Deon Cole hosts the 57th NAACP Image Awards on February 28th. Photo: Paramount+.
Preview:
‘Sinners’ took home the big prizes at the 2026 NAACP Image Awards.
‘Paradise’ and Cynthia Erivo were also among the winners.
The event took place Saturday night at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.
Following the difficult, insulting moments of this year’s BAFTA Awards, the NAACP Image Awards, hosted by Deon Cole, which took place Saturday night at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, were a chance to balance things out.
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And Ryan Coogler’s ‘Sinners’ proved to be the big winner, going home with 13 awards following a nomination count of 18. Star Michael B. Jordan himself won both a Best Actor award and was honored with Entertainer of the Year.
The ceremony also paid tribute to the late Rev. Jesse Jackson, with NAACP CEO Derrick Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson honoring the late civil rights activist, whose family was in attendance at the ceremony.
Luca Guadagnino’s ‘Challengers’ was one of our favorite movies of 2024, which makes it strange to say that ‘After The Hunt’ might end up on our list of the worst films of 2025. This muddled drama, set in the elite halls of academia at Yale, focuses on a ‘he said/she said’ situation that is ripped right out of the headlines – of 2017, when #MeToo was dominating the cultural conversation.
But while the topic is certainly just as relevant and important now as it was a few years ago, ‘After The Hunt’ doesn’t add anything interesting to the conversation. Instead, Nora Garrett’s screenplay pushes a bunch of increasingly unlikable characters around on a chessboard of vagueness masquerading as ambiguity, while Guadagnino shoots it as if he’s not looking through the lens half the time. It’s a disappointingly sloppy effort in which even the blaring, burping score – by the usually spot-on Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross – sounds off.
‘After The Hunt’ kicks off with a credit sequence that immediately draws attention to itself by being done in the same font, with the same layout, that Woody Allen has used for his films for 50 years. Does Guadagnino see his film as a homage to some of Allen’s upper-class social dramas? Is he trolling Allen or Allen’s cancellation from the culture at large? It’s hard to tell.
Either way, the film opens during a party being given by Yale assistant philosophy professor Alma Imhoff (Julia Roberts) and her psychiatrist husband Frederick (Michael Stuhlbarg) for faculty and student friends, with Alma clearly the center of attention for fellow professor Hank Gibson (Andrew Garfield) and pupil Maggie Resnick (Ayo Edebiri). After a spirited if somewhat caustic night of drinking and long-winded debate, Hank escorts Maggie home – and Maggie turns up outside Alma’s door the next day, saying that he assaulted her.
Maggie seems shocked when Alma doesn’t quite provide the full-throated support she expected, given Alma’s ‘history’ – a point we’ll go back to over and over again until it eventually comes out – and Hank later gives Alma (who is also his former lover, to the surprise of no one watching) his side of the story: that he called out Maggie – who’s gay, Black, and lives with a trans lawyer, just to make sure all the boxes are checked — for plagiarism on a paper and this is her way of getting revenge.
This places the remote, chilly, deeply private Alma squarely in the middle of a classic ‘believe women’ scenario – except it doesn’t quite seem like she does. But she’s also not squarely in Hank’s corner either. And none of them seem on the level about what really happened or how they feel about it. Alma and Hank are both competing for a tenured slot, by the way, and Alma is occasionally gripped by intense stomach pains. The relentless conniving, contriving, and jockeying on all sides only seem to prove that everyone’s a jerk, with no moral compass, and that we all basically suck at being decent human beings.
At least that’s the impression one walks out of ‘After The Hunt’ with, which drives home its point by being one of the more irritating films to watch in recent memory. Guadagnino’s camera droops inexplicably from the actors’ faces to their hands while they’re talking, as if looking for some secret code. Some shots are done in extreme close-up, with the actor talking directly into the camera – a jarring and purposeless trick in this scenario. The whole film feels airless, grimy, and ugly – even Guadagnino’s other 2024 movie, ‘Queer,’ was better visually than this.
Is it all supposed to mean something, or is Guadagnino just drawing attention to the fact that this is – like the stories that Alma, Maggie, and Hank all may or may not construct about themselves – a fictional narrative? We even hear the director say “Cut!” at the very end of the film, suggesting that he’s not trying to get at any real psychological, social, or emotional truth. And the movie doesn’t feel like that either.
Despite the disjointed script and characters they’re given to work with, Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield do fine work here. Roberts gives a performance that is both mysterious and somehow intimate, and effectively conveys Alma’s increasing terror as her carefully woven world begins to unravel around her. Garfield is similarly nuanced, making Hank both somehow sympathetic and yet totally the kind of arrogant, brash, rock-star academic who thinks he floats above the rules.
The movie’s secret weapon may be Michael Stuhlbarg, who exhibits patience, wariness, exasperation, and his own quirky, embittered set of values as Frederik – although he can be an intrusive boor with the best of them as well. The weakest link here is the gifted comedian Edebiri, who exhibits flashes of Maggie’s inner rage and cynicism, but who can no more carry this weighty material than she could the flat ‘Opus’ from earlier this year (the one in which John Malkovich attempted to play a rock god).
