The Zone
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Film recommendation channel.

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- All recommendations are personal opinions.
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Blink Twice (2024)
Directed by Zoe Kravitz

A good directorial debut by Zoe Kravitz!

However, the movie is basically a Saltburnification of Don’t Worry Darling wrapped in Promising Young Woman.

I wish they didn't change the title from Pussy Island to Blink Twice... Pussy Island was a really good movie title for this.

#BlinkTwice
😁3👍1
Red Rooms (2023)

A totally twisted, pitch-black study of obsession in the digital age that goes places it knows it shouldn't.

The long take in the court room at the beginning was impressive and had flawless acting. The dialogue was on point. Great acting all around. Pretty much the whole movie I kept thinking it was going in an obvious predictable way but not at all, it changed course a couple times.

Never actually showing the videos was the right choice, let imagination run it's course. Hearing the stories of the three girls through dialogue and seeing the character's reactions is better and maybe even more horrifying than anything they could have shown us through video.

It perhaps gets a little too ambicious in the second half and will probably lose a few but i'm satisfied with the end result. Very tense third act. 

It is at times a strong sociological experiment to tackle those who have an admiration for deranged killers but in essence, it’s all about the obsessive behavior of our leading lady (Kelly-Anne, who is phenomenal by the way, excellent performance) to expose the deconstruction of the truth. Behind this quest for justice and truthfulness, there’s an analysis to make concerning sensationalism. It’s also normal to feel angry, troubled, and thunderstruck by a case like this. But it’s also macabrely inquiring to find a logic behind the unthinkable.

No need to read between the lines to understand that it is spellbinding study of Kelly-Anne's psyche on why she is obsessed with the case. The whole narrative confronts the unsettling, unfiltered and unflinching reality of human allure all being exposed with the light theme of a courtroom.

#RedRooms
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Rebel Ridge (2024)

A fantastic adaptation of a JACK REACHER novel that was never written.

It’s rare to find a modern movie without any unjustified sex scenes, excessive bloodshed, or forced attempts to include certain themes. Instead, this film focuses on outstanding acting, gripping drama, and delivers a powerful message.

Though the ending felt a bit sudden, I still thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

#RebelRidge
3
Transformers One (2024)

This is an animated movie that shows the origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron and how they became leaders of two factions in a never ending war. I liked seeing how Megatron fell from being happy and friends with Optimus to being enemy's but it did feel a little rushed. While their characters are well-written and developed, their transformations felt rushed, making the emotional depth less convincing.

I also found it weird that they never mentioned the name Bumblebee but using Badassatron was pretty funny instead.

#TransformersOne
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Alien: Romulus (2024)

Alien: Romulus brings the ALIEN franchise back to its roots: Scary creature on a spaceship slowly killing everyone on board. 

In shows like Star Trek and Star Wars, the aliens are about as alien as meeting someone from a foreign country. Harmony and understanding can be achieved with an open-minded discussion and a universal translator to get you over the language barrier. H. P. Lovecraft and the Alien franchise shows what it would be like to encounter beings that do not merely have a different culture. They are not us in ANY sense. They are so different that we have no way to grasp their motives, how they see the world, or how they see us. True aliens.

#AlienRomulus
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Trap (2024)
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan

The film follows a really engaging timeline, making you feel like you’re simply trailing Josh Hartnett’s character as the night unfolds. It’s like you’re an omniscient presence hovering just over his shoulder. It was a fun experience, and I absolutely loved it.

Josh Hartnett is fantastic in this! There are so many moments where he acts strangely, and then another character comments on it, prompting him to act even weirder to cover it up, all done brilliantly through subtle facial tics.

The emotional beats really hit hard, and it’s strange to find yourself siding with the character who’s clearly the villain. You almost end up rooting for the butcher at every turn.

#Trap
👍5
Gladiator II (2024)
Directed by Ridely Scott

In the first ten minutes of the film, a key character's loved one is killed, and the audience is expected to connect deeply with their grief despite having only one brief scene to establish their bond. This level of shallow writing sets the tone for the rest of the movie.

Was I entertained? Yes, I was. But entertainment and spectacle alone aren’t enough to support a sequel to such an iconic film. While the physical sets and production design are stunning, the movie heavily relies on telling rather than showing, diminishing its emotional impact.

It's nearly impossible not to compare this sequel to the original, as it borrows so much from it—the structure is nearly identical, and the characters feel like lesser imitations of the iconic ones from the first film.

Ridley Scott's reputation as one of the greatest directors of all time remains untarnished. What he’s achieved in his career truly echoes in eternity, but this sequel doesn’t live up to the legacy of its predecessor.

