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‘The Plague’ by Albert Camus – Book Review

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The evil that is in the world always comes of ignorance, and good intentions may do as much harm as malevolence, if they lack understanding. – A quote from “The Plague” by Albert Camus.

I had been reading “The Plague” since August 22, 2023, and only finished it on November 4th. That’s an embarrassingly long amount of time spent on a novel that’s barely 300 pages long. To give you context – I finished Vikram Seth’s 1,488-page epic, “A Suitable Boy,” in less than two weeks. However, to be fair, “The Plague” has an engrossing start and a poignant climax that evoked my emotions, but it was the content in between that was a struggle to read.

Set in the fictional seaside town of Oran during the 1940s, ‘The Plague’ chronicles the emergence and eventual containment of a mysterious disease that engulfs the region, leading to the town’s isolation from the rest of the world by the authorities. The story commences with unsettling imagery of rats appearing throughout the town and the first instance occurs in a doctor’s office, where the rodents are an unexpected intrusion into an otherwise pristine environment. Dr. Bernard Rieux, the primary protagonist, is among the first in town to sense an impending epidemic and becomes the central figure in the community’s battle against the inexplicable deadly disease. He forms new friendships during uncertain times, the most notable of which is with a man named Jean Tarrou, a lawyer and outsider who becomes stranded in Oran when the town is placed under lockdown. Rather than lamenting his circumstances, Tarrou assists Dr. Rieux in combatting the epidemic by contributing to sanitation efforts and volunteering to care for those affected by the new disease. Tarrou’s character is contrasted well by another character called Raymond Lambert, a journalist, who is also an outsider and finds himself trapped in the quarantined town. Throughout the novel, Lambert is determined to leave town and reunite with his girlfriend, constantly seeking assistance from shady individuals who could help him escape.

The first 40-50 pages of the novel are very gripping, and reading it after experiencing the global Covid-19 pandemic made the novel even more fascinating. Initially, authorities of Oran are in denial about the existence of a deadly epidemic, dismissing the initial death toll as insignificant, and only implementing quarantine measures when the number of casualties becomes alarming. It was initially quite amusing that a journalist like Lambert failed to find the opportunity to cover Oran’s epidemic exciting. In this small town, there was no mention of any other journalists, so Lambert could have chosen to extensively cover the plague. Instead, he dedicated all his efforts to extricating himself from the situation. It’s understandable; anyone would be desperate to return to their loved ones rather than being stuck in a region plagued by death.

Albert Camus eloquently elaborates the tedium of living through disease – “The truth is that nothing is less sensational than pestilence, and by reason of their very duration great misfortunes are monotonous. In the memories of those who lived through the place, the grim days of plague do not stand out like vivid flames, ravenous and inextinguishable, beaconing a troubled sky, but rather like the slow, deliberate progress of some monstrous thing crushing out all upon its path.”

But these eloquent quotes are few and far in between, instead “The Plague” is padded with philosophical musings and long descriptions of people and places that you’d soon forget. For instance, there’s a character named Father Paneloux, whose introduction in the story is intriguing as he presents the theological perspective on the epidemic. Paneloux, a man of God, interprets the death and disease in Oran as divine punishment, a view he conveys during his Sunday sermons, with minimal dissent from the congregation. This religious perspective adds an interesting dimension to a narrative predominantly centered on logic and science; however, the plague is indiscriminate in its reach, affecting people of all backgrounds and ages, regardless of their faith or lack thereof. So, the Father Paneloux subplot ends in a way which was true to the existential themes of the novel, but utterly unexciting.

