Sneha Jaiswal's Blog, page 75
September 7, 2024
Romance in Style Review: Oh So Outmoded!
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Director: Michael Robison
Writers: Karen Berger, Luther M. Mace
Only recently, my mom and I walked into a couple of branded stores to shop for clothes, but we left empty-handed because most collections were extremely boring and plain. The so-called “hand-sewn” dresses featured in the fashion-themed movie Romance in Style were even worse. Why make a romance about a fashion magazine and unique clothes if you don’t have the budget to do better than outfits that look like they sell for less than $10 on the street?
Look, I’m no fashion expert, but even a novice like me could tell how basic the dresses worn by protagonist Ella (Jaicy Elliot) in Romance in Style were. The movie is about Ella, a homegrown designer who temporarily helps out at a major fashion magazine and inspires the new head, Derek (Benjamin Hollingsworth), to make space for plus-size fashion. However, magazine editor Claudia (Laura Soltis) and her minion Liza (Jorja Cadence) oppose making any changes, even though it would make their magazine more inclusive.
Derek and Ella first meet as strangers at a coffee shop and start off on the wrong foot. When they realize they work at the same place, a romance brews. While Jaicy Elliot is adorable as the confident, straightforward Ella, who isn’t afraid to speak her mind, Benjamin Hollingsworth brings little charm to the role of the handsome Derek, and there’s very little chemistry between the characters. The story is completely clichéd, with a silly conflict at the end.
For a film heavily focused on fashion, the costume designers for Romance in Style don’t seem to have done any homework. Even Ella’s notebook of designs lacks interesting drawings. A character goes gaga over one of Ella’s designs in the film, but it was very similar to a dress I bought in 2014 from a street shop in Bandra for Rs 500 (about $6). A lot of fans complained about the wardrobe choices in the new Mean Girls movie, but its high school protagonists were definitely dressed better than anyone in this film that’s supposedly full of fashion experts.
Romance in Style tries to be a mix of The Devil Wears Prada, The Hating Game, and basically any romantic movie where the ‘average’ employee falls for a wealthy heir. And even though it’s only 1 hour 24 minutes long, the film is steadily bland for most of its runtime.
Rating: 3 on 10. You can watch the film on Netflix.
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Call Me Bae Review: Ananya Panday Slays in ‘Princess to Pauper’ Diaries
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
“You know, five minutes ago, I had seven luxury cars, a chopper, and a private jet. And now, I’ve become the poster girl for Desperate Housewives of South Delhi.”
Bella Chowdhury, AKA Bae, had it all—until her super-rich husband kicked her out of their mansion, and her parents practically disowned her over a scandal. Abandoned by everyone, Bae flies off to Mumbai to make it on her own. An internship with a news channel gives her a real shot at starting over.
Created by Ishita Moitra, the 2024 series Call Me Bae stars Ananya Panday as the titular character, who starts out as an extremely privileged, naive, and sheltered trophy wife, traveling in private jets, only to become a working-class woman struggling to find an auto-rickshaw to get to work. While her ‘princess-to-pauper’ story is comically delightful in the first half, the tone shifts slightly in the second half, becoming more serious. Bae’s character is reminiscent of Elle Woods from Legally Blonde—a beautiful young woman who isn’t taken seriously, so she works hard to change that perception.
Ananya Panday is instantly endearing as Bae, who acknowledges she was “born with a golden spoon” but was often made to feel second to her brother. Instead of pursuing her dream of getting an MBA, Bae’s mother, Gayatri (Mini Mathur), grooms her to be the ‘perfect wife’ to snag billionaire businessman Agastya Chowdhury (Vihaan Samat). Once the marriage goes south, Bae moves to Mumbai, where newfound friends—hotel employee Saira Ali (Muskkaan Jaferi) and journalist Tammarrah Pawwarh (Niharika Lyra Dutt)—help her navigate life as an ordinary girl with very little money.
