My thoughts on Remniscence (2021). Last Night in Soho (2021), Dune (2021) and Antlers (2021)

Remniscence was presented as this huge blockbuster film in the same vein as Inception. Premise wise it's not even that far removed from that film as well. Only the main differences are the style and genre. Inception was an action thriller and Remniscene is a neo noir with Hugh Jackman as the gumshoe on the search for his femme fatale. While Remniscence isn't short of ambition the scale is quite small. So is the impact. Not that there is anything wrong with that. However it takes the film far too long to get to the point and therefore will waste a lot of your time. It also does an injustice to the chemistry and dynamics between Jackman and Thandie Newton. The film could and should have been about them. Especially since Rebecca Ferguson is miscast as the temptress. She is not the type all men would go crazy for. Am I supposed to believe that a guy like Jackman is so easily impressed by a dame like that? Think again! It also doesn't help that the mystery itself isn't twisty enough. Film most suited to watch on rainy Sundays.

Last Night in Soho, the latest film from Edgar Wright, must be one of the most overrated films this year. Just like Baby Driver it's met with such praise while not offering anything creative or refreshing. It can't even deliver on the genres it is supposed to be. As a mystery it lacks red herrings, and as a horror it lacks tension and scares. A real shame since the film did start out pretty compelling only to lose me the second the fantasy elements kicked in. What should have been a thrill ride becomes a bore through and through. The late Diana Rigg is the only person who at least makes it worth your while. But despite her efforts she is not supported by the direction or story. On top of that the film tries to make a statement of some sorts. It's so on the nose that it simply fails to have any impact. And for people claiming this is clever. No, it's not. It's just a case of style over substance. 

Speaking of style over substance. Dune also prefers the visuals over character development, intrigue and tension. I can tell that I am supposed to be impacted by events and what the characters are going through. But how can I when it's not even that clear who I am supposed to be rooting for. Sure the film focuses on The Atreides family but there are many other parties involved who are just as prominent and don't even get the time and attention they deserve. Mind you, the film is not boring. I only didn't really care about anything or anyone. Not in the slightest. However there is one thing that I noticed that did have a profound impact on me. And that is how much Dune is similar to Star Wars. Or should I say how Star Wars is similar to Dune since the novels were written long before George Lucas wrote his stories. I honestly never realized that George Lucas stole so much from the Dune novels. Since I recognized a lot of the scenes and elements in the Star Wars films. That to me is the most compelling argument to have someone watch this adaptation. The story itself and how events unfold at least to me aren't memorable.

Ever since Antlers was announced, I was awaiting it's arrival eagerly. Especially since Guillermo del Toro was attached to the project. It was promoted as if he had a big hand in it. In hindsight I don't think this is the case. He probably only provided the funds and gave writer / director Scott Cooper the freedom to make the film he wanted to make. Too bad that Scott Cooper is a little out of his depth when it comes to horror. Not only does the film lack tension, it's not really scary. There is atmosphere and the acting is quite good. You can't fault the film to even be immensely psychological. But the pacing is incredibly slow and not a whole lot happens to keep you on the edge of your seat. This easily could have been terrifying yet fails to instill dread on the audience. It also does a real poor job of building up the mythology. It expects of you to already know certain folklore. But even then it should establish some rules. And it never does. Such a disappointment!