highly recommend this episode. as someone whose mom let me watch this show at an entirely too young age who's seen a lot of these characters and flashbacks years ago, it was such a wonderful experience. the way it tied together old scenes with present day was amazing, the writers on svu are honestly really great at that. long-time viewers and people who stopped watching ages ago alike will enjoy the episode, i think. it also articulates incredibly well the issue of power imbalances, and touches on olivia's past with her mother in a great way. amaro's appearance was so fun, and honestly olivia saying cold case work suits him was SO CUTE. no idea if it was a cheeky nod to the actor's time on the show cold case but either way, god i love reunions on long-running shows. AND CRAGEN ON FACETIME. GOD.
biggest takeaway though: the acting in this episode, top notch. that scene in benson's hallway with the cassette, bye, i needed a minute even knowing what was coming. and like, i don't really watch svu beyond my nostalgia and love of mariska hargitay and procedurals. in procedurals, where the crime of the week is the focus, the acting is usually solid, if occasionally stiff and forgettable. there are obvious exceptions, particularly with special guest stars and unknowns who later go on to be famous in their own right. but man, mariska? shining throughout the entire episode, understated and raw. danny pino embodied a grown version of his character that straddled the line between maturity and hotheaded, and i love it. (as an aside: i remember so much criticism being lobbed at amaro's character being a pseudo-substitute for the "angry cop role", and this episode feels like a great illustration of the nuances between the two characters. amaro was always aggressive in every sense of the word, and continues to be with time; stabler's aggression has always been set off by specific situations and stressors, and has been tempered significantly over the years. there's a self-righteousness and passion to displays of anger when it comes to amaro, and stabler often seems almost ashamed of his own outbursts, even in the earlier years when police aggression wasn't being talked about so seriously in the media and he felt compelled to defend his actions.)
anyway, like the topic of stabler's ptsd in the organized crime spinoff, the stuff explored in this episode was so great, and highly memorable. they really did make episode 500 something special.
awesome movie. like others say, the alien is incredibly advanced and the science and biology that was used to make it believable were what made this movie terrifying. sure, i was a little horrified any time calvin darted around, sort of how i feel when a spider darts around, but it was the implication throughout the movie that was truly terrifying. as humans we've survived and thrived despite our weaknesses and handicaps because we've used our intellect to advance far beyond any other animal on earth. this little martian was outsmarting them at a frightening pace and it wasn't even evil; just witnessing how desperate it was to survive was simultaneously horrific and heartbreaking. as bummed as i am by the one direct death calvin caused, i mean -- the guy WAS trying to kill calvin with fire and all, so i can't blame the alien. humankind has done way worse in its time trying to survive.
the twist at the end was easy to predict but no less enjoyable than if it came as a shock. more than anything, i hope there's a sequel in which we learn more about how calvin's biology works and in which jake's character lives to struggle through adjusting to earth's atmosphere after well over a year. fingers crossed calvin plays nice with him.
the acting in this episode is out of control good. whoever wrote this episode deserves a whole ass emmy and also owes me an apology for all the tears in my face
this truly kept me guessing until the near end. every time i thought i was one step ahead and finally figured it out i was wrong. even my craziest theory at the end of episode 5 was literally turned on its head by the actual ending. i loved every minute of this series. every character was well rounded, flawed and believable. i sympathized with all of them at one point, and wanted to throw a book at their heads at another. i went in expecting a typical thriller miniseries and came out the other end legitimately mindfucked. if you have the time, do yourself a favor and spend it on this series. go in without knowing anything and avoid spoilers like your life depends on it.
the only thing i'll say is this: the ending is not a happy one, by any stretch of the imagination. if you want the happy-ish version, stop the last episode shortly after adele writes a letter. the real version is worth the outrage, though, if only because it actually kept me guessing until the very end, which very few shows or movies have managed to do.
this deserves a dozen awards i love sunil with every ounce of my heart
man, i knew the general plot going in and the ending still hit me like a bag of bricks. i'm not crying there's just a tree branch in my eye. first this movie threw killer quotes at me like "if all i ever gave you was a hammer" "everything would be a nail", then it made me emotional about my own damn name.
the pacing and the atmosphere of the movie are something people are either going to love or hate. it's very much a movie about communication and thinking before acting, and the themes ring painfully true in today's global culture and political climate. so i think where you fall on the spectrum of opinions on national security, how countries ally themselves and what your own personal mentality is when it comes to fight-or-flight with the unknown will REALLY affect your perspective when you watch this film. the main stars were good—i love anything involving amy adams, to be fair—and i liked the stark contrast between the clinical approaches louise and ian took and their impulsive reactions and gut decisions. the supporting cast was believable to me; the impatience, ignorance and paranoia on the parts of the government and military. plus ian's skepticism that eventually bled into openness once he had what any cynical scientist wants—to see it to believe it. forrest played a convincing colonel who just wanted to deal with the threat like any other threat; i can't blame the man for not having the desire to sit through language acquisition with aliens time, language acquisition can be exhausting! but these were all things that felt real, and made it easy for me to connect with the characters. it lacks the action and thrilling suspense of some sci-fi movies, i'll admit, but from the very beginning it was clear that the movie wasn't trying for any of that. instead, it was poignant and surprisingly relatable for its genre. also there's nothing cooler in the universe than linguistics.
