OUTER RANGE | ANATOMY OF A SCANDAL | THE CELLAR | ROAR
Pop Culture Weekly Round-Up 15/04/2022
Hello, everyone. It’s Friday and here are your Pop Culture recommendations for your weekend. In this week’s newsletter, I talk about the mind-bending series OUTER RANGE that is premiering today on Amazon Prime. I also share some thoughts on two new shows. The British crime/drama ANATOMY OF SCANDAL on Netflix and the offbeat ROAR on Apple TV+. I also talk about the horror flick THE CELLAR which is available on Shudder. And as always there is a playlist with five songs that I enjoyed last week.
QUICK THOUGHTS
ANATOMY OF A SCANDAL is a Netflix series created by David E. Kelley and Melissa James Gibson. It tells the story of James Whitehouse, a junior minister in the British Parliament who is played by Rupert Friend with immaculate cynicism. He has been sleeping around with Olivia (Naomi Scott), his research assistant. But when his escapades are made public, he assures his wife Sophie (Sienna Miller), that the affair was meaningless to him. The plot is moved forward by sex, privilege, and politics. The series is a difficult watch due to the subject matter, yet a good attempt to untangle our tricky #MeToo time. It also exposes a history of dubious consent, rape, and drug abuse among those who have ascended to positions of power in the UK. ANATOMY OF SCANDAL’s criticisms of fratboy culture's toxicity was very well done. I also enjoyed how it presented both sides of the issue; it provided a nuanced look at the rape culture debate. But at the same time, the show makes clear that rape is rape. However, some bizarre and unnecessary twists, as well as some amateurish directorial choices and a storyline that sometimes feels like a Telenovela made the show less enjoyable to me. I would say that if you have no plans for the weekend, you should give it a try. Just keep in mind the show is not perfect.
THE CELLAR tells the story of the Woods family, who moved into a large, old house to start a new life. Writer/Director Brendan Muldowney's movie begins as an unsettling experience, with a disturbing score and a lingering sense of dread. However, the tone of the movie suddenly changes in the second act. It turns into a detective story rather than a scary flick. Characters must solve mathematical equations and decode symbols, which takes away the film's creepiness. There are a few real scares somewhere along the way that work well enough, but THE CELLAR falls well short of expectations. It is a shame because this movie could've been great. There are some good ideas in there but it was poorly executed.
The Cellar will be in theaters and will stream on Shudder starting today, April 15.
ROAR is genre-bending anthology series that ties together eight darkly funny feminist stories that take unconventional perspectives on issues like gender roles, individuality, and relationships. The anthology series is premiering today, April 15, and is based on a book of short stories by Cecelia Ahern, and created by the same creators of GLOW, Carly Mensch and Liz Flahive. The cast of ROAR is fantastic; Nicole Kidman Cynthia Erivo Merritt Wever Alison Brie and Issa Rae just to name a few. So It's easy to get carried away by the brilliance of these actors alone. Each episode has a fresh cast and presents a unique story about a woman's quest for greater happiness. These stories make interesting points and stir up sincere conversations as it progresses. The series acknowledges the uniqueness of each woman's identity while presenting relevant viewpoints. ROAR is unquestionably one of the oddest series of 2022. It is so unique and amazing, and even though it has some flaws, you would be making a disservice to yourself if you didn't see it.
ROAR is premiering today, April 15 on Apple TV+
OUTER RANGE
OUTER RANGE managed to capture my attention immediately, packing plenty of storylines throughout its eight episodes. The series follows a rancher named Royal Abbott (Josh Brolin), fighting for his land and family when he comes into an incomprehensible mystery on the western edge of Wyoming's wildness. Forcing a personal and cosmic encounter with the Unknown amid the wild American West.
First of all, I promise that I will not spoil anything about the series in this review. But I can tell you that this is a really good mystery thriller mixed with supernatural elements.
The story kicks off when a strange black hole appears in the Abbotts' west pasture which culminates in some very weird happenings. The Abbott family is still dealing with the disappearance of their daughter-in-law, Rebecca, when an unexpected death in the neighborhood sets off a series of tense events. However, things get even weirder when a stranger named Autumn (Imogen Poots) shows up on the Abbotts' property with an eccentric hypothesis about what's going on with the black hole. And that is when OUTER RANGE enters the realm of the supernatural. While dealing with the inexplicable and their quest for self-preservation, all of the Abbott family skeletons will be exposed.
OUTER RANGE is a slow burn and the season finally will probably upset many viewers. A lot of the series’ big questions are yet unanswered. However, this is the intention, as the series provides a sturdy foundation to grasp upon while waiting for Season 2. People who like things tied up and being left in a position where they can say they understood what happened won't be thrilled.
I know that this review sounds very vague and weird but this is the best I can do without entering into spoilers territory. So you guys will have to trust me on this one. Give this series a chance.
Outer Range premieres today, April 15 on Amazon Prime.
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.
I've been listening to The Linda Lindas a LOT lately. So good!
I've been listening to The Linda Lindas a LOT lately! Soooo good!