The Truth is….The Good Liar Rocks
At first glance, “The Good Liar” is a respectable piece of fiction, starring Ian McKellen and Helen Mirren. But underneath everything, the film expertly hones the unpredictability of deceit.

Inside a small roadside salon, three men mock a newspaper photo of a fair-skinned groom who has married a dark-skinned bride. Their laughter is cruel, their views shallow. At that moment, a young man with dark skin walks in. Offended by their remarks, he challenges their narrow ideas and sparks a heated debate. What begins as casual gossip soon turns into a clash of perspectives on beauty, prejudice, and identity. The title “Pottakkinar”—literally “The Frog in the Well”—is borrowed from a Chinese idiom that describes a person too narrow-minded to see the vastness of the world. This intimate, single-location short film is a raw and unbiased reflection on racism and the everyday ignorance that feeds it.
At first glance, “The Good Liar” is a respectable piece of fiction, starring Ian McKellen and Helen Mirren. But underneath everything, the film expertly hones the unpredictability of deceit.
Despite its glaring flaws, First Girl I Loved is not entirely undeserving of a watch. For people who can handle the more difficult aspects of the story and graphic scenes, it is worth looking into. It’s not a film worthy of rewatch, but it may still resonate somewhat with those who need a story like this. It is a genuine, if flimsy attempt at a coming-of-age tale. Were the film to be directed by someone with experiences more similar to Anne, it would likely be more powerful--as it is, it feels like a man’s perspective of what it means to come to terms with your identity as a lesbian.
In the LGBTQ+ holiday rom-com wars, 'Single All The Way' may or may not be the “answer” to 'Happiest Season.'
An aspect of She-Ra that I find refreshing is even though a large portion of the cast is on the LGBTQ+ Spectrum, being gay is never mentioned. While this might initially sound like a negative thing, in the show’s land of Etheria being on the gay spectrum is shown to be so common and normalized that straight isn’t the default. As much as there is to appreciate about narratives revolving around the obstacles that may come from being non-heteronormative, it’s nice to get immersed in a world where no one bats an eye at all to any sort of differing identity.
'Zombieland: Double Tap' was entertaining and fun at times, but not very evolved. It had poorly developed female characters and stereotypical characters of color.
"King Richard" paints a nuanced portrait of a Black father trying to ensure his daughters’ success in a racist, misogynistic world. Yet, Richard and his kids overcome that fear and adversity to succeed.