My Review of Half Man: "Episode 4"

 

Written by Richard Gadd 

Directed by Eshref Reybrouck

Ruben (to Niall): "I'm the soundtrack to your greatest moments and it pains you to know that all of your achievements fill you with a void whereas a smile from me fill you with all the fucking energy you need."

What a fucking episode. Earlier in the year, I said the Dear Henry episode of Industry Season 4 was my favourite due to the toxicity of the Henry/Whitney ship but that's starting to look relatively tame compared to the absolute insanity of Ruben/Niall.

We've left the younger versions of both men behind and it's now Richard Gadd and Jamie Bell back at the forefront. We're also into more recent history with Ruben and Niall having very different lives where one turned out to be a more successful than the other. In some ways, it's not actually that surprising.

Prison seemed to be the making of Ruben in a way. He did some reading, showed a little self reflection and while he contemplated getting revenge on Niall, he actually avoiding interacting with him. Until Niall literally forced his hand into doing so. Niall really was his own worst enemy.

Niall's post trial life was mostly shit. He wrote one book that barely sold 100 copies and his editor Daniel (Tim Downie) wasn't impressed with his recent follow up efforts. He also made himself vulnerable to blackmail when Glenn (Mark Kydd) caught him having sex with men in the bathrooms of the library.

Niall's life was such a car crash that Lori had no choice but to admit that Ruben's been bailing Niall out for a while. Niall trashed Ruben's car and scared the latter's wife. Then there was that whole hospital scene.

I'm trying not to be too hyperbolic here but if Richard Gadd and Jamie Bell don't get Emmy nominated for this episode alone, I will be genuinely shocked. Both men give such visceral performances as Ruben and Niall tore into one another. Both men made valid points at each other and both seemed to come to some form of an understanding as well. It's incredible television. 

Cutting back to the present day, Ruben commanded the wedding speech and certainly unsettled both Niall and Alby. As for the last scene, I didn't see that coming and it's gonna be interesting to see how that will transpire on screen.

- Lori kept saying she wasn't homophobic but the way she treated Niall, it did seem like she didn't like him being gay.

- Maura tried to kill herself while Ruben was in prison. I'm not surprised the trial broke Lori and Maura up.

- Niall's former bully Gus (Sandy Batchelor) turned out to be gay but was married to a woman and had kids. Joanna (Kate Robson-Stuart) had her own kids and got an apology off Ruben off screen.

- Ruben married Mona (Amy Manson) and told Niall that Maura referred to him as King Rat. Ruben also sexually assaulted Niall in hospital.

- Standout music: Devastations The Saddest Sound.

- Chronology: The flashbacks were set in 2008. Niall had quite Oxford and was sectioned after having a breakdown.

The fourth episode set a high bar for the last two episodes. It's an incredible piece of writing, acting and plotting. Both Richard Gadd and Jamie Bell were utterly sensational throughout. 

Rating: 9 out of 10 

Doctor Who - AMC+ Acquire US Streaming Rights

I was hoping the next time I'd do a Doctor Who blog it was going to be revealing information about this year's Christmas special but apparently not yet. 

With the Disney+ deal well and truly over, it's been revealed that the 2005-2022 era of Doctor Who will exclusively stream on AMC+ for US audiences from June 11th. I can't say it's entirely a shock.

There was rumours for a while that the show would land on that particular service. Could this mean that the BBC have a potential new streaming partner from 2027 onwards? I guess we'll have to wait and see.

As for this year's Christmas special, it looks like we're going to have to wait a while before any news coming to light.

Meanwhile Big Finish and fans of the Fugitive Doctor in general can enjoy the multimedia event, Circuit Breaker. This event will also include a novel written by Jo Martin herself, due for release in September.

As for The War Between The Land And The Sea, I think we can safely assume that Disney+ will never release this show. It's been five months since it aired on BBC1 and not a sign yet they're bothered with it.

I'll post more Doctor Who stuff when new information comes to light.

My Review of Juice - Series 2 (2025, BBC3 Series)

 

Written by Mawann Rizwan And Nabhaan Rizwan And Emily Llyod-Saini

Directed by Eros V

Winnie: "Welcome to adulthood, Jamma."

Jamma: "I don't like it."

Winnie: "No, it's not very nice."

I watched this last year but I had forgotten about it until the other day. I went back to rewatch it and I'll admit that it's a bit of a patchy second series of the zany show that got better as it went along.

The rest of the first series saw Jamma (Mawann Rizwan) and therapist boyfriend Guy (Russell Tovey) break up. In between that time, Jamma also decided to become an actual clown and in no surprise whatsoever, he's rather bad at it. He also really missed being with Guy, so most of this series was Jamma trying to get back with him.

