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‘The Umbrella Academy: Season 2’ is a quirky, emotional ride from start to finish

Going into the new season of The Umbrella Academy on Netflix, I was feeling cautiously optimistic. I had loved the first season, but felt that its last episode went off the rails. And since that episode was the lead-in to this new season, I had no idea what to expect. However, this new season absolutely exceeded my expectations and had me feeling back at home in the Umbrella Academy universe within minutes. Much like its predecessor, this new season balances emotional honesty and a quirky, fun universe in a way that has never been done before in the superhero genre.

‘The Umbrella Academy: Season 2’ is a quirky, emotional ride from start to finish

by Emily Worrell Going into the new season of The Umbrella Academy on Netflix, I was feeling cautiously optimistic. I had loved the first season, but felt that its last episode went off the rails. And since that episode was the lead-in to this new season, I had no idea what to expect. However, this new season absolutely exceeded my expectations and had me feeling back at home in the Umbrella Academy universe within minutes. Much like its predecessor, this new season balances emotional honesty and a quirky, fun universe in a way that has never been done before in the superhero genre. The Umbrella Academy: Season 2 starts where the first season left off, with Five attempting to use his powers to transport all seven siblings back in time. Unfortunately, this goes horribly awry, and they are all transported back to the same alley in Dallas in different times spanning from 1960 to 1963. To make matters worse, Five discovers upon landing that the threat of apocalypse has followed the siblings back to the 1960s, giving them a total of 10 days to find each other and save the world. Same great characters, brand new setting Despite the setting being completely different, the characters stay consistently themselves in this new season. The choices that were made with what happened to the characters in their 1960s lives not only made sense based on the types of people they are, but were also interesting and added layers to the show. For example, the choice to have Allison pursue civil rights activism without using her powers highlighted her passion and desire to leave the consequences of her powers in the old timeline. Klaus becoming a cult leader was both on brand and hilarious, adding to the show’s quirky and unique brand of comedy. However, I think the most interesting outcome of this time jump was Vanya’s, as she was hit by a car immediately after landing and completely lost her memories. It was heart wrenching to watch her rediscover what had happened in her life, and added another layer of emotional complexity to her interactions with her siblings. It was interesting to see how each member of this diverse group of siblings ended up faring on their own in a new timeline where they didn’t have each other to rely on. These interesting writing choices for each character were backed up by incredible acting. The Umbrella Academy is truly an ensemble show, and every actor gives an outstanding performance. It is clear that these actors completely understand the depths of their characters’ trauma and understand their motivations as well as why they are the way they are. It is absolutely mesmerizing to see a group of people who seem so effortlessly in tune with their characters deliver exceptional, raw, emotionally honest performances with no one hogging the spotlight or standing out as weaker than the rest. While all the actors were incredible, I am continually amazed by young actor Aidan Gallagher’s portrayal of Five. Gallagher is tasked with portraying a man who is in his late 50s trapped in the body of a 15 year old, and he does it so convincingly that it’s simply unbelievable. The viewer completely forgets they are watching a child take on a role far beyond their level of life experience and becomes engrossed in the character. Family matters As I mentioned before, the siblings end up spread across the span of three years in Dallas, Texas. Thus, each character spends a significant amount of time alone rather than with the rest of the family. While this allows for great character development on an individual level, there is, as always, a trade-off . Because so much time is spent with each character alone in their new, alternate timeline lives, the viewer sees much less of the family dynamic than they saw in the first season. This is rather disappointing, because so much of the original season’s appeal was the dysfunctional family dynamic that was new and fresh to the superhero genre. For about the first half of the season, we never see more than three of the siblings together at a time, and Five is almost always one of them, which gives less variety in these interactions. Fortunately, everyone eventually gets together again. However, while the parts of the show where the family is together have some really great moments of strong chemistry between actors and characters, overall, the dynamic between the siblings feels a bit generic compared to the first season. Additionally, the fact that it takes about half the season just to get the family back together again messes with the pacing in a pretty significant way. Because so much of the season is focused on the characters’ individual 1960s lives before the family is reunited, it makes the oncoming apocalypse feel much less urgent, because the show itself doesn’t seem to be too focused on that problem, so it feels as though the viewer shouldn’t care as much. Uniquely Umbrella Academy One of the reasons the first season of The Umbrella Academy stood out so much was because it established its own identity as a show so clearly. It was unapologetically quirky and kooky, but was driven underneath the surface by characters with very real emotions and traumatic pasts. Fortunately, none of that amazing identity is lost in this new season. The show continues to blend emotional honesty and the complex long-term effects of family trauma with something fun and unique, and frankly, it’s incredible. The soundtrack is full of fun, upbeat tracks as well as 1960s throwbacks that set the scene for this new season. What other show could pull off putting “Rocket Fuel” by DJ Shadow and “My Way” by Frank Sinatra in the same episode? The show’s unique brand allows it to pull things off that other shows just can’t (like having one of the main bad guys be a fish in a tank wearing a suit. Does it make sense? No. Does it need to? No. It’s just fun.) The distinctive identity of the show is strong in this new season, and it elevates every moment to near perfection. Featured Image: IMDb Images: IMDb

