The Bear Season 2 | Review by: Benjamin Garrett

Season one of The Bear left me full. I was so entirely satisfied that I didn’t want any more. I didn’t need it. A second season couldn’t possibly reach the bar set by the first, right? Well… I’ve never been so happy to be wrong.

Season two expands on everything the first did so well, without ever losing sight of what made the show special to begin with. The series’ trademark chaos is cranked beyond the boiling point, but amidst that chaos is a group of beautifully complex and layered characters. Whether it’s the ones we’ve already come to know and love, series newcomers, or even single episode guest stars, every person in this show is exceptionally written and realized.

The performances, once again, are stellar. Jeremy Allen White shows us why he deserved that Golden Globe win last year, but every member of this ridiculously talented ensemble gets a chance to shine. The higher episode count and longer runtimes really allow us to dive deeper into these characters’ lives. In fact, some of the season’s best episodes are the ones focused on just one person.

This show truly excels when sh*t hits the fan, and there’s no finer example than episode six. This supersized, star-studded pressure cooker of an episode captures the chaos of big family gatherings perfectly. It’s not only the best episode of the series, but one of the best episodes of any show you’ll watch this year. Big name guest stars can often be distracting, but they’re utilized perfectly here, including a career best performance from Jamie Lee Curtis.

Stressful, inspiring, poignant and hilarious - The Bear takes all of these ingredients and serves up another exceptional season, cementing itself as one of the finest shows currently on TV. The way this series respects the culinary industry, as well as every one of its characters, make it a show you need to be watching.

5/5

Review by: Benjamin Garrett

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The Mandalorian Season 3 Review

Listen, I love Star Wars. I will always love Star Wars. The original and prequel trilogies were a big part of my childhood, and helped shape my love of cinema. While The Mandalorian isn’t among my favourites in the franchise, I thought it had a promising first season and a significantly stronger season two. Season three had so much potential, but a frustrating lack of focus held it back from greatness. This show’s always had a bit of an identity crisis, but it’s never been as clear as it is here. Does it want to be a procedural-style adventure of the week, or tell an epic, multi-season spanning arc? Season one leaned toward the former, while Season two found a satisfying balance of both. Season three tries to find that balance, but the overarching story it wants to tell is bigger than the few episodes allotted to do so. There are only 8 chapters, some barely over 30 min. That’s a fair...

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Four close friends and renowned filmmakers in 1959’s Yugoslavia are out to make a feature film of the war. They have a unique perspective and are able to discuss the war as decorated war veterans. Lovro, Nenad, Stevan and Ivan use film to express themselves and criticize society but that doesn’t sit well with the Yugoslavian Communist Party. As The Party steps in to control the film for propagandistic reasons, the four filmmakers fear it may be to gain insight on their sexual orientation. Emir Hadžihafizbegović is entrusted by the head of the Communist Party to oversee the films production but is also told by the party to sabotage the film by any means necessary. Emir as well as our four filmmakers are all exceptional in this film. The dynamic between these five actors is a wave of emotions as Emir hides his true intentions and the filmmakers hide their sexual orientation from the world. The film is in a gorgeous black and white and boasts absolutely stunning cinematography from ...

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