TV Show Review - The Undoing (Mini Series)

Season: Mini Series
Genre: Drama/ Crime/ Mystery
Number of episodes: 6
Year: 2020
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Hugh Grant, Noah Jupe, Donald Sutherland, Lily Rabe, Matilda de Angelis, Edgar Ramirez, Michael Devine

Description: The life of a New York therapist (Nicole Kidman) is turned upside after she and her family get involved with a murder case.

Review: In this psychological thriller, you follow the lives a Grace and her husband Jonathan. They are live the perfect life in New York, with their son Henry. Until Elena, a mother at Henry’s school, is found dead in her art gallery. It turns out to be a murder and Grace and Jonathan’s life is turned upside down. Especially when one of them becomes a suspect.

You think you know, but think again. “The Undoing” has plot twist after plot twist. And just when you think, you figured it out, things turn again. There moments you believe that this certain person has done it, and then you believe they might be innocent. You go back and forth constantly. It’s like a rollercoaster with a new exit each time. Just when you think you are sure of the culprit, they drop a small hint that makes you question everything again.

“The Undoing” is very America, it’s all very polished. The only thing I would’ve changed, is to make the characters look a less “perfect” all the time.  

The cast of “The Undoing” alone is worth watching. Nicole Kidman plays the lead and she is very strong in her role. The same goes for Hugh Grant, especially as the series progresses. And Donald Sutherland, in his 80s, still knows how to intrigue. Noah Jupe, who plays son Henry, is such a great talent. You might also know him from the movie “A Quiet Place”.

“The Undoing” is absolutely worth watching, it’s exactly that kind of psychological thriller that gets under you skin after watching it. The who, why and how are very interesting questions you keep asking yourself constantly while watching this series.

20s Movie Review - Jungle Cruise

Director: Jaume Collett-Serra

Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Comedy

Runtime: 127 minutes

Year: 2021

Starring: Emily Blulnt, Dwayne Johnson, Jack Whitehall, Jesse Plemons, Paul Giamatti, Edgar Ramirez

Description: Based on Disneyland’s theme park ride where a small riverboat takes a group of travelers through a jungle filled with dangerous animals, but with a supernatural element.

Review: The Amazon is no place for wimps. In “Jungle Cruise”, Dwayne Johnson plays Frank, a captain on an old steamship who rganizes dauly excursions through the jungle for tourists. In the process, Frank likes to scare people and also tries to make them laugh with his lame puns. The introduction of his characters is quite successful in itself.

“Jungle Cruise” is based on a Disney ride, just like “Pirates of the Caribbean” is. It forms the start of an enjoyable family adventure.

Frank meets Lily, a scientist played by Emily Blunt, who is looking for a magical tree that everyone says is just a myth. But she believes it. Of course the two bicker a lot at first, but eventually have to work together.

And that’s the driving force behind “Jungle Cruise”: leads Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt. Lily is a smart, decisive archeologist who has a say. And that of course results in quite a few clashes with Frank, who has a different world view. The chemistry between Johnson and Blunt is amazing, I love them together.

The supporting roles are also filled in well. Jack Whitehall plays Lily’s brother MacGregor, a well-dressed gentleman who seems quite out of place in the jungle. And Jesse Plemons is in great form as Prince Joachim, a German villain. His character could have gone way over the top, which it is sometimes, but he manages to not overdo it.

As an adventure movie, “Jungle Cruise” is the perfect film for a movie night. It has a good pace, has likeable characters, great visuals and fun action scenes combined with humor. I loved “Jungle Cruise”, such a fun and entertaining movie.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 140: The Girl on the Train

Director: Tate Taylor
Genre: Thriller/ Drama
Runtime: 112 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Emily Blunt, Haley Bennett, Justin Theroux, Rebecca Ferguson, Luke Evans, Laura Prepon, Allison Janney, Edgar Ramirez, Lisa Kudrow

Description: A divorcee (Emily Blunt) becomes entangled in a missing persons investigation that promises to send shockwaves throughout her life.

Review: “The Girl on the Train” has been compared to David Fincher’s “Gone Girl”. Both movie are adapted from books and are psychological thrillers, where the disappearance of a young woman is the focus. A comparison like this is dangerous, because you go in with very high expectations. For this reason alone, the movie will disappoint.
Rachel Watson is a divorcee that drinks away her tears. A happy couple that she passes every day on the train, is the only comfort in Rachel’s life. She fantasizes about their life. One day, Rachel wakes up coverend in scratches, bruises and blood. She has no idea what happened. And then the police show up, telling Rachel that Megan Hipweel went missing. The woman she has been watching on the train.
“The Girl on the Train” is a thriller that works best when you have no clue what’s it about. I read the book, so I knew what was going to happen. And director Tate Taylor stayed very close to the novel. The only difference is the location, he changed out London for New York. The movie is told from different perspectives, chapters and jumps in time. Thre is really no other way to tell this story, without giving away the twists the story has. So for the people who read the book, there are no surprises.
“The Girl on the Train” is more a plot drive film than a character drive film. The characters sometimes feel like pieces in a chess game, that are moving from one place to another until we get to the climax. The credibility of those characters is a bit lost sometimes.
Luke Evans, Edgar Ramirez and Rebecca Ferguson have strong supporting roles, but it’s without a doubt Emily Blunt that steals the show.
I read and saw so many bad reviews of “The Girl on the Train”. I liked the movie a lot, I just didn’t love it. Like I said before, it’s always dangerous to have such high expectations of a film.

Rating: 4/ 5