Film 2491 - Fall

Intro: I was aware of this movie, but it never crossed my mind to watch it. Then recently I came across this film again and said to myself, why did I never watch it? It had all the elements that I would enjoy, so one evening I decided to give it a go.

Film 2491: "Fall" (2022), Scott Mann
Watched: From the computer
Language: English
Watched with: No one
Thoughts: I'll admit I was expecting a bit more, but overall I enjoyed "Fall".
A few elements stood out to me:

- Conceiving an engaging story that is set in one tiny, confined location for 2/3 of its runtime is quite impressive.
- The 610-meter-high television broadcasting tower shown here - which I thought was ridiculously tall to actually be real - is based on the real 625-meter-high KXTV/KOVR tower in Walnut Grove, California, United States. Once I realized a similar structure actually exists, my perception of this movie and its believability radically shifted.
- The height element is the real driving force of this story. Whether you're afraid of heights or not, it's undeniable that this movie is able to capitalize on this visual element to produce a continuous adrenaline boost that runs throughout the story. Without it, "Fall" wouldn't be as effective or have much else that would make it stand out. Remove the broadcasting tower and this is just another survival story, as we've seen many times before portrayed on the big screen.

All of this said, the downside is that the big plot twist at the end isn't as creative as the rest of the story. I mean, I didn't necessarily see it coming, yet it felt like a cheap twist timed to give the main character one last challenge to face.
And speaking of challenges - although I understand that the particular setting of the story made it, in a way, necessary - I thought the script gave its main protagonists way too many obstacles to overcome. The constant twists and turns the story pulls out get more and more frustrating as time goes by. I often found myself wondering: "And now what?" Obviously, it shouldn't be too easy to get rescued from the tower or there would be no story to tell, but the way the story persists in presenting new life-threatening or emotionally stressful plot points (the shoe, the drone, the flare gun, the injuries, the vulture, the cheating) compromised the overall enjoyment of this film for me. Not totally, as I still had a good time overall, but I wish there were fewer twists so that the story would feel less packed and flow slightly better.
Ps. A sequel, "Fall 2: Deadpoint", is coming out this September.
Cast: Grace Caroline Currey, Virginia Gardner, Mason Gooding, Jeffrey Dean Morgan.
Box Office: $21.8 million
Worth a watch?: If you're scared of heights, this is either the film that will get you over it or send you over the edge. I could barely handle it, to be honest, but I enjoyed how much "Fall" had me on the edge of my seat. Up to you to decide if you're up to the task.
Awards: /
Key word: 1-4-3.
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Bengi

Film 2490 - Ghost Ship

Intro: Over at Simon's we were looking for a movie to watch after (my first) taco dinner. Somehow, I remembered this movie existed and we just went for it.

Film 2490: "Ghost Ship" (2002), Steve Beck
Watched: From the computer
Language: English
Watched with: Simon
Thoughts: I mean, certainly not a masterpiece, but "Ghost Ship" is fun enough to be entertaining for what it is.
The horror elements of the story aren't new and you can see them coming a mile away, but this movie has more of a vibe that stays with you rather than a compelling story no one has ever told before.
Specifically, I feel the set pieces are quite good considering the $20 million budget and the fact that this film was never meant to become a box office juggernaut. So the fact that so much thought and care was put into crafting visually interesting sets and visuals - including some camera angles and shots - really surprised me. I mean, I'd seen this movie before ages ago and certainly didn't remember this aspect of it.
The one thing I remembered, though, is the fact that Francesca Rettondini is in it. I'm sure she acted in other Italian projects before and after this, but to me she's always been the partner of Alberto Castagna, a very famous Italian TV presenter who was big in the 90s. The fact that Rettondini somehow landed this (mute) role is so fascinating and legit the one memory of "Ghost Ship" that stayed with me over the years.

