Movie Review - Amsterdamned 2

Director: Dick Maas
Genre: Thriller/ Action/ Horror/ Crime
Runtime: 110 minutes
Year: 2025
Starring: Huub Stapel, Holly Mae Brood, Ruben Brinkman, Tatum Dagelet, Pierre Bokma, Pieter van der Sman, Patrick Stoof
 
Description: A killer is terrorizing the canals of Amsterdam, with young detective Tara Lee on the case. They call in the help of former detective Eric Visser, now retired, who dealt with a similar case over thirty years ago.
 
Review: In “Amsterdamned 2” there is yet another killer on the loose, taking his victims in the canals of Amsterdam. Detective Tara Lee is lead on the case. Retiree Eric Visser returns to Amsterdam to help out, since he dealt with a similar case in the 1980s.

This film didn’t need a sequel. This was made purely for nostalgic reasons. And although very entertaining and enjoyable, “Amsterdamned 2” is doing much of the same as the first film. The plot is weak and the conclusion is very unsatisfying.

Thr return of Huub Stapel is the highlight though, and he has great chemistry with Holly Mae Brood. Both performances are solid. Many nods to the original, with the humor and another canal chase scene.

“Amsterdamned 2” was not necessary, but still fun. You do need to have seen the first, to understand some plot points and some nods, but overall an enjoyable film if you liked the original.

Rating: 3/ 5

80s Movie Review - Amsterdamned

Director: Dick Maas
Genre: Action/ Horror/ Thriller/ Crime
Runtime: 114 minutes
Year: 1988
Starring: Huub Stapel, Monique van de Ven, Wim Zomer, Serge-Henri Valcke, Hidde Maas, Lou Landré, Tatum Dagelet

Description: A hard-boiled police detective (Huub Stapel) sets out to capture a gruesome serial killer terrorizing the canals in Amsterdam.

Review: The is a murderer terrorizing the canals in Amsterdam. Police detective Eric Visser is trying to find out who is killing all these innocent people.

“Amsterdamned” is considered a very “un-Dutch” spectacular, entertaining action thriller. It’s directed by Dick Maas, praised for its thrilling canal chase and atmosphere.

It’s an exciting story with a good whodunnit, but it is predictable at times. The performances by the main actors is solid, the supporting roles are a bit weaker.

It’s an entertaining film and a classic in Dutch cinema within its genre.

Rating: 3/ 5

Director: Rian Johnson
Genre: Mystery/ Thriller
Runtime: 144 minutes
Year: 2025
Starring: Daniel Craig, Josh O’Connor, Josh Brolin, Glenn Close, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Jeremy Renner, Thomas Haden Church, Mila Kunis, Cailee Spaeny, Jeffrey Wright, Daryl McCormack
 
Description: Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) returns for his most dangerous case yet.
 
Review: Director Rian Johnson has never made a secret of his deep-rooted love for old-fashioned murder mysteries. That make two of us. His “Knives Out” films, this being the third in the series, are a clear tribute to Agatha Christie, with the only regular being Benoit Blanc, as a contemporary Hercule Poiroit.

“Knives Out” became an instant all-time favorite, having rewatched it many times already. The second film, “Glass Onion”, took some time to get used to, mainly because the setting felt less Christie-esk, but loved the mystery jus as much. And I absolutely loved “Wake Up Dead Man”. This film feels a bit more like “Knives Out”, when it comes to vibes and atmosphere, and yet again a clever whodunnit with a stellar cast and lots of humor.

The atmosphere is grim and leans towards a gothic mystery, with a church in New York State as a setting. The script is great, full of humor, witty dialogue and social commentary (the Christian right wing and tolerance being highlighted).

That Daniel Craig is great as Benoit Blanc, is a given by now. I actually think this is his best role ever, and not James Bond. I know, a hot take. The star-studded cast deliver solid performances, such as Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Jeremy Renner and Kerry Washington. But Josh O’Connor as priest Jud is particularly noteworthy. His complex characters often steals the show and he forms a great duo with Blanc.

Some critics say it’s the best film in the franchise, or at least almost as good as the first film. Well, I am officially giving this film a 5-star rating, just like the other two. Making it a strong, solid, amazing murder mystery series. And I will be rewatching this film many time over.

