The Gilded Age (2022) s03e02 “What the Papers Say” [2025] D: Deborah Kampmeier. S: Carrie Coon, Morgan Spector, Louisa Jacobson, Denée Benton, Taissa Farmiga, Cynthia Nixon, Christine Baranski. Thanks to some semi-twists, fantastic acting (Baranski gets to flex), and a killer cliffhanger, the episode distracts from the fast resolutions to outstanding plot threads. The continuing ones seem fine–including setting up Coon for a big season, even though she’s been queenmaking behind the scenes until now–but AGE is finite. Exceptionally good gowns this episode, too.

The Gilded Age (2022) s03e03 “Love Is Never Easy” [2025] D: . S: Carrie Coon, Morgan Spector, Louisa Jacobson, Denée Benton, Taissa Farmiga, Cynthia Nixon, Christine Baranski. Lots of great soapy scenes distract from the wheel spinning as far as plot arcs are concerned. Most of the first act’s conflicts are completely resolved by the third–it’s still too soon (is it, though) to figure out Coon’s season arc or anyone’s; except maybe Benton’s. Her story–about classism affecting her potential love life–is the highlight.

The Gilded Age (2022) s03e04 “Marriage is a Gamble” [2025] D: . S: Carrie Coon, Morgan Spector, Louisa Jacobson, Denée Benton, Taissa Farmiga, Cynthia Nixon, Christine Baranski. It’s Farmiga’s wedding episode so it’s unfortunate she never gets centered. Lots of subplots perturb (or seeming resolve) and the show seems to be positioning Coon for a boring villain arc. Good acting, especially Benton and Baranski. It’ll probably all be fine but there’s too many perfunctory closures occurring at once.

Poker Face (2023) s02e10 “The Big Pump” [2025] D: Clea DuVall. S: Natasha Lyonne, Jason Ritter, Patti Harrison, Method Man, Natasha Leggero, Myra Lucretia Taylor, Laith Wallschleger. Guest star Ritter’s angry he’s not seeing enough fitness results and blames other guest star Method Man. Do they both have secrets worth dying for? Delightful performances–from everyone, particularly Method Man and Harrison as Lyonne’s sidekick–make up for a generally inert, way too easy mystery. However, Brooklyn’s the longest Lyonne’s been in a location; the bit’s ripening.

Poker Face (2023) s02e11 “Day of the Iguana” [2025] D: Ti West. S: Natasha Lyonne, Simon Helberg, Patti Harrison, Lili Taylor, Justin Theroux, Haley Joel Osment, Taylor Schilling. Harrison and Lyonne are buddies working a wedding where mysterious assassin Theroux is after groom Osment. Harrison thinks Theroux’s cute. Also Helberg’s back for another episode as Lyonne’s FBI body. Lots of intricate setup for very little unraveling, as it turns out it’ll all play into the season finale next episode. Really good performances (and good bits) carry it fine.

Poker Face (2023) s02e12 “The End of the Road” [2025] D: Natasha Lyonne. S: Natasha Lyonne, Rhea Perlman, Simon Helberg, Patti Harrison, Lili Taylor, Taylor Schilling, Adam Arkin. Season–or is that series–finale is simultaneously accomplished, predictable, and divine. Lyonne and Harrison are trying to find mob-boss-in-witness-protection Perlman so they can escape hit man Theroux. Meanwhile, FBI guy Helberg is trying to find them, too. Beautifully done (though there’s a big BTS question mark at the end), with fantastic performances. Big wow.

Resident Alien (2021) s04e04 “Truth Hurts” [2025] D: Brennan Shroff. S: Alan Tudyk, Sara Tomko, Corey Reynolds, Alice Wetterlund, Levi Fiehler, Elizabeth Bowen, Meredith Garretson. Tudyk spends most of his episode with returning guest star Edi Patterson, who he loves but finds revolting physically now because he’s just human. Will he or won’t he tell her? Meanwhile, Wetterlund can’t help getting the currently independent subplots closer together. Great episode for very funny Tudyk and Reynolds (who’s learning to love believing in aliens).

Resident Alien (2021) s04e05 “The Human Condition” [2025] D: Sydney Freeland. S: Alan Tudyk, Sara Tomko, Corey Reynolds, Alice Wetterlund, Levi Fiehler, Elizabeth Bowen, Meredith Garretson. Tudyk gets a lot of good material as he tries to figure out how to live as a human who used to be an alien, rather than an alien impersonating a human. Tomko’s got a lot going on (albeit reacting to everyone else). Reynolds, Bowen, Fiehler, Garretson all seem ready to combine plot threads. Great Jenna Lamia showcase, too.

