Amber Dowling

Netflix’s Monster sinks with gruesome Ed Gein retelling True-crime series is grotesque, exhausting and unsettling

Monster: The Ed Gein Story took me a long time to get through and I’m still feeling queasy. Did you make it through or did you have to turn it off? My full thoughts in today's @theglobeandmail.com www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/film...

Devil In Disguise: John Wayne Gacy is a refreshing take on the serial-killer drama Devil In Disguise: John Wayne Gacy is a refreshing take on the serial-killer drama

"It’s not told from Gacy’s point of view, and strips his power by ignoring him and focusing on the wreckage he caused."

Excited to announce my @avclub.com debut, a hot take on Peacock's serial killer drama, "Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy"
www.avclub.com/devil-in-dis...

Hacks Season 4 delivers a brutal truth: Fame isn’t worth the cost The HBO Max comedy has tackled cancel culture, feminism and the price of fame

"When the end comes, how will you sum up your life? How will others do it for you? More importantly, how will those narratives match, and what did it cost to get there?" @amberdowling.bsky.social looks at the fourth season of #Hacks www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/televis...

How a Community — and Netflix — Created an Entire Production Ecosystem in Nunavut for ‘North of North’ Nunavut, the largest & northernmost territory of Canada, never played host to a production before. Netflix's original Canadian series changed that.

That time I witnessed an incredible community coming together to create something beautiful and impactful. North of North is downright joy.

www.indiewire.com/features/int...

The Handmaid's Tale Cast and Crew on the Show's Eerie, Real-Life Predictions 'Misogyny is at the reptilian brain stem of white nationalism, and it's never going to go away.'

The Handmaid's Tale Cast and Crew Urge People to 'Take Action' or Face a Real-Life Gilead

"Misogyny is at the reptilian brain stem of white nationalism, and it's never going to go away."

www.tvguide.com/news/the-han...

Yellowjackets star Christina Ricci knows why the show strikes a chord: rage Ricci believes women can especially relate to its dark, emotional themes, in a world where women are experiencing real-life feelings of hopelessness and antagonism

“I can’t imagine how cathartic it is to turn on a show where people are acting out their rage. These 40-year-old women are literally burning it all down because of what they’ve been through in their lives.”

www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/televis...

These two are sheer goals.

Netflix's Latest Crime Show Snags Rare 100 Percent Rotten Tomatoes Score Will you be watching?

Need a weekend watch? Netflix's Adolescence has a 100% score on @rottentomatoes.com, or so says this article quoting my review. www.mensjournal.com/entertainmen...

‘Adolescence’ Review: Netflix’s Disturbing Limited Series Is Almost Impossible to Stomach "Adolescence" is a must-watch psychological drama, involving a 13-year-old murder suspect, that spotlights a new kind of toxic masculinity

Netflix’s newest crime drama Adolescence is astoundingly immersive… but that also makes it really hard to watch. My review for @thewrap.com

www.thewrap.com/adolescence-...

“We will never be the 51st state.” Trudeau is exiting as the PM who stood up for Canadians.

Dictator Trump, however, continues showing us exactly who he is. So let’s just start calling a spade a spade.

…How did we get here?

Pixar’s Win or Lose could have been a home run, but strikes out when it matters most A storyline that Disney forced the show’s creators to drop could have inspired enthusiasm in transgender children without getting into the issue’s politics

I'm a softballer for life. But knowing the Win or Lose creators had to axe their original vision for the series (especially in today's climate) feels extra icky. www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/televis...

CBC’s Small Achievable Goals dares to tackle society’s most taboo subject: menopause Many women feel alone, ashamed and utterly perplexed about what’s happening to their bodies, but Jennifer Whalen and Meredith MacNeill are hoping to change that with their eight-episode CBC comedy

Small Achievable Goals slides into North of North's slot on CBC tonight. Written by and starring Jennifer Whalen and Meredith MacNeill, it's a menopause romp full of heavy bleeding and murderous thoughts. @amberdowling.bsky.social writes about it: www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/televis...

