- Young Sherlock Is a Fiennes Family Affair
Young Sherlock might just be the Conan Doyle reinvention that Prime Video were banking on. Co-created by Matthew Parkhill, Guy Ritchie, and Peter Harness – this formative foray into the things that shaped Sherlock senior is disarming stuff. Headlined by Hero Fiennes Tiffin, which audiences might remember as Tom Riddle from an early Harry Potter, this show also feels like a Fiennes family reunion. Set before Doctor Watson ever made an appearance, it …Continue reading “Young Sherlock Is a Fiennes Family Affair”
- Barron’s Cove Is an Underrated Slow Burn Thriller That Pulls No Punches
Barron’s Cove is a deceptive murder mystery that quickly morphs into an intriguing character study. One that takes a deep dive into the human condition courtesy of Tulsa King alumni Garrett Hedlund, showcasing an untapped potential audiences might have missed. Over 20 years after his breakout role in Four Brothers, and with Tron Legacy a distant memory, Cabel comes out of the shadows. Granting Hedlund access …Continue reading “Barron’s Cove Is an Underrated Slow Burn Thriller That Pulls No Punches”
- Odd Man Rush Is a Film Defined by Untapped Potential
Odd Man Rush is the Swedish Moneyball that Bennett Miller never made. Adapted from the book by Bill Keenan, it throws in elements of High Fidelity and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, alongside a disarming performance from Jack Mulhern as Bobby. Trading on culture clash comedy staples, and an eccentric cast of Scandinavian character actors, Odd Man Rush …Continue reading “Odd Man Rush Is a Film Defined by Untapped Potential”
- Alphabet Soup Gets to the Heart of Sexual Diversity
There is an honesty to Alphabet Soup that grounds this six-part docuseries on Prime Video and Peacock. Documentarian Shannon Alexander captures the dating life of a closeknit clique of New Yorkers, who just happen to be gay, bi, trans-gender, and non-binary. Inviting audiences to get up close and personal as they search for connections in this …Continue reading “Alphabet Soup Gets to the Heart of Sexual Diversity”
- Four Seasons in the Boys Shows No Signs of Slowing Down
Since 2019 The Boys have been causing havoc on Prime Video. Disregarding the rules of engagement, cranking up the shock factor and making a mockery of Marvel Studios. Based on a comic book series created by Garth Ennis, Prime Video’s outlandish adaptation has made cult figures of its ensemble cast. Playing fast and loose with …Continue reading “Four Seasons in the Boys Shows No Signs of Slowing Down”
- Fallout Looks Epic but Feels Empty
Fallout might have Bethesda’s seal of approval through its direct involvement, but there is something fundamentally wrong with this series from Prime Video. It has nothing to do with Lucy, Ella Purnell’s plucky protagonist, or The Ghoul who is brought to life by an exceptional Walton Goggins concealed beneath skilfully applied prosthetics. Fallout falters because … - Solid Performances Fail to Save Mr & Mrs Smith From Mediocrity
Doug Liman is busy making waves, since his remake of Roadhouse has been sidetracked onto Prime Video, bypassing cinemas, disappointing audiences, and incurring the wrath of this journeyman director in the process. According to Liman, who helmed classics including The Bourne Identity, Jumper, and Edge of Tomorrow, Roadhouse tested higher than Mr & Mrs. Smith …Continue reading “Solid Performances Fail to Save Mr & Mrs Smith From Mediocrity”
- Reacher Season 2 Marks the Return of an Anti-hero With More Than Guns and Ammo on His Side
Jack Reacher is an anti-hero made flesh by millions of fiction fans who buy his books each year and forge a bond of kinship with a character, courtesy of best-selling author Lee Child. Season 1 of the Prime Video adaptation gave audiences a tight-lipped mountain man in Alan Ritchson (Titans), who blocked out the sun, … - Season 3 of Star Trek: Picard May Just Be the Best Thing This Franchise Has Ever Made
Image via Paramount When Star Trek: Picard premiered on Prime amid lavish ticker tape parades predicting a hero’s welcome, there were some who felt this might be jumping the gun. More than two decades on from that final episode of Next Generation, what would contemporary audiences make of Patrick Stewart now wearing the rank of … - Film Noir Meets Gun-Fu Chic on The Continental Grounds in This Prime Video Gem
