War Machine (2026) Review

I'm a bit late to the party but today I have watched War Machine from Netflix and here is my review for the film. The premise of the film sees a group of soldiers on a training mission when they come up against an unexpected enemy. 

Main Character

Alan Ritchson plays 81 and he is decent in the role. I think he has been an actor who has found his niche when it comes to being an actor and he does excel in these action roles, he is definitely the driving force in this film and does rise it up. However, I didn't really care to much about the character, I think he is a really basic character and I just didn't think he was written well enough to make me really care about him. 

Supporting Characters

There are some big names in pretty small roles here. Jai Courtenay, Esai Morales and Dennis Quaid are in this film and do fine with the very little screen time but it was nice seeing some star power on display. 

Unfortunately, the crew that are with Ritchson are super annoying and are not likeable at all. I mean the soldier numbered 7 played by Stephan James is fine but the rest of them aren't good and to be honest you are just watching to see how they are going to get taken out. 

Story

The story though is really where the film falls down. The whole concept of these troops trying to escape from this unknown enemy has been done thousands of time and this film offers nothing new to the genre. We have no idea why the enemy wants to go after them and very little character development, even that is very bland. With an ending that is basically just trying to set up future instalments of this franchise. 

Script

The script also has plenty of problems. The main one being a clash between trying to be this super serious film or trying to be this 80's action film that has some funny one liners. It doesn't do either particularly well and it does feel like this was a big afterthought here. 

Style

The best part of the film has to be the style. For a Netflix film it clearly has a big budget and it does have some pretty impressive action sequences with plenty of violence. It is also a pretty brisk watch, I was never bored during the film and it was an easy watch in terms of runtime. 

Overall

Overall, War Machine is a Below Average Action Film that feels like a slightly higher budgeted version of a thousand films that get made. I would say to give this one a skip unless you really have a desire to give it a go. 

Rating - 4/10

Project Hail Mary (2026) Review

I am a big fan of Sci-Fi films and I saw that we were getting a new film with Ryan Gosling and I heard lots of positive reviews so I went and saw Project Hail Mary and here is my review. The premise of the film sees a Science Teacher wake up on a spaceship with no memory, when he meets an unlikely ally, they have to work together in order to save both of their worlds. 

Main Character

Ryan Gosling plays Ryland Grace and he is fantastic here. He spends a lot of this film basically acting on his own and he does a great job of it. He brings humour, likeability and genuine emotion to the role and made this somebody that you really want to and this is some of Goslings best work. 

Supporting Characters

The main supporting character is an Alien that Grace meets called Rocky. This little guy is great, even though he is basically a rock creature, the chemistry between him and Gosling is off the charts and genuinely provides some truly funny and emotional moments. 

There isn't much for the other human characters but the main one is Eva Stratt played by Sandra Huller. We see flashbacks involving the character and she was a good addition the film. She has good rapport with Gosling and it adds to these parts of the film. 

There is also a nice dynamic between Gosling and a character named Carl played by Lionel Boyce from The Bear. It isn't a focus and is only in a few scenes but I did enjoy watching them on screen together. 

Story

The story comes from a book and from what I have heard they followed it very closely and it really pays off. The relationship between Grace and Rocky is what carries this film and I absolutely loved their dynamic and seeing them go on their journey together. The flashbacks are also good and adds lots of context to Graces character. Think basically a mix between Arrival and The Martian and you have Project Hail Mary. 

Script

This film has excellent writing and really is a huge part of the film. The fact that it is mainly just Ryan Gosling chatting to a Rock, it has to be written well to keep you engaged and it did just that. The balance of Humour and Drama is really there and it really worked. 

Style

The film is beautiful to look at, all the sci-fi elements is done really well and really makes you feel like you are in space and the cinematography is up there with anything. This film is long, clocking in at almost 2 hours 40 mins but it really didn't feel like it to me. I enjoyed all of the film and had a smile on my face throughout. 

Overall

Overall, Project Hail Mary is an Epic Film that is one of the best Original films of the last few years. It is funny, emotional and well written and had me invested throughout. Everyone should find the time to see Project Hail Mary and appreciate just how good the film is. 

Rating - 10/10

How to Make a Killing (2026) Review

I didn't know much about this film before going into it but I saw Glenn Powell was in a new film so that made me automatically interested and I watched How to make a Killing today and here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees an abandoned child decide he wants to get his hands on his family's inheritance by any means necessary. 

Main Character

As mentioned Glenn Powell is the main character called Becket and he is easily the best part of the film. He is one the most charismatic actors going in Hollywood and he really delivers here providing an interesting, maniacal but also sympathetic performance. 

Supporting Characters

Margaret Qualley plays Julia and I think she understood what film this was and ramped up the silliness. It definitely straddles the line of being charismatic or cringey but I think it worked and I actually thought she was good here. 

Jessica Henwick plays Ruth and she is a pretty good love interest for Becket and I liked their chemistry. I don't think she was a particularly important part of the film but I thought she did decent with what she had.

