Sneha Jaiswal's Blog, page 8

‘The Map That Leads to You’ Movie Review: Scenic, Soulless, Sleepy Ride

Rating: 1.5 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

The ‘meet cute’ in the 2025 romance film ‘The Map That Leads to You takes’ place on a train, where the protagonist casually saunters into a compartment, hands his future love interest his bag to hold, and then climbs onto the overhead luggage rack to take a nap. I couldn’t help but laugh at the scene, especially since the other characters react as if it’s ‘genius’ or some effortlessly cool move. But we Indians have been doing it for decades. In fact, even I’ve slept on a train’s luggage rack as a kid. In our corner of the world, it’s simply called ‘jugaad’, nothing novel, genius, or cool about it. Just another ordinary day on a train. Anyway…

Directed by Lasse Hallström, ‘The Map That Leads to You’ is based on the romance novel by J.P. Monninger and follows Heather (Madelyn Cline), fresh out of college, on a Euro trip with her two girlfriends when she falls in love with a “mysterious stranger” (her own words) named Jack (KJ Apa), a traveler with no fixed job.

Heather loves to plan things; Jack is totally spontaneous, with no care for the future. But since sparks fly between the two, he convinces her to extend her trip by a week as they explore new places together, visiting locations mentioned in Jack’s great-grandfather’s travel journal.

‘The Map That Leads to You’ relies on the cliched ‘travel can change your life’ trope, without delivering anything fresh. KJ Apa as ‘free-spirited’ Jack is more of an uptight jerk and the character’s first interaction with Heather has zero sparks. Heather finds him ‘annoying’, and that’s exactly the vibe he gives, which is to supposed to set ground for the ‘they got off on the wrong foot but fell in love’ progression, but the chemistry between the leads remains unconvincing through the runtime. Viewers who can buy Jack’s ‘spontaneous traveler’ act, will probably find their ‘love’ more believable.

Madelyn Cline is endearing as Heather, and the character would’ve done so much better than the jobless pretentious nomad she is forced to fall for. The 2023 film ‘Love at first Sight’, which also follows two strangers who connect on a flight instead of a train, is a lot more entertaining and romantic than this predictable snooze-fest. Eventually of-course, the conflict revolves around Heather and Jack’s clashing personalities and an unnecessary health crisis. Yes, it’s one of those films.

Seriously, this movie is also boringly unrealistic… for instance, here’s a very simple spoiler-free silly detail: Heather extends her trip by a week and never wears the same clothes, rotating different shoes too. Girl, do you have the Narnia wardrobe in your bag?

Or, almost every time Heather gets on a long-distance train in ‘The Map That Leads to You’, a small group is singing and jamming on the guitar. While it may look romantic on screen, just imagine how unbearably annoying it would be in real life. In fact, it should feel incredibly irritating even for someone like Heather, who supposedly enjoys immersing herself in Ernest Hemingway on train rides, something that would be impossible with a bunch of youngsters singing away in the seats next to you.

The best thing about ‘The Map That Leads to You’ was that it put me to sleep earlier than usual. But if you’re in the mood for a generic, sappy romance, go ahead and try watching it at your own risk. This is just as bland as the recent Netflix romance ‘My Oxford Romance’, if not blander. I am guessing the novel is better.

Rating: 3 on 10. The film is on Prime Video.

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Inspector Zende Trailer: Manoj Bajpayee on comedic chase for ‘Carl Bhojraj’

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Manoj Bajpayee’s Inspector Zende is out to catch Carl Bhojraj in Netflix’s upcoming crime comedy, a notorious criminal who is clearly, and hilariously, modeled after the infamous French serial killer Charles Shobharaj.

Directed by Chinmay Mandlekar, the trailer opens by introducing Jim Sarbh as “Interpol’s most wanted criminal,” who manages to escape from Tihar Jail. News reports dub Carl as the ‘Bikini Killer’ and ‘Swimsuit Killer’. The plot then follows a team of Mumbai cops, led by Manoj Bajpayee, determined to track him down and throw him back behind bars.

