Review by Tatiana Miranda While Natalia Dyer is most well-known for her role in Stranger Things, she's been a lead in indie films such as Yes, God, Yes and I Believe in Unicorns. Now, she leads the queer coming-of-age film Chestnut. The film derives its name from the historic street in Philadelphia, where the movie takes place and was shot. The premise centers around Dyer's character, Annie James, who is a recent college graduate with plans to move to LA at the end of the summer. Then, while at a bar, one night she crosses paths with friends Tyler and Danny and finds herself reluctant to leave. Alongside Dyer, Danny Ramirez (On My Block and Top Gun: Maverick) and Rachel Keller (Legion and The Society) portray the alluring Danny and Tyler, respectively. With a cast of established and talented actors, it's surprising how disappointing their performances are in Chestnut. In an attempt to be understated and contemplative, the film comes across as dull and uninspired. For a movie that feels very personal to the director, Jac Cron — as she also attended college in Philadelphia — there isn't a lot of personality in the film. As a movie that attempts to tackle the complexities of bisexuality, it doesn't have a super nuanced take. Chestnut is most comparable to Princess Cyd, a film about a girl who falls for people of the same and opposite sex over the course of a summer. While Princess Cyd centers more on the realization of being bisexual, the protagonist of Chestnut has already established her queer identity by the beginning of the film. This does feel refreshing in a sea of LGBTQ+ films that tend to focus on the coming out portion of being queer. Still, the queer aspects of the movie get lost in the underdeveloped portions of the story, including Annie's relationships with Danny and Tyler.
It's clear what the movie attempted to focus on, such as Annie's conflicting feelings toward Danny and Tyler, and her jealousy of both, along with her introverted nature and hesitance to relocate to a new city. Yet, it feels like Chestnut is telling us these things are important to the story, rather than properly developing these topics and letting them evolve as the film goes on. Instead, the movie is about an hour and a half of jealousy, longing looks across bars, and Annie's discussions with a friend about her relationship with Tyler and Danny. Overall, Chestnut has potential, with the stellar cast and interesting conflicts of allowing yourself to fall for someone (or some people) even if it's temporary, but it falls short in giving these conflicts a unique voice. Chestnut screened at the 2023 edition of NewFest, which runs October 12-24. Rating: 2/5
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Review by Tatiana Miranda In early 2019, American Renee Bach and her Ugandan medical nonprofit Serving His Children gained international media attention after an advocacy group filed a lawsuit seeking retribution for two mothers whose children died in Bach's care. While Bach's story is still fairly new, the underlying idea of a "savior complex" and "white savior" has been brought up regarding Christian missionary work in underdeveloped countries since before Bach even started Serving His Children. In the three-part HBO docuseries Savior Complex, Bach's organization is examined, along with the lawsuit that followed. On top of that, the discussion of the ethics of missionary work is interwoven in the series, leaving the viewer much to consider once the credits roll. Despite the name of the documentary, Savior Complex doesn't try to persuade its audience of Bach's innocence or lack thereof, instead presenting the progression of her organization and its eventual downfall. Initially started as a program for free meals in southeast Uganda, Serving His Children turned into a medical clinic for malnourished children after Bach saw how malnourishment affected the community. As Bach herself states, she had no prior medical experience, yet she hired nurses through her organization and worked with the local hospital. It wasn't until an American nurse came to volunteer with the organization that Bach's potential malpractice came to light. Along with interviews with Bach and her mom, who was part of the board for Serving His Children, the documentary also tells the story through the lens of Constance, who was the head nurse for Serving His Children from Uganda, as well as American nurse and former Serving His Children volunteer Jackie, who eventually called out potential malpractice in the organization. Other members of the community, such as a doctor at a local hospital and the leaders of the advocacy group No White Saviors, also detail their interactions with Bach and why her organization went the way it did. While Bach continues to defend herself and deny accusations from No White Saviors and Jackie, contradictions are also shown through evidence from her blog at the time, as Constance tells the same story — albeit a bit differently. Still, the docuseries doesn't set out to paint Bach as the villain. Instead, it allows her to state her case and ultimately shows that she didn't set out to do harm, regardless of what members and followers of No White Saviors might believe. Although the documentary doesn't end with conclusive evidence of Bach's actions and the resulting justice, it brings up the topic of white saviors. It aso shows even though the work you're doing may be beneficial for the community, it might ultimately be the wrong way to go about it.
