I Watched It So You Can Decide If You Should: My Latest Movie Review

There are movies I walk out of thinking, “Wow. I need to tell everyone to see that.”

Then there are movies where I walk out thinking:

“What the hell did I just watch?”

And sometimes those are much more fun to review.

My latest movie review is up, and rather than give away everything I thought about the movie here, I'm going to do something simple:

I'm inviting everyone to watch the review.

Why?

Because I've learned that a Rotten Tomatoes score doesn't necessarily mean I’ll love a movie.

A great cast doesn't guarantee a great movie.

An interesting premise doesn't guarantee the story will work.

And critics and audiences can sometimes watch the same movie and seemingly experience two completely different films.

That's one of the reasons I started doing these reviews.

I'm Not a Professional Movie Critic

I don't have a film degree.

I'm not analyzing whether the director properly paid homage to some obscure French film from 1962.

And I'm probably not going to explain the metaphorical significance of a lamp sitting in the corner of the room.

I'm a guy who likes movies.

I have Regal Unlimited. I go to the theater. I buy my popcorn. I get my Pepsi Zero. I sit down, watch the movie, and decide whether those two hours of my life were well spent.

That's my highly sophisticated rating system.

And when something doesn't work?

I'm going to say it.

When something surprises me?

I'll say that too.

And occasionally, a movie gives me so much material that reviewing it becomes almost as entertaining as watching it.

So, Was This Movie Worth Watching?

I'm not answering that here.

That's the bait.

🎬 In my full movie review, I break down what worked, what didn't, what made absolutely no sense to me, and whether I think the movie was worth my money—and my time.

I'm sure some people will completely disagree with me.

Actually, I hope they do.

Because that's half the fun.

After watching the review, I'm curious whether everyone thinks:

Did Niel get it right, or has he completely lost his mind?

👉 My full movie review is at NielFlamm.com

While there, my other movie reviews are available too, along with an option to subscribe so the next one doesn't get missed.

Because I'm going to keep watching them.

The good ones. The bad ones. And especially the ones that make me wonder who approved the script.

The End of Oak Street: Dinosaurs, Detroit and a LOT of Thigh

Detroit. 1982. Gas-guzzling cars, giant tube TVs, dangerously short men's shorts... and dinosaurs.

That's the setup for The End of Oak Street, starring Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor. What starts as a neighborhood block party takes a very strange turn involving a storm, a wormhole, some extremely unfriendly dinosaurs—and neighbors who apparently don't understand that screaming usually means STAY INSIDE.

Did I love it? Nope. Did it entertain me? Sometimes intentionally... sometimes I'm not so sure.

And I've got some questions about that ending.

🎬 Watch my full spoiler-filled review at NielFlamm.com/videos/moviereviews

Then tell me: theater-worthy, streaming-worthy, or dinosaur food?

Ice Cream Man: Come for the Ice Cream, Stay for the Carnage 🍦🔪

li Roth's Ice Cream Man has an old-school '80s horror vibe, demonic ice cream, murderous kids, revenge, some great jokes... and a few moments where I was hoping the movie would just end.

So, is it worth watching—or should you wait until it hits streaming?

I give you my spoiler-filled take in the latest Junk Cast movie review.

🎬 Watch the full review:
NielFlamm.com/videos/moviereviews

Just maybe don't bring the kids out for ice cream afterward.

One Night Only: The Purge Meets Valentine's Day

Imagine a future where the government gives unmarried people 12 hours to hook up—and when the clock runs out, it's back to being illegal.

That's the wonderfully strange setup for One Night Only, a dystopian romantic comedy I knew absolutely nothing about before walking into the theater. And I'm glad I didn't.

It's part The Purge, part Valentine's Day, with chance encounters, government tracking, romance, some familiar faces, and a good guy trying to get the girl.

Does he?

I'm not telling.

🎬 Watch my full review at NielFlamm.com/videos/moviereviews

Some People Just Don’t Give a F’!!! Twice in One Day—What Is Going On?

Is it a full moon? Did someone taint the water? Is the zombie apocalypse about to begin?

I went to see Spider— the video vlog review is coming later—and caught the first sign of civilization’s collapse in the parking lot.

I’m parked on the left, neatly between the lines. On the right is a Cadillac CT4 doing…well, you can see for yourself.

Later, I went to my local Harris Teeter to buy 85 Powerball tickets for the fraternity Powerball pool—more on that adventure later—and witnessed something even more baffling.

I drove by twice because I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

An older gentleman had parked nowhere near the lines and left the hatch wide open. Look closely: nobody is inside the car. Nobody is standing nearby. Nothing. Eventually, I watched him make his way back to the vehicle on one of those electric shopping carts.

At that point, I knew the universe was trying to tell me something.

I’m buying MREs and driving to the middle of nowhere—right after I vlog about Superman, write about Nextdoor, and check the fraternity pool and my solo Powerball tickets.

Priorities, people. Priorities.