Throughout the novel, characters grapple with an existential dread, wondering if their ordeal would ever end, and if the epidemic will simply consume all of them one by one. But despite the gloom and doom pervading its pages, ‘The Plague’ is essentially about the human will to survive, despite the absurdities and uncertainties of life. Among the characters in the story, those who suffer the least are the ones who find a purpose to live amidst the chaos and do not succumb to despairing desires of the heart. My main grouse with ‘The Plague’ lies in the absence of any significant female supporting characters in the narrative; all the prominent figures in the story are men. It’s somewhat surprising that in a book replete with disease, death, and suffering, the author deliberately excludes any female characters in active roles. Women appear solely in the fantasies or lamentations of male characters or as weeping mothers in quarantine camps and hospitals. Oran at times seems like a town without women and it definitely strikes you as odd at times.

There were days and even weeks when I simply didn’t return to the novel, but once I finally finished it, I felt a void that I haven’t experienced after completing a book in a long time. It ends on an high philosophical note about how life always goes on, no matter how nightmarish and terrifying the circumstances becomes. Some people will die, others will live on, that’s just how life is. That’s really the central message of “The Plague”.

I have friends who would really enjoy reading this Camus title, but I also have friends who would hate it. Then there’s me, with mixed feelings. If you like reading literary works and are fascinated by existentialism, definitely pick up “The Plague”.

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All the Light We Cannot See Series Review

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Rating: 4 out of 5.

“How about a last drink before we die? It’s Brandy. Older than both of us. Older than we will ever be”

The 2023 Netflix mini-series “All the Light We Cannot See” starts with a young blind girl broadcasting on a radio in a Nazi-occupied French town while Americans bomb it, hoping her messages might reach her missing father. It’s 1944, near the end of World War II, and the scene quickly transitions to a young German soldier offering his comrade a drink, the brandy with a longer lifespan than their doomed lives. The intertwining fates of a French girl and a German soldier, driven by their fascination with radio and stories, form the crux of this 4-episode-long drama.

Created by Steven Knight and Shawn Levy, ‘All the Light We Cannot See’ is based on Anthony Doerr’s 2014 Pulitzer Prize-winning historical fiction novel of the same name. Debut actor Aria Mia Loberti plays protagonist Marie, a blind French teenager, who illegally broadcasts on the radio every day on the same channel in hopes of reaching out to her missing father Daniel LeBlanc (Mark Ruffalo). Meanwhile, Louis Hoffman plays the German protagonist Werner, also a teenager, who is forced to join the Nazi army due to his prodigious skills with handling radios. Every night, Werner tunes in to listen to Marie’s illegal broadcasts, finding comfort in her voice and thoughts. However, the twist in the tale occurs when his Nazi superiors order him to track down and kill the same girl.

Each episode is a little over one-hour long and the cinematography conjures up a grim, desolate imagery of world war II, with bombed buildings and rubble dotting the seaside town of Saint Malo. While this story is completely fictional, with slight elements of fantasy too, the real town of Saint Malo was almost wiped out by American bombings during the war. ‘All the Light We Cannot See’ is supposed to be a hopeful anti-war tale, seen through the eyes of its teen protagonists, Marie and Werner, both of whom just want the gory nightmare of blood, bombs, and deaths to end. Interspersed with flashbacks to explain the lives of the characters before they were thrust into the chaos of war, the “All the Light We Cannot See Series Review” is tightly paced. Perhaps it didn’t need any additional episodes, but only those who have read the original novel would be better equipped to judge the nuances of the plot.

The most poignant part of this series for me was where viewers get flashbacks of Marie as a little girl, whose father Daniel, a museum curator, builds her a diorama of Paris to learn how to navigate the town on her own. The father-daughter relationship is absolutely precious, and child actor Nell Sutton, who is blind in real life, charmingly portrays the curious little Marie, who loves listening to the radio and questioning everything around her. Even as Marie becomes a teenager, her relationship with her father remains one of trust, respect, and love. When the Nazis take over Paris, the duo embarks on a dangerous adventure to walk over 400 kilometers to get to Saint-Malo.