the film has an incredible underlying tension. i've seen people across social media criticize it for being an uncomfortable experience, but that slight discomfort is why it's so effective in terms of the horror genre. it hits a little too close to home in a deeply divided society because aside from the minor details that take this over into the realm of horror, it's all realistic. it's all something we've experienced firsthand, be it as chris or as a bystander. i love this movie, discomfort and all. i'm so happy jordan peele has been getting recognition for his filmmaking; he's got so much talent and his work shows just how robust that talent is. two things though: CHRIS TAKING THAT KNIFE TO THE HAND I FULL BODY RECOILED. and the alternate ending is worth a watch.
acting, direction and handling of different mental issues and themes of violence were all spot on. you will root for everyone at some points, even people you don't want to root for. and then you will be disappointed by everyone at some points, even people you don't want to judge. it's a painfully raw, upsetting series, and if you can stomach it, do watch it.
most importantly i'd suggest taking all the comments and reviews floating around the internet seriously. it is triggering, and not in the pop culture sense of the word. the only other time i've experienced this amount of visceral, physical distress over something otherwise harmless was the sound of a particular type of voice triggering a traumatic event. i went in believing wholeheartedly that it might be intense like everyone warned squid game would be (and it was), but that the triggers wouldn't be things i needed to be concerned about: i don't have my own child, and i'm not a victim of domestic partner violence.
but there are scenes of panic, anxiety, dissociation and dread. there are scenes with perspective views that are jarring, and scenes which act as unreliable narrative tools. there are characters who relapse into alcoholism, and there are extremely authentic and distressing manic episodes that play out on screen when alex's mother is concerned. there is homelessness, depicted in a number of ways and in the ways that most people don't think about, like sleeping in your car and having no safety net between various, fleeting types of temporary housing. there are courthouse scenes, and courtroom scenes (particularly stressful for me, having experienced them), and there are sensations of claustrophobia, loss of time and helplessness that the camerawork and acting convey in a way that translates outside of the actual show and into your own reactions, if you have ever felt any of those sensations yourself.
there are people who try to do the right thing, for the wrong reasons. there are people characterized as good, who are not good. there are people who keep doing the wrong thing. there are no straightforward villains because everyone is realistic, and that makes it worse. and there is a lead character in alex, with an innocent child, who consistently encounters obstacle after obstacle and does not get to breathe—not really—until the very last episode.
if you don't have any experience with the issues tackled by this show or you're watching it for maid confessions like the book, you will likely not get everything out of this experience that the show has to offer. if you are prone to dissociation, intense worry, or have firsthand experience with any of the things i've mentioned here, you're going to have a tough time. i regularly attend therapy and i'm doing quite well, but it was still not the kind of show i could binge-watch and it did come up a couple of times in therapy—for the better, honestly.
the last thing i want to say regarding the content is that, if you were a parentified child, or had insecure attachments growing up due to neglect, abuse or addiction—this is scary. unless you are completely cut off from your experiences with insecure attachment? this will remind you of things that aren't actually happening on screen, from different times and of different natures. i was a parentified child, and i still to this day struggle with not worrying about people who aren't my responsibility. that theme is present throughout the show, and it does not let up, not until the very end.
deadpool was one of the only comics i got into long-term as a teenager so i live for every fourth wall break the mcu gives me tbh. also tatiana maslany and charlie cox have such delightful chemistry i had no idea i'd be so smitten with a relationship after less than an hour of content
genuinely entertaining, engaging and a solid example of what edutainment can be. and a good reminder to participate in local elections, no matter your political ideology! i moved to a swing state early in my voting history and voting in local and state elections quickly became a major aspect of my political participation. i recommend it to anyone who feels disillusioned by politics, because it's always more interesting and personal on a local level.
a huge variety of jokes, but still cohesive once it wrapped up! i loved getting to hear all of the accents he's been working on. it's hard to pick favorite moments, but i'd say great britain colonizing india is pretty high up there.
i absolutely loved this. had almost no idea what it was about save for the time loop synopsis and i spent the entire movie delighted and enthralled. it's an action flick at its core so i was never REALLY emotional, but it still had me invested in frank grillo's protagonist and god, were those fast-paced failed-attempt scenes good. this had all the right touches of video game vibes and humor, and the commenter who called it deadpool meets groundhog day was spot on, because that's exactly what i thought after the first montage of kill scenes.
also, guan yin is perhaps the Best call out on the asian assassin trope i've ever seen.
oh, and mel gibson was good in the sense that i barely had to look at him and what time i spent having to acknowledge him was spent appropriately wanting his character dead!
predictable? i mean kind of, it's a time loop movie. but it's 100% a good time.
