Sneha Jaiswal's Blog, page 49

Summer of the Monsters Review: Easy Horror Read, but It Spoils Itself Too Soon

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Set somewhere in the times of Walkmans and CD players, the horror novel Summer of the Monsters by David Sodergren follows the nightmarish misadventures of 16-year-old Lucy Brannigan in a new town inhabited by bloodthirsty monsters.

One thing that author David does in the introductory chapter is both a big advantage and a disadvantage to the plotline, depending on the kind of reader you are. If you easily get anxious due to suspense and prolonged violent scenes, you’d be happy to know that while the story is about teen Lucy’s experiences in a hellish town crawling with creepy, human-eating creatures, the novel begins with Lucy as a 40-something woman reminiscing about the worst summer of her life. But for readers who love to be on the edge of their seats (or beds, or wherever it is that you like to read), it’s a bummer, since we know that no matter what happens, Lucy is going to survive.

So, the novel unfolds in flashbacks as we meet teen Lucy, who isn’t thrilled about moving from the big city to a secluded farmhouse in an obscure little town called Helsbridge with her widowed author dad, where there’s nothing to do and no friends to spend the summer with. But within the very first week of her stay in Helsbridge, Lucy makes an unlikely new friend, gets horribly bullied, and learns of grotesque, human-eating monsters that try to kill her in the woods near her new home. Helsbridge is basically like a literal bridge between the human world and hell, and the town is rife with myths and legends about the monsters. Lucy’s dad being completely broke makes it even harder for them to leave, and with potential romantic prospects emerging for both father and daughter, they find more reasons to stay.

Lucy has multiple near-death experiences, but each time she is surrounded by monsters, I would tell myself, “Oh yeah, she isn’t going to die.” But despite that lack of significant tension, what I liked best about this horror novel is how the author keeps things moving, even though you have the usual primary teen plot of awkward new girl in a town where almost everybody is mean to her or ignores her. The only ‘real friend’ Lucy makes is a creature in the woods near her house, a character that reminded me of Buckbeak from the Harry Potter books. The friendship felt a little contrived, but I’m pretty sure a lot of readers might find it endearing. The asocial teen who befriends an animal is a well-established ‘cute’ trope.

There are plenty of deaths, more than I expected, and the ending is full of hate, violence, and betrayal. The pace tends to be choppy, and the monsters are described as crab-like creatures with hideous body parts, reminiscent of several other ‘monsters’ in many horror stories. But the novel is an easy read, and the disappointment over the predictable parts of Summer of the Monsters is washed over by a tense climax where lots of people die gory deaths. And that’s how horror novels should be.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars. Summer of the Monsters is also available on Kindle Unlimited.

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Baban Baban Ban Vampire Episode 7 Review

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It’s Mori-san versus everybody else in ‘Baban Baban Ban Vampire’, because practically all those around him are conspiring to make Rihito and Aoi a couple!

Titled The Cornered Vampire, Episode 7 of Baban Baban Ban Vampire begins with Franken and Sakamoto putting their plan into action, encouraging Rihito to become Aoi’s boyfriend. While Franken believes it’s what Mori wants, Sakamoto is more interested in pushing Rihito toward Aoi due to his own obsession with Mori.

With multiple matchmakers, including Rihito’s father, working to pair up the teenagers, Mori scrambles to ensure nothing of the sort happens, leading to several comedic moments in this episode. The fact that Mori remains completely unaware of Aoi’s huge crush on him adds to the hilarity, especially since Aoi keeps misinterpreting Mori’s efforts to keep her away from Rihito – by inserting himself between them – as signs that her feelings might be mutual.

From awkwardly soaking in the bathhouse to playing high-stakes card games, the characters of Baban Baban Ban Vampire have a packed night of social activities in this episode. But despite all the hustle and bustle, nobody’s love life seems to be making any progress. However, in the funniest twist, Mori finds himself surrounded by three young men whose blood the vampire in him cannot resist. Will he give in to his animalistic desires? Who knows. Meanwhile, the episode ends by introducing another new vampire – someone young and possibly dangerous!

