2024: Year In Review

Funnily enough, this won't be my final blog for 2024 but it's probably the most important one I'll do as this year edges to the end.

Doctor Who (BBC1/Disney+): I'm not gonna pretend it was the show at its best but Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson made for a great duo as the Doctor and Ruby Sunday and I'll never not want this show to succeed.

House Of The Dragon (HBO/SkyAtlantic): It did have difficult second album syndrome and it also delivered on some genuinely shocking moments to boot. Both things are true.

Black Doves (Netflix): Kiera Knightley, Ben Whishaw and Sarah Lancashire in a six part Christmas set spy series and some unapologetic gay storylines. Of course this made the list.

Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story (Netflix): I don't know if this show has fully made future stars out of Nicholas Chavez and Cooper Koch but there's no denying that both of them delivered here nonetheless.

Douglas Is Cancelled (ITV): Steven Moffat managed to deliver one of his best works with this four part drama, backed up by brilliant performances from Karen Gillan and Hugh Bonneville.

Lost Boys And Fairies (BBC1): This compelling three part series about a gay couple wanting to adopt was another surprise hit during the summer. 

Ripley (Netflix): Andrew Scott can do no wrong and this black and white miniseries cemented that even when he was taking over another man's life.

True Detective: Night Country (HBO/Sky Atlantic): Although it could be a bit hit and miss at times, the long awaited returning detective drama managed to give Jodie Foster plenty to do in such a cold and murderous environment.

Mary & George (Sky Showcase/Starz): Julianne Moore and Nicholas Galitzine as a scheming mother and son duo? Tony Curran never stood a chance as King James.

Bridgerton (Netflix): The third season of the show really delivered with the Penelope and Colin love story. I was gripped with it. Oh and bisexual Benedict.

The Jetty (BBC1): Jenna Coleman's foray as a world weary detective got off to an intriguing start with this flashback heavy/socially relevant four part series. Expect seconds, given the ratings for this one.

Fallout (Amazon Prime): Video game adaptations really are the rage and this one gave star turning performances from both Ella Purnell and Walton Goggins respectively.

The Penguin (HBO/Sky Atlantic): Colin Farrell and Cristin Milioti have earned their nominations with this sublime spin off series. Sofia Gigante, the icon you are. Oswald too, in his own way.

Baby Reindeer (Netflix): Star making performances from both Richard Gadd and Jessica Gunning in this unforgettable miniseries, especially the penultimate episode.

Shogun (FX/Hulu/Disney+): Not the easiest show to watch but undoubtedly one of the most fascinating and gorgeously shot shows of the year. I'm wary about it returning though.

X-Men '97 (Disney+): Behind the scenes stuff to one side, I'm impressed this show worked as well as it did as a sequel to the popular 90s animated series.

Dexter: Original Sin (Showtime/Paramount+): For a prequel, it's not amazing but it's definitely worthy of expanding the franchise for the moment. Patrick Gibson certainly has made the character his own.

Sweetpea (Sky Showcase/Starz): Ella Purnell on even better form as the meek Rhiannon Lewis turned serial killer. It's always the quiet ones.

Agatha All Along (Disney+): If ever there was a Marvel show made for the gays, it was definitely this one with Kathryn Hahn on fine form as the mischievous title character.

Gavin & Stacey - The Finale (BBC1): Yup, that last episode ended a seventeen year love story on a beautiful note. Cracking. The love story being Smithy and Nessa of course.

Superman & Lois (CW/BBC1): The fourth and final season delivered brilliant for our main couple and for a relentlessly vindictive Lex Luthor. That last episode made me cry.

Big Mood (Channel 4): Both Nicola Coughlan and Lydia West were on fine form in this underrated but not exactly laughs a minute sitcom. 

The Boys (Amazon Prime): Season 4 got super political, Frenchie got a boyfriend while Homelander and Billy Butcher continued to cause mayhem in their wake.

Big Brother UK (ITV2): Though not as quite as gripping as the 2023 series, at least Ali won the damn thing. I didn't mind the celebrity version either.

Grotesquerie (FX/Hulu/Disney+): It might not be the most original thing Ryan Murphy has ever devised but it's slow burn quality and leading performance from Niecy Nash-Betts certainly helped.

The Bear (FX/Hulu/Disney+): I'm not gonna lie, I found to be the weakest season yet but episodes like Napkins and Ice Chips were among the best television this year.

Interview With The Vampire (AMC/BBC2): The second season of this show really delivered with the Louis/Armand relationship, Daniel's new fate, Claudia's demise and Lestat re-entering the fray.

Dead Boy Detectives (Netflix): Perhaps a bit too YA for its own good, I did enjoy this spin off for The Sandman. Unfortunately, it's cancellation didn't come as a surprise to me.

Only Murders In The Building (Hulu/Disney+): Season 4 had fun with it's movie theme as Charles, Oliver and Mabel resolved to get justice for Sazz.

Creature Commandos (Max): If you enjoyed The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker then this R-rated animated show should appeal too. The needle drops can be a tad intrusive but it's a decent appetizer for the DCU.

Big Boys (Channel 4): Series 2 of this heartfelt sitcom certainly strengthened the friendships between Jack, Danny and company while letting other characters have their moments too.

Doctor Odyssey (ABC/Disney+): A nautical night time soap had the potential and it's there but more can be done with besides the triangle between the three leads. Needs more gay.

Say Nothing (FX/Hulu/Disney+): Talked about it yesterday but this miniseries on the Troubles was rather good.

My Adventures With Superman (Max): The second season introduced Supergirl and set up Lex Luthor nicely. 

What If (Disney+): It ended, introduced Byrdie and had some interesting team ups and consequences for The Watcher.

Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans (FX/Hulu/Disney+): Sublime performances from Tom Hollander, Naomi Watts, Molly Ringwald and Demi Moore in this brilliant second season of the anthology show.

Honourable mentions also included other comic book shows like Kite-Man: Hell Yeah! and the noir themed Batman: Caped Crusader. Both 911 and 911: Lone Star had their moments while both American Horror Story and American Horror Stories were on the disappointing side of things. There was Kaos at Netflix but rather short-lived, like many of their shows this year as EastEnders dealt with the fallout of Sixmas while setting up the 40th anniversary storylines. Not to mention Chucky ending on a cliffhanger as did the second series of Wreck and the salacious soapy antics of Rivals to boot. I enjoyed the final series of Inside No. 9 and Mr Bates Vs. The Post Office. I also plan to catch up with Industry, seeing as HBO keep renewing it.

What the hell will 2025 bring?