And there is another element here that is connected to Italy: the disappeared ocean liner at the center of the story is, in fact, Italian. Therefore, a lot of design elements (signs) and even a song are technically in my native language. Why the 'technically'? Because they're either spelled wrong or pronounced incorrectly which, to me, added a fun element to the whole experience.
Like, for example, in the picture here, you can read 'Cabina di capitano', which should be 'Cabina del capitano' instead. It's just... funny.
All in all, "Ghost Ship" is fine enough to be enjoyable. The premise of the disappeared ship that might contain a golden treasure is intriguing, the cast is quite packed with extremely familiar faces, the scary bits are predictable but work, and the bloody opening sequence is actually quite impressive and a good way to start the story with terror and disgust.
So yeah, I had a good time rewatching this.
Cast: Julianna Margulies, Ron Eldard, Desmond Harrington, Isaiah Washington, Karl Urban, Emily Browning, Francesca Rettondini, Gabriel Byrne.
Box Office: $68.3 million
Worth a watch?: It's not a must-watch, but it has its moments, especially the opening sequence. I'd say, if you're curious, go for it.
Awards: /
Key word: Gold.
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Bengi

Film 2489 - Tre uomini e una gamba

Intro: I don't know why or what caused it, really, but all of a sudden I felt like I really wanted to rewatch this Italian movie. When it came out, I was 10 and I think I remember going to the movies to watch it with my parents. So it's possibly a combination of nostalgia for this movie, missing my parents and/or Italy. I guess...

Film 2489: "Tre uomini e una gamba" (1997), Aldo, Giovanni & Giacomo, Massimo Venier
Watched: From the computer
Language: Italian
Watched with: No one
Thoughts: Man, I really didn't remember much about this film. Like, it was almost like watching it for the first time all over again. And honestly, I had a blast.
It's hard to explain to non-Italian speakers the appeal of Aldo, Giovanni & Giacomo. They're super funny here, but it doesn't look like they're doing much, really. It's a mix of physical comedy, the juxtaposition of Northern and Southern habits and ways of life and, in this specific movie, the sketches. The latter, especially, are an interesting choice: they don't progress the story - if anything, they pause it - and yet they're possibly the funniest comedy bits here. Obviously, this was a clever way to include and acknowledge the trio's background in improv and theater, and these short stories within the actual main story are when the three comedians really shine the most. I didn't realize this until I rewatched "Tre uomini e una gamba", but most of the bits I remembered from the movie actually come from the sketches: Dracula, the 'cadrega', and Ajeje Brazorf are all small pieces of Italian pop culture from that time that I carry with me to this day, and I was so surprised to realize that I had completely forgotten they belonged to this film.
Needless to say, I quite enjoyed this watch. It's reminiscent of a specific time and place that reminds me of my childhood and offers a fast track to nostalgia, in a way that's hard to describe. I look at this movie in a way that isn't just from the perspective of the story it tells, but also (mainly?) what it reminds me of and what it means to me.
I really do find "Tre uomini e una gamba" to be extremely funny and probably Aldo, Giovanni & Giacomo's best movie to date. It's naive and simple, yet effective because of how straightforward the story is: the trio embarks on a journey to the South of Italy to get to Gallipoli in time for Aldo's wedding. On the road, adventures and misadventures happen and, of course, someone falls in love unexpectedly. It's just that, yet it's effective and heartwarming in a way that (Italian) comedy isn't capable of being anymore.
Cast: Aldo Baglio, Giovanni Storti, Giacomo Poretti, Marina Massironi, Carlo Croccolo, Luciana Littizzetto, Maria Pia Casilio, Augusto Zucchi, Mohamed El Sayed.
Box Office: €33.6 million
Worth a watch?: "Tre uomini e una gamba" is basically a time machine: if you're curious to see how we used to be and live in Italy back in the day, this is definitely one of the comedies I would recommend. And, if you end up enjoying it, other similar films to consider could be (from the same trio) "Così è la vita" and "Chiedimi se sono felice", Leonardo Pieraccioni's "Il ciclone", or Carlo Verdone's "Viaggi di nozze".
Awards: Nominated for Best New Director (Migliore Regista Esordiente) at the David di Donatello 1998.
Key word: Garpez.
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Bengi

Film 2488 - Masters of the Universe

Intro: I wasn't planning to watch this one, to be fair, but the reviews were better than I expected, and I got intrigued...