From time to time in ‘After The Hunt,’ Guadagnino puts a loudly ticking clock on the soundtrack as just another signifier that something dreadfully urgent and important is happening. But like everything else in the film, it’s instead merely annoying. And what exactly is happening anyway? Is the film indicting cancel culture, the #MeToo movement itself, or the insular bubble of academic life?
It’s all too incoherent to get a straight answer, and no one seems to know (except maybe Stuhlbarg) whether to play this as serious drama or histrionic soap opera. Either way, ‘After The Hunt’ is an empty mess that tries to say too much about a lot of different topics, and ends up saying nothing at all.
‘After The Hunt’ receives a score of 40 out of 100.
A college professor is forced to grapple with her own secretive past after one of her colleagues is faced with a serious accusation.
Who is in the cast of ‘After The Hunt’?
Julia Roberts as Alma Imhoff
Ayo Edebiri as Margaret “Maggie” Resnick
Andrew Garfield as Henrik “Hank” Gibson
Michael Stuhlbarg as Frederik Imhoff
Chloë Sevigny as Dr. Kim Sayers
Lío Mehiel as Alex
Jeremy Allen White as Carmen ‘Carmy’ Berzatto in ‘The Bear’ Season 4. Photo: FX.
‘The Bear’ Season 4 receives 7.5 out of 10 stars.
Released via FX on Hulu with its entire 10-episode fourth season on June 25th, ‘The Bear’ returns us to the world of Carmen ‘Carmy’ Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) and his attempts to blend fine dining with the chaotic world of his extended Chicago family.
It’s no secret that after a sleeper hit first season, a critically acclaimed, award-winning and much-watched second, culinary drama ‘The Bear’ went off the boil somewhat in its third. The ingredients were the same –– great performances, visually stylish and one of the better collections of needle drops on TV –– but somehow the script and the pace let it down.
The big question going forward is whether Season 4 sees the blend back in balance.
Early reports had the fourth season shot back to back with the third, but aside from a couple of small elements, this was not the case. But the overarching feeling, even in a meta sense, is of the series almost apologizing for past stumbles.
That’s perhaps not all that surprising in a show where the main characters are all a work in progress in terms of their own careers and healing journeys, dealing with a soup of past trauma, self-esteem issues and other psychological problems. The character of Carmy in particular realizes the damage he has inflicted on those around him and (mostly) aims to make good.
Unlike the last season, this is handled in compelling fashion by the narrative, which finds a better mix of the tone of the show and moving its story alone.
There are still lingering problems with pace in some scenes, it’s as if everyone decided that certain moments didn’t need to be edited and could instead play out way beyond their useful time scale. And while the show’s long sequences of food preparation largely remain compelling, some still come across as filler.
‘The Bear’s visual style remains excellent, making good use of Chicago locations and keeping us close to the characters when the emotional flames are high.
Even the humor level is raised this year –– even if the series really shouldn’t be competing in the comedy categories.
He remains the main character and focus of the show, but Jeremy Allen White’s Carmy is still dialed down a little bit this year. The actor’s mournful face and low-key performance work for the role, and he plays well against almost anyone, particular Edebiri and Moss-Bachrach.
As Syd, Ayo Edebiri continues to rank among the series most valuable performers, and co-wrote her own showcase episode this year, which saw her taking a day away from the restaurant to ponder a tempting job opportunity elsewhere while she’s getting her hair done by a cousin (there are so many cousins in this show, it’s almost hard to keep track). She’s typically great as the genius cook with the almighty crisis of confidence.
Ebon Moss-Bachrach is likewise a star of the show, an actor who has proved he can steal scenes no matter the genre or material. Richie is a particularly juicy part, a screw-up who is committed to turning his life around and has found his calling running the dining experience at in-show restaurant The Bear. His turbulent personal life –– his ex-wife is getting re-married and he wonders about his connection to his young daughter –– is also fuel for superb performances.
Liza Colón-Zayas’ Tina isn’t in the spotlight quite as much last season (when she got her own showcase episode), but she’s still a welcome presence, struggling with the timing on a new pasta dish. She’s also a welcome sprinkling of spice in other scenes, such as when she’s encouraging Carmy on his own journey.
Around the main cast is a variety of excellent supporting performers, ‘The Bear’ always working best as a stew of people and personalities rather than just Carmy’s obsessions. Episode 7, ‘Bears’ is the true highlight of the season, an hourlong entry set at the wedding of Richie’s ex-wife Tiffany (Gillian Jacobs) to Frank (Josh Hartnett).
It features the return of top-caliber recurring performers such as Jamie Lee Curtis (as Carmy and Natalie’s troubled mother Donna), Bob Odenkirk as “Uncle” Lee Lane (Donna’s occasional boyfriend), and the welcome addition of –– spoiler alert in case you don’t want to know about new guest stars –– Brie Larson, who fits perfectly as one of the sprawling Fak family.
There is also the welcome return of Will Poulter as Chef Luca, bringing a humble, funny energy to the kitchen.
It might not be simmering back at the level of the first or second seasons, but ‘The Bear’ has certainly found a better mix for its various elements for a more satisfying final dish this time.
