Flixwatcher: A Netflix Film Review Podcast

      Faye and Rachael from Her Dark Materials join Flixwatcher remotely to review Faye’s choice Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.       Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is a 2010 film adaption of the graphic novel series Scott Pilgrim directed by Edgar Wright starring Michael Cera as Scott Pilgrim. In this film Scott must defeat the seven evil ex’s of his new girlfriend Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) - while playing in a local battle of the bands (which happens to be sponsored by one of the evil ex’s Gideon (Jason Schwartzman) with his band Sex Bob-Omb. It’s pretty clear that bringing to life Scott Pilgrim from the page to film was done with love and attention - visually it is dazzling and sounds like nothing else (thanks to Nigel (Radiohead) Godrich. It also features an unbelievably good supporting cast - Kieran Culkin, Chris (Captain America) Evans, Anna Kendrick, Brie Larson, Brandon Routh, Mae Whitman - to name a few. 2020 is a very different time to 2010 - there are a few moments in Scott P

    Anna Bogutskaya (The Final Girls and The Next Supremes) and Mike Muncer (The Evolution of Horror) join Flixwatcher remotely to review Anna’s choice Under the Shadow.   Under the Shadow is a 2016 Persian-language psychological horror film written and directed by Iranian British Babak Anvari. Set in 1980s Tehran during the War of the Cities, mother and former medical student Shideh and her daughter Dorsa are haunted by a spirit or djinn. Under the Shadow draws easy comparisons with both The Babadook (Shideh’s maternal shortcomings are visualised by the spirit) and The Devils Backbone (a political war as seen by a child) and this is no detriment. Supported by strong performances from its two leads Under the Shadow is a powerful (while not strictly a horror in the traditional sense) film that deserves a wider audience.   Scores [supsystic-tables id=163] With a runtime of 84 minutes Under the Shadow is definitely worth a watch and scores a very high 4.20 overall. You can also watch Babak Anvari’s latest fi

Rich Nelson (Betamax Video Club podcast) and Ben Dadds (Top Film Tip) return to Flixwatcher to review Rich’s choice Coming to America. Coming to America is a 1998 romantic comedy directed by John Landis and starring Eddie Murphy (in a number of roles - starting what would become a staple of his), Arsenio Hall, and James Earl Jones. The plot is surprisingly touching, Prince Akeem Joffer (Murphy) rejects the gift of a bride for his 21st birthday and heads to downtown Queens, New York with his assistant, Semmi (Hall) to find true love and someone who’ll accept him as a person, not a prince. Any respectable child of the 1980s will have fond memories of watching this way before the tender age of 15 it was rated as suitable for. A blockbuster at the time, featuring an entirely black cast (fairly unheard of even now) Coming to America is carried throughout by peak Murphy - charming, funny, and knowing - possibly his last great film. Scores [supsystic-tables id=162] Coming to America has aged reasonably well - a

Felix Trench (Wooden Overcoats and Quid Pro Euro) and Tom Crowley (Wooden Overcoats and Crowley Time) join Flixwatcher to review The Twelve Tasks of Asterix. The Twelve Tasks of Asterix is a Belgian/French 1976 animation feature film based on the Asterix comic books. It is the only Asterix animated film (to date) that is based on original material rather than existing comic books. In this film, Asterix and Obelix are tasked to complete a series of 12 tasks inspired by the Twelve Labours of Hercules. If they perform these better than the appointment challenger, observed by Caius Tiddlus, then they would be declared Gods. The Twelve Tasks of Asterix relies very, very heavily on stereotypes (sometimes pretty racist by today’s standard) and it’s humour draws strongly on the Monty Python sketch show vibes. Definitely an “old fart film” appealing to what is possibly now a narrower but still in existence fan base. Scores [supsystic-tables id=161] At 82 minutes it is just about bearable for the non Asterix fan (H

Matt Brothers (Spocklight Podcast) and Amelie Thomas (Fatal Attraction Podcast) return to Flixwatcher to review Matt’s choice Friday Night Lights. Friday Night Lights is a 2004 American football drama directed by Peter Berg based on Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream, a non-fiction book by H. G Bissinger based on the story of the 1988 Permian High School Panthers football team from Odessa, Texas. Berg went on to develop the story in the television series of the same name. The film starts at the pre-season practice session for the Panthers, expectations are high for both the players and coach Gary Gaines (Billy Bob Thornton). Drama hits quickly when star player James “Boobie” Miles is injured in practice and ends up sustaining a further injury in the opening game. Drawing criticism from a passionate and slightly terrifying town, for whom the Panthers are everything. Without their star player, the Panthers struggle to live up to expectations of the season and fall victim to many sport film trope

