Wondering what to do with your upcoming free time? Good thing we have some suggestions for what you should be watching, playing, reading, listening to, etc.

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Ben’s Anime Pick: Parasyte: The Maxim – Parasyte: The Maxim is a seamless blend of multiple genres, which is quite fitting for an anime featuring evil extraterrestrials that stealthily merge with human hosts to stay undetected: its has brutal action, tons of unsettling body horror, a hefty helping of teen drama, and just a bit of romance. Parasyte’s two protagonists are Shinichi Izumi, a typical highschooler, and Migi, an alien invader relegated to Shinichi’s hand after failing to fully take over his body; and the unlikely pair is forced to work together once they realize that other members of Migi’s race see them as a threat to their plans of secretly taking root on earth. What follows is a gory, suspenseful, and often unpredictable adventure brought to life by Madhouse. The symbiotic relationship between the acclaimed studio’s animation and the unique styles of combat the parasites employ to kill their opponents ensures each brings something new or worthwhile to the table, and the mutual respect and understanding that grows between Shinichi and Migi is played out extremely well.

Ben’s Movie Pick: Pearl – Simply put, Pearl (Tie West’s no-longer-a-secret prequel to his gnarly throwback slasher X), is one of the 2020’s best horror films. Interesting, though, is how Pearl is a very, very different experience than its predecessor. I’d even argue that they fit into separate subgenres, so much so that I wouldn’t be surprised if some people loved one and hated the other. Fortunately for me, I’m a big fan of both; and while X is my clear favorite of the two, Pearl has plenty to appreciate. Mia Goth’s turn as a more youthful version of the eponymous character is the best performance of hers that I’ve seen, and the movie itself works as a love letter to the golden age of cinema, as it tells a tragic, tension-laced tale of a young woman succumbing to insanity. Her descent into murderous madness is a far slower burn than I expected after seeing X, but the gruesome pay-off is certainly worth the wait, with a magnificently bizarre final shot that is one for the ages.

Also, make sure to watch through the credits!

Lauren’s Video Game Pick: Resident Evil 3 Remake – With all the hype around the recently released remake of Resident Evil 4, I figured it was finally time that I actually earned the right to main Jill Valentine in Dead by Daylight by bravely running her through the streets of the rapidly overrun, doomed Raccoon City. Though the locations of this game cannot compete with the uncomfortable eeriness of the darkened halls of the police station of RE2 – something this game seemingly agrees with seeing as the location makes a brief appearance in this sequel – and Nemesis’ steadfast, heel-nipping pursuit through town with the goal of punching Jill’s head off of her shoulders doesn’t quite compare to the stress of hearing Mr. X’s stomps echo throughout the station, I still had a ton of fun fending off zombies, reptilian mutants, and giant sewer boogers for the handful of hours it takes to run through this campaign. I know there were a lot of complaints about this game’s shorter length (and lack of puzzles, and Jill being a “bitch” because she didn’t want to put up with himbo Carlos’ flirting – insert extremely exaggerated eye roll), but that didn’t bother me as much, especially once I unlocked the unlimited rocket launcher to help me gleefully blast my way through all opposition in the goal of completing various runs for achievements: from a collectibles run, to runs of the escalating difficulties, to a no heals run. Short, yes, but extremely replayable.

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So what do you think about these picks? What content did we miss over the past two weeks while we were spending time with these? Be sure to leave a comment below letting us know about everything (both current and simply new to you) you’ve been consuming lately!

And while you’re here, be sure to check some of the site’s other recent content:

• Lauren’s review of the recently released film, Ghosted.
• Ben’s review of the recently digitally released film, Sisu.
• Lauren’s sequel prep reviews of the books The Unbroken by C. L. Clark and The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart, her family book club review of The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn, and new release review of Lone Women by Victor LaValle.