Music Review

Music

Release Date: 14th January 2021 - Australia

Production Companies

Landay Entertainment

Atlantic Films

Crush Pictures

Pineapple Lasagne Productions

Warner Music Entertainment

Distribution

StudioCanal Australia

Genre: Drama/Musical

Rating: M

Runtime: 107 minutes

Budget: $16,000,000

Box Office Gross: $645,949 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

Zu is a free-spirited woman who recently went sober and

is trying to find her

place in the world when

she receives the news

that her grandmother

has died. She is about

to become the sole

caretaker of her half-

sister, Music, a young girl

on the autism spectrum.

Cast

Kate Hudson - Zu

Maddie Ziegler - Music

Leslie Odom Jr. - Ebo

Braeden Marcott - Nassir

Beto Cavillo - Felix

Blair Williamson - Abel

Mary Kay Place - Millie

Hector Elizondo - George

Eric Davis - Police Officer

Brandon Soo Hoo - Tanner,

the Boxer

Juliette Lewis - Evelyn

Kathy Najimy - Evelyn's Mom

Ben Schwartz - Rudy

Sarah Zinsser - Woman at AA Meeting

Sia - Popstar Without Borders (Cameo)

Crew

Music's World Creator/Story/

Screenplay/Additional Music/

Producer/Director - Sia

Screenplay - Dallas Clayton

Writer - Metin Bati

Executive Producers - Len Blavatnik, Danny Cohen, Jonathan Daniel, Julie Greenwald

and Craig Kallman

Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager -

Will Weiske

Producer - Vincent Landay

Co-Producer - Jason Baum

Casting - Rachel Tenner and Charlene Lee

Choreographer - Ryan Heffington

Production Designer - Tracy Dishman

Production Designer: Additional Photography/

Art Director - Leigh Poindexter

Set Decorator - Amanda Hallberg

Costume Designer - Christine Wada

Director of Photography - Sebastian Wintero

First Assistant Director: Additional Photography -

Paula Case

Stunt Coordinator - Steven John Brown

Special Effects Coordinator - Elia P. Popov

Visual Effects Supervisor - Janelle Croshaw

Film Editors - Matt Chesse,

Curtiss Clayton and Dana Congdon

Additional Editor - Brad Besser

Additional Editor: Musicals - Loran Askill

Re-Recording Mixer/Sound Designer -

Leo Marcil

Sound Designers - Sylvain Lasseur

and Wylie Stateman

Re-Recording Mixers - Lindsey Alvarez

and Eric Hoehn

Score - Craig DeLeon

Additional Music - Labrinth

Review

I didn't care much about the pop star Sia, though I'm not into her songs. She's proven controversial when this film inaccurately depicts autism as stereotypical and offensive. Many autistic people were insulted by this portrayal, especially with Sia casting a neurotypical actress like Maddie Ziegler as the titular character with severe autism. The restraints in the film proved harmful and dangerous, which isn't a good sign. I'm disappointed with how MUSIC turned out, especially its story, given there's little plot. While the film has good intentions, it lacks the human qualities needed to represent people in a culturally diverse world. The musical numbers are silly and pointless and do not contribute to the film. From what I've learned, this film was written as a non-musical until the producers convinced Sia to add musical numbers.

Maddie Ziegler seemed miscast as the titular character, and honestly, I don't care if she's as terrible at acting as everyone said she is in this movie. Since Maddie was her frequent collaborator on her music videos, the director was Sia. Maybe she should have chosen a different young actress with some autism. While Kate Hudson and Leslie Odom Jr.'s performances were incredible, their roles weren't enough to compensate for the film's failures. Also, Sia's cameo is redundant.

MUSIC fails to deliver good value for a filmgoer's buck. As much as I want to admire this film, I wouldn't because it's disappointing. I would probably not want to see it again. As a recommendation, this movie isn't worth a second viewing, so it's best to avoid it.

Star rating: (3/10) Disappointing

Back to Home

It: Chapter Two Review

It: Chapter Two

Release Date: 5th September 2019 - Australia

Production Companies

New Line Cinema (presents)
RatPac-Dune Entertainment (in association with)
Vertigo Entertainment
Lin Pictures
KatzSmith Productions

Distribution

Roadshow Films

Genre: Horror

Rating: MA15+ (Not Suitable for Young Children)

Runtime: 169 minutes

Budget: $79,000,000

Box Office Gross: $473,122,525 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

Six members of the "Losers" club are all grown up and reunited after being called back to Derry for something they should have done 27 years ago, when people started disappearing all over town. Now, the Club must confront their deepest fears and make one final stand to defeat the evil clown Pennywise once and for all.

