Book Review - Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix

Title: Witchcraft for Wayward Girls
Author: Grady Hendrix
Genre: Horror/ Fantasy/ Historical Fiction
Published: 2025
 
Description: They call them wayward girls. Loose girls. Girls who gre up too fast. And they’re sent to the Wellwood Home in St. Augustine, Florida, where unwed mothers are hidden by their own families to have their babies in secret, give them up for adoption, and most important of all, to forget any of It ever happened.
 
Fifteen-year-old Fern arrives at the home in the sweltering summer of 1970, pregnant, terrified and alone. Under the watchful eye of the stern Miss Wellwood, she meets a dozen girls in the same predicament. There’s Rose, a hippie who insists she’s going to find a way to keep her baby and escape to a commune. And Zinnia, a budding musician who knows she’s going to go home and marry her baby’s father. And Holly, a wisp of a girl, barely fourteen, mute and pregnant by no-one-knows-who.
 
Everything the girls eat, every moment of their waking day, and everything they’re allowed to talk about is strictly controlled by adults who claim they know what’s best for them. Then Fern meets a librarian who gives her an occult book about witchcraft, and power is in the hands of the girls for the first time in their lives. But power can destroy as easily as it creates, and it’s never given freely. There’s always a price to be paid… and it’s usually paid in blood.
 
Review: Grady Hendrix is my guy, my horror guy. I love how he takes on these standard horror tropes and flips them upside down. He did it before with demons, vampires, zombies and a haunted house. Now it’s witches. And I think this is my favorite Hendrix so far.
 
We meet a fifteen-year-old girl, who is send to a home for wayward girls. Basically teenage pregnant girls are being send there to have their baby in secret, give it up for adoption and move back home and act like it never happened. When she arrives, she is given the name Fern. She is not allowed to tell anyone what her real name is and where she is from. There, Fern befriends three other girls: Rose, Zinnia and Holly. When Fern receives an occult book about witchcraft from the local librarian, she becomes obsessed by it. And believes their might be a way to get away from this. But witchcraft comes with a price.
 
The horror element is minimal, in the way that it’s not very scary. But there is some body horror. Especially focused on pregnancies and giving birth. If that makes you squeamish, just be warned. The books is mainly scary because of its social commentary. Because wayward houses were an actual thing, for teens who were troubled or out of control. And the goal was to redeem them and eventually return home as a bettered person. But most important, no one could ever know about it. In “Witchcraft for Wayward Girls”, it’s a home for pregnant teenagers to have their baby, give it up for adoption and leave again to continue their lives like nothing every happened.
 
In Hendrix’s author’s note he acknowledges that as a middle aged, childless man he probably isn’t the best choice to write this book but based on family revelations he wrote to understand these homes and the people who would have been sent to them. I personally think he did an amazing job and praise him for giving empathy understanding. It’s kind of amazing this book, which has a great debate on women’s rights, was written by a man. And this proves again what a great author Hendrix is. The book was only a bit too long for my taste.
 
Like I said, this is my favorite Grady Hendrix so far. And I was a bit skeptical, because reviews were very mixed. I’m glad it turned out to be such a success.
 
Rating: 4,5/ 5

20s Movie Review - The Deliverance

Director: Lee Daniels
Genre: Horror/ Thriller
Runtime: 112 minutes
Year: 2024
Starring: Andra Day, Glenn Close, Mo’Nique, Anthony B. Jenkins, Calen mcLaughlin, Demi Singleton, Omar Epps

Description: An Indiana family discovers strange, demonic occurrences that convince them and their community that the house is a portal to hell.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2025 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 8: A FILM WITH GLENN CLOSE
 
Review: Films about demonic presences and exorcisms. More often unsuccessful. Where “The Exorcist” (1973) has introduced cinema audiences to this horror subgenre, it know one has done it better since then. This also goes for “The Deliverance”, because it’s not a very good movie.

“The Deliverance”, directed by Lee Daniels, is based on the story of Latoyra Amons. He changed the names, details and settings. Using a hefty dose of social realism, Daniels slowly allows the arduous struggle for survival of Ebony and her family to degenerate into farcical situations without a shred of realism.

