Movies

Strip Law follows Lincoln Gumb (Adam Scott), a lawyer struggling after being fired from his family’s firm by a colleague of his late mother, Steve Nichols (Keith David). Now running a failing practice with his rebellious teenage niece, Irene Gumb (Aimee Garcia), and an odd, disgraced lawyer named Glem Blorchman (Stephen Root), Lincoln realizes his traditional approach isn’t working in the flashy world of Vegas courts. Desperate for a solution, he witnesses Sheila Flambé (Janelle James) performing captivating street magic and believes combining her showmanship with his legal skills could be the key to turning things around.

Rosi’s documentaries aren’t conventional. He typically focuses on particular locations, and his films emphasize detailed visuals of things and activities alongside the people within them. His acclaimed 2016 film, Fire at Sea, exemplifies this approach. It centers on the small Italian island of Lampedusa, showing the lives of its inhabitants alongside the stories of African refugees arriving on its shores. The film’s impact comes not only from its important subject matter, but also from the way Rosi contrasts the island’s peaceful atmosphere with the distressing realities of the political and humanitarian crisis unfolding there.

Similar to other shows created by J.J. Abrams, Fringe gained a dedicated fanbase, though its complex and often puzzling science fiction storyline drew both praise and criticism. The role of the enigmatic William Bell on Fringe proved to be a fitting final performance for Leonard Nimoy, allowing the beloved actor to explore a fascinating character and leave a lasting impression on the science fiction genre he was so well known for.

While The Mandalorian drew heavily from the Mandalorian stories first told in the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, it surprised many by bringing back a character from the 2008 Clone Wars movie. Rotta, a helpless baby Hutt rescued by Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano, is actually the son of Jabba the Hutt from Return of the Jedi – and he’s all grown up now.

Marvel Studios quickly confirmed Anthony Mackie’s return for the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday film. He will continue playing Sam Wilson, who took on the role of Captain America after the events of the 2021 Disney+ series, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Alan Ritchson, famous for his role as Jack Reacher, is back as a strong military character in his new Netflix action film. Called War Machine, the movie is directed by Patrick Hughes (known for The Hitman’s Bodyguard) and stars Ritchson alongside Dennis Quaid, Esai Morales, and Jai Courtney. The plot centers around highly trained Army Ranger recruits who must fight for their lives when an alien robot lands on Earth, delivering a sci-fi action experience full of intense violence for Netflix subscribers.

Released in 2000 and based on Bret Easton Ellis’s novel, the darkly humorous thriller American Psycho quickly became a pop culture icon. Christian Bale recently shared fond memories of working with director Mary Harron on the film, which portrays a narcissistic and murderous Wall Street banker in 1987 Manhattan. The movie, famous for its memorable and often unsettling scenes – including Bateman’s detailed analysis of Huey Lewis while wielding an axe and wearing a clear raincoat – has maintained its status as a cult classic for the past 25 years.

Before we get to the rankings, I wanted to mention how great Watch What Happens Live did this week. The Traitors star Maura Higgins got a Birkin bag live on air, and even Rob Rausch seemed to be enjoying himself – he hasn’t been very energetic during this press tour, but he really let loose on WWHL. He’d be perfect for Winter House. The same goes for Olympic gold medalist Alyssa Liu, who was bartending and had a lot of fun chatting with Andy Cohen. Both Rausch and Liu are new to the spotlight, and WWHL seems like a good way for them to get used to it. Every late-night show has its strengths, and here’s a look at who else stood out this week.

Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar created the German-language Netflix series Dark, which debuted in 2017 and quickly gained popularity for its complex and intriguing storyline. The show concluded after three seasons in 2020, and the creators followed it up with the briefly-running series 1899. Now, Friese and Odar are starting a new project.

Bandai Namco just announced that Pokémon Plakoro, a classic and somewhat forgotten Pokémon game, is making a comeback. The new trailer shows players engaging in fast-paced dice battles with a diverse range of Pokémon, like Pikachu, Squirtle, Charmander, Bulbasaur, Eevee, and Mew.