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I watched The Substance to the end in order to honestly state that this is the worst thing I have ever seen. Scooby Doo cartoons look like masterpieces of character development and subtext next to this utterly superficial offering.

Watching this film was like listening to a single discordant blaring clarinet note for over two hours: there is simply nothing to it other than "misogyny is bad, our obsession with youth and beauty is bad". That's it. Over and over. Bat to the noggin. The entire story could have been written on the back of a cocktail napkin. The dialog is childish and trite. Except for one minor (ish) character, no character changes in the least from their opening scenes. Nothing happens that you don't know will happen 15 minutes in.

I gave 2 stars for Moore's performance in this utterly superficial film. And maybe that IS the joke. Maybe we are part of the joke. Maybe the hoodwink of a 12 minute standing ovation at Cannes, rave reviews and big box office for an utterly superficial, dramaless, artless film (that I swear uses old props from Videodrome) IS the point.

Don't know, don't care. I just put on the clever, engaging Blink Twice as a palate cleanser.

This is actually terrible.

3 stars for the all-in game ness of the players, despite a script that should be pulped for recycled toilet paper.

Near the beginning of episode one, the new doctor onboard tours the Odyssey, a lavish 5 star cruise liner. We tour right along with him. It's a sumptuous, fantasy of a ship. At one point, the doctor is led down a hall of burnished walnut, walking in a kind of formation and I thought "Bones!!!?!'" . And 'oh, wouldn't it be wonderful if this show took a turn toward Star Trek or even The Orville?'.

Not only did Doctor Odyssey choose the path more commonly taken, the single first script was packed with every cliche, trope and bit of bad dialog it could scrape from the bottom of Ryan Murphy's shoe.

Ugh.

I watched the entire first episode and I promise you, it just gets worse and worse.

I feel badly for the talent caught up in this mess.

The Hater is a love story, but not the love story you are led to believe by the blurb and photos. It is the story of a radical left woman who returns to her Republican Texas hometown in shame and through circumstance, falls in love with the community she once resented.

This is an odd and lovely story, unique to the USA and unique to our times. It has a Lifetime-low-budget feeling, but the script, deft direction and sensitive performances make for an entertaining, thought provoking hour and a half.

The point of this film is that the Constitution is the thing that allows our Nation to exist. Our differing ideas about the Constitution is what makes the USA a great Nation.

This film is a beautiful love letter to the United States.