Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016)
6.9
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Movie
In Los Angeles in 1967, a widowed mother and her two daughters run a scam business performing fake...
Gothika (2003)
6.5
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Movie
A criminal psychologist (Berry) awakens to find herself a patient in the institution where she...
Thriller
Host (2020)
9.5
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Movie Watch
Six friends hire a medium to hold a seance via Zoom during lock down - but they get far more than...
Grace Williams Says It Loud
10.0
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Book
The doctors said no more could be done and advised Grace's parents to put her away. On her first...
Travel Journal: London
10.0
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Book
A beautiful journal for travelers with an adventurous spirit. London calling! From a royal crown,...
Sarah Norris (24 KP) rated Reincarnation Blues in Books
Apr 11, 2022 (Updated Apr 11, 2022)
Lee (2222 KP) rated Away (2019) in Movies
Jan 6, 2021
The plot of Away is a very modest one. Opening with a young man, hanging by his parachute from a lone tree that stands in a vast, desolate landscape, we see a tall, dark spirit-like figure slowly approaching. The spirit wraps itself around the boy, but as we discover later on throughout the movie, it’s not a hug that the monster is trying to administer. Breaking free of its hold, the boy runs away, with the spirit in slow pursuit, until he arrives at an opening for a forest oasis. The spirit remains standing at the opening, either unwilling or unable to enter, allowing the boy time to rest and recover. He drinks from the river, eats the fruit from the trees, swims and even makes friends with a small bird, all the while taking in the beautiful scenery.
He discovers an abandoned motorcycle and a backpack containing a map of the large island he finds himself on, along with a compass, a water bottle and keys to the motorcycle. Spotting what looks like some kind of harbour at the other side of the island, the boy sets off on the bike, past the tall spirit and off on the long journey through ever-changing and beautiful landscapes in order to reach his destination and discover what awaits him. The dark spirit immediately begins his slow pursuit, lumbering slowly after the boy with determination, like some kind of Terminator.
What follows can only be described as a series of scenes that are just animated, zen-like bliss. Not a single word is spoken throughout Away, leaving the beautiful visuals and meditative music to do all of the work, reminding me of The Red Turtle, another movie which surprised and entertained me. Director, writer, producer, animator and film score creator Gints Zilbalodis worked on Away for three and a half years, writing the story, creating the beautifully animated landscapes and characters, and composing and recording the enchanting music. There are occasional moments of tension and peril, but other than that I haven’t felt so calm and relaxed by a movie in a very long time.
Along the way, we learn of the plane crash which resulted in the boy finding himself alone on the island. But is he in some kind of Lost style remote island purgatory? And what’s the deal with his pursuer? What awaits him on the other side of the island? Well, while the storyline may be a little lacking in places, and may struggle to hold the interest of some, it really didn’t matter to me when it was presented as beautifully as this.
The Marinated Meeple (1853 KP) rated Fireball Island: The Curse of Vul-Kar in Tabletop Games
Apr 24, 2018 (Updated Apr 24, 2018)
