Martin Cid's Blog: Martin Cid Magazine, page 45

“Caught”, the New Harlan Coben Series on Netflix

Today, “Caught” arrives on Netflix, the latest series based on a Harlan Coben novel, this time set in Argentine Patagonia. Netflix and Coben have decided to create an Argentine production.

Directed by Miguel Cohan and Hernán Goldfrid, “Caught” delves into the world of investigative journalism, suspicion, and personal demons. The production, backed by Haddock Films and executive produced by Coben himself, brings together a cast led by Soledad Villamil in the role of Soledad Villamil, and including Juan Minujín and Alberto Ammann among other notable names.

The Plot

The six-episode thriller transports viewers to the picturesque city of Bariloche in Patagonia, weaving a complex narrative that challenges the boundaries between investigative journalism and personal redemption. At the center of the story is Ema Garay, a digital media journalist portrayed by the acclaimed Soledad Villamil.

Garay’s world is radically transformed when an investigation into the disappearance of a 16-year-old girl leads her to Leo Mercer, a respected community figure who becomes the primary suspect.

Caught – Netflix

About the Series

Coben takes us to Argentina with “Caught”, and it’s no coincidence that the production moves to this country. From the script developed by Miguel Cohan, Ana Cohan, María Meira, and Gonzalo Salaya to the performances, everything has been adapted to the country where the story unfolds (as they did with another Coben novel just a week ago with a Polish production).

Regarding the series: it’s a top-tier cinematic production, full of tension, good production, and dramatic performances, with Soledad Villamil standing out.

As for the story, thriller fans won’t be disappointed: a kidnapping story, investigative journalism, and various suspects that bear Coben’s signature, which is so beloved by readers and, now thanks to multiple novel adaptations, streaming viewers. However, “Caught” doesn’t discover anything new cinematographically and doesn’t quite become the dark psychological narrative it promises. It’s a classic investigation thriller, well-executed, with a good script and full of intrigue that, nevertheless, fails to fascinate or completely captivate the viewer in a story that treads familiar ground and doesn’t push the viewer out of their comfort zone. In this classic storytelling may lie its secret, as Coben’s stories are enjoyable, peeking into the dark side without making the viewer feel uncomfortable or threatened.

Our Opinion

Another good production based on Coben’s novels that, once again, will remain just another series that doesn’t quite achieve the transcendence the producers likely intended.

It will be liked, yes, but without fascinating or absorbing viewers in its story or cinematic proposal, settling for doing a correct job without seeking any distinctive point that sets it apart.

Where to Watch “Caught”

Netflix

Arrives ‘The Monkey’, a Stephen King Story: A Retro-Style Horror Movie

“The Monkey” arrives with Osgood Perkins (son of the legendary actor Anthony Perkins) on the script and direction, Theo James as the lead, and based on an original Stephen King story.

“The Monkey” is not a typical horror film: it’s a dark comedy that has had to have two versions for its release – one horror version where the most gruesome scenes are cut, and an extended version where we can see a full festival of head explosions, entire body explosions, and violent deaths that are impossible to take too seriously.

Everything in “The Monkey” feels like retro cinema: sequences full of 90s references, the setting itself, and some effects that make it seem like a film shot in those years, despite being a current release.

The Plot: A Cursed Toy that Unleashes Chaos

The story follows twin brothers, Bill and Hal, who find a disturbing monkey toy in the family attic. What seems to be an innocuous object quickly becomes the catalyst for a series of grotesque deaths that will tear apart family bonds.

The Monkey

About the Film: A Mix of Exaggerated Bloody Horror that Leads to Dark Comedy

“The Monkey” may or may not be to your liking. It won’t be the most terrifying film of your life, nor is it the most hilarious comedy in modern cinema, but Osgood Perkins takes risks and makes a stylish film, a return to 90s cinema and its most mocking and daring spirit.

“The Monkey” can be criticized for certain narrative inconsistency, a lack of originality (cursed toys have been done many times), and that the film ultimately isn’t one of those movies that leaves an indelible mark on your memory. However, this mix of retro cinema, dark comedy, and bloody body explosions turns out to be original and even stylish.

It’s a well-shot film, with excellent photography, that also knows not to take itself too seriously: it’s a horror film that pays homage to the genre at all times and, in a certain sense, laughs at the genre itself.