Input2 S8E4- Binge-watching Debunked

‘I Am Not Okay with This’ offers a promising first season

by Emily Worrell On October 24, 2017, Netflix released the first season of The End of the F***ing World, a series based off the graphic novel of the same title by Charles Forsman. The show followed troubled teens James and Alyssa as they ran away from their homes to look for satisfaction somewhere else, and it became an unexpected hit. Flash forward to November 4, 2019, and the highly anticipated second season of the show dropped to the delight of audiences and critics alike. About two weeks later, writer Charlie Cowell announced that the show would not be continuing on for a third season, to the disappointment of many fans. Where else would we get a show that put so much teen angst into such an upbeat and interesting package? Flash forward to February 3, 2020, and the first teaser trailer for a new Netflix show called I Am Not Okay with This drops. To fans of the show, the trailer no doubt felt familiar in tone, and for good reason: this new show would be based off of a graphic novel by Charles Forsman, the same man who wrote The End of the F***ing World. Meanwhile, the show was created by none other than Jonathan Entwistle, who directed and created the television series The End of the F***ing World. This left fans like myself both excited and apprehensive: would this new show be able to come close to what The End of the F***ing World had been for us, or would it just feel like a weak attempt to recreate what was over and done? I Am Not Okay with This follows high schooler Sydney Novak, who struggles with the adolescent issues of friendships, family, her sexuality, and managing her feelings, all while still grappling with the fact that her dad committed suicide last year. When strange things start happening all around Sydney, she realizes that there are forces inside of her that she does not know how to control. Well-handled mature themes  One of the most impressive things about this show is how well it is able to handle the mature subject matter and thematic material it contains. It is not easy to create a show that tastefully deals with all the issues of being a queer youth coming of age and discovering your sexuality, delves into the topics of suicide, grief, and mental illness, and on top of that, blends these serious themes seemlessly with the show’s surprisingly upbeat and irreverant tone (which is something Jonathan Entwistle is quickly becoming known for). All of these powerful themes are included and none of them feel overlooked, yet, at the same time, it doesn’t feel like the show is desperately trying to cram all of these different themes in and take on too much thematic weight. Rather, the themes weave in and out of the story just as they would in real life; some episodes focus more on Sydney discovering her sexuality, while others focus more on her uncovering her father’s past, and other episodes focus on her familial relationships with her mom and brother. Just as in life, our focus is constantly shifting, but the forces that make up our lives and who we are as present. This handling of thematic material grounds the show in a sense of realism and emotional honesty that allows the viewer to suspend their disbelief for other elements, like Sydney’s powers and how much chaos they create in the world. Not a lot happens However, for everything that this show does fantastically in the department of thematic material, it leaves something to be desired storywise. There is a particular climatic event that is foreshadowed in every single episode which does not take place until the last five minutes of the final episode. Speaking from purely a narrative setup and plot structure standpoint, this leaves literally less than four minutes for falling action and resolution, so naturally, the season ends on a cliffhanger, which would be okay, if it weren’t for the fact that so little actually happened up until that point in the show. There’s a lot of really powerful interactions between characters and a good amount of personal discovery, but as far as actual events that can be clearly defined, there are very few. It honestly feels like this season was written with the mindset that it would be a starting point for a longer-running show with multiple seasons. To be fair, Netflix does have a very high renewal rate for its original shows (far higher than most traditional television networks), but still, this isn’t a great thing to bank on for the first season of a show. It honestly just felt like the writers were holding back a little storywise, which was disappointing since everything else in the show was done so well. Strong cast with palpable chemistry I will concede that the story arc for this show honestly isn’t the most important thing, since it serves more as a character study of a woman coming of age than a superhero story. Where this show really needs to shine (and really does shine) is in its acting and its character relationships. Sophia Lillis (best known for her portrayal of Beverly in It) absolutely shines as Sydney Novak. Her performance feels very intimate and honest; she makes it easy to forget that you’re watching a show and not just watching someone go about their life because her performance is just that human and natural. Another standout is Wyatt Oleff as Sydney’s neighbor, Stanley Barber. His awkward charm totally wins the viewer over and is a very natural, humorous diffuser of tension even in the most serious moments. He brings a lot of heart to the show, and I couldn’t see anyone but Oleff in this role. Aside from all of that, what really makes this show stand out is the strength of the ensemble as a whole in their creation of believable relationships. It doesn’t matter how strong one or two actors are; if they have no one good to play off of, it’s impossible for the viewer to believe their story and get sucked into their world. In this show, every role, no matter how big or small, was perfectly filled, and every relationship felt real and fleshed out. In particular, Sydney’s relationships with her little brother Liam (Aidan Wojtak-Hissong), her mother (Kathleen Rose Perkins), and her best friend Dina (Sofia Bryant) are extremely clear even in all their complexities and they make the show very compelling to watch. Images: IMDb Featured Image: IMDb

Best rom-coms to stream this Valentine’s day

Once again, Valentine’s Day is coming around, and whether that excites you, terrifies you, or makes you want to hit something, there is no denying that Valentine’s Day is the perfect day to watch a romantic comedy. Unfortunately, the quality of films in this genre is incredibly hit-or-miss, and it can take hours of scrolling through Hulu or Netflix to find one that even sounds halfway decent. To save you from that fate, here are the top three romantic comedies from each streaming service (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Disney +, and plain old Blu-ray/DVD), with honorable mentions included.

