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⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) There's something about desi romances that hit the spot for me, and I think it's the fact that there are actually a lot of similarities between Indian and Mennonite culture. We don't have arranged marriages, but the rules and pressure from parents are there, and a high level of chasteness is expected in both. In this book, Danyal is known for being both very good-looking and also not very bright. He wants to be a chef, which his parents find very embarrassing, and they're stressed about finding him a bride when his future seems so unpromising. They've decided the girl he has a crush on is too good for him, so when he's unwillingly entered into his school's academic competition, he decides he'll win it to prove his worth. And he's going to get help from a girl his parents set him up with who has her own reasons for always getting rejected for arranged marriages. I loved this book so much. Danyal is a mixture ...

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by Rebecca) I really couldn't stop thinking about this game all the way through. Probably took me close to 40 hours to complete (but not sure because my playtime got messed up) and I was hooked all the way through. I won't say too much about what it's about since Joe still needs to play it, but I loved this game's moral conundrums. Do I believe in saving humanity? Yes. Do I believe in saving humanity at the cost of others? Maybe not... I also loved the things that carried over from game 1, both including and not including things that came from importing my character. Loved meeting characters I worked with in the last game, getting messages from people I helped, hearing about how my choices played out. The plot and world-building was really incredible. The relationship-building could have used work, but at least the characters were less wooden in this game. Mechanics were better too, and I finally figured out how to use my biotic powers enoug...

⭐ 7.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) A childhood favorite of mine that I convinced Jess to watch with me. It was disheartening watching Jess the entire movie and not seeing her laugh really ever, but nonetheless I still think this movie is great. It's a great summer vacation movie that captures so much of what it was like to be a kid. I SO badly wanted to be as cool as Max, and to have a hottie like Roxanne like me. Not everything aged very well. Goofy is now very annoying, and most of the jokes were really just meant for kids. But there are still a lot of highlights. Open Road, After Today and Stand Out are all bangers. The possum park is still great, and that scene in the car with Bigfoot looming is still touching. Realizing Max exchanged symbolic drugs to the stoner for his tech expertise was pretty funny. May-ZUH-er!

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) This movie is the sequel to Before Sunrise which we watched earlier this year and quickly became one of my favorite romances. It takes place (and was filmed) nearly a decade after the first, and again simply follows the couple for a very short amount of time together. I had very high expectations for this movie and they were very nearly met. Immediately I was disappointed at the start of this movie and vowed I wouldn't let myself like it for reasons I can't say without spoiling it. But as the evening goes along for this couple, you just can't help but let them win you over. They are so raw and authentic and relatable. There is less corny, idealistic dialogue in this one as the two are more mature and realistic, and the reality is that love as you age gets more complicated and less magical. I don't agree with how these two describe and understand love, but I think that's the point. These are two people processing how they feel,...

⭐ 6.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) I always look forward to hearing more of Malcolm's voice, but this show has been letting me down for a while. I feel like he is picking more and more obscure topics as a bit. And if they are things he is interested in and he gets to do a deep dive on them, good for him, I have just found the episode topics to be a bit dull. This season features 3 episodes on The Little Mermaid. 3!! One of which is basically his own re-written version of the story with celebrities reading it. Boring. I did find the last episode to be very intriguing, mainly because it was talking about something relevant - Covid! Seriously, with all that has happened in the past year I was shocked that the whole season wasn't devoted to different aspects of Covid. I would have loved 3 episodes on the people who discovered the vaccines and how that process worked. Maybe he is saving it for season 7. I read a blog post Malcolm wrote about removing a Trump anecdote in fear of ex...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) Another 9, this show is chugging along at full power. Although Phil will always be the all-star, Cam has really stolen the show for me and I would place him as the second funniest character. His dynamic with Mitchell just really kills me, and his facial expressions and over reactions are priceless. I have been very impressed with the quality of this show, and am upset at myself that I didn't give it a chance earlier. I do think Clair's character is getting worse, and that Phil deserves someone who appreciates him more. Will season 5 have Phil look for greener pastures? For some reason I doubt it.

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) A little late on this review, but this show is really in the zone. Now that you are very familiar with the cast they work in some super heartwarming moments, but at the end of the day it is a comedy that makes me laugh. Hard to remember specific episodes from these long seasons, but I appreciate that the kids are less cringey as they get older.

