Welcome to The Monthly Mention. This will be a new and ongoing series which will be published at the end of every month. Here I will write about the things, that for whatever reason, more than likely won’t be getting full dedicated pieces. That being said, something being included in The Monthly Mention is not reflective of how good I think it is.

In today’s piece I talk about Stranger Things season 5, the new Knives Out movie and what might very well be the best horror movie I’ve watched so far this year starring Rachel McAdams.

I’ve always enjoyed stranger things quite a bit. Its characters, writing and overall atmosphere have always drawn me in, this season is no exception. While there are some issues, overall this was an incredible finale to an incredible show. 

I think the entire Cast did very well, but Noah Schnapp and Millie Bobby Brown gave particularly impressive performances as Will Buyers and Eleven. There were a few new additions to the cast this season. My favorite by far out of the new characters was “Delightful Derek” played by Jake Connelly. Nell Fisher also gives a very good performance as Holly Wheeler 

While the acting was good, the character writing leaves a little to be desired. Despite the timeskip between this season and the last it feels like none of the characters have really changed. While almost every character gets a character arc, not all of them feel fully fleshed out by the end of the series.

For instance, while I love Robin and Maya Hawkes' performance as her, I didn’t feel like she ended the series as much more than the same character we saw when she was introduced in season 3. She’s the same quirky and quick witted girl. She gets a definitive ending, but it feels a little hollow in my opinion. We never truly got to explore her character and she only ever got a few opportunities to stand out from the ensemble.

This season also drops new lore into the mix. This new reveal was imperative to the plot, but there was little explanation for this major revelation. I think it would have been very cool, given more time to explore the implications of it all, however, due to the show ending it left me feeling a little underwhelmed.

If there’s one place the show never fails to impress me it’s the production. The visual effects, sound design and camera work are terrific. Both the action sequences and more mundane parts like the planning scenes were all shot quite well and were very entertaining. The sound design kept me immersed the entire time and the visual effects team did an incredible job bringing this world to life.

While not perfect, this season still had some of my favorite moments in the entire series and has one of the best endings to a tv show in recent memory.

The knives out franchise is known for its incredible take on the murder mystery genre. Each film tells a different story all of which are incredibly well written and full of shocking twists and turns. Wake up dead man is no exception. 

The entire cast was fantastic, but Josh o Connor and Daniel Craig gave the best performances as the leads Father Jud and Benoit Blanc, followed closely by Josh Brolin as Monsignor Wicks

The most impressive aspect by far is Rian Johnson’s writing. There’s a level of subtlety to the narrative that’s almost unbelievable. Every scene and character quietly lends something to the plot so that when the murderer and their motives are revealed everything fits together like a puzzle 

As they say, though. It’s not the destination that matters but rather the Journey and this film is a messy enthralling ride through a mystery that’s almost too convoluted to understand, which is kind of the point.

If you’re in the mood for a murder mystery that doesn’t let up from start to finish, they don’t get much better than this.

The Handmaids tale is a story that’s both gripping and horrifying. Set in a world where many women aren’t capable of becoming pregnant thus leading to a collapse in birth rates, it plays on fears that are based very much in our real-world political climate.

Elisabeth Moss gives one of her best performances of all time as June and Madeline Brewer who plays Janine gives the absolute best performance out of the entire cast. 

This story asks very serious questions about bodily autonomy, politics, religion and how all of those things intersect specifically where it pertains to women’s rights. 

This is a dark story, full of tragedy, pain and loneliness. If you’re not comfortable watching a show that deals with themes regarding sexual violence, then I recommend you skip this one. If you do watch, however, you’ll find that though the world depicted in the handmaid’s tale may be bleak, it’s also full of hope. 

If you’re looking for a political thriller that might instill the courage necessary to keep your faith in those around you as we continue our descent into fascism here in the U.S. then this may be the one.

True Blood is a fascinating take on what might happen if the world suddenly became aware that vampires were very much real and among us

The vibe of the entire series is very much imbued with late 2000s early 2010s style. The biggest place this shows is in the character writing and performances, though I wouldn’t say that’s a bad thing. For the most part it just makes me laugh at times when the show is trying to be serious.

All of the performances are good, especially Debra Ann Wohl as Jessica and Alexander Skarsgard as Eric.

Season One did a good job at establishing the world and its many mysteries. Season Two expanded on that setup with some very good character writing, worldbuilding and drama.

As far as vampire stories are concerned, I wouldn’t say this is the best one. The effects and editing are overall pretty well done, though they are a little dated. Additionally, because of when the show was released there’s a certain level of campiness to the whole thing that might turn some people off. That being said I do think it’s good and it has something to offer for just about anyone who is a fan of the genre 

Hell’s Paradise starts off very strong with high stakes action, good character writing and an intriguing setup. Unfortunately I don’t think the series does a good job at following through on its many ideas

The premise is simple: a group of criminals who have been sentenced to death are sent to explore a mysterious island and find the elixir of life, which is said to grant immortality to the one that drinks it. Whoever finds said elixir will get a full and unconditional pardon

By the end of the first season there’s not too much left to explore in terms of world building or mystery and it feels like we’re being set up for a typical action series, instead of a thought provoking and rich story with a lot of deep lore and suspense.

I’m sure everyone has been asked the question: if you were stuck on an island what one thing would you bring with you? I think all of us would agree that we would leave our shitty boss at home. Unfortunately for both Linda Liddle played by Rachel McAdams and Bradley played by Dylan O’Brien they don’t have a say in the matter.

This is the premise behind Send Help, an absolutely brutal survival horror thriller that really takes its time exploring the characters and the unfortunate situation they find themselves in. It’s in the third act that things start to get especially gory and If you’re someone who’s squeamish i suggest you skip this one.

Out of all of the performances from everyone I've mentioned on this list these are, in my opinion, the absolute best.

If you’re looking for a horror movie to watch in theaters, then I recommend seeing this as soon as possible. 

That’s all for now. If you watched any of these leave a comment and let me know what you thought. Thanks for reading!