The rest of the cast feel pretty underutilised. I mean you have Topher Grace and Ed Harris and do very little with them. I mean they are both pretty entertaining but the fact they are in it so little makes it even more frustrating. 

Story

The premise of the story is great and at times it displays the outlandish fun that it should have considering the premise watching Powell try to deal with all of his family members. However, the actual plot feels pretty repetitive and lacking imagination, it could be way more creative but unfortunately falls short. It has a somewhat interesting ending but it does make you slightly question what you have watched beforehand. 

Script

The script is okay, it has some pretty good comedic dialogue but then I sometimes think is that literally just because of Glenn Powell's Charm. The drama is also sort of there but it feels like it is underbaked and the film probably should commit to either being more serious or completely ridiculous. 

Style

Kind of like before, there are some really fun stylistic choices taken during the film that are pretty creative and the pacing was decent. But I feel like it could have gone even grander and that the editing was quite strange, especially with how long the film is set over, it didn't feel like it was a film that was set over multiple years. 

Overall

Overall, How to Make a Killing is an above average film. This is a decent film and one I think when it comes to a streaming service is worth a watch. But it wasn't particularly memorable to go back to. 

Rating - 6/10

 Under Salt Marsh (2026) Review

At the end of January, Sky released a new tv show and decided to put it under a weekly release and I have now watched all of the episodes of Under Salt Marsh and here is my review for it. The premise of the show sees a detective and his former partner trying to uncover a tragedy, while the weather is causing massive problems. 

Main Character

Rafe Spall plays Eric Bull and he is at best okay here. He is a character that is at least trying to do his job and try and solve the investigation. The issue is that he is a pretty boring character and has little presence on screen. 

Kelly Reilly plays Jackie Ellis and her character is just terrible. She is one of the most unlikeable characters that I have seen on screen in a while an the show wants us to root for her. Reilly offers incredibly little to the role and her characterisation falls flat on its face. 

Supporting Characters

Jonathan Pryce is clearly the best actor here in his role as Soloman Bevan. He is the head of a family who comes under accusations and he does the best out of everybody here and adds his star quality to this project. 

Mark Stanley plays Danny Hill and he is pretty good in the show, he has some pretty powerful scenes that are fluttered across the 6 episodes but he isn't really in the show long enough. 

Honestly, the rest of the cast are pretty drab, they aren't particularly bad it is just we are introduced to so many people that it is hard to keep track of them and none of them stand out in any way. 

Story

The story is probably the worst part of the show. It is a pretty basic murder mystery, that usually takes 2-3 episodes max on good shows but this one decides to really drag it out. There are no interesting twists and turns throughout the show and the ending really made me question why I bothered watching this and what the whole point was. 

Script

The script is just confusing and baffling. The content isn't particularly clear and it doesn't have any real scenes that I felt like the writing was particularly good. Also, this is one of the bleakest shows I have ever seen and it really made me force myself through this. 

Style

The show looks great, it has beautiful cinematography and definitely uses this to its advantage. But the pacing of this show is painfully slow, it moves at a snails pace and it makes it something that feels way longer then it actually is. 

Overall

Overall, Under Salt Marsh is a bad show that is incredibly dull. I found this show really hard to finish and the thing I can recommend is to not start it. 

Rating - 3/10

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1 (2026) Review

After Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, we have a new GOT show in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and I have watched all of the 6 episodes, so here is my review for the new show. The premise of the show sees a Hedge Knight, on a quest to truly become a knight when he meets a young squire that will change his life. 

Main Character

Peter Claffey plays Ser Duncan and he is fantastic in this show. This is the first time I have seen him and he truly encapsulated this role and made me really care about Duncan. He is an interesting character with great development and I really found myself rooting for Duncan, maybe more then any character in this universe. 

Supporting Characters

Dexter Sol Ansell plays Egg and he is brilliant. He has an extremely bright future and I think this is going to be the start of a great career. Egg is snarky but has plenty of characterisation and the relationship between Duncan & Egg is easily the best part of this show. 

Daniel Ings plays Lyonel Baratheon and he provides real energy to this show. Especially over the first few episodes that are a bit slower, he injects life into them and his character is a lot of fun and a real show stealer. 

Shaun Thomas plays Raymun Fossoway and he is a great character. He is the ultimate friend for Duncan and he was just a nice character who supported our lead character no matter the circumstances. 

Bertie Carvel plays Baelor Targaryen and he is just such a presence on screen. He isn't on the show too much but he owns the show with his presence and is one of the best characters. 

Story

The story is good, it is much lower stakes then other shows in this franchise but it just works and makes you really care about the characters. The relationship between Duncan and Egg is really well done and the whole concept of the show is really well handled with a pretty satisfying ending. 

Script

The script is pretty good. It has some really great drama in it that ramps up the issues between some of the characters. There are also some decent humorous scenes which helped Duncan's character. But there is also some humour that really felt out of place and took away from the overall feeling of the show. 

