Feel Good Season 1 Review: Mae Martin, Charlotte Ritchie
While the whole world is practicing Quarantine, Netflix brought to its viewers a series that’s semi-autobiographical and a feel-good must-watch on the app. Written by Mae Martin, who is also starring in the series and Joe Hampson, Feel Good was released on March 19.
The series revolves around Mae, a stand-up queer comedian. She meets George, another woman, at a stand-up comedy club. Mae is intrigued by George, and they share an intimate moment later in the evening. Before, she comes to know that George hasn’t dated a woman before. Initially, a relationship buds between the two, which brings them both happiness and companionship.
Feel Good Season 1 Review: Charlotte Ritchie, Mae Martin
Mae is an addict whom George comes to know by coincidence. To which she assures her that she has been “clean for a long time.” Later, she finds herself a sponsor as a form of help, but before that, she denies that she needs help. Mae confessed to George that she had been a cocaine addict and had been kicked out by her parents. She sold drugs, overdosed and went to jail.
As George deals with Mae’s addiction history, Mae adjusts to George hiding their relationship from her friends and family. We later realise that maybe George is ashamed or afraid of accepting her relationship as she lies about the marriage invitation and doesn’t take Mae with her to the marriage. Eventually, this emotional roller coaster leads to Mae going back to her substance. Every time she sees an opportunity to get back to it is accommodated with high-pitched noise in the movie.
Feel Good Season 1 Review: Mae Martin, Charlotte Ritchie
Mae’s addiction history and her insecurities, mostly related to her sexuality and her parents’ not accepting her, give her a bold and beautiful personality. After all the mess between George and Mae, we see a spark between Mae and Lava, her sponsor’s daughter. They also share an intimate moment after Mae and George break up.
All’s well that ends well, Mae and George get back together and continue to love each other, and George also accepts her relationship in front of her friends and family.
Lisa Kudrow (FRIENDS) plays the commendable role of Mae’s mother, who seems to be pretty disconnected from her daughter. Her character may seem cold at first, but ultimately, we realise that she loves her daughter. She immediately agrees for Mae to come back home as she hears her cry and fall weak. Though throughout the film she is mostly seen on video calls, she does justice to her character and leaves an impression.
Final Thoughts
Feel Good Season 1 Review: Charlotte Ritchie, Mae Martin
For a semi-autobiographical work, Mae Martin and Joe Hampson have drafted the narrative beautifully, where each character has their own importance in the movie and its progress.
Based on Jennifer Niven’s 2015 novel of the same title, ‘All The Bright Places’, starring Elle Fanning and Justice Smith, widely covers Mental Health Concerns, Suicide, and Grief. The movie shows Niven’s lovers, Violet and Finch, differently from the novel and many important character details were excluded from the film.
Violet Markey and Theodore Flinch, two struggling teenagers, meet each other by sheer coincidence of fate. Change each other’s lives forever. As they engage with the emotional and physical scars of their past. In this journey, they realise that even the smallest places and moments can bring someone happiness and meaning.
All the Bright Places Review: Elle Fanning, Justice Smith
The movie mainly focuses on Violet, who is grieving the death of her sister, Eleanor. Finch meets Violet when he talks her down off a bridge. Later, fascinated by her, Finch asks her to be his partner for a school assignment to “wander” their home state of Indiana. During these excursions, they get to know each other more and eventually fall in love.
But while Finch is helping Violet process her grief and finally move on in her life. Finch himself is dealing with dark moods and mental health issues. Instead of accepting the help Violet offers him, he prefers isolating himself for days. To which his friends say, “It’s normal.” The sparking romance depicts the healing nature of companionship and the toxicity of co-dependence in a way that’s as relatable as it is romantic to the viewers.
All the Bright Places Review: Elle Fanning, Justice Smith
“All The Bright Places” judiciously avoids some of the major flaws of the much-controversial and trending series on Netflix, “13 Reasons Why”, addressing similar concerns. Like the blame game played after one’s suicide, and depicting self-harm scenes without trigger warnings. As in this film, the makers show no dead body or suicide scene of Finch. It is denotatively represented by actions.
The movie ultimately has a heartbreaking, rather sudden ending that could be triggering for some viewers, but still somehow manages to leave its audience on an optimistic note towards life.
#1 in India today, Guilty on Netflix is a take on the #MeToo movement. In Dharma style by Karan Johar and Ruchi Narain, written by Kanika Dhillon and Atika Chohan.
The Netflix original is led by Kiara Advani, who plays the protagonist Nanki, a college student whose boyfriend, Vijay Pratap Singh, is accused of rape by another student, Tanu Arora who is shown as a small-town attention-seeking girl, ‘bold’, ambitious, who openly expresses her desires – sexual or otherwise. Though the main focus is on sexual desire and none other. In this process of accusation and the search of truth, Nanki experiences intense anxiety attacks and is under medication. Which eventually makes her testimony unreliable.
