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☆ 'Luckiest Girl Alive' review: Mila Kunis in a messy adaptation of Jessica Knoll's #MeToo novel
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-07 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —“Luckiest Girl Alive” has a lot going on, in a way that undermines the movie’s translation from book to screen. Mila Kunis produces and stars in this #MeToo-tinged story, which awkwardly incorporates a mass school shooting as well as gender and class politics into what becomes an ungainly mix of hot-button issues in one dramatic package. As the handsomely clueless Luke puts it, why address “this thing that happened to you so long ago.”Mila Kunis in the Netflix movie 'Luckiest Girl Alive.' But “Luckiest Girl Alive” falls short of its promise, a reminder that, however ironic the title is intended to be, fortune tends to favor the bold. “Luckiest Girl Alive” premieres October 7 on Netflix.

☆ 'Amsterdam' review: Christian Bale, John David Washington and Margot Robbie head the star-studded cast in David O. Russell's historical satire
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-07 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —“Amsterdam” certainly doesn’t suffer from a lack of ambition, and the star-studded cast merely adds to that sense of grandeur. Burt (Christian Bale), a part-Jewish Park Avenue doctor whose in-laws disapprove of him, and Harold (John David Washington) bonded while serving together during World War I, where they met up with a free-spirited nurse, Valerie (Margot Robbie) who fell for Harold, forging a seemingly inseparable trio. Recovering from their war injuries, they took refuge in Amsterdam, a place where the world’s concerns – including those involving race – appeared to shrink away. Christian Bale, Margot Robbie and John David Washington in 'Amsterdam.' “This is so strange,” Burt mutters at one point, which turns out to be an inadvertent commentary on the film itself.

☆ Jeffrey Dahmer’s latest media moment continues in ‘Conversations With a Killer’
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-06 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

In an interview with CNN, Berlinger said he hasn’t watched “Monster,” in part because he didn’t want to field questions about it. Berlinger bristled at the suggestion that any of these productions might romanticize serial killers, noting that crime has always been a source of fascination. “I thought this was an important story to tell,” Berlinger said in regard to “The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes,” noting that Dahmer – unlike Bundy and Gacy – actually exhibited “a modicum of remorse” in the unearthed audiotapes. “We want to pretend that serial killers present themselves as evil monsters all the time,” he said, noting that those featured were able to gaslight and fool even those close to them. “But it’s a larger attempt to understand where they fit in the human condition.”“Conversations With a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes” premieres October 7 on Netflix.

☆ 'Hellraiser' review: Hulu doesn't raise the bar on Clive Barker's gory original
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-06 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Although the new “Hellraiser” is billed as “reimagining” Clive Barker’s 1987 horror film, it’s not like the title ever went away, raising six direct-to-video productions (the last one in 2018) after the four theatrical movies. It also fits Hulu’s strategy of premiering movies culled from well-known franchises, with “Prey” – from the “Predator” universe – among the recent examples. For those just seeking another fix of Pinhead and the Cenobites, that’s probably enough to get the job done. But once “Hellraiser” has made that, er, point, the movie feels more like a snack – or ‘bite – than a meal. “Hellraiser” premieres October 7 on Hulu.

☆ 'Walker Independence' and 'The Winchesters' review: These are far from pioneering prequels
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-06 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —If all shows were animated like “The Simpsons,” networks wouldn’t need to strain to keep them alive. Yet live-action dramas come with shelf lives, which explains the CW’s twin attempts to extend two of its franchises with prequels: “Walker Independence,” a back-to-the-Old-West adjunct to its Texas Ranger reboot; and “The Winchesters,” a one-generation-back rekindling of the “Supernatural” flame. The main problem with “Walker” is the events that set the show in motion feel much better tailored to a limited series than an open-ended run. For now, “Walker Independence” (which, yes, will follow “Walker”) and “The Winchesters” come blessed with name recognition, but creatively speaking, first impressions say that the network has dipped into the prequel well twice too often. “Walker Independence” premieres October 6 at 9 p.m.

☆ 'Werewolf by Night' gives Marvel a chance to show off its monster-ous side
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-06 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Flexing different muscles, Marvel’s “Werewolf by Night” is a nifty Halloween-timed special designed as a black-and-white homage to the Universal monster movies of the 1930s and ’40s. A brisk 50-ish minutes, the program assumes a fair amount of comic-book knowledge and hits the ground running, with an assembly of monster hunters brought together to compete for the Bloodstone, a supernatural artifact. He’s pursuing a very different agenda – and thanks to Man-Thing, another Marvel character from the early 1970s, not the only monster unleashed. Seen in that light, in fact, “Werewolf by Night” could be the dawn of an intriguing new day. “Werewolf by Night” premieres October 7 on Disney+.

