EvilPhoEniX

The Russians have made one of the best films of the year and a candidate for instant cult classic. A Russian commando is sent to defend an airport in Kosovo from Muslim bandits and it's as awesome as it should be! The casting is good, with each of the main characters being likeable and all acting professionally, and the villain is properly ruthless, well acted, with plenty of space and you wish him dead from the moment he's on set. Technically precise and quite possibly the best visually shot film from Russia I've ever seen. The biggest praise goes to the action, which is among the best of the genre. A bit of a mix of Mel Gibson and 13 Hours. The finale is almost an hour long and is an uncompromising carnage using sniper rifles, machine guns, heavy machine guns, mortars (everything you can think of). I was screaming like I was at the ice hockey world championship, so for me great enthusiasm and satisfaction. I also enjoyed the initial bombing of the maternity ward. A gritty, emotional, uncompromising and spectacular war film that no one should miss. 90%

Another anticipated-failed horror movie that would have been better suited to Netflix, because it has nothing to do in theaters. The whole thing is too teen and watching a bunch of high school kids partying in a basement for an hour gets tiresome very quickly, until I thought the film could work better as a teen comedy (but they would have to work on the jokes). So the only good thing is Octavia Spencer, who steals the whole movie for herself, her psychopathic traits are fun to watch. Fortunately, it gets very intense in the finale, but the film still keeps itself pretty much at bay, and there's little to surprise a viewer versed in horror. I didn't suffer outright, so it works out to average, but I'd recommend seeing the film at home rather than in the theater. 50%

I was going to write the event of the year, but this is the event of the century, because no series or movie has ever gotten more than 97% on FilmBooster, IMDB and similar ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, and the hype is well deserved. In five episodes, HBO serves us in detail the worst man-made disaster of 1986, and the series is a clear proof that the best screenplay is reality itself. The series features plenty of chilling, atmospheric and dense scenes (divers, disposal of infected animals, decomposing bodies in a hospital and self-sacrifice for humanity). Each episode is 100% and in each episode the series focuses on something different, all culminating in a tense trial where I forgot to breathe. The duo of Jared Harris and Stellan Skarsgård steal the show for themselves with their performances, and I really enjoyed the political meetings where the Soviet Union is shown in its true light. A proper piece of filmmaking and probably the most chilling, depressing and uncomfortable spectacle ever. A must see for all and I would make it mandatory at schools. 100%

South Korea delivers another thriller with a serial killer, but it's a pity that this time it avoids violence. The story revolves around the main character who sees a man murder a woman with a hammer from a balcony at night, and of course the killer notices and they go at each other's throats throughout the film. The plot is definitely fine, the serial killer doesn't even speak for the whole film we just watch his cold blooded expression and in certain scenes the film manages to build tension solidly (suspenseful chases). What’s disappointing, though, is that the main character is no hero, just an ordinary fearful citizen worried about his family and therefore not willing to cooperate with the police, let alone confront the killer. It's a pity that there was no imaginative twist that could have made the film stand out. Korea has offered better pieces, but in a pinch, even this is good. 60%.

The anticipated Godzilla sequel, after the riveting trailers, is ultimately a missed opportunity and another blockbuster that failed to live up to expectations this year. Michael Dougherty is the director of Trick 'r Treat and Krampus, two decent holiday horror films, but Godzilla: King of the Monsters feels like a big bite that he couldn't quite chew. The characters are absolutely uninteresting (though Eleven tries), the pacing is pretty much erratic, we only see four of the fifteen monsters mentioned in the action, and repeatedly at that. Perhaps the worst part of it all is that the film isn't entertaining at all, and if it's not exactly blazing on screen, it's rather boring. I was most impressed with Hydra, which is visually solid and I think the finale is satisfying, but the rest of it hardly works at all. Too bad. 60%

Ok I probably haven't seen a worse movie this year and that 83% is shocking. The comedy / action/ thriller labels are striking because the film isn’t funny, action-packed or suspenseful, but it is undoubtedly boring, uninteresting and with probably the most irritating and least likeable lead actress to ever see the cinematic light! It's not interesting either in terms of writing or directing so I really don't know what to praise here. I fell asleep twice and finished watching it on the third day with great difficulty. I wasn't happy with this one. 20%.

A nice surprise from Denmark. The story revolves around a sad couple who are not far from divorce, but due to adverse conditions (a zombie apocalypse has just broken out) they are forced to stick together in order to survive, while bonding and trying to save their marriage. The film is full of dark humor and I downright laughed out loud a few times. I found the uncovering of the wife's secret very funny (what she has been hiding in the closet all this time is downright hilarious). The film also has creative ideas and there are some unwelcome guests that make the uncomfortable stuffiness hang in the air. The zombies are unfortunately only on the periphery here, but I still really enjoyed this Danish indie affair. It won't be for everyone, but if you tune into the film's mood you'll have a decent time. It doesn't have much to do with horror though. 75%.

Vietnamese martial arts romp with the capable Veronica Ngo, who is more or less the female version of Tony Jaa. The main character has her daughter kidnapped and because she's an ex-gangster decides to literally beat the shit out of everyone. It does have a slower pace in the first half, but after that it's a decent ride with clear and effective action, with the finale standing out the most. I had fun, but by my standards it only comes out as better than good. If you haven’t seen much, you’ll be satisfied. And of course thanks to Netflix for the purchase. 70%.

Koreans have their B-movies too and I was looking forward to this rape and revenge flick, but in the end it's nothing thrilling. It does feature all my favourite elements (abduction, numerous rapes, revenge and lots of fights) but everything goes at half throttle and the gore is unfortunately minimal. A few years ago I might have drooled, but now I probably expect more. 60%

Lee Jeong-beom, the director of two cult action flicks, Man from Nowhere and No Tears for the Dead, delivers his weakest effort after a five-year hiatus. I felt like I was watching a debut and not a talented filmmaker like Lee. The story itself isn't downright bad, but the big problem for me is Lee Seon-gyoon, he's a likable guy and was great in A Hard Day, but he's perhaps the only one in the field of Korean actors who can't fight and that's why no action scene impressed, and in fact there is a complete minimum of it. It's shot competently, acted decently and the storyline isn't bad, but due to the slow pace and lack of action scenes, the film is unfortunately boring and doesn't have much to impress. Major disappointment. 50%.