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chebosky
Reviews
Anyone But You (2023)
Sydney Sweeney can't act
On the one hand I want to love this movie. As a child of the late 80s and 90s there is definitely a lack of the kinds of feel good romcoms we were flooded with in the 90s and early 2000s. Sure, most of them were predictable cheesefests, but that was the point, and many actors and actresses could build a career doing these types of films. Today if you want to get that fill you have to turn to bottom of the barrel fare on the Hallmark channel or the occasional try hard film on Netflix that just never seem to hit the right mark
This movie starts like the typical romcom. Girl meets guy, they have a romantic night, and everything falls apart from there until they just happen to be reconnected and love again blossoms. Shakespeare it is not even though it is based on Much Ado About Nothing. It keeps a light hearted tone throughout, but the humor is a little lacking
Glen Powell fits the part well as the charming, perfect on paper match that pretty much gets his pick of the litter. Sydney Sweeney on the other hand looks like she's half asleep and just reading her lines for the first time. Obviously as a straight male I have no problems seeing Sweeney on screen, but she just looks bored the whole time with the same dead eyed look the whole time and delivers her lines with no emotion. I want to root for her because she's a throwback to the romcom queens of the past in looks, but she just doesn't have the comedic chops for this kind of work. She's great in Euphoria but just doesn't bring it here
With that Sweeney brings down the whole affair. The setting is nice but the dialogue seems fake coming from her which kills the vibe. All romcoms are predictable so they have to be acted with conviction or it just feels like a Hallmark movie with nudity which this does. At the same time I am still holding out hope for the revival of solid romcoms on the big screen, but this ain't it.
3 Body Problem: Wallfacer (2024)
Bland nonsense
Here we have yet another series that comes out of the gate with a bang and delivers a solid 5 episodes before completely falling flat for the remainder. I am not familiar with the books, so I am ignorant as to whether this follows closely to the books at all, but it really doesn't matter because it lost all momentum for these last few episodes
The first 5 would get a 9/10 from me. There was a properly mysterious foe, intriguing characters, and solid plot progression. It all felt like it was building to something big. Then it all fell apart. Plot holes developed all over the place, and the momentum was killed to spend 3 filler episodes on melodrama. It's almost like they ran out of money, but had to turn in 8 episodes, so they just threw something together with very little coherence and entirely inconsistent with what came before. It almost felt like two different shows
People turned on each other all over the place for weird reasons, all the plot build up was stopped in it's tracks, and we were given very little explanation for why any of it was happening. It felt like it was moving too slow and too fast at the same time. Most of the screen time was spent on boring conversations that didn't really add much, and then it would skip ahead in the story glossing over everything in between
I am sadly getting GOT season 8 vibes where things just happen that are out of character with very little build up to explain any of it. I hope they can bounce back for season 2, but if they are already wheel spinning this early I have concerns.
