karimgh Reviews

Perfect Strangers (2022)

Finally

[8/10 · 26 January 2022]

It took a while but finally an arabic movie that isn't afraid of actually showing us flawed human beings who need therapy, who cheat and who lie.

People who have a different sexual orientation and not making it the butt of the joke and showing us how hard it is to be in the LGBTQ+ community in a country that isn't necessarily kind to it.

I'm so glad that this film tackled these subjects and more. No culture is perfect so stop pretending that we are, and instead of attacking some of the cast on this film please just don't watch it and live your "perfect" lives in your "perfect " world and let them be.

Supernatural: Carry On (2020) Season 15, Episode 20

The perfect ending

[10/10 · 21 November 2020]

I honestly loved this ending so much, I don't know why people are hating on it this way because in my opinion this has always been Sam and Dean's story and along the way their family extended from Castiel to Jack and many more. Ever since more and more characters started to show up I just wanted the series to end with Sam and Dean together and just that, and this is what happened. The fact that Dean died in such a simple way is showing us that Chuck isn't writing their destiny anymore and that they are just like any other hunter. Every character got the ending they deserved, Dean died hunting, Sam died after living a normal life, Castiel showed human emotions before being taken away and Jack fulfilled his destiny becoming the new God. I loved this journey, I love this show and it will always have a special place in my heart.

The Goldfinch (2019)

The critics are wrong about this one

[8/10 · 12 September 2019]

I had high hopes for this movie ever since it was announced, as it had cast an all-star cast and the novel (though I never read it) was considered great, so when the negative reviews came out, I lowered my expectations going into the movie and I'm glad I did. The cinematography was great as well as the directing, Oakes Fegley is a star in the making and this is his movie. The remaining cast was pretty good and Finn Wolfhard, despite what critics are saying, nails the Russian accent. This movie represents life and how just one mistake can change your future drastically and it's not a movie for casual film-goers (as I thought 10 minutes could have been trimmed). All in all I loved The Goldfinch and don't let the critics convince you not to watch it.

A Series of Unfortunate Events (2017–2019)

Season 1

[8/10 · 6 January 2019]

Based on Lemony Snicket's books, the first season of this show covers the first four books of the series, as Violet (Malina Weissman), Klaus (Louis Hynes), and Sunny Baudelaire receive the news that their parents have died in tragic a house fire that leaves them orphaned and in the hands of Count Olaf (Neil Patrick Harris) who is an actor determined to claim the Baudelaire fortune for himself. While the kids try to uncover a mystery society that involved their parents, Olaf is doing everything in his hands to try and steal the fortune of their parents. Providing comedic scenes as much as dark scenes I found this show to be quite enjoyable as the story progresses and Count Olaf's schemes get wackier and weirder. With many great settings this show fails to disappoint as fans of the original movie will like it even better as there is more depth to this sorrowful show. While the first four episodes where the highlights of the first season in my opinion, the next four were good but not great as sometimes it felt that they were slowing the pace a little

A Series of Unfortunate Events (2017–2019)

Seasons 2 and 3

[8/10 · 6 January 2019]

Continuing the events from the first season Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire have escaped Count Olaf's evil scheme once again but as the story goes and as title suggests they were in a number of unfortunate events. Adapting to the original books, the second and third seasons follow the orphans to several locations such as an academy, a hospital, a hotel and many more other places. From the opening theme song, to the terrific production values this show was just so much fun to watch, big mysteries were uncovered, characters were satisfyingly developed, Neil Patrick Harris stole the show as Olaf and well baby Sunny Baudelaire was just so funny and awesome to watch. The only complaint that I have is that the series finale, while it was a great episode, felt rushed due to it being a one episode as opposed to two. As Lemony Snicket constantly reminds us when narrating the show, I advise you to turn away immediately and watch something more pleasant.

