October Movies Part 2: Forgotten Island, The Social Reckoning, The Love Hypothesis

I was on vacation for a few days so am trying to catch up on movies. Which is why I now present to you a real melange of reviews, ranging from gorgeous animation to biographical drama to steamy romcom. Let's get into it!

Forgotten Island: Written and directed by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, this is a very creative movie about two girls, Jo and Raissa (H.E.R. and Liza Soberano) in the Philippines who become best friends as children, grow into teenagers, and have one last adventure on the mythical island of Nakali where legendary creatures roam. Along the way, there will be themes of female friendship, found family, and discovering your purpose. All set to very bright and anime-esque animation, in a very unique setting, as everything takes place exclusively in the Philippines and draws extensively from Filipino folklore and mythology. As such, this should feel really unique and specific, right? Unfortunately, no.

The voice cast includes almost any Filipino actor who has become famous in Hollywood, but then we've also got folks like Dave Franco and Jenny Slate playing some of the creatures on the island because I guess fantastical beasts don't need to have a particular ethnicity. The two main characters are being voiced by Filipino-American actors, which sadly means that they have American accents, and according to my Filipino colleague, pronounce all the Filipino words with American accents, which was rather grating. It is very annoying to me when Hollywood Americanizes language like this - if your setting is the Philippines, why do your characters sound like they're from California? Oddly, the first 15 minutes of this movie, when the girls first meet, befriend each other, and grow up under the loving eye of Jo's grandmother (voiced by my girl Dolly de Leon), who is the one who tells them all the stories about Nakali, are the best part, when this genuinely feels like something you've never seen before. But once we get to the island, it just becomes a generic children's animated film, complete with weirdly cutesy characters that only seem to be there to encourage plushie sales. This movie is certainly trying to have a soul, but sadly, I don't think it fully succeeds.

The Social Reckoning: Speaking of soulless films, Aaron Sorkin is back as the writer-director of this movie where he explores how Wall Street Journalist Jeff Horwitz (Jeremy Alan White) cultivated a source at Facebook named Frances Haugen (Mikey Madison) in 2019, who ultimately became a whistleblower and testified before the Senate in 2021 about all the harm Facebook was causing with its algorithm designed to promote inflammatory and harmful content. That storyline runs parallel to a January 2021 practice session where Mark Zuckerberg (Jeremy Strong) was meeting with his PR team to go over his responses for an upcoming Senate testimony about whether or not Facebook fact-checks political ads. If you discover something revelatory in this movie, it would mean you were living under a rock, because there's no new information here. We're treading old ground in terms of what a bane Facebook is to society and the many ways in which it has become a dangerous and immoral company that prizes profits over any other ethical obligation.

This movie is meant to be a serious drama, but to me it felt like an insane comedy because it is such a Sorkin film. The dialogue, the acting, the condescending tone and casual misogyny...it's all so terrible that it makes you laugh. White and Madison are great actors, but they have clearly been told to deliver the lines the way Sorkin intended and don't bother imbuing their characters with any nuance. Their scenes honestly feel like two Sorkin avatars talking at each other rather than the two real-life human beings they are meant to be portraying. Jeremy Strong therefore seems to be the only one doing any real acting here, but he is playing a man who is famously devoid of personality, so there isn't much he can do either. In a weird way, this movie feels like Facebook itself, with Aaron Sorkin as the demanding Zuckerberg who no one can say No to, while all the actors are Facebook employees, just showing up to collect a paycheck and turn a blind eye to the terrible work they are producing. So maybe that makes this film so Meta it's actually good? Wait no, it does not.

The Love Hypothesis: Based on the 2021 novel by Ali Hazelwood, writer Sarah Rothschild and director Claire Scanlon are here to offer us a diverting and sexy romance that follows all the usual tropes and gives us a happy ending (or two). Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman star as Olive and Tom, a biology grad student and a surly postdoc at Stanford who have to pretend that they are dating for...reasons. We all know the fake dating trope, and so yes, you can expect them to initially hate this idea but go along with it for a noble cause, and then to reluctantly catch feelings and realize maybe the other person isn't quite so hateful after all.

This movie is thoroughly charming, the actors have solid chemistry, and the supporting cast are also very fun and lovely, with Rachel Marsh playing Olive's best friend, Ahn, and providing the all-important female friendship that is so crucial to ensuring our heroine is a well-rounded human being and not just a woman in need of a man. It's a tale as old as time, but it's clear that a woman directed it with a very female gaze, which makes it oh-so refreshing. I can think of no better way to spend an afternoon than to lightly lust after these two beautiful people and watch them fall in love. I'm not made of stone, people.

October Movies Part 1: Finding Emily, Practical Magic 2, The Testament of Ann Lee

Let's kick the month off with reviews of three exceedingly random movies. Sounds promising right?!

Finding Emily: Written by Rachel Hirons and directed by Alicia MacDonald, this is a cute little British romcom about what happens when a young man named Owen (Spike Fearn) meets a girl named Emily at a student union bar at the fictional Manchester City University, gets her number, tries to call her later, and discovers he didn't get her complete number. Distraught, he decides he's just going to look for women named Emily who go to the university, which is how he finds Emily Raine (Angourie Rice), an American student who is getting her psychology degree in the UK. She has been struggling to write her thesis about how love is a form of destructive madness, so it feels like Owen and his desperate quest to find his lady love has fallen right into her lap. She agrees to help him, so she can secretly study him and see how his life falls apart, thereby proving her hypothesis.

Obviously, hi-jinks ensue and the two of them devise increasingly creative ways to find the real Emily, some of which may violate data privacy laws and get Owen into a lot of trouble. No points for immediately knowing how this plot is going to go -- it is very predictable -- but like with any good romcom, the journey matters more than the destination. Both of the leads are very charming, and the movie is full of swoony British vibes. This is a cozy film that will appeal to Anglophiles and is ideal for a lazy weekend afternoon. Enjoy!

Practical Magic 2: I had never watched the 1998 film Practical Magic, despite being a huge Sandra Bullock fan. So, I watched that movie in preparation for this sequel and thought it was exceedingly weird but had its charms. Which is now exactly how I feel about the sequel. Bullock and Nicole Kidman (what a cast!) play Sally and Gillian Owens, two women who were raised by their aunts (Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing) in a beautiful house in Massachusetts. Their aunts are witches, and they teach the girls how to wield their magical powers as well. But due to the doomed romance of an ancestor, the Owens women are cursed - they can never love a man. If they fall in love, that man will tragically die. In the first film, Sally falls in love, gets married, has two daughters, and then her husband dies, leading her to renounce her magic and deny her identity until circumstances force her to engage with magic again to save her sister. In this movie, the plot is almost exactly the same, except that she now has to engage with magic again to save her daughter.

I am not going to get into much more detail. If you like the first movie, you'll like this sequel, but otherwise move right along. These movies are just so tonally weird and strange, but at the end of the day, you've got Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock being fiercely feminist and extolling the virtues of sisterhood over everything else, even romantic relationships (though Lee Pace does show up to inject a little bit of romance into the proceedings, because, come on. You can't have Sandy B. in a movie and not let her be a little romantic!) This movie is all over the place, but 28 years later, at least the special effects are better, and it has its moments when you can't help but smile. Give it a chance and experience the magic!

The Testament of Ann Lee: This movie came out last year, but it has taken me this long to finally summon it on streaming and give it a go. Directed by Mona Fastvold who co-wrote the screenplay with Brady Corbet, I was hoping this would be a Brutalist-esque vibey epic about a real-life woman I had never heard about but would be thoroughly compelled by. While Amanda Seyfried cannot help but compel you with her enormous eyes and charisma, I found this movie to be a slog.

Seyfried plays the titular Ann Lee, a woman in 1730s Manchester who was persecuted in the UK for founding the Shaker movement and subsequently moved to America to preach and create a religious community. Of course, she was also persecuted there and deemed to be a witch, because that's how we always deal with charismatic women who command a following. The script really plods along, but this is also a musical for some odd reason, which means that I couldn't help but feel like we were getting a religious Mamma Mia every time Seyfried started singing. Perhaps if I was in a theater for two hours, I would allow myself to be swept along in this story and give myself over to the religious ecstasy, but this is emphatically not a movie that works on streaming unless you are very disciplined and forego all other distractions. Much like Ann Lee herself. Am I a heathen for preferring Practical Magic 2 to this critically acclaimed film? Yes. Just burn me at the stake.

