10s Movie Review - The Girl in the Spider's Web

Director: Fede Alvarez
Genre: Drama/ Thriller/ Crime
Runtime: 115 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Claire Foy, Sverrir Gudnason, Lakeith Stanfield, Sylvia Hoeks, Stephen Merchant

Description: Young computer hacket Lisbeth Salander (Claire Foy) and journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Sverrir Gudnason) find themselves caught in a web of spies, cybercriminals and corrupt government officials.

Review: A new introduction to Lisbeth Salander, it takes some time to get used to. The main character from the popular “Millennium” book series by Stieg Larsson and David Lagercrantz is blown up to almost mythical proportions in “The Girl in the Spider’s Web”. Standing in front of a big screen she seems like an avenging angel. Her face covered up partially by her hoodie, nonchalant lighting a cigarette. Her mission: punish men who (sexually) abuse women. She even added some white makeup around her eyes, like some sort of superhero mask.
The title seems to refer to the network of predators (pedophiles, rapist, abusers), but “The Girl in the Spider’s Web” hardly deals with this theme. The film is based on the fourth book in the series, which wasn’t written by author Stieg Larsson, but by journalist David Lagercrantz. And to be honest, it’s noticeable that the material has gone from Larsson to another writer. Especially when we’re looking at Lisbeth Salander, she is further from the character’s origin.
The ‘spiders’ appear to be leaders of a crime syndicate. The do everything to get codes from an online nuclear weapons program, byt masterfull hacker Lisbeth is trying to stop them. In this film she sometimes even feels like a female James Bond.
This cyberthriller has lots of bizarre twists, but has a high tempo and is well shot. And director Fede Alvarez manages to create some stylish scenes. Most attention goes to Lisbeth, and not to Mikael Blomkvist. His character is not very prominent in this film and sometimes even feels like he didn’t need to be there. When Stieg Larsson wrote the first books, they centered around Lisbeth and Blomkvist and their relationship. Claire Foy had big shoes to fill. Noomi Rapace portrayed Lisbeth Salander in the Swedish trilogy and Rooney Mara played her in the American version of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”. Foy does a good job, but not as good as her predecessors. We can see Foy is a very versatile actress, since she also plays the role of Queen Elizabeth in series “The Crown”.
It's a given that the original series from Sweden is the best and I don’t think that will even change. “The Girl in the Spider’s Web” is a good effort, but since the books have been written by someone other then Stieg Larsson and it already feels different, the movie suffers from that too.

Rating: 3 / 5

TV Show Review - The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez

Season: Mini Series
Genre: Documentary
Number of episodes: 6

Description: Filmmaker Brian Knappenberger investigates the tragic death of an 8-year-old California boy who endured horrific abuse by his mother and her boyfriend, along with the fractured and complex system that failed to protect him.

Review: In 2013, 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez dies in a Los Angeles hospital, caused by trauma. He has been tortured by his mother and her boyfriend. Fernandez is no stranger to the system: an entire series of professionals and non-professionals, from social workers to co-workers, have been in contact with the family and called it in. But still the abuse continues. And when Fernadez dies, the news hits the people hard. Because why didn’t anyone do anything about it? And why was Gabriel still living there? But most important, who is responsible for it?
Filmmaker Brian Knappenberg wants to answer these questions in six episodes. He follows the prosecutors trying to prosecute Gabriel’s mother Pearl and her boyfriend Isauro Aguirre. We also see former employees of the Californian bureau of child care, as are journalist of the Los Angeles Times. We see how several people tried to help Gabriel, like his teacher and a security guard, but when they reported it, nothing happened. And some people even lied about it and falsified documents to cover that up. Abusing a child, torturing a defenseless young boy, that’s unforgivable. But knowing about it and looking away is just as terrible.
“The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez” has a big impact and is heartbreaking. It is beyond me how so many people abandoned Gabriel and didn’t do anything to save him from the abusive environment he was living in.
It’s a beautiful documentary series, which will definitely grab you and make you think.

10s Movie Review - Pride

Director: Matthew Warchus
Genre: Drama/ Comedy
Runtime: 120 minutes
Year: 2014
Starring: Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, Dominic West, Paddy Considine, George McKay, Andrew Scott, Russell Tovey

Description: U.K. gay activists work to help miners during their lengthy strike of the National Union of Mineworkers in the summer of 1984.

Review: Most British citizens are familiar with the miner’s strike in 1984, as a protest to the announced closing of the mines. People who went through this period remember it very well and it’s a story that has been told to children and grandchildren. It’s a very sensitive topic, still for many people. But one special occurrence during these strikes never got a lot of publicity, which is the focus of the film “Pride”.
During the strike, the miners and their families were struggling, because they had no income. That’s why fundraising campaigns were held. The in London based ‘Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners’ (LGSM) decide to also campaign for them and raise money to support them. But when they want to hand the union the money, that’s a problem. Because taking money from gays, that’s unheard of. They eventually find a union in Wales, that does say yes. The LGSM travel to a little town in Wales, but most citizens aren’t happy about them. They have prejudices and don’t really welcome them with open arms. But the two very different groups connect.
That “Pride” is based on real-life events makes this film extra strong. With that, many ingredients of a feel-good movie are present. The combination of emotional elements, humor and personal development of the characters make you think about films like “Billy Elliot” and “The Full Monty”. And since both those films are amazing, “Pride” can certainly be added to this line-up.
The screenplay is very strong but the fantastic cast also lifts this film to a higher level. Imelda Staunton and Bill Nighy can’t do wrong off course, but also the young George MacKay, who has the biggest part of the ensemble, manages to show of his talent. The journey of his character Joe, from being a shy guy growing to be confident man comfortable with who he is, is really strong. But the actor that steals the show is Dominic West, as the flamboyant Jonathan, who you can simple not dislike. His dance scene is one of the highlights of the film.
“Pride” is one of the rare films that has substance, entertainment and soul.

Rating: 5 / 5

TV Show Review - Tiger King (Mini Docu Series)

Season: Mini Series
Genre: Documentary
Number of episodes: 7
Year: 2020
Starring: Joe Exotic, Carole Baskin, Bhagavan Antle, Jeff Lowe, Howard Baskin, John Finlay, Rick Kirkman, John Reinke

Description: A rivalry between big cat eccentrics takes a dark turn when Joe Exotic, a controversial animal park boss, is caught in a murder-for-hire plot.

