Bird Box

Just a heads up -this post contains some spoilers! 

The premise was hands down amazing and completely kept me captivated throughout. The way flashbacks were weaved in to the journey was a nice touch as it gave a chance to see how Malorie had survived up until this point and how all this had started. In the flashbacks it was interesting how various characters interacted with each other when placed in a survival situation, showing the differences in personalities and how decisions were made. The whole film was extremely fast paced. The tension build up was nicely done; there were many scattered moments where I was holding my breath.

Technically there were no actual plot holes present (as far as I could tell). However, there were a lot of questions that were left unanswered but worst still, not even commented about or acknowledged. My biggest question was why did the entities affect the criminally ‘insane’ in a different way to the others? And does this mean that everyone that has a mental health disorder is affected differently or was it just that particular group of people? Also, why are buildings safe from the entities? But the question that is probably needs answering the most is – what the hell happened to that cop and blonde guy after they stole the car?!

The ending did not feel quite finished due to these unanswered questions, which was disappointing. It felt like there should have been more – maybe some sort of explanation or something. Nonetheless, not going to lie, it was an entertaining film that kept my interest throughout. I would say give it a go if you have a couple of hours to kill.

Saz

You

Again, not exactly a blog post about my musings on a book per se, but my musings and ramblings nevertheless on another TV show – although technically this one was also a book so…

Of course I was intrigued when I first clapped eyes on this when casually browsing my next show on Netflix. The show had a dark and mysterious vibe; it was alluring.

Well it certainly was dark; alas, it was also somewhat uncomfortably disturbing and downright disgusting (not quite ‘American Psycho’ level disturbing – hell, that book is in it’s own league – but close enough). Due to not wanting to give spoilers, I shan’t go in to the details. But trust me, that aspect is right there from the first episode. To be fair, some episodes were mellower than others in that department but still – not impressed.

I find that with most hollow dramas, no matter how much I repeatedly admonish myself for continuing to watch them, there’s always something that keeps me watching right till the end. Take ‘Gossip Girl’ for example. A show that follows a bunch of flawed over- privileged teenagers that immerse themselves in eye rolling drama tending to be centered around relationships. So basically a show that is pretty much mindless. And yet I watched all six seasons simply because of Chuck Bass and his badass attitude. So despite ‘You’ creeping me out, I finished the first season simply  due to Joe’s narration. His sarcasm and general thoughts amused me – most of which were delivered in a very deadpan sort of way. Not to mention, his personality was rather complex which kept me intrigued. Seeing things from his point of view was a brilliant idea.

Ironically, he was perhaps the only tolerable character in the whole show (bar Paco of course). Beck was first portrayed to be an intelligent aspiring writer, someone who is trying to fit in. What she came across was a needy, shallow and honestly rather a tragically pathetic character that not only surrounds herself with other problematic people she likes to call her friends, but also makes questionable choices depicting a clear lack of respect for herself. I am at a loss to see why others were so obsessed with her or put up with her crap. The absence of decent female characters was incredibly frustrating. Fundamentally speaking, the whole show was made up of insufferable characters that showed no development whatsoever. Although to be fair it was just the first season so I guess character development will come later with time. Their interactions made me want to say ‘oh do freaking shut up already’ whenever one of them spoke. I was getting less impressed by the second…

The plot (if you can call it that) dragged on for what seemed like an eternity. It consisted of the characters getting up to the same antics, which consisted of Joe donning a baseball cap for that extra layer of invisibility whilst he either follows other characters or breaks in to their house. Undoubtedly, this got tiring real quick and lead straight to a dead end. A few plot holes were present throughout. Monotonous would be the word to perfectly describe the ‘plot’.

To wrap up, if it wasn’t clear already – seriously not impressed at all. The potential was there for this to become a dark thriller type series based on the idea that both Joe and Beck are not at all what they first seem like. Instead it was rather monotonous , filled with intolerable characters, with such awful personalities that made it impossible to give hoots about them.

Saz

P.S. Two goldfish are in a tank. One of them says to the other: “do you know how to drive this thing?”

Pinocchio

Okay, so I know what you’re thinking – this technically is not a book, but rather a Korean Drama (or better known as a K-Drama). But because it’s the start of a new year, I thought I would be a little more adventurous with my blogging and just generally mix it up more. This seemed like a good way of doing just that!

This was a story of revenge, media influence and relationships. The plot, much to my utter delight, moved at an extremely fast pace; each episode offered something new. The two main arcs weaved effortlessly together, blending together at the end. Whilst there was a more serious undertone present, which was evident from the first episode, it definitely had a great deal of  comedic moments to relieve the tension, alongside interspersed pockets of romance. Even though romance was not the focus, the cute moments did make my heart flutter. The plot was hard hitting – one that did not shy away from emotion, but rather embraced it, from tugging ever so gently on my heartstrings to making me feel something akin to enragement.

It was refreshing to watch a show that encapsulated everything – a tight fast paced plot, action, humour and an angle on relationships (mind you, not just the romantic kind).

To be completely honest, after finishing the first episode I did not actually want to continue (due to various reasons). However, I definitely recommend sticking it out because the first episode is only really there to set up the main story. From there onwards, the show just gets better. Although arguably, the story starts to slow down towards the end, it’s still a captivating watch right until the very end.

All the characters (especially the main ones) were complex, relatable and thought provoking. A variety of distinguished personalities were portrayed; each character bought something of their own which enriched the story. Character development was incredibly skillfully portrayed. It was incredibly difficult, if not downright impossible to assign labels due to their sheer complexity and depth. Through the character’s actions, thought provoking questions were thrown up. One thing that surprised me was that there was something about each character that was likeable (and in some cases even admirable) coupled with the fact that they each had their own flaws. This made them seem all too real. 

In a nutshell, a well crafted show with a beautifully written storyline that was able to keep a fine balance between the seriousness and humour, and one that provided incredible characters. I cannot recommend this enough especially if this is your first K-Drama – it will not disappoint.

Happy New Year (and as my sister says – may the odds be ever in your favour)

Saz