Tag: Netflix

Family Switch

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The Walkers are your typical family: mom Jess (Jennifer Garner), dad Bill (Ed Helms), their teenagers CC (Emma Myers) and Wyatt (Brady Noon) and baby Miles (Lincoln and Theodore Sykes). They aren’t as close as they used to be as life has gotten in the way. When a mysterious event occurs at the Griffith Park Planetarium, the family end up switching bodies. In order to change back, they’ll have to walk in one another’s shoes.

Body swap stories have been around for ages. Some have been better than others, but one thing is for sure and that’s we always know more or less what to expect from them. This was the first body swap film that I’ve seen which incorporated Christmas and I loved that aspect of it.

I went into this one not expecting anything amazing. Netflix hasn’t really been delivering lately so I was bracing myself. Color me shocked when I realized I was actually enjoying myself! Sure it’s silly, predictable and some of the CGI moments, particularly with Miles acting as the dog Pickles, were done terribly, but I laughed out loud a ton.

The cast worked well together and really had me believing they were a family. Garner and Helms were perfect as the parents trying to get their teens to hang out with them. I also loved seeing Myers in something since her rise to stardom in last year’s Wednesday. My favorite moments were obviously when the switch had happened and the events that followed.

Overall, Family Switch was better than I expected it to be. It had some valuable family moments, great laughs and a banging soundtrack. I don’t know if it’s because I haven’t been feeling like myself lately, but this was exactly the type of film I needed to pick me up.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️

Pain Hustlers

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From director David Yates of various Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films comes Pain Hustlers. The story follows down on her luck mom Liza Drake (Emily Blunt) who is dreaming of a better life for herself and her daughter Phoebe (Chloe Coleman). Thanks to a chance encounter with one Pete Brenner (Chris Evans), she lands a job at the failing pharmaceutical company where he works. As drastic changes begin to occur, she can’t help but wonder if it’s been for better or for worse.

I was looking forward to this one. A film helmed by two of the biggest stars of today? Sign me right up! Unfortunately that’s about all it had going for it. So where did it all go wrong?

First and foremost, this is not the first time we’ve seen the subject tackled. This year alone we’ve had various takes on similar drug crises. This take unfortunately doesn’t add much to what we already know. There’s nothing wrong with that per se, but it doesn’t shed the light on anything new and therefore doesn’t stand out from the crowd.

The performances here are enjoyable enough. Blunt is believable as the scrappy mom who will do whatever she can to provide for her daughter. I wanted to root for her even when she continued to make questionable choices, though she certainly made it hard. Evans, on the other hand, has been playing similar variations of the same character for a while now and it’s beginning to feel tired. The two did have a good chemistry though that made their scenes work. The supporting cast in Catherine O’Hara as Liza’s mother, Andy Garcia as Dr. Neel and Brian D’Arcy James as Dr. Lydell were fine enough.

I truly believe if Pain Hustlers came out at a different point in time, it would have had more of an impact. The story is an important one, but it’s something we’ve seen many times before which didn’t help. I wanted so badly to like it, but my expectations simply weren’t met. I hate to say that it felt like a slog to get through, but I’d be lying if I didn’t.

Rating: ♥️♥️.5

Fair Play

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Emily (Phoebe Dynevor) and Luke (Alden Ehrenreich) are madly in love and newly engaged. They also work together at the same cutthroat financial hedge fund and are hiding their relationship from their coworkers. When one of them gets promoted and becomes the others’ boss, the power dynamics shift into something sinister.

Chloe Domont, a new up and coming director, is certainly one to watch. Not only did she pen a brilliant script, she seems to have such a grasp on how this industry works. The battle of the sexes has been going on for many years and this is no exception. The way that a woman is treated in such a company is the complete opposite than that of a man. The realistic depiction that unfolded on screen was so on the nose that it kind of took my breath away.

While the film wouldn’t be complete without the magnetic chemistry between the two leads, it is Dynevor who steals the show. Not only does she carry the plot along perfectly, but she does so by conveying emotion with every look and action. As the storyline progresses, she adjusts and completely sells it. I’d only seen her in Bridgerton before, but now I feel she should be casted in everything. Ehrenreich, on the other hand, was a fine match for her, but it did seem like he took a backseat at times.

