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Fish Don't Blink (2002)

Lea Thompson, Wil Wheaton, Richard Grieco

Written & Directed by: Chuck DeBus

Platform: Netflix 

IMDB: 5.1

Runtime: 90 Minutes (Watched 10)

Synopsis: A desperate young couple, on the run from the mob, drop anchor at a remote rundown restaurant in the middle of the desert named the Nautilus. At first, it seems like a great place to hideout but soon they find themselves smack dab in the center of a family that gives a whole new definition to the word crazy and makes them think that maybe they'd be better off with the mob.

Verdict: God this was awful, listed as a Dark Comedy but the first 10 minutes of acting was soooo terrible I turned it off. My god THIS was bad. Yikes!

So bad I can't even find a trailer!

FirstBorn (2016)

Antonia Thomas, Luke Norris, Thea Petrie, Eileen Davies, Jonathan Hyde

Directed by: Nirpal Bhogal

Platform: Netflix 

IMDB: 4.8/10

Runtime: 85 Minutes (Watched All)

Synopsis: A young couple's lives are turned upside down when the birth of their first child is accompanied by terrifying entities that threaten their newly-formed family.

Verdict: Not exactly an original story but an enjoyable British supernatural horror nonetheless even if the buildup is better than the end.

First Reformed (2018)

Ethan Hawke, Amanda Seyfried, Cedric the Entertainer, Victoria Hill

Written & Directed by: Paul Schrader (Writer of Taxi Driver & Raging Bull)

Platform: NowTV

IMDB: 7.1/10, RT: 93% Fresh

Runtime: 108 Minutes (Watched All)

Synopsis: Reverend Ernst Toller (Ethan Hawke) is a solitary, middle-aged parish pastor at a small Dutch Reform church in upstate New York on the cusp of celebrating its 250th anniversary. Once a stop on the Underground Railroad, the church is now a tourist attraction catering to a dwindling congregation, eclipsed by its nearby parent church, Abundant Life, with its state-of-the-art facilities and 5,000-strong flock. When a pregnant parishioner (Amanda Seyfried) asks Reverend Toller to counsel her husband, a radical environmentalist, the clergyman finds himself plunged into his own tormented past, and equally despairing future.

Verdict: A very good understated performance by Ethan Hawke kept me watching this slow burn drama, from the same writer of Taxi Driver it certainly hits a lot of the same beats and feels like the environmentalist version of that movie. Its a movie that takes its time, tries to deal with a lot of weighty issues of the day all pushed through Hawkes performance and narration.

First Sunday (2008)

Ice Cube, Tracy Morgan, Katt Williams, Loretta Devine, Keith David, Regina Hall

Written & Directed by: David E. Talbert

Platform: Netflix 

IMDB: 4.5/10, RT: 12% Rotten 

Runtime: 98 Minutes (Watched 20)

Synopsis: Durell Washington and LeeJohn Jackson are best friends and bumbling petty criminals. When Durell learns that his ex-girlfriend plans to move to another state with their son Durell Jr.--unless they can get her $17,000 to pay off a debt-- and so Durell and LeeJohn ultimately comes up with a desperate scheme to rob their neighborhood church. But when the duo fumbles their way through the break-in, they discover someone has beaten them to the punch. In order to get their hands on the money, Durell and LeeJohn are forced to spend the night in the presence of the Lord and his followers--and end up getting a lot more than they bargained for.

Verdict: Another unfunny Ice Cube comedy. Yawn.

First Match (2018) - A Netflix Original Movie 

Feature length remake of the 15 Minute short film "First Match" (2010) by the same director

Elvire Emmanuelle, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Colman Domingo, Jharrel Jerome, Jared Kemp

Written & Directed by: Olivia Newman

Platform: Netflix 

IMDB: 6.4/10, RT: 84% Fresh

Runtime: 102 Minutes (Watched All)

Synopsis: Hardened by years in foster care, a teenage girl from Brooklyn's Brownsville neighborhood decides that joining the boys wrestling team is the only way back to her estranged father.

Verdict: Not an original story but its led by two very good performances by its two leads, at its heart its a story of family with a young girl doing all she can to forge a relationship with her father. I really enjoyed it and would recommend this.

First Man (2018)

Based on the official biography "First Man: The Life of Neil Armstrong" (2005) by James R.Hansen

Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Cory Stoll

Directed by: Damien Chazelle (La La Land)

Platform: NowTV

IMDB: 7.3/10, RT: 87% Fresh

Runtime: 138 Minutes (Watched 45)

Synopsis: A Biopic on the life of the legendary American Astronaut Neil Armstrong from 1961-1969, on his journey to becoming the first human to walk the moon. Exploring the sacrifices and costs on the Nation and Neil himself, during one of the most dangerous missions in the history of space travel.