Review: Don’t expect an informative series about the dark world of exotic animal trading. “Tiger King” is the hit documentary series now streaming on Netflix, with crazy individuals and surprising plot twists.
“Tiger King” follows an ongoing feud between eccentric zoo keepers in the South of the US. Joe Exotic breads tigers and animal rights activist Carole Baskin wants to stop him. The taunted Joe Exotic has to find a way to end her actions.
Joe Exotic is a ‘character’ that any TV creator would dream of, so the words are from a local presenter. Blech blond hair with a mullet, glittery cowboy outfits, emotional, gunslinging and openly gay. This last must have not been too easy in conservative Oklahoma. And he is the owner of a zoo which mainly has big cats, that he breads himself and he cuddles with them a lot.
His opponent Carole Baskin is, at first sight, a bit more conventional: a cat lady wearing cat prints and working hard for her cause. But when you look closer, Carole isn’t that different from Joe. She claims to be an animal rights activist, be she also keeps her big cats in cages and makes money of visitors. All the staff works there voluntarily and doesn’t get paid. And she has her own dark little secret, since Carole’s rich, adulteress husband has been missing for years.
Joe and Carole could have filled this documentary series easily. But directors Rebecca Chaiklin and John Goode managed to find even more eccentric cat lovers and they form the ‘supporting cast’. Most of them have a criminal record and a drug addiction. And they all start out as lovers of lions and tigers, but eventually exploit their animals for money, sex and love. One uses baby tigers to lure pretty women in Las Vegas and another uses them to lead his cult-like life with his harem. We even see one moment were a tigress is giving birth to cubs and as soon as the cub is born, its taken from the mother and shown to the public. And not only the animals are exploited, the people that work for them as well. Who is the bad guy in this scenario? Well, they all are. All the zookeepers and even the so-called animal rights activist use their animals as a form of entertainment without thinking about their well-being.
The series gets a strange twist, when Joe is caught up in a murder-for-hire plot. And it almost seems like a bad written script created by someone who was drunk. That makes this series even more crazy.
This is not a balanced, informative documentary about the dark trades in felines. This is not a balanced, informative documentary about the dark trade in felines. “Tiger King” first wants to amuse with spectacle, crazy individuals and strange plot twists. And it’s a silly, weird and startling series.

10s Movie Review - The Good Liar

Director: Bill Condon
Genre: Drama/ Thriller/ Crime
Runtime: 109 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Helen Mirren, Ian McKellen, Russell Tovey, Jim Carter

Description: Consummate con man Roy Courtnay (Ian McKellen) has set his sight on his latest mark: the recently widowed Betty McLeish (Helen Mirren), worth millions. But this time, what should have been a simple swindle escalates into a cat-and-mouse game with the ultimate stakes.

Review: If you have actors like Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen on board, it doesn’t really matter much anymore what you make them do. Even if you let the Lady and Sit read the phone book, you know that you have a guarantee of craftmanship, even if the scenario they have to propagate leaves a lot to be desired from time to time. You can easily forgive an inevitable but artificial plot twist in a thriller about an older couple in love.
With this adaptation of Nicolas Searle’s book, director Bill Condon puts at least all the cards on the table. At least so it seems. It is a well-known fact that online dating is done for one’s own good. The distinguished Roy and the charming Betty not only lie about their names on their first date, but also about whether or not to smoke and drink. Well, if that’s all…
But we soon find out that Roy is an outright crook who’s out to take all of Betty’s money, which are many millions. Roy is a smart seducer and relentless. Roy and Betty get a strong bond very quickly after Roy’s knee supposedly causes him problems, so Betty asks him to stay with her. Grandson Stephen doesn’t trust Roy for a second and can only watch him sweeping Betty of her feet.
“The Good Liar” starts out as a standard thriller where one is conning the other, but there is more to it. Eventually. Just have patience, because it’s a bit of a slow movie, and you will be rewarded. If it weren’t for the twist, even though it’s not completely credible and it all seems a bit too perfect, this film would be too basic and not memorable at all. It’s still a movie you can easily forget, but you will remember Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen’s strong performances and great interaction.

Rating: 3 / 5

80s Movie Review - The Untouchables

Director: Brian De Palma
Genre: Action/ Crime
Runtime: 119 minutes
Year: 1987
Starring: Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, Andy Garcia, Robert De Niro, Patricia Clarkson, Charles Martin Smith

Description: During the era of Prohibition in the United states, Federal Agent Eliot Ness (Kevin Costner) sets out to stop ruthless Chicago gangster Al Capone (Robert De Niro) and, because of rampant corruption assembles a small, hand-picked team to help him.

Review: Due to the prohibition, the empire of Al Capone blossoms like never before. He is too big to deal with by the police. Policemen fear revenge if they would do it or have been bribed by Capone’s men. However, Eliot Ness is going to put a stop to this. He gathers 3 men around him who will go to extremes to get Capone behind bars.
The first of the three is Jim Malone, a street cop who happens to meet Eliot. However, he hasn’t been a street cop all his life and has a lot of knowledge of fighting crime and gives Eliot important lessons. Next there is agent George Stone, a very accurate and loyal policeman. The last is gent Wallace, who is an accountant by nature, and get some more insight on Capone’s finances.
The entire atmosphere, the setting and the characters are what make this film great. Old Chicago is portrayed beautifully. All main character have enough depth and development to gain sympathy for them.
The most memorable and iconic scene is the one in the train station. It’s filmed so well and it has so much tension. This is a lesson in film by itself. So is the scene at the round table, where Capone ‘deals’ with one of his guests and later the camera has an overview and you see what happened.
With gangster films like “The Godfather”, “Scarface” and “Goodfellas”, this is one you would easily forget or overlook and that’s a shame. Because it’s a fantastic crime film.

Rating: 4 / 5

10s Movie Review - Midsommar

Director: Ari Aster
Genre: Drama/ Horror/ Thriller
Runtime: 147 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, Will Poulter, Vilhelm Blomgren, William Jackson Harper, Ellora Torchia, Archie Madekwe, Henrik Norlén, Gunnel Fred, Isabelle Grill, Agnes Westerlund Rase, Julia Ragnarsson, Mats Blomgren, Lars Väringer

Description: A couple travels to Sweden to visit a rural hometown’s fabled mid-summer festival. What begins as an idyllic retreat quickly devolves into an increasingly violent and bizarre competition at the hands of a pagan cult.

