Book Review - The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

Title: The Woman in Cabin 10
Series: -
Author: Ruth Ware
 
Description: Lo Blacklock, a journalist who writes for a travel magazine, has just been given the assignment of a lifetime: a week on a luxury cruise with only a handful of cabins. The sky is clear, the water is calm and the guest jovial as the exclusive cruise ship, the Aurora, begins her voyage in the North Sea. At first, Lo’s stay is nothing but pleasant: the cabins are plush, the dinner parties are sparkling, and the guest are elegant. But as the week wears on, frigid winds whip the deck, gray skies fall, and Lo witnesses what she can only describe as a dark and terrifying nightmare: a woman being thrown overboard. The problem? All passengers remain accounted for and so, the ship sails on as if nothing has happened, despite Lo’s desperate attempts to convey that something (or someone) has gone terribly wrong.
 
Review: Lo Blacklock has to write a story about the new cruise ship Aurora, for the travel magazine she is working for. A luxury cruise trip doesn’t sound bad, but it’s not the dream job after all. When Lo thinks she witnesses a murder, but no passengers seem to missing from the ship. Lo is determined to unravel the mystery.
 
I really like Ruth Ware, her writing is beautiful, and the set-up for “The Woman in Cabin 10” is promising. I love the setting, a cruise ship on the middle of the sea with no contact to the mainland. But that’s about it.
 
I can honestly say I did not enjoy “The Woman in Cabin 10”. I don’t mind unlikeable characters, but at least they are interesting. The ones in this book are far from interesting. I did not care for a single characters and I didn’t like them either. And the motivations for some are highly questionable as well. Some choices some of them make, made absolutely no sense.
 
I don’t mind clichés either, when they are done well. But there are so many clichés in this story, you know exactly how they play out. With that, the book is repetitive, predictable and I was constantly annoyed by the characters.
 
I know this is probably a very unpopular opinion and it’s by no means a bad book. I just did not enjoy I always base my raking on that. If I would recommend you a Ruth Ware book, it would not be this one. I’m so sorry…
 
Rating: 1,5/ 5

00s Movie Review - From Hell

Director: Albert Hughes, Allan Hughes
Genre: Horror/ Mystery/ Thriller
Runtime: 122 minutes
Year: 2001
Starring: Johnny Depp, Heather Graham, Robbie Coltrane, Ian Holm, Jason Flemyng

Description: In Victorian-era London, a troubled clairvoyant police detective (Johnny Depp) investigates the murders of Jack the Ripper.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2023 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 34: A MOVIE THAT IS BASED ON A GRAPHIC NOVEL
 
Review: Late in the nineteenth century, the Whitechapel district of London is rocked by a series of brutal murders on prostitutes. Of the perpetrator, nicknamed Jack the Ripper, however, every trace is missing. The police seek the help of Fred Abberline, an opium-addicted inspector with psychic abilities. During his search, he comes into contact with Mary Kelly, a friend of all the victims, and a romance between the two blossoms. Meanwhile, Abberline gets closer and closer to the truth, only to discover that the killer has it in for Mary.

The unsolved Jack the Ripper case still fires the imaginations in present day and countless theories about how and why the murders occurred and the identity of the perpetrator have since been devised. But due to the lack of hard evidence, the real facts will probably remain a mystery forever.

The directing brother Allan and Albert Hughes based their film on the graphic novel “From hell” by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell, suggesting that the series of murders was politically motivated. This makes “From Hell” a fascinating, heavily stylized horror film.

Rating: 3/ 5

Book Review - The Troop by Nick Cutter

Title: The Troop
Series: -
Author: Nick Cutter
 
Description: Once a year, scoutmaster Tim Riggs leads a troop of boys into the Canadian wilderness for a three-day camping trip; a tradition as comforting as a good ghost story and a roaring bonfire. But when an unexpected intruder – shockingly thin, disturbingly pale, and voraciously hungry – stumbles upon their campsite, Tim and the boys are exposed to something far more frightening than any tale of terror. 
 
Review: Tim is a scoutmaster who, once a year, takes a group of young boy scouts into the wilderness of Canada. Their fun camp trip is disturbed when a strange man visits them, seemingly hungry and very thin. What happens next is something no scout master could ever have prepared them for.
 
Nick Cutter (an alias for author Craig Davidson) has written a book with all the elements for a good horror story: characters you care about, with actual flaws and development, who are thrown into a situation that grabs you by the throat.
 
