Sneha Jaiswal's Blog, page 104

Man Suang Review – Rich Visuals Thinly Veil Weak Plot

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

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Directors: Ning Bhanbhassa Dhubtien, Chartchai Ketnust, Pond Krisda Witthayakhajorndet

Writers: Pond Krisda Witthayakhajorndet, Ning Bhanbhassa Dhubtien, Parida Manomaiphibul

Young dancers Khem and Wan are tasked with a mission: infiltrate “Man Suang,” a luxurious entertainment club in Siam, to uncover secret political plots brewing within its walls. However, as the friends begin their covert investigations, they soon realize that they are in far more danger than they had bargained for.

“Man Suang” is a period drama thriller, with a rich display of Thai culture and dance traditions, while the plot it poorly thought out. Apo Nattawin Wattanagitiphat of “KinnPorsche” plays primary protagonist Khem, an ambitious talented dancer who aspires to rise in ranks and perform for nobility, while Bas Asavapatr Ponpiboon is his dancer friend Wan. The two of them receive help from Chatra (Mile Phakphum Romsaithong), a Taphon (traditional Thai drum) player, who seems to have his own hidden agenda in aiding them. Tong Thanayut Thakoonauttaya portrays Hong, the young master who inherits “Man Suang” following his father’s demise under mysterious circumstances, prompting concerns about a more sinister scheme at play.

One of the primary focuses of “Man Suang” is a missing document lost when an important official was murdered at the entertainment establishment. Khem and Wan are tasked with finding this document and immediately get down to business. It’s strange that nobody in Man Suang becomes suspicious when the two newcomers openly inquire about the murder or the missing document. All the writers had to do was portray their “investigation” more discreetly to make it more believable.

The lavish, colorful costumes and dances of “Man Suang” are its highlights. Although Apo Nattawin Wattanagitiphat lacks the natural grace or gait of a trained dancer, he looks stunning in a dancer’s garb and manages to deliver his performative scenes effectively. However, there is one scene where he is required to sing, which comes off as completely out of tune and is plain awkward to watch. An actor with years of dance training would’ve elevated Khem’s role. Tong Thanayut as Hong stands out as the most consistently entertaining character in the film, infusing his role with a certain zest despite his limited screen-time, although viewers familiar with his other works are likely to appreciate his versatility more.

With a 2 hour runtime, the creators should’ve focused on building-up the primary plot a little more, instead of cramming the film with too many supporting characters. In the end, “Man Suang” is a chaotic mishmash, overflowing with too many elements and struggling to find a balance between its lighter moments and the more serious subplots.

Rating: 5.5 on 10. You can stream “Man Suang” on Netflix.

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Frida Review – Frida Kahlo’s Self-Portrait In Documentary Form

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

“I am not afraid of death. Even so, I must face the bitter fact that having many lives would still not be enough for me to paint everything I want” – Frida Kahlo.

Directed by Carla Gutierrez, the 2024 documentary “Frida” offers a riveting portrayal of the Mexican artist’s life through her own words. Drawing from intimate letters, diary entries, essays, and revealing interviews, the creators allow Frida Kahlo to narrate her own story. From her early days as a student activist to her rise as a celebrated artist who was painfully aware of her mortality, the documentary is a close look into Kahlo’s thoughts, ideals and artistic journey.

The cinematography incorporates a rich trove of archival photos and video footage of Frida Kahlo, filling in the gaps with striking animated renditions of her paintings. The tragic accident that forever changed Frida’s life is depicted viscerally, avoiding graphic imagery yet still leaving a profound impact on viewers. At the age of 18, Frida was aboard a bus when it was violently struck by a trolley car, resulting in injuries that would impact her for life. Though it left her in frail health, it also ignited her artistic passion and her love for self-portraits. Fernanda Echevarría lends her voice to Frida’s words, portraying her as the spirited, sensuous, and strong-willed woman that she was.

Intermittently, other voice actors also take over the narration, reading out the words of Frida’s friends, acquaintances, and her one great love – Diego Rivera (voiced by Jorge Richards), a celebrated painter and muralist whom she married at the age of 22.

