reccy mcrecface
Oct. 6th, 2024 09:52 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rinja(aw shit here we go again—)
anime
the elusive samurai
studio: CloverWorks
historical, action, touch of supernatural
Aight so I’d seen a few previews for this and was very intrigued, but then actually started watching it and HOOBOY LEMME TELL YOU MY LITTLE SAMURAI HISTORIAN HEART FELL IN LOVE;;; This kinda of tricks you for only a teensy part of the first episode that it’s going to be a super cute, light-hearted following of Hojo Tokiyuki, the very young heir to the Kamakura shogunate who happens to be very, uh, elusive (hence the title). And then it gets very violent, very fast, and you get tossed right into the samurai politics & violence of the 1300s upheavals. The animation and music are fantastic (though the horseback scenes where they go Genshin Impact / TriStamp style 3D animation are a smidge jarring IMO), and honestly it’s a super interesting take on the history of the times that I really enjoyed. Not necessarily a series for everyone (like I said, SURPRISINGLY VIOLENT), but definitely an intriguing watch, now that season 1 is complete. I’m invested!!
delicious in dungeon
studio: Studio Trigger
comedy, fantasy, action, dungeon-crawler
This came with so much hype I wasn’t sure if I wanted to watch (usually for me dungeon crawler = isekai adjacent)… but then finally caved because there were some Really Good Memes. And I am SO GLAD I watched this!! Starts off serving you the Daily Dungeon Dish with hilarious food porn moments that are very reminiscent of Food Wars but in a DUNGEON using MONSTER PARTS, and then about halfway through the season things get SO wild. Like the setup for things going absolutely bonkers is SO GOOD. Very few anime are as good as the hype suggests for me these days, but this one ABSOLUTELY was worth it IMO. Fantastic characters, wild & fun story, excellent animation, honestly a gem (and likely a contender for AOTY even with all the stiff competition it’s got). Studio Trigger also serves some of the best himbos and I’m never upset about it. Absolutely can’t wait for more of this one.
freiren: beyond journey’s end
studio: Madhouse
fantasy, drama, action
This kept getting so much hype and one of my IRL buddies kept harassing me to watch it and I was being SO STUBBORN… for no good reason tbh because Freiren absolutely lives up to every ounce of hype it got!!! Again, was a little wary of the isekai-adjacent nature and the fact that there are plenty of creepy otaku types who are very up in Freiren’s business, but truthfully this is such a heartfelt, well-written, beautifully paced series with some very thought-provoking themes. Freiren has some of the best storytelling in an anime series I’ve seen in a good long while, and it’s so refreshing to see a series be given the opportunity to properly tell the story at the pace it’s meant to be told, rather than rushing to hit a shortened-season deadline. Beautifully done… the animation is fantastic, the music selections are perfectly in tune with the moods, the characters are AMAZING, and I am 1000% in love with this series. I get why so many people are super fanatic about it; this is destined to be a long-standing classic. Plus—and I bet you won’t be able to unhear it once I say this—I fucking LOVE that the explosion sound effects sound like they’re lifted straight from 90s mech series (looking at you, Gundam Wing). I swear that’s what they did. Anyway, this one is another gem, and I’m very excited for more seasons.
and some early impressions for this season’s new offerings…
dandadan
studio: Science Saru
sci-fi, supernatural, action, romantic comedy, adult
So I knew this was going to be a ton of insanity going into it, just based on the couple of trailers I’d seen, but that first episode has me going WTAF IS THIS except I’m kinda into it and I AM NOT SURE WHY??? (Aliens AND ghosts?!) The animation style is psychedelically wild, and it fits so well. Also the fact that this is listed as a romantic comedy has me ROLLING. I mean, it kinda gives you a bit of that, but HONESTLY THIS IS NOT YOUR MOTHER’S ROMCOM. Absolutely not going to be a series for everyone (look, first episode didn’t pull punches and straight up has some SA in it) but this is going to be a fucking insane ride. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it, and for that, I’m very excited.
