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This review contains minor spoilers for 'Percy Jackson and the Olympians' Season 2 Episode 3. Percy Jackson and the Olympians  Season Two.  © Disney+ Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season Two continues to elevate the story's caliber, bringing it another step closer to Mount Olympus in its third episode. In this episode, "We Board The Princess Andromeda ," Percy, Tyson, and Annabeth leave Camp Half-Blood unceremoniously to embark on uncharted waters to rescue Grover and find the Golden Fleece before it falls into the wrong hands. Along the way, they encounter obstacles in Luke Castellan and his fellow disciples of Cronus, who would stop at nothing to overthrow the Gods. Meanwhile, Clarisse, desperately looking for her father's approval, is far behind in the race to the Golden Fleece. The first two episodes of this season were appetizers; episode three is the first bite of the main course, marking a definite beginning for the Sea of Monsters arc. The episode delivers action, adventure, drama, and suspense more than the prior episodes. It also paints a picture of what true evil looks like. For a series embracing all the fantasy elements of Greek Mythology, monsters such as cyclops, dragons, and krakens are not the ones we should worry about. The ones who look like us, claim to be friends, yet conspire to play God, are the real monsters. Percy Jackson's Foes With Friendly Faces Charlie Bushnell as Luke Castellan in Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Season 2, Episode 1.  © Disney + There is nothing worse than someone who values power above everything else, except someone who values power more than you. Look at Luke Castellan, played brilliantly by Charlie Bushnell. Since his betrayal was exposed, he has remained focused on destroying the Gods and resurrecting Cronus so that he and the other followers of Cronus can supposedly rule alongside their grandfather, instead of mending fences with his surrogate sister, Annabeth, and his friends at Camp Half-Blood. However, he would still try to persuade Annabeth and Percy to join his cause when the opportunity presents itself. Luke behaves like a politician throughout the episode. In season one, he pretended to be a trusted ally. Now that his lies have been exposed, he adapts his manipulation tactics to fit his needs through charisma, a life of luxury, and twisting the truth about a prophecy. These tactics yield results, given that Half-Bloods are joining his Cronus cult. Ironically, he is being manipulated by Cronus's evil spirit while he is busy manipulating others. Bushnell demonstrates phenomenal acting chops as Luke Castellan, given the material now that Luke is undoubtedly Percy's arch-nemesis. He shows the depth of his character without falling into the "misunderstood villain" trope. While his natural charisma makes him likable, his character's motives are clear as day. The Anti-hero's Journey Dior Goodjohn as Clarisse La Rue in Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2 Episode 3. Disney+ Clarisse, played by Dior Goodjohn, reveals her true nature in this episode. She is not as tough or as confident as she pretends to be. The daughter of Ares has no shortage of Daddy issues. The desire for her father's approval is the root of her motivations; however, it is also the root of her problems. For the first time in the series, we see how vulnerable and lonely she is. Goodjohn's portrayal, symbiotically with introspective direction, unpeels the layers of Clarisse's hard exterior to expose a human side that was noticeably absent in the first season. In many ways, Clarisse is more depressed and lonely than Tyson, but she might be more courageous than Percy; underneath all her fears and insecurities lies the heart of a hero. Despite her desperate need for her father's approval, she commits to finding the Golden Fleece out of a sense of responsibility. She may be afraid of her father or of letting people get close to her, but she is not scared of a fight or of keeping her word. This Is Still Percy Jackson's Show, Starring Annabeth Chase Walker Scobell as Percy Jackson and Leah Sava Jeffries as Annabeth Chase in Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2 Episode 3. © Disney + As exciting as Luke and Clarisse are commanding their scenes, Walker Scobell and Leah Sava Jeffries make it abundantly clear whose show this still is. Their tense relationship is a focal point of the third episode's story. The dynamic Demi-God duo disagrees on Luke and how to proceed with their quest. Percy sees through Luke and is prepared to eliminate him if necessary, while Annabeth believes that Luke can be saved, despite his breaking her trust. Fear is another reason behind their tension; Percy is scared of Annabeth holding back, while she is scared of losing someone else she loves. Watching them dance around each other until they have a difficult conversation about the root of their predicament is like watching opponents play chess, only far from boring. The chemistry between Scobell and Jeffries fuels their scenes, working in tandem with the writing and directing to keep viewers, especially "Percabeth" fans, on the edge of their seats. Showdown On The Princess Andromeda Walker Scobell as Percy Jackson, Leah Sava Jeffries as Annabeth Chase, and Daniel Diemer as Tyson in Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2 Episode 3. Disney + Minutes after Percy, Annabeth, and Tyson boarded The Princess Andromeda , the thrill and suspense reach new heights for an already action-packed season. Percy and Annabeth are forced to contend with a foe in the best choreographed and edited fight scene of the series, thus far. The battle is an adrenaline-pumping scene that confirms how much our heroes have grown in only two years to face higher stakes. Tyson also has his heroic moment when he uses his brain to defeat his opponents instead of his brawn. The simple moment contrasts Percy and Annabeth's tag-team death match, demonstrating the saying, "You can't judge a book by its cover." Tyson proving his worth like this makes him more endearing and closer to his brother, which is becoming increasingly cathartic. The rest of the episode provides a master class in depicting conflict on screen. The tension and animosity are palpable not only through the acting but also through the instrumental pacing and expectation subversion. Anyone watching would be shocked to see Percy not kill Luke on sight. Victory For Percy Jackson and the Olympians Stays In Sight Percy Jackson and the Olympians is delivering a fantastic second season so far. "We Board The Princess Andromeda " is a stronger episode than the incredible two-part season premiere, while indicating that the best is yet to come. The thick volume of conflict, tension, and suspense is palpable through the cast's performances, action sequences, and story progression. The Sea of Monsters saga is three episodes in the second season and shows no sign of slowing down. New episodes of Percy Jackson and the Olympians,  Season Two, release every Wednesday on Disney+. © Disney+ About Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2 Premiere Date:  December 10, 2025 Based on: The Book series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, by Rick Riordan Episode Count:  8 Showrunners: Jonathan E. Steinberg, Dan Shotz Writers: Jonathan E. Steinberg, Joe Tracz, Monica Owusu-Breen, Andrew Miller, Craig Silverstein, Directors: James Bobin, Anders Engström, Jet Wilkinson Production:   Co-Lab21, The Gotham Group, Mythomagic, Quaker Moving Pictures, Quaker Moving Pictures, 20th Television Distribution:  Disney Branded Television, Disney+ Cast:   Walker Scobell, Leah Sava Jeffries, Aryan Simhadri, Daniel Diemer, Charlie Bushnell, Dior Goodjohn Synopsis: Percy Jackson sails to the Sea of Monsters to rescue his friend Grover and save Camp Half-Blood.

