Lately I've Been Watching

My latest mini TV and film reviews, with trailers and 'where to watch'.  

If you have trouble finding where any show/film is available in your country, this is a good site: Justwatch.  Just put the name of the show into the search, and choose your country further down, from the drop-down menu.  It shows where you can stream, buy or rent.  

If you can't find what you're looking for, try putting 'where can I watch (name of show)' into your search engine

If you would like to see more posts, please click here: Lately I've Been Watching.  If you get as far as the bottom, 'Older Posts' will take you to more.

Film: Living (2022)

5 stars plus ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

(UK & US Rent/Buy: Amazon, Google, Apple)  

A truly beautiful film - funny, touching, sad, though it never felt designed to tug at the heart strings; it just did.  Adapted from the 1954 Japanese film Ikiru, which was inspired by Tolstoy's novella The Death of Ivan Illiych, it's set in London in 1953 and tells the story of Rodney Williams (Bill Nighy), a senior official at London County Council, who discovers he only has six months to live.  It is at this point that he realises he has not been truly alive for many years, and sets about changing this.  In the wrong hands it could have been horribly schmaltzy, but this most definitely isn't. 

I adored the 1950s feel, the snapshot of an age gone by - and the opening titles sequence, in the style of a film produced in that era.

Watch it. Please!

(btw, my other favourite Bill Nighy performance was as ageing rocker Ray Simms in Still Crazy (1998).  Must have seen it about ten times!)

Series: The Last Of Us - Season 1

5* ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

(US & UK: HBO max; buy Amazon, Apple)

I waited until this was over before watching it all over 2 nights.  If you're a 'perilous post-apocalyptic journey' addict, like me, you'll love it.  Actors all great, story convincing, etc.  I very much liked how much time was taken up with the side stories of how certain situations came to be - they were every bit as good as the main one, and it showed the post-apocalyptic world from different points of view, which is always welcome.  Bit of a weak ending, but I really, really liked it.  And was still sad about Joel's daughter, right up until the end; she was so lovely.

Documentary: Paula

4.5*⭐⭐⭐⭐

(UK: All 4)

Two episode doc about dazzling super-flirt Paula Yates, who had huge charisma, was witty, sharp, amusing, entertaining, immensely likeable and always looked fab.  I liked how this documentary put paid to all the nasty stories about her during the time when she left Bob Geldof for Michael Hutchence, the love of her life - and afterwards, when he died.  RIP Paula.

Dark Comedy Series: Beef 

5* ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

(Netflix)

Glenn is back!  Great to see Steven Yeun slaying it in these excellent ten episodes with Ali Wong, equally as first rate.  Starts off with a road rage incident between the two of them and escalates into all manner of domestic horror.  It's extremely funny in places, so well-written (by Lee Sung Jin), the acting is spot on and the send-up of privileged Californians is perfection.  Loved it, highly recommended.  

(Also, TWD lovers, Steven can sing up a storm, play the guitar as a pro, and his acting has matured so much!)

Series: Vikings: Valhalla - Seasons 1 and 2

4.5* ⭐⭐⭐⭐

(Netflix)

Takes place a hundred years or so after the story of Ragnar Lothbrok, Rollo, Loki, Bjorn and Ivar the Boneless.  I love it, but my husband thinks it's a lukewarm follow-up to the original with rubbish characters; I think his words were 'Thank God that's over', when it was.  Guess I'll be watching S3 on my own, then.  I do actually know what he means, in a way (in that Travis Fimmel has nothing to worry about) but I still thoroughly enjoyed it.  So there.

Film: Sunshine (2007)

4* ⭐⭐⭐⭐

(UK: Disney+.  US & UK: Rent/Buy: Apple, Amazon) 

Dire warning about what happens when you try to play God with the weather.  Fun futuristic sci-fi, entertaining, definitely worth a watch.

Film: Sharper (2023)

4* ⭐⭐⭐⭐

(UK & US: stream Apple+)

Enjoyable film about conmen and women.  Kept one on one's toes, working out who was conning whom.  Very much enjoyed it, but a bit of a rubbish ending.  Stars Julianne Moore, John Lithgow, Sebastian Stan.

