Colman Domingo in ‘Dead Man’s Wire.’ Photo: Row K Entertainment.
For his first feature in six years, director Gus Van Sant has picked a familiar pattern –– a true-life tale. And ‘Dead Man’s Wire’ certainly boasts a compelling hook. A kidnapping case that was locally infamous in Indiana that briefly attracted national attention in the late 1970s.
But with some odd tonal choices, the movie doesn’t always do justice to what is a fascinating tale of desperation and candor.
Script and Direction
(L to R) Al Pacino and director Gus Van Sant attend Row K’s ‘Dead Man’s Wire’ Los Angeles Premiere at The Grove AMC on January 7, 2026 in Los Angeles.
The script from Austin Kolodney (a filmmaker behind various shorts and who has worked in a number of roles on different movies) takes a mostly real-time approach to the story of Tony Kiritsis and his grudge against a local mortgage company.
It’s a solid foundation for an entertaining movie, and one that director Gus Van Sant knows how to make well. Yet the issue is with some of the stylistic tricks and the occasional shifts in tone that don’t always work with the plot itself and undercut the power.
Cast and Performances
Cary Elwes in ‘Dead Man’s Wire.’ Photo: Row K Entertainment.
The cast is the definite highlight of the movie, with Skarsgård, for once not buried beneath a mountain of prosthetics, giving a memorable, charismatic performance as the desperate, but perhaps misguided central figure.
Dacre Montgomery also has a chance to shine as the victim of the kidnapping, a man whose rich family is only to willing to throw him under the bus when it comes to negotiating with his captor.
Outside of the main pair, Cary Elwes is excellent as a detective, Al Pacino steals a couple of scenes as Montgomery’s character’s father, and Myha’la gets some good moments as a reporter who is first to report on the developing situation.
Final Thoughts
Bill Skarsgård as Tony Kiritsis in ‘Dead Man’s Wire’. Photo: Row K Entertainment.
Despite its occasional overreliance on stylistic tics, ‘Dead Man’s Wire’ is a compelling treatment of a real-life case, one that has resonances even today.
‘Dead Man’s Wire’ receives 70 out of 100.
(L to R): Dacre Montgomery and Bill Skarsgard in ‘Dead Man’s Wire.’ Photo: Row K Entertainment.
What is the plot of ‘Dead Man’s Wire’?
The film is inspired by the 1977 Indianapolis hostage standoff involving Tony Kiritsis (Bill Skarsgård) and centers on the escalation of a public confrontation shaped by negotiation, media attention, and law enforcement response.
On Netflix on January 16 is ‘The Rip’ a new police thriller that reunites Ben Affleck (‘Argo’) and Matt Damon (‘The Departed’) for the story of Miami law enforcement who stumble on a giant stash of drug cash, and the chaotic moral quandary that opens up between their team.
Following their successful reunion on ‘Air,’ Ben Affleck and Matt Damon have re-teamed on screen for this new cop thriller, handled by veteran director Joe Carnahan.
Looking to fit squarely into the gritty, brutal law enforcement genre, it lets them go full macho –– but has more going on than you might think at first glance.
Carnahan, who wrote the script based on a story by Michael McGrale, has here found a project so ideally in his wheelhouse he might as well have his name written across it.
The story crackles with acronym-heavy police action and plenty of testosterone, but it also finds time for nuance.
And though you might not guess the Miami setting beyond some opening shots (and dialogue drops) given that the scenes are mostly at night in a cul-de-sac, there is plenty of style on display here, particularly as things ramp up in the third act.
Affleck and Damon naturally work well off of each other, finding a dynamic that works as longtime cop friends whose connection is pushed to the limit here.
Around them, the likes of Teyana Taylor (even if she doesn’t get nearly as much to do as in ‘One Battle After Another’), Steven Yeun and Kyle Chandler contribute superb moments.
‘The Rip’ won’t be to everyone’s taste, but if you enjoy your thrillers hard-edged and unexpectedly crafted, it’s certainly got something. And we don’t just mean an unexpected haul of drug money.
A group of Miami cops discovers a stash of millions in cash, leading to distrust as outsiders learn about the huge seizure, making them question who to rely on.
Daniel Ings in ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.’ Photo: Steffan Hill/HBO.
With ‘Game of Thrones’ wrapping up in a roar of dragon’s flame back in 2019, we all knew HBO wouldn’t want to let such a cash cow fade into history. So, naturally, a host of spin-offs were thrust into development. Only two have so far emerged –– ‘House of the Dragon,’ which returns for a third season this year, and now ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.’