September Movies: Coyote vs. Acme, Best of the Best, Pressure

September has been a bit of a slow movie month in my household but we're starting to get caught up on things. Whether you're seeking a raucous comedy or WWII drama, let's dive in for some reviews.

Coyote vs. Acme: Written by Samy Burch and directed by Dave Green, this is a movie that is so specific that I found myself both thoroughly delighted by it and also wondering if mine was the last generation that could even understand this film. In the vein of Who Framed Roger Rabbit? this is a glorious Looney Tunes film where cartoon characters live alongside humans and Will Forte plays a jaded lawyer named Kevin, who has been hired by Wile E. Coyote to sue the Acme Corporation, because they keep selling him defective equipment for his various traps to catch the Road Runner. What follows is a very silly and engaging film about how there's a whole conspiracy over at Acme, and how maybe the Coyote does have a case after all.

The first half of this movie is just an ode to nostalgia where you get to watch the Coyote's many failed ventures and it feels like you're watching a dozen Road Runner cartoons on a loop. Then the action mostly shifts to the courtroom, which is a setting I am always fond of, but may not keep you as entertained. My favorite critique of this film came from a small child that was watching this in the theater next to me, who loudly exclaimed "I thought there would be more Coyote, but this is all Acme!" This movie may have cartoons, but I don't think I would ever take a kid to see it - this is solely a cartoon movie for grownups who grew up watching Looney Tunes and are going to burst out laughing at a throwaway joke about Speedy Gonzales. The animation is great, the script is engaging, and you'll feel like you're a little kid again.

Best of the Best: Written by Hasan Minhaj and Prashanth Venkataramanujam and directed by Lena Khan, this is a movie about two best friends, Maya and Anjali (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and Priyanka Kedia), who join a Bollywood dance team at UCLA and have to navigate the competitive nature of the enterprise alongside their own personal baggage. There are a lot of jokes about the type of people who join a Bollywood dance club, including the one obligatory white boy who speaks Hindi and is more Indian than the Indians on the team, and when I saw the trailer, I immediately wanted to inject this movie directly into my veins. Unfortunately, the final product is aggressively mid.

The lead actors are great, but no amount of charisma can prop up this script that is fairly lackluster, and Ramakrishnan feels like she's just reprising her character from Never Have I Ever. There's a reason this movie is just on Netflix and not worth a theatrical release - you can stream it on a rainy afternoon, but you wouldn't want to venture out for it. The dance choreography is definitely spectacular and worth your eyeballs, but it feels like all the effort went into those sequences and everything else is just going through the motions. I may have enjoyed this more if it were a multi-episode series where we could get more twists and turns and character development, but as a movie, it failed to either entertain or engage me.

Pressure: After all those comedies, you know what you need? A tense World War II drama about the hours leading up to D-Day when the final decision about whether or not to deploy the troops came down to a meteorologist. Directed by Anthony Maras, who co-wrote the screenplay with David Haig, based on Haig's 2014 play of the same name, this is a true story about RAF Group Captain James Stagg (Andrew Scott), who was recommended by Churchill to General Eisenhower (Brendan Fraser) as the best man in the country to provide a weather forecast for the upcoming D-Day landing. Preparations have been underway for weeks, and the American meteorologists, headed by Colonel Irving Krick (Chris Messina) have no doubts that the weather will be sunny and perfect, based on historical weather patterns. But Stagg is not interested in history - he wants the data to accurate forecast the future, and as he gathers that data, he doesn't have good news to report to the Armed Forces, who just want him to say that they will have clear skies ahead.

These actors are all at the top of their game and who doesn't want to watch Scott and Fraser go head-to-head in a battle of wills? The Americans are loud and brash, but Stagg is a quiet and resolute Scot who will not allow anyone to sway him from his scientific rigor. Even though we all know what eventually happened and that D-Day was a success, this movie makes you forget all of that for 100 minutes as you sit there, anxiously awaiting the final result and whether our hero will be redeemed for sticking to his guns. The footage of D-Day is also incredibly moving, set to music by Volker Bertelmann, and as with any movie about this time in our history, it all makes you feel incredibly horrified that humankind keeps engaging in warfare at all. This is a well-made and compelling film, and though it went in and out of theaters too quickly, it is well worth a watch.

August Binges Part 2: The Audacity & Furious

I haven't just been watching movies this month, I've also been bingeing a variety of shows and have some more recommendations for you. Interested in finding a New York serial killer? Or mocking the tech bros in Silicon Valley? Read on!

The Audacity: This show is on AMC+ and unlike other streaming services, the studio execs do not seem to have told the show's creator, Jonathan Glatzer, that he needs to dumb things down for the audience or account for them not paying attention because they're "second screening." So let that be a warning to you - pay attention to this show, because there's going to be a throwaway line in Episode 5 that comes back in Episode 8, or a shot that heralds some very important moment with absolutely no dialogue, and you will need to pay attention.

Billy Magnussen stars as Duncan Park, a tech bro who is scrambling to get more people interested in his latest venture, Hypergnosis, a company that appears to have a lot of data and is not afraid to wield it. Sarah Goldberg plays his therapist, JoAnne, a woman who is fed up with her rich Palo Alto clientele but is not above using all of the information they divulge during their sessions to engage in a spot of insider trading, while her husband, Gary (Paul Adelstein), a fellow therapist who mostly ministers unto the children of Palo Alto, remains oblivious. 

This show is ALL plot - apart from the financial crimes, we've got Anushka (Meaghan Rath), an ethicist who seems to be realizing nothing she does is very ethical, while her husband, Martin (Simon Helberg) is obsessed with "raising" an AI model while ignoring his troubled teenage daughter; Lili (Lucy Punch), Duncan's dissatisfied wife, who is having a lot of drama with the school board; a lot of teenage drama with all the children who are having to cope with social media, getting into Stanford, and all manner of angsty conundrums; Rob Corddry as Tom, the Deputy Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs who just need some tech company to help him sort through some data to help veterans in need; and Zach Gallifinakis as Carl, an angel investor who might be the answer to everyone's problems, but might just cause more problems of his own.

I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy this show, but it gradually sucked me in, and by the end, I was thoroughly consumed by it. There's so much going on, and every episode keeps building until you can't quite imagine how this house of cards hasn't collapsed yet. It's fascinating and a wonderful takedown of these sanctimonious millionaires, so watch it if you want to mock the Zuckerbergs and Elons of the world. Lord knows we can't do anything else.

Furious: Created by Elizabeth Merriwether, this is a gripping and engaging show about a novice FBI agent and former NYPD homicide detective, Alice (Emmy Rossum) who finds herself investigating a string of murders that she suspects are all linked to the same person. Unusually, this serial killer is a woman, and as Alice starts to investigate, it becomes clear that the killer is a woman named Catherine Grace (Lola Petticrew) who has very good reasons to target the men that she has been killing all over New York City. Over the course of eight episodes, we are treated to a delicate game of cat-and-mouse, as well a deepening moral quandary about whether it's the killer or her victims who are truly the monsters.

This is a show that deals with extremely grim themes. Alice just got out of an abusive relationship with her ex, Marshall (Jake Lacy), who is an NYPD cop and is working on these homicides, so now Alice has to work with him (yes, he never got in trouble for domestic abuse because no one believed Alice. And he's a cop so...go figure). Thankfully, Alice does have her former NYPD partner, Danny (Scoot McNairy), by her side as the only cop who believes her and has got her back. Then we've got FBI Agent Nora Washington (Quincy Tyler Bernstine), a woman who has been investigating sex crimes and child abuse for years, which has understandably taken a toll and led her to become a jaded alcoholic. She might be my favorite character, because she has a wondrous range of facets to her character that get to shine over the course of the season.

