The White Lotus - Season 1 (2021)

Tensions arise between a hotel's guests and its employees after mistakes that messed up the rooms escalate.

'The White Lotus' is a tragicomic series that deals with the situations of a group that's consistently followed during the entire season. The situations are human, based on more or less aggravated realities that are meant to emphasize critical possibilities without committing strong opinions. Interesting but a bit bland for a first season.

Director:  Damian Kindler   

Production:  HBO   

Creator:  Mike White  

Duration:  the first season of 6 episodes (1 hour each)   

With: Jennifer Coolidge, Connie Britton, Murray Bartlett, Alexandra Daddario, Jake Lacy, Steve Zahn, Sydney Sweeney, Lukas Gage

Rating: 8/10

The Unholy (2021)

A deaf young woman receives visits from Saint Mary, but the experiences begin to show more sinister causes.

'The Unholy' is a horror film with religious foundations. It's not the most original story, and it's predictable, but if nothing else, it can fill a Tuesday night.

Director:  Evan Spiliotopoulos     

With: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Cricket Brown, William Sadler, Katie Aselton

Rating: 6/10

Madres paralelas /Parallel mothers (2021)

Two mothers in different stages of life give birth on the same day and create an unconventional bond.

'Madres paralelas' is a dramatic film by Almodóvar. It's full of human interactions and rich dialogue and some unconventional elements like all of his films, but it remains mostly uninspired and too much like Hallmark movies or the like.

Director: Pedro Almodóvar    

With: Penélope Cruz, Milena Smit, Israel Elejalde, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón

Rating: 7/10

Wrong Turn (2021)

A group of hikers confronts the Foundation, a group that has lived isolated in the mountains for hundreds of years.

'Wrong Turn' is a horror film that adopts a more realistic and close to home version of the "mountain people" from the previous films, perhaps even with a more effective goal of inducing horror. Well made.

Director:  Mike P. Nelson   

With: Charlotte Vega, Adain Bradley, Bill Sage, Emma Dumont, Daisy Head, Matthew Modine

Rating: 7.4/10

Hypnotic (2021)

A woman who begins psychotherapy discovers unexpected consequences.

'Hypnotic' is a psychological thriller with an interesting idea, but one that has been used before, not necessarily in better ways. The execution is not bad, but unfortunately the script fails to use the raw material in an effective, believable or memorable way.

Director:  Matt Angel, Suzanne Coote   

With: Kate Siegel, Jason O'Mara, Dulé Hill, Lucie Guest

Rating: 6/10

Dexter: New Blood (2021–2022)

10 years after he faked his death, his son manages to find him.

'New Blood' is an event (and just a one off) season that continues the story of Dexter after the well-known finale of the series that ended in 2013. Made for the sake of the fans, it tried to fix what displeased many, but unfortunately it seems that the effect of this one was even more negative. The new story is not bad, but the spirit and humor of the original is missing. Dexter is uncharacteristically clumsy and inept just for the sake of creating twists and knife-edge scenes, and the ending... is not worth mentioning.

Director:  Marcos Siega, Sanford Bookstaver  

Production:  Showtime   

Creator:  David Greenwalt, Joss Whedon   

Duration:  1 special season of 10 episodes (8 ore 49 minutes in total)   

Wth: Michael C. Hall, Jack Alcott, Julia Jones, Johnny Sequoyah, Jennifer Carpenter, Clancy Brown, Alano Miller

Rating: 7/10

Chaos Walking (2021)

An all-male human colony goes through a shock when a ship with a female pilot crashes nearby.

'Chaos Walking' is an adaptation of a beloved YA Sci-Fi novel. With a ridiculous idea (men's thoughts are constantly exposed to those around them), the film has something to say in terms of entertainment, but as an artistic creation, it leaves a lot to be desired.

Director:  Doug Liman    

With: Tom Holland, Daisy Ridley, Demián Bichir, David Oyelowo, Mads Mikkelsen

Rating: 6.3/10

You Are Not My Mother (2021)

Char's depressed mother temporarily disappears and returns with differences that are obvious for her daughter.

'You Are Not My Mother' is a mixture of social drama and horror inspired by folk fantasy with a reversed changeling theme. Very well acted, the film is made with directorial skill and inspires a mix of tension and anxiety with a double interpretation.