For Jamma, this meant becoming the very thing he dreaded more in thr world. He became boring for half the series, courtesy of making a deal with Kevin Eldon's Majal character. This would be something that have some rather unique consequences as the series went on.

It also turned out that making deals to change yourself was a family trait. Saif (Jeff Mirza) had made a similar pact and it was partly a reason why he was avoiding divorcing Farida (Shahnaz Rizwan). When he plucked up the courage, things took another shift between the pair.

Then there's younger brother, Isaac (Nabhaan Rizwan) and flatmate/friend, Winnie (Emily Llyod-Saini). They get some fun moments in the series, including a realisation that they're not compatible as a couple. On the other hand, Isaac's quest to find his trauma certainly had an amusing final outcome.

Going back to Jamma and Guy. It was obvious that they would reunite before the show ended but both characters needed to get their shit together so their reunion would feel earned. Guy also spent a lot of the series promoting a book and dealing with some past family trauma of his own.

- Episode titles were Sup, House Sh*tting, Emporium's New Clothes, The Bullfighter And The Egg, The Storm Is Coming and Last Chapter.

- Mark Gatiss guest starred in the penultimate episode as Guy's father. Julien Ovenden's Nigel was teased as a love rival but he turned out to be straight.

- Standout music: Shik Ma Van by Mawann Rizwan.

- Chronology: Six months since the events of the first series. 

Series 2 didn't initially land as well as the first series but I'm glad I did a rewatch of it. Seeing it a few months again later gave me a better appreciation for this show. That last episode also felt like a neatly wrapped series finale to me.

Rating: 7 out of 10 

My Review of Lee Cronin's The Mummy (2026)

 

Written And Directed by Lee Cronin

Katie: "Don't worry, grandma, it's fun to be dead!"

Ah, it was time to check out this take. It's not really part of the Universal Monsters but more of a reimagined version with an even heavier focus on a father and daughter. Of course that's the biggest strength of the film.

The father being a TV reporter named Charlie Cannon (Jack Reynor). He's living in Cairo with his pregnant wife, Larissa (Laia Costa) and their children, Katie (Natalie Grace/Emily Mitchell) and Sebastián (Shylo Molina/Dean Allen Williams). Theyre a happy family until they weren't.

Early in the movie, Katie encountered a creepy woman known as the Magician (Hayat Kamille). She was the mother of Katie's friend, Layla (May Elghety/Aisha Laouini). She also abducted Katie and it was years later before Charlie and Larissa were reunited with their daughter.

Katie didn't exactly return as the same child she was beforehand. She was using Morse Code to reveal stuff about her friend Layla and her abduction and it turned out that Katie and her younger sister Maud (Billie Roy) were both possessed and had no problem disrupting a funeral among other destructive things that happened throughout the film.

I got to be honest. While there's a few decent jumpscares in places, I found myself struggling to keep with this movie. There's a fair bit to try and engage with and it's not very engaging to watch. Characters die, get possessed and so on. It's been done better in other movies.

- May Calamawy had a decent supporting role as Detective Dalia Zaki. 

- Nasmaranian was the entity possessing most of the characters in the movie.

- Standout music: Sharmoofer's Khamsa Santy.

- Chronology: Takes in Aswan, Cairo and Albuquerque, New Mexico.

I wanted to like Lee Cronin's The Mummy but I genuinely struggled to engage with it. It's a bit too long, plodding and even the few decent jumpscares weren't enough to save it. I wouldn't recommend it.

Rating: 6 out of 10 

American Horror Story - Season 13 Casting/Spoilers/Disney Upfronts 2026

With filming for Season 13 of FX's American Horror Story continuing, I wanted to hold back on posting more stuff but after last night, I felt another blog was in order.

First of all, let's confirm some returns, shall we? In the above picture, we had the very people at the Disney Upfronts last night. Over the last few weeks, it's been confirmed that Sarah Paulson, Emma Roberts, Gabourey Sidibe and Angela Bassett are reprising their Coven roles. Yup, we get to see Cordelia Goode, Madison Montgomery, Queenie and Marie Laveau in the upcoming season.

Now what about Evan Peters? If rumours are correct, he'll be reprising his role of James Patrick March from Hotel. It's also likely he'll play another character in the season. Billie Lourd and Leslie Grossman will reprise Mallory and Coco St. Pierre Vanderbilt respectively from Apocalypse. There's still a question regarding who Kathy Bates might be playing but an educated guess, it's likely Madame Delphine Lalaurie once again.

