Jac23443 Reviews

Grand Army (2020)

Pleasantly Surprised...

[9/10 · 20 March 2023]

How and why this series ended up getting cancelled only after one season is both unfortunate and sad. It's incredible the caliber of range these actors give in performances in the series. Joey's story has to be the most impactful to me, because it was very intense and devastating. Dom's plot is fantastic storytelling about the ambition of a young woman whose dreams she feels she has to cast aside to be there for her family. There are a few scenes and topics I could have done without, but I think this show's potential was definitely cut short. I've seen many series where there is a mixed bag of criticism for the first season and then the show finds itself in its second installment. I think this show was not given a fair opportunity. Hopefully, the creators are able to find a streamer that will these characters their much deserved second season. I for one, am a fan, and was surprised I didn't see this when it aired in 2020.

See How They Run (2022)

No One Talks Like This...

[3/10 · 6 November 2022]

These are the most unlikeable try hards I've ever seen, the cinematography and the color palette make this feel like a made-for-television crap-heap. It doesn't offer anything in terms of score, writing, or acting and bored the hell out of me within the first 10 minutes because the acting is so weird and poor that it feels like SNL. If you want to watch an exhilarating murder mystery, you won't find one here. Instead, you will find yet another Clue knock-off fused with Jennifer Anniston's Murder Mystery with undertones of Hot Fuzz to give you the most unentertaining 95 minutes. I am certain people will find this slightly fun, because it's not the worst thing I've ever seen, but it's definitely close to being awful, and after Knives Out, I was expecting the same caliber of acting, writing, and flare that this film just does not have. I am thankful that at least the sequel is coming out soon. So, I've got that to look forward to.

Watcher (I) (2022)

Could Have Been Better...

[6/10 · 18 September 2022]

Watcher is a film that fails to deliver on many aspects, number one being performances. Nothing in this film stands out, not a moment, not a conversation, not a single thing. The film in its entirety feels lazy, uninspired and frankly, bored.

I was very surprised to see Maika Monroe in such a boring role; I thought after It Follows and The Guest that she was an actress to be on the lookout for; unfortunately, she simply has no range in this film, the script gives her nothing to work with, it's a very monotonous film. It is unfortunate Watcher didn't try harder; it had the backdrop, cinematography and color palette to create a thriller that could get under your skin, play with your mind and deliver a good story. But how interesting is a story about basically a tourist in Bucharest? It would have been much more interesting if the women the killer was targeting all knew each other, and the lead actually already lived in Bucharest, spoke the language, and just happened to become the victim of a psycho because she waved to him whilst noticing he was looking through apartment windows. Alas that was not the case and the story is absolutely lackluster and dreadfully paced to deliver the most unbelievably boring stalker story.

I Came By (2022)

Solid Thriller...

[8/10 · 5 September 2022]

The ratings for this movie are very interesting, I don't understand the review bombing on here declaring the movie unwatchable. This is probably one of Netflix's strongest releases since they declared they would release a new movie each Friday. Every movie Netflix has released in the past year has been absolute garbage. This movie was very well made, the ending could have been a bit better, and I didn't like the killing of certain characters because I thought they were great! But this movie was solid, definitely rewatchable. I loved it!

If you have seen The Blue Ruin, Green Room, and enjoyed them, then you will most likely enjoy this movie because the leads are not unstoppable, invincible "know it all's", they know just enough to get to the point where they realize something is wrong but, in the end, they are all just human.

Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin (2022– )

Not Good Not Bad Either...

[5/10 · 20 August 2022]

Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin is a series that has a lot of problems stemming from its poorly written characters. It's unfortunate because it comes off as a slasher yet has a difficult time pushing the envelope to throw its leads into actual danger. The show wants to kill off characters, then doesn't, it's just very blah.

The series gets worse by adding the most annoying unlikeable female character in the series, Tabby. She is in the entire season and it's unfortunate because without her the show would get on just fine. She adds nothing to the show. I am not even kidding! She is a walking encyclopedia of movie references and an awareness hub for gender politics in film that are ruining cinema as we all know it. Her character does nothing but lecture on the politics of film based on her own gender and race. It's tired and annoying. I think it is important to talk about but even in a series that takes on the cliche tropes of the self-aware slasher formula, it handles these topics very poorly.