Hugh Laurie plays Marie’s eccentric uncle Etienne, who is a World War I hero with severe PTSD, so he is always cloistered in a room with a radio. Lars Eidinger plays an evil Nazi Sergeant called Reinhold, who wants to find and kill Marie, but he has his own personal agenda for it. Newcomer Aria Mia Loberti delivers a convincing enough performance as the blind Marie, but she isn’t able to rouse the viewers to an emotional catharsis with her part. Louis Hoffman is far more riveting as the sensitive Werner, who grew up in an orphanage and was brutally trained in a Nazi camp to join the radio squad.

The creators manage to maintain a sense of suspense until the end regarding whether the two strangers, belonging to warring sides, will find the light at the end of the tunnel. However, the climax felt contrived and underwhelming, yet it doesn’t diminish the overall storytelling prowess of this series. I really wish they had filmed the series in German and French because it was quite weird to see German soldiers speaking English with each other, and the same goes for Marie’s French family as well. As long as you keep in mind that this is a work of fiction, “All the Light We Cannot See Series Review” is a really good choice for a weekend watch.

Rating: 8 on 10. Stream the series on Netflix.

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Kimi to Nara Koi wo Shite Mite mo – If It’s With You Review

Rating: 4 out of 5.

What a breezy little romance set by a sleepy seaside town this is! Just about five episodes long, the Japanese high-school romance “Kimi to Nara Koi wo Shite Mite mo” (君となら恋をしてみても) is an adaptation of the manga of the same name by Kubota Maru.

Directed by Matsumoto Hana, the series stars Okura Takato as the spunky-sweet Kaido Amane, who moves to Enoshima to live with his grandmother and start anew in a new high school. On his very first day in the new place, he runs into a kind teen called Yamasuge Ryuji (Hyuga Wataru), who is exactly his “type” and also turns out to be his classmate. As the two become friends, Kaido finds himself battling with romantic feelings for Ryuji and wonders if he should go for what his heart desires and risk their friendship.

Since the story is set in Enoshima, a small Island, the cinematography captures the cozy beauty of living in a seaside community. Episode one starts with a simple shot of a beach, with ambient sounds of birds and the waves, setting a pleasant for the show. And then viewers are introduced to Amane, who arrives at Enoshima station and looks at an advertisement for an aquarium with jellyfish. “Jellyfish have no emotions, so they probably never experience love either,” the teen wistfully observes. Amane is gay, and due to an incident at his old school, he feels like he won’t find love, but that changes when he meets Ryuji.

Okura Takato is adorably charming as Amane, who is refreshingly honest about his feelings despite his vulnerability and his lack of faith in those around him. Hyuga Wataru isn’t as endearing, but he pulls off the part of the earnest, hard-working Ryuji, who works at his family-run restaurant and is very considerate of those around him. Ryuji reminded me of Ida Kousuke from “My Love Mix-Up,” another high-school romance, where, just like Ryuji, Ida too seriously considers a confession made to him by a male classmate, instead of being dismissive, mean or cruel. But unlike “My Love Mix-UP”, which was a hilarious Japanese romantic-comedy, “Kimi to Nara Koi wo Shite Mite mo” is a much simpler, slice-of-life romance, with few jokes, but many sweet moments.

Since the series is only five episodes long, the story moves at a steady pace but never feels rushed and the focus is always on Amane and Ryuji’s developing relationship. The background music largely relies on ambient sounds, so there’s a lot of pleasant seaside ASMR audio throughout the runtime; however, there are two distinct theme songs in the series that are very catchy. The track “Kiramekek Kimochi” by J-pop band “the shes gone” is upbeat, youthful and sounds perfect for “Kimi to Nara Koi wo Shite Mite mo”; same goes for the ending song that plays after each episode titled “Night Trouble” by Osage.

The last episode is all about the butterflies, excitement, nervousness and anxiety that comes with teen love. I feel like Okura Takato carried this entire show on his shoulders with his lovable portrayal of Amane, who wears his heart on his sleeves, and despite starting off as a character who has no hopes of finding love, he gives himself a chance when someone catches his fancy. The climax is really cute and wraps up “Kimi to Nara Koi wo Shite Mite mo” on a high note.

