Entertainment Reviews

By: Maira Mirza

With a New York stripper, a Russian billionaire heir, and a Vegas wedding, Anora grabs your attention from the very start, blending comedy and tragedy in a way that feels both unpredictable and deeply human. Directed by Sean Baker, the movie has been at the center of conversations ever since its release, Some have been praising its raw authenticity, while others have been debating its portrayal of sex work and lack of an intimacy coordinator. And after its impressive Oscar sweep, the universal question is: Does Anora actually live up to the hype?  

Going in, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew about the controversy, and I was skeptical that an indie film about a sex worker could avoid the usual Hollywood tropes of either glamorization or outright misery. But Anora is messy, complicated, and real, keeping you hooked with its sharp storytelling, standout lead performance, and a gripping, fast-paced plot.  

Anora was released on October 18, 2024, and is currently playing in theaters. It will be available for streaming on Hulu starting March 17, 2025. The film runs for 1 hour and 50 minutes. It is available to rent for $5.99 on platforms like Apple TV and Amazon Prime. 

The movie won 4 Oscars, making history, 2025 Oscars, winning Best Picture, Best Actress (Mikey Madison), Best Director (Sean Baker), Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Editing.  

Mikey Madison gives an incredibly strong performance as Anora, a young woman navigating love, survival, and self-worth. She brings a mix of charm, humor, and vulnerability, making Anora feel like a real person more than just a character. “The New York Times” applauded her portrayal, saying, “Playing Anora called for both an emotionally rich inner life and a breathtakingly kinetic physicality… And at every moment, Madison is mesmerizing.” Her male counterparts, Mark Eydelshteyn (Vanya) and Yuri Borisov (Igor) complement her energy perfectly as well. 

Another aspect I loved is that there’s never a boring moment in Anora. The film moves at a lightning speed, constantly shifting gears as Anora’s situation spirals in unexpected ways. Just when you think you know where the story is heading, it takes a sharp turn, keeping you fully engaged until the very last scene.  

One of the most interesting parts of Anora’s success is its place in Oscar history. Mikey Madison’s win for Best Actress is part of a long trend of actresses earning awards for playing sex workers, such as Halle Berry in Monster’s Ball, Charlize Theron in Monster, and just last year, Emma Stone in Poor Things.. It makes you curious as to why Hollywood finds these roles so compelling and award-winning. Are these actresses being celebrated for their depth and complexity, or is there something about portraying sex workers or selling sex that gets people talking?

While the film does a great job of showing Anora’s present struggles, and it does give a good overview of Anora as a character, a deeper look into her past could have added even more emotional weight to her choices. How did she get into sex work? What were her dreams before she met Vanya? A few extra scenes could have made her story feel even richer and made us more connected to her.

Although the last scene is very powerful, it’s also ambiguous, leaving a lot open to interpretation. Some viewers might appreciate the open-ended nature of it, but others may find it frustrating. A little bit more clarity and conclusion on Anora’s fate could have made the whole movie stronger and her struggles more satisfying, from a viewer's perspective.

If you love dramatic indie films with strong performances, Anora is definitely worth watching. It’s funny, emotional, and leaves you with a lot to think about. However, if you prefer stories with neatly wrapped-up endings or a clear moral takeaway, this might not be for you.  

Regardless of where you fall on the debates surrounding it, Anora is a film that will stick with you. Hollywood often either glamorizes or completely victimizes sex workers, but Anora finds a messy, complicated, and very human middle ground. And that’s what makes it so special. 

(Image credit: YELP)

By: Kristopher Hsieh

Imagine having a first impression that was completely wrong. That’s what happened when I first sat down to watch Mamma Mia, as I expected it to be just another musical. However, after 5 minutes in, I was hooked into this cheerful but meaningful story that was incorporating songs that hail from a different time period. This is a light hearted story about a girl searching for her father amongst 3 possible options, all while her mother is focused on preparing for her daughter’s wedding. Mamma Mia is a broadway musical adaptation that has proven that a story can have a humorous tone while also addressing mature topics. It has also shown us that nostalgia is a powerful feeling and can be brought back through ABBA songs, which are timeless and applicable to every possible situation.