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by kaelwilton) Man, this is one good show. Everything I said about the first season still applies here, so I won’t repeat myself too much, but man, this is a solid show. My only real complaint with this season is with how one death was handled. I won’t go into specifics, but I thought it was handled pretty poorly. But that’s just one mans opinion, and did not have too big of an effect on my opinion of the show! Some of the characters are fantastic here too. Tyrion is the definitely the strongest character here (partly due to Peter Dinklage’s performance) but there are countless others that are fantastic as well (I loved Arya’s storyline this season) Overall another great season, and I’m excited to see where this one goes!

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) This is a memoir from a woman who suffered from addiction for ten years or so. This book only details about 2-3 years, including her relapse, spiral, prison sentence and road to recovery. But let me tell ya, those couple of years were WILD. The things she did to feed her addiction were despicable but always wildly entertaining. The details of prison life were deplorable and grimy, but then her road to recovery was really warm and wholesome. I love all stories of recovery. Drug addiction is such an intense lifestyle and it's hard to believe people have lived like this. Tiffany Jenkins is a really terrific storyteller, oftentimes jumping around in the timeline, building up suspense and having these great payoffs. This book almost reads like one of those Breaking Bad or Godfather stories, where the character is super likeable to start but as they get sucked into the cycle and have to do more and more terrible things to correct their previous te...

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) This movie is so good. Seen it a couple times now, and basically every 5 minutes I am like, oh ya, this scene, love this scene. For a longer movie it moves really quickly, and it does a great job with the passage of time. Years pass, but the story doesn't feel disjointed at all. You get to see a guy join and move through the mob from his own eyes, but also through the eyes of his wife, and I felt like her story stuck out the most to me here. Mafia movies always include someone who seems to be innocent who joins the ride and becomes complicit, and I just find that viewpoint to be really effective. She starts out judging the other wives and their way of life, but she becomes the same, if not worse, than them. It's also great seeing these people who consider themselves gods having to face reality, and justice arrives for every single one of them. Highly recommend watching The Irishman after this one, since it is very much a spiritual sequ...

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by hoodie_logi) Betty and I got a good cry in last night watching this movie. It stars Jason Segel, Dakota Johnson and Casey Affleck and tells the course of the three's friendship leading up too and during Dakota Johnson's characters cancer diagnosis. The story is told in a jump around fashion, moving back and forth between the present and past, revealing lots about the characters along the way. If you're in the mood for a good old fashioned heart breaking movie, this is a great choice. It was very sweet and sincere, while also extremely heavy, dealing with themes of sickness, hurting marriages, depression and more.

⭐ 7.5/10 (Originally written by hoodie_logi) This was a great watch. It's an anthology tv show, with each episode featuring a new character (though some of them are loosely connected to one another). Most episodes don't feature anyone other than the main character and the whole premise of each episode is to have the character sit and grapple with some part of their humanity. It often leads them to discover something deep and meaningful about themselves through the relationships they form around them. The show is literally just people sitting around and talking, often to an AI, just reflecting on their lives. It was really quite thought provoking and heartbreaking at times. It also featured an all start cast, with the likes of Anne Hathaway, Anthony Mackie, Constance Wu and Morgan Freeman each having an episode among others. It's a quick watch, though can be very heavy at times. I'd recommend it if you're looking for something new to check out.

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by kaelwilton) This show really does live up to the hype. This was some seriously great TV! It follows the book really well too, which I always like! There were maybe one or two storylines throughout the season that I thought they put too much emphasis on which really had no impact on the plot, but other than that it was thoroughly enjoyable! It’ll be interesting moving forward in this series as I’m not familiar with any of the other books, but am excited nonetheless!

⭐ 5.5/10 (Originally written by Beans) Ya, not much to say. A cool cast with some surprising deaths and cool plot twists but nothing new or surprising really. They tried to have a few touching moments but it was too light hearted and gory for that. Please Hollywood just use a different formula I’m begging you!

⭐ 4.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) Ah, a new fresh helping of slop for us swine to consume. Nothing new, unique or interesting going on here. But if WB, Disney or Marvel is making it and dropping it in the trough you know I'll be waddling over every time! This seriously just felt like such a waste at this point. I swear to you all right now, I'll watch Pattinson's Batman and then I'm retiring from superhero movies forever!! Oink oink no longer!!

