1374 Best Film & TV Releases Translated Into Portuguese
Apple Cider Vinegar
SimilarBoys from the Blackstuff, Death Comes to Pemberley, World on a Wire,
StudioSee-Saw Films,
It is easy to understand why someone, upon being told they’re sick with a frightening disease like cancer, might be lured by the song of natural “cures,” essential oils, and all those one tricks doctors hate. It’s terrifying to face one’s mortality so presently. The idea of a cure that somehow others have missed is unendingly appealing. It can be frustrating and scary to see a loved one slip down into those false promises and snake oil declarations. Nonetheless, someone can empathize. However, when a person tips over into spreading this “gospel,” as Milla Blake (Alycia Debnam-Carey) does in Apple Cider Vinegar? It becomes harder to holster one’s anger.
When someone only feigns illness to sell others on these imaginary panaceas, though? Hatred rapidly becomes a possibility. So Netflix is taking quite the risk in centering their new drama on Belle Gibson (Kaitlyn Dever), a real-life influencer (as opposed to Blake, a fictional composite character). Belle faked brain cancer. It began as a way to get attention and support. Before long though, she used it to build a massive social media following and “wellness” business. How can one stand to watch such a person lie, rationalize, self-mythologize, and manipulate for an hour, never find a for a full six episodes?
Aisha Dee and Alycia Debnam-Carey talk all things juice. Fruit is...SO important. (Netflix)
A big part of what makes creator Samantha Strauss’s Apple Cider Vinegar, despite Belle’s deplorableness, is Dever’s performance. Even as the series steadily shrinks its gaze from the alternate health influencer industry to its anti-hero, Dever keeps the audience’s attention. Even more miraculously, she occasionally wins its sympathies. Julia Garner (in an equally compelling performance) made Anna Delvey an almost folk tale-style person in Inventing Anna. She was nearly too big and over the top to be believed. Dever, by contrast, authors Belle as a figure of tragedy. She's a bottomless pit of need who can never satiate her hunger for love or adoration. As a result, she loses both almost immediately as she gains them. Continue Reading →
Love Hurts (2025) (In Portuguese: Amor Bandido)
Love Hurts is a shambles. At 83 minutes, director JoJo Eusebio and writers Matthew Murray, Josh Stoddard, and Luke Passmore's sweet-hearted-reformed-killer-gets-pulled-back-into-the-life-and-has-to-figure-out-which-of-his-lives-is-real actioner is both overstuffed and underbaked. Ke Huy Quan's big-hearted real estate agent, Marvin Gable, has an extensive and bloody secret history, alternately semi-cryptically alluded to and explored in such detail that the picture's present-day story grinds to a halt. Ariana DeBose's back-from-exile one-time underworld lawyer Rose reads like a wildcard, but that's not entirely intentional—the script pulls her through so many modes and moods that she never quite coheres as a character. A sweet, funny romance between Marvin's depressed assistant Ashley (Lio Tipton) and ludicrously cool hitman/poet the Raven (real name Roger) (Mustafa Shakir) could be a movie of its own. Marvin's monstrous brother Knuckles (real name Alvin) (Daniel Wu) is a terrific foil to his brother, who would have benefitted from some of their bad, bad history being shown rather than told.
But, while acknowledging that Love Hurts trips over itself and does not quite cohere, I enjoyed it a lot. The lion's share of the responsibility for Love Hurts working amidst its mess falls to Quan. Marvin Gable is a cousin to Quan's Oscar-winning turn as Everything Everywhere All at Once's Waymond(s)—he's a goofy sweetheart who works to bring out the best in the people he shares his life with. He's genuinely passionate about his career as a realtor, takes joy in helping clients find a home, and looks out for his staff. Love Hurts' biggest narrative success is that it likes that Marvin loves his life. He's a bit of a corny goofball (speaking as a diehard bike commuter who's dealt with more than one spinal injury, I dig that Marvin rides with proper safety gear, but you don't need a pant cuff for the leg on the opposite side of the chain), and his good cheer clashes with Ashley's gloom. But Love Hurts doesn't treat him (and Quan doesn't play him) like a pathetic naif for renouncing his past life as Knuckles' most terrifying enforcer—getting out from under his brother's thumb and trying to be good and finding happiness saved Marvin's heart.
Quan and Shakir's Marvin and Roger face off in a brutal duel while Tipton's Ashley processes her sweetheart boss and her romantic but brooding crush's wild lives. Universal.
When Rose swoops back into his life with a handmade Valentine's Day card and a long-in-the-works plan to take vengeance on those who framed her for stealing from Knuckles and forced her to go into hiding, she brings Knuckles' gang down on Marvin—he was supposed to have killed her after all. Love Hurts' driving question isn't "Will Marvin become manly by resurrecting his lethal skills?" but "How will Marvin reconcile needing to resurrect his lethal skills to get through an increasingly violent Valentine's Day with his desire to be a better person than he was?" Continue Reading →
The Hunting Party
NetworkNBC, Peacock,
SimilarBrimstone, Mouse, The Pretender,
As a reviewer/critic, I try to elevate unique and powerful works. As a person, on the other hand, I am incredibly subject to the lure of a juicy high concept. NBC’s newest procedural, The Hunting Party, created by JJ Bailey, has a doozy of one. The Pit, a so-secret it is literally underground high-security prison, experiences a massive break after a very suspect explosion. As a result, some of the most dangerous criminals now run among the American citizens. To add further complication, most of the escaped criminals are assumed dead by all but a select few. They were seemingly executed by the state, with an audience of officials and victims’ family members. Instead, it was all theater, meant to get everyone looking the other way while the vague, shadowy government types smuggled these human monsters into The Pit for experimentation and observation.
It falls to brilliant profiler and former FBI agent Rebecca Henderson (Melissa Roxburgh), CIA agent Jacob Hassani (Patrick Sabongui), and a guard from the secret prison, Shane Florence (Josh McKenzie), to chase down the baddies. Ideally, but sadly not usually, before they crime again.
