Ni una Mas, Raising Voices, 2024

Raising Voices (Spanish: Ni una más) is an Spanish teen drama television miniseries based on the novel by Miguel Sáez Carral. It stars Nicole Wallace, Clara Galle, and Aïcha Villaverde. The series premiered on 31 May 2024 on Netflix.

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The plot follows the plight of 17-year-old Alma and fellow friends Greta and Nata. Their normality is upended the day Alma hangs a banner in their high-school reading "watch out, there is a rapist hiding in there".

CAST

Nicole Wallace as Alma

Clara Galle as Greta

Aïcha Villaverde as Nata

Teresa de Mera as Berta

José Pastor as David

Gabriel Guevara as Alberto

Eloy Azorín

Ruth Díaz

Iván Massagué

Rating: 10 Stars

Old, 2021

 Old is a 2021 American body horror thriller film written, directed, and produced by M. Night Shyamalan. It is based on the French-language Swiss graphic novel Sandcastle by Pierre Oscar Lévy and Frederik Peeters. The film features an ensemble cast consisting of Gael García Bernal, Vicky Krieps, Rufus Sewell, Alex Wolff, Thomasin McKenzie, Abbey Lee, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Ken Leung, Eliza Scanlen, Aaron Pierre, Embeth Davidtz, and Emun Elliott. The plot follows a group of people who find themselves aging rapidly on a secluded beach.

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Guy and Prisca Cappa are going through a separation. To avoid saddening their young children, Maddox and Trent, the couple take them to a tropical resort as a final family vacation. At their hotel, Guy and Prisca are given complimentary drinks, and the children befriend Idlib, the resort manager's nephew. At night, Maddox and Trent overhear their parents arguing and play a message decoding game with Idlib. During the argument, it is revealed that Prisca has a benign slow-growing ovarian tumour.

The next morning, the manager invites the family to a secluded beach where three additional parties are present: rapper Brendan "Mid-Sized Sedan" and his female companion; surgeon Charles, his elderly mother Agnes, his wife Chrystal, and their young daughter Kara; as well as Jarin and Patricia Carmichael, a close-knit husband and wife. Trent discovers the corpse of Brendan's companion. Charles grows suspicious of Brendan, who reveals that he has been experiencing nosebleeds because of his hemophilia. After the children rapidly turn into teenagers and Agnes suddenly dies, the families conclude that the beach is aging them, with the occupants undergoing the equivalent of one year of aging every 30 minutes. At least one member of each family has an underlying medical condition. They discover that trying to leave will result in them blacking out and waking up back where they left.

In a fit of rage, Charles cuts Brendan with a pocket knife, and the group watches as his injury quickly heals. Prisca's supposedly slow-growing ovarian tumour rapidly grows in size at a life-threatening rate. Charles performs a successful surgery to remove it. Brendan discovers that the body of his companion has fully decomposed in a matter of hours. Kara and Trent continue to age into their late teens, and after having sex with each other, Kara gets pregnant at a rapid pace. She gives birth, but the baby dies due to the time rapidly passing. The attempts to leave grow increasingly tense as Charles's worsening schizophrenia causes him to kill Brendan. As the day goes on, Jarin drowns, Kara falls to her death, and Patricia suffers a fatal epileptic seizure. Guy's eyesight blurs, and Prisca suffers hearing loss. Trent and Maddox discover the notebook of a previous traveller, along with indications of their being watched. At night, Charles attacks Guy and Prisca in a schizophrenic episode; Prisca runs as Charles continues to attack Guy. Chrystal's hypocalcaemia results in her bones rupturing, killing her. Prisca returns and slashes Charles with a rusted knife, instigating a fatal blood infection that kills him. An elderly Guy and Prisca make amends before dying moments apart from each other.

With only the now-middle-aged Maddox and Trent remaining by the next morning, the pair construct a sandcastle. They revisit a secret message given to them by Idlib, which Trent deduces is connected to an underwater coral passage. Believing that the passage will allow them to leave the beach without losing consciousness, he and his sister start swimming through the coral. After they seemingly fail to emerge from the water, a resort employee who is monitoring them reports that the entire group has died. He gives the news to the manager, who warns of a previous incident where a guest almost escaped from the beach. The manager then announces that trial 73 has concluded.

