Katie Tran

To me the only non-self important commentary/layer of this film was when the protagonist calls out the entire dining experience and its concepts as boring, cold, and self-important. Was that meta or what? That being said, I’m confused by some of the reviews suggesting anything shockingly original from it. It was well thought out at its bones, but otherwise anatomically mediocre. To me what it all boils down to is- you can make it deep or you can make it about a simple, warm/fun cheeseburger. (And it’s all about the cheeseburger.)

I didn’t go in expecting much, I’ll say that upfront. So maybe that’s why I found myself pleasantly surprised and my takeaway is… GO SEE IT. It had the same charm and magic as any other Disney movie. And I think some of the pricks that make people say otherwise stem from fails in the area of the usually comedically-relieving talking animal sidekick. The goat? Not funny. Totally contrived. But that’s it. If the plot seems stale at this point that’s because… how many more remixed yet formulaic fairy tales can we be told before we inevitably grow bored? It’s a fair question. That aside, it holds your attention, is visually creative, and there are a few strong songs. Just… don’t take it so seriously. It’s a Disney movie. Nothing more. Let go, escape, enjoy.

One of the most important films of the time.

Three stars, nothing more, nothing less. It’s just entertaining and nuisanced enough to keep my attention episode to episode, but its many flaws weigh it down throughout. Most notably, Shauna is an uneven character who is intended to be some dualistic protagonist we all can’t help but to root for but who is, in reality, just downright irrational and unlikeable. (Her pushing her best friend out to die because she’s mad at being called out for sleeping with the same friend’s boyfriend? And everyone else gets behind her? And she dies overnight to exposure. Yeah, dumb. Her beating up Lottie within an inch of her life and everyone letting her pull a full on Fight Club on their cult leader for ZERO reason, no. Even her as an adult murdering that guy for ZERO reason or the whole motel scene- just don’t use a condem and say you didn’t 🤷🏻‍♀️). The fact that they’re all still worried about boys and fun and prom and baby showers months into a survival scenario, yeah, no way. I get disassociating at some point and reverting… but they never even evolve in a way that feels organic. Even right after and days after the initial plane crash, they all just act as if they’re at camp. The plot darn near refuses to portray how actually messed up they would be /dark things would get right from the jump, Also, I cannot get past the fact that they all are so obviously done up in make up. Plenty of shows from Orange is the New Black, etc have characters who aren’t meant to have access to makeup (who obviously use subtle makeup) but still create their reality by portraying naked faces in women. This shows’ girls have full on perfectly plucked eyebrows, lipstick (Nat), hair dye (Nat), and mascara and all of them somehow have perfectly fitting jackets and aesthetically cute gloves, hats, and scarves come wintertime despite the fact that they packed for a weeklong summer trip. Riiiiight All in all, I’m a Lord of the Flies fan, but this is just some modern day take on it that (almost) completely misses the point. The general themes, however, are still evident. And at the end of the day, I appreciate the show’s use of clever direction, soundtrack, and leaning on some very strong actresses.

I’m not mad. I’m disappointed… The reviews promise a fresh take, jaw dropping twists, and a revamped franchise worthy of an entire new generation. In reality, these commentaries prove themselves to be nothing more than the psychological influence of great PR. I wasn’t expecting “A perfect movie” by any means. And I’m pretty unpicky with the Scream sequels… hey, as long as I have fun and feel scared for a scene or two… isn’t that the point? However, this Scream fails to produce a genuinely scary/will-haunt-you-after-the-movie scene throughout its two hours (and I’m a watch-through-the-fingers kinda gal). Perhaps most disappointingly, even the opening scene lacks the suspense and horror that defines the Scream franchise— being quick, predictable, and lacking that “edge of your seat” pace and character symbiosis. And if by “more gore” the reviews mean this one shows an organ or two. Uhm, sure. Repeating the mistake of its predecessor, nobody dies that you are even remotely invested in (just a few extras). None of the main group of characters die. And those you think do, uhm, don’t. Be bold enough to kill off characters that make us care. It’s what makes these movies jump off the screen into our own experience. Scream 1-4 had consistently great kills. These new flicks seem to throw one in once every 40 minutes out of responsibility— almost as if these new writers are too afraid to kill off anyone. It’s not really a wild ride if the writers are so soft-core as to cushion the entire narrative. And lastly, the killers were SO OBVIOUS. Every. Last. One. And worse. So lame once they took off their masks. Also way too many, “oh, just don’t think about it and it makes sense” explanations for how the killers pulled “it” off… whatever the hell even “it” was. 🙄 I’m sorry. This movie was just not intelligent. It just had good PR. The new generation of these movies boasts it breaks free from formula, but follows the rules of it almost pathetically (and loses the unpredictability of the original Screams in the process). My advice to the writers for the next movie? Stop holding on to the edge of the shallow end of the pool. Actually take risks. This franchise and its audience deserve that.

This series appeared so fresh and appealing to me at first. Half way through the season, I’m disappointed, underwhelmed, and concerned. There’s nothing even remotely original or intelligent about the series (which is what it advertises). Flat comedy, flat emotionality, and a borderline unethical narrative (void of a redeeming plot line/arch). There’s wiggle-room for exploration in a therapist who crosses a few pragmatic boundaries for the benefit of his clients. However, there is zero excuse for having a therapist who has absolutely zero boundaries. The protagonist shows up on clients’ dates, goes out on field trips with them, and at his worst allows his new adult male client struggling with anger outbursts to move in with him. And his teenage daughter. That plot line becomes even more reckless when his daughter starts skipping high school and having intimate conversations with this patient. He even just hangs out in her room while she picks out clothes. Though the writing attempts to curtail this obvious discretion of normalcy, the situation is uncomfortably and obviously unacceptable. There’s NO WAY either his practice nor the main character himself would find this okay. (I also found the plot line where his teenage daughter has a relationship with his boss behind his back somewhat… let’s be real, strange by real world standards). Furthermore, the protagonist habitually asks his clients inappropriate questions at inappropriate times. And in fact, rarely do any of these counselors seem to behave in line with basic ethics or respect of their professional responsibilities during their professional hours. I understand mental health professionals are human. But this writing somehow makes a completely real (and I’m sure naturally dryly hilarious) professional narrative/experience fantastical and something to avoid.

What is wrong with the general public? Are you that easily amused? Pish

3 and a half, to be more exact. Stunner yet with complaints.