The Informer

 

The Informer is an action crime-drama based on the novel Three Seconds by Roslund & Hellström. Starring Joel Kinnaman, Rosamund Pike, Common, Ana de Armas and Clive Owen. When undercover FBI informant, Pete Koslow, played by Kinnaman, gets caught up in a murder, he is forced to go back to prison, by the FBI, to finish the job he started on the outside, infiltrate the mob he was working for.

When I saw the preview I wasn’t super excited about this movie, but because of all the star power I choose to still give it a chance. The plot was fun and at times unpredictable but lacked originality in the foundation. The type of cop drama it turned out to be is one that I’ve seen so many times before.

I thought that Rosamund Pike and Clive Owen did well as the FBI agents with ulterior motives. Common brought something different, from roles that I’ve seen of his, in the past, as a NYPD agent looking to avenge a murder. Joel Kinnaman also brought range as the family man willing to do anything to get back to his wife and child. I thought that he and Ana de Armas had great chemistry but there wasn’t enough character development and some of the hair choices for de Armas’ character, Sofia, were questionable.

Overall this movie was just okay. Not a complete waste of time but definitely not one that I would watch again.

Outside The Wire

 

Outside the Wire is a Netflix released sci-fi action film starring and produced by Anthony Mackie as Leo, an android military Captain, who chooses drone pilot, Lt. Thomas Harp, played by Damson Idris, to help him stop a nuclear war.

The plot was set in 2036 during a civil war of pro-Russian insurgents versus Ukraine local resistances where the US is attempting to keep the peace. I thought that this story line was played out and minus a couple of interesting technical advances, not much really told me that this was based 15 years in the future. I liked the themes around second chances but the script was not well written and didn’t always make sense so it was hard to stay invested in it.

Some of the action sequences and stunts involving Mackie’s character Leo were pretty cool and intricate. Mackie's acting was the same as always. He didn't give me a lot of range but I didn't mind. I liked the diversity of the casting but the character development was weak all around. It was minimal for the protagonists and it was almost nonexistent for the supporting characters. 

Unfortunately this is the risk I’ve found with watching Netflix movies; even with a star studded cast, like this one, and a semi interesting plot, you can still get a dud. Skip this one.

Let Him Go

 

Let Him Go is a thriller set in 1961 Montana starring Kevin Costner and Diane Lane. They are George and Margaret Blackledge, an elderly couple, who will do whatever it takes to save their grandson and his mother from the clutches of her abusive husband and suspicious in-laws.

I thought that the sets, hair and costumes were perfect for the era. It takes you back immediately.

The casting of Kevin Costner and Diane Lane were a master class of talent. They had great chemistry and I liked their backstory. I just wish that there was stronger character development for the rest of the antagonists.

The plot was different and interesting but there were also some holes in the story that should have been filled with more detail to have a better understanding of the entire situation.

In the end this movies gives low budget vibes. It was okay for an at home movie but would not have been worth checking out in theaters

The Woman in the Window

 

The Woman in the Window is a thriller about child psychologist, Dr. Anna Fox, who after surviving a horrific accident, suffers with agoraphobia aka a fear of going outside. Her time is now spent in therapy sessions and people watching. When she witnesses a violent crime, she must convince everyone that she isn't hallucinating.

Amy Adams did well in the lead role. She kept my attention throughout and has definitely mastered the mentally ill role. Her character actually reminded me a lot of her role from the miniseries Sharp Objects. I also thought that Julianne Moore and Anthony Mackie were surprise additions and but both did well in their small yet impactful parts. Overall I thought that the character development was pretty good.

My only issue was that, at the end, I felt like I've seen this movie before. Even though it had a good twist, the “is she or isn't she crazy” theme gave me Shutter Island / The Girl on the Train vibes. Therefore, due to the lack of originality I would say that this movie would not have been worth seeing in theaters but it was okay to watch from home.

7500

 

7500 is an Amazon Original thriller starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt as American co-pilot, Tobias Ellis, whose flight from Berlin to Paris is compromised by terrorists who attempt to seize control of his plane. 

This is one of the most suspenseful low budget movies I’ve watched in a long time. The performances and editing and keep you on the edge of your seat from almost the beginning. 

Joseph Gordon-Levitt produced some of the best acting I’ve seen from him in a long time. He gave such range and even though there wasn’t a ton of character development, I was still very much invested in Tobias' arc.

7500 is only an hour and a half, and it is primarily one set, with just a few actors, so this could have easily gotten boring, but that wasn’t the case at all. Some parts were a bit foreseeable but for the most part the plot was unpredictable, believable and gripping. All in all, this film is definitely worth checking out.

Disclosure

 

Disclosure is a Netflix distributed documentary about Hollywood’s impact on the transgender community. Spearheaded by executive producer, Lavern Cox, this film goes deep into the history of the objectification, violence and bigotry against the trans community.

The historical context goes so much further back than I ever could have imagined. I was not terribly surprised but it was still troubling to see that the trans community has been made a mockery of since almost the beginning of film. The amount of research and visual examples provided within this documentary is astounding. It was very eye opening to me, to see from a different perspective, how offensive so many popular movies, which were embraced by the masses, including myself as a child, like Mrs. Doubtfire and Ace Ventura Pet Detective, were so incredibly offensive to the trans community. It was also interesting to see the history behind Black male comedians in drag and how that influenced an entire culture to point and laugh at this marginalized community. To see just how much movies and television shows influenced the hate culture around transgendered people was saddening.

This documentary does a really great job at making you check your own thoughts and feelings. It also encourages you to seek out the impactful trans content that is already out there and may have previously been overlooked. It also encourages empathy, optimism for the changes already made and hopefully helps to push the agenda further as there is still more work do to be done towards equality and fair treatment, not only in the entertainment industry but also throughout the world.

The Tomorrow War

The Tomorrow War is an Amazon produced science fiction action drama starring Chris Pratt as a science teacher and family man who gets drafted to fight a war 30 years into the future. The fate of humanity will rely on him and his team’s ability to find a way to kill the alien threat that is eating its way through the entire human population.

The plot was played out but I was still intrigued so I pushed though. The script, in the beginning, made me a bit weary because it started out really corny. As the story progressed it got a bit better with the help of a couple of comedic bits but mostly it proved to be what I suspected it was going to be, a not well thought out and clichéd story full of predictability. Additionally, it didn’t always make sense and was filled with holes that the writer never filled up.

I did however enjoy the high quality action sequences and CGI but the audio editing was atrocious. The dialogue scenes were too low in volume and then the action sequences were way too high.

I also liked the diversity in terms of casting. Sam Richardson who played Charlie was smart, quirky and brought some of the best comedic puns. Edwin Hodge as Dorian was mysterious, determined and an impressive physical presence. I thought that Chris Pratt and The Handmaid's Tale, Yvonne Strahovski, had great chemistry and worked well off of one another. I liked seeing Yvonne in something completely different than The Handmaid's Tale. This was a much more physical role for her. She also didn't let Pratt's presence overpower her; she held her own as a leader and fighter.

Although it could not fully make up for the lack of detail in the script, I did think that the final twist was creative. So in the end, I’m glad that this movie went straight to video. It would not have been worth seeing in a theatre but watching it from home made it more tolerable.