It is revealed that the resort is a front for a research team from the pharmaceutical company Warren & Warren that was conducting clinical trials of new medical drugs, which are administered to guests with medical conditions by spiking their drinks. Because the beach naturally accelerates the lives of the guests, the researchers have been able to complete the lifelong drug trials within a day. The researchers lure a new group to the beach, but are interrupted by Trent and Maddox, who survived their underwater swim, using the notebook as evidence that they give to vacationing police officer Greg Mitchel, who informs his boss of the researchers' crimes. The researchers are mentioned to have been arrested, with subpoenas sent to the rest of Warren & Warren, as Greg plans to reunite Trent and Maddox with their aunt.

Rating: 10 Stars

Cold Meat, 2023

Cold Meat is a 2023 thriller film directed by Sébastien Drouin. Here’s a brief overview:

David Petersen, portrayed by Allen Leech, is a psycho serial killer that killed many women in USA. One of the victims he killed while hitchhiking on a quiet road. 

While he is passing through the Colorado Rockies, during a break from driving, he saves a young diner waitress called Anna portrayed by Nina Bergman from her violent ex-husband Vincent, portrayed by Yan Tual. However, as he continues driving through a dangerous snow blizzard, he crashes and wakes up injured and trapped in a ravine. The cold weather is the least of his worries when he spots a beast prowling outside. He is with Anna in the trunk and searchs for a place to kill her. In his search he gets injured and Anna succeeds to scape. She tries to scape the place, however is a desert land covered by snow. In the end David is catched by a giant monster reindeer that fed on him. Anna survived but the film didn't show how she managed to escape.

Allen Leech last work is You can't run Forever, 2024

Nina Bergman last work is Thief of Station, 2024

TRAILER

Yan Tual

Allen Leech

Nina Bergman

Rating: 10 Stars

Badland Hunters, 2024 (Another one from South Korea)

Badland Hunters (Korean: 황야) is a 2024 South Korean post-apocalyptic action film directed by Heo Myung-haeng in his directorial debut. A standalone sequel to Concrete Utopia (2023), it follows characters trying to survive in post-earthquake Seoul, now an orderless wasteland, three years after the original film's events. Producer Byun Seung-min is the only key crew member to return from the original film.

In the end when they succeeded to kill the other zombie variations that looked like serpents, God sent them Rain, to confirm that it was real. They all believed that God was there watching them and they all got emotional. 👏

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In a post-apocalyptic Seoul, Nam-san, a relentless wasteland hunter, along with his friend Choi Ji-wan and other survivors, are living a hard life in their village. Nam-san and Ji-wan navigate the desolate wastelands and scavenge for resources to sustain their community. Trouble ensues when Su-na, who is from their village, is kidnapped by a rogue scientist, Dr. Yang Gi-su, who has been illegally experimenting with making humans immortal by injecting them with a certain serum, which has led to the death of many teenagers.

Gi-su needed more supplies for the serum, and he had set up a network to bring more teenagers to his camp, in an apartment complex. Nam-san, Ji-wan, and Lee Eun-ho, a military sergeant of the camp, discover Gi-su's experiments and go to rescue Su-na. It is revealed that Gi-su had been conducting experiments to revive his daughter So-yeon, who had died around the time when Seoul became a wasteland.

Nam-san, Ji-wan, and Eun-ho arrive at the camp and fight with mutant soldiers. They manage to rescue Su-na, while Gi-su escapes with So-yeon's body in a suitcase. However, he is surrounded by a mob of people, who are prepared to beat him to death. While shooting at the crowd, he accidentally damages the suitcase, killing So-yeon. Nam-san kills Gi-su and returns to his village, along with Su-na and Ji-wan.

CAST

• Ma Dong-seok as Nam-san, a relentless wasteland hunter. He worked with Angelina Jolie in Eternals. 
• Lee Hee-joon as Yang Gi-su, a doctor who survived the catastrophe
• Lee Jun-young as Choi Ji-wan, Nam-san's trusted partner
• Roh Jeong-eui as Han Su-na, a bold girl who is kidnapped by Gi-su
• Ahn Ji-hye as Lee Eun-ho, a special forces sergeant
• Jang Young-nam as a teacher
• Lee Han-joo as Lee Joo-ye, a teenage girl kidnapped by Gi-su
• Park Hyo-jun as Tiger, a former rival of Nam-san
• Seong Byeong-suk as Su-na's grandmother

Rating: 10 Stars

Chronicle, 2012 (Leaving Soon on Netflix)

 Chronicle is a 2012 American found footage superhero thriller film directed by Josh Trank with a screenplay by Max Landis from a story they both co-wrote. It follows three Seattle high school seniors, bullied Andrew (Dane DeHaan), his cousin Matt (Alex Russell), and more popular Steve (Michael B. Jordan), who form a bond after gaining telekinetic powers from an unknown object and using them for fun, although Andrew begins going down a darker path.

