What I've Been Watching Recently- Christmas Edition| Carenza Bramwell

Welcome to the final what I've been watching recently for 2020. This is most likely the final one overall as I am thinking of moving more towards reviews and opinion pieces rather than these long lists. From late September to the end of the year, I didn't watch as much as I've been very busy with university. 

TV 

Fleabag

One of my favourite shows of all time, I actually rewatched it twice in 2020. Once by myself and once with my housemates. This show is incredible and I haven't watched anything quite like it. I can't stop talking about it. Will always be a favourite for me. 

The Living and the Dead

Another rewatch for me. The Living and the Dead is a Halloween/Spooky season show that I have to watch every October. It's a historical paranormal drama. If you are looking for a spooky, historical drama with a great cast and superb soundtrack, then look no further. 

Miracle Workers

This is a show one of my housemates enjoyed so we decided to watch it as a group. I enjoyed the first season more than the second. A solid show, but I did find the characters two similar between the series. There were some funny moment, but mostly it was an okay show. I will probably watch the third series.

Ghosts

Ghosts has become one of my favourite shows. It's from the Horrible Histories team. It's a sitcom about a young couple who inherit a house haunted by ghosts. I have loved every single episode and I cannot wait for the next series. If you are looking for something lighthearted at the moment, I'd recommend this.

You, Me and the Apocalypse

A rewatch for me after watching ghosts was You, Me and the Apocalypse. This is a short lived show about what happens at the end of the world. I loved it when I watched in 2016 and I loved it when I watched in 2020. I'm still very sad that it never got a second series. 

Avenue 5

Next, I watched Avenue 5, a sitcom about people from the future stuck on a cruise in space. Another enjoyable show. There were some really good performances. I would definitely watch the second series whenever it comes out. 

Breeders

A show I was very excited to watch was Breeders, by Martin Freeman. This is a show about parenthood and how people struggle with it. It had some solid moments. It's another one that I would consider watching the second series of when it drops. 

The Sister

Sadly, a show I did not enjoy was The Sister. This is a murder mystery crime show about a man involved in a young women's death and how he has hidden involvement in it. There were no shocks or good twists. I just didn't care for the characters. It was just a bit disappointing as a show. 

Schitt's Creek

Going from something I didn't like from something that is my favourite show of the year, Schitt's Creek. I have watched it three times. By far my favourite show. I have taken to walking around the house going "ewww David". Very happy I decided to watch this show as it brought some joy to my 2020.  

Films

Spirited Away

I am a huge Studio Ghibli fan, so I finally watched Spirited Away. It's a classic Studio Ghibli film so it was time I watched. I really enjoyed it. Very happy I finally watched it and it was something I had to watch for uni. 

Whiplash

Another film I had to watch for uni was Whiplash. I am a fan of Damien Chazelle's work, but Whiplash was a very difficult film to watch. The two central performances were incredible. The story was not something I'd normally enjoy. I needed to watch something happier after that film.  

Coraline

Halloween is one of my favourite times of year, so naturally the next three films are Halloween ones. The first is Coraline, which I loved when it came out in 2009. We put it on in the background as we worked on some Halloween arts and crafts. I'm still ashamed that I've never read the book, but I love the film so much I think that it's okay. 

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Every year since I started uni in 2018, my friend and I have tried to watch this film. Finally, in my final Halloween at uni we managed it. I adore this film. It's a staple of my Halloween. It's very good and makes my Halloween. 

Beetlejuice

A film I had never seen was Beetlejuice. It's another classic Halloween film. However, I feel I'd have enjoyed it more if I grew up with it. It just wasn't my sort of film. There were some very good moments, but overall I didn't enjoy it that much. 

Zodiac

I had been introduced to David Fincher's work by one of my lecturers and had started watching Mindhunter on Netflix (which I still need to finish), so my family and I watched Zodiac. This is about the Zodiac killer. An atmospheric film with some solid performances. I would like to watch more of Fincher's work.  

Palm Springs

A film I had wanted to watch ever since I saw the trailer for it was Palm Springs. It's a rom-com about two people stuck in an endless time-loop. Sounds very familiar at this point. It was one of my favourite films of the year. It comes out on Amazon Prime later this year. If you like Groundhog style comedies, then I'd recommend this.

The Princess Bride

My housemates go to comfort film is The Princess Bride. This is a film I had never seen. We decided to watch it as with the way things are we both needed a pick me up. I see why this is a well beloved film. It's cosy and fun. It takes a lot to make me laugh, but this film made me laugh. Would love to watch it again and am very interested in reading the book. 

Onwards

The latest Pixar film was finally available on Disney+. Every now and then a Disney/Pixar film hits the spot. This was another solid film from Pixar. I have spotted that an alarming amount of Pixar films deal with death and this was no exception. I loved the central relationship between the two brothers. I'd watch it again and it's made me want to watch the new Pixar film, Soul. 

Happiest Season

This has become my new favourite Christmas film. It's a gay Christmas film about two young women. I felt it tackled some really difficult issues really well. I loved the chemistry between Kristin Stewarts' character and Daniel Levy's. The had the sweetest friendship. I know it will become a film I watch year after year. 

Anna and the Apocalypse

Another favourite Christmas film is Anna and the Apocalypse. This is a Christmas zombie musical comedy. Think La La Land and Shaun of the Dead had a baby. I have watched every year since 2018. I have listened to the soundtrack so many times, it's another one I have the soundtrack for on vinyl. If you are looking for a slightly more offbeat Christmas film, then look no further. 

Love, Actually 

My final film for 2020 was Love, Actually. This is another Christmas film I watch year after year. It's a classic. It's just a really good Christmas comedy. It doesn't feel like Christmas if I don't watch this film.

That concludes my last ever what I've been watching recently post. What are some stand out films and TV shows from 2020?