Does Osgood Perkins get it right in his approach? For purists, it might be a failed exercise, a kind of anecdotal film that revisits 80s and 90s cinema, but “The Monkey” has the virtue of, with all its retro style, offering something refreshing, fun, and entertaining.

You know the drill – if you’re fans of old movies and grew up with Stephen King’s stories, “The Monkey” is an ideal film to remember those times.

Enjoy it, and be careful not to get splashed by blood in one of its multiple human explosion scenes.

“The Feeling”: Chelsea Handler Reveals Intimate Secrets in Her New Stand-Up Comedy Special

Chelsea Handler goes all out in this stand-up comedy special from New Jersey. She begins by thanking the homosexuals in the room before quickly diving into a festival of controversial topics that will lead us to the show’s main theme: her most intimate secrets from adolescence. Yes, Chelsea Handler doesn’t hold back and doesn’t hesitate to tell us about what she was doing at eight years old and what she started calling “the feeling”.

Chelsea Handler: The Feeling – Netflix

This special is packed with sexual references and jokes on this topic, told without absolutely any restraint and with humor, without complexes and with great joy. There’s no way you won’t like Chelsea Handler: she’s funny, daring, approachable, and above all, knows how to deliver a direct and almost raw monologue about this and a thousand other topics.

Chelsea Handler’s style is, above all, about reaching the audience and making them feel comfortable. She chooses a topic like sexuality and throws herself into it without reservations, gesturing, telling hilarious personal anecdotes that provoke laughter from the deepest part of oneself.

Handler’s humor is not intellectual or refined: it’s more direct, close, and accessible to everyone, as long as, of course, it’s not a stand-up show for the whole family.

In a world where AI seems to threaten us all, Chelsea Handler offers a show full of humanity, where the protagonist, beyond the countless jokes, is that adolescent “self” before having to face the discomforts and tragedies of life. Without being refined or sophisticated, Chelsea Handler’s new stand-up has the brilliant sensation of immediacy and, above all, of closeness and sincerity.

Enjoy it and prepare to laugh a little at yourselves.

We could really use that.

Where to Watch “Chelsea Handler: The Feeling”

Netflix

“Con Mum” – Documentary on Netflix: The Story of Graham Hornigold, Victim of a Scam

Netflix audiences love documentaries about scams, violent crimes, and extravagant events that somehow seem incredible to us.

This time, it’s Graham Hornigold’s turn, a victim of an extraordinary scam by a mother who, having disappeared for forty years, returned to his life with an incredible, strange, and convincing story.

“Con Mum” is a documentary directed by Nick Green that unravels the anguishing experience of Graham Hornigold, a celebrated pastry chef whose search for a family connection turned into a financial and emotional nightmare.

Con Mum – Netflix

Graham Hornigold’s Case

Graham Hornigold, known for his successful culinary career, had never met his mother. Born on a British army base in Germany in 1974, he was raised by his father, harboring a tacit longing to understand his origins. Everything changed when, in the midst of the pandemic, he received an email that would alter the trajectory of his life.

The sender claimed to be Dionne, his biological mother. What followed was a meticulously orchestrated scam that would strip Hornigold of his savings, his relationship, and almost his sense of reason.

Dionne’s strategy was masterful. She knew intimate details about Hornigold’s birth that few would know. She wove an elaborate story about being the illegitimate son of the Sultan of Brunei, who had been diagnosed with a terminal brain and bone marrow cancer. Her performance was so convincing that Hornigold and his partner, Heather, were completely drawn in.

The documentary meticulously narrates how Dionne integrated herself into Hornigold’s life. She moved into his house, accompanied him to Zurich under the pretext of liquidating her supposed vast inheritance, and systematically isolated him from his support network. The financial toll was staggering: Hornigold accumulated a debt of approximately 300,000 pounds, believing he would eventually inherit Dionne’s mythical millions.

The turning point came when Hornigold discovered a jar of red food coloring – supposedly used to fake blood in his urine – and realized his cancer diagnosis was fabricated. His medications were for high cholesterol and diabetes, not chemotherapy.

You might say: okay, a man was simply scammed by an unscrupulous person, but this is precisely where the documentary takes a radical turn. The story goes further, when, after Dionne’s disappearance, a DNA study concluded that this woman was indeed Graham’s mother with 99% certainty: the well-known chef had supposedly been deceived by his own mother.

