contrarymary-57121 Reviews

The Flipping El Moussas (2023– )

REALLY Bad

[1/10 · 11 April 2023]

This is an unbalanced mishmash of Tarek trying to do his thing while wifey (who looks like a blowup doll) concentrates on looking good. It's simply not fun to watch, and for some reason her voice and things that come out of her mouth bore or irritate me. Tarek's ok but there's something big missing from this series, namely entertaining watch ability. There's not enough relatable information that can transfer to DYI folks. Not many can afford these budgets, and for those who can, I doubt they're cozying up in front of a television. I was interested in this series, but my interest quickly waned and transformed into ... well I streamed something else!

October Faction (2020)

Mixed Bag That Deflates!

[5/10 · 24 January 2020]

I wanted to like this, but was completely confused by the first 10 minutes. What is the premise? Is it monsters from outer space; are they something that naturally exist on the planet? Are we watching a wannabe teen show about common teen angst? I'm sorry this has turned to a mishmash boring series. I can't for the life of me understand why Netflix is so desperate for material that they are taking this kind of hooey. And I agree with the 99% of you who said the actor playing Fred Allen was truly miscast. He's just not believable.

Regression (I) (2015)

Terrible

[2/10 · 5 November 2019]

This film is so obvious from the get go. America's Salem history all over again. Overwrought and ridiculous. A waste of time as it's neither horror or suspenseful. The title says it all. I can't believe some of these viewers haven't caught on. We know the mid 80's hysteria was caused by the evangelical crowd; there was never any proof anywhere including this amalgamation of stories. It was rumor run amok. Regression therapy has also been debunked. Another 80's-90's social hype. So everything about the story is regressed-non existent.

The I-Land (2019)

Worst Thing I've Seen in Ages!

[1/10 · 13 September 2019]

Within 2 minutes I was completely shocked that Kate Bosworth would even want to promote this thing! The acting was terrible and the writing? It's like a bad high schooler written Lost wannabe. The entire premise was ridiculous. Yeah the setting was lovely. But within 10 minutes these buff and beautiful folks are waking up on a deserted island, with amnesia and they jump in the ocean for a good time swim??? I'm not kidding, Netflix should be sorry to those who knew it was bad. Obviously they did because they've announced no chance of second season. It's ridiculous. And I'm being nice!

Slasher (2016–2023)

Best Season Yet!

[9/10 · 26 June 2019]

Season 3, Slasher:Solstice is the best season yet! The real break out was Dean McDermott as Dan, the angry white man. He was so realistic in his portrayal that I was simply stunned. Folks forget he was a good actor before his marriage to you know who, but he wipes all the reality show yuck from him. He's simply wonderful.

The story is written well and all of the characters are fleshed out (so to speak) in the first few episodes. Unlike many Slasher stories, the gore isn't gratuitous and the way the characters interact with each other lets you get to know them. We all know at least one of these folks in our lives.

Slasher:Soltice is binge worthy and a welcome addition to Netflix's woefully low stock of horror series. McDermott should be seen in more productions.

Downsizing (2017)

Downsizing Is A Message Film Wrapped in Satire

[8/10 · 30 November 2018]

🆘SPOILER ALERT Downsizing I believed, like most everyone else, was going to be a romp through small people vs regular people and would be a comedy. Especially since along with Damon they gave Kristen Wiig costar billing. But Alexander Payne knows how to do satire with very meaningful messages throughout. The film has comedic flashes here and there in the beginning, but an hour in changes direction. The true costar should have been Hong Chau who ran away with it. The premise is that a Norwegian scientist discovers the ability to reduce all organic matter to 1/27th of its original mass. This is done to reduce the needs of humanity as to food, living space and is going to help the human race save itself from the oncoming overpopulation strain and the environment. People may choose to downsize and because their costs of living will be much much smaller the money they have enables them to convert $150,000 to multimillions. There are small towns and developments sprouting all over the world. But as mankind does, there are those who misuse this miracle. Everyone becomes multimillionaires living in huge houses. No one has to work and all appears perfect. Our couple, Damon and Wiig opt in, but unfortunately only Damon's character goes through it and that's the last we see of Wiig. After getting over the shock, Damon helps a Vietnamese Woman (Chau) who was downsized against her will as punishment for speaking out for human rights. From the moment we are introduced to Chau's character she rules the movie. Her touching and often comical role makes the many messages about humanity, the environment and all the other concerns that come with "downsizing" easier to listen to. She's sheer perfection. Damon takes second seat as Chau dominates the screen. There are several funny situations in the movie, but the ultimate goal is to make you think about these issues. The writer/director Payne gives us the satirical equivalent of a "spoonful of sugar to make the medicine go down." He artfully takes the ridiculous (actually downsizing the folks) and puts them in the communities that warps the meaning and reason why the scientists invented the process in the first place. The society, Damon's character learns, isn't free from the divisions among people based on income and jobs. Just outside Treasure Land is a slum like neighborhood that houses all the workers who make the fine living for the rich. This movie wasn't marketed correctly. You believe you're going to see funny situations; there's no hint of the deep meaning and message that will be thumped into your brain. And Wiig certainly shouldn't have received star billing as that further confuses viewers. Chau is clearly the center point on which the entirety of the movie pivots. It's still an incredibly good original story and the special effects are great. But this is a movie meant to make you think. It's more like a satirical dramedy, but most definitely worth a viewing. I saw it on EPIX but I'm sure it will be streaming soon on your tv. Take an open mind and watch it.

