Sneha Jaiswal's Blog, page 12

Friends of Sophia Review: Love, Sex, Robots

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Sci-fi short film ‘Friends of Sophia’ kicks off with the arrest of a young woman for “propositioning robosexual conduct” with a humanoid AI, setting the tone for its core theme: forbidden love.

Written and directed by Alden Peters, the short film unfolds in a dystopian, war-torn future where millions of bots are built to fight on the front lines, while humans live under a rigid regime that outlaws nearly every vice, including romantic relationships between humans and androids.

Wesley Han stars as Conor, a young man secretly in love with his bot, Dosso (Vishaal Reddy). Their relationship breaks multiple rules, putting them at constant risk of imprisonment. Opposing them is Max (Nana Visitor of Star Trek fame), the ruthless head of the Vice Department, who leads an unrelenting crackdown on anyone who dares to defy the system.

At the heart of the story is “Friends of Sophia”, the code name for a rebel group that champions forbidden “vices” and offers safe spaces for humans who want to live freely. Conor and Dosso turn to this underground network for help, hoping to outwit the suffocating regime. The title itself carries deeper meaning, an allusion to “Friends of Dorothy,” a coded term rooted in America’s queer history.

Despite the short runtime, Wesley Han and Vishaal Reddy quickly establish an easy onscreen chemistry as Conor and Dosso. At the same time, Nana Visitor delivers an intimidating turn as Max, her stern video messages plastered across this fictional world, warning humans against indulging in vices and urging them to report violators.

Except for a few fleeting seconds, where the green screen filter seems evident, the special effects are flashily good. The twenty-five-minute-long ‘Friends of Sophia’ is a neon-lit, fast-paced, entertaining short film, with a vivid atmospheric sci-fi mood. Had Alden Peters decided to animate the film, it would’ve perfectly fit into Netflix anthology ‘Love, Death, & Robots’, which I accidentally keep calling ‘Love, Sex, Robots’, and that would’ve been a perfect alternative title for this flick.

You can watch ‘Friends of Sophia’ on YouTube.

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Budding Crisis Issue #5 Review: Boring End to Volume 1

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I am not even going to rate this issue of ‘Budding Crisis’ by MK Reed, Jonathan Hill, and Allie Drake, because the plot-line continues to be random. Although, it is definitely the most boring edition of the comic-book series so far.

Titled ‘The Observer’, it follows two travelers, Drea and Cadeo, both carrying the magical Onamanthe seeds, which have become a rarity in the world. Cadeo is on a mission to deliver his seeds somewhere, and he doesn’t really trust Drea. Except for the fact that the first town they stay in is famed for talking animals, nothing interesting or fun happens.

Issue #5 is supposed to be the final chapter of ‘Budding Crisis’, so in that light, this was exceptionally bland. I could go on and ramble a little more about what happens, but really, I am not going to do that just to score some points with the algorithm (articles with larger word counts have better reach).

You should simply steer clear of this fantasy series, even though I’ve been pretty generous in my reviews of the previous issues. But if you still want to find out for yourself, ‘Budding Crisis’ is on Kindle Unlimited.

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Burning God (The Poppy War #3) Review: War, Vengeance, and a Bloody Good End

Rating: 4 out of 5.

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‘The Burning God’ might be the best of the ‘Poppy War Trilogy’ by RF Kuang, who displays rare courage as an author and finally falls out of love with her protagonist. And I have hated Rin since the second-half of the first book in the series. She is an unbearable whiny genocidal megalomaniac. But RF Kuang is a fantastic storyteller and I re-calibrated my expectations at the very beginning of this book, telling myself: this is a villain’s story.

“She is a God, She is a Monster” – R.F. Kuang uses these very words, spoken by another character in ‘The Burning God’, to describe Rin. And a monster she is.

In case you don’t remember how ‘The Dragon Republic’ (The Poppy War #2) ended: Rin helps the Dragon Warlord Vaisra lead a grueling, drawn-out, blood-soaked but ultimately successful rebellion against the Empress in the north of Nikara, only to be thrown into prison. She is betrayed by Vaisra’s son Yin Nezha so that their allies, the Hesperians, can perform experiments on her to study her shamanic powers. Best friend Kitay, who has also become her anchor (after a ritual binds them and allows Rin to channel the Phoenix without losing her shit), rescues her by cutting off her hand. ‘The Burning God’ thus follows the duo’s mission to unite the south of Nikara to defeat Vaisra and Nezha.