Rating: 8 on 10.

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Gen V Episode 8 Review

Episode 8 of “Gen V” is undoubtedly the most chaotic edition in the series (so far), quite literally, with mayhem on the campus, which includes lots of screaming, blood and pointless deaths. Although, the fandom is quite used to the gore by now, so the novelty factor has worn off and some of us would prefer to see plot progression than a bunch of students running in terror around their halls as a bunch of unhinged superheroes brutally murder them for reasons unknown to them. But there’s a fantastic twist at the end which makes you forget about the slower moments.

Read – Gen V Episodes 1, 2, 3 Review for plot overview

Titled “Guardians of Godolkin,” episode 8 begins with Marie Moreau (Jaz Sinclair), Jordan Li (London Thor/Derek Luh), and Emma Meyer (Lizze Broadway) confronting Cate Dunlap (Maddie Phillips) for the murder of Indira Shetty. The evil dean had nefarious plans in the works to eliminate superheroes, and Cate shows no remorse for her actions as she goes fully rogue. To complicate matters further, Sam (Asa Germann) decides to take her side as well. As Cate and Sam decide to free all the superhero kids being experimented upon at “The Woods,” the secret underground facility, the rest of the squad tries to come up with a plan to stop them. Okay, they don’t really have a plan.

Maddie Phillips outshines all the other evil characters in this series with her portrayal of Cate Dunlap, the young conflicted superhero who can manipulate those around her but was ironically reduced to a puppet at the hands of Indira Shetty, until she decided to break free. However, the revelation that Cate can also read minds raises several new questions, but it’s best to push those aside and enjoy the chaos unfold. Colby Minifie who plays Ashley Barrett makes an amusing cameo, and her character is still as neurotic and comical as it was in “The Boys”.

Episode 8 of “Gen V” was heavy on both violent and emotional scenes, jamming in several confrontations, with a few humorous moments here and there. While several supes on the loose, there’s plenty of special effects in the edition too, which were mostly well-executed, even if they did look exaggerated sometimes. But both “The Boys” and “Gen V” is all about exaggerated realities, and the episode ends with a wicked exciting twist.

You can stream the series on Amazon Prime Video.

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‘David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived’ Trailer – A Burst of Nostalgia, Inspiration

“The stuntman is the best job in the world. You are constantly being tested. Just risking it all. I used to fly. Nothing is like it man.” – David Holmes.

A boy dressed as Harry Potter flies through the air, then rolls down at a dizzying speed from a great height, all in front of blue screens and cameras at the beginning of the trailer for ‘David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived’. David Holmes served as the lead stunt double for Daniel Radcliffe in the blockbuster Harry Potter movies, until he suffered a spinal injury during a stunt. Now in a wheelchair, David’s eyes light up, and a smile graces his lips as he fondly recalls his exhilarating days performing stunts for Harry Potter.

Filled with archival stunt footage from the Harry Potter movies, the trailer for ‘David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived’ offers a celebration of the stuntman’s life and the lifelong friends he made along the way. ‘This terrible thing happened to Dave, but I don’t want to portray his life as a tragedy,’ Daniel Radcliffe states in the trailer. David was injured when a stunt went wrong while filming “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1”.

David was a teenage gymnast from Essex when he was selected to work as Daniel’s stunt double for the Harry Potter films. The two young men grew up together, forging an unbreakable, close bond. In 2020, they collaborated to launch David Holmes’ podcast, “Cunning Stunts,” which featured interviews and experiences of other stunt performers working in Hollywood. Now, they have once again joined forces to tell the inspiring tale of David’s courage, spirit, and resilience.

The HBO original documentary releases on November 15. Watch the trailer below.

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 15 Review

Hope you are here after Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 episode 14. Minor spoilers ahead

Nanami, Naobito, and Maki were on the verge of defeat by the special grade spirit Dagon, when Megumi Fushiguro arrives just in time and expands his own domain to help his colleagues in the last episode of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2. But just as the four plot their escape from Dagon’s domain, a blob of head appears from the route that’s supposed to be their exit!

