Cube critics Jacob Aloi and Max Sparber discuss a mediocre adaptation of a video game and a horror movie about aliens who don’t like city noises. They’re just like Max!
‘Borderland’
Borderlands, the adaptation of the popular dystopian video game series, hits the big screen to mixed reviews. Cate Blanchett plays Lilith and delivers a stellar performance that showcases her commanding presence and action talent.
Blanchett’s performance is a high point of the film and offers a refreshing look at a 40-something woman at the helm of a science fiction fantasy story.
Aside from Blanchett’s performance, however, Borderlands suffers from a lackluster execution that fails to capture the essence or appeal of its video game origins. The plot meanders through a cliched story involving treasure hunters, a villainous trillionaire, and the race to recover a powerful artifact. The visuals are loud and the dialogue often feels dull, which is made worse by poorly executed ADR.
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Fans of the video game series and newcomers alike have expressed their disappointment. The film falls short of mediocrity and fails to deliver the thrilling and cohesive adventure that fans were hoping for.
— Jacob Aloi
“A quiet place: day one”
“A Quiet Place: Day One” is the third installment in the series about an alien invasion where any sound can be fatal – a frightening scenario for anyone like me who is prone to loud sneezing.
Unlike in “Inside Llewyn Davis,” where the protagonist spends the entire film unsuccessfully searching for a lost cat, Lupita Nyong’o’s character in “Day One” experiences the opposite: her cat keeps turning up. To the great relief of animal lovers, the cat survives the ordeal unscathed.
Directed by the filmmaker of “Pig,” known for the less than happy story of a truffle farmer and his pig, “Day One” is pitched as a B-movie but takes the format to new levels with a star-studded cast and an independent director, creating a distinctive atmosphere that combines mainstream appeal with indie sensibilities.
While the monsters didn’t scare me (a simple device made from a boombox and a bug zapper could have solved the problem), the film excels at creating sustained suspense sequences.
— Max Sparber
