What I've been watching: Last five films

What I’ve been watching: Last five films #2

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Film

Guess who’s upped her film count in a matter of days? This person. You know how you make time to clean the house or plan your weekend. Well, I’ve made time for some film watching and it reminded me that it’s something I need. I need my film time. So I carved out some time to watch some great films.

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Don’t know if it’s because I’m suffering from comic book film fatigue, but days after watching Avengers: Age of Ultron, I’m still wondering if I liked the film. Sure it held my attention for the couple of hours. But it felt the same. The same as Avengers Assemble (or whatever the first one was actually called) – the same problems in the team, the same issues to overcome and I swear almost the same sort of end battle. Then there’s the whole nature of the Marvel film universe where everything is being so interlinked, you really do miss out if you haven’t seen everything Marvel up to that point. Not me, but Anish. I had to fill the gaps in for him. Feel a little sad saying this – but my excitement levels for yet more Marvel comic book films isn’t at its highest.

Ex Machina

Ex Machina

This is more like it. An intelligent little sci-fi film with some original characters that’s got an ending that feels like a punch to the gut. All my praise has to go to Oscar Isaac as the definitely off kilter, Nathan. And the set designers and make-up department. A lot of amazing work done in this film. Ex Machina is one of those films where I truly didn’t know which way it would head. It’s funny that I actually watched this after Avengers: Age of Ultron, what with both films tackling AI. To some degree. The way the story unfolds with everyone having that very unhinged sort of vibe to them – I do enjoy these sorts of films.

White God

White God

If you are any sort of animal lover, but especially if you’re a dog lover I both recommend that you see White God but prepare yourself for what you’re about to see. The story of a girl losing her dog and her journey to find him again. And the dog’s journey after being lost. Probably one of my favourite films I’ve seen in the last couple of weeks, but also, one of the toughest watches. Some scenes were toe curlingly painful to watch for me. And it takes a lot for my toes to curl. It’s a beautiful film. The final shot is imprinted firmly on my memory. It was the perfect emotional culmination for the film. You need to see White God.

It Follows

It Follows

YES! A horror film that has reminded me that the horror genre isn’t a lost cause of silly ghost stories and over the top violence. From the beginning, It Follows, had the feeling of an 70/80s sort of horror film. Filled with actual ominous music and sounds that were well-timed and put to good use. Gorgeously framed shots. Some truly creepy moments that made me wonder why I decided to give this one a watch while I was on my own at home and had in fact switched all the lights off. I felt for Jay and how she just gets more and more desperate to save her own life as the film progresses. Tried to listed to the score yesterday and had to stop. Takes on a whole other feeling of creepy when listened to on its own. Please let there be more in the horror genre like this one. Soon.

Kingsman: The Secret Service

Kingsman: The Secret Service

Kingsman is one ridiculously over the top film that’s a fuck load of fun. There’s nothing about it I didn’t enjoy. The action/fight sequences are brilliantly choreographed. Great fun to watch. Even more fun seeing the likes of Colin Firth’s face in said scenes. Even if it was just CG’d onto the stuntman’s body. There are plenty of times during the film when if you stop to think about the situation too hard, you know it makes absolutely no sense. But there’s no ounce of you that gives a shit at the point, because you’re having so much fun with the film at that point. Sure the film bounces around and hits he end on a particularly obvious note, but I didn’t care one bit. I enjoyed the hell out of this film and if they’re doing more, please bring ‘em!


Out of all of these films, the one I was most looking forward to seeing – Avengers: Age of Ultron, was the one that I was least satisfied with. Don’t get me wrong, it was fun and I enjoyed it. But like I said up there, I think comic book films are beginning to wane on me. White God is the one I’d recommend the most highly. Just brace yourself if you’re a dog person.

What have you been watching? Anything interesting?

24 Comments

  1. Russell Betney

    I’m absolutely with you regards Kingsman, I loved every minute of it; from the intro with Money for Nothing playing to the (as you say) obvious notes at the end. Obvious, clichéd or daft any film that has Mark Strong in and M&S sweater with a massive gun is fine with me!

    Haven’t seen Ex Machine, but would like to; I’m also quite intrigued by It Follows. Sometime, maybe.

    • Mark Strong was brilliant in Kingsman, even if his Scottish accent wavered occasionally – one of the strongest characters in the film for me.

      Highly recommend It Follows – great little film. Same with Ex Machina – it does borrow a lot from other films in the genre, but it’s still a solid film.

  2. moviesandsongs365

    Seen three of those. It Follows had a nice score by Disasterpeace and the story idea was original. To me could only happen in a movie(I mainly find stuff creepy that is closer to real life)

    Agree White God was a tough watch, it held my attention, and the “animal acting” was very impressive. Right now in my top 10 of the year.

    Ex Machina is pretty good, although I do find it a hotchpotch of other movies, such as I Robot and Blade Runner. Praise for the sets and robot effects, no doubt.
    Glad you enjoyed most of the films you watched!

