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Chloé Zhao quickly became one of the biggest directors in Hollywood after winning Best Director (only the second woman to do so) and Best Picture for Nomadland . She followed that up with Marvel's Eternals, which turned out to be a complete misfire. She announced her next as Hamnet , adapted from Maggie O’Farrell’s acclaimed novel, and all eyes were on how this one turns out, plus there was a lot of negative noise from test screenings, calling it 'depressing' and 'difficult to watch.' She gathered an ensemble cast for this one, including Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Emily Watson, Joe Alwyn and Jacobi Jupe. Co-written by O’Farrell herself, the film fictionalizes the lives of Agnes (better known as Anne Hathaway), William Shakespeare, and their son Hamnet. Rather than delivering a straightforward biopic, Zhao and O’Farrell take us on an emotional journey that is best experienced with as little foreknowledge as possible. It is a fascinating perspective on Shakespeare, and its power lies in how deeply it resonates with universal themes of love, grief, and the fragility of life. Jessie Buckley gives the best performance of her career. As Agnes, she is raw, magnetic, and shattering. Buckley carries the film with such emotional precision that an Oscar nomination feels inevitable—anything less would be an oversight. She completely captures Agnes’ mystical intuition and aching humanity. Paul Mescal, as Shakespeare, builds slowly through the first two acts, only to completely own the third. His performance is devastating, tender, and among his very best, cementing his reputation as one of the most exciting actors of his generation. Yet, the true revelation is Jacobi Jupe as Hamnet. In what can only be described as arguably one of the top five child performances in Hollywood history, Jupe delivers work that is uncanny in its depth and truth. Every beat of Hamnet’s character is captured with astonishing clarity, and his presence lingers long after the credits roll. You'll never guess that he's only acted in less than half a dozen projects. Noah Jupe, in a smaller role, also impresses, while Emily Watson and Joe Alwyn do well with limited material. Zhao’s direction is nothing short of a return to form. Careful, focused, and mature, her vision steers the film with poetic restraint, letting emotion swell naturally rather than forcing it. The cinematography is breathtaking, with every shot designed to complement both the performances and themes. The visuals carry a painterly quality, each frame drenched in meaning. Max Richter’s score elevates the experience further—his haunting compositions intertwine with the imagery and acting to create moments that are overwhelming in their beauty and sadness. The first two acts of Hamnet  are quietly engrossing, but it’s in the third act that the film soars into the realm of the unforgettable. Here, Zhao delivers a devastating meditation on loss, death, and grief that will leave most audiences weeping. The execution is staggering in its emotional weight, a shattering culmination that lingers long after leaving the theater. Hamnet  is a cinematic triumph. It is tender, devastating, and timeless. It is one of the standout films of TIFF 2025 and one of the finest dramas of recent years. Zhao has crafted a masterpiece that cements her artistry. With its extraordinary performances—especially from Buckley, Mescal, and Jacobi Jupe—haunting score, and poetic visuals, It is poised to dominate awards season. It is easily one of the best films of TIFF 2025. Rating: ★★★★½ About Hamnet Premiere Date:  November 27, 2025 Director:   Chloé Zhao Producers: Chloé Zhao, Steven Spielberg, Liza Marshall, Pippa Harris, Nicolas Gonda, Sam Mendes Writers: Chloé Zhao, Maggie O'Farrell Cast:  Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Joe Alwyn, Emily Watson, Jacobi Jupe, Noah Jupe Synopsis: The story of Agnes - the wife of William Shakespeare - as she struggles to come to terms with the loss of her only son, Hamnet.

This article contains spoilers for Wayward . Wayward © Netflix Wayward  is the sort of series that makes you want to shout at the TV (or whichever device you're watching it on). Not because it's bad - far from it - but because it's constantly dangling questions, twisting expectations, and leading its characters into situations that are so unjust you can't help but squirm. Across its eight episodes, therapy turns into indoctrination, grief is used as a weapon, and the idea of healing is distorted into control. It's not always perfect, but it is always watchable. We begin with a boy on the run, chased through the woods, before he plunges into a body of water where a woman's voice can be heard inside his head. From there, the show cuts to Toronto, where Leila (Alyvia Alyn Lind) and her best friend Abbie (Sydney Topliffe) are skipping school. Leila is grieving her sister’s death, avoiding her counsellor, and lashing out in ways that are recognisable to anyone who's ever been a messy teenager. When her teacher hands her a leaflet for Tall Pines Academy, an elite therapeutic boarding school across the border in Vermont, it's framed as an opportunity for help. To Leila, it's a threat. (L to R) Sydney Topliffe as Abbie and Alyvia Alyn Lind as Leila in episode 101 of Wayward . Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2025 The first major shock comes when Abbie is sent away to Tall Pines instead. After a mix of rebellion and choices her parents deem poor, they decide she needs help, and without a moment’s notice, she’s whisked across the border in the middle of the night. From the very first glimpses, the Academy feels off due to staff whose behaviour is just a bit too practised and rules that insidiously chip away at identity. Abbie’s clothes and belongings are stripped away, her hair is cut, and a uniform is issued. She's plunged into a regime of rules and rituals that feel more like a prison than a school. Leila, devastated, tries to save her best friend. She sets out to bail Abbie out of Tall Pines, but the moment she steps inside, the trap closes on her, too. Inside the Academy, the so-called therapy is terrifying in its depiction. "Hot Seat" sessions involve cranking up the heat and forcing kids to confess, attack, and betray one another under the guise of "radical honesty." Individuality is treated as pathology. Grief is not to be processed but purged. Watching teenagers be weaponised against each other is one of the hardest aspects of the series to sit through, made worse by how plausible it all feels. Even so, Leila and Abbie hatch their own schemes, sneaking through corridors at night and hiding a walkie-talkie to talk to a police officer on the outside, daring to hope for freedom. These small acts of defiance, however doomed they may feel, keep the show's heart beating. Toni Collette as Evelyn Wade in episode 103 of Wayward . Cr. Michael Gibson/Netflix © 2024 Elsewhere, in Vermont, Alex (Mae Martin) and his partner Laura (Sarah Gadon) are trying to build a new life. Alex has joined the local police department, paired with small-town officer Dwayne (Brandon Jay McLaren), and immediately runs into Riley, the boy from the opening sequence, desperate not to be dragged back to Tall Pines. His insistence that the Academy isn't what it claims to be unsettles Alex, who soon begins noticing worrying statistics about missing children. 