Nerdy Squirrel Reviews by Pasckie Pascua

“Nightbitch” (2024, Hulu) black comedy horror , based on the 2021 novel by Rachel Yoder. The film is a magical realism -style satirical story about a former artist turned frustrated stay-at-home mom who sometimes transforms overnight into a dog.        Premise: Mother has paused her career as an artist to become a stay-at-home mom for her two-year-old son. Because her husband is away on work trips most of the time, she is responsible for the majority of the caregiving for the boy. Feeling isolated from her artistic identity and resentful of what she sees as the expectation to be friends with other mothers, she frequently fantasizes about lashing out at those around her.        This little movie is neatly-done or directed by Marielle Heller, though I don’t think this is horror or black comedy at all. Most of the credit goes to the three central characters, especially Amy Adams as mother. When was the time that Ms Ada...

“Killing Eve” (Netflix) 4 Seasons, British spy thriller . Based on the “Villanelle” novel series by Luke Jennings, Season 1 was written by Phoebe “Fleabag” Waller-Bridge. Wry sarcasm, twisted sexuality, and cartoonish violence usher the next three seasons, written by Emerald Fennell (she wrote “Promising Young Woman”), Suzanne Heathcote, and Laura Neal.         This hard to let go series follows a British intelligence investigator tasked with capturing a psychopathic assassin. The investigator is Eve Polastri , played with equal amounts of zealous vulnerability and focused persistence by Sandra Oh . The psycho assassin a.k.a. Villanelle is Jodie Comer , whose addictive performance is smothered with macabre glee, surreal contradiction, and playful, erotic allure.         In between this surge and flow river and raging volcano are Carolyn Martens, head of the Russia Section at MI6 , and Konstantin Vasiliev, ...

“Vera” (Amazon Prime) Season 14 (only 2 episodes), British crime drama series based on the Vera Stanhope series of novels by Ann Cleeves . Stars Brenda Blethyn as the principal character, Detective Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope.         I was hooked to this series for its non-bombastic structure, small-town intimacy, and Ms Blethyn, whose infectious grandmotherly aura kept the series to last this long.         Premise by way of Wikipedia: Vera is a nearly retired detective chief inspector of the fictional Northumberland & City Police, who is obsessive about her work. She plods along in a dishevelled state but has a calculating mind and despite her irascible personality, she cares deeply about her work and colleagues. She often proves her superior skills by picking up small errors in her team members' thought processes.        I don't need to add to that. In case you ...

“Dark Winds” (Netflix) 2 Seasons, crime thriller , based on the Leaphorn & Chee novel series by Tony Hillerman . Leaphorn is Zahn McClarnon ; Chee is Kiowa Gordon + the alluring energy that kept the high-level drama up: Jessica Matten as Bernadette, a Navajo tribal police sergeant who works closely with Leaphorn. The three lead a mostly Native American cast. Executive producers include George R. R. Martin and Robert Redford. The series was renewed for a third season.        The series follows three Navajo Tribal Police officers, Joe Leaphorn , Bernadette Manuelito, and Jim Chee , in the 1970s Four Corners area of the American Southwest .         Regardless of the high-voltage opening sequence, “Dark Winds” isn't a bombastic actioner with a complicated story structure. The show's staying power is its dramatic subtlety and the engaging chemistry of the three central characters. 🎥👍📽

“The Agency” (Paramount+) espionage thriller . Based on the critically acclaimed French series “ Le Bureau des Légendes ,” created by Éric Rochant , the series deals with the London HQ of the U.S. agency (a.k.a. the CIA) that handles agents, tracks them down, disciplines them etcetera.        Central character is Michael Fassbender 's Brandon, codenamed Martian, previously CIA NOC operative in Africa. He works with boss/es Henry ( Jeffrey Wright ) and James (Richard Gere). Otherwise focused and unfeeling, Martian's armour is shattered by love interest Sami ( Jodie Turner-Smith ), a Sudanese anthropologist , and love for daughter Poppy (India Fowler).        A parallel story is woven in that follows Danny ( Saura Lightfoot-Leon ), a new CIA field officer undercover as a geophysics graduate to get on an exchange program to Tehran . She is handled by Naomi (Katherine Waterston), who used to handle Martian. This side s...

“Landman” (Paramount+) drama series created by Taylor Sheridan and Christian Wallace, based on the podcast “ Boomtown ” hosted by Mr Wallace. Billy Bob Thornton is in the lead role as a landman Tommy Norris at an oil company in Texas.          The plot is nothing so big a deal. Oil drilling and the greasy cred that pumps up the desert machismo. Billy Bob's unmistakable smart mouth carries the show. Sideshow is Tommy's attention-hungry (ex)wife Angela (a competent Ali Larter) whose superficial flair for salacious allure is shared by daughter Ainsley (not so competent Michelle Randolph).         Son Cooper (firm and focused Jacob Lofland) holds the family dysfunction with independent wisdom and old-school integrity. Although I was looking for some backstories why Cooper is worlds-apart different from sis Ainsley. (Let Season 2 handle that, I guess?) Anyhow, with the obligatory thriller nuisance provided by ...

“Lee” (2023, Hulu) British biographical war drama film directed by Ellen Kuras in her feature directorial debut , adapted from the 1985 biography “The Lives of Lee Miller” by Antony Penrose , Ms Miller's son.          Kate Winslet is legendary WWII journalist Lee Miller . In a totally off his usual (comedic) assignment, Andy Samberg is David Scherman, LIFE photographer and Lee's close friend .        Meticulously shot yet without the howling bombast of war or hysterical drama of most bio-flicks, “Lee” easily qualifies as a veteran work though it is Ms Kuras’ first full-length feature film.         Ellen Kuras holds a huge portfolio of cinematic work as cinematographer s. She has collaborated with directors such as Michel Gondry , Spike Lee , Sam Mendes , Jim Jarmusch , Rebecca Miller , Martin Scorsese and more. She is the three-time winner of the Award for Excellence in ...

“Before” (Apple TV+)  psychological thriller , starring Billy Crystal in a role that we are not used to seeing him in. P remise: A recently widowed child psychologist meets with his next client, who mysteriously shows up at his house and appears to know things about him. The child appears to have psychotic episodes that result in harm to himself or others, but the psychologist senses something in these episodes that appear to point to a "source" which the psychologist appears to relate to.        In many instances, the series suggested a foray into the icky realm of Ryan Murphy-ish blood gore or threatened to slip into supernatural lore. But it didn't. It managed to tread a graspable terrain of realism as we carried on.         Stellar acting all throughout by Mr Crystal as the grief-stricken and confused psychologist Eli and Rosie Perez as Denise, the foster mom of the mysterious boy. The most remarkab...