Frida Kahlo’s tumultuous and passionate relationship with the much older Diego Rivera takes up a major chunk of the documentary, since a lot of her life did revolve around him, until the end of her days. There’s ample evidence from both artists to understand one thing: they deeply love each other, despite Diego’s perverse way of expressing it—through consistent infidelity.

“The more I love a woman, the more I want to hurt her. Frida was the most obvious victim of this disgusting trait,” Diego Rivera is quoted as saying. Theirs was an unconventional relationship to say the least, but they seemed to have pushed each other artistically, with their divorce proving to be turning point for Frida’s painting career. She vowed to be independent and support herself after the divorce, and even upon remarrying, Frida insisted on being self-reliant, sharing household expenses with her husband.

Love, sex, and art were the driving forces of Frida Kahlo’s life, and the documentary effectively captures the artist’s passion throughout its 1 hour 27-minute runtime. It doesn’t feature any “expert interviews” or third-party commentaries, offering viewers a self-sufficient and comprehensive look at her life through her own ruminations.

You can stream “Frida” on Prime Video.

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Laapataa Ladies Review – Brides & Prejudice In Hindi Heartland

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Two young brides get lost on the same train due to their similar attire and long-veil, leading to a comedy-of-errors, and lessons in self-worth in Kiran Rao’s 2024 movie “Laapata Ladies”.

Written by Biplab Goswami, Divyanidhi Sharma, and Sneha Desai, the story is set in 2001 in a fictional state called Nirmal Pradesh in India’s Hindi Heartland. It opens with celebratory rituals to send off newlyweds Phool Kumari (Nitanshi Goel) and Deepak (Sparsh Shrivastav). The two first hitch a scooter-ride, then a boat, a bus, before finally boarding a train for Deepak’s village. Pandemonium ensues when Deepak realizes he left the train with the wrong bride, a woman called Pushpa Rani (Pratibha Ranta), while Phool finds herself stranded at the wrong station.

Light-hearted in tone and satirical in nature, “Laapata Ladies” presents a chuckle-worthy narrative led by fresh faces. The film explores the theme of women’s identity, particularly in the agricultural hinterland, where they are often reduced to the roles of wife or mother. Phool, for instance, might be “well-trained” by her mother to manage household chores, but she is a clueless doe-eyed lass who can’t remember the name of her husband’s village. Phool’s personality is brilliantly juxtaposed with that of Pushpa Rani, an evidently clever young woman, who deliberately feigns ignorance over things while she silently schemes for a way out of the soup she is in. Nitanshi Goel’s Phool is endearing in her simplicity and annoying in her ignorance, while Pratibha Ranta’s portrayal of Pushpa Rani is subtly engaging.

Some of the funniest moments in “Laapaata Ladies” revolve around the embarrassment experienced by the naive Deepak due to his goof-up. Ravi Kishan delivers a highly entertaining performance as the local corrupt cop Manohar, who finds endless amusement in Deepak’s misfortunes. When Deepak goes to lodge a missing complaint for Phool, Manohar asks with a straight face, “What’s your secret? I’ve been trying for years, but she never gets lost.” Sparsh Shrivastav on the other hand breathes an air of genuine vulnerability and emotional depth into Deepak’s character, running from pillar to post throughout the film to find his Phool. The track titled “Sajni”, sung in the soulful voice of Arijit Singh, beautifully captures his despair and ache over having lost his beloved bride.

There aren’t any song-and-dance numbers in “Laapaata Ladies”, but the few original tracks featured in the film are catchy and vibrantly complement the scenes they accompany. The energetic number “Doubtwa” sung by Sukhwinder Singh stands out for its playing lyrics and tunes. The lyrics talks about a man doubting a woman due to her shady behavior. This song plays when Ravi Kishan’s cop character spies on Pushpa Rani to uncover her intentions.

For the cynical viewer, Phool’s adventures may seem overly optimistic. Left stranded at an unfamiliar train station, she receives assistance from a lively boy named Chhotu (Satendra Soni), who performs odd jobs. She is subsequently taken in by the no-nonsense Manju Maai (Chhaya Kadam), who operates a tea-snacks stall and broadens Phool’s perspective over a woman’s place in the world. But at the same time, it’s the optimistic tone of the script, which makes “Laapata Ladies” a breezy, joyous watch.

