Category Archives: Entertainment

Movies/TV/Theaters

‘The Hunt (Jagten)’ Review

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By: Amir Salaad

WARNING: This review contains Major spoilers

‘The Hunt (Jagten)’ is a drama movie directed by Thomas Vinterberg and released in 2012. This movie is about a nice kindergarten assistant living in a small Danish village when his life is ruined by a false accusation. The rating of this movie is R because it has some sexual content, some violence and language.

Lucas is a lonely guy but has some respect in his community and he’s getting his life back together after a divorce and custody battle for his son Marcus. He works at a preschool in the village where the kids all love him, like Klara, who’s the daughter of his best friend, Theo. After Klara says something about Lucas touching her to the principal, Lucas gets called out for touching Klara. Even though there is no evidence against Lucas, and he’s denying it, the whole village goes against him.

When the film keeps going, the person watching can see Lucas’s life really fall apart. He gets banned from the grocery store, he gets assaulted, and gets shut out by his so called “family”. The tension in the film gets higher as ‘The Hunt’ goes from Lucas getting cut off from the whole village to him getting beat up. And all of this happens when the viewer knows that Lucas is really innocent. The closer it gets to the end the more you can see Lucas’s life go all the way down.

Mads Mikkelsen gives a good performance of Lucas. He shows a guy that’s slowly losing himself over the movie over a false rumor. He tries to stay strong but slowly starts to go insane.

Theo, Lucas’s friend, also has a weird feeling over the movie when he struggles with protecting his daughter Klara and believing that his friend didn’t touch his daughter.

My thoughts on the film is that it’s a great movie but that it also plays with your head. Because at the end of the movie, after everything calms down for Lucas and it’s proven that he didn’t touch Klara, he gets shot at at the end of the movie. What I think that means is that nothing will ever actually go back to normal for him. At least for Lucas.

I would give ‘The Hunt (Jagten)’ a 10/10. This movie is on Prime Video and other streaming services.

Editorials/Student Voice, Tech/Games

Pros and cons of AI

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By: Janessa Castro Cruz

Photo by igovar igovar on Pexels.com

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a technology that makes computers and machines to simulate human learning, creativity, thinking, and problem solving. They understand and respond to human language and learn from new information and experience. AI is able to make detailed recommendations and act independently, replacing the need for human intelligence. Over the years, AI’s popularity has risen and some believe that AI shouldn’t be used and should be banned, and others believe it’s a great tool and should be more available. There are lots of pros and cons of AI.

PROS: Some benefits of AI is that you can work faster, as it can generate outputs faster than the human brain and body can process information. You could work smarter when using it, and the machine can make mistakes but it’s more often in humans. There have been research studies that show AI-assisted reviewing is more accurate than basic human reviewing.

CONS: AI could create a lot of deep-fakes, causing fraud, theft, scams, and more. It’s possible that AI can create fake representations of real people and events. The tool is now in the workforce and has caused people to lose their jobs also causing mass unemployment. The school system is now disrupted; students rely on AI to do their work for them, cheat on tests, and more meaning they aren’t learning anything. It also consumes a lot of water, making it harmful to our earth. Data centers powering AI are predicted to consume over 426 billion liters of water annually by 2030

I don’t think AI should be used, especially in the school system and in jobs. If it’s affecting students’ education and doing the work for them then they aren’t learning anything. It’s also causing people to lose their jobs and they shouldn’t allow that to happen. I believe that AI should only be used to brainstorm ideas and help with research and reviewing.

Editorials/Student Voice, School Life, Tech/Games

The shift in the digital

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By: Weston Halgunseth

Photo by Katerina Holmes on Pexels.com

Introduction

A few months ago, in St. Paul, classrooms shifted from desks and whiteboards to beds and sleep. This change sparked a huge debate. While some students thrive in a digital space, others find themselves struggling with online learning. In my view, the overall effect of online learning on students is that it is mostly good but a lot of it gives a bit too much leeway.

The good of online learning

Online learning has some great benefits that help students feel better. You can sleep much more because you don’t have to wake up early to catch a bus or be in school on time. This helps you feel rested and gives you more energy to focus on your lessons, unlike what normally happens where you feel fatigued for the first 20-30 minutes of class. You usually have more time to finish your tasks so you don’t feel as much stress. You can learn at your own speed instead of trying to keep up with a fast teacher.

