RUNNING POINT still got it. Season two is a delightful, entertaining series that takes on multiple themes with humor, loyalty, and even more basketball scenes to satisfy sports lovers. It moves quickly like a layout on the basketball court. It might be a tad predictable, but who cares when there are so many subplots swirling around each of the characters?
Kate Hudson as Isla, the one in control of the Los Angeles Waves, is simply adorable. She is a master at timing and comedic schtick. Her continually evolving, smartly written character is great fun to watch, even when she screws up.
Esta Rosevear reviews #RunningPoint here on #SpoilerFreeReviews #KateHudson #JayEllis #Netflix
WIDOW'S BAY premiered two episodes filled with moments of possible horror while intimating the frenzied truth about this imaginary New England island locale. I believe all the puzzle pieces are being put in place for a really big haunting with deadly results.
The town of WIDOW'S BAY features an ensemble of crazy characters that most would find amusing and foreboding. This includes the skeptical Mayor played by Matthew Rhys. He will do anything to prove to the people of his town that they are wrong, and he has the acting skills to showcase his frustration brilliantly.
Esta Rosevear reviews #WidowsBay here on #SpoilerFreeReviews #MatthewRhys #HiroMurai #AppleTVPlus
In 1999, our society thought the world as we knew it would end. Moving into another century, freaked and panicked most ordinary people who didn't have a clue about computer coding or AI. I was not one of the frightened. I just knew in my gut that computers were evolving faster than ever, and everyone should be prepared for an ever-expanding techno world. There really wasn't a choice. It was just a matter of time before iPads, iPhones, PlayStation, and laptops to multiply in everyone's home.
Films usually project what the masses are feeling at any given moment. Science fiction was pretty popular at the turn of the century. Creative juices were flowing. The range was wide, from THE RELIC, JUDGEMENT DAY, and MUPPETS IN SPACE. I had a favorite, though, that was intellectually stimulating and great fun to watch. It was a movie that would capture the minds and hearts of our planet, go on to gross close to half a billion dollars worldwide, and win four Oscars.
Esta Rosevear reviews #TheMatrix here on #SpoilerFreeReviews #KeanuReeves #TheWachowskis #LaurenceFishburne
HALF MAN just began its limited, six-episode story exploring male relationships between brothers, friends, and lovers. It was created, written, and stars Richard Gadd of BABY REINDEER, Emmy award winning fame. He portrays Ruben, who in my mind goes against type casting.
The series is brutal to watch. The relationship between Niall (Jamie Bell) and Ruben is in a word, vicious. It asks audiences to take a violent journey back in time throughout several decades to discover how their life's journeys began and became so interconnected. Gadd's writing pulls and shoves viewers along a common path most men lightly tread, preferring to stay silent.
Esta Rosevear reviews #HalfMan here on #SpoilerFreeReviews #RichardGadd #JamieBell #HBOMax
PREMISE
The life of the ICONIC musician Michael Jackson, known as the King of Pop, from the Jackson 5 to the beginning of the Bad tour.
THE GOOD STUFF
Jafar Jackson & Juliano Krue Valdiā If you are, say, steadily familiar with how Michael Jackson performed both as an adult and as a child. It is absolutely astonishing to watch these two individuals embody this artist as they do. The unsung hero of this film is, in fact, Valdi, who absolutely nails the Jackson 5 era Michael to a tee. In a film filled to the brim with highlight-reel moments, the scene where young Mike sings the Smokey Robinson classic āWhoās Lovinā Youā in a recording studio to Barry Gordy is one of the filmās greatest moments. I have absolutely no idea if either of the actors playing Jackson sang the music that they were supposed to sing in real life. If they did, then these are even more amazing performances than Iām giving them credit for.
Eli Brumfield reviews MICHAEL here on #SpoilerFreeReviews #MichaelMovie #MichaelJackson #JafarJackson #AntoineFuqua #KingOfPop
THE GOOD STUFF
BOB- It's difficult to review this movie in any way without having direct comparisons to the nobody films that started this whole Bob Odenkirk action-hero thing. Odenkirk has somehow pulled off playing a badass character who both knows what he's doing (like in the nobody films) and is truly scared of dangerous situations, flying by the seat of his pants. I can say, rather comfortably, after seeing this film, that Bob Odenkirk might be the very best of the "geriatric" action stars we've had. He's not the best actor who's been a geriatric action star (although he's pretty close); he doesn't look the part, no matter how good a shape he gets himself in, and he's not at all the best fight-sequence action star like a Jason Statham or Jackie Chan would be.
