jonwoodh

Like some other posters I am at a loss to discern why this got poor reviews. It's well made, has a great cast and is a pertinent moral tale. Blunt is the star of course and she carries the film along with Chris Evans. Based on a true story it exposes the corruption in the pharmaceutical industry that fosters greed and profit over the actual health of America's citizens. Once Blunt's character, her fellow sales people and all the immoral doctors involved in prescribing pain meds get hooked on huge payouts, no one cares about the damaged lives that resulted. It's very entertaining and very sobering and justice prevails.

I rarely rate a series 10, but this has all the hallmarks of a great, complex, compelling time travel/detective show. At first one might wonder what the hell is going on as it shifts between four different historical periods, but it all slowly comes into focus and is quite genius. And I loved how it all worked out in the finale. Great cast and cinematography. I kept wondering about who the future cop was - and it's Shira Haas, who was so brilliant in "Unorthodox." Not everyone's cup of tea, especially the anti-woke brigade, probably foaming at the mouth at some plot devices, but what a treat for fans of smart futuristic, totalitarian drama!

I love this show. It's weird, wacky, often fun and dark with a rising count of dead bodies, and a great satire on greed and the lure of great wealth. Supposedly inspired by true events, in The Sheikh we come across a unique con artist called Ringo (Björn Meyer), who is viewed as kind of the bumbling village idiot in his rural German town. He's married to Carla (played by Petra Schmidt-Schallerp who starred in the German cop series "The Marnow Murders"), who has a wealthy scheming father. Somehow Ringo is able to reinvent himself as a billionaire Arab sheik from Qatar and con his way through Switzerland, even into the Swiss parliament building, as the banking elite swoon around him dazzled by lure of riches. It ends on a bit of a cliff hanger, so many there is a season 2 coming?

Ok so it looks good and Lily-Rose Depp is fine in her starring role, but other than that you have to wonder what is the point. What could have been an intriguing examination of how the entertainment business gobbles up and exploits young women becomes just another ugly example of creepy exploitation. Read the Rolling Stone expose to understand how it completely pivoted from its initial premise and got Euphoria-ised by Sam Levinson. What a disappointment. A funny review in the UK Telegraph about Idol, said Levison makes Showgirls look like a masterpiece. No wonder it was decried at Cannes as "luxury sleaze." Two thumbs down.

Knowing it was created by Peaky Blinder's Steven Knight we knew we were in for a darker take on Great Expectations and it's here. It's a fantastic contemporary adaptation filled with 19th century horror that conjures up the gloom, hardships, injustice and the nightmare of Victorian England prisons. The cast and cinematography is excellent, and it's visually arresting.

And of course we have the always excellent Olivia Coleman as the creepy Miss Haversham. I know the story, but after two episodes in I'm looking forward for more trials and tribulations of Pip.

I'm not sure why some critics are down on it. Maybe they have nostalgia for the classic, cleaner versions.

A sequel to a Spanish thriller, this Spanish crime series doesn't take it self too seriously, as seen in the opening caper which involves a truck of hams and a wild escape.

The show focuses on a Sole, played by Asia Ortega Leiva, a young woman finding her own way in the crime world, attempting to emerge from the wing of her boss father.

There are all kinds of crazy heists including a French castle and lots of intrigue with dirty cops, Colombian drug gangs, the Chinese mob, and surprising revelations.

It's well made, nothing too deep, and an enjoyable ride that takes the viewer from Spain to France and Portugal with a finale in Nigeria.

Here's the thing if you have read the book "The Swarm" it sounds like you might not be a fan of this TV adaptation. If you haven't then enjoy it like I am. It seems common for book fans to trash any TV/movie version of the work they love, so use your own judgment and don't be swayed by the naysayers.

Three episodes in I'm' really intrigued. I love the different global locations and the sense that nature is rebelling at human's ecological destruction.

The budget must be major considering how well it's shot and looks, acting is good, the suspense is building and I love how slowly things are revealed. I can't wait for future episodes.