Savior Complex is a thoughtful and informative depiction of Serving His Children and Renee Bach, which also focuses on the bigger picture of neocolonialism and race relations in countries like Uganda. For those unfamiliar with Christian mission trips, this documentary will be eye-opening, and for those familiar with them, it will likely be a point of contention or introspection, much like Bach's reality. Savior Complex premieres on Max on September 26. All three episodes reviewed. Rating: 4/5 Review by Tatiana Miranda When the raunchy British teen comedy Sex Education premiered on Netflix in 2019, most probably wouldn't have expected it to launch the careers of many of its stars. While a few members of the cast — such as Asa Butterfield and Gillian Anderson — were previously recognizable names, newer stars like Emma Mackey, Ncuti Gatwa, and Connor Swindells will likely view their time on Sex Education as their breakout role that landed them work on Greta Gerwig's hit Barbie. Due to the cast's success beyond the series, it was announced that Season 4 would be the final season. The series centers around students in the fictional English town Moordale as they navigate their sexuality with the help of fellow student Otis Milburn, whose mom is a famous sex therapist. While the series has its fair share of dark moments — with a main character experiencing sexual assault and another dealing with a drug-addicted mother — it is ultimately a show that pokes fun at the wacky scenarios the cast of characters get themselves into. In previous seasons, sex musicals have been performed at school, and students have shared their craziest, almost comical, sex horror stories. Even with such a large cast, previous seasons have worked well in balancing the comedy and the drama, yet Season 4 comes across as extremely rushed, and many of the comedic beats don't hit right. With the announcement of this being the final season and the busy schedules of most of the main cast, this resulted in a disjointed season that is never sure of what story it wants to focus on. As with the previous season, Otis and his mother Jean's stories were the less interesting ones of the group. Meanwhile, recurring characters such as Maeve, Aimee, and Eric have more intriguing plotlines. Other characters like Cal, Ruby, Adam, and a new character, O, are also interesting narratively but don't feel as fleshed out as their counterparts.
With the series ending, many loose ends needed to be tied up this season, yet this season also decided to introduce new characters with their own share of personal growth. By the end of the final episode, any growth from Otis, Jean, Aimee, or Maeve comes across as rushed or unwarranted because the rest of the episodes were focused on conflict that wasn't relevant to the main characters. While it's great to finally see some of these characters learn from their mistakes (ahem, Otis), it comes too late in the series for it to be properly enjoyed. Sex Education will likely live beyond its four seasons as it tackles awkward conversations around sex and being a teenager that other teen shows have yet to discuss, yet the final season is a disappointing conclusion that is devoid of any charm the rest of the series had. Sex Education season 4 premieres on Netflix on September 21. All eight episodes reviewed. Rating: 2/5
Review by Tatiana Miranda
Many YA romance fans might already be familiar with the source of Netflix's latest rom-com, Love at First Sight. Based on the book The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith, the film version sports a stacked cast including Ben Hardy, Haley Lu Richardson, Jameela Jamil, Sally Phillips, and Rob Delaney. Netflix previously adapted another one of Smith's books, Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between, which is another rom-com full of stars such as Jordan Fisher and Ayo Edebiri. Similarly to Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between, Love at First Sight falls flat even considering the talent involved.
Love at First Sight centers around Hadley Sullivan, a disorganized girl living in New York who just narrowly misses her flight to London. While waiting for the next flight, she meets Oliver, who seems to be the complete opposite of her. Oliver is a British math student at Yale who refuses to leave things to chance, and is also heading to London. The two instantly connect as Hadley laments about her father's wedding that she is heading to. When they lose each other after the flight, it's up to chance to reconnect them. There are elements about the film that work, or at least have the potential to do so. Namely is the plot, which features a chance encounter at an airport, which turns to romance as they spend the flight together. Similarly to the book, this section of the story is rushed through, and the only glimpse the audience gets into their connection is through cheesy one-liners. Yet, for two people who seemingly have trouble letting themselves fall in love, their relationship quickly turns from friendly to flirtatious via these cliché interactions. While both Richardson and Hardy portray their respective characters well, there is a disconnect when it comes to chemistry between the two.