This third book by RF Kuang suffers from the same flaws I complained about in the review for ‘The Dragon Republic’: a lack of character development for the supporting faces in the tale. Almost EVERYBODY in ‘The Burning God’ is more interesting than Rin, the one-dimensional protagonist, whose default setting is ‘I am so angry, I want to burn the world’. While her best-friend Kitay and master Jiang obviously have vastly better personalities… even Su Daji, the empress of Nikara, the evil shaman who betrays her best-friends to grab power, then sacrifices half her kingdom to hold on to power, is more captivating. Hell, even the bratty Nezha, who can control water, and is tortured by a dragon, emerges as a worthier rival.

That said, RF Kuang’s writing shines best in showing the ravages of war… the deaths, disease, despair, horrors that follow. In Book 2, Rin was largely incapacitated by Daji’s poison, unable to wield the fire, but ‘In The Burning God’, she gets a free rein, helping her conquer south of Nikara with relative ease. Some interesting new characters and war generals are introduced, the most intriguing being Yang Souji, a rebel leader in the South with expertise in guerilla warfare.

One of the best things in the third book was that the legendary ‘Trifecta’ (Su Daji, Jiang, and Riga) finally get their backstory. Again, they deserved a lot more space in the tale. The author hypes up the Trifecta incredibly, especially Riga, who was the Dragon emperor of Nikan, before Su Daji took over the reins, but their stories end on a frustratingly disappointing note. It’s like waiting to watch fireworks and then getting to see only a handful of floating lanterns.

Rin goes completely off her rocker towards the end ‘The Burning God’, which of course was expected, since shamans and insanity are supposed to go hand in hand. There’s lots of repetitive shit in the book, mostly about her wanting to incinerate everything. Kuang tries to redeem Rin a few times by making it seem like she might have a conscience, and those moments are laughable. Readers have to reconcile with the fact that Rin is a power-hungry, genocidal maniac. Any indication otherwise, is only pretense.

But well, despite all the frustrations you experience as a reader while reading ‘The Burning God’, R.F. Kuang sustains steady suspense and excitement until the end. Half of Nikara is burnt, starving, impoverished by the last few chapters, and Rin is faced with old foes, spies, and new betrayals. There are only a limited ways a war story like this can end, and luckily for me, it ended just how I wanted it to!

And that’s why, I am going with 4 stars on 5 for ‘The Burning God’.

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Fall for Me Review: Sun, Sand, and Shady Scammers

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Watching Netflix’s ‘Fall for Me’ a day after Prime Video’s ‘The Map That Leads to You’ might’ve worked in the former’s favor, because it certainly seemed more scenic than the English film. Both stories are about the lead lady protagonist falling for a hot guy on vacation, but the German film is a ‘thriller’, while the other is a dreamy romance.

Directed by Sherry Hormann, ‘Fall for Me’ stars Svenja Jung (‘Palace’/‘Empress’) as Lilli, an auditor visiting her little sister Valeria (Tijan Marei) in Mallorca, where she starts getting suspicious of Valeria’s boyfriend Manu (Victor Meutelet), who seems to good to be true. But before she can uncover anything damning, Lilli finds herself distracted by the handsome Tom (Theo Trebs), a club manager she meets during a night of dancing.

The central conflict is rooted in Valeria’s desire to sell their sprawling beachside property in order to fund a bed-and-breakfast venture with Manu. Lilli, however, resists letting go of the house for emotional reasons, all the while growing increasingly suspicious that her sister is throwing away her inheritance on a man she barely knows. Actors Svenja Jung and Tijan Marei have a cutesy sibling chemistry as sisters who share a love-hate relationship.

The film even opens with a cold prologue in which Lilli states, “A good scammer knows exactly what you desire.” So it’s obvious from the start that Manu is a fraud, the only real question is how many others are complicit. But by revealing its hand so early, ‘Fall for Me’ weakens its suspense.

The first half remains engaging, although the romantic chemistry between Svenja Jung’s Lilli and Theo Trebs’s Tom is only about decent, despite generous steamy-explicit scenes featuring them. The story takes a nosedive the moment the script strips Lilli of basic common sense. The most glaring example? Lilli is an auditor by profession, yet she blindly accepts a property valuation from a surveyor recommended by a man she just met, without even seeking a second opinion. Really?

