Sneha Jaiswal's Blog, page 78
August 25, 2024
The Tormented Series Review – What if Warrens Had an Heir?
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
The five-part horror comic series (which might and should get a second volume), “The Tormented” by Chuck Austen and Patrick Olliffe (art), instantly feels like it belongs to “The Conjuring” horror franchise. It follows a handsome protagonist named Ryan Auster, whose parents were famous paranormal experts who could see and fight ghosts, but they die a grisly death while encountering something sinister. Ryan is left with their legacy and an old house with a creepy basement filled with eerie relics. It made me think of how Ryan would be the perfect son for Ed and Lorraine Warren, the paranormal experts who often appear in all the horror stories that take place in the Conjuring Universe, like “The Nun” and “Annabelle” movies.
So, what is “The Tormented” about? Well, Ryan Auster just loses his job and is struggling to pay his bills when a new job comes knocking – an opportunity to host a ghost-hunting show. Brad, the producer of the show, gets a nod from the TV network for the series without even asking Ryan if he’d be interested in it. Why would a broke bloke with no job say no to hosting his own show, right? But to his new crew’s surprise, Ryan has zero interest in doing anything related to ghosts. To the network, it might just be a bogus attempt at entertaining horror fans with some fake sounds and effects in ‘haunted’ locations, but for Ryan, ghosts and spirits are far too real and often malevolent. Will he evade this new chance or embrace his haunted legacy?
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Each issue of “The Tormented” is only about 25 pages long, but both the storytelling by Chuck Austen and the glossy, colorful artwork by Patrick Olliffe are thoroughly entertaining. There are plenty of deadly ghosts and spirits appearing throughout the series, and the creepiest ones are body-snatcher-style monsters that take over human bodies in a very grisly manner. Flashbacks reveal Ryan’s father to be an overbearing, scary figure in his life, and how their paranormal activities scarred the boy for life. “The Tormented” thus explores Ryan’s difficult childhood and his uncertain present. The ghost-hunting show, as Ryan fears, only brings him in contact with vengeful new spirits thirsting for human blood.
There isn’t enough time or space to explore all the supporting characters – like the members of Ryan’s crew – that appear in “The Tormented,” but at least we get a solidly likable protagonist in the form of Ryan. He is a charming, thoughtful young man, weighed down by a traumatic past, a haunted house, and the unwanted gift of being able to see and communicate with the dead. Certainly not a comforting power when you are going through a rough time.
Horror fans can spot a lot of familiar motifs and tropes, including a direct nod to Ghostbusters. One of my favorite moments in “The Tormented” is a scene where Ryan’s cameraman declares, “I ain’t afraid of no ghost,” while preparing to fight a horde of ghosts in the climactic issue. It’s a famous expression from Ghostbusters.
Overall, “The Tormented” is an easily entertaining horror comic series with characters that have a lot of potential. There are quite a few fun twists and turns in the story, but the climax did feel rushed and slightly underwhelming, given that it had a full-blown “humans versus evil spirits” showdown that ends too soon and far too easily. I hope Chuck Austen and Patrick Olliffe will get to do a volume 2 of “The Tormented,” because from the looks of it, Ryan Auster’s ghostly adventures and the new ghost-busting show journey have only begun!
Rating: 4 out of 5. “The Tormented” is also on Kindle Unlimited.
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August 24, 2024
American Murder: Laci Peterson Documentary Review
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On Christmas Eve 2002, 26-year-old American woman Laci Peterson, who was eight months pregnant at the time, was reported missing by her husband, Scott Lee Peterson. Scott claimed he went fishing in the morning and couldn’t find Laci when he returned home. There were no signs of a break-in at their Modesto home, and Scott seemed to be the only suspect in the case, although neither the police nor friends and family had any reason to suspect him—at least not at the beginning.
The 2024 Netflix documentary “American Murder: Laci Peterson” is a three-part series featuring several interviews and real footage, including video recordings of Scott Lee Peterson’s police interrogations over Laci’s disappearance. As a non-American viewer unfamiliar with the Laci Peterson case, the documentary is gripping enough to remain engaging, although the entire story could have been wrapped up in 90 minutes instead of its 2-hour-39-minute runtime. However, from the family’s perspective, the documentary makers try to paint a human picture of Laci and not reduce her to just a murder victim.
