Marvelous Geeks

Hallmark may be best known for its Christmas movies, but there’s more to them than that! In recent years, the best Hallmark international movies have taken viewers to far-flung destinations. They add an extra sense of history and culture to classic romance setups, not to mention gorgeous scenery (and food!). We hope we’ll continue to see more and more locations worldwide in movies to come!

If you want to swoon over destinations while swooning over romance, check out these jet-setting movies for your next night in.

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There are so many things about Barbie that work—things that bring people joy, laughter, and a whole bunch of sadness, too. But take one thing away from the film, and so much of the relatability is lost. Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For” doesn’t play throughout the movie, but it’s the song that holds the entire film together. It’s the track that reaches into so many of our hearts and tugs and pulls because we understand the depth on an indescribable level. 

The pandemic changed us. The 2016 elections broke us. The world is a dark and scary place, and despite the progress we’ve made, we’re still struggling. We’re still behind. Part of the reason Barbie hits some people as hard as it does is because they’re watching it at a time when they aren’t sure of their purpose. That’s what happened to me. I love writing. I know I’m meant to do it forever. But what happens when you’re fighting against an industry that values robots more than human emotions? What happens when the job market is bleak? What happens when you’re tired and you can’t take a break because capitalism demands to suck the life out of you. What happens when you’re fighting against an algorithm that demands consistency? 

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Pedro Pascal is one of the most exceptionally gifted actors of our time. It’s a fact at this point that his range knows no bounds, and there’s genuinely no role he can’t take on with stunning nuances and grace. While he’s quite busy these days as a new addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Mr. Fantastic in Fantastic Four, we’re now also just itching to see him cast in a romance, especially after his appearance at the 2024 Screen Actors Guild Awards. 

And sure, Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic) is technically a husband, but he’s most definitely not the type of romance hero we have in mind. He’s not a George Russell “My Wife” type of guy, and that’s the kind of role we need to see Pascal in—some place where he could be both vulnerable and bold. The mass success of Bridgerton maintains proof that the world is ready for more adaptations, historicals especially, and since Pascal is no stranger to a version of it, thanks to his role as Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones, he’d be the perfect fit. He also deserves to be in a role where his character isn’t going to die brutally or where he doesn’t have to suffer consistently.

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On January 29th, Elmo’s official Twitter account asked a simple question: “Elmo is just checking in! How is everybody doing?” Within moments, quote tweets started flooding the Sesame Street character with statements about how hard we’re struggling. Millennial culture relies maybe a bit too much on memes—we’re used to deflecting and laughing about our troubles, but that doesn’t mean we’re okay, does it? We’re also the same people who cried when Steve from Blues Clues returned after all the years away to touch base in 2022.

Are we okay?

No, we’re not. The things we’ve lived through as a generation are unfathomable when you sit down to recount it all, and this notion only factors in the collective trauma. We all have our own battles and roadblocks we cross through every day, which makes for a whole other story. It’s true that we’re also constantly dumping out all our pain on social media, disguising it with memes and relatable movie quotes, but what is it about Elmo that made January 29th such an emotional day? Is it our never-ending need for nostalgia because our childhoods were that magical? 

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In the last five years or so, the comedy category for awards nominations has been highly questionable. Why exactly are we laughing, and at what? A show like The Bear does have its lighter moments, sure, but more than anything, the series is an exploration of grief and trauma. It’s not funny at all. At the same time, we have a film like Netflix’s May December, considered a comedy when it tackles grooming and trauma. Let’s unpack this, Hollywood.

Now, surely dramedies and dark comedies also exist, and the one umbrella term “comedy” works to encase them all, but there are specific themes that ultimately shouldn’t have the comedy label. If I’m writing a romance that tackles grief and loneliness, amongst other heartbreaking themes, then I’m not going to label the book as a romantic comedy, even if a happy ending is included and there are funny parts. It’s merely a romance at that point. However, a film like Barbie tackles identity crises and thoughts of death, but most of the narrative is full of running gags and legitimately hilarious moments. In the same way that the academy doesn’t deem Succession a comedy even when there are outright uproarious beats, then we shouldn’t do it for series like The Bear, either.

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There’s an entire world where romance is at the forefront of storytelling, yet many TV shows are still afraid of placing healthy married couples at the center of the plot. There’s a preconceived, odd notion that people will stop watching if there’s no build-up or drama to stir the pot and terrorize the romance, but it doesn’t factor in the idea that a large majority of people will watch something if it’s well-written just to see a couple they care about prevail. CBS’ Madam Secretary did it for six years, and now, Max’s The Gilded Age is taking a similar road.

Where romance is at its pinnacle in the literary world and conquering every corner, TV shows often feel they need to draw out the tension to keep things exciting. But what remains thrilling with a show like The Gilded Age is how the Russells could (and should) stay together despite the obstacles towering over them. And CBS’ Madam Secretary (among other shows) proved that the drama could be external without defeating the internal intimacy within closed doors.

