Previous Next November 29, 2023 WRITTEN BY: NICK AND QUENTIN Canceled. It's a word that has haunted television watchers for years. You get into a series, watch it for multiple seasons, and become invested in the characters just to have the rug pulled out from under you. But what about the good shows that never even get to that point? The series that are never given a chance to find their footing in spite of their cast and potential. Yes, these cancellations can happen due to poor ratings and low quality, but they can also be caused by lack of finances, behind-the-scenes turmoil, or a number of other varying reasons. "Canceled" has become synonymous with being “bad,” and that's just not always the case. Below, Nick and Quentin spotlight some of their favourite "One Season Wonders," those series that left a lasting impression despite the networks pulling the plug too soon. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TSEMxvtY4E LIFE ON MARS (2008-2009) Synopsis: The story of New York City police detective Sam Tyler, who, after being struck by a car in 2008, regains consciousness in 1973. Based on the BAFTA-winning British show of the same name, the American remake of Life on Mars was lauded for its premise, acting, and accurate depiction of the ‘70s. Featuring a superb cast of Jason O’Mara, Academy Award Nominee Harvey Keitel, multi-Emmy Award Nominee Michael Imperioli, and Gretchen Mol, this series is a complex mishmash of genres, including thriller, mystery, sci-fi, and gritty police procedural. Sadly, the ambitious show was interrupted by a lengthy midseason hiatus, which was followed by a timeslot change. This caused ratings to plummet by nearly half, so naturally ABC canceled it. On the plus side, there is a silver lining. It was canceled early enough that producers had time to rewrite the planned season finale as a mostly satisfying series finale, leaving us with a terrific, 17-episode miniseries that functions as a testament to what might have been. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rJ64J-gSbY THE PASSAGE (2019) Synopsis: When a botched U.S. government experiment turns a group of death row inmates into highly infectious vampires, an orphan girl might be the only person able to stop the ensuing crisis. As someone who grew up on Buffy the Vampire Slayer , I had an affinity for vampires before the Twilight craze hit. After Buffy , though, the focus leaned too heavily into the romance side of things ( Moonlight , The Vampire Diaries , True Blood ) and away from the more innovative ideas. Then FOX debuted the underseen series The Passage . Based on the Justin Cronin series of novels, The Passage provided a new twist on the genre, led by the perpetually underrated Mark-Paul Gosselaar and relative newcomer Saniyya Sidney (who went on to play Venus Williams in King Richard ). The series, which focused on a government project gone wrong that opened the door for a potential apocalypse, was like a shot of adrenaline. The storytelling was deliberate and well paced, while the action-packed sequences FOX has always been known for were present as well. Although it was viewed positively by both fans and critics alike, the ratings weren’t there, leading to another much-too-soon cancellation for a Gosselaar series. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEv22Q21OMg THE GOOD GUYS (2010) Synopsis: Washed-up detective Dan Stark teams up with young, by-the-book detective Jack Bailey in the police department's property crimes division. Their superior officer strives to keep them investigating seemingly minor crimes in order to keep the department out of trouble. Something of a mix between The Other Guys and The Nice Guys , The Good Guys soared on the comedic, against-type performance of multi-Emmy winning actor Bradley Whitford as Dan Stark, a washed-up, loose cannon cop who was hot shit in the 80s. The type of cop who relies on hunches, listens to Foghat, hides beer in his shampoo bottles, and uses his gun as a bottle opener. Whitford tackles the role with mustachioed aplomb. No disrespect to Colin Hanks, who plays the straight man incredibly well here, but this was Whitford’s series. On top of that, the basic intent of The Good Guys was a sort of satirical anti-thesis to the glut of CSI -inspired shows that still plague the airwaves today (there are running jokes about Stark not understanding “computer machines” and “smarty phones''), which, at the time, made it a fresh take on the cop procedural. The problem was that people just didn’t watch it since FOX aired it during the summer months - first on Mondays, then on Fridays, then on Saturdays. If you want your show to fail, that’s how you do it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDt6Jr2kcr4 STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP (2006) Synopsis: A behind-the-scenes look at a fictional sketch-comedy television show. While some of my entries for this article admittedly lean heavily on personal preference, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is the one I think most deserved continuation. Set behind the scenes of a Saturday Night Live -style program, the series had a stacked cast of TV mainstays (Matthew Perry, Bradley Whitford, Sarah Paulson), interesting characters, and smart writing by one of the best to ever do it in Aaron Sorkin. The reason for its cancellation came down to poor timing. It was released alongside 30 Rock (another behind-the-scenes-of-an- SNL -style program, albeit a strict comedy), and it was decided there wasn’t room for such a similar series. Unfortunately, with all the talent involved, Studio 60 was the much more expensive venture, which led to its cancellation in spite of being a stronger ratings success than 30 Rock . Personally, I think the series was also undone by airing on network TV instead of a channel like HBO, where it would have been a better fit and likely could have had the success of another Sorkin series, The Newsroom . There’s no way to know if that’s the case, but it's been nice to see the series gain a bit of a second life following the death of Matthew Perry, as many are revisiting it as one of his best pieces of work, which it is. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWcFMt5M1Nc NO ORDINARY FAMILY (2010-2011) Synopsis: The story of the Powells, a typical American family living in Pacific Bay, California, whose members gain special powers after their plane crashes in the Amazon. Back when the MCU was just getting started, everyone was dipping their toes into the superhero pool, with many offerings being about generic heroes (i.e., not Marvel or DC). One such series was No Ordinary Family , which was essentially “live-action The Incredibles .” Family was generally well-received, with the San Francisco Chronicle saying, “there's lots of promise here, of drama, action, comedy, etc., all wrapped up in a family-friendly series.” The charming cast was led by Michael Chiklis and Julie Benz, but also featured a parade of people you’d recognize even if you don’t know their names. But for whatever reason, the audience didn’t latch on to it, with viewership dropping from 11 million to 3.5 million over the course of its 20 episodes. So, it’s not surprising that ABC canceled it within weeks of the season finale. The real shame is that it was maybe just ahead of its time because this series may have flourished if it premiered five years later. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PfnmAV0eFM POWERLESS (2016) Synopsis: Follows the staff of an insurance company that specializes in products to protect defenseless bystanders from the collateral damage of superheroes and supervillains. Instead of going the CW route like many DC characters before it had, Powerless aired on NBC as the first DC Comics sitcom. It featured a charming ensemble cast, including Vanessa Hudgens in my personal favourite performance of hers, Danny Pudi coming off Community , and Alan Tudyk in a scene-stealing role as Van Wayne, Bruce’s cousin. Sadly, the series was marred by behind-the-scenes issues. The original pilot (shown at Comic-Con) was very well received, but after the creator left the project, it was largely re-shot as a shadow of what it was. The series did find its footing as it went on, but the early word of mouth was too much to overcome. At the height of the superhero craze, Powerless attempted to do something different within that universe, but all that’s left is its unrealized potential. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5HPcWebl5A MY OWN WORST ENEMY (2008) Synopsis: This drama follows a man with two identities: Henry Spivey, a mild-mannered family man, and Edward Albright, a covert operative who is trained to kill. Each identity is unaware of the other until the carefully constructed psychological wall between the two is breached. For a while, there was a running joke on the internet that you should never get too invested in a series starring Christian Slater. Between 2008-2015, Slater had three series canceled after one season (and a fourth that was canceled midway through Season Two). The first and best from this string of failures was My Own Worst Enemy . In what might be the most perfect example of a network not giving a series a fair shake, NBC canceled it after just four episodes despite critics calling it “smart and shrewdly funny” with a “charismatic” dual performance from Slater. The show also starred Bella Thorne, Taylor Lautner, Alfre Woodard, and James Cromwell, so a solid cast across the board, and its use of the “sleeper agent” idea to explore the duality of man and self-awareness was extremely clever. Sadly, the premise was just too complicated for your standard network television audience because the already-not-great ratings of the premiere dropped by almost half after four episodes. Then, once the cancellation was announced, viewers found little reason to continue devoting time to it despite featuring slick thrills, non-stop action, dark humor, and engaging twists. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mda3sqFpPjg SON OF ZORN (2016) Synopsis: Animation and live-action collide when a cartoon Barbarian dad leaves his war-torn village to reconnect with his moody, non-animated teenage son in suburbia. A hybrid live-action/animated homage to He-Man and the Masters of the Universe , Son of Zorn was a fun weekly comedy. As an outsider, Jason Sudeikis’ real-life cartoon character (literally) Zorn brought forth tons of solid fish-out-of-water jokes as he would struggle with fitting in while the contrast between him and the Pleasantville -stylings of Tim Meadows’ Craig consistently provided laugh-out-loud moments. It’s as if Thor was funnier and had more teeth. Unfortunately, of my selections here, this is the cancellation I understand the most due to the limitations its rating provided. Were this a Netflix series with the ability to go all out, Son of Zorn could have been another of the great adult animated series. Instead, it failed, likely held back by network tv trappings. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8fzC90joak THE TICK (2001) Synopsis: Following the adventures of a wide-eyed, 7-foot, 400-pound superhero with nigh-invulnerability, superhuman strength, super speed, and the battle cry of "Spoooooon!," The Tick is a surrealistic parody of superheroes. Based on the comic book of the same name, The Tick is one of three attempts to adapt the cult classic hero for television. However, for my money, this short, single season is the best of the bunch, mostly thanks to Patrick Warburton’s iconic and pitch-perfect performance as the childlike and optimistic character. On top of that, you’ve got a pilot directed by the acclaimed Barry Sonnenfeld, production design from multi-Oscar and multi-Emmy Award nominee Bo Welch, and Nestor Carbonell as series’ original creation Batmanuel, a hilarious Latino parody of Batman. Despite receiving praise from fans and critics alike for its inventiveness and clever humor (Sonnenfeld has called it the best thing he has ever directed), FOX completely mismanaged the series, pitting it against massive ratings grabbers like Survivor and NBC’s “Must See TV” lineup of Friends and Will & Grace , as well as seemingly not knowing how to promote it in general (or simply not wanting to because they didn’t own it and it had high production costs). Sadly, it was canceled after eight of the nine episodes aired, but you can still buy this surprisingly enduring series on Prime for under $8. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCSqgSNmOOU TERRA NOVA (2011) Synopsis: In the year 2149, a large group of settlers leave the apocalyptic world they live in to time travel 85 million years into the past in an attempt to start a new civilization. Did the Jurassic World franchise leave a bad taste in your mouth? If so, go back and check out Terra Nova . One of the few dinosaur-centric projects to hit the small screen, it focused on a group of people who travel back to prehistoric times in an attempt to recolonize a human race facing extinction. Executive produced by none other than Steven Spielberg, Terra Nova featured the likes of Jason O’Mara (who has made this list twice!), Stephen Lang, Naomi Scott, and Shelley Conn in a thrilling dinosaur adventure with both the effects and unique plot needed to succeed. Unfortunately, the series was very uneven out of the gate, and though it hit its stride in the final episodes, it was too little, too late. It was promptly canceled due to low ratings and high costs. The path to Season Two renewed excitement in fans and critics alike, which even led to Netflix expressing interest in picking it up, but the high costs per episode were just too much to justify the renewal. Still, one worth searching out. Honorable Mentions: The Adventures of Brisco Country Jr., The Michael J. Fox Show, The Unusuals, Reboot Video Credits: Video 1, 5 - ABC; Photo 2, 3, 8, 9, 10 - FOX; Photo 4, 6, 7 - NBC

DR. DEATH Starring: Joshua Jackson, Alec Baldwin, Christian Slater, Grace Gummer, AnnaSophia Robb, Dominic Burgess, Molly Griggs, and Kelsey Grammer Creator: Patrick Macmanus QUENTIN Dr. Death has two things going for it: great acting and an interesting and alarming true story. However, the structure of the storytelling is a bit wonky. First, the pacing is off. It draws you in quickly, but drags in the middle as it gives the titular character's backstory. Second, it's constantly jumping between multiple time periods, so the order of events isn't always clear despite it giving dates and locations. Still, it's fairly gripping, so much so that it pushes you to Google the actual events as soon as the show ends to learn more. That's a success.

DELI BOYS: SEASON ONE Starring: Asif Ali, Saagar Shaikh, Alfie Fuller, Poorna Jagannathan, Brian George, Alexandra Ruddy, and Tim Baltz Creator: Abdullah Saeed QUENTIN Deli Boys isn’t without its charms, playing out like a comedic Breaking Bad with a Pakistani spin, but as a show watched in a binge, those charms become less and less…well, charming…with each passing episode. There are, admittedly, a few one-liners that made me laugh out loud, but for the most part, the humor is relegated to the quietly-chuckle-to-yourself variety. Saagar Shaikh is the highlight as the pothead party boy Raj, and it’s very possible the series would work better on a week-to-week watch schedule (and with fewer episodes); however, as I experienced it, Deli Boys is nothing more than a passing distraction with diminishing returns.

