Minority Mindset

Sang-il Lee, the director known in the US for his work on Pachinko season 2, brings us a film starring Ryo Yoshizawa, a beloved actor from Kamen Rider. Yoshizawa underwent 18 months of Kabuki training to transform into Kikuo, a performer striving for artistic perfection.

This episode relies heavily on characters recounting key moments from their pasts, which is a direct way to reveal their histories. However, this approach isn’t new – it echoes storytelling techniques used as far back as Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. It also allows The Witcher to experiment with its format, including an animated sequence and a playful musical number, all within the episode’s hour-long duration.

It seems Netflix intentionally set a breezy, outdoor scene for the reunion – thankfully Kalybriah’s mom brought a blanket! After Myles Smith sang everyone to their seats, Sparkle Megan started by explaining why she and Jordan broke up. She said they had different lifestyles, but admits she maybe should have been a little more understanding. Ultimately, she made the decision based on her feelings at the time, as she’s previously dated people based on what they could be. Jordan then explained that his comment about regretting introducing Luca to Megan wasn’t about her at all, but about his own decision to be on Love Is Blind when his son needs a stable home life.

The movie centers around two conspiracy theorists (Jesse Plemons and Aidan Delbis) who attempt to kidnap the CEO of a pharmaceutical company (Stone), believing she’s actually an alien. The fact that the kidnappers are men and their target is a woman significantly affects how the characters interact and how others view the situation. This introduces themes of gender dynamics and the potential for misogyny, which often appear in modern conspiracy theories. During a recent interview with screenwriter Will Tracy and director Yorgos Lanthimos, I pointed out that the male leads also decide to chemically castrate themselves, and Tracy explained how changing the gender of the victim impacted the story.

I was watching Jimmy Fallon the other night, and Brittany Snow, who’s amazing in The Hunting Wives, let slip that they’re starting filming on the new season in just two weeks! It’s great to hear Netflix is moving so quickly to get everyone back together and give us another season – I can’t wait!

What truly makes “The Lowdown” stand out is Hawke’s fantastic portrayal of a captivating, yet imperfect, investigator. Harjo expertly balances suspenseful crime elements with a warm, inviting atmosphere, making it a thoroughly enjoyable watch. Although releasing most of the episodes in October, amidst all the horror content, might not have been ideal, this is currently the best show on television and deserves a wider audience.

As a huge movie fan, October was a fantastic month! We finally got to see films I’d been waiting for, like Tron: Ares, the sequel to The Black Phone, and the documentary Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere. There were also some really interesting picks like the romantic drama Regretting You and Yorgos Lanthimos’ new film, Bugonia. Plus, I was thrilled to hear Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein was getting a limited theatrical run. And November is shaping up to be just as exciting, with Edgar Wright’s latest and the second part of Wicked both heading to cinemas – I can’t wait!