Resident Alien (2021) s04e06 “Soul Providers” [2025] D: Sydney Freeland. S: Alan Tudyk, Sara Tomko, Corey Reynolds, Alice Wetterlund, Levi Fiehler, Elizabeth Bowen, Meredith Garretson. Absurdly sappy episode–which should’ve gotten through as Capracorn–stumbles its way to a lovelily acted conclusion. Tudyk’s on trial at space court and discovers he’s got a soul; meanwhile, Wetterlund tries to find Tomko’s bank deposit, which she drunkenly lost. The episode keeps the laughs coming while going from syrupy to content warning to sincere. Bad directing, though.

Resident Alien (2021) s04e07 “Daddy Issues” [2025] D: . S: Alan Tudyk, Sara Tomko, Corey Reynolds, Alice Wetterlund, Levi Fiehler, Elizabeth Bowen, Meredith Garretson. Stephen Root guest stars as Tudyk’s alien dad in human form and brings the right energy. The part itself is a little thin. They argue and make faces. Good stuff. Meanwhile, the humans are all in crisis, mostly alien-related but also serious human drama. The show definitely seems to be setting up for a finish. A strong okay.

Adventure in Sahara (1938) D: D. Ross Lederman. S: Paul Kelly, C. Henry Gordon, Lorna Gray, Robert Fiske, Marc Lawrence, Dick Curtis, Stanley Brown. Solid enough quickie about American Kelly who up joins the French Legion. Abusive captain Gordon is terrorizing his troops–sometimes worse–and Kelly’s kid brother’s in his crosshairs. Nice production values, even if Lederman doesn’t bring much directing-wise. Kelly’s a sturdy lead, Gordon’s a great bastard; Gray’s good as the (unlikely) girlfriend. Way too short ending, though.

Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold (1986) D: Gary Nelson. S: Richard Chamberlain, Sharon Stone, James Earl Jones, Henry Silva, Robert Donner, Martin Rabbett, Aileen Marson. Better looking sequel has Chamberlain and Stone teaming up with Jones (who skillfully avoids embarrassing himself) and Hopper (a New Jersey white man in brown face as an Indian con artist holy man) to find long lost brother Rabbett. And a LOST CITY OF GOLD. Layers and layers of racism and sexism. Including Stone disappearing for the third act.

Conan the Barbarian (1982) D: John Milius. S: Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Earl Jones, Max von Sydow, Sandahl Bergman, Cassandra Gava, Gerry Lopez, Mako. Overlong but well-mounted adaptation of the Robert E. Howard character. Jones kills Schwarzenegger’s parents, setting him on a lifelong revenge arc. Along the way he makes friends and enemies, with warrior woman Bergman his love interest. Milius’s direction quickly finds its limits and not having a lead who can deliver dialogue regularly hurts. Very good special effects, though.

Conan the Destroyer (1984) D: Richard Fleischer. S: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Grace Jones, Wilt Chamberlain, Mako, Tracey Walter, Sarah Douglas, Olivia d’Abo. Unnecessarily problematic sequel has Arnold escorting (yes, intentionally) Lolita princess d’Abo on a quest. Way too cartoony, with director Fleischer indifferent to the performances. The action has its moments, but the special effects disappoint. Jones and Mako give solid performances. No one else, though Arnold’s at least game. It’s just a silly production. Oh, and Walter’s godawful.

The Congress (2013) D: Ari Folman. S: Robin Wright, Harvey Keitel, Jon Hamm, Danny Huston, Paul Giamatti, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Sami Gayle. Despite some strong sequences and a fantastic performance from Wright (playing an alternate, Penn-less version of herself), this adaptation of a Stanislaw Lem novel sputters. Mainly because more than half the movie is (albeit nicely) animated, and Wright’s not a particularly distinct voice actor. Plus, it consistently and uncritically positions the ostensible protagonist, Wright, in the male gaze.

Cool Breeze (1972) D: Barry Pollack. S: Thalmus Rasulala, Judy Pace, Lincoln Kilpatrick, Sam Laws, Margaret Avery, Pam Grier, Paula Kelly. Blaxploitation (scripted and directed by white guy Pollack) adaptation of THE ASPHALT JUNGLE keeps the “criminals are scum” messaging and proceeds to make all the Black characters… criminals. And the racist cops are heroes. Despite those big yikes (and the rampant misogyny), there’s some excellent acting, and Andrew Davis’s photography is often strong. Bad directing and editing don’t help.

