Shrinking & Growing

The streaming market is huge. According to Uswitch, over two-thirds of UK households have access to an SVoD service. On average, according to Barclays, customers spend £175 a year on film and TV subscriptions. Netflix is the most popular streaming service. Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+, Now TV and BBC iPlayer also have a big reach, with many smaller services also available. Many of these services have access to a sizable library of content. However, this era of streaming has its problems.

Customers now have to pay more for ad-free viewing, which used to be the standard streaming experience. To watch Netflix without ads now costs £12.99 a month, up from £9.99 in 2021. Studios have also increasingly gated off content for their own streaming services, requiring audiences to pay for multiple subscriptions to access all the content they want. The increasing prioritisation of exclusive content owned by streaming companies (e.g. What’s On Netflix says around 54% of Netflix’s UK content is Netflix Originals) means a less diverse selection for viewers. The crackdown on things like password sharing has also restricted access for customers. Plus, considering the average time spent watching an SVoD service (as of 2023) was 38 minutes a day, with live TV watchtime being almost triple that and social media competing for young people’s attention, streaming is looking less worthwhile for many.

Not Just Numbers

Of course, streaming still offers good things for subscribers. It allows you to watch films from the comfort of your home with accessible features (subtitles and audio description) available on many titles. But watching films at home is a fundamentally different experience from the cinema. For one, it is a much more relaxed affair. This means many viewers will be more willing to do other things while watching a film, e.g. phone browsing. This can take away from narrative immersion. Also, an internet connection is not always guaranteed when watching at home. Meaning a film can change quality, buffer or stop, taking viewers out of the experience. 

Additionally, home cinemas still can’t fully replicate the image and sound quality available in theatres. Informal cinema etiquette also encourages viewers to turn off their communication with the outside world to become fully absorbed in a film with others. Communal joys come with watching films at the cinema too. You can experience a film not only with your friends but also with strangers, and have the satisfaction of sharing an experience that brings you close to others.

Streaming or Screening

So, what should you bear in mind when it comes to saving money on watching films? Firstly, stick with a streaming service you are likely to use most. Streaming services are becoming quite expensive, and it’s easy to rack up a huge bill without using all a subscription has to offer. If you need access to another service, consider moving or using a free trial period rather than having multiple ongoing subscriptions.

When it comes to deciding whether to watch a film in the cinema or at home, research what the film is about. If the film is an emotional drama, it is likely to play just as well in a home setting as it would on the big screen. Meanwhile, horror films benefit from the lack of distraction and higher-quality sound provided by cinemas. Furthermore, sci-fi, fantasy, costume and epic dramas benefit from cinema’s better quality image. Cinema trips are also good for spending time with friends or like-minded people and enhancing the art you are already familiar with.

Film is an art form that can be just as powerful on the small and big screens, but with the associated costs, it’s always worth thinking about what way is best for you to experience it. So make sure to look at the cost value: can you afford it/will you get a good amount of use from it? But also remember to factor in the importance of experience and community to your calculations.

The post Is Streaming Still Worth It? UK Subscription Costs, Attention Spans and the Case for the Big Screen appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

My honest thoughts? It’s decent, but it can do better. I’d line it up for a TV streaming session with my friends or family, but I wouldn’t watch it over and over again. Let’s talk more about that below. 

What Is Brick All About?

Tim and Olivia have gone through a misadventure, and Olivia wants to move to Paris to start anew. However, Tim is buried in his job as a game programmer and doesn’t want to leave their current home. But before they can even work through their issues, they get hit with a bigger problem: their whole apartment is suddenly bricked in overnight. It actually started as a typical people-stuck-in-a-room movie, but it’s way beyond that. 

The black bricks aren’t just made of concrete. They’re magnetic, can’t be broken, and do weird things when metal gets near them. Tim and Olivia meet other neighbors who are also trapped, and together they try to figure out what’s going on and how to escape. 

If you’re planning to watch Brick, it’s only available on Netflix, but hopefully, it’ll become available on other streaming services as well. 

What I Liked About Brick

The black bricks themselves are one of the best parts of the movie. They’re magnetic, impossible to break, and react violently to metal. I can’t even imagine myself being surrounded by that thing. The idea of being suddenly trapped in your own apartment with no way out pulls you in right away. Tim and Olivia’s strained relationship, especially their conversation about the miscarriage, adds emotional depth and gives more weight to their survival choices. I also thought the hidden cameras in the smoke detectors and the landlord’s creepy monitor room were among the most unsettling discoveries. It reminded me of one movie I watched on DISH TV deals.

What I Didn’t Like About Brick

The tone shift in the last act from slow, claustrophobic suspense to more of an action-thriller breaks the atmosphere that the first half worked to build. Some characters, like Ana and Marvin, are barely developed, so their fates don’t carry much weight. The reveal about the bricks comes late in the story and feels rushed, so it kinda felt less satisfying. Also, the final twist is clear but underwhelming after all the build-up. Many people were confused about the final scene because it ends so abruptly after the reveal.

Wrapping Up

I’d rate Brick a 6/10 in terms of overall impact. The premise is solid, but I think it’s kind of mediocre in some areas. It’s not the perfect German film I would talk about so enthusiastically, but it is still a great watch for those who are looking for sci-fi thrillers. The ending might confuse you in the same way it did for many viewers. Still, it’s the kind of movie you might think about afterward, even if it’s just to figure out what really happened. 

The post Movie Review: Netflix’s Brick (2025) appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

Stellar Artistry

It cannot be underestimated how integral the show’s craftsmanship is to its popularity. One of the series’ most awe-inspiring elements is how each episode unfolds in one continuous take. It is an amazing technical feat that provides immediacy to the story. The direction of the camera and the actors, with everything flowing smoothly in real time, gives viewers the sense that they are locked into the narrative until the end. It also instils the feeling that this story’s subject matter should not be turned away from. 

The inability to cut away also means the actors must embody their characters for much longer than expected on TV shows. Thereby making them feel less like constructions for the screen and more like real people.

Where a conventional approach may have made Adolescence seem like just another TV drama, the show’s focus on crafting authenticity and immediacy gives the subjects discussed the weight they deserve.

Pressing Issues

Adolescence has also struck a nerve because it is one of the highest-profile projects to highlight the real-world concerns around online misogyny culture.

The show uses the actual terminology and symbols of misogynistic online circles e.g. the red pill, the 80/20 rule, incels etc. even name dropping Andrew Tate, to make the story feel realistic. It also highlights the gulf between young people and their guardians on this issue. The boys are all immersed in internet culture. They encounter manosphere content just by being online. Several even feel comfortable expressing the manosphere’s sexist attitudes openly. This correlates with studies saying many young people have heard of people like Andrew Tate. With a not insignificant number admitting they agree with his horrendous views. Meanwhile, the adults are always on the back foot. Many are trying to understand something they have little experience with. Even those who understand have trouble combating the message’s impact due to social media’s prevalence. Something many parents and teachers are concerned about. 

And as the show discusses, the unchallenged proliferation of this content can have horrendous consequences. The 2024 Killings of Carol, Hannah and Louise Hunt, the Plymouth 2021 shooting, and the 2014 Isla Vista killings all show how internet misogyny culture can contribute to violence.

It Takes A Village

But what elevates Adolescence is that, beyond highlighting the dehumanising, dangerous misogyny growing online, its effects on young minds and older people’s inexperience with the internet hindering potential help, it shows how other things contribute to Jamie’s radicalisation and his murder of classmate Katie.

Jamie’s parents don’t frequently check in on him, and his dad is often away due to work. Meaning he lacks parental guidance. His school’s staff are stretched to breaking point, causing young people to slip through the cracks. Toxic masculinity is also shown to be fully normalised offline. DI Bascombe is indifferent to guns being pointed in innocent people’s faces, and male teachers shout at kids rather than trying to engage with them. Boys ruthlessly mock or turn away in shame when boys show anything perceived as weakness. As Jamie’s unfortunate football story illustrates. Plus, girls/women are often viewed antagonistically for not letting boys do what they want. Teachers are insulted, and Katie is viewed negatively for rebuffing Jamie.

Systemic and cultural factors also help create an environment where Jamie is made to feel isolated and resentful, particularly towards women. Making him a prime target for online misogynistic indoctrination.

Conclusion

Adolescence is a brilliantly made, thoughtful show that highlights concerns of online misogyny leading to real-life harm in a way that rings true to viewers. However, the creators also know that solutions to this problem are not just down to individuals. Systemic change is also needed.

The post How Netflix Drama ‘Adolescence’ Sparked A Much Needed Debate appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

Land invasion, Illegal logging, and the enslavement of native populations are portrayed. However, the miniseries avoids the white gaze from producers and directors by centring the effects of these different types of destruction from the perspectives of those affected most. It also touches on evangelization, prejudice, adaptation to the so-called civilized world, war among Indigenous communities, and other arduous aspects of Indigenous realities that are well represented in the series that covers decades in the region.

The problems faced by the Amazonian region mentioned above are just a few approaches in the series, showing the outcomes they have on the region and the people, the damage they are capable of causing, and how they still remain invisible to the outside world that portrays it as just paradisiac or exotic. The fires in the Amazon that are taking over the news, alongside climate change and human rights activism, help make Green Frontier part of the zeitgeist.