Despite all the murder, abuse, pedophilia, and human trafficking, this is a shockingly funny show. The dialog is whip smart and unsurprisingly, all of these characters rely on making a lot of jokes to defuse the tension and horror of their day-to-day lives. No matter how dark each episode is, I often found myself chuckling through various parts of it. Of course, you will still have to watch some gory murders and watch a great deal of psychological suffering set to a tragic score, but I found this to be a thoroughly well-plotted and brilliantly acted treat. Every episode ends on a cliffhanger, which sucked when I was watching it week to week, but now you can just binge to your heart's content! And I can promise the finale is cathartic and perfect, with a wonderful resolution that will thoroughly satisfy you but also leave you ready for Season 2. Bring it on!

August Movies Part 5: The Magic Faraway Tree & Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die

August is nearly at an end, but did I cram in a few more movies to finish out the month? You know I did!

The Magic Faraway Tree: Let's get this out of the way first. This is expressly a movie for people who grew up reading Enid Blyton's Magic Faraway Tree series and have extreme nostalgia for it. Or for people who have very small children who believe in fairies and enchantment and would be captivated by this film. Otherwise, just move along, you're not going to remotely understand why I watched this film.

Directed by Ben Gregor with a screenplay adapted by Simon Farnaby, this is a very silly but charming movie that fully taps into the nostalgia of Blyton's novels but tries to drag them into our modern age. Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy play Tim and Polly, a couple that live in the city with three children (played by Delilah Bennett-Cardy, Phoenix Laroche, and Billie Gadsdon) but then uproot the family and move to a desolate barn in the countryside when Claire quits her job and Tim decides that what they need is "the simple life." As you can imagine, their modern children who are very used to having cellphone signal and Wi-Fi are horrified by this turn of events. That inability to access technology, however, is what is needed for these children to decide to amuse themselves by heading into the Enchanted Wood and go up the Magic Faraway Tree, where they will meet Silky (Nicola Coughlan), Moonface (Nonso Anozie), Saucepan Man (Dustin Demri-Burns), Dame Washalot (Jessica Gunning) and all the rest. 

No, I'm not having a stroke. Again, if you read these books, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about, but otherwise, just stop reading already! I have to say, none of the characters are exactly how I pictured them from the books, but the set-up of the Faraway Tree itself made me instantly flashback to being a little child who was delighted by the idea of sitting on a cushion and getting pulled up into its branches, then climbing a giant ladder to get to whatever magical land was at the top of the tree that day, and then coming back down by sliding down the Slippery-Slip that runs all the way down the inside of the tree. God, it was all so charming. 

The movie itself feels like a very British pantomime, and every actor seems to be dialing it up to a 100. Garfield is ridiculously lovely as the father figure though, and while he doesn't feature for much of the film, every time he's on screen, I couldn't help wishing this guy did more romcoms; I could watch him all day long.  Overall, did I think this movie was particularly good? No, it was entirely too cheesy for my liking. But did it absolutely unlock a primitive part of my brain that had been locked away since childhood. Hell yes.

Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die: Directed by Gore Verbinski and written by Matthew Robinson, this is one of those increasingly shocking things in our current filmmaking times: a thoroughly original movie not based on any existing IP. Instead, it is a gleeful and almost Matrix-y bit of science fiction that tackles the problem of AI and social media addiction. What more could you want?

The movie opens in an LA diner when a seemingly crazy man (Sam Rockwell) storms in, claims he is from the future, and needs to recruit a group of people from this diner to help him prevent the creation of an AI that destroys humanity in his future timeline. He is strapped to a bomb and will blow everyone up if they don't do as he says. Also, this is the 117th time he has delivered this speech to this group of people, because every previous attempt he made has failed; he has yet to find the right combination of people who could help him on this mission. It's very Edge of Tomorrow, and I was here for it.

The subsequent cast of characters that he recruits are a great group. You have two teachers, Mark and Janet (Michael Pena and Zazie Beetz), a grieving mother, Susan (Juno Temple), an Uber driver, Scott (Asim Chaudhry), and a woman who is literally allergic to technology, Ingrid (Haley Lu Richardson). As the movie progresses, we will flashback to understand how technology has specifically been ruining each of these peoples' lives, and what they will now be able to contribute to this insane mission to save the world.

I can't give away more plot because you have to let the whole wacky thing unfold for yourself, but it's brilliantly inventive and compelling. This is exactly the kind of scaremongering I want to see from Hollywood about how technology is going to destroy us all. The third act does go a bit off the rails with the AI plot, and you will start to wonder exactly how high the screenwriter was when he wrote this script, but it's still a thoroughly entertaining and engaging movie that will legitimately make you laugh out loud with its audaciousness. There was a major plot twist that I saw coming from a mile away because of the way that a certain scene was filmed, but it was still fun to see it unfold. I love a time travel movie and I hate AI, so inject this movie directly into my veins. 

August Movies Part 4: Midwinter Break, GOAT, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Anaconda

I recently flew to LA for a short trip, which means plenty of hours of in-flight entertainment. Which now means you’re about to read some short reviews of movies I watched on my trip because I never saw them in theaters. Which ones would I actually recommend? Read on, it’s a surprise!

Midwinter Break: Directed by Polly Findlay and written by Nick Payne and Bernard MacLaverty (who adapted it from his 2017 novel), this is a supremely vibey movie about an older couple, Stella and Gerry (Lesley Manville and Ciaran Hinds) who decide to go to Amsterdam for a short vacation. While they are there, we watch the accumulation of hurts between these two people who have silently been bearing slights for years (well, more like the wife has been silent while the husband has been oblivious) but have now reached a tipping point. 

We slowly unravel their backstory and the dramatic incident in Belfast during the Troubles which led them to uproot their lives and move to Scotland, but overall, there really isn't much plot in this film. It looks pretty and stars two powerhouse actors but as the end credits rolled, I was left with a feeling of, "That's it?!" I enjoyed seeing all the tourist attractions in Amsterdam as I had just been there last year, but other than that, I can't say I have much to recommend about this movie. Though I might be persuaded to get the book and see if there was a whole lot more plot in there.

GOAT: If plot is what you seek, then director Tyree Dillihay and writers Aaron Buchsbaum and Teddy Riley have you covered with this animated movie about a small goat named Will (voiced by Caleb McLaughlin) who aspires to play the highly competitive and physical game of Roarball. Unfortunately, everyone mocks his ambitions because only big animals play Roarball, including his idol, a black panther named Jett (Gabrielle Union). Through a series of (un)fortunate events, Will gets recruited to play for his hometown team, the Vineland Thorns, alongside his hero Jett, and a motley crew of other animals voiced by Aaron Pierrs, Nicola Coughlan, David Harbour, Nick Kroll, and Stephen Curry himself. 

The Thorns have been playing terribly and one of the big issues is that Jett doesn't trust her teammates, feeling like she needs to score all the points herself. So of course, this is a movie that's about delegation, trusting others, and learning to work together as a harmonious team. It's wildly inventive, beautiful to look at, and has a brisk pace that will keep you engaged from start to finish. Given the Knicks' recent championship win, I couldn't help but think of who all these characters would be if they were Knicks players, so that is another fun side quest as you watch this film. You're welcome.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie: Love animation but looking for a nostalgia boost with existing IP? Mario's got you covered. Directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic and written by Matthew Fogel, if you loved The Super Mario Bros. Movie, you can rest assured you'll enjoy this one too. You'll get a rollicking adventure across the galaxy as Mario, Luigi, Toad, Yoshi, and Peach (voiced by Chris Pratt, Charlie Day, Keegan-Michael Key, Donald Glover, and Anya Taylor-Joy) attempt to save Princess Rosalina (Brie Larson) from Bowser Jr. (Benny Safdie), who is just trying to save his dad (Jack Black). Along the way there will be plenty of audio and visual gags to remind you of the video games and scratch that primordial itch in your brain. 

The animation is colorful and stunning, the voice cast is spot on (Glen Powell shows up as a very Powell-esque character as well), the Lumas are cute as can be, and the story just rollicks along at a breakneck pace so you never get too bogged down in unnecessary details. It's fun and funny, and you already know if you're the target audience for it. So if you are, go forth!