The film begins with the perspective of the lawyers fighting the case for Vijay (VJ) and his powerful parents, as he interviews his friends and band members present on the day of the incident. Through this, we are taken into flashbacks of the day the crime is said to have happened.
There is an accurate representation of Delhi, DU student lingo and the vibe and the tone of the movie is set in accordance with student life, unlike the typical High-class candy colleges in Karan Johar’s movies.
As the story progresses the writers manipulate stereotypes and make-believe its audiences the outcome of the story. Which as the climax is reached is unravelled as a different scene altogether. In addition, there Is an undertone of judgments that people form about others and how they can be wrong.
The film presents a good premise overall, but for a film that is entirely dependent on the he-said-she-said narrative, there isn’t much focus on Tanu’s point of view as a victim. There are a lot of factors that keep the audiences engaged in the narrative of the movie which is two hours long – use of soundtracks which do not overpower the narrative, the storytelling, the individual struggles of each character and the power dynamics involved in hiding the truth behind the heinous crime.
On the other hand, The final monologue of Kiara Advani in some way or the other kills the importance of the issue that has been dominantly covered in the film. The Rape Culture and the suffering and humiliation faced by Victims. But also raises the issue of patriarchy in Indian society and how “Men will be men” mentality has seeped in the very cores of people.
Nonetheless, Guilty is a must-watch film, as it is different from conventional Bollywood drama and denotes the misuse of power and authority.
Ah, domestic abuse and gaslighting. The weapons abusers use to mentally and physically manipulate and control their spouses. Some bruises you can see, but most are so deeply ingrained in the victim’s mind that they cannot be seen and cannot be escaped from.
The Invisible Man Review
The Story
The Invisible Man Review: Elisabeth Moss
A cruel reminder of what abuse does to its victim is Leigh Whannell’s The Invisible Man, a re-telling of H. G. Wells’s novel by the same name. The Invisible Man follows a woman named Cecilia Kass (Elisabeth Moss) who stages an elaborate escape plan to run away from the clutches of her abusive boyfriend Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen). Adrian is apparently a genius in the field of optics and has amassed a lot of wealth and power because of it.
He is also a control freak and micro-manages everything in Cecelia’s life – from what she wears to what she eats and how she dresses. Things like these grew into physical assault, and Cecelia was trapped in a relationship from which she couldn’t escape. However, when all seemed to have worked in her favour, news came to her that Adrian had committed suicide and had left his huge wealth to her.
The Invisible Man Review: Elisabeth Moss
Although this news does shock her, she is relieved – Adrian can’t find her anymore, and she can live her life how she wants to. But that is, unfortunately, far from reality. It soon becomes apparent to her that Adrian has found out a way to become invisible, and he uses that power to alienate her from the people around her. The police also refuse to believe her. In such a situation, she takes matters into her own hands and decides to exact revenge.
First off, I’ll mention here that the ending was so satisfying. I know revenge is probably not the best thing to live your life for, but people who have been victims of abuse will tell you otherwise.
Abuse, abuse, and abuse
The Invisible Man Review: Oliver Jackson-Cohen
The nature of Adrian’s abuse is kept from the audience – we don’t ever exactly get to know what he actually did. It is, however, apparent in the way she stages the escape – all parts of it were well thought out for quite some time. In a scene which stuck with me – the dog’s collar. It was apparent how much Adrian liked controlling everything around him – the people and animals living with him were just objects to him that he could use whenever he wanted.
Cecelia’s campaign sends Adrian into a deranged, manipulative campaign against her. But before that, you kind of feel happy and put your guard down, seeing how happy Cecelia feels hearing of Adrian’s death. She becomes carefree, has fun with her friends and even goes for a job interview. However, when she becomes unconscious there and later finds the bottle of Diazepam that she used on Adrian in her bathroom counter, her world comes crashing down. You can see the shift in her mood and her psyche.
She is again pulled back into Adrian’s clutches. And the worst part is, as is the case with abuse situations in general, people refuse to believe her. I mean, I’d probably be a little skeptical is someone comes and tells me that someone is invisible, but that’s not the point. There’s a deeper meaning here – how abuse victims are usually suspected and questioned. How people ask them whether they are sure if they are overreacting because he seems to be “such a nice guy”.
Belief and Doubt
The Invisible Man Review: Elisabeth Moss, Oliver Jackson-Cohen
As I previously said, the cycle of abuse does not just stop with abusers. When people decide to come out with their stories, they are shunned by society, saying that they are overreacting, “Is it that time of the month?”, she’s lying, she’s insane. These comments and judgments are routine – abuse victims are routinely questioned, harassed and made to go back to the darkest time of their lives because society loves to believe men.
