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  • ‘Safe House’ Exclusive Interview: Lewis Tan

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    Available in theaters, on digital and On-Demand beginning October 31st is the new action movie ‘Safe House’, which was directed by Jamie Marshall, and stars Lewis Tan (‘Mortal Kombat’), Hannah John-Kamen (‘Thunderbolts*’), Ethan Embry (‘That Thing You Do!’), and Holt McCallany (‘Shot Caller’).

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    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Lewis Tan about his work on ‘Safe House’, his first reaction to the screenplay, working with the cast, shooting the action sequences and collaborating on set with director Jamie Marshall.

    Lewis Tan in 'Safe House'. Photo: Vertical.
    Lewis Tan in ‘Safe House’. Photo: Vertical.

    Tan also discussed his work on the upcoming ‘Mortal Kombat II’, Karl Urban joining the cast as Johnny Cage, and if we will see Shatterstar return to the MCU anytime soon.

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews.

    Related Article: ‘Safe House’ Exclusive Trailer

    Lewis Tan stars in 'Safe House'. Photo: Kat Holt.
    Lewis Tan stars in ‘Safe House’. Photo: Kat Holt.

    Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about your first reaction to the screenplay and its action-packed twist on the genre?

    Lewis Tan: Me and my team were looking for something smart and grounded. The action work that I’ve been doing previously has been a little more fantasy based with ‘Mortal Kombat’ and ‘Shadow and Bone’, and ‘Wu Assassins’, and this type of stuff. We were looking for something smart, grounded, but still had a very visceral and a powerful storyline that we could make into a great action thriller. Leon Langford wrote a great script. When I first read it, it felt to me like a little bit of ‘Reservoir Dogs’ in a way where it’s about these Secret Service agents that witness a terrorist attack in Downtown LA, and they get stuck inside of a safe house. Once they arrive at this safe house, they realize that one of them could be part of this terrorist organization or a rat. So, they’re trying to figure out who’s the rat while they’re being attacked by terrorists. So, it puts a little bit of a spin on that ‘Reservoir Dog’s pressure. It’s not just the police are coming, it’s like every few minutes there’s something that’s happening, and it just keeps elevating. So, Leon Langford wrote this great script, and I was like, “Oh man, this is exactly what we were looking for.” So, I was very excited. That doesn’t happen often either.

    MF: You mentioned ‘Reservoir Dogs’, but the movie also gives off a ‘Die Hard’ vibe. Was that movie an influence on this project?

    LT: Well, ‘Assault on Precinct 13’ came to mind, and ‘Die Hard’ came to mind. Things like ‘The Raid’, obviously this isn’t really a martial art action movie, but there’s a lot of action in it. But it’s like this boiling pressure pot constantly, but the pressure is derived by the drama too, and the relationships that these people have in the room, which I’ve never done anything like that before, and I’ve been really looking forward to doing it. Then when I found out who was cast alongside of us, everybody that’s in the cast are just killers. So, it was cool.

    (L to R) Ethan Embry, Holt McCallany and Lucien Laviscount in 'Safe House'. Photo: Vertical.
    (L to R) Ethan Embry, Holt McCallany and Lucien Laviscount in ‘Safe House’. Photo: Vertical.

    MF: In the movie, the characters don’t know each other and must learn to trust each other and work together in this heightened circumstance to achieve a common goal, which is not unlike a new cast and crew coming together to make a movie. What was it like working with the cast and getting to know them while the characters are getting to know each other?

    LT: I see where you’re going with that. The movie set dynamic can be a little bit tricky because there’s a lot of politics involved, there’s a lot of egos involved, and yes, it does relate to these characters in some way. When you’re on a movie set, at least in my opinion, you try to create a family where you can create something, a piece of art, and you put the ego aside, and you put all these things aside, and you try to create a piece of art together. That’s the way I like to look at it, because I think that’s the way that great art gets made. These characters just don’t trust each other. They don’t trust each other, and they’re all from different parts of the government. They are forced to work together because of violent and life-threatening situations that are surrounding them at every given moment, but they don’t trust each other at all. This cast I trusted very well, Hannah John-Kamen I knew from before, fantastic actor. Lucien Laviscount, I met, but it was interesting because we shot this movie in LA, and it’s very rare to shoot a movie out here in Los Angeles. Who would’ve thought that that would be something that I would say, but it is. We were all just excited because no one’s shot in LA for a long time. So, it was one of those things where it’s like, “Okay, this is exciting. We get to shoot here in the streets of Downtown LA. We’re blowing up cars and doing all this crazy stuff.” We had a very limited time, very limited budget, and we all wanted to make it great. So, as soon as I met and Holt (McCallany) and Ethan Embry and all these guys that are now off doing great things, we were all like, “Okay, guys, we got three weeks. Let’s make this a banger.”

    MF: Can you talk about preparing for the action sequences and how involved are you with the fight choreography?

    LT: So, Jamie Marshall is no stranger to action. He’s worked on a lot of great movies like ‘Den of Thieves’, and Arnold Chun, the action choreographer/stunt coordinator, is a very close friend of mine. I worked with Arnold on ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End’, when I was doing stunts when I was 18 years old. So, we go way back. He’s super talented, and my approach when it comes to that is I like to work with really great talented people, and then those people mixed with my background in action, we collaborate, and we find a nice middle ground. That’s usually how it works, unless what they present is incredible and doesn’t need to be touched. But it’s nice to put a little bit of the character’s flair on it. So, there was some collaboration. We didn’t have a lot of rehearsal time. We had maybe a few days, which I’m used to at this point, but obviously, you wish for more. My character is a Secret Service agent. He comes from a military background. It’s not martial arts, it’s more realistic fighting and guns, and using whatever you can around you, smart, survival skills that a real agent would use. We had advisors there from SAS and from the police and people that were there to make sure that we were making it look authentic. I did my best to do that.

    (L to R) Hannah John-Kamen and Lucien Laviscount in 'Safe House'. Photo: Vertical.
    (L to R) Hannah John-Kamen and Lucien Laviscount in ‘Safe House’. Photo: Vertical.

    MF: Do you think that the action says as much about the character as the story does?

