Sophia Jusino

Everyone remembers playing the classic childhood game hide and seek. I would scour the house looking for the perfect hiding spot and plop myself in whatever cabinet or underneath whatever bed. Then, I would sit silently (as silently as any child can) and hope that no one would ever find me. Inevitably, my amazing hiding spot was always discovered, and with that came a sense of relief that I didn’t have to cram myself into the tiny space in which I’d found myself. This couldn’t be further from the truth for Grace, the lead character of Ready or Not.

As the credits roll and Pearl attempts to keep up the guise of happiness as she smiles into the camera for minutes on end, all I could think was Mia Goth is a star. The prequel to X Pearl was one of the most highly anticipated horror films of 2022, and boy, did it deliver. The film does what great all prequels should do, make the original better. By focusing on the character of Pearl, the old lady from X, the movie allows itself to delve into all of the life choices that lead her to where she ends up and helps the audience understand truly how crazy she is. From the opening frame to the end credits, the film is a master class on how to create a character study.

*Contains Spoilers for Don’t Worry Darling*

Whether you are a die-hard Harry Styles fan or not, many viewers of Don’t Worry Darling were shocked by the reveal of his character, Jack Chamber’s actual appearance. No matter how much you liked the movie, this switch from Styles’ portrayal of a charming 1950’s gentleman to a reclusive online incel was a real surprise for many. After seeing the film in theaters three times, I can confirm that each time, the audience was always overtaken with audible gasps when they saw the reality of Jack’s character. This harsh portrayal of Jack Chamber’s reality, while amusing for some, was a true wake-up call surrounding the realities and dangers of men in online extremist groups.

Netflix has done it again with the second season of Young Royals. The show many believed would be about out-of-touch rich teens getting away with rich teen things ended up having much more depth. The first season was able to craft a beautiful storyline centered around Wilhelm, the eventual Crown Prince of Sweden, and Simon, a fellow student at his boarding school. When a second season was confirmed, many of its fans were worried about the show’s ability to follow up the masterpiece that is the first season. Despite this, I think that they do a beautiful job of following up the arcs that they set up in the first season and expand beautifully on what it is like to feel like a teen.