I just watched Luther: The Fallen Sun and thought it was fine. I haven’t watched the series that comes before this movie, so I won’t be able to compare the quality. As a standalone movie, it works well enough. I might have missed a few references here and there, but I never felt lost by the plot. I’d be curious to know what fans of the series think of the movie.
John Luther is a disgraced detective who has been locked away for his use of unethical practices for catching criminals. While in prison, a serial killer terrorizes London. But no prison can hold Luther. Luther escapes, and now the race is on to catch the killer before he causes too much damage. Can Luther decipher the few clues left behind before it is too late?
As far as detective thrillers go, Luther: The Fallen Sun is fine. My biggest issue with this movie is the pacing. This movie gets slow in parts. It will sit on pretty scenery for longer than it needs to. While I appreciate how well-shot some of these scenes are, this movie didn’t need to be two hours long. As a result, it is missing some much-needed tension. There are moments in this movie that don’t have stakes. It doesn’t matter how quickly Luther solves the clues because he’s got more than enough time to do so.
The acting is fine, but the writing is a little awkward. Some of the dialogue feels sloppy, and some plot points don’t make sense. While there are fun parts of this movie, there are enough parts that aren’t that make this movie difficult to recommend. I am sure people who are fans of the series will have stronger opinions about this movie, but as someone who hasn’t watched it, I thought the movie was okay.
If you have nothing else to watch, it’s not the worst way to spend two hours. At the very least, Luther: The Fallen Sun has made me curious about the series. While I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch this film, you can stream it on Netflix.
Series Review: Scissor Seven
I know I am a bit late in reviewing Scissor Seven, but I loved it so much that I needed to write something. If you haven’t seen this series yet, now is a great time because season four is on the horizon. If you are even remotely a fan of anime, this is a great series to get into.
Seven is a strange kid with no memory of his past who lives on Chicken island. With the help of a pair of scissors that he can control with his qi, Seven tries to make a living as a hired assassin. The problem with this plan is that Seven is too kind and ends up befriending the people he is supposed to kill. But Seven’s mysterious past comes to disrupt the peace he’s achieved during his time there. Can Seven unlock his full potential as an assassin in time to save his friends?
Scissor Seven is originally in Mandarin. While I always recommend consuming media in its original language, the English dub is fantastic. The animation is what sold this series to me. I love the blending of different art styles and animation. Sillyness aside, the narrative of this series is very well done. I was caught off guard by how cohesive and intricate the narrative can be. Sure it hits many of the traditional anime tropes, but it does it in such a way that it doesn’t matter. Watching Seven slowly regain his memories, make friends, and a life for himself is a delight to watch.
If you are a fan of anime or Asian dramas, you will love how it parodies the genres while maintaining its narrative. This series is full of bad puns, dad jokes, and physical humor, but it gets away with it. Once you get past the obvious parodies, the action is amazing. The epic choreography of the fights will keep you on the edge of your seat, even when it gets ridiculous. Package off this with one of the most amazing soundtracks I’ve ever sat through, and you have a series that should at least be on your watchlist.
Do yourself a favor and watch one of the most ridiculous and epic anime series on the Netflix catalog.
Movie Review: The Strays (2023)
While The Strays gives off some solid Get Out vibes, it remains an odd movie to recommend. If you are out of content to watch, give this movie a chance, at least for the experience. While it isn’t the perfect psychological thriller it pretends to be, it does enough right that you won’t hate having sat through it.
Neve lives her ideal life in the suburbs with her successful and loving husband, two lovely children, and a great job. All seems perfect until the day the ghosts from her past begin to haunt her, slowly dismantling everything she has. Will these ghosts be what sends her over the edge, or is there something more sinister in the works?
It is difficult to review this movie without spoiling it. I will try my best to be as specific as possible without ruining the mystery.
The movie has a strong start but builds up to its disappointing twist. The actors are great and give some terrifying performances, but the story isn’t good enough to take advantage of their abilities. What killed this movie for me was the sudden tonal shifts.
The first half is this creepy psychological thriller that keeps raising the stakes as Neve doesn’t seem to have as strong of a hold of her life as she pretends to. I loved the increasingly disorienting narrative as Neve’s once-sterile day-to-day becomes increasingly unhinged. Through small details like how she increases the dose of her medication, her nervous ticks, and her increasing paranoia, the movie does a fantastic job of showing Neve’s disorienting mental state. Are the ghosts real? Is Neve’s life real? It is genuinely hard to tell because of how frighteningly disorienting the narrative is presented. But whatever momentum the first half builds is lost.
