deloudelouvain Reviews

Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema (2008)

Good action/crime from South Africa.

[7/10 · 22 May 2024]

Gangster's Paradise Jerusalema is a crime/action movie from South Africa. Subtitles will be needed as the English wasn't easy to understand, let alone the South African which was actually more a dialect from the suburbs than anything else. Normally as a Dutch speaking you can understand it a little bit but this was far from what I'm used to. The story is easy to follow, with loads of action scenes so you never have slow moments. A good movie if you like gangster flicks. Overall the acting was good, but some were more convincing than others. The quality of the images could have been better but that's if you start too look at the small details. Inspired by true event, which is always a bonus, but then again they can do whatever with it as it's only inspired.

The Mill (2023)

One actor, one location, difficult to be a great movie.

[6/10 · 21 May 2024]

The Mill isn't a bad movie but it was a bit too monotone to be standing out. Everything, well almost everything, is shot in the same place with basically just one actor (Lil Rel Howery) talking to other actors we don't see. There are some intriguing moments but it's never really suspenseful. The ending was surprising, not bad actually, but it couldn't make this movie stand out from the rest. The idea was there, so it was a bit refreshing, and the acting was not bad but movies with just one actor and one location are rarely really good. I can't say I regret watching it, even though I found it a tiny bit too long.

A Murder at the End of the World (2023)

Good enough to watch once.

[6/10 · 20 May 2024]

A Murder At The End Of The World is a whodunnit murder mystery somewhere in the middle of nowhere in Iceland. Sometimes a bit confusing so not the easiest plot to follow, and it was a bit too slow paced also at times. Emma Corrin plays the head character, the one that likes to investigate, and although she's not a bad actress I found her sometimes overdramatic. Maybe because of the script, that could have been better. Certainly the ending that I found disappointing. The series is only seven episodes long and is about two different stories in different timelines. The main story takes place in a ultramodern bunker whilst the side story, a hunt for a serial killer, was in my opinion much more interesting to follow. Because of the unsatisfying ending and the few overdramatised scenes I'm just going to score it a six which means good enough to watch once.

Sting (2024)

I don't like spiders, never did, never will.

[7/10 · 19 May 2024]

When I saw Sting was a horror movie about a spider I immediately had to think of Frank Marshall's Arachnophobia (1990) with Jeff Daniels, a movie that gave me the creeps. Me and spiders, it's not a great combination as it's one of the only things that I fear. Sting wasn't as scary as Arachnophobia, where it looked like millions of spiders crawled from everywhere, but it was an enjoyable and entertaining movie. The spider looked dangerous, the actors did their job and the cinematography was of good quality. Definitely a horror movie that will give the arachnophobes among us the chills. No way this movie will heal my fear.

Problemista (2023)

Not a tearjerker but not a bad movie.

[7/10 · 17 May 2024]

The problem with a comedy is that you will never please everybody as we all have a different sense of humour. I read that some other reviewers found it very funny whilst I found Problemista an entertaining movie that I enjoyed watching but not really funny. It has an ironic tone but it's not a tearjerker. Writer/director Julio Torres also played the main character, a weird looking nerd that tries to get sponsored by Tilda Swinton who plays an annoying "Karen". They both did a good job with their performances. The rest of the cast was good as well, but it was more about the two main characters than anyone else. It's worth watching.

Force of Nature: The Dry 2 (2024)

Equal to the first one.

[7/10 · 16 May 2024]

Force Of Nature: The Dry 2 is a total different story than the first movie so it's not really necessary to have seen that one first. It's again with Eric Bana, who plays the major character, a fed trying to solve the disappearance of a woman played by Anna Torv. I didn't know she was Australian, in the sci-fi series Fringe she could hide her Australian accent easily. Good acting from the entire cast. Nothing dry about the movie though, quite the opposite, as everything is very green and wet. The story is of equal quality as the first movie. You have to stay focussed so not really an easy watch.

Abigail (2024)

It's better to just watch it without reading about it.