The show honestly progresses into awful B-movie territory with many moments in the series being just too over the top bad, like Imogen's missing baby scene, Kelly's pathetic chase scene, and the constant Black Swan scandal between Kelly/Karen and Faran and the overwhelming subplot of date rape and sexual assault.

I really think this show is overinflated and drags, the danger lurking in the background never comes to a head, and the leads do the best they can with their generic and tired scripts. All in all the show could be better, but I cannot finish it. It was just bad to me. This is just my opinion though I am sure that others will like it or even love it, it was just not it for me.

Alba (2021)

Horrible...

[7/10 · 5 August 2022]

It's too long for its own good, it does have great actors, (Eric Masip, and Jason Fernandez) but they are all underutilized and given subplots of convenience to further an unbelievable and frankly poorly written plot. A story about corruption, unconditional love, greed.

If the series trimmed the fat, got rid of useless characters and focused solely on Alba, the deceit and corruption behind the people who hurt her, the series would have been great. Unfortunately, the runtime is 13 episodes, and each episode drags with unnecessary character development, constant chatter of random crap, and filler... so much filler!!

In my opinion, Jason Fernandez was the only exception, he had a complex development, character arc and climax. The rest of the casting has a mess going on, it all felt very telenovela. I wouldn't recommend watching this unless you are just looking for something to pass the time.

Grace and Frankie (2015–2022)

Too Long For Its Own Good...

[5/10 · 2 July 2022]

Started out as a fantastically wild tale of two unlikely friends who bond over their personal situations. Then it spontaneously combusts and falls apart because it doesn't know when to end. This last season was unwatchable, it was unbelievably terrible and full of cringe moments. I don't understand, why come back for another season if this is the best that could happen???

The first season is great, still not fantastic, but nowhere as bad as the end.

Julia (2022–2023)

Just no...

[4/10 · 2 July 2022]

This tries to be its own thing but feels very much like a Mrs. Maisel knockoff without any of the wit. I hated every second of this show because it tries too hard to give a depressing depth to Julia Child that I did not find interesting in the slightest. The worst part of this whole show was the dialogue, felt forced, pretentious and snobbish. Ew, like a PBS special or Downton Abbey. I know other people will like it, or even love it but I thought this series could have made for a fun documentary or perhaps not been made at all.

It was honestly sad that the show didn't capture my attention because the lead is from Happy Valley, which is one of my favorite crime drama series. Still, this is a cold hard pass.

The Green Mile (1999)

Timeless...

[10/10 · 16 April 2022]

"I dreamed of you... I dreamed you were wondering around in the dark and so was I. We found each other, we found each other in the dark."

This was and will continue to be one of the most powerful dramas I have ever had the pleasure of watching. Frank Darabont's work is so strong and full of life and emotion it can be overwhelming; I had to take a break during some of the more emotional parts, two in particular that leave me in tears after they happen, no spoilers for those who haven't had the time to see this amazing movie. That is what I love about this movie, I can watch it again, and again, and appreciate it more each time.

Pam & Tommy (2022)

Quickly Falls Off The Rails

[7/10 · 17 February 2022]

This show really started off strong, had no issue being raunchy with some gratuitous display of nudity and sex and craziness. But right off the bat, after the third episode, it was all too fairy tale like Tommy Lee wasn't a piece of garbage in reality whose relationship with Pam was littered with unfortunate events, and Anderson's worst problem was the male patriarchy who kept her career from flourishing past sex symbol status.

In simple words, the story is very basic, and beyond the skin-deep superficial premise of tabloid sensationalism lies nothing more than two people who are just operating in a world dictated by a script that never really goes anywhere. It was actually quite shocking to see that Craig Gillespie made this because it does have that look I, Tonya had, which is one of my favorite movies of all time, but lacks the heart and emotion that I, Tonya had no trouble delivering to its audience. Its unfortunate, but I don't think I am going to finish this, there is not enough in their story to warrant its length.

