Month: February 2022

It doesn’t happen very often that a teenage son asks to hunker down with his mom to watch a movie so when the ask is made I can guarantee mom will be willing to watch almost anything. And that’s the story of how this skittish mom got roped into watching the psychological thriller, Shutter Island.

I’m a fan of Leonardo DiCaprio, whish is probably why I agreed to watch a film I avoided when it first came out because I found the trailer to be quite disconcerting. Nevertheless, the other night I hit play on this film thinking how scary could mark Ruffalo be, really? The answer is not so much creepy but plenty creepy, enough to have me ducking behind my blanket.

The story follows two U.S. Marshals (DiCaprio and Ruffalo) investigating a prisoner escape from a well-known mental hospital for the criminally insane. The duo arrives and begins to question staff but everyone seems to have the same, well-rehearsed version of events. As DiCaprio’s Ted Daniels, scours the institute from the inside out he begins to grow deeply suspicious of the facilities lead psychiatrist, Dr. John Cawley (Ben Kingsley).

Ted struggles to make sense of the details of the case as he battles his own inner demons. The closer he gets to solving the case the further his grasp on reality slips. His partner, Chuck (Ruffalo) is aware of Ted’s struggles but the longer the stay on the island the more it seems that Chuck is playing both sides against each other.

Ted’s investigation into the disappearance of the inmate is also hampered by his personal obsession with finding the man he holds responsible for the death of his wife. That man is rumored to be held in the very same mental facility. As the two investigations merge no one, not Ted nor the audience, can decipher what is real and what is imagined.

Martin Scorsese directed this period thriller/drama, which was released at the Berlin Film Festival to critical acclaim. The film went on to be Scorsese’s biggest box office hit ever, debuting at number one. Critics and fans alike praised the film’s smart plot and expert timing that built in tension and drama without crossing over to being campy.

Shutter Island remains one of the top flicks of it’s genre and was plenty tense enough for this mama and her boy. Check out this gem on Netflix now.

We’ve all heard the saying that air travel is way safer than any other types of travel – including traveling by car. There is a hard earned reputation in the airline industry for safety and adherence to regulations. Sure, there have been marks that have tarnished this reputation, but those have been largely short-lived scandals. All in, most folks have bought into the idea that safety is top priority – but what if it isn’t?

In the opening scenes of Downfall: The Case Against Boeing the question is brought forth, is safety truly top priority? The following narrative is the widow of a pilot who shares her story of disbelief upon hearing the news that her husband’s flight crashed, killing nearly 200 people. The story was quickly spun that the pilot’s were to fault due to airline incompetence in training their staff. Never once was the functionality of the Boeing plane questioned.

The first shift in focus to the cause of the crash came when the black box was found. The data showed that there was false warnings and inconsistent readings logged by the electronics on board. The messaging from the black box was puzzling but Boeing held the line that the pilot and crew were not qualified to adequately navigate electronic glitches.

When a second Boeing 737 MAX crashed less than six months later, it became evident that there could be an underlying issue with the aircraft. Boeing had worked hard, behind the scene, for months to maintain the image of safety when in actuality Boeing had not given pilots all the necessary information on the new 737 series. This wasn’t an oversight, it was a deliberate move on the manufacturers part.

Through interviews with journalists, family members of survivors and former airline industry employees the story of the failings of the aircraft unfolds. What began as a tragedy morphed into an investigation and counter-investigation that resulted in a hearings and a grounding of all 737 planes for nearly two years.

Director, Rory Kennedy, has built an interesting tale guided by the highest journalistic integrity while holding the humanity and grief of the tragedies of these crashes. His narrative revolves around responsibility and honesty without sensationalizing the trauma, largely with the help of Wall Street Journal journalist, Andy Pasztor, framing the narrative with his thoughts on the investigation.

Downfall was released in January 2022 to critical success. Not only is the documentary well-paced and informative but it is provides a compelling narrative that questions the values of capitalism in the face of devastating human tragedy. Be sure to view it now on Netflix.

What is unfolding in Ukraine is not new to the people of that nation. They have lived in the tension of oppression and under the threat of invasion for years. They have struggled for freedom, in the shadow of Russia for generation. Winter on Fire is just one story of resistance and struggling within Ukraine.

This documentary opens with a brief overview of the history of Ukraine from the moment they declared sovereignty in 1991 to the winter of 2013, when the nation rose in solidarity and in hopes of true freedom. For 93 days, protesters stood in the heart of Kviv, demanding freedom and drawing the yes of the world to the precarious exostence the people of Ukraine had endured for decades.

