Cory Michael Smith, Steve Carell, Ramy Youssef, and Jason Schwartzman in MOUNTAINHEAD — PHOTO: HBO / Macall Polay.
Directed by Jesse Armstrong — Screenplay by Jesse Armstrong.
How do you follow up the wild success of audience and critic-favorite Succession, which earned its creator, Jesse Armstrong, four Emmys (one for each season) for writing? Jesse Armstrong opted for an HBO film, Mountainhead, that, although not explicitly connected to the universe of Succession, feels somewhat related to the corporate, capitalist, and inheritance satire that put him on the map globally. However, though it occasionally does capture the right feeling of that show, Mountainhead doesn’t quite manage to say anything new.
Bella Ramsey in THE LAST OF US: THE PATH — PHOTO: HBO.
This is a recap and review of the third episode of the second season of HBO’s The Last of Us. Expect spoilers for season 1 and game 1 (and the episode itself, of course), but also some references to and comments about the second game (though without spoilers).
In the third episode of the second season — titled The Path — we get a three-month time jump, as the Jackson settlement and its wounded — including Ellie (played by Bella Ramsey) — recover in the wake of the tragedy in last week’s episode. However, when Dina (played by Isabela Merced) reveals a secret to Ellie, it sets in motion an appeal to gather up a crew to hunt down those who wronged them and killed Joel. The Path was written by Craig Mazin (Chernobyl) and directed by Peter Hoar (The Last of Us: Long, Long Time).
(L-R) Jason Statham in MEG 2: THE TRENCH (Warner Bros. Pictures), Halle Bailey in THE LITTLE MERMAID (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures), and Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri in BOTTOMS (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures).
In this edition of Additional Bite-Sized Reviews, I have had a look at one of the very best and funniest movies of the past year, a live-action remake of an animated classic, and a, for some, much-anticipated summer movie sequel. All of these are 2023 flicks that you may or may not have missed. Click below to learn more about my thoughts on the specific films.
Bill Hader as Barry Berkman in HBO’s BARRY — PHOTO: Photograph by Merrick Morton/HBO.
Be aware that the following review of the final season of HBO’s BARRY discusses details from episode 5 which would be considered spoilers for those who have not yet seen the season.
A lot has happened since this dark comedy started back in 2018. Five years and four seasons later, now the show has reached its conclusion on its own terms. Back when it premiered, I described it as a blend of “James Manos Jr.’s Dexter and, well, Shane Black’s Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, which is probably the closest comparison — a film where a criminal, who is hiding from the police, ends up running into an acting audition that he somehow knocks out of the park.” The dark comedy about a hitman who tries to fulfill his potential, and sort of disguise himself, as a wannabe actor has come a long way, and, in season three, it genuinely felt like Bill Hader — the series’ star, co-creator, and frequent director — was experimenting with the show, but in a way that made the show more engaged in the kind of deep reflection on guilt, redemption, and responsibility that half-hour comedies only rarely have the time and consideration to dwell on. In my review of season three, I noted that the show had gotten more depressing than outright funny as it progressed and that its focus on acting and the entertainment industries had changed (though it was still very much there). In the final season, I think the blend of dark and depressing themes and laugh-out-loud comedy is handled much smoother, and the result is arguably the best season of the show.
Bella Ramsey as ‘Ellie’ and Pedro Pascal as ‘Joel’ in HBO’s THE LAST OF US — PHOTO: HBO / Liane Hentscher.
The following is a recap and review of the fourth episode of HBO’s The Last of Us. Expect story spoilers.
In the fourth episode of the first season of the HBO adaptation of the masterful video game franchise known as The Last of Us — titled Please Hold to My Hand — Joel (played by Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (played by Bella Ramsey) are on their way to Wyoming to find Joel’s brother. But when they have to take a detour, they are ambushed in Kansas City. Please Hold to My Hand was directed by Jeremy Webb (Downton Abbey; The Umbrella Academy) and written by Craig Mazin (Chernobyl).
In recent days, it was revealed that the Warner Bros. Discovery merger had already had a huge impact on upcoming releases and the extremely popular streaming service HBO Max, arguably the service with the best content library. First, it was revealed that the upcoming Batgirl film, which had finished production, had been canceled. It was no longer to be released in theaters or on HBO Max. Then, we found out that the Scoob! sequel, an animated film due to be released later this year, had also been thrown away entirely.
Britt Lower in “Severance,” now streaming on Apple TV+.
In this edition of my recurring movie and television catch-up article series titled ‘Additional Bite-Sized Reviews,’ I take a look back at the first half of the year to discuss some of the new shows that I’ve really enjoyed this year, but that I didn’t have the time to review. I think all of the shows in this article are good, but which of these shows do you absolutely have to put on your watchlist? Well, let’s have a look.
Bill Hader is the titular character in HBO’s dark comedy BARRY — PHOTO: Merrick Morton / HBO..
I’ve long been a fan of HBO’s Barry. When it first came out, I reviewed the first handful of episodes and I was blown away. Although I haven’t always had the time to write about the show due to life getting in the way, it has remained one of my favorite shows on television over the last several years. However, it feels like so long ago that season two of Barry ended. When the third season of Barry was finally released on HBO and HBO Max, it had been more than three years since the second season ended. Admittedly, I wondered if the show could still hook me in and if what it was aiming for would still work. And I was happy to find out that HBO’s Barry, led by Bill Hader, is still knocking it out of the park.
Jennifer Holland (Left) and John Cena (right) in James Gunn’s PEACEMAKER — Photo: Warner Bros. / HBO Max.
All Episodes of the First Season of James Gunn’s PEACEMAKER Are Available on HBO Max Now.
I know. This show did, indeed, come out several months ago. Back then, I had been preparing to write a longer article about this show, but, then life got in the way, and now we’re in June. Sorry about that. Still, I am happy to be able to report that I think this show is absolutely terrific and I also think it’s the best DC Comics season of television I’ve ever seen. That statement is coming from someone who was obsessed with Smallville once, who loved the first season of CW’s The Flash, and who did follow the Arrowverse for quite some time. With respect to those shows, James Gunn’s Peacemaker is just head-and-shoulders above those other series in large part because it feels so director-driven. It has a distinctive style and voice that is just so right for this show.
Zoë Kravitz as Angela Childs in Steven Soderbergh’s KIMI — Photo: Claudette Barius / Warner Bros.
Directed by Steven Soderbergh — Screenplay by David Koepp.
Steven Soderbergh’s Kimi takes place around the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, at which point our protagonist (Angela Childs, played by Zoë Kravitz), an agoraphobic tech worker, is struggling to even set foot outside of her apartment door. However, while reviewing the data stream of the titular virtual assistant Kimi (a la Alexa or Siri), Angela discovers evidence of what may have been a violent crime. But to get the evidence to the proper authorities she realizes that she will have to go outside. What she doesn’t know is that by reporting the recording to her company’s higher-ups she has effectively put a target on her back.
I'm Jeffrey Rex 