My Review of Mufasa: The Lion King (2024)

 

Written by Jeff Nathanson 

Directed by Barry Jenkins 

Taka: "You stole my destiny!"

I can't believe I'm about to say this but after the rather underwhelming photorealistic version of The Lion King from 2019, I'm genuinely surprised that a prequel I had written off as a desperate cash grab managed to be surprisingly entertaining. I'm shocked.

Serving as both a prequel to and a sort of sequel to the 2019 movie it spawned from, we open with Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter) being looked after by Pumbaa (Seth Rogan) and Timon (Billy Eichner) while Simba (Donald Glover) and Nala (Beyonce Knowles-Carter) are elsewhere. Kiara's worried for her parents but at least Rafiki (John Kani) has a story to entertain her for most of the movie's runtime.

The story of being about her grandfather, Mufasa (Aaron Pierre/Braelyn and Brielle Rankins) and it's a bit of a doozy. Yup, at a young age and involving a flood, Mufasa ended up losing his parents, Masego (Keith David) and Afia (Anika Noni Rose) but fortunately for Mufasa, he also fell into a new pride who mostly accepted him.

The pride consisting of ineffectual king Obasi (Lennie James), Eshe (Thandiwe Newton) and their son, Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr/Theo Somolu). Obasi didn't particularly care for Mufasa but Eshe and Taka did with the latter forming quite the brotherly bond with Mufasa. Actually, it's rather sweet in spite of knowing that it was eventually going to revolve as a relationship.

The arrival of the white lions led by Kiros (Mads Mikkelsen) gave the movie some genuinely nasty antagonists. Kiros was such a vicious character, he had no problem getting his own sisters to kill pride members who failed him. However the death of his son had him going up against Obasi's pride and in particular, Mufasa and Taka.

Add in the introductions of characters like Sarabi (Tiffany Boone) and Zazu (Preston Nyman) and this prequel felt completed. A love triangle between Mufasa, Sarabi and Taka had the latter betray everyone to Kiros before another flood took out the villainous lion and Taka then became known as Scar. Yes, we got an origin story for his name.

The rest of the movie then reunited Mufasa with his biological mother, paired him with Sarabi while in the present for Kiara, she learned that she now had a baby brother. It's a nice ending that also felt like a potential lead into another movie of sorts.

- James Earl Jones sadly passed away before the movie's release. Archive recordings of his Mufasa are heard at the start and the movie was dedicated to him.

- Milele, which was frequently mentioned in the movie became Pride Rock towards the end.

- Standout music: I Always Wanted A Brother, We Go Together and Tell Me It's You.

- Chronology: Not long from where the events of The Lion King took place. Pumbaa and Timon mentioned knowing Simba for six years.

I didn't have high hopes for Mufasa: The Lion King but I was pleasantly surprised with it. It's not quite as awesome (or contradictory) a prequel as Cruella turned out to be but I liked it more than it's 2019 predecessor and that I didn't see coming.

Rating: 7 out of 10 

My Review of Nightbitch (2024)

 

Written And Directed by Marielle Heller

Mother: "Do you ever feel like the big secret is that we are gods? We fucking create life. We make life. We are so powerful. I bet men are terrified of us. I mean, look at you. You are this miraculous goddess growing bones as we speak."

When I first read about this movie, I thought it sounded absolutely bonkers. I felt the same way when I caught the trailer for it. Unfortunately when I watched the movie, it didn't quite live up to it's intriguing premise.

Amy Adams undoubtedly would be considered one of the most talented actors working today. With this movie, I do get the sense that she gave it her best shot and took the absurdity of the script in her stride and tried to make it work. 

Basically she played Mother to a toddler Son (Arleigh/Emmett Snowden) and it was made clear that while she did like being a parent, she also missed being an artist and seemed to be going through a creative dry spell. It also didn't help that Father (Scoot McNairy) was rather ineffective in helping, which led to a temporary separation between the couple.

During the movie, Mother started to get a bit further and found herself reading up about mythical transformations. As the film progressed and when she wasn't terrifying old artist friends, Mother was also turning into a dog and finding the experience to be very freeing for her.

On top of that, she also started treating Son like a puppy, killed the family and managed to get her artistic groove back. At first I did wonder if she was hallucinating actually turning into a dog before family flashbacks made it clear that Mother's transformation was a hereditary thing.

By the time the movie does and after a rather on the nose discussion about motherhood, creating life and so on, it does seem like everything worked out for out frazzled protagonist. I wonder how Father will react when does realise that both Mother and Son share that gene.

- The movie's based on the 2021 Rachel Yonder book of the same name. The rights were acquired before the book even got published.

- It got a wide theatrical release before ending up on Hulu this week.

- Standout music: Alexander McCabe's Riding Carousel.

- Chronology: It does seem to be a present day setting.

While I'll give it points for it's absurd take on motherhood and the points about creating life and being a mother, Nightbitch felt like it could've been a lot better. It doesn't outstay its welcome as a movie but I wouldn't exactly recommend it either. It's very average at best.

Rating: 6 out of 10 

Yes, We See You Now

Ah, yes. One final TV Jumble Blog for 2024 but not my last blog for the year. Anyways enjoy.

911: These last few episodes before the show cut to it's mid season finale were a mixed bag. I knew when Tommy was reintroduced as a love interest for Buck that he was unlikely to be a long term character but I was hoping he'd have lasted a bit longer and given a far less abrupt exit but oh well. On the other hand, Brad became an oddly entertaining foil for Bobby and Eddie finally ditched the mustache.

911: Lone Star: It did look like TK and Carlos were on the verge of splitting up over their opposite views of adopting the former's half brother and the latter's obsession with solving his father's murder. The latter scenario at least got a resolution while the former does seem to be up in the air. I gotta admit, despite some great work from Gina Torres, I really dislike the cancer storyline they've given Tommy and where it's inevitably going too.

Dexter: Original Sin: Four episodes into this prequel series that I don't see enough online chatter about and I'm rather enjoying it. Not enough to review episode wise but certainly enough to keep watching. I'll give Patrick Gibson his dues because stepping into Michael C. Hall's shoes as the vigilante killer was always going to be a hard task but he's done an admirable job so far. Having people like Christian Slater, Patrick Dempsey and Sarah Michelle Gellar also added to the cast has helped, though I do find the Laura Moser flashbacks and Deb's teen rebellion stories the weaker elements of the show. 

