Sneha Jaiswal's Blog, page 248

He’s All That Review – *Cringe Cringe*

How do you pick a mediocre 90s teen rom-com, rehash it & make it even worse? Watch the 2021 film ‘He’s All That’ and you will know just how. Directed by Mark Waters and written by R. Lee Fleming, who are both in their 50s, this teen-romance ends up looking like a denouncement of a generation that chronicles every little ridiculous thing they do on their instagrams and tik-toks. Maybe a younger person perspective would’ve given this re-boot more personality, instead of a social media cringe-fest.

For the uninitiated, ‘He’s All That’ is a re-make of the 1999 movie ‘She’s All That’, about a popular guy making a bet with his friends that he can pick any random girl on campus and make her prom queen within weeks. In the 2021 version, the gender roles are reversed, it’s popular teen social media star Padgett Sawyer (Addison Rae) who breaks up with her boyfriend, then makes a bet that she can pick any ‘loser’ and make him the next prom king.

If you’ve seen ‘She’ All That’, except for the gender reversal, everything is pretty much the same, except that the leads are nowhere as charming as the 90s cast & there’s a LOT of social-media/selfies. Rachael Leah Cook who was the protagonist in the older flick plays Padgett’s mom in the new one. Tanner Buchanan of ‘Cobra Kai’ fame plays Cameron Kweller, the ‘loser’ who becomes Padgett’s pet project. Buchanan looks like a lost pup throughout most of the movie, like he has very little idea what he is doing. Although, he does have a lot of fun, sarcastic lines that will crack up the viewers in the first half. But things gets completely boring, cringe-worthy and snooze-inducing in the second-half. Kweller was ‘cooler’ as the loser, than the well-groomed love-struck pup Padgett turns him into.

Addison Rae is thoroughly awkward as Padgett, even though she pretty much gets to play herself – a young ‘influencer’. And her side-kick friends are regrettably forgettable. Actually, everyone is. No points for guessing what happens in the end, so not going to write anything about the climax. It’s as cliche as cliche gets. The background music is ‘blah’. The cinematography is also about average. Not one scene stands out in my mind. The message of ‘accept yourself for who you are’ has been done better in countless other films.

It’s a 4/10 from me. If you have nothing better to do, and want to watch a silly flick with your friend(s), but don’t want to invest too much attention, ‘He’s All That’ might not be a bad pick. My friends might not agree.

Subscribe to our podcast on YouTube by the same name – Abstract AF

Listen to Episode 45 – For 15 Freaky Facts About The Case ‘Conjuring 3’ Is Based On.

‘The Devil Made Me Do It’ Case – 15 Freaky Facts + Film Review

Doesn’t matter if you haven’t seen the 2021 Conjuring film ‘The Devil Made Me Do It’, we give you a quick lowdown on everything, along with 15 interesting facts about the real case it’s based on, in our latest podcast episode.

But before that, a quick review of the film – Directed by Micheal Chaves, the third ‘Conjuring’ movie is about 19-year-old Arne Johnson, who killed his landlord, but claimed he was possessed at the time of the incident. How paranormal investigators Ed & Lorraine Warren untangle this mystery, forms the rest of the plot.

Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as the Warrens continue to go strong and have given the horror community a couple to root for. Even though the real life Warrens don’t seem as nice or likable as their screen versions. The plot is far more convincing than the actual events, especially since the writers throw in another fictional paranormal story to make Johnson’s case appear stronger.

Some of the earlier scares in the film, especially the one with the exorcism of a little boy was exaggerated and heavily borrowed from old classics, but as the story progresses we get some pretty chilling scenes. Ruairi O’Connor as Arne Johnson is prefect as the tormented young man possessed by a demon. “He’ll make a good zombie” is all I could think during a scene where he walks disoriented, with blood all over him. Overall, it’s a pretty decent horror film from the famous franchise. Even though the motive of the devil isn’t clear at all. It’s a 7/10 from me.

Now listen to Abstract AF’s episode 45 for 15 interesting facts about the real life case –

‘Boomika’ Movie Review – Too Many Themes Spoil The Plot

There is an annoying character in the 2021 Horror/Thriller Indian movie ‘Boomika’ that I really hoped died of dog bites. Only because she is bitten by mad mutts in the film. That’s perhaps the strongest emotions most viewers would feel while watching the movie.