The bad side of online learning

Online learning has some good parts but it also has problems. It is hard to try your best when no one is watching you and it is easy to forget your assignments without the teachers reminding you. If you get stuck you have to wait for an email instead of getting help right away. It is also lonely because you don’t see your friends at lunch or in the halls making it so your social skill starts to go down. Because students feel alone and bored they don’t learn as well and their grades often go down. Even though computers are helpful, being in a real classroom is usually better for most people.

My own experience

Back in 2020, when COVID was a big thing, I was stuck at home for a year and in that time I experienced a lot of the things I talked about such as the lack of motivation, loneliness feeling, less stress, and grades dropping. In that year, I’ve noticed that my knowledge with most of the stuff I learned before the online classes was really rusty and foggy and it took me a bit to catch up to where I should be in math, science, etc. Like in math, when I got back, I was struggling bad and didn’t get a hang of it until I started getting help after school from friends.

I also noticed that online learning made it hard to keep my friends. A lot of my friends I had in 5th grade I lost when I came back because I hadn’t talked to them for a year or so, and overall online learning wasn’t the best experience for me. It ruined my ability to socialize, my knowledge went down and a lot more.

The verdict

The shift to online learning is a double edged sword. On the positive side the ability to sleep in and the freedom of more time to submit assignments greatly reduces my and many others stress allowing students to learn subjects at a pace that actually works for them.

However, these benefits are often ruined by the lack of motivation and hands-on help. Without socializing, students feel alone and lonely which can lead to a grade drop and people getting less educated because they aren’t truly engaged. Ultimately, while the flexibility is great online learning only works if we can find a way to bring back the social and strictness sides of a physical classroom.

Movies/TV/Theaters

Review on ‘American Psycho’

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By: Abreham Debele

‘American Psycho’ is a psychological thriller movie directed by Mary Hardin and released in 2000. This movie is based on a novel written by Bret Easton Ellis in 1991. The film revolves around a wealthy man living in New York City who secretly lives a double life. Throughout the movie we see the main character struggle with his identity, obsession with status, and inability to form genuine emotional connections.

Patrick Bateman is a successful investment banker working on Wall Street in New York City. On the outside he seems to live a perfect life filled with wealth, expensive restaurants, and high social status. However, behind his polished image he hides his psychopathic and violent urges.

He becomes obsessed with superficial things such as business cards, physical appearance, and designer brands. As the movie progresses, we see him commit brutal acts of violence while trying to maintain a normal public image. His violent actions show his deep emptiness and detachment from reality.

Throughout the film Bateman carefully maintains his professional life while hiding his disturbing behavior. He spends his time with wealthy coworkers discussing status symbols and material possessions. While at the same time, he secretly stalks and murders victims whom he believes deserves punishment. As his violence impulsively grows stronger, it becomes more difficult for him to maintain control. The movie often blurs the line between reality and imagination, leaving the viewers questioning whether all the events happened or it was all in Bateman’s head.

In my opinion, ‘American Psycho’ is a show that illustrates that someone can appear completely normal on the outside while hiding serious psychological problems. I believe the movie does a great job showing us why an obsession with wealth, status, and appearance is unhealthy. What really interests me is how the film shows us Patrick’s emptiness and shallowness while also showing his coping mechanisms such as surrounding himself with coworkers, being obsessed with status, and his violent fantasies. My favorite part of the film is that it leaves it to the viewer’s interpretation whether the events are real or that it’s all in Bateman’s head.

You can watch ‘American Psycho’ on Netflix.

Travel/Food

Ranking niche fast food restaurants

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By: Brayden Marsh and Dahlia Man

Nashville Coop – 5.5/10

Ever wondered what the origins of the Nashville Coop seasoning was? It’s a blend of Southern, Jamaican, and Ethiopian flavors- how unique! Nashville Coop specializes in their chicken which is fresh, tender, and juicy. Aside from the chicken, the fries are always crisp and warm. As every other restaurant that is strongly rooted in chicken, the prices are similar ranging from $10-$16 for a single meal.

We personally found their meals to be appetizing, but nothing typically special. As you go higher on the spice scale, the chicken begins to lose flavor and commences a taste of a powder seasoning that doesn’t blend well with each other. The spice is present, but the flavor doesn’t hit the satisfaction. This is why we rated this restaurant a 5.5/10.

