Author: Premium Def
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Oscars 2026: And the nominees should be…
THE OSCARS (2026) For a while now, I’ve wondered: what does an Oscar winner win exactly? Is it just a trophy? Is it an unbreakable and unspoken contract with the wizards and string-pullers of Hollywood? One that states, you are and were one of us, if even just for a moment. Is it a collective…
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The Rip Review: Good Will Stunting
THE RIP (2026) Why did I hate this movie? Everyone involved is working hard to make it look and sound good, which it does, if it’s a tad dark and loud. I’ll always tune in for Matt Damon, and he’s good, and serious and working hard as usual here. The story, based on real events,…
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Train Dreams Review: Memoirs of an invisible man
TRAIN DREAMS (2025) What are we doing here, really? It’s a child’s question. It’s the question, whether we meditate on it throughout our lives or distract ourselves long and well enough to avoid it each and every minute. It’s always there. Are we all part of a planetary fabric, woven together, connected and large? Is…
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The Threesome Review: Oh so sexy, until it’s not
The Threesome (2025) Oh the threesome. Who hasn’t thought this could be among the highlights of one’s youthful (or not so youthful) sexual misadventures. And what fun it is to watch a trio of consenting adults dip their toes into orgy waters. And the title deed was not unsatisfying. The participants, Olivia, Connor and Jenny…
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Top Five Worst Films of 2025
These lists are bullshit. Movies, film, art, blockbusters…they are designed to entertain us in exchange for money. It’s a system and that’s okay, as it’s what we got and it works for now. The good ones make us feel; feel excited, annoyed, joy, and away from our lives for a short while as we experience…
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Bugonia review: Stone is busy as a bee
BUGONIA (2025) We all want to believe. Don’t we? Someone or something must be in charge of all of this, this chaos is ordered somehow, and we all receive our just desserts eventually; or are the winners on this planet simply taking the rest of us for fools as they manipulate our minds and souls…
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Good Fortune Review: Be excellent to each other
GOOD FORTUNE (2025) I got chills. Sincerely. Seeing Keanu Reeves’ angel wings and stoic visage at the very start of Good Fortune gave me a very specific kind of happiness. The kind of happiness that only happens when you know you’re about to watch a good movie; not a film per se, but simply some…
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The Roses Review: A C*ck and a C*nt
THE ROSES (2025) Love and hate are flip sides of the same coin they say. The “they” being married people. Marriage is an inspiring idea, and when it works, which it very much does for Ivy and Theo (Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch) and their two adorable children, it’s balanced by laughter, reciprocity and mutual…
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Together Review: Cut and fun
TOGETHER (2025) Once again, in my opinion, we have an example of a movie promotional campaign giving away too much. Now I am one of those people who hates movie trailers. A writer (or writers) often go to a lot of trouble to create a narrative that aims to intrigue us viewers so that we…
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Materialists Review: A 24-carat mistake
MATERIALISTS (2025) Is it just me, or did Dakota Johnson look to have lost her way there for a while? Not that I’ve paid very close attention, as I’ll admit I am not a huge fan; not because I don’t think she’s a capable actress, in fact she’s very capable. I thought her casting in…
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Nobody 2 Review: Nobody’s perfect
NOBODY 2 (2025) Every so often, one needs to get away; away from the day-to-day of life and work and the familiar. A well-timed escape has the potential to be a reset, a promise of peace and/or adventure. Assassin/family man Hutch Mansel (Bob Odenkirk) is no different as he yearns for a break from his…
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Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning Review: So very tired
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING (2025) Is it just me, or does anyone else find the liking and appreciating of actor/producer Tom Cruise to be a divisive topic? I mean, it’s not like he comes up all the time or anything, but when he does, on occasion, arise in conversation, the reaction is almost…
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Jurassic World Rebirth Review: Second born
