johnbonner-33825 Reviews

Lou (I) (2022)

It's awesome.

[9/10 · 26 September 2022]

Lou is a near-perfect action thriller.

It has pretty much everything you could want: excellent performances from each member of this stellar cast, brisk pacing throughout, edge-of-your-seat tension, complex characters, smart writing, immersive cinematography, a stunning setting in the Pacific Northwest, and a satisfying conclusion that will hopefully lead to more films featuring Allison Janney as the curmudgeonly lovable Lou in the near future.

I watch a whole lot of suspense movies and family dramas. It's rare to find a film that successfully combines those two genres. Lou manages to do just that - and in the process has become one of my new favorites.

If you're still trying to decide, just watch the first 15 minutes and I guarantee you'll want to watch the rest.

Lou draws you in from the start and doesn't let go until the credits roll.

Anxious People (2021)

Surprising, Lovely, and Life-Affirming: A Must Watch!

[10/10 · 2 January 2022]

This limited series from Sweden really took me by surprise. I am a big-time tv watcher and love a good heist/mystery story. This has the whodunnit element to be sure, but it is also so much more than that.

I haven't cried that much during the concluding episodes of a miniseries in a long time. Anxious People allows you to see the messiness and complexity beneath the surface of everyone; no matter how hard we try to put on a brave face for the world.

There is genuine humor, remarkable depth of character development, and a truly satisfying conclusion. Nothing touches me more than the power of forgiveness. This series illustrates that as beautifully as any I've seen.

You owe it to yourself to watch it. This is the antidote to all the dumpster fires currently ablaze in the world.

Anxious People reminds you, in an indelibly poignant way, what really matters. I'm grateful I found this gem of a series on Netflix. I can't wait for you to experience it, too. I wish everyone could see it.

I'm not being hyperbolic when I say it can lift your spirits, give you permission to be more gentle and loving with yourself and others, remind you of the singular gift it is to offer each other the benefit of the doubt when our impulse is to do otherwise, and go a longer way than expected toward healing the broken and worldweary hearts out there, as it did mine.

Paraíso (2021–2022)

Excellent!!

[10/10 · 19 November 2021]

I created an IMDB account just to write this review. As an avid TV and film watcher, I often rely on IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes to guide my viewing choices. Sadly, there are almost no reviews to be found -- anywhere -- about this series, which is a damn shame, because it's freaking awesome.

The only reviews that do exist on here or Reddit or RT are middling and claim this series is derivative or subpar, unfairly claiming it is a rip-off of shows like Stranger Things and that it pales in comparison. Being a *huge* fan of Stranger Things (I've watched the entire series all the way through three times), I have to disagree. Yes, Paraíso is similar to Stranger Things in tone, mood, era, score, and cinematography, but it also stands completely on its own in terms of originality, character development, concept and storyline.

As a devotee of The Expanse, Game of Thrones, Shadow and Bone, His Dark Materials, Foundation, Lost, Almost Human, Orphan Black, Fringe, Dark, Ragnarok, Locke & Key, The Nevers, The Mysterious Benedict Society, Timeless, The Mandalorian, Carnival Row, Sense8, and Humans, I can say without reservation that Paraíso absolutely belongs in that list of my all-time favorite fantasy/mystery/sci-fi series.

Paraíso is exciting, moving, and cathartic. The acting from the young teens in particular is outstanding. I loved the world-building, examination of grief and loss, bingeable suspense, depth of friendships explored, the burgeoning romances, and most of all -- a very satisfying conclusion. If you love any (or all) of the series I listed above, you'll likely fall in love with Paraíso, too. Give it a chance and keep watching to the end. You'll be richly rewarded when you do.

My only gripe (as someone who speaks Spanish) is that the English subtitles were inadequate and often inaccurate. That was disappointing. I do hope HBO takes the time to give this series the subtitles and closed captioning it deserves (and that they've afforded to all the other foreign language series I've watched on HBO). Despite this flaw, I still wholeheartedly recommend Paraíso.

I'm grateful to have come across this show. And while I wish there were IMDB user voices joining with mine to declare its greatness, I'm confident that after you've watched it, you're likely to become one of them.