Third Season of 'Industry' "is the increasingly rare television show that follows a weekly release schedule, and it's incredibly well suited for it"

         On August 11, 2024, HBO and Max premiered the third season of 'Industry', which has received predominantly positive reviews from critics. In the series, graduates compete for full-time employment at one of London's top investment banks. The ensemble cast includes Marisa Abela, Mark Dexter, Myha'la Herrold, Harry Lawtey, David Jonsson, and Kit Harrington. But what did the critics have to say?

       Meghan O'Keefe of Decider writes, "Industry Season 3 is a fabulous level up for an already great show. The impressive ensemble cast continues to excavate the beautiful, broken characters the play." Adding, "However, the two new characters who are apt to get the most attention are the aforementioned Sir Henry Muck and Sarah Goldberg’s Petra Koenig, an ice queen portfolio manager in Harper’s orbit. Kit Harington gets to shed the dour honor of Jon Snow for the oft unintentionally hilarious Henry Muck. His green energy company, Lumi, is a huge bet for Pierpoint, but it’s unclear if Muck, or the organization, has the goods to back up the risk. Petra, on the other hand, is skeptical of the green energy movement her company is dead set on investing in. Harper impresses her with her ruthless streak and inside intel on how Pierpoint works."

        Allison Picurro of TV Guide praises the series, stating, "Without spoiling too much (Industry is the increasingly rare television show that follows a weekly release schedule, and it's incredibly well suited for it), the Season 3 finale wraps things up so precisely and satisfyingly that it leaves you wondering whether co-creators Mickey Down and Konrad Kay planned it as a series finale. A fourth season has not yet been confirmed, and while there's certainly enough story to leave the door open for more, it would be so fitting to get out right when the show (potentially) blows up. Maybe that would be the ultimate reward for those who were on the ground floor of the spectacular journey that is Industry."

        Abe Friedtanzer of Awards Buzz says, "Myha’la, Abela, and Lawtey offer even more depth in their exploration of their original characters, guiding a show that often seems like it lacks any moral compass with a vivid fidelity to stressful and satisfying storytelling."

       Sophia Ciminello of AwardsWatch notes, "Industry’s third season is bolder and even more lavish (complete with a Barry Lyndon reference), reflecting both the rise in the show’s critical acclaim and the characters’ salaries and responsibilities at their Pierpoint desks." Continuing, "One of those key partnerships is with Pierpoint’s new client, Henry Muck (Game of Thrones’ Kit Harington), and his green energy tech company/rich boy pet project, Lumi. Lumi aims to bring affordable energy to as many people as possible, so it’s a natural fit for Pierpoint’s new strategy. Robert is managing the firm’s relationship with Lumi, which is further complicated when Henry expresses interest in Yasmin. Robert, with his heart of gold and cocaine, is still in his Sunset Boulevard phase with Nicole (Sarah Parish) but continues to pine for Yasmin. The sometimes exhausting “will they/won’t they” dynamic that dominated the show’s first two seasons is even more discouraging this season, given one man has a salary and the other a net worth. Lawtey is perfectly vulnerable as Robert, convincing us he’s one of the only characters worth rooting for. Harington is a wise casting choice for Henry as he effortlessly channels the type of bravado only found in a gorgeous man who has no clue what he’s doing–a particular Cruel Intentions-inspired pool scene is naturally a highlight. His over-the-top aggression at the Lumi offices doesn’t feel much different than Jon Snow heading into battle in The North, though, and is less interesting than the scenes that expose his insecurities more subtly. With a kink straight out of an episode of Girls and a bottle of wine so expensive that it could be up for auction at Sotheby’s, Henry feels at times like a composite sketch of some of the world’s richest playboys and, at others, a less-realized take on Succession’s Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgard)."

Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash

‘The Beast Within’ Reviews: Film “offers a new and unique entry point for the subgenre.”

                                                        Image via Well Go USA Entertainment 

On July 26, 2024, Well Go USA Entertainment released ‘The Beast Within’, which has received a mixed reception from critics, holding at 50% on Rotten Tomatoes. In the film, a family in the English wilds has their lives upended when the youngest member “becomes ensnared by the dark ancestral secret they've tried so desperately to conceal.” The ensemble cast includes Kit Harington, Ashleigh Cummings, James Cosmo, and Caoilinn Springall. But what did the critics say?

Benjamin Franz of Film Threat notes, “Opening with a proverb concerning two wolves “at war with each other,” The Beast Within is a moody, atmospheric film. This slow-burner is the first genre film from Alexander J. Farrell. The co-writer/director has previously helmed two feature documentaries, a film for television, and several shorts. With this film, Farrell seeks to enter the most accessible genre for a starting fiction director: horror.” Adding, “Every time Harrington is on the screen, hackles raised on the back of my neck, gentle reader. He’s an actor who can convey latent fury and violence just through his facial tics and eyes. Springall is an outstanding young actress and carries the narrative throughline very effectively. However, the acting is only ever a part of the equation.”

        Ferdosa Abdi of Screen Rant praises the film, stating, “For his debut film, Alexander J. Farrell, who co-wrote the script with Greer Taylor Ellison, takes an impressive first step in this new foray with a production rich with gothic references. It's perfect for a tale about lycanthropy. He and cinematographer Daniel Katz do wonders to capture the foreboding, beautiful, and sweeping English landscape, with cool tones drawing out the dark and creepy energy from the story told.” Continuing, “Despite narrative flaws, the look and feel of the film are perfect for a spooky night in. The cinematography really adds to the film's sense of eeriness. This story isn't the flashiest werewolf tale, but it is worth seeing thanks to a fresh perspective. As flawed as the story may be, the story from a child's eyes offers a new and unique entry point for the subgenre.”

Robert Taylor of Collider writes, “The Beast Within, a new werewolf movie starring Game of Thrones' Kit Harington and from director Alexander J. Farrell (a photographer and documentarian making his narrative feature debut), is the latest salvo in proving my theory untrue. Because while there is a werewolf in The Beast Within, it's not a film about a werewolf. Instead, this is a film about an abusive marriage, as told through the eyes of a 10-year-old girl who's finally old enough to start noticing the bruises on her mother's body and the lengths the matriarch will go to keep her family together, even when all signs point to keeping father around being a terrible idea. To be blunt: The movie doesn't work. All credit to Farrell and his co-writer Greer Ellison for having an angle they wanted to explore here and sticking with it. But I can't imagine The Beast Within satisfying many werewolf-movie fans, and its genre trappings and more serious thematic concerns are blended so haphazardly that any grand points it's trying to make about domestic abuse are lost in the shuffle. To make matters worse, the film uses its final scene to so explicitly spell out its already not-so-subtle subtext that it renders the whole enterprise somewhat ludicrous.”

Douglas Davidson of Elements of Madness was less impressed, stating, “As constructed by co-writers Farrell and Greer Taylor Ellison (Making A Killing), who also served as second unit director, the film is through the lens of Willow’s experience. This means lots of hushed conversations as Willow creeps toward them, looking through windows down on the estate courtyard, and a great deal of evidence that leads her and us to a specific conclusion that the script wishes to make, from start to finish, conjecture until proven otherwise. By using Willow as our way in, there’s a barrier between what the audience knows and doesn’t know, requiring us, like her, to use only the information that’s available in our limited capacity. The trick here, smartly crafted by Farrell and Ellison, is that Willow is, herself, an unreliable protagonist by virtue of her age. She doesn’t know things and can’t fully process the information around her, therefore, what we see, hear, and experience is funneled through her understanding.”