Couch Critique — daily movie and TV reviews
Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- — Season 1
Boldly exploring psychological torment, Re:ZERO captivates with profound character arcs and stunning animation—an isekai must-watch.
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Band of Brothers — Season 1
3.5/5A monumental exploration of brotherhood and sacrifice, *Band of Brothers* immerses viewers in war's harrowing realities.
TV SeasonRead review →
The Incomer
3/5Charming yet uneven, *The Incomer* tangles humor and identity against a rugged Orkney backdrop, marked by strong performances and pacing issues.
Louis PaxtonRead review →
Lanterns — Season 1
3.5/5Damon Lindelof's *Lanterns* expertly blends mystery and humanity with strong performances, but some ambitious plot threads stumble.
Damon LindelofRead review →
Outlander: Blood of My Blood — Season 2
3/5Season 2 of Outlander delivers intense romance and historical drama, but occasionally stumbles on pacing and predictability.
Matthew B. RobertsRead review →
Neagley — Season 1
3/5Maria Sten shines in *Neagley*, a compelling dive into grief and vengeance shrouded in Chicago's crime scene.
Nick SantoraRead review →
Resident Evil
2.5/5Cregger's *Resident Evil* oscillates between chaos and suspense, but ultimately falters with inconsistent tone and development.
Zach CreggerRead review →
Has Fallen — Season 2
3/5Exciting espionage thriller blends action and personal stakes, engaging through tension and strong performances.
Howard OvermanRead review →
Reacher — Season 4
3/5Reacher season 4 expands the narrative with deeper themes, yet falters in pacing and focus.
Nick SantoraRead review →
The End of Oak Street
3/5Mitchell blends sci-fi and family drama in a muddled cosmic mystery with strong performances, but it lacks narrative clarity.
David Robert MitchellRead review →
Cocktail 2
2.5/5Clichéd yet charming, Cocktail 2 struggles to balance romance and humor, offering fleeting emotional depth amid familiar storylines.
Homi AdajaniaRead review →
Irumudi
2.5/5Captivating yet formulaic, *Irumudi* struggles with predictable storytelling despite solid performances and emotional depth.
Shiva NirvanaRead review →
Vishwanath & Sons
3.5/5Suriya delivers a soulful, precision-tuned performance in this cross-continental drama about fatherhood and the messy intersections of duty and desire.
Venky AtluriRead review →
The Substance
3.5/5Coralie Fargeat’s body-horror satire is a visceral, neon-drenched assault on beauty standards—a grotesque and essential masterclass in cinematic excess.
Coralie FargeatRead review →
The Batman
3.5/5Grimy, atmospheric procedural reimagines the Dark Knight as a bruised detective in a masterpiece of mood. A visceral, rain-soaked triumph of craft.
Matt ReevesRead review →
The Ballad of Wallis Island
3.5/5A melancholic yet witty exploration of fandom and isolation — Carey Mulligan and Tom Basden strike a perfect chord in this ruggedly beautiful comedy.
James GriffithsRead review →
Rao Bahadur
3.5/5A haunting descent into a 1970s aristocrat’s fractured psyche; this atmospheric thriller prioritizes surreal imagery over traditional thrills.
Venkatesh MahaRead review →
I Want Your Sex
3/5Gregg Araki's *I Want Your Sex* explores desire and betrayal but lacks narrative cohesion, leaving a bittersweet impression.
Gregg ArakiRead review →
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
3.5/5A thrilling Spider-Man adventure blending action and emotional depth, though it occasionally stumbles under its ambitious plot.
Destin Daniel CrettonRead review →
Stuart Fails to Save the Universe — Season 1
3/5Lorre's multiverse comedy charms but struggles with narrative coherence in its debut season.
Chuck LorreRead review →
Scary Movie
2.5/5Nostalgia reigns in this uneven parody that struggles for consistent laughs.
Michael TiddesRead review →
The Map of Longing — Season 1
3/5A poignant exploration of grief and self-discovery, anchored by a strong performance and lush visuals.