Cast

James McAvoy - Bill Denbrough

Jessica Chastain - Beverly Marsh

Bill Hader - Richie Tozier

Isaiah Mustafa - Mike Hanlon

Jay Ryan - Ben Hanscom

James Ransone - Eddie Kaspbrak

Andy Bean - Stanley Uris

Bill Skarsgård - Pennywise

Jaeden Martell - Young Bill Denbrough
Sophia Lillis - Young Beverly Marsh
Finn Wolfhard - Young Richie Tozier
Chosen Jacobs - Young Mike Hanlon

Jeremy Ray Taylor - Young Ben Hanscom
Jack Dylan Grazer - Young Eddie Kaspbrak
Wyatt Oleff - Young Stanley Uris
Nicholas Hamilton - Young

Henry Bowers

Tristian Levi and Torian

Matthew Cox - 4-Year-Old

Mike Hanlon

Joan Gregson - Mrs. Kersh 

Teach Grant - Henry Bowers

Jackson Robert Scott - Georgie 
Denbrough

Javier Botet - Hobo/The Witch

Xavier Dolan - Adrian Mellon

Taylor Frey - Don Hagarty

Stephen Bogaert - Alvin Marsh

Molly Atkinson - Myra/Sonia Kaspbrak

Luke Roessler - Dean

Stephen King - Shopkeeper (Cameo)

Peter Bogdanovich - Peter - Director (Cameo)

Will Beinbrink - Tom

Jess Weixler - Audra Phillips

Martha Girvin - Patty

Ryan Kiera Armstrong - Victoria
Fuller

Jake Weary - Webby

Katie Lunman - Chris Unwin

Kelly Van der Burg - Victoria's Mom

Jason Fuchs - Richie's Manager

Joe Bostick - Mr. Keene

Megan Charpentier - Young Gretta

Juno Rinaldo - Gretta

Neil Crone - Chief Borton 

Jake Sim - Belch Huggins
Logan Thompson - Victor Criss
Owen Teague - Patrick Hockstetter

Ry Prior - Connor

Ari Cohen - Stanley's Dad

Kate Corbett - Dean's Mom

Shawn Storer - Dean's Dad

Janet Porter - Richie's Mom

Crew

Director - Andy Muschietti 

Based on the Novel "It" - Stephen King

Screenplay/Executive 
Producer - Gary Dauberman

Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager - Marty P. Ewing

Executive Producers - Richard Brenner, 
Seth Grahame-Smith, David Katzenberg 
and Dave Neustadter

Producers - Roy Lee, 
Dan Lin and Barbara Muschietti

Co-Producer - Victoria Palmeri

Co-Producer/Script Revisionist (Uncredited) -

Jason Fuchs

Choreographer - Roberto Campanella

Production Designer - Paul D. Austenberry

Original Set Design - Claude Paré

Concept Artists - Vicki Pui, Aaron Sims,

Michael Pecchia, Carlos Haunte and

Vincent Proce

Art Director - Nigel Churcher

Set Decorator - Shane Vieau

Property Master - Christopher Geggie

Costume Designer - Luis Sequeira

Makeup Designers and Creators: Pennywise -

Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff Jr.

