Something to watch

The Beast in Me

After the tragic death of her young son, acclaimed author Aggie Wiggs has withdrawn from public life. When Nile Sheldon, a famous luxury real estate mogul and once the prime suspect in his wife's disappearance, buys the house next door, she unexpectedly finds the perfect subject for her next novel.

Is Netflix's series worth watching?

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• Claire Danes delivers a fantastic performance, proving once again why she's one of the best after Homeland.
• Matthew Rhys is equally outstanding, genuinely chilling at times.
• I've always loved a good cat-and-mouse game, as long as it's done right, and this series delivers.
• Strong direction throughout.
• It explores themes of power, grief, and obsession in an engaging way.
• Plenty of emotional moments. 😉
• It's a very entertaining watch, and at times I found it genuinely addictive.
• Binge-watching is almost guaranteed.
• Beautiful cinematography.

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• Brittany Snow feels out of place, in my opinion, even though she clearly gives it her all.
• Some of the characters make predictable and, at times, frustrating decisions that exist mainly to move the plot forward.
• There are a few clunky dialogue exchanges, and the script feels a bit stretched in places.
• While the mystery is well constructed, it never quite delivers that jaw-dropping "wow" moment.
• The pacing occasionally drags, and you may notice the story loses momentum in a few episodes.

Sentimental Value

Two sisters, Nora and Agnes, are grieving the loss of their mother while also having to come to terms with the return of their estranged father, Gustav. Having written a new screenplay, Gustav offers the lead role to Nora, but she turns him down.

Is it worth watching?

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• Stellan Skarsgård delivers what may well be an Oscar-worthy performance. His portrayal is nothing short of masterful.
• Renate Reinsve is equally memorable, giving another outstanding performance.
• The theme of emotional trauma runs through every scene of the film.
• The opening and the ending are both exceptionally well crafted.
• The exploration of family relationships is handled with remarkable subtlety and sophistication.
• It never slips into melodrama.
• The quiet moments, filled with an underlying tension, speak volumes.

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• The runtime feels unnecessarily long.
• There were a few stretches, perhaps because of its length, where it lost my attention.
• Elle Fanning, despite earning an Oscar nomination and delivering a very good performance, didn't quite fit the character for me. 🤷‍♂️
• This isn't a film with broad mainstream appeal, and that's perfectly okay.