Fight or Flight (2025) D: James Madigan. S: Josh Hartnett, Charithra Chandran, Marko Zaror, JuJu Chan, Julian Kostov, Sanjeev Kohli, Katee Sackhoff. Perfectly serviceable ultra-violent action picture about disgraced Secret Service agent and certified badass Hartnett trying to apprehend an infamous global terrorist on a plane full of his enemies. Certain aspects (production and narrative) are a little cheap, but some great action. Hartnett and his flight attendant sidekick Chandran are solid; shadowy spy boss Sackhoff not so much.

Heist (2001) D: David Mamet. S: Gene Hackman, Danny DeVito, Delroy Lindo, Sam Rockwell, Rebecca Pidgeon, Ricky Jay, Patti LuPone. Mamet overdoes Mamet with Hackman as a master thief, Lindo as his right-hand, Jay as the funny man, and Pidgeon as the wife. He’s got to do one last job for DeVito, who throws nephew Rockwell into the mix. Far from the most original caper (or plot twists), but beautifully acted and produced. Hackman, Rockwell, and Lindo excel.

Hercules (1983) D: Luigi Cozzi. S: Lou Ferrigno, Sybil Danning, Brad Harris, Rossana Podestà, Ingrid Anderson, Mirella D’Angelo, William Berger. Cannon production of an Italian sword, sandals, and sorcery has dubbed Ferrigno as the mythical demigod, trying to save humanity from the gods. Bewilderingly imaginative in its combination of rip-offs and elaborate (and bad) special effects. The dubbing acting is mostly bad, but Ferrigno looks right and does well with his dialogue delivery faces. Danning’s especially trying, however.

Homefront (2013) D: Gary Fleder. S: Jason Statham, James Franco, Izabela Vidovic, Winona Ryder, Rachelle Lefevre, Kate Bosworth, Clancy Brown. Widower and ex-DEA badass Statham just wants to settle down in rural but scenic Louisiana and ride horses with daughter Vidovic. Except then she gets into it at school, pissing off meth head mamma bear Bosworth, who sics meth dealer brother Franco on Statham. Good Statham lead, righteous action, and some (manipulative) thrills. Ryder’s comically atrocious.

King Solomon’s Mines (1985) D: J. Lee Thompson. S: Richard Chamberlain, Sharon Stone, Herbert Lom, John Rhys-Davies, Ken Gampu, June Buthelezi, Sam Williams. Terrible colonizers’ adventure in Africa (yes, they still call it “darkest” in 1985) is packed with action but none of it’s good. Chamberlain’s version of camp is mostly just being a jackass. Stone’s his client; they’re trying to find her dad, but not her impressively consistently disappearing shorts. Rhys-Davies and Lom are the baddies. Embarrassing Jerry Goldsmith score.

KPop Demon Hunters (2025) D: Maggie Kang. S: Arden Cho, May Hong, Ji-young Yoo, Ahn Hyo-seop, Yunjin Kim, Ken Jeong, Lee Byung-hun. Beautifully animated supernatural action comedy musical about a K-pop group who are also hunting demons. The leader, Cho, has some secrets, which threaten the group and the fate of the known universe. Some solid laughs, great action, good songs, and likable performances. Ahn is particularly good as the bad boy (demon) who vexes Cho. Delightful stuff.

Mechanic: Resurrection (2016) D: Dennis Gansel. S: Jason Statham, Jessica Alba, Tommy Lee Jones, Michelle Yeoh, Sam Hazeldine, John Cenatiempo, Toby Eddington. Ostensible sequel has Statham doing a James Bond, John Wick, MACGYVER, HITMAN video game adaptation. He’s trying to stay out of the assassinating life but childhood enemy Hazeldine. Alba’s appealing as the love interest, Yeoh’s fun in a quick part. Jones is not. Okay for a violent but not bloody programmer, though the finale misfires.

Mickey 17 (2025) D: Bong Joon Ho. S: Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Mark Ruffalo, Toni Collette, Anamaria Vartolomei, Patsy Ferran. Supremely human sci-fi black comedy epic about “Expendable” Pattinson, who gets reprinted (cloned) with memories after he dies in one various dangerous situation (or experiment). He’s on a colony ship run by evangelical numbskull grifter Ruffalo and his devoted, psychotic wife Collette. Ackie’s Pattinson’s girl, but also the film’s action lead. Great performances. More singular work from Bong.