A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW Starring: Ewan McGregor, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Fehinti Balogun, Daniel Cerqueira, Björn Hlynur Haraldsson, Johnny Harris, Leah Harvey, John Heffernan, Anastasia Hille, and Lyès Salem Creator: Ben Vanstone QUENTIN A Gentleman in Moscow is essentially Steven Spielberg’s The Terminal stretched to eight hours and set against the backdrop of The Bolshevik Coup. Ewan McGregor does his best to keep things engaging, but the story is too drawn out, slowly paced, and oddly structured (holy time jump, Batman!) to hold one’s interest on a week-to-week basis. It also fails to fully explore the more interesting political turmoil happening outside the hotel-turned-makeshift-prison, instead focusing on the relationships and evolution of Alexander (McGregor) during his decades-long imprisonment at the luxurious Metropol. I suspect people of a certain age and disposition (read: your grandparents) may enjoy it, though.

Previous Next November 19, 2025 WRITTEN BY: QUENTIN As we approach the end of 2025’s film festival season, I was able to squeeze in one more before the year ran out. For the first time ever, I was lucky enough to attend International FilmFestival Mannheim-Heidelberg (IFFMH). For those who don’t know, IFFMH began in 1952 and is the second-oldest film festival in Germany. It focuses on arthouse and auteur cinema from international newcomer directors and historically has served as a springboard for experimental filmmakers generally overlooked by Western audiences. Some filmmakers that have showed their early work at IFFMH include François Truffaut, Wim Wenders, Jim Jarmusch, Atom Egoyan, Thomas Vinterberg, and Derek Cianfrance. Actually, just check out their mission statement: The IFFMH celebrates innovation, as well as narrative and aesthetic courage. It stands for new experiences. The festival acts as a compass and a trend scout, discovering new talents and presenting visionaries, opening horizons and revitalizing the historical. The IFFMH creates a social experience context. As a mediator and networker of different cultural scenes, the IFFMH creates spaces for exchange between filmmakers and audiences. From an on-the-ground perspective, although it may not boast the brand recognition or mainstream titles of the more well-known film festivals, IFFMH’s lineup was impressive, nonetheless. It featured many of the smaller, international titles that won acclaim, if not actual hardware, at every other major festival, including Venice, Cannes, Berlin, Toronto and Sundance. So, yeah, it’s a great festival, especially for those seeking out new discoveries, and I look forward to covering IFFMH 75 next year. Also, special shout out to Public Relations Director, Rebecca Raab, who was the most responsive and helpful festival liaison I’ve ever had the pleasure of interacting with. She made it all so seamless, and most of all, stress-free. Due to scheduling conflicts, I was able to catch 18 movies this year, which, to me, feels like rookie numbers, but probably only in comparison to other festivals I’ve covered. Still, 18 movies while balancing my full-time day job and unreliable trains between Stuttgart and Mannheim is still pretty decent. Were the movies any good, though? I’m so glad you asked… 18. PETER HUJAR'S DAY Aside from the most dedicated Peter Hujar fans, if you even know who that is (I sure didn’t), I have no clue who Peter Hujar’s Day is for. I say this with no exaggeration, but this movie is literally 70 minutes of Hujar (Ben Whishaw) telling Linda Rosenkrantz (Rebecca Hall) about his day. Yes, it’s as banal and mundane as it sounds. There is so little substance here that it’s nearly impossible to review, other than to say that if you want to be a fly on the wall for a long, name-dropping conversation between two strangers, good news. Excellent 70s home-movie aesthetic, though. 17. TRAFFIC Traffic is, ostensibly, an art heist movie; however, if you go in expecting the fun hallmarks of the genre, you’ll be sorely disappointed. Technically, yes, there is a heist, but the movie isn’t about the heist. It’s about migrant labor, classism, perceived ethnic hierarchies, and the poor trying to rise above their station, all of which is presented with bleak realism (admittedly, that could just be Romanian cinema’s vibe). While the themes are easily digestible, they didn’t resonate with my American brain, nor did the underdeveloped characters. Plus, the heist and subsequent manhunt fall flat. Perhaps this is an example of being lost in translation, though. 16. MOTHER As I understand it, Mother is a fictional tale about Mother Teresa (Noomi Rapace) in the days before she leaves her convent to establish Missionaries of Charity. The thing is… if it’s fictional, who cares? Isn’t there a worthy true story to provide insight into the modern-day saint? On top of that, it jumps between dry character study and horror-tinged moments backed by heavy metal music, which is a jarringly odd combination. So, in the end, we’re left with a fanfic biopic that generally suggests nothing more than Mother Teresa was more complex than the infallible icon we picture in our heads? Cool story, I guess. 15. THE SUMMER BOOK Growing up, I often spent summers in the Kentucky countryside with my great-grandmother, who did not have a television or many modern conveniences to keep a child entertained. The Summer Book took me back to those days, which made for a nostalgic trip down memory lane, but not so much an entertaining movie-viewing experience. There is an old-fashioned stillness in the relationship between Grandmother (Glenn Close) and Sophia (Emily Matthews) that I generally relate to, and the Finnish coastal countryside is beautifully shot. However, much like my pre-adolescent self during those summers, I was left waiting for something — anything! — to break the monotony. 14. THE THINGS YOU KILL I’ve never been a big fan of director David Lynch, so when things are described as Lynchian, it’s not exactly a selling point. Furthermore, Lynchian surrealism is hard enough to understand in English, so watching it through subtitles can make it doubly confusing. The Things You Kill is exactly that — an extremely slow, very Lynchian tale about a man dealing with generational inner darkness and feelings of inadequacy in a patriarchal society. It’s the type of movie whose meaning I needed to clarify after the fact, and honestly, the explanation I found on Google was far more interesting than the actual movie I had just watched. This review originally posted with Bitesize Breakdown’s coverage of Fantasy Filmfest 39. 13. REEDLAND From a craft perspective, Reedland does enough excellent things that I’m curious to see what director Sven Bresser does next. Despite being his debut, the cinematography, sound design, and performance pulled from non-actor and actual reed farmer Gerrit Knobbe demonstrate an incredible amount of skill and a well-assembled crew behind the camera. However, Bresser also wrote Reedland , and while it’s steeped in dread and foreboding atmosphere, I genuinely have no idea what it’s about. Random MacGuffins that lead to nowhere populate the story — a dead girl, black goo, a random rock, a threatening tractor — ultimately resulting in a movie that feels like a narrative Winchester House. 12. BLUE HERON I can’t say Blue Heron is a bad movie; I can say, for better or worse, it is extremely reminiscent of Aftersun , a movie whose critical acclaim I never understood. It’s not that I don’t get writer-director Sophy Romvari’s intent as she explores her fractured memory and hinted-at trauma, but the slow pacing and jarring shift to a pseudo-documentary make it all too clinical. I was never invested in Sasha’s experience as an oblivious child (Eylul Guven) or as an answer-seeking adult (Amy Zimmer). I genuinely hope Blue Heron helped Romvari process whatever she needed to process, but this therapy session doesn’t need an audience. 