Bae starts each day with simple morning affirmations: “I’m Bae. I’m here to slay. Eat, love, and pray. Seize the day.” Despite her many flaws, you can’t help but root for Ananya Panday’s Bae throughout all eight episodes of Call Me Bae. Ananya makes the larger-than-life Bae feel vulnerable and likable, even though she isn’t entirely relatable. In her pursuit of becoming a serious journalist, she gets plenty of help from Saira and her colleague/flatmate Tammarrah. The girls have their own ‘behen-code’ (sister code) to lift each other up. The fun friendship between the trio is one of the most entertaining parts of the series. Ananya Panday, Muskkaan Jaferi, and Niharika Lyra Dutt have great onscreen chemistry as friends, overshadowing Bae’s romantic connections in the tale. The girls often hang out with Prince Bhasin (Varun Sood), a handsome gym trainer who’s mad about Bae, though she doesn’t quite feel the same way.
Gurfateh Pirzada plays Neel Nair, a senior journalist who hires Bae as an intern for the news channel TRP, and while unexpected sparks fly between them, there’s no real fire. The channel’s face is Satyajit Sen, a hyper-nationalistic journalist inspired by Arnab Goswami, portrayed hilariously by Vir Das. Sen swears by swadeshi goods but sports videshi brands. Vir Das gives a rip-roaring performance, but Sen isn’t an out-and-out antagonist—at least not in the first half—and his character’s story progression, leading to a typical villainous end, feels underwhelming. Sen anchors a primetime show called The Confessional, where he typically exposes high-profile guests, a crucial element in the show’s climax.
Of course, Call Me Bae is exaggerated, over-the-top, with many scenes and coincidences serving Bae’s story. For instance, Tammarrah, portrayed as an ambitious junior journalist, stumbles upon a big scoop—a popular actor being proposed to in public—but inexplicably ignores it as a newsworthy update. Muskkaan Jaferi’s Saira is also a rich kid trying to make it on her own, and with a gambling problem. A lot of actors have interesting little cameos in “Call Me Bae” – Karishma Tanna, who was last seen as a leading journalist in ‘Scoop’, plays a big actor who is on the other side of the journalism fence.
The series is filled with fun writing and brimming with pop-culture references, from Bae’s dream wedding in the first episode (inspired by the Deepika-Ranveer and Anushka-Virat weddings) to a middle-episode faux pas where she writes the Chinese President Xi Jinping’s name as “Eleven Jinping,” reminiscent of a real-life incident with a DD news anchor. While the DD anchor was fired for the mistake, Bae receives only a mild rebuke from the supposedly monstrous Satyajit Sen. Watch out for the humorous ticker lines, such as the Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham-inspired dig at Bae: “Kabhi Klepto, Kabhi Gareeb.”
Call Me Bae is a visual treat, with Ananya Panday sporting gorgeous outfits throughout the show, though some are a bit outlandish for a news intern. While I usually don’t notice fashion details, Bae’s stunning earrings caught my eye in several episodes. From exclusive Manish Malhotra designs to high-fashion labels, she’s mostly dressed in head-turning attire. Unfortunately, the climactic episode features her wearing a bralette top that looks more suited for Bandra street shopping than a showstopper outfit for a season finale. Oh well…
The music of Call Me Bae is upbeat, with some catchy numbers, though much of the background music feels rehashed from popular tracks. However, it complements Bae’s journey well. Some tunes are reminiscent of “Suno Aisha” from the 2010 movie Aisha, and the lyrics of that song seem fitting for Bae’s personality. Ananya Panday is totally ‘kamal’, ‘bemisal’, and ‘lajawab’ in Call Me Bae. If you’re looking for a no-brainer, breezy, binge-worthy show about a young wealthy woman living an ‘ordinary’ life for the first time, this is a great pick.
Rating: 7/10. Watch Call Me Bae on Prime Video.
