THINGS HEARD & SEEN | ANOTHER ROUND | HANDMAID'S TALE Season 4
Pop Culture Weekly Round-Up 30/04/2021
Hello everyone, Hope you’re all doing well. This week I talk about the Netflix Original THINGS HEARD & SEEN. Which is, OK. I also decided to revisit one of my favorite films of 2020, ANOTHER ROUND. Because not only the film grabbed a very well-deserved Oscar last Sunday. But also because of the disturbing news that there is an American remake of the film is in development. I predicted this would happen as soon as I finished watching the film at TIFF last year.
So, please watch the original film before the Hollywood version comes out because I’m pretty sure it will suck. To finalize I talk about the 3 first episodes of HANDMAID'S TALE fourth Season and how brutal they were. Have a nice weekend!
FILMS
THINGS HEARD & SEEN
THINGS HEARD & SEEN is the latest Netflix original film and follows a Manhattan couple who moves to a historic hamlet in the Hudson Valley and comes to discover that their marriage has sinister darkness, one that rivals their new home’s history. The film was based on the book ALL THINGS CEASE TO APPEAR, and was directed by Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman. The same directors that brought us AMERICAN SPLENDOR.
I'm not sure why this film is classified as horror because it isn’t scary at all. Actually, the most interesting aspect of the film was, in my opinion, the scenes when the marriage of the main characters is falling apart.
Basically, THINGS HEARD & SEEN is an intriguing story about a faltering marriage built on a foundation of lies. That happens to be set in a house that is haunted by the spirits of former owners who may have unfinished business.
The writing is not so good and visually the film is just ok. The acting on the other hand is pretty good. Amanda Seyfried is outstanding as a woman coming undone, thanks to a toxic husband, George, and supernatural entities. Rhea Seehorn, from BETTER CALL SAUL, gives a great performance as Justine a delightful strong woman who has George’s schemes figure out from the start.
Overall THINGS HEARD & SEEN started out ok, but by the end, it literally devolved into pure hell. The film has a strange but puzzling combination of horror and drama but unfortunately, it fails to deliver on its promise.
ANOTHER ROUND
Four friends, all high school teachers, test a theory that they will improve their lives by maintaining a constant level of alcohol in their blood.
Director Thomas Vinterberg crafted a bittersweet celebration of alcohol and friendship. ANOTHER ROUND tackles midlife crises and alcoholism in a way that I have never seen before in a film. The result is another instant classic from Vinterberg.
The premise of ANOTHER ROUND is simple but also very entertaining and provocative. It highlights the troubles of the Danish drinking culture and the challenges that come with middle age. When most people start having that feeling of losing purpose and motivation and their life becomes boring and without any passion or excitement.
I loved the friendship between the main guys and all performances are great. But Mads Mikkelsen really shines here. He gives another outstanding performance. And I was not surprised when the movie ended up winning the best foreign film at The Academy Awards last Sunday.
I absolutely adore this film and I just hope my midlife crises will have a dance number too.
TV
HANDMAID'S TALE Season 4
The first 3 episodes of HANDMAID'S TALE fourth season were dropped on Hulu last Wednesday and they were not what I was expecting. Apparently, in this season the resistance is everything.
In these few episodes, the show managed to balance the terrifying realities of Gilead, with a sense of hope that was missing in the previous seasons. There's a renewed sense of solidarity between characters and rebellion against Gilead's strict rules and regulations, which I think will make up Season 4's central conflict. "Gilead has been overthrown, and all the surviving Handmaids have been gathered up and are being shipped across the country. That's the backdrop of the season premiere. It’s a very different story from what we've seen before," says showrunner Bruce Miller who revealed that it was "very difficult" to tell this season's story after last season's big twist.
The extent of physical and emotional torment that these 3 episodes of this dystopian drama brought was terrifying. it was difficult to watch at times, so I'm not going to go into all of the details of the horrors. But prepare yourself for the awful things that you will see.
Top 5 songs
These were the 5 songs on my heavy rotation this week. You can listen to them on Spotify and YouTube.
1 - PRONOUN - I WANNA DIE BUT I CAN’T (CUZ I GOTTA KEEP LIVING)
2 - Elliphant - Emily
3 - Madelline - opinions
4 - TRAMP STAMPS - I’d Rather Die
5 - CHVRCHES - He Said She Said