Lockerbie: A Search for Truth (2025) Review

My first review for 2025 is here and it is a tv show that focuses on the real life events of the Lockerbie plane disaster, so it is a pretty serious watch. I have watched all of the 5 episodes and here is my review for the show. The premise of the show focuses on a doctor who is trying to get justice for his daughter and all the lives that were affected by the Lockerbie Plane Disaster that took place in 1988. 

Main Character

Colin Firth plays Dr Jim Swire and you won't see too many better performances then this all year, he is truly fantastic. You see the real emotion and harm that comes to him during the entire show and the longer the case takes the more it takes out of him and his family. Firth really delivers this strong performance of this real man and you are really on his journey and support him. 

Supporting Characters

Catherine McCormack plays his wife Jane and she is also brilliant. Though we see this show mostly through Jim's eyes we really see how it affects Jane and makes her feel like she is sleepwalking through life without her husband. McCormack really nails it and though she isn't the focus she is an integral part of the show. 

Sam Troughton plays Murray Guthrie who is a journalist that works with Jim Swire and I really liked their dynamic. He clearly cares about the story and wants to get the evidence required to help Swire and the families affected. The chemistry between him and Firth is really great and I really enjoyed all the scenes they had together. 

There is a big supporting cast and everybody just feels very genuine and appropriate for the story that is being told here and I give credit to every performer and this is a great ensemble cast. 

Story

The story is obviously very upsetting and emotional and it handles it really well. It was gripping and kept me interested as there was twists and turns about who might have been responsible for the plane crashing in Lockerbie. But the films ending didn't quite work for me, it is difficult when you do a show based on real life events as you can't change it too much, but the ending was pretty drab compared to everything else that was shown during the show. 

Script

Due to the subject matter, I was expecting an intense and emotional script and we get exactly that but it works really well. You really feel the emotion that is being conveyed on screen. It was a really well written show and though it gets complicated at times, I thought it explained everything pretty well. 

Style

The show is well filmed and does a really good job of conveying the intense subject matter and does enough to keep you hooked for the next episode. Though, I do think the show drags at times and maybe could have cut an episode and really tightened everything up to create an even better experience. 

Overall

Overall, Lockerbie: A Search for Truth is a Great Show. It is a hard watch and I will probably never watch it again but it is a really interesting watch and has some excellent performances. I would recommend watching this show once so you can truly understand more about this tragic story. 

Rating - 8/10

The Beekeeper (2024) Review

Over the years, Jason Statham has been a part of plenty of action films which have differentiated in quality. We have another one with The Beekeeper and I have watched it and here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees after someone close to him is robbed and killed, a Beekeeper goes on a revenge mission showcasing his former skills. 

Main Character

As mentioned above, Statham has played the lead role in an action film many times and he does a great job here, it feels like he can play this role in his sleep. It isn't the toughest role he has ever taken on but it just works and he adds some legitimacy for this role and it is fun to see him play a Beekeeper. 

Supporting Characters

Josh Hutcherson plays an annoying bad guy here and it took a while but I liked his performance here. He is just so arrogant and annoying that you really want to see him get taken down and this made me root for Statham even more in this film.  

Jeremy Irons plays the head of the company that Statham is after. He again is good in the role and is charisma is on full display here. It is probably one of the easiest pay checks that he has ever got but he is clearly enjoying the role. 

Emmy Raver-Lampman plays a cop and I didn't really care for her performance. She is a bit over the top and her character just makes some strange decisions and it is kind of convoluting as to why she does certain things in the film. 

Bobby Naderi plays her partner and he is also cheesy and really over the top. The two of them have decent chemistry but for me it doesn't really work in this film. 

Story

The story is pretty basic here and focuses on this guys revenge mission and in that it is pretty cool and exciting seeing Statham's character go after the people that have wronged him and the people he knows. There is also a pretty cool twist towards the end of the film that made things way more interesting. But some of the others character motivations are pretty strange and the overall explanation for Statham's training doesn't work with other things that happen in the film. Worse of all is the really abrupt ending of the film that doesn't really answer any questions and feels really out of place. 

Script

This is where the film really falls flat and that is the writing. This film has some real cringe worthy dialogue here, especially when it comes to the bee metaphors. But it is like the film doesn't have an ending and like the writers weren't sure what to do. 

Style 

The film has some really great action sequences. The majority of people are just here to see Jason Statham beat up and kill people and you get that here in spades and it is easily the highlight of the film. The film also has pretty good pacing, it doesn't overstay its welcome and I thought moved pretty well. 

Overall

Overall, The Beekeeper is an above average action film. Statham is great and the action is fun to watch but it is exactly what you would expect. This is probably one to watch when it comes to streaming at home instead of rushing to the cinema to watch it. 

Rating - 6/10

Hatton (2023) Review

A documentary about famous British Boxer Ricky Hatton has been marketed heavily by Sky and has been released. I sat down today and decided to watch it and here is my review for the documentary. The premise of the documentary looks at the long career of Ricky Hatton as he faces the highs and lows that came out of his career. 

This documentary should receive praise for the fact that it doesn't really hide back from the dark times that Hatton has gone through and makes it clear that at least in his eyes he kind of sees himself as a bit of a failure despite the fact that he was a World Champion in Boxing. But seeing his drinking and drug abuse issues brings it into the light just how tough being this figure can be. 

It does a good job in showing the rise of Ricky Hatton from an amateur to being the world champion. We see the relationships he builds up such as with his trainer, his parents and his ex fiance and how they are all affected by things that happen in his life. 

Though my biggest criticism of this documentary is that it is a bit short, with the adverts it only clocks in at 90 minutes. This means that they try and go through so much but the majority of it just feels a bit undercooked and like we only get the minimal of information from it. 