UPDATING TO ADD: yo honestly now we’re like 2 months into this and it’s only gotten BETTER. Kinda thinking this is AOTY caliber. Anyone not watching this is missing out IMO. Also glad to have another series where the intro is part of the weekly experience, what a BANGER!!!
ranma 1/2
studio: MAPPA
comedy, romance, martial arts
Look, Rumiko Takahashi is half the reason I’m super into anime in the first place, and I absolutely have watched the original Ranma 1/2—even rewatched the original a few years ago!!—so you bet your sweet bippy I was going to dive face-first back into the reboot (especially with some of the original voice actors reprising their roles, and with MAPPA helming it). Honestly? Already into this with just one episode out. It’s super fun to see these wild kids brought back to the screen in HD hahaha. Some of the jokes in the original are very uh, SUPER EDGY in today’s environment, so I’m actually super curious to see what (if any) changes happen in that light. You can bet I’ll be keeping up on this one regularly this season!
UPDATING TO ADD: fucking love this, MAPPA is knocking it out of the damn park!!!
blue box
studio: Telecom Animation Film + TMS Entertainment
romance, sports
As an enjoyer of sports anime AND the occasional romance series, seeing these two genres mashed up had me very intrigued, plus the animation style looked SO PRETTY that I kinda was like, aight gotta check this one out. Already know I’m going to enjoy this one after one episode haha. Definitely has some semi-predictable tropes for the romance genre but like, they’re tropes I get a kick out of so you won’t see me complaining. This one looks to be super cute & sweet & wholesome, and I like a good comfort food type series here & there. (Plus it’ll be a good brain cleanse from DanDaDan this season HAHA.)
ALSO SOMEHOW ALL THREE OF THESE ARE ON NETFLIX… so at least I can abuse that subscription some more I guess but kinda bummed for Cronch that they’re getting beat out on some of the big name series :T LMAO UH i was wrong, Dandadan is actually on multiple platforms, including Cronch rofl. My b.
movies
a quiet place: day one
director: Michael Sarnoski
apocalyptic horror, drama
A terminally ill woman just wants some proper pizza before she dies. (That’s it, that’s the movie.) … okay only kind of kidding there, but it’s TRUE. I’m not into horror movies, but the AQP series is one of my few exceptions because it’s just so damn GOOD beyond the horror aspects. The prequel is no exception to that as well; this is a phenomenal human interest piece underneath the apocalypse & horror aspects. Lupita Nyong’o delivers big time. I felt so many things. Such a good movie, and a worthy new addition to the AQP family.
the wild robot
director: Chris Sanders
sci-fi, adventure, animation
Aight for those of you who remember the emotional wrecking ball that was The Iron Giant, just know to get your tissue boxes ready for this one too. The Wild Robot is hands-down one of the best, most heartfelt animated features in a good long time. It tackles some pretty hefty themes and doesn’t bother with the kid gloves (despite that kids are part of its target audience, but honestly they targeted us adults too HARDCORE). Absolutely beautiful storytelling, and I 100% cried multiple times, should not have worn eyeliner or mascara to this one (what was I thinking). Another stunning Lupita Nyong’o performance too, which I didn’t realize until the credits rolled but GOOD GOD SHE IS AMAZING. I really hope this gets some critical accolades because it DESERVES it. I’m not crying, you’re crying.
twisters
director: Lee Isaac Chung
action, natural disasters
I went into this movie ready to point & laugh at it because the trailers were So Memeworthy, and I was stubbornly going, why do we need another Twister movie, the 90s one is a classic, this is gonna be silly but I’ll see it anyway—and I’m very glad to admit I was pleasantly surprised by Twisters. It’s actually a fantastic spiritual successor to the 90s film, where it’s not a reboot, or a direct sequel, but more of a current-day story that happens to share the same natural phenomenon and some of the romantic themes as the original. I loved the casting choices and overall story, and I very much enjoyed it, much to my own surprise.
