Sneha Jaiswal's Blog, page 47

Northanger Abbey Review: The Real Mystery is in the Pacing

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

If you’re a Jane Austen fan and Northanger Abbey is one of the books you have yet to read, and the internet has brought you here—you might not be in the right place. Apparently, this is supposed to be a “Gothic Parody,” whatever that is. Very little about Northanger Abbey is ‘gothic’, since most of the story takes place in the ballrooms and lodgings of Bath, the spa city of England, where rich people went to holiday and socialize.

The story follows the adventures of seventeen-year-old Catherine Morland, who steps out from her country home for the first time, to explore the charms of social balls and dances. She is hosted by an old couple in Bath, where she befriends another young woman called Elizabeth, and becomes enamoured by a handsome man called Henry Tilney. So, when she is invited to Nothanger Abbey, the private estate of the Tinley family, to keep Henry’s sister company, she immediately takes up the offer, ready to be swept up in the corridors of the ancient abbey and its many secrets.

Northangar Abbey was first published in 1818, so the reader obviously needs to read it in the context of that time, which I tried to, but ugh, the first half was very slow-moving, annoying, with no semblance of humour in any page. Parodies are supposed to be funny right? Although, yes, to Austen’s credit, the second half of the novel does get humorous in nature, largely on account of Catherine’s silly antics at the abbey.

I kept thinking how this could’ve simply been a short story because practically nothing happens in the first half, except for Catherine going to dances, meeting Tilney, and hoping to see him again at another dance. She does have some distraction in the form of Elizabeth’s loud, annoying older brother, who keeps trying to spend more time with the heroine, to no real avail. Catherine has her heart set on Henry Tilney but isn’t sure of his feelings or if the disparity in their social standing will act as a hurdle to a potential matrimony between the two.

Since Catherine is only seventeen, having grown up in a sheltered household in the country, she can often be naive and completely unaware of the motives of those around her. Jane Austen repeatedly emphasizes that our protagonist is very “well-read,” but apparently, since Catherine only likes to read Gothic thrillers, her head is filled with far-fetched melodrama. She is highly clueless when needed but overtly imaginative when unnecessary. But at no point could I bring myself to dislike Catherine – she is a sweet-natured girl with a kind heart and a simple mind. And to Catherine’s credit, even though she isn’t a great judge of character, she does try to hold her ground when it comes to her own principles. Thus, the primary mystery is obviously about who our sweet heroine will end up with.

Catherine’s stay at Northanger Abbey and her interactions with Henry Tilney’s father instantly reminded me of Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell, where a primary plot revolves around the heroine spending time at the estate of a very wealthy family. I wouldn’t be surprised if Gaskell drew some inspiration from Austen’s work, though there’s no way to confirm it.

Anyway… Northanger Abbey is a confounding novel. Some parts make you think Austen could’ve condensed the tale into 30 pages, but the climactic chapters are so rushed that they needed more space for the story to grow. The pace is inconsistent, and except for Catherine herself, the other characters do not get enough time to grow on the reader. Despite being a romantic comedy, the romantic elements are almost non-existent. Towards the end, I was imagining a rather scandalous turn of events, but instead, Jane Austen delivers a saccharine happy ending. Maybe this was hilarious for its time, but the story hasn’t aged too well for 2025.

Rating: 2.5 on 5.

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A Crab in the Pool Review: Quiet Simplicity, Sharp Bite

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

For some, sibling relationships are straightforward. For others, they’re too intricate to explain – how two individuals from the same home can grow into polar opposites. The French animated short film A Crab in the Pool takes a stab at explaining why teen Zoe views the world through a distorted lens, while her little brother Theo loves to wear pretend goggles, imagining everyone around him as fantasy beings from mythical stories.

Created by Jean-Sébastien Hamel and Alexandra Myotte, A Crab in the Pool begins with a scene of a pleasant blue sky, where two birds slowly emerge, fighting for a slice of pizza that drops to the ground, right beside protagonist Zoe. Such seamless, clever transitions keep appearing in the 10-minute animated movie, which features simple, fluid artwork and standout ambient sounds.

The young Zoe suffers from body dysmorphia and is too preoccupied with her own personal troubles to take her little daydreamer brother, Theo, seriously. On a sunny day by the pool, Zoe does something in a fit of rage that breaks her brother’s heart. Flashbacks to another day at the pool reveal why the siblings are the way they are and their shared grief, while in the present, they make efforts to reconcile.

