Knock Knock (2015) - Film Review

Review:

*Originally written October 9th, 2015*

"Fucking, bitches!"

Knock Knock is a film I've been wanting to watch for ages now, our cinema showed the trailer for it several times, but sadly it never came to us. So when it finally came to VOD in America recently, I took the first chance I could to download it.

For the film itself, it was a lot of fun. Two young women seduce a married man played by Keanu Reeves while his family are away. The night after, the girls refuse to leave and it turns out this was all just a sick game to torture married men who cheat on their wives. What I appreciated most about Knock Knock is that it doesn't take itself too seriously. While Eli Roth was responsible for the Hostel series, the arguably most brutal of the torture porn genre, he also directs this, but it is remarkable restrained with its torture. This isn't a complaint, I much preferred this to the Hostel films.

It's always a gamble with a Keanu Reeves film these days, the guy is really hit and miss, and his misses can be horrendous, but there is just something so watchable and endearing about him. He wasn't terrible here, but he channelled some Nicolas Cage in a scene towards the end, which was fantastic. He hams it up to 11, and it was glorious. The girls playing the two psychos were fun, they were clearly having a blast just hamming it up and going completely mental.

The girls motivations are extremely weak, they claim they're "not animals" towards the end, but they kinda do some stuff that really contradicts that, it might have been a bit of lazy racism and the writers completely forgot about the black character and what the girls do to him. 

The ending was utterly fantastic and hilarious. The whole film seems to build to this punchline that plays to Where is my Mind by Pixies (A song I adore). I don't wanna spoil it, but the final scene is funnier than anything I've seen from any full on comedy this year. (The alternate ending is pretty good too)


This film was destined to be annihilated by critics, but I think they were looking at it wrong, they were probably expecting a dark morality tale set during a home invasion thriller, but in fact what we get is a trashy black comedy/horror, if you see it for what it is, you're gonna have a good time with Knock Knock.

7/10 Dans

Knock Knock is out now on Blu-ray and DVD in the UK. It is also currently streaming on Netflix in the UK
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Olympus Has Fallen (2013) - Film Review

Review:

*Originally written November 22nd, 2017*

"White House Down"

Olympus Has Fallen is a film from the '90s. Everything about it is from a different era. From its psychotic protagonist, overbearing patriotism, awful CGI and unreserved brutal violence.

This is the sort of thing Gerard Butler should be doing. Not terrible rom-coms. Butler is an actor designed to play within stupid action films. Characters that have no problem murdering people in increasingly sadistic ways.

As fun as Olympus Has Fallen can be, it's not all successful. It runs overlong and could have been trimmed to a brisker 90 minute run-time. There's also a lot of scenes taken directly from Die Hard with no sense of irony. It also takes itself far too seriously, despite the silly premise, everything is played dead straight.

The CGI is garbage too, the opening assault (which is fantastic) is plagued with what looks like PS2 cut-scene special effects. I at least appreciate how violent Olympus is. In a world plagued with PC attitudes and toned down violence in mainstream films, this comes along and gives that a big "Fuck you". Butler brutally murders faceless Koreans with head-shots, neck breaking and stabs to the head. In a world of complex heroes who feel bad about killing, it's oddly refreshing to see a film where our lead is a complete sociopath.


There's not a massive lot to say about Olympus Has Fallen. It is what it is, a throwback from a bygone era. Violent, stupid and over the top, but above all: fun.

7/10 Dans

Olympus Has Fallen is out now on Blu-ray and DVD in the UK
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Inland Empire (2006) - Film Review

Review:

*Originally written August 30th, 2017*

"Lynch Me"

Well, I've now seen every single one of David Lynch's films. It's been a weird, weird, but compelling and incredible ride. One I imagine I'll only appreciate more with each watch.

Inland Empire is by FAR Lynch's least accessible work to date. And that is saying something. The story of an actress losing her mind in an abstract and confusing way (Which is the point with Daddy Lynch). 

I think I might enjoy this more on rewatches (Like I say with every Lynch film), but I'm not really sure how I felt about the look of the film, which was shot on standard definition. It's a weird choice. It made things look very amateur, with an almost documentary, on-the-fly like feel. 