Film 2488: "Masters of the Universe" (2026), Travis Knight
Watched: At the movies
Language: English
Watched with: No one
Thoughts: I didn't know much about He-Man. I can vaguely recall watching the cartoon as a child, but if this movie hadn't come out, I probably wouldn't even have remembered the character. Which, in theory, could be a good thing, as "Masters of the Universe" could be the perfect re-introduction to this world. But I'm not 100% sure this film taught me much.
It's been a month since I saw it in theaters, and I have to admit I don't remember much about the story or the characters. It all blended into a mixture of vague memories from this film and possibly other similar ones. I'm thinking of pretty much any superhero origin story from the last decade or so. What I do remember, though, is thinking while watching it that, yeah, "Masters of the Universe" isn't bad, but it also isn't that great either. It's a fun ride for what it is, but compared to other movies that suffered a similar fate*, such as "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves", this one doesn't really have anything that sets it apart. Or maybe it's just me? I'm not sure. I haven't watched many superhero films lately, as I'm currently a bit done with the genre, so it's entirely possible that I checked out a bit while watching.
Other things I remember thinking at the movies:

• I'm not sure Nicholas Galitzine works in this role for me. I only know him from "Bottoms", "Red, White & Royal Blue", and "The Sheep Detectives", and he's clearly talented. Yet I couldn't stop thinking that he's the gay guy from the Amazon Prime gay movie. That's all I could think about.
• Camila Mendes' makeup department choices were... questionable. The colored contact lenses look fake, and her hair color is clearly not her real one. I'm not sure if that was a wig, but it definitely took me out of the movie every time she was on screen.
• The villain. I know that Hollywood keeps thinking that Jared Leto** is this gifted actor who's able to bring in crowds of fans, but a) that was never really the case (go watch "House of Gucci" if you think otherwise), and b) I really don't see the point of casting him here, considering his character, Skeletor, is fully CGI and even the voice is modified. It literally could have been anybody else playing Skeletor, and you wouldn't be able to tell.
• I do believe "Masters of the Universe" came out at the wrong time and is too similar to previous Marvel movies, especially the later "Thor" films. They share a similar Viking-from-another-world vibe, as well as the same tone and humor, which people have been complaining about for a while now.
• Lastly, I don't think the marketing pushed this IP enough or made it interesting enough for people to care. I don't even remember seeing the trailer before going to see the actual movie.

I want to reiterate that "Masters of the Universe" is not a bad movie at all. I was hoping for something a bit more original in terms of tone and vibe, yes, but overall the film is enjoyable. I just didn't connect with it all that much.

* Actually good movies that didn't perform well at the box office, or at least not well enough to justify a sequel or a further expansion of the franchise.

**Jared Leto is currently in deep shit after being accused of sexual misconduct and criminal sexual conduct by four different women. This is the last time I'm acknowledging him on this blog, as from now on I'm only going to list him in the cast section of any film I'm reviewing (that is, if I'm going to see a movie with him in it anymore).

Cast: Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Alison Brie, James Purefoy, Morena Baccarin, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Kristen Wiig, Jared Leto, Idris Elba.
Box Office: $114 million
Worth a watch?: A catastrophic flop at the box office - it cost $170 million just to produce - "Masters of the Universe" is good enough for an evening in front of the TV, when your only desire is to turn your brain off and possibly indulge in a little bit of nostalgia.
Awards: /
Key word: "I have the power!".
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Bengi

Film 2487 - Neighbors

Intro: Second evening in Dingle, second movie from the couch. After a night out in town, of course.