Best rom-coms to stream this Valentine’s day

by Emily Worrell Once again, Valentine’s Day is coming around, and whether that excites you, terrifies you, or makes you want to hit something, there is no denying that Valentine’s Day is the perfect day to watch a romantic comedy. Unfortunately, the quality of films in this genre is incredibly hit-or-miss, and it can take hours of scrolling through Hulu or Netflix to find one that even sounds halfway decent. To save you from that fate, here are the top three romantic comedies from each streaming service (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Disney +, and plain old Blu-ray/DVD), with honorable mentions included. Netflix 1. Scott Pilgrim vs the World This quirky, off-beat rom-com follows Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) as he strives to defeat Ramona Flowers’ (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) seven evil exes in order to date her. With a fantastic soundtrack, amazing performances, and constant upbeat action, this film is sure to make you smile, even if you aren’t a big fan of the romantic comedy genre. 2. Set it Up This fun film follows two disgruntled employees, both overworked by their bosses, as they hatch a plan to get their bosses to date and thus have something to focus on besides tyrannizing their employees. Lead actors Zoey Deutch and Glen Powell are totally charming and have great chemistry as Harper and Charlie, and the comedy will have you in stitches. 3. Man Up This hidden gem stars Lake Bell as Nancy, a woman who lets a stranger (Jack, played by Simon Pegg) mistake her for his blind date. Complications and hilarity ensue, and the wittiness of the dry British humor is absolutely perfect. Romantic and funny, Man Up is a fail proof choice for a Valentine’s Day in. Honorable mentions: About Time, Always Be My Maybe, The Spectacular Now, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Up in the Air Hulu 1. When Harry Met Sally Honestly, who hasn’t heard of When Harry Met Sally? This film sparked the popularity of the romantic comedy genre in the 1990s. Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan star in this classic rom-com that explores the age-old question of whether men and women can ever really just be friends. Their lovely chemistry makes the movie something special, and it has certainly withstood the test of time, remaining one of the most popular rom-coms today. 2. Say Anything *holds boombox over head outside your window* This is another film that has withstood the test of time; after all, everyone knows the classic boombox-outside-of-window scene, and it came out the same year as When Harry Met Sally. Say Anything follows Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack), who falls in love with Diane Court (Ione Skye), the high school valedictorian, the summer after they graduate. A fun-filled teen comedy full of heart and meaning, this film is certainly worth the watch. 3. Four Weddings and a Funeral This farce-like British comedy follows Charles (Hugh Grant) and Carrie (Andie MacDowell) as they just keep running into each other (and often subsequently sleeping together) at various weddings (and one funeral, of course). If you’re willing to embrace the ridiculous, hilarious, and improbable, then this is the Valentine’s day pick for you. Honorable mentions: Bridget Jones’s Diary, My Best Friend’s Wedding, Up in the Air Amazon Prime 1. The Big Sick What Amazon Prime lacks in quantity of romantic comedies, it makes up for it in the fact that The Big Sick, which is only available on Amazon Prime, is perhaps the best film on this entire list. Based on “an awkward true story,” it recounts how comedian Kumail Nanjiani (who plays himself) fell in love with his wife, Emily V. Gordon (named Emily Gardner in the film, played by Zoe Kazan). The film expertly portrays the cultural boundaries the couple faces with an amount of wit and heart that has rarely been surpassed in this genre. 2. What If Coincidentally, the second film on the Amazon Prime list also stars Zoe Kazan, this time playing opposite of Daniel Radcliffe. Radcliffe plays Wallace, a man who believes that he will never find love after being cheated on in his past relationship. However, when he meets Chantry, he is instantly attracted, but learns that she has a boyfriend. The pair navigate being “the dirtiest word in romance...friends” together in this film that poses two questions: “Can men and women ever really be just friends?” and “How do you be friends with someone you’re falling in love with?” Kazan and Radcliffe’s chemistry makes this film a must-watch for this upcoming Valentine’s Day. 3. Moonstruck Moonstruck is a classic 80s rom-com starring Cher and Nick Cage (what more could you ask for?). When Loretta Castorini (Cher) falls in love with her fiancé’s younger brother (Nick Cage), chaos ensues in this very bubbly, very Italian romantic comedy. A huge commercial and critical success in 1987, Moonstruck still holds up as a feel-good, heart-warming rom-com that is perfect for Valentine’s Day. Honorable mentions: Bridget Jones’s Diary, Up in the Air Disney Plus 1. 10 Things I Hate About You I am begging you: PLEASE WATCH THIS MOVIE. While many brush 10 Things I Hate About You off as just another teen movie, it is a sweet, funny, feel-good modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. Upon discovering that the beautiful Bianca Stratford (Larisa Oleynik) cannot date until her sister Kat (Julia Stiles) does, lovestruck Cameron James (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) pays bad boy Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger) to take Kat out. The entire cast is stellar and sparks fly between Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles. It’s an absolutely irresistible, heart-warming gem of a film.  2. The Sound of Music While this might not necessarily be considered a comedy, it’s so genuinely good that I couldn’t justify not including it here. This film tells the story of Maria (Julie Andrews), an Austrian nun who leaves the convent to become a governess for the children of Captain Von Trapp (Christopher Plummer). This classic love story is complete with absolutely beautiful music and passionate, captivating performances from everyone in the film. If you’re looking for something beautiful and classic that has withstood the test of time (originally being released in 1965), this is the film for you. 3. High School Musical Of course, I can’t make a Disney + list in good conscience without including the Disney Channel Original that we all grew up singing along to. High School Musical tells the story of popular basketball player Troy Bolton (Zac Efron) and academically-minded new girl Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Hudgens), who meet by chance and are reunited when they end up in their school’s musical together. If you don’t know all the lyrics to all the songs by heart at this point, your priorities need to be seriously looked at. Plus, if you’re in the mood for a Valentine’s Day movie marathon, there are two sequels and a spin-off series available to watch on Disney + as well. Honorable mentions: While You Were Sleeping, any Disney Princess movie Blu-ray or DVD 1. Juno This is honestly one of my all-time favorite films. It follows Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page), a high schooler who accidentally gets pregnant after a one-night stand with her friend, Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera). Inevitably, things get messy and Juno has to deal with feelings and issues that are far beyond her age and maturity. This is an incredibly emotionally honest romantic comedy that features realistic yet stylized dialogue and a cute, happy indie soundtrack that is to die for. It’s a perfect exploration of love in all its complexity and messiness. 2. Amélie This visually-remarkable film follows Amélie (Audrey Tautou), a shy young girl living in Paris who carefully orchestrates the lives of people around her to help them find love, but is herself isolated by her own shyness. When the opportunity to find love for herself appears, it turns her world upside down. This film is visually stunning, emotionally powerful, and as quirky as it is heartwarming. It’s perfect, even for those who don’t love the rom-com genre. 3. Seeking a Friend for the End of the World A road-trip rom-com starring Steve Carrell and Keira Knightley? Yes, please. After news arrives that all life on earth will be destroyed in three weeks, Dodge Petersen (Carrell) decides to take a road trip to find his old high school sweetheart with his neighbor Penny (Knightley), who significantly complicates things along the way. If the big-name leads aren’t enough to pique your interest, watch it for the crazy, hilarious things that happen to the pair along the way. It’s a fun, sentimental, yet lighthearted romp that explores love, loss, and what really matters when we only have so much time left. Honorable mentions: 13 Going on 30, 500 Days of Summer, Can’t Buy Me Love, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Sing Street Did we miss any of your favorites? What will you be watching this Valentine’s Day? Let us know in the comments! Images: IMDb Featured Image: Olivia Weinzapfel

Despite an emotionally powerful ending, ‘Life is Strange 2: Episode 5’ still underwhelms

We’ve finally arrived at the day we all knew would come: It’s time to  say goodbye to Sean and Daniel, our favorite road-trip-brother-outlaws.  After loving Episode 4,  I was excited, yet apprehensive to play the final installment, as I had  faith that the developers could do what they had done before—I just  wasn’t sure if they would. In a way, the game proved both of these  senses right; while there were some elements in the final episode that  were frankly mediocre at best, the ending managed to—more or less—make  up for them by packing an emotional punch that left me sobbing almost an  hour after finishing the game. 

