El muro negro

I liked it. The premise is original, and if you can overlook the several gaps in the logic of the story, you'll have a pretty fine scifi thriller. There's a good pace, with some nice jump scares and some modest violence. The various residents are sufficiently different, with each their own background, so that you can care for them. The way the main characters gradually found out how to operate the walls was cleverly done, and together with a few plot twists, it kept me entertained till the end. Maybe that ending wasn't too convincing, but the CGI of it was visually pretty impressive. The acting was overall good, I especially liked Matthias Schweighöfer, with his sturdy kind of charm.

The premise had promise. The idea if being trapped inside a building by a wall that covered the building in an instant, trying to figure out how it got there, what it is, and how to get out, was intriguing. Unfortunately the dialogue was weak and in many cases unbelievable. In some cases I expected a person to react in one way, maybe with astonishment, but instead the reaction was hum drum as if this was an every day occurrence. In other circumstances certain people were full of bravado and a take charge attitude, but when they really needed to come through they did nothing. A 180 turn from their character. The movie is not bad enough to enjoy as a really bad movie, and it's not good enough to take it seriously or recommend it to a friend, unless they have nothing else to watch. It does have a few redeeming qualities. When you don't lose focus in the parts with bad dialogue, it's intriguing enough to watch till the end.

Tim and Olivia discover an occurrence: their apartment has been surrounded by strange bricks and a black substance that surrounds the entire block.

The very first thought that came to my mind was, 'Is this a remake of Await Further Instructions?' The initial premise was very, very similar. In terms of originality, the film didn't quite cut it; I've seen a similar concept done better.

Perhaps not original, but it is a formula that does work: a nice mystery, some good characters, it's well acted, and I wasn't bored. I really liked the final scene, and despite some dodgy special effects, the final act looked pretty good.

The film badly needed more of everything: more tension, more horror, more panic, and more threat. Were it not for Yuri, there wouldn't have been much of any of them. I thought Frederick Lau was good fun; his character seemed to have the right mindset for survival and was quite entertaining.

On the whole, it's not a bad film; just keep your expectations in check.

6/10.

Brick is a classic example of a film with a fascinating concept but frustrating execution. Visually and thematically, it promises a lot; a surreal urban prison, mysterious walls, and hints of deeper societal metaphors. The creativity is undeniable, and the premise alone earns some respect. Unfortunately, that's where the praise ends. The flow is muddled, the plot is meandering, and any emotional resonance falls completely flat. It is as if the movie wanted to be some sort of sci-fi thriller, but shifted into almost a drama. It is confusing, and not focused on the plot itself.

It leaves you more detached than intrigued. Once the credits roll, there's little desire to revisit; simply because it is unsatisfying. A wasted opportunity wrapped in a high-concept shell.

Warning: Brief bright light flashing, a little gore

The trailer had me curious as it seemed thrilling but the movie didn't deliver it. The actors were overall fine nothing praise worthy. The dub isn't so bad either... but how the plot unraveled was just a let down add to that the blurring zooming in out they keep doing just made me dizzy.

They could've done more with the Escape room concept if they actually created an atmosphere of suffocation but they were all barely stuck there. They didn't mention it but it just felt like only 1 day has passed? Maybe 2 days if I'm being generous. That's just not enough to create that sense of dread of "I want to get out! We're all going to die here! We have no food!" crazy moment. Now instead of a thriller of humanity going on survival mode it's just a mystery. So you're basically just watching them solve the puzzle and that's it...which isn't that good anyway because by the end it's just a sense of coincidence the right characters were there at the same time and not actual smart play on solving. I guess if you just like watching them literally just "solve" how to get out then it's a tolerable watch but overall not really something I'd recommend over other movies.