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by Katrina) Felt compelled to write a review because this film was just so amazing. The directing is incredible and each shot so thoughtful. The acting was brilliant and just the whole thing felt so lived in. It didn’t feel like time was moving too fast or jumped around which is pretty impressive since the story obviously took place over many months. Loved the two Company songs and they fit so perfectly. Surprised by how happy I felt at the end of it all even though there were many sad moments. Just overall a pretty perfect film.

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by The Original Susanne) I'm always up for a good murder mystery, and this was a fun, quick read (listen). Set on a secluded Irish island with a dark history, the story is told from multiple points of view leading up to and during a wedding. Most of the characters were exceptionally unlikable, but I think that was the point. A little too coincidental at the end for my taste, but overall kept me guessing and intrigued.

⭐ 7.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) Again something I played with Sam after really loving the original as a kid. It's a fun 2 player brawler that we beat in one evening. It's definitely a lot less edgy than when I played and a little more made for kids. The mechanics still made as little sense to me as when I first played with the characters seeming to have a minds of their own most times. We beat the game with no sense of mastery, or even basic things like how to dodge or block. It was fun to play co-op with a kid, but definitely not one I'd play by myself.

⭐ 6.5/10 (Originally written by Joseph) I watched this with Samuel and isn't this what being an uncle is all about? Watching movies the parents probably wouldn't approve of (don't worry John and Susanne, I fast forwarded the worst parts) and enjoying movies I watched as a kid. The Jackie Chan parts of this movie were pretty great. Not his best action movie but there are definitely some amazing sequences. The massage parlor fight is the highlight, though the lead up is definitely way yuckier than I remembered. Chris Tucker also has some really funny parts but he's also super annoying and a borderline sexual predator sooooo...

⭐ 6.0/10 (Originally written by Benjamin) This actually ended up being interesting and I liked seeing the heist part of the movie. And seeing Freddy Highmore figure out stuff i guess gave some fulfillment as well. Though I thought the dialogue felt rushed and poorly put together and it had the feel of a movie done in another language, probably Spanish, and translated to English (which for me, is distracting). This is probably me just being too used to Hollywood movies🤷‍♂️.

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by kaelwilton) I really enjoyed this one! It took me close to a year to finish, but that is not because of its quality! This was just a nice fun watch, nothing more and nothing less! Even though it tackles some pretty tough issues sometimes, it remains a nice and fun watch all the way through! Really my only issue is that I really didn’t like the romance between the leads. I just feel like they weren’t a great fit for each other, but that’s just me I guess haha I haven’t seen the last season though so I guess I’ll see what they do with the relationship then! Overall a very good watch!

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) This show is a real fun ride. It follows a bunch of rich white people as they show up in Hawaii for vacation. We have newlyweds, a single older woman mourning the loss of her mother, and a family where the mom is the CEO of a big tech company. They are all at the same resort, and each character has some form of an identity crisis. There were a lot of interesting topics covered here, but it remains funny throughout. Lots of servant/master dynamics, as we spend a lot of time with the hotel staff, and see entitled people at their worst when they are on vacation. It's 6 episodes so the momentum stays high, and week to week I felt like I was really understanding each character more and more. The show starts off showing a body being loaded onto the plane for the flight home, and then flashes back to the start of the week. I thought that setup might burden the show, making you constantly wonder which character is going to die, but they used it in ...

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) Who's ready to watch a show about a pandemic during a pandemic?? Turns out I didn't really mind at all, but I can see why others would. At least in this case their virus (just called "the Sick") had a much higher mortality rate, so I felt like we were relatively lucky. Also at the same time, all babies born are suddenly hybrids, and have animal characteristics, and are being hunted and captured. The show mostly follows Gus, a deer hybrid kid who was raised in isolation by his dad. But his dad dies, and he convinces a man he comes across to help him get to Colorado to find his mom. We also follow a doctor trying to find a cure for the Sick, and a woman who runs a sanctuary for hybrids. Overall, I really liked this first season. It's fairly episodic, with one main problem or adventure per episode, so I was never tempted to binge-watch, but was also happy to watch the next episode the next day. The kid actor for Gus was real...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) I don't really have anything to add about this movie, except that I also found it suspenseful and tense and very enjoyable to watch. I thought all of the actors were great, and was very impressed with the kids.

