BEFORE Starring: Billy Crystal, Jacobi Jupe, Rosie Perez, Judith Light, Maria Dizzia, and Ava Lalezarzadeh Creator: Sarah Thorp QUENTIN Apple TV+’s Before does a great job at setting atmosphere, stewing in moodiness, and raising questions about the ways in which everything connects. However, in mostly focusing on the vibe of it all, it sacrifices character development. Despite my general intrigue in the mystery, I was never invested in Noah (Jacobi Jupe) or Eli (a somewhat miscast Billy Crystal) as people, which makes for a hollow viewing experience, since they are merely blank pawns to get to the next unexplained apparition and half-hearted “revelation” that rarely offers answers to the questions posed. On the plus side, the episodes are only 30 minutes each.

REBOOT: SEASON ONE Starring: Keegan-Michael Key, Johnny Knoxville, Rachel Bloom, Judy Greer, Calum Worthy, Krista Marie Yu, and Paul Reiser Creator: Steven Levitan NICK Reboot is a show made for people who grew up watching (and still have an affinity for) the golden age of sitcoms. It’s a fun mix of new and old, featuring the classic ideals doled out in an adult manner. It’s smartly written, providing several laugh-out-loud moments, and it features a cast that somehow works well together. Everyone plays to their strengths: Keegan Michael-Key is over the top, Johnny Knoxville is crass and a bit of a mess, Judy Greer is... well Judy Greer, and Paul Reiser brings it all together. Sometimes, when you strike gold, it's best not to question things. QUENTIN Despite the interesting premise, terrific cast, and freedom to push the envelope, Reboot seems content to play out like a network sitcom with some F-bombs (and one very unnecessary topless scene) lazily thrown in. Its meta leanings are somewhat clever, but most of the jokes are tired and lazy. I mean, the running theme of the writer’s room scenes is “old people aren’t progressive, young people are too woke.” Paul Reiser asking, “do you remember Bugles?” is a literal joke. Hardy Har Har. For better or worse (definitely worse), this series feels like an attempt at Modern Family with an edge…an incredibly dull, butter knife’s edge.

Previous Next With the upcoming release of Creed III, the Bitesize crew has stepped into the ring and put their brains together to compile Bitesize Breakdown's consensus Top Five Fight Films. Each writer ranks his or her top 15 films in the category. Those lists are then weighted on a reverse point system. After all the points are tallied up, the entries with the most total points make up the Bitesize Top Five. 5. RAGING BULL To me, Raging Bull is the definitive fighting movie, and Jake La Motta, played by a never better Robert De Niro, is one of cinema's most captivating characters, a tragic figure that you can’t look away from for the entire two hour runtime. Once he enters the ring, it’s a brutal and emotionally devastating series of events that make it one of, if not the absolute best film Martin Scorsese has ever made. This is the bar that any fight film, or sports film in general, should aspire to reach. - Adriano 4. WARRIOR If you feel like you’ve seen Warrior before, that’s because you probably have. I’m not talking specifically about Gavin Hood’s 2011 MMA drama starring Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, and Nick Nolte. I’m talking about every other underdog film with the same exact story: mild-mannered guy needs money so he does something crazy, estranged brothers enter a tournament and fight in the final round, dead-beat dad tries to reconnect with the children that have moved on. Do you know the difference, though? Warrior has Hardy, Edgerton, and Nick-Oscar-Nominated-Nolte to tell that story. Hood’s 2011 CLASSIC sports drama is that damn great because of their performances, and once you watch it, you’ll feel like you could last three rounds. - Amarú 3. GLADIATOR Gladiator is not a traditional sports movie, but it is about competitive fighting, and Maximus' (Russell Crowe) fight through the Colosseum games to avenge his family is well worth the investment. Buoyed by an ever-excellent Joaquin Phoenix and one of Hans Zimmer's most underrated scores, Ridley Scott's swords-and-sandals epic provides the audience not only the spectacle of gladiator combat in all its glory, but the tragedy of its participants in all their dooms. - Jacob 2. THE FIGHTER The Fighter is, gloves down, one of the best boxing films ever made. Yah, I’m from Massachusetts so I may be a little biased about this Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) biopic, but with captivating performances from Wahlberg, Christian Bale, and Amy Adams, there’s no denying that this flick is something special. Truthfully, this gem is just as much about family as it is about boxing, and while the complexity of the family drama adds an intriguing angle, it’s much more than that because it leans towards the internal dilemmas a boxer may face before stepping into the ring. This is not your formulaic fighting film. - Paige 1. THE ROCKY FRANCHISE Some may view Rocky and Creed as two separate film series, but they couldn’t be more wrong. In fact, I’d argue that Creed only works as well as it does because it had six Rocky movies and nearly 40 years of character development to build upon. Over the franchise’s eight (soon to be nine) films, it is the base of comparison for all boxing movies despite not really being about boxing. To paraphrase Rocky (Sylvester Stallone), Rocky and Creed are “not about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward,” and it explores that idea through stories of family, legacy, underdogs, comebacks, friendship, and politics infused with drama, humor, emotion, iconic music, and dozens of memorable moments. - Quentin HONORABLE MENTIONS SNATCH THE KARATE KID THE WRESTLER ENTER THE DRAGON MILLION DOLLAR BABY Photo Credits: Photo 1 - United Artists; Photo 2 - Lionsgate; Photo 3 - Dreamworks Pictures; Photo 4 - Paramount Pictures; Photo 5 - Warner Bros.

WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS: SEASON SIX Starring: Kayvan Novak, Matt Berry, Natasia Demetriou, Harvey Guillén, and Mark Proksch Creator: Jemaine Clement QUENTIN In the first three episodes (all that was provided to critics), What We Do in the Shadows enters its final season firing on all the same hilarious, outlandish, and precise-chemistry-having cylinders it always has. Collectively, this triad of episodes barely has a 70-minute runtime, yet they are filled with genuine laugh-out-loud moments while setting up a story that promises interesting pathways for all involved as we approach the end of our journey with these vampires. It’s the third episode, however, that contains the biggest indicator for what this season might look like. It’s a terrific start to a bittersweet ride that I can’t wait to take. KATIE The first three episodes of the final season of What We Do In The Shadows kick off on a fang-tastic note, delivering the same hilarious character dynamics and outlandishly funny hijinks for which the show has become renowned. It playfully leans into sit-com tropes to deconstruct the narrative style in a way that feels fresh yet familiar, and raises questions that will be exciting to explore. The loveable cast sustains the show’s infinite charm and potential with their chemistry and laugh-out-loud one-liners, and I cannot wait to see where the story takes each of them.

PARISH: SEASON ONE Starring: Giancarlo Esposito, Zackary Momoh, Paula Malcomson, Skeet Ulrich, Ivan Mbakop, Bonnie Mbuli, Arica Himmel, Dax Rey, and Bradley Whitford Creators: Danny Brocklehurst, Sunu Gonera, and Theo Travers QUENTIN While Parish is certainly watchable, especially as a background show while doing mindless tasks on the couch, there is no real reason to watch outside of some better-than-the-series-deserves performances from Giancarlo Esposito (in a lead role, finally) and Bradley Whitford (in a recurring role). Otherwise, it’s a generically standard crime show. Parish (Esposito) escaped a life of crime only to be pulled back in by his old partner. There is a menacingly calm crime boss from Africa who has a hot-headed brother. Loyalties are tested. There are gunfights and car chases. It’s all very fine and very unremarkable. Extra points for only being six episodes, though.

WILLOW: SEASON ONE Starring: Warwick Davis, Ellie Bamber, Ruby Cruz, Erin Kellyman, Tony Revolori, Amar Chadha-Patel, and Dempsey Bryk Creator: Jonathan Kasdan AMARÚ If you can get past the medieval-era teenagers speaking like the TikTok generation (with half being British and the other half being…not) and the word-vomit of encyclopedia-level exposition, then you might accept Willow ’s chosen tone. While the latter episodes improve and the visuals are great, I still wasn’t a fan of the series’ choices. Warwick Davis (Willow) and Erin Kellyman (Jade) try to elevate the lore-dumps that move us from one decent set-piece to another, but unfortunately, delivering dialogue isn’t the cast’s strong suit. This first season might be described as fun by some, but that wouldn’t be my description. QUENTIN As a huge fan with fond memories of the 1988 fantasy classic, it pains me to write that Willow , Disney+’s sequel series, is borderline unwatchable. Disney seems to have created the series as direct competition for Netflix’s glut of YA fantasy programming because it certainly isn’t a show for thirtysomethings who grew up with the film. This is cheesy CW shit. And the acting? Child, it’s bad. Even overlooking the fact that most of the characters sound like American teenagers you’d overhear at the mall, the cast’s talent level is such that it exacerbates the cringe cheesiness instead of overcoming it. It’s a massive disappointment. JTE No, you're not dreaming. They actually did make a sequel series to Willow . Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to see this story continued in a film, let alone an eight episode series. Thankfully, the makers of the show are big fans of the original film, and the love and care they have for the mythos are present throughout. This series is out to entertain from beginning to end, a goal they more than accomplish, and the lighter tone is welcomed, especially when compared to the seriousness of The Rings of Power . PAIGE Sorry, Disney, but y’all dropped the crystal ball on this one. Compared to Game of Thrones and The Rings of Power , Willow is absolute crap. While feeling cheap and flat, it fails to recreate any of the charm or magic found in the film. Plus, I couldn’t connect with any of the new characters, especially because they feel way too contemporary and modern. Still, I stuck with it, hoping for at least a fun adventure with the titular sorcerer, but, boy, was I sadly mistaken. Willow (Warwick Davis) is left in the dust on this journey, feeling like a secondary character in his own show.

