'Vive Akugha
Bio
I write on various things: social issues, well-being, cinema and out of curiosity. More!
Stories (160)
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"Ballerina," "Wall to Wall," and "Brick": Brief and Not-So-Brief Opinions: Part 20
Brick (Netflix), Ballerina, Wall to Wall (Netflix) .… The 'brief and not-so-brief opinions' articles are my outlet to rant about or appreciate movies, shows and their elements. I will express my thoughts while watching and after or only after watching, it depends. I will not be rating. These are not spoiler-free for the most part, and no research will be made for or about them (unless it's out of curiosity or accidental, which would be mentioned). They are in no particular order of recent watching as well. However, the opinions are based on the order in which the movie or series is viewed (for the most part). This wouldn't be as structured or detailed, and there would be no set number of picks per article. It would be just as things go. It is intended to be casual. So think…conversations about movie plots, characters, topics, or something like that.
By 'Vive Akugha6 months ago in Geeks
"Black Bag," "G20," and "The Amateur": Brief and Not-So-Brief Opinions: Part 19
The Amateur, G20 (Prime Video), and Black Bag. … The 'brief and not-so-brief opinions' articles are my outlet to rant about or appreciate movies, shows and their elements. I will express my thoughts while watching and after or only after watching, it depends. I will not be rating. These are not spoiler-free for the most part, and no research will be made for or about them (unless it's out of curiosity or accidental, which would be mentioned). They are in no particular order of recent watching as well. However, the opinions are based on the order in which the movie or series is viewed (for the most part). This wouldn't be as structured or detailed, and there would be no set number of picks per article. It would be just as things go. It is intended to be casual. So think…conversations about movie plots, characters, topics, or something like that.
By 'Vive Akugha8 months ago in Geeks
"The Gorge," "One of Them Days," and "The Instigators": Brief and Not-So-Brief Opinions: Part 18
The Gorge (Apple TV+), One of Them Days, and The Instigators (Apple TV+). … The 'brief and not-so-brief opinions' articles are my outlet to rant about or appreciate movies, shows and their elements. I will express my thoughts while watching and after or only after watching, it depends. I will not be rating. These are not spoiler-free for the most part, and no research will be made for or about them (unless it's out of curiosity or accidental, which would be mentioned). They are in no particular order of recent watching as well. However, the opinions are based on the order in which the movie or series is viewed (for the most part). This wouldn't be as structured or detailed, and there would be no set number of picks per article. It would be just as things go. It is intended to be casual. So think…conversations about movie plots, characters, topics, or something like that.
By 'Vive Akugha8 months ago in Geeks
"The Afterparty," "Spellbound," and "Remarriage & Desires": Brief and Not-So-Brief Opinions: Part 17
Remarriage & Desires (Netflix), The Afterparty (Apple TV+), and Spellbound (Netflix). … The 'brief and not-so-brief opinions' articles are my outlet to rant about or appreciate movies, shows and their elements. I will express my thoughts while watching and after or only after watching, it depends. I will not be rating. These are not spoiler-free for the most part, and no research will be made for or about them (unless it's out of curiosity or accidental, which would be mentioned). They are in no particular order of recent watching as well. However, the opinions are based on the order in which the movie or series is viewed (for the most part). This wouldn't be as structured or detailed, and there would be no set number of picks per article. It would be just as things go. It is intended to be casual. So think…conversations about movie plots, characters, topics, or something like that.
By 'Vive Akugha8 months ago in Geeks
"Drop" intends to give strength to survivors of abuse.
First dates can be nerve-wracking, but having a stranger send targeted images and messages through a fictional version of AirDrop is cause for alarm. A spoiler warning and sensitive topics (including domestic violence, emotional abuse, etc.) warning are in effect! Violet's (Meghann Fahy) attempt at getting back into the dating scene comes with more than an emotional hurdle as a mysterious character threatens her to destroy evidence before killing her date, the mayoral press photographer, Henry (Brandon Sklenar). Each Drop becomes increasingly worrying as her son and sister are held hostage until she does the stranger's bidding.
By 'Vive Akugha8 months ago in Geeks
"Havoc," "Freaky Tales," and "Drop": Brief and Not-So-Brief Opinions: Part 16
Freaky Tales, Havoc (Netflix), and Drop. … The 'brief and not-so-brief opinions' articles are my outlet to rant about or appreciate movies, shows and their elements. I will express my thoughts while watching and after or only after watching, it depends. I will not be rating. These are not spoiler-free for the most part, and no research will be made for or about them (unless it's out of curiosity or accidental, which would be mentioned). They are in no particular order of recent watching as well. However, the opinions are based on the order in which the movie or series is viewed (for the most part). This wouldn't be as structured or detailed, and there would be no set number of picks per article. It would be just as things go. It is intended to be casual. So think…conversations about movie plots, characters, topics, or something like that.
By 'Vive Akugha8 months ago in Geeks
The depressingly realistic representations in Netflix's "Devil May Cry."
It's a tough few days for demon hunter Dante as his limits are tested both physically and emotionally, drawing him into a battle against the demon invasion of Earth, armed with two vital pieces that only he can provide or partially provide. A spoiler warning and sensitive topics (including religion, mental health, mass murder, etc.) warning are in effect! Dante (Johnny Yong Bosch) makes his comeback in a new revival of Devil May Cry, succeeding the 2007 12-episode anime inspired by the Japanese video game series created by Hideki Kamiya. This 2025 installment by Adi Shankar invites the franchise's dedicated fans to explore its revisions and consistencies as Dante is urged by the White Rabbit (Hoon Lee) and members of the government organization Dark Realm Command (DARKCOM) to awaken his dormant abilities and give up his family heirloom.
