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Posts Tagged ‘Lupita Nyong’o’

A Quiet Place: Day One Review

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 1, 2024| Leave a Comment »

by LaTaeya Lane

Warning mild spoilers below:

A Quiet Place: Day One, starring Lupita Nyong’o, Joseph Quinn, and Djimon Hounsou and directed by Michael Sarnoski (Pig), takes place at the beginning of a major extraterrestrial invasion in the heart of New York City.

Terminally ill Samira, portrayed by Nyong’o (Us), is a poet living on borrowed time as she attempts to manage her Day-to-day life while creeping closer to her death. A routine day trip to a Marionette show in the city soon becomes a fight to survive as the city becomes utterly unhinged with chaos and destruction. While seeking refuge with other patients and a nurse on the trip, the will to survive suddenly becomes a journey to get Pizza from Patsy’s in Harlem. With her emotional support feline in tow, Samira meets a man named Henri, portrayed by Hounsou (Blood Diamond), who helps her learn how to move among the aliens undetected.

Surrounded by death and loss, Samira finds herself trapped in a tight situation; her feline companion comes to the rescue as he finds someone who can bring her to safety. Eric, portrayed by Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things), helps Samira by bringing her to safety and helping her get the medication she needs. Together, they set off to get Pizza in a world on the verge of ruin.

This film was exciting, packed with explosions, jump scares, thrills, and, most importantly, an emotional energy that radiated off the screen and into the hearts of moviegoers. Lupita’s performance not only delivered but also made such a deep connection between her character and co-star, Quinn, in such a profound way that it brought Samira and Eric together so quickly. It shows that despite the lack of dialog within the film, two actors can carry a movie without much conversation. Strangers can grow to care for one another in a way that impacts their lives beyond their shared traumatic experiences. This film gave me vibes from The Last Us, Alien, and Cloverfield.

A Quiet Place: Day One was deeply moving; the cast, cinematic view, score, and visual effects created an experience only the theater could bring.

I gave this film 5 stars!

Check out the trailer below:

L.L.

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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Review

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 13, 2022| Leave a Comment »

by LaTaeya Lane

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Review

Wakanda Forever directed by Ryan Coogler and starring Angela Bassett, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, and Lupita Nyong’o follows the story of how the world of Wakanda tries to find its place as they deal with the tragic events of losing King T’Challa.

This film was an epic adventure that introduced fans to a new villain, Namor portrayed by Tenoch Huerta as well as introduced us to a new generation of Black Female superheroes. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’s overall theme explored the impact of how devastating grief can have on loved ones as well as a community, but it also displayed the gentle tenderness of pain while exposing the grandeur and immense power of love, hope, family, and traditions.

The all-star cast conveyed raw emotion as their on and off- screen chemistry and love for Chadwick Boseman poured through each heartfelt performance. Angela Bassett delivered an award-winning performance as the mother of the late King while ruling as the Queen of Wakanda. Letitia Wright also deserves recognition for a job well done as she walked on the line of displaying such realism and strength in her role.

The Walking Dead’s Danai Gurira did an amazing job portraying the Wakandan General Okoye. Her performance projected the true spirit of love and loyalty in only a way that she could deliver.

The special effects blended well throughout the film and the score added to the raw emotion that the performers gave. The costumes and set designs were stunning as each look created a unique balance within the characters’ personalities as well as set the tone and mood to make the setting more magical. The action sequences were intense and drew you in as if you were fighting along with the characters. The origin story of Namor and his people was written very well and opened the door to an infinite form of possibilities regarding story development and the possible expansion of the Marvel Universe including the further exploration of Wakanda’s place in the world of the Avengers.

Marvel created an amazing tribute to Chadwick that is sure to leave moviegoers in tears. Overall, I gave this film five stars for the beautiful story and theater experience that it showcased.

L.L.

Check out the trailer below:

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Us Movie Review

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 24, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Us directed and written by Jordan Peele and starring Lupita Nyong’o is a supernatural horror that tells the story of a family’s encounter of doppelgangers. A family vacation at the beach becomes horrifying as Adelaide Wilson’s past portrayed by Lupita Nyong’o come to resurface with deadly vengeance. This movie had me at every turn. The opening scene in conjunction with a strong and mysterious score set a very intriguing tone for this film. The process of storytelling was done extremely well and the fact that I have never seen or heard of a horror film concept such as this made this movie so fresh and new. Lupita did a wonderful job holding her own in displaying a vulnerable inner and outer character strength. The children played by Joseph and Alex were very believable and shared a great presence with Nyong’o. My only reservation was the character of Gabe Winston portrayed by Winston Duke, the character appears to be a little out balance for me, but, the overall family dynamic and chemistry was blended well. There were some elements of light comedy that added to the authenticity of the film.

The dark aura that the film carried was a sheer genius and it gave me more reasons to question how deep is our reality. It was a fun thrill ride with unbelievable twists. This movie is an example of bringing horror to a whole new level of thinking and realization. The effects were good, just the perfect balance of visual representation through a lens. This movie is worth seeing twice.

I gave this film 5 stars.

L.L

Check out the trailer below.

 

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