semmian-93345 Reviews

Lessons in Chemistry (2023)

Emancipated or Emaciated?

[6/10 · 3 February 2024]

Did Ms Larsen not get the memo about unattainable Hollywood body standards? Watching her is like watching someone who's just gone through a famine. I can't take my eyes off her impossibly thin waist and chicken legs.

People who gave this show a 9 or 10 should watch Mad Men. What would they give it I wonder? 19 or 20? Sorry, ratings are out of 10.

The series starts out pretty good, but by the 5th or 6th episode it really starts to drag. The plot such that it is, ends up being about highway zoning through an affluent black neighborhood, yawn.

The characters are basically cartoon villains men and women combined. Men come off misogynistic and the women, except for Larson and Harriet, are your basic Stepford Wives. The station manager even has the Snidely Whiplash moustache! The typical Hollywood premise of white people bad, black people good, except for the leads of course.

I also got tired of Larson's robotic way of talking which occasionally disappears when she's talking to her daughter or Harriet.

Public Enemy (2016–2023)

I watched it all but wished I didn't

[4/10 · 24 November 2023]

This is a strange series. The first season wasn't bad if you could get your head around a multiple child killer being one of the "good guys".

The second series was just plain bizarre. You have multiple abducted girls probably still alive and captive somewhere in the area but you still have just 2 stumble bum cops doing all the investigating (with 2 hardly ever seen assistants). It's a small village but they seem to have a university and a forensic lab and pathologist (I guess you could say they're close to a big city).

The second series especially, is more of a character study then a whodunnit because we know whodunnit almost from the beginning. There's no real investigating going on. The lead cop just goes off (by herself) half cocked every time she finds a new lead or theory.

After watching the first series I was hesitant about watching the second but did because I was somewhat invested in the characters. In the end I wished I didn't.

Jordskott (2015–2017)

Great Skott!

[4/10 · 31 March 2023]

Disclaimer - I bailed after 4 episodes. Why did I grow to dislike Jordskott (Swedish for George Scott, famous American actor of yesteryear) after investing 4 hours? Two things really,,,,First the series comes across as a missing person detective show but by episode 3 it becomes a fantasy, or introduces a supernatural element, so I feel a little duped, not that I wouldn't have started it anyway had I known.

Secondly I didn't like the main character at all. She was suppose to be some highly capably police officer/negotiator but she came across as utterly incompetent and didn't seem to know the slightest thing about policing or investigating a crime. I mean who screams shoot me over and over to a deranged hostage taker in a hostage situation. Utter nonsense. There were a few other nitpicky things like the head investigator in the disappearance recruiting a NEGOTIATOR with an emotional connection to help investigate a missing child case. The head guy also irritated. He didn't do anything in 4 episodes except walk around looking smug. The local police investigator was at least likeable and seemed to be actually doing things.

There's too many other (hopefully better) things to watch.

The Consultant (2023)

I've been duped into watching

[4/10 · 25 March 2023]

If you want to watch an 8 part series that:

1. Does whatever it wants with disregard to any cohesive plot 2. Makes no sense what-so-ever at any point 3. Explains nothing that's going on 4. Has no likeable characters 5. Throws weird scenes and events in at any time that are never fleshed out, concluded, or have mush or anything to do with anything.

5. Has a meaningless ending that explains none of the weirdness they injected along the way

Then this show is for you !

I guess this show might be explained by saying it's a parable of the greed of modern people (in the software industry). Thus the characters represent certain stereotypes they want to skewer. But I doubt that was the goal.

Annika (2021– )

Tries to be different

[4/10 · 25 January 2023]

Yet another police show about a female detective who's single, has a daughter who's a b*tch and they don't get along. This tries to be different by having Annika talk to the audience, not a camera crew documenting her every move (that would have been more interesting). I found her talking to the audience off putting, and didn't like it at all. I found it too hard to get involved with the series when she does this. I also found Nicola Walkers acting and mannerisms here to be strange. She talks oddly, is constantly flippant, and for an experienced detective she seems unsure with her promotion and nervous, especially in the beginning. Having seen her in a million things I think this is her basic natural acting style. It's starting to wear thin. IMO Nicola Walker is over exposed as an actress. We've seen her in too many things, too many times. Producers should start casting someone different for a change.

Where the Crawdads Sing (2022)

You'll either love it or hate it

[5/10 · 15 January 2023]

Spoiler - I hated it but I gave it a 5 because if you take it for what it really is, you'll love it.

This movie is a Harlequin romance pretending to be a regular movie. It should be categorized as a fantasy romance. I mean come on, this girl lives on her own in the deep marsh since she was about 10 years old. Grows up to be healthy, beautiful, clean, has all her teeth, etc. She always looks like she just got out of the spa. And she always has a new clean outfit. And she's intelligent and knows tons of stuff and she's socially capable. Her only flaw is her naivety regarding men.

