Tag: Netflix

Stranger Things 4

Post author By Mark
Post date July 18, 2022

Following the climactic events of Starcourt Mall, the gang of Hawkins natives who battled the forces of the Upside Down have scattered across the country (and in some cases, the world), content with the knowledge that the threat has been neutralised. When a new threat emerges and a series of mysterious murders rock the town, the remaining Hawkins’ kids band together to uncover the source. Meanwhile in California, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) struggles to adapt to her new life away from Mike (Finn Wolfhard) as Joyce (Winona Ryder) uncovers a series of strange messages that could point to the location of a miraculously alive Hopper (David Harbour).

Starring: Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Sadie Sink, Noah Schnapp, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin & Jamie Campbell Bower

Watch it now on Netflix

Who would have thought that the Duffer Brothers humble little 80’s sci-fi homage would have turned into what Stranger Things is today: a totemic pillar of Netflix’s slate and a juggernaut of a show rivalling hits of recent years like Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad in its wild popularity. Season 4 is the best yet, bursting at the seams in its jumbo-sized penultimate adventure; the most mature the show has been and, despite its wealth of characters and plot lines, the most narratively focused since young Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) first took that unfortunate trip to the Upside Down.

Like Season 3 before it, many years have passed since we last saw the kids from Hawkins, and the opening few episodes quickly establish that beyond their physical appearance, the show has matured with them to tackle larger issues. The threat of the Upside Down has never felt as monumental as it does here. Key culprit to that is Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower), who essentially functions as the franchise’s Voldemort and leader of all the Demogorgons and other Upside Down nasties that have plagued our heroes since the very beginning.

Apart from retroactively focusing the diverse cast of, mostly, one note villains in previous instalments, Vecna acts as a nice bridging point between two of the longest running mysteries the show has told: the Upside Down and the mysteries of the facility run by Dr Brenner – ‘Papa’ (Matthew Modine). Answers to both fly thick and fast (no spoilers here), leaving plenty of room to expand in the upcoming final season. It’s smart storytelling that goes beyond the simple pleasures of Vecna’s obvious similarities to one 80’s horror icon Freddy Krueger (including a cameo from Freddy himself, Robert Englund). Stalking his victims in a dream-like fugue state, Vecna torments the children he kills, following them through eerie visions of past traumas and a mysterious dilapidated house. These sequences are unabashedly pulled straight out of a Nightmare on Elm Street film and are all the better for it, with some of the most intense violence the series has ventured into and an excellently eerie soundtrack to the horror.

Whilst Vecna acts as a bridge between the Hawkins and California storylines, the mystery of Hopper feels strangely detached. Revealed in the Season 3 post-credits scene to be a prisoner in a Russian prison, David Harbour is at his finest in the character this time around, with an introspective, soul-bearing performance that really digs into the heart of the character and the trauma that he has overcome. These quieter moments help flesh out the emotional stakes while all the other excitement is going on in the States, but you can’t help but feel removed from the action during these scenes. The adult characters are confined to Russia for nearly the entire season, and whilst its always entertaining, it never feels essential; pulling us away from the far more investing goings-on with everyone else.

Make no mistake, Hawkins is where the real meat of this season is. The mystery of Vecna is inexplicably tied to the town and, as usual, it falls on the motley crew of Steve (Joe Keery), Nancy (Natalia Dyer), Max (Sadie Sink), Robin (Maya Hawke), Dustin (Gaten Mattarazzo) and Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) to get to the bottom of it. This time they’re joined by newcomer Eddie Munsen (Joseph Quinn), a heavy metal, D&D playing nerd with a heart of gold who gets caught up in the murder of a fellow student.

Therein lies perhaps the Duffer Brothers greatest strength: in casting and presenting these new characters in such a way that they instantly become beloved fan favourites. Eddie quickly joins the ranks of Dacre Montgomery’s Billy and Sean Astin’s affable Bob through an endearing relationship with Dustin and Mike. He’s essentially a father figure to them, shepherding the gang through the ups and downs of high school with tough love and an unhinged glee. Quinn’s performance is a lot to begin with, but as the season progresses his rough exterior slowly softens to reveal a damaged teen desperate for some agency over his own life. His arc simmers in the background, rather than being a focal showpiece, until a rousing moment of pure badass heavy-metal awesomeness brings it home with emotional heft and a sense of pure, elating fun.

Then there’s Eleven. Largely on her own for the series and forced to relive the traumas of her time spent in the care of Papa, Bobby Brown doesn’t necessarily bring much new to the character here (the script doesn’t exactly allow for it) but is so supremely confident in the role at this point that you know you are in good hands with her regardless of where the narrative goes. It’s nice to see the series round out the contributions of Matthew Modine and Paul Reiser, in a kind of “Magneto and Professor X working together again” situation that adds to the gigantic scope the series is going for; this could very well be the end of Hawkins, and everyone needs to unite to save it.

When these disparate strands come together and the full scope of Stranger Things 4 emerges is when the show truly reveals itself at the top of its game. The conflict has never felt more personal to the inhabitants of Hawkins; they’ve taken big, impactful losses that will surely linger on the show going forward, and it all unites to create a season that feels essential, as if everything that came before was building up to this moment. Sure there’s the usual overabundance of characters that the show can’t possibly give enough time to and the Duffers play with our emotions a little too much (kill Steve and we riot), but as a whole, Season 4 of Stranger Things is the most entertaining, emotional and most importantly rewarding so far. This is event television done right: big, bold and willing to swing for the fences.

9 / 10

The Black Phone

July 20, 2022
Stranger Things 4

July 18, 2022
Ms. Marvel

July 15, 2022

Tags Caleb McLaughlin, Charlie Heaton, David Harbour, Duffer Brothers, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Joe Keery, Joseph Quinn, Maya Hawke, Millie Bobby Brown, Natalia Dyer, Netflix, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Shawn Levy, Stranger Things, Stranger Things 4, Winona Ryder

Movie Reviews

Spiderhead

Post author By Mark
Post date June 20, 2022

Incarcerated in the mysterious Spiderhead facility – an isolated prison without cells or violence where inmates are subjected to medical experiments – Jeff (Miles Teller) undergoes increasingly strange experiences at the hands of the charismatic but creepy doctor Steve Abnesti (Chris Hemsworth) which push him to his limits.

Starring: Miles Teller, Chris Hemsworth, Jurnee Smollett, Tess Haubrich & Mark Paguio

Watch it now in on Netflix

Having helmed the blockbuster of the year so far in Top Gun: Maverick, Joseph Kosinski’s new thriller Spiderhead looked like a thrilling shift in momentum; a creepy slow burn about convicts subjected to increasingly strange experiments starring returning Maverick star Miles Teller and a gleefully insane Chris Hemsworth. The actual result is far less impressive, but is held together through the sheer force of will of the leads and a tone that doesn’t quite work but is always so bizarrely off-kilter that you can’t help but keep watching, even if the story loses all steam long before its two hour runtime comes to an end.

