In February I watched a lot of movies and tv shows. This post will feature reviews ranging from an exciting animated series to a supernatural psychological thriller series, both released by Netflix. You’ll also read reviews for movies ranging from a horror film taking place at a Halloween carnival to a biopic about famed jazz singer Billie Holiday. Keep on reading for February’s movie and tv show reviews:
TV Shows
Carmen Sandiego – Season 4 (2021) – Rating: 5/5
This season, V.I.L.E. (an organization of thieves) was trying to obtain some ancient artifacts which upon collecting all three leads to hidden treasures and of course “Carmen and friends” goal is to stop them. When it comes to Carmen, V.I.L.E. can’t stand her Robin Hood nature and A.C.M.E (a secret law enforcement agency) don’t know whether Carmen is good or bad. I also loved how this season wraps into Where On Earth Is Carmen Sandiego including us hearing the theme song from that show and what happened to Zack and Ivy after “Carmen and friends” disbanded. Season 4 of Carmen Sandiego is fun, exciting, thrilling and bittersweet.
Streaming On: Netflix
Framing Britney Spears (2021) – Rating: 5/5
Framing Britney Spears gave us some insight on what Britney went through and is still going through. It talked about events that led to her current situation regarding her freedom (which is how #FreeBritney was born). There have been numerous people that contributed to her mental health from her past to present including men who leeched off her, the media, the paparazzi, the mean and inappropriate comments/ interviews. I feel that the media and society has done a huge disservice to Britney. Framing Britney Spears is an excellent documentary to watch to get to know about Britney’s current situation regarding her conservatorship and how it’s preventing Britney freedom to live her life as she deserves.
Streaming On: Hulu
Behind Her Eyes – Season 1 (2021) – Rating: 5/5
Wow ! Okay so I really enjoyed watching this series. I felt the cast did a really good job. The three main characters David, Louise, and Adele were portrayed by the actors really well. Louise, a single mother goes to the bar to meet a friend who ends up canceling at the last minute, and when Louise leaves she bumps into David, a psychiatrist where the two have drinks and this starts the affair which also gets wild from there. This show is well scripted and I didn’t know what to expect, but on each episode I was never disappointed. This show is a drama, psychological thriller, and a mystery. The final episode will have you shook, and mind blown. Behind Her Eyes is enthralling, twisted, suspenseful, dark, clever, and brilliant.
Streaming On: Netflix
Movies
Soul (2020) – Rating: 4/5
Okay so I thought Soul was good. Although a few things bothered me about the film, but let’s talk about what I enjoyed. Soul features a talented cast of voice actors, brilliant animation that captured urban New York beautifully, inspiring jazz music, and a great message about doing what makes you happy, and to live your life. A few issues I had with the film was regarding Joe being human in the film for about ten minutes until he became a green blob/“soul” and remained that way until the end of the movie, then Joe wanted to give up his life for 22, and also the Terrys deciding to give him a “second chance”. Despite the little issues I had with the movie, Soul is an enjoyable film, it’s inspiring, unique, and touching.
Streaming On: Disney Plus
The Little Things (2021) – Rating: 3.5/5
Although this film has received mixed reviews, I enjoyed it. Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, and Jared Leto gave strong performances and portrayed their characters really well. Washington and Malek work together to track down a serial killer, and suspects Leto’s character is a suspect. Not only is the film about catching a serial killer, but it also reveals a shocking truth regarding Deke’s past (played by Washington). Themes of obsession and guilt is also in this film. I also liked the ending, because I didn’t expect it. The Little Things is entertaining, suspenseful, and a slow-burn thriller.
Streaming On: HBO Max
Malcolm & Marie (2021) – Rating: 4/5
I really enjoyed Malcolm & Marie. I loved is the acting of Zendaya and John David Washington. I mean these two gave brilliant performances and they had amazing chemistry. The dialogue is well written and at times the two characters made me laugh. Between the arguments and the brief makeups this movie packs an emotional punch. The cinematography is gorgeous, and I think that filming it in black and white was a perfect choice to set the tone of the movie. Malcolm & Marie is captivating, raw, has strong acting, and it’s art.
