Romantic comedies are a dime a dozen. Different spins on the genre are released into cinemas every year with only the rare few tweaking the formula enough to stand out from the pack. The Broken Hearts Gallery may just be the only film to do so in a year almost completely devoid of new releases (apart from a few of those pesky generic rom-coms); bringing side-splitting humour and genuine heart to the tried and tested formula that has plagued the genre for years. With a star-making performance from up and comer Geraldine Viswanathan, this is easily one of the best films released in 2020 and, if it is safe to do so, an easy recommendation for a trip to the cinemas.
Viswanathan plays Lucy, a bright and bubbly millennial without a filter who moves from relationship to relationship without much success, amassing a collection of mementos from her past suitors which adorn the apartment she shares with roommates Amanda (Molly Gordon) and Nadine (Phillip Soo). When her latest boyfriend and boss Max (Utkarsh Ambudkar) dumps her for his ex, Lucy’s latest spiral into depression leads her to meet the down-to-earth Nick (Dacre Montgomery), who she strikes up an unlikely friendship with. When Nick confides in Lucy about his incredibly hipster dream of opening up a boutique hotel, Lucy sees this as an opportunity for catharsis and begins to bring the mementos from her past to put on display in Nick’s construction zone of a hotel – AKA the titular Broken Hearts Gallery – garnering viral fame and a string of lonely lovers whose sob stories force Lucy and Nick to evaluate their own views on life and love.
TriStar Pictures, 2020
Sounds cheesy doesn’t it? The premise is inherently silly and might make even the most strong stomached of audiences gag at times, but when it is packed full of as much charm and heart as The Broken Hearts Gallery is, it’s hard to be too upset about anything you’re seeing for too long. This really comes down to Geraldine Viswanathan, who is the heart and soul of the film, which without her would plunge into mediocrity. She brings such an energy and likability to the character of Lucy; an endlessly effervescent sense of joy and wonder at the world that constantly keeps a smile on your face as she attempts to impart this positivity on the all-business Nick. That isn’t to say that Lucy is a one-dimensional character however, and Viswanathan hits all the right notes in making her relatable, in her vulnerability to the men she is pulled towards and the hurt she has bottled up from constant rejection. Add to that her impeccable comedic timing, which she has honed in films like Blockers, and you have easily the film’s greatest weapon, ensuring the laughs are coming a mile a minute.
Surrounding Lucy is a mostly solid supporting cast with Molly Gordon and Phillipa Soo (of Hamilton fame) delivering big laughs and showing a great chemistry between the trio. Their banter is a constant delight and although the jokes don’t always land, there are a few in there that deliver some of the biggest laughs in the film. Arturo Castro does good work as Nick’s friend Marcos, helping to make Nick into something of a three dimensional character (more on that later) and Utkarsh Ambudkar also shines as the completely oblivious and self-absorbed Max. Unfortunately the weak link in The Broken Hearts Gallery comes in the form of leading man Dacre Montgomery as Nick. Montgomery’s performance doesn’t derail the film but he just doesn’t seem to be performing at a high enough level as those around him here, playing Nick extremely straight-laced and not leaving much room for the comedy to flow organically; relying on Geraldine Viswanathan to carry their funnier scenes. It’s somewhat surprising considering his stellar performance in Stranger Things and when the inevitable dramatic moments hit he is excellent and delivers the required gravitas but in a movie as fun as this, which will be remembered for its levity and humour, you really would benefit more from a leading man that can handle the comedy and maybe falters on the dramatic side, rather than the other way around.
TriStar Pictures, 2020
The Broken Hearts Gallery is a blast from start to finish, even if it is a fairly predictable one. If you’re expecting a romantic comedy that completely shifts the genre on its head then keep looking, but I’m willing to guess that if you’ve got your eye on this film and have seen a poster or trailer then you know what to expect and will not be disappointed. Geraldine Viswanathan’s performance elevates the typical genre material to something special and the commitment from the entire cast to the comedy (Dacre Montgomery excluded) ensures that you will leave the cinema having shed a tear or two, whether that be from the constant laughter or the emotional rollercoaster that comes with the rom-com territory.