☆ 'Mr. Harrigan's Phone' review: The Netflix movie gets its message across with a smart Stephen King adaptation
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-05 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Harrigan’s Phone” to the relatively short list of really good Stephen King adaptations, garnishing a coming-of-age story with understated hints of the supernatural and thoughtful rumination about cellphones that finds true horror in their ubiquity. In one highly amusing ramble, Mr. Harrigan rattles off every terrible thing that the cellphone might unleash, calling it “a gateway drug” for all manner of societal ills, including the dissemination of bogus news. Harrigan’s Phone” exhibits a level of restraint not regularly associated with the movie’s two high-profile producers, Ryan Murphy (“American Horror Story”) and the prolific horror maven Jason Blum. (Whether the movie promotes Apple’s flagship product while decrying its effects will likely be, to reference another “Twilight Zone,” in the eye of the beholder.) Harrigan’s Phone” premieres October 5 on Netflix.

☆ 'Interview With the Vampire' review: AMC pumps fresh blood into Anne Rice's story
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-30 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Desperate to replace “The Walking Dead,” AMC might have completed an improbable baton pass from zombies to another kind of undead. In that sense, this seems to have been produced at least as much with AMC+ in mind as the linear network AMC. Sam Reid as Lestat Du Lioncourt and Jacob Anderson as Louis De Pointe Du Lac in "Interview with the Vampire." “Anne Rice’s Interview With the Vampire” premieres October 2 at 10 p.m. ET on AMC and AMC+.

☆ 'Hocus Pocus 2' review: Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker conjure the same old brew on Disney+
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

“Hocus Pocus 2” should benefit from that dynamic, delivering a breezy sequel – 29 years later – that should provide go-down-easy Halloween viewing for families in the less-demanding confines of Disney+. Then again, this kind of movie hardly needs to reinvent the cauldron, representing more of a cut-and-paste job. While the not-too-scary hijinks are acceptable for kids, those scenes will likely deliver more of a kick for parents who caught the movie way back when, helping turn it into a Halloween favorite. By that measure, “Hocus Pocus 2” finds what amounts to the streaming sweet spot, feeling just big enough, but not too big. “Hocus Pocus 2” premieres September 30 on Disney+.

☆ Ana de Armas’ fearless performance deserves a better movie than ‘Blonde’
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

It’s not a fresh take or a wrong one, but the tone is so self-conscious and surreal as to blunt those insights. Dominik also distastefully deals with Monroe’s lost pregnancies by peeking at the fetus inside her, which becomes symbolic of just how overdone much of the movie is. Still, “Blonde” is almost wholly de Armas’ show, and to the extent it’s worth sitting through at all give her every ounce of credit. Indeed, once you get past admiring de Armas’ immersion into the role, that’s the only itch that “Blonde” seems to know how to scratch. “Blonde” premieres September 16 in select US theaters and September 28 on Netflix.

☆ 'Eat the Rich: The GameStop Saga' review: Netflix presents the David-vs.-Goliath battle that roiled Wall Street
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The best part of “Eat the Rich: The GameStop Saga” is that it manages to tell a complicated financial story with a fair amount of humor and context, in a way that doesn’t demonize the various parties, which doesn’t spare them from various levels of mockery. The result is a Netflix docuseries that, despite a few excesses, exposes the more ridiculous aspects of stock trading and where all that paper can come to resemble a house of cards. Video Ad Feedback 04:37 - Source: CNN These GameStop traders struck gold. Perhaps the most salient impression watching “Eat the Rich,” though, is recalling just how big the story was – and how quickly media and markets move on, without addressing the vulnerabilities that allowed the GameStop saga to unfold. “Eat the Rich: The GameStop Saga” premieres September 28 on Netflix.

☆ Jeffrey Dahmer is the Netflix its 'star' of the month with 'Monster' and "Conversations With a Killer'
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

But its current leading man, its MVP for the month, is Jeffrey Dahmer, the notorious serial killer who died in 1994. “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” is currently Netflix’s most-watched title, according to its self-reported data released September 27, amassing more than 196 million viewing hours in the past week. And in case that hasn’t satisfied interest in all things Dahmer, that will be followed Oct. 7 by “Conversations With a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes,” the latest installment in that docuseries franchise, which in the past has featured Ted Bundy and most recently John Wayne Gacy. While “Monster” might have sought to anticipate certain criticisms, that’s one that Netflix – and indeed, the entertainment industry – hasn’t resolved. “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” is currently playing on Netflix, and “Conversations With a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes” will premiere Oct. 7.

