TV Show Review - The White Lotus (Season 3)

Season: 3
Genre: Comedy/ Drama
Number of episodes: 8
Year: 2025
Starring: Walton Goggins, Amy Lou Wood, Leslie Bibb, Michelle Monaghan, Carrie Coon, Parker Posey, Jason Isaacs, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Sam Nivola, Sarah Catherine Hook, Natasha Rothwell, Sam Rockwell

Description: As a new round of guests arrives at The White Lotus Thailand.
 
Review: In the third season of the satirical drama series “The White Lotus”, the once again messed-up yet fascinating hotel guests arrive at the beautiful resort, this time in Thailand.

The series starts off with the discovery of something that looks like a floating body in the water and the sound of gun shots. Then we go back in time, to a week before.

Like each season, showrunner Mike White chooses a new cast of characters and also a new theme. Season 1 was mostly about money, season 2 revolved around sex and the newest season focuses on religions and spirituality.

And with the characters, again, they are all over the place. We meet the cheerful and upbeat British Chelsea and her grumpy, older American boyfriend Rick. Then there is the Ratliff family, clearly affluent as they are dysfunctional. Father Timothy is a businessman who finds out he is in deep trouble at home. His wife Victoria is living her best life. And their three adult children argue as siblings do. Saxon is  an oversexed jerk who works for his father. Daughter Piper is eager to embrace her spirituality. And Lochlan, their youngest brother, feels like he doesn’t belong with his narcissistic, domineering relatives. Finally we meet the three girlfriends, in their forties, who know each other from school. Jaclyn is a famous actress and decided to take her friends Laurie and Kate with her on a holiday. But their friendship is filled with envy, gossip and jealousy.

The only character that we have already met before is Belinda, who was also in season 1 working at the White Lotus in Hawaii. She has arrived in Thailand to recover from burnout and broaden her knowledge. There is one other characters that we know from previous season, but I won’t spoil it for you.

I was invested in all the storylines and really felt like this season brought a lot of memorable characters. Especially Parker Posey as Victoria, with her Southern accent. Patrick Schwarzenegger as her oldest son Saxon, who probably goes through the biggest change of all the characters. And Chelsea, who won over all of our hearts probably, because of Amy Lou Wood’s great performance. Also worth mentioning is Carrie Coon, who broke us all with a perfect monologue in the final episode. Please give her an Emmy for that! And Jason Isaac, as Timothy, the father of the Ratliff family. He went though such an emotional rollercoaster, that had us all in a chokehold the entire season.

I really enjoyed the first two seasons, but I think season 3 is my favorite. That final episode was insane and was worth the wait.

20s Movie Review - His Three Daughters

Director: Azazel Jacobs
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 101 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Elizabeth Olsen, Natasha Lyonne, Carrie Coon

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2025 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 14: A FILM WITH ELIZABETH OLSEN
 
Description: This tense, touching and funny portrait of family dynamics follows three estranged sisters as they converge in a New York apartment to care for their ailing father and try to mend their own broken relationship with one another.

Review: First things first: why is no one talking about this movie? Because it’s amazing. A true hidden gem, on Netflix, released in 2023.

In the intimate, domestic drama “His Three Daughters’, in impending goodbye forces three sister to look each other in the eye again after a long time. Separated by their career choices, family lives and clashing personalities, the women face a difficult task: caring for their dying father in unison, and ultimately grieving in unison. The austere setting does half the job, but it is the three leading actresses who take the film to the next level.

When the stilted Katie begins an argument in the pithy opening scene about the care status of her ailing father, it takes a moment before we see who she is talking to. The camera catches her in a stately shot and refuses to bring the rest of the room into view; the healthcare professional who patiently listens to her is given his own speaking frame only moments later.

After the first few cuts, the camera takes some distance and the women poarticipate in the conversation also come into view together. Of the three sisters in the room, only Rachel was already living in the apartment where their father is spending his final days. Katie and younger sister Christina traveled to the place to help out.

The separate shots of the three women are apt for the attentive manner in which director Azazel Jacobs proceeds in “His Three Daughters”. The film shows the relationship between family members in a situations of transience.