(Never mind that CIA agents aren’t allowed to work on American soil. These are lawless times, after all. Plus, this show either has no idea about that restriction or absolutely doesn’t care.) Continue Reading →
School Spirits
SimilarCoffee Prince, Six Feet Under, The Walking Dead, The Walking Dead: Dead City,
Torchwood
Being a high schooler is hard. Being a ghostly high schooler is even harder. As with Season 1, that remains the central thesis of School Spirits Season 2, and its arguments are plenty convincing.
At the conclusion of season 1 (all the way back in April of 2023!), Maddie (Peyton List) finally got some answers. After eight episodes of investigation, she finally knew who was responsible for her haunting the halls of her high school. Sadly, those answers made her “death” far less cut and dry. She was no murder victim, after all, but rather the victim of a supernatural eviction. Janet (Jess Gabor), the one teen ghost who supposedly achieved the transition from earth-bound spirit to heaven? Yeah, she did no such thing. Instead, she took control of Maddie’s body, forcing our protagonist’s soul out in the process. So, while Maddie paces, trapped on her high school campus, Janet is out wandering the world over 65 years after dying.
School Spirits Season 2 picks up almost immediately after Season 1’s finale. Janet, in Peyton’s skin, is on the run after hitting Peyton’s lousy but redeemable ex, Xavier (Spencer Macpherson), with his own truck. The collision sends him to the hospital, unresponsive. Simon (Kristian Ventura), the one living person who can see Peyton, is ignoring her, afraid she might be a sign that he’s losing his mind. Peyton’s other best friends Nicole (Kiara Pichardo) and Claire (Rainbow Wedell), the popular girl Xavier cheated on Mattie with, witnessed the hit and run and are now split on whether they should turn in “Peyton.” Continue Reading →
Dog Man (In Portuguese: O Homem-Cão)
SimilarA Bug's Life (1998), Atlantis: Milo's Return (2003), Batman Forever (1995), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Cars (2006), Charlotte's Web (2006), Ice Age (2002), Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006), Mad Max (1979), Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985), Madagascar (2005), Mortal Kombat (1995), Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997), Oliver & Company (1988),
Shrek (2001) Stormbreaker (2006), The 6th Day (2000), The Avengers (1998), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), The Simpsons Movie (2007), The Terminator (1984), Treasure Planet (2002), Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005),
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) Watch afterInterstellar (2014),
StarringLil Rel Howery,
In the proud tradition of Maniac Cop, Theodore Rex, and especially Poochinski, The Country Bears auteur Peter Hastings and Captain Underpants author Dav Pilkey have bestowed yet another unexpected law enforcement officer on pop culture. Dog Man.
The titular hero began life as two creatures, human Officer Knight and his loyal dog Greg (Hastings). The two get trapped in an explosion while chasing malicious feline Petey (Pete Davidson). With Knight’s head no longer functional and Greg’s body similarly D.O.A., the doctors do the natural thing. They follow an inspired notion to put the dog’s head on the man’s body.
Instead of creating a Frankenhooker/Monstro Elisasue entity, this operation results in our titular hero, a kung-fu master who can take down any adversary. The upcycled crime fighter only further enrages Petey, making him more determined than ever to destroy his arch-rival. Among his multiple ill-fated plans to defeat Dog Man is a scheme involving a cloning experiment gone awry. Instead of yielding a malicious Mini Me, the machine produces a sweet adolescent version of the villain, aptly called Li'l Petey (Lucas Hopkins). Petey and Dog Man are enemies, but Li’l Petey and half-canine, half-man, all-cop may just become best pals. Continue Reading →
Paradise
SimilarBrahmarakshas, Breaking Bad, Desire Zoo, Duty After School,
Eclipse of the Heart Hysteria!, Kiss that Kills: Parallel, Lost in Baimu, Love of Replica, Murder Mindfully, Pending Train, The Savant, The Twilight Zone, Thriller,
Studio20th Television,
It is perhaps stating the obvious to say that being a Secret Service agent on the President’s detail requires an unusual mindset. Unlike many law enforcement officers, the expectation isn’t just serving and protecting. It is to, if needed, literally sacrifice your life to protect someone, to take a bullet, blade, or bomb intended for them. For most, clocking in daily, knowing that would weigh heavily. Imagine continuing to do it after you lose respect for the President. Imagine continuing to do it, day in and day out, as hatred builds in your heart. That’s the situation facing Agent Xavier Collins (Sterling K. Brown) in the new series Paradise from creator Dan Fogelman.
The show leaps forward and back in time regularly, holding its cards close to the vest throughout. However, it is immediately apparent that the relationship between the very buttoned-up Collins and the looser and lush-er President Cal Bradford (James Marsden) has gone from a kind of Odd Couple friendship to quite sour. When Collins arrives one morning to find Bradford dead, a pool of blood around his head, it doesn’t look good for him. The fact that he delayed calling it in for a half hour and was the last to see the President alive the night before makes it even worse.
Unfortunately, Paradise’s fractured storytelling makes it impossible to discuss plot points beyond that moment. There are significant reveals and frequent twists in each episode, ones often undone or redefined within an episode or two. There’s more to the plot mechanics, a lot more, but even beginning to engage with them will spoil a lot more than this critic feels comfortable with. So, this review has to focus on tone and performance instead. Continue Reading →
Mythic Quest
Similar3rd Rock from the Sun All in the Family, American Dreamer, Boy Meets World, Cheers, Friends, Greg the Bunny, I Dream of Jeannie, Mad About You, Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide, Not Going Out, Peep Show, Seinfeld, The Green Green Grass, The Jeffersons,
The John Larroquette Show The Middle, The Norm Show, The Simpsons, Watching Ellie, WKRP in Cincinnati,
Studio3 Arts Entertainment, Lionsgate Television,
Typically, quests involve a series of challenges that test the mettle of a hero or heroes. Among those challenges is time spent lost and confused. The protagonists must wander as they struggle with double until, finally, they rediscover the correct path. In Mythic Quest Season 4, it isn’t until the fifth episode of the nine screened for critics (out of a 10-episode season) that our favorite motley crew of video game company employees find their way.
