This felt like a Shyamalan film, and it turns out it was. The biggest twist of the film.
Characters reveal information and others ask no follow up and it makes the end feel cheap and predictable. When I watch a Shyamalan film, I hope to not know the ending up front.
The dialogue is a little off at times and there is a goofyness to how it all wraps up.
Atmosphere was neat, even if they showed too much in my opinion, and the overhead shots do a good job at evoking an enclosure.
Categories Movie and Series Rating 2/5, Movie and Series Reviews 
I can see a lot of merit to the flick for some people, but not me. It is a lot of act-weird-be-spooky and sometimes that often takes front stage before story which kind of goes round and round and doesn’t try to surprise. In that way, it is probably doing exactly what a lot of people want.
For myself it all felt cliche, predictable beginning to end, and it wraps the ending so quick that it baits a sequel harder than a Marvel movie at the detriment of, again, story. The cast was good and the spooky is there. Just not my cup of tea and I am on letterboxd to tick stars (or lack of) for my own preferences. I am aware a lot of people really enjoyed it and I hope they get that sequel. I think I am good though.
Great cast across the board and a lovely story carried by those convincing performances. It sways between romanticism and realities with mostly ease and it feels heartfelt.
I don’t get so pumped for the finale but it isn’t bad. It is a fun zombie flick with some cool presentations in its visuals and audio.
The young actor who plays Hannah seems to have trouble delivering believable dialogue. Like its really bad and I am surprised Boyle didn’t step in, especially at a big loss scene.
With Garland and Boyle, now more recognized both as directors, involved in a proper sequel, I am excited.
Categories Movie and Series Rating 2/5, Movie and Series Reviews 
A movie that relies of a lot of cliche writing, mostly given to the child actors, and a whole hell of a lot of non-sense. Nobody behaves intelligently and it comes so rapid fire that it isn’t upsetting so much as exhausting.
I truly believe this falls on the writers and directors shoulders.
On the plus side, the opening scene is really promising. Maybe just watch that.
It is like a lot of Liman movies. It trades sense often for flash but it isn’t bad at doing it. When I think of dumb-but-fun-flicks, this is what I want. It beats sorting past 100 action hero flicks at a Redbox. Wow, Redbox. Are those still around?
Categories Movie and Series Rating 4/5, Movie and Series Reviews 
A very good movie. Some casting felt obligatory but a really fun surprise of a movie.
It felt like it wanted to do a lot of things but without much planning. This left a lot of beats feeling shoehorned in purely “because.” The few things it does well are fun to watch but its a movie where the cast largely drag it to its better moments. If Jason Isaacs, January Jones, and Ed Harris weren’t here, I think it would be immediately forgettable.
I’m torn because I really loved some aspects but some liberties felt out of place. Starting there, I think the romance plot and the mustache twirling officer felt a bit hamfisted. To not go into spoilers, I will just say this reaches a peak at the end of the film.
That being said, the cast did wonderful and there was some really good writing. I also felt mixing in direct-life clips was handled well and that is not easy to do.
I ended up peaking the wiki page for this one after and I found a lot of the parts I had trouble with were the parts adjusted to fit a Hollywood movie. Kinda a shame because the movie is fantastic in so many ways. Obviously there was a way to do these things but as is I think they felt too from-the-script-to-the-screen. It didn’t feel natural.
Don’t let what I am saying deter you though. I feel I am being a bit picky and I will probably wish I had given another half-star later.
Categories Movie and Series Rating 2/5, Movie and Series Reviews 
This sequel does not play as well as its predecessor. Characters act against their own interests and common sense too often and a lot of suspense is missing that was there first the first film.
Nothing is mysterious anymore and the delivered twists are not delivered in any way that sticks the landing. If anything it is all a bit too mustache twirly — not a good counter to the Blind Man who’s crimes we know and feel much more grounded.
Now I am going to turn heel a little here and disagree with people saying the whole idea of having the Blind Man be a sorta-protagonistish-person is a bad one. I just think making the audience root for a bad guy is hard, and the film did not really try to do that. Sitting with the bad a little more, less attempts at action and twists, less environments to move the movie through, and some self awareness. Probably with a different lead character and having Lang still as this ominous figure, but instead stepping between a situation and getting involved. A lot less screen time would have kept some of the mystery and probably bothered less people.