What did you watch on Netflix/Hulu/other streaming sites?

[Ginger]

70 million people around the world now are fleeing war, brutal patriarchal regimes, torture, starvation — and have found themselves in the dehumanizing limbo of a detention center or refugee camp.

Add to that equation a middle-class flight attendant fleeing a dangerous cult — and who makes a series of self-destruction choices that are a function of her burgeoning mental illness — and you have Stateless on Netflix.

The white woman finds herself in a devastatingly bleak detention center in Australia along with people including a family fleeing Afghanistan, where the young daughters are in danger of being forced into marriage, via Pakistan and a tragic boat ride to Australia's barrier reef.

The guards at the prison range from the stupid and cruel woman who is in charge, to a man who wrestles with his conscience at what he sees on the inside.

The importance of public protest and activism in support of the vulnerable people inside the facility is key to the story and a reminder that it does mean something when we speak out publicly for the rights of those who are powerless.

I cried through the whole thing, and it was fascinating. Cate Blanchett produced the series and plays the wife of the cult leader. The actors are incredible.

[Orema]

The Trust on Netflix with Nicholas Cage and Elijah Wood. It’s about two cops, one who’s optimistic and the other not so much, who pull a heist.

Cage has become a caricature, IMHO, but it works in this film. Wood kept me interested but he’s an actor I don’t know well.

Nothing to write home about, but worth the time if you don[t have anything else to do.

[Bèsame*]

I had a conversation at work one day as to what every has been watching..Married at First Sight was mentioned. I was like, really? Seriously?

Well, I checked it out. Season 9. I have been quite surprised that it's pretty interesting. So many conversations with professionals that are relationship orientated. Great advice. Some
of it has opened my eyes as to how I react to situations. Good stuff 😉

[C0LLETTE]

If two is a trend then brilliant but crazy female leads is definitely a trend...Marcella" (doesn't get much screwier) and "Homeland (almost as screwy) are trend leaders.

Such interesting characters dealing with brilliant plot twists...but do they really have to be so nuts? I suppose that brilliant successful stable female characters aren't threatening enough to make for good entertainment.

What next? Women reclaim "hysteria" as a viable way to get into show biz?

[firecat242]

Hannah Gadsby......Douglas....standup with a message??? I don't know...just f-ing good

[Ginger]

Originally Posted by C0LLETTE

If two is a trend then brilliant but crazy female leads is definitely a trend...Marcella" (doesn't get much screwier) and "Homeland (almost as screwy) are trend leaders.

Such interesting characters dealing with brilliant plot twists...but do they really have to be so nuts? I suppose that brilliant successful stable female characters aren't threatening enough to make for good entertainment.

What next? Women reclaim "hysteria" as a viable way to get into show biz?

I join you in frustration at the prevalence of female leads who struggle with mental illness with some caveats.

Homeland is one my favorite streaming series, and Carrie's mental illness only deepens her character in my view. This is a tribute to her stunning acting ability.

On the other hand, I just started Marcella and have an opposite reaction. I find the lead character's apparent mental illness off-putting. Her sudden bouts of violence, happening in blackout episodes (not alcohol related) seem gratuitous, plot-wise.

Maybe that's because she doesn't seem to have much remorse regarding the impact of her violence on other people. So far, I just think she's an asshole (I'm only on the third episode).

But back to your point — my question would be, has anyone collected data on this? How many male versus female leads are mentally ill? I'd like to know if it's just perception or something that can be quantified.

To get some context, I just looked up the stats on mental illness in the U.S. and to give one example, 5.7 million adults, or about 2.6% of the population age 18 and older, are diagnosed as bipolar, and about one in five of them commit suicide.

This is from the National Alliance on Mental Illness:

--19.1% of U.S. adults experienced mental illness in 2018 (47.6 million people). This represents 1 in 5 adults.

--4.6% of U.S. adults experienced serious mental illness in 2018 (11.4 million people). This represents 1 in 25 adults.

--16.5% of U.S. youth aged 6-17 experienced a mental health disorder in 2016 (7.7 million people)

--3.7% of U.S. adults experienced a co-occurring substance use disorder and mental illness in 2018 (9.2 million people)

I was not surprised to learn that. I'm also guessing that with 30 to 40 million people out of jobs because of the pandemic and only 20 million on unemployment, there must be a lot of people without health insurance who are living with untreated mental illness. This makes me angry at our government and sad for them.

TV and film reflects real life so ... it makes sense that a certain proportion of characters would be mentally ill in one way or another. Is that proportion skewed to female leads? That's a good question.

[Gemme]

Originally Posted by Orema

The Trust on Netflix with Nicholas Cage and Elijah Wood. It’s about two cops, one who’s optimistic and the other not so much, who pull a heist.

Cage has become a caricature, IMHO, but it works in this film. Wood kept me interested but he’s an actor I don’t know well.

Nothing to write home about, but worth the time if you don[t have anything else to do.

I can't help it; I like Cage. Is he a great actor? No way, but I like the type of movies in which he excels (Gone in 60 Seconds, Con Air, Guarding Tess, Ghost Rider, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, etc). They are like cotton candy for my brain. No thinking allowed!

Elijah has done a lot. He's been in music videos from Paula Abdul to The Beastie Boys, plus TV and of course, the Lord of the Rings series. I think that's where most people know him. I liked him as Mumble in Happy Feet and in Cooties.

I've dipped my toes in a lot of Netflix ponds lately. I watched Cursed and it was okay but not super great. I've watched some movies but seem to find the ones that were made elsewhere and have English dubs so the words I hear don't match the movements of the actors' mouths nor the actual English subtitles so that's distracting. I finished a one season series called Flinch, which was kind of awesome if you are feeling a bit mean spirited and like to see people scream and be freaked out for no particularly good reason. I watched a couple episodes of The Chase but can't stand the "Beast". I watched all 4 seasons of the Beauty and the Beast remake. It was good for a bit and then became repetitive, which is why they went from 22 episodes a season down to 13, I suppose. Plus, I kept wanting them to even out the lead actor's facial hair. Also distracting.

[GeorgiaMa'am]

Originally Posted by C0LLETTE

If two is a trend then brilliant but crazy female leads is definitely a trend...Marcella" (doesn't get much screwier) and "Homeland (almost as screwy) are trend leaders.

Such interesting characters dealing with brilliant plot twists...but do they really have to be so nuts?. . .

Remember The United States of Tara? I guess her craziness was the point of the whole show, but it was a good one.

* * *

I'm still working my way through Fear The Walking Dead, which I like. I'm on season 4 and still have season 5 to go; I understand it has been renewed for a 6th season (although production is on hiatus due to COVID19). I don't see how they can get from here (mid- 4th season) to six seasons though; a lot of the main characters have been killed off, and a bunch of others seem to be on a road trip to meet up with the original The Walking Dead. What we're getting now (mid- 4th season) is a bunch of one-shot episodes whose story arcs begin and end in the same episode.

I'm also making a second attempt at Sense 8. I just couldn't get into it after the first episode, but I noticed it's on season 3 now, and decided to give it another try. I'm on episode 6 now, so I guess I'll stick it out for at least awhile and see how it goes. It's making a little more sense now than it did after just the first episode.

[Bèsame*]

Netflix

[GeorgiaMa'am]

I just saw an announcement that Lucifer Season 5 is coming to Netflix on August 21. Yay!