Suspect's 2019 Movie Watch List

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28 days...6 hours...42 minutes...12 seconds
I watched ~Highwaymen~ on NetFlix.

Not a bad movie.
I'm sure I'll get to that sometime this month.
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"A laugh can be a very powerful thing. Why, sometimes in life, it's the only weapon we have."

Suspect's Reviews



28 days...6 hours...42 minutes...12 seconds
Velvet Buzzsaw




The moment any of these characters spoke, I knew I didn't like them. I guess they fit into the egocentric pompous world of art and art criticism and I get the irony of me sitting here critiquing a piece of film art too. The thing about this movie is that it is not as clever as it thinks it is and Gilroy wants to satirize the art world, but he doesn't lean far enough one way or the other while he looks at it.

Gilroy treats us to his satirical look at the art world with a veil of horror presented before it. The people that criticize/exploit the art are later killed by them. It's like The Happening but with paintings. While Velvet Buzzsaw doesn't stoop to the depths of the trash heap that was The Happening, it doesn't distinguish itself from anything else either. The best thing about this movie is the title, it evokes a feeling that the film never manages to achieve. What that feeling is? I don't know, I just like the contradictory edginess to it.

Gyllenhaal and Russo both were in Gilroy's Nightcrawler, which is leaps and bounds a better crafted piece of art. Gyllenhaal plays an art critic by the name of Morf. Let that name sink in. The film has a decent cast, Toni Collette and John Malkovich show up in smaller roles, adding just a bit of flair.

One character walks into a room and sees a pile of garbage, calling it brilliant. The response from another is that it's not art....it's literally just trash sitting there waiting to be taken out. It's obvious to see what Gilroy is getting at here, playing that scene as a joke for the audience at the same time. Yet there is a weird seriousness to the film that contradicts a lot of what it wants to mock. Leaving me with a confused and disappointed feeling by the end. For a film with a title like Velvet Buzzsaw, this needed to be more edgy.



I liked Velvet Buzzsaw a lot more, but I can't exactly quibble with a lot of the critiques about it anyway. It's the kind of film I know, intellectually, is flawed, but still really really enjoyed.

That said, man, I kinda wish it was just a straight film, and that the vibe and focus of the first 20-30 minutes was the whole thing. It kinda becomes something else, and I don't see what that added, exactly. I was pretty interested in the politics and backstabbing of the art world, but a lot less so in the ghoulish twists that basically interrupted a more interesting film.



28 days...6 hours...42 minutes...12 seconds
Aladdin




My favourite Disney film as a child. Most of it has to do with the manic performance from the brilliant Robin Williams, but the entire package is really put together well. Aladdin spawned sequels, games, a tv series and now a live action remake with Will Smith.

I think the reason I might have liked it so much was the A.D.D style comedy from the Genie. I never knew what he was going to do, say or look like in any given scene. Impressions that went way over my head as a kid I thought was funny for some reason. Those comedy bits hold up to this day.

I watched it recently for my son. Still a little too young to know what's going on but he has all my old toys and one of those toys was a genie action figure. He saw the picture and wanted to watch it. He liked it, at least I think he did. He watched 75% of it, haha.

Jasmine was also my GO-TO Disney Princess. She was hot, especially in the red slave like dress. Man, I'm reliving some memories right now...hahaha. But she was always more than just a Princess, she was seemed somewhat independent despite the arranged marriage aspect. She didn't take any guff from anyone. She could more than likely hold her own in a tussle too.

Great villain with Jafar, the right amount of sinister mustache twirling evilness. The voice acting is top notch and the animation is sublime. Aladdin is a classic Disney film and one that I would love to revisit time and time again.



28 days...6 hours...42 minutes...12 seconds
The Silence




Do I hate myself for watching this? No. There are worse ways to spend an hour and a half, but The Silence is indeed, no thrilling tale. It's themes, plot lines and overall structure has been explored before in better films. The main comparison most people will throw at it is A Quiet Place, a tighter horror thriller with a compelling central story that focuses on a family. While The Silence treads similar ground, it never reaches the same heights that A Quiet Place hits. So if you're conflicted on which one to watch, the answer is an easy one.

A cave expedition unearth millions of bat like creatures that have been underground for (according to one news anchor) millions of years. They have evolved in the darkness to hunt based on sound. Soon they terrorize the world, bringing about destruction and the end of civilization. One family decides to leave the safety of their house, not take food or water with them and risk it out there. They have an advantage though, the daughter is deaf, so they can communicate with sign language. Sound familiar? No pun intended.