Although Jim Sarbh is playing only a parodied knock-off of Charles Shobharaj, he seems far more aptly cast in the role compared to Sidhant Gupta, who portrayed Shobharaj in Netflix’s critically acclaimed series Black Warrant. Even if the character wasn’t given a similar sounding name, just by the looks of Sarbh in the trailer, you could tell who the character is inspired by.

Joining Manoj Bajpayee as fellow cops in ‘Inspector Zende’ are actors Sachin Khedekar, popular comedian Bhau Kadam, and Harish Dudhade. Bhau Kadam delivers one of the trailer’s funniest lines with a perfectly deadpan expression (which is precisely what makes it so comical), introducing himself under the fake alias “Rishi Kapoor” during an undercover mission to capture Carl.

From the looks of the trailer, the show promises a breezy, light-hearted take on the crime-comedy genre.

‘Inspector Zende‘ will premiere on Netflix on September 5.

Watch the trailer on YouTube.

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Largo Short Film Review: Refugee Boy Adrift in Hope and Hurt

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‘Home is like a turtle in its shell, you take it with you wherever you go’ – Largo

Directed by Salvatore Scarpa and Max Burgoyne-Moore, ‘Largo’ tells the story of Musa (Zack Elsokari), a refugee boy living under the care of Grace (Tamsin Greig), a British woman. Longing for his parents and unable to suppress his restless hope, Musa pours his faith into a fragile dream: constructing a boat that he believes will carry him back to his family.

At just nineteen minutes long, ‘Largo’ opens with an ominous image of a turbulent sea, accompanied by coastguard radio chatter about a distressed vessel overcrowded with refugees. From there, the film draws us into the world through the eyes of Musa, the young immigrant protagonist looking for his parents.

Set in a quiet seaside town in Britain, the calm façade hides deep racial tensions. Outside Grace’s home, Musa becomes a target, first jeered at by men old enough to be his father, then bullied by a group of children. The contrast is striking, subtly highlighting the way kids mimic the prejudices of adults around them, reminding viewers of how hate is learned. Still, their innocence leaves room for change, shown poignantly in the second half of ‘Largo’, when the same kids later help Musa with his boat.

Child actor Zack Elsokari steers this short film, convincingly portraying various facets of Musa, from a steely determination to find his parents, to the childlike angst and frustrations of being a fish out of water in an unknown land. Tamsin Greig as Grace serves as a sturdy anchor to the lost Musa, although she doesn’t always know how to handle the kid.

‘Largo’ swiftly conveys the refugee crisis through Musa’s eyes, capturing the painful struggles of children torn from their families. In one of the most poignant exchanges, other children tell Musa to “go back home,” and the boy snaps back that he wishes he could.

Home, unfortunately, is not a turtle shell, it cannot always travel with us. Sometimes it is stolen, shattered, torn away. But humans carry the gift of rebuilding. The film leaves us at a crossroads, with an ending that breathes both despair and promise: Musa’s tale may end in loss, or in the fragile spark of a new beginning.

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‘Mononoke Movie 2: Hinezumi’ Review – Vividly Vengeful

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Well, the 2024 animated movie ‘Mononoke the Movie: The Phantom in the Rain’ had ended with a promise of a chapter 2, so the ‘medicine seller’ is back at the Ōoku to slay some malevolent spirits.

Directed by Kiyotaka Suzuki, and Kenji Nakamura, ‘Mononoke the Movie: Chapter II – The Ashes of Rage’ is just a little over one hour long, featuring the same crazy burst of colors and styles which made the 2024 film a vivid visual trip. So not only is this 2025 animated film more enjoyable if you loved the artistic style, but its plot is also far easier to follow.

This time, ‘Mononoke’ dives into Ōoku politics and palace intrigue, as a new fire-based wrathful spirit prowls the premises. With Madam Utayama dead, a new head of the Ōoku is appointed, ushering in stricter rules that ignite rivalries and spark fresh feuds. Vicious scheming erupts when rumors spread that one of the ladies is pregnant with the Shogun’s heir. Meanwhile, the Medicine Seller races to expose the true nature of the new Mononoke before it reduces the Ōoku to ashes.

