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Banshee [seasons 1-4]

20/8/2020

BANSHEE [seasons 1-4] ★★☆☆☆
For those seeking copious amounts of nudity, sex and violence, the first two seasons are a dubious guilty pleasure. The whole show does not sit right. The characterisation, storytelling, writing, and action choreography are lacklustre. (Apart from the fight between Nola and Clay, which is as if it had been imported from another series.) Crime and redemption has been done far better.

Killing Eve [season three]

20/8/2020

KILLING EVE [season three] ★★★½☆
Steps up from a disappointing season two. The show revels in unnerving focus. The foursome of Eve, Villanelle, Carolyn and Konstantin are endlessly watchable. They are surrounded by a plethora of charismatic support. However, the plot, involving a nefarious conspiracy, needs to be tightened up.

Lost Bullet

20/8/2020

LOST BULLET ★★★½☆
D: Guillaume Pierret.
S: Alban Lenoir, Nicolas Duvauchelle, Ramzy Bedia, Stéfi Celma, Pascale Arbillot.

A nifty French action-thriller. A chase flick about a savant mechanic. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but is an entertaining ride. Some nice slow-mo carnage.

Kingdom [season two]

8/8/2020

KINGDOM [season two] ★★★★☆
A cross between GAME OF THRONES and THE WALKING DEAD. Such a brill zombie show, keeping the genre alive. Such a shame a coda was added; there’s no need for more episodes.

The Old Guard

8/8/2020

THE OLD GUARD ★★☆☆☆
D: Gina Prince-Bythewood (Beyond the Lights, The Secret Life of Bees, Love & Basketball).
S: Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Matthias Schoenaerts, Marwan Kenzari, Chiwetel Ejiofor.

Another project struggling to convey what it is to be ancient. Clunky on almost every level. The dialogue and characterisation in particular are leaden. The action scenes needed the ATOMIC BLONDE team.

Normal People [season one]

8/8/2020

NORMAL PEOPLE [season one] ★★★★★
Both calming and emotionally exhilarating. A love story both epic and intimate. The relationship is on a continual knife-edge, making me think of French cinema (compare LOVE ME IF YOU DARE [2003], REGRETS [2009], etc). Lump in the throat stuff.

Out to Own Today: The Whistlers

3/8/2020

Out to own today:

The Whistlers

“How did you end up like this?” Mama (Julieta Szönyi)

When your own mother asks you such a question, likely something has gone wrong along the way. As THE WHISTLERS is from the writer-director of POLICE, ADJECTIVE [2009] and 12:08 EAST OF BUCHAREST [2006], you know the answer is going to be layered. The lead’s lacklustre cop salary is an aside, to set up a wider societal interrogation by the audience.
[To read more, click here.]

Banshee [seasons 1-4]

Killing Eve [season three]

Lost Bullet

Kingdom [season two]

The Old Guard

Normal People [season one]

Out to Own Today: The Whistlers

​The Whistlers

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The Whistlers