Notes on what to read, watch, and hear next.
Short essays on choice paralysis, the texture of mood, and the small craft of picking well. Updated when there's something worth saying.
Lioness Season 3: What to Expect
Season 2 jumped from a 56% critical score to 90%, one of the bigger quality leaps a Sheridan show has made between seasons. Can Season 3 build on it?
Read the essay →August 2, 2026 · 4 min readThe Devil's Mouth: Shark Movie Review
A shark movie that isn't bad enough to enjoy ironically and isn't good enough to actually recommend — my honest take on Prime Video's The Devil's Mouth.
Read the essay →August 2, 2026 · 4 min readWicker: A Strange Film
Olivia Colman plays a fisherwoman who commissions a husband woven from wicker. It earned a double standing ovation at Sundance and a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes — here's why I think that's earned.
Read the essay →August 2, 2026 · 5 min readChildren of Blood and Bone Preview
The Children of Blood and Bone trailer is finally out, with a cast including Idris Elba, Viola Davis, and Cynthia Erivo — and an unsettling story unfolding behind it.
Read the essay →August 2, 2026 · 4 min readThe Devil Wears Prada 2: Streaming Review
I braced for a nostalgia cash-grab and got something smarter: the sequel ages the conflict along with its audience, twenty years after the original.
Read the essay →August 2, 2026 · 5 min readFurious Review: Hulu's Perfect Score
"FBI agent hunts a serial killer" is a premise I've seen enough times to skip. One scene in the first episode of Furious changed my mind entirely.
Read the essay →August 2, 2026 · 5 min readSpider-Man: Brand New Day Review
I went in skeptical of the hype. Having watched it, the hype is mostly earned — though not for the reasons the trailers were selling me.
Read the essay →July 30, 2026 · 8 min readDavid Jonsson Is the New Black Panther
David Jonsson will play Toussaint, T'Challa's son, in Black Panther III — announced at Comic-Con on July 25, 2026, with Ryan Coogler returning to direct.
Read the essay →July 30, 2026 · 7 min read2026 Booker Prize Longlist: All 13 Books
The Booker Prize 2026 longlist was announced July 28 — 13 novels from 163 submissions, including two former winners and an author who could become the prize's oldest-ever recipient.
Read the essay →July 30, 2026 · 5 min readA Toxic Love Story: Netflix Doc Review
Netflix's A Toxic Love Story reached No. 2 in the US within days. It covers the 2016 framing of Michelle Hadley, who spent 88 days in jail for a crime she did not commit.
Read the essay →July 29, 2026 · 4 min readRyan Gosling Is Ghost Rider: MCU Details
Ryan Gosling is officially playing Johnny Blaze, the Ghost Rider, in a new standalone Marvel Studios film directed by Shawn Levy, announced at San Diego Comic-Con on July 26, 2026.
Read the essay →July 29, 2026 · 4 min readRansom Canyon Season 2: Netflix Guide
Ransom Canyon Season 2 is streaming now on Netflix, released July 23, 2026. The neo-Western romance-drama returns with 8 episodes, picking up six months after Season 1.
Read the essay →July 29, 2026 · 4 min readNeuromancer (Apple TV): Full Guide
Apple TV's Neuromancer premieres January 22, 2027, adapting William Gibson's genre-defining 1984 novel. Callum Turner stars as Case in a 10-episode cyberpunk series.
Read the essay →July 28, 2026 · 5 min readI Will Find You Review: Netflix 2026 Hit
A personal take on Harlan Coben's I Will Find You, Netflix's biggest new series debut of 2026, plus everything to know about cast, episode count, and whether it's worth the hype.
Read the essay →July 28, 2026 · 4 min readThe Dog Stars: Ridley Scott Sci-Fi Preview
Ridley Scott returns to sci-fi for the first time in nearly a decade with The Dog Stars. Cast, plot, release date, and honest anticipation ahead of its August 28 release.
Read the essay →July 28, 2026 · 5 min readOther Mommy: How Scary Is the New Movie?
Everything to know about Other Mommy, the upcoming Jessica Chastain horror film from Blumhouse and the Bird Box author, plus an honest read on how scary it actually looks.
Read the essay →July 24, 2026 · 6 min readHouse of the Dragon Season 3 Episode Count
A full breakdown of House of the Dragon Season 3's episode count and release schedule — now updated with how the Season 3 finale actually landed.
Read the essay →July 24, 2026 · 5 min readDutton Ranch: Everything to Know First
Cast, plot, episode count, and Season 2 release timeline for the Yellowstone spinoff Dutton Ranch, plus whether it's worth starting now.
Read the essay →July 20, 2026 · 5 min readEnola Holmes 3 Review: Charming but Flawed
The third Enola film has all the charm of the first two — but a mystery that skips steps instead of building them.
Read the essay →July 20, 2026 · 5 min readNolan's The Odyssey Review: A Visual Epic
Shot entirely on IMAX 70mm, The Odyssey is staggering to look at — and a story I respected more than I actually felt.
Read the essay →July 16, 2026 · 4 min read10 Movies With Deeply Satisfying Endings
An ambiguous ending works when it's intentional — when it isn't, it just feels like the movie ran out of time.
Read the essay →July 15, 2026 · 4 min readHow Accurate Is "Based on a True Story", Really?
“Based on a true story” is doing a lot of work in that sentence, and it means wildly different things from film to film.
Read the essay →July 14, 2026 · 5 min readHow to Know if a Horror Movie Is Too Scary
“How scary is it” is a hard question to answer in advance, because scariness isn't one thing.
Read the essay →July 14, 2026 · 4 min readHow to pick a movie for a long flight.
A long flight is a specific viewing environment with its own rules — cramped space, a small screen, cabin noise, and a real chance you’ll doze off partway through.
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