(MINI SERIES) The Penguin - A Heavy and Dark Series Depicting the Rise and Fall of One of Batman's Adversaries

I knew from the internet that there was going to be this mini series focusing on the character of Penguin, one of Batman's villain. It was released on 19 September in the US and was immediately available on HBO GO the following day. Since it was shown one episode per week, I only started watching two nights ago so I could watch the finale last night. All right then, let's get into the series.

Brief Story Line

Set after the events of The Batman, Oswald "Oz" Cobb (Colin Farrell - Artemis Fowl, In Bruges etc) tried to capitalize on the death of his ex boss, Carmine Falcone. However, he was looked down by people from Falcone family, including Carmine's son Alberto (Michael Zegen - The Stand In, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel TV series etc) and his sister Sofia (Cristin Milioti - Made for Love TV series, The Wolf of Wolf Street etc). Oz decided to build his own criminal empire by tricking, manipulating and pitting the Falcones against their biggest enemy the Maroni family led by Salvatore (Clancy Brown - John Wick: Chapter 4, Dexter: New Blood TV series etc).

The Promised Neverland - Live Adaptation of Critically Acclaimed and Successful Manga Series

While people were talking about the latest Zombie series in HBO, I opted to watch this movie instead which was released just few days ago. I was interested in watching this as it seemed interesting from its trailer (not the synopsis as it did not hint anything at all). Anyway, let's get to it now.

Brief Story Line

In a special orphanage called Grace Field House, a lot of children were taken care there till they reached certain age and would be adopted. Emma (Minami Hamabe - Ajin: Demi Human, Love Me, Love Me Not etc), Norman (Rihito Itagaki) and Ray (Jyo Kairi) were the most intelligent of them and always scored high in their tests. This made them became the favorites of the caretaker known as Mum (Keiko Kitagawa - The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Your Home is My Business! TV series etc).

8-Bit Christmas - A Kid-friendly Christmas Movie with Simple Story & Heart Warming Ending

During last weekend, my wife and I decided to watch another movie on Saturday night. It was after we saw 2 new films in a row, so the movie marathon still continued for us that day. After the intensity of the second movie, we chose a light Christmas themed film that was released just few days earlier on HBO Go. OK, I'll just get on with it then.

Brief Story Line

Story was told from the point of view of Jake Doyle (Neil Patrick Harris - Doogie Howser, M. D. TV series, Downsizing etc) who was sharing his childhood experience back in 1988 to his daughter Annie (Sophia Reid-Gantzert) during Christmas eve. Young Jake (Winslow Fegley - Nightbooks etc) was still living with his mother (Jude Diane Raphael - Long Shot etc), father Joe Doyle (Steve Zahn - The White Lotus TV series etc) and younger sister Lizzy (Bellaluna Resnick).

Space Jam: A New Legacy - A Standalone Sequel Which was OK but Less Satisfying Compared to its Predecessor

This movie was a sequel to one of the most popular films back in the 1990s and I was wondering what it would be like with the more sophisticated special effects now. So when it was announced that the movie would be released on HBO Go on 11 November, I made plan to watch it together with my wife. OK, let's find out more.

Brief Story Line

LeBron James (played by himself) was a great and professional basketball player who always taught his sons Darius (Ceyair J. Wright) and Dom (Cedric Joe) to take basketball seriously. However Dom who prefer to create video game instead, was not that keen with his father's teaching. And this was noticed by LeBron's wife Kamiyah (Sonequa Martin-Green - Star Trek: Discovery TV series etc) who encouraged him not to be so hard on Dom.

Boss Level - A Nice Combination of Time Loop, Good Old Fashion Action and Dark Humor

It's been a while since I watched an interesting new movie on HBO Go platform. This time I found out there was this action movie that I was intrigued and it was a 2020 film that did not make it to Indonesian cinemas. OK, will get straight to it now.

Brief Story Line

Roy (Frank Grillo - Reprisal, No Man's Land etc) was a former special forces soldier who was stuck in a time loop where he was constantly being chased and attacked by a group of mercenaries till he was killed. The day before the time loop, he met with his ex wife Dr. Jemma Wells (Naomi Watts - The Divergent Series: Allegiant, King Kong 2005 version etc) who was working on a secret project under her boss Colonel Clive Ventor (Mel Gibson - Force of Nature, Daddy's Home 2 etc).