11. MILE END KICKS I’m learning that most coming-of-age movies aren’t for me anymore. Whether that’s because I’m too far removed from my own experiences, or I simply don’t relate to those of younger generations, I’m not always sure. With Mile End Kicks, it’s definitely the latter. My memories of being young, dumb, and in love (or lust) as an American guy whose 20s started in 2001 simply don’t mirror those of a Canadian girl whose 20s seem to start around 2011. I’m too separated from Grace (a terrific Barbie Ferreira) for this story to resonate, which mostly just left me frustrated by her bad decisions (the closing scene, especially). 10. LIFEHACK The latest “screenlife” offering, a filmmaking approach I’m not sold on yet, LifeHack is excellent for the 30 minutes when the crypto heist takes place. These moments are surprisingly full of anxiety-inducing tension and white-knuckle suspense. Everything that comes before and after? Not so much. The format is far too manic and moves far too quickly for the viewer to ever settle in. It also doesn’t allow for great character development, so it’s hard to be super invested in any of them (particularly when they’re as annoying as Sid (Roman Hayeck-Green)). That said, it definitely makes one think about their online presence. It’s scary out there. 9. RENTAL FAMILY Given these turbulent times, if you need a source — any source — of optimistic, heartwarming feels, Rental Family will almost certainly deliver. Granted, those feels are incredibly shallow and extremely superficial since the characters are mostly just pawns to get you to the next saccharine story beat, but good feels are good feels. Unfortunately, the narrative doesn’t have much lasting heft behind it either because Brendan Fraser is somewhat miscast, with his ever-present teddy bear persona never allowing for a full character arc. Still, you could do worse than Rental Family , even if this cynic found it to be a little too sentimental. This review originally posted with Bitesize Breakdown’s coverage of Zurich Film Festival 2025. 8. NOVIEMBRE When making a dramatized account of a historical event, you need to ensure the audience has at least barebones awareness of the event. Noviembre assumes everyone is familiar with 1985’s Palace of Justice siege by dropping viewers directly into the situation with very little context. It’s unclear if the guerillas are radical terrorists or revolutionaries fighting a corrupt system, which makes it tough to know whose side the viewer should be on (made worse by minimal character development). That said, the Paul Greengrass-inspired direction provides gritty realism and chaotic tension, but there wasn’t enough for me, an unfamiliar, to grasp on to. I needed a pre-brief. 7. KIKA Although not exactly what I expected, Kika (also known as Madame Kika ) is an effective exploration of the things we must do to survive, both financially and emotionally, in the wake of tragedy. I wouldn’t necessarily call it a comedy, but there is certainly more humor than I anticipated as it faithfully shows the awkwardness that can come with true self-discovery, especially as one enters a socially taboo alternative lifestyle. Much like Pillion , Kika is not here to kink shame or judge the dom/sub dynamic, instead offering a disarming and contemplative portrait of a person reckoning with grief on her own terms. 6. LEMONADE BLESSING Remember what I said above about coming-of-age movies? I’m about to contradict it. Lemonade Blessing does a terrific job of putting viewers in the headspace of a religious high school student experiencing first love while internalizing a devout parent’s messaging that all perfectly natural hormonal urges lead to eternal damnation. Grounded yet teetering near the absurd, every aspect of the story feels rooted in realism, from the male friendships to the overbearing parents to just wanting to fit in. At times, it’s compassionately uncomfortable, giving off strong Eighth Grade vibes. So, yeah… most coming-of-age movies aren’t for me anymore; Lemonade Blessing was an exception. 5. FOLLIES Although it doesn’t break any new ground with its premise, Follies is a humorous, at times sad, yet ultimately uplifting exploration of a married couple trying to spice things up by opening their marriage. However, the approach and details add a fresh spin. Shooting with handheld 16mm cameras, using natural light, and deploying an almost mumblecore vibe keeps everything intimate, which means it never feels over-sexualized like some movies like this can be. Furthering that are the small, lived-in details, like the interactions with their children and relatable situations where they each want to ensure they are correctly following the “rules.” It’s all very authentically charming. 4. THE THREESOME Given The Threesome ’s absurd premise, it could have been an over-the-top, jokey comedy like Wedding Crashers . Instead, director Chad Hartigan goes the route of grounded maturity as it explores the different experiences women can have with unexpected pregnancy. Zoey Deutch and Ruby Cruz give layered performances as women facing same-but-different circumstances, with the movie being thoroughly theirs even as we experience it through Connor’s (Jonah Hauer-King) point-of-view. Unfortunately, Connor is presented as such a blandly milquetoast nice guy, which is more the script’s fault than Hauer-King’s, that it brings the rest of the movie down a bit. Still, it’s an overall endearing take on modern romance. 3. ROOFMAN Roofman is a charming love story featuring charming performances that surely will charm a non-discerning couple on date night. No, it’s not particularly memorable, but it’s a highly rewatchable blend of comedy, heart, and 90s nostalgia. Yet, I was left wondering why I was rooting for this dirtbag. Because he’s polite? All of Jeffrey Manchester’s (Channing Tatum) rough edges have been sanded down to create an almost algorithm-generated leading man that ladies may fawn over. That’s fine, I suppose, but it makes for an overly sugarcoated, crowd-pleasing movie seemingly afraid to explore the more complicated themes present in fear of losing general audiences (and box office revenue). This review originally posted with Bitesize Breakdown’s coverage of Zurich Film Festival 2025. 2. THE LAST VIKING I’m not sure why, but it seems the world takes Mads Mikkelsen’s acting talent for granted. In The Last Viking, he gives a hilarious, against-type performance (relative to everything I’ve seen him do, at least) that is sweet, silly, and lovable. He, alone, is worth the price of admission. His brilliance aside, director Anders Thomas Jensen has successfully mixed Rain Main, The Dream Team, and The Coen Bros. to create a movie that is as moving as it is violent. On paper, I’m not sure any of it should work, but it all comes together beautifully as something heartfelt, sincere, and darkly entertaining. This review originally posted with Bitesize Breakdown’s coverage of Zurich Film Festival 2025. 1. IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT Tonally, It Was Just an Accident is unexpected. Generally speaking, it has tension without being tense and humor without being funny, but director Jafar Panahi’s ability to walk that tightrope is a major reason why the film works as well as it does. Make no mistake, the commentary on authoritarianism, which is as applicable to the Iranian regime as it is to current American politics, is morally complex and thought-provoking as it explores the cycle of revenge and violence between oppressors and the oppressed. But that tonal balance keeps it accessible by not letting it slip too far into darkness. It was a worthy Palme d’Or winner.