Though many have said the genre is that of an erotic thriller, I don’t necessarily agree. Yes, the physicality of it all is present, but only really at the beginning. As the pace picks up, there’s a change that is needed. I also didn’t find it too thrilling and instead more of a slow burn. Nothing wrong with that whatsoever, of course, as it helped increase the impending sense of doom that hung throughout, but it could be misleading.

Overall, Fair Play has a lot going for it. I might have expected more because it’s been receiving so much praise, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that was because all the financial stuff lost me. The drama and acting were more than enough to keep me entertained. I recommend everyone should check it out for that final act alone.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️.5

Love At First Sight

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Based on the novel The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith, the film follows two people who meet by chance, fall in love over the span of a six hour flight, and the lengths they’ll go to to find each other again.

Hadley Sullivan (Haley Lu Richardson) is used to things going wrong in her life so when she misses her flight to London for her father’s wedding, she bites the bullet and gets herself a ticket for the next one out. Oliver Jones (Ben Hardy) is a mysterious British guy who she meets along the way. Sparks immediately fly, but when they’re separated after landing, can fate intervene to bring them together once more?

This rom com screamed cute. I liked how it was different than similar films of the same genre lately. Not only was the chemistry between Richardson and Hardy absolutely adorable, there was substance behind their characters that gave their relationship some extra oomph. Hadley is dealing with abandonment issues after her dad (Rob Delaney) leaves to teach at Oxford, while Oliver is struggling with the imminent loss of his mother (Sally Philips). Each had baggage and instead of keeping it to themselves, they wanted the other to know what was going on.

My favorite part of the whole thing was Jameela Jamil as the narrator. Right from the get go, it was like she was reading the audience a fairytale and as the movie went on, it was so fun to see her pop up in each scene. Acting as a Jiminey Cricket of sorts, she donned the hat of airplane passenger, flight attendant, customs officer, bus driver and bartender to lead Hadley to Oliver and back again. This was a fresh, interesting take that I felt really worked.

Taking place in the vibrant London, I loved attempting to count how many places I could recognize. And thanks to a soundtrack with some really catchy covers, Love At First Sight was an enjoyable enough watch for me. It may not be anything to write home about, but it’s definitely one of the better titles that Netflix has put out lately.

Rating: ♥️♥️.5

Heart Of Stone

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In Netflix’s latest attempt at jump starting an action franchise, Heart of Stone follows Rachel (Gal Gadot), an intelligence operative, who is racing to stop a hacker from stealing her agency’s most valuable and powerful weapon. With global chase sequences, hijinks and some twists and turns, it’ll be her most trying mission yet.

There is so much that went wrong here that it would be impossible to list it all down. I’m starting to think that once I’ve seen one of these films, I’ve seen them all. They are generic and predictable and not in a good way. This time around we had a bunch of action movie tropes thrown into one. As a result it didn’t make much sense and proved to be very confusing. I still don’t really understand what the plot was!

I will say that a few of the fight sequences were entertaining at least. The first one comes to mind, right at the beginning of the film, and sets the tone going forward. I also thought the scene in Lisbon was exciting as it had a lot going on.

With Gadot leading the pack, it could have really gone either of two ways. I personally like her as an actress, but I do not think she was given great material here. Thanks to a wooden and cliched script, her delivery was often off. Jamie Dornan, who I usually love, was kind of annoying and while I’d initially been so looking forward to seeing Matthias Schweighhöfer in something new, I wasn’t sold. Even with the likes of Sophie Okonedo as ringleader Nomad and Alia Bhatt as the hacker herself in her first ever Hollywood role, it all just fell short.

I don’t know what Netflix has been doing lately, but it isn’t putting out good movies. Heart of Stone was such a disappointment, I don’t even know why I bothered. Sometimes it’s not enough to watch something just for the actors who star in it. I’ll have to remember that going forward.