The climax throws in some twists and leaves viewers with a heartening “happy ending”, without any preachy monologues or patronizing speeches. Young brides Phool and Pushpa Rani gently carve their own paths for themselves, along with a whole lot of support with the women and men around them.

Rating: 8 on 10. Watch “Laapaata Ladies” on Netflix.

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Gray Shelter Review – Needed More Time

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

Lee Yoon Dae lives with his girlfriend, but when she kicks him out, he starts to live with technician Cha Soo Hyuk, someone he used to be close with, until circumstances make them estranged. With their new awkward living situation, the two must confront the unsaid conflict and tension between them.

Directed by Lee Son Eum, Korean series “Gray Shelter” spans only five episodes, and follows a serious tale about broken families, and complex relationships. Lee Jae Bin plays the aimless Lee Yoon Dae, who has run off from home and sponges off those around him, while Jang Woo Young is the more responsible Cha Soo Hyuk, and in his case, it’s his parents who are constantly exploiting him, either emotionally or financially. How these two individuals try to overcome their internal struggles and find a “home” for themselves forms the crux of the tale.

For an intense family drama with just the slightest hint of romantic tension, “Gray Shelter” falls short in capturing the nuances and struggles of its characters within its limited runtime, despite convincing performances from the lead actors. Lee Jae Bin’s portrayal of the angsty young Yoon Dae who borders on being the “bad boy” archetype is well delivered. It’s completely different from his last lead role as the sunny-sweet Choco from “Choco Milk Shake”, a fluffy romantic Korean series. Meanwhile, Jang Woo Young makes his debut with a layered performance as the exhausted, hard-working Soo Hyuk, who simply seeks a regular life free from the burdens imposed by those around him.

“Gray Shelter” unfolds weirdly, like a thriller, where the background music and conversation between the character lead you to expect major revelations towards the end, but no such thing happens. What really happened between Yoon Dae and Cha Soo Hyuk is never explained, and some comprehensive flashbacks to explain their relationship better would’ve helped. Instead, the creators simply present a cryptic tale of anger, hurt and emotional trauma and expect viewers to fill in the blanks.

While I am usually complaining about dramas being too long or overstretched, “Gray Shelter” however needed a longer runtime to do justice to the themes the creators were trying to explore.

Rating: 6 on 10. You can stream “Gray Shelter” on iQIYI.

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Dead Boy Detectives Review – Gothic Horror Gets Gen Z Flair

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Picture Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John H Watson re-imagined as amateur teen detectives, infused with gothic horror elements and modern Gen-Z sensibilities – you get the 2024 Netflix series “Dead Boy Detectives”. Sort of. Its leads Charles Rowland and Edwin Paine have many things in common – they are both inquisitive teen boys, they are both dead and on the run from the Grim Reaper, and together they run a detective agency to solve supernatural cases that can’t be cracked by humans. So the series probably feels a touch Edwardian because Edwin dies in 1916, and his language is reflective of the era.

Created by Steve Yockey and based on characters created by “Sandman” author Neil Gaiman, Netflix supernatural thriller “Dead Boy Detectives” spans eight episodes, each dwelling on a different case, some of which are exciting and wildly entertaining, others – not so much. George Rexstrew portrays the serious, introverted, bookish Edwin Paine, while Jayden Revri embodies the cheery Charles Rowland; the former serves as the brains, while the latter, in Charles’s words, is the brawn of their detective operation. While solving a case of demonic possession, the duo befriends human girl and psychic Crystal Palace (Kassius Nelson), whom Edwin reluctantly allows to join their team as Charles immediately becomes smitten by her charms.

Since the content is heavy on ghosts, demons, monsters and creatures from hell, the special effects is unexpectedly awful in quite a few scenes. In-fact, even in plain sequences where the characters are simply talking on a terrace, viewers can easily make out the background is a green-screen (and I wasn’t even watching this show on some fancy HD TV, just my reliable four year old laptop). Episode seven, the penultimate installment of “Dead Boy Detectives,” is set in Hell and fortunately, despite being laden with special effects, the visual elements aren’t as subpar as some of the demonic scenes that appear in the first half. For horror fans, there’s a generous amount of blood, gore, violence in the show.

