TV | Black (2017-)

Cast: Song Seung-heon, Go Ara, Kim Dong-jun, Lee El, Kim Won-hae, Kim Tae-woo, Kim Jae-young

Summary: A woman who has seen the shadow of death all he life, meets a cold hearted grim reaper. Together, they uncover many hidden secrets all reaching down to a darker evil secret.

Genre: Crime, Drama, Fantasy

Season(s): 1

Watched: December 2017

In one of my early Korean lessons my tutor said that watching Korean dramas can help when learning the language, I already had this show in my Netflix watchlist so after that lesson I decided it would be the first Korean show I started with.

Black follows Kang Ha-ram (Go Ara) a woman who is able to see the shadow of death just before a person dies, Han Moo-Gang (Soung Seung-heon) a weak stomached detective and Grim Reaper #444 (Kim Tae-woo) who is searching for his AWOL partner.
It is no secret to say that Moo-gang dies because we find this out very early in the show. Shortly after meeting Ha-Ram, Moo-gang discovers her ability and persuades her to use it to help save those about to die; however an apparent mistake in identifying the culprit of a potential murder soon leaves Moo-gang dead.
Meanwhile Grim Reaper #444 on the hunt for his partner who disappeared after he was sent on a job alone, discovers that he might just be using the body of a recently deceased human in order to remain undetected and decides that the best way to track him down is too do the same.

This show definitely isn't for everybody, it requires a lot of attention and a hell of a lot of patience from the start. As much as I loved the show I definitely had trouble following everything that was happening and remembering who was who. I liked the majority of the story, although I did get a bit lost towards the end and I thought the show was a bit too long, there are 18 episodes all of which are over an hour long, some even stretching to an hour and a half long.

I can't do this review without mentioning those final scenes. I quite liked the scenes showing what happened to Ha-ram but the scene with her and Leo (Kim Jae-young) and the final scene with her and Moo-gang ruined the show for me, because it felt like a poorly written and rushed way to try and explain everything that happened. It actually leaves you with you more questions like did Ha-ram ever find out the truth about Moo-gang?
Plus I really wanted to see more of Kim Dong-jun and he was nowhere to be seen at the end.

All in all I enjoyed this show, I will probably watch it again at some point to see if it makes anymore sense the second time round, but I really could have done without the ending.

Rating: 7/10
One Final Word: Good/Very Good

TV | The Sniffer (2013-)

Cast: Kirill Käro, Ivan Oganesyan, Nikolay Chindyajkin, Maria Anikanova, Nina Gogaeva, Sergey Leskov

Summary: They call him the Sniffer. He's the proud owner of an acute sense of smell, he knows things about you even you don't and would rather keep to yourself.

Genre: Action, Drama, Crime

Seasons: 2 (Season 3 is on the way!)

Also Known As: Нюхач, Nyukhach

This is yet another show I decided to watch based on the very cool poster, but perhaps if I had paid more attention to the description I would have spotted the foreign cast names, instead my first hint that the show wasn't going to be in English was when the characters started speaking.
The show is actually Ukranian and recorded in Russian, but I quickly got over the fact that I would have to read the subtitles and settled down to watch the rest of the show.

The Sniffer is about a man called the Sniffer (Kirill Käro)(he's never actually given a proper name) with an incredibly acute sense of smell and the show focuses on him as he investigates a series or cases with his special ability and we are first introduced to the Sniffer and his ability in the first episode where he foils an attack after discovering a bomb hidden on the arm of a fellow passenger on his flight, after he notices the particular smell of acetone peroxide plasticized.

We also quickly learn that he is frequently contacted by childhood best friend Victor Lebedev (Ivan Oganesyan), a colonel in the Special Bureau of Investigation, to help him investigate various crimes. Alongside this he also works freelance and takes on a number of clients including a gangster who wants him to solve the murder of his underling and an embassy who worry that a returned painting is a fake.

Along with solving crimes and dealing with a best friend who thinks of himself as a ladies man, he also has to deal with his angry ex-Julia and their teenage son Alex.
Ex-wife Julia turns up frequently, usually to ask for money (because apparently she has none of her own) or to complain about always being in trouble and how it's the sniffer's fault for not being a good father.
15-year-old Alex doesn't really get on with either parent, he doesn't seem to like his mother one bit which I can completely understand, especially after seeing the episode where she told him to shut up because he was nothing. He only tolerates his father (at times) typically when he wants something but doesn't want to involve his mother.

I really enjoyed this show, there were a few off moments with some of the action and acting but I thought the idea and the story we very interesting.
Now I'm just patiently (or maybe not) waiting for season 3 to be shown on Netflix!

Rating: 8/10
One Final Word: Worth the watch

Home Invasion (David Tennant, 2016)

Cast: Natasha Henstridge, Jason Patric, Scott Adkins, William Dickinson, Kyra Zagorsky, Michael Rogers, Christian Tessier.

Summary: When a wealthy woman and her stepson are targeted by a trio of expert thieves in their remote mansion, her only from of help comes from a call with a security systems specialist. But as the intruders becomes increasingly hostile and the connection wavers, will she trust him to be her eyes and navigate her to safety.

Genre: Thriller

Watched: July 23rd, 2017


Chloe (Natasha Henstridge) is a lonely housewife who is now responsible for looking after her stepson following her husband's decision to go AWOL and after an evening at home the two are specifically targeted by a group of expert thieves Heflin (Scott Adkins), Victoria (Kyra Zagorsky) and Astor (Michael Rogers).