Greg Akerman and Steve Cross (Chaotic Adequate podcast) join Flixwatcher to review Greg’s choice Happy Death Day.   Happy Death Day is a 2017 comedic horror film from Blumhouse starring Jessica Rothe trapped and reliving the same day until she is brutally murdered directed by Christopher (Paranormal Activity) Landon. Essentially a horror version of Groundhog Day, in Happy Death Day Theresa/Tree (Rothe) is forced to relive the same day over and over - except in this version it always ends with her brutal death - on her birthday. The only way to stop the loop is by trying to figure out who is trying to kill her. What Happy Death Day lacks in horror or gore it makes up for it with humour and absurd deaths. While Happy Death Day retreads familiar time loop cliches and tropes it does so it an unapologetic and ridiculous way that if you can forgive all that you’ll have a lovely time. Scores [supsystic-tables id=159] Despite Steve hating pretty much everything about it, Happy Death Day still scores a fairly dece

Scott Davis (Hey You Guys) Amon Warmann (Empire Magazine) join Flixwatcher to review Scott’s choice Groundhog Day. Groundhog Day is a 1993 romantic comedy starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell, co-written and directed by Harold Ramis. Murray plays Phil Connor, a TV weatherman sent to cover the annual Groundhog Day event who for reasons unknown ends up living the same day over and over again until he gets the day right. Hard to believe now but when it was released Groundhog Day, despite favorable reviews wasn’t a hit. It wasn’t until the late 90s and Murray finding his groove with Wes Anderson that Groundhog Day finally found the audience it rightly deserves. So iconic it coined the phase for we now use to describe a reoccurring situation.   Scores [supsystic-tables id=158] Any worries you might have about Groundhog Day not having aged well are unwarranted - it’s still hilarious, amazingly warm-hearted and a little bit dark around the edges. Scoring very highly across all Flixwatcher categories - includ

James King BBC Radio 2 (previously Radio 1) Rhianna Dhillon (BBC 6music, also previously Radio 1) return to Flixwatcher to review James’ choice John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (JW3) picks up exactly where Chapter 2 ends, Wick (Keanu Reeves) is now “excommunicado” after an unauthorized killing on the grounds of The Continental Hotel and is on the run from every hitman in New York. JW3 takes the ante that was upped in JW2 and turns everything up to 11. The mythology of the High Table is expanded, Wick travels to Casablanca, there are horse fu and attack dogs, even more, ultra-violence, more humour, and Jerome Flynn. Chances are if you enjoyed JW and JW2 you’ll probably like JW3 (possibly it could be your favourite in the franchise so far), if you didn’t you’ll probably give this one a miss. If you’ve always wanted to see John Wick kill someone with a book then this film is the one for you. Scores [supsystic-tables id=157] Rhianna remains unconvinced but it’s Kobi’s favou

For this week JW2 James Dyer (Empire Magazine and Pilot TV Magazine) and Chris Hewitt (Empire Magazine) join Flixwatcher (remotely) to review James’ choice John Wick: Chapter 2.   John Wick: Chapter 2 (JW2) is the second film in the John Wick franchise, Keanu Reeves returns as John Wick and Chad Stahelski returns to direct. Having come out of retirement to avenge the death of his dog Wick now wants to go back in retirement but can only do this by clearing his debt in the form of a marker (a novelty-sized coin). Rejecting the marker is a violation of one of the two rules of the underworld and Wick is forced to carry out one last hit. JW2 brings the action and high kill count from JW and adds extra while taking some of the action to Rome and weaving in a little more of the mythology. JW2 is everything you would expect, drawing on martial arts and using stunt choreography over special effects keep the fight scenes fresh. Chances are if you enjoyed JW you’ll probably like JW2 (possibly it could be your favorite

Georgie Grier (The Screenster Podcast) and Hannah Russell (Mags Creative: Deliciously Ella, Honestly with Clement Telford) return to flixwatcher to review Georgie’s choice the 2014 biographical drama Wild.   Based on the memoir, Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, Reece Witherspoon stars as Cheryl Strayed who, despite having zero hiding experience decides to walk the Pacific Crest Trail after the death of her mother Bobbi (Laura Dern), divorce, abortion, and heroin addiction. Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée (Dallas Buyers Club) with an adapted screenplay by Nick Hornby and Oscar nominated performances from Witherspoon and Dern make Wild a remarkable journey of determination and self discovery - resisting the usual temptation for over sentimentality and smugness. In a fairly linear style, we follow Cheryl as she sets off packing too much gear and massively out of her depth in the Mojave Desert, through flashbacks and hallucinations we learn of (and vicariously feel) her past trauma and life. Co

