Mank is a black and white biographical drama about Herman J. Mankiewicz and his involvement in the making of Citizen Kane.

Before the film releases on Netflix on December 4^th we’ve ranked every David Fincher film and TV show.

Alien 3

Read more: Mindhunter Season 3 Is On Hold Until David Fincher Finishes His Next Film

By the time David Fincher signed on to direct the third instalment of the Alien franchise, he was only known for directing music videos, including Madonna’s ‘Vogue’ and George Michael’s ‘Freedom 90’.

It seemed like an odd move to hand the reigns of a franchise so far helmed by Ridley Scott and James Cameron to a newcomer… and it was.

This was Fincher’s only ‘bad’ film.

For a director that would end up being known for his ability to thrill, Alien 3 was remarkably boring.

The director isn’t kidding himself, though – he hated it then, and he hates it now.

The Game

In 1997, Fincher was fresh from creating a masterpiece, and just a couple of years from creating another.

The Game, however, was a bit of a misstep.

It isn’t a bad film by any stretch, but it all just seemed a bit predictable. And that just isn’t what you want from a Fincher thriller.

The entire premise is built around a ‘game’ that integrates itself into the everyday life of the participant.

You immediately assume that the game is going to get so extreme that the lines between what is real and what isn’t are going to blur.

And that’s what happens. And then the film ends.

Love, Death & Robots

The main reason Love, Death & Robots sits so low on this list is because Fincher didn’t actually direct an episode.

Instead, he served as a producer across the 18-episode first season.

The premise of the mostly-animated show is that each short episode, created in a completely different way by a different crew and cast, would use at least one of the three themes from the titles.

In general, it’s pretty great, but there are a few missteps.

We wish Fincher had directed an episode.

Panic Room

Read more: Could David Fincher Save The World War Z Franchise?

Panic Room is one of the few Fincher films that many of his fans look down upon somewhat, mostly because it isn’t as intelligent as his other thrillers.

The psychological theme that runs through a lot of his work is replaced by straight-up action. But it works.

Watching Jodie Foster and a young Kristen Stewart navigate a home invasion is bloody exciting, even if the plot doesn’t really take many twists and turns.

However, while it’s a fun watch, it doesn’t stay with you afterwards like many of Fincher’s classics.

Mindhunter

The idea of Mindhunter is so exciting to me, because it sounds like the perfect show.

We get Fincher’s direction in a thriller about real serial killers that we actually get to meet? Amazing!

You expect deep, psychological storylines, an abundance of action and a clever intersection between fiction and non-fiction.

What you actually get is a lot of inane chatter and some incredibly contrived links between the things the serial killers say and the things that are happening elsewhere in the plot.

Go in with lower expectations, though, and you’ll be treated to interesting characters and truly mesmerising interactions with serial killers.

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

After a spree of intense, well-received thrillers, David Fincher shook things up somewhat and delivered a romantic fantasy film starring Brad Pitt.

The sprawling story was ambitious, but managed to do F. Scott Fitzgerald’s tale about a man that ages backwards justice.

It was the proof the world needed that he wasn’t a one-trick pony, and The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button ended up securing him Academy Award nominations for Best Picture and Best Director.

House Of Cards

Fincher directed the first two episodes of House Of Cards, before stepping back into a producer role and allowing others to fulfil his vision.

These first two episodes were enough to convince the world that a political thriller could appeal to the masses, and as a result, Fincher’s style bleeds through all six seasons.

It’s just a bit annoying that Kevin Spacey tried to reclaim his character, Frank Underwood, in two bizarre YouTube sketches in which he claimed that the character was still alive…

Zodiac

Read more: Gone Girl Review

Zodiac is basically what we wish Mindhunter had been.

We’re taken on a deep journey through the psychology of a serial killer, while being exposed to (some of) the violence and action of his crimes.

It’s a little overlong, yes, and if you already know the story of the Zodiac Killer, then the ending isn’t exactly going to shock you, but it’s certainly one of the most exciting films based on real events that I’ve ever seen.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Back in the world of the psychological thriller after his brief pause to look elsewhere, Fincher released his big-screen adaptation of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo in 2014.

The story of Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander twists and turns around every corner, and absolutely does justice to Stieg Larsson’s 2005 novel.

I wonder if Fincher knew he was about to outdo himself with a similar film just a few years later?

Gone Girl

Fincher’s next film was another adaptation of a successful thriller novel about a missing woman.

The 149 minutes of the two-part story of Gone Girl fly by; the mid-point twist is one of the finest in history, even if the actual ending of the film falls a little flat in comparison.

What might be even more impressive, is how Fincher managed to get Ben Affleck to deliver an acting performance that was actually quite good.

The Social Network

The Social Network took a bold look at the creation of Facebook, without shying away from its ugliest details.

Every element of the film comes together perfectly.

The story doesn’t exactly have a heavenly setting, but even so, Fincher’s eye for visuals shines through in every frame.

Jesse Eisenberg was the perfect casting to capture the repulsion of Mark Zuckerberg, while the moody score from Nine Inch Nails added a layer of otherworldly tension.

It’s no surprise that this is Quentin Tarantino’s favourite film of the decade.

Seven

Read more: Everything We Know About David Fincher’s Upcoming Film, Mank

It’s quite incredible that after the disaster of Alien 3, Fincher would be handed a big budget, an ambitious story and Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Spacey for his next film.

We’re very glad it happened, though, because the end result is one of the greatest films of all time.

The slow-burn discovery of John Doe’s seven deadly sins-inspired murders and the hair-raising twist ending complement each other perfectly.

Fight Club

The only film that can top Seven, is Fincher’s 1999 psychological thriller, Fight Club.

At the time, the film was poorly received. It was a box-office bomb that saw many critics miss the point entirely.

Fast forward a few years, and it is eleventh on IMDb’s list of the greatest films of all time.

It’s often referred to as a ‘cult classic’, but I’d say it has moved far beyond that, becoming world-famous as one of the most interesting depictions of split-personality ever made.

Everything from the small-scale early scenes of chatter between The Narrator and Tyler Durden, up to the worldwide destruction of the film’s climax is approached by a mind that clearly knows exactly what he wants.

What do you make of this article?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

What do you make of this story? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook or Instagram pages!

