THE FOREST (2017)

Creator: Delinda Jacobs

Cast: Samuel Labarthe, Suzanne Clément, Alexia Barlier

Sixteen-year-old Jennifer disappears one night from her village in the Ardennes. Captain Gaspard Deker leads the investigation with police officer Virginie Musso, who knew the girl well. They are helped by Eve, a lonely and mysterious woman.

The Forest is a mystery revolving around the disappearance of 16-year-old girl Jennifer. As the series develops which the plot tension is going to be tense , The Forest evolves from a detective mystery with family drama as secrets close to home are revealed. Girls has been disappearing years earlier and they think that the perpetrator is at it again.  Here is a French production on Netflix . Alexia Barlier who plays Eve portrays the kind of character that is tough and courageous as has a soft spot. It is at a pace of a thriller this series and the writers made sure to build up the tension until the end. And who is this mysterious woman who wants to help. The atmosphere is misty with some beautiful shot of the forest. Only 6 episodes for this mini series.

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DAMNATION (2017- )

Creator: Tony Tost

Cast: Logan Marshall-Green, Killian Scott, Sarah Jones

During the Great Depression, a stranger with a violent past is a pastor and pushes farmers to strike in an Iowa campaign.

Damnation’ focuses on some historical events in the United States during the decade of the 1930s. The industrial revolution is at its highest peak, but when the 1930 arrived and the depression sets in it is all going to hell. Of course greed will set in and violence will rise, people pout of jobs does not fly to well with them. Everyone survives their own way. Sam Davenport, a preacher, is in this town where chaos is going to reign. He is trying to find a medium between the banks their customers and the farmers, you see the banks exploit them. The writers here has told the story like supposedly it was back in the 30’s of what they can recollect. Also The farmers are striking because the price-fixing makes it impossible for them to pay back the loans on their homes, allowing the bank to profit on their foreclosures. Amelia (Sarah Jones) here is to believe is the wife of the preacher and a tough one at that at least she can handle her own and guns, well she can shoot. Steth here has a past we know that because of some flashback and his wife is wondering about it. Of course you have the sheriff Creeley Turner (Logan Marshall-Green) who is going to great length to satisfy his employer’s demand.  The drama is well crafted here and it is holding but USA did get the rating that they wanted and I have heard that they canceled the series but Netflix might pick it up. I hope so.

THE INNØCENTS (2018 – )

Creators: Hania Elkington, Simon Duric

Cast: Sorcha Groundsell, Percelle Ascott, Guy Pearce 

When two teenagers, Harry and June, flee their families to be together, their escape is hindered by an extraordinary discovery – June’s ability to metamorphose. As the young couple struggle to control this strange and new power, a mysterious teacher reveals that June is not alone: many people are capable of shape-shifting like her, and he promises help her control it and to reunite her with her mother who has deserted for 3 years. As the adventure begins thinks are getting complicated.

June (Sorcha Groundsell) and Harry (Percelle Ascott). June’s father is planning to move her far out-of-town on her 16^th birthday. June’s dad may have had a very specific reason to get June far from civilization when she turned 16 because, well, June’s got some kind of power. The couple will discover it when a strange man wants to kidnap her but the couple seems to get away with one little problem: June can shapeshift, taking the form of someone nearby while that person’s body is incapacitated in something that resembles a coma. The couple will try to find out what is going on here but in the mix they are trying to figure out why this man wants to kidnap June. Meanwhile, in a remote commune at which June’s mother Elena (Laura Birn) is one of the residents. It’s run by the mysterious Halvorson (Guy Pearce) and Sigrid (Lise Risom Olsen). What is June’s mother is doing there? Well you are going to find to have to watch the series. The subtext here is simple kids sometimes does not know who they really are and kids do run away from home. Not too bad for a series but it is a bit predictable here. Did it do well on Netflix I assume so it is targeted to a younger audience but some adult will like it as well. The storytelling is fine but it is missing something. I hope season 2 will be better.

GOOD GIRLS (2018- )

Creator: Jenna Bans

Cast: Christina Hendricks, Retta, Mae Whitman

Three suburban mothers suddenly find themselves in desperate times and need more money  which all have different money problems. So they decided to rob a supermarket and it turns out they  are up into their neck with  one problem after another.