Film 2487: "Neighbors" (2014), Nicholas Stoller
Watched: From the TV
Language: English
Watched with: Debbi, Niamh, Eimear
Thoughts: I've watched this movie a bunch of times already and always find it funny. It's not a masterpiece or anything, but it's almost like a comfort watch that, at the right time, delivers exactly what I need. Similar to other films like "21 Jump Street", "22 Jump Street" or "We're the Millers".
So I guess the vibe was once again right for me, as I really enjoyed rewatching this first "Neighbors" - the sequel isn't that good - after so many years since I last saw it.
I think Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne have great chemistry together, and watching the two of them go up against the other screen duo, Zac Efron and Dave Franco, is a pleasure. My personal highlights: the airbag and milking scenes. Hilarious.
All in all, a solid comedy that still works more than 10 years later. And these days, that's quite the feat.
Film 773 - Cattivi vicini
Film 1060 - Cattivi vicini
Film 2487 - Neighbors
Film 1192 - Cattivi vicini 2
Cast: Zac Efron, Rose Byrne, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Dave Franco, Ike Barinholtz, Carla Gallo, Lisa Kudrow.
Box Office: $270.7 million
Worth a watch?: It's the type of comedy that isn't for everybody, I understand that, but if you enjoy a less refined humor that goes all in on the politically incorrect, this is the movie for you. This one. Again, not the second one.
Awards: 3 wins at the MTV Movie + TV Awards Best Shirtless Performance (Zac Efron), Best Duo (Zac Efron, Dave Franco), and Best WTF Moment (Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne) over 7 nominations (Best Comedic Performance for Rose Byrne, Best Musical Moment, Best Kiss, Best Fight).
Key word: Police.
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Bengi

Film 2486 - Office Romance

Intro: Back in June, we spent a weekend in Dingle, Co. Kerry, to celebrate Niamh's birthday and, while there, we watched a couple of movies. This is the first one.

Film 2486: "Office Romance" (2026), Ol Parker
Watched: From the TV
Language: English
Watched with: Debbi, Niamh, Eimear
Thoughts: I quite like romcoms, so this should be right up my alley, but I wasn't really sure I wanted to watch this one. Mainly for a couple of reasons: both Jennifer Lopez's and Netflix's movies aren't usually that good. So, combine the two elements together and you get why I wasn't feeling too excited about "Office Romance". The saving grace of the project is Brett Goldstein - who also wrote the script - one of my favourite actors from the "Ted Lasso" family. Because of him playing the lead, I was kinda intrigued.
I'll be honest, "Office Romance" is quite the odd movie. Lopez and Goldstein have nice chemistry and the romance is believable enough, I'll give them that. Overall, I guess the story is fine, but it definitely takes some strange turns: the birth scene is unnecessarily graphic, the British kink room is weirder than romantic, and the sister (Jodie Whittaker) plot twist is surprisingly serious for a movie like this. This last element especially felt the oddest to me because it doesn't really fit the vibe, even more so when the story tries to make the situation somehow funny by making her some sort of comic relief. It's not; she's in prison - if I recall correctly, she murdered someone? - and if you choose to include this dark element in your romcom, you should treat it in a more appropriate way. Or at least that's how I felt while watching the movie.
Overall, I appreciate the effort to deliver a film that is less your usual romantic comedy and a bit more of an oddball that catches you by surprise at times, but I'm not sure it's done in a completely successful way here. Also, in the more demanding emotional scenes - like the last one at the press conference - JLo still cannot deliver.
Cast: Jennifer Lopez, Brett Goldstein, Betty Gilpin, Amy Sedaris, Tony Hale, Bradley Whitford, Edward James Olmos, Jodie Whittaker.
Box Office: /
Worth a watch?: Of all the romcoms you can watch, I wouldn't have this one at the top of my list. It's fine, the production value is obvious, and Brett Goldstein surprisingly works for a project like this, but overall the story is emotionally inconsistent and feels stranger than it should at times.
Awards: /
Key word: Lawsuit.
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Bengi

Film 2485 - Disclosure Day

Intro: Not that I was dying to see this film... but when Steven Spielberg has a new one out, you can't really miss it, or what kind of cinema fanatic are you really?!