Adapted from creator George R.R. Martin’s series of prequel novellas featuring hedge knight, Ser Duncan the Tall (AKA Dunk), and his squire, Egg, the new series is a very different prospect from both of the previous shows, since it dives more into the lives of those who exist in the shadow of the highborn, who must navigate a changing Westeros roughly a century before the events of ‘Thrones’ itself.
Script and Direction
Tanzyn Crawford in ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.’ Photo: Steffan Hill/HBO.
Co-created by Martin and head writer Ira Parker (a veteran of ‘House of the Dragon’), Dunk and Egg’s adventures on screen represent a welcome change from what has gone before, while still feeling like it exists in the same universe.
It’s also a lot less sprawling and more focused than either of what has gone before, not to mention funnier.
Directors Owen Harris and Sarah Adina Smith, meanwhile, keep it feeling authentically grubby, staging the later action moments authentically.
Cast and Performances
Finn Bennett in ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.’ Photo: Steffan Hill/HBO.
This is the sort of story that only works if the central pair complement each other, and fortunately, Peter Claffey and Dexter Sol Ansell bring their characters to life in truly engaging fashion, leaping them from the page to the screen with ease.
Around them, the likes of Daniel Ings and Finn Bennett are superb as a friend and an enemy to our heroes respectively.
Final Thoughts
Peter Claffey in ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.’ Photo: Steffan Hill/HBO.
If you were always tempted to watch ‘Game of Thrones,’ but couldn’t see yourself committing to its complex, interwoven stories, ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ could be just the intro you’re looking for.
Funny, occasionally filthy but always entertaining, this is just the shot in the arm the franchise needed.
‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Season 1 receives 82 out of 100.
Sam Spruell in ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.’ Photo: Steffan Hill/HBO.
What’s the plot of ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Season 1?
A century before GOT, Ser Duncan the Tall, and his squire, Egg, wandered through Westeros while the Targaryen dynasty ruled the Iron Throne, and dragons were still remembered.
Great destinies and enemies await the incomparable friends.
Who stars in ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Season 1?
Peter Claffey as Ser Duncan the Tall
Dexter Sol Ansell as Egg
Finn Bennett as Prince Aerion “Brightflame” Targaryen
Bertie Carvel as Prince Baelor “Breakspear” Targaryen
‘28 Years Later‘ is enjoyable for what it is, but one of the biggest takeaways is that it was clearly a set-up for the follow-up film, ’28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’. While viewers could surely watch the latter without seeing either of the previous films, they will enjoy it much more if they know the lore and backstories of these characters.
The story picks up almost immediately after the events of ’28 Years Later’ as Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell) is seen putting young Spike (Alfie Williams) to the test. This is a brilliant introduction to the villain of the film, as it becomes clear just how deranged and selfish he is during this fight. His fingers, which is what he calls his child followers, know no better to believe in this man who thinks he is the son of Satan. This sets up for some truly dark, twisted, and gory events that are much on par with the previous two films.
On the other side of things, we have Ralph Fiennes’ Dr. Ian Kelson, whom we got to know a lot about in the previous film. This time he strikes up an unlikely “friendship” with the Alpha Infected Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry). Both of these plot points are captivating in their own way, as we move towards the climax of the film (which does not disappoint). The cinematography and Nia DaCosta’s directing choices are the best in the franchise, without a doubt. Being up close and personal with so many characters allows us to feel what they are feeling, whether it be terror, happiness, or peace.
Jack O’Connell will always and forever make a great villain. His role in ‘Sinners‘ is unforgettable, but he does something so phenomenal in ’28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’ that he will surely be remembered for it as well. This is a career-best performance for him. He is a mentally unstable man who is drawn to violence. Throughout the entire movie, he is captivating, yes, but it is the third act where he really shines.
The same can be said for Ralph Fiennes, who has a lot of incredible roles under his belt, but you have never seen him like this before. What he does, especially in that third act, is going to be talked about for years to come. Chi Lewis-Parry is also given a lot more to play with this time around, and he proves why he should be on many studios’ radars.
’28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’ sets the bar high for 2026 films. Thanks to brilliant performances all around, a story that will have viewers on the edge of their seats, and some well placed jump scares, it is an unforgettable movie that ends the beloved franchise perfectly.
While the studio could certainly discover more story to be told, there is no need, as the ending just feels right.
’28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’ receives a score of 90 out of 100.
What is the plot of ’28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’?