fly me to the moon
director: Greg Berlanti
romantic comedy, drama, historical
I wasn’t sure how I felt about this one when I saw the initial trailers, because uh, the “moon landing was faked in a Hollywood studio” conspiracy kind of pushes a type of validation that’s dangerous in today’s world… but this was genuinely such a great movie. Like, if I were the dating type, this is a really great Date Night kind of feel-good, pick-me-up movie. I love Channing Tatum in this, but truthfully it’s Scarlett Johansson’s performance that knocks it out of the park. Genuinely a delightful film.
furiosa: a mad max saga
director: George Miller
post-apocalyptic, sci-fi, action
I enjoyed Mad Max: Fury Road with the best of us, and I was thrilled to see a prequel in the works for Furiosa because she’s such an amazing character, and I thought Anya Taylor-Joy was actually a really good pick for her. Honestly I’m kinda mad this got treated as a flop, because it was actually FANTASTIC. All the same glorious cinematography and world-building of its source material, plus a very heartfelt (and heart-wrenching) story of devastating loss and revenge. I saw this in Dolby and it was such a treat!
deadpool & wolverine
director: Shawn Levy
action, comedy, comic book based
Biggest hype of the year, and I thought it delivered quite well on that promise. Such a good time!! I’m so glad they were able to get this moved across into the MCU, because some of the surprise cameos & appearances were GOLDEN. Some of the most fun I’ve had in theaters this year, and that’s a pretty high bar. Also Hugh Jackman, what the heck, still making Wolverine hot as hell no matter what age?!?! Looking forward to seeing what other projects get to flourish as a result of the successes here.
bad boys: ride or die
director: Adil & Bilall
action, comedy, buddy cop
Okay so I ended up rewatching all the Bad Boys movies leading up to this one, and this ended up being my FAVORITE ONE YET haha. I’m glad we got exactly what was on the tin with this one, and I was all in for it. Super fun time, and a great follow-up to its predecessors (with some more current tastes in mind, Slapgate aside).
joker: folie à deux
director: Todd Phillips
psychological thriller, musical, comic book based
The first Joaquin Phoenix “Joker” installment was unsettling & unhinged, and this was just as unsettling & unhinged as its predecessor. If you go into this knowing it’s a musical (I did haha), you won’t be as surprised at HOW MUCH SINGING THERE IS. Stellar performances by both Joaquin and Gaga, but the movie made me just as uneasy as the first one. The mental health themes just uh, hit a little close to home for me when I have a nephew who has startlingly similar mental illnesses. That aside though, the overall storytelling and ending for this are intriguing, because they could leave this as a completed two-movie set, or they could continue this in very interesting ways. Not sure where this would fit into the overall DC lore though. I mentioned this to my movie buddy afterwards: it feels like Todd Phillips got the green light to make films out of his AU fanfictions of the Joker story and now she’s mad that I’m right.
the crow
director: Rupert Sanders
action, comic book based
Okay so some disclaimers here since this got WRECKED by critics & the box office lmao. First off, I have not seen the original movie with Brandon Lee, but I am very aware of the baggage this one had from the tragedy there. Secondly, I know this had a ton of production stops and shuffles that impacted it, could have been a lot better given a clean slate to work with. But I was intrigued by the concept (seeing as I hadn’t watched the original), and I kind of was in the mood for a darker anti-hero movie. Overall, it definitely wasn’t a GREAT movie, but I don’t think it was as bad as the critics made it out to be—it certainly wasn’t awful—and I got what I came for out of it (which for me is usually enough LOL). I do think it would have been much better served as a TV series though. I’d watch follow-ups but I don’t know if it’s going to get any for how badly it was reamed.
