Netflix recommendations

[DaveCinzano]

they shouldn’t have stuck that terrible wig on Carla Gugino

Hey, she's always given good bad wig!

 

[T & P]

I really liked American Vandal, funny take on Serial type shows and life in American high school.

Just decided to give this a try. Two episodes in, and so far funny as fuck

 

[Thimble Queen]

Watched all of Haunting this weekend. I really enjoyed it esp how they dealt with trauma and the how much of this is in their heads type think. Absolutely loved Luke and Nell, proper heartbroken for the pair of them. I had hopes for a different ending though.

 

[T & P]

Watched all of Haunting this weekend. I really enjoyed it esp how they dealt with trauma and the how much of this is in their heads type think. Absolutely loved Luke and Nell, proper heartbroken for the pair of them. I had hopes for a different ending though.

So many of the reviews have paintEd it as a truly chilling horror masterpiece, which I disagree with (the horror emphasis, not its overall quality). Horror fans expecting a terrifying ride after reading such reviews might be a bit disappointed. Overall it’s part drama, part supernatural horror, but above all a superbly written story.

 

[Thimble Queen]

So many of the reviews have paintEd it as a truly chilling horror masterpiece, which I disagree with (the horror emphasis, not its overall quality). Horror fans expecting a terrifying ride after reading such reviews might be a bit disappointed. Overall it’s part drama, part supernatural horror, but above all a superbly written story.

It had some pretty good jump scare moments, I thought. I screamed three times over the ten episodes. I would tend to agree that it's slightly more on the family drama side than horror but it was still pretty damn scary.

 

[T & P]

It had some pretty good jump scare moments, I thought. I screamed three times over the ten episodes. I would tend to agree that it's slightly more on the family drama side than horror but it was still pretty damn scary.

Oh yeah I completely agree. Better horror than countless series and films that are meant to be pure horror vehicles. Most of the scary scenes were delivered without any soundtrack supporting it, whether during the build-up to rack up the tension, or the usual high pitch violin screech at the reveal moment. Think about how many other horror productions dare to do that.

And the otherworldly characters are far more unsettling than your go-to manic wearing scary masks or carrying menacing tools. A certain one with a hat was truly disturbing

 

[Reno]

Hated the last episode and I’m not going to buy “it was a family drama all along”

 

[DexterTCN]

Hated the last episode and I’m not going to buy “it was a family drama all along”

Oh come on Reno it worked well, everything came together and the story had no real flaws.

It was a family drama. It didn't have a 'big' ending kinda I'll agree but it was certainly haunting.

Overall it was compelling.

 

[mod]

The Siege of Jadotville was very good. Something I knew nothing about.

 

[Reno]

Oh come on Reno it worked well, everything came together and the story had no real flaws.

It was a family drama. It didn't have a 'big' ending kinda I'll agree but it was certainly haunting.

Overall it was compelling.

I didn’t expect a chainsaw massacre

Spoiler

but also not some interminable conclusion of sentimental soap opera slop. It was good around the middle (episodes 4 to 6) but then it dropped off

Ok, so it isn’t the book, but there was no reason to be quite so unsubtle with the whole healing and life lessons thing. The novel and the 60s movie don’t have a big ending, just one that is eerily disquieting and which left you with intriguing questions. I loathed the whole Shirley-cheated-too plot turn, dramatically such a lazy way out of that one. Give me the red room of Twin Peaks over this red room any day, this was like the hoariest of Stephen King devices.

Some have compared this to this year‘s Hereditary, also a horror film rooted in family trauma. The end of that may have had the opposite problem heading unapologetically into certain horror conventions, but I was happier with how that ended. I also prefer the cool modernist style of Hereditary.

If Hereditary was Ingmar Bergman meets Rosemary’s Baby, Hill House 2018 was This Is Us meets The Conjuring.

 

[DexterTCN]

...If Hereditary was Ingmar Bergman meets Rosemary’s Baby, Hill House 2018 was This Is Us meets The Conjuring.

Yup. Except maybe I'd say Conjuring 2.

 

[Reno]

Yup. Except maybe I'd say Conjuring 2.

Better than the first one, actually.

It had a ghosty very reminiscent of the tall, floaty Hill House ghost with the hat.

 

[DexterTCN]

Better than the first one, actually.

It had a ghosty very reminiscent of the tall, floaty Hill House ghost with the hat.

Yes...the carousel man.

My daughter told me that apparently THOHH has ghosts hidden in every episode. Hopefully there will be a second series.

 

[Reno]

...and hopefully it will be better !

 

[Tooter]

Watched the Quincy documentary last night. What an amazing guy....fantastic watch!