CAPE FEAR Starring: Javier Bardem, Amy Adams, Patrick Wilson, Joe Anders, Lily Collias, CCH Pounder, and Malia Pyles Creator: Nick Antosca QUENTIN You might be wondering who needs a new Cape Fear adaptation considering there already are two great movie versions. It’s a valid question that series creator Nick Antosca fails to answer. Everything but the most basic premise has been “re-imagined,” with Antosca overstuffing the plot with annoying characters, silly twists, and poorly fleshed-out mysteries to fill ten episodes. Plus, the tone is distractingly operatic, trying way too hard to emulate director Brian De Palma’s campy thrillers of yesteryear (think Snake Eyes ). The only thing that kept me going was Javier Bardem’s menacingly charismatic performance, but frankly, after all is said and done, I probably shouldn’t have.

I'M A VIRGO: SEASON ONE Starring: Jharrel Jerome, Mike Epps, Carmen Ejogo, Walton Goggins, Brett Gray, Kara Young, Allius Barnes, and Olivia Washington Creator: Boots Riley QUENTIN When it comes to I’m a Virgo , I’m a man divided. It’s outstanding in many ways, from the social satire to the brilliant racial commentary to the performances (Walton Goggins, especially) to its absurdist vibe. In moments, it’s remarkable and unlike anything else on television. However, as a complete series, it struggled to hold my attention at times. Truth be told, I could say the same about Boots Riley’s previous offering, Sorry to Bother You , so if you liked that film, you’ll probably enjoy this series too. Riley clearly has tremendous talent, but he needs to find a better balance between storytelling and his grand ideas. ADRIANO I’m a Virgo confirms what Sorry to Bother You already suggested: Boots Riley is one of our most unique auteurs. His imagination is allowed to run wild with this series, and his creativity and genius pour out of every frame. The satire isn’t too on the nose either while actually saying something interesting about race relations and capitalism. But, more importantly, there is a surprising amount of heart and depth that had me personally invested despite all the insanity, thanks in part to Jharrel Jerome’s performance. I hope Boots Riley can continue doing whatever he wants. AMARÚ Director Boots Riley is a wild cat who commits to telling uniquely interesting and poignant stories. His TV debut, I’m a Virgo , combines fantastical, political, and cultural sensibilities to illustrate how systems of power can prey on those who are underprivileged and different. But it also shows that different can be powerful. At times, it’s heartfelt and moving; at others, it’s weird and creepy. It’s a lot of things, all at once, and while not all of it works, it’s consistently Boots Riley, who, for better or worse, stays true to his artistry. JACOB As a huge fan of Boots Riley’s 2018 satire Sorry to Bother You , I have eagerly waited to see what he would do next. While his new series, I’m a Virgo , certainly exhibits the same audacity and creative energy that drove his last project, it more so flows through this one rather than powering it. That’s not to say it’s bad, but it does sometimes feel like it’s somewhat unfocused, which can make watching it feel like more of an obligation than an opportunity. I still enjoyed it in the moment, but the satire operates less successfully than before.

FALLOUT: SEASON ONE Starring: Ella Purnell, Walton Goggins, Aaron Moten, Moises Arias, Kyle MacLachlan, Michael Emerson, Leslie Uggams, Zach Cherry, and Sarita Choudhury Creators: Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner PAIGE Despite never having played the game before, I found Fallout to be a post-apocalyptic blast. This action-adventure series accepts its ridiculousness, and even though it can occasionally be too quirky and over-the-top, it excels at keeping the viewer entertained the entire time. It has a lot of brutality, humor, and heart. Most importantly, though, is that they succeed in creating a fantastic universe inside the show that feels so lived in. Plus, the show's production design is next level. Overall, this is another huge win for video game adaptations. QUENTIN I can’t speak to how well Fallout works as an adaptation since I’ve never played the games, but as an independent series, it’s a funny, brutally exciting, twist-filled mystery box about 90 percent of the time. The world-building, Golden Oldies soundtrack, and retro-futuristic production design are flat-out phenomenal, and the show is at its most engaging during the storylines of The Ghoul (Walton Goggins, the easy highlight) and the mystery of Vault 31. On the other hand, the momentum halts anytime Maximus (Aaron Moten) takes center stage, mostly because Moten has the screen presence and charisma of a potato. Overall, though? A smashing surprise.

THE NIGHT AGENT: SEASON ONE Starring: Gabriel Basso, Luciane Buchanan, Hong Chau, Fola Evans-Akingbola, Sarah Desjardins, Eve Harlow, Phoenix Raei, Enrique Murciano, and D.B. Woodside Creator: Shawn Ryan QUENTIN If you enjoy the dime-a-dozen political conspiracy thrillers that pop up on CBS every season, then you’ll probably enjoy Netflix’s The Night Agent . Network thrillers are always too broad and undemanding for me, and this one is no different. Sure, there is a convoluted and poorly explained conspiracy mystery, but all you really need to know is that there are bad guys chasing good guys for unknown and mostly unnecessary-to-the-plot reasons. There are car chases, gun fights, hidden hard drives, disgraced FBI agents, corrupt officials, moles, and, of course, twists!…you know, all the typical things. If that’s your thing, it’s fine, I guess.