Verdict: BO-RING. This film is basically "Neil in a plane", "Neil moping around his house", "Neil at work", expertly portrayed by the personality vacuum that is Ryan Gosling. It boggles my mind why he gets as much work as he does, sure his muted performances work in Driver or Blade Runner but I have to believe Neil Armstrong wasn't like this in real life. The first 45 minutes of this movie is just DULL, yet it got rave reviews, I must be missing something.

Fire in Paradise (2019) - A Netflix Original Documentary 

Documentary 

Directed by: Zackary Canepari & Drea Cooper

Platform: Netflix 

Runtime: 40 Minutes (Watched All)

Subject: On the morning of November 8, 2018, a seemingly small fire broke out in Butte County, California near the town of Paradise. Over the course of a few short hours, the Camp Fire grew into the country's deadliest wildfire in over a century, killing 85 people and destroying Paradise. Through first-hand footage of the disaster and personal interviews with survivors and emergency responders, FIRE IN PARADISE vividly retells the terrifying survival stories from that day.

Thoughts: A short but sobering documentary showing real footage at the time it happened and interviews with those that survived it. If people don't realise that global warming are making things like this worse than there is not much hope for the future.

Final Score (2018)

Dave Bautista, Ray Stevenson, Amit Shah, Ralph Brown, Lara Peake, Alexandra Dinu & Pierce Brosnan

Directed by: Scott Mann

Platform: NowTV

IMDB: 5.7/10, 69% Fresh

Runtime: 104 Minutes (Watched All)

Synopsis: After deadly terrorists abduct his niece at a soccer match, an ex-soldier with lethal fighting skills wages a one-man war to save her and prevent mass murder.

Verdict: I really enjoyed this, leave your brain outside old school action film, a perfect vehicle for Bautista. A film to watch with beer & pizza. The plot is very similar to the Van Damme movie Sudden Death (1995) but bigger and louder. Worth a watch.

Final Destination 5 (2011)

Nicholas D'Agosto, Emma Bell, Arlen Escaparta, Ellen Wroe, David Koechner, Courtney B.Vance & Tony Todd

Directed by: Stephen Quale

Platform: Netflix 

IMDB: 5.8/10, RT: 62% Fresh

Runtime: 92 Minutes (Watched All)

Synopsis: Survivors of a suspension-bridge collapse learn there's no way you can cheat Death.

Verdict: After a really cool disaster opening the film gets rather dull, the acting is actually ok and it follows the same beats as all the other sequels, to be honest I don't understand why they keep making them. The overuse of CGI blood is annoying, some of the deaths are ok but overall this was a background movie while I was doing other things. There is a nice twist at the end if you have seen the other movies.

The end credits shows the deaths from all the other movies to AC/DC's "If you want blood (you got it)".

Filth (2014)

Based upon the novel "Filth" (1998) by Irvine Welsh

James McAvoy, Jamie Bell, Eddie Marsan, Imogen Poots, John Sessions, Jim Broadbent, Joanne Froggatt, Kim Dickie

Directed by: Jon S.Baird (Cass)

Platform: Film 4

IMDB: 7.1/10, RT: 65% Fresh

Runtime: 97 Minutes (Watched All)

Synopsis: A corrupt, junkie cop with bipolar disorder attempts to manipulate his way through a promotion in order to win back his wife and daughter while also fighting his own inner demons.

Verdict: The movie lives up to its name, its a gritty, crime, black comedy that has a great performance at the heart of it by McAvoy. If you are a fan of Welsh's other adaptations you will like this also, I really enjoyed it.

Trailer NSFW

Fighting With My Family (2019)

Based upon the life of WWE wrestler Saraya "Paige" Knight-Bevis

Florence Pugh, Jack Lowden, Vince Vaughn, Lena Headey, Nick Frost & Dwayne Johnson

Written & Directed by: Stephen Merchant (The Office, Extras, Life's Too Short)

Platform: Netflix 

IMDB: 7.1/10, RT: 92% Fresh

Runtime: 107 Minutes (Watched All)

Synopsis: A former wrestler and his family make a living performing at small venues around the country while his kids dream of joining World Wrestling Entertainment.

Verdict: You don't have to be a fan or have knowledge of wrestling to enjoy this feel good drama, sure it may come across as cliched but it really does follow the real life of Paige who was signed to WWE on a developmental contract and became the youngest Women's Champion in WWE history. Being a wrestling fan since the age of 7 and having dipped my toe in and out every few years I knew the story of Paige and felt that Pugh did a really good of portraying her and the film overall has Merchants comedic touch.

Fever (2017)

Known as "Mountain Fever" outside of U.K.

Julien Caplan, Anya Korzun

Written & Directed by: Hendrik Faller

Platform: NowTV

IMDB: 3.5/10

Runtime: 92 Minutes (Watched 20)

Synopsis: Hostage in his own home, an incompetent Englishman is forced to team up with his captor to fight off the survivors of a fatal flu epidemic.