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by kaelwilton) Paul Thomas Anderson may have cemented himself as my favourite director at this point. While I don’t think this is his strongest movie (or at least it’s not my favourite of his), it’s still a very interesting watch! The strongest parts of this film are the acting performances, the cinematography and the dialogue (which is pretty typical of a PTA film). Honestly a little surprised that neither Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman didn’t win an Oscar for this one. Where this movie lacks in my opinion is how the story progresses. It has a really great concept, that being the relationship between a struggling army vet and a charismatic cult leader, the movie doesn’t really go deep into any concepts. At times it feels more like a “day in the life” type deal, but the cult really doesn’t do anything interesting during the course of the film. Maybe I just don’t understand it, but I found the story to be surprisingly weak in this one. Still, I d...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Rebecca) I really enjoyed this! It really did feel like a pretty seamless continuation from the first one, which I actually liked--that they didn't try to make excuses for a time jump or anything. I really liked the bits of backstory we got, and although I was stressed and yelling at the characters a lot, I do really enjoy the constant peril. The pressure to be silent plays into the sense of tension so well. I do wish we knew a little bit more about the monsters (like, why are they killing all humans, if not to eat them?? That's not really something animals do?) but it makes sense that they still don't know anything. Anyway. It's about the strength and bravery of children, and I love that. Thanks John Krasinski.

⭐ 7.0/10 (Originally written by Benjamin) I thought this was a very funny show. My instinct with this show was to take it too seriously, but i think if you listen to all the dialogue there is humor in basically every line. I thought it especially gained traction in the 2nd season. Alot of weird, odd moments and just pretty silly. I can tell this show has been written by alot of very funny people.

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Beans) This is a Netflix documentary about people who used to be leaders and speakers against the gay movement in America who promoted conversion therapy. All of the people featured had been queer, but were saved from their sin and then went on to have heterosexual relations and speak across the country at events. I guess in Canada it’s a bit different because gay marriage has been legal for so long, but the reality of this battle between straight people and queer people is very evident in the states. All of the people featured who had previously been previously saved from their queer-ness now all identified as being queer. I think the thing that struck me the most was that almost all queer people have this incredible amount of religious trauma. It’s so sad to think how the Jesus movement got there, but I also know it’s a complex issue. It seems almost every queer person has to unlearn religion at some point, and those that don’t often take their lives. ...

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) I burned through this hefty book during my week off, and loved it. It's about a guy who gets out of jail and befriends a guy who is clearly not normal. He becomes wrapped up in a battle between the old gods and the new, as the old struggle for relevance and the new struggle for longevity. The premise itself is what I found most interesting. Gods all came to America from the different groups of immigrants, but America becomes a godless land, obsessed with their own creations, essentially making new gods that never last. The story unfolds from the perspective of one guy, but there are several interludes about these gods coming to America and I found them all very interesting. The idea that the new world was founded on so much blood and suffering and how this shaped the future of the nation, physically and spiritually, was a lot to swallow. The story is fiction, but it is dealing with a very real America, and it blended the spiritual side wi...

⭐ 6.5/10 (Originally written by Tim) A comedy I had never seen before, it starts off really well and slowly gets less funny and more boring. This seems to be a trend in a lot of comedies, where all of a sudden the concept takes over and they need to pull together the plot and the last 30 minutes just aren't funny. Lots of talented people in this one, and some genuinely hilarious moments. But they lean on some jokes way too much, repeating them until they are no longer funny. The whole mob storyline also gets way too involved, and they make a pretty good effort to explain it in a funny way, but that should be a sign that the movie is getting too convoluted. Steve Carell and Tina Fey really are hilarious though, and it had me contemplating watching the office again... Shout out to Gal Gadot for having the smallest and most forgettable role, and having now become the most famous person in the movie. Respect.

⭐ 6.5/10 (Originally written by Tim) The movies are slowly getting better, but I can't help but think that these movies are just not good. Something about the pace, but I can't really put my finger on it. I like that the story gets more serious, and the adult actors are amazing across the board, but I think the main trio is just so bad at acting and they seem really out of place. This one was also directed by Alfonso Cuaron, so there are some cool shots, in particular some trippy mirror work when they use the boggarts. For whatever reason I just can't stay engaged when watching these. It goes from scene to scene without feeling very connected, and the dialog is choppy in an unrealistic way. This one was clearly made when they were forcing 3D on every movie, with quite a few forced "its coming out of the screen!?" moments. I do remember hating the time turner stuff, but it made more sense to me this time around, and I thought they used it well. It is clearly ...