'Beyond the Gates' is 1st network daytime soap centering a Black family in 25 years The hour-long show debuts on CBS Monday, focusing on a family living in a wealthy D.C. suburb. "This is not your grandmother's soap opera," says star Tamara Tunie.

Beyond the Gates, 1st network TV soap opera centered on a Black family in nearly 35 years, debuted on CBS today. Here's my feature story, from 2 visits to the Atlanta set, outlining how a groundbreaking step forward in diversity was built from ground up. loom.ly/chdtEsI

Just trying to change the vibe around here.

Voting for the Mayor Who Promised to Blow Up the City Doesn’t Mean I Approve of the Mayor Blowing Up the City It’s so easy to label people these days. From the way folks have been talking, you’d think everyone falls into two buckets: those who voted against...

I wrote this bit that is entirely unrelated to current things

Netflix’s Apple Cider Vinegar scrutinizes the raw milk-peddling world of health influencers This dramatization of a wild story about a health influencer and her false cancer claims reminds us we can be in control of what we consume and the messages we choose to spread

Here's @amberdowling.bsky.social on Netflix's new drama about the sick side of health influencers. www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/televis...

There’s a reason familiar franchises are populating TV schedules: IP is where the money is As networks fight to retain cord-cutting viewers, established IP and a predetermined fanbase are keeping audiences hanging on

Are TV schedules looking overly familiar? It's no accident. I shared my thoughts on why in today's Globe and Mail. www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/televis...

Tonight feels like an appropriate night for a Canadian Bacon rewatch. (It’s available free on Tubi, if anyone wants to join.)

I miss human connection while shopping. Stood at the Starbucks cash for 10 minutes without even a smile while they served mobile and drive-thru orders. Finally gave up and ordered on the app. Why is this the new normal?!? 😭

“Yes, Minister” is one of my forever comfort shows—one I used to watch with my dad growing up. 💜

New medical drama Doc puts focus on grief and the importance of dealing with loss Creators of the real-life story filmed in the GTA hope the show sparks conversations around trauma and loss, and brings a cathartic release

Grief is something that affects us all so differently. So it was interesting to learn more about how grief and coping shape the characters in the new medical drama, Doc. Which, by the way, filmed steps away from my old high school in Mississauga/Oakville. www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/televis...

Netflix’s latest doc blames Jerry Springer for the birth of trash TV Project examines Springer’s culpability in transforming the talk show space from formulaic lifestyle offering to all-out brawl that exploited small-town folks for entertainment

Is Jerry Springer responsible for the birth of Trash TV? Or does the onus fall on trainwreck viewers. Netflix’s newest doc raises the question (while tossing plenty of punches). www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/televis...

I read a book today—one I bought over 5 years ago.

Books don’t have deadlines—they wait for you, patiently, until the moment is right.

The top 10 most-talked-about TV moments of 2024 From ridiculous reality mishaps to must-see finales that we can’t stop thinking about

Just reliving some 2024 TV things over here. What moments would you add? www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/televis...

Prime Video’s questionably Québécois maple-syrup heist series The Sticky shows why we can’t trust Amazon to deliver Canadian TV The Amazon Canadian Original lacks any understanding of authenticity or understanding of the setting - the distinct society that is Quebec

Disappointing heist series The Sticky’s sees Amazon’s Prime Video squandering some Canadian IP with international appeal again… www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/televis...

Today’s workspace. 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦

Spent six hours in queue trying to get my daughter Swift tickets. No luck, again. On the plus side, I had tons of time to make this from scratch.

New Cruel Intentions series is a love letter to the original film but without the salacious buzz Pretty rich kids doing terrible things continues to be an escapist theme that many viewers love unwinding with – just don’t expect the same shock value of the old Cruel Intentions

Did anyone actually realize they were remaking Cruel Intentions? www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/televis...

Michael Schur and Ted Danson Discuss Their Uplifting Geriatric Spy Comedy A Man on the Inside 'There is no shelf life to your creativity, to your contribution to the world, to joy'

I wasn’t expecting to love this series the way I did, but damn was it uplifting and delightful. www.tvguide.com/news/a-man-o...