Reviews

The first season and some episodes in the second season helped me fill the void created from a lack of Black Mirror. So if you're a fan of Black Mirror, I recommend this one. It deals solely with the high school experience of this day and age, however it's not all teenage focused stories; it shows the messiness of some of the adults involved as well. The main character is like a supernatural entity that exposes the darkness and horrors that lie within clean-cut seeming high schools. I like the way she's acted out, she's like your typical evil anime school girl from her haircut to her devilish grin when she's causing trouble.

One thing that annoyed me throughout the series was the "maniacal laugh." It was like "ok..." in the first few episodes they had her do it in but then it appears constantly throughout the series and I found it really annoying and cheesy. Maybe it's a cultural thing, I don't know, but I can do without the "maniacal laugh." The subjects most of the episodes covered were very relevant to the real world and they were executed pretty well. However, some episodes aren't done that well. I found myself thinking this a lot in the second season. One episode that they were obviously trying to go the artsy, Steven Spielberg's "Schindler's List", route with was the one about the authoritarian school. It's done in black & white and the only color we see is Yuri's red ribbon and Nanno's lipstick when she puts some on to defy the school's rules. They were so focused on the artistic presentation that I felt the story slipped through the cracks. I was bored for almost that entire episode and couldn't wait for it to be over.

The introduction of the Yuri character in the second season was something I eventually got annoyed with as well. We get glimpses of her for the first half of the second season and then she gets an episode of her own. She was interesting at first and her episode was good. When she appears in the next episode and we learn that Nanno revived her so she could become an evil entity too, I kind of started to lose interest and wished they didn't create that storyline. Yuri ruined most of the following episodes because she kept tampering with Nanno's plans. Her tampering didn't add anything good to the episodes either, with the exception of the final episode with the mother and daughter - thanks to Yuri we learn the daughter's side of the story. She ruined the "Jennix" episode, that's a storyline that had promise but then got tangled when Yuri got involved.

At this point, I kind of wouldn't want a third season. I liked when Nanno was the only one causing trouble and exposing things. Her final words in the last episode where she says something about no longer needing to be around since humans can be pretty evil all on their own, I feel that's a great note to end the series on. I wouldn't want to see this show without her and have Yuri take over - I'm not a fan of Yuri, she's not as smart as Nanno and is more focused on creating blood baths than exposing the darkness in humans like Nanno was.

To summarize, I enjoyed season 1 more than season 2. There were some great episodes in season 2, but I liked the direction the series went in season 1 more than season 2. Had the show stayed the way it was in season 1, I would've given it one more star. It's not at 10 stars because it can be cheesy in a lot of ways and they insist on having Nanno do that annoying "maniacal laugh", but if you're a fan of dark shows that explore the unpleasant parts of the human experience, then this is a good show for you. I also recommend it to horror fanatics since there's plenty of gore and supernatural elements.

Great idea, just wish it stayed as good as it was in Season 1. Just Nanno visiting different schools and exposing whatever effed up crap is going on there.

I gave it 6 stars because in terms of introducing the audience to the story and what happened, it was great. It's edited nicely, the score matches the somber situation perfectly, we hear the point of views of different important people involved - But even with the latter this is such a biased documentary favoring Mr. Petersen. I continued watching the second trial that takes place 10 years later because I'm sick and it's something to do but even with that, you can't convince me for a second that this man didn't kill his wife. Absolutely no way did she fall down those stairs and receive that much fatal damage, absolutely not. I understand that the prosecution messed up in the first trial by having a shady guy testify and check out the evidence - I think it's good that they show these loopholes and hiccups in the justice systems. However, the man ending up in jail is what needed to happen, what needs to happen again. He mentions how he wasn't even listening in the first trial when the man described the possible scene of him bashing his wife in the head and that's suspicious to me alone. Like someone who was innocent would listen and have an appalled look on their face to hear that they would do such a thing, the fact that he zoned out and then acts mortified in the second trial to the same account - please. He just knew this time he has a better shot so played it all up.

