As of two days ago, the series Boat Story (2023) wasn't even on my radar. I thought I'd just check out a bit of the first episode and, just like that, I was carried away on a strong tide of outsized and sometimes gruesome violence, dark and idiosyncratic comedy, compelling characters, pitch-perfect narration, and a … Continue reading BOAT STORY (2023): A Funny, Compelling, Wildly Violent, and Very Human Story
DAMSEL (2024): Less of a Delight Than Expected (Updated)
I was pretty excited to watch Damsel (2024) because: 1. Millie Bobby Brown is a delight, 2. I’m a huge fan of maidens saving themselves, and 3. I love a good dragon redemption story. But! After a decent start, the movie just slid deeper and deeper into a chasm of stereotypical ideas about scorned women, … Continue reading DAMSEL (2024): Less of a Delight Than Expected (Updated)
ONE DAY (2024): Tender, Smart, and Beautiful…But How Do I Unbreak My Heart Now?
Admittedly, I was hooked on the most recent iteration of One Day (2024) from the moment Emma (Ambika Mod) and Dexter (Leo Woodall) first bumped against each other on a crowded dance floor at their graduation party in Edinburgh. Their eyes linger just a bit too long, shy smiles on both their faces, a stillness … Continue reading ONE DAY (2024): Tender, Smart, and Beautiful…But How Do I Unbreak My Heart Now?
MY LIFE WITH THE WALTER BOYS (S1): Don’t Let Perfect Be the Enemy of a Good Comfort Watch
How’s that saying go? Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. Well, in the case of My Life with the Walter Boys (2023- ), it should go something like: don’t let your preconceived ideas of what makes a show good get in the way of watching something potentially satisfying, which is, admittedly, a bit … Continue reading MY LIFE WITH THE WALTER BOYS (S1): Don’t Let Perfect Be the Enemy of a Good Comfort Watch
TOTALLY COMPLETELY FINE (2023): A Funny, Weird, Deeply Empathetic Show About The Ferociously Dark Side of Life
CW: References to depression, suicide and suicidal ideation—a lot and everywhere. It's not everyday that you get watch a show about depression and suicide that's funny, heartwarming, and wildly humanizing, with a sucker punch of gnarly howling darkness when you're least expecting it. Totally Completely Fine (2023) offers up a pleasingly jaunty mix of macabre, … Continue reading TOTALLY COMPLETELY FINE (2023): A Funny, Weird, Deeply Empathetic Show About The Ferociously Dark Side of Life
À plein temps (FULL TIME) (2021): Beautiful, Painful, and Arresting
This movie is a testament to how absolutely engaging the minutiae and the mundane can be. Forget bank heists and impossible missions, you’ll literally be on the edge of your seat wondering if this woman can manage to organize childcare, get to a job interview, and find a trampoline for her son’s birthday. I’m making … Continue reading À plein temps (FULL TIME) (2021): Beautiful, Painful, and Arresting
VIRGIN RIVER (S5 Part 2): Two Very Special Pine Sap-Speckled, Tinsel-Bedecked, and Gingerbread-Scented Christmas Episodes
Welcome to the end of Season 5 of Virgin River, where for two episodes everything will be soaked in eggnog, decked with holly, and mined with mistletoe. I think a really good metaphor for the show overall and these two episodes in particular is when Jack and Mel are out in the woods looking for … Continue reading VIRGIN RIVER (S5 Part 2): Two Very Special Pine Sap-Speckled, Tinsel-Bedecked, and Gingerbread-Scented Christmas Episodes
Chronically Streaming 