From childhood photos, homemade videos, and wedding albums to interviews with family members and best friends who remember Laci as a happy young woman excited to start the next chapter of her life, all three episodes of “American Murder: Laci Peterson” honor her memory in a straightforward manner. By the end of episode two, viewers can get a good sense of both Laci’s and Scott’s personalities. Interviews with officers and journalists who worked on the case help shed light on the investigation’s course and why it took the police a significant amount of time to finally make an arrest.
The creators of the documentary series use graphics to clearly define the timeline of the case. “American Murder: Laci Peterson” begins with the day Laci went missing, progresses through the community efforts to find her in the following days, and then focuses on the court case when it became clear that Laci had been murdered. The last episode tracks the legal developments in Laci’s case, and it was impressive to see that the creators got two members of the jury who presided over the case to share their opinions. Archival footage shows the staggering media attention Laci’s murder received, with a packed crowd waiting outside the court to hear the verdict firsthand. High profile lawyers are engaged on both sides and a crucial testimony changes everything in the case.
Unlike some other true crime documentaries that cover cases where the truth remains unknown or the case is still pending in court, there is a sense of closure in the Laci Peterson documentary. For instance, the Netflix documentary “Curry & Cyanide” was about the Koodathayi cyanide killings, where a woman was accused of killing six people; however, when the documentary was released, the trial was still ongoing, and the prime accused hadn’t been convicted. Except for its overdrawn pace, “American Murder: Laci Peterson” is a well-made documentary, which covers Laci’s murder from various angles, giving viewers multiple perspectives on how different people connected to the case had differing views on what might have happened.
Rating: 7 out of 10. Watch the documentary on Netflix.
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Koreatown Ghost Story – Short Film Review
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
If you’re a struggling artist juggling two jobs to make ends meet, would you jump at the chance to marry someone wealthy? Margaret Cho plays a sinister doctor named Mrs. Moon, who offers Hannah (Lyrica Okano), a friend’s daughter, the opportunity of a lifetime in the 2021 short horror film “Koreatown Ghost Story.”
The fifteen-minute film opens with Hannah visiting Mrs. Moon, a family friend she hasn’t seen in ages, to return a gift that appears to be an antique box. But to Hannah’s surprise and discomfort, the older woman, who seems to have not aged at all, has disturbingly grand plans for her. First, Mrs. Moon offers Hannah an acupuncture session to relieve her pain. Thus, the tone of “Koreatown Ghost Story” is an interesting blend of dark humor and old school horror. There’s irony in how Mrs. Moon offers temporary relief from physical pain while potentially trapping Hannah in a lifetime of misery, despite the promise of a hefty payoff.
Directed by Minsun Park and Teddy Tenenbaum, “Koreatown Ghost Story” unfolds in a beautiful but aged mansion and takes place on a Korean holiday that Mrs. Moon describes as “Halloween meets Thanksgiving.” Margaret Cho is wickedly good as the creepy Mrs. Moon, a character symbolic of all Asian mothers who want nothing more than to see their children ‘settled.’ She pins down a helpless Hannah in a macabre bargain, and the screenplay wittily captures the sheer terror and desperation of the young woman cornered under unexpected circumstances.
Will Hannah give in to Mrs. Moon’s demands, or will she find a way to fight back against both the old woman and the ghosts lurking in the mansion? “Koreatown Ghost Story” cleverly foreshadows its quirky climactic twist and ends in an almost satisfying manner. I say almost because it feels like it could’ve been slightly longer and scarier.
You can watch “Koreatown Ghost Story” on YouTube.
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My Love Mix-Up! Review: Lacks the Comedic Punch of ‘Kieta Hatsukoi’
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
The first episode of the Thai series “My Love Mix-Up” is out and sets a fun tone for the high-school romantic comedy starring Fourth Nattawat Jirochtikul and Gemini Norawit Titicharoenrak as leads Atom and Kongthap. It starts with Atom narrating a school legend about how writing down your crush’s name on an eraser can manifest into a real relationship. This is a small deviation from the original series, which features a mix-up over an eraser without any legend attached. Atom has a crush on the cute Mudmee (Pahn Pathitta Pornchumroenrut), but when she lends him her eraser with Kongthap’s name on it, Kongthap spots it and thinks Atom likes him. This leads to a lot of comedic confusion and new romances.
