Neonman

neonman
Celluloid Junkie
# Film Ratings: 3003
Member Since: 29 Sep 2008
Age: 34
Bio: Hey.

Recent Ratings

59 14%
After the Hunt (2025) - Rated 15 Nov 2025
It’s unfortunate that some pretty worthy performances from Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield, and an amusing one from Mark Stuhlbarg just can’t elevate this unconfident story, nor can they compensate for the utter confounding nature of the directing. This deals with some lofty and topical themes, but in such broad ways and under such unsettling directorial decisions, it just undermines this film, especially in comparison to superior polemical studies like 2019's Luce and 2022's Tar.
70 38%
Million Dollar Baby (2004) - Rated 15 Nov 2025
This is the Best Picture of 2004?! It's perfectly serviceable and watchable, though not without its detriments. It's somewhat committed to its tale of dedication and determinism, all handsomely shot. But I've seen so many (contact) sports films before and after that have done better or worse, and this sinks in the middle of them all, given how unemotive it is. I don't see how Morgan Freeman could win the Oscar for Best Morgan Freeman performance for this regular Morgan Freeman performance.
75 51%
Oleanna (1994) - Rated 15 Nov 2025
There are some broad strokes to this movie, but detail in the nitty-gritty of the characterisation. Macy is written as a genuinely helpful and accommodating professor (even if his mistakes appears are too telegraphed), and his female counterpart is a witchy bitchy manipulator who still comes across as realistic, even if this film otherwise has a big theatre stink to it. The ending can be grossly enjoyed for its anti-woke catharsis, but it also gives an impression of "that's it?"
73 47%
Sovereign (2025) - Rated 07 Nov 2025
This libertarian father appear to be treading on himself, and although the film oftentimes doesn't try to color his sermons with any judgement, it does sometimes view them with comically that exposes his ridiculousness in the face of lawful authority. All this culminates in a fierce and inevitable ending, which is remarkably true to life (even showing the fate of the dog). Storyline B with the cops (the contrasting father and son) is a real letdown.
76 53%
Blue Caprice (2013) - Rated 07 Nov 2025
It'd be tricky to bridge the father surrogate relationship tale to this utterly sinister true crime story, which the film succeeds in. The two leads do great at their different levels and experience of evil, as does the third lead, the car, which embodies such an evil undertone of its own (helped by strong visual directing). Unfortunately falters at the end, committing to be as anticlimactic as the real story, but rounds this all up rather quaintly, despite all the intensity before it.
62 18%
Wild Things (1998) - Rated 29 Oct 2025
It suckered me in so effortlessly, with its fairly daring concept and the trickiness of how it was presenting itself. But my god, I don't think I've seen a film twist itself this badly. Double cross upon double cross that just never stop (even once the end credits begin!), it just starts to get predictable in the way that it tries to be unpredictable. Needs more Bill Murray.
83 74%
Six Degrees of Separation (1993) - Rated 29 Oct 2025
Does the 'imposter' tale in a convincing and committed way, as if to fool even the film itself. This strikes a particular tone that benefits all its commentary on class and generational contrasts, especially with the way it presents a kind of pleasantness and emptiness of this upper class. All supported by very likable and respectable performances from all, including the best acting I've seen from Will Smith -- his centrepiece scene is so fun to watch.
67 29%
The Shrouds (2024) - Rated 26 Oct 2025
Its disappointment stems from how great the first half is, and then how mediocre and lacklustre the second half is. Not only is the initial set-up great, with the concept of video surveillance in a coffin so very morbid and truly Cronenberg-ian, but it presents such a gentle approach to digging deep into how we feel about the dearly departed. But unfortunately, the second half is an ungodly mess of story tangents, conspiracy theories, red herrings, and a general sense of carelessness.
62 18%
F1: The Movie (2025) - Rated 26 Oct 2025
Quite the slickly made 156 minute commercial, and although there's a healthy mix of action and character, they fail to be riveting. It only lightly scratches at the issues haunting Sonny as he returns to the limelight, and there's so little variety in shots and editing in the race scenes, they get pretty tiring after only the first few tracks.
35 1%
War of the Worlds (2025) - Rated 19 Oct 2025
I truly wanted to appreciate this as a SBIG (So Bad It's Good) film, but I was still let down. This is a genuinely evil film, a product placement for Amazon that argues that mass surveillance can be used to save the world from sudden calamity. It's an absolute embarrassment to see Mr Cube just seated for the entire duration, antithetical to the physical urgency of such a world invading situation (as evident from Cruise's running in his own WotW).