One of my favorite touches in the earlier movie was the dramatic opening and closing of ornate sliding doors to create fluid, seamless transitions between scenes. ‘Mononoke Chapter II’ embraces this same striking visual style once again, and it’s still just as cool. Like I wrote in my review of the first film, the burst of colorful animation may feel overwhelming to some viewers, but those who accept the vision will be enthralled.

Except for a slightly sluggish pacing, which makes the film seem much longer than one hour, ‘Mononoke’ Chapter 2 is entertainingly engrossing. The climactic moments are over-the-top, exploding in bright neon colors, as the Medicine Seller switches into a god-like form (apparently they are two different dudes), wielding the enchanted, dragon-encrusted sword to conquer the powerful spirit haunting the Ōoku.

Rating: 8 on 10. Watch ‘Mononoke Chapter II’ on Netflix.

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‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ Episode 8 Review: Contact With Evil

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Episode eight of ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ wastes no time setting the tone: Yoshiki kicks things off by frantically typing on the internet: ‘How to get blood stains out of a white shirt’.

Quick Recap of ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ Episode 7

The gravity of how dangerous the entity inside Hikaru truly is hits Yoshiki after he prevents Hikaru from attacking their classmate Asako. The following day, the boys skip school together, watching a movie, wandering the mall, playing claw games, and later relaxing at Yoshiki’s house. In a shocking turn, Yoshiki drives a large kitchen knife into the entity, only to realize it cannot be killed. His plan had been to give Hikaru some happy last memories before ending things. Covered in blood and shaken, he breaks down and pleads with Hikaru to end his life instead. But Hikaru resists violence; instead, he tears off a piece of his own body and offers it to Yoshiki, claiming the act will weaken him and keep his power in check. “Let’s figure out what the hell you are,” Yoshiki says to Hikaru as episode seven closes.

Titled ‘Contact’, Episode 8 of ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ follows Yoshiki and Hikaru as they team up to research and uncover what this new version of Hikaru really is. Their search begins with trying to learn more about ‘Nonuki-sama’ and its ties to Kubitachi Village. But first, of course, Yoshiki has to deal with all the blood he spilled in his failed attempt to kill his friend.

From speaking with village elders to digging through the library, the boys devote their time to uncovering Hikaru’s origins. All their efforts lead them to some interesting trivia and discoveries about the region. Meanwhile, eerie incidents, including a shockingly violent event on their school campus, confirm the fears of those who believe something evil has descended from the mountains.

Supporting character Tanaka, who was largely absent in the last two episodes of ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’, returns in this edition. While he doesn’t do much, he is a lot closer to cracking his investigation into the supernatural events than before. He is already started wondering if an evil entity is disguising itself as an human and living among the locals.

The opening minutes of the episode are tense and eerie, with Hikaru and Yoshiki facing off against a malevolent spirit. But with Hikaru no longer as powerful as before, confronting such beings isn’t as easy. At the same time, this shows the entity’s sincerity and loyalty to Yoshiki, the very reason it sacrificed part of itself was to avoid recklessly harming humans, even though doing so also means weakening its ability to fight spirits.

Overall, this a fast-paced, gritty edition, which packs in a lot of elements, including a few brief comedic scenes.

Watch ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ on Netflix.

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5 Things I Disliked About ‘Cleopatra and Frankenstein’

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

This is probably, hopefully, and tearfully going to turn into a ‘5 Things I Disliked about that popular book’ series. Where as a reader, I will express how I was lured by high ratings, glowing reviews, snazzy social media pictures, bookstagram community buzz… into reading a novel that simply turned out to be a colossal waste of time and energy. “Why don’t you just DNF* it,” a dear fellow reader-friend advised me, maybe for the second time, and I had to remind her about my ‘self-destructive’ need to finish a book I started, no matter how much I despise it. ‘Cleopatra and Frankenstein’ by Coco Mellors is one such book.

