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Awful Christmas movies are my guilty pleasure, and new Netflix movie A Merry Little Ex-mas is gift-wrapped rubbish
11:01 am | November 12, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Netflix Streaming | Tags: | Comments: Off

Gone are the days of It's A Wonderful Life! and Miracle on 34th Street – it's a given that modern Christmas movies are unironically bad, and the new Netflix film A Merry Little Ex-mas is no exception.

This sounds like a dig, but I don't really mean it as one. Sure, I'd prefer to spend my time watching the best movies creators have to offer, but Christmas films in the 2000s play by their own rules. We're almost willing them to be awful, totally zoning out and thinking about absolutely nothing while we binge them in the cold winter months.

Starring Oliver Hudson and Alicia Silverstone as a couple who are trying to "consciously uncouple" (aka divorce) during the festive period, A Merry Little Ex-mas delivers the no-thoughts goods. It's the same way you have to occasionally read a rubbish book just to feel something again... there are no stakes and nothing important to note. Just you, a cosy blanket, and vibes.

Given I actually get paid to talk about film and TV for a living, and have to earn that responsibility, I need to dig a little deeper into A Merry Little Ex-mas via the standard industry criteria (e.g. saying "it's vibes" doesn't quite cut it). As you might expect, it doesn't score very highly in those areas.

A Merry Little Ex-mas has nuggets of gold amid its seasonal rubbish

First, let's set the scene. Kate (Silverstone) and Everett (Hudson) are getting divorced simply because they seem fatigued by each other. While the entire town knows about it, each is keeping a secret: Everett is dating someone new (Jameela Jamil), while Kate plans to move away to Boston after their youngest goes off to college.

Kate wants the family to have one last Christmas as a unit, adhering to all the traditions they've made over the years. As their secrets spill out, however, a normal Christmas is the last thing that Kate and Everett have, and it's incredibly clear that their feelings for each other haven't gone away either.

From my brief synopsis, you can probably work out exactly how A Merry Little Ex-mas ends, and I can basically guarantee that you are correct. This is one of the many problems the new movie has, if we're really scrutinizing it.

Not only can we see the conclusion coming with our eyes closed, but the overarching storyline and B-plots are all too ridiculous to believe. As an act of rebellion to try and make Everett jealous, Kate immediately dates a young guy called Chet (Pierson Fodé), who is the most stereotypical American muscle man you've ever seen.

The fact this chiseled dude just happens to be working at every business in town and on board with Kate's jealousy plan is as unbelievable as the fact Tess (Jamil) moved her luxurious life to suburban American for a man she's only know for just four weeks.

Every decision everybody makes is a questionable one, including the team's collective decision to make Harry Potter great again (you'll see what I mean, but really? In 2025?) There's nothing believable enough to sink your teeth into, you just have to go off of pure whimsy.

Our cast are putting in solid performances, but there's nothing remarkable. You'd think putting grown-up Cher Horowitz from Clueless and Sabrina the Teenage Witch (Melissa Joan Hart) in a film together as BFFs would be a slam dunk, but Joan Hart isn't included as much as she could be.

The cast of A Merry Little Ex-mas sit on the couch together

It's quite literally all smiles and rainbows. (Image credit: Netflix)

But that doesn't mean everything in A Merry Little Ex-mas should be written off. If you're a Hallmark fan, or live to consume rubbish, the new Netflix movie is literally made for you.

Every frame looks like the quintessential American holiday you want to immerse yourself in, both picture-perfect and wholesome at every turn. Add a level of 'hamming' to proceedings (by which I mean everything that happens borders on being camp) and you've the perfect cocktail of Sunday viewing.

There's also an incredible amount of representation that isn't made into an unnecessarily big deal. Kate has two dads, who own the local hardware store and are responsible for the biggest amount of laughs in this otherwise humorless film.

They shower her in nothing but love, and it's clear they've been an integral part of the grandchildren's childhoods too. It's a beautiful relationship to watch, and a timely reminder of how the 2020s blended family can be easily included onscreen.

My star of the show? Jameela Jamil. She's been so busy being brilliantly herself (her Substack is must-subscribe reading), that I think we've forgotten just how brilliant of an actress she is. Tess is the antithesis of who she really is, but you'd never be able to tell if you didn't know her. I'm aware that's how acting works, but you get my point.

Will I be rushing to press play on A Merry Little Ex-mas again? No, and I doubt I ever will. Was it a nice, mind-numbing way to spend a Sunday evening curled up in bed? You bet.

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The Seduction is the new HBO Max series you need to stream in November – and it’s as explicit as you’d expect
5:00 pm | November 10, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets HBO Max Streaming | Comments: Off

The best prequels are the ones that have clear ties to an existing world we know and love, but ultimately have a separate identity... and that's something the new HBO Max series The Seduction has achieved effortlessly.

Starring Diane Kruger, Anamaria Vartolomei, Lucas Bravo and Vincent Lacoste, we follow Marquise Isabelle de Merteuil's (Vartolomei) rise to power in the French cultural elite. If you think you've heard that name before, it's the character Glenn Close played in the 1988 movie Dangerous Liaisons (based on the book of the same name).

Therefore, it tracks that Vicomte de Valmont (Lacoste) was played by John Malkovich, with Madame de Rosemonde (Kruger), the old lady who frequently regaled on opulent couches with judging eyes. It took me the entirety of episode 1 to make this connection, and that's to The Seduction's huge credit.