Directed by Au Kornprom Niyomsil, the Thai show is based on the Japanese manga by Wataru Hinekure and Aruko. I absolutely loved the Japanese version of “My Love Mix-Up!” (Kieta Hatsukoi – 消えた初恋 ) featuring Mishieda Shunsuke and Meguro Ren as the lead pair. Mishieda Shunsuke was pitch-perfect with his body-humour and expressions as the lead Aoki (Atom in the Thai version), which made the show hilarious. And while the Thai “My Love Mix-Up” also starts on an entertaining note, promising to be a funny romantic comedy, it eventually pales out in front of its Japanese counterpart.
Spanning 12 episodes, “My Love Mix-Up” takes the basic plot of the Manga and makes several tweaks in the storyline to cater to Thai audience. These changes have both their pros and cons, while the changes offer a fresh perspective for viewers who’ve already seen the Japanese version, so it’s not as predictable, at the same time, it’s not as funny. I think a lot of viewers might not like the fact that the Thai creators made Kongthap have a pet cat instead of a dog. The primary premise focuses on how Atom tries to clear the air with Kongthap, but the more two of them interact with each other, Atom finds himself falling in love with Kongthap. He also learns that Mudmee likes Half (Chokun Puttipong Jitbut) and not Kongthap, so the two form an ‘eraser alliance’ to help each other win their crushes over.
Fourth Nattawat Jirochtikul delivers a hit-and-miss performance as Atom, which I could not help but compare with Michieda Shunsuke’s riotous portrayal of the lead character in the Japanese “My Love Mix-Up”. Atom is supposed to be a confused, under-confident, easily scared, silly goofball, and Fourth Nattawat Jirochtikul has a naturally confident body language that doesn’t fully complement his character. Of course he is cute, bright, and entertaining in parts, but the heart of the character – Atom’s overactive imagination and reactions – is missing. Kongthap’s character is more straightforward; he is an introverted, serious, top student, so Gemini Norawit Titicharoenrak has an easier time slipping into the character’s skin. While Fourth emerged as the stronger actor in their debut series “My School President”, Gemini was maybe more convincing in his character for “My Love Mix-up”, although sometimes his delivery was stiff and off the mark.
Pahn Pathitta Pornchumroenrut is quite endearing as Mudmee, and her romantic pursual of Half is mildly fun, although Chokun Puttipong Jitbut’s portrayal of Half didn’t have any zing. Sure, the two of them look super cute together, but the chemistry was quite off the mark. Instead, Mudmee and Atom’s friendship is a lot more fun to watch through the runtime. The cinematography is colorful, engaging, with an upbeat soundtrack, however, a lot of the product-placements in the show were ridiculously loud and could’ve been more subtle. I feel like the decision to have a cat in the show instead of a dog was because the creators landed an endorsement with a cat-food company.
While at first, I was excited that the Thai version was longer, the last few episodes begin to feel like a drag. Overall, “My Love Mix-Up” is a light, high-school themed romantic comedy, which doesn’t serve big laughs, but is a decent one-time watch.
Rating: 6 on 10. You can watch “My Love Mix-Up” on YouTube.
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August 23, 2024
Landed in Korea Review: K-pop Songs Do Better
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A cute Indian girl named Seetha is invited by her Korean friend to visit him for a few days, so she excitedly flies to Seoul and finds herself caught in a whirlwind love triangle with two young Korean men.
The mini-series Landed in Korea is a lighthearted romance spanning eight episodes, with each chapter lasting only five minutes, sometimes even less. The title appears to be inspired by the immensely popular K-Drama Crash Landing on You, and the series features K-pop star Aoora, who gained fame in India through the reality show Bigg Boss, becoming a household name for many Indian viewers.
Given the popularity of K-pop and K-dramas in India, Landed in Korea seems designed to cater to Indian viewers looking for a cross-cultural romance featuring an Indian dating a Korean. In the series, Seetha spends time with four Korean guys and sort of dates one of them, while realizing she might prefer another. That’s essentially the entire plot of Landed in Korea—some K-pop songs probably have more developed stories than this web series.
The show doesn’t come across as a serious attempt at creating something memorable. It’s shot in a vlog-like style, and given the short duration of each episode, they all feel like teasers for longer episodes that are never shared with the viewers. Landed in Korea ends with a ridiculous twist in episode eight, making the entire story feel pretty pointless. Honestly, this might have worked better as a four-minute song about an Indian girl romancing a hot Korean Oppa rather than a mini-series.