This article contains spoilers for 'Fallout' Season 2 Episode 1. Fallout Season 2 © Prime Video The return of Fallout Season 2 on our televisions is exactly what we've been wanting to see from TV, and that's a quick turnaround between seasons. Fallout Season 1 began streaming in April 2024, with filming for its second season taking place in December 2024, and now just a year later, we've got Season 2, and just from the first episode, it doesn't seem like the show still retains its high production value despite returning back to our screens so soon. Fallout Season 1 left us with Lucy MacLean (Ella Purnell) finally finding her father, Hank MacLean (Kyle MacLachlan), but discovering that her father was responsible for the destruction of Shady Sands. After realising that her father has been lying to her for her entire life, she decides to tag along with the Ghoul, aka Cooper Howard (Walton Goggins), to find her father, who's heading in the direction of New Vegas. The Ghoul is searching for clues about his pre-apocalypse life and trying to learn about the whereabouts of his daughter and wife. Maximus (Aaron Moten) gets sworn in as a Knight after the Brotherhood is led to believe that he killed Moldaver (Sarita Choudhury). Norm MacLean (Moisés Arias) discovers that Vault 31 is holding cryogenic pods containing Vault-Tec executives who were planned to be released over time as Overseers for both Vaults 32 and 33. In the past, Cooper discovered after listening to his wife that she plans to drop the first nuclear bomb on themselves and finds out that her assistant is none other than Hank. The Past We open up in the past in New Vegas, giving us our first look at how the city looked pre-apocalypse with people on the street protesting against RobCo and taking down robots. In a bar we see a television interview of Robert House (Rafi Silver) that infuriates one of the customers, who goes by the name of Bill (Christopher Matthew Cook). A mysterious man (Justin Theroux) in the corner questions them by asking his trade, to which he responds that he's in construction. It's clear that by aggravating this man, from asking his trade to asking him to get punched in the face, he's testing to see if he's the right candidate for his little device. He asks Bill to put this device on the back of his neck for the price of $31 million. Bill threatens to steal the money, but before things get out of hand, the mysterious man forcefully places the device on the back of his neck, hands him a baseball bat and orders him to take out his friends, which he does in a brutal fashion. The dial for the device malfunctions, and Bill's head proceeds to explode. Despite not gaining full control in Bill, the mysterious man states, "The world may end, but progress marches on." This short scene highlights the importance of the small device, which returns much later in the episode but also brings the attention of this mysterious man to our attention, who we already know is playing Mr. House, but the show omits that information from the audience. Whatever the reason for why we have Rafi Silver playing him on the TV who also previously played him last season, is still yet unknown but hopefully it's something this second season touches on instead of looking past it. We return to Cooper's past and the exact moment he found out about his wife revealing that the plan is to drop the bomb on them. His trust in his wife has completely changed after discovering her intention, and just before we see him reach Moldaver to deliver the intel, a test nuclear announcement is run, which sends the nearby residents into a spiral mess. It's possible that Cooper in this moment realises that Vault-Tec's plan to make money out of the residents will work and this insane plan of his wife's to nuke themselves might not be that insane after all, despite him still not agreeing with it. At a diner, Cooper gives Moldaver all the intel that he heard but finds out that she was already aware of their plans and only needed him to know so that she could use his fame to get close with Robert House. It's here we learn that House owns half of Las Vegas but is also building a privately owned missile system in Vegas that will have enough firepower to follow through on his wife's plans. With his Hollywood fame, he'll be able to get close enough to House and stop him from pressing that button. The only issue is that Cooper will have to play nice with his wife to get on that trip to Las Vegas, where she'll be selling Cold Fusion to House, the last thing he needs to set off those nukes. Cooper at first seems against this entire plan, but after hearing on the radio that House said in an interview, "The question might not be whether the world might end but who will push the button." With the knowledge that he has, hearing this over the news and knowing that he might be able to save the world from nuclear destruction, he decides to play along. The Vault In the vault, it always feels like a completely different world from what takes place outside and in the past. Reg (Rodrigo Luzzi) is asking around about Norm, who simply just gets told that he's gone for a leadership exchange programme at Vault 31. While Reg doesn't know the dark truth of what Norm is going through, he feels like he's not making any progress, and Betty Pearson (Leslie Uggams) encourages him to start a group to talk about any feelings. Redge decides to host a support group for products of inbreeding but soon comes to realise that he's losing the few members he has and that he must cater to them to feel like he has a purpose. In Vault 32, we see Steph (Annabel O'Hagan) taking on the task of being the Overseer. There's still a lot that's yet to be known about Steph or what her intentions are, but with her behaviour towards Chet (Dave Register), who simply just wants a job assignment and to not be burdened with a child that's not his, it's clear that with the power of an Overseer, she may be unstoppable as she puts fear into Chet. Annabel O'Hagan as Steph in Fallout Season 2. © Prime Video © Prime Over at Vault 31, Rollerbrain, aka Bud Askins (Michael Esper), is still trying to get Norm to go into a cryotube, and despite Norm running out of food and only surviving on water, he still refuses to go inside. There aren't many options for Norm, as Rollerbrain reminds him that they have protocols for everything, including missing people, meaning Norm only has the two choices of dying or going into the cryotube. Rollerbrain tells Norm what his father was like, describing him as ambitious. Norm begins to slowly realise that he can sabotage their plan that has been 200 years in the making by thawing all the Vault-Tec executives despite the regular 30-year interval. The Present Lucy and the Ghoul are on the hunt for Hank, and we find them trying to steal food and supplies from some bandits, which doesn't go well when Lucy tries to politely ask to keep the caps they got given and to be let go. Lucy frees the Ghoul, and together they take down the bandits, but unlike the Ghoul, Lucy isn't willing to kill and instead incapacitates them. This irritates the Ghoul, as he needs to ensure he's not pulling along dead weight or a liability, which she almost proved to be during that scenario. They see Las Vegas in the distance, which Lucy describes as looking like all the old photos, and that's because House protected it as best he could by shooting down the nukes that were targeting it. Lucy and the Ghoul begin to come across a body that Hank most likely dealt with, and it's clear that Lucy still seems to be in disbelief that her father is capable of such violence. Instead of shooting guns, Lucy asks Old Woman Gretch (Susan Berger) nearby the whereabouts of where her father might've gone next, but not before eating flea soup (which looks as vile as it sounds). The two come across Vault 24, which they head into as Hank took a detour on his journey. It's here we learn that the Ghoul only ventures into Vaults to try to find his daughter and wife, constantly having to make peace with the fact he may find them dead or much worse (alluding to experiments that take place within some of the Vaults). They go further down into the Vault, coming across deceased bodies. The Ghoul spots a device on the back of the neck of one of the deceased. They learn that the Vault was turning