    • Totally agree with you on Ex Machina. There are definitely themes taken from other films, but still think it’s a worthy film in the genre.

      “Real” horror definitely has a more fear inducing feeling for me too. Thought the creepy vibe in It Follows was spot on.

      So happy to hear that White God’s in your top 10 of the year so far – it’s up there for me too. One of the few films I’ve seen this year that I find myself thinking back to more than once.

  3. I always appreciate and trust your reviews. I’m not a horror flick fan but watched Cabin in the Woods because of you! That said, wow, this lineup sure is interesting, even the horror flick. Ex Machina came up on our On-Demand and I had never heard of it before but wow, looked great! Glad it was.

    • Yay! Glad you did – it’s such a great film, I really need to watch Cabin again. It’s been so long since I last saw it.

      Give Ex Machina a go – it’s an interesting little film. Think you’d enjoy it, Lisa.

  4. I’ve watched both The Avengers & Kingsman and I’m with you on Kingsman. Loved everything about the movie. I tried watching It Follows and I had to stop at the part where there was a girl with broken leg on the beach!! It was too disturbing! Haha

    • There are some pretty damn creepy shots in It Follows – not for the squeamish! Disturbing on so many levels.

  5. Loved both Ex Machina and It Follows! I’m with you on Avengers, too. It was alright, but I think I’m pretty burnt out on the Marvel universe at this point.

    • I remember the reveal of the next few years worth of Marvel universe films and my eyes just rolled into the back of my head. Too much!

  6. I keep forgetting that I actually saw Age of Ultron. I’d love to see a Marvel movie where it doesn’t come down to the typical fight at the end. This one was fun but sort of forgettable.

    • Same. Think someone made a comment on a thread on reddit where the film could have been incredibly short if copyright didn’t stop the twins’ father, Magneto, from stepping in to finish all the metal men out! Now that, I wouldn’t have minded.

  7. Kingsman and Ex Machina are two films I’ve wanted to watch since I found out about them last year but sadly still haven’t come round to doing so. Hopefully that will change one day soon. My siblings haven’t stopped raving about it. And if the opportunity presents itself I will watch Avengers: Age of Ultron for the simple reason that I want to know what happens next for a few of my favourite characters. I was a little superheroed out when it was released over here and several months after but I think I’m ready to tackle that genre again… maybe haha

    • See I thought I was ready to tackle the genre again, but by the end of Ultron, I was wiped out again! Saying that, thoroughly enjoyed Netflix’s Daredevil. The movie Marvel universe is wearing on me!

      • Haha It seems we have to take this genre in small doses 🙂

        That series is seriously good! It was so addictive. I am not sure if it is because all the episodes were released at once but I and my entire family enjoyed it 🙂

        • On-demand TV. On-demand film. On-demand everything! Just makes it so much easier to consume the things we want to consume!

  8. I’m patiently waiting for Sky to show Age of Ultron but I’ve read a few reviews that have the same feels as you. I wonder if it was just too soon for an Avengers sequel? Or perhaps, playing Devil’s Advocate, there wasn’t a need for one? Sure, the demand for it was there, but with all the other Marvel threads (I’m slowly becoming a HUGE Captain America fan, btw), it could’ve waited until a storyline really called for it (hard to say, having not seen it).

    Ex Machina, that I want to see, so glad it gets a thumbs up. 🙂

    • Think it’s a combination of both and the absolute flood comic book/Marvel related media. There’s just so much. And you really do have to watch pretty much everything to have a clue as to what’s going on. For the average cinema goer, I think that might be a negative point on Marvel’s cinematic universe. But the Marvel fanbase is so huge, I doubt it’s going anywhere any time soon.

      I like Capt. America the character, but not the films. They’ve been the weakest ones for me. Just … average.

  9. frikkenduckie

    Kingsman was a blast! Haven’t watched any of the other films but now I’m interested in Ex Machina and White God.

    • Then my work here is done 😉 White God is definitely one of my top picks from this selection. If you’ve got the nerve for it! Gets a bit hairy. No pun intended.

  10. I haven’t seen any of these yet. But I wanted to see them all, except for Avengers. I’ve already seen a shitload of other super-hero movies, so I’ve already seen Avengers. Enough is enough.

    • Think White God is probably my top pick out of all of these. Check that one out first if you can.

      I hear ya on the super-hero movies side of things. Just too much now. Hollywood’s found a genre that’s popular with the masses as well as hardcore fans and leeching it for all its worth.

  11. Loved It Follows just as much as you. Had a great “classic” sensibility about it and possibly one of the best openings to a horror film I’ve seen since Scream. I had a slightly different take than you on Avengers 2 though – I thought it actually was a notch or two above the first one (and I liked that one too!). But, like you, there’s a bit too much Marvel out there right now. Actually, there are too many sequels but that’s another argument.

    • Agree on the too many sequels – sequels and spin-offs. I guess it’s where there’s easy/reliable money for Hollywood.

      The opening for It Follows set the tone for the film so perfectly. Made me want to hunker down with a duvet and possibly a cushion too. Just in case.

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