For a while, I thought “Fall for Me” might at least work as a cautionary tale about organized scammers targeting women. But of course, the climax chickens out, absolves one of the crooks, and trots out the old cliché that “some men can be saved.”

Rating: 4 on 10. Watch ‘Fall for Me’ on Netflix.

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Sakamoto Days Episode 18 Review: Murder Films and More Mid-Air Mayhem

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‘Sakamoto Days’ is flying high, quite literally, since Shin and Taro are still onboard ‘Kill Airline‘, where a bloody carnage is unfolding as part of the first test for JCC Academy, the assassin school they’re trying to infiltrate.

Episode 17 had ended with Shin locking horns with masked germaphobe Mafuyu, the latter leading a no-holds barred attack, intent on killing off his opponents. Episode 18 however shifts attention to a new character. Titled ‘Kanaguri’, the chapter introduces legendary filmmaker Kanaguri, founder of ‘Murder Films’, who is also onboard the flight as a test administrator.

Instead of playing the role of an invigilator, Kanaguri records the mid-air mayhem and murders. The most fun detail of his character design is the long, flowing scarf he wears around his neck, which looks like a film roll. In keeping with Kanaguri’s character, the animation momentarily adopts a grainy texture as he records footage for his upcoming film.

Meanwhile, Shin continues to fight it out with clean-freak Mafuyu, and Sakomoto teaches the blue-haired Akira to wield a gun. Things keep getting progressively violent, especially in the second-half, where the test gets crazier than ‘students brutally killing each other’ on a flight.

Unlike the last few episodes of ‘Sakamoto Days’, where viewers got to see a little bit of what antagonist Slur or members of the ORDER were up to, this chapter sticks to the assassin school drama and deaths.

Overall, it’s a lively edition that mixes in comedy with a few flashbacks, offering more background on Akira. The new character is already in awe of Sakamoto, even though she still believes both him and Shin are just rookies like her.

Watch Sakamoto Days on Netflix.

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‘The Map That Leads to You’ Movie Review: Scenic, Soulless, Sleepy Ride

Rating: 1.5 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

The ‘meet cute’ in the 2025 romance film ‘The Map That Leads to You takes’ place on a train, where the protagonist casually saunters into a compartment, hands his future love interest his bag to hold, and then climbs onto the overhead luggage rack to take a nap. I couldn’t help but laugh at the scene, especially since the other characters react as if it’s ‘genius’ or some effortlessly cool move. But we Indians have been doing it for decades. In fact, even I’ve slept on a train’s luggage rack as a kid. In our corner of the world, it’s simply called ‘jugaad’, nothing novel, genius, or cool about it. Just another ordinary day on a train. Anyway…

Directed by Lasse Hallström, ‘The Map That Leads to You’ is based on the romance novel by J.P. Monninger and follows Heather (Madelyn Cline), fresh out of college, on a Euro trip with her two girlfriends when she falls in love with a “mysterious stranger” (her own words) named Jack (KJ Apa), a traveler with no fixed job.

Heather loves to plan things; Jack is totally spontaneous, with no care for the future. But since sparks fly between the two, he convinces her to extend her trip by a week as they explore new places together, visiting locations mentioned in Jack’s great-grandfather’s travel journal.

‘The Map That Leads to You’ relies on the cliched ‘travel can change your life’ trope, without delivering anything fresh. KJ Apa as ‘free-spirited’ Jack is more of an uptight jerk and the character’s first interaction with Heather has zero sparks. Heather finds him ‘annoying’, and that’s exactly the vibe he gives, which is to supposed to set ground for the ‘they got off on the wrong foot but fell in love’ progression, but the chemistry between the leads remains unconvincing through the runtime. Viewers who can buy Jack’s ‘spontaneous traveler’ act, will probably find their ‘love’ more believable.

Madelyn Cline is endearing as Heather, and the character would’ve done so much better than the jobless pretentious nomad she is forced to fall for. The 2023 film ‘Love at first Sight’, which also follows two strangers who connect on a flight instead of a train, is a lot more entertaining and romantic than this predictable snooze-fest. Eventually of-course, the conflict revolves around Heather and Jack’s clashing personalities and an unnecessary health crisis. Yes, it’s one of those films.

Seriously, this movie is also boringly unrealistic… for instance, here’s a very simple spoiler-free silly detail: Heather extends her trip by a week and never wears the same clothes, rotating different shoes too. Girl, do you have the Narnia wardrobe in your bag?