The path until then is not devoid of its pleasures. Episode 4, “The Villain’s Feast,” in particular, is a delight. The crew, including Poppy’s (Charlotte Nicdao) new boyfriend Storm (Chase Yi), travel to a remote island for a murder mystery party. As the episode unfolds, each character gets a spotlight moment, a chance to demonstrate their comedic talents while hinting at further depths. Alas, the three episodes that precede it feel like filler in comparison, a sensation that only grows stronger as the season ramps up on its back end.
Danny Pudi, Imani Hakim, and Jessie Ennis mount a search for life's most precious element. Money. (AppleTV+)
Throughout, the writing is still capable of delivering laughs. The performances remain appealingly odd. Even as they grown more lived-in, there continues to be a sense of comedic anarchy to their actions. All of that acknowledged, from this critic’s standpoint, the show was beginning to feel like perhaps the time had come for a little “It’s not you, you’re still great. I’m just not into you anymore” speech. This happens sometimes with a multiple-season series. The quality hasn’t necessarily dipped, but with time, its familiarity has robbed it of some vibrancy. No one is phoning it in, certainly. Nonetheless, to strain the metaphor to near its breaking point, perhaps Mythic Quest and the audience have grown apart. Continue Reading →
Prime Target
SimilarHomeland, It's a Sin, KinnPorsche: The Series, Nine Perfect Strangers, Numb3rs, Queer as Folk, Six Feet Under, The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window, The Night Logan Woke Up, Those Half Hidden, VIP Only,
StudioScott Free Productions,
Despite being someone who far prefers writing over math (maths for you nasty bois and grrls across the pond), even this reviewer has to admit that film and television have made the act of working equations far more visually compelling than crafting a killer persuasive essay. Something about those big whiteboards, furious scribbling, and the arcane look of empty set calculations sells drama far better. CBS’s show Numb3rs was a hit in the naughty aughties for a reason. So, despite an aversion to calculus, the Steve Thompson-created Prime Target seemed promising.
Edward Brooks (Leo Woodall) is a math post-grad certain that prime numbers are the secret key to, well, everything. Maybe? His advisor, Professor Mallinder (David Morrissey), seemed to have similar thoughts once but refuses to engage. Instead, he urges Brooks to abandon that academic pursuit for something, anything, else. Others seem far more enthusiastic about Brooks’ pursuit. They include wealthy think tank entrepreneur (Jason Flemyng) and Professor James Alderman (Stephen Rea). Meanwhile, a tragic accident in Iraq reveals preserved ruins. They reignite the intellectual pursuits of Mallinder’s wife, Professor Andrea Lavin (Sidse Babett Knudsen). As it becomes clear Brooks’ and Lavin’s interests intersect, bodies start dropping, pulling the CIA into the situation, including surveillance agent Taylah Sanders (Quintessa Swindell) and her mentor/boss (Martha Plimpton).
It’s all pretty standard conspiracy thriller fare, complete with a sympathetic love interest who is still a stranger, bartender Adam (Fra Fee), and a shadowy Bogdan (Sergej Onopko) who could be friend or foe. There’s globetrotting, double-crosses, paranoia—justified and otherwise—and lots and lots of running. Sadly, not much of it gets the heart racing. Continue Reading →
Back in Action (In Portuguese: De Volta à Ação)
SimilarAustin Powers in Goldmember (2002), Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), Charlie's Angels (2000), Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), Dr. No (1962),
From Russia with Love (1963) Live and Let Die (1973) Mission: Impossible III (2006), Shaft (1971), Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), The Avengers (1998), The Legend of Zorro (2005), The Magnificent One (1973), The Mask of Zorro (1998), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), Watchmen (2009),
Watch afterBarbie (2023) Green Book (2018), Interstellar (2014), The Shawshank Redemption (1994),
Back in Action is one of those amusingly meta titles. Most directly, it refers to married former spies Matt (Jamie Foxx) and Emily (Cameron Diaz) getting dragged into the espionage life after loose ends from their final case come calling. More broadly, though, it references the return of both stars to feature filmmaking. Diaz’s last prior role was in Annie (also with Foxx) 11 years ago. She stepped away to focus on other aspects of her life, including family and other employment endeavors. Foxx, on the other hand, seems like he’s been an ongoing presence on-screen. In reality, though, Back in Action is the first film he completed since having a stroke in 2023.
There’s an undeniable pleasure in seeing two stars return to feature filmmaking, especially given the times it seemed like Foxx might not survive. They look hale and hearty, at ease with the physical dimensions of their performances. Additionally, the two have strong chemistry, playing the kind of couple that has found fulfillment in each other and family life without losing spark or ambition. But does that mix of relief, nostalgia, and simple delight mean Back in Action is a good movie?
Is this the coolest Glenn Close has ever looked? Feels like it might be. Certainly the coolest anyone looks in this film (John Wilson/Netflix)
The quick and disappointing answer is no, it does not. Continue Reading →
Severance
SimilarAlias, American Gothic, Baywatch Nights, Brimstone, Cold Case, Green Door, Hiru, Homeland, Kaleidoscope, Kita Yoshio's Tomorrow, L.A. Heat, Mad Men, My Family, Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King, Point Pleasant, Taken, The Responder, Threshold, Treason, Wild Palms, World on a Wire,
Watch afterHijack, Severance, Slow Horses,
Ted Lasso The Bear,
StudioEndeavor Content,
The magic trick of Severance Season 2 remains how strange it can be while still a recognizable reflection. How it can still capture 9-5 office work, productivity maximization, corporate retreats, and more despite its flights of fantasy. Even as the specifics grow more bizarre and singular, it nonetheless feels accurate to the experience of working in America. Viewers, of course, don’t have their minds wiped at the end of shift every day here in the real world. Still, the sense of alienation, the weird partial connections you build at the office that never make it to life outside, and the unhealthy codependence between worker and employer are all very relatable.
