Netflix’s The Last Czars: Drama, History, and Flawed Royals

Well, let’s face it. Russia is fairly topical at the moment. But how did we get here? Well, any story about Russia has to include the Romanovs, who ruled for 300 years. The Last Czars is an ambitious attempt by Netflix to blend historical documentary with dramatized storytelling, chronicling their downfall —and the rise of the Bolsheviks. The result is an intriguing, visually lavish production that succeeds in moments but often struggles to find its identity.

The lavish costumes, ornate set designs, and snowy Russian landscapes evoke the grandeur—and isolation—of the Romanov dynasty. The performances, especially Robert Jack as Tsar Nicholas II and Susanna Herbert as Alexandra, bring depth to historical figures often seen as symbols rather than people. And rather flawed people they turn out to be.

At times, I felt sympathetic to their plight as their Empire collapsed around them. Other times, not so much as they make one poor decision after another. The Bolsheviks shouldn’t have shot the children, but Nicholas II and Alexandra cared little for the ordinary Russian. It reminds me of someone, I can’t quite put my finger on it.

The most interesting character is, of course, Rasputin. He is someone I have always been interested in. A religious man. God saves sinners; therefore, it is important to sin. Only then can you ask for forgiveness. He tries his best to drink and to make love to as many women as possible. God bless, he loves his God. The Romanovs fall under his spell, a sick son creating a wedge between them and their people (well, she’s German, it’s complicated).

The inclusion of documentary-style narration and expert interviews gives the viewer valuable historical grounding. However, this same hybrid format is also the show’s greatest weakness. The constant switching between drama and documentary can feel jarring, breaking immersion and undercutting any attachment to what is happening.

Personally, I found it a bit of a struggle to keep watching. Three stars out of five for me. If you’re committed to hours of TV every day, give it a try. If time is precious, there is much better out there.

But let me know what you think? Have you seen it?

A House of Dynamite: A Thrilling Perspective on Nuclear Crisis

Happy weekend to all my readers. I had the good fortune to watch “A House of Dynamite” during the week.

A nuclear missile is fired towards the United States. What follows is a masterclass in contemporary suspense. The film’s structure is bold: it essentially shows the same 18 minutes (or the timeframe of the missile threat) from several perspectives — intelligence, military, and White House. This different point-of-view approach illustrates how separate parts of the US military and government respond to the crisis.

Whether the nuclear warhead actually detonates, and what then happens, is not part of the film. Under the direction of Kathryn Bigelow, the film plunges the viewer into a high-stakes nuclear crisis with astonishing realism. The sense of urgency is almost physical — Bigelow keeps the camera moving, the editing sharp, the clock ticking.

Some viewers might find the repeating structure (showing the same timeframe from different angles) slightly repetitive, but I enjoyed it. Others may find it frustrating that questions go unanswered. I find it apt. I see the ambiguity as intentional, just like the real-life situation would be.

The film is more than entertainment: it’s a wake-up call about nuclear deterrence, about systems we (or at least the Americans) trust being fallible.

The movie boasts a stellar cast: Idris Elba, who looks much older than when I last saw him, gives a grounded, urgent performance as the U.S. President. His chances of being 007 are now gone, though. Rebecca Ferguson and Gabriel Basso hold their own in the thriller’s pressurized settings.

The characters feel real under pressure — not caricatures of power, but people making impossible decisions in impossible times.

If you’re in the mood for a film that makes you hold your breath—and keeps you thinking after—it’s absolutely worth watching. Five stars out of five for me.

Distant Love (Part 44)

Hours pass, and the magnificent habitats come clearly into view. They are cylindrical in shape, with a constant stream of small vessels travelling in between them.

“Looks incredible, doesn’t it, Derek?” Maeve says, both of their eyes transfixed.

“It is. I read somewhere that we’re reaching the tipping point where more people will be living off Earth than on it. Crazy, really, and there’s a huge universe out there for us to colonize.” Derek’s eyes were wide with wonder.

“Incredible, we’d better dock you in place again. We’ll soon start to feel the effect of the Earth’s gravity.”

Derek began to sweat in nervous anticipation. This would be unlike anything he had experienced before.

Their ship descended between the habitats.

The ship shook. It was almost imperceptible.

Derek thought – It is beginning.

Then another shake.

“Don’t worry, Derek. The ship’s onboard navigation system won’t have any difficulties taking us in. Landing on Earth is routine, not like landing on the moon.”

