January has been cold, miserable and felt like it has stretched on for an eternity. Luckily, there's been lots of great entertainment to keep me busy. Here's a round up of what I've been watching, reading and playing this month. Skip to:
Movies 🎬
I really enjoyed the mind-bending sci-fi mystery, Caddo Lake, starring Dylan O'Brien and Eliza Scanlen, about an eight-year-old girl who mysteriously vanishes under strange circumstances - it's definitely one to go into knowing as little as possible! Watcher, starring Maika Monroe, was a horribly effective paranoid thriller about a woman who is convinced she is being stalked. There are some truly great moments of tension and unsettling dread throughout the film that had me on the edge of my seat.
1959's Anatomy of a Murder, starring James Stewart, was one of the best courtroom dramas I have seen, with a story that felt like it inspired many of my favourite modern legal dramas. I also finally caught up with Alien: Romulus after it dropped on Disney+: I thought Fede Álvarez did a great job directing, and liked the way the production design and story harkened back to the 1979 original, which is one of my favourite movies of all time, though some of the more explicit callbacks felt a bit forced. (The movie's third act is especially insane and gnarly!)
I rewatched Ocean's 11 after quite some time, and it was even better than I remembered - just one of the all time coolest movies, with a central heist that unfolds so brilliantly. The sequels are similarly fun, even if the story isn't as tight. My annual winter The Lord of the Rings marathon also happened at the beginning of this month - I think this time Fellowship ended up as my favourite.
Shows 📺
I'm continuing my watches of Gilmore Girls and Only Murders in the Building, both of which have been giving me a nice dose of winter coziness. Like everyone in the UK, The Traitors was a reason to live for during the month of January. The finale was a little deflating but it's still such great television and discussing it with friends and colleagues has been a rare return of event television.
But, really the standout of January has been the return of Apple TV+'s Severance. It's been so long since the brilliant first season that I decided to rewatch it in preparation, and it was even better than I remembered. The first few episodes of Season 2 are out now and it's safe to say it was worth the wait. The craftsmanship of the show - from the stylish direction and cinematography, razor-sharp script, perfect performances (Adam Scott, Tramell Tillman and Britt Lower being standouts for me) - is impeccable. It's one of the best shows I've ever seen, a perfect balance of mystery, satire and tension.
Books 📚
I started off the year with Divine Rivals, a fantasy romance about two rival journalists who exchange letters on magic typewriters. Though I wish the story had been resolved in this book (it's a duology as I discovered on the last page with dismay), this was a very well written, heartfelt romance.
After hearing so much praise for Piranesi, I was glad that it met the hype. This was a stunningly written mythological fantasy book, with a central mystery that unfolded superbly. I'm so curious to find out how the animation studio Laika (behind Coraline and Kubo and the Two Strings) is going to adapt this one.
Gaming 🎮
Like many people, I have grown obsessed with Balatro, a rogue-like card game based on poker hands. Combining sets of Joker cards- which give you various boosts and power-ups - and the other collectable cards in the game is so addictive, and the pixelated graphics and hypnotic music is pitch perfect. I could play this for hours and hours, and would recommend it to anyone no matter how much of a gamer you are.
I used a Playstation voucher I received over Christmas to buy Dredge, best described as an indie Lovecraftian fishing game. Normally, a combination of open water exploration and cosmic horror would be too much for this cowardly writer, but the compelling mystery and the incentive of selling fish to improve your boat has me hooked on this game. Now I just have to pluck up the courage to venture out to sea past sunset...
Other! 🎭🎧
I watched Percy Jackson the Musical which is currently playing in the Other Palace Theatre in London. It had plenty of references to the original novel by Rick Riordan, and some inventive interpretations that set it apart from the two onscreen adaptations. It's definitely a silly, slightly scrappy production as far as musicals go, and I did wish for a teeny bit more from the songs, but it's a fun time if you're a fan of the books and can get reasonable tickets.
Comments