Mare of Easttown (2021)

5 stars for Kate Winslet and the whole British cast (and non-Brits alike) nailing the notoriously difficult Delco (Delaware County, PA) accent. The glamorous Winslet totally inhabits the decidedly unglamorous Mare. The production design and setting are supremely specific, and the show is all the better for it, bathing the show in realism. In this depressing, small rural town, rife with teenage pregnancy and drugs, Mare knows everybody and everybody knows her. In some ways, she is like the "mayor", a detective actually. People come to her with all their problems, and they expect her to solve them. Her methods are unconventional, those of someone policing her friends, rather than one who is strictly bound by the law. Her main claim to fame was a basketball championship in high school. But when it comes to a serious, big case, she's kind of in over her head. She lacks the objectivity to do serious detecting. Very strong character development and as a result deeply felt emotions. The plot is a whodunnit, with plenty of red herrings. Even the ones that don't pan out still feel like valuable additions to the plot. Every episode ends with a cliffhanger. I was kept guessing til the very end. The suspenseful pacing is palpable. HBO strikes again.

I, Tonya (2017)

Who would have thought they could make a movie sympathetic to Tonya Harding? She had a rough life. The odds were stacked against her. The world of ice skating was against her. The country, the world was against her. The movie tells her side of the story mockumentary-style. It features talking head interviews. This tragic story is actually quite funny. It's so ridiculous that it's funny. Maybe it wasn't her fault after all.

Black Mass (2015)

Johnny Depp has never been creepier.  Even in his spooky collaborations with Tim Burton, Depp has never inspired the fear in me that he does as Whitey Bulger. That is how you know he gives a good performance. You feel the fear that the characters feel when in his presence, when be gets angry, and when the tension is released you can finally breathe again. His hair and makeup team did a phenomenal job as usual, making a complete physical transformation. This could be the year he finally wins an Oscar.

This is a classic gangster movie with a twist, complete with some guns (but plenty of physical violence), lots of blood, the rival Italian gang, and the brother with political power. Bulger is an informant for the FBI. He uses his position as a shield and his crony in the Bureau looks out for him. It is actually incredible how long they got away with this right under the nose of the FBI. The ensemble cast is very good; everyone puts on a thick Boston accent, even Brit Benedict Cumberbatch.  Joel Edgerton is excellent as the FBI agent that defends Bulger and his downfall unfolds slowly. It is a slow burn that let's the pain and panic settle in. I admit I had a little bit of difficulty following at times.