Genre: Documentary
Actor: Adam Copeland, Aurelian Smith Jr., Chris Irvine, Chris Jericho, Cody Hall, Cody Taylor Hall, Dustin Runnels, Gene Okerlund, Jim Duggan, Jim Ross, Page Falkinburg Jr., Scott Hall, Steve Austin, Ted DiBiase Sr.
Director: Steve Yu
So this is what City of Ghosts feels like in live-action. This series is just as candid, but it definitely takes the piss more. Maudie (Anna Cook) has excellent timing, loads of charm, and is far and away the most consistent character and performer. The show’s choppiness—you’ll know when you see it—can feel repetitive, cycling around to being memorable, then cycling back around to being a challenge, ad infinitum. But generally, it’s an investigative mockumentary delivered like an over-the-top cartoon (complete with the 2-in-1 episodes). It's got its challenges, but the sarcasm and earnestness makes it worth seeking out.
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Kids
Actor: Abby Bergman, Anna Cooke, Aston Droomer, Eliza Ong, Hana Struckett, Hannah Johnston, James Saunders, Jamil Smyth-Secka, Maria Angelico
Genre: Drama
Actor: Alián Devetac, Ángela Cano, Carlos Manuel Vesga, Christian Tappán, Enrique Carriazo, Ilenia Antonini, Johan Rivera Zumaqué, Juan Pablo Raba, Marcela Benjumea, Monica Lopera, Valentín Villafañe
Tracee Ellis Ross is a natural at guiding the conversations, accentuating each guest in their stories about their identities through their hair. Public figures share about how their hair has served as their crown through all the harmful chemicals and messaging, spliced with women having their hair done at a salon sharing their own sentiments, and reinforcing that feeling and idea throughout the show of hair stories as community stories. Each episode does a good job running the viewer through the common rhetoric surrounding Black hair and curly hair, and combined with the general positivity of the show, creates a communally therapeutic experience.
Genre: Documentary
Actor: Tracee Ellis Ross
Genre: Documentary
Actor: Bobby Moore, Boris Johnson, Bukayo Saka, Catherine, David Beckham, Diego Maradona, Emma Saunders, Gareth Southgate, Harry Kane, Jordan Henderson, Leonardo Bonucci, Luciano Spalletti, Marcus Rashford, Paul Gascoigne, Prince Louis of Wales, Prince of Wales, Princess of Wales, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Tom Cruise, Ugo Monye, Wayne Rooney, William
Director: Kwabena Oppong, Robert Miller
Genre: Documentary
Director: Arthur Jones, Giorgio Angelini
The documentary starts off with a feeler that this is a wild soap opera, a real life science experiment that cannot be enacted in good conscience. If you'd never read the blurb, you’d see the coincidences slowly revealed layer by layer until the story finally clicks. Early on, it feels reliant on telling as opposed to showing, but it could just be a case of working with what you have footage-wise. The openness of our main interviewees does get better with time, but the exploration of the psychological effect and implications of such an event was lacking considering the level of coincidence we’re dealing with. All in all, it’s heartwarming, albeit with the exciting story beats very spaced out.
Genre: Documentary
Director: Alessandro Angulo
What starts out a cliche outdoor party scene with admittedly introspective narration, takes a hard left turn into its trippy premise. As soon as the story’s complexity and depth make its presence felt with its many intertwining characters and narratives, the experience can range from interesting, to lethargic, to confusing. Characters don't feel all that different, and all the "resets" can make the series feel un-homely for long stretches, like it's constantly drifting away from answers. At its best, it’s caring, ambitious, and it knows the last possible second to dangle a carrot in front of you. But it’s also a lot of bland carrots to keep track of.
Genre: Drama, Mystery
Actor: Anne Azoulay, Khalil Ben Gharbia, Maïra Schmitt, Marguerite Thiam, Mélanie Doutey, Raïka Hazanavicius, Samuel Benchetrit, Théo Fernandez
Director: Émilie Noblet, Julien Despaux
This documentary series has a gritty, Western vibe stemming from the marriage between old school rasslin’ footage and the accompanying hypnotic soundtrack. Legends gather around and take turns reliving the glory days, treating every fan-driven near-death experience as a badge of honor, showing how crazy everyone was on both sides of the fence. Between the rustic location they film in and the insanely casual delivery of terrifying stories, it’s easy to be transported to another time period and find it rather relaxing (much more so than sister series Dark Side of the Ring), an era that you almost wish would return, if there was a safer way to have it.
