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☆ 'The Peripheral' review: Chloë Grace Moretz stars in Amazon's convoluted sci-fi series, which travels into two futures and still isn't worth the time
  + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com   time to read: +3 min
CNN —In terms of Nolan brothers productions, “The Peripheral” appears to have been made for people who think “Tenet” and the fourth season of “Westworld” weren’t complicated enough. Because of Flynne’s role in that future threats keep invading her present, which is every bit as confusing as that sounds. Although there’s plenty of violent action and cool futuristic weaponry, “The Peripheral” feels like a mashup of sci-fi ideas put to better use elsewhere, from “Avatar” to “Free Guy,” with a lot in between. Mostly, other than the sometimes-striking set design, there’s nothing particularly distinctive about the villains or the scenario, which feels more convoluted than engaging. It’s produced by Warner Bros. Television, like CNN, a unit of Warner Bros.
☆ 'Ticket to Paradise' review: George Clooney and Julia Roberts get some mileage out of their rom-com pairing
  + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com   time to read: +3 min
CNN —Think of “Ticket to Paradise” like a postcard of beautiful people having fun in a beautiful place and you’ll get along just fine. Giving it much more thought than that won’t help this rom-com vehicle for George Clooney and Julia Roberts, although the “com” part proves a trifle deficient in a movie that’s significantly better when it’s sweet than salty. Here We Go Again”), “Ticket to Paradise” fares better in the inevitable softer moments, allowing the leads to mug less and feel more. “Ticket to Paradise” does tend to shine when Clooney and Roberts soften their rough edges or let their hair down, as they do during a game of drunken mystery-alcohol (not beer) pong. “Ticket to Paradise” premieres in US theaters on October 21.
☆ 'American Horror Story: NYC' plays like Ryan Murphy's Jeffrey Dahmer companion
  + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com   time to read: +3 min
CNN —Producer Ryan Murphy has premiered three series in roughly a month, so a degree of overlap is perhaps understandable. Even so, the new season of his long-running FX franchise, this one dubbed “American Horror Story: NYC,” feels like a companion in its central themes to “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,” which premiered last month on Netflix. This being “American Horror Story,” though, the emphasis skews toward the serial killing, dropping hints and clues about who might ultimately be responsible. “American Horror Story” has hardly been known for its restraint, which made the relative lack of bloody excess in these episodes notable, with less emphasis on the horror than the serial-killer aspect. FX will air back-to-back “American Horror Story” episodes over the next four weeks (with subsequent availability on Hulu), by which time the monster’s identity should be revealed.
☆ 'The School for Good and Evil' review
  + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com   time to read: +3 min
CNN —Although immersed in fantasy, “The School for Good and Evil” gets lost in a nether realm somewhere between Disney Channel fare like “Descendants” and more epic theatricals like Harry Potter. There’s plenty of action along the way, as well as more wasted cameos, like Patti LuPone and Michelle Yeoh. Yet if you’re going to arrive this late to the party, at least bring something significantly new to it. Granted, that’s not an easy assignment at this stage of the game, but “The School for Good and Evil” doesn’t pass the test. “The School for Good and Evil” premieres October 19 on Netflix.
☆ 'Descendant' and 'The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks' review: Two documentaries provide new windows into chapters in Black history
  + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com   time to read: +3 min
CNN —Two powerful documentaries explore different aspects of Black history this week, in each case shedding light on misrepresented or under-covered chapters. Presented by Barack Obama’s company under its Netflix deal, “Descendant” examines the discovery of a long-sunk ship that brought enslaved Africans to Alabama, while “The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks” reclaims a figure whose legacy was too often characterized as the product of tired feet. Rosa Parks” highlights the selflessness of its subject and seeks to provide a detailed portrait of a woman who, through the vagaries of history, was frequently reduced to a symbol. Parks, rather, wanted – indeed devoted her life to fighting for – justice and equality. “The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks” premieres October 19 on Peacock.
