FANTASY ACTION DRAMA/THRILLER. “Dust Bunny.” / “The Strange Dark.” / “Imitation Girl.” / “One & Two.”

“Dust Bunny” (2025, HBO Max) fantasy action, directed by Bryan Fuller, his debut project. A hit man is approached by an eight-year-old girl to kill the "monster" under her bed that she claims "ate" her family, suspecting they were actually killed by dangerous assassins who are after him. 



       ⁹The chemistry between Mads Mikkelsen and Sophie Sloan is so adorable and alluring. The dazzling display of monster mischief (not really vicious to me) is made more entertaining by Mads and Sophie's infectious vibe, especially the young child's wit and humor. 

       At the 53rd Saturn Awards, “Dust Bunny” won Best Independent Film, while Ms Weaver won Best Supporting Actress in a Film; the film was also nominated for Best Film Screenwriting (for Mr Fuller), Best Supporting Actor in a Film (for Mr Mikkelsen), and Best Younger Performer in a Film (for Ms Sloan). 🎥💻📽


“The Strange Dark” (2024, Amazon Prime) sci-fi thriller. The plot takes place over a single night, focusing on a scientist who has seen the calculus of the universe. When two mysterious strangers knock at his door, his wife must decide who to trust as the night devolves into violence and revelations. 



       With a measly production budget of $150,000 and with a cast of never-heard performers, this “dark comedy” delivers some easy laughs and silly intrigue. Still, the 1 hr and 24 minutes of lazy couch time was worth it. 🎥💻📽


“Imitation Girl” (2017, Amazon Prime) science fiction drama. The movie explores themes of identity and human nature through a mysterious alien entity that falls to Earth and takes the physical shape of a woman. 


       The premise is a cliche, of course. From 1976's “The Man Who Fell to Earth,” starring David Bowie, to the current TV series “Sugar,” and more way back when. So there's nothing much to see here but Lauren Ashley Carter's focused performance in a dual role is worth the couch time. 🎥💻📽


“One & Two” (2015, Plex) independent Southern Gothic coming-of-age fantasy thriller. A brother and sister possess the ability to teleport short distances. Raised in isolation behind a large, mysterious wall by a stern, controlling father and a frail, sickly mother, the siblings face deadly consequences as they sneak out and test their powers. 



       High-five to the performance of young stars Kiernan Shipka and Timothée Chalamet. But that's all. This lame, pretentious exercise, written and directed by Andrew Droz Palermo, doesn't make any sense. And that's all that I can say. 🎥💻📽


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

BASED on True Story or People: “The Lost Bus.” / “The Stanford Prison Experiment.” / “Escobar: Paradise Lost.” / “Polytechnique.” / “Miss Potter.” / “Last Days.”

Image
“The Lost Bus” (2025, Apple TV+) survival drama film directed by Paul Greengrass , who co-wrote the screenplay with Brad Ingelsby .         This movie is based on a rescue detailed in a section of Lizzie Johnson's book “Paradise: One Town's Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire” about the 2018 Camp Fire , one of the most destructive wildfires in California history, which claimed 85 lives.        Mr Greengrass’ recreation of the disaster is terrifyingly authentic. It'd seem like the film's audience is actually there with the schoolchildren and their teachers and driver, inside the bus. You can almost feel the blazing fire and the searing heat.        Plus an outstanding performance by Matthew McConaughey as the driver Kevin McKee and America Ferrera as the teacher Mary Ludwig.        Recommended weekend family viewing. 🎥💻📽 “The Stanford ...
Read more

NOSFERATU (or Dracula) movies or films inspired by Bram Stoker's 1897 novel “Dracula.”

Image
<>“Nosferatu” (2024, Amazon Prime), written and directed by Robert Eggers . Production design is haunting, photography is disturbingly sinister, sound editing kneads your spine. And, of course, Nicholas Hoult (as Thomas Hutter) expectedly delivers and Lily-Rose Depp (as Ellen Hutter) is a revelation.         Meanwhile, with the prosthetics or masks, it is hard to rate the performance of Bill Skarsgård 's titular Count Orlok but Simon McBurney (as Herr Knock otherwise known as Renfield) is chillingly hilarious although a bit exaggerated, I think. But Aaron Taylor-Johnson (as Arthur Holmwood) is miscast.        Take note that Nosferatu/Count Dracula, Jonathan Harker and Lucy Harker, Abraham Van Helsing, Lucy Westenra, Renfield, John Seward, Arthur Holmwood etcetera assumed different names in this version. 🎥👍📽 <>“Nosferatu The Vampyre” (1979, Tubi), directed and written by Werner Herzog . A remake of...
Read more

“The Alto Knights.” / “The Irish Mob.”

Image
“The Alto Knights” (2025, Max) biographical crime drama. Story: In a failed assassination attempt orchestrated by his ambitious underboss, Vito Genovese , Luciano family boss Frank Costello finds himself at a crossroads. Robert De Niro both portrays Mr Genevese and Mr Costello , which can be confusing a bit because both speak like De Niro and both talk like Mafia bosses. As is though, this is not a bad movie although nothing is really new here. But a tired retelling of what we already knew or watched in so many mob cinema tropes.         Plot: In a failed assassination attempt orchestrated by his ambitious underboss, Vito Genovese , Luciano family boss Frank Costello finds himself at a crossroads. Weary of the constant bloodshed and betrayals that define his life, Costello informs Genovese of his intention to retire and cede control of the Luciano family. However, Vito, a man consumed by ambition and paranoia, refuses to believe Costello's in...
Read more