One of the main ways that the show subverts the patriarchal narrative through its protagonist. The audience witnesses how Detective Poveda is perceived by those around her. Del Río gives a strong performance as a law enforcement agent who has to do the right thing while dealing with a morally corrupted and sexist police force, showing how stressful, demanding, and burning this profession can be.

Through the eight-episode arc, the law agent not only unravels the investigation but goes deeper into her connection to the Amazonian forest; therefore, ‘Green Frontier’ has an interesting character arc making Poveda more than just the politically correct stereotype of the “female strong lead”.

This series isn’t just about having a strong female lead and how different she acts from others. When attacked by a once trusted character, Poveda has to fend off for herself. Although she doesn’t flinch about responding to aggressions with violence, she doesn’t in any way display pleasure in it or descend into a berserk rage.

Violence in the series comes as naturally as other acts and emotions. Nevertheless, the aftereffects linger on the characters in a more humane and straining way, especially when portrayed with facial expressions and silence. Latin America is the most violent region in the world, and in ‘Green Frontier,’ it lurks behind the trees or city corners, a feeling explored by camera angles, lighting, and soundtrack with expertise and drawing the viewer into this bleak world.

The solitude of being a cop out of her precinct and surrounded by others who cannot be trusted, feelings augmented by being a female cop, is subtly represented in the colour of the walls of Poveda’s hotel room. Although from a calming light pink pastel tone, they are coldly devoid of emotion, furthering the sense of loneliness and awkwardness experimented by the character. The worn-out paint also signals how damaging this profession can psychologically be. Such imagery contrasts with the native people who come as part of the jungle that embraces them.

Other main questions into play

Nelson Camayo, playing Detective Poveda’s local partner, Reynaldo Bueno, brings the undertones of living in both worlds: a law enforcer and an Indigenous community member in a place where many people have shady interests or are just trying to get by.

Another asset is veteran Marcela Mar (Hermana Raquel), who plays a supporting role, portraying a sweet but condescending and troubled missionary. The Indigenous couple played by Ángela Cano (Ushe), and Miguel Dionisio Ramos (Yua) gives a three-dimensional depth and layered look at Indigenous lives, lore, and society.

Throughout cinema and TV history, Indigenous characters have been portrayed in many productions, but Yua and Ushe show a side of them that they have yet to be seen. The cameras and narrative capture their nudity in a natural light. The couple also embodies how real Indigenous tribes see themselves as the guardians of nature and its knowledge and keepers of dying ways.

The war among Indigenous communities lends complexity to the Indigenous players. Although they are united by race and geography, they are different when considering culture, lore, behaviour patterns, philosophy, and ways of approaching life. ‘Green Frontier’ goes into a space rarely presented in mainstream productions, even from later Latin American productions.

In ‘Green Frontier,’ sex is an intrinsic part of people’s lives, and it is perceived by Latin American eyes, which differs from sexual observations by Anglo-Saxon creators. The sex and sensuality don’t resemble softcore pornography and hold a naturality that aggregates to the storytelling process.

Created by Diego Ramírez Schrempp, Mauricio Leiva-Cock, and Jenny Ceballos and co-directed by Ciro Guerra, Laura Mora, and Jacques Toulemonde, the cinematography is one of its main strengths which was conducted by Felipe Linares, it heightens the beauty and richness of the Amazonian flora and also the systematic depredations it suffers while portraying the small towns with a more erratic view corroborating the poverty in those areas and enhancing the storytelling aspects in an immersive manner which can be expected in a production from Guerra who helmed Academy Awards Best Foreign Language Film from the 2016 ceremony ‘Embrace of the Serpent’ (2015).

‘Green Frontier’ has attractive tones of Magic Realism, a style of fiction that blends the realistic and sometimes gritty scenarios of modern life while adding magical elements, a movement tightly associated with Latin American Literature having in Colombian Nobel Prize Winner Gabriel García Márquez its most known name and gives a peculiar flavour to the show.

Magical realism applies more to Indigenous peoples than it does to city-living characters. The jungle, with its dense appearance, presents a more mysterious place than one with modern life resources, and it also brings more of the unique myths to broader audiences.

In 2018, HBO’s sci-fi series ‘Westworld’ (2016 – 2022) episode “Kiksuya” focused on Native American androids mostly spoken in Lakota, becoming a welcomed addition to TV history. More than a hidden gem in Netflix, ‘Green Frontier’ is a narrative that also adds to Indigenous TV history and exposes the complexities of the South American Indigenous situation, which would probably feel different if shot through American lenses.

Also Read: Three Pines: The Unsung Detective Series Shedding Light on Indigenous Pain

The post Hidden Gems: Netflix’s ‘Green Frontier’ Brings a Solid Female-Driven Narrative to the Amazon Forest appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

If all had gone to plan, that number would be higher. Unfortunately, Apollo 13, the third mission planned to land on the moon, was aborted two days into the mission, after an oxygen tank ruptured. Instead, the mission had a new objective: get the three astronauts home alive.

“Houston, we’ve had a problem”

The story of Apollo 13 is widely known, in large part due to it being dramatised in Ron Howard’s Apollo 13. Survival might not have any new revelations about the events, but it wisely focuses on Captain James “Jim” Lovell (played by Tom Hanks in the film) and his wife Marilyn. Comprised of archive footage, encompassing his family, the mission itself and at NASA, it gives a complete picture of the events of Apollo 13.

The focus on Lovell and his family proves to be the right decision, with everything going on, it’s sometimes easy to forget that three people are stranded and that there is a very real possibility that none of them make it home. Lovell himself is the most fleshed-out character, with a brief introduction reminding us how close he was to being first on the Moon. His narration looking back at key points is very insightful.

“We’ve had our crisis”

Of course, being archive footage, there isn’t quite a cohesive look to the film with various cameras and people behind them. The filmmakers have done an excellent job of finding and piecing together all the different strands, and the narrative flows very well. Like the mission itself, there are many moments of calm during the film. Perhaps the best of these occurs when the craft reaches the dark side of the moon, blocking out the sun. As we’re reminded “there isn’t really a night in space”, we are left with a stunning view of the stars.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere in Mission Control is rarely so calm, and delays in communication that last seconds feel like hours as they wait for the astronauts to respond. A few helpful reconstruction shots, help to fill in the gaps created by a lack of footage. In everyone’s defence, they clearly had other things on their mind than getting a cool shot of a warning light.

Poor Marilyn has had the worst ordeal by far. Stranded at home, she is unable to help her husband; instead, she just listens to every communication and waits. Her children also talk about their experience of this time, the agony of being unable to do anything to help and not knowing whether Jim will come home. These sequences are mostly made up of stills, with the occasional news report or home movie. The different sources almost give the three storylines their own visual style, making it easy to keep track of who is speaking, despite not being able to see them all the time

Verdict

Although the events of Apollo 13 have lived on, there is something about hearing the people involved in the moment that almost transports the viewer there. Lovell’s added narration is a nice touch and adds a sense of emotional weight and hindsight that enhances the experience. The points of view all help give a complete picture, and it’s an extraordinary tale of survival against impossible odds.

Rating: (4 / 5)

Apollo 13: Survival is available now on Netflix

Also Read: Space, Satire, and Society: Tracing the Trajectories of “Red Dwarf” and “Homeboys in Outer Space”

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Original Offerings

In the past year, the UK’s streaming landscape has seen several changes. TUBI, Fox Corporation’s ad-based streaming service, which doesn’t offer an ad-free experience, was released in the UK. Meanwhile, Lionsgate+ shut down, With its library rolling over to MGM+ (an Amazon subsidiary).

Additionally, big players like Amazon Prime and Disney+ have followed Netflix and offered cheaper access plans, including adverts, While increasing the price of what was originally the default package.

Then there is Apple TV+ whose services senior vice president is pushing to be more careful with original content budgets. So the service can be more sustainable.

All of this indicates that streaming is starting to feel the impact of the market’s current state. As studios all try to set up their own streaming giant by gating off their own content behind paywalls, for many viewers it is starting to become confusing and unaffordable as costs rack up to access everything they want. This has resulted in smaller services closing, cuts being considered and needing to ape television’s model of advert support.

Streaming Packages

One way companies are potentially trying to continue to build their app’s customer base is by partnering with other streaming sites to offer bundles at discounted prices. Recently in the US Disney+, Hulu and Max announced they would join forces on a bundle. This will offer all three services at a cheaper rate than if customers were to pay for them individually.

This will undoubtedly be viewed as a good thing for both Warner Bros and Disney (the owners of these sites) as it will allow both services access to each other’s audiences and will subsidise the cost of things like promotion. As the bundles will advertise both companies, which is a similar model to how cable TV bundles operate. 

It does offer audiences access to a wider range of projects for a cheaper price, however, both companies have increased prices on subscribers before so how long it would remain affordable is uncertain. It must also be noted that access to a wider range of titles is artificial. Both companies gated off their content rather than allowing it to be available on more affordable third-party platforms.

TV & Streaming Become One

However, despite all this talk of streaming becoming more like traditional TV, television is now moving to become more like streaming. Recently Freely was launched by Everyone TV – who are behind Freeview and Freesat. Which essentially aims to move TV channels online, allowing you to watch live and on-demand TV from several of the main UK channels in one place for free.

