The Bear Season 4 | Review by: Benjamin Garrett

With season three lowering the heat and bringing everything to a gentle simmer, many wondered if The Bear had lost its spark. While it remained one of the best shows on television, it felt like more of an appetizer season, setting the table for a hopefully delectable main course. With season four, we finally have that main course, and I’m happy to say it was well worth the wait.

While it doesn’t reach the Michelin quality of season two, this is a welcome return of what made the show such a hit. These ten episodes deliver a beautiful balance of thoughtful character development, gorgeously shot culinary sequences, playful lightheartedness and tender moments that’ll make your eyes well up like someone’s chopping onions. It still occasionally gets caught up in the overly-wordy, self indulgent dialogue that soured season three, but those moments are sparse alongside a whole lot of greatness.

This show has always thrived on its flawed but endearing cast of characters, and this season really does them all justice. There are several beautiful moments of catharsis here that the series has been building toward since its first episode back in 2022. Obviously the primary focus remains on Carmy, Syd and Richie, but the supporting characters get their due screen time too. There are a handful of returning guest-star favourites in bigger roles this time around, and while it isn’t totally believable why some of them are involved, they’re more than welcome additions to an already stellar ensemble. Oh, and the cameos this season - they won’t disappoint.

If I were a betting man, I’d put money on this cast locking down several Emmy nominations for their incredible work this season. To nobody’s surprise, Jeremy Allen White continues to nail Carmy’s emotional turmoil, as he struggles with his past and tries to make sense of his future. Ayo Edebiri has always delivered strong work in this series, but she’s outdone herself here, especially in the self-contained season finale. It’s impossible not to adore Richie, with how exceptionally Ebon Moss-Bachrach plays him. Honestly, every performance this season - be it the main cast, supporting players or guest starts - is on point.

Sometimes, ingredients need to simmer in order to deliver a truly special final dish. The Bear spent its previous season doing exactly that, which resulted in this delectable fourth course. With one of the best ensembles on television, a passionate level of respect for the culinary arts, and outstanding character work, Season Four is an umami bomb you don’t want to pass up.

4.5/5

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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