Anaconda: Written by Kevin Getten and Tom Gormican, who also directed, the premise of this film is that a group of friends who love the 1997 movie Anaconda decide to remake it, despite not having a lot of money or filmmaking talent. The friends consist of Doug (Jack Black), Ronald (Paul Rudd), Claire (Thandiwe Newton), and Kenny (Steve Zahn) and when they get to Brazil, they enlist the help of Ana (Daniela Melchior) to take them on a boat down the river, and Carlos (Selton Mello), a snake handler who supplies a snake for their venture.

Of course, once they get into the jungle, it turns out there's an actual Anaconda on the loose that starts hunting them, and everything gets very meta. I cannot say I paid ANY attention to this movie. My friend, who is a fan of the original Anaconda, seemed to derive a great deal of enjoyment from it, but she had also never seen the trailer, which seemed to give away about 50% of the plot of this film. I guess all I can say is, if you love Anaconda and enjoy extremely silly comedies, this might be the movie for you. But unless you're in that very niche audience, give your eyes a rest. This movie is not worth it.

August Movies Part 3: Tony & The End of Oak Street

Did I celebrate my birthday with a double feature at the movie theaters? You know I did! And both were excellent movies, so read on for my recommendations for why you should be heading into a double feature yourself!

Tony: Directed by Matt Johnston, who co-wrote the screenplay with Matthew Miller, Todd Bartels, and Lou Howe, this movie adapts maybe the first 50 pages of Anthony Bourdain's 2000 memoir Kitchen Confidential (this is according to my husband who has read the book - I have not). As such, this is more of a romance or coming-of-age story - the cooking scenes are almost incidental. Dominic Sessa plays the young Tony, a bit of a wastrel who is obsessed with a girl called Nancy (Emilia Jones) and is desperately trying but failing to impress her. When he doesn't get a writing fellowship he applied for, he heads to Cape Cod because he knows Nancy is spending her summer there and ends up working in the kitchen of a local seafood restaurant as a dishwasher.

The restaurant is owned by a chef played by Antonio Banderas, who is a bit of a character but decides to take Tony under his wing. Tony also befriends Sal (Leo Woodall), the restaurant's oyster shucker and resident bad boy. Needless to say, Sal is a bad influence, and our hero is easily led astray, but there's just something about the chef's work ethic and the food he serves at this restaurant that captivates Tony. In addition to the free room and board he is getting on the chef's porch, of course.

All of the performances are excellent, but this movie is mostly just vibes. The vibes are also excellent and given that we know how Anthony Bourdain's life turned out, this movie is a sweet reminder of how he started out. There's so much hope and promise and optimism in this movie, even as it also gives us the seedy "culinary underbelly" that Kitchen Confidential exposed. Ultimately, it's a fitting tribute to Tony and everything he managed to accomplish in his life.

The End of Oak Street: Written and directed by David Robert Mitchell, this is a dinosaur movie, and damn, it's a great dinosaur movie. The premise is absurd - set in 1982, we follow the Platt family, consisting of Denise and Greg (Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor) and their children, Audrey and Brian (Maisy Stella and Christian Convery). Denise and Greg are in a rocky spot in their marriage and things are looking bleak. But things get a bit bleaker on one night when their entire neighborhood is suddenly transported into prehistoric times and now there are dinosaurs running through their previously innocuous little suburb.

How did this happen? A wormhole or some such, that's not really that important. What's important is that now for 90 minutes this family is going to be running around trying not to get eaten by dinosaurs and seeing if there is any way for them to get back to 1982 and resume their quiet American lives. There is so much action, some eerie horror-esque moments, and plenty of humor to keep the tone light and breezy throughout. There was one genuinely shocking turn, but at the end of the day, this whole thing feels like a Spielbergian cross between The Goonies and Jurassic Park and I was 1000% here for it. 

Anne Hathaway is having quite the year, and apart from The Odyssey, this is definitely my favorite movie she's been in this year. All the actors are having such a rollicking good time, and the plot is rapid and kinetic and keeps you engaged until the very end. This is not a serious movie that's about to win a dozen Oscars, but this is exactly the kind of movie I want to be watching in the middle of August. It's entertaining, surprising, funny, nostalgic, and sweet. It's exactly why you go to the movies in the summer.

August Movies Part 2: One Night Only & Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass

I watched two comedies about people trying to have sex this month and each was equally delightful in its own silly way. One is a very New York movie while the other is very LA, so we’ve also got bicoastal representation!

One Night Only: Written by Travis Braun and directed by Will Gluck, this movie has the wild premise that America is under authoritarian (i.e. Republican) rule where all premarital sex has been banned except for one night a year. We therefore follow Allie (Monica Barbaro) and Owen (Callum Turner) on this one night to see what kind of shenanigans they get up to, all the while knowing that of course, these two very attractive people will eventually end up together…right?

Allie is a world-weary woman who despairs of this night. While Owen thought he was getting engaged and instead got dumped and is now looking for mindless sex to get his mind off his heartbreak. As these two keep running into each other, they first are antagonists and then pair up to be each other’s wingmen. I won’t spoil any surprises but this movie is so joke dense, all the way down to the production design and the score that are full of audiovisual gags to keep you giggling. You’ll get a whirlwind tour of the NYC boroughs, a TON of amazing cameos, and thoroughly charming performances from these two actors, who are perfect for a romcom. This movie made me laugh out loud multiple times and I adored it. I don’t understand the complaints about how we don’t know enough about the political backstory. I’m here for the sexy times people, not for political machinations. Just let me enjoy my popcorn movie in peace!

Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass: If you’d rather watch something on streaming, load up this inane movie and prepare for absurdity. Directed by David Wain of Wet Hot American Summer fame, and co-written by Wain and Ken Marino, this is a story about Gail (Zoey Deutch) a naive hairdresser from Kansas, who is betrayed where her fiance sleeps with his celebrity sex pass (I won't spoil, but that's a very funny cameo). Needing a break, Gail heads to LA for a hairdressing conference with her best friend Otto (Miles Gutierrez-Riley). There she meets a psychic who tells her that the only way to restore her relationship is to sleep with her celebrity sex pass - Jon Hamm. So what follows is a quest through LA to find the Mad Man and do the deed. Will Gail succeed? Watch the movie to find out!

Along the way, Gail picks up a motley crew of people to help her (including John Slattery!) whilst also being chased by Italian mobsters helmed by the wonderful Sabrina Impacciatore. It’s loud, brash, dumb, and funny, exactly the kind of thing you sometimes need to watch on a stress-free afternoon. This movie is also the reason I made my friend drive by the Chateau Marmont when I was visiting her in LA, so it's also a great tourism movie. This kind of comedy is certainly not for everyone, but I chuckled away like the lunatic I am. Enjoy!

August Movies Part 1: Lorne & Miss You, Love You

I was home alone last weekend so I caught up on a bunch of movies I had missed earlier in the year. Here are my thoughts on two very innocuous films that could prove to be of interest when you're lying on the couch.

Lorne: Directed by Morgan Neville, this is a documentary about Lorne Michaels, the notoriously private man who created Saturday Night Live and has been bestowing comedy legends and talk show hosts on us for 50 years. Given how notoriously private he is, however, you can imagine how this documentary turned out. It's a fairly superficial overview of SNL's history and the man, the myth, the legend, and while it is very fun to get behind-the-scenes footage of recent episodes of SNL, you're not necessarily going to learn a whole lot of new information. Though I did discover he was married with three kids. Who would have thunk.

There are lots of talking heads with famous actors and comedy people, and everyone tells their stories and does impressions of Lorne. Everyone seems uniformly shocked that Lorne would even give permission for this documentary to happen, and there's a lot of mystery that even they are reckoning with as they debate...does Lorne have pets? What does he do on his blueberry farm? Wait, his Wikipedia article has been wrong about his origins this whole time? While folks don't seem to know that much about him, the one constant is that they all do love him and credit him for their careers. There is a lot of talk about his loyalty and John Mulaney shares how Lorne called him up when he was in rehab and just said he would stay on the phone as long as he wanted. The man may be a mystery, but he does seem to be a mensch. If you enjoy SNL, you'll probably enjoy this documentary, but don't expect to get much out of it.