18 have gone missing without explanation, their absences folded into Tall Pines' immaculate image of discipline and progress. Alex begins tugging at threads that others in town are protecting, uncovering silences and complicities. At home, Laura insists Tall Pines saved her as a teenager, but even her insistence rings hollow. Much of that unease circles back to Evelyn Wade (Toni Collette), Tall Pines' founder and figurehead. She is adamant in her belief that she is helping the teenagers in her care, inserts herself into Laura and Alex’s domestic life, and speaks in the language of healing while enforcing control. Her interest in Laura is alarming, hinting at old ties that blur the line between loyalty and indoctrination. It's an excellent turn from Collette, and you'll love to hate her. (L to R) Toni Collette as Evelyn, Mae Martin as Alex Dempsey, and Sarah Gadon as Laura in episode 102 of Wayward . Cr. Michael Gibson/Netflix© 2024 The series splits itself cleverly between the claustrophobia of the Academy and Alex's investigation outside. From within, we see the kids resist, fail, and bond with each other in secret. From without, Alex unearths red flags only to be told by colleagues and townsfolk not to overreact. Even Laura seems unwilling to confront the truth. That wall of denial is maddening, and it puts the audience firmly in Alex's shoes: we know something is wrong, but nobody wants to admit it. Wayward 's setting is as much a character as its people. The forested landscape around Tall Pines is both stunning and oppressive, a natural labyrinth that traps rather than frees. At first glance, the Academy itself appears ordinary, but its atmosphere is terrifying. The dorms, dining hall, and therapy rooms are just off-kilter enough to feel unsafe. Water recurs throughout, whether in lakes, basements, or swimming pools, always signalling that something is about to shift. Perhaps the most intriguing is the imagery of doors to basements, imagined places, minds, and nowhere at all, which becomes a running motif, reinforcing the show’s obsession with thresholds and change. Alyvia Alyn Lind as Leila in episode 103 of Wayward . Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2025 The performances carry all this beautifully. Mae Martin is excellent as Alex, giving him a mix of determination and fragility that makes him instantly sympathetic. Laura is harder to read, sometimes tender, sometimes cold, but always compelling. The young cast is particularly strong. Alyvia Alyn Lind’s Leila is stubborn, funny, and deeply wounded, while Sydney Topliffe’s Abbie has a warmth that makes her struggles inside Tall Pines even more painful to watch. Their friendship is a highlight as the two girls fight for the other in a place determined to ostracise them from themselves, each other, and their peers. Other characters like Rory (John Daniel) and Stacey (Isolde Ardies) also leave a mark, their performances shifting between victimhood and complicity with unnerving precision. However, the series isn't flawless. With so many threads running, missing children, manipulative therapy, town secrets, Alex's own past, and Evelyn's influence, the pacing occasionally falters. Some storylines feel as though they're building to answers that never fully arrive, and the ending leaves a lot unresolved regarding the Academy. Viewers who prefer neat, tied-off conclusions may find themselves frustrated. But for others, the lack of total clarity will be part of the appeal. Wayward  thrives in ambiguity, and it isn't afraid to leave its audience with questions gnawing at them. By the final episode, you may not feel satisfied in a traditional sense, but you will feel haunted. The questions it poses, about control, trauma, and the price of belonging through the troubled teen industry, go beyond the eight episodes. It's a show designed to provoke conversation, not to soothe. Wayward  isn't perfect, but it is gripping, atmospheric, and superbly acted. It pushes at the edges of teen drama and psychological thriller, refusing to settle neatly into either. It makes you angry, unsettled, and often horrified, but that's the point. It wants you to feel what its characters feel, and it succeeds. For all its imperfections, it's one of the more daring new series of the year. Rating: ★★★★☆ Wayward © Netflix About Wayward Premiere Date:  September 25, 2025 Episode Count:  8 Showrunners: Mae Martin and Ryan Scott Executive Producers: Mae Martin, Ryan Scott, Jennifer Kawaja with Sphere Media, Bruno Dubé with Sphere Media, Ben Farrell with Objective Fiction, Hannah Mackay with Objective Fiction, Euros Lyn Writers: Mae Martin, Ryan Scott, Evangeline Ordaz, Mohamad El Masri, Kim Steele, Kayla Lorette, Alex Eldridge, Misha Osherovich Directors: Euros Lyn, Renuka Jeyapalan, John Fawcett Production:  Objective Fiction, Sphere Media Distribution:  Netflix Cast:   Mae Martin, Sarah Gadon, Sydney Topliffe, Alyvia Alyn Lind, Brandon Jay McLaren and Toni Collette Synopsis: In the picture-perfect town of Tall Pines, sinister secrets lurk behind every closed door. Not long after police officer Alex Dempsey (Mae Martin) and his pregnant wife Laura (Sarah Gadon) move into their new home, he connects with two students Abbie (Sydney Topliffe) and Leila (Alyvia Alyn Lind) from the local school for “troubled teens” who are desperate to escape and could be the key to unearthing everything rotten in the town. As Alex begins investigating a series of unusual incidents, he suspects that Evelyn (Toni Collette), the school’s mysterious leader, might be at the center of all the problems. Created by Mae Martin, Wayward is a thrilling and genre-bending limited series about the eternal struggle between one generation and the next, what happens when friendship and loyalty are put to the ultimate test, and how buried truths always find a way of coming to the surface.