Despite an emotionally powerful ending, ‘Life is Strange 2: Episode 5’ still underwhelms

by Emily Worrell We’ve finally arrived at the day we all knew would come: It’s time to say goodbye to Sean and Daniel, our favorite road-trip-brother-outlaws. After loving Episode 4, I was excited, yet apprehensive to play the final installment, as I had faith that the developers could do what they had done before—I just wasn’t sure if they would. In a way, the game proved both of these senses right; while there were some elements in the final episode that were frankly mediocre at best, the ending managed to—more or less—make up for them by packing an emotional punch that left me sobbing almost an hour after finishing the game.  Underwhelming, slow start Unfortunately (but not surprisingly), a lot of the final episode consisted of slow, boring gameplay that was just walking from cutscene to cutscene. One may argue that this is to be expected from Life is Strange games; their power comes from story rather than gameplay. I certainly agree—part of what makes Life is Strange unique and interesting is that they are essentially interactive stories for the player to go through, and the player sacrifices more complex gameplay for greater focus on the emotional power of the story being told. However, in the first two-thirds of this episode, a lot of the story just isn’t compelling enough or even present enough to hold the player’s attention and seem worth the trade-off. You walk around looking at things and performing fetch quests and are only rewarded with cutscenes of stilted dialogue that is neither interesting nor informative.  With many of these cutscenes, it feels like random characters are monologuing at you rather than having a conversation with you, which completely disrupts the naturalistic style of characterization and dialogue that Life is Strange is known for. Instead of having Sean talk to the random, newly-introduced characters that the player has not come to know and care about, it would’ve been much more effective to use this time to get back to the central relationship of the narrative and show some interaction between Daniel and Sean. Honestly, the very existence of new characters in this section is confusing; it seems strange and impractical to introduce characters in the final hours of the game, when the story is nearly over. However, there were a few nice surprises in the first part of the episode. For example, Brody’s blog entry that you have the option to read in Karen’s camper the first time you walk around Away nearly brought me to tears, and the reintroduction of a certain character from the original Life is Strange was emotionally powerful as well. Additionally, the game did a decent job in this episode of capturing the beauty of the desert. While there were moments where the scenery didn’t quite work, in the times where it did work, it REALLY worked; however, it isn’t until the climax of the episode that things really get going. Emotional ending packs a punch The climax of the episode happens when Sean and Daniel finally reach the border, which has been their goal since episode one. From this point on, the story really took off and kept a fast pace all the way to the very end. Unfortunately, in this section, the writers started to slip into the habit from previous episodes of hitting themes a little too "on the nose," instead of leaving them for the player to discern, particularly with the inclusion of two vigilantes who go to dangerous lengths to “protect their country.”  However, the ultimate redeeming factor for the problems in the first part of this episode was the ending. The developers stayed with the format from the other Life is Strange games, where the game ends with one final choice that ultimately decides the way your story concludes. The choice for this game was extremely morally ambiguous, which made it incredibly difficult (as the final choice is supposed to be). Making the choice and seeing what it resulted in felt like an emotional punch to the gut; I literally cannot remember the last time I sobbed that hard over a piece of media. It was heart-wrenching, powerful, and essentially everything a final choice in a Life is Strange game should be. End of an era Seeing as this is the final episode of this game, it seemed only fitting to talk a bit about the game as a whole. While on the whole, I really did enjoy Life is Strange 2, but the biggest problem I noticed was that it generally lacked direction. There wasn’t a clear story with a clear objective being told—it kind of wandered all over the place until the player was no longer clear on what they were trying to accomplish. It was also quite frustrating that the entire basis of the game was essentially taking a bad choice that Sean made—which the player had no choice in—and making that choice worse. It just felt strange that in a choice-based game, one of the most important choices of the story was made for you. But of course, the reason that I stayed with it was because not only do I love Life is Strange, but I truly cared about Sean and Daniel. The developers did a great job making them likeable, even in their worst moments and giving them a realistic sibling relationship that was a treat to follow. I just wish that they would have stuck more with that relationship rather than introducing a new set of characters into the story every single episode. Hopefully, the developers at DONTNOD will learn from the issues of Life is Strange 2 and stick more closely to a strong through line and a few really rich character relationships, rather than a bunch of fleeting ones. Nevertheless, I am happy to have shared this journey with Sean and Daniel. Images: Steam Featured Image: Steam

‘The End of the F***ing World’ Season 2 has restored my faith in television writers

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for The End of the F***ing World Seasons 1 and 2.

'The End of the F***ing World' Season 2 has restored my faith in television writers