We can see the lore links as the series continues (including to Michelle Pfeiffer's character Madame Tourvel), but the HBO prequel feels like an entirely different beast. Sure, all of the sex and scandal is still there, but it's much more calculated and considered this time around.

As far as legacy prequels go, The Seduction on HBO Max impressed me

Anybody who has an issue watching foreign language shows and movies is going to need to get off their high horse for this one. With all six episodes solely in French, The Seduction takes the drama of 16th century France all the way back to its native language and location, and I think the overarching story is a lot richer for it.

Enemies-to-friends Isabelle and Rosemonde are navigating a man's world, and finding out how to hold power within it. The result? Risky alliances, illicit affairs and plans that could bring entirely families crashing down with one wrong move.

All of our characters are enigmas, proving incredibly difficult to read. Isabelle hides her vulnerability to everyone around her, orchestrating multiple schemes at once to make up for the fact she doesn't trust a soul. Rosemonde has her own agenda, and that threatens in the only genuine friendship she has in her live at every turn.

Then we've got the boys. Valmont starts off causing the biggest betrayal of Isabelle's life, and that's ammunition against him for years to come. Positioned as an elitist playboy, it's difficult to tell whether his feelings for Isabelle are every genuine or not (and to be honest, I still don't buy them).

Gercourt (Lucas Bravo) is presented as our evil pantomime villain. However, I think it's a case of honesty – he isn't actually the most malicious, he's just not cloak and dagger about it. Regardless, he's the embodiment of the worst patriarchal traits in human form.

Between the four, personal vendettas make way for rich and intimate drama. Truthfully, this loses impact as the series reaches its conclusion, but the build-up is so well structured and dynamic that any lulls are easy to overlook.

Lucas Bravo is the real hero in The Seduction, and I'm thrilled for him

Lucas Bravo sits in a filled shirt with his left hand to his mouth

Lucas Bravo is Gercourt in The Seduction. (Image credit: HBO)

I've always had a sneaking suspicion that Lucas Bravo isn't the biggest fan of Emily in Paris – and every interview with him in the lead-up to Emily in Paris season 5 all but confirms that. He's existed under the Netflix character's shadow on a global scale for years now, but his performance in The Seduction comes with night and day difference.

Everything that constrains him in Emily in Paris (namely having to fit the on-off romantic interest TV mould) isn't present in The Seduction, leaving him free to play with stereotype and identity. Bravo is a ridiculously good villain, both vindictive and charming in a single breath. He acts solely on selfish whims, but yet he's weirdly not the worst of the bunch.

For me, he's the standout performance of the series. Perhaps that purely because I'm so thrilled that he's been given a chance to do something so different, but it's equally clear that he's been underused in previous roles. Vartolomei is the other clear standout, and if the Wonder Woman rumors surrounding her are true, I think she's more than proved her craft here.

Given that period drama could so easily fall into a safe TV series blueprint, The Seduction has pushed the boundaries. And don't get it twisted – there's sex in what feels like every other scene, and while it's always explicit, it's never gratuitous.

The Seduction premieres on HBO Max on November 14, with episodes airing weekly until December 19.

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Squid Game: The Challenge season 2 has already lost steam – just like the Netflix Original series
3:32 pm | November 4, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Netflix Streaming | Comments: Off

When the first season of Squid Game: The Challenge came out, I thought it was the best reality competition show I’d seen in years outside of The Traitors. But in just two short years, the Netflix gameshow has fallen from the best to the worst.

The recipe for why is actually very simple – in 2023, we were enthralled by the idea that Netflix’s biggest K-drama could be replicated with everyday people and exceptionally detailed gameplay following in the footsteps of what we saw in each episode of Squid Game season 1.

The new games that were introduced fused dynamic action with familiar tactics (e.g. the use of Battleships in the third game) and we genuinely grew to love the alliances and band of characters we saw on screen.

Almost none of that is represented in Squid Game: The Challenge season 2. The original show's games are still well replicated, but they’re mundane compared to the big classics we saw in season 1. New twists and turns mostly fall flat, and our cast is too weak to be memorable or build an invisible rapport with the audience.

And if that all isn’t bad enough, where on earth is Red Light, Green Light?

All of the reality TV sparkle has gone in Squid Game: The Challenge season 2

Squid Game: The Challenge season 2 has taken a risk by getting rid of the show’s most famous games (think Red Light, Green Light and Dalgona) and replacing them with brand-new gameplay. Half of our cast of 456 players are immediately eliminated by the new game Count, which is merely comprised of two teams counting 456 seconds before pressing a button.

It makes for the most anti-climactic premiere episode of TV I’ve seen this year, and I’m absolutely baffled for why Netflix would choose to use a counting game over the brutal run-and-stop elimination we’re all looking forward to. Annoyingly, it’s not coming any later in the series either.

Games such as Mingle in episode 4 win back some level of tension, but it might be too little, too late. In the first four episodes alone, we only see two and a half games played out, with dorm challenges or recordings of the contestants filling our screens in the meantime. Normally, if there is a strong cast and genuinely shrewd surprises, this wouldn’t be a problem.

However, we’re presented with labored and anti-climactic developments between cast members we can’t remember from one minute to the next.

Let’s address the changes first. There are a variety of new dorm challenges introduced to try and stoke up drama between players – the most successful of these being a secret boiler room where players are sent to enact eliminations or receive coins to use in a snack-filled vending machine. We also see players presented with a chance to swap meals for “scratchers” or pass around Russian dolls, both of with lead to potential disadvantages in the next game.

