by Josh Sewell
Agatha All Along
(Rated TV-14. Now streaming weekly on Disney+.)
The premise: In this spinoff of Marvel’s WandaVision, the notorious Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) breaks free of the spell she was under at the end of that series. Now, with help from a mysterious goth teen (Joe Locke), she sets out on a journey to the famed Witches’ Road. If they pass this magical gauntlet of trials, they’ll be rewarded with what they miss the most. They hastily assemble a new coven of fellow witches (including Patti LuPone, Sasheer Zamata, Ali Ahn, Debra Jo Rupp and Aubrey Plaza) to help them down the Road.
The verdict: I’m having a lot of fun with this one so far (I’ve seen the first four episodes out of nine), but man is it going to make some people mad. I can already hear the cries of “woke,” “evil,” etc. coming on social media. I’m not complaining, though – anything that helps force the MCU out of its sluggish, predictable comfort zone is fine by me.
Mostly, I appreciate how relatively standalone the story is (by Marvel standards, anyway) and how executive producer Kevin Feige and showrunner Jac Schaeffer cast such amazing women to carry it. Even if the narrative wasn’t interesting (thankfully, it is), I’d be happy just watching these incredible, stunning actresses do what they do best.
In the few episodes I’ve seen, Agatha All Along is reveling in mashing up a bunch of pop culture influences, particularly True Detective, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Daisy Jones & the Six. Speaking of that last one: although the show isn’t a full-blown musical, I was surprised by how much songs play a part in the story.
Regardless, as I already mentioned, the main reason to watch the show are the phenomenal actresses at the heart of the story. Hahn is outstanding as usual, but Plaza steals the series with her sexy, unhinged performance. But that doesn’t take away from the terrific work delivered by LuPone, Zamata and Ahn. Locke is also quite good, although it’s easy to guess where his mysterious subplot is headed.
I hate to admit it, but Disney+ understands the press screeners game. By only giving me half the season, the studio has me anticipating where the story is going over the next several weeks. I can’t wait to see how things play out.
Grade (so far): B+
Rebel Ridge
(Rated TV-MA for language, smoking and violence. Now streaming on Netflix.)
The premise: Military vet Terry Richmond (Aaron Pierre) enters Shelby Springs to post bail for his cousin, but town cops (David Denman and Emory Cohen) seize his life savings in a “perfectly legal” case of civil asset forfeiture. To save his cousin from imminent danger, he’s forced to go head-to-head with the local police chief (Don Johnson). He meets an unlikely ally in a local court clerk (AnnaSophia Robb) and the pair eventually find themselves at the center of a deadly conspiracy.
The verdict: If you haven’t seen Rebel Ridge yet, you’re missing out on one of the year’s best movies. Now that I’ve experienced the thrilling highs and emotionally devastating lows of writer-director Jeremy Saulnier’s thriller, I’m a little mad it didn’t get a theatrical release. I would’ve loved to watch some of the film’s most exhilarating scenes with an audience.
Pierre’s screen presence is undeniable, guaranteeing he’ll be one of our next great action heroes. (The English actor would be a great candidate for the next James Bond.) Although his character is more than capable of unleashing a torrent of well-deserved beatings on the story’s villains, his restraint is what keeps him alive and proves his morals are far above those of the corrupt Shelby Springs officials who’ve violated their oath to serve and protect.
The action sequences are well-choreographed and exhilarating, especially since Saulnier earns them through constantly escalating moments of anger and frustration. Terry does his best to remain patient and accommodating, but when he finally shows what he’s capable of, it’s practically impossible not to cheer.
Although the film drags a bit in the middle and some viewers might find the ambiguous final scene frustrating, the actors keep Saulnier’s film constantly engaging. In addition to Pierre’s star-making turn, Robb is a compelling sidekick, while Johnson and Cohen make truly loathsome bad guys.
Simply put, Rebel Ridge is a shoo-in for my Top 10 list in December. I’m just mad that Pierre, Johnson and Saulnier won’t be in contention for Oscars. The movie’s that good.
Grade: A-
Book Review: Lost: Back to the Island
(Rated TV-14. Now streaming weekly on Disney+.)
The premise: In this spinoff of Marvel’s WandaVision, the notorious Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) breaks free of the spell she was under at the end of that series. Now, with help from a mysterious goth teen (Joe Locke), she sets out on a journey to the famed Witches’ Road. If they pass this magical gauntlet of trials, they’ll be rewarded with what they miss the most. They hastily assemble a new coven of fellow witches (including Patti LuPone, Sasheer Zamata, Ali Ahn, Debra Jo Rupp and Aubrey Plaza) to help them down the Road.
The verdict: I’m having a lot of fun with this one so far (I’ve seen the first four episodes out of nine), but man is it going to make some people mad. I can already hear the cries of “woke,” “evil,” etc. coming on social media. I’m not complaining, though – anything that helps force the MCU out of its sluggish, predictable comfort zone is fine by me.
Mostly, I appreciate how relatively standalone the story is (by Marvel standards, anyway) and how executive producer Kevin Feige and showrunner Jac Schaeffer cast such amazing women to carry it. Even if the narrative wasn’t interesting (thankfully, it is), I’d be happy just watching these incredible, stunning actresses do what they do best.
In the few episodes I’ve seen, Agatha All Along is reveling in mashing up a bunch of pop culture influences, particularly True Detective, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Daisy Jones & the Six. Speaking of that last one: although the show isn’t a full-blown musical, I was surprised by how much songs play a part in the story.