Still, there are a few things that feel unique and well-developed throughout the 90-minute runtime. Although the movie is primarily focused on Hadley, Oliver is easily the more interesting character as he interacts with his family and parents' relationship. His storyline even features a Shakespeare-influenced memorial full of costumes and performances, which is one of the film's highlights. In comparison, Hadley is a more standard child of divorce with a strained relationship with her dad, which doesn't quite get the screen time it deserves.
One of the film's downfalls is that it tends to tell rather than show the character's emotions or how their perceptions of love affect their interactions. While most modern rom-coms don't pride themselves on their depth, this one attempts to give its characters more of a background that reflects their quirks. Unfortunately, it comes across as half-thought-out due to the inconsistency of their characteristics. Although Love at First Sight stays true to its source material, it is ultimately a run-of-the-mill YA rom-com to add to Netflix's library. Love at First Sight premieres on Netflix on September 15. Rating: 2/5 Review by Tatiana Miranda Even with the widespread popularity of Neutral Milk Hotel's album In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, most don't know about the band's relationship to other 90s indie bands, The Olivia Tremor Control and The Apples in Stereo. All three are connected through their music collective and label known as the Elephant 6 Recording Company. In the documentary The Elephant 6 Recording Co., the origins of the collective and its bands are brought to light for members and fans alike to reminisce on the DIY nature of the label. Robert Schneider of The Apples in Stereo, Bill Doss and Will Hart of The Olivia Tremor Control, and Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel all met in high school in Ruston, Louisiana. Each formed their own band but collaborated routinely in terms of instruments and production. Over time, this collaboration became known as the Elephant 6 Recording Company, which was spearheaded by the original four friends. Eventually, Elephant 6 moved from Ruston to Denver, Colorado and Athens, Georgia, where other artists like Elf Power and of Montreal joined the collective. More than its members, Elephant 6 represented a creative, psychedelic, do-it-yourself approach to music that differed from the Seattle grunge scene and the other genres of the period. The collective gained inspiration from 1960s psychedelic pop artists such as the Beach Boys, the Beatles, and the Zombies. They inspired the Elephant 6 in more ways than just the genre but also through production. Robert Schneider, in particular, used the four-track to record songs from The Apples in Stereo. As he says in the documentary, "My ear needed to hear something on the quality of 1966, 1967. And nothing more slick than that."
Besides Bill Doss, who passed in 2012, and Jeff Mangum, most of the original members of the Elephant 6 are interviewed in The Elephant 6 Recording Co. These interviews are paired with archival performance footage as the documentary recounts the bands involved with the collective and the motives behind their collaboration and creative process. With the music industry's competitive nature, the Elephant 6 stands up to say that it can be more than that. While the documentary isn't very linear and tends to shy away from certain topics, such as Jeff Mangum's rise to fame and lack of involvement with the doc, it showcases the magic of the collective in its prime. Although The Elephant 6 Recording Co. might not be the best music documentary of all time, it is perfect for aspiring musicians or Neutral Milk Hotel, Olivia Tremor, and Apples in Stereo fans who want to know more about the creation of their favorite bands. The Elephant 6 Recording Co. releases in select theaters on August 25. Rating: 5/5 SAN FRANCISCO SOUNDS: A PLACE IN TIME -- A Definitive Look at the Bay Area's Musical Movement8/20/2023 Review by Tatiana Miranda During the rise of musical artists such as the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, and Janis Joplin, San Francisco became a hub of experimentation in all forms. From music to drugs to sexuality, San Francisco in the '60s and '70s defined the hippie movement and a new wave of creative freedom. Compared to its Southern California counterpart, music in San Francisco was often genre-bending and accompanied by drug-induced performances. In MGM+'s San Francisco Sounds: A Place In Time, directors Alison Ellwood and Anoosh Tertzakian go beyond the height of this musical movement, instead chronicling the beginnings and endings of pivotal musicians in the scene. The two-part docuseries opens as the San Francisco scene starts to develop with strangers connecting via rehearsal spaces and later forming revolutionary bands. Bands such as Sly and the Family Stone, Steve Miller Band, and Big Brother and the Holding Company got their start at local venues like Bill Graham's Fillmore and the Avalon Ballroom. At the end of part one of the series, we see these musicians reach new levels of fame at the Monterey International Pop Festival in 1967. Part two of San Francisco Sounds begins with hoards of young adults and teenagers flocking to San Francisco to join the hippie, free love movement. As the docuseries points out, the "Summer of Love," in some ways, killed the progress of San Francisco artists as crime spiked and drug use became more prominent. Mirroring the acclaimed performances at the Monterey festival is the 1969 Altamont Free Concert's outbreak of violence that signaled the decline of San Francisco's musical community. The infamous Altamont festival was then followed by Janis Joplin's untimely death a year later and Jefferson Airplane and Sly and the Family Stone's breakups.
