The Boys season 4 | Review by: Benjamin Garrett

After nearly two years of waiting, Amazon’s smash hit is back for its penultimate season. These eight episodes are as gleefully violent, sexually diabolical and politically ruthless as you’d expect from The Boys, even when the plot sometimes loses its way through the carnage.

This season slows things down a bit, while setting the stage for its eventual conclusion. Showrunner Eric Kripke is sticking to his original five season plan, which is admirable given how wildly successful the show is. However, with the endgame in sight, this batch of episodes can’t help but feel like somewhat of a bridge season. That’s not to say it’s uneventful or doesn’t deliver what fans have come to expect from the show. There’s just a lot up in the air right now, and eight episodes simply isn’t enough time to accomplish everything it tries to.

Despite being overcrowded and having a less focused trajectory, The Boys still knows how to show its audience a bloody good time. The season follows Victoria Neuman on her campaign trail, and with this being an election year in the States, the political commentary is especially pointed. The Boys has never been subtle in its skewering of far-right politics, American media, and the superhero genre itself. The show unapologetically doubles down on all of it this time around. Of course, there’s also the over-the-top violence and sexual debauchery the show’s known for, and if you thought it could no longer surprise you in that area, you’ve got another thing coming.

We get some really interesting character arcs this season, from both old and new faces. A-Train in particular is given his most interesting arc since season one, and I really liked where they decided to take his character. Hughie is given a family focused story, which sidelines him for the first half of the season, but it’s important to his character’s growth, and packs a surprising emotional punch. Oh and how could I forget Homelander - the role Antony Starr was born to play. He’s every bit as terrifying and impulsive, but now has to navigate being a father figure to Ryan. The handful of new characters make great additions - especially Sister Sage - the smartest person on earth. She has no physical supe abilities, but uses her mind in manipulative ways that keep her several steps ahead.

Season four of The Boys finds the series slipping back into comfortable territory, with slightly lowered stakes but just as much of everything else we love about it. Razor sharp sociopolitical satire, buckets of blood and plenty of other deviousness elevate this bridge season, as the show sets the stage for what’s looking to be an epic final run.

4/5

Review by: Benjamin Garrett

Boss Level Film Review

Boss Level is a new addition to the time loop genre, with a twist. Ex-special forces officer, Roy Pulver, played by Frank Grillo, relives the same day until he dies. Every day he is hunted by assassins and when killed, he wakes up back in his bed where he started, only to have to try and survive all over again. Roy has no idea why he is stuck in this infinite time loop but he must do what he can to survive, and the longer he survives, the more he uncovers about his particular situation. Unlike most action films that take time to build up, this film gets right into it and offers tons of non-stop combat sequences that would satisfy any lover of action films. Its erratic flow makes for some fun action scenes which come out of nowhere since Roy can expect the assassins to attack at any moment. If you play video games often and have ever been stuck on a level for hours or even days, you know the feeling of having to repeat the same thing over and over again u...

Better Man | Review by: Benjamin Garrett

What at first feels like a CGI gimmick allows Better Man to climb and swing it’s way beyond standard biopic conventions. This larger than life musical is worth a watch even if, like me, you needed to ask “Who the hell is Robbie Williams?”. A pop icon in the UK who didn’t quite make a household name for himself in North America, Robbie Williams bares his life (the good the bad and the drug fueled ugly) in this dazzling account of his rise to fame. Musician biopics often focus too heavily on the creation of the artist’s work, and not enough on the actual artist. Better Man gives audiences a sobering portrait of the man behind the monkey, with his songs placed in pivotal life and career moments to move the narrative forward. This works especially well if you aren’t entirely familiar with Williams’ work, because you won’t find yourself waiting to hear specific needle drops. Instead they flow organically into the story, with gorgeously choreographed musical numbers. And bo...

Beautiful Evening, Beautiful Day | Review by: Stefano Bove

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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