Month: September 2022

The Anarchists (2022)

Where to find it: No UK streaming
Length: Six hour-long episodes
Synopsis: Documentary on a libertarian party conference
Recommendation rating: 2/5

What I like about it: it’s fun to laugh at them (until it isn’t)
What I don’t like about it: too long, heavy

Review:
Pointless and exploitative, this documentary follows an annual party weekend in Acapulco for libertarians (referred to as anarchists throughout) and centres on a murder that is tangentially related. They all try to scam each other with crypto, no one learns their lesson. Didn’t need to be made and doesn’t need to be seen.

Content notes (may contain spoilers): blood, violence, drugs, total pricks

Ten Percent (2022)

Where to find it: Amazon Prime Video
Length: Ten 50-minute episodes
Synopsis: London talent agents struggle with work and life
Recommendation rating: 3/5

What I like about it: sometimes funny, good cultural satire
What I don’t like about it: drama-length episodes, poor guest stars, mediocre characters

Review:
It’s not a bad show but skippable and could be much better if it didn’t pad itself out to fifty minutes with interpersonal drama and weak mysteries. Hamstrung its own chances of success by skimping on the guest stars. Highlights include the ruthless and positive Americans and grande dame luvvie Stella.

Content notes (may contain spoilers):

This Fool (2022)

Where to find it: Disney+ (I assume)
Length: Ten 25-minute episodes
Synopsis: Character-based comedy with a lot of heart
Recommendation rating: 4/5

What I like about it: funny, absurdity, acting, directing
What I don’t like about it: fond of gross-out humour, characters take a few episodes to grow

Review:
Julio lives in South Central Los Angeles with his grandmother, mother, sister and her two children. He works at a rehabilitation programme for gang members called Hugs Not Thugs, where most of their time is spent baking cupcakes. In the pilot, his routine is interrupted by the arrival of his cousin and childhood bully Luis, who moves from prison into Julio’s home and work. Everyone in this series is imperfect but kind-hearted; it makes for a great set of characters that really grow on you and it’s also the funniest comedy debut of this year.

Content notes (may contain spoilers): one instance of sudden violence/injury, gross humour (vomit, defecation)

McQueen (2018)

Throughout September I will be raiding my collection of favourite movies to review one a day, with a focus on overlooked and underappreciated films.

Where to find it: NowTV
Length: 105 minutes
Synopsis: Documentary on Alexander McQueen
Recommendation rating: 4/5

What I like about it: the shows, the fashions, well-made documentary
What I don’t like about it: a sad story

Review:
This documentary covers the short life and career of Lee Alexander McQueen. An outsider to the fashion industry with a gift for spectacle and improvisation, Lee climbed fast as the industry sought an xtreme edginess in the late 90s. Sadly, he accepted a job with Givenchy and destroyed himself with the pressure, developing a drug addiction and an eating disorder before ending his life in 2010. This portrait gives due weight to his designs and creativity while also delving into his life and working methods, all wrapped in an effortful elegance that he would probably be very proud of.

Content notes (may contain spoilers): suicide, abuse, drugs

Nope (2022)

Where to find it: Not streaming
Length: 130 minutes
Synopsis: Horse ranchers have a close encounter
Recommendation rating: 2/5

What I like about it: genuinely spectacular, some great shots
What I don’t like about it: makes no sense, a puzzle with a dozen missing pieces, frightfully paced, dodgy plot, poor lighting, references to better movies

Review:
See title.

Content notes (may contain spoilers): violence, blood

Chocolate (2008)

Throughout September I will be raiding my collection of favourite movies to review one a day, with a focus on overlooked and underappreciated films.

Where to find it: No UK streaming
Length: 90 minutes
Synopsis: Muay Thai savant beats people up for an hour and a half
Recommendation rating: 3/5

What I like about it: my #1 autism movie – silly, cool, fun
What I don’t like about it: probably a little offensive, the dub

Review:
This one has a slow start as we watch the forbidden romance of a Yakuza and a princess of the Thai underworld but this long diversion produces a child named Zen. Zen is autistic and spends most of her days eating Smarties and watching Ong-Bak over and over and over again, thus downloading kung fu like Neo in The Matrix. When her mother falls ill and requires money for treatment, Zen and her cousin set out to collect on mum’s many debts among Thai organised crime figures. Thrown at Zen are a gang of kathoeys and a final boss who, like herself, is autistic. Try to watch subtitled if you can because the autistic sounds are extra offensive in the dub.

Content notes (may contain spoilers): violence, meltdowns, illness, sex (once at the start), injuries (real ones featured over the credits)

George FitzGerald – Stellar Drifting (2022)

Length: 42:52
Synopsis: Space-themed set of electronic pop
Recommendation rating: 4/5

What I like about it: interesting composition choices, sounds great
What I don’t like about it: neither energetic nor laid-back

Review:
This album, in expansive headphones, feels like a trip through the stars. Of course, it may just feel like a competent electronic album if you’re not stoned off your ass.

Content notes (may contain spoilers):

Conjuring Kesha (2022)

Where to find it: Amazon Prime Video
Length: Six 40-minute episodes
Synopsis: Popstar investigates the paranormal
Recommendation rating: 2/5

What I like about it: funny (intentional or not), cool opening titles
What I don’t like about it: she’s very annoying, it’s really bad

Review:
Kesha hasn’t been relevant since dropping the dollar sign so she’s here for a Discovery Channel payday. Mostly low-effort, the formula involves Kesha and an allegedly-famous friend visiting a ghosty tourist attraction and hearing their hacky, rehearsed “encounters”, immediately becoming scared due to her comicly-high suggestibility. The producers play pranks on her that wouldn’t fool an eight-year-old, once an episode they press a buzzer pretending to be a ghost answering her questions. It’s generally fun but it’s never long until Kesha begins one of her egotistic New Age rants about the universe and all its energies centring upon her, a very serious artist. Also fun are the moments of peak liberalism, such as being performatively sympathetic to a ghost they’ve decided is trans and performing an indigenous ceremonial song for the restless spirits of victims of the Trail of Tears.

Content notes (may contain spoilers):

The Red Shoes (1948)

Throughout September I will be raiding my collection of favourite movies to review one a day, with a focus on overlooked and underappreciated films.

Where to find it: Britbox on Amazon
Length: 135 minutes
Synopsis: Beautiful ballet
Recommendation rating: 4/5

What I like about it: gorgeous, serious, colourful
What I don’t like about it: long and pretentious

Review:
Featuring a thinly-veiled Ballets Russes, a Diaghilev-type takes full advantage of a young ballerina’s ambition, writing for her the ultimate prima role. Culminating in a 17-minute ballet that shows the conflicts between art and life and the demands put on dancers. It’s pretentious but it’s beautiful.

Content notes (may contain spoilers):

Black Bird (2022)

Where to find it: Apple TV+
Length: Six 1-hour episodes
Synopsis: An informant befriends a killer
Recommendation rating: 3/5

What I like about it: psychological, well-made, darkly fascinating, not too long
What I don’t like about it: always sickening

Review:
This grim and gritty series follows the autobiography of James Keene, a mid-level drug dealer who took on a job gathering evidence on a serial killer for the FBI to avoid a 10-year prison sentence. The acting is good, the writing is psychological, if you like these kinds of things (nauseating dark bloody true crime) then you’ll like this.

Content notes (may contain spoilers): violence, sex, sexual abuse, vomit