On My TV: Now Is Good, In Your Eyes, and Persons Unknown.

Netflix has been consuming my free time at night, so this week, I have three different reviews to post. Don't worry, I've kept them short. ;)

In Your Eyes
Release Date: April 20th, 2014
Run time: 105 Minutes
Written by: Joss Whedon
Directed by: Brin Hill
IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2101569/?ref_=nm_flmg_wr_3

My review:

Here’s the deal: I’m a huge Joss Whedon fan. I will watch anything the man is involved with. Anything. So when In Your Eyes was released on Vimeo to rent for only five dollars, I jumped at the chance.

This isn’t the typical Whedon penned story. I would say the best thing to do would be to go into the movie without any expectations. Don’t expect anything like Buffy, Angel, Dollhouse, Firefly, or the Avengers. It is nothing like that, but that isn't a bad thing. The best way to describe it would be as a small movie with a fascinating premise.

I’m not entirely sure how to review this one, honestly, so this review is going to jump all over the place. (Also, it has been over a week since I last watched it.)

In Your Eyes is a story about two people that are able to see through one another’s eyes. It sounds crazy, right? Yeah, but it works, I promise.

When the cast was originally announced for this last year, I was a bit hesitant. I hadn’t heard of a lot of the actors. In all honesty, Nikki Reed had been the only cast member that I knew at that point. Everyone else was new to me, so I wasn't entirely sold on the cast. (Plus, I'm so used to Whedon reusing his old casts, which I'm more than okay with, so I was shocked when that didn't happen with this one.) It was stupid to worry as the performances in this movie, especially from the two leads, were fantastic.

The way that they manage to act out the ‘gift’ that they share? It’s crazy good. It’s easy to forget that they are essentially alone, talking to themselves during most of the movie. Both Zoe Kazan and Michael Stahl-David absolutely nailed it. Their performances in this movie were enough to convince me that I need to check out their other work.

I think my only problem I had with this movie was the ending. If you’re looking for a happily ever after, you’ll be happy to know you’ll get one. But if you’re looking for answers, they never really come.

Other than that, I honestly enjoyed In Your Eyes and I have every intention of purchasing it on DVD whenever it becomes available.

Some things worth noting: We do get the usual Whedon dialogue, but it isn't as frequent in this movie. And it's a slow burn kind of romance, which I know not everyone likes, but for me, that helps to make the ending more satisfying. 

Now Is Good
Release Date: September 19th, 2012
Run time: 103 Minutes
Written by: Jenny Downham (novel), Ol Parker
Directed by: Ol Parker
IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1937264/

My Review:

I always try to read a book before I go see the movie adaption. And I meant to read Before I Die before I saw Now Is Good. I swear, I did. But while searching through Netflix, I stumbled upon the movie, so I decided to just go for it.

If you’re looking to cry? I’d highly suggest checking this movie out.

Dakota Fanning is a great actress, I’ve enjoyed nearly every movie I’ve watched her in, but I have to say, this was my favorite role of hers.
This movie actually reminded me of the book The Probability of Miracles (a book that doesn’t get enough love). And it packs just as big of a punch as The Fault in Our Stars.

Was the movie perfect? No. There were parts that I found to be a bit odd, and Dakota’s accent at times seemed off, but it’s definitely enjoyable. Just be sure to have a box of tissues on hand because, while you’ll find yourself smiling in the beginning, you’ll find yourself in tears near the end.

Persons Unknown (TV Series)
Network: NBC
Amount of Episodes: 13
Seasons: 1
IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1333050/

My Review:

I really need to avoid Netflix. But it’s so addicting.

And it tends to lead me to gems like this one.

I’d never heard of Persons Unknown before I stumbled upon it on Netflix, but now I’m actually kind of mad that I didn’t know about it when it originally aired. Because I need more. (That ending wasn’t very nice, NBC!)

This show was both creepy, thrilling, and awesome at the same time. There were some parts where I found myself rolling my eyes. (The ex-husband got on my nerves, and I found “Erika” to be written poorly – seriously, they could’ve done so much more with her character.) But man, it was so good.

There were plenty of twists and turns. Every time I thought I knew where the writers were going, I ended up being surprised. Especially towards the end of the series and the episodes that focused on Joe.

My only complaint is that I had way too many questions at the end, and well, the cliffhanger ending really didn’t help with that. The ending, in all actuality, was perfect, but they could’ve given us answers by showing the director after they showed everyone else. She could’ve explained what was going on – the phone call, level two, Joe with the others at the hotel, etc. 

All in all, if you're looking for a show to binge watch on Netflix, I'd suggest checking out Persons Unknown. 

 

A quick note: I'm going to attempt to do a collective post of reviews like this for books once a week as well. I don't want to completely fill your feeds everyday, so I'm going to try my best to condense everything.