466. Web-series Reviews – 265

More web-series reviews…

The Gathering – Came in 2024. The violent attack on a teenage girl in a tidal islet in which group of teenagers from disparate backgrounds, each of whom could have committed the crime, along with their parents.

A review from IMDB...

I suppose this series was aimed at a younger crowd, but my 'kids' are 10+ years older than the characters and I very much enjoyed this. It was refreshing to watch a genre I wouldn't normally consider because of (what I perceive) as the target age of the series.

Of course, there are typical scenarios with young adults but it had REAL BONES. A very good story line and very good performances of all the actors involved.

It was nice to see. Warren Brown, who I remember in Luther, Good Cop (ANOTHER series that should have had a second season), Strike Back just to name a few.

It's very frustrating when a series ends and you're holding your breath for the next season. They literally left me/us on a cliff edge!

Why do the powers that be keep cancelling well plotted, well written, well acted series like this>> So frustrating!

My Take – An ok series.

 

aka Charlie Sheen – Came in 2025. Documentary in 2 episodes. After 7 years sober, Charlie Sheen candidly discusses his rise to fame and public downfall, joined by family and friends who share untold stories of his journey through stardom, struggles, and redemption.

A review from IMDB...

Aka Charlie Sheen is a brutally honest, emotionally exhausting dive into the life of Hollywood's most infamous bad boy.

Split into two gripping episodes, this Netflix docuseries traces Sheen's dazzling rise, tabloid-fueled implosion, and fragile attempts at redemption. It's a story of addiction, excess, and the human cost of fame... told with a rawness that's as unsettling as it is impossible to look away from.

Sheen himself is the documentary's greatest asset... and liability. His candor about his darkest moments - his 2011 meltdown, HIV diagnosis, and reckless behavior - feels genuinely unfiltered, especially when paired with interviews from ex-wives Denise Richards and Brooke Mueller, whose heartbreaking testimonies humanize the chaos.

Jon Cryer and Sean Penn add further depth, offering perspectives that go beyond the tabloid caricature. Rare home movies and archival footage provide a fascinating contrast to Sheen's later notoriety, highlighting the creative, rebellious kid who became a cautionary tale.

Yet, the documentary sometimes veers into sensationalism, lingering on Sheen's most salacious moments (like the infamous airplane cockpit incident) without always digging deeper into the why. The pacing falters at times, and the absence of Sheen's father and brother leaves a noticeable void.

Ultimately, aka Charlie Sheen is a messy, magnetic, and haunting portrait of a man trying to outrun his demons.

It's not a redemption story... it's a reckoning. 7.5/10.

My Take – An excellent documentary.  

 

London Spy – Came in 2015. A romance between an MI6 code genius and an ordinary man promises happiness, but tragedy strikes.

A review from IMDB...

London Spy is about a guy who meets another guy, fell in love and decided that this is the person he can spend rest of his life with. Until the other person ends up murdered. After his dreams being shattered, he found out that there was a lot which he did not know about his boyfriend, who happens to be a spy. Also, he has to clear his name as a suspect. He refused the stories being fed to him and took it upon himself to fight the unknown resisting forces to find the truth about how the man he loved so much ended up dead.

I love to watch Ben Whishaw on screen. I can watch anything he is in. In this five-part series, he played the part of an innocent lover of a spy with amazing finesse. On top of that, you'll get to see Charlotte Rampling's mysterious portrayal of a mother who just lost her son. Also, special mention should be given to Jim Broadbent for playing a Man Friday to the lead character.

The series follows Ben while he tries to find out who killed his lover and why. He is so unsure of what is going on but he is sure of one thing, Alex (his lover, played by Edward Holcroft) loved him more than anything. This gives him the courage to tackle anything which comes between him and finding the truth. One thing which I had a problem with was his amazing abilities to fill the holes in the stories. Many times it feels like he would come up with a connection between things on his own just like that.

Nevertheless, the series is an amazing watch. It has a lot of twists and turns but mostly what I loved were intense conversations between crucial characters.

My Take – Worth a watch!

Adios till next time😊!!