p>Ella Watts from Orphans podcast, BBC Sounds, and Becky Brynolf from And Then What podcast return to Flixwatcher to review Ella’s choice How to Train Your Dragon.   How to Train Your Dragon is a 2010 animated fantasy loosely based on the book of the same name by Cressida Powell, directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois, and produced by DreamWorks (and it’s also Ella’s favorite film). Set in Viking times, Hiccup is an aspiring but failing Viking and keen to follow tradition by slaying dragon. By chance, he manages to trap the rarest (and dangerous) dragon the Night Fury (Toothless) but realizes that he can’t kill it and befriends it instead. Essentially How to Train Your Dragon is a film about the unknown and your fears but also learning to accept differences and with the main character with a physical disability.     Scores [supsystic-tables id=154] How to Train Your Dragon is a charming film that is universally appealing (not just for kids) that benefits from an emotive score and some of th

Amelie Thomas (Fatal Attraction Podcast) and Matt Brothers (Spocklight) join Flixwatcher to review Amelie’s Choice La La Land.   La La Land is a 2016 musical from director Damien (Whiplash) Chazelle starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone that nearly won the Best Picture at the Oscars. Mia (Stone) is a struggling/aspiring actress in LA who has a series of chance encounters with Sebastian (Gosling) a struggling and unforgivingly rude jazz pianist. They eventually fall in love only to realize that their own ambitions and the obvious fact they are clearly not compatible and break up. More divisive than Marmite, La La Land drew many criticisms for being a musical without any particularly memorable songs (among other criticisms) - which wouldn’t matter but by not having the songs it betrays the musical genre. To others though it’s a romantic story with fated lovers set against the LA backdrop. Watch it and decide for yourself.     Scores [supsystic-tables id=153] Strong support in the scoring for La La Land from

Steph Watts and Caitlin Quinlan from Bechdel Fest and Who Is She podcast return to Flixwatcher to review Steph’s choice Prisoners.     Prisoners is a 2013 thriller directed by Denis Villeneuve starring Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Paul Dano. Two girls are abducted from outside their homes and one of their fathers (Jackman) takes matters into his own hands after key the suspect (Dano) is arrested but subsequently released. As a result of Detective Loki (Gyllenhal) then has two cases to try and solve and time is running out for both the missing girls and the prime suspect. Prisoners is a bleak film - no plot that centers around child abduction was ever going to be Disney lite - but it starts dark and then goes darker, and darker still. In another directors hands and without the acting chops of Jackman, Gyllenhal and Dano Prisoners could quickly fall into torture porn/violence for violences sake - it’s a fine line but it (just about) doesn’t cross it. Scores [supsystic-tables id=152] You’ll spend most o

Becky Young (Anti Diet Riot Club) and Honey Ross (The Body Protest) join Flixwatcher to review Becky’s choice The Wife. The Wife is a 2017 drama starring Glen Close and Jonathan Pryce, directed by Björn Runge and based on the novel of the same name by Meg Wolitzer. Pryce plays Jonathan Castleman, a celebrated author, so celebrated he receives the Nobel Prize and travels to Stockholm with his loyal wife Joanie (Close) to receive the honor. Through flashbacks we learn of their early years - he is the tutor and she is the student - their affair and subsequent relationship. It quickly transpires that it all may not be as it seems and Joanie’s stoic veneer begins to falter. The Wife is Close’s film - she won the Golden Globe Award, Screen Actors Guild Award and Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actress for her performance, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress and the BAFTA Award for Best Actress but lost out (was robbed!!) to Olivia Coleman. She is incredible and The Wife is worth watching

Frank Didymus (Queer Intersectional Healthcare Activist) and Andrew Johnstone (sometimes podcaster occasional Digital Humanist) return to Flixwatcher to review Frank’s choice The Silence of the Lambs.   The Silence of the Lambs is the 1991 adaptation of the Thomas Harris novel of the same name starring Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins (both Oscar-winning performances) and directed by Jonathan Demme. Clarice Starling (Foster), trainee FBI agent is brought in to help track down a serial killer “Buffalo Bill” by enlisting the help of the brilliant psychiatrist but cannibalistic serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lector (Hopkins). It won the ‘big five’ at the Academy Awards - Actor, Actress, Picture, Director and Adapted Screenplay - only the third film to ever do so. Every one it deserves, Demme direction is both grotesque and compulsive, slow-burning and unbelievably tense, extremely dark but also occasionally funny.   Scores [supsystic-tables id=150] Unsurprisingly The Silence of the Lambs scores highly across pre

