Wayne’s 4 X 2: Woman of the Hour, Mount Eerie, and More!
Do you want something to watch but aren’t sure where to start?
2SER’s entertainment wizard, Wayne Massingham is back and he’s got you covered with his reviews of the latest and greatest in film, music and television.
It’s Wayne’s 4 by 2! 4 Reviews, 2 minutes each. Here’s what he had for us this morning:
Television: Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Donald Glover has put his masterful touch on yet another show, Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2024), as both co-creator and Mr Smith himself. Based on the iconic 2005 movie of the same name, this rendition changes the crux of the original where both partners know each other are secret agents. Instead, this series focuses on their life as a married couple who just happen to have some fun and mysterious side quests that earn them bucket-loads of money. Mrs Smith is played by Maya Erskine of “Pen15” and “Plus One” and has features from Paul Dano, Sarah Paulson, and Alex Skarsgård amongst an already stellar cast. Season two is in the works!
Mr. & Mrs. Smith is now available on Prime. Watch the trailer here.
Film: Woman of the Hour
Woman of the Hour (2023) is a serial killer movie that atypically focuses more on the victims’ stories than the killer’s. This is Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut where she also plays the protagonist, victim Sheryl Bradshaw. We follow Sheryl as she tries grow her presence in the acting scene by appearing on a dating show. The serial killer, Rodney Alcala (Daniel Zovatto), strategically comes on the show as a love interest and starts to become fixated on Sheryl. Very closely based on the real events of The Dating Game Killer of the 1970s, this movie is an intriguing 90-minute watch with some quite intense scenes.
Woman of the Hour is now available on Netflix. Watch the trailer here.
Television: My Lady Jane
A historical fantasy set in 16th century England, My Lady Jane (2024) takes the real events of The Nine Days’ Queen: Lady Jane Grey and twists them into a comedic tale. Lady Jane is a rambunctious and spirited woman who wants to break the patriarchal rule of England. She is met with a lot of backlash from her ascension to the throne from both the Verity, the ruling human class, as well as the Ethians, the race that can shift between animal and human form. Only one season of eight episodes, this is a great watch for the stormy weekend to come.
My Lady Jane is now available on Prime. Watch the trailer here.
Album: Night Palace by Mount Eerie
A 26-song album of 80 minutes, Mount Eerie returns for yet another display of his talents with Night Palace (2024). This one-man-band of Phil Elverum has demonstrated life’s ebbs and flows through his albums, with this one focusing on humanity’s connection to nature. Explored in both soft and gentle as well as loud and abrasive sounds, Elverum creates this through his skillful play of guitar. Night Palace lends itself a bit more to the political scene than his other albums, discussing themes of native rights in America as he is based in Anacortes, Washington. Elverum once again channels a folk-y and abstract sound that emotes itself beautifully and at times tearfully.
