EvilPhoEniX

The duel of the Japanese Alice in Borderland against the Korean Sweet Home is won by Japan. Sweet Home is a decent adaptation with an excellent concept, but not completely satisfying, and unfortunately the series did not manage to fully sell the material. The idea of ​​an infection transforming people into monsters instead of zombies is really cool, but it's a shame that the series takes place only in an apartment building, and practically never leaves. So there is no army clearing the city and that really disappoints me. The first three episodes maintain a very intense pace, not sparing action or violence, and introduce quite a few monsters. The monsters range from decent to excellent (Slenderman and the spider turned out well). and I also enjoyed the characters (the mysterious gangster and the firefighter with military training were great), but after the third episode, the series slightly falls apart and focuses on what I feared the most: character development and interaction, which I really don't want to see during a monster apocalypse. It's a pity, from the second half, the monsters step aside and the series takes a less satisfying direction. Episode 9 kicked it off action-wise, but the finale is too calm for my taste and definitely not appropriately epic. But I have to praise the music a lot, the popular soundtrack Warriors from the game League of Legends played at least five times and fit perfectly. The visuals are also well done and overall, I wasn't bored, but there could have been much more done with the concept. Nevertheless, I'm still looking forward to the second season, because I'm really interested in that world. Story***, Action****, Humor>No, Violence***, Enjoyment****, Music****, Visuals****, Atmosphere***, Suspense***. 7/10.

Netflix has released a special episode for the awesome zombie series Kingdom and I think even those unfamiliar with the series can watch it. The film focuses on the character of Aishin, who is seeking revenge for the loss of her tribe and family, as well as the origin of a mysterious plant. It has a slower opening, the zombies enter the scene somewhere after an hour into the film and the plot honestly didn't grab me much either, but the visuals are absolutely awesome (the colors and the scenery are gorgeous), and to see a zombie tiger so soon after Army of the Dead is something I didn't expect either (though Snyder's is obviously better). The zombie make-up effects are great, the tension escalates well in the last half hour, and Aishin with does a great job the bow, too bad that there is less gore (I already have high standards). I hesitate with the rating, but there are few zombie movies, the film has its qualities and, even though I won't watch it again, I'll give it a reluctant 4 stars (quite possibly for the tiger). Story 3.5/5, Action 4/5, Humour 0/5, Violence 3/5, Fun 3/5 Music 4/5, Visuals 4/5, Atmosphere 4/5, Suspense 3/5. 7/10.

Probably the most original comedy of the last few years and surprisingly from the Germans. Two best friends drunkenly bet that they will give up all their possessions for 100 days, with the understanding that they can get one thing back every day. A great premise that makes for a number of comical situations and when you add in the two likeable protagonists you've got a winner. The film manages to mine emotion towards the end as well and I was both pleasantly surprised and pleased with the whole experience. 80%.

A madcap and occasionally slightly awkward horror comedy set in a hospital with a hunt for a kidney. Of the cast, Angela Bettis, who we all know from the horror film The Woman, and David Arquette from Scream in a smaller role are good, the rest are basically numbers. The funny scenes are unfortunately few, I enjoyed the policeman the most. and the few gory shots won’t faze anyone nowadays either. It's not great, but it's watchable. Story**, Action>No, Humor**, Violence***, Entertainment***, Music**, Visuals**, Atmosphere*, Suspense**. 4/10.

The most praised film of last year from South Korea is finished and it is a very important historical work for country. 1979 was a very dark time in Seoul, where a coup was carried out after the assassination of the president, with various military factions fighting for power over the Korean state. It's a dense atmospheric political-war piece that will grip even the uninitiated viewer. There are two top actors on both sides of the barricade, with Jeong-min Hwang playing the bastard who wants to take over the state and Woo-seong Jeong the good guy who wants to stop him. I'm not a big fan of political thrillers, but this one has such a sinister and uncomfortable atmosphere woven throughout, where the tension builds and builds incredibly, that I almost didn't breathe. Top craftsmanship, top actors, top dialogue, top atmosphere and there was some action (not much of that though), and all the intrigue and power struggles are rendered very believably. A scary and crazy night on 12.12.1979, where the ending quite pissed me off. 8/10.