TriStar Pictures, 2020
The Broken Hearts Gallery stars Geraldine Viswanathan, Dacre Montgomery, Molly Gordon, Phillipa Soo, Arturo Castro and Utkarsh Ambudkar – in cinemas now.
Television’s pop culture icon Stranger Things has just launched its third chapter into the world – to understandably high expectations – following the brilliant sci-fi adventures of season one and season two. We’ve followed our favourite characters through all the drama that’s come their way, and so we were all eagerly awaiting what the next instalment would bring to the table. Stranger Things Season Three succeeds in giving us all that we’ve come to love and expect from the series: brilliant interactions between its many characters, flashy 80’s nostalgia, horrifying demons and unapologetic nerdiness. Despite this however, the latest season doesn’t quite meet the impossibly high mark set by its predecessors, due mainly to some broad narrative decisions and a complicated plot that results in quite possibly the strangest season yet.
Note: While we don’t delve too deep into the finer plot details, we will be discussing key characters and high-level developments. If you’re looking to go into the season completely unaware, make sure you watch it first before reading on.
First things first, season three is intense. With a much darker and horror-focused run of episodes than ever before, this season doesn’t hold back when it comes to violence and gore. While the series has a history of some pretty hostile encounters (such as the finale of season one or the Demodogs of Hawkins’ Lab in season two), expect to see much more blood, beatings and death throughout this one. Horror has always been a key aspect of Stranger Things – the previous seasons were filled with slow-burn, high tension scares – but this time around the horror is far more in-your-face. In keeping with the 80’s charm of films like Nightmare on Elm Street and The Terminator, you’ll find the scares delivered through some nasty looking monsters and relentless chase scenes that aim to keep you on the edge of your seat. This is a refreshing direction for the series as a whole to take, proving that the show is evolving and maturing along with its characters and time period. Our leads are no longer kids playing board games in the basement and we’ve watched as they’ve all grown despite the dangers of the Upside-Down, so it only makes sense that the villains have grown bigger and more sinister as a result.
Netflix, 2019
Speaking of growth, Stranger Things‘ fantastic young cast have come a long way since we last saw them. Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), Will (Noah Schnapp), Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and Max (Sadie Sink) are all firmly in their teens now, and this brings with it a number of changes to the group’s dynamic. Mike and Eleven are continuing where they left off at the close of season two, with their relationship and its effect on those around them being a constant theme throughout the season. Both young actors turn in another set of great performances this time around, with Millie Bobby Brown again delivering another stand-out performance as the complex Eleven. Like Dustin and Steve (Joe Keery) last season, we get a great new pairing between Max and Eleven as the two girls form a strong duo in what was originally an all-boys club.
With even Dustin managing to (apparently) find love while away on summer camp, this all leaves Will feeling isolated and separated from the core group – even more than usual. Schnapp’s character has less of a central role here compared to prior seasons, however he still does great work in showing the audience just how far the group has come while simultaneously longing to gain back the time he’s lost to the Upside-Down. Season three goes hard on the aspect of growing up and moving on, so it makes sense that each of the kids begin forging their own paths – ultimately weakening the tight-knit brotherhood we’ve come to know and love in the process.
Our other Hawkins favourites have also been busy during the break, with some faring better than others. Joyce (Winona Ryder) continues to mourn her loss from the most recent Hawkins’ disaster, managing to keep her mind occupied by looking into some strange occurrences around town during the summer. Ryder is an absolute gem here as always, and is able to deliver some powerful scenes which really highlight her growth over the course of the show. While she does play the curious, conspiracy-theorising single mother well, her character spends a large portion of the season following some highly questionable breadcrumbs and jumping to conclusions that seem far-fetched, even by her standards. While this has been done to keep the plot moving and give her something to do, it’s hard not to notice that Joyce has very little stakes in the game this time around. Without any real motive or genuine urgency, her story arc can almost feel a bit watered-down at times.