That is very nicely portrayed in The Invisible Man – Cecelia is put in a hospital to receive psychiatric help because no one wants to even entertain the possibility of what she is saying. It is also important to see here what technological advancements can do and how they can harm people if they are allowed to grow unhindered.
The invisibility angle is also a smart one, in the context. Men abuse because society allows them to – they either turn a blind eye to them or worse, facilitate the abuse. Men don’t really need to literally vanish to perpetuate heinous gender-based crimes. An absence of scrutiny is also a form of disappearance – if you aren’t looking at someone, they just might as well be invisible. And that is scary and, sadly, the reality for a lot of women. Because it’s not just them they are fighting against, it’s all the men and women who helped, stayed silent or looked the other way – it’s the society in general.
Final Thoughts
The Invisible Man Review: Elisabeth Moss
In The Invisible Man, Cecelia is haunted not only by Adrian, but also by his brother, Tom, who is an equal accomplice. He is Adrian’s brother and his lawyer. According to Cecelia, he is an exact copy of Adrian, just without the spine. Tom is a constant reminder of his brother – he tells him that he is also a victim of his brother, comforts her and tells her that Adrian is dead and that all of this is in her head. However, what we get to know is all a lie. Tom is as much a part of Adrian’s sick plans as Adrian is. He is also a manipulator like his brother.
The Invisible Man reminds us that men like Adrian are everywhere – they are powerful and rich and feel invincible because we make them feel so. They win time and again because society loves to cherish rich and powerful men, and this gives them the power to control and abuse others. They feel concealed and protected because that is exactly what society gives them.
The biggest problem, probably as to why we turn a blind eye to these people, is that the monster still hasn’t reached us… yet.
I made the mistake of reading reviews before going to watch the Imitiaz Ali-directed Love Aaj Kal. I mean, that’s a huge taboo in my book, to be honest. Because you see, movies are very personal experiences. In most cases, your understanding of a movie will not align with that of another person’s. So, I was actually ready to absolutely hate it and come back and rant about it here. But boy was I surprised by my reaction.
Love Aaj Kal Review
Jo Tum Naa Ho
Love Aaj Kal Review: Kartik Aaryan, Sara Ali Khan
Love Aaj Kal is a movie that spans two timelines: 1990 and 2020. And the 1990 love story was my absolute favourite. It was actually what made the movie very tolerable. Aarushi Sharma is probably the best part of Love Aaj Kal for me. Her effortless acting and beautiful, quiet demeanour complemented her role as the fiery but very quiet Leena. Raghu and Leena’s love story formed the crux of the story. Randeep Hooda as the older Raghu (or Raj) is also excellent and is the other good part of the movie.
Haan Main Galat
Love Aaj Kal Review: Kartik Aaryan, Arushi Sharma
However, all is not well. Actually, most aren’t. Although the 1990 part was excellent to watch, the same cannot be said for the 2020 part. Veer and Zoe’s relationship is an eye-sore. Firstly, Sara Ali Khan and Kartik Aaryan make the perfect cute millennial couple, but, as actors, are incapable of carrying on their shoulders a movie that has so many intense emotional scenes. I liked Kartik in his previous movies, but they probably worked because he didn’t need to invest much in emoting different emotions.
Veer is, in a way, like Joe Goldberg, but more awkward. He will give you serial-stalker/killer vibes from the moment he starts stalking and pursuing Zoe relentlessly. At one point, I was expecting him to take her to the secret lair under his house – complete with a glass cage. Also, what is it with him telling Zoe that she is “special” and thus he cannot have sex with her? It’s 2020 – that is not a thing anymore! However, he is tolerable as Raghu and his bumbling acting seems very genuine.
Galat Ho Jaa Tu Bhi
Love Aaj Kal Review: Kartik Aaryan, Sara Ali Khan
Sara Ali Khan is another ball game. I mean, I don’t even know where to start. There was just too much acting. Normal people do not react the way she reacted to situations, and her shrill screams did not help with the affairs at hand. By what little idea I have of acting, I think the whole point is not to let the audience be immersed in the story. However, I was aware of Sara’s every reaction throughout and thus constantly hindered from having that experience.
Rahogi Meri
Love Aaj Kal Review: Kartik Aaryan, Sara Ali Khan
All, however, is not lost. There were a lot of parts that I genuinely quite liked. The entire 1990 part, obviously, but especially the dance sequence between Raghu and Leena is very close to my heart. Apart from that, the Rahogi Meri song’s picturization is so beautiful (Raghu and Leena in the train! I cannot!).
Also, Veer and Zoe’s last scene, where she finds him after searching for him all over Himachal – absolutely amazing. Simone Singh is quite nice as Zoe’s mom, who is very abusive towards her – not physically, but definitely mentally. The way she put all of her problems on Zoe’s shoulders from a young age and basically moulded her into a very disturbed individual is something people don’t usually pay attention to – but definitely should.
Par Rahena Chahiye Kya?