Hearteningly, Severance Season 2 also doesn’t lose its humanity as it tunnels deeper into Lumon lore and machinations. The six episodes (of 10) provided to critics demonstrate the series grows odder and more complex in its second go-round. And yet, it doesn’t lose touch with its empathy. It continues to understand how one's relationship to employment can be maddening, on the one hand. On the other, it often provides a real source of connection and stability. The show captures that without treating its white-collar characters with the smug condescension that frequently infects other workplace satires.
Britt Lower ponders the duality of the self. (AppleTV+)
That’s not to say the show is taking it easy on the Massive Data Refiners, their colleagues, friends, or family. Things pick up with Mark S (Adam Scott) returns to the offices under Lumon. For his innie (the worker), this feels like moments after the quartet managed to wake themselves up in their outies’ (the non-workers) worlds. He—and the audience—quickly learn it has been months. Additionally, he’s the only member of the MDR office that’s returned. In place of the other three is a random new trio played by Alia Shawkat, Bob Balaban, and Stefano Carannante. Continue Reading →
Wolf Man (In Portuguese: Lobisomem)
Similar28 Days Later (2002), A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985), After Hours (1985), Armageddon (1998), Con Air (1997), Dawn of the Dead (2004), Gremlins (1984), Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990), Insomnia (2002), Miami Vice (2006), Misery (1990), North by Northwest (1959),
Oldboy (2003) Pi (1998),
Shaft (2000) Silent Hill (2006), Species (1995), Starship Troopers (1997), The Departed (2006), The Experiment (2001), The Invisible Man Returns (1940), The Matrix Reloaded (2003), The Shining (1980), Twelve Monkeys (1995), Underworld (2003),
Watch afterInside Out 2 (2024), Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021),
Within the First Epistle to the Corinthians are a handful of phrases bound to send chills up anyone’s spine, regardless of their religious affiliation. For instance, Christ’s apostle Paul declares, “I wanna hide the truth/I wanna shelter you/But with the beast inside/There’s nowhere we can hide.” Later, he further opines, “They say it’s what you make/I say it’s up to fate/It’s woven in my soul/I need to let you go.” Such arcane declarations reflect how the duality of humanity has always been a fixture of art. The tug-of-war between the good and bad humans are capable remains eternally on our minds.
Maybe that’s why the original Universal Monsters Wolfman is so enduringly popular. That and the incredible makeup work done to transform Lon Chaney Jr. into that hairy beast, of course. Inevitably, this creature has received a 2020s update since Universal refuses to let its creepy-crawlies from the 1930s/40s lay dormant for long. Following the likes of The Invisible Man and Renfield, this creature receives a 2020 update, arriving as a vintage brute into the modern-day world in Wolf Man. Invisible Man director Leigh Whannell takes charge of this reboot, one that will prove frustratingly familiar for monster movie fans.
Wolf Man begins in 1995, with a young Blake awakened by his uber-strict father on their remote Oregon father. Theirs is a household where parents grip their kids by the arm if they misbehave, and something is always lurking in the woods waiting to kill them. After this glimpse into yesteryear, Whannell and Corbett Tuck’s script cuts to the modern world. Blake (Christopher Abbott), now a writer turned stay-at-home dad living in New York City, is married to journalist wife Charlotte (Julia Garner) and caring for their daughter Ginger (Matilda Firth). Continue Reading →
On Call
SimilarCold Case, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: NY,
Dexter Interior Chinatown, Life on Mars, Monk, NYPD Blue, Psych, The Closer, The Protector,
A quick look at the television schedule reveals that a foundation of procedurals largely buffets network television. Of those procedurals, cop shows are by far the largest single group. There are twists on the formula to be sure—your High Potentials or Elsbeths, for instance. But meat and potatoes cop chase criminals shows are a cornerstone of any network’s output. Wolf Productions proudly imports this television dietary stable to streaming with the new series On Call, created by Tim Walsh and Elliot Wolf.
The copy would have one believe this is something different. It brags on the use of surveillance and body cam footage, giving the show a sense of immediacy. Some releases are even bold enough to throw out the term “cinéma vérité”. Still, an assessment of the media landscape reveals down-the-middle shows like The Rookie or the 9-1-1s have been mixing in body and surveillance cam shots for a bit.
Hartford, CT's own Eriq La Salle walks the beat on the Left Coast. (Elizabeth Morris/Amazon/MGM)
The releases talk less about where On Call puts its spotlight. It is more beat-cop-oriented than your classics of the format. For instance, Wolf’s Law & Order franchise rarely hangs with the uniforms for more than a few minutes in any given episode. On Call reverses that formula, giving viewers only the briefest glimpses of detectives. Oft-referenced, little seen. As a result, the storytelling has a more fragmented flow. Experienced officer Harmon (Troian Bellisario) and her newest trainee Diaz (Brandon Larracuente) frequently hit the scene after others already have. Thus, they drop into situations in progress. Then, a radio crackle will pull them to another call before resolution at the current scene. Such is the life for patrol men and women. Continue Reading →
Better Man (In Portuguese: Better Man - A História de Robbie Williams)
SimilarA Beautiful Mind (2001), A Hard Day's Night (1964), Aparajito (1956), Basquiat (1996), Blow-Up (1966), Capote (2005), Catch Me If You Can (2002), Cry-Baby (1990), Dahmer (2002), Dillinger (1973), Eight Crazy Nights (2002), Erin Brockovich (2000),
Eyes Wide Shut (1999) Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), Fearless (2006),
Freedom Writers (2007) Gandhi (1982), Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), Go (1999),
GoodFellas (1990) Gridiron Gang (2006), I'm Not Ashamed (2016),
Jackie Brown (1997) Malcolm X (1992),
Mary Poppins (1964) Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), Michael Collins (1996), Mysterious Skin (2005), Nowhere (1997), Oliver & Company (1988), Raging Bull (1980), Ray (2004), Riding in Cars with Boys (2001), Schindler's List (1993), Sissi (1955), Sissi: The Fateful Years of an Empress (1957), Sissi: The Young Empress (1956), South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut (1999), Sylvia (2003), Taking Woodstock (2009), The Bad News Bears (1976), The Country Bears (2002), The Falcon and the Snowman (1985), The Last Days of Disco (1998), The Last Emperor (1987), The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004), The Million Dollar Hotel (2000), The Miracle Worker (1962), The Pianist (2002), The Queen (2006), The Sea Inside (2004), The Straight Story (1999), Trainspotting (1996), Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988), Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992), Walk the Line (2005),
Watch afterGlass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022),
It has been said that Walk The Line set up the “cradle to grave” music biopic genre in 2005. Then Walk Hard came along two years later to deal the killing blow. Yes, there have been financially successful attempts at the genre (Bohemian Rhapsody). Alas, they largely delivered creatively unsatisfying recitations of a tired formula that sanded down their subjects to make them more palatable and eliminate some of what made them so compelling (again, Bohemian Rhapsody). The few exceptions, say Elvis or Rocket Man, largely popped due to significant stylistic choices. Tearing a page out of their books, Better Man tells the story of Robbie Williams with a small twist. They cast the British singer as a CGI monkey. Can’t argue that’s not something different.
