May 7, 2025
IT
Based on Stephen King’s 1986 novel, the movie IT (2017) is a horror film that takes place in the town of Derry, Maine, where children go missing every 27 years. This cycle starts again with the opening scene when Bill’s younger brother Georgie disappears after chasing his paper boat, which goes into a storm drain. Bill is determined to find out what happened to his brother and the other children who have begun to go missing. He does this with the help of the “Loser’s Club,” a group of friends who unite together against their common bully, Henry. The closer they come to uncovering the mystery, the more each member of their group becomes tormented by visions of their worst fears coming true.
Through their research, they discover an ancient shape-shifting entity that takes the form of the clown known as Pennywise, as well as where its lair is. Pennywise feeds on fear and predominantly targets children, because they are easier to scare. With things becoming worse in their town, the kids decide to confront Pennywise. They initially fail, leading to injuries and the disbandment of the friend group. But when Pennywise kidnaps their friend Beverly, they come together one more time to try and put a stop to him. I recommend this horror film for its thrilling mystery, amazing performance by the actors, and the themes of friendship that prevail throughout the story.
Now that the highly anticipated season three has concluded, Yellowjackets (2021) is the perfect show to start for your next binge-watch. Yellowjackets follows a high school girls’ soccer team that crashes in the wilderness on their way to nationals. In a split timeline format, we watch the teens navigate a Lord of the Flies-style experience, facing the reality of being lost in the wilderness during the ‘90s. Through flash-forwards to 25-years later, we also see some of these characters forced back together when a mysterious postcard with their symbol from the wilderness is sent to each of them without a return address. Paranoia now running through them, they work together to figure out who knows the secrets they promised to keep about those dark 19 months.Right from the start, we get a cold open of one of the most iconic deaths in the show, immediately building anticipation and questions from the audience on who is “Pit Girl” and “Antler Queen.” Leaving fans itching for answers as they jump straight into the adult timeline that follows Shauna Sadecki (Melanie Lynskey), Taissa Turner (Tawny Cypress), Natalie Scatorccio (Juliette Lewis), and Misty Quigley (Christina Ricci), we learn that in these years back in society, Shauna is a stay-at-home mom who is secretly starting an affair, Taissa is running for state senator while struggling with the “other Tai” inside her, Misty is now a nurse, and Natalie is getting out of rehab again.
Romance in the early 1800s. Gossip, balls, and hot dukes — what more could you ask for? Getting swept up in the enchanting eras of the 19th century sounds like a great time; you would just have to ignore the infrequent nature of showers, STDs raging through the population, and the lack of indoor plumbing, but that’s really no big deal. Bridgerton is a Netflix original series based on a series of steamy books by Julia Quinn that follows the lives and romances of socialites in Regency-era London and does a splendid job of ignoring all of the aforementioned general yuckiness of the time period. It also ensures that it represents people of all ethnic and racial backgrounds within its cast and by making changes to the book’s story lines, which do not have the same diversity. This is pretty unique for a period piece such as this one and is one of the aspects of the show that make it a favorite of mine. It centers around the Bridgerton family as the children enter the marriage market, and we see their struggles while they look for other members of “the ton” whom they deem fit for marriage.Everyone is going about their lives as normal when one day, a “Lady Whistledown” decides to publish a new gossip paper. These papers are not novel to the people of the ton, but this one is different. Why? It reports the gossip using people’s real names, which no other paper had dared to do before. With this fresh and anonymous reporter on the scene, the Bridgerton family, as all the families of the ton, must find ways to avoid scandal while also trying to find love.
Inspired by the real-life experiences of UnREAL’s co-creator Sarah Gertrude, this show takes viewers behind the scenes of reality television. Controversial to say the least, this show-in-a-show gives viewers a glimpse into what really happens when you sign-up to let someone “produce” your life. In the UnREAL world, the term “produce” is a double meaning. They say produce, but what they really mean is manipulate. They spend their time thinking of ways to get contestants to behave and react in “interesting” ways. If they want a tearful confession, they’ll comb through your mental-health history looking for the perfect bit of juicy info to evoke tears. Your parent passed away? no problem! You were abused as a child? That’s just what we’re looking for. You’re afraid of heights? In the next game we’ll be scaling walls and climbing ladders. In a place where strengths are weaknesses and weaknesses are strengths, are you brave enough to be produced?
Summer vacation is sacred to a child. It’s a time for leisure, whimsy, and joy from everyone. Unfortunately, summer ends, and we’re forced to go back to school. But for kids who grew up in the early 2010s, summer could last forever through the small screen.
The third in a relatively unknown series, To Be Hero X is the most unique anime I’ve seen in a long time. First off, this is from a Chinese studio! There aren’t many popular Chinese anime, so it’s always a treat to see one. The main aspect of this anime that makes it stand out is how it switches between Arcane-like 3D animation and comic-book-like 2D animation. This style switch is really cool, and it adds a ton of rewatchability. I just can’t get tired of seeing it.
