Mom's Minute

Introduction to The Turning Point Netflix Movie Review

The important message here is that crime does not pay and never let a stranger who breaks into your residence – take control not only of your home – but takes over you as well -- regardless of how friendly this person becomes.  Remember, that by all accounts, this person is a ruthless stranger.

When I watched The Turning Point, which is an English dubbed 2022 Netflix movie, I knew right away that this is a story that would not end well. From the beginnning of The Turning Point Netflix movie, the writing was on the wall that the main characters' stories would end tragically. Given the powerful, criminal that the main character  (Andrea Lattanzi as the thief) stole from, he brought this dire fate entirely upon himself.

However, I digress. Did I enjoy watching The Turning Point Netflix movie? Will you? Check out my movie review to find out.

Plot of The Turning Point Netflix Movie

The Turning Point Netflix movie starts with a thief (Andrea Lattanzi's character) stealing money from a bag held by a gangster in a bar. Andrea Lattanzi’s character runs out of the bar with the money and in his haste, he bumps into another character, Brando Pacitto who was taking his trash out in the dark in the back of an apartment complex.

Andrea Lattanzi’s character orders him with a weapon to show him where he lived. The thief was seeking Brando Pacitto’s character 's place as a hide-out from the criminal that was chasing him.

The gist of the movie is what happens between Andrea Lattanzi’s and Brando Pacitto’s characters as they reside together in the apartment. The movie’s storyline also shows how initially Brando Pacitto’s character was afraid of the thief but Andrea Lattanzi's character somehow earned his trust when he started treating Brando Pacitto's character as “friend” instead of his victim.

Realism in The Turning Point Netflix Movie

I guess it is possible for the capturer/intruder and the victim to become friends, but ithis situation is far-fetched. The storyline depicted Brando Pacitto’s character as a lonely person who seldom went out or even fixed things around his apartment. Andrea Lattanzi’s character took him under his wing, fixed things for him as well as taught hum how to do repairs.

He also taught Brando Pacitto's character how to meet a woman who he had admired from afar who lived in his same apartment complex. Unfortuantely, Andrea Lattanzi's character also taught Brando Pacitto's character how to break into other people’s apartments for food, which of course is a crime.

I believe the storyline of The Turning Point Netflix movie is not realistic because Andrea Lattanzi’s character is a complete stranger as well as a criminal and is someone who is literally taking over Brando Pacitto’s character's home and making it his own. While in the process, he expresses interest in Brando Pacitto's character 's hobbies, etc, and is in fact trying to make him over to be someone he is not. Believe it or not, Brando Pacitto's character did not resist or show any signs that he wanted this stranger out of his apartment.

In reality, the criminal’s main focus would have been to continue to hide out from who he stole from instead of using his time to becone friends with his victim. Additionally, the criminal would probably move from apartment to apartment in order to try to evade the people who were after him, especially since the apartment complex was surrounded by kids hired by the criminals to watch whoever leaves the apartment.

Message of The Turning Point Netflix Movie

The message of The Turning Point Netfix movie seems to be that friendship can grow from close relationships, no matter how they start. I believe this is far from the truth and depends on the circumstandes. Additionally, the storyline of the movie seems to be teaching people that as long as an intruder becomes friendly with you, it is fine for him to stay in your place of residence, even though initially, I’m sure he was unwelcome and uninvited.

Payback for Andrea Lattanzi’s Crime during The Turning Point Netflix Movie

Maybe the writers ended the movie the way they did in order to make sure thieves do not try to imitate the actions that took place in the movie. Unfortunately, the lesson is not effective, especially since during the majority of the movie, you see the two strangers (one law-abiding and one who was not) become friends, even though one forced his way into the other's home.

In a nutshell, Andrea Latazzi’s character, the thief, has no scruples, morals, sense of right and wrong, etc. and was able to make another character become the same type person he was.

Assessment of The Turning Point Netflix Movie

I am unable to recommend you watch the Netflix movie, The Turning Point because the storyline is simply way out in left field -- even if it is a fidtional film. Additionally, the movie setting for the most part is dark, depressing and just not entertaining.  To clarify, I did not enjoy watching The Turning Point Netflix movie.