Ebony struggles. Her absent husband is a soldier in Iraq, and live=in mother Alberta is a cancer patient. She can barely take care of her three children and her kids struggle with to connect with their peers. Just having moved into a new home eventually makes everything even worse, because some strange things are happening.

Why this movie was dropped as a horror film, doesn’t get clear until the very end. Because “The Deliverance” is never scary, and I scare easily when it comes to horror. Daniels left it for the final 30 minutes, no exorcism cliché is shunned.

“The Deliverance” starts out promising, especially with names like Glenn Close and Mo’Nique attached to the project. But in the end the film is pretty dull and unscary for a horror movie, trying to save it in the final act. When It’s already too late. Did not enjoy.

Rating: 2/ 5

Book Review - The Perfect Escape by Leah Konen

Title: Perfect Escape
Author: Leah Konen
Genre: Mystery/ Thriller
Published: 2022
 
Description: New friends Sam, Margaret and Diana are thrilled to be getting out og the city for a girls’ weekend – they’ve bonded over their messy divorces, and every mile on the odometer feels like another step towards putting their exes in the past. But when car trouble halfway into their trip strands them in the most unlikely mountain towns, they come face-to-face with the hurts and betrayals they were so desperate to leave behind.
 
When Diana doesn’t return home after a night out, Sam and Margaret’s search for her reveals just how little they know about their friend. As eerie coincidences and secrets begin to pile up, and an ex arrives in the tiny town, the women realize that their detour may not have been a mistake… and that someone wants to guarantee that they never make it out.
 
Review: Sam, Diana and Margaret have become friends, when they bonded over their divorces and break-ups. To get away from all the mess, they decide to go on girls’ trip. When they are halfway, they have car trouble and they are stranded in a small town. One of them goes missing, an ex show up and someone ends up dead. Girls' trip gone bad.
 
First of all, this is more a mystery then a thriller. Only towards the end I felt this was more of a thriller. And although I did have a good time reading this book, the book was overall just okay and in the end pretty forgettable.
 
I liked the pace of the story and it did have some really good twists and turns. I was left in the dark for a long time. The stranded-in-a-small-town trope is one I love. The multiple POV’s I liked as well. And I was very invested in the mystery. But not at all in the characters. And because I have read so many thrillers at this point, the book didn’t give me anything new or ground breaking. I have read this kind of a book many times before.
 
All in all, a solid mystery thriller book, but not one that I will remember for the ages. Just fine.
 
Rating: 3/ 5

TV Show Review - Apple Cider Vinegar (Limited Series)

Season: Limited Series
Genre: Drama/ Crime
Number of episodes: 6
Year: 2025
Starring: Kaitlyn Dever, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Aisha Dee, Mark Coles Smith, Tilda Cobham-Herbey, Chai Hansen, Matt Nable, Ashley Zukerman

Description: The life of wellness guru Belle Guru (Kaitlyn Dever), who had a large social media following, where she pretended she pretended to be suffering from cancer but keeping the disease under control using self-are therapies. She confesses that none of it was true.

Review: The Australian series “Apple Cider Vinegar” is loosely based on the true story of wellness influencer Belle Gibson, who was exposed by two journalists in 2015. Among other things, she led her followers to believe that she had cured her brain tumor with healthy eating, exercise and holistic medicine.

Every episode starts with a disclaimer, that Belle Gibson did snot ger paid for this telling of her story. And the rise and fall of Belle Gibson starts, where a true story is told, based on a lie.

On Instagram, everything seems perfect. After roughly fifteen years, the app still hasn’t lost that distorted view of the world. Meanwhile, influencers are under strict scrutiny, but that hasn’t always been the case. Belle Gibson’s story takes the cake. Australian Belle Gibson was diagnosed with brain cancer when she was 20. Fortunately, she is not sitting back and, like her great role model Milla, decides to take a different approach. No surgeries, no hospitals and no chemo, but healthy juices, vegan food and lots of exercise. That, according to Belle, is the cure for cancer. She shares all her findings with thousands of followers on Instagram, develops the app The Whole Pantry and is writing a cookbook. It sounds too good to be true, cure cancer with a nutritious diet. And that’s because it is. Where Milla is actually going through cancer, believing she can beat it by living a healthier life. Belle made it all up, just for some attention. And the whole world fell for it. Until her lies were exposed by journalists.

