Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
Yapping about movies, tv shows, reality tv, pop culture moments, and anything else that I can't get off my mind.
New Episodes on Wednesdays!
Will be returning 3/18/26!
Hello, and welcome to the I Have to Say Podcast.
And today, I have to talk about the media I’ve been consuming for the past three months.
Which means that we’re gonna do a quarter one recap, talking a little about the books, tv shows, and movies I’ve been engaging with.
I’m not going to talk about all of them, but on my main Instagram @lyssa_posts_, I did make a post showing the books I read, movies and tv shows I’ve watched, and music that I listened to and whether or not I recommend them if you’re interested in the full list.
Today though, I’m going to choose a couple books, tv shows, movies, and albums that we can chat about that I liked and that I liked less.
So thank you for joining me, thank you for being here and let’s get started.
Movies
In the past three months, I’ve watched 11 movies, though some of them were rewatches. One thing I’m gonna do is put on 10 Things I Hate About You. I love that movie. It’s actual perfection. Same with Brown Sugar. Love that movie.
And actually…I realized that I watched 13 movies, because I forgot Hitch, another classic and Wicked For Good on my Q1 wrap up.
But, we talked about Wicked For Good already so we’re definitely not getting into that again.
Let’s get into a few of the other watches that I have a few things to say about. And a little foreshadowing for a future episode, I watched Mercy (2026) with Chris Pratt and I have a lot of feelings and thoughts about that movie, but I’m going to get into it in a future podcast episode.
Movie: Sinners
So, starting with Sinners, I loved that movie. Still love it, as you know if you’ve heard the “Analyzing Sinners” episode. I’ll keep this short and sweet because we talked about it already, but I want to debrief a little bit about Grace because we didn’t have time to get into it last time.
And the question that I want to ask is: Was Grace wrong?
I understand why she was the perfect character to invite the vampires in from a writing perspective, and I can see that Ryan Coogler’s intention was that we would show some empathy and understanding of her character and her choices, because she was trying to protect her daughter.
But there’s just so many layers to Grace being the one to invite everyone in from a viewer perspective and even if it wasn’t his intention, I don’t think it’s wrong for viewers to make the connection that sometimes, other people of color will put themselves first, even if it means causing you harm and that no one listens to Black women. She didn’t listen to Annie, even though Annie was proven right throughout the movie. People are literally holding her back, trying to get her to say “no” and she does it anyway. And again, even if it wasn’t his intention, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a connection there or that people can’t find parallels in their own lives from that.
But the question “was Grace wrong?” is one of those open ended questions, where there isn’t a right or wrong answer, necessarily, because arguments can be made for both sides.
I think she was wrong. Remmick never said or did anything to insinuate his goal was to turn the town. He was manipulating Grace, using her daughter and his knowledge of her culture, but I 100% think he was bluffing, just to get her to invite him in. He’s a master manipulator; that’s what he does.
At the same time, I understand Grace’s concern for her daughter, though in the end, she left her daughter with no parents, instead of one, which is also tragic.
Anway, I love this movie bad. I feel like we already know that but might as well say it again, you know?
If you’re looking for a speculative horror film that ties the supernatural with racism and is scaredy cat friendly, this is the movie for you.
Movie: Mortal Kombat
I watched Mortal Kombat (2021) for the first time a few weeks ago. I saw it while I was scrolling and asked my brother if he watched it. He said it wasn’t a good movie but it was fun, so I was like “okay, let me put this on.”
And he wasn’t lying.
The movie is about a boxer who ends up with a tattoo, meaning he’s been chosen to fight in a worldly tournament to represent Earth. It’s based on a video game, which the game, I don’t enjoy personally ‘cause it’s overly grotesque in my opinion, but it’s a popular game.
The movie’s writing isn’t great. But the action scenes?? Fire. They were also pretty shocking.
It doesn’t hold back on the gore and as someone who doesn’t know “Mortal Kombat” lore that much, it was mindblowing to see some of the things play out. My mouth dropped at a few points in the movie.
There’s kind of a plot…kinda…but audiences are really supposed to suspend their belief and just accept things as they are. I know that a lot of the characters portrayed are from the game, but other than that, I don’t know what game lovers should expect.
If you’re looking for something that’s unserious and violent with well-choreographed action scenes, this is the movie for you.
Movie: OBAA
I watched One Battle After Another and I have a lot of mixed feelings on the movie, especially the longer that I’ve sat with it.
What I thought the movie was and was trying to say was more interesting to me than the reality of the movie.
Visually, it’s stunning and parts of it were entertaining to watch. It has the vibe of a movie that Hollywood tends to award. The acting in it was really good.
