suespy Reviews

Glitch (2015–2019)

Seasons 1 & 2 watchable by 3 you wish they would just die

[4/10 · 17 December 2023]

Netflix are sucking in more Glitch viewers with listing promos. Upon selection I found some showing viewed. Such was the impact of the show starting from the beginning It took a while to realise how much I had previously watched! I should have realised why I previously gave up. As with many series it starts well but then follows the formula of going through the characters back stories. After Seasons 1 & 2 you are done. Season 3 which then starts again with 'i see more dead people' you have ceased to care. More back stories? No, please.... At least I could now tick this off and wish at the end of 2 all the undead exceeded the magic barrier and were reduced to dust. The Glitch is that Season 3 was made.

Painkiller (2023)

Compulsive viewing and an eyeopener but also depressing

[8/10 · 25 August 2023]

Some walk through life insulated from the drug culture. If you haven't needed strong pain medication you can be oblivious. Haven't seen Dopesick to make any comparison but had to binge all episodes of Painkiller. The semi drama/documentary style made you want to strangle those making money from destroying lives. Exposing a broken system of regulation and how those that should blow the whistle end up working if not sleeping with the enemy. Had never heard of Oxycontin and maybe more widespread in USA than UK but a quick google produced a massive addiction warning filling the screen. Luckily have not now had emails offering supplies! Painkiller was also reminiscent of Erin Brockovich as Edie investigates the supply chain. Would be great if programmes such as these put a stop to anyone making money from the misery of others. Well done Netflix.

A Good Person (2023)

Start was not promising but developed into compulsive viewing

[8/10 · 25 August 2023]

At the beginning you just knew cars, mobiles and seatbelts were a recipe for a disaster. Coming along at the same time as Oxycontin 'Painkiller' you get some deja vu. Pugh and Freeman however develop their characters and story line that at times is certainly emotional. The challenges of old school v techie teens adds some humour amongst the darkness of drink and drugs albeit prescription. The sad ending with a promise of new beginnings was however slightly unsatisfactory with unexplained disappearance of. Nathan's girlfriend unless i missed it. Not exactly a feel good movie and as said yet another pop at the evils of oxy which in fairness needs all the warnings that can be heaped on it.

T.I.M. (2023)

Yet another AI warning movie but suitably creepy

[7/10 · 25 August 2023]

Mention AI and the formula is already there. Naturally the 'robot' has to look weird and unsettling. As a morality tale you don't give the equivalent of Alexa the digital keys to the coffers and don't programme them to watch tv and learn. When it then comes to driverless cars forget it. Sadly we don't seem to ever get a normal household aide that doesn't become psychotic. For those trying to encourage more AI in our lives this certainly doesn't help the cause. The storyline certainly kept us gripped to the end but with an open ended finale as TIM predicts the scenario the homeowner would have to explain. At least this was 'enjoyable' enough that we didn't regret the time watching which can be rare now.

Manifest (2018–2023)

4 season overkill nice idea shame about the rest

[4/10 · 14 August 2023]

Manifest follows in the footprints of other interminably long seasons and episodes in what you fear is a never ending story, 20 episode seasons? Was nothing learnt from 'Lost' where viewers eventually lost the will to tune in and the physically weight challenged character never got thinner.

It was publicised that massive viewing figures began to dwindle and the show changed homes before returning to Netflix for its conclusion if you stuck with it. Mercifully we were not presented with the backstories of every single passenger before the end, it just seemed like it.

We gave Manifest the benefit of the doubt, we binged, we tolerated the annoying Cal character and fuzzy 'callings'. 4 seasons to be rewarded with a conclusion ripped from Dallas as Bobby comes out the shower and the past/present/whatever hasnt happened. By then we are past caring and poor Jared still doesnt get the girl.

Producers need to learn that less is sometimes more and not tarnish a good idea so you dont lose your audience or their patience. 62 episodes? And still the ending has internet explanations. These shows should come with an initial warning 'there is a total of 62 episodes averaging an hour or more each. Episode 1 the plane takes off, episode 62 it lands when it was supposed to minus a few passengers, do you care enough for the middle part?' Law of diminishing returns, quit whilst ahead.

Yellowstone (2018– )

Keeps you wanting more

[10/10 · 7 July 2023]

Great show with Costner understated as usual. A multitude of solid storylines that are credible but you do yearn for some good luck for the Duttons. Without spoilers you do wonder at the quantity of corrupt characters and the speed of healing of the human body. One flaw is how come the geek has all the pretty girls falling over him? The 'baddie' is well cast and has a face you instantly want to punch but maintains his role to keep the storylines going. A little bit of feelgood scenarios would not go amiss with all the bad luck but maybe a sign of the times that scriptwriters think we need constant strife to keep us watching.

Joe Pickett (2021–2023)

Engaging binge fest

[8/10 · 7 July 2023]

Good storyline prompting binging and watching entire season. Set in good old USA naturally a lot of shoot outs and fist fights that barely affect our teflon hero. A trust no one show with the corruption of Yellowstone. Main issue is given the remote location our hero heads out alone to do his job which given his role of enforcement is distracting with such a gun culture. Impressive mobile signal? Patience is tested by constant retrospectives luckily mostly flagged as such. Enough loose ends to support a second season.possibly although his family have probably had enough. Thankfully viewers are rewarded with a conclusion so worth watching.

