sarahelainetrotter Reviews

Monkey Man (2024)

This was more than I had hoped for from a great trailer.

[10/10 · 6 April 2024]

Monkey Man was a fantastic movie. At its core, it's a story of vengeance, but the movie highlights the collateral damage of corruption, greed, and rigged systems. I loved the look of this movie, the hero's journey, and the way it displayed Indian culture without feeling like a mockery or cheap fluff. And best of all, to my knowledge, this was completely fresh material. No previous intellectual property, remake, or sequel. Just a new story, told well and filmed beautifully.

Also Dev Patel got into crazy good shape. That didn't hurt.

The action was brutal, but fight sequences were cool and interesting without feeling like gore for the sake of itself.

If you're tired of constant remakes and sequels, support fresh ideas.

If you're up for an action flick, go see Monkey Man. In spite of its very dumb name.

Never Have I Ever (2020–2023)

Thank god for Netflix, this needs to be binged.

[10/10 · 28 April 2020]

I could not stop watching. This series is so funny, has so much heart, and builds to a beautiful finish. Devi is a sympathetic main character who is believably oblivious to her own deeper emotions and trauma as she navigates high school and grief. Her support system is made of fully realized characters with lives and issues of their own. The romantic subplots (my favorite kind) go from superficial to grounded, much like teen romance goes. I was tearing up by the last few episodes. This series made me laugh, made me cry, made me think. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would love to see more. That said, this is a full story and if no more were made I'm happy with where Devi and her crew ended up.

Locke & Key (2020–2022)

Really good, until it's not

[7/10 · 11 February 2020]

This series is great. The characters are compelling, the world is interesting and the story keeps you interested. Some of the more questionable choices made in the series can be explained away by the ages and maturity of the characters who make them. Until the very last episode. The finale, without spoiling anything, leaves a lot of questions unanswered. And not in a way that sets up the next season. More in a way that feels like 10 episodes strained the writing staff and a lot was cut and reworked to fit the episode count. I feel like a lot of things that were introduced were never properly explored, but I hope the next season addresses what has already been revealed instead of continuing to pull more magic from key house and not fully explore it or the consequences of it. Would recommend, but be prepared for the last episode to feel a little like a let down. Totally deserves a second season to redeem itself.

Someone Great (2019)

Buckle up, Buttercup. This one is an emotional roller coaster.

[8/10 · 25 April 2019]

I thoroughly enjoyed Someone Great from start to finish. This movie really captures the emotional turmoil of both break-ups and transitioning from 20's to 30's. The chemistry between the actors, both romantically linked and platonic, was excellent. I was emotionally invested in the cornerstone relationship and keenly felt the highs and lows in their romance revisited through flashbacks. I was actually very impressed with how seamless the flashbacks felt. It was true to life, as far as when you see or hear something that brings a memory to mind. I felt Jenny's crippling sadness at the end of an era: her 20's in NYC, her comfortable proximity to her oldest friends, and the recent end of her long-term relationship. Her present is so comfortable and the future so uncertain. Her friends drop everything to be with her. They felt fully realized as characters and not just plot devices to help Jenny's story along. Even small side characters were really fleshed out. I laughed, I cried, I experienced a large portion of the emotional spectrum. This movie is one of the best I've seen in the vein of romance, in a very long time. It was a love letter to anyone who has had to face major life changes and struggled to cope. I really enjoyed it and it will probably be a movie I revisit regularly.