Even though we mainly follow younger characters, this is an adult horror. Cutter manages to be very detailed and descriptive in his story and it’s very fast paced. And the book is really shocking, disturbing and gory. Major trigger warnings if you have a weak stomach and you can’t deal with body horror and gore. With that, a lot of animal cruelty as well. Those parts in the book were sometimes too hard to deal with, so I had to put the book down a few times just to catch my breath.  
 
The boys in the troop are very well fleshed out, the character building is really strong. Kent is a popular kid, handsome, a future captain of the football theme and son of the police chief. He is used to get his ways and is prepared to fight. Ephraim has a lot of rage in him, he doesn’t want to be an asshole, but he has trouble managing his anger. His best friend Max keeps him calm, the level-headed one of the group. Shelley and Newt are the outsiders. Newt is chubby and dorky, the one that people pick on, the constant target, only because of his appearance. Shelley has a very dark side. People call him “slow” and “retarted”, but there is a lot going on in his head that you can’t tell from just looking at him. And being left alone with four other boys on a secluded island, brings out that dark side.
 
“The Troop” reminded me of movies like “The Thing”, or “Slither”, but it’s also clear that horror master Stephen King was an inspiration for Cutter.
 
I think that “The Troop” is the most disturbing novel I’ve ever read and I loved it. It’s so well-written, I was constantly on the edge of my seat, well-developed characters and a true page-turner. If you’re a horror fan, this is a must-read. Not for the squeamish.
 
Rating: 5/ 5

Book Review - The Enigma of Room 622 by Joël Dicker

Title: The Enigma of Room 622
Series: -
Author: Joël Dicker
 
Description: One night in December, a dead body is found in Room 622 of the Hotel Verbier, a luxury hotel in the Swiss Alps. A police investigation begins without definite end, and public interest wanes with the passage of time.
 
Years later, writer Joël Dicker, arrives at that same hotel to recover from a bad breakup, mourn the death of his longtime publisher, and begin his next novel. Little does Joël know that his expertise in the art of the thriller will come in handy when he finds himself investigating the crime.
 
Meanwhile, in the wake of his father’s passing, Macaure Ebezner is set to take over as president of the largest private bank in Switzerland. The succession captivates the news media, and the future looks bright, until it doesn’t. the bank’s board, including a certain Lev Levovitch (Geneva’s very own jay Gatsby) have other plans, and Macaire’s race to the top soon becomes a race against time.
 
Review: Writer Joël is staying at Hotel Verbier, in room 623, and he is surprised to find out there is a room 621 and a room 621-bis, but no room 622. I gradually becomes clear that years earlier a murder was committed in room 622. The police investigation was never completed. Joël finds the perfect story for his new book and starts investigating the case himself. What happened in room 622 twenty years earlier?
 
If you’ve never read a murder mystery or a whodunnit, don’t start with this one. The story has different timelines, has many flashbacks, and we’re introduced to a lot of characters. All pivotal to the mystery. You have to have read more books in the genre, before diving into this beauty.
 
I’m in awe how author Joël Dicker (who’s also the main character in the book) thought of this story. It’s so well-crafted, complex, interesting, surprising and exciting. The mystery is filled with intriguing characters and storylines and has several unexpected twists ad reveals. The only reason I didn’t give this book a 5-star rating, is because it’s too long, it could have been a little bit shorter.
 
It is a whodunnit, but the book goes beyond the mystery. It’s a study of characters and their development, which makes the plot more secondary. But because you don’t know from the start who was killed in room 622 and what really happened, you will stay invested in both he plot and the characters it’s involving.
 
“The Enigma of Room 622” is a book for the more experiences mystery reader, and I would recommend it. It’s a really good mystery novel.
 
Rating: 4,5/ 5

90s Movie Review - Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Director: James Cameron
Genre: Action/ Science-Fiction
Runtime: 137 minutes
Year: 1991
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, Robert Patrick

Description: A cyborg (Arnold Schwarzenegger), identical to the one who failed to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), must now protect her young son, John Connor (Edward Furlong), from a more advanced cyborg, made out of liquid metal.

Review: “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” is the proof that sequels can be better than the original. Where “Terminator” was already an amazing movie, this movie manages to top that. Because many sequels have repetition, “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” is new and original and one of the best movies in the genre.

