Krithika Sundar

Finally an old school rom com with good banter, cute storyline and hot looking actors. As a millennial who grew up in an age of wonderful rom coms I’ve been dying for something like this for a long time and who else better to be in it if not for Kristen Bell. The woman can wear a trash bag and act and I’d probably watch it because she’s that good. The story feels very updated for 2020’s but still had the usual tropes of rom coms and it felt comfortable. Everyone was casted perfectly and I can’t wait for season 2.

I want to get the negatives out of the way: I think it’s safe to say that Blake Lively is a horrendous actor. I’m not sure why she was cast as Lily Bloom. The movie handles a very important subject matter and all Blake does is smile a lot, stutter and constantly has the worst expressions for anything serious. Lily’s outfits should never see the light of day. I said what I said. The actor that plays Atlas is somehow competing with Blake Lively with his acting. He just kind of grunts thru the entire movie and can’t even cry properly. Lastly the rooftop scene that Ryan Reynolds wrote was horrendous. Maybe Ryan should let the real people like Justin Baldoni write and direct the movie and he can go back to being Deadpool/himself which is the only thing he’s really good at. The subject matter isn’t very in the face but a major theme in the movie. I appreciated the movie was about survival and leaving an abusive situation rather than romanticizing it. I really hope someone in a similar situation sees the movie and gets help. That’s the real impact of the movie. Positives: Justin Baldoni’s acting, knowing that he’s the villain of the movie his every facial reaction was scary to watch, the beautiful color palette of the movie and the scenes where younger Lily and Atlas are hanging out. It genuinely made me so happy and I was smiling the whole time. With all the bad press this movie got I didn’t hate the movie. It was pretty good and enjoyable. I do think that Justin probably had more ideas that didn’t translate on to paper because of the drama going on behind scenes and I would have loved to see that version of the film if it exists.

The only way I know how to sum up this show is - Great Acting wasted on a mediocre script. Every actor did their best but the story never went anywhere. The finale has a big twist that never shook the status quo. I still liked the show, it’s not the worst thing I’ve seen.

I’ve seen season 1 two times so I think I’m qualified to write a review. Whether Netflix makes good quality shows or not the production values will always be top tier, this show was no different. For 7 mill an episode I thought the production was top notch and I wanted to see more of this world. I just realized that it’s based on a book and on a rewatch I’d love to read the book and deep dive into this world as the show did not really do a good job of it. There is a murder mystery at the heart of the show which is why our hero comes back from ice and into a new body/sleeve to find who killed Laurens who is a very rich meth in the settled world. The show tries to juggle many aspects like immortality, wage differences, classism and poverty as the poor people are dying to get sleeves that they can’t afford. Excellent themes on paper but not enough time was taken to flesh out these stories which is my problem with this show and something that Netflix does on these book adaptations. They never take the time to understand the world the author imagined which is what HBO does best A.K.A. this small show called GoT. The show has way too much nudity which doesn’t bother me much but it was overdone which is not what I want to see. Maybe they could have done other storylines then showing all the lead women nude. All the side characters except Poe and Elliot are average at best. The actors that played Ortega and Rei are mediocre and borderline annoying. One thing I will say and probably die on that hill is that Joel Kinnaman is an excellent actor. He will give 110% when doing any project. Anyone who’s seen The Killing would agree. I’ve been a fan of his work for so long and I’m happy to say he’s not the problem. I know I complained a lot and still have 4 stars because it was a good show that I wanted to see till the end due to the production values and Joel Kinnaman. The story was engaging and it went by quickly.

As a fellow indian I knew I had to support Dev Patel in his directorial debut and I was happy I did. I loved this movie and I would definitely watch it again. Is the story very original? No. I’ve seen many Tamil and English movies with the same plot but what sets it apart is how various threads of the society are woven together into a unit. Dev touches on India as a country from politics to classism to even the transgender community. Rather than giving some kind of rant about how we should be as a society it shows us the reality. I thought that the movie had way too many sides to it and it would be messy but I was pleasantly surprised at how well it meshed together with the overarching story. I loved the symbolism in many places of Hanuman as well. The one issue I have is that the cinematography could have been better which I realized once my friend told me. The shots sometimes are very crazy and hard to concentrate to the point it shows that Dev Patel was doing a lot of stuff at once. If one shot is slick the rest is haphazard. Lot of people said the movie is trying to be John Wick but it didn’t feel like that. John Wick is a very organized assassin whereas Monkey Man maybe is influenced a little by John Wick but is a completely different person. You can see and feel a common man fighting against all odds. For a directorial debut I was pleased with the end product and enjoyed this movie. Dev Patel is definitely in my radar and I’m very interested in his upcoming ventures as an actor and director.

