₦airaland Forum

abduleez1:
HAMNET......9.5/10

Jessie Buckley can just go and grab that Oscar statuette right now....she should be given already. What a career defining performance. Damn!!
Kudos also goes to Paul Mescal, top top performance he delivered.

The film follows William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes and depicts the influences that lead to Shakespeare writing his legendary tragedy— Hamlet.

So far so good, this is the best film of the year. It talks about grief, loss, love, death in a whole other level. That play at the end just elevated the film miles ahead. It put things more in perspective about Shakespeare's grief and sorrow which torments him so, but can't express to his wife or the outside world. Instead, he pours his heart out in his work.

Top shelf directing right there, and that particular scene with the crowd extended hands trying to reach Hamlet— that was a masterstroke.
The music score is just top notch and binds you to the story. Great and intimate cinematography that molds you to the story.

If you were in doubt about Chloe Zhao, bruv, this film clears all doubt and exhibits the spectacular direction she delivered.

I saw this last night and i was in total awe of just how beautiful it was. Among the 3 films i penciled down to be my fav of last year, after seeing all 3, i can safely say i got them spot on 👍🏿.

A tragic description of how we deal with grief. They always say you can't tell someone how to grief and this is always true. Agnes devastated because how visions were wrong, and wanted William Shakespeare to share in her grief, but like with all great artists, they tend to want to turn grief to an obsession to make an all timer art, and Williams Shakespeare turned his grief into one of the greatest stage plays, this world has ever known.

The lost of a loved one is the greatest grief there is, imo, because how dare this precious.. precious.. soul, die? 😞. I remember losing a loved one sometime ago, and the next morning, people consoling me, the previous night, went to work, put on clothes and even ate...how dare they?!😩...but the world doesn't stop because you are grieving.

I been knew that Jessie Buckley was capable of flawless, emote and somber performances like this, pulled it off in "I'm thinking of ending things" (2020) and did same here too. That cheeky smile at the end, after knowing seeing "Hamlet" and realizing it was a tribute was perfection, the whole of the last scene too was a beautiful culmination. Rooting for her at the Oscars, but maan, i have already got 2 actresses i was already stanning, would actually be fine if any of the 3 got it tbh.

The cinematography too was top work, especially the forest scenes.

Proper proper film 👏

No other Choice (2025)

hmmmmm 🤔

pu7pl3:
Rick And Morty S8

Tapped out at S6. It became too tiring monotonous, and to a certain degree, too predictable to keep up with...same issue i had with family guy because, contrary to what we might think, in this time and age, serialized tv simply can't go on and on forever, and yield the same high value entertainment return, as like when it first started.

I might hop in to see the occasional odd episode here and there, but following it religiously like i used to, during it's peak years? absolutely no!.

superfelix:
Stranger Things S5

A satisfactory end and what a performance from the kid that played adult Holly 👏🏾

Yeah...A real "Satisfactory ending "

Ordered a bunch of Stuff from the Choice category on Christmas day, that got consolidated into one parcel, with a tracking number that ends with R and handled by speedaf. The shipping has moved at incredible speed since then and i have just got an email today, that the parcel is in the country. I don't think the Chinese celebrate these holiday period at all.

samistry:
I noticed Kpop Demon Hunters wasn't found in the Life Raft which saved you from the Great Slopening.
You may yet be saved .

My maan...are you familiar with the concept of "gatekeeping"? 🙃😂

Stranger Things S5 (2025).

I know it's a new year, but pardon my french, because i don't give a flying f**k about Holly!.

With the last episode dropping this morning, i didn't want this to linger longer than it should, so i just wanted to be done with it.

So, it might be a stretch, but i dare say this S5 was a big bag of nothing., nothing in the context, like nothing really happened, that you didn't expect to happen. All the episodes looked similar, with them going on about, Hive, Mindflayer, Upside down blah blah, just running round the same circle since episode 1, only to arrive at the same expected conclusion. I mean, you could literally just skip through the entire season, and see just this last and final episode and you wouldn't miss anything.

The bloated runtime was always going to be an issue, they had no business having all that time, when you literally have nothing meaningful that significantly moved the plot forward to show, just wasting those time on side quests, that adds nothing, like who tf cares if Holly is stuck in the upside down?? 🥴The entire thing could have been concluded inside 3 or 4 episodes. The only thing of note or "shock value" the Duffer Brothers had to deal, was to reveal "Will was a flower boy", like...big puff!, real ones knew this since like S2, and it added nothing to the plot going forward, so what was the point?.