Taking place after the events of the previous film, Spike (Alfie Williams) is inducted into Sir Jimmy Crystal’s (Jack O’Connell) gang of acrobatic killers in a post-apocalyptic Britain ravaged by the Rage Virus. Meanwhile, Dr Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) forms a new relationship with potentially world changing consequences.
Who is in the cast of ’28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’?
In theaters expanding its release on December 9 is ‘Rosemead,’ a taught, powerful new drama that spotlights the troubles of Asian American parents struggling to deal with mental health issues among their teenage children.
(L to R) Lucy Liu and Lawrence Shou star in ‘Rosemead’. Photo: Vertical.
Given that the true story it is based upon is full of tragedy and pain, you should certainly go into ‘Rosemead’ expecting some downbeat developments.
But don’t let that deter you from a powerful and thoughtful movie that boasts a typically great performance from Lucy Liu, here fully taking the chance to shine in a difficult, nuanced role.
Script and Direction
Director Eric Lin on the set of ‘Rosemead’. Photo: Vertical.
With a script from Marilyn Fu (‘The Sisterhood of Night’) which also features additional writing from director Eric Lin, ‘Rosemead’ has its roots in an L.A. Times article by Frank Shyong about a Laotian mother living in the US who discovered her teen son’s disturbing fascination with school shootings even as he lived with schizophrenia.
Director Lin finds the sensitivity in the story, focusing on an aspect of Asian American life not often touched upon, and bringing it to screens with the plenty care and thoughtfulness.
Cast and Performances
(L to R) Lucy Liu and Lawrence Shou star in ‘Rosemead’. Photo: Vertical.
Lucy Liu is the clear standout here; given the chance to really show what she can do as an actor, she proves she’s more than capable of filling out a character and bringing real heart and depth to a complicated person.
She’s well supported by Lawrence Shou, who makes his feature film acting debut, and has the equally tough job of portraying her son, Joe, who grapples with his own demons.
Final Thoughts
Lucy Liu stars in ‘Rosemead’. Photo: Vertical.
‘Rosemead’ is a painfully sad story, but also a vital one, and has urgent things to say about the lack of communication between different generations of families, but particularly in the Asian American communities where silence can be as dangerous as fraught emotion.
‘Rosemead’ receives 72 out of 100.
(L to R) Lawrence Shou and Lucy Liu star in ‘Rosemead’. Photo: Vertical.
What’s the story of ‘Rosemead’?
Lucy Liu stars as Irene, who takes drastic measures to protect her troubled teenage son (Lawrence Shou).
As his dark obsessions grow and time runs out, she is forced to make impossible choices: how far will she go and what is she willing to sacrifice?
(L to R) Everett Blunck and Joel Edgerton in Charlie Polinger’s ‘The Plague’. Courtesy of Steven Breckon. An Independent Film Company release.
Arriving literally at the tail end of 2025 (and expanding right after the New Year), ‘The Plague’ is one of the year’s most original and thoroughly unsettling movies.
It’s not horror, not exactly, but it has a thick atmosphere of dread and disquiet to rival more conventional genre offerings. In fact, ‘The Plague’ is almost indescribable, but calling it a mix of psychological thriller and twisted coming-of-age drama wouldn’t be far off the mark – and it’s an unnervingly winning combination in the hands of Charlie Polinger, making his feature writing and directing debut, and an outstanding cast of boys.
Story and Direction
Joel Edgerton in Charlie Polinger’s ‘The Plague’. Courtesy of Steven Breckon. An Independent Film Company release.
It’s the summer of 2003 and socially awkward, 12-year-old Ben (Everett Blunck) arrives at the Tom Lerman Water Polo Club for camp, the victim of – we find out a little later – a bad divorce and parental neglect. Desperate to fit in with the pack of ‘cool’ boys led by the sneering, mean-spirited Jake (Kayo Martin), Everett learns about a ‘game’ called ‘The Plague,’ in which an outcast kid named Eli (Kenny Rasmussen) is the object of derision because of an inexplicable explosion of an acne-like rash across his face, arms, and back.
If you go near Eli, interact with him, or especially touch him, you could catch the ‘Plague’ yourself, and while no one really believes this is the case, it makes the misfit, oddball kid the perfect scapegoat and target that all clusters of young boys seem to need. But when the decent-minded, innocent Ben tries to build a friendship with Eli, the torments escalate and threaten to encompass him as well.
What sounds like a grimmer than usual coming-of-age story about pre-teen males and their rites of passage takes on an even darker shade, thanks to the meanness and feral intensity of the boys, the nature of Eli’s affliction (which is never explained), and the imagery that Polinger and DP Steven Breckon bring to the fore.