While the finale leaves some plot threads dangling, if the cast’s increasingly busy schedule makes future seasons challenging, this would work to put a lid on the show.
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What’s the plot of ‘The Bear’ Season 4?
Season 4 of ‘The Bear’ sees Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) grappling with the restaurant’s success and his own future, leading to a dramatic shift in his role and the restaurant’s leadership structure.
The season explores themes of family, trauma, and the relentless pursuit of perfection within the high-pressure environment of a fine-dining restaurant. Sydney faces her own career crossroads, while Richie continues his journey of self-discovery and leadership.
(L to R) Ben Affleck, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Daniella Pineda and Jon Berthal at the Amazon/MGM presentation at CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas.Photo: Amazon/MGM.
Preview:
‘Project Hail Mary’ and more were showcased at Amazon MGM’s CinemaCon presentation.
There was news of ‘Masters of the Universe’ and Luca Guadagno’s latest.
Ryan Gosling, Ben Affleck and more showed up to support their movies.
Amazon has popped up at CinemaCon a couple of times in the past, but usually partnered with one of the big theatrical studios. But as Amazon MGM Studios plans to hugely expand its cinematic footprint (having also joined the Motion Picture Association), it is also making its big, proper debut at the movie trade show.
Given the recent giant news about Amazon gaining full control of the Bond franchise, there was plenty of expectation of some announcement about that, though even with the hiring of producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman to oversee the company’s plans, unless the deal to bring them in was sealed a lot earlier than reported, was it likely that we’d have anything beyond the company touting the new arrangement?
It was an unusually late schedule time-wise, presumably because the likes of Sony, Warners, Disney and co. had snapped up the prime spots. But as a statement of intent from the new kid on the block, it had to deliver.
It’s another tale of a reluctant astronaut, this one played by Ryan Gosling, who has to try and save the Earth. The presentation kicked off with the impressive first teaser for the sci-fi movie. Set to Harry Styles’ ‘Sign of the Times,’ it looks very different to other Lord/Miller movies, but also great.
Gosling plays a schoolteacher recruited by Sandra Huller to save the planet, which is threatened by a dying sun. “You want the right stuff. I’ve got the wrong stuff! I put the NOT in astronaut. I can’t even moonwalk!” he claims amusingly (it’s even funnier coming from the man who played Neil Armstrong in ‘First Man.’)
Mike Hopkins, Head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios took the stage to announce that the company is committed to theatrical releases, with 14 working titles being readied for next year and 15 planned for 2027. They’re apparently ahead of schedule.
And the ‘Project Hail Mary’ team –– Lord, Miller and Gosling –– arrived on stage to caution the crowd that all the footage was work in progress, with Gosling singling cinematographer Greig Fraser (who also worked on the ‘Dune’ movies) out for particular praise.
Lord and Miller explained how much of themselves they poured into the movie, the biggest project they’ve ever worked on.
Gosling: “This is why we go to the movies, and I’m not just saying it because I’m in it. I’m ALSO a producer on this movie.”
Says Miller:
“Thank you for seeing movies on the big screen with the most weird and disturbing popcorn buckets imaginable.” Can’t wait to see their ‘Hail Mary’ bucket…
‘Project Hail Mary Blasts’ off in theaters on March 20th, 2026.
‘The Thomas Crown Affair’ apparently “has a few unexpected, modern twists.” Bradford Young is the cinematographer on the movie, and ‘Black Panther’s Ruth E. Carter will handle the costumes.
‘Verity,’ meanwhile, had a teaser to show, featuring the song ‘Fade Into You’ by Mazzy Star, and introduced by a fun video by the cast.
‘Verity’ has a May15th, 2026 release date set, while ‘Thomas Crown’ is too early in the process to score its own slot yet.
The latest drama from the prolific Luca Guadagnino stars Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield and follows a professor whose career is derailed by scandal. Andrew Garfield’s character is accused of assaulting Ayo Edebiri’s, and it becomes major news after Julia Roberts’ character, an attorney, takes on his case.
Edebiri and Garfield showed up on stage with Guadagnino, and Garfield praised his director, who he said he’d wanted to work with for 15 years.
The first footage from the movie was screened for the audience via a trailer.
‘After The Hunt’ will head to theaters on October 17th.
The new Chris Pratt sci-fi pic ‘Mercy’ was the next to be spotlighted, with the first footage of the movie, directed by Timur Bekmambetov.
It’s a blend of courtroom drama and action where an AI program serves as the judge, jury, and executioner. Pratt has 90 minutes to prove he didn’t kill his wife, using all technology available.
Since the trailer introduces the audiences to a high-tech chair where Pratt’s character is confined, what better way to promote than by having Pratt in said chair on stage for the presentation, jokingly forced to say a proper thank you to the assembled exhibitors, lest he had to Uber home.
Co-starring Rebecca Ferguson, the film will be in cinemas on January 23rd, 2026.
Lest you start checking again whether we’ve turned the clock back to April Fool’s Day, this is in fact a very real movie, directed by ‘Despicable Me’ veteran Kyle Balda, and is a live-action murder mystery where the detectives are sheep.