I have to admit, that Inland Empire felt far too long though. I watched this in one sitting and it was a little bit of a challenge to get to the end. Laura Dern was fantastic though, possibly the best performance I've seen from her.

I'm currently going through the Twin Peaks revival series, which is some of my favourite work from Lynch right now (See it, it's awesome). But, compared to Lynch's other work, it feels like a bit of a downer note to end his film career on, but I did like it for the most part.


I do hope to see Lynch return to film once the Twin Peaks revival is over. I'm in dire need of more and new Lynch in the cinema.

6/10 Dans

Inland Empire is out now on Blu-ray and DVD in the UK
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Death Note (2017) - Film Review

Review:

*Originally written August 26th, 2017*

"Book of the Dead"

I wasn't massively sure what to expect from Death Note. I've never seen the anime show (Probably never will) and being a Netflix film meant my expectations in term of quality were very low. Also, after Adam Wingard's Blair Witch, I was pretty ready to write this off entirely. 

Despite a pretty poor script at times, I actually had a fun time with Death Note. It's silly, stupid and a bit of a mess, but like Wingard's other films, it takes these problems and sorta makes them work? Not to the extent The Guest and You're Next managed, but he managed to make a watchable film.

My main problems were mostly with the last act. The twists get pulled out very fast and frequent (Some also very predictable, to the point I was surprised they were treated as such a big reveal), it made it a bit laughable by the end. The ending itself was also very abrupt and a bit annoying. I know Wingard as has said there could potentially be more Death Note films for Netflix, so I guess they left the door open, but it was handled pretty poorly here.

Everything else though was absolutely fine. The cast were good. Nat Wolff was a bit annoying at first as the lead Light, but he quickly grew on me. Willem Dafoe was the stand out as the voice of Ryuk (The God of Death or something). His menacing voice worked for the character, which I also loved the practical design for. I did also like Lakeith Stanfield as L, who seemed like a character from an anime, and probably had the most personality out of everyone, despite looking like he was dressed in Watch Dogs cosplay. Margaret Qualley was a bit of a mixed bag as the love interest, but that's mostly fault of the writing rather than her actually performance.

This whole thing is at its most fun when Light is getting to play with the Death Note (A book where you write someone's name down in it and they die), he uses these powers for good, going on a montage of killing just criminals. Then the police get involved after Light makes the stupid decision to give his killings a signature, one the police quickly trace back to Light's city.

Wingard's style and direction is certifiably assured. The film looks gorgeous, one of the best to come out of Netflix. There's no terrible CGI and a lot of the gore is practical and looked disgusting (Enough so to get the rare "18" rating in the UK, which seems rare these days). The soundtrack sounds like it was made up of unused tracks from The Guest, which is a compliment. The soundtrack was great.

Death Note will probably be hated by many and it has its problems, but for the most part I had a good time with it and it's easily a step in the right direction for Wingard after the terrible Blair Witch.

7/10 Dans

Death Note is streaming worldwide now on Netflix
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The Ridiculous 6 (2015) - Film Review

Review:

*Originally written December 12th, 2015*

"Cinematic Cancer"

I guess the real joke is on me for watching this. I thought under the handle of Netflix that they would manage to produce a film that was in line with Adam Sandler's films from the 90's. I should have known better, this was just utter, utter garbage.

Adam Sandler stars in this ensemble comedy with dozens of actors who are far and above this material. It follows Adam Sandler (Who is an Indian, yup, what the fuck) who finds out he has 5 other brothers (One of which is black, because lol, why the fuck not?) and they must all band together to raise some money to get their father out of a jam.

It's an atrocious Adam Sandler affair. I was one of the few people that enjoyed Pixels, but after this I am right back into the "Fuck You Adam Sandler" group.

The jokes are lame, unfunny and juvenile. One of the recurring jokes is a donkey that can shoot a strong stream of diarrhea from its asshole. Funny right? Jokes about shit? 

Don't get me wrong, I like juvenile humour, as long as its done right with charm, look at South Park as a case example. Here, it's just head shakingly embarrassing. Made worse by the fact it's 2 hours long. 2. Fucking. Hours. What the fuck were they thinking? This could and should have been no longer than 80 minutes, that would have at least made it a bit more tolerable, but at 2 hours, it is just an overkill of excruciating torture.