“Apple Cider Vinegar” tells a lot. It deals with Belle’s mental problems, the rivalry she has with Milla, the research the journalists try to do to expose the influencer, and with the story of Lucy, who has breast cancer, it also deals with a lot with the impact this disease actually has. Milla and Lucy are fictional, Belle is real. And even though the stories of Milla and Lucy are interesting, the story of Belle would have been enough.

Kaitlyn Dever does a wonderful job as Belle. It’s very easy to portray belle as an evil woman with an attention disorder. Dever doesn’t do that. She gives Belle depth and humanity, but at the same time she makes clear that the only one Belle really cares about is herself. This series wasn’t made to feel sympathy for Belle.

Although the series often shoors off in all sorts of direction, Kaitlyn Dever provides a clear focus for her character. A story so crazy, that’s you almost wouldn’t believe was true, if you didn’t know it.

80s Movie Review - After Hours

Director: Martin Scorsese
Genre: Comedy
Runtime: 97 minutes
Year: 1985
Starring: Griffin Dunne, Rosanna Arquette, Verna Bloom, Tommy Chong, Cheech Marin, Teri Garr, John Heard, Catherine O’Hara, Linda Fiorentino, Will Patton, Dick Miller, Bronson Pinchot

Description: Ordinary word processor Paul Hackett (Griffin Dunne) experiences the worst night of his life after he agrees to visit Marcy (Rosanna Arquette), a Soho resident that he met that evening at a coffee shop.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2025 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 7: A MOVIE FROM 1985
 
Review: Ironclad black comedy, one of Martine Scorsese’s lesser know films. We meet Paul, an office clerk, who rolls from one bizarre adventure into another, when he decides to drive to Soho to visit a girl he just met at a coffee shop.

“After Hours” is a rather atypical Scorsese, in which you are drawn into an alienating and at times even surreal nightmare. Laced with dark humor and a kind of hilarious absurdity, which really makes it a unique mix, especially compared to the rest of Scorsese’s oeuvre.

One crazy character and absurd situation follows another, and the night increasingly degenerates into a nightmare you can’t wake up from. I didn’t know this film before I watched it, but I’m glad I did. I had a good time.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

TV Show Review - Black Doves (Season 1)

Season: 1
Genre: Action/ Crime/ Drama/ Thriller
Number of episodes: 6
Year: 2024
Starring: Keira Knightley, Ben Wishaw, Andrew Buchan, Sarah Lancashire, Ella Lily Hyland

Description: Helen (Keira Knightley) embarks on a passionate affair with a man who has no idea what her secret identity is. Caught in the crosshairs when her lover falls victim to the dangerous London underworld, Helen's employers call in Sam (Ben Wishaw) to protect her.

Review: In this six-part spy series, we follow London housewife Helen Webb, who is moonlighting as a secret agent. This double life is going well for Helen, until her lover is suddenly murdered. During the search of the culprit, she uncovers a plot.

The series is set during Christmas, with the Christmas music and everything. But if you can see passed that, you can watch this show at any time.

The story revolves around Helen Webb. She is married to the Secretary of State for Defense Wallace Webb. Together they have five-year-old twins and she is the perfect wife, mother and homemaker. But she is also a secret agent, with emphasis on secret. She worsk for an agency, the so-called Black Doves. Helen is a valuable Dove, because her marriage allows her to get to the most powerful people in the country. Still, the lying and cheating doesn’t quite bother her.

The man Helen was having an affair with is killed and she seeks revenge. But she soon realizes this a more difficult and dangerous task that she expected. She gets help from Sam, an assassin who Helen worked with in the past.