Supersex (2024)
Tries to redeem a horrible person
This is a really well made series that offers a peek into the life of one of the most famous male porn stars ever. It does have a lot of gratuitous sex scenes but there's really no way to avoid that given the subject matter. It does it's best to deep dive into the life and family of Rocco Siffredi without glamorizing his upbringing and struggles, but it far too often lets him off the hook and tries to paint him as more of a tortured artist who just wants to free the world. This is ridiculous
As someone who used to watch a lot of porn when Rocco was in his prime, it was him that turned me off it for good. It is important to note that a lot of the adult productions of that era were all about pushing boundaries and depicting male dominance and female degradation, and for this Rocco was truly ahead of his time. He could be overly aggressive and violent in the way he handled his co-stars and seemed to relish in pushing a scene partner way past her boundaries for his own gratification. He could be extremely violent and would verbally ask for consent well past the point the act began. You could see in his face the arrogance of knowing that he was on top of this world and let anyone object to his brand of humiliation to their demise in the industry
It was a couple scenes in particular where you could very clearly see the fright and panic in a female performer who was being pushed to a breaking point that I could no longer justify participating as a viewer. Now you could say "well they consented right", and that would pass for an explanation in those days before people really cared about power dynamics and could just cast off accusations of sex workers because that's the life you signed up for. But I don't buy it. Especially in the European market at that time any up and comer was almost required to pass through Roccos clutches at some point and young female performers then were not in a position to say no
I have heard quotes from his contemporary adult stars musing about how Rocco is able to get girls to do things they would ever do with other performers. I guess he likes to think it's just his charm and care, but more likely it's because he simply did what he wanted regardless, and the female performers had no recourse to object lest they lose money and future status. Of course I wasn't there so maybe they all really liked it and consented enthusiastically to his particular brand of brutality, but I highly doubt it. Sure, many probably enjoyed it, but I would challenge anyone to look into the eyes of the performers with him and tell me they wanted it
For this I won't condone this romanticized view of his life where he is just a victim to his desires, and after all he was so good at it who wouldn't want to be with him. It's clear he was involved in this production, and I would much rather a film about all the damage he left in his wake.
The Program: Cons, Cults, and Kidnapping (2024)
Peek into a world most will never know
I thought this was really well done. It tackled the serious nature of what was going on without a lot of "expert" talking heads and just let the people who were there give their experience which is way more powerful
I went through a similar facility when I was 15 that had many of these same rules with a hardcore focus on religion. I was there over 2 years and have never been the same since. It truly shatters your whole world at that age, and I spent years trying to reconcile the experience because it shapes your whole world view going forward because it feels like a betrayal. You wonder how your parents would allow you to go through this, and you wonder how your city, state, country could look the other way. I experienced horrible abuse at the hands of people who were supposed to help and it only sent me on a downward spiral that I haven't fully come out of 30 years later. It's hard to talk about with anyone that wasn't there because the average person just doesn't understand what these places do to you
These kinds of places popped up everywhere in the 80s and 90s and many of them fortunately got shuttered when the reality started to come to light, but these places still exist many places. I would plead with any parent to look to literally any other option for troubled kids before turning them over to people you don't know. This kind of program should only be for the most extreme situations, but usually they just become a dumping ground for wealthy parents that don't know how to deal with their kids. These places are insidious because they don't allow any information to get out, and they convince people that these troubled kids who are known for lying are just making stuff up to get out of it
If you have been through one of these programs just know that there are thousands of us who understand and you are not alone. It's a shame that these kind of monsters are allowed to market their terror to vulnerable parents and abuse fragile children, but keep speaking out until there are none left.
Amy's F-It List (2023)
Amy hits the wrong note
So I now have a crush on Alyson Gorske after watching Obliterated on Netflix, so now I am obligated to watch everything she has ever been in. Amy's F-it List has a premise that could go in a lot of directions and I had no idea going in what kind of tone this movie would have. I expected a light hearted drama which seems like what they were aiming for, but it misses the mark
For a brief synopsis, basically our heroine is living a dead end life after the death of her father when she finds out she has a terminal brain tumor, so she and her sister go on a quest to check off her f it list. From the moment the list is introduced everything just feels rushed and nothing is given the weight it should have given the circumstances involved. The moments that should be funny just come off as corny and the moments that should be heart wrenching just feel like nothing. There's no weight to the subject matter. Much like Amy, it feels like the film makers had a list of scenes to get through, but not enough to connect them and better understand the characters. It doesn't evoke any emotion for the heavy subject matter
This feels like a rough draft of a better movie. Honestly this seemed like a movie I could have seen in the 90s. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but the direction, script, and acting all do not seem in line with modern film making and cultural sensibilities. One egregious example is the final list item that is just sort of thrown in like an after thought when it should be a huge all encompassing topic. I think we are supposed to surmise that this is the reason Amy's life goes off track, but the whole movie pins this on her father's death, so it just doesn't work and feels like a cheap ploy to shock the audience
Alyson Gorske and Angel Prater who plays her sister are fine actors, they just didn't have the right ingredients to make this work. It all just comes off as a senior year film studies project. However, I like the idea and think it could work in a more refined movie, and given my new crush on Gorske I can't give this less than a 5. If you have nothing else to watch on a Sunday afternoon it might help you pass the time while scrolling on your phone and folding laundry.