☆ 'Black Adam' review: Dwayne Johnson stars as the antihero in a drab addition to the DC Universe
  + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com   time to read: +4 min
CNN —“Black Adam” features a protagonist of almost unlimited power, which only makes its puny script more conspicuous. There’s simply no getting around the clunkiness of the dialogue, or the sense “Black Adam” overestimates the character’s appeal. Times being what they are, playing an actual superhero represents an inevitable addition to Johnson’s action resume, and “Black Adam” (setting aside “DC’s League of Super-Pets”) checks off that box. “Black Adam” premieres October 21 in US theaters and is rated PG-13. DC and Warner Bros., which is distributing the movie, are units of Warner Bros.
☆ 'The Vow Part Two' review: HBO turns to the Nxivm and Keith Raniere trial in docu-sequel
  + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com   time to read: +4 min
CNN —The bizarre and salacious nature of “The Vow,” with its intensely detailed look at the Nxivm cult, made the docuseries an understandable sensation, so much so that HBO came back for more. While “The Vow Part Two” gives viewers a front-row seat of the federal trial against founder Keith Raniere, it’s a more fragmented exercise that feels unduly stretched over six parts. Despite Nxivm’s obsession with loyalty, it’s a good reminder that what happens in Vegas seldom stays there. “Allison is a victim who was sent out to do something that she believed was good because she believed Keith was good,” Salzman explains. Warts and all, the totality of “The Vow,” including the earlier episodes, makes for fairly intoxicating viewing.
☆ 'Rosaline' review: 'Romeo and Juliet' gets a rewrite with Kaitlyn Dever as a star-crossed cousin
  + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com   time to read: +3 min
CNN —Tapping into the twin markets of A) lovers of rom-coms and B) recovering English majors, “Rosaline” promotes a fleetingly mentioned “Romeo and Juliet” character front and center, then builds a very clever and breezy movie around her. The result is a welcome starring showcase for Kaitlyn Dever more likely to prosper in the hamlet of Hulu than it would have fared in the province of theaters. For those a little rusty on their Shakespeare, Romeo had actually been pining for Juliet’s cousin before they met and set in motion that whole star-crossed lovers thing. When their get-together prevents her from attending a party, the feckless Romeo falls for the visiting Juliet (Isabela Merced). “Rosaline” premieres October 14 on Hulu in the US, Star+ in Latin America and Disney+ in other territories.
☆ 'Till' review: Danielle Deadwyler shines as Mamie Till Mobley after her son Emmett Till's death
  + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com   time to read: +3 min
CNN —Getting the delicate balance of the story mostly right, “Till” captures how Mamie Till Mobley turned the inconsolable grief over the murder of her son, Emmett, into resolve and activism. Anchored by Danielle Deadwyler’s towering performance, it’s a wrenching portrayal of reluctant heroism under the most horrific of parental circumstances. Danielle Deadwyler as Mamie Till Mobley. More than 65 years after his death, the Emmett Till Antilynching Act was signed into law earlier this year – a sign, as Chukwu notes in a director’s statement, of “present cultural and political realities” that echo through the film. “Till” clearly felt the weight of that legacy, and there’s a difficult-to-avoid aspect to the production that can’t entirely escape a movie-of-the-week feel.
☆ Halloween movies to get you into the spooky spirit
  + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Chloe Melas | ) edition.cnn.com   time to read: +3 min
CNN —Halloween entertainment is serving major nostalgia this year, with some of our favorite spooky classics being remade, or better yet, getting a sequel. “Hocus Pocus 2” brings back Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy as your favorite witches to get you ready for Halloween. “Halloween Ends”Jamie Lee Curtis in "Halloween Ends" Ryan Green/Universal PicturesForty-four years and 13 movies later, “Halloween Ends” is back to give you a fright. The movie tells the story of a man named Michael Myers who escapes an insane asylum. “Beetlejuice”1988 Warner BrothersBeetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!!!
☆ 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' season finale: Amazon has more battles to come (SPOILERS)
  + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com   time to read: +4 min
Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers about “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” season finale. CNN —“The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” has ended its first season, with plans for several more to come. Yet the real battle for Amazon could be convincing everyone that its very expensive – and mostly underwhelming – gamble on J.R.R. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was personally involved in acquiring rights from the Tolkien estate way back in 2017, reflecting the company’s high-stakes bet. It’s become popular to refer to certain large corporations as being “Too big to fail,” and in TV terms, “Rings of Power” is about as big as they come.