Love Aaj Kal Review: Sara Ali Khan, Kartik Aaryan
With all things said and done, the entire conflict that Zoe and Veer have is entirely in Zoe’s mind. Veer is somewhat of a puppy who will come running to Zoe whenever he is called. It’s quite pathetic and annoying. There is no conflict because right before any conflict can arise, Zoe overthinks and messes things up – it’s quite underwhelming.
At one point, she has a complete meltdown at Veer’s house, in front of his parents. That scene was so cringy that it made me angry. Zoe gets a job in one of her dream companies in Dubai and decides not to go there because she wants to stay close to Veer. That’s great – her choice. She then proceeds to insult Veer because she decided not to go… and tries to portray it as if it is his fault, when he didn’t even know about this entire episode before this point. Throughout this entire sequence, instead of sympathising with the protagonists, I just wanted them to shut up.
In Conclusion
Love Aaj Kal Review: Sara Ali Khan, Kartik Aaryan
Love Aaj Kal is an entertaining watch if you have nothing to do over the weekend. The songs are the best part of the movie, and every single one is amazing. The direction and costumes are great, and if the acting were better, you could probably be able to salvage something. It made me yearn for Deepika and Ranbir’s pairing because the film gave me such Tamasha vibes. If, however, you have high expectations from Imtiaz Ali, give this one a skip.
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before was a 2018 phenomenon that Netflix came up with. For once it wasn’t an absolute trash fire and had believable characters and an interesting (and very sappy) storyline. It was directed by Susan Johnson and based on the book of the same name by Jenny Han. When Lara Jean and Peter Kavinsky got together in the end, we were desperate to get to know what happened to them but were quite sure that there wouldn’t be more instalments.
To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You Cast
Lana Condor, Noah Centineo, Jordan Fisher, Anna Cathcart, Janel Parrish, Ross Butler, Madeleine Arthur, Emilija Baranac, Trezzo Mahoro, Holland Taylor, Sarayu Blue, John Corbett
To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You Writers
Sofia Alvarez, J. Mills Goodloe
To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You Director
Michael Fimognari
Because I mean, the whole point of rom-coms is happy endings – and TATBILB got just that. However, when I got to know that they’re coming out with two more sequels I was a little disappointed (and excited). Because, really, I hate sequels. They do nothing but ruin good movies by trying to milk the success of the originals. So understandably, To All The Boys 2 had pretty large shoes to fill.
To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You Review
Largie!
To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You Review: Noah Centineo, Lana Condor
In the first movie, Lara Jean is an introvert who has one friend. She wrote love letters to people she had intense crushes on, with no intention of sending them. She had no experience in the dating world and was probably a little confused when she got into a fake relationship with Peter. However, the second instalment shows Lara Jean as a bit more confident… because she is now actually dating Peter. He’s the perfect “boyfriend material” – cute, a little dorky, tall (so tall!), doesn’t rush her for sex, apologizes for being late profusely and makes up for it. He’s the perfect boyfriend and apparently the only problems that are there, are due to Lara Jean’s insecurities, specifically in relation to his previous relationship with Gen.
However, what was cute in the first movie, seems dragged out in this one. The first movie was about two kids falling for each other, this movie highlights the problems that they face. Because, honestly, the two share nothing in common, other than the fact that they’re both very good-looking people.
A Worthy Opponent
To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You Review: Lana Condor, Jordan Fisher
The situation does not seem to look up as John Ambrose, the fifth recipient of Lara Jean’s love letters, comes into the picture. She is immediately smitten by him and as she starts hanging out with him, she becomes increasingly confused about her feelings for these two men. Thus, she does not tell him that she is dating Peter. Because honestly, she doesn’t know. Peter seems right, someone she knows, but John is someone with whom she had chemistry and seems to share a lot of things in common with as well. However, the love triangle that Lara Jean creates for herself doesn’t seem like a world-ending phenomenon that rom-coms (and teenagers) are so good at creating. It seems like a minor inconvenience at best and blows over fairly easily.
P.S. I Still Love You
The movie is good considering Netflix rom-com standards (I mean, we can never forget Sierra Burgess Is a Loser) but really, why does Lara Jean have to fall for the sensitive white jock? There’s nothing wrong with it because he isn’t a terrible person. But the movie could’ve done something different. However, it does do good justice to teenage drama and high school shenanigans. The amount of confusion that she goes through is probably something that we all have faced. She wishes Peter was more anonymous and overthinks about his relationship with Gen, which is, frankly, something we have all done so many times.
To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You Review: Noah Centineo, Lana Condor
To End It…
For people who love sappy rom-coms (like me), this is an entertaining watch. I mean, sit back on Valentine’s if you, like me, have nothing to do and Netflix and Chill seem like a good option. On top of that, the costumes and set designs are really good and add to the feel of the movie. They will definitely provide some outfit inspiration if nothing else.