Director Layton, who says that from the very beginning, this movie was written, imagined, planned and dreamed for the big screen, is joined by Hemsworth and Berry on stage to introduce a trailer.
Layton also says he wrote Keoghan’s part as a dirt bike-riding maniac especially for him.
Hemsworth added that they wanted to make a gripping and thought provoking thriller that really captures L.A.
Director Aleshea Harris makes her cinematic debut with an adaptation of her play.
Vivica A. Fox took the stage with some of the other cast to show a trailer.
It’s the story of two little girls and their mother who were the victims of an arson attack at the hands of their father (Sterling K. Brown). Their mother’s dying wish? That the two girls, now adults, kill their father.
After that, head of film Courtenay Valenti and marketing chief Sue Kroll were introduced to extoll the company’s commitment to theatrical and that it is ramping up more productions from the Orion and United Artists.
From there, it was back to film promotion with…
Daniel Craig as James Bond in ‘Casino Royale.’
Bond! But there isn’t very much to tell yet (as we guessed), with more of a mention that chosen producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman are getting down to work in London to figure out next steps.
“(We are) committed to honoring the legacy of Bond while bringing a fresh take.”
With the movie finally in production after years in development limbo, a behind-the-scenes featurette screened, which included a lot of work-in-progress props, and some sound bites from the powers that be promising a movie that is loyal to the cartoon and the toys.
Director Travis Knight gushed about having wanted to make this movie for years, adding:
“I have been a fan of Masters of the Universe pretty much my entire life. It was something I lived and breathed. I had the toys. I even had a He-Man haircut.”
‘Masters of the Universe’ will be on screens on June 5th, 2026.
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Headed our way more imminently (as in, a couple of weeks) is…
(L to R) Ben Affleck, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Gavin O’Connor, Daniella Pineda a and Jon Berthal at the Amazon/MGM presentation at CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas.Photo: Amazon/MGM.
Affleck, Bernthal, Cynthia Addai Robinson and O’Connor were there to present an extended trailer for the action movie, which indicates that this sequel leans into the buddy comedy interplay between the brothers played by Affleck and Bernthal. While the trailer’s humor worked, the scripted banter on stage left something to the imagination, though it wasn’t really the fault of the cast.
‘The Accountant 2’ shoots for screens on April 25th
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Amazon MGM Studios’ presentation wrapped up with much talk of the past, present and future for the company’s ambitions –– and the assembled talent from their projects taking a selfie.
Nearly nine years after ‘Inside Out,’ Pixar Animation Studios reunites audiences with Riley in the sequel ‘Inside Out 2,’ who is entering her teenage years. The original emotions—joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust—are back to guide Riley through the next chapter of her life—but not without a few new challenges and emotions.
‘Inside Out 2’ introduces Anxiety (Maya Hawk), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser), and Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos), who are now sharing Headquarters with the original emotions. When Riley is selected to go to a summer hockey camp, Joy (Amy Poehler) and Anxiety butt heads on the best way to navigate her through new social situations.
Kelsey Mann is photographed on September 25, 2013 at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif. Photo by Deborah Coleman / Pixar.
Director Kelsey Mann is at the helm for the sequel and went to great lengths to retain the same look and aesthetic as the 2015 film. The sequel deeply explores the self-doubt and self-consciousness of a teenager, which will make for a ton of puns and laughs.
The film premiered at the El Capitan Theater in Los Angeles on June 10, 2024, and arrived in theaters on June 14. The movie received overwhelmingly positive reviews, with a 91% Rotten Tomatoes score from critics and a 95% from the audience. The film opened to $154.2 million domestically and has since raked in over $620.1 million. ‘Inside Out 2’ has a runtime of 1 hour and 37 minutes.
Did you miss it in theaters? Don’t be sad. The movie is available for rent or purchase on digital starting August 20. Rent for $24.99 or purchase for $29.99 on platforms such as Amazon, Apple TV, YouTube, Vudu, and more.
The movie premiered on Disney+ for subscribers on September 25th and is currently available to watch.
After debuting at $154.2 million domestically, ‘Inside Out 2’ has since surpassed ‘Frozen II’s box office record, raking in a total of $620.1 million domestically and $1.6 billion worldwide. As far as ticket sales go, ‘Inside Out 2’ passed ‘Barbie’ by taking its spot as the 13th biggest movie of all time.
For physical media lovers, ‘Inside Out 2’ was released on DVD, Blu-Ray, and 4K Ultra HD on September 10th. A steel book Blu-Ray edition is also available, and you can order it at Target or Walmart.
The home release includes bonus features such as a behind-the-scenes look at how the animators created the new emotions, the making of the hilarious “The Vault” scene, a three-minute alternate opening scene, and deleted scenes.
Watch the official trailer for ‘Inside Out 2’ below:
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The synopsis for ‘Inside Out 2’ is below:
Following the 2015 movie, ‘Inside Out 2’ will return to the mind of Riley (Kensington Tallman) as she enters her teenage years. Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Liza Lapira), and Fear (Tony Hale) have their hands full as Riley experiences life-changing moments, along with Headquarters going under a sudden demolition to make room for something completely unexpected – brand new Emotions. Experience an emotional rollercoaster as the sequel introduces Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), and Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos), who will share Headquarters with the original 5 Emotions.
