Tag: Netflix

The Stranger–or Estranged

Written by Diana Paul on March 25, 2020. Posted in movie reviews. No Comments on The Stranger–or Estranged

Another series to binge during this C-virus pandemic is Netflix’s The Stranger. Produced by Harlan Coben and based on his novel of the same name, this newly released British series opens with a teenage drug fest complete with bonfire and more than a few hints of mayhem. Part mystery, but most of all, family drama especially between fathers and their children, The Stranger quickly turns seemingly content lives into ones festering with secrets. Adam Price (Richard Armitage), one of several main and deeply flawed characters, is approached by a beautiful stranger (Hannah...

Knock Down the House—A Remodel is Needed

Written by diana on December 20, 2019. Posted in movie reviews, Unhealed Wound. No Comments on Knock Down the House—A Remodel is Needed

This investigative journalistic documentary invites the viewer to take a closer look at four committed women who ran for Congress in 2018: Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Cori Bush of Maryland, Paula Jean Swearengin of West Virginia, and Amy Vilela of Nevada. First and foremost, however, Knock Down the House is AOC’s story. The former bartender from the Bronx turned first-time congresswoman needs no introduction. Because of director Rachel Lears’s early access to the four Congressional candidates, she and her camera have been...

La Mante–The Praying Mantis

Written by diana on July 24, 2018. Posted in movie reviews. 4 Comments on La Mante–The Praying Mantis

This must-see French suspense thriller focuses on an imprisoned female serial killer, recruited to help solve a string of copycat murders, but only if her son, Damien, now a policeman, works with her on the case. The mother is nicknamed “La Mante”, the praying mantis. First, it may be helpful to understand the biological nature of the praying mantis: the female camouflages herself and often ambushes the males and eats them live. The levels of tension just increase from the beginning till the end as the viewer watches the stalking and the violent killing. All victims in La Mante...

“The Gift”–Nothing is Free

Written by diana on June 25, 2018. Posted in movie reviews. 2 Comments on “The Gift”–Nothing is Free

The Gift is a 2015 American-Australian psychological thriller written, co-produced, and directed by Joel Edgerton (Academy Award nominated for his role in “Loving”). This is his directorial debut, and it is a winner! Darkly unnerving, The Gift first conveys a vibe of horror, but then the narrative moves in the direction of “Fatal Attraction”, with a deft maneuvering of plot, character, style, and tone. No blood or gore, but a heart-pounding series of scenes without a stewed rabbit. The film stars Jason Bateman (of “Ozark” and “Arrested Development”...

My Top 19 Movies and TV Series for 2017

Written by diana on January 18, 2018. Posted in movie reviews, Television reviews. 8 Comments on My Top 19 Movies and TV Series for 2017

Here are the reviews I wrote this year with the criteria that they were available online or were at local movie theaters, although not necessarily widely distributed. Of the 45 reviews, here are my favorites. It was much more difficult than in past years, since this year was absolutely stunning as was 2016. Both television and cinema have continued to produce phenomenal story-telling. The following list is not ranked, only grouped by genre. I could not limit my choices to only 10. INDIES and FOREIGN CINEMA 1) “Three Billboards Outside Ebbings, Missouri”: A BOLO for Justice”...

The Staircase–A Fall to the Bottom

Written by diana on October 30, 2017. Posted in movie reviews, Television reviews. 4 Comments on The Staircase–A Fall to the Bottom

The Staircase, about a cold case murder that is resurrected again and again, is a crime thriller rivaling James Patterson. Filmed by Academy Award-winning French filmmaker Jean-Xavier de Lestrade, we see a gripping courtroom drama, offering an intimate look at a high-profile murder trial and the family of the accused. Reminiscent of the groundbreaking “reality” series, An American Family, from the seventies, author Michael Peterson is arraigned for the 2001 murder of his second wife, Kathleen, whose body was discovered lying in a pool of blood on the stairway of their Durham,...