I love Guillermo del Torro, so I was justifiably excited about his Cabinet of Curiosities on Netflix. What should have been a weird and horrific anthology turned out to be less of a cabinet and more of a junk drawer. The series is a disappointing collection of uninspired and uninteresting stories that were mostly a waste of time.
The series does have its moments, but it suffers from the same affliction most of these horror anthologies do; not all of the stories are interesting. I would argue that the first two episodes hold up the best, but considering the quality of the rest of the show, it isn’t saying much. I would have published this review sooner, but it was a struggle to finish this series. I had to take multiple breaks in order to finish because I kept losing interest. I’ll be honest, I almost gave up, but I powered through and remember some of it. There are episodes in this series that didn’t leave any impression on me, so I can’t bother to remember any specifics.
It is always difficult to recommend horror anthologies because the quality between episodes is never consistent. While some episodes might stand out, the writing and acting aren’t always there for the whole series. Cabinet of Curiosities continues to prove this theory. If you are looking for quality horror set in the mind of Guillermo Del Torro, look elsewhere. Ultimately, this series holds nothing to be curious about, so don’t bother. But to the nonbelievers, you can stream it on Netflix.
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Series Review: The Pentaverate (2022)
Someone somewhere saw Love Guru and The Master of Disguise and decided that the world needed more of that. As a result, we were cursed with the most painfully unfunny series, The Pentaverate. The Pentaverate is a series full of bad puns, worse accents, and no jokes. Even if you like to make fun of bad tv, this series is a huge waste of time. Avoid it with your life. You have been warned.
The Pentaverate is a comedy series about a Canadian journalist who is searching for his next big story. His search leads him into the ranks of a secret organization that has tasked itself to help solve humanity’s biggest issues like hunger, illness, and global warming. What he stumbles into is more than he bargained for. There seems to be an ominous presence killing off members of the organization. Will he be able to get to the bottom of it, or will this be the end of the Pentaverate as we know it?
I hope this is the end of The Pentaverate because this series should not exist. This series is a collection of bad sketches connected together by a surprisingly nuanced narrative. As bad as this comedy is, there is an attempt at a narrative that I haven’t seen in other bad comedies. It might not be a good story, but it is a story and not a random collection of sketches.
None of the sketches in this series are worth your time. They go on for too long, and each one grows increasingly unfunny over time. Most of the humor in this series hinges on people speaking in skilly bad accents. They sprinkle a lot of bad puns and meta jokes in a desperate attempt to elicit a single chuckle from its audience, but all it achieves is the pity I feel for the people who had to sit through the filming. If this series is the best of what the script had to offer, I can only imagine how terrible the stuff that got cut out is. I pray to the gods we never get an extended cut.
If you were hoping that this would be the great comeback for Myers you were waiting for, it is not. If you are a fan of any of his earlier works, watch those instead. This is the worst collection of his comedy packaged as a series, and I hate whoever thought it was a good idea to print it. You can stream it on Netflix, but please don’t.
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Image by Michael Knoll from Pixabay
Series Review: The Patient
The final episode of The Patient just released and I can’t help but feel some disappointment. This series is too long for what it is, but it isn’t terrible.
Alan is a therapist who has been kidnapped and imprisoned by one of his patients, Sam. Sam is a serial killer who is desperate to cure himself of his wicked desires. He believes that Alan is the only person who can cure him. Through a series of sessions, Sam hopes to cure himself of his affliction. Will Alan be enough to help Sam, or will he be another of his victims?
First off, the acting is terrific. Steve Carell and Domhnall Gleeson are simply amazing. The chemistry between these two is the only reason I stayed with this show as long as I did. You won’t be disappointed by anyone’s performance in this series. That said, this series has an issue with its pacing. If you watch the series in a sitting or two, it is a bit more palatable as you can more effectively experience the nuances of narrative as they unfold. You get a fuller picture as you watch the growth of both characters under the circumstance, and it makes an okay story. It is still too long for its good, but it makes for a better experience.
Unfortunately, the series was released weekly, and as a result, the narrative felt fragmented. The episodes are short and often weren’t satisfying. There are a few episodes where not much happens, hurting audience retention. This series doesn’t have enough tangible excitement episode to episode that would convince a viewer to come back for more. Watching this series without such a big gap makes this less of an issue because you are getting a more complete narrative experience. Had they combined some episodes, made them longer, or even had it been a movie, it would have been a better experience.
