- Witch Hat Atelier • Season 1
Witch Hat Atelier's first season starts out with a stunning episode filled with jaw-dropping animation. I don't think it maintains that animation quality, but it has some really fantastic sequences throughout, especially in its first half. The show works so well because it has such strong characters at its foundation. Coco is fantastic, strong with depth and personality but also flawed and constantly growing. The show has such a gentle and caring hand when it comes to showcasing how each character is motivated, never losing sight that so many of them are kids but also veering away from making them unlikeable. It also has a strong hook in terms of the overarching conflict between the Pointed Hat and Brimmed Hat witches, giving enough to constantly keep you invested. My biggest gripe with this show is that it feels a bit uneven, with a middle that sags a bit and an ending that feels incomplete. I get that there will be more seasons, but I wanted something that felt like it at least resolved something or felt like a conclusion to an arc. It instead feels like the story was just stopped abruptly and randomly. That aside, when Witch Hat Atelier is working, it works so well, completely sweeping me off my feet. Beyond just feeling like a great anime, it feels like a great fantasy story. I read a lot of fantasy, and a lot of people in that space constantly recommend Witch Hat Atelier as a manga. I finally understand why.Witch Hat Atelier • Season 1 - Furious • Season 1
Furious can be a hard watch, illustrating the systems and biases that allow human trafficking to go unchecked, especially when elites are involved. Lola Petticrew is phenomenal as Catherine and acts as the beating heart of the show. She carries an innocence to every action, even those actions are brimming with violence and fury. It's a raw, emotional, and unpredictable performance that feels wholly distinctive and her own. When the show starts to move a bit past her and her character, I feel it loses a good chunk of what makes it so good. Emmy Rossum is a bit more of a mixed bag as Alice. The character is a fantastic foil to Catherine, and I think it was very smart to showcase how two different women who both suffer at the hands of men approach their trauma and desire for retribution. She also clearly puts her whole into the character. I just think she slightly overacts at times and carries some weird tics that make her character feel a bit less authentic. The surprise star is Quincy Tyler Bernstine. I loved how she played that cold jaded character, and I think she has some of the best quotes from the entire show, quotes that are genuinely well written. While the story in season 1 is very strong, it does start to overstay its welcome a bit in the last few episodes. I think it could have cut an episode or two without losing much. The biggest offenders are two romance subplots that didn't feel as engaging even though I get how they acted as contrasts to everything else going on. The show also sets up a season two, and it has been renewed. I'm not very interested in seeing where that story goes, but I don't think it changes this season at all. Overall I think season 1 of Furious is strong and very much worth watching, especially for that stellar performance by Lola Petticrew.Furious • Season 1 - Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma
At the end of the movie, Hannah Einbender's Kris explains that we are living in the golden age of gummy candy, which I interpreted to be a reference to how we are living in the golden age of horror, with so many different varieties that, like the cereal pack that Billy buys her, means that there is something for everyone. Camp Miasma is a gorgeous movie, a distinctive type of candy/cereal. The cinematography is stunning, filled with vibrant painted backdrops, pops of blood-soaked color, diopter shots, and crackling imagery. Even the way Little Death moves, mechanical and robotic, set to a fantastic soundtrack, feels intentional and purposeful. This movie is brimming with symbolism and subtext. The acting by the ever-talented Hannah Einbender and Gillian Anderson, is phenomenal. The problem is that I just didn't get it. Jane Schoenbrun is clearly an incredibly talented filmmaker, and I appreciate that they do not shy away from the Lynchian weirdness. In I Saw the TV Glow, I felt like even if the movie was not aimed at me, I could appreciate how much of the subtext and themes were present in all the little details, how everything was building towards a singular purpose. Here, I get the general vibe of how the movie is trying to explore the intersection of sexuality and queerness and slashers as well as the harmful depictions of trans and queer people in horror. There is also some meta-commentary on franchises and IP. However, I don't think I understand the clearer message in the same way as I did with I Saw the TV Glow. I am certainly not the intended audience, but the movie just feels a bit less accessible. The power of movies and stories are that they can help people learn and appreciate experiences of others even if they aren't the ones being depicted, and that's why I Saw the TV Glow worked for me better than this one. I think it's a shame because it's clearly so lovingly crafted. I wish the plot and characters and themes didn't get buried under all the layers of symbolism. However, like Kris and Billy mentioned, maybe this particular piece of candy and cereal is just not meant for me.Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma - Disclosure Day