Minority Report (2002) D: Steven Spielberg. S: Tom Cruise, Samantha Morton, Colin Farrell, Max von Sydow, Lois Smith, Tim Blake Nelson, Peter Stormare. Frankly embarrassing Spielberg near future sci-fi outing has Cruise on the run for a murder he hasn’t (yet) committed. Spielberg bellyflops as a cyberpunk Hitchcock, somehow directing live action CGI composite stuff worse than pure CGI. Cruise’s barely okay, Farrell’s bad (but eventually gets a little traction). Lois Smith’s got an awesome cameo; Morton’s (as ever) phenomenal. Adapted from a Philip K. Dick short story and originally intended to be a TOTAL RECALL sequel, which would’ve been preferable.

Night Alarm (1934) D: Spencer Gordon Bennet. S: Bruce Cabot, Judith Allen, H.B. Warner, Sam Hardy, Betty Blythe, Tom Hanlon, Harry Holman. Low budget, occasionally amateurish quickie about reporter Cabot being stuck on the gardening beat when he really wants to track an arsonist. Allen’s the girl with a secret who wants his job. Hardy (reuniting with Cabot from KONG) is the editor; he’s great. Warner’s good as the pissy businessman, too. The fire fighting sequences are the highlights.

Poison for the Fairies (1986) D: Carlos Enrique Taboada. S: Ana Patricia Rojo, Elsa Maria Gutierrez. New girl Gutiérrez starts hanging out with troubled orphan Rojo, who’s decided she’d really like to be a witch. And if she’s got to bully Gutiérrez into helping her under threat of violence… well, we don’t know because writer-director Taboada avoids character development. Great performances, and Taboada has some moments, but the affected stylizing is too much.

Scarecrow (1973) D: Jerry Schatzberg. S: Gene Hackman, Al Pacino, Dorothy Tristan, Ann Wedgeworth, Richard Lynch, Eileen Brennan, Penelope Allen. Beautifully done character study of drifters (with a purpose) Hackman and Pacino. Hackman’s an ex-con with a dream, Pacino’s just out of the Navy with a kid he’s never met. They start in California and head east, running into various misadventures (usually caused by Hackman’s temper). Great performances, wondrous Vilmos Zsigmond photography. It’s a slow, rending burn.

Superman (2025) D: James Gunn. S: David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Nathan Fillion, Skyler Gisondo, Pruitt Taylor Vince. Successfully crowd-pleasing start to writer-director Gunn’s DC movie universe hinges entirely on Corenswet’s winning performance as the Man of Steel. Gathegi’s also essential to hold up the non-Superman stuff, with Brosnahan just scrapping by as Lois. Hoult (eventually) does okay as Lex. Surprisingly good special effects, terrible flat characterization (though Gunn weaponizes against ladies). Awful music.

Trouble Man (1972) D: Ivan Dixon. S: Robert Hooks, William Smithers, Paul Winfield, Ralph Waite, Paula Kelly, Jeannie Bell, Julius Harris. Cool, tough, good guy (and master pool player) Hooks deals with racists, cops, and crooks as he tries to suss out his latest job gone wrong. Beautiful L.A. location shooting, a truly delightful supporting cast, and a nice hard-boiled plot–all surrounding Hooks’s confident, charismatic lead–helps TROUBLE deliver. Lots of great 1970s supporting actors show up throughout.

The Gilded Age (2022) s03e01 “Who Is in Charge Here?” [2025] D: Michael Engler. S: Carrie Coon, Morgan Spector, Louisa Jacobson, Denée Benton, Taissa Farmiga, Cynthia Nixon, Christine Baranski. Reliably excellent season opener focuses on changes since last season for Nixon and Baranski, as Nixon’s now the one with the money. Meanwhile, Coon keeps trying to queen-make daughter Farmiga, with everyone hoping Spector gets home in time to stop her. Plus, developments in the standing subplots. Staggeringly good acting from Nixon and Coon in particular.

Poker Face (2023) s02e07 “One Last Job” [2025] D: Adam Arkin. S: Natasha Lyonne, Sam Richardson, Corey Hawkins, James Ransone. Kevin Smith-esque heist homage episode has HEAT DIE HARD (wokka wokka) Richardson finding himself in his own crime thriller, costarring Ransone as a new scuzbag pal. Meanwhile, Lyonne finds herself in a romcom, which the episode intentionally devalues as a genre to serve the masculine. But Ransone’s a singular actor, and Lyonne and Hawkins are very cute together.

Poker Face (2023) s02e08 “The Sleazy Georgian” [2025] D: Mimi Cave. S: Natasha Lyonne, Melanie Lynskey, GaTa, John Cho, Brendan Sexton III, Eric Satterberg, Joel Marsh Garland. Probably series-best episode has Lyonne falling in with con man Cho and his crew, which the audience has already seen maybe fleece nice lady Lynskey. At what point does the con become too dangerous? Great performances all around (Lynskey has a strong spotlight). Cave’s direction and the script (credited to Megan Amram) are stellar as well. It’s sublime.