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September 6, 2024
Bad Newz Review: Fresh Twist, Outdated Execution
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Director: Anand Tiwari
Writers: Tarun Dudeja, Ishita Moitra
The rare phenomenon of a human mother giving birth to twins, each with a different father, has been referenced in Greek mythology. In fact, the protagonist Heron in Netflix’s animated series Blood of Zeus is one such twin. So, for readers and viewers already familiar with this once-in-a-million occurrence of a mother having twins by different fathers, the plot twist in the 2024 Bollywood comedy Bad Newz doesn’t feel particularly novel either.
The comedy follows chef Saloni Bagga (Triptii Dimri), who, after a drunken night, finds herself in bed with both her boss, Gurbir Pannu (Ammy Virk), and her ex-husband, Akhil Chadha (Vicky Kaushal), all within 24 hours. When she later discovers she’s pregnant with fraternal twins, a paternity test reveals that both men are the fathers, due to ‘heteropaternal superfecundation’, a condition where the fertilization of eggs that can lead to two different biological father. This sets off a whirlwind of shock, confusion, and what the creators promise to be a ‘laugh riot’—though the claim is quite far-fetched.
‘Bad Newz’ starts with Saloni recalling her romance and marriage to Akhil, and how they ended up getting a divorce. The first few minutes, spent dwelling on their history, are absolutely unfunny and worse – regressive. Saloni is a serious, ambitious chef aspiring to win an international culinary award, but her career is consistently disrupted by the obnoxious, clingy Akhil, who treats her workplace like a public garden. One day, while Saloni is receiving rudely phrased negative feedback from a customer, Akhil happens to be around. Instead of helping, he beats up the customer and creates a scene.
This incident sparks a heated argument between the two, and Akhil kicks Saloni out of their house. She tearfully goes to her parents’ place, only to find them completely ignoring her in favor of a trashy reality show. That’s the kind of ‘joke’ the writers of ‘Bad Newz’ aim for – a heartbroken, vulnerable woman being treated like an invisible fly on the wall by her own family, at her lowest moment.
“At least he loves you and beats someone else. Our neighbor loves his wife and beats her too,” Saloni’s mother casually remarks. The implication being that the bare minimum Indian women should expect from their husbands is that they aren’t wife beaters. These so-called ‘jokes’ made me want to stop watching the film. But out of curiosity, I stuck with it. While there are a few funny lines scattered here and there, but overall, ‘Bad Newz’ remains an annoying, not-so-funny movie.
Some parts of ‘Bad Newz’ is only watchable because Triptii is super cute, but even her acting in the comedic parts is lack-luster. Vicky Kaushal as the rich, arrogant Punjabi boy Akhil is supposed to be the kind of ‘bad guy’ women swoon over, but doesn’t seem like it. And while this is supposed to be Saloni’s story, the men dominate most scenes, as their rivalry over who gets to father both twins forms the crux of the comedy. Ammy Virk’s Gurbir Punnu is a stereotypical Punjabi boy with a forgettable personality, who is only slightly more mature than Akhil, and that’s not saying much. Saloni is often left tired, frazzled, exhausted, and stressed due to both Akhil and Gurbir trying to compete over her with manipulative tricks. Besides, there’s more chemistry between Akhil and Gurbir, than between Saloni and any of the men.
The background music and songs of ‘Bad Newz’ are just rehashed old numbers, including a remixed version of “mere mehboob mere sanam” from Shah Rukh Khan’s Duplicate. A significant chunk of the ambient music are all old popular Bollywood numbers that are mixed weirdly with scenes. So instead of evoking nostalgia, it only comes off as a blatant bad attempt at milking their retro or emotional value to diehard SRK fans (lots of Karan Johar movie songs in there).
As the climax approaches, we get a cliched emotional twist where one man finally gets to redeem himself and win over Saloni’s heart. Unless you’re a big fan of the actors, this comedy is probably best skipped. At least the movie lives up to its title, it’s nothing but a lot of ‘Bad Newz’.
Rating: 1.5 stars on 5. ‘Bad Newz’ is available to rent on Prime Video.