*DNF is a popular term in the book community which is short for ‘Did Not Finish’, but is used like a verb by readers.

You can read my spoiler-free review of Cleopatra and Frankenstein by clicking here, but this is going to be a quick spoiler-laden listicle about the 5 things that irked me about the novel.

1. Cleo the protagonist starts out as a young, fun, even clever character in the first few pages of the book, but quickly becomes the most unlikable thing about the novel. She is largely defined by her beauty. Everybody only keeps harping about how ‘she is so beautiful, oh she is so magnetic’. She is supposed to be an artist, but rarely ever creates any art through the book.

2. ‘Is it a time-traveling fantasy?’ a friend asked me when were discussing the books we were reading and I told her about ‘Cleopatra and Frankenstein’. I laughed and told her it’s a straightforward contemporary romance. And that’s another complaint I have about this novel: the title is so freaking misleading. It’s simply about a young Artist Cleo, who comes to America to study art, and when her visa is about to expire, she marries Frank, a much older advertising executive she has been dating for a minute. While there’s a lot of physical attraction between the leads, once they’re married, they start to fall out of love quickly.

3. For a contemporary romance novel, ‘Cleopatra and Frankenstein’ is really thin on love. There’s is only a surface level attraction and they never seem to be genuinely in love with each other. Again, except for the first few pages where their connection sounds flirtatiously fun, their relationship begins to feel gratingly superficial. Which makes the novel very annoying to read. Frank at times feels like an older guardian looking out for Cleo, which is sad, considering their relationship lasts less than two years. Imagine passion flying out the window so quickly, you begin to seem more like a parent than romantic partner in a relationship. That’s why it is sad.

4. Not only are the lead characters not very likable, but even some of the crucial supporting characters in ‘Cleopatra and Frankenstein’ seem to exist merely for token representation. For instance, Frank is a white man, but his step-sister Zoey, a stunning aspiring actor who is half-Black, appears to be included solely for the sake of Black-American representation. She is an extremely privileged brat, her biggest struggle is not being able to get drunk at an upscale pub with her “trust fund” friends. Zoey harbors plenty of rage against the system, even though she herself never faces prejudice or racism.

5. The chapter on Cleo’s close friend Quentin was completely unnecessary. It feels like he exists in the novel only for token queer representation. His character is gay and stereotypical: a rich selfish, self-centered European dude living on his family’s money, blowing all of his allowance on drugs and sex parties. His whole story-line was completely pointless, un-interesting, and does very little to drive the overall plot forward.

There were a few more things that I didn’t like about ‘Cleopatra and Frankenstein’, but I am going to wrap up this article here.

You can find me on Twitter, Instagram & GoodReads.

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グラスハート Glass Heart Series Review: Reliable Music, Flimsy Romance

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

There are so many things to love about the Japanese series ‘Glass Heart’, which follows a rookie drummer’s rise to stardom after she is invited to join a band of genius musicians. But it’s the familiarly bland romance that holds this series back from being binge-worthy.

Based on the novel “Glass Heart” (グラスハート) by Wakagi Mio, the Netflix series spans ten episodes, and is directed by Kakimoto Kensaku, and Goto Kotaro. The plot follows the adventures of ‘TenBlank‘, a four-member band formed by musical prodigy Fujitani Naoki (Satoh Takeru), alongside renowned session guitarist Takaoka Sho (Machida Keita), genius pianist Sakamoto Kazushi (Shison Jun), and little-known drummer Saijo Akane (Miyazaki Yu). However, the band’s rise to stardom is fraught with multiple problems, including sabotage by rivals and naysayers.

“Glass Heart” is heavily focused on Saijo Akane, since she is the only non-famous musician in the band, and has the toughest time fitting in. Even the band’s manager Kai Miyako (Karata Erika) has little faith in Akane’s skills, cruelly claiming she will pull ‘TenBlank’ down. Yes, the manager is over-dramatic in the show, and pretty unprofessional. However, the first episode establishes an instant musical chemistry between Fujitani Naoki and Saijo Akane, the two performing an impromptu jam at a rain-soaked venue, which serves as a magical ‘meet cute’.