Even the main characters' interaction with the women was not a highlight in the movie, since as an audience member, you know that just a few hours before the two had wrongfully broke into someone else's apartment to to steal food.

If you want to watch a movie that will entertain and not take your emotions down a dark path, I strongly recommend that you skip The Turning Point Netflix movie. I’m sure you will be able to find something else more rewarding to do instead.

On the flip side, feel free to check out the Netflix movie, The Turning Point and come to your own conclusions.

Rating of THe Turning Point Netflix Movie

Based on a rating of 1 star to 5 stars with 5 stars being the highest, I rate The Turning Point Netflix movie 1 star.

Note:  The movie trailer below is in the Italian language.

Introduction to the Prey Hulu Movie Review

I must admit – the movie Prey has plenty of attention grabbing scenes. In fact, one may have an opinion that the Prey Hulu movie has it all – action, adventure, and even a monster. However, did the Prey Hulu movie have the necessary components of an entertaining movie that is plausible –  including an interesting storyline, and in a nutshell – did the movie make sense?

You will find out the above and more when you check out my movie review of the Prey Hulu film. Even more importantly, I will let you know whether you should watch this movie – as I did or whether you should skip it.  

Without further ado, here is my movie review of the Hulu film, Prey.

Synopsis of the Prey Hulu Movie

The plot of the Prey Hulu movie involves the main character's (Amber Midthunder as Naru) determnation to seek out and destroy a futuristic looking monster who, interestingly enough, only attacks those it views as a threat. Enter  Amber Midthunder’s character who tries to prove to others that she is a worthy hunter and a force the monster should reckon with.

It’s unfortunate that as expected back in the year 1719, women had to prove themselves to be more than cooks or a caretakers. In the Prey Hulu movie, you will watch Amber Midthunder’s character endure taunts and insults from males especially regarding her wanting to be a part of their clique. However, no matter how much she shows her bravery, it is difficult for her to show that she can be part of their group.

Clash of Time Periods in the Prey Hulu Movie

The Prey Hulu movie clearly states that the setting of the film’s story is in the 1719’s. However, once you take a look at the monster that finally appears and all of his modern gadgets, it’s rather difficult to see that it would appear during this time period.  

For example, the monster has laser red lights at its disposal. On its arm is a light triggering device that can be programmed with a touch of a finger to direct weapons at its targets. In my opinion, because of the monsters advanced technological gear, it belonged in a story set in more recent times or even the future instead of the 1719’s.

Abilities of the Monster in the Prey Hulu Movie

As mentioned above, the monster could use light activated weapons for his attacks. However, one of its greatest powers, in my opinion, is the ability to disappear and become invisible at a whim. There were instances in the movie where the monster was in the midst of a battle, but would disappear when it seemed to be overpowered.

With the power to become invisible, I thought it was naive to think that the monster would not use it often during its battles. To the contrary, you will watch the monster stay visible and fight when he could have easily saved himself by disappearing. Go figure.

Events in the Prey Hulu Movie

If you watch the trailer of the Prey Hulu movie, you may get the impression that Amber Midthunder’s character is out in the woods alone, trying to protect herself from the monster.

Instead, you find out that she is living in a teepee in a crowded tribe along with her family and that she can be perfectly safe if she stayed at that location. To me, the mind boggling part of why she would leave her safe haven to hunt the monster, who does not see her as a threat, was not an intelligent choice for her.

It's understandable that she wanted to prove herself as a hunter, but there are other ways to do so instead of hunting a monster who does not see one as a threat.  

Maybe the Prey Hulu movie was trying to prove a point that females can be hunters. If so, the storyline should have the monster view her as a threat right off the bat. In my purview, she did nothing to change herself to make it appear to the monster that she was a threat and as such was worthy to be an opponent.

An idea would be for Amber Midthunder’s character to craft an eerie looking gigantic mask which would probably fool the monster to see her as a threat. 

Spoiler Alert: The end of the movie when she conquers the monster had no basis, especially since the monster could disappear at any time. Additionally, the ending scenes did not show Amber Midthunder’s character doing anything extraordinarily different  to change the monster's perception of her as a nonthreat.