JURASSIC WORLD REBIRTH (2025) No. It is not as good as the original. But it is the second best in the franchise. And…to quote Jennifer Aniston from Picture Perfect (1997), “…that ain’t bad”. It’s great actually, once you get past it not being the first and best. Director Gareth Edwards has fashioned a fun adventure…
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28 Years Later Review: Maul things come
28 YEARS LATER (2025) I’m not a fan of this franchise. I said it. Mind you it was love at first sight for Cillian Murphy 28 years ago and I liked the shots taken at its cowardly protagonist (Robert Carlyle, also love) in 28 Weeks Later (2007). It’s just that I find the intermittent and…
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Karate Kid: Legends Review: It’s kicks are for kids
KARATE KID: LEGENDS (2025) No movie can be everything for everyone. For example, my mother never saw what all the fuss was about when The Karate Kid (1984) was played over and over again at our house as the entire neighbourhood was sweeping the legs and crane kicking each other, hoping against hope we’d happen upon…
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The Old Guard 2 Review: Too many f**k-ing questions
THE OLD GUARD 2 (2025) I have some questions for the makers of The Old Guard 2. Number one: How the f**k did Discord find Quynh? Seriously, that could have been interesting. Perhaps she had been looking all this time, hadn’t given up like some people (Andy I’m looking at you) and finally the right…
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Fear Street: Prom Queen Review – No fear and loathing the hair
FEAR STREET: PROM QUEEN (2025) Thus far, I’ve enjoyed Netflix’s Fear Street (2021-) series. The makers are having fun with the horror, throwback, wink wink, not-so-scary, slew of successive and creatively gross murders genre. And I am here for it. What’s more, Fear Street: Prom Queen is the 80s instalment, the very decade I started…
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Magazine Dreams Review – Think big
MAGAZINE DREAMS (2023) All I knew about this film going in was that it focussed on a bodybuilder, specifically the competition-going/fitness magazine model type. I expected a film about the ins and outs of this lifestyle, as it is an offbeat choice for a lot of men and women, demanding discipline and pain. And while…
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Heart Eyes review: My heart will go on
HEART EYES (2025) I like this movie. But I don’t like like it, if you know what I mean. I like that it’s a romantic-comedy-horror. A great idea that pleases both the blood thirsty romantic cynics and horror hopefuls. I like how the gender roles are swapped, with a female protagonist (Olivia Holt) who is…
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A Complete Unknown review: You’re bound to fall
A COMPLETE UNKNOWN (2024) The great artists of the world critically reflect life back at us with their words, images and bodies, and nothing but the truth will be recognized or tolerated. It is such a lofty endeavour that even the act of pursuing it fascinates, because this hunt reveals the only and most heartbreaking…
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The Brutalist Review: Brutal by design
THE BRUTALIST (2024) I can be trite and and say that it’s brutal. I can point out its honesty. The unsympathetic cinematography. The wide open line reads. The unattractiveness. Large relationships are presented and vanish and character endings are left dangling. It alludes to deeds unseen and skips over the fallout and resolutions. Is it…
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Babygirl: Kidman’s coming of age
BABYGIRL (2024) The premise is obvious from the movie poster: an older woman has an affair with a much, much younger man. We’ve seen this before. In fact we’ve seen this from Nicole Kidman within the same year with A Family Affair (2024), and from Anne Hathaway in The Idea of You (2024); both passable,…
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Back in Action Review: Spies not like us
BACK IN ACTION (2024) Thinking back, I didn’t watch Back in Action hoping or expecting to see perfection. What I wanted was a fun romp with our trusty Cameron Diaz and Jamie Fox to lighten up my day with some laughs and a little heart if it had the time. And the premise was promising.…
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The Promised Land Review: Move over moors
THE PROMISED LAND (2023) Are you comforted by a faith in order, manmade or otherwise? Or do you see the chaos, with its fortune and fortitude at play as we plan, react and fumble with survival, and where success has no definition? For those in The Promised Land, an historical drama set on the once…
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Nightbitch Review: Bitch, please!