After the big reveal, the movie turns into a generic thriller. Any interesting characters developed in the buildup are lost in the worst storyline of this movie. I almost turned the movie off because of how jarring and boring the shift became. The final minutes of the movie sort of makeup for the disappointment because of how well the actors do, but it wasn’t enough to save the movie from mediocrity. This movie had potential and even proved itself with a few scenes, but it doesn’t push the story enough.
The Strays is an okay thriller, and something you should check out if you have nothing else to watch. It isn’t a movie I would rush to see, but you won’t hate it if you sit through it. Check it out on Netflix when you are ready.
Movie Review: We Have a Ghost (2023)
I’d also like to take some time to thank Neyra Villegas for buying me coffee! Your support means the world to me. Thank you so much!
I just watched We Have a Ghost, and it is a bad movie. If this movie shows up on your feed, please ignore it. This movie isn’t worth the two hours it is trying to claim from you. There isn’t even enough movie to fill the run time. We Have a Ghost was made to pad Netflix’s already disappointing library. Stay away.
A generic dysfunctional family moves to a decrepit house hoping for a new beginning. But to their surprise, there is a ghost living in their attic. The generic brooding teenager, Kevin, is the only one to discover that Ernest, the ghost, is friendly. Kevin decides to help Ernest find peace in the afterlife. But some forces want to use Ernest for their selfish goals. Will Ernest find peace before it is too late?
We Have a Ghost is a lazy attempt at rebooting Casper. The plot is full of holes and cliches. The characters are so generic that they are forgettable. It is clear who is in this movie for the paycheck because the acting is mediocre. I don’t blame them because the writing is terrible. No talent in the world can make this movie work.
The biggest problem with this movie is the lack of substance. Nothing happens in this movie. It spends two hours setting up different storylines that don’t lead to anything. All the buildup leads to the most predictable and lazy ending. There was no clear direction for this movie, just an idea and some lazy gags to pad the run time. If you cut this movie down to its most impactful story elements, you are left with maybe five minutes of the movie.
Do not watch We Have a Ghost. With how much better content there is out there, you have better ways of spending two hours. But if you don’t believe me, check it out on Netflix.
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Series Review: Alice in Borderlands
I know I am a bit late on covering Alice in Borderlands, but I loved it so much I needed to talk about it. Alice in Borderlands is the live-action isakai series that you didn’t know you needed in your life. If you haven’t seen it, I urge you to add it to your list. It may be a bit cheesy, and the CGI is rough, but it is such an epic narrative that it doesn’t matter.
Irasu and his friends find themselves in a deserted Tokyo. As they travel through the empty streets of the town they once called home, they find themselves trapped in a deadly game. To survive, they must win a series of games where failure isn’t an option. Those who lose or run out of time die. It’s a similar concept to Squid Games, but this series came out first. Can Irasu and his friends find out who is behind the games before it is too late? Will they ever be able to return to their normal lives?
Both seasons are well done, with the second season being a narrative roller coaster that kept me on edge. The suspense in this season is killer despite the overpowered plot armor the main characters seem to carry.
The games are so much fun to watch, each getting more intense than the last. It does get a bit predictable, but I didn’t care because I was having so much fun. This show is graphic, so viewer discretion is advised.
The series uses the violence and stakes of the games to make important criticisms of the stagnation in human life. Each protagonist had moments in their past before the game where they wasted their lives or weren’t living to their potential. It was only when they no longer have control of their lives that they begin to reflect on their lives. For some, it is too late. They die without having the chance to make any real changes. Others, like Arisu, begin to experience personal growth as they begin to see life in a new light.
I loved Irasu as a protagonist. He isn’t a generic stoic that can be common in the genre. Instead, he is a flawed man whose resolve is constantly shaken by events in the game. As he spends more time in the games, Isaru never gets comfortable with the harsh world around him. There are times when the events will break him, and he will struggle to act when necessary. It is very cool to see a hero who is capable, but not perfect. It creates the perfect amount of tension for a series like this to work.
But as much as I love this series, it isn’t perfect. This series has a problem with its pacing. Towards the end of the series, it certainly feels drawn out. There are also times when this series will get a bit preachy about life and humanity, but it never gets so bad that I turned it off. Despite its flaws, I will be returning to this series.