Review: With “Hereditary” director Ari Aster had a dream debut. The horror genre is a tough genre to rise in, since it lacks originality, but Aster manager to stand out. It also resulted in a fantastic leading performance by Toni Collette, that was totally ignored by the Academy, but that happens often with movies like this. Little more than a year later, Aster brings us “Midsommar” and it shows that his debut wasn’t just a lucky shot. Again a horror film that shows how great he is with visuals. And the first original part is that it’s a horror film in broad daylight. I can’t really explain fully what I just watched, but I am going to try. One thing is sure, it’s a good film that will haunt you for a while.
“Hereditary” was in basis a family drama that eventually turned in to a horror film. “Midsommar” presents itself as a relationship drama that undergoes a similar transformation. Dani and Christian are a young couple and their relationship is a bit lost. Christian has tried to end the relationship, but after Dani loses her parents and sister in a strange suicide pact, Christian decides to stick with her for a while longer. Since it would send Dani into a deeper depression. Christian thinks he can escape from all the misery when he plans a trip to Sweden with his friends. Eventually he asks Dani with him on the trip.
The Americans don’t take the typical eurotrip. One of Christian’s friends is Pelle, a Swedish exchange student, and they travel to his hometown. It’s not your standard village, but a commune that fully surrenders itself to pagan rituals during a 9-day mid-summer festival. It gives you an insight in the different culture, but you also know that this idyllic place has a dark side. Aster takes his time, it’s a so-called ‘slow burn’. There are hints along the way. Fortunately, during that descent into madness (which takes increasingly grotesque forms) the relationship drama is never lost. Even in the somewhat absurd finale, this remains the backbone of the film.
Despite this, “Midsommar is unmistakably a horror film, but in many ways Aster manages to avoid the conventions of the genre. Like the black friend in the company is not the comic relief this time, but and anthropology student with serious interest in the Swedish traditions. And, as I mentioned before, the fact that most of the film is set in broad daylight instead of during night time. And doing this and still manage to make this film creepy as it is and very disturbing, is a talent on its own.
“Hereditary” had all the film press applauding, but the big audience was a bit indifferent about it. And that will not be different for “Midsommar”. It’s dares to be different and doesn’t compare to any modern day horror films. No jump scares, no stereotypical characters or predictable storylines. Aster made some long shots, without cutting away and gives them time. As a viewer you feel discomfort settling in and it stars to feel a bit uneasy. “Midsommar” is not for everyone. but when you open up it, you can expect something you haven’t seen before.

Rating: 4 / 5

10s Movie Review - Child's Play

Director: Lars Klevberg
Genre: Horror
Runtime: 90 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Aubrey Plaza, Mark Hamill, Tim Matheson, Gabriel Bateman, Brian Tyree Henry

Description: A mother (Aubrey Plaza) gives her 13-year-old son (Gabriel Bateman) a toy doll for his birthday, unaware of its more sinister nature.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2020 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 13: A REMAKE

Review: Not Brad Dourif voicing Chucky, no story of the spirit of a serial killer possessing a doll, not Don Mancini working on it. How can a “Child’s Play” remake happen? The original isn’t exactly a masterpiece and this version of “Child’s Play” isn’t a true remake. It’s more a new take on the story, translating it to modern day technology. And it makes for a surprisingly fun horror flick.
The Buddi doll is on the market and it is an electronic device that can be connected with several other technical appliances in a household, like your television or thermostat. After a conflict with his boss, a Korean programmer sabotages one of the dolls, which make for this Buddi doll doesn’t have limits. It can use violence and it can curse.
When saleswoman Karen gets a return of this doll at her store, because it doesn’t function properly, she takes it home for her son Andy. Since they just moved and he is wearing a hearing aid, it’s hard for Andy to make new friends. At first, Andy has lots of fun with his Buddi doll, whom is now called Chucky. But it quickly starts acting weird.
Horror movie remakes are most often really bad. And it looked like that was the fate of “Child’s Play”. Especially since the reason why Chucky is the way he is was changed drastically, nobody really had any faith in this project. But it works, surprisingly enough. And this is why. The film is very self-aware and knows what it is. It took advantage of the rating and the film is really bloody at times. And there are some really original deaths in this film. And for the most, the acting isn’t bad at all. And it’s a really funny horror movie. It takes advantage of the silly premise of a doll killing people.
The film is predictable at times, because you know exactly who will probably live or die. And the family dynamic and most characters are pretty stereotypical. And even though Mark Hamill voicing Chucky excellently is a big thumbs up, the look of Chucky is awful. There is this one scene where Andy is trying to teach Chucky to look scary and you watch him trying to do that for a few minutes. This happens early on in the film and I just couldn’t unsee it.
When you’re a “Child’s Play” purist, which I am by no means, you will hate this movie. Because it took a complete different route with the character’s origin. But without that baggage, “Child’s Play” is a lot of fun.

Rating: 3/ 5

TV Show Review - The Handmaid's Tale (Season 2)

Season: 2
Genre: Drama/ Thriller
Number of episodes: 13
Year: 2018
Starring: Elisabeth Moss, Yvonne Strahovski, Joseph Fiennes, Max Minghella, Alexis Bledel, Anne Dowd, Bradley Whitford

Description: Set in a dystopian future, a woman is forced to live as a concubine under a fundamentalist theocratic dictatorship.

Review: “There is more than one kind of freedom… Freedom to and freedom from. In the days of anarchy, it was freedom to. Now you are being given freedom from. Don’t underrate it”.
“The Handmaid’s Tale” had a wonderful start, season 1 was fantastic and very captivating. And season 2 is also fantastic. Although, June’s life isn’t and it’s not getting any better.
There are so many heavy themes this series deals with: child marriage, rape, slavery, abuse, oppression and dictatorship. But the scariest parts is maybe the inability to do anything about it.
There is a constant fight going on. Not only the fight between good and bad, because the show isn’t that black and white. We see the emotional fight of Serena, the fight between Serena and June, the fight between the establishment and them thinking it's so good what they’re doing. The right to self-determination, to decide as a woman what you want to eat, drink, carry and who you want to love.
“The Handmaid’s Tale” is filmed beautifully in a dystopian world that used to be America. Gilead is seen through the eyes of the women, wearing red, blue and grey. You can see the children’s faces, that never asked for this and grow up thinking this is normal. And the cruelty of the men and women higher up the ladder, who think they have the wisdom.
Serena's battle is beautifully performed by Yvonne Strahovski. How broken June is, is shown in the fantastic performance Elisabeth Moss delivers. But Fred Waterford’s brute force, which Joseph Fiennes more than excellently portrays, is also a feast for the eye and ear. It’s for a reason that all three have been nominated an Emmy Award and Moss even won a Golden Glove for her role.
Gilead pulls the viewer into the world that seems so far away, but it actually lives around the corner. A world were June is forced to live in, which is cruel and bloody. When you think everything is going to be okay, things get even worse. It seems like there is no light at the end of the tunnel and that a world like this cannot become better. Happiness is not a word that describes Gilead. The last few episodes of this season is full of tension and you still have hope, but inside you know it will no
t get better. And I will no longer think that anyone in this series will ever find happiness, as long as they live in Gilead.
This series surprised me so much, it’s daring and doesn’t shy away from confronting situations and themes. And, like its first season, season 2 is strong from start to finish.

