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John David Washington stars in the manhunt thriller Beckett, available globally on Netflix today. Check out the synopsis and trailer:

While vacationing in Greece, American tourist Beckett (John David Washington) becomes the target of a manhunt after a devastating accident. Forced to run for his life and desperate to get across the country to the American embassy to clear his name, tensions escalate as the authorities close in, political unrest mounts, and Beckett falls even deeper into a dangerous web of conspiracy.

Beckett is the English language directorial debut of Ferdinando Cito Filomarino, who was the second unit director on Call Me by Your Name and Suspiria. Produced by Luca Guadagnino (director of Call Me by Your Name, Suspiria). Written by Filomarino and first-time writer Kevin A. Rice.

Beckett is a bit of a throwback; political manhunt thrillers aren’t as popular as they once were. And I’m not sure this is the film to put them back on the map. The film starts off with John David Washington’s (BlacKkKlansman, Tenet) Beckett on vacation with his girlfriend April, played by Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl, Ex Machina). Washington doesn’t sell the relationship at all; Vikander does a good job but he isn’t giving her much to work with. It’s only about 15 minutes of the two of them before the action really starts, but it feels like a long 15 minutes.

After they are involved in an accident, Washington becomes a target of the Greek police. He has no idea why, although there can only be one reason for him to become a target. Beckett then starts a long journey to the US embassy in Greece. A journey that involves a lot of running through the Greek countryside, it gets a little repetitive.

Greece is shot beautifully by director of photography Sayombhu Mukdeeprom (Call Me by Your Name, Suspiria), it’s a side to the country we aren’t often shown in English language movies. The beauty of the landscape is juxtaposed with the messy situation Beckett has found himself in. The film has been bleached out somewhat, making the movie feel like something of a classic.

When we are finally given answers to the conspiracy element of the thriller, it’s a little disappointing. It doesn’t really unfold until the very end so there is a lot of walking and running in the middle that isn’t the most riveting. A thriller should be more thrilling than this.

John David Washington is not a strong enough actor to carry this film. There are so many silent moments of reflection, even the best actor would struggle to hold the audience’s attention. The dullness of Beckett isn’t all on Washington, the script is a problem. There just isn’t enough action or intrigue to sustain the 110-minute runtime.

Vicky Krieps’ (Hanna, Phantom Thread) activist Lena is one of the supporting players who really stands out. There aren’t many characters other than Beckett who actually get many minutes, Krieps definitely makes the most of her screentime.

Ryuichi Sakamoto’s (The Revenant, The Last Emperor) score is beautifully restrained. Sakamoto builds the tension without being overbearing. He gives the performances chance to breathe. The score fits nicely with Filomarino’s filmmaking style.

Beckett isn’t a bad film but it’s just ok. Washington struggles in the lead role with what is a tough assignment. Ferdinando Cito Filomarino is definitely one to watch but this is a far from perfect film. The script has problems but his visual style is strong. Beckett isn’t exciting enough for a thriller but as it’s on Netflix, it may be good enough to pass a couple of hours on the couch.

Beckett is released globally August 13^th 2021 on Netflix

The post Beckett: The New Netflix Thriller That Isn’t All That Thrilling appeared first on The Nerd Element.

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Students in Baltimore were expecting to return to school smoothly on Monday after having their classes disrupted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic for almost a year, but that was far from the case. With the city facing a potential bus driver shortage and lack of adequate air conditioning, students were met with challenges on their first day back. According to The Baltimore Sun, “30 bus drivers from the city school system called out of work on Monday leaving nearly 300 students stranded on the first day of the fall semester.”

The report notes that the school system uses third-party contractors to hire drivers for their transportation services. It’s still unclear as to what caused the massive call-out.

RELATED CONTENT: 80 Students ‘Potentially Exposed’ To COVID-19 After Parent Sends Child To School After Testing Positive For The Virus

“We’re working hard,” the company’s spokesperson André Riley said of the issue. “It’s still a great first day of school. We’re going to work hard to resolve this and get everyone back on track.” Baltimore’s school system provides transportation services to around 3,800 students, 8% of whom were affected by the unforeseen call-outs.

While the city struggles to provide more bus drivers, Baltimore schools are grappling with the hot summer temperatures. Some students were even forced to go home early due to the school’s lack of adequate air conditioning. The Baltimore Sun noted that nearly 24 city schools were dismissed early on Monday as classrooms in a majority of the city reached dangerous temperatures of 85 degrees or more. “Nearly 13% of all city schools — do not have air conditioning units, and three more have units that need repair,” the report adds.

Sonja Santelises, the school system’s leader, issued a statement about the ordeal telling families that they “understand the concerns and frustrations” related to the city’s lack of air-conditioning.

Candyman (2021) is Nia DaCosta’s conversation with the original 1992 classic. You know the story: in 1870, freed slave Daniel Robitaille (the amazing Tony Todd) was an artist who fell in love with a white woman. Her father had him …

Going into the U.S. Open, which started today, tennis star Naomi Osaka is sharing more insight into her ongoing mental and emotional health journey. Earlier this summer, Osaka chose to prioritize her own wellbeing over her career—a choice she never should have been forced to make—and withdrew from the French Open.

Going into this week’s tournament, Osaka shared a message on Twitter and Instagram, expressing her gratitude for the “completely unparalleled” support she’s received from people in her life and also doing some self-reflection.

“Recently I’ve been asking myself why do I feel the way I do and I realize one of the reasons is because internally I think I’m never good enough,” she writes. “I’ve never told myself that I’ve done a good job but I do know I constantly tell myself that I suck or I could do better. I know in the past some people have called me humble but if I really consider it I think I’m extremely self deprecating. Every time a new opportunity arises my first thought is, ‘wow, why me?'”

pic.twitter.com/Jm2bCnlJCh

— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) August 29, 2021

23-year-old Naomi Osaka is the current reigning U.S. Open champion, she’s a four-time Grand Slam winner, and Forbes named her the highest-paid female athlete of 2021. Which all just goes to show that imposter syndrome comes for everyone.

Osaka goes on to say that her goal moving forward is to “try to celebrate myself and my accomplishments more,” and that “we all should.”

“You got up in the morning and didn’t procrastinate on something?” she writes. “Champion. Figured something out at work that’s been bugging you for a while? Absolute legend. Your life is your own and you shouldn’t value yourself on other people’s standards. I know I give my heart to everything I can and if that’s not good enough for some then my apologies but I can’t burden myself with those expectations anymore. Seeing everything that’s going on in the world I feel like if I wake up in the morning that’s a win. That’s how I’m coming.”

Osaka’s message to celebrate small victories is one that resonates with a lot of people, including our favorite fictional sports coach, Ted Lasso, who responded on Twitter with his own message of support, writing, “The thing about small victories is that they’re easier to carry with you.”

I agree with every bit of this. The thing about small victories is that they’re easier to carry with you. I’m calling myself the champion of popping every single kernel of popcorn in the microwave last night. https://t.co/mwcufdqk4z

— Ted Lasso (@TedLasso) August 29, 2021

The small victories are absolutely important, but Osaka has also been having some pretty big wins, too. Her decision to speak out against the mistreatment of players by aggressive members of the media has had a real impact, as the U.S. Open recently announced there would be “quiet rooms” and mental health resources available at the tournament for the first time ever.

(image: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

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