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A Quiet Place

Family tries to live in silence when the world has been overrun by creatures that attack at the slighest sound

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
17-04-2018
8

A solid and well made horror

While there is room for some nitpicking, overall this was a fresh, intense and very solid horror that features much better performances, atmosphere and style than most.
8

Mad God

stop-animation about a figure descending deeper and deeper into a bizarre, dark world

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
16-08-2022
8

A bad trip that comes highly recommended

Would this be better if I understood what was going on? Probably not - better to be engulfed by the mesmerizing, dark, beautiful, sinister and imaginative trip that this is. It can be hard though to keep focus with no story to focus on, and I thought better music would have lifted it more.
8

Alpha

Set in the stone age, a boy gets seperated form his group and must find his way home, but befriends a wolf along the way

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
16-12-2019
8

Beautiful and heartfelt

I like to think of this as perhaps the first domestication of wolfs, eventually leading to dog breeds. Extremely pretty, akin towards kitsch, but never crossing that line. The storyline is also gripping, making me care about this journey and swallowing tears near the end.
8

Contagion

A viral oubreak

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
24-02-2013
8

Succesfully dark

Has a realtime, stressed feeling throughout which makes it upsetting and eerie.
8

Spy

Condemned to work in a basement supporting agents doing all the action, a CIA agent finally gets a change to do some fieldwork of her own

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
14-08-2016
8

Dare I say hillarious?

In a time where 'comedies' merely evoke a vague smile at best, I was delighted to find this genuinely funny movie that had me laughing out loud several times. Deliciously nasty and hysterical.
8

Ghost in the Shell (2017)

Live action Manga remake of the android fighting crime, her past and herself

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
27-04-2017
8

It gets it right

So people were complaining this had no depth, but were fine with Avengers? Screw that. This is an awesome looking movie that is exciting throughout and has plenty of depth and bucketloads of atmosphere. It also strikes a good balance between a 'western take' and the core Japanese original.
8

The Nightingale

After unspeakable cruelty was done to a woman and her family, she chases down the perpetrators through the Tasmanian bush, with the aid of a native aboriginal

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
12-05-2020
8

Heavy, but very good

It covers a lot of heavy-handed subjects (racism, revenge, rape, murder, repression) and inevitably features some tough scenes. But it has all been done really well. I liked how during the revenge part she remained fragile and insecure, and didn't have sudden superskills that came out of nowhere.
8

World War Z

Zombies

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
27-07-2013
8

Triple A mediocrity

For a movie about zombies investing the world, people seeking shelter in save havens with high walls, and a hero finding a cure just in time, this one is very good.
8

Saint Maud

Deeply religious palliative nurse becomes dangerously fanatical when she thinks she has performed a revelation on a patient

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
01-08-2021
8

Impressive and scary, with thick layers of atmosphere

An impressive psychological thriller with some horror and supernatural elements in a very tasteful, restrained and effective way. The atmosphere oozes of the screen, performances are great, especially Maud's of course.
8

Top Gun: Maverick

Maverick is called back to train a team destined to do the most dangerous mission ever

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
06-06-2022
8

The people don't work for me anymore, but the flying does

I had some trouble buying into the somewhat desperate portrayal of these pilots as beautiful, perfect, witty, slick, hip beings and the insubordinate way they go about their briefings and missions - even if this is Top Gun. But hell yes, the air footage and final combat makes up for it.
8

The Night House

After her husband commits suicide, the widow starts to experience strange things in the secluded house he built

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
24-01-2022
8

A subtle but very satisfying horror

Wow, this really worked for me. The horror elements are subtle and tasteful, the evolving mystery is enticing and the element of grief is mixed in well. But mostly, I was quite stunned with the lead actress, who totally nails it and makes everything work beautifully.
8

Die Brucke - Bernhard Wicki (1959)