Americans into communists via some sort of brain hypnosis experiment. Lucy learns that her father has taken the drive from the computer at the Vault and is placing these devices on people he comes across, causing their heads to explode. This bloody scene seems to settle into Lucy's mind and begins to hint that Lucy's psyche might change over the course of the season. While she may want to bring him to justice now, she very well may want to kill him by the time we reach the final episode. The episode ends as we witness Hank reach Las Vegas, change out of the power armour into a suit, and send a message to who we believe to be House that he's survived and is ready to get back to work. He plans to complete the work that was started in hopes of getting closer to House. It's still unclear by this end what the real end goal of these devices is, but the key to getting them to work as intended might be to miniaturise them. Overall Thoughts Fallout Season 2 Episode 1 feeds the audience with a lot of information and speeds up the story while still managing to leave us in the dark regarding a few things. We're formally introduced to Robert House, who remains mysterious with his goals unknown but by the end we find out that they align with Hanks, who manages to make his way to his destination by the end which was not expected for the first episode. The pacing with which the first episode moves highlights that this second season has a lot that it needs to get through and thankfully there weren't any pacing issues present but what was absent was the inclusion of Maximus. There could be a slight possibility that once he returns the season may struggle to juggle all these storylines, but as of now, it's doing just a fine job. The only downside to this episode comes from the Vault section of the episode where we spend time with Reg. As of now, it's the least interesting part of the Vault storyline and it's hard to see where this could lead to in the future but Reg and his attempts to find a purpose is not a storyline that I'd like to spend time with in future episodes. Here's to hoping it leads somewhere worthwhile, otherwise those scenes will become a drag to watch. The production and costume design of Fallout remains outstanding and the performance highlight of the episode does come from both Ella Purnell and Walton Goggins as we get to see both them slightly show their vulnerable sides, with Purnell tapping into that hidden rage from Lucy. While Purnell and Goggins are star players in this first episode, that very opening scene ensures that we're to keep an eye on Justin Theroux, who is bound to surprise everyone not only with his performance, but his character. Fallout Season 2 . © Prime Video About Fallout Season 2 Premiere Date : December 16, 2025 Episode Count : 8 Executive Producer/Showrunner : Graham Wagner, Geneva Robertson-Dworet Writer : Graham Wagner, Geneva Robertson-Dwore, Chaz Hawkins, Chris Brady-Denton Director : Frederick E.O. Toye, Liz Friedlander, Stephen Williams, Lisa Joy Production :  Kilter Films, Big Indie Pictures, Bethesda Game Studios, Amazon MGM Studios Distribution : Prime Video Cast : Ella Purnell, Walton Goggins, Justin Theroux, Kyle MacLachlan, Aaron Moten, Moisés Arias

The Housemaid . © Lionsgate Paul Feig is unstoppable with how fast he's putting out his movies. Just earlier in the year, he had released Another Simple Favor for streaming, and last year he had Jackpot! released on streaming. The Housemaid , thankfully, isn't a movie for streaming and is a film that's made to be experienced with a packed cinema as you witness all the secrets that the film has in store for you. If there's one thing Paul Feig is great at, it's building tension and the anticipation for a great reveal. The Housemaid is based on the 2022 novel of the same name written by Freida McFadden that follows Millie (Sydney Sweeney), a young woman who finds a new job as a live-in housemaid for the Winchester family, who come from a wealthy background. Their picture-perfect life begins to fall apart as Millie begins to notice some of their dark secrets. Millie at first glance seems like a sweet girl from a higher upbringing who is well-educated and more than the perfect person for the job, but that façade is quickly unraveled when we learn that Millie's life is the complete opposite and she's in fact living in her car. Millie's background being the complete opposite to what she's told Nina Winchester (Amanda Seyfried) doesn't change the simple fact that she's a woman who's kind at heart and tries to have people's best intentions in mind. Nina Winchester, on the other hand, lives the perfect life; she has the best husband she could ever ask for in Andrew Winchester (Brendan Sklenar), a beautiful little daughter named Cecelia Winchester (Indiana Elle) and a house that sometimes feels like it's too big for the three of them. For a woman that lives a perfect life on the surface, her anger can sometimes get the better of her, leading her to lash out at Millie and accuse her of acts that she has not committed. Sydney Sweeney as Millie and Amanda Seyfried as Nina in The Housemaid . © Lionsgate It begins to become a problem when it becomes clear that Nina is constantly asking her to do something like buying theatre tickets for a date night and then immediately getting mad that she's booked on a day that's already been booked in the calendar despite it being exactly what she told her to do. Rebecca Sonnenshine's script really plays with the audience as she forces us to try to piece together all of Nina's weird acts and the truth behind what is actually going on inside this house. Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried both deliver strong performances with full commitment, as Sweeney plays the clueless girl with a mysterious past, switching character code at a moment's notice, and Seyfried delivers her most unhinged performance yet, which forces the audience to consistently question what the hell is even going on. Despite the two strong performances that really aid the engaging story by Sonnenshine, Brendan Sklenar arrives with an unpredictably unsettling performance that creates an eerie atmosphere for everyone in the house and in the audience watching. The screenplay, alongside Feig's direction, helps to create an intense movie that makes you hold your breath until the final twist is revealed. There are many twists and turns throughout the film, and some you may see coming, but there are others that will catch you off guard that really help to elevate the story from its simplistic ground. It's hard to talk about the theme of the movie without giving away the biggest plot twist in The Housemaid , but it's a film that gives women agency and is about them claiming the power in a stereotypical patriarchal society. Whether The Housemaid does a good job on that is up for debate, but personally, it seems like it tried its best on tackling this theme despite the campiness and cheesiness of the movie. The Housemaid is one of 2025's most twisted and sickening thrillers to release as you begin to learn the dark secrets that will have you thinking twice about the people you choose to let into your life. The movie can be predictable at times, but for 70% of the film, Feig uses his best strength of building tension to take away from the predictability of the movie, and it is accompanied by Theodore Shapiro's score, which will leave you on the edge of your seats. It has phenomenal performances from two women who are a great pair and overall is a fun time at the cinema that transforms from a playful, campy thriller to a gripping, dark and compelling movie. This is a film worth ensuring you don't get spoilt for to maximise your viewing experience. The Housemaid . © Lionsgate About The Housemaid Premiere Date:  December 19, 2025 Writer: Rebecca Sonnenshine Director: Paul Feig Production:  Feigco Entertainment, Hidden Pictures Distribution:  Lionsgate Cast:  Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried, Brandon Sklenar, Michele Morrone, Elizabeth Perkins, Indiana Elle