    LT: That’s a great question. Yeah, 1000%. It was the great Stella Adler that said, “Acting is everything else in between the words.” I agree with that because the words are only one part of it. It’s everything you say in between. It’s the energy that you’re giving off. When it comes to action, nothing speaks louder than action, right? Action speaks louder than words and that’s true. It’s like you can see how people respond and how they think and how their emotions are based on the things that they’re doing. So, that’s why it must be crucial, and it must be definitive and truthful within the character. In this case, it’s more like smart thinking and they’re in a situation where they’re dealing with the unknown and they’re trying to survive, and they’re using all the skills that they must survive. So, we put a little flair on it, you know what I mean?

    MF: What was it like collaborating with director Jamie Marshall on set?

    LT: Oh, Jamie Marshall is just a legend. He’s very calm and articulate. He’s very patient. He was under a lot of pressure, with a short amount of time, a lot to do, a lot of action, a lot of dialogue, a lot of everything. He was just very calm and collaborative leader of the set. He’s just got a great demeanor about him. He loves movies, and he’s very willing to sit there and discuss things. But we did three intensive days of preparation with the script. So normally, when you get onto a set, people talk, and then two hours go by of people trying to decide whether they’re going to do what the script says that day. But if you do it previously, then you don’t have to have those discussions on set, and things can be much quicker. So, that’s what we did. Jamie was like, “Listen, guys, now’s the time to say anything you need to say before we get to the set. Then we need to go, we need to run and gun because we got a limited time here.”

    Lewis Tan in 'Mortal Kombat'. Photo: Warner Bros.
    Lewis Tan in ‘Mortal Kombat’. Photo: Warner Bros.

    MF: What can you tell us about ‘Mortal Kombat II’, which is scheduled to be released next year?

    LT: Well, the reception we had at New York Comic-Con was incredible. Everybody went crazy over some of the footage that they saw. I believe there was a fight scene that they showed between Johnny Cage and Baraka. The fans are just the best fans in the world. All I can say is this, it was a learning process on the first movie. It’s a big IP. There’s 100 characters, it’s a lot to get right. The producer, Todd Garner, is smart. He listens to the fans, and he listens to what people are saying online. Also, he brought in Ed Boon (creator of the game) to really collaborate with us on the second movie. So, the second movie just feels so much bigger. We have the tournament, they let the fight team really run wild with this, which I was really hoping for, and they deliver. So, the film is beyond what I thought it was going to be. When I first saw it, I left the theater like, “Oh God, that is way better than I thought.” There’s a reason why they just greenlit a third one. That’s all I’m going to say.

    MF: What was it like working with Karl Urban and can you talk about his take on Johnny Cage?

    LT: Karl’s a gentleman, and a funny guy. He took it very seriously. He worked hard too; he knows the type of pressure that it is to play a character like that in a franchise like this that everybody loves. He’s obviously a seasoned legend, but he did a really great job. He did a different type of Johnny Cage than most people were expecting. He took a big swing on it, and it really paid off. He kills it in the movie. People are going to love this. It’s funny because my character in the first movie was the one that was like, “What is Mortal Kombat?” Now, Johnny Cage is put in that position of “What is this? And then what’s going on? How come he’s shooting flames out of his hands?” But as the film goes on, he sinks into that Johnny Cage superstar, and it comes out slowly. So, it’s a great performance and a good character arc, and it’s got a lot more places to go after this as well.

    (Right) Karl Urban as Johnny Cage in 'Mortal Kombat 2'. Photo: Warner Bros.
    (Right) Karl Urban as Johnny Cage in ‘Mortal Kombat 2’. Photo: Warner Bros.

    MF: Finally, when do you think we will see Shatterstar return to the MCU and is there any other Marvel character that you would like to see him team up with?

    LT: I hope so, man. I think Shatterstar is such an interesting character, and if we made a movie about Mojoworld where it had this ‘Mad Max’ meets ‘Blade Runner’ type of vibe, that is very relevant to now, because Mojoworld is all about entertainment. They’ve got to the point in their world where they live stream these death matches, and it’s like watching Channel 9 at 1:00 p.m. in the middle of the day, some soap opera or something. So, I just think that if we’re not careful, we might be heading in that direction. But also, I think it’d be a hilarious and a fun film. So, yeah, man, I’m here. I’m ready to do it. But if not, there’s some other areas into the Marvel world that I could be venturing into. So, we’ll see. That’s all I can say. The Shatterstar character, it’s not been fully fleshed out yet. It’s just been cool cameos and funny scenes, but it hasn’t really been fleshed out, per se. So, I’d like to see it give its proper due diligence.

    'Safe House' opens in theaters, on digital and On-Demand beginning October 31st .
    ‘Safe House’ opens in theaters, on digital and On-Demand beginning October 31st .

    What is the plot of ‘Safe House’?

    Six federal agents in hiding after a Los Angeles terror attack grow suspicious of each other as they realize the perpetrator could be among them.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Safe House’?

    • Lucien Laviscount as Anderson
    • Hannah John-Kamen as Agent Owens
    • Ethan Embry as Sorello
    • Lewis Tan as Agent Choi
    • Holt McCallany as Halton
    • Adam Levy as Victor
    Lewis Tan stars in 'Safe House'.
    Lewis Tan stars in ‘Safe House’.

    List of Lewis Tan Movies and TV Shows:

    Buy Tickets: ‘Safe House’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Lewis Tan Movies on Amazon

  • TV Review: ‘The Waterfront’

    (L to R) Holt McCallany as Harlan Buckley, Maria Bello as Belle Buckley in episode 104 of 'The Waterfront.' Photo: Dana Hawley/Netflix © 2025.
    (L to R) Holt McCallany as Harlan Buckley, Maria Bello as Belle Buckley in episode 104 of ‘The Waterfront.’ Photo: Dana Hawley/Netflix © 2025.

    ‘The Waterfront receives 5.5 out of 10 stars.

    Released on Netflix in one batch on June 19th, ‘The Waterfront’ is the latest TV product to roll off the prolific production line of ‘Dawson’s Creek’ and ‘The Vampire Diaries’ Kevin Williamson.

    The cast for the new crime drama includes Holt McCallany (‘Mindhunter’), Maria Bello (‘A History of Violence’), Melissa Benoist (‘Supergirl’), Jake Weary (‘It Follows’) and Rafael L. Silva (‘9-1-1: Lone Star’).