The family is in denial and I won't come for them. No one wants to believe someone they loved and trusted would do such an atrocious thing. I felt bad seeing the daughters cry but sorry ladies, your dad is guilty. At some point you need to accept the reality that your loved one is a murderer. All the evidence and the crazy coincidence that a woman he was close to (possibly having an affair with) died the same way, 2 decades prior. There's so much that adds up to him being the murderer. I get that the defense lawyer is doing this to exploit the flaws in the justice system but I believe that even he doesn't believe the guy is innocent by a comment he makes about "not guilty" vs the "not proven" statement they use in the Scottish judicial system. His comment told me loud and clear he doesn't think the guy is innocent but he wants a fair trial. Messed up.

The man's demeanor too. He's a raging narcissist. Watch him talk and express himself, he's so into himself. Ted Bundy vibes but slightly less psychotic and a little more subtle. The scene where they're reading something he wrote in a book, even if he was writing a fiction, given what's gone on in his real life (before Kathleen "fell" down those stairs) how could you take that type of writing and think this man is innocent ? The guys a murderer. Maybe if he had been allowed to be Bisexual in peace he wouldn't have to have succumb to this. Durham, North Carolina isn't exactly an LGBTQ+ friendly town, much less at the time of this murder. While his closet sexuality plays a part in why he more than likely killed Kathleen, it doesn't make him a bad person. It's his murderous and narcissistic tendencies that make him a bad person. This man will find himself in jail again, here's hoping and if it's not for Kathleen and the other woman's deaths, it will prolly be for something stupid but at least he will be behind bars where he belongs.

Also couldn't tolerate that woman they visited with glasses who spoke in an exaggerated voice, she was friends with Mr. Petersen and Kathleen since Germany and then was there to wish one of the daughters a happy 30th birthday in the second part - of course her birthday wish was exaggerated and annoying. What an annoying woman, I'm suppose to see her talk on this guy's behalf and believe her ? She looks just as nuts and self absorbed. What a mess this whole situation is.

It's an interesting watch, slow and dragging in some parts and a Mr. Petersen fan film. Watch this with a good head on your shoulders, don't let them convince you the guy is a harmless angel. Use your common sense and watch him, nothing innocent about him.

I've watched this movie twice. I really enjoyed it. It's cute, it's funny, it's heartwarming. It tackles grown up realizations in a child friendly way. Lately Disney and Pixar have been making films that focus on the subject of mental health, breaking generational curses/trauma, you know ~deep~ subjects. This one tackles these subjects in a lighthearted way. The main character, Mei and her friends, are your regular pre-teen or early teenage girls. They're awkward, they're dramatic (in a cutesy way), and they're childish. This is one of the few times I've seen teenagers depicted as they really are. Even the way they've been designed, they're not super models like a lot of the teenage Disney princesses have previously looked - they look like what they are, children.

I know a big stink that was made over this film was the subject of menstruation being openly discussed. I don't see an issue with that at all, it's not done in a disrespectful way. It's shown as a normal exchange between the mom and daughter. Mind you, Mei is in her "red panda" state when the conversation happens but the way the mom assumes Mei has gotten her period and brings out all the necessary supplies for this important moment in every young girls' lives is refreshing to see on screen - especially in an animated film for kids. All young girls should know that this will one day happen to them from a very young age so that when it happens they're not panicked or feel ashamed. The people who are clutching their pearls over this, shame on you.

Ultimately, it's a coming of age film that shows Mei departing from the ideal version her mom wants her to be and becoming her own person. Obviously the mom doesn't take this lightly, neither do the other women in her family and this is how they tackle the breaking of generational curses/trauma. Her deciding to keep her red panda transformation as opposed to ridding herself of it like the other women in her family did is how she breaks the curse at the end. The ancestor who gave them this is as a gift is thrilled when Mei makes this decision. Throughout the film we get hints about how the mom struggled with the pressures put on her by her own mother, the same pressure she puts on Mei. It's finally explored when the dad has a heart to heart with Mei and when Mei is in the trance state where they see their ancestor to either keep or rid themselves of the red panda gift. I like the way this movie explores this subject that many kids experience in their upbringing.

