igornveiga's Reviews

The Last of Us: When We Are in Need (2023)

Season 1, Episode 8

6 March 2023

At the beginning of the episode we get a hint of what's to come, with a take focusing on "Todd's Stakehouse", then preacher David with lines about the Apocalypse. Then Ellie goes hunting and we see her making silly mistakes (I ended up wondering, is she all that, is she ready to go out alone in this world?) However, she quickly finds a rabbit that can represent luck or bad luck once that the animal manages to escape, causing Ellie to go into the forest to hunt when she meets David and James which in a way is lucky because through this the necessary medicine is obtained to save Joel, however it is also unlucky because what lies ahead in the rest of the episode is macabre.

At a certain point, the question asked in the paragraph above was answered, Ellie despite being physically fragile is extremely dangerous mentally, having a coldness to hide and only attack when the time is right (almost like a wild animal), I think it is that's what David recognized in her, after all, in a previous scene he is shown eating a plate full of human meat. In the last act, I believe that the Bar in flames refers to what awaits the false Preacher after death, Hell (if there is such a thing).

The episode leaves no doubt that the protagonist is ready for the world that surrounds him, even if her physique is not the strongest and she is not so skilled with weapons, her mental power and coldness in critical moments is her main weapon and as he knows how to use it perfectly, he overcomes the obstacles posed by the plot so far.

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The Punisher (2004)

7/10

Good.

1 September 2022

I met the figure of the vigilante when I was around ten years old when I played The Punisher on PlayStation 2, the game was very good and I imagined myself wearing an overcoat just like Frank, the game was full of guns, shootings and had in some parts torture scenes when I saw the movie in the netflix catalog, I decided to give it a chance.

The film bets on a more realistic way of telling the story of the legendary Frank Castle. The initial scenes of the film are very impactful and until that moment I was in ecstasy with the film, expecting a really violent film as the character's story demands, however, here we see the construction of the character in a more human way, going through alcoholism and etc. I believe that the film left something to be desired in the shooting and fighting scenes, which for me were few and the ones that did not excite so much. Anyway, the ending is satisfactory although the story doesn't give depth to the secondary characters, in short, a good movie.

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Harvey (1950)

8/10

Is a little fantasy bad?

1 September 2022

Another great film by James Stewart, when I started to dedicate myself to watching movies I was in a way prejudiced against black and white movies thinking that they were quite boring and that more modern movies would always be better and today having watched hundreds of movies I have a perception that the more I watch old movies, I end up liking recent movies less, it's amazing how movies from 30, 40, 50, 60 years ago manage to captivate those who watch so much, in general with original stories even for the present day and it's undeniable its influence on modern films.

About the film, Harvey is a great film, it is not a classic, but it has a very original proposal, a young man who apparently has mental problems and who is taken to an insane asylum to be hospitalized, despite "causing great problems" at her aunt, Elwood always speaks kind things and never speaks in an aggressive tone to anyone.

From this context, the plot develops and in the end it conveys an interesting message, is it better to live a light fantasy and be someone good or live reality in a bitter way?

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Thirteen Lives (2022)

8/10

Excellent

1 September 2022

Exciting. The film tells the behind-the-scenes of the rescue of the football team that after an unexpected heavy rain are trapped in a cave. The story itself feels like a written plot, with so many coincidences and twists that happen throughout the plot.

As the focus of the film is not the previous life of the characters, but the rescue, the characters are presented in the story in a superficial and simple way as the film asks, otherwise we would have an extremely long film. In addition, another positive point of the film is the apparent fidelity to what happened, the characters discuss, dialogue, demonstrate different opinions for the same situation. Another good thing was to give protagonism to the other people, the firefighters, doctors, local residents who also helped in the rescue and who were as important as the divers.

A great movie with a moving story, it doesn't surprise me if it has any Oscar nominations.

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Sleuth (1972)

9/10

Masterpiece of suspense.

