Jitesh Gawali

The basic plot is okay: The protagonist wants to believe only in what he sees and experiences personally. Even facts don't matter to him; he is skeptical that the Earth is round, that there is gravity, or the PM of India is XYZ. This is the main thread of the story, but there are other elements going on—subplots that are less amusing and somewhat random. I felt bored with the constant interfering background score; I felt bored with the repetitiveness of the ideas; I felt there was monotony in characters. Towards the end it seemed the film wanted to be more than what it is: it's just a simple story of a man who thinks differently, but he's been portrayed dramatically and to almost nonsensical effect. Unlike other reviews, from both critical and general people, I didn't feel the movie was anything groundbreaking or riveting. Watch it only if you have time to kill.

I thought the plot was interesting, and the pace and way the story was told, also interesting. Some bits were off, but nothing that should deter anybody from watching this movie, especially on an evening when s/he has nothing else to watch or do.

Keep away if you don't wanna be bored by endless sequences of nothingness. The introductory scene was quite catchy, and I must admit, it left me shuddered. But the rest of the film fell flat: I wasn't scared and neither was I creeped out by anything. I liked the plot. It was intriguing and new. A lot could have been done with the set-up, and instead, what I saw was pretentious serial killer film that tried (and failed) getting under my skin and rattling me up within. The atmosphere, the handheld cameras, the absence of music — these are great tactics, but they don't work unless the script does, or rather, in this case, the sketch of the killer does. Or maybe the film was trying to be art of some other kind, of which I wouldn't know. Creep 2 is an hour and fifteen minutes in length, but unfortunately, to me, it felt a lot longer. If you have anything else to do, do that.

I was okay with the reveal but I really liked the build-up to the reveal. And since the build-up to the reveal is the majority of the film, I can say I enjoyed the film. The Ritual is tense. It has scary moments, most of which are not in-your-face but rather felt through the direness of the characters. If I were one among the characters, I'd be hopeless and lost. I can say the same about The Blairwitch Project, Backcountry, or even Frozen. A couple of transitions, in the latter half of the film, were abrupt; they put me a bit off. Another issue, a minor one, was the uncooked backstory of the cult. These things will pinch you too; I'm sure. Overall, The Ritual is a very good attempt at survival and adventure, a combination I find the best in thrillers. I'd most definitely recommend watching it.

I was compelled to finish watching the film only after I was in the second half; till that point things seemed half-baked, witless, and barely interesting. When I first saw the poster, I saw Natalie Portman, with gun and a crew, against a misty forest backdrop. I immediately thought of survival, war, and Predator-esque alien encounter. Needless to add, I was sold. But, turns out, nothing much was like it. And honestly, it didn't matter. Visuals are good, and certain concepts (and scares) one-of-a-kind. My inquisitiveness throughout, much like some characters in the film, was intact, till the end. What I didn't like was that there were liberties being taken, that there were actions being rationalized—for example, Portman's character suddenly knows how to use a gun, and that too adroitly; only later we are told she had had a military background. Even tactically, things seemed a bit off: If I were to empathize and become one with the crew, I as a lay person, would have thought of doing a lot of things differently for my survival and the mission. And these people, who are scientists and with military intelligence, didn't know even the basics. Annihilation makes for an interesting watch only if you keep your thinking aside for a bit and indulge in the novelties the film has on offer. In any case, the film won't bore you.

Although it begins with a deep, unsettling scene, I felt Elle is oddly naturally paced, especially keeping in mind the motley of contexts the lead character, Michèle, finds herself in. The runtime of the film is 2 hours plus, which should give you a clue this isn't per se a revenge film but a journey, a discovery into self. Michèle is stoic. Some may even feel she is astoundingly dignified in her approach to handling the colorful men in her life. These are men that are vulgarly selfish and infinitely wanting: they don't stop with their harvesting at all. I liked the movie except I'm not sure whether I'd recommend watching it. The reason is that I find MichèIe to be mostly one dimensional (except towards the end), mechanical, and therefore unrealistic. Her reactions are too contained and her expressions frigid. If you don't have anything else on your list or have time to spare, I'd suggest only then you go ahead and watch the movie.

I am a fan of tense atmosphere and this film is smeared with it from minute one to the last. I loved it; it's breathtaking. It has some degree of overlap with The Survivalist (2015) in the sense of the disconnectedness shown, the minimalist setting, and the survival instincts and savagery on part of the protagonists. The plot, however, is different. Some viewers here have mentioned the film is slow and boring, but I think they are utterly wrong: the pacing is just about right with enough set pieces thrown in to keep any viewer engaged.