Source

I continue on this streak to take down my movies to watch bucket list before probably next year since now that we are on end of the year holidays season things have slow down, so last night I watched the latest Hunger Games movie from 2023 and I admit before starting I was not sure what to expect, especially after the whole drama surrounding Rachel Zegler and her upcoming Snow White role, but I tried my best to not get stuck on the drama and focus on the story itself that takes us 64 years before Katniss Everdeen became the face of the rebellion, just trying to remain on the entertaining side of things. At 2 hours and 37 minutes, the movie is also the longest entry in the franchise and you will feel those two hours, but the stunning visuals and world building kept me entertained for the vast majority of it, the CGI work is very good although I'm no expert on this technical aspects, its just my average viewer impression, and the scenarios are very colorful, giving us a new side of Panem that I have not seen before.

• IMDB: https://www.imd.com/title/tt10545296/
• Platform: Amazon Prime Video

Rottentomatoes Rating

The story develops around young Coriolanus Snow played by Tom Blyth, who is trying to keep his family's name up while keeping their poverty a secret after the war that caused the Hunger Games, he's going to the Academy to try to get a scholarship that will guarantee his future. The plot starts to take off after the Academy reveals that students will be mentoring tributes for the 10th annual Hunger Games and Snow gets Lucy Gray Baird from District 12, played by Rachel Zegler. At this point, the Games are still a bit rough around the edges, with low ratings and no real organization, and as Snow suggests changes that would eventually become the standard format we see in the original movies. There is the love story aspect on the movie where Snow tries to balance his love for Lucy Gray with his ambition to be successful in the Capitol, Snow’s relationship with Lucy Gray becomes complicated, and Dr. Volumnia Gaul played by Viola Davis, begins to notice Snow’s strategic thinking and starts to raise him to be a bigger player in the future of the Games, in such a predatory environment you really never know who you working for.

Young Snow knows he has to excel and had some big shoes to fill if he wanted to turn things around for his family name, and Tom Blyth’s performance is a bit shaky at first, I don't know it seem like he was not really into the madness of world that this is, but really picks up latter on during the movie, what I meant for this is that he didn't felt natural and a bit over the top at first while other characters like Volumnia and Dean Highbottom always felt part of the madness. It is only when Snow transformation from a somewhat sympathetic character into the ruthless leader we know he becomes feels more natural as the story progresses. Rachel Zegler brings a different energy to Lucy Gray than we saw with Katniss, she’s more charismatic, her singing talents give the movie that fantasy aspect to the movie and she owns every scene she’s in and makes you want to see what happens to her character, its the fairy tale story and to be hones she does well, all she needs to do is act and keep her opinions to herself. Dr. Gaul, played by Viola Davis with mismatched eyes and a cold demeanor, is absolutely terrifying and every time she steps on screen she creates this sense of danger, and Peter Dinklage as Dean Highbottom brings a warm aspects to his character, showing the toll it is taking on him. Lucky Flickerman played by Jason Schwartzman provides to the movie a may be needed comic relief as his hosting segments break up the tension without feeling out of place or over the top.

Remember how I mention you are going to feel those two hours?, well I think the movie is trying to do too much in one sitting and I can’t help but think it would have worked better as two movies, if you watch this at the theater they had to have a break, the pacing is a little rushed at times, especially getting closer to the two hours mark, its like someone literally says "TF 2hrs already and we not done yet?", its here where some of the important character developments feel a bit forced. I do like how they handled Snow’s descent into villainy, but as I mention this transition or early steps felt off and there were some moments that could have used more time to develop naturally, but the movie does a good job at showing how small compromises and choices made his way down this path. The attention to detail in how the Capitol and Districts looked before the Games was a big selling point for this story, showing how brutal the Games of old were and the visual effects and set design are outstanding.

It all finally comes to climax when our hero Snow is sent to District 12 as a Peacekeeper when the Games are over, stuck there and growing closer to his love Lucy Gray but still not out of Dr Gaul's agenda for the future of Panem. There is this ambiguous aspect of the movie I'm not so sure whether Lucy Gray survives or doesn't, which gives the story another level of uncertainty, and I'm not even sure if she will be on the 2026 movie now that the intent has basically cancel Rachel Zegler but you know how we humans quickly forget. There this kinda of callback to the original series closes the movie, with Donald Sutherland voice over from Mockingjay about how the things we love most destroy us, which is a new meaning after seeing Snow's relationship with Lucy Gray and how it informs his transformation into the tyrant we get to know, it was meant from the beginning, but the ending also shows how Snow begins to change the Games in the ways that we see them in Katniss's time, the Victory Tour and better prizes for winners, while taking away whatever humanity he has left. I'm not a reader period, not even going to say I'm not a fan of the books because I like the story on the movies, this iteration was an odd way of explaining how the games we learn about during the first movies became to be, their origins with a classic love story where there had to be a sacrifice both spiritual as Snow turns into what he despite.

#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #prequel, #snow, #panem, #capitol, #zegler, #tribute, #songbirds, #snakes, #davis, #hunger, #games, #lucy, #coriolanus, #violence, #power, #mentor, #entertainment, #district12, #villain, #ambition, #tyranny, #conflict, #survival, #authority, #control, #flixfinder

Posted Using InLeo Alpha

Posted Using InLeo Alpha

A Crude Business

Un negocio Crudo.

Source

Now that movie releases are slowing down I'm starting to watch some movies that I had on my bucket list, one of them Never Let Go, the latest horror film from director Alexandre Aja and I have to say this movie really played with my mind from beginning to end, although it does have some flaws, I guess I was letting this movies fly by because something told me they were not the greatest but sometimes you find gems between this low rated movies. From wondering if what I was seeing was real and if not, then what?. Halle Berry play the role of mother "Momma" trying to protect two sons from evil force apparently dead, demons who ended the world and Momma try pulling her children to an isolated cabin in woods, the movie seems a mix of horror and family drama.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14415204/
• Platform: Amazon Prime Video

Rottentomatoes Rating

Right from the start, the movie sets an gloomy atmosphere with a foggy forest setting and an creepy old cabin that seems like a safe haven and a prison at the same time. From the trailer what really grabbed me about the movie was the fact that they cant go other places where the rope does not reach, but I never thought the movie will keep you guessing if is there an evil force out there or is it all in Berry's character's head and when you think you know it's got you figured out, it throws you another curve ball to make you question everything again. Yes the main flaw is that the movie is predictable but I think this film is not trying to win any Oscars but entertain viewers.