This demonstration wasn’t about politics, it was about honesty, transparency and a hope for a stable future. This hope rested in the idea of European integration for Ukraine. The people of Ukraine had long resisted the yoke of Russian tyranny and were looking to finally cement themselves as part of Europe and apart from Russia.

Winter of Fire captures the heart of the movement through film footage from those on the ground in the early days of the movement. Woven throughout the film footage are interviews with journalists, artists, students and average folks who uphold the values of a re-imagined Ukraine. Despite opposition from riot police and the military, the people held their ground and raised their voices.

As Russia currently executes a military invasion, the cry of the people of Ukraine remains the same. Safety. Freedom. Sanctity of life. Evgeny Afineevsky, the director of Winter of Fire, has recently spoken out about the continued relevance of his film and the danger of Putin’s disregard for life and safety. In various interviews, Afineevsky heralds the resiliency of the Ukrainian spirit and upholds their right to join the EU and find safety as a sovereign nation.

Winter of Fire is available now on Netflix, both in Canada and in Ukraine, where the streaming service recently launched. Check out the documentary to better understand the Ukrainian struggle for independence.

There are quiet a few ‘I remember when’ moments in my generation but none so inexplicitly sad as hearing the news that Princess Diana had died. We had all been following the saga of Prince Charles and Princess Diana from the moment their courtship began.

I was a very young child when they got married but I still remember gathering around the television to watch her walk into the church, and down the long aisle, in that gorgeous fairy tale dress to marry her prince. As a teen I saw the tabloid reports of affairs, mental health struggles and the eventual divorce. And then the princess re-invented herself and we all rooted for her.

Until the news broke that she had died suddenly in a car accident in France, after being chased by the paparazzi. Princess Diana was gone, a nation led the world in mourning. And the Royal Family was once more tossed into the limelight of scandal. The Queen is the retelling of those tragic days following Diana’s death and how Queen Elizabeth came to terms with her every shifting role as leader of the nation.

Written by prolific screen writer, Peter Morgan, The Queen explores Elizabeth’s education of how the monarchy must change in modern times. Helen Mirren does a beautiful job depicting the humanity and duty of Queen Elizabeth and how those tow forces can sometimes be at odds. James Cromwell as the quintessential Prince Philip is the perfect partner and counter-balance to Mirren’s Queen.

The other two major players in this drama are Michael Sheen and Helen McCrory as the Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife Cherie. The youth, vitality and modern approach to government that the Blairs bring are in stark contrast to the established way of the monarchy. As both British leaders attempt to navigate such a substantial loss for the nation and for the family, there is a felt tension between the old and the new.

While this is a fictionalized telling of true events, The Queen brings out heart, humanity and the struggle to understand ones place in the world during shifting times. It is as interesting as it is emotional and remains one of my favourite flicks to return to time and again. Be sure to brew a cuppa and watch The Queen, streaming now on Netflix.

I think my affection for British dramas are well known by now so it should come as no surprise that I am head over heels for Peaky Blinders. I’ll admit, it took me some time to come to it but now that I am in, I am all in. My son has been a raving fan for years and after settling into season one I can totally understand why.

This period drama is loosely based on a gang established in 1890s in Birmingham, England. The show picks up following the First World War when the Shelby crime family has caught the attention of a police detective who moved to Birmingham freshly off a victory against the Irish republican Army. The Shelbys being of Iris-Romani descent she this new dectective’s interference as a personal affront.

Through five seasons we see the Peaky Blinders react and survive through major historic events, some of their own making, in their hometown. The family’s influence grows and shifts through the seasons as new members join the organization and the control of long-standing members is challenged. In the midst of the power struggle, the police continue to apply pressure from outside the organization.

There are so many unique and unexpected elements that makes this drama so compelling. The first thing that is evident is the cast is ridiculously talented. Traditionally, this would be described as an ensemble cast but I feel like this particular group of artists should be known as a constellation cast because these is a collection of stars working together to create a bit of magic. Cillian Murphy, Helen McCrory, Paul Anderson, Sam Neill, Adrian Brody, Anya-Taylor Joy and Tom Hardy are just a handful of the heavy hitters who fill out this cast.

The cast is reason enough to check Peaky Blinders out but as soon as you tune in you will see another huge contributing factor to the success of this series. It is visually stunning. The sets, the lighting, the camera work and the costumes all conspire to transport the viewer into the world of the Blinders. There is not a detail left to chance as the show runners have worked tirelessly to build in an authenticity to the elements that build the world of 1920s Birmingham.

Peaky Blinders debuted to wide spread critical success. The writing has been sharp from the start and the characters are fleshed out with believable relationships and back stories. There is a sense of authenticity in the world series creator, Steven Knight, has constructed and that authenticity has remained constant through all five seasons.

