movie: crime – wonderoes

November 18, 2022November 3, 2022 Danielle Movie Reviews, Movies

Becky (2020) | Movie Review [Spoiler Free]

[Header: Lulu Wilson as Becky | Quiver Distribution, Redbox Entertainment]

While I may not have been the one to pick Becky to watch, I ended up having such a good time with it! The movie follows Becky (Lulu Wilson) whose weekend with her dad at the family lakehouse suddenly turns violent when some escaped prisoners come looking for something.

At its core, this is a revenge movie so there are definitely familiar elements that are expected of that genre but Becky makes one major change in that it has a 13-year-old at the centre of it. Now, that fact does not mean the violence is turned down because it most certainly isn’t. There’s still lots of blood and gore and death throughout. Her age does not really alter the typical rampage you would expect from the main character seeking revenge on those who harmed her (and/or the people she loves) although, because she is so young, her tactics and the overall approach to the storyline are altered to fit that detail.

Continue reading →

August 6, 2020July 25, 2022 Danielle Movie Reviews, Movies

Widows (2018) | Movie Review [Spoiler Free]

[Header Image: Viola Davis as Veronica | 20th Century Fox]

“Now the best thing we have going for us, is being who we are […] because no one thinks we have the balls to pull this off.”

Widows primarily follows three women who, after their husbands are killed in an armed robbery gone wrong, have to pull off their own heist in order to pay back a debt and take control of their futures. Now, it would have been so easy for this movie to go so wrong and become just a generic crime/thriller heist movie and really, under the surface that is exactly what this movie is. However, there are a few key things that really help Widows to go beyond and be an incredibly entertaining and surprisingly fresh experience. That’s not to say it’s perfect — it’s not — but those little imperfections are so easy to overlook in the wider context of the full movie.

Continue reading →

July 28, 2020July 25, 2022 Danielle Movie Reviews, Movies

The Raid 2 (2014) | Movie Review [Spoiler Free]

[Header: Iko Uwais as Rama | Sony Pictures Classics]

“No… I’m done.”

This post contains potential spoilers for the first movie!

There was a moment after I finished The Raid where I wasn’t sure if I was immediately going to go straight into the sequel — mostly because it’s almost an hour longer (giving both movies a combined run time of 4 hours and 10 minutes) — but in the end, I was just too intrigued to see where the story went and I’m really glad I didn’t put it off.

Taking place several hours after the first movie, The Raid 2 continues to follow Rama (Iko Uwais) as he goes undercover, joining a powerful crime syndicate in order to expose corrupt members of his force.

Similarly to its predecessor, The Raid 2 is an intense watch with even more going on this time around. While this one would certainly not exist without the first movie, I have to admit that The Raid 2 is my favourite. While there were some standout moments and things from The Raid that I loved, it definitely felt like I got more out of the sequel. If you’re reading this review, you’ve most likely seen the first movie, so you’ve probably got at least some idea of what you’re getting yourself into. However, that being said, there are some significant changes this time around.

Continue reading →

July 27, 2020July 25, 2022 Danielle Movie Reviews, Movies

Knives out (2019) | Movie Reivew

[Header Image: Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc and Ana de Armas as Marta Cabrera | Lionsgate]

THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS.

Seriously, I think Knives Out is way better if you go into it not knowing anything at all. Like most mysteries, it’s a lot more entertaining not to have the answers prior so if you haven’t seen it, don’t read this review. That being said, you can find a spoiler-free review over on my letterboxd account.

“It’s a weird case from the start. A case with a hole in the centre. A doughnut.”

At the time of writing this, I have just finished watching Knives Out. I don’t always like to write these reviews immediately after, preferring to wait a few hours at least, but this one just felt appropriate. I’ll start by saying this, I enjoyed this movie very much and I’ll most likely re-watch it again sometime in the future.

Continue reading →

November 30, 2019July 25, 2022 Danielle Movie Reviews, Movies

Hustlers (2019) | Movie Review (Spoiler Free)

[Header Image: STXfilms]

“We were fucking hurricanes, weren’t we?“

From the moment the first trailer for Hustlers dropped, I was intrigued and I’m so happy to say that it did not disappoint. This entire movie was a blast. I genuinely had the best time watching it and I can honestly say that it was all done incredibly well.

Hustlers is based on the article The Hustlers at Scores by Jessica Pressler meaning there was at least some kind of jumping off point. Even so, I would say the movie does a pretty fantastic job at bringing the essence of that article to the big screen while also creating something that you can follow even if have never heard the story before. Hustlers sucks you in from the very beginning and keeps your attention without really having to try. Whether it be the performances, the slight shift in tone between present day and the past, or even something as simple as the music, at the end of the day there’s always something to focus on and keep you entertained.

Continue reading →