The movie reach multiple themes of mental illness, family trauma and how far parents will go to protect their children, packaged neatly in this supernatural horror, but this also leaves a lot of questions without answers and I guess that's fine too, because after all supernatural doesn't really exist its all fantasy at the end of the day. The religious aspects and symbolism are there too, with the whole snake imagery and blessed house concept but they don't hit you over the head with it not trying to specifically make this a possession movie. Even as this movie does have its faults, the ending leaves a major question mark that isn’t answered and some scenes that you can watch from a mile away, it does manage to somehow hit that correct spacing between psychological horror and real horror, proving that if you don’t mind the issues, it will keep you entertained.

The story tracks a mother whom we never see; I'm referring to their grand mother, other than Momma and who lives with her two sons Samuel and Nolan in an isolated cabin. Momma says that they survive by being tethered to their house by ropes, because there is an evil force in the woods that destroyed the world and the only thing that can keep them safe are their blessed house. Momma reminds them every time they have to leave the house to go get food or supplies to NEVER LET GO of their lifeline, and every time they have to go out, they have to be tethered to the house with this very very long ropes.

The plot is interesting because it is developed in the perspectives of the family members, the first time Momma can see the evil entities they are people from her past, specifically her mother and deceased husband. Despite believing fully in his mother’s warnings, Nolan begins to doubt if there is any truth on this story, along with his situation in general especially when that reality does not seem right and they happen to make themselves un tethered and nothing happens to them. As winter approaches and low food supplies, increase tension begins to build up, Momma decides they need to kill their dog Koda for food and that triggers a whole sequence of events that force Nolan to trap Momma on the greenhouse when trying to safe Koda, their dog. They don’t have a family anymore, they don’t have a home, they are left alone and starving until a hiker stumbles upon their cabin and so they find out that the world hasn’t ended after all.

In her role as Momma, Halle Berry absolutely shines and brings such energy to it, raw and vulnerable, it makes you feel sympathy, but in my opinion its the script of the story that falls flat when it becomes too predictable for my taste. She is able to perfectly balance the loving mother side with her character having a questionable mental state and you constantly wonder if she is protecting her kids or if she is in fact harming her kids with her beliefs and actions, the answer is obvious but that's the scenario. There is also Anthony B. Jenkins as Samuel and Percy Daggs IV as Nolan, really stand up in contrast to Berry's character as I think all three did a great job on the acting department. Their work as brothers feels real, with Daggs being truly skeptical and rational and bringing Nolan the same reasoning, and Jenkins playing his trust in the words of his mother despite the fact that they have a hunch nothing she says is real.

I really got into the psychological side of this movie and particularly how it plays with the reality vs perception thing. Even when it drifts into familiar territory, it’s pretty compelling way it deals with mental illness and generational trauma. For me it was hit or miss when it came to the visual effects for the evil demons crawling around the place although the ending scene when Samuel gets "possessed" data-wpil-keyword-link="linked" data-wpil-monitor-id="1245">possessed" did the trick for me. The scenes that were terrifyingly creepy either were a little too heavy on the CGI to really kick them out of my experience, but the isolated setting and constant fog really helped keep the creepy vibe when they created the atmosphere with it.

Never Let Go’s ending is perhaps is a very controversial one and I think it deserves some additional details, not necessary a sequel but better explanation would make it smoother. Things went to hell quickly when Sam killed the hiker named Cole, assuming he was the devil entity. We are led to the encounter with the hiker's daughter, which turns out to be the evil force shape shifting as her and who possesses Samuel. We now have one of the kids who has succumbed to the same darkness that hunts down his mother, while Nolan manages to break out from the pattern of fear and paranoia, from the cutting of his rope and finally facing the evil entity that shows up as his mother, is what this symbolizes. A final Polaroid shows the evil's hand on Sam's shoulder, and his final line makes it seem as though he's still under the evil's influence but the movie ends with both boys being rescued.

It’s interesting because this ending leaves you wondering if the evil was real or just a metaphor for inherited trauma and mental illness, how did Samuel got possessed but at first they were questioning the entire situation when Momma was always fixed on the idea that the world has ended and there is an evil entity in the woods??!!. Sam, who totally believed his mother's warnings, gets possessed, while the skeptical Nolan breaks free, the only reasoning behind it could be that even blind faith is as dangerous as the evil itself? Or is it proving how mental illness can be hereditary?

#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #horror, #psychological, #suspense, #demons, #supernatural, #hallberry, #cabin, #isolation, #survival, #paranoia, #possession, #trauma, #winter, #evil, #religion, #family, #motherhood, #snakes, #tethered, #darkness, #brothers, #polaroid, #delusion, #rope, #forest, #flixfinder

Posted Using InLeo Alpha

Source

In the last years there has been a tendency of horror movies moving away from those cheap jump scares and going for the psychological aspects of their characters, the social issues that trigger them and how they react to everything, Hold Your Breath tries to do just that but gets too many plots going at once, which doesn’t mean it’s not interesting enough to watch until the very end but I get how many would get tired and just stop watching, it happen to me but I'm the type of guy who must watch until the end unless its very very bad from the beginning. I have to say the movie does succeeds at creating an oppressive atmosphere using its dusty setting and always the threat of storm right at your doorstep, and makes you feel bad for the characters’ isolation and desperation. It’s not the scariest horror movie out there, but it will make you uncomfortable in a way that makes you keep thinking about it after you watch.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12573480/
• Platform: HULU

Rottentomatoes Rating

Maybe one of the darkest parts of American history during the early 1930s, Sarah Paulson new horror movie places us in a town on the verge of being destroyed by dust storms that killed the crops, buildings and brought death and disease, the kind of story that makes you fall into depression right away so I think this movie is not for anyone with a "soft skin" but more for those who enjoy trying to find out why things are that way. This historical backdrop is used by the movie to create a horror story about a mother trying to protect her daughters from something that either might or might not be real, and it combines elements of the supernatural with psychological horror to keep you guessing what’s really going on.

The movie covers several themes including motherhood, grief, isolation and religious beliefs in the edge of crises but despite the fact that these elements come together perfectly, it gives you a story to think about what you would do in the same situation, but another level of horror is the setting itself, how can you even breathe properly because of the dust in the air, how can your kids even live because of all the diseases they could die from, how can you even get help its a mess up life for anyone under this circumstances and environment.

It tells the story of Margaret Bellum played by Sarah Paulson, a mother of two daughters who is in the very edge of losing her third daughter to scarlet fever, only now the survival of her remaining daughters hangs in the balance in a world doom by dust storms and a mysterious preacher shows up on her doorstep. In a world where almost everyone turned to God for answers because there is no other logical explanation and people are desperate for help that is no where to be found reducing the hopes of things to get better to very minimal levels, but Margaret does not she has a different mindset, and going against her community she gets to some dark places inside her mind. When a mysterious preacher named Wallace Grady arrives in their small town, claiming to know Margaret's husband who's out of town working, that just makes their already difficult lives that much more complicated.

