Beginning with “Bridgerton” and moving to “Stranger Things,” Atlanta has seen a rise in experiences that immerse fans into their favorite shows and films. The newest of these, “Harry Potter: The Exhibition,” allows Atlantans the opportunity to teleport into the wizarding world by traveling through the most notable settings throughout the series. 

Any “Harry Potter” fan would be excited to get a peek into its world.

The exhibition is catered towards pre-existing “Harry Potter” fans, specifically those of the films. Every room was a replica of the environment in the movies, from the Herbology greenhouse to Professor Umbridge’s office. Most visitors wore their “Harry Potter” costumes, from styling themselves in house colors to being draped in Hogwarts robes. 

The experience is truly a personal journey, allowing each person the freedom to take as long as they want. Rather than being in groups, the exhibition is self-guided without any interference from the staff. The general tour takes between one to two hours. The weekends are busier and cause a longer wait to enter, however, that is the only wait throughout the experience. 

Each guest is given a “golden snitch” wristband that acts as the immersive key to activities throughout the exhibition. Beginning with creating a profile, each visitor takes a photo of themselves and chooses their Hogwarts house.

The exhibition has a competition between the houses, just as the “Harry Potter” world does. The more activities completed by tapping the wristband against a posted golden snitch, the more points one earns for their house.

The idea of each visitor getting a personalized profile is great, however, the exhibition seems to have missed the opportunity to connect it with the official Wizarding World quiz. The quiz asks a series of questions that assess which house each person should be assigned to, just as the Sorting Hat does within the films. This way, the exhibit’s house competition would become more of a game with equal teams as well as set the mood for the tour.

The path starts by walking past the Hogwarts’ Wall of Paintings and into a room with all four houses. Each room is accompanied by a large panel that introduces the setting, major events that took place, notable Hogwarts alumni or props and the design focus. A huge emphasis throughout the exhibit was on learning the thought process and concept behind the designs of both settings as well as character costumes. 

Movie memorabilia were displayed behind glass within each room, such as the Sorting Hat within the house rooms, and

Luna Lovegood’s outfit and well-known items in following alcoves. Along with costumes, such as Lovegood’s, there were many character design drafts posted to the wall to depict the initial costume sketch and a blurb explaining the concepts the clothing had to embody. All the main character’s film costumes were displayed throughout the tour, starting with Harry, Ron and Hermne’s, and ending with Voldemort’s. 

Arguably the most exceptional aspect of the exhibit falls on the set design of the rooms itself. Rather than mimicking a museum that looks the same but has different pieces on display, the tour transforms from the Great Hall with floating candles on the ceilings and walls appearing lined by stone to later the Forbidden Forest with dragons and leaves climbing the trees. 

One truly feels a part of the film, as if walking through the grounds of Hogwarts. There are also photo ops within different rooms, such as in Hagrid’s hut, Professor Umbridge’s office and in Newt Scamander’s briefcase.

Although there are a range of tickets to choose from, any fan would be satisfied with the general admission. There is little difference between the quality of experience for the tickets, as long as you factor in an initial wait time to enter the tour. Tickets come with additional add-ons to consider, such as an audio tour or special lanyards. However, there are more than enough souvenirs and merchandise to balance this out at the cafe or gift shop at the end of the exhibition. As with every exhibit, most shop items are on the pricier side. However, most visitors expect to spend more money for these types of trips. While a bottle of Butterbeer was $10, this is not something you can get anywhere and calls for a special occasion.

The exhibition is a fun way to imagine yourself within the world of “Harry Potter,” however, it is only geared towards veterans of the series. There are no overviews that explain the stories or characters. It was surprising there were only a few references to the storyline, so anyone new to “Harry Potter” might walk around confused. There is a large group of “Harry Potter” fans, so the exhibition would not struggle finding guests, but it does limit its audience and restrict a new group of fans from growing. 

A common theme throughout the exhibit and especially in the gift shop is the focus on targeting families and children. With the movies coming out in the early 2000s to the early 2010s, the demographic of fans who grew up with the movies would have been late teenagers and early adults. Most of the interactive activities, although cute, were very simple and seemed aimed at small children rather than those older. This made the immersive technology aspect of the exhibition slightly disinteresting. Despite this, the ability to actively participate in the exhibition from practicing spells to making potions helped maintain a feeling of immersion throughout the tour.