tv shows
bad monkey
provider (US): Apple TV+
comedy, murder mystery
Genuinely a surprising delight. Vince Vaugh delivers; this show has been such a blast to keep up with. So much wit and sass, and the murder mystery aspect of it has some fantastic plot twists & turns—I’ve actually thrown down couch pillows screaming “WHAT?!?!” at the end of more than one episode. The characters are FABULOUS, including the narrator (I love him so much hahahaha), and I haven’t had this much honest fun with a TV show in a hot minute. I’m sad it’s coming to a close… it’s been such a great ride and I really hope more seasons are planned!
turn: washington’s spies
provider (US): AMC+
historical, war, spy drama
Okay so I don’t think I’ve mentioned this here before, but I rewatched this recently and figured it was TIME because it held up SO WELL. Turn is probably one of the best series you’ve (likely) never heard of. It’s a show from like 10 years ago that I followed weekly during its OG run and is one of my all-time favorites ever, and it’s sincerely So Underappreciated!! From the writing & pacing, to the history & music & cinematography, this is a hidden gem and I wish more people knew about it. The story covers the creation of a spy ring that served George Washington during the American Revolution, and centers around a farmer-lawyer in Setauket who kind of gets sucked into the whole spy business for Many Reasons. It is a bit of a slower start, but the buildup and payoff are SO GOOD that it’s hard to explain without telling the whole story. Honestly every person I’ve managed to convince to start watching this goes, “WAIT HOW DID I NOT HEAR OF THIS SOONER?!” and it makes me smile every time. Just a bit of a recommendation: watch with subtitles, they help A Lot.
house of ninjas
provider (US): Netflix
modern ninjas, action, dark comedy
I just started this one and am already SO INVESTED HAHA. Netflix was pushing this at me for a while with their algo and I finally bit. This is a Japanese series that I’m pretty sure is supposed to be a dark comedy?? Because it certainly feels like one haha. They got me with modern day ninjas, and doesn’t shy away from the ridiculousness that could ensue from that concept. Barely scratched the surface but I’m looking forward to my eventual binge watch on this one.
chimp crazy
provider (US): Max (HBO)
documentary, exotic animals
The director from Tiger King is back at it again, this time diving into the world of chimpanzees in the US. Without spoiling anything… if you were into the insanity that was Tiger King, this will also be right up your alley. It’s just as wild & crazy.
anime
the elusive samurai
studio: CloverWorks
historical, action, touch of supernatural
Aight so I’d seen a few previews for this and was very intrigued, but then actually started watching it and HOOBOY LEMME TELL YOU MY LITTLE SAMURAI HISTORIAN HEART FELL IN LOVE;;; This kinda of tricks you for only a teensy part of the first episode that it’s going to be a super cute, light-hearted following of Hojo Tokiyuki, the very young heir to the Kamakura shogunate who happens to be very, uh, elusive (hence the title). And then it gets very violent, very fast, and you get tossed right into the samurai politics & violence of the 1300s upheavals. The animation and music are fantastic (though the horseback scenes where they go Genshin Impact / TriStamp style 3D animation are a smidge jarring IMO), and honestly it’s a super interesting take on the history of the times that I really enjoyed. Not necessarily a series for everyone (like I said, SURPRISINGLY VIOLENT), but definitely an intriguing watch, now that season 1 is complete. I’m invested!!
delicious in dungeon
studio: Studio Trigger
comedy, fantasy, action, dungeon-crawler
This came with so much hype I wasn’t sure if I wanted to watch (usually for me dungeon crawler = isekai adjacent)… but then finally caved because there were some Really Good Memes. And I am SO GLAD I watched this!! Starts off serving you the Daily Dungeon Dish with hilarious food porn moments that are very reminiscent of Food Wars but in a DUNGEON using MONSTER PARTS, and then about halfway through the season things get SO wild. Like the setup for things going absolutely bonkers is SO GOOD. Very few anime are as good as the hype suggests for me these days, but this one ABSOLUTELY was worth it IMO. Fantastic characters, wild & fun story, excellent animation, honestly a gem (and likely a contender for AOTY even with all the stiff competition it’s got). Studio Trigger also serves some of the best himbos and I’m never upset about it. Absolutely can’t wait for more of this one.