Assessment of the Prey Hulu Movie

I was not impressed with the storyline of the Prey Hulu movie. There was no rhyme or reason for Amber Midthunder’s character to chase after a monster who did not see her as a viable enemy – unless she did something to change its perception of herself as a non threat. If this was done, I believe my assessment of the Hulu film, Prey would be higher.

Speaking of perception – I think the writers missed an important point in the movie which is perception is reality. If the monster did not perceive Amber Midthunder’s character as a threat, then it was not going to waste time fighting against her – which for some unknown reason it did towards the end of the movie.

If you are a fan of fight choreography and stunts, you may want to check out the Prey Hulu movie. Also if you like to see the depiction of a futuristic monster, you may decide to watch the film just to take a look at the monster when it finally appears.

As for me, I watched the Prey Hulu movie in two sittings, giving its entertainment value the benefit of the doubt. However, the Prey Hulu movie unfortunately did not deliver for me.

Rating of the Prey Hulu Movie

Based on a rating of 1 star to 5 stars with 5 stars being the highest, I rate the Prey Hulu movie 2 stars.

Introduction to Aftermath Netflix Movie Review

I watched the 2021 Aftermath Netflix movie a while back. When I watched the film, little did I know that the movie starred an actor unknown to me, Ashley Greene, who also made a 2022 film with Bruce Willis -- Wrong Place.

You may be curious if Ashley Greene’s acting skills are up to par with other A-List type actors who may appear in a film with an internationally well-known action film star such as Bruce Willis. And yes, I know Bruce Willis’ current acting status, but his name in movies still draws viewers. 

You also may like to know if the Netflix movie she starred in, Aftermath is worth your time watching.

Check out my movie review of the Netflix film, Aftermath to find out.

Plot of the Aftermath Netflix Movie

The movie starts with a couple sitting across from a therapist discussing the state of their marriage. The wife (played by Ashley Greene as Natalie Dadich) cheated on her husband (Kevin Dadich played by Shawn Ashmore). Even though there was infidelity and mistrust involved in their relationship, the couple wanted to give their marriage another try.  

The subplot of the movie centers around the husband’s job which is to clean up after sometimes atrocious-type happenings. It just so happens that one of the houses he was cleaning with the help of his co-workers, was the scene of a gruesome crime. However, after cleaning the house, there was little evidence of a crime ever occurring there except for some scratch marks inside a closet.

The husband who was cheated on suggests to the wife that maybe a change in where they lived may save their marriage. His plan was for them to buy the house he had cleaned up previoulsy. At first, understandably, the wife was hesitant to make the move, but changed her mind when they got a good purchase price for the house.

The gist of the movie is what happens in the house, mainly to Ashley Greene’s character. Her strange experiences in the house were difficult for anyone to believe. For example, in one instance she told her husband and the police that while in the house alone, she saw an arm extend in front of the doorway of the room she was in. Another time, she described trying to reach a tennis ball beneath her bed, leaving the room, and coming back to find the tennis ball was on top of her bed.

A Twist and Turn in the Aftermath Netflix Movie

Towards the middle of the film, the police finally apprehends someone who seemed to have been stalking the wife. At that time, Ashley Greene’s character probably breathed a sigh of relief that he had been caught. But her relief was short-lived when strange events continued to happen to her in the house after the perpetrator’s arrest. 

Usually it is interesting to have a twist in the story; however, I believe this twist and turn was not helpful to move the story along and could have been omitted.

Realism of the Aftermath Netflix Movie

The writer tried to show a connection between Natalie Dadich’s character and her husband's reaction to her cheating by sharing with the audience the circumstance of what happened to the unfortunate couple who lived in the house before they moved in. I thought this was creative on the part of the writer.

However, I think it may have been confusing to the audience, when on one hand, whoever was in the house, initially, tried to scare her by doing the things mentioned above and how he turned violent towards Ashley Green's character and her husband at the end of the movie.

Spoiler Alert: Apparently someone who was made to look scary was living in the house with the couple, undetected all along, since the first day they moved in. When he finally revealed himself, he expressed animosity and anger towards the couple – which to me had no basis. The only  reason I could come up with was he did not want them living in the house that he built.