By 'Vive Akugha8 months ago in Geeks
Another Black woman runs the White House in Shonda Rhimes' new Netflix series, "The Residence."
Hit series veteran Shonda Rhimes returns to Netflix and The White House with The Residence, an eight-episode exploration into the death of White House Chief Usher, A.B. Wynter (Giancarlo Esposito). A spoiler warning is in effect! Cordelia Cupp (Uzo Aduba) acts in favour of Police Chief Dokes (Isiah Whitlock Jr.) by becoming the out-sourced detective tasked with uncovering A.B.'s cause of death in an effort to mitigate the damage to the new presidency's already poor reputation. President Perry Morgan (Paul Fitzgerald) and his husband, Elliot (Barrett Foa), are the first gay couple in the White House I've encountered, and they appear incompetent as well. I found myself questioning whether this reflects poorly on representation or if it's a positive step towards normalcy, suggesting that they and Black women can be less than perfect, as many believe. Nonetheless, they demonstrate no clear strengths throughout the series; there is a noticeable lack of respect towards this president, with people making disrespectful remarks only to add "respectfully' afterward. This is further highlighted by Elliot's mother, Ms. Cox (Jane Curtin), who visibly reacts with disgust every time they discuss her son's husband. I enjoyed Cordelia's connection with Ms. Cox, grounded in shared views and compatible personalities.
By 'Vive Akugha8 months ago in Geeks
"The Electric State" fails to reach its full power.
With two fake deaths and an interesting (yet simultaneously uninteresting) progression of events, Netflix's The Electric State is one you will not be torn over. I understand this is an adaptation based on the 2018 novel by Simon Stålenhag, and there are people who will always take a side on the book versus movie or series debate, but I don't think this movie was what they hoped for it to be. A spoiler warning is in effect! Michelle (Millie Bobby Brown) embarks on a quest to find the last surviving member of her family with the goal of freeing her brother from a mega-corporation's grip. She is assisted by his subconscious residing in a robot, along with Keats (Chris Pratt) and Herman (Anthony Mackie), who join her after she catches a ride with them while they evade the police and others during their mission to save Christopher (Woody Norman) and the world from the technological war. Despite the substantial budget, the movie had a certain lack of quality. The opening scene with Christopher taking the test felt overly simplistic, particularly when he encounters a Corporal (Camrus Johnson) who questions him about his shirt and his pro-robot stance, which seemed out of place and poorly executed. This feeling about the actors' performances surfaced multiple times; at moments, I found the voice actors more compelling than those physically present. The scene where Herman carries them on his shoulder while Michelle and Keats converse struck me as the most authentic.
By 'Vive Akugha8 months ago in Geeks
"Devil May Cry," "The Residence," and "The Electric State": Brief and Not-So-Brief Opinions: Part 15
The Residence (Netflix), Devil May Cry (Netflix), and The Electric State (Netflix). … The 'brief and not-so-brief opinions' articles are my outlet to rant about or appreciate movies, shows and their elements. I will express my thoughts while watching and after or only after watching, it depends. I will not be rating. These are not spoiler-free for the most part, and no research will be made for or about them (unless it's out of curiosity or accidental, which would be mentioned). They are in no particular order of recent watching as well. However, the opinions are based on the order in which the movie or series is viewed (for the most part). This wouldn't be as structured or detailed, and there would be no set number of picks per article. It would be just as things go. It is intended to be casual. So think…conversations about movie plots, characters, topics, or something like that.
By 'Vive Akugha8 months ago in Geeks
The benefit of contract marriage in Netflix's "The Trunk."
The mystery of The Trunk's owner appears unimportant in light of an obsessive stalker and a controlling ex-wife, but it shapes the story's past and present. This 2024 series adaptation is based on a novel of the same name, authored by Kim Ryeo-ryeong. A spoiler warning and sensitive topics (including emotional abuse, stalking, etc.) warning are in effect! This modern drama focused on the life of Han Jeong-won (Gong Yoo) and his contract marriage to Noh In-ji (Seo Hyun-jin), a punishment from his ex-wife, Lee Seo-yeon (Jung Yun-ha). As I watched, I exercised a lot of patience, hoping that Seo-yeon's reason would be justified, instead, she became more and more controlling. I was convinced that she may never have cared about him, given all she did to him, or maybe she once did and felt unloved because he always sought after In-ji. To be honest, I'm inclined to believe she's just heinous in nature as In-ji, and all the other characters, including Seo-yeon, believed as well.
By 'Vive Akugha8 months ago in Geeks
Netflix's "When the Phone Rings" has a happy ending, and it's weird.
If you've ever wanted to switch lives with someone, Baek Sa-eon's (Yoo Yeon-seok) experience of both the privilege and plight, with one being more than the other, will make you retract your hopes as his life shows it's just not worth it in the long run. This 2024 series is based on the 2022 web novel "The Number You Have Dialed," authored by Geon Eomul Nye, and is the source for the ongoing Manhwa (South Korean comic) adaptation. A spoiler warning and sensitive topics (including emotional abuse, stalking, etc.) warning are in effect! Sa-eon is a typical emotionally unavailable male lead who is strict with his mute wife, Hong Hee-joo (Chae Soo-bin), until he isn't. The kidnapping of his wife leads to several events as Hee-joo, feeling betrayed, devises a plan to escape the contract marriage unscathed.
By 'Vive Akugha8 months ago in Geeks