Miss You, Love You: Written and directed by Jim Rash, this is a quiet comedy-drama about grief and family that commands two very excellent performances from Allison Janney and Andrew Rannells. Janney plays Diane, a woman whose husband has just died. Instead of her son coming home to comfort her and help make the funeral arrangements for his stepfather, he sends his assistant, Jamie (Rannells), instead. Naturally Diane is prickly about this whole arrangement, but as a PA, Jamie seems very used to dealing with demanding clients, so what follows is a masterclass in managing Diane's sarcastic jibes and eventually gaining her begrudging respect.

This is a movie that mostly runs on vibes. As far as plot is concerned, expect these two to snipe at each other, reluctantly become friends, feel horribly betrayed by revelations, snipe at each other some more, and then reconcile. It's also a wonderful look at what it's like to lose the love of your life, the expectations you have of your family and friends, and what's it like to find your chosen family. It's a movie you marinate in so you can feel all your feelings, and it is at times gentle, acerbic, sweet, and funny. Enjoy.

August Binges: The Hawk & Alice and Steve

Have I been bingeing more TV shows on streaming services? You know it! I've got two comedies for you - one is very American, and the other is very British, so pick your poison.

The Hawk: Created by Will Ferrell, Harpet Steele, and Chris Henchy, this is a show about a has-been golfer, Lonnie "The Hawk" Hawkins (Ferrell), who keeps playing at various tournaments with failing success in an effort to get into the US Open and finally win the career Gland Slam that eluded him in his prime. Matters are complicated by the fact that his son, Lance (Jimmy Tatro) is now also a pro golfer and is a rising star on the PGA Tour. Over the course of the season's ten episodes, father and son will miraculously find themselves playing against each other in the same tournament, and that will unpack a lot of parental baggage.

The supporting cast includes Fortune Feimster as Sam, a woman who suddenly becomes Lonnie's caddy, despite having no golf knowledge - you can imagine how that goes. And Molly Shannon, who plays Lonnie's ex-wife (well they haven't signed the divorce papers yet, so it's more of a long-standing acrimonious separation), and Lance's helicopter mom. The casting tells you all you need to know - these are a bunch of comedy folk who aren't exactly renowned for their subtlety so expect very broad humor, much of which feels like an SNL skit that is somehow being stretched out into a half hour of comedy for each episode.

Is this show high art? No. But did it provide sufficient diversion when I needed something to watch over the weekend that wouldn't require too many brain cells? Of course. Pop it on while you're doing your chores and have a chuckle!

Alice and Steve: I started this show in the afternoon, had to leave to meet some friends for dinner, and then binged it all when I got back home. It's only six half-hour episodes, so a very manageable day-binge, and well worth it. Though I certainly have certain quibbles that we can get into.

Created by Sophie Goodhart, this is a story about two fiftysomethings in London who are best friends, Alice (Nicola Walker) and Steve (Jemaine Clement). They have a raucous and loving friendship that is turned completely upside down when Steve starts dating Alice's 26-year-old daughter, Izzy (Yali Topol Margalith). This causes an upheaval that threatens everyone in their immediate vicinity, including Alice's patient but downtrodden husband, Daniel (Joel Fry) and their young son Dom (Tyrese Eaton-Dyce). It is British cringe comedy in its purest form, awkward but hilarious, with absolutely biting one-liners that kept me laughing for ages. 

This is such an unusual premise, and it's told with such wit and verve that I can't help but recommend it to everyone I meet. Unfortunately, the season does end on a horrendous cliffhanger, and the show hasn't yet been picked up for Season 2, so my recommendation does come with that caveat. I thoroughly loved the journey, but the destination was a little wanting. I dearly hope this show gets another season, because these actors and these characters are phenomenal and I desperately want to know what happens next in their extremely chaotic lives. But for now, I'm just glad I at least got a glimpse into their world for one season.

July Movies Part 3: The Dink & Spider-Man: Brand New Day

July is nearly at an end but I managed to squeeze two more movies in. Want to go to the theater or want to stay on the couch? I've got both options covered!

The Dink: Written by Sean Clements and directed by Josh Greenbaum, this is a very silly and fun movie about what happens when a bunch of pickleball enthusiasts demand more courts at a tennis club. Ed Harris plays Chuck Boyd, the owner of the tennis club, while his son, Dustin (Jake Johnson) is a tennis player who injured his wrist early in his career and now has to make do as a tennis instructor at the club. He still thinks of himself as being an elite player (with a lot of beef with Andy Roddick), but really he's just a sad little man who needs to boost his ego. 

Due to various circumstances, Dustin is forced to start playing pickleball, a sport he regards with the utmost contempt. Further, he is playing with three older women, and his partner is Candace (Mary Steenburgen), a divorcee who has taken up a lot of hobbies to try and get on with her life. My favorite thing about this movie is that there ends up being a little bit of a May-December situation between Distin and Candace, which is amazing, because come on, Mary Steenburgen's still got it. Putting that storyline aside, however, this is ultimately just a movie about a showdown between pickleball and tennis. If you're a pickleball enthusiast, there will be a lot of references and jokes that I'm sure will delight you, but if you only have a passing familiarity with the sport (like me), this movie may seem pretty mid. The actors are fun, the premise is wacky - it's a perfectly acceptable way to pass an afternoon. But it is definitely some serious pickleball propaganda.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day: I don't know why, but I keep forgetting that Spider-Man is from New York (specifically Queens - Let's Go Mets!) but this movie absolutely does not let you forget that fact. It is SUCH a New York movie and has such beautiful shots of the city throughout every amazing action sequence or just those wonderful shots of Spidey commuting around by slinging webs at tall buildings. Even the end credits are this lovely little ode to New York - according to my husband, the only thing missing was a shot of Zohran as Mayor. So yes, I loved this movie immediately, just for that.

But of course, there's a whole story we need to discuss so let's get into that. Written by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, and directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, this movie picks up after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, so poor Spider-Man/Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is no longer remembered by his best friend Ned (Jacob Batalan) and girlfriend, MJ (Zendaya) after Dr. Strange cast a spell to make them forget him (don't question the Marvel logic, I don't remember any of the previous movies either). Now, he's very sad and depressed, working closely with NYPD Detective Jean DeWolff (the delightful Liza Colon-Zayas), and eschewing any work-life balance whatsoever in his unrelentless quest to put criminals away so he doesn't have to think about his complete lack of a personal life. He's also reluctantly working with Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal), a man with some sort of dark past who is now a vigilante with a lot of guns (apparently this character is the Punisher - a fact that completely blew past me while watching this movie).

There's Michael Mando as Scorpion, but then it turns out there's a different villain who can mind control people, so they become slightly more important to deal with. Just rest assured there's some great action, a lot of emotion, and it will be worth your time. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, but also, Instagram has been constantly serving me reels of Holland and Zendaya so I just spent this movie swooning over those two as my favorite Hollywood couple. I don't know if this is a movie that comic lovers and Marvel purists will care for (there ARE some great cameos from certain Avengers), but if you're simply looking for spectacle and good ol' fashioned Hollywood razzle-dazzle, this movie serves that up in spades.

July Movies Part 2: The Invite & The Odyssey

This week I watched two of my favorite movies of the year. They were spectacular and you need to jump on the bandwagon right away. What are you waiting for?!

The Invite: Adapted by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack from a Spanish film, Sentimental (that was itself adapted from a play), and directed by Olivia Wilde (who also stars), this movie is an incredible cringe comedy that had me and my husband gasping and laughing out loud for 100 minutes straight. Wilde and Seth Rogen play Angela and Joe, a couple that have been married for too long and can't seem to stop bickering with each other. Angela has invited the upstairs neighbors over for dinner, a fact that she failed to mention to Joe, so they're fighting about that as the neighbors, Pina and Hawk (Penelope Cruz and Edward Norton) arrive. Which already makes for an awkward start to the evening, but you have no idea how much more awkward things are going to get from there.