Director:  Kate Dolan   

With: Hazel Doupe, Carolyn Bracken, Ingrid Craigie, Jordanne Jones

Rating: 7.5/10

Yellowjackets (2021– )

A women's football team remains stranded in the Canadian mountains after the plane carrying them to a match crashed.

'Yellowjackets' is a very original series that very effectively combines drama, horror and mystery. In a style that combines the events of the wilderness with the reality of the survivors 25 years later, the series manages to create curiosity and intrigue both for the past and for the present. It reminds one of 'Alive', 'Lord of the Flies' and manages to offer full credibility and talent to measure in a modern and equal update to those ideas.

Director:  Eva Sørhaug and others   

Production:  Showtime, Paramount   

Creator:  Ashley Lyle, Bart Nuckerson   

Duration:  2 seasons of 10 episodes (1 hour each)

With: Melanie Lynskey, Tawny Cypress, Sophie Nélisse, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Steven Krueger, Liv Hewson, Christina Ricci, Ella Purnell, Kevin Alves, Courtney Eaton

Rating: 9/10 (s1-10, s2-7)

Mortal Kombat (2021)

Cole Young is looking for fellow champions who can defeat the forces of Outworld.

'Mortal Kombat' is a movie based on the famous game, not the first of its kind. Full of action but not the most satisfying and complete story, Mortal Kombat manages to maintain some interest, but it is weak compared to the excitement of playing the game.

Director:  Simon McQuoid    

With: Lewis Tan, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Joe Taslim, Hiroyuki Sanada

Rating: 6/10

Reminiscence (2021)

Nick is an investigator who uses the memory of his clients as prime material with a special technology.

'Reminiscence' is a sci-fi noir film. Interesting in terms of idea, but not the first of its kind (Strange Days, The Final Cut), Reminiscence manages to bring the noir style back on the table with a plot worthy of the genre's legend. The love story is a bit generic and predictable, but it doesn't spoil the overall effect..too much.

Director:  Lisa Joy      

With: Hugh Jackman, Rebecca Ferguson, Thandiwe Newton, Cliff Curtis

Rating: 7.6/10

American Horror Story 10: Double Feature (2021)

A writer and his family move to a town known for its muse effect.

A group of student friends discover they are pregnant after a camping trip.

'Red Tide' is the first story (feature) from season 10, a special season, created as a combination of 2 genres, and has 6 episodes.

It follows a horror trope focused on vampiric presence, but stylized a little differently. Vampirism is presented as an addiction to being known and appreciated, but the "quality" of becoming one is conditioned by the presence of talent. Truly a fully human problem and characteristic, but with very negative effects and consequences that are difficult to repair. The series is efficiently executed, with the well-known visual artistry, and is based on a team of fan favorites, including Evan Peters, Lily Rabe and Frances Conroy. It is also the feature that deserves the most attention.

'Death Valley' is the title of the second story (feature), with only 4 episodes. It is based on conspiracy theories about aliens and uses the idea of ​​'body snatchers' in a story that's very rich in colorful and outlandish events, so much so that the irony is lost somewhere along the way and the series suffers from the "style over substance" syndrome.

Director:  John J. Gray, Loni Peristere   

Production:  FX Network   

Creator: Brad Falchuk, Ryan Murphy   

Duration:  season 10 of 10 episodes (1 hour each)   

With: Sarah Paulson, Billie Lourd, Leslie Grossman, Evan Peters, Lily Rabe, Frances Conroy, Finn Wittrock, Angelica Ross, Macaulay Culkin, Ryan Kiera Armstrong

Rating: 7/10

Cowboy Bebop (2021)

A group of bounty hunters often become accidental heroes in a world of space travel.

'Cowboy Bebop' is a live-action adaptation of a much-loved anime series. Full of adventures that somehow bring the main character back around the same typical and obvious antagonist, Cowboy Bebop could have evolved into something special with a slightly longer life than it's been allowed. Not being received by the fans as desired, the series suffers from an unfair underappreciation.

Director: Alex Garcia Lopez, Michael Katleman  

Production:  The WB   

Creator:  Christopher L. Yost   

Duration:  1 season of 10 episodes (58 minutes each)  

With: John Cho, Mustafa Shakir, Daniella Pineda, Elena Satine, Alex Hassell, Geoff Stults, Mason Alexander Park, John Noble

Rating: 8/10

Worst Person In The World / Verdens verste menneske (2021)

Julie is a young woman who has her whole life ahead of her and she lives it as if her options are never limited.

