Gixope05 Reviews

Painkiller (2023)

Ok, but not good enough for such a tragedy

[5/10 · 10 August 2023]

Dopesick it isn't, not even close. In fact, it emphasizes how impactful, moving, respectful and tragic Dopesick was. The lead narrator telling the story is not well cast, not convincing in this dramatic role although she was good in other past roles. The writing is just ok, the edit and storytelling are very tiring and it makes it all underwhelming which is a real shame given the topic. It's trying to be funny and trendy but it falls mainly flat. Broderick is ok, Kitsch is rather good. I will try to finish the show to be fair and because it is not awful, but I don't recommend it if you have watched and "enjoyed" Dopesick.

Now finished - took away 1 star down to 5, Netflix really missed an opportunity there.

Wolf (2023)

Weak

[5/10 · 31 July 2023]

I like Mo Hayder's books, and although Wolf wasn't her best work, the source material was much better than this, it at least had a couple of moments of brillance. This has none. It starts ok but only gets worse. The added characters are poor. Caffery is unlikeable, uninteresting, and his pain and anguish carry no real weight or emotion, which couldn't be more different to the books and is probably the biggest failure of this show. Both the acting (stilted) and the screenplay (flat) are to blame for this failure. The 2 actors playing the "baddies" do a great job but this storyline unfortunately gets unbelievable pretty quickly (same as the book).

1923 (2022–2023)

Very good, but some flaws

[7/10 · 26 July 2023]

There is no denying that Sheridan is talented and prolific. Although I haven't watched much of Yellowstone (might get back to it one day), I absolutely adored 1883. The voiceover was tiring at times but everything else blew me away and moved me to tears, and Sam Elliott played a big part in this. I had therefore high hopes for 1923 and they have been largely met with good stories and acting, but not much emotion unfortunately and a few failed characters. The main reason for the 7 is how little I cared about Spencer and his girl, I ended up fast-forwarding through almost all their scenes abroad as they were too annoying. The rest was good.

Lioness (2023– )

Only 2 episodes in but good start for the genre

[7/10 · 26 July 2023]

Not sure I understand all the <5 reviews, I am only 2 episodes in and the show does a good job at what it aims to do: Infiltration-type action-filled tv show. It keeps the tension going and seems to be going somewhere. Yes there are a lot of actresses but so what? There are all doing a solid job (well, I am still confused as to what has happened to Kidman's face). Yes the main recruit is a one-dimensional mad racoon so far and we are not quite sure how she turned into that, but give it a second. Yes it is not realistic but it is not trying to be Zero Dark Thirty, it aims to entertain, and it does that better than the latest Jack Ryan reboot in my opinion. It is good Sunday night TV and I would have continued with ep 3 if I could have.

Hijack (2023)

Weak story, poor script, unlikable characters

[4/10 · 20 July 2023]

It's watchable if you are having a slow night and need to put your brain on pause, or if you are flat-out drunk. Otherwise prepare to be disappointed as this show is rather silly but takes itself sooooo seriously. I have never seen so many stupid decisions, both on air and on the ground, by both so-called baddies and goodies. They have managed to make me care for nobody, even the kids are meh at best, so there goes the tension. There is no humour. The lines are flat or cringe. The story starts to fall to pieces by episode 3. Yes, Idris is easy to watch and gives his usual rendition of "let me try to pretend I am not Stringer Bell" but his character is as bad as the rest, and smug on top of stupid. Shame.

Bosch: Legacy (2022– )

Can't fault it

[9/10 · 1 June 2022]

Well-written, believable and complex stories, impeccable cast, smart, entertaining, the atmosphere and characters are faithful to the books, it is full of humanity, the good, the bad and the ugly... I can't recommend it highly enough, they have kept the high level set by the Bosch series (and obviously the books).

Only criticism: the credits music is nowhere near as good as the music from the Bosch series.

The First Lady (2022)

Viola should have sat that one out...

[7/10 · 18 May 2022]

I find myself fast-forwarding through the "middle-age Obama" segments: 2 casting errors. Viola Davis makes a terrible Michelle Obama, none of the charisma or charm. Shame as the "Roosevelt" and "Ford" segments are very good.

The Dropout (2022)

Good performances but disingenuous storytelling

[6/10 · 11 April 2022]

The 2 leads do a really good job, the show is reasonably sleek and well-paced but given the astonishing source materials, it falls short.

It is basically what Dopesick would have been had they centered the show on the evil Sacklers and their little feelings, as opposed to their web of lies and victims. Elizabeth Holmes is still filthy rich with money that she stole, so no, the fact that she dances to music and had big dreams doesn't quite cut it.

1883 (2021–2022)

I shouldn't like this, but I do, it's great so far

[9/10 · 20 January 2022]

2 episodes in. This is not my usual type of story, far/wild west etc.. and I have never watched Yellowstone, but it is captivating and beautifully done so far. Rather old school but in a good way (in these crazy times where most tv series are turning cringe and dull from fear of offending). Yes there is a bit of narrating and voiceover, but I haven't found it distracting, the story moves along nicely, the acting is great overall, and it is brutal as life must have been back then.

The Tower (2021–2023)

Average

[5/10 · 11 November 2021]

Covering the hot topics of the day (policemen: all awful; policewomen: better; racism: everywhere; etc.) is sadly not enough to make a good show. It was all a bit simple, on the nose, and took itself too seriously given its weaknesses.

Minamata (2020)

10 for the topic and Depp; 3 for the direction and nepotism

[5/10 · 5 September 2021]

The story and W. Eugene Smith (the photographer) deserved a more talented director and story-teller. The movie is worth a watch if you are not familiar with the story, and Depp does a great job, but he can't make one forget the lack of direction and limp editing.

Highlander (1986)

Hasn't passed the test of time

[4/10 · 28 April 2021]

This movie was solid in the 80s but it has aged appallingly: action scenes, special effects, acting, music, cinematography etc., it is all terribly dated and below average now. The original idea remains interesting but this movie was made to be "trendy" by 80s' standards, and as a result, it looks ridiculous now.

Captain Marvel (2019)

It s actually a perfectly good movie

[8/10 · 31 March 2019]

Maybe it is about expectations (mine were low), maybe it s about the fact that this movie is not 2 hours of endless and pointless battles, maybe it is something else... Either way, I do not comprehend how harsh most of the comments are... This is not a masterpiece but is a thoroughly enjoyable movie, good cast, good fake cat, good writing, solid jokes, good characters, especially female ones (more interesting than Wonder-gorgeous-but-boring-Woman), and solid plot. No need to hate it so much, perfectly nice way to spend an evening.

Wanted (2016–2018)

Should have stopped after season 1

[6/10 · 15 October 2018]

Season 1 was quite good, 7/10. Season 2 is a classic case of "we wanted to milk it but had no idea what to do so went for repetitive ideas and dumber than dumb twists". Shame.

Killing Eve (2018–2022)

Excellent first 2 episodes, quite dull after that

[6/10 · 9 June 2018]

It is ok but it is only ok. The one good thing is that it is funny throughout, dark humor, but funny nonetheless. Good attempt at being different but some plot points are so dumb and expected that the quirkiness of the show is not enough to maintain entertainment value.