Today’s prompt for Blogtober was films that have an October season as a backdrop in unconventional ways. Well, I struggled with this so I’ve just decided to share my usual series of what I’ve been watching lately. My last post was in the Summer so I guess it’s time for a catch up.
What I’ve Been Watching Lately on TV
Maid
I watched Maid on Netflix. My first thoughts were what a good pairing they made with the actress Margaret Qualley as the daughter of Andie MacDowell. Then I discovered that she is actually her daughter!
Maid is the story of a woman who leaves her partner with her child after he throws something at her in a drunken rage. He didn’t actually hurt her and she didn’t perceive his behaviour as abuse, and she felt she didn’t deserve her place in a shelter for abused women. The series explores the way that abuse doesn’t have to mean a beating from a partner, it can be a lot more complicated.
Alex (Margaret Qualley) finds a job as a maid and tries to make life better for her and her little girl Maddy. It wasn’t the type of program I usually watch but it was addictive. I needed to know what would happen next. And I learned a lot, especially when Alex had no choice but to return to her partner and it became apparent just how abusive he really was.
Her mother also had some problems with accepting abuse from men and she seemed completely do-lally which didn’t help much. But Alex never gave up on her. The story had lots of twists and turns and it was a good watch, I enjoyed it.
The End From Where We Start
I’m a big fan of Jodie Comer and dystopian films/programs, so this was a must watch. When London suffers massive flooding, Jodie Comers character gives birth. She is desperate to save her baby in world that is falling apart and the floods keep coming. They manage to make it to high land where her husbands parents live and all seems to be well until they run out of food.
The parents and her husband go to find food but the world, as always in these times, has gone crazy and her Mother-in-law ends up getting killed. It seems that the only way she can survive and look after her baby is to go into a camp, but it’s women only so she has to separate from her husband.
She makes a new friend in the camp but things go wrong and they have to flee. The story ends up in a full circle and the woman and her baby end up back in her original home in London.
It’s quite a harrowing story, but a lot of the real horror is left to your imagination. I thought it was an okay film overall.
The Night Sleeper
I started watching The Night Sleeper on BBC1 and ended up bingeing the rest. I really enjoyed it, it was like a modern day Speed.
It’s set on one night on a train from Glasgow to London. The train is ‘hackjacked’ on it’s journey and suddenly no-one knows what is going to happen.
There are so many twists and turns in this series and each episode ends on a cliff hanger, which is why I ended up bingeing it.
Is there a bomb? is someone on board the cause? is the hackjacking coming from another country? Who can be trusted? and who is going to help the passengers onboard a train that seems to have no hope? I loved the tension, the relationships and the twist at the end. Trust me, it’s going to be a long time before I embark on a long train journey (actually next year, but I’ll have forgotten this by then, I hope!)
The Great British Bake Off
It’s that time of the year again when the bakers enter the tent and bake away to three challenges each week. It could be cakes, bread or biscuits or other delights of baking. The tent always seems so full at the start and it’s hard to work out who is who, with the bigger characters taking more of the spotlight. But just 3 weeks in and I’m already feeling sad over who is eliminated. (no spoilers.)
I used to bake along with bake off and have actually won prizes for my efforts from companies that would run competitions while the show was on. I don’t really bake much any more, but I might try again on a good day.
Quite Autumnal don’t you think?
3%
I saw this and I was intrigued. I do love my dystopian futures. This is in four seasons and I’m on the third. It finished in 2020 so it’s quite old. I’ll have to hurry up and finish it in case Netflix takes it away. The program is Brazilian and dubbed so not for all. But I don’t mind so long as the storyline is grabbing.
We start with a group of 20 yr old’s going through a process of tests to see if 3% of them are good enough to go to a utopian island called the offshore. Things inland are looking pretty grim and it’s every young person’s dream to make it to the 3%.
We find out a lot about human nature, which I always find fascinating. In fact my deep interest in psychology was awakened with this series.
The show also has it’s sub group of people who are against the whole process and start up ‘the cause’ to oppose them.
It really is an interesting watch and quite addictive, if you can get past the dubbing.
As a side note, I’m happy to see wheelchair users represented in both The Night Sleeper and 3%. And we now have two wheelchair users in Eastenders (Although I do wonder how Penny Branning gets down all those steps into Peggy’s nightclub…maybe they have a lift that’s not featured?)
What have you been watching lately?
Day one Welcome to Blogtober 2024
Day two Living to Die and Dying to Live
Day Three Autumn Traditions Around the World
Day Four Blogtober is my Word of the Week
I am enjoying the new season and new tv shows, we have been watching a few new series at the moment. My guilty pleasure is Married At First Sight. Am watching Bake off but am an episode behind at the moment
I watched Maid a while ago and it is so sad but such a good story.
I do like the sound of The End From Where We Start. I’ve not heard of it before. Jodie Comer is amazing so I am bound to like it.
I am loving the GBBO and I know what you mean about who has been eliminated.
The End from Where we start is a good film, the birthing bit is a bit graphic :O