[8/10 · 15 May 2024]

If you don't know anything about the movie I wouldn't read anything about it and just watch it to experience it better. I immediately had to think of Quentin Tarantino's From Dusk Till Dawn, another movie with a similar story that surprises you when you watch it without any knowledge. Personally I think Abigail as the title for the movie wasn't a good choice. It kinda gives it away, that the girl is special. Still I did enjoy it. Believable actors, even the little Alisha Weir that I found better as the evil kid than the 'normal' kid. Nice job with the creepy scenes, credits to the make-up artists.

Late Night with the Devil (2023)

Straight from the seventies on tv.

[7/10 · 14 May 2024]

Late Night With The Devil looks like an old movie but that's only because the story is happening in the seventies. Well done for sure as the talkshow looks like something that would be popular in those times. The costumes, hairdos, decor, or even style are all from the seventies so it looked all correct. The various pauses for commercials every five or ten minutes were also original and made this movie look like it was aired on tv (well American tv then, famous for their constant very annoying interruptions). Writers/directors Cameron and Colin Cairnes did a good job making this easy to follow mild horror movie. Good acting as well from the entire cast. Just don't expect hardcore horror, it's more the mysterious tension that keeps the audience interested. I enjoyed watching this one.

Deadstream (2022)

Better than I expected it to be.

[7/10 · 13 May 2024]

I'll admit I had doubts about this movie. The reason, it looked like it was going to be a homemade low budget movie, with a very small cast, just one location, and the main actor being also the writer and director. Also shot with a handycam, not really the style I normally like to watch. But Joseph Winter did a good job combining it all. Also the fact that it was about followers and an influencer, not really things or persons I have a high opinion about. But it turned out be subtle irony and that was the thing that made me laugh more than once. As for the horror, for a low budget, it was decent. Mostly jump scares but good ones. Found footage movies can be slow and ultimately boring but this one, although not really a found footage but in the same style, was good entertainment. In this genre well worth a watch.

Scream Queens (2015–2016)

I say what now...

[7/10 · 11 May 2024]

It took me a couple episodes to get into this show. At first I had a bit of a problem by the annoying characters "The Chanels" played by Emma Roberts, Abigail Breslin and Billie Lourd. I didn't get the irony by then but as soon as I realized it was more a parody than horror I got into it. They did a great job playing those posh dumb know-it-better. Of course you wish them to be butchered like the vast majority of the cast. Glen Powell was by far the most comical in Scream Queens. His role as a hot dumb stud, that thinks the planet turns around himself was just perfect for the comedy part. Miecy Nash was her usual self, like in Reno 911, a loud mouthful hothead. She was also very funny. Nice to see Jamie Lee Curtis again. A lot of horror classics got parodied, sometimes almost exact copy-paste scenes. Movies like Nightmare On Elm Street, Scream, The Shining, or Silence Of The Lambs were a good inspiration to the makers of this enjoyable short (only 2 seasons) series. Okay sometimes it's a bit dumb, but that was actually the best part of Scream Queens.

Jimmy Carr: Natural Born Killer (2024)

I guess some people are easily offended...

[7/10 · 10 May 2024]

Jimmy Carr brings another show with the kind of jokes we're used from him, the short one liners that make you think for a second, and that makes you giggle once you got the pun. Of course you will get people that get offended as his jokes are raw and risqué, but then again he's doing this for ages so why would you even watch his shows if you're that easily offended? Anyway, Natural Born Killer might not be his best performance but it's certainly good enough if you like Jimmy Carr. He joked about every delicate subject possible so I'm not surprised he gets negative reviews. But if you think you can laugh at anything and everything just give this show a go, you might enjoy it.

Finestkind (2023)

Watchable but not great.

[6/10 · 9 May 2024]

I get the negative reviews some wrote for this movie. Some people are not easily satisfied and this movie could have been better considering the cast. It felt and looked more like a tv-movie than anything else. Tommy Lee Jones is getting older although I thought he was older than he actually is. He just looks older, still can act though. Like the rest of the cast he's been in better movies. It's watchable but some scenes were, or a bit cheesy or a bit too macho. A bit too long as well in my opinion. But there are way worse movies. This one is just a watchable tv-movie, nothing more, nothing less.

Avengement (I) (2019)

Bloody revenge movie.