Shop Supervisor - François Dagenais

Prosthetics Supervisor/Department Head -

Sean Sansom

Hair Designer - Stephanie Ingram

Director of Photography - Checco Varese

First Assistant Director - Michael Lerman

First Assistant Director: Second Unit -

Travis McConnell

Second Assistant Directors: Second Unit -

Adam Bocknek and Lauren Cowley

Third Assistant Directors: Second Unit -

Andrew Pritchard and Abel Erazo-Ibarra

Second Unit Director - William Waring

Stunt Coordinator - Jamie Jones

Special Effects Supervisor - Christy Hollidge

Special Effects Coordinator - Warren Appleby

Visual Effects Supervisor - Nicholas Brooks

Visual Effects Producers - Randy Starr

and Jimmy Uddo

Editor - Jason Ballantine

Additional Editor - Peter S. Elliott

Sound Designers - Erick Ocampo and

Randy Torres

Supervising Sound Editors - Bill R. Dean

and Nancy Nugent

Re-Recording Mixers - Michael Keller

and Tim LeBlanc

Music - Benjamin Wallfisch

Review

IT: CHAPTER TWO is the awaited conclusion of Stephen King's original story and is much bigger and more ambitious than the first movie (click here). While its predecessor exceeded expectations among readers of the novel, this film comes close in its own right. It doesn't come as much of a shock for audiences who opted for the second part of IT to be superior to the miniseries version. The pacing is, at times, slow, the running time is nearly three hours, and there are many weaker scares than in the previous film. Still, I appreciated the movie for its themes and its loyalty to the source material, not to mention the terrifying moments, like the infamous Hall of Mirrors scene, which haunt you and give you shivers.

James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, and Bill Hader deliver terrific performances in the sequel, which nearly captures the original's fright and suspense. Bill Skarsgård is still as terrifying as Pennywise. Keep an eye out for the author. He has a cameo as the shopkeeper in the film.

Not quite as scary or as compelling as the first movie, IT: CHAPTER TWO remains a solid conclusion with a surprise for moviegoers and is a solid choice for everyone who has seen the previous instalment.

Star rating: (7/10) Good Movie

Back to Home

In Memory of Robbie Coltrane (1950-2022)

Robbie Coltrane (1950-2022)

Hello moviegoers! We just lost someone famous. Scottish-born actor Robbie Coltrane, best known for portraying the lovable half-giant Hagrid in the "Harry Potter" series, died on 14 October 2022. He was 72 years old. Coltrane was only a stage name when the actor adopted it in honour of his favourite jazz musician, John Coltrane. Before gaining international fame, Coltrane dabbled in comedy on the theatre stage, and in 1980, he made his film debut in "Flash Gordon" in a minor role as a man at the airfield. The following year, Coltrane became a regular on the comedy "A Kick up the Eighties" and landed an iconic role in the Comic Strip's "Five Go Mad in Dorset," playing both a female shopkeeper and a male gypsy. He even appeared in a short-lived sketch TV series, "Alfresco," alongside English actors Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry, and Emma Thompson.

In 1987, while the actor had become reasonably well-known on television, he made his big break by landing the lead role in the heartwarming six-part rock 'n' roll drama series "Tutti Frutti." It reunited him with Thompson and earned him his first British Academy Television Award nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role. After "Tutti Frutti," he appeared in a few more movies, including "Nuns on the Run" and "The Pope Must Die." In 1993, Robbie scored a lead role as a troubled criminal psychologist in the dark, hard-hitting drama series "Cracker," which won him three BAFTAs and ran for three seasons, culminating in two subsequent specials. Coltrane continued to thrive on television and cinema, especially when he appeared as the former KGB operative Valentin Zukovsky in the James Bond films with Pierce Brosnan, "GoldenEye" and "The World Is Not Enough."

In 2001, he landed a natural role in the "Harry Potter" franchise when J.K. Rowling was eager to cast him as the bearded half-giant gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid. Naturally, Coltrane accepted it, as his children urged him to. Starring in all eight movies, Coltrane reached a new audience of younger fans, helping to re-energise his career, particularly on British TV. In 2016, he returned to the small screen with an edgy drama, "National Treasure," where he played a TV actor accused of sexual abuse. Coltrane appeared less frequently in films and television, especially in later years when health issues began to plague him. However, he returned for an interview in HBO Max's "Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts," where the aging actor recalled his time in the movies and the impact of playing Hagrid.

Goodbye, Robbie, and thank you for playing the character that impacted younger generations. Here is a clip from his iconic role, a pivotal moment that introduces Hagrid and delivers the famous line to Harry: "You're a wizard, Harry!"

Back to Home

In Memory of Angela Lansbury (1925-2022)

Angela Lansbury (1925-2022)

The acclaimed actress of stage, film, and television, Dame Angela Lansbury, has died two weeks short of her 97th birthday. She has starred in films such as "Beauty and the Beast" and the television series "Murder, She Wrote."

She was born Angela Brigid Lansbury in London on 25th October 1925, the daughter of an Irish stage actress and a career politician. Her father died when she was 9, and not long after, she fled to New York City with her family at the beginning of World War II to avoid the bombings by Germany during the London Blitz. During her time in New York City, Lansbury studied to become an actress and, at her mother's urging, soon moved to Los Angeles to act in movies. She debuted opposite Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer in the psychological thriller classic "Gaslight," playing a maid. This part earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. The following year, she was nominated again for Best Supporting Actress for 1945's "The Picture of Dorian."