‘Inside Out 2’ is the highest-grossing animated movie globally.
It has overtaken Disney stablemate ‘Frozen 2’.
The movie is also the fastest animated release to hit $1 billion.
Disney and Pixar are feeling all sorts of happy feelings when it comes to animated behemoth ‘Inside Out 2’, as it has passed another huge box office milestone.
The sequel to the 2015 original about the emotions in a young woman’s head had a huge start at the box office and renewed hope that the theatrical releases for the year will show an uptick despite a relative lack of big audience-grabbing movies in the marketplace.
‘Inside Out 2’ is now the highest-grossing animated film worldwide in history, no small accomplishment at a time when moviegoers are choosing to stay home rather than confront the prices and inconveniences of cinemas.
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How Has ‘Inside Out 2’ Performed at the Box Office?
The new Pixar sequel smashed expectations (Disney was projecting closer to $90 million), with $155 million in its first weekend, the highest opening since ‘Barbie’ last summer (Greta Gerwig’s movie opened to $162 million).
Without adjusting for inflation, that marks the second-highest domestic opening for an animated movie (behind the company’s ‘Incredibles 2’ in 2018) and put it far beyond the first ‘Inside Out’, which opened to $90 million.
Garnering good scores from critics and audiences, the new movie also did well overseas, taking in $140 million, enough to surpass ‘Frozen 2’ ($135 million and yes, another Disney effort) as the biggest overseas animated opening of all time.
Globally, the movie kicked off its run with $295 million.
Now, it has moved on even further –– once more overtaking ‘Frozen 2’ globally to take the top spot. There’s a caveat that 2019’s computed generated redo of ‘The Lion King’ still technically earned more, but Disney counts that as a live-action film, so ‘Inside Out 2’ has usurped its throne with $1.462 billion to date globally.
Reaching a billion dollars in 19 days made it the fastest animated film to hit that point globally, and it is –– for now –– the highest-grossing movie of 2024 to date and the only member of the billion-dollar club so far this year. It’s also the highest-grossing film in industry history in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Chile and Uruguay.
The movie follows up from the original by revisiting the emotions in Riley’s (Kensington Tallman) head. We’re back with Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Tony Hale, replacing Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black) and Disgust (Liza Lapira, replacing Mindy Kaling), who have gotten into a good groove guiding and reacting to the life of their tween charge.
But they’re rudely awakened one night by the Puberty alarm, and even more disturbed by a work crew arriving to demolish the control center, preparing to rebuild it to accommodate some new emotions, including Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser), Envy (Ayo Edebiri) and Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos).
Soon, the new emotions are taking over running Riley’s life as she deals with new challenges and concerns, while the original crew are left bottled up in the back of her mind. Can they make their way back to figure out how to balance things out?
Unlike the end of ‘Inside Out’, which teased the possibility of a further story –– the idea of the Riley character hitting puberty, which indeed was picked up here –– ‘Inside Out 2’ post-credit sequence is largely dedicated to revisiting a joke from midway in the movie.
There is, of course, plenty of material to tackle with other life stages for Riley, but few of them would seem to be particularly family friendly. Still, with the huge success of this new movie, expect Disney bosses to at least ask Team Pixar to explore options.
Unlike some other recent big films, ‘Inside Out 2’ was given a 100-day exclusive theatrical window, which means it won’t be streaming on Disney’s service until sometime in late September or early October. The company has put a sneak peek at the movie (essentially a scene and a glorified trailer supercut) to drive interest in it, though we’re not sure it needs the boost at this point.
Jeremy Allen White in ‘The Bear.’ Photo: Courtesy of FX.
Arriving on FX with its entire third season of 10 episodes on June 26th, ‘The Bear’ marks the return of one of the most highly acclaimed (and awarded) shows in recent history. But that praise appears to have gone to the heads of the series’ showrunners, as the new season is an exercise in overworked stylistic flourishes and undercooked plotting.
Liza Colon-Zayas in ‘The Bear.’ Photo: Courtesy of FX.
Cooking at the level portrayed –– endlessly –– in ‘The Bear’ requires careful development, endless tweaking and the ideal mix of ingredients, fire and time. Yet while the first two seasons of the show exhibited plenty of all three, the new run of episodes finds itself in a repetitive, style-over-substance loop.
One or two episodes break free of the spiral and feel fresher than the others (particularly this year’s flashback to how Liza Colón-Zayas’ Tina came to work at The Original Beef, the sandwich joint that main character chef Jeremy Allen White’s Carmen ‘Carmy’ Berzatto replaced with his fine-dining effort), but overall the feeling is of a team taking the wrong lessons from all that success.
Script and Direction
Ayo Edebiri in ‘The Bear.’ Photo: Courtesy of FX.
Co-showrunners Christopher Storer and Joanna Calo lean into their worst impulses on the writing front, often sacrificing an engaging ongoing story for long sequences of characters preparing food set to music. The true pressure and tension only really comes out here and there, and episodes such as “Next” (which chronicles a month of tricky nights at the restaurant) do help that.
