Movie Review: I Met A Girl (2020)

Genre: Romantic Drama  

Director: Luke Eve  

Starring: Brenton Thwaites, Lily Sullivan, Joel Jackson, Zahra Newman  

Running Time: 108 minutes  

Synopsis: In Perth, Devon (Brenton Thwaites) is a musician suffering from schizophrenia. After a meltdown at the wedding of his brother Nick (Joel Jackson), Devon is institutionalized. Five years later, Nick and his wife Olivia (Zahra Newman) ask Devon to move into his own apartment, triggering a crisis. Devon is saved by the caring Lucy (Lily Sullivan), and they bond over a magical night. When she disappears leaving a note asking him to follow her to Sydney, Devon embarks on a cross-country journey seeking the love of his life.

What Works Well: This mix of romance and mental trauma treats a delicate topic with demonstrative sensitivity. Writer Glen Dolman humanizes Devon but avoids sugarcoating his ordeal, and several scenes capture harrowing disorientation when competing inner voices, one of them vicious, demand his attention. Elsewhere, the difficulties faced by a family caring for a mental health patient are presented through the pragmatic perspective of Nick and Olivia, who have to balance empathy for Devon with protecting their newborn.

What Does Not Work As Well: The narrative is choppy in service of the "is Lucy real or is she fantasy" quest, and Devon's road trip meanders through a few too many detours and quirky encounters. A twist arrives too late to deliver the desired impact, and the ending succumbs to tidiness.

Key Quote:

Devon (to Lucy): It's like you're from a fairytale. Like I've dreamt you.

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Movie Review: Ghosts Of War (2020)

Genre: Supernatural War Horror  

Director: Eric Bress  

Starring: Brenton Thwaites, Kyle Gallner, Alan Ritchson  

Running Time: 94 minutes  

Synopsis: The setting is France in 1944 during World War Two. Five battle-hardened US soldiers are tasked with holding a chateau that was used by the Nazi high command. Once they settle in, the soldiers are exposed to eerie sounds and disturbing visions. They find a diary that details the slaughter of the original occupant family, and conclude the mansion is haunted. The soldiers have to either confront the horror within or risk the consequences of abandoning their post. 

What Works Well: The echoes of unique World War Two movies like Castle Keep are initially promising, and a few good moments emerge from the grim dichotomy of soldiers killing with ruthlessness but yet still possessing a caring spirit. Some of the jump scares provide adequate out-of-your seat thrills, while Kyle Gallner as the frequently unhinged Private Tappert adds a different element of danger.

What Does Not Work As Well: The middle acts gets stuck in horror movie cliches, but much worse is to come: in an astounding and immediately erroneous sharp turn, the final act barges into a whole other premise then implodes into an incoherent mess of suspect science, ancient curses, and occult invasions. 

Key Quote:

Private Tappert: This place is bad juju.



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Movie Review: Ride (2014)

Genre: Dramedy  

Director: Helen Hunt  

Starring: Helen Hunt, Luke Wilson, Brenton Thwaites  

Running Time: 93 minutes  

Synopsis: In New York City, Jackie (Helen Hunt) is a divorced magazine editor, over-involved in the life of her college-aged son Angelo (Brenton thwaites) and eager for him to become a writer. Fed-up with his mother's controlling behaviour,  Angelo drops out of college and relocates to Los Angeles to become a surfer. Jackie follows and takes up surfing to better connect with her son, and on the beach she meets Ian (Luke Wilson), who becomes a coach and romantic partner.

What Works Well: This mother-son drama benefits from a robust arc for Helen Hunt's character, reacting to an earlier family tragedy and a marriage break-up by smothering her son. Her subsequent journey to letting go encompasses moments of humour and romance soaked in the laid-back California sun.

What Does Not Work As Well: A good chunk of the running time is occupied with Helen Hunt falling off her surf board. Character definitions are neglected, with Luke Wilson's Ian reduced to shallow nothingness, and Jackie's ex-husband and his family rendered irrelevant. The writing reaches for edgy but often lands in painfully contrived theatricality. Other than a few swear words, this qualifies as a mediocre television movie.

Conclusion: Fall.

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