This Tamil film starts with a random fatal road accident, the victim then doesn’t make an appearance till the end of the movie, gnawing at the back of the viewers mind is the question – why in hell did they start with that sequence? So after the accident, things shift to a hill town and for a few seconds you assume it’s going to be a road trip kind of film. A guy called Vidhu (Gowtham) is driving his wife, kid, sister and a friend to a British era Bungalow, on a large property where he is working on a new real-estate project.

Okay, you assume maybe it’s a haunted house film – British era building in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by forests. Netx, Vidhu’s friend who is an architect, starts texting an old friends, who they learn is already dead. So who was texting her? Maybe it’s not a haunted house, but just an elaborate trick by somebody. Or well – ghosts text. But they are ghosts, they’ve probably started using dating apps too. Beware the next time you swipe right, dear reader.

Let’s talk about the cast, I do not even want to look up the name of the actors, because it’s effort, and any more effort on this film might is not worth it, especially since nobody stands out in the cast. Only the actor who plays the titular role of ‘Boomika’ was decent. So who on earth is Boomika anyway? (Did you catch the pun? Boomika is an Indian word for earth). Well, Boomika’s identity and fate is the real mystery of the story, but by the time the makers come to that bit, at least one hour of the movie is already over, and the first half was just too random, barely fitting in with the tone of the rest of the story.

And there is that annoying character we mentioned earlier, Vidhu’s younger sister, who is a scared out of her wits in the house and keeps screaming with only half-her energy. Her half-hearted screams are not in tandem with her fear, nor are her subsequent actions. Her role adds no value to the script, except for irritating the viewer to death. The rest of the cast is only a tad bit bearable, but most of the time, their behavior is quite questionable. For example, there’s Vidhu, who claims he doesn’t believe in supernatural non-sense, but is always whisper-talking with those around him.

Let’s talk about the sudden change in tone of the film, from ‘who knows what’s happening’, in a flash the story becomes a tale of saving mother nature and how the entire planet is being plundered by humans. WTF? Curiously, there is an interesting little story in there, but it’s disjointed, forced and out of place. The writers do write to piece everything together at the end, but the explanations aren’t worth all the confusing mess that precedes it.

It’s a 4/10 from me. I don’t know if that’s harsh. Well… IDGAF.

Subscribe to our podcast on YouTube by the same name – Abstract AF

Listen to Episode 39 For – 15 Other Horror Films You Might Want To Skip

The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf – Review

Never seen or read ‘The Witcher’ series nor played the game? That shouldn’t stop you from watching the 2021 Netflix original film ‘The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf’. If you’ve read some fantasy books in your life, you’ll get the hang of everything within the first five minutes. (I haven’t seen/read the series or the games either)

Directed by Kwang II Han and written by Beau DeMayo, Andrzej Sapkowski, this animated film packs in some bloody action right from the first minute. Funnily, it starts with a lyrical song, that’s almost comical to the ears, despite the melodious singing by a little boy character; the mood is disrupted by the brutal killing of his father by a monster. Enter a ‘Witcher’, the term for monster-slayers, who faces off with the funnily named demon.

Our hero, the Witcher, is called Vesemir (voiced by Theo James), who is a greedy violent monster-slayer, so well, not that much of a hero. The descendant of the first human mage called Tetra wants Vesemir & his kind annihilated from the land, claiming Witchers are nothing but corrupted mutants, who’ll do anything for ‘coin’, even if it means creating their own monsters to keep their business going. The King asks Tetra to prove her allegation, meanwhile, she is tasked to chaperone Vesemir to hunt down a new kind of monster ravaging their lands.

The animation is pretty good for most parts, except for the few scenes where the focus is on one object or person, then the lack of details in the bagkground really stands out. There are a lot of action sequences and the fight scenes are pretty good and engaging. However, there is no epic ‘battle royale’ in the movie, like the adrenaline packed ‘Isaac Versus Carmilla’ in the animated series Castlevania.

The overall mood of the film could’ve been lighter, with ‘greed’ and ‘morality’ being big themes throughout the course of the story. Vesemir has always been greedy for more in life, and the makers seamlessly weave in his origin story of how he goes from being a penniless orphan boy to a heartless man slicing monsters for money. So we have flashbacks to the past to understand the lead better. Just a little bit of romance is thrown in the mix, to perhaps appeal to a wider audience.

With a lot of story and just 90 minutes run-time, “The Witcher” rarely falters in pace and makes for an entertaining watch. For some viewers, it could be a lot of information overload in a short span of time.

It’s a 7/10 from me.

