Hi there! it is Friday and here I am again to give you some Pop Culture recommendations for your weekend. This week’s newsletter has thoughts on the Apple TV+ miniseries WECRASHED. There are also some impressions of two new very funny shows, MINX on HBO Max and HUMAN RESOURCES on Netflix. I talk about the very bleak Netflix Original Movie, BLACK CRAB plus, as always, I share a playlist of five songs I enjoyed last week.
QUICK THOUGHTS
MINX is a new comedy on HBO Max that tells the story of a magazine called “Minx” and the relationship between Joyce (Ophelia Lovibond), who wants to start a serious feminist publication, and Doug (Jake Johnson), a sleazy but lovable entrepreneur who owns the publishing company willing to take a chance on Joyce. I love the dynamic of this show. Joyce and Doug are both making compromises to publish the magazine and it is so fun to watch the push and pull between the dual. The show has very clever writing and charming directing which keep things energetic and lighthearted, MINX never patronizes its viewers. The series has also a dynamic ensemble of side characters with their own issues. From the airhead but surprisingly brilliant Bambi (Jessica Lowe) to ambitious photographer Richie (Oscar Montoya) to Doug's right-hand partner Tina (Idara Victor), they all have their time to shine and they always deliver. MINX is fresh, witty, and hugely entertaining. A charming sitcom that follows its own advice and doesn’t take itself so seriously and another great entry in HBO Max's ever-growing catalog of hits.
BLACK CRAB Is a Swedish action thriller movie that stars Noomi Rapace, Christopher Granier-Deferre, Adam Berg, Emil Wiklund, and Kim Magnusson. The film takes place in a post-apocalyptic world and fallows six soldiers on a clandestine operation across a frozen peninsula over a long, brutal winter, risking their lives to deliver a mystery cargo that might end the war they are fighting. They have no clue what challenges they will face when they enter hostile enemy territory, or who will be there to help them. Adam Berg, who co-wrote and directed the film, emphasizes the brutality of warfare, highlighting the human cost of war and all the complex morality that come with military duty. The director did a great job keeping the project aesthetically appealing and also very dramatic. He delivers unforgettable interactions as well as a few heart-stopping scenes. BLACK CRAB is brutal, bleak, and filled with violence. An emotional ride that keeps the characters on alert as they make their journey throughout the ice, with actress Noomi Rapace giving another amazing performance.
HUMAN RESOURCES Is a new Netflix animated series Created by Jennifer Flackett, Andrew Goldberg, Nick Kroll, Kelly Galuska, and Mark Levin and is a spin-off of another animated series called BIG MOUTH. The subject of this show is the Hormone Monsters who serve as inhuman advisors to the characters of BIG MOUTH. However, their human interactions take a back place to their relationship with one another here. The show is a blast for anyone who likes snappy raunchy humor with a dose of extreme cartoonish violence mixed in. It's quite over-the-top, hyper-sexualized, and definitely not appropriate for children. HUMAN RESOURCES is at its best When it concentrates on the creatures surrendering to their own darkest urges and emotions. The writers gave the creatures more complexity and dimension by presenting their dramatic moments and personal relationships with one another. It's a fine line to walk between these heartfelt moments and many dick jokes, but the series manages to do it for the most part.
WECRASHED
WECRASHED is an Apple TV+ miniseries documenting the story of WeWork, a company that was once one of the world's most valuable startups. The series is based on the podcast called WeCrashed: The Rise and Fall of WeWork and has been adapted to TV by Lee Eisenberg and Drew Crevello. The show not only follows the unbelievable story of WeWork, a coworking space startup, but as well as the couple who founded it, Adam and Rebekah Neumann. The two megalomaniacs whose dysfunctional love made it all possible were portrayed in the series by Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway.
This series is like watching a train wreck in slow motion. Hathaway plays Rebekah, a former yoga instructor and Gwyneth Paltrow's cousin, who became the chief brand and impact officer at WeWork. While Leto plays Adam, the colorful and energetic Israeli-born mastermind behind the WeWork concept. And honestly, their performance alone makes it worth seeing in the series. According to writers Eisenberg and Crevello, Leto, once again, went all-in on the part and stayed in character for the duration of the production. The series has great production values and delivered exactly what we've experienced from streaming services originals. There was never an occasion in the show where I didn't feel like I was experiencing a full-scale Hollywood production. The presence of actors like Leto and Hathaway also adds to the whole experience. And the addition of America Ferrera as a special guest to the cast was a great treat too.
My main problem with the series is that it was too long. It did not require eight episodes to tell the story in my opinion. And as a result, the showrunners ended up stretching out certain storylines. I believe the same message could have been achieved with a six-part series. Several scenes felt as though the directors knew they needed to fill an hour, so they stretched scenarios and I believe this strategy did more harm than good to the series. But overall WECRASHED is a rather interesting dramatization of a real story. And the seductive, larger-than-life personalities and performances of Leto and Hathaway propelled the show forward like a rocket.
WeCrashed debuts on Apple TV Plus with the first three episodes of the series today, Friday, March 18, 2022. The remaining five episodes will air weekly with the series finale airing on, April 22, 2022.
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.