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Reviews
T@gged (2016)
Surpringly Great Show
With so many of these teen drama/thriller type of shows, that entire world just becomes over saturated and drawn out. This surprisingly was not the case with T@gged.
This former go90 (Hulu for it's later season) show moved so quickly and established many of the storylines without over complicating the plot or pacing of the series. The episodes have about 20 minute run times, which for a show of this caliber is both a positive and negative; negative because you often want more and more. After some research, I learned that since go90's demise, the show developed a large cult following.
The three main actresses are exceptional and you instantly want to follow whatever else they have starred in. The supporting cast is equally as riveting and talented. The storylines never feel corny or unbelievable. In fact, I liken this to the show Pretty Little Liars, which quickly became difficult to sit through for all of the reasons that make T@gged successful.
I will admit that this won't be for everyone and for all of the reasons why I think this show is a hit, someone else might think will be a flop.
Go into it with no expectations and an open mind, follow the path that this story takes you.
The biggest flaw I could find is the fact that it never made it to a fourth season. With it's recent inclusion on Netflix, one can hope that there is a miracle and the network renews this show.
Crshd (2019)
Pleasant Surprise
I need to admit that I often appreciate something more lofi than your typical film. If you have an open mind with such films, you'll often find the spark or charm that's laced within it.
Such is the case for Crshd!
I was very unsure where this movie would go.
Would it follow the played out troupes of previous "virginity" films? Would it be as played out as that genre?
To my surprise it was very refreshing.
The story follows three freshmen girls on their last day of college before Summer break. All three girls are significantly different. There's the shy one (whom the story mainly surrounds), there's the adventurous one (who almost immediately gave away the fact that they were the lesbian of the group), and the third, who was hardest to really place. She comes off as smart, unsatisfied, and more of the angel on shy Izzy's shoulder.
The pacing of this film was well executed. We see this day play out in full, leading to the next morning, where we see the resolution of the previous day's events.
The acting was great for a film of it's caliber. I would love to see what the three main actresses would do in a project with a higher budget.
The ending genuinely left me wanting to know where these characters would end up after a Summer apart.
Each of the three girls found themselves in situations that I would be excited to see the consequences and journeys of.
Frances Ha (2012)
The most genuine portrayal of young adult life in Brooklyn.
To say it in the most honest and simple way, I do like this movie!
There is a certain vibe... It's nostalgic, realistic, honest, and messy. But these are all the things that make this a great movie. I caught this film on tv one afternoon and was struck by how relatable it was. These characters are people I know and associate with regularly. It was scary how realistic it was; had to make my wife watch it with me.
Most movies paint these types of characters as these whimsical cool kids who live these lives that are anything but further from reality. Although if you were some kid living in Ohio or Nebraska you might think that is how young (dare I say hipster?!) adults live. Being from this area I can say how untrue that stereotype is.
The people in this movie aren't perfect. They're deep thinkers, hopelessly exaggerated personality, living the struggle of trying to live in an over saturated, expensive area; or at the least trying to be these things but are padded by their privilege.
But then there is Frances, who is a mess and has no clue how to be anything other than that. At times she frustrating to watch and other times you sympathize because she is so lost. It's when she finally becomes an independent "adult" that you feel so much pride in her.
This is both a cautionary tale and an inspiration for any loss person who is struggling to let go of their youth while avoiding the lines of adulthood.
100 Girls (2000)
Unexpected and Underrated
In all honesty I haven't seen this movie since I was a teenager.
Every now and then I find myself thinking about this movie, which I was obsessed with in High School.
I remember one weekend night scrolling through the movie channels and stumbling upon this movie. Around this time teen comedy/romance films were an over saturated genre. Almost every film was similar to the last and unoriginal.
It's important to remember that there's nothing too different between this film and others from it's time. But out of all the movies from this time period, this is one that stands out. For me it's equal to American Pie or Accepted; with it's themes of college antics, first love, the obsession with sex and whether or not you're good enough to experience such a thing.
Beyond all of those themes and tropes, there's substance within this strange film.
The main character is actually a pretty smart guy, a thinker, a hopeless romantic; who's more relatable any of the leads in similar movies. He just wants to find his true love... who's a girl he had sex with in an elevator. But who hasn't fallen in love with someone they had great sex with?!
Throughout the film you stumble upon some tasteless humor and sexist ideals, which is where this film begins to struggle. In today's world this film wouldn't stand a chance, but for the time period that it was released, this was the norm.
The ending of this film completely saves it from a lot of those flaws that you struggle through. It goes from raunchy to sincere real quick.
A highlight of this film is seeing a handful of actors that went on to become bigger stars. Such as: Emmanuelle Chriqui, Katherine Heigl, Larisa Oleynik, and Jaime Pressly.
This movie was such a big deal when I was younger that I bought the DVD.
I spent many nights sharing this film with my friends and further rewatching with them many times after. Having experienced life, love, loss, and marriage; I wonder what my adult self would think about this film now.