Verdict: Some great cinematography at the start is the only thing good thing I can say about this dull thriller.

Fighting (2009)

Channing Tatum, Terence Howard, Luis Guzman, Zulay Henao, Anthony DeSando, Roger Guenveur Smith, Brian White

Directed by: Dito Montiel (Empire State)

Platform: Netflix 

IMDB: 5.6/10, RT: 40% Rotten

Runtime: 105 Minutes (Watched All)

Synopsis: In New York City, a young counterfeiter is introduced to the world of underground street fighting by a seasoned scam artist, who becomes his manager on the bare-knuckling brawling circuit.

Verdict: Its practically the same story as "Never Back Down" which came out the year before but not as fun or tongue in cheek, its grittier with the fights (which aren't many) being brawls than anything choreographed. Tatum is fine in the role even though he sleep walks through quite a few scenes and I always enjoy Terrence Howard, the plot is entirely predictable but I still kind of enjoyed it even though it was mostly on in the background.

Feedback (2019)

Eddie Marsan, Paul Anderson, Ivana Baquero, Richard Brake, Oliver Coopersmith, Alana Boden, Anthony Head

Directed by: Pedro C.Alonso 

Platform: NowTV

IMDB: 5.3/10, RT: 75% Fresh

Runtime: 98 Minutes (Watched All)

Synopsis: A radio star experiences the worst night of his life when stalkers assault the radio station where he's working.

Verdict: A very good British thriller that takes place solely inside a radio station booth, it builds and builds to the point it gets predictable but a great performance by Eddie Marsan overshadows any weakness in the story. Recommended.

The Fear of 13 (2015)

Documentary 

Directed by: David Sington

Platform: Netflix 

Runtime: 96 Minutes (Watched All)

Subject: A convicted murderer who has spent 23 years on Death Row tells his story.

Thoughts: A captivating documentary following the life in prison of Death Row inmate Nick Yarris, told entirely by him not only covering his time in prison but his early life and how he ended up there. Yarris himself is an excellent story teller which made this doc as interesting as the story he was telling. Recommended.

Father of the Year (2018) - A Netflix Original Movie 

David Spade, Nat Faxon, Joey Bragg, Matt Shively, Bridgit Mendler

Directed by: Tyler Spindel

Platform: Netflix 

IMDB: 5.2/10, RT: 0% Rotten 

Runtime: 94 Minutes (Watched 30)

Synopsis: Before NYC, college valedictorian Ben visits his trailer park loser dad. Same evening Ben argues with Larry about whose dad can kick the other dad's . Loser dad hears of this and tries to beat up doormat dad and chaos follows.

Verdict: Yep, the whole movies premise is based on "my dad could beat up your dad", the first 20 minutes are some what amusing but after that it gets dull real quick.

Fast Color (2019)

Gugu Mbatha-Raw, David Strathairn, Lorraine Toussaint, Saniyya Sidney, Christopher Denham

Written & Directed by: Julia Hart

Platform: Netflix 

IMDB: 5.8/10, RT: 82% Fresh

Runtime: 100 Minutes (Watched 40)

Synopsis: A woman is forced to go on the run when her superhuman abilities are discovered. Years after having abandoned her family, the only place she has left to hide is home.

Verdict: This is a slow burn grounded superhero movie that I just couldn't get into, I often found it to be dull even with a thoughtful performance by the lead actress, I may go back and rewatch it another time.

The Family (2013)

Based upon the French novel "Malavita" (2010) by Tonino Benacquista

Robert DeNiro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Diana Agron, John D'Leo, Tommy Lee Jones

Directed by: Luc Besson

Platform: Netflix 

IMDB: 6.3/10, RT: 29% Rotten

Runtime: 112 Minutes (Watched All)

Synopsis: The Manzoni family, a notorious mafia clan, is relocated to Normandy, France under the Witness Protection Program, where fitting in soon becomes challenging, as their old habits die hard.

Verdict: I actually quite enjoyed this, the performances and the comedy make up for its lack of depth or characters that you shouldn't like. You can see Besson's style throughout and he doesn't paint a great picture of his rural countrymen, the end descends into predictable fare but its done tongue in cheek so gets away with it. It gets pretty bad reviews but screw them, I enjoyed it and I would recommend watching it.

Family Blood (2018)

Vinessa Shaw, James Ransone, Colin Ford, Ajiona Alexus

Directed by: Sonny Mallhi

Platform: Netflix 

IMDB: 4.2/10

Runtime: 92 Minutes (Watched 15)

Synopsis: Ellie, a recovering drug addict, has just moved to a new city with her two teenage children. She has struggled to stay sober in the past and is determined to make it work this time, finding a stable job and regularly attending her meetings. Unfortunately, new friends, a new job, and the chance of a new life, can't keep Ellie from slipping once again. Her life changes when she meets Christopher - a different kind of addict - which forces her daughter and son to accept a new version of Ellie.