Illustrators David Litchfield and Sam Gilby return to Flixwatcher to review David’s choice, Back to the Future Part 2.     Back to the Future Part 2 reunited Michael J Fox’s Marty McFly and Christopher Lloyd’s Doc, however, Crispin Glover did not return and Elizabeth Shue joined as Marty’s girlfriend Jennifer. Both Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale returned to direct and write respectively. It was filmed back to back with Part 3 and was the third highest-grossing film of 1989. BTTF 2 picks up exactly where BTTF ended. They go back to the future (2015) to save their future children but Marty picks up an almanac and inadvertently changes the future. They return to 1985, which is now changed - and it’s not good - and they have to fix things by going back to 1955 (again). It’s fair to say BTTF 2 is not the five star classic BTTF is. The plot feels a bit tired, the product placement tie-ins are jarring (Michael Jackson), the vision of 2015 doesn’t really work and Fox playing his own future daughter is just weird! Watc

Ben (@TopFilmTip) and Rich (Betamax Video Club podcast) join Flixwatcher to review Ben’s choice the Oscar nominated animation I Lost My Body.   I Lost My Body is a 2019 French animated film based on the book Happy Hand by Guillaume Laurant (who also co-wrote the screenplay) and directed by Jérémy Clapin. It won the Nespresso Grand Prize (critics choice) at Cannes making it the first animation to do so. I Lost My Body is almost two stories, one is the story of a severed hand, dancing and fighting its way across Paris while having to defend itself against rats and pigeons to rejoin its owner. The second is a sad story of orphan Naoufel, who fails at delivering pizza but by chance meets Gabrielle who opens his world to other opportunities. Scores [supsystic-tables id=148] I Lost My Body is best watched non dubbed with subtitles to get the full Paris flavours and charms and with a run time of 81 minutes, it’s very much worth your attention. I Lost My Body scored fairly well, let down a little by repeat viewing

Rhianna Dhillon (BBC 6music, previously Radio 1) and James King BBC Radio 2, also previously Radio 1) join Flixwatcher to review Rhianna’s choice Sense and Sensibility. Sense and Sensibility is the 1995 Ang Lee directed adaptation of the Jane Austen classic starring Emma Thompson (winning Best Adapted Screenplay), Kate Winslet and Alan Rickman and Hugh Grant I’m supporting roles. It tells the story of the Dashwood girls, who after the death of their father are left in “ruin” with only their half brother John to look after them financially. After they are moved to a more modest house the older sisters Elinor (Thompson) and Marianne (Winslet) fall in love with various characters, with their respective ‘sense’ and ‘sensibility’ reflected in their interactions. An absolute must for any Austen fan, this version allowed Thompson to bring her own flourish to a well loved classic and it was largely well received. Questionable whether non Austen aficionados would find it as charming, especially given its two hour ru

Hannah Russell (Mags Creative: Deliciously Ella, Honestly with Clemmie Telford) and Georgie Grier (The Screenster Podcast) join Flixwatcher to review the 2013 Richard Curtis romantic drama About Time. Tim (Domhnall Gleeson) is let into a secret by his father James (Bill Nighy) that all the men (yes, the men only) can travel back in time. Tim uses this opportunity to go back in time to stalk/make Mary (Rachel McAdams) fall in love with him. There is more time travel that services his own best interests (if he prevents his sister from being involved in a car crash he would have a son instead of a daughter) and again when he nearly forfeits having another child because it would stop him traveling back in time to spend more time with his father. It’s two hours about a very selfish man or a charming romantic drama depending on how you look at things. Ignoring any inconsistencies about the logistics of time travel About Time favours male white privilege and all of the female characters are poorly written (Mary

Ali Plumb (BBC Radio 1) and Ally Wybrew (Empire Magazine) return to Flixwatcher to review Ali’s choice Moneyball. Moneyball is a 2011 baseball film based on true events starring Brad Pitt, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Jonah Hill. Directed by Bennett (Capote, Foxcatcher) Miller and co written by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin it tells the story of the Oakland Athletics baseball 2002 season where manager Billy (Pitt) Beane with the help of Peter (Hill) Brand uses sabermetrics to (controversially) recruit players on a small budget. How you feel about Moneyball largely depends on how you feel about baseball in general and how interested you are in the use of statistics in sport - if neither of these things get you going Moneyball may not be your film. Pitt puts in a decent performance that includes him eating in many scenes but it’s Hill that gives the surprising performance as his semi reluctant assistant. Moneyball isn’t without the sports movie cliches and it is as macho as you’d expect from a baseball film.