Carenza :) x 

What I've Been Watching Recently- Summer Edition| Carenza Bramwell

Another couple of months have flown by, we are now in the final quarter of the year. It means it's time for me to share what I've been watching lately. The summer actually ended up being a fairly tame viewing period for me, compared to my previous posts in this series. As always, I'll be going through the TV Shows and Films separately.  

Taken from Google Images

TV

Mrs America

First on my list is Mrs America, a miniseries from HBO. This came from the creative team behind Mad Men, which is a favourite show of mine. It follows a movement in the 1970s about the Equal Rights Amendment. This was a proposed bill to get women equal rights in America. It follows both sides of the argument, the women who were for and against it. Each episode was based around a different woman in the series. I found it to be a really engaging show, especially in today's climate, with the ERA only just having passed in America. If you're interested in feminism and politics, I'd recommend. Plus it has a phenomenal cast and crew behind it.  

Lucifer Season Five Part One

Next, is another favourite of mine and that is the most recent series of Lucifer. I have been banging on about Lucifer since I first watched in 2016. Compared to season four, which has been my favourite so far, this season was okay. It still had that enjoyable Lucifer vibe. I am looking forward to part two, especially the musical episode. My favourite was the 1920s noir episode, they just had too much fun with that and made it really enjoyable. 

Avatar the Last Airbender

Since rewatching Legend of Korra in April/May, I had been in the mood for Avatar. I then started seeing lots of people on Twitter rewatching it and that was all I needed to decide to rewatch it. Like LoK, I haven't watched it fully in about four years. This a childhood favourite of mine and it still stands as being a great show for me as an adult. My favourite character is Zuko, he's so dramatic and he goes through one of the best redemption arcs in the history of TV. I've now started reading the comics as I've been meaning to read them for years. If you haven't seen Avatar, I'd highly recommend it as it's so good. 

Umbrella Academy Season Two

A show I was very excited for was the second season of Umbrella Academy. My uni housemates and I had binged the first season back in 2019. I loved it so much. However, I ended up not being the biggest fan of this season. I just didn't find it as engaging as the first season. It also felt like it was falling into that trap where it's difficult to top the first season. I think I'm in the minority as most people I've spoken to enjoyed season two. I will continue watching season three when it comes out, but I don't think I'll be going into it with as much excitement as this season. 

Fosse Verdon

This is a show I watched for university. I've been meaning to watch it for a while as I'm quite interested in Broadway theatre. It tells the story of Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon, a married couple in the Broadway theatre industry. They worked together on projects such as Cabaret and Chicago. It follows their lives from before they met to the end of their lives. It was told in a non-linear narrative, which I really enjoyed. The performances were solid and the crew behind it were also great. I would highly recommend it. 

His Dark Materials 

Another show I watched for university was His Dark Materials. It's been on my radar for a while and when it ended up being an example of something I could watch this year, I had to choose it. After the first couple of episodes, I found I was fully invested. The world building was a little bit clunky for a BBC adaptation. I would like to have had a bit more explanation at times. Again, it was another show with a solid cast and crew behind it. I know they've filmed a second season and that it's coming out soon. I'm quite excited for it and I'll have to finally read the books as I never read them as a child. 

The Capture

I had started watching The Capture this time last year, but I had to return to university so I couldn't finish it. It was about to vanish from BBC iPlayer so I decided to watch it. The show had such a promising premise, about how you can't always trust modern technology and how we're advancing as a society. However, the delivery was a bit clunky and just didn't work for me. I think it was the scripts that didn't work as the central performances were very good. I did not like the ending at all and was sadly quite disappointed by this show. 

Euphoria 

The last TV show on my list is Euphoria. I had wanted to watch this since it dropped and was getting a lot of hype. I finally watched it this past week and man, it's so good. I'd compare it to Sex Education with it tackling issues to teens/young people and making them realistic. It doesn't diminish any of the issues and this show felt very realistic. As I keep on saying, it had a solid cast and crew behind it. I really enjoyed the writing style. The soundtrack was also incredible. I'm very excited for season two after the finale. 

Films

In Bruges

If you're a long time reader of my blog, then you will know one of my favourite films is In Bruges. I have seen it six times in the last year. I just adore it. Last year, my family and I went to Bruges. Obviously, this year we couldn't go to Bruges so we decided to rewatch the film. I've seen it so many times I can quote it and I've read the screenplay. I will always adore Martin McDonagh's work and this is no exception.

Aladdin (2019)

While my family had Disney+, we decided to watch Aladdin. None of us had seen it in the cinema. It was enjoyable, but I feel it was missing something from the original. I did like the addition of Jasmine's song, but I found Jaffar to be an underwhelming villain. It certainly had some impressive visuals.   

Beauty and the Beast (2017)

Sticking with the Disney train, I rewatched Beauty and the Beast. I have a controversial opinion and that is I prefer this to the original cartoon. It gave it that slight modern update it needed. It also had a bit more humour to it than I remember the original having. I really enjoyed this and will continue to enjoy it when I rewatch it every now and then.  

Inglorious Basterds

A very different film I watched is Inglorious Basterds. I am slowly starting to watch more Tarantino films. I had wanted to watch this for a while and it actually ended up being a film I watched for university. I didn't realise that Tarantino films were that long. It was not what I was expecting when I went into it, but then I have no idea what I was actually expecting from it. I did enjoy it and it had that trademark Tarantino level of violence. I would consider watching more Tarantino films as I've enjoyed the two I watched. 

The Invisible Man

I'm not one to normally enjoy horror or psychological thrillers, however I did enjoy The Invisible Man. A new adaptation of the story of the same name by HG Wells and countless film adaptations over the year. This one had a more modern and clever approach to it. Elizabeth Moss gave a stellar performance. You really didn't know if you could trust what you were seeing. A surprising film for me, I may consider watching more in this genre in the future. 