Watch “Landed in Korea” on YouTube.
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In Love & Pajamas Book Review
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
“A collection of comics about being yourself together” — that’s the tagline for Catana Chetwynd’s comic book In Love & Pajamas. The book is filled with cutesy illustrations of Catana and her partner being lazy, cozy, or silly together. For those who, like me, have read her other collections like Snug or Little Moments, this one often feels repetitive and even a bit boring at times.
Catana’s simple doodle-style illustrations remain adorable — she and John look like cuddly cinnamon rolls throughout the book, with their tiny bodies and big round sleepy eyes. Their pet dog makes a cameo on a few pages as well. One of the funniest panels shows the dog taking a nap with the caption “our dog does nothing,” followed by Catana and John losing their minds over their dog doing nothing, snapping countless pictures. It perfectly captures every pet owner’s joy in documenting their pet doing the most basic thing — napping.
In her introduction, the author mentions that this book is about the joy of being your true, silly self in front of a partner, without fear of judgment. So, of course, In Love & Pajamas is all about happy, sweet moments. It’s like a Valentine’s Day gift for a partner, focused on a clingy-cute couple who want to spend all their time together — cuddling, sleeping, or eating their favorite food (indoors). I didn’t enjoy this as much as Catana’s other two books, but it was a pretty breezy read.
Rating: 3 on 5. “In Love & Pajamas” is also on Kindle Unlimited.
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August 22, 2024
Love Is Blind: UK – Romance Finds a New Home Across the Pond
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
“We found love in a hopeless place.” Remember these lyrics from Rihanna’s hit song from 2011? They could be the anthem for Love Is Blind, where strangers try to find not just love, but a partner they can say ‘I Do’ to. And well, reality television can really be a hopeless place if you’re looking for romance—that’s where people usually end up making ‘enemies,’ not lovers.
If you’ve seen the American version of Love Is Blind or any other country’s version that’s already up on Netflix, then you already know the format of this reality dating series, which likes to call itself an ‘experiment.’ For those like me who weren’t aware of the show until Love Is Blind: UK somehow turned up on their homepage recommendations on Netflix—the premise is definitely very interesting (which explains the number of seasons and the popularity of the show). A whole bunch of men and women date each other through a wall in pods over ten days, and those who manage to fall in love without having seen each other’s faces can decide to get engaged. Only those who get successfully engaged without seeing each other get to meet in person. The few lucky couples who do get engaged then go on a beautiful romantic weekend getaway to test their connection and are then challenged to live together for three weeks as they return to their regular jobs and lives to see if they can cohabit like functional couples. At the end of this period, if the spark is still strong, they get married in the presence of friends and family.
At first, Netflix had dropped only four episodes of Love Is Blind: UK, hosted by real-life couple Matt and Emma Willis, I was hooked. I watched all four episodes back-to-back, and quite a few contestants featured in the series seemed genuinely nice, working professionals looking for partners. Not just that, some of them also had great chemistry between them—their banter and flirting were fun, cute, sweet, and you could see their attraction was legit, even though they couldn’t see each other. But of course, all that can change once you meet face-to-face. While Love Is Blind: UK was still ongoing, I decided to stream Love Is Blind: Japan, which had aired a few years ago, which meant viewers could find out if any of the couples actually ended up getting married and lasting after the show. As of August 2024, at least two of the Japanese couples who got married on the show are still very much together, and one couple has two kids together. So that’s a big win for the show, even though a lot of their American contestants have already gotten divorced.
But okay, let’s get back to talking about Love Is Blind: UK, where quite a few couples get engaged to each other, but not all of them say “I Do” at the end. Like the golden goblets they sip their wine from, just one couple seemed golden and rock solid from the start, and I thought to myself, “If these guys don’t end up getting married, this show is a lie.” LOL. Although, well, too much of a good thing can also feel like something is amiss. I did end up watching one season each of the American, Mexican, and Sweden (tried the Brazil edition too, but the contestants didn’t seem interesting at all), and “Love is Blind: UK” is a little more charming versus the others.
