Isobel Grieve

13 Reasons Why I Despise Jared Leto

On March 1, 2022

UPDATE: JULY 30TH, 2026

The following post was written in 2021/22. A number of the links are no longer active. (Suspicious? You tell me!) However, in recent years, more sexual misconduct allegations against Jared Leto have been made. An addendum has been tacked to the end of this piece.

MARCH 2022

This is a slam piece. This is an opinion piece. What I am about to write is highly biased against the subject. I do not like Jared Leto. I don’t know him personally; I can’t testify to his true character. What I have is a series of articles, accusations, internet hearsay, and analysis of his work that adds up to me – the author of this slam piece – relaying the reasons why I dislike Jared Leto.

It all started as a bad vibe. Yes, I didn’t like his vibe. I can’t pinpoint exactly when it happened; it wasn’t like I was keeping tabs on how this person was making me feel. I think he wasn’t on my radar, and then he was gradually on my radar more and more, and that’s how I realized “I don’t like this guy”.

Jared Leto has had numerous scandals throughout his career.

I haven’t been highly present for most of them. His career started before I was born; April 1996—My So-Called Life first aired in August 1994. He’s been around longer than I have witnessed; maybe that’s part of why I detest him so much. I wasn’t part of the culture that adored him and saw his charm.

What I do know about that time – the time before I noticed who he was – is from research I did for this piece. A New York Post article from 2005 alludes to Jared Leto as insistent on getting with underage models; their source said, “Jared has been hitting on all of them,” [underage models staying at a hotel], they call him a “serial texter” and attest that “It’s really kind of creepy.” The New York Post is a mainstream tabloid airing this story, a testimonial to Jared Leto’s pedophilic nature, but seemingly the only one to do so.

Other inklings of Jared Leto’s preference for underage girls are spread across the remnants of old message boards and spun into hearsay from the people who were there to see it. There is just one post from a woman who writes a first-person account of being coerced by Jared Leto. However, I will be the first to say these are not certifiable sources. I am all for believing women, but I cannot tell you that these things happened. I can tell you that I’ve noticed others online not finding it that hard to believe Jared Leto could have done these things.

BLIND ITEMS

There are multiple Blind Items on Crazy Days and Nights where entertainment lawyer “Enty” calls out Jared Leto’s predatory behaviour: Blind item – Aug. 2018, Blind item – Jan. 2021, Blind item – Dec. 2021. The most incriminating Blind is the one from December last year; it accuses Jared Leto of buying up a message board archive that contains first-person accounts of his [alleged] assaults. Again, it’s hard to say how credible this information is because it is from an anonymous site. Although Enty did write about Nxivm, Harvey Weinstein, and Jeffrey Epstein long before they were publicly outed and brought to justice… so, make of that what you will.

One of the most concrete pieces of evidence of Jared Leto’s open Hollywood secret of favouring underage girls is from a Twitter exchange between two celebrities. Dylan Sprouse tweeted, “Yo @JaredLeto now that you’ve slid into the dm’s of every female model aged 18-25, what would you say your success rate is?” to which James Gunn replied, “He starts at 18 on the Internet?” [This tweet has since been deleted] Even though half of this interaction is no longer available on the social media site, the fact that it ever existed is pretty bold for two people to talk about publicly without any knowledge that this behaviour is real.

Speaking of predatory behaviour.

In 2013, 30 Seconds to Mars held a fan contest where the winner got to spend the night in Jared Leto’s bed. The contest page on their website no longer exists, but from what I’ve read, there didn’t seem to be an age restriction on entering the contest… Anyway-

Among all that, Jared Leto has exhibited poor behaviour towards castmates. MTV put out an article in 2016 with an exhaustive list of all the “method acting” gifts he bestowed upon his co-stars in Suicide Squad; the list includes a dead pig, sticky nude magazines, used condoms, a live rat, anal beads, and more. Jared Leto has since denied his own statements about the “gifts” he gave to castmates. If I might insert my own statement here – I think he’s covering his ass. I think Jared Leto thought that because he had an Oscar, he could do no wrong as an “artist”; he didn’t think the internet would turn against him. I think he was media-advised to redact his earlier statements and talk about newer projects [House of Gucci] in a much different tone.

Fat Suit

Speaking of newer projects, his most recent film, House of Gucci, has a mixed bag of reviews. I haven’t seen the film; I don’t care to see the film. Why? I don’t care to support the career of a man I detest. What I will say, from what I’ve read on Slate and Vulture, is that Jared Leto’s performance was [supposedly] cartoonish and lacklustre. I stand by the notion that casting directors should maybe consider hiring people with the same bodies as those they are supposed to play. I don’t think there’s too much harm in a fake nose (depending on the performance), but I do believe putting on a fat suit is entirely unnecessary when there’s a long list of plus-sized actors out there. I also think that if a character’s size is informing your acting choices to represent that person as clownish when fact paints a different picture, you were the wrong choice for the role.

Transmisogyny

Jared Leto has a history of poorly portraying characters he doesn’t understand. His Oscar-winning performance in Dallas Buyer’s Club is certainly one of those times. This movie I have seen, and at the time, admittedly, I, along with many people, thought it revolutionary. However, I hadn’t yet graduated High School and lacked nuanced perspectives in critical analysis. What I will say now is along the lines of this Time article. Jared Leto performed a caricature of what Hollywood thinks a trans woman is. She is reduced to sexual desire, greed, vanity. She is poor; she is uneducated. She is the charity case Hollywood wishes to represent and save.