Emma Roberts, Josh Hutcherson and William H. Macy join the Boobs Gone Rogue adaptation Kaet Might Die, sources tell Nexus Point News. Kaet McAnneny’s dark comedy memoir Boobs Gone Rogue chronicles her life upended by a breast cancer diagnosis. A production designer and dedicated New York City marathon trainee, Kaet suddenly finds herself navigating an entirely different kind of endurance test when cancer changes everything. Kaet Might Die is set to begin filming next month in New York. The film will be directed by Mercedes Bryce Morgan( Bone Lake ), with a script penned by the writer duo Angela Gulner and Yuri Baranovsky. Production is being handled by Balcony 9 Productions, Invention Studios, and Whitewater Films, with Kaet McAnneny also serving as a producer. Emma Roberts is best known for her roles in American Horror Story , Scream Queens , and We’re the Millers , She will reunite with her Maybe I Do co-star William H. Macy, best recognized for Shameless, Fargo , and Magnolia. This project also marks a long-delayed union between Roberts and Josh Hutcherson, who were once attached to a romantic comedy that ultimately never materialized. Hutcherson is best known for The Hunger Games franchise, and has recently appeared in Five Nights at Freddy’s and The Studio . Roberts is represented by CAA and Sweeney Entertainment. Macy is represented by Independent Artist Group and Atlas Artists, while Hutcherson is represented by Gersh, TFC Management, and Hansen Jacobson.

Annie Murphy is set to star in the feature film All That She Wants from Scarlett Bermingham and Andrew Rhymer, sources tell Nexus Point News. All That She Wants follows Emma (Murphy), who desperately wants a baby but as she sets about getting her life in order to make it happen, she just won't let herself give in to the idea that the man she really loves is a recent college grad ten years younger than her, whom she used to babysit when she was a teenager and he was four. Annie Murphy is best known for her Emmy-winning role as Alexis Rose on the acclaimed comedy series Schitt’s Creek . Following that breakout, she toplined AMC’s dark comedy Kevin Can F**k Himself. Her recent credits include Netflix’s Black Mirror anthology, and Hulu’s Nine Perfect Strangers , opposite Nicole Kidman and Melissa McCarthy. Murphy is repped by CAA and Mosaic. The feature is being produced by Toronto-based Babe Nation Films. The boutique production banner is known for backing female-led stories and championing emerging voices in independent cinema. The film is also produced by Ley Line Entertainment, which produced films such as Death of a Unicorn and On Swift Horses . Filming is currently underway in Canada, and slated to wrap next month.

Biopics about athletes often follow a familiar trajectory — the underdog rise, the grueling training sequences, and the climactic showdown in the ring. A lot of people have started wondering why Hollywood keeps shelling out the same boxing movies every year and if they actually have enough to set them apart. Christy is based on the true story of a trailblazing boxer Christy Salters, whose personal life was as turbulent as her professional one. The film blends the visceral energy of a sports drama with the intimate gravity of a character study. Christy also begins with many of the familiar beats — the training montages, the grit, the emotional highs and lows that accompany any rise-to-glory story. Yet, what ultimately sets it apart is the subversion of genre, and most importantly the sheer power of its lead performance. Sydney Sweeney completely transforms into Christy, delivering a career-defining turn that will cement her as one of the finest actors of her generation. She gives a transformative performance that anchors the film and elevates it into an emotionally charged exploration of abuse, resilience, and the courage to fight far greater battles than those inside the ropes. Sweeney is simply a revelation. She captures Christy’s physical strength and ferocity in the ring, but more importantly, she brings nuance and vulnerability to the woman behind the gloves. Her embodiment is so complete that the line between actress and character almost disappears. This role feels like the one that pushes Sweeney beyond stardom into true greatness, and it is difficult to imagine the film working without her. Ben Foster, too, is brilliantly haunting. He plays Christy’s husband and trainer, a figure who initially seems to embody the archetypal tough-love coach. But as the story unfolds, his character reveals a far darker side. Foster’s performance is deeply unsettling, gradually peeling back layers of menace until his true nature is impossible to ignore. His presence injects the film with a palpable tension that lingers long after the credits roll. While the narrative starts as a boxing tale, Michôd wisely steers it into more challenging territory. What emerges is a layered character study and an unflinching exploration of marital abuse, resilience, and the courage to defy societal expectations. The shift from sports drama to intimate, psychological portrait gives the film its weight, even if the execution sometimes falters. On a technical level, Christy  is a mixed bag. The costumes are excellent, evoking the period and character worlds with authenticity. Makeup, in particular, stands out, making the physical toll of both boxing and abuse strikingly real. Michôd’s direction is steady and assured, though it occasionally leans too heavily on convention. The cinematography, unfortunately, feels substandard for a film of this ambition, with flat visuals that don’t always capture the raw energy of the story. Similarly, while the editing keeps the film coherent, it lacks the daring that might have elevated key sequences. Pacing can drag in places, and several supporting characters are disappointingly one-dimensional. Still, Christy  finds its way thanks to its central performances. There are moments of humor scattered throughout — though the film could have used more levity to balance its heaviness — and plenty of crowd-pleasing, badass sequences that showcase Christy’s strength and spirit. It may not break new ground in the biopic genre, but it delivers a solid, emotionally resonant story anchored by a magnetic lead. At the end of the day, Christy  belongs to Sydney Sweeney as she makes the familiar feel vital, the predictable feel powerful, and the story itself unforgettable. This is her movie, and it is one that confirms her place among the greats. Rating: ★★★½