I really liked the opening scene especially when the trio finally enter the house, but that was pretty much where it ended for me.
Firstly the acting was incredibly questionable especially when it came to Henstridge, everything she did felt way too over the top, especially when she's on the phone to Mike (Jason Patric), the security operator at the home security company. She speaks way too loudly for someone who's trying to escape a group of burglars in her house.
Then there's Jacob, a massive brat who deserves more then the slap Chloe gave him, preferably a swift kick up the backside.

The thing that really annoyed me though was the macguffin. A macguffin is a plot device in the form of some goal, desired object, or other motivator that is pursued by some of a films characters, often with little or no narrative explanation. We're told that Chloe's husband stole something from the trio and it has been hidden in a safe somewhere in his house, eventually they find the safe and begin cracking the code to get in... but then the film finishes before whatever it is in the case is revealed.
This is used in tons of films and tv shows but unfortunately here it doesn't work and it makes it feels as though the writers didn't actually think that far ahead to decide what was actually in the safe.

Rating: 4
One Final Word: Rubbish

TV | The Mist (2017)

Cast: Morgan Spector, Alyssa Sutherland, Gus Birney, Danica Curcic, Okezie Morro, Luke Cosgrove, Darren Pettie, Russell Posner, Frances Conroy

Summary: After an eerie mist rolls into a small town, the residents must battle the mysterious mist and it's threats, fighting to maintain their morality and sanity.

Genre: Drama, Thriller, Horror

Season(s): 1 (cancelled shortly after Season 1)

Watched: November 2017

I watched The Mist back in 2010 when I did my 100 Films Challenge (read my review on The Mist (2007)) and I absolutely loved it, so when I heard that there was going to be a TV show I was super excited.
Unfortunately I didn't like the show as mush as I wanted to. A lot of things happened that I didn't understand and that I just couldn't get my head around like the rape storyline between Alex (Gus Birney) and Jay (Luke Cosgrove).

Alex is allegedly raped by Jay at a party she attended with her best friend Adrian (Russell Posner) and when the mist hits the town Alex and her mother Eve (Alyssa Sutherland) discover they are trapped in the mall with Jay. For me this is where things stopped making sense as the two somehow get closer throughout the course of the show, shown in scenes such as when Jay tries to prove his innocence by asking Alex to let him touch her, when Alex helps to bandage Jay's wound after he rescues her from a fire and they even go on a "date" where they kiss!
The one thing that is never made clear while all this is happening is does Alex still believe that Jay raped her? Not once does she ever say to him (or anyone else) that she doesn't think he raped her and yet she does all of the above.
Not only that but Jay himself doesn't even question her! If you're so adamant that you didn't rape someone and are so eager to prove your innocence, why are you kissing them, why would you not question them. Do they no longer believe you raped them, does she not know who did it, or was she lying for some twisted reason.

I also didn't get Alex's mother Eve. She hates Jay and doesn't want to see him anywhere near her daughter but when she sees the two get closer she decides that the best thing to do is to kidnap him and lock him away in a secret room.
I however would like to know why she never questions her daughter, especially after she sees the two getting closer. A mother would surely wonder why her daughter was spending time with the person who she says raped her, does she no longer believe he did it, did she lie or is she being manipulated.

There are a whole load of other reasons as to why I didn't really like the show, most of which can be found in Chris Scott's review: First Season of 'The Mist' Should Also Be The Last, which I loved although I do have to say I am very petty so I was more than happy to see Kevin drive his truck into the supermarket. Despite the fact that I felt it strayed to far from the original story, although I did like that there seemed to more hints about where the mist came from.

I definitely think that it had potential (if it was written differently and had different actors) but boy am I glad it was cancelled.

Rating: 4/10
One Final Word: Not Impressed

TV | Helix (2014-15)

Cast: Billy Campbell, Hiroyuki Sanada, Kyra Zagorsky, Mark Ghanimé, Matt Long, Jordan Hayes

Summary: A team of scientists are thrust into a potentially life-or-death situation when they arrive in the Arctic to secretly investigate what could be an outbreak of a strange disease in a secluded international research facility.

Genre: Mystery, Sci-Fi

Season(s): 2 (Cancelled after season 2)

Watched: May 2017

During my 150 Film Challenge last year (you can find how I got on here) I decided not to set myself another challenge but instead to watch more documentaries and TV shows, especially those on my Netflix watchlist, and Helix was one of those on my list.

I had already seen the first few episodes of Helix when the show first aired on Channel 5 back in 2014, but I never actually watched the whole season. Somewhere during the season the show was moved to a later timeslot (I think from 9pm to 10pm) which meant that I missed a few episodes and then I never got back into watching it.
I had no plans to watch season 2 when it came out, firstly because I never finished season 1 and secondly it had been moved to the Syfy channel (which I didn't have).

3 years later, I have finally watched both seasons!

Season 1

Experts from the CDC Alan (Billy Campbell), Julia (Kyra Zagorsky), Sarah (Jordan Hayes) and Major Balleseros (Mark Ghanimé) head to an Arctic BioSystems Research Facility, headed by Dr Hatake (Hiroyuki Sanada), to investigate a potential viral outbreak involving Alan's brother Peter (Neil Napier).
We quickly learn that Alan had been infected by an unknown virus, causing him and others to spew some sort of black gunk, Julia, Alan's ex-wife, slept with Peter while she was still married to Alan and Dr Hatake, Major Ballerseros and Sarah are all hiding secrets.

I enjoyed season one of the show and I really, really enjoyed the first few episodes especially episode 3, 4 and 5: 274, Single Strand and The White Room. Some of my favourite special effects and moments happen in the first few episodes: the first shot of the research station in the pilot in amazing, the vectors (especially the first shot of Peter in the pilot), the growing virus in the glass box in episode 3 and the frozen monkeys (but I can't remember which episode they're in).