On February 20, 2022, Netflix confirmed there will be a 6th season of the popular series but it will be the final season. Show runners have not ruled out the possibility of a spin-off film to carry on the story of the Shelby family.

Check out the first five seasons on Netflix now.

A crime occurs. It is reported. Evidence is collected. The victim tells their story and the guilty is punished. That’s how it is supposed to go but what happens when doubt is cast on the victim and the investigators have deep biases that have gone unchecked? What happens when the narrative is flipped and the truth is lost in the mix? This is the remarkable true story that unfolds in Netflix’s limited series, Unbelievable.

In 2008, a Washington State teen reports a rape that occurred in her apartment. Police arrive on the scene and begin asking questions. More police follow with more questions. The teen is then transported to the hospital for a physical examination and more questions. At the same time, the teen’s former foster mother casts doubt on the girl’s claim of rape to the police.

Based on the Pulitzer Prize winning article, and subsequent book, by T. Christian Miller and Ken Armstrong, Unbelievable tells the strange but true story of serial rape cases that terrorized the residents of Washington and Colorado from 2008-2015. The article and book come from a collaboration between the two authors, each working for separate non-profit organizations that were reporting on failures of police in handling rape cases.

As this story was developed into a limited series for Netflix, a string of notable writers and producers jumped on board to see this project through. In short order, Toni Collette, Merritt Wever and Kaitlyn Dever were cast as the leads and were tasked with the job of bringing the lead detectives and key witness/victim to life.

Unbelievable was nominated for a slew of awards for the writing, production and lead acting in the series. In the end the series took home a prestigious Peabody Award and a Best Supporting Award for Toni Collette.

The series is well done and explores some difficult and fascinating themes in justice and law enforcement. It is thought provoking and asks the viewer to challenge their own biases. Watch Unbelievable now on Netflix.

I developed a not-so-secret obsession over the pandemic. I have always been a fan of murder mysteries and cop dramas. perhaps this stems from many evenings spent with my Nan watching Agatha Christie, Murder She Wrote and a slew of random PBS shows. There was no crime her and I couldn’t solve.

This childhood love of mystery has led me to seek out smart dramas with great characters and unexpected twists. this is where Harlan Coben comes in. About a year ago I stumbled upon my first Coben, The Stranger. I was instantly hooked!

The Stranger is a UK produced limited series that has a stranger showing up a soccer match to tell a man that his wife has lied about her most recent pregnancy. She also advised that the man do DNA tests on his other children. With this one encounter the man’s perfect life crumbles before his eyes. In short order the mysterious woman makes her rounds through the community, revealing devastating secrets that lead to disappearances and unexplained deaths.

Coben’s characters are incredibly well developed and his plots are anything but formulaic, no wonder he is a popular author with more than 30 titles under his belt. In 2018, Coben signed a mega-deal with Netflix that sees him in the role of executive producer for the development of 14 of his novels into series or movies for Netflix over five years. The Stranger was the first of this deal to hit the streaming service.

The Woods, The Innocent and Gone for Good have followed closely on the heels of The Stranger. Each one dredging up secrets of the past, revealing weaknesses in the community and wreaking havoc for the police. Out of all of the Coben’s I’ve watch none were as complicated, calculated and bone-chilling as Stay Close. I was not okay while making my way through this series – but not okay in the best possibly way. Check out the preview below.

Next time you are looking for a juicy binge search out Harlan Coben on Netflix and start anywhere in his catalogue – you won’t be sorry. For even more Coben titles check out the Netflix deal below and unlock the UK VPN!

What is the value of a life? Are some lives worth more than others? These questions are at the center of the 2020 film Worth staring Michael Keaton and Stanley Tucci. It’s the true story of managing the settlement for victims of 9/11 – but the settlement is more than dollars and cents, its a battle for dignity and respect.

In the days that followed the coordinated terror attacks on the United States in September of 2001, the US Congress passed the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund that would see funds distributed to the families and victims of said attacks. The passing of the fund was not an entirely altruistic act as the aviation industry feared litigation from victims. The magnitude of the potential lawsuits were a threat to the airline industry and the American economy in general.

The fund required an independent administrator and lawyer and professor, Kenneth Feinberg volunteered for the job. Keaton brings Feinberg to life in a humble and bumbling way, Feinberg’s intentions were noble but his ability to communicate compassion and understanding left a lot to be desired. After being challenged by a knowledgeable widower, Charles Wolf (Tucci), to listen to the very raw and human stories of the survivors before distributing the settlement, Feinberg begins to see each person as more than an entry into his formula.