Zoe and Theo live in completely different worlds, yet their identities are deeply connected through shared history and blood ties. While the first few minutes may leave you wondering where the story is headed (despite its clever artistic transitions) the ending seamlessly weaves together the seemingly disjointed parts into a cohesive and impactful narrative.

The artwork is so simple that the scenes look like they were first drawn on MS Paint and then animated in some other app. That said, it’s the stark simplicity of the artwork, juxtaposed with complex, hard-hitting themes like familial loss, that makes A Crab in the Pool a riveting watch.

Rating: 4 on 5 stars.

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Not Drunk Enough Volume One Review

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Sometimes, writers will call something a “rollercoaster ride” simply due to the lack of a better phrase (totally guilty). But ‘Not Drunk Enough‘ by Tess Stone really was like trying a crazy new ride in an amusement park – it’s fast, has its ups and downs, you feel like you want to quit the ride in between, but that’s not really an option (not for readers like me who simply must finish a book they’ve started), so you stick it out until the end to see what happens.

This is a science-fiction horror-comedy comic book series that follows repairman Logan’s misadventures at a corporate lab, where he arrives to fix something, only to be dragged into a long nightmare of fighting mutated monsters that were once human. Luckily for Logan, he isn’t alone. He is joined by three others, including Clement Varker, the CEO of the laboratory, who has also been turned into half a monster by his top scientist, Simon Birkov. Unlike the other bloodthirsty creatures lurking in the building, Varker retains his sanity but is susceptible to unexpected violent bouts. Not good for Logan.  

Carnivorous plants aren’t new to horror books, but a mad scientist with plant-like carnivorous contraptions flying out from his body to murder and mutilate people is quite the novelty! That’s Simon Birkov for you, the primary antagonist of ‘Not Drunk Enough’, the psychotic scientist, with the slightest resemblance to Gru of ‘Despicable Me’ fame. Birkov has emotional reasons for going rogue, and his backstory is illustrated in colourful panels by Tess Stone.

The artwork in ‘Not Drunk Enough’ is both the best and worst feature of the comic book. It’s exceptionally clear that Tess Stone can draw like an ace. However, the design scheme is way too chaotic, and many scenes feel like they are missing essential parts. For instance, in many of the bloodied fighting scenes, you simply don’t get to see the monsters clearly, as if the creator expects you to imagine half the story in your head. This is a comic book, I want to see everything! That’s the whole point of a visual medium like comic books.

At first, Logan comes across as too random as the protagonist… actually, strike that! He IS too random a protagonist throughout the comic book. The dude could simply focus on finding a way to escape the monster-laden building, but instead, he works earnestly with the lab team trapped inside to find the mastermind. Even the arrogant Varker begins to treat Logan like some long-lost favorite colleague.

And except for a few introductory bubbles slapped against each character, which bear their name and details like “favorite drink,” the title ‘Not Drunk Enough’ has very little to do with all the madness unfolding in the book. Maybe we’ll see more alcohol in the next volume! Because despite all the parts that do not make sense, this comic book does have its fun bits.

Rating: 3 on 5.

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Backmask Short Horror Film Review

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Rockstar Billy Chapman has it all – fame, fortune, and a fabulous mansion in the middle of nowhere. But there’s just one problem: his music has hit a dead end, and he’s desperate to create something original. So, he does what any brooding musician would – kicks out his manager, locks himself in his spooky mansion, and waits for inspiration. Instead, he gets an eerie voice whispering creepy nothings into his ear.

Created by Chris Baker and Matt Fitch, the short horror film Backmask takes a page from the classic “devil’s bargain” trope and delivers a crisp story about music, fame, ambition, and greed.

The short opens with a surprisingly upbeat piano tone, the kind one would hear in a “welcome to a day of my life” video by YouTube stars. The camera slowly zooms into to protagonist Billy Chapman (played by David Shields), a good-looking lad with long blonde hair, struggling to compose a new song on the piano. He throws out his manager, Angus (Charlie Rix), and groupies, for complete solitude at the mansion, only to blur the lines between reality and hallucinations while left on his own.

The camerawork in Backmask is steady and engaging, with clever transitions between scenes that evoke an eerie tone and intrigue around Billy’s struggle to create something original in a potentially haunted house. The word “cult” is thrown around once in an interaction between Billy and Angus, but at just a little over 15 minutes long, the short doesn’t answer the multiple questions bubbling in the viewer’s head about the cult angle. The house offers some hints, and Billy’s sinister experience with a strange voice is only mildly scary.