10s Movie Review - Doctor Sleep

Director: Mike Flanagan
Genre: Thriller/ Horror/ Drama
Runtime: 151 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Kyliegh Curran, Cliff Curtis, Carel Struyken, Bruce Greenwood, Henry Thomas, Jacob Tremblay

Description: Years following the events of “The Shining”, a now-adult Danny Torrance (Ewan McGregor) must protect a young girl with similar powers from a cult known as The True Knot, who prey on children with powers to remain immortal.

Review: It’s not a secret that author Stephen King wasn’t happy with Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of “The Shining”. In 2013 King released the sequel to his novel, called “Doctor Sleep”, where the story focuses on son Danny. What happened to Danny after the traumatic events in the Overlook Hotel and how is he dealing with his gift?
After everything that happened in the Overlook Hotel, Danny and his mother have picked up their lives. When Danny is twenty, his mother passes away and he starts wandering through the US. Like his father, Danny can’t stay away from alcohol. He eventually ends up in a small town in New Hampshire, where he starts working as a hospice. His visions and his gift he tries to put away as far as possible.
As appears, Danny is not the only one with ‘the shining’, as this gift is called. There is a group, led by the mysterious and charismatic Rose the Hat, that live off the powers of those with the gift. When a young boy disappears by the hands of this group, young girl Abra seeks contact with Danny. She also has the gift and together they will try to stop Rose and her macabre group.
The title, “Doctor Sleep”, refers to Danny’s ability to console dying patients. And the film is not a series of repeats from the first film. Stephen King presented a bigger universe, where Danny’s gift is still unique but he is obviously not the only one anymore. “The Shining” had an oppressive feel because of the setting. And even though this film has a bigger setting, it still gives you this feeling at times.
Ewan McGregor is really strong in this film, but it’s Rebecca Ferguson as a very convincing villain and the young Kyliegh Curran that steal the show.
If you saw the trailer, you would think that “Doctor Sleep” is pure fan-service, since you can see young Danny on his tricycle, the scary maze, the twins, the door that Jack broke with the axe and the sea of blood in the hallway, they are all present. As fans of “The Shining” it’s one big feast. But in the film it’s only short and dosed, purely for visual reference and all very functional.
Flanagan definitely learned from Kubrick, but he didn’t copy his predecessor. And this is fantastic, because “Doctor Sleep” is its own film without leaning on the success of “The Shining”. Especially the camera work is spectacular and daring and shows how techniques have been perfected over the years.
Also a tiny detail that made me happy is the fact that they kept the book title and didn’t call it The Shining 2 or whatever, to lure more people to the cinema. Since the title doesn’t shout out it is a sequel.
Directing a film that’s a sequel to one of cinema’s most iconic horror film is a big task and it could have gone wrong. But “Doctor Sleep” is a fantastic film, has psychological complexity and gets under your skin. I loved it!

Rating: 4 / 5

80s Movie Review - Stripes

Director: Ivan Reitman
Genre: Comedy
Runtime: 106 minutes
Year: 1981
Starring: Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, John Candy, Judge Reinhold, Sean Young, P.J. Soles, Warren Oates

Description: John (Bill Murray) and Russell (Harold Ramis) are dissatisfied with their jobs and decide to join the army for a bit of fun.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2020 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 12: A COMEDY

Review: Bill Murray already worked with director Ivan Reitman and actor/ director Harold Ramis before. Movies like “Caddyshack”, “Meatballs” and “Stripes” were the prelude to the record-breaking “Ghostbusters” that came out in 1984.
In “Stripes” we follow John Winger who works as a taxi driver and clearly hates his job. After dealing with an uptight upper-class customer, John decides to quit his job. And that’s only the beginning of this terrible day. When he returns home his car is taken and his girlfriend breaks up with him. Not knowing what to do next, John decides to enlist in the army after seeing an add on TV. His friend Russel, who is working as an English teacher, joins him. Once in the army, John and Russell are put in a group led by sergeant Hulka. And it’s not an easy group to control.
“Stripes” is a typical 80s comedy, that probably wouldn’t work as well were it made today. That doesn’t mean it isn’t funny because it is. And the humor mainly comes from the situations and character John. And Bill Murray, who plays John, is the king of sarcasm. I’ve always loved his humor and it really shines here. And Murray doesn’t even have to try, it comes natural to him.
If it weren’t for Bill Murray, this comedy wouldn’t even be remembered. Because the story is quite forgettable, a bit silly at times and also messy. And seeing this movie was made in the 80s, the female characters don’t really have a lot of substance and are merely there for the purpose of the eye.
“Stripes” does have its moments and Bill Murray is definitely the main reason to watch this comedy.

Rating: 3/ 5

10s Movie Review - Edge of Darkness

Director: Martin Campbell
Genre: Drama/ Thriller/ Crime
Runtime: 108 minutes
Year: 2010
Starring: Mel Gibson, Ray Winstone, Danny Huston, Frank Grillo

Description: As homicide detective Thomas Craven (Mel Gibson) invstigates the murder of his activist daughter, he uncovers a corporate cover-up and government conspiracy that attracts an agent tasked with cleaning up the evidence.

Review: Mel Gibson hasn’t been in too many films in the 2010s. “Edge of Darkness” was one of them. The plot isn’t all that original. Gibson plays detective Thomas Craven. He is spending time with his daughter Emma. When she is feeling sick and Thomas is trying to get her to a doctor, someone shoots and kills Emma. Thomas does everything do find the person responsible for this.
Surprisingly enough director Martin Campbell wasn’t surprising and fresh for this thriller, when you come to think that he also directed “Casino Royale”, where he blew new life into the James Bond franchise. It’s a straight-forward thriller which follows the standard path.
They did try hard, because when a story is so standard you have to work harder to keep your audience’s attention. It does have some good fight scenes and car chases, but not enough to save the entire film. And the ending was not all that surprising.
“Edge of Darkness” is by no means a terrible movie, it’s just not original and it’s all been done before. With a bit more guts, this thriller could rise above average.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

10s Movie Review - Ford V Ferrari

Director: James Mangold
Genre: Drama/ Action
Runtime: 152 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Matt Damon, Christian Bale, Tracy Letts, Jon Bernthal, Josh Lucas, Caitriona Balfi, Noah Jupe, Ray McKinnon

Description: American car designer Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale) battle corporate interference and the laws of physics to build a revolutionary race car for Ford in order to defeat Ferrari at the 24 Hours of le Mans in 1966.

