The Quite Nerdy Blog

The Handmaid's Tale is Margaret Atwood's 1985 novel about an America ruled by an authoritative regime that treats women as less than second class citizens and the struggle of protagonist Offred to escape from this world to literally anywhere because they can't be worse. As you may already have noticed, it seems a bit prescient, possibly the reason we're finally getting a TV version of the acclaimed novel. So, as a fan of the story (and someone who needs to start revising the book for his exams), I'm running down why the show has come at the perfect time. The first, and probably most obvious of the reasons, is that there are a surprising amount of parallels between the fictional world of Gilead that Atwood created and the current state of the western world. The rights of anyone who isn't a middle class white man are seemingly always on the verge of most conversations and this show amplifies those feelings up as far as it can. This is a world entirely run by ...

Fast and Furious 8 (or Fate of the Furious, no one knows which) is the next joyfully absurd installment in the increasingly ridiculous Fast and Furious franchise. If the franchise is known for one theme (explosions don't count as a theme) it would be family but this film seemingly flips things on their heads as Vin Diesel turns his back on his family for Charlize Theron with white person dreadlocks. To get him back, the gang must fire harpoons, beat people up and race nuclear submarines because hey, these films haven't quite got to the level of being set in space yet. One day. Anyway, the plot is largely silly and pointless and has a few twists you will probably see coming with some moments of emotion that you definitely won't see coming. Let's just say that Vin actually has a legit reason to turn on the people he loves. Who am I kidding though, you aren't seeing this film for the plot and they know that so don't expect anything extraordinary. Again, the a...

Exams are shit. I know that isn't exactly a revelation, it's just a ground principle I need out in the open to start this discussion. Early summer used to be a time for joy, for starting to relax but for many teenagers, it is a long and painful wall to break through to get to the joys of late summer and the freedom that offers. In order to make it through exams and also get good grades, what many people do (and I know this because I'm a good budding journalist and researched on those around me) is unsubscribe from any streaming services, stop watching TV and face a life of work. It may seem like a smart move but I suggest the opposite. I suggest you try streaming through the madness (I know, that's the title of this post, clever move). Reason one is something that many dedicated nerds often forget: humans need breaks. Revision is really important but your brain can only work so hard for so long so only work when you are actually in the best state for it. Case in po...

Free Fire is the latest film from British auteur Ben Wheatley and is easily his most accessible yet. It is the story of a gun deal with some Irishmen buying some weapons from a South African. After a series of misfires, a shootout erupts and it is messy, both in the sense that there is plenty of gore but also that these people are not very good at landing killing shots on each other, something that thankfully allows for a claustrophobic and fairly tense ninety minutes. I'm not telling you anything else of the plot, not because I don't want to ruin it but because there genuinely isn't much more. This is a film where the plot is simple so that everything else can become the focus. That said, it is an enjoyable plot that allows for some great character interactions. Speaking of... One of the things I was excited for going into the film was the cast. It is a fantastic cast list and I really hoped that they would live up to my expectations. I'll quite the suspense and...