[7/10 · 7 May 2024]

I was in the mood for a good action/crime movie and I stumbled on this one. When my wife said there was an Eastenders (a popular English soap that seems to go on forever) actress I was already cooled down as I find soap actors just bad actors, well most of them that is. But the actors (some familiar faces) gave a pretty decent performance in this brutal and bloody revenge movie. The fights were well choreographed and looked real, an important thing as the movie consists mostly of fighting scenes. Sure, a bit over the top, like usual I would say in these kind of movies, but certainly entertaining. A good watch.

Barbarian (2022)

Suspenseful, mysterious, and creepy.

[8/10 · 5 May 2024]

Writer/director Zach Cregger made an entertaining horror movie. In this genre it's not always easy to create something 'new' and to also be good. The story is certainly gripping, in the first half of the movie it's a lot of wondering what is going on. There is definitely a tension that keeps you guessing, that makes you thinking you figured it all out. The second half it gets more serious, more horror and still a good intense suspense. A freaky looking character that will scare more than one. Good acting from the entire cast. The cinematography was very effective, with dark chilling scenes, and a good soundtrack to keep it suspenseful.

You'll Never Find Me (2023)

A bit too slow paced.

[5/10 · 4 May 2024]

An Australian horror movie, it had been awhile since I watched one. I remember some good bloody horror movies from down under so I was expecting something similar but it turned out to be quite the opposite. You'll Never Find Me is more a psychological than visual horror. I'll admit there was a bit of mystery what kept me interested in the story but it was a bit too slow paced to be excellent. Nothing wrong with the acting from the very small cast. As for the cinematography it was quite simple as almost everything is shot in one place. Not bad though, just small budget. The ending was a bit disappointing in my opinion so I score it only a five.

Humane (2024)

Watchable but a bit low budget.

[6/10 · 3 May 2024]

Humane is just good enough to watch once if there's nothing else to do, nothing more, nothing less. It feels a bit low budget. The acting is so-so from certain members of the cast, the rest was okay. It's not really a horror story unless you're easily horrified. Nothing really scary about this movie, maybe a bit thrilling. As for the sci-fi aspect I guess the plot will not be sci-fi for much longer. I mean overpopulation, it's already starting and it's only a matter of time before we get stuff happening like in Humane. In short, the movie is watchable, just don't expect to be amazed because you won't be.

Studio 666 (2022)

Good funny slasher with great sound.

[8/10 · 2 May 2024]

I don't get the bad reviews for this movie. I was looking for a comedy/horror and having The Foo Fighters as the actors turned out to be a nice bonus. Before watching Studio 666 I read some reviews stating the acting wasn't good so I expected just some laughs watching Dave Grohl and co trying to act but fail. In my opinion it was quite the opposite, they all were believable in their roles. Not what I was expecting from musicians. Nice to see Kerry King from Slayer playing a character. I bet those guys had a lot of fun making this movie. I sure did when watching it. Good slasher scenes as well. Also much better than I expected. There aren't too much bloody scenes but the ones you get are well made and shot. Creative ways of dying in a slasher, can't get enough of it. Musicals, normally the genre I despise, and although this one isn't a musical, the sound was just great. I would watch any movie with that music. Great sound and funny slasher, what else do you want?

Tallulah (2016)

Not a bad watch.

[7/10 · 1 May 2024]

Tallulah isn't a comedy or maybe I have another sense of humour and I didn't get this one. It's a drama, the genre I seldom choose when it's my turn to pick an evening movie. But it was my wife's turn so I abide. Tallulah isn't a bad movie though. I did enjoy following this story. The crime element keeps you interested, wondering when the truth will be unveiled. So a tiny bit of suspense as well. Ellen Page (sorry I won't call her Elliot as she was still Ellen Page at that time) did a good job playing the main character. Good cast, quite a few actors known from being in series rather than movies, but all very convincing. Not a bad watch.

Sick of Myself (2022)

We all know narcissists.

[7/10 · 30 April 2024]

Syk Pike (or Sick Of Myself for the English title) is a Norwegian movie about a couple with severe narcissistic personalities and what they are willing to do to get the attention they so crave. I found it interesting to follow as I know at least two friends like that. Lying to everyone, making up stories so they become the center of attention, I've seen it all. In this movie it's of another level and that's why you could classify it as a horror movie. In my opinion it was more a dark comedy/drama than a horror but I get it that gross might look like horror to some. Good acting from the to me unknown Norwegian actors. All in all a good watch, easy to follow, and entertaining if you know people like them as you can compare their personalities a little bit.

