Movies that Deserved Better: 'Bad Match' (2017)

         On November 3, 2017, Gravitas Pictures released 'Bad Match', which received rave reviews from critics, currently holding at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and little reaction from the viewing audience...that were missing out. In the film, "Harris seems to have it all -- a great job, plenty of friends, and an active sex life thanks to a range of dating apps. That all changes when he matches with Riley, a clingy girl who's hiding something sinister." The ensemble cast includes Lili Simmons, Jack Cutmore-Scott, and Brandon Scott. But what did the critics say?

        Anton Bitel of SciFiNow says, "David Chirchirillo is perhaps best known for co-writing E.L. Katz’s Cheap Thrills (2013) with Trent Haaga (who has a cameo here as a police detective), but Bad Match is Chirchirillo’s feature debut as both writer and director (if we discount 2013’s Paranormal Incident 2, which he directed under a pseudonym). Like Cheap Thrills, it locates its genre scenario within a recognisable social reality, and shows an ordinary if not particularly likeable individual spiralling ever downward into monstrous moral decline as he makes one binary choice after another (like the casual swiping on a Tinder account) that constantly leads to worse trouble for himself.  Best, or worst, of all, the film’s plotting carefully manoeuvres Harris into carrying out the most repellent of masculine behaviours – cyberstalking and real-world stalking, imposture, roofying a woman’s drink, violent abduction, false imprisonment, coercion and worse – all in the service of protecting himself from someone who has beaten him at his own game. It is a twisty battle of the sexes where the Internet’s simple, reductive surfaces, all avatars and flattering selfies, also prove highly effective masks."

       Jennie Kermode of Eye for Film notes, "As Harris, Cutmore-Scott is very effective at coming across as an everyman whilst maintaining an edge of darkness that's vital to the film keeping its balance. Simmons gives us a character who is more visibly damaged but still seems, at heart, very ordinary. Crucially, she's ready to acknowledge the sometimes unreasonableness of her actions, whereas it doesn't occur to Harris, comfortably positioned at the centre of his own narrative, that any behaviour of his could overstep the mark. As the tension between them escalates, it becomes apparent that somebody has seriously overstepped the mark, and that an initially awkward situation is headed for tragedy, but Chirchirillo plays on our uncertainties (and cultural prejudices) to keep us guessing."

Photo by Adrian Swancar on Unsplash

       John DeFore of Hollywood Reporter praises the film, stating, "The action of the next few days escalates effectively, provided that one buys the shallow psychological profiles we’re being offered. (The actors certainly seem to.) But any moviegoer really interested in the effect an infinite buffet of swipeable sex has on human interactions should look elsewhere. Zachary Wigon’s The Heart Machine, released the same year as Cheap Thrills, did just that, dramatizing the new kinds of distance techno-intimacy makes possible. But here, the only critique of the Tinder mindset comes from a woman the film is busy characterizing as off her rocker. That may be beside the point, as Bad Match clearly only aspires to be a thriller with a surprise or two up its sleeve. On that front, it’s adequate (despite offering none of the sex appeal its grindhouse-y premise suggests). As Harris’ life is increasingly wrecked by the exposure of both things he has and hasn’t done, some twists aren’t that hard to guess. But one pleasant one is that Riley isn’t entirely the needy lightweight she initially seems."

Second Season of 'Frasier' Reboot Divides the Critics

         On September 19, 2024, Paramount+ premiered the second season of the second iteration of the classic sitcom 'Frasier', which has earned a mixed reception from critics, currently holding at 56% on Rotten Tomatoes. In the series, "Frasier is off to a different city with new challenges to face, new relationships to forge, and an old dream or two to finally fulfill; Frasier has re-entered the building." The ensemble cast includes Jack Cutmore-Scott, Kelsey Grammer, Nicholas Lyndhurst, Anders Keith, Jess Salgueiro, and Toks Olagundoye. Read the full review round-up below.

        Joel Keller of Decider says, "The new Frasier isn’t as awful at the beginning of its second season as it was at the beginning of its first. But it’s not great, either." Adding, "The recommendation is because of all the guest stars that we’re going to see this season and a hope that the first episode of the season won’t be an indicator of what the rest of the season is like."

       Josh Bell of Tom's Guide notes, "While the first season of the new “Frasier” worked hard to establish its ensemble players on their own terms, the second season is more willing to indulge in nostalgia for beloved characters. In the five episodes available for review, Peri Gilpin returns as Frasier’s former radio producer Roz Doyle, in a more substantial role than her brief appearance in the first season, and Harriet Sansom Harris shows up as Frasier’s devious agent Bebe Glazer. Gilpin is set to recur as Roz this season, but her first outing in the season’s third episode is a little underwhelming, as she’s awkwardly shoehorned into the ongoing group dynamic. Harris fares better, delivering a powerhouse performance in what’s easily the best of the second season’s episodes thus far, fully embodying Bebe’s ruthless ferocity.  Even better, guest star Rachel Bloom matches Harris’ energy as Bebe’s daughter and protégé Phoebe, and she’d be a perfect fit as a recurring character, providing a similar type of foil for Frasier that Bebe did in her earlier appearances." Continuing, "Later episodes this season are set to feature even more returning “Frasier” characters, and that sense of familiarity is key to the show’s success. Whether it’s previous characters popping up again or new characters echoing the traits of old favorites, creators Chris Harris and Joe Cristalli know how to play to the strengths of the material. Watching “Frasier” is like slipping into a cozy pair of slippers and flipping through a well-worn photo album."

Photo by Adrian Swancar on Unplash

       LaToya Ferguson of AV Club was less impressed, stating, "Developed by Chris Harris and Joe Cristalli (Acapulco), this return to the world of psychiatrist Frasier Crane is a far broader one. While the farce element of the series still exists, it’s far from expertly-executed in its current iteration—to the point where it seems the only thing keeping the show from moving away from farce altogether is that it wouldn’t technically be Frasier then. The original Frasier was not only like a comedic play in television form. It was a sitcom that also visually looked sophisticated, often in a way that Frasier and Niles Crane (David Hyde Pierce) only believed themselves to be. Paramount+’s Frasier looks and feels like a multi-camera sitcom and not in a way that evokes nostalgia. Even with TV directing legend James Burrows’ guidance behind the camera, there’s nothing exceptional about how this looks. Instead, Frasier wouldn’t feel out of a place on any contemporary CBS—or, to be uncharitable, Nickelodeon—sitcom." Concluding, "It’s always fascinating to watch a series’ second season and see what the writers decided needed tweaking. But here, it’s actually fascinating just how little was tweaked. There are a couple of things this season pulls back on. But if you were into the revival last season, expect to still be into it. If you wanted more or something else, that’s not going to come from this. With the exception of those moments where Grammer’s allowed to go off and remind everyone why he’s been able to make this character work for so long, the series’ pacing remains slow, falling more into broad sitcom territory instead of an escalating rhythm—a rhythm Grammer excels at while the rest of the cast, barring Nicholas Lyndhurst, has yet to prove they can keep up with."