Top 5 Thursday: Movies I Watched for My Challenge (October 2015)

Well, October is the month of Halloween, so I watched lots of horror movies for my challenge. And since I don’t do well with watching them alone, I’m very proud of myself that I managed to stay alive, haha! Here are my five favorite movies I watched for my challenge for the month of October.

5. Dawn of the Dead

I had only seen the remake, that I thought was really good. This one, also very good. I always like zombie movies and I understand why this is a classic.

 

4. Crimson Peak

I read mixed reviews for “Crimson Peak”, but I highly enjoyed the Guillermo del Toro film. Yes, it wasn’t as scary as the trailers led us to believe, but it was beautifully made and had fantastic acting in it. Especially the ladies, with Jessica Chastain as the shining star.

 

 

3. Animal Kingdom

An Australian film that I didn’t hear of until I saw it. It’s an overlooked movie, more people should watch it. It’s a strong film, with good acting. Liked it.

 

 

2. The Evil Dead

What, I never saw “The Evil Dead”. Well, now I did and I loved it. Now I understand why this movie is such a cult hit. It was terrifying and gross, yet funny and very well made. Can’t wait to see the second one, because I haven’t seen that either.

 

 

1. Sicario

I was very excited to see this movie, because I loved director Denis Villeneuve’s movies “Prisoners” and “Enemy”. “Sicario” wasn’t as good, but it was still an amazing film! Emily Blunt is sublime in this movie and the film was captivating from beginning ‘till end.

 

 

They Almost Made the Top 5: Hotel Transylvania, Mastes of Horror – Family

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 133: Animal Kingdom

Director: David Michôd

Genre: Thriller/ Crime/ Drama

Runtime: 113 minutes

Year: 2010

Starring: Ben Mendelsohn, Joel Edgerton, Guy Pearce, Luke Ford, Jacki Weaver, Sullivan Stapleton, James Frencheville, Dan Wylie, Anthony Hayes, Laura Wheelwright, Mirrah Foulkes, Justin Rosniak

Description: A seventeen year-old (James Frencheville) navigates his survival amongst an explosive criminal family and the detective (Guy Pearce) who thinks he can save him.

Review: Director David Michôd gave his debut movie “Animal Kingdom” a bit of a misleading title. It sounds more like an accessible Disney movie of nature documentary, but instead it’s a film with themes like drugs, murder and crime. “Animal Kingdom” refers to the ‘beast’ in people and the hierarchy in the criminal world.

In the film we follow Josh “J” Cody, a seventeen year old boy who ends up under the pressure of his three criminal uncles. Josh gets into dangerous situations because of them and eventually has to choose between his loyalty to his family and the help of detective Leckie.

The story of “Animal Kingdom” is pretty simple and is about the choice between good and bad. This does give the movie some clichés and some choices and plot twist seem unrealistic. The movie does surprise though, there are some engrossing scenes that all have a great buildup. What makes “Animal Kingdom” special is the gloomy and dark tone that dominates. No bright colors, just cold hues. And then the contrast between the dark shadows and the bright lights. Sometimes when the ultimate bad guy Andrew ‘Pope’ Cody is in shot, he is in darkness surrounded by darker shadows. And the dramatic music also adds to that depressed atmosphere.

The film is also great because of the fantastic performances. Especially Jacki Weaver, as Janine Cody. Her charming yet devilish character draws your attention. James Frencheville, who plays J, plays his first role in “Animal Kingdom” and manages to keep up with the rest. Guy Pearce also gives away a solid performance.

“Animal Kingdom” is an acting film. The dramatic, sometimes cliché plot serves as a background for a grabbing performance by the cast. “Animal Kingdom” is not an accessible movie, but it’s a vibrant movie experience.

Rating: 4/ 5