JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4 | TETRIS | YELLOWJACKETS Season 2
Pop Culture Weekly Round-Up 24/03/2023
Hello, everyone I’m back to give you guys some Pop Culture recommendations for your weekend. In this week’s newsletter, I share some thoughts on two movies being released in theaters today. The action-packed JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4 and the made for streaming but for some reason released on theaters TETRIS. I also talk about the amazing second season of the series YELLOWJACKETS. And as always there is a playlist with five songs that I enjoyed last week.
QUICK THOUGHTS
YELLOWJACKETS Season 2 is the highly anticipated return of the thrilling TV series about a group of plane crash survivors in the wilderness of Ontario. The show remains equal parts survival epic, horror story, and pitch-black coming-of-age tale, that now, more than twenty-five years later, the past is coming back to haunt them. Season 2 is a natural expansion and extension of its successful first season, and the Yellowjackets continue to barrel forward in search of escape in both timelines. The show's central mystery is still smartly approached, and the cast's performances remain as committed as ever. Despite the show's often bleak content, Yellowjackets maintains a startling sense of humor throughout its storylines, which provides a much-needed comic release when the show delves deeper into psychological terror. The second season feels even more intense and compelling than the first, and it's certainly better in terms of character development and how the storyline unfolds. Overall, I was impressed with the second season of YELLOWJACKETS, with its intriguing blend of genres, strong writing, and excellent performances. The show is still a great watch, and I highly recommend it.
TETRIS is a movie based on the true story of Henk Rogers' journey to bring one of the world's most beloved video games to players around the globe. Taron Egerton plays the role of Henk Rogers, who discovered Tetris in 1988 and then risked everything by traveling to the Soviet Union to team up with inventor Alexey Pazhitnov (played by Nikita Efremov) to bring the game to the masses. It is a Cold War-era thriller with villains, heroes, and a race to the finish. The movie does well as a heartwarming underdog story with a strong lead performance and nostalgic nods to the 80s. The movie celebrates the classic video game, but it falls short of maintaining its premise for the entire two-hour runtime. While the production design is good, the plot struggles with mixed results. The film occasionally leans a bit too heavily on cliches, ultimately taking away the authenticity of the true story. Overall, TETRIS is a fun movie to watch, but it is not a cinematic milestone. It is primarily a film for streaming, and it might be best enjoyed at home instead of venturing to watch it in theatres. If you are a big fan of the game or the story behind it, you should check it out.
JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4 takes everything that fans love about the franchise and turns it up to eleven. Director Chad Stahelski delivers on his promise of breath-taking action and stunning cinematography that is unmatched in the series. This movie is a non-stop action thriller that packs in just enough story and character development to establish the stakes. The action scenes in JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4 are nothing short of amazing and each one feels like it could be the climax of its own movie. While it may be too long for some, the movie uses that time to deliver more of the best action sequences in franchise history. It is a rare and exhilarating experience to watch a film that is this much fun. Keanu Reeves once again delivers as the titular character, cementing his place as one of the great action stars of our time. Overall, JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4 is a stunning action film that delivers on all fronts. Fans of the franchise will not be disappointed.
TOP 5 SONGS
These were the 5 songs on heavy rotation in my house last week. You can listen to them on Spotify and YouTube.
My husband and I have seen all of the John Wick series and since he mentioned there is a new chapter I am super excited for this one! Having been to Paris and the Arc de Triomphe I LOVE seeing that they filmed there!