The 5 a.m. Critic

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Jim Rash (Girlboss), better known for his work in front of the camera, put together this unexpected pas de deux examining family and death. Which sounds like a trudge, but Rash found the humor in the strain and an interesting premise to balance it all on. While the writing and directing are fairly good, it is the casting that took Rash's vision over the finish line. Allison Janney (The Diplomat) dominates the story, shifting through emotions faster than a Ferrari, while Andrew Rannells (The Prom) spends most of his actor-time playing catch-up. It isn't that Rannells doesn't deliver, but he doesn't deliver anything new in this performance. If you've ever experienced the loss of someone close, you'll find much of your experience reflected in the situations and stories. And while the script has some challenges, it doesn't try to wrap things up nicely. It tries its best to be honest while still delivering some laughs and warm scenes of closure. I found it definitely worth my time and with some really great moments. Where to watch

The five year saga of Hacks has come to a close, but what a fun ride it has been. And this final season, while feeling rocky at times while they set up the pieces, comes together in very satisfying ways. The main trajectory of Hacks has been set since its first moments. What we've expected and hoped for all happens, more or less. But the five year edge of getting there has been journey that will be worth taking again and again. Hacks is one of those deep comedies that manages to build rich characters without losing a sense of reality. The creators/writers, Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky, also managed to create post-show follow-ups that were interesting and insightful without having spoilers for the upcoming episodes, something  truly appreciated. I've written this up and deleted chunks of it several times because it kept veering into spoilage territory and/or rehashing the obvious. So I'm leaving it here with a grateful nod to Jean Smart (Babylon) and Hannah Einbinder and their great chemistry and abilities. They drive this final season over the finish line with humor and grace despite all their wild adventures and often absurd situations. Where to watch

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I watch a lot of stand-up. Not constantly, and rarely in person anymore, but more than the normal viewer. It isn't just for the entertainment. There is something truly magical about a well-crafted set...it is the best of story-telling. At least the comics I truly enjoy take that approach. They take you on a journey and keep you on your back-foot as it unwinds and pays off. For a sampling, here's a few of who I watched in the last couple months: Taylor Tomlinson, Ari Shaffir, Wanda Sykes, Kevin Hart, Lisa Ann Walter, Niki Glaser, Ramy Yousef, and Josh Johnson. There are more and not all of these knocked it out of the park for me, but it's a wide range of comedy and style. But that isn't what prompted this article. What started my brain going was the launch of SNL UK. Taking a sketch-comedy format, like Saturday Night Live, and applying the framework to a new region is both brave and unique (I don't think it's been done before). Sitcoms, sure (most fail for some of the same reasons most comedy movies don't become international hits...gimme a sec, I'm getting there). But sketch comedy is of the moment and of the zeitgeist. Even the presentation of humor and its tone are regional. And this is the reason that way more action movies become world-wide hits over comedies. Everyone has the same understanding of what an explosion means and can do. There is no language barrier to a hail of fists or bullets. But when it comes to words and cultural situations...we all interpret those events on a very personal level. I'm not judging what others find funny...I just don't always agree with them. And you probably don't either. With SNL UK, I confirmed that my humor tends much more toward the EU/UK rhythms and subject in story-based delivery. I'll admit that as the jokes got more specific, they sometimes left me behind. SNL focuses on current events and news and I don't watch or read EU/UK papers/sites on a daily basis. But the broad events I tend to know enough about to appreciate their efforts. SNL in the US, on the other hand, has left me fairly unaffected more than half the time. It isn't that they don't have moments, but generally the skits are empty slapstick and overlong. Not my type of humor at all. I encourage you to try watching SNL UK and see how it lands for you; and what doesn't land for you. It's an interesting experiment. Let me know how it goes. But in the meantime, find what does make you laugh, we all need that now more than ever. And the world needs that mirror to wake up and act.  

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The Stranger Things DNA, is pretty undeniable in this more adult, horror version of Cocoon. But despite its layered mystery and threat those roots don't do it a lot of favors. Even Stranger Things felt grittier and more threatening than this over-sanitized retirement community with a dark secret. I would have expected the co-creators of Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance and Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim to deliver a more complicated and unexpected story. But the eight episodes are often only revealing obvious developments as the show unfolds. It isn't unengaging, but the whole  story has a strangely simplified sensibility from its art direction to its broader plotting. It's almost sterilized, even with death all around. What the show does have working for it is its cast. Alfred Molina (Remarkably Bright Creatures) stands at the center of the story, rallying the troops more as catalyst than leader. He and his core gang, with Geena Davis (Ava), Alfre Woodward (Salem's Lot), Denis O'Hare (Late Night), and Clarke Peters (The Man Who Fell to Earth), unearth the mysteries and go on a grand and dangerous adventure. If this sounds all a bit Scooby Doo, you're not far off. They even has a sweet couple of Scrappies in Jena Malone (The Neon Demon) as Molina's daughter and Carlos Miranda as Davis'...whatever he is. I did particularly like how Seth Numrich was directed. He was clearly slimy, but with a thick enough veneer that you could believe others would buy into his shtick. The direction, generally, until near the end, was done with a very nice, light touch. The good news is that the show comes to a resting place by the end of the season, but with definite plans for the future. So you're not left hanging. And with the finale choices, the next season is likely to break a lot of new ground. Where to watch