1 September 2022

A great movie. The story develops through long dialogues that, due to the proximity between the actors, occur so naturally that at a certain moment you believe that what is being told is real.

Andrew Wyke a renowned writer apparently a member of the English nobility welcomes Milo Tindle a hairdresser of Italian descent into his house, Milo lives a romance with Wyke's wife and goes to his house as a way to make it clear and resolve that situation, Unlike the usual Wyke doesn't go for aggression or anything like that, being a gentleman attracts Milo to a kind of macabre game where his intelligence is subjugated from there the plot of the film begins.

The movie looks a lot like a game in which you have to look for clues and at least for me from beginning to end I was imagining curious about what would come next, always with good ideas the movie despite long conversation takes develops quite well pleasant and never gets boring.

I recommend everyone to watch this masterpiece of suspense.

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All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)

10/10

Classic, perfect, one of the bests.

1 September 2022

This film is a practical example that to tell stories you don't need super special effects, super technologies, 4k cameras and so on. Without a doubt one of the best war movies I've ever seen. I loved the opening sentence of the film that makes it very clear that the film does not seek to blame any of those involved in the war, but only portrays in a realistic way (In terms of reality I believe the film is only second to the Russian Idi i smotri) the phases of the war from recruitment to the post-war period.

At first we have a recruiter who incites young people to want to serve their country, making them think they will be heroes, at another moment we have the bootcamp phase in which the hitherto enthusiastic young people realize that the army is not such a good place. . In another moment we see the war in its most brutal form at a certain moment the soldiers ask themselves why they are there after all they never knew whether a Frenchman or an Englishman, they soldiers suffer the ills of war, be it physical or psychological while generals win the awards. In the post war we see the criticism where people who have never been to war and understand more than those who have experienced it and in the end the post war soldier today preaching to new recruits that they should not go to war.

A perfect film, when you consider that the film is over 90 years old, the quality of it is really shocking, not only in the plot but in the practical effects, explosions and so on. What intrigued me at the end of the film is that with a film like this, a second world war was still possible?

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Before Midnight (2013)

9/10

Cute, real, sexy, reflective.

1 September 2022

The last film in the Before trilogy, perhaps the least romantic and probably the most realistic, focusing on the problems of married life tied to raising children. It is certainly a film for adults, not only because of the brief nude scene but because the topics covered say a lot to those who are already of a certain age and who have already been through a relationship and at some point were disappointed.

What captivates me the most in this trilogy is how the long scenes full of important dialogues develop using all the surrounding scenery to hold our attention to the story, for me it's like entering a parallel world and out of nowhere the movie ends .

Ethan and Julie are a show apart the performances are absurdly natural (I don't remember another duo with as much chemistry as this one) at a certain point you believe they are really Jesse and Celine. Definitely a classic trilogy, mandatory for every human being.

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In the Heat of the Night (1967)

8/10

Racism unfortunately still exists.

1 September 2022

Absurd how things from 1967 still exist today. At the time it was released, I believe that the film has already shocked many people because until today it is not so common for the black character to be the main actor and, moreover, the most intelligent person in the plot. In general, black people are represented as the dumbest, their only talent is usually strength and their work or they serve only as butlers, elevator assistant, waiter and other jobs that require little instruction.

The first criticism that the film makes is when our protagonist is arrested apparently just for being black and having money in his wallet, being released only when he is identified already in the police station from which this film already breaks the first prejudice Detective Tibbs besides being a specialist, he is an FBI policeman and who has a salary apparently many times higher than the white policemen of the city of Sparta.

In several moments the film demonstrates the criticism of racism either by segregation, disbelief in a black policeman, in my view the most impactful scene in the film is when the characters are going to Mr. Endicott's farm.

A classic, with a strong message. I recommend everyone to watch the work.

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A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965 TV Movie)

8/10

Classic.