Titled “Fluctuations Part 2”, Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 15 reveals the new entrant to be Toji, who was resurrected by Ogami in “Seance” (episode 11). Toji goes on an intense attack spree against Dagon, leaving the other Jujutsu sorcerers stumped by his powers, despite his lack of cursed energy. A voice-over serves to clarify the unfolding events for viewers. This way, those who might not recall details from previous episodes won’t feel too lost. “Toji will fight on instinct until the vessel breaks. He has become a killing puppet,” the narrator explains.

The animation for Toji’s entry is fantastic, it’s like he rises from some hellish domain, with a creepily murderous look on his face. Battered badly, Nanami, Naobito, Maki and Megumi quietly watch the “Toji versus Dagon” face-off from the sidelines, unsure of what’s really going on. Old man Naobito is the only one who recognizes Toji and helps out with the little strength he has.

Just like most of the Shibuya arc so far, this Jujutsu Kaisen episode too is intense, fact-paced and gets over in a flash. The second half switches focus to Yuji Itadori, who is still not in his senses due to the injuries sustained from his bloody battle with Choso. Cursed spirit Jogo, who has been searching for Itadori, senses the presence of a finger belonging to his idol Sukuna in Shibuya, and a series of engaging twists unfolds next. This was a game-changing episode, featuring some shocking events that will keep viewers who haven’t read the manga on the edge of their seats!

You can stream Jujutsu Kaisen on Netflix or CrunchyRoll.

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Jawan Extended Cut Review

Whoa, I wasn’t prepared for the violent opening scenes of the 2023 movie ‘Jawan,’ which, by the way, is an excellent way to hook action fans – get the wham, bam, bloodbath right at the beginning. So the Shah Rukh Khan film starts off with a bang, where his character saves a village from being plundered by a gang of ruthless murderers. Soon, the mood shifts, and viewers are taken 30 years into the future, where Shah Rukh Khan and a group of six women hijack a metro train and demand a ridiculous amount of money in exchange for the freedom of their hostages. They want the money for debt-ridden farmers who’ve been crushed by cruel interest rates and loan sharks.

Directed by Atlee, who co-wrote the script with Sumit Arora and Ramanagirivasan, ‘Jawan’ is a Shah Rukh Khan showcase where the superstar plays a sophisticated Robin Hood of sorts called Vikram Rathore, who steals from the rich and gives to the poor. Vikram works with a band of six kick-ass women, and actors Priya Mani Raj, Sanya Malhotra, Girja Oak, Sanjeeta Bhattacharya, Lehar Khan, and Aaliyah Qureishi form his onscreen core team. Nayanthara plays the plucky Narmada, the officer in charge of investigating Vikram Rathore’s daring theatrical acts, which capture the entire nation’s imagination and make him the direct enemy of businessman Kalee Gaikwad (Vijay Sethupathi). Flashbacks reveal that Vikram’s enmity with Kalee goes way back in time and is deeply personal, even though his revenge is carried out on a massive public scale.

With a runtime of almost three hours, “Jawan” unfolds like a flashy mass-entertainer, complete with song-dance, a dash of romance and a larger than life villain. While some of the songs could’ve been skipped to make the runtime more crisp, the breezy love-track “Chaleya” featuring the hypnotic voice of Arijit Singh and Shilpa R is a foot-tapping hit that serves as a great break between the angst, blood, and tears. The plot is ridiculously unreal – within a span of a few days, Vikram Rathore is able to ‘fix’ a staggering number of national problems. He and his squad financially aids hundreds of thousands of farmers, forces the government to overhaul the medical system, and shut down toxic factories polluting the nation. The medical sub-plot is very reminiscent of Atlee’s 2017 hit “Mersal”, which also dealt with the themes of medical malpractices and corruption in the health system.

