Aarcflick

 Everyone you know is fighting a battle you know nothing about. It’s a cliché because it’s true, and it could be the motto of Pixar’s best creations: its animations have revealed the hidden feelings of toys, monsters, and even cars. That idea is what drives Win or Lose, the studio’s latest TV series, and in the moments when it fully commits to its philosophy, it offers a powerful call to empathy with a knowing smile. We watch the Pickles, a high school softball team led by swaggering father-coach Dan (Will Forte), as they play a crucial game. They win! They thus get a chance to play in the state championship seven days later, which is as terrifying as it is exciting. That’s the foundation on which each installment is built. Like a sports version of the multi-perspective arthouse classic Rashomon, we keep replaying the events of the same week, but through the eyes of a new person each time. Stars: Winston Vengapally, Chanel Stewart, Josh Thomson First up is Laurie (Rosie Foss), who ...

Steven Knight, the prolific writer, director and producer known for Peaky Blinders and Eastern Promises, returns to period television with another riveting series. A Thousand Blows is a six-episode pugilistic drama set in grimy 1880s East London, where ruthless gangsters rule the grimy, impoverished streets against a backdrop of ugly Victorian classism, racism and sexism. The story follows three radically different protagonists as they try to get ahead in a literally cutthroat world. An ensemble cast of iconic characters intertwines as plans for a better life have devastating consequences. Hezekiah Moscow (Malachi Kirby) and Alec Munroe (Francis Lovehall) are overwhelmed by the bustle of London when they step off their ship from Jamaica. The black men in straw hats and plantation clothes realise their status as second-class citizens as they search for cheap accommodation. They have little money but big dreams. Hezekiah has convinced Alec, his childhood best friend, to come along. They ...

 Elena (Sandra Echeverría) and Carlos (Michel Brown) are getting divorced. They are both very happy to finally be free of each other, until they remember how Cupid made a mistake in bringing them together and then Cupid magically appears taking them back to the night they met. The Spanish-language romantic comedy starts off fast and funny and then turns weirdly horrifying. The first half makes good use of time travel. The older characters come face to face with their younger selves, they can talk to them and interact with them. For them, it's simple, they just have to avoid falling in love. The younger duo is inherently drawn to each other and brings a very light and whimsical romance to the fun and funny premise. Director: Roberto Girault Writer: Roberto Girault Stars: Javier Adrián, Marypaz Aparicio, Harold Azuara The more we try to stop the younger Elena and Carlos from falling in love, the more the movie becomes too extreme. The older Elena, out of nowhere, decides she needs a ...

 Angela Bassett, Joan Allen, Connie Britton, Jesse Plemons, and Lizzy Caplan co-star in a series about politicians trying to find answers after a deadly cyberattack. During a break in the second half of Netflix’s six-part political thriller Zero Day (and there are more breaks than there should be), I began to contemplate how much more efficiently the show’s central crisis could be resolved with the help of Owen Hendricks, the protagonist of Netflix’s The Recruit, or Peter Sutherland, the protagonist of Netflix’s The Night Agent. Creators: Eric Newman, Noah Oppenheim, Michael Schmidt Stars: Robert De Niro, Jesse Plemons, Lizzy Caplan The last few Netflix political thrillers have largely become fungible due to the streaming platform’s compact release schedule. The Diplomat is the best of this bunch, so I’ll leave it out of the conversation. The Recruit is a silly show, but it dives into its absurdities with a reckless, fast-paced abandon that I appreciate. The Night Agent takes itsel...

 Perkins’ disappointing adaptation of a Stephen King story is about twin brothers who hate each other, but mostly it’s about senseless mayhem. In a film landscape where horror never stops, “Longlegs,” released last summer, managed to have more impact than the usual boo-and-forget-in-a-week. It was a serial killer mystery with a gently creepy atmosphere and a brilliant performance by Nicolas Cage, who settled under long hair and pounds of makeup as a sick, androgynous ringmaster who reminded me of no one so much as the Witchiepoo character from “H.R. Pufnstuf.” “Longlegs” established its writer-director, Osgood Perkins (the 50-year-old son of Anthony Perkins), as a force in the horror genre. I wasn’t as thrilled with the movie as a lot of people, though. It was most effective when the fear built up around Cage’s performance. But as the mystery unfolded, it turned out we were watching an over-the-top supernatural movie about an evil, occult-doll. It was clear that Osgood Perkins had ...

 The Mother Lode, the second comedy special from SNL writer, actress, and comedian Rosebud Baker, will premiere globally on Netflix on February 18. Taped months apart over two sold-out nights at New York City’s Comedy Cellar, the special shows Baker before and after giving birth. With the juxtaposition of these experiences, she discusses how to navigate the unknown in the evolutionary journey of parenthood, delving into the decision to have children, the indignities of childbirth, the pros and cons of losing your identity in motherhood, the generational divides of parenting, as well as coming to the difficult decision to retire from giving head, and more. Director: Rosebud Baker Writer: Rosebud Baker Star: Rosebud Baker The Mother Lode marks the directorial debut of Baker, who performs her own material and also served as a producer, with Alex Goodman and Jason Katz serving as executive producers. If you have kids, this special is for you. If you don’t want kids at all, this special...