This performance was a chance for Hollywood to clap for themselves. The casting director could have hired a trans woman for this role, but I doubt she would have given this movie an Oscar, so perhaps that’s why. We must acknowledge the trans community’s response to his casting as well: see Time and The Guardian. The term “transmisogyny” is new to me, but I think it describes this entire scenario and pop culture moment.

On to the outlandish:

Jared Leto and his bandmates started a cult [Blend Magazine, L’Officiel, Distractify, YouTube]. It started as a “joke” because a journalist said 30 Seconds to Mars had a “cult following”, and now this luxury private island yoga retreat is referred to as a “cult”. There are no vengeful attendees; there’s no scandal to escape this exclusive getaway – and to this, I am relieved. So, what’s there to hate? You might ask. Well, to that I say, how about everything? How can a group of musicians become so self-entitled that they charge their loyalist fans upwards of $2000 for a meet-and-greet they can’t leave? What’s also crazy is that it’s just one band. The activities at that price feel appropriate if there was a lineup of different musicians, but it isn’t. Its. Just. One. Band.

What also grinds my gears about this venture for Jared Leto and his bandmates is that it feels like they’re making a mockery of their fandom. Cults prey on a certain kind of person, or a person in a certain emotional place: vulnerable and seeking, but lacking critical comprehension due to distrust in themselves. For 30 Seconds to Mars to call their fanbase a cult, they’re insinuating that their fanbase has no interest in having a mind of their own, insinuating that their fans blindly follow their leaders—are pliable. With that and the outrageous prices they’re charging, I think you’ve got a group of middle-aged men manipulating their fanbase into a form of worship and devotion that looks an awful lot like a toxic one-sided relationship instead of a fluid connection between artist and admirer.

Are you convinced?

Jared Leto, in my opinion, gets too much praise and not enough scrutiny. I think someone with a career that long, with numerous, substantial revenue streams, a healthy management team with no doubt a stack of highly sought-after lawyers, and an aspired “cult” fanbase is someone to be feared. I think his actions need to be unpacked, and I think he’s gone too long without a reality check. I don’t like Jared Leto, and that dislike is not entirely unfounded yet not entirely backed by credible insight. What can I say? I got a bad vibe.

UPDATE: JULY 30TH, 2026

To be honest, after I wrote this angry testament, I let go a little and just tried to ignore this man. Boycotted all his projects and rolled my eyes when his appearance couldn’t be avoided on award shows and what have you.

Alas, yesterday, July 29th, 2026, I got a notification on my phone saying Jared Leto had been accused of sexual misconduct by 4 women. Horrifying news. Disgusting. Yet, sadly, unsurprising to me.

According to the BBC article, three out of these four women say they were sexually assaulted and/or sexually harassed and groomed by Leto while minors, under the age of 18. Another four women have said they had strange and overtly sexual phone calls with Leto while underage as well. All of these instances occurred between the years 2002 and 2o16. This information is coming from the BBC investigative documentary “Jared Leto: Hollywood’s Dark Secret,” whose production was triggered by an article published on Airmail in 2025, which alleged Jared Leto was, in my words, a creep to teenagers.

As it were, Jared Leto responded to the 2025 article, denying all allegations. And just recently, his response to these new allegations was, “I have never sexually assaulted anyone in my entire life. These claims are absolutely and categorically false.” [The Guardian]

Abbott Elementary: Teaching Us Value

By Isobel Grieve

On February 8, 2022

In Reviews, TV

It airs Tuesdays on ABC, and everyone should be watching. It is created by and stars Quinta Brunson, who is absolutely hilarious! Her writing and performance show the makings of a new household name in comedy.

Abbott Elementary is a mockumentary-style show with side interviews, direct to camera side-eye, the whole shebang. This style of sitcom has created some of the most beloved sitcoms in recent years, like The Office (9 seasons), Modern Family (11 seasons) and Parks and Recreation (7 seasons). With all its heart and jokes, this new primetime sitcom has the potential to be on air for many years to come.

Centring around six faculty members at the sitcom’s namesake school, Abbott Elementary explores the failings of American Education Systems that lack proper funding and resources. In that sense, Quinta Brunson’s protagonist, Janine Teagues, is very similar to Leslie Knope of Parks and Recreation because she is determined to do with what she has and stay optimistic.

While taking place in Philadelphia, Abbott Elementary pokes fun at the education system’s failings while also critiquing those failings in earnest. The main characters’ dedication to the school and their students is enough to make you root for them. However, their character quirks and peaks into their personal lives make you fall in love with them, flaws and all.

Tyler James William is home in this genre: his delivery and facial expressions add a Jim Halpert (of The Office) to the mix. His and Quinta Brunson’s onscreen chemistry is palpable as a version of the quintessential The Office ship: Jam and Pam. They start very similarly to the famous Office couple: Brunson’s character, Janine, is in a long-term relationship with someone who does not fully appreciate her and William’s character, Gregory, pines for her quietly while offering friendship. It’s cute, it’s hopeful, it’s funny.