Ozark (2017–2022)

I hate the characters but cant't say the same about the show

[10/10 · 14 November 2018]

When Marty Byrde enters in some illegal business with the Mexican Cartel, he moves his entire family to the Ozarks in order to launder money for them. There, the family quickly encounters trouble as they run into a redneck family called the Snells. Meanwhile, when trying to figure out different ways to clean up the money Marty starts to meet different people in the town and that's where I'm going to stop talking. I started this show with zero expectations as this genre doesn't really appeal to me but as soon as the first episode ended I was quickly intrigued but the show really found its pace during the third episode when it started building up the characters. I'm not a fan of Jason Bateman but his performance here proved that he's better at drama than he is at comedy. The thing that I liked most about this show is that characters actually evolve,you see them becoming improved versions of themselves whether it's for the better or worse and you can tell the difference between them from the first episode and the season finale. If you're a fan of the Breaking Bad genre or any kind of crime shows this the series for you

Riverdale (2017–2023)

Season 1

[3/10 · 20 October 2018]

Based on the "Archie" comics characters, Riverdale is a show about Archie Andrews (KJ Apa) and his friends Betty Cooper (Lili Reinhart) and Jughead Jones (Cole Sprouse) as they discover the darkness behinds the seemingly perfect town of Riverdale. Joined by new town member Veronica Lodge (Camila Mendes), Archie and his friends are trying to solve the murder of Jason Blossom (Trevor Stines), brother of their classmate Cheryl Blossom (Madelaine Petsch) and that's where I'm going to stop talking about the story-line. To be honest, I disliked the first few episodes as I thought they were too cheesy and drama filled but all that changed around episode 3 as the story started to pick up with it making you guess, "who killed Jason?" and with every character treated as a suspect, it gave the show a very well executed "whodunnit?" story-line with the last 4 episodes simply being exciting as we got closer to solving the mystery and a season finale making you wanting more. All in all, if it weren't for the first three episodes I would have liked the first season a lot more.

GLOW (2017–2019)

If you love the 80's and wrestling then this is the show for you

[8/10 · 20 October 2018]

A Netflix original series, GLOW is a show based in the 80's about a struggling actress named Ruth Wilder (Alison Brie) who lands a role with dozens of other actresses in a wrestling promotion called GLOW (Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling) and is immediately at heads with the promoter Sam (Marc Maron) as he thinks she isn't fit for the role, then her best friend and soap opera actress Debbie (Betty Gilpin) comes in and that's my cue to stop talking about the plot. While at first, I was skeptical of this series since adapting wrestling on TV hasn't had much success, it exceeded my expectations as it showed the actual struggle that wrestlers live through and what goes on behind the scenes. Although it isn't memorable, it's a fun show to watch if you're bored and want to kill time as the episodes aren't really long and it has an "Orange is the New Black" vibe with its female cast. If you're a wrestling fan this is the show for you as there's a blend of comedy, wrestling and fun wrestler cameos

Ricky Gervais: Humanity (2018 TV Special)

Incredibly funny

[9/10 · 20 October 2018]

While not a TV series, I had to write about this comedy special starring Ricky Gervais as this was one of the funniest stand up specials that I have watched in a while. Gervais does not hold back as the show starts with a Caitlyn Jenner joke and that's where I will stop talking about the content included in the special because you are going to be in for a fun ride with this 90-minute comedic roller-coaster. It is the content, as ever, that divides critical and personal opinion. Humanity covers a lot of ground and what differentiates it from other comedy special is the delivery of the jokes, instead of starting his joke with the cliche phrase "What is up with...?" he gets straight into it in the most straight-forward, cruel and honest way possible. People who consider jokes as jokes no matter the content included should give this stand up special a watch as I guarantee that you will leave as fan of Gervais if you weren't before.

Parks and Recreation (2009–2015)

The cute (in a good way) version of "The Office"

[10/10 · 2 October 2018]

A documentary style sitcom, "Parks and Recreation" is a show about the lives of the Parks and Rec department in Pawnee, Indiana, specifically Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) as she strides to make the most out of her position in the department. At first glance, it feels like a spin-off to "The Office" and it isn't until the premiere of the second season that the show starts to take shape with Poehler being the most lovable character on the show, Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman) becomes everyone's mood and Andy Dwyer (Chris Pratt) well, you can't hate Chris Pratt. While other characters of the show never feel left out or just side-characters as everyone gets their chance to shine during the seven season run. In my opinion,this show has some great running gags and with a rocky start but a perfect ending this show was simply awesome.

The Office (2005–2013)

Awkward comedy at its best.

[10/10 · 2 October 2018]

Who knew a show about a paper company could be so much fun? A mockumentary about employees working at a paper supplying company, The Office is a show about the daily lives of the Scranton employees working there under the employment of fun-loving, self-centered boss Micheal Scott (Steve Carrel) who does nothing but steal every scene he's in during every episode. The show started out slowly and not truly funny but as the series continued it grabbed my attention and as soon as I watched the second season episode "Halloween" I was hooked. Throughout nine wonderful seasons this series provided me with laughter and relatability to its characters and had a very satisfying ending. From Jim's pranks on Dwight to Toby being bullied constantly by Micheal, this show is one of the best sitcoms of all time and in my top five list of best shows.