That said, with only a limited number of channels signed up currently, high-speed internet still not available for some homes, and the cost of running the internet and TV at home for these services all being factored in there are still significant barriers to accessing Freely.

What This Means?

What this showcases is that the industry is slowly starting to feel the grip of economic pressures. Especially in the wake of the historic Hollywood strikes which saw industry workers win big gains in worker protections. This could indicate that the studios have started looking for ways to make back money. This would mean cutting production budgets, partnering with other services to spread costs, seeking funding from advertisers and increasing consumer costs. All this has amounted to streaming becoming very similar to the television models it was meant to be replacing. But with television broadcasting beginning to move to an online model it seems streaming is genuinely just becoming the new television rather than an alternative. Whether it will be a positive or not, only time will tell.

That said, with so much of streaming now replicating problems of TV and presenting its own problems the vision of a more affordable, accessible way to watch whatever you want seems to be a world away.

Also Read: The Paradox of Plenty: How Streaming’s Abundance May Curtail Your Viewing Choices

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Looking and Leaving

Don’t Look Up follows a group of scientists trying to warn everyone about a comet that will destroy the world. Only to find that American media is too interested in distracting the public, politicians are too willing to delay acting so that they can eventually use the situation to favour them electorally and billionaires use the situation to test hastily created tech which hasn’t been peer-reviewed. All of which eventually results in the world ending.

Leave The World Behind sees a family escaping the city for the country when strange things start happening. They witness an oil tanker running aground, the internet going out, the TV not picking up signals and the father and daughter who supposedly own the house (though they don’t have ID) turn up at the door. All of which puts them on edge as they try to navigate what is going on. By the end, we are not sure if the US is being invaded, if this was down to hackers, a satellite fault or all or none of the above. The only certainty is that humanity has been decimated physically and mentally by the technology we rely on.

As of April 28th this year both films are among Netflix’s most popular English-language films.

Where Fiction Meets Reality

Despite their differences, both films have several common themes. They talk about how little the world is prepared for disaster. They mistrust how pivotal modern technology is to our lives, particularly those fronted by high-profile self-obsessed billionaires. While also acting as critiques of American policy (both domestic and overseas).

And given many recent events like Western politicians continually backtracking on climate pledges despite much of the world already feeling its effects, the disasters brought about by products owned by high-profile people like Elon Musk, US politicians pushing policies and rhetoric that can put their constituencies at risk and facilitating imperialist actions like backing the alleged genocide in Gaza, it’s easy to see why the films would continue to speak to audiences.

But both these films also showcase something else, apathy. 

Apathy in Film and Politics

Don’t Look Up mainly focuses on the apathy of politicians, who are portrayed as only caring about serving people when the situation can benefit them. Meanwhile, Leave The World Behind reflects the apathy of general people (or at least a subsection who can afford to get away at the drop of a hat) towards politics. The film’s central family only becomes concerned with the wider world when events and people intrude on their lives. Never recognising that for other communities (like people of colour) politics is something that affects them all the time.

Recently stories like the US President finally paying attention to the tragedy that happened in East Palestine due to it now being an election year and the marginally shifting rhetoric from some politicians regarding Gaza because of threats to their job security, among many others, have shown the clear apathy of politicians to people’s safety. Plus the move to neuter trade union activity and the bids to demonise Palestine marches helps to further insulate people privileged enough to be apathetic about the state of the world. Both films hit the nail on the head when it comes to capturing political apathy in a way reflective of real life and given the stake so many people have in politics its easy for many to see their fears laid out plainly in these narratives, which could be a factor in their success.

Conclusion

Don’t Look Up and Leave The World Behind speak about many big political fears today. But the theme that underpins both stories is the lack of care for how political decisions impact others. And given how reflective they seem of real-world attitudes it’s easy to see why they remain popular.

Also Read: ‘American Psycho’ to ‘The L Word’: Guinevere Turner Details Her Transformative Storytelling

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The Project and McMahon’s History

The McMahon documentary series, centred around the life of the titular wrestling CEO/performer, was originally announced in 2020. According to WWE President Nick Khan, the project was going to be one of the highest-budget docuseries Netflix had produced. Then in 2022 reports began saying that the series release was possibly cancelled. Netflix supposedly pulling the title from their programming spreadsheet.

Around this time, McMahon had serious allegations made against him. McMahon already had ire surrounding him due to continuing to work WWE performers through the pandemic. Despite several wrestlers having tested positive for COVID-19. Then it was revealed he was being internally investigated regarding allegedly paying hush money to former employees and contractors. He temporarily stepped away from the WWE while the internal investigation was ongoing. He returned to the company in early 2023.

Later that year the documentary was revealed to still be in production. With some news outlets speculating on whether the project would become a film rather an a series. The project was expected to be released in 2024. But earlier this year Janel Grant came forward with a lawsuit against McMahon which accused him of sexual assault and trafficking. She is part of a group of five women cooperating with a federal investigation into McMahon. McMahon has now stepped down from his post.

Netflix Controversy

Producer Bill Simmons has stated that McMahon has no say over the final piece. So he will at least not be able to dictate how his image is used in the documentary. But as contributor Dave Meltzer said, “This changes the whole doc 100%…I don’t know how it can possibly be out very, very soon now”. As the documentary was said to be out soon will Netflix (who has final cut) be able to give time to these serious claims in a respectful manner?

In addition to the important choices facing Netflix over the documentary, Netflix has now signed a deal to become the new home of the WWE’s weekly RAW programme in 2025. And given that the brand is firmly associated with McMahon and that the WWE is implicated in the abuse it seems like a terrible idea to provide a platform to the company. Especially during a serious ongoing investigation.

What Should Happen?

So what is Netflix going to do? If they release the McMahon documentary without giving time to incorporate what has happened recently then they may look like they are trying to avoid a serious topic relating to their subject. If Netflix doesn’t release it but still hosts WWE programming, they may appear to be protecting a profitable brand. One that potentially hurt many workers. 

That said if the documentary is given enough time to update itself will Netflix allow a revealing documentary to be hosted alongside their WWE shows? As the documentary will continually remind audiences of the reported abuse perpetrated by the company’s former CEO and which is reportedly widespread at the company itself. Netflix is a company first and foremost, it’s hard to believe they would be willing to host both. As it would understandably result in audiences questioning Netflix’s decision to partner with WWE and potentially a loss in viewers.

If there is a way out of this it would be for the documentary to give time to cover recent events delicately. To ensure the people seeking justice have their chance to be heard. Or the documentary should pause until the case is resolved. Also, Netflix should cut ties with the WWE until all investigations are concluded. Only resuming if the company demonstrates itself to be a safe place. If they can’t do that then it shows that Netflix is not worthy of industry and audience trust and that the entertainment industry truly learned nothing from the #MeToo movement.

Also Read: The Struggle of Two Sons To Bring Back The Memory of Ted Boy Marino, Brazil Pro-wrestling Legend and TV Hero

The post How will Netflix’s $5 Billion deal with the WWE affect its documentary on Vince McMahon in light of recent allegations? appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

In Netflix’s drama Griselda (2023), Sofía Vergara found the role of a lifetime in which she can present how capable she is by playing Colombia drug lord Griselda Blanco, who ruled the underworld of 1980s Miami. This place and time were the epitome of the drug business that saw a city engulfed by corruption and tragedy. It was featured in the classic Time Magazine’ ‘Paradise Lost’ cover that makes a cameo in the series.

1980s Miami played a significant role in current pop culture and the drug market, and the players from those years became known as Cocaine Cowboys. They would inspire seminal fictional representations in the film Scarface (1983) and the series’ ‘Miami Vice’ (1984-1989), products that still influence film, TV, music, gaming, architecture, fashion, and sports. However, the character presented in ‘Griselda’ is larger-than-life, making fictional Miami gangsters look tamed even considering the craziness found in late 20th Century South Florida.

Although the story of Latino drug traffickers has been presented in many media to the point of fatigue, Griselda gives more insight into a rare player, a woman who rose to the ranks in this trade. For instance, it was her inventive mind that created the ‘drive-by’ shooting when the assailant in a car or a bike goes by spraying bullets on their targets, and the real Griselda was way more villainous than her on-screen counterpart.
In an interview with NBC News, Vergara approaches what brought her to a role that long she sought to play:

“I want the audience to take away how easy it is for power to corrupt people — beyond sex, politics, gender norms. The reality is that this story is about someone who was so blinded by power that it overcame any other motives that ever existed. She stood up to a lot of scary and powerful men. But none of that matters, because she ended up becoming one of them.”

-Sofía Vergara, NBC Interview

Griselda is produced by Eric Newman, one of the responsible for Netflix’s Narcos and Narcos: Mexico series, but this round, Newman wanted to set Blanco aside from the previous products and narratives as her story has been told mainly by men that were her rivals, associates or members of law enforcement trying to arrest her. In an interview with Digital Spy, Newman pointed out that the story of Blanco is an anomaly in an already colourful and violent world as there has never been a woman to achieve her dominance and power in any drug cartel. A profile that made Newman set Blanco’s story outside the ‘Narcos’ franchise. “We found with Narcos, the way we tell that story, what that show is about, to try to fit the Griselda story into Narcos just seems like it wouldn’t do it justice.”

