ThatDoesntMatter's reviews

I only watched 18 minutes of this.

All three characters were cringy, not self-aware, egocentric.

I don't like laughing at other's stupidity, and I don't like watching unlikeable people.

They're all wannabes. But not nice ones. I cannot stand watching them.

I get that they're meant to be over-the-top, slapsticky. But I have to like them.

I like Bryce, I like Orlando. It's not their acting qualities that make this unenjoyable for me. It's what they play.

This is just silly. Silly stupid, not silly fun.

This is the second Amazon film with a rating of exactly 6.7 that I rate 1 (the other being The Accountant 2). Coincidence, or bots?

I watched this on TV because it was a film that showed way back when, not knowing what it was about.

At first, the female lead seemed a little too naive, but when you realise it's meant to be that way it works wonderfully. Like Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors. Or Janet in Rocky Horror Picture Show - or rather Brad? Or Miss Kubelik in The Apartment.

You get the drift what this movie plays with, it's fun, funny, I quote lines from it regularly, I just love it.

It's like in Ghostbusters, 'So she's a dog' - funny, American Werewolf in London, Erik the Viking (another underrated gem), Blast from the Past, wonderfully silly but with a real story, good characters, a goof with heart, a horror comedy romance.

Go with it, give it a chance.

Because of Paul Giamatti.

At first I was oh what is this, lame, and he's grumpy, why would I watch this. Even if it is Paul Giamatti the Great.

But I kept watching, and I'm so glad I did.

I went with him on a journey into his memory and remembered reality and the faulty fantasy we often store for different reasons.... and at the end there were tears in my eyes.

Very rewarding watch, of course mainly because of Paul Giamatti, who never disappoints.

That is all that needs to be said from my side, here I am filling in required chatacters. Ladida. Dididadidadida.

No spoilers. Watch it. Paul Giamatti. I like The Illusionist as well. Oh, enough words. Bye then.

I started watching this cause I thought oh come on, some lightness on a Sunday afternoon, maybe some smiles, some lovey dovey, some fun, or interesting people. Not averse to some good drama should it occur.

Plus, Morocco is a country on my list for retirement winters.

But.

I don't think there I will find a random quartet of older men standing by a street in the countryside with tambourines.

I found that so off-putting and almost insulting I cannot begin to describe it.

Maybe it's an actual thing, I don't know. I don't think so. It wasn't in the market or even in the city. Why would they stand in the dusty sand by a country road and have a little jam session?

Then the main character turns out to be an ill-tempered, rude person. Who needs quiet to write her book, but goes to a 'retreat' for writers, which apparently is a meetup. And doesn't want to be sociable. What the h? She could have gone literally anywhere else and have more quiet.

You can be stressed and preoccupied and busy and a recluse and still be friendly. How old is she. Just say friendly what you prefer and have done with it. No problem unless you make it one.

And apparently this luxury retreat had neither wifi nor phones in the rooms with which to call the front desk or anybody when there's no water. How did she go to the toilet or wash herself. Not at all I guess. Yuck.

So I immediately don't like her.

The male main character is there but doesn't like to travel. Apparently he was forced, we just don't see the gun pointed to his head.

All this already has such bad writing and vibes, why would I care? Not even mentioning the assortment of writer-flavours in this cliché-mix. This is not Death On The Nile or any other good ensemble story.

And the way the leads talk is grindingly monotone. Boring.

So I said bye bye after their car breaks down (22 minutes in).

Just no.

What a gripping, unbelievable-but-true, well-made documentary!

What a birth mother!

What chance. What chances of this constellation, of those twists, of secrets and lies and twists and turns.

Several times I was sitting there uttering a loud 'No!!!' with my mouth open and my eyes widened.

It isn't obvious at the beginning what is going to happen. Could all turn out to be dead-ended endeavours. I wasn't even sure what kind of documentary it was, knowing nothing about it but the Netflix-description.

The pace is good, the set-up is intriguing, it was not bent for moralistic manipulation.

And it wasn't unnecessarily drawn out. Two long episodes, which were needed, even if at first you cannot know where the ride is going.

Take that ride. It's worth it.

It can be done, Netflix. I'm pleasantly surprised. To the point, well-made, no wokeness involved.

Good director, will look out for his work.

The idea was interesting.

A bit reminding of Once Upon A Time. With horror. Okay, lemme see.

The horror was not very shocking, a bit zombie style, whatever. Stephen King readers aren't easily fazed.

Good acting mostly.

But.

I waited and waited for these questions to be asked by the new arrivals:

• how many are here?

• how big is the town?

• since when/who is here longest? (they do say later on, but no-one ASKED)
• where does the food come from?

• did you walk through the forest, where do you end up?

• WHAT ELSE DID YOU TRY TO KILL THEM EXCEPT SHOOTING? BURNING? SMASHING? ELECTROCUTING?

• can they be captured? Did you try?

• where do they go? Did you put up cameras to find out? (cellphones can be used for that)

• DID YOU ASK THEM WHY THEY'RE DOING IT? (they talk, don't they!!)
• did you converse with them at all?

• do the people here have anything in common? Loss? Deaths in the family?

I could go on. Logical questions.

So, the lack of common-sense questions and the overload of drama and cliché (it is possible to lead in a calm nice manner, as a woman or a man), the drift into more and more fantasy and generic TV show drama - I just wasn't interested anymore.

Getting out defies the making of money with the series, I get that, that is also why I don't care anymore. I'm more of a 'solution in 90 - 120 minutes' anyway.