Watch Baban Baban Ban Vampire on Netflix.

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Apartment 7A Review: The Rent Is Free, but So Are the Horrors

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Terry Gionoffrio is a struggling dancer, mooching off her best-friend in the big city after a fall puts her career on a stand-still. Things turn around for the young woman when an aging wealthy couple rescue her from collapsing on the street. They not just offer her their swanky spare apartment, but also their connections to rise in the world of dancing. What Terry doesn’t know is that she is possibly making a dangerous bargain with the devil…

Directed by Natalie Erika James, who co-wrote the film with Christian White and Skylar James, the horror movie Apartment 7A stars Julia Garner as protagonist Terry, a young woman with dreams of headlining her own dance shows. The story serves as a prequel to the horror classic Rosemary’s Baby, following Terry’s move into the infamous Bramford high-rise, home to wealthy but dubious families.

Dianne Wiest stands out in Apartment 7A as the genial, over-friendly, nosy, and insidiously dominant Minnie Castevet, the wealthy older woman who lets Terry move into her family’s flat. Minnie and her husband, Roman (Kevin McNally), seem like adorable, harmless grandparents, which is precisely why a broke and desperate Terry agrees to take up their offer to live in their extra flat ‘rent-free.’ She believes she is the one taking advantage of the charitable couple, who seemingly have nothing better to do with their money. But there’s no free lunch in the world, is there? The Castevets offer Terry everything she desires, but the price they demand is one she’s not sure she’s willing to pay.

Eerie visions of demons, ghostly figures, and creeping shadows begin to haunt Terry in her new apartment, she starts investigating the last girl Minnie and Roman ‘helped’ – only to uncover a terrifying secret by the film’s end. So, Apartment 7A moves at a slow pace in terms of revelations and spooky scenes. However, given the heavy focus on dance, the creators and choreographers deliver some very engaging sequences, turning even what could’ve been distressing/disturbing events, into artistic pieces.

Apartment 7A works better as a drama about the struggles of its young protagonist as an artist, highlighting the despair, humiliation, and hopelessness she endures in her search for work. Julia Garner effortlessly slips into Terry’s skin, a passionate dancer riddled with anxiety and addiction. She evokes sympathy despite her questionable decisions (like moving into the home of an old couple she just met… seriously, who does that?).

The climax is tragic, with Terry performing an emotional dance in a room full of shady strangers, which leads to an unexpected curtain call for Apartment 7A. The dancing might seem out of place or random to some viewers. However, it’s important to remember that dance is Terry’s way of expressing her freedom – her path toward the light, even in her darkest moments. Some scenes in the movie reminded me of Black Swan, though Apartment 7A isn’t as dark or unsettling, despite having the potential to be a far more potent psychological horror/thriller than it ultimately is. Regardless, the cast and cinematography made it a worthwhile one-time watch for me.

Rating: 3 on 5 stars. Watch the film on Prime Video.

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Sakamoto Days Episode 7 Review: A Wild Ride to Save Lu

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“Who reads people’s minds anyway? That’s totally perverted!”

Lu and Shin get into a big fight while looking after the convenience store for their boss, Sakamoto, who is away at his daughter’s school. After Lu says some pretty hurtful things about Shin’s mind-reading skills, he storms off in anger, only for Lu to get kidnapped!

Titled Jurassic Bastard, Episode 7 of Sakamoto Days focuses on Shin and Sakamoto’s mission to rescue Lu from her kidnappers, whose motives are anything but noble. For a change, the assailants aren’t after Taro Sakamoto or the big bounty on his head. After an exciting bike chase, most of the action unfolds at a science museum, where Sakamoto and Shin must not only battle deadly hitmen but also fend off lethal machines.

Heisuke Mashimo, introduced in Episode 6 of Sakamoto Days, makes a blink-and-you-miss-it cameo in this edition, nothing consequential, just a quick visit to the store for food. On the other hand, we meet some new characters, including another young individual who, like Shin, possesses special powers. In fact, viewers also get insight into Shin’s childhood and how he became a telepath.