Lore (2017–2018)

Season 2 of Lore Rocks A New Vibe

[10/10 · 29 October 2018]

Season two doesn't have Aaron Mahnke's narrative and by golly I think that's a plus. Lore podcasts have it as that is why it's a podcast. But to bring the stories to reality and visually Lore does just that! As Mahnke himself said in a recent interview, filming the story with the beautiful cinematography allows viewers to grasp the fear, those silence moments when the audience is clued in to the horror. He can narrate that there's a man creeping about in the barnlot, but to see it actually happening when the characters don't makes it more frightening. If you want a narrative listen to the podcast! Sean Crouch brings the Know-how to keep the slow build of terror through images and lighting as he did in the fabulous The Exorcist. Each Lore episode is a contained story. The audience plays a role by seeing what the characters do not. There's still pop-up supplements that explain a fact and there's the beautiful animation to fill out the story for time's sake. Season 2 invites the viewer into the story, rather than having Mahnke tell them in a passive way. Lore on TV is going to be different than the podcast and the books. It's higher production value gives us great storytelling. The actors are superb! I was thrilled to see Jürgen Prochnow and Ian Gelder as they're such fine actors. And props go to Alicia Witty for her sensual portrayal of the "red Lady" in the final story. She was excellent. Lore is a show to watch!! Powerful in its imagery and storytelling.

Maniac (2018)

Maniac - Most Original Netflix Limited Series

[10/10 · 23 September 2018]

Maniac is, simply put, sublime. It's themes are loss, grief and family but it goes into them in one of the most unique and unexpected ways. The screenplay is the best and most wildly original I've seen in years. I am not going to reveal anything about the story except to say a pharmaceutical company is testing a series of drugs that could eliminate human pain and psychological suffering.

The cast is marvelous. Jonah Hill gives a muted but deeply affecting performance as patient 1; Emma Stone gives a more confrontational yet broken performance as patient 9. The interaction throughout the series of these two is a sweet yet heartbreaking and ultimately deep connection. Supporting cast just rocks their roles to perfection: Gabriel Byrne as Hill's character's father, Justin Theroux as the Medical Doctor and neuroscience chemist who developed the medication, a luminous portrayal of Stone's sister by Ozark's Julie Garner; Sally Field's portrayal of Theroux's mother and Billy Magnussen's portrayal as Hil's brother are all magnificent. I binge watched this series in one day as I found I couldn't stop. Maniac is a journey of the mind, and unlike so many series on today, it's a thought inducer. You must watch it. I give it a 10 out of 10.

Aftermath (IV) (2017)

Arnold's Performance Saves Film

[8/10 · 9 September 2018]

This could be just another vengeance story, but Arnold Schwarzenegger's compelling performance raises it. His near perfect role as a grief stricken father and husband is subdued and quiet. The internal struggle between wanting a simple I'm sorry from those he blames and the deep seeded need to get blood revenge is a slow boil. The last few minutes is too neat but overall a good film.

Queen of the South (2016–2021)

Am I Going to be the One Who Says It?

