Shadowkirby

31st film (2 of 5): Smile 2 (2024)

A recovering pop star begins to experience horrific visions after witnessing someone die. Now she has to find a way to end this horror while desperately trying to ease the extreme pressure of fame before it's too late.

This will be a spoiler-free review! /1

In conclusion: The Black Phone has left me wanting for what I should've gotten from the trailer. Despite the great casting, the story didn't fully enrapture me. I called for great potential, but my expectations were put on hold, so I eventually hung up.

Overall score: 5 black balloons out of 10

Listen, I get it, it's the 1970s, but his domestic abuse over his kids is something I can't stomach. I don't care how much he actually loves his kids, the level of trauma he induced to both Gwen and Finney, as they eventually grow older (Black Phone 2), is inexcusable. He deserves no sympathies. /13

Which is why I'm not buying his "Please forgive me" scene at the end of the film. All he did was force Gwen to suppress her powers, abuse her with the belt any time the cops get involved, and get into a shouting match with your own children over the smallest things. He's a real piece of work. /12

The father of both Gwen and Finney is a real piece of shit. I'm sorry, he doesn't deserve some form of redemption. Look, I understand that he's grieving over his wife's death, and is drinking his weight in alcohol, but that's no excuse to lash out at your kids, who's now terrified of him. /11

The Grabber and his brother live in one house, where Finney is being held captive, and across the street is an empty house the villain uses to bury the bodies. How did his brother not check the basement at any time for all past victims? Stuff like this completely took me out of it. /10

I'm also perplexed on how The Grabber's brother never questioned of his whereabouts and how he manage to keep this secret away from him the whole time. Once I started thinking about it, I started questioning the process of The Grabber's murder routine and motive, and it kinda hurts the film. /9

I think the sister's only mission is bringing the cops to The Grabber's home and rescue Finney, while he's actively finding ways of escaping and beating his kidnapper. If the film took out the psychic aspect from Gwen, it wouldn't change much of the story? It's mainly about Finney's survival. /8

His sister, Gwen, inherited her mother's psychic ability to see visions/dreams, but we don't know what it really is. I automatically assumed it's something akin to The Shining... or whatever psychic abilities kids have in King's various novels (there's a handful of them, trust me). /7

The titular black phone acts as a conduit for Finney to communicate with The Grabber's previous victims, giving clues for him to escape, or set up a potential trap to defeat him. We don't know if it's in his head, or if the phone's supernatural. That kinda goes the same with his sister. /6

Ethan Hawke, man, he surprised me with his performance as The Grabber; equal parts mysterious and disturbing. His reasoning for kidnapping and murdering children remains a mystery, but there has to be some kind of trauma that motivated him when he was young, forcing him to live with his brother. /5

I've heard that The Black Phone was based on a short story, so I can't say the film ripped off Split, but how I get the same vibes as Split is concerning. The anomalous phone and the psychic sister are the only things that make the film stand out, but also makes it feel like a Stephen King story. /4

What I mean by that is the premise feels really similar to the plot of Split; they are kidnapped by this one, mentally-disturbed guy, and it's up to the main character to escape before the villain comes back and kills them. While in Split, the guy had multiple personalities, this one doesn't? /3

I'll be honest, I had some tad high expectations from this film, and was hoping it would give me something fresh and exciting, but after my first viewing, I was kinda disappointed?

I was hoping for more brutality and mystery, but instead I got... Diet Split? /2

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Tangent aside, I will be posting my review on one of five films for my 31st movie review! I want to thank you all for sticking with me in my crazy journey, watching so many movies in one month. It's been a tradition of mine since 2019, and I will be doing this for many years to come!

31st film (1 of 5): The Black Phone (2021)

A 13-year old gets kidnapped by a serial child killer called The Grabber, and has to rely on a supposedly disconnected black phone for clues on how to get out and defeat him.

This review will have SPOILERS. You've been warned! /1

Blockbuster really needs to come back with rentable physical copies again. It would really challenge the overly-bloated and ridiculously overpriced subscription platform by offering people a choice between both digital and physical media. Paying over $10 monthly is practically extortion.

Mainly because the movies I want to watch are on HBO Max, but I had to cancel it due to the increase of the subscription price. It's already too much, and I'm being a little stingy with my money, especially during the holidays. So, once I'm somewhat stable, I'll pick it up for, at least, a month.

For those waiting on my 31st movie review, I have some news: I won't be covering just one movie, otherwise I'll be missing out on the big talks of other movies.

Instead, for the final review, I will be breaking the rule by watching at least FIVE movies! I've already watched one, so now it's four.

In conclusion: Exhuma is a pretty decent film that tells the impact of generational curses and how it affects the family in general. The other half of it is a supernatural thriller. I came for the horror, but stayed for the South Korean culture!

Overall score: 8 sweetfish out of 10

I know the other half is practically tying up loose ends, and covering over some of the other mysterious aspects, but the noticeable shift of tone kinda took me out for a moment, and it feels a bit clunky.

Thankfully, the other half does have some genuine horror that got me uneasy. /6

Though, one thing that I would criticize that everyone has already pointed out, there's a point where it feels like it's two films stitched into one, and it's very noticeable once you reach that point in the movie. I think it, unfortunately, takes away the message of what it's trying to convey. /5

The film also explores the generational curse that is prevalent within Asian culture, and how it can hinder or harm the entire bloodline over one person's wrongdoing. It's such a chilling concept that works really well in this movie, that not many other films have succeeded. /4

There's so much culture to unpack here that I have to advise everyone to just watch the film. From the director's commentary, he stated that the chanting and the rituals they conducted are 100% real, and got actual shamans to help with the realism. It gives a ton of depth to the film's theme. /3

This one's a unique watch, as it doesn't just include some unsettling and subtle horror, but also showing some of South Korea's shaman culture, lore, and its dark history. If you know anything about WW2, then you would know what's going on. /2

30th film: Exhuma (2024)

On the behest of a wealthy family, a shaman and her associate, a geomancer, and a mortician undertake the cremation of an unmarked grave to resolve a family curse, but something evil was accidentally released in the process.

This will be a spoiler-free review. /1

In conclusion: 28 Years Later - Part 1 serves as the precursor of what's yet to come in future sequels. Whether this film is a worthy wait or not is up to everyone's debate. Personally, it's a good watch, and can't wait to see what Bone Temple brings!

Overall score: 7 skulls out of 10

I think this film will divide fans, either because of the characters, or how the film is a slow-burn. I think the slow burns works in the film's favor in building up the lore of this isolated society, the infected, and how the environment changed over time. /6