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Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult Review
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It seems there’s no business priests won’t touch as long as it gets them money. Like the recent case of a Catholic priest getting arrested for cooking crystal meth in his parish rectory. So, a church running a management company to handle famous TikTok dancers—and ripping them off most of their revenue—might seem bizarre at first. But when the exploitative business model becomes clear, you go, “Aha!”
Directed by Derek Doneen, Netflix’s three-part documentary series “Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult” explores allegations against Robert Israel Shinn, the founder of Shekina Church, for running a cult-like organization through his management company, 7M Films. The organization is accused of taking away over 70% of the earnings of the artists it manages, after brain-washing them and isolating them from their families.
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“Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult” begins with the story of two sisters, Melanie and Miranda Wilking, who ran a popular TikTok channel called the Wilking Sisters. They often posted dance videos together, amassing millions of followers and securing numerous brand deals. However, things changed when Miranda started dating popular dancer James Derrick, aka BDash, who introduced her to the Shekinah Church and 7M Management. Miranda cut herself off from her family, which led to the Wilking family making a desperate plea on social media to re-unite with their daughter, while they also accused Shinn of running a cult-like organization. The story quickly blew up.
Miranda’s family reveals their ordeal and struggle to convince Miranda to break free from the Shekina church, but without much success. The documentary also features several interviews of former members of the Shekinah Church, including some popular dancers who were friends with Miranda and left 7M Films when things started to feel off to them. While 7M Films was only found a few years ago, Shinn has been running the Church for decades and the documentary features another pair of sisters, both of whom escaped Shinn’s grip after years of exploitation.
Packed with several great dancing sequences, “Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult” is visually very engaging. The documentary includes numerous audio recordings of Robert Israel Shinn’s sermons, many of which reveal the manipulative nature of his interactions with church members. However, since the legal case against Shinn has barely progressed, it feels like Netflix rushed this release. Nonetheless, it serves as an exposé on Shinn and could potentially help others identify more victims or realize they might be involved in a cult. In-fact, the Wilking family’s decision to tell their story did make others come forward and speak about their own stories of being exploited by the Shekinah church.
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The creators should have included interviews with a behavioral psychologist or cult expert to provide insight into how individuals like Shinn target their victims and which demographics are more vulnerable to being drawn into such groups. This would have given viewers a clearer understanding of the psychological and socioeconomic factors at play in these cases. While some viewers may be able to read between the lines, without expert commentary, others might mistakenly see the ‘victims’ as naive individuals who were simply deceived by a charismatic figure, rather than recognizing the deeper, more complex dynamics at work.
Rating: 6 on 10. Watch ‘Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult’ on Netflix.
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September 4, 2024
The Lady Killer Review: Arjun’s Rajendar is Chick/Misfortune Magnet
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Extramarital affairs, domestic violence, counterfeit medicine sales, incest, sexual abuse, theft, murder… the list of themes “The Lady Killer” tries to cover is a big one. And despite a two-hour runtime, the film directed by Ajay Bahl unfolds like a horror movie attempting to bite off a lot more than it can chew. It’s not a horror movie, but the dark, broody shots make you wonder if a few ghosts are going to pop by. In fact, even the title is slightly misleading. “The Lady Killer” makes it sound like the story is possibly about a Casanova serial killer (think Ted Bundy) or just a psycho dude who keeps getting the ladies into trouble, but bechara (poor) Arjun Kapoor’s character, Rajendar Joshi, has the ladies constantly creating problems for him. But it’s Bhumi Pednekar you’ll feel most sorry for, because she delivers an electric performance as the volatile, almost bipolar Jansey Burman, a young woman who gets entangled in a stormy affair with Rajendar.