To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You is now streaming on Netflix.
Okay, I’m just gonna
agree from here on out that I was digging Joe throughout the season and wanted
him to be happy and content. But hey, who are we kidding? Joe is a sociopath.
And I’ll tell you why. Also, You is difficult and may have different
interpretations. So please bear with me.
You Season 1 Review
You Season 1 Review: Elizabeth Lail, Penn Badgley
I Beck Your Pardon?
I read in a lot of places how Joe is a hopeless romantic and treated Beck the way that she deserved. And I’m like, girl, no. No one wants or deserves a stalker in their lives. Joe’s entire pursuit of Beck relied on him stalking and manipulating her. He monitored and controlled her every move, even without her knowing it. I mean, sure. Benji and Peach were terrible people who hurt Beck, too. But they didn’t deserve to die for it! And definitely not because they “got in the way” of Joe’s control over Beck. Remember, if they were still alive, Joe probably wouldn’t even have had a chance with Beck. And that is how life normally works. Because at the end of the da,y it’s Beck’s life and her choices. If she chooses to be with Benji, then that’s her choice, too. There’s no need to save her – because she doesn’t need saving. Also, a core thing here is, Joe wasn’t doing anything for Beck; he was doing everything to fulfill his selfish needs. So, when he says, “You are better than that.” “You are worth waiting for.” – Remember, that is not what he means.
He’s giving an excuse to himself and us for his stalkerish behavior. Remember those times when he’d watch her change, masturbate or have sex? No one else was watching her, in spite of her windows being wide open. And you know why? Because that is what normal people do. Good people, who have a sense of right and wrong, do not do this. However, he did. He followed her and watched her very private moments from afar. Furthermore, he went on to masturbate to her (and then proceeded to help an old lady after finishing. Ew). He isn’t a hopeless romantic. He’s a stalker. Is that really the kind of person anyone needs in life?
An Unstable Narrator
You Season 1 Review: Penn Badgley
It’s really easy to feel for Joe. His reasoning behind his extremely problematic behavior seems solid, and you think, yeah, he’s right. Beck really does need help because she can’t take care of herself. However, there are two problems here.
Firstly, no one asked for Beck’s consent in this situation. It’s her life (I know I’m repeating this). Unless and until she wants help, no one can force their decisions on her, even if it’s in her best interests. Also, the thing here is, Joe really doesn’t have Beck’s interest in mind. From the get-go, he wanted her for himself. He was fascinated with her. However, if he wasn’t a stalker and didn’t manipulate her, would she be interested in him? It is also to noting here, Joe read all of Beck’s emails. All of her actual thoughts about him that she shared with her friends, he read and acted accordingly. So, the relationship becomes very one-sided in that case. If Joe didn’t have Beck’s email, would he still have a chance? I think not. There have been numerous instances when Beck had stopped responding to him. But he came back into her life every time because of the emails. So this is not just a clear violation of privacy, but it also goes to show that Beck and Joe were doomed from the start – it was Joe’s manipulation that kept the relationship going.
Another point here is that we get this entire story from Joe’s perspective. And that is exactly where the problem lies. Joe is an unstable narrator. You can never understand whether Peach and Benji, whom we have grown to despise, are actually like that, because they come in Joe’s way. He wants to “own” Beck, and they are the thorns in his path. So, obviously, he hates them and paints a picture such that we grow to hate them too.
Candace: A Story Forgotten
You Season 1 Review: Penn Badgley
Throughout the series, especially in the first season, we get to see that Candace, Joe’s ex-girlfriend, is an afterthought. Joe never really delves into her story – neither does he want to. Candace is best left dead in the dark, literally. Or that’s what Joe thought. However, the way Joe treated Candace gives us an exact picture of how he is as a person. He flips out when Candace breaks up with him, so much so that he kidnaps her and leaves her for dead in the woods. And there she would’ve lain, had it not been for her zeal to live. She was left behind like trash.
The second season does her no justice as well because although she comes back to exact revenge on Joe, she is left murdered by Love and then promptly forgotten. Moreover, throughout season 2, we see Joe conjure up tricks to get rid of her. Any sane person would find a way other than murder to get away from someone. However, Joe isn’t sane, and the fact that everyone thinks of him to be is scary.
Love…And Other Drugs
You Season 1 Review: Shay Mitchell
Season 2 also brought us to Love, Joe’s new “you”. Although he gives us the impression that he has changed and is trying to stay away from all things love, yet we find out that his pursuit of Love isn’t organic at all – in fact, it was all pre-planned. His job at Anavrin, the way he manipulates Calvin – it screams textbook, Joe. He hasn’t changed. He’s just lying to himself and us about his intentions.