Overall, this was a fast-paced, entertaining episode with plenty of fun moments. Some parts of the animation were actually quite good in this episode, especially the bike chase sequence and another intense fight scene atop a moving vehicle.

Watch ‘Sakamoto Days’ on Netflix.

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Chhorii Review: Scares Get Lost in the Sugarcane Maze

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Pursued by dangerous loan sharks, a businessman and his wife, Sakshi, an eight-months-pregnant woman, are forced to take shelter with their driver’s family in a house hidden amidst massive sugarcane fields. As eerie occurrences begin to unfold, Sakshi finds her life threatened by supernatural forces.

Directed by Vishal Furia, the Bollywood horror film Chhorii stars Nushrratt Bharuccha as protagonist Sakshi, a city girl working at an NGO, while Saurabh Goyal plays her husband, Hemant. On the run from loan sharks, Sakshi finds herself in the care of her driver’s wife, Devi (Mita Vashisht), while Hemant is away, trying to manage their financial troubles. Caring at first, the orthodox Devi starts to behave strangely after Sakshi reports seeing little boys playing hide-and-seek around the house. Soon, Sakshi grows suspicious that Devi may have nefarious ulterior motives for offering her refuge.

The endless sugarcane fields and the secluded village house where Devi lives serve as an eerie backdrop for Chhorii. However, the film takes a long time to reach its primary conflict, and until then, the spooky scenes and jump scares fail to deliver any real fear. You see a couple of ghostly kids running around, and funnily, Sakshi doesn’t find anything odd about them.

Mita Vashisht is intimidatingly creepy as Devi, a woman from the heartland with regressive beliefs -including the notion that a girl child is a curse for an expectant mother. Sakshi, a progressive, modern woman, rejects these outdated beliefs. So when she witnesses Devi’s cruel treatment of her daughter-in-law, it serves as the first red flag that something is off about the older woman. As haunting lullabies echo and visions of a charred woman plague her, Sakshi grows desperate to uncover the dark secrets Devi is hiding. But while the revelations are disturbing, the plot’s trajectory becomes disappointingly predictable.

Chhorii attempts to explore themes of female infanticide, superstitions, and patriarchy through its eerie tale of a pregnant woman trapped in a sugarcane field. However, its execution is slow, sloppy, and exhausting. If you view it as a thriller, the pacing is too sluggish; if you treat it as a horror flick, the scares are too weak. An intriguing premise is buried under poor execution, but perhaps it might serve as a decent one-time watch if you keep your expectations low.

Watch the film Prime Video.

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Cunk on Life Review: Mostly For Fans

Rating: 3 out of 5.

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Philomena Cunk is back on the job, pondering some of life’s most profound questions – how the Big Bang happened and whether God is dead – although some are simpler, like “What the fuck is this?” – the succinct question posed over a painting by Pieter Bruegel.

Created by Al Campbell, Charlie Brooker, Ben Caudell, and Erika Ehler, Cunk on Life once again sees Diane Morgan plays journalist Philomena Cunk, who interviews notable professors from across fields, to help her understand some of life’s big secrets. From Nobel laureates, to Oxford/Harvard professors, an interesting bunch of experts give poised answers to Cunk’s bizarre questions.

At about 71 minutes long, Cunk on Life isn’t as hilarious as the mini-mockumentary series Cunk on Earth, so it will be fans who’d have more fun watching it. One needs to have watched Cunk’s earlier appearances to catch some of the more ‘inside’ jokes. For instance, the 1989 hit song Pump Up the Jam plays in Cunk on Life, and since the track was a ridiculously funny running gag in the series, the joke will be lost on newer viewers. The track has nothing to do with anything discussed in the show, but well, since existential is a key theme this time around, the random does make sense, if you give it a second thought.

The writing delivers some laughs here and there, but isn’t consistently witty, in-fact, it’s so dull in between that I couldn’t even watch Cunk on Life in one go, despite its short runtime. One of the most comical sections in this mockumentary was one where Cunk casually tears apart Van Gogh’s paintings. “Van Gogh’s life, any by extension, our world, would’ve been improved if he’d never painted anything.

The ‘laugh out moments’ are thin, and Diane Morgan’s impeccable performance as a bored, dense journalist deserved sharper writing.