The Patient sits in a weird space for me because while there are some impressive moments, it takes too long to make its point. I do like how they deal with mental illness and how they highlight the importance of mental health. I do love the characters and their motivations. What I don’t like is that it feels like they drag this series on too long for profit, and it hurts the narrative. The Patient isn’t a bad series, and if you need something to watch, it is defiantly an option, but be prepared to skip around a bit. I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch this, but you can stream the whole series on Hulu.
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Series Review: The Watcher (2022)
The Watcher is a suspenseful drama full of fantastic actors that is fine at first, but it certainly overstays its welcome. I was fully invested for the first half of the series, but the show becomes tedious towards the end. It isn’t a bad show, and you won’t hate it if you sit through it, but it should have been shorter.
The Watcher is a series based on the real events of a family being sent threatening letters when they move to the suburbs of New Jersey. Strange things start to happen to the family as they attempt to settle into their new lives. There is an ominous force messing with the family. The family grows increasingly paranoid as they desperately try to determine the cause of the unexplainable events in the house. Will they ever find the cause of all this evil?
I have mixed feelings about this series because the pacing is terrible, and the ending is disappointing. I think Netflix was trying to drag this series out, as most streaming services do with their original content, to keep people watching. The slow pacing hurts the narrative, making it hard to recommend. There is too much build-up to an ending that doesn’t deliver a satisfying conclusion. The last two episodes are pointless and add little to the story. This series should need to be condensed to be a more effective narrative
Toward the end, the series gets repetitive. The couple will get a clue and follow the lead toward a big confrontation only to be proven wrong by a new lead. This keeps happening to the point where I grew tired of the couple and as a result, less sympathetic. The Watcher does a fantastic job at showing the growing obsession and paranoia in the family, but it does a terrible job unfolding its mystery. This puts me in a weird place because I love the initial presentation, but hate how diluted it becomes.
If you have nothing else to watch, this is a good choice. Just be aware of its faults. I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch it, but you can stream it on Netflix.
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Series Review: Final Space
Final Space has no right to be as good as it is; you should watch it if you haven’t. I am disappointed that it won’t be getting its proper conclusion anytime soon because a greedy network is holding it hostage. Nonetheless, Final Space is the perfect space odyssey you should be watching!
Final Space is the story of Gary Goodspeed’s destiny. Gary is serving his prison sentence alone in space when a mysterious, planet-destroying space creature finds him. Gary befriends the strange creature and names it Mooncake. But the friendship between Mooncake and Garry sets off a series of events that will change the universe forever. Now Garry and his newly found crew of misfits must save the universe from an ancient evil.
Final Space is an epic and emotional adventure I wasn’t prepared for. Do not let the art style and general goofiness fool you, this is a serious adventure full of love, loss, action, and betrayal. Final Space is sci-fi done right. There is fantastic world-building, memorable characters with proper development, actual stakes, and a narrative that will keep you on the edge of your seat. I laughed, I cried, but I need more.
My only complaint about this show is that there aren’t any plans for a final season. It is also difficult to find copies of the seasons that have been released because it is no longer available for streaming anywhere. You can find the first two seasons on Amazon for purchase right now, but that might change soon. It is worth the trouble if you can find it anywhere else, even if it is a physical copy. I can only hold onto the hope that one day it will miraculously get the proper conclusion that it deserves. Take my word for it, go watch Final Space, and don’t forget to thank me when you do.
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Series Review: The Midnight Club
The Midnight Club is a huge waste of time. Even if you enjoy horror anthologies and mysteries, this is a very weak entry into either genre. I wouldn’t bother with this series even for the morbid curiosity.
The Midnight Club is a collection of poorly written and acted ghost stories that exist within a mystery. In a hospice designed for teens with terminal diseases, a club was formed to help cope with the ever-looming death around them. The teens gather every night to tell ghost stories and blow off steam. But there is something sinister is afoot. The teens see ghosts and hear voices that aren’t there. There is something about a cult, but I honestly stopped caring pretty early on.
The acting is bad, and somehow the writing is worse. Scenes that exist outside of the ghost stories fair a little better, but barely. The biggest issue I have with this series is with the ghost stories. The stories are generic, and often parodies of better horror stories or movies. This would be fine if the intention was to parody, but it isn’t. This is a serious attempt at horror with very little value. Each story comes with an overbearing and poorly read narration that kills any tension the story could have. Some of the stories recap events that have occurred in the series, making this a redundant and uninteresting mess.