Film: Fall (2022)

3.5* ⭐⭐⭐⭐

(Netflix)

Becky and Hunter are Extreme Climbing hobbyists.  Becky is traumatised by an event of a year ago, and has not left terra firma since it happened; she is a total wreck, drinking too much, etc.  Hunter, meanwhile, has monetised her sport by becoming 'Danger D' (or something) on You Tube, and doing her climbs in low cut tops.  Hunter persuades Becky to face her fears and do another climb with her - this time, up a disused TV signal tower.  3000 ft.  Of course, lots of terrifying stuff happens, none of which I will list here because spoilers.

This film is not for the faint of heart - sometimes I was actually forced to look away, and I love scary shit!  A definite 10/10 for suspense, special effects, etc.  So why only 3.5*?

Here's why:

1. Neither actress looked as if they spent their time doing anything more physical than clubbing, and certainly didn't have the sort of muscle that would have built up if constantly doing this sort of thing.
2. If Becky had been out of practice and on the piss for a year, why would she or Hunter think it might be a good idea for her to 'conquer her fears' with a dangerous, unresearched climb?  Especially as she clearly wasn't emotionally ready for such a feat.  Which leads me to... 
3. Surely the people who do this sport do a risk assessment first?  Yeah, I know that doesn't make for an edge-of-your-seat film, but .... something?
4. The consumption of something I won't name (spoilers) by one of the girls near the end apparently turned her into Superwoman.  I think it would have been more likely to make her severely ill.
5. The end was really, really weak.  Worthy only of a 1980s B movie.  No twist, no surprises (though there was an excellent twist in the last quarter of the film - totally unexpected!), felt like scenes were cut.

ON THE OTHER HAND!!!  Becky's lovely lovely father is played by lovely lovely Jeffrey Dean Morgan, so what else can I say but 'go watch it now'??!!

Cartoon Series: South Park - Season 26 eps 1 - 6 

4* ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

(Paramount +)

I thought the first episode was weak, but the second one was the enjoyable piss-take about the Markles; since then, Season 26 has continued to be good.  Not brilliant like some other seasons, but good.  With a show that's gone on as long as this one, there are bound to be highs and lows.  

Documentary: Jared from Subway: Catching a Monster

4* ⭐⭐⭐⭐

(Discovery+, YouTube)

Living in England as I do, I had never heard of Jared from Subway (an obese, reclusive young man who lost stones on his Subway sandwiches diet, and became a national hero) until I saw the South Park episode about him, made before his paedophilia was exposed.  This 4 part documentary features the woman who first discovered the truth about him, and also the two girls who suffered as a result of their mother meeting Russell Taylor, Jared Fogle's great friend and the director of the 'Jared Foundation'.  

It was intricate in its detail, but I felt it was spun out for too long; could have easily told the story in 3 or even 2 episodes.  There was a bit too much foreshadowing that gave the wrong impression of what was to come.  Prepare to be grossed out.

Film: Boston Strangler (2023)

4*⭐⭐⭐⭐

(US: Hulu.  UK: Disney+)

Story of the (clue's in the name) in the late 1950s.  Stars Keira Knightley and Carrie Coon.  Good, I'd recommend, though not particularly memorable.  Interesting seeing, at the end, what happened to the real life journalists played by Knightley and Coon.

Series: Mayor of Kingstown - Seasons 1 and 2

4.5* ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

(US & UK: Paramount +.  Buy Apple, Amazon)

"Mayor of Kingstown follows the powerful McLusky family, power brokers in Kingstown, Michigan, where the business of incarceration is the only thriving industry. Tackling themes of systemic racism, corruption, and inequality, the series provides a stark look at their attempt to bring order and justice to a town that has neither."

Liked this a LOT.  Co-created by Taylor Sheridan, who does lots of other good stuff like Yellowstone and Tulsa King.  

Series: Your Honor - Seasons 1 and 2

4.5*⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

(Amazon, Showtime, Paramount+, Now)

Judge Michael Desiato (Bryan Cranston, hurrah!) has his life crumble in an instant when son Adam kills the son of local gangster Jimmy Baxter (Michael Stuhlbarg, hurrah!) in a road accident, and flees the scene.  This leads to all manner of disaster, ruining the lives of so many.  

I watched the first season when it came out and thought it was excellent; watched it again before seeing S2, and felt that in the second series the story was a little dragged out, and the impact lost.  However, it's still jolly good.  Definitely recommend

Film: Most Dangerous Game (2020)

4.5* ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

(Amazon)

This was thrilling, edge of your seat stuff, all the way through.  Chap with terminal health and money problems (Liam Hemsworth) is offered the chance to be the prey in a human hunt.  The hunts are arranged by a shadowy group, as recreation for jaded billionaire psychopaths.

