In grandiose splendor

This is a 1992 documentary film directed by Werner Herzog. Shot in post-Gulf War Kuwait. The imagery of it is devastated and lifeless landscape. Oil fields in flames. It's an apocalyptic vision of destruction in the wake of war. The images are powerful, almost hypnotizing.

Whistleblowers, oracles and prophets

Conspiracy theorist's wet dream. A massive nationwide cyberattack kills thousands. A former president George Mullen (Robert De Niro) is appointed as the head of Zero Day Commission to investigate the attack, find and imprison the fuckers who did it. The series started out well, the slow-burning pacing was exciting, and the performances were brilliant, but the final moments (the last two episodes) watered it down.

Privacy has been dead for years

A lawyer is caught in a crossfire of mobsters, corrupt politicians and National Security Agency officials. He teams up with an old-school hacker to formulate a plan to separate the righteous from the unrighteous. Enemy of the State is a brilliant Tony Scott thriller from 1998 where everything is somehow overshadowed by the dazzling performance of Gene Hackman.

Forlorn friends obliterated

Disappointing. A few deliciously nasty and disgusting scenes thrown here and there, but they can't keep the movie together. The film is constructed on unexplained bits, so by the time it's finished you are as unlightened as in the beginning. And just like the first time, the ending is just weird.

The space is space, it doesn't change

A man builds a time machine and travels forward into the time, thousands of years into the future revealing a volatile society where things called The Morlocks raise humans as cattle and feed upon them! The Time Machine (1960) is classic science fiction film and a bloody good one, directed by George Pal. Rod Taylor in the lead.

Homeward bound

Gabby Petito wanted to be an internet star, but her asshole boyfriend Brian killed her. She first went missing and there was a nationwide search and she was found strangled in the desert. The boyfriend went missing as well and killed himself later. It all was all very well documented before this film, but these true crime thingies are still compelling to watch for some reason. 

You can't escape from yourself

A body horror film by Coralie Fargeat. An aging celebrity Elisabeth Sparkle creates a younger version of herself by a drug. The drug has its side effects and misuse unveils somewhat sickening consequences. The Substance is entertaining, a grotesque satire quite similar to David Cronenberg works, but the ending, bludgeoned to death with blood and gore, was a bit off the rails.

We're all still just cave dwellers

The new people, a family of three, they meet are cool at first, but turn out to be aplenty different. Not necessarily the most original of thrillers but pretty good scares here. Speak No Evil by James Watkins (Eden Lake, Bastille Day). A remake of the Danish-Dutch film (by Christian Tafdrup) of the same name.

Hail Satan, shoot dope, kill children, fuck the pope

The craziness of the first thirty minutes of Ari Aster's Beau is Afraid was spectacular. With a runtime of 2 hours and 69 minutes, the black nightmare comedy has its needlessly confusing and dull moments. And falls short with its logic at times. Being weird for the sake of being weird doesn't quite cut it.

Burn the future

They say Swedes are so full of themselves that they are annoying. Apparently they were like that already in the 16th century, so much so that Denmark had to wage war against them. Mikael Håfström's Stockholm Bloodbath started out great, like a wicked comedy, but turns out to be a weird mess in the end. And not very good.

Rhapsody without war

There's a sad undertone in La passion de Dodin Bouffant's (The Taste of Things), by Anh Hung Tran, culinary journey. They sure do feast, devour and cook exquisitive food in the film, honoring the art of food and preparation of it to the bone, but the human drama in romance and death are there in the mix as well. Cooked with passion, culture, love and cuisine. An excellent watch.