Rating: 5/ 5

Book Review - The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Title: The Great Gatsby
Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald
Genre: Classic/ Fiction
Published: 1925
 
Description: There was music from my neighbour’s house through the summer nights. In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whispering and the champagne and the stars’. Everybody who is anybody is seen at the glittering parties held in millionaire Jay Gatsby’s mansion in West Egg, east New York. The riotous throng congregates in his sumptuous garden, coolly debating Gatsby’s origins and mysterious past. None of the frivolous socialites understands him and among various rumors is the conviction that he killed a man. A detached onlooker, Gatsby is oblivious to the speculation he creates, but always seems to be watching and waiting, though no one knows what for. As the tragic story unfolds, Gatsby’s destructive dreams and passions are revealed, leading to disturbing consequences.
 
Review: “The Great Gatsby” is considered a timeless classic. I has an atmospheric description of the decadent age of the 1920s and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s poetic writing style.
 
The characters a lively and complex and Jay Gatsby himself is the ultimate, naïve dreamer. The books shows a cynical view of the American Dream, social classes, illusion vs. reality and the destructive power of dreams.
 
The book has a very slow start. It was hard to get into it. And for a book that is under 200 pages, that’s an issue. The start was a bit boring to me as well. The love story was too sentimental and Gatsby saying “old sport” every three sentences really annoyed me as the story went on.
 
I understand the reason why it’s a classic, why people love it. I just don’t think it’s the literary masterpiece people claim it to be. It’s a hot take, but I believe it’s a tad overrated.
 
Rating: 3/ 5

Movie Review - One Battle After Another

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Genre: Thriller/ Crime/ Action/ Drama
Runtime: 161 minutes
Year: 2025
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, Chase Infinity, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor
 
Description: When their evil enemy resurfaces after 16 years, a group of ex-revoltionaries reunite to rescue the daughter of one of their own.
 
Review: There are few director-screenwriters whose every film is a hit. Think of Denis Villeneuve and Christopher Nolan. Paul Thomas Anderson certainly belongs on that list. With the political satire “One Battle After Another”, he adds another gem to his oeuvre. The film is so compelling and layered that you hardly notice it last 160 minutes.

Left-wing revolutionary Bob Ferguson, also know as Ghetto Pat, joins the radical action group French 75 – named after the explosive cocktail – led by the wild, untamable Perfidia. He falls for her, and together they begin a passionate relationship. During a liberation action to free migrants from a detention camp, Perfidia humiliates Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw, who gets a sexual kick out of it. From that moment on, he tries to dominate her and believes he succeeds. Later, Bob and Perfidia have a daughter, Willa, but Perfidia refuses to take on the role of mother.

Sixteen years later, single father Bob takes care of teenage Willa. All this time, he was a dormant revolutionary who filled his days with alcohol, drugs and watching old classic films about revolutions such as Battle of Algiers. When Lockjaw reappears, the threat flares up again. He wants to join a club of white supremacists who worship Santa Claus. In order not to jeopardize his membership, Lockjaw must do everything he can to erase all evidence of sexual contact with a black woman. He organizes a raid and leads a militia to the place where Bob and Willa are hiding.

Paul Thomas Anderson is an intelligent filmmaker who refuses to be put into one genre, always trying something new and striving for originality and complexity. In that respect, “One Battle After Another” is no exception to his earlier masterpieces. Anderson was inspired by the book “Vineland”, the absurdist thriller by Thomas Pynchon.

Anderson’s film is set in the present and depicts recognizable situations from the current US, but visually and thematically refers to the 1970s. The whole thing feels both retro and modern at the same time: as if time has stood still and nothing has changed.

The film is so rich that you spend hours analyzing it. On one level, it’s a story about a child caught between two superegos: one radically left-wing, the other radically right-wing and extremely racist. On another lever, it is the quest of a disillusioned father who has lost his way but wants to regain his last shred of humanity – his daughter. And on yet another level, the films works as a metaphor for a weary left that must contend with stupid extreme right-wingers and racism.

