Where you gonna go, where you gonna run, where you gonna hide? “Body Snatchers” (1993)

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directed by Abel Ferrara
© 1993 Warner Bros. All Rights Reserved.

Still not tired of our body snatchers? Then let me introduce you to the most disgusting adaptation, which is much more of a horror than a sci-fi to me. So in case you’re planning a family afternoon with a film – try something else. This time we move to a military base, where soldiers are being replaced by our well-known aliens in a seed pod form. The only way to distinguish real people from imposters is that the first ones can actually express emotions, which makes setting the film’s action in a military base quite funny. I mean, don’t get me wrong, but I’ve never seen soldiers as the most emotional people, at least not showing them that directly. Anyway, we follow Steve (Terry Kinney), who’s an agent sent to examine the ecological influence the military has on the surroundings. He moves there together with his family and, as you can guess, they are about to be next victims of the body snatchers. Doom, doom, doom. As I said at the beginning, this film is the creepiest of them all. Some critics say the plot of this part is the weakest, and I kind of agree, but the horror vibe makes up for it. I was actually positively surprised, because watching another similar adaptation would put me to sleep. Yet, this one kept me entertained. In fact, you may observe an interesting change in the narration here. As in the two previous adaptations the scientist/doctor was the protagonist, here, at some point, we get a new leader – Marti (Gabrielle Anwar), Steve’s daughter. And it’s not only a pleasant surprise in this production, but also a significant part of a revolution in horrors. You see, in old horrors, the protagonist was very often a man, while in the 80-90s the filmmakers wanted to create more female characters in this role. Marti is a perfect example and I just adore how she becomes the protagonist at some point instead of being one from the very beginning. So as you can see, even while watching angry aliens destroying humanity you may learn something about the history of cinema. And if you survive this adaptation, there’s one more waiting for you. Stay tuned!

My rating: 6/10
S.

Sleep and be born again into a world without fear and hate. “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (1978)

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directed by Philip Kaufman
© 1978 United Artists. All Rights Reserved.

Continuing our adventure with body snatchers, today I’m recommending you the film made in 1978, which in my opinion is the most sci-fi of them all. Maybe it’s because I grew up watching sci-fi films from the 70-90s and anything made back then seems more interesting to me when it comes to this genre. I don’t know. Anyway, if the version from the 50s wasn’t your cup of tea, don’t worry and try this one. The story is the same, yet there are slight changes that make the film more dynamic and futuristic, I’d say. So we get to learn that some aliens need to leave their own planet and they travel to our lovely Earth to settle here. And if you’re used to seeing aliens as creepy creatures with big heads and black eyes, let me say that these aliens are way more… sophisticated. They arrive in a form of seed pods with flowers. Isn’t that cute? Wait till they eat your brains and take over your bodies… Anyway, one scientist analysing the strange plant decides to bring it home (how thoughtful!) and show it to her boyfriend. How surprised she is when the next day the man is acting weird. That’s why you shouldn’t take work home, people! Elizabeth (Brooke Adams), the irresponsible scientist with silly ideas, asks her friend Matthew (Donald Sutherland) for help. The man obviously recommends her boyfriend to meet a psychiatrist, but soon more extraordinary things begin to happen and it seems like not only that poor guy might need mental health support… I wasn’t that engaged in the psychological reflection as I was while watching the previous version, but I was definitely more entertained. This film is a classic sci-fi from that time of the cinema and I’m not surprised it’s the most popular version of them all. Is it the best? I wouldn’t say so, because to me each version is unique in its own way and I hope that thanks to those posts I’m sharing you will notice that as well. What I absolutely loved about this film is the ending. Just please, don’t search for it – watch the film and let it surprise you! And if you’re hoping for some chills, see you next time for the most horror version of the story…

My rating: 6/10
S.