They don’t have an easy life, with one cow who’s getting more and more skinny day by day and the risk that a dust storm could kill them at any time, the movie does a decent job of showing how bad off their situation is, their daughter trying to block every crack in the house with fabric to keep the dust out while their daughters spend their time reading scary stories about The Grey Man, a creature whose supposed to travel in the dust and possesses people, its funny how based on their situation even scary stories are develop around it, I guess this is part of humans creativity trying to come up with entertaining content based on their daily life. Really what keeps this movie going are the cast performances, Sarah Paulson is great as Margaret and shows us a mother going slowly mad as she tries to protect her daughters from real and imagined threats. They’re also really good as Amiah Miller as Rose and Alona Jane Robbins as Ollie, who sell you the idea that they’re real sisters dealing with their mother’s increasing paranoia.

The movie attempts to blend various types of horror, soaring from a mother's grief induced psychological terror to the supernatural story of The Grey Man, and while not every element works perfectly, it does well to generate an atmospheric environment that makes you wonder what’s really real and what’s purely in Margaret’s imagination, is this aspect that is the most interesting from the movie how she starts to loose her mind and there are moments she gets lost between the desperate times, with the constant dust storms making you feel claustrophobic and get why someone might start losing it in these conditions, either you are into a big house the fact that you are confine into a perimeter with very low amounts of sunlight will depress anyone even the most wild animal.

It turns out that The Grey Man never existed, everything was in Margaret’s mind as she went through grieving and isolation, in the final scenes she becomes completely paranoid about protecting her daughters and gets lost in a dust storm, as a result showing how she has completely lost her mind. It is a very a sad ending that I think most viewers are not familiar with, feeling grief and isolation can develop into shattering someone’s mind in such harsh conditions, we are usually more familiar to the happy kind of endings or even if the hero dies at least the ones he was protecting are saved but this time around the is no one to safe Margaret.

The Grey Man comes from a children's book that Rose reads to Ollie about a being that lives in the dust and possesses people, causing them to do unspeakable things. Although at first it is only a scary story becoming important as Margaret's mental state deteriorates, the problem begins when she starts to believe The Grey Man is real and it is up to try to harm her family, because that's her own trauma and fears being manifested. The story of The Grey Man is a metaphor for how fear and isolation can mess up the mind of someone desperate like Margaret. Her daughters get to escape on a train to probably meet their dad but since we really don't know if this is all real anymore I would have to assume its a fantasy too, there is also a sense of danger or signs I would say since next to the train dust keeps floating close to them so is it really an escape? even though its real there is a high chance that their future remains the same in another place.

#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #horror, #dust, #mother, #psychological, #oklahoma, #paulson, #isolation, #grief, #supernatural, #dustbowl, #depression, #storms, #daughters, #preacher, #paranoia, #trauma, #scarletfever, #insomnia, #religion, #survival, #madness, #fear, #disease, #drought, #darkness, #flixfinder

Posted Using InLeo Alpha

Source

After a very very slow start from the first two episodes, Silo Season 2 starts to take us down different paths, episode 3 finally brings everything together in a way that makes the story flow a lot better and gives us a good look at what's going on in Silo 17 and Silo 18 at the same time but now putting more focus on Silo 18, I have to say that this was a much better episode than I expected with more character development and interaction between them, and learning more about Solo, the man the myth inside the Vault of Silo 17, played by Steve Zahn, who turns out to be quite an interesting character with his own set of problems and fears.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28100076/
• Platform: AppleTV+

Rottentomatoes Rating

We see how the "Juliette Lives" message is causing problems in Silo 18 and the strong arm of the forces are going after Teddy, one of Juliette's old coworkers from mechanical, which sets up the tone for what is coming next as we see how Bernard and Judge Meadows try to deal with the situation from different angles, Bernard wants to follow protocol and make mechanical look like the bad guys while Meadows thinks this will only cause more problems and suggests blaming it on someone from the upper levels, which shows us that both of them have their own agenda and take different approaches to the same problem but want to avoid a full revolution.

Meanwhile we get to see Juliette trying to convince Solo to help her get back to her Silo, which proves to be harder than expected considering that Solo has been alone for so long he has now developed serious trust issues and fears, preventing him from even leaving his vault, but that doesn’t stop Juliette from trying to get home because she knows that her survival could cause problems in Silo 18 after what she have seen happen on 17, she now wants to stop it from happening, her been out is now her worst fear, and she’s not wrong about that because people are starting to question everything they know about the outside world.

We start to watch how the episode does a really nice job of balancing the serious political drama that’s currently happening in Silo 18 with Bernard, Meadows and the rest of the people in charge trying to keep control, and then we have the emotional moments with Solo and Juliette in Silo 17, it’s like watching two completely different shows that just happen to work perfectly together to create a more complex story that keeps you awake watching trying not to loose the thread from start to finish of the episode, this was a great episode.

It's clear that Judge Meadows wants to leave the Silo because she understands what's really going on in their underground world, she was part of IT before becoming a judge and worked closely with Bernard as his shadow so she knows all the secrets about the Silos and the outside world and this knowledge has been eating away at her for years but to tame this feeling down she turned to drinking to cope with it all, in her apartment she keeps what they call red relics, items from before the last rebellion that might give people dangerous ideas about the outside world, like a Frisbee, a kite and even a projector she uses to watch videos of people living normal lives outside, on beaches and riding horses, these items and videos show us how much this feeling of living a different live outside is eating her up from the inside, watching these videos alone in her room and crying tells us everything we need to know about how she feels about their current situation, its Juliette's survival that has given her hope and courage to finally try and leave and even make a deal with Bernard in return for helping him control the rebellion so she can get out.

Regarding Solo’s role in Silo 17, it seems quite different from Bernard’s position, but both were in IT, Solo seems to have been more of a keeper of secrets rather than a leader makes you think was he like Meadows who then saw the opportunity to jump ship from IT into Judicial?, he was told to protect the vault and never let anyone inside, which makes him sound more like a guardian than a decision maker, the fact that there are newer dead bodies outside his vault indicates that people have tried to get in over the years, probably sent by other Silos to kill any survivors after the mass exodus from Silo 17, this explains why he’s so paranoid and defensive when he first meets Juliette, it looks like he can’t tell what’s real and what’s not, and we see as he admits that he gave Juliette food just to prove to himself that she was actually there and not his imagination, his story about Ron Tucker and how everyone in his Silo left after seeing him survive outside shows us that he has actually seen what can happen when people learn the truth about their world, everything is one single crazy crazy reality.

