Laurie Ulster
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
If you love the idea of an old-fashioned Star Trek that lives up to today’s standards of inclusion and diversity (so, minus the ‘60s sexism), this is going to be right up your alley.
Watching Star Trek: Picard? Binge These Q and Guinan Episodes First
Q (John de Lancie) and Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg) are back in S2 of Star Trek: Picard, so let’s revisit the memorable TNG episodes featuring these two fan-favorite characters.
Abbott Elementary
Abbott Elementary will catch you off guard and surprise you. It captures the balance between comedy and heart, much like its mockumentary predecessors—but with a new spin, because the work these characters are doing truly matters.
The Center Seat
A combination of a deep dive and a crash course into Star Trek from its inception up through the early 2000s, covering the shows, movies, and the phenomenon itself.
Star Trek: Prodigy
The values of Star Trek, and then some: unity, diversity, individuality, optimism, idealism and hope. What more could you ask for? How about the return of Captain Janeway? Yeah, it’s got that too.
Star Trek: Lower Decks
An action-packed sci-fi comedy set in a Star Trek universe that it both reveres and lovingly mocks.
Why Star Trek: Picard Works Better as a Binge
To understand the power of the Star Trek franchise, binge watch Picard. The time is right.
Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, a Musical About Grief, Is Perfect for Our Time
At its heart, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist is a musical about navigating grief. Because of that, it makes a beeline through the clutter of my thoughts and reaches straight into my heart.
Laurie Ulster
A Watercooler Guide to The Phoenician Scheme: Wes Anderson’s Oil-Baron Fever Dream
Wes Anderson films are easy to spot, but not always easy to describe. Watching them feels like stepping inside a handcrafted diorama of history: symmetrical, stylized, and slightly sentimental. From the wry narration and sharp color palettes to his signature whip pans and deadpan dialogue, Anderson crafts cinematic worlds where emotions are bottled then uncorked
A Need-to-Know Guide to And Just Like That…
It’s been a two year wait, but Carrie Bradshaw and her tribe of fabulous fifty-somethings are finally back with their third season. You’d be forgiven if you lost track of the Sex and the City sequel and its storylines. But with summer’s planes, trains, and automobiles and rained-in weekends, And Just Like That might be
Bring Her Back
A psychological horror film with standout performances, Bring Her Back isn’t just about summoning the dead, it’s about confronting the parts of ourselves we lose in the process. The Philippou brothers have crafted a film that dares to ask whether the true horror lies in what we’re willing to do in the name of love.
The Something for Everyone Show: Poker Face is Back
Can’t agree on what to watch together? Consider putting on your Poker Face. Peacock’s acclaimed mystery-of-the-week series created by Rian Johnson (best known for Star Wars: The Last Jedi and, most relevant here, the Glass Onion films) and starring Natasha Lyonne, is finally back for another season after two long years. That’s great news for
It’s not HBO, it’s The Pitt: How streamers are embracing old TV network models
“It’s not TV, it’s HBO.” Remember that old tagline? For nearly all of its history, broadcast television has been fighting against the perception that it’s subordinate to film as a storytelling medium. Television was just media for the masses, as opposed to the more erudite aficionados of cinema (who, by the way, poured into theaters
Boyhood
Boyhood captures the importance of moments in time as people grow up and contests the idea that any singular moment is defining to your childhood. It’s a film filled with the full breadth of the emotions of childhood, conveying each one delicately to leave you reflecting on its many pensive conversations.
Why Andor is Luring in Non-Star Wars Fans
An edgier Star Wars prequel with a timely story about rebellion, Andor skips some of the more familiar elements of the franchise — from lightsabers to Jedi to the Force — in favor of a more grounded story with parallels in both history and our current moment. While it sets up the legendary world of
Till
Capturing the wake of a critical moment in history through the eyes of a mother’s grief, Till walks a tightrope balancing the devastation of what happened with the power of what it inspired. It’s a movie you won’t want to turn away from.
An Explainer Guide to ‘Black Adam’
Despite struggling to get made for a full decade, the Dwayne Johnson blockbuster Black Adam has officially topped the box office for three weekends in a row. Here is Quick Guide to Black Adam, The films brings new life to the DC Comics universe (aka DCEU), but as superhero worlds become ever more sprawling and
20th Century Girl
A sweet and sentimental 90s-set rom-com, 20th Century Girl is an endearing YA K-drama that reminds us of how important coming-of-age friendships can be.
The White Lotus Season 2: Your Watercooler Guide
One of 2021’s hit watercooler shows is back — this time transporting us to The White Lotus Sicily, where a murder, a foursome, three generations of Italian American ladies men, and Jennifer Coolidge will be facing a whole lot of sexual politics.
RRR
A wild, breathtaking, high-octane action blockbuster from India that’s also a parable about the dignity of mankind and the fight for independence and self-rule.
Hellraiser
With a bigger budget and the latest CGI, Hellraiser is a petrifying, pulse-pounding re-imagining of the 1987 cult classic about a woman struggling with addiction who comes against demonic beings demanding she solve a complex puzzle.
Cherish the Day
A vicarious romance and weekend binge-watch that goes down like the Sade song it was named after, Cherish the Day (from Oprah Winfrey and Ava DuVernay) examines the moments that make or break relationships.
Heartbreak High
A smartly written, often provocative dramedy about an Australian high school that portrays a wide range of Gen Z personalities and the problems that they must contend with today.
Pearl
From the fresh take on an origin story to the technicolor dream world and terrific acting, Pearl deserves to be on your horror radar. It is most compelling as a dissection of a broken woman who came of age during a time and in a place that brought out the evil in her.