Isa SánchezRead review →
The Odyssey
3/5Nolan's *The Odyssey* captivates with grand visuals but struggles for emotional depth in its epic retelling.
Christopher NolanRead review →
Lucky — Season 1
3/5Jonathan Tropper's *Lucky* captivates with Anya Taylor-Joy’s performance, but struggles with pacing and character depth.
Jonathan TropperRead review →
Elle — Season 1
2.5/5Charming and nostalgic, *Elle* offers a humorous glimpse into Elle Woods' formative high school years.
Laura KittrellRead review →
Enola Holmes 3
3/5This charming adventure balances mystery and whimsy, showcasing Enola's growth, though it stumbles in pacing and plot depth.
Philip BarantiniRead review →
The Devil Wears Prada 2
3/5Nostalgic yet uneven, the sequel fails to capture the charm of its predecessor, despite Meryl Streep's commanding performance.
David FrankelRead review →
The Invite
3/5Wilde's dinner party dramedy explores marital strife with humor and heart, showcasing powerful performances and insightful themes.
Olivia WildeRead review →
The Bear — Season 5
3.5/5Season 5 of *The Bear* serves up a rich blend of comedy and drama, showcasing family dynamics in the culinary world.
Christopher StorerRead review →
Lucky Strike
2.5/5Uneven yet gritty, *Lucky Strike* offers a survival story that falls short of its potential.
Rod LurieRead review →
Supergirl
2/5Visually striking but emotionally shallow, *Supergirl* offers thrilling action without depth.
Craig GillespieRead review →
Toy Story 5
3/5Nostalgic yet uneven, *Toy Story 5* entertains but lacks emotional depth compared to its predecessors.
Andrew StantonRead review →
Sugar — Season 2
3/5Stylish noir drama *Sugar* Season 2 dazzles with a strong performance from Colin Farrell yet stumbles with pacing issues and character depth.
Mark ProtosevichRead review →
Widow's Bay — Season 1
3/5Dippold's *Widow's Bay* balances quirky comedy with supernatural mystery but suffers from pacing issues.
Katie DippoldRead review →
Sing Geetham
3.5/5A 94-year-old legend, DSP at full bloom, and a village that can only sing — a small, generous experiment I'd take over any star-studded formula film.
Singeetam Srinivasa RaoRead review →
Disclosure Day
3/5Spielberg's *Disclosure Day* explores humanity's reaction to extraterrestrial life, blending action with existential questions, yet struggles with pacing.
Steven SpielbergRead review →
Over Your Dead Body
2.5/5A darkly comedic thriller that falters under its own chaotic intentions, but delivers laughs and tension.
Jorma TacconeRead review →
Made in India: A Titan Story — Season 1
3.5/5A warm, nostalgic look at pre-liberalization Indian enterprise — Sarbh and Shah anchor a series whose ambition outruns the brand it celebrates.
Robbie GrewalRead review →
Alice and Steve — Season 1
3/5A witty exploration of friendship and jealousy, with a standout performance from Nicola Walker that resonates deeply despite pacing issues.
Sophie GoodhartRead review →
Mortal Kombat II
3/5A chaotic blend of humor and carnage, *Mortal Kombat II* thrills despite its narrative flaws.
Simon McQuoidRead review →
Not Suitable for Work — Season 1
2.5/5Kaling's comedy struggles with uneven execution, but offers glimpses of relatable humor and vibrant NYC life.
Mindy KalingRead review →
The Admiral: Roaring Currents
3.5/5An epic naval battle unfolds in stunning visuals, driven by Choi Min-sik's powerful performance and a gripping narrative.
Kim Han-minRead review →
Interview with the Vampire — Season 2
3.5/5This season captivates with lush visuals and rich storytelling, exploring love and mortality in a hauntingly beautiful way.
Rolin JonesRead review →
Star Wars: The Clone Wars — Season 7
4/5A gripping, emotional finale that enhances the *Star Wars* saga with stunning visuals and character depth.