Subscribe to our podcast on YouTube by the same name – Abstract AF

Listen to Episode 43 for some free comics and graphic novel recommendations

Shirley Jackson’s ‘The Haunting of Hill House’ Reviewed

After being impressed with the Netflix horror/thriller series ‘The Haunting of Hill House’, which is loosely based on a novel of the same name by American writer Shirley Jackson, it was only a matter of time until I read the original source material. Let’s start by stating this – they are very, very different.

In the book, the story is set in a place called Hillsdale and follows the quest of Dr John Montague, who rents ‘Hill House’ for a month, an 80-year-old mansion notorious for being haunted, in the hopes of recording supernatural activity and writing a sensational book on it. Only two people agree to assist him on his bizarre adventure, two women who are polar opposites – Eleanor Vance, a shy introvert, and Theodora, a confident hipster. They are joined by Luke Sanderson, a young man who belongs to the family that owns the property and who’d also eventually inherit it. So unlike the Netflix series where the story centers around one family, the primary characters in Jackson’s novel aren’t related at all.

Also Read: The Haunting of Hill House Netflix Series Review – Riveting

The greatest achievement of this novel is how the author weaves a dark, ominous and oppressive atmosphere around the house, managing to create a sense of dread in the reader’s heart. Hill House doesn’t have ghosts, demons or vile apparitions that would give its inhabitants a stroke, instead, it seems to have more of a psychological effect. It’s like the house is a character in itself, a sinister presence, tormenting the minds of those who visit it. Jackson describes the rooms and corners of the property with so much detail, that readers will immediately find themselves transported to its premises. A tragic history of it’s origins and the original owner Hugh Crane, who also happened to design it, gives it a more sinister touch.

It’s important to note that the novel came out in 1959, and yet, Jackson avoids the most common trope that horror movies and books continue to use even today, much to the chagrin of readers/viewers – scenes where the group disperses to explore a haunted house, making themselves vulnerable to attacks. Dr John’s group very early on decides that they are going to watch each other’s back and stick together at all costs, except when they retire for the night. The reader is rarely given the opportunity to question the intelligence of the group, their sanity however, is a completely different matter.

What sticks out most in the book is how the four characters, who are complete strangers, establish an easy camaraderie, almost like they are a tight-knit family. It’s Dr John’s group versus the evil house, a game of sorts, where the odds are stacked against the newcomers. The author puts more focus on the women protagonists – Eleanor and Theodora, who become friends from the moment they lay eyes on each other, like long lost sisters. It’s through these two women that Jackson displays her power of writing characters. Just as quickly as the two become friends, they quickly develop a rather acrimonious bond too, spiting each other in subtle ways.

The limited number of characters gives Jackson enough scope to sketch each of their personalities in vivid brush-strokes. Apart from the primary group of four who come to live at Hill House, there is Mr & Mrs Dudley who take care of the house, but never stay on after sunset. Mrs Dudley is like a boarding school warden/cook/housekeeper rolled into one, who is least amused by the group’s endeavor to track and record any ghostly happenings in the house. Towards the end of the novel, two new characters make their entrance, Mrs Montague and her friend Arthur. They offer an interesting contrast to the already existing roster of guests in the mansion. While Mr Montague believes in taking a more scientific approach to the supernatural, his wife believes in spirit-boards and seances.

The pace of the book never slackens, it doesn’t feel tedious at any point; if anything, if feels like the climax rolls in too soon and finishes off in a flash. Making the ending a little underwhelming, especially because much is left to the reader’s imagination. We have to draw our own conclusions about the end. Also, some things are left completely unexplained – like why the Dudleys take care of the house, despite their evident fear of the property and adamant refusal to stay on the grounds once the sun sets.

Jackson cleverly leaves the reader wondering – is Hill House actually haunted at all or are its inhabitants simply ill-fated? It’s a 4/5 from me.

Subscribe to our podcast on YouTube by the same name – Abstract AF

Listen to Episode 39 For – 15 Other Horror Films You Might Want To Skip

‘Budugu’ Review – Good Intent Lost in Sloppy Execution

Some members of my family have a fatal flaw – we are suckers for horror movies. So if a streaming site shows up a tag of ‘horror’ for film, we’ll be quick to watch it. And so we were lured into streaming the 2015 Indian ‘horror’ film ‘Budugu’, directed & written by Manmohan.

