1: ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING

​Three neighbors in an apartment building are obsessed with true crime. They learn that a neighbor in their building was killed, maybe even murdered. They decide to team up to learn more about the killer before he or she strikes again.   This new comedy/mystery series is a Hulu Original staring Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez. I am excited to see what happens next, since this is a new series on Hulu. It’s really cool to see Selena acting again, since I haven’t personally seen her in much since Wizards of Waverly Place. Steve Martin and Martin Short are a proven comedy power duo. You can stream this one on Hulu.

2: THEM

A black family moves from rural North Carolina after a family tragedy. They find their new home in an all-white LA neighborhood, and the husband and father of the family gets a job as an engineer, becoming the first black engineer in the company.   The family battles racist attacks from neighbors, but there’s something more sinister at play. This is one of the best horror series I’ve seen in years. I truly could not stop watching. You can watch this one on Amazon Prime Video, and it is free with an Amazon Prime subscription.

3: WHY WOMEN KILL

​The first season of this series follows three women in different time periods – the 50s, the 70s, and present day. They all live in the same house and they all have varying issues in their marriage. The story follows the deaths of each of their lovers. The second season follows Alma, who is trying to get in with the local gardening club, but finds out that her husband Bertram is a misguided serial killer.   I absolutely adore both of these seasons, and would really recommend it to anyone who loves true crime, comedy, and a juicy story. You can watch this on Paramount Plus!

4: CRIMINAL MINDS

​This series follows the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) of the FBI. The agents are extremely skilled at analyzing the behaviors of serial killers. The series, which has about 12 seasons, follows several storylines of serial killers that the FBI is trying to assist local law enforcement to in catching.   I love this show so much, as I think I identify pretty closely with Penelope Garcia! This is a must watch for true crime lovers, as a lot of the storylines are pretty unique, and some seem to be based on actual cases. You can find the series on a couple of streaming platforms, but Netflix seems to have all 12 seasons.

5: MARY KILLS PEOPLE

Mary is a doctor who has a unique interest: helping people who want to die achieve their goals. Mary believes that those suffering with terminal illnesses that will kill them slowly and painfully deserve to die with dignity.   I’m not going to lie; this is not for the faint of heart.

​6: CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA

​Sabrina is a young witch living in modern times. She is shocked to learn about her powers and how they change her life. She eventually is taken over my a malevolent force and must fight to keep herself as human as possible while trying to live a normal mortal life in front of her friends.   I was stoked to start watching this series as a 90s kid. I will say that the aunts are different than expected, but not in a bad way. It gives a more grown-up feel to the Sabrina the Teenage Witch show we grew up with in the 90s. You can watch the available seasons of this show on Netflix.

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​1: FREAKY

Millie is a high school outcast with a crush on a football player. She struggles to stand out and to stand up for herself. One night, after a football game, Millie is stuck at the school and a psycho killer on the loose called the Blissfield Butcher finds Millie and stabs her with a mysterious knife that causes the two to swap bodies.   I really enjoyed this film, and I was kind of surprised that I did. I thought it might be too goofy and that it would end up being lame, but it wasn’t. I really thought Vince Vaughn did a great job as the Butcher, and a great job playing a shy teenage girl trapped in a grown man’s body. You can find this one on Hulu currently, so go check it out!

2: THE FOREVER PURGE

The Purge has ended – so they thought. After a night of the Purge, a select group of people are surprised to learn that a number of individuals have decided to keep purging. A man and his wife decide to team up with a suspected racist ranch owner to make it to Mexico.   I really enjoyed this Purge. It was extra spooky to think of the idea of that night spilling over into the rest of the year. I really enjoyed the acting and that the main characters were members of the latinex community.

​3: THE CONJURING: THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT

Ed and Lorraine Warren are at it again. After Ed is attacked by a vicious demon and suffers a major heart attack, the Warren duo works with an unbelieving local police station to track down the entity that’s possessing a good local boy into becoming a killer.   Don’t get me wrong, I love a good Conjuring movie, but this one wasn’t “scary” to me. I added it to this list for two reasons: 1) Very few scary movies actually come out and 2) it was done really well, just not particularly scary.   I would still recommend checking it out. I believe you can find it on HBOMax.

