Movies

As a movie fan, it’s clear we’re getting a lot of content based on video games these days! But I’ve noticed something interesting: straight-up adaptations of game stories – where they just take the plot and make it a movie – aren’t doing so well. What is working are movies and shows that are inspired by games, borrowing ideas and the overall feel without directly retelling a specific game’s story. Honestly, the inspired stuff is much more successful than those direct adaptations.

As a lifelong Doctor Who fan, I’ve always been a little surprised by how few official crossovers there actually are. That’s why the ones we do get feel so special! Sometimes the Doctor is fully part of another show’s story, but other times it’s more subtle – a quick reference, an Easter egg, something that just suggests the Time Lord might have popped in. From the very beginning of Doctor Who, all the way through to Russell T Davies’ latest run, there have been connections made with other TV series – little nods to the Whoniverse appearing in unexpected places.

Emilie Blichfeldt’s film, The Ugly Stepsister, centers around Elvira and Alma, who are adjusting to life with their stepfather, Otto, and new stepsister, Agnes – who isn’t thrilled about the blended family. After Otto’s sudden death, their mother, Rebekka, becomes the head of the household. Determined to secure her family’s future, Rebekka focuses on finding a husband for her eldest daughter, Elvira, and will stop at nothing to make her presentable for the royal ball. This story might seem familiar, but this time, the phrase ‘anything goes’ is taken to the extreme. You can now watch The Ugly Stepsister on Hulu, and find a detailed description of the film below.

The story picks up right after the last episode, with the Demogorgon breaking into Holly’s bedroom. Her dad is golfing, and her mom is relaxing with a glass of wine and listening to ABBA, so neither of them hear Holly screaming as the creature tries to drag her into the Upside Down. Holly manages to escape into the bathroom, but the Demogorgon follows close behind. Incredibly, Karen manages to submerge herself and Holly under the bubbles in the bath – which seems physically impossible, but okay! If that were my only option, I wouldn’t stand a chance. Luckily, this buys them enough time for Ted to come inside after noticing the lights flickering. Unfortunately for Ted, he tries to fight the Demogorgon with his golf club and ends up getting badly injured and thrown across the room.

At the end of season four, the team suffered their first real defeat against the forces of the Upside Down. While they managed to hurt Vecna – Eleven battled him mentally, Hopper, Joyce, and Murray destroyed demogorgons and Mind Flayer particles in Russia, and Nancy, Steve, and Robin physically attacked him – Vecna still succeeded in his plan. He told Eleven they had already lost, and unfortunately, he was right. Although they temporarily stopped him, his scheme to open four gates and destroy Hawkins came to fruition when Max died. Even though Eleven briefly revived Max, she remained in a coma, and the fourth gate opened, causing the Upside Down to bleed into Hawkins. The season ended with the town covered in eerie snow and a dark cloud, signaling a truly bleak outcome.

Holly Wheeler is played by Nell Fisher in Stranger Things Season 5.

Throughout its five seasons, Stranger Things has consistently shown that anyone in Hawkins can rise to the occasion and be a hero. This time, it’s Karen Wheeler who steps up. In the second episode, “The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler,” Karen bravely fights a Demogorgon, repeatedly stabbing it with a broken wine bottle to protect her daughter, Holly. Though Holly is ultimately taken to the Upside Down and Karen is seriously injured, the information Karen shares with Nancy and Mike proves crucial in helping them and their friends get closer to defeating Vecna, their ongoing enemy.

Crime dramas often explore interesting sides of law enforcement and criminal behavior, which can lead to compelling stories. However, it’s difficult for these shows to stay consistently exciting for more than one season. The ones that do manage to maintain that level of suspense are truly exceptional and worth checking out.

Season 5 of Stranger Things has received positive reviews. Jen Chaney of TV Guide praised its broad appeal, noting it’s “great at connecting with viewers of all ages,” and gave it a score of 9 out of 10.

The episode received negative reactions from both critics and viewers because it felt out of place in the season. Though important for developing Eleven’s character, it paused the main story at a bad time – right after a major cliffhanger where demogorgons invaded Hawkins Lab, trapping several key characters. This episode focused heavily on Eleven meeting Kali, slowing down the pace significantly. Kali didn’t reappear until much later, in Season 5, Episode 4, titled “Sorcerer.”