Steven Spielberg built his name by crafting blockbusters that evoked awe and wonder, movie magic on a screen. Disclosure Day is a clear attempt to capture that lightning in a bottle again. It has a score that evokes classic blockbusters, stirring music to evoke empathy, and lots of lens flare. In my opinion, it is all an abject failure. The movie starts out promising enough. There is some spy action, intriguing sci-fi concepts, and a propulsive race to generate tension. None of those ideas live up to their promise. First, the movie isn't really sci-fi, with a lot of it feeling almost fantasy-esque with the wibbly wobbly explanations. People are labeled "Experiencers," whatever that means, and the core "weapon" ends up doing so many random things scene to scene that never seem to follow any sort of internal logic. Second, a lot of the tension deflates as the movie goes along. The villains have no bite, and the main characters seem to have an insane amount of plot and magic armor. Things just happen that defy any logic. The main characters seem to be able to do whatever they want at any given moment. Third, this movie doesn't really grapple with any big ideas. The central conceit of if disclosure is worth the pain it might cause is interesting enough, but it barely is discussed by any of the characters. The movie seems to resolve it through a side character in a phone call in like a minute, and it is such a simplified and superficial exploration of the topic. Finally, the movie so clearly wants to build pathos throughout. The final scene is so clearly meant to move the audience. The problem is that it is very much unearned. None of the characters have any real depth to them, outside of maybe Emily Blunt's character, and really that's only because everyone else is so surface level. Yet the movie wants you to feel the power of empathy as random characters have their emotional problems resolved in a sentence of dialogue. There even is a vastly under baked subplot of a war brewing in the background that never really gets the proper attention to act as a foil or framing for the rest of the movie. All of this put together makes for an extremely disappointing movie that doesn't really seem to do anything new or have much to say. The worst part is that the technical production of the movie is equally unremarkable. There are no shots or moments that impressed me. The acting is serviceable but no character will be remembered from this movie. It's really weak and might be the worst movie I've seen from Spielberg.Disclosure Day - The End of Oak Street
The End of Oak Street has some really compelling moments. It eschews typical Hollywood tropes, allowing kills and gore that seems to have been very sanitized from the latest iterations of the summer blockbuster. There are multiple moments throughout the movie that feel unexpected, creating real stakes and tension throughout the movie. These sequences are also just really well-made as to be expected from David Robert Mitchell. The dino design feels distinctive and not just a Jurassic Park clone, and the split diopter shots and tracking sequences add a flair of showmanship that gives the camerawork its own identity as well. Our audience was gasping in a way I haven't heard in blockbusters from the last decade. Unfortunately, the human element to this movie is severely weaker. There are weird forced conflicts and drama and a very out-of-place romance as well. None of these plot devices actually go anywhere and are often discarded, but yet they eat up screentime. I think the goal was to show how all of these conflicts pale in comparison to existential threats, but it honestly just makes portions of this movie boring where you are just waiting for the next action sequence. I don't need super strong character arcs in a movie like this, so I wish the movie just hadn't bothered with some of these storylines. Also, I hated the ending. Specifically, the last 5-10 minutes of the movie feel so unnecessary, and, in my opinion, it undoes a lot of what made the rest of the movie so compelling. The worst part is that this ending was completely not needed to resolve any open plot threads or anything. Had the movie just faded to black at an earlier point in time, it would have been way more satisfying. Overall, I still enjoyed the movie and think the dino sequences are worth it, but these two things did prevent it from being one of my favorites of the year.The End of Oak Street - House of the Dragon • Season 3