The exhibition as a whole is an enjoyable time, especially for fans of the franchise as well as those interested in character and costume design. There is a large focus on the movies’ costumes, props and settings rather than the narrative, but that is something new to “Harry Potter” fans.  One truly feels immersed while walking the halls of Hogwarts and seeing the detail in major props, such as the Golden Egg from “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” or Voldemort’s Horcruxes. The detail and cohesion of each room mirrored the sensation of seeing them on-screen.  

So, if you are a die-hard fan of “Harry Potter” or interested in exploring the Wizarding World through props and exhibitions from behind the scenes, grab a ticket and head on over. However, if you are just a general fan of the franchise and want to leave the story to the movies, skip the magic of the exhibition.

Our Take: 3/5 Stars

For over twenty years, Scream has made a name for itself as an iconic slasher franchise. At a time when horror movies were declining, 1996 introduced the first Scream movie. This marked a new revival of the slasher era and has continued to influence the horror scene throughout the years. However, there comes a point in every horror franchise when it is time to turn in the mask and let go of the story, which is hopefully the writer’s plan with the newest Scream movie.

Rather than continuing the title trend with Scream 5, this new film is titled Scream, just as the original. The new Scream movie is the franchises’ “requel,” meaning the sequel that is meant to continue the storyline while revisiting and resembling the first movie. 

Just as the original did, Scream begins with Tara (Jenna Ortega), a parody of the first-ever Ghostface victim Casey (Drew Barrymore), answering a call asking the iconic line, “what’s your favorite scary movie?” Soon after, Ghostface appears and chaos ensues as Tara becomes Ghostface’s first victim. 

The film follows Sam (Melissa Barrera) and her boyfriend Richie (Jack Quaid) as she returns to Woodsboro after learning Tara was attacked by Ghostface. As Ghostface continues to terrorize the town, Sam calls upon familiar faces to help protect her family and end the killing spree. 

As a Scream fan, I was happy to see Neve Cambell, Courtney Cox and David Arquette reprise their roles for the fifth time as the legendary Sydney Prescott, Gale Weathers and Dewey Riley to help face off against Ghostface. I was shocked, though, to see the secret return of one of the franchise’s most notorious characters 

This surprising appearance explains the reason for Ghostface’s return; and, as the storyline unravels, the audience is drawn deeper into the web of lies spun by Ghostface while experiencing the twists that built Scream into the iconic slasher franchise it is known as today. 

The biggest problem I found with the movie was in its twisted logic and sloppy conclusion. As everyone knows, horror movies are known for their own form of ‘logic.’ Scream is no exception. 

Sam, however, was one of the first characters who showed a different type of logic. She went and found the Scream veterans and asked them to help her protect her family. One scene later, though, she decides there’s no way Ghostface would follow her and no longer wants help protecting Tara. This made no sense, especially since she was the reason Dewy, Sydney, and Gale traveled back to Woodsboro.

Ghostface’s reveal and motives are one of the worst in Scream’s history, just above the horrendous season 3 ending of MTV’s series. It felt rushed and pointless. I understand that the ending is meant to signify how fandoms can become outrageous and unreasonable, but it is also the ending of a slasher that deserves some creativity.

Compared to more recent horror films, Scream consists of a cliche slasher storyline. Rather than competing to become elevated horror, meaning horror with underlying themes and social commentary, Scream sticks to the simple whodunnit scenes that it is known for. Horror fans of all kinds can appreciate the level of bloody gore brought into the film. By sticking with a simple storyline, Scream is able to perfect the suspense and not let the R-rating go to waste. 

The best parts of the movie, deemed ‘the best’ by the amount of cheering from the audience, were in the gruesome Ghostface attacks. These scenes were full of stab wounds, graphic knife attacks, and pools of blood; the perfect recipe for a slasher.  

As there has been a rise in comedy throughout the film industry, Scream adopted its own form of dark humor to satirize its storyline. Within the franchise, Scream created “Stab” as the fictional movie depicting Sydney Prescott’s face-off with Ghostface. “Stab” and its many sequels have appeared in Scream sequels since its second film. 

