Posts

Yet another addition to Netflix’s impressive Halloween 2020 collection, the British horror-drama ‘His House,’ is directed by first-timer Remi Weekes, who also wrote the screenplay, adapting a story Felicity Evans and Toby Venables. The film follows a refugee couple from South Sudan who sacrificed much to get to England. After spending an initial period at a detention camp, they are allocated a house. Despite its dilapidated condition, the two protagonists are thrilled to have a home of their own after so long....

While Netflix’s ‘Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story‘ portrayed serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer’s gruesome murders, it all started with the slaying of Steven Hicks back in 1978. Incidentally, Jeffrey killed Hicks just three weeks after his high school graduation, at a time when his parents were out of town and living with relatives in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. Although Hicks’ murder wasn’t solved until after the serial killer was caught in 1991, the gruesome yet meticulous slaying shows how severe Jeffrey’s murderous instincts were at such a young age....

Netflix’s ‘Christmas on Mistletoe Farm’ follows the story of a single father, Matt Cunningham, who uproots his and his children’s life to move to an idyllic village during the holiday season. He does so when he inherits a farm in the area. The feel-good comedy movie features Christmas and takes full advantage of the festive vibes that charm and exhilarate everyone. Directed by Debbie Isitt, the movie stars a stellar cast comprising Scott Garnham, Scott Paige, Ashley Jensen, Celia Imrie, Kathryn Drysdale, and Carolyn Pickles, among others....

The catastrophic horrors of World War II can still be felt today, and it’s the tragedy we must remember and learn from. Filmmakers, over the years, have brought to us gut-wrenching content that explores the depths of these horrors, probing us to experience the loss and trauma of the time and its people. There is no denying that the children in war face its consequences the most. The depth of their loss is unparalleled as they lose their innocence, their families, and their lives....

Lifetime is touted as the thriller churning machine because of the bounty of suspense thrillers it produces regularly. As part of its endless summer marathon, the network dropped ‘Pool Boy Nightmare’ that revolves around a pool cleaner who becomes obsessed with a divorced woman after a one-night affair. If you are a fan of the network, you must know that it often makes movies based on real-life events. So, it is natural for you to wonder whether ‘Pool Boy Nightmare’ is based on a true story....

Directed by Parker Finn, ‘Smile’ is a supernatural psychological horror film that revolves around a psychologist named Dr. Rose Cotter. After a strange and traumatic event involving one of her patients, she starts noticing bizarre and frightening occurrences around her. Unable to explain the cause behind the same, Rose is gripped with the terror she desperately hopes to leave behind. To survive and overcome her new reality, she must look into her past and overcome it as soon as possible....

Directed by Peter Farrelly, Apple TV+’s war film ‘The Greatest Beer Run Ever’ revolves around John “Chickie” Donohue, a 26-year-old US Marine Corps veteran who travels to Vietnam during the Vietnam War to give his friends tins of beer as a token of gratitude and support. After arriving in Vietnam, Chickie encounters Arthur Coates, an unapologetic and honest war photographer and journalist who criticizes the United States’ involvement in the War....

Directed by debutant filmmaker Fran Torres, ‘Under Her Control’ or La jefa’ (‘The Boss’) is a Netflix Spanish-language thriller film. The plot revolves around two women — self-made millionaire and fashion label owner Beatriz (Aitana Sánchez-Gijón) and ambitious Argentine immigrant Sofía (Cumelén Sanz). After being hired as an intern at Beatriz’s company, Sofía quickly proves her worth and becomes a permanent employee. However, she soon learns that she is pregnant. This poses a massive problem for Sofía....

Netflix’s ‘LA Originals’ is a dream come true for anyone interested in knowing more about LA street culture, along with the art movement that flourishes in the West Coast. We are introduced to tattoo master extraordinaire, Mister Cartoon, and his friend, the acclaimed photographer, and director, Estevan Oriol. They are considered legends in the world of hip hop. However, true to the very spirit of hip hop, the duo’s work is tied to their LA origins....

As a James Erskine documentary that examines the impropriety surrounding the titular German payments processing giant, ‘Skandal! Bringing Down Wirecard’ is as thrilling as it is confounding. The reason — apart from the company’s financial fraud, it even delves into its mafia-like behavior, porn barons, as well as Russian intelligence connections to really get to the heart of the matter. Amongst those to feature in this Netflix original to help move the narrative along is thus none other than former Wirecard employee Martin Osterloh....