NIGHTBITCH (2024) In tandem with the obligatory sex education videos that outline the mechanics of conception played in front us in elementary school, I recommend Nightbitch be viewed by all parties ready to yield the fruits of its base intention, as its visceral purpose is magical, transformative, brutal and, for the strongest among us, hilarious. It…
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Conclave Review: What would Lawrence do?
CONCLAVE (2024) When the title card Conclave splashed across the screen, I had no idea what it meant. Though never outright defined, the gist becomes evident as a large group of Roman Catholic cardinals assemble at the Vatican after the death of the pope. It’s an election. And it’s fascinating. Lead by Cardinal Lawrence (the…
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Top Five Overrated Horror Films
Like a lot of you out there, our plan for Halloween night, after the trick-or-treaters are safe at home and eating their hauls, is to eat whatever’s leftover and enjoy a horror movie. We threw out some ideas for this year’s watch…a classic or something new perhaps? There are so many subgenres to choose from,…
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Brothers Review: Big Little Guys
BROTHERS (2024) Brothers is not for everyone. It’s randomly crude, the humour is broad, and if hard pressed to come up with a one word descriptor, it would be “amusing”. Not exactly a rousing review. Still, I was amused, a lot, and I appreciated the thoughtful, authentic performances from top tier players Peter Dinklage and…
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The Substance of Demi Moore: Body Art
Though not perfect (we have thoughts, see our review), Demi Moore’s newest film The Substance is a cheeky choice for the American actress. Some might say it’s courageous and daring, being that she is literally baring it all while deconstructing the plight of an aging Hollywood starlet. It’s bullseye casting. However, we argue that this…
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Wolfs Movie Review: No one’s whistling
WOLFS (2024) This hurts. Great premise, two marquee dramatic/comedic masters settling into midlife, and me, hoping for two wolfs at the door. Sadly, Wolfs is a corny mess in need of a cleanup. Brad Pitt and George Clooney are thrown together to “fix” a very bad night for a hot shot Manhattan district attorney (Amy…
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Speak No Evil Movie Review: Vacation Friends
SPEAK NO EVIL (2024) “Always be polite” we were told, “civility is the glue that holds society together.” Too true, but is there a limit? Manners are on the table for a table of six; two families with varying attitudes, temperaments and approach to parenting meet on vacation and decide to take their newfound friendship…
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Incoming Movie Review: Supergood
INCOMING (2024) Yes, we’ve been here before: A first week of high school teen comedy with an intimidating older kids’ party setting, crushing crushes on the just-beyond-your-reach dream girl, nerds, etc. Every generation cries out for an awkward insecure group of freshmen to navigate drugs, girls, bullies and diarrhea to commiserate with (or at least…
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Blink Twice Movie Review: The Island of Magic Mike
BLINK TWICE (2024) Let me start off by saying I was excited to watch this one. Debauchery in luxuriousness. Who could ask for anything more. So what that the quick cuts and over the top use of the colour red became a tad distracting. Something bad was happening on that island and I was not…
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Uglies Movie Review: No Pug Fuglies
UGLIES (2024) Being an average looking dystopian movie in this bigger, better, hotter, appearance-oriented movie sphere can be really really hard. Unfortunately for Joey King (who proves once again that she can carry a film), Uglies fails to glow up. Mostly because it excited us with current issues such as our obsession with beauty, plastic…
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The Crow Movie Review: Lil’ Crow
THE CROW (2024) To start, this is not The Crow, but rather a movie about a Manic Pixie dream couple falling in love with a little Crow mixed in (Emo Crow?) in order to entice fans of the original film. But like Eric’s haircut, the film is vying to be too many things all at…
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Subservience Movie Review: Terminator Rocks the Cradle
SUBSERVIENCE (2024) Whether or not it aimed to be, Subservience is a cheesy, campy good time with a very game Megan Fox (perfect casting). It’s not “so bad that it’s good”, but rather it’s a fun, low stakes fantasy sci-fi thriller that accomplishes exactly what it set out to do: entertain and looking good while…