Netflix Friday - Volume 84

Some Netflix film tips for the weekend! And there is something for everyone, since I picked a movie for all the different genres.
 

Action: 13 Hours (2016)
During an attack on a U.S. compound in Libya, a security team struggles to make sense out of the chaos.
 

Drama: The Unforgivable (2021)
A woman (Sandra Bullock) is released from prison after serving a sentence for a violent crime and re-enters a society that refuses to forgive her past.
 

Comedy: Lady Bird (2017)
In 2002, an artistically inclined seventeen-year-old girl (Saoirse Ronan) comes of age in Sacramento, California.
 

Animation: The Polar Express (2004)
On Christmas Eve, a young boy embarks on a magical adventure to the North Pole on the Polar Express, while learning about friendship, bravery, and the spirit of Christmas.
 

Romance: The Notebook (2004)
A poor yet passionate young man (Ryan Gosling) falls in love with a rich young woman (Rachel McAdams), giving her a sense of freedom, but they are soon separated because of their social differences.
 

Horror: Crawl (2019)
A young woman (Kaya Scodelario), while attempting to save her father (Barry Pepper) during a category 5 hurricane, finds herself trapped in a flooding house and must fight for her life against alligators.
 

Science Fiction: Elysium (2013)
In the year 2154, the very wealthy live on a man-made space station while the rest of the population resides on a ruined Earth. A man (Matt Damon) takes on a mission that could bring equality to the polarized worlds.
 

Crime: Jackie Brown (1997)
A flight attendant (Pam Grier) with a criminal past gets nabbed by the FBI for smuggling. Under pressure to become an informant against the drug dealer she works for, she must find a way to secure her future without getting killed.
 

Thriller: Shutter Island (2010)
In 1954, a U.S. Marshal (Leonardo DiCaprio) investigates the disappearance of s murderer who escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane.  
 

Documentary: Lead Me Home (2021)
“Lead Me Home” is a short film that follows several people living on the streets in West Coast cities.

Family: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016)
The Turtles get into another battle with their enemy the Shredder, who has acquired new allies: the mutant thugs Bebop and Rocksteady and the alien being Krang.

Movie Review - Crawl

Director: Alexandre Aja
Genre: Horror/ Action/ Adventure/ Drama
Runtime: 87 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Kaya Scodelario, Barry Pepper

Description: While attempting to save her father (Barry Pepper) during a category 5 hurricane, Haley (Kaya Scodelario) finds herself trapped in a flooding house and must fight for her life against alligators.

Review: The era of summer blockbuster once started with “Jaws”. And if you loved “Jaws”, you’re really going to like “Crawl” as well. It’s a small survival horror film, where two people are trying to escape hungry alligators. This simple given isn’t a masterpiece like “Jaws”, but results in a surprisingly solid and fun monster movie.
During a hurricane in Florida, Haley is trying to find her father. She finds him knocked out in his basement. And that’s the least of their problems, because the are prey for alligators, who managed to enter the house. And since the water is rising, they have to find a way to get out of the house and away from the alligators.
It’s a pretty simple story, set in one location and it only has two characters. With only 87 minutes of runtime, it’s the perfect recipe for this film. The scare moments are good. No unnecessary jump scares (lots of loud noises and nothing happens), but jump scares when you don’t expect them and something does happen. Very well timed. The characters have a little depth, there is a backstory and you see that father and daughter grew apart. This gives you a little bit of relatability.
The premise could have easily become ridiculous, like “Sharknado” also used a hurricane. But “Crawl” could easily be a true story, for the most part. And it was surprisingly bloody I might say. Just the right amount of horror. And most of the injuries that Haley and her dad get, are believable. Up until the end, it becomes a little less credible, but overall it’s very well done.
What most monster movies miss or horror movies lack, are good performances. Well, not “Crawl”. Both Kaya Scodelario and Barry Pepper are very strong in their roles. Apart and together. And both portray characters that you can easily relate too or root for.
“Crawl” is definitely a movie that I will rewatch someday and as a lover of monster movies, it’s a film I can recommend.

Rating: 4/ 5

Movie to Look Forward to - July 2019

It's offically summer, so time for some great summer movies. Here are movie to look forward to in July!

July 4th – Spider-Man: Far From Home
Director: Jon Watts
Starring: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jake Gyllenhaal, Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau, Samuel L. Jackson, Cobie Smulders, Martin Starr
Description: Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man (Tom Holland) must step up to take on new threats in a world that has changed forever.

July 11th – 21 Bridges
Director: Brian Kirk
Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Sienna Miller, JK Simmons, Taylor Kitsch
Description: A disgraced detective (Chadwick Boseman) in the NYPD is given a shot at redemption.

July 11th – Crawl
Director: Alexandre Aja
Starring: Kaya Scodelario, Barry Pepper
Description: A young woman (Kaya Scadelario), while attempting to save her father (Barry Pepper) during a Category 5 hurricane, finds herself trapped in a flooding house and must fight for her life against alligators.

July 17th – The Lion King
Director: Jon Favreau
Starring: Donald Glover, Beyoncé Knowles, John Oliver, Chewitel Ejifor, Seth Rogen, James Earl Jones, Keegan-Michael Key, Billy Eichner, Alfre Woodard
Description: After the murder of his father (James Earl Jones), a young lion prince (Donald Glover) flees his kingdom only to learn the true meaning of responsibility and bravery.