Overall, Hatton is a pretty simple and short review because it is an above average documentary that is a quick watch. It deals with some pretty dark stuff and shows how Hatton's life was affected by big events but it needed to be longer or even turned into a 3 or 4 episode series to really give you more depth on certain factors. 

Rating - 6/10

Gunpowder Milkshake (2021) Review

This film made its way to Sky today and I have had the chance to watch Gunpowder Milkshake and here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees an assassin go on the run in an attempt to save a young girls life. 

Main Character

Karen Gillan plays Sam the lead character in the film and I think she does a really good job in the role. She plays the tough action hero well and she is clearly having fun in her role and enjoying doing maybe something a bit different then what she is used to at the current moment. In films like this one you need to be able to root for the protagonist and I felt like I could root for Sam in this film and that made it rise above some of its weaker material.

Supporting Characters

Lena Headey plays her mother and she is decent but she doesn't exactly play a huge role in the film. When they are on screen together I thought they had good chemistry together and managed to squeeze the most out of their time together. Young actress Chloe Coleman played Emily and I really liked the dynamic between her and Gillan, the film really gets going once she is introduced and the banter between the two characters is done pretty effectively. Michelle Yeoh, Angela Bassett and Carla Gugino do decent jobs, though there characters aren't exactly that interesting and it feels like there is more that can be done there. I mean the film wastes Paul Giamatti and makes him this generic and that leads to the bad guys who just aren't very threatening and they feel like they could have come out of any action movie of the last few years. 

Story 

The story isn't clearly the focus of the film but I thought the film did well in creating an interesting and likeable protagonist. Plus I thought the character interactions between Gillan, Headey and Coleman are entertaining and actually do a quite effective job. But as I said the focus is not on the plot here and the film is utter nonsense and it feels like just an excuse for explosions. I have no problem with that but it becomes way too convoluted with its villains and it feels like the film would have been more effective if it had less antagonists but actually gave them something that made them stood out and interesting. 

Script 

The script is okay, there is some little bit of funny banter and heart in the film but it just isn't enough. The script is just average, nothing amazing and nothing terrible and that kind of fits this film. 

Style 

The film has some pretty decent action films that are very hard hitting and bloody that you will have plenty of fun with. But the pacing is a bit off here, it takes 30 minutes for the first action scene and I was slightly bored before then, but then it has action non stop for what feels like 20 mins and it never hits a happy medium. 

Overall

Overall, Gunpowder Milkshake is an above average fun film. If you have 2 hours of spare time then maybe give this one a go but I wouldn't rush to watch this film. 

Rating - 6/10

Antebellum (2021) Review

After a disruptive release schedule Antebellum has finally made its way to the UK on Sky and I watched it today and here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees a woman trapped in a terrifying scenario and how she adapts to life within it. 

Main Character

Janelle Monae plays the lead in this film and I thought she was decent here. Her character goes through a lot in this film and you do really sympathise for her and Monae does a good job of telling that particular story. But the issue is that there isn't a huge amount of depth to her character and we don't learn enough, I don't want to go into depth because this film is guarded in secrecy but I think the fact there isn't enough meat to the role is what holds it back. 

Supporting Characters

There are a few supporting characters but in my opinion only one of them was that memorable and that was Kiersey Clemons. She isn't in the film a huge amount but she is the highlight of every scene she is in and you really grow to care about her and I felt like maybe the film would have been more effective if she had been the main character of the film. But the rest of the cast are paper thin, the bad guys are cliché and offer nothing unique and new to their roles and the friends of Monae's character are just annoying and really took away from the film. 

Story 

The story is interesting, there is no doubt it keeps you guessing throughout and I can't deny that I was intrigued as the story went on and then the twist came and I thought it was a good idea and something I didn't see coming. But then it all comes down to execution and that is sorely lacking here, the plot deviates too much in its second act and takes too long to get going to the point where the story gets interesting. Then the last act is a bit all over the place with plot holes and stupidity coming from plenty of different places. 

Script

Easily the worst part of the film for me. The script has no bite to it, this film has serious subject matters but the script doesn't convey them well enough and you will have seen plenty of films that have done it way better and made you feel plenty of emotions. Also don't get me started on the humour, it is awful and made one particular character the most annoying character you will see in any film that there is. 

Style 

This film looks great, the film is shot beautifully with cinematography that rises this pretty small scale film above the really bad level. However, the film is just too slow for me and takes too long to get to its point which takes interesting ideas and stretches them out for way too long. 

Overall

Overall, Antebellum is a below average film. It has a few nice ideas but doesn't execute them well enough to be at the level it wants to be. I would say unless you are a huge fan of thriller/horror then give this a skip it isn't that good. 

Rating - 4/10

Six Minutes to Midnight (2021) Review

Sky have been releasing more of these original films and the next one is Six Minutes to Midnight and I watched it today and here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees a British teacher arrive at a school teaching Nazi girls before WW2 to find out exactly what is going on. 

Main Character

Eddie Izzard is a good comic and comedic actor, there is very little doubt about that but they are just horribly miscast in this role. This character is incredibly serious and sombre and Izzard just can't deliver a strong emotional performance to make you care, they were involved in writing the film and producing it so I guess it was decided Izzard could just play the role but it was just not the right role and really hurt the film. 

Supporting Characters

The best two supporting characters are played by James D'arcy and Carla Juni. They are okay in there roles and try their best with what they are given, in most films they would be just average characters but here they are the best parts of the film. Dame Judi Dench has a role here and I just felt like she was phoning it in and offers very little, I think everybody agrees she is a great actress but the last few years the projects she has chosen have been incredibly weak and she needs to do better or maybe just stop. Jim Broadbent has a small role and feels a bit out of place and could have easily been played by anybody. There is a group of girls here and I was puzzled by what the film was trying to do with their characters, I didn't care about any of them and I am not even sure if we were meant to which is a weaker element of the film. 

