TV Show Review - His & Hers (Mini Series)

Season: Mini Series
Genre: Mystery/ Thriller/ Drama/ Crime
Number of episodes: 6
Year: 2026
Starring: Jon Berntal, Tessa Thompson, Sunita Mani, Marin Ireland

Description: A journalist (Tessa Thompson) investigating a mirder in her hometown clashes with a suspicious detective (Jon Bernthal). There are two sides to every story, and someone is lying.

Review: “His & Hers” is a psychological limited thriller series on Netflix, based on the best-selling novel by Alice Feeney. The book is one of my favorites in the genre and the series is overall very faithful to the source material, with some minor changes here and there.

We meet Anna Andrews, a journalist who comes back to her job after a hiatus. Her anchor job has been taken in the meantime, so she is going to try it as a field reporter. Her main story: a dead body found in her home town. There detective Jack Harper is in over his head, never having to deal with such a case before in the quiet town.

First of all I have to say that Tessa Thompson and Jon Bernthal have great chemistry. Thompson plays a fragile but determined Anna, while Bernthal as Detective Jack Harper strikes just the right balance between authority and a dark past. Their performance elevate the story to a higher level.

The unique concepts, the story told from both sides, his and hers, works surprisingly well for television. In a book is easily done by switching perspectives each chapter. But translating it to the screen is something else. It’s not as prominent, but it’s there. You don’t know who’s telling the truth or who’s hiding what. The series is only six episodes, but it could have been shorter too. But they chose a slow-burn pace and it works better for the tension.

I remember my jaw dropping to the floor when I read the twist in the book and I was really curious how they were going to do it in the show. And it’s definitely a twist you will not see coming. It’s very well done in the show. I can see people hating the twist, because it’s a pretty bold choice. But I think it’s cleverly done

I don’t mind that changes are made, when it comes to book adaptations. Some things work perfectly on the page, but don’t translate well to the screen. There is only one change I didn’t like for “His & Hers”. Anna’s characters in the book was written much better. She was even more complex and more unreliable. I feel like we can trust her side of the story more than the one of Jack, while in the book both sides are flawed and questionable.

If you are in for a quick binge-worthy series, with a mystery that has you hooked from episode one, I would recommend “His & Hers”. But I do think you should read the book first. The books is (almost) always better.

Movie Review - Creed III

Director: Michael B. Jordan
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 116 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Michael Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Jonathan Majors, Wood Harris, Phylicia Rashad, Mila Davis-Kent
 
Description: Adonis (Michael B. Jordan) has been thriving in both his career and family life, but when a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy (Jonathan Majors) resurfaces, the face-off is more than just a fight.

Review: An underdog who keeps fighting despite many setbacks to finally walk away with the win. That is the essence of the ‘Rocky” film series, for which Sylvester Stallone wrote the script in 1976 and himself took on the role of the man also known as The Italian Stallion. Meanwhile, almost fifty years later, “Creed III” is the ninth film in this series and the part in which the torch is finally passed to Adonis Creed.

After the evens of “Creed II”, Adonis is in the prime of his life. He has since retired as a boxer and is living a happy life with his family. One day, he meets his childhood friend and boxing prodigy Damian, who has been released after a long prison sentence. Damian is eager to prove that he deserves a chance in the ring.

Sylvester Stallone has always been the heart of the series, even in the “Creed” movies where he was only a side character. Stallone is not part of “Creed III”, in any shape or form, and you can tell. You miss Stallone. And as a fan of the series, it is unfortunate that he is not featured in the film. But this did give lead actor Michael B. Jordan the chance to debut as a director and a chance to focus fully on Adonis. That certainly worked. “Creed III” is a more raw story and one in which the lines between good and evil in the form of Adonis and Damian are less obvious than in earlier films. That is one of the film’s strengths. Both sides are clearly told, which makes you understand both character’s motives.

One thing I also loved is the beautiful way they deal with Adonis’ daughter Amara, who was born deaf (as we learned in the second “Creed” movie). I love the connection between father and daughter.
I really liked how the boxing matches were designed, even though they shift in style a lot. That is something that bothered me a little bit. They should have stuck with one style to make it more coherent. The close-up shots were fantastic though.

