Uninvited — Movie Review

Lilia Capistrano (Vilma Santos) has a plan. She is going to kill billionaire Guilly Vega (Aga Muhlach) at his mansion during his 55th birthday party.

Why? Well, there’s a lot of reasons.

The Vega family is powerful, but they are also heartless, entitled, and dangerous. Guilly’s wife, Katrina (Mylene Dizon), is simply apathetic. She couldn't care less about her constituents. Their daughter, Nicole (Nadine Lustre), is a troubled young woman with drug addiction. 

But Guilly Vega is the worst of them all. He’s a corrupt politician with a long history of wrongdoings and crimes. One of the most horrific of it is the random abduction of Lilia’s daughter (Gabby Padilla) and her boyfriend (Elijah Canlas).

Lilia knows justice will not be served through the legal system. The Vega family has influence, money, and deep political connections. Even if she takes them to court, the outcome is almost certain. She will lose.

That leaves her with only one choice.

She must take justice into her own hands.

The Beekeeper: Movie Review

When you watch Jason Statham movies, you can always count on him to wear a jacket and a cap and punch some bad guys in the face. He beat up hired guns in Expendables 4 last year. A few years before that, he beat up thieves in Wrath of Man. In The Beekeeper, he fights a global scamming agency and white-collar crooks led by an asshole Josh Hutcherson.

Statham plays Adam Clay, a beekeeper. The film opens with him talking to a kind woman named Eloise Parker (Phylicia Rashad). Eloise is the owner of the bee farm where he works; she also handles the finances of some charities on the side. Clay thanks Eloise for taking care of him. We'll never find out what that means, but things then become quite dumb. Eloise lost all her savings and the money from the charities to a group of swindlers. But instead of calling the police, she took her own life. The film never establishes that Eloise is suicidal or depressed. Hence, her death feels a bit crass and a total cheap move by David Ayer to give Adam some kind of motivation.

Like a true justified action hero, Adam didn't waste any time going to work to find the scammers. Apparently, he's a former agent for a secret group called Beekeepers. And with his connections, he managed to find the scammers location and burn it down to the ground, much to the chagrin of the company's president, Derek Danforth (Josh Hutcherson), and his security slash advisor, Wallace Westwyld (Jeremy Irons). He then warns them that they're next. 

Adam's violent ways also caught the attention of Eloise's daughter, FBI Agent Verona Parker (Emmy Raver-Lampman), who disapproves of his method. But this plot has zero effect on where things are going. It never developed into something exciting or important.

The whole movie feels so half-baked. It feels like there's still a lot about it that's left unsaid. It also didn't help that the script was terrible. But Jason Statham's effort to make it work is admirable. He does everything here. He gets into some hand-to-hand combat. He gets into loads of gunfights. He gets into a knife fight. He even got to say some bee puns. He's basically like John Wick, minus the sophistication of Keanu Reeves.

The Beekeeper is formulaic, but it works in a way since the people involved in it kind of accepted its silliness. While I'm not sure if this movie fits in the "so bad that it's good" tier, I believe it comes pretty close.

2.5/5

The Killer: Movie Review

The Killer (Michael Fassbender) is the definition of a cold-blooded killer. His secret to his effectiveness and forbearance in the trade of contract killing is to have a set of credos: Stick to your plan. Anticipate; don't improvise. Trust no one. Never yield an advantage. Fight only the battle you're paid to fight. Forbid empathy.

On top of these rules, contract killing requires the utmost patience. The wait for the perfect timing to strike is long and physically taxing. Hence, one must always practice keeping himself calm. The Killer does yoga; he keeps a heart rate monitor watch and an iPod full of The Smiths songs to make sure that he’s focused on the tasks at hand.

But despite his meticulous mental and physical preparation, The Killer failed a mission given to him by his handler, Hodge (Charles Parnell). His client is obviously unhappy about it. So Hodge instructed a group of assassins (Tilda Swinton and Sala Baker) to dispatch The Killer and his girlfriend (Sophie Charlotte) to tie up loose ends.

Five Nights at Freddy's: Movie Review

Emma Tammi's long-awaited movie based on a popular video game series is a plot-heavy snoozefest about facing your biggest regret and becoming an adult.