With the Seventies swagger of a blaxploitation feature and a cast of ensemble killers packed with personality – The Continental comes to Prime Video this September with all guns blazing. Following the franchise phenomenon of John Wick, this highly stylised return to that universe, overseen by Derek Kolstad, David Leitch and Chad Stahelski required lashings …Continue reading “Film Noir Meets Gun-Fu Chic on The Continental Grounds in This Prime Video Gem”
- Good Omens Takes the Extra Out of Extraordinary in a Lacklustre Sophomore Season
With one vintage Bentley and a taste for the demonic, Crowley (David Tennant) is an uber cool embodiment of evil which leapt from the minds of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, in a collaboration which ended up being called Good Omens. A show which launched in 2019 and now finds itself heading into season 2 …Continue reading “Good Omens Takes the Extra Out of Extraordinary in a Lacklustre Sophomore Season”
- Citadel review: An enjoyable if derivative spy romp
High-octane action and lavish European locations are the hallmarks of Citadel – a super slick new espionage romp from Avengers: Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo. Featuring high-speed inter-railing fist fights, exotic femme fatales, and a touch of low-grade amnesia for suave black-op agents Mason Kane (Richard Madden) and Nadia Sinh (Priyanka Chopra-Jonas), this Prime …Continue reading “Citadel review: An enjoyable if derivative spy romp”
- Review: An impeccable Christoph Waltz makes cost-cutting cool in ‘The Consultant’
Created and written by Tony Basgallop (Servant), The Consultant brings Hollywood chameleon Christoph Waltz (No Time to Die) to Prime Video – breathing life into productivity expert Regus Patoff. Set in the world of app-based computer games, The Consultant opens at CompWare, as audiences are swiftly introduced to Elaine (Brittany O’Grady) and Craig (Nat Wolff). …Continue reading “Review: An impeccable Christoph Waltz makes cost-cutting cool in ‘The Consultant’”
- Review: Season 3 is the magic number, as ‘Star Trek: Picard’ continues to hit those high notes
Straight out of the gate and leading with his front foot, Jean-Luc (Patrick Stewart) embarks on his final frontier-busting season from Feb. 16 in Star Trek: Picard. Following the solid storytelling and intricate plot lines, which welcomed Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan), renegade pilot Raffi (Michelle Hurd), and an enigmatic Q (John de Lancie) back … - ‘The Rig’ review: Iain Glen and Martin Compston lead chilling oil rig thriller
Launching on Prime Video on 6 January, The Rig sees Vigil star Martin Compston returning to the waves for a gripping new year treat. Days away from shore leave and stranded off the coast of Scotland, workers on the Kinloch Bravo drilling platform are shrouded in fog. With communications cut off, dwindling morale and a powder keg …Continue reading “‘The Rig’ review: Iain Glen and Martin Compston lead chilling oil rig thriller”
- London Film Festival 2022 Review – ‘Mammals’ gives James Corden back his heart and soul
Mammals, which hits Prime Video on Nov. 1, is much more than a dramedy with romantic notions and moral conundrums. Writer Jez Butterworth is deliberate in exploring questions of trust and of attraction, with debates around monogamy throughout. Headlined by Emmy-winning chat show host, stage actor, and UK television mainstay James Corden, Mammals marks his return to dramatic … - ‘The Peripheral’ review: Chloë Grace Moretz anchors solid sci-fi distraction
With fully immersive avatars, time-travelling conundrums and elements of Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One, Prime Video may have hit pay dirt with its new sci-fi series The Peripheral, streaming from 21 October. Read more at: https://uk.news.yahoo.com/the-peripheral-review-chloe-grace-moretz-solid-sci-fi-distraction-075705713.html - ‘Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ review: A glorious culmination of creative endeavour
On 2 September, when Prime Video ushers in a Second Age of Middle Earth, with its budget busting fantasy fable Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, a new generation will gaze in wonder at this timeless saga. Read more at: https://uk.news.yahoo.com/lord-rings-rings-of-power-review-glorious-culmination-creative-endeavour-152519400.html - *Video Review* ‘The Terminal List’ – Chris Pratt leads pedestrian Amazon drama
Everything about The Terminal List, which comes to Prime Video from 1 July, implies that some turds are simply not worth polishing. It does possess high-end production values, slick editing and some macho posturing which promise audiences a cracking action thriller, with Marvel mainstay Chris Pratt (James Reece) leading a Black-ops commando squad of highly …Continue reading “*Video Review* ‘The Terminal List’ – Chris Pratt leads pedestrian Amazon drama”