When the show takes its foot off the pedal and allows the emotion to seep back in, it also works to some level, though the whole is most certainly less than the sum of its parts.
Jeremy Allen White in ‘The Bear.’ Photo: Courtesy of FX.
Storer also directs the lion’s share of the episodes, and his sensibility is turned up to honestly annoyingly indulgent levels, like a chef spinning a grill’s controls to its highest setting. The first episode in particular is a moody dive into Carmy’s head, but it rarely illuminates anything new about the character, simply re-treading well-walked emotional paths. We already know he had revelatory moments in his past work with some of the best chefs, and that he was endlessly bullied by most recent boss Chef David (Joel McHale). While those moments do at least set up a clash with the taunting tyrant in the season finale, it remains more frustrating than entertaining.
One true highlight from both a writing and directing front is “Napkins” the episode as mentioned above focused on Tina’s past. Show co-star Ayo Edebiri steps up for that one, and delivers a relatable, nuanced outing that hinges on superb work from both Colón-Zayas and Jon Bernthal as Carmy’s brother Michael.
Performances
Lionel Boyce in ‘The Bear.’ Photo: Courtesy of FX.
It’s in the cast where the show remains redoubtable. Even when the creators are going off on flights of fancy, you can rely on the actors to do their best in keeping things grounded.
Jeremy Allen White as Carmen ‘Carmy’ Berzatto
Jeremy Allen White in ‘The Bear.’ Photo: Courtesy of FX.
When the show ventures inside Carmy’s head, it suffers, yet White is still able to find real emotion, even as he’s often left with scenes where he’s pouting like a fish on the plate while more interesting things happen elsewhere.
Ayo Edebiri as Sydney Adamu
Ayo Edebiri in ‘The Bear.’ Photo: Courtesy of FX.
Syd overtakes Carmy in the compelling stakes this season, and Edebiri is more than up to the challenge. While her business partner wallows, she’s making moves, considering whether to accept a chunk of the restaurant or head to potentially greener pastures.
Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Richard ‘Richie’ Jerimovich
Ebon Moss-Bachrach in ‘The Bear.’ Photo: Courtesy of FX.
“Cousin” as he’s always known –– though he’s really just a family friend of Carmy’s late brother who is so close to the clan he’s considered part of it –– is, like, Syd, a highlight of the show. Yet even Ebon Moss-Bachrach gets less to do this year, his storyline rarely as compelling as his arc from last season. Still, when he’s handed emotionally deep work such as scenes with ex-wife Tiffany (Gillian Jacobs), he shines.
Other Notable Cast and Cameos
Abby Elliott in ‘The Bear.’ Photo: Courtesy of FX.
Around Carmy, Syd and Richie, there are great performances on display from the likes of Colón-Zayas, Abby Elliott (as Carmy’s sister Nat, who gives birth in one of the other standout episodes) and Lionel Boyce as pastry chef Marcus, who channels his grief at losing his mother into his work. If we’re honest, we’d rather spend more time with their entertaining stories than endless rehashes of Carmy’s issues.
On the actor cameo front, we won’t spoil some of the more delightful surprises, but they all make impacts with relatively small roles. The likes of Bernthal, Olivia Coleman and Jamie Lee Curtis all make welcome returns. Yet the real issue comes via the parade of famous culinary types who are sprinkled across several episodes. The finale in particular leans so much on them that they become less a welcome ingredient and more filler for an episode that looks to fill a 10-gallon pot with a single gallon of story.
Final Thoughts
Ebon Moss-Bachrach in ‘The Bear.’ Photo: Courtesy of FX.
It is a little ironic that a show which has received such good reviews, and which partially bases its driving narrative on the potential for a negative one to be handed down to the titular restaurant dives into the overly experimental side of its presentation, often at the expense of the more fulfilling emotional story beats.
There are only so many artfully crafted montages one can sit through while waiting for something nourishing on a narrative level. A great soundtrack can’t distract from the feeling that you’re watching re-heated emotional themes.
‘The Bear’ Season 3 receives 6 out of 10 stars.
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What’s the story of ‘The Bear’ Season 3?
‘The Bear’s third season picks up shortly after the events of the Season 2 finale, in which friends and family night, one of the soft launches of the eponymous restaurant, turns into a fraught nightmare for the staff, as obsessed head chef Carmen ‘Carmy’ Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) has an emotional meltdown while trapped in the kitchen’s walk-in freezer, leaving others to pick up his slack.
In the aftermath of that, several characters are either deciding what the future truly holds for them (such as Ayo Edebiri’s Sydney Adamu, who mulls Carmy’s offer to become a full partner in the business at the same time she receives an attractive alternative option) or deal with their own dysfunctional family issues.
Carmy, meanwhile, remains as exhaustingly focused as ever, looking to set impossibly high standards for himself and those around him, while fretting the first review of his fledgling venture.
Who else is in ‘The Bear’ Season 3?
The cast of ‘The Bear’ also includes Matty Matheson and Edwin Lee Gibson, with a sprinkling of cameos including the returning likes of Will Poulter.
Matty Matheson in ‘The Bear.’ Photo: Courtesy of FX.
‘Inside Out 2’ is the first movie of 2024 to hit a billion.