Shah Rukh Khan is unquestionably the center of the universe in ‘Jawan,’ with the rest of the cast akin to little stars orbiting around him. Atlee and the team have crafted a script that not only allows SRK to shine as a gritty action hero/messiah of the poor, but also showcases his soft charm as the quintessential romantic hero he is known to be. From a god-like savior of a village, a renegade hijacker with a penchant for lame jokes, to a dignified swashbuckling decorated special forces officer, Shah Rukh Khan adopts many personas in “Jawan”. And oh! He also plays a Jailer, which will immediately make fans think of Rajinikanth’s Jailer, but okay, let’s not make comparisons.

Vijay Sethupathi as antagonist Kalee doesn’t match up to the kind of lore Atlee builds around the hero’s character and it’s not the actor’s fault. Kalee is just too one dimensional and suffers from shallow characterization. To compensate for the villain’s lack of personality, there are plenty of well-shot action sequences, violence, and deaths to keep you engaged. There’s a chase sequence in the last half hour, which was totally over-the-top and reminded me of the “Dhoom” films – SRK literally flies on a bike while fighting bad guys, it cannot get more “Dhoom” than that.

“Jawan” is an anti-establishment film, but the plot exists in its own idealistic la-la-land, so it can be best enjoyed when you suspend some sense of reality, sit back, relax, and let the theatrics unfold. As the story heads to its climax, there’s a scene which completely slows down the pace and was too patronizing, with Vikram Singh delivering a sob-lecture to the nation on live television about a person’s moral responsibilities as honest citizens. It felt like a dull school assembly session where the class topper takes the podium to recite an essay on “how you should behave.” But the final confrontation with Kalee takes place after the boring address, so “Jawan” concludes on a triumphant note, where evil is finally punished and there’s poetic justice in the end.

Watch “Jawan” if you are a fan of larger than life action films. It is available to stream on Netflix.

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A Good Day to be a Dog Episode 4 Review

Awww, this was such a cute episode!

Protagonist Han Hae-na (Park Gyu Young), the high school teacher, still hasn’t been able to reverse her dog curse and is working hard to get close to her colleague Jin Seo-won (Cha Eun-Woo) because she needs him to kiss her in her dog-form to ensure she doesn’t end up being a dog full time. Viewers now know for a fact that Jin Seo-won has a crush on Han Hae-na, but she isn’t aware of this yet, even though sparks are flying between the two. Episode three ended with a sweet romantic moment after the pair agrees to attend their colleague’s wedding together in Jin’s car.

Titled ‘Overcoming Your Fear,’ episode 4 of “A Good Day to be a Dog” focuses on the blooming romance between Han Hae-na and Jin Seo-won, even though Han is still in denial of her new feelings and thinks that her heart probably races when she sees Jin as a side effect of the curse. The two have a comically adventurous car ride to the wedding, although Han Hea-na also gets to spend some time with her other crush post the celebrations – History teacher, Lee Bo-kyeom (Lee Hyun-woo).

My favorite part of this episode was Han Hae-na’s scenes with her sister, Han Yoo-na (Ryu Abel). The sisters are endearingly close to each other, and Ryu Abel is fun as the older, protective sibling Han Yoo-na. She’s not only anxious to help break her sister’s curse but also enjoys taking care of Han Hae-na and is often spotted combing her hair in this episode. The sisters eventually scheme to enlist the help of Jin’s brother, Choi Yul (Yoon Hyun Soo), in breaking the curse. Meanwhile, Han Hae-na also decides that helping Jin overcome his fear of dogs might assist her in solving her own dog-related problems, which is why the episode is titled ‘Overcoming Your Fear’.

So far, “A Good Day to be a Dog” is a cute, fluffy, funny romantic series, that is packed with cute and charming actors. While Park Gyu Young and Cha Eun-Woo may have appeared slightly mismatched in the first two episodes, as their characters spend more time together, they are turning out to be quite adorable together as Han Hae-na and Jin.

You can stream A Good Day to be a Dog on Viki.