While the docuseries features voiceovers from band members such as Steve Miller, Mickey Hart, and Jack Casady, they are only shown in archival footage from some fifty years ago. Meanwhile, non-musicians and authorities from the scene are seen reminiscing on the rise and fall of San Francisco's creative height. Radio DJ Dusty Street, former San Francisco Mime Troupe actor Peter Coyote, retired Rolling Stone journalist Ben Fong-Torres, and poster artist Victor Moscoso lend their perspectives on the musical and artistic developments in San Francisco in the '60s and '70s. San Francisco Sounds features plenty of previously unseen footage and exclusive interviews with band members recounting pivotal moments of their careers. One of the docuseries' best features is the choice to go beyond just one band or the widely known "Summer of Love." Instead, the series captures the beginnings and endings of the creative movement in the Bay Area and the interlocking musical community that defined the movement. While many documentaries have tried to capture the entirety of San Francisco music in the '60s and '70s, none have done so as decisively as San Francisco Sounds: A Place in Time. San Francisco Sounds: A Place in Time releases on August 20 and 27. Both episodes reviewed. Rating: 5/5 Review by Tatiana Miranda If there's one thing that Netflix knows how to do right, it's how to make a good true crime drama. From Mindhunters to Inventing Anna, the streaming service has found its niche in fictionalized accounts of true crime events. Netflix's latest true crime series is Painkiller, a limited series based on Barry Meier's 2003 book of the same name. The series follows the beginnings of the opioid crisis — more specifically, the involvement of Purdue Pharma's OxyContin. This may sound familiar, as this story was also the premise of Hulu's 2021 series Dopesick. Director Peter Berg, who also directed Friday Night Lights, attempts to separate Painkillers from Hulu's predecessor, but it still falls in line with other homogeneous shows and documentaries that have come out of the abundance of streaming platforms lately. Notable examples include Hulu's Candy and Max's Love & Death, Peacock's A Friend of the Family and Netflix's Abducted in Plain Sight, and most recently, Hulu's Pam & Tommy and Netflix's Pamela, A Love Story. While some of these can be synergistic, as one medium might be a documentary and another might be a semi-fictionalized recreation, Dopesick and Painkiller have a fair amount of similarities that make it difficult not to compare the two. Still, though, Painkiller takes a captivating approach in telling the story of OxyContin's creation and effects. The show has a semi-linear approach, following U.S. attorney investigator Edie's account of her introduction to OxyContin and her work in trying to take down Purdue Pharma. Through Edie's lens, we see the greed and ignorance that led to the creation and distribution of OxyContin. Matthew Broderick portrays an exceptionally unlikable Richard Sackler, who inherits Purdue Pharma and attempts to live up to the legacy of his uncle, Arthur Sackler.