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Seattle teenager Andrew Detmer is bullied at school and abused by his alcoholic father Richard, while also coping with his mother Karen's battle with cancer. His only friend is his cousin, Matt Garetty. Inspired by Matt's on-and-off girlfriend Casey, Andrew buys a camera to create a video diary about his life.

Matt invites Andrew to a party to help him mingle, but he leaves after his filming causes an altercation with another attendee. Popular student Steve Montgomery approaches Andrew and asks him to record a large hole he and Matt discovered in the woods. The three journey down the hole where they discover a glowing crystalline object. The object suddenly begins to react violently, and the camera shorts out.

A few days later, Andrew, Matt, and Steve have developed telekinetic abilities, though they suffer nosebleeds when they overexert themselves. Unable to revisit the hole after it is closed off by police, they start using their abilities to play pranks on people, but it goes too far when Andrew telekinetically pushes a rude motorist off the road into a nearby pond. Steve manages to save the man from drowning, but Matt insists they restrict the use of their powers, particularly against living beings.

After Steve discovers they have the ability of flight, they agree to fly around the world together following graduation, with Andrew in particular desiring to visit Tibet. Steve convinces Andrew to use his powers for a magic act in the school talent show, which impresses their peers. Andrew relishes his newfound popularity at a house party, but the night ends in disaster when he drunkenly vomits on a classmate he intended to have sex with, and Steve accidentally offends him while trying to lighten the mood.

Richard confronts Andrew after finding his camera. In the ensuing argument, Richard attacks Andrew, who retaliates by using his powers against Richard before fleeing the house. Andrew flies out into the middle of a lightning storm, and Steve follows to console him. Becoming increasingly frustrated as Steve refuses to leave, Andrew unintentionally uses his powers to fatally strike Steve with lightning. When questioned by Matt at Steve's funeral, Andrew denies responsibility for the incident, but later privately begs for forgiveness at Steve's grave.

Andrew is once again ostracized at school following the incident at the party. After telekinetically ripping teeth from a bully's mouth, Andrew begins to identify as an apex predator and rationalizes that he should not feel guilty for using his powers to hurt those weaker than him. Desperate to pay for his mother's treatment, Andrew disguises himself with his father's firefighter gear and uses his powers to rob a gang and a gas station, inadvertently causing an explosion that puts him in the hospital and police custody. At his bedside, a distraught Richard informs an unconscious Andrew that Karen has died after Richard had spent the day searching for him. Blaming Andrew for Karen's death, Richard prepares to strike him, but Andrew abruptly awakens and violently blows out the wall of the room.

Matt experiences a severe nosebleed and realizes Andrew is in trouble after seeing a news alert about a mysterious explosion downtown. He and Casey head to the hospital to find Andrew unleashing his rage all over downtown, too blinded by anger to realize he is hurting innocent people. Matt fights Andrew, crashing through buildings, hurling vehicles, and landing at Space Needle while the police surround them. Matt tries to reason with Andrew, but the latter violently injures him before threatening other bystanders. Realizing that Andrew is beyond help, Matt reluctantly impales him with a spear from a nearby statue and flies away before the police can reach him.

Sometime later, Matt lands in Tibet with Andrew's camera. He films one last video where he apologizes to Andrew, vows to use his powers for good, and promises to discover the truth about what happened to them. He points the camera at a Tibetan monastery in the distance before flying away, leaving the camera behind.

Rating: 10 Stars

Young Sheldon, 2017-2024 (On Netflix till Season 6) George died in the 7th Season.

Young Sheldon is an American coming-of-age sitcom television series that aired on CBS from September 25, 2017, to May 16, 2024. Created by Chuck Lorre and Steven Molaro, the show serves as a spin-off prequel to The Big Bang Theory. Set during the late 80s and early 90s, it follows the life of child prodigy Sheldon Cooper as he grows up with his family in East Texas. The talented Iain Armitage stars as young Sheldon, alongside a cast that includes Zoe Perry, Lance Barber, Montana Jordan, Raegan Revord and, Annie Potts. Interestingly, Jim Parsons, who portrayed the adult Sheldon Cooper in The Big Bang Theory, not only narrated the series but also served as an executive producer.

