Joshua M. Hayes Animation, Comedy, Romance, Television

TV Review: Big Mouth – Season 8

Alas, all great things must come to an end. Netflix's longest running original scripted series, the Emmy-winning Big Mouth, finally gets its happy ending. Since 2017, this unique show centered around puberty and Hormone monsters has always been a riotous joy, often reinventing itself by adding more layers to its storied mythology. Inspired by the … Continue reading TV Review: Big Mouth – Season 8

Joshua M. Hayes Romance

Film Review: Jane Austen Wrecked My Life

★★ (Written By Intern, Miranda Zampogna) From traditional recreations to modern reimaginations, Jane Austen’s entire collection has long served as a most influential draft upon the romantic comedy genre, since their initial transcription to the screen in the year 1938. To give Ms. Austen her due, her visionary work, penned in the Regency era, remains … Continue reading Film Review: Jane Austen Wrecked My Life

Joshua M. Hayes Drama, Romance

Film Review: Bonjour Tristesse

★★★ (Written by Intern, Miranda Zampogna) Adapting Françoise Sagan’s classic novel, writer-director Durga Chew-Bose jets to the French Riviera, where the summer heat splendidly melts time. This coming-of-age story, best savored on a lazy afternoon, stirs hazy impulses when an unexpected guest disrupts eighteen-year-old Cécile's idyllic getaway with her father and new flame. A keen … Continue reading Film Review: Bonjour Tristesse

Joshua M. Hayes Drama, Festival, LGBT, Romance

SFFILM 2025: The Last First Time

★★★★ Erotically charged and rippling with unspoken subtext, The Last First Time is one of the year's best queer festival surprises. Hailing from Mexican director Rafael Ruiz Espejo, Alejandro Quintana plays eighteen-year-old Eduardo in a rather unflinching character study. LGBT+ audiences will no doubt relate to the simplicity of this feature more than others. It … Continue reading SFFILM 2025: The Last First Time

Joshua M. Hayes Drama, LGBT, Romance

Film Review: On Swift Horses

★★★★★ Jacob Elordi and Diego Calva starring in a gay film together was enough to set the internet ablaze. Would this decade-spanning drama be worth the wait? Thankfully, there is much more depth to On Swift Horses than just saucy screenshots. Director Daniel Minahan (Netflix's Hollywood, Showtime's Fellow Travelers) and screenwriter Bryce Kass (Lizzie) adapt … Continue reading Film Review: On Swift Horses

Joshua M. Hayes Comedy, Romance

Film Review: The Life List

★★★★ A new gold-standard Netflix rom-com has officially arrived, based on the acclaimed book by Lori Nelson Spielman. Led by a dazzling performance from Sofia Carson and the golden retriever boyfriend energy of Kyle Allen, The Life List balances a perfect mix of romance, self-discovery, and tearjerking tragedy. Anyone who has grieved a loved one—especially … Continue reading Film Review: The Life List

Joshua M. Hayes Comedy, Horror, Romance, Thriller

Film Review: Borderline

★★★★ Who doesn't love a good genre hybrid? Certainly, scream queen Samara Weaving is no stranger to the concept, excelling in the deliciously wild worlds of Netflix's The Babysitter duology and Radio Silence's propulsive Ready or Not. Borderline, written and directed by Jimmy Warden (Cocaine Bear, The Babysitter: Killer Queen), promises to be just as … Continue reading Film Review: Borderline