The murder mystery is thrown in as a plot device to show us her growing up over time which I guess would have been boring on its own. The police investigation and courtroom prosecution is a joke. It's so lean and poorly done it feels like a afterthought. And by the end you don't really care what happened anyway, at least I didn't. It's pretty obvious so no mystery there.

The characters are either uber bad or uber good. And what a throwback to the movies of yesteryear - the only nice townspeople are the kindly black couple. Ugh.

After Yang (2021)

Movie equivalent of ambient music

[4/10 · 15 January 2023]

Watching After Yang is like listening to quiet ambient music. It's peaceful, calming, and serene. But it's boring on its own. You really have to be doing something while you have it on. This movie is like that. I kept wanting to watch another channel for a while or do the vacuuming. Its beautifully shot and well acted with a great score, but it's a snooze fest. The plot is minimal. Everyone talks quietly and slowly and I had to laugh when we got the scene where shirtless Colin Farrell shows his chiseled bod. That scene seemed way out of place in this movie. Wonder if that was in Colin's contract?

The Midnight Club (2022)

More Bore

[4/10 · 16 October 2022]

The main problem I have with this series is that the characters are all dying but they look healthier than regular people. And the main character dresses like she's at a fashion show. She's in foster care yet has thousands of dollars worth of clothes. And how did she (and the others afford such extravagant hospice care? I must have missed something there. The star of this series is really the set of the mansion. If they went to so much trouble with that why not a little makeup on the kids.

The stories within the story are a mixed bag of interesting and boring. But they do take away from the main story which you eventually realize: "there isn't much of one".

Give it a miss.

Us (I) (2020)

Poorly Written

[6/10 · 8 August 2022]

Somewhat boring travel tale of a marriage on the rocks. The big problem with this show was that in the flashbacks of their meeting and romance, the couple had nothing in common and seemed ill suited right from the start. Totally unbelievable they would marry. The guy was a drip and stayed a drip to the end. That was the second issue I had with this show. Tom H.'s character was such an unlikeable jerk you wondered how his wife lasted this long with him. And note the whole middle of this tale was just Hollander desperately searching Europe for his son who went walk-a-bout.

Reyka (2021– )

Plot holes galore

[5/10 · 13 April 2022]

Good acting, atmospheric, great production values and makeup on the corpses. But ludicrous ending and pretty stupid throughout. The police must have arrested 3 or 4 different people as the serial killer with scant evidence for any of them. Although prison and the prison system looks pretty cushy. But if this is how South Africa policing works I'd never go there.

Pieces of Her (2022)

Very Frustrating to Watch

[4/10 · 16 March 2022]

Loved the beginning. It started with a bang. I love a show that gets you right into it.

Frustrating because all the mother had to do was explain the circumstances to the daughter but she won't, even when the daughter implores her to. And then when the mother offers to tell her, the daughter refuses to listen, instead going off with strangers who may be able to give her some information.

Daughter starts off as an idiot klutz, then a couple of episodes in becomes a female James Bond.

Also witness protection doesn't work like this at all. The movie would have you believe there's a whole team of marshals watching her around the clock for literally decades. Utter nonsense.

As We See It (2022)

Is this how autistic people act?

[5/10 · 13 February 2022]

Got to be honest, don't know a lot about autistic people but are they this irritating? Do they tell people they are stupid when they disagree with them? Do they act like spoilt children when they don't get their way? I would think so when they're young but one assumes by the time they hit 25 and are sent out into the world they have a little more understanding of the world around them.

Chapelwaite (2021–2023)

Crappelwaite

[3/10 · 13 February 2022]

What a piece of crap!!!!! Disclaimer.... I've only seen 2 episodes.

4 Things:

1. Women did not go to university in 1850 2. Kids didn't go trick or treating in 1850 3. People didn't say "Paradigm" or " Not my scene" in 1850 4. TBD....

Should have realized it would be crap when I saw it was a Canadian production (see Other Irritants - first 2 points).

Other irritants:

• Town seems to consist of 8 buildings
• Town seems to inhabited by about 15 people including a doctor and constable
• Whispering Brody
• Hiring a Governess then sending your kids to school
• Constantly sending your kids to town when they are physically and mentally abused by the entire town constantly (through 2 episodes anyway).

• Missing husband who was killed on main road, and wagon and body of horse and husband just left there (and no-one can find them)

Have to decide if I should watch anymore for the shear laugh value.

Got 3 stars for the atmosphere which was decent.

The Power of the Dog (2021)

A so-so good yarn

[6/10 · 9 January 2022]

I gave it 6 stars for the acting, the main story and characters, and the "twist" ending.

I only gave it 6 starts because it was too long, the characters were one dimensional (the bad, the slow, the gay, the milquetoast) , and they mistreated animals, especially the horse, in the filming.

Normal People (2020)

Great for a Drinking Game

[4/10 · 28 December 2021]

Perfect show to watch if you want to play a drinking game. Just take a drink every time one of them says "Sorry". Or whenever Daisy is nude. You'll be blasted in no time.

