Hayden Han is a grieving travel influencer with ten million followers and no one to call. With Christmas looming, he takes on a dodgy brand deal solely on the promise that it will take him far, far away from his lonesome home life--in this case, twenty-four hours on the white sand beaches of the Philippines. But Manila has its own plans for Hayden, and as day turns dusk (tagalog: silim) in the City of Sun, Hayden finds himself pulled into a roiling high-speed chase that brings him face-to-face with the man he's becoming.
The Invitation takes a creeping look at two simple premises: reuniting with forgotten friends and new-age spiritualism. Though one seems a bit scarier than the other, the film heightens social awkwardness to a macabre level that puts an uncomfortable look on when the social taboo of grief is put on public display.
The plot could’ve really been interesting if the elements of lycanthropy was integrated with perhaps the struggle of identity of being LGBTQ+. It's an experience for so many that as they’re starting to realizing their true selves, they feel like a monster, especially if they come from unsupportive homes or communities. Instead, the horror and transformation elements seem thrown in without contemplation of how this could deepen the narrative.
'Spiderhead' is Netflix's latest high high-concept Sci-fi offering in the acts of Chris Hemsworth, Miles Teller, Jurnee Smollett, and Mark Paguio
From its visually stunning opening credits, which show women dancing through a forest to musical rhythms that sound almost primal, to its quiet, heartbreaking final frame, Mona Fastvold’s historical rendering of the Shaker religious movement is an experience that will stay with me for a long time.
Seriously, and this is coming from someone who was extremely skeptical before giving it a watch. I assumed the show would be painfully boring, but one of the show's strongest qualities is you needn't know anything about the lore to get invested in it.
Eternals is an interesting concept and unique visuals, but slow pacing and rushed character development suggests it should have been a mini-series.
