(trailer review) - Resident Evil

There have been a couple of attempts at making Resident Evil work properly on screen and honestly, I still don’t know why they keep struggling with it.

Because to me, the answer always seemed simple—stick as closely to the games as possible, make changes where necessary for film, but keep the core of what made the games work. That way, you satisfy the fans and you can still bring in general audiences if the story looks compelling enough.

But after watching this teaser… I’m still not fully convinced.

And that’s the strange thing because this comes from Zach Cregger, the director behind Barbarian and Weapons, and those recent horror projects have been genuinely strong. So there’s clearly talent behind this.

The teaser itself is definitely creepy though.

It opens with a man walking through heavy snow towards a house. He knocks on the door, enters, and explains he had trouble on the road and needs to use the telephone. Straight away, the atmosphere feels cold, isolated and uneasy.

From there, the trailer slowly builds tension through quick flashes and fragments.

We see him trying to use the phone, desperately attempting to make a connection while repeatedly saying “hello” into dead silence. Eventually the line connects and he leaves a message for someone he loves, apologising for being disconnected earlier before saying something has happened and there’s a chance they may never speak again.

That entire voice message plays over the chaos unfolding around him.

While he’s speaking, we get flashes of him being chased, searching the house for weapons, hearing creatures screeching somewhere nearby, and trying to grab keys from what looks like a dead body… only for the body to suddenly move.

There’s also a genuinely unsettling shot of him going down into what looks like a sewer tunnel where, sitting deep in the darkness, is this huge human-like figure. Naked, oversized and fully visible with some dark shadows on it.

That image alone feels like something straight out of a nightmare, or at least, almost lifted straight from the original Blade movie with Wesley Snipes.

The teaser keeps escalating from there. Arms burst through an open door reaching for the walls outside, creatures lunge at him as he slams doors shut behind him, an overturned police car sits wrecked as he approaches it, and there are shots of him possibly seeing dead bodies or these creatures for the first time as he discovers them.

There’s a great moment where he’s running through the street, looks upwards, and these creatures suddenly begin falling from rooftops onto cars around him.

The whole teaser is backed by the constant sound of a busy tone from the phone line, which honestly makes everything feel even more tense and hopeless.

And right before the title card appears, he quietly says: “I love you.”

Then the tone continues.

I can’t lie, visually and atmospherically this looks strong. It definitely leans more into horror than action, which is probably the right move. I’m just still not fully sold yet on whether this is finally going to be the adaptation that truly gets Resident Evil right.

But the potential is definitely there especially as I have heard, it is not based on any one computer game story, but a story within that world; that is what might save this, if they do it right!

(trailer review) - Spider-Noir

As off-the-wall as a black-and-white character being dropped into a colourful comic-book world sounds, the first trailer for Spider-Noir, being off-the-wall, somehow makes it work perfectly—and I absolutely loved it.

It’s also Nicolas Cage being… well, Nicolas Cage. And from what people have been saying, this is him in the most “Nick Cage-iest” way possible. Somehow, it completely works for the tone they’re going for. If anything, this trailer feels even stronger than the first.

The trailer opens with Ben Reilly saying: “Every mystery forms a complex web, but pull the right strand, and it’s a straight line to the answer.”

Straight away, it sets that noir detective tone.

There’s an interesting visual during this too, with a crane hook ascending in a way that mirrors Spider-Man hanging upside down. Then we get flashes of cards shuffling, a man with electricity glowing through his face like veins, and Ben Reilly lying on his back looking completely defeated.

The trailer moves quickly between these strange, stylish moments. There’s a cityscape drenched in shadow, a possible villain sitting in anguish, someone holding fire in the palm of their hand, and a nightclub performance that instantly reminded me of the opening of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

Then the detective story kicks in properly.

A woman walks into Ben Reilly’s office asking for help finding a missing friend, and from there the trailer spirals into chaos. There’s a great slow-motion shot where Spider-Noir gets punched by what looks like a Sandman-style character before falling from a rooftop. But as he falls, something changes. We get flashes of him trying to save someone trapped in a sinking car underwater before he finally fires out a web and swings back into the fight.

Someone tells him: “You’ve been in a hole ever since Ruby died.”