Beyond the Sackler family's avarice, Painkiller also highlights the involvement of pharmaceutical representatives in spreading the use of this drug. In the path of a product pipeline, the series trails Richard Sackler's invention as Purdue Pharma sales reps get it into the hands of patients. Through the fictionalized story of Glen Kryger, an auto mechanic who is prescribed OxyContin after a workplace injury, we see how easily one can get addicted to the drug and begin to abuse it. One of Painkiller's greatest strengths is how it doesn't singularly focus on Richard Sackler or Edie and John Brownlee as they sue Perdue Pharma. Instead, it encompasses the variety of subgroups that were affected by the creation of OxyContin. With this, though, the ending of the series does come across as messy as it attempts to tie up loose ends for the main characters while still ending on a poignant note. Nonetheless, Painkiller treats the subject with respect while also prioritizing entertainment, which is not always an easy thing to achieve. Painkiller begins streaming on Netflix on August 10. All six episodes reviewed. Rating: 3/5 Review by Tatiana Miranda Based on the best-selling book of the same name, Good Omens follows angel Aziraphale and demon Crowley as they deal with humans and supernatural beings in modern-day London. Season 1 of the comedy series, which premiered in 2019, followed the plot of its source material, as Aziraphale and Crowley worked together to stop armageddon. In season 2, co-author of the book and co-showrunner Neil Gaiman takes inspiration from unwritten storylines he and the late Terry Pratchett had previously come up with. Along with the primary plot of the season are a handful of "minisodes" intertwined with the main episodes. These vignettes give a glimpse into Aziraphale and Crowley's past together, including depictions of historical moments such as WWII and biblical references such as the story of Job. While season 1 of Good Omens had similar storylines that featured the backstory of Aziraphale and Crowley's relationship, the minisodes in season 2 feel a bit overpowering as they take up a good chunk of the episode's runtime and distract from the main plot at hand. Even after the finale of season 1 left room for a continuation of Good Omens, season 2 doesn't seem to know where it wants the storyline to go next. The first episode opens with archangel Gabriel arriving at Aziraphale's bookshop with no knowledge of who he is or why he is there. Over the following episodes, Aziraphale and Crowley must keep Gabriel hidden from Heaven and Hell as they try to discover what happened to him. This storyline remains on the back burner for most of the season, though, and only begins to answer the mystery in episode 5. Meanwhile, other storylines — such as a romance between two local shopkeepers — are more prominent and act as a driving force for a lot of Aziraphale and Crowley's actions. Compared to the romance subplots in season 1, this storyline comes across as distracting and unnecessary.
Perhaps one of the biggest disappointments of season 2 is the misutilization of Aziraphale and Crowley's contrasting motives and their growth as characters. While the two aren't necessarily good or evil, a lot of season 1 dealt with the two working to further the agenda of either Heaven or Hell. Since they are now deemed traitors, both Aziraphale and Crowley are working based on their own motives, rather than what their higher-ups tell them to do. Although this has always been the case, as Aziraphale and Crowley regularly go against orders, their new position as outcasts would have made for some interesting character development, especially as they go against Heaven and Hell in their attempt to protect Gabriel. Overall, season 2 of Good Omens is a disappointing addition to an entertaining and well-loved show. Even with some humorous moments here and there, the disjointed nature of the plot and lack of interesting character development makes it an underwhelming season. Season 2 of Good Omens releases on Prime Video on July 28. Five out of six episodes reviewed. Rating: 2/5 Review by Tatiana Miranda In David Zaslav's attempt to rebrand Max, the streaming service formerly known as HBO Max, many original shows from the streaming service met their untimely demise. From the teen drama Generation to the sci-fi dark comedy Made for Love, around 85 titles have been pulled from Max and, in many cases, lost forever due to streaming rights. Jake Johnson and Ophelia Lovibond's feminist comedy series Minx was one of the shows canceled by Max after its first season. The news came midway through production for the second season, and, luckily for the cast and crew, Starz picked up both seasons 1 and 2, both of which will begin streaming on June 21. Minx tells the fictitious story of the first erotic magazine for women. Set in 1970s Los Angeles, the show centers around Ophelia Lovibond's character, Joyce Prigger, who longs to run a feminist magazine, and Jake Johnson as Doug Renetti, a low-rent porn publisher. Together they create Minx, a cross between Joyce's feminist writings and Doug's porn magazine background. Along with Joyce and Doug is a diverse cast of characters that help bring the magazine to life. From Joyce's older sister Shelly to the publication's resident photographer Richie, each character has their own story of sexual liberation. Compared to season 1, season 2 focuses more on its characters rather than the magazine at hand, which is both a welcome surprise and a detriment to the original storyline. Season 2 of Minx takes about halfway into the season to properly get into. Whereas season 1 focused on the magazine's beginnings, season 2 jumps straight into the height of its popularity. This change allows most of the focus to fall on the characters rather than the evolution of the magazine. Yet, it only partially shifts its focus from Doug and Joyce to the much more interesting background characters such as Shelly and Richie.