Story 

The story has some interesting elements to it and it is still amazing that films are telling stories from WW2 that actually happened that we know little about and there is clearly an interesting story here. It is just the film's execution of this story is bad, I didn't care about the characters and the film didn't do a good enough job of understanding the true significance of the plot and how it truly affected things.  

Script

The script is incredibly bland, having Izzard involved you expect something decent but it isn't here at all and the dialogue is so weak. This film is really heavy on drama and none of it is handled well enough to make this a well written film. 

Style 

The film is only 90 minutes long but that doesn't stop it from being incredibly slow and boring. It takes so long for this film and its plot to even get started that the film struggled to keep me interested and thus made me clock out and care less until the showdown at the end of the film which wasn't particularly great. 

Overall

Overall, Six Minutes to Midnight is a really poor film. I think in the hands of a better director and with actors more suited to the roles this could have been an interesting film but in its state this is one to miss. 

Rating - 2/10

The Flight Attendant Season 1 (2021) Review

This show was a big hit for the US run HBO Max when it came out late last year, but here in The UK we have only just gained access to the show and I have watched The Flight Attendant and here is my review for it. The premise of the show sees a Flight Attendant get caught in a murder investigation where she has to protect herself while trying to find the one responsible. 

Main Character

Kaley Cuoco best known for The Big Bang Theory and Harley Quinn plays the lead character here and she is really good, she is funny and interesting for one of the better lead characters you will see. At times her character can be frustrating but it is all a part of the character development and Cuoco does such a good job that it makes you care about her and become interested in where her character develops. 

Supporting Characters

Michiel Huisman plays the man who is murdered, and despite that he plays a major part in this show and I think he is good in the role. He shares the majority of his scenes with Cuoco and they have really good chemistry together, they are fun together and it takes two to tango so Huisman plays his part well. Zosia Mamet plays Cuoco's best friend and I really liked her too, their friendship feels really genuine and Mamet does a really good job of playing a character who is kind of struggling to keep her friendship going with this clearly toxic personality. Michelle Gomez like normal plays an antagonist and she is decent, she has a Scottish accent which at first confused me, but I later liked it and thought it gave her a bit of charm and humour. But there are some elements of the cast I wasn't a huge fan of, the whole FBI angle of the show doesn't work and the actors aren't given enough to work with to give them the development they need. Also Rosie Perez plays a fellow Flight Attendant and she does very little for me, her character has her own story arc and it just really doesn't work, I just am not a huge fan of her as an actress and I just feel like her character was a weaker aspect of the show. 

Story 

The story is a good old fashioned murder mystery and it works for the most part and keeps you on your toes throughout. It also does a really good job of showing how a lifetime of trauma can affect a person and give them pretty serious issues and for a show that is quite comedic that is something the show should be proud of. But there are a few different story arcs that just don't work, such as the FBI and Rosie Perez character story arc, they just feel weak and lack depth and intrigue to them. Also the film has a couple of twists in the final episode that just didn't work for me and felt like they didn't quite fit what the story was trying to tell. 

Script

The script is very good, the show has a really fantastic blend between comedy and drama and does a great job of never over-emphasising either of them. Characters are naturally quite funny but they also have some real dark moments that just make them feel more realistic and people that could exist in the real world. 

Style  

The style of the show does look good, with the main character being a Flight Attendant the show does go to a few different places and that allows the show to keep their locations fresh and I wish there could have been even more. Though at times there are some issues with the pacing, certain story arcs are given too much time and it feels clunked and despite a good run time, I wish that at times the show had been more focused. 

Overall

Overall, The Flight Attendant is a good show. This is an easy watch and one that if you are an avid TV watcher should give a go as I think people will enjoy it and with a second season confirmed the show is on the up. 

Rating - 7/10 

SAS: Red Notice (2021) Review

This film made it's way to Sky Cinema last Friday and last night I sat down and watched SAS: Red Notice and here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees a small force of trained mercenaries hijack a train where one man has to stop them. 

Main Character

Sam Heughan plays one of the main characters here and I thought he was okay. He was good in the action scenes and provided a physical presence to the role which aided in the film, also I like some of the things they do with the character in terms of the mental state of the character. But it just isn't handled well enough and Heughan is quite dull in his performance and the film doesn't do a good job of making you like him or care about him. Ruby Rose plays the main villain and I actually thought she was the more interesting character and sold her insanity in a more interesting way. She gives a menacing performance and Rose does as good a job as possible, but in the end her motivations are very dull and it wastes the opportunity given due to her decent performance. 

Supporting Characters

This cast has plenty of well recognised actors, though they don't exactly get much to work with. Andy Serkis is a nice fun character here, he is completely over the top and kind of like he is in a different film to the rest of the cast but you cannot deny that he is entertaining. But others like Hannah John Kamen, Tom Hopper & Noel Clarke are given very little to work with and despite being good actors the characters are bland and don't offer much to the overall product to the film.  

Story 

The story here is really bland too, this films plot feels like it belongs in the 1990's where action films like this were churned out all of the time. The film wanted to do something unique with the two main characters but the story doesn't do enough to make it interesting and as I said above the whole motivations for the villains is cliché and not well thought. Also the film has twists and turns and I am pretty sure not one of them makes sense and the end of the film cops out and takes the easy way out instead of providing something unique. 

Script

The script as well is weak and really does hurt the film. It provides cliché motivations and twists that are unnecessary and feel like a poor attempt to try and make the film feel better then it actually is. The film also takes itself really seriously too and kind of misses the point of an action film like this. 

Style

There are some good action scenes here that are pretty violent and are the best parts of this film. The film is paced pretty well and despite a longer runtime that I would like, I never really felt bored by any of it. Though I think with the other elements of the film being weaker I needed more from the action scenes and some truly memorable sequences which the film doesn't have. 