(L to R) Kayo Martin, Caden Burris, and Lennox Espy in Charlie Polinger’s ‘The Plague’. Courtesy of Steven Breckon. An Independent Film Company release.
The camp itself is mostly indoors, making it seem more like a lab than a camp, and the nighttime scenes turn it into a haunted house of dark, winding corridors. The pool scenes have a shimmery cast to them, flashes of red from above symbolizing the metaphorical blood in the water. Polinger and Breckon shoot the water polo scenes from below, highlighting the violent thrashing of the boys’ bodies.
And let’s not forget the burrowing-under-the-skin sound design by Damian Volpe and the ghostly mix of percussion and tribal voices that make up Johan Lenox’s score, one of the most striking of the year. It all coheres into an immersive yet oppressive experience, emphasizing the central conflict – which starts right here in childhood – between wanting to conform and needing to express one’s true self, the latter of which can carry grave consequences.
Cast and Performances
Kenny Rasmussen in Charlie Polinger’s ‘The Plague’. Courtesy of Steven Breckon. An Independent Film Company release.
Joel Edgerton (who helped Polinger get the film on the launchpad and is listed as a producer) is the nominal star here as the coach, Daddy Wags, and he brings the perfect balance of gruff taskmaster and big brother to a man who is clearly not especially bright and in over his head (no pun intended) with this bunch of kids. But as strong of an anchor as Edgerton is, the real stars here are the trio of young leads.
Everett Blunck is both sensitive and enigmatic as Ben, his genuine empathy and decency in direct conflict with his broken heart and his need to belong. As the vicious Jake, alpha leader of the pack, Kayo Martin has a face on which cruelty and good humor can virtually pass for each other – he’s always calculating how to wring the most pain out of any scenario for his target.
And then there’s Kenny Rasmussen. In his screen debut, Rasmussen keeps the viewer off-balance throughout – one never knows if Eli is having a joke at everyone’s expense or likely to slaughter his campmates without hesitation (he’s also got that Stanley Kubrick stare – made famous by Jack Nicholson in ‘The Shining’ and Vincent D’Onofrio in ‘Full Metal Jacket’ – down cold). His slightly lower voice adds an eerie effect to his performance as well, which is simply stunning.
Final Thoughts
(L to R) Everett Blunck, Kayo Martin, Caden Burris, and Lennox Espy in Charlie Polinger’s ‘The Plague’. Courtesy of Steven Breckon. An Independent Film Company release.
‘The Plague’ is the kind of film that should – and hopefully will – not just catch on with audiences but spark discussion and debate over its meaning and themes. Its gang of restless, awkward, horny malcontents on the edge of adolescence, with all their cruelty, vindictiveness, and surly shame, could be a metaphor for the toxic masculinity making a comeback in society like a band no one wanted to see reunite.
Or they could just be a pack of little boys who don’t know how to handle the strange things bursting from their bodies and are unable to be at ease with their real selves. Either way, ‘The Plague,’ its surreal imagery and sound, its discomforting performances, and its nerve-rending score will leave you wondering exactly what kind of little monsters we’re raising.
‘The Plague’ receives a score of 90 out of 100.
Everett Blunck in Charlie Polinger’s ‘The Plague’. Courtesy of Steven Breckon. An Independent Film Company release.
What is the plot of ‘The Plague’?
A socially anxious 12-year-old boy is pulled into a cruel tradition at an all-boys’ water polo camp, with harrowing consequences for him and the object of the other boys’ derision as the line between the game and reality blur.
Arriving on Netflix on November 26 is the first four episodes from ‘Stranger Things’ fifth season, starting the long(ish) road to wrapping up the series as a whole.
Finishing off a series that has had as much worldwide attention of ‘Stranger Things’ is a task that could best be described as “mammoth.” There is so much expectations and a multitude of dangling plot lines to be tied up.
Creators Matt and Ross Duffer have opted to go big, and Netflix in its infinite wisdom (and hunt for viewing figures) has decided to split this final season somewhat confusingly into various-sized chunks. Fortunately, the first four, at least don’t disappoint.
Script and Direction
(L to R): Ross Duffer and Matt Duffer attend Netflix’s ‘Stranger Things’ Season 5 UK Special Screening at ODEON Luxe Leicester Square on November 13th, 2025 in London, England. Photo: StillMoving.Net for Netflix.