Despite the fact that none of these make the level of impact that Netflix is hoping for, it all feels too pre-meditated – and that’s the same problem we see with the casting. In short, it’s all gone a bit too X Factor, putting the pedal to the emotional medal so hard that nothing feels genuine. Everything we’re seeing feels overly contrived, and Netflix is trying far too hard to keep our attention.

Where season 1 introduced players we could connect with (think mother-son duo Leanne and Trey), Netflix is clearly trying to fit the same character profiles, but with less success. As soon as I can remember that somebody exists, they’re killed off, and that’s always been the downside of a gameshow with such a big cast. The finalists don’t become clear until the last moment, but this time there’s nobody in the interim to tide us over.

What does this mean for Squid Game: The Challenge season 3?

Some Squid Game players stand in shock

(Image credit: Netflix)

In short, this all isn’t amazing news for the already-renewed Squid Game: The Challenge season 3. It feels as though season 2 is following the original series slump that came at the same point (at least, in my opinion), which wasn’t completely clawed back by the time season 3 dropped six months later.

But it’s not all hopeless. Game stalwarts like Marbles returns, offering up the most emotional turning point we’ve seen across all iterations of the game, and the production design is still beyond astounding. We know season 3 will likely replicate the jump rope horror from the first season of Squid Game, and that’s got the opportunity to be the jewel in Netflix’s reality TV crown.

In the meantime, I’d rather rewatch the original series than get ready for the rest of Squid Game: The Challenge season 2 in the coming weeks.

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Robin Hood is coming to Amazon’s MGM+ with an epic vengeance, but it doesn’t need to be so steamy
11:00 pm | October 31, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Computers Entertainment Gadgets Streaming | Comments: Off

Don't tell Amazon, but my heart sank when I first heard that yet another Robin Hood adaptation was coming to MGM+. But after watching it, I've mostly been won over. As it turns out, you can teach an old dog new tricks.

I've always been of the firm belief that the 2010 Robin Hood movie starring Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett is the best we've had (I didn't grow up watching the animated Disney movie from 1973, so I'm discounting that). However, newcomer Jack Patten in the titular role and Lauren McQueen as Marian are a breath of fresh air.

Straight off the bat, the new series has taken a huge risk by putting two unknown actors in its lead roles, and this is a large part of why I think the 10-episode series is so successful. They're perfectly counterbalanced by heavyweights Sean Bean (Sheriff of Nottingham) and Connie Nielsen (Eleanor of Aquitaine), though for me it's Nielsen who has the most to offer us (more on this later).

That's not all that's working, though. Creators Jonathan English and John Glenn have fleshed our the Robin Hood origin story to great effect, turning an elusive urban legend into Rob, a boy who wants to do right by the people he loves. This fantastic sense of basic narrative structure also means we have some epic cliffhangers... but there are issues in Sherwood Forest, too.

Robin Hood is the perfect example of good storytelling done well with unknown faces

Instead of a distant rogue who takes from the rich and gives to the poor (though we do see this a little bit as the series progresses), the notion of who we know Robin Hood to be is instantly called into question. This version of Rob has a nickname, complicated relationships with his home and family and a lot of love for their way of living that is constantly being threatened.

Our opening episodes deftly use their time to flesh Rob out into the 3D character he's never truly been before, and this is our starting point for seeing his story in a completely new light. Though he maintains an intimately close bond with Marian (Patten and McQueen's chemistry feels as natural as breathing), it's never explicit, and we're nurturing a beautiful Romeo and Juliet-style connection right along with them.

I can't give all the credit to our leads for the narrative satisfaction, though. It's incredible how many movies and TV shows these days don't get the basics right – I'm aware I sound about 87 saying this, but as a trained scriptwriter, it annoys me endlessly.

English and Glenn know exactly what they're doing here, and uprooting the story of Robin Hood from its very beginnings allows the overall plot to stay tight and on message. Yes, there are definitely episodes that are more boring than others (there's a lot of Rob and his 'merry men' sitting around despairing in the woods), but each episode cliffhanger is an absolute blinder.

Without fail, a curveball is swiftly delivered in each episode's last 30 seconds, turning what we've learned so far on its head. This means you can't do anything else with your time other than immediately watch next episode, and I love the feeling of investment those moments give me. Frankly, I'd say it's the best part of the whole series.

Amazingly, we don't need to see every time somebody gets it on

Marian and Rob kiss behind a tree

The Marian-Rob courtship remains innocent. (Image credit: Amazon)

While physical scenes between Rob and Marian are wholesome and harmless, I couldn't believe my eyes at how unnecessarily explicit the rest of Robin Hood is. This falls particularly on Priscilla of Nottingham (Lydia Peckham), who gets back at her dad by trying to hold physical power of the chief of the guards.

Add Rob's mates getting it on in the serving chambers of Eleanor's castle, and it all feels a bit icky. Entire scenes of dialogue are acted out in questionable positions, and you already know that the women are near naked while the men remain mostly clothed.

It's 2025, and we can get across the point that women are using their 'feminine wiles' as power without including graphic sex scenes that don't serve to drive the plot forward. It's certainly not a feminist move by any stretch of the imagination – even though there will be an intimacy coordinator on set, these are creative decisions being made by men, at the end of the day.