My Burger – 6/10

My Burger is a great local alternative to regular fast food burgers. They are less processed and we personally would rather go here than a McDonald’s or Wendy’s. Their prices aren’t anything special that sets them apart from a regular fast food restaurant, but we’ve also never been disappointed by a meal here, which can’t be said about most fast food chains. They also serve their fries and burger with their garlic or spicy mayo, which is a great addition to the food.

We give My Burger a 6/10 because it’s better than most fast food chains, but it isn’t anything super special that sets it apart from a regular burger.

Hook Fish & Chicken – 7/10

If you love lemon pepper seasoning, Hook Fish & Chicken is the place to go. Hook Fish & Chicken specializes in their signature seasoning coated in their freshly cooked meals. They have a wide variety of seafoods starting from cod dinners to oysters. As for their chicken, they have the classics of tenders, wings, and nuggets.

Although their prices may seem unreasonable, each meal comes in a large portion that could even be split for two. We rate this a 7/10 because they serve fresh foods with flavors that exceed our own tastebuds, but it is easy to become accustomed to. There are great options to get seafood and chicken, and Hook is a great place to start.

Dino’s Gyros – 7/10

Dino’s Gyros is a distinct fast food restaurant in comparison to our well known restaurants- they serve  unique ethnic foods originating from Greece; specializing in gyros. At Dino’s, you build your own gyro; a choice of protein, sauce, and toppings. On their menu, there is a wide selection of different meals you can choose from, such as soups, salads, sandwiches, burgers, plates, bowls, and desserts. They serve fresh, high-quality, and flavorful Greek foods that peaks the interests of people who explore different ethnic foods.

We rate this restaurant a 7/10 because the food itself is very delicious and a step away from the usual fast food stereotype, however the portions could be improved for the price you pay, which is why we give it a 7/10.

Davanni’s Pizza and Hot Hoagies – 8/10

Davanni’s is a very versatile restaurant because they have so many different foods. They may be a little more expensive than most fast food, however the food makes up for it. They serve an assortment of delicious foods that most fast food chains wouldn’t be able to pull off.

We think Davanni’s is a great option because it’s almost like a dine-in, formal restaurant with the quality of the food they present. They also have very large portions just for a couple more dollars than other fast food, so you’re still getting your money’s worth. Davanni’s food is great, but it’s just slightly pricey which is why we think they deserve an 8/10.

Naf Naf Grill – 8/10 

We think the reason Naf Naf Grill isn’t more popular is likely because most of the time it’s overshadowed by the other fast food restaurants nearby since most of their locations are in malls or shopping centers. However, for the same price as all of these other restaurants, you can get a delicious chicken shawarma wrap that’s put together to your liking. They have an assembly line style menu, so you get to choose exactly what you get and try a variety of options.

This restaurant is great if you want to try something new, however there isn’t anything particularly special about them that would put them above other chicken shawarma restaurants, which is why we give it an 8/10.

Punch Pizza – 10/10

Punch Pizza could be argued as one of the best fast food restaurants in the Twin Cities. Their menu ranges from a price of $10-$16, and for that price you get a freshly oven baked pizza made out of high quality ingredients. We’ve also never had a bad experience at Punch Pizza, and the pizzas always taste better than what you paid for them.

For the price they offer, you could go to any big fast food restaurant and only get a mystery meat burger that sat out for a week prior and fries drenched in oil that’s been sitting in the deep fryer for a month. The food quality and taste for the price at Punch Pizza is ridiculous, which is overall why we gave it a 10/10.

Movies/TV/Theaters

Why is ‘JJK’ anime trending

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By: Ro’Mel Bryant-Oliveraz

‘Jujitsu Kaisen’ is a popular anime that has been trending for a long time, recently at a peak with season 3 releasing, building up to an arc of the story that was arguably the best of the manga.

The base power is Cursed Energy which comes from negative emotions of people, and when high in an area it manifests as Curses, which are entities that threaten society. This is the very base of what ‘JJK’ is about. There are Sorcerers, who are trained humans that harness, control, and manipulate the same energy curses are made of, Cursed Energy, to battle them.

Though, it’s not that simple.