Mamma Mia is a PG-13 movie that was released on July 18, 2008. Universal Pictures is the main production company  behind this movie. Unlike other musicals that come with originals, Mamma Mia purely features the songs of pop group, ABBA. This movie was directed by Phyllida Lloyd with the screenplay by Catherine Johnson. This is a movie featuring well known Oscar winning actress Meryl Streep who plays the mother, Donna. The movie also features Emmy winning actress Amanda Seyfried as the bride to be, Sophie, as well as remarkable actors such as Colin Firth and Pierce Brosnan.

There are many places to buy or rent this movie, most notably: Mamma Mia is available on Amazon Video with the cost of a $15 subscription that renews every month. It is also available on Apple TV which is a $10 subscription that renews every month. On YouTube, it is possible to buy the movie for $20 or just rent it for $3. This movie is on most streaming platforms. However, as it is a movie that has been out for years, it is my personal favorite option to just check it out from the library catalog. The movie was so successful that it had a sequel and a prequel in one, “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again!”, which is also available on all the listed platforms. The story is extremely successful and is still impacting viewers of many different generations as it still runs on broadway.

This movie incorporates ABBA songs proficiently and allows them to enhance the plot. A prime example of this would be when Donna encounters her 3 exes and immediately jumps into the song “Mamma Mia” which starts with the line, “I was cheated by you and I think you know when.” This sets the scene and allows the watcher to get a good laugh while also embracing the hostility of Donna’s character at the moment. Though this seems to be a niche scenario, there was an ABBA song that was very fitting for it. Throughout the movie, ABBA songs are laced into the plot effortlessly no matter how complex the presented situation may be and they deepen the meaning behind the story and allow characters to convey their internal emotions. ABBA is the mark of the 20th century and every time their songs pop up throughout this movie, the viewer is hit with a burst of nostalgia and reminded of how music was back then as well as how music can really articulate a story.

Mamma Mia has a lot of talented and already well known actors in the film who brought their full energy to the movie and helped make a great transition from the broadway musical and onto the screen. The emotions that were portrayed by actors were very relatable and watchers could feel empathy for the situation that the character was stuck in at all times in the movie. For instance, the scene where Meryl Streep sings the song, “Slipping Through My Fingers,” as a response to her daughter getting married. The song is bittersweet and viewers of all ages can feel nostalgic and remember a time where they felt like they were losing someone who was physically alive or being the one who was getting lost. The viewers will also empathize with the mother in the scene and can see themselves in either the place of Donna or Sophie. By touching on a mature theme such as adolescent growth in this case, Mamma Mia shows that it can not only be a light hearted movie, but also a meaningful one.

Just by incorporating ABBA songs alone, Mamma Mia already had an amazing soundtrack to work off of. Magnus Palm, an author of an ABBA biography, stated, “ABBA didn’t write good songs, they made great records and that was their secret.” ABBA songs touch on multiple topics that are very relevant to Mamma Mia such as growing up, carefreeness, pain and bitterness, and the loss of time. Since ABBA is far from being one hit wonders and have an entire discography of hits, the movie Mamma Mia was able to use all of them in their movie and focus on bettering their screenplay rather than their songs. These songs remain relevant to this day and every person who listens to them gets a strong feeling of nostalgia as tunes such as Dancing Queen or Lay All Your Love On Me have been viral on social media platforms such as TikTok. By being able to have at least some familiar tunes to the ear, Mamma Mia is able to hook viewers and allow them to feel nostalgic when they recognize them. They are also able to understand the story better through the lyrics and melody of the songs and relate to its mature themes.

The writer of the screenplay for Mamma Mia, Catherine Jones says, “I wanted to write about a working single mother who had got her life together and the relationship she had with her daughter who she absolutely adored but fought with.” Throughout the movie, this is shown through Donna’s fierce determination and in one scene when her ex tries to sympathize with how hard it must be to raise a kid on her own, she angrily states “Don’t patronize me. I’m single, free, and I love it.” The film also revolves around the mother planning for her daughter’s wedding showing that she has her life together and can be a good parent on her own. This can bring back feelings of nostalgia into viewers as they may be able to make the connection to moments that their parents were strong despite the circumstance. It also focuses on the mature topic of how being a single mother is not necessarily a bad thing. Donna is seen throughout the movie as always being responsible but still having time to bond with her daughter and have fun.

