May Movie and TV Madness

The Stone of Destiny 4/5 (Prime)

This movie was pretty good. The main guy is the same actor from Stardust, and he's a good actor! He also has really mesmerizing chest hair so that was a huge plus. This is the kind of movie you could safely watch with your family and know that everyone would enjoy it and nobody would be scandalized or offended. That being said, it didn't end exactly how I would have liked it to! 

Never Have I Ever 4.5/5 (Netflix) (recommended by Genesta) CONTAINS SPOILERS

I saw trailers for this and thought it looked ok but figured I'd probably skip watching it. But then G told me I should give it a go because she was watching it and enjoying it, so I decided to watch it and I think I ended up liking it even more than she did. It was really funny and lighthearted, and I LOVE when the main character ends up with someone unexpected. I also really appreciated how (most of) the teen actors actually looked like teenagers! My one beef with this show is that the kids can be kind of potty mouth and irreverent, and it's definitely geared towards younger teens so I don't love the idea of that. 

Workin' Moms: Season 4 3/5 (Netflix)

I adore this series, so I was really pumped when my friend Josh texted me and told me the new season was out! But I have to say, this season fell pretty flat for me. Not only did I feel like they completely backtracked and flipped storylines they'd started at the end of the previous season, to the point that they basically completely rewrote certain characters in ways that were completely unlike they had ever acted before???? But I also felt like they totally recycled some of the same storylines they've used before. Like I don't know how many times we can go over the fact that Anne and her daughter have a really messed up relationship, or that Frankie is weird and neurotic and often does bizarre things that affect her relationships. Oh, and the whole will they won't they, should they, shouldn't they thing with Kate and Nathan! Like we've been through this so many times, please move on. I was hoping to see more of them actually interacting with their kids now that they're becoming toddlers, like that felt like it would make for some fun new dynamics with new motherhood challenges. Instead it's like the showrunners just used the kids as a means for making a show about some wacky women with relationship issues. Maybe it'll redeem itself in the next season...idk. 

The Half of It 3/5 Netflix

This movie had a lot of hype surrounding it, but it wasn't exactly my cup of tea. The main character was just kind of unpleasant the entire time, and while I really liked the guy character, it felt like the gave him more and more dimension throughout the movie until at the end he was just a big dumb guy again. Seemed like a regression. The atmosphere of this movie also was just kind of blah and unappealing. Which works for a lot of movies, but just made this one feel sad.

Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl 4.5/5 (Prime rental)

It takes a lot for me to break down and actually spend the money to rent a movie, but this one just looked like exactly the vibe I needed on that particular night, and you know what? It was worth the expense. This movie was so good. I know a lot of people have said negative things about the book, that it's overly crude and sexual and not very redemptive. I would say if that's the case, this movie might be one of the rare ones that is way better than the book its based on, because while there is definitely sexual innuendo and some foul language, I would not say it overtook the film at all, and while the ending of the movie is perhaps not what some people would want, I felt that it ended on an extremely redemptive note. This movie made me cry like an absolute fool. I also just LOVED all the little details that went into this movie. The scenery, the props--it was all on fleek. I also love "teen movies" that totally subvert the normal stereotypes of teenagers. Like this felt like you could not have put any of the characters into any one single "trope" box, and that is very hard to come by in teen movies. I would highly recommend this film. 

The Terminal 3/5 DVD

This was pretty good, but felt verrrrry long, and had a lot of that late nineties/early 2000s unrealism that feels extremely dated nowadays. I definitely see the charm of this movie, but I don't think it's for me. I also didn't like the romance. I didn't feel like they had any real chemistry and it felt forced to me.

Center Stage DNF 3/5 Netflix 

Talk about a movie that tries to deal with All the Issues. This was a rollercoaster of drama and melodrama. I couldn't get through it. Plus all the guys that were supposed to be heart throbs were just cringey to me. Except for the waiter dude. He was a cutie. But he was like barely even in the movie.

Waiting to Exhale 3/5 Hulu 

Basically this movie is about four women who look absolutely snatched for two straight hours and each cycle through a litany of gorgeous men. That's about it. There are some extremely fire parts in this movie (no pun intended), such as the part where Angela Basset's character commits arsen on her cheating husband's car in her front lawn while wearing a bathrobe. Not to mention there are some absolutely immaculate fashion moments--like that white dress with the ties, or that peplum bouse and leggings with the meixed metal earrings, or that oranage mini dress, or the monochrome church suits--plus the general cinemtography and coloring of this film are just killin' it--warm beige tones throughout, cacti heavily featured, so unapologetically 90s in the most aesthetically pleasing way possible. Plus we cannot tlak about this movie without discussing how inexplicable it is that Angela Basset looks EXACTLY THE SAME IN 1995 AS SHE DOES IN 2020. Sorcery for real. But if we're going to sit around and pretend this movie has a plot? Girl please. This movie is literally worth the watch just for the absolutely AMAZING fashion inspo. But if you're looking for a deep tale, you won't find it here.

Lovebirds 4/5 Netflix 

THIS MOVIE WAS SO FUNNY. GO WATCH IT NOW!!! I watched this on a complete whim as I wasn't sure it would really be my style, but you guys!!! It was so gooooodddddddd. The perfect date movie with that rare perfect balance of genuine romance and wild action. I laughed from start to finish. I honestly would watch this again right now. Highly recommend. Also Kumail Nanjiani is hot?? Apparently?? I'm into it. 

-VaughnDL