Anderson provides the necessary perspective. As a satire, “One Battle After Another” is also rich in humor. Leonardo DiCaprio is the epitome of wit as Anderson’s version of the Dude (from “The Big Lebowski”) – bathrobe included. And Sean Penn deserves a medal for his portrayal of the most hideous and pathetic racist in years.

It is doubtful whether the whole of the US will embrace it. Despite the highly original car chase, this is clearly not a work that will appeal to fundamentalist, far-right viewers who have no sympathy for migrants and those who think differently. This will probably be my favorite film of the year.

Rating: 5/ 5

Book Review - Annie Bot by Sierra Greer

Title: Annie Bot
Author: Sierra Greer
Genre: Science Fiction
Published: 2024
 
Description: Annie Bot was created to be the perfect girlfriend for her human owner, Doug. Designed to satisfy his emotional and physical needs, she has dinner ready for him every night, wears the cute outfits he orders for her, and adjusts her libido to suit his moods. True, she;s not the greatest at keeping Doug’s place spotless, but she’s trying to please him. She’s trying so hard.
 
She’s learning too.
 
Doug says he loves that Annie’s artificial intelligence makes her seem more like a real woman, but the more human Annie becomes the less perfectly she behaves. As Annie’s relationship with Doug grows more intricate and difficult, she starts to wonder whether Doug truly desires what he says he does. In such an impossible paradox, what does Annie owe herself?
 
Review: This is the story of Annie, who is a cuddle bunny, which is a sort of sex robot called Stella. Really advanced android robots, that look exactly like a human being. You can’t tell the difference. They have three modes: nanny mode, maid mode and cuddle bunny mode. And also two settings: a regular mode, where they are basically robotic versions of a human who follow up the orders of their owner, or autodidactic mode to allow them to learn to be more like a human but still withing the restrictions of their owner. Annie is now an autodidactic cuddle bunny.
 
We learn from the start that Annie is servicing her owner Doug sexually every day and also learn that she was based on his ex-wife. While Doug was separated from her (not even divorced), he commissioned this Stella to look like his ex. Almost identical, because the company who makes these Stellas, don’t allow for people to recreate an actual person. So Doug made some changes. His wife was a black woman, Annie’s skin is lighter. And also lightened her eyes. But aside from that, she looks like his ex-wife. He turned his ex-wife into a whitewashed sex robot, essentially. And at this point, I was already alarmed.
 
Annie feels very human at the start of the book, even though you know she is not. She is programmed a certain way of course, but still acts like a human being within her programming. So much so, that people around her don’t realize she is a Stella. Because of this, there is not a lot of room for her to grow and at the end of the book, Annie doesn’t feel all that different.
 
Doug is the absolute worst, he is a terrible person throughout the entire book. And I simply don’t understand that people around him think he is a good man. And Annie, who does develop a sense of emotion throughout the story, seems to feel that too. I know she is programmed to please him, to serve him. But there is a moment in the book where she wants to get away from him. But after that, Annie still believes he loves her and that he is a good man. HOW? Doug is abusive, treats Annie like a slave, he gaslights her. An awful human. None of his behavior is okay. Even when talking about his relationship with his ex-wife, he didn’t seem to act very different from how he is now treating Annie.
 
I found it really hard to read about several of the abusive scenes in the book. Doug verbally and emotionally abuses Annie. And there was one particular scene, where he locks Annie up while turning her libido up to a maximum of 10. And Doug is constantly playing the victim, telling Annie how she hurt him. That was horrible to read.
 
I also hated the ending, which was meant to feel empowering and feminist, but turned out to be the exact opposite in my opinion.
 
I felt like this was the type of sci-fi book I would like, the premise sounded right up my alley. But I really hated it.  
 
Rating: 2/ 5

TV Review - Stranger Things (Season 5, Volume 1)

Season: 5 – Volume 1
Genre: Thriller/ Drama/ Fantasy/ Horror
Number of episodes: 4
Year: 2019
Starring: Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Noah Schnapp, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Joe Keery, Sadie Sink, Priah Ferguson, Bret Gelman, Maya Hawke, Cara Buono, Linda Hamilton, Nell Fisher, Jamie Campbell Bower

Description: November, 1987. The gang evades the military to scour the Upside Down for Vecna, but fails to notice a threat lurking closer to home.
 