patton's awesome with standup, he's so incredibly personable when he's telling jokes. i loved his interactions with the front row, and also how honest he was about his struggle with segueing into the part about the grieving process. he also had such refreshingly candid commentary for those people who talk about losing a loved one like it's some beautiful, spiritual journey. i think a lot of the laughter i let out during that section of the special was more empathy than humor. some very real material in this, both personal and global. at the end it felt like we were all a little unburdened after experiencing the routine, audience and patton alike!
this made me really appreciate noomi rapace's acting skills. the plot was a little contrived and the movie requires some suspension of disbelief -- less for the premise and more for the notion that 7 identical siblings successfully hid themselves in said premise -- but all in all it's an enjoyable film with believable characters. i watched with a friend and more than once we were clinging to each other and cheering for one of the sisters.
such a good cast and such a good movie. i don't have anything exciting to say, i just loved this ride
i really envy people who think that professor xavier having a degenerative brain disease is unrealistic. i take care of two relatives with dementia. it's about as brutal as this movie is, except it's real.
that said, it was easier to watch than i expected, it made me cry, congrats to it. very r, multiple decapitations, my fave kind of superhero movie. either way i think more people need to read actual comics to understand the full spectrum of ratings and content they span, so they can stop thinking superhero content has a specific lane to stay in
i generally love louis c.k.'s material to begin with but i only really lost it when the "i'll try the best anything, if it's the BEST" bit came around. i can't believe how hard i laughed at turtle extinction.
the kids are what really make this show. also, they're better actors than like 90% of the seasoned adult actors currently on television so please remake every tv series starring them.
this is so bizarre but so good. absolutely give it a watch - the tagline is no joke.
the simplest takeaway: gaslighting is literally never the answer, stop it.
slow-paced, be aware of that going into it. it's never a jump scare that makes the movie unsettling. it was an awesome directorial debut on okuno's part. it's not a new trope but it's handled in a beautiful and haunting way re: cinematography and score, and acted out by a great cast. maika monroe's expressiveness alone deserves all the awards. also proud of lil old shudder backing a proper release!
everything hurts and i'm crying
i only ever saw parts of this movie over the years and somehow mistakenly assumed i'd seen it in full as an adult. watching it now after watching a few other 90s horrors, i see why it's so beloved. i mean aside from wes craven doing a good job as a general rule, the acting is great, the characters are well-rounded, and it's genuinely equal parts comedy and horror. regardless of how the sequels turn out in my binge of these in preparation for the 2022 film, i'm so glad i watched this.
even knowing a bit about this story, the experience of this tribute is so meaningful. i'm glad to be able to have seen it, even if it was heartbreaking.
yes hello hollywood i formally request it be the age of sci-fi space operas from here on out
god i love when producters let amazing things happen. you know a director's good when an ensemble cast doesn't feel like a bunch of a listers thrown together but an actual, cohesive set. oscar isaac did leto's last scene so much justice. i also think i get the timothee hype, finally. and ZENDAYA. AND REBECCA.
hans zimmer has never done a single wrong in his life ever; villaneuve directed a masterpiece; and dneg made every single piece of the vfx feel legit. this was so good what the FUCK.
i wish frank could've seen this.
do you like video games but kind of suck at them if there's anything more than quick time events or turn based strategy? this movie is for you. it has all the excitement and thrill of a video game without you having to die a thousand times or restart at a save point another dozen. the acting was great, and the cgi done on the aliens was chefs kiss. seriously. kudos to all the actors making it feel like the aliens were actually, physically interacting with them. and best of all, the whitespikes were such a memorable and vivid design. i'd love to see the concept art by the art team, i think the last time i was this charmed by a monster it was clovie.
on the other hand: do you want total believability with no unexplained phenomena? this is not the movie for you. it's sci fi, it has aliens and time travel and not everything is completely plausible because let's be real here, time travel and contact with aliens haven't happened in reality and there's no telling how either of those things will occur, if they ever do. also, everything we know about how our universe works is theoretical, so if you struggle to enjoy sci fi because it doesn't feel realistic, just keep that in mind and maybe you'll have fun on the ride.
feel good disney feelings. i cried a lot of happy tears, kind of like when i wept over zootopia. i'm almost 32 years old but my excuse is i'm a millennial and i was conditioned for this by the lion king, thank you and goodnight
THAT POST CREDITS SCENE THO!!!!
this was really a beautiful series. visceral and bleak, but also funny and familiar. highly recommend, i binged it all in one go and it was amazing. also, the fuckin ACCENTS were so good, god.
anyway petition for evan peters to never have his hair longer than he did in this series, he's never looked better
i watched this while high, and recommend that mode if you're cool with it and also have 'space real big' anxiety panic? because i have a feeling if i hadn't been high my anxiety would have been too much to bear approximately 50% of the runtime and i would've just turned it off. if you're not anxious congrats, but my brain needs active forced relaxation to make me believe i can fathom space and time.
either way there's loads of nice visuals throughout the film, an all around soothing watch despite the whole 'our universe is massive yet knowable how does that make me feel" contemplation that follows every real space thing i learn about.