George LucasRead review →
Deli Boys — Season 2
3.5/5Season 2 of *Deli Boys* combines humor and drama, exploring family legacy amidst crime and chaos with sincere performances.
Abdullah SaeedRead review →
Hacks — Season 5 (final season) review
4/5Hacks bows out with a heartwarming final season. Jean Smart's Deborah Vance gets a sendoff worthy of her decades on stage — even if the finale stumbles.
Lucia AnielloRead review →
Obsession
2/5Curry Barker's *Obsession* attempts to blend romance with horror, but lands as a frustrating, cringe-heavy slog that's hard to sit through in theatres.
Curry BarkerRead review →
Spider-Noir — Season 1 review
3.5/5Dive into the gritty world of 'Spider-Noir' Season 1, where Nicolas Cage shines as a down-and-out PI with a heroic past. A must-watch blend of crime and drama!
Oren UzielRead review →
The Four Seasons — Season 2
3/5Tina Fey's friendship-and-vacations comedy comes back lighter, sunnier, and Italian. Comfort viewing in the best sense.
Tina FeyRead review →
The Mandalorian and Grogu
3/5Pedro Pascal and Grogu jump from streaming to the big screen — gorgeous spectacle wrapped around a script that never quite finds its footing.
Jon FavreauRead review →
Past Lives
4/5Celine Song's debut feature is a 105-minute meditation on the people we might have been — quiet, devastating, and acted with the kind of restraint that hurts.
Celine SongRead review →
Oppenheimer
3.5/5Christopher Nolan's three-hour biographical thriller turns the birth of the atomic age into the most claustrophobic kind of horror — the kind that happens inside one man's head.
Christopher NolanRead review →
The Sheep Detectives
4/5Hugh Jackman, a flock of suspiciously well-read sheep, and a small-town murder — a charming all-ages whodunnit that delivers exactly the warmth its premise promises.
Kyle BaldaRead review →
Dhurandhar: The Revenge
3/5A solid, bloody-handed sequel that lets Ranveer Singh swing for the fences — and then keeps swinging long after it should have stopped.
Aditya DharRead review →
Nimona
1.5/5One of the most boring animated movies I have seen — so dull I could not even sit through the whole thing. Skip it.
Troy Quane, Nick BrunoRead review →
Guy Ritchie's The Covenant (2023)
4/5Drawn in by the director and stayed for the heart — a quietly rewarding war drama that surprised me.
Guy RitchieRead review →
Polite Society
4/5Nostalgic, kinetic and full of charm — give it a watch if you loved Bend It Like Beckham.
Nida ManzoorRead review →
Kung Fu Hustle
4.5/5Late to the party on this cult classic — extremely funny, highly memorable, and you can see how many films since have borrowed from it.
Stephen ChowRead review →
Based on a True Story — Season 1
2/5A fresh spin on the murder/thriller genre that drags so much it lands on Meh. So much potential, so little payoff.
Craig RosenbergRead review →
Turning Red
4/5Pixar tackles helicopter parents, puberty, and periods with goofy red-panda energy — not quite Encanto or Luca, but heartwarming, conversation-provoking, and very millennial.
Domee ShiRead review →
Hunt for the Wilderpeople
3.5/5Sam Neill and a foster kid stumble into a found-family adventure across the New Zealand bush — classic Waititi cosiness, perfect if you loved Jojo Rabbit or Moonrise Kingdom.
Taika WaititiRead review →
96
3.5/5Two high school sweethearts meet at a 20-year reunion, both married to other people; Vijay Sethupathi and Trisha turn this Tamil love story into something poetic, aching, and quietly devastating.
C. Prem KumarRead review →
Jojo Rabbit
4.5/5Taika Waititi's coming-of-age tale of two boys in Nazi Germany is cute, horrific, painful, and joyful — a fresh, must-watch take on WWII.
Taika WaititiRead review →
Light of My Life
3.5/5A father-daughter post-plague survival drama whose central premise — a world where women have gone extinct — is more provocative than the film around it.
