Change Your Image
bonster-80595
Reviews
Jury Duty (2023)
Hilarious cringe comedy
I found myself compelled to write a review after my boyfriend and I stumbled upon this yesterday and binged the first six episodes.
I was skeptical like some others, obviously Ronald has no clue what real jury duty is like and has never served on a jury before but he is simply going along with everything as he was appointed to be the one who keeps everyone together. Obviously this is not supposed to be super real and completely following real jury duty - it's entertainment after all. I think the writers wanted to show us how hilarious just being an observer of a big group of people with differing opinions and backgrounds can be.
I literally fell down laughing at some of the parts - the trial itself with the videos the attorneys tried to show, literally anything and everything the nerdy guy Todd does (the relation to A Bug's Life especially and his chair pants) and when Marsden switches between his character acting and himself.
We are huge fans of The Office, Parks and Rec, Abbott Elementary (aka all mockumentary comedies), and also Nathan for You which the latter is what this reminds me most of with the awkwardness and cringy moments. We find so much humor in real reactions from real people when something ridiculous happens.
This cast is also stellar - besides big name James Marsden who struggles with not being recognized by everyone (also hilarious), some smaller names I've seen in other shows, each actor brings something new to the table and does SO well with just acting like they are part of a jury and nothing else.
I can't wait to see how this ends and hope another season (or something like this) can be done again.
The Watchful Eye (2023)
Meh
I wanted to like it. I thought the premise sounded cool, and I LOVED Cruel Summer so I had faith in Freeform to deliver on this. I love a good thriller of "taking down the rich," but the storyline has not lived up to the hype I wished for. It's quite slow, as others mention, things are drawn out, more confusing (the focus has changed from finding a ruby, to finding what happened to Allie, to why Elena is seeing ghosts, to what's going on with Tory's husband, what? I can't focus) than exciting, and the little storylines between certain characters seem forced. I've watched all episodes thus far and am just watching to see what happens at this point, yet I feel like it's hours of my life wasted that I can't get back.
I liked Elena at first but she has become to be annoying, extremely selfish and too obvious that she is working these people. How do they not know? What is the purpose of Matthew? They keep hinting at who is suspicious but they're really not, her endless search for this ruby is uneventful at this point, she is using every person she comes into contact with and the "friendships" all seem forced.
I will however give them props for diversity - the cast is full of diversity though some acting is better than others. Also like seeing the NY backdrops and atmosphere.
Don't Worry Darling (2022)
Eh
First time I saw the trailer, I was excited for this. I loved Booksmart, so I had faith in Olivia Wilde. Also love Florence as an actress and person. Once the drama came out though, I got less interested.
Waited to watch til this was on HBO Max. The storyline was creative, I'll give them that, and Florence was absolutely phenomenal in her Rolex but it left SO many unanswered questions. I wanted it to be a women empowerment thing. It tried, but failed (for me). I didn't feel like anyone won at the end. Where did Alice go? What in the actual...why. The last 30 min were rushed - it would've been nice to have a deeper explanation of the simulation and why Jack decided to move forward, how it worked, etc. I wanted to know everyone's backstories, especially Frank. Maybe there will be a sequel to tell us more?
Just thought overall we were jipped of a story that could've been so much better.
Spirited (2022)
Pleasantly surprised
First off, I am a HUGE fan of Will and Ryan, so it was already exciting to see them in a movie together. Their humor and personalities fit together so well, and was glad to see (or rather, hear) Tracy Morgan and the rest of the cast was great.
I'm not the biggest fan of musicals, and no I didn't love all the songs, but every version of the View from Here hit close to home - so relevant to literally anyone, and well done. The cut song during the credits was pretty fire, too - surely that was a Will move, cutting the most intricate performance. The backup dancers were incredible - no matter how you felt about the movie, you have to agree. Obviously Ryan and Will aren't classically trained broadway performers - would this get as many viewers if they weren't the leads? They did amazing (especially Will) for their skill level.
For those who are rating this poorly because they didn't find it "family friendly" - did you look at the rating? It's PG-13. Do your research. If you can't handle explaining things to your kids or are offended by language we all eventually use and things we all eventually do (ahem, how did you create your family anyway), don't come here to destroy a movie rating because of that. The performances, the humor and the purpose of the movie are what matters. It's not a movie's job to parent - they are an entertainment source. Smh.
I also LOVED the costumes at the Christmas Eve party and legit busted out laughing at the Elf homage.
This deserves a better average rating!
Cursed Friends (2022)
If you're a millennial, you'll love it
Thanks to Comedy Central for making TV movies catered to the millennial generation! Is it an award winning, perfect movie? No. Is it fun, relatable and will make you cry laughing at times - YES!
I can't count how many times I fell over laughing at some of the references and awkward moments. The cast was great - love the cameos from a few stunnas and especially LOVED Andy's character (if you watch What We Do in the Shadows - he also excels in this).
I played MASH many times as a child - glad to see a fun, silly, relatable movie to break thru some of the horror stuff during spooky season.
If you are a millennial and a) liked *NSYNC b) played MASH with your friends and c) already feel old vs Gen Z you will love this. Give it a watch!
Hacks (2021)
Creative, emotional, comedic and refreshing series
After hearing some buzz about this show (from award nominations, mostly), I wanted to see what all the buzz was about. Binged both seasons when I had COVID (only upside of Omicron), and loved it. I want more and can't wait til the next season!
I admit the first episode didn't draw me completely in, but the slight comedy kept me curious to watch more. After the second episode, I was hooked.
Though both leading ladies are clearly selfish, lonely and dealing with personal demons, they pair together perfectly and the show helps the viewer want to root for both of them. The contrast between a baby boomer and a gen z-er was also hysterical to me.
The seriously awkward moments and the supporting characters, however, are what I loved most about this show. I LIVED for Jimmy and Kayla's interactions to lighten the mood. I loved Marcus's candor and dedication to his job and to Deborah, and I understood his jealousy and struggle with committing to any relationship outside of work. I'm an It's Always Sunny fan, so I was so glad to see Kaitlin Olson in another solid dark comedy. Marty, the obvious villain, was perfectly able to dislike (he will never not be Shooter McGavin though..just sayin). Ava's mom..omg - can any and all women relate?! Every interaction and the way she treats Ava is so much like my life..le sigh. All the awkward moments Ava has with old coworkers were super cringy, yet pretty genuine. Also loved the back and forth between LA and Vegas - great scenery and way to show the differences between people and personalities was cool (esp how Kiki becomes an immediate friend and confidant to Ava compared to the LA "friends" Ava can't seem to keep or start a genuine relationship with - in the beginning, at least). And above all, showing how women CAN support other women, no matter their age, background, skills...that is refreshing to see in this world today!
I would never have thought to like a show like this based on the plot, but the way the show is written, the supporting characters and the deep realness of emotion in this makes it not only, but a really really great, original show.