The senior teachers, Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph) and Melissa (Lisa Ann Walter), are depicted as thicker skinned and stronger stock than the younger teachers. Janine idolizes Barbara and thinks of her as a mentor. Although Barbara will guide Janine, when need be, she is reluctant – why? Well, Barbara has plenty of other things to do. Her expert with children is clear from the get-go as her children are always much more well-behaved than the other classes. Melissa is the Italian with all the underground connections. Melissa is harsh but fair – the kind of woman to take no crap because she’s done that before, and what had it gotten her? Nothing.

The useless but hilarious principal, Ava, is played by comedian Janelle James whose stand-up comedy style shines through in her performance. Ava is nothing but laughs whenever in the room, her ego is huge, her sexual energy is on fire, and her money handling is terrible. Ava is the perfect stand-in for government incompetence regarding the support of public-school teachers in the United States.

Quinta Brunson has created something that wide audiences can enjoy. Majority of westerners have been to school and understand the kind of hoops teachers jump through to provide proper education. Teachers are fundamental in growing up: most people have fond memories of when learning clicked for them at school. Yet, teachers are extremely underpaid for the hours and effort they’re putting into their classrooms and extracurriculars. Abbott Elementary is hopefully a beacon for people to realize that schools and teachers deserve better resources, and the children need a healthy, stable learning environment to thrive.

My Favourite Films to Come Out in 2021

By Isobel Grieve

On January 18, 2022

In Movies, Reviews

Finding ‘Ohana – released January 29th, 2021

Directed by Jude Weng [Black-ish (2017-2022)]. Written by Christina Strain [Shadow and Bone (2021)]. Starring newcomers Kea Peahu as Pili and Lindsey Watson as Hana, Alex Aiono as Ioane [Doogie Kamealoha (2021)] and Owen Vaccaro as Casper [Daddy’s Home (2015)]. Withing supporting actors Kelly Hu as Leilani [Young Justice (2011-2021)], and the iconic Branscombe Richmond as Kimo.

“A summer in rural O‘ahu takes an exciting turn for two Brooklyn-raised siblings when a journal pointing to long-lost treasure sets them on an epic adventure with new friends and leads them to reconnect with their Hawaiian heritage.” [IMDb]

In my opinion, this movie is seriously underrated. Why aren’t more people talking about this movie?? It reminds me of older Disney children’s adventure movies but with more cultural significance and without active colonization, lol. This movie has a similar spirit to Spy Kids (2001) or Nanny McPhee (2005). The kids in it are daring, cunning, but in need of a good lesson. It offers a heartfelt message about the sacred lands of Hawaii and their significance to their people. The story pulls the characters back to their culture and roots which, naturally, pulls their family back together.

I think Kea Peahu is one to watch, considering she must have only have been 13/14 years old when filming, her performance is key to this story’s touching moments. Peahu and Alex Aiono created convincing sibling chemistry that was a pleasure to watch. With Jude Weng’s extensive directing resume, including family sit-com Black-ish, Weng has again nailed directing teens with heartwarming, comedic, and emotional performance intelligence. I will gladly take another movie directed by Jude Weng and written by Christina Strain because this pairing has clearly hit a sweet spot.

@Zola – released June 30th, 2021 (Canada)

Directed by Janicza Bravo [Lemon (2017)]. Written by Bravo, and Jeremy O. Harris [The Amateur (2014)]. Based on tweets by A’Ziah King. Starring Taylour Paige as Zola [Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020)], Riley Keough as Stefani [Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)], and Nicholas Braun as Derrek [Succession (2018-2021)].

“A stripper named Zola embarks on a wild road trip to Florida.” [IMDb]

I remember an ongoing conversation on Twitter back in 2015 about the Twitter thread by A’Ziah “Zola” King about her wild experience with a girl named Stefani. She then was featured in a Rolling Stone article called “Zola Tells All: The Real Story Behind the Greatest Stripper Saga Ever Tweeted” by David Kushner. The IP was acquired in 2016 with James Franco signed on to direct. That choice put the project on hold until 2018 due to sexual allegations against Franco, he was then replaced by Janicza Bravo, and A24 was named the distributer. Thank you all-mighty powers of the universe that Franco did not turn this into another rendition of Spring Breakers (2012).

This film features incredible performances from the whole cast. It’s dark, comical, realistic, yet artistically executed. The film features some narration from the two leads offering alternative narratives. The attention to detail with character development was astounding. The scene that stands out to me takes place in the bathroom on their road trip to Miami, where Stephani shows no grievances to the unhygienic stall, and Zola takes all precautions, also highlighted here is the difference in the colour of their pee.

Riley Keough’s performance adds nuance to the film when her character Stephani gets emotional and suddenly breaks from the overt Black-cent she sports for the rest of the film. I also liked the artistic touches to include Twitter notification sounds occasionally pinging throughout the story beats and the narration that is ether directly pulled from the tweets and written in the voice of the original Zola. It very much reads like walking into the hazy tweet by tweet thread Twitter users obsessed over in 2015.

Black Widow – released July 9th, 2021

Directed by Cate Shortland [Lore (2012)]. Written by Eric Pearson [Thor: Ragnarök (2017)]. Starring Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff, and Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova.