Avatar: Fire and Ash © 20th Century Studios The world of Pandora came to James Cameron in a dream. It was a dream that he knew he couldn’t fulfil with the technology he had during the 90s, but in 2009, he brought the world of Avatar to life, blowing audiences’ minds with visuals that had never been seen before and 3D technology that had finally been used correctly.  It was nearly a decade’s wait for its sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water , which once again took everyone’s expectations and blew them out of the water. Now three years later, James Cameron has brought us the conclusion to what he has described as the final chapter in the first Avatar saga, Avatar: Fire and Ash .  Avatar: Fire and Ash takes place some time after Avatar: The Way of Water and deals with the Sully family as they still grieve over the death of Neteyam (Jamie Flatters). A new threat rises from the ashes of Pandora that allies itself with Quaritch (Stephen Lang) and the rest of the RDA to finally take down Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) once and for all.  Avatar has been a franchise that has been close to my heart, and it was a movie that highlighted at a young age that no matter how vast your own fictional world may be, it's possible to bring it to life. James Cameron has been spreading the news that Avatar: Fire and Ash is the conclusion to the first Avatar saga, with Avatar 4 and 5 being the start of a whole new saga. With these expectations, you'd hope that a three-hour and seventeen-minute-long movie would be able to provide a satisfying ending while still leaving the odd loose thread here and there, but instead, you're left confused about what Cameron's intention with the story was the entire time. What has remained consistent through all three Avatar movies is that the world of Pandora is still a sight to behold. The visuals of Avatar: Fire and Ash are nothing short of breathtaking, and as we get introduced to the Mangkwan, aka the clan of the Ash people, whose terrain leaves the feeling of destruction and rage and lacks the colour of the Metakayina's bright blue water and the bright green forage of the Omatikaya, it still remains just as distinct and unique as the previous two locales. James Cameron continues with his great use of the HFR (High-Frame Rate) technology, which helps with the use of 3D and allows it to have less strain on people's brains, and while I still highly recommend watching Avatar: Fire and Ash on the biggest screen possible and in 3D to get the most out of your viewing experience, there are some scenes in the final act which do tend to appear like the frame rate drops drastically, which tends to take away your attention from the action. Oona Chapling as Varang in Avatar: Fire and Ash . © 20th Century Studios The world-building with Pandora is quite easily the best aspect of Avatar: Fire and Ash . We get introduced to two new tribes: the Tlalim, aka Windtraders; and the Mangkwan. The introduction of these two clans further expands the world, making it seem larger than it already is. We quickly become accustomed to the Windtraders as they arrive and are given the task of taking Spider back to the High Camp research base. It's here that we discover that they don't play favourites or take sides when it comes to the war between the Na'vi and the RDA, highlighting their pacifist side, although, as you're shown not soon after, they're still ready to defend themselves. Avatar: Fire and Ash is a movie that's rooted in its themes on faith and belief. We've learnt that Eywa runs through all life in Pandora, but the same can't be said for the Mangkwan. Varang (Oona Chaplin) states that when they needed help, Eywa was nowhere to be found, and since then, she and her people have turned to darkness, raiding and killing other Na'vi who have a strong belief in Eywa. Varang is an intriguing character, and it starts with her character design. She's the only Na'vi to sport spikes on her Kuru, which reflects how she uses it to control other Na'vi, removing their will. What remains present throughout the entirety of Avatar: Fire and Ash is the cycle of violence that continues. We have the Mangkwan, who enact senseless violence amongst their own kind, who team up with Quaritch and the RDA once Varang finally finds someone on equal ground. It's a timely message that we see play out in our real world across the globe as James Cameron interjects the senseless violence from our world into Pandora. Oona Chaplin delivers a ferocious performance as Varang and really helps to sell the rage that she feels, and the combination of her with Stephen Lang's Quaritch really stands on top as one of the best villain duos, as Lang provides us with yet another performance that solidifies Quaritch as one of the most legendary villains we've gotten this century. He's determined to take down Jake Sully and will do anything to get his hands on him, willing to even kill Sully's children if he must. What we see from Quaritch in Avatar: Fire and Ash compared to Avatar: The Way of Water is that he's a compassionate guy; unlike Varang, he isn't just rooted in evil, and he's able to set aside differences to work towards the same goal. James Cameron plays around with the idea of Quaritch going through an identity crisis: is he an RDA human general, or is he a Na'vi? As part of the audience, it's hard to get into his head, but you can see how he crosses the line of fully becoming a Na'vi. It's unfortunate, as there is a great scene between Jake Sully and Quaritch which begins to tease Quaritch fully accepting what he is, but the story rushes to its ending, and we never really get to see it play out as Cameron struggles to juggle several storylines that need to conclude within the three hours. Zoe Saldaña as Neytiti and Sam Worthington as Jake Sully in Avatar: Fire and Ash . © 20th Century Studios Unlike Avatar: The Way of Water , we don't have Jake narrating the story, but instead we get Lo'ak (Britain Dalton), who narrates the movie. He's made to seem like the central character at first with how he's still dealing with the death of his brother and the toll it's taking on him mentally as he continues to be blamed for his death by his father. Avatar: Fire and Ash tries to have emotional payoff with all of its characters, but for a good portion of the movie, Lo'ak is absent, and the relationship with his father isn't resolved as one would've liked to have hoped. It all makes for a third act that's absolutely stunning with its visuals but lacking with its writing as it rushes to the finish line. A character that's a clear fan favourite, unlike Lo'ak, who receives the poor end of the stick, is Spider (Jack Champion). The entire movie revolves around him, and while his story dives deep into spoiler territory, I can say that his character becomes forever changed and quickly becomes the centre of attention for all characters involved. Cameron handles Spider's story arc throughout the movie well, as we get to see Neytiri fight her hatred for humans and Jake not only look out for his family but also make life-changing decisions that regard Spider's life. Outside of Spider's story, which in all honesty is just the overall story for Avatar: Fire and Ash , the movie has no real stakes for any of its central characters and instead delivers moments that have been predicted from the film's marketing. Avatar: Fire and Ash is the most anticlimactic conclusion that I could've expected for this first saga, which unfortunately leaves a bad taste in my mouth after having this movie as my most anticipated film of the year. While it tends to have similar story beats to Avatar: The Way of Water , which is expected as these two films were originally conceived as one movie, it doesn't ever reach the heights of Avatar: The Way of Water , although it constantly tries to. James Cameron highlights that he's able to have the ability of expanding worlds that he creates with new characters such as Varang that remain a highlight with Oona Chaplin's scene-stealing performance. It's just disappointing that despite Cameron's direction, Weta's breathtaking visuals, Russell Carpenter's gift of delivering consistently amazing cinematography and Deborah L. Scott's eye to tell stories and bring cultures to life through the use of the costumes, which is unmatched, unfortunately, the story, which feels way too simple and convoluted at the same time, leaves a taste in my mouth that I just can't wash away. The interest for an Avatar 4 and 5 is vanishing, but if we ever do get them, I can only hope that the story can go in a different direction than what we've received over the last three films. Avatar: Fire and Ash . © 20th Century Studios About Avatar: Fire and Ash Premiere Date:  December 19, 2025 Writer: James Cameron, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver Director: James Cameron Production:  Lightstorm Entertainment Distribution:  20th Century Studios Cast:  Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Oona Chaplin, Kate Winslet, Jack Champion, Britain Dalton, Trinity Bliss, Bailey Bass