Some of the little plot twists in “Dead Boy Detectives” don’t quite add up. For instance, Charles and Edwin claim that only humans who’ve had near-death experiences can see them. However, they often take on human disguises to interact with witnesses while solving their supernatural cases. A simple addition of a line from one of them about how perhaps they can also be seen by humans if they want themselves to be seen would have resolved this inconsistency. Nonetheless, given that this is a fantasy world with its own nonsensical rules, perhaps viewers should give logic a rest. And while the script leans on being a fun whimsical fantasy show, it has too many emotional outbursts, right from episode one, that could’ve been tempered down to make it more enjoyable. It’s something that Netflix’s “Wednesday” does very well, which is also a teen gothic-fantasy show.

While George Rexstrew and Jayden Revri work fine as the lead duo, the other supporting characters often outshine them with their performances. Although George Rexstrew’s portrayal of Edwin is more layered and memorable than Jayden’s depiction of Charles, the latter’s character feels somewhat one-dimensional and could have been played by anyone with a sunny personality. Kassius Nelson as Crystal Palace reminded me of Raven-Symoné from “That’s So Raven”, whose character was also a psychic teenager. Although Crystal isn’t as exuberant and wacky as Raven, she definitely has the same feisty teen vibe. The show features a considerable amount of romantic tension between her and Charles, along with other romantic subplots, including Edwin’s exploration of his sexuality when he encounters not one, but two potential male suitors in the series.

Yuyu Kitamura is hilariously cute as Yuko, a Japanese teen living in America. The protagonists meet her when they go to the U.S. for a case and then get stuck there for weeks over a magical issue. Yuyu Kitamura’s portrayal of Yuko seems to be on the lines of Ariana Grande’s character Cat from the teen comedy show “Victorious”. Although Yuko doesn’t attend school regularly, she is a recluse with no friends and an Otaku (obsessed with Manga and anime). Joshua Colley has a smaller supporting role as Monty, but he is quite endearing as the handsome teenager who befriends Edwin with ulterior motives. Lukas Gage is creepily delightful as the “Cat King”, who can take human form and becomes a persistent problem for the “Dead Boy Detectives” after one of them messes with a cat.

Among the older cast members, two actors who stood out are Jenn Lyon as the evil witch Esther Finch, who continually creates trouble for the teens, and Ruth Connell as the “Night Nurse,” an officer from the afterlife department tasked with tracking deceased children. Despite embodying the archetypical villain as a centuries-old witch who sustains her youth by preying on humans, Esther Finch proves to be a formidable antagonist. She devises inventive schemes to exact revenge on the boy detectives when they thwart her plans.

The last two episodes of the show weren’t as fun or gripping as the rest of the series, but the creators to manage to keep up viewer interest until the very end. Overall, “Dead Boy Detectives” is an amusing one-time watch, and I would definitely watch a season two, hopefully, the special-effects would be better the next time around.

Rating: 6.5 on 10. Watch the show on Netflix.

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Scoop Review – No Bombshell, Yet Pulls You In

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Director: Philip Martin

Writers: Samantha McAlister, Peter Moffat, Geoff Bussetil

The 2024 movie “Scoop” is about “how the BBC obtained the bombshell interview with Prince Andrew about his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.” And even though the film may not be a “bombshell” and will likely only appeal to a very niche audience interested in the royal family’s dubious connections, “Scoop” offers an intriguing examination of an awkwardly explosive interview that had a significant impact in the UK.

Adapted from the book authored by former Newsnight editor Sam McAlister, portrayed by Gillian Anderson in “Scoop,” the film starts with the BBC’s Newsnight team brainstorming over the show’s focus amidst the backdrop of heightened tension surrounding impending job cuts. Billie Piper portrays Sam McAlister, Newsnight’s ‘booker’—the individual tasked with securing high-profile interviews for the show. It’s Sam who endeavors to arrange an interview with Prince Andrew (Rufus Sewell), even though her team thinks she is wasting her time pursuing a pipe-dream.