The financial pay-off for Hemsworth's character is great.  Even if he gets killed, his pregnant wife will still earn handsomely.  If he survives 24 hours of being pursued throughout Detroit, he gets to enjoy his winnings, too.

Also watched the 2023 series of the same name, same principle, same smooth Miles (excellently played by Christopher Waltz) offering another young man with severe money problems the chance to make them all go away.  Boxer Victor's game is set in New York.  Each episode is short, often less than 10 minutes.  Works just as well as the film, hope there will be more!

Series: Da Vinci's Demons - Season 1

4 * ⭐⭐⭐⭐

(US: Amazon, Starz.  UK: Disney+)

Ridiculous fiction loosely based (and I mean loosely) on the life of Leonardo da Vinci.  Lots of action, much about the political state of Italy at the time, lots of really good-looking people performing amazing feats.  Works best if you see it for what it is - not so much a historical drama as a Renaissance Romp.  Most entertaining.

Lately I've Been Watching

The latest in my series of mini TV and film reviews, with trailers and 'where to watch'.  If you have trouble finding where any show/film is available, try typing 'where can I watch *name of show*' into whatever search engine you use (I haven't looked on Netflix for any of these).

If you would like to see more posts, please click here: Lately I've Been Watching.  If you get as far as the bottom, 'Older Posts' will take you to more.

Please note the subtle difference between half star ratings; a 3.5 or 4.5 might be rounded up or down, depending on what I thought of the programme.

Series: Your Honor - Season 1 (Amazon, Showtime)

5* plus ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Anything with Bryan Cranston and Michael Stuhlbarg (Arnold Rothstein in Boardwalk Empire) is a 'must see' for me, and this was terrific, all the way through. Cranston stars as New Orleans judge Michael Desiato, whose son commits a serious crime... by accident.  Stulbarg is marvellous as the local mob boss.  As Desiato tries to protect his son, he becomes further and further drawn into a web of deception and danger from which there is no escape.  The 10th and final episode ended with great drama, and if there is not another season, I'm protesting!

Film: Body Brokers (iTunes, Amazon)

5* ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Love love love Michael Kenneth Williams, and he was as awesome as usual in this film based the true story of rackets associated with the drug rehabilitation industry in California.  Gripping all the way through.

He's not mentioned on the official trailer, which is curious as he is one of the three co-stars, but Jack Kilmer (son of Val Kilmer and Joanne Whalley) is terrific as Utah, an addict sucked into the sleazy world of Wood (Williams) and his colleagues.  Maybe Melissa Leo has a more demanding agent....  

Frank Grillo, as the sort of sleazeball he was born to play, is great, too - but again, it seems odd that he's the main picture on the posters, when the main characters were clearly those played by Kilmer and Williams.

Film: Silk Road (Amazon, iTunes, Fandango, Google Play, Microsoft)

5* ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the now incarcerated for life Ross Ulbricht (played by Nick Robinson), who created the famous dark website on which you could buy narcotics.  I'd never realised it was so short-lived; it only existed for 2 years.  Jason Clarke plays Rick Bowden, the 'Jurassic narc', a troubled older cop demoted to cyber crime, who begins to piece the story together ahead of the FBI; I am not sure how much of this was fabricated for dramatic effect.  Anyway, I was absorbed all the way through, and can't help thinking how sad it is - Ulbricht clearly has a great mind, all gone to waste.

The Walking Dead, Season 10 x 17 (AMC+)

5* ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Full review HERE

Series: Emergence - Season 1 (Amazon)

4.5* ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Most compelling, kept me interested all the way through.  Police Chief Jo Evans (Alison Tolman) discovers a child alone on a beach; she has lost her memory.  Jo and her family take her in, only to discover that she is no ordinary child, and their association with her will put them all in danger. AI-based scifi thriller - also stars Clancy Brown and Terry O'Quinn.

Series: Brave New World - Season 1 (Peacock)

3.5* ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I haven't read Aldous Huxley's book (I am ashamed to say) but am told this is a pretty good representation of it.  A future world, a 'New London' above the ruins of the old world, in which everyone looks youthful and beautiful, family and committed relationships are prohibited, as is privacy, sex is the most popular recreational activity and the new age, golden zombies are kept happy by constantly taking 'Soma', the drug that dulls uncomfortable emotions.