Maeve smirked, and Derek found it odd how reassuring he found it to be.

The rattling increases with each passing moment. The viewport edges turn red.

“We’re going to the top of the second large island off that landmass. You can’t see the small island itself, yet.” Maeve shouted over the sound of the spaceship crashing through the atmosphere.

Distant Love (Part 43)

Hours pass, and the Earth now looms large in the viewport. Derek stares in fascination at the multitude of space habitats now visible in orbit. “Which one is the New Yorker habitat?”

Maeve smiles and holds her hands out in front of him. “There it is. It has a blue hue. See it?”

“Wow, it looks so small, hard to imagine one hundred million people living there. Did you ever visit?”

Maeve stays silent for a moment, then responds, “Yes, I have. It looks small from here, but it actually has a huge living space. There are huge areas with no one. Of course, it’s very crowded in places too. It’s crazy, though, looking up and seeing people living their lives above you.”

Derek drives forward, “Is it true that it is the wealthiest place in the solar system?”

“Oh, yes, no poor people allowed. If you can no longer afford the fees, off back to Earth with you. It’s supposed to be very cutthroat. All smiles to your face, but get lost if you have nothing. I guess that’s why they left Earth.”

Derek nods his head in agreement. Do you know any of the others?”

“Of course, there is New Ireland, that’s Gallois, there’s Quantus. I could go on for a good half day, I’d say, there are so many.”

Distant Love (Part 42)

After some time, Derek asks, “So, tell me about this aunt of yours. You never mentioned her previously.”

“Well, no, I haven’t. But I don’t see her often, so it wouldn’t just crop up. As I mentioned, she resides on the island of Haroldswick in the Shetland Islands. Ever heard of them?” Her eyes opened wide.

Derek nods his head, “No, should I?”

Maeve smiles, “I thought not, they are islands that are part of an ancient country called the United Kingdom. And to be honest, I’d say most people in the UK would have no idea where they are. They are far from the mainland, and all of Shetland has a population of only twenty-five thousand people. And in Haroldwick, only a couple of hundred at best.”

Derek winks, “Should be easy to stay out of the limelight, so!”

“That’s what I’m thinking. I was there, just the once before. Looking out at the sea, and watching the crashing of the waves against the cliffs. It looked unending. And the quaint little houses and streets. The people are really friendly. Nervous of outsiders, but it will be fine once they know about Aunty.”

“Should be fun. I just hope it’s wheelchair-friendly to some degree.”

Heaven’s River: A Review of the Latest Bobiverse Adventure

Hello, dear readers, I finished reading this novel by Dennis E. Taylor last night. It is the fourth book in the Bobiverse series. I have reviewed the others previously and given them strong reviews. But what of this one?

Well, dear readers, to fully appreciate each novel, I recommend reading them in order. It’s a big Universe after all, and so many stories to be told.

The Bobs are copies of the digitally stored personality of a dead human (“Bob”), carried in self-replicating Von Neumann probes. The original mission to explore new worlds was originally tied to saving humanity.

With each replication, there is a drift from the original personality. At this stage, some bobs are the thirtieth generation or more. This has led to factions forming within the Bobiverve, such as Star Trek and the Skippies.

Starfleet believes that the Bobiverse should cease its interaction with biologicals, especially those that don’t engage in space travel, calling it the Prime Directive.

The Skippies want to build a superintelligent AI from scratch.

Each new Bob replicant has an individual name. One of them, Bender, hasn’t been heard from in a very long time. More than a hundred years ago, Bender set out for the stars and was never heard from again. There has been no trace of him despite numerous searches by his clone-mates. Now Bob is determined to organize an expedition to learn Bender’s fate—whatever the cost.

Bob (more or less the original) goes on the same journey where he picks up an alien signal. He deduces that Bender would have followed it. It leads to the discovery of a giant megastructure – rivers that encircle a star. Inside, live a pre-steam civilization, the Quinlans.

The discovery creates a stir throughout the Bobiverse. Starfleet believes that the Quinlans should be left alone, citing the Prime Directive, but Bob would never stop his search for Bender.

It leads to war in the Bobiverse and an epic journey through a truly new world.

I give “Heaven’s River” five stars out of five. Although long, it engages from start to finish. You meet interesting new characters and catch up on old ones. It is very immersive, allowing you to fully engage with the new Quinlan civilization. It has the necessary reveals and plot twists to keep the reader going.