While the bulk of Backmask focuses on Billy’s attempts at trying different instruments to land a new song, it’s only towards the end that the story becomes violently unsettling. The climactic shot is stark, epic, and blood-laced, aesthetically juxtaposing a pristine white suit with splattered blood.

Backmask had greater potential to be a longer horror film with more scares, but the ending makes it a compelling one-time watch.

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Sakamoto Days Episode 9 Review: Blood, Brawls, DinDin

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“I hate people who talk back to me, almost as much as I hate Christmas”

Kashima expresses his hatred for Christmas while fighting Taro Sakamoto in the science lab, underestimating the former hitman like everyone else, just because he isn’t as fit as he used to be. The Christmas line sounds super random, but it’s also kind of funny. I mean… of course, a sociopath can’t stand the holiday season.

Titled All Aboard, episode 9 of Sakamoto Days features multiple fights unfolding simultaneously in the lab run by dangerous hitmen. Taro is busy dealing with Kashima, while Shin is locked in a bloody battle with Seba, the guy who can turn invisible. Episode 8 ended with sharpshooter Heisuke Mashimo arriving just in time to rescue Shin, setting up an entertaining face-off between the three young men. Meanwhile, Lu tries to escape the lab but soon gets caught up in the violence.

In case you don’t remember, Kashima is the antagonist who wears a deer mask and has been running the lab operations for his boss, Slur. Not much is known about Slur yet, but members of the ORDER (the elite hitman squad) are also looking for him. Although, this episode of Sakamoto Days features a brief flashback about how Kashima became Slur’s underling. It’s a dark, disturbing flashback, which establishes Kashima’s twisted personality.

Overall, this edition was definitely a lot more entertaining than the last, due to the sheer fact that it packs in several fights. And instead of a tense cliffhanger, episode 9 ends with a big family din-din, where Sakamoto and the crew eat to their hearts’ content. Well, they’ll need all the energy, because Slur is free and lots of people still want Mr Sakamoto dead.

Watch Sakamoto Days on Netflix or CrunchyRoll.

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Baban Baban Ban Vampire Episode 9 Review

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“Shinozuka Aoi. A truly menacing girl”

Only Ranmaru Mori, our vampire protagonist, would describe the cute, innocent, and kind Aoi like that! While the wide-eyed, shy teen wouldn’t hurt a fly, Mori has built her up in his head as a conniving, manipulative seductress. In episode 9 of Baban Baban Ban Vampire, Mori comes up with yet another harebrained scheme to ensure Aoi doesn’t snatch away his beautiful Rihito from him. Yes, he remains completely clueless about the fact that Aoi is in love with him, not his precious Rihito-kun.

Titled A Certain Family and The Vampire, this episode picks up where episode 8 of Baban Baban Ban Vampire ended – with Mori crossing paths with new character Kaori Yamabe’s abusive father and inviting himself into their home. Kaori’s father mistakes Mori for his daughter’s boyfriend and hopes to mooch off some money from the weirdly dressed man (who is in his vampire-hunting attire and makeup).

Mori strikes an unexpected (creepy) deal with the Yamabe family and also instructs Kaori to induct Rihito into her gyaru girl gang, hoping their garish makeup and attitude will drive Aoi away. Little does Mori know that he is throwing Rihito into the arms of his love rival, as Kaori has a huge crush on then teen. To add to the chaotic misunderstandings, Kaori thinks Mori wants to date her.

“I don’t want boy issues to break up our girl group,” Kaori hilariously tells herself when she sees how much all her other friends are mad about the handsome Mori. All the misunderstandings might be chaotic for some viewers, but they are also ridiculously funny and keep drawing laughs from us. At this point, one would need an extensive chart to illustrate how each character mistakes everyone else’s crush. The subtle background music by the creative team helps amp up the hilarity of Baban Baban Ban Vampire.

While the first half of this episode focuses on Mori’s encounter with the Yamabe family, the rest is all about Rihito’s adventures with the gyaru gang and the fresh drama it sparks. For instance, Franken is completely horrified to see Rihito with Kaori, convinced the boy is being bullied by the girls.

This is a fun, fast-paced chapter. However, it ends with a dark, foreboding, bloody, and worrying twist!

Watch Baban Baban Ban Vampire on Netflix.

