Tag: Giancarlo Esposito

The Electric State (2025) | REVIEW

Millie Bobby Brown as ‘Michelle’ alongside Cosmo the robot in THE ELECTRIC STATE — PHOTO: Netflix (Still image from trailers).

Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo — Screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely.

Based on Simon Stålenhag’s retro-futurist illustrated novel Passagen (international title: The Electric State), Anthony and Joe Russo’s The Electric State is set in the 1990s after the events of a war between humans and robots (who were apparently created by Walt Disney in this universe), which has changed our world immensely. Humanity won the war and banished all robots into an exclusion zone, while humanity decided to become sedentary with VR helmets (called Neurocasters) that allow you to upload your mind and control drone robots, as avatars for yourself in the real world. In this world, we meet Michelle (played by Millie Bobby Brown), who lost her family in a car crash and who refuses to wear these modern helmets. One day, she meets and befriends a robot named Cosmo (voiced by Alan Tudyk). Together, they team up for a mission that will take them across the dystopian world and into the exclusion zone. Along the way, she meets and befriends a war veteran, Keats (played by Chris Pratt), who has a very good friendship with a robot named Herman (voiced by Anthony Mackie).

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Abigail (2024) | REVIEW

(L-R) Melissa Barrera and Dan Stevens in ABIGAIL — PHOTO: Bernard Walsh / Universal Pictures.

Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett — Screenplay by Stephen Shields and Guy Busick.

Ever since Radio Silence (a filmmaking group that also includes producer Chad Villella) directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett broke through with their sophomore feature, 2019’s Ready or Not, the directing duo has only risen through the ranks when it comes to horror filmmaking. After their bloody wedding horror film in 2019, they were hired to take over from the late, great Wes Craven in the Scream franchise, and they did so with their Scream (2022) and Scream VI. How do you follow up three genuine horror hits in a row? Well, Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett decided that they should take on a different kind of horror subgenre that holds a special place in the hearts of horror aficionados with Abigail.

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REVIEW: Better Call Saul – “Point and Shoot”

The following is a recap and review of the eighth episode of the sixth and final season of Better Call Saul, available on AMC in the U. S. and on Netflix internationally. Expect story spoilers.

In the eighth episode of the sixth season of Better Call Saul — titled Point and Shoot — Lalo Salamanca (played by Tony Dalton) demands that Jimmy McGill (played by Bob Odenkirk) or Kim’s (played by Rhea Seehorn) must kill Gus Fring (played by Giancarlo Esposito). Point and Shoot was written by Gordon Smith and directed by series co-creator Vince Gilligan.

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REVIEW: Better Call Saul – “Axe and Grind”

The following is a recap and review of the sixth episode of the sixth and final season of Better Call Saul, available on AMC in the U. S. and on Netflix internationally. Expect story spoilers.

In the sixth episode of the sixth season of Better Call Saul — titled Axe and Grind — Jimmy McGill (played by Bob Odenkirk) and Kim (played by Rhea Seehorn) continue with their plan to ruin Howard Hamlin (played by Patrick Fabian) and get an early Sandpiper case payout. Elsewhere, Lalo Salamanca (played by Tony Dalton) tracks down one of Werner Ziegler’s colleagues. Axe and Grind was written by Ariel Levine and directed by Giancarlo Esposito, who made his television directorial debut with this episode.

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REVIEW: Better Call Saul – “Black and Blue”

The following is a recap and review of the fifth episode of the sixth and final season of Better Call Saul, available on AMC in the U. S. and on Netflix internationally. Expect story spoilers.

In the fifth episode of the sixth season of Better Call Saul — titled Black and Blue — Howard Hamlin (played by Patrick Fabian) finds out that Jimmy McGill (played by Bob Odenkirk) and Kim (played by Rhea Seehorn) are messing with his reputation. Elsewhere, we finally find out what Lalo Salamanca (played by Tony Dalton) is doing. Black and Blue was written by Alison Tatlock and directed by Melissa Bernstein.

