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.
TV/Streaming
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.
FOX’s “Going Dutch” Lacks Chemistry, Heart, and a Sense of Humor
FOX’s “Going Dutch” is the first comedy misfire of 2025.
Sony’s “Frank Capra at Columbia” 4K Box Set Encapsulates One of America’s Great Filmmakers
A review of Sony’s sprawling new box set of 21 films from the Golden Age master’s time at Columbia Pictuers.
“Squid Game” Returns with Sharp Filmmaking, New Ideas in a Transitional Season
“Squid Game” is back and ready for some new games.
Peacock Turns the Rom-Com Into a Game of Death in the Charming “Laid”
A wry, effervescent series that’s laser-focused on the flightiness of modern millennial dating life.
Netflix Faithfully Adapts “One Hundred Years of Solitude,” For Better and Worse
Filmmakers Laura Mora and Alex García López clearly have great reverence for the work, and perhaps it needs this literal translation to screen.
Hulu Stumbles with Warmed-Over Espionage Actioner “Paris Has Fallen”
A show that brushes past Gerard Butler’s corn-fed actioner conceit and does something alternatingly innovative and tedious with it.
Margo Martindale Anchors the Clever, “Fargo”-esque Tale of “The Sticky”
Margo Martindale stars in a very “Fargo”-esque tale of criminals and maple syrup on Prime Video.
James Gunn Launches His New DCU with Clever “Creature Commandos”
A TV review of the new DCU show, the launch of the universe overseen by James Gunn.
Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw Shine in Netflix’s Thrilling “Black Doves”
Netflix continues a strong late 2024 with another great thriller, Black Doves.
“Star Wars: Skeleton Crew” Takes Aim at Younger Viewers
Skeleton Crew is fun in ways that Star Wars hasn’t been lately.
Colman Domingo Propels Phenomenally Entertaining “The Madness”
Netflix has a great thriller to make you thankful today in “The Madness.”
Sharp, Propulsive “The Agency” Should Appeal to Fans of Spy Fiction
“The Agency” owes a great debt to John Le Carre. This is a compliment.