Casey AffleckRead review →
Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
3.5/5Leo, Brad, and Tarantino's grinning alternate-history rewrite of the Manson murders — pure cinematic vengeance, the way only QT serves it up. Read up on Sharon Tate first.
Quentin TarantinoRead review →
Ashes in the Snow
4/5A gorgeously shot Lithuanian WWII story you've probably never been told, built around a young artist's handkerchief diary on the road to a Soviet prison camp.
Marius MarkeviciusRead review →
Searching
4/5Aneesh Chaganti's screen-only thriller about a father hunting for his missing daughter through her social network is one of the best films of the year.
Aneesh ChagantyRead review →
Thugs of Hindostan
2/5Aamir Khan single-handedly carries this big-screen Diwali spectacle, but unnecessary frills around Katrina Kaif and a predictable narrative keep it from must-watch status.
Vijay Krishna AcharyaRead review →
Destination Wedding
2/5Sharp dialogue between two cynics at a wedding they both hate, undermined by miscasting — but Keanu fans will still want to tune in for the snark.
Victor LevinRead review →
Only the Brave
3.5/5A devastating tribute to the Granite Mountain Hotshots — you walk in expecting a brotherhood movie and walk out gutted, with a new appreciation for the people who fight forest fires with shovels.
Joseph KosinskiRead review →
Annihilation
3/5Natalie Portman leads an all-women expedition into a mutating alien shimmer in this sci-fi from Alex Garland — strong premise, divisive ending.
Alex GarlandRead review →
Rebel in the Rye
3.5/5A tender portrait of J.D. Salinger choosing the writing over the publishing — and somehow making peace with the fact that we'd never get to read what came next.
Danny StrongRead review →
Call Me by Your Name
3.5/5Magical, judgement-free Italian summer love between Elio and Oliver — a movie that makes you ache for the Elio you've buried somewhere under your adult life.
Luca GuadagninoRead review →
The Book of Henry
4/5A child prodigy's plan outlives him in this tightly-wound tearjerker about kids forced to grow up too soon — keep tissues nearby for a long-weekend cry.
Colin TrevorrowRead review →
The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017)
2/5Reynolds and Jackson bicker their way through a so-so action plot; The Nice Guys did the buddy formula better, but the lead pair's chemistry just about carries it.
Patrick HughesRead review →
Band Aid
3.5/5A married couple fights through their issues by turning every row into a song — quirky, real, and quietly stereotype-breaking with Fred Armisen on drums.
Zoe Lister-JonesRead review →
T2 Trainspotting
3.5/5Twenty years on, the lads are still the lads — barely a plot to speak of, but it scratches the nostalgic itch you showed up for.
Danny BoyleRead review →
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
2/5I came for Groot and got two hours of forced backstory and Star-Lord daddy issues — an elaborate joke that forgets to land its emotional beats.
James GunnRead review →
The Founder
3.5/5Capitalism in its purest form — Michael Keaton anchors the McDonald's origin story without flinching from Ray Kroc's hostile takeover of the brothers who started it all.
John Lee HancockRead review →
Split
4/5M. Night Shyamalan's fresh take on dissociative identity disorder, anchored by a chameleon James McAvoy performance — a thrilling weekend watch you shouldn't miss.
M. Night ShyamalanRead review →
Hacksaw Ridge
4/5A brilliantly shot Saving Private Ryan-adjacent war drama that lands on craft and battlefield horror — even if it never quite explains the conviction at its center.
Mel GibsonRead review →
Manchester by the Sea
4/5A heartbreaking drama about guilt, healing, and second chances — shot wide so you fill in the silences yourself, and acted with a stillness that never feels staged.
Kenneth LonerganRead review →
Hidden Figures
4/5Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe and Taraji P. Henson shine in this riveting true story of three Black women whose minds put a man in orbit — and exposed segregation inside NASA.
Theodore MelfiRead review →
The 9th Life of Louis Drax
4/5Starts as a lazy-weekday thriller and ends as a gut-punch about how children read their parents' worlds far better than the adults give them credit for.
Alexandre AjaRead review →