The new series from the Baran bo Odar, creator of the successful Dark and the great Who Am I: No System Is Safe, is a decent mystery thriller, but it’s not the discovery of the year, the rewriting of the charts, and the new Netflix smash hit, and I'm actually disappointed with the project. The series can rely on quality craftsmanship, it has great production design, the setting and the exploration of the ship new and old has its charm, the soundtrack always at the end of each episode is very fine. The acting is decent, although no character really impresses, the atmosphere is nicely mysterious in places, and the mystery itself seems ambitious and I don't doubt the director's qualities, he's devised it skillfully, but I absolutely stopped caring about it halfway through the series. At the beginning I was surprised, as I had no idea what to expect and one question after another was thrown at me without any answer and as soon as I got answers to those questions, I actually stopped being interested, because I find the concept is quite trendy these days and crammed in almost everywhere (I don't want to say what it is, but it bothered me). I would have much preferred if they had kept it more down to earth and relied more on the mystery or horror side, which is more or less absent here. It's really dense mindfuck in places. When there is a twist, no proper action comes out of it. I would have preferred if there were ghosts or clones on the other ship, I would probably have cheered. The pacing is also a problem, it's painfully slow and by the end I was suffering slightly and had trouble finishing it. I gave up on Dark for a similar reason, and this didn't sit well with me as a result either. However, fans of Dark and slow mystery stories should give this a chance. 6/10.

Sam Mendes delivers a nerve-wracking wartime experience that will annoy action fans, as there are no big battles, and I take two points off for that as well, but otherwise it’s a flawless and excellent work in every way, and a lot of the credit goes to Roger Deakins, because the cinematographer is simply a genius. The film is shot in one take and so authentically that you feel like you are among the soldiers and experiencing the horrors of war with them. 1917 is basically a war road movie drama where you travel from A to B and even though nothing much actually happens, it has a gripping atmosphere, believable actors, awesome music and about three suspenseful, climactic scenes where I, a horror fan, wish Sam Mendes would make a horror movie next time. The intense finale ends up being highly emotional and had just about everyone with a heart in the theater rubbing their nose, so have tissues at hand. A nice experience, a must see at IMAX, and if Mendes had pushed the envelope a bt more and served up a proper war cry, this would be a clear contender for film of the year.

Stephen King's adaptations have been on fire this year, and today we have another of his short stories, which didn't knock me on my ass, but is definitely more interesting than the recent and boring Gerald's Game. My favorite Thomas Jane is in the lead role, and for the first time in a while he has a role tailor-made for him, and without him the film would definitely lose its charm. The film is set in the 1920s on a farm somewhere in the middle of nowhere, which makes for an interesting atmosphere, but there were quite a few horror elements for my taste. The intense conspiracy murder in a bed and a couple of scenes with rats definitely stand out, I was expecting a lot more of these but unfortunately they were skimped on, which is a shame because a good horror film with rats would be more memorable. As a horror film it doesn't shine too much, but it does as a mystery drama with solid performances and decent cinematography. The slower pace may be a detriment for some, but I surprisingly wasn't bored. 65%

A decent film that is solidly shot, well acted, atmospheric and I believe historically accurate, but failed to pull me in as I had hoped. A young student dies during an interrogation by the police that included torture, and everyone tries to cover it up, but the truth comes out and the students in the streets start rioting and demanding justice. It's not exactly a genre I would seek out, but the Koreans can make even a not-so-appealing theme attractive to me. 6.5/10.

This is a nice surprise that flew under the radar. A likable young female lead goes to LA to start a new life. She finds a job and a new place to live in an apartment complex, but her new neighbours are not who they say they are. The film is more of a dense psychological drama in the vein of The Wicker Man or Midsommar, but a little sibling rather than a competitor, but I don't mind that at all because I can relate to similarly-themed films and the community here has interestingly set rules. The protagonist is very likeable and some moments are not only suspenseful but also very chilling, and there is even some blood in the finale, so I'm surprised. I enjoyed it. Absolutely perfect one-shot. Women will like the film a lot. Story***, Action>No, Humor>No, Violence***, Entertainment****, Music***, Visual***, Atmosphere****, Suspense***. 7/10.