Say Nothing: FX coming in late in the year with this interesting enough miniseries, focusing on the Troubles in Northern Ireland and specifically IRA volunteer Dolours Price. In the seventies, Lola Petticrew gave a sterling performance while Maxine Peake fairly matched her in the nineties parts of the nine episode series. There's some great performances from the likes of Anthony Boyle, Tom Vaughn-Lawlor, Josh Finan, Damien Molony and Kerri Quinn to name a few.

Sweetpea: 2024 has certainly been a year for Ella Purnell and starring roles. First there was Fallout and now, this six part series where her downtrodden character, Rhiannon Lewis just snapped and became a serial killer. Not only that but she was also using her bloodlust to climb up the career ladder, get revenge on a former childhood bully and even had a love triangle that ended very bloody in the last few minutes of the show. I think Purnell actually gave her best performance in this show.

What If?: This show has been something of a mixed bag that even hardcore MCU fans have had no choice but to acknowledge it's hit and miss quality. This third and final season, which concluded today was definitely a mixed bag. Anything with the Exiles and the Watcher facing consequences for their own interfering was great. Some individual team ups I liked (Agatha/Kingo, Winter Soldier/Red Guardian, etc) but overall, I found this third season to be mostly okay. Points for adding Storm into the mix and there's potential with Byrdie as a character.

• The third season of House Of The Dragon will film next year but will debut on HBO in 2026. Season 4 will be the final season for the show.
• The third season of The White Lotus will premiere on HBO from February 16th.
• The third season of Euphoria will film in 2025 for a 2026 debut on HBO. It's expected to be the show's final season.
• The second season of The Last Of Us will premiere on HBO in early 2025.
• Sky have renewed both Sweetpea and The Day Of The Jackal for second seasons.
• Disney+ have renewed Rivals for a second season.
• Brendan Gleeson has joined the cast of Amazon Prime's upcoming Spider Noir series, starring Nicolas Cage in the title role.
• Filming for the final season of The Boys has begun but it'll be 2026 before it's released on Amazon Prime.
• The second seasons of Severance and Surface will premiere on Apple TV from January 17th and February 21st respectively.
• Not only will Dexter: Resurrection premiere on Showtime/Paramount+ during summer 2025 but a prequel series for the Trinity Killer, featuring John Lithgow has also gotten the go ahead.
• Filming for the final season of Stranger Things and the second season of Wednesday have wrapped. Both will debut on Netflix during 2025.
• Glen Powell's upcoming series, Chad Powers will premiere on Hulu during the Fall season in 2025.
• The third and final season of Squid Game will release on Netflix in 2025. The second season came out on Thursday.

My Review of Gavin & Stacey - Series 1-3/Specials (2007-2024, BBC3&1)

 

Written by Ruth Jones And James Corden

Directed by Christine Vernon

Nessa (to any character): "What's occurring?"

Over the last few weeks and thanks to both BBC3 and U&Gold, I've been rewatching this series in anticipation for the final episode that ended up breaking rating records on Christmas Day. When this show first debuted in 2007, I'll admit that it didn't instantly grab me. It took me a while to get into it.

There are things about this show's earlier days that have certainly not aged well (one of the main characters dating a school girl being one of them) but as a show, it's got an undeniable charm to it. It's also a show where nearly every character was more entertaining than the titular characters themselves. 

That probably sounds a bit harsh because to their credit, both Mathew Horne and Joanna Page do their best as the title couple. After all, the show started with Essex boy Gavin Shipman (Horne) and Welsh girl Stacey West (Page) talking on the phone before agreeing to meet up in Leicester Square to take their romance to the next step.

Over the course of the series, both Gavin and Stacey got married, argued over living arrangements, almost split, tried for a baby, ended up with three kids and resorted to awkward roleplay to put the spice back in their love life. It's a more grounded romance but it was never the real love story of the series.

Nope, that was always their best mates, Neil "Smithy" Smith (James Corden) and Vanessa "Nessa" Jenkins (Ruth Jones) and it definitely wasn't love at first sight between the pair. Still they did the deed in the first episode and by the second series finale, Neil the Baby was born. Of course, there were a few obstacles in their path to true love, including Dave Coaches (Steffan Rhodri) and the rather obnoxious, Sonia (Laura Aikman). Let's just say the latter became a jilted bride that no one was rooting for.

While Smithy and Nessa took seventeen years to finally get together, what about everyone else? The one thing this show absolutely thrived on was it's supporting cast. Gavin's parents Pam (Alison Steadman) and Mick (Larry Lamb), Stacey's mother Gwen (Melanie Walters) and uncle Bryn (Rob Brydon) as well as her brother, Jason (Robert Wilfort) and that fishing trip. We never did get the answer to that eternal mystery. Perhaps that was for the best.

Over the course of 22 episodes split over three series and three specials in a seventeen year period, this show certainly had it's fair share of hysterically funny moments and even some surprisingly touching ones too. Both Corden and Jones could've dropped the ball at the last minute but the way they managed to perfectly capture a satisfying ending to this series needs to be studied. They really stuck the landing.

- Other noteworthy characters included feuding couple Pete (Adrian Scarborough) and Dawn Sutcliffe (Julia Davis) and randy pensioner Doris (Margaret John). The latter often got some biting one liners.

- Yes certain characters intentionally share the surnames of infamous British serial killers. It was deliberate.

- British talent that popped up in this series included Sheridan Smith, Pam Ferris, Russell Tovey, Samuel Anderson, Matthew Baynton, Matt Lucas, Anna Maxwell Martin and Noel Sullivan to name a few.

- Gavin and Stacey's kids were called Harri, Megan and Caitlin. Stacey and Nessa changed careers, though Nessa did have one consistent job.

- Standout music: Stephen Fretwell's Run, the theme tune to the series.

- Chronology: The show aired between 2007 to 2024 and it's also the timeline of the show as well, going from Billericay, Essex to Barry, Wales. 

Gavin & Stacey did not start off as show that I thought I'd grow to love but it's a great example that sometimes, it's always a good thing to give things a second chance. This show was definitely worth going back to and with that final episode, it's certainly cemented it's legacy as an iconic British sitcom.

Rating: 9 out of 10 

My Review of It Ends With Us (2024)

 

Written by Christy Hall

Directed by Justin Baldoni

Atlas (to Lily): "If you ever find yourself in the position to love somebody again, just fall in love with me."

If there was an award for movie that created the wrong type of headlines during 2024, then this one would be it. What should've been a career boost for both leads/director ended up becoming a disaster area that's probably ended one career and given the other some future obstacles.

I'm not taking sides in the behind the scenes goings on because I don't think either are coming out of this looking grea. Saying that, the movie itself was a success story marred by the controversy surrounding the leads.