If all four of these actors receive an Oscar nomination next year, it would be welcome. The dialogue being bandied about back-and-forth is exhilarating. It's like watching a very tense tennis match with occasional pauses to burst out laughing. I can't get into the plot because you need to just experience it ratchet up and escalate continually for yourself. But what a well-made movie! It's beautifully shot, with every scene meticulously framed and composed, and the music by Devonte Hynes offers up a perfect accompaniment to these couples and their chaos. There's one scene in particular, that is set to Habanera from Carmen, and I definitely want to watch a masterclass when Wilde dissects how she perfectly choreographed the dialogue, music, and blocking to create a visually stunning and hilarious piece of cinema. 

Fair warning, this is a great movie to watch if you're in a stable relationship but may bring up some uncomfortable discussions if you're on the rocks and arguing all the time. But maybe even in that case this movie will bring you both together because you'll finally be laughing as one. Get to the theater - you have received an invitation.

The Odyssey: Written and directed by Christopher Nolan (based on Homer's epic poem, of course), there was a lot of hype around this film, and what can I say? The hype was thoroughly well-deserved. This movie is three hours long, but with this deft script that keeps weaving in and out like Penelope's loom through all of the different scenes of Odysseus' journey, the Trojan War, and the troubles in Ithaca, you simply won't notice the time passing by. It's a singular cinematic achievement and I can't begrudge all the Oscars it's bound to receive next year.

The cast of this film is pitch perfect. I had my doubts about Matt Damon as Odysseus, but he does an incredible job - he is just the right amount of old and weary but still has a trick or two up his sleeve to try and survive this perilous journey home. Tom Holland is wonderful as his son, Telemachus, who has to protect his mother, Penelope (Anne Hathaway, in what is definitely her best role this year), from the greedy suitors (including Robert Pattinson as the very evil Antinous) who have posted up at their palace in Ithaca and want to marry Penelope so they can be king. The other big-name stars in this movie mostly have extended cameos, but damn do they deliver in their scenes. I was particularly astonished by Samantha Morton as Circe - there was something so eerie and menacing about her voice that even if you didn't know anything about this character, you'd suss out within ten seconds that something very bad was about to happen to Odysseus's men.

I've been obsessed with Greek mythology since I was a child; I've taken many courses on it and read The Odyssey as well as modern retellings of Homer's work, so I have a great familiarly with this story and the various characters and settings. I don't know if someone with zero knowledge of The Odyssey would love this film as much as I did, but I think they would still be completely mesmerized by the spectacle of it. The extended sequences with the Trojan horse are stunning, watching the sailors get tossed around on a vengeful ocean is harrowing, interacting with the varied cast of characters is a constant delight. I found myself astonished simply by the armor that different characters wore - Agamemnon in particular, has the most foreboding armor I've ever seen, and it chilled me to the bone every time he was on screen. And is it weird that everyone has an American accent? Sure, for about ten minutes. Then you just put that aside and let yourself be swept away by this ancient tale. The locations are dazzling, the practical effects are glorious, the script is immaculate, the actors are captivating. You can see the blood, sweat, tears, and love that went into every frame of this movie and the result is truly a wondrous thing. Nolan went on quite the odyssey to give us this film, and I'm so glad he did.

July Binges: Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed & Nemesis

This month I have binged two very different but rather entertaining shows, both of which end on a cliffhanger that promises much more hijinks for a second season. Ready to add yet more shows to your schedule? Follow me!

Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed: Created by David J. Rosen, this show stars Tatiana Maslany as Paula, a divorced woman in Queens who is going through a messy custody battle with her annoying and hapless husband, Karl (Jake Johnson). She's fighting to get a promotion at work, she's fighting to retain custody of her daughter, so amidst all that stress, the lady naturally decides to have a few online sessions with a camboy named Trevor (Brandon Flynn) to relieve some of that tension. 

Unfortunately, Trevor then gets violently attacked during one of their sessions. Paula records it all on video and reports it to the police (specifically to a detective played by Dolly de Leon, an actress I have loved since I first saw her in Triangle of Sadness, and who continues to be excellent here) and is told that it is probably all just part of a scam. When Paula gets a call demanding money, or else Trevor will be killed, she is mad that she did fall victim to such an obvious scam. But then...turns out Trevor IS dead. So what's going on?

For ten episodes, you're in for a twisty treat, where more and more shadowy characters come into play and the conspiracy around this whole nightmare keeps spiraling into oblivion. In the meantime, she still has to keep up appearances at work and with the other soccer moms. Maslany is an incredible actress and her ability to portray a woman who is holding on by her fingernails as she investigates criminals, coaches kids' soccer, battles with her ex, and dodges murderers is brilliant to behold. And lest I forget, this is a very funny show. It's not all just thrills and murder, so you'll have a nice chuckle as you get swept along for the ride. It's well worth your time, and given how everything ends, it's going to be well worth your time for Season 2.

Nemesis: Created by Courtney A. Kemp and Tani Marole, this is a very twisty cops-and-robbers show about a criminal mastermind named Coltrane Wilder (Y'lan Noel) and LAPD Lieutenant, Isaiah Stiles (Matthew Law), who is determined to arrest Coltrane and put his small gang of co-conspirators behind bars once and for all. Isaiah has been tracking Coltrane's crimes for a few years, convinced that there is one small group of four criminals who have been orchestrating incredible heists in the LA area that all seem unrelated. His boss and partner all think he's crazy, but he knows he's right, and he also has a personal vendetta against them to up the stakes.

There's also a lot of family drama that both men are experiencing with their wives. Coltrane's wife, Ebony (Cleopatra Coleman), recently had a miscarriage and no longer wants to help out with any of his heists, even though her sister is the woman who comes up with these jobs for him and his gang to execute in the first place (yeah, it's really a family affair). In the meantime, Candice (Gabrielle Dennis), is very frustrated with Isaiah's obsessive devotion to his job instead of showing up to his son's basketball games and is seriously contemplating a divorce. And oh yeah, somehow these two women know each other socially and become friends. That's not going to complicate matters at all, right?

It's all very tangled and delicious. It's also a very Black show, so your mileage may vary if you have opinions on how often you want to hear the n-word deployed. Also, the white characters who show up to play cops might be the most hilariously stereotypical white actors I've seen in a while. The whole thing reminded me a bit of a Bollywood movie - a little larger than life, a little too much emotion, but damn if I wasn't thoroughly entertained for eight episodes. If you're looking for something engaging and slightly ridiculous to while away the hours, you may have found your next binge!

July Movies Part 1: Supergirl & Moana

July is here, with a brand-new set of summer blockbusters. We have the latest superhero offering from the DC Universe, and then Disney's latest live-action remake. Looking for original IP? Move right along!

Supergirl: Written by Ana Nogueira and directed by Craig Gillespie, this movie stars Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl, who is Superman's cousin. She is turning 23, so you may ask, why is she a "girl" and not a "woman"? That is a meta question this film also seeks to ask and answer. But first, we must give our poor heroine a purpose, because as this movie opens, she is on an epic pub crawl and has no desire to save the universe.

This film is only 108 minutes long, so I won't give away scads of plot. There's a young girl, Ruthye (Eve Ridley), who is seeking revenge after the brutal murder of all the members of her family, and she crosses paths with the reluctant Kara, who is persuaded to help her for her own reasons. Naturally, our heroine is full of ennui and doesn't think there's any point to being a superhero, but she will eventually get her redemption arc and start to crawl out of her depressive funk. Prepare for lots of action sequences, many repetitive rescues of the hapless naif, and some cameos from a very concerned Clark Kent (David Corenswet) as he video calls from Metropolis to keep tabs on his wayward cousin. Oh, and also Jason Momoa shows up as an alien mercenary character called Lobo, for some reason.

This movie is rather forgettable. Now that James Gunn runs the DC Cinematic Universe, you can see his fingerprints all over it in terms of random music choices during various scenes and a desperate attempt to keep things light, even when we're talking about a lot of heavy themes. Alcock and Ridley are a great duo, and they are both very personable, even whilst their characters are being extremely angsty, and the action choreography is wonderful. But overall, this movie thoroughly failed to captivate me, and I almost forgot I watched it a few days later. It exists, and that's about all I can say about it.

Moana: Written by Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller and directed by Thomas Kail, if you're a fan of the original animated film, then you'll be perfectly happy with this live-action remake, i.e. just like my husband. I do not care about Moana as much as he does, but I still found myself captivated by this movie. 

