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Julie and the Phantoms (2020)
Why am I so emotional about a band of ghost boys?
The 7+ rating on this show shouldn't turn anyone older than that age away. This show is amazing!
The general premise: a musical band of boys from 1995 die and become ghosts in the year 2020. They're able to communicate with one living girl and when performing music with her, they're able to be seen by other people.
This show is about losing loved ones, growing up, making & honoring friendships, respecting others and their emotions and of course some awesome music!
The actors are really great-- something that is often missing from the genre of 'kids shows'. The writing&script is good. The set designs and camera work is good. The music is good, the dancing is good.
There's a blended family and some LGBT characters. The diversity is handled very respectfully and authentically. At no point did I feel baited.
The only thing this show is missing is a promise of a season 2.
Locke & Key (2020)
Started off great... poor writing ruined it
I didn't read the comics, but I decided to give it a try because the trailer set it up really similar to Hill House (which I loved). As I watched, I started getting a Spiderwick Chronicles vibe, but without all the things that made that movie great. It seemed the writers were pushing a family-centric, mystery, fantasy, world-building show, but were simply incompetent. The characters make stupid, unexplainable decisions, there's a ton of weird musical choices and many of the characters were simply only there for padding. I watched the whole thing, but I had to drag myself to finish the end.
There's hardly any content for the youngest brother, so much so that I think it would have been better to cut his character out entirely. There's also a lot about the plot that is left unresolved. However, I doubt Netflix is going to greenlight this for a Season 2.
One thing I did like was the Rufus character. He was very sweet and well-acted, but was unfortunately cut out of the show for most of the episodes.
Apostle (2018)
This movie should not be filed under horror/thriller
First let me say that the acting was amazing and the casting was well done. So many of these movies cast white men that all look the same. This was not a problem with this movie.
Second, the costuming, filmography and score was also a win for the movie. I was never bored watching it.
Now, the actual plot is basically non-existent. The movie starts off strong and I was initially very interested in the main character's motivations and the worldbuilding. However, half way through the movie, any semblance of a plot that makes sense was thrown out the window.
The entire second half of the movie is just the cast getting bludgeoned, stabbed, beaten and tortured to death by one another. There is almost no reason for this and it all happens very suddenly. By the end of the movie, so many people are dead and so little dialogue has happened that none of the questions from the beginning of the movie can be answered.
All in all, the gore part was not very good. The characters are so non sensical that anything that happens to them doesnt feel real. Even when they're swimming in blood, there is no real gravity because nothing is ever explained and nothing makes sense.
The plot started off great but was lost and never picked back up.
If you watch this movie, watch it for the acting and set design. The actual content is very unsatisfying.
The Good Cop (2018)
One of the best police TV shows
Lovable characters, great cinematography, well written scripts for each episode and a generous amount of comedy.
This show does not take itself too seriously (that's not to say that there aren't emotional parts, because there are and they're important). Focuses a lot of family (both blood and found families). Lots of tropes including lazy cops, millennials with barely any street smarts and a constant back and forth between contrasting characters.
Lots of room for both comedy and murder/mystery viewing.
The Haunting of Hill House (2018)
Brilliant. A mystery with a horror background for a more mature audience
Hill House treats its audience with respect, weaving together an 10 hour long mystery story mottled with ghosts, creepy vibes, tension of all forms and a relatable amount of doubt. The creators don't rely on pure gore or jump scares to totally freak the audience out. Instead, they deliver an amazing story told through brilliant cinematography, harrowing acting from both the young and old cast and in impressing use of staging and lighting.
A must watch for anyone wanting a good scare, and a story that isn't spoon fed.