I’ve seen how people have allowed their humanity to drain away. “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (1956)

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directed by Don Siegel
© 1956 Allied Artists Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

November is this gloomy month where we’re still in Halloween mood, yet Christmas is knocking on our door. Since the atmosphere is already spooky, let me spoil you with four films telling basically the same story, just in four different ways. Boring? Nah, trust me, you may have fun. Especially if you’re a cinephile who enjoys films not only for their plots, but also for all the technicalities. I watched all four films one after the other and I believe recommending you the same marathon is actually interesting. Let’s start our journey from the oldest film, which is the one made in 1956. We move to Los Angeles where a man named Miles Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) is in hospital claming that people have been replaced by impostors. In order to understand the patient better, he is asked to explain everything step by step – and that’s how we also learn the whole story. In fact, Mr. Bennell is a psychiatrist himself and at work he started meeting more and more people suffering from Capgras delusion – which is believing that someone in our surrounding is an impostor. Sounds like a typical day in a psychiatric ward? Sort of, but things get complicated when Miles finds strange bodies without any features. Is it true? Are people actually being replaced by some mysterious creatures? Well, that’s for you to see, but considering the title of the film, the answer is obvious. It’s labelled a horror, but to me it felt more like a drama/action production. I didn’t feel this sci-fi or horror vibe, which is perhaps because I watched it 70 years after the releasing. However, I could observe the real drama going on in the characters’ heads. I mean, to me it was more of a story about identity and humanity crisis than a horror that anyhow scared me. Still, even though it’s not the spookiest thing I’ve seen in my life, I enjoyed it and I recommend you to experience the dramatic adventure. This film is the most dramatic of them all – next ones will be creepy, strange and terrifying. Get ready for a ride!

My rating: 6/10
S.

Revenge has never been sweeter. “Thelma” (2024)

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directed by Josh Margolin
© 2024 Magnolia Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Don’t mess with grandmas! I mean it. They won’t only feed you till you can’t move – they can also fight criminals like pros! If you’re in need of good vibes, this comedy is definitely for you. We get to know Thelma (June Squibb), who’s a 93-year-old woman living alone and enjoying her retirement. She has a loving grandson, Danny (Fred Hechinger), who’s overly protective and always makes sure his grandma is fine. One day, Thelma answers a phone from Danny who says that he’s arrested and the woman has to send $10 000 to a certain adress to let him free. The woman panics and does it, but soon after she finds out that the caller wasn’t her Danny and she’s got scammed. Thelma is furious about the situation and asks the police for help, but they don’t even bother. And when people don’t seem to care, what do we do? Yes, baby, we do it ourselves! The brave granny decides to find the scammer’s address and visit them in order to get her money back. But how will an elderly lady like her actually manage to fight a criminal? Oh, you’d be surprised… I absolutely loved this comedy and the story about Thelma, because it gives positive vibes and shows how much power elderly people still have. We often see grandmas and grandads being pushed away from our everyday life as if they weren’t able to join us in numerous activities. Well, if you ask them to run a marathon, they may rather refuse, but so would I and I’m much younger. However, they deserve to be seen and included. And they have the right to catch the scammer that fooled them. As I said, I had a lot of fun watching this film, but I also find it important when it comes to picturing seniors nowadays. I wish for more productions like this one, so please – feel free to tell stories of brave and crazy grandparents who break the boring stereotypes! Cheers to Thelma and all the unstoppable seniors!

My rating: 7/10
S.

I can make them hurt each other. “Weapons” (2025)