These scenes also weirdly undermine Connie Nielsen's Eleanor of Aquitaine, who is undoubtedly the best written character in the entirety of Robin Hood. Every word that leaves Nielsen's mouth is a piece of sage wisdom, using her own wiles to coordinate attacks and alliances through international correspondence.

It's a masterclass in the continued underestimation of women throughout history, having their stories rewritten while in fact making their own in a man's world. Clearly, Nielsen has cornered the market for playing royalty, taking everything we love about Lucilla in Gladiator and expanding it in all the best ways. If Amazon gave us a spinoff focussed entirely on her, I wouldn't be mad about it.

I might be nitpicking here, but overall, I'm impressed. I won't be lobbying for more takes on the Robin Hood legend any time soon, but MGM+ has proved what is possible in the tired-out realm of adaptations.

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The Witcher season 4 review: Netflix nixes logic for confusing and overwhelming fantasy, but the payoff is worth it
11:01 am | October 30, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Netflix Streaming | Tags: | Comments: Off

After two years of waiting, The Witcher season 4 has finally returned to our screens – and boy does it feel like we've been waiting that long in the worst possible way.

The hit Netflix show is a complex one to keep up with at the best of times, and that's even more exaggerated when so much has happened in the interim. Liam Hemsworth has taken over from Henry Cavill in the role of Geralt of Rivia, we've got a whole host of brand-new roles who make up his rag-tag crew, and Vilgefortz (Mahesh Jadu) is far from finished wreaking havoc with his unhinged chaos magic.

Add in the remaining witches of Aretuza, the White Flame and the introduction of infamous savage Leo Bonhart (Sharlto Copley), and there's a lot of plates spinning. Unfortunately, I don't think season 4 does the best job of easing us back into the drama, and that's to the detriment of the first four episodes.

However, I implore you to stick with it, even when it feels like you need a specially-made dictionary to decode what's going on. Episodes 5-8 might just be some of the strongest in the franchise, and the stakes are getting bigger and better for what promises to be an explosive final (and fifth) season.

This is possibly the only time I'd advocate in favor of Netflix's split-season drop – while shows like Emily in Paris season 4 and Wednesday season 2 really didn't need to be released in two goes, The Witcher seasons 4 and 5 are part of the same ongoing story.

By the end of season 4, the fictional engines are finally up and running, but are now left to thaw while we wait for season 5 to be announced. Good things come to those who wait, but is this a step too far?

The Witcher season 4 starts off as a slog, and that's a storytelling problem

For at least the first two episodes of The Witcher season 4, I didn't know if I was coming or going. Unless you're a diehard fan of the books and games or have rewatched the previous three seasons in preparation, you're going to be as lost as a kid on their first day of high school.

As someone who doesn't fit into either of those categories, I think episode 1 has done a particularly poor job of bringing us up to speed. We're reminded that Geralt, Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) and Ciri (Freya Allen) have been separated after the fallout of the Battle of Aretuza, but the details are woolly.

Instead of a traditional 'previously on...' recap that would have worked a lot better – or a standalone recap on the platform like Netflix has done with The Witcher before – we're reminded of how things stand through a young girl reading a book about the legend of The Witcher. It's clear she's going to be important in season 5, but the creative risk isn't helpful to getting the simple understanding that we need.

By the halfway point of season 4, you're back in the swing of things. Geralt has become a side plot in his own story, and the action we are seeing often feels like the CGI budget has obviously been spent on Stranger Things season 5 instead.

While there's a distinct cutback on nudity and intimate scenes this season (which was a conscious decision from showrunner Lauren Schmidt-Hissrich), those that do still appear feel somewhat gratuitous. I hate to sound like my Nan, but it's the swearing that rubs me up the wrong way the most in season 4. There's often no linguistic blueprint from the show, swinging from Ye Olde English to "I'm gonna f**cking kill you" in seconds.

The second half of The Witcher season 4 is where it truly shines

Geralt's gang gathers around to listen to something

Geralt's new gang in The Witcher season 4. (Image credit: Netflix)

Get through these issues in the first four episodes, and you're onto a winner in the second four. Where I've been harsh on the first half of season four, I couldn't sing the praises of episodes 5-8 loud enough. They're some of the strongest in the franchise, upping their visuals, storytelling, and worldbuilding to deliver something we genuinely don't want to stop watching.

Rather than our final episode being the pinnacle of the season, I think it's actually episode 6. Here, we see Vilgefortz and Yennefer come face-to-face in the Battle of Montecalvo, something that's been hugely expanded on from the original books. The action sequences are dynamic and push creative boundaries, while there are plenty of genuine surprises in store (that may or may not change the game for season 5).

I've also got to take a moment for the new cast member who's the actual star of season 4: Laurence Fishburne. Though fans were quick to criticize his casting as thoughtful vampire Regis, Fishburne brings the perfect balance of wisdom and curiosity. It's honestly a wonder that he's not been cast in an old-world fantasy series before this, but now he's truly part of the furniture.

Now viewers are more settled back into The Witcher's lore and overarching narrative, these later episodes in the season also take more creative risks. Without giving too much away, we've got full-out musical numbers, animated sequences and unlikely alliances waiting for us, and I think each has spinoff potential (but more on that another time).

Is The Witcher season 4 the best outing Netflix has had so far? No – and that's largely because it's a placeholder for season 5. In order to give us the jaw-dropping ending we're all waiting for, the show has to give us a lot of context and build-up ready for that moment, and we have to ride out the underwhelming bits as a result.