Blanco is a complex character; at the same time, she is ruthless to her enemies in attempts to assert her position in a male-dominated area where she always feels under threat; still, she is also known as the caring “La Madriña” (The Godmother) and is surrounded by very loyal subordinates, many of whom were Cubans that came from the Mariel boat which Fidel Castro used to send the undesirable ones from his left-wing dictatorship into the USA. They became known as the “Marielitos.”

Vergara’s Griselda is up there with Wagner Moura’s Pablo Escobar and Diego Luna’s Felix Gallardo from the ‘Narcos’ series. Vergara makes the narrative a character study by expressing hubris, despair, love, caring, scorn, and a whole spectrum of feelings.
Griselda is also a document of the Cocaine Cowboys era and helps understand the craziness that ran afoul in those years and the role they play in today’s drug game. It also is a reminder of where Colombia and Miami were during the late 70s through the 80s. Although the series could have benefitted had it a bigger budget, as it would have allowed more cinematographically shots that would make the experience even more immersive and bring Miami as another character, as happens with the Miami seen in the series and in the 2006 film version of Miami Vice directed by Michael Mann, both very different from each other.

Griselda’s make-up team did outstanding work with the prosthetics as it looks convincing, and only Vergara’s feline eyes are recognizable, which helps the viewer forget the Vergara from Modern Family, thus bringing more gravitas to the role which is furthered by the actress’ elite level acting skills. With this entry, Vergara will be in talks for acting TV awards.

Griselda also makes the case for having diversity not only in front of the screen but also behind when producing art. Vergara’s ambition to play such a problematic character and her input alongside other Latinos make this character-driven show a multi-layered representation. The series does not glamourize “the life,” as many call the drug trafficking lifestyle, but it humanizes it in a way that few films and shows have done with women who engage in condemnable acts.

Also Read: True Crimes, Real Lives: Exploring the Ethics of the Sub-Genre

The post Sofía Vergara Transforms into the Infamous Griselda Blanco in Netflix’s Latest Drama appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

In this narrative, Chilean military dictator General Augusto Pinochet (Jaime Vadell) is a 250 years-old vampire who was born in France and after seeing the fall of his beloved French monarchy at the hands of Napoleon Bonaparte decides to move to South America and become the “king” of an impoverished Chile after a coup d’état that culminates with the death of President Salvador Allende, an historical fact that happened exactly 50 years ago.

By opting for Black and White photography, cinematographers Edward Lachmann and Larraín bring a tribute to classic horror movies, and it allows ‘El Conde’ to have some graphic scenes that are not there for gratuitous violence but to represent the ruthlessness and lengths the real Pinochet would delve to impose his will. While his fictional version mauls and bites, the real-life figure would order his opposers to be thrown from flying helicopters to the sea, which is currently being celebrated by far-right movements around the globe.

The allegory of a dictator as a vampire demonstrates how a corrupted regimen not only sucks dry the resources of a country and its people to its benefit but also how it perverts morals under the lie of being a way to revert back to more conservative values when in fact they only apply to those out of the elite bubble that still indulges themselves in many vices be the dictatorship of right or left-wing leanings.

The acting of Vadell shows a Pinochet who avoided death but is a failing and pathetic figure, much different from the way he was portrayed by the government, while also avoiding the clichés of lord vampires as suave and terrifying. Count Pinochet not only has a penchant for slaughtering to keep his power but also is avid for money embezzlement.

The children of Pinochet and his wife represent how those in the upper echelons can become so indulged in luxury to the point that they stop contributing to their country and behave as if their privilege is just birthright. The Catholic church is powerful in the region; however, it isn’t spared as while some sectors heavily opposed the dictatorships others aligned or turned a blind eye to the abuses of power.

The Russian butler, Fyodor played by Alfredo Castro, a longtime collaborator of Larraín, exemplifies the lengths that those born outside the top caste can go to ensure they are not treated as “little people” in these systems while earning to climb further in the ladder. The rest of the cast execute their roles with chemistry and the nun Carmencita (Paula Luchsinger) serves as the point of view character.

One curious point is that although the majority of the movie is spoken in the Spanish language, there is an English-speaking narrator and considering the Chile-Britain relation it makes sense as not only the United Kingdom is perceived as a colonizing power but the elite in the Americas in many times are a colonized and kitsch answer to those found in the North-Hemisphere, hence the writing by Larraín and Guillermo Calderón gives a scope on how we, South Americans, are perceived by them. The way the narrator describes the differences between the taste of British blood to the South American counterpart in the palate of the vampire Pinochet as if comparing wines goes straight to the point.

It’s not the first time that Larraín approaches the dictatorship that ravaged his country as he showed part of it with the picture ‘No’ (2012) starring Gael García Bernal focusing on the referendum that brought democracy to the country. Still, with ‘El Conde’, Larraín does a critique of Chile’s story with humour in a farce that touches on the political past and present of the country that has gone recently through a major economic crisis that accentuated the social inequality.

To mainstream audiences, Larraín is known for the intimate portrayals in Spencer (2020) and Jackie (2016), biopics of Lady Diana and Jackeline Kennedy, respectively. Which makes this movie an interesting showcase of his comedic skills. A lesser auteur wouldn’t be able to pull El Conde without failing to the traps of clichés or breaking the fourth wall with speeches to remind us how bad those times were and that there are those still profiting from them, Larraín respects the public’s intellect and Chile’s history.

Also Read: Review: Oppenheimer

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In this article, we will look at the current state of streaming and try to determine if it has resulted in viewers having more or less choice when it comes to accessing their favourite films and TV programmes.

Swimming Through Streaming

The biggest streaming services are currently Netflix (around 232 million subscribers), Amazon Prime Video (over 200 million) and Disney+ (around 146 million).

Other popular services like Max, Paramount+, Hulu, Apple TV+, Starz, Peacock, ITVX and more also have sizable subscriber bases of their own. And more streaming services may be coming further down the line.

Positives

With so many streaming services, each offering original productions and access to a library of classic and modern projects it seems like there is a huge amount of choice available to customers. And there are definitely benefits to the current state of streaming. For example, it ensures many projects are available to wide audiences in accessible ways. And it has encouraged viewers to watch more international media. However, the industry has been accused of using many tactics that have negative consequences for customers.

The Illusion of Choice

The WGA West recently released a report into the anti-competitive practices of the biggest three streaming services. Although some of their critiques also apply to smaller streamers. The document lays out how Disney uses its industry position to constantly acquire new companies (it currently owns the ABC network, Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, 20th Century Fox, and a majority stake in Hulu) increasing its market control. Resulting in an overall decrease in media output. It has also withdrawn content it owns from other streaming sites (something other studio-owned streaming sites are now doing). It limited the content shown on its platforms to mostly Disney-owned work. Also as a result of its market dominance, Disney has been able to pressure viewers to accept price hikes to retain access to their platform. 

The document also says Amazon has been able to disadvantage competitors by demanding fees to allow viewers access to their services through their Fire TV platform (one of the leading ways people access streaming). Thus depriving viewers of any choice that would not result in them collecting extra fees.

Netflix through increasingly making self-produced content rather than collaborating with third-party production companies, its acquisition of other production studios (increasing its market share), and its use of power to increase subscription prices while reducing investment in content is increasingly depriving customers of choices regarding projects and access plans.

There are also egregious examples of streaming services cutting content from their libraries. Leaving viewers no way to access them physically or digitally. As well as some companies restricting access to their site by cracking down on password sharing, not exactly providing a great amount of options for viewers.

What This Means?

If all practices outlined in the WGA report are accurate it’s clear that despite the number of streaming services increasing it has done little to give viewers more choice. In fact, it has taken away a lot of choice by restricting access to media, pushing up prices customers pay for access and increasing the subscriptions needed to access the same content.

What was once considered a disruptive distribution model that would give customers convenient access to a diverse array of media is fast becoming a gatekeeping exercise for big companies to retain control of their films at the expense of customers.

Also Read: How the Streaming Revolution Has Fuelled Movie Piracy

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David Oyelowo, known for his riveting performances in Selma and A United Kingdom, steps into the character of Dayo, offering an evocative portrayal that stands testament to his immense range. He navigates a post-tragedy world, following a heart-wrenching knife attack that bereaved him of his family, epitomized by Amelie Dokubo and Dominique Tipper. Though the narrative does not dwell on the specifics of the tragic incident, it aptly directs its lens towards its aftermath, casting a gentle light on the scarred psyche of a grieving rideshare driver. Dayo’s journey to healing is amplified by his chance encounter with a family reminiscent of his lost world.

Harriman’s directorial finesse shines brightly, managing to balance dialogue and dramatic nuances, letting emotions simmer without boiling over. The pacing is impeccably tailored for its short runtime, ensuring the narrative is neither rushed nor dragging. The ebb and flow of Dayo’s interactions with his passengers paint a broader palette of life, love, loss, and the fragments of hope that can sometimes emerge from despair.

Having left a mark at the BFI London Film Festival, “The After” is set to dazzle audiences globally on Netflix from 25th October 2023.

