NBC’s “The Hunting Party” is One of the Most Insulting Network Shows in Years
It’s a show produced by algorithms and focus groups, a product with no pulse whatsoever.
TV/Streaming
Lucca’s World
Although “Lucca’s World” features an unorthodox plot twist for these kinds of movies, the film itself is pretty unsurprising.
You’re Cordially Invited
“You’re Cordially Invited” is reheated comedy leftovers, for the most part, but there’s enough warmth, sentimentality, and belly laughs to make for a raucous timewaster.
“Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man” Brings Marvel’s Web-Slinger Down to Street Level
It’s truly the best animated iteration of Peter Parker since “The Spectacular Spider-Man.”
Hulu’s “Paradise” Blends Murder Mystery with High-Concept Storytelling
A consistently easy watch, only feeling hollow in retrospect. It moves quickly enough that you don’t really notice it’s not nutritionally satisfying. Sometimes that doesn’t matter.
Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)
“Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)” is a sonic kick to the soul.
Morris Chestnut is Wasted on Inferior “Watson”
There is no point to CBS’s utterly stale procedural “Watson.”
Grafted
The kind of solid programmer that takes its audience for a slick and satisfying ride without challenging them too much.
The Sand Castle
It’s both terrifying and moving to realize that these people are forced to live in their own imaginations in order to survive.
“The Night Agent” Raises the Stakes and Reinvents Itself In Season Two
It feels like the action is more severe, and the stakes in “The Night Agent” have also been raised.
Apple TV+ Misses the Mark With Conspiracy Thriller “Prime Target”
Ultimately, this new attempt at a conspiracy thriller is myopically preoccupied with appearing smarter than it is.
Starz’s “The Couple Next Door” Stops Itself From Reaching Great Heights
The core four actors feel like the only people not sleeping through these scenes.
Asura
It’s never boring because of how much Kore-eda values the emotional journeys of his characters, and how he directs an entire cast to nary a single weak performance (and several great ones).
Don’t Bother Waking Up for “On Call”
It is entirely possible that both actors on “On Call” are actually talented; they just don’t have much to do.
Peter Berg Shows the Ugly Side of American History With the Frustrating “American Primeval”
A manipulative tale of survival, as tasteless as it is hollow.
Tim Allen and Kat Dennings Fire on All Cylinders in ABC’s “Shifting Gears”
“Shifting Gears” won me over easily.
Frustrating Second Season of “Severance” Gets Off to a Rocky Start
I still greatly admire “Severance” just for existing, but it’s a show weighed down by its own ideas for the first half of this season, a program that has lost a step by trying to do too much.
Noah Wyle Anchors Intense, Effective Max Medical Drama “The Pitt”
“The Pitt” is a smart show that values character detail and intricate medical science that sometimes succumbs to doses of melodrama that can be forgiven for everything that it does very well.