The Silence has few highs and many lows. Stanley Tucci and Kieran Shipka are the father-daughter duo. The rest of the family takes somewhat of a backseat, but their there. These two are pretty good together and manage to do most of the heavy lifting. Tucci loses his friend early in the film and the friend was the 'tougher' of the two. Now this meek and mild mannered man has to grow a pair if he wants to protect his family. Not only does he need to protect them from these creatures, but from rogue religious groups that belong in a post apocalyptic film. The film takes place in the precise moment these things attack and a few days after. I feel like it is a little early to be making fringe groups so soon. There is a moment where an attack on a house is taking place and it could have been something really well orchestrated considering no one can make a sound, but no one seemed interested in that.

Small things made me question what the hell these characters were thinking. One I thought was funny was that our deaf teenager is face timing with a boy she likes and the sound is on. Why? She is deaf, wouldn't the sound attract certain killing creatures to her house? Turn that baby on mute. Also, the world is going to sh*t, but at least we still got wifi signals, right guys? These creatures seemed incredibly easy to kill. Tucci turns on a wood chipper and immediately these things fly right into it. So why turn it off? Why not have it run to kill off any and ALL creatures that are around you?

I chuckled at myself when they did an homage to The Birds, this film wishes it was that good.



28 days...6 hours...42 minutes...12 seconds
The Strangers: Prey At Night




Let me paint you a picture. You find a dead body at a secluded mobile-home park and run to tell your parents. You then find yourself terrorized by people in weird and creepy masks. You make it back to your mom, but find her dead. You then somehow manage to get a gun and are standing face to face with one of these people. Do you shoot them? This is a life or death situation here, but one of our characters decides not to and just run away. This is one of many stupid mistakes characters make in this sequel. These character decisions hurt the film immensely as I caught myself complaining about them on more than a few occasions.

The first film was a modest success and people in the horror community seemed to enjoy the gestating terror that waited for Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman. Seeing people standing in the background of the frame was eerie, hearing their reason for invading the home, even worse. Now we have a sequel, with new people and new location. The new location gives the characters a bit of room to run around and generate some suspense. But our masked slashers always seem to know where they are at all times. Typical horror movie stuff, right?

The sequel doesn't try to stand apart from the original, or any other generic horror film that's been out in the last decade. This is a film where masked people terrorize and kill an innocent family. Bare bones story development and awkwardly written family dynamics make the film a bit of a chore to get through in the beginning. Fans want to see the terror and when it happens, it might satisfy their thirst. It's not like this film is offering anything people haven't seen before. It will most likely satisfy the young female crowd who like this sort of thing.

This sequel is a little late and might have made more of an impact had it come out a few years after the original. I'm sure there are people out there who have no idea who Sackhead or Dollface are. A sequel a decade later won't generate much enthusiasm, for that you need more of an iconic villain and a more rabid fan base.



Finally caught up with this thread. I've always enjoyed reading your reviews since I think you have a strong writing voice. Glad to see you pooling them all in here instead of posting them in the RTLMYS thread. This makes it easier to catch up with them (keeping an updated list on the first page with links is a convenient touch). I'm also much more likely to comment on what you're watching when you have your own thread. Time to light some candles and get intimate with each other. I hope you're still wearing that thong.

Just watched The Meg a couple nights ago. It was better than expected, but I expected it to be the absolute pits. Like you, it definitely made me think of Deep Blue Sea, all the way down to the token black guy, but it's nowhere near as ridiculous and entertaining as Deep Blue Sea. Even for a PG-13 film, surely they could've added a little more gore and carnage. When the shark arrives at the crowded beach, I was hoping he'd turn the waters red, but the film seemed way too reticent to allow its monster to mutilate and kill. There were fun moments, though, like Rainn Wilson's fate.

I understand your frustrations with Us, but I loved it and I think it's a better horror film than Get Out. Like everyone, I have questions about certain aspects of the story, but I think those questions might be answered with repeat viewings. While watching it, there were issues I had with certain character actions, but those issues ended up making perfect sense by the end. Questioning the origin of the scissors and red jumpsuits is being too analytical, in my opinion. I'm more interested in the themes and metaphors and ideas than the specifics of the plot. I like that you gave a shout-out to the facial transformation from Elizabeth Moss when she morphs from extreme anguish to devilish glee. That was a great moment. I hope that Lupita Nyong'o isn't forgotten come awards season, although I'm sure she will be.