“Black Doves” is fifty percent action. It’s done in an eloquent, intelligent and with pleasantly dry humor. And the strong cast ensure sharp and excellent dialogue. Both Keira Knightley and Ben Wishaw are fantastic in the series and very believable as spies, but also in their other role they are portraying for the outside world.

“Black Doves” is an entertaining, well-made series. And it feels like a second season is coming. Would recommend.

Title: Cleopatra and Frankenstein
Author: Coco Mellors
Genre: Fiction/ Romance/ Contemporary
Published: 2022
 
Description: Twenty-four-year old painter Cleo has escaped from England to new York and is still finding her place in the sleepless city when, a few months before her student visa ends, she meets Frank. Twenty years older and a self-made success, Frank’s life is full of all the excesses Clea’s lacks. He offers her the chance to be happy, the freedom to paint, and the opportunity to apply for a Green Card. But their impulsive marriage irreversibly changes both their lives, and the lives of those close to them, in ways they never could’ve predicted.
 
Review: Cleo is from England and does not have much money. She is an artist living in the U.S. and her visa is about to expire. She falls head over heals in love with Frank, director of a New York advertising agency and twenty years older then her. He falls for Cleo too and not long after they meet, they marry, which will change their lives and the lives of the people around them.
 
Cleo and Frank’s story is told from their perspective as well as that of their friends: Cleo’s best friend Quentin views her marriage with distress, as he might prefer to have married Cleo himself, were it not for the fact that her likes men. Anders, Frank’s friend, is handsome and has no desire to commit, and so more that one woman from Frank’s circle he has slept with. Then there is Zoe, Frank’s half-sister, perpetually broke and at first not happy about her brother’s marriage either. There is Eleanor, who works for Frank and has always been his support. And Santiago, a friend of Frank, who lost his wife.
 
Author Coco Mellors has managed to poignantly describe the vast, turbulent world that revolves around love. With each chapter, we see the perspective of a different character, about their life, their struggles. It is still, in core, about Cleo and Frank, but the other people we follow are the ones that shape their lives. And how their marriage shapes the lives of their friends and family members.
 
“Cleopatra and Frankenstein” is not a happy love story, it’s heartbreaking but beautiful. It has multiple layers and is a great character study. Very well written. Coco Mellors’ book “Blue Sisters” is on my TBR and I can’t wait to read this as well.
 
Rating: 4/ 5

20s Movie Review - Wicked

Director: Jon M. Chu
Genre: Musical/ Fantasy/ Adventure
Runtime: 160 minutes
Year: 2024
Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Peter Dinklage. Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, Bowen Yang

Description: Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), a misunderstood young woman because of her green skin, and Galinda (Ariana Grande), a popular girl, become friends at Shiz University in the land of Oz. After an encounter with the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads.

Review: Anyone who has seen “The Wizard of Oz” knows how it ends with the Wicked Witch of the West. And in case you haven’t caught her fate yet, the opening scene of “Wicked” tells you. Glinda, once her friend, talks about her when she was still known as Elphaba Throbb.

Glinda, then still Galinda, and Elphaba meet each other at Shiz University, where the share a room. At first, they can’t stand each other. They are clearly very different. Elphaba is modest, kind, introverted. Glinda is vain, spoiled and loves attention. Their love-hate relationship drives a funny but also sad and sensitive adventure.

The Broadway phenomenon is turned into a delightful film. The Land of Oz is colorful, the contrast between Glinda and Elphaba (pink and green) looks amazing. My favorite décor was the library (or as Glinda calls it, the book place), but kinda crinched over all these people stepping onto and throwing around book.

“Wicked” is big on plit, acting, music and length. And this is only the first part. Time is taken for certain developments that would be rushed in other productions. The scenes are long and show varying emotions, but never get boring. The almost three hour runtime flies by.

Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, and Ariana Grande as Glinda are strong, together and apart. Grande really surprised me with her comedic talent and both were really good in emotional scenes.

“Wicked” is one wild and colorful ride, and I can’t wait for part 2.