Anyways, if you have made it thus far, you might as well just complete it, but if you haven't seen S5 at all, just do well to skip to the last episode, and save yourself the hassle, it's a new year, it's too early to waste your precious time.

In hindsight, This show's place pop culture history might be in jeopardy, because truth be told, only S1 has any meaningful replay value and even i wouldn't want to watch it again knowing how it all ends.

So this season is a hard 5/10.

PS: As a lover of opening and closing montages of media, the one for the final episode was a touch of class, A graphic novel style of the characters and plot since S1 whilst David Bowie's Heroes plays in the BG in perfect sync....just top tier... beyond that, meh...just glad to be done with 👍

and Oh, Happy New Year 🎉

2025: A Year in Movies.

The Ultimate Year of the Slop.

To say this year was underwhelming in terms of movies for me might be a grave understatement. I have only used the word "slop" in AI discourses, to attribute the rubbish content it creates, but i found myself using it more for movies this year. I could easily make a list of the worst movies of the year 2025, and i could easily name 20, and still have more. As my brother joseph1832 could attest, i was drowning in slop 😩😩, week in week out, i couldn't seem to get out of its way, but as bad as i had it, my brother DieRich5 was having it worse.

But, in times like this when the art of good filmmaking is lost in a wake of woke agendas, over political correctness and everyone and everything wanting a representation in movies, i still found time for some wholesome watches which i think are my best movies of the year.

"Sentimental Value (2025)". The absence of presence is not the absence of love. A simple film in itself but simply so profound.

"It Was Just An Accident" (2025). My Xmas day watch. Iranian Cinema has fed me well for years and this year was no different.

"Weapons" (2025). Genuinely thought i was done with horror flicks like this, but this came with a fresh spin that made it worthwhile. Top shelf film.

"F1: The Movie" (2025). As a formula one enthusiast, i enjoyed this film, not for the story per se, but for the share brilliance of the technical filmmaking at play... simply stunning to look out.

"Sinners" (2025). Again, i didn't think, this was gonna make this list, because when it came out early this year, i genuinely thought there was gonna be plenty more films better than it, boy was i wrong. Again, looking past the schematics of the story, it was sheer brilliance filmmaking at play.

The Herd: (2025). It's been a while Nollywood made a film, that i had literally nothing to complain about and for that this deserves it's place here.

There are some other films that could have made this list, but i haven't gotten around to them, due to an hectic schedule, but my plate is clear, at least till the middle of January, and i would be having a buffet 🍲.

So for now, it's been a pleasure discussing movies with you lot on here..i mean, no matter how rubbish movies have become, there isn't a more better feeling for a cinephile after seeing a good film...so i hope we get to do it again next year.
I am sticking my neck out for "Odessey (2026))" and Dune Part 3 (2026)...but for now,

Happy New Year Gents and ladies, and i do hope 2026 is magic ✨ 🥳🪄.

Caio.

This year has been such a blur...the sheer number of actors that have lit up our screens, that have passed...from Val Kilmer, Gene Hackman, Diane Keaton, Malcolm-Jamal Warner and now this King 😔.

As incredibly sad as it seems, our sojourn on earth is only for a while apparently, it is some grand design that our mortal bodies, so perfect, so pure, will one day see corruption, i have still not come to terms with this fact but since this fact is indeed certain, cherish these moments you have here, hug your loved ones, see films that make you smile.

Rest easy King 😔🕊️

TemporaryHansel:
I’m genuinely curious if LGBT viewers also lose their minds and crash out whenever straight couples have sex scenes in movies? If a scene bothers you, the simplest solution is to skip it.

People need to accept a basic reality, there are many LGBT individuals in America and Europe. It’s unrealistic to expect their presence, or stories reflecting them to be completely absent from Western films. Representation follows demographics, it’s not a conspiracy.

I would want to believe you are on about ST latest release, if so.

The problem is not with LGBT or their representation, the problem is with the context. This shows was set in the 80s, LGBT was still highly taboo!..No Gay man then was coming out to one person, let alone a room full of people. Many famous people were Gay then, and they kept it a secret, and even engaged in heterosexual relationship to deflect rumours, LGBT community was so ostracized that, they were synonymous with HIV/Aids.

The Duffer Brothers have got so confused on how to end this, no more "shock value" cards to pull, they resulted to nonsense pandering, that ordinary should serve no purpose to the story. Primary characters are now been relegated to Secondary characters, Eleven has been touted as the end all, be all of the show, and one episode to go, she still get nosebleeds from lifting simple objects 😩😩.