Is the movie itself any good? It certainly wants to be. It certainly had good intentions in its handling of domestic abuse between the central couple. The couple being flower shop owner, Lily Bloom (Blake Lively) and neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid (Justin Baldoni). A chance encounter on a rooftop turned into something deeper.

Yup, between Lily inadvertantly hiring and befriending Ryle's sister, Allysa (Jenny Slate) and the latter's husband, Marshall (Hasan Minhaj), Lily fell madly in love with Ryle and the latter with her. Ryle was so besotted that he wanted a proper relationship with Lily to the point where marriage and children became an option for the pair.

The reunion however with Lily's childhood love, Atlas (Brandon Sklenar) came back into the picture. Ryle's jealousy reared it's head and he became physically abusive to Lily to the point where she no choice but to leave him after giving birth to their daughter, Emerson.

Flashbacks do some heavy lifting in fleshing out Lily and Atlas's relationship while also examining the abusive relationship between Lily's parents, as played by Amy Morgan and Kevin McKidd. There's some backstory for the source of Ryle's anger issues but for a lengthy movie, it felt rather skimmed over. At least Lily did leave him though.

- The success of this movie might not generate a sequel but Colleen Hoover can be happy that her other novels are getting adaptations.

- Good casting with the younger versions of Lily and Atlas. 

- Standout music: Fatboy Slim's Praise You, Ethel Cain's Strangers and Post Malone's White Iverson.

- Chronology: Present day Maine and Boston. The movie started with the death of Lily's father.

For the most part, I do think It Ends With Us does succeed in it's overall attempt of telling an important story. It's not a perfect take though and the movie's behind the scenes controversy certainly hasn't helped matters. There are strong performances from the leads, I can't deny that. 

Rating: 7 out of 10 

My Review of Carry-On (2024)

 

Written by T.J. Fixman

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra

Traveler (to Ethan): "All you have to do ... is nothing."

As I start to slowly come out of the Christmas spirit, I thought I'd at least watch one more festive themed movie. Of course Netflix was there to provide with such a movie, albeit in the action genre. Die Hard this ain't but it's certainly an entertaining attempt at a tense action drama.

You've got Ethan Kopek (Taron Egerton), a TSA Officer working at the Los Angeles International Airport. He had ambitions to be a cop but couldn't pass the tests needed and now he's got a girlfriend named Nora (Sofia Carson) and a baby on the way. On top of that, our hero isn't a big fan of Christmas. 

Unfortunately for Ethan, the holidays are the least of his worries. When he showed a bit of initiative at work, it put right in the crosshairs of an unnamed terrorist going by Traveler (Jason Bateman) who demanded that he did nothing or there would be consequences. Having an elderly co-worker killed right in front of Ethan meant that this guy meant business.

Of course the terrorist wanted to get a nerve gas on board a flight and for that, he needed more than just Ethan's unwilling help. The unfortunate Mateo (Tonatiuh) had his husband Jesse (Adam Stephenson) being used as leverage by Traveler's accomplice Watcher (Theo Rossi) in order to carry out the mission.

Adding to the complications, you had the steely and determined LAPD detective, Elena Cole (Danielle Deadwyler) who was adamant about stopping the terror plot, even when Agent Alcott (Logan Marshall Green) turned out to be working for the bad guys. There's that classic misunderstanding between her and Ethan before realising they were both on the same side.

As for Ethan, during the movie we learned more about his past, why he initially failed his police exam, about his family and hatred for Christmas and so on. We got all of this while the movie demonstrated his aptitude for being a police officer while also having him stop Traveler and save the day. Yes, it's done in such a cliche manner but it still worked out for him.

- There's some good supporting performances from Dean Norris and Sinqua Walls as Ethan's supervisor Phil and co-worker, Jason respectively.

- Apparently this has become the most watched Netflix original movie in 2024. 

- Standout music: Wham's Last Christmas and Darlene Love's Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).

- Chronology: The movie ended with a tine jump into the next year as Ethan, Nora, their baby and Jason and his family went to Tahiti. 

Like most streaming action movies, Carry-On pretty much delivered on what you'd expect. It doesn't reinvent the wheel and while I wouldn't say it's a career high for either Taron Egerton or Jason Bateman, they're both on great form. I actually liked this more than I thought I would. It's rather entertaining.

Rating: 7 out of 10 

My Review of Creature Commandos: "The Iron Pot"

 

Written by James Gunn 

Directed by Matt Peters 

Rick Flag Sr (to Eric): "You need to tell the Bride the truth."

If I didn't know that Frank Grillo would be reprising the role in both Superman (2025) and the second season of Peacemaker, I would've thought this episode was his last one. It's not but damn, did Clayface (Alan Tudyk) do a number on him or what?

With the Batman villain slated to get his own solo movie written by Mike Flanagan for 2026, this episode gave us a brief introduction of the character. Earlier in the season it was speculated that he was impersonating Ilana Rostovic but it turned out that it was Aisla MacPherson that he was imitating instead.

Anyways, spying on the Themyscira expert had both Flag Sr and Eric Frankenstein continuing their bromance (both are using the other btw) before Clayface nearly killed the pair. Eric might be a scumbag but at least he was smart enough to get one over on Clayface.

In terms of flashbacks, it was Eric's chance to shine and I'm going to commend James Gunn for not trying to humanise the guy. His possessiveness towards the Bride to one side, I hated his dynamic with Bogdana. I knew he was going to turn on her but it was even scummier when it actually happened.

As for the Creature Commandos themselves, they got sidetracked by Alexi and the rest of the Amethyst Knights with Ilana determined to kill them. This episode kept it ambiguous as to whether Ilana was actually innocent or not. Was Circe lying last week? Is Clayface really working for her or the Princess or does he have his own personal agenda?

- Alan Tudyk has voiced a much nicer version of the character for the Harley Quinn show. He won't be playing the character in live action.

- Dr Phosphorus really doesn't have a problem getting naked to showcase the true effects of his powers. 

- Clayface literally gave Rick Flag Sr the Bane treatment. Even in animation, it managed to look brutal enough. The XBox product placement was very blatant.

- Chronology: Not long from where the previous episode left off. Eric's presence freaked out a lot of college students.

The Iron Pot certainly didn't hold back in showing how awful Eric Frankenstein truly could be as a character. While not as good as previous episodes, it had its moments and I did like Clayface's presence here.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Doctor Who - Series 15 (Season 2) Preview

Following the airing of Joy To The World, we got our first preview of Series 15 (Season 2) of Doctor Who. Trailer wise, briefer than I'd like but enough to mull over.