The episode comes to a close with several intense moments happening at once across both Silos, in Silo 18 we see how the situation with Teddy's arrest leads to a violent confrontation between the rebels and security forces where Cooper dies trying to stop someone who threw a firebomb during the protest, this death brings both Knox and Shirley together as they realize they both want the same thing. Judge Meadows watches old videos of people playing on beaches and riding horses and she cries because she wants to leave so badly, but the most impactful moment is in Silo 17 where we see Solo finally come out of his vault after so many years alone to stop Juliette from going into the flooded area alone, its one scene after another that start to bombard your mind blowing the roof top after each other. Again Solo asks Juliette if she's real and she confirms it, this is exactly what happens after so much time in isolation, you don't even trust your own mind for someone who's been alone for so long he's started to doubt what's real and what's not, the scene ends with both of them sitting together while Solo tries to calm down after taking those first steps out of his vault, showing how small steps can turn into a lot of progress when dealing with trauma and isolation.

#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #silo, #juliette, #bernard, #solo, #mechanical, #rebellion, #vault, #meadows, #survival, #revolution, #heattape, #outside, #cleaning, #apocalypse, #underground, #secrets, #authority, #isolation, #dystopia, #conspiracy, #resistance, #trust, #truth, #control, #freedom, #flixfinder

Posted Using InLeo Alpha

Source

After watching episode 3 of Dune Prophecy I'm wondering how this season is going to end and what I mean by this is how much impact it will have on viewers, after all this is suppose to be at HOTD levels and as we saw Season 2 of HOTD was really disappointing like they were wasting time during most episode even though there were dragons everywhere, well Dune Prophecy already show "the voice" been stop so all is left is strategy and tactics to win over power. This time around we get to dive deep into Valya's history and her connection to House Harkonnen, the episode starts by seeing Valya leaving the palace, this I think shows how far she has come from her humble beginnings and the whole episode develops around showing us exactly why Valya holds such a deep hatred for House Atreides, the episode really shows how hateful she can be and what hides behind the Mother Superior.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29313610/
• Platform: Amazon Prime Video

The most interesting thing about the episode is that it shows us Valya’s early life on Lanivil; which later became Giedi Prime, as outcasts after her family was branded as cowards during some previous conflict, the Harkonnens scraping by on whale hunting and trading fur to get by. The episode shows Valya having natural talent with the Voice before joining the Bene Gesserit, which adds a lot to her character and explains why she was so powerful within the order, no matter who was facing her it was a lost cause before it ever begins and we also know that when the times to take hard decisions Valya does not think twice, look at how she killed Dorotea and also for her it was a made choice to persuade Lila so she put Tula up to this task.

The show does a really good job of explaining how the Harkonnens became traitors, all the way back to the Butlerian Jihad and Abulurd Harkonnen actions, and tying that back to Valya's personal vendetta and why she wants to restore her family's honor through the Bene Gesserit, and it plays out really well. If you have seen the movies, I think many would tied directly Valya with Baron Harkonnen, they are so alike in many ways even on facial expressions and how they think, how they take decisions without remorse, Valya would be the female version of him.

The visual elements of this episode were some of the best so far in my opinion showing a total different environment of suffering, very traumatic, particularly the scenes in Lanivil because they feel very authentic in terms of what a Harkonnen would live in and how harsh the environment is, but contrast so well with the scenes of Valya in the present, really showing how far she’s come and what she’s had to sacrifice to get to where she is, at the same time there is this transition of a cold place where the Harkonnen are having such a hard time to where Tula was with her boyfriend Orry Atreides, a more calm place in the woods, like Atraides where having such a great life, same idea of the conflict Valya had in mind. I also enjoy how they started to transform the character of Tula from such a loving girl into and cold blood murder.

I don't know if this is the best way to put it, but I am really really impressed with how the show handled the big reveal about Sister Tula's connection to the Atreides family, I didn't see that one coming and it really brings so much more to both characters' relationship, Tula's ties to the Atreides family, a friendship that previously seemed close is revealed instead to be part of an elaborate game of revenge and manipulation, and of course Valya's natural gift with the Voice serve as the core energy for such manipulation making me think if she use the voice with everyone as she please, could become addictive too, she demonstrated even before becoming a Bene Gesserit and the episode also shows how her hate is above anything else, for example the moment her an Dorotea where to take the agony, Valya couldn't because before she had a mission she needed to finish I guess not bee 110% concentrated would get her killed, its also clear that for Valya and Tula is not Sisterhood Above All but Harkonnen Above All.

This episode ends wonderfully, tying together everything that has been shown on previous episode making me think that we wont have any battle action during this season with only three more episodes to go, showing us how Valya's past actions still impact the present in her relationship with Sister Tula and their shared secret of what happened to the Atreides family they found, and how the reveal that Tula wants to bring Lila back adds even more drama and complexity to Valya's story, but the most terrifying and confirm my theory of how addictive the Voice can be is when Valya use the Voice on her own mother, makes that clear that she's willing to go as far as she has to in order to get what she wants.

#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #dune, #prophecy, #valya, #harkonnen, #atreides, #voice, #revenge, #tula, #lanivil, #griffin, #sister, #power, #vendetta, #family, #backstory, #politics, #betrayal, #butlerian, #spice, #hate, #rivalry, #dorotea, #ambition, #origin, #control, #flixfinder

Posted Using InLeo Alpha

De niño pude ver un gran número de películas de Artes Marciales producidas en Hong Kong y aunque en esa etapa estuve enfocado en las peleas más que en la historia, de adulto pude apreciar mucho más esas películas, tanto clásicos como nuevos films; aprendí en que puede existir una carga dramática y humorística que se complementa muy bien con las escenas de acción, las cuales a pesar de mantener la fantasía en las coreografías de peleas, es evidente que el avance tecnológico, tanto en el uso de efectos especiales como la manera de filmar dichas escenas, pienso que ha sumado actualidad y calidad lo cual conlleva crear nuevos fans y claramente tener la aprobación de los fieles seguidores; justamente esas características están presentes en este nuevo film al que hago reseña y que fue elegido para representar a Hong Kong en una posible nominación a los Premios de la Academia como Mejor Film Internacional, en el próximo año.

As a child I was able to watch a large number of Martial Arts films produced in Hong Kong and although at that stage I was focused on the fights rather than the story, as an adult I was able to appreciate those films much more, both classics and new films; I learned that there can be a dramatic and humorous charge that complements very well with the action scenes, which despite maintaining the fantasy in the fight choreography, it is evident that technological progress, both in the use of special effects and the way of filming such scenes, I think has added topicality and quality which leads to create new fans and clearly have the approval of the faithful followers; precisely these characteristics are present in this new film that I am reviewing and that was chosen to represent Hong Kong in a possible nomination for the Academy Awards for Best International Film next year.

"Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In", película de acción basada en la novela "City of Darkness", así como el manhua del mismo nombre, relata una historia que se desarrolla en el Hong Kong de los 80' en dónde un joven hombre llamado "Chan Lok-kwan", por la calidad de ser refugiado deberá hacer negocios y ser víctima de la tríada china y al momento de querer hacer justicia, buscará refugio en una ciudad llamada "Kowloon Walled City", un lugar en donde primeramente no encontrará una solución, sino todo lo contrario, pero al momento de conocer mejor a "Cyclone" podrá descubrir que la ciudad detrás de las murallas puede ser el hogar que siempre ha buscado, pero la realidad es que los peligros no cesarán para Lok-kwan, ya que una parte de su pasado podrá desencadenar una guerra.

"Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In", action movie based on the novel "City of Darkness", as well as the manhua of the same name, tells a story that takes place in the Hong Kong of the 80' where a young man named "Chan Lok-kwan", by the quality of being a refugee will have to do business and be a victim of the Chinese triad and at the time of wanting to do justice, He will seek refuge in a city called "Kowloon Walled City", a place where at first he will not find a solution, but quite the opposite, but when he gets to know better "Cyclone" he will discover that the city behind the walls may be the home he has always been looking for, but the reality is that the dangers will not stop for Lok-kwan, since a part of his past may trigger a war.

Está es una de esas películas que no tenía en mi radar, pero las buenas reacciones después de su proyección en Cannes Film Festival de este año, me motivaron a verla y más cuando cuenta con una leyenda del cine de Hong Kong como es Sammo Hung. Esta película estaba dirigida por Soi Cheang quien posee una carrera de 25 años como director y productor de varios films; en esta oportunidad hace un excelente trabajo en un directo y rápido relato que reúne muchos elementos, lo cual genera una gran pausa entre las escenas de acción para el desarrollo de la historia, pero cuando es el momento de la acción, Cheang crea escenas en donde la diversión y tensión son características mientras personajes realizan maravillosas coreografías de las peleas, creo que es ahí en donde sucede la magia de estos estilo de películas, ya que como espectador se debe también ser rápido para captar cada movimiento realizado por el actor y en este caso o este estilo de dirigir, mantener la estabilidad para poder observar cada movimiento es lo mejor; el movimiento o mejor dicho, seguimiento de la cámara a los actores en las escenas de acción es vital, esto lo digo porque muchas de esas escenas se realizan en escenografías cerradas, pasillos o corredores, así como en pequeñas habitaciones es por eso que la estabilidad de la cámara es importante para disfrutar de cada pelea.

La historia es genial, reúne ciertos temas como el honor, la amistad, la necesidad de hacer el bien, de buscar un lugar en donde encajar, pero también trata sobre la ambición, el rencor, la venganza y justamente esto último encaja en el tema que considero más importante y es el punto de vista generacional a hechos que pusieron fin a una guerra y que puede generar una nueva serie de combates mortales; con todo esto también hay que decir que está película tiene elementos clásicos de este estilo de films, por ejemplo la intromisión de un personaje en un mundo desconocido al cual aprende a apreciar y que necesita proteger de maleantes que amenazan con la paz de ese lugar y justamente esa reunión de características se acoplan muy bien a las escenas de acción porque hace que cada pelea que sucede en el film tenga un verdadero significado y eso en mi opinión es muy importante.

This is one of those films that I didn't have on my radar, but the good reactions after its screening at Cannes Film Festival this year, motivated me to watch it and more so when it features a Hong Kong film legend like Sammo Hung. This film was directed by Soi Cheang who has a 25-year career as a director and producer of several films; In this opportunity he does an excellent job in a direct and fast story that brings together many elements, which generates a great pause between the action scenes for the development of the story, but when it's time for action, Cheang creates scenes where fun and tension are characteristic while characters perform wonderful choreographies of the fights, I think that's where the magic of this style of film happens, because as a viewer you must also be quick to catch every movement made by the actor and in this case or this style of directing, keeping your stability to be able to observe every movement is the best; the movement or rather, tracking the camera to the actors in the action scenes is vital, I say this because many of these scenes take place in closed scenographies, corridors or hallways, as well as in small rooms is why the stability of the camera is important to enjoy every fight.

The story is great, it brings together certain themes such as honor, friendship, the need to do good, to find a place to fit in, but it also deals with ambition, rancor, revenge and precisely the latter fits into the theme that I consider most important and is the generational point of view to facts that ended a war and that can generate a new series of deadly combats; with all this we must also say that this film has classic elements of this style of films, for example the intrusion of a character in an unknown world which he learns to appreciate and needs to protect from thugs that threaten the peace of that place and precisely this meeting of characteristics fit very well to the action scenes because it makes every fight that happens in the film has a real meaning and that in my opinion is very important.

A pesar de que la aparición de "Chan Lok-kwan" es lo que desencadena está historia, creo que existe un principal protagonista como lo es el personaje de "Cyclone" interpretado por Louis Koo, gran parte de la historia está relatada desde el punto de vista de quien es el líder y protector de "Walled City", este personaje cumple la función de la imagen paternal para muchos que habitan ese lugar, porque fue él quien los liberó de un anterior líder opresor y eso le hizo ganar respeto dentro y fuera de esa ciudad; el trabajo de Koo es transmitir el aura de alguien poderoso, pero a la vez es alguien tranquilo pacífico y eso sorprende al momento de entrar en acción, Cyclone es uno de mis personajes favoritos junto a "King" interpretado por Philip Ng, un sádico y vil asesino quien trabaja junto a "Mr. Big" interpretado por Sammo Hung, ambos son los villanos de esta historia y son magníficos, pero es Ng quien resalta más por como es el personaje de King, es un gran peleador, muy hábil, rápido y despiadado, su comportamiento frenético e indomable lo hace ser un gran y poderoso villano, es perfecto para la historia. No quiero dejar fuera a Raymond Lam quien interpreta a "Lok-kwan", al que creo que muchos otros personajes le resta protagonismo, pero su desempeño en las escenas de acción son de lo mejor, es un gran actor y realiza excelentes coreografías no solo de peleas, sino otros movimientos en dónde se necesita mucha destreza para realizarlos, es un gran trabajo así como de los otros actores que son parte de este film.