The problem comes in the pacing. What starts as an intriguing mystery about the Spiderhead facility and the potentially nefarious experiments devolves to tedium by the halfway mark, as Kosinski relies heavily on sequences of experiments which don’t bring enough variety to warrant returning to the well so often. Only one of these scenes truly excites – an increasingly hard to watch look at a woman completely surrendering control over her body as substances drive her insane.

The central premise driving the film – testing new chemical compounds promoting artificial love, a thirst for violence, or unimpeachable obedience – is rife with potential, but the sequences between these experiment scenes move the plot forward in such a negligible way that when things suddenly pick up in the last half hour, it feels needlessly rushed. A little less of Jeff’s boring backstory and a scattering more mystery and Spiderhead might have been a much better time.

Part black comedy, part sinister asylum break film, Spiderhead struggles to balance the pairing, ultimately doing neither considerably well. The humour isn’t particularly biting or subtle in its approach to oppression, but strikes a perhaps unintentional goldmine in Hemsworth’s completely unhinged performance. Where Teller acts as the audience surrogate, playing Jeff fairly straight-laced and devoid of personality, Hemsworth is the total opposite, relishing the chance to go full villain and chew the scenery as the 80’s music blasting, cheap pleasantry spewing sociopathic scientist. There isn’t much to the character underneath all this surface level sheen but Hemsworth is so committed that it is hard not to get swept up in the fun of the role. At a certain point you stop caring about Jeff’s predicament and just look forward to the next bout of Hemsworth weirdness.

Where Kosinski seems to have devoted most of his time (and budget) is in the antiseptic aesthetic of the actual Spiderhead facility – think a mad scientist’s dream James Bond villain lair. It’s a labyrinthine series of passages and cold, lifeless concrete that surrounds the prisoners of the island, and although they receive comforts in the form of personal rooms, video games and delicious meals, the presence of imminent danger always lurks; that Abnesti’s sinister plan could suddenly reveal itself and swallow everything up in an instant.

It all makes for a frustrating watch. Spiderhead nails the technical aspects of its production and Hemsworth is swinging for the fences with his wild performance but the connective narrative tissue just isn’t there. Teller is a bland protagonist – his story uncompelling – and the mystery of the prison’s activity unravels itself into a rote, lifeless reveal and generic final act fisticuffs. A perfectly serviceable film if you’re looking to kill a few hours, but Spiderhead unravels far quicker than it should.

5 / 10

The Black Phone

July 20, 2022
Stranger Things 4

July 18, 2022
Ms. Marvel

July 15, 2022

Tags Chris Hemsworth, Joseph Kosinski, Jurnee Smollett, Miles Teller, Netflix, Spiderhead

Movie Reviews

The Bubble

Post author By Mark
Post date April 7, 2022

The latest instalment in the Jurassic World franchise, Dominion, has had an extremely rocky road to release. As one of the few films to strive forward with filming during the initial stages of the pandemic, the production faced a seemingly never-ending slew of COVID-related struggles and when comedy directing icon Judd Apatow heard about it, well, he decided to make his own movie about that movie’s making. Confused? Don’t worry, watching The Bubble you’ll never be confused as to what is going on, just to why so little of it is actually funny. Apatow’s latest should be a scathing satire of the Hollywood production’s hubris and the larger-than-life figures that populated it; in reality it is a lukewarm series of disjointed, overly long jokes that don’t come together in any cohesive way to say much at all about anything.

With production for Cliff Beasts 6 forging on ahead in spite of the ongoing COVID pandemic, former franchise star Carol Cobb (Karen Gillan) is forced to reunite with her old cast-mates after a failed side-project almost derailed her entire career. As the cast and crew hole up in a palatial English estate it appears that old grudges are forgotten as the group – including the film’s stars Lauren Van Chance (Leslie Mann), Dieter Bravo (Pedro Pascal), Sean Knox (Keegan-Michael Key), Dustin Murray (David Duchovny) and director Darren Eigen (Fred Armisen) – party together and look forward to having another hit film on their resumés. When the realities of pandemic-era filmmaking settle in however – frequent PCR tests, sudden isolations, social distancing – the group begin to turn on each other and long for escape from their high-class prison. It is up to the film’s producer Gavin (Peter Serafinowicz) and his team of COVID-protocol staff to ensure that a film gets made and his actor’s survive the process.

The Bubble feels like a drastic departure for Apatow, whose style usually leans towards a mixture of witty, reference-heavy comedy and real-life situations and stakes. Here the absurdity of the whole situation is dialled up to eleven, in a clear attempt at satirising our collective human reactions to the pandemic and the quirks that come with it. There are flashes of relatable, hilarious observations – a montage of whacky responses to invasive PCR tests – but these are few and far between amongst the otherwise long, drawn-out sequences of actors bickering over poor scripts or going to insane lengths to survive their isolations.

One such sequence involves a cast member projectile vomiting on another cast member after vehemently denying being sick. It’s a shocking, viscerally disgusting moment that merits a laugh, but Apatow beats a dead horse by having more and more actors vomit for what feels like an eternity. This over-commitment to the bit happens in each and every big scene, to the point where the film feels more like a series of sketches sewn roughly together than a fully fledged movie with a central narrative. The only through-line here belongs to COVID and besides immediately dating the film as a product of this moment in time, Apatow forgets to write characters that are anything more than hollow caricatures of the spoiled Hollywood actor.

You could argue that Apatow is attempting to poke fun at that stereotypical rich, whiny actor but doesn’t have anything to say other than unfunny, mean-spirited jabs. Without characters that we can sympathise with, an actual story-line or decent jokes, the only thing the audience is left to be is bored; a fact that isn’t helped by Apatow’s usual overstuffed runtime. Still, the entire all-star cast commendably commits to even the silliest bits, making for some laughs in the ridiculousness of seeing Pedro Pascal and David Duchovny pulling off TikTok dances. Newcomer Harry Tevaldwyn deserves mention too; excellent as the film’s quiet but sharp-witted COVID officer, it is a shame he doesn’t have a better overall package to make his debut in.

The Bubble is a total misfire for Apatow, who proves with this film that his strengths lie in the grounded comedy-dramas of Knocked Up and This is 40 rather than this absurdist look at the pandemic. While his intentions are admirable and the concept is rife with comedic potential, the end-result is a painfully bloated and unfunny series of gags that fail to provide any new perspective on the pandemic that hasn’t already been beaten to death in the past two years through twitter jokes and memes. Like the virus itself, this is one pandemic-era product that should be left in the past, sorry to burst your bubble Judd.