I think my absolute favourite episode of the season is definitely The White Room, where after discovering that she is infected with the mysterious virus Julia is left on the quarantined level "R" with other infected & non infected people. Thrown out by the other abandoned workers she meets a mysterious woman named Jay who tries to help her find safety.
It was pretty much after this that things started to go downhill for me.

If you haven't seen the show look away now!

It turns out that Hatake is an immortal, the facility is run by the Ilaria Corporation, Ballerseros is working for the corporation, Hatake is actually Julia's father, Julia becomes and immortal, so does Sarah and a whole lot more!
I definitely started got a bit lost with the introduction of the whole immortality thing, Constance Sutton (Jeri Ryan), The Scythe (Robert Naylor), the connection between Hatake and Julia (was this explained, if it was I totally missed it) and that final episode, I definitely was not a fan of the final episode.

None of the questions I had were answered so I was greatly looking forward to watching season 2.


Season 2

Season 2 starts in a similar way to season 1. After a viral outbreak in another remote location, the island of St. Germain, which is inhabited by members of a religious community, Dr Farragut and his team are called in to determine the cause of the virus and how to stop it, but not the Farragut you're thinking of.
In the 15 months since season 1, Alan has been discredited by the CDC and is apparently in hiding after interrogating and killing immortals, in an attempt to locate and rescue Julia. His brother Peter is now in charge of the team, which now consists of Dr. Sarah Jordan and newcomer Dr. Kyle Sommers (Matt Long).

I thought season 2 was okay, but there definitely wasn't as many wow moments as with the first season and there were so many unanswered questions from both seasons that left me feeling disappointed.

Questions like:

What exactly happened to Julia after artic biosystems? Which in turns leads us to why did she join Ilaria? Hell what happened to all of them during that time especially Sarah, The Scythe, Hatake, Ballerseros etc.
Now, Alan, he's not in the final scene, we know the bones in the grave don't belong to him and we later learn that he is definitely not dead, so where is he and why is he not mentioned in the final scene?

Sarah's baby! Someone please tell me exactly what is up with that. It's quite a big part of the story in season 2, it's even removed from her, kidnapped and held for ransom. What was all that fuss about? Isn't the baby the reason she wanted to work for Illaria, but there's absolutely no mention of it in the final scene.

All in all I did enjoy it but I think it would have been much better if season 2 had continued on from where season 1 finished or even took place over the 15 months between seasons 1 and 2, answered some of the questions that came up in season 1 and then season 3 (had it not been cancelled) could have been what season 2 was about.

Make sense?

Rating: 6/10
One Final Word: Okay

Chained (Jennifer Lynch, 2012)

Cast: Vincent D'Onofrio, Jake Weber, Eamon Farren, Evan Bird, Conor Leslie, Julia Ormond

Summary: Bob, a cab-driving serial killer who stalks his prey on the city streets alongside his reluctant protégé Tim, who must make a life or death choice between following in Bob's footsteps or breaking free from his captor.

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Watched: June 17th, 2017

When Brad (Jake Weber) drops his wife Sarah (Julia Ormond) and son Tim (Evan Bird) to the cinema, he urges the two to take a taxi home instead of riding the bus. Just as they call for a taxi, driver Bob (Vincent D'Onofrio) arrives in his taxi and they decide to jump in.

Only Bob doesn't take them home.

Instead he abducts the two and takes them to his secluded home where here kills Sarah and forces Tim, who he renames Rabbit, to be his slave/accomplice and keeps him chained to stop him from escaping.
Fast forward several years Rabbit (Eamon Farren) is now a teenager and Bob decides it's time for him to come of age and become a man by becoming a killer like him.

I liked this film, I thought the idea was very interesting as it's very rare to hear of killer keeping their victims alive as their slave/accomplice, so I was looking forward to see how it would be done.

I did have one big issue with the film and that was with Vincent D'Onofrio's portrayal of Bob. I wasn't sure at first if there was something wrong with him because the way he spoke made him come across as a slightly intellectually disabled. His accent was off putting and I thought the moments where he shower Rabbit kindness (rarely) just didn't fit.

All in all I enjoyed this film especially the last 15-20 mins and I thought the final twist was brilliant (don't worry I won't spoil it for you).
On a side note this film is another that makes me realise that I love all my loose ends in a film to be nice and securely tied.

Rating: 7/10
One Final Word: Good

Final Girl (Tyler Shields, 2015)

Cast: Abigail Breslin, Wes Bentley, Alexander Ludwig, Cameron Bright, Reece Thompson, Logan Huffman

Summary: A man teaches a young woman how to become a complete weapon. Later she is approached by a group of sadistic teens who kill blonde women for unknown reasons. The hunting season begins.

Genre: Thriller, Action

Watched: November 2016

The final girl is a trope typically found in slasher films (I've written about this before in my Last Girl Standing review), where a number of victims are killed off one by one and the last surviving member of the group, who is almost always female, either kills or escapes the killer.

The film tells the story of Veronica (Abigail Breslin), a young girl who became an orphan after what I assume was a violent crime and soon after was recruited for "a very special job".
Fast forward 12 years we meet Veronica as 17 year-old with her mentor William (Wes Bentley) as he teaches her what he considers to be "valuable" lessons including withstanding the elements. We learn that she is preparing for her final test which involves four young men who bring girls into the woods to hunt and kill.
I think the film was okay, I thought the acting was a little painful at times, especially with Daniel (Logan Huffman) as he comes across as a bit too insane and I liked the story but I was confused about a couple of things.
Firstly why is she called the final girl? Is it because she was made an orphan when she was 5, making her the final girl in her family or is it because she has been trained to be always be the last one standing?