Review: Some stories are so Hollywood, that no one believes it untill Hollywood filmed them truthfully. The genesis of the Ford GT40 is one of those. An almost childish quarrel between two car manufacturers is finally fought out on the asphalt of Le Mans. The price turns out to be high: many millions disappear in a contest between two men who have their names on cars and factories, but want to prove that they have the biggest. Or in this case: the fastest.
It's a ‘David and Goliath’story. The great Ford, who made more cars in an hour than Ferrari would in a year, was above all the epitome of solidity. Ferrari, on the other hand, was sporty, sexy and exclusive. But also broke. When an acquisition that should have helped both manufacturers ended in nothing, it became personal. And the best place for this was at Le Mans, the most prestigious motorsport event of the year, which moreover, had been dominated by Ferrari for years.
Director James Mangold decided to go more Hollywood for this film. Take for instance the two great leads: Matt Damon and Christian Bale. Matt Damon plays Carroll Shelby, a blue-collar car builder and Bale portrays the rebellious race car driver Ken Miles. Their characters have definitely been made more Hollywood for entertainment purposes. And the same goes for the Ford and Ferrari people.
“Ford V Ferrari is at its best when the relationship between man and machine (because women are relegated to the smallest possible supporting roles) is highlighter in these ways. A ratio that is tested extremely during the famous 24-hour race on the Le Mans circuit in 1966.
But the creator’s ambition goes further: this is also a film about the boring Ford’s attempt to break through the racing dominance of the slick Ferrari in the 1960s. a heroic portrait of two American racing cowboys, designer Shelby and the driver Ken Miles against a pair of Italians. And “Ford V Ferrari” is never subtle. The opponent is caricatural, but somehow this approach is entertaining. It provides much-need perspective in the battle for the best ‘toy’.
“Ford V Ferrari” is a good underdog-type story with strong performance by especially Christian Bale. But overall it’s a story with no subtlety and lots of stereotypical characters. The perfect story for a Hollywood film.

Rating: 3,5 / 5

TV Show Review - The Handmaid's Tale (Season 1)

Season: 1
Genre: Drama/ Thriller
Number of episodes: 10
Year: 2017
Starring: Elisabeth Moss, Yvonne Strahovski, Joseph Fiennes, Max Minghella, Alexis Bledel, Anne Dowd

Description: Set in a dystopian future, a woman is forced to live as a concubine under a fundamentalist theocratic dictatorship.

Review: Let me just start by telling that it’s a fantastic first season of this show. “The Handmaid’s Tale” is oppressive, compelling and credible enough to believe that people would really to make this a reality.
The series is based on the book by Margeret Atwood and it’s gripping and frightening. And it doesn’t let you go easily.
In “The handmaid’s Tale”, a picture of the future of the United States is presented that is not really rosy, to put it mildly. The United States has come into power from a group of religious fanatics who have renamed the country the Republic of Gilead. This republic is full of betrayal, suspicion and oppression. Most women have become infertile. The women who are still fertile are placed with families that are high up in the republic. There they have to become pregnant by their ‘masters’. They have to give up their real name to show how insignificant they are.
We follow June Osborne who has to change her name into Offred. This well-educated and free-spirited woman is ‘lucky’ enough to be fertile. She is placed within the family Waterford: Serena Joy Waterford and her husband Fred Waterford. Because of this, June lost her everything: her job, her husband and her daughter. Despite the hell she is living in, June is determined to find her daughter. She’ll do anything for that.
You get an inside look on how this society works and its rules. But you also get to see flashbacks, where you see who everyone was before it all went down and what happened to them and to the US. And why it is the way it is.
As said, the series is oppressive, it’s edgy with regard to the status of women in a society. And it does not hesitate to address social issues. All this is portrayed brilliantly but painfully and June’s role is played excellently by Elisabeth Moss.
Before you start this series, it’s best to know as little as possible. This way it’s more shocking and it adds to the TV experience.

Stay-at-Home Netflix Must-See Movie List

Since it’s best to stay home now, I browsed through Netflix to create a list of films they stream that everyone just has to see. Because now is the perfect time to catch up on those must-sees. I chose two movies per genre, so there is something on this list for everyone.

Mission: Impossible – Fallout (Action)
Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team, along with some familiar allies, race against time after a mission gone wrong.

Edge of Tomorrow (Action)
Cage is a soldier (Tom Cruise) fighting aliens and he gets to relive the same day over and over again, the day restarting every time he dies.

Spotlight (Drama)
The true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core.

Room (Drama)
Held captive for 7 years in an enclosed space, a woman (Brie Larsson) and her young son (Jacob Tremblay) finally gain their freedom, allowing the boy to experience the outside world for the first time.

Game Night (Comedy)
A group of friends who meet regularly for game nights find themselves entangled in a real-life mystery when the shady brother of one of them is seemingly kidnapped by dangerous gangsters.

Easy A (Comedy)
Olive (Emma Stone) is a clean-cut high school student who relies on the school’s rumor mill to advance her social ad financial standing.

Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse (Animation)
Teen Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) becomes Spider-Man of his reality, crossing his path with five counterparts from other dimensions to stop threat for all realities.

Spirited Away (Animation)
During her family’s move to the suburbs, a sullen 10-year-old girl wanders into a world ruled by gods, witches and spirits, and where humans are changed into beasts.

Call Me By Your Name (Romance)
In 1980s Italy, romance blossoms between the 17-year-old Elio (Timothée Chalamet) and the older Oliver (Armie hammer) hired as his father’s research assistant.

Marriage Story (Romance)
A look at the marriage between Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) and Charlie (Adam Driver), breaking up and a family staying together.

A Quiet Place (Horror)
In a post-apocalyptic worl, a family is forced to live in silence while hiding from monsters with ultra-sensitive hearing.

The Conjuring (Horror)
Paranormal investigators Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) work to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse.

Annihilation (Science Fiction)
Lena (Natalie Portman) is a biologist who signs up for a dangerous, secret expedition into a mysterious zone where the laws of nature don’t apply.

Blade Runner 2049 (Science Fiction)
Young Blade Runner “K”’s (Ryan Gosling) discovery of a long-burried secret leads him to track down former Blade Runner Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), who’s been missing for thirty years.

Goodfellas (Crime)
The story of Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) and his life in the mob, covering his relationship with his wife Karen and his mob partners Jimmy Conway (Robert De Niro) and Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci) in the Italian-American crime syndicate.

Zodiac (Crime)
In the late 1960s/ early 1970s, a San Franciso cartoonist (Jake Gyllenhaal) becomes an amateur detective obsessed with tracking down the Zodiac killer, an unidentified individual who terrorizes Northern California with a killing spree.