If anything, think of this as season 4 part 1. Just like the Deathly Hallows or Mockingjay movies in Harry Potter and The Hunger Games, the calm comes before the storm... and what a storm The Witcher season 5 is going to be.

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IT: Welcome To Derry is a welcome expansion of Stephen King’s huge novel – here’s why it’s a must-watch this Halloween
12:46 pm | October 28, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets HBO Max Streaming | Tags: | Comments: Off

With Halloween coming up soon, now is the perfect time for fans to watch It: Welcome to Derry. Anyone who has read Stephen King's huge novel, titled 'It', will know just how much ground it covers, so there's plenty of scope to dive even deeper – and this new HBO Max show does exactly that.

While King's novel spans 27 years, focusing on the late 1950s and mid-1980s, documenting the periods of time where the evil entity 'It' awakens to terrorize Derry, the series focuses on the 60s, so it covers an era we haven't yet seen explored.

In a similar vein to the iconic Georgie scene from the 2017 movie It Chapter One, It: Welcome to Derry starts with the disappearance of a young boy. This prompts some other children in the town to try and figure out what happened, as well as getting to the bottom of why they're experiencing disturbing visions.

Meanwhile, a young Black soldier, called Major Leroy Hanlon (Jovan Adepo), arrives in Derry as part of a mysterious military mission, alongside his wife Charlotte (Taylour Paige). The town of Derry is largely white, too, which provides some important narrative around civil rights issues at the time.

At the time of writing, only the pilot has aired on HBO Max with the second episode arriving on Halloween (fittingly) in the US. I've seen the first five episodes and I can confidently say this is a solid pilot, which sets up the rest of the series, but fans may have some frustrations with one major decision.

While Derry and its residents are all integral to the It storyline, fans will no doubt be keen to see Bill Skarsgård back as Pennywise. He delivered a great performance in It Chapter One and its sequel IT Chapter Two, but he has been used sparingly so far in the TV series. But who knows what the future will hold?

Having said that, the suspense is fun and I haven't seen the final three episodes, so it's very likely we'll get to see more of him as the show progresses. Considering Andy and Barbara Muschietti are once again at It's helm, following on from their movies, I'm confident they'll take the show in the direction it needs to go.

A child with a blood-spattered face screams at something offscreen

(Image credit: HBO)

It feels like we've needed a show like IT: Welcome to Derry for a while now. According to a post on Threads as seen by MovieWeb, even Stephen King himself was impressed with it. That's high praise from an author who has famously hated some adaptations of his work, so if you don't take my word for it, listen to King.

From my perspective, it was great to be transported to Derry at a slower pace than what a movie can deliver. Pacing the story across eight episodes means we get to see more characters, more scenarios, and take our time exploring a town we really wish we could leave, because it's so fascinating.

The show also sets up some great relationships, too. I can't spoil exactly what, but I did find myself invested in certain dynamics and fearful for what might happen to characters I've already grown to love.

There's plenty of easter eggs for Stephen King fans to enjoy including connections to The Shining, and I think it's well worth people sticking around to watch the second episode and beyond as there's plenty to horrify and delight in equal measure coming up.

Expect some jumpy moments, body horror and plenty of surprises. You're in for a good time if you're already a fan of It and if you're new, then maybe this series will encourage you to seek out the book and the original movies too.

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Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere delivers an honest, deeply human look at Bruce in his darkest period
11:30 pm | October 24, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Computers Disney Plus Gadgets Streaming | Comments: Off

For the Bruce Springsteen faithful – and probably those who feel that way about Jeremy Allen White – today, October 24, 2025, has been a long time coming, as Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere is finally showing in movie theaters across the globe.

Now, for lack of a better analogy, the Boss has been the soundtrack of my life – well, for most of it – so I headed to a local AMC Theatre with Dolby Cinema in the great state of New Jersey for an opening-night preview screening.

I had a lot of feelings going in, especially since Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere isn’t like most biopics. But I wouldn’t even call it that, because it focuses on a very specific, short time in Springsteen’s career. Instead of portraying the many months spent on getting Born to Run just right or even Born in the U.S.A.’s release or Springteen’s rise to stratospheric stardom, it turns the spotlight onto one of his darker chapters – one that Springsteen became more open about in his memoir Born to Run and in Warren Zanes’s Deliver Me From Nowhere, which is the book that inspired this film.

So, let’s dive into it – and fair warning, I’ll have some mild spoilers ahead, though it’s kind of comical as this is based in reality, and we all know about Nebraska.

Inside Nebraska

Warning: some spoilers for Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere lie ahead.

Jeremy Allen White as Bruce Springsteen in 20th Century Studios' SPRINGSTEEN: DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios.

(Image credit: 20th Century Studios)

Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere is a lot better than I was expecting it to be. It’s a good film that’s more like a deep character study of a specific time in Bruce Springsteen’s life. It jumps from before, during, and a bit after the recording of Nebraska, giving a deep dive into his mental health – both Bruce’s and his family’s – and his upbringing. The latter is done through black-and-white flashbacks, which at times feel a bit out of place but do an excellent job of at least rooting the pain and depression.

It opens showing a glimpse into that upbringing, but soon ties the anxiety and rush of an encounter into the rush and thrill of performing Born to Run to close out The River Tour. This is our first glimpse, and one of the few, of the E Street Band during Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere.