In an interview, Roth, a costume designer on this film stated, “I wanted the color to have something to do with the European work uniform.” Referring to Donna’s iconic blue trousers Roth described, that had a bit of a “boyish” undertone to them. This further adds to the fact that Donna plays the role of both a mother and a father. By emphasizing this fact in even the costume design, the creators of Mamma Mia allow for viewers to see the importance in their parents and it can bring feelings of acknowledgement while still allowing them to be nostalgic about times when their parents may have made major sacrifices or bettered themselves to raise a kid. The costume design also allows viewers to understand a recurring theme in this movie is woman empowerment and although the movie was made in 2008, it serves as evidence that woman empowerment was just as important then as it is now.

It was to my surprise that Mamma Mia, a movie adapted from a broadway musical, had no professionally trained singers that were casted. Musicals are set apart from regular films because of the fact that they incorporate singing to tell a story. Singing is a way to portray strong emotions that sometimes can’t be told through acting. Sometimes, this creates inconsistencies between something that is known to be a broadway musical and something that is a movie. This further adds to the celebrity casting narrative where parts are given to the bigger name rather than the more qualified. Fans commented on actors like Pierce Brosnan being amazing at acting but losing all value as a character in the movie once he started to sing. A musical features the performance of the cast being able to act on top of singing their hearts out. In Mamma Mia, the acting was remarkable. However, the singing at times felt disheartening to the ear and autotuned. While this can create consistency in the movie, it does not allow the feelings of ABBA’s songs to be well translated onto the screen.

The story of Mamma Mia touches on various mature themes. While some themes were done exceptionally well such as growing up and becoming an adult, others missed the mark completely. This is a movie that is often criticized for how shallow its narrative is. Sometimes, it falls into that criticism by being handed opportunities to show depth within the characters and completely ignoring it. A good example of this would be the fact that the main plot revolves around Sophie not knowing who her dad is. Viewers would be able to see Sophie’s character in a different light with more relatability if the writers capitalized on this. However, they dismissed the fact that this might have some emotional impact on Sophie and decided to make her seem easy going in her search for her father. The writers missed the opportunity to expand on how having no father figure in her life affected her in the past and going forward. If they expanded on the narrative of how Sophie was affected by having no father figure in her life, viewers would be able to empathize while also feeling bittersweet nostalgia back to when they may have felt that way at some point in their lives.

This movie is a great fit for someone who craves the feeling of nostalgia. The movie was made in 2008 and is coated with a light hearted tone and laced with mature themes along the way. It will allow for the audience to make connections to the characters within as the experiences shown in the movie are very universal, such as growing up. It also includes the ABBA songs of the 20th century. Someone who likes ABBA music and musicals will definitely enjoy this movie too. Combined, it is a synergetic combo that tells a story very intricately through these songs and their sensible placement.

If you are not into dance pop, then this movie is not for you. ABBA is a lot of dance pop that tells a story along the way. Someone who is not a fan of musicals will also not like this movie because it is filled with music every turn of the way, that is how it tells its story. Furthermore, this movie is not recommended if you are a viewer who wants a plot that is built on emotional depth and character development.

Ultimately, Mamma Mia is a movie worth the time because it brings back rare feelings of nostalgia and there are multiple aspects within the movie that will allow the viewer to relate an experience in their lives to the characters' situation on the screen.

Mamma Mia is a timeless movie that continues to bring joy to audiences on screen. The movie allows many generations to bond over their love for the humorous characters as well as the music which both come together to tell this wonderful story that touches on many mature themes while keeping comedic composure. The older generations can rekindle their love for ABBA’s music and the newer generation can discover a newfound love for ABBA’s music. Essentially, everyone of all ages can bond over this movie that always has something new to offer to viewers of any age.

(Image Credit: google)

By: Diana Feng 

If you’re looking for a new movie to go watch with your best friend, “One of Them Days” is a great option for you. It's a good ending movie that talks about friendship, hardships, good vibes, and just making life memorable. 

The characters in the movie show genuine connections with each other, live life to the fullest, and cherish their best friend. When struggling in life, how having the right people can help and support you throughout the journey. 