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THE PLOT

THE STORYLINE | 4.5/5

The Hollywood Reporter

While the storyline seemed familiar, it took me longer than it usually does to understand where the film was going. I personally like that, as it gets boring to watch movies you can predict.  I found myself trying to understand the motives behind Statham's character pretty frequently, and then trying to decide who all was involved in the cash truck robbery plans.

THE ACTING | 5/5

I thought Statham's long history of working in action movies was really apparent, as he produced another stellar performance. Another standout was Scott Eastwood, who played one of a few villainous characters in the film. I was impressed by his acting chops, which he undoubtedly inherited from his father, Clint Eastwood. It was interesting to see a cameo from rapper Post Malone, who did well in his brief appearance.​

Scott Eastwood in Wrath of Man | CinemaBlend

THE STUNTS | 5/5

FINAL THOUGHTS

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THE MAURITANIAN

This movie, inspired by true events, follows the story of Mohamedou Ould Slahi. He finds himself imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay without charge by the U.S. Government for years.  The film depicts some of the heinous things he was subjected to, all while showing the political prowess of his lawyer in aiding him to get out. I would recommend this movie for young adults and older, as it has some mature themes. I loved this movie, and really all movies, that shed a light on the issues we so rarely see in our world.

MOXIE

This film, directed by Amy Poehler, shines light on the injustices that still exist for women in today's high school scene. Vivian is inspired to create a small magazine she calls Moxie and distribute it in the girl's bathroom. She, along with new and old friends, work together to challenge the sexist norm of their high school. ​This is a great movie for teens and young adults. I was really impressed and inspired by Amy's movie.

GINNY & GEORGIA

I am not sure if I've written about this one yet, but I really loved this new series on Netflix. Ginny is the daughter of Georgia, who is a master of manipulation. After moving yet again, Georgia begins to get involved with the mayor of the new town, while Ginny and her little brother struggle to fit in with their peers and find themselves facing the woes of normal child- and teenhood. I really loved this series because you never really see anything coming next. Georgia is so funny, and Ginny is a typical angsty teen. Would recommend for teens and older!

WANDAVISION

I have just started watching this with Jonathan and I absolutely love it so far. Basically, it follows Wanda Maximoff and Vision, who are in a 50s/60s-era TV show. Black and white and everything. But someone is trying to reach Wanda. The plot thickens and there are enough twists and turns to make you dizzy, and I'm only on the third episode. If you're a Marvel fan, I would suggest you watch this, as there seems to be a lot of crossover with some of the events from previous Marvel/Avenger movies. This is such a good show, and I can't wait to see what happens next.

THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER

I've not been much of a fan of Bucky Barnes since I found out what he did to my main man Tony Stark. However, I love the character and I love the Falcon as well. I've also just started watching this one with Jonathan, and it also has a lot of crossover with the Avengers world. So far, we know they have some knock-off, bootleg version of Captain America, but that's really as far as we've gotten. Really think Marvel fans will enjoy it. It seems to have more action in it than WandaVision, at least so far.

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THE PLOT

Diana, better known as Wonder Woman, is living her life as humanly as possible. A coworker, Barbara, looks into a mysterious crystal that supposedly grants wishes. Both Diana and Barbara make wishes, and they ultimately come true. Maxwell Lord, a disgraced oil investor, steals the crystal and wishes to become the crystal. He uses his power to grant one wish to anyone who he speaks with.

THE STORYLINE | 5/5

THE ACTING | 5/5

I have to say that while Gal Gadot plays an awesome Wonder Woman, I was more captivated with Kristen Wiig's performance as Barbara. I can say with almost full certainty that I'd never seen her in a serious role, so it was amazing to see this comedic legend on the big screen in a role like this! I also thought Pedro Pascal did an awesome job as Maxwell Lord. He was able to convey the danger of letting your whim run away with itself like no one I'd ever seen before!

