Sorry for the lapse in posting, but I’ve been busy or lazy or something. Here are a few suggestions with some brief comments. More extended reviews will resume in the fall. I promise!
Series:
Hacks (2026 HBO) This series has raised the bar for anything that follows. Acting, storyline, dialogue, character development–you name it! Very sad to see it end. Perhaps the most compelling theme was the gradual deepening of friendship between the two women stars. Jean Smart plays a savvy stand up comic working all the angles for a glamorous comeback. Hannah Einbinder plays an aspiring and broke comedy writer. Both are convincingly terrific.
Running Point (2026 Netflix) Nothing is as good as Hacks, but this is a close second. I just finished bingeing on Season 1 and am now on Season 2. Not to go into the how and why of Kate Hudson’s role as the president of a basketball team, suffice to say that she brings a refreshing feminine consciousness to the job but calls on her animus when needed.
Widow’s Bay (Apple 2026) It’s actually pretty good, but too creepy for me. Had to stop watching it before bed, but that’s when I turn on the t.v. so no go.
The Boroughs (2026 Netflix) Now this is the kind of sci fi I like. No serial killers, just some really weird alien creatures and other creepy stuff taking place in a retirement community. It’s pretty well done and avoids cutesy patronizing portrayals of elderly detectives. Sadly, like so many other series that start out well it falls apart at the end and loses its logic. If someone asked me to explain what actually happened in the last few episodes I couldn’t. But it was fun watching the ride.
Movies:
The Christophers (2025 Fandango) I paid the big bucks to watch this ($20) but it is so worth it. Possibly the best movie I have seen in a long time. Great plot and acting. Ian McKellen is his usual wonderful, but Michaela Coen is the scene stealer. Aside from her talent as an actor, she is so compelling to look at that she is a work of art itself. The underlying theme isn’t that new–lotsa films and books about the devastating effects of an older mentor’s insensitivity or cruelty on young aspiring women artists, but this one has some unusual twists and is quite moving.
Song Sung Blue (2025 Netflix) I know this got mixed reviews. Some felt it was overly melodramatic. But it’s based on a documentary (which I haven’t seen) and it’s supposedly very close to the essential facts (although apparently a son was excluded from the whole film and he’s really angry). My post film research reveals a few other inconsistencies but it’s really quite a heart warming story. And lots of Neil diamond music. Warning: Sweet Caroline has been my ear worm ever since watching it last week.
New York Cynic 
Susan, did you catch “Tuner”. Leo Woodall just kills it. Dustin is superb too. We caught it at a cinema in Great Barrington, The Berkshires, last week, David
LikeLike
Susan,
Ireally enjoyed ‘Sing Sung Blues’. I thought the teenage girls were great. Sometimes I just like a movie like this! I loved F1 too, just take me out of our reality for a bit.
I thought “Pressure” was terrific.
I agree with David about how terrific Leo Woodall was in ‘Tuner’. I thought Dustin was a bit over the top, but I am a midwesterner. I do think it could have used a bit editing….but hey.
I saw “The Christophers’ a month or so ago. I struggled a bit with understanding the dialogue (I was at the movie theater, so no subtitles). But, I agree, that young actress is a work of art visually and did a perfect job in that role.
Ellen F.
LikeLike