 My initial reaction was nervous because I didn't really expect anything in particular, I just wanted to watch a movie that day with my cousins so, it was a last-minute decision,when I was buying the tickets, out of all the movies I decided to watch, I chose “One of them Days” because I saw an artist I knew, known as SZA . “One of Them Days” was all over my fyp on tiktok, and I thought it looked pretty convincing and decent. 

The movie “One of Them Day" shows comedy, friendships,true love, and the reality of life. It was released on January 17, 2025. The movie was directed by Lawrence Lamond and written by Syreeta Singleton. The movie is about 1 hour and 37 minutes long adding the ads for the movie. To watch “One of Them Days" in the movie theater I pay 17$ but it can range from 15$- $17 depending if you are a child, adult, or senior. If you are willing to buy online for example Amazon Prime, the movie is $25 and renting is about $20. There is also another streaming platform not mentioned here, that might have different pricing. The movie can be bought digitally from Amazon Prime, movie theaters nearby, and another platform like Apple TV, and renting is an option too, there are a ton of websites where you can watch movies.  The movie is PG-13 and rated R which is pretty good for teenagers above 13 to watch. 

The amazing visuals of the movie, quality, characters, how Keke and Sza work really well and match each other. This matters because it attracts the viewer into the movie, makes the movie attractive, and just makes the movie readable, it is one of the perspectives of a good movie adding characters, main idea, or purpose. Having that compatibility is a good thing for friendship and just makes the movie 10x better. 

I like how the theme of the movie shows out friendship goals and is readable and just matches real life situations. SZA's boyfriend at the moment takes the money to buy a fake Gucci shirt instead of paying for the rent, and runs away. This matters because it demonstrates the ups and downs of trusting the wrong person. In this movie it was the boyfriend during that time and finding solutions to every problem that came their way. I like how the movie targets different emotions in the beginning of the movie and tries to make the movie engageable. It can connect to real life friendship because no matter how bad things happen to our friendship, life continues and needs to find solutions with each other instead of just breaking up the friendship. 

When SZA and Keke got into trouble and ran away it was supposed to give scared emotions, when both of them started fighting it gave us madness, when Keke gave SZA food when she picked her up it was supposed to give us happiness. The movie teaches us that even in movies we can connect it  to our daily life with our own friends, when we give our friends gifts, they feel happy, friendship fighting happens once in friendships, and teaches us to treasure those who are still there for us even after all of the things that happen. It shows us that we are all together in this and we are here to make each other happy. Life with great friendship makes life easier, to lift each other up through time just like Keke and SZA.

There was a scene where there was an explosion where Sza was falling down trying to get the expensive shoes from the power line because of the need of money. I think the editing and the special effects are a little bit off. It makes the movie a little bit unrealistic, not showing what people in real life would do, such as jumping up into the power line to get some shoes. Another example is when the worker was fixing the dishwasher machine, and then the water just shot out, pushing the guy to explode toward the wall and breaking the wall. Making this part of the movie a little bit made for teenagers, because no water will push you and break a wall. Usually you’ll just call for a plumber to fix the issue instead of fixing it on your own. 

As critic Alison Willmorem published on January 15,2025 noted in her review, from “ They don't make comedies like “One of Them Days Anymore”” mentions “Dreux and Alyssa, on the other hand, have to extract their happy ending by facing possible death.“ The scene was describing how while having a good time selling arts, getting a job, they got faced with a fire in the building and they got trapped while finding their way out. Alyssa and Dreux faced potential death together and stuck together throughout the movie. Just like real life, best friends make our life more enjoyable and fun when we are at the lowest points of our life. The movie targets fear, and happiness and how emotions can change real quick in minutes which makes the viewer watching it more enjoyable in the process.

 Another “One of them Days" reviewer Clarisse Loghrey who wrote (Keke Palmers is one of our best movie stars published in March 6,2025). “And while she loves her brilliant, beautiful bestie Alyssa dearly, Dreux is the go-getter A-type friend to Alyssa’s chronically late, easily distracted B-type. She’s a fierce comedic talent. “One of Them Days” is funny as hell.“ The movie shows two types of best friends, supporting each other through ups and downs although being completely opposite from each other. There are a lot of friendships, where both of them are completely opposite from each other,and that's okay , even like in high school, for example my best friend is a lowkey type of friend, but I am a loud friend which is completely opposite but we still have so much love for each other, and we connect even though we are opposite. While watching this movie with your best friend can show the reflections of your friendship in your own way, which makes the movie funny, laughable, and just entertaining to watch. 