    Related Article: Original Writer Kevin Williamson Says the ‘Scream’ Franchise Should Pay Neve Campbell What She Wants to Return

    Initial Thoughts

    Maria Bello as Belle Buckley in episode 101 of 'The Waterfront.' Photo: Dana Hawley/Netflix © 2025.
    Maria Bello as Belle Buckley in episode 101 of ‘The Waterfront.’ Photo: Dana Hawley/Netflix © 2025.

    Kevin Williamson knows how to create compelling TV shows. He has, after all, been doing it for years, stretching back to the days of ‘Wasteland’ and ‘Glory Days,’ scoring the chance to make series off the back of the success of his scripts for the early ‘Scream’ movies.

    Now Netflix has opened its wallet to snap up his skills, and the result is a show that feels very much like a number of the crime dramas that the streaming service has looked to launch before and particularly since the success of Taylor Sheridan’s ‘Yellowstone’.

    Yet something in this genre, which boasts so many tropes and traps, needs careful guidance, and ‘The Waterfront’ doesn’t exhibit much of that.

    Script and Direction

    (L to R) Melissa Benoist as Bree Buckley, Rafael Silva as Shawn West in episode 102 of 'The Waterfront.' Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2025.
    (L to R) Melissa Benoist as Bree Buckley, Rafael Silva as Shawn West in episode 102 of ‘The Waterfront.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2025.

    The writing on ‘The Waterfront’ is perhaps its biggest issue. Given the sheer number of TV shows (and some movies) about families who have built their reputations with the appearance of respectability and power, only for criminal motives to lurk under the surface, there isn’t much new lurking here.

    How many times must we watch a manly patriarch struggle to step from the shadow of his own father, confront enemies who are looking to take down his business or harm his family? Is there really a fresh way to tackle a troubled eldest son whose spirit doesn’t always seem to be in the actions that are necessary to keep the empire afloat, and who takes out his frustrations by cheating in his marriage?

    And not forgetting –– if you’re keeping a bingo card handy –– the former addict daughter who has lost custody of her child and harbors deep resentments against those who turned her in?

    A lot of what Williamson and his writers bring to the screen feels less like a fresh script and more like a mixed bag of expected concepts and well-trodden paths. But despite the odd tweak and here, nothing really works all that well.

    Directorially, things are pretty straightforward, verging on bland too –– there are some beautiful backdrops and directors Erica Dunton, Liz Friedlander and Marcos Siega so at least have a talented cast to work with.

    Cast and Performances

    Holt McCallany as Harlan Buckley in episode 102 of 'The Waterfront.' Photo: Dana Hawley/Netflix © 2025.
    Holt McCallany as Harlan Buckley in episode 102 of ‘The Waterfront.’ Photo: Dana Hawley/Netflix © 2025.

    As fishing boat magnate/occasional drug runner Harlan Buckley, Holt McCallany can do this sort of role in his sleep, and given the script, you do sometimes wonder if he did. Yet he’s still got rugged charisma in the role, able to handle squaring off against opponents or dealing with his wayward family.

    Maria Bello doesn’t always get as much to do as McCallany, but playing steel-spined matriarch Mae Buckley, she’s a good scene partner for him and also decent in one of her other storylines, where she discovers an unexpected addition to the family (oh yes, that old chestnut is rolled out yet again here).

    As their daughter Bree, Melissa Benoist does what she can with the equally seen-it-before role of the struggling young woman dealing with her addiction demons and throwing herself into problematic relationships. She’s always good, but the Bree role just isn’t all that satisfying.

    (L to R) Maria Bello as Belle Buckley, Danielle Campbell as Peyton, Jake Weary as Cane Buckley in episode 102 of 'The Waterfront.' Photo: Dana Hawley/Netflix © 2025.
    (L to R) Maria Bello as Belle Buckley, Danielle Campbell as Peyton, Jake Weary as Cane Buckley in episode 102 of ‘The Waterfront.’ Photo: Dana Hawley/Netflix © 2025.

    Jake Weary is distinctly average as Cane Buckley, the eldest son with his own issues. It’s not entirely the actor’s fault –– the role itself is slim and less than satisfying.

    Around them there are the odd roles that pop: Topher Grace is having more fun than anyone else on screen as drug kingpin Grady, a man with an easy laugh and a yen for punishing those who try to cross him with a truck-mounted machine gun. He’s not in many episodes, but the show is better for his presence.

    Final Thoughts

    (L to R) Holt McCallany as Harlan Buckley, Topher Grace as Grady in episode 104 of 'The Waterfront.' Photo: Dana Hawley/Netflix © 2025.
    (L to R) Holt McCallany as Harlan Buckley, Topher Grace as Grady in episode 104 of ‘The Waterfront.’ Photo: Dana Hawley/Netflix © 2025.

    ‘The Waterfront’ seems likely to sink beneath the sheer number of other, better output from Netflix and elsewhere (not least of which are the many ‘Yellowstone’ spin-offs), since it offers little in the way that makes it stand out.

    If you’re a fan of the cast or the genre, it might be worth a look, but otherwise it’s mostly unremarkable.

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    What’s the plot of ‘The Waterfront’?

    For decades, the Buckley family has ruled Havenport, North Carolina, dominating everything from the local fishing industry to the town’s restaurant scene. But their fishing empire has started to crumble as patriarch Harlan Buckley (Holt McCallany) recovers from two heart attacks, and his wife Belle (Maria Bello) and son Cane (Jake Weary) venture into the deep end to keep the family businesses afloat.

    As their attempts spiral out of control and into treacherous waters, Harlan steps back in to take command. Facing her own demons, Buckley daughter Bree (Melissa Benoist) — an addict in recovery who’s lost custody of her son Diller (Brady Hepner) — finds herself entangled in a complicated relationship that could threaten the family’s future forever.

    Who stars in ‘The Waterfront?

    • Holt McCallany
    • Maria Bello
    • Melissa Benoist
    • Jake Weary
    • Brady Hepner
    • Rafael L. Silva
    • Danielle Campbell
    • Topher Grace
    • Michael Gaston
    (L to R) Holt McCallany as Harlan Buckley, Maria Bello as Belle Buckley in episode 104 of 'The Waterfront.' Photo: Dana Hawley/Netflix © 2025.
    (L to R) Holt McCallany as Harlan Buckley, Maria Bello as Belle Buckley in episode 104 of ‘The Waterfront.’ Photo: Dana Hawley/Netflix © 2025.