Kimi (2022)

Annoying...

[3/10 · 13 February 2022]

Kimi is one of those movies that has a hard time establishing itself as something more than just entertaining, and its mainly due to poor casting and stale writing. Zoe Kravitz does the best she can with what she is given, but the film ultimately feels like a techno-rip-off of Promising Young Woman. The concept is simple, technology is influencing a lot of our lives, and at what cost, we sign away our faces with terms and conditions we don't read; machines listen to our conversations to enhance user experience at the expense of your privacy because "oh the machine glitched."

However, the film falls flat because of lackluster plot selling itself as intriguing but overall is just very cheap. It wasn't a very bad film but like most of Soderbergh's, they just are just something that is available now...

Euphoria: You Who Cannot See, Think of Those Who Can (2022) Season 2, Episode 4

Losing It...

[5/10 · 31 January 2022]

Where is all this going?! Nate and Cassie are so weird together, it makes no sense that she would go out with a person everyone agreed in the first season was toxic as hell. Then the poor handling of the father's dark secrets, coupled with how random everything feels, this series has fallen apart. I absolutely hate the direction this series has taken, its ugly, all over the place, and its awkward. It has no center, no focus, and so far its just been a disappointing season. The gay bar scene was cringe, the argument at the beginning of this episode was cringe, the Maddy's birthday was so small scale and not fun, it did not feel like Maddy at all, and it was also cringe, then Rue's lack of sexual drive is so cringe. The season is suffering from poor choices, and its just too bad they can't be rewritten. I think Levinson just got lucky with the first season, and I really believe the show might be headed nowhere but down from this point on.

Red Notice (2021)

Stop Casting Ryan!!!

[5/10 · 20 January 2022]

It is safe to say Ryan Reynolds has found his way of self-promotion, and although I am tired of seeing him on tv, it seems to be working for him! He is literally Deadpool in everything, its overkill. Dwayne Johnson was fun as always and Gal Gadot... was also there. This movie strikes this balance between Get Smart and The Mummy that was hard to shake but helped the pacing of the film and made it funny most of the time. However, it all felt very familiar, the twists were fun but would have been better if they did not have Journey to the Center of the Earth visual effects. It was just a very exhausting movie to watch and by the end, there are so many twists that it felt abrupt to have Ryan show up to bother the co-villains. The ending was a clear cut promise to the audience that this "adventure" is probably getting a sequel. I for one, will not be watching Deadpool: Red Notice 2.

Insecure: Everything Gonna Be, Okay?! (2021) Season 5, Episode 10

Abrupt...

[5/10 · 27 December 2021]

This show started out really strong, and it kind of fell apart as it progressed, I hated the way the series ended. I loved everything up to the end of the fourth season and that is as far as I love the series.

This season is weird, and all over the place, it all felt very abrupt, quick and convenient. Issa's lack of growth with Nathan was immediately rewritten to have her fall back in love with Lawrence and it all felt so easy as if he didn't have his own mind, or like they were both thinking the same thing, which just didn't come off genuine. The other seasons were fun and exciting, and Issa grew and evolved a little each season, this season felt very stale to me.

Being the Ricardos (2021)

Awful...

[1/10 · 21 December 2021]

The main problem with this film is not only its pacing but the story, it's not interesting enough to be two hours long. The second problem I have with this film is the casting, Bardem and Kidman are just not right for these roles at all, I am so sick of seeing the same actors in Hollywood. I am so tired of both of these actors, bored to be honest of seeing the same faces in every movie today. Thank God for television series that continues to show NEW talent. Hollywood is dead. This movie was so full of cringe acting I could not even finish it. Why make this at all, this is basically a documentary with subpar dramatizations of things one can read in a shorter amount of time. The only positive takeaway from this I can say with certainty, is that this would make for something perfect to fall asleep to.

Insecure: Faulty, Okay?! (2021) Season 5, Episode 4

My least favorite episode...

