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Movie Reviews

Fountain of Youth Review

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Fountain of Youth

  • Director: Guy Ritchie
  • Writer: James Vanderbilt
  • Starring: John Krasinski, Natalie Portman, Eiza González, Domhall Gleeson, Carmen Ejogo, Arian Moayed, Stanley Tucci

Grade: C-

For every action, there is an equal but opposite reaction. On the same weekend when Tom Cruise & Co. are defying death on the big screen, Guy Ritchie’s Fountain of Youth wasn’t even given the decency of a one-week theatrical run, and has been relegated to the AppleTV+ streamer. Whereas Christopher McQuarrie seeks to redefine action spectacle, Ritchie’s film never distinguishes itself as anything more than a clone of films like National Treasure or the Dan Brown/Robert Langdon series.

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TV Reviews

The Studio Season 1 – TV Review

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The Studio

  • Creators: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Peter Huyck, Alex Gregory, and Frida Perez
  • Starring: Seth Rogen, Ike Barinholtz, Catherine O’Hara, Kathryn Hahn, Chase Sui Wonders, Bryan Cranston
  • Ten episode season, ten episodes watched for review

Grade: B-

Effective satire has to dig underneath the skin of its target to get at an unspoken truth. The Studio, the latest prestigious comedy series from AppleTV+, has its sights set on some of the lowest-hanging fruit available – Hollywood – but rarely has anything insightful or biting to say that hasn’t already been said over the years. It’s the kind of star-studded affair where it feels like co-creator and star Seth Rogen has pulled together as many famous friends and previous collaborators as an attempt to poke the eyes of the system the show is skewering, but plays it safe in order to ensure everybody’s reputation escapes intact. Though it’s more handsomely mounted than its modern contemporaries – 30 Rock and The Other Two, to name a few – The Studio lacks those series’ key insights and specificities.

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TV Reviews

Severance Season 2 Episode 7 Review

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“Chikhai Bardo”

  • Creator: Dan Erickson
  • Starring: Adam Scott, Britt Lower, John Turturro, Zack Cherry, Tramell Tillman, Patricia Arquette, Jen Tullock, Michael Chernus, Dichen Lachman

Grade: A

Warning: The review of Severance season 2 episode 7 will contain spoilers.

Why do we care about Mark’s (Adam Scott) search for Gemma (Dichen Lachman)? Besides the very relatable, human notion of wanting to reconnect with a lost loved one, we don’t have much to go on regarding Mark and Gemma’s relationship or their past. Episode 7 of season 2 fills in some necessary gaps in their backstories, and provides some shocking developments to show exactly what’s been happening since she disappeared into that dark hallway, and it’s another fascinating episode of Severance at its best.

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TV Reviews

Severance Season 2 Episode 3 Review

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“Who is Alive?”

  • Creator: Dan Erickson
  • Starring: Adam Scott, Britt Lower, John Turturro, Zach Cherry, Tramell Tillman, Patricia Arquette, Jen Tullock, Michael Chernus, Dichen Lachman

Grade: B+

Warning: This review of Severance season 2 episode 3 will contain spoilers.

Of all of the juggled storylines in Severance, I never expected the romance between Mark S. (Adam Scott) and Helly R. (Britt Lower) to be so prominent, but season 2 episode 3 brings it closer to the center, and I can’t say I’m upset about it. It’s a fascinating subversion of the love triangle trope: Mark is torn between someone he has genuinely fallen for, and someone who he knows, but another version of himself already loves. The show has already raised a number of intriguing questions because of its unique world-building, but this finds a way to take both the characters and their circumstances in interesting, new directions.

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TV Reviews

Severance Season 2 Episode 2 Review

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“Goodbye, Mrs. Selvig”

  • Creator: Dan Erickson
  • Starring: Adam Scott, Britt Lower, John Turturro, Zach Cherry, Tramell Tillman, Patricia Arquette, Jen Tullock, Michael Chernus, Dichen Lachman

Grade: B+

Warning: This review of Severance season 2 episode 2 will contain spoilers.

After last week’s season premiere focused mostly on the plight of the innies following the events of the season 1 finale, it seems fitting that Severance season 2 episode 2 would focus mostly on the outies. In fact, “Goodbye, Mrs. Selvig” picks up immediately after Mark’s (Adam Scott) innie blurts out the truth about Gemma. The episode doesn’t advance the plot of the season significantly, but it fills in some necessary gaps, while highlighting some of the show’s best secondary characters.

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TV Reviews

Severance Season 2 Episode 1 Review

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“Hello, Ms. Cobel”

  • Creator: Dan Erickson
  • Starring: Adam Scott, Britt Lower, John Turturro, Zach Cherry, Tramell Tillman, Patricia Arquette, Jen Tullock, Michael Chernus, Dichen Lachman

Grade: A-

Warning: The review of the season premiere of Severance will contain spoilers.

I often wonder if AppleTV+ knew it had such a massive hit on hits hands when they quietly dropped season 1 of Severance in early 2022. The show quickly became a word-of-mouth darling amongst critics and fans as the season went on – culminating in a number of Emmy nominations – and expectations have only grown in the 3 year wait for season 2. It can’t be overstated how rare it is in today’s TV landscape to have a truly original show that succeeds at being thrilling, insightful, and mysterious. Creator Dan Erickson rightfully earned comparisons to Lost with the sheer depth of his world, and it felt like season 1 had only scratched the surface.

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