High from the Oscar win for Oppenheimer , all eyes were on Cillian Murphy to see what he does next. Many, including me, were surprised when he chose Steve as his next project, as it seemed like an unconventional choice on paper. In Steve , director Tim Mielants and writer Max Porter bring to screen a sharply focused day in the life of a stressed, dedicated headteacher at a rundown reform school. Cillian Murphy plays the fraught title character with raw intensity—one of his most chaotic, verbal, and immoderate performances to date—anchoring a film that pulses with emotional volatility and dark humor. The story unfolds in a mid-1990s setting, where Steve battles to save the institution from closure while grappling with his mental health and substance use, a portrait of a “helpless helper” overwhelmed by the very system he’s trying to uphold. Murphy delivers arguably his loudest and most frenetic turn yet. He delivers his lines with sharp, restless urgency, yet roots the outbursts in a core of human fragility. He captures Steve’s exhaustion and aces every scene. Alongside him, the teen actors—especially Jay Lycurgo as Shy—bring conviction and depth. Thematically, Steve  pulses with emotional resonance—trauma, rejection, institutional decay, and the bonds between broken people trapped by circumstance all collide in a single, chaotic day, palpable dark humor throughout, particularly in the first act, yet as the film settles into quieter rhythms, it calmly yet forcefully conveys the weight of its themes. That shift allows the energy to build toward moments of bleak honesty and fleeting hope. Technically, the film’s strengths lie in its editing and overall energy. Despite being filmed entirely on a single school campus, the direction and cutting give it propulsive momentum, with dynamism that belies its limited scope. Editing emerges as a highlight—sharp, rhythmic, and effective in amplifying both emotion and humor. Visually, however, there were some excessive stylistic choices, including sweeping drones, that occasionally feel distracting or over-directed, detracting from the raw immediacy of the material. Emily Watson, Tracey Ullman, and Simbi Ajikawo round out the adult ensemble. Watson in particular is underused, and her arc is surprisingly limited in a film brimming with psychological complexity. The supporting adults, while solid, didn't have too much meat in their characters. Still, the empathetic writing and strong ensemble help the audience connect with nearly every character—even amid the chaos and institutional dysfunction. Steve is a flawed but compelling exploration of identity, empathy, and belonging. At a crisp 92 minutes, it is tight and energetic. It may not be Tim Mielants’ best effort, nor represent Cillian Murphy at his absolute peak, but the emotional truth he and the cast bring ensures it’s more than a decent watch. Ultimately, it’s a film that grabs you, shakes you, and makes you feel deeply. Rating: ★★★ ½ © Netflix About Steve Premiere Date:  October 3, 2025 Director:  Tim Mielants Producers: Pete Ohs, Jeremy O. Harris, Josh Godfrey, Luke Arreguin, Charli XCX Writers: Max Porter Cast:   Cillian Murphy, Jay Lycurgo, Emily Watson, Tracey Ullman, Simbi Ajikawo Synopsis: Set in the mid-’90s, Steve is a reimagining of Max Porter’s Sunday Times bestseller Shy. The film follows a pivotal day in the life of head teacher Steve (Academy Award® winner Cillian Murphy) and his students at a last chance reform school. As Steve fights to protect the school’s integrity and impending closure, we witness him grappling with his own mental health. In parallel to Steve’s struggles, we meet Shy (Jay Lycurgo), a troubled teen caught between his past and what lies ahead as he tries to reconcile his inner fragility with his impulse for self-destruction and violence.

This article contains spoilers for The Girlfriend . The Girlfriend © Amazon Prime Video Prime Video's The Girlfriend is proof that a glossy thriller can look expensive, boast a strong cast, and still fall flat. Across six overwrought episodes, the series promises intrigue, danger, and psychological warfare, but mostly delivers shrill melodrama and nonsensical twists. If you're after depth or a decent adaptation of your favourite book, this isn't it. The series throws you into the deep end from the outset, opening with two women locked in a vicious struggle underwater, as it teases a dangerous rivalry that will escalate throughout its duration. But almost immediately, it backpedals into soap opera territory. We jump back five months to meet Laura (Robin Wright), an art gallery owner whose life revolves around her adult son Daniel (Laurie Davidson). She's elegant, accomplished, and increasingly unsettling in her attachment to him. When Daniel introduces his new girlfriend, Cherry (Olivia Cooke), Laura's world tilts off its axis. Robin Wright as Laura Sanderson and Laurie Davidson as Daniel Sanderson in The Girlfriend . Courtesy of Prime © Amazon Content Services LLC. Cherry is a chameleon. In one breath, she's ambitious and professional, talking up dreams of tackling the housing crisis, and in the next, she's lying about her