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directed by Zach Cregger
© 2025 Warner Bros. Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Halloween is coming! And you know what we need? Lots of sweets (to eat or to give to little terrorists in bedsheets with holes), candles (for the atmosphere and smell), creepy decorations (so China doesn’t go bankrupt) and a decent horror. Today, I’m recommending you a film that is perhaps not the scariest thing I’ve seen, but surely one of the weirdest recently. And if you dislike children and they creep you out, then you’ll love this one! The story is told in a nonlinear way, so we jump from a perspective to a perspective and we put everything together like puzzles, but I’ll try to give you a small idea what this film is about. We end up in Maybrook where one night, exactly at 2:17 a.m., 17 children disappear. UFO? Kidnappers? Well, we don’t know. They simply run out of their houses and poof – gone. Turns out those were all students of one class and after the night only one classmate, Alex (Cary Christopher), survived and showed up to school. Since it’s an unusual coincidence, the boy is asked lots of questions and the class teacher, Justine Gandy (Julia Garner), becomes the main suspect. The woman feels like an outsider, yet she tries to make sure her only present student, Alex, is fine. When she starts following him, she notices strange things about him, his house and his parents. Doom, doom, doom. What can I tell you… the previous horror by Zach Cregger (“Barbarian”) was much more interesting to me, because it was strange and surprising, yet I didn’t feel overwhelmed. This one is like a protein shake made by 3 different people who didn’t discuss the ingredients so each of them adds something random. Still, I enjoyed the fact that the narration wasn’t linear and I had to discover everything myself instead of just being told what happened. However, this film also made realise that I’m not a big fan of Julia Garner. She’s a lovely lady, but her performances here and in “Wolf Man” were actually disappointing. Perhaps it’s just wrong casting, so I hope to change my mind and appreciate her acting skills in the future, because for now I just found her characters incompatible with the films. But, when it comes to the boy playing Alex, Cary, he did a wonderful job. I had chills how convincing he was, so chapeau bas, little man! Anyway, if you feel like you’ve guessed what happens in this horror, I bet you’re so wrong, because literally everything happens here. I kind of miss those simple horrors where there was just a guy with a chainsaw and people running for 90 minutes. Still, I stayed entertained and this film qualifies as a horror, so why not recommending it to you? Have fun and watch it after you give strange children sweets. Because after this film you might not want to open your door. You’re welcome, buddy.

My rating: 6/10
S.

We’re being damn fools, that’s the truth. “The Lost Bus” (2025)

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directed by Paul Greengrass
© 2025 Apple Original Films. All Rights Reserved.

In 2018 in Northern California there was a massive fire that lasted for 2 weeks. Can you imagine? Two weeks of fire that cannot be put down. I’ve never experienced anything like that and I truly hope not to in the future. A lot of firefighters and special services were involved and worked hard to save as many as it’s possible and make sure the fire doesn’t spread further. Despite their heroic engagement, 85 people died in this catastrophy, yet the number could have been much highier. Today’s film takes us back to 2018, where we follow not a firefighter, but a school bus driver, Kevin (Matthew Mcconaughey). The man’s life has been quite a challenge recently, which included a separation with his partner, the death of his father, the health problems of his mother and quite complicted relations with his own son. Anyway, he tries to manage everything as best as he can. He has transported children to school and is about to go back to the base when suddenly he gets a request: there’s a group of children and their teacher stuck in an area which the spreading wildfire might soon reach. Kevin doesn’t have to agree, considering the fact that he’s also a father and risking his life would be irresponsible. But leaving a bunch of children without help is not acceptable, so Kevin decides to pick them up. From now on, this simple man is fighting an incredibly deadly element. The film is based on a real story and a real bus driver, so knowing this makes the watching experience even more intense. And as much as I love the fact that they presented Kevin as a real hero and shared his story with us, I still think this film could have been better. The thing that bothered me the most was radom zooming in and out. I know that some filmmakers consider it a cool thing to do to in order to make the film more dynamic, but to me it’s horribly annoying, because I feel like watching an amateur video on Tik-Tok. Still, I cannot even imagine how much work they put into recreating the whole fire, which looked horrifying. So in the end, I believe it’s a film worth your time and you should definitely learn about Kevin. But would I watch it again? Not really. But who knows, maybe you’ll have a different opinion?

My rating: 6/10
S.

We have survived. “It’s Not My Film” (“To nie mój film”, 2024)

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directed by Maria Zbąska
© 2024 Mówi Serwis. All Rights Reserved.

