Netflix Archives - Queen's Journal

‘Barbarians’ boldly rewrites history

Written on November 19, 2021. Posted in Lifestyle.

In the year 9 CE, the Roman army fought an alliance of Germanic tribes in what would be known as the Battle of Teutoburg Forest. Arminius, a member of the Cherusci tribe who had been closely allied with Rome, turned on the Romans to help his people. Thanks to Arminius, the Germanic peoples, despite...

‘You’ season three is a portrait of white mediocracy

Written on November 5, 2021. Posted in Lifestyle.

In the latest season of You, new parents Joe and Love Quinn-Goldberg are as hot and murderous as ever. Spoilers ahead—obviously. As the show progresses and the bodies pile up, one might expect viewers to turn on the bookstore manager-turned-clerk-turned-librarian and his equally violent counterpart....

‘Never Have I Ever’ charms viewers with more nuanced representation in season two

Written on September 2, 2021. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

In the second season of Netflix’s Never Have I Ever, impulsive and charming main character Devi Vishwakumar shines, and the ground-breaking Indian-American representation that captured our hearts becomes more nuanced. Devi, played by Mississauga native Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, is caught in a predictable...

‘Ginny and Georgia’ misses the mark by hitting too many

Written on March 24, 2021. Posted in Lifestyle.

One minute you’re laughing, the next you’re on the edge of your seat—and the entire time you’re confused about what’s going on. That’s the experience of watching Ginny and Georgia. The new Netflix original series centres on flirty and fun southern belle, Georgia Miller, and her strained relationship...

Taylor Swift is mad, and we should at least respect that anger

Written on March 5, 2021. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

Last week, Taylor Swift called out the Netflix series Ginny & Georgia for making a sexist joke at her expense. Unsurprisingly, Swift’s criticism spurred a divisive response online. Some are interpreting it as a #girlboss moment, applauding Swift for her candour. Others think she can’t take a joke One...

‘To All the Boys: Always and Forever’ is the perfect romance for pandemic-era dating disappointment

Written on March 2, 2021. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

It doesn’t top the original, but the third instalment of the To All the Boys franchise delivers the same comforting, romantic idealism as its predecessors. To All the Boys: Always and Forever does an unexpectedly good job of showing its young audience how couples should communicate to maintain a healthy...

Why I fall back into ‘comfort watching’

Written on February 26, 2021. Posted in Lifestyle, Student Life.

“Are you still watching?” This is the prompt that appears when Netflix is concerned that you’re spending too much time in front of the screen. Most of us have been there—a rabbit hole of content that winds up an hours-long spiral of binge watching. Personally, this happens more often than I’d care...

‘Fate: The Winx Saga’ does too much with too little

Written on January 29, 2021. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

With a mere six-episode season, Fate: The Winx Saga—a teen adaptation of Nickelodeon’s hit Winx Club series—already lacked the space to do much with the vast world it inherited from its predecessor. While it uses the rich Winx world to its advantage, Fate tries to do too much with the little it has. The...

‘The Queen’s Gambit’ doesn’t properly depict addiction

Written on January 15, 2021. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

While stylish and bingeable, Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit fails to portray an authentic struggle with addiction. Based on Walter Tevis’s 1983 novel of the same name, the hit Netflix adaptation begins in the mid-1950s and transitions into the 1960s, following orphaned chess prodigy Beth Harmon (Anya...

Travesty in the ‘Ton: ‘Bridgerton’ slips up

Written on January 15, 2021. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

This article contains discussions of sexual assault and may be triggering to some readers. Without holiday plans to look forward to and with the incoming frost chasing us all indoors for good, I entered a lull in November—then the Bridgerton trailer dropped. From the second Julie Andrews’ narration...

Everyone is a sinner in ‘The Devil All the Time’

Written on September 25, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

In The Devil All the Time, nobody is without sin—and some characters have sinned a lot more than they let on. Netflix’s new exclusive film follows Arvin, played by Tom Holland, a young man who’s grappling with tragic circumstances and his own inner demons. The violent tone for the film is established...

Battle of the streaming services

Written on September 18, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle.

As students, many of us don’t have money to waste on subscribing to a myriad of streaming services. If you’re not mooching off your parents’ accounts or splitting subscriptions with your housemates, chances are you’ve wondered: which television and movie streaming site will get me the most bang for...

'Patriot Act' was a hilarious, brilliant example of South Asian representation

Written on September 15, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle.

When I saw Hasan Minhaj’s performance at the White House Correspondence Dinner in 2017, I didn’t know whether to laugh, applaud, or pray for his life while he ripped President Trump apart with comedic brilliance. I did know I was completely captivated by his brutal honesty and perfectly delivered...

On ‘Indian Matchmaking,’ Sima Aunty knows best. Or does she?

Written on September 11, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

Following its premiere on Netflix several weeks ago, Indian Matchmaking has remained a topic of conversation in and surrounding the South Asian community. The unscripted show follows Mumbai-based matchmaker, Sima Taparia, also known as Sima Aunty, as she helps her clients who are looking for love. I...