1 September 2022

Definitely a timeless classic. The short tells the story of Charlie Brown, a child who is very sad and uncomfortable due to how the Christmas festivities occur, where he looks, people only care about consuming, having as a premise the plot seeks to make a counterpoint and a reflection of what Christmas is truly about, love for others, the celebration of the life of Jesus Christ.

The animation is undoubtedly classic and has a strong message for both adults and children, from the first minute I knew it would be something different from what we are used to seeing in Christmas themed episodes or films in which people get fed up, exchange gifts and everything ends well, I still don't have children but when I do, this animation will be mandatory.

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How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966 TV Movie)

7/10

Classic.

1 September 2022

Although I had never heard of the Grinch's story until then, in the first minutes of the short, we already realized that it is a classic, I was surprised after reviewing the film with the presence of the legendary Frankenstein, Karloff.

Although short in time, the work is enormous in meaning, making clear the real meaning of Christmas, which is first the commemoration of the life of Christ and after that, the fraternization and love for our neighbors and not what we are used to. And etc, first of all Christmas is about family and togetherness. The most amazing thing about this work is that the story is fun for both adults and children. Absolutely a classic.

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Epic Movie (2007)

3/10

Unfunny

1 September 2022

I watched the film when I was a child and at the time I thought it was quite funny, seeing it nowadays, the film is very poor, it requires those who watch it to turn off their brain. A parody of several famous films of the time that with today's eyes is pretty bad.

Obviously nothing will make sense in the movie, plot, photography, jokes, dialogues, nothing is minimally good in this movie, going back to what I said, when I was a child I thought the reason was good? I have no idea. Seeing the movie's curiosities, I was very surprised that it still has an extended version.

There is nothing original here whatsoever-same old big breast jokes, oral sex jokes; sloppy tongue-kissing, spoofing of movies not necessarily worth spoofing, and using the same old actors from other horrible spoofing movies.

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Crimes of the Future (2022)

5/10

Innovative but poorly executed.

1 September 2022

A movie that is just bizarre, honestly the plot develops in a simple and complete way of expository conversations, characters basically connect by chance and develop a relationship of mutual trust so fast that it bothers the screenwriter seems not to have bothered to spend extra time to explain the characters, understand their reasons, motives and so on, everything is very simple and only serves to justify the actions of the next scene.

Visually the film looks more like a movie from the 80s, the surgery scenes and the organs were very good, the setting of the scenario portrays well this underground culture lived in the film, but nothing more, I believe that if the film had had more time to explain that universe or to tell the story in a series format would have done better.

In my opinion, the film gains more fame for its bizarre and controversial theme than for the quality itself, the project is innovative but poorly executed.

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The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

8/10

Law or Guns?

16 August 2022

Every time I watch a movie from decades ago I realize that even without all the special effects, 4K cameras and all things Hollywood, they manage to tell stories in a masterful way.

Here we follow Ransom (A lawyer) who after a robbery is rescued by Tom (A farmer) and arrives in the violent city of Shinbone that is dominated by the dangerous Liberty Valance, an unscrupulous bandit. At that moment we are introduced to the other main characters Hallie a waitress who likes Tom very much but is never proposed to her. Mr Peabody is the editor-in-chief of the local Shinbone Star newspaper in charge of covering the region's news. Link Appleyard the most cowardly sheriff who ever lived.

Tormented by Liberty Valance, Shinbone, is just another place that hasn't developed due to lack of education in the city because apparently many people can't read and in a way this contributes to everything in the city being resolved through bullets being therefore a land no law.

At that moment our character Stoddard seeks to apply a system of laws in that region and make the city a recognized state and not just a territory and somehow bring progress to that region, beforehand Ransom seeks to teach the people of the region to read and write , which includes Hallie, who at one point was enchanted by Tom's bravery and now begins to fall in love with Ransom's calmness and passivity. This approach obviously makes Doniphon jealous and from there we have the beginning of a somewhat confused friendship between a man who only believes in the power of the law and another in the power of bullets.