Within the first few episodes of ‘Glass Heart’, the imbalance between the band members becomes disappointingly apparent. The spotlight is almost always on Naoki and Akane, while Sakamoto Kazushi and Takaoka Sho are sidelined, despite being interesting characters I would have liked to see more of. Satoh Takeru dazzles as the “tormented genius” Fujitani Naoki, even if the character borders on cliché: he is obsessed with music, constantly composing, and “eats, drinks, and sleeps” music.

Satoh Takeru’s Naoki shares an easy chemistry with all his bandmates, as well as with Sakurai Yukino (Takaishi Akari), a singer he frequently collaborates with. But that’s the thing, it’s musical chemistry. Forcing romance onto his character didn’t quite mesh with his personality. It made sense for the young, impressionable Akane to be swept away by his talent and fall hopelessly in love with him, but there seemed little reason for Naoki to reciprocate. He looks at her the same way he looks at Yukino, Kazushi, and Sho.

Miyazaki Yu is adorable as drummer Akane, she infuses the character with a youthful, endearing energy. But also, she is the least interesting character among the four band members in ‘Glass Heart’, but gets the most screen-time. Machida Keita looks every bit the rock-star guitarist Takaoka Sho, but is criminally underused. Shison Jun gets slightly more space as Sakamoto Kazushi, who is basically the younger, saner version of Fujitani Naoki. Suda Masaki plays rival musician Shinzaki Toya, who has an unexplained beef with Naoki, and is fun to watch as an over-the-top arrogant rockstar. Takaishi Akari steals scenes as Sakurai Yukino, a pop star with a crush on Naoki, who gets some of the best songs in the series.

Except for a few dizzying shots where the camera-work spins to give viewer vertigo, the cinematography for “Glass Heart” is excellent, especially the concert scenes, that capture the pulsating energy of live rock shows. The soundtrack is the heart of the series, it ranges from generic sounds of J-pop hits, to some very memorable, catchy tracks. The one song that stood out best to me is titled ‘A Song for Us to Sing’, which Naoki and Yukino jam to in episode 4. But the track deservedly gets featured again in the climactic episode.

“Glass Heart” reminded me a little of Prime Series “Daisy Jones and the Six”, which had a better soundtrack by the way, and again, not a very strong plot. which, by the way, had a much stronger soundtrack, though not exactly a solid plot either. But this Japanese drama is even more vanilla and starts to feel unrealistic and sluggish from episode six onward. For instance, episode six features a ridiculous twist: a character gets stabbed, and an eyewitness chooses to attend a concert instead, while in the real world they would’ve been at the police station to record their statement.

Then in episode seven, we get the predictable “terminal illness” twist, you know, someone is dying of something but chooses to hide it from everyone else. “Glass Heart” clearly aims to be a tearjerker in its final stretch, but the storytelling doesn’t deliver an emotional payoff. With key characters sidelined, their grief barely registers and a very bland love triangle only makes things worse. I cried buckets watching the Japanese film “Drawing Closer”, but this show’s climactic episodes only managed to draw sighs of boredom.

But well, beautiful cinematography, foot-tapping music, and strong performances by the lead cast make this show worth a one-time watch.

Watch ‘Glass Heart’ on Netflix.

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Dan Da Dan Season 2 Episode 8 Review: Okarun Faces Ghostly Maestros in Bizarre Chapter

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This episode of ‘Dan Da Dan’ was so bizarrely random, I don’t even know where to begin! All right, fine, let’s start with a quick recap of the last episode.

Dan Da Dan Season 2 Episode 7 in a nutshell: Half the episode is lighthearted fun, with Okarun dragged by Miko and Kei to the maid café where Momo is working as a new part-timer. Meanwhile, Jiji is training hard to keep the “Evil Eye” yokai under control. Unfortunately, it breaks free again and attacks Momo, who manages to splash hot water on him, forcing the Evil Eye to revert back into Jiji. The incident leaves Okarun shaken, ashamed that he isn’t strong enough to protect Momo or the others, and he resolves to train harder. The episode ends with Turbo Granny Kitty taking Okarun to his school for training, with Aira secretly following them.