The monkey is motion captured throughout by Jonno Davies, who also voices the star as a teen and young man. Adam Tucker provides singing vocals for young Robbie while the singer tackles the voiceover and sings for the fully adult (but still monkey-ified) Williams. It is a gimmick, for certain, but one that truly does enhance, not detract, from the storytelling. No one will miss the immediate subtext of the choice. The monkey provides a visual cue to Williams’ perception of himself as an outsider, whether among his classmates in Tunstall or with his Take That bandmates as they taste boy band fame. It also acts as a bit of self-recrimination, implying Williams, especially with his various addictions, could be a bit more animal than man.
Alison Steadman and Jonno Davies get sudsy. (Paramount)
The secondary, perhaps unintended, consequence proves most successful though. Making the pop star into a chimpanzee given life by computers and several actors frees the character from mimicry. Objectively, the audience knows Williams is not a tall chimp with a gift for dancing. Thus, from the jump, no one expects a mirror. The monkey is freed to author a character rather than slavishly recreate a real person. Continue Reading →
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (In Portuguese: Sonic 3: O Filme)
Similar2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), A Trip to the Moon (1902), Airplane! (1980), Aladdin (1992), Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016), Alien Resurrection (1997), Alien³ (1992), Aliens in the Attic (2009), Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (2009), Armageddon (1998), Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999),
Back to the Future Part II (1989) Back to the Future Part III (1990) Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006), Bridget Jones's Diary (2001), Brother Bear (2003), Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992), Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), Cars (2006), Cellular (2004), Chicken Little (2005), Clear and Present Danger (1994), Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009), Constantine (2005), Couples Retreat (2009), Crank (2006), Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny (2016), Dawn of the Dead (2004), Dazed and Confused (1993), Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead (2014), Death Note: L Change the World (2008), Death Proof (2007), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), Dogma (1999), Escape from L.A. (1996), Fantasia (1940), Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), Fantomas Unleashed (1965), Fantomas vs. Scotland Yard (1967), Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (2005), Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel (2009),
From Russia with Love (1963) Ghostbusters (1984), Goldfinger (1964), Good Luck Chuck (2007), High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008), Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009), Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006), Iron Man (2008), Jaws: The Revenge (1987), Jennifer's Body (2009), King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962), Knockin' on Heaven's Door (1997), Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life (2003), Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), Lethal Weapon 3 (1992), Lethal Weapon 4 (1998),
Live and Let Die (1973) Live Free or Die Hard (2007) Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985),
Mary Poppins (1964) Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (2005), Monsters Inc. (2001), Moonstruck (1987), Mortal Kombat (1995), Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997), Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964), Next (2007), Ocean's Eleven (1960),
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018), Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006), Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004), RoboCop 3 (1993), Salt (2010), Shaun of the Dead (2004), Shrek 2 (2004), Shrek Forever After (2010),
Shrek the Third (2007) Snakes on a Plane (2006), Spider-Man 2 (2004), Spider-Man 3 (2007), Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005), Starship Troopers (1997), Superman (1978), Superman III (1983), The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), The Cheetah Girls: One World (2008), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), The Greatest Beer Run Ever (2022), The Invisible Man Returns (1940), The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), The Nutty Professor (1996), The Odd Couple II (1998), The Other Guys (2010), The People That Time Forgot (1977), The Princess and the Frog (2009), The Proposal (2009), The Rugrats Movie (1998), The Secret Life of Pets 2 (2019), The Simpsons Movie (2007), The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004), The Suicide Squad (2021), The Sweetest Thing (2002), The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009), Thor (2011), TMNT (2007), Toy Story 3 (2010), Transformers (2007), Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009), Transporter 2 (2005), TRON: Legacy (2010),
War of the Worlds (2005) Warlock: The Armageddon (1993), Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988),
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) You Me and Dupree (2006), Zombieland (2009),
“Ha, ha, one!” How are those three words, emerging from a hysterical improvised fan-dub of Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) cutscenes, funny? Turning such a declaration into a chuckle-worthy meme is the bizarre power of Sonic. The erratic and often cynical video game series has inspired absurd flights of fan-generated comedic fancy, including SnapCube fan-dub videos and the web-comic series Tails Gets Trolled.
Mainstream Sonic games often try too hard to make these characters “edgy” and “cool.” That’s why mid-2000s games had inexplicable material like the gun-wielding Shadow the Hedgehog or Sonic kissing a human woman. Ordinary souls taking this bizarre world to its inevitable absurdist endpoint, though? They’re the ones who realize Sonic’s ultimate destiny lies with Dr. Eggman bellowing, “How do you think I feel getting cucked by a hedgehog?”