This entire S5 feels forced, even the actors, aren't even doing much acting, they are just bidding time, to fulfill their contracts and be done, so the only "draw" now, it's this stunt they pulled, even the LGBTQ community aren't even, all that pleased.

It's has been a shít storm since episode 1, but at least they were watchable, but this latest episode has knocked the show, from been one of the greatest show ever, which is sad, because the high i got from seeing S1 way back (2016), lasted a whole year! 😔

Nickshrapnel:
Roman J. Israel, Esq

A special ....special 2/10 🎉.

Denzel Washington is my GOAT, but this and "Highest 2 Lowest (2025)" are probably the worst films in his impeccable filmography... truly despicable films these lot 🗑️🚮

iamoyindamola:
Didn't finish the damn series

low-key, just narrowly escaped been underwhelming 👀...We clearly knew it was a Squid Game copycat but at least copy well. They were trying to introduce some unnecessary twist and turn and they just lost me, so i am not particularly interested in trying to see what they have to show me in S2 ✌🏿

pu7pl3:
That film is not an "anyhow film"
And Iran isn't running a democratic system like Nigeria.
[i]You have more leeway here.[/i]

leeway una 😩😩.

Person call film "A very dirty Christmas", CAN say make them ban am without context, the filmmaker had to cry on vid to explain herself, and that film has been doing badly in the cinema. Didn't the Netflix's "The Herd" cause uproar in the North for exposing core truths just because these terrorists sympathizers shares the same language and religion with the terrorists??.

If i tell you the number of films that don't make it past NFVCB approval, you'd be shocked...fact is, we practiced a faux democracy here, and Nigeria and Iran aren't that far apart, the only difference is that, all of us for Nigeria never crase finish 😩😩

GJames:
His gayness might end up being the key to their victory. No be Netflix again?

lol It will be the most obvious Netflix's thing to do, but they should know they just fumbled one of thier best ever titles. The stocks of the show has pullemeted. I doubt serious people, remembers this show past this year for a rewatch, certainly not me 🫶🏿

samistry:
Duffer bros use four years cook burnt beans.

dem dey pami bro...we don too gas them. They clearly had no plans on how to end the show, them wan use agenda cover their lapses 😩

Beorn:
I swear. I was pissed. Something that had absolutely nothing to do with killing of Vecna or the plot, and more annoying, something avid fans of this show already knows. they just reduced the intensity of that episode because of gay stuff

What annoys me the post is they used 24 hours to shoot that useless scene.

Will been a "flower boy" was supposed to be a secret? The Duffer Brothers wasted all these years just to come up with this and have the silly audacity to drag it out like this?

Rooting for Vecna at this point, and i sincerely hope he kills these Mfs 😩😩.

BlackManta:
I just finished Pluribus

Good show. Not as good as Giligan's other shows, definitely the weakest of them. But still a good show.

I don't understand why it's 9 episodes long. Should have been cut down to 7.

Episode 7 still dey vex me. I should have fast forwarded the damn thing.

Pluribus is a decent 7/10

Good show.

I will watch season 2 when it drops.

I have come to strongly trust my convictions on media consumption these days. I saw the first 2 episodes and instantly knew this show wasn't for me, no point forcing it.

And all i have heard about it since, it's how slow and lagging the show is, even up to last week's episode.

I know Vince Gilligan's style is this slow paced build up whilst hoping for a big payoff, it worked with me with BB and BCS, but mann, I am way past that era and have zero alloted patience,. moreso the fact that i have fully convinced myself, i can't possibly see every media out there, i sadly have to let some go, and this is definitely one of those.

abduleez1:
It Was Just An Accident...... 8/10
Language: Farsi/Iranian

Jafar Panahi delivers an intense thriller. At first, it seems slow and you're wondering what you're looking at. Still, you're left guessing cos it teases you in a way you want to see how it ends. Well, it doesn't take long for things to truly kick off and from there it takes you on a wild ride of revenge, h@te, conflicting morals.
It is an emotional rollercoaster, cos you're left with feeling finishing off one who has wronged you, while also feeling compassionate and not devolving into the same demons who had tormented you.

It is a story that revolves on a man kidnapping and seeking revenge against a government official who tormented him in prison some years back. Will he go ahead with his plan for vengeance or will his better judgement take over?