I like to think it's the latter.

Another thing that confused me was Veronica and Will. I remember rooting for Veronica and William (I do love a good romance) but it wasn't until I watched the film for a second time the I realised how wrong it was.
Clearly I wasn't paying attention because I didn't realise that the man who interviews Veronica as a 5-year-old (Gracyn Shinyei) is William, which really got me thinking. William looks as though he could be in his late 20's/early 30's, fast forward 12 years Veronica is now 17 and he is at least in his late 30's/early 40's.

It's not just the age gap that I think is way too big (although not unheard of), but it made to look as though William has been her sole carer and mentor as she has been growing up so it feels super weird that he would now be interested in the girl he has been looking after since she was 5.

Anyone else feel the same way?

Rating: 5/10
One Final Word: Okay

Raze (Josh C. Waller, 2013)

Cast: Zoë Bell, Rachel Nichols, Tracie Thoms, Bruce Thomas, Sherilyn Fenn, Doug Jones

Summary: 50 women are abducted and told they must fight to survive and save the lives of their loved ones.

Genre: Action, Drama

Watched: April 9th,2017

Kidnapped by husband and wife team Elizabeth (Sherilyn Fenn) and Joseph (Doug Jones), women are turned into brutal killers when they are forced to fight each other in a series of one-on-one combats until only one remains.
If they refuse to fight both they and their loved ones will be killed, lose the fight and their loved ones will be killed, be the last woman standing, their family will be safe and they themselves released back into society, forever transformed and all for the entertainment of unseen spectators.

I thought the opening scene was absolutely brilliant but I don't want to spoil it though so I won't say what happens. When I started writing this review I read a review where the person had said that they thought it was predictable, I definitely didn't think so, did you?

I liked how it plays with gender norms but for me it never actually goes anywhere. Matt Zoller sums it up perfectly in his review saying, '"Raze" begs to be read as allegory, perhaps for the way patriarchal society treats women as objects, entertainments, prisoners or slaves, pits them against one another for the prize of male approval, and pressures them to conform to limiting roles: girlfriend, wife, mother, tramp. Tantalizing fragments of meaning ricochet in the film's margins, but they never freeze long enough to let you look at them.'.

I thought the script was okay, although I was not a fan of the incredibly obvious rivalry very early on between Sabrina (Zoe Bell) and Phoebe (Rebecca Marshall). The acting was only okay at times for me, my favourite performance definitely came from Zoë Bell (although much of her acting is also questionable). Nicole Steinwedell (Isabelle) definitely came a close second and if she had been one of the earlier characters I think she would have been absolutely brilliant.

Even though the acting and the script weren't the best I still really enjoyed the film. The fight scenes were definitely the best bits for me, they were super realistic and the first couple were really impressive. There were definitely a few more heads slammed into walls, stamped on and neck broken then I was expecting.

Rating: 6/10
One Final Word: Good

Air (Christian Cantamessa, 2015)

Cast: Norman Reedus, Dijmon Hounsou and Sadrine Holt

Summary: In the near future, breathable air is nonexistent and two engineers tasked with guarding the last hope for mankind struggle to preserve their own lives while administering to their vital task at hand.

Genre: Sci-fi, Drama, Thriller

Watched: January 8th, 2017

After explosions, thought to be some kind of "hybrid nuclear chemical weapon", the air outside has become too toxic to breathe forcing what was left of civilisation to live underground.

A series of underground bunkers built by the Government holds a number of "sleepers", doctors, scientists and other important figures that the Government have chosen as being unique and irreplaceable, who are kept in cryogenic sleep until the air outside is deemed safe and breathable.

Each of these bunkers is looked after by two maintenance workers who only wake for two hours every 6 months to complete routine tasks and inspections.
During one of these cycles Bauer (Norman Reedus) and Cartwright (Djimon Hounsou) have only seconds left before their two hours is up when one of their sleeping chambers goes up in flames. The two must now race against the clock to find a solution before the air runs out.

I thought the film was going to be better than it was. The idea is quite interesting and it reminds me a lot of Right At Your Door, but I think the latter is definitely the better of the two.

I think Norman Reedus' performance was good, his character feels very believable but I wasn't keen on Djimon Hounsou's performance at all. It all feels very awkward and forced, at first I thought it might have been the script (which isn't very good), but it didn't get any better and then I remembered seeing him in Push (2009) and he wasn't very good in that either.

The film is a bit dull at times, it really doesn't help that there are almost no twists and turns to help keep you entertained and the film definitely feels a lot longer than its relatively short running time of 95min.

Rating: 6/10
One Final Word: Okay

Split (M. Night Shyamalan, 2016)

Cast: James McAvoy, Anya Taylor-Joy, Betty Buckley, Brad William Henke

Summary: Three girls are kidnapped by a man with a diagnosed 23 distinct personalities. They must try to escape before the apparent emergence of a frightful new 24th.

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Watched: February 3rd, 2017

Before Split I had only ever seen three M. Night Shyamalan films, The Sixth Sense (1999), The Last Airbender (2010) and The Happening (2008) (which I'm a little obsessed with).
Yep that's right people, I haven't seen Unbreakable (2000) *GASP*. I did try to watch it when I was younger but I couldn't get in to it, but never fear, it is on my list of films to watch (it's a very long list though).

