BENJAMONSTER NEWSLETTER: November 27, 2023

Welcome to a busy Monday newsletter. This week, I am looking at Fargo, the end of Lessons in Chemistry and the latest episodes of A Murder at the End of the World, The Curse and The Crown. 

FARGO

Fargo is back for a fifth season and when I say back, I mean it literally and figuratively. I was one of the many who didn't finish the fourth season. I was super interested in the concept but found it to be horribly dull and misguided. But several years later, it seems as if the creative team behind the show realized their mistakes and the fifth season has a real "back to basics" approach that captures the vibe of the brilliant early seasons of the show: a healthy mixture of humor, violence and quirkiness. 

BENJAMONSTER NEWSLETTER: November 22, 2023

Welcome to a delayed but very full newsletter. Some of these thoughts are dated back a bit as I am still catching up from my busy week but things I don't get to today, I will get to when the newsletter returns to its regular Monday spot next week. Today, I am looking at A Murder at the End of the World, The Crown, The Curse and more!

"A MURDER AT THE END OF THE WORLD" 

After a delayed premiere, A Murder at the End of the World premiered last week on FX/Hulu with its first two episodes (the third episode is out now but I haven't watched it yet). The psychological thriller has vibes of an much eerier version of the Knives Out films with Emma Corrin playing an amateur detective trying to solve a murder at an Icelandic retreat where an eccentric billionaire (Clive Owen) has brought a very select group of guests.

BENJAMONSTER NEWSLETTER: November 13, 2023

Welcome to my Monday newsletter. This week, I am looking at The Curse, For All Mankind, The Morning Show, Lessons in Chemistry and more!

"THE CURSE" EMBRACES THE CRINGE

I'm not directly familiar with Nathan Fielder's work because I haven't watched Nathan For You or The Rehearsal but I am broadly aware of his brand of humor and how much he enjoys making people squirm. Now he has a new satire on Showtime with Emma Stone and Benny Safdie. Fielder and Stone play a married couple and hosts of a problematic HGTV show. The show gives off the vibe of an improvised show and one that's not afraid to have awkward silences or moments where you can't tell if it's supposed to be comedy or not.

BENJAMONSTER NEWSLETTER: November 6, 2023

Welcome to my Monday newsletter. This week, I am looking at All the Light We Cannot See, Black Cake, The Morning Show, Lessons in Chemistry and more!

"ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE" IS A MISFIRE

All the Light We Cannot See has been savaged by critics, many of whom are fans of the book and feel the four part Netflix adaptation, which was released this past week, is seriously misguided. I didn't read the book and was looking forward to this show (especially before the reviews started coming out).

I'm not sure I have the vitriol for the limited series that some do but I certainly didn't think it was great. The four part series feels like it goes on for eternity with each episode being more of a chore to watch than the last. I actually didn't really dislike the first episode. I thought there were enough intriguing elements to keep watching, most notably the visual flair and a strong lead performance from Aria Mia Loberti, a blind actress playing a blind character.