edwardsjosiah Reviews

The Trust: A Game of Greed (2024– )

Now This Is Reality TV

[10/10 · 11 January 2024]

Only 4 episodes in but I am hooked. Imagine survivor without the physical component. All social game, but like survivor this show does a great job of getting people from different backgrounds and economic classes.

It's also an engaging social experiment. As the audience, we see why people are making the choices they make. To each other it may feel very cut throat, but to the audience we know it was actually a very flippant move or not thought out.

The best part is most of the time people choose to abstain, so someone can be eliminated by JUST ONE VOTE. Never seen anything like it.

Hope it gains traction so we can get a season 2!

The Marvels (2023)

Okay Superhero Movie, Terrible Marvel Movie

[4/10 · 12 November 2023]

I'm always so thrilled to see Marvel movies and almost always have a great time even if the movie isn't great. And with three women superheroes, sign me up.

Unfortunately, my expectations were too high and I was extremely disappointed. The plot was so mangled and the lack of energy they put into the story bugged me. (I've seen all the movies and TV Shows up until now and was still very VERY confused.) Didn't feel like a Marvel movie, more like a Disney Channel Original Movie. (One I would've enjoyed but not sat in the theater for). It's hard to believe this is in the same world as The Black Panther, Civil War, or even the first Captain Marvel movie.

In the end, Iman Vellani was absolutely a joy to watch. I loved the action scenes and the switching, but the movie fell flat. Even the heartfelt parts didn't totally add up or connect in a meaningful way. I want to say it was fun, but I was too confused to sit back and enjoy the movie.

I've been trying to defend Marvel for a while, since everyone's had fatigue but now that fatigue has hit me. I'm tired.

Barbie (I) (2023)

Better the Second Time!

[10/10 · 24 July 2023]

I'm a dude so take what I'm saying with a grain of salt.

When I saw it for the first time, I really enjoyed it, but it was a lot to take in. I've heard talks about this movie for YEARS, and it was different than I expected. I could recognize the performances were amazing and Greg blew it out of the park with the directing and writing and I had so much fun. But all I saw was a "fun" movie about "being a women?"...

HOWEVER, after I left, I couldn't stop thinking about it. Now that I knew the plot I felt I had to watch again to really understand what the movie was saying. So I watched it AGAIN, and I never go to the movies twice! I was BLOWN AWAY. Not only did I see so many details about the Barbie world but got a grasp of what Greta was saying about society l. About women. Men. Corporations. Mothers. Daughters. War.

Do your self a favor. Watch it! Then, watch it again! Tbh I'm probably gonna see it one more time. I've only touched the surface.

Unprisoned (2023– )

Slow start but keep watching!

[8/10 · 10 March 2023]

I'll admit at the beginning you get a whole bunch of characters who have a lot of flaws, that might feel annoying. But keep watching! By the end of the show you really get a chance to watch these people grow.

These people make a lot of mistakes that many of us do in the real world but the show does a great job of showing the behavior without encouraging it. Even exemplifies the harm of dare I say, "too much therapy," or overthinking to the point you self sabotage.

It's more than just a comedy. It has a lot of heart in touches on the inter-generational trauma that Black Americans go through on a daily basis. Once you've entered the cycle of the system, how do you get out?

Also the performances, are amazing!

Life & Beth (2022– )

Peaceful and Funny

[9/10 · 17 April 2022]

I will preface that I am a big Amy Schumer fan and enjoy everything that she does. She really carries the show with solid dramatic and comedic moments. The show tied together everyday life with heightened drama and humor. I did manage to laugh out loud a couple times. It wasn't too heavy but wasn't boring at all. Plus the settings and shots were beautiful. Peaceful.

The story itself had heart but what really tied it together were the performances from Michael Cera to Yamaneika Saunders, one of my favorite comedians, each actor really played their part and played it well. It really does start slow, but after the third or fourth episode, you really get attached to the characters and want to learn more about them.

This isn't the Amy Schumer people are used to seeing but the realest one yet!

