Crimson Peak Review

I am going to make this review very brief since it has been in the theater for a long time.

Crimson Peak tells the story of a writer in the nineteenth century, who stays in an old house. She finds out that not only is the house haunted, but it is also the house that the ghost of her mother warned her of. She must now find out the mystery of what happened at this house, and why she is in danger.

First of all,this movie is visually stunning, and has a better production value than most other horror movies. It successfully recreates the time period, and the atmosphere is very eerie. However, I personally didn't find it as scary as I was expecting.

The ghosts in this movie are done with CGI. Normally, this doesn't work in horror movies because it doesn't look as real as practical effects, but it works better when it's making ghosts than for something more concrete. The CGI is a good thing in the way that it can make the ghosts more gruesome than practical effects. But the issue I had with this is that the ghosts really didn't have to look very gruesome. I understand that their bodies are decomposing, but I don't think it makes sense that their ghosts need to decompose as well.

In conclusion, Crimson Peak is a visually stunning and moderately scary movie, despite its flaws. Overall, I would recommend it to horror movie fans.

3.0 out of 5 stars.

Bridge of Spies Review

Bridge of Spies is directed by Steven Spielberg, stars Tom Hanks, and (I just found this out while watching the credits) was written by the Coen brothers. So yes, this film has a lot going for it.

This is based on the true story of James Donovan. It is the height of the Cold War, and an accused Soviet spy has been captured. Donovan, an insurance lawyer, becomes hated around the country, when he decides to defend him in court. He is later brought in to attempt to negotiate trading the accused spy for an American prisoner of war.

As you would probably expect, this movie has great acting and directing. Tom Hanks gives a convincing performance, and the movie captures the feel of the era.

The high points of this movie consist mainly of negotiations and trials, and does not feature much of the conventional thrills or action of similar thrillers. However, this was far from boring. It had an interesting story line, good direction, and was perfectly paced without much filler.

Even though this might not be one of Spielberg's best dramas, it is still an intriguing drama that will probably get Oscar nods. I would recommend it to people who like international thrillers that focus on the politics of the situation.

4 out of 5 stars