“Natasha Romanoff confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises.” [IMDb]

A lot was leading up to this movie coming out, for that reason, it really matters to me. It is not a work of significantly great storytelling… but it is an epic peace offering from Marvel to the Black Widow fans devasted by her death in Avengers: Endgame (2019). Amongst the hot-headed male characters centring in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) for so long, Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff), despite all her poorly written character arcs, will always have a special place in my heart.

I appreciate that it was directed by a woman, but I am also a little peeved that it was written by a man. Considering that one of the “Story by” credits is a woman, Jac Schaeffer, and the director is a woman, I find it very hard to believe that the movie needed to be written by a man. Like, why?

The story follows the same formula as all other MCU movies; which was a disservice. Natasha Romanoff is a spy, not a superhero; she doesn’t have superpowers, she has a specific skill set that would have been entirely better memorialized by an espionage/spy movie than the big boom-boom movie MCU insists on making repeatedly.
However, I did fall in love with Florence Pugh all over again while watching this film because her performance is by far the best, from her comedic timing to empathetic little sister emotional moments she had me.

Regardless of the movie’s downfalls, we stan this new generation of Black Widows, including Florence’s part in the recent Disney+ series Hawkeye (2021) and the sly (suspected) appearance of many more widows in the post-credit scene of Shang Chi: The Legend of the Ten Rings (2021).

Gunpowder Milkshake – released July 14th, 2021

Directed by Navot Papushado. Written by Papushado and Ehud Lavski. With an all-star cast: Karen Gilan as Sam, Lena Headey as Scarlet, Carla Gugino as Madeleine, Michelle Yeoh as Florence, and Angela Basset as Anna May.

“Three generations of women fight back against those who could take everything from them.” [IMDb]

Despite being written by two men. Despite being directed by one of those men. I really, really liked this movie. It’s giving Japanese manga and anime-inspired with the set design and fight choreography. The colour palettes are bright, playful, and highly contradictive to the significant bloodshed.

I’m tired of gender-swapping old action/adventure male led hero flicks. I think women deserve new storytelling and character work in action and this movie really delivers. I think it deserves more attention and at least two sequels.

The performances are incredible. We know that Karen Gilan is an action star from her work in the MCU as Nebula and in the Jumanji franchise as Ruby and Martha. I’ve enjoyed her style since her stint on BBC’s Doctor Who. Gilan’s performance in this movie is expert, she’s nailed emotionally stunted assassin. You can never go wrong when hiring the rest of these highly sought-after ladies. Lena Headey plays a hardened mother (her speciality), Carla Gugino is warm with her twinkling eyes, Michelle Yeoh is… is… I mean, she’s fucking incredible in everything, and the same goes for Angela Basset. Gugino, Basset and Yeoh are really supporting characters not leads but they’re so talented and compelling they steal every scene they enter. When they killed off Gugino, it broke my heart, I knew they were going to kill one of them, that much was obvious in a scene preluding the epic battle in the library, but it hurt, all the same, to see her twinkling eyes fade.

Last Night in Soho – released October 22nd, 2021

Directed by Edgar Wright [Scott Pilgrim Vs The World (2010), Baby Driver (2017)]. Written by Krysty Wilson-Cairns [1917 (2019)]. Starring Anya Taylor-Joy [Emma (2020)] as Sandie, and Thomasin McKenzie [JoJo Rabbit (2019)] as Eloise.

“An aspiring fashion designer is mysteriously able to enter the 1960s where she encounters a dazzling wannabe singer. But the glamour is not all it appears to be and the dreams of the past start to crack and splinter into something darker.” [IMDb]

I had the pleasure of watching this in a theatre and I think the large screen and booming sound system did wonders for its stylized thrilling plot. Edgar Wright has a history of using colour palettes to help tell a story or elevate the drama which he does here once again. The performances from leads Taylor-Joy and McKenzie are extremely compelling. The expertly written unravelling of story and character becomes all the more impactful when hit by the twist ending.

Eloise, the present-day protagonist, actually being possessed by the Landlady’s (Ms Collins played by Diana Rigg) past self, Sandie, had me ~shook~. I really thought Sandie was going to be a murder victim, not the serial killer herself. I thought this twist was an incredibly well thought out critique, it both condemns the behaviour of the men who groomed and abused her while also breaking the black and white moulds of sexual violence victims popularized by the media, i.e., the Saint or the Whore. Ms Collins/Sandie became someone I both felt for and feared. She was a mix of the stereotypes being both the innocent victim and the femme fatale.

While the big reveal is entirely linked to the past, the ever-present Eloise by the end of the film can accept her whole self. She’s learned to embrace her gift positively, she honours the memory of the woman who showed her the truth of her fantasies and has embraced her support system which grounds her in reality.

The French Dispatch – released October 22nd, 2021

Directed by Wes Anderson. Written by Anderson, story by Roman Coppola, and Hugo Guinness. With an all-star cast: Benicio Del Toro as Moses Rosenthaler, Adrien Brody as Julian Cadazio, Tilda Swinton as J.K.L. Berensen, Lea Seydoux as Simone, Frances McDormand as Lucinda Krementz, Timothee Chalamet as Zeffirelli, Jerfferey Wright as Roebuck Wright, Mathieu Amalric as The Commissaire, Bill Murray as Arthur Howitzer Jr., Owen Wilson as Herbsaint Sazerac, Tony Revolori, Bob Balaban, Henry Winkler, and more.

