Clearing the Trail (1928)

The film seems like an extreme interpretation of the conspiracy theorists that exist in real life. And then, there’s the twist.

Ultra-violent storytelling has never been my thing, but the issues with Scarface go beyond that. The film perpetuates harmful stereotypes about Latinx immigrants and uses gore and misogyny for shock value that never serves any purpose. The whole venture is frustratingly empty, and left me desiring something more.

"La Noria" deftly subverts audience expectations as it explores childhood grief, anxieties, and pain. The award-winning short shows us that often our monsters are often sprung from our darkest places.

Outer Banks (2020-) knows its audience: young adults in a country that can’t stop romanticizing good ole’ treasure hunts. Add a little of Riverdale’s (2017-) sex appeal, and no one can look away. Forty years after The Goonies (1985) America’s consciousness hasn’t strayed from the same tropes: treasure hunts, a vulnerable white male lead, and the whitewashing of a racially segregated setting.

The actions that Verity confesses to are tragic.  But the way to prevent those actions isn’t to force the related emotions into the shadows. 

The nations of Wakanda and Talokan enter war over their opposing viewpoints on dealing with the destructive hearts of humankind on the surface world.