Wilderness (2023)
Boring
The only reason to watch this is Jenna Coleman. She does her best to elevate this above the typical dross you might normally find on Netflix, but the writing is just not up to the task
The basic idea for this is fine, but instead of finding ways to expand the idea into an interesting and unique series, they basically just took what could have been a decent 90 minute movie and stretched it to 6 needlessly long and tedious episodes. I guess that's the world we live in now with streaming. Everything has to be extended to it's longest most insufferable form
Apart from Coleman, the rest of the cast is basically Ok. I just don't buy Ashley Benson as the other woman. Look, I loved PLL as much as everyone, but Benson can't act and she's about half as attractive as Jenna Coleman. They try to build her up as some hot, blonde bombshell, but she's just not
I won't lie, I didn't finish the series, but I made it to episode 4, and there just wasn't anything to keep me going. Maybe the last two episodes turn the whole thing around but I seriously doubt it.
The Out-Laws (2023)
It's Alright
Seriously people need to check their expectations. Did anyone think they were about to watch an award winning masterpiece? This was fine for what it was supposed to be, a light, moderately funny time waster on a Sunday afternoon, and it kind of succeeds
I would rank this higher than much of the run of the mill Netflix trash. The acting is good with the exception of Adam Devine. He really is just annoying and that costs the movie 3-4 points alone. Brosnan, Barker, and Dobrev all turn in fine performances for what this is.
The laughs are OK. Nothing ground breaking and the story has been done before better, but I had a good time with it. The humor can be a little low brow but, again what did you expect? This is a Happy Madison production. You should know what that means going into it.
Over all this will be another in a long line of streaming movies that will be forgotten quickly, but for what it is I thought it was Ok.
The Idol: Jocelyn Forever (2023)
I tried
I finished this out and I really tried to find any redeeming aspect of this show and there's just nothing there. I don't know if they just didn't put enough resources into the development of this show to get a decent product or what but this is one of the worst series I have ever finished and I only got through it because of a short 5 episodes.
I'm going to go out on a limb and assume Max knew they had a stinker on their hands and that's why the episode count is low. The acting is horrible, there is not much of a story to speak of, the world of the show is way too insular. They released this anyway because they know people will tune in for the shock value of it all, but it's all been done before. I might have been intrigued when I was 16, but this is just embarrassing for all involved
The Weeknd has no businesses being an actor. Depp is passable at best. I used to think she was really cute but it looks like she's already getting work done on her face so she'll probably get that plastic look before she turns 30. So sad. She will continue to land roles because of her dad, but it isn't earned. Some of the other actors are fine, but the writing is doing them no favors and the whole thing just comes across as amateur
Cancelled my Max subscription. Seriously they are removing good content and replacing it with this garbage.
The Idol: Pop Tarts & Rat Tales (2023)
Shockingly Bad
This is just so bad. There is very little story here. They are obviously betting on people tuning in for the provocative scenes and it might work. I mean people tuned in to late night Cinemax back in the day for the same reason. That's about the level of production we are looking at here
Also the acting is atrocious. The two leads would never have gotten this gig if they weren't known already. Depp clearly just gets work because who her dad is, and I don't really support nepotism. It takes jobs away from truly talented people who will never get the chance to shine. The Weeknd at least has some talent he just can't act
If this is what is passing for "premium" entertainment now I weep for the future.
Stargirl: Frenemies - Chapter Ten: The Killer (2022)
Where's Stargirl?