Netflix really did make a deal with the devil when they signed on to make a bunch of films with Sandler as The Ridiculous 6 is one of the worst films of the year. A true embarrassment to everyone involved.

1/10 Dans

The Ridiculous 6 is streaming now on Netflix worldwide
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Fast and Furious 7 (2015) - Film Review

Review:

*Originally written December 11th, 2015*

"Pure Nonsense"

"Fuck it" must have been a phrased very overused when writing the script for the seventh (Yes, seventh) entry in the increasingly interesting blockbuster franchise. I really doubt anyone who saw the original Point Break knock-off in 2001 would have ever thought this series would be breaking the billion dollar mark and not just be making a seventh entry, but the seventh being the best of the whole lot.

James Wan (Saw, Death Sentence) takes over the director's chair from Justin Lin with a story that is just complete nonsense. Jason Statham plays the brother of the bad guy from the last film and he wants revenge, so Vin Diesel and his team of superheroes(?!) go on the offensive to take him down.

There's also some silly stuff about a government weapon that can locate anyone in the world that takes the crew on a globetrotting adventure with increasingly chaotic results.

While I think the first 4 films in this franchise suck (That said, I still have yet to see Tokyo Drift), they really found themselves when they introduced The Rock and ditched the street racing bollocks for a straight-forward heist film and the sequels all just lean towards action. 

And in terms of action, Furious 7 knocks it out of the park again with some truly absurd set-pieces. Driving cars out of skyscrapers, parachuting cars, levelling the streets of L.A. and of course the Jason Statham beating The Rock in a hand to hand fight. It is all crazy stuff that is a far cry from what the series started as, and for that, it is all that much better. These characters have all become invulnerable superheroes, the stuff they survive would kill any of the Avengers. 

Also, after spending 7 films with all these characters, you start to kinda like them? Maybe it's Stockholm syndrome or just the fact the barbarically lame jokes were cut down for this one, but I seem to enjoy spending time with these characters, they have a good and likeable dynamic by this point. It's a shame that The Rock was cut down to about 3 scenes this time around, but when he's on, he steals the show with his always perfect charisma.

We also get the new bad guy with Jason Statham. Who was just fine, he does his usual Statham thing, although it was nice to see him as a full-blown villain for once. There is no depth to his character at all, he is just a complete revenge machine, which in all honesty, I enjoyed. I did find it funny that the crew wanted to use this "all seeing eye" government weapon in order to find him, but during nearly every set-piece he shows up to try and kill them anyway, kinda making that whole side plot a bit pointless?

Of course, there is the Paul Walker situation (He died in a car crash during the production of the film), which you all know about, and it was handled remarkably well. The tribute at the end is surprisingly touching and the CGI isn't distracting at all. It will feel weird without him in the next one, but they handled his exit with grace and in a way that would have made me cry if I had anything close to resembling a soul.

Fast and Furious 7 or Furious 7, is exactly what it tries to be and knows what it is, making it a hugely entertaining action film with some truly mental set-pieces and even has a surprising heart at the centre of it. I know there are 3 more of these films planned before the franchise (maybe) calls it quits, but screw it, I say bring it on. I cannot wait to see how they top the madness on display here.

8/10 Dans

Fast and Furious 7 is out now on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD in the UK
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Son of Saul (2015) - Film Review

Review:

*Originally written August 23rd, 2017*

Holy shit. I know Holocaust films are going to be relentlessly bleak and horrifying, but holy shit. This might be the best Holocaust film since Schindler's List and that is not a hyperbolic statement.

Son of Saul is a gruelling, painful and powerful piece of cinema. A masterpiece. The tracking shots were incredible. Geza Rohrig was amazing as Saul, giving a very subdued, yet emotional performance. 

Such an incredible and unique film that seems like it was from a seasoned director who has mastered film making, but holy shit, this was a directorial debut. 

I loved the way it was shot. Almost in a POV style, always focusing on Saul's journey. Despite being a Holocaust film, it never lingers on misery porn or graphic violence (Most the executions are blurred in the background, but that never makes things any less disturbing).