About the Documentary

Another good documentary on Netflix that, technically speaking, leaves little to criticize. It features the protagonist of the story, who doesn’t hesitate to be communicative and share every detail of the event. It also includes his partner, Heather, who narrates the parts of their relationship and how they lived through those times when the email changed everything. Some archival photos, pictures of the supposed woman called Dionne, and good cinematography to narrate this incredible story that, although it may not go down in documentary film history, is well-shot and ends up being a good scam documentary.

“Con Mum” is not oriented from a dramatic perspective: Graham tells us the story with a big smile and seems to have taken all of this with a certain sense of humor.

If you’re in the mood for an incredible, real, and almost unbelievable story, “Con Mum” provides the opportunity to delve into this case that, although astonishing, is absolutely real.

Enjoy it.

Where to Watch “Con Mum”

Netflix

“Novocaine”: A Frenetic and Wild Comedy

If you’re the type who runs from family movies and enjoy films with more force, more grit, and that don’t give you any lessons (those movies where you learn absolutely nothing), “Novocaine” is going to appeal to you.

Directed by Dan Berk and Robert Olsen, “Novocaine” is a crazy movie starring Jack Quaid that takes us on an action delirium about a man with a special characteristic: he is incapable of feeling pain.

If you like wild movies that seek more of an action and joke whirlwind while avoiding any reflection, “Novocaine” is one of those movies created precisely for that purpose and avoiding everything that doesn’t have to do with entertainment.

Philosophical reflections: zero.

Plot

Nate is a bank employee with a bland and monotonous life until the girl of his dreams, Cherry, spills boiling coffee on his hand and discovers his great secret: Nate cannot feel pain.

After spending a dream-like night, Nate wakes up enchanted, though he doesn’t know that morning will bring him an unexpected surprise: a bank robbery in which Cherry is taken as a hostage.

And Nate goes in search of her, giving rise to a frenetic story in which, I assure you, Nate will receive quite a few blows, kicks, falls, and injuries.

Novocaine

About the Movie

“Novocaine” is born as an extremely entertaining romp with a single purpose: to entertain through violent blows that almost always fall on our beloved protagonist. Yes, you guessed it, Nate will gradually become that action man that no one expects while trying to rescue Cherry, played by Amber Midthunder.

Is this the best movie you’ll see this year? Probably not. Perhaps it doesn’t have the most intelligent dialogues or the most accurate metaphors, nor does it pose questions about life and death… but “Novocaine” is hilarious from the beginning, and the movie is clear in its intentions, deceiving no one: to entertain, entertain, and entertain.

Jack Quaid does a good job embodying this boring bank employee turned action man among robbers, while Amber Midthunder does her part. The cast is completed by Ray Nicholson, Jacob Batalon, and Betty Gabriel.

Our Opinion

We won’t lie to you: it’s not going to be the movie of your life, but it will make you have a very fun time. “Novocaine” is violent, extremely funny in some parts, and in its general tone, makes us forget the day’s sorrows.

It entertains, which is its only purpose. And it achieves this with its irreverent and sometimes brutal style.

Enjoy it.

“Cleaner”: A Classic Action Thriller in the Pure “Die Hard” Style

Do you know that movie about some robbers who enter a building to steal and find themselves confronted by a guy who happens to be there and starts causing problems? Yes, that guy was Bruce Willis, and the movie was “Die Hard” (1988), an iconic film from those 80s years.

Now comes “Cleaner” with a very similar plot, except that times have changed and now Daisy Ridley is the heroine and the terrorists are actually eco-terrorists, though the intellectual challenge remains exactly the same: to forget everything and relax with an entertaining movie that makes us forget, at least for two hours, that the world is a real mess.

Martin Campbell directs this entertaining, fun action movie that will undoubtedly please fans of the action genre.

Plot

Joey Locke is a window cleaner in a luxurious company building. During a lavish party, terrorists gag the attendees to obtain access codes to the company, accusing them of murders and destroying the climate and planet with their toxic dumping.

Cleaner

About the Movie

It has what fans expect and knows exactly when to play and when to fold: “Cleaner” is a genre film born with the lesson well learned from a thousand similar genre movies with almost identical plots: the lone hero who confronts the villains. Times have changed, and now the hero is a woman played by Daisy Ridley, and the villains suffer a mutiny in the middle of the heist.

