Kian Fitzpatrick

Can't write a review due to rule number 1. No, just kidding. I was trying to understand why this is a cult classic (subtle foreshadowing). The start was slow, and difficult to piece together. I tried to understand the breadcrumbs and put together the pieces, and slowly I managed to get into it. The underlying message in this story is very important, making sure you live life in a way that is important to you rather than becoming a drone and wasting away, but what a bizzare way to depict it. Even after letting it marinade for a few hours, there's still a lot that didn't make much sense. What was the symbolism behind the fight club? Sure pushing yourself to within an inch of death lets you appreciate life more, but there has to be better ways. The concept that Marla was also part of the mental illness is an interesting topic to take a deep dive on, thinking about how she was created and put into those groups to let him sink further and further into his issues after he tried to better himself. I did predict some stuff which meant that I was understanding the plotline, however the twist completely blew my mind. After having it drawn out a little bit more I understood it and was really impressed by that subtle detail. Overall, my favourite part here was the environment design. The building in Water Lane was really amazing, but Project Mayhem was a cult 100%, and I still don't know why we were blowing up banks. I'm sure there's something behind that too. The story did not include enough mystery for it to be higher on my list, or maybe I'm just not analytical enough to appreciate it. Finally, I don't know if any of the acting performances blew me away. They were all just good.

No film has ever given me anxiety like this. My heart was pounding the entire time, it was actually stressful.  The first time I have seen a Robert Pattinson film and not seen a sparkly vampire I guess he got a bit older.  The performances were excellent but truly the star of this show was the audio design it was perfect. Using the short shallow tones added to the tension. I wasn’t expecting the comedy but it was welcome, and I did find some bits cringe worthy but it was a balance of everything.

Boy, oh boy, where to start. This film has so much going on. I really didn't connect with the first 30 minutes, I just thought it was, for lack of a better word, uncomfortable. After the story was set, I had a much better time. The story was engaging (but not without issues), the characters were enjoyable, there was an appropriate level of humour. This movie had a lot going for it. There are 2 key points here for me, Leo's acting, and the cinematography. The colour grade was beautiful, one of the best I've ever seen. It gave it that old school look while staying contemporary. The action scenes were shot incredibly well, I felt very invested. There were some confusing points that I felt ruined the pacing and could have reduced the film by probably 30 minutes without taking anything away from it. It was good, sort of the same problem I had with Sinners, I just can't connect with the characters.

I don't know how to describe this except, mediocre. I was never 100% locked in and invested when watching this, which is frustrating, because it's something I was really looking forward to getting to see. It wasn't the best writing I've seen, and I thought Chris was the only acting that was of good class. This is the first Barry Keoghan movie I've seen and I hope to god it's my last, horrendous. Cringe, gimmicky, cliche. It definitely ticks all those boxes. I just wanted more. There was no mystery, no suspense, nothing to really keep me interested and nothing to make me emotionally attach to the characters. Frustrating, and underwhelming.