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 AMC's science fiction anthology series, Soulmates, caused quite a stir among fans when it premiered in 2020, both for its unique concept and the captivating characters it created in each of its six episodes. The series is set in the near future, where a corporation called Soul Connex runs a highly successful and popular program called "Soulmates," which claims to use science and data precision to find a candidate's soulmate. Although the second season of Soulmates remains canceled, we're taking a look back at the series created by William Bridges and Brett Goldstein, encouraging you to watch it if you haven't already. Creators: William Bridges, Brett Goldstein Stars: Patrick Bayele, Bill Skarsgård, Charlie Heaton Soulmates is set approximately 15 years in the future, where scientific and technological advancements have further simplified human life. In addition to making all screens—from cell phones and televisions to giant billboards—transparent and futurist...

 The second season of The Amazing World of Gumball continues to deliver wacky, bizarre, and genuinely funny episodes, along with that cliffhanger finale. The return of the Watterson family has had me on cloud nine since the first season of The Amazing World of Gumball, and I'm happy to report that the second season is just as thrilling. Having had an early look at six episodes of the upcoming second season, I continue to be excited by its ability to maintain its essence while simultaneously modernizing. Creator: Ben Bocquelet Stars: Alkaio Thiele, Hero Hunter, Teresa Gallagher As a longtime fan of the original The Amazing World of Gumball and the stellar first season of this revival, seeing Gumball and Darwin back in action will mean the world to me. The best thing about this season is undoubtedly its ability to incorporate modern themes into the series in a relatable way. The show has always worked as a reflection of the absurdities of everyday life, but the second season leans he...

Alpha, by Julia Ducournau, is a body horror coming-of-age film centered on a deadly epidemic. Contracting the disease meant turning into a marble sculpture and eventually dying. Patients transformed into almost living tombstones, helplessly awaiting the moment they would turn to dust.  The sick were ostracized and met with looks of contempt if they went outside, and perhaps only a few, like 13-year-old Alpha, felt a fascination with the living sculptures. As a child, Alpha wasn't frightened by the needle marks on her uncle's body; instead, she used them to create a pattern.  Director: Julia Ducournau Writer: Julia Ducournau Stars: Tahar Rahim, Golshifteh Farahani, Mélissa Boros Alpha was someone who found beauty in the unexpected. What began as a teenager trying to cope with prejudice against the sick soon takes a "dream within a dream" turn. At a house party, a stranger gave Alpha a tattoo. She barely remembered the event and didn't even know if the needle used w...

For a long time, my idea of ​​espionage, counterintelligence, and infiltration of national or international gangs was based on the adventures of James Bond, Ethan Hunt, and Jason Bourne. Since these franchises covered a wide range of tones and styles, I assumed I had seen it all when it came to this profession. But after watching films like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Bridge of Spies, and The Courier, I realized that this occupation can be deadly boring, complicated, and problematic all at once.  That's when I started reading about the politics behind these series and how they act as recruitment ads for intelligence agencies, glossing over all the problems in the name of nationalism. That's why I've been drawn to series like The Sympathizer, Butterfly, Prime Target, and, of course, Task, because they acknowledge the importance of security services but also address how far they've strayed from their true purpose. Now, The Copenhagen Test joins this illustrious list. Creat...

 The series follows Kang Sang-woong, an ordinary civil servant whose superhuman strength depends entirely on the amount of cash he carries, forcing him to balance heroism, money, and daily survival. I started watching Cashero expecting something light, a little silly, and forgettable. Instead, I found a series that is very aware of how ridiculous its premise sounds and uses that awareness to its advantage. This is a superhero series that doesn't care much about destiny, prophecies, or chosen ones. It cares about budgets, savings, job security, and the very real anxiety of watching your bank balance dwindle while the world demands bravery. That tension is the core of Cashero, and for the most part, the series navighes that landscape successfully. Stars: Kim Hye-jun, Kim Hyang-gi, Lee Jun-ho Kang Sang-woong isn't written as a traditional hero, and that's the series' smartest decision. He's cautious, polite, a little neurotic, and visibly stressed by responsibility eve...

NUREMBERG recounts the events leading up to the first of the twelve Nuremberg trials held by the Allies against the Nazi party. Many film buffs will be familiar with these trials thanks to Stanley Kramer's film JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG, which takes place during the third trial, known as the Judges' Trial.  Based on Jack El-Hai's book THE NAZI AND THE PSYCHIATRIST, James Vanderbilt's new film is unique because it focuses on the important role played by Dr. Douglas Kelley (Rami Malek) in the trials, a figure who has been largely omitted from cinematic portrayals until now. Interestingly, the 1990 Emmy-winning television miniseries, also titled NUREMBERG, about the Göring case, only features psychologist Gustave Gilbert, the professional the army hired after Kelley (played by Colin Hanks in Vanderbilt's film). Director: James Vanderbilt Writers: James Vanderbilt, Jack El-Hai Stars: Michael Shannon, Russell Crowe, Rami Malek It's the end of World War II, and Reichsmini...

