Tandav is a Slow-Paced Political Thriller That Squanders its Strong Acting Performances
If you saw Tandav’s trailer, you might have already seen the warning signs. Sure, the show boasts a stellar cast and a director (Ali Abbas Zafar) who is known for directing Salman Khan blockbusters, but its story is overblown and…
Outside the Wire is an Average Sci-Fi Action Flick that Raises Important Questions (And Fails to Answer Them)
Outside the Wire is one of those Netflix action movies that seem promising at the first glance, but end up underperforming despite having good elements. Described by some reviewers as a cross between Terminator and Training Day, it takes place…
Vikings Delivers Fitting Endings for its Characters in Final Season
Vikings has travelled down a long and bumpy road since the death of its first protagonist, Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Flimmel). While the seasons since then haven’t been perfect, they remained engaging enough- and maintained the excellent production values for long…
Cobra Kai Continues to Entertain in Season Three, Balancing Character Development with Crazy Action Set Pieces
Cobra Kai has never shied away from embracing the absurdities of its premise and characters. In doing so, it has created a self-aware show that is both adorably corny and true to its characters. Originally made for Youtube Red, the…
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Shows Flashes of Brilliance in Rushed Final Season (and Makes Several Problematic Decisions)
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina has always been unapologetically cheesy, wacky and soapy since its first season. Over the last couple of years, however, the show has bloated in size as both the scope and cast of characters grew considerably. After…
Alice in Borderland is a Tense, Brutal Take on the Battle Royale Genre that Raises Questions about the Humanity of its Characters
Adapted from the manga of the same name by Haro Aso, Alice in Borderland is a modern take on the tropes popularized by the likes of Battle Royale and Saw. It’s definitely as brutal as the latter, and the way…
AK vs AK is a Clever, Meta-Take on the Age-Old Clash Between Bollywood Royalty and Outsiders
AK vs AK has an ingenious concept at the heart of its narrative: a meta-story about the quintessential clash between a star and a director driven up to eleven. If you are into Bollywood’s dynasties and lineages, you might be…
Sound of Metal is a Searing, Unnerving Look at a Man Learning to Live After Losing Everything
Sound of Metal could have easily been a saccharine, tugging-at-your-heartstrings affair. It follows Ruben (Riz Ahmed), a recovered addict and metal drummer who discovers that he is losing his hearing. Instead of wallowing in misery, director Darius Marder and co-writer…
Wonder Woman 1984 Stumbles More Often than it Succeeds, Despite Some Good Performances
Originally slated for a December 2019 release, Wonder Woman 1984 has definitely had an interesting- and fraught- path to theaters and HBO Max. Due to the pandemic, it has become the only superhero movie release of 2020, and in a…
Mank is a Time Capsule of Old Hollywood, Centered around a Burnout Screenwriter (Who Went On to Create History)
Mank is one of those films that, despite having all of the elements for success, fall just short of being great. Directed by David Fincher and starring heavyweights such as Gary Oldman and Charles Dance, it focuses on disgraced screenwriter…