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Nadaaniyan Movie Review: Cringe Max

Rating: 1 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Maybe AI taking over everybody’s job isn’t such a bad thing – an AI-generated actor might’ve emoted better than half the cast of Nadaaniyan. Remember Megan, the robot from the horror film M3GAN? She was definitely a lot more entertaining to watch than the humans in this movie.

Directed by Shauma Gautam, and written by more than one person (hard to believe), the 2025 high-school romance stars Khushi Kapoor as 17-year-old Pia Jaisingh, a high-school student who is super rich and popular, while Ibrahim Ali Khan makes his debut as Arjun Mehta, a national swimmer on a 100% scholarship to Pia’s elitist school. For some ridiculous reasons, Pia gets Arjun to be her fake-boyfriend, and when they develop feelings for real, the class differences become a problem.

The rest of the story is as predictable as it can be, with awful dialogues, boring jokes, mediocre songs, and well, let’s just say the film is like ‘Student of the Year 2’ with a few tweaks. Pia is the rich girl with bickering parents who ignore her, while Arjun gets trolled by wealthy students for being ‘poor’, despite having a successful doctor dad and teacher mom. Kuch bhi.

Ibrahim Ali Khan is a handsome young man; he has his charms, is easy on the eyes, and does an “okay” job for a first film (might get better with more experience). But that’s not enough to make a debut film with a stale “fake dating” trope in high school watchable. Khushi Kapoor is marginally livelier than her own debut performance in 2023 film The Archies, which isn’t saying much since she was completely forgettable in it, and is instead gratingly annoying in Nadaaniya. And before you think I have a problem with star kids – I quite liked The Archies and gave it two more stars than this malarkey.

One of the biggest mistakes made by Nadaaniyan‘s makers is letting Khushi Kapoor serve as the film’s narrator. Her voice isn’t bad, but it’s not “radio presenter” material either. Ibrahim Ali Khan has a better baritone voice and would have undoubtedly been easier on the ears. Besides, isn’t the hardworking scholarship student’s POV better than Daddy’s princess anyway? Also, for some weird reason, their voices seemed dubbed, or maybe they speak Hindi so rarely IRL that the language sounded unnatural on their mouth. So, the only bits that are watchable in the film are some musical montages where the lead pair take photos, posing for their fake dating life on social media. They definitely look cute, but so do a million other couples on instagram who aren’t getting movie deals for a reason.

Nadaaniyan is two hours long, so I downloaded it to watch on a two-and-a-half-hour flight. I ended up pausing the film at least three times. The first pause was to contemplate whether I should just take a nap instead because the film was cringe, cringe, and more cringe. But since I couldn’t sleep, the next two pauses were for my brain to take a break and cry a little. I finally gave up with fifteen minutes left. But then hit rewind to feel fail while I wrote a review, and the climax was cringe-y and predictable too.

Rating: 1 star on 5. Watch something else on Netflix.

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Zombieverse 2: New Blood Review: Watchable for fans of the genre

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Of all the things in the world, I definitely didn’t think Zombieverse would get a sequel so soon on Netflix! Zombie fans should’ve gotten ‘All of Us Are Dead’ season two before this, especially since the show came out much before and topped Netflix charts across the globe. Sigh.

Well, anyway, just like ‘Zombieverse’ season 1, the new season follows a group of Korean celebrities trying to survive a zombie apocalypse in Korea, reality TV style. This time, the creators add game-like graphics for extra comic relief. For instance, when a group of survivors finds themselves trapped with zombies, life bars appear above their heads in green, indicating they are still alive. It’s funny at first, but the novelty fades soon.

My headline for the first season was Zombieverse Review – Has Fun Bits But Drags On, and well, this season could bear the same title. Once again, despite some very entertaining elements, it’s an overstretched mess that didn’t need to be seven episodes long. The season starts with a group of survivors arriving on Jeju Island, where an elaborate evacuation zone has been set up to shield people from zombies. However, when a bus carrying infected individuals breaches the area, a bloody massacre ensues.

By episode two, the survivors are already on a mission to leave Jeju Island and reach a site where rescue helicopters are scheduled to pick people up. In the only interesting twist, Zombieverse 2, like several other titles in the genre, introduces a new strain of zombie, which proves to be a game-changer in the show. Sort of. Perhaps the most fun segment in the series is when the main group of survivors catches an underground metro train in Seoul (episode 5), a direct ode to the famous zombie movie Train to Busan.

Packed with a long list of actors and several celebrity cameos, any commentary on acting prowess feels redundant, especially since no one particularly stands out. If you’re up for a mildly entertaining mindless show featuring some handsome Korean oppas and beautiful unnis battling hideous zombies, give this a go.