And if you enjoy listening to film podcasts, why not check out our podcasts, Small Screen Stories and Small Screen Film Club wherever you get your podcasts!

The post Before The Release Of Mank, We Rank Every David Fincher Film And TV Show appeared first on Small Screen.

Seeing one of the strangest characters ever created interact with real people is impossible not to laugh at, but unsurprisingly, Borat himself was almost impossible for Baron Cohen to return to after the massive success of the film.

However, during the Covid-19 pandemic, he saw the opportunity for one last hurrah, and secretly filmed a sequel: Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery Of Prodigious Bribe To American Regime For Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan.

The world has changed a lot since 2006, though. We hold out hope that when the film drops on October 23^rd, it make benefit glorious original moviefilm.

It Has To Avoid Toning It Down

Credit: 20th Century Fox

Read more: Will Justice League Be the Movie We Need It To Be?

This is the big one.

Fourteen years on from the original, and the world loves to be outraged more than it ever did. Borat 2 could be a playful story about dancing bunnies and it would still be hit with furious responses from many.

As such, we hope that Baron Cohen sticks to his furiously offensive guns and delivers something truly shocking.

One of his favourite hobbies seems to be getting people to reveal their own genuinely horrific thoughts through their agreements with Borat’s own, fictional, viewpoints.

Considering Borat 2 was filmed in the middle of a pandemic in the lead-up to the most divisive election of all time, it’s pretty likely that we’ll have a lot of far-fetched views to contend with.

But this comedy mostly stems from Borat letting people embarrass themselves.

We need a return to the character who’d have a naked fight in a hotel conference room; who’d return to a dinner party holding a bag of his own shit.

From the trailer, we can see Borat openly discussing his incestuous relationship with his daughter to an anti-abortion doctor… so things are looking good.

Well, maybe ‘good’ isn’t the word, but you know what I mean.

We Still Want Interactions With Normal People

Credit: Amazon Prime Video

Read more: Zack Snyder Tells Fans Not To Give Up Hope On The Snyder Cut Of Justice League

Obviously, one thing that most of Baron Cohen’s projects promise is a dissection of the personality of various big-name celebrities.

Ali G, for example, interviewed Donald Trump long before his presidency. Bruno made a desperate attempt to chat with a furious Harrison Ford.

We can see from the trailer that Borat has a (seemingly quite distant) interaction with Mike Pence, and that’s all well and good, but we already know his horrific views.

One of Borat’s specialities was freaking out the general public, whether it was by getting them to make their maddening opinions about women’s rights known, or simply forcing them to navigate a train with a chicken in it.

Let’s hope the sequel doesn’t focus too much on getting celebrity attention, and lets us continue to see the reactions of the public.

Avoid Having Too Many Scripted Scenes

Credit: Amazon Prime Video

Read more: Doctor Strange 2 Rumoured To See Chiwetel Ejiofor Return As Baron Mordo

The beauty of Borat was that it was still able to create a storyline that unfolded quite naturally amongst the otherwise unrelated documentary-esque interactions.

This is because only four of the principal characters were actors who understood what was going on; pretty much everything else we saw was the unscripted, unsuspecting reactions of real people.

Sacha Baron Cohen’s The Dictator didn’t live up to the quality of his previous characters due to its avoidance of improvised scenes filmed alongside people that had no idea what was going on.

It has already been made clear that Baron Cohen told Holocaust-survivor Judith Dim Evans about the premise of the show and that the character he was playing was fictional before their interview, so it’ll be very interesting to see if that lands.

Beyond that, it’s hard to tell from the trailer how much of the film is going to rely on scripted, plot-heavy moments, and how much will give Borat time to freak out unsuspecting, real people.

The Return Of Azamat Bagatov?

Credit: 20th Century Fox

Read more: First Look At Baron Zemo In His Mask In The Falcon And The Winter Soldier On Disney Plus

In the first film, Borat’s sidekick, Azamat Bagatov was played by Ken Davitian.

He makes it pretty clear that he blames Jews for 9/11, and was once the most notorious rapist in all of Kazakhstan. Interesting.

Of course, none of this bothers Borat. What really ticks him off is when Azamat is caught masturbating over Pamela Anderson and the naked hotel fight mentioned above ensues.

The pair reconciled at the end of the film, and reunited briefly on Jimmy Kimmel. However, it has been rumoured that they haven’t spoken (in real life) since then, and that Azamat will not be making an appearance in subsequent moviefilm.

But we can dream. Rumours is rumours is rumours.

Baron Cohen managed to keep the entire thing a secret until just days before it was announced, so there’s always the chance that a world-class cameo could be being kept under wraps… right?

We Want To See Sacha Baron Cohen Having A Bloody Good Time

Credit: 20th Century Fox

Read more: Borat 2 Will Link Donald Trump To Jeffrey Epstein

It seems that every time Sacha Baron Cohen debuts a new character, he thinks it’s the best thing he has ever done. Which is understandable, of course.

However, no matter how good they are, it’ll be hard to ever live up to the hilarity and cultural impact of Borat.

As such, despite the character being completely recognisable, there have been a few times over the years that Baron Cohen has donned the grey suit and made an appearance.

The issue with the majority of these appearances (the Jimmy Kimmel one mentioned above, for example) is that it doesn’t quite feel the same.

It feels a little more forced, and a bit like Baron Cohen would rather be playing someone else as his limps his way through catchphrases.

I’m hoping that he decided to make Borat 2 for fun and because he had something important to say about the state of the world, not for a bit of post-Covid-cash.

We want to see Borat using his wide smile because Baron Cohen is desperately holding in the desire to laugh at some of the best improvisational comedy since Borat.

What do you make of this feature?

Are you looking forward to seeing Borat 2?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

What do you make of this story? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook or Instagram pages!

And if you enjoy listening to film podcasts, why not check out our podcasts, Small Screen Stories and Small Screen Film Club wherever you get your podcasts!

The post 5 Ways Borat 2 Can Live Up To The Original appeared first on Small Screen.

Since Disney acquired George Lucas’ franchise, they’ve made many decisions that many fans aren’t exactly keen on.

I genuinely don’t have too much of a problem with the sequels, but the lack of a full plan did end up turning the trilogy into a strange battle of big-budget one-upmanship and ‘fixes’ between Rian Johnson and J.J. Abrams.