by Emily Worrell Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for The End of the F***ing World Seasons 1 and 2. The headline of this review may come off as a bit of a surprise to readers who are familiar with my previous work. As a huge fan of The End of the F***ing World, I was not shy with my opinion about the decision to renew the show for a second season. It seemed silly to continue the show when the first season was concluded in such a tragic, beautifully ambiguous way; plus, the first season had ended where the source material (the graphic novel by Charles Forsman) did. Could show writer Charlie Covell pull off creating a completely new story arc that not only lived up to its predecessor, but also fit the quirky, dark tone that fans of the show had come to love? The answer, as it turns out, is yes. While the second season of The End of the F***ing World isn’t quite as good as the first—which is to be expected with TV shows like this—it’s still a surprisingly strong addition to Alyssa and James’ story that builds on both of their characters and has the same dark, comedic tone fans of the first season grew to love. Season 2 tells the story of Bonnie (Naomi Ackie), former lover of Clive Koch (Jonathan Aris), who is hellbent on exacting revenge on Alyssa (Jessica Barden) and James (Alex Lawther) after his death. Her revenge ends up reuniting the duo, who parted on extremely uncertain terms. Alyssa and James struggle to reconcile and come to terms with what happened when they were 17, all with the threat of Bonnie lurking right under their noses. Same show, new material My biggest concern with this new season was whether or not the writers and director would be able to recreate the incredibly unique feel that made the first season so compelling. But the stylistic uniqueness was still incredibly present; it felt like it lived in the exact same world as the first season, but still had elements that were unique to Season 2. Such elements include new characters as well as a new plot arc that made the second season feel like a continuation, rather than an attempt to repeat the past. I was pleasantly surprised by how strong the writing was, and how it still fit the same tone as the prior season, even without any source material to go off of. I was worried that The End of the F***ing World would fall into the predictable second-season problem of shows like 13 Reasons Why (which took a 54% plunge on Rotten Tomatoes after moving away from source material in the second season), but Charlie Covell does a commendable job with the writing of this second season. She even acknowledges the fact that this second season betrays the perfect “tragic romance” ending of the first in James’ first narration, in which he states, “It was a fitting end. A doomed love story; a perfect tragedy. And then I didn’t die.” This acknowledgement was reassuring to the audience; a way of Covell saying, “I know I could’ve ended the show there, but just wait, I’ve got something even better in store.” In addition to the writing, the dark and quirky tone of the show was aided by the fabulous soundtrack, created once again by singer-songwriter Graham Coxon, featuring songs from the '60s, '70s, and '80s, along with originals by Coxon himself. Wonderful characters played by strong actors Something that The End of the F***ing World has always done exceptionally well is capture a sense of emotional honesty that it is difficult to find anywhere else, and Season 2 is no exception. The characters feel genuine and real; James and Alyssa still feel like the same people they were in Season 1, but the viewer can see how they’ve evolved and changed throughout the show. From Alyssa’s PTSD and how it affects her relationships with others, to James to her mom to total strangers, it is all captured in a visceral and painfully honest way, and James’s emotional state following his father’s death and his reunion with Alyssa is powerfully, devastatingly real. It’s enough to make any devoted fan sob within the first two episodes. The new characters who come into play in Season 2 make strong and interesting additions to the show’s ensemble, particularly Bonnie and Leigh (Alexandria Riley), Alyssa’s aunt. Jessica Barden and Alex Lawther carry the show as Alyssa and James with their acting. The chemistry between them is undeniable, even in their awkward, broken-up, “trying to make things up to each other” state. Naomi Ackie is incredibly strong as Bonnie, crafting for the viewer a character who appears unfeeling on the surface, but is actually just an emotionally stunted and traumatized teen coping with her situation in the only way she knows how. The supporting cast is also very talented; everyone from James’ dad (Steve Oram) to the creepy motel owner (Tim Key) serves a strong role within the show and helps move the plot along. Pacing issues detract from the otherwise strong season Despite all the things The End of the F***ing World Season 2 did right, there were still some obvious issues that prevented it from being quite on the same level as Season 1. The most glaring of these issues was in the pacing of the show. While this was also a problem in the first half of season one and therefore can’t be entirely attributed to a lack of source material, it was still unfortunate that writers were unable to eradicate this problem because it did make the show feel a bit sluggish and dragging at times. The other problem was that due to the pure emotional power of the last season’s ending, the end of this season felt lackluster in comparison. This is especially unfortunate, considering that this will most likely be the end of the show itself; however, these shortcomings certainly don’t outweigh all the positives about this season of The End of the F***ing World, and it is definitely worth watching. Overall, this new season is a pleasant surprise for The End of the F***ing World fans. Images: IMDb Featured Image: IMDb

‘The End of the F***ing World’: Should it end?

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the first season of ‘The End of the F***ing World’ season one.

'The End of the F***ing World': Should it end?

by Emily Worrell

'The End of the F***ing World': Should it end?

by Emily Worrell Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the first season of 'The End of the F***ing World' season one. When The End of the F***ing World first came out back in 2017, I was one of those people who watched the whole show in less than a week. I was also one of those people who stared at the TV screen for a good five minutes before sobbing uncontrollably at the ending. I naturally was one of those people who then binged it again, recommended it to every human being who would listen to me, and asked my high school teacher if I could write about it (they said no). But yeah, I was basically a The End of the F***ing World superfan from the minute it came out. we'll be f***ing back. pic.twitter.com/K1Ai7iVeZD — TEOTFW (@TEOTFW) August 21, 2018  Having said this, it may come as a surprise that the recent announcement of a second season of The End of the F***ing World filled me with dread rather than excitement. As much as I loved the first season of The End of the F***ing World, I can honestly say that I 100% did not want a second season, and now that I’ve heard the announcement that it is coming, whether I like it or not, I have some doubts. Before anyone crucifies me as a “fake fan,” let me explain myself. We already have a perfect ending The ending of the first season of End of the F***ing World definitely sparked some controversy. Some people were incredibly mad because of the total ambiguity as to what happened next. While many fans viewed this as a “cliffhanger,” making a second season practically inevitable, it seemed to me like the perfect ending to James’ character arc. James starts out the show as a self-diagnosed psychopath and by the end, he finally “understands what people mean to each other.” What more beautiful way to demonstrate this lesson than him sacrificing his safety (and likely his life) for Alyssa, whom he initially wanted to kill? Ultimately, James’ story, which is what we set out on the journey of this show to learn, has been concluded. Making up more story for James will inevitably feel contrived. We’ve already seen his journey; there’s nothing left to see; the show is over. On the other hand, some fans will be quick to point out that so far, none of the promotional photos for the second season have contained James. Therefore, there’s a good chance that he will not appear in the second season, and therefore, we won’t need more story or a brand-new character arc from him. But my question is: if one of the characters that drove the entire first season is completely absent in this new season, why would I want to watch it? The show wouldn’t be the same without James. In fact, Jonathon Erstwhile, creator of the show, even said, “For me, it’s about James and Alyssa – and I think that’s what people have connected with. I think a season two would have to involve James and Alyssa somehow.”  However, there is the possibility of still having James in the show but focusing more on Alyssa’s character arc. I will concede that this is a definite possibility. But the original season was all about how both of them changed and became better people through their love for one another, and having one character in that relationship who completed his character arc would ruin that idea of them both being changed by love since James would mostly be lying stagnant while Alyssa grows. It would definitely ruin some of the dynamics of their relationship and the show as a whole. This would also limit the possibility of growth for Alyssa, since she doesn’t have a partner to grow with, so to speak.  Season 1 was based on the comic book Period. Season one ended where author Charles Forsman, intended it to end. Why are we still even debating this? Trying to add more to this story that is already finished based on the intentions of the original author is frankly disrespectful to his work and his intentions. However, some may argue that the book and the show were actually quite different. And this is true, but the book established the tone of the show and the events that would happen in the show. Additionally, the book contained, word-for-word, some of the most important lines of the show (ex. “I’m almost 18 and I think I understand what people mean to each other” and “I was not her protector. She was mine.”) Some may still argue that there is enough difference that they have faith in the show’s writers to make a second season good, and I urge those people to look at what happened to 13 Reasons Why when they decided to make a second season based off of no source material whatsoever. Sure, the first season was quite different from the book it was based on, but going on no source material is a completely different beast, as the ratings prove: between the first and second season, the Rotten Tomatoes score dropped 54%, going from 79% to 25%. Why would we want to see that happen to our beloved The End of the F***ing World? More isn’t always better I really do understand wanting more of this show, because it’s truly a fantastic series. But overall, isn’t it better to just have one really great season rather than a great season tied to a mediocre season that ultimately brings down the quality of the show as a whole? Why couldn’t we let this show just be like Over the Garden Wall which took just the amount of time it needed to tell its intended story and was left untouched after that? Overall, I know myself, and I know that I will certainly still watch the new season, despite my wariness. I am trying to hold on to hope for the second season since the same show writers are returning and Graham Coxon, who beautifully scored the first season, is returning to create the soundtrack for this season as well. However, none of that changes the fact that I feel I was robbed of one of the most perfect, beautifully dramatic and ambiguous endings in any TV show in favor of the “more is always better” mentality. Sources: NME, Rotten Tomatoes, Thrillist, Radio Times, Twitter Images: IMDb Featured Image: IMDb

