Tony Sokol
‘Pluribus’: Rhea Seehorn Seethes With Loneliness in Vince Gilligan’s Brilliantly Enigmatic Sci-Fi Series
Apple TV Plus • Published on November 2025
It’s lonely, being right. In “Pluribus,” Rhea Seehorn’s Carol Sturka is a speculative history romance writer who hates her own books, and feels the same about the people who read them, or…
‘Down Cemetery Road’: Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson Excel as Reluctant Spies in Apple TV+’s Mick Herron Adaptation
Apple TV Plus • Published on October 2025
Allegedly, military Intelligence is not as bright as it would like the public to believe. In Apple TV+’s new British thriller series, human error and rushed judgement expose a horrific secret being contained…
Radu Jude’s Chaotic, Satiric ‘Dracula’ Anthology Is Both the Most Brilliant and Stupidest Comedy of the Year
Dracula • Published on October 2025
The legend of Romania’s most renowned ruler, Vlad “The Impaler” Tepes, has been told many times. Perhaps too many. The myth, which grew from it, even more. Radu Jude, the Romanian screenwriter and…
‘Hedda’: Tessa Thompson Shines Darkly in Nia DaCosta’s Stylized Reinvention of Henrik Ibsen Classic
Features • Published on October 2025
Social events celebrate barely covert warfare in “Hedda,” writer-director Nia DaCosta’s compelling adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s classic 1891 play, “Hedda Gabler.” Tessa Thompson brings confident stagecraft to the screen to almost capture…
‘Talamasca: The Secret Order’ Sets a New Stage for the Anne Rice Immortal Universe
AMC • Published on October 2025
AMC is inducting an overseer to the Anne Rice Immortal Universe. “Talamasca: The Secret Order” bridges “Interview with the Vampire” and “The Mayfair Witches” through characters who can pass in both worlds.
Kathryn Bigelow’s ‘A House of Dynamite’ Is a Waking Nuclear Nightmare With No End
A House of Dynamite • Published on October 2025
Doomsday will have to wait. Director Kathryn Bigelow sets up a nuclear scenario in “A House of Dynamite,” and forces fears to play out offscreen. Onscreen is a tense race to an…
HBO’s ‘The Chair Company’ Finds Tim Robinson at His Deranged Best
Features • Published on October 2025
Any workplace comedy is one of manners, usually dictated by Human Resources, but in Tim Robinson’s hands, “The Chair Company” sits on social awkwardness. The HBO series begins with his character, Ron…
‘The Lost Bus’: Matthew McConaughey Navigates a Group of Children Through a Raging Inferno in Real-Life Wildfire Drama
America Ferrera • Published on October 2025
In 2018, the Camp Fire decimated the town of Paradise, CA. It was the deadliest wildfire in California history, killing 85 people, razing more than 150,000 acres, and displacing countless families. The blaze…
‘Wayward’: Troubled Teens Attempt to Leap Over the Cuckoo’s Nest in Mae Martin’s Eerie Psychological Thriller
Features • Published on September 2025
There is no end to the torments inflicted on teenagers for dark entertainment. Detention in Netflix’s “Wayward” offers to take away the pain, along with any memory, personality quirk, or smirky smile…
Steven Knight’s ‘House of Guinness’ Taps the Sweet Spot Between ‘Succession’ and ‘Peaky Blinders’
Features • Published on September 2025
Netflix’s “House of Guinness” is a stout dynastic drama poured with precision, and just the right amount of fizz. From “Peaky Blinders” creator Steven Knight, this story of the Guinness brewing family…
‘The Girlfriend’: Robin Wright and Olivia Cooke Turn ‘Psycho’ Dynamic Around, but Keep It in the Family
Features • Published on September 2025
Like mother, like potential daughter-in-law, “The Girlfriend” is a tale of two psychos. Based on Michelle Frances’ 2017 novel, this eight-episode Prime Video limited series is a blistering and paranoid take on…
‘Everything’s Going to Be Great’: Bryan Cranston and Allison Janney Chase Theater Dreams To Realistic Closure
Allison Janney • Published on June 2025
Young theater people are among the most enthusiastic artists, especially as they get older. Director Jon S. Baird gracefully curbs this optimism in “Everything’s Going to Be Great,” by imposing reality on seemingly impossible dreams.
‘The Waterfront’ Could Be a Gripping Crime Story If It Dumped the Soapy Family Drama
Features • Published on June 2025
There is something fishy going on in Havenport, NC. Sheriff Clyde Porter (Michael Gaston) isn’t paying much attention, and an abandoned beached vessel is not declared by the owner of the largest family-owned…
‘Dangerous Animals’: Sean Byrne’s Horror Mashup Is a Big Fish Tale With Loads of Chum
Dangerous Animals • Published on June 2025
Australian director Sean Byrne’s “Dangerous Animals” is a mixed-genre survival thriller which weaponizes sharks in a newly exploitive twist: unknowingly playing second mate to a seafaring serial killer. Think “Saw” on the…
‘One to One: John & Yoko’ Promotes Immediacy Over Nostalgia for an Intimate Portrait of Artists in Flux
Features • Published on April 2025
Kevin Macdonald’s “One to One: John & Yoko” is an emotionally rich recounting of what led to the two concerts John Lennon and Yoko Ono performed with the Plastic Ono Elephant’s Memory…
‘The Friend’: Naomi Watts and Bill Murray Postpone Grief Through a Sensitive Great Dane
Bill Murray • Published on March 2025
Midway through “The Friend,” writer Iris (Naomi Watts) says children are taught to worry animals will come to bad ends because of fairy tales, and sad fictions like “Old Yeller,” “The Red…
Netflix’s ‘Adolescence’ Is a Brilliantly Brutal Examination of Extremist Incel Culture and Misogynistic Violence
Adolescence • Published on March 2025
Netflix’s “Adolescence” is a major step forward for crime dramas, both in streaming and theatrical releases. The most basic premise, a teenager accused of killing a classmate, is familiar territory for the…
‘The Order’: Jude Law Hunts Neo-Nazis in Justin Kurzel’s Cautionary True-Crime Thriller
Features • Published on December 2024
Australian director Justin Kurzel’s “The Order” is a throwback to unsung classic federal police procedurals of the 1980s, including underlying social messaging, and emotionally fractured law enforcement personnel. Jude Law plays Terry…
‘Black Doves’: Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw Mix Espionage and Murder in Darkly Festive Thriller
Ben Whishaw • Published on December 2024
Double lives, political intrigue, targeted murders, and Parliamentary cocktail receptions are just another Wednesday in Netflix’s suspenseful and convoluted new series “Black Doves.” The rest of the week tends to escalate for…
‘The Piano Lesson’ Adapts August Wilson’s Rhythms To Cinematic Beats for a Classic Ensemble Performance
August Wilson • Published on November 2024
Prolific playwright August Wilson was one of the most ingenious storytellers. The cinematic adaptation of his Pulitzer Prize-winning “The Piano Lesson,” the fifth play in Wilson’s cycle surrounding Pittsburgh, uses horror as…