Titled “You Can Do It, Okarun!”, episode 8 of ‘Dan Da Dan’ kicks off with creepy new ghosts awakening in the school’s music room, just as Turbo Granny is teaching Okarun to find his “rhythm” to improve his attack speed. These ghosts resemble classical music maestros, and the animation’s color palette shifts comically to dominant black-and-grey tones, complementing both the eerie mood and the bizarre twist. Both Okarun and Aira shift to their Yokai forms to take on the malevolent supernatural entities, who are pissed off at being woken up.

You’ve got to love how the creators keep playing with the animation format, colors, and tones. However, this edition of ‘Dan Da Dan’ is perhaps the weakest of Season 2, even if the idea itself is intriguingly original: musical ghosts born from student anxieties, lingering in the music room to torment late-night intruders. The face-off isn’t as wild as the other battles featured in the show, however, there are some ‘laugh out moments’ during the fight.

The most entertaining parts of Dan Da Dan episode 8? Definitely the scenes where Turbo Granny and Aira trade insults, whether at others or each other. “Don’t give me orders, you crap-vomit furball,” Aira snaps at the talking kitty at one point, and I was in stitches.

Most of the episode focuses on Okarun battling the new ghosts and trying to level up, while the climactic moments shift back to Jiji’s Evil Eye predicament. The Bootuber priest advises Granny Seiko to summon the Hayashi musicians again to perform an exorcism on Jiji, though the others remain divided on the idea. The chapter wraps up with a killer cliffhanger, setting up a super exciting next episode!

Stream Dan Da Dan on Netflix or Crunchyroll.

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My Girlfriend Is The Man! Episodes 9-10 Review: Catfights and Vacays

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Yoon San-Ha is absolutely adorable as protagonist Yun Jae in K-drama ‘My Girlfriend Is The Man!’, but damn, the character has no spine! It’s sweet that he doesn’t just break up with girlfriend Ji-Eun (Arin) after she inexplicably transforms into a handsome man and takes the name Ji-Hoon (Yoo Jung-hoo). But gosh, why is it so hard for him to keep away from the flirtatious Min-Ju (Chuu)? She literally spends all her time trying to seduce him despite knowing he’s in a relationship, and our guy Yun Jae just puts up with her clingy, irritating behavior. It’s supposed to be comedic, but it’s really not that funny.

Recap of My Girlfriend Is The Man! Episodes 7-8

Min-Ju comically moves into the same building as Ji-Hoon, sparking plenty of jealousy and petty bickering, some of which is genuinely funny. But once again, Yun Jae’s failure to firmly reject Min-Ju’s advances is just plain irritating. On top of dealing with his romantic rival as a neighbor, Ji-Hoon uncovers a shocking truth: his grandfather is actually his grandmother, who suffered from the same generational curse but never turned back into a woman. Since Ji-Hoon’s mother had reversed the curse, he’d always hoped the same would happen for him. However, with this revelation, he decides to come clean to Yun Jae about his grandmother, and end their relationship for good.

Episodes 9-10 of ‘My Girlfriend is The Man’

The new episodes continue to focus on the comedic rivalry between Min-Ju and Ji-Hoon. Episode 9 starting off with a cat-fight: they literally pull each other’s hair! Yun Jae has to intervene and calm them down.

Episode 9 of ‘My Girlfriend is the Man’ focuses on Ji-Hoon’s struggle to tell Yun Jae that he might never turn back into a woman. And unknown to Ji-Hoon, Yun Jae is offered a prestigious scholarship to go study at a prestigious American university. So, suspense lingers over what all of this means for their relationship, but in the meantime, the group, including Yu-Ri (Park Joo-won) and Min Hyeon (Hur Hyun-jun), sets off on a short trip together to visit Ji-Hoon’s grandfather.