I started this show on a whim thinking it would be trash but was genuinely surprised. The show is about a lawyer who gets recruited into the CIA but has a dead end job of going through mindless threats against the CIA vetting each one. What’s the worst that could happen right? Boy oh boy does Owen get caught up with a former asset called Max. It goes downhill from there for him in a job that will tear him apart. The show doesn’t pick up for the 1st couple of episodes but I weathered through and was rewarded with a fun premise and easily likable characters that you root for. My only qualm is that the show doesn’t know what it wants to be. A comedy thriller or a dramatic thriller. Everyone at the CIA talks in code and hate each other. The working environment of the CIA in regards to other shows is very boring which I throughly enjoyed. It’s not all that sexy as it is on Homeland that’s for sure. Most of the people are at desk jobs and don’t see any of the fast paced action in real life which felt relatable. The plot is not anything completely new but the twist at the end was definitely not something I expected. Noah Centenio who plays the lead is charming and very charismatic in this role. There’s a reason Netflix will not let this man go and I saw it in this show. He’s smooth and can warm up any conversation. Plus he’s adorable. He’s an actor I’m definitely watching out for. Take a chance and watch this show. It’s fun and great to watch.

I haven’t seen a good rom-com in ages. They don’t make them like they used to but this movie was a step in the right direction. I liked Camila Mendes as the lead. She’s charming enough and her fashion sense is on point. I enjoyed the actor who plays Archie. Someone said it’s similar to The Devil wears Prada and I can see the similarities but it is different from that. If you want to have a good time and not look too deeply into the storyline it’s a fun romcom. Hoping to see Camila Mendes in more roles in the future.

I thought this show wouldn’t be great when my friend told me to watch it plus it’s not really my cup of tea either but boy was I surprised. I enjoyed the show from start to finish. There was an overarching story that didn’t stray from what it was intending to do and I appreciate that. The story does go into Christianity which doesn’t bother me much but the characters and their interactions is what makes the show. There is always a positive message and carries the show even in if it is dark at times. Shoutout to the actor that plays Micheala. She’s a phenomenal actor and so is Josh Dallas. The show really picks up in season 3 and never hits the breaks. If you’re bored and want to watch something just watch this show. It is worth it.

If you know the type of content Donald Glover makes case in point Atlanta which is a show I love then you’d be prepared for this show but it didn’t hold up to my standards. I loved the original movie and I knew that this would be different when Donald’s name was attached but it didn’t live up to the hype. Slick production values and prominent guest stars don’t make up for bad writing. The idea that the creators had for this concept of who Mr and Mrs Smith are doesn’t work with this show. The leads don’t have chemistry. There were glimmers of it but I didn’t see it come through. I also wanted to mention that they don’t look like trained assassins. Any good action scene that could have been never came because the camera would gloss over it and that was it which was probably due to the fact Maya and Donald never trained for the action scenes(as I see it). There’s a scene where Donald fights a man in the snow and it was laughable, clearly the sequences were choreographed in a day or something. Each episode veers off into a territory of their relationship as a couple which is fine by me if done right but doesn’t work well enough to be threaded into the plot of show. All John wants is to leave this business whereas Jane wants to stay in it and if this comes as a season 2 plot makes more sense. There’s an episode where they meet another John and Jane couple which is a waste because it had a glimpse of being an AMAZING episode but nope. It’s just frustrating how they could fumble a show that has such great potential for various story arcs. I’m just disappointed because I like high octane action thrillers but this wasn’t my cup of tea coming from someone that enjoys Donald Glovers type of humor and writing.

I was skeptical to watch this show and now I’m happy that I did. The first two seasons are perfection. There was not one problem I could find. It was amazing to watch real life events mixed with fictional ones. One stand out is the actor that plays Pablo Escobar. His acting is nothing but perfection. Even though Pablo doesn’t say much the actor showed so much emotion through his eyes and body language. It looked like he really understood the larger than life figure. Pablo Escobar is a horrible man but the way Wagner portrayed him you can feel the ups and downs of his life and how he tries to prove to everyone who he is while being delusional that these crimes will never catch up to him. Even I felt pity in the last episode of season 2 and understood his agony that his family is not with him. I hope to see this actor in more movies and tv shows because his acting deserves to be seen by everyone. It was nice to see each event that made up Colombia’s history through this show episode by episode as there were so many angles starting from police, politics, DEA and CIA was a smart move that keeps the audience engrossed. As an audience member I could understand the fatigue in catching these Narcos and the toll it takes on mental health which was never brushed under the rug. The show does not glorify the crimes of the cartel which says a lot because it shouldn’t be. The damage all the crimes caused to so many families is heart wrenching and no one deserves that. I do hope people of Colombia are in a much happier place. On a happier note this show is a must watch and should be lauded.