November 2023 Movie Reviews (A Haunting in Venice, Dumb Money, Saw X)

As I slowly come to terms with the fact that it’s getting colder outside and there’s nothing I can do to stop it, let’s review some recent 2023 releases you can enjoy while you’re cozy by the fireplace (or heater, if you live in an apartment building like me and do not have a fireplace).

A Haunting in Venice (2023)

20th Century Studios, 103 minutes

A Haunting in Venice is a better than I expected murder mystery film loosely based off of an Agatha Christie novel. This whodunit follows Detective Hercule Poirot, a character who appeared in over 33 Christie novels and many short stories, though it isn’t necessary to be familiar with any of that in order to enjoy A Haunting in Venice.

Here, we try to crack the case of exactly what’s going on while trapped in a palazzo (with murder afoot) on Halloween night. There are, as one would expect, a colorful cast of interesting-enough characters. Kenneth Branagh stars in the lead role, as well as directs, and he does a good job creating a fun and spooky Halloween atmosphere.

A Haunting in Venice doesn’t particularly stand out when it comes to these types of mysteries, but it’s still an enjoyable watch. Sure, it might be somewhat predictable at parts, but that didn’t stop me from being entertained for most of the not-too-long runtime.

Grade: 7.5/10

Dumb Money (2023)

Columbia Pictures, 104 minutes

Remember that GameStop stock market craziness that happened just a couple of years ago? Well, this is a biographical comedy focusing on that situation that’s trying really, really hard to be cool.

Our story follows Keith Gill, the man at the center of the GameStop stock skyrocketing, though we also follow several other (quirky) characters involved by either investing in GameStop along with Gill, or those in charge of hedge funds who bet against the stock. We never really get any depth or insight into any of these people, as the movie seems to be more focused on things like fast-paced cuts, characters being silly, and r/WallStreetBets memes.

I think that the movie suffers from the fact that the GameStop short squeeze happened in January 2021, not even three years ago. At the time, that story was major news, and since it’s still pretty fresh in the minds of most viewers, I was hoping that this movie would bring some sort of greater insight into the situation than what is already widely known. It really doesn’t though – the film is basically surface level scenes that show what you probably already remember about the GameStop stock situation.

That’s not to say that Dumb Money is a bad movie, it’s simply not saying anything new, and is also trying way too hard to be cool (maybe to appeal to a younger audience). There are definitely worse ways you could spend just over an hour and half than watching this one, but I don’t know if it’s going to be too much more interesting or enjoyable than just reading the Wikipedia page about the GameStop short squeeze.

Grade: 5.5/10

Saw X (2023)

Lionsgate, 118 minutes

Rejoice, Saw fans everywhere! If you enjoyed the first nine installments in the Saw franchise, then you will definitely appreciate Saw X. If you sort of enjoyed the first Saw movie, then thought the second one was decent, but disliked the rest of them because they’re not good movies, you can also rejoice! Because Saw X is actually the best movie in the series since either of its first two films, maybe even surpassing both of them.

Unlike the majority of Saw films, Saw X has a decent plot. Taking place in the Saw timeline between the first two movies, we follow John Kramer (AKA Jigsaw) as he travels to Mexico with the hope of undergoing a miracle treatment to cure his brain cancer. Tobin Bell plays Kramer and I’m happy (and somewhat surprised) to report that he can actually act quite well, showing good range in a lot of the movie’s earlier scenes.

The first third of the movie, in fact, doesn’t have much brutal gore. It’s just Kramer’s journey and what happens to him, and I think this part of the movie would actually appeal to most moviegoers.

After we’re about a third of the way through though, strap in, because here comes the torture traps and violence necessary to appease hardcore Saw fans. If you’re not into the Saw violence you’d expect, definitely skip Saw X, but if you like violent horror films, this one fits the bill with a better-than-expected story.

Grade: 7/10

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December 2023 Movie Reviews (Oppenheimer, The Killer, May December)

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Chained Echoes Review: It’s Ok