Even though this film is from an Asian Canadian perspective, I as a Latina American recognized myself in this film and my similar experience growing up in a family that has a long past of trauma and insane pressures. I too was a cringe, awkward teenager too just trying to be myself despite it being against my family's wishes. My grandma was also as mad strict as Mei's mom. Those embarrassing moments she experiences with her mom reminded me too much of my grandma. I know I've seen people give the critique that they don't believe a parent could ever behave like that and embarrass their child in that way, I think most of us who grew up in ethnic families can all agree and say that YES! There are parents who behave this way. Coco depicted this too with Mexican grandmas, but I guess this one left people more shocked cos the mom mentions pads loudly at Mei's school in front of her peers. Domee Shi (the director of the film) did such a good job of showing what it's like to have strict, embarrassing parents - the scene at the liquor store with the boy Mei finds attractive gave me secondhand embarrassment and flashbacks from embarrassing moments of my teenage days. It's all done in such an authentic way and that's one of the big reasons I enjoyed this film as much as I did. It's simplicity and authenticity.

I loved this film. It was clearly done with so much love. It's obvious director drew from her personal experience and I'm glad she did because that's what helps give this film the authentic feel it has. Not a lot of shows or films can accomplish this when exploring the subjects this film explore. I also appreciated the influences from late 90's and early 2000's animes like Sailor Moon and Inuyasha. Both were favorites from my upbringing as well.

Domee Shi and Pixar thank you for creating a film for us ex cringe teenage girls that broke generational curses all on our own. Safe to say, we all definitely feel seen and appreciated thanks to this film.

If you're looking for a 70's themed coming-of-age film that is telling a story that's worth your time, don't look to Licorice Pizza, watch this film instead. It's based on a the true story of writer, JR Maguire, and it's a story that really hit close to home for me. A lot of films on the subject of "parent issues" have been made in recent years, but none of them have brought to the table what this story did. The way he finishes the chapter with his father is not exactly a "happy ending" but it is how life goes for some of us and it was something that had to be done for his peace of mind. The father figures he finds in his grandfather, his uncle, and the men who frequent his uncle's bar help make him the man he grows up to be - though imperfect a good, intelligent man with a good heart.

The movie goes between his childhood self and his young adult self going to Yale and experiencing life for himself, but keeping the lessons his uncle and friends taught him handy to help him navigate life. Unlike Licorice Pizza, the vignettes shown in this film are relevant to the overall story. Each moment shown evokes different emotions from the viewer and helps you understand not only the protagonist but everyone around him as well. Needless to say, the writing in this film was very good. The story was never lost and was solid throughout the entire film. A lot of film in the "awards circuit" lack this because they're too focused on being weird and different enough since that seems to be the winning formula for Oscar baiting.

Unsurprising to no one, Christopher Lloyd is great as the grumpy but softhearted grandpa. But the performance that seems to have left everyone pleasantly surprised, including myself, is Ben Affleck. He does a great job as the street/book smart Uncle Charlie. I didn't see Ben Affleck (as himself) throughout the film, he really got into character and it was a lovable character too. I saw another review claiming this film was a self aggrandizing project and that couldn't be further from the truth. This film is about real people and depicts a very real life situation that will resonate with more families than Hollywood realizes. Of course not everyone gets into Yale, but it acknowledges that going to college just helps create more opportunities for oneself and if you're growing up with a single parent - it helps them feel good about themselves. Uncle Charlie had the knowledge of a college graduate without ever having to go to college. Its stories like this, that relate with the general audiences, that Hollywood should make more of. There was no need to have an all "big name" cast like Licorice Pizza and the God awful Don't Look Up did - amazing what can be accomplished when a story is actually present.