“A love letter to journalists set in an outpost of an American newspaper in a fictional twentieth-century French city that brings to life a collection of stories published in “The French Dispatch Magazine”.” [IMDb]

I love Wes Anderson’s style of directing and writing. There’s something about the way he styles his projects that brings me joy, no matter the subject matter. He’s made a solid name for himself as quirky queen, in my eye at least. The French Dispatch is a well-rounded collection of short stories brought together by their publication.

Timothee Chalamet’s part is much smaller than I feel I was led to believe by the press coverage of this film, but I liked his role and performance as always. The story’s format puts all of the major, star-studded cast into small roles. Almost as if the film is a festival of short plays narrated by the author. The switching between aspect ratio and colour to black and white was very stylistic and served some areas of storytelling but – in my opinion – did not add further meaning.

The film is quite fragmented, filled with small character studies of the varying writers who work for the publication “The French Dispatch”. The overall story is of the last publication following the death of the Editor in Chief played by Bill Murrey; We start with the reading of his obituary, and we end with the writers beginning to write the obituary. Which feels like a loose connecting arch for the stories in-between. I still enjoyed the movie, but it lacked an overall narrative – for me.

The Harder They Fall – released November 3rd, 2021

Directed by Jeymes Samuel [They Die by Dawn (2013)]. Written by Samuel and Boaz Yakin [Now You See Me (2013)]. With an all-star cast: Jonathan Majors as Nat Love, Zazie Beets as Mary Fields, LaKeith Stanfield as Cherokee Bill, Regina King as Trudy Smith, and Idris Elba as Rufus Black.

“When an outlaw discovers his enemy is being released from prison, he reunites his gang to seek revenge in this Western.” [IMDb]

I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Clearly, Jeymes Samuel knows how to do a fucking Western. From the dialogue to the set to the music to the use of colour, the absence of colour, damn. I’m a fan of action, I enjoy a bit of physical conflict, but I’m not without my limits when it comes to gory violence. I thought that the use of violence in this film felt extremely purposeful; behind every blow was the intent, character development/reveal, and even guilt and internal conflict. There was depth to the violence that I can now see as missing in most other action films I’ve seen.
Throughout the story, you’re patiently waiting for the showdown between these two outlaw groups. Jim Beckwourth’s (RJ Cyler) biggest dream is to be known as the fastest shooter, a spot held by Cherokee Bill. Their shootout is over in seconds as Cherokee Bill is the kind of man to shoot another in the back, a gruesome character flaw that can only be revealed by violence. It’s his greatest desire to survive, I suppose, he’ll stop at nothing to stay alive even if it means throwing the only chivalrous laws of the Wild West to the waste side.

With Rufus Black and Nat Love’s showdown, the whole time you’re wondering who will prove to outwit the other. In the end, your head spins with a brother reveal. I mean, come on! Sure, you’re wondering the whole time why Rufus Black was so cruel to a God-loving family minding their own business but his reputation is so carefully bolstered throughout the film, it’s just as easy to chock it up to a violent personality with some childhood trauma. Of course, some of that’s very accurate but the personal intent is so raw: the great revenge is finally taken only in the aims to keep the cycle spinning. Nat Love finally takes his revenge on Rufus with great emotional turmoil, and as their crew rides off into the sands, we see Trudy Smith watching, plotting her own, a true continuation of the cycle.

I really loved the women Samuel and Yakin have written. You’ve got two entrepreneurs with Mary Fields, and Trudy Smith. They own the west with their thriving saloons. I guess it’s only fitting that these business rivals have their own showdown, but I am a little disappointed that these two dress-wearing women’s big showdown is with each other. It’s common in a lot of action films written by men who want to include women but don’t realize that it’s okay to let your bruting male characters fight the female characters to just pin them against each other. It’s easier. I understand with the way they’ve written each character that it doesn’t feel at all thrown together as a fight scene, there’s still intent, history and emotion in each blow… but still.

My favourite character is Cuffee (Danielle DeadWyler). Are they trans before there was transitioning? Is she a drag-king? Or is it simply a means of protecting herself in an unruly place for lone women. I don’t know because we don’t get enough from this tight-lipped marvel of a character who gets Cherokee Bill in the end, beating him at his own game in revenge for her fallen friends.

I honestly think I’ve found one of my new all-time favourite action movies.

Encanto – released November 24th, 2021

Directed by Jared Bush [Moana (2016)], Byron Howard [Tangled (2010)], co-directed by Charise Castro Smith [The Haunting of Hill House (2018)]. Written by Smith, and Bush, story by Howard. Another all-star cast: Stephanie Beatriz as Maribel, Maria Cecilia Botero as Abuela Alma, John Leguizamo as Bruno, Diane Guerrero as Isabela, Jessica Darrow as Luisa, Angie Cepeda as Julieta, Carolina Gaitan as Pepa, Wilmer Valerrama as Agustin, Ravi Cabot-Conyers as Antonio, Rhenzy Feliz as Camilo, TK. Newcomers Mauro Castillo as Felix, Adassa as Dolores, tk.