Thor Ragnarok 

You can't go wrong with a Marvel film. You especially can't go wrong with Thor Ragnarok. This is a favourite for me and my family. There's not much I can say except that I enjoy the humour in it and the performances. It's a solid film. 

Jojo Rabbit

After watching Thor, we had to rewatch Jojo Rabbit. We saw it on New Years Eve last year and all loved it. I was desperate to watch it again as I had had some issues with my hearing when we saw it and had missed half the jokes. It rightly deserved an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. It managed to make quite a dark topic funny without it being offensive. It's a film I see myself coming back to time and time again.  

Black Panther

With the sad passing of Chadwick Boseman at such a young age, we decided to watch Black Panther in his honour. I know a lot of people find this film empowering and it's sad it took so long to see a black superhero on our screens. It is an amazing film. I was devastated by his passing, but glad he was able to make such a profound impact on the film industry during his time. 

Amelie

On my birthday, I decided I wanted to watch Amelie. I have fallen head over heels with the musical and needed to rewatch the original. I think it's on its way to becoming a favourite film of mine. I love the story and the characters. The music is also incredible. I haven't really seen a film like it. It just reaffirmed my love for Paris and French films. It's one I would highly recommend.  

Cabaret

As I mentioned earlier, I watched a TV show about the original creator of this film. I had gotten some of the lyrics stuck in my head so we decided to watch it. It's a surprisingly good film and works as one of the best musical films out there. It has inspired me to pick up works by Christopher Isherwood, who wrote the book the film is based on. Plus some of the songs are absolute ear worms.  

Wreck it Ralph

My friends were horrified to hear I hadn't seen Wreck it Ralph, so we watched it. I found it to be an okay Disney films, not the best I've seen but by no means the worst. I've heard interesting things about the sequel. It was enjoyable and that's about as much as I have to say about it. 

Basil the Great Mouse Detective

A favourite Disney film of mine is Basil the Great Mouse Detective. This is essentially a Sherlock Holmes retelling but with mice. I've loved it since childhood. It's probably where my love of Sherlock stems from. It's a hidden gem of a Disney film and not many people have seen it. If you have Disney+, then I would really suggest watching it as it's a beautiful Disney film. 

The Rescuers

My friends were then horrified to hear that I had never seen The Rescuers, which is considered to be a classic Disney film. Again, I found it to be okay. I have no interest in watching the sequel at the moment. Maybe if I had been a child, I would have enjoyed it but as an adult it just wasn't for me. 

Joker

Joker was a film I had mixed feelings about. I wanted to watch it but I was also not that fussed about it. I finally watched it with friends. I can see why so many people find it enjoyable. I'm not sure where I stand on it. I think the writing and acting were great. I'm just not sure why we needed a Joker origin story. I would consider watching the sequel though. 

Enola Holmes

Finally, I watched Enola Holmes. As I've already mentioned, I do love a Sherlock inspired story. I found this to be enjoyable. I can't help but agree with the comments online that it would have been better as a TV show. It had a solid cast and creative team behind it. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had been a bit younger, say closer to Enola's age. It is nice that there is a strong female detective young women can look up to.

And that concludes all the things I've watched recently, what have you been watching recently?

Carenza :) x

 

What I've Been Reading Recently- Summer Edition| Carenza Bramwell

 As we gradually shift from the bright blues of summer to the softer hues of autumn, it is time for me to share the books I read this summer. I managed to read a total of sixteen books over July and August. My reading has been staying pretty consistent, with my average amount of books read per month staying at eight.  

July 

As I mentioned, I've been reading roughly eight books a month and July was no exception. I read a lot of new releases as well as continuing to tackle my TBR pile.

The first book I read in July was The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant. I had heard good things about this book and it was supposed to be a fantastical retelling of Les Miserables. I have a weakness for stories set in France, specifically Paris. I saw that this was on offer on the Kindle store and bought it for a mere 99p. I'm glad I decided against buying it in physical format as I ended up not enjoying it as much as I hoped. I have a full spoiler filled review, which you can read here. I would say my main complaint is that the narrative jumped around too much for my liking and offered very little explanation as to why. I ended up being underwhelmed by this book and have no intentions of continuing the series. I gave it 3/5 stars. 

Next I read Fly by Night by Frances Hardinge. I picked this up three years ago as a World Book Day book as I knew Frances had won a Costa award for her other works. I enjoyed the first chapter and that was about it. I think this was aimed at someone a lot younger than me and I could see the appeal in why a younger audience would enjoy this. I struggled with staying engaged with it and was very glad when my time with it came to an end. I gave it 2/5 stars.  

Then I read a book I was really excited for, it was probably in my top three books for the year, and that was Loveless by Alice Oseman. Alice has become a favourite author of mine in the past year and I will order anything she writes. This is another one I have a full review of, which you can read here. It had amazing ace/aro rep and was another classic YA Contemporary from Alice. I did find it a bit repetitive at times, but apart from that I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it. I gave it 4/5 stars.  

An unexpected love of mine was the Traveling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa. I had bought this years ago and had decided to finally pick it up. It's about a Japanese man who adopts a cat from the streets and their lives together. It is told mostly from the perspective of the cat, which added a lot of humour to the book. It was a very easy, yet highly entertaining read. I believe there are plans for it to become a film at some point in the future. I gave it 4/5 stars.

A hyped up book that I decided to purchase was You Should See Me In A Crown by Leah Johnson. I knew that this was a Black Girl LGBT+ Rom Com going in and if that doesn't get you to want to read it, then I don't know what would. I found it very funny and sweet. It was the perfect summer contemporary. My only complaint is a personal one and that it was written in first person. I generally struggle with first person, I just don't vibe well with it for some reason. Apart from that, it was a solid cute contemporary. I gave it 4/5 stars.