This review contains spoilers for 'The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants.' The SpongeBob Movie: Search For SquarePants . © Paramount Pictures For the past year, we've been subjected to SpongeBob SquarePants spin-off movies that have been dropped on Netflix, films that quite easily were giving a bad name to the SpongeBob SquarePants IP. It has been five years since we've gotten a theatrical release, and although these spin-off films were bad, that doesn't mean the two previous theatrical movies were any better. As of 2025, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie is the only film that is part of the franchise that got everything right and is considered by some a great animated movie. The SpongeBob Movie: Search For SquarePants is the fourth theatrical movie, and it follows SpongeBob SquarePants (Tom Kenny) as he does what it takes to become a "big guy," and to achieve that and prove his bravery, he ventures into the deep seas along with the Flying Dutchman (Mark Hamill). The movie sticks with the 3D-CG animation that the last few movies have followed, and there's no real reason as to why they've decided to stick with this animation style for their movies except for the simple fact that it's cost-effective. The animation in this film is better than what we've gotten from the Netflix movies. When compared to its previous theatrical entries, it doesn't try to go for the stylistic look that Sponge on the Run had but instead feels more in line with the show's art and is the closest that it has been since the transition to 3D-CG animation. Each movie has had a new director, and no one has been able to do it like Stephen Hillenburg in 2004. Every director since had been a screenwriter on The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie and worked on the show, so it was always confusing why they weren't able to at least replicate a good story if the animation wasn't going to be up to par. Derek Drymon is attached as the director, another SpongeBob veteran, and for the first time since the original movie, we get a story and characters that feel like they come from those early episodes of SpongeBob SquarePants . Patrick Star and SpongeBob SquarePants with the Flying Dutchman in The SpongeBob Movie: Search For SquarePants . © Paramount Pictures SpongeBob quickly realises that despite being a little bit taller, he's not ready to be a "big guy," as rollercoasters still scare him. A conversation with Mr. Krabs (Clancy Brown) inspires SpongeBob to find ways to prove his bravery so he can finally become a "big guy," which leads him to the Flying Dutchman. In Mr. Krabs' story, the Flying Dutchman sounded like the ghost of legends, the perfect person to take SpongeBob on a treacherous journey through the deep seas that would help him prove himself. Unfortunately for SpongeBob, the Flying Dutchman wants to use him so that he can finally lift his curse and become human again. It's a story that's honestly rather basic, but it manages to send a beautiful message to its younger audience about bravery and attacking your fears head-on. SpongeBob and Patrick (Bill Fagerbakke) get up to some silly antics as always with the Flying Dutchman as Mr. Krabs and Squidward (Rodger Bumpass) try to rescue them before it's too late and we're left with a lot of unnecessary butt jokes (too many for my own liking). Thankfully, not every joke in this movie tends to be a butt joke, and I did catch myself laughing quite a few times, which was a total surprise, as SpongeBob hasn't been able to make me laugh since I was watching it as a kid. The SpongeBob Movie: Search For SquarePants has become quite popular due to Ice Spice's song " Big Guy ," which has even gotten its own viral dance. The lyrics to the song might not make any actual sense when you look too deep into it, but its significance to the film is great, and the more you listen to it, you start to notice that for a family film, it's not all too bad and that we have had worse for original songs. It's not only memorable but also catchy, serves a purpose to the story aside from providing Ice Spice with a cameo in the movie and will have the kids dancing as the credits roll. The overall voice acting is average from the cast of SpongeBob SquarePants and is exactly as you'd expect from them, but the standout is Mark Hamill. He delivers a fantastic performance as the Flying Dutchman and impresses in other scenes during the third act and does a great job of being able to switch from the friendly, deceiving Flying Dutchman to the villainous, greedy Flying Dutchman. The SpongeBob Movie: Search For SquarePants is without a doubt the best SpongeBob SquarePants film since 2004 and is a lot of fun for the family. It does well in teaching a message despite its simplistic story that feels like we've probably seen in an episode of SpongeBob SquarePants . The animation was an improvement, but a return to 2D will always be welcomed, even if that means it takes longer for a film to release, but despite that, this was their best attempt at a SpongeBob SquarePants movie in a long while. The SpongeBob Movie: Search For SquarePants . © Paramount Pictures About The SpongeBob Movie: Search For SquarePants Premiere Date:  December 20, 2025 Writer: Pam Brady, Matt Liberman Director: Derek Drymon Production:   Paramount Animation, Nickelodeon Movies Distribution:  Paramount Pictures Cast:  Tom Kenny, Clancy Brown, Rodger Bumpass, Bill Fagerbakke, Carolyn Lawrence, Ice Spice, Mark Hamill, Regina Hall Synopsis: Desperate to become a "big guy," SpongeBob, setting out to prove his bravery to Mr. Krabs, travels to the deepest depths of the ocean to follow the Flying Dutchman.

This article contains spoilers for St. Denis Medical  S2E8. St. Denis Medical © NBC "A Waste of Time and Marble" continues St. Denis Medical ’s focus on workplace dynamics, using a set of conflicts to explore how authority, compromise, and personal priorities play out in a hospital setting. The episode balances two main storylines: Alex (Allison Tolman) navigating a potential nurse walkout while stuck between staff and management, and Ron (David Alan Grier) and Bruce (Josh Lawson) treating an unlikely patient whose issue turns out to be less medical, more emotional. If there is one thing the writers of St. Denis Medical are good at, it’s cold opens. This week’s opening scene sets the episode’s tone through excellent character comedy. Bruce is playing UNO with a child patient, refusing to let an innocent move facilitated by Ron stand. When the girl plays a draw four instead of a green card, Bruce insists that she must follow the rules and wants to penalise her accordingly. Ron suggests relaxing the rules, but Bruce maintains that Mattel’s instructions matter. Alex intervenes, pointing out that Bruce is the adult in the situation. The exchange is brief but effective, highlighting Bruce’s rigidity and need to be number one. Last week, the birthing centre failed its inspection. This setback has shaken Joyce (Wendi McLendon-Covey) and her confidence, leaving her second-guessing even minor decisions. She has since turned to a self-help book, 1, 2, 3 Go: Trusting Your Gut!,  which encourages making decisions within three seconds. Joyce adopts this approach immediately. When Alex asks about approving a new pump, Joyce agrees without hesitation. She also grants Alex a reserved parking space, prompting Alex to realise she should have asked for more, including a raise. Elsewhere, Ron and Bruce are informed of their next patient, who turns out not to be a child, but Sanderson (Steve Little), Joyce’s boyfriend, who has swallowed a marble from a Hungry Hungry Hippo game. Sanderson refuses to cooperate without Joyce, his emergency contact, present, insisting she should be contacted. Joyce arrives but is clearly distracted and confused by the