Prisoners (Thriller)
When Keller Dover’s (Hugh Jackman) daughter and her friend go missing, he takes matters into his own hands as the police pursue multiple leads and the pressure mounts.

The Gift (Thriller)
A young married couple’s (Rebecca Hall, Jason Bateman) lives are thrown into a harrowing tailspin when an acquaintance from the husband’s past brings mysterious gifts and a horrifying secret to light after more than 20 years.

Fyre (Documentary)
An exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the infamous unraveling of the Fyre Music Festival.

Abducted in Plain Sight (Documentary)
The twisting, turning, stranger-than-fiction true story of the Brobergs, a naïve, church-going Idaho family that fell under the spell of a sociopathic neighbor with the designs on their twelve-year-old daughter.

Matilda (Family)
The story of the wonderful little girl Matilda (Mara Wilson), who happens to be a genius, and her wonderful teacher (Embeth Davidtz) vs. the worst parents ever (Danny DeVito, Rhea Perlman) and the worst school principal imaginable.

Annie (Family)
A young orphan girl’s adventure in finding a family that will take her.







I think these will get you through those days, enjoy the watch list!

10s Movie Review - Brooklyn

Director: John Crowley
Genre: Drama/ Romance
Runtime: 111 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Emory Cohen, Domhnall Gleeson, Jim Broadbent, Julie Walters

Description: Eilis (Saoirse Ronan) is an Irish immigrant in 1950s Brooklyn, where she quickly falls into a romance with Tony (Emory Cohen). When her past catches up with her, however, she must choose between two countries and the lives that exist within.

Review: “Brooklyn” didn’t win any Oscars, but with three nominations in the major categories, it did stand out. With her Irish background, the New York-based Saoirse Ronan seems to have been born to play Eilis Lacey in the film adaptation of Colm Tóibín’s novel on emigration. The quiet and unworldly girl grows up in a conservative Irish village, where she lives with her lonely sister and mother. Not long after her bitchy boss complains about daughters leaving their mothers behind, she gets the chance to go to New York and build a new life. Once on the boat to the continent, Eilis loses her sense of home and ends up in a duel between promising America and her heritage in Ireland, personified by the two potential life partners Tony Fiorello and Jim Farrell. One a simple plumber from Brooklyn, the other a wealthy man with a bright future who is left a big country house by his parents.
On the surface, “Brooklyn” seems to be a romantic film about a girl who has to choose between lovers on either side of the ocean, but essentially it’s about a new start, maturing and the choice between an uncertain future and a safe past. Emory Cohen plays Tony, a jovial New Yorker who fully surrenders to Eilis. Domhnall Gleeson is the more conservative yet trusted Irish boy who never left his country. Both have a credible chemistry with Eilis, but also face a much greater choice in her life.
The way “Brooklyn” is filmed, is subdued. Romantic and humorous scenes are subtle and regularly appeal to the imagination by implying rather than explaining. For example, Eilis struggles to change clothes on an American beach before she later confidently shows her New York bathing suit to her Irish friends. The arguments here are short and the visual jokes quick, but the situations say enough about Eilis.
In general, the controlled tone offers a rustic charm compared to the frenzy of modern love stories. Saoirse Ronan knows how to deal with this and plays her role convincingly: introverted and susceptible when she is overwhelmed by a completely new world. Then to be much more steadfast in her success or, on the contrary, vulnerable in the tear-jerking moments that feel sincere and never melodramatic. The supporting actors also fit perfectly into their surroundings of sober Ireland and proud America, where Eilis is always trapped.
This contrast is further accentuated by the impressive cinematography, set design and costume design. New York in the 1950s looks amazing. Compared to the somewhat grey Ireland, New York brings pastel colors and lively and picturesque streets. They form a seductive world for the young Eilis.
“Brooklyn” is a thematically strong drama, especially thanks to the nuanced interplay of a balanced cast and the beautiful production design. The romantic story cleverly conveys the feeling of emigration, has an impressive protagonist with Saoirse Ronan and carefully depicts the two places that tear the heart of Eilis apart. A beautiful fairytale story about homesickness.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

All "Black Mirror" Episodes Ranked

“Black Mirror” is an anthology series exploring a twisted, high-tec multiverse where humanity’s greatest innovations and darkest instincts collide. The show is known for the twists and how technology can sometimes be pretty scary. I ranked all the episodes and also included the special and film that were made. And it’s pretty clear which season I liked the least (but none of the episodes are bad).

23. Smithereens (Episode 2, Season 5) Director: James Hawes
Starring: Andrew Scott, Topher Grace, Damson Idris, Monica Dolan
Description: A cab driver (Andrew Scott) with an agenda becomes the center of attention on a day that rapidly spirals out of control.
Review: “Smithereens” is not a hit, it starts slowly and is all in all quite predictable and not at all surprising. It does have some masterful acting by Andrew Scott. This episode mainly seems to be an awareness-raising campaign in many ways, but it actually goes much further than that. It’s about how we are all attached to smartphones and therefore losing contact with reality. But at the same time it’s also about how the enormous flow of information we process daily via that same smartphone has made us immune to serious facts.

22. Striking Vipers (Episode 1, Season 5)
Director: Owen Harris
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Nicole Beharie, Pom Klementieff, Ludi Linn
Description: Two estranged college friends (Anthony Mackie, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) reunite in later life, triggering a series of events that could alter their lives forever.
Review: “Striking Vipers” uses the same technology as “Playtest” and “USS Callister”. Once again we see a hyper-realistic game, but then explored in a very different way that raises a lot of questions. About gender, loyalty, orientation and so on. It gives you and insight into the future of gaming, but it’s also about confusion around sexual orientation.

21. Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too (Episode 3, Season 5)
Director: Anne Sewitsky
Starring: Miley Cyrus, Angourie Rice, Madison Davenport, Susan Pourfar
Description: A lonely teenager (Angourie Rice) yearns to connect with her favorite pop star Ashley O (Miley Cyrus), whose charming existence isn’t quite as rosy as it appears.
Review: “Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too” tells a story about stardom. Where it goes deeper into both the existence as a pop star and that of fans. We demand more and more from our idols and as fans we want to get closer and closer to our favorite stars. But that has serious consequences. Stars are expected to be cheerful all the time and never have a bad day. Of course, reality is often very different from the pictures we see as fans. We only know a small world of our idols, so we often forget that they too are people of flesh and blood. This episode makes a pop star more human by dehumanizing them like a robot.