Great job George Clooney and thanks for not making a disconnected, Oscar baity film but rather bringing a relatable, everyday story to the screen and really presenting the beauty of it. Highly recommend this film, it's a breath of fresh air.

It's ultimately a love story film. A love story between two characters and a love note to the San Fernando Valley (the wealthy part) in the 1970's. I liked the whole 1970's aesthetic, it's kooky, some of the shots were nice, it has its funny moments. The movie can be a good time, if you forget that you're watching the love story between a 25 year old woman and a 15 year old boy. Now I love both of the main actor's performances and maybe I could've let myself enjoy it a lot more if the male was 18 instead of 15 - a 10 year age gap would've been acceptable if she was 35 and he was the 25 year old - but why a literal child and a grown woman. I've seen so much different readings about this decision online, some people want to believe the director is making some "deep" point in going with this age gap, because the 15 year old seems to be more mature than his 25 year old counterpart. However that reading doesn't work because there are many instances throughout the film where she realizes how immature he is. There's the argument that if the roles were switched, people wouldn't be bringing the age gap up as a problem and that's a big fat lie. If it was a 25 year old man and a 15 year old girl, the movie would not be regarded as a "quirky. Indie. Masterpiece." It would've been cancelled before it started. There's the reading that the director is making a point about how normalized the relationship between an adult and a child was back in the 70's. That's possible, but it's disturbing nonetheless.

Mind you, nothing sexual happens, unless you count when she flashes him or he feels her breast, but they have a weird dynamic that they really shouldn't have. I get that she's an inexperienced, self conscious adult who enjoys getting this type of attention from a charismatic, super confident 15 year old boy - but their connection should not have happened, regardless. She messes with him a lot and gets upset when he starts looking at other girls (his age.) I was actually happy when he started flirting with girls his age and possibly moving on with the one girl in particular and was hoping this was the beginning of this little "romance" dissolving and the film addressing how it's not okay for them to be together, but nope. They stay together and will stay together for the rest of the film, while no one bats an eye about it. Alana's character is actually very interesting to follow, her relationship with her family and her relationship with herself. It shows her go from a teenage boy to a much older man in one scene. She's very lost and I would've loved to continue exploring her character on her own and not have her ended up with the 15 year old but rather explore why she'd even consider this relationship in the first place and why is she so aimless ?

I'm not going to lie and say I didn't like the film because I did, I just can't ignore that age gap. I'm not sure why critics and a lot of movie goers are ignoring it too and trying to justify it with all kinds of "creative" explanations. It wasn't okay and it's concerning how people are ignoring it for the sake of "good indie film" thinking. Think it would've been much better if they didn't end up together and addressed how wrong their connection is... wanna keep the sweet factor ? Have her tell him she'll wait for him when he turns 18. I mean there were ways to go about this, but the director chose this ??? It's not artsy or deep, it's wrong. C'mon now.

Both leading ladies in this film were excellent in their respective roles. Their performances helped create that old Hollywood film vibe throughout the movie. Many different films and shows try recreating this but don't quite succeed at it like this film did, not even 2011's The Artist. I could easily believe this is a film from the 30's had I not recognized Tessa Thompson. Ruth Negga is wonderful as Clare, she really gave that role her all. As mentioned at the beginning, both ladies are great and have wonderful chemistry. The movie is visually stunning, it's cinematographically beautiful. It really transports you back to the 20's - however I say that it feels more like a film from the 30's because they're talking.

Now as pretty as the film is and as great as the leading ladies are, the film falls flat in some ways. What I think went wrong is that there was an assumption that everyone in the audience has read the book and therefore understands all the minor but major elements included in the film. This did an injustice to the film cos by the time we reach the end, there's a confusion as to why things happened the way they did. They made it obvious that there was possibly a romantic link between the two main characters, but it wasn't ever clear. We jump from issue to issue with these characters' connection and it's confusing as to what else is Irene's issue with Clare. It's understood that Irene suspects her husband is attracted to Clare and possibly messing around with her ? But it all comes randomly. I mean Irene practically pushes Clare onto her husband. Perhaps if I read the book I'd understand what's going on better, but I was new to this story as I watched and Irene's changing attitude towards Clare threw me off. Like other reviewers, I also had to rewind Clare's death scene to catch what happened. I'm not sure if the book is written in a way where you're left wondering how Clare fell off that balcony but this film shows that Irene pushed her off. I was confused as to why people at the party acted like they didn't know what happened, when Irene's hand is clearly shown pushing her back...but anyway.