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Barbenheimer—the summer phenomena promoting viewing both Barbie and Oppenheimer in theaters—started as a means to celebrate two credible directors and the purely coincidental release date of the highly anticipated films. Yet, it’s so much more than that when you look at how it can convey change if discourse around films and comparisons shift. Both films are bringing box office numbers that few others have managed post-Covid, and both films are prompting mostly positive reactions.

Films and TV series geared strictly toward women often bring unsolicited sexist reactions and unnecessary mockery. Fandom culture is demoralized, and while we’re still amid the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike, studios are still woefully clueless about what the people want. It’s rare when critics and audience members outside social media are on the same page. It’s rare that something blows up to the degree Barbenheimer has that doesn’t tie to a large franchise spanning decades of fandom building.

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You’ve probably heard about Prime Video’s Citadel, but judging by the numbers, there’s a good chance you haven’t watched it. Reportedly costing over $250 million, promoted by a huge marketing blitz, and designed to launch a sprawling universe of interconnected, international shows, the spy thriller took five weeks to barely crack the Nielsen streaming top 10. As at other streamers, there was hand-wringing over a lack of brand identity; despite investments in pricey, under-delivering shows, Prime Video still believed it couldn’t find the breakout hit around which it could build its sense of the “kind” of shows they make.  

But the streamer has, in fact, already had two shows that are critical and commercial hits and produced noticeable pop culture impact: Fleabag and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. The problem is these shows aren’t based on algorithm-friendly “four corners” concepts; instead, they center on women’s stories, memorable characters, and smart writing. And apparently, that’s not good enough for brand identity — a problem that goes well beyond one company.  

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Star Trek, like Star Wars, is an extensive world. There’s a lot of it out there, and not enough time to catch up on everything if it’s not a property you grew up with. Chances are, if you’re reading this, you’re not a Trekkie (or maybe you are, and you’re out here judging me; please don’t. I’m fragile). In a nutshell, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is relatively simple to understand and wholeheartedly intriguing right from the start. I’m sure most Star Trek properties hold the same value, but again—time.

For those wanting an effortless tug toward a big, bold world, Strange New Worlds is the perfect show to start with. There’s history that could probably fly by you, but it’s not so much that it defeats the purpose of the story. There’s no part of it that’s hard to understand. It’s a sphere brimming with rich, gripping, and intelligent stories at every turn.

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My oldest friend got married in January, so I made my way down to sunny Florida to be a bridesmaid in a Disney Fairy Tale Wedding. It’s what she had always dreamed of doing when she got married, and I couldn’t be happier that she got to have her giant, magical spectacle while also knowing that if I were faced with the same scenario on my own wedding day, I’d fake my own death to get out of it. I have never really had a vision of my wedding day because while I’d love to get married one day, I absolutely do not want a wedding.

There’s nothing wrong with big weddings — I understand that joining two lives together is something that many people want to celebrate with their loved ones and that weddings are of huge importance in various cultures, and that’s a beautiful thing. But to me, the thought of being the center of attention makes me break out in hives and the added humiliation of pouring your heart out during one of the most personal and intimate moments of your life while people watch you?! Hideous. I can’t think of anything worse. If I am ever to tie the knot, I want to elope somewhere far away and get married in the presence of absolutely no one.

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We rarely recommend a show in its first season without seeing the entire thing, but it’s hard not to praise CBS’ Fire Country. While procedurals are generally a hit or miss, for fans of NBC’s Chicago Fire, we might have uncovered the next best thing, full of so much heart that it’s been hard to imagine something as good for five weeks now.

There’s already an intriguing overarching storyline outside of the weekly cases, and that alone deserves viewers going in spoiler-free. And for the sake of allowing readers to experience the series as it should be, we’ll keep this list vague but packed with all the necessary beats we think are essential.

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Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris isn’t just one of the best films of the year, but it’s a story that will stay with many people for a lifetime. It’s dazzling, tender, and brimming with unceasing hope at every corner. It’s a story about the importance of believing in our dreams, but it’s also a quiet tribute that focuses on the significance of finding someone who sees us for all we are. And though it emerges in the backdrop of the primary track, Andre and Natasha’s love story is a memorable piece of the story, which the film wouldn’t be the same without.

To make the invisible visible. Natasha is anything but invisible, yet the parts of her she wants to be seen for are parts she’s forced to hide as a model at Dior. That is until Mrs. Harris enters the picture and starts to see her as a girl whose dreams look different from the confines she’s currently in. It’s then through Mrs. Harris and the glances Andre steals as she walks over in the white dress that tells us he does too. We know from that moment that though his infatuation could be toward her physical beauty (as everyone’s is), there’s a pull much deeper he has yet to decipher.

Through the awkward string of conversations where he stumbles at the sight of her and the moments brought on by an understanding that he cannot ever be someone she chooses. A quiet romance then stirs in the gentle corners—unplanned dinners and accidental run-ins that thrust them forward. Mrs. Harris sees all this, believing with full conviction that Natasha would not only give Andre a chance, but the two would be great together. Thus, she tries to thrust the relationship forward while following her dreams.