    Other Kevin Williamson Movies and TV Shows:

    Buy Kevin Williamson Movies and TV on Amazon

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  • Cobie Smulders Joins ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’ Season 4

    Actor Cobie Smulders attends the premiere of the Netflix Series 'Friends From College', held at the AMC Loews 34th Street. Photo: Marion Curtis.
    Actor Cobie Smulders attends the premiere of the Netflix Series ‘Friends From College’, held at the AMC Loews 34th Street. Photo: Marion Curtis.

    Preview:

    • Cobie Smulders has scored a role on ‘The Lincoln Lawyer.’
    • She’ll appear alongside stars Manuel Garcia-Rulfo and Becki Newton.
    • The Netflix show is filming its fourth season.

    It might not get the attention of, say, a ‘Wednesday’ or behemoth viewing figures like ‘Stranger Things,’ but ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’ –– adapted from Michael Connelly’s books has been a consistent (and consistently entertaining) performer for Netflix.

    And with production on the fourth season already underway, a new name has been added to the cast list: Cobie Smulders.

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    The actor, still best known for her TV role in sitcom ‘How I Met Your Mother’ and as Maria Hill in several of the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies starting with 2012’s ‘The Avengers,’ has, according to Variety, joined the show in an undisclosed role.

    Related Article: Manuel Garcia-Rulfo and Ted Humphrey Talk ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’ Season 3

    What’s the story of ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’?

    Manuel Garcia-Rulfo in 'The Lincoln Lawyer' season 3. Photo: Netflix.
    Manuel Garcia-Rulfo in ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’ season 3. Photo: Netflix.

    The show adapts various Connelly tomes, particularly “The Brass Verdict.” It focuses on Mickey Haller (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), a charming and unconventional defense attorney in Los Angeles who operates out of the back seat of his Lincoln Town Car instead of a traditional office (though he does also have one of those).

    After a long hiatus due to personal struggles, Mickey inherits a high-profile murder case from a deceased colleague, thrusting him back into the fast-paced world of criminal defense. As he navigates the complexities of the legal system, he also grapples with his personal demons, strained family relationships, and the lingering danger surrounding the case.

    With each episode, the series explores gripping courtroom battles, intricate investigations, and Mickey’s moral balancing act between justice and the law.

    (L to R) Neve Campbell and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo in Netflix's 'The Lincoln Lawyer.'
    (L to R) Neve Campbell and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo in Netflix’s ‘The Lincoln Lawyer.’

    The show also stars Neve Campbell as Maggie McPherson, Mickey’s ex-wife and a dedicated prosecutor who still shares a strong connection with him and Becki Newton as Lorna Crane, Mickey’s loyal and resourceful legal assistant (who, er, is also his second ex-wife), who keeps his practice running smoothly.

    Then there’s Angus Sampson as Cisco, Mickey’s investigator and Lorna’s husband, a former biker with a complicated past and Jazz Raycole as Izzy Letts, Mickey’s former client turned driver (who these days has worked in the legal practice and opened her own dance studio), who plays a key role in helping him rebuild his life.

    The character of Mickey, while fictional, was inspired by two real-life lawyers: the late David Ogden, who was known for working out of his Lincoln, and Florida-based attorney Dan Daly.

    Where will the story go for Season 4?

    (L to R) Jazz Raycole, Angus Sampson, Becki Newton and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo in 'The Lincoln Lawyer' season 3. Photo: Netflix.
    (L to R) Jazz Raycole, Angus Sampson, Becki Newton and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo in ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’ season 3. Photo: Netflix.

    In the Season 3 finale, investigator Bishop (Holt McCallany) took the stand and revealed that DEA Agent DeMarco (Michael Irby) killed Gloria Dayton (Fiona Rene); she’d planted a gun in drug trafficker Hector Moya’s (Arturo Del Puerto) room on his orders and had been subpoenaed.

    After his testimony, Bishop shocked everyone in the courtroom by revealing he had another gun (the judge had the bailiff take his primary weapon) and shooting himself, dying by suicide. Mickey’s client Julian La Cosse (Devon Graye) was free.

    Then, as the season concluded, Mickey was looking forward to a vacation when he was pulled over for a missing license plate –– and during the stop, the police officer found the body of another client, Sam Scales (Christopher Thornton) in the trunk… Cue a cliffhanger and Mickey facing murder charges.

    Here’s showrunner co-showrunner Ted Humphrey talking to TV Insider about the twist:

    “We just thought, ‘What could top this?’ Well, what tops it is obviously Mickey is now the client, the jeopardy that his clients have been in up until now, now he’s in, and it’s truly the toughest case of all. And if you think back over the course of three seasons, what is the mantra that his father taught him and that Legal Siegel [Elliott Gould] has reminded him of? There’s no worse client than an innocent man. Well, what happens when you’re that innocent man and how do you handle that? And how do you deal with the fact that traditionally a lawyer who represents himself is a fool for a client? So we’ll see.”

    That all sets up the fourth season, which will adapt 2020 tome “The Law of Innocence.” Sadly, while it features fellow Connelly character (and Mickey’s half-brother) Harry Bosch –– who has been played on screen for years by Titus Welliver –– the fact that Bosch is on Prime Video and Mickey is on Netflix mean they can’t share the screen. Objection, your honor!

    Smulders joins some previously announced guest cast members. Constance Zimmer will play Dana Berg, also known as “Death Row Dana,” a ruthless prosecutor and a colleague of Maggie’s from her days in the L.A. district attorney’s office.

    Zimmer will be on the show for a 10-episode arc, while Sasha Alexander plays the no-nonsense and intimidating FBI Agent Dawn Ruth.

    Kyle Richards will appear as Celeste Baker, a Beverly Hills woman looking for a divorce lawyer, while Scott Lawrence will play former prosecutor Judge Stone. Other stars confirmed to appear are Jason Butler Harner, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Jason O’Mara and Javon Johnson, while celebrity chef Nancy Silverton will also make a cameo as herself.

    Where else have we seen Cobie Smulders?

    Cobie Smulders in the Netflix series 'Friends from College.' Photo: Barbara Nitke/Netflix.
    Cobie Smulders in the Netflix series ‘Friends from College.’ Photo: Barbara Nitke/Netflix.

    As mentioned, Smulders is still most recognizable for the roles of Robin Scherbatsky on ‘How I Met Your Mother’ (she was one of the main cast members for the series’ entire nine-season run) and S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Maria Hill on a variety of MCU movies following her debut in ‘The Avengers.’