It’s the highest-grossing movie of the year to date.
The movie is the sequel to the 2015 original.
The good feelings just keeping rolling for Disney/Pixar’s ‘Inside Out 2’, which continues to do well at both the domestic and international box office.
After 19 days of release, the animated sequel has grossed $469.3 million in North America and $545.5 million internationally for a worldwide total of $1.015 billion.
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How has ‘Inside Out 2’ performed at the box office?
The new Pixar sequel smashed expectations (Disney was projecting closer to $90 million), with $155 million in its first weekend, the highest opening since ‘Barbie’ last summer (Greta Gerwig’s movie opened to $162 million).
Without adjusting for inflation, that marks the second-highest domestic opening for an animated movie (behind the company’s ‘Incredibles 2’ in 2018) and put it far beyond the first ‘Inside Out’, which opened to $90 million.
Garnering good scores from critics and audiences, the new movie also did well overseas, taking in $140 million, enough to surpass ‘Frozen II’ ($135 million and yes, another Disney effort) as the biggest overseas animated opening of all time. And talking of the ‘Frozen’ sequel, ‘Inside Out 2’ has also surpassed it as the fastest animated movie to hit the billion mark.
It has also overtaken ‘Dune: Part Two’ as the biggest-grossing release of 2024.
The movie follows up from the original by revisiting the emotions in Riley’s (Kensington Tallman) head. We’re back with Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Tony Hale, replacing Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black) and Disgust (Liza Lapira, replacing Mindy Kaling), who have gotten into a good groove guiding and reacting to the life of their tween charge.
But they’re rudely awakened one night by the Puberty alarm, and even more disturbed by a work crew arriving to demolish the control center, preparing to rebuild it to accommodate some new emotions, including Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser), Envy (Ayo Edebiri) and Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos).
Soon, the new emotions are taking over running Riley’s life as she deals with new challenges and concerns, while the original crew are left bottled up in the back of her mind. Can they make their way back to figure out how to balance things out?
Where next for the summer movie season?
‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.
This past weekend also saw prequel ‘A Quiet Place: Day One’ open strong. While it didn’t dethrone the Pixar behemoth, it still took in $53 million domestically and $98 million globally in its box office debut.
‘Despicable Me 4’ lands on the key Independence Day holiday this year and given the reliable cash-earning power of that animated franchise, all eyes are on that to finally replace ‘Inside Out 2’ atop the domestic box office chart.
There is also ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’, which has been tracking very strong and should open well.
‘Inside Out 2’ has become the second-highest animated launch at the domestic box office.
It’s also a hit internationally.
The movie continues the story of anthropomorphic emotions in a girl’s head.
After a few months boasting little in the way of happiness at the box office (‘Dune: Part Two’ and ‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’ have been bright spots, but milder ones), and some big disappointments (‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’ led a shockingly low Memorial Day weekend, the summer movie season kicking off with a whimper), we finally have something to properly celebrate.
‘Inside Out 2’, the latest release from Disney/Pixar, has finally hit with both critics and audiences, launching to impressive figures.
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How has ‘Inside Out 2’ performed at the box office?
The new Pixar sequel smashed expectations (Disney was projecting closer to $90 million), with $155 million in its first weekend, the highest opening since ‘Barbie’ last summer (Greta Gerwig’s movie opened to $162 million).
Without adjusting for inflation, that marks the second-highest domestic opening for an animated movie (behind the company’s ‘Incredibles 2’ in 2018) and put it far beyond the first ‘Inside Out’, which opened to $90 million.
Garnering good scores from critics and audiences, the new movie also did well overseas, taking in $140 million, enough to surpass ‘Frozen II’ ($135 million and yes, another Disney effort) as the biggest overseas animated opening of all time.
Globally, the movie has kicked off its run with $295 million.
The movie follows up from the original by revisiting the emotions in Riley’s (Kensington Tallman) head. We’re back with Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Tony Hale, replacing Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black) and Disgust (Liza Lapira, replacing Mindy Kaling), who have gotten into a good groove guiding and reacting to the life of their tween charge.
But they’re rudely awakened one night by the Puberty alarm, and even more disturbed by a work crew arriving to demolish the control center, preparing to rebuild it to accommodate some new emotions, including Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser), Envy (Ayo Edebiri) and Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos).
Soon, the new emotions are taking over running Riley’s life as she deals with new challenges and concerns, while the original crew are left bottled up in the back of her mind. Can they make their way back to figure out how to balance things out?
Unlike the end of ‘Inside Out’, which teased the possibility of a further story –– the idea of the Riley character hitting puberty, which indeed was picked up here –– ‘Inside Out 2’ post-credit sequence is largely dedicated to revisiting a joke from midway in the movie.
There is, of course, plenty of material to tackle with other life stages for Riley, but few of them would seem to be particularly family friendly. Still, with the huge success of this new movie, expect Disney bosses to at least ask Team Pixar to explore options.
This is obviously a reason to hope that audiences are finally embracing theatrical moviegoing again and with any luck, the likes of ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ and the new ‘Despicable Me 4’ will keep the cash truck rolling.
Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust are back for the sequel and ready to embargo on the next stage in Riley’s life – her teenage years. Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, and Lewis Black return to reprise their roles as Joy, Sadness, and Anger. Tony Hale and Liza Lapira lend their voices as Fear and Disgust for the sequel.
‘Inside Out 2’ is a solid sequel to ‘Inside Out,’ with director Kelsey Mann and the Pixar animation team taking great care to ensure the new movie matched the aesthetic and look of the 2015 film. The exploration of one’s teenage years and how much self-doubt and awkwardness can affect every decision at that age is very relatable. Get ready for a ton of puns, huge laughs, and a very heartfelt message about growing up.
The movie kicks off with Riley’s hockey game, and the original emotions are re-introduced via a sports announcer segment with Joy giving the play-by-play. This also serves as a reminder of what each emotion was in charge of: Anger for when Riley needs to be more aggressive on the ice; Fear when Riley needs to protect herself; Disgust to prevent her from putting the wrong mouthguard in; Sadness when Riley was put in the penalty box; Joy when Riley scores a goal.
This movie introduced Riley’s “Sense of Self,” which is a collection of positive memories that are placed in a pool. Once a new memory is placed, a glowing string reaches up towards the ceiling, which is connected to Headquarters, forming a beautiful blossom of shapes and lights.
After winning her game, high school hockey coach Roberts (Yvette Nicole Brown) approaches Riley and her best friends, Grace and Bree, to invite them to a 3-day skill camp at the high school. The girls, elated by the news, go home to prepare for their trip. That night, the emotions awake to a strange beeping sound coming from the Console. A new button has appeared – “Puberty”. As the puberty alarm grows louder, Joy plucks the button off the Console and uses the chute to throw it into Riley’s back of mind.
Immediately following the puberty button incident, a wrecking ball comes crashing through Headquarters, followed by Mind Workers to start the demolition. Amidst the chaos, a new console was placed, and this prompted the arrival of the new emotions: Anxiety, Envy, Enuui, and Embarrassment. Joy and Anxiety quickly realize they have very different ideas on how to operate the console and how to take Riley through each situation. With Riley arriving at camp, Anxiety decides they must create a new Riley in order for her to better fit in and be accepted amongst the high school hockey players. Trapping the original emotions in a jar, Anxiety sends them to the vault. Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust now must find their way back to Headquarters before Anxiety undo the Riley they know and love.
The film explores not only the self-doubt and self-consciousness of a teenager but also all the things that come with puberty, like body odor and mood swings. While these moments play as comedic, there’s also a sense of relatability, as the audiences will have gone through or will be going through that stage in life.
Anxiety is the perfect emotion to introduce in the sequel – almost every decision being made is carefully crafted by her to prevent awkward social situations and, ultimately, how to best plan for the future. The teams of emotions are split into two, where the original emotions are navigating through Riley’s mind in order to get back to Headquarters, and the new emotions are working hard to steer Riley through hockey camp.
‘Inside Out 2’ nails the life stages of social awkwardness and the idea of needing to fit in, all the while keeping the heartwarming aspect of a Pixar film.
Teenage years can be that awkward stage where you don’t admit you still like a certain type of music or TV show anymore because it’s deemed “uncool” or “childish.” This film showcases how many emotions we go through during this period as a teen, but also through the lens of parents. When Riley goes through her mood swing before leaving for hockey camp, we get an inside look at her mom’s Headquarters, and the reactions of the emotions are hilarious.
It also touches on making new friends and maintaining relationships with old friends as we grow – what causes us to grow apart and what we are willing to do to fit in with a new friend group.
The voice cast, old and new, is excellent in the movie, but Maya Hawke’s Anxiety is the standout. She nails Anxiety’s persona with her fast-talking ability, never needing to take a second to breathe. Hawke’s performance isn’t just Anxiety-driven speed talk. Her character goes through flashes of self-doubt as well, where she begins to crack under the pressure of making sure Riley is presenting her best self, all the while “planning for the future.” Her emotional delivery later in the film proves that Anxiety isn’t just a fast-talking, caffeine-drinking character but can be multi-dimensional.
‘Inside Out 2’ is a solid sequel to ‘Inside Out,’ and stands strong on its own without audiences needing to rewatch the first. It feels more mature, which is natural given Riley’s age in the film. The movie does a great job of setting up the new characters, but with it mostly focusing on Joy and Anxiety’s journey, it makes the other emotions feel like supporting characters at times. In good old Pixar fashion, there are plenty of moments that’ll tug at your heartstrings, but none that hits as hard as that “Bing-Bong” moment. Still, the story and growth of all the characters are incredibly relatable, with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments.
‘Inside Out 2’ receives 8 out of 10 stars.
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What’s the story of ‘Inside Out 2’?
Following the 2015 movie, ‘Inside Out 2’ will return to the mind of Riley (Kensington Tallman) as she enters her teenage years. Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Liza Lapira), and Fear (Tony Hale) have their hands full as Riley experiences life-changing moments, along with Headquarters going under a sudden demolition to make room for something completely unexpected – brand new Emotions. Experience an emotional rollercoaster as the sequel introduces Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), and Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos), who will share Headquarters with the original 5 Emotions.