The Bubble stars Karen Gillan, Pedro Pascal, Iris Apatow, Leslie Mann, Fred Armisen, Keegan-Michael Key, Kate McKinnon, Guy Khan, Peter Serafinowicz, Maria Bakalova & David Duchovny – Streaming on Netflix now.

3/10

Tags David Duchovny, Fred Armisen, Guz Khan, Harry Trevaldwyn, Iris Apatow, Judd Apatow, Karen Gillan, Kate McKinnon, Keegan-Michael Key, Leslie Mann, Maria Bakalova, Netflix, Pedro Pascal, The Bubble

Movie Reviews

The Adam Project

Post author By Mark
Post date March 18, 2022

The Adam Project is its name, nostalgia is its game and thanks to the re-teaming Free Guy duo of director Shawn Levy and star Ryan Reynolds, it does it well. A time-traveling adventure reminiscent of 80’s classics like E.T. and Back to the Future, Reynolds latest is at its best when it is tugging on your heartstrings or embracing the comedic patter the Deadpool actor is so well known for, in a way that succeeds far more than many of his recent projects, thanks to the addition of newcomer Walker Scobell. It is when The Adam Project feels the need to tick the Netflix blockbuster boxes that it is let down; with awfully trite villains, forgettable action set-pieces and a story that never gives characters outside of the central pair much time to breathe.

Struggling to return to a sense of normalcy after his father was killed a year ago, 12-year old Adam’s (Walker Scobell) life is thrown into chaos with the arrival of his older self from the year 2050. Injured and desperate to find his missing wife Laura (Zoe Saldana), this older Adam brings with him the threat of Sorian (Catherine Keener), a woefully underwritten big bad who made a fortune off the invention of time-travel, stolen from Adam’s father Louis (Mark Ruffalo). Realising the only way to prevent Laura’s disappearance is to stop the invention of time-travel altogether, the two Adams journey back to 2018, before their father died, in a last-ditch attempt for the trio to save the day and right the wrongs of the future.

On its surface, The Adam Project is the typical big-budget Netflix blockbuster. All the glossy bells and whistles have been thrown onto the screen in the action sequences, drawing from a host of obvious sci-fi action influences, and it all feels for naught. The action has such a clean and polished look to it that you never feel as if the characters are truly in danger, with Ryan Reynolds leaping around like a CGI rag-doll with a lightsaber. I’ve no doubt it may be the most spectacular thing in the world for a child who hasn’t seen the myriad of films these scenes are a hodgepodge of – and for a film so obviously emulating the Amblin movie spirit that’s a great thing – but for everyone else this aspect is easily the film’s weakest. For its part, the time-travel mumbo-jumbo is quickly dismissed as just that, acting to kickstart the adventure before fading away into the background.

After a slew of post-Deadpool Ryan Reynolds films where his rapid-fire wit has almost become a crutch at this point, The Adam Project is a rousing success in revitalising that comedic energy to hilarious effect. This is primarily due to Walker Scobell as the younger Reynolds, who is fantastic in capturing his wise-cracking smartassery in an endearing way. The problem that has frequently befallen many of Reynolds films is that no one is ever a real match in keeping up with his quick wit, so it makes sense that the best person to go toe-to-toe with Adam is… Adam. It’s a charming dynamic that never fails to put a smile on your face every time Scobell’s Adam comes back with an absolute zinger, also working as a kind of deconstruction of Reynolds schtick, turning it on its head and making him look like a fool more than once. It’s refreshing for an actor of his calibre to be so receptive to poking fun at his image, especially when that image essentially launched his leap to superstardom.

Where The Adam Project really succeeds – like Levy’s other Netflix project Stranger Things – is in its ability to evoke nostalgia to such an all-around endearing effect. From the production design of Adam’s childhood home to the music choices and even certain fashion choices, it all feels designed to evoke classic 80’s family and sci-fi films like E.T. and Return of the Jedi. That might seem like a surface-level coat of paint but Levy doesn’t forget to take the best parts of those films and apply it to his own: the heart. For a film that could be seen as a forgettable action romp, The Adam Project packs a surprising amount of depth into it, tackling issues of abandonment, resentment and unresolved father issues. Seeing the Adams and their father reunite makes for some flashy action set-pieces sure, but more importantly allows for some serious deep-diving into how Louis’ death has impacted his son at different points in his life and how the young Adam can directly impact his future. It’s the heavy, emotionally fulfilling stuff hiding under the surface that will surely leave the adults in the room with a tear or two while the young ones are busy having enjoying the fireworks.

The Adam Project both is and isn’t something of a surprise. As a big Netflix action film it hits every note it needs to with little we haven’t seen before, weighed down by a nonsensical story and poor villain. But – looking beyond that – this is a film with a surprising amount of heart, and one that completely revitalises the Ryan Reynolds formula thanks to a great pairing with up-and-comer Walker Scobell. As a wannabe Amblin, 80’s style action comedy, Levy knows exactly which buttons to hit, and while you won’t be yearning to travel back in time to experience this for the first time like some of its influences, The Adam Project is a fun enough throwback.

The Adam Project stars Ryan Reynolds, Walker Scobell, Zoe Saldana, Mark Ruffalo, Catherine Keener, Alex Mallari Jr. & Jennifer Garner – Streaming on Netflix now.

6.5/10

Tags Catherine Keener, Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo, Netflix, Ryan Reynolds, Shawn Levy, The Adam Project, Walker Scobell, Zoe Saldana

TV & Streaming Reviews

The Last Kingdom – Season Five

Post author By Tydus
Post date March 17, 2022

You’d be forgiven for letting The Last Kingdom slip you by over the years. The BBC-turned-Netflix production has been streaming for the better part of a decade now, and its final season rolled onto screens just last week. Similar to Peaky Blinders – another gritty, British drama set not quite as far in the past – this is a series that doesn’t arrive to the fanfare of a Stranger Things despite being fantastic television all the same. Instead, it has spent years quietly garnering an audience who come for the promise of big budget action sequences and a well-paced plot, but ultimately stay for the meticulous character arcs and rewarding story threads. Season five is nothing if not the absolute peak of what came before, successfully closing the book on its characters and storylines like few other shows have managed before. If you have even the slightest interest in character-driven drama with a large slice of action, The Last Kingdom is undoubtedly one of the best in the business.