My favorite part is how complicated harnessing and controlling cursed energy as a human gets. All humans have innate techniques which is a unique ability engraved into someone’s brain at birth. It’s a way your brain automatically manipulates cursed energy to use it. There are infinite and endless ways, ranging from straightforward and weak, to straightforward and strong, to very very complicated, to anything in between.

A straightforward but extremely strong one is Satoru Gojo’s Limitless. It lets him manipulate space, that is the default way his brain manipulates CE. Straightforward. But he combines it with an ability to have molecular perception and precision of Cursed energy he was born with called the Six Eyes, allowing him to manipulate space not just basically in ways like having a permanent invisible force field to make him untouchable, but also launching an orb of space that pulls things together forcefully called Blue, and even reversing it to make an orb of space that violently repels things called Red. He even figured out how to combine Red and Blue making Purple, which is an imaginary mass that erases anything fundamentally from space.

Another innate technique is Suguru Getos. Instead of manipulating space his is Cursed spirit Manipulation. A type of technique that can allow you to manipulate cures. Specifically, his technique lets him absorb a curse that he defeated in battle by swallowing them. Once he swallows them and absorbs them he can store them in his body and summon them and use their abilities at will. This is very very powerful, turning the enemies into his own, completely under his control. The only downside is that he needs to first beat the curse in battle himself, then absorb them by swallowing them. He describes the process of absorbing a curse to be very very excruciatingly disgusting and painful psychologically. This eventually led him to a very bad depression until he turned evil. Even though he was one of the strongest and most loyal, his own ability on top of the harshness of life destroyed his mental health completely.

I could talk about the many many characters and their techniques also, everyone’s techniques are just as complicated as each others in completely different ways.

The true beauty of ‘JJk’ to me is the amount of characters and how central everyone is. There is no true main character because the story is about everyone and everything. One extra person being there, no matter how weak, would change the entire outcome. It bounces between eras, showing the current modern era like Yuji, Nobara, and Megumi handling school life chaos in Tokyo, then showing thousand long year plans in the making from ancient sorcerer myths like Sukuna, and Kenjaku. No one steals the spotlight permanently, every character development is through other characters.

‘JJK’ doesn’t hold back with the characters you’ve known from the start from dying. Characters turn evil, get cheated by the system, hated by their families for being different, and even complete noobs to Jujitsu but got pulled in and now have to compete with the best.

The diversity, with humor, tragedy, philosophy, character psychology, unpredictability, and complex themes and power system is why this anime is trending so much.

You can watch ‘JJK’ on Netflix and Crunchyroll

Movies/TV/Theaters

My top 5 best horror movies to watch

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By: Arturo Benitez-Osorio

1.⠀ Incantation 

TRAILER: https://youtu.be/HnyNZdcL_GY?si=t3MJwZflZA1YzSfF

Description: Inspired by a true story of a family who believed they were possessed by spirits, this film follows a woman who must protect her child from a curse.

I remember when this movie got popular during 2024 and it caught my attention since everyone on social media were talking about how scary this movie was. I’ve checked it out and once the movie ended I felt terrified.

Things that I liked about this movie was the adrenaline rush of feeling on some scenes since you never can expect a jumpscare. There were also some few parts that made you very uncomfortable and eerie. It kept me on edge from beginning to end constantly guessing what might happen next.

If you’re looking for a deeply unsettling charged horror movie that sticks with you, I highly recommend this one since this horror movie isn’t like the rest of the others having some weak jumpscares that will actually surprise you. 

You can watch ‘Incantation’ on Netflix

2. HUSH

TRAILER: https://youtu.be/Q_P8WCbhC6s?si=KIWzZY2E-EE11Sub

Description: A deaf writer who retreated into the woods to live a solitary life must fight for her life in silence when a masked killer appears at her window.

The deaf perspective in this movie makes this movie very thrilling. It taps into the fear of being alone in a remote house realizing your safety has been completely compromised. This movie is very intense by making the protagonist deaf and forces you to rely on visual clues making every noise feel like your heart is about to drop.

This movie doesn’t use cheap jumpscares and is very unique from the rest of the movies I’m ranking. 