This is partly because of the script by James Cameron, who also directed the film. He gives enough new insights to keep the movie fresh and spectacular.

Arnold Scharzenegger and Linda Hamilton both return, but their roles are different this time. Arnie plays a good Terminator. He was send back in time to protect John Connor. Sarah Connor is admitted in a mental institution, because she keeps telling everyone that machines will kill everyone. This so called judgment day will wipe out all of humanity. Another, more advanced, Terminator was also send back in time. His task is to kill John Connor.

This is definitely the highlight of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s career. This guy breaths action and his one-liners are classic and quotable. Linda Hamilton portrays one of the most memorable female ass-kickers and Robert Patrick as the evil Terminator, does a fantastic job to portray him as cold as steel.

“Terminator 2: Judgment Day” is the best movie of that year and probably even the best science fiction/ action movie ever made.

Rating: 5/ 5

90s Movie Review - Dances with Wolves

Director: Kevin Costner
Genre: Drama/ Adventure/ Western
Runtime: 180 minutes
Year: 1990
Starring: Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene, Rodney A. Grant, Floyd ‘Red Crow’ Westerman, Tantoo Cardinal, Robert Pastorelli, Charles Rocket, Maury Chaykin, Jimmy Herman, Michael Spears, Tony Pearce

Description: Lt. John Dunbar (Kevin Costner), exiled to a remote western Civil War outpost, befriends wolves and Indians, making him an intolerable aberration in the military.

Review: “Dances with Wolves” was one of the most remarkable and ambitious debut films, which got both criticized and was successful. Kevin Costner, who was only known for his acting, took on the role of director and producer as well for this project. At the time the movie came out, westerns were practically dead. It’s very courageous to make one that is three hours long.

A passion for the subject is very welcome. Costner always wanted to star in a western and he managed to do that in “Silverado”. With “Dances with Wolves” he could make another dream come true, by making one of his own.

Indians were always portrayed as barbarians the ‘white man’ had to overcome and defeat. “Dances with Wolves” breaks that tradition. It’s a revisionary western, where the role of cowboys and Indians are reversed. Others might say it’s just a milder version of the old western.

Kevin Costner plays the role of John Dunbar, a man we can easily identify with. We don’t know much about him, but together with Dunbar we are trying to find his true identity. Like him we are open to new experiences and all the new impressions are magical. We get a personal and unique connection with Dunbar.

The story isn’t very complicated, but it’s told in the most beautiful way. The visuals of the landscapes and the music by John Barry are just amazing. Director Kevin Costner tells the story in a calm and sometimes poetic way. He makes you care for the characters and keeps you captivated for all the three hours long. A very impressive directorial debut.

Rating: 5/ 5

Movie Review - Het Geheugenspel

Director: Jan Verheyen, Lien Willaert
Genre: Thriller/ Mystery
Runtime: 107 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Anna Drijver, Gert Winckelmans, Vic de Wachter, Louis Talpe, Daan Creyghton, Maarten Heijmans
 
Description: The body of Nathalie, who disappeared 25 years ago, is found on the Deridder family estate. The event reveals a long-hidden crime, and when secrets are brought forth, the present is overshadowed by the past.

Review: Books by writer’s duo Nicci French are always solid thrillers. No outstanding literature, but enjoyable and real page-turners. The Dutch film “”Het Geugenspel” is based on their book “The Memory Game” (literal translation) and for a Dutch thriller, it really did very well.

It is 1997 when rebellious teen Nathalie disappears during a party. Her best friend Eva has never been able to process the disappearance properly. She has continued to live life as best she can, building a successful career as an architect. Then, years later, Nathalie’s body is found on the ground of the Deridder estate, Nathalie’s family.

Plagued by the trauma and recurring memories, Eva goes into the hypnotherapy. What happened that fatefull night in 1997? Ans why does Eva’s head frantically try to keep the memories of that night under lock and key? Does she subconsciously know more about the disappearance?

“Het Geheugenspel” slowly unfolds as a suspenseful and entertaining whodunnit. For over a hundred minutes, the identity of the culprit can be guessed. The story pushes the audience into a certain direction, only to still come up with a reasonable plot twist. Somewhere you hope the story goes a little deeper into the sharp end, but it touches on the taboo just enough.

The film is far from perfect, but because of the well-written source material, “Het Geheugenspel” is a solid and strong thriller film.

Rating: 3,5/ 5