Genre: Documentary
This wonderful series has such gentle, friendly animations of sea creatures, and a simple visualization of the sea. In fact, simple is the keyword here, extending to the very language used, which is good for teaching kids basic responses like “Good morning,” “I’m sorry,” and the like. The many curious and playful characters can definitely be loved by preschoolers, who may latch onto different animals and personalities more than others. The easy breezy nature of the show means it can also be fun for parents and guardians to watch with their kids, who together can learn lessons about kindness and friendship.
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Kids
Actor: Anchasa Bhurichayawarodom, Guy William Burnett, Tarakorn Visessintop
Rewind picks up rather quickly with a marriage montage, invoking the infamous first 10 minutes of Up. But this is no classic Pixar tearjerker. This is a good old-fashioned Pinoy telenovela romance, featuring a life-changing car accident, a saint-like child, and an emotionally dead relationship. It explores a premise anyone can instantly connect with, which challenges the comforting notion that a quick burst of reparations makes up for a lifetime of errors. This touching story leaves little room for downtime, but every minute coasts on cheesy writing and a religious slant to deliver a didactic message straight out of a mildly entertaining homily.
Genre: Drama, Romance, Science Fiction
Actor: Ariel Ureta, Chamyto Aguedan, Coney Reyes, Dingdong Dantes, Ina Feleo, JC Alcantara, Jordan Lim, Joross Gamboa, Lito Pimentel, Marian Rivera, Mary Joy Apostol, Neil Coleta, Pamu Pamorada, Pepe Herrera, Sue Ramirez, Via Antonio
Director: Mae Cruz-Alviar
The show tackles triggering, traumatic topics and the rhetoric that forms around it, opting for a high school setting on top of it. Needless to say, it’s tricky to execute. What we end up getting is one edgy teen trope after another—drug use, bad influences, toxic relationships, one-dimensional parents—in a very romanticized, commercialized depiction of high school. The jumpy storytelling does enough to create direction and interest for the material. But far and away the best part of each episode is the final minutes. They’re eerily and beautifully done, but is it really worth walking through broken glass in pursuit of a foot massage?
Genre: Drama
Actor: Aïcha Villaverde, Clara Galle, José Pastor, Nicole Wallace, Teresa de Mera
Being a post-pandemic show, a lot of this rides on camaraderie, on trauma bonding and a sense of unity. A lot of remember when’s and we all’s in a show built on Jo Koy’s appeal to shared experience. And being a Jo Koy show, a lot of this rides on caricature voices and sound effects and healthy audience interaction. But a lot of it falls short. If this is a celebration, it’s a celebration of Koy’s favorite reasons why he shouldn’t wear a face mask. A lot of the bits go long, and his toilet jokes and sheer crowd control shine as some of his better work, but compared to the rest of it which we slug through until he gets to a substantial ending spiel, it’s not really saying that much.
Genre: Comedy
Actor: Jo Koy
Director: Shannon Hartman
This movie is hilarious. It presents a pleasant caricature of high school humor, proving there is a way to do 2000s trashy crude writing in a reimagined modern setting. Setups for punchlines and mini-arcs consistently have good and sensible payoffs, and every character up and down the cast feels focused in their own way. Because the writing had been cared for, characters and dialogue make the most of every segment they occupy and feel like they have a purpose, striking a balance between great jokes and a genuine sincerity in their messages, without feeling like either half existed just to balance out the other or just to keep things “cool.” The film comfortably takes its own advice: be yourself.
Genre: Comedy
Actor: Ali Gallo, Anissa Borrego, Bardia Seiri, Bobby Cannavale, Dinora Walcott, Gattlin Griffith, Imogen Tear, Isabella Ferreira, Kaitlin Olson, Kayvan Shai, Kim Hawthorne, Loren Gray, Mason Thames, Max Tepper, Nolan Bateman, Ramon Reed, Raphael Alejandro, Ronin Lee, Sammi-Jack Martincak, Scott MacArthur, Steele Stebbins, Stefanie Rons, Talia Bernstein, Thomas Barbusca, Victoria Moroles
Director: Dave Chernin, John Chernin
This show is chock-full of out of pocket lines and all kinds of surprising scenarios. The awkwardness literally never lets up, as it approaches romance with such over the top aggression and discomfort, which makes it difficult for you to just relax your core during the sweet moments. Despite the title, the ensemble comedy is the dominant flavor that brings uneasy confrontations, passive aggressiveness, and dramatic reveals from the couple’s loud and colorful support system. It’s really a well-written show, with family drama to the highest extent, and all the puzzle pieces fitting together nicely to create a lively show with staying power.
Genre: Comedy
Actor: Bohang Moeko, Dumisani Mbebe, John Morapama, Noxolo Dlamini, Sandile Mahlangu, Sivenathi Mabuya, Thabo Malema, Thando Thabethe, Tina Jaxa