Rating: 3 on 5. Watch ‘Cunk on Life’ on Netflix.

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Budding Crisis Issue #2 Review

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

So… the random old man who was fishing and taking soldiers for a ride in ‘Budding Crisis’ issue 1, becomes the primary focus in the second edition. His name is Bert and he uses the legendary wish-granting seeds for himself and goes on a wild night of celebration with an old acquaintance, hoping for new romance and adventure.

Titled ‘The Reunited’, chapter two of the comic series by MK Reed, Jonathan Hill, and Allie Drake, is completely different in tone, story-telling, and mood from the first edition. Although, once again, I cannot make out where the plot is headed. However, the artwork remains colorful and engaging, with dominant green and violet hues bringing the panels to life.

All one can surmise is that it’s a fantasy comic book series about a bunch of people vying for magic seeds, while a small elite group looks after them. One of them is Petra, the brunette woman present at the scene where the army guy turns into a snake in the first chapter. Bert and Petra seem to be sweethearts of sorts, spending this chapter dancing, drinking, and fighting off thugs while discussing the future of their ‘situationship.’ So the mood is largely romantic, with just the hint of slight danger in the air through this quick little issue.

Rating: 3 on 5. ‘Budding Crisis’ is on Kindle Unlimited.

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Sangmin Dinneaw Review: Korean Oppa meets Thai Tricks

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Sangmin, a handsome Korean oppa turns up unannounced at a beautiful Thai home-stay run by the artistic Orn and her son Dinneaw. While the purpose of his Thailand trip remains under wraps, a silly-sweet romance brews between him and the adorable Dinneaw, who at first is annoyed at Sangmin’s arrival, because his mom treats the Korean cutie as if he were her own beloved son.

Directed by Thitipan Raksasat, the eight-episode ‘Sangmin Dinneaw’ stars Choi Sang Min and Petch Ratana Aiamsaart as the titular protagonists respectively. The series is pretty ridiculous, mildly funny, and non-sensical, as the creators keep adding supporting characters whenever they feel like. Episode 3 introduces a couple that does nothing but wild funny business at inappropriate places, episode 6 sees a random new doctor pair romancing each other, just because a protagonist is admitted in the hospital. Like… what is even happening?

Petch Ratana Aiamsaart is a total cutie as Dinneaw, an aspiring travel guide who helps his mom (Koy Naruemon Phongsupap) sell her artware at the local market while also assisting in running their homestay. Sangmin is a handsome, sensitive Korean guy (though it’s unclear what he does for a living) who used to be Dinneaw’s childhood friend, even though the latter doesn’t remember much about him. There’s really no depth to their romance – just two good-looking people attracted to each other, with a clichéd, childish wealthy villain named Sainam (Little Siravit Imsee) throwing hurdles in their path because he’s in love with Dinneaw. Sainam looks like he should be taking high school exams, making it incredibly hard to take his character seriously – a supposedly rich businessman running a huge resort while scheming to make Dinneaw his boyfriend.

‘Sangmin Dinneaw’ is essentially a brainless raunchy comedy, which pointlessly attempts to get serious in the last two episodes, while most of its episodes are filled with random sex scenes between the multiple pairs featured in the series. But in a hilarious twist, if you could call it that, one of the steamiest scenes in the show is a random sequence in the last episode featuring Dinneaw getting down with his pillows because Sangmin is out of town. L-O-L. Usually, Thai series serve viewers kisses and steamy scenes with the main couple in the climactic episode, not ‘Sangmin Dinneaw’. It’s a wacky bubble, all right.

This serious is so un-serious, it feels pointless to try to rate it. If you’re looking for a crazy-silly show, with almost no story, and a bunch of horny young people having fun whenever they feel like it, give ‘Sagmin Dinneaw’ a shot, or else stay away from it.

The series is on iQIYI.

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American Murder: Gabby Petito Documentary Series Review

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

A 22-year-old goes missing after a trip with her fiancé, who strangely returns home to his parents, but his family refuses to speak to the cops, directing them to their lawyer instead. That’s all anyone needs to suspect that the fiancé had something to do with the young woman’s disappearance. Otherwise, he would be out with her parents, looking for her, instead of lawyering up and hiding in his parents’ home.