Santa Clarita Diet (2017–2019)

Barrymore at her best.

[8/10 · 2 October 2018]

A comedic take on the zombie genre, Santa Clarita Diet is a show about a couple, Joel (Timothy Olyphant) and Sheila (Drew Barrymore) trying to cope with the fact that Sheila has become a zombie and starts killing people in order to eat. Also helping them is their daughter Abby and her nerdy friend Eric. While the plot of zombies has been milked to death I quite enjoyed this show as it included genuine comedy from Barrymore and especially Olyphant who was hilarious as the scared as hell husband who is trying to be cool about his wife's condition while trying not to expose her secret to anyone. A light series that doesn't need to be taken seriously, Santa Clarita Diet is a show that you enjoy while watching it but you forget about it after a couple of weeks.

Monk (2002–2009)

Most underrated show of the 2000's.

[10/10 · 2 October 2018]

A brilliant homicide detective with a lot of phobias, Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub) returns to his job after a four-year hiatus as a consultant following a nervous breakdown due to the murder of his wife Trudy. With his nurse Sharona Fleming (Bitty Schram) by his side he returns to help the police with solving murders usually with the assistance of Lieutenant Randy Disher (Jason Gray-Stanford) and one of Monk's oldest friends Captain Leland Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine). While he can solve many unsolvable cases the only one that still alludes him is the murder of his wife as he is determined to find out who killed her. Although the first episode doesn't start the series in the most exciting way, it introduces us to all the characters and gives us an idea of where the series is headed as each episode starts off with a murder and then Monk is on the case and that's where I'm going to stop talking. While this formula has been used to death by every crime show, there's something about an episode of Monk that makes it feel like a 45-minute movie. Although this a crime-drama show, there is a lot of comedy as Tony Shalhoub makes you laugh and feel sorry for him at the same time which is one of the highlights of the entire series. An underrated show that deserves credit where credit is due

Stranger Things (2016–2025)

Same atmosphere, bigger problems. (Season 2)

[10/10 · 2 October 2018]

Ever since I finished watching the first season of Stranger Things I was extremely anticipating the release of season 2. I thought it wouldn't exceed the first season due to how good it was but all the slow build, the introduction of new characters and again, an awesome soundtrack, Strange Things 2 blew the first season out of the water! With the same characters from the previous season and the addition of Max (Sadie Sink), Bob (Sean Astin), Billy (Dacre Montgomery) and Dr. Owens (Paul Reiser) this show didn't lose a beat, except for the seventh episode which was good but not great although it doesn't deserve the hate its getting. The season starts out with Will starting to imagine himself in the Upside Down and getting chased by a monster and his mother, Joyce is worried about him. While Dustin and Lucas are seeking Max's attention, Mike is helping out Will with his problems while also trying to contact Eleven every day hoping she's alive. As for Nancy and Jonathan, they are out seeking justice for Barb because Nancy can't keep it to herself anymore and wants Barb's parents to know what happened to their daughter. As for Eleven and Hopper? Well you need to watch the season to find out what's going on with them. This season, which feels more like a movie sequel, made me fall in love even more with this show and the level of emotion that the last two episodes bring out are surreal. This has become my favorite series ever because of great acting, music, nostalgia and characters.

Stranger Things (2016–2025)

it's 2018, if you haven't seen it yet go watch IT! (Season 1)

[10/10 · 2 October 2018]

Stranger Things is one of those shows where even if you're not a sci-fi or a thriller fan, it makes you want to keep watching and finish every episode in a single day; that's how good Season 1 was! Nostalgic with it's incredible soundtrack, captivating with amazing acting and even though it's eight episodes long the payoff is incredible and makes you want more. The show is about four friends Mike (The amazingly talented Finn Wolfhard), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), Will (Noah Schnapp) and Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) as one night after a Dungeons and Dragons session at Mike's house Will disappears under strange (no pun intended) circumstances and everyone is freaking out including his mother Joyce (played by the incredible Winona Ryder) and they start looking for him. While searching for Will, Mike, Dustin and Lucas encounter a girl (played by Millie Bobby Brown) in the woods and that's where I'm going to stop talking. As the series progresses you start to feel for the characters and invest in them and that is what I loved most about it. Even though I wasn't even born in the 80's you kind of feel like it's truly 1983 with many movie references and easter eggs that give a certain charm to the show. All in all, this is one of the best series out today and definitely one of the top five of the past 25 years

Freaks and Geeks (1999–2000)

Should have never been cancelled.