“Creed III” is a good film that further explores the world around Adonis Creed and show him stepping out of Rocky’s shadow. But I did miss Stallone here. Which means, that Adonis Creed is not yet strong enough as a character to make me forget about Rocky Balboa.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Movie Review - Thor: Love & Thunder

Director: Taika Waititi
Genre: Science Fiction/ Action/ Adventure
Runtime: 119 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale, Tessa Thompson, Taika Waititi, Jaimie Alexander, Russell Crowe, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Pom Klementieff
 
Description: Thor (Chris Hemsworth) enlists the help of Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Waititi) and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) to fight Gorr (Christian Bale) the God Butcher, who intends to make the gods extinct.

Review: A viking from space who uses his magic hammer to cross the universe on a rainbow road. An absurd fact that director Taika Waititi fortunately knows how to deal with. He continues the direction he took with “Thor: Ragnarok” and proves that Thor is justifiably the first Marvel original Avengers character to add a fourth film to his resume. “Thor”Love & Thunder” is a comic film of cosmic proportions.

The last time we saw Thor was in “Avengers: Endgame”, in which his body suffered a lot from eating too much. He is back in shape and ready for a new adventure. He is fights together with the Guardians of the Galaxy, but Thor feels he is lacking a piece of meaning. We follow the story of his journey to self-development, in which, in addition to thunder, love is central.

Which brings us to Jane, whom we last saw in “Thor: The Dark World”. And she herself gets to experience what it’s like to be a superhero. I was skeptic about this part at first, but I thought they handled this well and the reasoning behind her being worthy enough to pick up Mjolnir.

The way Chris Hemsworth gives color to his character certainly deserves praise. And with Taika Waititi’s great direction and the humorous and action-packed story make for an entertaining movie.

I do still think “Thor: Ragnarok” was better, but nonetheless Waititi did a great job with the fourth Thor movie, which I will definitely be rewatching.

Rating: 4/ 5

TV Show Review - Westworld (Season 3)

Season: 3
Genre: Thriller/ Drama
Number of episodes: 8
Year: 2020
Starring: Evan Rachel Wood, Thandie Newton, Jeffrey Wright, Ed Harris, Aaron Paul, Tessa Thompson, Vincent Cassel, Luke Hemsworth, Rodrigo Santoro, Jimmi Simpson, Clifton Collins Jr., Tommy Flanagan

Description: Set at the intersection of the near future and the reimagined past, explore a world in which every human appetite can be indulged without consequence.

Review: What would happen if the artificial humans from Westworld would enter the real world? We get an answer tot hat question. The series started with the theme park Westworld, where people could live their ultimate fantasies. In the second season, the so-called hosts started rebelling. In this season, they finally enter the human world.
Here is where we meet some familiar faces: the vengeful Dolores and the peaceful Bernard. We are also introduced to a new character, Caleb Nichols. Because of a larger playing field and more characters, you have to keep up and pay attention. As for the characters, who know probably just as much as the viewers.
Besides some mysteries that we already were familiar with, we are introduced to some new ones. For instance Caleb, who at first sight looks like a regular construction worker, but he has a mysterious app on his phone. And don’t forget the end of season 3, where Dolores left with curious little orbs.
“Westworld” has always been a very complex series and season 3 is no different. It’s even more complicated than the previous seasons. It’s nice to see our trusted characters in different environments for a change, to give the concept ne life.
The characters stay interesting enough, as does the story. “Westworld” season 3 might be even more complex, but it’s another strong season.

TV Show Review - Westworld (Season 2)

Season: 2
Genre: Thriller/ Drama
Number of episodes: 10
Year: 2018
Starring: Evan Rachel Wood, Thandie Newton, Jeffrey Wright, Ed Harris, James Marsden, Tessa Thompson, Anthony Hopkins, Luke Hemsworth, Rodrigo Santoro, Jimmi Simpson

Description: Set at the intersection of the near future and the reimagined past, explore a world in which every human appetite can be indulged without consequence.