20. Crocodile (Episode 3, Season 4)
Director: John Hillcoat
Starring: Andrea Riseborough, Kiran Sonia Sawar, Andrew Gower, Anthony Welsh
Description: Shazia (Kiran Sonia Sawar) interviews various people using a device that allows her to access their memories.
Review: “Crocodile” is one of the darkest episodes of “Black Mirror”. Mia’s desperation to keep her secret takes on enormous proportions, but somewhere you can recognize yourself in it, without of course the extreme form it takes on. A very dark tale about how a mistake in your past can dominate your whole life, no matter how hard you’re trying to forget about it.

19. Black Museum (Episode 6, Season 4)
Director: Colm McCarthy
Starring: Letitia Wright, Douglas Hodge, Daniel Lapaine, Aldis Hodge, Alexandra Roach
Description: Nish (Letitia Wright) enters the Black Museum, where the proprietor (Douglas Hodge) tells his stories relating to the artifacts.
Review: “Black Museum” is actually three episodes in one, but with the runtime of one episode. As a result, the stories may be a little less elaborate, but the end creates a mindfuck of size. The episode shows how new technology can be used to torture people at a level that for the time being, fortunately, is not possible. But it shows how technology, when it ends up in bad hands, can lead to horrific acts.

18. The Waldo Moment (Episode 3, Season 2)
Director: Bryn Higgins
Starring: Daniel Rigby, Chloe Pirrie, Jason Flemyng, Tobias Menzies, Christina Chong, James Lance
Description: A failed comedian (Daniel Rigby) who voices a popular cartoon bear named Waldo finds himself mixing in politics when TV executives want Waldo to run for office.
Review: “The Waldo Moment” is a story that, at first sight, seems totally crazy. But when you think about it a little longer, you realize that it is closer to reality than you might think. It is phenomenal critique of current politics. And yes, I’m mainly looking at the US. When everyone laughed off Donald Trump’s presidential candidacy, he eventually managed to end up in the White House. And so he had his own Waldo moment. The story was written before Trump became president, so it’s not a literal attack on Trump, but a prediction of how politis would evolve.

17. Men Against Fire (Episode 5, Season 3)
Director: Jakob Verbruggen
Starring: Malachi Kirby, Madeline Brewer, Ariane Labed, Sarah Snook, Michael Kelly
Description: Future soldiers Stripe (Malachi Kirby) and Raiman (Madaline Brewer) must protect frightened villagers from an infestation of vicious feral mutants.
Review: Where “Black Mirror” usually gives a glimpse of the future, here they actually take a look at the past. Because there are many parallels between “Men Against Fire” and the events of World War II. It’s a very intense episode and the actual outcome is a bit disturbing. The story shows the future of warfare, but at the same time is inspired by events from the past.

16. Arkangel (Episode 2, Season 4)
Director: Jodie Foster
Starring: Rosemarie DeWitt, Brenna Harding, Owen Teague, Nicholas Campbell
Description: After nearly losing her daughter Sara, Marie (Rosemarie DeWitt) incests in a new technology that allows her to keep track of her.
Review: “Arkangel” is another episode in which new technology in itself is positive. The chip is a good tool for mother Marie, but it gives her the opportunity to continuously monitor her daughter. And a curious and over-protective mother can quickly abuse this power. At first, you really sympathize with Marie, but your view on her will change from time to time.

15. Playtest (Episode 2, Season 3)
Director: Dan Trachtenberg
Starring: Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, Wunmi Mosaku, Ken Yamamura, Elizabeth Moynihan
Description: Cooper (Wyatt Russell) is traveling around the world. When he is trying to buy a ticket home, he is unable to get money from his account. Short on cash, Cooper signs up to test a revolutionary new gaming system. But soon cant tell where the hot game ends and reality begins.
Review: “Playtest” is an episode that clearly responds to the new technologies used in games. In the episode virtual reality is pushed to the limit. What Cooper sees is a reality created from his own deepest fears. It’s an episode that gives you a scare here and there, through the horror images. But it’s the storyline around Cooper and his mother that won’t let you go.

14. Fifteen Million Merits (Episode 2, Season 2)
Director: Euros Lyn
Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Jessica Brown Findlay, Rupert Everett, Julia Davis, Ashley Thomas
Description: In a world where people’s lives consist of riding exercise bikes to gain credits, Bing (Daniel Kaluuya) tries to help a woman get on to a singing competition show.
Review: “15 Million Merits” is a metaphor for life, but a very negative one. Working your whole life to make money and make your dreams come true. But those dreams sometimes turn out very differently. Furthermore, this episode also shows how people actually do everything for money, even if this is diametrically opposed to your own principles. At the same time, it also criticized the popularity of talent shows and reality TV and how these genres can be exploited by candidates.

13. San Junipero (Episode 4, Season 3)
Director: Owen Harris
Starring: Mackenzie Davis, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Denise Burse, Annabel Davis, Raymond McAnally
Description: When Yorkie (Mackenzie Davis) and Kelly (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) visit San Junipero, a fun-loving beach town full of surf, sun and sex, their lives are changed.
Review: “San Junipero” is a story that shows how technology can ultimately be positive and contribute to eternal love. It turns death into something beautiful and tells a story that will not leave you untouched.

12. Metalhead (Episode 5, Season 4)
Director: David Slade
Starring: Maxine Peake, Jake Davies, Clint Dyer
Description: In the post-apocalyptic landscape of the Scottish Moors, a woman (Maxine Peaks) attempts to survive tha land full of ‘dogs’.
Review: This episode shows the dangers of artificial intelligence. When robots, in this case in the form of dogs, have evolved so far, they can really be able to conquer the world and be a real danger to humans. “Metalhead” is a real thriller and the most straight-forward episode of “Black Mirror”. It’s completely filmed in black and white and it’s threatening and bloodcurdlingly exciting.

11. Hated in the Nation (Episode 6, Season 3)
Director: James Hawes
Starring: Kelly Macdonald, Faye Marsay, Benedict Wong, Jonas Karlsson, Joe Armstrong
Description: In near-future London, police detective Karin Parke (Kelly Macdonald) and her tech-savvy sidekick Blue (Faye Marsay) investigate a string of mysterious deaths with a sinister link to social media.
Review: “Hated in the Nation” is perhaps the clearest social criticism of the whole series. It shows the impact of social media, but in a very direct way (it reminded me a bit of the crime thriller “Untraceable”, with Diane Lane). Comments with the #DeathTo, which are actually sent out, have the effect that those people actually die. The episode thus maps out the hardness of reactions on social media. The way in which we can insult people and wish them to die on social media, without realizing the consequences.

