Change Your Image
eviemaesutcliffe
Reviews
13 Reasons Why (2017)
This show is so so important but please be aware of triggering scenes!!
First off, I'm going to admit that I tried reading the book a couple years ago when I noticed a big hype about it... And I hated it. In fact, I don't think I ever even finished it. The biggest flaw, in my opinion, of the book was that I just did not like Hannah Baker. Horrible, I know- but I didn't like the girl who killed herself. The book, to me, trivialized a lot of things, and really flattened out the whole plot, rendering everything and everyone black and white. There was no depth to anything, despite the story-line being so deep and significant and serious. There was no question about any of the characters. If they were one of the 13 reasons, then they were bad. Clay was good. Hannah was good. But she sounds bratty and selfish and, I hate to say this, suicide was glorified. The show is not like this at all... I need to mention now that if you are suicidal, or depressed, then there are so many triggers in this series. It shows you a number of harrowing scenes explicitly, so please avoid these scenes if you do choose to watch this. Do not watch this show if you are looking for help. Find help at your doctors, or at your school or at a helpline. This show is not here to help suicidal and depressed people find the answer. It is here to educate the people around them on the signs and the actions that have to build up for this to happen. The characters you are supposed to hate are all shades of grey (except one, which I won't spoil but you'll know who I mean if you watch it). There are no bad guys, or good guys. There are only people, who are hurting and who hurt others to save themselves or because that's all they can do. Hannah is NOT bratty or selfish or vindictive for doing what she did. The show succeeds in doing what the book failed to do, and that is portray Hannah as the struggling and desperate girl she is. She needs help, and nobody gives her it, even when she asks. In the show, you see how things escalate, and how everything builds on top of her, and how she tries to breathe but she's drowning. It is horrible. But it's what happens. Hannah's story is one that needs to be heard, because unfortunately, it is how many other people's stories end too. The show is so so powerful. It shows you firsthand the fallout from what you might deem inconsequential throwaway acts or words. Actions have consequences. Kids kill themselves. We all don't do enough to look after the people we love. If you take nothing from this, please take away that. This show is honestly so tragic but so utterly raw that you can't even explain it. The cinematography, the camera, the direction, the transitions, the structure- everything is there to show you the effect that little actions have on everything around you. Like Hannah says, 'everything affects everything.' The show succeeds if only because it is so unbelievably honest. It does not try to be what it isn't. It is a story of a girl who killed herself because nobody around her cared enough, or, at least, she felt they didn't care enough. And that is horrible and harrowing, but it happens. Please watch this show. It is so so important.
The Five (2016)
The absolute BEST mystery TV show I have ever seen!!!! A MUST WATCH!
My dad and I binge-watched this on a Sunday, after finding nothing else to watch. The picture looked interesting, the premise looked typical- all in all, I didn't go in with high expectations, simply something I could waste a day watching. Boy, was I wrong. My mind has been absolutely blown!! I was worried, that, like other British TV dramas (Marcella and Broadchurch in particular), this series would become overwhelmed by the introduction of unnecessary characters with their own subplots that held no real relevance or interest and only acted as a distraction to draw out the main storyline. This, thankfully, didn't happen! Every subplot that was introduced had a direct and crucial link to the story, and were interesting and not horribly complex so that the audience could see the relevance and not lose interest. They also didn't last the entire series, unlike Broadchurch, where nothing seemed to be revealed (AT ALL) until the very final moments, and by then, the influx of information was just confusing and frankly, underwhelming. In The Five, the subplots are resolved at the right time, giving chance for the main story to be explored properly. The characters were beautifully human, making you feel for them and made you really invested in their situation, and the acting was superb!!! THE TWIST! MY GOD! I have never been more in awe of a story! It was brilliant!!! I did NOT see it coming but when I saw it all come together, it actually made sense and was satisfying... Which is what I think to be the most important thing when dealing with mysteries. There were no questions left unanswered, no what if's or feelings that this revelation was subpar. And the direction was stunning. The way the ending was done made me sob like a baby, mainly because I'm an older sibling myself and I honestly don't know what I would do in Mark's situation. It's a series that I recommend with all my heart. If you like mysteries, plot-twists, surprises, suspense, family and friendship, crime then this is for you!! And if you don't, then I'd still say watch it regardless. I have never been moved as much by a TV show. Just wow!
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015)
SOOOO much better than the book!
I'd seen this film and recognized it immediately as one of the books I'd been meaning to read for a while. Therefore, I knew I HAD to watch it. There's something so stunningly simply and simply stunning about this film that I can't put my finger on, just little details that have me laughing and crying, and sometimes- both at once! I think the main thing that captured me about this was the truthfulness to it. This film manages to portray the ugliness regarding terminal illness that some gloss over in a way that is light and fun but still serious enough to convey the tragedy of what is a reality for millions of people all over the world. There is so much truth in this film that it threatens to make the viewer explode. I was overcome with emotion and how very ordinary and extraordinary these characters were. The main three actors/actress were absolutely amazing! I especially loved the real awkwardness and nerdiness that comes with real-life teenagers (something that is often missed out to create ideal people). This film deals with so many things all at once, but it is never too overwhelming that you are left unable to process it- it's utterly perfect. It might take a while for you to get into it, unless you are wonderfully wacky! Greg is a weirdo. It's as simple as that. His humor is subjective and he tends to say the wrong things (like we all do at times). However, he is still lovable and caring and deeply invested in his friends. All I can say is if you liked this film, DON'T READ THE BOOK! I was bitterly disappointed with the book, especially as my expectations had been set high from the film. I finished it, but it dragged, despite the few scenes of brilliance. In the book, the characters are unfeeling and it is very difficult to care for them. In the film, you fall in love with them all for so many different reasons. Just watch it. It's beautiful.