Zoe Hoffman

I'm usually not a massive Marvel fan, but I gave this show a try and I am so glad I did. The show is amazing. I was originally turned off by what seemed like the overtly liberal political agendas they were pushing through some of the characters. However, it didn't go entirely in that direction and I quickly found myself binging the show and putting off school in order to finish an episode. I find that most Marvel shows are cheesy and cheap, but this one is an exception. Each plot is well-written, and each character is unique and charming in their own way. The music is great, the relationships are great. Everything about this show is pretty much as good as a show can get. Yes, it does have some majorly liberal hot points that can get undeniably annoying, but for the most part, it's engaging and just plain fun. Would definitely recommend to anyone, regardless if you're a Marvel fan or not.

An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn is easily one of the most unique, dumbest, and strangest movies I have ever seen, but that's what made it so good. Seriously, i don't get why more people haven't seen this film. From the unique and creative storytelling, the stupid lines, and the brilliant performances (Plaza and Clement in particular were incredible), it's an all-around hilariously entertaining film. It requires an open mind when going in, because it's certainly not this dramatic masterpiece that you might expect from some of Plaza's other work. It might just be because I am a massive Aubrey Plaza fan, but I think it genuinely is just a fun film. It's the perfect film for anyone who is a fan of awkward movies such as Napoleon Dynamite, except I actually might've enjoyed this one a lot more. So honestly, whether you're a fan of any of the cast or not, An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn feels like a cult classic, and anyone who doesn't take things too seriously WILL enjoy it.

Why Ingrid Goes West is labeled a comedy is honestly a complete mystery to me. This film is rather a deeply depressing, somewhat scary look into the dark world of social media obsession, and on a larger scale, the tragedies of mental illness. Sure, the film will make you occasionally laugh, but for the most part, it's the kind of disturbing film that leaves you with an unsettling feeling for a long time. Now, that is not to say that this movie is bad. It's actually one of the most entertaining and intriguing movies I've seen in a LONG time. And that's not just because I'm a sucker for all things Aubrey Plaza. The film is unbelievably good for Matt Spicer's directorial debut, and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the script. It's seriously a solid movie. Ingrid Goes West follows Ingrid Thorburn (Plaza), a deeply unstable woman with an obsession with social media and the influencers that flood it. The strange but somehow brilliant aspect of Ingrid's character is that pretty much nothing is revealed about her past, but it doesn't matter. Ingrid carries herself, and despite knowing nearly nothing about her background, she's a force that needs no explaining. After being blocked by Charlotte, a woman who Ingrid had stalked online and soon stalked in real life, and then being sent to an asylum of sorts, Ingrid discovers Taylor Sloane (played by the incredible Elizabeth Olsen), an Instagram it-girl with a life that Ingrid envies. Using the money that her late mother left her, Ingrid moves to California to meet and befriend Taylor, all while trying to build her own social media presence. After finally befriending Taylor through a series of cringe-worthy but entertaining actions, Ingrid starts to get her idea of a 'perfect life'. She's gaining plenty of followers, is best friends with her Insta idol, and starts a romantic relationship with her landlord, Dan Pinto (one of the only truly likable characters in the film, played perfectly by O'Shea Jackson Jr.). But it's not until the second half of the film comes along that Ingrid's true psychotic behavior comes into play. She starts going crazy when Taylor's horrible brother Nicky is introduced, along with his girlfriend, whom Taylor starts to choose over Ingrid. Through an hour-long series of chaos, Ingrid breaks down, and it becomes obvious that this woman is seriously crazy. The ending is just scary, but I won't go into that. What I found most intriguing about Ingrid Goes West was that it was never entirely clear who was the victim, and who was the villain. At times, it seemed like Taylor was the villain when she abandoned Ingrid in favor of more popular influencers, but then the roles quickly switch throughout the entire film. You at times feel bad for both Taylor and Ingrid, but at the end of the day, it's obvious that Ingrid is the one who warrants the most empathy, when her obsessions and insecurities about her own life start to destroy her entire character. The performances were what really shined in this film. Plaza, obviously, can take really any role and make it her own, so her performance was spectacular. Olsen was equally as talented, which I was surprised by. For the most part, however, it's Plaza that shines and makes the movie what it is. It's clear that she is very, VERY good at playing a psychopath (as made clear by her role as Ingrid, as well as Lenny Busker in Legion). At the end of the day, Ingrid Goes West is just a strange, thought-provoking, disturbing, at times terrifying, but just plain fun movie. It's certainly not a breezy, easy watch, and it will leave you thinking about it for a long time, but it's GOOD. Definitely one of my new favorite films.