Mike Schmidt (Josh Hutcherson) was a security guard in a quiet shopping center.

‘Was’ because he was fired shortly after for assaulting a man in front of his child after he mistook him for a kidnapper. A normal person would choose to confront rather than attack a person suspected of being an abductor or a criminal for many reasons. But Mike is livid.

A long time ago, someone kidnapped Mike's younger brother during a family picnic. He's been obsessed with this memory ever since. He’s so obsessed that he can lucidly dream about it and investigate it and talk to the five children who saw it.

Unemployment and past trauma are not his only problems; Mike also has to deal with his sleazy aunt (Mary Stuart Masterson). She has been hounding him for years to relinquish guardianship of his younger sister, Abby (Piper Rubio). Mike knows that she only wants Abby’s monthly support money, and she's just waiting for him to mess up so she can have her. So he tries his best not to mess up.

With his stacking insubordination cases, he’s left with virtually no other choice but to accept a job as a night-shift security guard for a dilapidated and abandoned pizzeria from career counselor Steve Raglan (Matthew Lillard). The pay isn't great, and the hours are worse, but all he has to do is keep trespassers away.

Unbeknownst to Mike, though, the place is not entirely abandoned. The dingy animatronics of the restaurant spring to life at night, and despite their cute and friendly appearance, they are extremely hostile to humans.

Fair Play: Movie Review

Chloe Domont's erotic-thriller slash romantic-drama film is about the connection between female empowerment and male fragility.

Emily (Phoebe Dynevor) and Luke (Alden Ehrenreich) are deeply in love with each other. However, they need to hide the fact that they're getting married soon. They both work for a hedge fund company that prohibits having romantic relationships with coworkers. Since Luke is also in the running for a big promotion and Emily doesn't want to lose her job, they’ve lied to people to keep their engagement a secret.

One night, Emily meets with Campbell (Eddie Marsan), the hedge fund company’s CEO. It turns out that she’s getting the promotion, not Luke. Emily is both elated and shocked by this turn of events.  Luke, on the other hand, is confused and dismayed. So Emily made a promise that she would help him rise in position as well. But something about their relationship changed that night, and it will never be the same again.

No One Will Save You: Movie Review

Brian Duffield’s minimalistic, elevated horror feature is about finding self-forgiveness amidst an intense fight for survival.

Brynn (Kaitlyn Dever) lives in a big house just outside their small village. All alone, with nothing really to do besides sew and build a miniature model of their town, she spends her time at the grave of her mother. She tries to drive around town and greet the townsfolk with a smile and a wave, but for some reason they avoid making any interactions with her.

One night, she wakes up to the sound of something breaking into her home. Curious about the clattering and the chirping, Brynn tries to take a good look at her intruder. She then discovered something shocking: her housebreaker isn’t human at all. It’s an alien.

Autobiography: Movie Review

The towering General Purna (Arswendy Bening Swara) comes back home after retiring from office; his housekeeper Rakib (Kevin Ardilova) welcomes him and immediately accedes to his requests. Rakib’s family has been in service to the general for four generations, and they are expected to follow him around.

General Purna wants to run for mayor of the region. Naturally, Rakib helps out during the campaign, acting as the old man’s driver, assistant, and confidant. He looks on in wonder as the old man plays his pieces so that he can easily command the people around him.

During a town meeting, a young man named Agus (Yusuf Mahardika) pleads for the consideration of the general to stop the construction of one of his projects that will surely put their farmland and livelihood on the line. Purna ridiculed the request. Rakib silently observes as he starts to notice that something is definitely wrong with his boss.

With his father in jail and his brother abroad, Rakib has no other choice but to stay with the general. Purna eventually warms up to him, and they form a father-son bond. He took him under his wing and taught him valuable lessons in dealing with people. He sheltered him, fed him, dressed him, and played chess with him. Rakib starts to see the old man in a new light, and he’s easily drawn in by his apparent kindness.

Inspired by the general’s teachings, Rakib pays a visit to Agus. He convinced him to apologize for standing up against the general, and together they dropped by the old man’s mansion. It turns out that General Purna is far from the sympathetic person he appears to be in front of Rakib. He’s a terrifying man. A predator. And he just lured the prey into his territory.