The official blurb for the 2025 series as follows ....

The Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) meets Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu) and begins an epic quest to get her back to Earth. But a mysterious force is stopping their return and the time-traveling TARDIS team must face great dangers, ferocious enemies and wilder terrors than ever before.

From that brief trailer alone, it certainly seemed like Belinda won't be a willing traveller with the Doctor, at least not at first. An exclusive clip from the Doctor Who Unleashed episode also implied that Belinda may have something in common with a former Russell T. Davies era companion.

As for returning characters. Yes, Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) is back and working with UNIT alumni Kate Stewart (Jemma Redgrave), Shirley Anne Bingham (Ruth Madaley) and Colonel Cristofer Ibrahim (Alexander Devrient). The trailer also showed us a return of the mysterious Mrs Flood (Anita Dobson) along with a look at different monsters and locations. However we didn't see anything of Jonah Hauer-King and Archie Panjabi, both of whom we know will have prominent roles in the upcoming series.

Speaking of roles, former EastEnders star Rose Ayling-Ellis was also confirmed to be appearing in the scariest episode in the upcoming series but not much else was revealed about her character. It was recently confirmed by Russell T. Davies on The One Show that the next series will arrive sooner than expected. If I were to guess, I'd say much earlier in Spring compared to last series. 

Series 15 Trailer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2024/doctor-who-season-2-first-look/

Series 15 of Doctor Who will air in early 2025 on BBC1, iPlayer and Disney+ respectively. 

My Review of Doctor Who: "Joy To The World"

 

Written by Steven Moffat 

Directed by Alex Sanjiv Pillai

The Doctor: "How I get to be you?"

The Doctor: "You will find out."

For his second Christmas special, we've got Christmas everywhere all at once. Yes, I'm sure a certain movie was the inspiration for that line of dialogue. Seriously though, a Time Hotel had the potential in the world. This episode kind of utilised it but could've done more with the idea.

The episode opened with the Doctor going from World War II, the Orient Express, a mountain track before heading into the Sandrington Hotel where the Doctor found himself meeting Joy Almondo (Nicola Coughlan). Yes, the big name guest companion of the piece.

Except for a large chunk of the episode, the Doctor found himself having to take the slow path and ended up forming a much deeper connection with receptionist Anita Benn (Steph de Whalley) than he did. I mean, I actually wanted Anita to end up in the TARDIS with the Doctor instead of her eventual outcome in the episode.

As for the guest companion herself. I'm a big fan of Nicola Coughlan. In the last few years she's made the name for herself with Derry Girls, Bridgerton, Barbie and Big Mood. Her casting was something that actually pleased me and I thought both her and Ncuti Gatwa played off each rather well.

Unfortunately,  while Joy had a sympathetic backstory that involved her mother dying alone in hospital during COVID, I felt the potential with the character wasn't as well realised as it could've been. Add in the Villengard star plot and we got a fate for Joy that felt reminiscent but not as effective as a similar one we had with Astrid during Voyage Of The Damned. I mean her farewell was emotional but I felt enough time wasn't spend on Joy for it to make a big impact.

As for the rest of the guest characters, there was Trev (Joel Fry) and a Silurian Hotel Manager (Jonathan Aris), both of whom factored into the Villengard plot. I'm beginning to wonder if Steven Moffat continues to write for this current era of the show will that shady organisation keep factoring into things.

Now for that last scene. We've had so many "controversial" things happen with the show since 2020 that I felt a bit nonplussed with the star of Bethlehem bit. I think it helped that it was rumoured for a bit and it felt like the episode was leading to it as well. Honestly, it didn't bother me as a reveal.

- Ruby Sunday was not only referenced several times but we briefly saw her in one scene, looking up at the Joy star.

- A very brief trailer for the next series showed the Doctor with new companion, Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu) and several returning faces.

- The Doctor collected TARDIS minis while the real one didn't have a fridge.

- Ham and cheese toastie with a pumpkin spice latte? I did laugh when it was revealed it was the Doctor's own order.

- This was the first time we had a Christmas special not written by the current showrunner. It's also Steven Moffat's ninth Christmas special.

- Chronology: 2024-2025 Sandringham Hotel, London, 1940 Manchester, 1962 Italy Orient Express, 4202 Time Hotel and 0001 Bethlehem.

Joy To The World does use some old ideas and while not as effectively as they could've been used, it's still a good special. Nice performances, some fun set pieces and a slightly more Christmassy vibe than last year. It's not Moffat's best but it's a good hour.

Rating: 7 out of 10

My Review of Jackdaw (2024)

 

Written And Directed by Jamie Childs 

Jack: "It's not that easy. He's taken me brother."

I'm not a big action guy but I was looking for something to watch that wasn't overly Christmassy and I stumbled on this one during the day. Needless to say, it's a bit of a mixed but entertaining enough bag.

Our titular hero of the piece was former motocross champion/army guy, Jack Dawson (Oliver Jackson-Cohen). He's been hired to retrieve a mystery package for a guy named Silas (Joe Blakemore). Simple mission that ended up going wrong rather fast.

It also resulted in Jack's younger brother, Simon (Leon Harrop) going missing and Jack on a mission to get his younger brother back. This also meant Jack having to work with Craig (Thomas Turgoose) and former girlfriend, Bo (Jenna Coleman).

I'll admit that while Craig was the comedy foil for Jack, the latter's childhood sweetheart was more of a badass than Jack himself. As a would be action hero clearly in over his head, it almost felt like Jack survived this movie purely out of dumb luck. Bo on the other hand was able to take down thugs with little effort.

Jenna Coleman might not get a lot of screentime but she certainly made the most of an essential nothing burger role. There's a look into Jack and Bo's former romance but there's more friends chemistry than lingering exes chemistry between our moody hero and his sparky ex-girlfriend. A part of me wonders what this movie might have been like had the roles been reversed between Jack and Bo.

As for the final act, it went all Kill Bill Volume 2 (not a bad thing) with the introduction of Jack's piece of shit father, Armstrong (Rory McCann) and a half sister named Amy. Add a surprise redemption from Silas, a decent reveal from Craig and ultimately Jack got a bit of a happy ending but it's also a rushed one too with Jack being more passive in how things panned out.

- There's a reunion for The Sandman fans with not only the writer/director and Jenna Coleman but also Vivienne Acheampong as arms dealer, Eddy. 

- Not only was there references to Titanic (I mean the title character's name made it unavoidable), but also Batman, Power Rangers and even Watchmen.