The development of this prequel series began in November 2016, stemming from an initial idea that Jim Parsons shared with the producers of The Big Bang Theory. The show premiered as a special preview on September 25, 2017, and was later picked up for a full season. It continued to air weekly starting from November 2, 2017. In March 2021, CBS renewed the series for a seventh season, which premiered on February 15, 2024. However, in November 2023, CBS announced that the show would conclude after its seventh season, and the one-hour series finale aired on May 16, 2024.

Young Sheldon has received positive reviews from both critics and fans since its release. Additionally, there’s exciting news for fans of the show: a spin-off series centered around Georgie Cooper and Mandy McAllister is currently in development, titled Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage. 

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PREMISE

The series follows Sheldon Cooper's early life as a child prodigy in the fictional town of Medford, Texas. As he grows up, he tries to fit into a world of people, including his own family and friends, who struggle to cope with his intellectual capabilities and social ineptitude. While the timeline begins in the fall of 1989, the passage of time is indicated by episodes referencing historic or pop cultural events from the early 1990s, some of which are unique to the US.

Series Overview:

The show premiered as a special preview on September 25, 2017, and was picked up for a full season that began airing weekly on November 2, 2017.

In March 2021, CBS renewed the series through to a seventh season, which premiered on February 15, 2024.

In November 2023, CBS announced that the seventh season would be its last season.

During the course of the series, 141 episodes of Young Sheldon aired over seven seasons, between September 25, 2017, and May 16, 20241.

Seasons:

Season 1 (2017–18): The first season consists of 22 episodes and follows 9-year-old genius Sheldon Cooper as he begins high school in the ninth grade. He questions his teachers, informs students of their rule-breaking, and tries to find his place in the new school.

Season 2 (2018–19): The second season also has 22 episodes and continues Sheldon’s adventures as he navigates school and family life.

Season 3 (2019–20): With 21 episodes, this season explores more of Sheldon’s childhood experiences.

Season 4 (2020–21): The fourth season, comprising 18 episodes, delves into Sheldon’s growth and relationships.

Season 5 (2021–22): In this season, with 22 episodes, we see Sheldon facing new challenges and milestones.

Season 6 (2022–23): Another 22-episode season that follows Sheldon’s journey as he matures.

Season 7 (2024): The seventh and final season consists of 14 episodes, bringing the series to a close. 

Let’s dive into the quirky adventures of young Sheldon Cooper from the TV series Young Sheldon. 

Child Prodigy:

Sheldon Cooper, portrayed by Iain Armitage, is a child prodigy with an exceptional intellect. His genius-level IQ and unique personality set him apart from his peers.

From a young age, Sheldon displays an intense interest in science, mathematics, and theoretical physics. He often corrects his teachers and classmates, leading to both admiration and frustration.

Family Dynamics:

Sheldon lives with his family in East Texas. His father, George Cooper Sr., works as a football coach, while his mother, Mary Cooper, is a devout Christian.

His twin sister, Missy, is his complete opposite—outgoing, athletic, and not academically inclined. Their interactions provide comedic moments throughout the series.

Social Challenges:

Sheldon’s lack of social skills and understanding of sarcasm make it difficult for him to connect with others. He takes things literally and struggles with empathy.

His friendship with Tam, a Vietnamese boy, and his interactions with his neighbor, Billy Sparks, add depth to his character.

School Life:

The series follows Sheldon as he enters high school at the age of 9. His interactions with teachers, classmates, and administrators are both amusing and heartwarming.

His teacher, Ms. Ingram, tries to accommodate his advanced knowledge, but Sheldon’s insistence on following rules to the letter often leads to humorous situations.

Obsessions and Rituals:

Sheldon has various obsessions, including trains, comic books, and scientific theories. His room is filled with model train sets and comic book memorabilia.

He adheres to strict routines, such as knocking three times before entering a room or sitting in the same spot on the couch.

Family Support:

Despite their differences, Sheldon’s family supports him. His mother, especially, encourages his scientific pursuits and tries to balance his academic life with social experiences.

His relationship with his beloved Meemaw (his grandmother) is heartwarming and provides emotional depth to the show.

Growing Up:

As the seasons progress, we witness Sheldon’s growth. He faces challenges, makes friends, and learns valuable life lessons.

The series beautifully captures the essence of childhood, curiosity, and the journey toward adulthood.

Young Sheldon combines humor, heart, and nostalgia, making it a delightful watch for fans of The Big Bang Theory and anyone who enjoys endearing coming-of-age stories.

In the seventh and final season of Young Sheldon, which concluded on May 16, 2024, several significant events took place:

George’s Death:

The season begins with the unexpected death of George Cooper Sr. (portrayed by Lance Barber) due to a heart attack.

