4315 - INDIANA JONES E OS CAÇADORES DA ARCA PERDIDA (1981)

 

INDIANA JONES E OS CAÇADORES DA ARCA PERDIDA (INDIANA JONES AND THE RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, USA, 1981) - ROTLA is a spectacular introduction to one of the most iconic action heroes of twentieth-century cinema. From one of the greatest opening sequences of all time to a plethora of classic cinematic moments, the production values are wonderfully evocative, and John Williams's score is outstanding. The script is filled with wit and invention, and the story is slickly paced and exciting. The action is spine-tingling, with booby-trapped caves, snake chambers, Nazi spies, religious demons, damsels in distress and romance, and the special effects are dazzling especially in the superb climax. The direction is effortless, and there is little to complain about the acting either. The part of the unorthodox archaeologist fits Harrison Ford like a glove and Paul Freeman brilliantly plays a smooth villain. 

4314 - ARQUIVO 81 (8 EPISÓDIOS) (2022)

     

ARQUIVO 81 – 8 EPISÓDIOS - (ARCHIVE 81, USA, 2022) - The story seems simple, about a man that is hired to restore damaged recording tapes found in a residential building entirely destroyed by a fire incident, and the author of those found footages is believed to be one of the many victims of the disaster. But as its main plot unfolds the complex layers are also revealed. It has a promising start, but gradually the writers seemed to lose their focus, and the story deteriorated into a hotchpotch of thriller, occult, supernatural, and even time-traveling. With that things became slightly repetitive, even tedious, in the process losing me almost completely. 

4313 - RATCHED - 8 EPISÓDIOS (2020)

Sarah Paulson

RATCHED – 8 EPISÓDIOS (USA, 2020) - This supposed prequel for "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"'s Nurse Ratched looks great, as Ratched (Sarah Paulson, one of Ryan Murphy’s favorite actresses) puts on a vintage dress and wreaks subtle havoc in an asylum. "Ratchet" is a beautiful cornucopia of nothingness, despite the potential of the narrative. The visuals are gloriously vivid as if we're looking at a box of crayons in super HD. The set and costume design is amazing, but that's where it ends. The show looks like a spin-off of American Horror Story which many AHS fans might find appealing. The story is really straightforward there are some interesting and suspenseful moments (Episode 2 and Episode 4) but for the most part, it's kind of bland. I have to compliment the cinematography. Every shot in this show looks beautiful, the pastel colors, the scenery.

4312 - O RESGATE 2 (2023)

O RESGATE 2 (EXTRACTION 2, USA, 2023) - Directed by Sam Hargrave, Extraction 2 once again stars Chris Hemsworth as Tyler Rake, the fearless and skilled mercenary ready to take on other high-stakes and deadly mission. While the action sequences are undeniably thrilling, showcasing Hemsworth's physical prowess and commitment to performing his own stunts, the film often feels flat and emotionally distant when the bullets stop flying, especially when we have to turn on the suspension of disbelief. The acting is solid, albeit nothing special. The effects are okay for the budget, and the action is more than passable. The sound design, sets, and the rest are as good as one can expect from a Netflix movie. Directing is pretty good, probably what mainly saves this, together with solid acting, from being too trashy.

4311 - O MONASTÉRIO (2022)

 O MONASTÉRIO (OSTATINIA WIECZERZA, Polônia, 2022) - In a monastery cut off from the world, the monks run a clinic for the possessed. One day, a young policeman Marek comes to the convent. Posing as a clergyman, he penetrates monastic life and tries to explain the recent, mysterious disappearance of several tormented inmates. It turns out, however, that there is no way out of the monastery. The storyline in the movie was genuinely creepy and atmospheric, so writers Bartosz M. Kowalski and Mirella Zaradkiewicz definitely put together an amazing script, and I have to say that I was genuinely entertained from beginning to end of this movie. It was such a well-written storyline that sank in deep under the skin and will stick with me for some time. This felt like a trip back to way back when they used to make really atmospheric horror movies.

4310 - LAMB (2021)

LAMB (Islândia, 2021) - A childless couple in rural Iceland make an alarming discovery one day in their sheep barn. They soon face the consequences of defying the will of nature, in this dark and atmospheric folktale, the striking debut feature from director Valdimar Jóhannsson, who makes a coolly outrageous feature debut with this jaw-dropping horror-comedy of loneliness, co-written by Jóhannsson with the lyricist and Björk collaborator Sigurjón Birgir Sigurðsson, or Sjón. It is performed with an unflinching commitment by its executive producer-star Noomi Rapace, who is first among equals in a great cast of humans, animals, and various prosthetic and digital creature effects. MUBI.

4309 - EARWIG (2021)

EARWIG (USA, UK, França, 2022) – Um homem de 50 anos é contratado para tomar conta de uma garota de 10. Sua tarefa mais importante é fazer a manutenção do aparelho dental dela, feito de gelo. Assim, o filme é realmente um trabalho singular, possuindo uma iconografia muito própria, mas parece se perder seu propósito ao se referir demasiadamente a essa atmosfera meio onírica para o seu desenvolvimento. In the end, it is a perplexing, eerie, bizarre, shocking, and fascinating puzzle to unravel. The colorful sequences of light mirror the emotional states of the characters and the rhythm of the narrative. It is unsettling, strange, and disturbing, yet entrancing and radiant. By bending reality, immersing you in low light and moody music, and with flashbacks, the film brings you into a Kafka-like story. There are so many questions left unanswered; a girl diving into the water, a woman watching, stabbings, surprising emotional shifts, a girl singing that triggers deep emotions, and so much more. MUBI.