She was under contract to MGM but was sometimes loaned to other studios by the company, as she told the Los Angeles Times in 1985. Lansbury appeared in several films, including "National Velvet" (as Elizabeth Taylor's sister), "The Harvey Girls," "State of the Union," "The Three Musketeers," the Danny Kaye comedy "The Court Jester," and "The Long, Hot Summer." She often portrays characters much older than she was, including in movies like "Blue Hawaii" as Elvis Presley's mom when she was 35 and playing opposite the 26-year-old Elvis. One role she was too young for, however, was playing Laurence Harvey's controlling mother in "The Manchurian Candidate." Lansbury was three years older than her 34-year-old co-star. Though the film was initially unsuccessful, it did earn Lansbury her third Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Lansbury also had an illustrious career on Broadway, appearing in several productions such as "Mame," "Gypsy," and "Sweeney Todd," and earning five Tony Awards. After becoming a musical theatre star in the mid-1960s, Lansbury returned to films occasionally in the 1970s, with the lead role in the 1971 Disney hit musical "Bedknobs and Broomsticks." In 1991, her association with Disney continued when she voiced Mrs. Potts, the teapot, in the Oscar-nominated animated movie "Beauty and the Beast." She also starred recently in "Mary Poppins Returns."

In her 60s, she achieved her greatest fame as mystery writer-turned-detective Jessica Fletcher in the TV series "Murder, She Wrote." The show aired on CBS. It lasted 12 seasons and was among the top 10 most-watched shows on television.

In 2013, Lansbury received her Honorary Oscar, which she accepted. The following year, she received her damehood from Queen Elizabeth II. Here are the clips of the movies that highlight her performances.

Back to Home

Polishing and Improving My Critiques

Hello, everyone. There's nothing to talk about what I was doing. In the past several years/months/weeks, I've been using the Grammarly app. I started in 2020 to improve my reviews when COVID hit. Since then, I've been making changes by rewriting plot summaries, rewording, expanding, shortening and polishing review descriptions.

Recently, I've been juggling my animation work, new job and movie critiques so I won't be distracted by anything else.

I compiled a list of my original reviews, which I've already updated recently. Click on the names below, which are linked to the critiques and see what you think of these improvements.

• Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
• The Lion King (1994)
• How to Train Your Dragon
• The Lawnmower Man
• Casablanca
• Die Hard
• Die Hard with a Vengeance
• Rise of the Planet of the Apes
  
• Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
• Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
• Dr. No
• Casino Royale
• Pixels
• Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie
• The Lost World: Jurassic Park
• The Karate Kid (1984)
• X-Men
  

As for The Amazing Spider-Man, Rock of Ages, The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies, Roman Holiday, The Darkest Hour, and Get Smart, which are still under maintenance. I'm still working on them.

More updates will be coming as I resume my busy schedule.

Back to Home

The Fog (1980) Review

The Fog

Release Date: 12th June 1980 - Australia

Production Companies

AVCO Embassy Pictures

EDI (presents)

Debra Hill Productions

Distribution

StudioCanal Australia

Genre: Horror

Rating: M (Not Suitable for Young Children)

Runtime: 90 minutes

Budget: $1,100,000

Box Office Gross: $21,448,830 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

A small, quaint coastal town

in California, Antonio Bay,

has turned 100, and the

residents of its peaceful

community have begun

preparations to celebrate

its centennial year, just as

supernatural activity begins

to disrupt the festivities.

An impenetrable, eerie fog

emerges from the shore,

shrouding the village and

leading to mysterious

disappearances and the

spilling of warm, bright

red blood. Amidst the

spectral glowing mist

are ghosts of long-dead

victims of a century-old

shipwreck that have come

to seek revenge on the

townsfolk for a crime

committed by the town's

founders 100 years ago.

