Hello, and welcome back to Netflix Dumpster Dive! I’m going to refrain from getting hung up on my lateness, it’s kind of tradition at this point. However, before I move on, I want to say that this Halloween will mark a full year of Netflix Dumpster Dive, and I want to thank everyone who has joined me so far. I’m thinking of doing something a little different to celebrate, but we’ll see when we get there.
Back to our current situation, I wanted to switch things up a bit. I can only review so many B-horror flicks in a row before it gets exhausting. So, I decided that for the first time, we will be covering a Netflix Original Film. I want to start doing these often, because while some movies come and go on Netflix, the originals will stick around since they’re owned by the company.
This time around, I am reviewing a very interesting action film: Spectral.
Spectral is a movie in which the military is battling an uprising in Europe, but soldiers are being attacked under strange circumstances. A government scientist is sent to assist a team in investigating the cause. Come to find out, the soldiers are being killed by ghosts.
It sounds very weird, but in practice the concept is actually quite cool. Visually and action-wise especially. I enjoy the dynamic between the supernatural and physical. It takes the “ghost hunting” movie trope and makes it its own, different beast.
Another thing this movie does great is acting. It’s not often I get to praise every performance in a film on this site, but I have the privilege to do just that here. I loved the entire cast. All were unique and believable, I have absolutely no complaints.
When it comes to overall plot, I am extremely on the fence. Spectral has the standard action movie problem of starting strong, but being hit and miss throughout the middle and ending on a cliché action piece. It also uses out-there terminology with no explanation, also common among movies of this kind (I still am not sure exactly what “spectral” or “hyper spectral” really means). I find it hard to forgive these pitfalls when the movie has shown me it is capable of imagining and implementing new concepts.
Overall, Spectral is a fun and interesting action movie with solid acting and great visual/action set pieces. Its plot may be a little lacking (aside from a cool twist at the end), but nonetheless I enjoyed my time with it. If you’re an action fan and want to see ghosts meet military, I highly recommend Spectral. Those looking for something deeper probably want to avoid this movie, though.
Overall Personal Rating: 6/10
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-Vincent
©2017 Vincent C. Russo. All Rights Reserved. The movies and images referenced here belong to their original creators. This post is intended for review purpose only, and constitutes fair use.
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