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.

Movie Reviews - Ant-Man and the Wasp

Director: Peyton Reed
Genre: Adventure/ Action
Runtime: 118 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline lilly, Michael Douglas, Michael Peña, Walton Goggins, Judy Greer, Bobby Cannavale, Michelle Pfeiffer, Laurence Fishburne

Description: As Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) balances being both a Super Hero and a father, Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) present an urgent new mission that finds the Ant-Man fighting alongside The Wasp to uncover secrets from their past.

Review: After the big spectacle that is “Avengers: Infinity War”, Marvel studios gives his fans a moment to breath, with the smaller but also important “Ant-Man and the Wasp”. The first film from 2015 was very well received and was a true joy to watch. With director Peyton Reed returning, we get a trusted and very solid sequel with a high tempo and a high entertainment level.
Scott Lang is home on house arrest and his allies Hank and Hope are wanted. But somehow to cross paths again and have to work together. Don’t expect big threats, but a more personal touch and individual life situations that are on the line.
Paul Rudd was already a big surprise as Scott Lang and again he does a great job. But the biggest enrichment in this film is the introduction of The Wasp, portrayed by Evangeline Lilly. Hope is a strong power woman, not afraid to take the lead or to get her hands dirty.
The humor is also what made the first film strong. Again clearly present in the sequel. Especially character Luis, played by Michael Peña. And Langs sassy daughter Cassie.
For an soactacular adventurous action movie, “Ant-Man and the Wasp”is fairly small and that is what Marvel needed right now. And the fans, after all we had to deal with in “Avengers”Infinity War”.
“Ant-Man and the Wasp” eventually doesn’t manage to live up to the first film, but it is a fun time, filled with humor and good characters. I really enjoyed it and it’s a movie I would rewatch.

Rating: 3,5 / 5

10s Movie Review - Predators

Director: Nimród Antal
Genre: Action/ Thriller/ Adventure/ Science Fictions
Runtime: 107 minutes
Year: 2010
Starring: Adrien Brody, Danny Trejo, Topher Grace, Laurence Fishburne, Alice Braga, Walton Goggins, Mahershala Ali

Description: A group of elite warriors parachute into an unfamiliar jungle and are hunted by members of a merciless alien race

Review: In 1987 director John McTiernan made the manly action thriller “Predator”. Here a team of American military men, led by Arnold Schwarzenegger, were dropped in a jungle for a mission and ended up being hunted by a killing machine from outer space. There was a less successful sequel, starring Danny Glover. “Predators” is the second sequel, forgetting all the “Alien Vs. Predator” movies. “Predators” never reaches the level of its original, but much better than the second film.
In 1994 Robert Rodriguez was asked to write a sequel, but that script was set aside for fifteen years. In 2009 two new writers turned it into the script for “Predators and Rodriguez became a producer. Nimrod Antal directs, but if Rodriguez had done it himself, it would probably be even better.
Like the first film, it takes a while before we see the hunting creature. Which is a good choice, it holds the tension. They also choose a non-typical action star lead in Adrien Brody. It’s hard to follow Schwarzenegger. So by picking a star that’s not your typical action hero, makes it fresh and original. And Brody does a fine job.
The action is okay, but never special or original. And some characters are plain annoying or unnecessary. But overall, “Predators” is a good sequel and an entertaining action thriller.

Rating: 3/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 216 - # 10: The Hateful Eight

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Genre: Drama/ Thriller

Runtime: 167 minutes

Year: 2015

Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Channing Tatum, Demian Bichir, Walton Goggins, Zoë Bell, James Parks

Description: In the dead of a Wyoming winter, a bounty hunter and his prisoner find shelter in a cabin currently inhabited by a collection of nefarious characters.

Review: “The Hateful Eight” is Quentin Tarantino’s eight film and his second official western. At the same time it’s a return to his first film from the nineties, with Samuel L. Jackson leading an ensemble cast and almost every scene takes place in one location.

Samuel L. Jackson and Kurt Russell are the leading men. They play two bounty hunters who are stuck in a snow storm somewhere in Wyoming. Russsel’s John Ruth delivers a life one, Daisy Domergue, who is going to be hanged, while Jackson’s Marquis Warren delivers his bounties dead. Because of the weather, they have to stop at Minnie’s Haberdashery. They are not the only guests there.

“The Hateful Eight” is one of Tarantino’s meanest films. Lots of racism and violence, which gives us both entertaining and uneasy moments. Tarantino’s dialogues are good as always and all the actors seem to enjoy being in the film.

“The Hateful Eight” is very violent and bloody, but when you’re familiar with Quentin Tarantino’s work it comes as no surprise. What makes it a bit different is that the film is not stuffed with pop songs or references to other movies. The music was composed by Ennio Morricone. This all makes it surprising.

The movie starts a bit slow, but be patient. It will get a lot better.

Tarantino used 70 mm film, something that hasn’t been used since 1996. It’s an unique, very wide format. The snowy landscapes and the interior of Minnie’s Haberdashery get an extra dimension. You’re sometimes so close to the characters, that you can experience how small the room is they are in. This wide screen really does make a different. the lighting is also warm and more subtle.

“The Hateful Eight” is a true show, with great dialogues and performances. It’s not one of his best, but still a very Tarantino like film for any Tarantino fan.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 117: American Ultra

Director: Nima Nourizadeh

Genre: Action/ Comedy

Runtime: 99 minutes

Year: 2015

Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Topher Grace, Connie Britton, Walton Goggins, John Leguizamo, Bill Pullman

Description: A stoner (Jesse Eisenberg) - who is in fact a government agent - is marked as a liability and targeted for extermination. But he's too well-trained and too high for them to handle.

Review: Films, where the leads are stoners, can nowadays be put into its own genre. Think of movies like “Pineapple Express” and “Dude, Where’s My Car?”. “American Ultra” is also one of those films.

Mike is a nobody, who spends his days smoking weed and hang out with his girlfriend Phoebe, while working at the local supermarket. His anxiety to leave town doesn’t really help him any further either. A woman visits him at work and starts talking to him in words he doesn’t understand. Mike sends her away and not long after that two armed men try to kill him. Surprising himself, he overpowers them. How is it possible that he can do that?

The movie is meant to be a comedic action movie, but you’re never sure if this is supposed to be taken seriously or that it’s a parody on the genre of spy thrillers. The cast is good though. Jesse Eisenberg was made for a role like this and has great chemistry with Kristen Stewart. Topher Grace was funny and Connie Britton did a good job too.

Besides a few cool action scenes, the story develops slowly and the ending isn’t surprising at all. The movie is not as spectacular as the trailer let us believe.

The movie is somewhat entertaining, but I had higher expectations. The concept is great, the execution sadly isn’t.

Rating: 2,5/ 5