With a runtime of 1 hour and 42 minutes, “Scoop” succinctly sets up the scandal surrounding Prince Andrew’s friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, ensuring viewers unfamiliar with the case can follow the unfolding events. The newsroom environment along with its office-politics is well-crafted by the creators, and the tense atmosphere is heightened by pacy background music. The soundtrack maintains a constant tension, infusing the runtime with excitement and dynamism.

Gillian Anderson is riveting as Sam McAlister, a senior journalist who knows how to work her interviewee up. Parts of her performance reminded me of Meryl Streep, which is of-course meant as a compliment – like Streep, Gillain effortlessly slips into her character. Rufus Sewell’s portrayal of Prince Andrew is hilariously caricatured, he slips into the part without making it too exaggerated, yet delivering a cumbrous stiff performance which is just right for the script.

While the final interview conducted by Sam McAlister with Prince Andrew is almost excruciating to watch due to its dullness, it unmistakably echoes the real-life interview, which earned the Prince several monikers online, like “his royal dryness,” among others. However, the fact that his BBC interview was one of the most-watched broadcasts underscores the extent of public fascination with royalty and the corresponding expectation for public accountability that should rightfully rest upon their shoulders as well.

True to its tagline – “One interview can change everything” – Scoop emphatically underscores the influence of media visibility and public opinion. While the climax, drawn from real events, may lack surprise, its execution is subtle, building to a crescendo devoid of theatrics or grandiose speeches. It culminates with a definitive closure, effectively concluding the narrative the creators sought to convey.

Rating: 7 on 10. Watch “Scoop” on Netflix.

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Onion Skin – Graphic Novel Review

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Well, this was kinda underwhelming, with confusing time-jumps, and stock characters. However, the artwork in the graphic novel “Onion Skin” by Edgar Camacho is fun, vibrant and visually very engaging. So brownie points just for the colorful illustrations!

Plot overview – Rolando hates his job but doesn’t know what to do with his life when he is fired from the place with a generous severance package. So when he meets Nera, an eccentric girl who lives in a van and has no goals either, the two strangers decide to start a food truck together and find themselves embroiled in a turf war.

Yeah, so the plot is obviously random, especially because Rolando expresses explicit interest in drawing but instead decides to invest all his money in a girl he has met only once, for a business neither he nor Nera know anything about. On the bright side, I guess it’s exciting to see two aimless people with no life goals just come up with a new dream and then pursue it with all their hearts. However, creator Edgar Camacho spends little time on how Rolando and Nera begin their food-truck journey and serves readers dollops of flashbacks on how they met, which is barely interesting.

What makes “Onion Skin” slightly challenging to read is the absence of clear demarcation between the flashbacks and the present. So, often when the story appears to shift tone abruptly, I would find myself needing to backtrack a page or two, only to realize there has been a change in the timeline. Given the title, some readers (like me) can get the impression that this is a complex layered graphic novel, but it’s not. The story is straightforward, sure, there are a few small twists, but it definitely didn’t need a confusing non-linear story-telling style.

The artwork and distinct character illustrations make “Onion Skin” a fun enough one-time read, and the food scenes sure made me hungry! Pick this title if you’re looking for a quick, zany tale about two strangers starting their own food business and encountering a few crazy hiccups.

Rating: 3 on 5. “Onion Skin” is also on Kindle Unlimited.

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Kiseki Chapter 2 Review – Duff Fan Service

Rating: 1 out of 5.

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First of, there’s no “Kiseki Chapter 1”, there was supposed to be one and it got canned. And something similar should’ve have happened to “Kiseki Chapter 2” too, because it is a forgettable, senseless mini-series which follows four young men exploring Tokyo, and having quick sex whenever they can. The trailer for this show made it look like it was going to be a fun video-log style series, and even though it does have some nicely shot scenes of the protagonists trying out different local food and popular spots in Tokyo, the show is simply gratuitous fan-service for BL fans.