The people who will definitely enjoy this movie are people that like comedy, people who watch this movie because of SZA, have a beautiful friendship, and go with their friends to watch the movie. You might want to go if you love funny movies, going on dates, good energy, watching movies,having good vibes and chill.  The people that might not like this movie are people who don't like a good ending movie, a really harsh story plot, having episodes like Marvel, don't like a really slow placing of a movie because “One of Them Days” is a slower pace type of movie compared to other movies. It is worth the watch and time because it is not expensive as usual and really affordable. The movie is shorter than usual movies which is good for people that like average movie durance, not too long and not too short. “One of Them Days” teaches us that we should value our friendships, especially best friends that are always there for us and love us unconditionally and just people who feel like home and simply live in the moment, nothing and meaning nothing lasts forever, just live. 

(Image Credit: google)

By: Dennis Tang

Picture a world where the elite live in luxury while everyone else is barely scraping by, and a government keeps its people divided, afraid, and under surveillance. This isn’t just in The Hunger Games, it is also the power structure in modern times. My initial reaction to the movie was that I didn’t like it because I am not a fan of dystopian films. However, after watching it, I saw how Panem is somewhat like our government today. The Hunger Games is not only an action thriller; it points out some major problems, which are wealth inequality and government control.

The Hunger Games is the first of a trilogy with two sequels, based on Suzanne Collins's best-selling novel “The Hunger Games”. The movie was released on March 23, 2012, and Gary Ross and Francis Lawrence were the directors. The budget of the movie was about 78 million dollars, and you can watch the movie on YouTube, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, and Google Play Movies. The movie's runtime is about 2 hours and 26 minutes, and it is PG-13. Our protagonists are Katniss Everdeen, played by Jennifer Lawrence, and Peeta Mellark, played by Josh Hutcherson. Every year, the twelve districts of Panem, which makes up the equivalent of North America, are forced to randomly select a boy and girl to join the Hunger Games to fight to the death. In District 12, Prim, Katniss's sister, is selected, but 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen volunteers to go in her place. The boy who was also selected was Peeta Mellark. As the game begins, Katniss and Peeta must make alliances, face betrayal, and survive while the game is being streamed to every district and Panem captures her every move.

After analyzing the film, I realized that the Panem and our modern government have many connections. Two main connections stood out to me: wealth inequality and government control.

In Panem, the Capital is extremely wealthy while most of the other districts are starving and living in horrible conditions. Panem makes the rich stay in power while making it harder for the poor to gain power. They also restrict communication between all the districts. For example, in District 12, it is nearly impossible to gain power unless you want to win the game, which is rare and dangerous. Even after winning the game, they don’t truly escape the games, as they are forced to play a role in the government “game”. According to usafacts.org, “the top 1% of the US holds about 30% of the US's net worth.” In real life, and in Panem, the elite has a massive effect on the economy, making them benefit and those in lower classes struggle. If the elite alter the economic system, then the other lower classes are going to struggle for food, healthcare, and education, just like the district in The Hunger Games. This shows how the Capitol controls the wealth in The Hunger Games, just like how economic power is controlled by the government.

In The Hunger Games, the main goal of the Capitol is to keep the district divided, weak, and struggling to survive. To demonstrate the power of the Capital, they force all districts to participate in the Hunger Games to spread fear and control across the districts. According to airuniversity.af.edu, “Unlike democratic nations, the Chinese Internet exists in relative isolation from the rest of the world. Since its introduction in 1994, the CCP’s paramount concern has been the potential political instability that the Internet could precipitate.” In China, they control what the citizens see and hear, and this lets them control what their people think and do. Both the Capital and dictatorial governments use restrictions to suppress rebellion and maintain control over their people.

Fans of action thrillers, political thrillers, and dystopias would enjoy The Hunger Games. This movie has a deep theme of government control, oppression, and rebellion, making it enjoyable for politically-minded people. 