Yoo Jung-hoo’s portrayal of Ji-Hoon is subtle yet spot-on, he never lets you forget the character is a woman in a man’s body, but he also resists reducing Ji-Hoon to a mere comedic gag. Episode 10 delivers a twist as Ji-Hoon transforms back into Ji-Eun, who wastes no time staking her claim as Yun Jae’s girlfriend and bluntly telling Min-Ju to back off. Arin and San-Ha’s onscreen chemistry is quite adorable, and the two get some fluffy romantic moments in this edition.

But of course, Min Ju’s character continues to be shamelessly annoying, showing no signs of giving up her non-existent claim on Yun Jae, just because she ‘liked him first’. It’s only because Chuu is super-cute that Min Ju is sort of bearable, otherwise, the character is quite cringe-inducing. With Ji-Eun back to her original form, the nosy Min Ju keeps asking about what happened to Ji-Hoon, leading to some fresh funny moments.

‘My Girlfriend Is The Man!’ also shifts focus to a new love triangle: Kim Ji-Hye (Choi Yoon-ra) and the wealthy, cool Jeong Ha (Jeon Soo-jin) both vie for the nerdy Hong Yeong-seok (Kim Jong-hoon), though he’s far too busy preparing for exams to care about romance. Both Ji-Hye and Jeong Ha are starkly different, but very likable characters, and it’s simply silly that they’re in love with the boring Yeong-seok. The writers really needed to do something better with this side sub-plot, which seems almost pointless at this juncture.

Overall, these two episodes of ‘My Girlfriend is the Man!’ aren’t as comedic as they could’ve been, but do serve some entertaining plot-twists and drama.

Watch ‘My Girlfriend Is The Man’ on Viki.

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Drop Movie Review: Worst Date Night Ever

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Meghann Fahy stars in tech-thriller ‘Drop’ which follows her character Violet, a widowed mom nervous about her first date in a while, but terror replaces her excitement when someone starts bombarding her with threatening messages on her phone. Is she being harassed by her date? Or someone else with a sinister agenda?

Created by Christopher Landon (director), Jillian Jacobs (writer), and Chris Roach (writer), ‘Drop’ is a tense thriller, that also plays out like watching the “worst date ever” unravel before your eyes. Violet (Meghann Fahy) is dressed to the nines for her dinner date with handsome photographer Henry (Brandon Sklenar), who she is meeting for the first time. But the evening quickly derails as Violet grows distracted, constantly checking her phone or stepping away from the table, while an anonymous sender AirDrops her threatening messages, demanding she either kill Henry or risk finding her son dead. It’s a miracle Henry doesn’t walk off, which of course makes you wonder if he is a psycho blackmailing his own date.

Violet soon learns the whole restaurant is bugged and under total surveillance, making it extremely hard for her to seek help. Of-course, there are a bunch of other potential suspects who could be texting Violet, it could be anybody at the restaurant: their annoying server Matt (Jeffery Self), flirty pianist Phil (Ed Weeks), sharp eyed bartender Cara (Gabrielle Ryan), or fellow diners Richard (Reed Diamond), and Connor (Travis Nelson). Although the crazy “1984 on steroids” style surveillance is a bit far-fetched. But then again, the big motive reveal doesn’t really add up, considering the power the villain wields, their mission could have been accomplished in countless simpler ways. Anyway…

The fact that everybody is glued to their phones these days makes it doubly hard for Violet to figure out who is sending her the drops. So the film maintains the tight suspense over the antagonist’s identity until the end, but the awkward ‘first date’ banter between Violet and Henry gets increasingly painful to watch. Meghann Fahy delivers an entertainingly dramatic performance as the helpless mom forced to choose between murder and unimaginable loss. It’s an easy ‘lose-lose’ for her.

‘Drop’ taps into people’s uneasy relationship with technology, showing how a simple Air-Drop can become a weapon of terror. Overall, this is a stylish, over-the-top thriller, that begins to test viewer patience in the second-half, but makes for a decent one-time-watch.

Rating: 6 on 10. Watch ‘Drop’ on Hotstar/Zee5 or rent it on Prime Video.

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