For the first 20 minutes or so, “The Lady Killer” was sort of interesting, and then things start to go downhill in this hillside thriller. The story is essentially about Rajendar Joshi struggling to run a pharmacy while trying to get a loan approved for a bigger venture. He becomes acquainted with the mysterious Jansey while trying to win favor with a wealthy man in town. As Jansey and Rajendar get closer, a toxic romance brews, in which Rajendar’s scorned ex-girlfriend Gajara (Priyanka Bose) pours in more poison. Caught between his stalker-like crazy ex who wants him back and his crazier new lover Jansey, Rajendar might seem like a bit of a lady killer or chick magnet, but is more of a misfortune magnet.
“The Lady Killer” tries to be this dark, broody, serious, mysterious, and steamy thriller, but does everything half-heartedly. The steamy scenes aren’t watchable, the dark-tinted cinematography is kind of annoying, and the dialogues often sound weird. However, Bhumi Pednekar’s portrayal of Jansey, a troubled young woman with a lot of baggage, is the only highlight of this tedious drama.
The two biggest flaws of “The Lady Killer” are that the writers can’t establish Rajendar as a character worth caring about, and there’s very little chemistry between Arjun Kapoor and Bhumi Pednekar, so their instant, crazy, passionate attraction never seems convincing. Each time things get steamy between Jansey and Rajendar, it looks like Jansey is romancing a tree. Their relationship spirals out of control by the end, and a prolonged climax ends things on a tragic note in “The Lady Killer”.
You can watch the film on YouTube.
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Amy Adams Goes Feral in “Nightbitch” Trailer
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“Do you just love being home with him all the time?” a stranger asks in the newly released trailer for “Nightbitch,” and the look on Amy Adams’ face says it all. The trailer opens with Adams, playing an artist-turned-stay-at-home mom, desperately navigating a grocery store with her toddler. As the camera zooms in, her exhaustion is palpable—her eyes shadowed, her steps heavy. It’s clear she’s reached her limit, craving a break from the relentless routine of full-time motherhood while her husband remains blissfully distant, traveling for work.
But “Nightbitch” isn’t just another film about the struggles of motherhood. Written and directed by Marielle Heller, and adapted from Rachel Yoder’s best-selling novel, this film takes an unexpected twist into the surreal. Adams’ character, trapped in a cycle of sleepless nights and endless days, begins to undergo a bizarre transformation. Her canines grow sharper, patches of hair start to sprout, and she develops a taste for the primal. As the trailer crescendos, we see Adams prowling through the dark, her eyes gleaming with a newfound wildness. By day, she’s a “dog-tired” mom, but by night, she roams the wild, embracing her inner beast.
The teaser hints at a darkly comedic and bizarre exploration of identity and the untamed instincts that lie beneath the surface of even the most domesticated lives. With Heller at the helm and Adams in a daring role, “Nightbitch” promises to be a wildly unique ride, blurring the lines between sanity and surrender to our most animalistic impulses. Get ready for a film that bites back! It’s expected to hit theaters in December.
Watch the trailer on YouTube, it’s also embedded below.
Cosmetic Playlover Review – Romance in the Makeup Aisle
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Mamiya Natsume is a friendly, cheery, hardworking cosmetic consultant, whose junior, Sahashi, is quite aloof, arrogant, and not as earnest about work as other employees. Despite their vastly different personalities, Mamiya sees Sahashi’s potential, constantly encouraging him in subtle ways, leading to an unexpected relationship between the two.
Directed by Shindo Takehiro, the live-action romance spans eight episodes and is based on the manga series “Cosmetic Playlover” (コスメティック・プレイラバー) by Narashima Sachi. Okuno So stars as the lead character, Mamiya, with Toyoda Yudai portraying Sahashi, a model-turned-makeup artist. Both are standout employees at their branch, known for drawing in female customers with their good looks, particularly Sahashi. While many attribute Sahashi’s high sales figures solely to his appearance, Mamiya is the only one who sees beyond his handsome exterior.
“Cosmetic Playlover? Is that like a kinky series?” a friend who peeked at the working title for this review asked.
“No, it’s not!”