That line alone tells you there’s a lot more pain behind this version of the character.

From there it’s pure madness in the best way possible—Spider-Noir taking out enemies, person engulfed in flames, cars being stopped with brute force, electricity igniting oil in the streets and some genuinely creepy shots of what look like failed experiments and mutated villains.

One shot in particular of a man with multiple eyes on one side of his face biting someone’s arm felt straight out of a horror film but also reminded me of the Spider-Man animated series which had Peter Parker turn unti a "Man-Spider".

Visually, this show looks fantastic too. The black-and-white noir aesthetic mixed with comic-book action gives it a completely different feel from most superhero projects out right now and harkens back to the likes of Sin City. And the swinging shots through the city genuinely look great.

The final joke lands perfectly as well. After getting beaten up repeatedly in various fights, the woman asks Ben what happened to his face and he casually replies: “I walked into a door.”

Classic noir detective energy.

And then the trailer ends by revealing you can watch it in two different ways, including “True-Hue” full colour mode, which honestly feels like such a cool touch for a project like this.

Everything about this looks stylish, weird, dramatic and surprisingly fresh.

(episode review) [STREAMING] - Daredevil: Born Again - Season 2: Episode 6

  

I’ll be honest—sometimes I like to listen to other critics and pundits after I’ve watched an episode, just to get a different perspective. Not because I can’t form my own opinion, but because I’ve started to notice something about myself: if I really like a show, I can overlook flaws a bit too easily. Moments that might not fully land/work, or questions that should be answered, can get brushed aside because I’m enjoying the experience overall. That’s exactly what happened here.

After listening to a discussion about this episode with John and Shannon (for full disclosure), I started to reflect a bit more critically. One thing that stood out is how much I’ve been relying on the show itself to eventually explain certain plot points, character decisions, or transitions—even when it doesn’t fully do that. Characters sometimes disappear for an episode or two and then reappear and the development feels shallow and while I’ve mostly gone along with it, it’s fair to say those connections aren’t always as strong or clearly developed as they could be.

Now, to be fair, not every criticism they had lands for me. I had no real issue with the therapist and Buck, and Jessica Jones’ introduction worked for me too—it was set up with a small line from Karen, and that was enough in my view. But the broader point does stick: this series could benefit from tightening its narrative threads and being a bit more deliberate in how it connects everything together.

When you look at the bigger picture, it makes sense. This was originally planned as an 18-episode run before being reworked. A lot was clearly cut, reshaped, and refocused to better align with what fans wanted. That likely explains why Season 1 felt like a collection of ideas loosely stitched together. Season 2 is definitely stronger—it has clearer direction, better ideas, and more engaging character dynamics—but those connective gaps are still there and it needs tightening.

That said, when the show hits, it really hits. The core characters remain compelling, the dynamics between them are strong, and the action continues to deliver.

Picking up directly from the previous episode, we see Wilson Fisk grieving over Vanessa’s death—a rare moment of vulnerability for him. But this is still Kingpin, and even in grief, he’s thinking ahead. While a funeral is held, Fisk is already making moves regarding the shipment, showing that his empire doesn’t pause for anything.

Jessica Jones enters the story properly here, crossing paths with Daredevil as she looks for payback. This leads to a warehouse fight involving the AVTF, and it’s exactly the kind of gritty, chaotic action you’d expect when those two characters share the screen.

Elsewhere, Daniel is assigned to feed BB false information to test her loyalty, adding another layer of tension and manipulation behind the scenes.

There’s also growing friction between Matt and Karen, particularly after Daredevil saves Bullseye. Their opposing ideologies are starting to clash more openly, which adds some strong emotional weight to their dynamic.

The episode builds towards unrest outside City Hall, with protesters clashing against the AVTF. What starts as a disturbance escalates quickly, culminating in the death of an AVTF officer and Karen being captured by Officer Powell—raising the stakes significantly heading into the next episode.