“A young Colombian girl has to face the frustration of being the only member of her family without magical powers.” [IMDb]

This story is incredibly moving. It establishes a great parallel to migrant families, and refugees dealing with intergenerational trauma stemming from their need to move their homelands. The idea of each offspring being granted a magic power is akin to the pressure put on 2nd and 3rd generations of migrant families who wish for a better life, that these generations must contribute in their own way to the elevation of the family’s situation.

When Maribel does not receive her miracle power, she is now the outcast, the pushed aside who can not conform to the family’s way of living. Her mere existence cracks the foundation of the family’s functioning, yet not so functioning, system. If anything, Maribel being without a magical power only shed light on the issues that other family members have been feeling for some time.

Every song comes with its own tear-jerking moment or cheering triumph. Every character felt fleshed out, despite spending limited time with some. The family felt like a real family, each character being quite unique with their own history and struggles. I genuinely loved, loved, loved this movie!

Lula-Row Me to Safety

By Isobel Grieve

On September 22, 2021

In Movies, Reviews

I binged LulaRich last night and was enthralled. I have always been sceptical of Multi-Level-Marketing companies. I think in today’s society brand awareness is too often tied to “lifestyle” and aesthetics. These MLM scheme’s turn into cults of people (speculatively mostly women) who eat, sleep, breathe the product they sell because it requires a specific “mentality”.

Watching the LulaRoe scandals pile up through this limited docu-series had predictable endings. Still, my jaw was agape. Directors Jenner Furst and Julia Willoughby Nason did an incredible job putting together a piece that explores, exposes, and entertains. The lighting, colour, and overall look of the documentary is appealing to the eye. The editing captivates the viewer.

The people they chose to interview outside the founders of LulaRoe were all high ranking or closely related employees with valuable stories and information, character and charisma.

The most meme-able talking head is Derryl Trujillo, an ex-data entry and customer service representative at LulaRoe. He has many memorable lines throughout the series.

Also, thank you Becca Peter for making me feel seen. She essentially had nothing to do with the company, scandals, or lawsuits but personally investigated the ongoings, failures, and tea related to the company. Apparently, by doing so, she garnered enough knowledge to be deemed an expert on the topic by the documentary’s directors. Becca Peter and I have obsessive research in common.

Lularich3

There are some heart-wrenching moments throughout the series where you see previous retailers detailing how LulaRoe left them bankrupt or caused rifts in their relationships. According to the series, LulaRoe has had over 50 lawsuits put against them, including one from the State of Washington. In the mix of these suits, they have claims of defective clothing (mouldy, stinky, damaged) and refusal to payout refunds.

If anything, what this documentary sheds light on is the slippery skin of MLM company CEOs. If LulaRoe can remain operational after all this and Washington State filing against them, there’s no true justice for pyramid schemes, and MLM companies need better regulation.

I know I’m late to the party! But hey, I’m Trying.

By Isobel Grieve

On August 5, 2021

In Reviews, TV

Trying Review – Spoiler Warning

I’ve always been reluctant to watch shows my sister recommends, and then I’ll eventually try them and wish I’d joined the wagon sooner. My sister recommended Trying on AppleTV+ to me a while ago but I was hesitant. It sounded like something I wouldn’t relate to but recently we were trying to spend more time together before she moved, and we binged the first and second seasons.

Well… I really enjoyed it. Its rated 73% on Google, 7.7/10 on IMDB, and 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. Seems like I’m not the only one.

Rafe Spall plays Jason Ross, an English as a foreign language teacher who’s mocked for sticking with a job most 20-somethings only have for their gap year into his mid-30s. Esther Smith plays Nicki Newman, a happy-go-lucky car rental salesperson. Their relationship’s origin story is a little messy on Jason’s end, but they remain extremely strong together throughout both seasons.

The title, Trying, stems (mostly) from the protagonists’ journey into parenthood. After a failed IVF trial, their determination to start a family leads them to adopt. Through the first season, we follow the process of them being approved for adoption. Through the second season, we follow the process of them getting a child.

The show primarily focuses on Jason and Nicki, but they are surrounded by an entertaining, quirky support system. Their best friends, Freddy (played by Oliver Chris) and Erica (played by Ophelia Lovibond), have two children and run into marriage problems following the birth of their second. Nicki’s sister, Karen (played by Sian Brooke), has a boyfriend, Scott (played by Darren Boyd), whose flat-out unlikeable but eventually grows on you.

There are standout performances from Jason’s parents: Victor Ross (played by Phil Davis) and Sandra Ross (played by Paula Willcox). The first season presents them as very upper class and distant. The second season reveals a deeper story. Victor’s love language is acts of service; he may not be the deepest conversationalist, but he will fix everything and anything in Jason’s flat. Sandra clearly has childhood trauma from her mother who dies in the second season; her anger and grief connect her and Nicki. They bond while tearing apart an old shed and screaming. It sounds ridiculous but is very touching.

The most heartwarming character out of the bunch is Jason and Nicki’s social worker, Penny Wootton (played by Imelda Staunton). Staunton’s portrayal of this hardworking, hard-loving woman is a far cry from her notorious portrayal of Professor Umbrage in the Harry Potter franchise. She is chaotic, poised, charming, and motivating. She takes our protagonists under her wing and fights for them. It makes me well up just thinking about it.

