SilentLuminary Reviews

  Genre: Horror/ Thriller Time: 1h 58mins Director : Kevin Greutert Quick Summary:  A sick and desperate John travels to Mexico for a risky and experimental medical procedure in hopes of a miracle cure for his cancer only to discover the entire operation is a scam to defraud the most vulnerable. Okay. So I did enjoy the set-up for this untill it felt like most of the film was being set up. The biggest problem is, that John goes to get medical help and brain surgery. But we know from previous films he doesn't actually get brain surgery. So then any element of a surprise is immediately gone when we learn oh funnily enough it's a scam.  So, unfortunately, for the first hour, I was just waiting for it to hurry up as everything was so slow and super drawn out. Every single introduction to someone takes around five minutes as John takes multiple long breaths to cough every five seconds, as well everyone talks so slowly. There's also a little side arc of John teaching a yo...

  Genre: Horror/ Thriller Time: 1h 33mins Director:  Darren Lynn Bousman Quick Summary:  A criminal mastermind unleashes a twisted form of justice in Spiral, the terrifying new chapter from the book of Saw. This doesn't exist to me. Spiral? Never heard of it. Who even thought of this. What supposedly makes this one different to every single Saw film, apparently, is that Jigsaw is apparently targeting corrupt cops. How original. Then this film has the nerve to have a line saying Jigsaw doesn't target cops. Poor John is rolling in his grave.  This feels so tiring and was honestly so hard to get through. It literally spirals down into disappointment the longer this goes on. Everything feels so rushed and not actually planned out. The twist, I'm not sure if I've just become desensitized to "Saw" twists or if this twist was just predictable and boring.  Don't even get me started on the traps. Most of them are not shown in full but instead through quick glimpse...

  Genre: Horror/ Thriller Time: 1h 32mins Directors:   Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig Quick Summary:  Bodies are turning up around the city, each having met a uniquely gruesome demise. As the investigation proceeds, evidence points to one suspect: John Kramer, the man known as Jigsaw, who has been dead for over 10 years. Why did they even make this? This is very obviously a cash-in. The people in this game are so selfish and stupid and just absolutely useless. They learn nothing from their games and that was shown right at the very end. It was like each time a trap was shown, they either turned their brains off or were too much of a coward to do anything. Like boo hoo, you're a horrible person now suffer, please.  The traps weren't even that great in this either, they were pretty boring. In retrospect, they're pretty mild compared to others we have seen too. The gore was completely dialled back as well.  I did like the addition of the (who I won't name for...

  Genre: Horror/ Thriller Time: 1h 30mins Director:  Kevin Greutert Quick Summary:  As a deadly battle rages over Jigsaw's brutal legacy, a group of Jigsaw survivors gathers to seek the support of self-help guru and fellow survivor Bobby Dagen, a man whose own dark secrets unleash a new wave of terror. Man lies about surviving a Jigsaw trap, gets famous and makes money from his story, then finds himself actually in a Jigsaw game as Karama. I'm eating this right up. I really like this set-up as this guy fully deserved what was coming for him and honestly, I had no sympathy for him or anyone involved with his game until right at the end.  The Traps are kind of similar to the previous one where the guy has to hurt himself in order to save the trapped, though honestly, it was really disappointing to watch as everyone just messes up completely, or maybe they were designed for him to mess up. As really this whole game is Jigsaw's way of getting back at him for lying about...

  Genre: Horror/ Thriller Time: 1h 30mins Director :  Kevin Greutert Quick Summary:  Agent Strahm is dead, and FBI agent Erickson draws nearer to Hoffman. Meanwhile, a pair of insurance executives find themselves in another game set by Jigsaw. This is not a great film I will say but it certainly is a step up from the previous for me. The dialogue seems to be getting weaker and more dull. It feels sloppy and a lot of it is just rambling or just random at times. Though the story is much more interesting, and the twists in this were pretty fun, my problem with this one is the amount of times it flashbacks to previous films.  I did like the setup for this one. A man told the man, John Krama they wouldn't fund him so he could get more treatment for his cancer because of a simple maths equation. This guy believes deciding if people should live or die is all down to maths. My man Jigsaw isn't having that and forces this guy through multiple traps where he has to choos...