Rating: 4/ 5

10s Movie Review - Mute

Director: Duncan Jones
Genre: Mystery/ Science Fiction/ Thriller
Runtime: 126 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Alexander Skarsgård, Paul Rudd, Justin Theroux

Description: A mute bartender (Alexander Skarsgård) goes up against his city’s gangster in an effort to find out what happened to his missing partner

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2025 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 6: A FILM WITH PAUL RUDD
 
Review: Berlin, sometime in the future. Bartender Leo, mute since and accident in his youth, and waitress Naadirah make a nice couple. That ha can’t talk and had rather old-fashioned Amish ideas, she actually likes. But Naadirah has a secret, and before she can tell Leo, she disappears without a trace. Leo goes looking for her, and stumbles upon some remarkable surgeons.

This film immediately reminded me of “Blade Runner” in setting and style, but also a bit of “John Wick”. It’s an interesting blend of film noir and science fiction. The film suffers from a somewhat messy script, but does succeed in having a good final twists. A fairly unknown movie, that I feel is worth watching.

Rating: 3/ 5

Book Review - Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier

Title: Jar of Hearts
Author: Jennifer Hillier
Genre: Thriller
Published: 2018
 
Description: This is the story of three best friends: one who was murdered, one who went to prison, and one who’s been searching for the truth all those years…
 
When she was sixteen years old, Angela Wong – one of the most popular girls in high school – disappeared without a trace. Nobody ever suspected that her best friend, Georgina Shaw, now and executive and rising star at her Seattle pharmaceutical company, was involved in any way. Certainly not Kaiser Brosy, who was close with both girls back in high school.
 
But fourteen years later, Angela’s remains are discovered in the woods near Georgina’s childhood home. And Kaiser, now a detective with Seattle PD, finally learns the truth: Angela was a victim of Calvin James. The same Calvin James who murdered at least three other women.
 
To the authorities, Calvin is a serial killer. But to Georgina, he’s something else entirely. Back in high school, Calvin was Georgina’s first love. Turbulent and often volatile, their relationship bordered on obsession  from the moment they met right up until the night Angela was killed.
 
For fourteen years, Georgina knew what happened to Angela and told no one. For fourteen years, she carried the secret of Angela’s death until Georgina was arrested and sent to prison.
 
While everyone thinks they finally know the truth, there are dark secrets buried deep. And what happened that fateful night is more complex and more chilling than anyone really knows. Now the obsessive past catches up with the deadly present when new bodies begin to turn up, killed in the exact same manner as Angela Wong.

Review: I read “Little Secrets”, by Jennifer Hillier, a couple of years ago and really liked it. “Jar of Hearts” gets a high average rating on GoodReads, so I had very high hopes. But, my opinion about this book is going to be unpopular.
 
We learn about the disappearance of Angela Wong, when she was only sixteen years old. When her remains are found fourteen years later, the truth comes to surface as well, with her best friend Georgina going to jail for being involved and her then boyfriend Calvin being convicted for the murder. Angela and Georgina’s mutual friend Kaiser is now a detective, wanting to get to the bottom of this and finding out what really happened that fateful night.
 
While Georgina pays the price for her unconditional love, Calvin escapes from prison. And soon lives up to his nickname of the Sweetbay Strangler. What is his ultimate intention? Do the new victims have a link to Angela? And what other secrets does Georgina have?
 
I found it very difficult to relate to any of the characters. First of all, I didn’t like any of them, but I can often get passed that. I just didn’t understand any of the motivations these characters had. When Angela went missing and later found, many people claimed she was the sweetest girl. But flashbacks reveal something completely different. I don’t get why Georgina wanted to be friend with her. And she also says, multiple times, how much she loved Angela. Angela was the one woman she loved most after her mom. That just makes it even less understandable why she eventually did what she did. And it seems with ease, with her so-called monster of a boyfriend behaving out of character. And she just moved on. It feels like we are supposed to sympathize and empathize with Georgina, but in no way could I do that. Same for her relationship with Calvin. I get that sometimes love blinds you, but it just didn’t make sense what she did for this guy.
 