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 does not rise to the quality or unabashed silliness of the best SnapCube dubs or comic panels explaining how Sonic will rectify the anger in his heart. However, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is a much more confident and unabashedly outlandish creation compared to its two predecessors. The Sonic movies are finally cutting loose, producing a consistently entertaining time at your local Cinemark. Continue Reading →
Carry-On (In Portuguese: Bagagem de Risco)
Similar28 Days Later (2002), 48 Hrs. (1982), 8 Million Ways to Die (1986), Airport 1975 (1974), All the King's Men (2006), Angel (1984), Appointment with Death (1988), Beverly Hills Cop (1984),
Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) Beverly Hills Cop III (1994),
Blade Runner (1982) Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (2017), Cellular (2004), Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003), Chinatown (1974), Darkman (1990), Devil in a Blue Dress (1995), Die Hard (1988),
Die Hard 2 (1990) Dr. No (1962), Escape from L.A. (1996),
Eyes Wide Shut (1999) Face/Off (1997),
From Russia with Love (1963) Go (1999), Heat (1995), Inland Empire (2006), Insomnia (2002),
Jackie Brown (1997) Léon: The Professional (1994) Lethal Weapon (1987), Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), Lethal Weapon 3 (1992), Lethal Weapon 4 (1998), Marnie (1964), Memento (2000), Minority Report (2002), Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), Mulholland Drive (2001), Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Point Break (1991), Predator (1987), Predator 2 (1990), Pulp Fiction (1994), Rush Hour (1998), Shaft (1971), Snakes on a Plane (2006), Species (1995), Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984),
Strange Days (1995) Street Kings (2008), Terminator Salvation (2009), The Big Sleep (1946), The Bodyguard (1992), The Karate Kid (1984), The Long Goodbye (1973), The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), The Million Dollar Hotel (2000), The Next Karate Kid (1994), The Shining (1980),
The Silence of the Lambs (1991) The Terminator (1984), The Thirteenth Floor (1999), The Usual Suspects (1995), True Romance (1993), Wild Things (1998), Zatoichi (2003), Zodiac (2007),
There’s an art to movies that play well on airplanes. They must be interesting enough to maintain your attention as flight attendants jostle by with enormous beverage carts. The feature also needs to be easy enough to follow that you don’t lose the thread when the pilot interrupts to tell passengers about cruising altitude or turbulence or whatever. Thirdly, they need to look good in a way that still plays on a screen smaller than your tablet and closer to your face than any screen should ever be. Last but not least, they should be good enough that if you decide to revisit the film at home someday, they’ll still play. By these metrics, Carry-On is a plane film fit for the small seatback screen and your large at-home TV, in equal measure.
The new feature from director Jaume Collet-Serra’s recently confounding filmography is good enough, in fact, it serves as a reminder of what a bummer the modern film release landscape can be. Super cool of Netflix to give it a platform, but this is the kind of solid action filmmaking that deserves to be a sleeper hit in theatres. Carry-On should be a movie like The Negotiator or Premium Rush. The sort that no one would think of placing in their top 10, but most would respond, “Oh yeah, that was a good one,” when someone mentions it. Alas, we live in fallen world etc etc. So, rather than dwell on that, let’s talk about what makes Carry-On a fun time at your streaming device.
Can't tell me Jason Bateman can't do scary. (Netflix)
It all starts with the plot, a relatively straight-ahead effort meticulously laid out by writer T.J. Fixman. The veteran of video game scripting shows an affinity for well-structured action writing that grows in complexity as the story progresses, leaving room for pleasing twists and turns without becoming muddy. Ethan Kopek (Taron Egerton) is a TSA worker whose Christmas gift is the news that his girlfriend, Nora Parisi (Sofia Carson), is pregnant. Unfortunately, he’s otherwise a bit of a Grinch. He has no particular love for Christmas from the jump. Even if he did, working LAX on Christmas Eve would certainly do much to sap it. Plus, he has no passion for his job, a consolation prize after failing in his bid to be a police officer. Continue Reading →
No Good Deed
Similar'Allo 'Allo!, A Very Peculiar Practice, All in the Family, Breaking Bad, Catterick, Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, Ideal, Landscapers, Murder Most Horrid, Six Feet Under, Sunny, The Adventures of Sam & Max: Freelance Police, The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, The Good Lord Bird, The Venture Bros., WandaVision,
Selling a home is, at best, a time of sanitized chaos. As they say about ducks, above the surface, like during open house, everything is serene to the point of sterile. But beneath the surface, behind the scenes, it is a whirling dervish of activity and emotions. So it only makes sense No Good Deed, a series that revolves around a home for sale, would be an absolute mess. For better and worse.
Ironically, the house part of the story is the easiest to grok. Lydia (Lisa Kudrow) and Paul (Ray Romano) Morgan are selling what was once their dream house. The reasons are unclear, but there are hints. Their two kids no longer live at home. Paul, a contractor, was responsible for the repairs and upgrades. Despite that, though, it still cost them a pretty penny. Lydia, a former concert pianist forced into early retirement when she developed a tremor, undoubtedly made those costs feel more dire. Regardless of the why, Paul’s anxious to unload as fast as possible. Lydia, on the other hand, feels a ton of ambivalence and will only accept the perfect new owners. Perhaps not even then.
Denis Leary's energy has always screamed "friendly greeter." (Netflix)
Nearly all the characters that matter show up at the Open House, the series’ first big set piece. Highly energized real estate agent Greg (Matt Rogers) oversees the whole thing, laying on the “a beautiful place to raise a family” hard. Then there’s former soap actor JD (Luke Wilson), a neighbor who covets the classic style of the Morgans’ home. The social climbing Margo (Linda Cardellini) makes an appearance, unaware that Lydia would rather burn the place down than let Margo take up her former home. Dennis (O-T Fagbenle) and Carla (Teyonah Parris) are recently married and with child. They’ve brought along Dennis’s mom, Denise (Anna Maria Horsford), for the tour, a choice the couple may not be on the same page about. Sarah (Poppy Liu) and Leslie (Abbi Jacobson), on the other hand, have given up on children and filtered that money and effort into finding a new home. Continue Reading →
Black Doves
SimilarA Certain Scientific Railgun, Ashes to Ashes, Bepannah, Black Scorpion, Brahmarakshas, Breaking Bad, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Butterfly Shadow, Dark Angel, Darwin's Game, DC Super Hero Girls, Desire Catcher, Do You Dare?, Down Cemetery Road, Dr. Chocolate, Duty After School, Echo,
Eclipse of the Heart Fool Me Once Hawkeye, Homeland, Hysteria!, Kiss that Kills: Parallel, Lost in Baimu, Love of Replica, Murder Mindfully, Nazar, Pending Train, Route, Secret Invasion,
Teacup The Act, The Madness, The Twilight Zone, Thriller, Tokyo Swindlers, Unknown, Who Is He,
In Keira Knightley’s best roles, there’s always a certain itchiness to her performance. It gives the characters she plays, no matter how confident seeming on the surface, the suggestion of a dose of imposter syndrome. It’s a quality that makes her a natural for an espionage agent who may have gone a bit emotionally soft but remains quite good at acts of physical brutality. Thus, she’s a perfect fit as Helen Webb, one of the titular Black Doves of the new Netflix series.
