Karen Brandimarto

Whoa. Did not see this one coming. Everything about this movie was impressive. The creative, morbidly hilarious plot, the acting, the effects, the characters, the twists and turns ... I could go on, but it'll border on gushing. I laughed out loud, I winced and screamed, I even hit rewind so I could see certain scenes a second time. Then I watched it again the next day. If it hadn't been for some over-the-top language and gore, I'd own this movie and recommend it to everyone I know with five stars across the board. And the ENDING?! Well, I don't want to spoil it, so just see the first two sentences of this review.

As a huge fan of both Emily Blunt and John Krasinski, I'm sad to say the second installment of the Quiet Place duology was probably my biggest disappointment of the year (movie-wise that is). While the acting is impeccable, the plot itself is seriously lacking--taking us no further in the story than the first movie, and leaving us no wiser regarding how it all started. The tension stays high, certainly, but the resolution was the same in the second as it was in the first, and the main focus and conflict rested on the children's shoulders most of the time. (A big problem for someone who only watched it to see Blunt turn in yet another stellar performance.) And if each character hadn't moved at a snail's pace, there wouldn't have been enough storyline to fill an entire movie. All in all, I became so overwhelmed with somehow both stress and boredom that by the end, I committed myself to never watching another one of these movies again.

As a writer, former lit agent assistant, and a huge movie buff, I would say this movie was very close to being sublime. The poor ratings I can only assume came from people who didn't pay enough attention or people who weren't able to look past the minute details that I could/have only taken away one star for. I won't deny, the girl who played Cassandra was a terrible actress, and some of the mystery never quite added all the way up. HOWEVER, the questions that went unanswered seemed to be intentional - not plot holes like some might suggest - beautifully depicting the moral that there is no happily ever after for people or children who have been victimized on this level. One may seek answers forever and never find a single one, others may seek and find but never glimpse the entire picture. In a fairy tale, the entire kidnapping ring would be brought down and all the children taken would be returned or avenged, but sadly, that is not how it works. Reynolds, Dawson, Speedman, and Enos were all at the top of their game, and though the story itself lacked that certain twist to make things really sparkle, I couldn't help thinking that it rang true in many ways. Could this have been a high octane thriller if the writer had willed it? Absolutely. But that was clearly not the aim, which is established in the very first frame where we are made aware that the girl in question is still alive. This movie was frustrating, smart, interesting, and hauntingly intense, the same way following an investigation for a real abduction always is. Accented with beautiful snow covered scenery to complement the turmoil of a couple destroyed after the loss of their daughter, the ratings on this movie have me wondering why anyone listens to professional critics anymore. And why people with such short attention spans continue to watch mysteries.

What a bizarre movie! I don't mean this in a bad way at all. Okay, actually I could've done without the world's most awkward sex scene. But it was fresh, fun, entertaining, and full of surprise twists. My chief complaints, however, were with the misrepresentations in the summary, along with the unlikeliness of the plot itself. A vigilante is not quite the proper term for what Miss Meadows is. Rather, she's simply the kind of woman who finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time all too often, and is more adept than most in the art of self defense. She doesn't seek out criminals, she happens upon them ... a lot. If this movie had been touted as the story of an unlucky woman with a violent streak, it would've made more sense. Still, not a bad way to spend a couple hours, and Holmes's acting is, in a word, sublime.

Interesting concept, but by the second half, things grew slow and sad and devoid of tension. And with the hard-to-watch acting that pervaded the first half, I regret jumping the gun to buy it. Lots of inconsistencies, some needless nudity, almost all unlikable and unrealistic characters, and one seriously preposterous ending ... This is a one-timer. Having said that, it gets three stars for being boldly original and delivering a potent message that no one should take lightly in this day and age.

Meh. Nothing groundbreaking or earth shattering, just a bunch of people trying too hard to make a silly story less silly.

This movie came as a bit of a surprise to me - somehow managing to be both wildly unrealistic and impressively intense at the same time. With the premise being as outlandish as it was (no surprise since this was made clear in the trailer), I'd expected some light entertainment with a lot of laughs, and what I got instead was an oddly disturbing revenge experience that I'll not soon forget. Kevin James turned in an excellent performance, along with a few actors I'd never heard of - so much so that I'll never scoff at him taking on a role outside his niche again. However, the problems of this movie were right there in the plot. A thirteen year old taking on four fully grown men, while exciting and fresh in its way, did more harm than good. All I could think was "if Becky was even three years older with a background in sports or martial arts, this would be brilliant!" But instead, it fell into the SILLY category. And the actress who played Becky was subpar at best, often trying too hard or not remotely hard enough. In fact, if it weren't for her, I would've given this four stars.

A pretty pleasant surprise. Creative premise, likable characters, dark humor with light-hearted delivery, a cute love story, and a decent little murder-mystery woven in. All in all, this show checks off all the boxes. Having said all that, I could do without the bad acting and the not so subtle digs at religion and capitalism. And, for it being the 2030's, the references are pretty outdated. In fact, they'd be outdated even if it took place now.

After years of hearing about this movie and how "adorably romantic" it was, I finally sat down to watch it tonight, and I gotta tell ya ... It may literally be the worst romance I've ever seen. Bad acting, unlikeable characters, sappy storyline, non-existent chemistry between the love interests ... I've seen Hallmark movies with more talent and heart. And this is coming from someone who loves Richard Dreyfuss, classic movies, and unrequited love stories. The single thread of silver in this dark cloud of an experience was John Goodman. His acting was on point, and his facial expressions alone might've saved this movie had it been any lesser of a disaster.