shanlouisemurray Reviews

Civil War (2024)

Wow.. what a film

[10/10 · 17 April 2024]

I can't remember the last time I left the cinema feeling the way I felt after watching this film. What a gut-wrenching watch!

I see people complaining that the film didn't go into the backstory or give context to why there was a civil war in America but that isn't the point of the movie. Sometimes films aren't made to have a very specific story but instead are created just to make you feel something. The cause of the war itself wasn't what was important in this it was actually experiencing something so chaotic and violent through the eyes of people trying to document it, and how that plays a role on their own mental well-being and actually physically puts them in harms way.

The sound design was stunning on this too and although at points it felt a bit too loud (during gunfire scenes and explosions etc) that's obviously the point. To put you in the thick of the action with them and truly get an idea for how they must feel, and wrap your head around how they even manage to do it. The violence was so raw and realistic I appreciated the lack of Hollywood-esque deaths and pure brutality of actual war.

Took my nervous system about 2 hours to fully settle down after this film lol, it's definitely worth a watch.

Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel (2021)

Such a poorly put together documentary

[4/10 · 3 May 2023]

So many people in this that are completely irrelevant to the actual case. Self proclaimed journalists and 'web sleuths'. The couple that visited the hotel while the search for the body was underway. Sure they were there, but didn't need to constantly show clips of them.

Felt really bad for the death metal guy everyone accused of murdering her when the proof was right there from the jump it couldn't have been him.

I knew straight away what the likelihood was of her just having a psychotic episode, going up to the roof and then drowning herself (accidental or not).

The general manager of the hotel was so unbelievably ignorant and dumb. Her reaction to everything was 'wwhaaaat???'

So boring just look into the story yourself.

Rain Dogs (2023)

The series gripped me from start to finish

[10/10 · 27 April 2023]

At this point I don't think there's anything Daisy May Cooper can create that I would dislike. I love seeing how the media she creates/is apart of has shifted from pure comedy with hints of sadness (This Country) to Am I Being Unreasonable being a dark, funny thriller. And now this! Maybe some people just don't get it and aren't the right audience, but it was hilarious as much as it was triggering and nostalgic. Growing up in a council estate and coming from poverty myself, so many parts of what made this series great was how perfectly some of the nuances of British, poor, traumatised life were captured. I found myself laughing, getting angry, frustrated, triggered, sad... and ultimately super glad I watched this!

What a phenomenal woman!

M3GAN (2022)

Enjoyed this more than I thought I would!

[7/10 · 14 January 2023]

I knew going into this film that I wouldn't find it scary so maybe that's why I had a better experience than others. It wasn't scary in your stereotypical jump scare, scary monster, gruesome deaths kind of way! I actually thought it was quite well done because the horror is more the reflection on todays technological society. The advancement of AI, how many of us have these products in our homes, the Gen-Z habit of being on your phone all the time and detached from reality or actual human connection lol. The doll itself isn't scary, just a bit creepy and very 'uncanny valley' like a lot of these AI robot videos we see online lately.

The parts in the film that I thought I'd hate from seeing the trailer (the dancing etc) were actually quite funny in the context of the film. There was just enough comedy and ridiculousness to show it wasn't a horror in the typical sense, but the underlying narrative was a very poignant reminder of how detached we are from ourselves and people in our lives. Honestly enjoyed this film way more than I expected! Deffo more sci-fi thriller than horror though.

Halloween Ends (2022)

Peaked in the first 5 minutes

[2/10 · 18 October 2022]

The opening scene to the film with the babysitter got me excited for an iconic Halloween film, but this was indescribably disappointing and awful.

I can't believe this is how it supposedly ends lol I want my time back! They spent most of the film building this 'emotional' bond with this new character and filming a cringy ass love story and had about 10 minutes of ACTUAL Michael Myers action, with a god awful ending. They covered up most of the kills in this film too which is wildly different from the rest of the films and just feels off. Like they've been forced to not have it be as violent.

Honestly it's sad to say but don't waste your time watching if you actually enjoyed the last 2 films and the original one!

Bruised (2020)

Such a good and also awful film

[5/10 · 11 March 2022]

I've never known a film to have such deep, heart-wrenching scenes that really pull on your heartstrings and seem very realistic to real life dynamics... and also simultaneously be s**t.

One minute you'd have an amazingly scripted, greatly acted out scene, then the next was pure cliché cringy nonsense.

Pros:

• I loved how SOME elements of the MMA world were super realistic and shone a light on female fighters.

• I liked how they showed real issues people go through when trying to find their feet or chase their career.

• The family dynamics were hard hitting but I like seeing authentic situations people can be in.

Cons:

• Hated the music choices. Just awful. Could've done so much more with the music. And the type of music they played is the music I listen to!! But there's so many better songs out there they could've used.