Style

The style is good, there are some really strong action scenes and it does have the overall feel of Game of Thrones, I just liked the overall vibe of the show. However, the episodes are just too short and to me we could have just got more here and had stronger pacing. 

Overall

Overall, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a Great show which sets up the stage well for future entries. A few tweaks and it could become just as good as some of the best seasons of Game of Thrones.

Rating - 8/10

Ranked - Spartacus Shows/Seasons

Over the last couple of months I have watched all the seasons/shows of the Spartacus franchise. The show first came out in 2010 and has had a cult following with plenty of views and plenty of great content. So I have now decided to rank these seasons/shows from worst to best in my opinion. Obviously, this is only my opinion and everyone can disagree or agree as much as they like. 

5. Spartacus: House of Ashur

It took 12 years for this show to come out after the end of Spartacus and it was a pretty big waste of time. The reason for the show existing is nonsensical and it feels totally unnecessary. Nick E. Tarabay tires his best but Ashur is meant to be a villain and it is hard to root for him. It still has some decent action scenes but overall it is a poor imitation of the main show. 

4. Spartacus: Vengeance

After the tragic death of Andy Whitfield, Liam McIntyre was cast as Spartacus and he does a great job and really adds a lot to the character. The show continues really well off of the end of the previous seasons and it is really cool seeing the characters trying to take down the Romans. I just feel like this series doesn't quite have as much excitement in the first half of the series and thats what holds it back from the entries that are above. 

3. Spartacus: Blood and Sand

The show that started it all is next on the list and Blood and Sand is a great show. Andy Whitfield is great in the role as are the rest of the cast. The action is a lot of fun and it just embraces its tone and feels like a real spectacle to watch at times. It just has a slightly rushed finale and lack of budget which does hold it back but it is great. 

2. Spartacus: Gods of The Arena

With the showrunners not sure on the status of Andy Whitfield. They decided to make a spinoff prequel show focusing on a new Gladiator in Gannicus and it really works. Dustin Clare steps into the lead really well and it was really cool to see the origins of characters that we saw in the original series. It does suffer from similar issues as Blood and Sand but I just slightly preferred Gods of The Arena. 

1. Spartacus: War of the Damned

For me the best of this list so far is the final series of Spartacus: War of the Damned. It was a fantastic finale to this show and I really feel like it nailed it in pretty much every way. The characters were great, the action is pretty great and it is nice to see a finale of a show actually really delivering. It was so close to a 10/10 but I just didn't quite do it but it a fantastic show to watch. 

Spartacus: House of Ashur (2025/2026) Review

I am a huge fan of The Spartacus show that came out back in 2010 and actually rewatched the whole of it in preparation of watching the new spinoff show Spartacus: House of Ashur. After many weeks, the finale of the show came to the UK today and I have watched it, so here is my review for the show. The premise shows an alternate universe where Ashur survived the events of Spartacus and was gifted his own Ludus. He has to navigate the world of politics, while leading his Gladiators to victory. 

Main Character

Nick E. Tarabay reprises his role as Ashur and he clearly loves playing this role and I love seeing him play this role when he is evil and sneaky like he was in the original show. He still has some of that here and those are my favourite parts of the show. However, because he is the lead here, they try and make us care and sympathise for him and I really just couldn't and I just think that is because it goes against everything that is the character.

Supporting Characters

Graham McTavish plays the new Doctore Korris and he is probably the best character in the show. He has the honour of a gladiator but there is more to him and he is a good character that would have fit in well with the original show. 

Dan Hamill as Celadus is probably the best of the Gladiators. He is one of the older Gladiators and has honour and respect for the ways of the role. I mean he isn't the most ground breaking character but he does well here. 

Tenika Davis plays Achillia as the new main character and honestly, I thought she was pretty bad. She is incredibly wooden and there wasn't much done here to make me care about her character, despite the fact the show really wants you too. 

The rest of the cast offer very little. There are plenty of political characters and I didn't care about any of them and the majority of the gladiators either had limited characterisation or they were just down right annoying. 

Story

The story is the part of the show that I found the most nonsensical. First of all the show, has no reason to exist and actually disrespects quite a lot of the original show. There aren't really any characters that I particularly liked and it just made little sense to me why they went the directions that they did. Also the Gladiators feel like a pretty big afterthought at times which is a shame for a show in this franchise. 

Script

The script is okay, there are some decent dramatic moments in there and some chuckle worthy moments. But it is nothing compared to the original Spartacus and I just think the writing doesn't do enough to make these characters interesting enough. 

Style 

Spartacus is well known for its violent action scenes and its over the top romantic scenes and this show still has all of that and in that way it does a decent job of keeping with this tone. Though, I sometimes think it comes across as a parody of the original show. Also the pacing isn't always great and I think 10 episodes was probably a few too many. 

Overall

Overall, Spartacus: House of Ashur is a below average massive disappointment for fans of the franchise. I don't really know who it is for as it isn't good enough for new fans and does things that will upset lifelong fans, I wouldn't spend your time on this one. 

Rating - 4/10