The story follows 8-year-old Bunny, he is a problem child, with working parents who are too busy to handle the constant complaints they receive from school and teachers over his behavior. Bunny’s father Rakesh (Sreedhar Rao Chennamaneni) finally packs Bunny off to a boarding school, against the wishes of his mother Pooja (Lakshmi Manchu) and extended family. However, Bunny soon gets expelled from the new school too, over his strange behavior. The rest of the film is about how his mother tries to figure out the root of the problem, especially since it appears that Bunny can see ghosts and acts weird.

What viewers would appreciate about this Indian film is the fact that Pooja tries to be a rational mom, and instead of falling claims that her boy might be affected by supernatural elements. She takes Bunny to see a therapist, who tries to unravel the mystery of the ‘ghosts’ he has been seeing. However, some things are over-explained, and there are scenes and emotional moments that are too exaggerated to be taken seriously.

The actor who plays Bunny isn’t able to shoulder the film, he comes across as an annoying brat that would put off a lot of viewers. Lakshmi Manchu as the mother is balanced in her performance and is perhaps the only saving grace of the film. The father’s role is an awkward mix of evil and comical and Sreedhar Rao doesn’t look convincing as busy man with two kids.

Director Manmohan has his heart in the right place with this psychological thriller, where he tries to tackle the issue of behavioral problems among children and the importance of therapy. However, the script is shoddy and the scenes that are supposed to be scary are straight of our horror movies from 1980s, too cliched to make anybody flinch.

Despite a promising start, ‘Budugu’ descends into a confused, juvenile mess, leaving the viewer disappointed by the end. It’s a 4/10 from me.

Subscribe to our podcast on YouTube by the same name – Abstract AF

isten to Episode 39 For – 15 Other Horror Films You Might Want To Skip

‘Rang De’ Review: Regrettable Watch

“This guy looks like he is 37, and he is supposed to be in college?” I asked mom, as the two of us watched the 2021 Telugu movie “Rang De”. Directed and written by Venky Atluri, the plot is about how two neighboring kids of the same age group fall in love with each other, after feuding most of their lives. A quick search revealed that the male lead Nithiin is 38-years-old, while his co-star Keerthi Suresh is 28-years-old in real life and the age difference shows. I don’t understand why we are still making movies with 40-year-old men playing college boys? And every time I watch such tosh, I am going to complain about it. (Mom picked this one)

This movie keeps getting sillier and ridiculous by the minute. So Arjun (Nithiin) pretty much hates the neighboring girl Anupama (Keerthy Suresh), but the latter has a gigantic crush on him. The two of them hope to study in the same college in Dubai, however, when only Anupama gets admission, Arjun tries to ruin her chances. Due to some ridiculous twist that is supposed to be funny, the two end up getting married and study in Dubai together. That’s where the romance brews. Even their eventual ‘enemies to lovers’ transformation happens due to contrived circumstances.

For example, Anupama flirts with a college professor, hoping to get Arjun jealous. She however immediately regrets the decision, but the professor doesn’t back of and even threatens her, claiming he’ll get her in trouble. If Anupama is as intelligent as the movie supposes her to be, and if the college they are attending is minutely reputable, it would be the professor who would be the one in hot soup for pursuing a student. This is not some random school in an unknown village, where one can victim shame a girl for merely mildly flirting with a teacher. Ugh.

Anyway, Arjun fights the bad prof and you can only guess what happens next. Neither the comedy is funny enough, nor is the romance sweet. It’s just a silly movie that perhaps only fans of the stars would enjoy. Such a regrettable watch. I didn’t even watch the climax, completely lost interest. So I am not going to rate it.

Subscribe to our podcast on YouTube by the same name – Abstract AF

Listen to episode 29 for some fun movie recommendations.

I Think I Am In Friend-Love With You

If you read “I Think I Am In Friend-Love With You” by Yumi Sakugawa, and nothing seems relatable to you, then my dear reader, you have failed to make that one (or few) good friend(s) for life or perhaps you are the bad egg. Or maybe you just don’t like humans, that’s a good enough reason.

“I Think…” is a cute, fuzzy graphic novel celebrating platonic friendships, that are no less important than romantic ones. It will wrap you around like a warm blanket, reminding you of your own close friends, the ones who will listen to all your rants, celebrate your smallest achievements and send you silly/weird GIFs and memes they know you’d find funny.

The artwork is simple and there is something so endearing in the childish simplicity that it will have you smiling throughout the course of the book. Sakugawa adorably captures the essence of being in “friend-love” with someone. Although, it seems a little one-sided from the character’s point of view.

If someone pops into your mind while reading this illustrated little book, you know you should be gifting it to them. It’s a perfect pick for your best-friend’s birthday. Or to confess to someone that you think you are in ‘friend-love’ with them. Maybe with a little note that says “it’s not meant to creep you out”.