I still enjoyed the film. It's a very good subject matter that is still relevant today, not only within the Black community but within other minorities as well. The exploration of both women's approach to being "passing" Black women in a very racist time was very nicely done. I still would recommend giving it a watch because it is like a modern old school film.

I had never heard of "folk horror" until I watched this film. The film is very visually pleasing, given the lovely setting (which was actually in Hungary rather than Sweden) and the costumes that were used had a stunning simplicity to them. Also the way the bodies of the sacrifice victims were set up, though disturbing was artistic. That's part of the kookiness with this film, it's pretty but horrifying. You see one of the characters suspended in the air with his back torn open and all the guts out for chickens to feast on, but then see that his eyes have been poked out and replaced with sunflowers. This scene was a perfect example of the scary and pretty factor throughout the whole film. The gore is pretty intense in this film, it comes out of nowhere too. So if this is something that you can't handle, I wouldn't recommend this film.

The acting is good, Florence Pugh is very natural and perfect for the role. She does a great job playing this character with serious emotional baggage and that transition from weeping to the twisted smile at the end, will be cult iconic for decades to come. Jack Reynor does great as well as the confused but fed up boyfriend who can't handle her emotional drama anymore and who naively goes along with everything during this nightmare trip. He and Pugh have great onscreen chemistry, so the audience can feel the crashing of their relationship. The rest of the cast are great as well. None of the performances were hard or cringey to watch, which is rare for a horror film. But the fact that the acting is on point is prolly why the horror scenes are even more disturbing, along with the floral/earthy aesthetic. I liked how they accurately used Scandinavian runes, if you're familiar with them you'll see how the symbols chosen foreshadow events that are to come or hint to what's really going on with this creepy cult. Occult elements like this are popular to use in media lately but the team behind this film did their research and accurately integrated them into the story and film.

The "heavy" scenes can be a lot. The scene where Christian is drugged and forced to have sex with one of the girls from the commune, a girl who had her eye on him since he arrived. That has to be one of the weirdest and unsettling scenes I've seen in cinema. However it is both haunting and thought provoking because at the end where Christian meets his fire-y fate, you're left wondering whether he deserved that or not. I'm of the crowd that thinks it's tragic regardless what's going on between Dani and him. Christian didn't cheat out of his own volition, he was drugged and forced. Others have different points of view about the situation, but see how that's how you know a movie is really good. When it leaves you thinking about the events you've just watched and whether or not you agree with the end result.

For me the film is a 10/10. If you're looking for a weird film to watch and can stomach some pretty intense gorey scenes, give this one a watch. It's definitely a film everyone should see at some point.

Disclaimer: I've never read the comics so this story was completely new to me. My review is entirely based on the show and how it approaches this story.

If you like The Boys, you will like Invincible. This was a happy surprise for me. I had seen the hype it was getting on social media but wasn't sure if it was something I'd be into. I finished this show in a day. Way too good, could not stop watching. I just wanted to know what would happen next and get the answer to why the big event at the beginning happened. Now mind you, it turned out to be exactly what I thought it was (the story, who the villain is, etc.) but even so the journey to getting this mystery solved was very entertaining and wild. I still have Marvel fatigue and I don't see that healing anytime soon given Marvel's control of the movie world, so it's good to watch stories like this one that aren't in the typical superhero fashion and don't go overboard to be edgy like Deadpool, but rather tell stories that make sense and fit with the crazy world we're living in. All the characters had traits that made them unique and entertaining. This is one of very few shows where there is not a character I didn't like. Even the villain, obviously I don't want him to win, but the way he's written - he's funny. He's an actual villain, he is technically a twist villain; a trope that's being used to death lately in films and television. But the way this one is done, there's a lot more at stake with him being the villain. It's more complex than Star Lord's planet dad turning out to be a villain. The writing on this show is great, the voice acting is great. It's done in a mix of 2D animation with some 3D effects tossed in. Feels like a show I could've watched on regular TV as a kid.