Poker Face (2023) s02e09 “A New Lease on Death” [2025] D: Adamma Ebo. S: Natasha Lyonne, Awkwafina, Lauren Tom, Alia Shawkat. Well-acted but otherwise strangely light episode has Lyonne trying to suss out what’s going on with new pal Awkwafina’s grandma Tom’s new girlfriend, Shawkat. Shawkat’s great, but there’s nothing to the part. Tom and Awkwafina have an awesome family vibe, it’s just not part of the episode. Maybe it’s just the lackluster finish.

Resident Alien (2021) s04e01 “Prisoners” [2025] D: Alan Tudyk. S: Alan Tudyk, Sara Tomko, Corey Reynolds, Alice Wetterlund, Levi Fiehler, Elizabeth Bowen, Meredith Garretson. Pretty good (and, more importantly, successful) season premiere has Tudyk wearing three hats–acting twice, plus directing. The directing shows he knows the cast’s strengths, even as they’re however many years older since the show last filmed. Some very solid laughs and an awesome Tudyk episode. Reynolds is great, too. But there are just too many characters.

Resident Alien (2021) s04e02 “The Lonely Man” [2025] D: Alan Tudyk. S: Alan Tudyk, Sara Tomko, Corey Reynolds, Alice Wetterlund, Levi Fiehler, Elizabeth Bowen, Meredith Garretson. Solid enough episode gives Tudyk some great showcases while trying to sort through the dozen or so characters it’s juggling. Lots of back and forth to keep the subplots going while getting one of the guest stars out of the picture. Again, solid, with hints at the season to come. Great episode for Reynolds and Bowen, too.

Resident Alien (2021) s04e03 “Ties That Bind” [2025] D: Brennan Shroff. S: Alan Tudyk, Sara Tomko, Corey Reynolds, Alice Wetterlund, Levi Fiehler, Elizabeth Bowen, Meredith Garretson. Based on returning guest star Linda Hamilton’s subplot, it sure looks like ALIEN is going to safely wind everything down this season. Hamilton gets her series best episode as she discovers it’s not so easy to change the past (oddly no TERMINATOR jokes). Otherwise, lots going on, with Gracelyn Awad Rinke and Reynolds getting some great material.

Gilda (1946) D: Charles Vidor. S: Rita Hayworth, Glenn Ford, George Macready, Joseph Calleia, Steven Geray, Joe Sawyer, Gerald Mohr. Too long, impressively moody noir does well on an obviously limited budget. Ford’s a gambler down on his luck in Argentina, Macready’s a megalomaniac looking for a pal, Hayworth’s the dame who drives them both literally mad. As in criminally insane. Macready does that creep well; Ford does not. Hayworth’s dynamite, however, and Calleia’s fantastic as a laconic cop.

Napoleon (1927) D: Abel Gance. S: Albert Dieudonné, Vladimir Roudenko, Edmond van Daële, Gina Manès, Nicolas Koline, Annabella, Philippe Hériat. Singular achievement from Gance, recounting Napoleon (Roudenko then Dieudonné) from childhood to the start of the Italian campaign. Lots of time on the Revolution, the Terror, Toulon, and romancing Joséphine (Manès). Sometimes, Gance balances the messianic framing with the horrors of war or the dangers of megalomaniacs. But mostly, it’s just messianic. And transfixing. Peerless filmmaking, fabulous acting. A couple restorations exist: the COPPOLA (Francis Ford) and the BROWNLOW. See the latter if at all possible.

Night Key (1937) D: Lloyd Corrigan. S: Boris Karloff, Warren Hull, Jean Rogers, Alan Baxter, Hobart Cavanaugh, Samuel S. Hinds, David Oliver. Uneven crime thriller about unscrupulous alarm company owner Hinds taking advantage of wizened genius Karloff one too many times. Karloff breaks bad a little, using a gadget (the NIGHT KEY) to sabotage Hinds’s service, drawing the attention of gangster Baxter. Karloff’s great, Rogers is earnest as his daughter, and Baxter’s okay. Otherwise, recast it. Tepid direction doesn’t help.

One More Time (1970) D: Jerry Lewis. S: Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, John Wood, Dudley Sutton, Maggie Wright, Ester Anderson, Percy Herbert. Just okay sequel has London club owners Davis and Lawford heading to the country and getting involved in an intrigue concerning Lawford’s just revealed twin brother, South African thugs, and various mistaken identities. Davis and Lawford spend way too much time apart. The third act’s way too tinkered. Director Lewis’s comedy direction’s (at most) middling, but he’s got moments.