This led to the rehashing of stories we’d already seen and the return of characters we didn’t really need, as well as sub-plots that went nowhere and the introduction of new characters who did nothing.

The one thing most fans agree on is that The Mandalorian is the best thing about Disney-era Star Wars.

It placed itself into a recognisable world but told a story that was distant enough to avoid interfering with the legacy of the main series.

With season two on the horizon, we’re looking at five ways Disney can have The Mandalorian interact with the events of the Skywalker Saga, without it ruining things for fans of the franchise.

Temuera Morrison Can Play Rex, NOT Boba Fett

Credit: Lucasfilm

Read more: Will The Mandalorian Be Able To Use The Force In Season 2?

One of the things that has been confirmed for a while is the return of Temuera Morrison to Star Wars.

He played Jango Fett in the prequel trilogy, and he became the genetic template of the clone troopers featured throughout The Clone Wars and the execution of Order 66.

Now, it has been strongly rumoured that he is returning to play Boba Fett in The Mandalorian.

While an iconic character, Boba Fett doesn’t really… do much. He is also dead.

Resurrection doesn’t seem to be out of the question for Star Wars these days, but the death of Boba Fett is iconic, cemented part of the original trilogy that shouldn’t really be undone.

Bringing Boba Fett back would needlessly overshadow the story of the Mandalorian himself and start to turn the show into sequel trilogy-esque fan service.

Temuera Morrison could, however, play a live-action version of Captain Rex.

With Ahsoka Tano strongly suggested to be appearing in live-action for the first time in season two of The Mandalorian, it’d make sense for her fellow The Clone Wars survivor to appear alongside her.

After all, he does have Temuera Morrison’s face, we know he was alive at the Battle Of Endor, and it wouldn’t interfere with original trilogy material.

It Can Show Us The Rise Of The First Order

Credit: Disney

Read more: Boba Fett Will Reportedly Have a Bigger Role In The Mandalorian Season 3

The Mandalorian is set in an era that hasn’t been covered in detail.

The Battle Of Endor wasn’t that long ago, Luke hasn’t started up his school yet and C-3PO doesn’t have a red arm.

Also, the rise of the First Order is a fair few years away.

While the timeline of The Mandalorian probably isn’t ever going to take us so close to The Force Awakens that we see the First Order in all of its glory, we could certainly see the building blocks coming together.

Certain Empire loyalists remain, and there are a surprising number of Stormtroopers still alive.

If Disney approaches it in the right way, we’ll be able to see subtle hints towards the shape of things to come, adding to the lore of the First Order perfectly.

What we really don’t want is a pointless cameo from a young General Hux, or a hidden message from the not-actually-dead Palpatine.

We Can Visit Some Iconic Locations

Credit: Lucasfilm

Read more: The Mandalorian Season 2 Will Feature Boba Fett In A ‘Small Role’

One thing that The Mandalorian did really well was make us feel like we were in the Star Wars universe.

Even brand new locations just felt right.

The return to Mos Eisley in Chapter 5 was nostalgic, convincing and not at all overdone.

It’s highly likely that season two will allow us to venture into a few more familiar places, and as long as it’s kept subtle and necessary, it’ll probably be brilliant.

Endor? Maz Kanata’s Castle? Mustafar? The options are endless.

Baby Yoda Can Be Connected To Yoda, But NOT As A Direction Relation

Credit: Lucasfilm

Read more: The Mandalorian Season 2 Might See Boba Fett And Din Djarin Save Baby Yoda Together

Baby Yoda, less affectionally known as ‘The Child’ by boring people and Disney, accidentally became the face of The Mandalorian.

Without bringing back actual Yoda, Disney cleverly presented us with a character we inadvertently recognised, creating a connection to the Skywalker Saga that we couldn’t complain about because we’d technically never met the character before.

The importance and relevance of Baby Yoda is one of the series’ main hooks, and with such bounty on his head and some impressive force powers, we want to find out who he really is.

The worst answer is, of course, that he is some sort of direct Yoda descendant. That’s way too ‘Rey Palpatine’ to work.

Another possibility is that he is a Yoda clone, but that’s a bit too ‘Palpatine’s Not Dead’.

I think the only way to pull off a connection to Yoda successfully is to keep it relatively indirect.

Perhaps we get to visit Yoda’s home planet for the first time? Maybe the little green guy is a heroic legend amongst his people, and we see statues of him in the background.

Or we could meet Baby Yoda’s parents, and discover that they knew Yoda himself many years ago.

Personally, I hope he’s related to Yaddle.

There Is A Lot Of Opportunity Within The History Of The Darksaber 

Credit: Lucasfilm

Read more: Will The Mandalorian Season 2 Feature Boba Fett As The Main Villain?

If Disney really wants to dive headfirst into fan service, then the way to do it is through flashbacks.

This way, we can see a familiar face or two, without forcing them into the timeline of The Mandalorian for the sake of it.

Season one ended with Gus Fring Moff Gideon in possession of the Darksaber, but many fans will know that it was once in the possession of Darth Maul himself.

The ex-Sith is dead by the time of The Mandalorian, so a flashback would be the perfect way to fill the fan service quota without doing anything weird.

Maybe we’d be able to take a look at Maul’s time with the weapon, and discover that it intersected with the history of a few other familiar faces as well?

They just need to be careful not to overdo it, which seemed to be the mantra of season one.

What do you make of this feature?

Are you looking forward to The Mandalorian Season 2 on Disney Plus?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

What do you make of this story? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook or Instagram pages!

And if you enjoy listening to film podcasts, why not check out our podcasts, Small Screen Stories and Small Screen Film Club wherever you get your podcasts!

The post Five Ways The Mandalorian Can Connect To The Skywalker Saga Without Annoying Fans appeared first on Small Screen.

The Netflix animated show, set during the events of 2015’s Jurassic World, is supposed to be aimed at children.

While bright animation, simple humour and a major toning down of the often extreme violence found throughout the Jurassic Park franchise back this up, the show did a lot to subvert expectations.

Through a clever shot towards the start of episode one, we learn the outline of each character in just a couple of seconds.

On the whole, it’s a relatively stereotypical (if incredibly diverse) bunch of personalities: popular, sporty, arrogant, quirky, nerdy and relatable.

It’s how each character develops that flips expectation on its head.

First of all, Kenji. He introduces himself as a rich alpha-male and exudes toxic masculinity.