I highly recommend this one. One of the best shows that's come out this year. Excited for season 2 !

Do not come to this film expecting another Coco or Moana, it doesn't even come close. It's unfortunate that the story and music couldn't match the gorgeous animation in this film. It's beautiful to look at and they inserted many elements of Colombian culture into the film, but the story feels incomplete. I'm wondering if another Frozen 2 situation happened where they had to rush production to make it to a certain release date. They obviously took their time with the animation and Colombian culture research, but left the story behind. It sort of felt like they didn't know what story to tell with these characters and in this whimsical, gorgeous setting so they made it up as they went along. The opening songs are expository and these alone indicate to the viewer that the story is either going to be a.) rushed or b.) incomplete. I'm thinking a combination of both.

The recent Disney films clearly have a formula where we have to see our main characters as children and whatever their backstory is explained in said scene. In this case we see a mini Mirabel listening to her grandma tell the story of their magical house and how their family came to have magical powers. She is hearing this tale on the day she is supposed to discover what her magical power is - as all the trailers for this film revealed, she doesn't have one. This is another issue with this film, if you've seen all the trailers for this film, you know the story. I couldn't believe that only 2 minutes into the film they made it seem like you don't know that Mirabel doesn't have a power or 15 minutes in as if you don't know the little boy has a talking to animals power. The trailer is misleading in making you think that Mirabel is going to go on some huge Moana style adventure to save the magic but other than that it gives the whole movie away. I suppose the opening scene with her as a kid going to her "what's my power" ceremony is the best way to introduce her story and maybe if they would have fleshed this scene out more and subtly introduced the rest of her family and what their powers were, it would've been a better start. Unfortunately, we rush to the expository song that wasn't that good and felt like it went on and on and on. Like we get it. The song even knows how much of an "information dump" it is by repeating who's who in the family and what power they have a bunch of times. You will be left feeling "we get it.."

The soundtrack in this film was clearly inspired by Colombian music and that gives so much opportunity to creating great tunes but sadly there's only 2 good songs on this soundtrack. The best one being the one you hear in the trailer 'Colombia, Mi Encanto' sung by Carlos Vives. A lot of the songs were awkward to sit through, especially the one Luisa sang (the one with the super strength power). I like Lin Manuel but this soundtrack was not it. He writes for musicals, it makes sense that songs be expository in musicals cos... it's a musical. This is a film, it's like the writers counted on him to tell the whole story through song than make any effort into telling the story through film. It resulted in songs that dragged and were not memorable because you're just being told things rather than being given a glimpse into the character's emotions. It only happened with three songs. All of them not that great or memorable. Don't expect any "Reflection" or "How Far I'll Go" in this film.

The pacing in this film is so off. The problem is literally resolved in a very anti-climatic way. The house falls apart after Mirabel confronts the grandma for being too hard on her and everyone else, she runs off to a river where the grandma conveniently finds her cos it's where Mirabel's grandfather passed away and where their miracle was born. In a Brave sort of way, their bond is fixed and thus they can go fix the house and the magic is back. Mirabel's only journey was to go find Bruno who is hiding in the house the entire time, so it wasn't much of a journey. A lot of fuss is made about this character cos he had the vision of the house falling apart but also visions that were not favorable to other people so because they didn't like his visions they didn't like him and so shunned him. It was pretty messed up. He's made up to be a villain, even in the poster art for the film, and then (unsurprisingly with recent Disney films) he's not a villain just misunderstood. He really is misunderstood though and what they did to him was just mean. There is no clear villain in this film, I was waiting for the "mr. Handsome" guy Maluma played to be a twist villain of some sort but nope. Unless you want to count the grandma as an initial villain turned good.