As in previous seasons, the plot follows Uhtred (Alexander Dreymon), a Saxon warrior raised by Dane Vikings in the years where the two sides fought across a divided England. Quite some time has passed since the climactic events that ended the last season, and Uhtred now holds the peace in the north on behalf of Queen Aelthelflead (Millie Brady) and King Edward (Timothy Innes). Naturally, the peace quickly turns to chaos early on with the return of Uhtred’s former ally Brida (Emily Cox), who is now hell-bent on extracting revenge against him and those he is closest to. This spurs Uhtred and his band – Finan (Mark Rowley), Sihtric (Arnas Fedaravicius) and Osferth (Ewan Mitchell) – to run to the aid of his daughter Stiorra (Ruby Hartley) and Dane King Sigtrygger (Eysteinn Sigurdarson), with fears this could break the already uneasy alliance between the Saxons and Danes. What follows is a series of events spun together with moment-to-moment action, resulting in the return (and loss) of a number of the series’ most interesting personalities as the grand finale approaches.

The key to the show and this season in particular’s success is The Last Kingdom constant sense of pace and purpose. Much like the earlier seasons of Game of Thrones, this series has been built, beginning to end, from a successful collection of novels which the show veers very close to. This allows for character arcs to be completely planned with an ending in sight; each event or conversation feeding into the larger narrative and culminating in fantastic payoffs. The narrative is ultimately fixed, and not liable to sway with audience popularity like shows such as The Walking Dead. The writing may lack at times compared to the aforementioned Thrones, with several plot threads devolving into nothing of much consequence (particularly rife in season four). But these nitpicks rarely affect the overall package, never diluting the show’s incredibly fine eye for detail.

While Uhtred and his kin are fictional, the plot throughout The Last Kingdom is tied to actual historical events, figures and locations of the time. The significant battles between infamous rulers all play out as they do in the history books, and the show is able to deftly weave detailed stories around each of them whilst maintaining that larger accuracy. This approach grounds The Last Kingdom in realism, whilst presenting the human story at its core in a far more accessible way than some similar fantasy epics, despite its distant time period.

The whole effect is bolstered by the incredible locations and set pieces used throughout this season in particular. The dedication to capturing the period is clear in the intricate buildings, forests and towns that fill each frame and backdrop, and which work immediately to transport you to the time and place that each scene demands. Combine this with the frenetic action sequences often taking place in the foregroun and you’ve got something special on your hands – the excellently choreographed battles between large armies looking like something from a blockbuster film.

Yet despite all these strengths, the show’s greatest success lies with its characters. It’s rare to have a whole cast embody a group of personalities as well as they do here – to the point where it would seem bizarre to watch them play anyone else. Dreymond’s Uhtred continues to carry the show with his wide emotional range, and it is his character arc that is the most satisfying to bring to a close here in season five. With such a lengthy history and list of of allies and enemies at this stage, it is hugely entertaining to see how these past events dictate the final scenes he shares with characters such as Brida, Edward and Aelthelflead. New personalities do a great job in making their mark on the already expansive roster, with other long-term characters – Aelswith (Eliza Butterworth) and Haesten (Jeppe Beck Laursen) amongst them – also finding their long-awaited retribution this season. Each of the cast seem to take pride in the characters that they’ve brought to life, and most are able to capitalise on their own final chapters before things come to a close.

Concluding on a high note for a series so thoroughly consistent across its run is no easy feat, and by following a well-designed plot from start to finish, season five of The Last Kingdom manages what most other shows fail to do in their final outings – maintaining its strong momentum right up until the bloody end. The brutal action and general setting of the series may act as a barrier for some and it isn’t always as smart as the early seasons of Game of Thrones, but the fantastic character work and considered, exciting story threads place it among the top shows you need to be watching at the moment. If only all history lessons were as engaging and thrilling as this, some of us probably would have paid a little more attention in high school.

The Last Kingdom: Season 5 stars Alexander Dreymon, Emily Cox, Millie Brady, Timothy Innes, Eliza Butterworth, Ruby Hartley and Mark Rowley – Streaming on Netflix now.

9.5 / 10

Tags Alexander Dreymon, Arnas Fedaravicius, Eliza Butterworth, Emily Cox, Ewan Mitchell, Eysteinn Sigurdarson, Jeppe Beck Laursen, Last Kingdom, Mark Rowley, Millie Brady, Netflix, Ruby Hartley, The Last Kingdom, The Last Kingdom Season 5, Timothy Innes

Movie Reviews

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022)

Post author By Mark
Post date February 23, 2022

No sequel since 1974 – with the exception of the 2003 remake – has quite managed to evoke that same visceral feeling of total discomfort and unsettling grossness as The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. The latest attempt at recapturing the magic hails from Netflix and part of the creative team behind the excellent Evil Dead remake. Sounds promising? Not so. The 2022 reincarnation of Texas Chainsaw is another hollow sequel – this time following in the same legacy-sequel vein of 2018’s Halloween – filled with half-baked social commentary, godawful characters and only the faintest hint of an actual story. Some inventive kills and unintentionally hilarious moments provide something to latch onto, but by and large this is yet another carnage-filled swing and a miss.

When a group of friends – Dante (Jacob Latimore), girlfriend Ruth (Nell Hudson), creative partner Melody (Sarah Yarkin) and her sister Lila (Elsie Fisher) – move to the rural Texan town of Harlow in hopes of creating a gentrified, hipster-filled neighbourhood, they find themselves in trouble when their presence disturbs local orphanage owner Ginny (Alice Krige), causing a heart attack. With a busload of potential investors due in town at any moment, the group scramble to contain the situation and make the town presentable, with one small hitch: the hulking presence of Ginny’s adopted son, colloquially known as Leatherface (Mark Burnham). When news of Leatherface’s return is heard by ranger Sally Hardesty (Olwen Fouéré) – sole survivor of the original 1974 massacre – she heads straight into the belly of the beast for a showdown almost 50 years in the making.

It’s not a surprise that Texas Chainsaw Massacre is this bad. None of the recent sequels (2003 remake withstanding) have been the least bit successful in balancing an emotionally impactful story with the gore fans expect. But here’s the thing: Texas Chainsaw films don’t need an emotionally impactful story. The original masterpiece was never built around the complex relationships between its five innocent college student victims or the intricacies of Leatherface’s psyche. This was a crazy family terrorising a group of kids for the sheer deranged pleasure of it. By loading this latest film with such annoying characters – constant mouth-pieces spouting weak social commentary – it fails to build even the slightest connection with the audience, wasting a huge chunk of the runtime in the process. We’re talking about gun-control, gentrification and millennial cancel-culture and all of it completely falls by the wayside once characters come face to face with a roaring chainsaw.