House of the Dragon season 3 fixed a lot of my complaints from season 2. Right off the bat, this season has impact. The status quo from the beginning of the season is radically altered by the end of the season. A big problem in season 2 is it felt like the show was treading water and deferring consequences and big moments for follow-up seasons. Even if you feel this season slumped a bit in the middle, I think it's clear that it still moves the needle forward overall. Throughout the season, characters scheme, form alliances, and backstab. This season is heavy on the politicking, even if it is bookended with some large battles. To me, that's the best parts of A Song of Ice and Fire, but I can see how some people find the dialogue-heavy sections dry. The crucial element in all of this is that the drama never feels forced. Characters act exactly how you would expect for their arcs, and their interpersonal conflicts feel genuine instead of just because the plot demands it. I think Emma D'Arcy does a fantastic job at emulating this with Rhaenyra. I think it would have been easy for the show to mess up her character this season, but instead, it is deliberate and careful and lets strong acting drive showcasing the character's motivations to the viewer. I think that arc across all 8 episodes is really well executed but also a clear contrast to how season 2 would handle its characters and conflicts. I do think the Harrenhal storyline remains my least favorite, but thankfully it has significantly less screentime this season. This season does such a good job demonstrating the themes of the book series, illustrating how the whims of a few people drag everyone down. I really like the contrast between what happens with the commonfolk versus the elites. All of this said, the show is also equally effective with its big splashy battles and epic moments as well, with plenty of surprises. I can see how not everyone loved the scheming within this season like I did, but everything else feels like a return to form after a very middling second season. I'm very excited to see how the bring The Dance to a close.House of the Dragon • Season 3 - Off Campus • Season 1
I admit that I am not the target audience for this type of show, but Off Campus has some surprisingly effective emotional moments. Episode 7 in particular had a lot of heft to it and was made really well. A lot of that is driven by the depth behind the love interest, Garrett Graham. I feel like a lot of similar shows in this genre veer more into wish fulfillment and treat their male leads less like human characters and more like trophies. Garrett is actually the most interesting character on the show with some solid character arcs related to his relationship with his father. The other aspect of the show that surprised me was how thoughtful it was in showcasing how its characters supported each other in small moments. There was a scene where the coach told Garrett that he wouldn't yell if the goal was for Garrett to listen to him. It's a subtle and small line, but I was impressed. I feel like often these moments are played off in unhealthy ways for the sake of drama, or they try so hard to sound correct that it can feel like the writers speaking inorganically through their characters. These moments feel very organic and heartwarming in Off Campus, and there are lots of them, even with characters who have very minor roles. That said, the show struggles when it isn't having these character moments or subtle interactions. The connective tissue between these scenes tends to be a lot of treading water, montages, lots of sex that sometimes ends up feeling gratuitous, and forced drama between some of the characters. Mika Abdalla is super charming, and I get that she seems to be a fan favorite, but I found her character's storyline to be fairly superficial and uninteresting. There is also some really forced love triangle shenanigans. This can make the show feel padded out and at times a drag despite it clearly being able to deliver some excellent moments. It needed some ruthless editing in my opinion. Overall, I think its best moments are really good, but I think they aren't enough to justify the rest of the show. I wish every episode was of the same quality as episode 7, but unfortunately, they are not.Off Campus • Season 1 - Interview With The Vampire • The Vampire Lestat
The Vampire Lestat continues where Interview with the Vampire season 2 left off, despite the rebrand. It still maintains that extremely unique dialogue that is a distinctive cocktail of literary and campy. The biggest difference is that the two costars are kept apart for most of the season, and their stories are largely very individual stories that feel too isolating. The season also feels a lot less structured and purposeful. It lacks the framing of the prior two seasons that helped drive each episode forward. The best part of the season is easily the sixth episode when the show finally feels willing to step back into what made it so successful in the first place. I do enjoy seeing some of Lestat's backstory, and the show is not afraid to jump into sheer absurdity at multiple points. However, I just felt like I was watching a story run in circles, and the big emotional climaxes are not exactly built upon these detours either. The season ends on a cliffhanger that sets up a future season, but I am not sure how much gas is left in this tank. The show has such a unique style and tone, but there is only so much navel gazing this viewer can take before starting to lose interest.Interview With The Vampire • The Vampire Lestat - Spider-Man: Brand New Day
I'll admit that I'm not a huge fan of the MCU (even in its heyday), and I could care less about Doomsday or Secret Wars. Often, it feels like the movies are very formulaic and focused on setting up the next movie with some universe-ending threat. Brand New Day is actually a refreshing bucking of that trend, and it promises a very promising way forward. Don't get me wrong, it does suffer from some of those issues. There are at least 2 very unnecessary shared universe cameos that could have easily been cut without losing anything. It also still does kick certain arcs down the road for a future movie. However, it also ignores epic stakes for instead a much more character-driven and personal story at its heart. The internal conflict is what made the best Spidey movies so successful, not multiversal shenanigans. This is a very street level, and all the better for it Tom Holland and Zendaya ground that story with strong acting that creeps up on you. There aren't emotional haymakers here, just a growing sense of pain. Director Destin Daniel Creston pulls from his work in Short Term 12 to make these quiet moments so successful. He is also a phenomenal action choreographer, and the final act has some excellent action sequences. The real star of the movie though is Sadie Sink. She builds on her excellent acting in Stranger Things to give her character an arc that acts as a strong foil to Spidey. That humanity and talent is what often feels is missing from the MCU. Seeing her talent here as well as recent casting news has me genuinely excited for the first time for the next generation of MCU movies because even if they don't learn about stripping away the need for each of these movies to carry around the carcass of a shared universe, at least they will have a very strong cast of actors taking over the mantle.Spider-Man: Brand New Day - Masters of the Universe
Masters of the Universe often feels like it is imitating a Marvel movie more than really trying to build its own identity. At various times, I almost felt like I was watching Thor or Guardians of the Galaxy, especially the former. There is a constant need to include quips and humor that often feels listless and flat. Fight scenes have lots of quick edits, and the plot is incredibly generic. The biggest sin though is that the movie is over 2 hours long, and considering how barebones the plot is, it really feels that length. It slogs at multiple times and has a lot of unnecessary downtime in between the larger action sequences. I honestly think the whole first section on Earth could have been easily cut as its only purpose is some awkward humor. Also, the movie has a lot of sexual innuendos that kind of feel out of place. That said, there are positives. I enjoyed Nicholas Galitzine as the goofy Adam while also having the physicality of He-Man. The movie is not afraid to embrace its Saturday morning roots with the zany characters. Even though it reveals the shoddy CGI, the bright background colors are a nice contrast to how drab a lot of blockbusters look. I also think there are moments in the final act where the show goes from MCU humor to more wacky stuff. I wish the movie had leaned more into this style of humor instead of trying to copy Marvel so much because it would have really given it its own identity. Oh, Jared Leto hams it up as Skeletor. Screw Jared Leto.Masters of the Universe - Is God Is
Is God Is oozes style from the very beginning. From unconventional cinematography to displaying the dialogue between the sisters as overlayed text instead of verbal communication to the way the score creates an almost rhythmic beat that propels the movie forward. It's a revenge movie inspired by Kill Bill where there is no flashy action choreography but instead punctuations of violence. Zany characters narrate their own perspectives in each stop of this journey. The script itself is sharpened with a dialect that feels both distinctive and almost poetic. It's honestly a shocking directorial debut for Aleshea Harris, and if you enjoy heavily stylized movies, this is one definitely worth checking out. The movie isn't purely style over substance either. I think the framing of the relationship between the two sisters and how their arcs act as foils for each other is really good. I will say that I didn't love the ending which I felt failed to tie everything together cohesively to really bring the deeper messages home. I also struggled with the humor in this movie. While I think the dark revenge thriller tone is really great, the movie would also then suddenly show the sisters twerking next to a sign, completely breaking that momentum. These moments are not super common, but they always feel out of place when they occur. However, outside of that, I am surprised this movie is not getting more buzz. The movie reminded me of another criminally underrated 2026 release, They Will Kill You. Both movies are heavily stylized, draw clear inspiration from Kill Bill, feature black actress leads, and focus on a sister relationship. If you liked this movie, check that out and vice versa. Hopefully both get more recognition and viewership because they both have a lot to offer.Is God Is - Carolina Caroline
I wanted to like Carolina Caroline a lot more than I actually did. I love Samara Weaving and Kyle Gallner individually, and so having both of them as costars in a movie seemed like a dream. Unfortunately, I think they just don't have great chemistry together, and the romance is a very central part of this entire movie. The problem is that the plot has been done to death before, and everything that happens in this movie is extremely predictable. The first 2/3rds of the movie in particular feel like a beat-by-beat retelling of other more famous movies. The movie is best when it isolates Samara Weaving's Caroline and allows her acting and character arc to shine through the mundaneness of the rest of the movie. Unfortunately, it just does not do this enough, instead trying to rely more on the romance that just falls flat each time. Couple this with workman directing and plain cinematography, and the movie feels like an easy choice to skip despite the talent.Carolina Caroline - Girls Like Girls
Hayley Kiyoko's Girls Like Girls is chasing a feeling more than anything, a warmth of teenage love and nostalgia for mid 2000s. The cinematography has a lot of light pouring into each scene that brighten up the frame. There are numerous scenes backed by music without any dialogue. A very vibes first movie, but it doesn't hold up beyond that. It's a queer version of a style of movie that can feel very familiar, and in some ways, there are quite a few cliches throughout. The characters don't feel fully formed, especially both of their respective family dramas. Their relationship dynamic feels muddled and never properly resolved. Some of the side characters feel tacked on. I think Myra Molloy is a significantly stronger actress compared to her co-star Maya da Costa. These are all valid criticisms, but I think Kiyoko is more focused on the atmosphere and feel of the movie, and in that, I think she succeeds. It won't blow anyone away, but if you're looking for that vibe of young, messy queer teen romance, this is a solid entry into the genre.Girls Like Girls - Blue Film
I don't mind watching uncomfortable and challenging movies, and Blue Film is very much within that category. Its subject matter is shocking, and the way the movie goes about its handling of that topic will certainly not be crowd-pleasing. However, for me, the issue with Blue Film isn't necessarily the subject matter. Instead, I think it leverages the shock factor and the crude dialogue to mask a lack of new insights. I get what the movie is trying to do, pushing the viewer to challenge their beliefs through the unpleasant interactions between these two characters. However, this movie doesn't have the sharp dialogue or innovative cinematography to make this conversation engaging. At times, it really feels like these characters wax poetic and spin in circles. Don't get me wrong, I think both actors do a fantastic job. The real weakness is the script. By the end of the movie, I didn't feel like I had really learned anything, and I think the movie's attempt at challenging social conventions via this one night somewhat falls flat. Maybe the simple nature of covering this type of discussion is enough, but I'm reminded of other movies like say Mass or Red Rooms that also touch on deeply troubling and controversial topics but do so in more insightful and engaging ways. That said, I did appreciate the tight length of the movie.Blue Film - Avatar: The Last Airbender (2024) • Season 2
There's a lot working against the live action Avatar. Season 2 struggles even more compared to season 1 because there are less set pieces to cover up the glaring weaknesses. First, the positives. Some of the cast are really good. Miyako's Toph feels just like the original character with her excellent sardonic line deliveries. Dallas Liu and Paul Sun-Hyung Lee bring a lot of humanity to Zuko and Iroh. Kiawentiio as Katara and Ian Ousley as Sokka are pretty good as well. Elizabeth Yu is actually decent as an actress, but I think Azula is somewhat hard to take seriously considering how obviously young she feels in the live action. In the animated show, she feels legitimately dangerous and psychotic, but here, she often feels petulant. I don't think it's the fault of the actress though, and as the season progressed, I was able to believe her role more. However, one of the biggest weaknesses in the show is the remaining actor, and unfortunately it's the most important one. Gordon Cormier really struggles as Aang. He both overacts and underacts, and anytime he speaks, my suspension of disbelief completely shatters. The second biggest issue with this season is pacing. Each episode is at least an hour long, and they all feel it. The total runtime is not that dramatically different from the original show, but because it's split into 7 episodes instead of 20, lots of moments and arcs feel drawn out. The animated show is honestly very efficient and is forced to have a lot of mini arcs due to its structure. This show lacks that urgency and without Aang's emotional core, often feels very dry to watch. Finally, the look of the show is just very drab. The final episode has bursts of color, but that's when the CGI is the most noticeable. The dull and dark look of the show is probably used to mask the shoddiness of the effects. When watching the new animated movie, I was reminded of how gorgeous the bright colors of the animation could look like. And at the end, that's the biggest sin of this adaptation. It adds nothing. It exists purely to make money and because some executives look down on animation. The irony is that all of these weaknesses are due to the fact that the show is being translated to live action: child actors, reduced episodes, and CGI.Avatar: The Last Airbender (2024) • Season 2