Here are three women who needs to do something to get out of the rat race that they are in. Beth (Christina Hendricks) wants to get rid of her cheating husband (Matthew Lillard) without losing her house. Her sister, Annie (Mae Whitman), is in a custody battle with her ex (Zach Gilford). Ruby (Retta) has a daughter in need of an expensive medical treatment that must be paid for out of pocket. The series looks like breaking bad but with females but they have bills to pay and need money fast. So they rob a supermarket just to get at least $30,000.  They pull the job off but get a at least $500,000, and come to find out that it is going to open a can of bad worm. Ok great series it has comedy into it and it works but the series seems to forget that crime is a little more serious than that , I know it is just TV. They get into it deep and  how are they going to get out of this deal? No doubt it is just pure fun to watch . Two things that I like it is taking place in Michigan well I lived there 15 years (Maybe it is shot in Canada like everything else those days) and they did not put beautiful thin women for the role like they always do. They put real women, everyday woman who are a little overweight due to the fact they gave birth to kids. Take a look around you people are different shape and form  that is the facts of life in real life. If you want a good ride and laugh this one’s for you.

 

GHOUL (2018- )

Cast: Manav Kaul, Radhika Apte, Rohit Pathak 

In a near-future India, a mysterious prisoner is sent to a remote military interrogation center where he turns the tables on his captors by exposing horrible secrets and unleashing  something out of this world.

Here is a terrific series from  India 3 episodes only from Netflix. It is set in the near future where fascism is very present and where the military rule the country. Anyone who is against the states is being put to jail by the military interrogated and tortured to death. Nida Rahim (Radhike Apte) a new recruit, is accepted to work in the prison to interrogate the prisoners. Ali Saeed a dangerous terrorist is incarcerated in the prison where she is now works and must crack him to talk. Will she succeed?

Nice little series here that is not too predictable and has a some surprises and secrets that will surface.  Nida here has a secret of her own and will be the one that we will follow most of the time. She does not question the prisoner too much but she is going to figure out what is going on. The series is written by Patrick Graham who had a dream and so he started to write the series. Netflix picked it up and voila. You will not be disappointed. It is like the thing but in a prison with supernatural element. It is like a rewrite of the thing all that because Graham had this dream how weird is that.

THREE GIRLS (2017)

Cast: Molly Windsor, Ria Zmitrowicz, Liv Hill 

Three Girls is a mini series of child sexual grooming ring in Rochdale, where men had sex with teenage girls for years in the Northern English town and led to other cases being discovered across England.

we follow three victims of the grooming, Holly Winshaw (Molly Windsor), whose family recently moved to the town, and  Amber and Ruby Bowen (Ria Zmitrowicz and Liv Hill). These girls are given free food and alcohol by much older men before being sexually abused by them. During the four years the police ignore that those girls were being abuse due to lock of evidence. There are different aspect of the case the first one we see the girls groomed, and being raped and the network of men who are in line for sex. Plus one of the parents who tries to pull their daughter out but keeps in getting back to what she was doing like it is the thing to do. which we are getting to the second part of the interview with the girls and a new set of police officers reopening the case which was not easy to do due to the fact that the girls was pissed off because the first time the police didn’t help them. The third part is the trial and after the trial and the effect on the community. The director here made sure that the story was told like it was supposed to be told. It is a true story as they say in the beginning. Three Girls is obviously tackling a sensitive  subject and the mini-series is not for the faint of heart. Some rape scene where the director pulled away the camera so you can heard the noise and it is more freighting this way. The Rochdale case was controversial because the victims were white and the perpetrators were from Pakistani (That is all I am going to say here). The series here focuses on the girls how they fell into it and how the police failed them. Some of the girls were pregnant and as young as thirteen. Here is a brutal story which when they started investigating they found out that this was going on in at least two dozen cities in England. The thing is here it is the first time this has happen in England.

THE PUNISHER (2017 – )

Creator:  Steve Lightfoot

Cast: Jon Bernthal, Amber Rose Revah, Ebon Moss-Bachrach

After the murder of his family, Marine veteran Frank Castle became a vigilante known as The Punisher and revenge is on his list.

The punisher was introduced in the second season of Daredevil which now has his own series. And the Punisher after seen his family murdered decided to avenge them and to kill everyone involved. He discovers that his family was not murdered randomly and it links back to his actions when he was in the military. And no he has no super power well he knows how to use a gun. In the title role, Jon Bernthal is fantastic and embodied his character beautifully well. He his on a revenge path but also became a psychopath capable of killing anyone and everyone,  and beside behind strong he has also a charming side. The series is making human at times a human who has feelings. The series has a conspiracy thriller and it works here very well. Yes there are the occasional flashback so you can see where he came from. And  Yes the Punisher has a big success on Netflix therefore they will be a second season.