The Duffers and their writers team appear fully cognizant of the challenges inherent in sticking the landing –– and what has emerged, at least in this initial run of four is a mostly balanced treatment of the surviving main characters.
A majority of the cast get something fun (or terrifying; or both) to do, and the team-up concept means that there are more interactions. The creators have also built on the premise, raising the stakes as the final conflict begins.
Despite hour-plus running times for most episodes, there’s not much downtime, and the show’s hefty budget means it all looks good.
Though the younger cast have all aged to such a degree that they’re not the most convincing high-schoolers to grace screens, they still give committed, entertaining performances.
Gaten Matarazzo’s Dustin remains a standout, but all the “young” characters enjoy decent storylines or at least moments, while Winona Ryder is on good form as Joyce.
It might have very familiar genre bones (evil presence in a small town, psychic connections or powers, monsters) but ‘Stranger Things’ has always built well on those foundations, with this initial batch of final season episodes delivering on heart and spectacle.
Now we just have to wait until Christmas Day for the next three.
‘Stranger Things’ Season 5 Volume 1 receives 75 out of 100.
‘Stranger Things’ has always referenced 1980s pop culture, so it seems appropriate that this middle chunk of Season 5 should be the ‘Empire Strikes Back’ of the final run. The heroes are on the back foot to some degree, but are looking for ways to win. It never reaches the sheer quality of that second ‘Star Wars,’ but there is some solid entertainment here.
The scripts are a mixed bag here and there –– we get plenty of big reveals (particularly about the nature of the Upside Down) and a lovely moment for Will, but the episodes also suffer from long batches of exposition designed to set the finale up (though one scene featuring the reuniting gang manages to pull off an info dump while also being fun).
Frank Darabont and Shawn Levy are on directing duty here (the Duffers share a credit with Levy on Episode 7) and the three episodes are generally stylish, full of interesting visuals.
While we talked about the main characters in the review of the first chunk, credit to Noah Schnapp, who brings real pathos and nervy energy to Will’s big revelation to his friends.
But we would be remiss if we didn’t also highlight Jake Connelly as Derek Turnbow, who is a real star in his supporting role.
We’re in the endgame now for ‘Stranger Things’ and while the final season has been a mixed bag, it’s certainly got plenty to offer fans who have been on the ride for nearly a decade.
Can it stick the landing? We’ll have to wait and see once the finale arrives.
‘Stranger Things’ Season 5 Volume 2 receives 70 out of 100.
And so… it ends. With somewhat of a bang, but also a slight whimper as the big finish proves to be as epic as you’d hope, but the more exciting moments are also sandbagged by protracted sequences that play the same beat over and over again.
Series creators Matt and Ross Duffer were behind the writing and directing for this giant wrap-up (the whole thing runs for around two hours and eight minutes, longer than many movies), and –– spoiler alert in case you haven’t seen it –– chose to largely keep following their pop cultural inspirations and go for a big ol’ happy ending. At least, mostly.
The script is baggy in places (there really was a world where this could have been about an hour and a half) and some of the moments are saccharine, but all in all, it’s a solid ending for the show.
And style-wise, the big final battle against Vecna and his even more powerful allies does deliver on the spectacle, while the extended wrap-up gives the characters some closure.
The main cast are brought front and center once again, with the likes of Finn Wolfhard and Gaten Matarazzo standing out once more.
On the other end of the spectrum, spare a thought for poor Winona Ryder, who mostly got reaction shots until one big moment and then the character coda.
It stumbled slightly, but for the most part, this ‘Stranger Things’ finale stuck the landing, offering a big, effects-heavy clash and then scope to explore the characters’ ongoing stories.
‘Stranger Things’ Season 5 Volume 2: The Finale receives 80 out of 100.
What’s the plot of ‘Stranger Things’ Season 5 Volume 1?
The fall of 1987. Hawkins is scarred by the opening of the Rifts, and our heroes are united by a single goal: find and kill Vecna. But he has vanished — his whereabouts and plans unknown.
Complicating their mission, the government has placed the town under military quarantine and intensified its hunt for Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), forcing her back into hiding. As the anniversary of Will’s (Noah Schnapp) disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread. The final battle is looming…
(L to R) Paul Giamatti as Nus Braka and Holly Hunter as Chancellor Nahla Ake in season 1 , episode 1 of ‘Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’ streaming on Paramount+. Photo Credit: Brooke Palmer/Paramount+.
Arriving on Paramount+ on January 15 with its first two episodes (followed by one episode weekly) is the first season of ‘Star Trek: Starfleet Academy,’ the latest attempt to extend the venerable sci-fi franchise to places where no one has gone before.