Previous Next October 31, 2022 WRITTEN BY: JOSEPH Horror stories have existed throughout history in a variety of forms. Oftentimes, horror is used as a cautionary tale to reflect on the ills of our own society. Children are warned to not venture too far lest the boogeyman will snatch them up, creatures like the Wendigo reinforce cultural taboos towards cannibalism during famine, and Frankenstein’s monster shows the fear of humanity wielding the power of God irresponsibly. While many horror stories certainly have greater meaning behind the terror, I think to most fans, horror has mostly been about gaining an adrenaline rush in a safe environment. We just want the scares! However, modern horror seems to offer much less in actual fear-generating. It makes me wonder…. “Is horror dead?” Growing up, I remember every other horror film being marketed as “the scariest film since The Exorcist ” (or the even more bold, “scarier than The Exorcist ”). While younger generations, myself included, may not find The Exorcist as scary as audiences did upon its release in 1973, it still holds up in many ways. It has yet to truly be challenged by any other film. Horror films of the late 90s and early 2000s may have been billed as the next The Exorcist , but many failed to leave a cultural imprint, only being remembered by the most devoted horror fans. With very few exceptions, horror films haven’t really made an impact since the turn of the millennium. I’d also argue that virtually none have come close to being as scary to their audiences as The Exorcist was nearly 50 years ago. Some may make a case for Hereditary , Paranormal Activity , or Sinister , but I say they did not have the same effect on their audiences that classic horror films did. Why is that? There is a lot of blame to go around, but I mostly blame the use of CGI over practical effects. The Universal Classic Monsters may have come out too far back to gauge how much they truly scared their audiences, but their cultural significance cannot be denied. They’re instantly recognizable and referenced in all forms of media, serving as a blueprint for much of the horror genre even today. The B-movies of the 50s and 60s continued the trend of using monsters on screen. While the costumes have become laughable because they were so cheesy, they still serve as a main influence in subcultures such as psychobilly and horror punk. They also paved the way for the exploitation films of the 70s. Still, it seems that the majority of what are generally considered to be the “scariest” movies of all time come from the 70s and 80s. As I mentioned before, The Exorcist is often touted as the scariest film ever, but it's not the only iconic piece of horror cinema from that era. We saw plenty of growth in the genre as it diverged to slashers and other forms of religious horror. Iconic creatures like Alien ‘s Xenomorph were spawned in sci-fi horror, and we saw increased reliance on practical effects as the slasher subgenre emerged. With Halloween ’s Michael Myers, the featureless white mask was extremely effective, while Friday the 13th ’s Jason Voorhees and A Nightmare on Elm Street ’s Freddy Krueger used make-up and still iconic costume designs to highlight their more grotesque features. There were grisly creatures and disgustingly fun deaths put on screen. Along with those iconic slashers, other great movie monsters graced the silver screen, like Predator, Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors , and, of course, the werewolf from An American Werewolf in London , which features an astounding transformation scene that has yet to be beaten. Furthermore, these practical effects gave way to bizarre body horror, allowing for potentially forgotten films from decades before, such as The Fly and The Thing , to be revisited and improved upon. In my opinion, the hey-day of horror was driven by practical effects, but as computers improved and became more accessible, film studios did their best to utilize the technology in all their films. As a result, many 90s films are filled with ugly polygonal creatures and special effects that weren’t convincing even then (and have only grown to be worse now). Just like director David Cronenberg thought he could use improved physical effects to make a better version of The Fly in 1986, some filmmakers thought they could use new computer technology to reinvent the films of the past to inspire terror in new generations. Sadly, it didn’t happen. The incredibly self-indulgent Van Helsing (2004) may have had some cool ideas, but the tone removed all the scary elements of the creatures they were reinventing. The Fog (2005) replaced leprous, ethereal zombies with wispy, transparent spirits. CGI quality may have improved, but there were no real scares to be had. There are some outliers from that era, like The Others and The Descent , but they used practical effects and large sets to deliver their thrills. There aren’t many, if any, CGI-driven horror movies that will keep you up at night. Nothing that kids will dare each other to watch at sleepovers for years to come. It’d be easy to say horror is just a genre of tired clichés, trying to constantly reinvent the wheel while staying formulaic. As a horror fan, I resent that notion because a lot of great, if not scary, horror comes out every year. However, one film embodies nearly all the flaws I see in modern horror: A Quiet Place . Don’t get me wrong, A Quiet Place has a fantastic premise and is overall well executed, but like many horror films, the film gets less scary once we finally see the monster. The Death Angels in A Quiet Place are fully CGI, and though they are imposing, they’re clearly not actually there. Death Angels share similar characteristics with the Xenomorph, yet they are incredibly forgettable. Can you remember what they even look like? Probably not. On top of that, they never physically interact with our protagonists, which only fuels the lack of believability. Meanwhile, the Alien franchise has historically done things the opposite way. For the most part, each film has used primarily practical effects for each stage of the Xenomorph’s life cycle, eliciting a myriad of emotions from disgusted by the slimy, fleshy eggs to horrified by the large Alien Queen. Eventually, though, even that franchise took the lazy CGI path in its latest and probably final entry, Alien: Covenant . Aside from having some of the dumbest movie characters ever, Alien: Covenant almost exclusively used CGI for its creature designs. While this did assist with the newer Neomorphs, it only hurt the Xenomorph. A creature that almost always had been shown with practical effects and under the cover of darkness was now a fully CGI rendering in broad daylight. The result is disappointing, distracting, and odd. But, more importantly, it’s no longer scary. While Alien: Covenant may have put the nail in the coffin on any future Alien sequels, Universal also had some problems with horror and CGI. 2017’s The Mummy tried to spearhead the launch of the Dark Universe, a reimagining and modernization of the classic Universal Monsters in a shared universe akin to the MCU. However, in trying to bring this giant spectacle to the big screen so quickly, even going as far as to publicly release an ill-fated cast photo, the Dark Universe was quickly shelved after The Mummy ’s poor critical and commercial performance. If a CGI-driven horror movie starring Tom Cruise was a failure, the lesson should be that horror as a CGI spectacle just doesn’t work. Truthfully, it’s a lesson that should have been learned after the previous soft attempts at reinventing the Universal Monsters with Dracula: Untold and 2010’s The Wolfman . Neither of those films resonated with audiences or critics, but one good thing did eventually come out of it: the course correction that is Leigh Whannell’s The Invisible Man . The Invisible Man offers a full reimagining of the original H.G. Wells tale by turning it into a social commentary on domestic violence and gaslighting. It may not keep you up at night, but it touches on the fears that someone is always watching you, as well as the horrifying concept of someone actively trying to drive you crazy (even more so for women). Blumhouse, the company behind that 2020 hit, has fueled some of the more successful horror films in recent years, from the Purge franchise to the “scariest” film according to science, Sinister . Still, a fast heart rate doesn’t quite replicate the same cultural effect as The Exorcist , and while Sinister may be the scariest film ever according to “data,” that seems more attributable to the famous lawnmower scene causing a significant rise in heart rates than it being an overall scary movie. The best thing The Invisible Man did was highlight one of