Netflix’s horror series “All Of Us Are Dead” is a thrilling, adrenaline-fueled saga of zombie chaos. Based on Joo Dong-Geun’s 2009 Korean webtoon, “Now at Our School,” “All of Us Are Dead” follows the outbreak of a zombie virus at a high school in Hyosan, South Korea. “All Of Us Are Dead” is an action-packed thriller that successfully strikes a balance between gore and the exploration of deeper themes of love, friendship and loss.
After the viral success of the Korean thriller series “Squid Game,” Netflix dropped another show in the same genre on Oct. 15 called “My Name,” a dark and gritty revenge drama that strives to keep viewers on the edge of their seats. Riddled with suspense and packed with powerful performances, “My Name” has a compelling plot filled with enough carnage and secrets for thriller enthusiasts to walk away feeling satisfied.
The show follows Yoon Ji-Woo (Han So-Hee), a high school student who enlists South Korea’s top crime boss, Choi Mu-Jin (Park Hee-Soon), to help her unearth the truth about her father’s underworld connections and avenge his recent murder. The series then details Ji-Woo’s path to joining the police department’s narcotics division as a mole for Mu-Jin. As Ji-Woo enters into the police force and maintains connections with leading figures in the police agency, she also tries to hide her true identity from her work partner, detective Jeon Pil-Do (Ahn Bo-Hyun).
Netflix’s newest season of “Sex Education” allows viewers to feel as if they are eavesdropping on the latest gossip during a high school passing period, while also providing catharsis for the trauma that accompanies being a teenager. The third season, released on Netflix on Sept. 17, brings audiences back to some of their favorite characters from the town of Moordale. “Sex Education” has its strong points when it comes to portraying teenagers on an emotional, cultural and sexual level, even if it exhausts certain storylines and disregards promising subplots.
“Squid Game,” a South Korean horror Netflix Original series that dropped on Sept. 17, has quickly become the hottest television show streaming on the platform. It has a stellar 94 percent critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes, an 8.3/10 on IMDB and has taken the number one spot on Netflix in 90 countries. The show deserves the worldwide recognition and success it has received since its release. It possesses a suspenseful atmosphere, successfully drawing viewers in as the players navigate the games.
Netflix’s recent remake of the classic romance film “She’s All That,” titled “He’s All That,” is a modern spin on the original coming-of-age movie. The motion picture, starring Tik Tok-er Addison Rae, falls short, banking less on its cast’s acting abilities and more on their internet fame. With a lackluster script and direction from Mark Waters, the Netflix original proves to be just an awkward spoof of the hit ‘90s film it is inspired by, and, ultimately, is unnecessary.
“Seaspiracy,” a Netflix documentary released on March 24, attempts to draw viewers in as it takes them on a journey across the globe. It begins by explaining how ocean debris affects marine life, and the film soon transforms into an in-depth look at the corruption of the fishing industry and the destruction of the ocean it causes. Here’s what “Seaspiracy” explores through its investigative journalism.
“If Britney can get through 2007, you can get through anything” is just one of the viral pop culture phrases often thrown around social media. But the 2021 New York Times documentary “Framing Britney Spears” urges the audience to consider Spears today, living under the conservatorship of her father. The documentary provides an extensive view of the pop sensation and her career, dealing with the life of Spears not as a celebrity, but as a person.
Graphic by Vivi Corre
By Anika Singh ’24
Staff Writer
There is something immersive about Vivi Corre’s art. It is minimal yet enthralling — it entices the viewer to look, to relate. It draws them in. Gathering inspiration from current events, Corre sketched her latest piece, idly creating patterns influenced by her environment and ready to shape her newest work.
Corre’s art journey wasn’t a straight line. “I used to not like art as a subject at all in high school,” she explained. “My own ideas and creativity were limited since the classes followed a technical flow and strived for a perfect depiction.”
Corre did not find solace in this. “Art isn’t meant to be perfect, it’s supposed to be you!” she remarked.
It all started with a birthday gift. New iPad and pencil in hand, Corre explored the new features the device offered, her love for art growing by the minute. Corre remarked that it is incredible what a simple instrument can do, whether it's brightening up your favorite biology teacher's day as you give her your art as a baby shower gift (featuring the words “Future Stemminist”) or celebrating your college acceptance to Mount Holyoke by drawing Jorge enjoying M&Cs. These projects guided Corre to feeling a close affinity for art.
