All Forms of Art

  I went into Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story expecting a disturbing psychological drama. What I got was something closer to a poorly executed satire. It seems more interested in turning a horrific crime into a feminist statement than in exploring the people and circumstances behind it. The problem isn't the decision to explore the lives of women in a society that offered them very little freedom. There's plenty of material there. The problem is how shallowly the show handles it. A Family Worth Hating Lizzie's stepmother (Rebecca Hall) is introduced as a horrible woman, and her father (Charlie Hunnam) doesn't offer much of a sympathetic alternative. He's an imbecile who seems to care very little about his daughters or their well-being. The family environment is clearly miserable, but the show struggles to turn that misery into something emotionally meaningful. There are attempts to give the stepmother more depth by revealing her unhappiness, but they never qui...

  Ex Machina is one of those films that seems, at first, to be asking a relatively simple question: can we create artificial intelligence that is genuinely conscious? But the more interesting question is what comes after that one. If a machine behaves like a human, understands us, manipulates us and even makes us feel empathy for it, does it matter whether there is actually a conscious mind behind it? The Test Caleb ( Domhnall Gleeson ) arrives at Nathan's isolated home without knowing what he was going to find, but he becomes fascinated almost immediately.   Nathan (Oscar Isaac) is a technological genius, and Ava appears to be the ultimate achievement of his work. But something about Nathan feels uncomfortable almost immediately. He is arrogant, unpredictable, and clearly enjoying having control over both Caleb and Ava. And while Caleb is fascinated by Ava, we are encouraged to question her from the beginning. Intelligence Isn't the Same as Consciousness This is pr...

  After a slower third season , The Handmaid's Tale Season 4 completely renewed my interest in the series. This is a season about liberation, justice, and the long-lasting impact of trauma. The story finally moves forward in meaningful ways, giving viewers some of the most intense and emotionally charged moments the show has delivered so far. June Osborne: Hero, Victim, and Something More One of the greatest strengths of The Handmaid's Tale has always been June Osborne (Elisabeth Moss), and Season 4 pushes her character to new extremes. June is undoubtedly a victim of unimaginable cruelty, but she is far from perfect. She is determined, brave, and willing to sacrifice everything for freedom. At the same time, her choices often have devastating consequences for the people around her. There were moments when I found her frustrating and even unlikable. She can be reckless, consumed by anger, and willing to go too far. Yet in the very next scene, she can be absolutely inspiri...

  If there’s one thing that makes people click on a show, it’s a strong premise. And on paper, Utopia had everything going for it: a mysterious comic book that might predict real-world disasters, conspiracy theories, a deadly pandemic, and a group of misfits trying to uncover the truth. Sounds incredible, right? That’s exactly why the disappointment hits so hard. I went into this series without watching the original UK version, so this review comes purely from the perspective of someone judging the 2020 adaptation on its own. And honestly? I couldn’t even make it past episode three. A Premise That Hooks You Immediately At first, Utopia feels strange in a good way. The opening episodes create this unsettling atmosphere where you’re not entirely sure what’s happening, but you want answers. The mystery surrounding the comic book is genuinely intriguing, and the idea that fiction could secretly reflect reality is a concept that instantly grabs attention. For a moment, the show fe...

  Breaking Bad is often praised as one of the greatest television series ever made—and I definitely agree. Beneath its gripping plot and intense character arcs lies a deeply unsettling exploration of morality, identity, and the human capacity for self-justification. At its core, the show asks a haunting question: what happens when an ordinary person is pushed past their limits—and keeps going? Walter White: From Victim to Architect of Chaos Walter White (Bryan Cranston) begins as a man we instinctively sympathize with—a struggling high school chemistry teacher facing a terminal illness. His initial decision to cook methamphetamine is framed as an act of desperation, even sacrifice. He wants to provide for his family after his death. But that justification doesn’t hold for long. As the series progresses, Walter’s transformation becomes less about survival and more about control, pride, and power. The tragedy is not just that he becomes a criminal, but that he chooses to contin...

  (Contains Spoilers) Gone Baby Gone is intense and deeply morally disturbing. A child’s disappearance is one of those stories that hurts instantly, on a visceral level. From the first moments, the film makes it clear that this isn’t just a mystery — it’s a moral test, and no one will come out untouched. It’s impossible not to blame the mother (Amy Ryan, from Only Murders in the Building ) at first. What do you mean you left her sleeping alone? That single detail fills you with anger and disbelief, and it sets the tone for everything that follows. An Investigation You Can’t Look Away From The investigation itself is gripping. It pulls you in completely, and you’re rooting for the girl to be alive the entire time. Every new lead feels urgent. When the child is supposedly thrown into the lake, the moment is devastating. After everything, it feels deeply unfair. You’re left thinking: No. Not like this. Not after so much. And yet the movie keeps going. The girl is gone, but the ...

