The Last Keepers

It started well enough - good cast, nice scenery, typical teenage issues including cliques, cheerleader with the cool guy, teased misfit, etc. About halfway in it took a turn toward much poorer quality across the board, and the last third was pretty painful to watch. As for the end, well yes - it certainly was an end. BOOM. No more money for any more script or filming, folks - let's call it a WRAP!

Just don't. There are far better uses of your time, and there are far better movies about teens, witches or magic than this cliched attempt that leaves you wondering "Um - that's it?"

It's a fun fall afternoon watch, with hot drink in hand. Sure it's not amazing, but it is a decent story.

Nothing about this movie would normally have caught my interest--the subject matter, actors, etc are all outside of my normal "zone." I'm not even sure what made me hit 'play' on Netflix that night, quite frankly. But just as Harry Potter creates its own world with its own characters who draw you in to their version of 'reality', so did this movie somehow convincingly make me want to suspend my protestations and just 'go with it.' I think the two main characters' acting were quite genuinely believable, which helped. The cinematography is also quite lovely, so it gives the viewer something aesthetic to appreciate as well. Yes, I absolutely think the plot (particularly towards the end) was predictable and even clumsy in execution, but again, I found the characters themselves so enjoyable that it didn't bother me for some reason. The supporting cast (people like Olympia Dukakis) also kept a tone of authenticity running through what would otherwise have been a fairly poorly written script. (I only mentioned Harry Potter in an attempt to give an example of an alternate world being put forth in a believable way--the films are not really comparable in any way, aside from the fact that they deal with magical elements… and even those are in a very different way.) If you just want to watch something kind of new and different, with pretty good acting and a plot that's off the beaten path, I actually recommend giving this one a go.

I don't get all the bad reviews. This is a wholesome family movie, well best for teens probably. But I feel like it's an honest view on what teens do toward each other. I will warn you it's a slow going movie. They story is not going anywhere quick. I feel like the acting was good, the scenery was fabulous, and the premise is nothing terribly new. I love the familiar faces and the new ones were good too. There is nothing off pudding about this movie. No gore, no horror, no major cursing, mainly teens being teens while the primary character, Rhea, comes to terms with who she is and where her place in this world fits. To answer my always question, would I watch it again...I have to admit I'm on the fence. There are many aspects that would draw me to watch it again but the overall slowness of the movie I may not. This is definitely a movie you should judge for yourself. On to the next.

This is a great story that made me and my high school age children laugh and wonder about life. The High School and Rhea's friends as well as her interactions are all contemporary and very real. The magic and wonder evolves slowly and keeps one asking questions trying to figure out the nature of this family. Aidan Quinn as the father is superb and reminded my of how much I have liked him back to his role in Reckless with Daryl Hannah back in 1984. Virginia Madsen makes a great believable "almost" angry Mom. We loved and laughed with every appearance of the character Nika played by Jee Young Han, she was fantastic. The rest of the cast, including Zosia Mamet in the lead role were very will directed and enjoyable to watch. Hats off also to the role of Simon, we think played by Nat Wolff in glasses. The music is excellent. The art focus, paintings and sculptures are inspiring. Great film all around.