Barbarians is a new German series that recently came out on Netflix. It stars Laurence Rupp, and follows Germanic tribes rebelling against the Roman Empire. In some ways, this is perhaps the most realistic show on Netflix at the moment, and it’s a fantastic one at that.

Barbarians follows Gaius Julius Arminius, a real historical figure, who is credited with giving the Romans one of their worst defeats of all time. He was a cavalry officer of Rome, but he was also the son of a German chieftain. The show realistically portrays the events surrounding his betrayal, and follows historical accounts very accurately.

The armor and clothes in this show, for the most part, are fantastic. Romans wear heterogeneous metal armor, unlike other shows where for some reason they wear leather (I’m looking at you Britannia.) Additionally, the Germanic tribes are also portrayed properly. All the Germans are wearing bright tunics and mukluks, with very minimal fur or leather. Both sides are also armed properly, with Germanic peoples using spears, while Romans use their pillums and gladius. Real historical characters surrounding the battle of Teutoburg Forest are also present in the show. Arminius’ wife Thusnelda, her father Segestes, and the Roman leader Varus are all major character in Barbarians, and are very true to their real life counterparts. The action in this show is excellent. The final battle is exhilarating, and brutal. Additionally, Arminius’ betrayal of the Roman Empire is handled realistically. He seems to betray them originally for selfish reasons, and later for a cause he believes in. It feels very well done and believable.

However, not all of the armor and weapons in the show are correct. The Germanic tribes charge into battle naked, which was not correct, they would most definitely be wearing some form of clothing or more likely some armor paired with a helmet. Arminius wears a lorica musculata, paired with a metal face mask. Lorica musculata were not used by Romans because they were extremely hard to make with Iron, and the face mask he uses, while a real artifact found at Teutoburg Forest, was not worn by cavalry officers, but rather by Standard Bearers, or cavalry soldiers during training, but not battle. Also, they use a gladius wrong in the show, as Arminius does not pair it with a shield, and he is swinging rather than stabbing. The gladius is a good weapon, but it must be paired with the traditional Roman tower shield.

Overall, Barbarians is a fun show. One can breeze through it in a weekend, and it’s got some excellent combat. So far, this might be the most historically accurate show out there, and it deserves high praise for that.

Titanic is a 1997 movie directed by James Cameron, and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. It follows two people on the ship Titanic, as they try to overcome class distinctions, and escape the ship as it sinks. Overall, although this movie is truly epic in scope, I found it a little “cheesy” and precious.

Titanic follows Jack, a poor traveler who manages to hitch a ride on the ship Titanic right before it sets sail. While on the ship, he stops a rich woman named Rose from committing suicide, and the two fall in love despite the evident class distinctions between them. However, their time together is cut short when the Titanic begins to sink, and they must find a way to survive.

Titanic is a massive film. They built a real ship for shooting that was almost the size of the actual Titanic, and this film is very historically accurate. Real historical characters such as Thomas Andrews or James Bruce Ismay are portrayed extremely accurately, down to their respective death and escape being correct. Additionally, the manner in which the ships sinks is also historically accurate. James Cameron did very thorough research before making this movie, and it really paid off. The main characters, Jack and Rose, are very charming, and they have a believable relationship, with some great scenes, such as when Rose visits the third class.

The relationship itself however, while charming in the beginning, feels a little sappy and precious at the end. This is purely subjective, and I have friends who actually like this particular aspect of their relationship, but personally I didn’t.

Titanic is a good film. I don’t believe it’s one of the best films ever as some people make it out to be, but it is a good historical love story, and one worth seeing.

Inside Out is a 2015 animated film made by Pixar and Disney. It follows the story of a girl’s emotions as they attempt to reunite inside her head, and help her undergo a troubling time in her life. This movie has become a bit of a meme among those I know, thanks to my friend Alexa’s constant urging to review it. Finally, I’ve relented, and decided to review it.

Inside Out follows Riley, an 11 year old girl who moves from Minnesota to California. However, in the world of Inside Out, emotions such as Anger or Fear are personified within people’s heads, and the emotions run a sort of factory or command center, to determine their respective person’s course of action. However, when Riley’s emotions of Joy and Sadness get lost inside her head, Riley is left unable to be properly controlled.

This movie has an interesting world, and much of it is fleshed out. It’s quite entertaining to see and learn how various sections of Riley’s brain work, and how they correspond to her real life. Additionally, this movie appeals to audiences more than some of Pixar’s other films, as it’s grounded in reality somewhat, as opposed to their more fantastical films. Inside Out contains a message that usually isn’t seen among children’s movies, which is that sometimes it’s alright to be sad. Now while this may resonate with children, I’m not sure it will with all adults, the way that films such as Up or WALL-E have with their messages. Now that isn’t to say this movie isn’t emotional, as it has one of the saddest cartoon deaths, second only to the Iron Giant. If you don’t feel something when Bing Bong dies, you’re not human.

Inside Out contains a lot of annoying characters, even by children’s movies standards. Joy, Sadness, and Riley, the main characters, are all incredibly irritating, and frankly not even that likable, especially when compared with other Pixar protagonists, who are usually fantastic. This got on my nerves a lot, and I found it rather hard to like this movie when the characters drove me crazy.

Overall, Inside Out is alright. Although it has some unique ideas and memorable scenes, it’s not as good as most other Pixar films such as Ratatouille or The Incredibles. It’s merely okay. However I know this film has proven to be VERY popular among my friend group due to my lack of a review on it being turned into a meme. Well, until now at least. Regardless it’s worth a watch to make your own judgement on as it’s a polarizing film.

Get Out is a 2017 horror film, directed by Jordan Peele, and starring Daniel Kaluuya and Addison Williams. It follows an African American photographer who visits his white girlfriends’s family, soon however, it’s revealed the family may have sinister plans for him. This a fantastic horror movie, and it’s also very well directed. However, I don’t particularly like the twist or ending, as they both seem strange in this film.

Get Out follows Chris, an African American photographer. He decides to visit his new girlfriend Rose’s parents. This turns out to be a mistake however, as her parents seem to have sinister intentions for Chris.

This movie is fantastically directed. Jordan Peele did an excellent job with maintaining tension throughout scenes, as well as placing hidden details within the movie that foreshadow the plot. The acting in this movie is also amazing. Daniel Kaluuya has some scenes that are really a testament to his ability. Additionally, there’s one scene where Georgina, the maid of the house is smiling widely while sobbing at the same time, and it’s an incredible scene. This movie also presents racism in America very well, although the twist that occurs, in my eyes at least, undermines this theme.

There’s a twist towards the end of the movie there’s a twist straight of science fiction. Personally, I found it out of place in a movie so grounded in our modern world like this. I also felt it undermined the theme of racism throughout the film.

I liked Get Out. Jordan Peele is an excellent Director, and I think overall he knocked it out of the park with this film. It’s a refreshing take on the horror genre, and I enjoyed it a lot.