I knew the film was going to be good as soon as I saw the trailer but I actually had no plans to watch it because I thought it would be too scary for me (I'm a bit of wimp), but after seeing the trailer during pretty much every TV advert I decided to go see it.

The film tells the story of Kevin (James McAvoy), a young man with dissociative identity disorder. Treated by his psychiatrist Dr. Karen Fletcher (Betty Buckley) he appears to be stable, that is until Dr. Fletcher notices that something isn't quite right.

In his mind Kevin's multiple personalities sit in chair in a room each waiting for their turn in the light aka controlling the body. "Barry", the dominate personality, is in charge of deciding who goes into the light but it slowly becomes clear to Dr Fletcher that Barry may no longer be in charge.
We later discover that 'Dennis', a personality with obsessive-compulsive disorder and "Patricia", two personalities that are usually kept in the dark to protect Kevin, have somehow broken through, overtaking Barry as the dominant one and kidnapping 3 teenage girls.
We had a pretty awful start to our cinema trip which meant that we missed the first 5-10mins of the film. I was super annoyed and very hot (we ran from one side of the cinema to the other after they sold us tickets to the wrong screening) and I struggled to get into the film for the next 15-20mins.

When I was finally able to relax I thoroughly enjoyed this film and it was definitely nowhere near as scary as I thought it was going to be (although I was definitely freaked out at times). There's a point where the plot seems unimportant and your focus is turned on the characters instead, which I quite liked.

I enjoyed Anya Taylor-Joy's performance as Casey but for me the stand out is definitely McAvoy, to be able to play each individual personality so convincingly, just wow, I thought he was brilliant. I've only seen him in two other films but I think after this I definitely have to watch some more of his work.

Rating: 8.5/10
One Final Word: Brilliant!

TV | Attack on Titan (2013)

Japanese Cast: Yūki Kaji, Yui Ishikawa, Marina Inoue.

American Cast: Bryce Papenbrook, Trina Nishimura, Josh Grelle.

Summary: After his hometown is destroyed and his mother is killed, young Eren Jaegar vows to cleanse the earth of the giant humanoid Titans that have brought humanity to the brink of extinction.

Genre: Action, Adventure

Seasons: 1 and 2 (currently showing)

Attack on Titan is based on a manga comic of the same name that tells the story of a world where humanity lives in cities surrounded by three gigantic walls, the outer Wall Maria, the middle Wall Rose and the inner Wall Sheena. These walls are used to protect humanity from titans, giant humanoid creatures who eat humans for unknown reasons.
The majority of people inside the walls have never seen a titan and have lived a life of relative peace, but when a giant 60-meter Colossus titan mysteriously appears and breaches the outer Wall Maria, hundreds of smaller titans invade the town of Shiganshina.

The story initially focuses on Eren Jaeger, his adopted sister Mikasa Ackermann and their childhood friend Armin Arlelt, whose homes are destroyed in the Shiganshina titan attack. Eren and Mikasa's mother is also killed in the attack, which leads Eren (followed by Mikasa and Armin) to enlist in the military as he vows to kill them all.

It sounds pretty bizarre and I thought I would hate it straight away but I absolutely loved it! I was hooked from the first episode after hearing the first line of the theme song "Guren no Yumiya" (Crimson Bow and Arrow), "Are We The Pray? No We Are The Hunters!"
I was so upset when the theme tune changed after the first 13 episodes, but after watching a few more episodes I fell in love with the new theme song, "Die Flügel der Freiheit" (Wings of Freedom).

I did get a little bit confused at times, as the episode are roughly 20-25mins long I felt like a lot of information was squashed so I felt as though I had missed a few important details. I also found myself struggling to keep track of who is who as more characters are introduced when the story jumps ahead 5 years after the attack in Shiganshina.

I also watched the dubbed version rather then original Japanese as we weren't able to read the subtitles at the time. To be honest I probably wouldn't have watched the Japanese version anyway.

I really enjoy the story and I can't wait to see what happens in season 2, but I'll definitely by watching season one again to make sure I understand everything!

Rating: 7/10
One Final Word: Great!

Team Foxcatcher (Jon Greenhalgh, 2016)

Starring: Dave Schultz, Nancy Shultz and John du Pont

Summary: Filmmaker Jon Greenhalgh examines the life of Dave Schultz, a professional wrestler who was part of Team Foxcatcher, funded by philanthropist John E du Pont.

Genre: Documentary

Watched: April 20th, 2017

Back in February I did a post on 12 Documentaries to Watch on Netflix Right Now, and Team Foxcatcher was one of those documentaries.

The film kept popping in my recommended films on Netflix so I did a Google search to find out who John du Pont was, although I did try not to read too much about him as I really wanted to watch the documentary. Months later, I finally downloaded it on Netflix to watch on my commute to and from work.

I thought this documentary was absolutely fantastic. Not only is it an incredibly intimate view of Dave Schultz and his family but also Du Pont and some of the other wrestlers from Team Foxcatcher who lived and trained on Foxcatcher Farm.
The whole thing is a little unsettling, especially when hearing from people who lived and worked closely with the pair such as former members of the team, local police, colleagues, Shultz's wife etc., when they describe Du Pont's ever increasing erratic behaviour and how no one thought much of it at the time until it was too late.

I loved that it looks at everything, including the aftermath of the shooting, the trial and even the years following the shooting. It's definitely something I would recommend watching!
There is another documentary on the same subject, an ESPN film called 30 for 30 The Prince of Pennsylvania and I think I'm going to have to watch that now that I have seen Team Foxcatcher.