 

[T & P]

We ended up devoring the entire S1 of American Vandal, and absolutely loved it. Don't want to spoil it for anyone who haven't seen it, but suffice to say that the brilliantly funny tone of the early episodes evolves into something more complex as the series advances, and the plot and storyline are ridiculoulsy good and far better than we had imagined would be.

Ridiculously fucking good programme, can't recommend it enough. Half way up to S2 and they have kept it up too.

 

[sojourner]

My worst spoiler experience was when I grew up in Germany in the 70s we had a tv series with our equivalent of Barry Norman. They started their review of Alien by playing the entire chest burster scene.

 

[Chz]

Kermode is a media personality and obviously engaging as such but he’s not a film critic who I respect. I wouldn’t even mind that he has a massive gaps in his film history knowledge and often muddles stuff up, if he wasn’t so pompous about his almighty expertise. He has convinced people that he is the most knowledgeable film critic around, by constantly signalling that he is. He knows a lot about the films he’s obsessed about but lacks the comprehensive knowledge of film history and art in general, which I’d expect from a genuinely great critic. He’s certainly no deep intellect.

His fanboy devotion to The Exorcist is also something I find questionable, especially as it comes from a place of devout Christianity. I can’t take any film critic seriously who regards The Exorcist as the greatest movie ever made. It’s a very well made and effective film, but it’s deeply dodgy unless you buy into its Catholic propaganda.

If you want a genuinely knowledgeable critic who writes on horror and cult cinema, read some Stephen Thrower. He whipes the floor with Kermode in terms of knowledge and insight but of course he’s not as well known as he writes books and articles rather than have shows on the telly and the radio. The programmes Mark Gattis has made on horror films are far more insightful than any of Kermode’s self-regarding bluster.

I was only trying to say "He's alright". The infectious fanboyism is a part of it. I'm in no way suggesting the man is one of the greats, just that he can cover the subject better than I can. No-one's going to pay me for my review of Under the Skin. ("It's shit.")

 

[Spymaster]

Halfway through 22 July at the moment. It's pretty fucking brutal.

 

[moonsi til]

Started ‘Unsolved’ about Biggie & Tupac murders, on episode 2 & so far I like.

Has a few Wire actors in it.

 

[rutabowa]

Another shout for maniac, not my thing normally I`m shit at remembering
actors names but there a few in this I like, up to episode 3 and its getting better

Just finished it the Maniac series. I had my ups and downs with it but totally loved it in the end. My emotions were definitely being "expertly manipulated" at points, which I usually hate, BUT it seemed to have such a good heart behind it all, and such FUN, that it ended up being kind of lovely.

 

[Thora]

Oh come on Reno it worked well, everything came together and the story had no real flaws.

It was a family drama. It didn't have a 'big' ending kinda I'll agree but it was certainly haunting.

Overall it was compelling.

The last episode was literally "and they all lived (or didn't) happily ever after".

 

[imposs1904]

I've been bingeing on the Australian kids show 'Little Lunch' this past month because of our seven year old. It's actually better - and funnier - than most adult shows on tv right now.

 

[T & P]

Fans of Crazy Ex-girlfriend might be interested to know that S4 is now out.

 

[Thimble Queen]

Halfway through 22 July at the moment. It's pretty fucking brutal.

Watched that on Sunday night. Brutal as fuck.

 

[Reno]

I watched Don’t Breathe again, a horror film/thriller from a couple of years ago. Similar premise as this years overhyped A Quiet Place (making the slightest noise gets people killed) and handled so much better.

 

[Mrs Miggins]

I watched Don’t Breathe again, a horror film/thriller from a couple of years ago. Similar premise as this years overhyped A Quiet Place (making the slightest noise gets people killed) and handled so much better.

Yeah it's good that

 

[Mrs Miggins]

Apostle

I'm just going to leave that there...

 

[kittyP]

Considering film reviews aren’t anonymous it’s no secret or big conspiracy to buy reviews. Some are by Indian outlets for whom it’s a big step to get Netflix content which caters to their country, some mainstream critics don’t have taste or try to be gentle with a new player and these days any movie blog which sets itself up gets counted as a critic on rottentomatoes. Or maybe I’m just wrong and this was actually fantastic.

Ghoul: Season 1 - Rotten Tomatoes

I really enjoyed it!
Yes it was ridiculous and over the top but I felt thoroughly on board with it all the way.

 

[kittyP]

Oh and overall really enjoyed The Haunting Of Hill House.

Yes the ending was schmaltzy and could have been better but the horror genre is notorious for terrible endings so while I think it could have been better, it could definitely have been a lot worse too.

Spoiler

It really scared the pants off me a few times, namely when the sisters were in the car in ep8!!! I very very nearly pissed myself! I had to clench my pelvic floor whilst exclaiming JESUS CHRISTS! My body went all cold and the boiling as I drained of colour and then flushed