Directed by Paapare Khachaporn Roopchang, who also directed “Venus in the Sky”, which isn’t saying much, “Kiseki Chapter 2” spans six episodes. The series stars P Ekkapop Tata as P, a Thai national who lives in Tokyo and is hosting his close friend Beboy (BeBoy Nanthakorn Sringenthap) for a week. While exploring a park, the two run into twins Pan (Pan Jirachot Chotticomporn) and Plai (Pan Jirachot Chotticomporn), also Thai nationals, who are holidaying in Tokyo. Even though they are strangers, when Beboy learns the twins don’t have a hotel to stay at, he invites them to stay at P, and that’s how the four of them end up spending the week together. Soon, sparks fly between the friends and the brothers.

Ekkapop Tata seems to be the lone person who can act in the cast, while the rest stumble through their performances, despite the script offering little substance to work with. Somebody probably has a twin kink in the writing team, because there’s a ridiculous scene in the show which makes it look like Pan and Plai are exploited for grabbing eyeballs. Except for some of the touristy things the cast does in Tokyo, this show has very little working in its favor.

Rating: 2 on 10. Just skip this series.

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‘Parasyte: The Grey’ Review – Gritty Spin-off

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Jeong Su-in is a young, lonely woman who works at a convenience store. One day, a disgruntled customer stalks and attacks her, but Su-in somehow survives multiple stab wounds, only to learn that she was saved by a parasitic alien that fails to take over her brain completely. The two then forge a reluctant bond to survive as the police begin to hunt down parasitic creatures like Jeon Su-in (played by Jeon So-nee), while the parasites themselves get organized to take over the world and consider her a mutant that must be eliminated.

Directed by Yeon Sang-ho, the Korean series “Parasyte: The Grey” (Original title: Gisaengsu: Deo geurei) is a spin-off of the hit horror manga series “Parasyte” by Hitoshi Iwaaki. Spanning six episodes, the show begins with the arrival of alien parasitic beings, quietly infiltrating Earth to take over human bodies through their hosts’ brains. “The Grey” is a special police team led by Choi Jun-kyung (Lee Jung-hyun) to hunt down parasites, and soon, Su-in becomes their primary target.

First off, you needn’t worry about having read the original manga or seen any of the Japanese anime and movies to follow what’s happening in ‘Parasyte: The Grey’. This is a standalone spin-off set in the same universe, much like how you don’t need to see Sandra Bullock’s “Bird Box” to watch “Bird Box Barcelona”. That might seem like a random comparison, but hey, they are all about alien creatures terrorizing human beings, just in different ways.

Jeong Su-in (Jeon So-nee), the young convenience store employee, is unaware of a parasitic creature living within her until a small-time criminal named Seol Kang-woo (Koo Kyo-hwan) meets her when the parasite takes over her body. In one of the most comical scenes in the show, Kang-woo explains to her how she has a Jekyll-and-Hyde scenario going on, and he names the parasite living within her Heidi, who is able to take over Su-in’s body completely only for a short while each day. Even though they are strangers, Su-in and Kang-woo find themselves on the run together, and become awkward allies.

Jeon So-nee delivers a subtle but strong performance as Jeong Su-in, who is the most straightforward yet complex character in ‘Parasyte: The Grey’—she has no family or friends, lives a mundane life doing long shifts at the store, and is haunted by childhood trauma from coming from a broken home. Her only acquaintance is a police officer called Kim Cheol-min (played by Kwon Hae-hyo), who is in charge of her case when she is brutally attacked but miraculously survives. It’s a bizarre anomaly that doesn’t escape the cop’s eye, but he lets it slide until the police force finally becomes aware of the parasitic aliens taking over the world. While Su-in tends to evoke feeling of sympathy or even pity in the viewers, Koo Kyo-hwan is comically entertaining as the brazen thug Kang-woo, who is on the run from gangsters due to a botched-up job and meets Su-in accidentally. Lee Jung-hyun’s portrayal of Choi Jun-kyeong, who leads “The Grey” team against parasites, was unnecessarily villainous in vein and quite annoying. From her shrilly voice, to her fake cheery demeanor in many key scenes, her role just didn’t pack the kind of punch it should’ve and it’s a key reason why “Parasyte: The Grey” isn’t as entertaining in the second-half.