However, rather than his strength and arrogance turning him into a knight in shining armour, the entire camp immediately thinks he’s ridiculous.

It doesn’t take twenty minutes for Brooklynn to directly call out his toxic masculinity. How many shows have you seen that tackle the subject head-on? Let alone a kid’s show.

Very few of his pseudo-heroic schemes work, and it is typically left to the rest of the group to save Kenji from his own failures.

At times, it’s a genuinely poignant commentary and a great message.

While we eventually find out about the loneliness that underpins his arrogance, his character arc doesn’t exactly see him change his ways.

Then we have Brooklynn, the ‘Daphne’ of the group.

Credit: Netflix

We knew she’d be separated from her phone eventually, but it didn’t have anywhere near the impact on her as we’d expected.

In fact, most of the time she is the most level-headed and genuine of the bunch.

Her massive social media following and obsession with her phone are cliché, but she is rarely the damsel in distress like we see so often in things like Scooby-Doo.

Sammy starts the show quite annoying, as a relatively uninteresting, excitable character.

However, about halfway through, she turns into the show’s biggest mystery.

We’d already seen a mysterious figure handing a flash drive to a drone, so when a video on Brooklynn’s phone showed Sammy taking DNA samples from a dinosaur, we were hit with a genuine game-changer of a twist.

Kid’s shows don’t typically try to trick their audience, but it was like David Fincher himself had walked into the room.

A child wants to know exactly what they’re seeing, and have a nice time watching.

By this point, many kids had probably found common ground with Sammy.

The fact that she is revealed (a few episodes later) to be a spy, is genuinely quite incredible.

Your mouth might be open, but at least you can rest easy in the knowledge that her character would eventually be redeemed, right?

Well, not exactly.

Credit: Netflix

She spends the rest of the show being ousted and never fully forgiven by the other campers.

There is no heroic sacrifice or dramatic change of behaviour, and the show ends before she can be redeemed to the level you’d want/predict.

Darius, the show’s main character, is much more of a relatable everyman.

A little shy, but kind, resourceful and bloody obsessed with dinosaurs.

However, every now and again, we get fragments of a truly tragic backstory.

The show does incredibly well to keep things subtle, not allowing Darius to become a source of non-stop sympathy, while also shining a light on his dad’s battle with what seems to be Parkinson’s disease.

Children’s entertainment is normally light and fun, but they sneak in some truly devastating moments via Darius.

Ben’s character is a little more of a stereotype. If you remember Horrid Henry, he’s comparable to Weepy William.

He’s constantly scared, questioning and, for some reason, travel sick (which goes nowhere), and eventually placed in a situation where he has to prove his bravery.

What you absolutely do not expect, is for Ben to be pushed to his death before he can be reunited with the group.

In a moment of slow-motion anguish, we literally see Ben fall from a monorail in the opening moments of the final episode.

From then on, he does not reappear.

Credit: Netflix

Yes, one of the main characters in a children’s show makes (almost) no further appearance in its final episode, as they dramatically succeed in fighting their way to dock.

This has so many implications.

Not only does this mean that the group themselves are continuing under the impression that their new friend has just been brutally killed, but the children watching have to try to comprehend that as well.

The final shot of the show is Ben’s hand twitching, reassuring us that he isn’t dead and that he’ll be back for season two (which is now confirmed).

However, I can’t help but feel like this might be too subtle for a young child to fully understand.

There are a lot of children who probably went to bed that night thinking that their favourite character’s bravery is what killed him…

Annoyingly, the only big moment of development for Yaz as a character is an ankle injury that impacts her athletic prowess.

It’s a bit of a let-down in comparison to the subversive journeys of the others, especially when everything else about her character is great.

Still, there is a lot of insanity going on even beyond the main six.

Credit: Netflix

There are at least three actual deaths shown on screen, with two unnamed Jurassic World staff and an assistant called Eddie being eaten by dinosaurs.

The two main adult characters, Roxie and Dave, might mean well, but in general, they’re quite useless.

When they’re told that they’ll be forcibly evacuated on the final boat, you expect the pair to come up with some sort of dramatic plan to remain on the island to help the kids.

Nope. They’re just driven off into the sunset, leaving the kids to fend for themselves.

Beyond that, pretty much every episode ends with a genuinely intense cliff-hanger. Imagine trying to put your child to bed after they’ve just seen Ben hanging on by his fingertips?

I think the fact that I’m genuinely excited for season two makes me really question whether you can truly call Netflix’s Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous a kid’s show.

What do you make of this feature on the new Jurassic World animated series on Netflix?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

What do you make of this story? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook or Instagram pages!

And if you enjoy listening to film podcasts, why not check out our podcasts, Small Screen Stories and Small Screen Film Club wherever you get your podcasts!

The post How Netflix’s Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous Subverts What It Means To Be A Kids Show appeared first on Small Screen.

Not only does he take his audience on insightful journeys around some of the world’s strangest and most underrepresented subcultures, but he does it with a unique line of questioning and an addictive dry wit.

In the UK especially, it’s almost like a cult of personality has formed around Theroux. He’s like a wholesome Charles Manson.

We’re ranking the ten best documentaries he has ever made.

Rap (Weird Weekends)

Tenth place on this list was a hard-fought battle between the Weird Weekends episodes ‘Rap’ and ‘Off-Off Broadway’.

Both of them involve a particularly… unique… musical performance from the man himself, but ‘Rap’ just about wins thanks to these lyrics:

“I wanna see you wiggle, wiggle, for sure. It makes me wanna dribble, dribble, you know.”

Right.

Extreme Love: Dementia

On the other end of the spectrum is one of Louis’ more recent endeavours, Extreme Love: Dementia.

The desperately sad documentary follows a few patients with dementia in Arizona as they try to maintain a relationship with their loved ones.

It doesn’t make for uplifting viewing, but the story of Gary and his belief that he was still a dentist in his twenties who doesn’t have a wife (his wife, who he had been married to for many years still visited him regularly) is truly fascinating.

Savile

Credit: BBC

Read more: Tiger King’s Carol Baskin Didn’t Kill Her Husband According To Louis Theroux

In his When Louis Met… series, Louis spent a while in the company of Jimmy Saville, and asked in passing about rumours of paedophilia.

More than ten years later, Savile was dead, and his decades of horrific abuse had been revealed.