Having taken an undercover job years earlier, Helen has fully committed to the bit. She’s married her target, British Secretary of State for Defence Wallace Webb (Andrew Buchan), and they’ve had two kids. She still sends along information to her handler Reed (Sarah Lancashire, wonderfully ice-cold), but things have slowed down considerably. Perhaps that boredom—or the fact that she married for espionage, not love—led to her affair with Jason (Andrew Koji), a civil servant whose assassination reveals a much larger conspiracy involving the CIA, a Chinese diplomat, and an assortment of underworld figures. Things get nasty and complicated so quickly that Reed has no choice but to bring in Sam (Ben Whishaw), a trigger man and friend of Helen’s living in self-imposed exile abroad.
"What's cooler than being cool?" "Ice cold!" "No, I'm sorry. The answer is Sarah Lancashire." (Ludovic Robert/Netflix)
If Knightley’s performance plays to her familiar—if too often underestimated skills—Whishaw’s initially dead-eye turn as an assassin reveals no skills in the actor’s toolbox. Even as he warms in the presence of his spy friend Helen and an assortment of old “civilian” buddies and romances, there’s a hollowness to him. Later revelations shed light on the why of it—revelations that the show might’ve been better to skip—but Whishaw repeatedly emphasizes something in the hitman has dried up and blown away. Continue Reading →
Sweethearts
NetworkMax,
Similar2046 (2004), American Graffiti (1973), An Education (2009), Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging (2008), Beautiful Thing (1996), Big (1988), Billy Elliot (2000), Blue Velvet (1986), Chicken Little (2005), Chocolat (2000), Closely Watched Trains (1966), Clueless (1995), D.E.B.S. (2005), Dazed and Confused (1993),
Desert Hearts (1985) Dirty Dancing (1987),
Edward Scissorhands (1990) Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986), Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021), Gremlins (1984), He's Just Not That Into You (2009), High Fidelity (2000), High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008), Little Children (2006), Lolita (1962), Maurice (1987), My First Summer (2020), Nowhere (1997), Risky Business (1983), Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010), Summer Storm (2004), Superbad (2007), The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love (1995), The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005), Wonder Boys (2000),
StudioNew Line Cinema,
There’s something to be said for an opening title sequence that eliminates the need for in-dialogue exposition. Over a collage of images and items, Sweethearts rapidly lays out its setup. Jamie (Kiernan Shipka) and Ben (Nico Hiraga) are longtime best friends attending their first semester of college at the same school. They both decided to remain with their respective significant others, effectively killing their on-campus social life. Their other best friend is Palmer (Caleb Hearon) who skipped college to live and work in Paris for a year.
The setup dealt with before a word is spoken, Sweethearts is free to dive into the specifics of the case immediately. Jamie’s beau, Simon (Charlie Hall), is a football hero who parlayed high school glory into admission to Harvard despite having the lowest entrance GPA in Crimson’s history. He and Jamie mostly communicate through sexting and phone sex, neither of which genuinely excites Jamie. Ben and his girlfriend Claire (Ava DeMary), on the other hand, seem to have the sex thing down pat. It’s everything that’s suffocating Ben. Together, the best friends decide to dump Claire and Simon when they’ll all be together again during Thanksgiving break. Only then can the duo be happy and fully experience college life. They enlist Palmer to help them make it happen. He’s game despite it complicating his own return-to-town plan: revealing to his former classmates that he’s gay.
This image of Charlie Hall, Ava DeMary, and Caleb Hearon screams the day after Thanksgiving Freshman year. (MAX)
From the moment the best friends make the decision following a disastrous attempt at attending a stereotypical college party, nothing goes right. Each bump in the road reveals that perhaps it isn’t just their romances in need of a reevaluation. Continue Reading →
Based on a True Story
NetworkPeacock,
Similar'Allo 'Allo!, A Very Peculiar Practice, Alias, All in the Family, American Gothic, American Horror Story, Black Bird, Black Scorpion, Breaking Bad, Catterick, Copycat Killer,
DAHMER - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story Dexter Dragnet, Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, Girlfriends, Hart to Hart, Here's Lucy, Hold Tight, I Love Lucy, Ideal, In Cold Blood, In Pursuit with John Walsh, Joey, Knots Landing, L.A. Heat, Landscapers, Love, Mad About You,
Manhunt Medical Examiner Dr. Qin: The Survivor Millennium, Murder Most Horrid, Noah's Arc, Notes from the Underbelly, Numb3rs, Nutcracker: Money, Madness & Murder,
Perry Mason Recipe for Farewell,
Rescue Me Scream: The TV Series, Six Feet Under, Somebody, Sunny, The Act, The Adventures of Sam & Max: Freelance Police, The Closer, The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, The Good Lord Bird, The Kingdom,
The Outsider The Protector, The Venture Bros., Them, Twin Peaks, Unsolved Mysteries, Watching Ellie, Who Is He,
The suburbs may seem like bright, safe places, but there’s rot under those perfectly manicured lawns. I know, I know, this probably will come as a shock, but it’s true! And Based on a True Story Season 2 is daring to drag it all into the light.
