Change Your Image
![](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjQ4MTY5NzU2M15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNDc5NTgwMTI@._V1_SY100_SX100_.jpg)
ladspencer
Reviews
American Murder: The Family Next Door (2020)
Mediocre
Most of the footage in this has been used to better effect in the YouTube documentaries. At least they had some analytical narration in those. The fresh idea to "focus on the victims" ended up feeling far more exploitative than if they had just followed Chris; it felt very dark following the mother toward her final day. The only new insights for me were their texts detailing a troubled marriage and the confession of the secret girlfriend. Watch the JCS Criminal Psychology YouTube doc on Chris Watts for far better and more coherent coverage.
I Am Not Okay with This (2020)
Mashup of better things
It was fine. Some of the acting (the mom and daughter/main actress especially) was cringey and the themes the showed was addressing didn't go with the peppy Disney vibe. It was like a decent tween lovechild of Carrie and Donnie Darko. If you're bored watch it (it's short) - or go watch those movies in less time and be more entertained. But!.. the final episode does set up some good intrigue for the next season so there's that.
The Witcher (2019)
Slam DUNK
I was worried that Netflix had jumped the shark releasing a high fantasy flagship so soon after GoT's end - especially such a bad bomb ending leaving fans ready to destroy the next victim. But The Witcher has surpassed all expectations. This is big budget fantasy with all the stops pulled out. They've created a work with a fresh tone and perspective - something GoT had run out of halfway thru it's run. Can not wait to see where else this series goes!
Another Life (2019)
Garbage in space
Later in the show a character says "The artifact has been here for 5 years 14 months and 57 days." My mouth fell open. Do you mean 6 years and 2 months?? This is a small but damning example of how bad the writers on this show are. Like, they must have been underpaid and decided to sink the show before filming even started. Almost no scene or storyline in this show will pique your interest and all the yelling and arguing will have you rolling your eyes wanting to go take a nap. No government would entrust a humanity-saving mission to this Big Brother cast.
I stuck through the whole season b/c some reviews on here said it gets better later on. It doesn't! Be forewarned lol. Your time is better spent on literally ANY other sci-fi show. This was a boring, uninspired slog.
I would more call this fantasy fiction than science fiction. There's a limit to suspension of disbelief guys. A tiny cerebral parasite's battery being used to charge an FTL ship's engine? Hm ok! Flying a ship through a star's solar flares? Sending a politician's son to space who has zero qualifications? Using a star's gamma rays to kill a virus in the crews' bodies?? The ship's AI falling in love with the captain? Omg it's all so baaad.
The Haunted (1991)
It was dumb.
If you're looking for The Conjuring or even Poltergeist production value, you won't get it from a 90s TV movie, sorry guys lol. I think this was prob only good when it came out in 1991. It had no atmosphere or narrative tension/momentum.
Killing Eve (2018)
Don't waste your time!
I wish I hadn't watched season two. The show becomes nonsensical halfway thru season 1 but I give credit to the writers for strong narrative teasing early on. Bc here I am finishing a ridiculous season 2 finale still dying to know who "The 12" are. Not that it's an interesting storyline, there aren't any. At least "dumb" basic cable shows know what they are and play to that; this show is a weak misfire at being prestige peak tv. The script of this show is so bad-lazy, incoherent, illogical. I'm liberal and gay and even I can admit this show only gets good reviews and ratings bc it has women acting in roles usually given to men. This and GOT were the only shows I tuned in weekly for, double letdown. Returning to my Netflix binges of well vetted quality shows, peace! Oh and obviously let this show be a clear example you can rarely trust reviews and ratings.
Chambers (2019)
Hot mess
It was such a mess and a boring one at that. Every character does stupid and illogical things to advance the plot. All the acting was very mediocre except Thurman and Goldwyn which I guess makes sense. If you've seen the trailer you pretty much know everything that's going to happen and the show is so slooow it's torture to get to those parts. If you're looking for supernatural or cult-like intrigue The OA is a far better bet.
Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé (2019)
HOMECOMING is a WIN
Beyonce has created some great visual and sonic art over the last few years and then to top herself with the greatest concert film ever created is astounding. And then to release a live album unceremoniously the same night - she is quite bold. This film is very creatively inspired and confidently ambitious. The themes of black art and perseverance are specific but carry across the film's length with grace and aplomb. Anyone, nonfans included, can get something out of this. The euphoria is palpable and the experience infectious. So glad Netflix picked this up and can bring to a global audience some of the best of American culture.
Black Summer (2019)
Thanks a lot
Thanks to Black Summer aka BS bc it indeed is B.S. I think I'm done with the zombie genre. This show was that bad. Netflix's Kingdom earlier this year was a great watch but this one really showed me how dumb this genre has become. The only good thing about this show was the pacing. Really makes you scratch your head at The Walking Dead's attempted drama building. But other than that it is so bad, like a college class attempt at making a show. Why do they keep shooting zombies in the torso instead of the head? Why doesn't anyone close doors behind them? How has a Lord of the Flies kid tribe already formed in the school and a rave cult in the warehouse?? The entire last episode was so hilariously bad and was honestly a great PSA for gun control. Everyone was running around shooting each other like a video game! It seems a lot of people are watching this already but if Netflix cares about their rep they will cancel this immediately. Ugh, I need to go watch Hilda or something. :-/
The 5th Wave (2016)
Truly unsatisfying
A seriously bad movie. The acting was so melodramatic. Not sure how Moretz(?) keeps getting roles, she's so one dimensional. A great example of popularity being more important than skill. The story was all over the place. It felt like a "pilot movie" for a real movie that will happen next time. Not a single organic natural conversation. It felt like the wet dream of a preteen who didn't know what sex was yet.
Truly alarmed at what studios have the audacity to put in theaters and demand money for. There was seriously nothing enjoyable about this movie. They didn't show any aliens or even really explore their motivations. Not even much CGI disaster scenes. Just a lot of bad young adult acting and running all over the place and bad editing. A similar but far superior movie is Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds - also not a great movie but at least delivers COHERENT story, action, acting and "cool scenes". :)
The Haunting of Hill House (2018)
SnoozZZefest
All these 10/10 reviews must have been written before they were halfway thru this show or they are paid shills. B/c the latter half of this show was so insanely boring, inane and nonsensical. I was wowed by the first few episodes b/c it was novel of a horror piece to explore family dynamics so much and whatnot but it just goes on and on. There's no tension and maybe 3 jump scares got me thru the whole 10 episodes. By episode 6 I would roll my eyes any time a character started another monologue or a ghost appeared. By episode 8 I was checking the clock every 5min for when this torture would be over. And then the finale had the cheesiest This Is Us ending, which also didn't make a lick of sense.
Flanagan should not have written, produced and directed this. Maybe just direct, if that's your strong suite hehe? Netflix had way too much confidence in him or he got too bold idk.
Ive never written a review but canNOT believe this is rated at 9.1 and #30 on best series of all time list so had to get my two cents in. I think netflix viewers just get too giddy and since they're already online they jump over to IMDB. Or maybe people abroad are excited to have immediate access to "quality" American content? Ugh.
-------
EDIT:10/17
Was still wondering how this show is rated so well b/c I was baffled by it for days. After browsing the ratings of other popular shows on IMDB I think I figured it out. This Is Us, a sorta similar family soap opera has been out 2 years but only has 200 reviews, whereas this dud's been out 5 days and has 400. The difference between these shows is the horror element. So I feel like the sort of people who would stan for a mediocre horror show has a lot of overlap with the sort of people who frequent this site -- 18-35yo males, nerdy males. They prob account for like 75% of this site's traffic. Just had to get that off my chest, bye!