150 Best TV-14 Movies to Watch (Page 9)

There is no doubt that Queens is an epic, enjoyable spectacle. Unbelievably, the camera keeps pace with creatures as dangerous as lions and as tiny as bees, even capturing them in clear view at night when some of them are at their most ferocious. And these scenes are set against a rousing score of modern rock and pop songs, which feels refreshing. Why nature documentaries feel the need to use the same tedious instrumentals when they could’ve been doing this is beyond me. However, as resonant and compelling as narrator Angela Bassett’s voice is, the writing itself leaves little to be desired. It forces the narrative that these female rulers of the wild are very much like the female rulers of our society, when in fact, the two could not be more different. Where we’ve had to fight and claw our way to the top, some of these animals like the mighty elephant and lioness have always lived in matriarchal communities. Alternately, whereas drama and morality rule our lives, instinct and nature rule theirs. It doesn’t feel truthful or scientific to deviate from those facts, which is a shame because the show is otherwise a very engaging, educational, and empowering watch.

Genre: Documentary

Actor: Angela Bassett

Rating: TV-14

Fans of Dan Harmon, the brain behind beloved shows like Community and Rick and Morty, will notice his signature touch in Krapopolis. The jokes are thought-provoking, the characters are lovably flawed, and most importantly, the premise is bonkers—but if you’re used to Harmon’s world, perhaps not bonkers enough. Maybe this is because of its 20-minute runtime, but Krapopolis feels more restrained than Harmon’s usual work, which revels in the bizarre. It also moves too fast to be appreciated, so you’ll need to spend more time and episodes with the characters to fully appreciate them. But if you’re coming into Krapopolis with no knowledge of Harmon’s previous work, then the show can actually be as fun and lighthearted as any good raunchy adult cartoon. 

Genre: Animation, Comedy

Actor: Duncan Trussell, Hannah Waddingham, Matt Berry, Pam Murphy, Richard Ayoade

Rating: TV-14

Part Family Guy and part Gravity Falls, Grimsburg’s offbeat sensibility is nothing new to adult animation fans. It’s very much in line with other shows rooted in absurdist, pop-culture-based humor. But somehow Grimsburg feels more inaccessible and frenetic, which could be good if you’ve been wanting something niche and weird, but not ideal if you want to emotionally invest in a show long-term. Grimsburg is too busy churning out jokes and zingers that it fails to properly build its characters into people you’d root for and want to see more of. And it’s a shame, because, with more character-building and fine-tuning, I can see Grimsburg becoming a cult classic among cartoon fans. But as it is, it's too loaded with jokes for its own good.

Genre: Animation, Comedy, Crime

Actor: Alan Tudyk, Erinn Hayes, Jon Hamm, Kevin Michael Richardson, Rachel Dratch

Rating: TV-14

Combining elements of a police procedural with other action-thriller quirks, Tracker stands as a familiar but nevertheless competently made drama that sits snugly between easy viewing and harder-edged entertainment for adults. With only a few episodes out at the time of this writing, the jury's still out on whether Tracker will be able to focus on larger themes or at least a more unified worldview, the absence of which has made these current episodes feel more inconsequential than they probably should. But Colter Shaw's vulnerability and his wide range of abilities—not to mention Justin Hartley's naturally magnetic presence on screen—give the series a dynamic, slightly unpredictable quality that similar shows lack.

Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller

Actor: Abby McEnany, Eric Graise, Fiona Rene, Justin Hartley, Robin Weigert

Rating: TV-14

Spy Ops is informative, and at least in the beginning, quite engaging. But the allure of insider access and first-hand knowledge quickly gives way to boredom. You can only insert so many archival clips, reenact so many events, and dramatize so much of the music before it becomes obvious how scant the material actually is. It also suffers from a narrow perspective; we hear from the intelligence operatives but rarely from people who don’t share the same views, people who more often than not are from the Global South. The information it shares seems vital enough, but without the expert editing and wide perspective that a truly compelling documentary needs, Spy Ops falls flat. 

Genre: Documentary

Rating: TV-14

After the fall of the Demon Lord, the Demon realm hosts a tournament to find a successor. Strangely, the contestant predicted to win (stronger than other contestants in every way) is Helck, a human with a disdain for humankind. With the tournament underway, fantasy and action are abundant in the first episode alone. The mystery of Helck's participation and the constant loom of a race war set the trajectory of the series but humor and gimmicks are never far behind. Whether it's a ridiculous card-building game, twins with coffee-triggered telepathy, or the sudden onslaught of winged creatures, Helck has something to offer.

Genre: Action & Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Actor: Akira Ishida, Haruka Shiraishi, Katsuyuki Konishi, Mikako Komatsu, Shiki Aoki, Shuichi Ikeda, Yoshitsugu Matsuoka

Rating: TV-14