However, as season 2 progresses, we see that he might be a changed man. Especially in his dealings with the people around him, like Delilah, Elle, Forty, Love and her friends, Joe seems to be more accommodating and even accepting of the fact that he might not be the ideal person he thought he was. That’s why, in the last few episodes, when Candace traps him with Delilah’s body in the cage, he decides to repent for his sins instead of running away. He wants to change and be better for Love because, in his eyes, Love is too good for him. She’s sweet, sensitive, caring and a kind soul who deserves the world and all the love that it has to offer – something that he was deprived of. However, when Love comes clean about her crimes, he is shocked. So shocked that he immediately thinks of pretending to love her just to escape (as he recalls what Beck did when she was trapped in the cage). Therefore, we’re left to wonder again about Joe’s sanity.
A New You
You Season 1 Review: Penn Badgley
In the last episode, Joe seems trapped by Love. Sure, he stays back to give his child a good father, but he doesn’t love Love anymore. And the moment he hears and then lays his eyes on the woman sunbathing in her yard, he’s back to square one – a cycle is born again. This is definitely a nod for season 3, and we’re supposed to wonder who this new woman is since she is clearly married and might be older than Joe. However, it goes on to show that Joe will never be happy with one person; he will never settle. He wants to put his love interests on a pedestal too high for a person. It’s not possible for a person to be that perfect. And thus, this cycle will continue if no one puts a stop to it.
In this context, we do get to know Joe’s background and why he is the way he is. An abusive father, a mother whom he loved dearly and depended entirely on, who was an adulterer and an out-and-out toxic environment where he was forced to murder his father to save his mother. All of these things had a huge impact on his psyche and made him the person that he is. His need for control and dominance, and the thought that only he knows what is best for his love interests, stem from the abuse in his past. But does that justify his behavior – the murder and the stalkerish behavior? It surely doesn’t.
You Season 1 Review: Elizabeth Lail, Penn Badgley
Summing Up
Joe has definitely put me off dating for the foreseeable future. And trust me, you don’t need a significant other who thinks that it’s okay to control every bit of your life. That ain’t healthy.
You Season 2 Review: In 2018, Netflix’s You was a phenomenon. The evening it came out on Netflix, I thought I’d binge it because I didn’t have anything better to do… and also because I thought it was a romantic series. Boy, did it surprise me. You became one of my favorite series on Netflix. A beautiful, taut script with twists and turns now and then. Penn Badgley and Elizabeth Lail’s superb acting make this one a must-watch. So I wasn’t surprised when people around the world became obsessed with the show- it deserved the attention.
However, the most interesting thing about this series was that no one could make up their minds about whom to side with. Sure, Joe Goldberg seemed like a sociopath, but his internal monologues seemed so convincing that his reasoning manipulated us. There were moments when Joe’s audacity surprised us – stalking and manipulating Beck into thinking that he is all she needs (also that one scene where he masturbates in the middle of the bloody road!). But hey, he’s doing it for her, right? He has her best interests in mind. And, when he says that she has no security in place – she changes her clothes (and has sex) in front of the open windows, has no password on her phone or laptop – we are convinced that she had it coming. Joe was just a better option – she needed someone to take care of her because, honestly, she was a mess.
You Season 2 Review: Penn Badgley
But that is where the creators caught us red-handed. Developers Greg Berlanti and Sera Gamble based the two parts of You on Caroline Kepnes’s novels. I think the creators knew that people fundamentally want someone to love them, and they will go to any length to get that love.
You Season 2 Review
“I’m sorry, Beck”
However, what we all forgot in the first season was that Beck was flawed, yes. But the thing is, that was her choice. She chose to be messy and unafraid. She didn’t need someone to save her from the big, bad world. Joe forcefully thought he could save her, without taking her consent (consent being the keyword here), and changed her world so that she couldn’t come back. Beck deserved better because she thought she had it all under control, that her relationship with Joe was organic, and that fate had given her an amazing man. What she didn’t know was that Joe had it all planned from the start – that nothing was organic. She had no chance.
A Changed Man?
You Season 2 Review: Victoria Pedretti, Penn Badgley
Season 2, however, moves on with the ex-girlfriend narrative and introduces a new love interest for Joe. He has since moved from New York to Los Angeles and is starting his life fresh. He thinks he’ll lay off love, but that all changes when he sets his eyes on Love (yeah, it’s about to get confusing. Try to keep up), and he instantly realizes that she’s the One. The girl for whom his world will change, because she is her world. And it’s all a repeat from thereon.
Love Quinn belongs to a rich family. Her twin brother Forty (why anyone would name their son that is lost to me), however, is damaged and is a junkie. Her family is dysfunctional. Regardless, she’s magnetic, fun and spirited. She knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to get it. She seems to understand Joe (or Will… More of that in a bit). She’s all that he’s been waiting for. He, later on, says to himself that he had never loved anyone before – that Love’s the only person who has ever held his heart.
