Sarah Mina Osman
@sarahminaosman.bsky.social
I write weird fiction and non-fiction about movies, TV, travel, and mental health
@sarahminaosman.bsky.social writes that Kelly McWilliams’s YA horror novel "No One Leaves the Manor" turns a haunted-house setup into a sharp, lyrical reckoning with race, class, disability, and trauma. @littlebrownyr.bsky.social artsfuse.org/332158/book-...
Book Review: A Haunted House, Some Hard Truths - The Arts Fuse
Kelly McWilliams’s "No One Leaves the Manor" turns a haunted-house setup into a sharp, lyrical reckoning with race, class, disability, and trauma.
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For @sarahminaosman.bsky.social, #thedink turns pickleball rivalries into an easygoing comedy about aging, ego, and unexpected connection. artsfuse.org/332110/film-...
@sarahminaosman.bsky.social writes that strong performances and sharper realism redefine Netflix's #LittleHouseonthePrairie for a new generation. artsfuse.org/331390/telev...
Television Review: This Time Around, A Wilder Prairie - The Arts Fuse
Strong performances and sharper realism redefine Little House on the Prairie for a new generation.
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@sarahminaosman.bsky.social writes that the #legallyblonde prequel #elle spotlights a charming #LexiMinetree, but that the Prime Video series struggles to justify its place in the Blonde-verse. artsfuse.org/331146/telev...
Television Review: "Elle" - No Bends, No Snaps, No Point? - The Arts Fuse
The "Legally Blonde" prequel "Elle" spotlights a charming Lexi Minetree, but struggles to justify its place in the Blonde-verse.
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@sarahminaosman.bsky.social writes that #Netflix’s raunchy comedy "Little Brother" gives comedian #ericandre some room to flail, but there’s not enough weirdness to fully unleash his chaotic brilliance. artsfuse.org/330873/film-...
Film Review: Eric André Is at His Best When He’s Unhinged. "Little Brother" Isn’t. - The Arts Fuse
Netflix’s raunchy comedy gives the comedian some room to flail, but there's not enough weirdness to fully unleash his chaotic brilliance.
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@sarahminaosman.bsky.social writes that Adrian Chiarella's film #Leviticus is a queer horror romance turns conversion therapy into a chilling supernatural curse—and a potent metaphor for fear, shame, and survival. artsfuse.org/330335/film-...?
Film Review: Desire and Damnation in "Leviticus" - The Arts Fuse
A queer horror romance turns conversion therapy into a chilling supernatural curse—and a potent metaphor for fear, shame, and survival.
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@sarahminaosman.bsky.social writes that, in the Hulu series #aliceandsteve, the terrific #NicolaWalker anchors a dark comedy that’s less about laughs than about longing, aging, and emotional dysfunction. artsfuse.org/330155/telev...
Television Review: "Alice and Steve" - Laughing Optional, Discomfort Guaranteed - The Arts Fuse
In the series "Alice and Steve," Nicola Walker anchors a dark comedy that’s less about laughs than about longing, aging, and emotional dysfunction.
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For @sarahminaosman.bsky.social, the fantastic #tatianamaslany anchors Apple TV's "Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed" -- a cluttered but compulsively watchable thriller about cam culture, murder, and a very stressed-out mom. artsfuse.org/329070/telev...
Television Review: Apple TV’s “Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed” Delivers Anxiety, Not Ecstasy - The Arts Fuse
Tatiana Maslany anchors a cluttered but compulsively watchable thriller about cam culture, murder, and a very stressed-out mom.
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@sarahminaosman.bsky.social really enjoyed HBO's visually stunning adaptation "Song of the Samurai” -- it blends historical grit with balletic fight choreography, elevating the live-action anime genre. artsfuse.org/328961/telev...
Television Review:
HBO’s adaptation blends historical grit with balletic fight choreography, elevating the live-action anime genre.
artsfuse.org
@sarahminaosman.bsky.social writes that a remarkable young cast anchors Netflix’s #lordoftheflies, a haunting adaptation of the William Golding's 1954 novel that resonates sharply with today’s anxieties about masculinity and violence. artsfuse.org/328548/telev...
Television Review: "Lord of the Flies" - A Savage Island, Revisited - The Arts Fuse
A remarkable young cast anchors Netflix’s "Lord of the Flies," a haunting adaptation that resonates sharply with today’s anxieties about masculinity and violence.
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@sarahminaosman.bsky.social thinks "Margo’s Got Money Troubles" is a sharp, locally grounded dramedy that captures the contradictions of suburban Southern California — and the steep cost of survival for young women. The show stars #michellepfeiffer and #ElleFanning artsfuse.org/327628/telev...
@sarahminaosman.bsky.social on "Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair A surprisingly heartfelt reboot that revives the show’s chaotic charm, even if some of the family sparks are missing. artsfuse.org/327432/telev...
@sarahminaosman.bsky.social writes that the Prime Video series Jury Duty: Company Retreat is an amusing lampoon with an economic message: it is is pro-small business and anti-private equity. artsfuse.org/326295/telev...
Television Review: “Jury Duty: Company Retreat" — A Sharply Funny Satire of Corporate America - The Arts Fuse
"Jury Duty: Company Retreat" is an amusing lampoon with an economic message: it is is pro-small business and anti-private equity.
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@sarahminaosman.bsky.social writes that, while each female protagonist makes some rough decisions, the satisfying Apple TV soap "Imperfect Women" never pigeonholes them as villains or saints. artsfuse.org/325986/telev...
