Paradise: Season 1 – TV Review

TL;DR – Cornerstoned by some fantastic performances, we explore a world where things might be perfect, as long as you don’t look any deeper.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service that viewed this series.

Xavier walks up some stairs.

Paradise Review

It might just be the current climate, or the fact that rewatching The West Wing makes me feel a growing sense of naivety. But I have been trying to find a new political or politically adjacent series to stick my teeth into. My first attempt was the delightful The Residence, which made its mark. But I wanted to find something with a bit more bite, and today I think I found it.

So, to set the scene, Secret Service Agent Xavier Collins (Sterling K. Brown) was doing his usual daily rounds in the sleepy town of Paradise. The sort of town where you can jog to the President’s house as part of your morning commute. Xavier did the usual handoff to the agents on site, including Jane Driscoll (Nicole Brydon Bloom) and Billy Pace (Jon Beavers). However, something was off that morning, POTUS, Cal Bradford (James Marsden) was still in bed, which was odd even for a man who spends most of his day in a bathrobe. But as he goes into the President’s room, he is accosted by the sight of blood and the body of the President. Xavier should call it in right away, but he locks the site down before word can escape, and before he loses control of the first murder scene in Paradise’s history. Now, from here, we will be looking at the season as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Dead Sea (Flycatcher) – Movie Review

TL;DR – Today, we look at a film that may have foundered at the start and end. It also found itself in the centre when it truly shined.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I was sent a screener of this film.

A trawler on the ocean.

Dead Sea Review

Today, we are looking at slightly odd film because usually, when films fall about, it is in the middle. But today’s outing is where the movie shines. This is such an odd juxtaposition, yet it also led to a compelling outing at times.  

So, to set the scene, Kaya Adams (Isabel Gravitt) lives in the Florida Keys, and she has to spend a lot of time looking after her family after her mother passes away. Afraid that Kaya is becoming a recluse, her best friend Tessa Miles (Genneya Walton) sets her up on a double date with Xander (Koa Tom) & Julian (Garrett Wareing) jet skiing all the way to the Bahamas. It was a delightful day until tragedy struck, and Kaya and Tessa were left alone in the ocean with a badly injured Xander. The sea is deep and full of predators, and all help is lost until they see a boat on the horizon. But little did they know that they may have been safer in the water.  

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