THE STAIRCASE Starring: Colin Firth, Toni Collette, Michael Stuhlbarg, Dane DeHaan, Olivia DeJonge, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Sophie Turner, Odessa Young, Rosemarie DeWitt, Tim Guinee, Parker Posey, Juliette Binoche, and Vincent Vermignon Creator: Antonio Campos ADRIANO The Staircase is incredible. While its early momentum isn’t maintained throughout, each episode is intense, gripping, and fascinating. It never feels like it’s giving us too much information either, doling out just enough to understand what’s happening without confusing us. Although I imagine some aspects were dramatized from the real story, it stays grounded while never seeming romanticized. The entire ensemble gives knockout performances, with Colin Firth giving what is potentially a career best performance. My one complaint is that the subplot involving the documentary crew felt unnecessary, but even then, this is one of the best shows of the year.

Previous Next Even though Ridley Scott's The Dog Stars has moved dates, it still gave us a reason to look back on our favourite post-apocalyptic media. So, the Bitesize crew has put their brains together to compile Bitesize Breakdown's consensus Top Five Post-Apocalyptic Films/Series. As per usual, each writer ranks their top 15 releases in the category. Those lists are then weighted on a reverse point system. After all the points are tallied up, the entries with the most total points make up the Bitesize Top Five. 5. A QUIET PLACE Creating new worlds in cinema isn't easy, and it's especially hard in horror; that’s why the genre is filled with so many remakes. A Quiet Place manages to take an original idea and create a new world that has currently run three films deep. The concept is inventive, and the idea of a world devoid of sound due to fear is genuinely terrifying. To those who saw this in a well-behaved theatre, it’s likely an experience you won’t soon forget, with its great performances, solid creature design, and an impressive amount of tension. Although zombies tend to get most of the headlines when it comes to post-apocalyptic content, don’t sleep on A Quiet Place . - Nick 4. SNOWPIERCER I personally believe director Bong Joon Ho’s Snowpiercer is one of the strongest films in the post-apocalyptic genre. What makes it stand above the rest is that it’s more than just one thing. Its brilliant concept tackles themes of class, humanity, and global warming. Not to mention, instead of having the usual wasteland backdrop, it sets humanity on a moving train (which is a metaphor in and of itself) that’s traveling through a frozen world after a failed climate experiment. Featuring intense action sequences, and memorable performances from Chris Evans, Jamie Bell, Song Kang-ho, Octavia Spencer, and especially Tilda Swinton, this film is a brutal, yet inventive and entertaining ride that keeps the tension high throughout. - Paige 3. CHILDREN OF MEN When speaking of post-apocalyptic world-building, Children of Men is a prime example of how to do it flawlessly. The physical and mental tolls on the characters in director Alfonso Cuarón’s dystopian masterpiece are well fleshed out, emotionally gratifying, and thrilling; often all at once. There are no creatures or zombies in sight, just humanity reacting like... well, humans, to an infertility crisis. From then on, the entertainment value is there in glorious spades with numerous chase sequences, but the real meat of Children of Me n comes in the form of personal conflict. It’s a perfect apocalyptic film, as human behaviour takes centre stage amongst it all. - Adriano 2. THE MATRIX You may not think of The Wachowski’s masterpiece when talking about post-apocalyptic movies, but there’s no denying that the first shot of the dark, gray, sun-deprived reality where humans are harvested hits hard for this industry-altering action film. The Matrix will forever be held in the highest regards no matter what list it infiltrates. The imagery it evokes will land in every montage, film class, tribute, and movie lexicon from here to eternity because there was nothing like it before it dropped and there was nothing that could escape its referential gravity after. 1999 changed movie history for the better, and The Matrix changing what post-apocalyptic movies can do is a major reason why. - Amarú 1. MAD MAX: FURY ROAD No one does post-apocalypse better than director George Miller, and you need look no further than his Mad Max series as an example - especially as it’s evolved from a low-budget dystopian revenge tale to a gargantuan examination of a whole world gone mad. Fury Road , its fourth installment, feels like the most definitive statement one could make about the latter. It’s a relentless two-hour chase scene across a destroyed landscape. Conflicts are resolved with all sorts of weapons. Trust is built rarely with words, but with meaningful glances. At nearly every moment, action is emphasized, and it deepens the need for survival, the struggle for redemption, and the hope for a new kind of humanity. There’s a reason its influence was felt immediately in 2015, and is still felt over a decade later. - Bode HONORABLE MENTIONS 28 YEARS LATER ZOMBIELAND DREDD THE LAST OF US I AM LEGEND

