Movies/Films/TV - Opinions

[standardpostage]

East Of Eden. Netflix. Very good, recommended. 7 episodes. Stars Florence Pugh. Family drama. 2026 series. From a book. A solid 8 out of 10.

[Punterperson1971]

Watched end of oak street last week pretty good and different from Jurassic Park francise

[Malvolio]

Colin From Accounts (on iPlayer) - an Australian comedy that's actually funny

[stampjones]

Watched Detective Hole on netflix based on the Jo Nesbo books. The books are good holiday reads but not great writing so to have a series that turns it into a pretty atmospheric story with good characters is pretty impressive. The only thing that lets it down is the guy playing Harry Hole who is just a bit one dimensional. Now as I watched the dubbed version I'm not sure if that's only true of that version but it spoiled what was otherwise a really watchable series. Pretty cool way of disarming the baddy at the end too!

[Vice Admiral]

I Give It a Year (2013).  On BBc1 on Saturday night, so presumably on iPlayer and / or will turn up again soon on BBC3.

British.  Theme: a marriage between a mismatched couple.  A bit hit and miss, but there are some very funny lines and the main characters are appealing.  I think most here would find it pleasant, undemanding entertainment.

[Vice Admiral]

Colin From Accounts (on iPlayer) - an Australian comedy that's actually funny

I recently belatedly discovered this, and am much enjoying it.  Some episodes are better than others, but all are fun, and the appeal of the main characters (particularly the female lead – quite a subtle performance) keeps one engaged. I like its quirkiness.  I recommended it to my conspiracy theorist friend, and he binge-watched the whole of the first series.

[myothernameis]

Have started watching the Good Doctor, to me this is a mixture of House and Columbo, so far enjoying the first few episodes

[Steve2]

Have started watching the Good Doctor, to me this is a mixture of House and Columbo, so far enjoying the first few episodes

Beware!!  It becomes quite addictive   

[scouting]

Watched Detective Hole on netflix based on the Jo Nesbo books. The books are good holiday reads but not great writing so to have a series that turns it into a pretty atmospheric story with good characters is pretty impressive. The only thing that lets it down is the guy playing Harry Hole who is just a bit one dimensional. Now as I watched the dubbed version I'm not sure if that's only true of that version but it spoiled what was otherwise a really watchable series. Pretty cool way of disarming the baddy at the end too!

Interesting - your comment about his writing. I have a couple of friends who rave about his books but I find them a bit hard to get into. Like you they are a holiday read when you can immerse yourself in them. Once I do that I find I do enjoy them.

[Vice Admiral]

The Order (2024), on BBC2 on Monday and now on iPlayer.

A tense, well-made thriller.  Nothing ground-breaking, but much enhanced by the central performances of two British actors playing against type in this very American film – Jude Law as a world-weary FBI agent with a moustache and a level of cigarette consumption that would make his GP go weak at the knees; and Nicholas Hoult as the fanatical leader of a murderous white supremacist cult!

Houlty’s comes a long way since About a Boy and Skins.  Indeed he’s been a pretty big star for a good while now.  He even had a three-year relationship with Jennifer Lawrence.  (It’s dirty work, but someone’s got to do it.)


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[The0neAnd0nly]

Agree about Nicholas Hoult. Always great to see on screen and he can so a number of roles really well.

Enjoyed his eccentricity and energy in Mad Max and his snobbish annoying stuck up persona in The Menu.  Also good in Tolkien and Nosferatu!

[Stevelondon]

Quite enjoyed the movie Sisu.

Watched its follow and found it strangely comedic. 🤷🏼

[Stevelondon]

That should read

“Watched its follow up”

[stampjones]

The Order (2024), on BBC2 on Monday and now on iPlayer.

A tense, well-made thriller.  Nothing ground-breaking, but much enhanced by the central performances of two British actors playing against type in this very American film – Jude Law as a world-weary FBI agent with a moustache and a level of cigarette consumption that would make his GP go weak at the knees; and Nicholas Hoult as the fanatical leader of a murderous white supremacist cult!

Watched this tonight based on your recommendation though I'd forgotten who you'd said was in it. Fuck me I was 30 minutes in before I realised it was Jude Law. As you said, great performances by him and Nicolas Hoult. In fact the whole cast was pretty good. Definitely enjoyed it.

[sparkus]

East Of Eden. Netflix. Very good, recommended. 7 episodes. Stars Florence Pugh. Family drama. 2026 series. From a book. A solid 8 out of 10.

An awkward watch for any punter with OH.

[Vice Admiral]

Watched this tonight based on your recommendation though I'd forgotten who you'd said was in it. Fuck me I was 30 minutes in before I realised it was Jude Law. As you said, great performances by him and Nicolas Hoult. In fact the whole cast was pretty good. Definitely enjoyed it.

I'm glad you liked The Order.

Incidentally, according to Wikipedia, the film had a very  limited release in the USA, for political reasons:  "In May 2024, Vertical acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film, and released it on December 6, 2024, in a limited theatrical release in 600–700 theaters.  Distributors were nervous about streaming the film in the US because of the political context, in the lead-up to the 2024 US elections.  Amazon Prime Video acquired the rights to stream in multiple international territories excluding the United States, and it premiered on Amazon in the UK on December 27, 2024."