I’m generally quite critical about my country’s cinema, but I still give all films a chance and I keep searching for hidden gems. And I’m thrilled to say that “It’s Not My Film” is one of them. I definitely wasn’t expecting to enjoy it, especially since I’d read a short description and known what it’s about. Perhaps I should start watching the productions that seem like not my cup of tea… Anyway, in this story we meet Wanda and Janek (Zofia Chabiera & Marcin Sztabiński), a married couple that have been with each other for 10 years. Unfortunately, they both feel tired of this relation and everyday arguments about trivial things. Janek comes up with an idea to go on an adventure, which could either be their last one or the only salvation. They buy a sledge to carry all the necessary items and they start a winter walk along the Baltic coast in Poland. There’s an important rule – they cannot stop the walk and go to the city. They need to count on themselves and each other, no matter what. If any of them breaks a rule, they end the relationship. You may think it’s a ridiculous idea, but I actually love it and it’s a great metaphor of fighting for the marriage. You see, currently a lot of people give up on each other quite easily, because we’re so sure that true love and a perfect marriage is a Hollywood romantic comedy, where everything goes well, you kiss in the rain and yada yada yada. But it’s not. And whenever a slight inconvenience pops up, people run away. Wanda and Janek are not satisfied with their current relation, but just watch them walking on that beach. They are both furious, cold, exhausted and irritated, but they keep going. They may argue, they may hate each other 24/7, but in the end they keep going. Isn’t it toxic? No, not at all. Because in a healthy relationship there’s space for everything. Arguing over small things and teasing each other is not important. What’s important is that at the end of the day you have your person next to you and you feel their support. Say whatever you want, but I need more of such love stories. Real, honest and imperfect. What’s interesting about the cast is that it was Zofia’s debut, which adds some raw emotions into this film next to an experienced actor like Marcin. Those two created a wonderful chemistry and made me believe in the story. What can I say? I wish you all such relations.

My rating: 7/10
S.

Nothing is as simple as black and white. “Pleasantville” (1998)

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directed by Gary Ross
© 1998 New Line Cinema. All Rights Reserved.

Haven’t you ever wanted to enter the film/series that you’re currently watching? You know, just jump into the screen and become one of the characters there? Become a superhero fighting the bad guy? Or kissing the beautiful lady/handsome gentleman in a romantic scene? Or just enjoy peace in a silent film? Well, I bet we’ve all thought about it at some point. Today, I’m recommending you a film in which the main characters actually make it happen. We get to know David (Tobey Maguire), who’s a high-school student and a huge fan of “Pleasantville” – a black and white sitcom from the 50s. There’s about to be a marathon of the series and David wants to watch it, but he starts fighting over the remote with his sister Jennifer (Reese Witherspoon), which leads to breaking it. Suddenly, a repairman visits them and offers a better remote instead of their broken one. When the siblings use the new remote, they are magically transported into the world of Pleasantville. David and Jennifer are taken for Bud and Mary Sue, the series children. They obviously want to go back, but the repairman, who contacts them through a TV, says they should be thankful for this opportunity and disappears leaving the teenagers in the black and white world. They need to adapt to the situation and act like they actually belong there. They will not only learn about the reality of Pleasantville, but also become a chance for its people to discover what’s beyond. I was pleasantly (see what I did there?) surprised watching this film because it’s not just a silly comedy about two teenagers stuck in a TV show. It’s another reminder that nothing is as it seems and very often we’re all forced to pretend. Back then they were watching TV – now we scroll on social media and we envy all those people and their perfect lives. In fact, they aren’t perfect at all, it’s just an illusion, although hard to believe. That is why we should put the whole energy into strengthening our self-worth and don’t let anyone deprive us of our own colours. Damn, that sounded serious and smart. But hey, I’m being honest – that’s the exact reflection I’ve had after this film. So, I invite you to Pleasantville and I hope you’ll enjoy it.

My rating: 7/10
S.

A country without a language is only half a nation. “Kneecap” (2024)

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directed by Rich Peppiatt
© 2024 Wildcard Distribution. All Rights Reserved.

