121mcv

2000 Meters to Andriivka is honestly one of the most harrowing documentaries I've seen about the Ukraine war. It's not an easy watch at all - it's sad, heavy, and at times genuinely disturbing. But it's incredibly powerful. This is one of those films that stays with you long after the credits roll, the kind you keep thinking about because of how real and raw it feels. Not sure how you even rate something like this... it's more of an experience than a movie.

The Life of Jo Menell: Americans, Mongrels & Funky Junkies is one of those documentaries that quietly sneaks up on you and suddenly widens the world. It's a rich, sprawling portrait of a man whose life feels bigger than any single frame - a life that cuts through continents, political upheavals, cultural revolutions, and underground creative scenes.

What makes the film compelling is its scope. Jo Menell isn't just a filmmaker; he's a witness, a wanderer, and at times a renegade. The documentary moves with him from apartheid-era South Africa to London counterculture, from the charged atmosphere of Allende's Chile to American social movements. Each chapter feels like its own documentary folded into a larger one.

The film gains much of its emotional power from its archival footage, which is used not just as decoration, but as living history. These clips ground Menell's anecdotes in the urgency of the times and create a sense of momentum - the feeling that he was always at the right (or wrong) place at the most explosive moment.

One of the film's strengths is how it connects personal history to political history without ever feeling didactic. Menell becomes a kind of lens through which the 20th century refracts: apartheid, revolution, exile, sexuality, music, art. His personal contradictions and shifting identities make the political feel intimate rather than abstract.

And then there's the vibe - funky, loose, sometimes chaotic, but always alive. The mix of interviews, art, memory, and travelogue gives the film a playful energy that balances its heavier themes. You get the sense not just of a life lived, but of a life felt.

If there's a flaw, it's that the film almost has too much to cover - but honestly, that messiness is part of the charm. Menell's story doesn't fit into neat boxes, and the documentary doesn't try to force it.

In the end, Americans, Mongrels & Funky Junkies is a vibrant tribute to a restless, curious, and complicated human being. It's an exploration of creativity, politics, and identity - and it left me with the sense that the world is stranger, wider, and more interconnected than we often remember.

A funky, sprawling, heartfelt portrait. Highly recommended.

The Walk-In sets out to tackle a serious issue: the growing threat of far-right extremism in the UK. Based on true events, it follows Matthew Collins, a former neo-Nazi who now works as an anti-racism activist, attempting to infiltrate and stop a white supremacist group from carrying out a violent plot. While the series' intentions are good, aiming to highlight the dangers of radicalization, its approach leaves much to be desired.

The first thing that stands out is the series' dramatization of neo-Nazi groups openly marching and demonstrating in public. While such groups undoubtedly exist, the portrayal of them as easily identifiable and brazenly active in the streets of the UK is, to put it bluntly, exaggerated. Most far-right groups today operate in the shadows, using online platforms and encrypted chats to spread their message-far removed from the kind of public Nazi marches shown in The Walk-In. The series risks inflating the threat by focusing on the spectacle rather than the more subtle, insidious methods of recruitment and radicalization that are far more common in today's climate.

For those who have lived in the UK and followed the political landscape closely, the portrayal of white supremacy as a visible, openly confrontational force feels out of touch. Instead of focusing on the quiet, dangerous ways extremist ideologies spread-through online echo chambers and hidden networks-the show leans into sensationalism for dramatic effect. This kind of exaggerated portrayal not only misrepresents the nature of the threat but also feels like a piece of politically charged content rather than a nuanced exploration of the issue.

While there is value in shedding light on the dark reality of far-right extremism, the series risks contributing to a narrative that may feel more like propaganda than a genuine attempt to inform. The danger here is that by making the threat of white supremacy seem like an obvious, easy-to-spot issue, The Walk-In distracts from the real, subtle ways these groups influence minds and shape society today.

Ultimately, The Walk-In serves as a reminder of the risks of sensationalizing complex issues. By pushing a narrative that plays into the fear-mongering of the far left, it feels disconnected from the reality that many of us live in. A more grounded, realistic portrayal would have been far more impactful, offering a clearer understanding of how extremism truly operates in modern Britain.