A cynical young woman in New York City keeps dying and returning to the party that’s being thrown in her honor on that same evening. She tries to find a way out of this strange time loop.

Absolutely delicious dark comedy with a time loop, but this time the day doesn’t repeat, but the main character is being “reset” to the same moment, her birthday party. Natasha Lyonne does a great job in creating this and playing Nadia. It’s quirky, funny and will keep you glued to the screen. Five popcorns.

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Seven unique character-driven stories. Each character will set off on a thrilling adventure in an uncertain future and they’ll come to reckon that even during our most isolated moments, we are all connected through the human experience.

Each episode is a self-contained cyberpunk futuristic story. Some are good, some are inherently bad, but there are some little gems in there, reminding me a bit of Black Mirror, albeit at a more philosophical level. It’s lovely to see an anthology slow down, almost to a halt, and give half hour one-man performances in an enclosed space. This is not TV, this is theater with visual effects.

I also loved how all episodes are connected with splices of information, setting them all in the same universe. Five popcorns, in total, but check the review for each episode., as each will tell its own story and is worth the time.

Episode 1: Leah

What starts like a quirky, annoying one-person expression turns into a layered multi-performance where Anne Hathaway meddles with time travel and temporal anomalies. It’s a heartfelt story that mixes causality and drama. Three popcorns.

Episode 2: Tom

Anthony Mackie does a good job carrying this episode where he picks up one role from two points of view, giving a strong performance in telling a story with raw emotion. Four popcorns.

Episode 3: Peg

Peg is floating in space in a small craft and she’s recalling pieces of her life and telling us the story of her life. Played masterfully by an always-excellent Helen Mirren, it’s amazing how she can be an old woman and talk about nostalgia of things that happen in current times. Four popcorns.

Episode 4: Sasha

This episode features the fantastic Uzo Aduba jumping from a state of mind to the other, in the aftermath of a virus epidemic. Reminding us a lot of the way that Covid shook us all up back in 2020, it brings strong callbacks to the lockdown mental hardships. Fear, paranoia, anger, all blend in a strong performance from Uzo, four popcorns, and the series seems to approach an interesting attitude.

Episode 5: Jenny

Ever got stuck in a waiting room, counting the seconds, hanging on to every possible thought, just to make the time pass differently? That’s what happens here and this episode is a bit harder to watch, with Constance Wu playing one of the hardest characters out there: a regular normal being, with problems, wished desires and an entire range of emotions. And she does her monologue with absolute craft. Five popcorns.

Two snotty humans, just hurting.

Episode 6: Nera

Dutch angles make this episode an uncomfortable one to watch, and I loved the classic thriller-like tension. Not jump-scares, but that constant feeling that something’s off really keeps you at the edge of the seat. This is not theater anymore, this is straight up Twilight Zone. Three popcorns, because I think it had a lot more to give.

Episode 7: Stuart

Seeing Gordon Freeman Morgan Freeman drop some Kanye bars was something I didn’t have on my bingo card for this series, and the ending episode of the anthology strikes some hard going strings and makes this an absolute banger. Morgan Freeman is as legendary as always, and Dan Stevens (who also played David Haller in Legion) is the perfect companion for this emotional rollercoaster. Five popcorns.

An innocent lamb learns about life and death when he seeks revenge upon the wolf who slaughtered his mother.

What starts as a family Japanese cartoon turns into a dark and violent story that criticizes and reflects upon the theme of revenge and war. The music is absolutely sublime and the way the story of Chirin unfolds is a masterpiece. Among other animated features, it is most like Bambi, but like if Bambi killed the hunter, and made lots of erudite speeches about how you have to be cruel to face life’s cruelty. Six popcorns.

PS: Just as with any other anime, watch it with the Japanese voice and subtitles, the English one is not as powerful.

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Follows a legacy Hollywood movie studio striving to survive in a world where it is increasingly difficult for art and business to live together.

It’s easy to play an idiot when you’re an idiot yourself. Seth Rogen basically plays himself in this absolutely hilarious comedy, filled with A-listers and great cinematography. Another smash hit from Apple TV.