    Beyond that, she has appeared in movies including ‘Jack Reacher: Never Go Back,’ ‘The Lego Movie’ (as the voice of Wonder Woman) and ‘Safe Haven.’

    Her TV credits include ‘Stumptown,’ ‘Impeachment: American Crime Story’ and ‘Arrested Development,’ plus previous Netflix series ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ and ‘Friends From College.’

    Upcoming, she has ‘Easy’s Waltz’ opposite Vince Vaughn and Al Pacino and, having popped in a couple of Season 2 episodes, will recur on the next season of ‘Shrinking.’

    When is ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’ Season 4 due on screens?

    Netflix has yet to confirm when the fourth season will land on our TV screens, but with filming set to be finished next month, there’s a chance it’ll be ready to fill a similar October spot as the most recent season.

    Still, we may yet end up having to wait until 2026 –– which will be tough, given the cliffhanger that closed out the third season…

    Manuel Garcia-Rulfo in 'The Lincoln Lawyer' season 3. Photo: Netflix.
    Manuel Garcia-Rulfo in ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’ season 3. Photo: Netflix.

    Other Movies and TV Shows Featuring Cobie Smulders:

    Buy Cobie Smulders Movies and TV On Amazon

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  • Movie Review: ‘The Amateur’

    Rami Malek as Heller in 20th Century Studios' 'The Amateur'. Photo by John Wilson. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
    Rami Malek as Heller in 20th Century Studios’ ‘The Amateur’. Photo by John Wilson. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    ‘The Amateur’ receives 6 out of 10 stars.

    Opening in theaters April 11 is ‘The Amateur,’ directed by James Hawes and starring Rami Malek, Laurence Fishburne, Rachel Brosnahan, Caitriona Balfe, Holt McCallany, Julianne Nicholson, Michael Stuhlbarg, Danny Sapani, and Jon Bernthal.

    Related Article: Laurence Fishburne Talks ‘Slingshot’ and Working with Casey Affleck

    Initial Thoughts

    Rami Malek as Heller in 20th Century Studios' 'The Amateur'. Photo by John Wilson. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
    Rami Malek as Heller in 20th Century Studios’ ‘The Amateur’. Photo by John Wilson. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    It’s something that a lot of moviegoers of a certain age all say they want: an adult, intelligent, dramatic thriller, perhaps based on a novel but not adapted from already heavily exploited IP, comic books, toys, or video games. For a little while, ‘The Amateur’ seems to check that box. Based on a novel by Robert Littell (which was filmed previously in 1981 as a Canadian production starring John Savage), directed by James Hawes (who’s got episodes of ‘Doctor Who,’ ‘Black Mirror,’ ‘Snowpiercer,’ and ‘Slow Horses’ under his belt), and featuring an admirable cast of seasoned, reliable actors, ‘The Amateur’ seems almost like a throwback to a different era of filmmaking.

    In the end, however, it doesn’t quite live up to its potential. With a largely TV background, Hawes directs the film in almost leisurely, episodic fashion, giving it a stop-and-start pace that never really builds in tension. And too many of the characters – including the lead – are either underused or underdeveloped, leaving the feeling that there’s a longer film – or perhaps, yes, a TV show – somewhere on the cutting room floor.

    Story and Direction

    (L to R) Rami Malek as Heller and Holt McCallany as Moore in 20th Century Studios' 'The Amateur'. Photo by Jonathan Olley. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
    (L to R) Rami Malek as Heller and Holt McCallany as Moore in 20th Century Studios’ ‘The Amateur’. Photo by Jonathan Olley. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    Rami Malek plays Charlie Heller, an extremely introverted CIA cryptographer whose wife Sarah (Rachel Brosnahan) has to fly off to London for some kind of conference (we don’t really know what she does). But it’s only a couple of days before Charlie is pulled into the office of Deputy CIA Director Moore (Holt McCallany) and informed that Sarah has been killed in a brutal terrorist attack.

    A stunned Charlie wants the CIA to retaliate, but when Moore and another superior, Caleb (Danny Sapani), drag their feet, Charlie does some digging – that’s his job – and discovers that Moore has been running a number of unauthorized black ops, some of them against our own allies and involving members of the same terrorist group. So he extorts Moore and Caleb instead: he’ll reveal everything about their operations to the public and the press – unless they give him enough training to go hunt down his wife’s murderers himself.

    Forcing their hand for the moment (“What else do you want?” asks a disbelieving Moore. “An Aston-Martin? A jet-pack?”), Charlie comes under the tutelage of master assassin Henderson (Laurence Fishburne). He quickly learns that he can’t shoot worth s**t, but he can build a mean explosive and hack his way into any surveillance or computer system, both of which come in handy when he escapes and heads for Europe after getting wind that Moore plans to have Henderson kill him.

    (L to R) Rami Malek and Caitríona Balfe in 'The Amateur'. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
    (L to R) Rami Malek and Caitríona Balfe in ‘The Amateur’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    Once overseas, Charlie begins tracking down the people responsible for his wife’s murder, tormenting them in cleverly sadistic ways: in Paris, the sole woman in the group (Barbara Probst) is locked in an isolation booth at an allergy clinic and choked on pumped-in pollen, before she and Charlie engage in a vicious fight that doesn’t end well; later in Madrid, one of the terrorists meets a watery end when Charlie blows up the high-rise glass swimming pool he’s in (which you’ve seen in the trailer about 400 times by now). But as the CIA closes in, Charlie asks for help from “Inquiline” (Caitriona Balfe), an informant he’s been speaking with for years who helps point him in the direction of mastermind Horst Schiller (Michael Stuhlbarg).

    James Hawes directs all this in an almost casual fashion, with the occasional shocking bursts of violence (many played in enclosed spaces) frequently followed up by dialogue scenes that dial the energy back down. “How will you fill the silence?” Inquiline asks Charlie at one point, after revealing that she lost a loved one and missed all his sounds around their home. Charlie’s response is to fill it with noise, screams, explosions, and drinks – a sly nod, perhaps, to the much more haunted James Bond of Ian Fleming’s novels than the film franchise. In a way, ‘The Amateur’ is an anti-Bond film: none of this is glamorous, jet-setting or particularly exotic, and Charlie increasingly loses more of his humanity as he pursues his goal.