education, finances, and childhood. She's introduced as a glamorous interloper and is revealed, layer by layer, to have fabricated much of her past. The Girlfriend  wants us to ask: Who is the real Cherry? However, the execution is clumsy, thanks to on-the-nose dialogue and performances that are forced to sell increasingly implausible lies. The tension between Laura and Cherry is meant to be the foundation of the show. At first, it's gripping to watch a typical boy mum awkwardly go head-to-head with her son's girlfriend, and their scenes together bristle with a mix of mutual fascination and loathing. But by the time we get to Spain in the second episode, where the whole family and their friends head for a holiday, the intrigue has already started to weaken. Robin Wright as Laura S anderson and Olivia Cooke as Cherry Laine in The Girlfriend . Courtesy of Christopher Raphael/Prime © Amazon Content Services LLC. Instead of tightening the tension, the series piles on contrivances through a tennis match that descends into hostility, a missed dinner, and endless conversations about whether Daniel is too close to his mother. What should feel like a web of deceit comes off as repetitive. Laura snoops, Cherry lies, and Daniel looks confused. There's an attempt to humanise both women as Cherry confides about her working-class roots and Laura admits to a past relationship with a woman (Anna Chancellor). Unfortunately for the series, the writing doesn't trust these developments in earnest, preferring to lurch back into melodrama. By the third episode, things start to unravel. Here, the series leans on clichés, including a restraining order, an ominous ex-boyfriend, and money troubles to heighten the stakes, but without depth to its characters, it just feels hollow. When an accident occurs, it's hard to care because the characters involved are written as chess pieces, moved into whatever position will lead to the next dramatic set piece. The later episodes push fully into camp thriller territory. A social media account is hacked, a gallery is vandalised, and public humiliations occur. Any nuance about grief, class, or identity, which the story gestures toward, is drowned out in favour of further outlandish twists. A pivotal confrontation between Laura and Cherry at an exhibition, for instance, is so heightened it borders on parody. What should feel like a devastating social takedown instead plays like a soap opera drink-throwing scene. Robin Wright as Laura Sanderson in The Girlfriend . Courtesy of Christopher Raphael/Prime © Amazon Content Services LLC. Robin Wright does her best to lend Laura dignity, but even she can't salvage the ludicrousness of some scenes. Her performance is controlled, but the material often gives her nowhere to go that feels plausible. Laura is written as a woman who spirals, yet the beats of her obsession are exaggerated, even if she is correct in her suspicion. Olivia Cooke fares better, reveling in her character's slipperiness. She is equal parts seductive, cunning, and vulnerable, bringing energy to even the most ridiculous exchanges. Watching the two go head-to-head is entertaining, even if the series struggles to decide on its tone. The Girlfriend  doesn't know if it's a domestic thriller, a social satire about class and motherhood, or a campy melodrama. At times, it seems to want to be all three, alternating between pop soundtracks, tense confessions, and moments of psychological terror. The result is muddled and exhausting. Instead of sharp suspense, we get needle drops that either hammer home every emotion or feel like they have been taken from a trending social media post, perspective switches, and dialogue that explains instead of reveals. There are flashes of what could have been a much better series. The themes are rich: the possessive mother who cannot let go of her son, the working-class woman determined to infiltrate elite spaces, and the way grief warps family dynamics. However, the writing refuses to trust those ideas. By the finale, the series delivers what it promised at the beginning with the fight between Laura and Cherry in the water. But by then, the effect wanes. You won't gasp; you'll just sigh that it took six episodes to return to where we started. Ultimately, The Girlfriend  sits closer to a guilty-pleasure watch over a prestige drama. The performances are committed, the production values are glossy, but the storytelling is scattered. It's not a complete disaster – there are scenes of genuine tension, and watching Wright square off against Cooke is occasionally electrifying – but it's a missed opportunity that is exhausted by its own excess. Rating: ★★☆☆☆ The Girlfriend . © Amazon MGM Studios About The Girlfriend Premiere Date:  September 10, 2025 Episode Count:  6 Executive Producers: Robin Wright, Will Tennant, Phil Robertson, John Zois, Dave Clarke, Gabbie Asher, Michelle Frances Writers: Sheldon, Asher, Polly Cavendish, Helen Kingston, Marek Horn, Ava Wong Davies, Isis Davis, Smita Bhide, Matt Evans Directors: Robin Wright and Andrea Harkin Production:  I maginarium Productions and Amazon MGM Studios Distribution:   Amazon MGM Studios Cast:   Robin Wright, Olivia Cooke, Laurie Davidson, Waleed Zuaiter, Tanya Moodie, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Karen Henthorn, Anna Chancellor, Leo Suter, Francesca Corney Synopsis: Based on Michelle Frances' novel of the same name, The Girlfriend  follows Laura (Wright), a woman who seemingly has it all: a glittering career, a loving husband, and her precious son, Daniel. Her perfect life begins to unravel when Daniel brings home Cherry (Cooke), a girlfriend who changes everything. After a tense introduction, Laura becomes convinced Cherry is hiding something. Is she a manipulative social climber, or is Laura just paranoid? The truth is a matter of perspective.