Rating: 8/10
One Final Word: Unsettling

TV | A Series of Unfortunate Events (2017)

Cast: Neil Patrick Harris, Patrick Warburton, Malina Weissman, Louis Hynes, Presley Smith , K. Todd Freeman

Summary: After the loss of their parents in a mysterious fire, the three Baudelaire children face trials and tribulations attempting to uncover dark family secrets.

Genre: Drama, Black Comedy

Season(s): 1 (renewed for season's 2 and 3)
Watched: March 2017

I really enjoyed the film Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004), so when I saw the advert for the television show I was super excited to see it.
However it took me a couple of months to actually start watching it (it was released in January, I watched it in March, but I managed to get it all watched in just a couple of weeks during my commute to and from work.

For those that haven't read the books or seen the film, A Series of Unfortunate Events tells the story of the turbulent lives of the Baudelaire children, Violet, Klaus and Sunny.
Following the death of their parents in a fire at their home, the children are placed in the care of distant relative Count Olaf, who repeatedly attempts to steal their inheritance causing them to move from place to place in order to try to escape him.

While the film adaptation only covers the first three books in the series, The Bad Beginning, The Reptile Room and The Wide Window (my favourite episode), the Netflix series covers the first four, the fourth being The Miserable Mill (my second favourite episode).
I really enjoyed the show (like I knew I would). I did start to get a little frustrated at times as I felt the episodes became a bit too repetitive, but then again one of the key motifs is the consistent efforts by Count Olaf to steal the children's fortune, so I can't really complain.

There were quite a few characters that I absolutely loved, firstly the Baudelaire children. Malina Weissman, Louis Hynes and the adorable Presley Smith were brilliant as the orphaned Violet, Klaus and Sunny.
Joan Cusack (who I'm a little obsessed with) with brilliant as Justice Strauss, I loved K. Todd Freeman as the ever sick Arthur Poe and I thought Alfre Woodard was absolutely fantastic as the fierce and formidable Aunt Josephine.

I've never seen How I Met Your Mother and I'm pretty sure I haven't seen Neil Patrick Harris in anything else, so I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from him.
I didn't think he would be able to pull off the role as good as Jim Carrey but boy was I wrong, he was absolutely brilliant! I think Patrick Harris managed to play the role even better then Carrey because not only is he able to show the funny side of Count Olaf he also makes him seem a lot more sinister and dangerous.

I'm super looking forward to seasons 2 and 3. Season 2 will adapt books 5-9, The Austere Academy, The Ersatz Elevator, The Vile Village, The Hostile Hospital and The Carnivorous Carnival and season 3 will adapt the remaining 4 books; The Slippery Slope, The Grim Grotto, The Penultimate Peril and The End.

I think I'm going to try and read all the books before the next season comes out, as I've only read one (I think The Ersatz Elevator). It's supposedly being planned for the beginning of next year so I have a bit of time to go.

Rating: 9/10
One Final Word: EXCELLENT

Terminus (Marc Furmie, 2015)

Cast: Jai Koutrae, Kendra Appleton, Todd Lasance, Bren Foster, Williams Emmons

Summary: Following a near-fatal accident, David Chamberlain makes an unprecedented discovery that will not only determine the fate of his family, but of mankind.

Genre: Sci-fi, Drama

Watched: January 3rd, 2017

I added this film to my Netflix watchlist a few months before I actually watched it. The only reason I kept skipping past was because the preview images made it look like an incredibly cheaply made film with bad special effects, and I couldn't help but think it was going to be like Timeshifters.

But as they say, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. I decided to give the film a chance when I was trying to reduce the amount of films in my watchlist and I have to say those preview shots aren't 100% accurate.

The film tells the story of David (Jai Koutrae), a widowed mechanic, his daughter Annabelle (Kendra Appleton), who is forced to return home from college after her father payments are rejected and Zach (Todd Lasance), a local war veteran who is missing a leg.
After a night of drinking, David finds himself in an almost fatal car accident after witnessing what looks like a meteor crashing to earth. The meteor is actually a mysterious object that has incredibly miraculous healing abilities that are discovered when David grows back the kidney he donated to his dying wife.

To really make this a sci-fi movie, of course there are some government agents involved in the retrieval of the mysterious object, through what seems like any means necessary.
I wasn't expecting much to be honest but the film wasn't actually as bad as I thought it was going to be. It definitely has it problems, mainly the acting, especially when it came to Bren Foster who plays Agent Stipe. The rest of the acting was actually quite good.
I definitely have to give all the actors extra praise for the brilliant American accents (the film was made in Australia with Australian actors!)

The story was a bit predictable at times and there were also times when the story felt bit confusing. It took me a few minutes to get into the film because I didn't really understand what was happening at the beginning.

The special effects were absolutely brilliant! The scene with the leg (if you've seen it, you know the one I mean) is absolutely brilliant and terrifying at the same time.

TV | Shadowhunters (2016)

Cast: Katherine McNamara, Dominic Sherwood, Emeraude Toubia, Alberto Rosende, Matthew Daddario, Harry Shum Jr and Isaiah Mustafa

Summary: After her mother disappears, Clary must venture into the dark world of demon hunting, and embrace her new role among the Shadowhunters.

Genre: Action, Fantasy

Also Known As: Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments
Seasons: 1-2 (Renewed for Season 3)

*Beware there be spoilers*

I've written on here a few times about my love for Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments book series, the first time being in my first What I'm Excited to See post.
I remember being super excited when I found out that they were releasing a film and I read all the books in preparation for its release; however when I finally got round to seeing The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013) I was left feeling a little disappointed (you can read why in my review)!