Rating: 2.5 on 5 stars. Watch the series on Netflix.

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Groupies Comic Book Series #Issue 4 Review

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

“I am made to sow the thistle for wheat; the nettle for a nourishing dainty. I have planted a false oath in the earth, it has brought forth a poison tree. I have chosen the serpent for a councellor…”

Issue #4 of Groupies, the comic book mini-series by Helen Mullane and Tula Lotay, opens with excerpts from a poem by William Blake, saucily juxtaposed with a steamy scene between two gorgeous women in bed – part of the groupies touring with the rising band, The Moon Show. This chapter is seen through the point of view of Morgaine, a young woman in love with her friend Gaia, who served as the narrator for issue #3 of Groupies.

Even though the opening poetic lines might seem at odds in a comic-book about drugs, sex, and rock-and-roll, but Blake is talking about a world where people resort to sowing seeds of evil, corrupting their souls, and leading amoral lives. In Groupies, all the characters lead hedonistic lives, drenched in intoxicating addictions, and now there are serious fears among the girls that some of the musicians practice Satanism. Morgaine talks of the anxiety and paranoia pervading the groupies due to these new suspicions in this issue.

If you remember the last issue, Gaia was overtly philosophical (especially when she’s high on drugs), and Morgaine isn’t very different, but at least her musings aren’t as mundane. While Gaia is drawn to Dorian, Morgaine is caught in the throes of unrequited love for Gaia, who, despite expressing deep affection for her friend, may not feel the same way. Helen Mullane introduces a thin veil of suspense over whether their attraction is mutual, while also giving readers glimpses into Lisa Storm’s (the groupie introduced in Isse #1) turbulent affair with Si.

Tula Lotay’s artwork fluidly captures the beauty and sensuality of these characters, portraying them as modern, seductive sirens – living the fast life, lost in drugs, dreams, and materialistic pleasures. The issue closes on a nightmarish note with yet another grisly, gory death. The cliffhanger is frustrating – after so many deaths, I need real answers. Are these girls overdosing and hallucinating their violent ends, or has the band really summoned a satanic demon that’s devouring the groupies?

You can read Groupies on Kindle Unlimited.

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Late Night Movie Review: Smart Laughs, Predictable Emotions

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

When veteran late-night show host Katherine Newbury (Dame Emma Thompson) is given an ultimatum by her network president due to declining ratings, she shakes up her writing staff, hiring a woman for the first time. But new recruit Molly Patel (Mindy Kaling) has never worked in television; in fact, she was employed at a chemical plant before a stroke of luck landed her the dream job of working with her idol, Katherine. But can the so-called “diversity hire” hold her own in an all-male writers’ room and help revive the legendary talk show host’s dwindling career?

Directed by Nisha Ganatra and written by Mindy Kaling, the 2019 comedy Late Night feels like an attempt to create something as iconic as The Devil Wears Prada. In Late Night, a team of writers struggles to keep up with their perfectionist boss’ demands to revamp her talk show, especially newcomer Molly Patel, who isn’t used to ruthless leaders who refer to their staff by serial numbers because remembering names is too much trouble.

While Emma Thompson is perfectly cast as the sharp, cynical British comedian Katherine Newbury, Mindy Kaling’s portrayal of the optimistic Molly Patel pales in comparison to the veteran actor’s effortless charm. When Kaling cries onscreen, you feel sorry for yourself for having to endure the awkward performance, which is akin to watching a middle-schooler fake sob after losing a board game. Mindy is the only casting misfire in the movie, while the rest, especially the white male writers in the writers’ room, ace their parts.

For a movie centered around a talk show host and comedian, Late Night is consistently funny, credit to Mindy Kaling for that (despite her dubious acting skills). Molly Patel’s lack of knowledge about how tv shows work is pretty funny, especially her shock at the fact that most writers rarely get to visit the studio where the recording takes place. Katherine’s funniest moments stem from her disconnect with social media and Gen Z lingo, or her bafflement at their obsession with influencers famous for sniffing their pet’s butts.

Late Night also includes some fun cameos from famous comedians and stars, making it even more enjoyable for those who catch the Easter eggs. While the writing relies on clichéd emotional tropes to create predictable highs and lows, the film remains an entertaining one-time watch, thanks largely to Emma Thompson’s standout performance.

Rating: 3 on 5. You can watch ‘Late Night’ on Netflix.

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