I never really got comfortable believing Jeremy Allen White was entirely the embodiment of Bruce Springsteen, but he sure gives off the look of a rock star known for energetic performances. Maybe most importantly, Allen White doesn’t just do an imitative voice of the Boss but, in my opinion, does a lot more with body language and how he presents himself.

From there on out, we see the relationship between Jon Landau – played by Jeremy Strong – and Bruce unfold on screen, and it matches the real-life relationship. They were two friends forever, who clearly had each other’s backs, and Landau definitely does a masterclass in being an agent, manager, and friend – fighting for what the artist wants.

We see Bruce then settle into a rental in Colts Neck, dive deep into some reading, and eventually watch Terrence Malick’s 1973 film Badlands, which pushes him to research a bit more and eventually start on a track of songs dubbed Starkweather, which becomes Nebraska. Seeing this process depicted on the big screen, and the historic room with the orange shag carpet, is something of a bit of a holy grail. And Jeremy Allen White does get the singing voice pretty close, as well as the guitar playing, though there is a unique blending. I also need to give a shout to the audio quality in this Dolby Cinema theater, but also to the mixing team on Springsteen: Deliver From Nowhere, it is done excellently. And there are a few tracks where the singing shifts from Jeremy Allen White to Bruce Springsteen, and vice versa.

We also see Bruce go on a few dates with a character, Faye – who in reality is a composite, and we see that struggle as he runs away from fame and goes on some self-discovery, which in turn is himself feeling like an outsider in his own body.

The human story behind the music

(L-R) Jeremy Allen White as Bruce Springsteen and Jeremy Strong as Jon Landau in 20th Century Studios' SPRINGSTEEN: DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

(Image credit: 20th Century Studios)

Beyond the recordings, I think what really hit the most with me was the visual telling of Springsteen’s struggles with his own mental health and that of his father’s, and the repairing of their relationship. While it’s rooted in fact, director Scott Cooper certainly took some liberties here and sped up the timeline.

It’s rare, I think, for Bruce himself to be so open with showing, telling, and reliving this, and Jeremy Allen White really shines in these scenes – he depicts the feeling of an outsider in their own body perfectly, acting the build-up to a breakdown and a panic attack with realism. Allen White also shows the struggle of realizing something is up but not knowing how to seek help – remember this is in the 1980s, specifically 1982.

I think those are the most powerful moments, and even if the pacing could be slow at times, it lets these moments of the film really build up and be delivered with ample time. For those who have read Born to Run or maybe watched Springsteen on Broadway, I think this acts as a really nice introspective and deep dive into Nebraska.

Yes, it’s more niche than, say, Born to Run, Born in the U.S.A., or Springsteen’s other work, but it’s also the most raw, natural, and, in the end, more impactful. It’s an important aspect of how the Boss became the Boss, and while I had my doubts going in, the result is an impactful, good film that’s very deep, emotive, emotional, and ultimately a close character study.

A scene from 20th Century Studios' SPRINGSTEEN: DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios.

(Image credit: 20th Century Studios)

Yes, it can be hard to get past the fact that Jeremy Allen White is not Bruce Springsteen, but thanks to the attention to detail, the physicality, and the close study, it’s believable – minus the looks.

Ultimately, Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere explores the process of coming to terms with childhood trauma and the impacts of that, which can sit with you and become a theme of life as you move on. We’ve known Bruce’s family has had mental illness, and he's had his own demons; the art comes from that to a degree.

It may not hit every note perfectly, but I think fans will like it – it’s an honest, heavy, and deeply human look at Springsteen during arguably one of his darkest periods, one that still showcases the music-making process with just a taste of E Street Band greatness.

Ultimately, an antithesis of most biopics – a good thing.

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Harlan Coben’s Lazarus review: The Silence of the Lambs meets The Sixth Sense but it’s not his best TV show
4:00 pm | October 21, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Amazon Prime Video Computers Gadgets Streaming | Tags: | Comments: Off

My Lazarus review verdict might make you think I'm being hypocritical about Harlan Coben's new Prime Video show, but I stand by it. Lazarus is at once my favorite TV story in the ever-growing Harlan Coben collection, but it's also the least effective so far.

So, why have I managed to get so much out of it? Two words: ambitious storytelling. It's always much more satisfying to watch something that takes huge swings that don't entirely land than to watch something that stays meek. Lazarus is anything but the latter.

Coben hasn't exactly nailed his first original script (co-written with showrunner Danny Brocklehurst), but you can't say it's not dynamic. The story follows psychiatrist Joel Lazarus (Sam Claflin), who is forced to confront a series of cold cases after the death of his father Dr. Jonathan Lazarus (Bill Nighy) leads him to start having visions of his dad's dead patients.

The best way I can sum up the series is to describe it as a cross between The Silence of the Lambs and The Sixth Sense, but neither the show's synopsis nor nailing it to cultural references as well known as the famous line "I see dead people" does the experience justice.

Alongside The Girlfriend, I'd confidently say Harlan Coben's Lazarus is Prime Video's most fascinating crime or psychological thriller of the year. Given the fact that I'm still thinking about it nearly a month after first seeing it, I'm happy to let it be imperfect in its execution.

Harlan Coben's Lazarus is a daringly ambitious Prime Video thriller, but it's not perfect

There's a lot to like here. Lazarus is visually stunning, thanks to how the creative team has chosen to weave together two contrasting timelines into its production design. Indeed, the 'best fictional psychologist's office' award is firmly won by Dr. Jonathan's astonishing fortress.