Go watch this series! You might figure out the mystery ahead of time, and the special effects might look cheesy, but the story and action are so good that it won’t matter. The series is in Japanese with multiple dubbing available. While I always recommend watching media in their original language, the English dubbing is great. You can stream Alice in Borderlands on Netflix
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Series Review: Red Rose (2022)
I wanted to like Red Rose. It had a strong start with its terrific soundtrack, decent actors, and interesting concept. Unfortunately, the novelty wears off, and the series overstays its welcome. If you were interested in watching this series, I would hold off. It’s not as good and deep as it pretends to be.
After finishing High School, Roche, and her friends are excited for what should be the best summer of their lives. It was supposed to be a summer of partying, sex, and fun before they all split up for university. But fate has other plans for these teens. Roch’s life gets turned upside down when she downloads the mysterious app, Red Rose. At first, it seems like a benevolent force that promises Roch a better life. But the app has ulterior motives, and Roch finds that her life is out of her hands. Red Rose isolates her from her friends, stalks her, and terrorizes her relentlessly. There is no escape from Red Rose, and the virus is spreading. Will the teens be able to put an end to this sinister app?
The acting is fine for the most part, but I felt like some of the leads didn’t have the charisma to make the series work. The story was fine, but it gets more and more convoluted the deeper you get into the series. This series wastes too much time on filler, pointless plot hooks, and painfully obvious red herrings instead of getting to the point. This series wastes so much time on filler that I honestly forgot what it was supposed to be about. This could have been a better series if they didn’t drag it out so long.
The first few episodes had so much promise. The soundtrack was fantastic, the lead was great, and the story was solid. They still had issues with the pacing, but I was willing to forgive it because the rest was good enough. It was a decent thriller until the tonal shifts. Unfortunately, this series turns into a generic action thriller with no real direction.
I can’t recommend this series because it just becomes a generic jumbled mess of a series. It becomes so bland that I struggle to find more to say about this series. I would say hold off, but if you can’t, you can stream it on Netflix.
Image By Eleven Film & British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) – Screenshot of a frame in an episode, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=72846422
Your Place or Mine
It is no secret that I have been disappointed by the romcoms I’ve had to sit through this year. When Your Place or Mine popped up on my feed, I was justifiably skeptical that this movie would break my streak of sitting through subpar romcoms. Nothing about this movie suggested my experience would be different this time around. I was surprised that this movie wasn’t as bad as I expected. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a genre-defining title by any means, but it is a fun one.
Your Place or Mine is the story of two best friends who love each other but are too afraid to act on their feelings. Opportunity strikes when Debbie needs to fly to New York to finish her degree but doesn’t have a sitter for her son. Peter volunteers because that is what friends do. The switch allows the two to move out of their comfort zone until they can examine their feelings about each other. Will they learn about themselves and each other to act on their feelings? Yes, because it is that kind of movie.
You aren’t watching this movie for the story or writing because it is mediocre at best. The plot is riddled with holes, and they force a lot of threads to make this movie work. If you are a fan of the genre you might have a better appreciation, but I couldn’t get past the overall silliness of this movie. Instead, you will be watching this movie for the acting. The leads have fantastic chemistry and enough charisma to make it work. The best friends are just quirky jokes, but the actresses had a lot of fun playing them. I hope to see them in more movies because they were a delight to watch on screen. The whole cast seemed to be having fun with this movie, and as an audience member, I loved watching it.
Your Place or Mine is a dumb date night movie that is fun to watch, but it won’t have the lasting power as some of the classics. The story isn’t great, and the production can be sloppy in places, but the actors make up for these pitfalls. If you haven’t canceled Netflix yet and need something to throw on for date night, Your Place or Mine is a solid contender for the occasion.
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Series Review: Make My Day (2023)
Do not let the awkwardness of the art and animation stop you from enjoying Netflix’s newest survival horror anime, Make My Day. If you are a fan of the genre and enjoyed the Dead Space series, this series should be on your watchlist. Make My Day is a short and manageable series that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Companies have started mining the planet of Coldfoot for a new energy resource. Unfortunately, mining on this planet has awoken an ancient and nearly indestructible creature that is quickly wiping humanity off the planet’s inhospitable surface. Jim is a low-level guard at one of the prisons when disaster strikes. With the help of the survivors he gathers along the way, Jim must find a way off the planet. Can they make it before it is too late?