the horror genre’s biggest strengths, which is the unseen. The unseen, especially before a jump scare, is precisely why jump scares often work. It’s also why ghost stories remain so effective. The Conjuring and Insidious are other modern examples of effectively scary films, even if they don’t inspire the same widespread fear as The Exorcist ; however, I do think The Conjuring has created another issue permeating modern horror: branding. The Conjuring has ultimately become its own cinematic universe, taking the loosest bit of “true stories” and weaving them into a film that somehow ties into the real-life paranormal investigators/charlatan couple, the Warrens. Annabelle and the Nun have both become leaders of their own spin-off franchises, but like with movie monsters, the more that is shown, the less scary these characters are. The greatest example of this is Annabelle Comes Home , the third film featuring the demonic doll. It serves as a fun romp through the Warrens’ occult museum, but it’s more focused on setting up new spinoffs and serving as a litmus test to see what the studios can turn into a film later than it is delivering scares. The first two The Conjuring films focused more on ghosts and the unseen, but the spinoffs have turned into a whole ‘nother thing. Same thing can be said about what The Walking Dead has done to the zombie. Though the show uses practical makeup and effects, and is technically a horror show, it’s more of a brand than anything else at this point. People do not watch it to get scared. Anecdotally, it feels like a show for people who dislike horror, as the only fans of the show that I know aren’t typically horror people. It’s a post-apocalyptic survival show that uses zombies as a selling point. The zombies are almost irrelevant at this point, and they certainly aren’t scaring anyone. So, is there anything that can be done to revitalize the horror in horror? The answer is I’m unsure. The ghost story still seems effective, building upon the notion of the unseen, and a lot of fear can be generated from items moving around inexplicably. As for any creature features, there is an uphill climb to get away from the recent norm of computer-generated spectacle. CGI monsters don’t inspire fear, zombies have been overdone, and practical effects are becoming rarer and rarer. Lovecraftian tales are a little more effective as they typically deal with unknown and unseen forces, while also blending them with bizarre and horrific practical effects (two notable examples being Annihilation ’s bear and the fused bodies in The Color Out of Space ). There’s also the fact that I think the indifference and nihilism within Lovecraftian stories represents the current cultural landscape really well, as the state of the world has left many feeling hopeless. These types of stories may prove to be more effective in horrifying and inspiring dread, especially among younger generations who dread every day life. And in the prior statement lies my final point: the world is scary. There is so much instability and anxiety in every factor of real life that horror can barely compare. There is hardly a singular monster we can channel all our insecurities into like in days past. For Cold War insecurities, we had pod people and The Thing . For a youth culture interested in breaking the taboos of premarital sex and recreational drug use, the slasher entered the scene. Wartime scandals like Abu Ghraib were mirrored by torture porn like Hostel and Saw . Now, we have all that and more, and it’s everywhere…television, news, social media, a crowded street, the dinner table. We can’t escape it, and the only truly scary thing is the feeling of “oh, god, what’s next?” Hardly anything can compare to “not knowing” and the unexplainable, which is why I feel ghost stories still manage to maintain a hold on audiences most consistently. It’s also why I feel that Lovecraftian horror is maybe the only chance we have at making films truly scary again. The unknown is terrifying, especially when one considers all of the known horrors in the world. At the end of the day, though, horror is in the eye of the beholder. There is no one thing that scares everyone anymore. Horror has expanded to a plethora of subgenres and niches. Still, it has managed to stay relevant, and is beginning to reemerge as a more popular genre following films like Get Out and Hereditary . Recent films like Barbarian and Terrifier 2 are showing film studios that there is a market for good horror, and more importantly, that these films don’t need a huge budget or an over-reliance on CGI to be successful. Hell, Terrifier 2 has had some of the best viral marketing I’ve seen thanks to the leaked clip that so many found too gruesome (personally, I thought it was hilarious, but different strokes for different folks). Ultimately, the future of horror as a genre seems to be in good hands, but it remains to be seen what that means in terms of actual scares. Photo Credits: Photo 1, 4, 7, 8 - Universal Pictures; Photo 2, 3, 6 - 20th Century Studios; Photo 5, 10 - Paramount Pictures; Photo 9 - Warner Bros.; Photo 11 - Bloody Disgusting

Previous Next June 17, 2022 WRITTEN BY: JOSEPH As we come to the halfway point of Pride Month, I feel it’s important to shine a light on some spectacular queer films and series. Sadly, due to the likes of the Hays Code and the Legion of Decency (perfect supervillain group name, btw), many minorities, including queer people, were unable to be depicted on screen in the early to mid-20th century, so the entries on this list are relatively recent. That being said, these titles barely scratch the surface of queer media, and I implore you to seek out the beautiful work being done on a daily basis by the queer community. As for the list, while some titles may be more about the subtext, others are more direct and explicit. I did my best to include the underseen gems and less traditional options that often get overshadowed by more mainstream fare. That’s why you won’t see the likes of Moonlight and Schitt’s Creek below. Nevertheless, I feel there is something on this list for everyone, and I hope you walk away from this article with at least one new entry for your Watch Queue. But, more importantly, I hope you come to understand that the LGBTQ+ community is not a monolith. It’s a wide spectrum, and queer representation on screen should be depicted as such. Hopefully, as society begins to embrace alternate lifestyles more and more, so will Hollywood. I wish you all a Happy Pride Month, and may you all live your truest, fullest lives! WEEKEND (2011) While I haven’t seen the classic Before trilogy starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, Weekend has aptly been regarded by many as its queer contemporary. Following a one-night stand, Russell (Tom Cullen) and Glen (Chris New) begin to form a bond over the course of Glen’s last weekend before he leaves the country. The film asks its viewers the question “can you fall in love in just three days?” As they spend more time together, you find it increasingly believable that the answer is “yes.” It’s arguably the best gay romance ever made, and one that has not been granted the same level of praise as similar films such as Call Me by Your Name . BOYS DON'T CRY (1999) There has been plenty of debate regarding cisgendered actors portraying trans characters in recent years, but it’s hard to deny that Hilary Swank gives an amazing performance as Brandon Teena in Boys Don’t Cry . The film follows Teena’s last days as he experiences romance and friendship in the lead up to a tragically violent death. The true story is heartbreaking, and the film does a great job of capturing that pain. Along with that, it goes the extra mile to show Teena’s process in transitioning from pre-op transgendered male to present masculine. The film was originally rated NC-17 in the United States, and it certainly came with a fair share of controversies, including concerns about historical accuracy; however, it’s an undeniably powerful film that, while not a happy watch, definitely leaves an impression. COWBOYS (2020) It’s hard to think of a film that was as fully overlooked at awards time as Cowboys . This quaint character piece of a man trying to support his young, transgendered son is heart wrenching. Steve Zahn gives the performance of his career, playing to his strengths and showcasing a talent that had been previously unseen for the most part. It’s an emotional coming of age film that deserves your attention. MYSTERIOUS SKIN (2004) Filmmaker Gregg Araki has become more appreciated as the years have gone by, but I don’t think it’s controversial to say Mysterious Skin is his best work as a director. The film is an adaptation of Scott Heim’s novel of the same name, which