(L to R) Robert Picardo as The Doctor, Kerrice Brooks as Sam and Bella Shepard as Genesis in season 1 , episode 1 of ‘Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’ streaming on Paramount+. Photo Credit: Brooke Palmer/Paramount+.
Exploring student lives at Starfleet Academy has been a project mooted for years but which never quite came about.
Now, Alex Kurtzman and the current TV ‘Star Trek’ team (Gaia Violo created the series alongside Noga Landau and Kurtzman) have finally managed it, setting the show in the far, far future as explored by ‘Star Trek: Discovery’s later seasons, in a time when the Federation and other space-going organizations are still recovering after the “Burn”, which killed billions and all but ended warp drive travel.
It’s designed as a blend of YA archetypes, with younger characters still finding themselves and a healthy dollop of ‘Star Trek’s moral philosophy, albeit with the harder edge of the Paramount+ series.
Script and Direction
(L to R) George Hawkins, Bella Shepard and Kerrice Brooks in season 1, episode 5 of ‘Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’ streaming on Paramount+. Photo Credit: Brooke Palmer/Paramount+.
Kurtzman, Viola and Landau have pulled off quite the trick here –– the combination of fairly different approaches could have been as problematic as mixing matter and antimatter, but here it largely works.
Yes, some of the storylines are burdened with cliches (the bitter loner with a tough past who finds a family among his fellow students! The non-human character learning about humanity! The hard-charging jock/rich boy who seems smug and annoying but has some depth!) and the show’s deep dive into ‘Trek’ history can come across as pandering in a way that ‘Lower Decks’ never did, but once the series starts to find its feet, it turns into something watchable, and one episode early in the run that explores the potential fate of a familiar character from a previous series (no spoilers here), is even effective and affecting.
Cast and Performances
(L to R) George Hawkins as Darem Reymi, Kerrice Brooks as Sam and Sandro Rosta as Caleb Mir in season 1 , episode 3 of ‘Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’ streaming on Paramount+. Photo Credit: John Medland/Paramount+.
While the main focus is on the younger characters, it’s the veterans who really impress. Hunter’s fantastic as the long-lived chancellor/captain, forever curling up in command chairs or padding around the Academy barefoot.
When she’s facing off against Giamatti’s half-Klingon/half Tellurite piratical troublemaker, the air crackles with energy.
As for the younger cast, they’re good –– Kerrice Brooks brings truly fun energy as SAM, the “photonic” (read: holographic being) who was created four months before the series starts but is designed to act as a 17-year-old, hoovering up knowledge and interactions.
Meanwhile, Robert Picardo is still supremely fastidious and officious as The Doctor, but has found new levels of humanity to play.
Final Thoughts
Bella Shepard in season 1, episode 1 of ‘Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’ streaming on Paramount+. Photo Credit: Brooke Palmer/Paramount+.
Like any youngster finding its way in the world, the new show stumbles a little before it really takes off, but should find a home with both those who enjoy the current ‘Trek’ output (there are humor levels that sometimes rival ‘Strange New Worlds’) and even fans of the various older series.
Plus, with Season 2 in the works, at least you know it’s worth heading back to the final frontier…
‘Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’ Season 1 receives 78 out of 100.
(L to R) Karim Diané as Jay-Den Kraag, George Hawkins as Darem Reymi, Kerrice Brooks as Sam, Bella Shepard as Genesis Lythe and Sandro Rosta as Caleb Mir in season 1, episode 5 of ‘Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’ streaming on Paramount+. Photo Credit: John Medland/Paramount+.
What’s the plot of ‘Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’ Season 1?
The new series introduces viewers to a young group of cadets who come together to pursue a common dream of hope and optimism.
Under the watchful and demanding eyes of their instructors, they discover what it takes to become Starfleet officers as they navigate blossoming friendships, explosive rivalries, first loves and a new enemy that threatens both the Academy and the Federation itself.
Who stars in ‘Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’ Season 1?
Holly Hunter as Nahla Ake
Sandro Rosta as Caleb Mir
Karim Diané as Jay-Den Kraag
Kerrice Brooks as SAM (Series Acclimation Mil)
George Hawkins as Darem Reymi Bella Shepard as Genesis Lythe Zoë Steiner as Tarima Sadal
Robert Picardo as the Doctor Tig Notaro as Jett Reno Oded Fehr as Charles Vance Gina Yashere as Lura Thok
Paul Giamatti as Nus Braka Stephen Colbert as the voice of Starfleet Academy’s Digital Dean of Students
Karim Diané in season 1, episode 4 of ‘Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’ streaming on Paramount+. Photo Credit: Brooke Palmer/Paramount+.