But message wise, the movie falls flat for me and I think that generally the critiques of the movie being “Black people through a white gaze” are valid.
The movie is about a Black woman, Perifida, played by Teyana Taylor and her white partner, Bob, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, being a part of a revolutionary group together.
Perifida eventually has a baby, but not long after she gives birth, she gets arrested and enters a plea deal betraying everyone.
The first half of the movie was really interesting to me and I wish that was the story the movie chose to tell. Like I wish we focused on the revolutionary acts that they did and the anarchy they created vs. what we got…to be honest…
We learn things as the movie goes on, but for me, the movie is slower paced after Perifidia’s exit and it didn’t need to be as long as it is.
I also think it’s interesting that the entire marketing for this movie revolves around Perfidia, who not only betrayed her revolutionary group, but also is only in the movie for like fifteen ish minutes. It’s not long. I don’t know if it’s exactly fifteen, but it’s not long at all.
I was also unsatisfied by the end of the movie. Yes, Lockjaw, played by Sean Penn, died, but the white supremacist group he was still a part of was still in place. Deandra, played by Regina Hall, gets arrested. The only good thing that actually happened in the movie is that Bob and his daughter, Willa, played by Chase Infiniti, had an understanding at the end, but even then, I was unsatisfied because it ends off with her reading a note from her mom…I just wasn’t a fan of that.
I just wanted more from this movie, and what excited me about it in the beginning fell flat by the end.
I can’t tell you who this movie is for honestly, no shade, though I know that there’s an audience for it. I just felt like the movie was so focused on the white supremacist storyline and trying to show the fetishization of Black women that it inadvertently became the thing it was trying to critique because of the lens it was told through. Lockjaw was portrayed as a villain in the movie, which he is, but the systems were still in place. There was no justice really served, which made it really unsatisfying.
If it was told through a different lens with different outcomes, I think One Battle After Another could’ve been a conversation starter, but how it was told it fell flat for me.
Maybe if you like how the visuals of a movie look, great acting, a little humor and a strained father and daughter relationship, you’ll enjoy this movie. Maybe or at least not hate it…maybe…
Movie: Roofman
Roofman being based on a true story actually makes me mad. Like it really infuriates me because why would he start a whole relationship knowing he’s on the run!
Like he really blew up his whole spot, deceived a woman and her children for what?? To end up back in prison??
It just…it annoyed me, I’m not gonna lie, but the movie is fun and entertaining and I think the fact he was a polite robber is hilarious and considerate?
But also he was so smart in his approach and not getting caught for how long that he did, and then escaping and being able to hide out for as long as he did. I mean part of it was luck and he definitely benefits from being white, but still, all of that went out of the window just because he started a relationship.
Not to say living in a store was a sustainable way to live…but still…you just have to watch the movie to understand where I’m coming from.
If you want to see a polite robber who escapes prison and is a man on the run check this out.
Movie: Relationship Goals
The last movie we’re going to talk about today is Relationship Goals with Method Man and Kelly Rowland.
And all I want to say about Relationship Goals, is that if…IF you can get past the Christian propaganda and the idea that women are asking for too much, that are presented in this movie, and just accept it for what it is, you’ll have a fine time.
If you can’t, you’re gonna hate this movie…like really bad.
I’m definitely not in the target audience for this movie, but if you like a Christian type of romance with Hallmark vibes and Black leads, you might enjoy parts of this.
TV Shows
I’m an avid tv watcher if you can’t already tell. I’m the type of person who keeps the TV on as background noise, and when I have trouble sleeping, I usually keep the tv on too.
This quarter, I watched 16 tv shows, if you include reality tv. I won’t be chatting about reality tv today though, since all of the reality tv shows I’ve watched we’ve already talked about these past three months.
All I can say is that I’m missing The Traitors already and if you haven’t already, please watch Canada Shore so it doesn’t get cancelled.
We’ve also talked about Heated Rivalry, Queen Charlotte, and Bridgerton already, which really brings the new tv shows I’ve watched this quarter down to 7, but again, I won’t be talking about all of them.
TV Show: Wonder Man
One of my favorites of the year so far is Wonder Man. I was pleasantly surprised by this show.
Sometimes, I be getting Marvel fatigue…or…I don’t know if it’s fatigue as much as a dark cloud that’s hovering over me, telling me not to get my hopes up…
I don’t know, I don’t really expect much from Marvel content anymore, and I’m pretty sure I said this already…but after Secret Invasion...I just…I can’t…for my own sanity, I can’t get too invested…
Buuuutttt Wonder Man was really good!
It’s kind of like The Studio on Apple TV.
