Reminder That When You Break The Law, Cops Come And Drag You To Jail. When Oligarchs And Their Minions

SOPHIE THATCHER as IRIS Companion (2025) Dir. Drew Hancock

March + April Reading Wrap Up

Big Red Tequila by Rick Riordan - Novel (4 stars)

Like many, I read the Percy Jackson series as a child and was amped when I discovered that before the PJO series, Riordan wrote an adult crime series. Big Red Tequila focuses on Texas native Tres Navarre as he relocates to his hometown of San Antonio to reconnect with his ex-girlfriend, Layla. However, shortly after he arrives, Layla goes missing and Tres uses his skills as a private investigator to find her. As the investigation continues, Tres discovers Layla’s disappearance may be connected to his father’s mysterious homicide years before. 

I liked this book. It took me a while to get into it, but by the time the third act came around all three of my brain cells were synced up and I couldn’t put it down. I didn’t feel very connected to Tres or the other characters, not in the beginning. We get to know the characters as time passes, but I prefer to feel attached to a character before the action really amps up. I like to know about their personality, I want them to feel like a real person, and Tres, to me, felt like a cardboard cut out of a Brad Pitt-esque loser/detective/action hero. It wasn’t bad, though. I bought the second novel, so we’ll see how this series pans out. 

The Answer is No by Fredrik Backman - Short Story (4 stars)

Backman is a writer I’ve heard a lot about on BookTube and this short story was discounted on Amazon, so I decided to give it a shot. I read it while reading a longer non-fiction novel, partly because I finally wanted to get some use out of my Kindle, which I haven’t been using much recently. The Answer is No is a short story about a guy named Lucas who wants to be left alone. That’s the whole plot. It doesn’t sound like much, but this was a funny, sweet story that will live rent-free in my brain. Sometimes I thought the humor was getting too obnoxious, but as it breached that line it always seemed to reel back in right after. This story is short and sweet, so I’d recommend giving it a shot. 

Mindhunter by John E. Douglas - Novel (4 stars)

This was a tough one to read. Mindhunter is a memoir by John Douglas, an FBI agent who helped form the behavioral science unit. It details what led to the creation of the unit, as well as anecdotes and stories throughout Douglas’s career. It was an interesting and eye-opening novel, but be warned, details of grotesque crimes are recounted in this book. You’ll like this novel if you’re a true crime buff. 

Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka - Novel (5 stars) 

My first five-star novel of the year! I was looking forward to reading this book for a long time and it didn’t disappoint. Notes on an Execution details the life of serial killer Ansel Packer as he waits to be executed. His life story is told through the eyes of the lead detective on the case, Ansel’s estranged mother, and the sister of one of Ansel’s victims. This novel was so layered and complex. Every character had a little bit of good and a little bit of bad in them, which made them feel like real people. Ansel was very similar to real-life serial killers, and if you’re a true crime buff, you’ll recognize similarities in his story with the real-life stories of serial killers all over the globe. 

My favorite thing about this book was that it focused on the aftermath of Ansel’s crimes rather than the crimes themselves. The novel showcased how peoples’ lives were changed by Ansel’s actions and how Ansel viewed himself, his crimes, and the people around him. It also focused on Ansel’s misogyny, which I liked because the majority of serial killers are misogynistic and kill women to feel powerful. Kukafka definitely did her homework before writing this novel. The language used was poetic without feeling too flowery. I recommend this book a million times over. 

The Corpse Exhibition and Other Stories of Iraq by Hassan Blasim - Novel (3 stars) 

My thoughts on this book are conflicting. The Corpse Exhibition is a series of short stories set in Iraq. They are all very dark, but this novel has the same problem that the majority of short story collections do, which is that some of the stories are much better than others. The stories in this collection ranged from deep, poetic, and profound to twisted and confusing. You may enjoy this book better if you know a lot about Iraq, as there was some commentary I didn’t fully understand since I’m not well-versed on what it’s like to live there. It’s still an interesting read. I might reread it and see how it makes me feel. 

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King - Novel (3.5 stars)

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon is about a girl named Trisha who gets lost in the Appalachian woods while hiking with her family. This book has been on my shelf since 2018. I’ve begun reading it multiple times only to get distracted by something else. Before any of you come at me, my complaint about this book isn’t that there aren’t any monsters or supernatural mayhem occurring. I did enjoy it, it just wasn’t for me. Honestly, I don’t have any intense feelings about it. Didn’t love it, didn’t hate it, I’m just glad I finally finished it so it will stop glaring at me from my bookshelf, ridiculing me. 