Overall, I did enjoy this episode. Seeing Krysten Ritter return as Jessica Jones was a highlight and playing a few notes from her theme qas a nice touch, and it’s interesting to see where she is at this point in her life, so it would be nice to tie these threads together. At this point, we know Luke is coming back, so will Danny Rand?, especially when he gave the Ironfist to Corleen Wing. Also, it would be nice to get Elektra and Clare Temple back. But I do find myself wondering where the story goes from here—especially when it comes to Matt’s path going forward and his evolving dynamic with Fisk now that Vanessa is gone. There’s a lot to like here, but also just enough missing to make you pause and think.

(trailer review) - Clayface

 

So at first, I didn’t even realise the trailer had started—it just sort of crept in. But as it went on, I clocked how unsettling it was getting, with these flashes of this guy (who I’m assuming is the main character), and I’m still not even sure “body horror” fully covers it.

It starts very slow—just a bandaged face staring out. Then quick cuts: a blond-haired man, back to the bandages, then him in a crowd, maybe at a premiere. Then it escalates—someone cutting into his face, injections, masks… all very fragmented and uncomfortable.

As it builds, continuing with shots of the bandages, that’s when it gets mad. His face starts melting while he’s looking in the mirror? In ome shot, he’s running through the street in another, and there are these flashes of him screaming—but his mouth isn’t opening properly, his lips are stretching in a way that just looks wrong. At one point he takes off his sunglasses and his eye is basically sealed shut.

And then that moment—he rubs his hand across his face and just… moves or maybe rubs away all of his features. Wild.

Clayface already looks like it’s going to be something completely different for the superhero genre. It leans hard into horror, and not in a safe way either. Considering Clayface is a villain, it’ll be interesting to see how this plays out, especially when Batman eventually comes into it.

But yeah… this looks crazy.

(trailer review) - The Punisher: One Last Kill

 

So, I’m probably still a few months away from doing live trailer reactions while I finish setting up, but for now—let’s talk about this.

If you watched Daredevil Season 2 on Netflix, then you already know one of the absolute standout moments was that rooftop scene between Daredevil and the Punisher. The dialogue, the tension—everything about Frank Castle in that season just worked. Then we got The Punisher Seasons 1 and 2, which only deepened how compelling his character is.

Fast forward to Daredevil: Born Again (which, as I’ve said before, basically feels like Season 4 of the Netflix show), and Frank’s conversation with Matt is a pivotal moment in Matt’s decision-making and inner conflict. So seeing the Punisher show up in the Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer? That’s something I don’t think any of us realised we needed—but we absolutely did. And this trailer? It completely goes off.

It opens with Frank sitting in a chair, listening to a friend speaking to him. There are flashes of people around him—maybe real, maybe not—which makes it feel like either a flashback or something playing out in his head. Frank looks through a viewfinder, there is a woman screaming, and then a brutal shot of Frank using someone as a human shield, taking a shotgun blast to the chest.

We then cut back to his friend confronting him about his past, intercut with flashes of Frank’s daughter, a gravesite, and a young girl in a diner. Then suddenly, Frank is walking topless, carrying a massive gun—pure Punisher energy.

One standout moment shows liquid seeping under a door. You hear it ignite, and Frank’s legs catch fire. And right there, I knew exactly what was coming—I literally called it—he charges straight through the flames and crashes through the door in classic Frank Castle fashion.

From there, it’s chaos. He’s walking through the streets as everything falls apart. A little girl calls out “Daddy,” while the girl from the diner is being taken away. Frank charges in with a baseball bat. We see him on top of a building fighting multiple men at once—throwing some over the edge, using others as shields, even going up against someone wielding an axe. He’s diving through windows, leaping backwards off buildings while firing, taking people out in diners—it’s relentless. And then the final shot: dressed in black, revealing the iconic skull logo across his chest.

This trailer is incredible.

Story-wise, it could go either way—it might be thin, or it could surprise us. Right now, it’s hard to tell but he is a beloved character and Jon plays him very well. I’m also not sure why it’s called "One Last Kill" so hopefully not a limited series, but like Loki, may end up with a "sequel" if the reaponse is right. We do not know exactly where it sits in the current MCU timeline—if it even does. It could be a standalone story, which seems likely, even though the Daredevil connections are now essentially canon.

It’ll be interesting to see whether this picks up from The Punisher series, Daredevil: Born Again, or somehow ties into Spider-Man: Brand New Day—or if it just exists on its own while still being awesome, hopefully.