While Joyce and Doug initiate most of the conflict in the series regarding the magazine, including a Succession-style grasp for power toward the latter half of the season, the more intriguing character studies and social commentaries stem from the show's secondary characters. Shelly is dealing with the reality of her attraction to fellow Minx employee Bambi. Meanwhile, Richie longs for bigger and better things in terms of creative freedom, which tends to clash with the vision of the magazine's new backer. The conversation of sexuality and underrepresented voices is at the forefront this season as the magazine's audience spreads beyond just heterosexual women. It's an intriguing discussion, yet its surface is barely scratched. Even during pivotal scenes, such as a police raid in a male-only bathhouse, the display of society's perception of homosexuality doesn't really affect Shelly and Richie long term. Although season 2 of Minx ends on a high, with one of the best episodes of the series being the season 2 finale, it is still a lackluster addition to an otherwise unique series. With so much at stake for the show after its resurrection, the future of Minx looks less bright following such a disjointed season. Season 2 of Minx premiers on Starz on June 21. All eight episodes reviewed. Rating: 2/5 Review by Tatiana Miranda Wes Anderson's Asteroid City is one of the most anticipated films of this summer. The successor to his divisive film The French Dispatch, Anderson returns with a movie that is even more star-studded and surreal than the last, almost as a rebuttal to his critics. Starring Wes Anderson staples like Jason Schwartzman, Adrien Brody, and Edward Norton, Asteroid City also features Scarlett Johansson, Maya Hawke, and Tom Hanks. Alongside Anderson's usual crew, newcomers like Hanks and Hawke fit perfectly into this film's fantastical world. Meanwhile, characters like Johansson's and Steve Carell's seem a bit out of place. This is likely due to just how many well-known actors and actresses there are in this film, that even more major roles feel underdeveloped. With so many recognizable faces, some characters feel more like cameos rather than developed parts of the story. While deliberate colorways and stylized aesthetics have become a staple for his films, Asteroid City takes it one step further, with a majority of the scenes color graded to emphasize how otherwordly the story is. Without knowing the context of the plot, this intense colorway might come across as ridiculous and unneeded, but it plays a crucial part in separating storylines. Similar to the different filters in Greta Gerwig's Little Women that specified different timelines, Asteroid City's filters help clue the audience in on which storyline the movie is focusing on. While some of Anderson's other films, like The Grand Budapest Hotel and The French Dispatch, tell a story within a story, neither quite compare to how elaborate Asteroid City's storylines are. The film opens in black-and-white as a television program begins, detailing the history of a play and its cast. Then the movie jumps into the play itself, which is not portrayed as a play, but rather plays out like a regular Wes Anderson movie, full of intense colors and aesthetics.
The play takes up a bulk of the film's runtime, but the film still makes time to jump between stories. Within the play is a story about grief and questioning the unknown as characters reside in Asteroid City, which is known for a meteorite that made impact some hundred years ago. Fantastical and dreamlike, Anderson makes use of this storyline's background as a play to feature the impossible. On the other hand, the documentary detailing the history of the play recounts the untimely demise of the play's writer and the process of performing a show that no longer has the creator to come to with questions about characters. Jason Schwartzman's actor character is especially compelling as he keeps questioning why his character does certain things. Asteroid City is perhaps the most philosophical of all of Wes Anderson's films, as it routinely begs the question, "What does it all mean?" both literally and in the creative sense. For critics of Anderson's style and recent filmography, Asteroid City feels like a defense for why he does what he does. Although neither Anderson nor his characters seem to come to a definitive answer to the film's central question, Asteroid City is the most personal of his films as he speculates on his own creative process. Asteroid City is now playing in theaters. Rating: 4/5 |
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