Although the appearance of "Chan Lok-kwan" is what triggers this story, I think there is a main protagonist as is the character of "Cyclone" played by Louis Koo, much of the story is told from the point of view of who is the leader and protector of "Walled City", this character plays the role of the fatherly image for many who live in that place, because it was he who freed them from a previous oppressive leader and that made him gain respect inside and outside the city; The work of Koo is to convey the aura of someone powerful, but at the same time is someone quiet peaceful and that surprises when he goes into action, Cyclone is one of my favorite characters along with "King" played by Philip Ng, a sadistic and vile murderer who works with "Mr. Big" played by Silip Ng, a sadistic and vile murderer who works with "Mr. Big" played by Sanzio, who works with "Mr. Big" played by Sanzio. Big" played by Sammo Hung, both are the villains of this story and they are magnificent, but it is Ng who stands out more because of how King's character is, he is a great fighter, very skilled, fast and ruthless, his frenetic and indomitable behavior makes him a great and powerful villain, he is perfect for the story. I don't want to leave out Raymond Lam who plays "Lok-kwan", who I think that many other characters take away the protagonism, but his performance in the action scenes are the best, he is a great actor and performs excellent choreography not only fights, but other movements where you need a lot of skill to perform them, it is a great job as well as the other actors who are part of this film.

Seguramente me quedo corto al decir lo mucho que gusto Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In, y siento que estaría restando el excelente momento que pase viendo está película; esta es una producción que no solamente se enfoca en las peleas, sino que da motivos para realizarlas, es el trasnfondo de la historia que relaciona a diferentes generaciones con respecto a como reaccionar a una venganza o mas que nada al resentimiento que no se pudo superar después de hacer justicia y que ese odio podrá generar nuevos conflictos, eso me pareció tan genial en la historia porque antes que lleguemos a ese punto en dodne el enfrentamiento es inevitable, primero conocemos y posiblemente se crea un vínculo a los personajes lo cual hace que se cree tensión al momento de que comience el caos y eso tanto Soi Cheang en la dirección como el grupo de guionista lo hacen muy bien porque nada se siente forzado y todo tiene un buen ritmo del relato, me gustó la pausa del film antes de toda una desenfrenada secuencia de acción para desoues tener el enfrentamiento final el cual es muy emotivo. Recomiendo ver este film es una exelente producción y no solamente espero que sea elegida para representar a Hong Kong, sino que pueda tener más películas para poder nuevamente ver a estos personajes.

It's probably an understatement to say how much I enjoyed Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In, and I feel like I would be detracting from the excellent time I had watching this movie; this is a production that not only focuses on the fights, but gives reasons for them, it is the background of the story that relates different generations with respect to how to react to a revenge or more than anything the resentment that could not be overcome after doing justice and that hatred can generate new conflicts, that seemed to me so great in the story because before we get to that point where the confrontation is inevitable, first we get to know and possibly create a bond between the characters which creates tension when the chaos begins and that both Soi Cheang in the direction and the group of screenwriters do it very well because nothing feels forced and everything has a good rhythm of the story, I liked the pause of the film before a whole unbridled action sequence to then have the final confrontation which is very emotional. I recommend watching this film is an excellent production and not only I hope it will be chosen to represent Hong Kong, but I hope it can have more films to see again these characters.

Cover image edited in canva; the image was taken from the following source

Hola, querido hiver.

Esta es la penúltima reseña sobre la serie que tan bien me lo está haciendo pasar. Mentiría si dijera que no termino algunas escenas con las pulsaciones revolucionadas, a veces por los nervios de las escenas de tensión y otras de alegría cuando los malos reciben su merecido.

Las tramas se cierran y confluyen poco a poco. La lista de personajes se reduce. El final está en el horizonte con todo por decidir.

Aviso de spoiler

Sigo desvelando lo que pasa en la serie. Si continúas leyendo es bajo tu responsabilidad.

En Invernalia se preparan para la próxima batalla contra el Rey de la Noche. Jon Nieve recibe una carta de Tyrion Lannister donde le instan a presentarse ante la reina Danaerys Targaryen en Rocadragón. A pesar de la reticencia de los señores del norte y de su hermana Sansa, Jon acepta viajar al sur con la idea de regresar con el preciado vidriagón que necesitan para fabricar armas y de aliarse con Danaerys.

Aunque en el encuentro los dos reyes se muestran orgullosos se nota que entre ellos saltan chispas. La reina del fuego y el señor de Invernalia no pueden ocultar que se atraen. Al principio Danaerys no cree en las leyendas sobre los Caminantes Blancos y el ejército de muertos, pero cuando Jon regresa Más Allá del Muro para buscar las pruebas de su existencia es ella quien termina rescatando a los supervivientes. Eso sí, a costa de la muerte de uno de sus hijos, el dragón Viserion.

En Desembarco del Rey Cersei Lannister se encuentra cada vez más sola. Se alía con Euron de las Islas del Hierro y éste busca su favor batallando contra la flota de Danaerys y le presenta en bandeja su venganza contra Ellaria por la muerte de su hija Myrcella en Dorne.

Además, envía a Jaime hasta Altojardín para conquistarlo, cosa que logra pero la alegría le dura poco. Antes de morir envenenada, Olenna le confiesa que fue ella quien ordenó matar a Joffrey Baratheon en su boda. Cuando regresan con su botín, la caravana es atacada y masacrada por los dothraki y los dragones de Danaerys.

Jaime se salva de milagro y más tarde se reúne engañado con su hermano Tyrion, que logra entrar en la capital sin ser visto. Le traslada el mensaje de que Danaerys y Jon quieren reunirse con Cersei para unir fuerzas frente al Rey de la Noche, pues es toda la humanidad la que está en peligro.

Cersei termina aceptando la reunión, que se produce en un ambiente de lo más tenso. En medio de las negociaciones la reina cuenta con la oportunidad de matar a Tyrion pero no se atreve a dar el paso. Al menos manifiesta algo de humanidad esta mujer... Sin embargo, miente al aceptar la tregua y cuando Jamie se entera acaba por abandonarla al darse cuenta (¡por fin!) de que lo único que la mueve es el egoísmo y eso destruirá a todos.

Arya empieza la temporada vengándose de quienes asesinaron a su madre y a su hermano Robert. Se dirige después a Desembarco del Rey para continuar con su lista, pero gracias a que se reencuentra con su amigo Pastel Caliente se entera de que Jon Nieve recuperó Invernalia de manos de los Bolton y decide cambiar el rumbo.

En Invernalia se reencuentra con sus hermanos Sansa y Bran. Su llegada molesta a Meñique y este trata de influenciar en Sansa metiéndole malos pensamientos en la cabeza. Además le tiende una trampa a Arya para que actúe contra Sansa.