SPECIAL EFFECTS | 4/5

FINAL THOUGHTS

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Hubie Halloween - Netflix

Starring Adam Sandler as Hubie, the film is a comedy/horror (heavy on the comedy) that you'll love this season. The film follows Hubie, a safety conscious citizen of Salem who is spooked by Halloween, but obsessed with making sure Salem citizens have fun and stay safe.

Uncanny Annie - Hulu

This film was pretty interesting. On the anniversary of their friends death, which happens to fall on Halloween night, friends gather together to play games in honor of their fallen friend. They find a game in their attic, Uncanny Annie, with simple rules: Beat the game, and escape with your life.  As the friends start to play, they notice that the game is more sinister than they first imagined. The game makes the friends face their fears and fess up to some of their worst sins. To me, this was less visually scary and more psychologically scary. Would recommend for anyone looking for a newer Halloween film to watch!

Tragedy Girls - Hulu

Two best friends are on the hunt for a crazed killer. Little does their sleepy town know that the girls have already kidnapped the killer, and are starting to go on a murderous rampage of their own. All to have the latest scoop on their blog: The Tragedy Girls. I think this film was really well done, and the young actresses who play the two best friends do such an amazing job at playing sociopaths. Will the two be caught, or will the killing spree continue? You'll only know if you watch it for yourselves. This one has a bit more gore, so I would recommend this for young adults and adults only, just to be safe.

Veronica - Netflix

This 2017 horror flick is based on a true story, though critics who know the real story know there are some discrepancies.  The movie is in Spanish and follows Veronica, a school girl, who starts to experience strange occurances around her home after participating in a seance at school It becomes clear that a malevolent force has made its way into Veronica's home. In the end, police couldn't even explain what they experienced the faithful night they were called to Veronica's family's home. This one is a bit disturbing, so young children probably shouldn't watch this one!

The Devil All The Time - Netflix

This film follows a number of stories that end up intersecting. A young man named Arvin, played by Tom Holland, lives with his grandmother and his adopted "step-sister" Lenora. Both children experienced a rough childhood, so Arvin does all he can to keep his family safe as he grows up.  The town they live in is full of corruption. From a spree-killing couple to a pastor who uses his priesthood to seduce young women, Arvin works hard, but still fails, to protect his family. This is a long watch, but really good once the story starts. It has a ton of big names, including Bill Skarsgard (who made it big as Pennywise in the It reboots) as well as Robert Pattinson. This has extreme themes, so only adults should watch this one!

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THE PLOT

Howard (Sandler) is a jeweler in the city who doesn't just sell ice to big wigs, he also has a habit of borrowing money. Seemingly a habitual gambler, Howard's life seems to be falling apart. Not only does he have a mistress that his wife knows about, but a lot of the people he has borrowed from are coming back to look for his repayment and interest. He doesn't have it! Howard comes up with a scheme to sell a famous basketball player a rare gem after convincing him that the gem is helping him win his games.  The movie has a 92 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, an 8/10 on IMDb, and a 4/4 from Roger Ebert.

ACTING | 4/5

I feel like Adam Sandler is usually a complete hit or a complete miss with me. This funny man often graces the movie sleeves of Rom-Coms or comedies, but this role was rather serious.  I think this is the first movie where I was neither 100 percent impress or 100 percent let down by the actor.

THE STORYLINE | 5/5

At the beginning of the movie, I was really worried that it would be super slow and boring. However, it picked up within minutes. I find that the director and writer of this film employed several devices that really made the viewer uncomfortable, but in a way that coincided with the movie itself.