‘Life is Strange 2: Episode 4’ is the perfect penultimate episode

Disclaimer: This review is of the PC version and was conducted on a PC with an Intel Core i7-6700, 16 GBs of RAM. This review contains spoilers for the game Life is Strange 2.

‘Life is Strange 2: Episode 4’ is the perfect penultimate episode

by Emily Worrell Disclaimer: This review is of the PC version and was conducted on a PC with an Intel Core i7-6700, 16 GBs of RAM. This review contains spoilers for the game Life is Strange 2. After the utter debacle that was Life is Strange 2: Episode 3, I must admit that I didn’t approach the long-awaited fourth installment with very high expectations, despite my high opinion of the previous Life is Strange series and its related content. If anything, when I was downloading it, I felt like it was something that I had to do as a reviewer and loyal fan of Life is Strange rather than just a fun game that I really wanted to play. However, within the first few minutes of gameplay, I found myself enraptured more deeply than I had ever been in Episode 3. This episode has proven to be easily the greatest Life is Strange 2 episode thus far, and perhaps one of the best episodes of anything set in the Life is Strange universe at all. Life is Strange 2: Episode 4 starts off three months after the explosion at Merrill’s farm that ended the last episode. Our protagonist, Sean, is in the hospital, recovering from injuries sustained in the explosion. With his younger brother Daniel still missing after the blast, and the inevitability of being thrown in juvie after his recovery is complete, Sean knows he has to find a way to escape the hospital and find Daniel. However, in doing so, he finds a lot more than he originally bargained for. The wrongs have been righted The first thing to note is that everything that made Episode 3 so unenjoyable is essentially fixed, or at least much better, in this episode. The most glaring example of this is that the number of fetch quests and “walking simulators” dropped astronomically, although the few minutes of simply walking in the desert were quite unexciting. Aside from that one example, though, there are really no significantly annoying tasks to be found in this episode, which is an absolute delight (especially after Episode 3). Additionally, the choice mechanisms seem to be back on track with this episode. The choices are difficult without being too strenuous, and it seems like how you react to other characters actually affects your relationships. As choice and consequence are one of the key components of any Life is Strange game, this is extremely important and, honestly, a huge relief after being frustratingly unable to affect Sean’s relationship with Daniel in the last episode. But DONTNOD didn’t stop at just fixing the glaring issues that popped up in Episode 3, no; they fixed issues that had been plaguing the story since day one. In this episode, the sequence of events finally fit together and made perfect sense; it didn’t feel like writers were just randomly throwing obstacles at Sean and his brother. But perhaps most importantly, the themes in this episode were handled beautifully. While in the past, certain themes, particularly political ones, seemed overstated, almost to the point of feeling preachy. In this episode, the themes really just are what they are. They exist in the game and are important in ways that resonate with the player emotionally rather than just being tossed towards the player’s intellectual brain to log as a theme. Themes like forgiveness, family, racial tension, and faith are handled beautifully and simply in a way where judgment rests in the hands of the player rather than the developers or anyone else.  Beautiful emotional roller coaster As this is the penultimate episode, it is pretty much guaranteed to be the climax of the story… and of course, as in any good Life is Strange story, the climax of the story comes with plenty of emotions. However, beyond that, I was impressed by how well the game appealed to not only my emotional brain but also my aesthetic brain. The game itself looked lovelier than ever, and the way the visuals combined with music and emotional pull to create something magnificent was indescribably beautiful. This aesthetic beauty led to the singular best atmospheric moment in any Life is Strange game (when Sean is sitting outside the motel with Karen). What made this episode different emotionally, though, was that you could tell that it was rooted in love for everyone who was involved. From the writers, to the developers, to the voice actors, it was clear that creating this episode was a labor of love. The player not only could feel like they were in the Life is Strange universe, but also feel like they were welcome there.  Throughout the whole episode, I found myself feeling for Sean more than I ever had before, and even taking pride in his growth as a character as I played. The progression of his maturity throughout these episodes and the journey he takes are amazing. Additionally, having Sean reconnect with Karen was incredibly emotionally satisfying and spoke to the idea that even if a family is broken and torn apart, they are still family and they still love each other. How perfect is it? Obviously, no game is perfect, and Life is Strange 2: Episode 4 is no exception. However, there really aren’t that many points to critique; for instance, issues with graphics were minimal. The only time I really noticed was when Lisbeth’s scarf would clip in and out of her arms. Additionally, Sean’s flashback to being in the car with his dad felt a bit like a copycat of Life is Strange: Before the Storm, but considering that the emotional power of the scene made me cry, I’ll easily forgive that. The only really notable grudge I have against this episode is that there are occasions where it feels like the player goes just a little too long without getting to talk or being given a choice, particularly in the final church scene. However, this was honestly an issue that only really felt present once or twice in the entirety of the episode.  Overall, this episode leaves us at a perfect point: where everything is starting to just slightly come together, but there is still plenty left unresolved for the final episode. DONTNOD did a fantastic job of leaving the player satisfied, but still eager to know what will happen next. Images: Steam Featured Image: Steam

‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ is worth seeing, but not Tarantino’s best

As an avid Quentin Tarantino fan who hadn’t gotten anything new from  him in about four years, I was naturally very excited when I saw  trailers popping up for his new film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.  The film, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt as a 1960s Hollywood  actor and stunt double duo, seemed to promise a very different, more  intimately emotional type of movie than is typical of Tarantino. In that  aspect, it delivered.

‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ is worth seeing, but not Tarantino's best

by Emily Worrell As an avid Quentin Tarantino fan who hadn’t gotten anything new from him in about four years, I was naturally very excited when I saw trailers popping up for his new film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The film, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt as a 1960s Hollywood actor and stunt double duo, seemed to promise a very different, more intimately emotional type of movie than is typical of Tarantino. In that aspect, it delivered. On the other hand, less than a day after its release, critics were heralding the film as “Tarantino's masterpiece” and claiming it to be his best work to date. Having seen most of Tarantino's films (including this one, of course), I can say with a good deal of certainty that at least to the typical Tarantino fan, this is not his best film. However, it’s by no means a bad film, and certainly worth seeing. Tarantino in a new realm What makes this film most interesting is seeing how Tarantino works with stepping away from the action and going into a more straightforward dramedy. He does a fantastic job of keeping his style and transitioning it to a new genre rather than trying to start over and erase his personal touch completely. Thus, many of the stylistic elements Tarantino has become known for are still present, most notably his habit of changing history (a la Inglorious Basterds or Django Unchained) and his gory violence (although, in this case, most of the violence is saved for the end of the film, which actually makes it all the more shocking, humorous, and ultimately satisfying). However, one element that most of Tarantino's films that felt blatantly diminished and even absent throughout much of this film is his masterfully stylized dialogue. Like most fans, I have come to expect dialogue that is naturalistic, yet rhythmic and witty. However, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood really did not meet my expectations for that; much of the dialogue didn’t really feel like Tarantino's writing. There were, of course, a couple of scenes that proved to be exceptions (for example, in the very end when Rick Dalton is talking to Jay Sebring in his driveway), but on the whole, the dialogue was rather disappointing stylistically. Pacing problems One of the most notable issues with this film was definitely that the pacing seemed to drag, which is particularly detrimental for a film that already stands at run-time of two hours and 45 minutes. These issues with pacing seemed to stem from the fact that Tarantino was essentially presenting three separate storylines, and every time that one would start to pick up in pace, the film would switch to another and the pacing would slow right back down again. It was also hard to keep consistent with so much going on. Every time the storyline would switch, the viewer would have to consciously take a moment to switch their brain over, which naturally created a lull in the pacing every time it happened (which was a lot, because again, there were three separate storylines). Welcome to the Sixties While I haven’t been entirely complementary of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood thus far, I want to make it clear that this is not a bad movie by any means. One thing Tarantino really could not have done any better is to capture the feel of the Sixties and really transport the viewer there. The commercials and ads, from the Bounty Law opening to the post-credits Red Apple cigarette commercial perfectly fit the time period and put the audience in the mental space of old-school Hollywood. Additionally, portrayals of real historical Hollywood figures like Steven McQueen (Damian Lewis), Bruce Lee (Mike Moh), and of course, Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) provide extra historical context for the viewer. Pair that with an absolutely perfect Sixties soundtrack that features recognizable tunes and less recognizable ones that still fit the period and atmosphere, and you’ve got a world that truly transports the viewer. Of course, once the viewer is in the world of the film, it is the job of the actors to keep them there by delivering believable, true-to-life performances, and boy, do they ever. DiCaprio and Pitt (Cliff Booth) are phenomenal together, and their scenes were truly the glue that bound the multi-plotline story together. It’s a shame they didn’t have more screen time together, as their scenes were some of the most memorable and I constantly looked forward to the next time they’d be on screen together. I want to especially highlight DiCaprio’s performance; although his character is not the most likable, he makes you truly feel the humanity and the struggle of what he was going through to the point of actively sympathizing with his character. Child actress Julia Butters (Trudi) absolutely nails her role and is just the right combination of adorable and opinionated to play perfectly off of DiCaprio. I was a little disappointed in Margot Robbie's performance, not because of anything she did, but because she was actually given so little to do. Although she was one of the principal characters, she had very little dialogue and mostly just smiled, danced, and sat around. I can understand that because she was portraying a historical figure, the filmmakers probably wanted to be careful with how they portrayed her, but at the same time, if you feel you can’t properly represent someone, you probably should not make them a lead character in your film. Overall, this was a quality film from Tarantino and I am glad to see him branching out. Sure, the interwovenness of plotlines was weak at times, and there were some obvious flaws, but this was Tarantino's love letter to Hollywood and to the industry, and it serves that purpose and is beautiful in the specific context of said purpose. However, that being said, if you want the Tarantino experience, you’re much better off going with Pulp Fiction or one of the Kill Bill movies. Images: IMDb Featured Image: IMDb