Given this introduction, what intrigued me the most about this film is that both Ransom and Tom are heroes and anti-heroes in the same film, being practically impossible to say which is the good and the bad of the story, I preferred Tom, in a way he had more honor. A great movie, I recommend it to everyone.

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Better Call Saul: Saul Gone (2022)

Season 6, Episode 13

No happy end.

16 August 2022

Warning: Spoilers

No happy ending, as it should be. As much as I like Saul and maybe this is one of the most charismatic characters I've ever seen, for everything he did, he didn't deserve a happy ending that would be seven years in prison, it would really frustrate me a lot. This ending, in addition to being more realistic, gives the character a final outcome without leaving anyone who watches in doubt and now what will happen to Saul.

At a certain point we have Saul, the trickster guy, who uses any artifice to get out of a complicated situation, always without scruples and at a certain point the episode leads us to believe that, it's funny how unreal this is but somehow captivates and creates an expectation that he will be able to save himself from yet another big problem.

An episode that constantly talks about regrets shows us that it's never too late to regret things we've done, whether it's Mike regarding the date of his son's death or rather, his son only died because in 79 he accepted a bribe. Kim revealing the secret to Howard's wife. I think Walter is the only one who didn't regret it, for me he's a psychopath, he doesn't regret the harm he did to several people and he's actually sad to be in prison. Finally Saul, or Jimmy or James, his scene in the courtroom shows the real regret of him wanting to disconnect from everything related to Saul and taking on the James McGill persona for good, but he has no one but Kim and maybe because of that. This he makes her go to the trial, to show her that he has repented and is now a new man, unfortunately he will have to spend his life in prison and that is a love that will not happen.

A great episode that ends the story of a man who used several masks whether Slippin Jimmy, Jimmy McGill, Saul Goodman, Gene Takovic and in the end despite enjoying being this deceiving guy he faces reality from now on is really himself. Another reflection that the episode leaves is his passion for the Law, when he refers to his brother's death for having taken away his right to lawyer James realizes that what would be the point of being free if he couldn't do what he loves most being a lawyer, All in all, a very strong episode.

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Collateral (2004)

8/10

After all, what does it matter?

15 August 2022

A good action movie, an apparently simple plot, but which, in addition to the killing, seeks to propose a reflection on how often life does not matter, on the one hand, people who do not seek to fulfill their dreams, hiding in lies and excuses for not getting them and on the other hand due to this urbanization and more and more people in the world the death of someone is just another statistic for the rest of the world. I believe that this is the important message of the film, nothing matters, that must be why the film does not make an effort to delve into the characters and many of them end up dying without even knowing the name or in the case of Detective Fanning that we do not have its outcome as we wait. A great movie with good action scenes, Tom Cruise in his role is excellent in the action scenes and Jamie Foxx well played a man who has his life turned upside down from one moment to the next.

A good action movie, I highly recommend it.

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Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)

8/10

Suspense from start to finish

15 August 2022

Comedy and suspense. At first I thought the film was a romantic comedy but when we moved on to the second part we began to perceive the macabre tone of the plot. The horror of the film starts from the dialogues of the Brewster sisters that are soft and macabre and until a certain moment I wonder if all that is a joke to scare Mortimer and him marry his beloved Elanie because there is a dialogue between them that says "This is part of the plan we have for Mortimer". The film through Jonanthan references the already classic Frankenstein at the time. A really creepy thriller film, I believe that if the film hadn't appealed so much to comedy, it would have gotten better and more macabre.

The film shows that even without jumpscares or special features it is possible to tell a horror story without even showing dead people, blood everywhere, witches, murderers, spirits, ghosts, demons, just telling a story of sick human beings.