(L to R) Gerard Butler as John Garrity, Morena Baccarin as Allison Garrity, and Roman Griffin Davis as Nathan Garrity in ‘Greenland 2: Migration’. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
Gerard Butler as John Garrity in ‘Greenland 2: Migration’. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
It’s hard to say what’s weirder: that a movie with the word ‘Greenland’ in the title is coming out right now during the current geopolitical crisis, that the movie is a sequel to a surprise COVID-era hit, or that the film it’s following is one of Gerard Butler’s better efforts.
Nevertheless, ‘Greenland 2: Migration’ is here, and we can tell you that it’s a worthy successor to the original Ric Roman Waugh-directed action disaster movie. Gerard Butler is back, of course, with his now-perfected balance of gruff hyper-competence and jarring vulnerability, and the film is the kind of fast-moving, no-nonsense afternoon-filler that Roland Emmerich wishes he could make.
Story and Direction
(L to R) Gerard Butler as John Garrity, Morena Baccarin as Allison Garrity, Amber Rose Revah as Dr. Casey Amina, and Roman Griffin Davis as Nathan Garrity in ‘Greenland 2: Migration’. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
2020’s ‘Greenland’ was a tense, surprisingly emotional actioner in which Butler’s John Garrity, a structural engineer, is selected along with his family for emergency sheltering when it’s learned that a comet will pancake into the Earth in two days. The clan must make their way to an underground bunker in the title country, but even though they survive, the impact of Clarke — as the comet is dubbed — wipes out most of human civilization.
‘Greenland 2: Migration’ picks up five years later and jiggers the continuity a little: while the first film ended on a sad but cautiously hopeful note, ‘Migration’ finds the community in the bunker running out of food and resources while pieces of Clarke still fall from the sky, causing earthquakes, lava flows, bad air, and radioactive storms. There are rumors that the original impact crater in the south of France has become not just habitable, but is flourishing (due to some wonky, hand-waving science), although reports of war between the remnants of Europe and Asia make clear information hard to come by.
When one of those storms takes out the bunker for good, the Garritys decide to make their way to France and see if the stories about the Clarke crater are true. They and a small band of steadily dwindling survivors make their way in a boat across the Atlantic to a submerged Liverpool, and from there it’s onto London and beyond by whatever means possible. Along the way, the Garritys encounter both the best and worst of humanity on their presumed road to salvation, while we also discover that John is hiding a secret of his own.
(L to R) Gerard Butler as John Garrity and Roman Griffin Davis as Nathan Garrity in ‘Greenland 2: Migration’. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
As with the original ‘Greenland,’ Waugh judiciously uses visual effects (some, like the submerged streets of Liverpool or a bent-over Eiffel Tower, are striking; others look a little too Volume-y) but keeps the focus on his human characters, which is what makes both movies work despite their familiar disaster movie beats. All the people in ‘Migration’ are recognizably human and doing what they think they must to survive, wrong or right. And it’s the very ordinary nature of John, his wife Allison (Morena Baccarin), and their now-teen son Nathan (Roman Griffin Davis, aging up from the first film’s Roger Dale Floyd) that keeps us engrossed in their story and fate, even as implausible as some of it seems.
Even with the occasionally dodgy visuals and episodic script, the director consistently turns up the tension with his action set pieces, including a scary walk across a rope bridge and sudden bursts of violence from marauders, and the pace rarely flags, with the film even delivering a surprisingly moving conclusion. ‘Migration,’ like the 2020 original, knows exactly what kind of film it is, but aims a little higher nonetheless.
Cast and Performances
(L to R) Morena Baccarin as Allison Garrity, Gerard Butler as John Garrity and Roman Griffin Davis as Nathan Garrity in ‘Greenland 2: Migration’. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
There isn’t a ton of character development here, but this is Gerard Butler doing what he does best, playing a beefy, working-class kind of guy who’s good at everything but not so tough that he doesn’t get scared or hurt. He’s in his element here as Garrity, and if you’re already a fan you’ll find his solid performance as comfortable as an old shoe.
The always appealing Morena Baccarin (‘Deadpool & Wolverine’) does fine work here as the dutiful and resourceful Allison, while no one else really sticks around long enough to make much of an impression, save Sophie Thompson as a kindly friend they catch a break with in London and William Abadie as a Frenchman who comes to their aid at a critical moment.