 The final season of The Closer ended (to no one's surprise) with serious unresolved issues for Deputy Chief Johnson (Kyra Sedgwick). Johnson had been hit with several lawsuits, as a number of suspects had died while in her custody or shortly after being released. Captain Raydor (Mary McDonnell) was also investigating a leak within the department.  The first episode of the new season opens with a dramatic crime scene. Captain Raydor bursts onto the scene, asking many questions, taking notes, and taking charge of the situation. The crime itself is the shooting death of a high school principal while he was driving his car. It is soon established that there was a similar shooting involving a car of the same make, in the same location, and with the same type of weapon. Suspicious! Creator: James Duff Stars: Kyra Sedgwick, J.K. Simmons, Corey Reynolds The principal's wife tells the LAPD investigators that she had begged her husband to stop changing jobs: he would take positions at ...

When I started watching Ripple, I thought it was some kind of Hallmark series about people just living in New York, but as I got further into the series, I realized it was so much more. I think Ripple is what you could call a guilty pleasure TV series. It's neither incredibly fascinating nor so boring that you want to turn off the TV. It strikes the perfect balance, but add a dash of pain and hope, and you have an excellent series to enjoy during the holidays, when you just want to relax and be happy. The series is full of emotions, and that's what makes it so easy to watch.  The 8-episode series doesn't waste any time showing what it's trying to convey, what this "Ripple" is, and how all these characters are going to connect. I think it reminded me of when I first started watching soap operas like Grey's Anatomy. The tone of the series is very similar to those nostalgic soap operas. Plus, the presence of Ian Harding from Pretty Little Liars, with his gray...

The ending of Strange Harvest revolves around the police finally cornering Leslie Sykes, or Mr. Shiny, intending to put an end to his decade-long killing spree. Sykes began his bloody rampage in California's Inland Empire sometime in the 1990s. Joe Kirby and Lexi Taylor were the lead detectives on the case, and they were always a hundred steps behind Sykes.  The situation became so desperate that whenever Sykes seemed to take a break from murdering random people in the most grotesque ways imaginable, the detectives simply hoped he had died of natural causes or given himself up. The closest they ever came to Sykes—not to catching him, but simply being near him—was when he went to St. Bernadine Medical Center to kill one of his victims, Victoria, who had miraculously survived Sykes' initial attack.  Director: Stuart Ortiz Writer: Stuart Ortiz Stars: Peter Zizzo, Terri Apple, Andy Lauer Later, the detectives and police found Sykes' storage unit, where there were references to ...

Anaconda is the kind of self-referential franchise film that's (almost) silly enough to be entertaining, but for the most part, it simply coasts on the charm of its talented cast. This "spiritual sequel" (as one of the main characters calls it in the film) to the 1997 original is the work of Tom Gormican, who previously directed the clever meta-comedy The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, in which Nicolas Cage played a fictionalized version of himself as the washed-up movie star Nick Cage. Director: Tom Gormican Writers: Tom Gormican, Kevin Etten, Hans Bauer Stars: Jack Black, Paul Rudd, Steve Zahn I assume Sony was hoping Gormican and co-writer Kevin Etten would pull off a similar magic trick, but as is often the case with these things, the law of diminishing returns prevails. Not that the new Anaconda is unwatchable, far from it. For the most part, it plods along at a slow pace, until it finally picks up speed when a cast member from Anaconda (1997) shows up to injec...

Deliver Me from Nowhere is, intrinsically, a high-quality film; largely thanks to Springsteen's influence on distinctive mixes that don't even come close to Bruce's level. However, like any other masterpiece of groundbreaking cinema, you'll encounter some flaws. During those scenes of intense gazes, Cooper's renowned ability to keep you on the edge of your seat is palpable, a skill that makes exhaling ten times more rewarding. The depth of White's moving performance and the stillness that Cooper so powerfully imposes in the studio are, I dare say, perfect. Director: Scott Cooper Writers: Scott Cooper, Warren Zanes Stars: Jeremy Allen White, Jeremy Strong, Paul Walter Hauser While watching it, you'll encounter predictable clichés that will have you checking your phone notifications. However, just when you're about to switch to another biopic, the vulnerability of Deliver Me from Nowhere and its unflinching portrayal of the creative pressure, isolation, an...

