Atomic Fangirl

“What TF did I just watch?” [me, as the end credits rolled]

Story: Young Catherine lives with her abusive, drunken father in a run-down ruin of what was once a great house. One night, dad brings home a young boy that Cathy names Heathcliff. Over the years, they do the friends-to-lovers thing, all the while pranking each other and such. But then one day Cathy decides being poor sucks, and heads over to the wealthy neighbors to see what’s up. When Cathy decides to marry the wealthy neighbor, Heathcliff does not take it well. He leaves, then returns, rich as hell. Heathcliff and Cathy decide to do the adultery everywhere, and then one day Cathy dies. Heathcliff is sad. And that’s the classic tale you’ve heard about. Yep. Sure it is.

Genre I’d put it in: Bastardized Classics
Release Date: 2026
Remake, Sequel, Based-On, or Original: Based on the novel of the same name by Emily Brontë. Allegedly. Like, they used the title of the novel, the characters, and the idea that this was supposed to be a story in the Romantic genre.

Gotta say: I’ve never particularly liked Wuthering Heights, the novel. I always thought of myself as one of those readers who just didn’t get it. The characters are assholes, the story is a goddamn mess of who’s with whom and in what family, and while the ending is relatively happy (at least to my horror loving mind)? It’s not a fun read. But after watching this Heights? I think I might have to give the novel another try. After this “imagining”, I think I might actually fall in love with the damn thing.

“I gotchu. It’s okay. I gotchu.”

Story: Mason lives alone in a lighthouse, and he likes it that way. No matter how often young Jesse tries to befriend him, Mason ignores her kindness. But when a vicious storm hits, leaving her uncle and his boat pulled under and Jesse on the brink of death, Mason saves her. Hooray! Though her foot is infected from the storm. Boo! So he goes to the mainland to get her Neosporin. Yay! And then the folks that Mason has been hiding from find out where he is thanks to way too many monitored cameras. Oh no…

Genre I’d put it in:
Release Date: 2026
Remake, Sequel, Based-On, or Original:

Gotta say: As soon as I see Jason Statham helmijg a film, I immediately think “Oh yeah, this is gonna be fun.” (Just pretend Meg 2 doesn’t exist. I’ve been doing it for years.) Shelter isn’t the adrenaline rush of some of Statham’s earlier work, but for this wintry time of year, the season works perfectly to help you feel the chill and solitude of the main characters.

A blend of Léon: The Professional, Man on Fire, and John Wick, mixed with vibes from samurai stories like Lone Wolf and Cub, Shelter is better than it’s familiar story should be. That’s thanks to winning performances by Statham and Bodhi Rae Breathnach as on-the-run duo Mason and Jesse.