Seriously, this show is called Stargirl, but this season has sidelined the main character for a lot of boring drama. Did they lose all their budget this year? I think she has only suited up once or twice all season and when is the last time she used her staff in battle. No mystery why this show got cancelled. They forgot what made this show different.
Brec as Stargirl is the heart of the show but they have bogged her down in a stupid romance plot. Even the other team members rarely suit up anymore. What is the point? You can get boyfriend drama in literally every other show on the CW. Bring Stargirl out of hiding.
Silo: Hanna (2023)
Kind of meh
This show has a great hook and the first few episodes are brilliant and set up a new exciting and interesting world and characters you want to get to know and learn how they navigate this world.
However, since episode 4 things have dropped off and the show has become quite predictable and is barely scratching the surface of what I'm really interested in about this world. The last episode and this one pick up considerably which is good, but pacing is just one of the problems with this season. To me it seems like they are putting most of the focus on the least interesting aspects of the Silo and what it means for the world outside
In addition, the character of Juliette is just not a solid main character. She's kind of obnoxious and unsympathetic, so centering the story around her was a mistake in my opinion. And making her the sheriff has reduced huge chunks of the show to a police procedural which is shortchanging the possibilities of this show and displays a lack of confidence in the writer's room
I will finish out the season but it just seems like overall this is a missed opportunity to have a truly unique and original show. It has all the right ingredients to become a great show, but it's just not there. I keep watching because I think it can get there, but it's going to need an overhaul in the writing process.
Yellowjackets: Storytelling (2023)
What a mess
This is one of the most disappointing seasons of TV I have ever watched. It's not the worst I've seen by a long stretch, but it went from one of the best I've seen in a while with season 1 to a complete mess of a season 2. The writers have completely lost the plot and don't seem to have a handle on who their characters are. Did they change the writer's room between seasons?
They can't seem to decide if they want to have some kind of quirky offbeat comedy drama or a serious psychological horror/survival thriller, and the shifts in tone are jarring. In addition, the characters don't act consistent with who they were in season 1, and the younger versions no longer resemble their adult selves. The worst offender is Nat who had a personality transplant this season. I kept waiting for some reveal that she was playing a long game all season, but no she just became a totally different person with no explanation.
The plot is all over the place. They introduce several meandering side plots that go nowhere and others that get wrapped up way too quickly with a couple lines of dialogue. I feel like they must have intended a 10th episode that was canned so they had to throw too much in this one, but with the downgrade of writing this season I don't think that's it. I think it's a consequence of wanting to drag this show out for years so they need to stuff the season with meaningless filler. This is not a show that needs 5+ seasons.
The ending of this finale should have made me feel all sorts of things, but I was largely un moved by most of it. It all just sort of randomly goes through the motions and I found myself just wanting to get it over with rather than the emotional impact the first season had
The only positive I can see is the acting that is consistently great. The younger cast is excellent all the way around. Just some phenomenal performances in spite of the writing they're dealing with. Christina Ricci, one of my first Hollywood crushes, continues to steal the show. Unfortunately, Lauren Ambrose who I love in almost everything she does was flat and didn't have enough to work with. I will give season 3 a shot because I love these characters, but I won't stick around for long if they don't raise the bar.
Yellowjackets: It Chooses (2023)
Two toned show is not working
I have enjoyed a lot of season 2 so far, but it's basically two different shows at this point and it's not working. Everything in the present day is being played for laughs while we are supposed to be feeling despair and disgust in the past. It is just not connecting at all. At this point the two versions of the characters don't seem like the same people anymore.
In addition, everything just sort of happens. There is very little build up or consistent themes. Obviously we knew they would get to a desperate enough point to turn on each other but The ending of this episode didn't feel earned at all. It's like they just needed to get to this point by the end of the season so just throw it in here. We should have been able to track their declining food and mental state but it just hasn't been there. And none of this tracks with how they act in the present as if they are going for laughs
I hope they go back to the drawing board for season 3 and come up with a solid through line to connect the past and present because right now I feel like I'm watching two very different shows with very different characters.
