I'm exploring and decided to take the opportunity to start this "cultural diary." It's something I've had in mind for a while: a way for me to reflect on the media I consume. It's by no means a proper review, just a few lines on stuff I've consumed over the past month.
Movies
The Invite: A simple dinner invite turns into an awkward and uncomfortable evening. This is a funny bit that gets weirder and weirder as time passes. I'm not sure I would rewatch it, but I enjoyed it.
No Other Choice: After being fired, a man decides to increase his chances of getting hired again by eliminating other candidates. It's a dark comedy that also tries to serve as social commentary, though the general tone makes it difficult to take anything seriously. It's often absurd in a good way.
Fantastic Mr. Fox: A stop-motion movie about a fox that can't resist stealing from farms. This has the classic Wes Anderson touch. The visuals have a whimsical charm. The story is mostly a cliché about the importance of family. It will probably work better for adults, though kids should be able to enjoy this as well.
Series
MobLand - S01: I tend to really like stuff coming out of Guy Ritchie's hat, and MobLand is no exception. Great actors, great soundtrack (I have Starbuster by Fontaines D.C. on repeat), cool British mob story. I finished this just in time for S02. I can't wait.
Widow's Bay - S01: This was a nice surprise. It successfully walks a fine line between horror and comedy. I'm looking forward to more. Special mention for episode 4 and Patricia's character.
Silo - S03: The best season of Silo so far. While they took a different route than the books, they end up in a similar place by the end of the season. As someone who read the books, the last few episodes were a great payoff.
Games
TR-49: A nice puzzle/investigation game where you need to find a specific book using a strange WWII computer. To get to a book, you need to enter its "code," which is composed of two letters and two numbers (e.g., "AB-01"). Each book contains hints that link to other books and so on until the final piece of the puzzle.
Dispatch: It's a story-rich/choice-matters kind of game where you play as a dispatcher for a superhero team.
Monster Hunter Wilds: I had put this one aside for a while, but recent trailers for the upcoming "Ascension" expansion brought me back to MH Wilds. While it's still not perfect, performance has vastly improved since launch. I mainly caught up on the content released since the last time I played and updated my Hunting Horn build. Doot doot, motherfucker!
Books
The Alignment Problem: Nonfiction book based on interviews with experts working on the alignment problem. While this was published a few years before all the hyperbolic AI craze, I think it's still very relevant. As someone who is skeptical towards AI and has only followed the hype from a safe distance, I learned a lot here.