- Standout music: Robin S's Show Me Love and Sam Fender's Iris.

- Chronology: It's set around Christmas, though no one even mentions it in the movie.

Jackdaw was a solid, if not a spectacular British action flick. It's not too slick and overpolished, the humour's a bit hit and miss and while Jack's something of a bumbling action hero, Oliver Jackson-Cohen did give a good performance. Its a diverting 97 minutes.

Rating: 6 out of 10

Movie News: Christopher Nolan Tackles The Odyssey (Casting, etc)

How do you follow up a massive success like Oppenheimer? Well, if you're Christopher Nolan, with some Greek mythology.

For his next project, the infamous director will helm, The Odyssey for Universal. The official blurb reads as ....

 “The Odyssey is a mythic action epic shot across the world using brand new IMAX film technology. The film brings Homer’s foundational saga to IMAX film screens for the first time and opens in theaters everywhere on July 17, 2026.”

Not only that but for the last few weeks, the main cast has been revealed for this upcoming epic.

Joining the cast of The Odyssey are as follows - Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong'o, Robert Parkinson and Charlize Theron. Their specific roles have yet to be revealed.

So far, it's a mix of people who've previously worked with Nolan and newcomers into his world. Overall, it's a really talented bunch of actors with more undoubtedly to be revealed over the coming weeks and months as production will begin in early 2025 for that lucrative summer 2026 release. 

I really wasn't expecting this type of movie to be Christopher Nolan's next project but it's genuinely exciting stuff and I can't wait to see who else will sign up for this movie. More of his alumni or other talented actors who haven't worked with him before? Likely a combination of both.

The Odyssey will be in theatres from July 17th 2026.

My Review of The Wild Robot (2024)

 

Written And Directed by Chris Sanders

Roz: "Sometimes, to survive, you must become more than you were programmed to be."

For those of you looking for a family friendly animated movie that's not from Disney or Pixar, there's this lovely gem. Yes, I know. I'm three months late to the party but what a movie.

A science fiction tale where a ROZZUM Unit 7134, nicknamed "Roz" (Lupita Nyong'o) ended up the casualty of a storm and found themselves stranded on an island with a slew of different animals to contend with. Most of them animals didn't take to Roz at first but some alliances were made.

First of all, there was the opossum Pinktail (Catherine O'Hara), who was great at giving advice, even if she had difficulty in keeping her death obsessed children in line. Those kids really put a lot of thought into playing dead at times.

However, Roz's most definitive relationship were the friendship she made with mischievous but lonely redfox Fink (Pedro Pascal) and the gosling whose family she accidentally killed named Brightbill (Kit Connor/Boone Storme). The latter also being a runt Canadian goose that would eventually find his flock.

Those relationships are brilliantly handled but also somewhat tested at different points. Brightbill had to find out the hard way about what really happened to his family, Roz was found by fellow Universal Dynamics robot Vontra (Stephanie Hsu) and Fink had to confront his loneliness while also learning to share a hut with every other animal during a harsh winter.

There's moments in this movie that reminded how powerful an animated movie can be because twice during it, I actually found myself tearing up. I mean no one died in it (though I did think Roz was a goner at one point) but those moments really struck a chord with him. Fink allowing himself to be vulnerable and the "I love you" moment between Roz and Brightbill and that ending too was rather sweet.

- There's a wealth of talent voicing various animals including Ving Rhames, Matt Berry, Bill Night, Mark Hamill and Randy Thom.

- It's based on Peter Brown's book of the same name and due to its success, a sequel is being discussed.

- Standout music: Maren Morris's Kiss The Sky.

- Chronology: Takes place over several months, including winter and beyond.

The Wild Robot was an absolutely delightful movie. I knew it was going to be good from the trailers but it completely exceeded my expectations with a heartfelt story, well realised characters and it just looked fantastic from start to finish.

Rating: 9 out of 10 

My Review of Little Women (2019)

 

Written And Directed by Greta Gerwig

Jo: "Women, they have minds, and they have souls, as well as just hearts. And they've got ambition, and they've got talent, as well as just beauty. I'm so sick of people saying that love is just all a woman is fit for. I'm so sick of it."

Over a week ago, I watched and reviewed the 1994 version of this adaptation and while it still remains my favourite take on the source material, there's no denying that this version has a charm of its own as well.

Told in a non linear fashion, this one opened with Jo March (Saoirse Ronan) pitching her book to a publisher who wasn't particularly keen on a female protagonist. Also to Jo's annoyance, he wanted the main character to be married off by the end of the book.

From there onwards, we're going through different periods with Jo and her sisters, Meg (Emma Watson), Amy (Florence Pugh) and Beth (Eliza Scanlen) as well as Marmee (Laura Dern), the more acid tongued Aunt March (Meryl Streep) and of course Theodore 'Laurie' Laurence (Timothee Chalamet) himself.

Most of the plot remain the same. Jo's got an ambition to write and a staunch rejection of anything that would derail, including Laurie wanting to marry her. The rivalry between her and Amy in the first half of the movie definitely felt more contentious than in the 1994 version, with Amy almost being more deliberate in her antagonism towards Jo.

Of course Amy would be the one to become quite the artist in Paris with Aunt March and the one who Laurie would eventually marry. Jo of course would have her own romance with professor Friedrich Bhaer (Louis Garrel) but once it does feel like little time was spent developing that romance than even the 1994 movie did.

As for Meg, she settled into a good life with the nice John Brooke (James Norton) while Beth yet again, tragically died. There was some focus on Meg sacrificing her affluent life for a poorer one with John as well a little focus on Beth's musical talent. Once again, the March patriarch (Bob Odenkirk) appeared but his best scene was trading barbs with the cantankerous aunt before she died and the girls turned her house into a school.

- Greta Gerwig wasn't the original writer/director choice for this movie but she had cited that the book inspired her to want to be a writer and director.

- The sisters are all assigned core colours in their clothing. Jo got red, Meg got green and lavender, Beth got pink and brown and Amy got light blue. Though they did wear different colours as the movie went on.

- Standout music: The score from Alexandre Desplat certainly elevated the movie.

- Chronology: Civil War era in Concord, Massachusetts. 

While the 1994 version would be my preferred take, this adaptation of Little Women has rightfully earned the success and praise it's gotten. It's extremely well cast, the nonlinear storytelling mixed it up and Gerwig's direction was brilliant.

Rating: 9 out of 10 

My Review of Black Doves - Season 1 (2024, Netflix Series)

 

Written by Joe Barton

Directed by Alex Gabassi And Lisa Gunning

Sam (to Helen): "People like you and me, darling. We don't get to ride into the sunset but we do get to see the stars go out, so that's something I guess."

