The Pliley Review

  Genre:  Horror, Science Fiction, Drama Rating:   R Synopsis:   When a Weyland-Yutani vessel crashes in a city controlled by the rival Prodigy Corporation, a human-synthetic hybrid named Wendy and a tactical squad battle the creatures *** As a huge Alien fan I was so excited for this show.  When the first scene opened to immediate nostalgia noises I was hopeful and watching the opening scene was first movie vibes which I was living for. Sadly, from there it got...weird.  Robots are a common theme in all Alien movies so it was no surprise that the main character of Wendy would be one, yet the creepy Peter Pan theme and boy genius behind it, I do not think had the effect they were going for. It just came across as, well creepy.  One of the things that I loved has to be the creature designs. Each one had a unique look and ability which made an otherwise typical science fiction show, turn into something awesome.  For me, being the fan I am for t...

  Genre:  Horror, Comedy Rating:   R Synopsis:  A woman and her overbearing boss become stranded on a deserted island after a plane crash. They must overcome past grievances and work together to survive, but ultimately, it's a battle of wills and wits to make it out alive. *** Just by watching the trailer and seeing the amazing talent we were dealing with I was hooked. It did not disappoint.  Without spoilers I can not go into to much detail, but I will say Rachel McAdams performance was just as unnerving as it was from the trailer. You definitely root for her in the beginning with the bullying and though I love Dylan O'Brien, his character is a massive *insert bad word here*.  Both actors just devoured these roles and left you without any doubt that they were suffering in that place. I have never seen a greater performance on an island setting since Tom Hanks and Wilson, though I think his character would not have lasted long with these two.  I w...

  Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller Rating:   TV-MA Synopsis: After a global pandemic destroys civilization, a hardened survivor takes charge of a 14-year-old girl who may be humanity's last hope. *** I will go on record immediately that I love this game and have played it through many times over the years. So when I heard about the TV show I was very excited.  I will admit that at first I was unsure about some of the casting choices, however it was clear very early on that each person played their parts beautifully. Both Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal did an amazing job in the lead roles. Gabriel Luna also played a great Tommy. Yet my heart could not stop the happiness when I saw the video game voice actors, Merle Dandridge as the same character  M arlene, Jeffrey Pierce the original Tommy as  Perry. And of course, the amazing  Ashley Johnson, the original Ellie, playing a new character of Anna and last but definately not least, the...

  Genre: Horror Rating:   R Synopsis:   A family at a remote farmhouse is attacked by an unseen animal, but as the night stretches on, the father begins to transform into something unrecognizable. *** The trailer for this movie reminded me of dog soldiers so I had to give it a try. I’m glad that I did.  This movie starts out like a typical creature movie. Creepy encounter but they live to tell the tail. Years later the characters are drawn to the same location and shenanigans ensue.  Honestly, this movie was pretty much what I expected. A little intense, a few jumpscares and some pretty unexpected body horror that I actually appreciated. Recent werewolf movies have shied away from the body horror aspect so it was nice to see it included for once.  All the actors did an amazing job in their respective roles, yet major props have to go to the main adult character Blake played by Christopher Abbott. Without spoilers you could still see the emotional turmoil un...

  Genre:  Horror, Sci-fi Rating:   PG-13 Synopsis: A young woman named Sam finds herself trapped in New York City during the early stages of an invasion by alien creatures with ultra-sensitive hearing. *** Disclaimer: I am a huge fan of the original A Quiet Place (9 out of 10) and though I liked the second one (7 out of 10) it did not have the same weight. After watching the trailer I had immense hope for this one. I was right to do so.  Day One solves some of the problems in the second by introducing new and interesting characters in a completely new setting. This is how a sequel to the original should have been done. Many questions arose while watching the original movie and thanks to the storyline, new setting, and characters some questions are answered. Both about the big cities and the creatures themselves.  The casting in this movie was spot on and I honestly could not pick a favorite between Lupita Nyong'o as Samira and Joseph Quinn as Eric. They were inc...