☆ 'Halloween Ends' review: Jamie Lee Curtis gives the knife one last turn in the latest Michael Myers trilogy
  + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com   time to read: +3 min
The producers do seek to bring finality to this latest trilogy featuring Jamie Lee Curtis, although that turns out to be the only original idea they conjure in an odd, tedious film. 13 turns out to be not so lucky, creatively speaking, as director/co-writer David Gordon Green takes his third consecutive turn in that chair. Curtis’ Laurie Strode has certainly paid a high price for her decades-long dance with the killer Michael Myers, a.k.a. In fact, Laurie takes the initiative and introduces Allyson to Corey (Rohan Campbell), a shy guy bearing emotional scars from his own Halloween-timed tragedy, which risks making them the weirdest possible soulmates. It’s been four years since “Halloween” relaunched the franchise – delivering a huge opening weekend – with an extra-long gap before the sequel “Halloween Kills” due to Covid.
☆ 'She-Hulk' shows off its superpower and Achilles heel in a truly weird finale (SPOILERS)
  + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com   time to read: +3 min
Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers about “She-Hulk’s” season finale. CNN —“She-Hulk: Attorney at Law” revealed both its superpower and Achilles heel in the season finale: It’s a TV show for people who watch too much TV in general and too much of Marvel’s output in particular. Designed to test the parameters of how far Marvel could go with this sort of exercise, “She-Hulk” clearly delivered an unabashed out-there comedy. It’s tempting to credit “She-Hulk” for taking chances, but frankly, that has clearly been the plan with Marvel’s expansion into streaming for some time now. Part of the show’s legacy, as noted, will be the way it reintroduced Daredevil.
☆ 'Barney & Friends' documentary tries to tie bashing the kids' show to larger cultural tides
  + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com   time to read: +3 min
“All that success came at a price,” says Andrew Olsen, a devotee of “Barney” history and its memorabilia. It’s a reasonable point at first, but one the documentary overplays, especially when there’s so much odd, specific stuff about the show to mine here. “I Love You, You Hate Me” has already generated media attention for Peacock, so score it as a win by that measure. But while the project captures a very specific moment in time, it runs out of insight before its time is up. “I Love You, You Hate Me” premieres October 12 on Peacock.
☆ Angela Lansbury, beloved star of ‘Murder, She Wrote,’ dead at 96
  + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com   time to read: +9 min
Lansbury also amassed 11 Emmy nominations for her role as Jessica Fletcher in “Murder, She Wrote,” but never won. Mondadori Portfolio/Getty Images Lansbury, seen here in 1945, moved to United States from England in 1940. Ron Frehm/AP Lansbury celebrates the 100th episode of the TV series "Murder, She Wrote" in 1989. Mychal Watts/WireImage/Getty Images Lansbury, with various Broadway cast members, performs at the Light the Lights Broadway Is Back! Jonathan Brady/Getty Images Lansbury attends the 25th anniversary screening of "Beauty and the Beast" in 2016.
☆ 'The Midnight Club' review: Mike Flanagan adapts Christopher Pike's tale of terminal teens in another 'Stranger Things' wannabe
  + stars: | 2022-10-07 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com   time to read: +3 min
CNN —The curse of “Stranger Things” means every sci-fi/macabre concept involving teenagers will seemingly have its day on TV, with “The Midnight Club” as the latest example. The diverse makeup of the key group and approach to things like LGBTQ rights give “Midnight Club” a contemporary feel, despite its foundation in the past. As for the broader secrets, “Midnight Club” is in no hurry to disgorge those, perhaps hoping curiosity will pull viewers into a second season. Stranger things have happened, but if not, this could be the latest series in this genre that struggles to keep the midnight oil burning. “The Midnight Club” premieres October 7 on Netflix.
☆ '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.
☆ '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+.
☆ 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.
☆ '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+.
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