Final Thoughts
Gerard Butler as John Garrity in ‘Greenland 2: Migration’. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
What makes the ‘Greenland’ movies work are the fact that they’re centered on a single, relatable family, and that we see how humanity can both rise and fall without resorting to horror movie extremes (not that there’s anything wrong with those). No one’s going to mistake this for high cinema, but ‘Migration’ keeps its core elements in place while expanding its scope.
At a time when it feels like 2026 is kicking off with the world on fire (and not even a comet to get the flames going), the heartfelt sensibility of this film and its predecessor will take your mind off real world problems for a couple of hours. Not bad for a movie about the end of human civilization.
‘Greenland 2: Migration’ receives a score of 77 out of 100.
A scene from ‘Greenland 2: Migration’. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
What is the plot of ‘Greenland 2: Migration’?
Ten years after the Clarke interstellar comet destroyed most of Earth, the Garrity family must leave the safety of the Greenland bunker and embark on a perilous journey across the wasteland of Europe to find a new home.
Who is in the cast of ‘Greenland 2: Migration’?
Gerard Butler as John Garrity
Morena Baccarin as Allison Garrity
Roman Griffin Davis as Nathan Garrity
Amber Rose Revah as Dr. Casey Amina
William Abadie as Denis Laurent
Nelia Da Costa as Camille Laurent
Susan Eljack as Julia Laurent
Sophie Thompson as Mackenzie Matthews
Trond Fausa Aurvag as Adam Shaw
Tommie Earl Jenkins as General Sharpe
‘Greenland 2: Migration’ opens in theaters on January 9th.
(L to R): Noah Wyle, Irene Choi, Fiona Dourif in ‘The Pitt’ Season 2. Photo: Warrick Page/HBO Max.
Arriving on HBO Max on January 8 with its first episode (followed by one episode weekly) is the second season of ‘The Pitt’ the breakout medical drama which saw such success last year.
(L to R): Sepideh Moafi, Taylor Dearden, Katherine LaNasa, Gerran Howell and Supriya Ganesh in ‘The Pitt’ Season 2. Photo: Warrick Page/HBO Max.
‘The Pitt’ was one of 2024’s big TV sensations, stitching together the sheen of prestige TV with the more urgent pace (and closer to the episode count of) network TV.
A spiritual successor to the fast-moving likes of ‘ER’, it breathed some fresh life into the genre, which had largely become more soap than procedural. The question is, can that initial trick be repeated?
Script and Direction
(L to R): Noah Wyle and Fiona Dourif in ‘The Pitt’ Season 2. Photo: Warrick Page/HBO Max.
Season 2 really doesn’t stray far from the doctor’s orders of the first –– there is the same mix of patients, personal drama and unfolding crises that made the first such a compelling watch.
Yet there is still the lingering feeling that it’s just more of the same –– while the quality level remains high, in the episodes sent to press, there’s not much surprise to be found here beyond one techno-crisis that sends the team back to the days of paper charts and whiteboards.
Cast and Performances
Katherine LaNasa in ‘The Pitt’ Season 2. Photo: Warrick Page/HBO Max.
Noah Wyle continues to be the soul of the show as Dr. Robby, though this year he’s less about freaking out and more contemplating his upcoming sabbatical. Still, there’s plenty for him to do, and Wyle proves why he’s won awards for this show.
Taylor Dearden remains the heart as Mel King, with her nervy medic worried about an upcoming deposition and once more needing to look after her sister.
And, of course, Katherine LaNasa’s Charge Nurse Evans continues to rule the desk with a spine of steel and a heart of gold.
The rest of the cast are all solid, with new recruit Sepideh Moafi fitting in well as the future-minded new attending, Dr. Al-Hashimi.
Final Thoughts
Sepideh Moafi in ‘The Pitt’ Season 2. Photo: Warrick Page/HBO Max.
The second season maintains the pace, and if the feel is sometimes over-familiar, it’s not too detrimental. Yet the show might quickly go off the bubble if it keeps going over the same territory too often.
‘The Pitt’ Season 2 receives 80 out of 100.
(L to R): Noah Wyle, Katherine LaNasa and Sepideh Moafi in ‘The Pitt’ Season 2. Photo: Warrick Page/HBO Max.
What’s the plot of ‘The Pitt’?
The medical drama is a realistic examination of the challenges facing healthcare workers in today’s America as seen through the lens of the frontline heroes working in a modern-day hospital in Pittsburgh.