Why did I give it a 7/10 despite all these flaws ? Because it did have a nice family story that it was trying to tell. Had the story been fleshed out and without counting on the songs to tell it, it could've been something special. The animation is beautiful, I did like the characters but sadly they're not going to be as memorable as the characters in other films like Beauty and The Beast or even the annoying Frozen films. I don't think I'll bother to watch this film again because one view was enough. It's a mess in terms of the story and music but it's a visual masterpiece. So much to do with the Colombian backdrop but clearly it overwhelmed them and they weren't sure what to do with it.

Biggest flaw of all, they HAD to make a reference to "Let it Go" in the film. Ughhhhh. Disney stop. Please.

My suggestion, wait until it's available on Disney +. The short film at the beginning though, that has better story telling than the actual film without any musical numbers or dialogue. If anything gets nominated from this, it should be that short.

This one isn't popular because it's groundbreaking or going where television hasn't been before, but because of the story it's telling. Korean television/cinema has had a big boom among Western audiences in the last few years and I'm glad to see it because they do create wonderful media and are excellent storytellers. Squid Game, however, isn't any different from what the Japanese offered us through Battle Royale some decades prior but given the current socio/political climate we're living in, this show was released at just the right time.

Ultimately, it's a critique on capitalism and how it dehumanizes people. We see how far a person will go just to have a fat wallet. I think the show does a good job at tackling this topic by showing the negative effects this greed has on people. We see how some working class people get lost in their pursuit of insane wealth to the point of financial ruin and how some of the wealthy elite have so much money than they know what to do with so they decide to bet on working class people like one would do on horses - a comparison that is made in the show.

The characters we follow who join the games are all in financial ruin and desperately need money to pay off their debts. The first episode gives us the backstory of the main protagonist, Gi-Hun and the second one gives us glimpses into the lives of the other main characters whom the show will focus on as the games progress. The initial antagonist character among them, the gangster guy, is your stereotypical bad guy. Bullying everyone in the facility, cheating, beating a guy to death - he meets all the "bad guy is bad" stereotypes. Our protagonist isn't perfect but he has a good heart and seems to be one of only a few who has a decent moral compass. The latter being debatable with the choice he makes at the end, but we'll get there in a moment.

The way each episode is written, you know that Gi-Hun is going to end up winning the game no matter what. Although this irritated me a bit because of how predictable it was, they do manage to hit with shocks and surprises despite the obvious outcome. Since there are various main characters we were following, you begin to root for several of them, most notably Sae-Byeok, Ali, and Player 001. So when these characters lose the game, it does have an emotional impact to those who get invested in the story which seems to be everyone, really. In that respect, the show succeeds at making people feel something and at times left in shock despite how predictable. An interesting balance to strike but Squid Game does it. I don't think anything sets the viewer up for the big plot twist at the end, sadly I was expecting it because it got spoiled for me - it's hard not to have this show spoiled with how popular it is on social media. However, it is quite a big twist that actually really brings the critique at the center of this story home.

Now my issues with this show have to do with it's B plot and the awful VIP's that were introduced near the end of the games. The B plot is that of a detective that sneaks his way onto the boat when the players decide to return and continue playing the game. He makes it pretty far in his mission to investigate and expose these sadistic games but the climax for this plot is very underwhelming. I guess the game master or head henchman turns out to be the detective's brother and this revelation is what makes the detective give up, so he lets himself be shot and killed. Maybe they were trying to accomplish something with this plot, this one did manage to keep me in suspense and the ending upset me - while the predictable main plot kept me in some suspense but really got me with its ending. I suppose I'll be further unpacking that one. It might not be that deep though and just be speedy storytelling when it comes to the B plot.

