Review: The Incredible Jessica James

By Spencer Coile 

 The Incredible Jessica James is a marvel to watch -- at a sharp 85 minutes, it breezes by as if on a cloud. It premiered on Netflix last week, and tells the story of its leading character named, you guessed it! Jessica James (Jessica Williams). Living flat broke in "deep, deep" Bushwick, she is harping over the recent break-up of her and her ex (Lakeith Stanfield), all the while struggling to get one of her plays produced on Broadway. 

When given the chance to go on a blind date with an app creator (Chris O'Dowd), Jessica soon finds herself questioning herself, her potential as a writer, and what it means to be a 20-something living in contemporary New York City. If that plot sounds generic, well, it is. But what makes the film truly soar is its star, Jessica Williams. 

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Will "Bright" be a Netflix Blockbuster? And how do you even define that?

By Ben Miller

If you haven’t heard already, Netflix will continue their quest for world domination with a tentpole feature film, Bright, in December.  Directed by David Ayer (End of Watch, Fury), the film stars Will Smith as a Los Angeles police officer who is teamed up with an orc cop (Joel Edgerton) to fight crime and try to make sense of whatever the hell is happening in the trailer.  There are fairies, magic wands, elves, swords, Noomi Rapace, and all sorts of other fantastical elements involved.

Let’s talk money.  Bright cost $90 million for Netflix to pick up.  Half of that cost went in to the film to shoot, while the other half goes to the talent (mostly Smith, Ayer and screenwriter Max Landis).  These days, $90 million seems pretty reasonable for a fantasy film starring an A-List “Movie Star”.  Suicide Squad, the most recent Smith-Ayer fantasy foray, cost $175 million. [More...]

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Naomi's Turn: Exploring Her Role on "Gypsy"

By Spencer Coile 

With many actresses making that giant leap from the large to small screen in recent years, it is not shocking that Naomi Watts has followed suit. Armed with a megawatt smile and acting chops utilized by some of the industry's most prolific directors, it almost felt like a no-brainer that Watts would eventually find herself as the glue that holds a series together.

Gypsy, unfortunately, was not met with the critical fanfare many expected, considering the quality of its leading actress. With some calling the series "boring," and others arguing that the writing does a major disservice to Watts, perhaps you are intrigued. Is it worth watching at all? In an attempt to avoid the standard "binge model" of television viewing, I only watched the first episode of Gypsy -- to guage its effectiveness as a psychosexual drama and whether or not Watts' capabilities would be better served elsewhere.  

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The Many Delights of "Okja"

Chris here. Have you caught up to Okja on Netflix yet, readers?

The Cannes competition title arrived on the streaming platform this week (and a tiny sampling of theatres), becoming one of its boldest and best pieces of original programming. Bong Joon-ho's satire of the factory farming industry and consumer culture is a stunning blend of tones and ideas, from absurd comedy to tense thriller to heartwarming fable. At its heart, it is truly about a girl and her pet.

Okja is quite a feast for audiences, bursting with delights both unexpected and well-anticipated. The film has naturally proven somewhat divisive already, as anything so go-for-broke typically can be. But let's grant some hosannas for a film of many high points...

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Netflix to Give "Sense8" One Final Hurrah

Chris here, with news for Sense8 fans. The series was unceremoniously canceled by Netflix shortly after the airing of the kinky sci-fi series's second season, and the outcry online was vocal. But here is another success story where fanbase outrage saves a beloved niche series: Netflix has announced a two-hour special finale to arrive next year. While this may not be another season like fans had hoped, it gives the Wachowski sisters some space to tie up a few loose ends and maybe another showstopping bit of naughtiness.

This makes for an interesting development for Netflix as well as they begin to start giving the axe to their less popular (or expensive, like Sense8 proved to be) programming. The streaming service is moving faster on dumping newbies like Girlboss and The Get Down, but this does show a certain care for their departing shows that have fan support. There are plenty of examples of shows that end strong from a set end date, so Netflix is also providing the Wachowski's an opportunity to end strong rather than fizzle out. Like HBO's Looking this past season, Sense8 is about to become one lean and unique entry for the television history books.