Rating: ♥️.5

The Outlaws

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I don’t think I’ve ever given a movie one heart before, but I guess there’s a first time for everything.

The Outlaws, Netflix’s newest comedy/thriller offering, follows Owen Browning (Adam Devine), a straight-laced banker who is getting ready to marry the love of his life Piper (Nina Dobrev). It’s all going according to plan when his bank is held up by the infamous Ghost Bandits. Putting two and two together, Owen starts to believe it may be his future in laws (Pierce Brosnan and Ellen Barkin) who just so happened to arrive in town for the wedding.

I wanted so badly to like this film. It boasts an incredible cast and the trailer looked funny though I should have known better. How many times have I been duped before by big names just to get traction? The only shining lights for me here were Brosnan and Barkin who, while I still don’t have a clue why they’d star in something like this, did what they could to carry things along. In addition, Richard Kind and Julie Hagerty, who starred as Owen’s parents, had some great one liners and managed to steal the scenes they were in.

Devine, on the other hand, was so incredibly annoying that I had to force myself not to mute him. The high pitched screams and his mannerisms were way too over the top that it simply did not work. I can’t help but wonder if the film would have been better without him in it. And I wish I could say that Dobrev was a saving grace too, but she was kind of sidelined throughout. Even with the likes of Michael Rooker as Agent Oldham and Poorna Jagannathan as fellow bad guy Rehan, it was a lost cause.

In addition to the mismatched cast and over the top shenanigans, the movie itself was just not funny. A few of the so called jokes may have got me to chuckle, but only halfheartedly. As for the thriller element? There was none. Right from the get go you know what’s going to happen. Sometimes that’s a good thing though it wasn’t the case here.

I truly feel like The Outlaws is one of the worst movies that I have ever seen. It wasn’t funny, it was way too predictable and the cast made no sense whatsoever. Although I kept it on in hopes that it’d get better, I should have listened to my gut instinct and either switched it off halfway through or never given it a shot in the first place. I know that Netflix are notorious for the questionable quality they put out sometimes – I’m starting to think they should make some better decisions.

Rating: ♥️

Murder Mystery 2

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Sometimes a movie sequel will come along and not only meet the expectations of its predecessor, but can actually surpass it too. Unfortunately this was not the case with Murder Mystery 2.

Now full time detectives, Nick (Adam Sandler) and Audrey (Jennifer Aniston) are struggling to get their PI business off the ground. When they are invited to their friend, the Maharajah’s, (Adeel Akhtar) wedding to Claudette (Mélanie Laurent) on a beautiful private island, they think it’ll be a much deserved vacation. But trouble finds them when the Maharajah is kidnapped. Suddenly everyone is a suspect and it is up to the Spitzes to solve the case.

It has been four years since the first caper was released and I remember being surprised as to how much I enjoyed it. The chemistry between Sandler and Aniston was palpable and the mystery was interesting enough to keep me entertained the whole way through. When I heard that they were making a sequel, I wasn’t even hesitant about it because I figured it’d be more or less the same fun time I had before. Unfortunately, as it just so happens, I should have had some reservations after all.

First of all, the pacing here was way off. It took forever for something exciting to happen and in between all the crazy car chases and explosions were some unneeded filler that simply wasn’t necessary. I wasn’t as invested in the overall mystery this time around either and could not get behind rooting for any of the other players in the story, even if one of them was portrayed by Mark Strong.

Even the antics of Nick and Audrey weren’t as authentic as before. The slapstick comedy was turned up a few notches too high, making it more annoying than charming and I wanted to turn it off on more occasions than one.

Netflix films are notorious for being less than stellar, but this is one of the worst ones I have seen to date. Everything about it just felt wrong. It was a slog to get through, the comedy wasn’t funny at all and the whole act just felt tired. I know that they kept things open for a potential third instalment, but I really hope they decide against it.