You can watch ‘HUSH’ on Apple TV

3. Annabelle: Creation 

TRAILER: https://youtu.be/KisPhy7T__Q?si=hIOcH1f1GQ7ATSZ6

Description: Former toy maker Sam Mullins, and his wife Esther, are happy to welcome a nun and six orphaned girls into their California farmhouse. Years earlier, the couple’s 7 year old daughter, Annabelle, died in a tragic car accident. Terror soon strikes when one child sneaks into a forbidden room and finds a seemingly innocent doll that appears to have a life of its own.

In my opinion, ‘Annabelle: Creation’ is better than the first ‘Annabelle’ (2014) as there are a lot of improvements on the atmosphere and jumpscares.

This movie uses a lot of shots where there’s a massive black space behind characters during some scenes, for example when Annabelle is trying to play “hide and seek”. It forces your eyes to focus on the background trying to search the shadow movements making you create your own scares.

It’s a fun movie to watch with a group of friends because the scares are well timed

You can watch ‘Annabelle: Creation’

4. THE NUN 2

TRAILER: https://youtu.be/U3PO4iD1G2g?si=nTPRJrYjVYJ7WXZu

Description: 1956 – France. A priest is murdered. An evil is spreading. The sequel to the worldwide smash hit ‘The Nun’ follows Sister Irene as she once again comes face to face with the demonic force Valak-The Demon Nun.

This horror movie relies on religious dread and iconography. I really don’t like religious horror movies since I feel like they’re the same like every other horror religious movie but this one was good. I watched the first horror nun movie and it really didn’t get me hyped like this one. This movie had a big improvement on the atmosphere from the first nun movie and some genuine creepy visual scenes.

This movie leans into heavy loud noises for its jump scares going from quiet to LOUD. It’s a traditional horror technique that in my opinion, doesn’t really get you into a fear state, but this horror movie had the greatest quiet to loud noises just because of the scenes they used for that technique. 

You can watch ‘THE NUN 2’ on Apple TV

5. Smile 2 

TRAILER: https://youtu.be/0HY6QFlBzUY?si=4kdqBD_ZS9b9WKAg

Description: About to embark on a new world tour, global pop sensation Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) begins experiencing increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events.

Overwhelmed by the escalating horrors and the pressures of fame, Skye is forced to face her dark past to regain control of her life before it spirals out of control.

It’s rare for a horror sequel to be better than the first one, but ‘Smile 2’ pulled it off. In ‘Smile’ the movie was about the curse and now this one focuses on the loss of reality when the “smiles” starts to happen in public places.

This movie isn’t really scary but I love how this movie adds a fear of public humiliation in front of everyone. This movie contains some of the best effects and it’s a really good movie if you’re in love with plot twists. The end will surprise you, and overall, the actress and other people are on point. 

You can watch ‘Smile 2’ on Apple TV

Movies/TV/Theaters

Top 5 Films of 2025

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By: Daniel Kendle

Hey guys, it’s me: Movie Mike. If you haven’t heard of me before (chuckles), then I’d be surprised. As one of the world’s leading film critics, it’s near-impossible to encounter an aspiring reviewer in the Hollywood industry not influenced by my work. No one comes close! My opinions are sacrosanct! I wore a Criterion Collection t-shirt to my great aunt’s funeral!

Being the “movie mogul” I am, it’s safe to say that my ratings for films are all correct. This means that you simply can’t get mad at me for my opinions because, well…they aren’t! ‘Tampopo’ is overrated. ‘Bambi’ is the best Disney movie. Baz Lurhmann films all suck. These are a mere sampling of my just and truthful views, ones that – in a perfect world – would be religiously-accepted.

Anyways, that’s enough about me. 2025 was a pretty good year for movies overall, even when compared to years like 2019 and 2023. Lots of good stuff came out, so it was pretty difficult to narrow down this list to just 5. So before I begin with the countdown, let’s go over a few honorable (and dishonorable) mentions.

‘Train Dreams,’ directed by Clint Bentley, was my 6th favorite of last year. This is a lush, dreamy story about an American logger during the early 20th century, the plot paired finely with near-hypnotic cinematography. A slow film, the visuals and sound design work to captivate your interest throughout as you watch this man’s life unfold – from the beginning to the very end.

Ryan Coogler’s ‘Sinners’ also just missed out on the top 5. This was among the year’s most popular, arguably becoming the first universally-acclaimed release of 2025. I love it a lot too, though maybe a little less than others: the tone felt all over the place for me, trying to balance elements of horror, action, fantasy and even comedy genres at times, though never as gracefully as I would hope. Still very good, however.