Simon, played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, is looking for his big shot in Hollywood, trying to live his life, when he befriends Trevor, played by Ben Slattery, who is secretly on a mission because Simon has a secret.
The tv show made me feel different things from hopeful and excited, to sad and concerned. I wasn’t expecting this show which is humorous in nature to get as sad as it did and now that I’m talking about it, I want to go back and rewatch it all over again.
This is the perfect show for Marvel lovers, especially those who like the interconnectedness of projects, and for anyone who wants to see a person with superpowers try and live a normal life and watch an aspiring actor do what he can to get casted.
TV Show: Overcompensating
Overcompensating was hilarious and cringey.
We follow different characters in college, but mainly best friends Benny, played by Benito Skinner, and Carmen, played by Wally Baram, who started off as love interests, until we find out that Benny is gay, but playing straight, which nobody knows.
The characters make decisions that are shitty but on brand for college years. It’s fun, but awkward at times…there’s also some character growth here and there. Kinda…maybe a little bit.
Their friendship though…is something…
Not sure if it’s good or bad, but I was cracking up at the conversation about how Carmen wants Benny to lie to her less. And she basically says not never, just less…which…is their friendship wrapped up in a bow…pretty much.
The way that it ended was really shocking and I can’t wait for the next season. And if I remember correctly, they didn’t end on the best terms…
But if you like dysfunctional relationships, comedies, and queer coming of age stories, definitely watch this.
TV Show: Pluribus
Pluribus is a slower paced apocalyptic tv series, following Carol, who is one of a few people in the entire world who wasn’t taken over by a hive mind alien virus with the intention of saving people on Earth.
The show is slow paced, but it is engaging and it kept me wondering what the hell was going on and how Carol was going to get out of it.
Pluribus also made me think about the morality of the hive mind. They don’t lie, cheat, steal, or murder. They strive for a utopia, where everyone has a purpose and they can live in harmony.
The hive mind in Pluribus has a hard rule of never ending life, and lowkey sees itself as morally superior because they don’t end life. But they don’t see the ways in which it has causes harm, even if it cleans it up afterward.
On the surface, at first, I was like…why is Carol fighting this? Seems like heaven on earth.
But of course, there’s the whole, giving up control, basically being dead, knowing everything all the time, knowing what everyone is doing all the time and thinking all of the time…and all of that...it’s like yeah, I get why this would freak you out and why you’re avoiding it and you want to save humanity.
The thing about Carol is that she’s selfish and impulsive, and seeing how she copes and what she does while all of this is going on was a time.
It’s also funny to see how the hive mind responds to her. Like, there was this one bit, I don’t want to spoil, that just cracks me up. Like…thinking about it is really funny.
It was a great watch and, in random moments, I think back to this show.
If you’re into hive minds, and post-apocalyptic sci-fis, with a philosophical vibe, I highly recommend it.
TV Show: Cross
I watched both seasons of Cross for the first time these past two months, and the first season was so fun! Action packed, buddy cop dynamic, hot couple, and mysteries that need to be solved.
But the second season…lost what made the first season so great. I was a bit removed from the second season, not really retaining what I was watching after like the 5th episode, so I’ll probably have to go back and rewatch it so I know how it ends.
But I want to shout it out because I really like the first season, it was so good, and I’m still excited for season 3, even though I didn’t like Season 2 as much.
I like the mystery in season 2, but the other things going on…which I don’t want to spoil this one but the other things going on I wasn’t so into…
The buddy cop dynamic was missing for me.
The show is based on a book series, but I haven’t read the books so I’m not sure how alike they are.
The tv show Cross is for lovers of cop and detective shows, but Black. (At least the first season, the second season lost some of that if I’m being honest).
TV Show: Paradise
Paradise season 2 took a turn from the first season.
I’mma be honest. I didn’t like the first season, even though I can objectively say it’s good, and I can’t give you a reason why I didn’t like it. There was just something about it that turned me off, but at the same time, I was still hooked and watching it.
My feelings towards the first season are complicated. I think it’s the whole like…only a select people can survive…I don’t know…something about it it just bothers me.
But it still was good and I was hooked and watching it and like…at first I was hate watching it and then at some point I wasn’t hate watching it and I was just genuinely enjoying it…
‘Cause with this show, there’s way more going on that meets the surface. Like…I went in thinking this was just..like…a detective show and it’s not really that at all.
And with the direction season 2 has gone in, all I know is that I know nothing and I’m obsessed and excited to see how all of this is going to end.
The fun of the show is not knowing anything, so I’m just going to say anything more about it, except for that I’m hooked and I had a really good time even though I’m also a little confused and I’m enjoying the fan theories that are out there.