Overall

Overall, SAS: Red Notice is a pretty poor film that just feels very forgettable. It has some okay action but there are so many better action films out there and this is one to avoid. 

Rating - 3/10

The Glorias (2021) Review

This film took its time but finally made its way to the UK this week and I have watched The Glorias and here is my review for it. The premise of the film follows the life of Feminist icon Gloria Steinem as she campaigns for woman's rights. 

Main Character

There are a few people that play Gloria here, with the main two being Julianne Moore and Alicia Vikander and they are both really good in the film. I personally preferred Vikander's section of the film because I thought her version of the character was more interesting and compelled me greater then when Moore was on screen. But both actresses do really good jobs in their roles and provide a decent outlook on this real person and the life that she led. 

Supporting Characters

There are some decent supporting characters here. Janelle Monae & Lorraine Toussaint were the highlights for me and I thought they provided some life and energy to the film when it needed it. But I also thought there were plenty of paper thin characters on screen, especially on the male front which made this film at times feel like a film that doesn't provide a fair argument. Also the child versions of Gloria didn't really do anything for me and I guess that wasn't the actresses fault but it was a part of the film I wasn't a huge fan of. 

Story  

The story obviously is important and highlights a key part of the women's right movement and it does a decent job with that and is the part of the story that works. But this story is a bit all over the place, it jumps all over the place in terms of timelines which feels very jarring and unnecessary and it really hurts the plot. I thought the switch from Vikander to Moore was handled poorly and felt really weird, especially considering none of the other performers changed despite the time difference. 

Script 

The script is also not great, the dialogue doesn't do anything, apart from one forced scene in the last act it feels a bit timid. For a story that is so heavy and emotional it feels like the characters never get angry and never show just how invested they are. 

Style 

The style is also a real issue and for me the worst part of the film. As I said before, the changing of timelines is incredibly jarring and makes the film feel like a bit of a mess to watch. Also the film is 2 hours and 20 mins and that is way too long, it drags its heels in and tries to show so much that it feels so long and there is at least 20/30 mins that could have been taken off here. Also there are some really weird sequences that just feel really out of place and a bizarre choice. 

Overall

Overall, this is a below average film that didn't really interest me. There are some decent performances, but I would say this is only a film for people who are already interested in the Woman's Rights Movement and Gloria Steinem but other then that this one is worth a miss. 

Rating - 4/10

To Olivia (2021) Review

So To Olivia hit Sky today and I had some time so I decided to watch it and here is my review for the film. The premise of the film documents the story of Roald Dahl and his marriage to actress Patricia Neal and how they hit the rocks after a personal tragedy. 

Main Character

Hugh Bonneville plays Dahl here and I thought he did a good job in the role, in fact I would argue for a film like this he was the perfect choice for the role as this film is really up his street. Dahl is obviously an iconic character and this film does portray him as a very complex one, who goes through plenty of struggles in the film and I'm guessing his life and I think Bonneville captures that as well as he can here. 

Supporting Characters

Keely Hawes plays Neal and again I think she is good in her role, the two of them just have good chemistry together and manage to rise above a bit of a weak script to provide good moments and good characters. Hawes provides a strong performance and does a good job in standing side by side with Bonneville and sharing some really good scenes. There are some good smaller roles by Conleth Hill & Sam Heughan that add quality to the cast, I also thought all of the child actors gave good performances here too. 

Story

I was expecting a bit of a nice film that doesn't have a good story but I was surprised with what I got. This film has some really dark moments in it and sees the two main characters go through real turmoil and adds depth to this whole idea. But this film lacks structure, it feels like a bunch of ideas chucked together and hope that they stick. Also despite thinking Bonneville did a good job I thought they made Dahl a pretty unlikeable character and it was actually pretty difficult to root for him and support him. 

Script

This for me is the biggest weakness of the film, the script is just poor and not written very well. If it wasn't for the quality of the performers this film would have been a lot worse, it just lacks structure in its storytelling and making the film compelling. You are interested because of Roald Dahl, if it was a completely new story the film would have been much weaker. 

Style 

The film is clearly pretty cheap, but that doesn't really hurt it too much and it does a fine job in keeping you interested enough and did what it needed. It is funny though, the film is only 90 mins but I found it a bit slow and either it needed to be a bit longer or just film it to be a bit faster in pace. 

Overall

Overall, this is an above average film that is just fine. It doesn't do anything to really stand out but it is an okay film that if you like the description might be worth the 90 mins but I think the majority can give it a skip. 

Rating - 6/10

ZeroZeroZero (2021) Series Review

This show has been heavily marketed by Sky, so even though it has taken me a bit longer then I expected or wanted I have watched the eight episodes of ZeroZeroZero and here is my review for it. The premise of the show sees a cocaine shipment making its way to Europe, which affects shady groups of Americans, Italians & Mexicans in unique ways. 

Main Character

There are so many characters in this show with pretty equal screen time but I decided to choose the most recognisable actors to me and probably the majority of people as the main characters Andrea Riseborough & Dane DeHaan. They are both good actors and that shows here with them both giving pretty decent performances but the issue is with their characters. Despite their decent acting I never cared about either of them and I found it difficult to become invested in their story so it kind of shut me off despite the fact I can clearly see they are giving decent performances. 

Supporting Characters

There are also plenty of supporting characters with the best one for me being the character of Manuel played Harold Torres. I thought this guy was great and his part of the story was the most interesting and captivating and a lot of that was due to him. He has an interesting character and as you find out more about him and his beliefs you see just how twisted everything around him is. The rest of the cast didn't do too much for me, the whole Italian part of the story was disappointing and the characters just weren't particularly interesting and that does harm the show. 