I wouldn’t mind if this show was a horror anthology if there wasn’t so much narration. I wouldn’t mind the stories if they didn’t take away from the overarching mystery. This series feels like several different shows, and none of it is cohesive. I often forgot there was a mystery tying the series together. I can’t tell you how many times I almost gave up on this series because nothing of note ever happens. This series has ghosts, tragic backstories, cults, death, and none of it matters.
The pacing is terrible. There is a lot of filler in this series. Most of it comes from the ghost stories, but there is a fair amount of self-service. The ghost stories are often interrupted by snide remarks or criticism from the other characters, and it kills any suspense the stories have. There are minutes dedicated after the stories to remark on how great the story and storyteller are. The main character won’t go an episode without talking about how smart and talented she is. It is infuriating how pretentious these characters can be.
The series does have a few interesting moments. I liked how the kids dealt with their mortality and talked about their illnesses. There are some interesting conversations about the social struggles they face due to their illness, but there isn’t enough to make it worth your time. Other than their illnesses, the characters have no depth to them.
Don’t watch this show because it is bad. The characters are flat, the plot doesn’t matter, and the acting isn’t even good. But if you don’t believe me, check it out on Netflix.
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Series Review: The Umbrella Academy
I love the Umbrella Academy, and this new season did little to change that. It might not be the best season, but it still holds up against up well against the other shows in the genre.
The Umbrella Academy is an orthodox way of looking at the superhero narrative. The show is about a family of superhumans adopted by an eccentric man with selfish intentions. The seven members of The Umbrella Academy endured a traumatic childhood where their father raised them to be superheroes. They struggle as adults to adjust to normal life because they are restrained by their traumas. Now that the end-of-the-world is at their doorstep, they must learn to work through their issues and save the world. Can they do it?
I haven’t read the comic, and I can’t make a comparison between the two mediums. As a series, however, it is fantastic. The story is great, the acting is solid, and the soundtrack is amazing. Sure, some of this series is bogged down by family drama, but that’s the point. The Umbrella Academy isn’t just about superheroes saving the world, but about people trying to work through trauma.
It is important to note that these are not traditional heroes. They will mess up a lot, they will act selfishly, and sometimes not act heroically. The show does a good job of showing how the pressures of heroism take their toll on each member. Each member has a moment of crisis that they have to deal with, and they don’t always deal with it well. The charm of this show is the constant state of crisis they seem to find themselves in because they are flawed. As a result, it is fun to see how experience changes each character throughout the series.
The Umbrella Academy is one of few narratives that handle time travel and multiverses well. I never felt overwhelmed by the jumps, changes, or the number of narratives because of how well the story is told. Everything in this series is held together by a mystery that will keep most audiences guessing till the end. I think by the third season you should already be able to solve the mystery, but with all the changes in the timeline, it can be hard to know for sure.
I recommend you watch this series. It is full of fun action, serious moments, and some fantastic music. This series is well done, and there is enough of it to keep you busy for a while unless you end up binding it in one sitting. If you do, I don’t blame you. Check it out on Netflix.
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Series Review: Devil in Ohio (2022)
Image by Waldkunst from Pixabay
This series is average at best, but I don’t believe it’s earned a recommendation. If you are looking for something to throw on and not be invested in, there are still better options. If you are looking for a creepy satanic cult series, look elsewhere. This series has a deep focus on high school and family drama, and it eventually remembers its cult roots.
Devil in Ohio is about a family that takes in a mysterious girl who has escaped a cult. While she is trying to adjust to normal life, strange things begin to happen. Not everyone trusts Mae, but the matriarch will go out of her way to save her. Is Mae the sweet and innocent girl she seems to be, or is something sinister brewing?
This series wastes a lot of time on the drama that I didn’t care for. The acting is average at best, making the drama even harder to sit through. Mae is by far the only interesting character in this series, and she deserves better. I liked how she was constantly conflicted about acting on her own or acting as she was raised. Watching her begin to build her own identity was an interesting narrative, but one that wasn’t explored to its full potential. They of course ruin her development towards the end when they remembered they were making a horror series.