Police Chief Hopper (David Harbour) is again along for Joyce’s ride, if only as an excuse to spend more time with his not-so-secret crush. Harbour reprises his role as the iron fist of Hawkins, playing him harder and more aggravated than usual this season, and he spends most of his time taking the law into his own hands and knocking some heads together. Even though he plays something of a brute for majority of the show, Hop does get a chance to show some raw emotion in the scenes he shares with Joyce and his adoptive daughter Eleven. It’s a good thing that both Harbour and Ryder continue to have such great chemistry, as their charm is what carries us through some of the more far-reaching sections of the plot.
Netflix, 2019
While his mother is off with Hopper, Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) begins interning at the town’s local newspaper – the Hawkins Post – alongside his now-official girlfriend Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer). Dyer’s character struggles to make a good impression in the male dominated workplace, and this drives an interesting arc for her and Jonathan as they aim to break a big story that will put her critics in their place. It’s all well and good until their plot-line is completely tossed aside when something bigger comes along, and is never spoken of again.
Similarly, Nancy’s mother Karen (Cara Buono) is given much more to do at the start of the season than ever before, looking set to lift her character into a more prominent role alongside the other leading names. However her storyline is also left by the wayside before too long, and her very minimal appearances later in the season have her revert to the oblivious housewife she played in season one. While these characters are still fantastic and a joy to watch throughout, their individual story arcs highlight the general plot issues with this season. While the show has previously managed to organically link the narrative threads of its characters neatly in time for the finale, season three appears happy to cut ties with loose ends in order to hit certain story beats for the central and, quite frankly, farfetched plot-line.
Without spoiling too much, Stranger Things Season Three plays heavily on the 80’s hysteria of the threat of Russian invasion. The show attempts to shake things up by moving away from the usual US government conspiracies, however in doing so it loses much of its plausibility and logic. Whilst a fictional sci-fi adventure riddled with psychic powers, alternate dimensions and nightmarish monsters doesn’t exactly scream believability, Stranger Things has always been grounded when it came to actually delivering these stories. However the Russian angle is never really explained at all, and what the audience is expected to believe has been done by the foreigners in the space of a year is pretty outrageous.
Thankfully the majority of scenes on this side of the plot are carried by the brilliant ongoing pairing of Dustin and Steve, along with a couple of new companions. Steve has recently started working in an ice-cream store in Hawkins’ new Starcourt Mall, alongside former classmate Robin (Maya Hawke). Hawke is a great new addition to the cast, and she plays another strong, smart and layered character that has great chemistry with Keery and Matarazzo. Rounding out this group in season three is the left-field addition of Erica (Priah Ferguson), Lucas’ wildly outspoken younger sister who briefly appeared in previous seasons to spit fire on her brother and his friends. The young Ferguson is great in her role as the no-nonsense character who knows exactly what she wants, and the group of four are more than enough to keep each episode afloat – even when they’re dealing with what may just be the most bumbling and useless military unit we’ve ever seen.
Netflix, 2019
Rounding out the cast of season three is Dacre Montgomery, who returns as Max’s step-brother Billy Hargrove, easily receiving the most development of any of the show’s characters this year. Having relatively minimal screen-time, yet an important role in season two, he becomes centre to many of this season’s events and a person of interest for most of the cast. Montgomery does excellent work in bringing the conflicted Billy to life once again – especially when he’s conveying the fluctuating emotions and actions that his role demands. We’re shown quite a bit more of the troubled character’s motives through some haunting interactions with Eleven, as well as through his relationship with step-sister Max, which has been greatly expanded following season two.
It’s also around Billy that we see much of the show’s phenomenal special effects work and monster designs, with the growing budget and resources being put to good use here. The creatures on show look like modern day adaptations of the ugliest monstrosities from 1982’s The Thing, and the grand finale is just as flashy and explosive as we’ve all come to expect. In ending the season with such a bang – as well as with some reflective and touching closing moments – season three does come some way in redeeming its fairly average central plot, and it helps to remind us that Stranger Things is first and foremost about its brilliant characters, their complex relationships and the bonds that tie them all together.