The Raven (1935) D: Lew Landers. S: Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Lester Matthews, Irene Ware, Samuel S. Hinds, Spencer Charters, Inez Courtney. Moody but unsuccessful “adaptation” about brilliant, misanthropic, Poe fanatic neurosurgeon Lugosi coming out of retirement to save Ware’s life. He then falls in love with her and starts creeping on her. She eggs him on (to the point her father, Hinds, gets involved). Little does anyone expect Lugosi’s plan to involve Karloff, blackmail, and torture. The short runtime helps.

Salt & Pepper (1968) D: Richard Donner. S: Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, Michael Bates, Ilona Rodgers, John Le Mesurier, Graham Stark, Ernest Clark. Frequently problematic, cartoonish outing for Davis and Lawford. They’re club owners in swinging London and get involved with espionage. Occasionally delightful, usually diverting. Donner’s got a few strong moments but he doesn’t show any flare for the fight scenes, and–appropriately–even less for the madcap. The cast is game, and the leads do have great timing. And wardrobe.

Snitch (2013) D: Ric Roman Waugh. S: Dwayne Johnson, Barry Pepper, Susan Sarandon, Michael Kenneth Williams, Melina Kanakaredes, Nadine Velazquez, Jon Bernthal. Badly done crime thriller about regular guy Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson going undercover to get his son a deal with the DEA. Johnson and de facto second lead Bernthal spend most of the movie talking to each other about the plot. The script’s talky and tedious and utterly absent character development. Not incompetent just boring and bland.people

Doctor Who (2024) s02e06 “The Interstellar Song Contest” [2025] D: Ben A. Williams. S: Ncuti Gatwa, Varada Sethu, Anita Dobson, Freddie Fox, Miriam-Teak Lee, Kadiff Kirwan, Charlie Condou. Excellent, Eurovision almost tie-in (Gatwa was going to host for BBC but didn’t) has an unrecognizable Fox taking over the intergalactic version of the concert. Good thing Gatwa and Sethu have just landed. Gatwa may (or may not) be taking some big swings. Lots of great guest star performances, particularly Lee. Disney money effects are on display, too.

Doctor Who (2024) s02e07 “Wish World (1)” [2025] D: Alex Pillai. S: Ncuti Gatwa, Varada Sethu, Millie Gibson, Bonnie Langford, Jemma Redgrave, Archie Panjabi, Anita Dobson. Part one of the finale tries to give Gibson her own subplot, introduce Panjabi (without giving away details), while setting up this bewildering WISH WORLD. Gatwa and Sethu are somehow brainwashed into thinking they’re suburban marrieds in a world where doubting is outlawed. There’s some great stuff but once the episode’s trying to set up part two, it slips.

Doctor Who (2024) s02e08 “The Reality War (2)” [2025] D: Alex Pillai. S: Ncuti Gatwa, Varada Sethu, Millie Gibson, Bonnie Langford, Jemma Redgrave, Yasmin Finney, Ruth Madeley. Mostly outstanding finish–as usual, companions Gibson and Sethu don’t quite get enough (particularly Gibson; for a while it seems like Sethu, but she at least gets an acting showcase). Gatwa’s transcendent, supreme. Big Disney money on display for the space-time fireworks, some great callbacks and cameos, and a successful enough bow. And a heck of a cliffhanger.

The Last of Us (2023) s02e06 “The Price” [2025] D: Neil Druckmann. S: Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Gabriel Luna, Rutina Wesley, Catherine O’Hara, Robert John Burke, Joe Pantoliano. It’s the cop out of cops out for Pascal’s return. The episode is every year between the season’s on Ramsey’s birthday. Except when it isn’t. It’s a self-indulgent mishmash of trite family moments, punctured by the reveal on a new set of stakes. It might be different if Ramsey or Pascal or the episode brought anything unique.

The Last of Us (2023) s02e07 “Convergence” [2025] D: Nina Lopez-Corrado. S: Bella Ramsey, Gabriel Luna, Isabela Merced, Young Mazino, Kaitlyn Dever, Jeffrey Wright. Until the third act misfire and the tropey cliffhanger (and the less tropey but still tropey set up for the next season), it’s the best episode in ages (if not ever). Real tense stuff as Ramsey, delivering a fantastic action antihero performance, hunts down Dever in storm-flooded post-apocalyptic Seattle. Superb direction from Lopez-Corrado. Dirt cheap writing.

