Five Nights at Freddy’s (2023)
Director: Emma Tammi
Blumhouse turned an obvious hit into exactly that. As kids everywhere turned up to feel the terror of Five Night’s at Freddy’s. However, it’s lacking in the same atmosphere, tension or dread of the game. On top of mismanaged mood in the script, the story is weakened by long-winded backstory that completely loses the spirit of the game. Adding an emotional backstroy to an otherwise emotional essay gaming experience, only welcomes unwanted story attention away from the absolute terror of animatronics coming to life.
Review: ☆☆ (40)
Verdict: not weird
The Nun II (2023)
Director: Michael Chavez
The Nun II has genuinely great cinematic moments but the film gets bogged down by an abundance of plot. The story gets lost to a need for plot advancement relying on an age-old trope that has lost favor with me over time: the epic showdown with the monster. Instead of focusing the story on the terror, it becomes about the battle and the plot beats needed to get there. This ostensibly ruins any suspense as the characters are actively seeking a battle. And final battles in horror is a zero-sum game because it extracts all the terror involved with the monster they’re pursuing. I’ll admit the introduction to the Nun was well done, but the processes of getting there was too drawn out
Rating: ☆☆☆ (70)
Verdict: not weird
Strange Way of Life (2023)
Director: Pedro Almadovar
Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal were miscast. Never brough the two of them as having a passionate love affair. And unfortunately, the films briefness didn’t let anything breathe in the story. Any ideas broached by the screenplay are quickly and underwhelmingly addressed. It’s a bunch of storylines handled too quick and failing to engage emotionally. The Pascal monologue to end the film fails to resonate, not because it’s badly written or delivered, no, because the plot jumps around so much that it’s hard to feel anything for Hawke or Pascal. More experimental than immediate for Almadovar, as he plays around with form, and tries a new approach. In the end, I hope he returns to his successful formula for stories.
Weird Cinema 