Review: After the long wait (3,5 years), “Stranger Things” fans can finally travel back to Hawkins, Indiana. The final season is here, or at least the first 4 episodes. Here is my in depth review for Season 5, volume 1.

WARNING! THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS!

Like last time, Netflix decided not to drop the entire season at once. The first four episode dropped, another three will be available on Christmas, and the long awaited finale will be airing on New Year’s Day.

The first episode, “The Crawl” opens to when little Will was captured and stuck in the Upside Down. Every fan still remembers this. Weakly humming to “Should I Stay or Should I Go” in the Upside Down. Although this seems to be his only safe place, a Demogorgon soon finds him. After a blood-curdling chase, Will is dragged away, taken to Vecna. At the end of season 4, it became clear that Vecna was the one who created the Upside Down and had been present from the beginning. It was Vecna all along.

Then we flash-forward to the present. Vecna has blurred the line between the Upside Down and Hawkins, by opening giant portals that split Hawkins in two. The army decided to quarantine Hawkins.
Of course our beloved Hawkins crew adapted to this situation. Robin started a radio show. Dustin wants to restart Hellfire Club, honoring his late friend Eddie, much to the dissatisfaction of some of his class mates. Eleven is actively training to stay out of the hands of the army, but Hopper won’t let her take actual action yet. The urgency to defeat Vecna seems to have disappeared, but not for long. It soon becomes apparent that Robin is sending clues to the crew via cryptic radio messages, and they develop a plan for a “crawl”: a mission to bypass the army and find out where Vecna is. Hopper will try to get into the Upside Down.

Apocalyptic urgency is mixed with everyday problem. Dustin is bullied because he wants to bring back the Hellfire Club, Robin has a new romance, and Holly has an imaginary friend. Will, Mike and Lucas notice that Dustin is bullied, and try to remind Dustin of the shared goal: find Vecna.

In the second episode, “The Vanishing of….” Will gets a vision that Holly is the possible target of a Demogorgon. Nancy and Eleven race to the house, but find only seriously injured Karen and Ted, while Holly has disappeared. Holly is taken to the Upside Down, just like Will in season 1. But the question is, why Holly? Will tries to understand what his visions mean, with Robin’s help. A new friendship between Will and Robin starts here, something we didn’t know we needed. But this newfound bond between the two feels so sweet and pure. I love these two together. And Eleven has entered the Upside Down, to go after Holly.

Mike realizes that Holly imaginary friend, who she calls Mr. Whatsit, may be a clue to her whereabouts. And Will realizes that he can see through Vecna’s eyes and can see what he sees through his targets.
“The Turnbow Trap”, the third episode, brings a surprising twist. Holly is not in a wet, dark environment, but in the Creel house. She gets her favorite foods, toys and clothes, where Mr. Whatsit aka Henry Creel, is trying to manipulate her. And he has already found his new target, which Will is trying to figure out who, but overprotective mom Joyce doesn’t want Will to face any danger.

The crew comes up with the perfect plan to protect the next target, Derek Turnbow, a classmate of Holly. What follows is a blood-curdling action scene in which the crew tries to defeat the Demogorgon before it reaches its target. Flickering lights, 80s synthpop, and strong acting give the scene and almost Spielberg-like quality. The crew manages to rescue Derek and finds an entrance to the Upside Down. Meanwhile, Hopper and Eleven find each other in the Upside Down, and search for Holly. Their search hits an impenetrable wall, while the army is still active. And Holly is joined by Max, who is still in a coma, but seems to be stuck with Holly as well.

The final episode of volume 1, “Sorcerer”, brings the storyline to an absolute boiling point: Max devises a plan to escape Vecna’s dream world, Hopper and Eleven reach the army base and Will and Vecna have a confrontation. What follows is an episode that feels like a finale, but isn’t. It makes sense now, why the Duffer Brothers decided to split the season like this. Because volume 1 ends in a massive, epic cliffhanger. An absolute magnum opus of the series. And Noah Schnapp, who plays Will, shines in these final minutes of the episode. I always knew he was the heart of the show somehow, and this episode is the proof.

Ending on such a high note, I’m so excited to see what else the Duffer Brothers have in store for us. It will be difficult to surpass that final episode. Fast forwarding to Christmas….