Assessment of the Aftermath Netflix Movie

In my opinion, the storyline of the Aftermath movie had too many plots. For example, in one instance, you may think you are watching a film about relationships, especially when the husband becomes friendly with his classmate and the wife began to work once again with the man she cheated with.

 On the other hand, you may get the impression you are looking at a horror film. In my opinion, the writer should have picked one lane, so to speak, and stayed in it.

My suggestion is for the writer to share the Aftermath Netflix movie from a horror film viewpoint, since there are more opportunities to increase the suspense by adding additional strange, scary-type events in the movie.

I recommend you pass on the Netflix film Aftermath, unless you are curious about Ashley Greene’s performance as an actor or you prefer to watch the gruesome, horror scenes in the movie.

By the way, in my opinion, Ashley Greene’s acting skills are adequate, and after landing a movie with Bruce Willis, she may just be on her way to bigger and better things.

Rating of the Aftermath Netflix Movie

Based on a rating of 1 star to 2 stars, I rate the Aftermath Netflix movie 2 stars.

Introduction to the Tower Heist Netflix Movie Review

When I watched the 2011 Tower Heist Netflix movie, I felt like I had already watched the film before. When the red vehicle appeared in the movie, I could almost see myself back in the year 2011 sitting in the middle front row seat section of the movie theater watching this film. Yes...this movie was released long before the Pandemic occurred.

I decided to rewatch the Tower Heist Netflix movie since I had not previously reviewed it and at the time, the film was currently holding a top 10 spot on Netflix.

DId I enjoy watching the Tower Heist Netflix movie – twice? Will I think you will enjoy watching it even once? Check out my movie review of the Tower Heist Netflix film to find out.

Synopsis of the Tower Heist Netflix Movie

The Tower Heist Netflix movie stars Ben Stiller as Josh Kovaks who, when the film starts, is a busy general manager of a high-rise luxury hotel. He is even friendly with an executive of the hotel -- (Alan Alda as Arthur Shaw), for example playing chess with him online.

The gist of the Tower Heist Netflix movie is that unfortunately Alan Alda’s character swindled his employees' pensions – employees who  were mostly maintenance workers, cleaning people as well as a retiring doorman, played by Stephen McKinley Henderson. 

When Ben Stiller’s character finds out about the pension swindle, he discovered that Alan Alda’s character was already under investigation by the FBI for his fraudulent misdeeds.

After he was fired, Ben Stiller took it upon himself to find out where Alan Alda’s character stashed the money, which was estimated to be at least 45 million dollars, give or take 10 million.

To make a long story short, Ben Stiller’s character figured out where he thought the money was hidden (which it was not). However, while everyone was searching for the money in Alan Alda’s hotel room, there was an altercation between Eddie Murphy's and Gabourey Sidibe’s character when a bullet arbitrarily struck the red car that was parked inside the room. 

 This is when Ben Stiller’s character instantly noticed there is something unique about the car and the car itself became the focus of the Tower heist.

Realism of the Tower Heist Netflix Movie

There are quite a few unreal moments in the Tower Heist Netflix movie which i will reveal by asking a series of questions, starting with:

—How did the bullet from Gabourey Sidibe's character's gun conveniently nick the red car to expose gold when more than likely the force of the bullet would have burnt a hole through showing charred dark metal instead of bright, shiny gold?

–How did the doorman become part of the Tower Heist robbery team as the get-away truck driver decoy – when he was never in any of the team’s meetings or had conversations with Ben Stiller’s character about this?

—Why would an executive give Casey Afffeck’s character Ben Stiller's old job he was fired from when Ben Stiller’s character made it clear that he is grossly not qualified to do the job?

—Even more importantly, why would Casey Affleck’s character, who is now the new General Manager of the hotel, all of a sudden decide to assist the Tower Heist robbers when he is no longer part of their robbery team?

—And last but not least – How could Matthew Broderick’s character be conveniently rescued by Casey Affleck’s character and land safely in a hotel room after hanging dangerously from the red car outside of the skyscraper hotel wiindow?