☆ ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ was plagued with drama. It won the box office this weekend
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Frank Pallotta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN Business —It looks like “Don’t Worry Darling” didn’t have that much to worry about. (Warner Bros., like CNN, is owned by Warner Bros. The solid box office was propelled by female viewers, who accounted for 66% of the film’s opening weekend totals, according to the studio. Ultimately, “Don’t Worry Darling” did what it was supposed to do, at least in terms of selling tickets. Now, those in Hollywood are wondering if “Don’t Worry Darling” will keep box office momentum going into its second weekend.

☆ 'Hostages' review: An HBO docuseries covers the Iran Hostage Crisis from all angles, including then to now
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —“Hostages” tells several major stories in one, from the history of US intervention in the Middle East to the Iranian hostage crisis’ impact on presidential politics to that period’s influence on media, launching “Nightline” as a byproduct. The result is a highly resonant trip down bad-memory lane, highlighting how those ripples remain evident 40-plus years later. “History will say that we made Reagan president of the United States,” says Ebrahim Asgharzadeh, one of the student leaders. “Hostages” airs September 28 and 29 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO, which, like CNN, is a unit of Warner Bros.

Below is a compilation of great personal finance books authored by inspiring women. Other personal finance books by women we consideredThere are many personal finance books by women. While these weren't chosen as our top picks, you also might consider reading some of the following books:Frequently asked questionsWhy should I read personal finance books? Personal finance books can serve as a great resource for anyone interested in learning to use and manage money effectively. Other personal finance books may be ideal as a source of inspiration.

☆ The signs traders are watching to signal the stock market has bottomed
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( Bob Pisani | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"Based on the combined inputs of the nominal 2-year and real 10-year, my best guess is that the S & P 500 is worth 14.3x fwd EPS. With the S & P closing at 3,693 Friday, that's about 8% lower. The big moves in the dollar are just killing emerging market funds. The largest, iShares Core Emerging Market ETF (IEMG), hit a better than 2-year low on Friday. And as the Dollar Index has risen roughly 4% this month alone, the emerging market ETFs have dropped too.

☆ 'Sidney' review: An Oprah Winfrey-produced Apple TV+ documentary does justice to Sidney Poitier's remarkable life and career
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —In theory there’s only so much to be done with a celebrity biography, but when the subject is Sidney Poitier, that’s an unusually target-rich environment. “Sidney,” a documentary from director Reginald Hudlin produced by Oprah Winfrey, does the actor justice, providing context, depth and considerable warmth in chronicling his remarkable life and trailblazing career. “He was given big shoulders, but he had to carry a lot of weight,” says Denzel Washington. “Sidney” casts its own warming glow, in a way that sheds light not only Poitier’s path but also the decades in which he carved it out. “Sidney” premieres September 23 in select theaters and on Apple TV+.

☆ 'Don't Worry Darling' review: Florence Pugh isn't enough to redeem Olivia Wilde's tabloid-friendly second movie
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Florence Pugh makes the strongest case for seeing the film, but given how in-demand she is, if you miss this one, don’t worry. (The film is being released by Warner Bros., like CNN, a unit of Warner Bros. By that measure “Don’t Worry Darling” feels more like a modest setback than a major disappointment, but ultimately, it’s hard to call this project as a victory. “Don’t Worry Darling” premieres in US theaters on September 23. It’s rated R. The film is distributed by Warner Bros. Studios, which like CNN is part of Warner Bros.

☆ Kaley Cuoco and Pete Davidson 'Meet Cute' in a 'Groundhog Day'-style rom-com
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

(CNN) Time-traveling romance has a spotty history (just ask HBO), but like "Groundhog Day," that doesn't stop variations on the theme from happening again and again. Enter "Meet Cute," an unhelpfully-generic title for a movie most notable for pairing Kaley Cuoco and Pete Davidson, in a concept with barely enough meat for a "Black Mirror" episode, which likely explains its arrival via Peacock. "We just work," Sheila tells him, a theory that she can put to the test, over and over, altering the nature of their interaction in small and not-so-small ways and seeing how it plays out. The formula is obviously full of potential, which explains why writers keep returning to it, from "50 First Dates" to the recent Andy Samberg movie "Palm Springs." "It's OK for things to be messy sometimes," Sheila tells Gary, a line that possesses some significance in the larger story, but which doesn't necessarily apply quite as well in this sort of exercise.

