Tag: Matt Smith

House of the Dragon – Season Three (2026) | TV REVIEW

Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen in House of the Dragon: Season 3 – Episode 3 — Photograph by Ollie Upton / HBO.

The following is a review of the eight-episode third season of HBO’s House of the Dragon — Series created by Ryan Condal and George R. R. Martin.

Nowadays, it can be difficult to remember just how big Game of Thrones was back when it aired, especially since the show is most often mentioned online for how frustrated fans were with the final season. But the continued success of the first spin-off show, House of the Dragon, is a testament to the fact that the original adaptation still holds a strong place in the hearts and minds of fantasy nerds (said and meant lovingly) around the world. I remember being wowed by the first season of the spin-off because it made me fall back in love with the world of the show that I had watched for so many years. When the second season finished in 2024, I wasn’t burnt out on it, but I noted the online frustrations and agreed with some of them. It did feel repetitive. It did feel rushed. It did feel like it didn’t actually have a proper season finale. Still, I was hopeful that the third season could win back some of the goodwill that the sensational first season had earned. Having recently finished the third season finale just last night, I can say that while I do think it is, in some respects, still suffering from some of the same issues that plagued it last season, the highest highs of the show keep me hooked. It is a show that can still wow you. It just doesn’t have as steady a hand as the early seasons of the original show did when it comes to building characters patiently, or when it comes to making story build-up feel purposeful rather than laborious. At its worst, it feels like the show is stalling. At its best, it feels like the show is not only delivering on the action but capable of doing something interesting with character focus.

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‘Oh, Hi!,’ ‘Is This Thing On?,’ ‘A Big Bold Beautiful Journey,’ and More (2025) | Bite-Sized Reviews

Top Row: Oh, Hi! (Sony Pictures Classics); How to Train Your Dragon (Universal Pictures); Caught Stealing (Sony Pictures Releasing).
Bottom Row: A Big Bold Beautiful Journey (Sony Pictures Releasing); Is This Thing On? (Searchlight Pictures); Anaconda (Sony Pictures Releasing).

Being a cinephile means that you’re never done trying to catch up. Therefore, I sometimes write these bite-sized review collections of films from recent years that I didn’t get to see at the time but have since seen. Today, I want to share my thoughts on six films from 2025. It is a varied collection of films. There are films here that I really loved, but also films that I have complicated relationships with. It’s a mixed bag of films, a potpourri of movies, or as we say in Denmark, “en blandet landhandel.” Perhaps some of these really worked for you, in which case, don’t be shy. Please comment below with your own thoughts on some of these films. If you follow me on Letterboxd, do know that these bite-sized reviews have previously been posted on my Letterboxd profile (either partially or entirely). Should you wish to get a sneak peek at what films I see, I advise you to follow me on that social media platform.

Continue reading “‘Oh, Hi!,’ ‘Is This Thing On?,’ ‘A Big Bold Beautiful Journey,’ and More (2025) | Bite-Sized Reviews” →

2024 TV Highlights Thus Far, Pt. 3 | Review Compilation

(L-R, top row) HOUSE OF THE DRAGON (Max); THE ACOLYTE (Disney+); THE BOYS (Prime Video).
(L-R, bottom row) THE BEAR (Disney+/Hulu); THE RINGS OF POWER (Prime Video); SUGAR (Apple TV+).

In the final of the three previously announced ‘2024 TV Highlights Thus Far’ review compilation articles, I take a look at some of the most high-profile series of the year, including two dueling fantasy shows, but also an underseen Apple TV+ gem with a plot development you have to see to believe.

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REVIEW: Morbius (2022)

Jared Leto in Daniel Espinosa’s MORBIUS — PHOTO: Sony Pictures.

Directed by Daniel Espinosa — Screenplay by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless.

The first time I heard about ‘Morbius the living vampire’ was in an episode of the iconic 1990s Spider-Man animated series which I absolutely adored as a kid. I don’t remember too much about individual episodes nowadays, but I do remember seeing him with Blade and Spider-Man. However, due to awful word-of-mouth and a general lack of faith in Sony’s villain-led Spider-Man spin-off films (due to the release of the first Venom film), I didn’t immediately feel the urge to see this film when it was in theaters. Now I have finally had the chance to see it from the comfort of my own home, and, I’m sorry to say, it is pretty much exactly as messy as I feared it could be.

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REVIEW: His House (2020)

Film Poster His House
Release Poster – Netflix

Directed by Remi Weekes — Screenplay by Remi Weekes — Story by Felicity Evans & Toby Venables.

Every once in a while, you find yourself watching a feature-length debut that knocks you sideways and reminds you of just how magical debut films can be. Babak Anvari’s Under the Shadow was that kind of film and I think that Remi Weekes’ feature-length debut film, His House, is equally good. Weekes’ film has been released very close to Halloween 2020, and, even though the subject matter is not a classic horror story, the film is designed to fit into a classic horror movie subgenre. This is a brilliant haunted house flick. Continue reading “REVIEW: His House (2020)” →

REVIEW: The Crown – Season Two (2017)

Season 2 Release Poster – Netflix

The following is a review of the second season of The Crown – Available on Netflix.

I explained in my review of the first season how people might be surprised by my reaction to The Crown. I’m not obsessed with the royal family in any country, even though I live in a constitutional monarchy. My interest in The Crown was originally more centered around the inclusion of Sir Winston Churchill in the first season. However, having now seen the second season of The Crown, I must admit that I’ve actually become extremely fascinated with the British royal family. I’m still quite shocked.  Continue reading “REVIEW: The Crown – Season Two (2017)” →

REVIEW: The Crown – Season One (2016)

Release Poster - Netflix
Release Poster – Netflix

The following is a full season review of the first season of Peter Morgan’s The Crown.

I’m not exactly what you might call a royalist or a ‘royalophile.’ My mother loves following multiple different Royal Families, but it has never been something I’ve been particularly drawn to. Therefore I’m pretty sure some people who know of my interests were confused when I said how excited I was about The Crown. Continue reading “REVIEW: The Crown – Season One (2016)” →

REVIEW: Terminator Genisys (2015)

Paramount Pictures poster for Terminator Genisys

The following is a short spoiler-free review of Terminator Genisys (2015).

Let me preface review this by saying that I love the James Cameron Terminator-films and that even though the 3rd and 4th entries in the franchise were underwhelming, I’ve been very hopeful for this franchise. In truth, The Sarah Connor Chronicles was the last good entry in the franchise, but audiences didn’t exactly flock to that piece of entertainment content, sadly. I really wanted to like Genisys, this potential new beginning of a fresh Terminator-trilogy. But in the end, I got exactly what I had feared for so long – another subpar Terminator-film. Continue reading “REVIEW: Terminator Genisys (2015)” →