The third instalment of Stranger Things is ultimately another wild ride with our favourite Hawkins characters, weaving a compelling sci-fi tale while revelling in 80’s nostalgia and monster movie madness. While areas of the plot certainly require some grand leaps of imagination and logic, the darker tone and ongoing relationships between the talented cast have made the Duffer Brother’s latest outing a success. It’s almost certain that we’ll see a fourth chapter in the Stranger Things story, and at this point all we can do is wait and see where the next one will take us. With an ensemble of characters larger than ever before and a willingness to take the series to dark new places, Stranger Things Season Three has proven that it’s not afraid to challenge our expectations – and that it’s still the toughest kid on the block.
Netflix, 2019
Stranger Things Season Threestars Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Dacre Montgomery, Joe Keery, Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton – streaming now on Netflix.
The second season of Stranger Things had some high expectations leading up to its release. Following the runaway success of the first season was always going to be a challenge, but the young cast and the Duffer Brothers managed to pull off another home run on their second outing. In reaching the seemingly impossible heights set by its predecessor, Stranger Things Season Two provides another chapter of one of the finest and well written sci-fi offerings on TV. So with the hotly anticipated third season releasing in time for this weekend, there’s never been a better time to make sure you’re all caught up on everything that’s gone down in Hawkins.
Series two begins a year after the conclusion of the last, with everyone adjusting to normal life again after their chaotic search for Will Byers (Noah Schnapp). The four leading lads have returned to school, however it’s quickly obvious that things aren’t quite the same. Mike (Finn Wolfhard) is still struggling to move on after losing his psychic companion Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), who hasn’t been seen since the closing battle of Season One. The friction this creates between him and the other characters is an underlying theme for most episodes of this season, especially as it seems his friends were able to move on much quicker than he has been able to. His combative nature and defeated attitude does tend to wear a bit over time, however Mike isn’t as central this time as he was in the opening season – allowing the fantastic supporting cast a chance to shine as well. For instance, Will picks up a much larger amount of screentime this time around, given he played a lost victim for just about all of the show’s first outing. His transition back into normal life is certainly the hardest, as he tries to slip back into a community that pronounced him dead not too long ago. Will also suffers from intense flashbacks and dark visions of the Upside-Down – a consequence of his time lost on the other side. Noah Schnapp’s character certainly gets put through the ringer this season, however his great performance and full range of believable emotion is just another example of the top-level talent within Stranger Things’ young cast.
Netflix, 2017
That’s not to say that the more experienced actors are lacking here though. Winona Ryder reprises her role as Will’s mother Joyce Byers, somehow hitting a new level of protective parenting after the events of season one. While her actions can come off as pretty overbearing at times, you can’t help but feel as if it’s warranted after all she went through to get her son back a year prior. To this end, Joyce and Will continue to make visits to the Hawkins’ Lab in order to monitor his condition – and to keep the lab central to the overall plot running through this second season. Balancing Joyce’s stress out slightly is her old classmate and new lover – the ever-pleasant Bob (Sean Astin). Astin’s character is almost an antithesis to the entire show, shying away from scares and Hawkins’ rough nature to instead be the calm and placid rock Joyce desperately needs. It makes sense then that Joyce continues to rely on the gritty and no-nonsense police chief Jim Hopper (David Harbour) to help her and her son for much of the season. Harbour puts on another stellar performance as he did in the show’s first outing, given some great scenes to flex his acting and emotional chops. Season two places Eleven in Hopper’s care, with Jim quickly becoming a surrogate parent to the wayward teen – seeing in her the daughter he’d lost years ago. Hopper attempts to give Eleven a normal childhood whilst being acutely aware the danger she in at all times while Eleven, for her part, is trying her best to slip into everyday life which, naturally for a teenager, includes some pushback against the authority figure. It’s this kind of innately human everyday situation, spiced with a healthy dose of government conspiracy and mental powers that makes the dynamic between the two so fantastic and infinitely watchable, and the duo represents just one of the second season’s unlikely – yet hugely successful – character pairings.