Also Read: Five Stunning Short Films You Wouldn’t Believe Were Shot On An iPhone 11

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The Rise of Streaming

With faster and cheaper internet speeds in the 2000s, it was only natural for some entertainment content to start moving from cable to online. At first, it was limited to YouTube and small websites. Then Netflix, a small video subscription service, came online. With House of Cards, it broke the barrier and made TV streaming mainstream.

And yet, with pirated video material getting over 230 billion views a year, we are in the Golden Age of digital piracy. Here’s why;

Subscription Fatigue

Back in the day, you just needed to invest in one really good cable subscription and you were set. Now, video entertainment is split over a dozen online platforms each specializing in different genres. Maybe you’re satisfied with the dramas on Hulu but your spouse wants to watch reality shows on Netflix and your kid simply can’t settle for less than Disney+. Regularly paying for three or more costs far more than cable ever did. So the average person does what they can to cut costs.

Streamers Hiking Prices and Tightening Regulations

Over the last couple of years, most streamers have hiked their prices a couple of bucks. This has put more financial pressure on the subscribers already experiencing subscription fatigue. On top of that, Netflix recently created measures to prevent password sharing outside a subscriber’s household. This extremely unpopular move means that an account (even a family account) can no longer be shared among people who don’t physically live together. Once again, streamers are forcing subscribers to spend more money.

Content Deletions

Perhaps the most egregious of all, many streamers are pulling huge chunks of content off their platforms. Netflix is notorious for cancelling shows only one season after their release. This frustration is causing many people to opt out of streaming altogether. Worse than that is streamers like Disney+ deleting swathes of completed TV shows and classic films that only exist online. Many people see piracy of such content as historical preservation of art which would otherwise be completely erased from living memory.

So, what Are Streamers Doing About It?

While the ethical concerns of piracy can be debated, the fact is that the movie industry loses between $40 and $97.1 billion every year from digital piracy. And, of course, streamers want their cut. A few measures are being taken to curb movie piracy. As anyone who uses Netflix knows, you can’t screenshot or screen record any image on the Netflix app. This is a measure applied by quite a few streaming services. Platforms can also embed invisible digital watermarks in their content which helps to identify whether duplicate content has been stolen. Website blocking is used to limit access to the most notorious TV and movie piracy sites. But despite preventative methods and thousands of take-down notices issued to pirates, the issue persists.

All in All,

Streaming has changed the landscape of movie consumption by making TV and film accessible to thousands of more people. But the increased access to the internet coupled with the pitfalls of streaming has also opened the floodgates to rampant movie piracy. What’s your take?

Also Read: The New Hollywood: Streaming Giants

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Film is a growing factor in shaping the public perception of refugees. Documentaries and biographical films have become a powerful way to raise awareness and foster empathy for displaced individuals. Let’s analyse two films that have shaped this reality.

Three Songs for Benazir (2021)

Three Songs for Benazir is a short documentary film made by Elizabeth and Gulistan Mirzaei. It won 13 awards and was nominated for the 94th Academy Awards. It follows the story of Shaista and Benazir, a newly married young couple living in a camp for internally displaced people in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Rather than an abstract depiction of war, the film takes us into refugees’ everyday lives. We see Shaista pursue his dream to join the national army and struggle to find direction in a place with so few options. The camp is filled with hundreds of displaced people living in mud houses. And yet, there is love. Children laugh and play outside, young men gather to dance, and Shaista sings to Benazir. In the midst of all their struggles, he serenades her with love songs as she shyly giggles behind her headscarf.

This documentary is, first and foremost, a love story. It shows us the humanity of displaced people beyond the statistics and impersonal clips we see on TV. Unlike most observational documentarians, Elizabeth and Gulistan do not take the fly-on-the-wall approach. Although they did not appear in the film themselves, they were close friends with Shaista and Benazir for three years before they ever started filming.

In a 2022 interview with Ms. Magazine, Elizabeth Mirzae stated; “Our films come out of friendship. But I think that you do have to, as a filmmaker, always self-interrogate and have these ethical audits.” This is a refreshing departure from the dozens of exploitative documentaries that frame refugees as one-dimensional caricatures of suffering.

Even though the film centres on the interpersonal experiences of refugees, it still subtly keeps you aware of the very real danger of war. In several scenes, you can see a US surveillance balloon ominously suspended in the sky above the camp. The filmmakers are aware of the risks of this pursuit, but they believe it is one worth taking. Despite the difficulty of filming in these circumstances, the Mirzaes succeeded in telling a beautifully nuanced and humane story.

The Swimmers (2022)

The Swimmers is a biographical film directed by Sally El Hosaini who co-wrote it with Jack Thorne. It is based on the real-life experiences of Syrian sisters Sarah and Yusra Mardini. The teenage sisters were competitive swimmers before they escaped the Syrian civil war in 2015, and fled to Greece on a battered overcrowded dinghy. In the middle of the Aegean Sea, the motor stopped. The sisters got off, strapped themselves to the leaking dinghy and swam until they reached the Greek shore. They made the rest of their journey to Germany over land while facing discrimination, sexual assault and endless bureaucracy. Yusra fights to continue her swimming career in Germany and competes in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Most of the film is factually accurate due to the close collaboration with the sisters. Heavy research was made before storyboarding the scenes and careful casting was done to ensure authenticity. Real-life Lebanese sisters Nathalie and Manal Issa played the Mardine sisters. Several of the supporting cast were refugees, some of whom had made the Aegean crossing themselves.

It was a powerful choice to not centre the film on only Yusra who made headlines at the Rio Olympics. We learn about Sarah, who chose not to compete, and their male cousin Nizar who was their chaperone on their journey. Not everyone can be an Olympian, but every individual refugee has a unique story worth hearing. The scenes of urban Syrian teens dancing in clubs and hanging out with their friends before the war broke the monolithic stereotype of the Arab refugee.

By striving for accuracy and painting a full picture instead of zeroing in on a media heroine, these filmmakers showed us a side of the Syrian war that is often missed.

Ultimately,

Filmmaking is an art as much as it is a political and social expression. With enough patience, resources, and skill, filmmakers can craft brilliant stories that amplify the voices of displaced people.

Also Read: Sustainability Is Never a Boring Topic, See How Chinese Young Filmmaker Hong Ning Perceives ‘Global Sustainability’ Through Images

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Fans of Inception will enjoy the reality-bending storyline and visuals. The romance subplot helps balance out the brooding and introspective energy of the film. The film received mixed reviews, however, it’s a good watch if you want to see a dark fantasy spin on the age-old rags-to-riches story. Be warned, the film involves violence and themes of suicide. Let’s take a closer look;

The Story

The movie follows the life of Sang Yu, a poor screenwriter plagued by terrifying nightmares. Every time he sleeps, he crosses over to a strange alternate reality where a dark shadowy figure attacks him. He tries to cure his chronic insomnia by going to various healers without success. Unable to sleep properly for months on end, he can no longer write. His agent, San, is hounding him to finish the script he got an advance for, and his landlord is demanding unpaid rent.

With everything else going on, Sang Yu still frequently passes by a nearby café to watch Hua’er, a girl he’s pining after. He eventually comes home to find himself evicted. With no money, no family, no prospects and his sanity in shambles, he sends San a suicide note via text and climbs onto a building to jump to his death. A kind street vendor saves him at the last minute, offering a free meal and some advice. The old man tells him that whenever he’s in the middle of a nightmare, he should just tell himself; “I’m only dreaming”.

This advice changes Sang Yu’s life. He learns how to wake himself up at will, which comes with one amazing perk; he can bring items from his dream world back to his current reality. He starts bringing back precious antiques which he pawns for huge amounts of money. Of course, power comes with consequences.

While watching this, I could tell that there was a twist coming, but it wasn’t what I expected. The film took a few unexpected turns and played on the psychological aspect more than I expected. However, in my opinion, the deeper spiritual meaning the film aimed for fell a little flat at the end. There were too many mixed metaphors and the ending felt cobbled together, with a very vague conclusion.

The Characters

Something I appreciate about this film is that although it is fantasy, the actions and thought processes of the characters are realistic. The old superhero trope of immediately trying to save the world or wreaking vengeance on enemies is a little stale. Sang Yu does what most reasonable people would do if they woke up (or in his case, fell asleep) with superpowers; he makes money. And even though his first priority is himself, he is neither selfish nor particularly careless. He isn’t a hero, a villain or even an antihero; he’s just a person.

The lead role was excellently played by Darren Wang. I appreciate the portrayal of his friendship with San, which had a natural and rather touching development. Unfortunately, this film fell short of Sang Yu’s relationship with Hua’er. In this day and age, I don’t expect to still see blatant stalking framed as a grand romantic gesture. And though Hua’er was given some personality, she still comes off as a manic pixie dream girl. As the only female main character in the film, the moviemakers could have really done better.

The Visuals

You can tell that this film had a big budget for visuals. The CGI was very realistic and better than a lot of contemporary Western fantasy superhero films. Personally, I think the set and prop design stole the show. There were a lot of props in this film, considering that the main character is a supernatural antique thief. It’s impressive that the props were so well-made despite the sheer number of them. I also really liked Sang Yu’s visual transition from a degenerate starving artist to a clean-cut man in a suit. I was honestly surprised to see a handsome face hiding behind the straggly beard, chunky glasses and greasy hair. Props to the makeup and department.