Either way, we’ll find out soon enough.

(episode review) [STREAMING] - Daredevil: Born Again - Season 2: Episode 4

 

Episode 4 opens with Benjamin Poindexter moving through a quiet, almost methodical routine—making breakfast, getting in some light exercise, even leaving food out for his landlord’s cat. It’s calm, controlled… and deeply unsettling once you remember who he is. This all leads into the diner sequence teased in the trailer, where he arrives—and, notably, leaves without incident.

That said, the trailer definitely cherry-picked the most intense moments, because the full scene plays out with far more restraint. Once Bullseye exits, the episode shifts focus back to Karen Page and Matt Murdock as they begin interviewing the hostages. It’s here that the legal side of things starts to take shape, with Karen eventually bringing in attorney Kirsten McDuffie to help strengthen their position.

Matt, of course, takes things a step further. His investigation leads him straight to Bullseye, culminating in a brutal and incredibly well-choreographed fight inside Bullseye’s apartment. It’s one of the standout moments of the episode—raw, intense, and very much in line with what fans expect from Daredevil at his best.

What makes it more interesting is Bullseye’s mindset. He genuinely claims to be one of the “good guys,” and as the episode unfolds, it becomes clear that he’s working towards a larger plan. By the end, that plan is set into motion—or at least appears to be—leaving things on a very tense note.

One thing I’ve really come to appreciate about Daredevil: Born Again is how it carries over the grounded tone of the Netflix series while clearly benefiting from a bigger budget and more stylistic confidence. There’s a noticeable flair to it now, and New York feels more alive—almost like a character in its own right. You see everyday people reacting through video clips, sharing opinions, taking sides on vigilantes, Fisk, Daredevil—it all adds texture to the world. There’s even a layer of real-world reflection woven in, reinforcing that “art imitates life” idea.

This episode strikes a strong balance between drama and action, and honestly, it feels closer to what Season 1 of Born Again should have been from the start. That said, looking back, you can see what they were aiming for—and with how this episode ends, the title feels very fitting: All Gloves Are Off.

If I had one criticism, it’s that some of the plot points feel a bit too telegraphed. You can see certain developments coming from a mile away, which takes away a bit of the tension. It doesn’t ruin the experience, but it does hold it back slightly from being truly unpredictable.

Still, this is a strong episode—and a clear sign that the series is finding its footing.

(trailer review) - Daredevil: Born Again - Season 2

 

I’ve been locked into this show.

If you’ve been following my blog—or just following me in general—you’ll already know how much I rate the original Daredevil series on Netflix, and honestly, the wider Defenders “saga” as a whole. Not every show hit the same level, but that’s expected. Daredevil came out the gate strong, and while Season 2 is a bit divisive (despite introducing The Punisher), Season 3 brought things right back with Bullseye—who, if we’re being real, is one of Daredevil’s best antagonists. A man with perfect aim versus a man who can’t see? It just works.

Now, Daredevil: Born Again feels like it’s really finding its footing. The build-up has been strong, and this Season 2 trailer is proof of that. The release strategy has helped too—dropping Episode 1 on its own, then Episodes 2 and 3 back-to-back as a companion piece worked really well. But this trailer? It takes things up another level. It leans heavily into Bullseye’s chaos, his precision, and just how unhinged he really is—and with Jessica Jones now entering the mix, I genuinely can’t wait for what’s coming next.

The trailer opens with Benjamin Poindexter casually walking into a diner and ordering a banana milkshake. It’s quiet, controlled… until it isn’t. The AVTF suddenly storm in, and when one officer clocks who he’s dealing with, there’s a brilliant dolly zoom moment (one of my favourite shots) as the realisation hits—this is Bullseye. What follows is quick, brutal, and efficient. He takes them all out without hesitation, then calmly walks out, leaving behind his signature mark on the diner doors.

From there, the scale widens. We see Daredevil standing on the Brooklyn Bridge as unrest brews across the city. There are shots of Matt Murdock and Karen Page leaving what looks like a courthouse, while public opinion seems increasingly divided—some people even appearing to support Daredevil, masks in hand and on their heads. 