Verdict: Dull, extremely dull.

Face 2 Face (2016)

Daniela Bobadilla, Daniel Amerman, Kevin McCorkle, Emily Jordan

Directed by: Matthew Toronto

Platform: Netflix 

IMDB: 6.9/10

Runtime: 104 Minutes (Watched All)

Synopsis: Over a series of video chats, a teenage outcast reaches out to his childhood friend, but finds that behind the veneer of popularity and a seemingly perfect life, she hides a disturbing secret.

Verdict: Out of the wave of overused "found footage" movies comes the next gimmick, the Face Time films. Watching this from the start I thought it was going to be a teen comedy and while I was giving it the usual 15 minutes screen time I was oddly engaged and compelled to keep watching. I enjoyed the actors performances which made me want to watch to the end, while you will figure out one of the secrets one of the characters holds its dealt with too lightly to have as much impact as it should. This is only the 2nd movie I've seen to use this gimmick as a film method but its been the best one so far.

Election (1999)

Based upon the novel "Election" (1998) by Tom Perrotta

Matthew Broderick, Reese Witherspoon, Chris Kline, Jessica Campbell, Mark Harelik, Phil Reeves

Directed by: Alexander Payne

Platform: NowTV

IMDB: 7.2/10, RT: 92% Rotten

Runtime: 102 Minutes (Watched All)

Synopsis: A high school teacher's personal life becomes complicated as he works with students during the school elections, particularly with an obsessive overachiever determined to become student body president.

Verdict: Really enjoyed this brilliant dark comedy, highly recommended!

Eye of the Needle (1981)

Based upon the novel "Storm Island aka Eye of the Needle" (1978) by Ken Follet

Donald Sutherland, Kate Nelligan, Stephen MacKenna, Christopher Cazanove, Faith Brook

Feature length film debut of Rik Mayall

Directed by: Richard Marquand (Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi)

Platform: Netflix 

IMDB: 7.1/10, RT: 81% Fresh

Runtime: 111 Minutes (Watched All)

Synopsis: A German spy carrying information that will reveal the target of Operation Overlord becomes involved with the wife of a crippled man on an isolated island off the Scottish coast while he waits to be picked up.

Verdict: Watchable WW2 spy thriller that ends up as a romantic drama, good performances is what kept me watching.

Eye For An Eye (2019)

Known as "The Poison Rose" in North America

John Travolta, Morgan Freeman, Brendan Fraser, Famke Janssen, Ella Bleu Travolta, Robert Patrick, Peter Stormare

Directed by: Francesco Cinquemani & George Gallo (Trapped in Paradise)

Platform: NowTV

IMDB: 4.4/10, RT: 0% Rotten

Runtime: 98 Minutes (Watched 35)

Synopsis: Inspired by classic film noir, "The Poison Rose" stars John Travolta as Carson Phillips, an ex-football star turned PI, who's got a soft spot for a lady in distress. Like the classic tales spun by the masters, he takes on a routine missing persons case which slowly reveals itself to be a complex interwoven web of crimes, suspects and dead bodies. When he discovers his long lost daughter is the number one suspect, he races a ticking clock to save her, solve the murders, and uncover the town's dirty secrets.

Verdict: Tries hard to be a modern noir mystery but its just boring, decent actors but they have nothing to work with. Jesus Christ Brendan Fraser put on weight!

Extracurricular Activities (2019)

Colin Ford, Timothy Simons, Ellie Bamber, Tanner Stine, Arden Myrin

Directed by: Jay Lowi

Platform: NowTV

IMDB: 6.1/10

Runtime: 89 Minutes (Watched All)

Synopsis: A mature, intelligent high school student has a side job arranging "accidental" deaths (no 2 alike) of fellow students' parents. A cop detective notices this student being connected to all the kids of dead parents. Who wins the face-off?

Verdict: Watchable black comedy with decent actors, has some genuine comedy moments with its supporting cast and an unexpected ending. I liked it.

Extraction (2015)

Bruce Willis, Kellan Lutz, Gina Carano, D.B.Sweeney

Directed by: Steven C.Miller (Escape Plan 2 )

Platform: Netflix 

IMDB: 4.1/10, RT: 6% Rotten 

Runtime: 96 Minutes (Watched 20)

Synopsis: A former CIA operative is kidnapped by a group of terrorists. When his son learns there is no plan for his father to be saved, he launches his own rescue operation.

Verdict: Another Willis pension topper, amateur acting, cliched --script, not as bad as the directors previous effort Escape Plan 2 but thats not saying much. Avoid.