If you've never seen the original before, I suppose a short plot summary is in order. Catherine Laga'aia plays the titular Moana, the daughter of the chief of Motonui, a Polynesian island. Her whole life, she has been forbidden from venturing too far out into the ocean, but her grandmother (Rena Owen) believes the ocean has chosen her for a crucial journey. When the island is stuck by a blight, she tells Moana that she needs to set sail and find the demigod Maui (Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson who voiced this character in the original film), who can then help her restore the heart of Te Fiti, the goddess of Nature.

The cinematography is beautiful and enchanting, the songs (both English and Polynesian) are rousing and wonderful, and the actors are fully committed and having a great time - it's particularly great to see the Rock do his thing in live action this time around. Is it almost identical to the animated film? Of course. Did that dampen my enjoyment at all? Nope. Disney is gonna do its thing, but when they do it with a movie this beloved, it's hard to really screw it up, you know? There has been a lot of uproar about why we need this remake, which is the same uproar we have been getting for every single Disney remake to date, but I found myself bopping along for the ride. I know most critics are in absolute disagreement with me on this one, but I don't care. Sometimes it's just nice to get some Polynesian comfort food.

June Binges Part 3: Not Suitable for Work & Widow's Bay

Looking for a comedy as your next binge? Well I've got a somewhat classic sitcom that has its pros and cons and then a delicious horror comedy that is currently a critical darling. Pick your poison!

Not Suitable for Work: Created by Mindy Kaling, this is a very Kaling show about a group of twentysomething college graduates who are pursuing their dreams in New York City. AJ and Abby (Ella Hunt and Avantika Vandanapu) are best friends with very different ambitions - AJ is excited to be a high-powered investment banker, while Abby is pursuing a career as a celebrity stylist. Across the hall from them live three men - Davis, Josh, and Kel. Davis is a finance bro who happens to work with AJ at the exact same bank and on the exact same team - what are the odds?! Josh is a rich nepo baby with journalistic ideals who is trying to "make it on his own" with a job as a PA for a famous news anchor, but he certainly did not get that job without a little name-dropping. And Kel is a medical student who actually wants to be an actor...that's gonna be quite the pivot.

Over the course of nine episodes, you will follow the career drama and romantic entanglements of these five people, and while some of it is very fun and engaging, some of it definitely has a yikes, #MeToo factor that had me shaking my head. It's very clear that this show is being written by a bunch of TV people who haven't actually held a job in finance or most other industries, so their depictions of the workplace tend to be painted with a rather broad, stereotypical brush. And the romance plots are classically Austenian (there is actually a lot of discussion of Jane Austen's novels at one point, in typical Kaling fashion), where there's a supposedly handsome and perfect suitor, but of course, he's not the right one.

This show is frothy and bingeable, and the actors are very likable. There are plot twists galore, and it's a mindless romp if you want to unplug your brain for a weekend afternoon. Also, NYC has never looked more beautiful - the final two episodes set in Christmas in the city captured all of my favorite places and made me so happy. But if you're looking for substance over style, move on. There's nothing to see here.

Widow's Bay: If you're looking for both style and substance (and are not a scaredy-cat) start bingeing this show immediately. I had no idea what I was getting into when I began, but two days later I was watching the finale and telling everyone that this was the best show in the world. Created by Katie Dippold, this is the story of a quiet New England island called Widow's Bay, and its mayor, Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys), who is desperately trying to sell this place to tourists and help the town prosper. Unfortunately, he has no help from the locals, a bunch of dour and pessimistic folk who also believe in ghost stories and think the island is a haunted and miserable place that no one can escape. Naturally, Tom thinks all these people are ridiculous, but then...creepy things start happening. And before long, even this skeptic has to acknowledge that maybe all those ghost stories had some truth to them after all.  

Is this show scary? Sure. But is it also absolutely hilarious? My God, yes. After all, it did start out as a spec script for Parks & Recreation - Leslie Knope would absolutely adore this show. Rhys' face is comic perfection, veering from disdain to confusion to horror to miserable acceptance in the space of a minute. The supporting cast, featuring comic geniuses like Jeff Hiller, Dale Dickey, and Stephen Root are all people you will recognize from TV comedies over the years, and they are a murderer's row of talent in this show. Kate O'Flynn in particular, is amazing as Patricia, Tom's assistant who really wants to help him with his agenda but also has her own horror story from when she was a teenage girl on the island; watching her shine in Episode 8 was delightful.

I never knew horror comedy was a genre I would be able to watch on TV - I assumed it was restricted to a few movies a year. The writing is incandescent, the performances are brilliant, the production design and cinematography is atmospheric and creepy - it's really firing on all cylinders. This show has been an absolute revelation; I ate it all up and am ready for seconds. More please!

June Binges Part 2: Off Campus & The Other Bennet Sister

I watched two romance series this month - they both couldn't be more different, but each was swoon-worthy in its own way. Do you prefer your smut to be sexy or Victorian? Either way, I've got you covered!

Off Campus: Created by Louisa Levy, based on the series of hockey romances by Elle Kennedy, this is a sexy show that has a naked butt within two minutes of its runtime. Don't say you weren't warned. Ella Bright and Belmont Cameli star as Hannah and Garrett, two college students who are taking a philosophy class together but otherwise have nothing in common. Garrett is the captain of the hockey team who already knows he wants to go pro, while Hannah is a music major who is struggling to make ends meet and doesn't give a shit about hockey. Obviously, the two of them don't get along, until...they very much do.

This show has all your classic tropes - you've got enemies to lovers and a little Hitch inspiration with Garrett trying to coach Hanah on how to win over Justin (Josh Heuston), the guy she has a massive crush on. The sex scenes are gloriously steamy, and I have never been more grateful to Shonda Rhimes for bringing Bridgerton to our TV screens and thereby ushering in this whole era of streaming romance series. But more importantly, this show has so much emotional heft and heart. Both Hannah and Garrett have extremely dark pasts and will have to confront a LOT of psychological baggage over the course of eight episodes. They make the classic mistake of trying to solve everything through their relationship, but the show cleverly showcases how your partner can't be your only emotional support in life; both of them end up turning to their best friends for additional guidance (played excellently by Mika Abdalla, Antonio Cipriano, Stephen Kalyn, and Jalen Thomas Brooks - a supporting cast that gets up to all manner of shenanigans of their own over the course of the series). And despite the heavy themes that are being discussed, the show never gets too bogged down, miraculously maintaining a breezy and funny tone that kept me smiling throughout the entire series.

The final episode has an epic cliffhanger and I simply cannot wait for Season 2. I have spent a lot of time this past week watching Instagram reels about this show, reading interviews with the incredible costume designer (Charlene Akuamoah, a true genius), and becoming obsessed with the soundtrack, listening to multiple featured songs on repeat like a besotted teenager. This show is a frothy and fantastic delight and it's exactly the kind of escapism I crave when the real world gets to be too much. If you're currently a single lady who is fed up of the dating apps (or a happily married one who is still in need of some diversion), put your phone down and pull up this show. Just revel in these hot, heterosexual men for a while. Yes, they initially seem like douchey hockey jocks, but my god they end up having hidden depths and being feminist AF. It's enough to classify this show as a fantasy rather than a romance, but for eight hours, just let yourself be transported!

The Other Bennet Sister: Written by Sarah Quintrell and Maddie Dai, based on the 2020 novel by Janice Hadlow, this is a beguiling piece of fan fiction about the life of Mary Bennet, the awkward and plain sister in Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice, who is merely treated as a joke and a weirdo in that novel. In this story, however, she has a robust and rich interior life, and we get a thorough psychological understanding of this much-ignored woman who still deserves just as much happiness as her sisters.

Ella Bruccoleri plays Mary, and she is perfectly cast, managing to be both nondescript and captivating as the script demands. The first few episodes give us the events of Pride & Prejudice from Mary's perspective, including a thwarted attempt at wooing Mr. Collins. However, as her sisters are all married off while Mary remains the old maid, her prospects seem terribly bleak, and it is unclear what will become of our heroine - is she doomed to a life of genteel poverty? Thankfully, she has relations who can take her in, and what follows is a wonderful tale, with parallels to Austen's other heroines who encounter multiple suitors with varying complications. 