Of course, what makes Love Is Blind: UK (or any of Netflix’s Love Is Blind editions) a little easier for couples to hit it off is the fact that the bulk of the contestants tend to be good-looking, and obviously, you need that for reality television. So there’s definitely a sliver of assurance in the back of most people’s minds that whoever they hit it off with won’t be a frog or beast (fairy tale reference). For instance, a funeral director called Freddie in Love Is Blind: UK is drop-dead gorgeous—he looks like the lead in a romcom—and when he meets Catherine, the nurse he proposes to, her jaw practically drops on the floor. “Did you know he looked like that?” she asks the camera, completely ecstatic over how hot Freddie is.
Among all the other country versions, the UK edition probably had the least drama, even though the couples do have their disagreements and disillusionments. For instance, Nicole, a sweet, divorced contestant, ends up being engaged to someone who is perceived by some of the other guys as someone who is on the show only for the exposure and popularity. Nicole immediately regrets her decision and asks to meet someone else with whom she had great chemistry in the pods, leading to some suspense over whether the other pair will last. But apart from the romances, it was also cute to see the contestants form some really strong friendships throughout the runtime and having each other’s backs when needed.
From discussing future goals, past traumas, careers, kids, surrogacy, and adoption options, the contestants in Love Is Blind: UK cover everything under the sun that people discuss when they are meeting their future spouse. One of the most interesting clashes between the couples came in the form of a cultural clash between makeup artist Maria and advertising consultant Tom. While Maria is conservative and believes it’s the man who should ‘protect’ the woman and pay all the bills, even if it’s just going on a simple ice cream date, Tom is a feminist who believes women should be on equal footing with the men in their lives. Otherwise, they tick a lot of boxes for each other.
In terms of entertainment, Love Is Blind: UK is a binge-worthy show. Some of the episodes could’ve been shorter, but for those who like their reality TV loaded with emotional moments and romance, it’s a great pick for the weekend.
Stream “Love is Blind” on Netflix.
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Stupid Games Review: Boardgame Night Gone Wrong
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Directors: Nicolas Wendl, Dani Abraham
Writers: Tanner Adams, Nicolas Wendl, Dani Abraham
Jaxon and his friend Rex are excited for a fun game night with three attractive women. However, when their third friend backs out at the last minute, Jaxon panics, insisting they need a third person to join them. In a pinch, they convince their building’s handyman, Stanley, to tag along. What starts as a promising evening quickly devolves into one of the worst nights of their lives.
Directed by Nicolas Wendl and Dani Abraham, the 2024 horror movie Stupid Games features an intriguing premise: a board game (refreshingly, not a Ouija board) that turns out to be deadly for its players. Flatmates Celeste (Alyssa Tortomasi), Riley (Cass Huckabay), and Mia (Ashwini Ganpule) host the flirty Jaxon (Saad Rolando), his best friend Rex (Gage Robinson), and handyman Stanley (Grant Terzakis) for a dinner-game night.
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At 1 hour and 26 minutes, Stupid Games takes far too long to deliver its scary moments while struggling to establish its character profiles. The horror elements are thin, and the plot leans heavily on character interactions to maintain interest. Unfortunately, the protagonists and their banter aren’t particularly engaging. Alyssa Tortomasi’s Celeste comes across as a watered-down version of a Mean Girls character, with none of Regina George’s sassiness or screen presence. Celeste dominates Riley and Mia, who are quite different from each other—Riley seems to channel a sexy Britney Spears vibe, while Mia is harder to pin down but is implied to be the smarter one. Stanley is the only character with some depth; he’s a nervous, nerdy, shy guy with a keen interest in Greek mythology, while the other men are simply looking to get lucky with the women. So perhaps, if you’d want to root for someone, it would have to be Grant Terzakis’ Stanley, who wasn’t even supposed to be part of the date night.
Most of the action in Stupid Games takes place in Celeste’s flat during a power outage, with the group playing a board game by candlelight. From the start, it’s clear that the hosts—the three women—are hiding something sinister, and there’s a sense of impending doom lurking in the flat. The setting may remind horror fans of the Australian movie Talk to Me, which fully embraces its supernatural themes with a mix of ghosts and laidback teens partying. Stupid Games lacks the energy, wit, and intensity that made Talk to Me a gritty horror standout.
The climactic moments of Stupid Games finally ramp up the supernatural elements, however, it still doesn’t deliver any hair-raising or nail-biting moments. The ending, though humorously satisfying, feels out of sync with the film’s otherwise dramatic tone. Given the mild horror, violence, and blood, this movie might have worked better as a horror-comedy. If you’re in the mood for a low-stakes, board-game-themed horror movie, Stupid Games might be worth a try.