In Savile, Louis looks back at that first documentary, while interviewing many of his victims.

It’s gripping and heartbreaking in equal measure, and you can gather a sense of the guilt Theroux personally feels about not being able to see Savile for what he was all those years ago.

When Louis Met… Anne Widdecombe

In the political landscape of 2020, Anne Widdecombe’s vile far-right views would probably be kept at arm’s length from entertainment television.

However, eight years before her infamous 2010 appearance on Strictly Come Dancing, Louis Theroux had the pleasure agony of spending a few weeks in her company.

Widdicombe’s rules were very clear: Louis mustn’t talk to her mother, film in her bedroom, or ask about her sex life.

Of course, Louis snuck a look into her room as they walked past, pressed her on her lack of romantic relationships, and nabbed a sneaky interview with her (rather charming) mother, much to Widdicombe’s chagrin.

Louis Theroux: Behind Bars

There’s nothing better than a good prison documentary, and this one was BBC Two’s tenth most-watched show of the decade when it was released in 2008.

Even though much of its compelling content didn’t require much effort on Louis’ part, I think his simplistic charm helped the range of prisoners open up more than they would have with just about anyone else.

Swingers (Weird Weekends)

In the words of Mark from Peep Show, “I’m Louis Theroux and his wry smile at the orgy.”

Actually being Louis Theroux as he smiled wryly at the orgy in question is something almost too awkward for most to comprehend.

The Weird Weekends episode ‘Swingers’ sees Louis thrown into the world of partner-swapping swingers and their unique subculture.

Without the usual controversy, evil or downright insanity that comes across in many of Theroux’s documentaries, this one makes for light, often hilarious, viewing.

A Place For Paedophiles

We have to jump to the other end of the spectrum once again, as Louis visits Coalinga Mental Hospital.

The hospital supposedly views paedophilia as a mental illness that can be treated, but it’s hard to tell whether its patients are being rehabilitated or simply biding their time until they can be released from what is, effectively, prison.

After all, one particular patient (who claims to no longer have thoughts about children) is allowed to keep a disturbing painting of young ballet performers on his wall.

When Louis Met… Chris Eubank

During his time in Chris Eubank’s mansion, Louis’ expression of sheer bewilderment doesn’t disappear.

Eubank is a bizarre figure at the best of times, but his insistent desire to remain in character really has you questioning whether he’s even human.

Using his impact on ‘the kids’ as the reason to never admit he drinks or swears while also promoting his concerning view that all housework and childcare to be the job of his (now ex) wife is a confusingly flawed mindset.

Louis does attempt to delve beyond Eubank’s visage with limited success, but the rare glimpses into normality are quite something to behold.

Louis And The Nazis

Another of Louis’ investigations into the extremes of racism comes in Louis And The Nazis.

He meets former Klansman Tom Metzger, he is kicked out of a neo-Nazi household for refusing to divulge if he is Jewish, and even spends time amongst Prussian Blue.

Prussian Blue were a folk duo of eight-year-old (at the time) girls, who had been indoctrinated into extreme racism by their mother.

Watching the girls spout such hatred is tough, but if you watch Louis’ 2020 documentary, Life On The Edge, straight after, you can breathe a sigh of relief as he interviews them many years later.

Eventually, the girls were able to re-evaluate what they were doing, and have completely distanced themselves from anything close to their mother’s viewpoint.

The Most Hated Family In America

One of the most recognisable documentaries in Louis Theroux’s long career is his expose on The Most Hated Family In America.

Kansas’ Westboro Baptist Church was (and still is) one of the most evil places in the world, and Louis was able to follow them as they promoted fierce anti-LGBT messages, picketed the funerals of troops and brainwashed their children.

His follow-up films, America’s Most Hated Family In Crisis and Surviving America’s Most Hated Family, allow us a window into the impact of escaping the church on both the ex-members and those who remain.

Seeing such unflinching evil exude from the likes of Shirley Phelps-Roper really does make your blood boil.

My Scientology Movie

Credit: BBC

Read more: Fans On Social Media Think Louis Theroux Was In A Fight

Louis’ best work to date has to be his 2015 film, My Scientology Movie.

Not only does it have some of the most intense moments in any documentary I’ve ever seen, but it shines a realistic light on the vile corruption within the Church Of Scientology.

Theroux works with ex-Scientologists (who are frequently harassed and gaslit by current members on camera), while simultaneously setting up a clever recreation of some of David Miscavige’s worst acts as leader of the Church.

It’s phenomenally well-made and presented in a way that doesn’t beat around the bush.

What do you make of this feature?

Which is your favourite Louis Theroux documentary of all time?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

What do you make of this story? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook or Instagram pages!

And if you enjoy listening to film podcasts, why not check out our podcasts, Small Screen Stories and Small Screen Film Club wherever you get your podcasts!

The post The Ten Best Louis Theroux Documentaries Of All Time appeared first on Small Screen.

Not only did he have to make a sequel to one of the greatest films of all time, but he also let it continue the rather different story presented in King’s original novel, and faithfully adapt its 2013 sequel, all without getting on the legendary author’s bad side or upsetting legions of Kubrick obsessives.

It might not have had the financial success Warner Bros. was hoping for, but as a film, it couldn’t have been a better sequel to both versions.

The most obvious difference between The Shining (in both forms- we can ignore King’s disastrous TV adaptation) and Doctor Sleep is sheer scale.

The Shining is confined almost exclusively to a lonely, claustrophobic hotel which is cut off from the world, leaving its three main characters with only each other for company.

As Stephen King very rarely creates sequels to his own work, it was no real surprise that the tone and feel of Doctor Sleep is incredibly different to that of its predecessor.

The story is packed with characters and spans a variety of locations, which Flanagan managed to capture in his big-budget big-screen retelling.

The ‘Shining’ as a concept is small-scale and specific in The Shining; in Doctor Sleep, it connects people from around the world. Some even feed on it.

King was able to use his distinctive tone of voice and many call-backs to The Shining to convince us that, no matter how different it felt, Doctor Sleep continued Danny’s story.

Despite the 1980 version of The Shining providing no set-up for such an expansive sequel, Flanagan went against all odds, and forged something that felt almost at home in Kubrick’s warped universe.

