The first film this week is on Netflix.
Things Heard & Seen feels quite retro and not just because it is set in 1980 but because the story seems familiar to anyone who has seen movies like The Amityville Horror. It involves a young couple, George and Catherine Clare, played by Amanda Seyfried and James Norton moving into a house that may contain ghosts of previous residents.
The story builds quite nicely to start with the viewer’s sympathies switching between the couple as Catherine’s dishonesty and neuroses and George’s infidelities and criminal behaviour come to light. However, Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini’s screenplay features too many subplots that do not come to anything. The two leads are fine but the acting honours go to Rhea Seehorn who gives a nuanced and warm performance as a woman who befriends Catherine.
Things Heard & Seen: 5.5 out of 10
Over on Sky Movies, the best of the crop is When Jeff Tried to Save the World. Made back in 2018 but only just arrived here, it stars John Heder as Jeff who is the manager of an old fashioned bowling alley. When the owner tries to sell the site to developers, Jeff decides to try to save the place he loves.
That might sound like a well worn plot that will culminate in Jeff and the disparate oddballs he works with saving the day at the last moment. But, impressively, writers Rachel Borgo and Kendall Goldberg avoid the obvious and cliched in their impressive screenplay. The ending is both downbeat and satisfying but definitely not predictable.
When Jeff Tried to Save the World: 7 out of 10
The rest of the new offerings on Sky Movies only warrant a passing mention.
Maybe the makers of Golden Arm watched the dreadful 1980s Sylvester Stallone flick Over The Top and decided they could make a better arm wrestling movie. If so, they failed. Mary Holland is a reliable performer but she is miscast as the underdog competing in a championships. Pretty dull stuff.
Golden Arm: 3 out of 10
Its only a few weeks ago that I watched Bruce Willis in an awful sci-fi movie, Anti-Life. Now, he is back in another similar pile of tosh, Cosmic Sin. He plays as a general leading a fighting force against aliens. Ludicrous, badly written rubbish that Willis looks as bored in as most viewers will be watching it.
Cosmic Sin: 2 out of 10
Happily is billed as a dark romantic comedy. Unfortunately it is not funny or romantic and is more muddy than dark. A seemingly content couple have their lives turned upside down when they meet a mysterious stranger. What could have been a decent high concept caper is bogged down by a leaden script and uninspired performances.
Happily: 3 out of 10