Written by Max Borenstein and adapted from Feinber’s book What is Life Worth?, Worth is a compelling and beautifully captured story of the true value of life and the connection people form in times of grief and difficulty.

Stanley Tucci and Michael Keaton have wonderful chemistry and it is their human struggle laid bare that brings authenticity and vulnerability to the story. They brilliantly capture the impossibility of placing a dollar value on life while simultaneously highlighting the necessity to provide security for the victims and their families.

Worth is a though-provoking tale, masterfully played out by Tucci and Keaton and their brilliant supporting cast. Be sure to catch it on Netflix now.

In July of 2016, a quirky little science fiction show debuted on Netflix. Stranger Things delivered proper 1980s nostalgia and introduced us to memorable characters brought to life by an unforgettable cast. The perfect blend of raw humanity set against the mystery and terror of the supernatural was sublime.

The show did more than harken back to the 1980s though, it emulated the very best of the horror, sci-fi and drama pics of the era. The music, sets, costumes and even the camera work and editing all contributed to creating a small screen moment, not to be missed, each episode.

The story centers around a the goings on of a local research laboratory in small town Indiana and a group of off-beat tweens and teens who band together to solve the mystery of a missing boy. The leader of this ragtag group is Eleven, a girl with a super natural connection to the mysterious place known as the Upside Down.

Its been a long three years since the last season of Stranger Things debuted but faithful fans never lost hope that the next chapter of Eleven’s story would yet unfold. On February 17, 2022, showrunner and brother, Matt and Ross Duffer, tipped their hand and finally dropped some details on what fans can expect.

Season 4 will debut on May 27 AND July 1. The next season premier is too big, too juicy to be contained in just one single episode so it is being split in two. Here’s the reasoning, “With nine scripts, over eight-hundred pages, almost two years of filming, thousands of visual effects shots, and a runtime nearly twice the length of any previous season, Stranger Things 4 was the most challenging season yet,” the Duffer brothers wrote in a letter to fans. “But also the most rewarding one. Everyone involved is incredibly proud of the results, and we can’t wait to share it with you.”

Season 4 has been touted as “the beginning of the end.” In the same letter, the brothers let it drop that the series will be wrapping up in season five. So while this isn’t the end for Stranger Things, it almost is. They had always planned for a four or five season run for this story and by all accounts, they feel that to try to stretch it out any more than that would do the characters and the story an injustice.

We’re not in Hawkins anymore. That’s right, the Stranger Things crew is branching out. While this has been speculated for some time, it has finally been confirmed that much of the coming season will unfold outside of the quaint Indiana town. cast members have confirmed the change of venue isn’t the only new development for this season. Apparently we can expect new characters and new storylines that bring fresh connections between some of our favourite Stranger Things folks.

While some changes are anticipated, we can look forward to seeing Millie Bobby Brown, Noah Schnapp and the rest of our favourite small town adventurers light up our screens and fuel our obsession once again in just a few short months.

Once in a generation, or twice if we’re lucky, a person emerges on the world wide stage with endless imagination, tireless drive and a mind that just won’t quit. Lin Manuel Miranda is our shooting star. He seems to leap from the amazing to the miraculous in a blink. Time and again. And his first offering as a director does not disappoint.

In 1996, Jonathan Larson’s little musical Rent debuts and becomes a Broadway smash. This is not the story of that success. This is the story of Jonathan Larson and his passion project that never saw the light of day yet it sparked a movement within Larson’s own soul.

Jonathan Larson was a brilliant writer. He was smart, gifted and driven but that did not mean he was an overnight success. tick, tick …BOOM! is he story of his struggle to meet his own expectations while striving to see his dream fulfilled. While this film was written by Steven Levenson, it is based on the songs and writings of Larson himself.

Andrew Garfield portrays Larson brilliantly. His singing is out of the world and he connects with the soul of Larson on a spiritual level that is sublime. Garfield’s performance is enhanced with Miranda’s deep connection to Larson and his love for the theatre community. All of this comes together for a truly inspiring film.

Nominated for an Oscar, tick, tick … Boom! is chock full of wonderful cameos. From Broadway legends like Bernadette Peters and Bebe Neuwirth to current masters of the stage like Philippa Soo and Renee Elise Goldsberry to one of my personal favourites, Bradley Whitford, this film has a ridiculous riches of talent. These, and many more Broadway veterans came together to pay tribute to Larson in the most beautiful way.

Theatre buffs and feel-good movie junkies alike will LOVE this flick. Its brilliant, heart-warming, inspiring and unbelievably smart. But more than this, tick, tick … BOOM! is a story that connects with our humanity and hope. Don’t miss it. Streaming now on Netflix.