Doctor Sleep was perfectly cast

Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

Read more: Doctor Sleep’s Director Reveals Stephen King’s Reaction To The Movie

This was helped by some great casting choices.

Henry Thomas isn’t exactly a spitting image of Jack Torrance (though in fairness, whether he is supposed to be remains ambiguous), but Carl Lumbly was excellent as Dick Halloran, and Alex Essoe stole the show as Wendy.

One of the major discrepancies between King’s novel and Kubrick’s film was the portrayal of Danny’s caring mother.

In the film, she was, quite frankly, annoying.

The book-version of Wendy, however, was more independent, strong-willed and firmer with both Danny and Jack.

In Doctor Sleep, the Kubrickian version of Wendy is there visually, but the personality of King’s character can be found lurking beneath the trauma.

Even though her experiences at the Overlook have moulded her into something that retains her Kubrickian erraticism, Flanagan’s more middling Wendy is much more believable.

Much of Flanagan’s relatively free approach to characterisation comes down to his decision not to follow on from one specific ending to The Shining.

In King’s book, the ending is almost uplifting:

Jack dies quickly, Halloran survives and guides Wendy and Danny to safety, and he continues to look out for the pair as they move to Maryland.

Kubrick’s film is much darker.

Jack freezes to death, Halloran is killed as soon as he tries to help, and we see nothing of what comes of Wendy and Danny after their escape.

Doctor Sleep ambiguously allows itself to continue both stories.

Halloran is dead by the time Danny is in his forties, but we aren’t told whether this was down to Jack’s axe, or simply old age, while Wendy is also dead, but we don’t know if her lung cancer came on naturally, or as a result of the explosion that concluded King’s book.

The Overlook Hotel is impeccable in Doctor Sleep

Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

Read more: Doctor Sleep Director Reveals Stephen King Didn’t Want The Movie To Be Made At First

Despite this, the most important thing Flanagan does is hang onto Kubrick’s impeccable vision of the Overlook.

He fills it with nods to the original film, tripling the spine-tingling tour of nostalgia that Ready Player One had teased the year before.

Many thought the references were too overt, but if Flanagan had tried to create a ‘new’ Overlook, he’d have basically been writing his own death sentence.

Plus, his decision also works on a canonical level.

We actually saw the grounds and the detail of Kubrick’s Overlook in The Shining; changes in aesthetic would be noticeable.

Technically, we never saw King’s Overlook. In theory, things like the elevator of blood and the hedge maze could have been there without being mentioned in the story, meaning Flanagan’s Overlook doesn’t necessarily cancel out King’s.

Now, I said I wouldn’t mention Stephen King’s ill-fated TV version of The Shining, but it becomes slightly relevant to Flanagan’s overall vision of Doctor Sleep.

Kubrick’s version of The Shining is doused in ambiguity; are the ghosts rea, or is everyone crazy?

King didn’t want that. He wanted us to wander the corridors of a real haunted house.

The Haunting Of Hill House showed Mike Flanagan’s potential

Credit: Netflix

Read more: Doctor Sleep Review

As such, that’s exactly what his TV show did, and if you look beyond its poor quality, there are connections to Flanagan’s flagship show, The Haunting Of Hill House.

Doctor Sleep came after Flanagan’s horror masterpiece hit Netflix, and like most great directors, he has a lot of stylistic trademarks that thread through both works.

If he had attempted to replicate Kubrick’s filmmaking aesthetic, Doctor Sleep would have felt like cheap pastiche.

Bringing some of that Flanagan flair both allowed Doctor Sleep to feel like a personal, well-crafted film, while also leaning towards a style and approach King would have gone for should he have taken the reigns on The Shining instead of Kubrick (please God, no).

Adapting/continuing the work of two people often regarded as the greatest in their field meant that Mike Flanagan had to live up to some serious expectations.

The fact that he put out a film that wasn’t derided as an insult to the legacy of The Shining is impressive enough.

But his ability to turn Doctor Sleep into an incredible sequel to two separate works, while accurately adapting a modern-classic and creating a film that is brilliant in its own right is truly remarkable.

What do you make of this feature?

Were you a fan of Mike Flanagan’s Doctor Sleep?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

What do you make of this story? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook or Instagram pages!

And if you enjoy listening to film podcasts, why not check out our podcasts, Small Screen Stories and Small Screen Film Club wherever you get your podcasts!

The post Doctor Sleep Was The Perfect Sequel To The Shining, In Both Book And Film Form appeared first on Small Screen.

Whether in the form of classic works of cinema like Fight Club and Seven, or his TV hit Mindhunter, the man hasn’t let us down since Alien 3.

Following in the footsteps of other iconic directors (Martin Scorsese, for example) Fincher’s freshest project is going straight to Netflix.

As a biographical drama, Mank is likely to feel distinctly different to the psychological thrillers Fincher is most known for.

Not only has it been shot entirely in black and white, but the true story that runs throughout means the more far-fetched signifiers of the Fincher style are likely to be dialled back.

Despite strong rumours that the film will be dropping October (Netflix haven’t confirmed anything, but producer Eric Roth let a few details slip), we don’t know a whole lot about the story yet.

What we do know, is that the film’s title refers to Herman J. Mankiewicz, who co-wrote the Citizen Kane screenplay alongside Orson Welles.

It’s very likely that the film will explore Mankiewicz’s life during the creation and production of Citizen Kane, before delving into the well-publicised issues that surrounded the making of the film.

According to sources, Mankiewicz was a scandalous figure, known for his mood swings and heavy drinking, but also his humour, charm and likability.

Gary Oldman should be the perfect fit for Fincher’s Mank

Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

Read more: Could David Fincher Save The World War Z Franchise?

Academy Award winner Gary Oldman is dropped into the shoes of Mankiewicz- his incredible versatility should be the perfect fit.

Mank marks the first collaboration between Fincher and Oldman, but there are a lot of familiar faces in the production team.

Not only was the film’s screenplay actually written by Fincher’s father, Jack, back in 2003, but editor Kirk Baxter and Donald Graham Burt have been working with Fincher since Zodiac and The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button respectively.

One of the most exciting things Mank boasts is the return of composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.

The duo are more commonly known as Nine Inch Nails, and have worked with Fincher on each of his films since 2010’s The Social Network.

In Mank, their experimental, industrial sound will be coming exclusively from instruments and equipment that would have been available during the creation of Citizen Kane.