• HATED that they wanted to reinforce the stereotype that female fighters are all a little bit gay (which is fine if someone genuinely is but there was literally no need for it in this film! Just so cliché and lazy writing. Buddakhan was an amazing character within the film and there was no need to make this a weird small love story)
• The script was sooooo bloody bad at times. All I'll say is "big and little"

Just had such high hopes for this film due to loving MMA and naturally rooting for it being directed by a woman (Halle herself). Just disappointing.

Archive 81 (2022– )

Thoroughly enjoyed this mystery/thriller

[9/10 · 22 February 2022]

I was hooked from the jump and loved that there were some aspects I couldn't figure out until the very last episode. Most things are so predictable nowadays you can tell what the ending/twist will be only a couple episodes in but this really got me thinking!

Then to find out it's based on a podcast, amazing.

Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness (2022)

Enjoyable background TV

[6/10 · 30 January 2022]

I love Jonathan in Queer Eye (and outside of it on socials) so I was super excited for their own show to come out.

It was definitely enjoyable and I did actually learn a lot, at least a couple things from each episode that I never knew before - which I feel is the purpose of the series.

The little cut scenes/performative scenes at first were a bit cringe but after the 2nd episode I grew to love them and find them funny.

I just binged the entire series in the background while I was busy doing something else, so I don't believe it's necessarily something you'd want to sit down and fully focus on, but it's worth the watch!

Also, people may complain that they can be OTT but if viewers know that's what their personality is like in Queer Eye... why do viewers think it'll be LESS like that when it's their own show? Lol.

Savage x Fenty Show Vol. 3 (2021)

It's the inclusivity that matters.

[9/10 · 15 January 2022]

I can't explain why but every year when I get round to watching these shows it makes me so emotional. I understand that it's a fashion show, so if people don't like the items being shown then that's fine as everyone has different taste. But what Rihanna brings to the table every single year is so much better than a standard boring runway show. She incorporates the collection in such a fun way it's always exciting to watch, she has completely redesigned what it means to have a runway fashion show.

The INCLUSIVITY!! That's the stuff that makes me emotional. Seeing so many different people wearing her garments, so many different skin tones, weights, body types, genders, sexualities and disabilities etc. It's so heartwarming to witness. The way the show is put together is so well done, the visuals are always amazing.

Every year I'm left waiting for the next one!

Project Power (2020)

Amazing film

[9/10 · 23 August 2020]

Literally had me hooked from the beginning. I don't understand how it has such a low score. The cinematic effects were amazing, some of the best I've seen in a long time. The story was intriguing, kept me interested throughout. I liked the suspense of not knowing which power someone was going to have! The acting was great in this too, I really cannot understand why this has such a low score... can only imagine it's because it was a strong black female lead.

Black Is King (2020)

Monumental Film

[10/10 · 5 August 2020]

The amount of reviews for this film that are rated 1 star just shows how much Beyoncé's message irks the white majority. This whole film represents a story of a young black boy that thrives when he stays in tune with his rich heritage and listens to his ancestors, rather than being lead astray by the materials of the current world. The film was so moving I found myself in tears. A lot of people simply won't understand this film out of choice, choosing to be ignorant to the actual message it's trying to portray. There's no 'black is better than white' in this film at all. It's simply reflecting that as black people, it's easy to lose yourself and your true identity to the ways of the world and through the eyes of people who don't understand your culture, heritage or history. When Beyoncé says Black Is King, she isn't saying black people are superior than all other races, she just wants black people to see their worth, light and magic. To see they come from a history of kings and queens, and not just slavery. This whole thing is to show that black people aren't just bred from slavery but royalty and love.

Mo Gilligan: Momentum (2019 TV Special)

Not as good as expected but still good.

[6/10 · 1 October 2019]

I've been a fan of Mo for a few years now, originally watching his short bits and characters on Instagram develop over time. Mo has always been hilarious to me as I felt all his sketches were on point and extremely relatable, and relatable to his environment. I was excited when I saw he had a Netflix special coming out as my partner and I have been trying to get tickets for his sold out shows for a minute and now was finally the time I could watch one of his shows, however we were both left feeling a bit disappointed. It was a funny show, we did have a few laughs here and there, and some points really hit home. However we both felt like the content in the stand up was watered down for Netflix and not his true comedy. It was definitely reminiscent of his sketches and even some voices etc were definitely taken from his Instagram characters, but the jokes just weren't hitting right. It basically felt like he'd used a PG version of his humour for his Netflix special so that he could appease a larger audience and maybe attract new eyes. This is definitely understandable, he's just trying to expand his fan base and create a bigger name for himself, I would just hate to see him try to fit in too much and become a washed down comedian. Can also imagine going from 60 second insta vids to a whole hour special is naturally going to be different and challenging for him, but we just want him to stay true to himself.