HBO Max
Saved By The Bell (Peacock series, Wednesday) — Here comes the official reimagining of the original series with a lot of the O.G. crowd on board for more neon-tinged adventures. Zack Morris is now (a terrible) California governor, Kelly Kapowski’s his first lady, and Elizabeth Berkley and Mario Lopez are back as Jessie Spano and A.C. Slater, respectively. If you’re lucky, you’ll see the return of Zack Attack. Screech is sitting this one out, but prepare for some (still lighthearted) social commentary.
The Flight Attendant (HBO Max series, Thursday) — Kaley Cuoco busts away from the The Big Bang Theory with a fun flight of (darkly comedic) fancy. She plays portrays an airline stewardess whose international jet-setting lifestyle includes falling into bed in various countries with various handsome men. During the course of one particularly fateful encounter, Cassie wakes up next to the dead body of a one-night stand. She spends the rest of the series attempting to clean sh*t up. Surrender to this madcap ride.
Mosul (Netflix film, Thursday) — Anthony and Joe Russo produce this Matthew Michael Carnahan-directed project about men who fight to take back homes and territory seized by ISIS. Prepare for a dangerous guerrilla operation to go down onscreen, along with an extraordinary display of heroism.
Superintelligence (HBO Max film, Thursday) — This action-comedy stars Melissa McCarthy and James Corden and follows an all-powerful A.I. that stands on the verge of either enslaving, saving or destroying humanity.
In case you missed these picks from the past several days:
Shawn Mendes: In Wonder (Netflix documentary) — The floppy-haired heartthrob takes fans behind the scenes of his demanding rise to the top, which led him towards a reckoning of sorts. The film promises a heartfelt glimpse into the pressures experienced while coming-of-age in front of absolutely everyone. While charting his path from precocious troubadour to global superstar, the project also includes never-before-seen footage of his private life and worldwide travels.
Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square (Netflix film) — Everyone loves Dolly (who helped fund a promising COVID vaccine), so at least there’s one thing that you won’t be arguing about with your relatives (over Zoom) this holiday season. Featuring an album full of original Dolly music, this film (which co-stars Christine Baranski) revolves around how the coldest of hearts can melt in the face of family, love, and the enduring Christmas spirit of a small town.
Small Axe (Amazon film collection) — Five Steve McQueen-directed movies will drop each Friday over the course of five weeks. The stories, set in London’s West Indian community, will explore the endurance of the human spirit despite setbacks from discrimination and rampant racism, all set from the late 1960s to the 1980s.
Run (Hulu film) — Starring Sarah Paulson and directed by Aneesh Chaganty, this suspense film might be the perfect distraction. Paulson plays an obsessive mother who controls her daughter in total isolation, and her daughter’s now only beginning to grasp the secretive (and unnatural, possibly sinister) reasons for this behavior.
Hillbilly Elegy (Netflix film) — The Ron Howard-directed film isn’t getting great reviews, but audiences can now have their say while watching Amy Adams and Glenn Close both transform themselves for an Appalachian-set drama. This film’s based upon J.D. Vance’s memoir of the same name, and the story follows how Vance, a Yale Law student, returns to his hometown for a family crisis. In the process, he’s dealing with high drama amid his mother’s addictive struggles. It’s a modern-day exploration of the American Dream as fueled by complex dynamics and a multigenerational take on the common-yet-somehow-uncommon journey that each family member faces in different ways.
Black Narcissus (FX, Hulu) — All three hour-long episodes of FX and the BBC’s miniseries (starring Gemma Arterton) are now available on Hulu. This is a more methodical and reflective version of the story than the 1947 film and revolves around a group of nuns, led by Sister Clodagh, who journey to a remote part of the Himalayas on a mission, only to set up camp in a structure that once housed a harem and contains mysteries that could awaken forbidden desires.