[2/10 · 16 December 2021]

I didn't enjoy this episode at all, it was probably the worst written episode in the entire series. I also think this episode is a sign that the writers maybe don't know what they want to get out of this series?? Yes, Issa is a hopeless romantic who doesn't really know how to handle relationships, but the constant throwing us around between Lawrence and Nathan is getting really effing boring (also is it just me, or has Lawrence's acting gotten a bit worse?) I thought the series would focus on the evolution of Issa's maturity in her work as well as friendships and love life, and frankly, the show has not really been doing it for me. Kelly is annoying, the other chick who has a baby is literally an awful friend and beyond uninteresting, Molly is selfish and weird but has gotten some good character development, and then Issa is just floating in the background with her decisions not being big enough to make me care about the show's upcoming finale. At this point, the show just feels like random things happening.

1917 (2019)

Boring...

[2/10 · 15 October 2021]

This had to be one of the most boring films I have ever tried to watch. Could not finish it, this is a technical spectacle with nothing else to offer. Weak storytelling overlooked for the sake of the technical prowess of the one shot camera work. I will never watch this again or try to finish it. Not all war stories are worth telling, this one and Dunkirk take the cake for being some of the most boring and unnecessary films about war ever made. Coincidentally, they are also the most overrated and overhyped.

American Horror Story (2011– )

Why?

[6/10 · 10 September 2021]

This latest installment is just so bad I couldn't even finish the first episode, we get it, its American HORROR Story, but why isn't it scary? I get so confused how this series continues to rack in viewership. The one word I keep bringing up in most of today's creations is just ugly. This was just an ugly mess... too much homage and not enough heart. Can shows just please stop drawing so much from the past and try to create something new? This show should just do what it does often to its cast, and get the axe. At this point I am very certain that fans still tuning are doing so out of loyalty due to how much time they've invested in a series whose title no longer serve its purpose. This is not a horror show, its a lazy soap-anthology with recurring cast members.

Update: 11/06/22

The new season is absolutely unwatchable, its a mess, all over the place, and the acting is beyond awful. Which is odd, considering the series catapulted careers of Evan Peters, Sarah Paulson, Jessica Lange, Emma Roberts, and countless others who really got to show off in this series. It seems that just won't be the case anymore, the worst addition for this series is by far Billie Lourde, who should just stick to comedy. Although the future of the show is uncertain, one thing has been made very clear, Ryan Murphy's passion for the series is gone. This series is as dead as the zombies in season three. It should be cancelled or be given one final goodbye season.

Malignant (I) (2021)

This was trash, absolute gutter trash.

[1/10 · 10 September 2021]

This was the ugliest movie I have ever seen; horrendous setup, horrible setting, terrible dialogue, B movie garbage with big budget marketing. The trailer was so deceiving which made this movie look fresh and different. However, the entire movie felt like it was trying to give the best of the 80s and still have fun past that point but it is definitely not going to win awards or receive a lot of attention. This was the messiest and ugliest movie I have seen in a long time.

Unanswered questions: Why can the teratoma make phone calls without a phone, or talk through the radio? Why do the lights explode whenever the thing is thinking or wanting to come out? Why did the ex husband not hear his wife come down the stairs before he died, why did he see basically what looked like an apparition?

This movie drew on a lot of what was utilized in the Conjuring films, from the camera work to the "haunting scares," and even the music (which to be honest has gotten really f&@king boring). I sincerely believe James Wan did not have a clear vision for what he wanted out of the demon/monster/killer/teratoma. This reminds me of his struggle to create a concept for the demon in the Conjuring 2. I think there was talk about how the nun became the nun through a lot of trial and error because he didn't really know what he wanted from this demon (which would explain the awful CGI growl death of the demon at the end of TC2). But where that movie prevailed by great performances and a great storyline, this one failed massively because of its unengaging script and poor story. I found myself fast forwarding through a lot of it because it was just painful to listen to the cops, or the sister Sydney, or the tapes. It was all just very gimmicky, like Dead Silence.

Only Murders in the Building (2021– )

Really Really Great!

[8/10 · 31 August 2021]

This is definitely a series worth watching, 3 episodes in and I am hooked! Only Murders in the Building not only has a star-studded cast, but a hilarity in its dark material that makes the series totally binge-able and entertaining. If I could compare it to another show it would be Search Party. I can honestly say I can't wait to see how this ends.