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Day Shift (2022)

6/10

Cliché

14 August 2022

Like The Gray Man and Project Adam, netflix bets on not-so-deep, family-friendly movies. Day Shift has a very simple plot, a father who needs money to keep his family together (which we've seen in hundreds of other movies). The backstory of the antagonists isn't explored and it kind of gets too vague, characters are added without much explanation and the movie develops with actions that just justify the next action, there's no depth to the characters. A pretty cliché movie to be honest.

The soundtrack is excellent, 2pac and Ice Cube at the beginning of the film fit in well with the proposal, at first the film has a filter that highlights the California sun which is very good. The action scenes are very good, with few cuts (Scott Adkins is very good), lots of blood and shots as an action movie calls for.

For those who have watched 1000+ movies like me, and had the chance to see masterpieces of cinema, they end up not getting so excited about movies like this one because the plot is too simplistic and in the case of this movie very cliché. I believe that Netflix seeks to make movies that most people like, so it bets on simpler stories and action or comedy, for the general public a movie like this is much better than, for example, La Dolce Vitta or something like that.

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The Adam Project (2022)

7/10

Yeah g00d

13 August 2022

A movie for fun, watching with the whole family, science fiction. Anyway, it's not a masterpiece, but it still manages to be very good, the plot doesn't have so much depth and it's not so complex when compared to other great movies of the genre, however the movie still manages to be good, the special effects I think it is the high point of the film, Ryan as always with funny and charismatic characters. The film approaches time travel in a very simplistic way (and the script makes a point of emphasizing this during the dialogues) after all the film is not intended to be something like Interstellar as I said at the beginning the film is content to be a film for the family . With some references such as Star Wars, the film manages to do well.

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The Gray Man (2022)

7/10

Enjoy.

13 August 2022

Unfortunately, before seeing the movie I saw some reviews and critics who criticized the movie a lot, classifying it as shallow, meaningless and so on. Obviously it's not a masterpiece of action movies and doesn't come close to Bourne or 007, however, it still manages to be a good movie, the plot is a little cliché and shallow has secondary plots that don't go deep and for me in that, the movie falls short. The action scenes have a lot of cuts which honestly takes the excitement out of the scene. The various locations, despite enhancing the film in terms of photography, are very beautiful.

The point for a lot of people not to have liked the movie is that it doesn't propose to be deep, it just introduces the characters and you have to accept them, there's not much explanation about why they are like that or how they got in that situation, it's a simple plot, for a simple movie and aimed at a large audience, does that make the movie bad? Obviously not. So I highly recommend this movie if you're just looking for fun and action scenes.

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The Wild Bunch (1969)

8/10

Brotherhood

12 August 2022

In The Wild Bunch we follow the story of a group of professional thieves, which in the opening scene already made me quite excited, a detail, a western movie however with pistols showing the transition from the 19th century to the 20th century in the pre-first world war period and the Mexican Revolution.

Despite being a movie about thieves, the story conveys the message of loyalty to his friends, in the first scene a boy is left behind to die and later it is discovered that he was the grandson of a gang member, which makes Pike very sad. Obviously the characters are thieves and among them in most cases there is no such loyalty, however, the group formed by Pike, T. C, Sykes, Dutch, Tector Gorch, Lyle Gorch, Angel and Coffer, these eight are different, they are loyal among themselves and everyone there would give their lives for each other, obviously they don't agree on everything and there are moments of conflict which is very good.

What I didn't like about the movie is that it doesn't delve so deeply into one of the main themes that is the hunt for ex-con Thorton to the gang, in addition to a Flashback and lines showing that before he was part of the gang and that he misses it. For me it wasn't enough to show how close he and Pike were.

A good film, it is not a masterpiece like others of the genre, but it is still current and manages to have a lot of fun.

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Mystic River (2003)

8/10

Who killed Katie?

12 August 2022

Warning: Spoilers

It's definitely a good movie, it's not a masterpiece, but it still manages to have a lot of fun in terms of suspense. I watched the movie and I kept wanting to guess who the murderer was and it's funny how the movie forces us to believe that it's a certain character and once it indicates that it's another one and at least I was very curious.

