marayabidjerano Reviews

Pignorant (2024)

Beautifully made and informative

[10/10 · 19 February 2024]

I don't like documentaries that try to push veganism on you from minute one. This documentary is not that. Joey and the team give you all the facts to let you be an informed consumer while taking you on this journey so you can see for yourself the cruelty and politics that lie in the meat industry.

Besides that, I appreciate how this doc was edited. The storyline, the interviews/street interviews, the moments of relief, the narration and the general pace had me captivated the entire time. It has a great balance between feeling like an adventure while maintaining a serious tone. Highly recommend - especially to those, like me, who consider themselves as mindful omnivores.

Hell Camp: Teen Nightmare (2023)

Interesting but very messy

[4/10 · 12 January 2024]

I might have been living under a rock but I had no idea what a wilderness therapy camp was. I was very intrigued and the story reeled me in, but was left disappointed. This documentary is basically a beloved story of how one man managed to escape the justice system. It felt like the majority of the doc was in defense of this manipulator who is the reason that so many troubled teens either died or were left genuinely traumatised for life. It brushes over victims' story so quick that it's downright disrespectful.

I. E: No 50/50 perspective in the slightest.

This topic is super important and I believe more people should know about these horrible wildness therapy camps, so hopefully someone else will go out and make a better film.

Money Shot: The Pornhub Story (2023)

Good explanations, engaging, but not perfect

[8/10 · 20 June 2023]

I found this to be a very good explanation of everything that went down with PornHub, along with OnlyFans towards the end. Overall though, this documentary isn't necessarily just about Pornhub - it's a modern view of the porn industry told by people who are on very opposite sides of the spectrum. What it lacked was that middle-ground perspective, but in that way, it does give space for the viewer to think critically about the points and form their own opinion. What it truly needed was some fact-checking from producers or some narrator, because my research after seeing this showed that some of things said by a few interviewees weren't exactly true. But still - I thoroughly enjoyed this. It's not meant to be watched casually while you're doing laundry, it's a really good opportunity to think about it thoughtfully.

This Place Rules (2022)

Surprised how much I loved it!

[9/10 · 16 January 2023]

I normally avoid watching political documentaries because they either make me sad or sound like an hour of whatever propaganda is being shoved in my face. Luckily, this doc is not like that. While it's a very heavy topic, Andrew does a great job being a clear storyteller while allowing moments of comedic relief by poking fun of both political sides. Theres moments where you can't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. At the same time, he doesn't downplay the series of events. Instead, he focuses on the human aspect while giving you all the facts.

Regardless of where you stand, I highly recommend giving this documentary a try. I hope teachers play this in classrooms!

Partner Track (2022)

A slow burn but still worth it

[7/10 · 31 August 2022]

I normally don't like slow burns. That said, I still very much enjoyed this!! The love triangle with Ingrid was a bit annoying, but otherwise, the characters are all dynamic, relatable, and there is much more to the plot that you might think. If you try it, I encourage you to stick it out until at least episode 3. It gets really good from there. I found myself fast-forwarding through a few of the scenes, which normally would make me turn off the show completely, but I was invested in the characters and knew I wouldn't be content until I knew what happened. If there's a season 2 (which I'm guessing there will be), I hope the writers fix the pacing. That is truly only thing that's keeping me from giving 10 stars.

Tyler (Bradley Gibson) absolutely stole the show! I think his plot/character development was by far the best.

Inside the Mind of a Cat (2022)

Super cute, super informative

[9/10 · 23 August 2022]

Cat experts are going to say this doc is too basic, but this doc isn't meant for them. It's meant for people who don't know anything about cats, first-time owners, and cat skeptics. I admit, I always compared cats to dogs, but this doc gave me a new appreciation for them. Plus, there's funny cat videos in it as well. Highly recommend as an easy watch.

Taylor Tomlinson: Look at You (2022 TV Special)

Her best yet!

[10/10 · 2 August 2022]

Taylor keeps getting better and better. Her special is real, raw, and insanely clever. It's not for everybody - and definitely not for people who still stigmatize mental illness/going to therapy. She speaks a lot about mental health without trauma dumping or being "too woke." In my opinion, her performance is a perfect balance between "woke" and raunchy. Absolutely loved this!