Trying is a touching half-hour dramedy that makes you go from laughing to crying in seconds. It seems AppleTV+ knows what they are doing when funding projects like this, Ted Lasso, Dickinson and the new Schmigadoon! Apple is creating a name for itself in the realm of comedy half-hour. Surely they will be considered a must subscribe soon, if not already.

I know I talk a lot about performances, but a good tv show is more than that. The creator, Andy Wolton, impressively has a shortlist of credits for having such a successful series with a major company like Apple. The third season of Trying was greenlit two months before the second season hit the streaming platform. I think if he has anything else on the backburner that breaths like Trying, he’s headed towards a very blissful, rewarding career in half-hour.

Trying‘s colourful palette complements the warmth the characters bring to their stories that feature such deep sadness. The opening credits remind me of the early 2010s when Indie music and ukuleles were all the rage. It has an aged hipster vibe that is comforting instead of mocking. Even the rows of townhouses the protagonists live in are coloured in bright pastels and the markets they shop at feel stylized but real. The show is aesthetically pleasing as much as well written and performed. Something, I feel, is often overlooked in broadcast television.

Overall, I say go watch Trying. It is absolutely incredible.

From Little Monsters to Sea Monsters: Its all Queer Here

By Isobel Grieve

On July 8, 2021

In Movies, Reviews

If you feel in need of a good cry and can’t get it out, I highly recommend Luca. Released in Canada on Disney+ June 18th, 2021, this Pixar animated film sparked a lot of Queer TikTok discourse sparking mainstream media to take an interest as well.

The discussion circles the queer allegory that Luca’s “coming out” story element provides. Two young sea monster boys, Luca (voiced by Jacob Tremblay) and Alberto (voiced by Jack Dylan Grazer), find friendship with a young land monster girl, Giulia (voiced by Emma Berman), in a small Italian land monster village. The village hunts sea monsters, which shapes the hostile environment Luca and Alberto must hide their true selves in by avoiding water on land to retain their human form. Of course, they can’t do that forever.

The queer allegory does not stop at the two boys’ experience on land, it spreads into Luca’s parents’ experiences as well. Luca’s mother (voiced by Maya Rudolph) and father (voiced by Jim Gaffigan) venture onto land searching for Luca after he runs away from sea with Alberto. Their fear is for Luca’s safety above water in the company of people who hate and hunt sea monsters like them.

The three friends prepare for a community lead triathlon whose cash prize will get the boys enough money to purchase an old Vespa they’ll travel on. While training, Luca becomes more interested in Giulia’s books and what she learns from school than travelling around with Alberto.

Once again, Luca’s eyes and ears perk up with curiosity. First, it was merely the land that he found interesting and the adventures he and Alberto went on. Now, Luca strives for more innovation and knowledge, where Alberto craves something else.

Luca’s need to get out and learn most likely stems from feeling suffocated by his protective parents, whereas Alberto’s father left him at a young age. At first glance, Alberto just wants adventure and independence as a way of proving he can go it alone. However, underneath that exterior, what he really needs is stability in companionship and perhaps routine.

From frustration seeing Luca slip away from their original dream, Alberto outs himself as a sea monster to Giulia with the intention of outing Luca too. Instead, Luca acts scared of Alberto. Heartbreaking. The animation portrays the betrayal and fear in Alberto beautifully. The waterworks started then and persisted when Giulia spritz water on Luca back at her house while confronting him for being so reckless as to come into a town that hates sea monsters.

Now we see the obstacle is not that Giulia fears Luca or Alberto, it’s that she fears for them. It’s similar for Luca’s parents, they’re terrified for Luca’s safety above water. Interestingly enough, their love for Luca does not come with a desire to change the opinion of sea monsters on land but an instinct to hide. Giulia is also all about hide and stay safe rather than fight to be accepted.

A moment bound to fruition, Alberto and Luca are exposed by the rain at the triathlon; no one can hide forever. It is not until a sea monster hunter, Giulia’s father Massimo (voiced by Marco Barricelli), recognizes Luca and Alberto in their sea monster form that the village finally accepts all sea monsters. The message: True acceptance of difference is learning there is no difference at all.

The journey reads very queer. The whole time the boys knew they were sea monsters but out of fear hide that from the world, not out of shame. The learning curve was not about accepting themselves; it was about learning who they are and what they want outside of what they already know is true. When they fully understand who they are, that’s when the world sees them for who they are, sea monsters and humans.

The other queer likeness is the sense of found family for Alberto. He’s abandoned by his father but finds Luca, a friend and brother. Then meets Giulia, a friend and sister. She introduces him to her father Massimo, a man who by the end of the film, wholeheartedly steps in as a father figure for Alberto when Giulia and Luca leave for school.

So not only is it a coming out and coming to allegory, it’s a found family story. So undeniably queer, and at that point does it really matter what the director says?

I Am Not Okay With This Being Cancelled.

By Isobel Grieve

On December 17, 2020

In Reviews, TV

Based on the graphic novel by Charles Forsman, I Am Not Okay with This is about 15-year-old Sydney Novak, “Syd” (Sophia Lillis, It [2017]), who recently lost her father to suicide and through her grief has discovered she has an emotional Psychokinesis ability.