    Unfortunately, these interesting ideas aren’t given more than lip service. ‘The Amateur’ never delves too deeply below the surface, and its 10 screenwriters (only two are credited) fall back on only superficial and predictable thriller tropes. The villain even rolls out a version of the old “we’re not that different” chestnut toward the film’s end, an indication that despite an attempt at a more thoughtful approach, ‘The Amateur’ is slickly professional and nothing more.

    Cast and Performances

    (L to R) Rami Malek as Heller and Rachel Brosnahan as Sarah in 20th Century Studio's 'The Amateur'. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
    (L to R) Rami Malek as Heller and Rachel Brosnahan as Sarah in 20th Century Studio’s ‘The Amateur’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    The cast here is great on paper, but despite working hard a lot of them end up shortchanged. Malek is front and center for most of the two hours, but while this Oscar-winning actor has charisma and presence, his retiring performance as Charlie Heller is both nuanced and self-defeating. We want to believe Charlie’s turn from reserved, intensely non-verbal analyst to cold-blooded killer, but the lack of a fully defined character and even some background (does Charlie have parents? Does his dead wife? Is he possibly on the spectrum?) doesn’t put enough texture on Charlie’s character to make him fully come alive.

    Laurence Fishburne as Henderson in 20th Century Studios' 'The Amateur'. Photo by Jonathan Olley. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
    Laurence Fishburne as Henderson in 20th Century Studios’ ‘The Amateur’. Photo by Jonathan Olley. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    The same could be said of much of the rest of the ensemble. Laurence Fishburne probably comes off best and gives us the sense of a more complex soul underneath his tough exterior, but he only shows up sporadically. Rachel Brosnahan’s presence as Charlie’s wife is as ghostly as the flashbacks she’s in. Holt McCallany (so good in ‘The Iron Claw’) might as well have a big ‘VILLAIN’ sign stamped across his forehead, while Michael Stuhlbarg goes for the restrained, cultured heavy in his five or so minutes on screen. But the shortest end of the stick is handed to Jon Bernthal as a CIA spook who turns up in exactly two scenes, neither of which have any real point to them at all. We have to believe a lot of his material got the chop – why would you hire Jon Bernthal and give him nothing to do?

    Final Thoughts

    Rami Malek in 'The Amateur'. Photo: 20th Century Studios.
    Rami Malek in ‘The Amateur’. Photo: 20th Century Studios.

    Its initially restrained pacing and low-key atmosphere had us on board with ‘The Amateur’ at first, but Malek’s performance and the film itself never quite catch fire. Too many red herrings – like the completely bizarre reappearance of Bernthal late in the film – also diffuse any rising sense of danger or confrontation.

    ‘The Amateur’ does have its moments: the fight scenes provide a jolt of whiplash, violent oomph, and Charlie’s inventive traps for his targets are the thriller equivalents of something out of a ‘Saw’ film. While ‘The Amateur’ does provide a certain level of entertainment for a more grown-up audience, it may not be enough to get them to a movie theater – which is exactly where we need more of this stuff.

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    What is the plot of ‘The Amateur’?

    A quiet CIA cryptographer (Rami Malek) is driven by grief and vengeance to seek out the terrorists who killed his wife (Rachel Brosnahan), but soon finds himself pursued by his own agency instead.

    Who is in the cast of ‘The Amateur’?

    • Rami Malek as Charles Heller
    • Laurence Fishburne as Robert Henderson
    • Rachel Brosnahan as Sarah
    • Caitríona Balfe as Inquiline
    • Jon Bernthal as The Bear
    • Michael Stuhlbarg as Horst Schiller
    • Holt McCallany as CIA Deputy Director Alex Moore
    • Danny Sapani as Caleb
    • Julianne Nicholson as CIA Director Samantha O’Brien
    Rami Malek as Heller in 20th Century Studio's 'The Amateur'. Photo by John Wilson. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
    Rami Malek as Heller in 20th Century Studio’s ‘The Amateur’. Photo by John Wilson. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    List of Rami Malek Movies and TV Shows:

    Buy Tickets: ‘The Amateur’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Rami Malek Movies on Amazon

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  • Movie Review: ‘The Iron Claw’

    Harris Dickinson as David Von Erich, Zac Efron as Kevin Von Erich, Stanley Simons as Mike Von Erich, and Jeremy Allen White as Kerry Von Erich in 'The Iron Claw.'
    (L to R) Harris Dickinson as David Von Erich, Zac Efron as Kevin Von Erich, Stanley Simons as Mike Von Erich, and Jeremy Allen White as Kerry Von Erich in ‘The Iron Claw.’ Photo: A24.

    In theaters on December 22nd, ‘The Iron Claw’ is the new film from Sean Durkin, who previously made 2011’s ‘Martha Marcy May Marlene’ and ‘The Nest’ which was released in 2020.

    This is by some margin his best film so far, getting to grips with a shocking true life story that will be intimately familiar to wrestling and sports fans, but is something to discover for everyone else.

    Anchored by a great performance from Zac Efron, ‘The Iron Claw’ is surely destined to enter the awards race.

    Does ‘The Iron Claw’ grip you?

    Zac Efron as Kevin Von Erich in 'The Iron Claw.'
    (Right) Zac Efron as Kevin Von Erich in ‘The Iron Claw.’ Photo: A24.

    Though it could potentially fall victim to those who see it as a Wikipedia entry snapshot of history for the Von Erich brothers and their seemingly cursed household, this is in fact a dramatic and –– because of the subject matter –– sometimes traumatic tale of a wrestling dynasty whose life was marked by a blend of success and (there’s no way to really get around it) suicide and other tragic deaths.

    But while the subject matter is challenging (and heartrending at times), it’s delivered with such grace and style that it’s easy appreciate the lengths to which Durkin and his team go to sensitively depict the tale. And to applaud him for rounding up some of the best young actors of the moment to bring the brothers to life. Even if you’re not a wrestling fan, there’s a good chance you’ll be transfixed by this one, which has real power and energy, grit and an eye for the detail of the time.

    Related Article: Roger Ross Williams Talks ‘Cassandro’ and Gael García Bernal’s Performance

    ‘The Iron Claw’: Script and Direction

    Zac Efron and director Sean Durkin on the set of 'The Iron Claw.'
    (L to R) Zac Efron and director Sean Durkin on the set of ‘The Iron Claw.’ Photo: A24.