Fall of Hades by Richard Paul Evans - Novel (2 stars)

I initially gave this 3 stars, but it doesn’t deserve it. Fall of Hades is the sixth book in a series that follows Michael Vey, a teenager with superpowers, and his friends as they attempt to stop Elgen, the company that gave him his powers, from dominating the planet. 

I’ve got complicated feelings about this series. I started it when I was eleven and, by the time I was thirteen, I decided to take a break from it. There were two books left in the series at the time, and I wasn’t ready to let go of it, so I reread the first four books repeatedly. I tried to count how many times I read the first book and lost count after eleven. I decided that this was a good year to finally finish the series, especially since I was looking for books that were lighter to read after Mindhunter and Notes on an Execution. 

Fall of Hades is similar to other books in the Michael Vey series. The villain is over the top and comically evil, and Michael and the other main characters are the same variation of “Don’t kill people! That’s wrong! Take me instead!” Also, there was a lot of pointless bullshit backstory about one of the minor characters. There was a huge secret throughout the series that was finally revealed in this book and the reveal underwhelmed me. Five books is such a long time to wait just to be disappointed. Also, the ending was the most comical thing I’ve ever read in my entire life. 

On top of everything else, everyone rides the main character’s dick so hard in this novel. Taylor, Michael’s girlfriend, gets way too jealous any time any female even breathes in Michael’s direction, and one particular character is so enthusiastic about giving his life for Michael when literally nobody asked him to do that, and the situation did not demand it. 

Anyway, I don’t recommend this series. 

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins - Novel (5 stars)

If you’ve been living under a rock and don’t know what the Hunger Games series is about, just look it up. I doubt there is anyone who doesn’t know what this series is about yet. 

Like everyone else, I am bitten by the Hunger Games bug now that the new book is out. I have a confession to make - I never finished the original trilogy! I started it when I was eleven, just like the Michael Vey series, so I decided to hop back in. I had already read the first book, but for some reason, I didn’t really enjoy it that much. Maybe it’s because I’ve seen the first movie so many times? Who knows. But my experience with this book was much better. It is such a layered novel. Anyone could’ve written a stupid YA novel about teens fighting in a deadly game, and many have. But it takes a very special writer to craft an amazing critique of elitism and oligarchy. The games in this novel are much deadlier than the previous book. It’s emotionally complex, it’s well-written, it’s amazing. If you read the first book but are on the fence about continuing the series, please do. It’s splendid. 

The Fireman by Joe Hill - Novel (5 stars) 

My Joe Hill tour continues. I’ve read this novel in the past but decided to go through it again in preparation for his new novel. Dragonspore, a deadly virus that causes the host to burst into flames, is sweeping across the globe. Nurse Harper Grayson and her husband, Jakob, promise to end their own lives if they catch it however shortly before Harper contracts the virus, she discovers she is pregnant, and she is determined to live long enough to deliver her child. After Jakob abandons her, Harper meets John Rookwood, a fireman who not only has the virus but has learned to use it as a weapon. Harper must learn Rookwood’s secret before the virus can kill her. 

This is one of my favorite novels. The characters are realistic and lovable, the stakes are high, and it’s a real page-turner. Reading it makes me cry every goddamn time. It has wonderful critiques of cliques, church culture, and the human condition. It’s a lovely novel that combines elements of the Lord of the Rings, the Stand, and Ferenheight 451. Read it. Right. Now. 

The Final Spark by Richard Paul Evans - Novel (2 stars)

I did it! I finished the Michael Vey series! And it only took me ten years! The Final Spark is the last novel in the Michael Vey series. It was pretty predictable. It confirmed a suspicion I’ve had since I was eleven. I skimmed the first third of the novel, as there was a lot of pointless bullshit. I’m a little sad I didn’t enjoy it. I loved this series so much as a child, and I'm sad wasn’t able to enjoy the ending the way I enjoyed the rest of the series. Also, it was weird that Michael didn’t show up until the final three chapters. 

Basketful of Heads by Joe Hill - Comic (4 stars) 

Another work by Joe Hill! Basketful of Heads is a comic that follows June Branch who is trapped on an island during a storm with four dangerous criminals who have kidnapped her boyfriend. Luckily for June, she’s discovered a mystical axe that leaves the victim alive after decapitation. This was a fun comic and didn’t take too long to finish. It was bloody and comical, and June was a great final girl. Highly recommend. 