10. Bandersnatch (Standalone interactive film)
Director: David Slade
Starring: Fionn Whitehead, Craig Parkinson, Alice Lowe, Will Poulter
Description: Young programmer Stefan (Fion Whitehead) starts to question reality when he adapts a mad writer’s fantasy novel into a video game.
Review: “Bandersnatch” is not an episode, it’s a standalone film. And the first interactive film. It’s an innovative episode because of its format. The story is, depending on the path you choose, better or worse, but in general it’s a surprising and interesting way to experience television. It has several different endings.

9. The National Anthem (Episode 1, Season 1)
Director: Otto Bathurst
Starring: Rory Kinnear, Lindsay Duncan, Anna Wilson-Jones, Donald Sumpter, Tom Goodman-Hill, Patrick Kennedy
Description: Prime Minister Michael Callow (Rory Kinnear) faces a shocking dilemma when Princess Susannah, a much-loved member of the Royal Family, is kidnapped.
Review: “The National Anthem” is the very first episode of “Black Mirror” and perhaps the most memorable to date. The episode is outright social criticism that makes you think about your own behavior. This episode does not use modern technology, it does not take place in a post-apocalyptic or dystopian future. No, this story could actually happen tomorrow. And that’s why the impact of this episode is so overwhelming. The awareness that this can happen and that the reaction of the audience would probably be exactly the same as in the episode, makes it an uncomfortable experience.

8. Shut Up and Dance (Episode 3, Season 3)
Director: James Watkins
Starring: Alex Lawther, Jerome Flynn, Susannah Doyle, Frankie Wilson, Jimmy Roye-Dunne, Hannah Steele
Description: When introvert Kenny (Alex Lawther) stumbles into an online trap, he is quickly forced into an uneasy alliance with Hector (Jerome Flynn), both at the mercy of persons unknown.
Review: “Shut Up and Dance” is another episode that isn’t about technological gadgets or a strange looking future. It is a story that can take place now and that makes it very realistic. Alex Lawther, who plays Kenny, gives away a strong performance. His role is pretty difficult and you sympathize with him, but at the same time realize that he has a huge secret. And it’s even worse than you might think.

7. White Christmas (Episode 4, Season 2, Christmas Special)
Director: Carl Tibbetts
Starring: Jon Hamm, Rafe Spall, Oona Chaplin, Natalia Tena, Janet Montgomery, Rasmus Hardiker
Description: Three interconnected tales of technology run amok during the Christmas season are told by two men at a remote outpost in a frozen wilderness.
Review: “White Christmas” is “Black Mirror” at its best. Technological advances that can ultimately be used against humans or that endanger people’s lives. In “White Christmas” there are also aspects that are already possible, which brings the whole thing awfully close to reality. Thus we see a smart home system, which seems very convenient, but is actually degrading.

6. White Bear (Episode 2, Season 2)
Director: Carl Tibbets
Starring: Lenora Crichlow, Michael Smiley, Tuppence Middleton, Ian Bonar, Elisabeth Hopper
Description: Victoria (Lenora Crichlow) wakes up and cannot remember anything about her life. Everyone she encounters refuses to communicate with her, and they all seem to know something she doesn’t.
Review: “White Bear’ is one of those episodes that drags you along and gets you invested in the story. And you can’t help but feel for the main character. But when you finally find out exactly why this is happening to her, your whole image of the situation changes. And that is very well done. The episode denounces the sensational society we live in now. How we enjoy someone else’s suffering. How the news is presented more and more spectacularly. But at the same time it shows that ‘an eye for an eye’ is not necessarily the best solution. Because is this where we want to go? Is this the society we want to be in?

5. The Entire History of You (Episode 3, Season 1)
Director: Brian Welsh
Starring: Toby Kebbell, Jodie Whittaker, Tom Cullen, Amy Beth Hayes, Rebekah Staton
Description: In the near future, everyone has access to a memory implant that records everything they do, see and hear. You need never forget a face again, but is that always a good thing?
Review: “The Entire History of You” shows how technology can bring out the worst in man. Jealousy is a dirty beast anyway, but if you have the tools in your hands, that jealousy can become much more dangerous. It shows how taking a look at your partner’s phone can quickly turn into an obsession that can cause serious damage not only to your partner, but also to yourself.

4. Hang the DJ (Episode 4, Season 4)
Director: Tim von Patten
Starring: Georgina Campbell, Joe Cole, George Bladge, Gwyneth Keyworth
Description: Paired up by a dating program that puts an expiration date on all relationships, Frank (Joe Cole) and Amy (Georgine Campbell) soon begin to question the system’s logic.
Review: You could see “Hang the DJ” as a critique of dating apps and superficial relationships, but in the end you find out that that’s not so. It’s one of the lighter episodes of “Black Mirror”, but it still has a painful side. It’s a story about true love and how it can overcome everything. Even before it really started. It’s on of the few episodes that will leave you with a happy feeling.

3. Be Right Back (Episode 1, Season 2)
Director: Owen Harris
Starring: Hayley Atwell, Domhnall Gleeson
Description: After learning about a new service that lets people stay in touch with the deceased, a lonely, grieving Martha (Hayley Atwell) reconnects with her late lover (Domhnall Gleeson).
Review: “Be Right Back” is actually a beautiful love story of a woman who has a hard time coping with the death of her boyfriend. It is a heartbreaking story, which is both beautiful and strange. Above all, the episode shows that no matter how far technology evolves, there is nothing to be done against death.

2. USS Callister (Episode 1, Season 4)
Director: Toby Haynes
Starring: Jesse Plemons, Cristin Milioti, Jimmi Simpson, Michael Coel, Billu Magnussen, Aaron Paul
Description: Captain Robert Daly (Jesse Plemons) presides over his crew with wisdom and courage. But a ne recruit will soon discover nothing on this spaceship is what it seems.
Review: “Uss Callister” is somewhat of a “Star Trek” ode, but at the same time it shows that the new technologies, such as the possibilities of cloning and the use of artificial intelligence, can be capable of when used by the wrong people. It is an exciting episode somewhere between humor and drama, where really nothing is what it seems. It’s definitely one of the most inventive episode of the entire series.

1. Nosedive (Episode 1, Season 3)
Director: Joe Wright
Starring: Bryce Dallas Howard, Alice Eve, James Norton
Description: Lacie (Bryce Dallas Howard) is desperate to boos her social media score. She hits the jackpot when she’s invited to a fancy wedding, but the trip doesn’t go as planned.
Review: The special thing about “Nosedive” is that this episode ultimately predicted the future like no other. No matter how unrealistic and completely unthinkable the points system in the episode may be, it will become reality. The episode criticizes our obsession with likes and the impact on social media on the way we live our lives. How we adapt our posts on social media to what others would like and especially what would generate the most likes.