The next book I read has become a new favourite of mine. That is The Diviners by Libba Bray. Evie O'Neil is my new favourite female fictional character. I loved the setting and the mystery. I will say that it does take a while to get to the central plot but once you're there, then it gets really good. I also have a review for this one, which you can read here. I had the audiobook from before I cancelled my subscription and the audiobook was superb. I gave it 4.5/5 stars.

Moving away from 4 star books, my next read was Girl, Serpent Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust. Again, I had heard good things about it, particularly the LGBT+ rep. In the end I had mixed feelings about this book. I felt it could have been shorter as it dragged out the story quite a bit. I enjoyed the first section of this book, but I struggled with the middle and ending. I had wanted to really enjoy this but it ended up falling flat for me. I gave it 3.5/5 stars.

My final read of July was The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutowski. Back in the day, I had heard amazing things about this book, especially about the political side of it. What I read, I found dull and unenjoyable. Nothing happened in this book. I didn't care for either of the main characters. I just found it disappointing. I gave it 3/5 stars.

August

August is my favourite month of the year as it is my birthday month. I also had quite a good reading month too, which made August an even better month. I managed to read eight books in August.

The first one is actually one I started in July but finished in August and that was Carry On by Rainbow Rowell. I know there is lots of controversy around Rainbow at the moment, due to some accusations of racism in her book Eleanor&Park. I have decided to donate all of the books of hers that I own as I have come to the conclusion I'm not a big fan of her work and I don't want to support someone like that. Carry On is a well loved book, but personally I had a lot of issues with it. My main one was you could tell it was written by an American author trying to make it sound authentically British. I also found the characters very annoying and didn't care for the plot. I've seen a lot of descriptions of it being a "knock off Harry Potter", which I agree with to some extent. This did start as fan-fiction from one of her other books, so I don't know why it became an actual book. It was not for me in the end, so I gave it 3/5 stars.

I then jumped back into The Diviners series, by reading Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray. This is the second book in the series. While I still enjoyed it, Lair of Dreams suffered from second book slump syndrome and was not as engaging as the first book. I did love reading more from Henry, who has become another favourite character of mine. I didn't like the introduction of a love square. The romance felt kinda unnecessary. The mystery was not as engaging as the first book as well. I have a full review of this book, which you can read here. I gave it 4/5 stars. 

A quick read for me was the script for In Bruges by Martin McDonagh. Martin is one of my favourite screenwriters and In Bruges is a family favourite film. I've watched about six times in the last year, so I finally decided to read the script for it. There were some bits that were different from the film, but apart from that it was an easy and fun read. I gave it 4/5 stars.

Next I read Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor. Laini is one of my favourite authors, I adore the Strange the Dreamer duology. I had actually read the first book in this series, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, over two years ago. I decided to finally continue with this series. I think leaving such a big gap between books was a mistake. I struggled to understand the world and the plot, but Laini's writing is so beautiful it makes up for that. I was glad to be back in that world, but the two year gap between instalments was a bit confusing. I should have probably reread the first book, but I really wanted to finish this series. I gave it 4/5 stars. 

Once again, I jumped back to the Diviners with Before the Devil Breaks You by Libba Bray, the third book in this series. For a series I loved so much, I found with each book I enjoyed it less and less. I had major issues with a certain element of this book, which I will be writing about in my review of this book. Again, I didn't care for the mystery as much. But I adore these characters and the setting so much. I gave it 4/5 stars.

Another Alice Oseman book I read was the newly released paperback for Nick and Charlie, a Solitaire novella. While I found this a cute and easy read, it was filled with far too much drama for my liking. It was also fairly predictable. I did read this in one sitting, which was nice. I love Alice, so I gave this 4/5 stars.

I finally finished the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series, by reading the final book, Dreams of Gods and Monsters. Now that I was back in this world, I had a grasp on what was happening. I really enjoyed the first part, but ended up struggling quite a bit with the second half. Laini is a great writer and I really admire her writing style. I'm glad that I've finally finished this series, even if it did take me over two years. I gave it 4/5 stars.

My final read for August was a slightly unsual one and that was The Promise: An Avatar the Last Airbender Comic bind-up. I recently rewatched ATLA for the first time in many years and fell head over heels in love with it again. I had been meaning to pick the comics up for a while, so I treated myself to one. I found it enjoyable. It takes place after the series has ended, so I won't go into details about the plot as to avoid spoilers. I will say that it felt a bit filler-esque and was setting it up for the next comic book. I gave it 4/5 stars.

That concludes my wrap up for July and August. I'm really happy with all the books I've been reading lately.

Carenza :) x 

What I've Been Watching Recently- Spring Edition| Carenza Bramwell

It's that time again to share with you the insane amount of TV and films I have watched recently. I've mentioned before that I've really gotten into watching stuff recently as it's what I want to go into once I've finished my degree. Without any further delay, here is a list of all the things I've been watching lately.

Taken from Google Images

TV

Torchwood

My family and I are huge fans of Doctor Who, so I watched the "adult" spin off series Torchwood. It follows the adventures of Captain Jack and his crew. Ianto was my favourite character. It was a bit cheesy in places, but a good laugh. 

Primeval

Primeval was a favourite show of mine as a child and I hadn't watched it since it finished in 2011, so we rewatched it. If you've never seen it, I would recommend it. It's about a group of people investigating why dinosaurs have appeared in the modern day. Again, it's a bit cheesy and very early noughties, but I still really enjoyed it. 

The Salisbury Poisonings 

We binged the latest mini series from the BBC in a day. It's subject matter, which is a real event, is very heavy hitting and even though you know the outcome, it was one you had to keep watching. It only has three episodes and is very well written. 