It didn’t even strike me until then that the title generates expectations of a sexy, playful romance, but instead, “Cosmetic Playlover” is surprisingly vanilla. Mamiya and Sahashi spend most of their time working, navigating unexpected rivals, with a few romantic scenes here and there. A lot of the show focuses on the characters either working or encountering problems, some of which feel superficially imposed into the storyline just to introduce some conflict. For instance, a former colleague of Mamiya shows up at his workplace and tries to get him sacked over baseless accusations.
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Okuno So is charmingly bright as the diligent, wide-eyed Mamiya; however, the character oscillates between being a positive cheerleader and an annoying overthinker who often doesn’t voice his views and, worse – jumps to conclusions for others. For example, he chooses to believe a random new character and attempts to push Sahashi into completely overhauling his life without even having a proper conversation about it. Thus, a lot of their relationship tends to feel unrealistic, especially due to the needless communication gaps they have.
I remembered Okuno So seeming familiar, and then I realized I had seen him in the food-themed Japanese series “Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yaro ka,” where he played the lead’s ex-boyfriend, a confident, irresponsible, playful, happy-go-lucky guy who livened up the show with his laidback personality. In “Cosmetic Playlover,” Okuno So’s character is completely different, and one can spot his versatility as an actor.
Toyoda Yudai, on the other hand, doesn’t make much of a strong impression as the typical tsundere (tough on the outside, soft on the inside) lead, who tends to be overtly possessive of Mamiya. The chemistry between the lead actors is just about watchable, not the kind of pairing many fans would want to see again. However, what I liked best about “Cosmetic Playlover” is that the romantic moments between Mamiya and Sahashi are organic and do not feature ridiculous scenes of ‘accidental’ kisses.
Yonemura Tomoki as Harukawa Taichi was the only supporting character who was relatable in “Cosmetic Playlover.” Unlike the other more exaggerated personalities, Taichi is a clumsy, cute new employee who is eager to learn the ropes of the trade.
The cinematography is visually engaging, with warm tones dominating the more romantic scenes between Sahashi and Mamiya. Since a large part of “Cosmetic Playlover” takes place at the Beauty Store where the leads work, the creators have done a convincing job of bringing the manga’s vision to life with the fictional brand ‘Romy Feerique.’
The whole makeup industry setting serves as an interesting new backdrop for a familiar romantic tale where two good-looking leads fall in love after facing a series of misunderstandings.
Rating: 6 out of 10.
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September 3, 2024
The Buckingham Murders Trailer: Kareena Kapoor Tackles a Chilling Crime
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When the only child of a Sikh couple is found murdered in a park, it’s up to Detective Bhamra (Kareena Kapoor Khan) and her team to unravel who killed the innocent boy and why.
The official trailer for Hansal Mehta’s upcoming movie The Buckingham Murders offers a gritty, cryptic glimpse into a thriller where multiple suspects and a religious angle complicate the murder case. “A wave of communal tension has culminated in violence following the arrest of a Muslim teenager in connection with the death of a Sikh child in Wycombe,” a newsreader’s voice-over plays over scenes of chaos in the trailer. However, there are more people under the police’s radar for the death.
In the 2-minute 34-second trailer, no one is spared from the lens of suspicion—not the victim’s parents, friends, neighbors, or relatives. The fact that the boy was adopted adds an intriguing twist to the tale. “Could it have been the parents?” is not a question that can be ruled out. Or maybe it’s just a big red herring.
A makeup-free Kareena Kapoor Khan as lead investigator Bhamra looks ready to go to any length to find the killer. The multi-racial cast also includes Ranveer Brar, Ash Tandon, Assad Raja, Prabhleen Sandhu, Sanjeev Mehra, Adwoa Akoto, and Zain Hussain.
The Buckingham Murders is set to release in theaters on September 13th.
Watch the trailer on YouTube. It’s also embedded below.
Ten of Swords Review: When Zombies Need a Union
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Zombies don’t always have to be the monsters in horror stories, like in the short horror film “Ten of Swords,” where zombies are victims and humans are the villains who use the undead as unpaid labor!