First things first – me and rap are not a friendly combination. I grew up listening to pop, then rock and metal, then I had a phase with jazz and classical music, and now I generally listen to everything… except rap. I’m sorry to disappoint rap fans reading this, but I really cannot force myself to this genre. However, it doesn’t stop me from appreciating their work… from the distance. So when I heard about today’s film, I wasn’t so eager to see it, because I was worried that my music taste would make me dislike the film no matter how good it would be. But recently, I decided to finally give it a try and get out of my comfort zone. And you know what? I’m glad I did, because I still don’t listen to rap, but I really liked the story behind this band. If you don’t know (I didn’t, so don’t feel ashamed), Kneecap is an actual band and this film presents their beginnings. In fact, the real band members play themselves, which makes the experience even more realistic. However, it’s not a documentary, so mind the fact that you still watch it like a fictional drama/comedy. But what’s so interesting about a rap band, you may ask? Well, Liam and Naoise are young and rebellious men who sometimes get in trouble. Youth, you know. One of the things they are fighting for is their right to use Irish as their first language. One day, in quite unusual circumstances (you’ll see), they meet JJ, a music teacher, who finds out that Liam has been writing song lyrics in Irish. The man suggests starting a hip-hop band that would be rapping in Irish, which was something strange, especially to younger generations who’re used to listening to music in English. A silly idea turns out to be an absolute hit, the band starts attracting more and more listeners, but it also ends up in the spotlight of numerous authorities for their political messages in songs. The band has been performing since 2017 and so far they aren’t going to stop. And even though I’m not a hip-hop or rap fan, I cheer for them. Why? Because despite different music tastes, we share one thing and it’s love to our own culture and language. I believe that thanks to them, a lot of young people in Ireland have decided to study and practise Irish, and this leads to the continuation of their traditions. Plus, when it comes to the film, I sympathised with the band and enjoyed their way of being, so in the end it was a pleasant experience. So no matter what you listen to, give this title a try. Síocháin!

My rating: 7/10
S.

That’s why the secret is lethal. “Closed Circuit” (2013)

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directed by John Crowley
© 2013 Universal Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

What is it like to be defending a terrorist? Well, you may find out in this film. In the past I thought I didn’t like political dramas, but apparently I was just watching the wrong ones. Today, I have something mysterious, exciting and also thought-provoking for you. Are you ready? Let’s go! One day, at a Borough Market in London a bomb hidden in a lorry explodes killing 120 people. The police are anonymously informed that the responsible one for this act of terrorism is Farroukh Erdogan (Denis Moschitto), an immigrant from Turkey. The man gets arrested and he’s the only suspect, as other people said to be involved are already dead. When at some point Erdogan’s defender commits suicide, Martin Rose (Eric Bana) is asked to continue the process. Since the case is very complicated and some part of the trial has to be closed, another lawyer is chosen – Claudia Simmons-Howe (Rebecca Hall). From now on, Martin represents Erdogan during public sessions, and Claudia during the closed ones. Those two advocates cannot contact each other, which is quite challenging because they used to be lovers, which is something they kept in secret. However, they try to do their jobs as best as it’s possible. While analysing documents and evidence, Martin realises that Erdogan might not be just a typical terrorist, but in fact a puppet in other people’s hands. At first I thought it would be a story about a lawyer, who has to protect a criminal and we would observe his inner battle – whether to win the case or be morally fair. Turned out it’s nothing like this. The story is way more complex and it shows how manipulated we might be as ordinary people. That the ones that should protect us are actually the bigger evil. And at some point I asked myself a question: so whom should we believe? And I haven’t got an answer, and probably never will. Or wait. Let’s trust ourselves – that’s the only right choice. Anyway, this is a damn well-written thriller with interesting characters and surprising plot twists, so if you want to reflect on our manipulated world and have a reason to take an additional dose of antidepressants, then this one should do.

My rating: 7/10
S.