It's in his office that the bulk of exciting storytelling takes place. Joel encounters his father's former clients behind closed doors, and that's when reality and delusion begin to converge into one soupy mess. Claflin's performance completely sells Joel's inner turmoil, keeping a firm hand on the tiller when we've got no idea what's going on.

The advantage of being kept in the dark is that we've got an abundance of twists and turns that genuinely shock us. Each episode is capped off with a mysterious question that made me want watch the next one, unable to tear myself away from the screen until I got some answer, any answer.

They do come, as well. The door has slyly been left open for a second season to be possible, but for the most part, our mysteries are wrapped up. This in itself is a rarity for 2020s television, which is often desperate to keep things open-ended in the hopes it'll be picked up for more episodes. That's not the way Coben has ever worked, and it's to our advantage.

Being imperfect isn't a sign of failure, actually

Bill Nighy touches Sam Claflin on the shoulder in a study

Sam Claflin and Bill Nighy in Harlan Coben's Lazarus. (Image credit: Amazon Prime Video)

There is a big downside to the show, though – Harlan Coben's Lazarus is a slew of conflicting storylines that don't sit well together as a whole. There's everything going on with Joel inside his dad's office, alongside a present-day mystery surrounding how Dr. Johnathan actually died and whether it was more nefarious than first thought.

It goes without saying that both storylines are indeed linked, but it took me at least three to four episodes to figure out what was actually happening, bearing in mind Lazarus has six episodes in total. There are no clear markers for whether we're in the past or present in any given moment, and so much happens at once that you need a breather (or a whiteboard thought mapping session) to digest what you've seen.

For me, that payoff comes a little too late, and it's information overload up until that point. I can see viewers tuning out before the reveal, feeling as though they're putting in a second shift at work just to watch a TV show in their downtime. It was hard enough for me watching it as my actual job.

On top of that, Prime Video's marketing really oversells how much Nighy is actually in the series. His scenes are pivotal, that's for sure, but blink and you'll miss him. However, the names you'll recognize in its ensemble are as formidable as you'd expect.

As I've said, I don't mind that Coben's first real shot at scriptwriting is chaotic and flawed, and I genuinely do feel enriched by watching Lazarus. In an age where crime procedurals fit a cookie-cutter mould that's ripe for consumption, Coben is taking risks, going bold and giving audiences something he hasn't shown them before.

If this is where Coben's first original script gets him, imagine where the second or third will end up. Ultimately, he still nailed the things his books are renowned for – intelligent reveals, satisfying conclusions and well-thought out character dynamics.

Critically engaging with something that doesn't quite work but leaves us with lots of questions isn't a bad way for us to spend our free time.

All six episodes of Harlan Coben's Lazarus are available to stream on Prime Video from October 22.

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Frankenstein is the Mary Shelley adaptation of my dreams – and it’s now my new favorite del Toro movie
4:00 pm | October 18, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Computers Entertainment Gadgets Streaming | Comments: Off

The stubborn part of me was convinced I would always consider Pan's Labyrinth to be the finest Guillermo del Toro movie. Then the new Netflix movie Frankenstein was unleashed, and it changed everything.

When someone as great as del Toro can outdo himself, it makes me even more hopeful for his future as a filmmaker. Once again, he made me cry with a sympathetic, tense, and utterly beautiful movie, the kind of offering that makes me remember why I fell in love with film in the first place.

Yes, it really is that good. Literature lovers among us may be concerned that it doesn't retell Shelley's story to the letter, but you needn't be, as del Toro's version offers a different perspective and does it very well.

Indeed, he even spoke about this in an Empire interview where he said, "The best moments in my mind of Frankenstein, of the novel, are yet to be filmed". So he set out to tell said best moments, resulting in this beautiful movie.

I really do mean it when I say beautiful, both in terms of its story and how it looks visually. I'm used to del Toro's movies being well-crafted, and he was right to partner with cinematographer Dan Laustsen, who he worked with on the Oscar-winning The Shape of Water.

Alexandre Desplat has composed many of my favorite scores, such as The Grand Budapest Hotel and again, The Shape of Water, so there's some familiar names here, and this makes for a beautiful collaboration. A movie like this shines when there's a great score alongside it, and trust me, you'll get that here.

That's not the only similarity Frankenstein shares with The Shape of Water, either, as both made me cry a lot. I do tend to cry at many movies, admittedly, but no one tugs at my heartstrings quite like this guy. I will always be obsessed with del Toro's sympathetic lens and how he crafts his characters.

Jacob Elordi's The Creature is as captivating to watch as it is heartbreaking. We see the world through his eyes, a technique I always love, which was done wonderfully in Leigh Whannell's Wolf Man, too. Forcing us to see things from a seemingly impossible perspective, a place we will never be, is jarring and makes for an excellent narrative device.

It's not all doom and gloom, though, as his signature brand of wonder does shine brightly at times. Amid the horrors, there's hope and innocence, something that brings me back to his movies over and over. We get to see as much light as we do darkness, taking us on a rollercoaster of ups and downs. While it is a bleak story, of course, it's balanced with this overarching feeling of empathy that stays with you long after you leave the theater.

Frankenstein is best seen on the biggest screen possible

Victor Frankenstein is played equally as brilliantly by Oscar Isaac, embodying the spirit of a man who is ostracized but refuses to give up, a complicated man who has long been the subject of many literary debates. He's a traumatized, obsessed man, rich in complexities. This comes across brilliantly in Isaac's performance.