[9/10 · 2 October 2018]

Lindsey Weir and her younger brother Sam attend William McKinley High School during the 1980-1981 school year, there Lindsey befriends the "Freaks" of the school Daniel (James Franco), Kim (Busy Phillips), Ken (Seth Rogen) and Nick (Jason Segel) and tries to transform herself from the good girl with good grades to a rebellious teenager. While Sam, who is a part of the "Geeks", tries fitting in his new school with his best friends Neil and Bill. To be honest this show should have never been cancelled, the cast was awesome, the storylines were fun and it felt different by not having the cliche happy ending at the end of each episode. This series lampoons real-life adolescence while also embracing every growing pain along the way with refreshing honesty and I'm going to say it again: It should have never been cancelled.

Big Mouth (2017–2025)

Solid but not entertaining enough.

[7/10 · 2 October 2018]

"What the hell am I watching?!" is the first thought that goes through your mind when you start Big Mouth, an adult animation comedy about kids hitting puberty the hard way. Nick and Andrew are two best friends who don't know how to handle puberty and it's up to them and their friends to find out with the help of their parents, objects, the Hormone Monstress and the Hormone Monster. I recently binged the first season in two days and while the first four episodes and the season finale were funny and fresh the same couldn't be said about the rest of the season as I felt that the episodes were overdoing it with the sex jokes and it became less about interesting episodes and more about how many jokes can we fit in 30 minutes. While the Hormone Monster was the clear highlight of the show with his quick jokes and one-liners, other characters such as Nick's parents, coach Steve and more had their moments whilst others were just useless. Not everyone will like this show due to its' nature but lovers of "Rick and Morty" and "Archer" will find some sort of liking to it.

Bates Motel (2013–2017)

Thriller series at its best

[10/10 · 2 October 2018]

Bates Motel, a contemporary prequel to Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho", follows the life of Norma (Vera Farmiga) and Norman Bates (Freddie Highmore) as they start a new life by opening up a motel in a small town of Oregon. As the series progresses we see Norman descending into madness as he has blacks out and starts seeing "Mother" when she's not even there, telling him to do bad things which results in an entertaining series with the inclusion of characters such as Dylan (Max Thieriot), Norman's brother, Emma (Olivia Cooke) and Alex Romero (Nestor Carbonell) as the town sheriff. With many disturbing twists and turns, Bates Motel offers to its viewers an incredible psychological series as I felt disturbed at times watching it. This show could have been a hit or miss but was without a doubt a hit with the casting of Vera Farmiga as Norma as she steals the show in each scene she's involved in and with Freddie Highmore as you actually start to believe that he is Norman Bates. This series is a must for "Psycho" fans, as well as fans of thriller and horror movies and TV shows.

11.22.63 (2016)

Intense. Interesting. Stephen King.

[8/10 · 2 October 2018]

Based on Stephen King's novel, 11.22.63 is an 8-episode miniseries about an English teacher, Jake Epping (James Franco) who stumbles upon a portal at a diner owned by his friend Al (Chris Cooper) that will lead him to 1960. While reluctant at first Al convinces Jake to go back in time and prevent the assassination of John F. Kennedy but the catch is that he has to start his adventure in 1960 and has to wait until 1963 to stop the murder. While he takes on a teaching job at a school, Jake meets Sadie (Sarah Gadon) and as he grows attached to her, he starts to realize if his life in the present day is worth going back for, thus hindering his mission. With the inclusion of other characters such as Lee Harvey Oswald (Daniel Webber) and Bill Turcotte (George MacKay) this underrated series is barely talked about and it deserves recognition solely on the fact that it told a great story. With many twists leading up to the day of the shooting this show offers great acting, likable characters, a great climax and a perfect ending.

The End of the F***ing World (2017–2019)

Terrible.

[1/10 · 2 October 2018]

A Netflix original series, TEOTFW follows the lives of James (Alex Lawther), a seventeen-year-old who thinks of himself as a psychopath and Alyssa (Jessica Barden) a moody teenager that hates everything that is going on around her, together they decide to ditch their average lives and go on a road trip so that Alyssa could meet her birth father. I regretted wasting three and a half hours of my life watching this excuse of a show as I preferred watching paint dry. I honestly don't know what people are liking about this program as none of the characters were likable, as I wanted them dead after the first ten minutes, every adult that was involved was even worse, with the exception of James's father (Phil Oram) and the pacing was just plain dull. While some millennials are criticizing shows like "Friends" for making "fat" and "homophobic" jokes, this show has been getting praise and I still haven't figured out why.