situation, particularly by the fact that Sanderson was playing a children’s game alone. Unable to stay, she leaves him in Ron and Bruce’s care, much to Ron’s discomfort. It soon becomes apparent that Sanderson swallowed the marble intentionally. He feels overlooked, believing Joyce prioritises the hospital over their relationship. Bruce attempts to frame the situation in slightly muddled terms, suggesting that when a man wants a woman, other men must help him succeed. Ron, less inclined to indulge this thinking, removes himself from the situation under the guise of fetching X-rays. While Bruce focuses on reinventing Sanderson from head to toe, Ron encourages him to stop centring himself and instead consider Joyce’s stress and workload. He advises Sanderson to plan a proper date, to show her a good time rather than demanding attention. However, he doesn’t know Joyce very well at all, unlike Ron, who demonstrates a surprising familiarity with Joyce’s preferences, from her seafood allergy (Sanderson was planning to take her to a seafood buffet) to her favourite restaurant (Enzo’s, where he should take her instead). Later, when Sanderson is distracted by the lack of his name on keyrings in the St. Denis gift shop, Ron erupts, telling Sanderson that he is "not a serious man" and that his next breakup with Joyce should stick "because Joyce deserves better." Is the better man Ron? Grier and McLendon-Covey certainly have the talent to at least try to make it work. The greatest sitcom relationships often come from those that are not expected. Josh Lawson as Bruce, Steve Little as Sanderson in St. Denis Medical © NBC Ron walks away, and Bruce, ever the jester, decides that he wants to buy all the Bruce keyrings for his Christmas shopping. He declares "Merry Brucemas to all," emphasising his inability to read a room. Lawson delivers the episode’s biggest laugh once again. Meanwhile, Alex faces increasing pressure from the nursing staff. Rene ( Nico Santos) and others are seeking funding for continuing education, but Joyce has repeatedly dismissed the request. Alex, desperate to be liked by Rene, presents herself as an intermediary, emphasising that she's part of the nursing group while offering to speak to Joyce on their behalf. Joyce refuses, citing fairness, arguing that approving funding for one group would require approving it for all. Rene responds by suggesting a walkout, which quickly gains widespread support from his fellow nurses. Alex suggests a compromise to Joyce, proposing funding based on seniority. Joyce rejects the idea, preferring to handle the situation through charm rather than concession. She instructs Alex to act as an informant, gathering information from the nurses. Joyce attempts to ease tensions with gestures such as providing doughnuts, then offering a taco truck when the initial attempt fails. The nurses are, naturally, unconvinced, viewing the efforts as superficial. Nico Santos as Rene, Allison Tolman as Alex, Mekki Leeper as Matt, staff in St. Denis Medical Center . © NBC The situation escalates when Joyce, aware that the doughnuts were not to their satisfaction, offers the nurses a taco truck. Rene wants to know how she knew that, but Alex mediates by informing Joyce that they can't be bought with a pathetic taco truck. Text messages sent by Alex to both Rene and Joyce, each claiming loyalty while playing the other, come to light, with Joyce claiming that Alex is playing both sides for her own personal amusement. Joyce tells Rene that they should reach a compromise, offering reimbursement to nurses who have worked at the hospital for six years, which conveniently applies to Rene. The offer defuses the walkout, but Joyce presents the solution as her own, explicitly directing Rene to bring his concerns to her rather than to Alex. Alex later confronts Joyce about taking credit for her idea, only to be told that the outcome matters more than recognition. The Sanderson storyline reaches its conclusion (for now) in an awkward public display. Joyce encounters Sanderson zipped into a body bag on a stretcher, briefly panicking before realising it’s staged. Bruce provides the music as Sanderson declares he would rather die than live without her and proposes. Joyce counts from one through seven before responding, her hesitation unmistakable. The moment reinforces the imbalance in their relationship, made even more uncomfortable by the hospital staff, including Ron, watching on. Steve Little as Sanderson, Wendi McLendon-Covey as Joyce in St. Denis Medical Center. © NBC "A Waste of Time and Marble" fits comfortably within the quality of the second season of St. Denis Medical , offering an ending certain to keep viewers waiting for the next episode when the show returns to NBC after its Winter break in January 2026. St. Denis Medical . © NBC Universal About St. Denis Medical Premiere Date:  15 December 2025 Episode Count:  18 Showrunner: Eric Ledgin Executive Producers:   Eric Ledgin, Justin Spitzer, Simon Heuer, Ruben Fleischer, Bridget Kyle, and Vicky Luu. Distribution:   Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, More Bees, Inc. and Spitzer Holding Company. Cast:   Wendi McLendon-Covey, David Alan Grier, Allison Tolman, Josh Lawson, Kahyun Kim, Mekki Leeper, and Kaliko Kauahi. Synopsis: St. Denis Medical  is a mockumentary about an underfunded, understaffed Oregon hospital where the dedicated doctors and nurses try their best to treat patients while maintaining their own sanity. In season two, after receiving a large private donation, hospital administrator Joyce bites off more than she can chew while her employees navigate staff shortages, office conflicts and their own personal lives.

Amanda Christine, Clara Stack, Matilda Lawler, and Arian S. Cartaya in IT: Welcome to Derry © HBO Max IT: Welcome to Derry has proven to be a masterclass in horror storytelling. The true terror here isn’t merely a demonic clown lurking in the sewers, but the deeply rooted social prejudice simmering beneath the surface of the seemingly quiet town of Derry. The series simply wouldn’t work without its stellar young cast, who are tasked with balancing supernatural scares alongside the very real horrors of racism and social injustice. Tensions that ultimately culminate in the devastating events at the Black Spot. Without their genuine chemistry and emotional authenticity, the penultimate episode in particular would not have landed with the same impact. I had the opportunity to speak with Amanda Christine, Clara Stack, Matilda Lawler, and Arian S. Cartaya a week before the premiere about how they forged such a powerful bond both on and off set, and how that connection helped ground the series’ most harrowing moments. Alex: Before joining the series, did you all revisit the old IT movies? Whether it's Andy Muschietti's or Tim Curry's classic from the 90s?   Amanda Christine: Actually, we did. It was super-duper fun because once we met each other, we decided to actually have a viewing at the place where we were staying at in Toronto, Canada, which was so fun because we previewed the first IT and then I think later on we eventually watched the second IT . I'm not too sure because we eventually had sleepovers and did movie nights and everything and it was just really fun to really sit there and watch it all together and be scared all over again.   Because me personally, I did watch the movie a couple months before I got the call that I booked the audition. So yeah, it was just really fun being able to do that with my crew mates.   Amanda Christine in IT: Welcome to Derry  © HBO Max Matilda Lawler: Yes, I agree with Amanda here. It was thrilling because like there is such a big universe to jump into with the books, with all the movies. There's so much there to already sink your teeth into.   So it was really fun to do the research.   Clara Stack: Yeah. Yeah, honestly, I mean, I watched the first IT movie when I was about nine years old, I think. So, I was kind of familiar with the IT universe.   But yeah, like Amanda said, we did revisit it and we did do a screening of it once we all met each other. It's just super fun. And yeah, getting to step into Stephen King's universe with this prequel series is honestly such an honor.   And when I first read the scripts, I was super excited.   