I loved how the writers acknowledge how their movie is unnecessary and take a chance to mock the franchise, but the constant jokes are a stark contrast from the ominous atmosphere horror films thrive on. Because of this, the movie felt more like a project than a theater film. 

As a Scream fan, I watch the franchise for the slasher thriller and am not looking for a comedy movie that has a side of horror. This film also seems to continuously break the fourth wall. The new characters are a group of teenagers just as they were in the original movie. However, these teenagers mock the horror movie logic, verbally questioning each other’s motives and analyzing how every action and word could explain how they are the killer. This type of commentary was effective in making me question every character, but also left the script bare of any substance. While long-time fans of the franchise, like me, will enjoy this requel, it definitely will not be on the top of any must-see lists. Having an overused storyline, rushed ending and poor character craftsmanship, Scream’s film seems more like a last-minute decision than a planned out movie. Hopefully, this will be the final curtain for Scream, and the town of Woodsboro, along with horror fans, can see the end of Ghostface.

Our Take: 5/5 Stars

On Oct. 15, Netflix released the stunning Korean drama “My Name,” comprised of eight, hour-long episodes. “My Name” follows Yoon Ji-Woo (Han So Hee, “Nevertheless”) after finding out her father works for a drug organization. After witnessing her father’s murder, Ji-Woo embarks on a revenge mission and teams up with her father’s drug organization to infiltrate the police force. In joining the narcotics team, Ji-Woo meets her partner Jeon Pil-do (Ahn Bo-hyun, “Her Private Life”), who she works to manipulate as she maintains her role as the informant.

While feeding police intel to the drug ring’s boss, Choi Mu-jin (Park Hee-soon, “Seven Days”), Ji-Woo learns the truth about her father and faces the repercussions of living a double life.

A key part of dark thrillers lie in their fights, and “My Name” does not mess around. Every altercation is brutal and deadly. The key to these masterful fight scenes is the choice of weapon: a knife. While guns are more effective in quick killing, the show’s weapon of choice is the knife, allowing hand-to-hand combat with a more gruesome result. Not only did each death seem personal, but it embodied how death is an art within these organizations, leading to a more impactful final episode.

The attention to detail did not end with the weaponry. Even though the story followed a generic formula, small filming decisions framed it in a new light. After joining the police force, Ji-Woo’s room is never seen with a bed. She trains and researches in her room, but never actually lives there. This is a sign that everything in this story is temporary.

Although it is expected, Mu-jin’s reliance on Ji-Woo over his long-time trusted friend Jung Tae-ju (Lee Hak-joo, “The World of the Married”) foreshadows the future of both characters in the season finale.

Despite being a lying, manipulative, corrupt person assisting one of the deadliest drug organizations in the city, the show’s perspective and introduction to Ji-Woo forces the audience to empathize and root for her. Acting as Ji-Woo’s father-figure, Mu-jin continues to show a familial responsibility to Ji-Woo throughout the series, even among the plot twists. His desire to protect Ji-Woo from becoming a monster, like him, is Mu-jin’s most redeeming quality, making every death and decision seem trivial.

While the audience does not get a chance to fully understand every character, Ji-Woo’s development is beautiful. Not only is her character written to attract the audience, but Han So Hee’s portrayal of her makes the show magnificent. In every fight sequence and emotional hardship — from the beginning of Episode One to Episode Eight’s last scene — the audience is hit with raw emotion.

The real surprise of the series is the capability of lead actress Han So Hee. Known for her earlier 2021 appearance as Yu Na-Bi starring in the popular “Nevertheless” series, Han So Hee takes a completely opposite approach as Yoon Ji-Woo. Ji-Woo’s grit and heartless physique rivals Na-Bi’s delicate and humane character. Watching both next to each other, it is impossible to tell they are played by the same person.

Opposite Han So Hee, Chang Ryul (“Detective K: Secret of the Living Dead”) is another reason that the show did so well. Playing the part of Do Gang-jae, he appeared after a revenge-inspired transformation, much like Ji-Woo. While he is still just beginning his acting career, this performance is sure to make him noticed. After being thrown out of the organization, Do Gang-jae reemerges as a fearless rival, building his own brand of drug. His encounters opposite Ji-Woo become key scenes that the series would fall apart without.