Grand Crew (2021–2023)

Funny but missing something

[6/10 · 19 December 2021]

I think the writing is funny and familiar. Feels like any old sitcom with a group of friends in their 30s which I enjoy. As a black man I love the representation, but kinda disappointed that all the black men feel exactly the same. Other than the main character and his sister, the first two episodes don't really differentiate the other mens' personalities other than the fact that their black and wear different clothes, one wears sweaters, one wears glasses, and one wears hats.

My favorite character is Nicky. Not sure why she hangs out with these guys, but love Nicole Byer.

If they can really start differentiating all the characters and digging deeper, on top of some solid performances and witty storytelling, this could be great.

Dad Stop Embarrassing Me! (2021)

Starts out strong slowly dwindles

[5/10 · 22 April 2021]

This show is so corny from the acting, to the characters , to the jokes but that's the best part. Comedies can be so dramatic but the tone is light and will remind you of many of the great black family sitcoms from the 90s to early 2000s. Unfortunately, the show fails to evolve to today. As a young person in my early 20s, the younger characters felt like they were written by an older person observing younger culture. The way the show portrayed cyberbullying, dating, and social media was out of touch; like how many teenagers are waiting outside of stores for shows when you can buy them online? This isn't the 90s.

I really liked the pilot but slowly the show unravels and you can tell the writers still didn't know where to go. I wanted the show to stay on that corny family feel we all love and are used to, but everytime they cursed I was thrown off. Sometimes they tried to continue a storyline over several episodes which is different for a sitcom. The talking to the camera happened so sporadically you wouldn't see it for a while episode then six times in the next. And the final "police brutality" episode... coulda put some more thought into that.

The minor holes aside . The show relies completely on Jamie Foxx to carry the whole ensemble with the most lines, playing different characters; however, he does not possess the comedic talent to crush the already bland jokes. Perhaps if the character was played by Kevin Hart or Dave Chapelle the mediocre writing would have gone to the next level, but that was not the case. Not his fault. You can tell he tried hard.

I hope there's another season so they can step of their writing game, stay fun and try to craft some better jokes. We need more shows like this!

The Great North (2021– )

Everyone's good but Judy

[6/10 · 3 April 2021]

The show has some really great characters. I love that it comes from the Bob's Burgers universe but it's unique spin. Also love the diversity with both a black and gay character. Many of the characters are fun except the main one, Judy. Not only is her voice annoying, but she acts selfishly while her entire family does everything they can to appease her. The best episodes are when she's hardly in them and we can actually focus on any other character. It's still early, but hopefully they give her at least one redeeming characteristic.

Kenan (2021–2022)

Premise is More Sad than Funny

[5/10 · 29 March 2021]

There's a lot to enjoy about the show. Kenyan kills it. Honestly, he's the only reason I've gotten through the first episodes. In fact, all the characters are great. However, the main character's wife died and every episode is linked to her death. I hope the show evolves beyond this. The concept is a little tiring and a little depressing especially for a sitcom. I hope they rework what the show is about and let the actors and characters be fun.

Artemis Fowl (2020)

Didn't read books and so confused

[1/10 · 13 June 2020]

This movie was terrible. I had never read the books and frankly, I don't know what happened. It felt like someone meshed together clips from a TV show and put them together into one movie with gaps and holes. The acting was terrible. The dialogue was awful. Less snappy one liners and more story development. Literally ANY story development.

Worst part was Josh Gad narrating things that had literally just happened. 50% of the movie was narration!

Best part was it was so bad you couldn't stop from finishing it. No words can describe how much of a mess this was. For that reason alone you should at least start it!

The Lovebirds (2020)

Super Cute and Funny

[7/10 · 23 May 2020]

You're probably gonna say to yourself "real people do not act like this." And you're most definitely right. However, if you can get past that, Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani make this movie hilarious with their own unique styles of comedy. Their performances shine bright next to a pretty lackluster plot and dialogue. If you're a fan of either of their work, like me, you will most likely have fun. The movie is enjoyable, and it is great to see two actors of color take the lead in a rom-Com/mystery!