Just in time for Christmas, Netflix decided to do their series version of Die Hard. Nah, not really but what we did get was this thoroughly entertaining six part spy series with three of the most talented actors in the UK at the forefront.

The death of the Chinese ambassador and his missing daughter, Kai-Ming (Isabella Wei) brought our three protagonists back into each others lives and with it, a rather complicated mess, a high body count and ever changing alliances.

The protagonists themselves. First of all, there's the enigmatic handler, Reed (Sarah Lancashire). She's not a woman to be trifled and her hold over the Black Doves meant that she had no problem pitting them against one another as well as testing their loyalty at different points during the series. Lancashire does play this type of role to cool perfection, though very little was revealed about her personal life.

Then there was Helen Webb (Keira Knightley). The Black Dove married with two kids to Wallace Webb (Andrew Buchan), the Secretary of State for Defence and seemingly has the idyllic lifestyle. Helen was also having an affair with civil servant Jason Davies (Andrew Koji) while nearly getting replaced by overambitious upstart Dani (Agnes O'Casey). As a character, Helen's a great role for Knightley and she got plenty of great moments throughout the series.

My favourite character was trigger man Sam Young (Ben Whishaw). He's dragged back into the mission, owing debts to both Reed and former boss, Lenny Lines (Kathryn Hunter) while also trying to repair his relationship with ex boyfriend Michael (Omari Douglas). Yup, writer Joe Barton strikes again with great writing for queer men and Sam's the best character of the three with Whishaw rather adept at the action scenes he's given to do.

Honestly the show does have a lot of intriguing character, including a rival triggerman named Williams (Ella Lily Hyland). She was a great foil to Sam and Helen along with the seemingly ambiguous characters like Cole Atwood (Finn Bennett) and Hector Newman (Luthor Ford). The latter in particular had a complicated relationship with Sam that I definitely wanted to see more. 

The only slight disappointment might be Alex Clark (Tracy Ullman), the closest to a truly vllainous person but that was more down to her having very little screen time. On the other hand, her death will have major consequences and ones we should see play out in real time.

- The episode titles were To Love Then, A Little Black Dove, The Coming Night, Go Bang Time, The Cost Of It All and In The Bleak Midwinter.

- Netflix fortunately renewed this show for a second season a few days ago. I would've watched it even if they hadn't.

- Sam admitted while tied up that his favourite Christmas movie was The Holiday. 

- There's a lot of great guest actors in the series such as Papa Essiedu, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Sam Troughton, Adeel Akhtar and Lizzie Hopley to name a few.

- Standout music: Of course it's The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl's Fairytale Of New York as well as Raye's version of Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down). The latter being the theme tune for the show.

- Chronology: Set in London during Christmas 2024 with flashbacks to 2014, 2017 and one further back into Sam's childhood with his trigger man father.

Black Doves was the perfect release for Christmas and I'm really glad that this show did well enough for Netflix to renew it for a second season. Keira Knightley, Ben Whishaw and Sarah Lancashire are all on terrific form and the tone was judged well. It was tense where it needed to be, the humour added levity but didn't detract from the seriousness and the personal relationships were all handled well. Excellent stuff.

Rating: 9 out of 10 

My Review of Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (2024)

 

Written by Ian Bonhôte And Peter Ettedgui And Otto Burnham

Directed by Ian Bonhôte And Peter Ettedgui

Tagline: "Husband. Father. Fighter. Hero."

I've been waiting a while to watch this and finally this week,I got the chance to sit down and see it. After watching the trailer for the upcoming 2025 movie, I really needed to see this documentary.

To many people my generation and slightly older and even younger, Christopher Reeve has always felt like the definitive version of Superman and that's not to take away any of the good work that actors both before and after Reeve have done with the character. There's just some performances that have lived on for generations and his Superman undoubtedly became one of them.

This documentary might lean heavily into the Superman aspect of Christopher Reeve but there's also plenty that goes beyond it. You get insights from his children Will, Matthew and Alexandra as well as his ex partner, Gae Exton and of course his wife, Dana. There's also some Frank discussions about Reeve's relationship with his own father, Franklin throughout the documentary.

Along with his personal life brought to the forefront, there was his acting career. A Juiliard alumni, Reeve was something of a theatre actor with the call for Superman almost being one that he might not have taken. He did have people in his corner pointing out that it might not have been the best career move. Fortunately, they were wrong, at least for the first two movies.

There's some discussion about later movies (yup, Superman IV: The Quest For Peace) not being a hit while roles like Somewhere In Time were also not fondly regarded at the time. There was also a mention of Reeve tackling gay roles in movies like In The Gloaming as well as a stage production with actor Jeff Daniels.

Within the second half of the documentary, the discussion does turn towards Christopher Reeve becoming paralysed and the dramatic changes to his life from that accident. It's hard not to admire the man for doing the best he could to continue to live his life, continue to work as an actor (which included a TV remake of Rear Window) prior to his death in 2004. This documentary really did live up to its title.

- The DC Studios logo appeared at the beginning, prior to the HBO one. UK audiences can watch this on Sky Documentaries from December 28th.

- Other celebrities who contributed to this included Susan Sarandon, Whoopi Goldberg, Glenn Close, John Kerry, Richard Donner and Robin Williams (archive footage).

- We did get to see some screen tests from Superman: The Movie as well that interview where Reeve admitted to not enjoying working with Marlon Brando.

- Needless to say, this documentary has been nominated for several awards since it's release and won some as well.

I genuinely loved Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story. Both as a fan of the man and the iconic character he played, this was a brilliant insight into a man with quite the enduring legacy. An absolute must see.

Rating: 9 out of 10 

My Review of Creature Commandos: "Chasing Squirrels"

 

Written by James Gunn

Directed by Sam Liu 

Nina (re Weasel): "I wonder what he's dreaming about."

The Bride: "Probably just chasing squirrels."

Remember when everyone thought Weasel killed 27 children? Well, it turns out that he didn't. Also, eight children died and if anything, Weasel, the poor thing was trying to save them. Talk about misjudging a character.

This episode was his time to shine with the flashbacks and my goodness, they were brutal. All Weasel did was befriend a bunch of children and between a freaked out groundskeepers, incompetent police and kids playing with matches, he got vilified big time.

On the other hand, Weasel did have at least one person in his corner. His lawyer, Elizabeth Bates (Linda Cardellini) genuinely believed he was innocent. She even tried to get him to give her more details on the incident in question but it didn't take. 

