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LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Aliens (1986) in Movies

Feb 13, 2020

Aliens (1986)

1986 | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi

9.0

(90 Ratings)

Movie Rating Watch

An absolute screamer of a sequel

Aliens may very well be the best sequel of all time, if not it's certainly up there!
The original Alien is about as perfect as sci-fi horror can get, so it was a smart move on James Cameron's part to not recycle that again, and take Alien in a different direction.
The slow burning, claustrophobic high tension of the original is replaced here with all out war.
The simple idea of multiple Xenomorphs is effective and terrifying, and packs the runtime of Aliens with top tier action.

Sigourney Weaver returns as Ellen Ripley, and whilst she was a tough yet vulnerable survivor first time around, here we get to see her vulnerability crumble away. By the time the final act kicks in and Ripley is decked out in a mech...she just a badass from here on out.
She's is joined by a group of gun toting, 80s as fuck mercenaries, including the likes of Michael Biehn (fresh from the recently released, first Terminator movie), Bill Paxton, Al Matthews, Jenette Goldstein, and of course Lance Henriksen as Android, Bishop. It's a fantastic cast, who all end up mattering one way or another, even the ones who don't last very long.

The Xenomorphs themselves look as horrifying as ever, still practically achieved, and have an urgent sense of visceral danger whenever they're on screen.
Aliens is also the debut if the Alien Queen, a classic staple of the series since.

No matter how much time goes by, Aliens never fails to be entertaining, and still looks great. It's James Cameron at the top of his game.

Kudos

LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Get Out (2017) in Movies

Feb 18, 2020

Get Out (2017)

2017 | Horror, Thriller

8.0

(208 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Get Out is an incredibly strong directorial debut from Jordan Peele and is easily in the top tier of horror/thriller movies in the last few years.

He manages to craft a film that has an underlying sense of unease throughout, an aspect of the film that hardly lets up at any point.

The plot revolves around Rose (Allison Williams) taking her African-American boyfriend Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) away for the weekend to meet her very white family. Chris has reservations, understandably, due to the fact that casual racism is a thing that unfortunately exists. As the weekend draws on, Chris begins to realise that his worries perhaps aren't that unfounded. The only other black people around are house servants, and are acting strange, and it's doesn't take too long before a truly disturbing truth is discovered. To say any more would spoil the narrative, but it's a great plot, with a ridiculous twist.
Layered underneath the madness of the horror is a strong social commentary about race divides, and how a lot of white people perceive others. It's executed brilliantly, and is absorbing as much as it is uncomfortable.

The cast are terrific, especially Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Betty Gabriel, and LaKeith Stanfield.
Catherine Keener is another highlight - I'm so used to seeing her play good people, that the sinister nature of her character in Get Out is so unnerving, and adds even more the experience.

With both Get Out, and last year's Us, Jordan Peele has started his career in horror on a hot streak, and I can't wait to see what he brings to the table next.