I'm rambling, but holy shit. Go watch Son of Saul. Now. Goddammit.

10/10 Dans

Son of Saul is out now on Blu-ray and DVD in the UK
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Wind River (2017) - Film Review

Review:

*Originally written August 21st, 2017*

"Cold Crime"

Taylor Sheridan might have written Hell or High Water and Sicario (Two of the best films of their year), but he's not directed anything till Wind River. And you'd think he was a seasoned director which the excellence of display with this violent, bleak and engaging thriller.

It really helped going in knowing nothing about Wind River. I'd never seen a trailer or even read a plot synopsis, so I was going in blind (It was also the Odeon Screen Unseen this month, so I had no idea I was seeing it till I walked into the screening). 

This was an engaging and insanely tense film. The mystery at the centre of the film involves a murdered girl found in the middle of the snow in Wyoming. A hunter and FBI agent are brought together to solve the crime and what exactly happened.

There are obvious similarities to Sheridan's Sicario. Wind River also involves a female FBI put out of her depth in a scenario she doesn't fully understand, making her seem cold to the locals and their ways. Elizabeth Olsen is great in her role, as is Jeremy Renner as the hunter helping her, he really is wasted in the Marvel Universe, showcasing a much stronger and well-rounded performance here than the ones he's usually wasted in.

The central mystery is one of constant engagement, leaving me constantly intrigued. I was at the edge of my seat a lot. It's perfectly paced and went by like nothing. I can't believe this was nearly 2 hours, I was convinced it was around the 90 mark. The final act was some of the most intense stuff I've seen all year, with some well staged action and well realised revelations. 

My only real complaints is there were some weird scenes throughout that didn't quite make sense. Olsen's character walks in on a character slashing her on wrists, and her reaction wasn't to call an ambulance, but to apologise for walking in the room and forgetting about it. They also hint at a romance at the end, which felt unnecessary and tacked on for some easy resolution to the story.

It's rare a film like this comes around where everyone's character motivations make sense. Renner's character was well-rounded and had a great arc. His silent, didn't talk much performance bought a lot to an obviously damaged character. I kinda wish the opening act explored him just doing his job as a hunter more.


Wind River is an excellent directorial debut from Taylor Sheridan, a tense, well though-out thriller that I'm sure I'll grow to love more on rewatches. I can't wait to see him do more as a director and writer.

8/10 Dans

Wind River releases in cinemas on September 8th in the UK
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The Defenders (Season 1) (2017) - TV Review

Review:

*Originally written August 20th, 2017*

"Defenders Assemble"

Marvel and Netflix's The Defenders has been a show a long time in the making. We've had 2 seasons of Daredevil and a season each of Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist to set this up. For the most part, The Defenders is a success, it's a hell of a lot better than the painful Iron Fist and I liked it a bit more than Luke Cage and Daredevil season 2, but it never reaches the insane heights of Daredevil and Jessica Jones debut seasons.

Things are a bit muddled at the beginning. 2 of the Defenders are obviously needed back in New York for the inevitable team-up, but it makes the finales of Luke Cage and Iron Fist kinda pointless. They made a big deal of Cage going to prison in his show, but he's quickly released by Foggy Nelson in the opening moments of the premier, while Iron Fist is called back from China once he realises the real threat is in New York. There seemed to be a bit of a disconnect and lack of communication from show runners in setting up this series.

Things really shine when the team are finally put together. A whole episode takes place in a Chinese restaurant, and The Defenders get to interact and riff off each other. This is when the show is at its strongest. The cast have really chemistry together. Jessica Jones and Matt Murdock in particular have some of the best scenes.  Iron Fist is also at his best when he's with Luke Cage, but he's still a whiny bitch when he's on his own.

This show clearly didn't learn from the mistakes of Iron Fist (The panned final stage before The Defenders). In all fairness, this was already filmed and they clearly didn't have time to learn from the reception of Iron Fist. Still, Danny Rand is still the most annoying part of the show. He's so annoying and whiny. Which is a great shame when the rest of the team are so great.