Lila’s entire character revolves around her survivor mentality, having lived through a traumatic school-shooting, with several scenes highlighting her aversion to guns and the wounds she carries as a result of this tragedy. Just when you start to think we might have something of a rounded character on our hands she picks up an assault rifle without hesitation and unloads it into Leatherface. Now that might be a logical reaction to seeing multiple people dismembered before your eyes but why waste the time setting this character up in the way she is if it is never paid off. Similarly the cancel-culture references seem to be in there solely for a few very cheap jokes that completely fall flat. Who is all this for? Certainly not fans who want to see chainsaw goodness.

Once the killing starts the film’s pacing evens out but none of these scenes are particularly noteworthy for the franchise apart from the absolute hilarity of seeing Leatherface launch himself out of water like a scene from Free Willy or hurl a hammer at someone so hard they fly away like a football through the posts. The man is pushing 70 at this point and we’re expected to believe he can carve up a busload of people without dislocating a hip? Give me a break. A few inspired shots – a corn-field surprise is a terrifying and iconic image – and some decent jump scares help things out but can’t do much to alleviate the disappointment at Sally’s return. In what is clearly a pale imitation of Laurie Strode’s return in Halloween, Sally has a bone to pick with Leatherface, but if you haven’t seen the original film prepare to be confused.

We know that Sally has beef with Leatherface from one half-assed scene of her stroking a photograph of her friends and loading a shotgun as she listens to a police scanner. Cut to five minutes before the film ends when she finally arrives without so much as an introduction – even the characters in the movie are confused as to why she is even here – and that’s about it for our “legacy heroine”. It’s completely baffling as to why the filmmakers even bothered to include the character if they had this little use for her, playing a card that could have been far better utilised as the focus of a character-study deconstructing the trauma’s effect on her life. Sally joins a growing list of this franchise’s paper-thin characters; hell, even the guy who threatens to cancel Leatherface has more firepower up his sleeve.

If you like mindless, gory horror films without much substance then Texas Chainsaw Massacre might be for you, just be prepared to endure some painfully trite social commentary on the way to it. If you’re coming to this looking for that elusive sequel worthy of Tobe Hooper’s original then look elsewhere, say to (you guessed it) the 2003 remake? It might finally be time for Leatherface to put down his trusty chainsaw, haven’t we all suffered enough?

Texas Chainsaw Massacre stars Elsie Fisher, Sarah Yarkin, Jacob Latimore, Mark Burnham, Moe Dunford, Nell Hudson, Jessica Allain & Olwen Fouéré – Streaming on Netflix now.

3/10

Tags David Blue Garcia, Elsie Fisher, Fede Alvarez, Jacob Latimore, Leatherface, Mark Burnham, Moe Dunford, Nell Hudson, Netflix, Olwen Fouere, Sarah Yarkin, Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Articles & News

The January 2022 Wrap

Post author By Mark
Post date February 7, 2022

In what feels like a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, we’ve already run through the first month of 2022. Despite how quickly we seem to have left January behind, the start of the year did feature a huge amount of releases worth taking a look at (and some less so). For those that didn’t see a full review on arrival last month, here’s the wrap on everything else that kept us glued to our screens in January.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife

It would be easy to compare Ghostbusters: Afterlife to recent franchise revivals like Star Wars: The Force Awakens or Halloween and expect a nostalgia filled cash-grab of a trip down memory lane and to a certain extent it is. But more than that this is a revival from the person perhaps best qualified to revisit the Ghostbusters: Jason Reitman – son of original director Ivan Reitman – who tackles his father’s franchise with immense care and a penchant for the same whimsical tone that made the original film so much fun. When Callie (Carrie Coon), daughter of Harold Ramis’ Egon Spengler, moves into her recently deceased father’s dilapidated farmhouse with children Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and Phoebe (Mckenna Grace), they discover their grandfather’s ghost-busting history and are forced to pick up where he left off to protect the small town from a ghostly outbreak of gigantic proportions.

Carrie Coon is typically excellent in her supporting role and Paul Rudd shines as the quirky, slightly unhinged substitute teacher with an obsession with the Ghostbusters but the true strength in Reitman’s sequel lies with its younger characters. Mckenna Grace is the perfect lead, a socially awkward but brilliant young girl who forces herself into an uncomfortable but banter-rich friendship with fellow student Podcast (Logan Kim) as they stumble through the basics of ghost-busting. Not since IT have younger actors in a blockbuster been so compelling and not annoying; sure they make mistakes along the way and it’s endlessly fun to watch them do so but they aren’t the stereotypically stupid kids you usually see on-screen – capable of maintaining investing and adult conversations that allow Reitman to tell a story for all-ages that doesn’t feel like it panders to children. The set-up runs a bit long and the climactic showdown could have benefitted from some refreshingly smaller stakes and fewer cameos but if Afterlife proves one thing, it’s that the franchise is far from dead.

The Tender Bar

Clooney’s latest directorial effort is a good-hearted, if rather schmaltzy affair centred around the story of JR Maguire (Daniel Ranieri and Ron Livingston at times but mostly Tye Sheridan), a young boy forced to return home to his grandparents house with mother Dorothy (Lily Rabe) where he develops a close bond with his bar-owner uncle Charlie (Ben Affleck). Clooney directs without much flair or invention, opting for the overdone trope of cutting between timelines to show his audience the colourful characters JR is surrounded by without ever investing us in JR himself, who remains an un-engaging, blank slate of a protagonist throughout and never seems to develop any interesting personality traits of his own despite the unconventional occurrences happening around him.

All the other usual culprits of the coming-of-age film are here too – overused voice-over from a future JR, awkward sexual encounters and youthful drunk experiences – but it never makes the audience feel anything because we don’t care about JR in the first place. Where Clooney does succeed, however, is in his hiring of Affleck and Rabe, both of whom give excellently endearing and engaging performances of troubled, layered individuals who aren’t where they expected they would be in life and who desperately want to prevent the same from happening to JR in their own conflicting ways.

Spencer

Pablo Larraín has a thing for historically important women. He showed his hand once with the harrowing depiction of grief and responsibility in Jackie and now he does it again with Spencer, a psychologically draining look into one hellish Christmas weekend for Princess Diana (Kristen Stewart) as she battles for her individuality against the rigid rules of the Royal Family. Don’t let the stunning cinematography fool you though, Larraín’s film plays as more of a horror than a standard biopic; the luxury and strict practices of the Royal family slowly suffocating Diana as she desperately struggles to maintain her independence and prevent her children from being absorbed by it all.

Dinners carry a sinister, uncomfortable air; the resplendent decorations and sumptuous food overshadowed by contemptuous glares and stolen glances from the people that keep Diana at an arms length, her refusal to confirm creating an outcast rather than a chance for the family to embrace a different future. Stewart is rock solid in what many believe to be an awards-worthy performance, but the upper-class British accent can’t help but ring false after so much exposure to her usual gravelly tone. Nevertheless her performance perfectly captures the stress of a woman slowly falling apart at the seams and the overwhelming odds facing her in her attempt to change centuries-old traditions.