The Cooper family grapples with their grief, each member coping in their own way.

Sheldon’s Regret:

Sheldon Cooper (played by Iain Armitage) reflects on the last moments he spent with his father before George went to work.

He wishes he had done things differently and replays a poignant scene from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, where Spock tells Captain Kirk, “I have been and always shall be… your friend.”

Family Dynamics:

Missy (Raegan Revord) processes her father’s death by lashing out at Sheldon and expressing her emotions.

Meemaw (Annie Potts) offers advice to keep George’s eulogy “short and sweet.”

Full Circle:

The series finale comes full circle as Jim Parsons and Mayim Bialik reprise their Big Bang Theory roles as adult Sheldon and Amy.

The present-day scenes tie back to the past, providing closure for the Cooper family during this difficult time.

Rating: 10 Stars

LIFT, 2024

Lift is a 2024 American heist comedy film directed by F. Gary Gray and written by Daniel Kunka. The film stars Kevin Hart (who also served as a producer), Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Vincent D'Onofrio, Úrsula Corberó, Billy Magnussen, Jacob Batalon, Jean Reno, and Sam Worthington.

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PLOT

Cyrus, a renowned international thief, leads a heist crew that consists of Denton, pilot Camila, hacker Mi-Sun, safecracker Magnus, and engineer Luke. They undertake two simultaneous thefts, stealing a Van Gogh painting in London while staging the fake kidnapping of renowned NFT artist N8 in Venice. The team staged a kidnapping for N8 and Cyrus points out that famous paintings rapidly increase in value after being stolen and he says that his crew stole the Van Gogh painting and sold it in the black market for $20 million to buy N8 NFTs. After being "kidnapped", N8's NFT ballooned in value to $89 million. N8 decides to celebrate with the team after being promised a cut of the money.

Interpol agent Abby Gladwell, a former fling of Cyrus, uncovers evidence implicating Denton, in the theft and arrests him. Rather than proceed with charges against the crew, Abby's superior, Commander Huxley, leverages their legal predicament to force them to help capture billionaire Lars Jorgenson, who intends to make more money by working with the hacking group Leviathan to stage a massive flooding in Europe, allowing him to make billions in profit through stock manipulation. As Leviathan requires payment in untraceable gold bullion, Jorgenson has arranged for a shipment of gold to be taken from his vault in London and flown to Leviathan's bank in Zürich via a commercial airliner. As part of the deal for clean records for Cyrus and all his members, Cyrus insists Abby join the team to provide certain cover for Interpol.

The crew determines they will only be able to steal the gold while the airliner is in mid-air. To do so, they procure a private jet from a rich private art collector named Molsen that Camila will fly directly underneath the airliner, allowing Mi-Sun to switch the radar signals to make it seem like the plane is still on course while the crew diverts it to a private airfield. In exchange for loaning his private jet, Cyrus promises Molsen to persuade N8 to make a special NFT art for him. After Magnus cracks the safe and Jorgenson's henchmen are incapacitated, the crew will extract the gold via the jet.

Their timing is complicated when Jorgenson executes a mole in his organization and moves up the delivery date. Nevertheless, the crew is ready on time. After successfully diverting the plane, Jorgenson's henchmen attempt an hijack, resulting in a fight on board the plane. Magnus, Abby, Cyrus, and Camila are captured. Magnus escapes on the ground, while the remaining three are taken aboard the jet with the gold, headed for Jorgenson's estate in Tuscany.

Desperate for the gold to not reach Jorgenson, Huxley orders the plane shot down by NATO. Harry, the crew's contact at air traffic control, works with Camila to get a message to the pilots that there are hostages on board, forcing them to stand down. Another fight between the crew and Jorgenson's henchmen results in the jet crash landing on the grounds of Jorgenson's villa.

Abby, Cyrus, and Camila are captured at gunpoint by Jorgenson, who also executes Leviathan's representative after they decide to cancel the deal. The Carabinieri arrive, and Cyrus uses N8's NFT technology to show them a recording of Jorgenson murdering the representative. Jorgenson is arrested, while Abby punches Huxley upon learning he authorized the NATO jets. She resigns from Interpol and joins Cyrus.

Weeks later, Cyrus reveals to Abby that the crew stole the gold shipment during the heist on the airliner, replacing the actual shipment with iron bars painted to look like gold. Together, the crew recover their gold haul and celebrate their success while Cyrus and Abby rekindle their relationship.

Rating: 10 Stars