There is a romantic subplot, that I really did not care about. I mostly hate romantic plot lines in thrillers. And again, I did not understand it. In their younger years, sure, I get it. But as adults, I don’t see why this man still wants to be with her, especially with him knowing about her what he knows. And all these characters have thoughts about other people’s appearances and smells in the most inappropriate moments. It feels so strange.
 
For a book being sold with having many unexpected twists and reveals, I was a bit underwhelmed. Sure, it had some, but the final reveal was pretty obvious in the end. I just didn’t have a good time with this book, unfortunately.
 
Rating: 2,5/ 5

Book Review - I Know Who You Are by Alice Feeney

Title: I Know Who You Are
Author: Alice Feeney
Genre: Thriller
Published: 2019
 
Description: Meet Aimee Sinclair: the actress everyone thingks they know but can’t remember where from. Except one person. Someone who knows Aimee very well – and what she’s done.
 
When Aimee comes home and discovers her husband is missing, she doesn’t seem to know what to do or how to act. The police think she’s hiding something and they’re right, she is – but perhaps not what they thought. Aimee has a secret she’s never shared, and yet, she suspects that someone knows. As she struggles to keep her career and sanity intact, her past comes back to haunt her in ways more dangerous than se could have ever imagined.
 
Review: Up and coming actress Aimee Sinclair loves to put herself in someone else’s shoes. For a moment forgetting who she is and where she came from. It feels like an escape from reality. When Aimee returns home after n argument with her husband Ben, he finds his wallet, phone and car keys, but Ben is nowhere to be found. She reports him missing, but the police question the actress. And Aimee does have secrets, but not the one the police expect.
 
Alice Feeney is one of my favorite thriller authors. She wrote “His & Hers” and “Rock Paper Scissors”, which are two of my all-time favorite thriller books. But Feeney did not convince with this book.
 
First, there are too many questions. Which are not a problem in general, but the answers to these question feel either unsatisfactory, unbelievable or are left unanswered. I found it interesting to learn about Aimee’s past and the mystery was engaging. But the final twist and reveal really ruined it for me. Where Feeney is usually known for her amazing plot twists, she really missed the mark here. I found it very difficult to believe and something at the very end of the story felt gross and just not okay. While it’s still a memorable ending, it’s for the wrong reasons. And I’m still left with a lot of questions at the end, some things just didn’t make sense.
 
Overall, the thriller is still engaging and I had a good time with it. But it was totally ruined by its ending. I’m glad I read other, better books by Feeney, because if this was my first, I would have been hesitant to pick up the rest.
 
Rating: 2,5/ 5

20s Movie Review - Gladiator II

Director: Ridley Scott

Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Drama

Runtime: 148 minutes

Year: 2024

Starring: Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Derek Jacobi, Matt Lucas

Description: After his home is conquered by the tyrannical emperors who no lead Rome, Lucius (Paul Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum and must look to his past to find strength to return the glory of Rome to its people.

Review: Director Ridley Scott returns to one of his greatest triumphs. Along with Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal, two of today’s biggest stars, Scott treats audiences to an old-fashioned spectacle from ancient times. Although “Gladiator II” functions just fine as a solid action adventure, it’s more of the same but not quite as good as its predecessor.

The film opens in Numidia, a Roman colony in North Africa. Under the leadership of General Acacius, the Roman Empire invades the last free city and captures much of the male population into slavery. So does the simple soldier Hanno, who impresses in local arenas. Impressed by his boundless hatred for the Roman Empire, slave trader Macrinus buys Hanno and promises him the head od Acacius if he fights for him in the Colosseum.

Initially, “Gladiator II” seems to take a different path than its predecessor, but once Hanno begins to make a name for himself in gladiatorial combat, it becomes increasingly clear how connected the two films are. Joaquin Phoenix’s Emperor Commodus is now split into two characters, played by Joseph Quinn and Fred Heckinger. The twin brothers Geta and Caracalla share the imperial throne together, going delightfully over the top with thei blood lust. Connie Nielsen reprises her role as Lucilla, with yet another personal connection to the star of the Colosseum.