'Worst Person In The World' is a Norwegian dramatic film with comedic accents. A simple production, which is based on the talent of the actors, excellent framing and camera work, and the recognition of some human characteristics well known to those hit by the reality of adulthood. It doesn't end in a preachy way, with Julie learning a lesson, but basically with what looks like just acceptance of the fact that the pursuit of one's own happiness should not be forgotten or regretted.

Director:  Joachim Trier    

With: Renate Reinsve, Anders Danielsen Lie, Herbert Nordrum, Hans Olav Brenner

Rating: 8/10

Those Who Wish Me Dead (2021)

A child witness to a crime becomes the protégé of a specialist in survival and containment of forest fires.

"Those Who Wish Me Dead" is a thriller of a classic formula: the bad guys are very bad and obvious, even if slightly interesting, and the good guys are spotless and aren't aware of it. Despite the overused stereotypes, the film also has original ideas, an unusual context rooted in real life facts and warms the heart exactly as much as it should.

Director:  Taylor Sheridan   

With: Angelina Jolie, Nicholas Hoult, Finn Little, Jon Bernthal, Aidan Gillen, Jake Weber, Tyler Perry

Rating: 8/10

The Little Things (2021)

Joe Deacon has a simple travelling task, but he gets distracted by a local serial murder investigation that shouldn't be his problem.

"The Little Things" is a police thriller with a traditional recipe and a few surprises. With an appealing cast, the film already has expectations from the get go. Not quite perfect, but perfectly entertaining. Denzel Washington, even on his own, deserves attracting an audience, but together with Rami Malek, with whom he has a very interesting rapport, the reasons to watch the film multiply.

Director:  John Lee Hancock    

With: Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, Jared Leto, Chris Bauer

Rating: 8/10

Titane (2021)

A young woman, with a macabre taste for murder, hides her identity by posing as the lost son of a sad fireman.

"Titane" is an abstract thriller that tries to talk about the power of compassion and the need for closeness, even in extreme cases. The main actors carry the film admirably, and some moments are really interesting, but overall, the film is all over the place, implausible (as an idea, not its means of expression), and it takes half a film to reach something that leaves an impression.

Director:  Julia Ducournau      

With: Vincent Lindon, Agathe Rousselle, Garance Marillier, Laïs Salameh

Rating: 7/10

Nobody (2021)

A family man, docile and boring in appearance, is forced to bring his violent skills back in use, after he makes an enemy of the Russian mafia, triggered by a failed robbery in his family home.

'Nobody' is a well-made thriller that shows a new face for Bob Odenkirk. Well acted, convincing, Nobody presents an interesting alternative for those who are waiting for a new iteration of John Wick, with a somewhat better developed emotional side.

Director:  Ilya Naishuller      

With: Bob Odenkirk, Aleksey Serebryakov, Connie Nielsen, Christopher Lloyd, RZA, Michael Ironside

Rating: 8/10

The Sinner - Season 4 (2021)

Ambrose manages to stumble unto a mystery to unravel even when he goes on a getaway.

Season 4 finds Ambrose in retirement, trying hard to stay away from mysteries that throw his mental balance upside down, although the lack of mysteries negatively affects him even more. The case of the last season is very melancholic and emotional, and Bill Pullman is wonderful as usual.

Director: Andrew McCarthy, Adam Bernstein  and others

Production:  USA Network, Netflix   

Creator:  Derek Simonds   

Duration: season 4 with 8 episodes (45 minutes each)

With: Bill Pullman, Frances Fisher, Alice Kremelberg, Jessica Hecht, Michael Mosley

Rating: 8/10

Gaia (2021)

A hurt forest ranger is helped by two survivalists who have a mysterious cult for the forest spirits.

"Gaia" is a mysterious, sometimes abstract horror thriller that presents the need for a return to our roots and the importance of natural balance. The message is subtle but also not, and the execution is impressive and something to admire.

Director:  Jaco Bouwer      

With: Monique Rockman, Carel Nel, Alex van Dyk, Anthony Oseyemi

Rating: 8/10