Having almost finished The Owl House, our search for a worthy successor to binge watch commenced, which resulted in revisiting Jujutsu Kaisen. Unfortunately, our second attempt was no more fruitful than the first. It felt like Jujutsu Kaisen was an amalgamation of borrowed ideas from noted anime such as Naruto, Bleach, and Hunter x Hunter without capturing the essence of what made those ideas resonate in the first instance.
The characters lacked depth and dimension, the world-building was superficial, and the fight sequences baffling, often veering into absurdity. The combatants seemed to randomly sprout new abilities, resulting in an absence of any substantial tension or meaningful contrast of power displays. Gojo’s power, which appears to be ‘I can do everything provided I mention ‘infinite’ in my explanation’, is perhaps the most egregious example.
It was indeed a sort of respite that he has been confined in a box in the ongoing arc. In contrast to our disheartening experience with Jujutsu Kaisen, our movie selections recently have been rather gratifying. We started off with the latest horror movie, Sinners, which stars Michael B. Jordan in a dual role of siblings – ‘Smoke’ and ‘Stack’ Moore.
The narrative of Sinners takes us through the life of these brothers who decide to return to their native place, Clarksdale, Mississippi, after fighting in World War I and spending seven years embedded in the Chicago mafia. Their ambitious plan is to purchase a long-abandoned mill and convert it into a juke joint, and they bring onboard their cousin Sammie to provide the musical ambiance on their grand opening night.
Their blossoming establishment not only draws local attention but also that of a fugitive vampire who harbors designs on making their town his new residence. The metaphorical underpinning of vampirism as a religion is an enforced uniformity that seeks to fill the void in our hearts. However, the potency of music conveys a more honest connection, reaching out to a unity stronger than mere mortal ties.
Our next pick, Havoc, was a riveting recent release in the realm of crime drama. Tom Hardy reprises an intriguing role of a homicide detective burdened by a secret he cannot shake off, and finds himself entangled in the bloody trails of a gang conflict. The ensuing drama heightens as the progeny of a mayoral aspirant faces accusations in the murder of a high-ranking member of the local Triad.
Following that, we delved into The Prowler, a classic 81 slasher rooted around a disastrous prom night, which is reprised as our protagonists get ready for their own annual festivities. Unbeknownst to them, a murky figure from the past is reliving that same creepy anniversary, leaving a grisly footprint of victims in his wake.
Finally, we wrapped up our movie marathon with The Garden of Words, Makoto Shinkai’s beautifully-woven narrative of yearning and expectation. The plot orbits around Takao, a fifteen-year-old student feeling confined and lost in his high school environment. On days drenched in rain, Takao finds respite in a city garden, sketching designs for shoes, a hidden talent he nurtures.
Here, surprisingly, he meets Yukari, a twenty-seven-year-old woman, who seems equally directionless in her life’s path. Together, they form a delicate bond, plagued by anxiety and anticipation, each waiting for the metaphorical rain to recede in the stages of their individual life stories.
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