This suggests the film was never shown in UK cinemas.

[Jerboa]

I just finished watching Graham Hancock's Ancient Apocalypse series 2, was very interesting. External Link/Members Only

[RandomGuy99]

Has anyone seen the new Tom Cruise movie, Digger?

Is it as bad as the press says?

[paulub45]

Has anyone seen the new Tom Cruise movie, Digger?

Is it as bad as the press says?

Yes

[Steve2]

Just finished the new series of FAUDA on Netflix

Worth watching

[mr.bluesky]

Has anyone seen the new Tom Cruise movie, Digger?

Is it as bad as the press says?

Perhaps he should stick to making action movies like the " Mission Impossible" films. I don't think character acting is his forte 

[Bangman]

Has anyone seen the new Tom Cruise movie, Digger?

Is it as bad as the press says?

I saw the first 45 mins and fell asleep, my wife woke me up and by then, it was the end credits.
If I can fall asleep in the cinema.. That means the movie was Bloody Shite!

[Bangman]

Perhaps he should stick to making action movies like the " Mission Impossible" films. I don't think character acting is his forte 

I agree..
I love the mission impossible movies...

[ulstersubbie]

Perhaps he should stick to making action movies like the " Mission Impossible" films. I don't think character acting is his forte 

He's a star name, he sells movies for the studios and more often than not they make lots of money. A serious actor he's not, mind you for a short arse he's done rather well for himself.   

[PilotMan]

I don't think character acting is his forte 

You say you don't think character acting is Tom Cruises "forte", I would argue he's a good character actor in most of these films.

Born on 4th July
Rain man
Eyes Wide shut (not one I enjoyed)
Collateral (a favourite)
Valkyrie
Vanilla Sky (again, not a favourite)
A few good men
Tropic Thunder
American made (A favourite)
Magnolia (another not a favourite)

[RyanM92]

You say you don't think character acting is Tom Cruises "forte", I would argue he's a good character actor in most of these films.

Born on 4th July
Rain man
Eyes Wide shut (not one I enjoyed)
Collateral (a favourite)
Valkyrie
Vanilla Sky (again, not a favourite)
A few good men
Tropic Thunder
American made (A favourite)
Magnolia (another not a favourite)

I second this! Eyes Wide Shut, Rain Man and especially Magnolia are top-tier performances by Tom. I feel like this Rain Man performance is SO overlooked due to Dustin being superhuman opposite him and let’s not talk about the ending scene at his fathers death bed in Magnolia!

I ended up watching Digger and really enjoyed it. For a movie like that not to have about 50-55% of the movies actual plot in any of the trailers was admirable as most trailers show you the whole movie now. I think Digger with the themes it deals with will stand the test of time. Lots of cult classics we have now (The Shining or 2001: A Space Odyssey) were not reviewed well on opening. I also feel Tom could get an Oscar nomination as he has A LOT to do in Digger - there is monologue in the middle of the movie that was just mind-blowing from a acting and technical prospective.

[mr.bluesky]

He's a star name, he sells movies for the studios and more often than not they make lots of money. A serious actor he's not, mind you for a short arse he's done rather well for himself.   

For a short arse he should never have played Jack Reacher in two films as Jack Reacher is described as 6' 5 " in the books and built like a brick outhouse not 5 7" but Cruise bought the film rights to the books so cast himself in the starring role 

[mr.bluesky]

You say you don't think character acting is Tom Cruises "forte", I would argue he's a good character actor in most of these films.

Born on 4th July
Rain man
Eyes Wide shut (not one I enjoyed)
Collateral (a favourite)
Valkyrie
Vanilla Sky (again, not a favourite)
A few good men
Tropic Thunder
American made (A favourite)
Magnolia (another not a favourite)

Not knocking him as an actor, I think The last Samurai is one of my favourite films of his. I think he is best suited to action films where as someone like Gene Hackman could play any role.

[timsussex]

Mobland series2 - more of the same with some good one liners

Helen Mirren in a ropey Irish accent
"I dont like lawyers either but they are like Bog Paper - when you need them you really need them "

[RandomGuy99]

I second this! Eyes Wide Shut, Rain Man and especially Magnolia are top-tier performances by Tom. I feel like this Rain Man performance is SO overlooked due to Dustin being superhuman opposite him and let’s not talk about the ending scene at his fathers death bed in Magnolia!

I ended up watching Digger and really enjoyed it. For a movie like that not to have about 50-55% of the movies actual plot in any of the trailers was admirable as most trailers show you the whole movie now. I think Digger with the themes it deals with will stand the test of time. Lots of cult classics we have now (The Shining or 2001: A Space Odyssey) were not reviewed well on opening. I also feel Tom could get an Oscar nomination as he has A LOT to do in Digger - there is monologue in the middle of the movie that was just mind-blowing from a acting and technical prospective.

He claims he did his 10 minute monologue in one take.

[RyanM92]

He claims he did his 10 minute monologue in one take.

I saw in an interview prior to the movie that he confirms it’s two takes stitched into one by careful editing. However, to do 5 minutes of dialogue uncut is a feat in it self!