Pete Ohs’ Erupcja  is a film that sneaks up on you—quietly charming, deceptively simple, and yet full of inventive quirks that make it linger in the mind long after its brisk 76-minute runtime. The film follows a young London couple on a trip to Warsaw, where unexpected encounters lead to the rekindling of a passionate friendship and the kind of emotional discoveries that test both love, companionship and identity. The film marks Charli XCX’s feature debut, and she carries herself with remarkable ease. Known worldwide as a pop star, she steps into the role of a woman caught between emotional unrest and the desire to break free, playing her character in a refreshingly grounded, unglamorous fashion. There’s no pop sheen or glossy veneer here, just a woman reckoning with life, friendship, and connection in ways that feel authentic. It’s an impressive turn, nuanced and layered, and it shows Charli’s faith in the project as a performer and as a producer. That dual role adds weight: she clearly believed in Erupcja  as more than a star vehicle, and it pays off. Pete Ohs has carved out a reputation for loose, collaborative filmmaking, and that approach thrives here. The cast—including Will Madden as Rob, and Lena Gora as Nel—shares writing credits with Ohs, underscoring the improvisational texture. Rather than feeling scattered, though, this spontaneity brings warmth and humor, especially through the voiceover format, which both grounds the narrative and adds surprising charm. Madden’s performance deserves mention too: his Rob may come across as a typical boyfriend in the early going, but by the end, he has grown on the audience. He becomes not only sympathetic but integral to the emotional balance of the story. Technically, Erupcja  is as polished as it is intimate. The editing is sharp, giving the film a breezy pace, while the color grading enhances its Warsaw setting with vivid contrasts—sometimes melancholy, sometimes playful. Ohs and his team make the city a character in itself, a backdrop that reflects the shifting dynamics of love, memory, and possibility. Despite its brevity, the film feels distilled, like a personal note passed between friends. There is still a sense of something more that was left unexplored and Ohs could've dug deeper here. He also isn't trying to be too ambitious or take swings here, which I think he should've done. Erupcja  is inventive, offbeat, and heartfelt, a drama that rewards patience and attention. It may be small in scale, but it pulses with creativity and confidence. With Charli XCX lined up for bigger mainstream projects in the near future, this debut feels like a fitting prologue—a signal of her range and promise as a performer. There is an underlying theme of volcanoes in tthe movie and somehow Charli feels like a volcano waiting to erupt. Rating: ★★★ ½ About Erupcja Premiere Date:  TBD Director: Pete Ohs Producers: Pete Ohs, Jeremy O. Harris, Josh Godfrey, Luke Arreguin, Charli XCX Writers: Pete Ohs, Charli XCX, Lena Gora, Jeremy O. Harris Cast:   Charli XCX, Lena Gora, Jeremy O. Harris, Will Madden

Amazon’s God of War series finally has a filming date. The series will begin filming in March 2026 in Vancouver, sources tell Nexus Point News. The casting for the series is currently underway. Ronald D. Moore will serve as the showrunner for God of War . The writers' room also includes: Matthew Graham ( Electric Dreams and Spanish Princess) Stephanie Shannon ( For All Mankind and Outlander) Narendra K. Shankar ( The Expanse and For All Mankind) Joe Menosky ( For All Mankind and Star Trek: Discovery) Marc D. Bernardin ( The Continental and Star Trek: Picard) Tania Lotia ( The Witcher and The Mighty Nein) Given Moore’s history as showrunner on For All Mankind , Electric Dreams , and Outlander , it’s no surprise that several familiar collaborators are joining him on this project. Moore also offered an update on the series at San Diego Comic-Con in an interview with IGN : “We’re in the scripts phase. We’re still working on scripts. It’s going very well. We’ve got a good team. It’s been a fascinating thing to sink my teeth into. I’ve never done an adaptation of a video game, and the deeper I got into it, the more impressed I was with the breadth and the depth of the mythology that’s involved in this video game.” In the same interview, Moore also revealed that they were adapting the 2018 God of War game, which follows an older Kratos, the Olympian God of War. After completing his quest for revenge against Zeus, Kratos settles with his wife and son. Following his wife’s death, Kratos embarks on a new journey with his son. To honor her final wish, Kratos and his son Atreus set out on a perilous journey to scatter her ashes from the highest peak of the Nine Realms. Along the way, they encounter many figures from Norse mythology, one of them being the Æsir god Baldur. God of War series is produced by Amazon MGM Studios, Sony Pictures Television, PlayStation Productions, and Santa Monica Studio.

Sources tell Nexus Point News that Lewis Pullman has joined the cast of The Heidi Fleiss Story  and will star opposite Aubrey Plaza. Details regarding Pullman’s role are currently unknown. The Heidi Fleiss Story was announced last month along with Plaza’s involvement. Plaza will portray Fleiss in the biopic. Leah Rachel ( Chambers ) will direct the film, which will mark her directorial debut. Rachel co-wrote the script with Rachel Sennott ( Bottoms ) and Travis Jackson ( Chambers ). The film will be produced by Jessamine Burgum and Kara Durrett through their production company Pinky Promise alongside Plaza. Fleiss, known as the “Hollywood Madam,” gained notoriety in the 1990s for running one of the most high-profile prostitution rings for the wealthy and celebrities. Her operation was uncovered in 1993 and led to her arrest. Fleiss served 20 months in prison. Pullman is best known for his roles in The Strangers: Prey at Night , Bad Times at the El Royale , and Top Gun: Maverick . He most recently portrayed the role of Bob Reynolds/Sentry in Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts* , and will reprise the role in Avengers: Doomsday next year. Pullman is also set to star in the upcoming sequel to Spaceballs  alongside his father, Bill Pullman. The Heidi Fleiss Story  is set to begin production later this year in Los Angeles.