The entire ensemble is excellent, with huge names like Mia Goth (she really is a star, like her iconic horror character Pearl professes), Charles Dance, Ralph Ineson, and Christoph Waltz rounding out the cast. Nobody is wasted here; I was impressed by every role.

This is only elevated by beautiful costumes and set design, which have transportive powers at the best of times, but I couldn't believe that 2 hours and 30 minutes had passed. It really does fly by, and I can't wait to watch it all over again.

I urge people to go and see Frankenstein as soon as possible. Its arrival on Netflix does mean more people will get to see it, but it's best experienced in theaters if you can. It's a cinematic feast for the eyes and should be seen on the biggest, loudest screen possible.

When it does arrive on Netflix, I highly recommend checking out del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities, too, to further satisfy your grisly cravings. What better way to celebrate Halloween than that?

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New Prime Video movie Hedda isn’t just this year’s Saltburn – it’s cooler, more calculated and serious fun
5:40 pm | October 17, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Amazon Prime Video Computers Gadgets Streaming | Comments: Off

There's been something of a narrative that new Prime Video movie Hedda is simply a Saltburn-style retelling of Henrik Ibsen's classic play Hedda Gabler, but that doesn't remotely do it justice. Those who think the gender-swapped characters and LGBTQIA+ romance are the most interesting things about it aren't digging deeply enough.

If there's anyone that knows a thing or 35 about sapphic movies, it's me. I report on them every chance I get, and if I'm not doing that, I've likely worked Carol, Ammonite or Bound into conversation. I'll confess that Hedda caught my interested because of Nina Hoss – who played Cate Blanchett's fictional wife in Tár – but little did I know what a treat I was in for.

Of course this film isn't perfect. Considering how messy Hedda is as a character alone, it was never going to be. But there's no doubt that this is the strongest entry in director Nia DaCosta's body of work to date. She received an unjustified amount of flack for The Marvels and the 2021 version of Candyman, and I hope the same doesn't happen here.

We almost need to read between the lines to fully see the brilliance of what Hedda has to offer, and that's half the fun. A friend described it to me as a whodunnit mystery where you already know who the killer is (instead you're searching for the motive), and I think that's a fair assessment.

It's sexy, scandalous and as wild as you'd hope it to be, but it's also controlled, pulling back when it needs to. When it comes to creating a memorable dinner party, that's exactly the balance of tension that you're looking for.

Hedda is more than simply sex and scandal – it's a moving mirror

If you're unfamiliar with Ibsen's original story, this is what we're dealing with: Hedda (Tessa Thompson) is an unhappy newlywed, feeling like she's being stopped from being her true self. When her husband George (Tom Bateman) wants a new position at work, Hedda decides to throw an extravagant party so George can invite boss Professor Greenwood (Finbar Lynch) and try to seal the deal.

During the evening, George's rival Eileen (Hoss) arrives to poach Professor Greenwood for the same role, prompting the party to fall into chaotic disarray. Eileen's writing partner and lover Thea (Imogen Poots) tries to keep her on the straight and narrow, but Hedda takes her meddling too far.

The most satisfying part of Hedda is how effortlessly DaCosta pulls off dangerous power play dynamics between women, with the man's world around them becoming peripheral in the process. Thompson's Hedda isn't a woman that you'll like, or who even seems to consciously know what she wants.

She's acting on impulse, and everyone around her feels the consequences of the decisions she makes. This means a hell of a dinner party for us, bringing long-buried tension and trauma to the surface, where they explode onto whoever is nearby. That's usually Eileen and Thea, and boy is their romantic triangle a complex one.

Where the structure falters, the cast hold it up

Tessa Thompson, Nina Hoss and Imogen Poots talk to each other

Tessa Thompson, Nina Hoss and Imogen Poots in Hedda. (Image credit: Prime Video)

The core structure of Hedda isn't playing to shock factor like Saltburn, and it arguably could have deepened and ultilized the intimacy and pure romance between the three women a lot further. But even with these small faults, our cast deliver something to be in awe of.

While Thompson's accent is… interesting in the Prime Video film, her conviction and gumption can't be faulted. It's not easy to make us completely devoid of empathy for a character while still making them likeable, and she maintains the balance at all times. Poots plays an effective counterpart as anxious Thea, calling out Hedda's manipulation like she's shouting into the wind.

For me, it's Hoss who gives the performance of the movie. There's an exceptional scene after Eileen gets drunk and swims in the lake, entering the drawing room to talk to her male rivals while her dress is wet and see-through. She tells explicit stories on top form, and by the time she has them metaphorically eating out of her hand, the dress is dry.

This is the level of detail that's worth paying attention to, making the overall effect of Hedda as filling as a sumptuous cake, caressing every possible details of humanity to serve up an ugly truth worth devouring. It's tough to make odious people appealing, but we love to watch when it works (that's why reality TV is so popular).

Without spoiling anything, DaCosta also changes the ending of Ibsen's play. With one simple tweak, she removes sapphic media stereotyping that Hedda could have easily fallen prey to, and that alone is a fantastic way to sum up what she has achieved.

We've all had enough of classics being adapted, but when they hold a mirror up to who we've become and what we're capable of so deftly, who are we to look away?

Hedda is now streaming on Prime Video.

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