It’s impossible to talk about this season’s teamups without mentioning the dynamic duo that is Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) and Steve (Joe Keery). Having next to nothing to do with each other in the previous year, the two certainly aren’t the first characters that audiences were expecting to see pairing up this season – but the two just work. There’s some sort of younger/older brother vibe that the duo tap into, with Keery’s character acting as a mentor to the younger Dustin – when the two aren’t trading insults and banter at every other opportunity. When he’s not parading around Hawkins with his charismatic offsider, Steve acts as one third of the ongoing love triangle between himself, Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton). Dyer and Heaton offer up another great turn as their respective characters, torn between their feelings for each other, the plights of their younger siblings and Nancy’s mission to avenge the death of a friend lost during season one. A strength of this season is certainly the increased screentime it allows for these characters, shifting focus from the core young cast to create a number of intertwining and interesting stories that stand strong in their own right.
Netflix, 2017
This broader approach also opened the doors for some new characters to shake things up this season – namely red-headed skater Max (Sadie Sink) and her older step-brother Billy (Dacre Montgomery). The two enter the scene after moving with their newly married parents from California, and both have big impacts on the characters and events across the season. Max quickly catches the interest of Dustin and Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) with her high arcade scores and fierce attitude, creating some competition between the two boys as they do their best to catch her attention. Her attempt to slide into the core group creates tension between the existing members, which in turn provides for some dramatic confrontations and fractures within the team alongside their bigger problems. Max’s initial stand-offish nature comes back to her tenuous relationship with new step-brother Billy Hargrove. Billy is a few years older than Max, and quickly begins a move to knock Steve off of his perch as alpha at Hawkins’ High. Australian actor Dacre Montgomery does fantastic work as this complex character, capturing all the worst archetypes of young guys in the 80’s as his womanising, racist and narcissistic personality clashes with just about everyone he meets. A character that you’ll just love to hate, Billy’s behavior is explored a little during the later episodes of the season – not long before a standout scene between him and Mrs. Wheeler (Cara Buono) in the final episode.
It’s strength to strength for the most part on the road to the terrific finale, however there is one episode that is particularly divisive. During the second half of season two, an entire episode is devoted to Eleven and her past – with mixed results. While an interesting look at her powers, family and mysterious history, the way that the show presents these isn’t done particularly well. Introducing a number of new characters solely for the episode, it feels like a big mix of ideas that don’t quite gel together or produce anything noteworthy. We’re presented with a group of generic punks, each feeling like they were pulled from an afternoon cartoon show, led by a slightly unhinged girl that has powers similar to Eleven. A connection between the two is clumsily put together through flashbacks, despite there being no other reason for the new girl and her group to exist at all. While the episode is somewhat necessary for Eleven to grow as a character and develop her powers, it feels as though it could have been done in multiple better ways that wouldn’t have felt so out of place. Luckily the episode comes and goes before the main plot ramps up into the finale, however it still creates a bit of a speedbump for an otherwise fantastic run of episodes.
Netflix, 2017
Outside of this, the road to the finale follows a similar path as the first season – reuniting our favourite characters for some great battles and emotional scenes. There’s a sense of urgency that runs beneath each episode, hooking you into every interaction as just about every scene plays a part in the grander scheme of things. This is achieved once again through two of the Duffer Brother’s biggest strengths – strong writing and smart characters. No matter how difficult the puzzle or complex the solution, characters always connect the dots as quickly and as logically as we would expect them to. There are never moments where someone inexplicably sits on key information just to stretch out the runtime, with the cast often developing a plan or solution that we as viewers had yet to even consider. This approach means that we’re constantly surprised and excited for the next moment, a design that’s perfect for the show’s bingeable Netflix design.
Stranger Things Season Two manages to raise the standards raised by the first, and in doing so it manages to create new, interesting characters and engrossing plotlines that flesh out Hawkins as its own little world. An outstanding cast and top-quality direction from behind the scenes come together to deliver several hours of gripping sci-fi drama, cementing the series as one of the greatest on modern TV. We don’t have long to wait until season three arrives to pull us through the Upside Down once more, and who knows what they’ll spring on us this time. New monsters? More characters? Joyce’s third attempt at some offbeat interior decorating? We don’t know yet, but if the past adventures in Hawkins are anything to go by – we’re in for something good.
Netflix, 2017
Stranger Things Season Two stars Winona Ryder, Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Joe Keery, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton and David Harbour – streaming now on Netflix.