There can't be enough anti-war movies
average 8.0

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
06-03-2023
7

a sad warstory, told well

After all these years, this is still a worthwhile movie, effectively painting contrast between the boys in their daily life and the pointless and violent war they end up in. Some remarkable cinematography for it's age, too.
7

hente
hente
10-10-2013
9

Armed conflict can infect us all

I saw this movie half a century ago and it is still impressive even without the usual mass scenes and shoot-outs. Make sure you watch the original version by director Wicki and not the later re-make with the same title.
9

We Need to Talk About Kevin

A mother trying to cope with a son that hates her, and something horrific he is planning

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
13-08-2022
8

A bitter pill that is worth it

The helplessness, frustration and despair of the situation really gets to you. The way the movie gradually builds up to dreadful act of the kid, foreshadowed with flashbacks, his vague preparations and the look in his eyes is not pleasant, but most certainly very well done and well acted by all.
8

Camp X-Ray

Newbie MP soldier get stationed at Guantanamo, where she bonds with one of the detainees

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
05-03-2016
8

Honest little gem

A sober yet rewarding experience, with an awesome looking and playing Stewart and very good music backing it up. I sort of missed a beat in the transition of Lector turning into a genuine nice guy, but that's ok.
8

Im Westen Nichts Neues

Follows a few young German boys into the first worldwar trench hell against France

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
02-11-2022
8

An impressive and heavy warflick that ought to have hit harder

A film that impressive in many ways: The raw depiction of war, the insanity of trench wars in particular and the cinematography. But somehow it didn't fully manage to transfer the deep sense of fear or dread like some other war movie have. Perhaps I didn't really bond with the characters.
8

Zootropolis

Rabbit tries to make it as a police officer in the big city inhabited by all kinds of animals

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
19-06-2016
8

A matured quality animation

A wonderful tale that is brought to live with colorful charterers, a good sense of humor and a detective crime story that has an mature quality to it.
8

Starship Troopers

Friends sign in to combat terror from space. Both their skills and friendship are put to the test.

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
26-08-2015
8

A brutal space fight that requires the right mindset

It all depends on whether you can appreciate the deeper meaning of incredibly cheesy barbie people have soap opera relationship quarrels - followed by dismembering fights with aliens.
8

Arrival

Linguist is asked to crack the language of the aliens who landed and ask them: why are you here?

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
17-11-2016
8

Elegant, deep and sober scifi, just the way I like it.

My favorite movie themes combined: science fiction and deep mystery/mind benders that will have you pondering days after. Excellent and refreshing.
8

Boyhood

Movie portraying the ups and downs in the life of Mason and his family between his 5th and 18th year

RockmeNow
RockmeNow
20-01-2015
8

There are many good reasons why this movie is nominated for the Oscars

I was suprised by the excellent casting and makeup artists that convincingly managed to make the characters look older during the movie, until I realised (read somewhere) that it was filmed with the same cast over a 12 year period. Great acting and empathetic presentation of the targeted zeitgeist.
8

Still Alice

A woman is diagnosed with Early-onset Alzheimer's Disease and tries to deal with it together with her family

RockmeNow
RockmeNow
02-03-2015
8

Impressive

An eye-opener for everybody, including myself, who had not been directly confronted before with the devastating consequences of Early-onset Alzheimer's Disease. There are many good reasons why Julianne Moore won an Oscar for her role in this impressive movie.
8

Kung Fu Panda 3

In order to repell a new threat to peace, Panda must resort to his Panda family to learn the power of chi

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
18-04-2016
8

A very mature and excellent episode

Some fatigue may kick in, as we can sort of predict how everything it going to turn out. But the humor, atmosphere, unique blend of 3d animation and traditional artwork, the loyalty to the characters and the depth of the story remain of a very high standard.
8

The Babadook

Widow is trying to get by with her needy son when she also releases a shadowy presence in her house by reading a strange childrens book

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
02-02-2019
8

Succesful on multiple levels

Even more than the restrained and tasteful horror story, I was impressed by the suffocating and agonizing experience of watching her slide into insanity, due to sleep deprivation, desperation and social seclusion. It's sad, original, scary and intense. Bravo.
8