Beef (2023)
Love it, Love it, Love it
Wow this was a surprise. Had no idea what this was about but I've pretty much run through anything that has the slightest interest to me on Netflix, so I regularly just start whatever new random show they tell me I'll like. Generally, about 30 minutes in I turn them off in disgust at the level of nonsense Netflix thinks I would actually like
This one was a welcome change. I didn't know it was A24, but as soon as I saw that pop up I knew it would at least be better than average. Everything I've seen from A24 is great or at least interesting and different. This goes in the great category hands down.
This centers on two Asian Americans that get into a road rage interaction, and things spiral from there as we see the inside of their lives and how it effects their attitudes and actions. The majority of the cast is Asian which in itself is a welcome change. I'm not Asian, but it's great to see some good representation in such a great show. I can't speak to how well this represents the Asian American experience, but based on other reviews I would think it will resonate
You might be thinking, how do they stretch one road rage incident into 10 episodes. It must go off the rails somewhere. But it doesn't. Great characters that seem real which is sorely missing in many modern productions. Now, there are certainly a few things that are a little hard to swallow and require a certain suspension of disbelief, but just flow with it. It ultimately all works to bring a rewarding viewing experience.
Great music too. Seriously, if you've given up on Netflix give this one a shot anyway. You'll be glad you did.
From: Book 74 (2022)
Going nowhere fast
Well I made it this far but this is where I get off. It's a shame because the premise of this show is right up my alley, but it's obvious they are going nowhere fast with this. It's just going to be one contrived setup after another while never actually getting to the central mystery of the show. Namely, it's all interpersonal drama that isn't really unique to this show
I had hoped with 10 episodes we would get a tightly plotted show, but it seems they are going for longevity, so I'm not going to waste my time with this when it will probably just be canceled after a couple seasons where they've barely scratched the surface of what's happening and why.
It's the problem Lost and many other shows of this nature have. They just pile random mysteries on top of each other to distract from the fact they have no idea where to take the story. If they actually answer the big questions, then what? But if they don't they have to keep piling on side plots that really don't matter to pad out the time. I'll pass.
From: Choosing Day (2022)
Getting strong Under the Dome vibes
Finally getting around to watching this. Started off with a great premise. I love a good scifi/horror mystery box type show, but I'm already seeing tell tale signs that the writers have no idea where they are going with this and are creating contrived drama to prolong things while never actually addressing the premise of the show.
This reminds me of a lot of the shows that popped up in the wake of Lost, most only lasting a season or two. It feels like a show from that era, and the drama is the same cliche type stuff you would have expected. Basically, many shows came around that started with a great interesting premise, but in order to hopefully drag it out for 5 years of something you barely get any resolution for the central mystery. So big answers will come in season premiers and finales and everything in between will be the same kind of contrived drama you could find on just about any show. Getting strong Under the Dome vibes
I will keep watching for now, but if cracks are showing already after 3 episodes I have little hope of this getting better. I hope it starts moving. With the mountain of content coming out it's still rare to find a good show like this.
MH370: The Plane That Disappeared (2023)
Interesting but nothing new
This is an interesting look at MH370 and does a decent job of compiling the different theories and presenting the evidence for each. However, in typical Netflix fashion, in order to pad this out to 3 episodes, they give equal weight to conspiracy theories regarding the flight's fate.
Way too much weight is given to the crazy story of MH370 being diverted by Russian hijackers and downed over Kazakhstan. There isn't really any legitimate evidence of this. It's as credible as "aliens did it". But they give a huge amount of air time to the guy proposing this.
The other somewhat crazy theory of the plane staying on course and being downed by the US because of sensitive cargo is also given significant air time. This one at least has some evidence to back it up. The Tomnod images do show what could be a debris field off the coast of Vietnam. If there was some confirmation of US Awacs in the area it would give this some weight. I have a hard time believing the US would intentionally down a civilian aircraft, but it's not impossible. It would just take way too many parties to go along with the coverup to be believable, and why hasn't the debris been found?