Story 

As I've alluded to above there are really three elements of the story and the Mexican stuff is the best by far. The politics are interesting and I think the motivations of the characters was at its best in that arc and had me at my most interesting. The American stuff was also fine but didn't hit the levels of the other story. The problem is that the stories don't connect that much and they just became a bit convoluted. Like there is a point in time where the Italian story isn't seen for 2 episodes so I forgot what was going on with it and why I should care about it. The ending of the show didn't do too much for me 

and felt like it played it pretty safe and not fulfilling enough. 

Script

Again a similar story with the script, the writing for the characters in Mexico is interesting, thought provoking and captivating but that is only one portion for the show and it feels like the rest of the show lacks that. There are some generic bits and it isn't fully explained why certain characters have the motivations that they have and it doesn't help the show at all. 

Style 

The show has some heavy hitting action scenes and some brutal moments that really remind you of the harsh reality of the world the show is in. The cinematography is also great and the show does a really good job of making all three parts of the story feel different and have the look and sound design fit those places. But the pacing of the show is all over the place, it is way too slow and has too many episodes. By having the three stories it feels unfocused and like certain stories get ignored at times and this makes you care less, I just wish either cut one of the stories or make them connect in greater detail earlier. 

Overall

Overall, I thought this was a pretty average paint by numbers show. I've looked online and seen really positive reviews so maybe this is just one I can't connect with and it is good for people. But for me unless you love cartel and gang shows then I wouldn't spend time on ZeroZeroZero. 

Rating - 5/10

Blithe Spirit (2021) Review

This film made its way to Sky on Friday and I have now found the chance to watch Blithe Spirit and here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees a struggling writer accidentally summon the spirit of his deceased first wife, which creates issues with his current wife. 

Main Character

I just want to put it out there that I really like Dan Stevens as an actor but I did not like him in the role here. His character is just so unlikeable and I found it hard to sympathise or care about him and actually he is a pretty terrible person. There just isn't a script good enough to make his character one worth watching and Stevens can't save it in any way shape or form. 

Supporting Characters

Onto the one real highlight of this film and that is Dame Judi Dench who gives a pretty fun performance here and is easily the best thing here despite some weird choices that are taken with her character. After Artemis Fowel last year and now this film she really needs to get a new agent. Isla Fisher and Leslie Mann play the two wives and they didn't do much for me, Fisher had really no character and was this generic character that you have seen a million times before on film. I think Mann could have been an interesting character but she just becomes too by the numbers and the film does nothing to get you interested in the situation and the issues that these characters are in. 

Story 

The story is just so bad, this weird love triangle could have been interesting if they had chosen the direction it was going to go better. It either had to be really weird or really dramatic and the film does neither making you wonder just what was the point and why you are watching this film that does nothing interesting. The last act is so bad it had me laughing and wondering just why anybody thought a Blithe Spirit reboot would be a good idea in 2021. 

Script

As I have alluded to throughout I hate this script, it does nothing and says nothing. The characters are written so badly and you are given no reason to care about a living soul in this film. The film needed to really focus on a genre but it just didn't and tried too much and ultimately failed at all of it with a really weak ending.

Style 

I have heard some people say this film has a good look but I just don't really see it, it doesn't stand out in any way and the look can't hold it up in any way. Luckily the film is only 95 mins long but if you don't really like any of that 95 minutes it shouldn't be praised for it. 

Overall

Overall, this film is just awful and we have the first contender for the true worst film of 2021 and we are still in January. This is a film I never want to see again and I would say don't even think of watching this trash and do anything else with your life. 

Rating - 1/10

Tin Star Season 3 Liverpool (2020) Review

I recently watched the first two seasons of Tin Star and thought is was a decent show and now the third and supposedly final season of the show has come to Sky and I have now watched it and here is my review for it. The premise of the season sees Jack, Angela & Anna head to Liverpool in order to take down the enemies from their past. 

Main Character

Tim Roth is back as Jack Worth and he is just a lot of fun to watch here though I would say this is probably the least entertained I have been by him, I guess that is just because it is the third season at this point. But he is great here and provides a fun lead performance and is one charismatic guy to lead this show. I am looking forward to seeing him in She-Hulk and I hope he can channel some of his character here into that performance, obviously in a moor PG manner. 

Supporting Characters 

Genevieve O'Reilly and Abigail Lawrie play Angela and Anna and these three performers just have so much chemistry together, you can just tell they are having so much fun together and it shows in some good performances and characters that despite the pretty terrible things they do you can root for. But the rest of the cast didn't do much for me whether it be villains or friends I just didn't care, none of them were given anything particularly interesting to do and it's never fully explored why and what were the reasons for the feud between them and the Worths. 

Story

The story sees our main characters return to Liverpool and it is fun seeing these three just go around taking out people in pretty creative ways and having fun while doing it. There are also some pretty intense scenes that build and did have me a bit nervous as to what would happen to the characters. But as I mentioned above it doesn't help when you have boring antagonists and side characters that you don't care about. Since the first season they really have given the idea of just how far Jack Worth went as an undercover cop but the show never gives enough and it feels like there was more of a story to tell. Also if this really is the final season then the ending is pretty terrible and does nothing to make me feel like this was a worthwhile time spent. 

Script

The script has plenty of fun dialogue in there, which the main three characters do a great job of conveying and making there own. But this is probably the weakest script of the show, it does feel like they beat some of the funny lines over the head until they just aren't funny anymore. Also the drama just wasn't there for me, I just never felt like the villains were a real threat to our characters and with all the build up in previous seasons I was disappointed. 

Style

The show has some good and pretty brutal action scenes that don't really hold back which is a highlight. Another highlight is the fact that this is the shortest season with only 6 episodes which makes it a much easier watch then the other seasons. But I can't help but miss Canada, I thought this film used to have a pretty unique style to it but now it is in Liverpool and it just isn't as interesting. Also the choice of music at times is just really jarring and again it feels like a thing taken from previous seasons and just ramped up here. 