  With Tessa Thompson and Jon Bernthal ( The Walking Dead ) as protagonists,  His and Hers  is the new Netflix thriller, and it may surprise you.  It succeeds at something many thrillers fail to do: it holds its suspense until the very last minute.  The mystery isn’t just about who committed the crime, but why —and that distinction makes all the difference. The reveal feels carefully earned, and the secret at the heart of the story is genuinely shocking. Not a Light Watch Despite what one might expect, this is not an easy or casual watch. The show is dark, disturbing, and emotionally heavy.  It slowly pulls the viewer into an increasingly uncomfortable space, and by the end, it’s impossible to walk away unaffected. This is the kind of series that lingers with you long after the credits roll. The Birthday Scene The ending is horrifying, but one moment stands out above all others: the birthday scene. A bully can be cruel—but a friend? On her birthday...

  When The Handmaid’s Tale first aired, it felt sharp, terrifying, and painfully necessary. I wrote about the first season as a dark and brilliant adaptation, one that used restraint, symbolism, and dread to tell its story. Now that I've finished the third season, my opinion has shifted — not wholly, but noticeably. The show is still good . Sometimes very good. But it also became frustrating, uneven, and less powerful than it could have been. June Osborne: From Survivor to Exhaustion Let’s talk about June (Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men ). I understand the idea behind her arc. She was meant to evolve — to become more confident, more assertive, more dangerous. A woman shaped by trauma who stops surviving and starts fighting back. On paper, it makes sense. On screen, however, it often doesn’t work. June becomes reckless to the point of irresponsibility. She repeatedly puts others in danger without seeming to fully care about who might be caught in the crossfire. Her actions feel impuls...

  If a TV show can be both mesmerizing and agonizing to watch, The Handmaid’s Tale fits that description perfectly. Season 1 is a masterclass in storytelling, production quality, and emotional impact — but it’s not entertainment you consume lightly. It’s the kind of show that leaves you shaken, thinking about the world we live in long after the credits roll. An Uncomfortable Reflection of Today Set in the dystopian society of Gilead, The Handmaid’s Tale, based on Margaret Atwood's novel , imagines a theocratic dictatorship where women’s rights are stripped away in the name of morality and survival.  The frightening part is not just the fiction — it’s how familiar some of the themes feel. Watching, you can’t help but wonder: Are we heading toward a future like this? The show draws parallels to real-world issues: Public executions  are reminiscent of the hangings in countries like Iraq. Female genital mutilation , as seen in the storyline of Emily, played by...

Since season 1 , The Sinner brings a different look at the usual thriller/crime stories.  The most obvious is the perspective:  The Sinner  doesn't look for who committed the crime or how.  What's important, and what moves Detective Ambrose (Bill Pullman), is the why . The show tries to reveal what lies in a tortured mind. What drives it? How can a regular person, suddenly, become a murderer? This season is no different. The protagonist is Jamie (Matt Bomer), a family man, soon to be a father, who apparently lets his best friend bleed to death. The first two episodes are a bit slow, which you may find a bit boring. Yet, things change significantly after the third one. As soon as the mystery thickens, you won't stop. You'll want to know more.   Jamie and Nick At first, Jamie and Nick's relationship is hard to understand. It is clear that Nick (Chris Messina) had an extreme influence on Jamie, but why? And what kind of influence exactly? As the show deve...

For those who follow this blog, you know I was a bit disappointed with this show since season 2 . They wanted to make a tale about everything that could go wrong with a group of teenagers, disguised as an unbreakable friendship pact. Tiring.  In fact, if you think about it, the show started as a teen drama, went to a crime show, and ended up as a slightly ridiculous psychological thriller. Throughout the show, one question remains: is Liberty High the worst high school in human history? (Contains Spoilers)  The Last Season The production finally announced that this one would be the last season of the show. It has been a while now since the show stopped being about Hanna Baker ( Katherine Langford ).  She is now a distant memory, even though they try, from time to time, to maintain the connection with her story. The main ingredient of the show is crime and a guilty conscience.  At the beginning of this last season, the students are at a funeral. Again. We just do...

(Spoilers ahead.) Elite is one of the best teen drama shows I’ve watched, and season 3 brings us a new death and a new mystery. After Marina’s (María Pedraza) killer returns freely to Las Encinas , the rage, revolt, and depression seem to spread amongst the students. They know that nothing will be like before. The feelings are complex and confusing, and the kids don’t know what to do with them. Social and economic status seem to be above the judicial system. Yet the transformation experienced by all the students is the season's protagonist. Many teenage shows tend to picture the characters as if they are merely underage adults. Here is where Elite went further and better. Yes, they do things that usually only adults do. Yet, the way they deal with them shows the truth: they are little more than children. Lu’s Fall Lu (Danna Paola) was the villain from the previous seasons. She acts with extreme arrogance from the beginning, pretending she is untou...