There's no question mark surrounding Jessica Lange. She's absolutely reprising her Murder House character, Constance Langdon. Keeping with that ...

Last month Joey Pollari was confirmed as a new male lead for the thirteenth season. It's been revealed (not officially) that he'll be playing a new character named Ben DeSoto. Pollari's character encounters the number 13 in unusual places and filming confirmed that Ben will interact with Constance in the Apollyon Hotel. This will also be the third season in a row set in New York.

Pollari's casting wasn't the only thing revealed over the last few weeks. While we're still in the dark about who John Waters and Ariana Grande are playing, we do know that Avantika and Alex Consani have been cast, likely as new witches. However the biggest casting actually came at the Disney Upfronts last night.

Fresh from his performance as JFK Jr. in FX's Love Story, Paul Anthony Kelly was introduced on stage as a new cast member for American Horror Story. Dressed in cultish robes and a mask, the actor joked about being a fresh nightmare and 13 being his lucky number. Could he be playing a baddie this season? 

I did say that the show needed more men this season and it seems like Ryan Murphy has gotten the message. Other rumoured cast members include Jamie Brewer, Mena Suvari, Seth Gabel, Zach Villa and Fedor Steer. Most of these actors will be reprising characters from previous seasons. 

As for everything else, Ryan Murphy has directed the first episode of Season 13 with Tim Minear and Jennifer Salt returning as producers. Both Charlie Carver and Ned Martel will be writing for the show and Crystle Roberson Dorsey will direct some episodes. On top of that, a recent bit of filming at an airport indicated that references to every previous season will be made.

As for the logline, we got something to mull over ....

"Created and produced by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, 'American Horror Story' has redefined the genre with various installments featuring a creepy murder house, a coven of witches, a traveling freak show, a haunted hotel and the apocalypse itself. Which iconic horrors will return to haunt the hallowed halls of 13 and what new terrors await? Light your candles, draw your pentagrams and prepare for a supreme surprise."

I can't lie, that does sound pretty exciting. A nice mix of a greatest hits package along with some new elements in the mix. I'm looking forward to seeing how they're going to make 13 into such a plot point. While the official subtitles has yet to be confirmed, I think we can all guess what it'll be.

American Horror Story Season 13 will air on FX from September. Disney+ for everyone else.

My Review of 8mm (1999)

 

Written by Andrew Kevin Walker 

Directed by Joel Schumacher 

Max California: "There are some things that you see, and you can't unsee them. Know what I mean?"

I remember I watched this movie as a teenager and for some reason, I just ended up revisiting it the other day. It's a movie with a heavy subject matter and a performance from Nicholas Cage that's in the middle of his performances I guess.

Cage played a private investigator named Tom Welles. Welles was contacted by Daniel Longdale (Anthony Heald). This was on behalf of a wealthy but surprisingly decent widow named Mrs. Christian (Myra Carter). Basically she discovered about her late husband that she rather wished she hadn't.

The something being a snuff movie in his possession. Mrs. Christian wanted Welles to find out if the woman in the film was actually alive. Welles took on the case and learned that the woman was called Mary Ann Mathews (Jenny Powell) and that naturally led into a rather dark underbelly in itself.

Taking on the role of sidekick/fetish expert was adult video store clerk Max California (Joaquin Phoenix). He's a great foil to Welles and I actually really liked the back and forth both men had with each other. It also helped that Max genuinely wanted to help Welles get justice but at a price.

The bad guys in this movie were as clichéd as you could get. It wasn't too shocking that Longdale ended up being involved in the seedy world of those type of movies and he got a much deserved comeuppance. Of course he was more of a bit player.

The real villains were pornographer Dino Velvet (Peter Storm are) and his right hand "Machine" (Chris Bauer). Both are pretty despicable characters and both get their just desserts as did Eddie Poole (James Gandolfini). The events of the movie rightly impact Welles going forward.

- Other actors who popped up here included Norman Reedus as Warren Anderson and Catherine Keener as Welles's wife, Amy.

- Mark Walhberg was originally cast as Max California but dropped out.

- Standout music: Aphex Twins Come To Daddy was frequently used.

- Chronology: Took place in both Hollywood and North California.

8mm isn't an easy watch. It tackled a very dark subject matter and did it's best to give it the necessary weight required. It's fairly successful with solid performances throughout. Not a career high or low for anyone involved.

Rating: 6 out of 10 

My Review of Abandoned (2022)

 

Written by Erik Patterson And Jessica Scott

Directed by Spencer Squire

Sara: "You know I don't mind a little haunting. We'll take it."