It's a classic defiant film to the powers that be in Iran. A rebellion against the autocratic regime and it's agents of chaos and subjugation.

I think it's a satire of some sort, of Iranian society and how the people one can term "evil" also have their "human" side— vice versa. The duality of man. Having equal measure of showing empathy and cruelty at the same time. Everyone has that capacity.

"They used violence, so we should do the same? Then there's no end".

Now wtf was that ending. That ending leaves things in an ambiguous manner. Well, one can assume dude is well and truly fk€d.

Iranian Cinema 💚.

I stood applauding and at the same time terrified for Vahid, after finishing this, this Christmas afternoon, because, that squeaking footsteps at the end, could only mean one thing!

This entered my must see of 2025, after the Cannes premiere, because Iranian Cinema can't seem to put a foot wrong, Their movies almost, all the time centers around the totalitarian regime and how it impedes the life of ordinary Iranians and this film, as others before it, captures it, in the most brutally honest way possible. I mean i follow, Supreme Leader Khamenei on X, and his post, speaks nothing of what we see in these films. He is always on about, women's right, freedom of speech and what not.

I would want to believe this film tends towards a satire but a sad one, as you have pointed out, you could clearly see the struggle of conscience, guilt and revenge of Vahid, as he comes face to face with his tormentor, going through hoops, to confirm if he got the right man, even with almost certain confirmation, he still helps the man, birth a child.

Btw, Neon has become my favourite distributor of foreign language indie gems like this. They have totally snatched the chains of A24!. The speed at which this and Sentimental Value (2025) came to VOD is just so so brilliant...I remember how i used to jump through hoops, literally scraping through the "Dark Web" to get these kind of films, because these 2 evil corps, A24 and Mubi would hold on to movies like this for months and months 😒😩.

I finished this film, and i instantly went to the kitchen to see what the woman of the house, has served up for this most auspicious day of our Lord and Saviour, saw a mountain load of Rice and the robust laps of the chicken, i slaughtered last night, i felt guilty for ending the poor fella's life yesterday 😒, but as i consumed this meal today, i felt zero guilt...why? you ask.... because I have just seen, a truly special special film!! 🎉✨.

Side note: The scene where they were at the desert arguing what to do with the "Tormentor" is my absolutely favourite. Ali, Goli and Vahid were showing restraint whilst relieving the horrors he did to them, meanwhile Hamid, the only clearly thinking man among them, wanted to end the tormentor's life, there and there, because he knows, you don't give the devil, a second chance. Beautiful chaos shot on a spiralling desert, i scrapped through Pinterest for a textless picture of the scene, and it's been my wallpaper since ✌🏿

samistry:
We've lost baba to the blue cat people

The funny thing, is that he's probably one of the very few film makers, that pushes the boundaries of technical aspects of film making, just a shame it's wasting it on this blob of a film, and he dey threaten say, 2 more movies still remain for the franchise 😭😭.

Anyway, he said, it's his passion project, and he has dreamt about making this movie all his life so make he flex 👍🏿

pu7pl3:
Bruh, you know how to paint a picture 😂😂

lool i try to do my best maan 🤭😂😂

pu7pl3:
I felt like it had much promise with a solid concept but ultimately they fumbled it badly. Ep3-5 was a disgrace to TV and BBC.

Someone that trust my media taste, asked me about the show, and I ran my mouth, and said it was a "10/10" without even seeing it myself and purely based off the hype, you lot gave the first 2 episodes here, and now am coming to see these lamentations?? 😩😩.....naahh my credibility on the line broo 😭

blingxx:
Nolan is cooking the Gods for us

Brooooooo...I too go believe my GOAT! 💪🏿💪🏿💪🏿.😩🤭

Beorn:
Not impressed one bit. I mean we've known about this for quiet sometime now. Waiting for a better trailer that would pique my interest. Regardless, God willing, I'll be there.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVPOa6_EfiA?si=TcKkS8P7bDhbe-_l

This has a strong potential for a fantastic "2/10" 🎉🎉

Because what the actual hell are we supposed to be looking at here? 😩😩.

I have never seen a more fan-servicey, quick money grab drab flick, than this potty, Marvel is trying to serve us.