The other main target is the intentional downing by the captain. I know his friends and family dispute that this would ever be possible, but of course they do. This seems like the most plausible explanation. If you believe the plane turned, then it's either intentional or a hijacking. And it's conceivable that most of the debris will never be found if it went down over the vast Indian Ocean since we don't know the exact location of impact. Of these it seems most likely that it was intentional. KISS-the simplest explanation is usually true
Netflix should not have given equal weight to all the crazy conspiracy theories. We will probably never know exactly what happened, but it would take a massive conspiracy and coverup to believe most of these theories. Ultimately, there's nothing new here, but it's a decent compilation of what we know interspersed with craziness. I'm glad I watched it.
God Forbid (2022)
It's about Trump
So this is just a Trump hit piece. That's fine if that's what you want to see, but this is billed as the story of Jerry Falwell's fall from grace. That's the story I signed up for only for them to turn this into a Donald Trump is bad story. So it's really the false advertising that I don't like. Just call the story what it is from the outset
Can we please stop making everything in this country about Trump. I don't like the man, but he's not president anymore. He's not going to be elected again. Just let it go. His time has come and gone. If people will stop talking about him so much maybe we can actually move on as a country.
Tell Me Lies: The Bedrooms of Our Friends (2022)
Boring
Against my better judgement I decided to finish this series out, and I have to say this was a disappointment. Not just this episode, but the season overall. Episode after episode, nothing really much happens. It's just boring conversations basically rehashing the same things every episode that you just saw in the last episode. I don't know if it's the actors or the story, but none of these people are interesting enough to listen to them sit around and whine for hours on end
It's like this all the way up until the last five minutes of the season where they all of a sudden drop a bunch of bombs, so you'll presumably be eager to tune in next year to see how all this shakes out. I guarantee next year will be the same. All the major drama will be dispelled in the first episode, Steven and Lucy obviously will get back together, and then it will be 10 more episodes of endless whining until they do the same thing in the last episode.
I hate, hate, hate series that do this. It's so manipulative. This whole season could have been condensed into about 3 episodes easy, but they have decided to give us the privilege of seeing this drawn out for 5 years or something. Of course it will probably be cancelled somewhere along the way so that you never actually get to the actual story. Nope, I'll pass. Shame, this could have been good.
Escape from Kabul (2022)
Nope
This is an interesting look into the chaos around the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. I did like hearing different perspectives from US soldiers, Afghan civilians, and the Taliban themselves. It's always better to get first hand accounts than whatever gets filtered out in the news media.
However, I just can't give praise to this documentary because they completely overlook the culprit of this whole mess. All of this could have easily been avoided with better planning from the Biden administration. We'll probably never know the number of civilians, including children, who were killed in this sloppy, disorderly evacuation. How many allies and US civilians were left behind on their own to try and make it out alive?
It really shouldn't matter how you feel about politics to see where to place the blame. It is a complex issue involving a lot of different players, but once we decided to leave, it seems there was no forethought put into how to get out safely, and this falls directly to the US government, specifically the Biden administration.
Grimcutty (2022)
Par for the course these days
This isn't the worst movie I've seen recently, but like most movies coming out these it's just not good. There's a kernel of a good idea here that just is never fully developed in order to get to a quick resolution that doesn't have any kind of logic behind it.
The characters just don't have anything to make them unique or make you care. I've noticed this in almost all the movies I've seen from the last few years. Writers have forgotten how to write compelling characters we care about. Nobody has any personality and characters are just introduced with no backstory like we're supposed to just naturally connect with them. This is one of my biggest pet peeves in film these days. You can get around a lot of bad writing and low budgets if you just have compelling characters and good actors. The craft has been lost.