However, if you are a person who doesn’t enjoy dystopian films, violence, or looking for a simple movie without a deeper meaning then this might not be the film for you. 

Additionally, the film has drawbacks, such as a slowed pace beginning, a lack of buildup, and limited information about the districts. Without the information about the other district, this makes it difficult for watchers to understand the depth of Panem’s society. The shaking of the camera during action scenes is another issue that makes it hard for viewers to follow.

This movie is worth the time and money because it has compelling characters, good actors, and a unique storyline/ plot. It presents relevant themes with high-quality production.

Collins wrote a minor on the modern government. We don’t broadcast killings, but we have a similar economy in how the poor are trapped and a society shaped by people in power. The Capital might be fake, but the problems it shows are very real.

(Photo Credit: Google)

By: Adella Hand

When I first put on “All American,” I expected it to be nothing more than a teen drama about football. I put it on as a show in the background while doing my homework, but I quickly found myself paying more attention to the show and less to what I was supposed to be working on. The reason the show caught my attention is due to the way it artfully dives into inspiring themes of Black excellence and joy, and difficult topics of Black struggles. There aren’t many shows that are able to capture the reality of the Black American experience by mixing the negative and the positive. However, “All American” expertly accomplishes this while maintaining a show that keeps the viewers entertained.

“All American” was first released by the CW in October 2018. It currently has 6 complete seasons and a 7th season that is being released weekly. The first 6 seasons are available to watch on Netflix with a subscription, and season 7’s 4 most recent episodes are available on the CW website for free. The show follows the story of high school football star Spencer James. The first season focuses on Spencer’s transition from his school in the predominantly Black neighborhood of South Crenshaw to a new school in the predominantly white Beverly Hills. The show is able to use Spencer’s deep emotional connection to his neighborhood to show the struggles his community has to deal with while highlighting Spencer’s excellence on the field.

Right off the bat, the show touches on realistic topics. Spencer wants to be able to focus on bettering his football career in hopes of first playing in college and then later in the NFL. The show makes it clear that it would be much more difficult for him to do that in a neighborhood where gang violence and police activity occur at a high rate. 

Specifically in season 2, “All American” directly focuses on gang violence using Spencer’s childhood best friends to carefully craft an emotional and engaging storyline. The show gets you emotionally connected to the characters and makes you worry, hope, and watch out for them as they engage with and some even join the gangs in their neighborhood. In a review from 2020 on the website Cinema Blography, Joseph Naguski said, “All American tackles a lot of gang-related issues as well as the racial injustices black Americans face. It shows just how hard it can be for some to escape gang life and the hood in general.” 

Gang violence is a very real thing for many Black Americans across the country, but also specifically in Los Angeles. The show ties the fictitious gang violence to real-life gang violence by paying homage to rapper Nipsey Hussle, who was murdered in LA by a gang around the time the show was being released.  This helps to create a stronger impact on the audience.

The show is able to blend heavy topics like gang violence with more cheerful topics such as Black excellence and Black joy. During a very stressful and high-stakes game, Spencer’s father tells him to stop focusing on winning the game but to play for the little Black boy who loves the game and had to grow up too quickly. The show then has a beautiful scene where current Spencer is running across the field, and it flashes back and forth between current Spencer and young Spencer playing the game for the joy of it. In an interview for Entertainment Weekly, one of the showrunners, Nkechi Okoro Carroll, touched on this topic: “It's the Black boy joy and then the slap back to reality when they have a run-in with a police officer.” Carroll continues, “We get to talk about the spectrum of Black experiences as opposed to just one particular Black experience.” 

This isn’t to say that this show is for everyone or that it doesn’t have its own problems. Many people have critiqued the show for focusing too much on the off-season instead of on football. For example, the beginning of season four, the first 3-4 episodes, focuses on the summer between seasons 3 and 4. It zooms in on all the drama and personal character relationships rather than the game or preparation for the game.

Along with that, the script writing isn’t of the highest quality. There are times when the dialogue comes off as corny or forced. The show makes an effort to stay with the current times, and in many of its other aspects, it does this well, but with the dialogue, it can often serve as more of a distraction than a helpful or engaging addition. 