Streaming On: Netflix
Below Zero (2021) – Rating: 3/5
Below Zero moves at a decent pace. Two officers working a prison transport shift in freezing temperatures are ambushed and attacked by a man, who only wants one of the prisoners being transported. The cast acting was great. The movie is in Spanish but you’ll be fine with the subtitles. This film kept me hooked and I was curious on how this movie played out. We learn the reason why the man attacked the prison transport truck, what inmate he wants and why, the reason being heartbreaking and horrible, tune in for the ending. Below Zero is intense, suspenseful, and entertaining.
Streaming On: Netflix
Judas and The Black Messiah (2021) – Rating: 5/5
This movie being released during Black History Month was a great way to kick off February. The cast was amazing. But I want to highlight LaKeith Stanfield and Daniel Kaluuya, who both gave stellar performances. One performance was revolutionary while the other performance had you on the edge of your seat. The Black Panthers were doing something good for the black community and neighborhoods, and you had the FBI threatened and did not like that, so they did everything they could to bring the Black Panthers down including Fred Hampton. The cinematography and the music were also well done. Judas and The Black Messiah is powerful , gripping, entertaining, and a must watch.
Streaming On: HBO Max
If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) – Rating: 5/5
Barry Jenkin’s If Beale Street Could Talk based off of James Baldwin’s novel is a beautifully directed film. The cast all gave amazing performances, which Regina King won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2019. A young couple who are also childhood friends (Tish and Fonny) run into an issue when Fonny is arrested for a crime he didn’t commit. So with the help of their families they do all they can to prove Fonny’s innocence. The movie is about love, support, strength, and racial injustices. If Beale Street Could Talk is romantic, realistic, touching, with beautiful cinematography and performances.
Streaming On: Hulu
Hell Fest (2018) – Rating: 4/5
A group of friends attend Hell Fest, which is a traveling Halloween carnival similar to Halloween Horror Nights, but looks a bit more cooler. A masked serial killer who’s also attending Hell Fest begins to stalk the group of friends. Since it’s a scary carnival where the workers wear masks and they chase you, if the masked killer is really trying to kill someone, people think it’s all part of the carnival experience, and shrug it off. The pace of the movie was great and I did catch myself jumping a few times. I do wish we got some background info on why the masked guy is killing people but the ending will surprise you. Overall Hell Fest is fun, is a great haunt, entertaining, and suspenseful.
Streaming On: Netflix
To All The Boys: Always and Forever (2021) – Rating: 4/5
It’s senior year for Lara Jean and her friends, which included a trip to Korea for Lara Jean’s family, a senior trip to New York, prom, graduation and college decisions. The cast does a great job. Lana Condor brings so much happiness to the films, she’s my favorite part of the movies. I love Lana and Noah Centineo’s onscreen chemistry. In the film, Lara Jean and Peter are concerned with how their relationship will work while they are at college, so we see this throughout the movie. To All The Boys: Always and Forever is fun, heart warming, cute, entertaining and a satisfying conclusion to the series.
Streaming On: Netflix
Red Dot (2021) – Rating: 3/5
With twists and turns, I didn’t expect the ending to end how it did. A young couple decides to take a ski trip to rekindle their marriage, but finds themselves the targets of some attacks. This is a Swedish film and I enjoyed watching it in this language. The acting was great and I thought the cinematography was well done. What I liked about the film is how it took an unexpected turn, unfortunately with some sad reasons. While this movie isn’t perfect, it’s a great thriller to watch. Red Dot is thrilling, entertaining, emotional and has a plot twist.
Streaming On: Netflix
Valentine (2001) – Rating: 4/5
The movie begins with a scene at a junior dance where a boy asked five girls to dance, four of them turn him down, but the other one says sure and I’ll let you guess how it goes from there. Thirteen years later the girls are living their lives and before you know it they are receiving Valentine cards from someone and is being killed. The cast features well know actors and they did a good job. I will say that this movie has some unique kills and the ending was great. No the movie isn’t perfect, but I enjoyed it. Valentine is suspenseful, underrated, and while the killer’s mask is creepy, it’s effective.
Rented On Amazon Prime Video – $2.99
We Summon The Darkness (2020) – Rating: 3.5/5
I didn’t know what to expect when I decided to watch this. But let me just say that this movie took an unexpected turn, and had me fooled. The cast also did a good job. We Summon The Darkness gives you a mix of 80s Rock n Roll, religion, and satanic panic. I do applaud this film for its element of surprise, which I loved. What I found so funny was how the “killers” kept going down a rabbit hole with unexpected killings. We Summon The Darkness is wild, suspenseful, entertaining, gory, well paced, and the plot twist is great.
