Outside the Wire is a 2021 scifi war thriller streaming on Netflix. The film is set in 2036 and stars Anthony Mackie (who also serves as a producer on the film) as an android officer who works with a drone pilot (Damson Idris) to stop a global catastrophe. Our short take on Outside the Wire is that it is possessed of both an interesting premise and a strong underlying message but certain narrative choices turn the third act into a unsatisfying cliché.
Please note that there are spoilers in our analysis of Outside the Wire that follows.
WandaVision is the debut Marvel Studios superhero TV miniseries drama streaming on the Disney+ platform. Of course, we have had Marvel TV series like Daredevil, Jessica Jones etc on Netflix, Agents of SHIELD on ABC and so on. However, this time around, WandaVision is effectively spinning off the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) characters of Wanda Maximoff and Vision into a TV miniseries. Thus far, Disney+ has released the first two episodes of the miniseries and its fair to say that WandaVision is quite different from what MCU fans may be used to in the hit movies.
The Serpent Episode 4 is the 4th instalment in this eight-part crime drama miniseries based on the real life murders committed by Charles Sobhraj (played by Tahar Rahim) in the 1970s. Sobhraj was a French thief, fraudster and serial killer of Vietnamese and Indian origin and his victims were young European backpackers visiting South-East Asia on the so-called ‘hippie trail’.
Synchronic is an American science fiction horror drama directed and produced by Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead and written by Benson. It stars Jamie Dornan and Anthony Mackie. The film has been touted by many critics as one of the best scifi movies of 2020. Benson and Moorhead have a good reputation as cutting-edge indie scifi directors with previous well-received movies like Spring and The Endless. The duo are also working together on the upcoming Disney+/Marvel Studios streaming Moon Knight series.
The Expanse S05E07 continues the latest season of the critically acclaimed scifi streaming TV space opera drama. Entitled “Oyedeng”, The Expanse S05E07 is arguably the best episode of this stellar 5th season so far. This is probably because finally, the episode digs deep into the story behind Naomi Nagata’s history with Belter freedom fighter (or terrorist, take your pick) Marcos Inaros and their son Felip.
American Gods S03E01 is the first episode in the latest season of this supernatural fantasy TV drama. The series is adapted from Neil Gaiman’s 2001 novel of the same name. The premise relates to a mythological war between ancient deities who were brought into the U.S.A. by immigrants centuries ago and new gods brought about changes in contemporary society and culture.
Your Honor Part 6 is the latest instalment of a nine-part drama miniseries set in New Orleans. The series is adapted from the Israeli TV series Kvodo. The premise of Your Honor concerns Michael Desiato (Bryan Cranston), a judge who has to take drastic action in order to safeguard his son Adam, after the latter kills the scion of a mob boss in a hit-and-run accident.
Rise of the Nazis is a three-part historical documentary TV series about how the Nazis seized absolute power in the Germany of the early 1930s. The documentary series mixes wordless dramatised sequences with the usual expert interviews to present an engaging, informative and insightful look back at the critical years before Adolf Hitler and the Nazis caused the deaths of millions of lives during World War II.
Shirley is a biographical drama that was released in 2020. The film is based on a book by Susan Scarf Merrell, a fictionalised account of an episode in the life of horror writer Shirley Jackson (played by the excellent Elizabeth Moss) in the late forties/early fifties. The setting revolves around the time Jackson was writing her novel, Hangsaman.
The Serpent Episode 3 is the third instalment in this eight-part crime drama miniseries based on the real life murders committed by Charles Sobhraj (played by Tahar Rahim) in the 1970s. Sobhraj was a French thief, fraudster and serial killer of Vietnamese and Indian origin and his victims were young European backpackers visiting South-East Asia on the so-called ‘hippie trail’.
The Best David Bowie Songs of All Time. Now it does not get more poignant than this one. Bowie’s birthday is 8th January. He would have been 74 years old this year. The fact that he passed away two days later five years ago is still heart-wrenching. It’s no exaggeration to declare that Bowie is one of my favourite artists and his art will certainly live forever.
