#GoodToWatch – Movie Pub

Us (2019) – Movie Review

They are Coming!

Us is a horror thriller film written and directed by Jordan Peele, the director who is known for his excellent work in Get Out (2017).

The film follows the family of four, Adelaide (Lupita Nyong’o), her husband Gabe Wilson (Winston Duke) and their children, Zora (Shahadi Wright Joseph) and Jason (Evan Alex), where they head to her family’s beach house in Santa Cruz. Soon their peaceful vacation turns into a nightmare when they are confronted by their doppelgängers (double of a living person).

There are some things in a storyline which are never explained or are just illogical, which may get you out of the film or may feel boring. The film also has a really nice screenplay and direction, along with a spooky musical score. The performance-wise, all the actors have done a good job. The concept of encountering doppelgängers is really fresh and interesting topic. Like his previous film, Peele once again addresses the theme of the oppressed and the oppressors in the society. The film also has some American cultural references and nuances which may not be understandable for the outsiders while watching it.

This is not an ordinary horror film which nowadays heavily relies on the jump scares; it is an unconventional horror film like The Witch (2015), Hereditary (2018), and The Babadook (2014). I liked the way, the director chose not to spoonfeed everything to the audience, rather he had given the little details and hints throughout the film. Although there are some reveals towards the end of the film, still it makes the audience keep on guessing all the time.

Verdict : An unconventional horror film, maybe not everybody’s cup of tea.

Rating : 3.5/5

Check the trailer here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNCmb-4oXJA

Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) – Movie Review

Fearless Lives Forever.

Bohemian Rhapsody is a biography and musical drama film written by Anthony McCarten and directed by Bryan Singer. The film depicts the extraordinary tale of the British rock band Queen.

The film features the life of Freddie Mercury/Farrokh Bulsara (Rami Malek), lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. The film starts with early years in 1970 when Freddie was just a college student working as a baggage handler at Heathrow Airport. And in the spare time, he used to watch local rock bands; in particular, a band named ‘Smile’. One night, after the show, Freddie meets Smile guitarist Brian May (Gwilym Lee) and drummer Roger Taylor (Ben Hardy), and in his peculiar ways offers to replace their lead singer. And with the addition of bassist John Deacon (Joseph Mazzello), the band known as Queen. Rest of the film follows the rise of ‘Queen’ in the world of fame with many ups and downs leading up to its legendary appearance at the Live Aid (1985) concert.

Without keeping many expectations, I had gone to watch this film, thinking that what a rock band film possibly could serve. But, believe me, besides its biographical and musical aspect, the story of the film alone is compelling and powerful enough to move you and cheer you up from inside. The film is just a perfect combination of music and biography elements, and those work really together. The film progresses smoothly and hardly feels lazy at any point. The film moves very fast by keeping ‘Mercury’ at the center(depicting his personal and sexual life) but because of the limited timeframe, the film fails to touch all the parts of the whole story.

The background score and all the songs in the film compliments the story. The performances by the actors are good, notably, Malek’s portrayal of Mercury looks authentic and commanding. The music sequences, especially the Live Aid scenes are convincingly epic. The film has become the highest-grossing musical biographical film of all-time.

Verdict : The film is compelling, enjoyable, and nostalgic treat for Queen’s fans.

Rating : 4/5

Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018) – Movie Review

Some missions are not a choice.

Mission: Impossible – Fallout is an action spy thriller film co-written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie. It is the sixth installment in the Mission: Impossible film series, and the second film to be directed by McQuarrie, after Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015). It’s been 22 years when the first Mission: Impossible came out in 1996, and still today Tom Cruise is shining in his role of Ethan Hunt.

The film follows two years after the events of its fifth installment, where Solomon Lane (Sean Harris) has been captured, and the remains of his organization The Syndicate have reformed into a terrorist group known as The Apostles. After Ethan’s (Tom Cruise) mission to fetch plutonium went wrong and the plutonium is taken by the Apostles, he must race against time to get those back before the nukes go off. In this mission, Ethan is accompanied by his former allies cum IMF agents Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) and Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames). The film also stars Henry Cavill with his legendary mustache as August Walker, a CIA assassin working for the Special Activities Division tasked with monitoring Ethan and his team.

The film is a full package of high-octane action sequences, chase sequences, and breathtaking stunts. Apart from its action, the film’s direction and the story is very crisp and to the point. The story never loses its pace, and chunks of exciting and thrilling moments keep on happening which keeps the audience engaged. The film is shot really well, especially the action and the stunt scenes, with a slightly shaky but impressive effect to make it feel real. Acting wise, the film is fair enough, and especially the comedy moments blends really well with film’s thrilling tone. Many critics hailed it as the best installment in the series, with some considering it one of the greatest action films of all-time.

Verdict : A fully action-packed film and totally worth a watch.

Rating : 4/5

Check the trailer here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb49-oV0F78

Soorma (2018) – Movie Review

The Greatest Comeback Story

Soorma (Warrior in English) is a biographical sports drama film based on the life of hockey player Sandeep Singh. The film is co-written and directed by Shaad Ali.

The film depicts the extraordinary story of the international hockey player Sandeep Singh (Diljit Dosanjh), through his first step in hockey, his love life, his surprising rise in the world of hockey, and mainly the accidental gunshot injury which paralyzes him and puts him in a wheelchair. This fateful catastrophic event completely breaks him and his dreams, but against all odds, Sandeep gets back on his feet and makes the greatest comeback to international hockey.

Along with Diljit Dosanjh, the film also stars Tapsee Pannu as Harpreet, a really good hockey player, Sandeep’s love interest, and the sole reason for Sandeep to learn hockey. Angad Bedi as Bikramjeet Singh, who is playing Sandeep’s kind and supportive elder brother. And Vijay Raaz as Harry, Sandeep’s stubborn and quirky Coach.

Unlike most other real-life sports films, this one is not just only about a struggle and rise, but it also tells the story of a fateful fall and an epic comeback. The story is good and inspirational but is crunched in the runtime of just two hours. The movie was high on content and drama that it could have been made of at least three hours, which would have let some really crucial moments to breathe and would have been much more impactful to the audience. The first half of the film almost make audiences remember the storyline of Sultan (2016). The film definitely gives Chak de! India (2007) and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013) vibe to the audience but does not reach that level of maturity and sincerity. The performances by all the actors are really good, no doubt in that. The film definitely inspires throughout its runtime, and finally treats the audience with the India-Pakistan match. 😉

Verdict : The film is worth to watch, has some little flaws but can be neglected.

Rating : 3.7/5

Check out trailer here :