En cuanto a Samwell Tarly, intenta convencer al Archimaestre Ebrose del peligro que se avecina pero no es escuchado. Investigando por su cuenta encuentra en un mapa la localización del vidriagón en Rocadragón y es quien avisa a Jon Nieve. Logra curar a Jorah Mormont de la psoriagrís tratándole a escondidas.

Al darse cuenta de que no logrará éxito en su búsqueda del apoyo del Archimaestre decide regresar con Elí y su pequeño a Invernalia y servir allí a su amigo Jon Nieve. Al llegar, Brandon Stark le cuenta que Jon no era hijo bastardo de Ned Stark, sino que era hijo legítimo de su hermana Lyanna Stark y Rhaegar Targaryen, casados en secreto. O sea, que Jon y Danaerys son tía y sobrino y esto convierte a Jon en heredero al Trono de Hierro.

Creo que esta es la temporada en la que más he disfrutado de toda la acción desarrollada. El cierre progresivo de las tramas, al menos por ahora, no es apresurado ni forzado en su mayor parte, algo difícil cuando hay tanta complejidad. Se mantiene el equilibrio entre escenas de acción y de diálogo.

Respecto a la ambientación he reconocido las calles de Cáceres, las cuales pisé años antes de que se utilizaran para este rodaje. También son protagonistas otros lugares de España como el inconfundible acceso al castillo de San Juan de Gaztelugache. Si no me equivoco es la temporada en la que se localizaron más escenarios españoles.

Mirando con la perspectiva de haber llegado hasta aquí me sorprende lo rápido que se me ha pasado. Temía que se me hiciera pesada, pues no suelo tolerar series de más de tres temporadas, pero no puedo estar más feliz de haberle dado una oportunidad. De hecho, me está gustando tanto que es muy probable que la revisione en un futuro, para recrearme más en ciertos detalles que ahora seguro que se me pasan por estar pendiente de la trama.

¿Ganarán la batalla contra el Rey de la Noche? ¿Quién acabará por sentarse en el Trono de Hierro? Muy pronto lo sabré.

Créditos: Diseño de la portada en Canva. Todas las imágenes de la película obtenidas de IMDb. Trailer oficial obtenido de YouTube

Hasta la próxima publicación. Mientras tanto, ¡cuídate!

Reseñas de las temporadas anteriores Temporada 1: Ganas o mueres Temporada 2: Cinco reyes. Un trono. Temporada 3: Todos los hombres deben servir Temporada 4: Todos los hombres deben morir Temporada 5: Las guerras venideras Temporada 6: Vientos de invierno

Herramientas: Cámara iPhone 13 Pro, editor de fotos Mac. Mis publicaciones en Worldmappin pinchando aquí Si te gusta lo que publico, únete a mi Fanbase pinchando aquí

©️Copyright 2024 Paloma Peña Pérez. Todos los derechos reservados.

Hi, dear hiver.

This is the penultimate review of the series that is giving me such a good time. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't finish some scenes with my heart racing, sometimes from the nerves of the tense scenes and other times with joy when the bad guys get their comeuppance.

The plots close and converge little by little. The list of characters narrows. The end is on the horizon with everything still to be decided.

Spoiler warning.

I keep giving away what happens in the series. If you continue reading it is at your own risk.

Winterfell prepares for the upcoming battle against the Night King. Jon Snow receives a letter from Tyrion Lannister urging him to appear before Queen Danaerys Targaryen at Dragonstone. Despite the reluctance of the northern lords and his sister Sansa, Jon agrees to travel south with the idea of returning with the precious vidriagon needed to make weapons and to ally himself with Danaerys.

Although the two kings are proud of each other, it is clear that sparks are flying between them. The Queen of Fire and the Lord of Winterfell cannot hide their attraction to each other. At first Danaerys doesn't believe the legends about the White Walkers and the army of the dead, but when Jon returns Beyond the Wall to search for proof of their existence, it is she who ends up rescuing the survivors. At the cost of the death of one of her sons, the dragon Viserion.

In King's Landing, Cersei Lannister finds herself increasingly alone. She allies herself with Euron of the Iron Islands, who seeks her favour by battling Danaerys' fleet and presents her with the revenge on Ellaria for the death of her daughter Myrcella in Dorne.

She also sends Jaime to Highgarden to conquer it, which he succeeds in doing, but his joy is short-lived. Before she is poisoned to death, Olenna confesses to him that it was she who ordered Joffrey Baratheon's death at his wedding. When they return with their booty, the caravan is attacked and slaughtered by the Dothraki and Danaerys' dragons.

Jaime is miraculously saved and is later reunited with his brother Tyrion, who manages to enter the capital unseen. He conveys the message that Danaerys and Jon want to meet with Cersei to join forces against the Night King, for it is all of humanity that is in danger.

Cersei eventually agrees to the meeting, which takes place in a very tense atmosphere. In the midst of the negotiations, the queen has the opportunity to kill Tyrion but does not dare to take the step. At least this woman shows some humanity? However, she lies in accepting the truce and when Jaime finds out about it he ends up abandoning her as he realises (finally!) that the only thing that drives her is selfishness and that will destroy everyone.

Arya begins the season by taking revenge on those who murdered her mother and brother Robert. She then heads to King's Landing to continue her list, but thanks to a reunion with her friend Hot Pie, she learns that Jon Snow has taken back Winterfell from the Boltons and decides to change course.

At Winterfell she is reunited with her siblings Sansa and Bran. Her arrival upsets Littlefinger, who tries to influence Sansa by putting evil thoughts into her head. He also sets a trap for Arya to act against Sansa.

As for Samwell Tarly, he tries to convince Archmaester Ebrose of the coming danger but is not listened to. Investigating on his own, he finds the location of the vidriagon at Dragonstone on a map and warns Jon Snow. He manages to cure Jorah Mormont of psoriasis by treating him secretly.

Realising that he will not succeed in his quest for the Archmaester's support, he decides to return with Eli and his little boy to Winterfell and serve his friend Jon Snow there. Upon arrival, Brandon Stark tells him that Jon was not the bastard son of Ned Stark, but the legitimate son of his sister Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen, who were secretly married. In other words, Jon and Danaerys are aunt and nephew and this makes him heir to the Iron Throne.

I think this is the season in which I've enjoyed the most all the action. The progressive closure of the plots, at least so far, is not rushed or forced for the most part, which is difficult when there is so much complexity. The balance between action scenes and dialogue is maintained.

As for the setting, I recognised the streets of Cáceres, which I walked on years before they were used for this filming. Other places in Spain are also protagonists, such as the unmistakable access to the castle of San Juan de Gaztelugache. If I am not mistaken, this is the season in which the most Spanish locations were found.