Things also fail in the hands of the villains. Sigourney Weaver is completely wasted in a muddled villain that guess what? Listens to classical music! It's wildly unoriginal and she had the potential to be a villain on the same level as Wilson Fisk or Kilgrave. All the stuff with The Hand doesn't help. They sucked in Daredevil season 2 and Iron Fist, and they suck here. They at the very least are finally given some weight as a credible threat here to a point. Elektra is also back as essentially a rip-off of The Winter Soldier, back from the dead with an erased memory but can get flashbacks at the mere mention of her name.

There is some exceptional action spread throughout where each character gets their chance to shine. The boardroom fight in the fifth episode in particular has some real kinetic energy to it and I wish we got just a bit more of that. It's a shame that the finale lacked much of a real punch. There's a big action scene towards the end involving all The Defenders, but it lacked any real threat or fun. Hip-hop music also starts playing and stops out of nowhere for no discernable reason, it was really strange and felt like it was trying to tap into Luke Cage's unique style, but failed miserable and just came off as weird.

The consequences of the finale is also outrageous. I know Daredevil is a lawyer by day, but there is no way The Defenders would get away with the borderline terrorist act they committed.  The finale at least puts all The Defenders in an interesting place at the end (Except Iron Fist. Fuck Iron Fist).

I did appreciate the colour schemes. It was very faithful to the individual TV shows. Daredevil's scenes are mostly red, Jessica's are drenched in muted blues and Luke's scenes are primarily yellow. Bringing these shows together really worked stylistically without losing what made each member unique.

The Defenders wasn't amazing, but it's a step in the right direction for Netflix's Marvel Universe after a couple of missteps. There is real room for improvement (Especially in fucking Iron Fist), but for the most part, it was all good fun with some great character moments and everyone got to a chance to shine. 

7/10 Dans

All episodes of The Defenders are now streaming on Netflix worldwide
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The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017) - Film Review

Review:

*Originally written August 20th, 2017*

"Wind beneath my wings"

The Hitman's Bodyguard is more or less exactly what I expected from the trailers, no better or worse. It's a merely passable and watchable action comedy that thrives on Samuel L Jackson and Ryan Reynolds chemistry.

The biggest problem is easily the film's tone. It goes a little too serious and sometimes quite horrific (Seeing a man's family get gunned down by a very out of place Gary Oldman doesn't make for good material in a stupid action comedy). Gary Oldman does seem like he's in a completely different film, a genocidal dictator who takes things far too seriously. It was just bizarre and not in place with the rest of the film at all.

Everything is just fine for the most part. Things shine most when it's just spending time with Jackson and Reynolds. These guys work insanely well together. Jackson has the time in full "Motherfucker" mode. Honestly, he says "Motherfucker" more times than I think he ever has in his entire career. While Reynolds does his sarcastic thing. The balance between the two works well. Jackson's character never takes anything seriously, mocking any kind of moment close too seriousness. Him undercutting Oldman towards the end was one of the highlights.

The film stretches its two run-time to breaking point. This easily could have been a 90 minute film, but instead they pad it out with a lot of unnecessary detours than easily could have been trimmed for a leaner and tighter film.

Patrick Hughes at least directs some solid and violent action scenes. He's not hampered by that PG-13/12A rating he was forced to work with on Expendables 3, so there is some at least very violent and dark gallows humour thrown into here. It feels very much like a homage to the films of the '80s and '90s. Midnight Run and 48 Hours being the most obvious that come to mind. I have yet to see The Bodyguard, so I'm not entirely sure if this is a straight up spoof of that, which the trailers and posters made it out to be.


The Hitman's Bodyguard really is what it is. A fun, passable summer action comedy that suffers from a tonal identity crisis and it's a bit too long, but Reynolds and Jackson really shine together.

6/10 Dans

The Hitman's Bodyguard is out now in cinemas in the UK
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The Dark Tower (2017) - Film Review

Review:

*Originally written August 18th, 2017*

"Shit Tower"

I'll start by saying I've never read any of the Dark Tower books (Or a Stephen King book to be honest), but from what I've heard from everyone, it is a far from faithful adaption from the books. Books that sound far more interesting than this bland film offered too.

