A Menina do Mar

1) First of all, lower your expectations, by no means it is a 10/10 nor a 9/10 movie. If someone watches this thinking that this is a masterpiece, they are gonna be disappointed.

2) This is a supernatural drama. There is a mystery element, there are also some dramatic moments and it gets intense during the last 15-20 minutes but it's mostly a slow, low-key drama. Biggest quality here is acting, every actor did a fine job. I can't say this is the most interesting movie i've watched but it was not boring either, i was curious to see where it goes and i enjoyed it. Nothing is being explained and for sure i wanted some answers but i didn't mind it much, i appreciated movie's enigmatic "nature".

3) Regarding of the ending, it was unexpected and that's a good thing. I mean, i am not even sure if i liked it or not but i liked the fact that i didn't see it coming.

Overall, this was good. I can't recommend it or not, there are better movies to watch but if you are a fan of this genre, you will probably like it. And i can tell for sure that there are far worse 2024 movies.

This film seems to have really flown under the radar. In some ways it might not have a wide appeal but that is not because of its content and likely due to its marketing. I suspect the marketing budget is small for a Canadian made film. Horror seeking teens may find the trailer too slow and dry whereas some of the shall I say more "mature"/ sophisticated audiences seem to avoid anything that could be labelled horror.

The concept is quite clever. A small community that has lived on an island for quite some time is struggling until a young girl is delivered to them as a baby in a divine way. Isla, is able to essentially solve all of their ailments in one way or another. The start is a bit of a slow burn , but in this time the characters are developed and you become more invested. There are some really nice shots of Canada's East Coast as well.

Once the plot hits its climax it had my full undivided attention. Moral decisions are made and the consequences of actions have you on the edge of your seat.

Nothing in the film is frightening in a horror movie kind of way , however there is some intense violence in brief periods.

Overall, despite its simplicity it's one of my favourite movies of 2024.

The concept for this film is interesting, but it is slow and plodding. The story is good, as is the acting, but theres very little momentum.

The cinematography is excellent, though because of the lack of momentum, I didn't feel any urgency or tension in the film.

Its not a horror film or thriller, but more of a drama with fantasy elements. I chose to watch it over two nights because I lost interest midway, due to the slow-moving pace.

I think this film would have been better at about 90 minutes. The dialogue, shots, and music are just too slow. Perhaps better editing would have been in order.

This was a really interesting premise and the setting was great and the director obviously has an affection for the area he shot it in.

The story set up was good and they started to look into interesting perspectives of how people would handle a 'miracle' performing child, but then mostly went off the rails to darkness and illogical evil.

The actors all did a great job with the characters they were given but this went from being a potentially insightful and deep film into a same old same old but well staged, shot and acted slight disappointment.

Great to see the 2 core actors from Rectify on screen again too.

A king tide is not only the exceptionally high waves that typically occur during a new or full moon but is also the name of the movie I'm reviewing today. THE KING TIDE is a tiny Canadian-made mystery thriller about a tiny island of people. So small that everybody knows everybody. They happen upon a baby, who seems to have some kind of power, who they call Isla. Much like the movie itself, I'm going to leave you to fill in the blanks. The best description I can think of for this movie is that it's a grim fairy tale. Canadian award-winning director Christian Sparkes takes an idyllic island village, makes one small change, and we the audience get to see how it affects everyone. I'm very hesitant in telling you more because I want you to go in mostly blind. Everybody does a great job, especially young Alix West Lefler, who I have no doubt will have a bright future in the business. This movie has a slow burn that completely pays off, accompanied by a creepy atmosphere and intriguing world-building that slowly draws you in. It's such a shame that almost nobody has even heard of THE KING TIDE. Luckily, I have so now you have too. Go see it before it goes away! Many thanks for reading this, and of course, "Many thanks to Isla."