Assassination Nation (2018)

Meh...

[6/10 · 29 April 2024]

Assassination Nation is okay to watch once if you don't have high expectations. It's one of those movies you watch and forget everything about it the very next day. That's actually the major reason why I rate everything I watch, to make sure I don't make the mistake to watch a mediocre or bad movie twice. Writer/director Sam Levinson didn't convince me with this movie. The characters (high school know-it-alls and woke influencer wannabes) are already annoying in real life so watching them in a movie isn't really pleasant. As a comedy it isn't funny enough, and as a crime the story is too weak. It could happen though, hacking is from this age, but only idiots would get caught. It's watchable, just not great as some want you to believe.

Monkey Man (2024)

Nice directional debut from Dev Patel.

[8/10 · 26 April 2024]

Dev Patel already acted in several very good movies like Slumdog Millionaire, Lion, Chappie and others, but for his directional debut we had to wait for Monkey Man where he acts, directs and wrote the screenplay. Certainly not a bad debut, on the contrary it's a fast-paced action thriller that is quite entertaining if you don't mind a couple over-the-top situations where the main character played by Dev Patel himself is a well trained fighting machine seeking for vengeance. Apart of a couple shaky scenes the rest is high quality in your face camerawork. Well choreographed fighting scenes that looked painful and bloody. It's a bit in the style of a Jason Statham movie, only this time the hero is Dev Patel.

Immaculate (2024)

Religious so obviously a bit creepy.

[6/10 · 25 April 2024]

Immaculate has some good things about it, like the acting, the soundtrack, the mystery vibe that keeps you interested, but also some weaker points like not enough horror scenes to be considered as a horror like it is categorized and it could have had a better satisfying ending. Sydney Sweeney has been in much better movies and series but her acting is always good. Álvaro Morte is mostly known by everybody since his role as El Professor in the popular Spanish series La Casa De Papel (or Money Heist for the English title). He was convincing as wll in Immaculate, as were the other actors. Overall it's worth a watch, just don't expect creepy horror. It's about religion, and I think believers (in whatever religion) are a bit creepy so that kept me interested in the story.

Luther: The Fallen Sun (2023)

A bit far fetched sometimes.

[6/10 · 23 April 2024]

Luther is a series that I strangely didn't watch yet. Strangely because I watch a lot of stuff, especially that genre, and of course the high ratings it gets, and Idris Elba that I enjoy watching. So I watched Luther: The Fallen Sun instead to have an idea what to expect if I ever decided to watch the series. The movie didn't convince me though, too much over-the-top and far fetched storyline, but then again it rates much lower than the series so I might still watch it. The acting was what I expected from Idris Elba, good. John luther is a good role for him. The movie is entertaining enough to watch once. Hopefully the series much better.

Unfinished Business (I) (2015)

Some good scenes, enjoyable

[7/10 · 22 April 2024]

Unfinished Business might not be for everyone, comedy will never please everybody the same as we all have a different sense of humour. So when I see a low rating, like this one, I still give it a shot as I might like it. Sure, it's mostly because of Vince Vaughn people would watch it but the better funny parts were with Dave Franco and Tom Wilkinson. The nerdy character and the exploring elderly man gave the story the necessary funny situations to make this movie worth watching. It's easy entertainment so give it a go. Sure there are better comedies but Unfinished Business deserves a higher rating on here.

Martyrs Lane (2021)

Still waiting for the horror.

[5/10 · 20 April 2024]

Writer/director Ruth Platt didn't convince me with this movie. I found it a bit boring to be honest. Too much repetitive scenes without anything really scary happening. I mean it's categorized as a horror/drama. Give us some horror then. A bit of scary scenes could have made it more interesting. The positive was the acting. The main characters were kids but they gave a convincing performance. Kiera Thompson and Sienna Sayer did what they were supposed to do, the plot just didn't help them. Maybe I was just too much in the mood for a good horror movie. Unfortunately this movie wasn't one of them.