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins - Novel (5 stars)

I did it! I finished the original trilogy! Now I can read a Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes! Mockingjay is the final book in the main Hunger Games trilogy. This book was horrifying, more so than the original two. Like Catching Fire, it has some wonderful critiques, but also offers a lot of character development for Katniss and Peeta. Wonderful book, 10/10, made me cry. 

Funny Story by Emily Henry - Novel (4 stars) 

I loved this book! I don’t usually like rom-coms but this one was pretty solid. Funny Story is about Daphne who was recently dumped by her fiance, Peter, for his girl best friend who she was told to not worry about. With nowhere else to go, Daphne moves in with Miles, ex-boyfriend to Peter’s new girlfriend. After an awkward encounter with Peter, Daphne lies and tells him that she and Miles are now in a relationship. This was such a fun novel. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was brilliant. The characters felt real and lived in, the spicy scenes were well-written, and the whole book deserves one big chef’s kiss. If you like rom-coms you’ll love this book. 

(I just found out Emily Henry, like me, is from Ohio, yet continuously writes about Michigan? BETRAYAL! She is no longer welcome in the Buckeye State.)

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman - Novel (3 stars) 

Dungeon Crawler Carl follows a Coast Guard vet of the same name and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, as they’re subjected to a video game-style reality show, in which they must win the game or forfeit earth over to an intergalactic corporation. If this sounds like a fun concept, it was! But honestly, I was a little disappointed. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but something about this missed the mark. I gave it four stars, but honestly, I think it might be closer to 3. There are two more books in the series, and I’ll probably get them from the library. 

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins - Novel (5 stars)

Finally! Now I can read Sunrise on the Reaping! The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a prequel to the Hunger Games trilogy and features Coriolanus Snow as the protagonist. The novel takes place during the tenth annual Hunger Games and this year the gamemakers are trying something new. They’re going to give each tribute a mentor to help them survive the games, and as a trial run, Coriolanus and his classmates will serve as the mentors. 

This is an interesting read because Snow is such a bad person it’s not even funny. But it also gives us a glimpse of what drives Coriolanus and the circumstances that have helped craft him into the villain he is. I’m not saying Coriolanus is an anti-hero because I believe he is 100% a villain. In any other story, Coriolanus could’ve been the misguided protagonist who learns the errors of his ways and changes for the better, but he seems to believe that everything wrong in his life is the fault of the districts and the rebels, when really the Capitol is to blame. It’s an interesting read, but beware, it’s hard to get through due to Coriolanus’s inner monologue being the most batshit I’ve ever read. 5 stars! 

The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak - Novel (4 stars)

This novel follows Frank, a UPS worker in his fifties who has just been invited to the wedding of Maggie, his estranged daughter. After meeting Maggie’s fiance, Aiden, and getting a glimpse into Maggie’s new life, Frank suspects there is more to Aiden and his family than it seems, but he’s afraid to rock the boat and risk alienating his daughter forever. 

This is a great mystery novel. I finished half of it in one day BECAUSE I HAD TO KNOW! It’s solidly written. Some of the plot twists I predicted, but I think that’s because the plot twists made sense to the story, which was refreshing. I hate it when the plot twists come out of left field. When I discover a plot twist, ideally I’d like to reread the novel and say to myself, I can’t believe I didn’t see it! Because effective plot twists don’t come out of left field, they’re hinted at, and this story did such a good job. 

I liked this more than Hidden Pictures, which is another Rekulak novel, because the theme of the story was effective and I enjoyed Frank’s character arc and the troubling situation he’s been placed in. Great novel! Four stars. 

Mickey 7 by Edward Ashton - Novel (3.75 stars)

This story was recently made into a film with Robert Pattinson, which is how I knew about it. I didn’t plan on reading it for a while, but then I discovered I had a twenty-dollar reward at Barnes and Noble! 

Mickey 7 follows Mickey Barnes who is an expendable on a colony mission on the planet Niflheim. Mickey has a really shitty position as expendable. Expandables are individuals who endure suicide missions. Need to patch a hole in the ship? Call Mickey. Need someone to test out a deadly virus? Wake Mickey up. Need someone to dick around in the scary wastelands plagued with monsters? Mickey’s your guy! After Mickey is killed on these suicide missions, they clone his body and upload a save-state version of his memories and personality. However, after the seventh Mickey is mistakenly presumed dead, they print out Mickey 8, and since multiples aren’t allowed, one of them has to go. Of course, neither of them wants to die, so the only solution is to keep Mickey 7’s existence a secret. 

