Tag / Apple TV+

by hutchwp

Film review: The Lost Bus (Paul Greengrass, 2025)

The Lost Bus is an intense action thriller based on the 2018 Camp Fire incident in Paradise, California. The action focuses on bus driver Kevin (Matthew McConaughey), who volunteers to retrieve and carry 22 children and their teacher Mary (America Ferrera) to safety.

At 130 minutes this film has plenty of time to explore sub-plots and give backgrounds to the main characters. Despite the length, it doesn’t feel like it drags at any point. Part of this is due to a careful mixture of suspense building as the town of Paradise is engulfed in the red-orange mist of the wildfire, with intimate camerawork and a relentless score from James Newton Howard working in unison to heighten the unfolding disaster.

Paul Greengrass is a master of this kind of film now, having established and honed his skills in the Bourne franchise, along with films like Green Zone and Captain Phillips. His last film, Western drama News of the World, also made its way to Apple TV+, and it was a happy partnership that led to multiple Oscar nominations in 2021. Whether this film will also be recognised in the same way remains to be seen, but it would hardly be undeserving.

by hutchwp

I’ve cancelled Netflix… and it’s brilliant

When my wife and I moved into our first home together, we decided to subscribe to Netflix. Not long before, I’d cancelled LoveFilm (remember that?!) and we’d set up our internet so wanted to test the waters.

At the time, picking and choosing what to watch on a TV in HD was revolutionary, and the choice was phenomenal. As time progressed, we watched some great series on the blossoming service: Breaking Bad, Orange Is The New Black, Glow, Stranger Things. All our friends were watching the same things. We had great discussions.

As time progressed, more streaming platforms appeared. Amazon Prime Video, with its confusing is-this-included-or-not interface. Now TV, which is home to most of the biggest blockbusters. Apple TV appeared with almost no content, but what it did have was excellent. BFI Player. MUBI. Paramount+. Lionsgate+. Everything was the price of a couple of pints and offered endless options.

Except, it isn’t the price of a pint if you have most or all of them. And you can’t keep up with the content. And nobody is watching anything you’re watching anymore because nobody has the same subscriptions.

So, a month ago we cancelled our Sky subscription. Tomorrow we ditch Netflix. As the cut-off time approaches, we’ve been really focusing on what we do and don’t want to watch. I’ve finally burned through Cobra Kai. I had a brilliant time watching Succession unfold. I’ve watched lovingly-created documentaries about David Beckham, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Robbie Williams.

Do I think I’ll miss any of it? Not really. What’s left is Apple TV+ on a trial, BFI Player (the one I really enjoy having) and my wife’s Amazon Prime account, which we’ve never really explored. There are a few things on each we want to watch, but I don’t think we’ll be paying for them for much longer.

Importantly, I never went as far as ditching my DVDs and Blu-Rays. Many of my friends did, only to find that their beloved series or film has vanished from their chosen streaming platform. Many DVDs are sat in charity shop bargain bins, waiting for someone to pick them up. I for one love rummaging in a charity shop, and often find a cool CD or vinyl in there.

I predict DVDs will have a resurgence in the near future. Because spending £1 on five films you keep forever has to be better than paying £150 a year just to watch those same episodes of Friends you like.