To speed through some other films, ‘Weapons’ was one of the biggest surprises for me, especially as someone mostly-indifferent to horror flicks. I honestly foresee it potentially climbing into the top 5 with another rewatch; it gets better the more I think about it. ‘Superman’ and ‘Wake Up Dead Man’ were both extremely overrated, ‘F1’ somehow got an Oscar nom for Best Picture despite having a shallower story than ‘Cars,’ and, well…I actually did kinda like that K-Pop movie everyone’s talking about.

Alright, I think that’ll do. Without further ado, here’s my (official) list of the Top 5 Feature Films of 2025.

#5: ‘One Battle After Another’ (Paul Thomas Anderson)

Yeah, it was a shoo-in for ending up on this list, but really, why wouldn’t it? It’s safe to say that ‘One Battle After Another’ is among the premier movies of 2025, quickly becoming amongst those future cinephiles will sweat and stammer about when remembering the year’s catalog. 

Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, the film follows a group of retired mercenaries reuniting to rescue the daughter of one of their members. This is an action movie in every sense of the word, and unlike something like ‘Sinners,’ I don’t feel I have to end that statement in a question mark. The movie never lets up in its profound portrayals of family, friends and the importance of community – a notion countered by the film’s antagonist in one of Sean Penn’s best roles. Of course, Chase Infiniti, Leonardo DiCaprio and Teyana Taylor also do excellent jobs – even if I think the latter-most’s performance is a tad overrated.

While I may have it lower than others might, that’s not to diminish this film’s quality. In times of unprecedented peril and hostility around the world, it’s great to have a movie unabashedly hopeful for the future of humanity.

#4: ‘Frankenstein’ (Guillermo del Toro)

I’m a very big fan of del Toro overall, he’s easily a personal favorite director of mine. This isn’t to say he has a perfect filmography, but it’s rare for a director to have so many individually-perfect films like him. ‘Frankenstein,’ despite some minor issues, is yet another triumph from the Mexican filmmaker, feeling like the culmination of his career thus far.

Of course, the film is an adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic novel of the same name, so I’d be wasting article space recounting the play-by-play. As it stands, however, the film is a lovely tribute to the novel, introducing new ideas whilst honoring the original’s. Oscar Issac and Jacob Elordi also do great jobs as Victor Frankenstein and The Creature respectively as well, accompanied by a talented supporting cast.

This movie pairs nicely with del Toro’s adaptation of ‘Pinocchio’ from a few years back (my personal favorite work of his), both films addressing father-son relationships, creation, and life in meaningful and touching ways. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I firmly stand by ‘Frankenstein’ as being among the year’s most heartfelt flicks.

#3: ‘Bugonia’ (Yorgos Lanthimos)

‘Bugonia’ is among the films from last year I’ve thought most about since first viewing, which goes to show its staying power in the mind. What I originally perceived as a simple alien story cartwheeled into a vast sci-fi epic – one taking place entirely in a man’s basement.

The plot has a simple set-up: 2 men kidnap a CEO under the belief that she’s an alien, both seeking to save the world from her species’ wrath. The film eventually unfurls into something greater, however: a harrowing story about vengeance and what drives people to pursue it, no matter the consequences. In a collision course of a final act, ‘Bugonia’ manages to maintain both great comedy with powerful drama and cement itself as among its genre’s finest. And that score? Woof.

#2: ‘Hamnet’ (Chloé Zhao)

‘Hamnet’ is one of those films that, upon rewatch, I could see lowering my rating for and/or placement of it here, but for now I’ll just let it go. Because WOWIE, this movie is pretty dang good, actually!

An adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s 2020 novel, the plot predominantly follows Agnes and William Shakespeare as they grapple with the death of their 11-year-old, the titular Hamnet. The film shows their differing methods of dealing with grief, the latter using the tragedy as the basis for a new play.

The film is largely Agnes’s, however, played by Jessie Buckley in among the actress’s finest roles. I’ve been careful with my synopsis of the story to not describe her as merely “Shakespeare’s wife,” as that rids her character of so much depth on display here. Her sadness, given tangibility by the noble nature of her son’s death, is profound and moving to a fault. It’s this character and her struggle that defines the film, making it among the best of last year.