The conversations between Katie, Rachel and Christina quickly expose how different the characters of these women are, and it is not surprising that the first cracks in their rapport quickly follow. Whereas Katie prizes responsibility and labels, Rachel lives a wasted life; she smokes at least foir joints a day, bets on several sports games at once and is comfortable leaving her dishes out all day. The sensitive Christina stands literally and figuratively between her two sisters.

For over an hour Katie, Christina and Rachel bicker and grieve over a man who is carefully kept of screen for most of the film’s runtime. Focusing on the daughters, their emotions, they way each of them deals with the situation and the grieve. And how they deal with each other. It’s a character study, of the individual women, but also about their relationship as sisters.

It is a delight to see these three women in their sister roles. Elizabeth Olsen, Carrie Coon and Natasha Lyonne are all fantastic in their roles. With only an apartment as the décor and a fairly simple story, these three actresses leave a big impression and lift the film to a high level. And I think everyone should see this film.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Movie Review - Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

Director: Gil Kenan
Genre: Adventure/ Fantasy, Comedy
Runtime: 115 minutes
Year: 2024
Starring: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, McKenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, William Atherton
 
Description: When the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must join to protect their home and save the world from a second ice age.

Review: Inside a mysterious object lurks a dark force that could unleash the ice age on the world once again. It is up to the Ghostbusters to stop this new evil.

“Ghostbusters” (1984) remains a classic that reflects the spirit of its time and has been and always will be one my all-time favorite films. When “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” was announced, I was not excited about it, at all. But it was a pleasant surprise and I actually loved that film. “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” really peaked my interest now. And although it’s a fun time, it’s not as good as its predecessor.
The opening scene, in which the new generation of Ghostbusters hunt a ghost, is immediately the highlight of the film. We see the characters work together, making sarcastic remarks and doing their tasks perfectly.

At the end of “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” it was a fun surprise to *SPOILER* see the old cast members showing up for the finale. Annie Potts, Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson and especially Dan Ayrkroyd have a bigger role in this part. Even William Atherton returns for this sequel. Some new characters are introduced, with Kumail Nanjiani being the most prominent one. He was supposed the be the comic relief, but I found him a bit annoying. Patton Oswalt is in it as well and I would have loved to see his character in more scenes.

As for the returning cast, they are given little to do. It’s not as adventurous as you might expect and is trying to evoke nostalgia in the wrong way.

I would probably watch another installment with this cast, because I found “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” entertaining enough. But director Gil Kenan didn’t succeed into making it as amazing as Jason Reitman’s “Ghostbusters: Afterlife”.

Rating: 3/ 5

Movie Review - Boston Strangler

Director: Matt Ruskin
Genre: Crime/ Drama/ Mystery/ Thriller
Runtime: 112 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Keira Knightley, Chris Cooper, Carrie Coon, Alessandro Nivola, Rory Cochrane, David Dastmalchian
 
Description: Loretta McLaughlin (Keira Knightley) was the reporter who first connected the murders and broke the story of the Boston Strangler. She and Jean Cole (Carrie Coon) challenged sexism of the early 1960s to report on the city’s most notorious serial killer.

Review: The ‘Boston Strangler” murders and leaves them all the same way, strangled and with a bow around their necks. Loretta McLaughlin sees the connection between the first three victims and wants to write a piece on the case at all costs. Being a woman, however, he boss says she is especially suited to write for the lifestyle section of Record America. When she picks up the article on her own time, the ball starts rolling. Because of her lack of experience with murder cases, Loretta must team up with Jean Cole, and the two dive deep into the case.

This true story of a journalistic quest is carried by Keira Knightley. “Boston Strangler” is as solid as you would expect when her name is attached to a project. Solid, but at the same time at no point exceptional. Knightley and Carrie Coon play their roles convincingly, the premise is gripping enough and the direction is fine. The color palette is a bit on the dark side to evoke extra tension. With all these elements, this film in particular feels like a somewhat bland rip-off of rock-solid thrillers like “Zodiac”.

Occasionally, the script shows potential. Unfortunately, those more unique angles are not fleshed out enough. The script is embellished with the struggles of women in the 1960s in the male dominated world of journalism, but at the same time it abandons that aspect relatively quickly. The effects the murders have on the women in Boston is also touched upon in a few short scenes.