I think I gave The Strangers: Prey at Night the same rating. I prefer the first film by a slight margin, but it's such a weird movie to randomly get a sequel a decade later. Was there any demand whatsoever? I liked the 80's feel to Prey at Night. The pool scene was the highlight for me. Overall, though, it's a very forgettable movie, much like its predecessor. The Lion King was my favorite Disney movie as a child, but Aladdin was probably #2. We're definitely in agreement about Jasmine being the most bangable Disney princess. (Not your exact words, but I assume that's what you meant.) I liked The Howling more than you, but was generally disappointed given its reputation as one of the better werewolf movies. Most of your other recent viewings are movies I plan on watching in the not-too-distant future. That includes The Snowman, just out of curiosity to see if it's really as awful as everyone makes out. Harry Hole sounds like a joke name that Bart Simpson would use to prank call Moe.
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28 days...6 hours...42 minutes...12 seconds
Finally caught up with this thread. I've always enjoyed reading your reviews since I think you have a strong writing voice. Glad to see you pooling them all in here instead of posting them in the RTLMYS thread. This makes it easier to catch up with them (keeping an updated list on the first page with links is a convenient touch). I'm also much more likely to comment on what you're watching when you have your own thread. Time to light some candles and get intimate with each other. I hope you're still wearing that thong.

Just watched The Meg a couple nights ago. It was better than expected, but I expected it to be the absolute pits. Like you, it definitely made me think of Deep Blue Sea, all the way down to the token black guy, but it's nowhere near as ridiculous and entertaining as Deep Blue Sea. Even for a PG-13 film, surely they could've added a little more gore and carnage. When the shark arrives at the crowded beach, I was hoping he'd turn the waters red, but the film seemed way too reticent to allow its monster to mutilate and kill. There were fun moments, though, like Rainn Wilson's fate.

I understand your frustrations with Us, but I loved it and I think it's a better horror film than Get Out. Like everyone, I have questions about certain aspects of the story, but I think those questions might be answered with repeat viewings. While watching it, there were issues I had with certain character actions, but those issues ended up making perfect sense by the end. Questioning the origin of the scissors and red jumpsuits is being too analytical, in my opinion. I'm more interested in the themes and metaphors and ideas than the specifics of the plot. I like that you gave a shout-out to the facial transformation from Elizabeth Moss when she morphs from extreme anguish to devilish glee. That was a great moment. I hope that Lupita Nyong'o isn't forgotten come awards season, although I'm sure she will be.

I think I gave The Strangers: Prey at Night the same rating. I prefer the first film by a slight margin, but it's such a weird movie to randomly get a sequel a decade later. Was there any demand whatsoever? I liked the 80's feel to Prey at Night. The pool scene was the highlight for me. Overall, though, it's a very forgettable movie, much like its predecessor. The Lion King was my favorite Disney movie as a child, but Aladdin was probably #2. We're definitely in agreement about Jasmine being the most bangable Disney princess. (Not your exact words, but I assume that's what you meant.) I liked The Howling more than you, but was generally disappointed given its reputation as one of the better werewolf movies. Most of your other recent viewings are movies I plan on watching in the not-too-distant future. That includes The Snowman, just out of curiosity to see if it's really as awful as everyone makes out. Harry Hole sounds like a joke name that Bart Simpson would use to prank call Moe.
I feel like I'd like Us a lot more on repeat viewings, going in knowing my frustrations. I love the themes and metaphors he's going for, I just wanted a little bit more practicality from him in regards to that. If it doesn't make any sense to me, it takes me out of the experience.

I might have given it a lower rating because that review was right after I watched it, so it was a hot-take of sorts.

I might not have said Jasmine was bangable, but you knew where I was going.

The pool scene in Strangers was indeed a highlight.

And thanks for the deep dive, I always love your film insights.



28 days...6 hours...42 minutes...12 seconds
The Oath




I guess it was only a matter of time before a movie such as this came around. Perfect for today's political climate, The Oath takes a look at the extremes one government might go and those that follow/oppose it. In Ike Barinholtz directorial debut, people are asked to sign "The Patriot's Oath", a controversial document that has the citizen pledge loyalty to the President above all else. Barinholtz and his wife, played by a somewhat subdued Tiffany Haddish are on the opposing side. The signing isn't mandatory, but scare tactics and perks are used for people to sign. The deadline is Black Friday and Barinholtz holds a Thanksgiving dinner with his family, which turns into violence and mayhem after discussions about The Oath break down.