Television Review: "Imperfect Women" - Apple TV's Nuanced Soap Opera Explores Female Friendships and Class Strains - The Arts Fuse
While each female protagonist makes some rough decisions, the series never pigeonholes them as villains or saints.
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@sarahminaosman.bsky.social on #Pixar's latest animation, "Hoppers": the film's climax is a valuable reminder that none of us — from mammal to ant — are safe from the fury of a Mother Nature we have badly wronged. artsfuse.org/325348/film-...?
Film Review: “Hoppers” - Pixar’s Madcap Eco-Fable Hops Between Absurdity and Alarm - The Arts Fuse
"Hoppers"' climax is a valuable reminder that none of us -- from mammal to ant -- are safe from the fury of a Mother Nature we have badly wronged.
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For @sarahminaosman.bsky.social, the ratio between fantasy and real life felt off in this uneven film version of Kander and Ebb’s 1990 musical, though #JenniferLopez and #Tonatiuh shine. artsfuse.org/324033/film-...
Film Review: Escapism and Entrapment Collide in "Kiss of the Spider Woman” - The Arts Fuse
The ratio between fantasy and real life felt off in this uneven film version of Kander and Ebb's 1990 musical.
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@sarahminaosman.bsky.social on "The Doctors’ Riot of 1788": For all the book's rewards as a gross-out experience, the study has an ethical question at its core: does the search for medical knowledge outweigh our respect for human life and death? artsfuse.org/323221/book-...
Book Review: Dissecting the Past - Andy McPhee’s Chilling History of America's Medical Progress - The Arts Fuse
For all its rewards as a gross-out experience, "The Doctors’ Riot of 1788" has an ethical question at its core: does the search for medical knowledge outweigh our respect for human life and death?
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@sarahminaosman.bsky.social writes that #Twinless is by far the most surprising film she's seen in a long time. Director and writer #JamesSweeney takes viewers on a memorable emotional roller coaster ride. artsfuse.org/322993/film-...
Film Review: "Twinless" — A Double Take on Loss, Love, and Selfhood - The Arts Fuse
"Twinless" is by far the most surprising film I’ve seen in a long time. I relished the emotional rollercoaster ride director and writer James Sweeney takes us on.
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For @sarahminaosman.bsky.social, the problem is that, as the #EternityMovie goes on, the film starts to feel as if it is taking an eternity. artsfuse.org/321450/film-...
Film Review: "Eternity" - A Rom-Com Stuck in Limbo - The Arts Fuse
The problem is that, as "Eternity" goes on, the film starts to feel as if it is taking an eternity.
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@sarahminaosman.bsky.social on #Netflix's "Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery": This well-done whodunit supplies an insightful look at how money, politics, and religion have become intertwined—and where that may be taking us. artsfuse.org/321229/film-...
@sarahminaosman.bsky.social writes that "Wicked: For Good "has its faults, but it still stands out as one of the stronger adaptations of a musical to film. artsfuse.org/320647/film-...
HBO Max's "The Seduction" is visually stunning but, even though it is the magnificently clothed French aristocracy, @sarahminaosman.bsky.social writes that it all comes down to unremarkable people behaving badly. artsfuse.org/320332/telev...?
Television Review: "The Seduction" - HBO’s French Aristocrats Behave Badly, But Beautifully - The Arts Fuse
"The Seduction" is visually stunning but, even though it is the magnificently clothed French aristocracy, it all comes down to unremarkable people behaving badly.
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For @sarahminaosman.bsky.social, Peacock TV's #stumble is a welcome addition to the increasingly tired mockumentary genre. artsfuse.org/320230/telev...
@sarahminaosman.bsky.social writes that the #GeorgeClooney vehicle #JayKelly is shallow attack on Hollywood shallowness. artsfuse.org/320113/film-...
Part #superstore and part #theoffice," writes @sarahminaosman.bsky.social, there’s nothing inherently wrong with the #CBS sitcom #DMV. But there’s nothing all that remarkable about it either. artsfuse.org/319180/telev...
Television Review: "DMV" - An Uninspired Sitcom Stuck in Neutral - The Arts Fuse
When will there be a sitcom worthy of Tim Meadows’ talents?
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While not without its flaws, the @netflix.com series #TheNewForce proves that traditional TV cop drama can be given a new spin, and @sarahminaosman.bsky.social says it is especially gratifying when the innovation involves kick-ass women. artsfuse.org/318318/telev...
Television Review: Gender, Grit, and Glamour - Netflix’s “The New Force” Puts a Welcome Spin on the Cop Genre - The Arts Fuse
While not without its flaws, the series proves that traditional TV cop drama can be given a new spin, and it is especially gratifying when the innovation involves kick-ass women.
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@sarahminaosman.bsky.social writes that #thepaper is a light, diverting show, well-suited as background fodder, but unlikely to garner the same following as "The Office" or "Parks and Recreation." artsfuse.org/316563/telev...
@sarahminaosman.bsky.social writes that the #Netflix documentary "Fit For TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser" reveals the truth about quickie weight loss. artsfuse.org/315124/telev...?
Television Review: Too Much Reality? "Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser" - The Arts Fuse
The Netflix documentary "Fit for TV" reveals the truth about quickie weight loss.
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@sarahminaosman.bsky.social writes that, In terms of legacy film sequels, #AdamSandler's #happygilmore2 one isn’t a hole-in-one, but it doesn’t roll into a sand trap either. #Netflix artsfuse.org/314616/telev...
Television Review: "Happy Gilmore 2" -- Par for the Course - The Arts Fuse
In terms of legacy sequels, "Happy Gilmore 2" one isn’t a hole-in-one, but it doesn't roll into a sand trap either.
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