The only major visual flaw I noticed was the very last scene. Unlike the rest of the movie, Sang Yu looked like a cardboard cut-out against a green-screen background. The editing was clearly rushed at the end.

All in All,

This is a good weekend watch if you like fantasy, good visuals and fight scenes. The execution of the story left something to be desired, but the premise is good enough to have you watch till the end.

Also Read: Netflix Hidden Gems: Subira

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This powerful film has been praised for its strong feminist message as well as for its artistry. Let’s break it down;

The Story and Characters

The film tells the story of Subira, a young Muslim girl living on the small Kenyan island of Lamu. She spends her free time with her loving father, a fisherman, who promises to teach her how to swim. Her only dream is to dive in the ocean, even if the local customs see this as taboo. Over the years, she remains carefree until she is suddenly thrust into an arranged marriage with a stranger from the capital city, Nairobi.

Tradition and religion were strong themes which were portrayed with nuance. Subira felt trapped by marriage, yet her best friend had longed for it since she was a little girl. We were also shown that Kenyans are not a monolith; the characters had very different experiences of the same events depending on their gender, age and environment. Tradition can unite and divide at the same time. There were masterful portrayals of the different relationships in this film, especially between Subira and each of her parents.

The core message of women’s freedom is something many of us can relate to. In an interview with Ebru TV, the lead actress Brenda Wairimu said, “If you ask me, this story is based on a true story for everyone.” Even if you’ve never been to Kenya or even never seen the ocean, this story carries a truth that women everywhere have all lived through. Subira’s gentle stubbornness is something we could all learn from.

The Visuals and Sound

The sound design and music choice for this movie was simply stunning. Coastal music with Arabic influence is the very first thing that captures your attention when the movie begins. The music slowly shifts from more traditional Swahili sounds to urban music when the setting changes from Lamu to Nairobi. At the movie’s premiere, the poet and playwright Sitawa Namwalie commented on the creative use of silence in this film. There was little dialogue which left much of the story to be told with visuals, scenic sound and subtle expression.

The scenes of the crystal blue ocean at Lamu were gorgeous. Although the shots themselves were not technically complex, they had the intended effect. This movie was the definition of making a lot out of a little. I also noticed that special care was taken with wardrobing. In the first scene, Subira is a child dressed head to toe in bright green. She continues to wear green in the subsequent scenes but less and less as she ages, until the day of her wedding, when she is shrouded in pale green lace. The moment she leaves Lamu, she doesn’t wear the colour again. I interpret this as the loss of her youth.

In the End

Some may criticise this film by saying that it is simple. In my opinion, not everything needs to be complex. It is beautiful in the way swimming in the ocean in; vast yet uncomplicated. However, I will admit that other than Subira’s father, the portrayals of the male roles could have been more convincing and compelling. Overall, this was an artistic and refreshing watch that you should definitely check out.

Also Read: Netflix Hidden Gems: Love Today

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The film was a box office success and received critical acclaim in India, but we at Big Picture Film Club think it deserves a little more love internationally. Mild spoilers ahead;

The Story and Characters

There’s an old saying; nothing is new under the sun. Contemporary film is littered with remakes and retellings of old stories. Now, this is one of the very few times when I can say this; I have never seen this story told before.

The film begins with a young boy planting a mango seed. He digs it up to check on it multiple times and is frutrated that it won’t sprout. Cut to the present day. Pradeep is a young man who spends his savings to buy his girlfriend, Nikitha, a new smartphone. He waxes poetic about how close they are and how they know everything about each other. Due to the social stigma around dating, Nikitha lies to her strict father about where she got the phone.

Unfortunately, her father still finds out. Pradeep has to formally introduce himself to Nikitha’s father as a suitor for marriage. The old man shocks them with a strange condition; he will allow them to marry only if they exchange phones for a day. Their seemingly perfect relationship begins to fall apart at the seams as both their secrets come to light. Then, an unexpected third party throws a wrench into the already collapsing structure.

The Characters

The characters were all multi-dimensional and it was enjoyable to peel back each layer as the film progressed. No one was exactly whom they seemed to be. I applaud the moving subplot and stellar acting from the entire cast. Personally, I did not appreciate the focus on Nikitha’s purity. The moment that this sexual “purity” came into question, her community cast her to the dogs. Her reputation only survived once the accusation was proved to be false. On the other hand, most of Pradeep’s questionable behaviour was swept aside. The film holds women to the same impossible standards as hundreds of years ago.

The Visuals and Sound

The special effects in this film are impeccable. This is clear from the opening scene which shows each step of a smartphone being manufactured from with beautiful clarity. There was good visual storytelling, like the scene of the boy (later revealed to be Pradeep) planting a mango seed. The symbolism stood out to me. Nothing can truly grow, whether a seed or love, unless you leave it alone and trust that it will sprout. A lot of effort was taken to build up to the main story, even with a modest budget.

I appreciated the combination of more traditional shots, like the warm scenes of the couple sitting side-by-side on the beach, with the contemporary scenes of face timing, conference calls and scrolling through apps. The film featured mostly traditional Indian sounds complimented by techno-beats whenever the momentum picked up.

Before I Blab on for Too Long,

Pick up the remote and try this memorable rom-com. With heavy themes of gender roles, social expectations and just how dangerous (or liberating) technology can really be, the moral conclusions of this movie are up for debate. However, the high production quality cannot be denied and the comedic aspects are easy to appreciate. To the viewer, it really begs the question; how well do you really know the people you love?

Also Read: Netflix Hidden Gems: The Girl in the Yellow Jumper

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First on our list is Loukman Ali’s The Girl in the Yellow Jumper. This tense 2020 mystery-thriller was the first Ugandan movie to be added to the Netflix catalogue. It is critically acclaimed in East Africa but still not yet widely known to audiences around the world. Let’s dig in.

The Story and Characters

The story begins with Jim, a seemingly ordinary man asleep in front of a TV that’s playing a news report of a serial killer called the “Cigarette Butt Killer”. A figure in a gas mask and a yellow jumper quietly breaks into the room and drugs Jim. The story takes us on an unexpected journey of a kidnapping, a string of murders and discovering who the real villains are.

This film was an exercise in tension and pacing, truly earning its title as a thriller. The complex narrative makes it a perfect watch for those of you thirsty to figure out a short but engaging mystery. Clocking in at 1 hour 20 minutes long, it’s just long enough to keep you hooked. Be warned; this is not a light movie for casual viewing, so only watch it if you plan to pay attention. There are a few brief scenes of graphic violence, just in case you’re wary of blood.

One of the biggest criticisms of African films is having one-dimensional storylines and characters. That’s not the case for The Girl in the Yellow Jumper. The characters seem straightforward at first, but the more you watch you’ll see the complexities between each one. Compelling performances from Maurice Kirya, Michael Wawuyo Jr., Rehema Nanfuka and Oyenbot will have you rooting for multiple sides by the time the movie ends.

The narrative is littered with foreshadowing and red herrings. The puzzle pieces don’t fully click together until the very end, which makes for a satisfying finale.

The Visuals and Sound

Loukman and his team really brought in the big guns when it comes to cinematography. The lighting and tone of the film reflect old-school 90s films, while still being set in the present day. Much of the movie takes place on a highway and we are given beautiful shots of Ugandan nature throughout. I appreciated the creative camera angles during the fight scenes and kidnapping scenes.

The music choices were very appropriate, incorporating contemporary Ugandan music sounds. The sound design elevated the visuals to create the distinctive ambience of every scene.

The movie also included some refreshing animated scenes, something hard to pull off in the thriller genre. In this way, the heavy tones of death and abuse were balanced out with a few lighter scenes that elaborated on Ugandan traditions.

Admittedly, there was a point at which the transition between shots could have been smoother. However, the quality of the filming and editing was really remarkable for a production done on a shoestring budget with multiple interruptions.

The Bottom Line

We definitely recommend giving The Girl in the Yellow Jumper a try. While there could be room for improvement in the production and a few character portrayals, it’s a solid film nonetheless. Anyone in the East African film industry can tell you how hard it is to get a feature film on the global stage. A lot of blood, sweat and tears went into this movie, and it paid off.

Also Read: 5 Films In 2022 With Creative Concepts

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Just Getting Started

In 2022, Netflix spent around $17 Billion on content. While it’s unclear if that is just on original content or includes licensed content as well, it’s safe to assume the majority is on originals. As the streaming wars have gone on, streamers have increasingly focused on original and exclusive series that aren’t available anywhere else. Netflix was arguably the first streamer to have success with this, shows like Orange Is The New Black, House Of Cards might not be in the conversation as much now, but were huge hits that got others scrambling to compete at the time. Netflix gave shows a chance that didn’t fit the norm of what was being shown on TV at the time.

Not every show finds an audience straight away. Breaking Bad, a show that despite critical acclaim was a modest ratings hit, blossomed when it was put on Netflix. The wide availability raised awareness of the show and increased viewership for the final series. The first seasons of Parks and Recreation saw mixed reviews, with many citing it as a watered-down version of The Office. However the creators were able to learn from this, and the second season onwards is much beloved. Netflix’s own Bojack Horseman, took almost a whole season to find its feet, but it is now regarded as one of the best-animated shows of all time. Netflix obviously believed that shows like Everything Sucks!, The Get Down and Archive 81 had potential. Looking at reviews, critics and audiences clearly agreed, so why were they cut short?