Reminiscence - A Science Fiction Movie with Great Idea but Probably Better Suited as TV Series

As I said in my previous posts, I looked for interesting new movies on various platforms in the beginning of the month. And this time, I noticed this film to be shown on HBO Go on 4th October 2021. It was definitely an exciting option since the movie itself was only released in the US theaters & HBO Max 2 months ago. All right, I'll get to it now.

Brief Story Line

Story was set in the future, where people invented a machine which could help relive memories. Nick Bannister (Hugh Jackman - Logan, The Greatest Showman etc) and Watts (Thandiwe Newton - Solo: A Star Wars Story, Crash etc) were operating a business using their own machine. When a young woman named Mae (Rebecca Ferguson - The Kid Who Would be King, Doctor Sleep etc) came to their place and wanted to use the machine, Nick immediately fell for her and started to develop relationship despite Watts' mistrust.

Freaky - A Totally Entertaining and Fun Slasher Movie with Comedic Twist

Now this movie caught my attention almost a year ago when I found out about it. Then it played, or supposed to play (I am not sure) in Indonesian theaters early this year. But as usual, I had to skip it. So when few weeks ago I saw this promoted in the coming soon section of HBO Go, I was truly excited. Immediately I watched this as soon as I got the chance. So let's get right to it.

Brief Story Line

In the town of Blissfield, there was an urban legend of serial killer who murdered their victims during homecoming. The  killer who turned out to be real and was called Blissfield Butcher (Vince Vaughn - Hacksaw Ridge, Wedding Crashers etc) started to appear and killing people again. 

(2021) The Marksman - Another Liam Neeson's Starrer Action Thriller Movie

Yesterday this new movie was released on HBO/HBO Go. If I am not mistaken, it never played in Indonesian theaters. So I was delighted to get the chance to see it. Now what was the movie about? I'll get right to it.

Brief Story Line

Jim Hanson (Liam Neeson - Cold Pursuit, Batman Begins etc) was a former Marine Corps and war veteran who lived only with his dog Jackson at a ranch near the border of Mexico. His life was turned upside down when a Mexican woman named Rosa (Teresa Ruiz - Narcos: Mexico TV series etc) and her young boy Miguel (Jacob Perez) ran into Jim while being chased by the cartel's soldier Mauricio (Juan Pablo Raba - Peppermint etc).

(2020) The Witches - The Second Adaptation of the Popular Children's Dark Fantasy Novel

This weekend, there were a number of new movies and series released in various platforms. I thought there was going to be one movie that I had been waiting for a while, but it did not come true. Anyway, this film is playing on HBO at 8PM Saturday, but since I have access to HBO Go, I could see it earlier. It looked interesting enough, plus if I am not mistaken, it did play in Indonesian theaters few months ago. So here's more on the film.

Brief Story Line

Set in late 1960s, a young orphan boy (Jahzir Bruno) had moved to live with his grandmother (Octavia Spencer - Thunder Force, Onward etc) in Alabama. One day the boy was approached by a terrifying woman with a snake offering him sweets, but he managed to get away. Later the grandmother revealed that it was no ordinary woman and it was actually a witch who had been living amongst normal people and she also had prior bad experience with witches.

(TV SERIES) The White Lotus Season 1 - An HBO Original Anthology Drama Comedy Series with Unconventional Humor and Satirical Approach

I was aware of this HBO original series few weeks ago where it was said to be praised by movie critics and was categorized as drama comedy. Since it was available on HBO Go, it was easily accessible for me and I managed to finish it very fast cause it only have 6 episodes overall. Now why don't I get to the series.