The special effects in the series were quite convincing, although some of the fight sequences involving the parasitic creatures were just ridiculous to watch. It’s as if humans with octopi heads are battling with their tentacles, which ends up looking like people just slapping their hands at each other, making it difficult to discern who is winning. Besides, one can’t help but wonder – if the aliens are intelligent enough to adapt to human behavior, use phones, computers, why didn’t some of them just procure guns to kill their prey?

In terms of themes, like the original manga series by Hitoshi Iwaaki, “Parasyte: The Grey” explores what it means to be human and how we are different from the parasitic aliens whose sole aim is survival. And even though the show doesn’t deeply dwell into it, it briefly makes one wonder about the moral question of whether it’s right to kill someone for one’s own survival.

With six episodes to boot, “Parasyte: The Grey” has a solid first half; the first three episodes are completely binge-worthy. However, the second half is bogged down by pacing issues and questionable plot holes. The climactic episode packs in some interesting twists, including a sinister plot by the parasites to expand their power. The show ends with a surprise nod to the Japanese original, which should thrill fans of the manga, and it also promises a strong possibility of newer spin-offs. Overall, it’s a gritty watch for those who enjoy dystopian body-snatcher titles.

Rating: 7 on 10. Watch the series on Netflix.

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Anyone But You Review – Manchild Meets Womanchild

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Bea and Ben meet at a coffee shop, and are immediately attracted to each other, but after an amazing day-and-night together, they go their own ways over a misunderstanding, until they cross paths again at a wedding in Australia. The two immediately cross swords and start bickering, so when their friends and family try to set them up so they won’t spoil the wedding celebrations, Bea and Ben attempt to outsmart others by pretending to be a couple.

Directed by Will Gluck, who co-wrote “Anyone But You” with Ilana Wolpert, this romantic comedy is inspired by Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing.” So, just like the play, there’s a lot of deliberate whispering and gossiping by the characters in the movie to trick Bea and Ben into falling for each other. Also, a lot of quotes from the play cleverly appear like Easter eggs throughout the runtime, from being on sign posts, to appearing as book covers.

Actors Sydney Sweeney and Glenn Powell make a good-looking onscreen pair as Bea and Ben in the film. Their characters often fight like bratty little kids, which is supposed to be funny but unfortunately comes off as more annoying than comedic. It’s a shame because “Anyone But You” gets a lot of elements right: a fantastic-looking lead couple—Sydney Sweeney and Glenn Powell are like Barbie and Ken; even the supporting cast is chockablock with attractive faces; the cinematography is a visual treat, and the background music is pretty catchy. However, many dialogues are cringe-inducing, and the characters of Ben and Bea are exceedingly self-centered.

It’s pretty hard to like two people who are so caught up in their own petty hatred that almost everybody, including the soon-to-be-married couple, is more concerned about Ben and Bea’s behavior than their own celebration. And it’s Bea’s sister who is getting married, not just a friend, it’s family. Yes, this is a comedy film that’s not supposed to be taken seriously, but how difficult is it to write a funny romantic script without awful childish leads? Things might’ve been more entertaining if there was more spotlight on Bea’s sister Halle (Hadley Robinson) and her fiance Claudia (Alexandra Shipp), who barely get any screen-time, even though it’s their wedding.

There’s, of course, a clichéd subplot about both Ben and Bea’s former partners also attending the wedding, which is why they decide to play fake lovers: Ben to make his ex jealous, and Bea to repel hers. The funniest scene in the film has nothing to do with the leads; it’s when the wedding party goes on a hike (a day or two before the wedding), and Bea and Ben try to make a whole show of their intimacy, but everybody else is busy watching an adorable koala bear on a tree. The koala bear was basically the showstopper of “Anyone But You.”

All that said, the film does have a decent amount of funny scenes, but it’s far too derivative, chaotic and ends with a cheesy predictable climax typical of the genre. If you are looking for a no-brainer romantic comedy with attractive leads, it’s probably worth a watch.

Rating: 5.5 on 10. You can stream “Anyone But You” on Netflix.

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