  Genre: Horror/ Thriller Time: 1h 38mins Director:  David Hackl Quick Summary:  Following Jigsaw's grisly demise, Mark Hoffman is commended as a hero, but Agent Strahm is suspicious and delves into Hoffman's past. Meanwhile, another group of people are put through a series of gruesome tests. Jesus this one frustrated me for multiple reasons. For a start, Hoffman and Strahm look incredibly similar still and it gets so confusing who is who for a good portion of the film. Secondly, god the victims in this game are so selfish and shallow. Like overly selfish. They deserved to be in the trap. Honestly, I wasn't even bothered if they managed to escape or not. This one does manage to tie up a lot of loose ends made by the previous four films which was quite satisfying to see. The traps felt really lacklustre in this, and actually, they were incredibly easy when you look back on them after the film. But unfortunately, these people decide not to think and go out of their way for...

  Genre: Horror/ Thriller Time: 1h 43mins Director:  Darren Lynn Bousman Quick Summary:  Despite Jigsaw's death, and in order to save the lives of two of his colleagues, Lieutenant Rigg is forced to take part in a new game, which promises to test him to the limit. I think this is somewhat flawed but still, I think it's a must-watch within the Saw franchise.  The acting is pretty good in this, Mandylor is really good as Detective Hoffman, even though he has limited screen time and dialogue, I'm sure we'll see plenty of him later on. I liked Patterson a lot because of the toughness and reality he brought to the character. Agent Strahm is a good character but is actually kind of forgettable. One big surprise was Lyric Bent as Rigg. He definitely showed a lot of range in this movie and I liked a lot of the moral questioning he brought. One thing I will note that actually really frustrated me was that Hoffman and Strahm look incredibly similar and a lot of the time ...

  Genre: Horror/ Thriller Time: 1h 48mins Director:  Darren Lynn Bousman Quick Summary:  Jigsaw abducts a doctor in order to keep himself alive while he watches his new apprentice put an unlucky citizen named Jeff through a brutal test. Saw 3 is impressively intelligent and flawlessly ties together all the loose ends from parts 1 and 2, bringing it all into a brutal tale of revenge. The terminally ill John Kramer takes advantage of this tragic scenario to create a new game and invites a few people to play. What I like about this is that it keeps it simple. By focusing on a smaller cast of characters, we are given ample opportunity to delve into each character's backstory and truly understand what makes them tick. This allows the audience to form a deeper emotional connection with the characters, thereby making the story more impactful. Although this does have sub-plots, they do not feel out of place. They connect seamlessly at the end and make for a brilliant few twists....

  Genre: Horror/ Mystery Time: 1h 35mins Director:   Darren Lynn Bousman Quick Summary:  A detective and his team must rescue 8 people trapped in a factory by the twisted serial killer known as Jigsaw. I assume that you have watched the first Saw movie, and you are curious about if this sequel is worth watching, then rest assured that it is indeed. But this one takes a completely different approach, It introduces new elements to the plot, building on the original story without feeling repetitive. Sure, the same elements that existed in the first film exist in this one, but this one feels more like a chess game than a "what's going on". I liked that you get more backstory to Jigsaw in this without it feeling forced, you get to understand why he's doing what he does. There were a lot of times I became frustrated watching the characters, as a lot of them just freaked out, did nothing or made things worse. It was slightly disappointing to not see any character deve...

  Genre: Horror/ Thriller Time: 1h 40mins Director:  James Wan Quick Summary:  Two strangers awaken in a room with no recollection of how they got there, and soon discover they're pawns in a deadly game perpetrated by a notorious serial killer. I don't need anything else. This could have been a standalone film but I am so glad there is so so much more to this. How could you hate this absolute classic, it's iconic. It is fully twists that are actually brilliant. If you're watching this for the first time, prepare to be stunned. This is absolutely genius right from the second it starts to the bloody, limb-severing conclusion, this smart thriller will have you completely engrossed. The plot twists and turns, keep you guessing until the very end.  This was a brilliant watch, with its well-acted characters and dark, damp setting throughout. I just love the gritty, green overlay this has as well as the use of lighting and shadows giving it a creepy and eerie feel. The ed...