Citizens are graded from Alpha+ to Epsilon (grunt, servant), and your grade is immovable.

Outside this world is the land of the Savages ... one of whom is more connected to the people of New London than he realises.  

I wasn't too sure at first, but it got better and better.  Except for the final episode of the season, which was a disappointment.  Harry Lloyd (Viserys in Game of Thrones and a ton of other things since) was excellent as Bernard Marx, who pushes all that is New London, but whose head is a mass of confusion.  Definitely worth watching if you like this sort of thing, though I've just read that there won't be a Season 2, unless it is picked up elsewhere.

Documentary series: The Lady and The Dale (HBO Max, Amazon)

4.5* ⭐⭐⭐⭐

True story - four episodes about Liz Carmichael, who, in her original incarnation as the male Jerry Dean Michael, led an incredible life on the run, escaping criminal justice.  That is, 'on the run' with his wife and five children.  When Jerry became Liz, fame was achieved in the shape of The Dale, a three-wheel car that seemed all set to revolutionise the industry.  Then there was the flower-selling business...

A fascinating story, so well put together with clever, unusual graphics; these alone make it a 'must watch' (and gave it an extra half star from me!).  There are lots interviews with those who knew Jerry/Liz, including the sons and daughters, who appear to have had a happy, loving childhood.  And I found myself really liking Liz.  One of those stories that you would think too far-fetched, if it were presented as fiction!

Series: Soulmates (AMC, AMC premiere, Philo, Amazon)

4* ⭐⭐⭐⭐

From Wikipedia: set approximately 15 years in the future, when a company called Soul Connex has developed a test that can determine the person you were most meant to love with 100 percent accuracy. People who take the test either learn of their soulmate and have the choice to pursue that person, or they get a 'your soulmate hasn't tested yet', until they do...

Some of the stories were great, some less so.  Varied and well thought-out.  I liked 1, 2 and 5 best.  Loved Sarah Snook (Succession) in #1, as a wife who doesn't realise what she's got until it's gone, and Charlie Heaton in #5, as a shy young man working on a farm who can't move on from the fact that his soulmate has died.

(Is the testing reliable or is it just a con, though?  Will people tend to jettison their perfectly happy lives, just because a computer has told them that this other person is their 'soul mate'?)

Film: Lapsis (Amazon)

4* ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Very strange and clever, subtle satire of the 'gig economy' - about an alternative future, quantum computers, and the practice of 'cabling', in which the hard-up can earn money by laying cables around the country, by hand.  One review says: 'Somewhere beyond our current dystopia and the future imperfect lies the wily, charming Lapsis.'  Yeah, that'll do for me.  Definitely worth a watch.

Documentary series: Heaven's Gate: The Cult of Cults (HBO Max, Amazon)

3.5* ⭐⭐⭐

Four episodes about the weirdest cult ever, that started in the mid-seventies.  The leaders are 'Do' and 'Ti', named after the Sound of Music song, and they encourage believers to wait for the space ship that is going to arrive and transport them to Heaven's Gate, or the 'next level'.  Of course, the followers are all mighty strange and looking for meaning to their lives, and of course the space ship never arrived.  Twenty years on, a hard core do the suicide pact thing, believing that they will reach a blissful other world.  

The documentary features interviews with the family members who lost people to the cult, and some former followers, one of whom is still a believer, but left because he couldn't live without jerking off 😅, which was forbidden.  Much of the film is very blurry, as it's taken from the Heaven's Gate home movies, and I would have liked to see more background about the people. Interesting, though.

Mini Series: The Company (Amazon)

4* ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Three one and a half hour long episodes about the Cold War and the CIA.  Good, but I didn't love it as much as I hoped to.  The second one, about the troubles in Hungary in 1956, and the Bay of Pigs fiasco, was by far the best.

Film: Boss Level (Hulu)

3.5* ⭐⭐⭐

Fun time-travel/action romp, starring Frank Grillo, Mel Gibson and Naomi Watts.  Worth watching, if you expect nothing more than a fun time travel/action romp, rather than a serious film! 

Series: Blood - Seasons 1 & 2 (Amazon)

4* ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dark family drama starring Adrian Dunbar, set near Dublin, in which a daughter suspects foul play following the death of her mother.  The first season was okay, the second one better, as the family become involved in some dodgy goings on.  It's good, and I shall definitely watch another season if there is one, but it lacked that 'oomph' that makes a series really memorable.