Must Watch reviews: Film Club
Every week, the Must Watch podcasters review the biggest TV and streaming shows.
This week, Scott Bryan and Hayley Campbell join Naga Munchetty to review ‘Film Club’ - a six-part series on 蜜芽传媒 Three.
It’s created by and stars Aimee Lou Wood as Evie, who hasn’t left the house in six months after some kind of mental breakdown. Every Friday night she holds a film club in her garage with her best friend Noa, played by Nabhaan Rizwan. But when Noa gets a new job in Bristol and has to move away, they are forced to confront the idea that maybe they’re more than friends after all.
What do the Must Watch reviewers make of it?
Must Watch reviews: Film Club
The Must Watch reviewers share what they think about Film Club.
Naga: “Scott, what do you think?
"Is it a Must Watch?”
Scott: “It is a Must Watch for me.
"It's pretty unique.
"It starts with smoke coming out from this room, I think the garage, and you're slightly confused, you're thinking it is a fire but essentially they're trying to recreate Alien and the smoke sort of billows out in a very big way and you go into that room and the whole thing's covered in tin foil.”
Scott: “This is a film club that Amy [Lou Wood’s] character does.
Their chemistry is the running thread"
"She commits to the bit and really makes it her life in terms of trying to have something that is authentic and rich and you're taken into that world, you're taken into that environment and it's all about her journey.
"You're learning that she's come into terms with being autistic.
“There is this ‘will they, won't they’ relationship with Noa and I think their chemistry is the running thread and I think the best bit.
"I also think that what is strong in this is the love and appreciation for different film and movie franchises.”
Scott: “I think the attention to detail throughout it is great.
It doesn't really fit into a neat box"
"I think the cast is great.
"Anne Jones is really strong in this.
"Also Owen Cooper from Adolescence turns up on a bike midway through.
“What I like about it is that it doesn't really fit into a neat box.
"At some moments it's a bit more of a cosy-ish style romantic comedy.
"At other times it feels like a single drama where the conventions and themes of it are a bit more open-ended.
“I don't think it's going to be for everybody.
"I think it is a thing that you will either get straight away or you won't.
"But I'm happy that 蜜芽传媒 Three have been doing this.
“And also just for the Rizwan brothers, astonishing that one brother has got Juice at the moment, that I gave a glowing Must Watch recommendation, whilst his other brother is the lead on this.
"The fact that they are both siblings, both doing their own projects on 蜜芽传媒 Three and both managing to make something really good on their own merit is fantastic.”
Naga: “Hayley?”
It's pretty unique"
Hayley: “So this isn't a Must Watch for me.
"I thought I'd like this one.
"It's about a recluse who watches films in her house and refuses to go out which feels like an invasion of my privacy.”
Naga: “Was it a little bit too close to home?”
Hayley: “I've seen this called a drama and a comedy in different places so I'm not sure which one they were aiming for.
"It feels like it should be a comedy but it isn't funny enough.”
Naga: “You can be both, can't you be?”
Hayley: “Yeah, but it also feels a little light to be a drama.
"I don't really buy it. I don’t buy the rom-com kind of relationship these two have.
"I don't believe that this thing has lasted this long.
"I think the idea of the show is nice but I found it all a bit annoying.
“I'm someone who makes too many film references in general conversation and loses my audience so even what they were doing was a bit too much for me.”
Hayley: “I also think if you've been having a film club every Friday night for eight years you would have moved on to something way beyond the stuff that appears in the top 20 films of all time lists.”
Scott: “That is a very specific Hayley criticism.”
Hayley: “There's so many more films in the Criterion Closet.”
Scott: “Maybe they were starting at the bottom and going up to the top. “
Hayley: Maybe. That's a film nerd quibble that absolutely doesn't matter.
“I just think my issue with this one is it was a little saccharine for me.
"It's one of those shows I do want to support, because I love the idea of original drama being commissioned.
Whenever we get a show that's six episodes long and is not a reality show I rejoice.
"But I found this one a little sentimental and thin.
I thought there was room for psychological darkness, but it didn't really get there.
"It seemed to be more about dress-ups, sulking and doing American accents.
"But I really wanted to like it.”
Film Club launches on 蜜芽传媒 iPlayer on Tuesday 7th October with the first two episodes airing back-to-back at 10pm on 蜜芽传媒 Three.
This week, the team reviewed Frauds and Wayward.
But before all that, why not contact Scott and Hayley with the shows you’ve been loving, loathing or both on mustwatch@bbc.co.uk.
As always, we like to include your reviews - on shows you love, loathe or lament.
Message @bbc5live on social media using the hashtag #bbcmustwatch or email mustwatch@bbc.co.uk.
Eric had a recommendation:
After hearing your comments that you don't get a good roast away from home .
Just like to recommend the Kings Arms Emsworth.
Their mixed roast is enough to keep you going for a couple of days
Cooked to perfection especially as said the roast potatoes.
Margaret thinks Shakespeare and Hathaway has reached its end:
This week sees the return of Shakespeare and Hathaway after almost a year and All Creatures Great and Small after almost 3.
A big enough break for both to hit the ground running with their new season, but no.
Both series storylines have changed since their last series for no real purpose.
Neither seemed to have benefitted from the benefits of a script writer relying instead on the comic cut outs of their characters to talk amongst themselves against a background of pot boiler scenes.
In the case of ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ driving through the countryside, sheepdogs and lambs being born whilst in ‘Shakespeare and Hathaway’ eating sweets, hiding in bushes, fancy dress.
Where they differ is interestingly in the wardrobe department.
Whilst ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ characters are coiffed and dressed within an inch of their lives Shakespeare and Hathaway look like they have used the dressing up box and charity shops whilst hairdresser/wig technician and make up has definitely left the room.
Both series look like they have run their course.
Better to mothball now.
Paul likes the sound of Michael Keaton as Ray Nicolette in Task
(On the HBO show Task that we reviewed the other week)
I would absolutely watch an entire series of Michael Keaton as Ray Nicolette (one of the main characters)!
Please use your expansive powers to make this a thing!