The Politician

I discovered the Politician at the end of last year and really enjoyed the first series. I rewatched the first series in preparation for the second one that came out in June. I have to say that the first series was a lot better. I was a bit disappointed in this new series. I'm unsure how I feel about a third one.

Final Space

My friends had been nagging me to watch this for a while and I had gotten through the first series twice without finishing it, so I finally bit the bullet and committed to watching it. I liked the first series a lot more than the second one. I think if there was a third series I would watch it as they are funny the plot lines. 

Hollywood

Hollywood was a mini series by the same creator of the Politician. The trailer looked really good, but it just didn't quite work. It was supposed to be a diverse retelling of Hollywood in the 1930/40s. The cast was really strong but the story just didn't work for me. 

Criminal UK

I had wanted to watch this for a while and finally had an excuse as I needed to watch it for uni. Even though it had three episodes, each was very strong. It had good writing and a good cast. I know it's part of a series of shows based in different countries, so I might also have to watch those as well. 

The Good Place

I had been meaning to watch The Good Place for a while after seeing stuff about it online. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I think my favourite series were the first and the final one. It had one of the best, most solid endings to a show. Even though it is sad when a show decides to end, it is best when it goes out with a great ending rather than dragging it out forever. 

Fresh Meat

This was on my lockdown watch list. Again, it was another show that pleasantly took me by surprise. I could relate to it a lot as I'm going into my final year of university. It was also another show that had a great ending. 

The Mandalorian

My family have taken out a months subscription to Disney+ to watch various things. The Mandalorian was one of them. I had seen "baby yoda" everywhere and I wanted to watch it. It was really good and I also liked the character of the Mandalorian. I think it has a second series coming out some point later this year, so we'll have to take out another months subscription to watch it. And yes, baby yoda is as cute as everyone says.

Jack Whitehall: Travels with My Father

Jack Whitehall stared in Fresh Meat and is a comedian I really like. This show was a solid reality show. I think Jack and his father have a great dynamic. It was nice at the end of each season seeing them sitting down and talking about their relationship with each other. It made me desperate to travel.

I May Destroy You

Another show I had seen everyone raving about was I May Destroy You. Michalea Coel took something that happened to her and turned it into an incredible TV show. My only critique is that I wasn't the biggest fan of the last episode. I now really want to watch her other show, Chewing Gum. 

What We Do In The Shadows (Season Two)

I hadn't realised there was a second series of What We Do In The Shadows until a friend told me. I really enjoyed the first season and the second was just as good. The film is also a great bit of comedy. I really hope for a third series.

Films

Pitch Perfect

After watching A Simple Favour, which Anna Kendrick stared in, I was in the mood for some more Anna Kendrick film. I have a bit of a soft spot for the first Pitch Perfect film. I still think this is the best one out of the two I've seen, I still haven't seen the third one. It's just got girl power and good music, what's not to love?

Love Wedding Repeat

This was one I had stumbled across a trailer for and thought it looked good. It was a solid rom-com. Parts of it were a bit odd, but it had a solid cast. I'd probably watch it again at some point in the future. 

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

I watched this with my mum one day when it was like 30 degrees in the UK because it was two hot but to do anything other than watch a movie. I know a lot of people don't like the Hobbit films, but I enjoy them. 

The Personal History of David Copperfield

I had wanted to see this but I just missed seeing this in the cinema. It had a great cast and a great retelling of a classic story. It was very funny and I am glad I watched it. It's by the same guy who wrote The Death of Stalin, a film I really enjoyed, and The Thick Of It.

Fight Club

Another film I watched for uni was Fight Club. I've been watching this for a while but I finally had an excuse to watch it. I did like it, especially with the twist at the end. 

Melancholia 

As I've mentioned before, my family has a subscription to Curzon Home Cinema, which has a lot of unusual films. This was a very unusual film about the end of the world. It was a very miserable film. I probably won't ever watch it again. 

Birdman

Another film I've been meaning to watch is Birdman. I ended up really enjoying it. I wasn't sure of the direction it was going in at first, but it ended up being a solid film. It's hard to put into words how I feel about it. I would recommend it. 

Life of Crime

Yet another Curzon film, was Life of Crime. The trailer ended up being a lot better than the actual film. It just flopped for me. 

Eurovision: The Story of Fire Saga

Critics don't like it, but audiences do. It is a very cheesy film with some Eurovision worthy songs. Rachel McAdams and Dan Stevens stole this film. Ja Ja Ding Dong has been played non-stop in my house. I'd watch it again. 

Finding Dory

I loved Finding Nemo so much as a child that I was banned from watching it. I watched it on repeat and drove my family crazy. I was never that bothered about watching Finding Dory, but I'm glad I did. It was a really good film. I loved the sea otters!

Coco

Another Disney-Pixar film I had really wanted to see but had never. A good friend of mine spoiled this film for me (I've just about forgiven her for it), but I still enjoyed it even though I knew the big twist. The animation was beautiful and the story was great. The songs were also solid. Very glad I finally watched it.

Inside Out

The same goes for Inside Out except I wasn't spoiled for this one. I think out of the two I preferred Coco as Inside Out was quite deep and dark for a Disney film.

Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

I've grown up watching Wallace and Gromit films. I just fancied rewatching it when I couldn't decide what to watch one night before bed. There are some jokes that are a lot funnier now that I'm an adult. They'll always be great films.

Pitch Perfect 2

Since I watched Pitch Perfect, I randomly decided to watch Pitch Perfect 2. I still think the first one is the best one and I didn't enjoy this one as much. At some point I will watch the third one, but I'm not sure why the decided to make this into a trilogy. 

Mamma Mia

In March, I watched Mamma Mia Here We Go Again! I then realised I couldn't remember much of what happened in the first film and as I had just watched Pitch Perfect 2, I was in the mood for another musical. It is a solid film, even with the questionable singing from some of the actors. I do think I prefer this one to the second film.