Cast

Adrienne Barbeau - Stevie Wayne

Jamie Lee Curtis - Elizabeth Solley

John Houseman - Mr. Machen

Janet Leigh - Kathy Williams

Tom Atkins - Nick Castle

Nancy Kyes - Sandy Fadel

James Canning - Dick Baxter

Charles Cyphers - Dan O'Bannon

Ty Mitchell - Andy Wayne

Hal Holbrook - Father Malone

John F. Goff - Al Williams

George 'Buck' Flower - Tommy Wallace

Regina Waldon - Mrs. Kobritz

Jim Haymie - Dockmaster

Darrow Igus - Mel

John Vick - Sheriff David Simms

Jim Jacobus - Mayor

Fred Franklyn - Ashcroft

Ric Moreno - Ghost

Lee Socks - Ghost

Tommy Lee Wallace - Ghost

Bill Taylor - Bartender

Rob Bottin - Blake

Charles Nicklin - Blake (Voice)

Darwin Joston - Dr. Phibes

Laurie Arent - Child

Lindsay Arent - Child

Shari Jacoby - Child

Christopher Cundey - Child

John Strobel - Grocery Clerk

John Carpenter - Bennett (Cameo)

(Uncredited)

Debra Hill - Extra (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Crew

Writer/Director/Music - John Carpenter

Writer/Producer - Debra Hill

Script Supervisor - Jeanne Rosenberg

Associate Producers - Barry Bernardi

and Pegi Brotman

Executive Producer - Charles B. Bloch

Production Designer/Editor - Tommy Lee Wallace

Art Director - Craig Stearns

Special Makeup/Effects: Blake - Rob Bottin

Costume Designers - Stephen Loomis

and Bill Whitten

Cinematography/Effects: Blake - Dean Cundey

Camera Operator/Second Unit Camera -

Raymond Stella

Production Manager - Don Behrns

First Assistant Director - Larry Franco

Special Effects: A. & A. Special Effects -

Richard Albain Jr.

Special Photographic Effects - James F. Liles

Editor - Charles Bornstein

Special Sound Effects - Frank Serafine

Supervising Sound Editors - Gregg Barbanell

and Ron Horowitz

Re-Recording Mixers - Bob Minkler,

Richard Tyler and Ray West

Review

John Carpenter is an accomplished master of terror capable of bringing horror movies to life. Following the success of Halloween is the supernatural and ghostly tale, THE FOG. The film centres on the town's residents facing an unearthly fog of shipwreck victims coming to claim them for a crime committed 100 years ago. It is known for its moody atmosphere and is so tense that it will completely terrify you, whether you're watching it alone or with someone at midnight. The few problems with THE FOG are its lack of blood and gore. The other is Adrienne Barbeau's role, in which she doesn't interact with some of the other characters. However, the creepiness and original premise should make up for it. I like how the movie begins with an old captain telling a ghost story to young children by a campfire, a fitting start to a horror film.

Adrienne Barbeau showcased her talent as a radio announcer, yet surprisingly, she was married to the film's director during production. Jamie Lee Curtis didn't have enough material to work in a lead role, as she was part of an ensemble cast. However, she shares the screen with her mother and fellow actress Janet Leigh. Dean Cundey's cinematography was brilliant, evoking the film's chilling impact, and some special effects are magnificent.

THE FOG is a visually compelling movie by John Carpenter, despite numerous production issues that caused the director to consider it his least favourite. While I partially disagree, it is a semi-decent, enjoyable film, especially for those familiar with a similar, more terrifying movie called The Mist.

Star rating: (7/10) Good Movie

Back to Home

Contagion Review

Contagion

Release Date: 20th October 2011 - Australia

Production Companies

Warner Bros. Pictures (presents)

Participant (in association with)

Imagenation Abu Dhabi FZ (in

association with)

Double Feature Films

Digital Image Associates

Distribution

Roadshow Films

Genre: Thriller

Rating: M

Runtime: 106 minutes

Budget: $60,000,000

Box Office Gross: $136,515,867 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

On her return from a

business trip to Hong Kong,

Beth Emhoff suddenly dies

from what appears to be the

flu or some ailment. Later

that same day, her young

son dies after contracting

the illness that killed her.

Her husband, however,

appears to be immune

to the virus. Soon, many

others began experiencing the same symptoms, sparking a global pandemic. Many doctors and other medical professionals must identify the exact virus and find a vaccine to end the outbreak, which should take only several months. As the contagion spreads to millions worldwide, society begins to crumble as people panic.