This review contains spoilers for 'Peacemaker' Season 2 Episode 3. Peacemaker © HBO Max For the sake of everyone reading, this is an episode of Peacemaker Season 2 that fans have to watch before touching social media or reading any reviews. This is going to be the most talked about episode of Peacemaker' s second season until the highly anticipated episodes 6, 7 and 8 release. Last week moved the story along as we began to learn about Rick Flag Sr's (Frank Grillo) motive, Chris (John Cena) continued to lose further purpose for sticking around, and Eagly (Dee Bradley Baker) provided the season's best action sequence, although this episode almost gives it a run for its money. Similar to the previous two episodes, we open on a flashback, this time taking us three years before the current events of Peacemaker Season 2. While it may have seemed like the obvious decision, the biggest surprise of the season so far is that Joel Kinnaman has returned as Rick Flag, with the scene taking place just two hours before the events of The Suicide Squad . This short scene before the intro plays gives the audience a lot of information to work with and also better helps them understand who Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) is as a character and where her mind is at. From Suicide Squad to The Suicide Squad , there wasn’t much information on what Rick Flag had been up to, but with this flashback, we quickly learn (at least in the DCU) that he had romantic feelings for Emilia Harcourt. The most we find out from this scene is that they had been sleeping with each other at the time. From their dialogue with each other, we also discover that while Harcourt sees them as “friends” and is worried about ruining that, Rick Flag states that they’ve already ruined it. There’s a side to Harcourt that we haven’t really seen before that’s shown here; it’s her at her happiest with the person who brings her that euphoric feeling.  The second biggest surprise of the episode that derives from this one flashback is that Rick Flag mentions June Moore/The Enchantress. This is the first callback to a DCEU project that’s not The Suicide Squad but instead David Ayer’s Suicide Squad . Rick Flag and June were still dating, but the most interesting mention that will get people talking is Rick Flag words response to Harcourt: “She’s a fu*king sorceress.” At the end of Suicide Squad , June was freed from the possession of the Enchantress, but from this dialogue and another moment where he says she “could blow a hole through the planet” in response to June finding out about his affair suggests something different. As we know from James Gunn and the “Previously on the DCU” we got in the first episode, similar events could’ve occurred, but it’s likely that the entirety of Suicide Squad isn’t now canon due to Superman’s involvement in Task Force X’s existence. However, it’s safe to say that June Moore dating Rick Flag has remained canon and that she’s currently possessed by the sorceress known as the Enchantress.  A hungover Adebayo tries to get an understanding of what’s going on between Harcourt and Chris. She understands that Chris has a crush on her but doesn’t understand why Harcourt doesn’t reciprocate those same feelings. In fact, she gives her a wake-up call, letting her know that she’s just as broken as everyone else. The opening scene gives us the hint that her uncertainty with Chris likely derives from him killing Rick Flag, which is stopping her from being able to express her feelings to Chris. There are a lot of relationship problems going around in Peacemaker Season 2, but Chris and Harcourt are the main focus, especially of this episode as we go over to Earth 2.  John Cena as Christopher Smith/Peacemaker in Peacemaker. © HBO Max As Chris lost all hope with Harcourt in the previous episode, he goes over to Earth 2, where he may be able to get a chance with that reality’s Harcourt. With his brother alive and his father being loving, what else could be just the perfect fit for Chris in this world? The lead-up to Chris meeting up with Earth 2’s Harcourt involves "testing" Keith (David Denman) with pop quizzes in hopes of finding out the information he needs, as he’s not familiar with this world. Chris hops on the Peace-Cycle, and on his way to A.R.G.U.S. has a crowd of people cheering him, kids crying about how much they love Peacemaker and women flashing themselves to him. “Best universe ever,” is what he says after feeling all the love on his way to the love of his life.  As the title of the episode, “Another Rick Up My Sleeve,” suggests, Chris finds himself confronted by the Rick of this Earth, which completely has him frozen. We quickly find out that this is the jarhead that was constantly mentioned in the previous episodes and that he’s currently dating Harcourt, although Harcourt previously had a romantic history with the original Chris of Earth 2. This episode isn’t simply the best for how many surprises they throw at us or how well they handle the relationship of these characters, but it’s just overall an absolute blast. Joel Kinnaman is seen having a hell of a time playing a version of Rick Flag that feels completely different to the one we know from our main reality. This Rick Flag is clumsy, jealous and just all over the place. While this episode is the second shortest out of the five episodes, it manages to pack a lot of different emotions into its 38-minute runtime.  The highlight of this episode is that Chris finally gets to be the hero he’s dreamt of becoming. When the Sons of Liberty (a close resemblance to the Sons of Themyscira from Creature Commandos ) take a bank hostage, threatening to take down every government agency until their demands are met, Chris decides to take matters into his own hands and take them out. This action sequence isn’t as creative as Eagly’s standout fight scene from last week’s episode, but there’s some impressive choreography that makes this fight between Chris and the Sons of Liberty stand out. From pencils being used as weapons, to a trolley, it gets brutal. Having saved the day with praise from the civilians, Harcourt and his own brother, Keith, it’s clear that Chris is beginning to love this reality more than his own because once again, it’s the “best universe ever”.  Brandon Stanley as Kline, Tim Meadows as Langston Fleury, Sol Rodriguez as Sasha Bordeaux and Steve Agee as Economos in Peacemaker . © HBO Max While Chris makes this claim, there’s one obvious thing about this alternate reality that’s seemingly going to play into the later episodes. Everybody appears to be white; there isn’t a single person of color to be seen throughout the entire episode. This leaves me to believe that White Supremacy won over in this alternate reality, which would make for an insane reveal and leave Chris not knowing what to believe in. Only time will tell.  Before the episode ends, we find out that Sasha Bordeaux has hired Red St Wild, an eagle hunter, to take care of Eagly so that they can finally get into the house eagle-free and discover what they need to know about the Quantum Unfolding Chamber. Michael Rooker returns for his third role in the DCU, previously having voiced Sam Fitzgibbon in Creature Commandos and Superman Robot #5 in Superman . This role, from what we’ve gotten so far, seems like it’s going to lead into a comedic side story between him and Eagly, and while the presence of Eagly is welcome, with the lack of focus on other characters such as Adrian or Adebayo (outside of helping the story move forward), is it really worth having a whole storyline dedicated to Eagly? Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 3, “Another Rick Up My Sleeve” brings the action, comedy, nostalgia and emotions in just a neatly packaged 38 minutes. If you’re a fan of Peacemaker Season 1 and its tone, this episode will be one of your favourite episodes out of the whole season. It’s hard-hitting and brutal but also makes you feel empathic for Chris and his relationship with Harcourt. Will Chris return to the alternate reality? Will Eagly survive? Will Harcourt come to terms with her feelings for Chris? These are all questions that will hopefully be answered in the upcoming episodes. Rating: ★★★★☆ Peacemaker . © DC Studios x HBO Max About Peacemaker Season 2 Premiere Date : August 21, 2025 Episode Count : 8 Executive Producer/Showrunner : James Gunn Writer : James Gunn Director : James Gunn, Greg Mottola, Peter Sollett, Althea Jones Production : DC Studios, Troll Court Entertainment, The Safran Company Distribution : HBO Max Cast : John Cena, Danielle Brooks, Jennifer Holland, Freddie Stroma, Steve Agee, Robert Patrick, Frank Grillo, David Denman, Sol Rodriguez, Tim Meadows Synopsis : In season 2, Peacemaker discovers an alternate world where life is everything he wishes it could be. But this discovery also forces him to face his traumatic past and take the future into his own hands.

