My feed

First Viewing Viewing Date: November 22nd Via: Cinema Plot: While fulfilling a contract with the United States military, Santa Claus is hunted by a ruthless hitman hired by a spoiled child as retribution for receiving coal on Christmas morning. Rating: 7.9/10

Viewed: Season 1

Co-created by The Raid mastermind Gareth Evans, Gangs of London is one hell of a show; a brutal, vicious, awesome crime-action TV series supported by thoroughly cinematic production values and an excellent cast. This is a great outlet for Mr. Evans to indulge in his favourite hobby: staging elaborate, extremely violent action sequences, a mixture of fisticuffs and shootouts. The show carries that Gareth Evans stamp of action excellence (even during the episodes directed by Corin Hardy or Xavier Gens), and this is most clearly felt in the fifth episode containing a truly massive gun battle that's riveting from start to finish. The dramatic stuff is also compelling, and the show isn't as convoluted or slow-moving as some other TV shows in a similar vein. It's also more fun, and, with only 9 episodes in this debut season, there's little in the way of narrative fat. However, the show undeniably peaks with its action-heavy fifth episode; the last episode, in particular, is a bit of a letdown, though the ending itself is strong. This is a great show, and I can't wait for Evans and his collaborators to get a second season off the ground.

Viewed: Season 1

First things first: I absolutely despise the fact that this was a week-by-week show. A docuseries like this should have dropped all its episodes at once and let viewers binge - I was actually turned off watching this at first and basically ignored it until all the episodes were available. But I finally got around to watching it. Which brings me to my second point: this is a superb docuseries. I hate that special features are no longer as treasured as they once were, and I never thought I'd get such a comprehensive look into the making of The Mandalorian as we've been given here. Each episode examines something new, and it flows like a beefy making-of documentary that's broken into chapters. We get a look at the astonishing tech behind the show, as well as the practical effects, the scoring, the cast, and lots more. Each episode involves a roundtable interview, and the participants go over countless different topics, intercut with revealing behind-the-scenes footage. It's an incisive look at the techniques which were used to bring the show to life, and it leaves barely any stone unturned. If you love The Mandalorian and you're even slightly interested in finding out how it was made, this is worth your time - and then some.

Viewed: Series 2

Karl Pilkington has pulled it off again with this delightful second season of Sick of It, which continues to mix side-splitting humour with effective drama and pathos. Indeed, this is not a traditional sitcom that one might expect from Pilkington - instead, this feels more like a Ricky Gervais program, in a similar vein as After Life. But it’s still vehemently its own unique creation. I love hearing Karl’s unique insights into the world around him and about certain situations, and the overarching story of this season is more cohesive and compelling than I expected. Moreover, Karl and writing partner Richard Yee don’t pander to the audience - the ending of this season is hopeful but not cloying or victorious, and it still feels grounded in reality (some cartoonish stereotypes in Norma’s American family notwithstanding). I also liked the New York City setting in the final episode, which gives this series a bit more scope and polish. This is a terrific show, funny and heartfelt in equal measure, and I hope we see more from the bald-headed Manc twat before he calls it a day.

First Viewing Viewing Date: November 17th Via: Amazon Prime Plot: With the Queen's life at stake, a physician who can talk to animals embarks on an adventure to find a legendary island with a young apprentice and a crew of strange pets. Rating: 5.8/10

First Viewing Viewing Date: November 16th Via: Stan. Plot: Five college graduates rent a cabin in the woods and begin to fall victim to a horrifying flesh-eating virus, which attracts the unwanted attention of the homicidal locals. Rating: 6.3/10

First Viewing Viewing Date: November 16th Via: Blu-ray Plot: An unemployed single mother becomes a legal assistant and almost single-handedly brings down a California power company accused of polluting a city's water supply. Rating: 7.6/10

First Viewing Viewing Date: November 16th Via: Blu-ray Plot: Polish Holocaust survivor Sophie lives in New York City with her boyfriend, an American Jew named Nathan. When young writer Stingo moves into their building, he becomes fast friends with the couple, but Sophie is haunted by her traumatic past. Rating: 7.0/10

Viewed: Season 2

It's becoming a consistent theme on this list, but - as much as I love this show - it did take me some time to get through this season of Jack Ryan. When it dropped in 2019, I watched the first three episodes, but then I just kinda stopped because I was crazy busy, and it took me nearly a year to dive back in. But, hey, I binged the final five episodes over two nights, because this is still a highly compelling and eminently watchable series, with a terrific cast and superb production values. I appreciate the eight-episode format, because it doesn't feel unnecessarily padded out, and I appreciate that it is an action-thriller series first and foremost - there's a fair bit of action here in between the storytelling and intrigue. I'm sure that some stuffy viewers will be up in arms about the depiction of Venezuela here, but I couldn't care less about such trivial criticisms. John Krasinski is an exceptional Jack Ryan, smart and resourceful, while Noomi Rapace is a great addition for this season (even though she essentially disappears after the fifth episode). For whatever reason, Abbie Cornish is missing in action here and there are no references to Jack's relationship with Cathy, but there's room to bring her back in the third season - and I really hope they do. So, yeah, I still love this show - it's cracking globe-trotting espionage nonsense driven by slick technical specs and smarter-than-average scripting. As long as they keep making this show, I'll keep watching.

First Viewing Viewing Date: November 15th Via: Cinema Plot: After swapping bodies with a deranged serial killer, a young girl in high school discovers she has less than 24 hours before the change becomes permanent. Rating: 7.5/10

First Viewing Viewing Date: November 15th Via: Blu-ray Plot: A gun-fighting stranger comes to the small settlement of Lago and is hired to bring the townsfolk together in an attempt to hold off three outlaws who are on their way to slaughter everyone and destroy the town. Rating: 7.6/10

First Viewing Viewing Date: November 14th Via: Netflix Plot: A crew of retired crooks pull off a major heist in London's prestigious jewelry district. However, in the aftermath, greed begins to pull the men apart as the police move in on them. Rating: 6.1/10

First Viewing Viewing Date: November 13th Via: 4K Blu-ray Plot: After the death of Superman, Metropolis is filled with several new superpowered individuals competing as possible successors. Rating: 6.6/10

First Viewing Viewing Date: November 12th Via: Netflix Plot: Five American soldiers assigned to hold a French Chateau near the end of World War II. This unexpected respite quickly descends into madness when they encounter a supernatural enemy more terrifying than anything seen on the battlefield. Rating: 6.7/10