I am there sha, They literally brought the one person that saved the universe, as a villain in the same universe to play a different character?...like this movie has next to zero chance of been good, like common on mannn 😩😩, it's like when you order an OS from Michat and she tells you it's 8k for TDB, you knowing it's too good to be true, and she is about to serve you a bottom barrel meal , but you are horñy and hungry, so you might as well indulge 😩😩

pu7pl3:
Just seeing that aunty deleted my Serbian film Post. Maybe it's cos of the screenshot I added

There is a serious human rights violation going on, on this site and we are all just unlooking ..This is a gag on free speech tbh 😩

abduleez1:
Yeah, I agree. Welcome To Derry I think played a role in giving Stranger Things a drubbing. It somehow hijacked all the talk on social media and I'm quite shocked people aren't even having a meltdown from S5 finale release.

I have downloaded this S5 but still haven't watched it yet because I want to watch the 4 episodes which serve as a refresher for remembering and understanding Vecna up till now..... But I must say the HBO show is a comparatively all round better horror show overall.

True existential and extraterrestrial horror Stranger Things wants to be without pulling its punches.

Brooo..I don't know if it was because i engaged Welcome to Derry tweets on X, that the algorithm started bring its content to me, but that show totally blew up on X and stole ST S5 shine...

I actually don't care anymore how it ends, it has gone past any type of anti-climatic ending that would actually leave a lasting impression on me....so make them serve me the potty on Jan 1st make i rest jor...

abduleez1:
Wake Up Dead Man...... 6.5/10

While it's an interesting or entertaining watch by some extent, it's pretty much lacking and looking repetitive and predictable at this point.

They should just wrap up this franchise already and come up with another sauce. Looked dumb at some point with some pretty lacklustre plot points.

Even the last one that was showing stress was far better and concise than this was.

Whodunit is my worst genre of media...and there is nothing absolutely different they will do, to differentiate it from Part 1 and Part 2.. Just change cast and location maybe, same trope of mysterious murder and the investigation therein...i have had my fill since part 1 abeg 🙏🏿

abduleez1:
Lmfao...... Guy wetin be dis.... 😂😂😂 You be Muslim??

Actually No my guy 🫣🤭, but I'm not so far from it....we all serve the same one true God 🙌🏿🙌🏿

I have barely had chatters of Vol. 1 past the first week it was released, and I barely even remembered that Vol.2 was coming out this week even till i saw this. I bet Netflix's plan for a sustained moment for this final season, with this scatter release model, hasn't exactly gone according to script, worse still it came out, during the peak of "IT: Welcome to Derry" Episodes, which is what has actually occupied that space in the past 3 weeks or so, and tbf, that is a better horror show than this S5, and get on it, it you haven't 👍🏿.

Moral of the story, this is not the era of long breaks between shows, except you are going to serve something extraordinary, between that long years gap. Our memories are too fickle, too many things to worry about, too many media coming out every week to keep up with...just release your shît and keep it moving 😒

I saw this shot and i gasped! 😩...Peak film making might actually be back!.

I have been burnt before with my overzealous expectations but this crazy film autuer, Sir. Christopher Edward Nolan has never given me a reason to doubt, so i am placing all my bets on him. i have a strong conviction, that this and Dune: Part 3 (2026) will save the film year for 2026.

And by the will of Allah, the most merciful and the most benevolent....i shall be there 🙏🏿

abduleez1:
Thing is damn annoying, especially when it's just from yesterday to today I'm feeling motivated to drop reviews all these while.

I can never bow to the pressure of Antyspamy...my reviews go still dey long, make e just dey ban dey go...make we see who go tire fgs 😩😩😭

pu7pl3:
Now you see me Now you don't - My honest opinion is that they should just wrap it up already. This movie/franchise has no redeemable feature anymore and I'll be suprised if they even make any profit from it.
A waste of time.

I saw it drop on VOD almost immediately after the cinema drop, then i instantly knew it was diabolically bad..

Like there is so much heist they can do, part 1 was good but they should just let it go at this point 😩

DieRich5:
good reviews
The people rating it high or good are seeing the movie like Edge of Tomorrow and don’t even know why the loop are happening because if they do…..they will see the movie differently.


bad reviews
The writer start the disaster story early and ended it in 49mins which followed the narrative and the title name b4 everything changed and anything from there is about Ai simulation, the reason behind this time loop are never clearly explained but few people knew the details

Spoiler Alert if you don’t want to watch the movie and this is the summary
The main girl son was killed at the end of 49mins and his memories must be harvested to advance the Emotion Engine's development which the main character was involved with and every human being will be replaced by AI with human emotions and the main character also dead in space and want to be with her son too

I dey believe your review these days my good man, say no more...i don remove am from my Holiday Playlist 👍🏿😩