Seriously "Normal People"? More like abnormal people. There was no normal in it. They both should have been in deep analysis for years, including her family.

Seriously I did enjoy the first few episodes, especially the high school ones, but when they got to Trinity it started to go downhill. About 2/3 of the way through I'd had enough of these two morose whiners. Two of the most unhappiest people I've ever seen, didn't matter if they were together or apart. When they weren't having sex they just kind of sat around looking wistful. They had no conversation and even the last episode when they were supposedly back together they seemed so awkward together, like it was their first date. I suppose this is what passes for highbrow literature/filmmaking these days. Haven't read the book. But wouldn't now on a bet.

Our Ladies (2019)

Way over the top

[4/10 · 28 November 2021]

Extremely broad, way over the top. Everyone's a caricature of a type except the nun who would have given these girls a smack upside the head in real life (or so I'm told by my Catholic educated wife). Not subtle in the slightest. Went for broad comedy and for the most part didn't succeed.

Breathe In (2013)

Ruined by details and casting

[5/10 · 28 November 2021]

Movies like this really tick me off for reasons that I find consistently in Hollywood flics.

Miscast lead. Guy P. Is too good looking and buff to be believable as a shmuck teacher/cellist. The role screamed out for an everyman type like the wife's casting.

He's a teacher, she owns a small pottery shop yet they live in a huge mansion and give their daughter a car for her birthday.

When the exchange student comes to stay, she and the daughter sleep in the same room even though the house is big enough to have 20 bedrooms.

Guy's music room is right near the girls bedroom (same reason above).

Also - I was way more interested in the husband and wife's dynamic rather than the husband/exchange student. The wife's part was very under written.

Didn't like the ending. It didn't really explain or show what happened after the eventful final scene. I needed more.

American Rust (2021–2024)

Absolutely no point to it.

[3/10 · 7 November 2021]

Thought it would be a murder mystery, a who dunnit kind of thing. Nope, it's just a character study with unfortunately no redeeming or likeable characters at all. Well, maybe Maura T. You pretty much know who the killer is after the first episode and by episode 4 you know for sure. It's also very slow and thus boring. The acting isn't superb as some have said, it's just what any competent actor would do. Give it a miss.

Blood Red Sky (2021)

Enjoyable time waster

[7/10 · 25 July 2021]

A slightly different take on the vampire movie. Enjoyable, goes by quickly with never a dull moment.

The Sunlit Night (2019)

Like watching paint dry

[2/10 · 20 June 2021]

Don't be fooled, there's a lot of comic talent in this movie but it's not a comedy.

This movie is so boring it almost makes time stand still.

Tell Me Your Secrets (I) (2021)

What two completely different series joined together look like

[6/10 · 30 March 2021]

I swear one of the reasons this movie was made was just to show off Lily Rabe's manly muscles. If we saw her jogging once we saw her a hundred times.

The series was watchable although it was about 3-4 episodes too long as are most American streaming series. It was also pretty confusing with seemingly random characters and subplots appearing constantly. It was actually two separate series combined as one. The first was Rabe's character - did she or didn't she help her serial killer boyfriend. The second is the group home and what's going on there. Both completely unrelated. Interestingly, it stars two actors with the most unattractive legs in Hollywood - Rabe and Brenneman. The best thing about the series was Rabe's real life hubby Hamish. His character was interesting.

Escape Room (II) (2017)

A piece of crap

[2/10 · 30 March 2021]

Horrendously bad movie. Pathetic script, bad acting, bad directing, bad (insert anything here). Meaningless ending, no point. Takes forever to get going.

Acceptable Risk (2017)

Mediocre script, production and direction

[4/10 · 24 March 2021]

Disclaimer - I only watched 2 episodes. Then I bailed.

Lots of little things add up to a poor series. Some bad acting (Canadian Detective, 2nd husband), obvious villain's (Pharma head), and some low budget constraints perhaps (both Canadian and Irish detectives working solo without partners). Elaine Cassidy knows literally nothing personal about her husband, and he was just murdered and she shows almost no grief (I know- she was just holding it in).

I Care a Lot (2020)

I Don't Care A Lot

[3/10 · 1 March 2021]

Sadly disappointing. Not a comedy, not even a black comedy. Absolutely ridiculous premise. There's no way the system allows a stranger to so quickly take over another person's life that easily. It just doesn't work like that. I don't understand why they made Marla's character so irritating with a smug self satisfying smile constantly on her face and the ridiculous vaping. And the point in the movie where she goes all James Bondy and takes out two beefy bodyguards and the big boss is just nonsense. Too much Rosamund Pike and her teenage intern/lover, not enough Diane Weist and Peter Dinklage.

The Sounds (2020)

Lame production, wooden acting

[4/10 · 26 November 2020]

Wooden acting from the Canadian cast. In the first episode the lead gets off the plane looking like she just stepped out of a fashion shoot. They kinda lost me when her husband's showing her around their new boat and she's wearing spiked heels. And watch the background dancers at the party. Have you ever seen anything so lame?