Written and directed by Faye Jackson, the 2023 short film “Ten of Swords” follows Jay (Theo Soloman), a young man who wakes up after being stabbed to death as a zombie, only to realize that zombie life isn’t what it was advertised to be. It’s a very fresh take on the zombie genre, so just for the twisted plot—brownie points.
Sixteen minutes long, “Ten of Swords” unfolds like a dystopian, dark horror comedy, which takes the ‘working like a zombie’ metaphor to a literal level. The popular Japanese horror-comedy “Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead” is about an office worker rejoicing when he realizes he might be killed by flesh-eating zombies soon, but at least he can spend the last few days of his life like a lively human, without worrying about office work! But imagine not getting any respite from monotonous, soul-killing labor even after dying. That’s what “Ten of Swords” is all about.
Zombies are put to work and exploited by their human bosses, who often use a piece of dangling meat as motivation, much like the proverbial ‘carrot on a stick’ used to make mules toil harder. They aren’t the same as the ‘smart zombies’ from ‘The Walking Dead’ universe or the fast, scheming ones from Zack Snyder’s ‘Army of the Dead.’ Theo Soloman as Jay is an empathetic undead worker who schemes with his fellow workers to lead a mutiny against their overlords and possibly even get revenge on the person who got him murdered in the first place. You never know what the characters are going to do next in “Ten of Swords,” so there’s a consistent amount of dread and tension throughout the runtime.
The cinematography is vivid, with all the worker zombies dressed in yellow overalls, which serves as a fantastic contrast to all the blood splatters that take place in the more violent scenes. While the second half wasn’t as gritty and low-key funny as the first few minutes, “Ten of Swords” is a unique horror film that will keep most fans of the genre engaged until the very end. I did think the climax felt abrupt, especially because I was hoping for Jay to carry out an elaborate revenge mission, which doesn’t happen. However, maybe there will be a part 2? I would watch it for sure.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5. Watch ‘Ten of Swords’ on Alter’s YouTube channel.
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September 2, 2024
Blood Oath Comic Series Review
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Hazel Crenshaw is a shrewd, feisty young woman running her family farm, ensuring she and her sister lead comfortable lives and that their workers get paid adequately. It’s 1927, the peak of Prohibition (the U.S. Congress had banned the manufacture, transportation, and sale of alcohol in 1920), and Hazel runs a sly side hustle storing liquor for local thugs. While it’s supposed to be a quiet, covert, peaceful transactional operation, she finds herself caught in a bloody war between vampires and the local liquor mafia.
Created by Rob Hart, Alex Segura, and Joe Eisma, the five-part comic book series “Blood Oath” combines gothic vampire fiction with crime western elements to deliver an easy, entertaining read. The artwork is filmy and mildly retro, and even though it doesn’t create a dark, gothic atmosphere for a story about bloodthirsty vampires going on a killing rampage, it’s still quite engaging.
The primary conflict of the story centers around a truce between vampires and humans over the liquor trade during Prohibition. However, someone decides to violate the ‘blood oath’ agreed upon by both sides, leading to a messy trail of death. The antagonist kidnaps Hazel’s sister for unknown reasons, so she is hellbent on destroying those who burnt down her farm and took away her sister. An interesting subplot involves a vampire-hunter nun who is also on a mission to kill the same people Hazel wants dead.
Despite the obviously exaggerated elements (Hazel surviving a bloodbath where dozens of men are killed in a flash, not once, but twice), I enjoyed reading this horror-themed comic that has women leading the story and fighting the bad guys. “Blood Oath” isn’t the kind of comic book I will remember for a long time, unlike Shuzo Oshimi’s “Happiness,” a gory, twisted vampire manga series that was intense, edgy, and filled to the brim with twists. However, “Blood Oath” is a quick, entertaining read, especially if you’re looking to kill some time during filler moments—like while waiting for a flight/train or standing in line to pay your shopping bill.
Rating: 3 out of 5.
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