- Review: ‘The Boys’ season 3 gets dramatic in between decapitations
Ever since it debuted on Prime Video in 2019, The Boys has been making waves, bringing biting satire and social commentary to the forefront of its storytelling. Adapted by Supernatural showrunner Eric Kripke from the Garth Ennis graphic novel, the deconstruction of the superhero genre is now into season 3, which launches globally on June …Continue reading “Review: ‘The Boys’ season 3 gets dramatic in between decapitations”
- We Got This Covered – ‘Upload’ season 2 proves the afterlife has something for everyone
Greg Daniels is an super-producer responsible for numerous television shows, including Parks and Recreation, The Office, and more recently Space Force on Netflix. Never afraid to poke fun at an establishment which remains ripe for mockery, Upload continued that trend in 2020. Read more at: https://wegotthiscovered.com/tv/review-upload-season-2-proves-the-afterlife-has-something-for-everyone/ - We Got This Covered – ‘Picard’ delivers a second season worth the wait
Following the barnstorming return of Jean-Luc Picard for his own original series on Amazon in early 2020, a second season seemed inevitable. In a virtuoso performance from the veteran Starfleet legend, Patrick Stewart confirmed why he remains so precious to Trekkies everywhere. By linking Picard seamlessly with the best parts of Star Trek: Next Generation, screenwriter Michael Chabon …Continue reading “We Got This Covered – ‘Picard’ delivers a second season worth the wait”
- Amazon TV Review – Nine Perfect Strangers
The talent behind this Hulu original, making its way onto Amazon this August beggars belief. Writer John-Henry Butterworth penned Edge of Tomorrow, Get On Up and Le Mans ‘66. Director Jonathan Levine was behind teenage zombie rom-com Warm Bodies, comedy drama 50/50 and had a hand in Seth Rogen hit Longshot. After all that, if you throw industry heavyweight David E. Kelley into …Continue reading “Amazon TV Review – Nine Perfect Strangers”
- TV Review – Amazon’s Solos
Comparisons to Black Mirror are inevitable, but Amazon’s new anthology show Solos avoids tipping over into pitch black satire by giving events a softer edge. Creator David Weil, who is best known for Amazon’s Hunters, employs his star studded cast with care ruminating on universal themes, whilst subverting audience expectations. This feels like a spiritual successor to perennial television staple Talking … - Amazon Review – The Underground Railroad
Oscar-winning writer director Barry Jenkins comes to Amazon with a story of conflicting cultural identity and social intolerance. Adapted from the novel by Colson Whitehead, who serves as an executive producer alongside both Barry Jenkins and Brad Pitt, The Underground Railroad pulls no punches. Caesar (Aaron Pierce) and Cora (Thuso Mbedu) serve as the eyes and ears … - Amazon Review – Them
This is a savage piece of television. It pulls no punches, spares no horses and is relentlessly unsettling without resorting to cliché. Showrunner Little Marvin seems intent on making audiences squirm. By putting them in the shoes of marginalised minorities, such as the Emory family, this series forces viewers to confront their own prejudice. Set … - American Gods Season 3 Finale Review – ‘Tears of the Wrath-Bearing Tree’
Seedy summit meetings attended by undesirable people of power happen every day. A gathering of individuals with opposing ideologies come together in order to gain an advantage. Agendas are cloaked, intentions diverse and wriggle room minimal. In the aftermath of Laura Moon’s assassination attempt diplomacy seems the most unlikely outcome. Where Shadow fits into this …Continue reading “American Gods Season 3 Finale Review – ‘Tears of the Wrath-Bearing Tree’”
- Amazon Review – Invincible
The voice cast on this animated adaptation is outstanding. If this was live action rather than pixel and pen line drawings, some cheque books would be swung wide accommodating the cost of catering alone. Co-created by Robert Kirkman, famed for both The Walking Dead and spin-off Fear the Walking Dead, Invincible centres on high schooler Mark Grayson. Voiced by Steven … - American Gods Season 3 Episode 9 Review – ‘The Lake Effect’
Lakeside sacrifice, gold coin reincarnation and tenuous peace talks lay the groundwork for this penultimate episode. A convergence of opposing ideologies is imminent as new and old are drawn together out of necessity. Political pacts might be mooted, ceasefires negotiated and blood oaths sworn but some beings are not for budging. ‘The Lake Effect’ feels …Continue reading “American Gods Season 3 Episode 9 Review – ‘The Lake Effect’”