Brief Story Line

Set in Hawaii, a group of VIP travellers went for a vacation at the White Lotus resort for a week. The group included a newlywed couple on their honeymoon Shane (Jake Lacy - Johnny English Strikes Again, High Fidelity TV series etc) and Rachel (Alexandra Daddario - Baywatch movie, Why Women Kill TV series etc), a wealthy single woman named Tanya McQuoid (Jennifer Coolidge - The Emoji Movie, A Cinderella Story etc) and the Mossbacher family consisted of a successful career woman Nicole (Connie Britton - Friday Night Lights TV series etc) with her husband Mark (Steve Zahn - War for Planet of the Apes, Stuart Little films etc) and their children, college student Olivia (Sydney Sweeney - Euphoria TV series etc) & her younger brother Quinn (Fred Hechinger - The Woman in the Window, Fear Street trilogy etc) plus Olivia's best friend Paula (Brittany O'Grady - Black Christmas etc).

(2020) The Hunt - A Very Violent Movie of Group of People Being Hunted

The second movie that I saw during my mini marathon day was the one that I have been eyeing for some time, ever since I saw it in the coming soon section of HBO Go. The premise really looked interesting, so I definitely do not want to miss watching it. All right, we shall go in more details now.

Brief Story Line

A group of unrelated people that included Crystal (Betty Gilpin - The Tomorrow War, Isn't it Romantic? etc), a man from New York (Ike Barinholtz - Blockers etc), podcaster Gary (Ethan Suplee - Motherless Brooklyn etc), Don (Wayne Duvall) and several others woke up in a mysterious place without knowing how they got there. After a short while, they started to get shot at, making them realize they were being hunted by the elitist people who were said to love doing this activity.

Run - An Efficiently Done Psychological Thriller Drama

Like any Saturdays in the past, I always check new movies released on HBO Go platform. This time, I saw a new movie that only has one sentence synopsis which did not provide me anything clear. So I checked a bit more details on the internet and found it to be justifiable for me to give a try. All right, let's get it on.

Brief Story Line

A single mother named Diane (Sarah Paulson - Glass, Ratchet TV series etc) had been taking care of her teenaged daughter Chloe (Kiera Allen) by giving her medications, eating organic food and home schooling her. While she anxiously await for her college application, Chloe continued her study and doing her usual stuff on daily basis.

(2020) Force of Nature - Just Another B Action Movie

After watching a new movie on HBO Go the other day, I came across this film that I wanted to give a try as it seemed like a simple and suspenseful action film, and it also starred few well known names. OK I'll get right into it then.

Brief Story Line

When a big hurricane was going to hit Puerto Rico, the government insisted on people to move to a shelter. Officers Cardillo (Emile Hirsch - Once Upon a Time in Hollywood etc) and Jess Peña (Stephanie Cayo - El Secretario telenovela etc) were assigned to patrol the affected areas and bring the people who still remained in certain areas to safety. 

Spontaneous - Extremely Dark Teen Drama Romance Movie with a Touch of Sci-Fi

I have seen the promotion of this movie on HBO for a while now and I was intrigued by its interesting premise. It was not a brand new film, but it has a limited theatrical release back in October 2020 which was not that long ago either. So when it was released yesterday on HBO Go, I immediately watch it. All right, will get to the movie now.

Brief Story Line

Mara Carlyle (Katherine Langford - Cursed, 13 Reasons Why TV series etc) was just a normal senior high school student at Covington High with her best friend Tess (Hayley Law - Altered Carbon TV series etc). But their lives changed when one of their classmates spontaneously combust in classroom. After that incident, Mara grew close with fellow classmate Dylan (Charlie Plummer - All the Money in the World, Words on Bathroom Floors etc) who had been having a crush on her for a while.

(Mini Series) Mare of Easttown - A Quite Well Balanced Drama & Murder Mystery Limited Series

I read somewhere on the internet that this series final episode somehow managed to "brought down" HBO Max application in the US, though there was no official confirmation that it was due to too many viewers opening the apps at the same time. Nevertheless, it did however intrigued me to give this show a try, especially with the really high critical rating, plus the whodunit premise. So, I watched the whole 7 episodes during weekend and here's more to it.

