Hello everyone! I have been gone for the last week and a half because of work, I was busy trying to finish everything to be able to take this last week of the year off and with Christmas this past weekend things have been busy. But I’m glad to be here sharing my thoughts on the last few shows and movies I watched in 2023.
I’m trying to catch up with what I missed in the last week, so I’m posting my December reading wrap-up tomorrow and all my favorite, least favorite, anticipated releases posts are going up in the next couple of weeks.
Joy Ride (4.5 stars): It’s been a long time since I found a raunchy comedy to be actually funny and also as funny as Joy Ride was. I laughed so hard watching this. The cast was so good, everyone had great chemistry with each other, the characters were charismatic, and I loved the female friendships that developed during this film. Also, as with any good comedy, there were not only funny moments but also moments that pulled at my heartstrings.
A Man Called Otto (3.5 stars): This was good but it was not very memorable. It started a lot darker than I was expecting and the love story was devastating. I appreciated the way it talked about gentrification and the way the trans character was treated. There was a funny dynamic between a Hispanic couple which I enjoyed and in general, the best part of the movie was Otto’s relationship with the Hispanic family that lived next door. I think the problem with this movie is that it wasn’t heartfelt, it wasn’t charming, and it felt like something that I had seen before.
Exmas (3 stars): This was an okay holiday rom-com. I was expecting a little more. It was entertaining to see the main characters bickering and annoying each other, but the movie spends too much time on that and it doesn’t leave enough time for actual romantic scenes where we can understand why the characters should get back together, nonetheless, in the few romantic scenes that were included the two main actors had good chemistry with each other.
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (5 stars): This was absolutely fantastic, Taylor put on such an amazing concert. Watching this in the theater with friends was such a magical experience I can’t even imagine how incredible it is to be able to see it live.
Lessons in Chemistry (4.5 stars): I haven’t read the book this is based on but I really enjoyed this TV show. The performances by the entire cast were incredible, the romance was beautiful and devastating and it has two timelines and both were very engaging which is hard to manage. I was infuriated by all the sexism that the main character experienced and I was also devastated by the racism that the secondary characters went through, but I appreciated the depiction of how they fought against it. I wish the end was a bit more focused on the main character and the present timeline and not so much on the love interest and his past, but overall, I really enjoyed the entire show.
Doctor John (4 stars): There was a slow-burn romance that kept me hooked the entire time, the two protagonists had so much chemistry, the performances of the entire cast were great and the medical cases were really interesting. There are mysteries around both of the main characters’ pasts and they added an interesting element to the story, there were some interesting ethical discussions around those mysteries which I appreciated, and I really loved how both of them were there for each other once things were revealed. There was a very emotional storyline that made me cry, which I think was well handled. This was going to get a higher rating but while I liked the ending, I didn’t love the last episode and I think the time jump was unnecessaries. Also, this doesn’t affect my enjoyment of the show but I have to say that the main character in this show has the worst hair extensions that I have seen in a tv show.
Daily Dose of Sunshine (4 stars): This kdrama takes place in a mental ward in a hospital and I appreciated that it tried to explore different mental illnesses and humanize the people suffering from those illnesses. I don’t think it dealt with all of it perfectly but overall I felt it did a good job. Additionally, the performances from the cast and the guest actors that appeared in each episode were really good, and there were also a couple of sweet romances which added a bit of lightheartedness to a show that can be a heavy watch due to the subjects it covers.
Bookish Wanderess 
I want to watch joy ride so bad! It looks super fun
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