Arya-Francesca Jenkins

A seriously great film about a group of human beings and artists who create a LT workspace and PT living space in a secret location in the Providence Mall. The artists used the space mainly to plan their projects, which included a 9/11 tribute that took five years to complete in NYC. SECRET MALL APARTMENT is about gentrification and the gentle but persistent pushback of artists who, systematically rejected a capitalist system that increasingly excluded them. Very timely. And with lessons and wisdom for all out-of-the-mainstream creators who have similar visions. Inspiring and heartfelt.

As far as kitchen dramas go, the four-part first season of Boiling Point, a riveting and compelling BBC drama, is one of the best. The story is based in the real-life experiences of director Philip Barantini and features the interwoven stories of a cast of culinary misfits, each of whom is teetering on a personal edge. The acting and direction are outstanding and there is no lack of heart-rending, moving scenes, whose intensity seems to amplify in the tight, tense environment of a professional kitchen. Highly recommended.

An extraordinary, moving film, deeply respectful of the journey and suffering of all involved in the horrific crash of the plane carrying a Uruguayan rugby team and their friends in the Andes in 1972. Having read the book and seen the documentary and having been in my teens when the actual event occurred, I can honestly say that few survival stories about the traumatic experiences of young people have gripped me as much as this one. This film is not easy to watch on any level, but it is worth it, not only for being beautifully acted, written and directed but, most importantly, authentic in describing the intensity of struggles through which humans can prevail. An epic tale of survival, it transcends ordinary story-telling, becomes myth and parable for all. Its tragic and painful moments are countered in the end by jubilation, thankfully. Society in the Snow was directed by J.A. Bayona and narrated by Numa Turcatti, a friend of one of the guys on the Uruguayan team who joined the fateful flight.

This took a while for me to get into but I was hooked midway first season and nearing the end of season two, I find the gripping storyline and characters have only grown on me. Despite the occasional sentimental overacting, straight, macho preferences/choices, and over direction, which I attribute both to the Spanish culture and the series director, the story is by turns brutal, entrancing and compelling, and the acting and characters, superb, especially Najwa Nimri, who plays Zulema and is alternately horrifying and hilarious portraying insistent evil. VIS A VIS/LOCKED UP is a must watch for anyone who is a fan of powerful crime series and women's prison dramas.

I'm actually watching this series a second time. Intense. Brilliantly acted, directed and written. About loyalty, power, deception, vengeance, retribution and reconciliation as a world of (mostly) women tries to negotiate a livable existence behind bars. A truly gripping series that rarely let's up, its incomparable power stemming mostly from the acting, and its allure, from the complex emotional bonds forged among inmates and staff. There should be spinoffs from this series. The characters are that strong and the storylines compelling enough to suggest futures for several beloved characters. A must watch.

I'm on season one and late to the party, as the saying goes, so four stars is fair considering this early review. The cast is stellar. Tom Mendelsohn's performance as prodigal son Danny is particularly unforgettable. He reminds me here of early Mickey Rourke. The murky dialogue is appropriately realistic and actually makes the viewer lean into the nuances of often complex exchanges among family members. Bloodline is an extraordinarily well-wrought, intense drama about family conflicts that will undoubtedly strike a lot of chords, especially if you've had a dark and conflictive upbringing among impulsive, guilty, greedy, shadowy family members. Nothing is simple or easy. Like life and like the struggles of certain families, greed, competence and perfection are constantly vying here with simple humanity and its better qualities. This Key West noir does not disappoint.

This is a one-man tour de force by Jake Gyenthal who holds the audience by the neck for this entire twisted, hairy emotional ride. The film's tension is unrelenting and leaves much to the imagination, in the best sense, although from time to time this viewer had to remind herself to breathe. The subject is the mental health of a police officer and, as in life, there are no pat answers or clear resolutions. The Guilty leaves no doubt about the power and range of its lead actor, and the film is extremely well done. Well worth watching. On Netflix.

Excellent, engrossing and ultimately very moving account of a long search that ultimately yielded horrifying truths and possibilities.

Only on the third episode but am riveted. My only criticisms--how many times is Anna going to break a dish or spill wine? And secondly, her little girl went "to work" with her dad who happens to treat serial killers and is then left alone by her daddy in a locked room in a prison with a cannibalistic serial killer?--yeah, right. There's stretching credibility and then there's lol absurdity... But I'm still watching. A parody, right? Gotcha. I see Hitchcock and about a half dozen other books and movies in this addictive concoction of intrigue. There can be no more compelling character than a wine-swilling, pill-popping hardly credible female witness to...Not fair to rate yet, but they're making me, so...

An extraordinary, deeply disturbing documentary about the horrific abuse suffered by an 8-year old child at the hands of his mother and her fiance and of the system that failed him. The focus is on court proceedings and witness accounts that are as riveting and gut-churning as the evidence. An important and unforgettable story of child abuse and accountability. Highly recommended