Review: On of the better new shows on HBO is without a doubt “Westworld”, which premiered its first season in 2016. This futuristic series takes the audience to a theme park of some sort, where rich people can let their fantasies come to life. Settings in which they wouldn’t dare to enter in the real life. And they can do anything in Westworld, steal, kill, rape, it will not have consequences. Because the victims are ‘robots’ made by Robert Ford and Bernard Lowe. And is Bernard that takes one of the most important roles in season 2. His character made for a huge plot twist in the first season.
After Ford dies, Bernard realizes a lot is going wrong in Westworld. The hosts, what they call the robots, start having memories and want to live their lives without being controlled by Delos’ company, who is also responsible for Westworld’s existence. Bernard starts his own investigation to the truth of what is happening and who is responsible for all the chaos. This brings him to lots of revelations about the happenings and himself. Delos’ troops are also send to stop the hosts from causing more trouble and chaos. Some of the hosts have completely set their own goals and want to go to the real world. Leader of the rebellion is Dolores Abernathy, who becomes relentless when trying to achieve her goals.
Another important storyline in season 2 is the mysterious man in black. He is one of the people that visited Westworld, but he never left and he is on a new mission. The last storyline that is of any importance is that of Maeve, who has memories of herself living in a house with her daughter, before she became the madame of prostitutes in a saloon. In her quest, she wants to find out the truth behind these memories.
The first season was surprising, unique, mind-blowing and had some surprising plot twists. the second season is just as great. Again great visuals, fantastic performances by the cast, plot twists and we get deeper into the characters and see backstories.
2020 will give us a third season, which will be different if I have to believe the trailer. But this second season definitely leaves us wanting more.

Movie Review - Men in Black: International

Director: F. Gary Gray
Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 115 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, Rebecca Ferguson, Rafe Spall, Liam Neeson, Emma Thompson

Description: The Men in Black have always protected the Earth from the scum of the universe. In this new adventure, they tackle their biggest threat to date: a mole in the Men in Black organization.

Review: As a child Molly managed to escape the “neutralizer”, the device that the Men in Black use to erases your memory about the existence of aliens. Twenty years she searches for the agency that protects the earth from the scum from outer space. Molly wants to become one of them! One day, she manages to infiltrate the agency in New York. Agent O is impressed enough to recruit her. Molly, now Agent M, starts her probation in London.
The movies doesn’t start out that bad. But the first signs of this film lacking substance is when Molly’s training starts, which is nothing more than deciding which suit to wear and which weapon to choose. There is no need to further expand the introduction of the universe, because that’s what the previous films did.
“Men in Black: International” is for the most part a repetition of the other films. Visually it’s not very different and the formula is almost identical. The are hunting for an object to secure the future of the universe, there is some friction. There are some new elements, which make it a nit more interesting. Like the main duo is now a man and a woman. I liked the dynamic between Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson. Not an old wise man and a flashy rookie, but an arrogant top-agent who has to acknowledge his hero status is crashing and he is surpassed by an enthusiastic newcomer. And it’s not because of them that this film isn’t good, because they are good together and their dynamic is the best part of the film. It’s just sad that they have to work with such terrible writing.
It's an uninspired spin-off, which the good cast couldn’t even safe.

Rating: 2/ 5

Movie Reviews - Creed II

Director: Steven Caple Jr.
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 130 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren, Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, Florian Munteanu, Brigitte Nielsen, Milo Ventimiglia

Description: Under the tutelage of Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), heavyweight contender Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) faces off against Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu), son of Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren).

Review: I don’t think Sylvester Stallone would have thought that his creation Rocky Balboa would still be in a running franchise, fourty years after the first film. He tried to end the franchise twice. In 1990 with “Rocky V” and later in 2006 with “Rocky Balboa”. And that would have been the end, if it weren’t for director Ryan Coogler. He decided to make a spin-off, based on Rocky’s boxing friend Apollo Creed. With son Adonis Creed as the central character. “Creed” was a very successful, strong and beautiful film. It blew new life into the franchise in 2015.
With many sequels, it’s hardly ever better. “Creed II” is no exception, but it’s also a really good film. Here we look back at the 1985 film “Rocky IV”, where Apollo Creed died in the ring, after a match with Russian Ivan Drago. In “Creed II”, Drago returns. With his son Viktor who is also a boxer. And he wants to fight Adonis Creed.
In “Rocky IV”, Drago was portrayed as a stereotypical Russian. He was pretty one-dimensional and it was a fight between the good and patriotic American and the curt, stoic and evil Russian. In “Creed II” they get rid of most of them. This is a more character driven film and there is more story and emotion behind both parties. This is a big plus. It gives the film a more realistic feel and it’s not so black and white.
When it comes to the story, “Creed II” isn’t surprising. Maybe how the final match eventually end, that was pretty cool. But overall it’s predictable. But somehow it didn’t really bother me.
The cast is really strong and director Steve Caple Jr., who stepped in for Ryan Coogler, did a fantastic job. “Creed II” proofs, that the franchise is not dead and that Rocky is still Stallone’s best character to date.