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Only Friends Review – Campus Love & The Crazies in Between

Rating: 4 out of 5.

This was such a messy series, but in a good way! With multiple lead couples, chaotic love triangles, and several flawed protagonists, the 2023 Thai series “Only Friends” is a entertaining drama that doesn’t concern itself with presenting ‘ideal characters,’ instead serving up dollops of chaos.

Spread over 12 episodes, the series has been directed by Ninew Pinya Chookamsri, whose last work was the time-travel comedy “The Warp Effect”. “Only Friends” follows four business undergraduate students decide to set up and run a hostel for their thesis project, but as they start working together, they learn that business and friendship aren’t a great mix, the hard way. While its diverse flawed characters are the show’s biggest strength, ‘Only Friends’ is a well-shot series, featuring aesthetically done scene transitions and colorful, bright settings that match its youthful themes.

The four friends attempting to run a business together are Ray Pakon (Khaotung Thanawat Ratanakitpaisan), a wealthy individual with an alcohol problem, as his father owns the property being converted into a hostel. Then there’s Mew (Book Kasidet Plookphol), the studious one who proposes the idea of running a real hostel and offers to take charge of the financial and accounting aspects. Cheum (Lookjun Bhasidi Petchsutee) handles all the PR work and strives to keep the group together. Lastly, Boston (Neo Trai Nimtawat) plays the role of the wrecking ball, who is always engaging in reckless behavior and contributing very little to the project, while causing trouble for everyone with his selfishness.

Things get complicated for the friends when Boston sets up Mew with the handsome heart-breaker, Top Tanin (Force Jiratchapong Srisang), who is known for never lasting in a relationship for more than three months. However, when Top starts genuinely liking Mew, Boston becomes jealous and competes for Top’s attention, all while showing interest in a cute student named Nick (Mark Pakin Kunaanuwit) who works part-time at an electronics store. Ray also becomes bitter about Mew and Top due to his unrequited love for Mew, even though he starts developing feelings for an enterprising bar singer named Sand (First Kanaphan Puitrakul). Told you – lots of love triangles!

The young cast does a fantastic job with the flawed roles, especially Khaotung Thanawat Ratanakitpaisan as Ray, who looks convincingly drunk and hungover throughout the series. Khaotung has a knack for expressing his emotions and love through his eyes, which works really well for his character Ray, who is constantly intoxicated and in need of rehab. Khaotung and First Kanaphan Puitrakul already proved their chemistry as the lead pair in the mystery series “The Eclipse”, and are a lot more electric in “Only Friends” as Ray and Sand. Sand appears as the most mature character among the six protagonists, constantly working to earn money and always looking out for Ray, even though they initially get off on the wrong foot when they first meet. The two bond most over music and drinks, allowing the creators to seamlessly incorporate some great tracks throughout the runtime, enhancing the mood and storytelling.

Neo Trai Nimtawat and Mark Pakin Kunaanuwit have been paired together for the first time, and the two share a unique messy relationship as the trampy Boston and lovelorn Nick. Despite being well aware that Boston doesn’t commit to relationships and frequently changes sexual partners, Nick falls madly in love with him and endures suffering throughout the show because of Boston’s behavior. While Neo Train Nimtawat convincingly portrays the egocentric Boston, who is slutty and despicable, Mark Pakin Kunanuwit provides a great contrast as the vulnerable Nick. Nick is like a lost puppy, persistently chasing its owner, even when their owner pushes them away. Unlike most characters in other shows who are often portrayed as clueless or naive, Nick is well aware of Boston’s infidelities and selfish personality, yet he loves him nonetheless, recognizing his own weakness for being smitten with someone who may never reciprocate with the same intensity. The two of them have a lot of brief steamy scenes in almost all episodes, and are laudably at ease with each other.