“All American” is absolutely my favorite show right now. I think that anyone who respects and appreciates the many layers of the Black American experience will love and enjoy this show. Although “All American” is more targeted to teenagers and young adults, the enjoyment of it isn’t limited to that age group. High schoolers and beyond will be able to find something to relate to or that they enjoy in this show. 

Diehard football fans might not find this show entertaining to watch. If you’re looking for a show that is solely about football and what that’s like as a high school/college student, this wouldn’t be the show for you. If you’re a person who enjoys thought-provoking scripts or focused dialogue, this show might be a hard watch.

However, with all things considered, “All American” is worth watching. The seven seasons make it a bit of a time commitment, but the complex themes and accurate representation are important and should be given more attention in the television world in general. When it comes to “All American,” it’s about more than football and more than teen drama. It’s about shining a light on the true Black experience and giving the Black community the representation we deserve.

(Photo Credit: Google)

By: Abreshmina Usman

Welcome to your perfect game, where you can actually pause the game when your mother says to come down for dinner, ladies and gentlemen, "Block Blast!" Yes, that one TikTok game, where this time it's actually worth giving into the hype.

Need a game you can pause anytime? Don't want to stress over a game? Don't want to pay for a game? Can't commit to games? Need a distraction? Don't have WiFi? If you answered "Yes" to any of these questions, consider sparing some minutes for this game. Block Blast has that perfect balance of simplicity and that mysterious determination which some people call addiction. You can also get rid of it just as fast as you can download it, without feeling that you lost all your progress. Other than setting a high score, there is nothing to lose, so give in and relax that mind.

The gameplay is straightforward: When you click on the app, you are introduced to a glorious 8 by 8 grid, where you are given random colorful blocks to put together. When you put together the blocks in rows or columns, that section disappears and adds to your score; when you are unable to fit new blocks, that's where you lose and start over again. This game also comes with a challenging mode to help wind up your mind with tricky block puzzles. A little fun fact: when you clear the entire box, you get extra points!

When I first downloaded it, it felt like bread and butter. When I aligned the blocks, I felt like all my problems were suddenly fixed, as if world hunger no longer existed. I didn't feel addicted, I felt relaxed, my mind went through a dimension almost, where nothing else was visible but that one feeling of satisfaction as the blocks matched and disappeared into nothingness.

This game even has backing from experts. Psychologist Lindsay Weisner gives important insight regarding this game: "Learning to play with these computerized blocks may expedite your learning process in ways that make it more efficient to process new information." Didn't know that, did you?

Being so heavily invested in a game sometimes brings out aspects which aren't quite as appealing to the entire audience as they are to hardcore gamers. The game itself can come off as too direct sometimes—no goals, just that simplicity of matching until it no longer matches. While this game does offer a daring mode, some overall layout changes and further additions could make this game even more engaging, as they would enhance the overall experience of gameplay.

You may be wondering, who is this game designed for? To give you a little guide, this game is potentially perfect for people stressed out of their minds, for those who just want a quick little distraction, or those obsessed with setting high scores and competing with others for the sake of competing. According to Melia Thebault, a fellow reviewer of Block Blast: "I myself am an addict of this game, and I can't tell whether to be proud or ashamed that my high score is over 120,000." This really goes to show how this game managed to incorporate competitiveness while maintaining a game that's easy to follow for basically all age groups.

Now, for the folks who prefer more specific and complex games, you know, with higher graphics, or those who can't handle ads, you might have a hard time liking this game. It's a two-dimensional game where you are matching blocks, and due to that, it can get boring for those who require higher quality gameplay. Despite these limitations, it is definitely worth a try!

To restate my overall impression, Block Blast is a game which offers so much yet requires almost nothing. It made me realize how smartly it was designed and how accessible it is, especially when you compare it with the pros and cons of other games. The simplicity stole everyone's hearts, and I couldn't agree more; as someone who loves first-person shooter games, I did not expect this game to divert my attention, but here I am relaxing and having fun.

I recommend that if you are reading this and you haven't played the game, go on and try it out because it is just so captivating due to its simple nature. Furthermore, it not only serves as a distraction but sometimes can serve as a guide to help you focus.

We know that humans' unique structure requires care, and sometimes silly little games may be just what we need to satisfy and feed our precious, curious minds.

(Photo Credit: Google)