- American Gods Season 3 Episode 8 Review – ‘The Rapture of Burning’
Sexual liberation can come in many forms and American Gods embraces that notion with open arms. Weaving Chinese folklore together with contemporary attitudes on attraction, gender fluidity and individual identity episode eight feels like a return to form. Myths and legends intertwine, confrontations are brutally brought to life and Ian McShane puts on some armour. Beyond his …Continue reading “American Gods Season 3 Episode 8 Review – ‘The Rapture of Burning’”
- American Gods Season 3 Episode 7 Review – ‘Fire and Ice’
This feels like a reckoning. A coalition of opposing forces gathered en mass for the sole execution of one singular purpose. Retribution brought forth by eternal deities and rained down upon one specific individual. Scavengers are closing in ready to extol a price upon one God in particular. That he seems more concerned with continuing …Continue reading “American Gods Season 3 Episode 7 Review – ‘Fire and Ice’”
- American Gods Season 3 Episode 6 Review – ‘Conscience of the King’
There is something inherently humanising about a love story which stretches back centuries. Weathered by war and forever smitten by one affair of the heart, ‘Conscience of the King’ revels in the one true weakness of all entities. As a grizzled Odin and his elegant paramour Demeter continue to pursue each other in this protracted …Continue reading “American Gods Season 3 Episode 6 Review – ‘Conscience of the King’”
- Amazon Prime Review – Tell Me Your Secrets
Tell Me Your Secrets is a densely plotted psychological drama from the pen of Harriet Warner, which rests squarely on the shoulders of Lily Rabe, Amy Brenneman and Hamish Linklater. Of the three it is Lily Rabe’s Karen who does much of the heavy lifting to begin with, as a convict relocated and cloaked in a …Continue reading “Amazon Prime Review – Tell Me Your Secrets”
- American Gods Season 3 Episode 5 Review – ‘Sister Rising’
Tales of technical innovation, demonstrations of genuine power and a side order of Seventies cinema make this episode come alive. Ruminations on the afterlife, a silky smooth voice over and Yetide Badaki in full flow, also ensure this fifty minutes of fulsome television flies. Visual flourishes sit alongside dynamic storytelling, bringing plot and character together …Continue reading “American Gods Season 3 Episode 5 Review – ‘Sister Rising’”
- American Gods Season 3 Episode 4 Review – ‘The Unseen’
Burgeoning relationships between reincarnated cadavers is something that only works in American Gods. That this bond has developed between an undead wife and coin carrying leprechaun is something else entirely. Incorporating flaming biker bars, intentionally naked all Fathers and incarcerated goddesses, it is yet another deviation no one else dare pull off. Amongst the bizarrely pixelated Technical Boy team ups, …Continue reading “American Gods Season 3 Episode 4 Review – ‘The Unseen’”
- American Gods Season 3 Episode 3 Review – ‘Ashes and Demons’
With news that this season is getting slayed by critics, while fans are apparently abandoning ship like their life depended on it, episode three brings hope. Something approaching a coherent storyline is starting to kick in and visual confidence is being restored. Whether that is due to a burgeoning relationship between Shadow and Marguerite, or …Continue reading “American Gods Season 3 Episode 3 Review – ‘Ashes and Demons’”
- American Gods Season 3 Episode 2 Review – ‘Serious Moonlight’
Episode two might possess the formidable presence of Ian McShane’s Odin, but beyond that Serious Moonlight treads water. Visual flourishes prove distracting but ultimately story seems to be in stasis. Aside from a gathering of Gods fronted by Peter Stormare’s Czernobog things are decidedly lacklustre. Vaguely clandestine meetings on rooftops involving Shadow and raven-haired women might engage briefly, but in terms of …Continue reading “American Gods Season 3 Episode 2 Review – ‘Serious Moonlight’”
- American Gods Season 3 Episode 1 Review – ‘A Winter’s Tale’Literary adaptations which strike the same chord as American Gods are rare. In the opening season it redefined the standard and dramatically challenged anyone within spitting distance to a fist fight. Daring in its disregard and dangerous to a fault it redrafted the lines of engagement. It felt sexy, oozed decadence and defied others to come out …
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