Arian S. Cartaya: So I actually never watched the movies before I got the role. So, I actually watched the first movie when we were in Canada. And it was it was like a lot scary, like I thought it was a lot scarier than I thought.   I actually never watched the show back in the 90s with Tim Curry, but I did watch IT: Chapter Two. And yeah, for the preparation, I saw a lot of scenes from those two movies. And also, I watched like a ton of scenes from other shows.   And that really helped me with those scenes.   Alex: Now, you guys were amazing. And the first five episodes, like the chemistry between all of you, it was great.   I was just wondering, what was it you guys did on and off set that just kept the group together and create your own version of The Losers Club, so to speak?   Matilda Lawler: Yes, I love that. That's a really important part of this whole story for me. I think that's honestly the most important part is the connections that we made on set and the connections that our characters form with one another.   We did a lot of hanging out off set. I think when you're doing something with such an intense subject matter, you need to kind of laugh and have stupid fun. So, there was plenty of that.   We made a lot of really stupid movies. We did a lot of exploring. We had water gun fights and just anything that was fun and kid-like and just carefree is what we spent our time doing, which was a nice contrast to the more intense subject matters of the scenes.   Amanda Christine: Yeah, no, I definitely agree with Tilly on this one. It was so fun hanging out after set. We definitely created that bond and that dynamic off set.   And on set, too, we would have fun, too. But that was strictly for work and encouraging each other and building each other up, working on our scenes to figure out the story and the origin of the prequel to Pennywise. So definitely that.   But it was really fun just getting to hang out after set, go out to dinner, amusement parks, and just do fun things that we could get our hands on, literally anything.   Clara Stack: Yeah, especially being in Toronto, Canada, where we filmed. That was super cool because it was a new city for all of us. So, like both Tilly and Amanda mentioned, getting to hang out after set and explore the city and see new places and try new foods and go to amusement parks and all of that stuff, it was a lot of fun.   So, the bond was definitely there off set and on set as well.   Arian S. Cartaya: Um, so me and like all of the cast, we have like really good chemistry because like we hung out a lot when we weren't on set. So just based off that, like we were best friends from the start. And, um, you know, we would have like, um, script reads like when we needed to, and we were by each other's sides for every emotional scene there was.   So that, that chemistry really played a big part.   Alex: Oh, that's great. And now with working with Andy and Barbara Buccietti, did they help you understand the tone and the themes of Welcome to Derry? What was it working with them?   Arian S. Cartaya: Yeah, 100%. Andy and Barbara are super nice people. They're like, really nice.   They want you to feel comfortable. They want your confidence to build. You know, they're free for like when you have any questions, if you need like a little meeting before an emotional scene.   Yeah, they really want to make you feel comfortable.   Bill Skarsgård, Blake Cameron James, Amanda Christine, Clara Stack, Matilda Lawler, and Arian S. Cartaya  in IT: Welcome to Derry  © HBO Max Alex: So now looking within the darker themes of the show, for instance, how was it just meeting Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise for the first time?   Amanda Christine: Yeah, no, definitely to touch on that question, it was a scary experience. It was fun because they kept him very top secret. So, it was not months, but months leading up to us meeting him.   So, it was really, really fun for us to build up that fear and really build up the anticipation of meeting him. So, what you guys see on the screen is our raw reaction to Pennywise. And he was just so scary in costume and we'd like see sneak peeks of him every now and then, which was really fun.   But yeah, it was definitely something crazy.   Matilda Lawler  in IT: Welcome to Derry  © HBO Max Alex: Well, it looks like I might be wrapping up right now. Out of you all, if you were in the sewers with Pennywise, who would be the first one to make it out? Be honest.   Matilda Lawler: Amanda, I think you would. I'm going to come out here and say, Amanda, you're strong.   Clara Stack: I was going to say the same thing. Amanda Christine: And also because you're with like Arian and you have glasses, that's the only reason why I'm like dimming to the left.   Alex: Hey, hey, hey, don't say anything against the Marge character! She was great.   Amanda Christine: We love Marge! I love Marge!   Matilda Lawler: Facts. Facts. Facts. Thank you, guys.   Alex: But the Patty Cakes, we need to talk about that on another time.   Matilda Lawler: I know, I know. Hey, that's in the past though. That's in the past.   Clara Stack: She's changed.   Amanda Christine: She has changed. IT: Welcome to Derry is now streaming on HBO Max.   This interview has been edited for clarity.

This article contains spoilers for Sarah Squirm: Live + In the Flesh . © HBO Sarah Sherman has always been one of Saturday Night Live ’s strangest and most valuable assets since joining the cast five years ago in Season 47. Her chemistry with Colin Jost on Weekend Update  quickly became a standout and has since become where the show lets her shine. However, her new stand-up special, Sarah Squirm: Live + In The Flesh , proves something else entirely: that Sherman is not solely funny within the confines of SNL . As Sarah Squirm, her unholy alter ego, she is uniquely disgusting, and this special gives her the freedom to push that persona to its fullest and foulest potential. The special opens with a cameo from John Waters, known for his bizarre and beloved unconventional comedies, whose presence immediately sets the tone of and stage for what is to come. While brief, Waters’ involvement is so wonderfully natural that you’ll instantly want a full collaboration between the two. Filmed earlier this year at The Bell House in Brooklyn, Live + In The Flesh  is an hour of bodily fluids and functions, self-deprecation, and horror, distinguishing Sherman as a comedian unafraid to make audiences recoil and roar with laughter in the same breath. Within minutes, she reminds the audience that she is both the butt of the joke and the orchestrator of chaos, revelling in the grossness of it all. © Greg Endries/HBO Her crowd work is a particular delight. At one point, she asks who in the audience would like to be roasted, then instructs them to stand and spin around for her own amusement. "Who’s skinnier, me or this mic stand? Don't answer that. If you answer that you hate women,” she deadpans, breaking into a small bout of laughter. One of the most endearing aspects of Squirm’s performance is how she makes herself laugh at various points throughout the set. The joy is infectious, and the room can’t help but follow. Weaker material includes toilet humour, which she clearly finds funnier than many viewers might, toeing the line between the humour you grow out of and gruesomeness. Yet, the majority of her jokes land. A light existential crisis over her $35 ticket price, and a reference to one of her most viral SNL moments, "Nice shirt, where did you get that, the fucking store?" ease you into it. Her material also touches on her Jewish identity, her political awareness ("I'm a cool Jew, I believe in a Free Palestine"), and even her own heterosexuality, something she treats with theatrical disbelief. One of the show’s biggest laughs arrives when she describes a blue-haired bisexual audience member in the back reacting with horror upon learning that she has a boyfriend: "She's wearing the worst outfit I've ever seen in my entire life, she has the ugliest haircut I've ever seen in my entire life, and she's fucking straight? No. I want my money back." Squirm pokes at her self-image constantly, something those familiar with her work will know is a guaranteed hit. Dressed head to toe in vibrant colour, another aspect that sets her apart from her peers, she claims that she’s “dressed