MOVIE: Trap (2024)

by benmweilertNo Comments
TrapYear: 2024Rating: PG-13Length: 105 minutes / 1.75 hours In recent years, I feel like M. Night Shyamalan has regained some of his talent as a director. This may be because I go into a Shyamalan movie expecting there will be some logical plot hole that would collapse the entire concept in an instant, but that there are enough logical "yeah, that makes sense" twists that it's an entertaining ride. Much like Old (2021), Trap (2024) is the latest of these kinds of films that feel like classic Shyamalan. As a father of a young daughter, I can only imagine which pop star my child will become obsessed with and want to see in concert. I probably relate to this movie because I know such an event is in my future. Simply put, though, Josh Hartnett does an excellent job of showing how a smile and a bit of confidence can get you anywhere. Well, that and being a straight white male...but that's...
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MOVIE: A Quiet Place – Day One (2024)

by benmweilertNo Comments
A Quiet Place: Day OneYear: 2024Rating: PG-13Length: 99 minutes / 1.65 hours It's wild to think that it's been six years since A Quiet Place (2018) released. The concept was unique and fresh and lent itself to plenty of suspenseful moments. And while I thought both it and its 2021 sequel could have been trimmed down to a single, albeit somewhat long movie, I still loved the idea of a modern "silent film" that relies on its imagery as much as its lack of verbal dialogue. But did this really need a prequel? One of the great parts of the original Quiet Place was that it didn't explain how things came to be this way, it just dealt with surviving in this new reality. In A Quiet Place: Day One (2024), humanity first faces the threat of these aliens who attack any noise that might catch their attention. It's still unknown why these aliens came to Earth or what their goal is,...
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