There are quieter character moments too—Matt and Karen sitting down together, Vanessa framed in a cold, blue-lit shot holding a gun, and Bullseye stepping out of a mansion with that unsettling smile. Matt is also seen entering a courtroom, reinforcing that constant duality between his legal life and his vigilante role.

Then the tone shifts again. The music builds, cuts—and we hear Jessica Jones: “They showed up at my house… with my daughter there.” Matt asks, “You hurt?” Her response: “I’m pissed.” From that point, it’s chaos. Jessica is tearing through AVTF agents in a warehouse, throwing one across the room and smashing through another. We get rapid cuts—Bullseye launching projectiles with deadly precision, Wilson Fisk in the middle of a brutal fight (possibly against Bullseye, though it’s hard to say for sure), Karen behind bars, and what looks like a large-scale conflict involving figures dressed in red—whether that’s The Hand or something else entirely remains unclear.

There are flashes of what seems to be the classic hallway-style fight, Daredevil taking on multiple AVTF agents, and a moment where two officers rip off his mask—seemingly exposing Matt Murdock.

The trailer closes in a frenzy of quick cuts: the psychiatrist, Bullseye throwing daggers, Karen fighting back, explosions, and Fisk looking very pleased with himself.

Then we get the final exchange. "It’s going to be a bloodbath,” Daredevil says. Jessica responds: “Then this should be tons of fun.” And honestly? That pretty much sums it up.

This trailer is intense, focused, and full of promise. If the series delivers on even half of what’s shown here, we’re in for something special.

(episode review) [STREAMING] - Daredevil: Born Again - Season 2: Episode 1

 

We’ve come a long way to get here.

From the fan campaigns and constant push to bring Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio back as Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk, to finally seeing them fully re-established in this world—it’s been a journey. While Born Again Season 1 felt like a bit of a mish-mash at times—visually, structurally, and in its overall flow—this first episode of Season 2 feels like a real course correction. In fact, by the end of the episode, I was so caught off guard that I actually shouted out loud. That rarely happens.

Usually, before a new season drops, I like to go back and rewatch the previous one. Sure, you can get a 20-minute recap on YouTube, but there’s something about revisiting the world and characters properly that hits differently. I didn’t have time to do that here, but thankfully, the episode does a great job of grounding you. Visually and sonically, it feels familiar—carrying over elements from Season 1, which itself echoed the Netflix era—but everything feels more refined, more confident. It’s an upgrade.

The episode opens with Daredevil infiltrating a ship, taking out guards in a sequence that gave me real Captain America: The Winter Soldier vibes. It’s slick, controlled, and intense. But things escalate quickly—once the captain realises what’s happening, he sinks the ship.

That single act sets off a chain reaction.

We soon learn that the sinking has created a major situation, prompting Wilson Fisk to bring in Mr. Charles to handle the fallout while he personally hunts down both the captain and his first mate. At the same time, Fisk spins the narrative—placing the blame squarely on Daredevil and Karen Page.

Meanwhile, Matt and Karen are trying to track down those same individuals to secure their testimonies and clear their names. But with both of them now labelled as terrorists—and the Anti-Vigilante Task Force actively rounding up heroes and vigilantes—the pressure is mounting. Matt, in particular, is feeling it. You can see the strain as he tries to protect the people around him while everything closes in.

What really stood out in this episode is how much it leans into what worked best before. The storytelling feels tighter, and the visual language is much closer to the tone fans loved from the Netflix series—just elevated with a bigger budget. You can see where that extra investment is going.

There are some really nice creative touches here too. One of my favourites—returning from Season 1—is the use of a dolly zoom when Matt sharpens his senses to focus in on specific sounds. In this episode, it’s used again to great effect, and paired with subtle aspect ratio changes, it creates a genuinely striking moment.

The fight sequences are another highlight—visceral, cleanly shot, and easy to follow. You’re never lost in the action, which makes every hit feel that much more impactful.

Another improvement is how the show is handling its supporting cast. Characters like BB and the psychiatrist are getting more focus, helping to flesh out the world beyond just Matt and Fisk. It gives the story more depth—and if anything, it raises the stakes. Expanding the spotlight like this often means not everyone is making it out alive.

If this first episode is anything to go by, Season 2 is already on much stronger footing—and I’m very interested to see where it goes next.