Have you read this novel?

Let me know what you thought in the comments.

Distant Love (Part 41)

Derek’s heart misses a beat with the anguish in her voice. “I’m sorry, Nathalie. I couldn’t tell you what I was about to do. It would only get you in trouble. You were the best friend I ever had.”

“Don’t be a fool, she’s not….” The message cackles before it stops altogether.

Maeve glances at him, but he looks ahead.

“Where’re now, Maeve? Any ideas? We can’t stay here.”

There is a moment of silence, then she says, “Why not Earth? My aunt lives somewhere in Haroldswick in the Shetland Islands. It’s remote, and we can trust her. We’ll never be found.”

Derek smiles, “Never heard of it but that’s probably a good thing. I’ll put in the coordinates for Earth. It’s going to take a couple of hours.”

An hour later, the ship has stopped its acceleration. The harness automatically removes from Derek’s wheelchair, and Maeve unstraps her belt.

A moment later, she throws her arms around Derek’s neck and presses her lips against his. “You saved me. Nobody has done something like that for me before. You’re a hero.”

Derek gazes into her eyes, “Anything for you, love. You have the rest of our lives to make it up to me.”

They laughed and began to kiss once more.

Kiera Knightley Shines in ‘The Woman in Cabin 10’ Review

Hello readers, I hope you are having a delightful day. I watched this film earlier today based on a book by the same name, and thought it was worth writing about.

Investigative Detective Blacklock, played by the still very beautiful Kiera Knightley, is going through a hard time. A source for one of her stories was recently murdered. So, she takes the opportunity to follow up on a fluff piece about a group of wealthy people, who will make a contribution to cancer research after one of them gets a terminal prognosis. Little does she realize that an ex is also on the boat.

I did wonder if they could make this film, with most of the action happening on a large yacht. But it pulls it off. Things go into high gear when our investigator sees a body in the water from Cabin 10. The only problem is that they don’t find it, and nobody is missing. Did she really see a body, or did her mind conjure it up? The rest of the people on the ship are definitely convinced it is.

What follows is a thriller full of intrigue and menace. Will our intrepid heroine figure it all out? It all makes sense at just the right time, turning into a classic tale of backstabbing and revenge.

As of October 2025, this film can be viewed on Netflix. I give it four stars out of five.

Have you seen it?

What did you think? Let me know in the comments.

Distant Love (Part 40)

Derek drives his wheelchair into position in the middle of the deck. Clamps lock onto the wheelchair as a belt closes around his torso.

There is a large computer monitor in front of him showing the grey hangar door blocking their exit. The rest of the deck is full of red leather seats and various computers that combine into an AI hive mind known as “The Ship”.

He looks to see that Maeve is strapped in, then issues the command to the ship’s computer to initiate take-off.

The ship replies, “Good to see you, Derek. And I see you have a guest. Initializing the thrusters.”

Derek feels the ship rattling. Then it stops dead.

“What happened?” Maeve yelps.

“The station has given a counter order,” the station replies matter-of-factly.

Everything is going exactly as Derek foresaw, “Issuing Emergency Order 563.”

The thrusters ignite one more, and the hangar door opens to reveal the lunar landscape.

Then, they lift off. Earth comes into view, a blue dot in the vastness of space. The orbiting space habitats are invisible at this distance.

A buzzing sound comes over the communications array.

Then Derek hears Nathalie’s voice. “What are you doing, Derek? This is crazy. You need to come back right now!”

Distant Love (Part 39)

The hail of fire stops their pursuers. On reaching the end of the corridor, they are met by another lift, except it’s locked this time.

“You need to enter the code – zero, three, four, five. A perk of the job,” Derek roars as he opens fire once more.

Maeve taps the code in, and the door swings open. “Let’s go, Derek!”.

The door closes as Derek makes it through, “We’re going to the top level.”

Maeve presses the relevant button, then plants a kiss on his lips. “Thank you for saving me.”

The lift door opens, and they exit into a large hangar. There is a stench of oil.

“There she is, Maeve. Right in front of us, the red one. My mother left her to me, but up till now, there was nowhere I wanted to go. Not till I met you.”

They hurry over the ship. A device in Derek’s chair signals for the cargo bay ramp to go down. Derek drives onto the ramps, with Maeve close behind as he hears shouting in the distance. He can feel his heart beating. “Maeve, follow me to the deck and strap yourself in pronto. We need to get off this base.”