Overall

Overall, this is an above average season of television that is just fine. If you are a fan of this show you will like the show but if not it won't change your mind and I would say it isn't really worth the time to go back and watch the previous seasons so you know what is going on here. 

Rating - 6/10

 

Tin Star Season 2 (2019) Review

So Tin Star Season 3 hits the UK next week and I am now all caught up after finishing the second season of the show and here is my review for the second season of the show. The premise of the season sees Jack and his family have to survive when something from his past comes to haunt them. 

Main Character

I said when reviewing the first season of the show that Tim Roth was fantastic and he continues that here, mainly because of his dark humour and just how funny he is at times. He continues that and is just so entertaining to watch and you can just tell he is having so much fun here, I mean the emotional parts of his character aren't as present here but I just can't deny that when Roth is on screen he is great to watch and carries this show. 

Supporting Characters

That isn't to say some of the supporting characters aren't good here, I really like the chemistry between him and Genevieve O'Reilly who plays his wife and how they are a bad influence on each other. They have such a great dynamic and she is really fun to watch as well and a good character in her own right, just this season she is more on Roth's side then last season. Now I was pretty critical of Abigail Lawrie for her performance as their daughter in the first season but I thought she worked a lot better here and has good chemistry with her on screen parents. She isn't anywhere near as annoying and isn't always clashing with her parents which makes her a much more likeable character and she does a good job in her own right. John Lynch is a new character here, I mostly recognise him from The Fall and I thought he added quite a bit here, his character is pretty interesting and is a nice contrast to the other characters, he also shows his real acting quality and a great solid performance. But this show still has the issue that it has too many characters and what I mean is that it has characters from the first season that they have no plans for, but they have them here and they take away from the show. Such as Christina Hendricks character who really doesn't do much here and you wonder why they even bothered bringing her back for this season, same for the characters of Frank and Denise who again don't do enough to warrant inclusion. 

Story 

The story is decent this season, I thought having the family members together more helps, it feels like they are more united and together which is much better then them being at each others throats like the previous season. This film also did a good job of setting up a third season and expanding the story, but I also thought this show suffered from that. It spends so much time telling you what can come that it doesn't do enough this season to keep you interested and then puts everything on the last 20 mins which isn't good enough when it has had 9 episodes to do it. Also the show has to deal with the supporting characters from last season to sort them out and it does it in a pretty clunky way which bogs down the story. 

Script

The script is still good, the dark humour is still there and Roth and the rest of the family are funny and really look like they are enjoying themselves on screen and that helps you stay watching the show. But the drama from the first season isn't really there and the pacing of the different stories doesn't quite work as effectively as the first season did which is a disappointment. 

Style 

The show still looks great, it has a great location and is a pretty visceral show to watch that doesn't hold much back. There are some intense scenes and the show does a good job in making you feel like the majority of the characters are at risk the majority of time. But again, the pacing is off for me, it takes so much time to get going and get to the point that it makes me think that either get to the point quicker or have a few less episodes and less storylines going on at the beginning. 

Overall

Overall, this is an above average season of television, it is a slight step down from the last season but is still quite an entertaining watch. I mean if you didn't care for the first season this won't change your mind, though if you are a fan you will pretty much like this season and be excited for the third season. 

Rating - 6/10

Tin Star Season 1 (2017) Review 

So season 3 of Tin Star is coming to Sky next month and I have never watched the show despite it being on for a few years but I have now finished the first season and here is my review for the show. The premise of the season sees a former undercover British cop travel to a small village in Canada to become the sheriff , when he must defend his family from all kinds of threats. 

Main Character

Tim Roth plays the main character here and he is fantastic, carrying this show on his back pretty much. He has such a dark sense of humour and it makes him way more interesting, imagine if The Punisher was also a police officer with a dark sense of humour and you have Roth in this show and he is great throughout and is a very enigmatic lead with a very interesting character. 

Supporting Characters

Genevieve O'Reilly plays his wife on the show and I thought she did a good job, they have an interesting dynamic that is one of the most interesting parts of the show. Though that is about it for the supporting characters for me, Abigail Lawrie plays their daughter and she was so annoying and hard to care about, she is just an annoying teenage girl and every time she is on screen I want to check out and wait till Tim Roth is back. The Villains are cookie cutter and dull and there are characters that have no real use of being here, mainly Christina Hendricks as a head of an oil company that feels unnecessary and gets way to much screen time here. 

Story

The story of Tim Roth's character is fascinating, even though he is a police officer you can tell he likes to bend the rules to get things done and you understand his motivations for why he acts like he does. Everything to do with him is interesting and as you see this guy break down and get worse and worse as the season goes on and you just wonder how bad it is going to get. Also the season has a really interesting ending that sets up its second season pretty well. But there are way too many subplots here that don't really end up really mattering and it does make it feel like padding to get this show to the ten episodes that it felt it was required. 

Script 

The script was well written for me, I think the blend between drama and humour was really well done here. Roth has such a knack for well timed humour that it makes this show so much better, his character is so well layered and there are plenty of dark moments that are actually a bit funny, but also some really brutal, violent scenes showing some well done writing. 

Style 

The style of the show feels unique, it feels small scale in a very good way and doesn't hold back in terms of violence, but it feels very appropriate for the show that you are watching and it really works and makes it feel incredibly gritty. But this show does have a few too many episodes in it and it feels like there is an amazing 6-8 episode season, but they had to force it to ten and it does hold it back quite a bit. 

Overall

Overall, this is a good first season of the show with some brutality. I think there is an amazing show here, but it just needs to get rid of the pointless side plots. If you like brutal cop shows then I would say this is worth a watch and your time. 