There is moral ambiguity, conflicting themes, and social criticism in the film, but don’t be fooled, because “Cleaner” is a movie that comes to entertain and knows how to do it: a frenetic pace in the classic Hollywood style, a dizzying montage, and characters that, although flat and pre-configured to the maximum in the hero and villain roles, achieve a certain ambiguity in the character of Marcus (played by Clive Owen), a robber with certain ethical principles.

Are you looking for action and entertainment that reminds you of those wonderful 80s movies when life was happier for everyone? “Cleaner” comes to remind us that Hollywood is still there, at least in spirit, to entertain us for a while and give us exactly what we came to find: fun.

So enjoy, because “Cleaner” is entertaining without pretending absolutely anything more than to entertain.

And entertaining, very entertaining.

“High Tides” Season 2 on Netflix: The Provocative Series of Intrigue and Romance Returns

Today, Netflix brings the second season of “High Tides”, the Belgian series that has found a connection with younger audiences through a mix of intrigues, revenge, thriller, and stories that delve into toxic substances, provocation, and erotic scenes.

“High Tides” presents itself as a raw exploration of youth, privilege, and moral ambiguity. Set in the elegant Belgian coastal city of Knokke. In this second season, the narrative continues to focus on Louise Basteyns, Daan, and Alex Vandael, weaving an intricate tapestry of relationships, conflicts, and personal discoveries. Pommelien Thijs, Willem De Schryver, and Eliyha Altena reprise their roles alongside Manouk Pluis and Ayana Doucouré.

About the Series:

“High Tides” is one of those series with a clear target audience: teenagers and young adults. It is a portrait of young people, centered on class differences, presenting stories about moral ambiguity and revenge. Mixed with thriller plots and intertwined romances, they create the perfect cocktail to appeal to the younger generation.

Aesthetically, it is a series with good production, well-shot, and high quality in everything, from actors to sets and editing. No one can fault its technical aspects, but it remains, in this second season, a series exclusively for young audiences, and that is the source of its success.

If you’re looking for a series of intrigues, crimes, mysteries, with some erotic scenes and a story about new generations, here is “High Tides” for the delight of its most loyal fans.

Enjoy.

Where to Watch “High Tides”

Netflix

“Revelations” – A Korean Murder Thriller on Netflix

Do you know those thrillers about psychopaths, murders, victims, and unexpected plot twists? Yes, that formula usually works, and it has been sufficiently proven. “Revelations” (계시록) is one of those thrillers that, moreover, includes a church pastor as the protagonist who becomes involved in a criminal case.

Directed by the acclaimed Yeon Sang-ho, known for his innovative work in “Train to Busan”, this film will take us through a dark alley of shadows, a repeat offender, and a religious pastor as the central axis of a police plot.

Revelations – Netflix

About the Movie

A mystery and murder thriller that we might expect, without too many surprises in terms of narrative, but that works insofar as it makes a good application of the dark murder thriller formula. The protagonist is now a religious pastor played by Ryu Jun-yeol, who carries the entire narrative thread of the story: a dark story about morality, ambition, and justice that gives the film its interest.

“Revelations” has an excellent atmosphere and is narrated at a slow and unsettling pace. Full of symbols, direct references, with a carefully crafted aesthetic, the film addresses the theme of religion, crime, and human evil in a much more general sense than other typical thrillers.

“Revelations” appears to be a murder thriller that applies the formula, but then encloses a much deeper story that reformulates the genre and thus creates a much more interesting film. It can be watched for its intrigue or one can delve into the soul of the characters (especially the protagonist’s) and the reflections the film plays with: Is the human being essentially good or bad? Are circumstances what transform some individuals into monsters, or are they bad by nature?

“Revelations” is, without a doubt, a great option for a Friday night on Netflix: a thriller that, in addition to entertaining in the classic way with a police plot, presents characters that go beyond the detective formula, taking us to a darker, more psychological world that is a thousand times more interesting.

Enjoy it.

Where to Watch “Revelations”

Netflix

“Little Siberia” Movie on Netflix: When a Space Rock Disrupts the Tranquility of a Small Town

Today arrives a fun comedy that, without making too much noise, comes without pretensions of great cinema but instead offers us some relaxing moments and, why not, gives us something to think about.