Extraction II (2023)

Teflon man refuses to die

[6/10 · 2 July 2023]

Yes it is drama but far fetched with how much damage a human body can take. You do wonder if Hollywood encourages excessive violence giving an audience a false sense of what you can survive when a single punch or fall on the head can be fatal. Following Extraction Hemsworth returns with hardly a limp once required again. His female side kick is equally tough but also unbelievable always looking like she had just left the hairdressers. Sadly both Extractions feature really annoying kids especially in 2 and what were they thinking allowing access to a mobile phone? The vintage 'Proof of Life' demonstrates how you can achieve a kidnap storyline with just that rather than constant shoot ups. Hemsworth however barely gets a hug and if a 3 maybe he will be allowed a smile.

Hijack (2023)

Great start but no binge available

[9/10 · 2 July 2023]

Tempting us with 2 episodes during which time we are already working out how to solve it we have to wait another week! This isn't 1980's and with so much choice the danger of losing your audience is high regressing to one episode a week. There is a lot to be said for leaving new series until all episodes are streamed as it helps the blood pressure. All the typical stereotypes and back stories are here plus the annoying characters you would happily feed to the terrorists. Armchair sleuths would also be shouting at the tv that surely there should be a code word pilots can use to imply their statements to ground are made under duress but maybe then they couldn't fill 7 episodes.

See (2019–2022)

Great for Jason fans but a hard watch if logical

[8/10 · 2 July 2023]

Fair enough this is set in the future but very hard to park a logical brain and go with the flow. After every few minutes you question how xyz is possible if everyone is blind. A difficulty with engaging story lines means there is an over reliance on brutal gratuitous violence every few minutes. Perhaps being blind means you have to completely obliterate your opponent to ensure they are actually dead. Anyone trying to navigate their own home during a night time power cut would rightly question the show. They had to have the evolution of sighted characters to keep the series going. It also takes real skill to have a 'baddie' character as annoying as the Queen. With vocals as horrific as a nail on a blackboard given the violence she should have been bumped off immediately. The stars are for Momoa who at least had some opportunity to display a tender side much rewound even if only the audience could enjoy it!

The Integrity of Joseph Chambers (2022)

Disappointing covid movie

[1/10 · 2 July 2023]

Yet another covid movie with few actors and constant navel inspection. These movies should come with a 'dont bother' warning. As you sit waiting for something to happen you wonder how come the star doesnt get lost which is typical of in the woods scenarios. How come this and that without giving too much away. HOWEVER the real audience insult is the non ending where you rise from your chair and swear at the tv for wasting those minutes from your life you wont get back. Some Directors think this is 'arty' or forced thought provoking but in this case it needed a conclusion. As society no longer automatically rewards the good and virtuous and if happy to punish the innocent this was one movie that badly needed a conclusion. If time is a consideration cut out all the aimless wandering and give us a result.

18½ (2021)

tight drama to farce and time wasted

[1/10 · 22 October 2022]

What could have been an engaging tense drama descended into farce with over the top performances and irrelevant hippy characters as if we needed reminding what era we were in. Maybe it made more sense to American audiences but the confused ending got lost in the fracas. One should never watch a movie and regret the time invested in it but this is one.

A meal order paying homage to 'When Harry met Sally' a creepy motel and mixed ethnic couple we are supposed to believe had been married for years at a time when that would not happen all to increase the obligatory diversity count. All the precautions when they enter their room then do not pull all the curtains yeah right.... sorry but curtains for this.

Mass (2021)

Not sure what others were watching

[1/10 · 15 February 2022]

Maybe if you are a cerebral movie buff you may think it is your duty to rave at the finer points of this time thief. The trailer conveys some dynamism however after enduring this sometimes patronising movie on parenting and modern society you realise the trailer was the only best bits. File under covid movie with a few socially distance actors and 3 extras for good measure with drama over room setting, refreshments and boxes. You wait for something, anything to make your time investment worthwhile. Aunt Lydia is there for goodness sake, bring on the thumb screws.

Pig (I) (2021)

2 stars for the pig in the film

[2/10 · 20 January 2022]

Yet another movie where you question why you wasted your time for something to happen. Largely dark and mumbling, hard to get engaged or even care about the characters in this piece as pretentious as the menus and confusing connections with grief. Maybe it has some merit that you keep watching convinced all will be revealed. Confusing gratuitous violence that maybe should have been saved for those inflicting this on us.

After Life (2019–2022)

3 tissue box binge

[10/10 · 18 January 2022]

Why watch something you have to cry through? Choices? Binge 2+ series for one big bawl or a daily episode sob fest? Yes it is brilliant...too brilliant...an Oscar for the dog. A perceptive script for all human foibles. Yes there is humour but even that is sad.... Recommend a binge for as long as you can take then you get this masterpiece over with.....

Don't Look Up (2021)

Armageddon minus Willis

[9/10 · 15 January 2022]

Was fearing a Mars Attacks type spoof but this was engaging and very observational as to how the media can trivialise. Thankfully and unfortunately it had an ending and maybe Streep hams it up just a tad too much. It was very hard not to shout at the screen to call in Bruce Willis as Armageddon is the classic. Don't Look Up takes the story forward into the age of social media so be very afraid.

The Lost Daughter (2021)

2hrs1minute waiting for something to happen

[1/10 · 15 January 2022]

After the hype, title and good cast we were hoping for a psychological thriller. After 2 hours of our lives lost (like the daughter) we were left with yet another movie with an inconclusive non ending. Was Olivia's character ill? Delusional? Approaching dementia? Were her daughters dead or missing or one was? Maybe we are overthinking this as having more twists that did not exist. The doll scenario was also bizarre 99% of people would say they found it and wanted to clean it up before returning, we got the 1%. Movies should not leave you feeling cheated. Maybe alongside 'stars' movies should have an alert that there is no ending and viewers need to decide for themselves. Some may enjoy a cerebral workout but others closure.