Elsewhere in Mank, we’ll be seeing the likes of Amanda Seyfried, Lily Collins, Tuppence Middleton and Charles Dance, while the role of Orson Welles himself was given to the comparatively unknown British actor Tom Burke.

Will Mank be worth a Netflix subscription?

Photo Credit: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for SBIFF)

Read more: Mindhunter Season 3 Is On Hold Until David Fincher Finishes His Next Film

Before you go and activate that Netflix free trial, we have some final quickfire facts for you:

The film finished filming in February 2020, just before the coronavirus pandemic increased in severity.

Much of the filming took place in California, and, despite being in black and white, was shot in 8k. That’s some serious futureproofing.

Amanda Seyfried has already referred to the film as one of the hardest projects she has ever been a part of.

Gary Oldman looks bloody brilliant as Herman Mankiewicz.

On the whole, we’re expecting big things from Mank, even if that October 2020 release date seems too good to be true.

What do you make of this feature?

Are you looking forward to watch David Fincher’s Mank on Netflix?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

What do you make of this story? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook or Instagram pages!

And if you enjoy listening to film podcasts, why not check out our podcasts, Small Screen Stories and Small Screen Film Club wherever you get your podcasts!

The post Everything We Know About David Fincher’s Upcoming Film, Mank appeared first on Small Screen.

Mike Flanagan managed to turn Shirley Jackson’s 1959 novel into one of the most truly terrifying TV shows of all time, without letting the great story and unique characters slip in quality.

The phenomenal success of The Haunting Of Hill House meant a second season was quickly announced, but it was made clear from the start that it wouldn’t continue the story of the Crain family.

Instead, we’re being transported to the world of Henry James’ 1898 novella The Turn Of The Screw, under the name The Haunting Of Bly Manor.

While there is no narrative connection between the seasons at all, much of the cast and crew are returning, so our expectations for a horror that grips its audience with both scares and story.

Here are six things we need from The Haunting Of Bly Manor if it is to live up to its predecessor.

We Need Very Different Characters in The Haunting of Bly Manor

Credit: Netflix

Read more: Doctor Sleep Director Says He’s Working On Another Stephen King Adaptation

With The Haunting Of Bly Manor taking on the anthology approach of American Horror Story, we should expect to see a lot of familiar faces.

Victoria Pedretti and Oliver Jackson-Cohen are already confirmed to be returning as central characters, while the roles of Henry Thomas and Kate Siegel are confirmed, but still under wraps.

Hill House stars Michiel Huisman, Carla Gugino and Elizabeth Reaser haven’t been mentioned, so it’s safe to assume that they either won’t be present, or they’ll make minor cameos.

The fact that so many faces that we currently associate to season one are going to be back for season two means we’re going to need any connections severed immediately.

Pedretti and Jackson-Cohen, for example, played the tormented and scarred Nell and Luke in Hill House. In Bly Manor, we’re going to need to see a lot more stability and confidence.

Thomas and Siegel were protective and sassy respectively. If too much of these traits make their way into their Bly Manor characters, then it’ll be hard to separate them from Steven and Theo of Hill House.

Luckily, Pedretti landed a leading role in Netflix’s You since season one, and we already knew the extend of Thomas’ range (I mean, he was Elliot in E.T. after all), so their proven ranges should cover this.

The Haunting Of Bly Manor Needs More Ghosts!

Credit: Netflix

Read more: Locke And Key’s First 10 Minutes Are Available To Watch Online Now

The Haunting Of Hill House was so good at pushing horror right into your face that many viewers didn’t even notice the freaky things happening in the background.

Mike Flanagan made it his mission to hide ghosts throughout the Hill House for eagle-eyed viewers to spot.

For this season, he confirmed that not only will there be more hidden ghosts lurking in the background of shots, but they’ll have more meaning.

While it was interesting to go back and hunt for them, you could say that hiding ghosts throughout Hill House was just horror for horror’s sake. In Bly Manor, Flanagan says we’ll find out “who they are and why they’re there.”

This time we’ll be ready to scour the background of shots to find the remnants of the departed.

Use Other Henry James Stories

Credit: Netflix

Read more: Netflix’s Locke And Key First Trailer Is Giving Us Major The Haunting Of Hill House Vibes

In The Haunting Of Hill House, the adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s novel was clear, but loose. The modernisation and deviation from the story worked perfectly.

As The Turn Of The Screw is a relatively short novella, fans wondered from the start whether Flanagan would add his own twists and turns.

He has since explained that he’ll be dipping in and out of the Henry James back-catalogue like a petrifying pick and mix.

He has named The Jolly Corner and The Romance Of Certain Old Clothes as two particular works he’ll be bringing into Bly Manor.

However, that leaves dozens more stories that we might see crop up, from the ghostly The Real Right Thing, to the existentialism of The Portrait Of A Lady.

Keep Things Forward-Thinking

Credit: Netflix

Read more: Shazam Seems To Be Enjoying Batman v Superman In This Picture

Modern horror is often criticized for being uninspired and uninteresting. The truly unique horror films and shows are left to small budget studios and often go unappreciated.

Flanagan was given a huge platform with Hill House and used it to create something that pushed the envelope.

The critically acclaimed sixth episode, for example, was made to look like it was filmed in one take, despite moving between two different time periods.

At the same time, working in elements of regular, day to day life into the plot allowed us to get an insight into the characters that horror rarely allows these days.

Hopefully, Bly Manor doesn’t rest on its laurels and we continue to see an artistic, inventive approach.

Don’t Start Reverting To Horror Tropes

Credit: Netflix

Read more: The Haunting Of Hill House Season 2 Is ‘Amazing’ According To Show’s Star

Mike Flanagan has recently emerged as a master of horror.

His Stephen King adaptations, Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep, managed to forge a chilling atmosphere while almost entirely avoiding overdone horror tropes.

The Haunting Of Hill House might have been set primarily in a haunted house and occasionally dropped a jump scare, but in general, Flanagan created tension and fear with more subtlety.

Hopefully, Bly Manor can keep this up. We don’t want to see him trying to play with things like the ‘jock’, ‘stoner’ and ‘nerd’ stereotypes, do we?

Maybe Give Us A Little More Explanation This Time?