⭐ 5.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) This is a comedy about two middle aged women that seek out adventure and go to a resort and have a wacky adventure. It was good for a couple laughs, and the plot was not at all what I expected given the trailer, but overall this movie is not good. When watching it I can't help but wonder why talented and funny people can make such terrible movies. My theory is that they all got to spend a month at a resort and goof around together and had a blast, so good for them, but Kristen Wiig is too funny to be making stuff like this. I wouldn't go out of my way to watch this one.

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) #summeroftolkien is going strong! I admit I lost a little steam going through this one, but the wily Professor once again had me falling in love by the end (and then I went through half of ROTK in one day). This book will be a ten for me for all time, but I think it was a testament to just how important the hobbits are to this tale. When the book shifts perspective to greater people and greater deeds, it loses a bit of what makes it special to me. Experiencing things through the eyes of the hobbits lets us experience the magic of the universe alongside them, marveling at the people and places that make middle-earth the genre defining world that it is. I really wasn't super into Helm's Deep this time around, though it does introduce my faves Theoden and Eyowyn (though both have their best moments in the next book). Battles are usually not that great in print, and I'm glad the movies are there to bring it to life (and become the life o...

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) I liked the first movie a lot and this was pretty much just another 1.5 hours of the same. It's on the edge of being too scary for me (I woke up in the middle of the night sweating, for the record), and the bad feelings this movie makes you feel were a little exhausting this time around. Still, it's edge of your seat stuff, and I loved all the cast and obviously felt very concerned for them throughout (though I'd probably feel anxious seeing anyone close of getting torn apart). This movie was a bit shorter, and I actually thought they could have added 20 minutes of material that gives the audience a break from the suspense. I also agree with Tim that having the bad guys revealed changed the feel of this movie, forcing them to build up suspense in new (and imo less interesting) ways. With that said, I loved the tiny bit of origin story, and if they make more movies, I'm excited to learn more about the bad guys, where they come from...

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) Julia is Deaf and an aspiring graffiti artist. She's a bit prickly and unfriendly, so when she gets kicked out of her school for the Deaf and starts going to a "normal" school, she has no plans to make friends. When someone starts tagging over her street art, she's determined to find out who's trying to show her up. Even though the author isn't deaf herself, from what I could tell and other reviews, the representation was well done. It's not my first book about a Deaf character, but it was interesting to learn more about that world, as well as the street art world. There's a big focus on friendship and art, and very little romance, which is always rare in contemporary YA. Julia is pretty rough around the edges and occasionally unlikeable, but I could understand why she was so defensive, since she's dealing with the usual teenage problems, plus struggling with her identity as a Deaf person in a hearing worl...

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) This book is a fantasy/historical/romance all wrapped up into one ridiculous and silly package. It's obviously trying to be as bonkers as possible, and it delivers! Cecilia is a high society woman who is also a lady scoundrel. She was raised to both drink tea properly and steal valuables from royalty. Life is just fine until an assassin hired by her father is after her, except it doesn't seem like he's trying very hard to kill her. Also everyone is able to fly houses using an incantation.  It's all very over the top, so I can see why that wouldn't be everyone's thing, but I was in the mood for something this light. It's very funny, but the jokes and asides also serve as cutting commentary about society in the past and today. Also there are lots of references to famous people of the time (for example, Cecilia's elderly aunt isn't sure if the father of her child is Branwell Bronte or Charles Darwin), and it w...

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Rebecca) Why would anyone want to make a movie about Robin Hood BEFORE he's Robin Hood? What's the fun in that? I want to see him doing outlaw things and hanging with the lads! He barely even uses a bow in this! Ignoring that, I honestly enjoyed this movie. Maybe it's just because I'm a sucker for aloof medieval men who are competent with weapons and ride horses, but I had a great time. And I loved Maid Marion, who pulled her weight and kicked ass. And what a cast! Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Oscar Isaac, Mark Strong, Matthew Macfadyen??? Beautiful. Anyway, was this an amazing movie? No. But when Russell Crowe guided Maid Marion's foot tenderly into a stirrup I fell in love, and that's enough.