This show is definitely for sci-fi fans.
Books
In the past few years, when I went through my first surgery for my chronic illness, I became a more avid reader. In the past two years, I’ve read about 30ish books, while before that I read 12, and before that, I barely read 1.
Creating a book account and talking about and reviewing books is probably my favorite hobby, so much so that I’m hoping sometime I can transition what I’ve learned so far into a job in the publishing industry.
But also, if it wasn’t for keeping up my bookstagram, I probably wouldn’t have re-explored my love of writing and probably wouldn’t have started a podcast in the first place. But that’s a story for the blog and for a different day.
In the first three months of the year, I read books in the young adult, fantasy, literary, and romance genres. I review books on the blog, so I won’t be going too deep into details, but I’ll give a little overview.
Books: Lover Girl
In Q1, I’ve had some entertaining reads.
There was only one book that I really didn’t like, called Lover Girl, and it’s labelled as a literary book, with some sites calling it a romance, but it really isn’t a romance and I wouldn’t pick this book up if you’re thinking it is romance. There’s no happy ending or happy for now at the end of this book.
It follows an unnamed woman while she stays at her friend's house, where she was planning to write. The “friend” isn’t really what I’d call a “friend.” They’ve hooked up before and he takes advantage of her (check your triggers in this book), but he’s rich and he travels often, leaving the house empty most of the time. And she’s kind of pulled to him, not really calling out his problematic behavior to him. And though I don’t think she has romantic feelings for him or even really likes him really as a friend, she is obsessed with whether he likes or is attracted to her and wants validation from him.
And it’s a bit of the same with her ex-boyfriend, who also stops by the house and stays for a bit. With them, it kinda seems like there’s unresolved feelings, and I don’t remember why they broke up, but the main character is also obsessed with what he thinks about her and if he thinks she’s attractive.
I don’t know…the whole book is very vain and vapid and not in a way that I had a good time with.
And I wrote in my review that I could see this being commentary about social topics, like how shitty men can be, how hard it is to be a woman with male friends, what women who center men sound like, or how a depressed person experiences the world, but there was also nothing that was said or done, in my opinion, to actually land these points.
For me, this book fell into the trap I was talking about earlier of being the thing it’s critiquing because there wasn’t a character to actually oppose the nameless character’s viewpoints.
This story is a stream of consciousness of her thoughts, which made it hard for me to read because I didn’t really like her at all. And it’s not even that I have to like the characters I’m reading. ‘Cause there’s a book I’m currently reading where I find the main character to be very cynical…and she annoys me. Like, she’s just not my cup of tea, but I’m still enjoying the book.
And even though I don’t necessarily agree with the things she says and the points she’s making, I can understand where she was coming from with her being so cynical, and with this book I didn’t feel like that. She was just annoying me.
If you decide to pick this up, I would research triggers. There’s some fleeting suicidal ideation in this book, a sexual assault with some detail, and misogyny.
This book is definitely messy, but it wasn’t the type of mess I was looking for when I picked up the book.
Not to be that person, but like with One Battle After Another, I don’t really know who this book is for.
Like…I think this book is genuinely hit or miss. You’re either going to really enjoy what happens in this book or you’re not going to enjoy it at all.
If you like unlikeable characters…and a woman navigating her relationship with some of the men in her lives, you might like this book.
Book: The Devil and Her Details
My favorite book that I read this quarter was The Devil and Her Details.
It’s a mafia romance, with a marriage of convenience trope, following two mafia leaders who have recently taken over the business due to their father’s murder.
There’s some mystery elements, trying to figure out who is behind the killing of their fathers, but it’s also a romance book, where feelings between the two leads deepen.
I’ve only read a couple of mafia books before, but I love a marriage of convenience trope, so whenever I see it I’m on board. And I ended up really liking this book. I just like how this book had a little bit of everything. Like it had a little bit of action, a little bit of mystery, it had romance. This book has all of the elements I like to see in a movie, but in a book,I really enjoyed it.
If you like a marriage of convenience, morally grey characters, spicy books, and mysteries, you’ll enjoy this book.
Book: A Girl Like Her
My favorite thing about A Girl Like Her is that it follows the romance of a plus size black autistic character. She’s outcasted in her small town after her family was caught in a scandal, and tends to stick to herself until she gets a new neighbor who’s friendly.
I enjoyed the representation, because not only did the lead not feel stereotypically autistic, or only autistic in label, but there’s not very much representation for Black autistic women.