I loved this book, so it’s a 5/5 from me.

How To Dilute A Classic Christie Mystery

If you read a good book and come to know that there is a movie adaptation of them same, would you watch it? Chance are… you would.

And once we bite the bait, it’s hard not to compare the two. So after reading ‘Crooked House’ by Agatha Christie, a murder mystery that was first published in 1949, I just had to see the 2017 movie version. Directed by Gilles Paquet-Brenner, it has Max Irons and Stefanie Martini in the lead, with some big names like Glenn Close and Gillian Anderson in the cast.

But despite an evidently big budget, lavish set, and a good-looking pair at the helm, the makers don’t quite get it right. We tell you SEVEN REASONS WHY.

Listen to the latest podcast episode of Abstract AF and please subscribe to the channel on YouTube.

‘Knives Out’ Review – A Good Old Family Murder Mystery

Yes, yes, it’s been a while since the 2019 film “Knives Out” was released, but better late than never. Consider it a retro review *cough cough*.

Everything about this movie looks like it’s out of a Agatha Christie mystery, making it an absolute delight for viewers who love a little nostalgic charm in their films. Directed and written by Rian Johnson, “Knives Out” has an interesting cast, with some very big names on the cast.

Set in a sprawling mansion that seems secluded from the bustle of city-life, this flick is about the possible murder of 85-year-old Harlan Thrombey, a wealthy murder-mystery author, who had his own lucrative publishing business. Prima facie, it appears to be suicide, but a famous private investigator Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is hired by an anonymous beneficiary to look into the death, hinting there might be more than what meets the eye.

Harlan has three children, the eldest one is Linda Drsydale (Jamie Lee Curtis), who is business-partners with her own husband Mr Richard Drysdale (Don Johnson). The couple have a son, Ransom Drysdale (Chris Evans), who simply lives off on the family money. Second in line is a deceased son, survived by a leechy flamboyant wife called Joni (Toni Collette) and young daughter Meg (Katherine Langford) who is in college, her tuition fee is paid for by Harlan. His youngest son Walt Thrombey (Michael Shannon) runs the publishing business for him. Interestingly, the old man had a spat with pretty much everybody on the night of his death, making everyone a potential suspect. Although they all lie to the cops. So Benoit Blanc decides to rope in the help of Marta Cabrera (Ana De Armas), the nervous nurse of Mr Harlan, who has the strange condition of puking if she lies. Serves as pretty good comic relief throughout the movie.

Rian Johnson uses all the classic tropes of murder mystery novels, giving each character motive for murder, subverting viewers attention to someone completely unexpected, only to give us a murderer we should have doubted all along. ‘Knives Out’ at some points feels almost like a parody of the genre, even though it isn’t as hilarious.

Ana De Armas is quite endearing as the kind-hearted nurse, stuck in a messy murder case, with a ruthless family for company. It was fun to see Chris Evans play a spoiled rich man-child, instead of his usual Captain America idealism. Daniel Craig was mildly interesting as a famous detective, but he gets by fine. Everyone else didn’t have too much time on the screen, so they do just fine in their limited appearances. However, actor K Callan who plays Harlan’s mom, was a total show-stealer in the few seconds she gets, despite having pretty much no dialogue.

Both visually and plot-wise, the movie is quite engaging. Harlan’s large house is filled with props from his murder-mystery novels, and since a lot of the story unfolds in the mansion, there’s a lot of interesting little details that viewers can pick up, helping them guess some of the later twists that come up. The director cleverly weaves in the political issue of immigration into the script, without getting too serious or preachy about it. Then there is the family politics of rich families, especially when a large inheritance is at stake. Although, there wasn’t as much hate or knives going about as the title suggests. Everybody is more than happy to just assume the patriarch is dead, and one of the biggest twists, slightly predictable at that, comes a little late into the run-time. So the climax feels a little underwhelming.

The one big complain some might have with the film is the fact that the makers aren’t able to flesh the characters out properly, due to lack of time. With a large talented cast at his disposal, Rian Johnson could’ve done much more, but giving some of them more screen-space would also mean taking the risk of slowing down the pace of the script and maybe even boring the viewer.

Overall, ‘Knives Out’ is a fun ensemble movie that one can watch with the whole family. It’s a 7.5/10 from me.

Subscribe to our podcast on YouTube by the same name – Abstract AF

Listen to episode 29 for some fun movie recommendations.