Forsman is also the author of The End of the F***ing World which became a Netflix Original in 2017 with the second season in 2019. Christy Hall and Jonathan Entwistle (The End of the F***ing World) are credited as co-creators on this new project, Entwistle directed all seven episodes.

The tone of the two shows are quite similar, they both feature highly pessimistic central female characters and an overwhelming sense of melancholy. Sadly, The End of the F***ing World was renewed for a second season when it didn’t need one and I Am Not Okay with This has not been due to COVID-19 even though it deserves one.

The End of the F***ing World’s first season could stand alone quite successfully whereas I Am Not Okay with This leaves the viewer on the edge of their seat salivating. I want my second season, and I want it now!
Sydney’s mother, Maggie Novak (Kathleen Rose Perkins), and brother, Liam Novak (Aidan Wojtak-Hissong), both create a family environment that balances between toxic and inviting. These relationships are what tether Sydney to a familiar reality.

The adorkable Stanley Barber (Wyatt Oleff, It [2017]) becoming aware of Sydney’s abilities caters more towards a believable fantasy rather than a psychotic break. Lillis and Oleff play off each other well, establish great banter and create a believable allyship. However, Stanley’s role as a willing sidekick makes the story harder to decode.

The unravelling of Sydney’s sexuality with Dina’s (Sofia Bryant) presence is what makes this series truly great. So often we see the dorky boy get with the pessimistic girl because no one else is willing to crack her shell. Here the closeted element derails the series from following this trope while also escalating Sydney’s emotional instability to the point of bottling up so much she destroys a freaking forest. Incredible.

This is why framing I Am Not Okay with This through Sydney’s diary voice-over has me convinced she’s an unreliable narrator.

Here are a few ways I think we can read this series:

The powers represent an undiagnosed mental disorder (that her father also had) and writing about it as superpowers in her diary is a hallucination or unconscious coping mechanism.
The powers are an allegory for the suppression of grief and true self Sydney experiences throughout the series, again she’s an unreliable narrator.
We trust Sydney and say, “Sure. This very sad, complicated teenager totally has superpowers.”

All of these possibilities lure me in. I think the production has a lot to work with. The actors they’ve cast perform beautifully together. The possibilities of how to read Sydney’s abilities offer so much to unpack and play with for viewers. If Netflix is going to renew Riverdale, they should seriously consider renewing this instead.

The Duchess of Single Moms in Comedy

By Isobel Grieve

On October 2, 2020

In Reviews, TV

Katherine Ryan’s The Duchess was released on Netflix on September 11th, 2020 in Canada. It is 72% liked on Google, has a rating of 6.7% on IMDB and 63% on Rotten Tomatoes.

From what I know about Katherine’s life from her stand up specials on Netflix (i.e. Glitter Room, and In Trouble) the premise is somewhat based on the reality of her life. The show takes place in London and centres around Katherine, her 9-year-old daughter, the father, and the boyfriend. In a short series of six half-hour episodes, we’re exposed to the complexities of co-parenting, a brilliant mother-daughter rapport, and the story of dating men who just don’t get it.

Katherine Ryan plays Katherine an excellent carbon copy of herself, and her daughter (Olive) is played by the brilliant Katy Bryne who steals the scene every chance she gets. The relationship between these two characters is both adorable and heartbreaking. It reminds me a bit of Lorelai and Rory from the Gilmore Girls if Lorelai was perhaps just a smidge more responsible and more of a mother than a best friend.

Katy Bryne’s Olive takes on the “Wise Beyond Their Years” child trope and plays with it. She acts and speaks with sophistication but has no real wisdom or understanding of the real world. In fact, her innocence and playfulness are still very much intact, yet she believes she holds some kind of negotiating power and equality with her mother in their home. This kind of personality brings a lot of wholesomeness to the show, I especially enjoyed her evolution in the fifth episode when she gets a haircut.

The father Shep (Rory Keenan) and the boyfriend Evan (Steen Raskopoulos) are the central, highly contradictory, male characters. Shep is wild and obtuse, Evan is calm and supportive, and your expectations of where Katherine’s alliances lie might shock you. Katherine showcases a lot of her vulgarity through these relationships. The cavalier way she approaches sex is quite comical but off-putting in that classic British humour way.

Katherine’s feminine relationships are represented with Bev (Michelle de Swarte) the best friend and business partner, Jane (Sophie Fletcher) the daughter’s friend’s mom, and Cheryl (Doon Mackichan) Shep’s rich new wife. The dynamic between the women in this show is both uplifting and complicated. Katherine does a brilliant job at villainizing without dehumanizing her antagonists which makes her struggle all the more comical and satisfying to watch.

Katherine has constructed herself as a bit of an anti-hero who thinks she’s the absolute hero. She’s a bit of an overconfident mess and is definitely not always right. In her own way, she plays both the protagonist and the antagonist.

Although this series is quite short, I found it complete and satisfying. My sister and I binged it in an afternoon. We laughed, we cried. It takes some unexpected emotional turns when it comes to the relationship between Katherine and Olive. I think Katherine Ryan has done a great job cultivating a story that explores modern motherhood in a light, humorous, and humanist way.