Or, almost every time Heather gets on a long-distance train in ‘The Map That Leads to You’, a small group is singing and jamming on the guitar. While it may look romantic on screen, just imagine how unbearably annoying it would be in real life. In fact, it should feel incredibly irritating even for someone like Heather, who supposedly enjoys immersing herself in Ernest Hemingway on train rides, something that would be impossible with a bunch of youngsters singing away in the seats next to you.

The best thing about ‘The Map That Leads to You’ was that it put me to sleep earlier than usual. But if you’re in the mood for a generic, sappy romance, go ahead and try watching it at your own risk. This is just as bland as the recent Netflix romance ‘My Oxford Romance’, if not blander. I am guessing the novel is better.

Rating: 3 on 10. The film is on Prime Video.

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Inspector Zende Trailer: Manoj Bajpayee on comedic chase for ‘Carl Bhojraj’

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Manoj Bajpayee’s Inspector Zende is out to catch Carl Bhojraj in Netflix’s upcoming crime comedy, a notorious criminal who is clearly, and hilariously, modeled after the infamous French serial killer Charles Shobharaj.

Directed by Chinmay Mandlekar, the trailer opens by introducing Jim Sarbh as “Interpol’s most wanted criminal,” who manages to escape from Tihar Jail. News reports dub Carl as the ‘Bikini Killer’ and ‘Swimsuit Killer’. The plot then follows a team of Mumbai cops, led by Manoj Bajpayee, determined to track him down and throw him back behind bars.

Although Jim Sarbh is playing only a parodied knock-off of Charles Shobharaj, he seems far more aptly cast in the role compared to Sidhant Gupta, who portrayed Shobharaj in Netflix’s critically acclaimed series Black Warrant. Even if the character wasn’t given a similar sounding name, just by the looks of Sarbh in the trailer, you could tell who the character is inspired by.

Joining Manoj Bajpayee as fellow cops in ‘Inspector Zende’ are actors Sachin Khedekar, popular comedian Bhau Kadam, and Harish Dudhade. Bhau Kadam delivers one of the trailer’s funniest lines with a perfectly deadpan expression (which is precisely what makes it so comical), introducing himself under the fake alias “Rishi Kapoor” during an undercover mission to capture Carl.

From the looks of the trailer, the show promises a breezy, light-hearted take on the crime-comedy genre.

‘Inspector Zende‘ will premiere on Netflix on September 5.

Watch the trailer on YouTube.

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Largo Short Film Review: Refugee Boy Adrift in Hope and Hurt

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

‘Home is like a turtle in its shell, you take it with you wherever you go’ – Largo

Directed by Salvatore Scarpa and Max Burgoyne-Moore, ‘Largo’ tells the story of Musa (Zack Elsokari), a refugee boy living under the care of Grace (Tamsin Greig), a British woman. Longing for his parents and unable to suppress his restless hope, Musa pours his faith into a fragile dream: constructing a boat that he believes will carry him back to his family.

At just nineteen minutes long, ‘Largo’ opens with an ominous image of a turbulent sea, accompanied by coastguard radio chatter about a distressed vessel overcrowded with refugees. From there, the film draws us into the world through the eyes of Musa, the young immigrant protagonist looking for his parents.

Set in a quiet seaside town in Britain, the calm façade hides deep racial tensions. Outside Grace’s home, Musa becomes a target, first jeered at by men old enough to be his father, then bullied by a group of children. The contrast is striking, subtly highlighting the way kids mimic the prejudices of adults around them, reminding viewers of how hate is learned. Still, their innocence leaves room for change, shown poignantly in the second half of ‘Largo’, when the same kids later help Musa with his boat.

Child actor Zack Elsokari steers this short film, convincingly portraying various facets of Musa, from a steely determination to find his parents, to the childlike angst and frustrations of being a fish out of water in an unknown land. Tamsin Greig as Grace serves as a sturdy anchor to the lost Musa, although she doesn’t always know how to handle the kid.

‘Largo’ swiftly conveys the refugee crisis through Musa’s eyes, capturing the painful struggles of children torn from their families. In one of the most poignant exchanges, other children tell Musa to “go back home,” and the boy snaps back that he wishes he could.

Home, unfortunately, is not a turtle shell, it cannot always travel with us. Sometimes it is stolen, shattered, torn away. But humans carry the gift of rebuilding. The film leaves us at a crossroads, with an ending that breathes both despair and promise: Musa’s tale may end in loss, or in the fragile spark of a new beginning.