However, all is not well. Because his ex, Candace, is back with a vengeance. She gets into Joe’s life and becomes Forty’s love interest, to do whatever it takes to bring him down. Initially, he had to flee New York and assume a new identity, Will Bettleheim, to stay as far away from her as possible. Also, new characters in this season are Joe’s neighbors, sisters Delilah and Ellie, who quickly become close to Joe.
You Season 2 Review: Penn Badgley, James Scully
As the season moves forward, and as Joe’s web of lies becomes more and more intricate and increasingly difficult to manage, we see that his mask is sometimes slipping. He tries to change himself, to be worthy of Love, but even his internal monologues cannot save him when he commits one murder after another – all in the name of love (or, Love?). We are forced to come face-to-face with the violent, unhinged man underneath all the romantic and self-righteous internal monologue. That he will go to any length to get what he wants, the rest of the world be damned.
An Arc We Want
You season 2 has, however, delivered some character arc behind Joe. He’s not one-dimensional and, as we near the end of the season, we see that he has, to some extent, changed as a person. We also get some interesting insight into his life as a youngster – a dysfunctional family of his own, complete with an abusive father and a mother who just cannot seem to let her husband go.
At the end of the season, we see that Joe has become close to the people around him. It’s a sweet character arc, and for once, we feel like he will change – he’ll be the person that we all want – the person Love deserves. From letting the actual Will go to telling Delilah that he won’t kill her because she has to look after Ellie, things look positive. Even with his dealings with Forty. I’m sure that if this situation arose in season 1, Forty would be the first to go. However, season 2 Joe seems like a changed man. Forty pisses him off, understandably, but he’s more understanding and seems to love the guy. The growing attachment between the two during the season is heart-warming to watch.
You Season 2 Review: Penn Badgley, Jenna Ortega
Despite all of this, he soon realizes that Love is not the person he fell for. She isn’t an idealistic and sweet, kind-hearted person. He was wrong – she wasn’t going to save him from his past and himself. And I feel the moment he realizes that he loses his affection for her. He realizes that Love is an image of him. What made him want to change – to stop running and atone for his sins – was all a lie. For the first time, he is on the receiving end of the stick. And he probably finally realizes what he had made Beck and Candace feel.
All’s Well That Ends Well… Or Is It?
The ending of You is twisted, well, like the entire series. We see a heavily pregnant Love moving somewhere else with Joe. He talks about being a good father to his unborn child, but something seems off. He doesn’t seem to be quite as invested in the relationship anymore. So the woman talking on the other side of the fence, sunbathing in her yard, fascinates him – he has found a new You. This, for me, shows that Joe has completely given up on his love for Love. He probably realizes that she is not what he wants.
You Season 2 Review: Penn Badgley
Throughout the season, I have thought about whether love is all it takes to change a person damaged due to a troubled past. I was convinced – but Joe proved me wrong. He hasn’t changed a bit. The moment he lost interest in Love, he was back to square one – stalking out his next victim. Someone who will save him from himself. But there is no such thing. What Joe wants cannot be found in others. He has to come to terms with this past on his own, instead of depending on people who cannot help him (much like his relationship with his mother).
You is a beautiful series that won’t bore you for a minute. With Badgley’s amazing acting and beautiful voiceovers that put us right into Joe’s mind, seductive thrills and wry dark humor, the second season is a treat to watch, especially for fans of the thriller genre. The way it terrifyingly merges the apparent nice-guy with the toxic pull towards the bad-boy – You, as a series, is a must-watch.
Things to Take Home
You Season 2 Review: Penn Badgley
Do not murder people. Murder is bad. Joe might get away with it, but we won’t. There are ways to solve your problems – murder isn’t one of them. Go see a therapist.
Why does Victoria Pedretti (who plays Love) always end up with a dysfunctional family and a junkie twin? It makes me feel bad for her.
Please don’t name your child Forty. It’s weird.
Would You be different if it was made in India? But who are we kidding? That’s just everyday life here.
[Note: The following review contains spoilers for Ghost Stories]
Netflix tried to do something different this New Year with Ghost Stories. The streaming giant broke records in 2018 after it brought to screen Lust Stories, from four visionary directors of Bollywood – Anurag Kashyap, Zoya Akhtar, Dibakar Banerjee, and Karan Johar. It was the first time Bollywood explored sexuality in its varied forms – blurring the line between right and wrong. So naturally, people were excited when they saw that the same four directors were coming out with four more stories, but this time, it’s a premise that hasn’t been fully explored in Bollywood.
Ghost Stories Review
Horror: Here and There
Ghost Stories Review: Still
Let’s face it, horror hasn’t really started in India. 2019 was an amazing year for horror around the world. With movies like Midsommar, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Ready or Not, Us and many more released to entertain audiences, horror fans were at an all-time high. However, this isn’t the case with Bollywood horror. Most of them bombed at the box office. Thus, Ghost Stories was a breath of fresh air for horror fans.