And it is that a meteorite has fallen in the small town of Hurmevaara (Finland), and this will trigger a series of events that, in the form of comedy, will change the lives of the town’s inhabitants.

“Little Siberia” is a simple comedy full of reflections on human existence and the cosmos itself, where an inscrutable question hovers: is everything the result of a predetermined plan or is the entire Universe a chaos in which we are small points moving without meaning?

Yes, we can take this question philosophically, transcendentally, or even apocalyptically, but this Finnish production decides to take this question, and life itself, from a fun perspective and offer us a good time in the pleasant company of the inhabitants of Hurmevaara.

Plot

Set in the quiet Finnish village of Hurmevaara, “Little Siberia” revolves around Joel, a priest with a complex past. When a meteorite crashes into a car’s roof, a chain of events is triggered that will test the limits of faith, morality, and human desperation. The meteorite, the size of a grapefruit, becomes a beacon of hope for the town’s mayor, who sees in it a possible millionaire salvation for the dying village.

About the Movie

“Little Siberia” is one of those warm and simple movies that take us to the cozy life of a small town. For two hours, we will have the opportunity to share their lives, their funny moments, their concerns, and their circumstances. The plot, little by little, moves towards the terrain of the thriller and throws us off balance, taking us out of our comfort zone to immerse us in another fun plot.

“Little Siberia” is a movie based on a novel by Antti Tuomainen. It has an intelligent script and creates, thanks to its slow pace and light comedy, an intimate, welcoming, and familiar atmosphere behind an event that changes everything: the meteorite that has arrived from space to, some say, change the lives of the inhabitants forever.

The movie takes an almost radical turn midway, becoming an entertaining thriller without abandoning its comedy tone.

It is not a philosophical film, nor a pure comedy, nor even a classic thriller. It is a bit of a mix of genres that, mixed in an entertaining way, know how to take us where the script proposes.

Visually, it is not a Hollywood-style production: “Little Siberia” tends at all times towards simplicity and prefers a classic narrative to a frenetic rhythm. It is eccentric, but without forcing itself into a David Lynch style.

Our Opinion

A perfect movie to say goodbye to winter and spend a couple of hours in the cozy company of the inhabitants of this picturesque village where, little by little, a plot is being forged that will lead to a mystery in the form of a thriller.

Enjoy it.

Where to Watch “Little Siberia”

Netflix

“Go!” Series on Netflix: A South African Series that Blends Realism and Sports Genre

Today, the South African series “Go!” arrives on Netflix, immersing us in the story of a sprinter and his beginnings. The series is the work of producer Kutlwano Ditsele and screenwriter Thuli Zuma, who aspire to take the sports genre a step further, combining realism and sports in the story of this boy for whom sports was, literally, his only way out.

“Go!” is not the classic family-friendly sports movie: it contains a realistic vision and, as is customary in South African Netflix productions, a sometimes raw view of reality. Without being a harsh film, it takes a genre typically epic and family-oriented into the realm of true stories, with genuine characters and narratives.

It doesn’t reinvent cinema or offer anything unexpected from its premise, but “Go!” has quality production, good performances, and a solid script for a series that manages to convince with its arguments and add a touch of realism to the sports genre and the world of racing.

Plot

“Go!” follows the intense journey of Siya Gumede (nicknamed “Bolt” after Usain Bolt, the legendary Jamaican sprinter), a highly talented young sprinter whose life takes an unexpected turn when he receives a life-changing scholarship to the prestigious private school St. Judes in Johannesburg. However, the night before leaving, he accidentally hits a boy with his vehicle.

The series explores Siya’s journey as he faces intense pressure from his new teammates – Sizwe, RJ, and Ade – while dealing with the weight of his family’s problems. His sick mother and his troubled brother Shuffle add emotional complexity to his already chaotic life.

Our Opinion

Netflix has bet on South African cinema, and the stories they offer each have a special touch. With a budget infinitely smaller than a series shot in the United States or Canada, “Go!” manages to tell us a realistic story and features solid character development and quality production.

It doesn’t come to reinvent cinema or television, but it does give a significant twist to the sports genre, this time mixed with social realism, making “Go!” an enjoyable series, entertaining and with a true touch.

Thandolwethu Zondi as Siya “Bolt” Gumede is a true discovery.

Enjoy the series.

Where to Watch “Go!”

Netflix