DEATH AND OTHER DETAILS: SEASON ONE Starring: Violett Beane, Mandy Patinkin, Lauren Patten, Rahul Kohli, Angela Zhou, Hugo Diego Garcia, Linda Emond, and Pardis Saremi Creators: Heidi Cole McAdams and Mike Weiss QUENTIN Death and Other Details is blatant algorithm-driven content. The formula? Glass Onion x The White Lotus + Only Murders in the Building with a dash of Succession . Perhaps unsurprisingly, this results in uninspired drivel. The dual murder mysteries are uninteresting, lacking a hook to keep viewers engaged during the copious amount of setup. Doubly bad is that the characters, even Mandy Patinkin’s Rufus Cotesworth (complete with a terrible accent – an effort to mimic Benoit Blanc, no doubt), are ultimately shallow vessels used to drive the overly convoluted yet ambiguous plot. For a whodunnit to miss on both mystery and characters, the case should simply remain unsolved.

BLACK MIRROR: SEASON SEVEN Starring: Rashida Jones, Chris O'Dowd, Tracee Ellis Ross, Siena Kelly, Rosy McEwen, Issa Rae, Awkwafina, Emma Corrin, Peter Capaldi, Paul Giamatti, Patsy Ferran, Cristin Milioti, Jimmi Simpson and Jesse Plemons Creator: Charlie Brooker PAIGE The dystopian sci-fi anthology series makes a strong comeback with its seventh season. While it may not be Black Mirror ’s at its best, it at least brings back the thought-provoking stories that viewers have craved and been missing over the past few seasons. There are some shortcomings in a couple of the episodes, but each episode dives into the dark and unsettling effects that these futuristic technologies bring to society. This season certainly reignites the show's trademark blend of horror and mockery, too. Longtime fans will certainly appreciate the return to form of the chilling yet imaginative season that reminds us why Black Mirror is one of the most fascinating series still running. Check out our reviews for Season Six HERE .

SUGAR: SEASON ONE Starring: Colin Farrell, Kirby, Amy Ryan, Nate Corddry, Dennis Boutsikaris, Alex Hernandez, Anna Gunn, James Cromwell, and Eric Lange Creator: Mark Protosevich QUENTIN If one can get past the weird directorial choices, Sugar is a thoroughly engaging hard-boiled detective noir that harkens back to the days of Humphrey Bogart. That is, until an absolutely bonkers reveal in Episode Six mostly derails everything. That aside, Colin Farrell is typically great, but the overall pacing might be off-putting for some. I binged the series in one sitting, and I can’t imagine the frustration of watching it weekly. I really wish I could say more without getting spoilery because I want to talk about that twist so badly, but, for now, I can only say Sugar is terrific until it isn’t. NICK Although Sugar has a series-altering twist late in its inaugural season, the majority of the show is a love letter to detective stories of the Golden Age. Led by the perfectly cast Colin Farrell as private investigator John Sugar, the series uses a mix of narration and vintage film clips to tell its story, which it does in highly engaging fashion. Hell, it’s flat out great. Then comes that twist… it doesn’t ruin the series, but it also doesn’t add to it. Were this a limited series, I’d have questioned the decision, but beyond this season, it opens the door for many interesting directions.

THE ACOLYTE Starring: Amandla Stenberg, Dafne Keen, Lee Jung-jae, Carrie-Anne Moss, Manny Jacinto, and Charlie Barnett Creator: Leslye Headland AMARÚ Manny Jacinto does a helluva job in The Acolyte ’s fifth episode, becoming one of the most interesting new Star Wars characters in recent memory. However, he isn’t enough to make the latter half of the season any more compelling than the first half. The other actors are fine, and a story centered around the Jedi possibly being the galaxy’s resident “Karens” is an intriguing premise, as evidenced by a fairly decent finale; by that time, though, I already didn’t care. I never found this show offensive, but I’m sure I’ll forget about it in the very near now. NICK If The Acolyte were able to maintain the energy and pace of its pilot’s opening 10 minutes, it could have been special. Unfortunately, those moments are few and far between in what amounts to a pretty mediocre Star Wars product. Playing more like a mid-tier episode of Clone Wars , The Acolyte lacks exciting characters and fails to utilize its fight scenes frequently enough. For the first time, watching these episodes felt more like a chore than something I anticipated and that’s a depressing realization for a Star Wars series. Even with a late character revelation, The Acolyte can only be viewed as a disappointment. PAIGE It’s unfortunate to say, but The Acolyte is a very dull Star Wars series, featuring stiff performances and dreary dialogue despite having a promising premise. Though the series contains some awesome fight sequences, the action is not enough to redeem this clichéd mystery that lacks depth and emotion. I will give the show credit for trying to explore the Jedi as flawed individuals, but some of the creative decisions made throughout the series occasionally left me perplexed. In the end, this series left a disturbance in the force, or, perhaps, my expectations for Star Wars are simply too high.