Latest news with #foreignfilm
Daily Mail
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Netflix release panned by critics but loved by audiences flies to number one
A sci-fi thriller slammed by critics as 'shallow' has defied the odds by becoming Netflix 's number one most-watched movie worldwide just days after its release. Brick, a German psychological thriller starring Matthias Schweighofer and Ruby O. Fee, debuted on the platform on July 10 with little advertisement of its release. The film currently holds a low 31 percent critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, with outlets like Decider urging audiences to 'skip it,' describing the movie as a 'go-nowhere high-concept thriller.' Tom's Guide also aimed its critiques at the film's 'fundamental flaws' and 'lack of subtlety.' 'It's constructed on a pretty shaky foundation, with hammy dialogue, soap opera-level performances, and such a lack of subtlety that it suggests the filmmakers think the average Netflix subscriber has the media literacy of a middle schooler,' the outlet wrote. It added that, 'despite its many fundamental flaws, I found the need for answers.' However, despite the brutal reviews, Brick is dominating Netflix's global charts and has cracked the Top 10 in the US as well. On the day of its release, it topped the charts in 43 countries, reaching 44 countries on July 12, per CBR. Due to its lack of promotion and that it's a foreign film, it sits in third place on the domestic charts. It is now streaming ahead of high-profile titles like Madea's Destination Wedding and Kpop Demon Hunters. And viewers have been gushing over the movie - and passionately recommending it to others. 'A pretty amazing and exciting contained thriller with a sci-fi twist,' someone wrote. 'The ensemble and the camera work sticks out, with the plot-taken twists you don't see coming. 'Fun and cool with that little German hint of weirdness!' Someone else said: 'This movie was so amazing. Great cast, great acting. I had no clue what was going to happen next. 'It is Escape Room on steroids. Great movie, great story, great cast, great direction.' Set in Hamburg, Germany, the film follows a couple who wake up one morning to find their apartment building suddenly sealed in by mysterious, impenetrable black walls. As panic spreads among their neighbors, they are forced to work together to escape and uncover the secret behind their confinement. Without spoiling too much, the film's final twist reveals the walls are part of a high-tech nanotech defense system gone haywire. Philip Kock wrote and directed the film, which also stars Frederick Lau, Josef Berousek, Alexander Beyer, Sira-Anna Faal, Murathan Muslu, Axel Werner, and Salber Lee Williams.
Geek Girl Authority
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Girl Authority
Movie Review: WATCH THE SKIES
by Ray Schillaci The Movie Guys Swedish writer/director Victor Danell and co-writer Jimmy Nivrén Olsson deliver an extraterrestrial event with Watch The Skies, reminiscent of the nostalgic magic of a young Spielberg crossed with a light touch of Stranger Things. The most remarkable part about this movie is that it's a foreign film that, with the help of a company called Flawless, has made it accessible to the U.S. market by seamlessly dubbing and A.I.-generating the mouth and some facial movements of the actors, delivering an American shift that has become easily translatable and slightly different than the original film, entitled UFO Sweden. Other than the locations and the accents, audiences here at home will not be able to tell the difference, thus making Watch The Skies all the more accessible to America's viewers. Aside from that, the filmmakers have brought to our shores a film that is best seen on the big screen. I'm not talking about the 75' in your living room. This film benefits from a communal experience accompanied by the recent theatrical visuals and sound that have been provided by high-tech theater chains. RELATED: Movie Review: The Phoenician Scheme Here is a family film that has not been dumbed down. The filmmakers place us in the throes of characters with so much heart we cannot help but cheer them on as they venture towards a perilous journey led by one determined young girl whose father may or may not have been abducted (by either extraterrestrials or the government…for nefarious reasons). The mystery races through with excitement, good humor and spectacle. As a young child, Denise tagged along with her father on the elusive hunt for proof of the existence of UFOs, along with a small oddball team of enthusiasts that have formed a club. At one point, her father decides to go it alone in a certain region of the forest for the safety of his daughter. From there, he goes missing and we fast forward to many years later as Denise is now a troubled teenager. She has mapped out her goal of finding her father for years. Finally, achieving a breakthrough, she seeks the help of her father's former UFO club. My, have they aged and gotten even quirkier. Some may compare them to a grown-up version of Spielberg/Donner's Goonies. At first, they are leery of Denise since they felt abandoned by her father, who they felt went far too much on the fringe side of things. This is coming from a small group of eccentric conspiracy theorists who dabbled in federal crimes to chase their pursuit of the unknown. RELATED: Movie Review: From the World of John Wick: Ballerina Eventually, she is able to win some of them over to join her and they embark on an adventure that captures the attention of a covert government operation. Writer/director Danell and his writing partner, Olsson, present an exciting and unique experience that may have hints of Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Jordan Peele's Nope, but their film takes an unexpected approach that has us thinking about the story long after it is over. Their film feels refreshingly different and will have hearts racing as Denise's passion leads everyone through a harrowing conclusion. Danell and Olsson's combined effort has turned this into an event film in more ways than one, not only for its excellent storytelling, but for the advancement in technology that so many have questioned in the industry. A.I. has been the big bugaboo buzzword to many creative artists in the film community, but Flawless, the company that has made this movie more accessible than ever, believes it can be a tool that widens the audience for many films. Their goal is not to replace actors or take jobs away in the motion picture and television business, but to enhance the film's viewing capability. RELATED: Bring Her Back Spoiler Review Either way, Watch The Skies is a historical film for the ages with its technology that takes a foreign film and nearly seamlessly translates it to English (or Swenglish as the Swedes like to say). General audiences will be unable to tell that the film is dubbed. This is great for those who dismiss films with subtitles. Although there is the question if they would do this with older foreign films. It's doubtful since the process takes time and money. Besides, what truly enhances this technology is the original actors themselves who were used to dub their own voices. All the more reason to witness this enjoyable experience that delivers a punch not just by technology alone, but by wonderful storytelling, craftsmanlike production and engaging actors that capture our hearts. Visit Ray's blog at Directed by: Victor Danell Release Date: May 9, 2025 (original Swedish release date – December 25, 2022) Run Time: 115 Minutes Rated: PG-13 Country: Sweden Distributor: XYZ Films