Written and directed by Rodrigo García, ‘Raymond & Ray’ is an Apple TV+ comedy-drama road-trip film. The story revolves around two brothers (later revealed to be half-brothers), Raymond (Ewan McGregor) and Ray (Ethan Hawke). After learning about their father’s passing, they reluctantly decide to attend his funeral. We learn that both Ray and Raymond were estranged from their father, Harris, and their reasons for that are explored separately and collectively. ‘Raymond & Ray’ navigates through the story it tells leisurely, exploring the two men’s responses to the death of their father....

Netflix’s ‘Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist’ follows the true story of football star Manti Te’o and the catfishing incident that led to a controversy that affected the course of his illustrious career. On the surface, Te’o’s tale of succeeding in the face of a terrible tragedy seemed to have come right out of a Hollywood film. With his steep success curve, the media heavily talked about the incredible strength which he displayed following the death of his girlfriend, Lennay Kekua....

Netflix’s ‘Unorthodox’ presents a feel-good story with the message of being courageous enough to chart one’s own journey. The show is not about a gruesome, unbelievable crime or a shocking conspiracy. Instead, its focus, as the title suggests, is on orthodox thinking and the problems of a collectivist way of life. The show is based on a memoir titled ‘Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots.’ However, what is impactful is just how not-so-scandalous the protagonist, Esther’s views and actions are....

‘Despicable Me’ gave the world the gift on Minions, which became its own franchise and, a fascinating new addition to mainstream culture. However, the story itself deserves mention, where we see a supervillain being redeemed by the love of three orphaned girls. Felonius Gru is disheartened when his rival, Victor or Vector Perkins, steals the pyramid of Giza. Not one to be outdone, Gru plans to take the moon. However, in an attempt to get even with Victor, Gru adopts three girls from the orphanage so they can break into his rival’s base....

In 2020, Netflix made its collection of historical drama series even more diverse with the release ‘Barbarians,’ which chronicles one of the most pivotal moments in European history, the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest (circa September 9 CE), which resulted in a decisive victory of the Germanic tribes against the Roman Empire. While the series is predominantly told from the perspective of the Germania tribes, the point of view of the Roman legions receives considerable attention as well....

Fans of Tyler Perry might know about ‘House of Payne’ — the family sitcom, created, directed, and produced by Perry himself. The story follows an African-American clan, living in Atlanta. The show originally dropped on TBS in June 2007 (preceded by 10 pilots that aired on Syndication in 2006) and ran on the channel until August 2012. In February 2020, BET announced that a revival of the series was in works, which landed in Fall 2020....

For those of you who enjoyed ‘That’s So Raven,’ this spin-off is going to take you to an altogether new phase of Raven Baxter’s (Raven Symone) life. In the show, Raven is a single mother raising her pre-teen twins Nia (Navia Robinson) and Booker (Issac Ryan Brown). But what is unique about her situation is that she lives with her friend Chelsea Grayson (Anneliese van der Pol) and her son, Levi Grayson (Jason Maybaum)....

Most of the Hallmark, Lifetime or UPtv romantic movies we see tend to follow quite a similar plotline and are also based on a similar central theme. However, despite being thematically same, these movies are placed in such interesting worlds and revolve around such amazing characters that we cannot help but watch them. The film ‘Brimming With Love’, directed by W.D. Hogan and produced by UPTv, is also a movie that treads this path....

Musicals have been a mainstay in Hollywood for a longer time. Although musical productions are fewer in number, their influence has been unparalleled. Just think of ‘La La Land.’ However, musicals have been around for a long time, presenting perception-changing stories that drill important messages in viewers’ minds. The 1971 musical, ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ is certainly one of the classics of the genre. ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ is based on a 1964 Broadway musical of the same name....

In the time when the television industry has received a boom after its Golden Age, all the shows seem focused on telling complicated stories with convoluted plots and twisted timelines. Feel-good shows have turned into a rarity, which is what makes series like ‘Gilmore Girls’ even more important. There is an undeniable nostalgia in it, even if you are watching it for the first time. The palette of it invokes warmth and the relationship of Lorelai Gilmore with her daughter, Rory, makes us melt....