Looking back with the perspective of having got this far, I am surprised at how quickly it has passed me by. I was afraid that it would become tiresome, as I don't usually tolerate series of more than three seasons, but I couldn't be happier to have given it a chance. In fact, I'm liking it so much that I'm very likely to revisit it in the future, to enjoy more certain details that I'm sure I'm missing now because I'm so focused on the plot.

Will they win the battle against the Night King? Who will eventually sit on the Iron Throne? I will know soon enough.

Credits: Cover design in Canva. All images from the film obtained from IMDb. Official trailer obtained from YouTube

See you next time. In the meantime, take care!

Reviews of previous seasons Season 1: You win or you die Season 2: Five kings. One throne. Season 3: All men must serve Season 4: All men must die Season 5: The wars to come Season 6: Winter winds

Tools: iPhone 13 Pro camera, Mac photo editor. Translated with DeepL My publications in Worldmappin by clicking here If you like my content, join my Fanbase clicking here

©️Copyright 2024 Paloma Peña Pérez. All rights reserved.

Source

I got really into movies and tv series during the recent pandemic a few years ago, before that it was more of a casual thing and I wonder if the industry will keep up this monstrous pace after 2025 since this year there has been a lot of content that got release because of the 2023 backlog after the Hollywood Strike, my point is that how the F I never saw "Hereditary", after watching this movie I end stunned and disturbed in the best possible way, so for as not being your typical horror movie that relies on jump scares to get an audience reaction, I gave it an 8/10.

From the cover I knew immediately that something is not right with this family, because the opening of the movie has Annie Graham attending her mother's funeral. Toni Collette plays Annie, who lives with her husband Steve and teenage son Peter as well as her 13 year old daughter Charlie and makes miniature art pieces. It all starts out with the death of Annie's mom, which starts a series of events which slowly starts to peal off the family's dark secrets, a history of mental illness.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7784604/
• Platform: Amazon Prime Video

Rottentomatoes Rating

When Charlie, Annie's young daughter who just seems to have some kind of bond with her deceased grandmother, end in one of the most shocking scenes I've ever seen in horror movies, the story takes a sharp turn after Charlie sticks her head out of the car window during the late night drive with Peter, she gets decapitated by a telephone pole that sets a the stage for what will become a psychological nightmare. Annie’s grief drags her into the black, into a support group, where she meets Joan, who tells Annie it’s possible to speak to the dead, at first I thought it was a little cliche considering her situation.

I think Toni Collette delivers one of the best horror movie performances ever for me or at least I would put it on my top 10 without running any exact numbers, probably I'm too excited and bias. Annie turn into an emotional roller coaster that feels lots of pain, real and raw. She is absolutely mesmerizing in the way she plays the role of a mother trying to overcome her unimaginable grief, while in her own mind, she wonders if she is going crazy. Peter at the same time puts up a great performance where on some scenes he's processing his own trauma and guilt, and Alex Wolff brings that incredibly and adds another level of shocking acting to this. Gabriel Byrne plays Steve, the husband desperately trying to stick everything together as it all crumbles around him, somehow trying to figure out if there’s yet another way of approaching this family, desperate to keep things functioning even as his family does its best to fall apart. Charlie turns into a haunting, unforgettable presence that makes every scene it's in discomfortable with just its own presence and that signature clicking sound.

What I love about Hereditary is that it builds tension through atmosphere, and not through cheap scares, the movie is so good with using silence and sound, that you never get a break from this constant feeling of dread. These long, slow shots make you feel like you’re watching everything happen, inside one of Annie’s miniature houses. The movie also use characters as metaphores or things themself like dolls, like they're being kept in a box, manipulated by forces outside their control, everything about the miniatures at a point felt wrong, its brilliant how this horror movies for example Smile can turn something totally common into creepy, I think same happens here with Annie's miniatures.

The ending of the movie is where everything ties up together as disturbingly as possible. According to what I latter on discover that Annie’s mother was a member of a cult that worshiped a demon king named Paimon who requires a male host. Charlie was never really Charlie, but always possessed her from birth by Paimon, and her death was arranged by the cult to transfer Paimon into Peter's body. The whole movie was so much about this cult’s elaborate plan to find a perfect male host for their demon king, and Annie’s family was just pawns in this bigger sinister game. It's both horrifying and weirdly satisfying all in one final scene in the tree house, where we see Peter/Paimon being crowned with all the cultists naked and all the decapitated bodies of his family members surrounding him.

I had to watch some scenes again to put everything together to be honest, in my opinion there are some key aspects that have to do with the film mess with your mind and still have me wondering about them. The first one that made me think was "Was Charlie ever real?" This is probably the creepiest part of the whole thing as director Ari Aster confirms that Charlie was never Charlie, she was Paimon when she was born. This actually makes sense when you think about it, so much about her weird behavior like that creepy clicking sound that she makes, and why she is always doing such disturbing things like cutting the head off that pigeon. If you look closely enough at Charlie's artwork, you'll see that she drew headless figures bowing to this weird bird headed creature with a crown, basically telling us what was going to happen at the end of the movie, this are cool details that we often don't pay attention too, recently I learn this on HOTD where Helaena usually draws everything on her room walls, its art but still telling exactly how things going to happen, I really enjoy when a movie makes me look up why and how things happen after it ends.

Another thing I kept wondering and probably think this movie deserves a sequel or prequel because why and who came up with this entire plan?. Things get really dark here because yes, everything was planned right from the start the moment the movie starts is already a creepy plan in motion, Annie's mom wasn't a part of some weird cult, she was basically breeding her daughter to make perfect vessels for Paimon. She needed a male of one of her bloodline to host this demon king. That's why she was so interested in Peter and couldn't get to him at first, and so close to Charlie. It was this huge elaborate plan that started before Annie was born, like Annie’s support group speech about her family’s history of mental illness, those were actually clues to how long this cult had been planning this.

This cult was watching the family the whole time, that woman Joan who acts like she’s helping Annie, Annie is just being manipulated to complete the ritual, she's part of the cult. When they try to contact the dead, they were just dark rituals to let Paimon take over Peter. Looking back at all these details, you can see just how trapped this family was from the start. It’s even more disturbing because they never had a chance, no matter what they did, its something that was planned for generations to come, lot of devotion into this Paimon.

#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #hereditary, #horror, #paimon, #demon, #cult, #grief, #family, #trauma, #possession, #supernatural, #ritual, #death, #charlie, #peter, #annie, #psychological, #disturbing, #clicking, #treehouse, #seance, #decapitation, #diorama, #grandmother, #miniatures, #bloodline, #flixfinder

Posted Using InLeo Alpha