The show is a bit of a slow burn, and of course, it is very Regency, but it's still delightful to see Mary get a little lustful when she sees a man rolling up his sleeves and giving her a flash of forearm. Her suitors are charmingly played by Donal Finn and Laurie Robertson, while Indira Varma and Richard Coyle are lovely as her aunt and uncle who offer all the love and support she could never seem to get from her odious mother (played irritatingly well by Ruth Jones). Even though I knew what was going to happen, the final episode melted my heart, and I was so proud of Mary, who had learned to become a strong, independent woman, brimming with self-confidence. In its way, this is yet another feminist romance, but it will still satisfy the itch of any Austen lover who is looking for a new way to enjoy their favorite tale of love and marriage.

June Binges Part 1: The Boroughs & Spider-Noir

Another month is flying by, and there's still so much new TV to watch! I recently had surgery, and unfortunately, I've been using all my recovery time to nap instead of bingeing and blogging as I anticipated. But, I am now on the mend, which means it's time for me to finally tell you about all these epic shows you should be watching. Let's dive right in.

The Boroughs: Created by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews (with an executive producer assist from Stranger Things' Duffer Brothers), this is a very bizarre and fun show about a group of older folk in a retirement community in the middle of nowhere who discover that maybe something rather sinister is going on. Something sinister that may involve...aliens? 

Frankly, that's about all I want to tell you about the plot. There are only eight episodes, and you'll have to figure out how things unfold from there. The cast boasts people like Alfred Molina, Geena Davis, Alfre Woodard, Clarke Peters, and Denis O'Hare, who are all people I have been watching for long enough that I was a little startled to realize that they are now old enough to be playing retirees. But these are all impeccably excellent thespians and man are they having fun. Older actors rarely get the chance to showcase their chops like this, and at one point I realized this show felt like The Goonies but for sixty-somethings. It has that crazy Spielbergian vibe of a group of people going on an adventure, and something weird and wonderful is afoot, and they're gonna band together to solve the mystery despite all the obstacles in their way.

The sci-fi element means that this show is probably not going to be everyone's cup of tea, but the plot is compelling, the actors are brilliant, and it's just so unique and unusual that I was riveted throughout. It's a quick and dirty binge that should keep you enthralled for the entirety of its runtime, so give it a shot. There's a lot of fun lurking in those boroughs!

Spider-Noir: Developed by Oren Uziel, this show is set in the 1930s New York in an alternate universe where Spider-Man is the alter ego of a world-weary hard-boiled detective named Ben Reilly. Who is played by Nicolas Cage. What more do you need?!

My husband and I watched this show in black and white as God intended. There is also a color version available for heathens; we did watch a few minutes of that version and begrudgingly accepted that it was still shot in an old-timey technicolor kind of way that still made it feel retro. But, come on. The show is called Spider-NOIR, what are you even doing if you watch it in color? The cinematography and production design is truly out of this world and it's an immersive and dazzling experience if it's been a while since you last watched a classic movie.

Cage is hamming it up brilliantly in this role, complete with a Cagney/Bogart-esque accent that is cleverly explained in the script. Karen Ruiz is wonderful as his weary secretary, Janet, while Lamorne Morris is his trusty friend and journalist, Robbie. There's a mystery involving a sudden rash of folks with superpowers who are taking over Manhattan and committing crimes, and of course, our hero has a tragic backstory and doesn't ever want to don his spider costume again but will eventually have to. There's some romance, beautifully choreographed action set pieces, and a whole lot of humor. It's an absolute vibe from start to finish, and even if you're not a superhero person, you should watch this show if you're simply a cinema person who wants to indulge in this world for a little while.

June Movies Part 1: Backrooms & Power Ballad

I headed to the movies this weekend and watched one Gen Z blockbuster horror film that everyone's talking about and one sweet, melancholy Irish movie that almost no one is talking about. I enjoyed both, but for very different reasons.

Backrooms: Written by Will Soodik and directed by the 20-year-old (!) Kane Parsons, based on YouTube videos he started creating in 2022, this movie is extremely wild and twisty and slightly impossible to explain. But my god it's a vibe, and I vibed hard with it. Chiwetel Ejiofor stars as Clark, an angry divorced man who aspires to be an architect but instead owns a struggling discount furniture store. After his wife kicked him out, he has been living in the store, and has noticed the electricity is behaving erratically, with power surges and losses at all hours. One night, he goes down to the basement to investigate why the lights are off, and he sees something shimmering on one of the walls. When he approaches, he discovers he can walk through this wall, and into the titular "backrooms." 

This is where all kudos goes to Danny Vermette, the incredible production designer, without whom, this film would be nothing. The backrooms are a weird and eerie, slightly-off maze of interconnected rooms that just keep getting stranger and stranger as Clark wanders through them. The score and sound design by Edo Van Breemen and Parsons also deserve a lot of kudos because we get the constant hum of the overhead fluorescent lighting as an accompaniment, but then the sudden footsteps, or sudden silence that signifies only bad things could happen next. Honestly, the sound design scared the crap out of me more effectively than the appearance of actual monsters.

Yes, there are monsters lurking in these rooms, and yes, things will get a little bloody towards the end, but the majority of the time, you are just wandering through this insane world, trying to figure out what's going on, and having a mild panic attack for 110 minutes. Ejiofor is excellent as our protagonist who is also a little despicable, while Renate Reinsve is an excellent audience surrogate, playing Clark's therapist, Mary, who has her own intricate back story that will unfold over the course of the film. It's all very layered and complex, like the backrooms themselves, and there are so many interpretations you could come up with as you watch this film. The main thing though, is that you have to see it. It's a wild ride, and I joyously went along for it.

Power Ballad: Directed by John Carney, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Peter McDonald, this is a classic Carney piece about the conflict between artists who make music because they love it and the record labels and big stars who make music because of capitalism. Paul Rudd stars as Rick Power, a former rockstar who settled down in Ireland 15 years ago after he married an Irish woman and had a daughter. Giving up on his rock dreams, he now sings for a wedding band. It's not glamorous work, and he misses being able to play his own songs instead of the usual comfort fare required at a wedding. 

At one wedding, however, Rick meets a famous singer, Danny Wilson (Nick Jonas who is not playing a character too far from reality, but still acted the hell out of this part, much to my surprise). Danny was formerly in a boy band but is now trying to strike out on his own, and he's trying to write songs for his upcoming album. He and Rick have an all-night jam session once the wedding festivities conclude and joyously make music together, riffing on each other's work, and enjoying a very creative collaboration that leave both in admiration of each other. What could go wrong?

Rick goes back to his life, and Danny goes back to his, and then six months later, Rick hears a song playing at the mall. He instantly recognizes it as "How to Write a Song Without You" a song that he has been noodling on for years, and that he had shared with Danny during their collaborative night. Well, Danny was able to add a bridge, produce the hell out of it, and now has a #1 single on his hands, with no songwriting credit to Rick whatsoever. What follows is a story that made my husband nervous, because he thought the tone of the film was going to become very dark and insane. But I knew the most I could expect from a Carney movie was a little melancholy and a lot of soul. There's a fair amount of comedy, because how could you not when you have Rudd at the helm, but he does a great job playing this slightly sad sack musician, who isn't quite living his dreams and just wants recognition for finally writing the hit song he has been chasing for so many years. 

It's a beautiful story about creativity and collaboration and credit, all topics that are so dicey and controversial when it comes to making music and art, and it's deftly told and distilled with that traditional Carney whimsy and Irish flair. I loved this movie and it made me tear up at various points. And not for nothing, "How to Write a Song Without You" is a certified banger - I hope it starts climbing up the charts, because nothing makes me happier than when a movie about a hit song actually generates a hit song. It's such a difficult task, and initially, when I heard the song in the movie, I didn't think it was that great, but by the time you hear it twenty times, in multiple contexts, with different production values, you really do learn to appreciate the art and craft of songwriting. It's a beautiful musicology lesson and movie all wrapped up in one.