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Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, the Fantastic Four must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus and his enigmatic herald, the Silver Surfer.

Marvel got their mojo back with this reboot of the Fantastic Four franchise, and Phase Six of the MCU kicks off pretty well. Well-made, with good effects and an interesting enough story, and a lovely 1960s-inspired retrofuturistic world. All in all, five popcorns!

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Thinking this will prevent war, the US government gives an impenetrable supercomputer total control over launching nuclear missiles. But what the computer does with the power is unimaginable to its creators.

I guess by now everyone is familiar with the story from the Terminator movies. Well, this is basically how Skynet is created. I loved the setting of it, the retro-futurism and while this is made at the start of the 70s, it also has that 60s artistic vibe, reminding me of Dr. Strangelove. Directed by Joseph Sargent (who also directed the original “Taking of Pelham 123”), and starring Eric Braeden in the main role (YES, Victor Newman from “The Young and the Restless” - where he starred in 4346 episodes so far) makes this a great old school watch. Six popcorns and it goes into the Movie Vault.

We can coexist, but only on my terms. You will say you will lose your freedom, freedom is an illusion.

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Based on the true life experiences of poet Jimmy Santiago Baca, the film focuses on step-brothers Paco and Cruz, and their bi-racial cousin Miklo.

Epic movie spanning over 15 years, telling the storyy of three guys from the neighbourhood and their paths in life. Six popcorns and it goes into the Movie Vault.

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One of the most renowned card magicians of all time, Richard Turner astounds audiences around the world with his legendary sleight of hand. What they may not even realize—and what makes his achievements all the more amazing—is that he is completely blind. Charting Turner’s colorful life from his tumultuous childhood to the present, Dealt reveals how through determination and force of will, he overcame seemingly insurmountable obstacles to rise to the top of his profession. It’s both a tantalizing, up-close look at the secretive world of magic and a candid, awe-inspiring portrait of a man who lives beyond his limitations.

Sixty-two year old Richard Turner is renowned as one of the world’s greatest card magicians, yet he is completely blind. This is an in-depth look at a complex character who is one of magic’s greatest hidden treasures. A good story about stubbornness and living with your limitations. Five popcorns.

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Littlefinger (Spriditis) is having a hard time living with the evil stepmother and despite his grandmother’s and Lienite’s attempts to dissuade him, he goes out into the world to find happiness.

Nice little story based on the Tom Thumb folklore story and because it’s made in the Soviet Union in the 80s, it reminds me of the Romanian movies that I saw growing up, where the little hero outsmarts everyone and makes everything possible. Lovely recommendation from Liga, it just took me a lot of time to find the movie in a good quality and with the original sound and some English subtitles, you can just get a free 7 days trial and watch it here. Five popcorns and it goes into the Movie Vault.

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A wildlife officer helps an FBI agent investigate a murder on an American Indian reservation.

Slow progressing movie in the start, really picks up in the second half, unfolding a story behind the mysterious death of a young woman found in the snow. While the acting is nothing to write home about, Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen are okay, but what I enjoyed was seeing Graham Greene in another role, as he passed away this September. The sountrack is also very well made, in tone with the movie.

Four popcorns.

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A confident young cop is shown the ropes by a veteran partner in the dangerous gang-controlled barrios of L.A. about to explode in violence in this look at the gang culture enforced by the colors that members wear.

Excellent movie about the gang wars in Los Angeles, credited as the movie that brought the war to the mainstream. Directed by Dennis Hopper, with Sean Penn and Robert Duvall in great roles and supported by Don Cheadle, Trinidad Silva, even Damon Wayans, this is a great insight into the gangbagers culture. Six popcorns and goes into the Movie Vault.

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A young English boy struggles to survive under Japanese occupation of China during World War II.

This is one of the first movies of Christian Bale and it’s also one of his best. This is not an overstatement, as I consider this movie to be one of Steven Spierlberg’s best, which says a lot. There are also appearances by John Malkovich, Miranda Richardson, Joe Pantoliano, Masato Ibu, Peter Gale and even an appearance of Ben Stiller, but Bale manages to steal the show. Seven popcorns and goes into the Movie Vault.

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