Archive 81 – Season 1

Based on the popular podcast of the same name this slow burn of a horror follows Dan Turner (Mamoudou Athie), a video archivist drawn into a web of demons and ancient cults when he is offered the chance to restore the video tapes of Melody Pendras (Dina Shihabi), a college student believed to have perished in a mysterious blaze in the 1990’s. An impeccable opening episode carefully sets up the framing device of Dan watching these tapes, as we come to understand his troubled past and the sinister conspiracy he has unknowingly become a part of. From here we follow Melody’s slightly less investing storyline as she interacts with the various tenants of her new apartment building; slowly coming to understand the strange link between the two, separated by a generation.

As things become more heated Archive 81 begins to stall, losing momentum by the sixth episode and crawling to a finale that while justified, is unsatisfying in how it presents a premise for the inevitable second season that is eerily similar to another huge Netflix property. That that other show managed to introduce the same concept in two hours compared to this shows eight is all the more disappointing, and while there is certainly room for the show to expand in new and interesting ways, for now it appears to be coalescing into the usual Netflix formula for the horror/sci-fi show. Special mention however, has to go to the indie directing team of Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, who continue to improve as they make yet another leap towards more mainstream content, crafting two of not only the best episodes of the season but of television in general in some time.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus

As one of the most ambitious projects rolling out this summer, Pokémon Legends: Arceus has quickly become one of the fastest selling games in the franchise’s history. Where previous entries stuck close to the successful formula that Pokémon was built on back in the 90’s, Arceus boldly and frequently steps outside the lines to mostly fantastic results. Instead of the standard linear adventure from one battle and random encounter to the next, you’re now set loose into sprawling landscapes full of unique monsters, characters and mysteries to solve around every corner.

A solid – if brief – storyline underpins the adventures you’re encouraged to create on your own, and it tends to take a more mature and nuanced approach than the usual ‘beat the bad guys’ plot from most of the previous entries. Is it the best looking thing you’ll see on a console this year? Most certainly not. It also doesn’t have the runtime of a usual Pokémon RPG, able to be knocked over in less than 20 hours if you’re really pushing forward. However most will forgive these slight flaws in return for the completely overhauled mechanics and sense of total freedom that Legends: Arceus offers, as well as what its runaway success means for Pokémon’s future.

The Eyes of Tammy Faye

Jessica Chastain transforms for the role of Tammy Faye Bakker; the always heavily made-up and perpetually cheery televangelist who, along with husband Jim (Andrew Garfield), became embroiled in a scandal that almost destroyed the pair’s devoted congregation. The Eyes of Tammy Faye is a fairly straightforward biopic in structure; a religious Wolf of Wall Street highlighting the opulence amassed by the Bakkers and their inevitable downfall. But it’s hard not to get swept up in the film’s infectious energy and become desperate to learn exactly what is going on behind the scenes of this all too perfect relationship; the film spinning us an image of these shysters in the same way the Bakkers did to their congregation, albeit with more of an insight into the darker side.

Nothing truly shocking is ultimately revealed but it’s enough to keep you entertained in tandem with Chastain and Garfield’s performances. They are simply riveting as the Bakker’s, with an innocent enough meet-cute evolving into a marriage plagued by power dynamics and emotional and spiritual manipulation. The tone never drops it’s overtly cheery facade but there is always a palpable sense of tension as you wait for the other shoe to drop. Chastain should easily find her way into the Best Actress race come awards season with a performance this layered underneath all the flamboyance.

Tags Archive 81, Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Netflix, Pokémon, Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Spencer, The Eyes of Tammy Faye, The Tender Bar

Movie Reviews

Don’t Look Up

Post author By Mark
Post date December 30, 2021

Adam McKay’s transition from raunchy Will Ferrell-starring comedies of the mid 2000’s to political, hot-button issue skewering satire continues with Don’t Look Up, a star studded affair that deals with humanity’s inability to fully engage with scientific fact in the face of a deadly crisis. It isn’t a particularly subtle look at the current climate issue, beating you over the head with messaging at every chance without offering much by the way of actual solutions, but McKay does succeed in creating an uncomfortably accurate depiction of inaction within our society. While that may sound like a depressing watch, the performances keep you locked in and the comedy, while not as consistent as you would think, flows fast enough that there is almost always a laugh to be had, even if the situation itself is anything but funny.

After making a startling discovery that a comet is heading towards Earth, the impact of which will cause the extinction of life as we know it, Professor Randall Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio), graduate student Kate Dibiasky (Jennifer Lawrence) and Dr. Teddy Oglethorpe (Rob Morgan) set out on a desperate mission to make those in charge aware of the impending doom. Their quest quickly becomes a comedy of errors as, after being laughed out of the White House by Trump-adjacent President Orlean (Meryl Streep) and her son/chief-of-staff Jason (Jonah Hill), Mindy and Kate attempt to appeal to the American public through the entertainment industry. When Mindy starts to let his newfound fame go to his head, abandoning Kate in the process, he is left to to pick up the pieces of his shattered life as the government launch a desperate mission to put a stop the comet, as long as it means they profit.

In a world where Hollywood pandering has become, in some instances, worse than ever (did we all collectively forget last year’s godawful viral “Imagine” cover?) Don’t Look Up’s message rings a little hollow. While there’s no doubt that McKay means well and obviously cares very much about the issue he is espousing, it’s hard to shake the knowledge that this is a 75 million dollar film. Couldn’t that money have been better spent actually contributing towards climate research and tangible results rather than hoping a 2 hour film would convince people to switch from plastic to reusable water bottles? McKay employs a haphazard editing style at times – splicing in images of people huddled together or nature in its element – to further highlight how widespread the issue really is, but apart from being mildly nauseating with its speed, it never hits the way it is intended; bludgeoning us with the message instead of building it naturally around the characters.

Whatever your political leanings about climate change it’s hard to argue with how accurately McKay has managed to portray society’s collective tendency to reject harsh truths, seeking out the comfort of falsified media and happy, throwaway news items to distract us from reality. Tantamount to this are DiCaprio and Lawrence’s characters and the pair do an excellent job conveying the exasperation of their science being completely swept aside despite the very real and pertinent warning it carries. Kate is far less diplomatic in her approach to delivering this message, favouring a blunt approach and making for some hilariously awkward moments when placed in front of a camera and forced to play nice on morning television. Mindy is the opposite, a quiet man prone to extreme panic attacks which DiCaprio hams up to great effect, a nervous wreck of shivering anxiety and nervous ticks that explodes into some harsh, often gut-bustlingly funny rants.