You can watch ‘Stupid Games’ on the Mometu app.
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August 21, 2024
‘It Ends with Us’ Movie Makes Lily Seem Like the Red Flag at First
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Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel “It Ends With Us” follows protagonist Lily Bloom, a florist, who falls in love with neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid. Now, not all of us have read the novel, so it’s reasonable to assume that many of the nuances in Lily’s story from the novel don’t fully make their way into the onscreen adaptation.
“It Ends with Us” deals with the theme of domestic violence and how Lily learns about the darker side of Ryle as their relationship progresses. Having grown up in a family where her father was abusive toward her mother, Lily struggles to accept that the same cycle of violence is repeating in her own life. This, by the way, is barely depicted in the movie and is something we just have to assume as viewers, especially those who haven’t read the novel. Again, I’m only guessing that the novel handles its themes far more seriously and in greater depth because in the movie, the creators skirt around the issue for most of the runtime. In fact, the screenplay for “It Ends with Us” makes the movie unfold like a thriller for no reason and unwittingly ends up portraying Lily Bloom as a problematic character. Let me explain.
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In the movie, when Lily Bloom (Blake Lively) and Ryle Kincaid (Justin Baldoni) first meet, Ryle is clear about not wanting anything serious, so Lily says they won’t be seeing each other again, as she doesn’t want a casual fling. A few days later, they run into each other at Lily’s flower shop, and in an incredible coincidence, Ryle turns out to be the brother of Lily’s new employee and friend, Allysa. Ryle tries to flirt with Lily again, but she says they’d be better off as friends. However, she is clearly attracted to him too, so the two end up dating.
One day, Lily reveals that her mother is visiting and that she’s taking her out for dinner at a new restaurant. Ryle invites himself, claiming he would love to meet her mother, even though Lily doesn’t seem too enthused about it. This, frankly, looked a little odd considering she was the one looking for a serious relationship. Anyway… at the restaurant, Lily discovers that their server is Atlas, her ex-boyfriend, whom she used to be madly in love with. She quickly catches up with him on the side and then doesn’t tell either her mother or Ryle about it. This was odd and uncool—why hide running into an ex you dated 15 years ago from your current partner? Isn’t trust supposed to be the basis of a relationship? And if you think your partner cannot handle a simple truth like that, why date them? Unless, it’s Lily who still has strong lingering feelings for the ex and thus doesn’t want to share that part of her life with anybody yet. That’s where she first seems like a red flag in the movie.
Next, we see Lily and Ryle having a date night at his place. Ryle offers to cook for Lily, and while they’re flirting, Ryle realizes that his dish is burning. He rushes to the oven, accidentally burns himself, and breaks some dishes. Lily, while trying to help, falls and bruises herself in the chaos. Ryle sustains an injury to his hand from the mishap. Later, the two go out for dinner with Ryle’s sister at a restaurant run by Atlas, even though Lily tries to change the venue, but to no avail. At the restaurant, Atlas sees Lily’s bruised face and Ryle’s injured hand and assumes Ryle has hit Lily. The two men have an altercation at the restaurant, coming to blows, even though Lily tries to explain it was only an accident and that Ryle didn’t attack her.
A few days later, Atlas visits Lily at her shop and leaves his contact number hidden under her phone cover. Weeks later (the film doesn’t even make the timing clear), things seem to be going great between Ryle and Lily, and the two get married in a quick ceremony with just close friends. A few days later, Ryle accidentally drops Lily’s phone, discovers Atlas’ contact card, and feels betrayed. They fight over it, Ryle leaves the flat in a rage, and Lily follows him. She tries to pacify him, and he pushes her away in anger, causing her to lose her balance and fall down the stairs, injuring herself. Again, the fall in the film is depicted as an accident. And you also wonder, why carry an ex’s card on your phone while you’re married to someone else? But okay, to give Lily the benefit of the doubt, let’s assume she simply forgot the card was there.
Finally, as the climax approaches, Ryle sexually assaults Lily, despite her constant refusals to his advances, revealing him for the monster he is. After the assault, Lily leaves the flat and goes to Atlas for refuge (because apparently, she hasn’t made any friends in the past decade or so). It’s only then that she reveals how Ryle had really hit her on the night of their cooking date, and it wasn’t an accident, as an accurate flashback of the incident is shown instead of the ‘accidental’ bruise it was made out to be at first. Another accurate flashback shows Ryle deliberately and maliciously pushing Lily down the stairs in anger; she didn’t just slip and fall. This is when you feel frustrated as a viewer—why show these as accidents in the first place? Why build Ryle up as a hero when Lily hadn’t misread the situation? And then it makes sense that she kept Atlas’ card as an emergency contact.