Rating: ♥️.5

We Have A Ghost

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If Casper had a baby, it would be We Have A Ghost. Based on the short story Ernest by Geoff Manaugh and adapted into a film by Christopher Landon, the film follows the Presley family who move into a dusty old home that just so happens to inhabit a ghost. Youngest son, Kevin (Jahi Winston) isn’t afraid however and the two strike up a friendship. Unfortunately Kevin’s dad Frank (Anthony Mackie) gets himself in too deep, looking to turn the ghost into a social media sensation.

David Harbour as the phantom Ernest and is truly the soul of the movie. As he isn’t actually able to speak, each emotion is conveyed by facial expressions. I thought this would get tiresome, but it just goes to show that Harbour was a great choice for the role. The relationship that formed between Ernest and Kevin carried the film; Kevin considers Ernest to be just a regular guy and is totally devoted to helping him.

The rest of the cast do a decent enough job. Mackie, in an unlikable role as a father who just doesn’t seem to really get it, is convincing. It was also a lot of fun to have the incomparable Jennifer Coolidge as psychic Judy Romano. She wasn’t featured in many scenes, but when she was on screen, she shone bright. Unfortunately I cannot say the same for Tig Notaro who once again seemed out of place in a subplot that I didn’t quite feel was necessary.

While the pacing was a bit all over the place, especially in the second half, and I did not understand the point of the CIA storyline, there was something heartwarming about We Have A Ghost. I’ve always loved the found family trope and this time around was no exception. This may not be a movie I’ll be running back to watch anytime soon, but it was one I had a good time with in the moment.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️

Your Place Or Mine

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It’s as if I woke up in the early 2000s because Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher are starring in a rom com again!

Your Place Or Mine sees Debbie (Reese Witherspoon) and Peter (Ashton Kutcher) who, after After spending the night together, decided they were better off as friends. Best friends. Twenty years later and they are still very much involved in the others’ lives. She lives with her son Jack (Wesley Kimmel) in LA while he dedicates his time to work in New York. When Debbie needs someone to look after Jack so she can attend a course, Peter hops on the first flight out to help. This week away will shed light to their relationship, however, causing them to rethink everything.

This movie couldn’t have come out at a more perfect time. It reminded me of films from the genre of years gone by and I mean that in the best way possible. There were some tongue in cheek moments, as well as some laughs scattered throughout that worked. I enjoyed both Debbie and Peter’s separate storylines. It was nice to see Debbie, who is usually so uptight and worrying about Jack being able to let her hair down with new friend Minka (Zoe Chao) and a potential beau in Theo (Jesse Williams). Meanwhile, Peter sees how tough Jack has had it and does what he can to break him out of his shell a bit more, all while dealing with Debbie’s hippie neighbor Zen (Steve Zahn).

Where this film went wrong for me was in its casting choices. I just didn’t buy Witherspoon and Kutcher’s chemistry. Whether it was platonic or romantic, something seemed off between the two of them. I believe they each should have gotten their own romantic comedy because it’s a genre they’re both good at, but with different partners. It was also surprising to see Tig Notaro as their mutual friend. It felt kind of random to me.

Don’t get me wrong. I still think that Your Place Or Mine is worth a watch. I had a good enough time with it and I still think it’s a great addition for your Valentine’s Day rotation. It just didn’t entirely work for me.

Rating: ♥️♥️.5

2022 Wrap Up

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I’m not sure if it’s just me, but I feel like the years go by faster as I get older.

2022 was another great year of movies. With some memorable visits to the theatre where my auditorium cheered during a viewing on opening day of Top Gun: Maverick to seeing Triangle of Sadness in Cannes, steps away from where the famous film festival takes place, this year will go down in the history books for me.

Moving back to Europe did change the way in which I ran this blog. Usually due to where I was at a certain point in time or the fact that certain films were released on different days was something I needed to adjust to. At least I was always able to fall back on my streaming platforms! All that being said, I look forward to what 2023 will have in store.

Without further ado, here are my top five best and worst films of the year:

Best:

  1. The Menu
  2. Triangle of Sadness
  3. Top Gun: Maverick
  4. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
  5. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Worst:

  1. Deep Water
  2. Pinocchio
  3. The Weekend Away
  4. Disenchanted
  5. Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical