The Haunting of Bly Manor

The Haunting of Hill House was one of the most interesting shows of 2018, and thanks to its successful debut, Netflix announced a second season which will focus on a different haunted house. With The Haunting of Bly Manor, creator Mike Flanagan takes us to England, where a young American au pair is hired to take care of two orphans who reside at Bly Manor, a huge mansion with lots of secrets.

This new season of “The Haunting” series is as strong as the previous one, at least in terms of characters and story, but it’s definitively not as scary or creepy. Is this a bad thing? It depends on you, to be completely honest. If you were looking for a traditional horror story, similar to Hill House, with lots of jump-scares, I think you would be disappointed with Bly Manor. However, if you enjoy a good story with a complex and deep story behind, you will love what Flanagan has created.

Yes, The Haunting of Bly Manor is not very scary. There are some good scares, and the ghosts Easter eggs that made Hill House so interesting are back. Some episodes are actually scary, or have good horror sequences, but not as much as some people (myself included) hoped. Plus, I think that the ghosts in Hill House were creepier and more terrifying than the ones we have in Bly Manor. However, that doesn’t mean that this season is, in any sense, bad or forgettable.

So, why is The Haunting of Bly Manor such a good show if it’s not that scary? The answer is simple: the characters, the story and the atmosphere are excellent, and sometimes even better than they were in The Haunting of Hill House.

THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR (L to R) T’NIA MILLER as HANNAH, BENJAMIN EVAN AINSWORTH as MILES, RAHUL KOHLI as OWEN, AMELIE SMITH as FLORA, and VICTORIA PEDRETTI as DANI in episode 101 of THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR Cr. EIKE SCHROTER/NETFLIX © 2020

First of all, the story is incredibly well-written. Mike Flanagan and the rest of the writers have created one of the most powerful gothic love stories I’ve ever watched. The stories behind Bly Manor, the ghosts and the main characters are deep, emotional, romantic, and so well constructed that, by the end of the show, you’ll be completely satisfied. This is one of those shows where the ending is actually good and doesn’t disappoint. Yes, some people could argue that the pacing isn’t perfect, and I would agree. Sometimes The Haunting of Bly Manor is very slow. But the show is a slow burn, and the best episodes are towards the end, where everything starts to make sense and you can finally put together all the pieces of the puzzle.

The characters are probably the most interesting element in this show. Every single character has an interesting backstory, and the show takes its time to explore them. Bly Manor is the kind of show where all the characters are so well written, that they feel like real people. Maybe the pacing wasn’t as good as one would have hoped, but I appreciated the fact that Flanagan and the other writers took the time to create interesting and realistic characters.

But the writing isn’t the only thing that made these characters the strongest element in this show. The cast is fantastic, and they deserve all the attention they’re getting. Victoria Pedretti, T’Nia Miller, Amelia Eve and Oliver Jackson-Cohen are, in my opinion, the strongest members of the cast, and their characters carry the show. However, both Benjamin Evan Ainsworth and Amelie Bea Smith, who play Miles and Flora, the orphans, deserve to be mention in this review, because they did an incredible job with their characters. And even though I never want to hear the sentence “perfectly splendid” again, I can’t say enough good things about those kids and the cast in general.

So yes, The Haunting of Bly Manor is quite different from its predecessor. It’s not just a ghost story. As they say at the end of the show, it’s also a love story. And a very good one, by the way. If you can, give Bly Manor a chance, and try to finish the show (if you haven’t already). You won’t regret it.

THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR (L to R) AMELIE BEA SMITH as FLORA , BENJAMIN EVAN AINSWORTH as MILES, and T’NIA MILLER as HANNAH in THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR. Cr. EIKE SCHROTER/NETFLIX © 2020

Ratched

Ryan Murphy and Sarah Paulson are teaming up again, but this time it’s not for another season of American Horror Story. At least, that’s what it looked like at first. Murphy and Paulson bring us Ratched, the new Netflix series that explores the origin of one of the most interesting characters in movie history: Mildred Ratched, the nurse that treated Jack Nicholson’s R.P. McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

Ryan Murphy is a very special producer. No one can deny that some of his shows are outstanding pieces of art, like the first season of American Crime Story. But we all can agree that he doesn’t hit the jackpot every single time. However, despite his many flaws, Murphy always delivers good entertainment for those like me who tend to enjoy his work.

Ratched is definitely a Ryan Murphy show in every single aspect. From the gorgeous locations and shots to the amazing cast (including Sarah Paulson, of course). And the show has the potential to become the next Bates Motel. But even though this first season is strong on its own, and I’ve enjoyed it a lot from the very beginning, there are certain elements that don’t quite work.

The first thing that bothered me about Ratched was the season finale. The show ends with an amazing cliffhanger, which leaves us begging for season 2. But the problem isn’t that. At the end of the final episode, Sarah Paulson’s Mildred Ratched is, without a doubt, a totally different person than the Ratched we know from the movie. Now, I understand that Murphy really wants to continue with the story and, as I said, the show has potential, so maybe in a couple of seasons, we’ll end up getting the real Ratched. However, I feel like Netflix’s Ratched is a completely different character and it would be really difficult but interesting to see how they can unite both stories.

Does that mean that Paulson’s interpretation of the iconic character is bad? Not at all. Sarah Paulson is one of the best actors working on TV these days, and she is the best element on the show. Her Ratched has what Louise Fletcher’s didn’t: a backstory that justifies and explains how she acts. Of course, Ratched is a series and she is the main character, but sometimes protagonists are bland and the shows must be carried by the side characters. This isn’t that kind of show.

I loved Paulson’s Ratched: the way she dresses, her ability to manipulate everyone, and, especially, how well she adapts to every single situation. I can’t wait to see how she evolves in the next season and (hopefully) how she ends up being the Mildred Ratched that Nicholson hated so much.

The rest of the cast is also great. Finn Wittrock is a very convincing serial killer and Judy Davis’s Nurse Bucket is a delight throughout the series. Charlie Carver is surprisingly good, even though he doesn’t have much screen time and even Sharon Stone has her moments. And Sophie Okonedo is a force of nature. She shines every time she’s on-screen, and even when her character reminds us of James McAvoy in Split, her Charlotte is one of the most amazing elements on the show.

Ratched story is very interesting, and I think that’s one of the strengths of this show. The episodes never feel too long or too crowded. There aren’t unnecessary subplots that complicate the story too much, which is something that Ryan Murphy tends to do and even though the show is very similar to his other creation, American Horror Story, Ratched is more similar to the best seasons of that show and not the worst ones.

In general, I think Ratched is a very good show. If you like Ryan Murphy, American Horror Story, Sarah Paulson, or asylums, this is your show. And if you’re a fan of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, I think you can enjoy the series if you understand that this is a different take on the character and the world that movie portrayed.

I hope we get to see more of Murphy’s Ratched, and as they did with Bates Motel, I think it would be interesting to see if the final season for this show recreates the events of the movie. We’ll have to wait.

My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising

My Hero Academia is one of the best and most popular animes right now. The series, created by Kōhei Horikoshi, is very popular, not only in Japan but also around the world, and the anime has just finished its fourth season and has a fifth one already in development.

This film focuses on Deku and the other students of Class 1-A while they are on Nabu Island, a very peaceful place, doing some real hero work. However, our favorite heroes will soon face a new enemy that threatens the whole island: the supervillain Nine. With All Might retired and the Pro Heroes far away, Deku and his friends are the island’s only hope.

Heroes Rising is, in general, a very good movie, with amazing action sequences where all the students get a moment to shine, and a story that’s more interesting than the one we got in Two Heroes. The only thing I didn’t like about this film was that it ended.

My Hero Academia has one of the best leads and supporting characters I’ve ever seen in any anime, so watching all of them fighting the villains of Heroes Rising was absolutely incredible. Both Deku and Bakugo shine in this movie, especially in the third act, when they have to fight together to defeat Nine. Every time Midoriya teams up with Kacchan, Heroes Rising, but also My Hero Academia in general, are at its best.

The villains in this movie are great. Most of them don’t have a lot of screen time, but their quirks are very cool and visually striking. As the main antagonist, Nine is a much more memorable foe than the one Class 1A fought in Two Heroes. The only problem one could have with Nine is that he is too similar to All For One. Besides that, his quirks are cool and his backstory is well developed. Plus, his fight with Deku and Bakugo is the best part of the movie.

The animation is great, and the music in the movie makes every scene even more memorable. As I said before, this movie is fantastic. I’m sure My Hero Academia fans will love it, and even if you are just a casual fan, Heroes Rising won’t disappoint you.

Tenet

Armed with only one word—Tenet—and fighting for the survival of the entire world, the Protagonist journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a mission that will unfold in something beyond real time. Not time travel. Inversion.

They finally did it. After months of delays, Tenet is finally here. At least in those countries where cinemas are open. Christopher Nolan has been eager to share his latest movie with the world, and now that we can watch the film, it’s time to discuss the complexity of Nolan’s Tenet.

First of all, I’m not the greatest Christopher Nolan fan, and although I enjoy most of his films, I don’t consider any of them to be “masterpieces”. However, I thought that Tenet could change that trend and become my favorite Nolan film of all time, due to the fact that I loved the idea of inversion when I first saw the trailer. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. In general, I liked the movie, the characters, and the way Nolan directed it, but I had some problems with the script, which I think should have been the strongest element in Tenet.

My main complaint about Tenet’s script is that some of the key story elements are poorly explained or not explained at all. In fact, Clémence Poésy’s character says at the beginning of the movie: ‘Don’t try to understand it. Feel it.’ when she’s talking about how the inversion works, and I strongly believe that quote could sum up the entire film perfectly. If you try to understand every single little detail about Tenet‘s science and how everything we are presented in the story works, you won’t be able to enjoy the movie as much as you could. The ideas are really interesting and, visually, they work, but I felt some deeper explanations were needed.

But there are some really good elements in this movie, which makes it worth watching on the big screen. As I said before, Tenet’s visuals are spectacular. Nolan is a very good director, and he proves it once again. All the inversion sequences are absolutely stunning, especially during the third act, which is definitively the best moment of the movie. As I said, it’s not very well explained, but it looks amazing.

The acting is also extremely good. John David Washington does a very good job, and he is a very charismatic actor. However, I think it’s safe to say that Robert Pattinson and Kenneth Branagh have the strongest and most interesting roles in the story. Pattinson shows how good he really is as an actor, stealing every scene he is in, and Branagh does an amazing job portraying a very scary and realistic antagonist.

When I left the theater after watching the movie I knew a lot of people will love it. It’s a very good film, and I can’t deny that. However, I think Tenet must be experienced at least once. Even if you can’t understand everything, Nolan creates a really solid action film full of shocking mind-blowing twists, that every single cinephile will appreciate. It’s not the greatest movie of all times or the best Nolan story, but I think it’s worth seeing in theaters.

The Thing About Harry

It’s been a couple of weeks since Freeform released The Thing About Harry, an original rom-com produced by the platform, directed by Peter Paige and starring Niko Terho and Jake Borelli. The story of two former high school enemies who become best friends and fall in love with each other is a must-watch if you are a fan of cheesy rom-com films.

But why should we watch The Thing About Harry? What makes this movie different from the other hundreds of rom-coms that we can find out there? Well, as you can imagine by looking at the poster, this is the story of a gay couple. So, if you haven’t watched the movie, go now and watch it, because we are going to discuss this film with spoilers.

The Thing About Harry is the kind of film you would expect. It’s, as some people have pointed out, a very cheesy movie, full of cheesy moments and dialogues. However, that’s not a bad thing at all. To me, The Thing About Harry really feels different from those other rom-coms we are used to watching, and that’s because both protagonists are part of the LGBT+ community.

It was really nice to see these two men falling in love with each other, becoming friends, fighting and struggling to find the love they deserved, because that’s something you only see in straight rom-coms. And I’m not saying that straight love stories are unnecessary, bad or uninteresting. Some of those stories are absolutely incredible, and I love them, but I’m not used to seeing that same story being told from the perspective of a gay man, so that’s what really changes everything about this film.

Peter Paige, the director and co-writer, does a great job creating two amazing characters, Sam and Harry, and telling their story. The way they interact with each other in every single scene is perfect, and I really felt their connection from the very beginning. That’s also thanks to the amazing acting from both Terho and Borelli. Both actors have amazing chemistry, one that you could notice just by the way they looked at each other. In fact, there’s one scene at the beginning of the movie when they have to spend the night in a motel room, and since that moment, I knew they were a perfect match. That whole sequence is wonderful, and it shows the incredible connection between these two characters.

The rest of the cast is also great. Britt Baron as Stasia is, without a doubt, the best secondary character in this film by far. She is very funny and charismatic, and her relationship with Sam, their friendship, was one of the best aspects of the movie. I loved how she was so “edgy” and “didn’t want a relationship with anyone” but ended up marrying Zack on Valentine’s Day. That was very funny.

The ending is also one of my favorite moments in the movie. I don’t know why, but even though I’ve seen hundreds of public love confessions, it’s something that I still enjoy. I love seeing people running and stepping into public events just to say “I love you”. And if you are a fan of rom-coms in general, I’m sure you love it too.

To be honest, The Thing About Harry is not a masterpiece. However, I think it is the kind of movie that you will watch countless times and love every single aspect of it. It’s very romantic, touching and funny, and sometimes, that’s all you need in a movie.

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)

Cathy Yan, Christina Hodson, and Margot Robbie are the women behind the latest DC superhero movie, Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). After her debut in Suicide Squad, Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn became one of the most popular DC characters, and soon after that, Warner Bros. announced a Harley spin-off, which would feature the Birds of Prey.

Now, before I review this movie, I have to say one thing: I’ve never been a fan of the Birds of Prey brand or the character of Harley Quinn. But I did enjoy Robbie’s performance in Suicide Squad, and I admit that she was definitively the strongest aspect of that movie. I think that Margot Robbie is a very good Harley Quinn, and she proves that again with this new movie, but as a producer, she didn’t choose the right partners for this adventure, which makes Birds of Prey a good film, and not a great one. That’s not a bad thing to say, I guess, but I think that Harley has more potential and if they decide to try again and make another Harley film, with a different team (like Gotham City Sirens), there are a couple of things that Warner Bros. and Margot Robbie should learn.

I’ll start with the good elements of Birds of Prey. Harley Quinn is, without a doubt, one of the best DCEU characters right now. Robbie’s performance is absolutely perfect: she embraces Quinn’s madness and humor, adding a bit of emotion to the mix, making Harley a very interesting character, someone who is not a hero but is a bit far from being a villain either. Her action sequences are the best parts of the film, and I would have loved to see more of her doing backflips and kicking people’s ass, so I hope we have a lot of that in The Suicide Squad, a movie that is currently filming.

However, there are two problems with Quinn’s character in this movie. The first one is that she is the only real character in the film, and the rest of the cast is just there to support her. Huntress, Cassandra Cain, and Montoya aren’t as interesting as Quinn, and they have almost zero personality, which makes their scenes in the movie a bit boring. Of course, this is not Robbie’s fault, but it’s weird to see how the writer develops Harley Quinn so much and forgets to give any kind of character arc to the other heroes. There’s one exception, and that’s Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell). She doesn’t have as much screen-time as Quinn, but she is the only character that really made a strong impression.

The story is just ok, to be completely honest and the editing is quite weird. Sometimes, for whatever reason, they decide to cut one of the action sequences to go back in time to introduce a new character or fill in some details. At first, it was not a huge problem, but when they did it several times in a row, it became really frustrating and boring, reminding me of the worst parts of Suicide Squad.

Also, as I said, only Harley has a compelling character arc, while the other characters are there just as support or because they are necessary for the plot’s development. Black Mask (Ewan McGregor) is not a very interesting villain either. He is not a very menacing or funny antagonist, even though McGregor does a good job with what he is given. Besides, he doesn’t even have good plans or memorable scenes whatsoever.

Birds of Prey is just an enjoyable movie. If you like DC, Harley Quinn or superhero movies in general, I think you will like this film. In my opinion, I think it’s worth seeing on the big screen, mainly because of Harley Quinn, her jokes and fight scenes. However, I also think that the story had more potential, and I hope that Warner Bros. understands what went wrong with this film. And please, put Harley in a better context next time, which is not a Birds of Prey story, but a Gotham City Sirens one. She should be fighting crime alongside Poison Ivy and Catwoman. Everybody knows that.

Locke & Key

After many years of announcements, cancelations, and ordering pilots, Locke & Key is finally a reality thanks to Netflix. This new TV show based on the popular comic book series created by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodríguez is a very intriguing and enjoyable adventure that hooks you right after its first episode. Now that the show has been out for more than a week, it’s time to discuss both the good and the bad elements of this show, WITH spoilers.

The story and the mysteries

One of the strongest aspects of Locke & Key is its story and the way it handles the many mysteries that appear during this first season.

If you like fantasy worlds, comic books, and magic, this show is perfect for you. Every single magic element that we got in this season was absolutely amazing, especially the keys. To be honest, these magical objects are what make the show so interesting and binge-watchable. Every time a new key was introduced, I was eager to see what it could do and how they were going to use it. In fact, one of the coolest things you can do when you watch Locke & Key is thinking about how you would use the keys. And believe me, there are a lot of things we could do with them. Even their design was incredibly interesting.

There are also a lot of mysteries around the keys, the house and some characters (Dodge!) that keep us hooked. However, one good thing about this show is that when you finish season 1, you actually get some answers. Of course, by the end of episode 10, there are still some questions that remain unanswered and new mysteries that I’m sure we will explore in season 2. However, the main enigmas, like Dodge’s identity, Rendell’s past or what was behind the Omega Door, were solved. That was good because when I finished the season I didn’t feel like I wasted my time in a story with no real answers.

Also, the story never felt slow and I never thought that we were going nowhere. The screenwriters did a very good job handling so many storylines and characters, and they always move the story forward. And even though there are some Netflix shows that can’t handle 10 episodes, that was not the case with Locke & Key. In fact, I would say that 10 was the perfect number of episodes for the show: we had time to get to know the characters and their personalities, explore Key House, dig into the past and even laugh a bit.

Bode, Dodge, and the rest of the characters

Yes, Locke & Key has a very strong story, but the characters in the show are a bit bland. The problem with most of them is that they make a lot of dumb decisions, which sometimes I could understand because if it weren’t for them, there would be no show. However, there were some moments where I really felt like the characters did something or acted in a certain way just because they had to do it, so the story could continue, and not because it was the best thing to do or the right way to act.

There are two exceptions though. Bode Locke and Dodge. Jackson Robert Scott, who stole every minute he had on-screen in It: Chapter One is the star of this show. His character, Bode, is not only the best and most coherent Locke but also the funniest, bravest and most intelligent character in the whole show. He is the one who discovers the keys and how to use most of them, and even though he is the youngest of the siblings, he understands the danger they are facing and could have avoided some of the things that happened in the final episode.

Alongside Bode, Laysla De Oliveira’s Dodge was definitively the most intriguing character. She is a very deadly, dangerous and competent villain, who even murdered a child in cold blood by pushing him into a subway rail (that was scary and shocking). But even though she is the villain, I really enjoyed every time she was on-screen. De Oliveira did a very good job with this character, which honestly could have been a very typical and insipid bad guy.

Tyler and Kinsey were the ones who made some of the dumbest decisions. Now, I have to say, Connor Jessup and Emilia Jones are great actors because even when their characters did the stupidest thing imaginable, I still rooted for them. They had a very nice brother-sister relationship, which the writers handle very well, and both Tyler and Kinsey had good moments during some of the episodes. But they really need to start listening to Bode, or they will end up throwing their mother through the Omega Door.

The rest of the cast is ok. Most of the characters were there for plot-devices reasons, but the actors did a nice job. Some of the secondary characters that I really liked were Rufus, Gabe (who we will need to keep an eye on in season 2) and Joe.

A great show in general

Locke & Key, as I said is very enjoyable and intriguing. It’s not a perfect show by all means, but it has the potential to become one of Netflix’s greatest. They have great production designs, great VFX, a good set of writers and a very nice cast. Season 1 ended with some mysteries still unanswered and raising new questions, so I really need to see where we are heading.

The producers have already said that they are working on season 2, so it’s just a matter of time that Netflix confirms it. And I’m really excited to see more of this world: more keys, more magic, more demons, and more Bode. If you like fantasy, magic and a good mystery, go ahead and watch Locke & Key, you won’t regret it.

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Season 3

Rejoice, witches! Our favorite witch is back! And this time, we are going to Hell.

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina became one of Netflix’s most popular shows soon after its release, back in October 2018. Since then, we’ve had two seasons and one Christmas special (something that I hope they do again), and now Netflix has released the third season, and it’s already preparing the fourth one.

Is Part 3 of the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina worth our time? The short answer is simple: absolutely yes! However, I’d like to talk a bit more about this new season, which overall, I thought was really good and introduced a bunch of new and cool stuff that we can discuss right now.

Before we begin, I warn you: this review is full of spoilers, so if you haven’t watched every single episode of CAOS Part 3, go ahead and do it. What are you waiting for?

Great, but not perfect

I will begin with the not-so-good elements of this new season because, as I said, Part 3 was great, but not perfect.

I love musicals with all my heart. I love Glee and High School Musical: The Musical: The series. I simply love it when the characters of a movie or a tv show start singing and dancing spontaneously. Up until this point, I’ve even enjoyed CAOS‘s musical moments, especially in season 2, when they did that Masquerade in front of Lucifer. However, I think that they’ve gone too far in this new season. Sabrina and Roz’s cheerleading was cool, but the pre-recorded music didn’t fit at all, and Theo, Harvey and Roz’s band was pointless. I did like the episode where the cheerleaders performed at the Academy and the witches used their energies to power up, but that was a very good idea and the musical number was very well integrated within the context of the story. Overall, I do think they need to stop introducing random musical numbers if they don’t fit in with the story. It’s just a waste of our time.

I’m also tired of Blackwood. I think he’s served his purpose, and now he’s just there for the sake of being there. I understand that he is going to be a crucial part of season 4, and I’m kind of intrigued about that, but I don’t care about his character anymore. To be honest, Prudence and Ambrose should have killed him when they had the chance to, because now that he bears the Mark of Cain, he’s practically immortal, so I guess he’s going to be around for a while.

Finally, and this is more of a request for next season, I need more powers. This season was great in terms of Witches using their magic, but due to the fact that Lucifer decided to punish the Coven (I can understand why) taking away their powers, we’ve had a season where the main characters were facing a lot of dangers, and they couldn’t do much about it. Now, as I said, I’m ok with what we got, especially in that final episode when the Coven defeated the Pagans. However, after seeing Sabrina flying and killing angels with infernal fire, I was hoping to see more of that. And I still think they can give that to us in Part 4, now that Sabrina is Queen of Hell. At least, one of the two Sabrinas we have now.

Why CAOS is a good show

Every time I finish watching any season of CAOS, I say to myself: I want more. And that’s a good sign. Netflix’s adaptation of the comics is really special, and if you think about why this show is so good, you find the answer easily: the cast and the story.

CAOS is not Game of Thrones. It doesn’t have the biggest budget of all times. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy this show, because we do.

The cast is probably the greatest aspect of this dark and satanic series. Starting with Kiernan Shipka, she was born to play Sabrina. She is incredibly charismatic, and she makes us love Sabrina and we root for her even when she makes mistake after mistake. But she is the main character, so making dumb decisions is in her nature. Without them, the show would be very boring. Plus, Shipka really sells her spell casting, which is not an easy task.

Shipka’s Sabrina is not alone in this show, and, even though she is the star and main character, the rest of the cast is just as great as her. Michelle Gomez is not only my favorite character but also a very complex one. Her relationship with Sabrina is one of the most interesting aspects of the show, and I really hope they explore it even more in Part 4. Gomez’s Lilith is not only funny and charismatic but also a very powerful character, who’s willing to do everything to survive. Her future with Lucifer and the son they are expecting is very intriguing, but I want to see how she handles the two Sabrinas situation when she discovers the truth. And she will because as Ambrose said, she notices everything.

Hilda and Zelda continue to be great characters, and their storyline in this season was very good. Zelda’s new love interest is promising and I’m very happy to see Hilda being happy. As for Ambrose and Prudence, they had some really good moments, and they are great characters overall.

And last but not least, let’s talk about Roz, Harvey, Theo, and Nick. Out of these four characters, I honestly think Theo is the best one. His role in the show has evolved a lot since season one, and his relationship with one of the new characters, Robin, was a key element this season. Roz and Harvey are good characters, but they don’t have much to do. Roz’s cunning is an amazing gift, but I didn’t understand why she never said anything about what she saw at the Carnival. I mean, a lot could have been avoided if she had said earlier to everyone that she just saw a weird half-human, half-goat creature with her powers. As for Nick, I just don’t like him very much. I understand he’s been through hell (literally), but the way he treated Sabrina, even after they got rid of that Lucifer’s essence he had inside, was really despicable. Besides, he didn’t have much to do this season.

Now, even though I don’t like some of the characters of this show, I still think they are the most important and interesting aspect of it. The way the writers handle all of these characters and storylines is truly amazing, especially in an 8-episodes season. I said it last week when I talked about Sex Education, and I’m saying it again: Netflix shows are popular because they have great characters and stories, but they are also good because the writers know how to develop interesting storylines and relationships between the characters. In a world post Game of Thrones Season 8, I really appreciate when writers develop good and coherent characters.

The new additions

Part 3 not only deals with our favorite characters as usual, but it also introduces some new ones. And I have to say, all of them are refreshing and exciting new additions to this show.

Sam Corlett’s Caliban could have been a very annoying Hell demon because his main goal is to get the throne and rule Hell, so his aspirations are a problem for our main characters. However, Caliban is not only funny and charismatic but also intriguing. The dynamic he develops with Sabrina was very cool and kind of sexy, and even though he betrays her a lot, something tells me that Sabrina will need his help in Part 4. Maybe their relationship could grow into something more. We’ll see.

Skye P. Marshall’s Mambo Marie is also a very powerful new addition to the Coven. I’m ready to see more of her Voodoo magic and, what’s even more important, her relationship with our favorite High Priestess, Zelda.

Finally, I really enjoyed Jonathan Whitesell’s Robin Goodfellow. His relationship with Theo was very cute, and the fact that he is a hobgoblin makes for a very interesting dynamic between him and the rest of the group. I do think that his storyline was a bit cliché at first, but I’m looking forward to seeing how he grows as a character.

The Pagans ended up being great adversaries. Their powers were very cool, and I really felt that the Coven was in real danger. I knew that all of the killings that happened during the final episodes of the show weren’t going to last forever, but I thought that the Pagans could hurt the Witches pretty badly because they had the power to do so. But the Witches didn’t have their powers when they were facing them, and once the Coven recovered and regained their strength, it was really easy to get rid of those old gods. They were good characters, but I won’t miss them a lot.

Give us more, please

Season 3 was great. The story of the Pagan gods and the competition to see who would rule over Hell were two very interesting storylines, but they’ve ended. Now we have two Sabrina, and one of them is Queen of Hell. However, having two Sabrinas is probably not a good thing, and I’m sure that both of them will realize that sooner rather than later.

Furthermore, Blackwood and his twins have released something that will cause trouble for the Spellmans, and even though I don’t want to see more of Blackwood, I’m actually intrigued by that mysterious creature and how it’s going to fight the Witches.

In general, I think that Part 4 is going to be as wicked and enjoyable as Part 3. I know they are already filming it, but there are a couple of things I really want to see.

I want to see more of Sabrina’s dark side. Now that she is Queen of Hell, I want to see what she can do, and she has both Lilith and Lucifer to teach her some cool stuff. And I want more of Lilith plotting against Satan.

I also want to see how they develop the twins, especially how they interact with Zelda and Prudence. I don’t know if they are supporting Blackwood because they want to, or because he cast a spell on them. Knowing Blackwood as we know him, the second option is not a crazy idea.

And last, but definitively not least, I want more of Salem. I don’t know how, but they need to find a way to make that cat talk, and he has to begin showing up more frequently. Otherwise, what’s the point of having him there?

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is probably returning later this year, so until then, let’s enjoy this third season, witches, and let’s hope we don’t have to wait long to see the story continue.

Praise Sabrina, Queen of Hell. 

Sex Education Season 2

Season 1 of Sex Education was one of the most interesting and revolutionary shows Netflix released last year. The 8-episodes British comedy dealt with a lot of important issues like sex, homophobia, slut-shaming and more, and wasn’t afraid of showing things like abortions or STIs, proving that a teen comedy could also be very educational.

Now, Netflix has released season 2 of this amazing show, and I’m very happy to say that it’s as good as season 1 and even better in certain aspects. To sum up, Season 2 picks up exactly where we left it: Otis and Eric are friends again, Otis and Ola are starting a relationship, Maeve and Adam are expelled, and the school is freaking out about a chlamydia outbreak.

One of the first things I want to say about this new season, and the show in general, is how impressive it is that the screenwriters are able to handle so many characters and storylines without making it feel rushed or messy. In fact, this new season not only handles every single character we knew from season 1 perfectly but also introduces new characters, giving all of them their own storylines and development.

The new characters are incredibly interesting. Chinenye Ezeudu’s Viv or George Robinson’s Isaac are great examples of what I said. They interact with the main characters and develop engaging dynamics with them, which makes their role in the show not forced at all. Some of these new characters are more relatable or likable than others, but all of them feel real.

As for our beloved characters from season 1, they all got very funny, romantic and (of course) sexual stuff to do. Asa Butterfield as Otis continues to be a very good protagonist, and his chemistry with Emma Mackey’s Maeve (sorry Ola) is incomparable. However, his storyline is interesting because of the other characters he interacts with, not because he is interesting on his own.

Maeve and Eric (Ncuti Gatwa) are still the best characters in the show. They both have complex stories and problems that we, as the audience, can relate to, and their relationships with the rest of the cast are great.

Gillian Anderson’s Jean was definitively a very important character in season 1, but I felt that her relationship with Otis should have been developed a little bit more. This season, the writers did exactly that, and it was great. The dynamic between Otis and his mother, Jean, is fascinating and I think that, by the end of this season, they are in a very interesting position that I’d love to explore even more. Plus, they also explored Jean’s aspirations and needs a bit more. Her friendship with Adam’s mom, Maureen, was one of the best elements they’ve introduced in this new season. It was nice to see Jean interacting with more people other than Otis or Jakob because that gives the character more depth.

I would love to talk about the whole cast, but it would be necessary to go into spoiler territory, so I’m just going to say that the rest of the characters were also great, and they all had their moment to shine. Adam’s development was amazing, Jackson’s story was also great to explored and Aimee became one of my favorite characters.

The show keeps handling important topics and social issues as good as they did in season 1. Sexual assaults, consent, anxiety, self-harm, fetishes, asexuality, and bisexuality are some of the new topics they tackled, always with humor and love, but also keeping in mind that they are something that happens a lot in our society, especially with teenagers. And it’s amazing to see a show like this and think about all of the teenagers around the world, who are watching the show, and can feel identify with some of the characters or their dilemmas. As I said before, this is a very important show that everyone should watch. Even if you think that you are not the kind of person this show was created for, try to give it a chance. The issues they present here are everywhere, all around us, and a lot of people (kids, teenagers or adults) suffer from them.

I’m also very impressed by the visuals of this new season. Sex Education is not only a very well-written show, but also a visually stunning one. Each shots’ colors, the sets, the lights, and the characters’ clothes are beautiful and striking. Sometimes, while I was watching the episodes, I felt the need to play pause and just look at the backgrounds of the school or the landscapes for a couple of minutes. That is a very strong choice that I really loved because it makes the show even more special and unique. TV shows are usually pretty generic, in terms of visuals, so I appreciated the fact that they’ve created a show that is not only interesting in terms of story and characters, but also bright and colorful.

I won’t say anything else about this new season and the show. If you liked season 1, you’ve probably finished the new season by now, and if not, go and watch the eight episodes as soon as possible. The ending will leave you wanting more and more, and I’m sure Netflix will renew the show for, at least, one more season. And even if you don’t like teen comedies or teen shows in general, I think that Sex Education is so good, and so relevant in today’s society, that you could end up enjoying it a lot. To me, this is one of Netflix’s best original series and I can’t wait to see what they have in store for season 3.

Jojo Rabbit

I love Taika Waititi. He is a very talented director, his movies always make me laugh and, as an actor, he also plays great and funny characters. For those reasons, and as a Taika Waititi fan, I was really looking forward to seeing this movie. I thought it would be similar to one of his first films, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, but even funnier and weirder. After all, this is a movie about a little boy who wants to be a Nazi and has Adolf Hitler as his imaginary friend. However, I never thought I would leave the theater with tears in my eyes. But I did. I cried a lot while watching this movie. I also laughed several times, but I knew I was going to do that. What I didn’t know is how emotional and touching this movie would be.

Now, to be honest, this movie is not perfect, and most people won’t believe me when I say that, in my opinion, the script’s comedy aspect was the weakest element in the film. That doesn’t mean that the movie isn’t funny. It is. As I said, I laughed a lot and, as we all know, Waititi’s comedic skills are always on point. To me, there are two problems with the comedy: the first one is that the funniest jokes are in the trailers. That’s obviously not a problem the movie has, but more a problem that the movie has developed. Those jokes are great, but I’ve already heard them, so they don’t have the same impact on me as they did when I first saw the trailers. There are other gags in the movie, but they are not as funny as the ones I already knew.

My other problem with the comedy is that, at a certain point in the movie, something truly shocking occurs and, from that moment on, the movie becomes a very dramatic World War II story, in which the comedy doesn’t really fit. In the third act, after THAT thing has happened, Waititi keeps trying to introduce comedic elements in the narrative, but it doesn’t work. And the thing that surprised me the most was the fact that those elements weren’t really necessary. In fact, even without that characteristic Taika Waititi comedy, the third act is actually my favorite part of the movie. So, let’s talk about the great stuff.

Jojo Rabbit tells the story of a young German boy who discovers a Jewish girl hiding in his house. These events take place during the end of World War II when Germany was about to lose. Waititi focuses the story on the relationship between the girl, whose name is Elsa, and Jojo, creating a very funny and cute dynamic between the kids. The scenes between these two characters, played by Roman Griffin Davis and Thomasin McKenzie, are the best moments in the film and the way you see how their relationship grows is absolutely incredible. I can’t say enough good things about both actors and the amazing job they did with their part, especially the young Roman.

Waititi’s script really shines during these scenes, showing how good he is at writing real people. People with fears and doubts, but also with hearts. Waititi’s characters are funny, yes, but that’s just one of the layers. They are very realistic and relatable, and that’s what I love about him as a filmmaker, even more than his comedy.

One of the greatest elements in this movie is the acting. The whole cast does a great job. Rebel Wilson and Sam Rockwell both have small roles, but they also have great lines. Waititi is also great at playing imaginary Adolf Hitler, even though his role is not as large as I thought it would be. However, Scarlett Johansson is the one who stands out in this film, alongside Roman and Thomasin. One of the reasons why she shines and steals every single scene she’s in is because her character is perfectly written and has the best lines in the movie. The other reason is that she simply does an amazing job with her part, portraying a very kind and caring mother who is also trying to do some good. And that was one of the things I really liked about her character: she wasn’t just “the mom” in the story. She was a complex human being, not only a plot device.

As I said before, I don’t think this movie is a masterpiece. It’s not a perfect movie. But I love it as it is. I think that the good elements of the film are very good, and the bad parts are just not that good, but they are not horrible. Jojo Rabbit is a very touching, funny and entertaining story, with great characters and a beautiful message. This is probably one of my favorite Taika Waititi’s films to date, and I’m sure that, if you like Waititi’s filmmaking style and humor, you will love this movie as well.