THE MEANING | 5/5

Greed was a major theme of this movie. It follows this guy who has dug himself into debt. Many times he gets the money to pay off his debt, but he wants to be able to have more than what he owes. If he is making money, he better get a share of it. That's how it goes with Howard. There is also a theme of hypocrisy in the film. For instance, Howard continually cheats on his wife, but is angry when his mistress seemingly cheats on him. He also gets angry when he isn't paid what he is owed, but continually doesn't pay back his own debts.

FINAL RATING | 5/5

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DISNEY+ MOVIES

I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

I grew up with Jonathan Taylor Thomas, so it's only natural that I freaking LOVE this movie. This movie is all about a young man named Jake who is away at college in a nice, sunny location. He originally doesn't want to go home for the holidays, but his father tells him that, if he makes it home for Christmas dinner, he can have his dad's nice car.  ​Wanting to get the car to himself, Jake starts to make his way home. Sadly, he becomes stranded with no phone or money and has to race home to make it to the dinner table.

THE SANTA CLAUSE SERIES

I guess I just love movies with people from the cast of Home Improvement, because The Santa Clause series has already been on my watchlist this season. The three movies in the series are there.  The story follows Scott Calvin, a divorcee trying to coparent his son Charlie with his ex wife. On Christmas Eve, Santa falls off of Calvin's roof and he finds a note saying that he must put on the red and white suit. It turns out that doing so entered Calvin into an agreement where he would become the new Santa.

THE HOME ALONE SERIES

No Christmas would be complete without watching the Home Alone series, at least the two with Macaulay Culkin. Kevin McCallister's family is large, and for two Christmas holidays in a row, his family is traveling. ​In the first movie, Kevin is left at home after sleeping through his alarm and missing his family's flight to Paris. In the second movie, he gets on the wrong plane and ends up in NYC for a Christmas like no other.

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BAD SANTA

Bad Santa is a movie you should watch without your kids, for sure. It follows Willie, played by Billy Bob Thornton, who is a drunk who makes robberies during the holiday season. In Bad Santa, Thornton plays a ill-behaved mall Santa to scope out the robbery. I think this movie is funny, but it a little raunchy at times. It is the perfect date night movie for the season, as it will have you laughing all night long.

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE

I must say that I've never really seen It's a Wonderful Life all the way through, but I know that many people love this classic movie. From what I could find, this movie is about a man named George who is contemplating ending his life. He is about to jump from a bridge when he instead rescues his guardian angel. This angel then shows him what his town would be like if it wasn't for all the good deeds he has performed over the years. The movie is slow at some points, but is ultimately blessed with a great plot!

CHRISTMAS IN THE CITY

I know that the picture looks kind of raunchy, but I promise that this movie is sweet. It tells the story of a mother and daughter who move to the city to make some extra money in hopes of saving their hometown candy store. ​While working in a mall, the mother begins to see that a marketing manager is replacing traditional Christmas decor and ideals with more trendy options.

NETFLIX

HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS

Christmas is just not complete without seeing this film. Jim Carrey may be a little extreme to me now, but there is no denying his amazing acting skills. The Grinch lives on top of a mountain right outside of Whoville. ​He hates what the Christmas holiday has become, so he hates the Whos and Christmas. That is until Cindy Lou Who has a run-in with the Grinch and ends up convincing the town to make him their Holiday Cheermister. However, a bad visit results in a scheme to steal Christmas from the Whos.

CHRISTMAS WITH THE KRANKS

Luther and Nora Krank finally have their house to themselves for a Christmas, so they decide to skip the traditional celebrations for a tropical holiday cruise. The Kranks are constantly pestered by their neighbors because of their lack of Christmas spirit. However, plans change when Blair, their daughter, decides to visit home with her partner. The Kranks band together with their neighbors to decorate their home before their daughter arrives. This is a side-splitting film that will have you laughing and scratching your head about the crazy neighbors the Kranks endure. It is a non-traditional movie that is perfect for this season!

