Could've gone the horror route but it didn't. The trash imagery is really cool and atmospheric. This movie was entertaining enough for what it is... The graphics and overall style reminded me of 80s and 90s thrillers. You don't expect to see an Oscar winning movie, but you expect to have fun. And this was a fun ride. Had some pretty good moments. Also, Linda Blair and Christine Elise! Nice touch. American Ninja guy and other cameos too. Really cool cast ensemble.
I liked the colors and the visuals of the trash scenes were nice. You feel like you are actually vicariously in the realm world between reality and fantasy/ heaven and earth (for the dead ones) which was pretty creative. I became emotionally invested early on and the overall impact of this work struck a chord in me.
It's also thematically rich and filled with symbolism and metaphors. Notice how the little girl's death is cleverly foreshadowed at some point earlier on in the movie (basement scene) you could almost tell exactly what happened to her, by watching her doppelganger of a doll get buried... As our lead questions it, leaving her distraught. Other little metaphors are implanted here and there too. Even the lesson the teacher was teaching in class was about a Phoenix rising from the ashes, to become a stronger being. Similarly, the Phoenix in the picture could easily be metaphoric, referring to the murdered girl (Dorsan), after all, we learn later through her diaries that it's also what she resembled herself to. Calling herself in a drawing (Phoenix girl) she had lived a similar life to that of a Phoenix's. Coincidence? I think not. Also, the lead telling her dad that she wants to be a helper. A lot of resemblances in both girls' lives, "a hug from a grieving mother " both moms were grieving mothers. I think this was the writer/director's strongest suit.
There's no amount of philosophical high-roading that could stop the murdered girl from wanting herself and her loved one in the same place again. The ending features the fulfilment of both girls' and their mothers' utmost desires; being set free, reunited, strong, living, loving and free. If you take this film as a strange admixture of drama, family, murder, thriller/suspense and a fantasy in the vein of a children's book, it all works perfectly. But it also works for adults as well. Some of the characters could have been better fleshed out and given more characteristics, as they seemed a bit 2 dimensional and cliched. And that's where my low score goes. That and statistically speaking, a movie with such genre should've been shorter. It was a tad long. But I find that no one really follows a set structure these days when it comes to movie lengths, with some even being over 2 hours. While the lead was a decent actress for her age, I found that some of the stuff said by the kid actors was delivered without necessarily being understood, which kind of killed the effect. Maybe more coaching was needed for those desired moments. I've waited a long time to see this, but I did enjoy it after all. I would recommend seeing this movie if you like this kind of mixture of genres, but not if you're going into it expecting gore and horror, as it never claimed to be that. My vote is 6.5/10.
No Escape Room (2018)
One of the better escape room movies.
Agreed, a bit confusing. Yet creative. And the title gave away the twist. My theory is that the idea is, they probably never really escaped the room. I watched like 3 different escape room themed movies in one day, and for me this was the best- because it makes you think. It had some good moments, there was a cool scene where they're trapped in a room, and there was a tv screen with their characters in a loop, doing the same thing over and over again. I thought that was creepy.
So a father and his teenage daughter (Michael and Karen) who don't have the best relationship after the parents' divorce, decide to spend some quality time and bond. They stop at a diner to eat (after his car broke down) then the dad comes up with the idea for them two to go check out the best escape room in town. Karen reluctantly agrees.
Upon entering the escape room, each guest is asked to sign a waiver. Soon after their one hour countdown begins, they begin to question what they exactly agreed to. They begin seeing things, such as maggots and bloody worms on a telephone and human like shadows. While everyone's trapped in different room, and at some point, mark loses his daughter Karen, but doesn't really show real concern for his DAUGHTER (even though he was overly protective of her in the beginning,not like that one guy who was being friendly with her) so his emotions don't really add up... He just walked around yelling her name "KAREN" a few times... eventually they reunite... but what I gathered was that, no one ever gets out of the escape room.
Despite finding the master key and seemingly escaping back to the diner restroom before it all started, Karen and her dad find themselves locked inside a new room. They opened the door to the house and walked back into the same bathroom Karen was in at the beginning of the movie in the diner. Karen from the future watched her past self try to wash her sweater sleeve and put on her dad's necklace. At the beginning of the film, the noise Karen hears is her future self dropping a quarter on the floor.
The father and his daughter leave the diner again and sees their car in the parking lot. A note indicates the keys are in the car, and it's fixed. They get into the car thinking they have escaped but can't find the keys and realize they are locked inside a glove compartment box that's also locked. The keyhole for the ignition key to fit in is a skeleton key not a car key shape that informs them both they are still caught in the house's loop. Apparently they don't escape in the film, they're stuck in a larger loop than the others. Their loop extends all the way back to the diner, somehow. It's confusing and some might find it disappointing and irritating, but props for it at least for having decent budgeting for props and environment and obviously, it's filmed well. The acting level ranges really... I give it a 6 for being the more original escape room movie.
My Teacher, My Obsession (2018)
Cheap. Netflix just buys anything these days.
It could have been an interesting story, but the idea itself isn't new and has been done a hundred times and is contrived. Now imagine that plus terrible acting and stupid actions by characters throughout the movie... how does a teacher like that has a bachelor degree and teaches? And how did he do what he did in his room while his daughter was literally like downstairs and always just walks in whenever she wants to? He asked for it. It was an accident waiting to happen. No surprise there. Was it the worst thing I've ever seen? Certainly not, but it really wasn't good and the acting was mediocre at best. I don't recommend unless you need a laugh and it's just one of those silly nights or drinking games.
Secret Obsession (2019)
Why's everyone so stupid in this?
Don't know where to start, but the acting was horrendous. Here are my questions: why did her husband look like he just died last night when he's been dead for months? Isn't his body supposed to look different? Decomposed? Is that nurse the only one who works at the hospital? Is this woman's leg who had amnesia broken or what? She moves and runs pretty well for someone who's supposed to be resting in bed after being hit by a car. Is the creepy murderer guy that stupid or he just doesn't know how to tie someone down? He untied her and left her in the room on multiple occasions, he also walks around when chasing her... He also buys everything she says when she's trying to fool him and play mind games on him... at least he's good to look at i mean... How does the detective missing/dead daughter tie to the story? Or is it that he made it a point to work harder since he lost his daughter, and would he have been less passionate about his job had she not been missing? How did the murderer guy fake documents and IDs to prove that they're married? Or does the hospital not ask for anything and anyone can just be your spouse? How was her phone still charged in his car after all these months? I want a life long battery for mine honestly... wow.