This review contains minor spoilers for 'Alien: Earth' Episode 5. Alien: Earth  © FX Noah Hawley so far has already created a show that makes me confident enough to believe it’s the best Alien media we’ve gotten since Aliens , outside of the video game Alien: Isolation and the recent Alien: Romulus , which felt almost like a return to form. Although Noah Hawley brings us to a setting like Earth, which is uncharted territory for the franchise, he is still able to keep the heart and identity of the franchise, which “In Space, No One…” perfectly does. “In Space, No One…” is a flashback episode, and while those can sometimes tend to ruin the structure of a series, Hawley chooses the perfect time to take us back to when the Maginot crash-landed in Prodigy territory, filling in the gaps from the first episode. The title of the episode itself, “In Space, No One…” is an homage to the iconic tagline “In Space, No One Can Hear You Scream” that derives from Alien . This episode feels like a respectful recreation of the original. With the crash of the Maginot being given its own episode, it stops Alien: Earth from gaining negative feedback and being labelled a copycat of the original Alien ; instead, Hawley uses this structure to still make his own mark while showing his love for where it all began. This episode in all its glory highlights Babou Ceesay’s role in delivering an all-time performance as Morrow, who takes the spotlight in this episode. From the previous episodes, we look at Morrow through a lens that truly sees him as the villain as he blackmails literal children to ensure he gets his way, but in “In Space, No One…” we finally get to learn partially about his backstory. The daughter who tragically died in a fire continues to be his driving force to ensure that he completes his mission; otherwise, what was the point to all of this? Babou Ceesay as Morrow in Alien: Earth © FX That’s not the only piece of information that we gain. From the conclusion of the first episode, we were left in the dark about how the Xenomorph came to be on the ship, and to no one’s surprise, Boy Kavalier (Samuel Blenkin) is the mastermind behind it all. While Morrow and the crew have to deal with a Xenomorph on the loose later in this episode and some newer alien creatures which are out to kill them, Boy Kavalier is proven to be the biggest threat in Alien: Earth .  It wasn’t hard for Boy Kavalier to persuade Petrovitch (Enzo Cilenti) to sabotage the Maginot and ensure it lands in Prodigy territory. The idea of being put in a hybrid body is the first step to immortality, and this was a first look at how high the demand was and how big of an investment Boy Kavalier had on his hands. Hawley gets to create his own Alien movie with this episode, and while it feels familiar in places with the crew trying to outlive the alien creatures on board, he explores Morrow in a way that we normally don’t get to see done with the Alien movies. He’s trapped within the confines of a major corporation, and until he completes his mission, he won’t be free. There’s the question of if Morrow would even want to be free, and if he was, would he allow the corporations to continue controlling other people like they’ve done with him? This is the beauty of a show set within the Alien universe; it gives the time needed to explore all of these possibilities that would not be possible within a singular movie. Alien: Earth Episode 5, “In Space, No One…” is Noah Hawley’s attempt at recreating the original Alien movie and letting audiences know that he’s more than capable of creating an Alien movie if he were handed the reins. This is such a heart-wrenching episode as we learn about Morrow’s past and what drives him to complete this mission. He’s broken and isn’t the villain that he was thought to be in the earlier episodes. It’s hands down the best Alien media since Aliens and the best episode so far of Alien: Earth . While it still retains its horror aspects and the tension that comes with being trapped on a space vessel, Hawley takes this chance to also create a character study on Morrow, allowing for Babou Ceesay to deliver his best performance yet as the character. Rating: ★★★★★ Alien: Earth © FX About Alien: Earth Premiere Date:  August 12, 2025 Episode Count:  8 Executive Producer/Showrunner: Noah Hawley Writer: Noah Hawley, Bob DeLaurentiis, Bobak Esfarjani, Lisa Long, Maria Melnik, Migizi Pensoneau Director: Dana Gonzalez, Ugla Hauksdóttir, Noah Hawley Production:  FX Distribution:  Hulu Cast:  Sydney Chandler, Alex Lawther, Essie Davis, Samuel Blenkin, Babou Ceesay, Adarsh Gourav, Erana James, Jonathan Ajayi, David Rysdahl, Diêm Camille, Moe Bar-El, Timothy Olyphant, Kit Young, Sandra Yi Sencindiver, Lily Newmark, Adrian Edmondson, Amir Boutrous, Lloyd Everitt Synopsis: When the mysterious deep space research vessel USCSS Maginot crash-lands on Earth, Wendy (Sydney Chandler) and a ragtag group of tactical soldiers make a fateful discovery that puts them face-to-face with the planet's greatest threat in FX’s Alien: Earth .