The finest performances, however, come from two supporting players. Jonah Hill is the best he has been since The Wolf of Wall Street, clearly relishing playing the snarky son of the president who has only got his position through sheer negligence. His smarmy, under his breath delivery is anything but hilarious, with a eulogy for the myriad of physical items that will be lost if the world ends a particular stand-out. Then there is Mark Rylance as Peter Isherwell, an amalgamation of tech giants ranging from Jeff Bezos to Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk. It’s a ridiculously over-the-top performance, from the nasally, carefully measured cadence Rylance employs to the artificially white smile he flashes despite his “genius” ideas blowing up in his face at every turn. But in a film with a cast this stacked there are bound to be a few weak links, and perhaps the weakest is Ariana Grande – playing a painfully exaggerated pop-star – whose big fundraiser performance scene stops the film dead in its tracks; a bizarre detour that robs the momentum going into the big finale and one that only feels present to showcase Grande’s voice, regardless of its relevance to the plot.

It’s hard to imagine a film with as good a cast as Don’t Look Up just being fine, but alas, Adam McKay’s latest film places too much emphasis on hammering the audience with its message that it forgets to embrace the over-the-top hilarity that the situation and these actors present. DiCaprio and Lawrence anchor the film in the way you would expect from actors of their calibre, but it is Jonah Hill and Mark Rylance that steal the show, offering brief glimpses at what the film should be had it fully embraced the zaniness it only dabbles in. A perfectly watchable experience while you are in it, Don’t Look Up never provides too many reasons for anyone to ever look up at it on the screen again. We get the point Mr. McKay, but what’s Ricky Bobby doing these days?

Don’t Look Up stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Cate Blanchett, Mark Rylance, Jonah Hill, Rob Morgan, Tyler Perry, Timothée Chalamet, Ron Perlman, Ariana Grande, Scott Mescudi, Melanie Lynskey, Himesh Patel, Michael Chiklis, Chris Evans & Meryl Streep – Streaming on Netflix now.

6.5/10

Tags Adam McKay, Ariana Grande, Cate Blanchett, Don't Look Up, Himesh Patel, Jennifer Lawrence, Jonah Hill, Kid Cudi, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Rylance, Meryl Streep, Michael Chiklis, Netflix, Rob Morgan, Ron Perlman, Scott Mescudi, Timothée Chalamet, Tyler Perry

Reviews TV & Streaming Reviews

The Witcher – Season 2

Post author By Tydus
Post date December 28, 2021

Much like the myriad of monsters that rear their ugly heads throughout the series, Netflix’s The Witcher is a strange beast. With an enormous amount of existing lore available, an incredibly passionate lead actor and early expectations that the series could be the next Game of Thrones, more than a few were disappointed to receive a relatively average first season – one that was built on a needlessly complicated timeline and characters in desperate need of chemistry. Despite an initial run that would have spelt an end to many other Netflix originals, The Witcher managed to build enough goodwill to warrant a second shot at getting the formula right. It’s a good thing too, as the series finds redemption here in season two; a focused and intimate cut of Witcher world-building that sets the series up for years to come.

Following the explosive finale of season one, monster-hunting and magically-enhanced Witcher Geralt (Henry Cavill) departs for his home of Kaer Morhen after uniting with his ward Princess Cirilla (Freya Allan). Upon arrival, they are welcomed by Geralt’s mentor Vesemir (Kim Bodnia) and the other remaining Witchers while Ciri begins to find a place for herself amongst her new surroundings. Elsewhere, the now powerless mage Yennifer (Anya Chalotra) is captured by an opposing army and forced to forge an uneasy alliance with the enemy’s chief mage Fringilla (Mimi Ndiweni) and elven sorceress Francesca (Mecia Simson).

As far as a synopsis goes, there is admittedly much to take in there – and it says nothing about the vicious monster hunts, political subterfuge and numerous references to existing lore that underlie just about every episode along the way. Yet where the first season of The Witcher tried to overwhelm viewers with (often needless) information, throwaway characters and an erratic timeline that shifted with every episode, season two succeeds in concisely and logically delivering most of these complex pieces naturally.

Central to all of this success is the partnership between Geralt & Ciri, who spent the entirety of the first season chasing each other from one disaster to the next, building relationships with minor characters who were mostly forgotten by the time the credits began to roll. By pairing the show’s two leads from the start, this season successfully makes the most of the tried-and-true father-daughter narrative from the novels. Cavill’s well-documented dedication to not only his character but to the wider world of The Witcher is evident in all of his scenes; Geralt is increasingly torn between his role as a stoic protector to Ciri and the empathetic guiding hand she desperately needs. Ciri herself is brought to life excellently by Allan, as her character transitions from a damsel-in-distress to a young woman more than capable of handling herself. Chalotra’s wayward sorceress Yennifer also fares better than last season, given a storyline that humanises and defines her character in a way she never was before.

These three key characters do a great job at carrying the audience through each episode, however you’re still bound to miss a casual reference to some of the show’s deep source material or find yourself lost when characters start rattling off terms like the ‘White Flame’ or the ‘Brotherhood of Sorcerers’ in quick succession. Where the show struggles is balancing the fine line between accessibility for newcomers and the expectations of decades-long, dedicated fans who are completely immersed in the novels of Andrzej Sapkowski. Often these deep cuts fly too fast and furious, forcing the less well-versed viewer to wrack their brains for a previous casually mentioned line or simply hope it is integral going forward. While you won’t need to understand all of these references to appreciate the wider events that unfold (and some may even be inspired to explore some of the other media featuring The Witcher because of them), they are frequent enough that casual viewers may feel like they’ve dropped into season four or five of a complex fantasy show without much to immediately fall back on.

Despite whatever amount of pre-existing knowledge audiences come to season two with, most will definitely be able to appreciate the show’s blockbuster effects, intricate settings and frankly amazing monster designs. The Witcher is certainly not short on budget, and season two presents some of the sharpest CGI and set designs that Netflix has dedicated to a series. The numerous monsters are almost always as menacing and imposing as they sound, and the choreography during each battle is generally well done. Many of the show’s characters are adorned in meticulously detailed outfits that are usually about as high-fantasy as the genre can get – from Geralt’s intricate armour sets to Fringilla’s imposing gowns later in the season. A huge amount of work has also gone into bringing the world’s dense forests, dilapidated castles and crowded towns to life alongside a sweeping musical score that sets the tone in each scene. In saying all of this, it is unfortunate that the first episode – ‘A Grain of Truth’ – easily features season two’s weakest offerings in terms of character design, effects and general plot development; a shame given that some audiences may lose interest before the show truly finds its feet in the following episodes.