Eli Brumfield reviews #Normal here on #SpoilerFreeReviews #BobOdenkirk #LenaHeadey #Theatrical
Horror, science fiction, and fantasy are uniquely positioned to push the envelope and expose audiences to visuals and stories beyond their imagination. It's what makes the genre special: we know it's not real, we know it's fantasy, yet we still get disturbed. HOKUM understands this, and, at times, it delivers. But it never fully commits, and that restraint is what keeps it from being an all-time classic.
Adam Scott stars as Ohm Bauman, an American author who travels to a properly creepy hotel in rural Ireland. Scott's expressiveness, which works so well in his comedic roles, transfers nicely into horror. Writer and Director Damian McCarthy (CAVEAT, ODDITY) crafts a unique world with interesting characters, a beautiful setting, and a structure that generates an incredible amount of tension as it deviates from a typical formula.
Tarush Mohanti reviews #Hokum here on #SpoilerFreeReviews #AdamScott #DamianMcCarthy #Theatrical
IMPERFECT WOMEN completed its limited series based on the novel by Araminta Hall. It has an incredible ensemble of fine actors, including Elizabeth Moss, Kerry Washington, Joel Kinnaman, Kate Mara, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and Leslie Odom J. Yet, critics have panned this show more than I can say, giving it low scores. When I wrote my first review covering the opening episodes, I wasnāt sure how I should say what I felt and what I would specifically say. This has changed. I cannot recommend watching IMPERFECT WOMEN for several reasons.
First off, it has to be about the writing. The dialogues, montages, and inner conversations didnāt gel. They felt contrived and stiff. When an emotional conflict was being explored, it just fell flat. Several times, the characters screamed and shrieked in place of words. This didnāt work or connect audiences to the different points of view. I personally didnāt feel empathy for any of them. It didnāt matter whether their characters were rich or struggling, dressed well or seen as frumpy; I could not relate, nor did I care. What a shame. I usually love murder mysteries and flawed people, but this time around, there was no pull to make me want to know more.
Esta Rosevear reviews IMPERFECT WOMEN here on #SpoilerFreeReviews #ImperfectWomen #AppleTVPlus #ElizabethMoss #KerryWashington
UNCHOSEN was a peek into what life might be like in a religious cult. It is pure fiction, especially when faced with the forces of evil becoming a part of the compound. It showcased humanity's weakness and how some never get their act together, no matter what. And how easily we can all be taken in, seeing only what we want to believe.
UNCHOSEN follows a slower pace, packing the rich countryside locations into almost every scene. There is too much car and truck travel along the scenic roads. There are also many extra beats wasted by watching thoughtful, soul-searching, non-action scenarios.
Esta Rosevear reviews #Unchosen here on #SpoilerFreeReviews #FraFee #MollyWindsor #Netflix
APEX is a thriller-adventure series that delivers fast-paced, heart-pounding action in every scene. It offered little backstory as to why some would partake in these cliff-hanging extreme sports. It was truly a constant life-or-death situation most of the time. I enjoyed the thrill, but I also wanted more info.
Charlize Theron as Sasha, the adept mountain climber, was phenomenal. Her physicality in this film was superb and haunting. Her survival mode was believable and rang honest. I donāt know if she did all her own stunts, but if she did, holy shit. I was on the verge of my seat every painful step of the way.
Esta Rosevear reviews APEX here on #SpoilerFreeReviews #Apex #CharlizeTheron #TaronEgerton #BaltasarKormakur #Netflix #SurvivalThriller #NetflixMovies
Most shows lean on their reputation by season four. They double down on going for bigger and better, forgetting the story. Robert Kirkman doesn't. INVINCIBLE S4 delivers the best story since season 1, drenched in buckets of blood. While shows like THE BOYS chased the gross-out and lost the plot. INVINCIBLE keeps both.
A few gripes: E4 HUM: Kirkman's passion project. A dumpster-fire hellish sidequest that goes nowhere. E1āE3: Slow burn. Stick with it. The pieces will snap into place by E5.
Aaron Goldstein reviews #Invincible here on #SpoilerFreeReviews #RobertKirkman #PrimeVideo