The only problem I have with this series is that it was not released in full in one day, I hate waiting around to watch it on a weekly basis like its 2004.

Update: 12/24/2021

I rewatched the series and would have to say that although the first time around this show was exhilarating to view, the second time did not hit as hard. I LOVE the show, I think it was fantastically produced, the sets are gorgeous, the dialogue is funny, the characters are well written. However, I would agree with most of the reviews this time around that the twists were predictable and could be seen from a mile away. Nonetheless, the series is still one of the best to have come out in a while, it was quirky done right. Definitely going to watch it again soon!

A Classic Horror Story (2021)

Wasn't bad, but wasn't good...

[5/10 · 14 July 2021]

Once again, the horror genre seems to be unable to escape its derivative conceptions. Carbon copying classic moments of films to "build" something of their own but it results in a very weak and uninspired film. This movie takes from the likes of Cabin in the Woods, Midsommar, Wrong Turn, the Hills Have Eyes, Vacancy and then tries to do its own thing with it, but so many other horror movies do the same thing today that it doesn't new, or refreshing... no matter how great the acting was. This isn't to say the movie is not good, its just not great! The acting was fantastic, the score was terrifying, the cinematography was impeccable.

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)

Michael Chaves does it Again...

[1/10 · 8 July 2021]

This is the worst entry in the Conjuring films, I am so saddened that this movie was even made in the first place. I would rather this movie been put on hold so James Wan could be the one to begin and finish it.

The reason I think this movie fails largely falls on the director, his previous films all suck, the Curse of La Llorona was a heap of garbage (and I love Linda Cardellini). I just don't think he has a grasp on how to balance emotion with horror and its elements properly... for example, suspense (music gives it away in an instant, when silence can be much more potent), or his choice of thrill (weak-ass annoying jump scares), then the lack of emotion and the pace. The lack of emotion is the element lacking in this film, there were no moments of despair. I agree with many of those who actually criticized the film for not presenting real threats to any of the characters once again; its the third film and we have really yet to see the stakes go high. The runtime was good but there was just enough to keep you watching, it was mostly filler.

Starstruck (2021–2023)

Too Familiar...

[5/10 · 23 June 2021]

So tired of television's consistent throwing up of quirky weird characters every five seconds with storylines that are at best worth only 3 episodes. Like is it just me or does every f&*king character in a comedy series feel like an Office series knockoff?? Really boring. This show is no Fleabag, which when compared to this is so much better at what it tries to do with the lead's progression throughout the series. I am really tired of seeing the same thing on tv, the Baker and the Beauty, any Spanish telenovela, Notting Hill, Music and Lyrics, all of which are better because they end quicker than this poorly paced bore. The first episode was not even that bad, but every encounter between characters is so f&%king awkward, it was beyond annoying.

Kim's Convenience (2016–2021)

Worst Ending I Have Never Seen...

[4/10 · 14 June 2021]

Yes, I said that correctly. I could not finish this mess and I really tried, the characters I binged watch don't feel like themselves. Shannon is absolutely terrible in this, the writing is all over the place, they gave Ma MS, and its just too many problems... that didn't seem like they were going to wrap up an otherwise great series. It is unfortunate that this show went sour because Appa and Ma and Janet's characters are so lovable, even when they're not, but this season was just awful. I think this season could just be completely ignored as it feels absolutely unnatural. If it wasn't for this extremely crappy addition, I would agree with that 8.2 rating. But this was just completely disappointing.

Red Dragon (2002)

I am Going to Throw Up...

[2/10 · 5 June 2021]

This was forgotten as quickly as it was turned off, this was just awful. The pretentiousness of this film is overwhelming and Ed Norton made me want to throw up. I have never seen an actor look so uncomfortable and bored, it literally looked like he hated being there and it felt as if he was reading cue cards. I'll just watch the Silence of the Lambs again. It was so unfortunate because Hannibal in SOTL was so conniving and evil and elusive and in this film they gave him crap scenes and his accent is all over the place... it just feels like mimicry instead of commitment. I couldn't even finish this.