Ryan O

Its plot is pretty familiar, even recycled, but still intriguing. It has a brilliant sense of isolation, suspense, and survival of the fittest, and unlike many films of its kind, doesn't go over the top. For its budget, the visuals and production values are impressive and show how a lot can be accomplished without blowing up budgets. But the cast was probably the film's most valued element. Ariana DeBose was great as the lead and Pilou Asbæk's character surprised me. The whole cast knew how to be edgy in their conflict and generate the right amount of suspense. One thing I should note is the timing of this film. Given that it comes out amid wars in Ukraine and Palestine, I think the reflection of these real-life conflicts could potentially make it even more horrifying to some viewers.

It sorely went overboard with its not-so-subtle references to previous Disney classics, but it wasn’t entirely distracting from its ambitions. The animation was beautiful, mesmerizing and colourful. As one of the few that mixes CGI with traditional animation, it works in such a way that feels fresh and its style makes us feel like this is an actual storybook. I hope more films are made like this in the future. Love the main characters more than I thought I would. The star and the goat are adorable merchandising side characters. But the true STAR was Asha. Ariana DeBose lends an excellent voice to this lovable protagonist who has the same kind of charisma as Moana and Maribel. Although the villain’s motivations were confusing, Chris Pine gave King Magnifico the right edge to make him a lovable villain who doesn’t get too serious. I think many may agree the top highlight would be the music and scores. The movie had yet another catchy villain song. And I believe two of them will go down as some of the most memorable ones for years to come. For a film focused on reminiscence, it sure gave me a warm feeling that took me back to my childhood years, and I love it for it. The narrative wasn't perfect and overstuffed with nostalgia, but there was still enough magic in it.

I'll start by stating the obvious; it was nowhere near as great or scary as the original. But I didn't go in expecting it to be. That being said, I firmly believe that this installment, ahem, possessed some of the chilling supernatural elements and emotional impact that made the original film so unique. It thankfully wasn't over-reliant on jump scares and prioritized build-up and tension, and also produced some chilling moments that put me on edge. There were some issues with the character dynamics. I was definitely attached to the lead father and the daughter in the film and cared more for their arc. The family of the other possessed daughter however didn't have much of their own arc and I wasn't convinced when they decided to go through with the exorcism. Unfortunately, the film didn't make the best out of Ellen Burstyn's return as she was underused. However, her ending in the film did have an emotional punch behind it, as did the conclusion for a few of the other characters. It's not necessarily a franchise reviver, but it's easily the best sequel of the series.

It was a little slow, probably longer than it needed to be, and had a bit of an uneven narrative. BUT that did not stop me from taking in the realistic and enduring hardships presented by the two main protagonists. The hardships of loss, guilt, abuse, sexuality and addiction are something that I'm sure many can relate to as we watch things unfold. The film was emotionally touching, and uplifting, and even had some comedic moments. Florence Pugh delivered one of my favourite performances I've seen from her. It was a treat following the arc and emotional obstacles of her character. She had a monologue in the film that hit hard and was tearful. Morgan Freeman, where has he been? He too played an interesting character going through struggles of his. The both of them were a dynamic duo and I thoroughly enjoyed their chemistry. I also enjoyed the interactions with the granddaughter as well. The ending felt a little forced into and didn't pack as much emotional punch as it could've, but it was still satisfying while at the same time leaving things up in the air for what lies ahead for the protagonists.

Despite having an interesting concept, I went into this show with low expectations. Turns down, this show was much more lovable than anticipated that I finished the entire season in just one day! The most prominent kudos to the performances of the two young leads and their chemistry, which was obviously the most alluring part of the series. I went in thinking their romance is gonna be completely forced and even unconvincing. Boy, was I wrong! Turns out there was a natural setup behind them getting together, and even then, there was a lot of rockiness behind their relationship, largely due to the massive complications between their families, which of course gives "Romeo & Juliet" vibes. But their romantic moments together on screen was so dazzling and beautiful that it made my heart melt (and I don’t get that way very easily). There were also some emotional moments between the families, especially during the season finale when people were forced to make hard choices. Suffice to say, I won't pretend that this show didn't have flaws. My major criticism goes to the visuals. I don't know what kind of budget they had, but there were some blood splatters that looked like something you'd see in a student film. Probably a good thing they kept the visual effects to a minimum. Also, there were some obstacles and conflicts there were easily dropped just as fast as they started. One side note downside is this show confused me on the rules of vampirism. I had no problem with certain vampire legends being switched around, but at times I just didn't know what was accurate in this universe. It's hard to say if Netflix will be convinced to renew the show, as by the time I made this review the show is currently in the top 10. And while it's not very popular with critics, a lot of audiences seem to love it. For me, its heartbreaking cliffhanger undoubtedly has me yearning for a second season.

Suffice to say, it does depart a bit from the run-of-the-mill teen drama formula. There were some great performances and chemistry between the two leads, even if their romance felt a little sudden. However, I'd say Mary J. Blige might've given the most enticing performance. The twist was pretty predictable, BUT once the dominoes started tumbling, the surprise ending had me taken aback.

Seriously, is there anything Denzel Washington can't do?? His recitals of the authentic literature written by the great Shakespeare felt completely organic and natural. This is easily one of the veteran actor's most stand-out performances and one of his best. The superb interactions between the rest of the cast made this feel like more than just an adaptation of the play. The rest of the cast also gave it their all with this film in all the good ways, especially Frances McDormand. Although I read some of the play in high school, I was still pretty unfamiliar with the story. So it was great to see the story unfold. Director Joel Coen gave an eerily intriguing take of the play. The black-and-white format gave the film the kind of haunting tone it probably needed. A lot of the cinematography contributed greatly to the feel of the setting. On a side note, this is officially the first Apple original film to make my top ten of its year.

SPOILER review: I always had a feeling this was going to be like Halloween 2018; wipe the slate clean and make a sequel that's at the same level as the first film. Along with that, an interesting new spin was given to the series. It may not have been very scary, but its tone and the chilling/ mysterious mythos behind the hooked man made me paranoid all over again! It pays respectful homage to the original film while brilliantly mixing in racial commentaries that were very fitting for the overall plot. I'm guessing we have Jordan Peele's writing to thank for that. Although, there were one or two occasions in the narrative where these commentaries felt pretty forced and random. A most notable example is the climax. My major disappointment is that we barely see Tony Todd completely take on his iconic role. I get what they were doing with the film in terms of the concept of Candyman being any black person who was killed by racial injustice instead of one single person, and I think it was a smart notion. But at times I sat there wondering when he was going to show up. I feel like they could've fitted him in a little more without it feeling forced. Other than that, the kills were brutally intense and there was some enticing suspense throughout. I think director Nia DaCosta also has a promising career in horror if she continues down that route.

In the last few years, Lakeith Stanfield had starred in several films that became my all-time favorites. And now with this film, he just added more fuel to that flame thanks to his gripping performance. I felt the fear and tension that his character was put through being the Judas of the Black Panther Party. Daniel Kaluuya of course owned his role as the late civil rights activist, Fred Hampton. Both actors rightfully deserved the awards they were nominated for and won. I was pretty surprised at how the time just flew with this story structure, as it possessed some tense and dramatic moments.