Regardless, as I already mentioned, the main reason to watch the show are the phenomenal actresses at the heart of the story. Hahn is outstanding as usual, but Plaza steals the series with her sexy, unhinged performance. But that doesn’t take away from the terrific work delivered by LuPone, Zamata and Ahn. Locke is also quite good, although it’s easy to guess where his mysterious subplot is headed.
I hate to admit it, but Disney+ understands the press screeners game. By only giving me half the season, the studio has me anticipating where the story is going over the next several weeks. I can’t wait to see how things play out.
Grade (so far): B+
(Rated TV-MA for language, smoking and violence. Now streaming on Netflix.)
The premise: Military vet Terry Richmond (Aaron Pierre) enters Shelby Springs to post bail for his cousin, but town cops (David Denman and Emory Cohen) seize his life savings in a “perfectly legal” case of civil asset forfeiture. To save his cousin from imminent danger, he’s forced to go head-to-head with the local police chief (Don Johnson). He meets an unlikely ally in a local court clerk (AnnaSophia Robb) and the pair eventually find themselves at the center of a deadly conspiracy.
The verdict: If you haven’t seen Rebel Ridge yet, you’re missing out on one of the year’s best movies. Now that I’ve experienced the thrilling highs and emotionally devastating lows of writer-director Jeremy Saulnier’s thriller, I’m a little mad it didn’t get a theatrical release. I would’ve loved to watch some of the film’s most exhilarating scenes with an audience.
Pierre’s screen presence is undeniable, guaranteeing he’ll be one of our next great action heroes. (The English actor would be a great candidate for the next James Bond.) Although his character is more than capable of unleashing a torrent of well-deserved beatings on the story’s villains, his restraint is what keeps him alive and proves his morals are far above those of the corrupt Shelby Springs officials who’ve violated their oath to serve and protect.
The action sequences are well-choreographed and exhilarating, especially since Saulnier earns them through constantly escalating moments of anger and frustration. Terry does his best to remain patient and accommodating, but when he finally shows what he’s capable of, it’s practically impossible not to cheer.
Although the film drags a bit in the middle and some viewers might find the ambiguous final scene frustrating, the actors keep Saulnier’s film constantly engaging. In addition to Pierre’s star-making turn, Robb is a compelling sidekick, while Johnson and Cohen make truly loathsome bad guys.
Simply put, Rebel Ridge is a shoo-in for my Top 10 list in December. I’m just mad that Pierre, Johnson and Saulnier won’t be in contention for Oscars. The movie’s that good.
Grade: A-
by Emily St. James and Noel Murray
(Now available.)
The premise: In celebration of the 20th anniversary of ABC’s revolutionary sci-fi thriller Lost, veteran TV critics St. James and Murray revisit what made it such an enduring classic. The ongoing adventures of plane crash survivors stranded on a deserted island lasted six seasons thanks to its endless mysteries and morally ambiguous characters. The book allows fans to revisit the series’ complicated legacy with essays, episode summaries and compelling cultural analysis.
The verdict: I was a massive fan of Lost from the first episode back in 2004, discussing it with friends, coworkers and even on internet message boards. (Remember those?) I hung with the show during its many ups and downs, pondering the unending questions and appreciating the compelling actors even when they didn’t get a lot to do. (Which ended up being most of the women and non-white characters, unfortunately. It was definitely a product of its time.)
Tearing through the addictive Lost: Back to the Island took me right back to that era. St. James and Murray reminded me of characters and storylines I had forgotten about and allowed me to rethink some of the frustrations I had with the series. That’s particularly true in regards to showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse’s wheel-spinning in Season 3 and the somewhat anticlimactic finale – although I liked it a lot more than other disgruntled fans.
The biggest compliment I can pay the book is that the insightful analysis of Lost is tempting me to go back and do a re-watch. Hopefully I can talk my teenage daughter into taking the journey with me.
Grade: A-
(Now available.)
The premise: In celebration of the 20th anniversary of ABC’s revolutionary sci-fi thriller Lost, veteran TV critics St. James and Murray revisit what made it such an enduring classic. The ongoing adventures of plane crash survivors stranded on a deserted island lasted six seasons thanks to its endless mysteries and morally ambiguous characters. The book allows fans to revisit the series’ complicated legacy with essays, episode summaries and compelling cultural analysis.
The verdict: I was a massive fan of Lost from the first episode back in 2004, discussing it with friends, coworkers and even on internet message boards. (Remember those?) I hung with the show during its many ups and downs, pondering the unending questions and appreciating the compelling actors even when they didn’t get a lot to do. (Which ended up being most of the women and non-white characters, unfortunately. It was definitely a product of its time.)
Tearing through the addictive Lost: Back to the Island took me right back to that era. St. James and Murray reminded me of characters and storylines I had forgotten about and allowed me to rethink some of the frustrations I had with the series. That’s particularly true in regards to showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse’s wheel-spinning in Season 3 and the somewhat anticlimactic finale – although I liked it a lot more than other disgruntled fans.
The biggest compliment I can pay the book is that the insightful analysis of Lost is tempting me to go back and do a re-watch. Hopefully I can talk my teenage daughter into taking the journey with me.
Grade: A-
Reach out to Josh Sewell at joshsewell81@gmail.com
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