SERVANT Season 4 | BROKER | HUNTERS Season 2
Pop Culture Weekly Round-Up 13/01/2023
Happy Friday the 13th, everyone! I’m back with some fresh Pop Culture recommendations for your weekend. In this week’s newsletter, I share my thoughts on two series that are being released today. SERVANT season 4 on Apple TV+ and HUNTERS Season 2 on Amazon Prime Video. I also share my thoughts on the lovely Korean film BROKER that came out a few weeks ago and I loved it. There is also a playlist with five songs I was listening to during the week.
QUICK THOUGHTS
SERVANT is a psychological thriller series produced by M. Night Shyamalan. The show follows a young couple who lose their child, only for it to be miraculously returned to them not long after their new nanny arrives. SERVANT has piled up many mysteries throughout the previous three seasons, and this fourth and final one has a lot of questions left to answer. But based on the first three episodes that I had access to, the show doesn't seem too bothered with tying up all of the loose ends, instead, it wants to ratchet up the tension and make viewers uncomfortable. I liked that the first episode has a lot of action. It starts with a member of a cult who is intent on bringing Leanne (Nell Tiger Free) back into their fold and all hell breaks loose. There is even some bird action mimicking Alfred Hitchcock’s THE BIRDS. It’s a fun watch. In the other two episodes, the show goes back to its typical vibe of creeping dread and unexpected reveals, but with the addition of some action, such as chases and fights, and a lot of tense moments and uncomfortable situations. So far I’m really happy with what I have watched and I’m looking forward to seeing how the show will end. If you invested any of your time watching this series’ previous seasons as I did, this is a must-watch.
BROKER follows a couple of guys who run a baby drop-off box and sell the babies they receive to new parents. But when the mother of one of the babies returns to get her baby back, they convince her to follow them on a road trip as they search for new parents for the child. I loved how the film is a complex and emotionally resonant exploration of family and relationships. The acting is really good, particularly the performances of Song Kang ho and IU. BROKER also tackles themes of belonging, mortality, and the difficulties of raising a child in a harsh world. The main characters are broken and flawed, but the film portrays them with empathy and never judges them. Also, the director’s decision to respect the audience’s intelligence and not spell everything out for them resulted in a film that felt natural and immediate. Overall, BROKER is beautiful and emotionally powerful, particularly in its third act. It may also be a contender for the international feature category at the Oscars. I highly recommend it. But I am a sucker for South Korean films so keep that in mind.
HUNTERS’ second and final season has been released on Amazon Prime after a three-year gap. I thought the first season was only OK but had a good cliffhanger. However, it was nothing to write home about. This season explores the period between 1975 and 1979, focusing on the formation of a hit squad by the character Wolf and the aftermath of his death. It delves into the backgrounds of core characters and introduces new ones, including Chava Apfelbaum played by Jennifer Jason Leigh. The show is most robust when it gets deep into the motives and paths that lead the characters to join Wolf's cause. Unfortunately, the series suffers from writing issues and inconsistencies in tone. Despite these issues, there are moments of good dialogue, strong performances, and even an entire episode (The Home) that showcase the series’ potential. All in all, I found the second season to be an adequate wrap-up to the story and enjoyed the action-packed undercover missions. But I would only recommend it if you are already invested in the series or if you have some time to kill.
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.
Broker sounds excellent -- hadn’t heard about it before. I tried to watch the first season of Hunters and truly hated it. I’m actually glad for terrible shows as it shortens my list of series to watch! Thankfully there are plenty of worthy ones. Thanks as always for your excellent reviews and recommendations!