The three-part Netflix documentary series American Murder: Gabby Petito begins with a 911 call, in which an eyewitness reports a domestic dispute, telling the cops they saw a gentleman “slapping the girl.” The scene then shifts to real bodycam footage of officers stopping a white van, where a couple identifies themselves as Brian and Gabby, two van-lifers, who admit to having been fighting since morning. Gabby is completely distraught and in tears, though she confesses to the cops that she was the primary aggressor in the fight. The officers separate the couple for the night, hoping to de-escalate the situation. But days later, Gabby goes missing, and weeks later, she is found dead…

For non-American viewers (like me) who don’t know much about the Gabby Petito case, the documentary provides adequate glimpses into its history. Interviews with mutual friends, family members, investigators, including FBI agents, and eyewitnesses paint a vivid picture of how Gabby and Brian appeared to be the perfect Instagram couple on social media, but things weren’t so hunky-dory in real life. Brian, though seemingly genial, was a manipulative partner who grew jealous of Gabby’s friends and isolated her from those close to her to maintain tighter control over her life. However, there’s one glaring problem with the documentary – Netflix couldn’t get any of Brian’s family members on record to share their side of the story. But from the evidence collected through the investigation, including text messages and call history, it’s pretty clear that Brian murdered Gabby, and his parents tried their best to shield him from cops and media.

The documentary highlights how media attention in the Gabby Petito case helped fast-track the investigation, with massive resources dedicated to locating her, dead or alive. Since Gabby was a vlogger, the documentary is filled with ample footage of her and Brian traveling together, making it hard not to sympathize with the young woman – something that undoubtedly contributed to the media attention her case received. Their photos paint a picture of a cute couple, but the videos curated in the documentary reveal a noticeable awkwardness between them, though it could simply be camera shyness. “Something was off about him,” says a close friend of Gabby about Brian, and one can definitely sense that through his videos.

While the case could have been covered in a single hour instead of three episodes, ‘American Murder: Gabby Petito‘ is still worth a watch for true-crime fans unfamiliar with the Gabby Petito case. If nothing else, it serves as a stark reminder for younger viewers of how deceptive social media can be.

Watch the docu-series on Netflix.

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Shortcomings Movie Review: Likable Film About Unlikable People

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Ben Tanaka (Justin H. Min) is an overtly cynical and critical Japanese-American failed filmmaker who manages a small cinema hall. He is dating Miko (Ally Miko), a trust-fund baby and fellow Japanese-American, despite his fetish for white women. When Miko moves to New York for a three-month internship, their relationship status becomes uncertain, leaving Ben to explore other options while spending his free time with his gay best friend, Alice Lee (Sherry Cola).

Directed by Randall Park, the 2023 movie Shortcomings is based on a graphic novel of the same name by Adrian Tomine, exploring the double standards and denials of ordinary people who become trapped in situations and relationships they would have probably avoided if they lived in an ideal world. Or at-least, that’s how I would define the film.

The most fun aspect of Shortcomings is the friendship between the very heterosexual Ben and his totally gay BFF Alice, who are both aware of each other’s shortcomings yet embrace each other with nonjudgmental arms, unlike their approach toward others. Most of the story unfolds from Ben’s POV – his disdain for commercial cinema, soft spot for white women, and self-centered approach to everything. Justin Min is excellent as the conceited Ben Tanaka, but since the character is not too likable, one wishes viewers got to see more of Miko and Alice’s POV. They are also flawed, but at least they offer a change of scene.

Well, like the title suggests, this is a film about grey characters – the guy who’d lie through his teeth just to sleep with a girl he finds physically attractive, the girl who keeps running away from her problems instead of confronting them, or the person whose double standards are glaringly grating. There’s a little bit of all kinds of people in the three protagonists of Shortcomings, offering relatable glimpses into the everyday challenges of just getting through tricky relationships.

Rating: 3 on 5. Watch Shortcomings on Netflix.

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