All in all, Netflix’s The Witcher is a show dedicated to its fans. Whether these are newcomers who were introduced to the franchise via Netflix or those who have been following since the books or games, season two does an excellent job of developing its characters and world in places where the first season struggled. While you will get the most enjoyment out of it with some pre-existing knowledge and events can also become needlessly complex at times, you are rewarded for following along as the plot and relationships unfold. Not quite the next Game of Thrones just yet, but season two of The Witcher proves to be a cut above many other Netflix releases in 2021 – and the future looks bright.

The Witcher stars Henry Cavill, Freya Allan, Anya Chalotra, Mimi Ndiweni, Mecia Simson, Kim Bodnia, Eamon Farren & Joey Batey – Streaming on Netflix now.

7.5 / 10

Tags Anya Chalotra, Eamon Farren, Freya Allan, Henry Cavill, Joey Batey, Kim Bodnia, Mecia Simson, Mimi Ndiweni, Netflix, The Witcher

TV & Streaming Reviews

Cowboy Bebop (2021) – Season 1

Post author By Mark
Post date November 30, 2021

No one was begging for anime classic Cowboy Bebop to be remade as a live action series, but it’s 2021 and nothing can stop the juggernaut that is Netflix from its mission of creating every possible piece of potentially profitable content. Cynicism aside, the stakes were high; Bebop is a beloved pillar of the anime world and fans weren’t exactly chomping at the bit for Netflix to get ahold of the property after the disaster that was Death Note. Nevertheless the streaming giant has tried their hand at bringing the show’s unique blend of sci-fi, western and film noir to live-action and the result is largely positive: a fairly safe recreation that manages to carry that same rebellious spirit to a new, intriguing world. The few changes it does make to the source material never improve the story in any significant manner and the look and tone of the show won’t be for everyone but Cowboy Bebop is still a worthwhile investment for existing fans and newcomers to the franchise.

For the uninitiated, Cowboy Bebop follows the adventures of bounty hunters Spike Spiegel (John Cho) and Jet Black (Mustafa Shakir) as they struggle to make ends meet attempting to collect on all manner of problematic bounties. Later joined on their ship, the Bebop, by amnesiac Faye Valentine (Daniella Pineda) and corgi Ein, the crew inevitably cross paths with The Syndicate, an underground crime organisation controlled by Vicious (Alex Hassell); a ruthless psychopath with a complicated history and score to settle with Spike. As their work begins to attract more and more attention from The Syndicate, including his old flame Julia (Elena Satine), the group is forced to come together to help Spike confront Vicious and the life he left behind.

Thankfully, a lot of Cowboy Bebop feels similar to the original series; chiefly due to the presence of series creator Shinichirō Watanabe (as a creative consultant), composer Yoko Kanno’s iconic jazz score and the fact that the episodes themselves are more often than not an exact recreation of an episode of the anime. Whilst this may be a divisive decision for some fans, Cowboy Bebop remains a somewhat niche series for mainstream audiences, and the decision to transfer some of the anime’s best episodes across to live action works both as a primer for new audiences and as a perfect showcase for the actors taking on these roles. A sci-fi western with elements of film noir isn’t exactly an easy sell and the show does an excellent job of introducing the audience to the world and slowly drip-feeding them the more unconventional elements, to the point where a dog-fearing clown assassin becomes par for the course.

Where the show does walk that tightrope between reverence and accessibility the most shakily is undoubtedly in its presentation. This is a cheesy show, almost to the point of looking downright cheap at times – in everything from character’s costumes to certain production design – giving the whole affair a B-movie feel. While this does tend to help sell the more whacky elements the show introduces with something of a wink and a nod – the aforementioned clown assassin, environmental terrorists that employ grenades that turn people into trees – it often prevents the show’s heavier elements from landing with any kind of emotional weight.

Take Vicious’ storyline for example. A deranged, psychotic mafia don who wields a katana makes for one hell of a wild card of a villain and works within the confines of the show’s corny tone. But Vicious’ story largely takes place separately from the adventures of the Bebop, dealing with heavy elements of family legacy and betrayal through a complex, politically charged succession narrative towards the head of The Syndicate. It’s one thing to laugh at Spike pining over a bowl of noodles to celebrate a job well done, but when you shift focus to a white-haired assassin constantly moaning about about how hard done by he is as the son of the most powerful man in the galaxy, and the show expects you to take this seriously, things have slipped too far into absurdity. Add to that some truly awful, cringe-inducing dialogue and Cowboy Bebop takes on a wildly disjointed feel between these two warring tones. Alex Hassell fully commits to the role, but it’s all in vain when the show is constantly working against him.

Thankfully that can mostly be forgiven due to some absolutely pitch perfect casting in John Cho and Mustafa Shakir. It’s rare that an actor so totally embodies a character – Robert Downey Jr. being the obvious example as Tony Stark – but thanks to Cho the cocky, lazy bounty hunter with a heart of gold, Spike Spiegel, seamlessly makes the leap from animation to live-action. Everything from the costuming and hair-styling to the the way Spike puffs away on a cigarette feels faithful to the source material, with new depth found in the subtle glances and body language that Cho employs to make these rehashed storylines feel fresh and exciting for fans to see again. Shakir similarly expands upon the character of Jet, particularly the relationship he currently has and wishes he had with his estranged young daughter. The mixture of Spike and Jet’s banter and a complicated partnership of trust underpinned by secrets makes for an endlessly entertaining duo, with the eventual introduction of Daniella Pineda’s Faye only strengthening the fun of these interactions, even if Faye herself doesn’t make for the most intriguing character.

That’s all to say that Netflix’s adaptation of Cowboy Bebop isn’t the completely dumpster fire that it could have been, far from it in fact. A career-defining performance from John Cho and strong turns from Mustafa Shakir and Daniella Pineda ensure that the crew of the Bebop loses none of their charm in the transition from anime to live action; that strange world of space cowboys and underground jazz bars still as enrapturing and endearing as it was over 20 years ago when the original show aired. Like that show it won’t be to everyone’s tastes and some jarring tonal shifts and poor writing hold it back from being must-watch television but for fans or newcomers ready to dip their toes in the water, Cowboy Bebop is a fine time. See you, space cowboy.

Cowboy Bebop stars John Cho, Mustafa Shakir, Daniella Pineda, Elena Satine, Tamara Tunie, Mason Alexander Park, John Noble & Alex Hassell – Streaming on Netflix now.

7/10

Tags Alex Hassell, Cowboy Bebop, Daniella Pineda, Elena Satine, John Cho, Mustafa Shakir, Netflix