It’s no shock that most movies or shows adapted from video games suck. However, some shows, like HBO’s “The Last of Us” directed by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, managed to surprise everyone with how they turned out. “The Last of Us” demonstrates a near-perfect adaptation because of its characters, settings and soundtrack.  Before the show premiered on Jan. 15, 2023, most of the actors were told not to play the game. This worried me because I did not think the actors could accurately portray characters without the original source...

Creed III, the third installment in the Creed franchise, made its way to theaters on March 3, marking Michael B. Jordan’s directorial debut.  The Rocky spin-off series started in 2015, developing a somewhat unexpected storyline about Apollo Creed, one of the most popular characters in the Rocky film series. The first Creed movie revealed Apollo Creed’s affair resulting in his third child, Adonis Johnson Creed, played by Michael B. Jordan. Creed III was far more entertaining than Creed, since Creed primarily focused on Adonis’s journey...

One Of Us Is Lying Karen M. McManus made a name for herself through her popular young adult thrillers. By far her most well-known novel, “One of Us Is Lying” released as a TV series on Peacock on Oct. 7, 2021. It lasted two seasons before ending in January. The book involves themes from the Breakfast Club, with the four main characters fitting four different high school stereotypes. After their classmate dies in detention, the book/show follows the students as they try to prove their innocence.  The Last Thing He Told Me A popular...

Easily one of the most anticipated shows of the year, season three of Outer Banks aired on Feb. 23. The last season left off with the five main characters, joined by Cleo (Carlacia Grant), deserted on an island. This season began with their rescue, jumping right into the action of the show.  In addition to Cleo (my favorite character by far), a handful of new characters joined Outer Banks full time this season. Most notably John B’s dad, Big John (Charles Halford), and this season’s antagonist Carlos Singh (Andy McQueen). Although I...

Sometimes, we all need a break. A day to stay in, curl up with a fresh mug of tea, and watch the raindrops trickle down the window. Here are ten lovely movies to watch on a day like that.  Howl’s Moving Castle Any Studio Ghibli movie is a solid pick for that nostalgic, comforting, whimsical feel, but a personal favorite is Howl’s Moving Castle. The animated movie follows a young woman named Sophie as she delves headfirst into the world of witches, wizards, romance and war.  The Breakfast Club A cult classic, The Breakfast Club is the...

After 57 hours and 10 minutes of films and shows, Marvel’s Phase Four ended with “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” Marvel released “Antman and the Wasp: Quantumania” on Feb. 17 to kick off Phase Five. Although this movie is held back by weak plot points and a few irritable characters, it succeeds as a good setup for the rest of the phase. Most recent Marvel products, like “Antman and the Wasp: Quantumania,” contain too many generic plot points such as the heroes do something funny, then they get trapped, but while they’re trapped...

Everyone knows Dreamworks can make a masterpiece. “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” directed by Joel Crawford, proves that statement. The movie follows Puss as he travels to get all eight of his lives back to escape death. The film provides memorable characters, impactful animation and great voice performances. Every character in this film brought a smile to my face. Puss in Boots worked well as a side character in “Shrek 2” and as the main protagonist in this movie. From his first appearance, I fell in love with his new design and the...