  Genre: Horror/ Comedy Time: 1h 42mins Director:  Kevin Smith Quick Summary:  A brash and arrogant podcaster gets more than he bargained for when he travels to Canada to interview a mysterious recluse who has a rather disturbing fondness for walruses. I'm not sure exactly how to describe this film, as it certainly is unique.  To start with, the main character is an absolute dick. I had no sympathy for him at all. He is literally the type of guy who had made a podcast, he's annoying and obnoxious and really likes to let you know he makes a podcast. He thinks he's 'it' and lets everyone know it, whether it's his co-presenter, his doting girlfriend, or generally anyone he meets along the way. When he flies over to Canada to interview someone he publically made fun of on the internet, he finds out they have "Selfishly" committed suicide and have ruined this week's podcast.  I did like the set-up in this film, you can really feel the tension like som...

  Genre: Horror/ Comedy Time: 1h 31mins Director:  Jeff Baena Quick Summary:  A young man's recently deceased girlfriend mysteriously returns from the dead, but he slowly realizes she is not the way he remembered her. Can we just forget about the first half and enjoy the second half? Okay, so the premise for this is fun, shame it is just so slow for most of this. I get this is quirky and wants to build up more between the two leads for our enjoyment, but the pacing could have been improved. There is only so much set-up for a Zombie film you need before it gets painful. I wouldn't even say much in the first half was actually funny either, just a lot of teen angst behaviour that really dates itself to 2014. The best comedic moments are given to Reilly and Shannon who are overjoyed their daughter has returned from the grave. And they will do anything to keep that from getting out. Reilly has some great one-liners whilst Shannon plays straight like her daughter never died, ...

  Genre: Indie/ Romance/ Comedy Time: 1h 30mins Director:  Gillian Robespierre Quick Summary:  A twenty-something comedienne's unplanned pregnancy forces her to confront the realities of independent womanhood for the first time. Just a bit silly, a little bit funny, but mostly cute. The humour, well, you'll either find it funny or the most unfunny thing you've seen as it focuses on the leading woman making fun of herself in rude ways such as the amount she farts, or making fun of her relationship. Some parts were funny, but a lot of it was kind of cringe. When the humour wasn't focused on that, and focused more on awkwardness or just being a bit of a quirky person, I enjoyed it more. The film heavily relies on humour, particularly around the topic of abortions. However, it does not criticize them but rather employs humour to lighten the impact of a potentially frightening situation. Honestly, I feel like some people will be able to relate to this as well as everything ...

  Genre: Mystery/ Thriller Time: 1h 35mins Director:  Denis Villeneuve Quick Summary:  A man seeks out his exact look-alike after spotting him in a movie. What did I even just watch? Honestly, I was just so confused when watching this. I think my head hurt afterwards and It wasn't even worth it. Maybe I'm not smart enough to understand this. Imagine watching paint dry, but every once in a while a spider crawls across the paint and then crawls out of sight. That's pretty much how I felt during this. Okay so this does look nice, the whole film being overlayed in this dirty yellow and the dim lighting helps with the feeling of unease and gloominess. I also think the idea of this film is interesting but it is so boring and slow. Nothing actually happens for most of this film, and it flicks backwards and forwards between these people that you have to figure out who is who through body language and various other subtle things. So basically this guy finds out he has a doppelga...

  Genre: Sci-Fi/Horror  Time: 2h 4mins Director:  Ridley Scott Quick Summary: The crew of a colony ship, bound for a remote planet, discover an uncharted paradise with a threat beyond their imagination, and must attempt a harrowing escape. Okay, somehow they got a crew that is even more stupid than the previous one. Though it is a wonderful sequel to Prometheus which starts to explain and bridge the gap to the original Alien, even if it isn't a great explanation.  The opening act of this sets the tone perfectly by slowly introducing us to the characters and laying the foundation for the plot. It creates a sense of familiarity with the crew, which makes it easier to relate to them but sadly it doesn't do that very well. The pacing of this part of the film is just right, making the experience enjoyable and engaging. The similarity to the original Alien movie is cleverly executed, and it adds to the excitement of the story. As I watched this, I couldn't help but notic...