Okay, so this might be the result of the last two weekends, but I’ve been busy!
Primetime – I will admit that I’ve never watched a single episode of To Catch a Predator, but the buzz surrounding this movie was just too much to ignore. Plus, I am a fan of Robert Pattinson’s indie choices over the years, and this seemed like it was going to be no exception. Pattinson stepped into the skin of fame-hungry Chris Hansen, the longtime host of the groundbreaking show. After some time on the air, network executives could not ignore the audiences that were tuning into this show. So in an effort to keep the attention they’ve earned, they keep seeking out bigger stories. With the recruit of fresh actor, Dan Plum, they keep catching predators on camera. As much as producer, Andie, wants to think she is different from Chris, she ends up realizing they want the same thing. All eyes on them. It’s interesting to see the impact this show had on people’s lives, especially those working under cover. The ending apparently is something that really happened and is what ultimately ended the show’s long run. I will say my main takeaway was that Chris Hansen is a weird, weird dude.
The Love Hypothesis – Having not heard anything about this movie until a week ago, I went in skeptical. While I like some stuff that Lili Reinhart has been a part of, I was struggling to see how she would work with Tom Bateman as a romantic couple on screen. She plays PhD student, Olive, who kind of on accident wrangles a professor into a fake relationship so her best friend can have the romance she so obviously wants and deserves. Now, Dr. Carlson is widely hated and feared across campus, but he finds benefit in this fake relationship, as well. Plus, Olive manages to soften his edges a bit. I unfortunately had to watch this in two parts, but the first half was really funny, while the second part was making me grin like an idiot and yell at the screen a few times. I think this will rank up there with To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, as far as re-watchability goes. And I was excited to learn that this was a book adaptation – don’t mind if I do!
Trapped in Osaka – Sometimes Asian BLs confuse me. This was presented online as a series, though it’s only four short episodes that I ended up watching as one long thing. So I’ve decided to label it a short film. We meet our main couple almost in a bit of a hostage situation. Hao Yu is a gangster at Chen Xi’s apartment to collect a debt. Knowing there is no way to get out of his debt, Chen Xi has vowed to end his life, so he doesn’t much care for Hao Yu hanging around trying to get a buck out of him. Though he needs to be successful in collecting the debt, he definietly doesn’t want to see Chen Xi end his life. In fact, the longer he hangs around, the more he finds himself drawn to Chen Xi. Despite such little screen time, the chemistry was strong! I wish this could be a longer story, though it did work as a short film. More importantly, I’d like to see these two actors in something else together in the future. Here’s hoping!