The Dark Tower is a weird film, it has some good ideas, but is never allowed to breathe thanks to its measly 90 minute run-time. Things are always moving, but it never stops once to make me care about the characters. I was also a little iffy on motivations, especially Matthew McConaughey's bad guy. Every character is very thin and barely explored.

We're force feed flashbacks and "visions" to get to know these people, but it's never enough. It starts with a kid called Jake who is some chosen one who sees "The Dark Tower" in his dreams, a tower in another universe that will unleash darkness upon the world if it is destroyed. We quickly learn he is the chosen one that has the only mind strong enough to destroy this tower. Matthew McConaughey's "Man in Black" tries to hunt down Jake and use his powers to destroy The Dark Tower while Idris Elba's "Gunslinger" Roland protects Jake so he can get close and kill The Man in Black as revenge for the death of his father.

There is a clearly a rich world at work here with some cool lore, but this brisk film is far too plot focused. It all feels rushed and messy. We get to point A to B without much interesting happening in the middle. There is potential for scenes between Jake and Roland to bond, but they never really do, making the finale lack any real heart, although the film plays it like it does.

I will admit I did enjoy some of the scenes with Roland's culture shock as he travels from our world from a post-apocalyptic universe. It reminded me of the best moments from the two Thor films. I would have liked to see more of Roland just failing to adapt to the real world and trying stuff out here. Tom Taylor and Idris Elba both do fine jobs. Elba is always effortlessly cool and carries that cowboy charisma extremely well, while Taylor carries a tiny bit of weight with his performance that deserved a much stronger script.

Matthew McConaughey on the other hand is atrocious. A laughably camp panto villain that I couldn't decide was brilliant or just shit. He feels insanely out of place in a film that takes itself so seriously. I had no idea why he was evil and wanted the end of the world either, he just seemed evil for the sake of the plot needing a bad guy.

While there is some visual flourish in the visuals, I'd say the direction for the most part is pretty pedestrian and flavorless, Nikolaj Arcel is a complete jobber and I wish they chose someone more interesting for this project, but I guess the studio needed someone not well established that they could control because this film clearly does not have a singular vision in mind at all. That said, there was some cool stuff here and there. Roland's reloading was pretty awesome and there are a couple of sweet action beats towards the end.


I'd probably have more to say if I was familiar with the source material, but I'm not, so as a standalone summer film, it's just pretty bland, mediocre and very forgettable. I'm pretty sure this series isn't made to be another "Chosen child on a fantasy adventure" thing, but hey, they managed to make into that. What a waste of Idris Elba.

4/10 Dans

The Dark Tower is out now in cinemas in the UK
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Point Break (2015) - Film Review

Review:

*Originally written March 13th, 2016*

"Point.... Shit"

I know I'm not the biggest fan of the original. I'm aware of what it is, pure '90s action cheese, and for that it's fine, I get why it got its cult status and why people love it, it just didn't do a lot for me, but it was still head and shoulders over this abysmal remake.

The production of this film has was an utter mess, it first started out as a sequel that probably would have been straight-to-DVD, but then it become a remake that was stuck in development hell over the years. I think Gerard Butler was attached at some point too? 

Eventually in 2015 (or 2016 for us in the UK), this remake hit the big screen. I just wish it stayed in its development Hell and eventually got cancelled. It tells the same story the first did, a rookie FBI agent goes undercover with a gang of thieves to bring them down. The two changes here are the fact that surfing is swapped for "extreme sports" and the rating has been watered down for a PG-13/12A audience.

It's a train wreck all around, despite the high-budget, it reeks of a cheap cash-in and has that really dull and ugly look that all these straight-to-DVD films, it's just so grey and drab. So boring and ugly to sit through.

While the original had this tongue in cheek charm of its absurd content, this plays it so dead serious. There's not a single ounce of even a sense of fun. It tells a lot when the scene it Hot Fuzz spoofing a scene from the original Point Break carries more of an emotional impact than the remake. There's no irony to any of the insane stuff on display. 

Utah lets Bodhi get away so many times that it becomes laughable. Both the leads are utterly cardboard and uncharismatic it's ridiculous. Luke Bracey's performance as Johnny Utah makes Reeve's acting looking Oscar worthy, there's not an ounce of charm to him, he's just so boring. I usually like Edgar Ramirez too, but here he suffers the same problem, he's just a pale comparison to the original. Ray Winstone also carries none levels of madness and entertainment Gary Busey managed to exhale with his performance.

