Movie reviews of The Massie Twins

The film is very much a demonstration of the legal process, scrutinizing the way the system is unfairly harsh on the poor (and unaccommodating for the innocent), taking on a documentary feel from time to time. Review

There’s death, blackmail, a police investigation, a stunning blonde, and plenty of noirish silhouettes and shadows, but director Alfred Hitchcock’s signature suspense isn’t as abundant. Review

Deadly scenarios are made innocuous by hollow solutions and aggravating slowness; no one behaves as if their life is at stake, instead opting to make levity-filled remarks or stand around dumbfounded as terror strikes. Review

The paranoia and suspense are exceptional, the location imparts unique chills, the notion of Ruth’s isolation and aloneness are frightening, and the finale is exhilarating. Review

It’s mostly formulaic and a touch too long, but it’s still engaging; the audience is in the dark as much as the newspapermen, which makes every fresh piece of information exciting. Review

There are plenty of conflicts brewing under the surface of military testing and cooperation with the local police force, but it takes too long to unearth the most stirring of the bunch. Review

The tone keeps switching so frequently that it’s obvious that Poison Ivy doesn’t really know what kind of film it wants to be. Review

The plot is simple and the characters are few, which leaves the bipedal beast as the primary source of amusement, screaming and clawing its way across the screen. Review

Rather than developing the weightier speculative concepts, much of the short running time is devoted to battles and shootouts, which are momentarily diverting but largely forgettable. Review

It’s an adventurous, nail-biting odyssey, full of near-misses and nervy confrontations. Review

The supporting acting is subpar, the plot is plain, and the characters are one-dimensional. Where the surrounding players fail to generate much interest, the top-billed baddie steals the spotlight at every turn. Review

Nate and Hayes certainly struggles to maintain the sincerity it requires to make the pirating endeavors adventurous. Fortunately, the sets, costumes, makeup, and props are suitable (at times bordering on impressive), the climax is decently designed and exciting (anachronistic as it may be), and the ocean warfare contains a few swashbuckling surprises. Review

The film has a tremendously difficult time taking itself seriously. There are plenty of jump scares and gruesome violence, but even when victims absorb stabs or bludgeons or have fresh wounds torn open, there’s a streak of humor running through the assaults. When behaviors are goofy, it’s difficult to appreciate the horror. Review

Despite a few lags, The Hours ends up being a poignant, mature, satisfying drama and, in many ways, ahead of its time. Review

Marking this as one of the most significant (simple yet sincere) of all prehistoric adventures. Review

Once the attacks begin, the film grows slightly more interesting, if only because of the curious combination of monster effects. Review

It’s consistently entertaining, unconcerned with showy, big moments; it’s the smaller, intimate sequences of friendship or romance or heartbreak or slumps that really win out. Review

Despite the competent moments of adventure, the story remains hopelessly inscrutable. Review

Some of the action is enjoyable and some of the chivalry is amusing, even though the execution of this tale is woefully inadequate. Review

He film is essentially a playbook for what to expect in this soberingly believable situation, though its entertainment value intermittently tends to dip below its educational elements – yet in a world after the rise of Covid-19, Contagion probably ought to be required viewing. Review

The characters are engrossing and the situations amusing, steadily building as if a sudden shift in tone or action could spontaneously transform the plot; intentions and motivations are kept ambiguous, putting the viewer at a certain unease, even as activities turn out to be sweet, comical, or surprisingly ordinary. Review

Adding to that are some hysterical scenes of bungled election tactics, though these tend to get countered by the numerous, only slightly satirized nods to real-life, bleak truths about municipal contests – elements that stay relevant even as modernization and technology have reshaped the little particulars about the various processes. Review

With the intention of renovated realism, the film comparably struggles, unable to avoid unintentional humor in the bizarreness of transformations and the stalking of prey – despite the various, graphic amendments. At its best, it reminds of An American Werewolf in London or The Thing, though it never goes far enough with the practical effects and makeup to be a competent monster movie. Review

With the editing style, voiceover commentary, and the allure of drug-fueled riches, Blow draws many parallels to Goodfellas. The themes are quite similar – along with the tone, the span of time, and the glamorization of crime. The cast, however, isn’t as powerful, and the direction isn’t as engrossing; certain periods feel repetitive and the roles aren’t as sympathetic or unpredictable. Review