Movies that I've watched recently...

I have managed to get some reading done, just not a lot of it... That TBR pile I showed you the other day?  It's still where I left it, looking all reproachful in my direction :o) Work has been relentless these last few days although I'm hoping that will calm down a bit now that I've got my year end review done and dusted. It went alright actually, thanks for asking ;o)

This last week, or so, has been all about catching up on some movies once the work laptop goes off. I've watched a few now so figured it was about time that I bundled them all up together and served them to you, the reader, in this post. Here goes...

'Abigail' (2024)

A gang of kidnappers sit tight and wait for confirmation that the ransom has been paid for the girl that they are holding captive. When vampires suddenly get involved, the morning has never seemed so far away...

The 'twist' is in any number of trailers, on YouTube, but I'm going to try and stay away from spoilers here, just in case you were planning on watching 'Abigail' but haven't quite got round to it yet. Sometimes I'm nice like that, you're welcome ;o)

'Abigail' has a couple of jokes to it's name but isn't quite the 'horror comedy' that Prime Video made it out to be. That's okay though, What you get instead is a whole load of action that punctuates some genuinely creepy moments. Your mileage may vary, I really don't like vampires... Either way, 'Abigail' was a lot of fun and I'm glad I finally got round to watching it.


'The Thing' (2011)

I've often wondered quite what the point is of going back and doing a prequel after the main film has been released. The 2011 iteration of 'The Thing' is fun but also proves my point. We know what happens to the Norwegian base because MacReady goes and investigates in the 1982 version and its an easy conclusion to reach that the Thing played a big part in the destruction. Did we need another film to lay it all out? Well... 'The Thing' is fun but it's not doing anything more than rehash what happened in the John Carpenter film. And to be blunt, that was a much better film so I know which version I'll be watching next time I'm in the mood. It wasn't a bad way to pass a little time though with some nice work on the effects for the Thing.


'Truth or Dare' (2018)

A group of college kids play 'truth or dare' in an abandoned Mexican and something evil journeys home with them, raising the stakes higher as the game slowly becomes lethal.

Because I'm a sucker for a film with a creepy smile in it and 'Truth or Dare' has loads... The main cast are a little too one-dimensional to be really engaging (seriously, most of them are just there to die) but I thought the concept worked well and I'm not going to lie, some of the deaths were pretty entertaining. And the fact that people could get a 'Truth or Dare' dropped on them at any time made for some nice drawn out moments of tension. I don't know if I'd rewatch it but it wasn't a bad film.

'Smile' (2022)

I told you that I'm a sucker for creepy smiles and I'm also a sucker for films where some poor sap is slowly driven mad for no other reason that they were in the wrong place at exactly the wrong time. 'Smile' totally delivers on both fronts and Sosie Bacon is just perfect as therapist Rose Cotter, slowly being driven mad as reality breaks down around her. I could see some of those moments coming but what's key is that Rose can't and it's that performance that made 'Smile' so watchable for me. I'm not one for the cinema these days but based on 'Smile', I'm really tempted to go and see 'Smile 2' when it comes out.

What have you been watching? Leave a comment and let me know if it's worth checking out.

Comments

  1. Bookstooge25 July 2024 at 10:21

    No screen time for me. Just been reading. Also, me and horror don't get along, not even slightly, so that whole genre is out.
    How are you doing a Year End work review in July? Or is that because of the fiscal year kind of thing?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Graeme26 July 2024 at 11:48

      It's a fiscal year thing where I work, all done for another year :) I feel like I need to read more but free time has been at a real premium lately. I'm on leave next week though so hopefully that will change.

      Delete

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