There may be more unrealistic actions by the characters, but I will stop here.

Standout Actor in the Tower Heist Netflix Movie

In my opinion, the stand out actor in the Tower Heist Netflix movie is none other than Eddie Murphy who played the role of a petty thief, Darnell “Slide” Davis. In spite of his character’s profanity, I think he played his role well and in some cases showed that he was sometimes the comedy relief for the Tower Heist Netflix movie.

One of Eddie Mur[hy’s stand out scenes in the Tower Heist Netflix movie is when his character asked the team to steal something in the mall and to leave their wallet with him to make sure they would not end up paying for the items. The team did as told, then asked Eddie Murphy's character how would they know he would hold up his part of the bargain and if he could do what they just did. Eddie Murphy’s character proudly looked at them before walking away saying that he had already proven himself by stealing all the money they had left with him from their wallets.  I'm not a proponent of stealing but felt that Eddie Murphy's character gave the team an excellent comeback line.

Ending of the Tower Heist Netflix Movie

I usually do not reveal how a movie ends, but since it is a 2011 movie that you probably have already seen, I will make an exception for the Tower Heist Netflix movie.

The film  ended with all of the heist team members being arrested by the FBI even though they never located the stash of money which was non-existent or the estimated 45 million dollar red/gold car – which did exist. 

Before the robbery team was incarcerated, somehow they found a way to distribute parts of the red car that was made of gold beneath the paint to the loyal employees of the hotel who had their pensions stolen.

The issue is unless the swindled hotel employees find a way to melt the car parts they received before trying to barter them for money, would they feel safe from being arrested by taking gold car parts to a pawn shop etc.? I’m sure the vendor would be hesitant to do business with them.

In my opinion, a better Tower Heist Netflix movie ending would show Ben Stiller’s character (before his arrest) finding someone to melt down the car completely, exchange the gold for money, and distribute the money to all of the swindled hotel employees based upon their pension amounts.

Assessment of the Tower Heist Netflix  Movie

There were some creative writing segments in the Tower Heist Netflix movie, such as using chess jargon at the beginning and end of the movie; however, I think the plot needed more work. The arrest of Alan Alda’s character who swindled the money seemed to be a waste of time, especially when one of the managers stated that his job would be waiting for him when he is probably quickly released from prison.

For the most part, as I continued to watch the Tower Heist Netflix movie, I was already thinking of the  next film to watch – even before this one ended.

In other words, rewatching the Tower Heist Netflix movie was ok, but not worth the time for me.  

That being said, you may want to check out the Tower Heist Netflix movie, especially if you have not seen it before or if you are a fan of Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy or any of the other actors in the film.

Rating of the Tower Heist Netflix Movie

Based on a rating of 1 star to 5 stars with 5 stars being the highest, I rate the Tower Heist Netflix movie 2 stars.

Introduction to The Royal Treatment Netflix Movie Review

If you are in the mood to watch a movie where there is no need to figure out twists and turns in a plot, The Royal Treatment Netflix film may be for you.  

Additionally, during The Royal Treatment movie, there are no major conflicts, no great adventures, no fights, no explosions, chases, etc. The Royal Treatment movie, to me, is a throwback to the 90’s rom coms or romantic comedy films such as My Best Friend’s Wedding, Bridesmaids, The Wedding Date, The Maid and similar type movies. The major difference is the beau in The Royal Treatment movie happens to be a Prince and his romantic interest is a beauty salon owner.

Did I enjoy watching The Royal Treatment Netflix movie? Will you? Check out my Netflix movie review of The Royal Treatment to find out.

Plot of The Royal Treatment Netflix Movie

The Royal Treatment is a 2022 Netflix movie that has a familiar plot that has been told many times before. In fact, you may notice that similar events have happened in real life, considering the marriage of Megan Markle and Prince Harry as well as some other royal weddings.

Simply put, in the Netflix movie, The Royal Treatment, Prince Thomas (played by Mena Massoud of Aladdin fame) needs a haircut. His executive assistant for lack of a better word, recommends the New York beauty salon owner (Laura Marana as Isabella (Izzy)) for the job. Izzy’s character, of course, is overjoyed to have a Prince as a client and accepts the job right away. 