This was a really interesting novel. I gave it 3.75 stars, but looking back I might’ve been too critical. My hopes for this novel were through the roof, but the reality disappointed me a bit. I liked Mickey’s character arc, and I liked the moral dilemmas it raised, but something about it left me dissatisfied. I might read it again in the future to see if I change my mind. 

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones - Novel (5 stars)

Holy shit. I mean it when I tell you I had no clue where this story was going. It was the wildest shit I’ve read in a while. 

This story is about four Indian men who did something pretty fucked up and on the verge of the tenth anniversary, something decides to take its revenge. I refuse to tell you anything more. You have to go in blind like I did because holy shit! 

My heart was banging against my ribcage the entire time. Wild novel. 10/10, please read. 

Shark Heart by Emily Habeck - Novel (Did Not Finish)

I’ve decided to include a DNF since I got pretty far into it. Shark Heart is about Lewis and Wren, a married couple who live in a world where sometimes people mutate into animals. Some turn into zebras and some discover they’re pregnant with birds, and Lewis has recently been diagnosed with a rare mutation that will transform him into a great white shark. You may think this sounds like a humorous concept, but believe me when I tell you this book is anything but humorous. 

This concept is not treated like a silly thing that happens sometimes but is treated realistically. This mutation, in this world, is similar to cancer or schizophrenia or worse. Lewis has to accept the fact that the last year of his human life will be very painful and isolating and end with him losing himself entirely. Both Lewis and Wren have to accept that they will never see each other again, never have children, and never grow old together. This is especially challenging for Wren, who has never trusted love in the past and already has experience with degenerative diseases afflicting the people she cares about. This is a beautifully written story, and so worth the time you’re going to invest in it. 

But Rick, if it’s so good, why did you DNF? Because I wasn’t strong enough. This was a beautiful novel, and I might return to it at some point, but Jesus Christ, man. I couldn’t do it. The last day I read it, I cried so hard my stomach hurt like I was doing ab crunches and I decided to give another book a try. I DNF’d at 40%. I might come back to it, maybe another month when I’m feeling a little too happy. 

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree - Novel (4 stars)

After Shark Heart, I needed something a little lighter, something that would help me relax and rewind, so I read Bookshops and Bonedust, which is a prequel to Legends and Lattes. It follows Viv, the protagonist of the first book, who gets gravely injured on a mission and while recovering, falls in love with a tiny bookshop on the coast. 

I liked this book, but I had a hard time getting into it. Part of the reason is that I currently don’t have much to do right now, I’m in between jobs and my classes don’t start back up until the end of the month, so free time is one thing I got plenty of. Because of this, I’ve been reading books that capture my attention or are easier to get through. This book is a slower-paced novel with lower stakes than what I’m used to, so part of me had to fight to get through it, even though I finished it in a couple of days. I gave Legends and Lattes five stars and part of that was because at the time I had a part-time job, was struggling with classes, and my mental health was the worst it ever was, so I needed a reprieve. 

In many ways, it improved upon the last installment. I liked the side characters better, and the pacing felt more fluid. I liked the character development and how it naturally leads into L&L. The ending was very sweet, but had I known what my experience was going to be, I might’ve saved this book for a rainy fall day, or when I was stressed out and needed something lighthearted. 

Thanks for reading. I read six books in March and ELEVEN in April. Dear God, I can’t wait for my classes to start. I’m sorry for the lack of essays. I’m working on another book review that I hope to have ready soon. See y’all later. 

There's a difference between "this novella needed to be novel length for the story to feel complete" and "I enjoyed this novella so much that I wish it was novel length" and people confuse those often.

Skip Google for Research

As Google has worked to overtake the internet, its search algorithm has not just gotten worse.  It has been designed to prioritize advertisers and popular pages often times excluding pages and content that better matches your search terms 

As a writer in need of information for my stories, I find this unacceptable.  As a proponent of availability of information so the populace can actually educate itself, it is unforgivable.

Below is a concise list of useful research sites compiled by Edward Clark over on Facebook. I was familiar with some, but not all of these.