Gone Too Soon

So what does Netflix consider a success if not good reviews? Emily In Paris has been met with middling reviews every season, and recently dropped its third season. Neil Gaiman, who wrote the graphic novels The Sandman series is based on, gave a rare insight while waiting to find out if the show was being renewed. The Sandman was released in August 2022 and a second season was confirmed in November. It was the eighth most-watched English Language show on the platform and spent seven weeks in the global top 10’s. Despite this, there was still doubt about a second season. Gaiman explained that part of the reason for the delay was because of the cost to produce it.

Gaiman also explained that part of the “data harvesting” Netflix do involves completion rate. This means how quickly viewers finish a series is a factor. “Bingeable” series, like the various reality or game shows, that are designed to be watched in one sitting, is looked at more favourably. This is likely a huge factor in why 1899 was not renewed, as although it was popular, its slow and thoughtful story is not designed for watching in one sitting.

To Be Continued?

Netflix has lost its reputation slightly in recent years, with many feeling that its price increase and cracking down on password sharing are not justified because so many shows are cancelled. Its approach of making several shows and hoping one goes viral appears to be wearing thin. While Disney+ has some massive IPs to work with, Amazon is willing to take a chance on more of its catalogue. Netflix has made some monster hits worth paying for, but with the likes of Stranger Things and The Umbrella Academy in their final seasons, they might have to work hard to find their next big hit.

Also Read: The New Hollywood: Streaming Giants

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Today we’ll look at two factors (advertising and consolidation) that could in the future make streaming resemble the old cable television model.

Ads Will End In…

Streaming services supported by adverts are nothing new. Think of the likes of FreeVee, ITVHub, All4, Pluto TV, YouTube, etc., or the value apps available on smart TV sticks. But surprisingly big streaming players like Netflix are now moving to include a subscription tier on their service that allows you to watch their content for cheaper with adverts. Will audiences accept this shift?

Well, commercial advert-supported services like All4 and ITVHub have a firm foothold in the UK. According to an early 2022 Ofcom survey 45% of online adults/teens aged 13+ had used ITVHub/STV Player and 41% had used All4 in the past 3 months to watch films/tv shows. Outperforming all major SVoD brands except for Amazon Prime and Netflix. The BFI 2021 Statistical Yearbook also showed 31% of UK households using ITVHub and 22% using All4. So adverts don’t necessarily hinder viewer interest.

However, surveys like this one from Morning Consult indicate that a majority of streaming audiences hate this idea. Would this stop people from taking up Netflix’s advertiser-friendly model? Would advertising be seen as more egregious if introduced to a previously ad-free service? Possibly but in the midst of a cost of living crisis, the cheaper advertising-friendly option may prove very attractive.

And Then There Were Fewer

Advertising isn’t the only way streaming is starting to resemble cable TV. Warner Bros Discovery’s boss David Zaslav has announced the plan to merge HBO Max and Discovery+ into one platform in 2023. Consolidating Warner’s streaming service approach. With the aim of reaching around 130 million subscribers by 2025. A bigger market share than what HBO Max and Discovery+ currently have.

With all of Warner’s media available in one place, this move will undoubtedly provide convenience for potential customers. And the consolidation of technology assets could provide a better quality experience.

However, this merger of different streaming services into a single package resembles how media conglomerates consolidated the number of TV stations they owned which meant cable customers had to have specific network subscriptions in order to get what they wanted. If this move is taken up by other conglomerates it could have bad consequences for consumers as customers will be forced to pay for multiple services to access everything they want. It will mean less major media released on third-party services. Many companies would rather retain their projects as a selling point for their service. And if consolidated services gain market power due to their content access they could begin raising prices as they won’t have to worry about competing with rival services.

The New Cable TV?  

With the success of advert-supported streaming services, the adoption of adverts by already established companies and the consolidation of streaming services owned by bigger companies the streaming market is slowly starting to resemble that of cable TV. These measures are undoubtedly being done to make these businesses more profitable and to increase their hold on the streaming market. And it does offer some benefits to consumers in terms of convenience. But it’s also driving customer-unfriendly practices. Ultimately we shall have to see how audiences react to these changes to see if streaming ends up becoming just like its predecessor.

Also Read: The New Hollywood: Streaming Giants

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Christmas Classic: How The Grinch Stole Christmas

If by chance this modern classic isn’t a fixture of your Bluray collection then you can catch it on Netflix. It isn’t the best adaptation of Dr. Suess’ story but this update of the Grinch still holds up today. With great commentary on consumerism, fantastic set design, and two great lead performances from Jim Carrey and Taylor Momsen.

Family: Paddington

Paddington is the perfect film to warm you up on these cold nights. Following the eponymous bear as he moves in with the Brown family and is hunted by Millicent (Nicole Kidman) this movie is some of the purest, good-natured fun to have been released in the last decade. There’s a lovable character at its centre (Ben Whishaw provides Paddington’s beautiful voice), pitch-perfect comedic timing, inventive set-pieces, and a heartwarming message about taking care of those in need no matter where they come from. Paddington is a good-natured pallet cleanser for all the cynicism of modern filmmaking. 

Drama: Boiling Point

No film captures the intensity of working in a restaurant during the Christmas run-up better than Boiling Point. Clashes with customers, interpersonal team drama, and personal issues intruding into work play out brilliantly and flowingly in this extraordinary drama shot entirely in one take. It will definitely give everyone a newfound appreciation for what hospitality workers have to put up with.

Animation: Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio

This hotly anticipated stop-motion reimagining of Carlo Collodi’s classic tale of a wooden puppet who wants to be a real boy from horror master Guillermo del Toro and stop-motion mainstay Mark Gustafson does not disappoint. The stop-motion is a marvel, the voice acting is outstanding and it takes the classic tale in interesting new directions. Plus its central exploration of family, faith, and how fascism perverts them makes for perfect viewing right now.

Romance: I Believe in Santa (14th December)

Sometimes we all want a bit of festive cheese. I Believe in Santa focuses on a woman (Christina Moore) who has to come to terms with the fact that her partner (John Ducey) is obsessed with her least favourite holiday, Christmas. And still believes in Santa. Undoubtedly the film will be sickeningly saccharin but hey, occasionally we all need a bit of Christmas schlock.

Mystery: Knives Out & Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (23rd December)

Finally, for those who love watching a mystery tale during the holidays, you’re in luck. Both Knives Out and its sequel Glass Onion will be arriving on Netflix just in time for Christmas. Both movies revolve around unconventional mysteries being investigated by Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc. Rian Johnson’s series (Netflix has ordered another sequel) revels in the genre’s trappings and not only subverts what’s expected but updates the genre in very satisfying ways. And both films feature great performances from absurdly talented casts. Please give them a watch so we can encourage Johnson and Craig to make as many sequels as they want.

That does it for our seasonal Netflix recommendations. We hope our suggestions provide some enjoyment for you. Please feel free to recommend anything we should add to our watchlist. And from our family to yours we hope you all have a Happy Christmas and a wonderful New Year.

Also Read: Best Christmas Movies of the Past Decade

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Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy changed Hollywood and popular culture when it was released, a hugely successful set of films film with the budget and technology to bring to life the impossible scenes from the books. Fantasy was undeniably a big deal. When Games of Thrones started it was seen by many as television’s attempt at Lord of the Rings and again was a huge critical and commercial success. House of the Dragon (a prequel to Game of Thrones) is said to have a budget of $20,000,000 per episode, but even that is dwarfed by the budget of The Rings of Power (another prequel) at $57,000,000 for each episode. Looking at some of 2021’s biggest budget films – The Last Duel = $100,000,000, Godzilla vs King Kong= $155,000,000, Dune =$165,000,000 and Spider-Man: No Way Home= $200,000,000, with ten episodes House of the Dragon equals Spider-Man and none come close to The Rings of Power. Money has long been the stumbling block for ambitious tv shows – Game of Thrones skipped a major battle in Season 1 because of the cost, increasingly the BBC has partnered up with HBO and others to help pay for the expensive shows viewers want. And without a doubt, television can get the very best in talent and whilst this has been true for many years it often meant making smaller but more interesting projects, now you can make blockbusters.

Is Fantasy Television Good?

The reaction to House of the Dragon has been very positive. The finale of season 8 of Game of Thrones was so disappointing, for many there was a lot of pressure to make this good. People have praised the performances and script, the lavish sets and costumes…the dragons. The Rings of Power‘s success has been harder to determine with claims of review-bombing and, on the other side, stories of Amazon paying for good press and tinkering with their rating system. Amazon have already signed off on Season 2 and with the staggering sums of money involved in buying the rights, they will want a big return. I am a big fan of House of the Dragon but having not watched The Rings of Power can only say that anecdotally most comments I’ve seen are tentatively positive but they have notes.