Poker Face (2023) s02e04 “The Taste of Human Blood” [2025] D: Lucky McKee. S: Natasha Lyonne, Gaby Hoffmann, Kumail Nanjiani, Steve Buscemi, Shiloh Fernandez, John Sayles. “It’s just copaganda, actually,” episode hopefully has a story behind it. Grown up kid actor guest star Hoffman gets a strangely bad showcase. She’s fine but the part’s trash. Lyonne’s great, somehow finding the necessary vibe to make it work. Good direction from McKee helps, as well as particular subplots. Lyonne enthusiastically encourages her costars, which doesn’t always work.

Poker Face (2023) s02e05 “Hometown Hero” [2025] D: John Dahl. S: Natasha Lyonne, Steve Buscemi, Simon Rex, B.J. Novak, Carol Kane, Brandon Perea, Gil Birmingham. Superbly done baseball episode probably isn’t the best deconstruction of the genre… but it ain’t bad at it. Director Dahl’s got the vibe–the transition between suspect Rex and detective Lyonne has never been smoother. Great cameo from Kane; Rex is phenomenal, Lyonne’s great, Perea’s great, and Buscemi’s going to be a serial killer, huh? Anyway. Stellar.

Poker Face (2023) s02e06 “Sloppy Joseph” [2025] D: Adam Arkin. S: Natasha Lyonne, Steve Buscemi, Eve Jade Halford, Callum Vinson, David Krumholtz, Margo Martindale, Adrienne C. Moore. It’s a distressingly mid outing with Lyonne trying to outwit a psychopathic second-grader (Halford). Martindale’s somewhat amusing as the principal, but the material’s just not there. It doesn’t help the direction starts (and ends) on a Wes Anderson riff, but is otherwise as aimless as the script. Everyone gets through it relatively unscathed… except for losing time.

Doctor Who (2024) s02e04 “Lucky Day” [2025] D: Peter Hoar. S: Ncuti Gatwa, Varada Sethu, Millie Gibson. On hiatus companion Gibson returns for a feature, all about her romance with alien enthusiast podcaster Jonah Hauer-King. Gatwa and Sethu get a little (Sethu less), and if it weren’t for the many big twists, it might feel like Gibson’s pilot with Jemma Redgrave’s hi-tech alien police. It’s a great showcase for Gibson, albeit shoehorned in.

Doctor Who (2024) s02e05 “The Story & the Engine” [2025] D: Makalla McPherson. S: Ncuti Gatwa, Varada Sethu, Sienna-Robyn Mavanga-Phipps, Sule Rimi, Ariyon Bakare, Stefan Adegbola, Michelle Asante. Lush, romantic, nerdy, and as African as Disney and the BBC would let them get episode has Gatwa trapped in an interdimensional Nigerian barbershop on the back of a giant spider, weaving its way across the firmament. Excellent guest spots from Asante and Bakare; everyone’s good. Gatwa and Sethu’s colonialism-aware dynamic duo keeps getting better. Great cameo, too.

The Last of Us (2023) s02e04 “Day One” [2025] D: Kate Herron. S: Bella Ramsey, Isabela Merced, Jeffrey Wright. Jeffrey Wright joins the show as a level boss and brings some gravitas with him. Ramsey and Merced meanwhile take a break from the zombies to have some real talks, getting interrupted by zombies, of course. It’s solid, entirely because of Ramsey, then Merced, then Wright. Hopefully the show will get something going besides the acting. But probably not?

The Last of Us (2023) s02e05 “Feel Her Love” [2025] D: Stephen Williams. S: Bella Ramsey, Isabela Merced, Young Mazino, Tati Gabrielle, Alanna Ubach, Hettienne Park, Maurice Dean Wint. Until Gabrielle shows up, the episode’s barely okay. Somehow, despite Ramsey and Merced both giving fine performances, their working romance thing drags. But once the action starts–after Ramsey passes the first three checkpoints, anyway–the episode takes off. Gabrielle’s phenomenal, bringing out new stuff in Ramsey. And Alanna Ubach’s in it for a scene and a delight.

Poker Face (2023) s02e01 “The Game Is a Foot” [2025] D: Rian Johnson. S: Natasha Lyonne, Cynthia Erivo, Jin Ha, Jasmine Guy. Awesome guest performance from Erivo as an apple picker who used to be a child actor. Mom Guy took all the money and cut Erivo out of the will. Lyonne’s on the run from the mob and befriends Erivo. Truly spectacular acting from Erivo, tepid, derivative direction from Rian Johnson. Erivo makes the episode. Odd for a season premiere.

