Tiny Reviews: "Twisters", "Trap" and "A Quiet Place: Day One"

TWISTERS

It's not original... I mean, we have seen this film before... but Twisters puts a lot of effort in character development and in the search of the movie's heart, which it ultimately finds in Daisy Edgar-Jones. Glen Powell steals the scene with his movie star charisma for sure, but the movie belongs to the female lead: she can do both the acting and exude the leading lady quality in a way that reminds me of a young Julia Roberts here. I liked the approach Lee Isaac Chung had with the material, pulling sensibility from a script full of clichè blockbuster lines and scenes. The visual effects are outstanding. An entertaining entry for the disaster movie catalogue that never amazes me, but it's good enough to never be bad no matter what. Not a force of nature but a windy cinematic moment.

RATING: 5,5/10

TRAP

It really traps the audience in almost 2 hours of a manhunt that feels sterile thanks to an unsensitive approach that doesn't allow you to feel sympathy for its lead. Still, Josh Hartnet is a movie star here and he shines despite the script. Too many twists and turns make for an unbalanced and unfocused movie with weak dialogue! It feeds you with enough action for audiences to keep in their seats but it's the kind of movie people won't rewatch ever again - it's a "one and done".

RATING: 4/10

A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE

I think it is one of the most smart prequels ever made, because it doesn't really try to be more like the two previous films of the franchise. What can be described as a suffocating approach to the alien invasion in previous films is now replaced by a beacon of hope in search for humanity when everything is falling down. Day One is not exhilarating, it doesn't sell the sense of terror, but it offers plenty of thrills in the search of a life's meaning. It's a study about humanity and what it means to be human. It's a study about death and how it really defines the way we live. Lupita Nyong'o delivers a bravura performance here: her eyes speak a thousand words when there's nothing to be heard. The sound work is impeccable and I really liked the production design in this one. Joseph Quinn is also great, but the best Lupita's scene partner is the cat! Go for the franchise, stay for the pizza and never forget Lupita's talents.

RATING: 7,5/10

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