February's flown by and it's been the start of what's looking like an excellent television season with Invincible, Severance and the White Lotus all airing weekly. I also finished my first ever over-1000 page book with the brilliant fantasy epic The Way of Kings! Read more about what I enjoyed in February below. Skip to:
Movies 🎬
I caught up with last year's Civil War, a movie about a dystopian America divided by conflict (insert timely joke here) directed by Alex Garland and starring Kirsten Dunst. Perhaps my expectations were low because of the divisive critical reaction at the time of the film's release, but I quite liked it! It's oddly apolitical given the subject matter, and the world-building suffers as a result, but I found the psychological and moral exploration of war photography to be compelling.
Another recent-ish release, Last Stop in Yuma County, is a hidden gem that I heard of from a podcast recommendation (thanks Filmcast!). It's a very unpredictable, tightly-written Fargo/Tarantino-esque thriller that takes place in a remote diner in America, centering around a tense hostage situation.
I managed to catch up on some classics too. 1989's The Abyss was a film I'd wanted to watch for a long time, partially out of curiosity about its troubled production (which was so intense that Ed Harris still refuses to talk about it). As can be expected from director James Cameron, this was a fun action/disaster/sci-fi movie with lots of impressive practical effects; I found myself yearning for an entire documentary about how they filmed the underwater sequences (... and how they convinced insurers to sign it off).
Another classic, this time from 1965, was Agnes Varda's Le Bonheur, a beautifully shot French New Wave film and a really cynical, sharp indictment of, er, men in general. I also watched Stalag 17 as part of my 'Movie a Year' blog series, which you can check out here.
Turning back to current releases, I watched The Gorge on Apple TV+ which I unexpectedly liked quite a bit even if the sci-fi element of the story is a little generic. What sets it apart is the Cold War inspired romance between two master snipers (Anya Taylor-Joy and Miles Teller) who grow close while on duty on either side of a massive gorge. I also watched the Oscar-nominated body horror, The Substance, a wild, in-your-face, audacious movie which I largely enjoyed (read: was disgusted by) though the central message is fairly repetitive. Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley are both fantastic.
Shows 📺
Amazon Prime's animated superhero show, Invincible Season 3, continues to be a great weekly watch. I read all the comics as a teenager, but it's been so long that I'm still enjoying being surprised by a lot of the show's signature unpredictability, while also getting to see all the big moments I remember reading be adapted on screen in all their bloody glory.
As I wrote in my last round-up, Severance Season 2 is just one of the best shows... ever? The latest episode, centering on Miss Casey, was absolutely stunning and devastating. One of the best episodes of television I have ever seen.
This month also saw the return of HBO Sundays (or rather Mondays in the UK)!! The White Lotus Season 3 kicks off this year's HBO schedule, with a new cast of vapid, flawed, passive aggressive characters holidaying in Thailand this time. I've always loved the way this show conveys so much about its characters with only a few words or a quick glance.
Downton Abbey. Okay, I admit this is a bit of a random one, but I'm a sucker for a period drama. While it's getting very, very repetitive (how many times can Bates fall on hard times???), I can see why this show was so popular. My favourite? Carson.
Finally, after absolutely loving Mike Flanagan's emotional horror drama, The Haunting of Hill House, last year, I watched his last Netflix project, The Fall of the House of Usher, which is inspired by the works of Edgar Allen Poe. It isn't nearly as emotional as Flanagan's other horror shows, largely because it centers around a Succession-like family of horrendous billionaires who start dying under horrible, mysterious circumstances. Carla Gugino, however, is excellent as usual and it's a crime she wasn't nominated for an Emmy!
Books 📚
I didn't expect to like Brandon Sanderson's The Way of Kings quite as much as I did. It's the first book of his much-loved epic fantasy saga, The Stormlight Archive, which is planned to be a 10-book series (each clocking in at around 1000 pages). It was a truly sweeping, transportive and epic story, and not just for its adept worldbuilding or unique magic system (which are, as expected from Sanderson, fantastic). What I found most impactful was the careful development of its central characters, Kaladin and Dalinar. The themes of honour, sacrifice and duty are so well reflected and contrasted in each of these storylines, and watching them slowly coalesce was thrilling. Sanderson's pacing (mostly) flows smoothly, placing each block of lore and character development like carefully laid bricks. I can't wait to continue this story.
Gaming 🎮
It's been a gaming-light month (The Way of Kings was a time commitment!), so I found myself replaying a few things like Sims 4, Balatro and Stardew Valley. I've also been enjoying the bonus levels of last year's absolutely delightful 'Game of the Year' platformer, Astrobot.
Other! 🎭🎧
The Severance Podcast, hosted by producer/director Ben Stiller and lead actor Adam Scott, shares some great insight into the makings of one of my favourite shows on TV right now.
I don't usually write about music here (because I'm a grandma who is always at least 2 years behind everyone else) but I just need to shout out Doechii's hip-hop/rap song Denial is a River, which has been in my head 24/7 since I first heard it.
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