I didn’t care for the rest of the family. Most of them had no personality and would only appear for their mandatory appearance. There was really no reason for having a family this big. Most of the drama was fabricated only as a means to drag out the series, and none of it is meaningful. This series feels longer than it is.
In the end, I can’t really recommend this show because it isn’t good. With Halloween coming up, you shouldn’t add this to your marathon. You can stream it on Netflix, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch it.
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Series Review: Fate: The Winx Saga
I remember liking the series this was based on back in the day. I don’t remember much about the show, but I remember being excited to watch it with my sister. I was excited about this show’s reboot but was skeptical about its execution. Although it certainly has its flaws, this is a solid adaptation of a cartoon about fairies and magic.
Bloom was an average American girl until one day, her powers awaken and she discovers that she is a fairy. She is sent to a magical school where she will learn to control her powers, but this task isn’t without its tribulations. An evil is after Bloom, and she and her friends must learn to control their magic to defeat it. Will they be ready in time to save the world?
Fate: The Winx Saga is a solid fantasy-themed teen drama. The acting is great and the plot is fine. The first season is better, but it never got so bad I turned it off. There is a lot of filler in this series in the shape of romantic subplots and fan service, but that is to be expected from the genre.
One problem I see with this series is there are too many characters. There is some clear favoritism in this series where some characters are well developed with interesting journeys, but others remain props or forgotten. Some characters only seem to exist to fill a diversity requirement or exist only as romantic interests.
With so many characters and subplots, the overarching narrative suffers. There are moments in this show where nothing happens because you are watching teens hook up. A lot of the major narrative moments felt rushed. There is a bit of ex-Machina that seems to consistently save the day. I am willing to forgive this since I am not the target audience, but be aware that it is always the power of love and friendship that overcomes evil.
Despite its issues, this is one of the better teen drama’s I have seen. The plot and lore are pretty interesting, although there isn’t enough world-building. It is a solid attempt at fantasy, but there are definitely better options out there. If you need something to watch and don’t mind zoning out occasionally, this series is a good option. If you are a fan of the original show or are part of the target audience, you will have a better time with this series. Keep in mind that this is a show about kids trying to find their place in a world that always seems to be on the brink of catastrophe.
You can stream it on Netflix.
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Series Review: Cobra Kai
What a terrific end to a series I have thoroughly been enjoying since the first time I sat down and binge-watched the first season on YouTube Red. As a huge fan of The Karate Kid, this was a much-welcomed reboot to a series I was sure died with Jaden Smith. I’ll admit, with the trend of bad reboots we’ve gotten in recent years, I was skeptical of Cobra Kai. I have since dismissed that skepticism and am fully content with its conclusion.
Cobra Kai is the story of where Daniel and Jonny ended up after the events of The Karate Kid. Daniel is a very successful car salesman with his own dealerships, and Jonny is a down-on-his-luck loser trying to get by. Their lives completely change when Jonny decides to reopen Cobra Kai and teach the kids of the valley karate. But the trauma Daniel and Jonny carry from their youth has a way of complicating things. Tensions grow high, new rivalries form, and the battle for the valley erupts into some of the most fun displays of Karate I have seen in a while. This isn’t just a rehashing of an old story, but a proper continuation and conclusion to the beloved IP.
If you are holding off on watching this series, don’t. This is a fantastic narrative with great actors and lots of karate. Sure the fan service, the callbacks, and the high school drama get a little overbearing and slow the show down, but there is enough good within this series that makes it worth your time. This season is in no way the best of the series, but it does close it out in the best way possible. Sure there are some rushed bits and some slow ones, but all the loose ends are tied up relatively nicely.
The action scenes in this show are so fun that I don’t mind that they used a lot of stunt doubles. A huge shoutout goes out to the people responsible for the choreography, editing, and stunt work for making the series so much fun to watch. But while the karate was much appreciated, I stayed with this series for its stories. You have betrayal, redemption, and some of the best character growth I’ve seen recently. It is very cool to see how they incorporate a lot of what happened in the movies to make this series not only a homage but a proper hero’s journey for more than just the main characters.
I’ll admit, I have some bias because I loved The Karate Kid. This was an incredibly influential film for me growing up, and I have seen everyone since, even the bad ones. This series honors the beloved IP and adapts it for a modern audience. Sure it may not be perfect, but as I fan, I couldn’t ask for more. Check it out on Netflix. It is well worth your time!