Into the Woods

I have one reason for watching Into the Woods- the "Agony" scene. The two princes being overly dramatic. It is the best scene in the film. 

Frozen

While we have Disney+, I really wanted to watch Frozen 2. It had been many years since I saw the first film, so my mum and I rewatched it. There were jokes that I understood a bit better now that I am an adult. 

Booksmart

I had wanted to watch this for a while as coming age comedies are some of my favourites. I did end up really enjoying this, but it could have been a bit shorter. The two main actresses were amazing in their roles. 

Brooklyn

Saoirse Ronan is my favourite actress so I've been watching as many of her performances as I can. Brooklyn was a really good film. I was a bit confused when it was set, so I had to Google it. It was nice to see Saoirse use her Irish accent.

Star Trek

When I say Star Trek, I mean that I have actually watched four Star Trek films. I watched the most recent trilogy- Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond. I also watched a 1980s one, Star Trek The Wrath of Kahn. These are fun and easy moments. It also has a great cast. I hope there is a fourth film, but at this point I don't think there will be.

12 Years A Slave

I decided to watch this for university. It was an incredibly difficult watch, but a great film. I'm glad that I've finally watched it. It was another film that benefited from an amazing cast. It's so sad that this was based on a true story. 

This Beautiful Fantastic

I stumbled across this on Amazon Prime and originally I thought it was a French film. It's been called the British "Amelie". I did enjoy it, but I had a few issues with it. The plot was a bit flimsy. The other thing was that the main character's mental illness was shown to be more of a quirk than an actual illness. That just didn't sit well with me. 

Frozen 2

Lastly, I watched Frozen 2. In all truthfulness, this was a good film, but I prefer the first one. The animation on this one was incredible, you can see just how much they've improved in the past few years. My favourite moment was Kristoff's overly dramatic song.

So that concludes my list of things I've watched over the past couple of months.

Carenza :) x 

What I've Been Watching Recently- Lockdown Edition| Carenza Bramwell

With no end date in sight for lockdown being lifted, I have been watching a lot of TV to pass the time. I wasn't really a TV person up until the start of this year. With everything happening in 2020, I have been watching a lot more TV than before. So much so that I have nearly watched double the amount of TV than books I've read. Like my last "What I've Been Watching Recently", I will be splitting it into TV and Film, with a small summary of my thoughts on everything.

From Google Images

TV

Friday Night Dinner

I had watched most of Friday Night Dinner last year after a friend introduced me to it so I decided to introduce my parents to it. It has become a family favourite. Season six wasn't the best and the ending makes me feel like they're going to pull an Outnumbered and come back in ten years time with everyone all grown up. I'd highly recommend it as it's a great bit of British comedy.

The Vicar of Dibley

Speaking of classic British comedy, I randomly decided to rewatch The Vicar of Dibley. It has been many years since I watched it but I'm so glad I decided to rewatch it. It's some classic British comedy and will always be a top notch show in my opinion.

Legend of Korra

Another rewatch for me was Legend of Korra. I have always been a huge fan of Avatar and Korra. They're classics. I still need to get my hands on the comics and read them. Korra is a great character and the LGBT rep is great in this one. Plus Pabu is adorable. 

Quiz

Everyone was raving about Quiz so I had to watch it. James Graham is a fantastic writer and Quiz did not disappoint. The cast was amazing and the set design was through the roof. I still don't know if I believe if they did cheat or if they didn't cheat. I would recommend it as there's only three episodes and they're about 45 mins to an hour long. 

Peaky Blinders

I finally watched Peaky Blinders. I had watched at least the first two episodes twice before fully committing to this show. I loved the first season, but the other series are getting a bit predictable and implausible. I am interested to see what happens in season six. I'm ashamed it took me this long to watch it but I have finally caught up on this iconic show.

Devs

This was a show I had heard a lot about and one my parents were interested in. Sadly, I did not end up enjoying it as much as my family did. I felt that it was a case of style over substance. It could have been shorter and the writing in places was very dodgy. It was an interesting sci-fi/thriller and I would recommend it, it just didn't end up being for me in the end.

Killing Eve

Killing Eve is one of my favourite shows and with the world going to shit, they pushed forward the release of season three. My dad and I binged the entire first season in prep for it's release. Sadly, season three was a bit disappointing. It didn't have the same overarching plot as the first two seasons, but it still had that amazing comedic moments. I am a bit unsure how I feel about a season four, but I will continue to watch it.

Films

Scott Pilgram Vs the World

A rewatch for me. Scott Pilgram is a film I really enjoy, partly due to the cast and partly due to the writer-director behind it (Edgar Wright). It's a fun, cosy film that I like to rewatch every now and then. 

Blinded By the Light

This was a film that my parents wanted to watch. I don't think I was quite the target demographic for this film as while I enjoyed it, it just didn't land well with me. My one big critique is that the characters randomly burst into song every now and then. It didn't work for me. It was a good, rom-com, feel-good film, but I was not the target audience for this film. If you grew up in the 80s and loved Bruce Springsteen, then I would recommend it.

Grand Budapest Hotel

With the world being terrible, many companies across the world started these joint cinema experiences. One that we joined in with was the Secret Cinema one, which has recently ended. The first film was Grand Budapest Hotel. My dad and I had already watched it, but I think my mum hadn't. The experience was good but they recommended lots of activities to go alongside the screening, which wasn't really our cup of tea. Grand Budapest Hotel is a bizarre, but great film. 

La La Land

Another joint cinema experience we joined in with was Lionsgate Live. For four weeks, they streamed four of their films for free on YouTube for a group experience. La La Land is one of my favourite films and my mum had never seen it before. It's a fun, cosy film and I'm glad we decided to join in.