follows two young men in a small town - one is a hustler (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and the other (Brady Corbet) believes he was abducted by aliens. The film is a sickening yet beautiful portrayal of how trauma manifests itself. Araki does a spectacular job at directing certain scenes in a way that evokes the appropriate feelings of disgust while also capturing a sense of whimsy. It’s one of my favorite films, and while it’s not for everyone, it is a must-watch. EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE (2021) In terms of Pride, good luck finding a film that’s more loud and proud than Everybody’s Talking About Jamie . Based on the hit stage production of the same name, this musical follows a high schooler’s (Max Harwood) journey to becoming a drag queen. The music is an absolute blast and the film itself is visually stunning. There are a multitude of traditional high school themes and tropes, but they're all done full justice in the telling of this unique story. It’s a great example of how to properly adapt a musical and bring the energy of the stage to the screen. Good luck watching this without smiling the whole way through. GOOD MANNERS (2017) You’ve probably never heard of this Brazilian film, but Good Manners should be on the top of any queer horror film list. It’s filled with so much heart and tenderness that it’s absolutely adorable at times. Yes, a tender and adorable horror movie, but it’s hard to describe it without those words. Go into it blind, expect some sad moments and some deaths, but mostly, be prepared for a unique film experience and a creature feature like no other. KNIFE+HEART (2018) Another international film that should top queer horror lists is Knife+Heart . This film isn’t for the faint-hearted, as it follows a gay porn studio whose stars are being killed off one by one. Done in Giallo-style, Knife+Heart is a colorful treat that is more cerebral than scary, yet it nevertheless delivers. Sure, it’s explicit with its violence and sexuality, but with a premise like that, what else would you expect? G.B.F. (2013) G.B.F. is a fantastic teen comedy that had a small cult following around its release that has since dwindled somewhat. Standing for “Gay Best Friend,” the movie follows a freshly outed teen (Michael J. Willett) who is being sought after by various popular girls who feel that having a gay best friend is necessary to their popularity. There are a lot of moving parts, but it touches on friendships and self-acceptance while making you laugh the whole way through. Along with that, it shows why Pride is so necessary to make a statement and that queer identities are not there to just help people get social points or virtue signal. LUCA (2021) In early 2022, Pixar employees claimed that Disney and Pixar had cut out nearly all gay affection and explicit representation in their films, which highlighted that corporate meddling had derailed the storytellers’ attempts to be inclusive. When hearing that, one film that instantly came to mind is Luca . A film about two friends sharing the same hidden identity that could get them hurt if they went public feels like it was meant to be a queer story in many ways. Even if it wasn't, the subtext is strong enough that it can be embraced as such, especially considering the powerful final words from the grandmother. WE ARE WHO WE ARE (2020) Jack Dylan Grazer is one of the most talented up-and-coming actors in Hollywood, and his work in We Are Who We Are really puts that on full display. This miniseries certainly has its primary characters, but it’s really an ensemble piece that explores issues of love, infidelity, identity, and life. It’s a multifaceted, multi-layered series that hits on every human emotion. It can best be described as “just good vibes.” NOW APOCALYPSE (2019) Another Gregg Araki entry, Now Apocalypse highlights sexuality and self-discovery between young people through Araki’s bizarre indie film style and a neon-soaked backdrop. The characters are filled with so much life and personality that it's a shame the show was canceled after one season. Now Apocalypse is a statement that sexuality is essential to the human condition and that there are multiple ways to display it with personal zeal and agency. It’s weird, quirky, and fun. HERE COMES YOUR MAN (2021- PRESENT) Dekkoo is an up-and-coming streaming service that focuses on primarily queer content, and their original series Here Comes Your Man is one of the best things I’ve seen on the platform. It’s a truly independent show that feels as professional and well-funded as anything I’ve seen. Writer/director Omar Salas Zamora understands what he wants out of his story and absolutely delivers. While it could stand alone as a miniseries, I am looking forward to the upcoming second season. If the aforementioned Weekend catches your eye, you’ll definitely want to check out this show about a year-long, unexpected gay romance. HOLLYWOOD (2020) In another world, things like the Hays Code and Legion of Decency would have been nipped in the bud, but sadly, too many studio executives gave in to the pressure. Well, what if they didn’t? Ryan Murphy’s miniseries Hollywood reimagines the past through an alternate timeline that allows us to imagine a brave new world where individuals like Rock Hudson could be openly gay and not blackmailed via threat of being outed. It’s not a flawless show and things work out a little too well, but it's nice to imagine a world where progress started a lot earlier, begging the question: Where would we be now? EVERY DISNEY MOVIE WITH A MEMORABLE VILLAIN Admittedly, this is a bit of a hot take, but one that I am standing my ground on. See, back in the day when Hollywood was lousy with censorship due to things like the Hays Code, queer characters were left in the shadows since they couldn’t be explicitly shown on screen. As a result, to some degree of mockery, there were certain signs of a character being queer. Typically, the telltale signs were flamboyance, being unwed, and being the villain. Some are explicit, like The Little Mermaid ’s Ursula, whose look was directly inspired by drag queen Divine; meanwhile, others are a little less clear, like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs ’ Evil Queen or 101 Dalmatians ’ Cruella de Vil. Still, these specific traits are shared by so many Disney villains. Despite the original intent to villainize the queer community, many of these characters have been reclaimed by the community and are queer icons now. Disney seems to have made better, though still questionable, efforts with recent representation though, from the genderfluid aliens Pleakley and Jumba in Lilo & Stitch to Frozen ’s queer-coded ice queen Elsa. There’s more work to do, but incremental progress is still progress. Photo Credits: Photo 1 - Peccadillo Pictures; Photo 2 - Searchlight Pictures; Photo 3 - Samuel Goldwyn Films; Photo 4 - Palisades Tartan; Photo 5 - Amazon Studios; Photo 6 - Imovision; Photo 7 - Memento Films; Photo 8 - Vertical Entertainment; Photo 9, 14 Disney; Photo 10 - HBO; Photo 11 - Starz; Photo 12 - Dekkoo; Photo 13 - Netflix

MAYOR OF KINGSTOWN: SEASON FOUR Starring: Jeremy Renner, Hugh Dillon, Tobi Bamtefa, Taylor Handley, Derek Webster, Hamish Allan-Headley, Nishi Munshi, Necar Zadegan, Laura Benanti, Lennie James, and Edie Falco Creators: Taylor Sheridan and Hugh Dillon QUENTIN With a soft reboot in its fourth — and, by some reports, penultimate — season, Mayor of Kingstown has emerged as the best and most consistent of Taylor Sheridan’s seven(!) Paramount+ properties (I am, admittedly, still catching up on Landman ’s second season). Jeremy Renner’s star power and relatable too-old-for-this-shit energy, alongside new cast additions Edie Falco and Lennie James, goes a long way, but the character chemistry, layered storytelling, and willingness to not play it safe makes the bleak exploration of gang warfare and enduring corruption endlessly compelling, if not relentlessly grim. It’s easily the best season so far, just in time for (maybe) a stretch run. ROBERT Paramount+ is boosted by three entities: NFL football, CBS procedurals, and Taylor Sheridan. He creates and writes gritty American stories, with one of his best being Wind River . From his work on that came a relationship with Jeremy Renner and Mayor of Kingstown . By Season Four, the show knows what it is, but unfortunately, it coasts off its mature rating and star power, with conclusions coming too easily and silly character decisions undercutting plot threads spun out over multiple episodes. I respect how danger lurks constantly and no one, outside of Renner, feels safe to see another day, but otherwise, Kingstown feels inconsequential. Check out our reviews for Season Three HERE .