I loved this series. Although some of the production can be awkward, it does enough to tell an exciting horror story. I haven’t felt so anxious as I watched the survivors face increasingly impossible odds as they tried to leave the planet. The action is well choreographed and exciting, the voice acting is solid, although the quality does waiver with some of the extras, and the story is well done. There is enough buildup and tension to keep the pace moving, and enough character development to keep the story interesting. The ending does get a bit cheesy, but it was still satisfying enough to earn my recommendation.
My favorite part of this series is the main character Jim. Jim starts off the series as this scared kid who isn’t ready for conflict. The series does a great job of setting up Jim as a capable character so that when he has to act, his transformation is believable. When Jim first encounters the aliens, he is paralyzed by fear and can only watch in horror as people die to save him. As the series progresses, he slowly finds his courage and takes more of an active role as the hero. I had a lot of fun watching Jim grow as a character, although I did feel that his development suffers a bit.
This series is a lot of fun and very intense. If you like horror and need something to watch, check out Make My Day on Netflix. The series has English dubbing available but I couldn’t find an English trailer.
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Image by ThankYouFantasyPictures from Pixabay
Movie Review: You People (2023)
I wasn’t a fan of You People because it is a lazy movie at its core. It has good actors who give fantastic performances, but this is a movie that sacrifices narrative in order to make its pretentious points about racism. If you are interested in watching this movie, you won’t hate it, but keep in mind that it isn’t the quirky rom-com that you think it is.
The story is about an interatrial couple and the struggles they face as their cultures clash. There is also a subplot about a podcast, but there really isn’t much more to this movie.
The acting is fine, but the leads share no chemistry. It feels as if the only reason the two are together is to create the uncomfortable situations the movie is brimming with. The white family will constantly make tone-deaf statements as they desperately attempt to not appear racist. The African-American family seems to be equally one note as they become the foils to the Jewish family. This back-and-forth gets old almost instantly, but I can’t deny that the performances were excellent.
This movie seems to be shamelessly made to make white people uncomfortable. While I appreciate some of the commentary it makes, the tone is directed toward a particular audience. I find it problematic to exclude a group of people from a conversation about racism. This movie also boils down such a complex issue into something too simple for cheap laughs. I felt like this movie doesn’t do anything other than try to make its audience uncomfortable.
These uncomfortable moments and discussions are tied together by its poorly and barely existent plot. This relationship exists outside of various clashes and unintended racism which would be fine if this wasn’t a rom-com. If you take away these moments, you get a couple of montages and a crappy podcast. I was not a fan of the fact that I had to sit through a fake podcast full of bad takes because there wasn’t enough plot for a movie. I am very upset that this movie forgot it was a rom-com, but remembered the main character’s rise to a successful podcaster.
I can’t recommend this movie because there really isn’t much to it. While there are some great performances and some valid humor, it doesn’t do enough to earn a recommendation. There are older rom-coms that deal with the same subject but do it better, I recommend you watch those instead. I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch this movie, nor do intend on rewatching it, but you can stream it on Netflix if you have nothing better to do.
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Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre (2023) – Series Review
I haven’t been a fan of horror anthologies. I do not like the inconsistency, nor have I found one that can tell a decent horror story within its short format. Since watching Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre, this opinion has shifted. If you like creepy narratives and don’t mind it being in anime, you should give this series a try.
Each episode focuses on a single story or theme. Some of the stories do connect, but they exist pretty independently. If you return to this series after a break, you won’t be lost or need to rewatch episodes to understand what is happening. Some episodes are better than others, but they never got so bad that I was ready to skip them. You will want to finish this series at least once for the experience, then rewatch your favorites afterward. Although there are some inconsistencies in the quality of the narrative, they are small enough that they don’t matter.
There is a lot to like about this series. The voice acting is great, the animation fits the tone, and the stories are creepy. The animation may not be for everyone, but the stories are creepy enough that it won’t matter. A few of the episodes had my heart racing from how genuinely creepy they got. I doubt it will give you nightmares, but I can appreciate a good story when I see one. This series is a great collection of ghost stories, and I love how contained they are within this format.
If you are a fan of horror, anime, or both, add this series to your watchlist. There aren’t cheap jumpscares or overdone gore for a cheap fright, just well-told stories that you can stream on Netflix.
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