Go! Go! Loser Ranger! is coming back for another season! In case you haven’t heard of this example of peak fiction, here’s a quick rundown: monsters who lived underground, Dusters, have fought with humans for years. Dusters are fragile beings, but they don’t die when they incur too much damage. Instead, they dematerialize, turning to dust and rematerializing elsewhere. Due to this, humans developed weapons to kill them for good: Relics, held by “Keepers”. Similar to Power Rangers, the Keepers come in the colors red, blue, green, yellow, and pink. Each Keeper and their company take a special role in the ongoing war against the monsters. This war is exaggerated by the Keepers for entertainment, as they keep a select group of monsters hostage for their shows. While this has worked until now, one Duster has grown sick of it and wishes to bring down the Keepers from the inside: Fighter D.
Have you ever wanted to watch a simple slice of life Pokémonanime? So have I! One of the questions I keep asking myself is: why does Pokémon need to have some crazy adventure going on all the time? Pokémon Concierge tackles exactly this! Set on a Pokémon Resort, we follow a Concierge’s day-to-day life with Pokémon and their owners. Instead of intense battles, we have simple, everyday interactions with Pokémon and an insight into how life with these creatures looks! On top of all of this, it’s animated in a charming clay-/wool-mation style! This series is a must watch, and season two is just around the corner! Season one was only four episodes, with each episode around 15-20 minutes long. This is what we can expect for season two and while it’s a shame this series has to be so short, it’s still a fast, fun watch!
The fourth installment in the Madoka Magica series, Walpurgisnacht Rising is the sequel to Madoka Magica: Rebellion. Not much is known about this movie yet, but it most definitely revolves around a main antagonist in Madoka Magica: Walpurgisnacht. But first, what is Madoka Magica? Madoka Magica is a magical-girl anime, now taking the form of three (soon to be four!) movies. While many magical-girl anime are happy and upbeat, this one is not. Witches are responsible for things such as suicide and depression, and are a force magical girls must fight. These magical girls, granted powers based on the wishes they make, are not perfect, however. The girls struggle with depression, loneliness, homelessness, orphanism, and more. This series is a must-watch and definitely one of the greatest anime ever made. In addition to its unforgettable story, the art style is unique and has never been attempted since. The art style is rather hard to explain, switching between the usual anime style and a collage-like, almost paper animation. This art is surreal and unique to the animation troupe Gekidan Inu Curry.
“Rockin’ Robin” by Michael Jackson: This was my first ever favorite song. Some of my earliest memories are of my mom singing this song to me to make me feel better when I am upset. It is still a song that I put on when I’m not in a good mood, because it reminds me that if everything was okay back then, everything will be okay now. It is hard to be sad when listening to this song, because it just has such good vibes.
“Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison: This song holds the feeling of hanging out with my dad and all of our escapades from when I was little. We would go on all kinds of adventures, such as traipsing through the woods looking for shed antlers and other goodies, pontooning and discovering new sand bars, or making s’mores at the gigantic fires he would build in our backyard. He would always play this song for me and sing it with me. It just holds so many good memories.
Some songs instantly take you back in time, and for me, “Fireflies” by Owl City and “Poker Face” by Lady Gaga encapsulate my childhood perfectly. I vividly remember listening to “Fireflies” at six years old during a long car ride when my family moved from Indiana to Wisconsin. The dreamy melody surrounded me as I gazed out the window, trying to process what it meant to leave behind everything familiar. This song became the soundtrack to that transition — bittersweet, soothing, and enchantingly magical.
On the other hand, “Poker Face” evokes a completely different energy — loud, entertaining, and wonderfully chaotic. It was always playing on the radio during our trips to swimming lessons, with my sisters and me crammed in the backseat, belting out the lyrics at the top of our lungs. We might not have understood half of what we sang, but that was beside the point. It became our car anthem. Those rides were filled with laughter, off-key singing, and a unique energy that only siblings can create. Both songs carry such vivid memories — they not only remind me of the past; they transport me to the past.
Need a game to raise your heartbeat or possibly make you have nightmares? Phasmophobia is the one for you. Since its release, it’s always been my go-to if I want to dabble into horror. With tons of new updates and upgrades since 2020, the game is constantly evolving to become even better than before.
In terms of video games with horror elements, there are many within the gaming community who would rank Resident Evil 4 as one of the best. Released in 2005 by publisher Capcom, this action-adventure game has horrified and entertained gamers young and old alike for two decades. But what makes Resident Evil 4 such a classic, you ask? Surely the story, graphics, and gameplay are all dated by this point; how could it ever hold up against modern gaming gems? Well, let me tell you: the game may be old, but in many ways, it defined the third-person-shooter genre as we know it today. Featuring an over-the-shoulder camera and aiming system, both of which were new to the Resident Evil franchise at the time, the fourth entry solidifies itself as the perfect blend of survival horror and third-person action. Plenty of similar games exist in modern gaming, including several Resident Evil sequels, but at the time, this was considered a groundbreaking concept.