Primerfan Reviews

The Fare (I) (2018)

Deserves a much higher rating

[9/10 · 3 March 2020]

This movie is clever, suspenseful, and well done on a small budget. It keeps you guessing and has a satisfying, unexpected ending. Very enjoyable. It's hard to understand the low rating.

The Lighthouse (I) (2019)

Way too long for its (lack of) substance

[4/10 · 13 February 2020]

The acting, atmosphere, scenery, and cinematography are all great, and the madness of the characters is as disturbing and memorable as anything in The Witch, which I loved. However, The Lighthouse doesn't have enough of a plot to sustain its length. 109 minutes is a very long time to sit watching two grumpy, unkempt men as they repeatedly masturbate, urinate, fart, spout nonsense, and humiliate each other. The movie would have been far more effective at about 50-60% of its length, and with fewer variations on each of the above-mentioned activities. When the viewer finds himself or herself checking the remaining run time every couple of slow, crawling minutes, something's wrong.

Undone (2019–2022)

Intriguing and profound

[9/10 · 6 February 2020]

I LOVED the open ending. To me, it made the whole series, as perhaps it was intended to do. Is it schizophrenia? Is it shamanism? Is it both? Is there a difference? Is the difference only cultural? The series seems beautifully complete as it stands. There should not be a second season unless it can be executed WITHOUT answering these questions, which should be left to the contemplation of the viewer.

Poldark (2015–2019)

10 stars for each of Seasons 1-4, 0 stars for Season 5

[8/10 · 5 January 2020]

My spouse and I have long been fans of the Poldark novels by Winston Graham, and of the 1970's TV series. We absolutely loved seasons 1-4 of this new adaptation. The scripts were faithful (in most particulars) to the books, and everything about the production was excellent: casting, directing, acting, music, locations, sets, costumes...everything! After a season or two, we had high hopes that this series would continue through adaptations of all 12 novels, the last 4 of which have never been filmed. After Season 4...well, we could not have been more disappointed with Season 5. I don't see how this season's opening title sequence can still carry the subheading "based on the novels by Winston Graham." The story line is completely off the books and off the rails. Characters act in ways that Winston Graham's creations would never have behaved. Much of the plot is implausible. There are far too many villains: a huge percentage of the screen time is spent with despicable people plotting and carrying out nefarious deeds; this quickly loses entertainment value and becomes tiresome. The last few minutes of the last episode are spent in a mad scramble to turn everything around and catch everything up to a point from which the rest of the novels could actually have proceeded. This whole season is completely ludicrous and unenjoyable to watch. If those responsible for this series weren't going to continue adapting the novels, they should have stopped at the end of Season 4.

Voice from the Stone (2017)

Poetic and haunting

[9/10 · 7 November 2019]

This is a cleverly written and well-acted ghost story that explores grief and identity. Beautiful, suspenseful and thought-provoking.

The Forest (I) (2016)

Better than it's given credit for

[6/10 · 27 February 2019]

I don't understand the low rating on this movie. It was much better plotted, more entertaining, and scarier than the awful 6.2-rated "horror" movie I watched the previous night. I wouldn't buy The Forest and watch it repeatedly, but it was well worth the time to watch it once. Well done.

Homecoming (2018–2020)

Disappointing ending

[3/10 · 2 February 2019]

I was enthralled through most of the series, because I expected the revelation of a momentous and sinister purpose behind the Homecoming project. When the purpose was revealed, it was an anticlimax and hardly seemed worth the trouble , expense and risk that the project entailed. It didn't make much sense that the government would mount such a project simply for that reason. I still expected a later, bigger reveal that never came.

The Little Stranger (2018)

Excellent book that was unfilmable

[2/10 · 2 February 2019]

Yup, this movie is boring. And this is coming from someone who enjoyed the book. I do think that anything written in Sarah Waters' vivid, flowing prose would be worth reading; she could probably write about watching grass grow and it would be fascinating, but it wouldn't transfer well to film. Movie adaptations of her Fingersmith and Affinity were great, but that just wasn't possible with this story in which nothing much actually happens. Also, the book is written in the first person, which is difficult to transfer to film without extensive voiceover. In this case, the lack of first-person perspective muddies the ending for viewers who haven't read the book. And Ruth Wilson as an unattractive woman?! All the dowdy clothes and messy hair in the world couldn't pull that off.

Mother! (2017)

Two interesting premises, poor execution

[2/10 · 3 September 2018]

Biblical allegory, or cautionary tale about human activity destroying the earth? In attempting to combine the two, Mr. Aronofsky has created a mishmash that simply doesn't hang together. Or maybe it's just that his philosophy and beliefs are radically different from mine. I take issue with the following assertions the movie seems to make: --God and the Earth are two entirely separate entities (OK, this one is debatable among people of faith) --God is male, Earth is female (tired stereotypes) --more often than not, the needs and intentions of God and those of the Earth are at odds with each other --from the beginning, Earth was antipathetic to human life, even before the first human had committed the first offense --every human who has ever lived has been 100% selfish and wantonly destructive; there has never been a human who respected the Earth and cared for its resources --God is an egotist who feeds on humans' attention and adoration --most shocking of all, God does not care about the Earth or what happens to it! Sorry, can't buy into this.

Magellan (2017)

For the thoughtful science fiction fan

[8/10 · 19 June 2018]

I realize that different people have different reasons for watching science fiction films. What matters to me is the plot, not the budget for special effects, sets, and costumes. The plot of this movie is suspenseful, well-paced, and thought-provoking. A refreshing change from the proliferation of movies that consist of nonstop, mind-numbing battle scenes and explosions.

Come Back to Me (2014)

below-average gorefest

[2/10 · 3 May 2018]

This movie is a sadistic bloodbath with an idiotic premise. It was a very disappointing waste of time.

Get Out (I) (2017)

What am I missing here?

[4/10 · 30 April 2018]

I'm an intelligent person who loves intricate movies that require lots of thought and, in some cases, repeat viewings to understand. The first time I watched this one, all I saw was an attempt at a horror movie that didn't quite work, though it did contain outstanding performances and had something to say about race. Then came all the awards and accolades, so I decided I'd better watch it again and try to look deeper. I've just done so, and it changed nothing. The plot still doesn't make sense to me. Why are the results of the "procedure" such blank zombies, and why would the perpetrators consider the procedure a success when such are the results? I've never asked anyone to explain a movie to me before, but I'd be grateful if someone would tell me what it is that I'm not getting about this one.