⁂

Google is so powerful that it “hides” other search systems from us. We just don’t know the existence of most of them. Meanwhile, there are still a huge number of excellent searchers in the world who specialize in books, science, other smart information. Keep a list of sites you never heard of.

www.refseek.com - Academic Resource Search. More than a billion sources: encyclopedia, monographies, magazines.

www.worldcat.org - a search for the contents of 20 thousand worldwide libraries. Find out where lies the nearest rare book you need.

https://link.springer.com - access to more than 10 million scientific documents: books, articles, research protocols.

www.bioline.org.br is a library of scientific bioscience journals published in developing countries.

http://repec.org - volunteers from 102 countries have collected almost 4 million publications on economics and related science.

www.science.gov is an American state search engine on 2200+ scientific sites. More than 200 million articles are indexed.

www.pdfdrive.com is the largest website for free download of books in PDF format. Claiming over 225 million names.

www.base-search.net is one of the most powerful researches on academic studies texts. More than 100 million scientific documents, 70% of them are free

Hi guys! Yujatea here! If you enjoy my work, I’d like to please ask for a moment of your time to consider helping this family I’m supporting! Shaima is a mother of four children, Abdul Rahim, Walid, Majdi, and baby Amal. Shaima is struggling to support her children since her husband disappeared, and needs urgent help with providing food and resources for them, especially as winter sweeps through Gaza! This family’s fundraising campaign (@familgazaamal1) is completely vetted and I’m trying to use my platforms to raise awareness on their behalf. I’ll be opening my commissions to raise funds for their campaign so keep your eyes peeled! I’ll also post their fundraiser link in my highlights as well! Thanks guys! Let’s do our part to reclaim kindness and uplift each other!

gofundme.com

Donate to Support the family of little Amal to get an urgent operation, organized by Brooke Cole

Hello, my name is Brooke Cole and I am organizing this fundra… Brooke Cole needs your support for Support the family of little Amal to get a

Here's a message from the family:

In Gaza, where conflict looms over daily life, children’s dreams remain a ray of hope. Abdul Rahim, a young boy, dreams of becoming a famous artist, using his drawings to tell the world about the beauty of his homeland. Walid, on the other hand, dreams of playing football in a big stadium, representing his country despite the obstacles around him. Majdi, a cat lover, dreams of becoming a kind person and helping children. Majdi, who dreams of opening an animal shelter to care for animals in Gaza. Even in the midst of war, these children cling to their dreams, believing that one day, despite the difficulties, they will achieve their goals. Their dreams are not only about personal success, but also about shedding light on a world filled with darkness. These dreams symbolize the resilience of Gaza’s children, showing that hope and determination can survive even the most difficult circumstances.

In the heart of the ongoing war, Shaima lives with her four children, constantly struggling with pain and waiting. Her husband, who was once the source of security and happiness, left a long time ago, facing the challenges of war far from them. Every day, Shaima makes earnest efforts to keep life going despite the hardships. She strives to provide food and shelter while trying to instill hope in the hearts of her children, who are still waiting for their father’s return, a father they know little about other than his absence. Her four children, despite their young age, carry great hopes in their hearts. The eldest, who everyone sees as the "little father," dreams of their father returning to embrace them as he did in the past. The youngest, on the other hand, wakes up at night searching for his father's voice, wishing for his return to feel safe again. Shaima's dream is every mother’s dream in this war: for her husband to return safely so they can live together again in peace and security. She dreams of the days when her husband filled their home with joy, and she prays for the end of the war so their family can reunite once more. Yet, amid the destruction and tears, hope remains their strength. Shaima knows that her patience and resilience are what keep the family going. Despite the difficult days, she continues to resist, dreaming of the moment when her family will be whole again, with her husband and the father of her children back home.

in light of Trump's inauguration speech declaring multiple national emergencies that require him to take god-knows-what executive actions immediately, I'd like to remember this chapter of "On Tyranny" by Timothy Snyder:

They don't want us speaking out against genocide. They don't want us speaking out against the rich and powerful. They don't want us speaking out against our bosses. They don't want us trying to end homelessness. They don't want us growing our own food. They don't want us to have healthcare. They don't want us fighting for our own lives and they don't want us to say anything about it.

Heart Eyes Misses the Mark

Heart Eyes (2025) directed by Josh Ruben

2/7/25 

*No Spoilers*

Horror movies are hard to make, the hardest being slasher flicks, because everyone has seen at least one in their lifetime. It’s easy to fall into the same tempo that other slasher flicks have, but what breaks my heart is when a slasher takes a unique concept and squanders it. Heart Eyes, directed by Josh Ruben, is a great example of this. 

