The Dig (2021)
This is a beautifully shot slowburn movie set in Suffolk, England in 1939. While Britain is shipping out boatloads of soldiers to the battlefront on the verge of World War II, Edith Pretty, a wealthy landowner, hires an excavator to dig up what seem to be ancient burial mounds at the edge of her estate. There’s an unexpected discovery. The British Museum gets involved. Conflict ensues.
Ralph Fiennes gives a fine performance as the excavator/amateur archeologist Basil Brown. Carey Mulligan shines in her role as Mr. Pretty. This is a great watch for a slow Sunday morning.
The cinematography in this movie is top notch. It’s presented in 4K HDR (with DolbyVision) and the result is stunning.
Be wary of heavy Hollywood-style romanticisation, though. While it is based on true story, the movie does not burden itself with accurate representation of the events that took place. In the service of dramatic storytelling, certain elements and characters have been introduced. Luckily, they work.
Behind Her Eyes (Limited Series, 2021)
My wife introduced me to this show. It’s… creepy. It will keep you on your toes — guessing, calculating, expecting some bad thing to happen. You find yourself conflicted on which character to root for.
I wasn’t a big fan of the ending, but the show as a whole was enjoyable. At 6 episodes running 50 minutes each, it’s not a tedious watch. This is also a 4K title with great production value.
If it’s a decent psychological thriller you’re looking for, with good performances, this is recommended.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Sitcom, 2005 — )
This is not a new show, of course. But it’s one of those shows I’ve always wanted to watch, but never did. Until now. I should mention that I’m watching this show on a UK VPN server — it’s not a title that’s available on Netflix for all regions.
Much of the show happens in and around Paddy’s Pub, an Irish bar owned by the main characters Mac, Dennis, and Charlie. Along with Dennis’ sister Deandra and their “father” Frank, the gang gets up to the most ridiculous antics I’ve ever seen in a TV show. I’m 7 seasons in (there’s 7 more to go, and the show has been renewed for 4 more seasons — that is 18 seasons in total) and there is still no mention of how the gang comes to own the pub in the first place (they’re all certified white trash), but the funny holds up, at least for me, and that’s what matters.
This may not be everyone’s cup of tea, though, because much of the humour is dark, to say the least. Netflix has removed a few episodes where some characters put on Blackface, for example — they shouldn’t have been removed, because the whole premise of the show is to ridicule the questionable choices of its icky characters, but… it’s Netflix 🤷🏻♂️. Their transgressions fit in well within the context of the show, however, and they’re often funny.
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