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paulalbrecht
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Saint X (2023)
Don't let the reviews fool you
As someone who uses IMDb almost every day the rating on this show is so strange to me after finishing it today. Not everyone will like every show and that's OK but I find it very odd that this is rated so low and there are no 1 or 2 star reviews to back up any of these claims.
Don't get me wrong this show is not perfect by any means but after just finishing the final episode I can say I had a lot of fun watching this show and would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys the murder mystery genre.
The cast does a good job and the writing is certainly good enough to not take away from the story. The one thing I will say is the accents and vocabulary of the island natives seemed off to me at the start and from reading some of the reviews the island vernacular is not portrayed 100% correctly.
The qualms about the characters being flat and unlikable wasn't the case for me at all and after finishing I can say I felt a lot of empathy for a large portion of them. And lastly whether you like the payoff of the reveal at the end is totally up to you (personally I did like it)
1899 (2022)
this show is very dark...literally
7.6/10
If you plan to watch this show during the day time or near a window that may cause any bit of glare, GOOD LUCK. There are so many scenes throughout this show that are essentially just a black screen with sound and it was very frustrating to be trying to watch this show during. It really took me out of the story having to squint my eyes and and put my hands around my face to try to make out what was happening on screen.
And the worst part about all of this is that the show is actually good. Its very well acted and the mystery was very gripping. I was constantly racking my brain to try to crack the case before the finale episode.
So I guess just watch this at night time and you'll have a much better viewing experience than I did.
Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities (2022)
Cabinet of Mediocrity
6.3/10
The production value is really well done. The set pieces, acting and cinematography are the only reason I watched all 8 episodes. Each episode started with a lot of potential but was really bogged down by a super slow moving plot and very little payoff at the end of each.
When I compare this show to other shows of the same episodic nature like Black Mirror or Love Death and Robots I cant help but be disappointed. In those shows there are some episodes that are very bad but they also have some absolute electric edge of your seat episodes that this doesn't have. None of the 8 episodes are bad but none are a must watch that I would recommend to a friend either.
The only time in the entire series I felt any bit of tension or excitement was during Graveyard Rats when Masson when crawling through the tunnels.
This is my personal order of the episodes:
1) Graveyard Rats
2) The Autopsy
3) Pickman's Model
4) Lot 36
5) The Murmuring
6) Dreams in the Witch House
7) The Viewing
8) The Outside.
Vampire Academy (2022)
surprisingly pretty good
7.2/10
It seems like every single review here is about how this show is very far off from the books it is based on. However as someone who has never even heard of these books I enjoyed the show. With that it is most definitely a teen drama so if that's not your thing then you can skip this one.
Teen dramas are typically very poorly written and acted, this show is just average in both of those departments with some scenes feeling a little bit too corny for me but overall its not nearly as bad as it could've been. None of the romances between characters feel forced or unnecessary and the fight scenes are done very well with high quality choreography.
Its by no means a show that is Emmy worthy but its a fun watch if you're looking for a bit of romance, a bit of action and some vampires.
Tell Me Lies (2022)
I hate it...but I also love it
7.1/10
If you don't want to rip your hair out and scream into your tv about college drama and relationships this show is not for you. Its hard for me to put words to paper about this show because while it was entertaining and a good watch pretty much every character is unlikable. Let alone the 2 main characters who might be 2 of the most unlikeable characters I've seen in a tv show. But I think it works?
This show does a very good job of portraying realistic college experiences and relationships. It feels like each character could be a person you may have known while you were away at school. This also may make this show hit home for many people as it follows the progression of an extremely toxic relationship and a manipulative, gas lighting narcissist.
Now lets talk about the countless sex scenes, a lot of them felt a bit forced and awkward but my biggest problem is that literally not a single one of them had foreplay. We just doing this dry now?
Lastly the music they used for this show was very nostalgic for me and I'm sure it will be for a lot of other 90's kids. It was always fun to subconsciously just start singing along as some classics started playing in the background. All in all I had fun watching this show each week. Its not going to win any Emmy's but that doesn't mean you should skip it.
The Patient (2022)
epic letdown of a stellar concept
6.6/10
When I heard the premise to this show I was hooked before I even watched the first episode. The problem with this however is that after each episode I was less and less hooked. The plot moved at an agonizingly slow pace for a show that was only 30 mins per episode. So many of the episodes felt exactly the same with little to no plot development happening.
Despite my issues with this show the shining star was Domhnall Gleeson. He stole the spotlight every time he was on screen. He was reprehensible and while noting this you couldn't help but want him to get what was he was looking for from Steve Carell's character.
