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Ready or Not (2019)
Ready or Not (2019)
2019 | Comedy, Horror, Mystery
Great From Beginning to End
A new bride agrees to an innocent game with her in-laws on her wedding night only to find out the game involves her murder.

Acting: 10

Beginning: 10

Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 10The film has a dark, yet colorful cast that works on both engaging and eery levels. Part comedy, part horror directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett masterfully capture both without either looking out of place. I was very impressed with the attention to detail.

Conflict: 10
Entertainment Value: 10It’s hard to miss when you combine action, comedy, and horror into a solid movie. Every moment of this movie is engaging. it’s a ride you’re excited to be a part of as you wade through what the heck is going to happen next. A fun, wild ride.

Memorability: 9
Ready Or Not will definitely stand in the memory long after being watched. Again, it checks the boxes in the three different categories. However, it doesn’t quite master any of them hence the docked point.

Pace: 10
Great start, then the tension continues to mount from there. it never lets its foot off the gas save for a few short breaths. It shoots out of a cannon then moves forward at a breakneck pace.

Plot: 10

Resolution: 10
One of my favorite parts of the entire story. Mums the word here.

Overall: 99
In the near future, I’m going to do a piece on “Movies I Can Watch Repeatedly and Not Get Bored”. Ready Or Not will probably make that list. It does so many things right. Definitely a movie to remember.
  
The Vampire Games
The Vampire Games
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
*I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

The beginning was a little rocky, I didn’t know what was happening and the style of how it was written felt a little awkward. By the quarter point it had smoothed out a little and I could read it easily and quickly.

Being the sucker that I am for romance books, the first hint of something, even the slightest hint of something, gets me excited. So that meeting of gazes had me smiling like a loony. I like my paranormal romances. From then I was scouring every page for more interactions between Bianka and Phillip. I quickly fell into their story. I was kind of on tenterhooks near the end wondering what she was going to choose.

The other part of the storyline; the fights, was an interesting take. It reminded me of The Hunger Games in the sort of “kill or be killed” way but this is with vampires so it’s all a little more intense. It was also filled with political undercurrents of the vampire society.

I loved the names the author came up with for the fiefdoms: Twilight Falls, Dawn Hold, Nightfall Keep…they just make me think of dark places but at the same time they sound pretty cool, right?

I liked some bits a lot more than others, but I do think I’d be interested in continuing the story at some point in the future when they’re released.

If you like paranormal romances or vampires or dystopian, maybe all three, then you’ll probably like this.
  
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Nightmare Alley (2021)
Nightmare Alley (2021)
2021 | Action, Crime, Drama
7
7.4 (7 Ratings)
Movie Rating
In short, Nightmare Alley is a sometimes plodding and bloated piece that gets by thanks to a hugely pleasing aesthetic, and a great cast.

Firstly, there is no reason for NA to be 150 minutes long. One could argue that it gives us more time with the many characters introduced, but it feels gratuitous. The first hour and a half has its moments for sure, but it sometimes feels a little direction-less before the last hour hits, and things kick off a bit. It's an issue that certainly impacts proceedings, and I feel it could have lost 30 minutes and been a tighter final product.
Thankfully, the assembled cast is stacked with royalty. Willem Dafoe and Toni Collette are two of my favourite working actors, so having them both involved is a treat. Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, and Rooney Mara are great as the main leads, and the rest of the ensemble is rounded out by some fantastic character actors - Richard Jenkins, Ron Perlman, Mary Steenburgen, David Strathairn - good stuff all round.
The overall visual style is wonderfully Del Toro, from the gloomy and misty carnival sights pierced by neon lights, to the snowy city scape of Buffalo, New York. A lot of the cinematography is gorgeous as well, hats off to Dan Laustsen, and is truly bought to life by a beautifully haunting music score from Nathan Johnson.

All in all, Nightmare Alley ultimately suffers from its pacing, and feels like a slog here and there. However, there are enough positives to carry it over the finish line. I look forward to checking out the black and white version in the near future.