Locke and Key (Season 1, Netflix) - 4/5

This is the best young adult fantasy I’ve seen in years. Where Stranger Things is a show about kids made for adults, Locke and Key is made for teens, though it still has that tense, thriller vibe. It’s refreshing so see a new fantasy concept so well-conceived with plenty of room to grow into later seasons. The characters are compelling and even when they make bad decisions the show naturally incorporates clear motivations, showing the audience why each character does what they do. There is a casual attitude toward teenage drinking and sex, and though some is addressed in the show much of it goes unresolved. Still, the special effects are well above average, and each episode leaves you wanting to watch the next.

Closest comparison: It goes Stranger Things, Umbrella Academy, Locke and Key.

Setting: Family Drama
Plot: Hidden World
Tone: Domestic Thriller

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (Netflix) - 5/5

It’s bizarre and amazing, funny and tragic, beautiful and nerve-racking all at the same time. Or rather, in succession, but and it knows what it is every step of the way even if the audience is still trying to figure it out. The Coen brothers lead their audience expertly through various stories, keeping the emotions just where they want them every step of the way. It’s very violent in parts, sometimes played for comedy, sometimes for tragedy. If you like Coen brothers movies it’s a must-see, if you like Westerns don’t let the beginning throw you off. This movie touches on all the different aspects that are central to other Westerns, somehow without giving them short shrift, and there’s nothing else like it.