Denzel Washington also plays a seemingly similar character that the first film had. Like Oliver Reed, he is an ex-gladiator who won his freedom and now trains gladiators. But his Macrinus has much bigger ambitions than just entertaining the Roman public, and Washington is drawing more and more attention to himself. Even though being a side character, his performance steels the show.

Paul mescal is a lot less impressive than Russel Crowe, but he is still a believable warrior. Biggest difference is that Crowe could and still can easily carry a film, Mescal as not there yet. Pedro Pascal was the main reason for my excitement for this film, but that was quite disappointing. His character doesn’t really have a lot to do and he is not in the film that much. What he does do, he does well, but his talent if very underused in the film.

As for the first film, “Gladiator II” impresses the most with its visuals and its battle scenes. The scenes in the arena are amazing. There we did see some changes, adding a water filled arena battle to it. But bigger does not always mean better.

If Maximus would ask me if I was entertained, I would definitely say yes. For an action and adventure movie it checks many boxes. But I also have to admit I was a bit disappointed in the overall execution of it all. “Gladiator” is not a favorite movie of mine, but it’s a really good film. “Gladiator II” did everything the first film did, but not as good. And that’s my overall feeling for this film.  

Rating: 3,5/ 5

20s Movie Review - Four Good Days

Director: Rodrigo Garcia
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 100 minutes
Year: 2020
Starring: Glenn Close, Mila Kunis, Stephen Root

Description: A mother (Glenn Close) helps her daughter (Mila Kunis) work through four crucial days of recovery from substance abuse.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2025 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 5: A FILM WITH MILA KUNIS
 
Review: That motherly love knows no bounds can be seen in again in “Four Good Days”, in which heroine addict Molly is back on her mother Deb’s doorstep after yet another failed rehab attempt. Deb hesitates at first, but eventually relents when Molly turns out to be eligible for a drug that combats addiction. For this Molly has to stay clean for four days and she can’t stay at the clinic. Deb has to help her survive these crucial days.

It's a gripping drama, that frustrates at times, escpeciallu since not all of Deb’s actions are equally believable. The story of Deb and Molly reconnecting, trying to rekindle their bond and having to fight this battle together, is touching and emotional. But I never felt emotionally invested in either of them. And the ending was very rushed.  Good performances by both Glenn Close and Mila Kunis though.

Rating: 3/ 5

Book Review - Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

Title: Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow
Author: Gabrielle Zevin
Genre: Fiction/ Contemporary
Published: 2022
 
Description: On a bitter-cold day, in the December of his junior year at Harvard, Sam Masur exits a subway car and sees, amid the hordes of people waiting on the platform, Sadie Green. He calls her name. for a moment, she pretends she hasn’t heard him, but then, she turns, and a game begins: a legendary collaboration that will launch them to stardom. These friends, intimates since childhood, borrow money, beg favors, and, before even graduating college, they have created their first blockbuster, Ichigo. Overnight, the world is theirs. Not even twenty-five years old, Sam and Sadie are brilliant, successful, and rich, but these qualities won’t protect them from their own creative ambitions of the betrayals of their hearts.
 
Review: In “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow” the world of gaming and literature meet. In itself, that seems like a clash of generations and cultures, but author Gabrielle Zevin manages to seamlessly connect those worlds in this novel.
 
Sam and Sadie have known each other since childhood, with videogames being the thing that connected them in the first place. They haven’t seen ach other for nine years, and they meet again. Both still into gaming, they decide to work together. But where Sam and Sadie can lose themselves in a videogame, there is no escaping the real world.
 
We follow Sam and Sadie in their lives together and apart, how they each deal with their success differently, but also with things like grief, love, friendship, depression, illness. It deals with pretty heavy themes at times, but it never gets too heavy.
 
“Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow” is an ode to friendship, with the gaming worlds as its background. I can understand that people who are not into gaming, it might not interest you. I’m not a gamer, at least not like these characters are, but I could relate to both Sam and Sadie at several stages in this story. I understand the hype of the book, I feel it, because this book grabbed me and I was captivated from start to finish. The writing is beautiful and I loved reading about this friendship. But I do also understand people who don’t get the hype.
 
