A Slew of Binges: The Gentlemen, Shogun, Ripley, Baby Reindeer, Fallout

A number of epic shows have been released on various platforms recently, and I have been diligently watching them all. Now, it’s your turn.

The Gentlemen: Spun off from Guy Ritchie’s movie of the same name, this is a series about what happens when Eddie (Theo James), the second son of a Duke, returns home when his father dies and discovers he has inherited the entire estate instead of his older brother, Freddy (Daniel Ings). That would be enough drama to be getting on with but turns out his father had partnered with a drug crime family to grow marijuana on the estate, so Eddie has also unwittingly inherited a drug empire. For various reasons, he has to team up with Susie (Kaya Scodelario), the woman who manages these illegal operations, and what follows are eight episodes that always end on a cliffhanger and are just straight up bonkers from start to finish. This show is funny, violent, and constantly surprising, and the lead performances are a delight. Give it a shot!

Shogun: Created by Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks and based on the novel by James Clavell, this is a sumptuous and dramatic show set in 16th century Japan. Cosmo Jarvis plays John Blackthorne, an Englishman who arrives in Japan to establish a trade route, but unwittingly finds himself becoming an ally of Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada). A bunch of warring factions are fighting for the title of Shogun, aka ruler of Japan, and over the course of ten episodes you will be treated to a lush, detailed, and vivid depiction of this period of Japanese history, featuring incredible performances and awe-inspiring production design. The show is almost entirely in Japanese, so be prepared to read those subtitles, but it's well worth the effort. It's also only a limited series that completely wraps up its storyline in this one season, so if you're looking for something that packs a lot of prestige but won't require a prolonged time commitment, this should definitely be your next binge.

Ripley: Based on Patricia Highsmith's novel, this limited series, created by Steven Zaillian, is gorgeous and riveting. Shot completely in black and white, and starring Andrew Scott as Tom Ripley, a conman who takes everything a step too far when he ends up murdering a wealthy American in Italy and taking over his identity, this is a delicious cat-and-mouse game that tells this story in a fresh and exciting way. Johnny Flynn is great as the clueless Dickie Greenleaf, while Dakota Fanning is wonderful as Marge, Dickie's girlfriend who is always suspicious of Tom but can never quite catch him in an outright lie. But most importantly, Andrew Scott is simply impeccable, somehow managing to make this man seem timid and insecure and then morphing into a homicidal maniac who will do anything to keep his newfound extravagant lifestyle going. The cinematography by Robert Elswit is insanely lavish and as you take a tour of 1950s Italy, you might never want to return to real life. In fact, book a trip to Italy right now - you'll be glad you did once you finish watching this show.

Baby Reindeer: Created by and starring Richard Gadd, this is a true story based on his own experiences. In the show, his character goes by the name of Donny Dunn, and he is an aspiring stand-up comedian who works as a bartender. A customer named Martha (Jessica Gunning) takes a shine to him, and what begins harmlessly enough suddenly devolves into a dangerous and frightening situation as this woman begins to obsessively stalk him and harass him day and night. But if you thought that was the extent of this man's troubles, wait till you get to Episode 4, when we get a flashback to an incident in Donny's past. I won't spoil what happens, but it is raw, visceral, and the most harrowing 45 minutes of television I've seen all year. It made my skin crawl and I felt so much awe for Gadd's bravery in taking this horrific incident and sharing it with the world. The show is twisty, disturbing, and remarkable, and there's a reason everyone's talking about it. It's challenging to watch, but it's well worth the effort.

Fallout: Created by Graham Wagner and Geneva Robertson-Dworet and based on the popular video game franchise, this show is set in a post-apocalyptic future (natch) after the Cold War devolved and nuclear bombs were dropped in the Great War of 2077. The action picks up 200-odd years later and we follow three separate characters who have all led very different lives in this but will now find their paths intersecting. Lucy (Ella Purnell) grew up underground in a Vault, an underground bunker designed to protect people from surface radiation. However, when her father is kidnapped by surface dwellers, she ventures out into the unforgiving wasteland, where she will encounter Maximus (Aaron Moten), a squire for the Brotherhood of Steel, an organization that dons militaristic armor and purports to defend the populace, but obviously has their own nefarious schemes. She will also meet The Ghoul (Walton Goggins), a man with a complicated past from the beforetimes who has now become a mutant (kudos to the hair and makeup department) and is out for vengeance and answers regarding what happened to his family. The plot is complicated and engaging, and the production design is simply unparalleled. There's a great deal of violence and but plenty of humor - it would certainly be a vibrant and unique addition to your watchlist.

May Movies Part 1: The Idea of You & The Fall Guy

Spring has sprung and it's the perfect time to indulge in some romcoms. Depending on whether you are leaning more towards something steamy and romantic or something action-filled and comical, I've got you covered.

The Idea of You: Based on a novel by Robinne Lee, director Michael Showalter (who co-wrote the screenplay with Jennifer Westfeldt) gives us this delicious little movie about what happens when Solene (Anne Hathaway), a 40-year-old single mother of a 16-year-old, enters into a relationship with Hayes (Nicholas Galitzine), a famous boy band singer who is 24. 

Is anything about this movie going to surprise you? Absolutely not (although I will say I was a little surprised and then charmed by the ending). But are these two great actors doing some great work? Absolutely. Add to that the whole boy band angle, with some very silly but perfect pop songs made for this film that perfectly capture the aesthetic, and a lot of gorgeous travel around Europe with some eye-catching locales to make this a visual feast. And not for nothing, but this show involves the Graham Norton Show, instead of featuring a standard American late-night host, and that was quite delightful. The costumes are lovely, the production design is always on point, and (spoiler alert!) when our characters get together, I immediately went "oh my god, give that intimacy coordinator a bonus!" 

This film is exactly the direction I want the romcom genre to go. A friend of mine had heard other people talking about this film and saying, "this is beneath Anne Hathaway." To which I responded, "No, she is bringing back prestige to an oft-maligned genre!" You need actresses of this caliber delivering their best performances to remind us of the beauty and charm that can be contained in a romcom. Hathaway delivers in spades and elevates this fluffy material into a cozy confection that is perfect when you need a pick-me-up.

The Fall Guy: Written by Drew Pearce (loosely based on a 1980s TV series created by Glen A. Larson) and directed by former stuntman David Leitch, this is an action romcom about what happens when Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling), a veteran stuntman, is drawn into some shenanigans involving the actor he usually body doubles for and gets caught up in some dangerous mayhem. In the meantime, he is trying to appease the film's director, Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt), who he had a fling with a few years ago that came to an abrupt end after some failures to communicate. 

Settle in for some impeccable action and stunt work. The focus here is really on the action, so don't expect a great deal of character development, but it's very fun to watch things blow up for two hours, and watch some exquisitely choreographed stunt sequences that are sometimes very meta as they might be taking place on a fictional film set within the movie, but still serve to advance the overall plot of the film. More importantly, you will spend two hours staring at Ryan Gosling, and that is certainly no hardship.

Yes, this film is more action-heavy, but it still takes the time to throw in some delightful Gosling-Blunt banter, even involving a sequence with them debating the merits of Notting Hill and Love Actually. I would love to see these two in a more traditional romcom as they just ooze so much charisma, but I'm glad we at least have this movie to be getting on with. It's a fun thrill ride, with a great soundtrack - spoiler alert, but Ryan Gosling has never been hotter than when crying in his car to Taylor Swift's All Too Well.