#Gladiator2
3
All We Imagine as Light (2024)
Directed by Payal Kapadia

This film explores the lives of three women in Mumbai: one grappling with loneliness and feeling trapped, another swept up in the impulsive freedom of youth and love, and a third facing the harsh realities of gentrification. Each woman’s story is thoughtfully crafted with deeply resonant character arcs.

While many acclaimed filmmakers have portrayed the loneliness and struggles of life in a big city—creating timeless classics beloved by cinephiles—All We Imagine as Light brings a fresh and distinct voice to this genre.

We watch films for different reasons—some for pure entertainment, others as a means of escape. For me, films are about immersing myself in new stories and emotions. With this movie, I wandered the streets of Mumbai, followed a young Hindu nurse disguising herself in a burka to infiltrate a neighborhood for the Muslim man she loves, traveled to a seaside village where another woman contemplates her future, and experienced so much more. The film offers a glimpse into lives that feel both fleeting and genuine, rendered with a filmmaker’s grace and empathy—a gentle reminder of our shared humanity.

Don’t get me wrong; I enjoy all kinds of movies. But the ones that resonate most with me are those that take me to places I could never experience myself, allowing me to live inside stories of other worlds. Movies like this remind me that while our differences may appear significant, our universal humanity is boundless.

#AllWeImagineAsLight
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The Count of Monte Cristo (2024)

What would you do if someone ruined your life, leaving you in pain for years, and then one day, you came into a great fortune? Would you forgive and move on, or would you let your anger take over and use that wealth to get revenge?

This movie hooks you right from the start and doesn’t let go for its entire runtime. It’s one of those rare films that keeps you on edge the whole way through. The visuals are stunning, with lighting, sets, and costumes that perfectly capture the 19th-century vibe. The cast is amazing, with every performance bringing something special to the story.

The adaptation makes some smart changes, simplifying the book’s plot without losing what makes it great. You still get all the romance, adventure, and intense emotions. And at its core, the film delivers a timeless message: revenge might feel satisfying, but it’s rarely the right move. That’s the beauty of stories like this—they’re meant to be told, retold, and experienced over and over again.

#TheCountOfMonteCristo
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Kraven: The Hunter (2024)

The dialogue in this movie is atrocious, the logic doesn’t make any sense, and the ADR is so obvious it deserves its own credit as a supporting character.

There’s this one part where a character randomly makes a weird noise for a few seconds, then just keeps going like nothing happened. It never comes up again, and honestly, it was kind of amazing.

Another moment that stuck with me was when someone said, “She died, and I never saw her again.” And I was like, Well, yeah, that’s literally how dying works.

By the end, I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to think about the movie or rethink my entire life. Either way, it left me with an existential crisis.

#KravenTheHunter
😁5
Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning (2025)
Directed by Christopher McQuarrie

It’s... a movie. There’s not much emotion or depth here. Honestly, this is the second-worst one for me—MI:2 is still in a league of its own (and not in a good way).

The first half of the movie is just a big exposition dump. And what makes it worse is that most of the setup was already handled in the last film, so this one really should’ve been tighter and more focused. But nope—it just drags.

The team dynamic is pretty much gone, the usual fun back-and-forth is missing, and the callbacks are tiresome. Nothing really clicks the way it used to.

The character Paris felt like a throwaway character, randomly tossing in a line in French like an NPC. And the villain? Super forgettable—this series has definitely had better.

Surprisingly, the highlight for me wasn’t the big final plane scene (as impressive as the stunt work was), but the submarine sequence offered more suspense.

One thing I found annoying was that Ethan Hunt waited until the very last second to save the day. He easily could have acted a few minutes earlier but didn’t—for no clear reason. It was really distracting.

#MissionImpossible
#TheFinalReckoning
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Ballerina (2025)

Don’t go into this expecting John Wick chapter 5—because it’s not. It’s set in the John Wick universe, sure, and it brings all the signature elements: stylish fights, underworld rules, cool visuals. But this isn’t a John Wick movie. It’s a spinoff. A good one, though.

The fight scenes are awesome. There’s this moment in Winston’s office where he pulls some strings to get info, and it’s such a simple scene but so well done. And like always, the soundtrack is on point; stylish and atmospheric.

The story is fine. Not mind-blowing, but not boring either. The one thing that didn’t quite land for me was the subplot about Eve’s sister. It felt forced. The movie wants us to care, but we see the sister for like a total of 1 minute—there’s just not enough there to feel anything.

The famous club scene delivers. There are a few callbacks to some of the most iconic kills in the series, including another glorious axe throw.

I hope Ballerina does well. I’d love to see a sequel—hopefully with fewer production hiccups and a tighter story.