Brief Story Line

In a small town referred to as Easttown, Detective Mare Sheehan (Kate Winslet - Titanic, Steve Jobs etc) had been investigating the case of a missing girl for the past year. However, before it was even solved, a young woman was found dead which resulted to the community questioning her ability. It took a toll on Mare who was struggling with problems of her own. She had to raise her 4 year old grandson and living together with her mother Helen (Jean Smart - Legion TV series, Super Intelligence etc) and high school daughter Siobhan (Angourie Rice - The Nice Guys etc), while her ex husband Frank Sheehan (David Denman - Brightburn, Outcast TV series etc) was living just behind her house with his new fiancée, making it very awkward for her.

The Postcard Killings - Pretty Entertaining Crime Drama Movie Based on Best Selling Novel by James Patterson and Liza Marklund

Not a lot of new movies that I was really into were released during this weekend as it seemed the streaming providers all preferred to focus on new seasons or series (few were the ones that I have been following and also started to watch). Anyway this film was released on Friday and I watched it during the weekend. OK, I'll get on with it now.

Brief Story Line

When a newlywed couple was found murdered in London, Jacob Kanon (Jeffrey Dean Morgan - Rampage, The Losers etc) who was the father of the deceased woman was truly devastated. He vowed to his wife Valerie (Famke Janssen - The Poison Rose, X-men trilogy etc) to find the person who did this. Despite being restricted with access, Jacob managed to find out that the killer sent a postcard to newspaper reporter before the killing and it has happened more than once.

(TV SERIES) The Nevers Season 1 - A Really Refreshing Series of People with Powers Set in Victorian Period England

Few weeks ago, I saw in HBO Go a new series that sounded interesting. At first I wanted to wait till its completed airing the whole 12 episodes of the first season. But then I noticed it was said to have released the finale of part 1, with the second part not clear when it would be shown. Rather than wait till that moment, I decided to give it a try and watch the first 6 episodes. And well, let us get to know more below.

Brief Story Line

Set in the 19th century England, a unique event occurred in London where a lot of women and some men somehow gotten unique powers. Despite having abilities, these people who were referred to as "The Touched" were being marginalized by the society. They also caught the attention of the British government, especially Lord Massen (Pip Torrens - The Danish Girl etc) who was wary of their influence. 

The Outpost - The True Story of Battle of Kamdesh with Strong Documentary Feel and Realistic Battle Scenes

During last weekend, I watched 3 new movies on various platforms and this was 1 of them. I was intrigued to try as it seemed promising. OK let's get on with it.

Brief Story Line

In 2006, there were several military outposts set up by US Armies in Afghanistan to support reconstructions of the country. One of those was called Kamdesh Outpost which was under the command of Captain Keating (Orlando Bloom - Carnival Row TV series, Pirates of the Carribbean movies etc). For some time, the outpost has been the subject of attacks from the Taliban due to its position that was surrounded by mountains, making it difficult to defend.

Trolls World Tour - A Larger Scale Sequel but not Much More Enjoyable than its Predecessor

This movie was supposed to be playing in cinemas last year but due to the pandemic, the producers decided to release only in limited US theaters and Video on Demand. After a year though, I finally got the chance to watch this on HBO and HBO Go application. OK, let's have some fun now.

Brief Story Line

After the events in Trolls, Poppy (Anna Kendrick - A Simple Favor, The Accountant etc) has become a queen and living a fun and peaceful life with everyone including her best friend Branch (Justin Timberlake - In Time, Bad Teacher etc). However, it turned out there were other tribes in the Trolls kingdom who prefer their own music where Queen Barb (Rachel Bloom - The Angry Birds Movie 2 etc) wanted to unite all tribes under Rock while eliminating other type of music.

Richard Jewell - Great Story of Character Assassination based on Real Person and Events

Last night a new movie was shown on HBO and released on HBO Go application hours earlier. I remember watching the movie's trailer some time ago where I thought it looked interesting. So I was glad when it was put in the Coming Soon section since last month. Anyway, we'll go ahead with more details now.

Brief Story Line

Set in 1996 during the Olympic event in Atlanta, USA, Richard Jewell (Paul Walter Heuser - Da 5 Bloods, Songbird etc) who had been living with his mother Bobi (Kathy Bates - Misery, American Horror Story TV series etc) for a while, was working as security guard at Centennial Park. When he found an unattended bag under one of the bench, he suspected the content which turned out to be a bomb and went off after Richard and other security guards & officers managed to move most of the people away.