Cast

Marion Cotillard - Dr. Leonora

Orantes

Matt Damon - Mitch Emhoff

Laurence Fishburne - Dr. Ellis Cheever

Jude Law - Alan Krumwiede

Gwyneth Paltrow - Beth Emhoff

Kate Winslet - Dr. Erin Mears

Bryan Cranston - RADM Lyle Haggerty

Jennifer Ehle - Dr. Ally Hextall

Elliott Gould - Dr. Ian Sussman

Chin Han - Sun Feng

John Hawkes - Roger

Anna Jacoby-Heron - Jory Emhoff

Josie Ho - Li Fai's Sister

Sanaa Lathan - Aubrey Cheever

Demetri Martin - Dr. David Eisenberg

Griffin Kane - Clark Morrow

Armin Rohde - Damian Leopold

Enrico Colantoni - Dennis French

Larry Clarke - Dave

Monique Gabriela Curnen - Lorraine Vasquez

Stef Tovar - Dr. Arrington

Grace Rex - Carrie Anne

Kara Zediker - Elizabeth Nygaard

Dan Aho - Aaron Barnes

Brian J. O'Donnell - Andrew

Annabel Armour - Beth's Mother

Dan Flannery - Hextall's Father

Joshua Seiden - Anthony

Sanjay Gupta - Himself (Cameo)

Crew

Director/Director of Photography - Steven Soderbergh

Writer - Scott Z. Burns

Executive Producers - Jonathan King,

Jeff Skoll and Ricky Strauss

Executive Producer/Unit Production

Manager - Michael Polaire

Producer/First Assistant Director -

Gregory Jacobs

Producers - Michael Shamberg

and Stacey Sher

Senior Technical Advisors - Larry Brilliant,

Laurie Garrett and Ian Lipkin

Technical Advisors - Billy Goldberg,

Natasha K. Griffith, Tracey McNamara,

Michael J. Ryan, Connie Schmaljohn,

Mark Smolinski, Ira Blumen,

Don Weiss and Nathan Wolfe

Production Designer - Howard Cummings

Supervising Art Director - David Lazan

Supervising Art Director: UK and Morocco -

Ricky Eyres

Set Decorator - Cindy Carr

Property Master - Brad Einhorn

Costume Designer - Louise Frogley

Makeup Department Head - Kate Biscoe

Location Manager: UK & Morocco -

David Broder

Production Supervisor - Julie M. Anderson

Production Manager: UK & Morocco -

David Brown

Stunt Coordinator: Chicago - Rick LeFevour

Stunt Coordinator: Hong Kong - R.A. Rondell

Special Effects Coordinator - John D. Milinac

Special Effects Coordinator: San Francisco -

Ron Bolanowski

Visual Effects Supervisor - Thomas J. Smith

Editor - Stephen Mirrione

Re-Recording Mixer/Supervising Sound

Editor - Larry Blake

Additional Sound Effects - John Pospisil

Production Sound Mixers - Dennis Towns

and Mark Weingarten

Foley Artists - Dawn Fintor and

Alicia Stevenson

Music - Cliff Martinez

Review

In a period of self-isolation, back when COVID-19 made us stay in our homes and avoid contact with others. The movie that may have unintentionally predicted it was CONTAGION, which came out nine years before the pandemic. I saw the film on Netflix when it was popular there. It's surprisingly accurate how an obscure movie has aged well in times like these, as its hauntingly prophetic themes have become relevant in 2020. There's nothing to joke about in this procedural film, and it makes me think about all the things I endured during the pandemic, such as social distancing. Imbued with a sharp narrative and an ensemble cast, CONTAGION excels as a gripping, realistic drama grounded in real events and medical procedures.

Director and cinematographer Steven Soderbergh, along with writer Scott Z. Burns, has created something inspired by the headlines. It isn't like any other disaster film, which often revolves around natural disasters like tornadoes and earthquakes. No, this movie is frighteningly realistic, unlike the cardboard theatrics of Wolfgang Petersen's Outbreak with Dustin Hoffman as the saviour of the world. The film is scientifically accurate, indicating that the filmmakers conducted extensive research involving the struggles doctors face in developing vaccinations. The acting performances are exceptional, especially Matt Damon, who plays a character determined to protect his daughter from the widespread pandemic.

After watching this movie, CONTAGION feels closer to home. It is a solid and intriguing film. Watching the movie on Netflix again after the pandemic is fascinating, but I still highly recommend it.

Star rating: (9/10) Excellent Movie

Back to Home