“The Jorge artwork was definitely a turning point for me,” she said. “I had sent it out to [the Office of] Admission and they liked it so much that they reposted it on their Instagram, which led to people DMing me to ask if they could get it in a sticker format. That encouraged me to put my art out there,” she added.
This resulted in the creation of a Redbubble account that now displays a handful of her creations.
Art is everywhere, Corre believes. She described how her artistry comes to her, saying, “One of my favorite creations came to me as I sat in front of the television watching the 2020 vice presidential debate. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris shut down Vice President [Mike] Pence by her iconic ‘I’m speaking’ quote. That's where I got the idea to draw a loudspeaker with the quote.”
Corre’s ideas are innovative and shine the brightest when her art is influenced by current events. A remarkable piece was her “AOC+Among Us” drawing, which came from the famous U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez livestream during which she played the game Among Us to encourage the youth of America to vote in the 2020 presidential election. This piece is playful, displaying cutesy Among Us figurines while highlighting the political climate of America. Ocasio-Cortez seems to play a significant role in Corre’s art, as some of her quotes serve as catalysts for her creations.
“I’m glad to see that my art can reach people,” Corre reflected. “I, unfortunately, don’t get to see who purchased my art, but at times my art is purchased from states or countries that I might not know people from, and I’m overjoyed to know that my art is now not only something I enjoy but other people do as well. Such a feeling can’t be replaced.”
To support Corre and her art, check out her Instagram art account, @vivicdesigns.
Pictured above: “the Haunting of Bly Manor” actress, Victoria Pedretti.
By Anika Singh ’24
Staff Writer
“The Haunting” universe gets its second edition of spooks and scares from Netflix’s much-awaited “The Haunting of Bly Manor,” the season following its highly acclaimed predecessor “The Haunting of Hill House.” Adapted from the thriller novella “The Turn of the Screw” by Henry James, “The Haunting of Bly Manor” follows young American Dani Clayton (Victoria Pedretti) as she takes up a job as an au pair to two orphaned children at their huge ancestral mansion located in the fictional town of Bly, England.
Though Bly has a certain charm to it, given the beautiful landscapes of the English countryside and the friendly and sociable staff at the manor, something looms over its freshly manicured gardens. Dani, haunted by her past, seems struck by the eeriness of the mansion, and with the two children, Miles (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) and Flora (Amelie Bea Smith), who are ever so polite (yet possessive) and the peculiar death of the previous au pair, she simply can’t avoid feeling uneasy.
Mike Flanagan, the creator of the series, does a stellar job at interpreting “The Turn of the Screw” with his creative insight and follows the sequence of timelines as his way of storytelling. We see a great in-depth approach taken to present the arcs of the various characters, especially that of Hannah Grose (T'Nia Miller), the housekeeper at Bly Manor.
We see a beautiful portrayal of a series of events that coerces the audience to read between the lines.
The first half of the show is slow, taking its time to unfold, yet manages to keep the audience occupied by various introductions of the past regarding the manor. The jump scares are kept to a minimum, which is different from “The Haunting of Hill House.” Instead, “Bly Manor” preys on the viewer’s mind by creating anticipation through long shots which build upon the mystery that surrounds the manor.
If that was not enough, “The Haunting of Bly Manor” makes it a goal to strum the heartstrings of the viewer as they find themself caring for the characters and the relationships that are strengthened, especially the blooming romance between Dani and the young gardener, Jamie (Amelia Eve).
“The Haunting” universe, though enriched with a second season, seems to fall short when “Bly Manor” is compared to “Hill House.” “Bly Manor” offers a few scares, yet nothing compared to its forerunner. Perhaps “Bly Manor” is indeed more humane when it comes to its storytelling, focusing primarily on the characters instead of the situations they are in. However, the presence of so many characters makes them a burden to the viewer, resulting in a complicated web of people that becomes hard to navigate. Additionally, “Bly Manor” takes a more confusing approach to conclusions than its precursor, as the epilogue entails an open ending instead of the relatively concrete conclusion offered in “Hill House.”
All in all, however, “The Haunting of Bly Manor” seamlessly tries to conjure up theories and conclusions to this creepy series. It is stylish, binge-able and unnerving with a hint of warmth mixed into it. This latest installment of “The Haunting” series is available to stream on Netflix.
