media update: April

This is a bit of a sparse update as I spent a lot of time playing The Callisto Protocol (mini review: gorgeous graphics, tons of jump scares, and great atmosphere, but it was basically a Temu version of Dead Space with some really janky camera work and some frustrating fights) and binging Evil, in which a priest, an agnostic psychologist, and an ex-Muslim atheist techie try to debunk/prove supernatural occurrences at the behest of the Catholic church.  It's absolutely batshit and I love it.

Asterisks denote something I particularly enjoyed or found especially worthy of my time; double asterisks are reserved for the creme de la creme.  As always, your mileage may vary.

FICTION

1. Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng* by Kylie Lee Baker:  After her sister's horrific death during the height of the pandemic, crime scene cleaner Cora Zeng starts to notice a pattern of Asian women being murdered.  Gory, tense, and engrossing, with one of the best opening chapters I've read in a long time.

2. Every Sweet Thing Is Bitter by Samantha Crewson:  Providence Byrd returns to her small Nebraska hometown to look into the disappearance of her estranged mother.

2025 TOTAL SO FAR: 9

NONFICTION

Nothing this month.

2025 TOTAL SO FAR: 5

MANGA/GRAPHIC NOVELS

1. Avatar: The Last Airbender - Ashes of the Academy by Faith Erin Hicks and Peter Wartman

2025 TOTAL SO FAR: 4 volumes of manga and 3 graphic novels

MOVIES

1. The Electric State:  After a war between robots and humans, a teenage girl (Millie Bobby Brown) teams up with a drifter (Chris Pratt) to find her brother.  The cast was stacked, it was directed by the Russo brothers, and it was written by the guys who wrote some of the best MCU movies...and somehow it still wasn't very good.

2. Queer:  In 1950s Mexico, an American expat (Daniel Craig) falls in love with a younger man.  The second half wasn't nearly as good as the first half (ayahuasca was involved and it got really weird), but it's still compelling and has gorgeous cinematography.

3. Companion*:  Iris and Josh (Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid) go to a lakeside house for a getaway with friends.  Pro tip: know as little as possible before watching this movie for maximum enjoyment!  I'll just add that it's a blast.

4. Love Hurts:  A mild-mannered real estate agent (Ke Huy Quan) finds his past catching up to him.  The script desperately needed some fine tuning, but the action scenes were great.

5. Flight Risk:  A U.S. marshal (Michelle Dockery) transporting an informant (Topher Grace, definitely the highlight of the movie) runs into some unexpected snags on the flight.  Hardly a masterpiece, but it's tense and fun.

6. Heart Eyes:  A masked murderer attacks couples on Valentine's Day in this fun horror comedy.

2025 TOTAL SO FAR: 33