Before Kandinsky and Mondrian supposedly invented abstract painting there was an unknown Swedish artist, Hilma Klint, who began paining huge abstract works in the late 19th century. Hilma by Swedish director Lasse Hallström is a marvelous tribute to this amazing woman. Curious about the deeper mysteries of life from a young age, the film explores how she was drawn to the metaphysical world of spiritualism and embraced the works of Theosophy founder Helena Blavatsky, and particularly Anthroposophist Rudolf Steiner. These studies infused her paintings which were realized in a conservative, patriarchal time when only men were considered serious artists. Beautifully shot and superbly acted by Tora Hallström as the young Hilma and her real life mother, Lina Olin, as the older artist, the film is an essential introduction to a woman who only achieved fame after her death.

So it's not the greatest spy thriller, but once you get past the first couple of episodes it picks up steam and becomes quite gripping. Throwing everything in the pot you have dodgy MI6 higher ups, Russian spies, dodgy CIA operatives, British government corruption, blackmailing, assassins, and various conspiracies. For those moaning don't take it so seriously, it's not James Bond. It was good it was wrapped up in 5 episodes. I actually preferred it to the latest Jack Ryan which is more paint by numbers and quite flat in comparison. I particularly enjoyed Ciaran Hinds as the head of MI6, Oona Chaplin as the number 2's ex military wife and Olga Kurylenko as the Russian agent.

Based on the true story of a notorious British secret agent, watching A Spy Among Friends feels like a journey back in time to those classic '60s spy thrillers, with various plot threads that gradually weave into focus. Damian Lewis and Guy Pearce are excellent in their respective roles as conflicted old friends and Anna Maxwell Martin is superb as the sharp, dogged MI5 investigator trying to drill down to the truth. With locations including London, Beirut, Istanbul and Moscow, it takes a while to fathom what's going on. And it does a great job of exposing the smug superiority of the old boys' network that ruled MI6.

A remarkable artistic work, in only six episodes The English manages to cover an extraordinary amount of ground. We have a love story, a revenge plot, a moving cultural exchange, exploits of murderous fiends, massacres, and a few migrants seeking their plot of paradise. Emily Blunt as an English aristocrat co-stars with Chaske Spencer as a Pawnee scout and both are terrific. Well known British and Irish actors also dot the landscape which is all beautifully filmed. It was slow going at first and pieces of the puzzle gradually came into focus. Be warned though it's violent. By the end I concluded it's easily one of the best Westerns I've seen in years.

Wow! Had no idea this would be any good and am totally puzzled it's not on HBO or some major streamer. OK so it's not the movie, who cares. Love both Diane Kruger and Kiernan Shipka in their manipulative, malevolent roles nestled in the vipers nest of Hollywood. Two women fighting for dominance in a bastion of patriarchy.

A broad satire, it's brash, sexy, wild, gaudy, audacious and a little bonkers. It has one of the greatest sex-related scenes I've ever seen. Great to see Donald Sutherland back, though very creepy. I was hooked from the first episode and I would love to see more of these characters.

Millie Bobby Brown is back with a wonderful performance as Sherlock's sister determined to prove her worth as a private detective. I love how she talks to the audience. Maybe better than the original the sequel is fun, delightful, humorous, and thrilling with an exceptional cast including the return of Helena Bonham Carter as her mom, Louis Partridge as the young Lord, and the fabulous David Thewlis as a dodgy cop. The plot thickens as Enola searches for a missing factory worker and leads to government corruption, and a victory for female worker's rights. Btw those ridiculous really low scores seem posted by people who have never posted before and just delight in trashing films.

Paradise or nightmare? Reality or illusion? "There is beauty in control." With influences of Polanski, Hitchcock, the Stepford Wives, the Truman Show, and even a taste of Busby Berkeley, "Don't Worry Darling" is a brilliant psychological thriller by director/actress Olivia Wilde. It could be my favorite film of the year. Besides the phenomenal (Oscar) performance by leading actress Florence Pugh, one of the film's stars, besides its stunning visual scenery and superb cinematography, is the fantastic film's score, not the perfect '50s retro soundtrack, but the jarring, ominous electronic sounds that pervade scenes. We set off in what only could be described as a nostalgic, fictional '50s patriarchal paradise that some politicians aspire to recreate. In a remote California desert setting, we encounter a suburban ideal, a monument to kitsch, with "blissful" female homemakers and their faithful worker bee husbands. And then it all flips.