If you're a fan of this type of mystery/thriller binge it in one afternoon, if not feel free to skip it.
The Midnight Club (2022)
Cool concept, lackluster execution
6.1/10
The concept of a teen hospice is a really interesting and each of the characters are unique but many of them come off as annoying. The main story of the show feels very dragged out and doesn't even end with a satisfying conclusion. I felt like I was trudging along through a lot of nonsense to have almost zero payout at the end of 10 episodes.
The show is also extremely predictable from the get go. I knew who the woman in the woods was from the moment I saw her. Even the jump scares were obvious after an episode or 2
One of bright spot of the show was the stories that were told by each character. Some obviously better than others but all of them were at least compelling enough to keep me interested in the show through then entire season.
House of the Dragon (2022)
I'm all the way back in
9.2/10
If you told me after S8 of GoT that I would be fully invested in another story set in the same world I would not believe it for one second. But I sit here after S1 of HotD hooked and counting down the days until S2.
I was skeptical to get invested in this when I heard that half way through the season that 2 of the main characters were getting new actresses. Not only that but all of the children in the show had 3-4 actresses. Boy was I wrong though, when episode 6 started it didn't feel like the show missed a beat. All 4 of the actresses that played Alicent and Rhaenrya did an exceptional job.
It wasn't just those 4 either, every actor on this cast put forward an amazing performance. It says quite a lot when GRRM says in an interview that Paddy Consadine portrayed King Viserys better on this show then he himself wrote him in the book. In addition to the acting the writing for S1 was so gosh darn good. No line felt like it didn't belong or didn't have a purpose. There were so many scenes that had so much tension all due to the writing. This show brings me back to the early season of GoT where 2 people standing in a room having a conversation feels just as pivotal to character development and plot as a battle does.
Lastly it would be criminal not to mention the cinematography of this show. Every scene is shot with purpose and meaning. If something is on screen the showrunners want you to see it. The set pieces of this show are spectacularly beautiful in every way. Not only that but the costume design is top notch as well. Every character feels like they have their own individual style and personality through their clothing.
Its truly a beautiful thing to see so many different aspects of a show come together in such a cohesive way. And we're truly lucky that HBO didn't just scrap this universe altogether after the embarrassment that was GoT S8.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022)
too much unnecessary hate
7.3/10
Is this show the best superhero show? Are the CGI effects amazing? Is the writing good? The answer to all of these questions is no. But that doesn't mean that this show does not have its merits. She-Hulk was never meant to be a serious super hero drama so if you're looking for that you should go watch something different. In fact its purpose was the exact opposite, its a sitcom about the life of Jen Walters and the shenanigans she gets into as She Hulk.
This show comes with a lot of laughs and feel good moments throughout that I think everyone will walk away with a smile at some point throughout the season.
It also does a very good job of speaking on some very important topics that go beyond marvel and TV in general which I commend Disney and Marvel for.
Bad Sisters (2022)
WOW
8.5/10
When I started this show I went in not knowing what to expect nor the ride I was about to go on. From the very first episode and the moment you meet JP you will be emotionally invested in every character. There's not many shows that will make you feel so strongly toward a character as Bad Sister does with JP.
As the episodes progress you start to feel more and more empathy for each of the Garvey girls and most of all for Grace. With every action JP makes all you want is for the girls to finally kill him. Claes Bang does such an amazing job playing the despicable JP. His facial expressions and mannerisms are perfect as he commits all of his vile acts towards every single character in the show.
The Claffin brothers are the one aspect of the show that I didn't absolutely love but Thomas does come across as someone you want to root for, but just cant because you're continually watching all of the heinous acts of JP. The Matt and Becca fling was just okay but it didn't feel out of place enough for me to wish it wasn't happening.
The show truly comes together in the final episode when you find out how JP actually died. Its a perfect ending that I wont spoil because I think everyone should watch this show. Highly Recommend.
Alias Grace (2017)
A well acted bore
This historical biography of Grace Marks missed the "mark" and felt lacking from start to finish. Throughout the all of the six episodes I found myself looking at my phone or watch to see how much longer the episode was. I don't think this was subject matter issue either. A 19th century "murder mystery" should have the audience glued to the screen but every scene moved at a snails pace.
The one shining star of this series was Sarah Gadon as Grace Marks. She did an incredible job portraying Grace throughout her life and displayed her emotions in each scene extremely well whether it was a joyous scene with Mary Whitney or a trauma inducing one while she was in the mental hospital. The entire cast cast did an excellent job its just a shame the performance was wasted on a show this lackluster.
5.9/10.