Pretty Little Liars: Summer School Review
Pretty Little Liars: Summer School is a fantastic horror teen drama and manages to feel fresh in a world where teen dramas are a little oversaturated due to streaming. Despite the shorter episode count, Little Liars is a strong follow-up to Original Sin, elevating the genre and making for an enjoyable watch.
Interview With A Vampire, Season Two: Review
Interview with the Vampire is a visual masterpiece that carries multiple perspectives that leans hard into a theatrical nature, and carries masterful performances all around. Revelations are built up with expert precision, but with possible twists hinted throughout to grip and entice book readers while promising to give much more. The new cast brings a new life that perfectly complements the existing stories and roles, particularly those of Delainey Hayles and Ben Daniels.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz: Review
What promised to be a complex story of a Jewish man forced to navigate the horrors of Auschwitz ends up being a tedious story with no emotion. The terrors are glossed over creating a hollow series with a main character that lacks any depth. Considering it is a fictionalised take of the most famous and deadly concentration camps in the Holocaust and one man's recollections, the main character gives little impact and no emotion and comes across as a detriment to his own story.
Challengers: Review
Challengers is a non-linear ride bursting with an inferno of chemistry between every iteration of the three leads. If you don’t know anything about tennis or simply don’t care for it, you will still enjoy the movie and be drawn into the drama off and on the court. Although not as physically steamy as the tailers promised, the tension and competition create iconic moments and make for an interesting ride.
Under The Bridge: Review
Hulu’s Under the Bridge is a strong series with commentary on teenage mentality with layered characters matched with complex portrayals from the younger cast that captivate and propel the story forward. There are times when it can be frustrating but in ways that work with the narrative to create a compelling story of a brutal tragedy.
Dinner With Parents: Review
Dinner With Parents is a comedy series about the Langer family's weekly dinner party, which is filled with chaos and fiascos. The Langer family is at odds with each other, leading to chaos at Friday night dinner. The show's situational humour has been lacking in every episode, with small roles like Grandma Rose providing nothing new or refreshing. There was potential for a light-hearted short comedy show with enjoyable family antics, but it was wasted, with the characters being reduced to stereotypes and not providing much entertainment.
Fallout: Review
Fallout is a fantastic series that stays true to the beloved video game series while standing on its own two feet. Having characters like Lucy MacLean and The Ghoul lead the show offers viewers rare different perspectives of a harsh world while still seeing the hope of a future that was despite the weaker storyline of the Brotherhood of Steel, this is a must watch and a new take on the post-apocalyptic genre.
The Fates: Review
Greek mythology, specifically retelling, is a popular choice amongst writers and readers, and while some authors find a new voice for their leads, it felt as though Garland struggled to find individual personalities for the three fated sisters. Some moments of The Fates were insightful, but they were few and far between, which is a shame given the potential of this retelling.
Ripley: Review
Ripley could have easily been an interesting psychological drama with a fleshed-out, explored character, but the eight-episode run is a tiresome watch with pretty shots and nothing much else. There is no intrigue for the character or the murderous situations because all the fun and life have been drained out of the series.
The Voyager: Review
The Voyager is an interesting debut novel and given how Carlucci can transport a reader with his descriptive prose will have them eagerly awaiting his next release. It’s a thought provoking novel with themes around deception and moral ambiguity told through a boy’s journey that is a clear recommendation for those who enjoy historical fiction.