‘The Last of Us’ episode eight is a horrifying battle for survival
By Ben Konuch
“But if you can’t find a way to trust me, then yes, you are alone.”
What do you do when the person you trust more than anyone else in the world to protect you suddenly leaves you alone and vulnerable in a world desperate to tear you apart? This is the terrifying reality that Ellie has to face in episode eight of “The Last of Us,” which seeks to adapt one of the most emotional and controversial segments of the game and does so in an uncomfortable yet masterful ...
‘Scream 6’ is a bloody good time
By Samuel M Acosta
This review contains some spoilers for “Scream 6”
Even though I became a fan of this franchise a bit late, I was excited when they announced that “Scream 6” would be released so soon after the previous installment. With the added element of New York City, this one seemed to have a much larger scale. I saw it the day it came out and absolutely loved it. It continues the meta-commentary that the previous film thrived on, but implemented it much more naturally ...
‘Creed 3’ brings a darker tone to its best installment yet
By Samuel M Acosta
I hadn’t seen any of the Creed movies when I first saw the trailer for “Creed 3.” I was never a huge fan of sports movies and I never had a great deal of interest in boxing. Yet the story seemed unlike what other sports movies seemed to offer and the fact that this film was Michael B. Jordan’s directorial debut was enough to pull me in. I binged the first two movies in a day and then immediately went to the theater to see the newest installment, and I loved every ...
Chapter eighteen of ‘The Mandalorian’ continues to explore a new father-son dynamic
By Ellie Estrema
For Mandalorian fans, there’s a lot to love about their favorite show, but one of the best parts is watching a father-son relationship develop between Grogu and the Mandalorian, Din Djarin. In a not-so-subtle nod to Westerns’ typical mentors and sidekicks, this is one of the most popular father-son-type duos to play out on screen in the Star Wars universe. However, the new permanence of the relationship since Grogu chose the Mandalorian as his family during “the Book ...
‘The Last of Us’ episode seven sticks true to the source but drags a little too long
By Ben Konuch
“We can just be all poetic and lose our minds together.”
Episode seven of “The Last of Us” starts with a desperate, panicking Ellie trying to keep a dying Joel from slipping away. After his injury in the last minutes of episode six, he’s losing too much blood, and while Ellie tries to find some way to stabilize him, he tries to tell her to leave him and go find Tommy. He doesn’t think he’s going to make it, and he doesn’t want Ellie to die alone in the cold ...
Anne Wilson’s ‘My Jesus’ is a story that testifies to the goodness of God.
By Laci Strouse
Anne Wilson is a new Christian artist and receiver of the Breakout Single of the Year award at the 2022 K-LOVE awards for her debut single, “My Jesus.” Her new book, also titled “My Jesus,” follows Wilson’s story and how God brings hope in the midst of heartache.
The book begins with a forward written by Christian song artist Matthew West. He describes how he met Wilson and the events that led to creating Wilson’s debut single with her. I enjoy being ...
The season 3 premiere of “The Mandalorian” starts off slower than expected
By Ellie Estrema
Unfortunately, Star Wars fans are known for disagreeing. But despite the debate over which movies are legitimate contributions to the Star Wars universe, the true nature of the Force and Hayden Christensen’s acting, “The Mandalorian” is one thing that fans across the spectrum of Star Wars fandom can usually agree on.
Hard-core fans appreciate the depth of worldbuilding and commitment to the Star Wars universe, while more recent fans are learning to fall in ...
‘Is Genesis History: Mountains After the Flood’ digs deeper into the scientific process
By Sophia Monastra
Back in 2017, my mom and I drove to a theater to watch the movie “Is Genesis History.” I remember being awed by the amount of evidence from different academic fields for the Young Earth Creation worldview.
Six years later, Compass Cinema has released the premiere of the sequel “Is Genesis History: Mountains After the Flood.” Familiar faces Dr. Del Tackett, Dr. Steve Austin and Dr. Andrew Snelling are joined by Cedarville University’s Dr. John Whitmore...
‘The Last of Us’ episode six is a faithful adaptation with a bit of emptiness
By Ben Konuch
“You should be mindful of who you put your trust in. There's a lot you don't know about Joel.”
This is the episode of “The Last of Us” that has both satisfied me and disappointed me the most. Reeling from the emotional highs, lows and thrills of episode five’s intense action, episode six slows down to present the long-awaited reunion of Joel and his brother Tommy.
With it comes new revelations about the past, glimpses of a better life for survivors, and ...
‘The Last of Us’ episode five shows the nightmarish nature of both humans and infected
By Ben Konuch
“Haven’t you heard? Kansas City is free!”
“The Last of Us” episode five starts with an interesting overlap with the events of episode four. We are properly introduced to Henry and Sam and given a glimpse into the way they see the “freeing” of Kansas City. In addition, we see Henry observe Joel’s remorseless execution of the raiders that we see attack him and Ellie in episode four. This is a solid way of delving deeper into the dynamics of FEDRA, the resist...
