Netflix Film Review: What I've Been Watching III

Hello, hello. Back again with another instalment of what I've been watching. I've been pretty busy lately and it's felt like I've just had no time to cosy up with my favourite shows or tick much off of my film list but here's some I managed to squeeze in...

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Scrubs star, Zach Braff, returns to the director chair following the success of cult classic, Garden State (2004). With that same overly quirky style at the forefront of this production, Wish I Was Here follows a struggling actor who is forced to assess his career, his life as a brother, a father and a husband when his own father is diagnosed with terminal cancer. 

Surprisingly, this one went to Netflix pretty quickly after only being released last year. Also staring Joey King and Kate Hudson, the film features some excellent performances and visuals though the story is often slow and lacking in plot development. Each shot is, however, stunning and it is an enjoyable, yet predictable indie film with a moving finish. 

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A surprisingly mild yet controversial satirical, independent comedy. A campus culture war between blacks and whites at a predominantly white school comes to a head when the staff of a humour magazine stages an offensive party.
Writer-director Justin Simien set up a Twitter account of the same name (@dearwhitepeople) and began sending out a barrage of one-liners in preparation for this film. This could explain why his screenplay is often so quick witted but also perhaps why the overall structure is a little sloppy. A potent subject matter and despite being a little messy in some areas, each character has a strong voice and there are some hilarious scenes. Dear White People gets a Sophie star rating of 4 out of 5 stars.

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Alice (Wiig) is a mentally ill woman who decides to stop taking her medication when she wins the Mega- Millions lottery. Mesmerised with day time TV and utterly self obsessed, she buys her own talk show and uses it as a platform to voice her bizarre thoughts and a variety of strange topics. 

Bizarre is certainly the word yet Kristen Wiig gives another stellar performance through her natural silliness and charm. Unfortunately, her performance is what holds this dark comedy together. An interesting commentary of a vlogger, celebrity obsessed society that's beautifully shot and weirdly entertaining. You'll have a grin on your face though you may not laugh out loud.  Wiig is also featured completely naked during the casino scene. Welcome To Me gets a Sophie star rating of 3 out of 5 stars (but not because of the full frontal nudity). 

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An A&E documentary series exploring murder cases from the rare perspective of the convicted killer themselves. Some of you may know that I have a dark fascination with the psychology behind serial killers and murders and this series appealed to me greatly for that reason. Featuring interviews with psychologists, the family and more importantly, the killers themselves, this is an interesting study of human behaviour. Speaking honestly and openly, it can be chilling as they recall the events that led to their indefinite incarceration.
Being a cheaply made American series, it is a little cheesy in some parts and some episodes are less engaging than others but morbidly enjoyable none-the-less. The Killer Speaks gets a Sophie star rating of 3 out of 5 stars.

Well that's it for another What I've Been Watching but I've still got plenty more to tick off my list. What have you been watching lately? Do you have a film wish list? As always, leave me your lovely comments below and tell me your thoughts.

 Have a great week everyone,