A few hours after I watched the film I started watching the Freeform TV show Shadowhunters which is also based on the Mortal Instruments books.
The show, now in its second season, is currently on a winter break and is back with episode 11 on June 5th!

I think season two has been pretty good and even better the first season.
There were a few things that were a little bit off about the first season, but for me my biggest issue was with Clary (Katherine McNamara) and Alec (Matthew Daddario). I hadn't read the books for a good couple of years so I could be remembering things wrong but I don't remember Alec being soo hostile.


I know it's common for screen adaptations of books to change, take out or introduce new characters, scenes, events e.c.t. and Shadowhunters likes to do this quite a lot.

In the first season there was the addition of Lydia Branwell (Stephanie Bennett), an envoy from the clave who later became Alec's fiancée and in season two there was the addition of Victor Aldertree, who I'm not a fan of at all and the death of Jocelyn (Maxim Roy)!

Did her death shock anyone else?!

For me Aldertree's character feels a little random. Although he's explained why he's there I don't really see the point of his character. He says he was brought in to replace Lydia as her leadership was ineffective and to question the team at the institute about their unsanctioned missions and to look into Jace (Dominic Sherwood).
He doesn't seem to be doing a good job though, because to me it looks like these unsanctioned missions are still happening left, right and center. I originally thought he was a character written for the show (like I said, I haven't read the books in a while) but he is actually a character who appears in the books, although slightly later on (City of Glass).

The Lightwood's mother Marsye (Nicola Correia-Damude) is also written a little differently in the show then she is in the book.

I'm loving the choice of actors for the main characters this time around. Although I liked Magnus from the film (Godfrey Gao) I really do prefer Harry Shum Jr as Magnus and Daddario, I just love him, he's much more believable then Kevin Zegers.
Dominic Sherwood is also a much better choice for Jace, he is able to portray the cocky yet mysterious character a lot better than Jamie Campbell Bower who I found to be a bit creepy.

And Valentin (Alan van Sprang) gets a massive yes from me this time round, Jonathan Rhys Meyers was never going to be good in that role.

What do you guys think of Shadowhunters? Who are your favourite characters? Are you looking forward to the rest of the season!!!?

Rating: 8/10
One Final Word: Very Good

Landmine Goes Click (Levan Bakhia, 2015)

Cast: Sterling Knight, Spencer Locke, Dean Geyer and Kote Tolordava

Summary: Trapped standing on an armed landmine, an American tourist is forced to watch helplessly while his friend is terrorized and brutally assaulted.

Genre: Action, Drama

Watched: March 6th, 2017

I've said this before but most of the films I've been watching recently have been thanks to thanks to Netflix and the Horror channel and this is another one of them!
I was flicking through the TV looking for a film to watch when I saw this title on the horror channel. I read the description and I thought it sounded interesting so I sat down to watch it, although I have to admit I wasn't actually expecting much.

American tourists and best friends Daniel (Dean Geyer), Alicia (Spencer Locke) and Chris (Stirling Knight) are back-packing in the Georgian mountains, where we learn that Daniel and Alicia are soon to be married but she and Chris have recently had an affair.
Chris, who is going to be the best man at the wedding, comes across as though he wants to be in a relationship with Alicia and is desperate to fess up to Daniel, while Alicia calls it a mistake and is desperately trying to forget about the whole thing.

I thought, I can see where this is going!
Or could I?

After meeting up with friend and colleague Devi (Giorgi Tsaava), who agrees to take a picture of the group, Chris steps on a landmine, thought to have been left behind after some unrest in the area.

Now I don't want to reveal too much of what happens because it would spoil the film for those who haven't seen it, but shortly after Devi runs for help Chris and Alicia find themselves alone, until hunter Ilya (Kote Tolordava) and his dog discover the pair.
At first Iyla is seems intent on helping the pair, but Chris and Alicia soon discover that he would rather terrorize the two, playing some sort of sadistic game which leads to violence and the brutal rape of Alicia.

Also just to clear something up, the description of the film on IMDB and the horror channel both say that the American tourist is forced to watch as his girlfriend is terrorized, but Alicia isn't actually Chris' girlfriend.

All in all the film was much better than expected and I thought the last 20 minutes or so were very good, but I did have a few problems with the film.

I found the acting to be a little bit iffy at times (I've been saying that a lot recently), for the most part it's okay but it's definitely more noticeable in the first sequence. I also think the film is too long. The whole sequence when the pair are dealing with Ilya is way too drawn out for me and to be honest I think the story would have been much better suited to a short film.

And lastly the story seems just a little bit too unbelievable for me. I think it would have played out better if Chris and Daniel swapped places but unfortunately for me to fully explain why I would have to give way spoilers!

Has anyone seen this? What did you think?
Let me know!

Rating: 6.5/10
One Final Word: Good

10 Cloverfield Lane (Dan Trachtenberg, 2016)

Cast: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Goodman, John Gallagher Jr

Summary: After getting in a car accident, a woman is held in a shelter with two men, who claim the outside world is affected by a widespread chemical attack.

Genre: Mystery, Horror, Drama, Thriller

Watched: January 8th, 2017

I absolutely loved Cloverfield (2008) when I first saw it. I still do, it's one of my Most Rewatched Films.
After I watched it I was hoping that there would be a sequel but I couldn't find any information about one on the internet.

Fast forward 6 years and I started hearing about 10 Cloverfield Lane. I automatically assumed it was the Cloverfield sequel I had been looking for but I later found out (after we had watched it) that it isn't actually a direct sequel but rather what J.J Abrams is calling a "blood relative".

Onto the review!

