Here are two of the recent movies I have seen and my opinions on them!
Solo Mio
Wow, Kevin James with the social media marketing was crazy. I thought I was seeing double with Matt Taylor’s Instagram account, and I was honestly convinced this art teacher just happened to look exactly like Kevin James. I thought this movie would be a cute little character development story in Italy, and it was, but I was not expecting a romance. I mean, he just got left at the altar and the next day he was basically flirting with the very welcoming woman that worked at the coffee shop.
I loved the sights of Italy while Mr. Taylor was on his honeymoon alone, but the husbands (and wives for that matter) that were also on the trip weirded me out. Their stories were just so interesting, like begging to marry your therapist and getting married to each other four different times?!
What really got me was the plot twist towards the end where Mr. Taylor’s love interest (the woman from the coffee shop) supported his fiancée’s decision of leaving him at the altar caught me off guard. To explain my word dump, his fiancée went to get coffee the morning of their wedding and was having doubts. Matt’s actual love interest basically told her, hey, if you are uncertain, don’t marry him. And they ended up together at the end! What a full circle moment. Overall, this was a refreshing movie, and I thought it had great elements all around! (I rated it a 4/5 on Letterboxd because if my almost-husband moved on that fast, I would have some words)
Heretic
A completely different vibe from Solo Mio! I had absolutely no clue what this movie was going to be about beforehand. I’m usually a big fan of popular horror but I didn’t see this one until recently and I thought it came out years after it did. Anyway, starting off with the theology central theme: I thought it was ironic since I’m taking a theology class now, but it was certainly thought provoking.
Two girls initially start off in the movie heading to a few houses where the tenants said they were interested in joining the Church of Latter-Day Saints. A few minor conflicts appear on their journey, but nothing too crazy. One of the houses they go to is owned by Mr. Reed and he invites them inside. The missionaries ask Mr. Reed if his wife can be present in the room (as a rule from the church). He says he asks her to come out every time he leaves the room (every time the girls check up on it) but she never does. Red flag #1.
The minor foreshadowing details in this long and drawn-out scene are crazy and looking back they are even more planned out than I remember. Mr. Reed is a mastermind. Anyway, one part that really got me was when Mr. Reed told the girls his wife was baking a pie, and they guessed the flavor: blueberry. A few moments later, once he leaves momentarily, one of the girls turns around the candle that is lit at the table in front of them and the scent is blueberry pie! Big Red Flag #2.
I knew he had a weird vibe to him, but this would freak me out. Mr. Reed is very focused on how everything comes down to one true religion, which in his opinion is control, but the girls don’t believe that, as they are Mormon. The climax occurs, which I won’t go too much into, but I can say it took a turn and involves manipulation through a fake resurrection. His house and plans are ultimately a puzzle that only one of the girls makes it out of. The unraveling of this movie was wild, and I recommend it to fans of horror! (This one also got 4/5 on Letterboxd).