The Oath is a hard film to describe or even really pin down because it changes tone multiple times throughout the hour and a half running time. What starts out as a comedy, quickly becomes a dark-political-family comedy, then into something completely different by the third act. To say I had no idea where the film was going would be an understatement and Barinholtz uses this to his advantage to stage surprise violence when needed.

Political-Horror is a word I'd use to describe the film. Imagine if the Purge was just announced and the film details one family's opposing opinions on it, then the Purge commences and we see some true colours of the family members. That's be a good way to describe a film like The Oath. The political aspect is front and centre and even though Barinholtz obviously favours one side over the other, he's not afraid to show the hypocrisy of both. He opposes the oath and flies his liberal flag high, but anyone who disagrees with him is an idiot and deserves to die in his eyes. Polarizing view points for someone who decries the murder of protesters.

Politics is a hot-topic right now with a lot of people. I suspect they would want to escape from such a thing when they see a movie, but the Oath wants it right in your face. It takes a look at news obsessed info-givers who ignore the source of the news because they agree with what it says. All of this is wrapped in a "Thanksgiving" presentation, a perfect setting to get together with the family for violence.



28 days...6 hours...42 minutes...12 seconds
The Happytime Murders





This is a film that should have and could have been a lot better. On paper, it looks hilarious and would be in the same vein as something like Who Framed Roger Rabbit, but with the execution, it comes off more like Sausage Party. A foul-mouthed comedy that feels more forced than natural. Once the initial comedy concept wears off, the film barely manages to keep itself on the tracks.

As I sat there watching a puppet ejaculate silly string all over his office, I thought to myself; "Am I too old for this?" I would have found that hilarious back in high school, maybe even college. Now I was just thinking about the puppeteers on that day of filming and how ridiculous the whole thing had to be. This film is full of sequences like that and they don't really nail the comedy side of things. McCarthy tries, bless her, but she can't save the material.

A more focused story-line of the murder plot would have really helped the film move along a bit nicer. More focus on the discrimination between human and puppet could have opened the film to more opportunities, but the people behind this one are more concerned with weird sex tapes of a cow being milked. If you want to see a really gross out funny puppet movie, go watch Peter Jackson's Meet The Feebles. He did what these guys tried to do and he did it 30 years ago.



28 days...6 hours...42 minutes...12 seconds
Slumber Party Massacre




This film was written as a parody of the genre, but then it was shot as a straight slasher horror film. Which resulted in a lot of unintentional comedic sequences and a weird tone that jumps around more than I wanted it to. This film is full of fun facts like that. For instance, only one of the girls featured on the poster is in the film.

Speaking of the poster, this was one of those films I would see on the VHS shelf at my local video store whenever I decided to wander the aisles. This one, Silent Night, Deadly Night and Jason Goes to Hell are the three movies I distinctly remember seeing the cover and instantly wanting to watch it. It only took me over 20 years and imagine my disappointment when I didn't enjoy this piece of fine art. Maybe it would have been scary when I was younger? Maybe a tad bit more exciting? Maybe I would have enjoyed the excessive nudity more too?

When I say excessive nudity, I mean it. The film opens with a girl getting naked in her room. We then go to a girls basketball game and of course they need to shower right after. So we get breast shots while they soap up. Not enough? The girls turn around and the camera literally tilts down to look at their ass for a few minutes before tilting back up and moving over to the next girl to do the same. What the hell is that all about? Later on girls change directly infant of an open window so some peeping toms can get a show. Imagine my utter disbelief when I found out the director was a woman. A film like this had me thinking it had to have been written, produced and directed by a bunch of sleazy guys.

There is another shot in this film, we see a helpless female victim on the floor and it's a shot between a man's legs. His drill swings between his legs and then he impales her with it, screwing her. Heavy handed much? If that weren't enough they have the killer say "You know you want it" or "Just try it, you'll like it" Try what? Getting murdered?

The kills aren't that great, the suspense is lacking and there are some really hilarious dumb sequences (telephone van murder anyone?) Even for a film that would usually check off all my boxes of cheesy 80's horror flicks, this one is a miss for me.



28 days...6 hours...42 minutes...12 seconds
Pet Semetary





I was reading this book just before the film came out. Is that a good idea? Having the source material so fresh in one's mind that when you watch the film adaptation, you sit there nitpicking? I did and I'm not entirely sure if that ruined the experience or not for me. What I do know is that this updated version of Pet Semetary takes a lot of liberties with the source material and ends on a depressingly bleak note. One that I'm sure Stephen King would be proud of.