We're thrown straight into the story as soon as the film starts with Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) driving through the countryside late at night following an argument with her boyfriend. As she listens to news reports on her car radio regarding black outs in major cities her car is struck.

She wakes up to find herself in an empty room chained to the wall, where her captor Howard (John Goodman) informs her that they are locked in his bunker deep underground following a chemical attack.
This film is a lot darker and much more sinister then what I was expecting. With Cloverfield you were able to see pretty much everything that was happening, but 10 Cloverfield Lane is definitely more about what you can't see.

With Cloverfield we were literally in Hud's (T.J. Miller) shoes throughout the film, even without the camera 10 Cloverfield Lane is also able to make us (the audience) feel as though we are Michelle.
Like Michelle we don't actually know what's happening outside, we only know what we've been told by Howard and Emmett (John Gallagher Jr) and again like Michelle we don't know these people so we're not sure if we can really trust them.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead is brilliant as Michelle but for me it is definitely John Goodman who really steals the show.

I've heard quite a bit about the way the films ends and how a lot of people aren't happy with it. I did think it was a little random and at the time I didn't think it fit very well but when I think about it, for me it doesn't take away from the rest of the film. It's definitely a film I would happily watch again.

Take a look at these interesting articles I found about the film and it's ending: The 10 Cloverfield Lane Backlash is Missing the Point and Why the Ending of 10 Cloverfield Lane Sucks

Rating: 8/10
One Final Word: Excellent!

Under The Skin (Jonathan Glazer, 2013)

Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Adam Pearson, Jeremy McWilliams

Summary: A mysterious young woman seduces lonely men in the evening hours in Scotland. However, events lead her to begin a process of self-discovery.

Genre: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi

Watched: January 8th, 2017

I hadn't actually seen this film when I bought the DVD for my sister, it was another film that I bought because the cover looked cool (see: Timeshifters).

When I finally got round to watching it on Netflix I have to say, at first I didn't like it for maybe 5-10 minutes.

I wasn't sure what was happening because the screen was black and then I thought that maybe my Ipad screen had gone to sleep, so I pressed the home button only to realise that film had actually playing all along.
A shortwhile later We see The Woman (Scarlet Johansson) in a large white room undressing a woman (Lynsey Taylor Mackay) who is seemingly unable to move, before dressing herself in the woman's clothes.
During this whole scene not one person speaks, in fact the whole scene is pretty quiet. What am I talking about, apart from the sound early on, our next experience of sound comes at 10mins in and is a little jarring after all the silence.
I thought that I would lose interest because I was struggling to follow exactly what was happening combined with the fact that Johansson doesn't utter a word until 15 minutes in but as the film went on I found that I was really starting to enjoy it.

I think Johansson is absolutely brilliant and her accent is pretty darn good.

Shortly after I watched the film I had an interesting thought (which I'm pretty sure isn't correct, but I want to believe it's true) that maybe Lucy and Under The Skin are connected.
I don't want to say why just in case people haven't seen them, if you have let me know and I'll share my theory with you!

Rating: 8/10
One Final Word: Weirdly Brilliant!

The Bay (Barry Levinson, 2012)

Cast: Kether Donohue, Kristen Connolly, Will Rogers, Stephen Kunken

Summary: Chaos breaks out in a small Maryland town after an ecological disaster occurs.

Genre: Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi

Watched: August 21st, 2016

There has been a lot of found footage films over the last few years, but the bay has done things a little differently.
Not only is it made up of various different pieces of footage taken from the residents of Claridge, Maryland but it is also interwoven with a Skype interview conducted 3 years after disaster hit the town.

The Skype interview introduces us to Donna Thompson (Kether Donohue), a young amateur journalist that happened to be in Claridge on the day of the incident speaking publicly for the first time about what happened.

The found footage within the film is made up of footage that had been confiscated by the government when the town was quarantined and includes footage from webcams, CCTV, video from holidaymakers, TV news, dash cams etc.
To be honest the use of this footage makes the film feel less like a horror and more like a ecological documentary or mockumentary.
For me it is definitely the webcam footage from the Skype interview that help to make the film as convincing as it does. The tinny sound, the poor quality of the image and the voice of the interviewer on the other end all add to the authenticity of the film.

I found the acting to be a little iffy in parts with certain characters but overall I thoroughly enjoyed the film and I loved watching the story unfold through the various different viewpoints of the town's residents.

Rating: 7/10
One Final Word: Very Good

He Never Died (Jason Krawczyk, 2015)

Cast: Henry Rollins, Booboo Stewart, Kate Greenhouse, Jordan Todosey

Summary: Jack, a social outcast, is thrust out of his comfort zone when the outside world bangs on his door and he can't contain his violent past.

Genre: Fantasy, Comedy, Horror

Watched: November 30th, 2016

I really enjoyed this film, it definitely turned out to be much better than I thought it was going to be.

I honestly wasn't expecting much after seeing the poster (never judge a book by its cover I know) because it reminded me of the film Legion (2010), which I liked but I know isn't really that good.

Henry Rollins is brilliant as Jack, the mysterious man no one seems to know anything about.
We soon learn that he has two suspicious scars on his back, goes to church, plays bingo (because it's something to do), goes to the same diner where he always has oatmeal and hot tea and has been alive for a very, very long time.

Just how long he has been alive, no one knows.

To be honest I found that I for the majority of the film I wasn't actually thinking about how long he had been alive or more about who he is. Even when his big secret is revealed Rollins does it in such a casual way that I thought okay I believe him and didn't need any in-depth explanations.

It's definitely a film I would recommend and watch again and again.

Rating: 8/10
One Final Word: Very Good