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Behind Her Eyes (2021)
Intriguing start but let down by horrible ending
This show starts promising, as so many others have pointed out, and you want to continue watching. Don't. It's not worth it.
Psychological thrillers are exciting because they are exactly that - psychological. Not supernatural. They play at the intriguing aspects of people and their presented self.
Cruelty, warmth, lies, motives and subtle hints between the lines are some of the makings of this interplay. But when the final and missing piece is explained by a sudden supernatural and seemingly completely out-of-place event and change of character - well, it leaves you very disappointed.
Therefore, this has to be one of the worst endings I've ever been roped into watching. I can usually weed these shows out before committing, but for once I thought I'd go in a bit 'blind'. Well, Netflix fooled me good.
Lucifer (2016)
Casual entertainment for the crowd
Lucifer is a fun and sometimes interesting character, but most of the others, perhaps apart from the Douche (I'll admit he is fun to watch), are completely and utterly predictable for 40 minutes of the episode, until the closing sequence revisits the opening, and underlying issue that is the red line through the season's plot. As you know, most modern TV-shows have a unique and boring story each episode, while barely scratching the season's main story each time, until the season finale reveals everything. The relationship between Lucifer and the detective is a strange one. I don't really feel their connection, and the time it has taken for Lucifer to have any sort of actual relationship to her can only be explained by the TV-show business' innate need to stretch any sexual tension for as long as devilishly possible.
All in all, Lucifer fits best as a show in the background while you are playing Minesweeper or doing the dishes, for it really lacks the depth to be your main distraction.
A small digression: Tom Kapinos, almighty godfather and creator of the severely under rated Californication (8.4/10, only .1 higher than Lucifer?!), I am utterly disappointed in your work this time around. I can feel the potential in Lucifer's character to approach that of Hanky Moody's depth and style, but it is completely wasted. And that opening scene in season 1, holy sh*t that was terrible. Barely made it past that crap.
Approaching the Unknown (2016)
Not great, but certainly not terrible
There are a lot of people saying this movie is absolute garbage. And I can understand that some, or many, people might feel they just wasted their time.
For it is a slow movie, and there are very few actual happenings. But this is a psychological movie, more so a thriller than anything else. The film didn't need any more character development or action, as it was just supposed to be a relatively short movie with just the bare minimum of most devices.
It shows us what we need to know (SPOILERS): A desperate man on a mission to experience something new. He knows what is on Earth, and wants one moment of pure wonder as he ventures into space and eventually Mars. Furthermore, he is actually psychotic in this need to experience, as he completely disregards Houston's orders and his friend Skinny's advice and efforts to help when his water generator breaks.
He was, however, scared to be completely alone, like he will be since his colleague Maddox had to turn around. The movie ends abruptly, and we have no idea on whether he can fix his water supply or if he will just wither away and die.
The O.C. (2003)
Great characters and decent story, but has its flaws
First of all, this rating is not by IMDb's crazy standards. This show has some real weaknesses that are reflected in my rating. Yes, I loved the characters, and the story has some really thrilling moments that I could have never predicted, but you have to look past the surface to truly judge it fairly. And that's why it comes short of being a proper good show (which, to be fair, most shows aren't anyway).
So, what are these flaws I'm talking about? Well, basically every single episode bases its story line on one simple mechanic: One character tells their partner or friend a lie, and this is later discovered and creates conflict. Also, the plot devices usually arise from a character doing something really stupid, that makes no logical sense. Obviously, this is more noticeable when it comes from, say, Ryan or Sandy, than when Seth or Summer do it. Either way it's a sign of lazy writing, and very much along the mainstreamed and mediocre line of most similar shows. Not saying it's a deal breaker, but it definitely separates decent or good shows from great ones. No matter how much we like the characters, we can't just look past obvious flaws in a show, like so many people on this site do (just look at Friends, it's rated almost 9/10, which is absolutely absurd).
Another big plus are some of the turns in the overall plot or main story that we follow through a season. There are some really dramatic and touching moments that I though were very well executed. And I guess that is what lifts this show past just having great characters, and makes me think of it fondly and with assurance that I will remember it.
I recommend this to anyone who can withstand some bad writing and illogical turns to experience all the good that it has to offer, which again, can be said for a lot of shows.
Jekyll + Hyde (2006)
Decent concept, but terribly executed
We all know the classic of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, yet most film adaptations (that I'm aware of at least) are set in the era of the book. This version tries a different angle, in modern society and without such a drastic or supernatural change in Jekyll's being.
And that's pretty much all that is good about this film. The rest is just a bland mix of bad acting, shallow characters, illogical story devices, unnecessarily drawn out sequences, and bad filming. More than anything, this is an homage to Bryan Fisher's (Jekyll) ego, as it is basically just a showreel of his transformation from a depressed (and handsome) "nerd" to a narcissistic playboy, by only dropping his glasses and growing some stubble.
What kills this movie the most is just the lack of any depth to the characters, especially Jekyll (Fisher). He has about 3 lines prior to becoming Hyde, and gives no real reason for betraying his old life other than that he doesn't want to come in second anymore (which makes little sense in his case, as he is both smart and attractive to his crush), and to cure mankind of lame personalities.
The Cabin in the Woods (2011)
Totally misguiding IMDb rating
Holy moly, was this a giant waste of my night. I was scrolling through the comedy section of Netflix, and found this...thing. A casual horror film with some comedy? Exactly what I was looking for. Did I get it? No, oh no.
I understand this film was supposed to be a "parody", or something along those lines, of other horror flicks. Yet, it did not make me laugh, it did not scare me, and at no point did it wake my interest. I could predict every scene, and while this would be a good thing for a parody (and arguably a horror movie in general), most of the scenes were just terrible. The surroundings and locations looked horrible, especially the "central" at the end. The animations and CGI were absolutely trash, and thus also the only funny thing in the entire movie. The plot "twist", in that humanity depended on these sacrifices, was not interesting, entertaining or anything. Instead it was annoying, boring and fairly cringeworthy. This was their intent, you say? Well, they did not execute the cringe in a manner that was even remotely enjoyable.
Overall, biggest piece of sh*t I've seen all year.