Rating - 7/10

The Third Day Mini Series (2020) Review

So I did a First Impressions for this show, but I have to admit after the first three episodes I fell off of the show for a bit for different reasons, today I managed to watch the other three episodes and here is my review for The Third Day. The premise of the show sees a man and a woman make separate journeys to an island off of the British Coast. 

Main Character

Jude Law plays the main character and he does a really good job here, he is pretty unnerved throughout which works because as a watcher you are meant to be unnerved with the island so he is a good protagonist for the show. His character is also pretty interesting and has a good arc to make him an interesting character in a pretty interesting show. Naomi Harris plays the woman who travels to the island and she is good on this show too, her character isn't given as much to work with as Law but she does a good job in her role, when her and her family arrive to the island you are wondering why they are there but it does make sense in the end. 

Supporting Characters 

Paddy Considine & Emily Watson play a couple they meet on the island and they are good in their roles, they are an interesting dynamic on the show and a good addition. Katherine Waterson has a big role here and she is good too, she shares plenty of screen time with Law and they have good chemistry and it is one of the better parts of the first half of the show. The rest of the cast also all do a good job adding to the creepiness and tension of this show. 

Story

The story though is absurd and ridiculous, Law's character has a decent character arc but apart from that there is nothing to this story. They kind of set up the mystery of the island but they never explain it and you kind of just think the characters are idiots for how they are acting. Then the second half of the season goes even further in adding the stupidity of the plot with an ending that is insulting and makes you kind of think you have wasted your time in terms of getting invested into the plot. 

Script

The script has some pretty good drama to it, there are some well acted and dramatic scenes on show here between the characters. But a story that is so poorly written and so poorly executed lets the show down and hurts the overall quality of it. 

Style 

The show has a really good atmosphere and feel about it, the main characters are meant to be creeped out and uncomfortable with what is going on. It gets trippy at times which has mixed results but overall it does work with it's style. But I thought the pacing didn't quite work, the first half of the show is pretty slowly paced and the last half rushes itself through to make it feel a bit odd and kind of like two separate shows. 

Overall

Overall, this is a creepy and mysterious show that is well acted but let down by poor storytelling and a weak narrative to make it one you can skip. 

Rating - 6/10

Riviera Season 3 (2020) Review

So after watching the first two seasons, I have now had a chance to watch the new Third season of Sky show Riviera and here is my review for it. The premise of the season sees a year after Season 2, Georgina has left the Riviera and her family to live her own life when she is dragged into an international conspiracy. 

Main Character

Julia Stiles plays Georgina and I think she is better this season, she is still a really interesting character and after dealing with all the family drama from last season she can go back to being on the hunt after people. She is just a strong protagonist and I feltthis season it was easier to get on board with her and want to see her succeed. 

Supporting Characters

Now if you liked the characters from the previous two seasons then too bad, because they aren't here to be found, well mostly, I will get onto the two characters who did make it in later. Rupert Graves plays Gabriel and I liked him, it continues the trend of Georgina having a male companion and though he wasn't as good as Will Arnett from the last season he is still a fun addition to the show. But then there is the rest of the cast, so onto the returning cast Jack Fox as Nico and Poppy Delevingne as Daphne and they are just as boring as last season and even worse they just feel really out of place here and like they are just here because they forgot to finish their arc from the last season. The new cast fair just as bad, they are so dull and boring with no depth at all, this is basically a fresh start for the show and they waste it on really forgettable characters. 

Story 

This is easily the worst part of the season, it is just all over the place and makes no sense. I mean as I said before you don't really need to watch the previous seasons as it ignores them, did you want to know what happened to Christos, Adrianna and Negrescu well too bad the show completely forgets about them even when they should be included. This new story is so convoluted and ridiculous, Georgina doesn't even have any personal stake here, you wonder why she is even around as the show just went too far in making the show feel too different to the previous. 

Script

The script is okay, there are some decent dramatic dialogue here and Stiles manages to make you believe in what she is trying to achieve. But there is nothing that really stands out and the forced attempt at humour isn't great, but the worst is the over convoluted plot lines that doesn't do a good enough job in making the characters or their motivations interesting. 

Style

The style of the show is great, we don't see much of the Riviera but the show still manages to still look great and actually going to the new locations freshens things up a bit more. This season is also the most exciting of the show, there is more action scenes and it does make it an easier watch. Also the season has only 8 episodes compared to 10 and that makes it also an easier to watch and like the season is moving faster. 

Overall

Overall, this is a very mixed season of the show but veers slightly to the positive side. It misses the mark on most of its characters and plot but it has a great lead and exciting set pieces that make it an okay watch. I wouldn't say rush to watch it, but maybe sometime in the future when you are bored it might be worth a watch. 

Rating - 6/10 

Riviera Season 2 (2019) Review

So in prep for watching the third season of the show I have now watched the second season of Riviera and here is my review for it. The premise of the season sees after the events on the season 1 finale Georgina keeps hiding lies to keep her relationship with her family alive. 

Main Character 

I thought Julia Stiles was really good as Georgina Clios in the first season  but I think her character is written weaker this season though Stiles tries her best. Stiles is a strong actress and she is still a good lead character it is just Georgina isn't very interesting and it feels like the show wasn't sure how to develop her, I feel like this is more of an issue with the show then Sties herself and I just wish the show had done more to make her interesting. 

Supporting Characters

You know it isn't a great thing when Will Arnett is the best part of your show, he is really great here. He is a fun addition to the cast but he actually gives a strong and likeable performance and as I said he is easily the best character on this show. Lena Olin is back as Irina and I thought she was pretty good too, she shares plenty of scenes with Arnett and they are pretty fun to watch together on screen. But all the other characters are poorly written, All the new characters are dull and uninteresting and the returning characters such as Christos and Adriana are given nothing interesting to do and makes them an uninteresting and unimportant part of the show. 