Rating: 4/ 5

Movie Reviews - Annihilation

Director: Alex Garland
Genre: Adventure/ Drama/ Thriller/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 125 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Natalie Portman, Oscar Isaac, Benedict Wong, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tessa Thompson, Gina Rodriguez

Description: A biologist (Natalie Portman) signs up for a dangerous, secret expedition into a mysterious zone where the laws of nature don't apply.

Review: It’s a new development for Netflix. It doesn’t only create its own films and TV shows, but also buys international distribution rights from the US. “The Cloverfield Paradox” was one that many viewers questioned. But “Annihilation” is different; Netflix bought a quality film.
“Annihilation” is the second film for director Alex Garland, who also made “Ex Machina” in 2014. This movie took a look at artificial intelligence and the place of humans on the evolutionary ladder. This second film also does that. “Annihilation” is based on the book with the same title, by Jeff Vandermeer. But Garland was mostly inspired by it and didn’t create an adaptation.
The film follows a strange phenomenon. Nearby a lighthouse, a meteor has hit the earth and it causes a bizarre happening, called the Shimmer. The area expands and knows a lot of mysteries. No answers, just questions. Expeditions send into the shimmer never return.
Lena is one of the people risking her life going into the shimmer, together with four other women. As soon as they reach the zone, everything goes wrong. Not only have they forgotten entering it and setting up camp, but they also start questioning each other. And what about the mutated creatures inside the Shimmer? “Annihilation” doesn’t give us a lot of answers, but raises mainly questions.
“Annihilation” feels uneasy. Just like the characters, you realize something is wrong inside the Shimmer. And any moment could be your last.
Visually it’s a beautiful film. And the cast is strong, especially Natalie Portman and Jennifer Jason Leigh. But it’s also an intelligent film, which makes it a film not suitable for a broad audience. But hopefully the Netflix platform will reach a more mainstream audience, because it’s worth watching. Because quality deserves a big audience.

Rating: 4,5 / 5

00s Movie Review - When a Stranger Calls

Director: Simon West
Genre: Horror/ Thriller
Runtime: 87 minutes
Year: 2006
Starring: Camilla Belle, Tommy Flanagan, Katie Cassidy, Tessa Thompson, Brian Geraghty, Clark Gregg, Derek de Lint, David Denman

Description: During a babysitting gig, a high-school student (Camilla Belle) is harassed by an increasingly threatening prank caller.

Review: Jill just broke up with her boyfriend Bobby, because he made out with her best friend. They talked it out over the phone, which caused Jill’s phone bill to go over the limit. Her father want her to earn the money back and take on a babysitting gig. On the night of a huge school party, Jill is stuck babysitting for the Mandrakis family. They live in a remote mansion. When Jill arrives, the kids are already in bed, so it seems to be a peaceful night. Because she doesn’t know the house, it starts scaring her a bit. Especially when Jill starts receiving creepy phone calls from a stranger.
“When a Stranger Calls” is a remake from the original film from 1979. But like most horror movie remakes, it’s not a memorable film. It’s filled with clichés. It takes at least an hour before the mystery caller becomes really threatening, before that it’s just false jump scares. Not even jump scares, just simple scares. And the characters are all very flat. The motives for the stranger are also lost.
“When a Stranger Calls” is a perfect film to watch when nothing else is on TV. And is easy to forget. Not a great horror film.

Rating: 2 / 5