Instead as Weasel went off on another mission to Pokolistan with The Bride, Nina and Doctor Phosphorus, we had the Rick Flag Sr and Eric Frankenstein bromance to contend. I mean there was some fighting, initial rival confusion, references to Titanic and When Harry Met Sally but their scenes were enjoyable. I'm still rooting for The Bride to kill Eric though.

As for Circe, well, I think she's telling the truth. Showing Amanda Waller of a Knightmare sequence future with Ilana, Gorilla Grodd and the Amethyst Knights as rulers. Yup, it was enough to scare Waller into sending Project M to take out the Princess. Too bad Rick Sr was too busy thinking with his dick than brain this episode. 

- We got John Economos (Steve Agee) as well as Themyscira expert, Aisla MacPherson (Stephanie Beatriz) in this episode along with Congorilla (Jason Konopisos-Alvarez) and Nosferata in scenes.

- The Dark future included the likes of Batman, Robin, Superman, Wonder Woman, Starfire, Green Arrow, Vigilante and Peacemaker slaughtered.

- Circe might be powerless with her hands covered but she could still get into Waller's head for that particular scene.

- Chronology: From where the previous one left off.

I didn't think I'd care about Weasel but Chasing Squirrels really did make me feel bad for the poor fella. His flashbacks were suitably horrible while the other plots of the episode were also on top form. This one might be my favourite yet.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Anora (2024)

 

Written And Directed by Sean Baker

Anora: "Oh, stay jealous, babe. Stay jealous, honey. Jealousy is a disease, remember that, Diamond. I'm just gonna go chill in my mansion or whatever, you know, no big deal!"

Yes, I finally managed to get to this much hyped Oscar contender of a movie. I was always going to watch but after watching Mikey Madison and Pamela Anderson's Actors On Actors talk the other day, it was time to watch it. Is it worth the crazy hype it's gotten? I think it might be.

Anyways Madison played the titular character, a sex worker named Anora Mekheeva, who also liked to go by Ani. In her line of business, she mostly had friends like Lulu (Luna Sofía Miranda) and rivals like Diamond (Lindsey Normington) and also admirers to boot.

One particular admirer came in the shape of spoiled son of Russian Oligarch named Ivan "Vanya" Zakharov (Mark Eydelshteyn). Vanya took a shine to Anora to the point where he was both buying her time from her job while at the same time getting a four carat ring to pop the question. Yup, Anora went from cash strapped stripper to marrying a spoiled rich guy before the first hour of the movie.

However getting married to Vanya came with consequences and those were associates of his family that Anora herself had to deal with. Enter the likes of Armenian handler Toros (Karren Karagulian), his henchmen brother, Garnick (Vache Tovmasyan) and Russian henchman Igor (Yura Borisov). Their goal was to get Anora to agree to an annulment on behalf of Vanya's parents. They had their work cut out for them.

For a tiny girl, Anora certainly had no problem in beating the shit out of both Igor and Garnick. She bit the former in the neck and broke the latter's nose and that's not to mention the barrage of verbal abuse she gave both of them as well as Toros. Vanya on the other hand just abandoned her to his parents henchmen.

Then there was the parents themselves. Galina (Darya Ekamasova) made her disdain for Anora well known while Nikolai (Aleksei Serebryakov) seemed absolutely bemused by his son's impulse marriage. Needless to say, this wasn't the fairytale ending for Anora and an ill advised near sex scene at the end somewhat concluded this movie on a murky note.

- For a movie that was highly sexualised, even I was surprised that Mikey Madison admitted they didn't use an intimacy coordinator for it.

- The mansion where a fair chunk of the movie took place was a Mill Basin mansion once owned by Vasily Anisimov, a oligarch with ties to Russia. 

- Standout music: Catherine Slater's Daddy AF, Take That/Calum Scott's Greatest Day and Roman Molino Dunn's Ice Cream.

- Chronology: Present Day Brooklyn as well as a trip to Las Vegas for both a wedding and an annulment.

Anora certainly lived up to the hype. Mikey Madison has certainly earned her award nods this season. It's a great movie with a love story that certainly ended on the kind of note it needed. It's also very funny in parts, which surprised me more.

Rating: 8 out of 10 

My Review of Small Things Like These (2024)

 

Written by Enda Walsh

Directed by Tim Mielants

Bill: "I'm me mother's name and nothing bad ever came of it."

I watched this movie last night because someone really wanted to see it and I mildly curious about it myself. There's been a few films and TV series that have tackled the Magdalene Laundries and this film had something of a different insight into it.

Instead of focusing on a girl who ended up in one of those awful places, the emphasis here was on coal merchant, Bill Furlong (Cillian Murphy). He's a father of five daughters and something of a well regarded member of his local community with a loving wife named Eileen (Eileen Walsh).

Through flashbacks to his childhood, we saw that the younger Bill (Louis Kirwan) lost his own mother, Sarah Furlong (Agnes O'Casey) while also in flashbacks, Bill had been looked after by the kindly Mrs Wilson (Michelle Fairley). These flashbacks did a lot to inform us about the type of man that Bill Furlong was.

Back in the present day for Bill, it turned out that the nuns had a bit too much power within the local community. Bill was advised not to get on their bad side but his encounter with a young girl named Sarah (Zara Devlin) certainly changed that. 

Then there's Sister Mary (Emily Watson). The Mother Superior of the Magdalene Laundries that Sarah had been trying to get away from. For a character not given a huge amount of dialogue, she's a quietly menacing presence. Sarah's absolutely terrified of her and even Bill was intimidated enough to take Sister Mary's bribe and leave Sarah to her fate.

Of course, because the movie went to lengths to show Bill's morality, he couldn't just turn away from what he knew was going on. While I do feel the movie ended on a bit of an abrupt note, it's not lost on me the gesture Bill made towards Sarah and the likely consequences it would've had for his family within the local community.

- The movie is based on a 2021 book of the same name by Claire Keegan. Both Cillian Murphy and Matt Damon were producers.

- The end credit was dedicated to the women who were victims of the Magdalene Laundries from 1922 to 1988.

- Cillian Murphy had previously worked with Tim Mielants and it was the former's wife who suggested this project.

- Chronology: Christmas 1985 in New Ross, Wexford. The movie was also filmed there.

While Small Things Like These did lose a little steam in its final few minutes, there's no denying that it's a well crafted movie. The subject matter isn't unfamiliar to Irish audiences and Cillian Murphy as always gave an exceptional but understated performance.

Rating: 8 out of 10