THE CHRISTMAS CHRONICLES

A brother and sister accidentally make Santa crash his sleigh, which catches the attention oft he authorities. ​Santa is arrested, so the brother and sister have to work together to get him out of jail and back in his sleigh in time for him to deliver his gifts around the world. I really enjoyed this movie. Kurt Russell, who plays Santa, did a great job in portraying a non-traditional but still jolly Old Saint Nick! Check this movie out to get into the holiday spirit.

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THE PLOT

The morning after celebrating the 85th birthday of well-known crime novelist Harlan Thrombey, his housekeeper finds him dead in his study with his throat slit. Being that all of his children and family members were in his home for his party, each of them becomes suspects in what private detective Benoit Blanc believes to be a murder. The movie follows the elaborate motives of each of the family members, all while revealing what actually happened to this famous novelist. But, in the end, everything becomes obvious to Detective Blanc who really was responsible for the death of Harlan Thrombey. Filled with a number of big-name actors and actresses, "Knives Out" is a must see, boasting a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes as of today, an 8.1/10 from IMDb and an 82% from Metacritic.

​ACTING | 4.5/5

​I loved all of the actors who were in this movie. Some of them include Jamie Lee Curtis, who has had a long life in the film industry, as well as Katherine Langford, who you may know as Hannah Baker from “13 Reasons Why” on Netflix.   There are so many others such as Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, and Toni Collette. I do want to say that I deducted half a point because my family agreed that one of the characters’ accents was way too much, although another character constantly poked fun at it anyway.

​THE STORYLINE | 5/5

​At first, I wasn’t a real fan of how they decided to tell this story. The actual events that took place were shown to the audience pretty early on in the movie. However, there was a story happening alongside it that wasn’t revealed until the very end of the movie.   In retrospect, I kind of like that. I like that it doesn’t take on the traditional model of a mystery/thriller movie and instead makes its own story and reveals it in a unique way.

THE MEANING | 5/5

There were some interesting “deeper meanings” in this movie. There was a bit of a side bar about immigration and political issues in this movie as one of the main characters, Marta Cabrera (Ana de Armas), Harlan Thrombey’s nurse, was Latina.  The family members kept saying she was from different places like Ecuador, Brazil, Paraguay, and more.

FINAL RATING | 5/5

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THE PLOT The children of Derry, and even some adults, have started to go missing once again more than 20 years after the Loser's Club defeats Pennywise the clown. Following up on the pact they made long ago, Mike Hanlon, the only member of the Loser's Club to stay behind in Derry, calls up the gang to have them return and defeat Pennywise, hopefully once and for all. Hanlon soon finds that the memories from the group's childhood had faded from the minds of the others. The work to regain their memories, recover lost pieces of their past, and fight to get rid of the murderous clown once and for all.

ACTING | 5/5

I can't help but give the acting in this movie a 5 out of 5. Both the young actors/actress and the actors/actress who played their older selves are really well cast. As always, Bill Skarsgard did an amazing job as Pennywise. I particularly loved Bill Hader has older Richie. I thought he was a great choice, and he really was the older version of his younger self!

STORYLINE | 4.5/5

The storyline was pretty good. Although, I will say that I personally didn't think the film put too much work into making this film scary.  I feel like a lot of the film was following the storylines and pasts of the characters, which was still nice.

SCARINESS | 2/5

This film was very disappointing to me in the scariness department. As I just said, it was mostly about following up on the stories of the main characters. Sure, there were some jump scares, but nothing too gut-wrenching. I also feel like you don't see the clown all that much.

SPECIAL EFFECTS | 5/5

The special effects in this film are awesome, I will say. I love the way they manipulate Pennywise into different sizes and how they can manipulate his face to create frightening images in the minds of the watchers. There are some other special effect goodies that I won't expose here. Go see the film to see them!

UNDERLYING MEANING | 3/5

Pretty much every film nowadays has some sort of deeper meaning, and It Chapter Two is no different.  I personally found the solution to defeating Pennywise to be rather corny and unrealistic. The way they defeat him seems to be too good to be true given his track record with overcoming whatever the Loser's Club throws at him.

FINAL THOUGHTS AND REVIEW | 4/5

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