Where I thought this remake might redeem itself was in the action department, being partly about extreme sports, I thought maybe there could be some inspired set-pieces, but no everything is fairly dull and boring. It doesn't help that the watered down rating took away from any of the impact, despite police being gunned down during a bank robbery, none of it felt violent at all. The fact they couldn't make any decent heist scenes too is disappointing. 


Point Break is a cheap looking, boring and uninspired watered down version of a film that didn't need a remake, and it shows. Thank god this flopped, hopefully Hollywood will realize nobody wants family friendly versions of '80s and '90s action films.

2/10 Dans

Point Break is out now on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD in the UK
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The Revenant (2015) - Film Review

Review:

*Originally written January 15th, 2016*

"Back from the Dead"

Alejandro G. Iñárritu (That's a name I won't be typing again) won the Oscar for last years wonderful Birdman. So expectations were high for the next vehicle for Leonardo DiCaprio allusive Oscar. I'm pretty pleased to say that The Revenant is a brutal, bleak and unflinching masterpiece.

DiCaprio plays Hugh Glass, a frontiersman on a expedition who is left for dead by his crew after a bear attack leaves him in a near death state, his son is also killed by Tom Hardy's Fitzgerald so he goes on a quest for revenge through the hard wilderness once he gets his strength back. 

It was a remarkable film. You feel every moment of DiCaprio's pain from the get go. His performance is truly committed, I don't know what the hell else he needs to do to win an Oscar after this. Honestly, he might need to die on camera for a posthumous award if he doesn't get it this year. I like to think of DiCaprio's journey of revenge in this as a metaphor for his ambitions of that Oscar, just going through so much, only to get knocked down, again and again. 

Even with his Oscar nomination for this, I don't feel a lot is being said about Tom Hardy's performance as the villain of the piece. He was fantastic. Even though he's the bad guy, his motivations still make sense, so it made for a complex villain that there is not a lot of today. 

Much like Birdman, I was left a little cold by the some of the more symbolic aspects of The Revenant. There was quite a few trippy dream sequences that come out of nowhere and honestly did not feel needed. They just come off as a bit pretentious. I'm sure there was a deep meaning behind a lot of it, but I didn't get it.

I did appreciate how straight forward the story was, despite the odd abstract moment. I did feel the 160 minute run-time a couple times throughout, this could of easily been trimmed a bit. This film is draining, you feel every minute of DiCaprio's journey. That said, every minute of the film absolutely gorgeous and there was so much craft and excellent film making was put into this. The opening shot was stunning and looked like one long shot. Every moment of cinematography was beautiful, even after just seeing a film set in the same time in the snowy frontier with The Hateful Eight, every shot looked fresh and unique here. Props to the sound and production design too, they may as well filmed this in the 1820's. Everything looked and sounded perfect.

The bear scene was something of a technical achievement to say the least. It had to be done with CGI for obvious reasons, but that took nothing away from such a thrilling and amazing sequence. Seriously, probably the most intense scene we're gonna get from a film all year. Every action scene struck and left me in awe, from the opening battle to the brutal and vicious showdown between DiCaprio and Hardy, it was all top notch. There was no compromise with the violence on display here either, everything felt real and raw, nothing felt fake or Hollywood. 

Loved the man vs man/man vs nature aspect of the film too. There was a lot of pure survival stuff which I adored during the journey and then it all wraps up powerfully with a touching and emotional end. There was a bit of ambiguity of the ending, but that didn't bother me at all. I will urge you not to look up anything about Hugh Glass before seeing The Revenant though. Oh, yeah, this was all based on a true story and this was surprisingly true to the actual events, which only made me love it more.


The Revenant might be a little long, but it's a bleak, intense, perfectly shot, uncompromisingly brutal and beautiful film that packs an emotional punch and features a truly powerhouse performance from DiCaprio that more than deserves his fabled Oscar.

9/10 Dans

The Revenant is out now on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD in the UK
Watch the trailer below:

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