buweite Reviews

My Name Is Loh Kiwan (2024)

Disappointing, far below mediocre

[5/10 · 16 July 2024]

All the potential is there for a great story to be told. A real story, inspired in real people, and a cruel reality (trust me, I am Belgian and have worked with refugees). Two main actors that at least know how to act, and even some side roles can stand the heat. Instead, Netflix decided to shoot this one in a country faked as Belgium (hard to watch), with second rate Western actors, second rate set dressing, horrible music and worst of all the worst script and dialogues ever.

I truely hope that somehow the Korean spoken by the main character is truly resembling the North Korean speach. Shame on Netflix, far below mediocre.

Rough Diamonds (2023– )

Great start, sad ending

[6/10 · 4 December 2023]

This series is one for film school. To demonstrate the importance of the director. Give them students one question: who can tell me which episode is directed by what director?

And to demonstrate the importance of the casting director. Of all Belgian actors, WHY Kevin Janssens in the lead role?

And of the DOP, editor, color grading ... by the time episode 8 was shot they must have sacked half of the crew. And all of the script and dialogue writers with them. There is no other explanation on how they managed to bring down a great idea for an unexpected series, start of so strongly and ended it as a soap opera.

Oh, and one more: I would love to know who did the language training to the actors. For speakers of Jiddish and Hebrew most probably a lot of the dialogues sound really bad, but for me, a very natural point in this series seems the switching between languages. Them non native actors must have rehearsed real hard to get all those lines come off naturally. Correct me if I am wrong?

The Accidental Narco (2022– )

Great location scouting

[6/10 · 22 November 2022]

Episode 1 is refreshing. From than it goes down the drain. Should have been a 90mins feature movie. Great story, watered down till no more taste.

Setting in Suriname is beautiful. Locals are somehow not in the picture, apart from the Chinese triad villains who are portrayed as morons. As a viewer wenste treated with fine acting, great dialogues, storyline, camera work, ... in the first episode. Somehow the production could not bother with the remaining 5 episodes or maybe all the money was spend. In any case , quality goes down the slope at a higher speed with very 10 minutes ... The heat must have gotten them while shooting on location. Such a shame!

Barbarians (2020–2022)

Don't start watching season 2, keep it at season 1

[5/10 · 1 November 2022]

Season 1 somehow keeps you watching, regardless of the love stories ... Season 2 does not even try to depict history, it's worse than a novella ... my god! I had to quit after 2 episodes. Waste of time and good sense. Not a single action, storyline or twist is believable. There is NO history told, no surprises,... And that while 5 minutes of google brings you multiple angles and plot possibilities.

It feels like the production put all its money on scripting and designing Season 1, writing season 2 at the same time by a script team that does the Bold and the Beautiful. Looks like they signed the actors for 2 seasons and did need the second season to gain back the investment on props and the scenographic building and investments.

Shame on Netflix !

Big Sky (2020–2023)

Bad directing

[6/10 · 6 October 2021]

I watched the entire season 1 before rating. Every episode has it's goofy or mellow parts, where one feels like one is kicked out of the room but in the next scene something pulls you on track again.

I feel like there is this really good story, this great setting in Montana and some really good actors. Now for season 2 PLEASE give us some A directing!

And please find us some better music, too.

Worth watching.

McDonald & Dodds (2020– )

Mediocre Agatha Christie plots

[4/10 · 19 April 2021]

Enjoyed the first season a lot, because of the duo lead characters and the energy between them.

Second season is a total disappointment. Now we are familiar with the quirkiness of the leads, we need adult and challenging plot, script, twists to entertain us and give them leads something to work with.

Ugly photography, graded colours, bad acting and totally bad directing.

Lost it and will not watch third season.

Sakho & Mangane (2019)

Intruiging

[8/10 · 12 January 2021]

Parts of the script are great, and while the acting ranges from very bad over over acting to great, the setting Dakar both in cultural and geographical sense, make this series really intriguing. I loved the photography. Had a great time watching it !

Undercover (2019–2022)

Beware - Do not watch Season 2

[1/10 · 9 November 2020]

As season 1 was kind of entertaining, with the plot based on a surreal 'based on true facts' story too strange not to be told, I just watched season 2. Flemish script writers insult their public. They diss us. They think we are morons, and we gobble whatever dog food that is put in front of us. Do not watch the second season.! I am lost for words.

Uncorked (I) (2020)

The direction is like a good wine

[8/10 · 6 August 2020]

Just finished watching this very fine movie. Loved the acting and the premises. The direction is like a good wine. It grows on you, keeps a bit of a mystery till the end, keeps it open, so you can wonder, and nothing is decided for you. The acting is put layer by layer, withheld, small but with attention to the detail. If only the part in France would have told us something about wine and France, have us meet and feel France, that would have lifted the movie. The start of the movie features wine ranks, people working them ... but we don't get to see anything. Instead, we get a hint of cork and fungus with the storyline of the mother. Why do script writers always go for this cheap emo trick? It's lazy and it's mediocre. Such a shame. Good movie could have been great!