The Wheel of Time is generally considered a bit of an expensive failure, The Sandman was a critical success and popular with fans it perhaps didn’t have as broad an appeal to justify the expense (that might be a business point of view, personally I want ten more seasons). The Witcher was received well. Dungeons and Dragons-inspired show The Legend of Vox Machina has a perfect critic score on Rotten Tomatoes and 93% audience score

Clearly, there is an audience for fantasy television and they can be big hits but they also come with a lot of risks. Creating any quality television is expensive, Breaking Bad reportedly cost $3,000,000 per episode and it had zero dragons when you factor in many of the additional costs of creating epic fantasy: huge armies, eye-wateringly expensive sets, and, of course, dragons, the cost is raised dramatically. There is seemingly a boom in fantasy television and I would imagine it will calm down in the coming years but I think big-budget fantasy television will persist for a long time.

Also Read: Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The New Game of Thrones?

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The Plot

The main character is Dream, one of the Endless (akin to gods), who has responsibility over dreams. A pale, dour and very gothic figure Dream travels to Earth from his own realm to hunt down a creature escaped from nightmares but whilst on Earth he is trapped by a magic ritual gone wrong. In Dream’s absence his realm goes to ruin and people become sick from his absence, being unable to sleep at all or never waking up. When Dream finally escapes he goes on a mission to rebuild his realm and reclaim the powerful items that were stolen from him.

Behind The Scenes

The driving force behind the show is the triumvirate of Neil Gaiman, David S. Goyer and showrunner Allen Heinberg. Obviously, Gaiman is the creator of the material as well as being the main writer and executive producer, Goyer another executive producer who seemed to do a lot of work getting the show made in the first place. Goyer’s most famous credit is probably as the screenwriter on Christopher Nolan‘s Dark Knight trilogy. Allen Heinberg has worked on numerous tv and film projects, most notably as the screenwriter for Wonder Woman.

In Front of the Camera

The Sandman has a big cast. Part of the specialness of the graphic novels was to make characters of great forces of nature and archetypical concepts and to have them be everywhere so there are many important characters who are only in the story for a short while. The graphic novels and show are bursting with mythical, religious, supernatural beings and unusual people.

The central character is clearly Dream played by Tom Sturridge who gives as brooding performance as possible, which is only right for one of the quintessential brooding characters. The graphic novels are said to have given inspiration to a generation of goths and dramatic displays of sadness.

The wonderful Boyd Holbrook plays The Corinthian, the nightmare who escaped from dreams and runs amok in the mortal world. The Corinthian is a clever, wily and manipulative creature, doing whatever he can to keep Dream from catching him and sending him back. Holbrook is best known for his role in Netflix drama Narcos and as one of the main villains in Logan.

Patton Oswalt was the first actor to join the show and was cast as the voice of Matthew the Raven, a companion to Dream. Patton Oswalt has been an extremely successful comedian and actor for many years as well as being one of the god-tier celebrity nerds (see his apparently adlibbed Marvel script rant in Parks and Recreation).

Then on top of these people, we have Charles Dance as Roderick Burgess, the magus who captures Dream, Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer Morningstar, Vivienne Acheampong as Lucienne, the librarian of Dream’s realm, and it goes on and on with great actors appearing only briefly.

Does It Work?

Since its release people have talked about adapting The Sandman and more than one person – including current showrunner Allan Heinberg – has said it was unfilmable. In numerous ways, it doesn’t follow a straightforward plot and is exceptionally weird. Fans of Neil Gaiman’s work will especially love this adaptation but it is a great, peculiar tv drama for anyone. As with all beloved books that are adapted not every fan will be on board, for some their love for the original will prevent them from taking to the new version. From others, there have been social media mutterings and complaints about “woke” casting choices for which Neil Gaiman has been mercilessly dismissive of.

The show has an unusual epic scale as much of its grandeur takes place in a world of dreams but nevertheless few programmes have dared work on this scale. This scale is apparent in the sets, the themes and the sheer number of characters who would be deserving of their own series, like Johanna Constantine, the tough exorcist and demon fighter.

The Sandman might not be for everyone. It is an unusual show and is taking some big swings and as such, there is a risk of things not working but for many, it is the show they have been waiting decades for.

Also Read: Netflix and The Science of Recommendations

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Is Netflix Dying?

Netflix isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. They have reportedly lost subscribers in recent months though. After a record year in 2020, they have steadily lost subscribers throughout 2022. This boom is likely due to the pandemic when many people were forced inside and had lots of time to watch Netflix. As life slowly starts to return to some sort of normal, those subscribers would naturally drop off.

But some of those losses are long-term subscribers, losing around 200,000 in the first quarter of 2022 (increasing to 970,000 in Q2 of 2022). There could be several reasons why longtime subscribers have left. Like other streaming services like Disney+ and Paramount+, Netflix has lost content. Previously these companies would sell their content to Netflix but have now decided to host it on their own services instead. This has led to some big shows and movies that have left for other streaming homes. In response, Netflix has invested in its own original content and has found huge success with shows like Squid Game, Bridgerton, The Umbrella Academy and of course Stranger Things.

While these shows and others are incredibly popular, Netflix has a habit of cancelling its original shows. It’s almost a running joke that shows never last more than three seasons. Popular shows like Santa Clarita Diet, Daredevil and GLOW, were all big hitters for the streamer, but only lasted three seasons. In the case of GLOW, it actually was renewed, but the fourth season was cancelled due to the pandemic. Many viewers find it difficult to get invested in a show that is likely to be cancelled, and as shows viewers were invested in they have likely used the service less.

Could Live Content Help?

Netflix is reportedly looking at offering some live content. It would be for its unscripted and stand-up content. For stand-up, they would be able to live-stream them, potentially bringing back their “Netflix is a Joke” comedy festival. Perhaps this could extend beyond stand-up, with a show similar to Saturday Night Live. They could also host their post-season talk shows, such as Beyond Stranger Things and the various Afterparty specials. Hosting these live would make the show more of an event, with viewers wanting to finish the series before the afterparty. A live event would also mean that viewers could send in questions, with the potential to answer them on the show.

The other format that could benefit from live broadcasts is reality shows. Netflix has a variety of them, such as Selling Sunset and Too Hot to Handle. The main way these shows could benefit is from audience voting. Many reality shows that air on regular television feature votes for who stays in the competition or does a challenge. Netflix adopting this model could really benefit their shows, especially if it could be done via Netflix itself. Taking a queue from its interactive titles like Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, could easily allow viewers to vote for their favourites and chart engagement.

Ironically, one of the selling points for Netflix was that it was on an individual’s schedule. Viewers no longer had to wait until their favourite show came on, they could just watch it, whole seasons at a time if they wished. Now things are almost coming full circle with Netflix looking at live content. With so many streaming services it is almost like having to buy various TV packages again. Who knows what the future holds?

Also Read: Paramount+ Comes To The UK

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Social Media

Episodes: Nosedive, Smithereens, Hated In The Nation

Smithereens focuses on someone who blames social media for ruining his life, with the fact that it is designed to make you addicted to its notifications distracting him and causing a terrible accident. Nosedive takes place in a society where an app allows people to rate every interaction and so each person has a rating, and heaven helps those with a bad rating. The problems of social media have gone far beyond it being an irresistible distraction with misinformation easily spread across the world in seconds, comments sections becoming an exceptionally vicious battlefield in the culture war and seemingly millions of trolls/bots inciting hatred and violence. Nosedive felt very much like a glimpse into the near future but things have already moved on. Social media continues to evolve at breakneck speed and will TikTok or NFTs be the next target of the show.

Technology That Gives You What You Want

The Entire History Of You, Be Right Back, White Christmas, Arkangel

A lesson to be learned from Black Mirror is you should think through what technology will do and what it will change. The Entire History Of You has seemingly replaced fallible human memory with a perfect storage system which can even be rewatched. This sounds great…until someone wants to see your memories. White Christmas envisions an AI assistant who can get everything perfectly right for you…this is because a version of your mind is extracted and is the AI. A real-life technology like CRISPR, the ability to edit your genes, already seems like a sci-fi dystopia waiting to happen.

The Nice Ones

Episodes: San Junipero, Hang The DJ, Striking Vipers

It is easy to forget that new technology and culture will not simply lead to awfulness and has done, and will continue to do, amazing things. San Junipero envisions a virtual reality existence of hopping between different time periods, meeting people and enjoying life, giving experiences to those who could be denied them for any number of reasons. Hang The DJ lets us take the perspective of the inner workings of a dating app working out its very reliable predictions. For much of San Junipero and Hang The DJ the audience is waiting for the horror to start, for the VR world to turn against those inside, or for what we see in Hang The DJ is really some awful social experiment. Going forward there is much to be enthusiastic for in terms of technology and Brooker has said he wanted more positive and optimistic stories.

The real issue is there will always be new technology and culture that will impact on society but does Black Mirror still capture the zeitgeist. The show started in 2011 and in terms of being on the cutting edge of culture that is a very long time. Charlie Brooker, and the other writers, will still make great episodes but Black Mirror wasn’t just an entertaining show, it felt bang up to date on what was going on in the world and this will become increasingly difficult. As mentioned Charlie Brooker has talked about how the pandemic has made him uncomfortable writing stories about the collapse of societies and so perhaps we will have a brighter Black Mirror.

Also Read: Top 5 Black Mirror Episodes

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