Genre:  Horror, Action Rating:   R Synopsis:  A father and his twin teenage sons fight to survive in a remote farmhouse at the world's end. *** I love creature movies so I had to check out this one as soon as I saw the trailer.  The casting for this movie was perfect. As the father, Paul, Nicholas Cage nailed the role of a single dad just trying to keep himself and his kids alive. Maxwell Jenkins as Thomas and Jaeden Martell as Joseph were incredibly able to keep pace with a veteran actor, seemingly with little effort, and easily passed for his teenage sons. Well done casting. As a parent, I could not help but roll my eyes at some teenage decisions, but some moved the story along so were easy to overlook. The setting, atmosphere, and music matched the energy of the movie incredibly well. The pacing was spot on and the tension was insane in places.  For me personally, if it had been werewolves it would have suited the movie better. The creatures let it down ...

  Genre:  Horror, Crime Rating:   PG-13 Synopsis:   A man and his teenage daughter realize they're at the center of a dark and sinister event while watching a concert. *** I finally watched Trap last night and I have to say, it was better than some of Nights other works but definitely not one of the best.  Without spoilers, though the trailers leave little to the imagination, Josh Harnett was amazing as a Dad just taking his kid to the concert of her dreams while harboring a secret. And Ariel Donoghue, who plays said daughter, is just having a great time at a concert, not knowing what is going on all around her. Being oblivious in this case is not a bad thing as it matches her character's energy perfectly and when the inevitable happens it is great to see her reactions.  All the other actors did great, but at times some felt forced and not in a - I'm in character- type way.  Overall, it is a fascinating premise though, and was a fun ride, which is why...

  Genre:  Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller Rating:  R  Synopsis:  While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonists come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe. *** You all know what a huge Alien fan I am so when this came out I wasted no time in going to see it at the theatre. All the movies in the franchise have been hit or miss for me, but for this one, I have mixed feelings. They tried to include so many things that the story at times felt jumbled and though including one or two callbacks to the original Alien movie was welcomed and pretty cool. However, including one of the cast members was, in my opinion, a big mistake. Without giving away spoilers it is hard to discuss this aspect of the movie, however since it happens early on, you can pretty much predict some of the outcome of the meeting.  I sincerely appreciated going back to the practical effects and what they were trying to do, but sad...

  Genre:  Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller Rating: PG - 13 Synopsis:  A young woman, alienated from her community, finds herself in an action-packed face-off with a host of extraterrestrial beings threatening her future while forcing her to deal with the past.  *** I had very little information going into this movie and honestly, I think that is the best way to enjoy it. The main character, Brynn, is played beautifully by Kaitlyn Dever, who until this movie I had not heard of. I am definitely paying attention now.  Though the movie has almost no dialogue so much is said with facial expressions, situational awareness, and body language. Without words, you can almost hear what she is thinking and for the most part, I was thinking the same things.  Right from the opening scenes, you get an understanding of Brynn and how she does not fit in with her community, though she really tries. Thankfully I did not have to wait long until the action started and the first watch o...

  Genre:  Drama, Horror, Mystery Rating:  TV-MA Synopsis:  Bizarre nightmares unfold in eight tales of terror in a visually stunning, spine-tingling horror collection curated by Guillermo del Toro. As a huge fan of Guillermo del Toro, I had high hopes for this. The opening is visually stunning and the music reminds me of the nightmare before Christmas.  There are some huge stars present and regardless of the story, I personally think everyone did an incredible job showing each character. The problem with a collection of short stories, such as this, is you run into a time problem. Some stories did not get enough time, while others wasted time on things that did not progress fast enough for the time allotted.  Here is a quick breakdown of my thoughts for each episode.  Lot 36 - A very slow start and quick end. Lots of build up very little reward, but the monster was cool. 6 out of 10. Graveyard Rats - Very cool visuals, great story, and straight to th...