During their first meeting just before she gives him a haircut at his place of residence, one of his maids accidentally drops the tray she was holding, which causes Izzy’s character to scold the Prince for not showing empathy for the help, as the maid is called by the royal family. Izzy's characters angrily storms out of the residence and returns to her beauty salon. 

The Prince, in turn, shows up at the beauty salon, apologizes for his actions or nonactions and asks if Izzy’s character would now cut his hair -- which she did. The two embarks on a walking date in the neighborhood followed by the Prince’s stretch limousine.

From there, the storyline has the executive assistant recommending Izzy’s character along with two of her employees when the royal family indicates their regular stylist has left and they were in need of a new one, especially since the Prince is getting married.

The gist of the movie is the relationship between Izzy and Prince Thomas' characters. They form a relationship while at the same time the Prince is about to enter an arranged wedding, that is later found out to be based on financial necessity for the royal family.

Predictability of The Royal Treatment Netflix Movie

The Royal Treatment Netflix movie is predictable from start to finish and even in the middle. When the movie starts and Mena Massoud's character enters the storyline, you probably already know that Izzy's character will become interested in him, that he would call off his wedding, and the Prince and the beauty salon owner would become a couple.

Regarding Izzy’s character's position as a beauty salon owner working with her mother and others, you will also probably foresee that Izzy’s character’s passion does not lie in styling hair or makeup – but in helping people in other ways. Spoiler Alert: Therefore, at the end of the film, it is not a surprise when she leaves her position and becomes the Director of a Community Center.

The Royal Treatment Netflix movie attempts to add an unexpected event in the storyline; i.e. the beauty salon burns almost completely down – but this was probably to be expected since the building had caught fire before and nothing was done to prevent another fire from happening.

Realism of the Royal Treatment Netflix Movie

There is a hint of realism in The Royal Treatment movie, since it’s possible for a Prince to become romantically involved with someone outside of the royal monarchs. It is also realistic for parties to resist arranged marriages.

However, to me it was unreal that the bride (Chelsie Preston-Crayfold as Destiny) did not become angry when she was told by the Prince that he could not marry her. In real life, I’m sure she would be upset and would not simply say that she felt the same way too. If this was the case, my question is why did she not discuss their relationship before. 

Instead, she talked to Nina Massoud’s character about her interest in starting a business and asked if he approved. This discussion was the ideal time for her to bring up the fact that she did not want to marry Mena Massoud’s character -- which she did not.

Dialogue in The Royal Treatment Netflix Movie

The Royal Treatment Netflix movie is based on a novel and written by Holly Hester. As such, the author had literary freedom to use many opportunities to craft creative dialogue that was not only entertaining, but in one particular instance was thought provoking.

The conversation I’m referring to is when Izzy’s character tells Mena Massoud's character that if she was given the chance, she would  change the world. Mena Massoud’s character responded almost immediately and I paraphrase here -- “Why would you wait for a chance to change the world when you can take that chance right now [rather than wait for someone to give you a chance.] In my opinion, these words are wise and are definitely food for thought.

Assessment of The Royal Treatment Netflix Movie

Specific positives about The Royal Treatment Netflix movie is that it did not end with a cliche royal wedding or with Mena Massoud’s character running after Izzy’s character when he suddenly had an epitome and felt compelled to reveal something to her. This ending theme has been used in romantic comedy movies numerous times and I must say -- have run their course.

I categorize The Royal Treatment Netflix movie as relaxing and light hearted. There may have been some exaggeration between how certain groups of people live and act as well as their personalities, etc.  For example, certain people were depicted to be festive after hours, but I relate this comparison to the writer wantingt to contrast two groups of people.

If you are a fan of rom coms (romantic comedies) or simple human interest stories involving relationships and possibly marriages – I believe you may enjoy watching The Royal Treatment Netflix movie -- just as I did. In other words, The Royal Treatment Netflix movie may just be your cup of tea.

Rating of The Royal Treatment Netflix Movie

Based on a rating of 1 star to 5 stars with 5 stars being the highest, I rate The Royal Treatment Netflix movie 3 stars.