I am, of course, having a bit of fun here. Filmmakers, authors, poets, playwrights, and TV showrunners have been taking shots at the suburbs since the beginning. Maybe your first encounter was the worms in the soil shot in Blue Velvet. Perhaps it was the original Stepford Wives that clued you in. The when of it may be in question, but you’ve been treated to the thesis of darkness behind those bright white picket fences, guaranteed. So, Based on a True Story Season 2’s vision of the upper middle class American suburban life isn’t exactly groundbreaking.
What’s to the series’ credit is that it knows that. Its heart doesn’t lie in pulling back the curtain on middle age (or just before) married with kids and a four-bedroom, two-bath life. Instead, it just uses that oft-played trope to have a blast. That’s not to say it is empty of message or meaning. It still has plenty to say about “life these days”. It just does it without the air of self-congratulatory “Can you believe how transgressive we are!” that one can often detect in similar tales of suburban decay. Continue Reading →
Spellbound (In Portuguese: O Feitiço)
Similar8 Women (2002), A Hard Day's Night (1964), Aladdin (1992), Anastasia (1997), Asterix vs. Caesar (1985), Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Bugsy Malone (1976), Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003), Chicago (2002), Chicken Little (2005), Chocolat (2000), Cry-Baby (1990), Eight Crazy Nights (2002), Fantasia (1940), Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), Grease (1978), Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007), Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), Mamma Mia! (2008),
Mary Poppins (1964) Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), Mortal Kombat (1995), Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997), Scoop (2006),
Shrek (2001) Shrek 2 (2004),
Shrek the Third (2007) South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut (1999), Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986), Thank You for Smoking (2005), The Country Bears (2002), The Hating Game (2021), The Illusionist (2006), The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), The Prince of Egypt (1998), The Science of Sleep (2006), The Talk of the Town (1942), The Wizard of Oz (1939), There's No Business Like Show Business (1954), Warlock: The Armageddon (1993),
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) StarringDee Bradley Baker, Nicole Kidman,
Sometimes, you end up respecting what a movie’s trying to discuss more than you enjoy the film itself. Case in point, Spellbound.
In the new animated feature, Princess Ellian (Rachel Zegler) is on the eve of her 15th birthday. Sadly, the celebration is a bit muted this time around. That’s because her parents, Queen Ellsmere (Nicole Kidman, eventually) and King Solon (Javier Bardem, after a fashion), aren’t quite themselves. A year earlier, they encountered a whirling black cyclone in the woods. It turned the couple from attractive royal types into big, brightly colored, childlike monsters. Ever since, Ellian has been struggling to find a solution to their conversion while hiding it from the kingdom of Lumbria. Growing desperate after a meeting with the Oracles of the Moon and Sun (Nathan Lane and Tituss Burgess, both as hammy as you please) goes poorly, the Princess decides to drag her parents back to the Dark Forest of Eternal Darkness, where the curse began.
As a plot goes, it’s fine. In practice, it often feels hobbled together from pieces of other films. There’s a bit of Brave here. A dash of How to Train Your Dragon there. If you squint, you can even spot some Frozen in its DNA. Fairy tales, by their nature, are remixed and rehashed from previous source material and other stories, so none of this is especially egregious. However, it isn’t what makes Spellbound interesting. Continue Reading →
A Man on the Inside
Similar'Allo 'Allo!,
3rd Rock from the Sun Alice, All in the Family, American Dreamer, Boy Meets World, Butterflies, Catterick, Cheers, Complete Savages, Cover Up, El Chavo del Ocho, Family Ties, Fawlty Towers, Friends, Girlfriends, Green Wing, Greg the Bunny, Here's Lucy, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show, Hope & Faith, Hyperdrive, I Dream of Jeannie, Ideal, Joey, Love & Money, Mad About You, Maid Marian and Her Merry Men, My Family, Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide, No Job for a Lady, Not Going Out, Peep Show, Seinfeld, Sex and the City, Tabitha, Taxi, That '70s Show, The Comeback, The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, The Green Green Grass, The Invisible Man, The Jeffersons,
The John Larroquette Show The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Middle, The Munsters, The Norm Show, The Simpsons, The War at Home, Two and a Half Men, Watching Ellie, What We Do in the Shadows, WKRP in Cincinnati,
In one of A Man on the Inside creator Michael Schur’s previous series—The Good Place—there’s a moment when one character explains that, as humans, we all know that we will someday die. That means we all walk around a little sad, even during our happiest moments. That kind of melancholic joy is where his newest series dwells. It’s a show with lots of laughs, excellent characters, and the pervasive knowledge that there is an end somewhere out on the horizon.
For most of A Man on the Inside’s characters, that end feels close indeed. That’s because the action primarily focuses on a Senior Living facility in San Francisco, Pacific View Retirement Community. That’s where private investigator Julie Kavalenko (Lilah Richcreek Estrada) sends her newest hire, Charles Nieuwendyk (Ted Danson). The mission is simple enough. Someone stole a necklace from Evan Cubbler’s (Marc Evan Jackson, doing WASP with a side of withering contempt as only he can) mother Helen (Danielle Kennedy). He wants it back and the thief hauled in. Charles, lost in many ways after the death of his wife, sees it as an opportunity to honor his daughter Emily’s (Mary Elizabeth Ellis) request he finds something to spark his passion. Julie thinks she can’t find anyone his age nearly as spry or capable of using a phone.
Stephanie Beatriz and Mary Elizabeth Ellis discuss fashion and wallpaper. Specifically, how pastels and neutrals are great for both. (Colleen E. Hayes/Netflix)
In other hands, this could be an invitation to a bunch of jokes about how older adults are weird and/or gross and/or dumb. Thankfully, Schur and his collaborators Emalee Burditt and Morgan Sackett are not other hands. While there are some “this person/these people are weird” bits, they’re personality, not age-based. The show doesn’t pretend the bulk of the cast isn’t seniors but they don’t use that to other anyone. That’s not surprising given Schur plays in the same kind of “humane, but hilarious” sandbox as Bill Lawrence (Scrubs, Shrinking), although Schur typically trends gentler and less ribald. Continue Reading →