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REVIEW: Better Call Saul – “Hit and Run”

The following is a recap and review of the fourth episode of the sixth and final season of Better Call Saul, available on AMC in the U. S. and on Netflix internationally. Expect story spoilers.

In the fourth episode of the sixth season of Better Call Saul — titled Hit and Run — Jimmy McGill (played by Bob Odenkirk) and Kim (played by Rhea Seehorn) move on to the next stage of their Howard Hamlin (played by Patrick Fabian): Jimmy must disguise himself as Howard to make him look bad in front of Clifford Main (played by Ed Begley, Jr.). Hit and Run was written by Ann Cherkis and directed by Rhea Seehorn. This is Seehorn’s directorial debut, and it’s honestly a really good showcase for her.

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REVIEW: Better Call Saul – “Rock and Hard Place”

The following is a recap and review of the third episode of the sixth and final season of Better Call Saul, available on AMC in the U. S. and on Netflix internationally. Expect story spoilers.

In the third episode of the sixth season of Better Call Saul — titled Rock and Hard Place — Nacho (played by Michael Mando) makes a definitive decision about his future while he is on the run south of the border. Meanwhile, Jimmy McGill (played by Bob Odenkirk) and Kim (played by Rhea Seehorn) try to gain access to Howard Hamlin’s car to further damage his reputation. Rock and Hard Place was written and directed by Gordon Smith, the writer-director behind such incredible episodes as Five-O; Chicanery; and others. I’ve been known to really praise his episodes, and, in a way, this episode rivals some of his best.

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REVIEW: Better Call Saul – “Carrot and Stick”

The following is a recap and review of the second episode of the sixth and final season of Better Call Saul, available on AMC in the U. S. and on Netflix internationally. Expect story spoilers.

In the second episode of the sixth season of Better Call Saul — titled Carrot and Stick — Jimmy McGill (played by Bob Odenkirk) and Kim (played by Rhea Seehorn) try to get the Kettlemans involved in the next step of their plan to ruin Howard Hamlin (played by Patrick Fabian). Meanwhile, Nacho (played by Michael Mando) is still hiding and growing increasingly paranoid, while the Salamanca cousins are looking for him. Carrot and Stick was directed by series co-creator Vince Gilligan, and it was written by Thomas Schnauz and Ariel Levine.

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REVIEW: Better Call Saul – “Wine and Roses”

The following is a recap and review of the first episode of the sixth and final season of Better Call Saul, available on AMC in the U. S. and on Netflix internationally. Expect story spoilers.

In the season premiere of the sixth season of Better Call Saul — titled Wine and Roses — Jimmy McGill (played by Bob Odenkirk) and Kim (played by Rhea Seehorn) continue with their plan to embarrass Howard Hamlin (played by Patrick Fabian) and ruin his reputation in an attempt to get an early payday from the Sandpiper case. Meanwhile, Nacho (played by Michael Mando) goes into hiding after the attack on Lalo’s home base in last season’s finale. Wine and Roses was directed by Michael Morris (his fourth episode of the show), and it was written by the series’ co-creator, Peter Gould.

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REVIEW: Better Call Saul – “Something Unforgivable”

The following is a recap and review of the tenth and final episode of the fifth season of Better Call Saul, available on AMC in the U. S. and on Netflix internationally. Expect story spoilers.

In the season finale of the fifth season of Better Call Saul — titled Something Unforgivable — Jimmy McGill (played by Bob Odenkirk) tells the truth about what happened in the desert to Kim (played by Rhea Seehorn), in the aftermath of Lalo Salamanca’s surprise visit. Meanwhile, Nacho (played by Michael Mando) meets Don Eladio (played by Steven Bauer). Something Unforgivable was directed and co-written by series co-creator Peter Gould, and it was also co-written by Ariel Levine.

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