So, yeah, the screenplay for “It Ends with Us” was deceptively annoying. The creators play down the domestic violence theme and try to frame the movie as some sort of romantic triangle, instead of deeply exploring Lily’s past trauma and current relationship troubles with her husband.
Thankfully, Lily Bloom finds the strength to end her abusive relationship and star afresh, but the story of the domestic violence survivor isn’t handled with the patience and attention it needed. And not everybody has a high school sweetheart waiting around the corner like a puppy to help them out of a dangerous situation.
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Stree 2 Review: Comedy dominates headless monster sequel
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
The small town of Chanderi is rid of its resident ghost, Stree—the evil spirit who would abduct men in the night. But with Stree gone, a headless monster begins to target Chanderi’s women, and it’s once again up to ladies’ tailor Vicky and his friends to solve the haunting of this new terror in town.
Directed by Amar Kaushik, the 2024 horror comedy Stree 2: Sarkate Ka Aatank sees most of the original cast reprise their roles and tackle a headless monster. The film begins with a fun stage musical enacted by kids to tell the legend of Stree and how she was defeated by Vicky (Rajkummar Rao). The music of the song is unimpressive—one wouldn’t want to hear it again—but it serves as an excellent recap chapter to start off the sequel.
It’s been a few years since Vicky and his mysterious lady friend (Shraddha Kapoor) weakened Stree by cutting her hair. Things are calm in the town of Chanderi until a young woman named Chitti (Anya Singh) goes missing late night after waking up the entire street with her screams for help. An eyewitness claims he saw a headless man (sarkata) drag her away. Bookshop owner Rudra (Pankaj Tripathi) receives a letter with the missing pages of the Chanderi Puraan, serving as a clue to who the headless monster might be. So, Vicky teams up with Rudra and his friends Bittu (Aparshakti Khurana) and Jana (Abhishek Banerjee) to fight the new ghost, and their plan includes turning to Stree for help. Shraddha Kapoor’s character, a nameless witch of sorts, also joins their quest to rid Chanderi of the new evil forces.
For a horror-comedy, there’s never a lack of humor in Stree 2; it’s packed to the hilt with jokes—some incredibly silly, while others are rib-tickling funny. Some are ridiculously literal (and meta), like a scene where Rajkummar Rao dresses up like an Indian prince, and one of his friends says, “Ab lag rahe ho na asli Rajkummar” (now you look like a real prince).
A lot of the laughs in the middle of the film are courtesy of Abhishek Banerjee’s hilarious portrayal of Jana, who still has PTSD from being Stree’s victim in the past and is once again used as bait to draw her out for help. Rajkummar Rao as popular Chanderi tailor Vicky is still moon-eyed over Shraddha Kapoor’s character, and while the romance is thin between the two in Stree 2, they share some awkward-cute moments courtesy of Vicky’s crazy crush.
But as far as the most crucial element of Stree 2: Sarkate Ka Aatank is concerned—the headless ghost—the new supernatural antagonist is just never scary enough. He feels like an exaggerated gag out of the older Ramsay Brothers’ horror movies, and the CGI for the ghastly ghost is quite underwhelming too. Another realm where Stree 2 pales in comparison to the 2018 Stree is music. Except for the track titled “Aayi Nai,” which is a catchy desi dance track, all the other songs aren’t as recall-worthy.
A few unexpected cameos in Stree 2 add to its entertainment factor in the second half. However, the final showdown between Sarkata and Vicky was chaotically prolonged and wasn’t tense or nail-biting at all. Nonetheless, any lack of scares in this horror-comedy is almost immediately compensated by something funny. For instance, when Vicky is trying to channel his inner hero to defeat the villain in the climactic minutes, he is told to act “dil se” (through his heart), so he starts to sing the “Dil Se” song. Depending on the viewer, some will find it funny as hell or completely stupid. Well, that holds true for a lot of the jokes, so I hope the inner child in you is ready to laugh at a lot of the silly lines in Stree 2, because that’s where it shines the best.
Rating: 7 out of 10.
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