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by kaelwilton) This actually might be the best movie I’ve ever watched. I’m not even exaggerating, I think I found the best movie ever made. Everything about this movie is perfect. I wasn’t even out off by the length of the movie (it’s over three hours long haha) First off, this movie has one of the greatest ensemble casts I’ve ever seen. Tom Cruise, Julianne Moore, William H. Macy, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, John C. Reilly, etc. Every single actor delivers an all star performance. The writing is so so great in this movie too. The way that every story is interconnected is genius, because it is done in a way that is not unrealistic, but comes about naturally. The dialogue is also too notch in this one. The direction is close to flawless. Paul Thomas Anderson is slowly becoming my favourite director. The way the camera moves, the visuals, the use of colours, it’s all beautiful. This movie is ripe with metaphors and symbolism as well. Lots of biblical reference...

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Rebecca) Listened to this one on audiobook on the way back from vacation. It's a sort of puzzle mystery, with a group of young people who are part of a huge social media app (think Instagram) who have been chosen and invited to attend a weekend at the home of the young, rich creator to play a game for a huge prize. Interestingly, all of the characters are black or brown or mixed--zero white characters. Which I really enjoyed! It wasn't a book about being a racial minority, but it came up from time to time, because it was an inextricable part of the characters. Anyway, the puzzle aspect takes a while to get going, and similarly it took me a while to get hooked, but I ended up being eager to find out what happened. The main characters all had strong, varied personalities, and I loved the themes of friendship and sisterhood. I had a few qualms with side characters and backstories, and the resolution wasn't super exciting, but overall it was a fu...

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Benjamin) So, i did really enjoy reading this but i thought the climax of this book wasn't great. It is however book one of a trilogy so i'm hoping there is better stuff to come. The main character is currently running an inn and seems to be in hiding for a reason we aren't quite sure of yet. But the book is him telling his story to a scribe who is visiting the inn. His story starts as a very young boy traveling with his parents, some devastating things happen to him that are so incredibly sad and he lives by himself for years after. He eventually attends a university where he learns more about himself, the arcane arts, runes, and stuff like the use of 'sympathy', and trying to learn more about 'the Chandrian'. I appreciated that the author took the time to explain how some of the magic worked, the mindset behind it but i would of liked to see more development in how the magic is used. Overall, it was fun to read this o...

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Benjamin) I read this and it was good. I should add that for me, it maybe didn't have quite the effect it was maybe intended for. Like i feel EVEN MORE distant from my previous church life after reading about how this part of the bible works.

⭐ 7.5/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) Like my siblings with whom I watched this movie, I thought it was fun and a cool concept and enjoyable, but not much more. It was the perfect level of scary for me and for the most part the found footage thing worked.

⭐ 7.5/10 (Originally written by Beans) The trailer to this movie got me super interested, but it was mostly Dev Patel. I don’t know anything about the original story but the movie definitely had an Arthurian vibe. I had two main thoughts when watching this movie: omg what is gonna happen and omg what is happening. I felt lost most of the time and I don’t know what message they were shooting for, even after reading a few explanations. I enjoyed it well enough, but it was so incredibly eerie and most of the scenes were shot in the dark which made it so hard to see. Also, let’s get some freakin subtitles up in the theatre!

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Rebecca) Joey Pigza is back! Only this time, his crazy Grandma has passed away, and his even crazier dad is back with a new name, a bunch of money, and a handful of wacky get-rich-quick schemes to win back Joey's mom. Also, his parents keep trying to convince him to use a new name (Freddie Heinz) and become a new person, but Joey doesn't really want to become a new person, and he's trying really hard to figure out what it means to be who you are and be a better version of yourself. I really loved this book, and I really love Joey, who is super impulsive and makes a lot of bad decisions (as 10-year-olds with ADHD will) but is also full of heart and genuine concern about who he is and how he can be better. I love the positive view these books have on medication, and the way Joey is such a good kid even without many positive influences. His relationships with his family are really complex and sometimes difficult to swallow, but I love that, too,...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Rebecca) My first in-theatres movie since the pandemic started! I was really looking forward to this one, just because the trailer looked fun and I loved their outfits. It's a pretty typical Disney adventure movie, with a main character (a female researcher and adventurer!) who wants to find something rare and legendary in the Amazon forest, the mysterious and incredibly buff man who is tasked with taking her there, and her bumbling, awkward brother who doesn't really help much but is full of heart. I had a great time watching it! It was pure, uncomplicated fun, and the chemistry between characters was surprisingly good. And I really, really loved their outfits.