Star Wars- A New Hope

May 4th, or May the Force Be With You Day. We had to watch a Star Wars film. We chose the one that started it all. Star Wars will always be special in this household so we had to celebrate Star Wars day.

Knives Out
Knives Out was a film I was desperate to see at the end of 2019, but sadly missed the chance to see in the cinema. We rented it online and I am very happy that I finally watched it. I had no idea what to expect going in, but it ended it up being quite funny. It could have been shorter in places, however, I am very excited for the sequel. 

Wild Tales

My family have recently taken out a subscription to Curzon Home Cinema, home to mostly indie and international films. We watched Wild Tales, a Spanish film, made up of six stories. The only thing that links these stories is violence. Some where better than others and it was a bizarre film. I am enjoying watching more unusual films. 

City of Bones

I saw that City of Bones was on Netflix and I really felt like rewatching it. If it wasn't an adaptation of CoB, it would be a great film. As an adaptation, it's not the best. It is classic YA adaptation from 2013. I just felt like being back in that world. 

Eddie the Eagle

Another Lionsgate Live film was Eddie the Eagle. A biopic about Eddie the Eagle, an olympian in the winter Olympics. It was a fun, British comedy. I am glad I watched it. I had never heard of Eddie before watching this film. 

Still Life

This was another Curzon film. It was about a man who went around organising funerals for people who had no families or were estranged from their families. It followed him on his last case, tracing friends and family of this man who had recently died. It turned out that the man who had died lived in the same building as the man investigating him. It was a very sad film, but it had a heart warming ending. 

Howl's Moving Castle

Netflix have recently added a tonne of Studio Ghibli films to their repertoire. I decided to rewatch Howl's Moving Castle as it's one of my favourites. I need to watch some more Studio Ghibli films as there's a few I haven't seen.

My Old Lady

This was also a film from Curzon. It's based on an old French play about a man who inherits an apartment in Paris from his father, but finds out that someone is living there. The woman who is living there rents is paid to live there by the mans father. You could tell it was based on a play as it didn't quite work for screen, but it was still a sweet little film.

Bend It Like Beckham

Yet another Lionsgate Live film. A British classic. I had been meaning to watch this one for a while and I'm so glad that I got to finally watch it. It's a solid British rom-com, with some great female characters. It is also by the same writer-director behind Blinded By the Light. 

The Hunger Games

The final Lionsgate Live film. It has been so many years since I watched the Hunger Games films and I never even finished them for some bizarre reason. It is widely regarded as one of the best book to movie adaptations ever. I am now really desperate to watch the rest of the films.

Solaris (1972 Russian Version)
My mum had really wanted to watch some of the Russian films on Curzon, so we chose Solaris. Solaris has been adapted a few times for cinema, but this was the 1972 version. It was three hours long and it was weird. At one point there was a fifteen minute long scene of this man just driving around. I am interested in watching the 2002 version, but the Russian one was just weird.

Misbehaviour
I had really wanted to watch Misbehaviour after seeing trailers for it in the cinema (God I miss going to the cinema), so we rented it through Curzon. A historical piece based on real life. It was a good, fun, feminist film. I would highly recommend it. Plus it has Kiera Knightley in it. It tackles issues of feminism and racism in the late 1970s.

Colette
Another Kiera Knightley film. I had seen this in the cinema at the time of its release last year. Colette is a really interesting woman and it's made me want to read some of her books. Plus, Kiera Knightley is the queen of historical films.

The Lost Boys
This is a weird 1980s film we decided to watch. It's a vampire film, but very cheesy and very much of its era. It was okay and that's about as much as I can say about it.

Parasite
I sadly missed seeing Parasite in the cinema, so when it became available to rent on Curzon, we had to watch it. I'm glad to say that it's as amazing as everyone said it was. It rightly won all those Oscars and I would love to watch more films from its creator.

A Simple Favour 
My last entry on this very long list is A Simple Favour. I had this on my radar for a while and I finally decided to watch it. It was a solid mystery thriller, with interesting characters and twists and turns. I loved that it had two female characters at its core. I would love to watch more films like it in the future.

So those were all the TV shows and films I've watched recently. I'm trying to watch more new content rather than keep on rewatching old stuff I've seen a million times over and over again.
Carenza :) x

What I've Been Watching Recently- Winter Edition| Carenza Bramwell

With everything that's been going on in my life and with recent events across the globe, it's safe to say that I've been watching a lot of TV in 2020. Today, I thought I'd share with you the TV shows and films I've watched so far in 2020. At the end of the post, I'll be sharing my favourites of the year so far.

From Google Images

TV

Doctor Who

One of the first series I watched in 2020, was the latest series of Doctor Who. I've been watching the series as it's been airing. The only episode I haven't watched is the last one. My favourite episodes have been the first one and the Mary Shelley one. Apart from that, this series hasn't been as strong as other series. I love Jodie Whittaker as the Doctor, but her series have been my favourite.

Dracula

Something I was originally very excited for was Dracula by Stephen Moffat and Mark Gatiss. Their adaptation of Sherlock is one of my favourite TV shows. However, I really didn't vibe with this show. I'm also in the minority of thinking that the final episode was the best one out of the three. 

  

Miranda

Miranda was a re-watch for me. I've always been a huge fan of Miranda and with the ten year anniversary special, I decided to watch the series again. It's just as funny and fluffy as when I first watched it. It will always be a go-to funny show for me.

The Witcher

After seeing everyone talking about The Witcher, I finally caved and watched The Witcher. The first couple of episodes were a bit difficult to get into, but after that I was hooked. Jaskier is a precious little bean and Toss a Coin is a bop. I'm excited for the next season and there better be plenty of Jaskier in it.

