Netflix: How it Ends

Dr Zaius

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Spoiler alert! Kind of. I can't really spoil that much because not a whole lot actually happens in this film.

Another disaster apocalypse where the world is coming to an end. Check.

Forest Whitaker was intense, as usual. But his talents are somewhat wasted here, as his character is sort of a hardass that never really gets into gear. Instead, he just sneers and his wheels get knocked out from underneath him before he has much of a chance to do anything memorable. Still, he's generally the bright spot here as Theo James is kind of impotent in the face of impending disaster. Is anything more useless than a corporate lawyer when the world is coming to and end? One wonders if there's some nebulous social commentary at work here.

There are a couple of chase scenes and gun battles, but don't expect too much from the action sequences because this is more of a movie about how ordinary people react in the face of extraordinary circumstances rather than an action flick like Day Z or something like that.

Ironically, for a movie titled 'How it Ends,' I'm not entirely certain this movie actually has an ending. Instead, it just sort of, well, stopped. Or something. It's as if the production ran out of money and they just decided to release it with no ending.

Sadly, as I've said previously, this is getting to be a bit of a trend with Netflix productions -- they're long on build-up and short on delivery. Mind you, I'm not against slow-burn sci-fi or disaster drama, yet this one somehow just never manages to go anywhere.

But at least the characters weren't all blind, deaf, forced to live in silence or darkness like 'Bird Box' and all the other recent Netflix offerings. I know producers are trying to do something new and different, and I'm willing to give some credit for that where it's deserved. But damn it, just tell a good story and make a solid film first, then worry about trying to be groundbreaking later! A Quiet Place, Bird Box, The Happening, and Blindness -- to be honest, all these films are starting to feel a little bit desperate. More like glorified fan faction than serious productions.

Perhaps a better title would have been, 'How it Didn't End.'

 

Aaron Cleavin

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Spoiler alert! Kind of. I can't really spoil that much because not a whole lot actually happens in this film.

Another disaster apocalypse where the world is coming to an end. Check.

Forest Whitaker was intense, as usual. But his talents are somewhat wasted here, as his character is sort of a hardass that never really gets into gear. Instead, he just sneers and his wheels get knocked out from underneath him before he has much of a chance to do anything memorable. Still, he's generally the bright spot here as Theo James is kind of impotent in the face of impending disaster. Is anything more useless than a corporate lawyer when the world is coming to and end? One wonders if there's some nebulous social commentary at work here.

There's a couple of chase scenes and gun battles, but don't expect too much from the action sequences because this is more of a movie about how ordinary people react in the face of extraordinary circumstances.

Ironically, for a movie titled 'How it Ends,' I'm not entirely certain this movie actually had an ending. Instead, it just sort of, well, stopped. Or something. It's as if the production ran out of money and they just decided to release it with no ending.

Sadly, as I've said previously, this is getting to be a bit of a trend with Netflix productions -- they're long on build-up and short on delivery. Mind you, I'm not against slow-burn sci-fi or disaster drama, yet this one somehow just never manages to go anywhere.

But at least the characters weren't all blind, deaf, forced to live in silence or darkness like 'Bird Box' and all the other recent Netflix offerings. I know producers are trying to do something new and different, and I'm willing to give some credit for that where it's deserved. But damn it, just tell a good story and make a solid film first, then worry about trying to be groundbreaking later! A Quiet Place, Bird Box, The Happening, and Blindness -- to be honest, all these films are starting to feel a little bit desperate. More like glorified fan faction than serious productions.

Perhaps a better title would have been, 'How it Didn't End.'

What were your thoughts on Bright?

I personally felt it was actually not too bad, reviews to the contrary, reminiscent of nation.
 

Aaron Cleavin

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It ain't a 10, but on my worst day a 6.5 on a good day a 7.5. If you enjoyed Valerisn on spite if reviews then you will enjoy this. Blade Runner 2049 was artistically a good movie but I was never really entertianed. I thought Bohemian Rhapsody was very disjointed but found Aquaman decentish if not as well realized as Wonder Woman.

The more of those likes or dislikes you connect to might determine if it is worth your time
 

Dr Zaius

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The first time I saw Blade Runner 2049 I thought it was okay, but not great. But I watched it twice more, and it’s grown on me a lot.

It’s like the original in that it takes a while to really digest and get into.
 

Aaron Cleavin

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The first time I saw Blade Runner 2049 I thought it was okay, but not great. But I watched it twice more, and it’s grown on me a lot.

It’s like the original in that it takes a while to really digest and get into.
I need to watch it at least one more time :)
 

Dr Zaius

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I really like that the movie is a deliberate slow burn, and takes its time to build up to a climax. Most movies these days feel rushed and would have benefitted from an extra 30 minutes to properly tell the story. But modern audiences have short attention spans, so producers spend all their time trying to chop off parts.
 

Aaron Cleavin

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I really like that the movie is a deliberate slow burn, and takes its time to build up to a climax. Most movies these days feel rushed and would have benefitted from an extra 30 minutes to properly tell the story. But modern audiences have short attention spans, so producers spend all their time trying to chop off parts.
With the exception of American Sniper which had a wonderful start an inglorious and very real ending, and a middle which dragged something horrible YMMV
 

Sand Bar Bill

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I watched Netflix's just released (I think) "Io" (Jupiter's moon), a disappointing last-woman-on-earth movie. The main actress had as much emotional range as a jar of mayonaise and the plot went nowhere, or at least nowhere interesting. Thumb's down.
 

Dr Zaius

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With the exception of American Sniper which had a wonderful start an inglorious and very real ending, and a middle which dragged something horrible YMMV
You know, I've never seen American Sniper or any of the other movies set in Iraq or Afghanistan. I'm not avoiding them, but modern war movies just don't seem to show up on my radar most of the time. I usually watch sci-fi and a little bit of horror.
 
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Dr Zaius

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I watched Netflix's just released (I think) "Io" (Jupiter's moon), a disappointing last-woman-on-earth movie. The main actress had as much emotional range as a jar of mayonaise and the plot went nowhere, or at least nowhere interesting. Thumb's down.
I can't say I've watched anything on Netflix which I thought was really earthshattering. I guess I'm the last person on earth to get Netflix, as I just finally got it about a month ago.

I did see Errementari: The Blacksmith and the Devil, a tale about a man who was so mean even the devil feared him! It was a little bit odd, but still decent and had some creepy moments. I like watching movies in their rawest form, so I watched it in the original Basque with subtitles.

 
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