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Rebecca) I've been wanting to watch this one for a long time, and finally got around to it on vacation when the airbnb host had it on DVD. I love monster movies, and I love found footage films, conceptually. I found all the characters really boring and lacking in personality and I didn't particularly care about any of them dying, so that was definitely where it was lacking, but I do really love that very abrupt turn from "life as usual, characters are making life decisions" to "holy shit there's something really wild happening right outside." This was all mortal peril and running for your life, which is something I love! Like Joe mentioned, the camerawork was incredibly shaky and dizzying, which was sometimes hard to watch, but I can admit it was realistic. And I actually love the sense that something could be happening just outside of your extremely limited view. The limited glimpses you get of the monster(s) really work ...

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Joseph) Phew, hard to put a number on this one. This is a retelling of a medieval tale, so right off the bat you know the storytelling will be unique. This is far less fantasy adventure and much more an indie arthouse movie. I loved it for the most part, but I fully admit most of it went over my head. This tale was a favorite of Tolkien's (he even has a published translation) and I loved seeing where Tolkien was obviously influenced. To me it was quite similar to FOTR, with a guy on a quest, running into one odd or quirky character after the next. Anything with similarities to Tolkien will automatically score high in my books, and it also just had these awesome, magical elements I love. It really was everything I love about high fantasy wrapped into one. This movie is also beautiful, with amazing cinematography and compelling performances. It's great. I just wish I understood it. I've googled a few things but I'm not fully satisfied with ...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by hoodie_logi) Holy crap y'all, James Gunn killed it with this one. If you saw the first Suicide Squad, most would agree it was a complete mess. I really liked that this was a soft reboot instead of being deeply connected to the first, as DC desperately needs to forget that first movie. There were so many highlights. First of all, the story was fairly straight forward, but contained a number of twists and deaths that I did not see coming. Getting to see Starro the Conqueror on the big screen was also phenomenal. Harley's journey of self love and healing was also amazing. They did a lot of work to continue to distance her from the abusive relationship with Joker portrayed in the first movie, and are building her into a really strong character now. The minor superheroes were also fantastic, namely Polka Dot Man and Ratcatcher II (also King Shark was perfect). They did such a good job humanizing and grounding each character as the movie went along, gi...

⭐ 7.5/10 (Originally written by hoodie_logi) I went into this movie with no expectations, actually kind of expected it to be bad based on what I had heard, but I enjoyed it a ton. Was it a perfect movie? Not at all. Taskmaster was a dud and some of the action was so so. But I thoroughly enjoyed the heart of this movie. You could tell it meant a lot to Scarlett Johansen and did feel like good closure for her character. Florence Pugh stole the show and really carried the emotional drive of the movie. There were some really sweet moments and I walked away way more impressed than I thought I would be.

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Joseph) This game is a standalone spinoff from the main Uncharted series, and rather than playing Nathan Drake you play as his sexy former love interest Chloe. I wasn't totally sold in the first hour or so because it mostly felt like I was just going through the motions of all the other Uncharted games, but the story was a bit more dull and the characters not as interesting. But as the game went on, I was mostly just reminded how much I love the Uncharted formula. It really doesn't do anything the other games haven't, but that's okay! I'm totally down to play these shorter adventure games as many times as they will let me. This game is definitely a big step up from uncharted 1-3, though to me a step down from 4. It's a great summer game, though short of a masterpiece. A part of Uncharted that I love is the virtual tourism. This game is set in Indian forests, which were stunningly beautiful, on par with anything I've ever playe...

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) This book has been on the list for a while, as Robin Hobb's books are some classical 90s fantasy that are pretty well loved. And it did not disappoint. Some pretty classic stuff here, kind of a Kingkiller Chronicles meets Harry Potter with a dash of ASOIAF political intrigue. Basically a young orphan turns out to be the prince's bastard, and although he is brought in to the royal household there are many who don't love the fact that he exists. He displays some skills that only members of the royal family have, must learn to use them, etc. Pretty textbook stuff, but I think it is done really well. The book moves along at a nice pace, with bursts of action that aren't over the top. The magic is pretty restrained, which reminds me of ASOIAF, keeping the focus on the people and their motivations instead of whoever the strongest magic wielder is. Didn't blow me away, but it has a lot to love and I had a great time reading it. I ...