Film 2485: "Disclosure Day" (2026), Steven Spielberg
Watched: At the movies
Language: English
Watched with: No one
Thoughts: Oh boy.
I wasn't expecting this movie to be groundbreaking or a masterpiece, but I certainly didn't anticipate just how bored I'd be while watching it. I went by myself, so I was very much focused and present, and I definitely struggled to stay awake during some scenes. Especially at the beginning, when no one really knows what's going on, the story takes so long to actually get going that you begin to wonder what the point of it all really is. And, to be fair, that question still stands.
What I mean is that "Disclosure Day" doesn't seem to know what kind of movie it'd like to be, as it combines so many different elements from different genres: thriller, alien invasion, mystery, action, espionage, sci-fi, and... religious?! The mix is at times so random that it's really hard to take the story seriously. I appreciate the effort to go for something different and not just the seen-it-before alien invasion bit, but I'm not sure venturing into religious territory was the right choice (I'm referring to the moment where Emily Blunt's character reads one person's mind and says something along the lines of, "I don't want to be your religion." I legitimately laughed at that scene).
It's not just this, though. The alien aspect was quite disappointing in the end. Especially the big reveal where Blunt and the alien talk... I don't know, it really ruined the ending for me. I thought there was no need to show the alien, story-wise, and the visual effects really don't deliver. The end result just looks cheap and unconvincing. Speaking of visual effects, I also don't think they were very good throughout the whole film. For a movie that cost $115 million to make—and God knows how much to promote—the end result isn't up to par. The animals, especially, don't look believable and, look, nobody went to the cinema expecting this one to deliver a realistic take on possible human-alien contact, but the overall lack of believability takes you out of the story at times.
Last but not least, I think the story is way too overcrowded. Not just with different narrative elements or plot points, but with characters as well. Too many story arcs to complete, too many side stories we don't really care about. Rarely have I seen a character so obviously utilized as a plot tool as the boyfriend, played by Wyatt Russell: remove him from the story and literally nothing changes.
Anyway, I don't want to only shit on this movie, so here's a short list of the elements I appreciated:

• Emily Blunt as a leading lady. I love her. She's clearly talented and can carry a movie on her shoulders with no problem. Her face does look strange, though.
• Steven Spielberg is still a great director. The car chase scene was really good.
• I'm glad to see Josh O'Connor making a splash in Hollywood. He's handsome and so talented, and hopefully he'll stop queerbaiting us in allegedly gay movie romances and either go all in or stop edging us.
• The newsroom setting was interesting, although underdeveloped. I wish they'd explored that a bit more rather than all the government nonsense and the boyfriend crap.

All in all, "Disclosure Day" was unfortunately worse than I expected. Maybe a shorter, less crowded edit of this story would have worked better. And there was no need to show us the aliens: once you materialize on screen the one element your story has asked the audience to imagine, the fantasy is ruined.
Cast: Emily Blunt, Josh O'Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson, Wyatt Russell, Elizabeth Marvel, Colman Domingo.
Box Office: $239.8 million
Worth a watch?: For Spielberg fans. It's not awful, but it is a confused story filled with too many elements that weaken the overall message. One of the biggest disappointments of 2026 for me.
Awards: /
Key word: Cardinal.
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Bengi

Film 2484 - Mortal Kombat II

Intro: When I was in Italy back in May, I rewatched the first film in this series to get ready for the sequel. Then, when I got back, I missed my chance to go to the movies - to watch "The Sheep Detectives", of all movies... - and didn't get to see it. So, as soon as the right moment presented itself, I gave this film a go.