Force Jiratchapong Srisang and Book Kasidet Plookphol are given the most clichéd sub-plot among the three pairs. Force plays the role of the rich playboy, Top, while Book portrays ‘pure’ Mew, who has never been in a relationship and values meaningful bonds over fleeting flings. The two last romanced each other in the romantic-comedy “A Boss and A Babe,” where they played very different characters, so it was refreshing to see them take on new roles. Visually, Force and Book are undoubtedly the most good-looking couple in the show, and their chemistry is quite passable too. Force’s character Top was slightly sketchy at first, but his character sees significant growth as the plot progresses, while Mew is probably Book Kasidet Plookphol’s best performance so far. Instead of turning into a predictable weeping mess, Mew sheds his nerdy-sweet personality towards the second half of “Only Friends” and turns into a more calculative person.

Lookjun Bhasidi Petchsutee is very spunky and cute as Cheum, but she is only a supporting character in the series and is often forgotten through the show. She just pops up now and then to remind her friends that they are being assholes and also to remind them that they have a hostel to run. The show is well-paced throughout it’s 12 episodes, often throwing up little twists and turns and turning the friends against each other. Romantic entanglements form the bulk of the conflicts in the series. However, Ray’s character introduces a shift in the themes, with the later episodes focusing on his alcohol problems and his journey to overcome addiction. It’s probably Khaotung’s acting that makes Ray the most interesting character in the show. He begins as a heartbroken, lonely young man with a deceased mother, who copes with his problems through alcohol. However, he later reveals himself to be an exceedingly selfish brat with a penchant for getting into trouble (he almost kills himself in a case of drunk driving). Towards the end of the show, he attempts to sober up and engages in some of the most honest and upfront conversations with his friends and loved ones.

Overall, “Only Friends” a bumpy but entertaining series about a bunch of college friends going through love, sex, heartbreak and learning a few tough or not so tough lessons along the way.

Rating: 8 on 10. You can stream “Only Friends” on GMMTV’s YouTube Channel.

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Locked In Review – Dreary Little Thriller

Rating: 2 out of 5.

A wealthy, self-centered, greedy, jealous bitchy middle-aged former actor called Katherine meets with an accident and nearly dies. She can only blink her eyes, and with just that, her compassionate nurse tries to find out what really happened to her. But Katherine is such an unlikable character, that as a viewers it’s hard to care about who tried to kill her. In-fact, nobody in the 2023 thriller “Locked In” is likable, not even the kind nurse.

Directed by Nour Wazzi, “Locked In” stars Famke Janssen as Katherine, the embittered widow of a wealthy man who cuts her out of his will, leaving his sprawling estate, Rowling Manor, to his only son, Jamie (Finn Cole). While the first few minutes of the thriller are intense, with brief glimpses of Katherine’s violent accident blended with haunting music, the moment she is revealed to be a narcissistic woman who is jealous of her pre-teen stepson, I couldn’t stay invested in the plot. The predictable nature of the story, coupled with bland one-dimensional characters doesn’t help matters. The only person who seems to care about Katherine is her god-daughter Lina (Rose Williams), who is the most boring character of the tale.

Lina looks up to Katherine and becomes a mother-like figure to her stepson, the sickly Jamie. Lina lives full-time on Rowling Manor, has no job or friends, and is extremely dependent on her comfortable life at the manor. Since there are only three characters in the story, there are only so many people you can suspect of trying to murder Katherine. Aside from Lina and Jamie, there’s also Doctor Robert Lawrence (Alex Hassell), who frequently visits the Manor as Jamie’s GP.

The cinematography incorporates a lot of dimly lit shots and dark tones, lending “Locked In” a horror like atmosphere, however, since the plot isn’t gripping enough, the ominous mood does little to make things engaging. Rose Williams as Lina pulls off the part of a lovelorn young woman seeking constant validation from those around her, however she falters in scenes where she is expected to display rage and aggression.

“Overall, “Locked In” is simply another forgettable Netflix thriller. There’s very little chemistry between the leads, and the plot is paper-thin. While the climax does introduce an interesting twist, it fails to redeem the overall story.

Rating: 4 on 10.

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