Dublin Murders

I actually watched about half of this in 2019, but I finally finished it this year. It's an adaptation of the first two books in the Dublin Murder series by Tana French. It was a solid adaptation and I'll be continuing with it if they make more series in the future. 

Back to Life
Following my re-watch of Miranda, I was looking for a new female led comedy and I stumbled across Back to Life. It's a British comedy about Miri, a woman in her 30s, returning to her normal life after spending most of her life in prison. It's also a mystery about what actually happened and why Miri went to prison. I think they're making a second season, which I would definitely watch. 

Sex Education Season 2

If you've been following my blog for a while, then you'll know that Sex Education is one of my favourite shows, so I was super excited. I have to admit that it wasn't as good as the first one, but I still enjoyed it enough to watch it three times this year. I'm looking forward to season three and I can't wait to see what they do with this show.

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Season 3

Another show I was super excited for, was the third season of CAOS. I'd really enjoyed the first two seasons, however this season was a huge flop in my opinion. It was too dramatic for my personal taste and I have a feeling that I will most likely not be continuing with this show after this season. 

Buffy the Vampire Slayer
I finally finished Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I had spent most of 2019 watching the first six and a half seasons, so I made it my mission to finish season seven this year. It has become a staple show for me and I'm hoping to finish the spin-off show, Angel, this year.

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency  
Again, Dirk Gently is one of my favourite shows and I just felt like rewatching it. It never fails to put a smile on my face and I live for the soundtrack playlist that someone made on Spotify.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

With season 6 dropping on Netflix, it was a natural decision that I had to watch all five seasons of B99 to be prepared for the newest season. I had watched it last summer when it was airing weekly on E4, but I hadn't enjoyed it as much as I thought I would. However, now that I've binged it a few times, I love it and am happily making my way through season 7. B99 is one of the few things keeping me sane at the moment.

Noughts&Crosses

The final entry on my TV section is Noughts&Crosses. I had read the books many years ago, so I was really excited for the TV show. I have to say that they've made a lot of changes for the TV show, some of them are good, some of them don't make sense. I'm interested in where they take this show if they make another season. 

Films

Bohemian Rhapsody 

The first film I watched in 2020 was Bohemian Rhapsody. I had been meaning to watch this for a while, but when my mum got it on DVD for Christmas, we decided we had no excuse but to watch it. It was a good, fun film, the music was really good and there were some solid performances. 

Toy Story 4

I was the only person in my family to go see Toy Story 4 in the cinema, so we got it on DVD and decided to watch it as a family. It isn't my favourite Toy Story film, but it still made me tear up, especially as I was having to go through my toys and decide which ones I was keeping after moving house. 

Spiderman Far From Home

Spiderman is one of my favourite super hero movies and I had been really excited to see it, however the only cinema near me that was showing it, was charing £14 a ticket (which in my opinion is too much money for one ticket) so I waited for it on DVD. I really like Tom Holland as Spider-Man, it was light-hearted fun.

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Despite the fact that I want to become a writer, I had never seen a Tarantino movie before and I had been really excited for OUATIH. I really enjoyed it, even thought it was three hours long. I definitely want to see more Tarantino movies in the future. 

Little Women

One of my most anticipated movies of the year (even though it technically came out in 2019) was Little Women by Greta Gerwig. Lady Bird is my all time favourite movie, so I was really excited for Little Women. It was everything I wanted it to be. I cannot wait for it to come out on DVD so I can watch it over and over again. 

Lady Bird

Obviously, after watching Little Women, I had to watch Lady Bird. I may have watched it twice this year. I watched it by myself and then with my family. This is my favourite movie and I will love it until I die. 

Lego Movie

My housemates and I decided to watch the Lego Movie after we'd all had a particularly bad day. I'd already seen it and it still stands up as being a solid movie. Not as good as the Lego Batman movie. 

Lego Movie 2

Following us watching the Lego Movie, we decided to watch the second one. It wasn't as good, but still fun and fluffy.

1917

Another movie I was desperate to see this year, was 1917. It was a film I knew I had to see on the big screen. It was one of the most tense movies I have ever watched, there were several times when I gasped out loud. It's another film that I cannot wait to come out on DVD so I can watch it again.

The World's End

If you saw my favourite movies post a while back, then you'll know that I'm a fan of the Cornetto trilogy. With everything that's going on in the world, I was weirdly in the mood for an apocalyptic movie, so I watched one of my favourites. I watched it after I'd had a bad day and it cheered me right up. 

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

The day before my housemates birthday, we decided to watch her favourite movie, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. I hadn't seen it before, and to be honest, I don't remember the last time I watched the first one. I know a lot of fans love both movies. I think at some point I'll have to watch both back to back. 

Hotel Transylvania

I have a confession to make about why I watched this movie. I only watched it because Andy Samberg voices one of the character and because I love B99, I had to watch it. It was another fun, fluffy movie and I'm kinda interested in watching the rest.

Wonder Women

A movie I was excited to watch and fully expected to love was Wonder Woman. I'm aware that I'm a few years late to the trend with this one. However, I didn't end up enjoying it that much. I just felt that there wasn't much character development and they overused the slow-mo effect. I also worked out who the villain was really early on. 

Portrait of a Lady on Fire

I had seen a trailer for this before a YouTube video, so me and my family decided to watch it. It's a French historical fiction about a pair of women who fall in love. It was a beautiful story, however it could have been a little shorter. 

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 
I hadn't watched a Harry Potter movie in ages and PoA is my favourite, so I decided to watch it. It cheered me up as I was feeling a bit down in the dumps because of the current situation. 

Favourites

As there were 27 things on this list, I thought I would pick my favourites and share them with you:

• The Witcher
• Little Women
• 1917
• Brooklyn Nine-Nine

So that concludes all the TV I've watched so far in 2020, what have you been watching recently?

Carenza :) x