Star Trek : Discovery S03E13 is the season 3 finale for this scifi space opera streaming TV drama series. Entitled “That Hope is You (Part 2)” S03E13 effectively completes the character arc for commander Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) in this third season of Star Trek : Discovery.
History of Swear Words is a 5-part streaming TV documentary series hosted by actor Nicolas Cage. The series was released on Netflix on 5th January 2020. The concept behind History of Swear Words is straight-forward enough – interview comedians and experts to discuss the origins, usage and cultural impact of swear words down the ages.
The Expanse S05E06 continues the latest season of the critically acclaimed scifi streaming TV space opera drama. If you have been following season 5 of The Expanse with us, then you would have found the narrative quite grim as the solar system slips into the chaos of war with the aggression of Marcos Inaros on behalf of Belter liberation.
Shadow in the Cloud is an action thriller directed by Roseanne Liang from a screenplay co-written by Max (Chronicle) Landis and Liang. Shadow in the Cloud had its world premiere on September 12, 2020 at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival, where it won the People’s Choice Award for Midnight Madness. The movie is now available digitally worldwide.
The Serpent Episode 2 is the 2nd instalment in this eight-part crime drama miniseries based on the real life murders committed by Charles Sobhraj (played by Tahar Rahim) in the 1970s. Sobhraj was a French thief, fraudster and serial killer of Vietnamese and Indian origin and his victims were young European backpackers visiting South-East Asia on the so-called ‘hippie trail’.
We continue our look back at the classic albums of rock lore with Mountain and its 1971 album, Nantucket Sleighride. Mountain was a rock band that formed in 1969 in Long Island, New York and consisted of vocalist/guitarist Leslie West, bassist and vocalist Felix Pappalardi, keyboardist Steve Knight and drummer Corky Laing.
I believe in story analysis. As a pop culture commentator writing about film and TV, it is important to discuss story using rules of story analysis. Without story, films and TV shows would merely be a collection of loosely connected events and action sequences. With regards to Wonder Woman 1984, I had previously posted a non-spoilers review. Perhaps it is time for a story analysis of Wonder Woman 1984 to illustrate my point.
The Serpent Episode 1 is the first instalment in this eight-part crime drama miniseries based on the real life murders committed by Charles Sobhraj in the 1970s. Sobhraj was a French thief, fraudster and serial killer of Vietnamese and Indian origin and his victims were young European backpackers visiting South-East Asia on the so-called ‘hippie trail’.
Your Honor Part 5 is the latest instalment of a nine-part drama miniseries set in New Orleans. The series is adapted from the Israeli TV series Kvodo. The premise of Your Honor concerns Michael Desiato (Bryan Cranston), a judge who has to take drastic action in order to safeguard his son Adam, after the latter kills the scion of a mob boss in a hit-and-run accident.
Promising Young Woman is a 2020 black comedy thriller film directed, written, and produced by Emerald Fennell, in her feature directorial debut. Fennell is perhaps best known as the writer of the second season of the critically acclaimed Killing Eve TV series. Promising Young Woman stars Carey Milligan in the lead role.
Your Honor is a nine-part drama miniseries set in New Orleans. The series is adapted from the Israeli TV series Kvodo. The premise of Your Honor concerns Michael Desiato (Bryan Cranston), a judge who has to take drastic action in order to safeguard his son Adam, after the latter kills the scion of a mob boss in a hit-and-run accident.
Star Trek : Discovery S03E12 is the penultimate instalment of the third season of this scifi space opera streaming TV drama series. Entitled “There is a Tide …” Star Trek : Discovery S03E12 is the middle part of a 3-episode story to wrap up the season. Sadly, the episode also highlights the primary flaw with Season 3.
The Expanse S05E05 signals the halfway mark in the latest season of this scifi space opera streaming TV drama. Entitled “Down and Out”, The Expanse S05E05 continues to explore the ramifications of Marcos Inaros’ asteroid attack on Earth on our key characters. Suffice to say, things are not going well at all.
I am content. That’s how I would sum up looking back at 2020. Suffice to say that 2020 has been a strange year. I would not say that it has been the most difficult year of my life – I’ve actually had worse. However, looking back at 2020, I will have to confess that perhaps the best life lessons have been learned in this year, of all years.