Although “Boston Strangler” comes with a number of twists, its suspense is moderate. Some of the hints are very obvious and strongly indicate the direction Loretta eventually ends up going. It doesn’t bother too much, however, as Loretta is never portrayed as a brilliant journalist. She is persistent, but not without faults, which is particularly revealed in the way her relationship with Jean is outlined.

The chemistry between the two journalists is the heart of the movie. Jean is more experiences and teaches Loretta. Although Loretta sometimes tries to push her away, it is nice to see these two woman in a man’s world helping each other rather than fighting. The likeable main characters combined with an interesting serial killer plot, make “Boston Strangler” a fine film, but one that does not rise above the genre.

Rating: 3/ 5

20s Movie Review - Ghostbusters: Afterlife

Director: Jason Reitman
Genre: Adventure/ Comedy/ Fantasy
Runtime: 124 minutes
Year: 2021
Starring: Mckenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard, Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Logan Kim, Celeste O’Connor, Annie Potts, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, Bob Gunton, Sigourney Weaver

Description: When a single mom (Carrie Coon) and het two kids (Mckenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard) arrive in a small town, they begin to discover their connection to the original Ghostbusters and the secret legacy their grandfather left behind.

Review: I was not excited for this movie at all, when I heard about it for the first time. When I saw the trailer I got a bit more excited and after seeing it I’m sad I never saw it in theaters.

WARNING!!! THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!!!

Callie leaves with her son Trevor and daughter Phoebe for a small town in Oklahoma, where she inherited the house from her absent father. It soon becomes apparent that Callie’s father had some rather strange habits and the village was not particularly fond of him. Phoebe learns that her grandfather was one of the original Ghostbusters, and using old items of his, she figures out how to track down ghosts.
“Ghostbusters: Afterlife” is a movie you can watch as a standalone. It is not so much a sequel, but rather a story that takes place years after the original “Ghostbusters” from 1984. Phoebe and Trevor are the grandchildren of Egon Spengler, one of the four original Ghostbusters.  The actor who portrayed him back in the day, Harold Ramis, is no longer with us. To honor him, he was incorporated into the film anyway, and they did this very respectfully.
Phoebe is a scientist who is way too smart for her age. Unfortunately, she does have to go to summer school because she is new to the town. There she meets Mr. Grooberson, who is interested in the unexplained earthquakes the town is dealing with. Together they find out there is more going on than just earthquakes.
Paul Rudd is an actor I always enjoy watching. I’m surprised that his role isn’t as big as I expected it to be. I wished he was in it more. He’s well-accompanied by Carrie Coon and Finn Wolfhard, but it’s really Mckenna Grace’s movie. I think I go to far to say that she carries the movie, but she is such a talent and the best and most interesting character in the film.
Director Jason Reitman is the son of Ivan Reitman, who, of course, directed the original “Ghostbusters”. You can see Reitman’s love for the film, how he paid respects to the late Harold Ramis and how he treated the original source material with such respect as well. As I stated before, it’s a film you can easily watch without seeing “Ghostbusters” and “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” stands on its own too. But the film maybe even more enjoyable if you know the original film or if you are a fan, like I am. So much nostalgia, not only for nostalgia sake. And that moment where we see Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson, I jumped for joy.
I thought I didn’t need this film, but I clearly did. I also believe that the people loving the original film as much as I do, will appreciate “Ghostbuster: Afterlife” more.

Rating: 4/ 5

20s Movie Review - The Nest

Director: Sean Durkin
Genre: Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 107 minutes
Year: 2020
Starring: Jude Law, Carrie Coon

Description: Life for an entrepreneur (Jude Law) and his American family begins to take a twisted turn after moving into an English country manor.

Review: It is 1987 and a couple, consisting of Rory and Allison, seem to be living a happy life in the US with their son Charlie and Allison’s daughter Samantha. When Rory announces that the money is about to run out, but that he has a chance to make a hit in London, the first cracks in their happy life become visible. Allison is not all keen on moving again. Reluctantly she finally agrees and the family moves to a large, but not very well maintained mansion in Surrey.
It soon becomes clear nobody likes it there and between the various marital quarrels the family members separately wallow in self-pity.
It’s a slow burn and the story never really leads to anything. Although the acting by Jude Law and especially Carrie Coon is superb, the film was very disappointing and had a superficial plot and development.

Rating: 2/ 5