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Reviews
Fool Me Once (2024)
Enjoyable for what it is
I enjoyed Michele Keegan in Our Girl and Ten Pound Poms and gave this a go. The start was a bit annoying with all the flashbacks and going back and forward in time but it soon became clear the focus is on two deaths that happened in the past. It hooked me in and I enjoyed all the episodes and didn't pick the ending either, though it made sense in hindsight. There are definitely a few loose ends that weren't tied up but apart from that it's a decent watch. I recommend it as somewhat mindless entertainment. In this day and age isn't that what we all want, a good show that helps you switch off from life?
Heat (2023)
An enjoyable binge watch
I watched this entire series on New Year's Day and at four episodes it's the perfect length. I like stories where a group of people find themselves in a situation they can't get out of which is the entire premise of the show, in this case an oncoming bushfire. Danny dyer gets top billing but it's an ensemble piece and he's not the strongest of leads given his habit of playing the same cockney type in everything he does. The real stand out is Darren McMullen who seems like a nice guy but turns out to be the opposite. I thought it had good twists and turns and it all builds to the final episode which is when the fire arrives and everything goes up in flames metaphorically.
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
Oh dear
Every now and then a movie comes along that has everyone crying brilliance but I watch and go "what the heck?". This is one such film. For starters it is very slow to begin and when it does veer off into the first case of alternate universe, if you can call it that, it is just silly. I guess it's a case of Hollywood jumping on a bandwagon and wanting to praise the filmmaker and stars, when really it's all kind of daft. I was reminded of eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind and personally I enjoyed that movie a lot, it just blended the real and the unreal better. Really what is the point of the film, though I did like the actors!
Barbie (2023)
Fun for the hype
I might be one of the last people on the planet to see this movie, I deliberately held off because of the hype. I ended up caving and I'm glad I did and let the period of high expectations pass. This meant I could enjoy it for what it is which is lots of fun. The political messages were present but not too in your face, more a sort of background thought as you leave the cinema. As a 49 year old woman I can't say it spoke to me deeply or shocked nd surprised me any way but I did get some laughs. Margot and Ryan are brilliant and I'm sure will soon be reunited in a prequel or sequel. Calling it now.
Saltburn (2023)
Enjoyable but familiar
I try not to read other reviews before my own but in this case I read a couple and they actually helped me to realise how I feel about this film. Thanks other reviewers! I enjoyed it especially the performances and the cinematography, which were excellent. The thing I didn't realise until I read the other reviewers was how many other films it borrows themes from. Once I read the films such as Ripley, the penny dropped. That said I do think this is worth a watch. My main quibble apart from familiarly is the length. The film should end half an hour before it does. It would be more original if it did.
Don't Worry Darling (2022)
Waiting for a twist that never comes
The problem with movies like this is they set up huge expectations that they can't deliver on. This movie starts our like so many other movies before it, setting up a utopian world where something isn't quite right. Stepford wives etc. So much money has been spent on the props and dressings and it's very impressive, but for me it just made the desire for a clever twist stronger. But instead it just went predictably silly with the whole 'window into another world' end, with a ridiculous car chase to boot. I would've more enjoyed this as a daytime TV movie where I knew the ending was going to be meh, but not as a big Hollywood film.
Ratched (2020)
Good but hard to compete with the original
I could be in the minority in that I'd never seen One Flew Over The Cuckoos next before though I did watch it after out of curiosity. Obviously it's a big dated now but I can see the criticism about the need to remake it and if I'd watched it first then Ratchet would have been a harder watch. But I did enjoy it and Sarah Paulson truly does make the show, she's excellent as the character and does quite a good job of being chilling. My main criticism is that somethings it's overly stylish and trying to be clever which I think takes away from the story. I thought it slumped a little after the first one but I stuck with it which I don't always do!
The Stranger (2020)
Good start, loses a little interest along the way
I thought the premise of this was really good and I was hooked for the first 4 episodes, watching them all in one sitting. But it lost a little after that, like a lot of shows the central mystery - in this case who is the girl - promises more than it can deliver. I watched the last eps one at a time and still had to see how it all ended up, which again was a bit underwhelming given the opening intrigue. I have to say great performances, I couldn't really fault all of the actors and the production was quite well done in general. I'd be interested in a sequel but perhaps less episodes next time, maybe two less?
Mayflies (2022)
What a tearjerker
I watched this show because of the reviews here - ironically I discovered it while leaving a review for something else. Anyhow I went straight onto the bbc player and was not disappointed. I have to say watching it all in one hit has almost destroyed me. It felt very timely to watch at the dawn of a new year because it reminds you life should never be taken for granted. I loved the story and all the performances,it's just very moving in the best possible way. It definitely gets you thinking about your own life and what you might do in that situation. Bravo to everyone involved, I'm sure this show will clean up when it comes to the next award season and deservedly so.
Riptide (2022)
Great little Aussie thriller
My husband and I watched this show after seeing it was from the director of Lie With Me, which we enjoyed last year. The first episode was the usual set up type hour and served up a bunch of suspects, but the twist was you don't have to wait until the very end to get the answers. Things take a sinister turn early in the piece and then it morphs into a different show, which sort of bucks the thriller trend. Minor criticism is that it was a bit jarring to see the British parents with a daughter who is clearly Australian, a couple of lines could've helped to explain it, hubby got very distracted by it I will say! All in all it was the perfect show to curl up with after Christmas even if it was a wooly scarves and jackets version rather than sunshine,
The Teacher (2022)
Good start but went down hill
My husband and I finally caught up on this show after seeing it on our player for some time. We are fans of Sheridan and thought this showed promise with a decent first episode, but then things went down hill. It's a very familiar storyline and we were hoping for a new or surprising take, but it all ended in a rather trite way. It's not that you expect characters to make good decisions because there would be no show if they did, but some of the actions were very hard to justify. We stuck with it to the end but more to see if we might be in for a clever twist but that wasn't really the case. I do wonder if it would have been better not to say where it was meant to be set given the apparent Euro filming location, but that's the least of the problems.
With Intent (2021)
Amazing drama - but title confusion makes it hard to review!
I saw this great little show a little while ago and went to give a review but couldn't find it. It's definitely called Lie With Me on my device, not With Intent, so I don't know why the title is wrong on IMDb. Oh, well, I found it now but others might still be lost.
I loved this show. I like the way all the characters seem to be one thing at the start and then you realise appearances are deceiving. It all slowly turns on its head and by the end you are really on the side of the wife who is in danger of losing her children. Suffice to say the husband is as nice as he first seemed but the real revelation is the nanny. I felt really sorry for her by the end which was a surprise after how she behaved.
One of the few dramas where the ending really delivered. Full stars.
The Watcher (2022)
Lazy, predictable and not much thrill
As others have said, this show never lived up to its promise. I love a creepy-old-house story as much as the next person but it's like the writer was just phoning it in. The pace is slow and the characters never seem like real people. The first scenes with the husband and wife are a classic example - nobody is that sickly and sugary after so many years of marriage. I got really bored in the middle and skipped to the end and found I hadn't missed much. Again, as others have said, the end was the biggest cop out of all. How does a big budget production get away with such an unsatisfying non eventful conclusion? It's like the A list creator got to turn in his homework without finishing it.