Emilia, Cucu, and Adela who all have thick curly hair, sitting in lawn chairs, dressed for the pool. Behind them is Victor with his arms crossed, looking down and smiling. Tropical plants and a yellow beach umbrella are behind him. Tagline: the American dream...pero not quite. max ORIGINAL GORDITA CHRONICLES
Rachel Binge Watch, Bliss, Comedy, Drama, HBO Max, Series

GORDITA CHRONICLES (2022): A Dream of Series…Crushed by Cancellation

Gordita Chronicles is a whole American Dream of a series, and it is an OUTRAGE and a CRIMINAL ACT that HBO didn't renew it for a second season. Hopefully, it will get picked up somewhere else. For now, we have ten glorious episodes of this smart, warm, funny, insightful show, which tells the story of … Continue reading GORDITA CHRONICLES (2022): A Dream of Series…Crushed by Cancellation

Anne, wearing a white dress, with her eyes closed and her right hand reaching up to Wentworth's stubbly face. Wenworth, in his blue with gold buttons Naval uniform, his lips just touching Anne's forehead. It says PERSUASION across the middle of the image. Sparse blades of grass are along the bottom.
Rachel Comedy, Comfortable, Drama, Meh, Movie, Netflix, Romance

PERSUASION (2022): Call Me a Heathen, But I Didn’t Hate It

Allow me a moment to hoist up my petticoats before I wade on into the controversy surrounding Persuasion—Netflix's most recent Jane Austen adaptation—by saying that I didn't hate it. Go ahead, call me a heathen, but I'm generally not a purist when it comes to period pieces and enjoy the inclusion of a little camp, … Continue reading PERSUASION (2022): Call Me a Heathen, But I Didn’t Hate It

A wide shallow river with sand bars that have many birds on them. The banks are covered with closely growing fir trees. In the background are mountains in show. Virgin River is in white letters.
Rachel Binge Watch, Comfortable, Meh, Netflix, Romance, Series

VIRGIN RIVER SEASON 4: Better Than Last Season, But Beware of VRSO Syndrome

Virgin River Season 4 is here! And you know what that means. Yes, it's time again for us to gather round our screens and gorge our eyes on mountains of bucolic scenery, heaps of uneaten baked goods, and oodles of folksy charm mixed with soap operatic drama-rama. Fortunately, this season is definitely not worse—I think … Continue reading VIRGIN RIVER SEASON 4: Better Than Last Season, But Beware of VRSO Syndrome

Aidan and Clare standing with their heads leaning on each other against a painted background of evergreen trees and blue sky. In the lower left portion it has the title in all caps.
Rachel Distressing, Movie, Netflix, Rom-Com

HELLO, GOODBYE, AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN (2022) is Mostly Protracted, Empty, and Everything in Between

And everything in between is an apt description for this well-meaning movie that is less than an hour and half long, but still feels mired down the middle.  When she first meets Aidan (Jordan Fisher) at a Halloween party, Clare (Talia Ryder) is very sure of one thing: She does not want a boyfriend. Her … Continue reading HELLO, GOODBYE, AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN (2022) is Mostly Protracted, Empty, and Everything in Between

Against a green floor with a yellow line down the middle, there are similar ornate rugs on either side of the line. An older, well-dressed woman is lying on each side of the line, reaching across grabbing the woman by the hair and screaming. In red font at the top: THE BEST FAMILIES A film by JAVIER FUENTES-LEON. At the bottom of the poster: FAMILY CAN BE A BATTLEFIELD.
Rachel Bliss, Comedy, HBO Max, Movie, Spanish

LAS MEJORES FAMILIAS (THE BEST FAMILIES) (2020): A Deliciously Dark Comedy

Is there a word specifically for stumbling across a movie that delights you in wholly unexpected ways? If not, we should coin one. Then, I would immediately apply it to Las Mejores Familias (The Best Families)—a black comedy about the upheaval that ensues when two intertwined upper-class Peruvian families unearth decades old secrets at a … Continue reading LAS MEJORES FAMILIAS (THE BEST FAMILIES) (2020): A Deliciously Dark Comedy