Reviews

Heartstopper

TV Show | Jak Rāta 88%

If you’ve somehow been living under a rock, I want to extend to you the Netflix retelling of a soon-to-be gay classic. Now, I’m aware that our reviews are commonly of what's popular at that moment, and honestly that’s chill as, but I need you all to take a moment to recognise the importance of a well-told love story. Do I think that it’s a bit of a beaten horse? You know, boy meets boy, one of them isn’t out but they fall in love? Yeah, it’s nothing groundbreaking nor is it completely fresh, but it hits a little bit different.

So you have Charlie, your typical nerdy boy who just ca- but wait. He’s not your typical nerdy boy, but rather a satirical version of what you would’ve considered a social outcast. He plays the drums, and he’s comfortable (somewhat) in his sexuality. Nick, being the archetypal opposite, plays rugby and is just one of the lads. Fucking aye. He’s certainly what a lot of young gay men would lust after, but there’s still something differnet about his traits and his interactions with the other characters in the show. I like it, and I can recognise the diverse voices in the storytelling. But here’s where the show excels: the side characters.

Okay, sure they were going for gold in the diverse Olympics, but why is that a bad thing? Charlie's friends are a MTF trans POC, an Asian man, & a white male bookworm. These three are the backbone to what makes Charlie a palatable character, which eases the flow of some of the clunkier storytelling. Even some of Elle’s friends at her new school are just so damn likable, Tara and Darcy being our lesbian queens. Even Elle, being a great representation for a multitude of reasons, has more dimension and complex issues. I’m glad there wasn’t a huge fuss caused over their identity, but that may change moving forward which would make sense for universe expansion. Elle and Tao have enough personality to warrant their own show, with trials and tribulations that don’t even come close to the ones of Nick and Charlie. Speaking of Nick, his mates leave much to be desired. It’s unfortunate that the trope of rugby boys being misogynist, homophobic bigots still exists. But I guess tropes are oftentimes based in reality.

Onto the actual body of this show, the relationship between Nick and Charlie. It’s the heavy, will they or won’t they motif, with it not lifting or allowing you to breathe until the very last moments. I, for one, found myself becoming bored with it. I understand the struggle of understanding your sexuality, but the storytelling at times felt like a self-obsessed diatribe with the writers flexing their ability to “understand Gen Z” without realising the emotional turmoil wasn’t being achieved. I’ll give credit to the entire team though, the conversations between the boys were organic and some of those DM’s just had me sent into a spiral. The honest truth about being a Gen Z and dating in 2022 is that you’re going to have to go through the awkward “what u up 2?” messages before inevitably falling in love and realising you’re meant to be. Too optimistic?

Here’s my takeaway from the show. Watch it for the portrayal of gay men as gay men. There’s no beating around the bush, no weird plot change. It’s just an openly gay show about being openly gay. It’s a heart-warming tale that just hits the mark 88% of the time. Onto the 3rd rewatch, lol.

Beautiful Boy

Movie | Katrina Jones

Beautiful Boy stars the most Beautiful Boy of them all, Timothee Chalamet!!! But just wait, because it also has the most Beautiful Man, Steve Carrell (or Michael from the office). And honestly, a combo of these two beautiful creatures is a match made in heaven. I can die happy.

This movie is based on a true story which makes it that much more beautiful, and it always gets the tears jerking. The movie follows Timothee Chalamet’s character and his battle with drug addiction, while also exploring his fathers need to understand it. Throughout the film we witness a fathers undying love for his son as he tries to understand addiction as a disease that affects so many, but it’s never just a choice. We see drug addiction from both sides, the family’s and the addicts, both of whom are so greatly affected by it. The story is just so fucking sad and heartbreaking, so you can’t help but be moved.

This film shows all the emotions of addiction and how addicts often feel worse about consuming the drugs than the people it affects. But there’s a complete lack of ability, as they can’t just stop. There's some pretty real and gripping portrayals of true life struggles from both the powerhouse actors. Overall, it’s a great movie that pulls on the heart strings while shedding light on a serious topic that affects so many. Also, it’s nice to see Timothee Chalamet in a sex scene that doesn’t involve a peach.

点评 / AROTAKENGA

NEXUS 96%

Dancing With the Stars

Reality TV | Caitlin Walters-Freke

After getting postponed for the second time in 2021 due to COVID-19, I was starting to worry that I wouldn’t get to see Dancing with the Stars NZ ever again. Luckily for me, a new season was announced, and it started two weeks ago (spoilers ahead for those who haven’t seen it)

For those who don’t know, the basic premise of Dancing with the Stars is that a celebrity pairs up with a professional dancer to perform a variety of ballroom styles for three judges. The scores from the judges, along with a public vote, determine who gets eliminated at the end of the week.

The main thing I have to say about this season so far is that the eliminations are a joke. Neither of the last place scorers were eliminated, instead it was a popularity contest. I was especially gutted when Eli and Jonny (the first ever same-sex pair on the show) were kicked out, since they were one of my favourite couples who were actually good at dancing. They were such a good team. My other favourites include Olympian Eric and Loryn, and comedian Rhys and Phoebe (fingers crossed they don’t get kicked off prematurely). In terms of who will win, I think Tik-Tok star Jazz and partner Brad are in with a solid shot. They got the first 10 of the season, in week 2, which is impressive.

42%