The film revolves around three characters, Sean an investigating police officer in the homicide department, Jimmy an ex-con with mafia connections and Dave a young man who was kidnapped and abused as a child. Separated by time, one day Sean receives a call to investigate a murder, and the one who died was Jimmy's daughter Katie. Faced with this tragedy, the friends meet again and the plot begins.

A good movie that promises suspense until the final scene that you can be sure is not predictable, maybe it frustrates a lot of people because in fact it's not the ending you expected. It is worth mentioning the performance of Tim Robbins that greatly enhances the film and passes in an excellent way the chaos of the mind of a person who grows up traumatized and without psychological support.

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Big Fish (2003)

7/10

Fisherman's story

12 August 2022

When watching the movie I thought this movie was a copy of the legendary Forrest Gump with the added bonus of being more fanciful. However, that's not what the film is intended for, Gump just narrates his real stories and nobody believes it, Edward, on the other hand, adds a touch of fantasy and children's stories to his deeds, that's the difference between the two, one just wants to tell the facts of his life the other tries to re-signify or enhance the facts of his life, or at least transform simple things of our daily life into adventures never seen before.

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The Wrestler (2008)

7/10

Wrestling is not as fake as they say

12 August 2022

When I was a kid, I really liked watching WWE, I was in disbelief with the blows, I remember liking Jeff Hardy and Rey Mysterio a lot, having these good memories I started watching this movie with good expectations, hoping that maybe it would be a movie that spoke more behind the scenes or that maybe real fighters would appear.

The film is far from what I expected, we follow the story of Randy, better known by his ringname The Ramp, who is a wrestler who in the distant past was very successful and today lives without money in jobs that are obviously not compatible with his personality perhaps too eccentric. The film does not explain how he ended up in this situation, after all, if he was so famous, it is deduced that he also had money. We only know that due to his life in the ring, he can't keep up with his daughter's growth. With no friends and having a lonely life The Ramp tries again to find himself in life, in love, in family and in the ring.

A good movie, it covers the backstage of a wrestler fight very well, in addition, it has good fight scenes and dramas. Obviously it's not a masterpiece, but it's a good movie.

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Better Call Saul: Waterworks (2022)

Season 6, Episode 12

Excited for the end.

9 August 2022

Vince Gilligan really knows what he's doing. I saw a lot of people complaining about the previous episodes, and in this one, we see how meticulous the screenwriter was there to make the path of the last episodes, I'm really looking forward to the last episode, unfortunately just like Walter I think Saul shouldn't have a happy ending, but still, I'm looking forward to seeing how this iconic character's story ends. A lot of people expected a greater participation from Walter and Jesse, but I believe that the director, instead of focusing on Breaking Bad, a series in which we know the fates of the characters, decided to define the last steps of the main characters of Better Call Saul (Kim and Jimmy) , for me it would have been nice to have a season showing Saul being the Saul we already know, seeing some of his tricks in the courts and etc but this is not the way the screenwriter wanted, we just have to watch.

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Prey (I) (2022)

6/10

Shopping Center Movie

7 August 2022

The same story of a thousand other films, a person who is discredited by everyone and who seeks to prove that he is capable (and in the end he always succeeds). Plot, if it's not enough to be completely predictable, it's full of " Conveniences to help the character Naru, seriously if you watch paying well to the details you'll notice that the plot has many holes in order for the character to have a happy ending, The Predator basically switches when he wants to be a badass killer of all or just one more that will be killed. Events, such as the death of almost half the tribe makes little difference to who lives there. Characters have no layers, no depth is given to any of them.

Obviously the film has good points like the special effects, fight scenes and photography. Don't be fooled into thinking it's something "new" for showing an Alien vs Tribal People, I liked the inversion that the film proposes, because after all, the predator is being hunted. Also, at one point the film proposes the idea that we don't need a predator, we already do it ourselves.

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