The plot is basic and tries to carry some message about parents getting over protective about technology and social media trends, but it just doesn't land. None of the plot points are developed well and the story jumps from point A to point D and never explains how we got there. This was obviously put together with no passion just to get something out there. Lazy
The horror elements are PG at most. We never see much of anything. The monster looks ridiculous more than scary. Again some of this could have worked if anyone cared enough to put a little time and effort in.
All in all this goes in the trash heap of streamer movies. It's obvious that with the streaming wars in full force the goal for all of them is just to have a mountain of content. It doesn't matter if any of it is actually good. Just rush out a bunch of amateurish content to show how much you have to offer. It's just all so bad.
Not the worst movie but not worth wasting time on and will be forgotten before I finish typing this.
Machination (2022)
Great film!!
I watched Machination on a whim on Tubi. I didn't know anything about it, but I liked the cover art and had some time to kill. I watch an unhealthy number of low budget random horror films and expected this to be the same. Boy was I wrong. This is an exceptional film all about one woman's descent into madness and paranoia while living in isolation at the onset of the pandemic.
I enjoyed all aspects of this film, but all the credit goes to Steffi Thake as the lead actor. The whole film rests on her shoulders and her performance is mesmerizing. We watch her go from taking a lot of the same precautions many of us did to complete shut down. Almost the entire movie is just her in her house, and it works. As someone who isolated by myself for months in the early covid days I could relate to a lot of the paranoia and fear. I don't know anything about Thake but I will be sure to watch out for other projects with her. Be sure to check this out. This is the first film I've seen that effectively brings out those fears we all had early in the pandemic.
Tell Me Lies: Merry F*cking Christmas (2022)
Slow paced
I am enjoying the series so far, but this seemed like a filler episode. We learn more about the family dynamics of Lucy and Stephen, but probably didn't need an entire episode for this which is my primary complaint of this series. It is moving at a snails pace. We are half way through the season and it feels like we haven't covered much ground. They aren't even an official couple yet.
This was obviously conceived as a story unfolding over several seasons so it will take a loooong time to bring us up to present. Will keep watching for now but not sure I am going to be willing to stick it out if they are planning on stretching this out for several years.
The Anarchists: Living Without the Law (2022)
This has gotten ridiculous
I'm not sure what point this "documentary" is trying to get across. They lost me with the idiot claiming John and Lily as some kind of counterculture heroes. This has got to be a joke.
Lily and John didn't leave the US to take some principled stand against the US system. They went on the run to avoid arrest and prosecution. They are typical hippies. If you spend any amount of time in a hippie community you will meet hundreds just like them. Mostly just lazy stoners doing anything to avoid having to work. They might have been decent people who didn't deserve what happened, but they are hardly heroic revolutionaries. They ended up in Acapulco in the anarchist community because they had nowhere else to go. They never would have left the US without arrest hanging over them. You go live in cartel territory and take your chances.
This is where I stop. These people are a joke and this didn't warrant 6 hours of exposure on HBO. A true deep dive into the philosophy of anarchy would have been great. The people in this are not that interesting and hardly seem to live the ideals they supposedly believe in.
Not Okay (2022)
#Lamemovie
This could have been a good movie but it misses the mark in just about every way. Within 5 minutes you will know exactly how this movie will play out, and it does. There are no surprises, nothing to get a deeper understanding of our main character. We only know she seeks internet fame like every other under 25 year old you know.
She gets her fame and almost immediately is portrayed as sympathetic. She's really a good person who just made a mistake. It would be far more interesting if they had actually followed through on the premise that she's a selfish entitled brat looking for recognition at any cost. They nod to it but clearly don't want our heroine to look too bad because...I don't know why, it's a copout.
Zoey Deutch is fine. She plays the same person she plays in every movie. The supporting cast includes all the DEI checklist you have come to expect. Of course they are mostly all caricatures. Ultimately there's nothing new to see here.