Well, this might be one of the dullest horror films I've had the misfortune to watch. Let's take a young couple with a new baby, plank them in the middle of nowhere and have some spooky shit happen.

It's a simple premise that's so ineptly executed that it beggars belief. The couple in question being a school teacher Sara (Emma Roberts) and farmer Alex (John Gallagher Jr). They're not exactly having the best of times.

I felt at the start of the movie, the rather obnoxious realtor was trying to give both Sara and Alex an out when it came into moving into the farmhouse. It turned out that a woman died in that house along with her baby and father. The woman also looked a bit like Sara, despite being played by Addy Miller.

Anyways the movie trundled along at an excruciating pace with baby Chris constantly crying and Sara being unable to placate in spite of her best efforts to do so. Various items kept going missing, Chris ended up in danger a few times and Sara and Alex fought with each other.

All of them stuff should've resonated and felt real but it's tackled so poorly that I ended up rooting for the creepy ghosts haunting the place. Yes, there's ghosts and at some point Sara managed to loosen their hold on the place and live a happy life with her husband and son.

The only actor in this movie who seemed to bother to try to make the material work was Michael Shannon as Chris Renner. He had connections to the opening kill and tried to help both Sara and Alex as much as the script would allow him to. Michael Shannon was thoroughly wasted though.

- By the end of the movie, Sara was pregnant with her second child. 

- Emma Roberts went barefoot for most of this film for god knows what reason.

- Standout music: Thr Turtles Happy Together.

- Chronology: Present day in that abandoned farmhouse. The murders took place forty years beforehand.

Abandoned is an absolute crapfest that foolishly takes itself far too seriously for it's own damn good. The scares are barely tepid, the ending was rushed, Michael Shannon was the only actor who made an effort and I wished that I hadn't wasted any time on this. Best avoided.

Rating: 2 out of 10 

My Review of Bros (2022)

Written by Billy Eichner And Nicholas Stopper

Directed by Nicholas Stoller

Aaron (to Bobby): "Hey! If you don't trust me, that's fine. But if for some reason, underneath all that strength and confidence, you still don't trust that you are lovable enough, I'm living proof... .that you're wrong."

I've been putting this one off for a long time and I was going to leave it until next month but boredom got the better of me. There's a reason I left this one so long and it's the lead actor.

I don't dislike Billy Eichner as an actor but he's quite abrasive at times and for a romcom, I did question whether he was the right choice to lead one. Watching this movie still didn't give me a definitive answer by the way. The box office numbers would suggest no by the way but are they always a good indicator?

Like all romcoms, everyone's well off or affluent enough to afford decent apartments. With Eichner's character, he's playing an opinionated LGBT podcaster named Bobby Lieber. Bobby's not into relationships and had a dim view on certain type of men.

There's Aaron Shepard (Luke Macfarlane). He's the more masc for masc kind of gay man that made Bobby self conscious and Aaron's in a lawyer job that's not satisfying him creatively. Bobby and Aaron try the casual relationship for some of the movie but it got serious rather fast and their differences ended up causing some problems for them.

There's such a thing as being too forthright and Bobby being that was vexing for Aaron when the latter's parents came to town. That led to a temporary split between the two of them. Of course this being a romcom, both men learned from each other before inevitably reuniting with each other.

Aaron learned to loosen up a bit and go into the actual line of work he wanted to do while Bobby embraced a genre of music that normally wasn't to his taste. The reunion was sweet and I'll admit after a shaky start, there's some genuinely solid chemistry between Billy Eichner and Luke Macfarlane. 

- While she's certainly not popular these days, I did find Debra Messing rather funny being exasperated by gay men mistaking her for her most iconic character.

- There's some great supporting roles from LGBT actors such as Dot Marie Jones, Guillermo Diaz, Harvey Fierstein, Amanda Bearse, Jai Rodriguez and TS Madison to name a few.

- Aaron wasn't lying when he said that The Hangover was his favourite movie. I like it when people admit something very mainstream is their favourite rather than their Letterboxd favourite.

- There's cameos from the likes of Seth Meyers, Ben Stiller, Amy Schemer, Kristin Chenowith and Kenan Thompson. Some of them played some very famous LGBT people.

- Standout music: Nat King Cole's Love Is Here To Stay, Orville Peck's Turn To Hate and Billy Eichner's Love Is Not Love.

- Chronology: Took place over several months, included Christmas and then three months later in New York.

I think I seriously misjudged Bros (2022) as a movie. I ended up liking it a lot more than I thought I would and while I'm not sure Billy Eichner is a leading man for this genre, I'll admit there's good chemistry between him and Luke Macfarlane.

Rating: 7 out of 10