freiren: beyond journey’s end
studio: Madhouse
fantasy, drama, action
This kept getting so much hype and one of my IRL buddies kept harassing me to watch it and I was being SO STUBBORN… for no good reason tbh because Freiren absolutely lives up to every ounce of hype it got!!! Again, was a little wary of the isekai-adjacent nature and the fact that there are plenty of creepy otaku types who are very up in Freiren’s business, but truthfully this is such a heartfelt, well-written, beautifully paced series with some very thought-provoking themes. Freiren has some of the best storytelling in an anime series I’ve seen in a good long while, and it’s so refreshing to see a series be given the opportunity to properly tell the story at the pace it’s meant to be told, rather than rushing to hit a shortened-season deadline. Beautifully done… the animation is fantastic, the music selections are perfectly in tune with the moods, the characters are AMAZING, and I am 1000% in love with this series. I get why so many people are super fanatic about it; this is destined to be a long-standing classic. Plus—and I bet you won’t be able to unhear it once I say this—I fucking LOVE that the explosion sound effects sound like they’re lifted straight from 90s mech series (looking at you, Gundam Wing). I swear that’s what they did. Anyway, this one is another gem, and I’m very excited for more seasons.
and some early impressions for this season’s new offerings…
dandadan
studio: Science Saru
sci-fi, supernatural, action, romantic comedy, adult
So I knew this was going to be a ton of insanity going into it, just based on the couple of trailers I’d seen, but that first episode has me going WTAF IS THIS except I’m kinda into it and I AM NOT SURE WHY??? (Aliens AND ghosts?!) The animation style is psychedelically wild, and it fits so well. Also the fact that this is listed as a romantic comedy has me ROLLING. I mean, it kinda gives you a bit of that, but HONESTLY THIS IS NOT YOUR MOTHER’S ROMCOM. Absolutely not going to be a series for everyone (look, first episode didn’t pull punches and straight up has some SA in it) but this is going to be a fucking insane ride. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it, and for that, I’m very excited.
UPDATING TO ADD: yo honestly now we’re like 2 months into this and it’s only gotten BETTER. Kinda thinking this is AOTY caliber. Anyone not watching this is missing out IMO. Also glad to have another series where the intro is part of the weekly experience, what a BANGER!!!
ranma 1/2
studio: MAPPA
comedy, romance, martial arts
Look, Rumiko Takahashi is half the reason I’m super into anime in the first place, and I absolutely have watched the original Ranma 1/2—even rewatched the original a few years ago!!—so you bet your sweet bippy I was going to dive face-first back into the reboot (especially with some of the original voice actors reprising their roles, and with MAPPA helming it). Honestly? Already into this with just one episode out. It’s super fun to see these wild kids brought back to the screen in HD hahaha. Some of the jokes in the original are very uh, SUPER EDGY in today’s environment, so I’m actually super curious to see what (if any) changes happen in that light. You can bet I’ll be keeping up on this one regularly this season!
UPDATING TO ADD: fucking love this, MAPPA is knocking it out of the damn park!!!
blue box
studio: Telecom Animation Film + TMS Entertainment
romance, sports
As an enjoyer of sports anime AND the occasional romance series, seeing these two genres mashed up had me very intrigued, plus the animation style looked SO PRETTY that I kinda was like, aight gotta check this one out. Already know I’m going to enjoy this one after one episode haha. Definitely has some semi-predictable tropes for the romance genre but like, they’re tropes I get a kick out of so you won’t see me complaining. This one looks to be super cute & sweet & wholesome, and I like a good comfort food type series here & there. (Plus it’ll be a good brain cleanse from DanDaDan this season HAHA.)