Zero Dark Thirty

The hunt for UBL

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
19-05-2013
8

ladies and gentlemen, she got him

Stylish and engrossing hunt for Usama.. which is quite an achievement since it apparently involved so much waiting and utter lack of progress. The movie ends with a nail biting assault on the man.
8

Big Hero 6

Talented young inventor must befriend (and upgrade) a clumpsy medical robot in order to save the world from his own invention

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
26-12-2016
8

Excellent

A fantastic animation that is spot on with exiting action, great visuals, humor and it is not afraid to reach some deeper emotions as well.
8

Kubo and the Two Strings

Stop motion animation about a young boy who enters a ghostly realm to flee from dark enemies and prepare for a confrontation with his grandpa, who is after the boys eye.

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
07-08-2019
8

Wonderfully diverse, different and pleasant

The story may sound bizarre, but it is told in a very interesting, confident and pleasantly mysterious way. It is beautiful to look at, has some really exciting scenes and is a welcome change in style from the big-name animations coming from the big studios.
8

Sinister

Writer and his family move into a house where horrible attrocities have taken place, so he can research these and write a book about it. To start him of, he finds a box with old 8mm films...

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
29-02-2016
8

Eerie

Didn't crawl under the skin as I thought it would (for some reason), but a very eerie, umcomfortable and stylish horror nevertheless. 8mm graininess is used to great effect together with really unsettling music.
8

Men

A woman retreats to an English cottage to proces a violent and traumatic divorce, but the local strange men only bring more horror

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
03-07-2022
8

A well thought out and intriguing horror

The simple setup gradually unfolds a lot of depth, symbolism and metaphors without being pretentious. Uncanny without cheap tricks, with a spot-on atmosphere. The finale is spectacular too; no matter how bizarre it was, it somehow made sense.
8

I Origins

In a search for the evolutionary origins of the eye, the lovelifes of the scientists lead to an even more profound discovery

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
19-01-2015
8

A wonderfull mix science of spirituality

Appeared slighty pro-spirituality, anti-science, depicting scientist as strange, rigid, disconnected people. It's no big problem though, because it is still a very well done, nicely paced movie with an unsubstantiated premise that is nevertheless nice to see where it's going.
8

L'année dernière à Marienbad (1961)

Man meets woman, woman meets man, or perhaps they didn't

hente
hente
10-10-2013
8

Time and place are no longer certain

As we are constantly cheating our memories, actual life becomes a guessing game in this stylish movie. Ultimately, all movies are addressing space and time. This one adds to the mystery like a photo of a photographer. Over-aged? How can time be dismissed as being too old? Call it matured...
8

Dune (2021)

Clans fight for control of planet Arrakis and it's resources, both with other clans and with the native inhabitans

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
17-10-2021
8

What the word 'epic' was meant for

Wow, this was quite an epic experience on all accounts. Incredible spaceship designs, compelling imagery, great music and overall an enticing story. Very very tasteful. On the downside, the sterile environments and characters meant it had only a limited emotional impact and didn't really stick.
8

Bird Box

Woman tries to bring two kids to a save haven in a world overrun by a suicide pandamonium

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
02-01-2019
8

Original and exhilarating

My goodness: a highly original (not withstanding the similar 'The Happening'), strongly acted and nail-biting movie that is very well put together. Those are not easy to come by these days. It once again shows the strength of NOT showing or explaining everything and anything.
8

Oppenheimer

A biography of the father of the atomic bomb

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
11-08-2023
8

A fascinating drama disguised as an adrenline action ride

A very intense and splendidly shot, acted and directed movie. But part of me thought Nolan was cheating, by presenting what is essentially a drama as an pumping action movie, using all of his film-making prowess. There was a dissonance beween what was actually happening and how it was presented.
8