Louis Creed is a doctor from Boston who uproots his family and moves to a small town in Maine. This is his effort to work less and spend more time with his family. His new house sits on a large piece of property, which extends all the way back through the woods. In those woods lies a cemetery for pets. People from this town have been burying their pets their for decades. When the family cat meets an untimely demise, their new neighbour Jud takes Louis to the "Pet Semetary" without really explaining why. The next day that darn cat is sitting his Louis' garage. Alive and well...or so it seems. He constantly smells, acts irrational and all around seems "off". When a devastating tragedy strikes the family, Louis weighs his options to use the "Pet Semetary" one more time.

King has called his book, the scariest book he's ever written. I think that comes from a parental perspective. This new film has it's moments of creepiness, but the scare factor is unfortunately lacking. I understand the reasoning for changing some of the elements from the book to screen and it works in its favour because if it were the other way around, some people might think it is comical.

The film drops the ball in a few different areas, mainly with the wife's backstory involving her sister and the father-son life relationship between Louis and Jud. It never feels real or even really attempted. Jus is just the nice old man who lives across the street and nothing more. I felt like this loss of this connection between these two men takes away from their characters and we're left with somewhat of a hollow shell. The film could have amped up the blood towards the end, it's there but it doesn't feel shocking enough given the events being depicted on the screen.

I'm all for this new wave of King adaptations, the success of IT is opening new doors. While Pet Semetary doesn't reach levels of horror or terror, it's perfectly serviceable enough for fans of King.



28 days...6 hours...42 minutes...12 seconds
Venom





I think about a film like Joker and the radical turn that it seems to be taking from other DC movies and I wonder what a low-budget body horror Venom film could be like, from someone like David Lynch, given free reign. That is a film that I would love to see, one that would never get made and one that would probably fail miserably at the box-office. So instead we get a cookie cutter anti-hero story where a beloved comic character is thrown into a comedy with bits of action sprinkled in. I was taken by surprise at how much comedy is in this damn movie.

While probing space, a shuttle experiences some trouble and crashes back down to earth. All the crew members except for one die and their cargo is quickly secured from the Life Foundation, which is the company that runs the expedition. One problem, one of the specimens seems to have escaped. Eddie Brock, rogue journalist, decides to question Life Foundations founder Carlton Drake about the crash and their behind the scenes experiments and other non-ethical things. Big mistake. He loses his job, his girl and his sanity. When one of the scientist at Life Foundations questions the morality of her job, she asks Eddie to take a look behind the curtain. That's where he meets Venom and they have a magical bonding experience.

While watching Venom, I couldn't shake the feeling that I might have seen this before and sure enough I have. It was a low-budget film with Tom Hardy look alike Logan Marshall-Green. That film was Upgrade. Of course they two are completely different films, but there are a few similarities that were glaring to me, mainly the body controlling, self aware being that wrecks havoc wherever it goes. In both films the voice in their head fights for them, has conversations with them and saves their life multiple times. One film happens to rely heavily on CGI, while the other uses unique camera tricks to stand out. *cough* watch Upgrade *cough*

Venom isn't as bad as I was expecting. Tom Hardy does a decent job with the role and Michelle Williams brings a sense of regret to her character, Hardy's ex-fiance. Riz Ahmed is the villain here and he's not really intimidating. He seems to be channeling a Mark Zuckerberg style of egomaniac with a lot of money. In the climax when he fights Tom Hardy, you can't help but chuckle.

The special effects take over the film with the black Symbiote being the main "wow" factor. Nothing you haven't seen before. Venom is the classic "Critics hate it, but fans love it" scenario. It will please the general audience, but those looking for something fresh or interesting will leave disappointed. Even the obligatory end credits scene is a little ho-hum. Venom lacks bite, despite the numerous head chomping that goes on. Instead it focuses on comedy and generic CGI action pieces when the more interesting route could have been taken with a more horror based aspect. Oh well.



28 days...6 hours...42 minutes...12 seconds
Avengers: Endgame




The amount of hype and anticipation for this movie was insane. There was no way it was going to please everyone, right? Avengers: Endgame manages to pull off the nearly impossible and end the Marvel Saga on a high note. We get bittersweet endings for some characters, tragic ones for others and potential future endeavours for the rest. Avengers: Endgame is a great film and the biggest film to hit cinemas in a decade.

After the "snap", the world has fallen into a constant state of depression, but an opportunity presents itself to the remaining Avengers to possibly undo what Thanos has done. They must get everyone back together to achieve the impossible and restore the lives that were lost.