John Wick: A Review

After his wife died of a terminal illness, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) retired from assassination and moved to an isolated home. Wick received a beagle dog named Daisy a few days after her death as a farewell gift from her wife. They lived in harmony together. This peace, however, was disrupted one night by a group of Russian gangsters led by Iosef Tarasov (Alfie Allen). They beat up John Wick, stole his 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429 and murdered his dog.

Horrified and upset by this, John Wick is forced to come back to ask for the payment from what was taken. It turns out he’s not just an ordinary assassin; he’s the most terrifying person in the world. The so-called Baba Yaga

Joker: Movie Review

Madness has a face.

Struggling comedian Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) just wants to experience joy and give joy, but Gotham just doesn't give a damn about what he wants. 

So Arthur finds himself slowly going crazy in a society run by powerful moguls, opportunistic rich people, and a system always siding with the wealthy.

Us — Movie Review

In 1986, young Adelaide (Madison Curry) encountered an exact clone of herself while wandering Santa Cruz Beach. That encounter has scarred her for life, leaving her unable to speak until adulthood. 

Now a grown woman, Adelaide Wilson (Lupita Nyong'o) and her family are revisiting her their old lake house for a vacation when exact copies of themselves, called the Tethered, mysteriously appear, seeking to replace her and her family. 

This confrontation triggers Adelaide's repressed childhood memories in Santa Cruz Beach. Things immediately went haywire when Gabe (Winston Duke), Adelaide's husband, was hurt by his mirror image. The Tethered are not simply looking to replace them, they want to kill them.

Adelaide must keep her family safe from their mirror image while she finds out the truth about her past and who she is.

The Silence — Movie Review

Amidst the apocalyptic rampage of carnivorous creatures with ultra-sensitive hearing, a family man must protect his family from both the creatures and the cult that wants his daughter.

In "The Silence," the Andrews family tries to leave the city after a group of researchers accidentally releases a swarm of Vesps, which are like carnivorous pterosaurs with very sensitive ears.

The family encountered a number of mishaps on their way to the countryside, resulting in the death of Hugh's best friend and the injury of his wife, Kelly (Miranda Otto). 

Hugh (Stanley Tucci) and Ally (Kiernan Shipka) decided to return to the city to get antibiotics for Kelly. That's when a tongueless Reverend (Billy MacLellan) became interested in Ally's fertility and tried to persuade her family to join him.

But when they turned down the offer, the Reverend retaliated by luring the Vesps to their home. Hugh is forced to fight in order to keep his family safe.

Circle — Movie Review

Imagine having the power to cast a vote for someone to die. Will you do it?

"Circle" opens with 50 strangers waking up while standing in front of an alien-like contraption.

The machine doesn't allow any of the strangers to move beyond the circle they're standing on, and they weren't allowed to touch the person next to them either. It will kill someone every two minutes, randomly, unless at least one of the 50 strangers votes for someone to die using their hand.

As the movie progresses, revelations come out and pacts are made as all of the participants fight for their survival.

The Invitation — Movie Review

In this twisted story of grief and pain, a supposedly fun reunion of friends turns into a tension-filled confrontation.

Answering the invitation sent by his ex-wife, Eden (Tammy Blanchard), and her new husband, David (Michiel Huisman), boyfriend-girlfriend, Will (Logan Marshall-Green) and Kira (Emayatzy Corinealdi) meet the couple and their old friends. 

But Will starts to grow suspicious when the couple, and two unknown guests, start to share their new found ideas of expelling pain with the group. 

Haunted by the memories of his dead son with Eden, Will begins to confront Eden for dismissing this tragic happening. The event quickly spiraled out of control. It even got worse after Will found out that the couple wants to poison them as part of their idea of peace through death.

Gravity — Movie Review

Alfonso Cuarón's masterpiece film is a nauseating and thrilling drama in space.

The movie follows Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock), a medical engineer and mission specialist, and Lieutenant Matt Kowalski (George Clooney), a veteran space astronaut, as they travel to space to service the Hubble Space Telescope.

But suddenly, a detonated satellite caused a chain of explosions, cutting off their communication and putting their mission in danger.

With no means of transportation back to Earth, the two astronauts drift in space.