Stanislaus

After Ex Machina and Annihilation, this is my third encounter with Alex Garland's directorial work, which, as with the aforementioned films, tells a story from the more or less near future - but this time in a more contemporary and realistic vein, which makes you shiver all the more. The plot is a simple road movie with action interludes where the main characters are confronted with disturbing scenes from "everyday life in the USA". I liked the audiovisual execution, with photographs of the journalists inserted into the picture, and the background music, which seemed to soften the horrors depicted with its friendly country overtones. The most uncomfortable sequence for me was undoubtedly the confrontation with Jesse Plemons. Visually, I was most impressed by the passage through the burning forest; and in terms of action, I liked the thrilling finale the most. A solid four stars!

Frozen Empire gives more space to the original cast and tries even harder to make nostalgic connections to the original films than Afterlife does, yet it falls short of the quality of the 80s classics and leaves the potential just floating in the (deathly cold) air. The main villain has a pleasingly eerie look, and it's quite a shame that he arrives on the scene relatively late and figures more in "whispered" hints. The new cast from Afterlife, expanded this time with Kumail Nanjiani, seemed so futile again. A sequel that was probably made just to be, without trying to make any kind of shift or add value to the Ghostbusters universe.

After the animal adventures of Mia and the White Lion and The Wolf and the Lion, Gilles de Maistre comes up with a third very similar piece, which, unlike the aforementioned two, left me cold and indifferent to the action on the screen. Although Autumn and the Black Jaguar deals with similar themes – the relationship between humans and animals, the unexpected friendships between them, the abuse and hunting of animals – it is presented in such a futile way that it is disappointing. Additionally, I felt like the film lacked any backstory due to the relationship between Ella's father and teacher. Thus, script-wise, this is a reprehensibly disnjointed film.