Film 2484: "Mortal Kombat II" (2026), Simon McQuoid
Watched: From the projector
Language: English
Watched with: No one
Thoughts: To my surprise, I actually quite enjoyed the first "Mortal Kombat" and was extremely curious to see its sequel. I read reasonably good things about it, but nothing too enthusiastic, and the box office performance wasn't stellar, so I didn't know what to expect.
Fact is, I loved this movie! I think, even more so than the first one, it's great at delivering a story that's closer to its source material: we finally see the tournament happen, the players go against each other and die, and all their best moves are performed on the big screen in an environment that makes sense for what this product is: a film based on a fighting video game.
I was particularly impressed by the visual aesthetic of the film. All the settings for the fight scenes are great and feel very unique while, color-wise, I thought "Mortal Kombat II" does a great job of highlighting the different factions, worlds, costumes and elements that uniquely identify each character, in a way that doesn't feel like a simple copy-paste from the game.
Additionally, I think this sequel shows that the producers actually listened to what the audience asked for after the first film came out: the tournament, the fights, and the lore of the source material, rather than just fan service. And I believe the story does a great job of incorporating all these elements together.
That said, "Mortal Kombat II" has its flaws, although I wasn't too bothered by them. I personally struggled with the number of characters the story deals with, to the point that at times I couldn't keep up. Also, some of the characters from the previous film were just there to get slaughtered which, yeah, you could see coming from a mile away, but I thought it was bold in some cases. (spoiler) Particularly, bringing back Cole Young (Lewis Tan), aka the main protagonist of the previous film, only to have him massacred the first time he competes in the tournament was a bold move. It really surprised me and, yeah, I loved it. He was a terrible protagonist, so I think it was a good move to shift the focus to the more charismatic and entertaining Johnny Cage (Karl Urban).
All in all, I really enjoyed "Mortal Kombat II" and I can't wait to watch it again. I only wish this movie had gotten a bit more love at the box office to justify a third outing. At this stage, I'm not sure it's gonna happen, but I have my fingers crossed.
Film 2014 - Mortal Kombat
Film 2469 - Mortal Kombat
Film 2484 - Mortal Kombat II
Cast: Karl Urban, Adeline Rudolph, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Ludi Lin, Mehcad Brooks, Tati Gabrielle, Lewis Tan, Damon Herriman, Chin Han, Tadanobu Asano, Joe Taslim, Hiroyuki Sanada.
Box Office: $129.5 million
Worth a watch?: If you enjoyed the first one, I'm sure you're gonna love this sequel even more. The story is tighter, the action sequences are amazing and, in general, "Mortal Kombat II" is better paced, has found the right protagonist and is a clear improvement over the first film. I found it visually compelling, and the soundtrack is a banger. Currently, I'm obsessed with the end credits song. I highly recommend it if you enjoy club/techno music (Techno Syndrome 2026 (feat. Ed Boon) - Olivier Adams).
Awards: /
Key word: Amulet.
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Bengi

Film 2483 - Obsession

Intro: Still pretty much obsessed. One last time.

Film 2483: "Obsession" (2025), Curry Barker
Watched: At the movies
Language: English
Watched with: Steven
Thoughts: For a moment there, it felt like I was only going to the movies to watch "Obsession" and, yeah, it was kinda like that.
On my third watch, I have to admit that I still enjoyed this movie quite a lot. It didn't matter that I knew all the scary bits and where the story would go; this film felt fresh every time I watched it, which is an accomplishment in itself.
Pair that with an astonishing box office performance ($475 million worldwide on a budget of $750,000), Curry Barker's filmmaking career skyrocketing, and Inde Navarrette's and Michael Johnston's performances putting them on Hollywood's radar... You can't deny that "Obsession" is the movie surprise of the year.
Obviously I'm a huge horror film fan, so this movie was clearly my cup of tea to begin with, but the success behind this piece of media doesn't just rely on horror fans. The script is genius precisely because it isn't overly complicated compared to other similar outings in the genre: there's an enchanted object, a wish that leads to a curse, and protagonists who have to deal with the consequences. It's that simple, yet so effective. And the nuances this story presents are quite interesting and disturbing, possibly more so than the horror element itself: Nikki (Navarrette) is stripped of her agency and forced into a romantic relationship whether she likes it or not. Bear (Johnston) is shy and timid at the beginning, only to reveal his true colors as the story progresses and the abuse escalates. And he's not willing to stop. If anything, he's resentful that Nikki still won't love him back. It's tragic and terrifying at the same time.
So yeah, I do love this film. I think it's a great example of the heights the horror genre can reach when it's done right and, right now, "Obsession" is still my favourite movie of 2026.
Film 2472 - Obsession
Film 2478 - Obsession
Film 2483 - Obsession
Cast: Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, Andy Richter.
Box Office: $475 million
Worth a watch?: There is already Oscar buzz for this one, particularly for the Best Actress and Screenplay categories. Will these predictions come to fruition? It's way too early to say, but as the current movie landscape stands, there's clearly a chance (especially after last year's Best Supporting Actress Oscar win for "Weapons"). In the meantime, if for whatever crazy reason you still haven't seen "Obsession", do yourself a favour and go see it. I rest my case.
Awards: /
Key word: Cat.
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Bengi