    By keeping the focus on the family, Durkin’s screenplay is able to dig out real feeling and drama from the story, especially in how the patriarch, Fritz Von Erich (Holt McCallany) channels his frustrations with his own career through his sons.

    And while the focus is on Kevin Von Erich (Zac Efron), there is ample opportunity for the other characters to shine, mapping out the details with care and humanity.

    On the directing side of things, he evokes the 1980s aesthetic with a grimy reality, and you can feel the sweat dripping off the screen in close-up as the brothers ply their trade. And, like the script, it’s the little details that matter –– from the family’s home that quickly gives you an insight into their parents (sports memorabilia and guns for the father, religious iconography for the mother, played by Maura Tierney).

    Maura Tierney as Doris Von Erich, Holt McCallany as Fritz Von Erich, Stanley Simons as Mike Von Erich, Zac Efron as Kevin Von Erich and Harris Dickinson as David Von Erich in 'The Iron Claw.'
    (L to R) Maura Tierney as Doris Von Erich, Holt McCallany as Fritz Von Erich, Stanley Simons as Mike Von Erich, Zac Efron as Kevin Von Erich and Harris Dickinson as David Von Erich in ‘The Iron Claw.’ Photo: A24.

    Durkin’s keen eye for performance allows his cast to make the most of naturalistic roles and characters that let them impress without ever feeling showy (except when needed in the ring). The evocation of the world of 1980s wrestling at levels lower than the World Wrestling Federation (as it was then) is utterly convincing.

    If there’s one moment that pushes things too far, it’s a fantastical moment towards the end which features several deceased family members meeting up in an idyllic river/dock take on the River Styx (even down to one leaving coins on the boat). In contrast to the stark reality of the rest of the movie, this stab at framing the story as a Greek tragedy is one that doesn’t ring as true as the rest.

    ‘The Iron Claw’: Performances

    Harris Dickinson as David Von Erich, Jeremy Allen White as Kerry Von Erich and Zac Efron as Kevin Von Erich in 'The Iron Claw.'
    (L to R) Harris Dickinson as David Von Erich, Jeremy Allen White as Kerry Von Erich and Zac Efron as Kevin Von Erich in ‘The Iron Claw.’ Photo: A24.

    There was a time when the phrase “Zac Efron: potential Oscar contender” might have sounded ludicrous. But with ‘The Iron Claw’, he shows that the work he’s been putting in of late has been paying off. As Kevin Von Erich, the steely-eyed anchor for the brothers in the family, he’s a revelation; swole as a He-Man action figure, but never more human than he is here.

    Kevin is a role ripe for any actor to tackle, a dedicated brother who sees his career ambitions shrink due to bad fortunes and the capricious nature of his father’s focus. He is, by turns, delighted, proud, angry, bitter and utterly devastated.

    It certainly helps that Kevin (the only survivor among the brothers) is a completely compelling character whose relationship with his brothers moves the story along and gives it emotional focus. He’s helped in that endeavor by Lily James as his wife Pam. Though James only has a few scenes to make a mark, she plays them to the hilt, striking in both moments of joy and sadness.

    Jeremy Allen White as Kerry Von Erich in 'The Iron Claw.'
    Jeremy Allen White as Kerry Von Erich in ‘The Iron Claw.’ Photo: A24.

    Yet though it is mostly certainly Efron’s film, everyone in the movie offers up a fantastic performance. Chief among them are the brothers –– Jeremy Allen White, who has been receiving the best notices of his career for TV’s ‘The Bear’ is watchable as the athletic Kerry, who has no wrestling ambitions at first, but is pressed into service by their father and ends up more successful than Kevin. He suffers brutally at the fickle hand of fate, and White does a lot with the part.

    Elsewhere, we have Harrison Dickinson and Stanley Simons, the former putting in another superb turn and the latter a real discovery having mostly acted in shorts and smaller indies.

    And the twin forces pulling at the family from above –– McCallany all steel and spit as the father, while Tierney finds moments of quiet in which to truly bring Doris Von Erich to life.

    ‘The Iron Claw’: Final Thoughts

    Lily James as Pam Adkisson and Zac Efron as Kevin Von Erich in 'The Iron Claw.'
    (L to R) Lily James as Pam Adkisson and Zac Efron as Kevin Von Erich in ‘The Iron Claw.’ Photo: A24.

    Carefully walking the line between punishing history film and believably emotional family drama, ‘The Iron Claw’ is a triumph in itself. A minor misstep here and there and some trims to the actual story (hard as it might be to believe if you don’t know the history, there was yet another brother who killed themselves) are no barrier to this being one of the more impressive movies of the year.

    You don’t need to know a thing about the wrestling world to appreciate the care and artistry, or to feel for a family group torn apart by a truly heartbreaking run of bad luck.

    ‘The Iron Claw’ receives 9 out of 10 stars.

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    What’s the story of ‘The Iron Claw’?

    ‘The Iron Claw’ is inspired by the true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s.

    Through tragedy and triumph, under the shadow of their domineering father and coach (Holt McCallany), the brothers seek larger-than-life immortality on the biggest stage in sports.

    Who else is in ‘The Iron Claw?

    The cast for the film includes Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Stanley Simons, Maura Tierney and Lily James.

    Zac Efron as Kevin Von Erich, Holt McCallany as Fritz Von Erich, Jeremy Allen White as Kerry Von Erich and Harris Dickinson as David Von Erich in 'The Iron Claw.'
    (L to R) Zac Efron as Kevin Von Erich, Holt McCallany as Fritz Von Erich, Jeremy Allen White as Kerry Von Erich and Harris Dickinson as David Von Erich in ‘The Iron Claw.’ Photo: A24.

    Other Movies Similar to ‘The Iron Claw’:

    Buy Tickets: ‘The Iron Claw’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Zac Efron Movies On Amazon

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  • TV Review: ‘Foundation’ Season 2

    Leah Harvey, Jared Harris and Lou Llobell in 'Foundation,' premiering July 14, 2023 on Apple TV+.
    Leah Harvey, Jared Harris and Lou Llobell in ‘Foundation,’ premiering July 14, 2023 on Apple TV+.

    Returning to Apple TV+ on July 14th , the second season of ‘Foundation’ builds on the first, stretching even further forward through time and visiting some new places while checking in on familiar faces.