movies
a quiet place: day one
director: Michael Sarnoski
apocalyptic horror, drama
A terminally ill woman just wants some proper pizza before she dies. (That’s it, that’s the movie.) … okay only kind of kidding there, but it’s TRUE. I’m not into horror movies, but the AQP series is one of my few exceptions because it’s just so damn GOOD beyond the horror aspects. The prequel is no exception to that as well; this is a phenomenal human interest piece underneath the apocalypse & horror aspects. Lupita Nyong’o delivers big time. I felt so many things. Such a good movie, and a worthy new addition to the AQP family.
the wild robot
director: Chris Sanders
sci-fi, adventure, animation
Aight for those of you who remember the emotional wrecking ball that was The Iron Giant, just know to get your tissue boxes ready for this one too. The Wild Robot is hands-down one of the best, most heartfelt animated features in a good long time. It tackles some pretty hefty themes and doesn’t bother with the kid gloves (despite that kids are part of its target audience, but honestly they targeted us adults too HARDCORE). Absolutely beautiful storytelling, and I 100% cried multiple times, should not have worn eyeliner or mascara to this one (what was I thinking). Another stunning Lupita Nyong’o performance too, which I didn’t realize until the credits rolled but GOOD GOD SHE IS AMAZING. I really hope this gets some critical accolades because it DESERVES it. I’m not crying, you’re crying.
twisters
director: Lee Isaac Chung
action, natural disasters
I went into this movie ready to point & laugh at it because the trailers were So Memeworthy, and I was stubbornly going, why do we need another Twister movie, the 90s one is a classic, this is gonna be silly but I’ll see it anyway—and I’m very glad to admit I was pleasantly surprised by Twisters. It’s actually a fantastic spiritual successor to the 90s film, where it’s not a reboot, or a direct sequel, but more of a current-day story that happens to share the same natural phenomenon and some of the romantic themes as the original. I loved the casting choices and overall story, and I very much enjoyed it, much to my own surprise.
fly me to the moon
director: Greg Berlanti
romantic comedy, drama, historical
I wasn’t sure how I felt about this one when I saw the initial trailers, because uh, the “moon landing was faked in a Hollywood studio” conspiracy kind of pushes a type of validation that’s dangerous in today’s world… but this was genuinely such a great movie. Like, if I were the dating type, this is a really great Date Night kind of feel-good, pick-me-up movie. I love Channing Tatum in this, but truthfully it’s Scarlett Johansson’s performance that knocks it out of the park. Genuinely a delightful film.
furiosa: a mad max saga
director: George Miller
post-apocalyptic, sci-fi, action
I enjoyed Mad Max: Fury Road with the best of us, and I was thrilled to see a prequel in the works for Furiosa because she’s such an amazing character, and I thought Anya Taylor-Joy was actually a really good pick for her. Honestly I’m kinda mad this got treated as a flop, because it was actually FANTASTIC. All the same glorious cinematography and world-building of its source material, plus a very heartfelt (and heart-wrenching) story of devastating loss and revenge. I saw this in Dolby and it was such a treat!
deadpool & wolverine
director: Shawn Levy
action, comedy, comic book based
Biggest hype of the year, and I thought it delivered quite well on that promise. Such a good time!! I’m so glad they were able to get this moved across into the MCU, because some of the surprise cameos & appearances were GOLDEN. Some of the most fun I’ve had in theaters this year, and that’s a pretty high bar. Also Hugh Jackman, what the heck, still making Wolverine hot as hell no matter what age?!?! Looking forward to seeing what other projects get to flourish as a result of the successes here.
bad boys: ride or die
director: Adil & Bilall
action, comedy, buddy cop
Okay so I ended up rewatching all the Bad Boys movies leading up to this one, and this ended up being my FAVORITE ONE YET haha. I’m glad we got exactly what was on the tin with this one, and I was all in for it. Super fun time, and a great follow-up to its predecessors (with some more current tastes in mind, Slapgate aside).