#Ballerina
#JohnWick
1
Sinners (2025)
Directed by Ryan Coogler

People want to be free. They want to be able to live their lives as they see fit. They want to be able to build communities that sustain them. They want joy. They want love. They want peace.

Each major character in Sinners is looking for freedom, one way or another. The Smoke-Stack twins are looking for the freedom to prosper. Mary is looking for the freedom to love. Sammie, for the freedom to play and perform and wield his gift for the world. And Remmick, for a freedom of the spirit — something lost in his many years as both a vampire and a colonized person, whose ancestors have been ripped from him.

These freedoms can only be attained in the most precious of circumstances, built on equality and solidarity. When Sammie conjures the spirits of past and present; the community is united as one nation under a groove — we get a glimpse of that freedom.

Music is liberating. Music is the bridge between generations and ancestry.

Now, Sinners isn't perfect — because some of the ideas in the script are a bit underbaked — there are many questions to ask. What is the meaning of the Native Americans? What are we supposed to take away from the fates of two characters in particular? etc. etc.

Still, I think the film is strong enough and coherent enough to stand as an interesting meditation on freedom under tyranny.

#Sinners
2
Straw (2025)
Directed by Tyler Perry

Tyler Perry seems to have developed a fetish on Black suffering—particularly the pain of Black women—and in Straw, it reaches a level so extreme it borders on satire. I mean he literally re-wrote Murphy's law as "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong, because everyone is an asshole."

There are films that try so hard to be socially relevant that they lose the plot entirely—Straw is a textbook example. What starts as a gritty, socially conscious thriller about a single mother rapidly spirals into chaos. It piles on misfortune after misfortune like Perry’s working off a “maximum misery” bingo card.

Within the first twenty minutes, we get: job loss, discrimination, police brutality, health crises, financial collapse—and yes, even a hostage situation. And that’s just the warm-up.

Then comes the twist ending. Not shocking. Not earned. Just... insulting. It feels like the film is screaming, “Surprise! Gotcha!”—but in the worst, most deflating way possible.

#Straw
🤣3💯1
F1: The Movie
Directed by Joseph Kosinski

The racing sequences are absolutely thrilling—especially in IMAX. You feel like you're right there in the cockpit, every gear shift and near miss cranking up the tension. It’s edge-of-your-seat stuff.

Hans Zimmer’s score roars to life, making every scene feel bigger and more intense. The film doesn’t try to reinvent the genre—it just delivers what it promises, and does it really, really well. It’s a crowd-pleaser movie. That said, the script isn’t always firing on all cylinders; it gets a bit sloppy at times and lacks that extra spark.

What I really appreciated is how much the film shows rather than tells. You see Sonny’s experience in action, the way he influences everyone around him, and the growth in Joshua over time. You feel the value of teamwork and the effort every single person puts in. It’s also clear that the filmmakers tried to strike a balance between die-hard F1 fans and general audiences. The early commentary over-explains things a bit, which can feel clunky, but it makes sense for accessibility.

I probably shouldn’t compare this to Ford v Ferrari, but I’m going to anyway. There’s a scene in Vegas where Pitt’s character explains the feeling of “flying” behind the wheel to Kate—it’s good, but it doesn’t hit as hard as Ken Miles talking to his son about driving laps. That scene from Ford v Ferrari is still untouchable.

Is this my favorite racing movie? Not really. Ford v Ferrari is in a different league. But we need movies like F1: full-throttle, high-stakes, emotionally charged, and visually stunning. It’s an exhilarating experience from start to finish—with a bit of filler in the middle. Still, whether you're there for Zimmer’s score, the visuals, or the raw racing energy, it’s worth a trip to the cinema.

#F1
2👏1
Fight or Flight (2025)

This movie—aka Bullet Train on a Plane—is absolutely ridiculous. It’s dumb as hell. Silly as shit. Basically Bullet Train, but without the same level of flair… and, well, on a plane.

That said, Josh Hartnett in a pink T-shirt, casually knocking people out? That alone is enough reason to kick back and laugh while your brain takes a well-deserved break.

Will I remember this in a few weeks or months? Probably not. But did I have a good time? Absolutely. And honestly, that’s more than enough.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go find a chainsaw and some toad venom.

#FightOrFlight
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Caught Stealing (2025)
Directed by Darren Aronofsky

What happens when a small favor (in this case watching someone’s cat) becomes a gateway into others’ responsibilities/secrets. It’s about how we sometimes agree to small things, then find we’re trapped in bigger consequences.

Caught Stealing is a ride. Not perfect, but often really entertaining, with enough style, tension, and heart that it’s worth watching. If you like gritty thrillers with memorable characters plus some dark humor, Caught Stealing delivers.

#CaughtStealing
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