I found a new favorite in “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow””, but won’t recommend it to just anyone who loves reading. Because the theme of the gaming industry will make or break this book for most people.
 
Rating: 5/ 5

20s Movie Review - Alien: Romulus

Director: Fede Alvarez
Genre: Horror/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 119 minutes
Year: 2024
Starring: Cailee Spaeny, David Johnson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, Aileen Wu

Description: While scavenging the deep ends op a derelict space station, a group of young space colonists come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe.

Review: “Alien: Romulus” is set between “Alien” and “Aliens”. Humans works as futuristic slaves in Weyland-Yutani’s space colonies. When Rain thinks she has fulfilled her labor for the company and wants to set sail for a better life, she is dead-set on being told that she must also work in the mines for another six years before she gets her departure permit. Rain decides to join a group of peers hoping to escape the grip of Weyland-Yutani with an abandoned space station.

“Alien: Romulus” is a safe sequel, but there’s nothing wrong with that. Loyal fans will love it. It works perfectly as a sequel, but would also be fine to watch as a standalone film. Prior knowledge is not a hard requirement to enjoy it.

Cailee Spaeny, though not being Siourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley, is a pleasant protagonist for whom we cheer easily. She has that wide-eyed innocence, but also appears to be perfectly capable of handling a rifle. However, David Johnson, who plays her brother Andy, is the star of the film. His vulnerable character strikes a chord every time. When a drastic event puts deep grooves in his personality, Johnson convincingly shows the other side of his character. The rest of the cast is less memorable.  

Director Fede Alvarez previously directed “Don’t Breathe” and “Evil Dead” and skillfully manages to build tension and show a good dose of blood and gore when necessary. “Alien: Romulus” is perhaps the creepiest and most repulsive installment in the series. And the visual presentation is excellent.

I didn’t expect to love “Alien: Romulus” as much as I did and wished I had seen it in the movie theater.

Rating: 4/ 5

20s Movie Review - The Substance

Director: Coralie Fargeat
Genre: Horror/ Comedy/ Drama
Runtime: 141 minutes
Year: 2024
Starring: Demi Moore, Margaret Qually, Dennis Quaid

Description: A fading celebrity (Demi Moore) takes a black-market drug: a cell-replicating substance that temporarily creates a younger, better version of herself (Margaret Qually).

Review: Elizabeth Sparkle has spent years making viewers at home happy with her sexy looks on her fitness television show. She is living the life she has always wanted, full of fame, money, a stunner penthouse and her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. But the studios decide it’s time for a new star. A breath of fresh air. However, Elizabeth knows it’s because of her age.

When Elizabeth receives a mysterious note, she learns about “The Substance”: a procedure, which you can do from home, that promises to transform you into a younger, more beautiful and perfect version of yourself. Elizabeth decides to take a chance. And a better version of Elizabeth is born, in the form of Sue. I’m not going further into the plot, because it’s best to just experience it.

The perfect world that is portrayed is reminiscent of Barbie. But the underlying theme is quickly apparent: society forces women to adapt unrealistic standards of femininity and appearance.

Virtually all scenes with Sue are overly sexual in depiction. Of course this is intentional. Especially to eventually show the contrast between Sue and Elisabeth. And in contrast with the body horror scenes. Because, be aware, this movie is not for the faint of heart.

Demi Moore and Margaret Qually portray the mounting tension between the two women phenomenally (please give Moore the Academy Award). Together, they paint a compelling picture of the internal struggle an aging woman can have with herself.

Director Coralie Fargeat does not shy away from the gore. Some scenes reminded me of David Cronenberg films. The practical effects and body horror are perfectly executed and not for tender souls. But the ending took it a bit too far for my liking.

This film is a bizarre ride, the chilling world of show business is painfully exposed and it shows how quickly you can become irrelevant in this world. The film is very strange, but utterly fascinating with a mix of dark humor and horror. Be warned, this is not for everyone.

Rating: 4/ 5