Recommendations July 10th
Nope, Anniversary, and more
Movies-
Nope, from the creator and director, Jordan Peele, who made the hit Get Out. On Netflix. So good, even the second time I watched it! It came out in 2022 and I feel like it didn’t get the recognition it deserved. “A man and his sister discover something sinister in the skies above their California horse ranch, while the owner of a nearby theme park tries to profit from the mysterious, otherworldly phenomenon.” (Google)
I’ll tell you now, it isn’t quite what you think it is!
Rabbit Trap on Prime. A couple go to the Welsh countryside to focus on their next music album. He accidentally records something from nature, otherworldy that humans aren’t supposed to hear. Then a strange youngster appears. It’s odd, strange and mesmerizing. If you like eerie, slow suspense, this is for you. Overall, I liked it. Glad I watched it.
Anniversary on Hulu. I’d say it’s a thought experiment on what can happen when ambition, brilliance, and even a touch of psychopathy are utilized. The choices we make today can have huge repercussions later. And sometimes even the creators can have their creations turn on them. Diane Lane and Kyle Chandler star in this family drama that’s more than just a family drama.
Girl in the Picture on Netflix. One of the most incredible and moving documentaries I’ve ever seen. It’s full of so many twists that it will make your head spin. Describes sexual abuse and violence, and it’s disturbing. But you will want to watch to the end to see if the mysteries get solved. The human spirit can be amazing, incredible, and resourceful. Came out in 2022. Made a splash back then. I had to watch it a second time. I knew there were surprises but I had forgotten how many there were.
Series-
Unknown Number: The High School Catfish on Netflix. Bizarre true crime. It was a viral sensation when it first came out. If you haven’t seen it, you must! I had a feeling I knew who it was, but I kept changing my mind. I kept coming back to one person, but surely I was wrong…
Sophie: A Murder in West Cork. Netflix. Very slow but only 3 episodes. A French woman living in Schull, Ireland, is brutally murdered in the middle of the night. The ending is kind of shocking. But I think there’s ample evidence to draw a conclusion. “In 1996, French TV producer Sophie Toscan du Plantier is found beaten to death outside her holiday home in West Cork, Ireland; mired in controversy, the investigation into her murder becomes a national obsession in Ireland and France.”
We Are Jeni — HBO Max. The strange case of an Australian woman who has DID, Dissociative Identity Disorder, caused by years of sexual abuse and torture when she was a child. The first time in history that DID was used as one aspect of proof of abuse. At first I didn’t want to watch it because she seemed so odd. Was she faking it? But as the story progressed, and the experts testified, it was apparent that she was telling the truth. I watch A LOT of true crime. I’ve never seen one where the cops are so horrified by what happened that they can’t give any details, except in the broadest of terms. Enough that we all get the gist of it. As her story progressed, I was amazed that she was as coherent and capable as she was. She deserves all of the grace in the world.