‘The Umbrella Academy’ is back with a better apocalypse

Written on September 11, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

The first season of The Umbrella Academy ended with the Hargreeves siblings hurling themselves through space and time in a desperate bid to save themselves—and the world—from a devastating apocalypse. Season two picks up just moments after the previous finale—and 56 years in the past. The family...

'365 Days' is alarming, not sexy

Written on July 27, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

Have you been thinking about sitting down to watch 365 Days? My advice: don’t. The Polish film, released on Netflix earlier this summer, has become a viral sensation. It’s not difficult to see exactly how 365 Days has managed to stand out so significantly from other ‘romance’ movies on the streaming...

The Half of It proves breaking down barriers doesn’t happen perfectly

Written on June 1, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

Flawless storytelling and perfect writing isn’t where Netflix’s new film The Half of It draws its success. Its story carves a place for itself as a thoughtfully portrayed LGTBQ+ experience in the messy, dramatic, and sometimes clichéd world of coming-of-age movies. The film follows Ellie Chu, a quiet,...

Binging while social distancing

Written on March 27, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

As I sit at home in pyjamas and no makeup, sad and annoyed because coronavirus has stolen the best thing about being home—seeing my high school friends—I’ve found that the only things there are to do include reading books, going on walks, and binging an endless stream of TV shows. Unsurprisingly,...

BoJack Horseman ends on a bittersweet note

Written on March 20, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

BoJack Horseman ended its run this winter after six seasons. For a show that spent much of its time exploring the titular character’s soul, even after its finale, a major question remains: Is BoJack redeemable? Despite being a cartoon horse, BoJack is one of the most human characters on television....

Disney+ wrongly sacrifices inclusivity for image

Written on March 10, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

Like many other Gen-Z women, I was extremely excited when Disney+ announced that it would reboot Lizzie McGuire last August. In an age where many reboots are simply recycled versions of dated shows, this updated Lizzie McGuire was going to examine Lizzie’s life as a 30-something New Yorker instead...

Analyzing the phenomenon of the YA book-to-movie adaptation

Written on March 6, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

Do you remember the delightfully uncomplicated early 2010s, when movie adaptations of popular young adult (YA) dystopian novels dominated the box office? If not, let me refresh your memory. In 2012, The Hunger Games kicked off the golden era of 16-year-old protagonists fighting evil governments. The...

I Am Not Okay with This is the superhero origin story we need

Written on March 3, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

Being a teenager can be rough. It’s a time of uncertainty, between changing family dynamics, frighteningly strong emotions, and sexual confusion. Now, add destructive superpowers you don’t know how to control to this laundry list of problems. That’s the setup for Netflix’s new dark comedy I Am Not...

To All the Boys sequel delivers just what its viewers want

Written on February 28, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You is nothing if not charmingly predictable. So, even when protagonist Lara Jean glumly slips her perfect, paper quilled Valentine’s Day card into her bag instead of gifting it to her boyfriend, Peter—the first sign of trouble in their shiny new relationship—there’s...

Miss Americana reminded me why I love Taylor Swift

Written on February 11, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

I really love Taylor Swift. I’m proud to say that I know the lyrics to each of her songs, and I anticipate her new releases more than any other artist’s. In my humble opinion, she’s one of the best songwriters and storytellers out there. Sometimes, though, it seems as if I’m the only person who isn’t...

The Pharmacist is more than just a true crime docuseries

Written on February 11, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

The Pharmacist, which became available for streaming on Feb. 5, is the latest true crime docuseries released on Netflix, following popular titles Don’t F*ck with Cats and Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez. For viewers who haven’t seen the trailer, The Pharmacist begins like many true crime...

Saying goodbye to The Good Place

Written on February 7, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

This week, NBC comedy The Good Place moved on to a better place—wink wink, nudge nudge—but only after imparting us with one final philosophical message. It taught us that sometimes, not having all the answers is part of the solution. It’s hard to talk about the bittersweet finale episode without getting...

Cheer is the docuseries you need to watch

Written on February 4, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

Netflix’s new docuseries, Cheer, has brought new meaning to the sport of cheerleading. The six-part limited series gives viewers an inside look at the grueling world of competitive cheer. It’s also highly addictive—once you start watching, you won’t be able to stop. The series is a powerful piece...

Unpopular opinion: Better Call Saul is superior to Breaking Bad

Written on January 31, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

When Better Call Saul, a spinoff to the beloved AMC show Breaking Bad based on the secondary character Saul Goodman was announced in 2013, some fans were apprehensive. After all, why risk tarnishing the legacy of a classic show with what could amount to a cheesy cash grab? Breaking Bad was beloved...

Season 2 of Sex Education is as unique as ever

Written on January 24, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

My sister and her friend came over for dinner just as my housemates and I were finishing the last 15 minutes of the newly-released second season of Netflix’s Sex Education. Watching this season’s climax take place during an erotic space opera version of Romeo and Juliet on a stage literally shaped...

You’s second season is somehow scarier than the first

Written on January 14, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

Netflix released the second season of You at the end of December, proving to viewers just how much an attractive white man can get away with in our society. The series follows Joe (Penn Badgley), a seemingly ordinary bookstore manager with a tendency to obsessively stalk women, murdering anyone who...

Tag: Netflix

The Journal, Queen's University - Since 1873

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