The movie isn’t perfect, but it’s crazy just how many individual things ‘Hamnet’ does do perfectly. Again, I could see myself lowering my score upon a more critical second viewing, but for now I herald it as a triumph.

#1: ‘Marty Supreme’ (Josh Safdie)

Despite claiming the top spot, I surprisingly don’t have much to say about ‘Marty Supreme’ that others haven’t already. The Safdie brothers excel in fast-paced, chaotic films that spiral out of control within minutes, given character through honest, flawed leads that add to the narrative’s energy and dynamism. ‘Uncut Gems’ has always been a great example of this trend, and ‘Marty Supreme’ looks to equal it in its levels of mania.

As to not spoil much, the film centers on the semi-fictional character of Marty Mauser, a young man who aims to be the greatest table tennis player in the world. The plot chronicles just that — for like, an hour. Interspliced with his rise to global recognition are countless vignettes showing his madcap life that quickly steal the show, turning what would be a normal sports flick into a modern epic.

I could sit here and say the filmmaking on display isn’t rocket science, but who am I kidding: it’s miraculous how what could’ve been a smorgasbord of absurd, random nosequators was instead weaved into an all-time classic. A definite highlight of 2025, and a movie I’d recommend to anyone.

Movies/TV/Theaters

‘The Pitt’ Season 2 TV show review

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By: Calvin Westin

*Warning: This review contains minor spoilers

‘The Pitt’ is a medical drama TV show created by Scott Gemmill and starring Noah Wyle. Each season of the show is one whole day and follows the emergency department staff’s 15 hour work shift at the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center; each episode is 1 hour of their work shift totaling 15 episodes.

Season 2 takes place on the 4th of July holiday, where Dr. Robby (played by Noah Wyle) starts his last shift before his 3 month break. Dr. Langdon returns from rehab, and a new character, Dr. Baran Al-Hashimi, is introduced to step in during high pressure.

I think that season 2 of ‘The Pitt’ so far has its pros and its cons. To start with the cons, I wish that Dr. McKay (played by Fiona Dourif) would get more screen time. I noticed that whenever she would come back into the scene, I had completely forgotten about her because the show would have long scenes without her. She also almost never interacts with other staff, which brings me to my next con. I don’t like the creative choices of not putting main actors into scenes together or making them avoid a relationship. I understand that this could happen in real life, but I want to see more doctors with each other, such as Dr. Samira and Javadi, who have a close relationship outside of the show but not inside the show, as they never share one scene.

My last con is how this season feels slower paced and repetitive. One reason I liked and continued to watch season 1 was because of the chaos and how everything was messy in a way, just like season 1 of the restaurant drama show ‘The Bear,’ but just like this show, the later seasons became slower. I understand why some shows do this to show the growing maturity, but one season is only one day, and I think if this show continues, they need to have the following seasons be as fast as the first one, and then they can slow it down when it comes to an end.

This season also seems to keep showing the main characters’ past problems, which already took up a substantial amount of time in the first season, which I don’t appreciate because characters like Samira (played by Supriya Ganesh) are either not getting a good plot or becoming less featured or both. One thing I really appreciated from the first season was how Dr. Samira advocated for more empathetic patient care; the way she focuses on healthcare inequality, race, and systemic barriers was very important because racism in healthcare is still very prevalent, and many people don’t know that. But now in season 2, they have given her less success in these barriers being fixed, and it feels to me they are trying to make her an annoying character.

Now to talk about the pros of this season. My first pro is that they keep up with the times, for example, Dr. Al-Hashimi introduced an AI system for the hospital, and other doctors were criticizing it just like people today. And what I like is that it’s not in a cringey way like how other shows mock Gen Z with the most stereotypical phrases, but instead in a more realistic way, which brings me to my second pro about this show, which is realism. One of the main things this show is known for is how realistic it is; even doctors and ER workers have said how accurate the protocols and procedures are. This is probably the biggest reason I like and continue watching this show because of the realness this show has vs. others like ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ which is famously known as the most inaccurate medical TV show.

Overall, I would give Season 2 of ‘The Pitt’ a rating of 8.1/10 and would recommend this show to many, but it is rated TV-MA and often shows open wounds, so watch at your own discretion. You can watch ‘The Pitt’ on HBO Max