joker: folie à deux
director: Todd Phillips
psychological thriller, musical, comic book based
The first Joaquin Phoenix “Joker” installment was unsettling & unhinged, and this was just as unsettling & unhinged as its predecessor. If you go into this knowing it’s a musical (I did haha), you won’t be as surprised at HOW MUCH SINGING THERE IS. Stellar performances by both Joaquin and Gaga, but the movie made me just as uneasy as the first one. The mental health themes just uh, hit a little close to home for me when I have a nephew who has startlingly similar mental illnesses. That aside though, the overall storytelling and ending for this are intriguing, because they could leave this as a completed two-movie set, or they could continue this in very interesting ways. Not sure where this would fit into the overall DC lore though. I mentioned this to my movie buddy afterwards: it feels like Todd Phillips got the green light to make films out of his AU fanfictions of the Joker story and now she’s mad that I’m right.
the crow
director: Rupert Sanders
action, comic book based
Okay so some disclaimers here since this got WRECKED by critics & the box office lmao. First off, I have not seen the original movie with Brandon Lee, but I am very aware of the baggage this one had from the tragedy there. Secondly, I know this had a ton of production stops and shuffles that impacted it, could have been a lot better given a clean slate to work with. But I was intrigued by the concept (seeing as I hadn’t watched the original), and I kind of was in the mood for a darker anti-hero movie. Overall, it definitely wasn’t a GREAT movie, but I don’t think it was as bad as the critics made it out to be—it certainly wasn’t awful—and I got what I came for out of it (which for me is usually enough LOL). I do think it would have been much better served as a TV series though. I’d watch follow-ups but I don’t know if it’s going to get any for how badly it was reamed.
tv shows
bad monkey
provider (US): Apple TV+
comedy, murder mystery
Genuinely a surprising delight. Vince Vaugh delivers; this show has been such a blast to keep up with. So much wit and sass, and the murder mystery aspect of it has some fantastic plot twists & turns—I’ve actually thrown down couch pillows screaming “WHAT?!?!” at the end of more than one episode. The characters are FABULOUS, including the narrator (I love him so much hahahaha), and I haven’t had this much honest fun with a TV show in a hot minute. I’m sad it’s coming to a close… it’s been such a great ride and I really hope more seasons are planned!
turn: washington’s spies
provider (US): AMC+
historical, war, spy drama
Okay so I don’t think I’ve mentioned this here before, but I rewatched this recently and figured it was TIME because it held up SO WELL. Turn is probably one of the best series you’ve (likely) never heard of. It’s a show from like 10 years ago that I followed weekly during its OG run and is one of my all-time favorites ever, and it’s sincerely So Underappreciated!! From the writing & pacing, to the history & music & cinematography, this is a hidden gem and I wish more people knew about it. The story covers the creation of a spy ring that served George Washington during the American Revolution, and centers around a farmer-lawyer in Setauket who kind of gets sucked into the whole spy business for Many Reasons. It is a bit of a slower start, but the buildup and payoff are SO GOOD that it’s hard to explain without telling the whole story. Honestly every person I’ve managed to convince to start watching this goes, “WAIT HOW DID I NOT HEAR OF THIS SOONER?!” and it makes me smile every time. Just a bit of a recommendation: watch with subtitles, they help A Lot.
house of ninjas
provider (US): Netflix
modern ninjas, action, dark comedy
I just started this one and am already SO INVESTED HAHA. Netflix was pushing this at me for a while with their algo and I finally bit. This is a Japanese series that I’m pretty sure is supposed to be a dark comedy?? Because it certainly feels like one haha. They got me with modern day ninjas, and doesn’t shy away from the ridiculousness that could ensue from that concept. Barely scratched the surface but I’m looking forward to my eventual binge watch on this one.
chimp crazy
provider (US): Max (HBO)
documentary, exotic animals
The director from Tiger King is back at it again, this time diving into the world of chimpanzees in the US. Without spoiling anything… if you were into the insanity that was Tiger King, this will also be right up your alley. It’s just as wild & crazy.