At no point does the show fall flat. From personal disasters to sting operations to drug busts to murder, each episode leaves the audience reaching for the “next episode” button. Even as you begin the final episode, any preconceptions quickly disappear as the show finds new ways to surprise the audience with gut-wrenching twists. If you are looking for a comfort show, this is not it. The finale’s wrap up is bloody and disheveled, making for the perfect watch.

As an eight-part series, “My Name” is perfectly bingeable with everything you could hope for in a quality show: betrayals, romance, crime, mystery, and surprising twists.

With the arrival of Halloween, the infamous Netflix show “You” returned on Oct. 15 for its third — and not final — season. Even before this release, the “Hidden Bodies” adaptation confirmed the coming of its fourth season. But one has to ask whether or not this is a good thing.

There is no questioning the captivation of the first season of ‘You,’ but after a shaky storyline in the second season, the third season continues this decline. Unlike the first season, Penn Badgley (“Gossip Girl”) returns as a co-star in his role as Joe rather than the main character. Reprising her role as Love from the second season, Victoria Pedretti (“The Haunting of Hill House”) becomes one of the main focuses, starting in the first episode.

With the addition of Love, the audience no longer follows Joe’s internal narration. The perspective shifts to both Joe and Love’s internal dialogue, which distracts from their character development the previous seasons built. This personal perspective was one of the unique draws of “You,” but the transition away from it detracts from the coherence of the show’s storyline.

The second season ended with the epiphany that Love has and continues to share in Joe’s obsession with killing. As a demonstration of her love, Love murders Candace (Ambyr Childers, “Aquarius”) to protect her future with Joe and her baby. As the loose ends of season two are tied up, Joe and Love elude the cops, and the murders are pinned on Forty (James Scully, “Heathers” ) after his death

However, season three begins with these ends unraveling. A common factor in every “You” season is Joe’s fatherly instinct to protect a child: first Paco, then Ellie (Jenna Ortega, “Jane the Virgin”) and finally his son, Henry. While Paco was beautifully written out, the writers hit a snag when finishing Ellie’s character. With only a few mentions, Ellie is expected to live dependent on Joe’s book-selling profits with the knowledge that he and his friends are her friends’ and sister’s murderers. After being mentioned maybe three times, Ellie’s name is dropped from the rest of the season as if she had been forgotten about.

This new season is separated from the other two in its focus on Joe and Love creating relationships while becoming first-time parents — along with the casual murder and frame jobs of course. The season begins with high hopes and an intriguing storyline as psychopathy meets cookie-cutter suburbs.

However, as more characters are introduced and developed, the show turns from a psychoanalytical romantic thriller to a murderous reality show starring residents of every stereotype.

Oddly enough, the third season of “You” can be compared to the Netflix series “Santa Clarita Diet.” This comedy horror show follows a wife who becomes a zombie and her husband who helps her hide their consistent murders in order to sustain her zombie cravings. Similarly, Joe seems to be simply forced to clean up all of Love’s murderous mistakes but without the cushion of comedy that “Santa Clarita Diet” thrived on.

Joe, who had previously been seen as charming in his own twisted way, became an annoying counterpart to Love’s unstable personality. Although both characters were portrayed beautifully by Badgley and Pedretti, the written characters made finishing the season difficult. At each murderous turn, there was less of a surprise and the routine of murder-suicide became so frequent in the series that the season lost its shock effect.

While the third season has its flaws, some moments remind the audience why they started watching. In returning to his stalker roots, the audience gets a glimpse at Joe’s dark charm once again. The dynamic between Love and Theo versus Joe and Marianne kept a sense of intrigue, although brief. Despite its predictability, the ending to the tenth and final episode of season three was beautiful. As wrap-ups go, this one was clean. The true beauty in this episode is seen in the strength of Joe’s parental love, which has been strong throughout the entire season.

Based on the extended storyline within the third season, one can only assume the writers were scraping together anything they could. These ideas are still able to captivate audiences and create new perspectives in the thriller genre.

Even as an easy binge, “You” Season Three would not be a top pick to watch; however, psychological thrillers are “in” now, so no one will be surprised when the next season of “You” reaches the Top 10 on Netflix.