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You can't fault The Bride! for not being audacious and opinionated. Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Lost Daughter) recast the sequel to one of the most famous stories of all time as a feminist scream. Literally at times. For a change, the Bride is not just an object for male use or as an excuse for a male plot. With bald touches of Bonnie & Clyde and callbacks to various versions of the original Frankenstein and classic movies of the past, Gyllenhaal challenges you to rethink your definition of "monster" through a modern, female perspective. At the center of it all is Jessie Buckley (Hamnet) as the titular bride. She dominates the story with a bravura performance, even with Christian Bale (The Boy and the Heron), Annette Bening (Nyad), Peter Sarsgaard (September 5), and Penélope Cruz (Ferrari) circling the story and keeping it moving toward its explosive ending. So those are all reasons to watch it, but doesn't quite get to the question of whether it's a good movie or not. As a whole, the movie is a little fractured and unfocused. It's full of events and moments that have no explanation (including one dance number that was inspired but without much logic despite some suggestion of possibilities). Its plot is straight-forward, honest, and forced, even while its message struggles under the weight of the concept...while still making its point. In other words, it's a bit of a mixed ride, but one I'm glad I took. Despite any of its gaps or issues, Gyllenhaal is establishing herself as a writer and director with unique vision and the guts to share it. And don't miss the tag near the beginning of the credit roll. Where to watch

We haven't heard from Gore Verbinski (A Cure for Wellness) in a while, but man he comes out swinging with one of the more insane and fun films I've seen in a while. Sam Rockwell (Argylle) grabs the reins of this story from the beginning and drives it through to the very end with a great cast of supporting talent. Haley Lu Richardson (Love at First Sight) and Juno Temple (Swapped) are very much at the top of that pack. Michael Pena (Secret Headquarters) and Zazie Beetz (The Bad Guys) provide some solid help as well. The biggest flaws in the flick frustratingly occur in the finale. It has some very annoying timing issues. It's all about tropes, but I do wish Verbinski had resisted the lure and gave us moments where I didn't find myself shouting at the screen. It wasn't fatal to the story... because they're tropes we accept them as a cost of doing business. But it could have been tighter. Even with those itchy issues, I would still rewatch this insane amusement park ride again (and possible several times again). It's nuts, unhinged, wry, funny, and just too damn close to the truth to ignore. Writer Matthew Robinson (Love and Monsters) continues to produce uniquely weird stories with characters we care about for good directors to bring to life. In this one he created a dark mirror of Everything Everywhere All at Once meets Terminator. He went for huge scope that others would have serialized for streaming, but he found a way to weave the messages all together into a single plot. He is definitely a writer to watch. Make time for this if you like the wild and wonderful. It's worth the time you'll invest. Where to watch

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The direct meat of this will be short as there isn't much to tell. This add-on movie that continues the Prime series is OK. But it has little room to breathe and expand on its mystery the way the series did, making it feel less rather than more. And, honestly, the most interesting characters were the new ones: Sienna Miller (Wander Darkly) and Max Beesley. It isn't that John Krasinski (Fountain of Youth), Wendell Pierce, and Michael Kelly (Everest) aren't good, but it's pretty much just what we've seen before. With only 90 minutes of story (the movie is longer due to the credit role) there is little wiggle room for more. They almost come off as parodies of their original characters; especially Kelly. But for a bit of distraction and a transition from where they'd left the series and setting up a new chapter, it isn't a complete waste. Given the power of the series, it just doesn't really meet its potential. It's heard to pin the root reason for that miss. It was Andrew Bernstein's first feature after years of successful and impactful television. And co-writer Krasinski is certainly close (too close?) to the material. The movie was originally planned for theatrical release before that was scaled back by Amazon. Given what was delivered, it was the right choice, but I'd be curious to see what Bernstein comes up with next. There is potential on display, but I'd like to see his next feel more like a big-screen movie rather than just a special of an existing show. Where to watch

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This is what the last 5 seasons have been leading to, and it doesn't disappoint. If you've been watching (or have picked it up from the beginning) you know how violent and bloody it is. At first it was just absurd and purposefully provocative, much like Game of Thrones. But it always had a mission, however obscured, to reflect upon society. To do so, Eric Kripke (Gen V, The House with the Clock in the Walls) and his gang of writers looked at the world and posited the most absurd results from the trajectory they could see and put it on screen for laughs and a warning. And then reality decided to blow them a raspberry and not only catch up to their satire, but to exceed it in real time. What was intended as crazy, absurdist fun has turned into a real-time black mirror. I'm not going to spoil anything, but what I can say is that the ending satisfied on almost every level. Finales can never be entirely perfect, but this one came close. It tied up every meaningful loose end and gave all the major characters their moments for good or ill. And, most importantly, didn't make the ending obvious. Because of what this show is, it could have ended in fire, ice, or fluffy pillows and all would have been fair. But it is also truly a show that managed to keep the surprises coming through to the end. It's a show that requires a cast-iron stomach, or at least sensibility to survive. If you can, it's most definitely worth it. And while Gen V was also given a final nod in this finale season, the prequel is still coming. Do we need more about Vought and the genesis of the supes? I don't know, but they've earned my trust enough that I'll be tuning in to find out. Where to watch

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