I usually know when I won’t like a movie, I get a tingling sensation in my gut and I know I’m in for a bad time. The concept of the movie sounded interesting to me, a serial killer who targets couples on Valentine’s Day stalks enemies-to-lovers coworkers who must work together to survive. That is an interesting premise, but the execution was bland and unoriginal. 

The movie centers around Ally (Olivia Holt) and Jay (Mason Gooding), coworkers tasked with nullifying a company PR crisis on Valentine’s Day. However, when they’re mistaken for a couple by the Heart Eyes Killer, their night spirals out of control, leading to death and mayhem. 

I was hopeful during the first few minutes of the film. What I was hoping for was a darkly macabre critique on dating culture, as the opening sequence of the film made me chortle from the goofy actions of the characters who were soon slaughtered. It was a humorous sequence, but also heavy-handed and blunt with it’s jokes. This brand of humor tainted the movie, making it borderline unwatchable. I would’ve been fine with constant tongue-in-cheek jokes if they were good. But they weren’t good, none of them were, and it ruined my viewing experience. While watching this film, there were several middle-grade children in the audience and I noticed they were the only ones laughing at the ‘funny’ parts of the movie. It tried so hard to be quirky and funny, almost like a black comedy, but it wasn’t a black comedy, it was a mediocre slasher film with terrible jokes written by older folks for a younger audience. 

There was a scene that I would’ve really loved, an emotional scene where Jay and Ally’s characters were finally opening up to each other, and it would’ve been the best scene in the movie, except the entirety of it is overshadowed by the violent sex noises of the couple behind them. It would’ve been fine if you could faintly hear the couple’s moaning, but the sound guys pulled out all the stops with wet clapping sounds, sometimes louder than the actor’s themselves. Imagine the scene from Titanic where Jack dies, now picture the same scene with aggressively loud porn playing in the background. It wouldn’t surprise me if Holt and Gooding did this scene not knowing what was going to be plugged in the background, then saw the end result at the screening and were mortified. The only good scene in the entire movie was ruined by this film’s stupid juvenile humor. I love a good joke, especially raunchy ones, but this film has no idea what it wants to be. Is it a black comedy, or is it a horror film? It can’t make up it’s mind. 

You can always tell when a white person is writing a black character, you can always tell when a man is writing a female character, and you can always tell when people over the age of fifty are writing characters under the age of thirty. There were so many brainrot sentences in this film that my brain was slowly growing numb from the viewing experience. Phrases such as incel, beta, troll, sugar daddy, love language, algorithm, and shooting my shot were all used, and they were all used in a clumsy way, as if the writers weren’t used to the crazy slang the kids of today use. One character even used the sentence “incel-beta-troll” to describe the killer. It was all so painful to watch. After watching the movie, I checked to see what else the writers worked on and it did not surprise me to learn the writers behind Heart Eyes were the same masterminds who constructed Freaky (2020) and Happy Death Day 2U (2019). 

The protagonists and the killer are both extremely dumb. There are points in this movie where both Jay and Ally have a clear shot to kill Heart Eyes and they don’t pull the trigger. Even when they do, they wound him in some arbitrary place that doesn’t stop him from hurting others. Likewise, the killer has several opportunities to kill the two and blows it everytime. The killer goes from being a spectacular marksman, one who can nail a target from fifty feet away, and seconds later he can hardly hit Ally at all. Those who watched the movie might argue that the plot twist (if you can even call it that) explained this discrepancy, but it doesn’t and I would be happy to argue about it in my DMs. 

Also, I predicted who the killer was in the first twenty minutes. I also predicted the plot twist and neither of them were shocking at all. Not to mention the killer’s motivations are so vague and stupid I was angry by the time the credits rolled. 

What saddens me is that Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding are good actors, they’re a big part of the reason why I saw the movie in the first place. Their acting was a highlight of the movie. They weren’t god tier, but they were good, and getting someone to care about a two-dimensional character is hard. Holt and Gooding took two flat characters and enhanced them and that’s something I can appreciate. My only hope is that this movie does well at the box office and the two of them can move on to more apt rolls that are better suited for their talents. 

Another aspect of the movie I enjoyed was the fight scenes. They felt quick and fluid, which I enjoyed. That’s pretty much all there is to say about this disappointment of a movie. If you’re planning a Valentine’s date night go watch Companion instead. This movie is not worth your time. 

Final Grade: D

Rick Stepp (irresponsibleink@gmail.com)