Credit: Netflix

Read more: Netflix Is Producing A New Series Which Will Explore The USA’s Most Haunted Houses

Horror is the hardest place to formulate a satisfying ending. Remember when they tried to end The Conjuring 2 by having Lorraine Warren shout ‘Valak’ over and over again?

After ten hours of content, The Haunting Of Hill House manages to put together a rather brilliant conclusion. We find out what the Red Room is, what Hill House was doing for all these years, and why it was full of ghosts.

We don’t find out: why the house did what it did in the first place, who the ghosts lurking in the background were, and why the rest of the Crain family could continue their lives in peace afterwards.

While a level of ambiguity isn’t a bad thing to keep a hold of, maybe The Haunting Of Bly Manor will offer a little more explanation?

What do you make of this article?

Are you looking forward to The Haunting Of Bly Manor on Netflix?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

What do you make of this story? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook or Instagram pages!

And if you enjoy listening to film podcasts, why not check out our podcasts, Small Screen Stories and Small Screen Film Club wherever you get your podcasts!

The post 6 Ways The Haunting Of Bly Manor Can Live Up To The Haunting Of Hill House appeared first on Small Screen.

Sarah Paulson steps into the shoes of Nurse Ratched, once occupied by Louise Fletcher (and Ingrid Torrance during her strange appearance in Once Upon A Time), while the relatively unknown Evan Romansky is the series’ creator.

Nurse Ratched was always an embodiment of pure, relentless evil, but One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest never entered the realm of true horror- Ratched will.

The trailer has already demonstrated a change of tone that seems more in line with American Horror Story (Ryan Murphy is one of the show’s executive producers after all) than the source material.

But will Ratched be a standalone journey into teen-friendly horror, or a continuation of the legacy of one of the greatest films of all time?

We’ve come up with six things that fans of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest will be on the lookout for.

We Don’t Want Illogical Character Cameos

Credit: Netflix

Read more: These Are The 10 Netflix Original Shows You Should Be Excited To Watch In 2020

If there is one problem that always crops up in prequels and sequels, it’s the desire to force characters we’re familiar with into situations that make no sense.

That’s not to say that I wouldn’t wet myself if Randle McMurphy suddenly showed up in Ratched, but part of me would hate it all the same.

We’ve gotten used to the idea of C-3PO being built by Anakin in the Star Wars prequels, but when you really think about it, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense: Vader didn’t know him in the original films, so there is no reason for him to have known him in the prequels.

As far as we know, Nurse Ratched didn’t know any of her patients before working at the mental institution, and it should really stay that was if we want to take the show seriously.

But We Might Want Original Actor Cameos

One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest was released in 1975, so it’s safe to say that the majority of the cast look pretty different (or very different, if you know what I mean […they’re dead]) by 2020.

However, a cameo from an actor from the film could be the perfect way to induce a bit of extra nostalgia.

Obviously, I’m not expecting Jack Nicholson to show up.

In fact, I’d bet my life that he has absolutely no idea that the show even exists, and wouldn’t care in the slightest even if he did.

However, Brad Dourif seems to have been in just about everything ever made, so an appearance from him doesn’t seem out of the question.

Then you’ve got the uber-fame of Danny DeVito and Christopher Lloyd, who have both seemed to enjoy the occasional one-off TV appearance in their later careers.

Louise Fletcher’s career might have peaked with One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, but she is still semi-active despite approaching her ninetieth birthday… you never know.

Character Development Is A Must

It seems that spin-off shows/films constantly abandon character development due to an overconfidence in their characters.

Remember the Friends spin-off, Joey? Of course you don’t. You do remember, Better Call Saul, though, right?

There’s a reason for that: character development.

The team behind Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul are so focused on detail, quality and characterisation, that we were able to learn about those we already knew, while being introduced to new faces.

In Ratched, we can’t allow Sarah Paulson to become an emulation of the 1975 character- she has to get there.

The whole point of a sequel is to show us what a character was like before we knew them, right? So why would we be interested in watching Nurse Ratched become… the same?

But We Need Nurse Ratched To Be Nurse Ratched

Credit: Netflix

Read more: Best Horror Films to Watch On Halloween(Opens in a new browser tab)

While we need Ratched to focus on character development, we also can’t be presented with a version of Nurse Ratched that we don’t recognise.

From the trailer, it seems that Nurse Ratched herself was always threateningly soft-spoken and presented herself with a kindly malice.

At the same time, she seems more confident in dealing with intentional humour.

This didn’t really come up in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest; maybe she loses her lighter side over the course of the show?

However, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest showed us that she was more of a subtle, Shipman-esque killer, not an all-guns-blazing Jack The Ripper.

From the trailer, it seems that Ratched might be gearing a little too much toward a violence we’d never seen in the titular nurse before. Time will only tell if it works.

Let The Show Occupy Its Own Space

When Ratched was first announced, I was both excited, confused and reluctant.

One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest is one of my favourite films of all time, and while I’m a sucker for revisiting a beloved character from the past, it seemed a little unnecessary to go back to that particular story.

Then I found out that it wasn’t going to be an emotional comedy-drama, but a psychological horror, and I was excited again.

Placing one of the most hateable characters of all time into the title role of a horror series could be a stroke of pure genius, if done right.

By not overlapping with the events or tone of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, we can separate Ratched into something almost completely different.

Maybe if the show doesn’t really work as a prequel, it’ll be able to be enjoyed as a standalone horror series?

But Don’t Lose The Charm Of The Original

Credit: Netflix

Read more: Here’s Why A Friends Movie Should Never Ever Happen

Despite the fact that Ratched taking a beloved character down a different path is probably going to be a great way to bring in a range of viewers, fans of the character in its original form will still be looking for some semblance of relatability.

One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest dealt with some deep, dark subjects, but at its core, there was comedy and phenomenal characters.

We’re hoping that Ratched doesn’t try to replace incredible characterisation and well-placed comedy with overdone suspense and horror.

At the same time, will a murderous Ratched mean that death becomes common and normal, and not impactful and heart-breaking like it was in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest?

What do you make of this article?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

What do you make of this story? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook or Instagram pages!

And if you enjoy listening to film podcasts, why not check out our podcasts, Small Screen Stories and Small Screen Film Club wherever you get your podcasts!

The post Six Things One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest Fans Want From Netflix’s Ratched appeared first on Small Screen.