    Those who enjoyed the first season will find more of the ambitious, weighty science fiction they enjoyed, but newcomers who were daunted by the colder tone will latch on to some more humorous, human characters this time out.

    What’s the story of ‘Foundation’s second season?

    Cassian Bilton, Lee Pace and Terrence Mann in 'Foundation,' premiering July 14, 2023 on Apple TV+.
    Cassian Bilton, Lee Pace and Terrence Mann in ‘Foundation,’ premiering July 14, 2023 on Apple TV+.

    More than a century after the season one finale, tension mounts throughout the galaxy.

    As the cloned emperor Cleons (Led by Lee Pace’s Brother Day) unravel, a vengeful queen plots to destroy Empire from within. Hari (Jared Harris), Gaal (Lou Llobell) and Salvor (Leah Harvey) discover a colony of “Mentalics” with psionic abilities that threaten to alter psychohistory itself. The Foundation has entered its religious phase, spreading the Church of Seldon throughout the Outer Reach and inciting the Second Crisis: war with Empire.

    The new season chronicles the stories of four crucial individuals transcending space and time as they overcome deadly crises, shifting loyalties and complicated relationships that will ultimately determine the fate of humanity.

    Who else appears in ‘Foundation’?

    Ella-Rae Smith in 'Foundation,' premiering July 14, 2023 on Apple TV+.
    Ella-Rae Smith in ‘Foundation,’ premiering July 14, 2023 on Apple TV+.

    Season two also stars returning cast members Laura Birn, Cassian Bilton and Terrence Mann and introduces new characters and stars, including Isabella Laughland (Brother Constant), Kulvinder Ghir (Poly Verisof), Ella-Rae Smith (Queen Sareth of Cloud Dominion), Holt McCallany (Warden Jaegger Fount), Rachel House (Tellem Bond), Nimrat Kaur (Yanna Seldon), Ben Daniels (Bel Riose) and Dimitri Leonidas (Hober Mallow).

    Related Article: Series Creator David S. Goyer Talks Apple TV+’s ‘Foundation’ Season 2

    Is ‘Foundation’ worth watching?

    Lee Pace in 'Foundation,' premiering July 14, 2023 on Apple TV+.
    Lee Pace in ‘Foundation,’ premiering July 14, 2023 on Apple TV+.

    Whether you enjoy this adaptation of the ‘Foundation’ stories, which re-define the term “sprawling” might depend on your tolerance for high-minded science fiction and treatises about the human condition, war, ethics and more.

    But don’t let that turn you away: because the series also manages to be very entertaining and, in this latest season, has struck more of a balance between the complex and down to Earth (even if Earth is just a memory at this point).

    It still has the big clashes between the Empire and Seldon’s prediction that the galaxy-spanning authority will fall, but it also finds time for quieter moments between characters and developments on their journey.

    Big highlights this time come from three new characters. Ghir plays the grown version of Poly Verisof, who we first met as a child on the planet Terminus (settled by the followers of Hari decades ago after he and they were exiled from the Empire). The adult Poly, a holy man who preaches Seldon’s wisdom, is a delight, introduced lying in a messy, hungover heap on his bunk. And through the season, he’s a constant source of laughs, whether he’s overindulging or finding his faith enough to be a hero.

    Playing perfectly off of Poly is fellow monk Brother Constant (Laughland), a devout follower of the Church of Seldon, who is witty and eager for adventure beyond her home. She gets far more than she ever imagined, including a flirtatious relationship with swaggering scoundrel Hober Mallow (Leonidas).

    Hober is effectively ‘Foundation’s Han Solo, a thief who pulls scams, but who is eventually dragooned into the effort against Empire. He’s crafty, vulnerable and relatable.

    Of course, the returning cast wouldn’t be complete without Lee Pace as the imperious Brother Day. The current ruler of Empire (who in his line’s tradition, all clones of the original Cleon, has a younger Variant named Dawn, played by Bilton and the older Dusk, brought to life by Mann) is a pouty, feather-puffing pleasure who is re-introduced to us during a bout of particularly passionate lovemaking with female robo-servant Demerzel (Birn) before assassins arrive to try and take him out. A fight scene featuring a totally nude Pace is quite the way to ensure that this isn’t all stuffy sci-fi.

    His storyline as Brother Day this year revolves around his decision to change the lineage from the endless cycle of clones to finding a wife who can give him children. And the choice found for him, Smith’s Queen Sareth, is a great counterpoint to his energy. She’s burning with vengeful fury following the murder of her family and has no truck with his pompous, childish ways.

    Elsewhere, as the synopsis suggests, the story builds to a conflict, so if you’d been hoping that things would kick off more this season, you certainly get your wish towards the end. And this is still a show that looks like the team spent every dollar of the considerable budget bringing it to life –– beautiful landscapes merge with artfully designed palaces and spaceships.

    ‘Foundation’ fumbles

    Leah Harvey and Lou Llobell in 'Foundation,' premiering July 14, 2023 on Apple TV+.
    Leah Harvey and Lou Llobell in ‘Foundation,’ premiering July 14, 2023 on Apple TV+.

    Not everything works as well. The storyline between Seldon, Gaal and Salvor is frequently over-serious, carrying over its weight from the first season. Which is not to say it doesn’t function, since Harris, Llobell and Harvey are all convincing enough in their roles, it’s just that their story –– at least, until it intersects with the likes of Brother Day –– doesn’t quite hold your attention in the same way.

    And there will certainly be those who feel like they need an encyclopedia handy to keep track of everyone, the timelines and the arcane terms used by the various characters. But turning to Issac Asimov’s books is likely to be no help in this case, since show developer David S. Goyer and his team have made considerable changes in order to have the story be digestible for this different medium.

    Plenty of potential viewers will be turned off by the feeling that the show is stuffy, worthy and slow, but our advice is to stick with it –– ‘Foundation’ builds in this season to something satisfying. Though we would definitely advise starting with the first season if this is your initial watch of the show.

    ‘Foundation’ receives 7.5 out of 10 stars.

    Lee Pace and Terrence Mann in 'Foundation,' premiering July 14, 2023 on Apple TV+.
    Lee Pace and Terrence Mann in ‘Foundation,’ premiering July 14, 2023 on Apple TV+.

    List of David S. Goyer Movies:

    Buy David S. Goyer Movies On Amazon