Streaming On: Netflix
Polaroid (2019) – Rating: 2.5/5
A camera that causes a person’s death after their picture has been taken, sounds like an interesting concept. The cast of young actors gave good performances, and you may recognize a few of their faces. The entity haunting and attacking these teens is creepy and appears to love the dark, I also don’t know why the entity kept wheezing. Some things you’ll see in this movie: the teens not turning on lights (like why ? lol) and are always alone without any adults around, and you’ll get some jump scares. Polaroid is entertaining, thrilling, and mildly creepy. It’s not a perfect horror film, but I enjoyed it.
Streaming On: Netflix
Incarnate (2016) -Rating: 3/5
I thought the plot was different in regards to the usual possession movies. It was interesting since Dr. Ember played by Aaron Eckhart uses astral projection to enter the mind of the possessed so that he can evict/get rid of the demon. An eleven year old boy played by David Mazouz is possessed by a demon that Dr. Ember knows and he is contacted to get rid of the demon. The cast did a good job, I had no problems with their performances, although I’m not sure how I feel about the ending. Incarnate is suspenseful, entertaining, and not scary. And I appreciated its unique take on possession.
Streaming On: Netflix
No Escape Room (2016) – Rating: 3/5
I thought this movie was pretty good. The movie runtime is 85 mins. so the movie isn’t slow paced at all. When a father and daughter bonds over the weekend, their car breaks down and while they wait for repairs on it, they read about an escape room in the newspaper and goes to check it out. As the guests go through each room you can tell that they eventually freak out about what’s going on. The acting isn’t bad either, which is a good thing. This movie does seem confusing at times and the ending doesn’t quite make sense. Overall No Escape Room is entertaining, keeps you guessing, and leaves you with some questions.
Streaming On: Netflix
The Body (2018) – Rating: 3.5/5
A hit man played by Tom Bateman kills a man and wraps him up in plastic, and since it’s Halloween everyone thinks it’s part of his costume and he then gets invited to a Halloween party by a group of friends and that’s when they find out the truth about the body he’s been dragging around. I enjoyed this movie. Tom Bateman was so great as Wilkes. The group of friends were quite the characters, they were funny, and had me laughing quite a bit. The Body has insane kills, funny banter amongst the group of friends, gave Wilkes a partner, and has a twist at the end. This movie is fun, entertaining, hilarious, and is a bloody good time.
Streaming On: Hulu
Tom and Jerry (2021) – Rating: 3/5
Okay so I enjoyed this movie. I thought the movie runtime was great. I enjoyed the cast and the characters they played. The movie is bright, colorful, and the live action/animation works really well for the film. The music played throughout the movie was fun, upbeat and great for the film. I enjoyed the plot of the movie revolving around a big wedding taking place at a hotel where both Tom and Jerry are, and if you know these two they are gonna cause problems. Tom and Jerry is fun, nostalgic, heartwarming, and is a movie for both kids and adults alike.
Streaming On: HBO Max
The United States vs. Billie Holiday (2021) – Rating: 3.5/5
This film showed us the good, the bad, and the ugly of Billie Holiday’s career, including her drug use, rocky relationships, and her famous song Strange Fruit. Andra Day gives a breakout performance as Billie Holiday, she’s never acted before, and doesn’t hold back, plus her voice is beautiful. Billie’s Strange Fruit is about the constant lynching of black people which was so powerful and much needed at the time but the FBI/ the government saw the song as a threat and she was a constant target for them. The United States vs. Billie Holiday is raw, honest, and captivating.
Streaming On: Hulu
5/5: Love It, Must Watch
4.5/5: Amazing
4/5: Great
3.5/5: Very Good
3/5: Good
2.5/5: Pretty Good
2/5: Meh (Not Impressive)
1.5/5: Bad
1/5: Horrible
This wraps up February’s movie and tv show reviews. I know I watched more movies and shows this month but hey it’s what I love to do so I don’t mind lol. Have you watched any of these films or shows ? Let me know in the comments below. As always thanks for reading and I’ll see you for my March round of monthly watches.
Flamingo Lifestyle 