I was a fan of the "fan service" that was in Infinity War. It was basically a non-stop 2 1/2 hour action film with cool sequences, poses and ideas. We got to see Thanos attack Iron Man with a freaking planet for crying out loud. Images and thoughts I never could have imagined on the screen for a superhero film. Then it ended with an Empire Strikes Back style cliffhanger. One that everyone and their mother knew wouldn't last, but a 'bold' choice nonetheless. Now we fall right back into the story with Endgame and it manages to pull off quite a few surprises.

It's extremely difficult to talk about the film without going into detailed spoilers about the plot. The entire middle section of the film was kept under wraps from everyone. I went into this film knowing virtually nothing about it. Only that the avengers would most likely use the Quantum Realm to go back in time and stop Thanos. We get that, but in addition to this, we get a lot of quiet character scenes that you wouldn't really expect in a big budget action superhero film like this. Thor has one scene in particular that I liked and I bet that most people would think the film could do without. I also appreciated that the Russo's let us sit in that depressed state at the beginning of the film. They don't really gloss over the loss, we get to experience it. I would have liked to have stewed in it a few moments longer, but the emotional response is indeed there.

Once we get into the second act, that's when a lot of the comedy, fan service and cool moments happen. Despite the sombre introduction to this film, it is indeed genuinely hilarious. One of the funniest films in the entire Marvel series. Fan service can be annoying when done abrasively, I found the bits in this film to be threaded well enough into the story to be enjoyable. Do you need to see the previous films to get a lot of them? Of course you do. This is the accumulation of over 20 films for crying out loud.

Endgame made me excited, emotional, annoyed and eager to see where Marvel goes next. It ends the Infinity Saga the only way it could have. The next film will act as a denouement if you will. Whatever comes next won't be on the same epic scale, at least I hope they don't try to "up" Endgame. Instead they need to pivot in a new direction and give us something different. So far the Marvel films have been positive for me and I fully expect the next ride to be just as enjoyable. The heavy hitters in this series gave their all and have "passed the torch". The people continuing on are ones that I will gladly enjoy the ride with.



28 days...6 hours...42 minutes...12 seconds
Unicorn Store




I was really rooting for this movie but I couldn't shake the feeling that it was constantly asking the viewer to "look at me, look at how indie I am". That vibe rubbed me the wrong way and I'm not sure if I should blame the movie, or if that's all on me. Yet, even without that feeling, the film doesn't have a lot going for it. It's light and breezy with a whimsical feel, but lacks focus and balance.

Kit is a failed artist who moves back home with her parents. She is urged to leave the creative life behind and join the office drones in the working world. She receives an invitation to "The Store" and meets "The Salesman". He tells her that they sell whatever she wants and she wants a unicorn. But first she had to prove herself worthy of owning one, so the Salesman gives her a few tasks to complete before the unicorn is given to her.

Brie Larson's first time behind the camera, she tries to ask the viewer to question Kit's reality. Throughout the film we ask ourselves, "is Kit really crazy?" Does she honestly believe that a unicorn will be there for her? How is this going to get resolved? There don't seem to be enough moments of doubt as she keeps this information mostly to herself. Once it is revealed to others what her true intentions are, that is when they doubt her sanity. I think the film could have played with the 'is it real or not' notion a bit more with the other characters. Without it, the film lacks a bit of conflict.

Brie introduces some interesting questions about women in the working world. Her boss seems a little bit too close to her when he talks, both physically and emotionally. He does give her the chance to prove herself and possibly get a promotion, but when push comes to shove he relies on the male dominated projects. Instead of giving in to creativity, uniqueness and colour, the clients want sexy women doing women's chores. A sad statement on our current ad world, which is all too true.

Kit's world is like a unicorn farted out a rainbow. Her work world is all grey and drab. The differences are obvious from the start and we know which world she wants to live in. Her colourful world introduces us to Sam Jackson as the Salesman, complete with tinsel in his giant hair. He's there having fun, doing a favour for his friend Brie. Her co-star Mamoudzou Athie lacks charisma, comedy and even a romantic spark. There is little go on with him in an odd role. Someone with more chemistry (romantic or not) would have benefited the film greatly. Also, I couldn't tell if Kit was "all there", she comes off as someone who hasn't fully mentally developed. She acts like a child for a lot of the movie.

Unicorn Store wants to be many things, but has to settle for the little it delivers. I would love to see more from Larson behind the camera, maybe when she gets a little bit more confidence.