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‘Mononoke Movie 2: Hinezumi’ Review – Vividly Vengeful

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Well, the 2024 animated movie ‘Mononoke the Movie: The Phantom in the Rain’ had ended with a promise of a chapter 2, so the ‘medicine seller’ is back at the Ōoku to slay some malevolent spirits.

Directed by Kiyotaka Suzuki, and Kenji Nakamura, ‘Mononoke the Movie: Chapter II – The Ashes of Rage’ is just a little over one hour long, featuring the same crazy burst of colors and styles which made the 2024 film a vivid visual trip. So not only is this 2025 animated film more enjoyable if you loved the artistic style, but its plot is also far easier to follow.

This time, ‘Mononoke’ dives into Ōoku politics and palace intrigue, as a new fire-based wrathful spirit prowls the premises. With Madam Utayama dead, a new head of the Ōoku is appointed, ushering in stricter rules that ignite rivalries and spark fresh feuds. Vicious scheming erupts when rumors spread that one of the ladies is pregnant with the Shogun’s heir. Meanwhile, the Medicine Seller races to expose the true nature of the new Mononoke before it reduces the Ōoku to ashes.

One of my favorite touches in the earlier movie was the dramatic opening and closing of ornate sliding doors to create fluid, seamless transitions between scenes. ‘Mononoke Chapter II’ embraces this same striking visual style once again, and it’s still just as cool. Like I wrote in my review of the first film, the burst of colorful animation may feel overwhelming to some viewers, but those who accept the vision will be enthralled.

Except for a slightly sluggish pacing, which makes the film seem much longer than one hour, ‘Mononoke’ Chapter 2 is entertainingly engrossing. The climactic moments are over-the-top, exploding in bright neon colors, as the Medicine Seller switches into a god-like form (apparently they are two different dudes), wielding the enchanted, dragon-encrusted sword to conquer the powerful spirit haunting the Ōoku.

Rating: 8 on 10. Watch ‘Mononoke Chapter II’ on Netflix.

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‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ Episode 8 Review: Contact With Evil

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Episode eight of ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ wastes no time setting the tone: Yoshiki kicks things off by frantically typing on the internet: ‘How to get blood stains out of a white shirt’.

Quick Recap of ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ Episode 7

The gravity of how dangerous the entity inside Hikaru truly is hits Yoshiki after he prevents Hikaru from attacking their classmate Asako. The following day, the boys skip school together, watching a movie, wandering the mall, playing claw games, and later relaxing at Yoshiki’s house. In a shocking turn, Yoshiki drives a large kitchen knife into the entity, only to realize it cannot be killed. His plan had been to give Hikaru some happy last memories before ending things. Covered in blood and shaken, he breaks down and pleads with Hikaru to end his life instead. But Hikaru resists violence; instead, he tears off a piece of his own body and offers it to Yoshiki, claiming the act will weaken him and keep his power in check. “Let’s figure out what the hell you are,” Yoshiki says to Hikaru as episode seven closes.

Titled ‘Contact’, Episode 8 of ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ follows Yoshiki and Hikaru as they team up to research and uncover what this new version of Hikaru really is. Their search begins with trying to learn more about ‘Nonuki-sama’ and its ties to Kubitachi Village. But first, of course, Yoshiki has to deal with all the blood he spilled in his failed attempt to kill his friend.

From speaking with village elders to digging through the library, the boys devote their time to uncovering Hikaru’s origins. All their efforts lead them to some interesting trivia and discoveries about the region. Meanwhile, eerie incidents, including a shockingly violent event on their school campus, confirm the fears of those who believe something evil has descended from the mountains.

Supporting character Tanaka, who was largely absent in the last two episodes of ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’, returns in this edition. While he doesn’t do much, he is a lot closer to cracking his investigation into the supernatural events than before. He is already started wondering if an evil entity is disguising itself as an human and living among the locals.

The opening minutes of the episode are tense and eerie, with Hikaru and Yoshiki facing off against a malevolent spirit. But with Hikaru no longer as powerful as before, confronting such beings isn’t as easy. At the same time, this shows the entity’s sincerity and loyalty to Yoshiki, the very reason it sacrificed part of itself was to avoid recklessly harming humans, even though doing so also means weakening its ability to fight spirits.

Overall, this a fast-paced, gritty edition, which packs in a lot of elements, including a few brief comedic scenes.

Watch ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ on Netflix.

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