Adapting William Gibson's novel, The Peripheral jettisons the viewer into 2 future universes, one close to us now and one far into way trippier future set in London. Based on the first episode I'm blown away that finally we get a great, intelligent SF drama, not the usual cowboys in space SF often depicted over the years. The cast is excellent, it's visually dazzling and the far future setting is quite genius. If they can keep the quality up this could be viewed as an epic classic. Btw the "peripheral" in the title refers to cyborg avatars that sim users can connect to from different locations.

Based on real events I found High Water engrossing from its first episode on until its conclusion. Employing fictional characters to portray the impending disaster was a clever move by the show makers. It allowed the leads to be portrayed in depth without any possible lawsuits, and there's a moving sub-plot that gets resolved close to the end. Filming and acting was great throughout, I especially enjoyed the female lead who tried to warn the incompetent local bureaucrats stuck in the past. In a way it's reminiscent of another recent brilliant series Five Days at Memorial, about the Hurricane Katrina tragedy.

Not another teen movie with young adults playing high school students? Yes, but this one's a winner. It's clever, witty, engaging, has heart and is knocked out of the park by a star winning performance by Angourie Rice. I enjoyed how the tone shifted from Machiavellian to honesty and truth, though the counselor/student sub plot is a little creepy. Should appeal to all ages and I'm an old dude.

Unlike the reviewer who found it "mindless forced melodrama," I thoroughly enjoyed Hippocrate, which focused on a trio of interns thrust into a crazy circumstances. It was well acted and engaging in its presentation of often chaotic scenes of overwhelmed hospital staff attempting to save patients. It has a lot of heart and is often quite moving.

What an amazing thriller series from Italy. At first I wasn't sure of the pacing and then I was gripped. With gorgeous scenes of Venice as the backdrop this very timely and dark story is one of the best series I've seen in ages. I loved the interplay between the three old friends and how the plot slowly unraveled. Masterful film-making. And what a dramatic ending!

Not knowing anything about Sisi and her role as Empress, I came away with new found appreciation for such an extraordinary woman and the acting of Dominique Davenport. She was radiant in the role, and I really enjoyed the affection between the two leads. The settings and costumes were brilliant. I wish it had gone on longer. One of may favorite series I've had the pleasure to watch this year.

OMG a multi-racial cast and it's set in a town - what a travesty - not! It's an excellent updating for modern times with creepy kids, mostly hypnotized parents and a few trying to break the bonds. Overall the cast is excellent and I enjoyed the adaptation abandoning the original concept of a bunch of white kids in a claustrophobic village.

I loved the Bowie movie and so was curious about this updating. What a fantastic start. Love the two main characters - get a grip for those moaning about wokeness - and that asinine comment about no life out there, just wow, and have you heard of something called fiction? Anyway I was intrigued how they have updated the original with a contemporary narrative, and judging by the sneak glimpses of future episodes it seems we're going to be thrilled. Congratulations Showtime!

I love shows that transport you into new realms and artfully mix genres. But this is nothing like any Star Trek episode. With fantastic acting and an obvious big budget, it spins a carefully unraveling mystery that mostly takes place in the wilds of Kazakhstan. The filmmakers should be congratulated for taking a narrative risk and stepping out of the box to create a unique, absorbing series.

I can only assume all the negative posts were expecting some kind of cliched Mad Max thriller. Having watched 3 episodes this has become one of my favorite shows of the year so far. Excellent acting, intriguing plot, love how it switches time lines and the focus on different characters. Quality of filming and direction is stunning. A work of art.

Normally dislike end of world movies and TV series, and I haven't read the comic book it's based on. So three episodes in I'm very intrigued and surprised I'm hooked. Excellent acting by the fabulous Diane Lane, and I'm also enjoying Agent 355. Intriguing premise and great visual sets. I'm enjoying the whole Demo/arch conservative friction subplot. But the president's son is so annoying, you want to shake him awake. Get a grip, the world is collapsing! Looking forward to future episodes.