The book has your typical small town drama, but it wasn’t annoying or overbearing to me in the way that some small towns can feel. Like…people were obviously gossipy, but they weren’t excessively in everyone’s business and it didn’t feel like word travelled really, really fast, like how it happens in a lot of small town books.
Like everyone was their own people and it was clear everyone was connected to each other, but it didn’t feel like one vs. everyone else in the way that others do. And even though technically she was outcasted by everybody, some people were welcoming when she decided to venture out more.
I also really liked the romance. It’s a neighbors to lovers, strangers to lovers book.
If you’re looking for a romance book with an autistic lead character that’s set in a small town this is for you.
Book: Until The Clock Strikes Midnight
Until the Clock Strikes Midnight is a young adult fantasy book with a Cinderella theme that was surprisingly philosophical. It follows two immortals who are supposed to help a human in order to get a coveted spot on the council.
Only, they both were expecting to do this mission solo, and one has a goal of giving the human a happily ever after, while the other has a goal of giving the human an ordinary ever after.
The book is whimsical and cozy, and there’s a lot of back and forth between which path is the best path. Should humans take risks that strive for true happiness or should humans be more wary and stay safe by not taking the risk. By the end of the book, a solution is found, but it made me think about life in the real world and which option is better than the other.
If things don’t work out, the fall can be harder if you took a risk that wasn’t successful, but if things do work out, you can experience something that’s once in a lifetime.
What would you choose?
If you like young adult books, fantasy novels that are cozy, and mental illness rep, because one of the leads has bipolar, this could be the book for you.
Album
I didn’t recommend or not recommend albums because it’s subjective in a way that’s hard for me to describe with words, just because even if you how I’m describing it, if you don't like how it sounds, the melodies, the artist’s voice…like if there’s anything audibly that you don’t like, or if it’s just not your style, you’re not gonna like it.
Raye Album
That being said, I do want to call out my favorite album so far which is Raye’s latest release “This Music May Contain Hope.”
It does contain hope, let me just say that.
The lyrics are beautiful, the vibe is upbeat and reflective and there’s only one song on it that I really don’t like much.
Raye’s voice is unreal and she tells stories through her music about her life in a way that others can relate to and in a way that can genuinely help and heal others.
This album was really good and memorable and I think about it a lot and I think this album will be timeless.
I hope it wins something, though it doesn’t need to because it won’t change my mind about how much I love it.
Other Albums
I have listened to some other albums. All of them kinda have a different vibe to them, and again I’m not gonna be recommending them, ‘cause it just depends on what you’re into, but I’ll share a little bit about my thoughts about some of them.
I think Bad Bunny’s album…try not to laugh at how I pronounce it…”DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS”. I really liked that album. It was really good. My daughter really likes it too, so for a while there we were listening to it like every single day, but NUEVAYOL was our favorite one. Like, we would listen to that every morning.
I think J Cole’s album was pretty good, especially compared to the last couple projects he put out. I used to be..like..a huge J. Cole fan. I’ve seen him perform three or four times. I love his “January 28th” album, like that’s one of my favorite albums of all time. “Friday Night Lights” is really good. I like his older stuff moreso than his newer stuff, but this album was kinda like older J. Cole, even though some of his lyrics are problematic. I’ve seen people talk about it, it’s not surprising to me. It wasn’t an album that I analyzed. I was listening to it while doing other stuff, so I can’t speak on what other people are saying about it.
Brent Faiyaz, my toxic king. This album he chilled out though. He seemed more mellow in his lyrics, more mellow in his style. I really liked ot, especially “Butterflies.’ It’s my favorite one…right now at least…it changes everyday.
Bruno Mars' album was really good. The singles he released, I think, did him a disservice. It was better than I was expecting.
I didn’t not like Harry Styles’ album, but I didn’t like Harry Styles' album. Harry Styles' album is just fine. There are songs in it that I really like, but as a whole it didn’t stand out together. And I thought it all kinda like…sounded the same and blended together, that made it hard to differentiate what the songs were if you weren’t like locked in listening.
Yeah…i don’t know…it’s not my favorite project that he put out, but there are some good songs on there.
And Jill Scott’s album, I liked some of the songs on there.
Conclusion
So that’s, all I got for you today.
Next week I’ll be reviewing a movie. I’m eaning towards Pretty Lethal on prime. I haven’t watched it yet though, so I don’t know if I’ll have a lot to say or not about it….but we’ll figure something out.
You can visit my blog www.ihavetosay.blog. I’m on instagram @ihavetosay with three ys like ihavetosayyy. I’m on threads at lyssa_posts_.
I hope that you’ll subscribe.
Okay. thank you for joining me. Thank you for being here. Bye bye.