☆ 'Andor' review: 'Star Wars' revives Diego Luna's character in a slow-moving prequel to 'Rogue One'
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

(CNN) A prequel to a prequel, "Andor" brings a gritty tone and look to the "Star Wars" universe, as much the washed-out landscape of "Blade Runner" as George Lucas' far-away galaxy. Yet whatever promise that entails is mostly lost in flabby storytelling, essentially stretching what would have been a 10-minute movie prologue over the first three episodes. Disney+ has wisely decided to launch the 12-episode prequel to "Rogue One," starring Diego Luna as the spy Cassian Andor, with those three episodes, providing a somewhat better sense of the series' framework than the plodding first installment. Following a less-trodden path, though, doesn't excuse moving at the pace of a wounded Bantha, bogged down by flashbacks to the protagonist's childhood. Nor do these early episodes do enough to distinguish the shifting cast of supporting characters, a group that doesn't provoke much more than indifference.

☆ 'Reboot' review: Keegan-Michael Key and Judy Greer star in Hulu's comedy about the revival of a comedy from producer Steve Levitan
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The meta aspects of a Hulu comedy about the making of a Hulu comedy quickly pile up in “Reboot,” a fictional show about reviving a series from the early 2000s, reuniting the cast and crew with all their insecurities and old grudges. Created by “Modern Family’s” Steve Levitan, it’s a breezy and very-inside look at Hollywood, with a few too many rim shots but still a fair amount of laughs. She has her reasons, and finds the cast perhaps not surprisingly eager to reprise their roles, mostly for those sweet paychecks. Then again, that’s part of the latitude that streaming allows, and other elements, like the inter-generational conflict, prove frequently funny, and occasionally a little bit sweet. In 25 or 30 years, there might even be a “Reboot” reboot.

☆ ‘The Woman King’ surprises at the box office
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Frank Pallotta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

1 spot at the domestic box office this weekend with a surprising $19 million, according to Sony (SNE). “The Woman King” is also an original and is not based on a previous piece of intellectual property like a sequel or superhero film. In modern day Hollywood, to take the box office crown without being connected to a prior hit or big franchise is a rare feat. Yet “The Woman King,” which was directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood and co-stars Lashana Lynch and John Boyega, took advantage of strong reviews and won the weekend for Sony. With few notable movies coming to theaters until early November, “The Woman King” could continue to find an audience and rack up sales at the ticket booth.

☆ 'L.A. Confidential' at 25
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

So it’s worth a moment, 25 years after its debut, to give some love to “L.A. Confidential,” the film noir adaptation of James Ellroy’s tale of corruption in the city of Angels that seemingly did everything right, only to be washed over by the understandable wave of enthusiasm that surrounded James Cameron’s massive hit, “Titanic.”Directed by the late Curtis Hanson, “L.A. Confidential” didn’t walk away from the Academy Awards empty handed, taking trophies for adapted screenplay and co-star Kim Basinger as the proverbial call girl with a heart of gold, and a striking resemblance to Veronica Lake. The investigation eventually swept up a trio of officers, turning them into unlikely allies in seeking to expose the truth. Confidential” was released by Warner Bros., which, like CNN, is a unit of Warner Bros.

☆ 'House of the Dragon' closes a chapter, but not before touching on a painful trope
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

The following contains spoilers about the fifth episode of "House of the Dragon," which premiered Sept. 18. (CNN) "House of the Dragon's" fifth episode is actually significant for logistical reasons, essentially marking the end of the chapter before the show time jumps ahead, featuring older versions of some characters and somewhat shuffling the deck. The strides made in terms of greater inclusion have coincided with debate about how those characters are portrayed and the fates that they meet, giving rise to a much-discussed trope known as "Bury Your Gays." The phrase refers to a history in which gay characters have disproportionately died as a plot device, creating the impression they are more expendable in the eyes of storytellers. (The series plays on HBO, which, like CNN, is a unit of Warner Bros.

☆ 'The U.S. and the Holocaust' connects a complex history to the present
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-18 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

It's fascinating as history, but sobering as current events. Yet they took a back seat to the more pressing fight against Hitler, first in his quiet support for England, and later with America's entry into the war. Understanding the US's role during the Holocaust requires going back before it, contemplating anti-immigrant sentiment that percolated through the 1920s, auto magnate Henry Ford's virulent anti-Semitism and interest in eugenics and racial superiority. As historian Timothy Snyder notes, Hitler expressed admiration for brutality toward Native-Americans in seizing their lands, seeing it as "The way that racial superiority is supposed to work." Broken into three chapters, the first encompasses the prewar period, the second 1938-42 and the third the conclusion of the war and its aftermath.

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