The Good Doctor (2017–2024)

Sometimes cliche, but it's addicting.

[8/10 · 2 October 2018]

The series follows Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore), a young surgeon with autism and savant syndrome. He relocates to San Jose, California, to work at a prestigious hospital where his skills are doubted due to his condition. There he meets resident surgeons Claire (Antonia Thomas) and Jared (Chuku Modu) lead by Dr. Melendez (Nicholas Gonzales). While Sean works his way to the top he finds many difficulties communicating, whether its with his colleagues or patients. While the premise is original the show lost what made it special and became a regular medical drama pretty quickly, although that doesn't mean it got worse from a quality standpoint but it became more predictable and cliched. Highmore is the obvious highlight of the show and made you feel for him whenever he was struggling with his life and that basically is what kept me watching the series.

The Good Place (2016–2020)

Totally original and worth the binge.

[9/10 · 2 October 2018]

When Eleanor (Kristen Bell) dies on Earth she is greeted in the afterlife at "The Good Place" where it's basically heaven, there it is run by Micheal and the robot assistant to everyone there, Janet. When Eleanor realizes there's been a mistake and she doesn't belong the good place she insists that her soulmate Chidi should teach her about ethics so that she can fix the mistake done by Micheal. Also Living next to Eleanor and Chidi are Tahani, a British philanthropist and Jianyu Li, a Buddhist monk. I thought that the premise of the show was very interesting since it hasn't been executed before and to be honest I wan't disappointed as I started this show with no expectations. Bell and Danson are the highlights of this show and both are funny in their own situations while the others have their moments but it's Eleanor and Micheal who shine the most. In my opinion, Season one was like a prequel to Season two and that's where the story really picks up and I thought that it was a brilliant move by the creators. Go start this show now.

The Fosters (2013–2018)

This show is really underrated.

[10/10 · 2 October 2018]

The series follows the lives of police officer Stef Adams Foster and her wife Lena Adams Foster, a school vice principal, and their children Brandon who is Stef's biological son and the twins,Jesus and Mariana,who were adopted by them at a young age. One day they get a call to foster Callie, who had just served time in juvenile detention but after getting out she sets on helping her little brother Jude who is living with an abusive foster parent. The main focus of the show is family, the importance of it and how blood doesn't make family but DNA does, but family isn't the sole focus of the show as the two main characters are gay and this series tackles almost every situation the world is facing today such as adoption, crime, being unsure of your sexuality, guns and I could go on for days naming the issues this show presents us. I honestly love this show because its feels real and while it had some down moments with some dull storylines, the positives beat the negatives. From an exciting beginning to a satisfying ending this show is a must for drama lovers.

Lucifer (2016–2021)

Drop what you're doing and watch this show now

[8/10 · 2 October 2018]

Lucifer, bored from his sulking life in hell comes to live in Los Angeles. While meeting with a girl in his nightclub, a shootout involving him and the girl leads him to get involved with the LAPD as a consultant who tries to punish people for their crimes through law and justice. Starting out each episode with the "crime of the week" plot Lucifer just seemed like another cop show that wouldn't catch on, it isn't until the main story-line, that show found its pace and its hasn't slowed down since with each season getting better and better both in quality of the episodes and the character development. Tom Ellis brings out his best acting as the devil and also brings out the best in every other main character whether it's comedy, or fear or anger. My verdict: 8/10

It (I) (2017)

One of the best movies of 2017 and one of the best remakes ever.

[10/10 · 8 October 2017]

I was waiting for this movie for about a year and boy did it live up to my expectations. It was well produced had its scares and laughs. The Loser's Club (most importantly Finn Wolfhard as Richie and Jack Dylan Grazer as Eddie) gave heart to the film and made you care about the characters. Pennywise was simply creepy and the little details in this film made it really awesome, Bill Skarsgard was the perfect choice to play the dancing clown as he terrorized the kids and the audience watching the movie. The inclusion of funny scenes was clever from director Andy Muschietti as he had the audience in the palm of his hands so that when there is a scary scene they would have been calm due to the comedy in this movie.This is a must for horror fans and for fans of the book. Go watch IT or you'll float too and you won't regret it.