Chronicle

Found footage of teenagers developing superpowers

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
19-02-2013
8

Unique approach to what superpowers would be like

Real people with some superpowers are more exciting than superpeople with massive superpowers. Nice effects too.
8

Lego Movie

The insignificant life of a lego nobody turns on it's head when he is the chosen one to act against evil plans that threaten lego world

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
16-02-2014
8

Fantastic frantic

Could have gone wrong in many ways, but did not. Loaded to the brim with action, jokes, fantastic visuals and brilliant 'real' animation. I did think it was a little to nervous and restless, and overcomplicated for kids to follow comfortably.
8

The Martian

Left for dead astronaut on mars tries to survive
average 8.0

RockmeNow
RockmeNow
15-01-2016
8

Mars revisited

Great visuals and rather convincing approach to the Mars hype (except for the last 30 minutes or so).
8

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
23-10-2015
8

It's 'gravity' in mars. Or 'Cast Away' on mars.

A splendid, sharp looking and wholefully exciting space survival adventure. It's fantasy of course, but with just enough ties to science to make you buy it. I thought maybe the high count of jokes and wisecracks sort of distracted from the gravity of the situation.
8

Wild

A woman goes on a hike to deal with her troubled past...
average 7.8

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
24-04-2015
7.5

Honest and beautiful, but not profound

A sympathetic idea and story that is naturally acted and shot. It's all served in a simple, straightforward way, albeit at the cost of not quite nailing the deeper ends. I also didn't 'feel' the sheer length of this journey.
7.5

RockmeNow
RockmeNow
23-01-2015
8

Let's go for a walk

Previous trauma, physical exhaustion, perseverance and overcoming ones past all blended into a nice movie portraying a woman on a serious hike. Also teaches you why you shouldn't buy shoes that are too small....
8

Melancholia

Depressed woman and somewhat disjointed family retreat to a luxury countryhouse on a golfcoarse to get ready for a planet flyby
average 7.8

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
28-06-2014
8

The beauty of sadness

This slow, depressing but fascinating study makes global disaster 10 times more profound than Armageddon ever did.
8

hente
hente
11-10-2013
7.5

Earth is about to collide with another planet

Astro-nerds will stumble over the technical flaws in this visual treat. Not a movie to watch any time of the day or night but only when you feel down and mellow wanting to go all the way into yourself. Lesson: only the depressed can help us in times of disaster because they have nothing to loose.
7.5

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water

The recipe for krabburgers gets lost, so Spongebob and friends must travel above the surface to find it.
average 7.8

RockmeNow
RockmeNow
17-02-2015
8

Hilarious fun in the sponge bob universe!

Great movie for both kids and parents, with impressive 3d effects enhancing the overall experience. Do not try to touch the soap bubbles with cannon balls (just to warn you)....
8

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
08-02-2015
7.5

Whack!

Of course you have to GET the hysteria and oddity that is Spongebob. But if you do, you're in for a funny and whacky movie bursting with colors and pleasant anarchy. Incidentally, the 3D version features some of the the most effective and sharpest looking 3D yet!
7.5

Her

A man in the foreseeable future starts dating his operating system after the painful separation from his wife
average 7.8

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
16-08-2014
7.5

True love

Part of me wished the artificial intelligence and the relationship evolved more slowly, more bumpy, more clumpsy. But it still stands as a unique love story, that actually evokes that bubbly love feeling amidst a cold digital context. Johansson's irresistible voice is a master stroke too.
7.5

RockmeNow
RockmeNow
28-01-2014
8

Relationships in the digital era 2.0

An interesting movie on the role technology plays, and might play in the near future, in human life. Including a redefinition of relationships, love, emotions and ultimately the consciousness debate is touched upon as well. If you managed to finish this review, you might just like the movie ;)
8

White Noise

A teacher's life turn upside down when a toxic cloud passes over

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
08-02-2023
7.5

A strange disaster movie about communication

This movie has seemingly normal, recognizable people in a seemingly familiar disaster movie, but something is off and strange throughout. It's mostly the dialogues, that seem to make a statement about how we (don't) communicate and are disconnected from each other. Remarkable but satisfying.
7.5