Now for the complaint that seems to be everyone else's, the awful VIP's. I wouldn't have an issue with the appearance of these characters if it wasn't for the horrid way they were acted out. The voices were too irritating to hear, every time they came out and spoke, I felt like the minutes dragged on. The dialogue for them was awful too. Now it's possible it was written by someone who's first language isn't English, but the actors (who I assume are native English speakers) couldn't pitch in and amend that ? Well what can you expect from them when the acting was atrocious. I read online that the actors were asked to perform this way but intentional as it may be, it was irritating and really dragged down the show in my opinion. They were a cheesy addition to the show. I get they're necessary to the plot, but had they been performed differently, in a less "1960's cartoon villain" way then they would've been on par with the rest of the show. I think speaking in normal voices and saying sentences that normal people say, would've made it much more sadistic. I mean that's the theme throughout the show.

All in all, I enjoyed the series. I wasn't fond with the ending showing the character deciding to go back and expose the game, instead of going to see his kid - and he's the hero we were supposed to root for ? Guess that's to set us up for season 2, but I think this show works better if there's new characters each season and if they must bring back the main character, he could come back after taking care of important things. Still, I will definitely be watching season 2 when it's available. Believe it or not I'm actually happy this is as popular as it is, it means people are becoming more aware of the reality we're living in.

I learned a lot about this beloved man who painted gorgeous nature scenes every week on public television. I'm very happy that his son and close friends have revealed this story to the whole world and I hope it continues to open the public's eyes. I always had a bad feeling when I saw Bob Ross merchandise being sold in stores, but the merchandise doesn't match Bob Ross in any way. It's designed with contemporary sayings or it's something gimmicky like Bob Ross mints, bobble head, etc. These things, to me, didn't correlate with the soft spoken man who was always uplifting people on TV and just seemed like a simple man. Before watching this documentary I thought maybe the family was milking him as much possible but never imagined that he was practically stolen from his son by some greedy folks and sold by a greedy half brother. So sad that this happened to Bob Ross.

I think the inclusion of Bob's possible affair with Annette Kowalski was great, not for the sensational aspect of it but because it humanizes Bob Ross. Just because someone is beloved doesn't mean they're free of imperfections - however this possible affair was not a happy accident, just a plain old mistake. His whole connection with the Kowalskis, although life changing, was a big mistake for him. The Kowalskis can deny everything and sue everyone to high heaven, but the fact that a bunch of people didn't speak for fear of retaliation says a whole lot more than anything they could make up to clean up their greedy image. Bob Ross wasn't perfect and it's unhealthy to promote him or any other public figure as such, but his laidback, warm nature is what makes him lovable - along with that wonderful painting talent. Case in point with the people they show at the end who are grateful to Bob Ross for saving them from the depths of depression.

I'm glad the Jenkins couple came out and told their story. I would not know about these people otherwise and it's awful that their disappearance from the public eye is because of the Kowalskis. You see that Bob Ross even promoted them on his show while alive, so it's cruel that their livelihood was stolen from them by a company under Bob Ross' name. That being said, I think this is overall a great documentary. Both sides of the story are presented, but it's not hard to see who's at fault here. I see some of the complaints from other users is that the documentary used stocked footage rather than rare, never before seen footage or whatever. For me, I don't think that matters. What mattered is that they presented the real story about this man. All the good and the bad. Most importantly they exposed the greedy people who continue to exploit him. The music selection matches Ross' energy perfectly, the color scheme, and the impressionist paintings used to show some of the behind the scenes key moments at The Kowalski home.

The team behind this documentary really did their research, not just on the story they're trying to present but on the type of art Bob Ross did and how seedy business contracts worked. It's a great documentary and I think the team should be properly congratulated and recognized for their hard work. They did Bob Ross justice and created a proper documentary.

I highly recommend this documentary. My admiration for Bob Ross has not changed. He was human and I'm not gonna fault him for being human. You should definitely before buying that "trendy" shirt with Bob Ross' face at Spencers or Hot Topic or Forever 21. You'll just be making The Kowalski's pockets fatter, they don't deserve it. Don't buy that gimmicky trash merchandise, do it for Bob !