Poker Face (2023) s02e02 “Last Looks” [2025] D: Natasha Lyonne. S: Natasha Lyonne, Katie Holmes, Giancarlo Esposito, Kevin Corrigan. Lyonne cowrites and directs. Esposito’s a creepy mortician with an unhappy wife (Holmes, who’s more enthusiastic than successful). When she goes missing, Lyonne gets suspicious but “no lies detected.” Fantastic performance from Esposito, with Lyonne directing him (and the episode) Hitchcockian but not obnoxiously. Corrigan’s got a bit part and is (too briefly) delightful. Lyonne and Esposito deliver.

Poker Face (2023) s02e03 “Whack-A-Mole” [2025] D: Miguel Arteta. S: Natasha Lyonne, John Mulaney, Richard Kind, Chris Bauer, Simon Helberg, Rhea Perlman. Nothing really matters like Rhea Perlman guesting as the mob boss out to get Lyonne. But then everything else delivers, too, like erstwhile FBI agent love interest Helberg’s return, which brings with it Kind, Bauer, and Mulaney. Bauer’s the dark horse, while Mulaney’s… fine. And it sets up the season (finally). The pacing, Lyonne, and Perlman rule.

Faster (2010) D: George Tillman Jr.. S: Dwayne Johnson, Billy Bob Thornton, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Maggie Grace, Carla Gugino, Tom Berenger, Matt Gerald. Depressingly (because director Tillman just cannot hack it) bad car action picture about the Rock hunting down those who wronged him before he went to prison. Thornton is the cop on his trail, Jackson-Cohen is the hit man who comes between them. There’s no good acting until Annie Corley shows up, but Jackson-Cohen’s particularly godawful.

Hit Man (1972) D: George Armitage. S: Bernie Casey, Pam Grier, Lisa Moore, Bhetty Waldron, Sam Laws, Don Diamond, Bob Harris, Candy All. Mean, sometimes cruel revenge picture about Casey coming down to L.A. from Oakland to bury his brother. He soon finds out things aren’t what he assumed and he needs to take care of a variety of baddies. Solid acting from pretty much everyone but white Mr. Big Diamond. Grier’s a standout, Laws is hilarious, and Casey’s a great lead.

Pride (2014) D: Matthew Warchus. S: George MacKay, Ben Schnetzer, Bill Nighy, Dominic West, Andrew Scott, Faye Marsay, Jessica Gunning. Charming historically-based comedy-drama about a group of eighties queer Londoners deciding to raise money for striking miners, regardless of whether they’re welcome. Excellent performances, fantastic production design, careful direction, and strong dialogue. The only thing wrong with it is the length (it’s too short). West, Gunning, and Scott give the standout performances, but everyone’s outstanding.

Rampage (2018) D: Brad Peyton. S: Dwayne Johnson, Naomie Harris, Malin Åkerman, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Jake Lacy, P.J. Byrne, Demetrius Grosse. Entertaining enough video game “adaptation” about Special Forces commando turned primatologist Johnson’s favorite ape getting doused with a DNA-change agent and turning into a giant monster. Harris is the disgraced scientist who can help, Morgan (with a bewildering “cowboy” accent) is the G-man who believes in the good guys. Great special effects, solid acting, blah finish.

Sinners (2025) D: Ryan Coogler. S: Michael B. Jordan, Miles Caton, Hailee Steinfeld, Wunmi Mosaku, Jack O’Connell, Delroy Lindo, Jayme Lawson. After working as gunsels in 1930s Chicago, twin brothers Jordan (and Jordan) return home to Mississippi to open a juke joint. They’re trying to get the band together and reconnect with the loves left behind. But then it turns out vampires are real. And they love music. Great picture, start to finish. Writer-director Coogler handily surpasses his influences.

Skyscraper (2018) D: Rawson Marshall Thurber. S: Dwayne Johnson, Neve Campbell, Chin Han, Roland Møller, Byron Mann, Pablo Schreiber, Hannah Quinlivan. Former FBI strike team commando Johnson and Navy doctor commando Campbell are marrieds visiting a hi-tech skyscraper in Hong Kong. Johnson’s doing security consulting, Campbell’s taking the kids to see the pandas. A bunch of terrorists show up. Not good, but could be worse–Johnson’s effortlessly sturdy running through CGI chaos–and it’s always nice to see Campbell.

Unforgiven (1992) D: Clint Eastwood. S: Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman, Jaimz Woolvett, Richard Harris, Saul Rubinek, Anna Thomson. Eastwood’s final Western is a lush, deliberate, brooding examination of violent men and those they inflict violence upon. Eastwood and Freeman are bad men turned farmers looking for an easy payday to turn their lives around. Hackman is the vicious, cruel sheriff standing in their way. Beautiful filmmaking and the richest performances. Very smart script from David Webb Peoples.