[4/10 · 25 June 2018]

I'd heard from reading on some streaming review sites that this show was great, or at least worth streaming, so imagine my surprise when I watched the first season and my mouth gaped wide open. Braga is good, but what a shame! The writing and production values are very USA cable channel. The stories are discombobulated messes. There is no cinematography to speak of, as sometimes it looks like a student did it. Braga is the ONLY reason I gave it the score I did, and I still feel like I lied on some of the individual episodes scores. The set design looks like they bought every tacky fuzzy picture and white leather sofa from wherever this is filmed. The weirdness doesn't stop. You see Braga in the future talking to Braga now as she's being raped. And the soundtrack makes me want to scream! But here's what bothered me the most. I'm not of Mexican Heritage, but if I were I'd be pissed. Heck I'm still pissed. The writers use every bad, horrific trope possible about Mexicans and the cartel. I have a friend from Mexico who despises the show and I can fully understand why. It's INSULTING. I halfway expected Trump to come at the end and say,"See? Murderers, Rapists and Bad Hombres!" I'm not kidding. Not even. Except for Braga and Falcón, who I suppose you could say break the "glass ceiling" by representing women as leaders in a cartel, there is absolutely no redeeming character in this show. The writers haven't tried to make the audience care about a single one. Like every bad B movie, there is no caring about anyone so if they die they die. Who cares? I can see a bunch of white guy writers (I don't know if there's a woman writer but if so, for shame!) sitting around a table pulling every single bad Mexican trope out, swishing them around and trying to put filler in to create an episode. And if I were Mexican I'd be very disappointed. This is perfect for every racist person against Mexicans to watch. This is NOT the show to represent the beautiful Mexican culture at this time. At all. What further worries me is that a fine Mexican Actor, Alfonso Herrera, is joining the cast for Season 3. Herrera, of Sense 8 and recently in the wonderful series no one watched but SHOULD HAVE, The Exorcist, is a thoughtful, talented actor. As Fr Tomás Ortega in The Exorcist he brought the best of Mexican culture, as well as a heartfelt performance for which he won several awards. I'm praying that his presence will up the ante but with USA network and its limited budget, I don't know if he will help or, like Braga and Falcón, simply become one more bad hombre. I love television but this is why I don't usually like cable or even most network shows. Why Netflix picked this one to air, I have no idea. But I apologize to my Mexican friend. Now I wish I'd gone with my first instinct and given it a 1/10. It tries but not too hard to be something it's not. No Country for Old Men was a great movie but it had a meaningful point. This show does not. It falls flat and insults an entire country that has a longer history than ours.

Safe: Episode #1.8 (2018) Season 1, Episode 8

Brilliant TV

[10/10 · 25 June 2018]

I can even overlook Michael C. Hall's not-so-great English accent to say the series was brilliant from start to finish. The British always do detective shows well, and this is no exception. It provides different storylines incongruent trails in which they all come together in a masterful way. Do we really know people as we think we do? Hall's character deals with this from beginning to end. It's bingeworthy as I found myself watching through the night! I had to know what was coming next, because the viewer, as is supposed to, really doesn't know what anyone's motives or actions are/were until the end. Brilliant! Thanks again to Netflix for giving us adult entertainment (get your minds out of the gutter) for which we long! 10/10

River (2015)

River Is Transcendent

[10/10 · 25 June 2018]

This mini series reaches a level of perfection not often found on modern television, let alone in six episodes. The acting is superb, particularly from the star, Stellan Scarsgård, who plays the title character River. He uses restraint that occasionally bursts through his usual reserve. The writing is glorious and creative with a big twist you don't expect. Again Scarsgård could've held court alone and with the writing and cinematography backing him up. But the terrific supporting cast adds an entirely new dimension to River the show and character. There's plenty of action to please those that need it. Yet it transcends your run of the mill detective show to please the biggest tv snob! I hope we'll see River again soon. Thank you Netflix for bringing this beauty to us across the pond!

Paranoid: Episode #1.8 (2016) Season 1, Episode 8

Terrific British Cop Drama

[10/10 · 25 June 2018]

I'll start by saying that the Brits do cop/detective shows better than any others. I've long watched the comedies and the proverbial Sherlock variations, but thanks to Netflix I've been able to see the flip side and have fallen head over heels with them.