Story 

The story is really uninteresting, it feels like they had plans for the first season and then got picked up for a second season and they had no idea what to do. The characters are given very little to do and it clearly shows and this season has one of the worst plot twists in a show ever and it makes no sense and really hurts the overall show. There are whole parts of the show that end without mention and as I said it was like the writers run out of ideas and what to do plot wise. 

Script

The script is probably the worst part of the show, as I mentioned in the plot, the show is so unfocused and it is like they had no idea what to do for this season. The dialogue does nothing to help things either, with the characters being uninteresting and the writing for the show being so poor. 

Style

The style for the show still looks pretty good, the Riviera looks beautiful and the show knows it and it is at least nice to look at. But the pacing of the show is terrible, I mean maybe this show could have been 6 episodes but it drags itself to 10 and it took me ages to force myself through all the episodes which says a lot. 

Overall

Overall, this is such a weak second season. I liked the first season of the show but you can just see that it never required a second season and that this show should have always been a one season show. 

Rating - 3/10

Riviera Season 1 (2017) Review

Riviera's third season has just hit the Uk and I have not watched any of it so I thought I would start the show and I finished the first season and here is my review for it. The premise of the season sees a woman find out her family's fame and fortune has been built up by Blood and Criminal Activity which has put her in the crosshairs. 

Main Character

Julia Stiles is a great actress and she plays the lead role here and does a really good job. She is a very strong character and seeing her finding out about all these shocking things makes you care about her and it makes her a relatable character. She isn't one dimensional though and has plenty of depth making her an interesting character and one that develops over the season in a natural and compelling way. 

Supporting Characters

Lena Olin is really good in this show, her and Stiles rivalry is an interesting part of the show and their dynamic is really interesting and she is one of the more interesting characters on the show. Igal Naor plays a gangster here and I thought he was very good in the role, he played the role well and he just has a presence on screen, his particular part of the show isn't as interesting but he delivered in his role. Iwan Rheon who plays Ramsey Bolton on Game Of Throne is here and once again he does a really good job here, surprisingly he is a character you actually feel sympathy for and it goes someway in moving him away from his iconic role. But there was also some weaker characters, Dimitri Leonidas and Roxane Duran play the other children and they do their best but the writing for their characters is poor and it just gives them very little to do to make them standout. Same with the whole police angle, there is this cop going after the family and one leading the investigation and they end up not really mattering and you wonder why the show bothered with it. 

Story

The story is interesting, this woman played by Stiles is our window into this just crazy world and it just gets more crazy as the show goes on. The show's plot is pretty convoluted, but it is interesting and keeps you on your toes throughout. This show has family drama and it mostly works, it is just the individual arcs that don't really work, It is like there is this great idea here but they have to pad it out over 10 episodes so they have to add these dull plot lines. 

Script 

The script is fine, it has some good dialogue, mainly with Stiles bringing her A game and rising it up, also some of the other characters have good moments. But as I mentioned above, some of the other characters are poorly written and what doesn't help is that the plot focuses on too many different things and some of it just doesn't get enough interest. 

Style

The show looks great, The Riviera is beautiful and is a great backdrop for this show which adds a bit of uniqueness to it. There are also some exciting scenes involved, I know I said some of the story arcs didn't work but the show flowed nicely and the 10 episodes didn't feel too long even though I just wish certain things had been improved. 

Overall

Overall, this is a good first season of this show. It has intrigue and style to it, I mean it does nothing to rise it above good but if you like dramatic shows then this could be worth a watch. 

Rating - 7/10

Brave New World Season 1 (2020) Review

This show recently hit The UK and I have now got around to watching the 9 episode first season and here is my review for it. The premise of the show sees in a new utopia a man from another society arrives and causes chaos in the society. 

Main Character

Alden Ehrenreich who played young Han Solo plays the lead here and he really tries. You can tell there is a really good charismatic young actor in here and he has real moments of quality here that makes him a fun watch. The issue is just the writing for the character, it is something I will go into more later in the review but none of the characters are written particularly well and the same happens here. His character is just really hypocritical, I won't go into too much detail about why but it just isn't a character to really care about. 

Supporting Characters

Jessica Brown Findlay and Harry Lloyd play the main supporting characters and they do decent jobs in their role. Their acting rises them above their characters and they give strong performances to at least provide some intrigue and interest to this show. The rest of the cast didn't do anything for me, Nisa Sosanya plays a strange character that isn't give much depth or explanation, she just turns up for like a scene or two in each episode with not much explanation and not really any reason to care. Hannah John Kamen is a fantastic actress but I wasn't a fan of her character here, I get her role it just isn't one I would usually associate with her. She is silly and over the top and again it is hard to take her seriously as a character. 

Story

The story if I am honest is an absolute mess, it is part convoluted and part generic and it astounds me. There are no likeable characters and nothing to attach yourself to, even though it hides behind all this mumbo jumbo it is a simple society class story and you have seen it millions of times before, and it goes pretty much how you would expect and don't get me started on the underdeveloped romance and love triangle that takes place. Also the majority of the characters are just stupid and act and do things that make no sense and make you wonder just when this show takes place. 

Script

The script is also really weak, as I said it is difficult for a show to literally have nobody to care about but these scriptwriters manage to achieve it. The humour is lacklustre when its there and for me the drama never hit the levels because there was nobody to care about. 

Style

The show looks really good, visually it has a really great unique look to it mixed with a costume and sound design that really shines. Also the action scenes and lets face it Sex scenes because there are tonnes and tonnes of them are well filmed and well acted. But the show is easily a few episodes too long, you could have knocked 2 or 3 episodes off and this would have been a more cohesive enjoyable watch. 

Overall

Overall, this is a poor show. It is clearly trying to start a new franchise but I just can't see it, it is bland in its storytelling and has no memorable characters and some great visuals and decent acting can't hide that and make this a show not really worth watching. 

Rating 3/10