‘Men in Black: International’ is even worse than you think

by Emily Worrell Men in Black: International is a reboot of a franchise that’s been dead for many years, featuring absolutely none of the original directors, writers, or actors (excluding Emma Thompson in a minor role as Agent O). At this point, it seems like if anyone is disappointed, it’s their own fault for expecting this film to be halfway decent. However, I went in with extremely low expectations, and this film shocked me by actually managing to be even worse than I thought. It’s just another film turned out by Hollywood with the sole purpose of making money and no interest in honoring the original series, pleasing franchise fans, or even being remembered five seconds after leaving the theater.  The film follows Molly/Agent M (Tessa Thompson), who, after seeing an alien as a child and not being neuralyzed (that’s MIB for having her memory wiped), has dedicated her entire life to finding the Men in Black. Upon finding them, she manages to get recruited, and partners with resident handsome stock character bad boy Agent H (Chris Hemsworth) to take on what could be the agency’s biggest threat to date.  One-dimensional characters You would be hard pressed to find a character in this movie that has more than one personality trait. Agent M is determined and that’s it, Pawny (voiced by Kumail Nanjiani), is loyal and that’s it, Agent High T (Liam Neeson) is paternal and that’s it. But the one character whose contemptibility simply cannot be put into a single word would have to be Agent H. Agent H was essentially that one teacher’s pet who can do literally anything and get away with it. So, he does absolutely nothing and then, when he does lift a finger, demands heaps of praise and attention for it. He also does horrible things, most notably when he brings Agent M along on a mission with the express purpose of pimping her out to an alien (a fact which he did not disclose to her beforehand), and was excused for it by other characters, who talked about how he “had changed” and “was different ever since Paris.” If the film had used this as a jumping off point for his character and given him a redemptive character arc, he would have at least been interesting, if still not forgivable; but he essentially stayed the pompous, naturally-gifted guy who doesn’t have to try and allows others to take the consequences for his actions throughout the entire film. There was not a single moment in the entire film where his character did or said anything that made him genuinely likable.  Although the character of Pawny is one-sided, I do have to say that he’s one of the highlights in this dung heap of a film. About 90% of the funny and/or sweet moments in the film came from him, and Kumail Nanjiani does a great job voicing this lovable, goofy creature. If there’s anything in this movie worth seeing, it’s Pawny. However, he still doesn’t outweigh the overall trainwreck that is the of the rest of the film around him. Seriously, who is enjoying this? In great films, you can really tell that the people who worked on the project were wholly invested in it, loved what they were doing, and gave their all to it. This movie radiates the exact opposite energy. As a viewer, you can literally feel that the people involved didn’t care and just wanted to get this done to move on to their next project, which begs the question: If the people making this didn’t care, why should I? The lack of love put into this film combined with the lack of likable characters to root for ultimately leads to the viewer not caring, which makes the 114-minute runtime (which is already on the longer side to begin with) feel like an eternity. The absolute tedium of stilted dialogue and awkward interactions between the lead Agents (whose chemistry from Thor: Ragnarok was nowhere in sight) was only broken up by about three laugh lines total (most of which were already revealed in the trailer), leading to an extremely boring, forgettable overall experience. I think the fact that the director literally tried to quit mid-production is the perfect indication of how terrible this movie was. To be fair, earlier drafts that were later revised for being “too edgy” were praised for their sociopolitical commentary (particularly on the issue of immigration), but apparently, making it “less edgy” consisted of turning it into an empty husk of a film, with a bare plot and absolutely no substance. Follow the director’s example and stay away from this film if you can. Sources: Showbiz Cheatsheet Images: IMDb Featured Image: IMDb

‘Booksmart’ is the female buddy comedy we didn’t know we needed

by Emily Worrell Having seen plenty of high school films ranging from The Breakfast Club to Juno to Superbad, I always find it interesting when a film of this genre comes along with a promise to bring something fresh and new to what is considered a supersaturated market. When Booksmart trailers initially dropped, I was intrigued: this, for once, genuinely looked like something actually new and interesting that would show a different perspective than the average high school film. Given that and its stellar rotten tomatoes score, I decided to see it and was surprised to discover that the film took place over the course of one night. My expectations automatically dropped drastically after that; before this film, I had never seen a one-night film that actually worked and didn’t think it could even be done. Booksmart proved me wrong. So, what does Booksmart do so right that similar films do wrong? What puts Booksmart above other films trying to cash in on the trend of the one-night teen movie? The high school movie for the 99% First of all, this movie represents the groups and problems that are typically underrepresented; it isn’t just jocks and cheerleaders and varsity titles; it’s overachievers, popular kids who get into student government but do nothing, theater geeks, all with regrets of the past and uncertainty for the future. This film, despite being a lighthearted flick, covers issues that really matter and are familiar to anyone who has gone through the end of high school. This relatability, of course, would not be possible without the phenomenal cast of this film. The chemistry between Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein as Amy and Molly, the leading ladies of this buddy comedy, is palpable, and allows for the one night the viewer actually sees between them to convey a fully believable and relatable friendship of many years. Anyone with a close best friend will easily relate to the way these characters interact, from the way they gas each other up to the moments where the relationship is strained. However, the film is, in spirit, an ensemble piece, as one of the main messages is that if you box others into stereotypes (as it is incredibly easy to do in high school) without really talking to them, you never actually know who they are (or, to boil it down to a simple cliche, don’t judge a book by its cover). Although the film is mainly about the relationship between Amy and Molly, the importance of the ensemble cannot be overstated: they are the force that makes this high school feel like a real, lived-in world rather than some setting that was hastily scraped together to exist for two hours for the viewer and one day for the characters. While Amy and Molly drive the film, the ensemble gives it the power to tell their story. While all the ensemble actors did a fantastic job with their roles, the standout among them is Skyler Gisondo as Jared, the rich boy who tries too hard at just about everything, particularly at buying the affection of others. Gisondo delivers some of the best character acting I’ve seen in a long time, and I found myself in stitches every time he was on screen, even to the point where others in the theater were laughing at me laughing rather than laughing at the film. Ridiculous fun While Booksmart captures powerful messages about high school, best friends, and even feminism, the tone of the movie is just plain fun. It’s a perfect movie for a girls’ night: it’s witty, fast-paced, and funny, and to be perfectly honest, there aren’t a lot of other strong female-centered buddy comedies out there, which is why we need more films like this. However, there were moments where the fun got carried away into a bit of excessive ridiculousness. This was particularly notable in the beginning; it definitely took a minute to get into the mindset of this film’s mix of ridiculousness and honesty, but of course, once things started to get going, it became an awesome adventure that actually had a surprising amount of truth and valuable lessons within. That isn’t to say the beginning was the only time this happened; there were several moments where the film got carried away to the point where it took the viewer out of the movie and became uncomfortable to watch, most notable the scenes with Amy’s parents and the doll hallucination. Still, none of these moments were too problematic; I was able to hop back into the world almost instantly when they were over. Images: IMDb Featured Image: IMDb

Something’s strange about ‘Life is Strange 2: Episode 3’

Disclaimer: This review is based on the PC version of the game and was played on a PC with Intel Core i5-8250U, 8 GBs of RAM.