Minority Mindset

Classic superhero stories about good versus evil will probably always be popular, but viewers are increasingly drawn to stories that offer a fresh take on the genre. This change in preference has helped comic book adaptations like Invincible and The Umbrella Academy find success on television.

The 2006 film Southland Tales surprisingly foreshadowed several things we see today: the influence of comedians and podcasters in politics, the Tesla Cybertruck, and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s continued success as an actor. Director Richard Kelly is amazed by how much the film seems to have predicted. He even points to a character, Baron von Westphalen, as being similar to Elon Musk. Krysta Now believes a storyline from the film even anticipates events in the upcoming season of Euphoria. While Southland Tales features a devastating nuclear attack on America following a conflict in the Strait of Hormuz, Kelly views the film’s apocalyptic ending as ultimately hopeful. He says the film contains both cynicism and anger, but concludes with a ‘metaphysical resurrection’ meant to leave the audience with a sense of emotion. It’s something to hold onto.

Mystery anime can be structured in a couple of ways: some shows present self-contained cases that are resolved each episode, while others tell one big story that unfolds over many episodes or an entire season. Creating a good mystery is challenging, and most series have a few weaker episodes, but the anime listed below consistently deliver strong stories.

Fans anticipating Mike Flanagan’s next Stephen King project have another horror series to look forward to: Bloody Smart on Netflix. This new show will be based on the works of Junji Ito, a horror artist greatly influenced by the cosmic horror style of H.P. Lovecraft, though it’s not a direct adaptation of Lovecraft’s stories.