Honeymoon

Things aren't the same after a husband finds his newlywed standing half naked in the woods in the middle of the night

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
11-01-2015
7.5

Good one

A pleasing mystery horror that builds well on the intimacy and isolation of the couple, and reels you in as the mystery increases but hardly resolves.
7.5

Black Swan

Ballet dancer pushed over the edge to portray the black Swan

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
28-12-2021
7.5

Slightly overated but still good

A dark movie that offers some acting fireworks and I loved how the insanity and hallucinations slowly creep in. However, I cannot back up the the high appraisal it received entirely; for that I would have needed it to go deeper, further and darker.
7.5

Sucker Punch

Girl is institutionalized, but lives violent fantasies while dancing which help her escape it the end. Or something.

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
20-04-2014
7.5

Violent video clip, done with much love

Easy to fault, but I was amused by the violent, fabulously stylized, unearthly, anachronistic action, as well as the moody and steamy atmosphere. Absorb it like a videoclip, then you may get it.
7.5

The Snow White and the Huntsman

Vicious queen takes over the land in a quest for eternal beauty, and hunts down the princess who has the power to top her

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
08-10-2013
7.5

Pleasant surprise

Expecting this to be a loud and dumb 'modern take' on the fairytale, I was pleasantly surprised. The pacing is right, it never goes over the top, it looks great and the actors deliver, especially Theron!
7.5

Prey (2022)

A Commanche girl isn't taken seriously as a hunter, but it is up to her to take on a new kind of alien menace (Spoiler: a predator)

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
07-08-2022
7.5

I mostly agree with the ecstatic reception it got

The native American setting makes it fresh, performances and action are pretty neat, and they wisely kept it simple and pure. But I did think it it was a bit predictable, and the overall tension was good but not exhilarating as might have been. I was sitting upright, but not on the edge of my seat.
7.5

The Call

Woman gets a call from a woman living in the past. Friends at first, they end up hunting each other in different times

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
19-02-2021
7.5

A well executed idea

A great idea that is played out interestingly and excitingly without overdoing it. Some horror, some thriller and smart tricks with time. I couldn't ask for more.
7.5

The Girl Next Door

The (sadly true) story of a girl under custody of an evil aunt, who tortures her to death in a basement, with many of the local kids joining in

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
26-10-2022
7.5

A painful story that needs to be told

This harrowing story is hard to watch, is made well and made me read into the backstory for sure. It feels inappropriate to even criticize it, but somehow it looses a few points because it really felt and experienced like a movie adaptation, creating some distance/shielding from the true horror.
7.5

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

Retired Indy comes back into action when the nazi's are after a device promising mastery of time

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
06-08-2023
7.5

Tremendous fun and adventure. A success.

Me and my wife agreed that the balance between action/chase scenes and supernatural historical mystery could perhaps be opposite of what it is, but this is entertaining and fun, pretty much the way it should be. Whether it truly has lasting standout moments, I am not sure.
7.5

Katla

In a small Icelandic town situated next to an active volcano, people that already exist or existed rise from the ashes

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
15-01-2023
7.5

Moody en interesting mystery

It can be a tad sluggish, and I sometimes became frustrated with the incomplete and vague way people talked. Mostly though, the story is intriguing, and the easy going pace combined the Icelandic setting created a lovely, mysterious glow.
7.5

Free Guy

Backgroundcharacter in a game becomes self aware and fights for his existence with the help of some gamers

Wittenberg
Wittenberg
29-08-2021
7.5

Not for everyone, but definitely for some

You'll need some knowledge of contemporary gaming, the Youtube subculture, and mental preparation for a barrage of restless imagery and hysteric jokes. But if you manage all that, you'll find that it has it's heart at the right place, is enjoyable and sometimes a good laugh indeed.
7.5

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