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We’ve talked about how Steve Harrington gives the love he’s never received, but now we need to talk in length about what his vision for the future represents and what it shows about his character. Steve Harrington is many things, but beyond his luscious, uber-cool (ridiculous) persona is a boy whose dreams of a simple life showcase what he’s missing. Steve doesn’t know how not to give, and he doesn’t know how to step back even when his life is at risk. “I still have hope,” he tells Robin later in the episode—hope for a future, survival, and for something greater than the circumstances at this very moment.

He has hope for a “full brood of Harringtons…like five/six kids. […] Yeah. Six little nuggets.” He has hopes to “just see the country” and to “learn how to surf or something.” But it’s that or something I haven’t been able to stop thinking about since Stranger Things Season 4, Episode 8 “Papa” aired. Because “or something” implies that there’s still plenty in him he’s bursting to talk to someone about. It’s so easy to share this moment with Nancy, not because he’s still pining after her, but because during this quiet drive, it’s the one thing genuinely consuming him—the hope for something bigger. This moment, strangely, reminds me of Taylor Swift’s “august.”

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Sometimes, the adaption is better than the book, while other times, they’re so different, you can’t even compare the two. We don’t yet know which category Taylor Jenkins Reid‘s Daisy Jones & The Six will fall in, but this is a book worth reading before watching Amazon’s adaptation starring Riley Keough.

For starters, I didn’t know what I was going into when I picked up the novel, prepping myself for the TV series, and I generally don’t dive into something blind without recommendations from someone who knows my taste. It might be my fault for listening to the audiobook before picking up a physical copy of the novel because I generally go in that direction for celebrity memoirs or biographies, making it feel like a podcast episode. But right from the start, Reid grips you, effortlessly throwing you into a world where you have to keep reminding yourself to calm down because it’s fiction. It’s not real.

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Like the rest of the world, I binged Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 of Stranger Things 4 separately in a single afternoon. Stranger Things 4 was worth the wait and then some, providing standout performances and excellent reveals that raise the stakes for the fifth and final season. Not to mention, as a shipper, there were some peak moments for couples such as Joyce and Hopper, Mike and Eleven, Will and Mike, and even Steve and Nancy. While I may still be holding on to the mere minutes we had of Jonathan and Nancy this season, there’s one couple that never got to take off, but their brief scenes together have stayed with me for weeks. Of course, I’m talking about Eddie Munson and Chrissy Cunningham.

Some ships are like certain relationships — some that you connect with instantly, others a slow burn. Some ships don’t land until a single moment that changes everything, such as it was for me when it came to Eddie and Chrissy. Don’t get me wrong — the chemistry between Joseph Quinn and Grace Van Dien was definitely there in that scene in the woods (I’ll circle back to it, I promise!). However, the nature of Stranger Things made it hard for me to latch onto them because, in the back of my mind, I knew Chrissy was doomed from the start. In the words of Taylor Swift, I’ve seen this film before. From the moment she was seen holding herself as she walked away from Dr. Kelly’s office, it felt inevitable that she would be one of the first victims of whatever creature was being introduced from the Upside Down this season. Not to mention, at the time, she was in a relationship with the basketball captain, Jason Carver. As it turns out, she was indeed Vecna’s first victim — she didn’t even make it past the season premiere.

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There’s a plethora concerning Stranger Things’ Steve Harrington’s past that we still don’t know about, but one thing’s been reaching the shore since day one—the amount of love he’s capable of giving. Where does that immense compassion come from, and how much of it do some people truly deserve? There are reasons he’s been the fan-favorite character throughout the show’s run, and a lot boils down to the sense of safety his character’s presence evokes even while we’re all tirelessly on edge while fearing for his fictional life.

In examining his desires to love, it’s imperative to look into the moment in Season 1 when he goes over to help remove the cruel words written on the theater marquee. There’s something about Joe Keery‘s line delivery here that hits like a ton of bricks while showing us that though Steve doesn’t really know how to be of use, he just wants to help. He wants to do something that’ll benefit someone else. He wants to make lives more accessible, especially for those he’s hurt in his selfishness. Now, while we don’t know concrete details about his parents other than that his father is a “grade-A asshole,” we can be sure that there’s a significant amount of love lacking in Steve’s life. We see this rather evidently in the first season based on his behavior and approach to everything, but especially in how his growth later leads to exhibiting the parental-like adoration that’s inherently missing in his life.

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The guest stars on Stranger Things leave an impact I’ve not seen on any other show. It’s not often that the death of a character you’ve only known for about five minutes ends up being a slogan for every piece of merchandise or the trending topic on Twitter for what feels like ages. But Joseph Quinn’s Eddie Munson is different, and it’s why his death hurts the most.

We don’t know much about Eddie, not in the traditional sense, at least. Still, Eddie Munson feels like a character anyone could be friends with, no matter who they are or what they stand for. His innate kindness glistens through any chance he’s given to be his most authentic, and his compassion is rooted in his own unique excitement for all that he loves. Outside of his friendship with Dustin and everyone else, it’s how seamlessly he fits in with the core group that creates something unique. Eddie is on the same wavelength or whatever imperfections they all live through, allowing his own flaws to be a part of the grand mosaic.

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