When I first saw the title I thought it was a psychological horror show. As a fan of those, too, when I began watching I was completely enthralled from the beginning. I quickly learned that the title was at once descriptive and ironic. The best trick of tricks that the British use so well to their advantage is their sardonic wit. Their neuroses come across as completely within normality. The lady detective is having boyfriend problems and doesn't notice her younger, better educated lieutenant is drooling over every word she utters. She treats him like a puppy, shooing him away, keeping him on track. Another detective is having panic attacks for which he's treated with prescription drugs. But he's not happy about it. A woman first thought to be a suspect has a past and the help she's turned to is a surprise. There's been a suicide...or murder? Each detective has their own problems, all the way trying to solve the case. I'm not going into the case itself as there are so many twists and turns it would lessen the view. Let's just say that the women and men in the show are at times shown like normal people. No full makeup first thing in the morning, hair is often disheveled and no fillers, just lines carved in their faces showing they've lived life! The characters are completely believable and relatable. So...just sit back, grab a bag of popcorn and learn how the masters do it!

A Series of Unfortunate Events (2017–2019)

Show That's Perfect for Every Age

[10/10 · 30 May 2018]

I can't say enough good things about this show. Everyone is great! There are enough funny gags for the little ones, while there are adult references throughout. You'll find vocabulary improved amongst the show. It's at once hilarious and smart, while also teaching your kids! I don't want to say too much. Suffice it to say I, along with my two grandchildren, ages 6&8 and their parents sat down to watch it thinking it was a kid story and finding that we adults loved it even more. It's perfect for families to share. Neil Patrick Harris is hilarious and this displays a wildly wonderful array of characters for him to play. The greatly sardonic Lemony Snicket narrates the series. Played by the greatly underrated Patric Warburton, we found ourselves laughing our heads off! It's perfectly cast. Enjoy with your family!

Alias Grace (2017)

Powerful and Bingeworthy

[10/10 · 30 May 2018]

This is a riveting bingeworthy mini series that will keep you enthralled from beginning to end. The characters are fully developed and hold you glued to the television from beginning to end. Watch it!

The Paradise (2012–2013)

Enjoy It Anglophiles

[10/10 · 30 May 2018]

The acting is particularly good as is the story. Both seasons are great although I enjoyed season two for the blazingingly good performance by Ben Daniels. This is a terrific show to binge watch on a weekend. It's a good show.

The Exorcist (2016–2018)

Superb Storytelling

[10/10 · 30 May 2018]

The Exorcist is not a reboot of the original movie. It pays homage to it from time to time, but by season 2 it's on its own track. Ben Daniels as Fr Marcus Keane is simply sublime. His performance is a masterclass in acting from beginning to end. Alfonso Herrera grows into his role, just as his character, Fr Tomás Ortega does in his. Season one has Academy Award winner Geena Davis and Alan Ruck. In addition is the truly great performance by young actress Hannah Kasulka and the strong supporting role in Brianne Howey. Each episode slowly reveals the nature of the demonic possession. The demon is played with exquisite perfection by Robert Emmett Lunney. Kurt Egyiawan plays Fr Bennett who is protecting the exorcists from the Church officials. I don't want to say too much. Suffice it to say the entire cast of season one is perfect. The struggle is real. Season two jumps ahead 6 months with a slow build to reveal the evil. Soon situations come to fruition and Marcus and Ortega find themselves helping a social worker and a foster dad, played beautifully by Li Jun Li and the greatest performance to date by John Cho. Every child actor in this story is perfectly cast. It's as if they're a real foster family. The cinematography in this season and the special effects are remarkable and surprisingly stunning for network television. The music score is perfect. This season surpasses, if possible, season one. The story takes time to build as the expert writers help give great character development, something not often found in horror. There are no cheap jump scares. It's a slow build to perfection. The Exorcist was canceled by Fox and I think they simply couldn't handle the superb show. It's too good for network television. Hopefully one of the streaming services will pick it up. It is definitely bingeworthy and you're left wanting more, much more. Every aspect of The Exorcist is film worthy. Please watch this truly remarkable series! You won't forget it.

Picnic at Hanging Rock: Episode #1.6 (2018) Season 1, Episode 6

Excellent Story

[10/10 · 30 May 2018]

I was hesitant to watch this but I shouldn't have been. The acting is wonderful from Natalie Dormer to the supporting cast. All of the girls were excellent. The story can be a bit muddled here and there, but without giving too much, it's the perfect storyline of a suspense movie. Yes, questions are left open ended but that's what makes it good for me. I don't like perfectly knitted endings. Especially since it's based on a true mystery.