Marketing, Marketing, and More Marketing
Netflix marketed Ghost Stories to no end. Firstly, they decided to release it at midnight on the most happening nights of the year. Secondly, it had some big names on the list – Sobhita Dhulipala, Mrunal Thakur, Avinash Tiwary, Janhvi Kapoor, Surekha Sikri, Raghuvir Yadav, Gulshan Devaiah and Vijay Varma among the most well-known. I got ads about the movie on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Spotify as well. So you can imagine how much anticipation I had.
Ghost Stories Review: Still
People crave horror. It’s one of the most sought-after genres. Add to that the fact that supply is extremely low, and even one big release can cause a frenzy amongst Netizens.
It’s probably impossible for me to do a general review because all four films are different from each other in tone, style, storytelling and the theme in general. So, I’m gonna talk about each story separately.
Ghost Stories Review: Story Breakdown
Zoya Akhtar
Ghost Stories Review: Jahnvi Kapoor
Starring Jahnvi Kapoor, Surekha Sikri, and Vijay Varma, this short deals with a paralysed woman (Sikri) whose nurse (Kapoor) comes to her residence one night for 24/7 care. She’s in a complicated relationship with a married man, and things aren’t, in general, looking too good for her. Oh, she also hates her job. However, all is not as it seems in the house, as from the first night, supernatural occurrences start to spook her. What she discovers next changes her to her core.
This is the typical horror movie – filled with suspense and lots of known horror tropes. If you’re familiar with and a fan of horror, this one will remind you of movies you’ve seen many times over. A predictable plot done to death by movies throughout generations, with stunning camerawork – Zoya Akhtar knows her shots. I wish the story were a bit different.
Anurag Kashyap
Ghost Stories Review: Sobhita Dhulipala
A pregnant woman is a bird lover to the point that it is unhealthy. Childhood trauma has changed her take on children and the concept of motherhood. She has already lost a baby in the past, and she is obsessed with her present one. She is also extremely close to her nephew, who is extremely jealous of the new baby. The nursery is ready – but you can feel something is amiss. Add to that the constant cawing of crows, and you realise something is very, very wrong. So, when the end comes, you’re feeling very… confused. The colours are leached out – it’s all muted and dark – the atmosphere is beautiful.
Genre fans (guilty!) can see all the avenues the story could’ve taken. But, alas, in its present form, it’s not scary. Crows play a very important part in the movie. Moreover, the child thread and the crow thread run in parallel and meet… without actually meeting. I get it, the director wanted to do something shocking – different. But the story lacked soul, probably because it tried too hard to be different.
Dibakar Banerjee
Ghost Stories Review: Sukant Goel
A man (Sukant Goel) reaches a village where he has to join work. However, some searching of the abandoned villages brings him in front of two young kids. They are scared out of their wits but are very steadfast about one thing – staying alive. Flesh-eating creatures have taken over their village – all of them are their own families, neighbours, and friends. What follows is a scary social commentary about the evils of humanity. This segment was the most different of the lot. The director, instead of showing supernatural entities, shows a portrayal of the society we are living in, which is scary, if not more.
I love the idea – I do. But to be honest, I was expecting the director to explore the supernatural angle more because my expectations were high. So the ending made me feel kinda conflicted. The comparison was so smart – yet my yearning for scares that were promised made me rather upset.
Karan Johan
Ghost Stories Review: Mrunal ThakurGhost Stories Review: Sunit Tandon, Kitu Gidwani, Avinash Tiwary, Heeba Shah
A feisty woman (Mrunal Thakur) agrees to an arranged marriage with a handsome man (Avinash Tiwary) who seems to be charming, kind and an all-out gentleman. However, soon things take a turn for the bizarre as his dead grandmother becomes a constant presence in the house. Everyone seems to revere the invisible entity that the new bride cannot see. As a result, her irritation with the bizarre situation in her new home pushes her to a point of no return.
This is one of the weakest links in this movie. Firstly, this segment is more Karan Johar than Karan Johar himself. Extremely expensive sets, elaborate weddings (complete with a song!), plush and exorbitant houses – it’s all there. The focus went behind making a ‘Johar movie’. So, when the horror was delivered, it was lackluster and the scares were extremely unsatisfying. I felt that the segment could’ve ended much before the ending it got – maybe ambiguity could’ve helped with a script severely lacking.
Final Thoughts
Ghost Stories is an unsatisfying take on horror. Bollywood still has a long way to go before it can impress audiences with genuinely creepy movies that leave a mark in the genre. However, it does display beautiful performances. My special mention goes to Sobhita Dhulipala and Surekha Sikri. Their excellent performances make up for the unsatisfying scare-fest.
Bollywood, keep trying till you achieve flawlessness – practice makes perfect. You can watch Ghost Storieson Netflix.