⭐ 7.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) This is a found-footage alien invasion movie. All those words are definitely words I like to hear in a movie description, especially because I'm all in on aliens right now (they've been to earth, stop denying it). Pretty good summer movie. It felt like a blockbuster without having a blockbuster budget. I liked the way the found footage stuff added to the suspense, never giving us a full view of the alien, and just giving us enough to keep us guessing. I also love the part of every apocalyptic movie where the danger is just breaking out, and this was a full movie of that. But also the found footage style was pretty dizzying here. I felt sick trying to follow the action with all the shaky cam and spinning and running. And though I get the point of it, it was frustrating when the action was happening in front of you and the cameraman has the camera pointing at the floor. Otherwise, the characters were all super flat and the plot was pretty b...

⭐ 6.5/10 (Originally written by Joseph) This was a reboot of the Detective Comic series (Batman's original comic) a couple years back, and led by a guy who does both the art and the writing?! That's pretty rare, and I was pretty impressed this guy has the ability to do both. If a comic writer can do both it's usually pretty beneficial because they can usually capture the vision a lot better than if it's disjointed. I usually really love the detective comics because they focus on the more grounded, noir aspects of Batman and less of the saving the world stuff. This has mostly everything I usually like. It was dark, gritty, hardboiled and generally pretty badass. Yet, I never fell in love with it. The writing was pretty inconsistent, and I found it oddly difficult to follow the art here, though it certainly looked good. It fell back on some tropes I didn't love (Batman always being a step behind the baddies and having to fight his way out, for one), and lost focus a f...

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by kaelwilton) Well, I found it. I found the best television show ever made! Or at least the best season of a show ever made. My goodness, this show was an absolute masterpiece. Both Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson deliver such phenomenal performances, the writing is top notch, and the direction was incredible (the show benefitted from having the same director direct every episode). The dynamic between the two leads is so entertaining, and created some surprisingly funny moments in such a serious show. It really didn’t feel like your average detective show, and dealt with some really interesting concepts. This show was incredibly dark, and there were times where it was genuinely frightening too. There were a couple scenes in particular that were pretty freaky honestly haha but seriously, this might just be the best show I’ve ever watched. Sadly I’ve heard that the second and third seasons aren’t as great, so I’m not in a huge rush to watch those. B...

⭐ 7.5/10 (Originally written by Will) Watched this a few weeks ago in theatres and had a good time. Black Widow finally gets her turn in the spotlight and it's a pretty par-for-the-course Marvel movie, thankfully without the universe-ending stakes we're all so tired of. Scarlett Johansson was fine but we've seen a lot of her, so the more interesting characters are David Harbour and especially Florence Pugh as Natasha's sister who steal the show a bit. Don't think too hard about it or analyze it too deeply, and you'll have fun.

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Will) I found this on Spotify a few months ago and have kept coming back to it ever since. This reminds me of Lorde (first album) at times, and occasionally also of Adele but with more edge. This is one of those rare albums that doesn't have a single song I skip. Favorite tracks are hard to choose, but probably Phoenix, Sun Goes Down (Buddy), Anyone Who Loves Me

⭐ 5.0/10 (Originally written by Beans) I don’t know who TF is asking for G. I. Joe origin stories but someone green lit this movie and here we are. This movie is so bad lol. It’s just so lame, not a good story, disjointed and just not enjoyable. Once I got past thinking it could be a good movie it became more pleasant because then I could just make fun of it. This movie gets 5 stars because Henry Golding is just so nice to look at, it made me want to visit a small village in japan, and it made me want to join the yakuza. Do not watch this.

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) Donte and Trey are biracial brothers, but Trey presents as white, while Donte presents as Black. When they move to a fancy new school, Donte immediately gets labelled a troublemaker and even has the police called on him over very little. Donte is also fed up with school bully and fencing king Alan, so he decides to learn fencing himself and beat Alan at his own game. I really enjoyed and appreciated this middle-grade book, for myself and for what it offers to the target audience. It addresses inequality, racial profiling, and injustice in easy-to-understand ways. It's also about inequality and racism in sports, and how sports can be beneficial for kids, which I honestly care about less, but I did like learning so much about fencing. Now that's a sport I can get behind!