Everything in Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri is designed to be provocative. Everything in Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri is designed to be provocative. When Rehaan “Ray” Mehra (Kartik Aaryan) exasperates Rumi Wardhan Singh (Ananya Panday) with his condescending and arrogant attitude, the film pokes fun at self-proclaimed feminists in the audience. Director: Sameer Vidwans Writer: Karan Shrikant Sharma Stars: Kartik Aaryan, Ananya Panday, Neena Gupta  However, there is something resembling substance beneath the film’s superficiality. Its shallow and carefree tone is a facade that hides more mature perspectives. Even the long and clunky title seems designed to drive audiences away, or rather, to provoke mockery on social media. Indeed, the pre-interval portions deliver precisely the film promised by the trailers and posters. Cheerful but forgettable songs, visually pleasing imagery, and simplistic humor leave little to expect in the post-interval parts. However, this tone, ...

Goodbye June, ultimately, has a special aura, serving as an emotional beacon that makes audiences smile through tears. Joe Anders has a deep admiration for his mother, Kate Winslet. How deep is this love? It's so immense that he has created a film that feels like a heartfelt, extended greeting card. Goodbye June, as the title suggests, is about June (Helen Mirren), who, at the beginning of the film, collapses in the kitchen, and when she's taken to the hospital, the doctors sadly declare that the cancer has spread throughout her body, meaning she won't live to see Christmas.  Director: Kate Winslet Writer: Joe Anders Stars: Helen Mirren, Timothy Spall, Johnny Flynn June's children, grandchildren, and husband then begin spending much of their time at the hospital, making sure June feels loved, cherished, and admired. Anders also admires Winslet, and by allowing her to direct this film, he demonstrates that he values ​​her. What Winslet brings is her keen eye for getting ...

 I've been reading Seymour “Sy” Hersh's investigative journalism for a little over 30 years. His reporting on the My Lai massacre was assigned to me when I was 17, studying history in high school. Every time I spiraled down a rabbit hole of conspiracy theories, there seemed to be a Sy Hersh book confirming my worst suspicions about the inherent violence of the world's superpower, the constant disregard for the Constitution by those in power, and a pattern of cover-ups.  I followed Hersh's reporting in The New Yorker and the London Review of Books (he had already left the New York Times by the time I reached adulthood as a reader). And I've been following him on Substack ever since. This is the man who exposed the massacre of children by the U.S. military in Vietnam, who helped bring the Watergate scandal and the Pentagon Papers to public attention, who exposed the abuses at Abu Ghraib, and who continues to report on war crimes in Gaza. He continues to fight for libe...

 Lawyer Maeng Se-na must defend her client, a member of her favorite boy band, in a murder case. Who says a lawyer can't be a fan? Well, Maeng Se-na is here to prove them wrong. She's a young, intelligent lawyer, known as the "demon lawyer" for taking on difficult cases that others usually avoid. While professionally she's a lawyer not to be trifled with, deep down she's a fangirl. She's a fan of a famous boy band called "Gold Boys." And when we say fan, we mean a true fan. She's scored tickets to their concerts and knows all their songs by heart. And speaking of Gold Boys, how can we not mention the real golden boy of this series, Do Ra-ik, the charming vocalist of the band, whose paths will cross with Maeng Se-na's in the most unusual way?  Stars: Sooyoung Choi, Kim Jae-young, Choi Hee-jin Most would think this is the typical case of a lawyer and a singer meeting, falling in love, and keeping their romance a secret. But no, that's w...

 We Bury the Dead is a wild, ash-covered journey through a post-apocalyptic Tasmania where the dead don't stay dead and the living barely manage to survive. Zak Hilditch (These Final Hours) delivers a raw and gritty zombie survival story that balances visceral body horror with an unexpected dose of humanity and a healthy dose of dark humor. Daisy Ridley is a revelation as Ava, a grieving physiotherapist who volunteers with a military corpse recovery unit after Hobart is ravaged by a runaway American weapon. She's not a gun-toting hero, just a woman trying to find her missing husband amidst the chaos. Ridley plays her with heartbreaking humanity, slowly evolving from a cautious outsider to a desperate survivor. Director: Zak Hilditch Writer: Zak Hilditch Stars: Daisy Ridley, Brenton Thwaites, Mark Coles Smith Brenton Thwaites, as the foul-mouthed, wisecracking Clay, steals the show. His vulgar slang, irreverent humor, and brazen machismo provide much-needed levity to the film...

 The documentary chronicles the life and career of Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway, tracing his journey from a multi-sport star at Stanford to his iconic 16-season tenure with the Denver Broncos, marked by early disappointments, redemption, and lasting influence both on and off the field. I approached Elway expecting a good sports documentary, and that's exactly what I got: a well-crafted and often moving celebration of one of football's most enduring figures, delivering many of the moments fans crave—the thrilling triumphs, the heartbreaking defeats, and the human reflections—though at times it adheres a little too closely to conventional documentary format. It's the kind of film that will thrill Broncos fans, that casual NFL fans will appreciate, and that cinephiles will watch with curiosity, wondering what might have been with a bolder approach. Directors: Ken Rodgers, Chris Weaver Stars: John Elway What works exceptionally well in Elway is its focus on the man himse...