like I’m ready for tummy time” but also “like Paula Poundstone fucked SpongeBob”. She mocks her limited SNL  screen time, something that should unquestionably increase given both her talent and the sketch show’s notable lack of women in its 51st season, imagining an audience unimpressed by her “six seconds [of airtime] every fourteen months.” Yet she does so with affection rather than bitterness. She knows exactly who she is, what she has to offer, and how she appears. And crucially, she knows she’s funny, which is the greatest gift that she gives the audience. © Greg Endries/HBO Spoiling the last 15 minutes feels wrong, but it must be said that the body horror here is unlike anything else in contemporary stand-up. It’s well executed, shockingly creative, and so intensely Squirm that looking away feels impossible. By the time that she’s showing the audience splattered blood and asking them to guess the cause of each incident, you realise you’re watching a comedian as committed to grossing you out as she is to making you laugh. Unsurprisingly, she achieves both. It’s an aspect of comedy sorely missing today, one that Sherman and Squirm excel in. The show begins with haemorrhoids and ends with them, as though completing a perfect anatomical circle. And she isn’t done yet. The special ends with a guided meditation, her own form of aftercare, accompanied by visuals that mesmerise rather than soothe. After an hour spent with the very best Sherman has to offer, it becomes clear that this, too, is entirely the point. Sarah Squirm: Live + In The Flesh  is a grotesque visual and comedic feast, reminding us that comedy can be visceral, risky, and gross. It’s something  SNL  desperately needs more of, but more importantly, it’s proof that Sherman should continue pushing herself and her alter-ego across stand-up, film, and television. Sarah Squirm: Live + In the Flesh. © HBO Max About Sarah Squirm: Live + In the Flesh Premiere Date:  December 12, 2025 Executive Producers: Sarah Sherman; Lorne Michaels, Hilary Marx, and Taylor Segal for Broadway Video; Ronald Bronstein, Eli Bush, and Josh Safdie for Central; Matthew Vaughan for Rotten Science; Dan McManus; and Jack Bensinger. Director: Cody Critcheloe Distribution:  HBO Max Cast:  Sarah Sherman.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2 © Disney + Percy Jackson and his Half-Blood comrades are back to show the Gods what true power and responsibility look like in the sophomore season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians . This time, our heroes sail the Sea of Monsters with more adrenaline-pumping action and higher stakes to treat those who have been hungry for a quest. Naturally, season two is based on Rick Riordan's second novel in his acclaimed Percy Jackson series, The Sea of Monsters. Shortly after meeting his Half-Blood, cyclops, half-brother, Tyson, Percy is haunted by prophetic dreams warning him of imminent danger involving his best friend, Grover. His quest to rescue the only satyr who has been more like a brother to him than his actual brother becomes intertwined with a journey across the Sea of Monsters to retrieve the Golden Fleece, to save the soul of Camp Half-Blood. Percy Jackson and the Olympians stars Walker Scobell as the titular hero, with Leah Sava Jeffries and Aryan Simhadri as fellow heroes Annabeth Chase and Grover. Daniel Diemer joins the gang as Percy's brother, Tyson. Stars returning include Charlie Bushnell as Luke Castellan and Dior Goodjohn as Clarisse La Rue. A New, Better Beginning Walker Scobell as Percy Jackson in Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season Two. © Disney+ The first couple of episodes of season two brilliantly set the stage for what's to come in this new saga for Percy Jackson and the Olympians. The writers find a middle ground for longtime book fans, new fans, and casual viewers. The story respects fans by exploring the established world without wasting time rehashing season one's events or alienating newcomers. While it is better to watch season one first, anyone can jump to season two and follow along. Without going too far into spoiler territory, season two immediately introduces Percy's brother, Tyson, reintroduces battle-ready Annabeth, and establishes a new threat to Camp Half-Blood within a matter of minutes through clever exposition, before our heroes are thrust into a heated situation. When the dust settles for three seconds, Poseidon confirms that Tyson is indeed his biological son, giving Percy emotional whiplash. There is not a single dull moment here. The new season feels slightly more like a soft reboot than a sequel. Despite most of the original cast returning, the journey into the Sea of Monsters marks a creative metamorphosis for the series, as season two dives deeper into action, adventure, and fantasy. Percy and his friends are not the same kids we met two years ago. They are older, wiser, but more traumatized than they realize, which is expected considering that they are child soldiers born to Greek Gods. Half-Blooded, Whole Heroes Walker Scobell as Percy Jackson and Leah Sava Jeffries as Annabeth Chase in Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season Two. © Disney+ Walker Scobell's Percy Jackson behaves like any normal teenage boy when he discovers he has a cyclops half-brother, two years after learning that his father is the God of the Sea. All jokes aside, Scobell once again does justice to the titular character while showcasing different sides of himself that complement his growth. Circumstances forced him out of an innocent childhood, so naturally, he is more stoic and cynical, but more courageous and confident, with his loyalty and humour remaining intact. Leah Sava Jeffries's Annabeth Chase is almost exactly how we met her two years ago, except more extreme. Annabeth has always been like how Percy is now, multiplied by ten. Jeffries characterizes Chase as a veteran soldier struggling with PTSD, making her equally tragic and vulnerable. Despite her demons, she never runs from a fight; she is always ready to protect the ones she considers family, making her the perfect deuteragonist to Percy Jackson. Her organic chemistry with him, complemented by their characters' history, proves they are kindred spirits drawn to protect each other. Daniel Diemer is a wonderful addition to the family as Tyson, the brother Percy did not know he needed. He is a jolly giant who happens to be Percy's little and big brother at the same time, struggling to find his place in the world, or worlds. He does not seem to fit in anywhere unless it's by Percy's side. Given that Tyson is a cyclops, Diemer's ability to emote with his eyes seems limited. However, Diemer faces the challenge head-on, adapting with the rest of his body to humanize his character as much as possible. Diemer presents Tyson with child-like wonder and a wide emotional range, inviting fans to adore his character while many other characters shun him. Ancient Fantasy in Today's Reality Daniel Diemer as Tyson in Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season Two. © Disney+ In an age when movie magic seems dominated by green screens and CGI, and while the threat of AI looms like a virus, Percy Jackson and the Olympians showrunners Jonathan E. Steinberg and Dan Shotz set out to remind everyone of the irreplaceable beauty of practical effects in the world we continue to take for granted. The Percy Jackson crew   took full advantage of their locations in Vancouver to create stunning set pieces on a TV budget to invoke the spirit of Ancient Greece, while the makeup department brought monsters to life on an award-worthy scale. The series is still obviously not without its CGI and VFX, and there is room for improvement in those areas. Certain shots of Tyson have him looking like his eye is photoshopped. However, the magnificence of the practical nature makes those hiccups forgettable. There is a clear preference to take filmmaking back to its roots to deliver an authentic, tangible viewing experience. The crew's efforts do not go in vain; the result is a fantastic experience that pays tribute to the golden age of cinema. Final Verdict Walker Scobell as Percy Jackson in Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season Two. © Disney+ Percy Jackson and the Olympians delivered an amazing first season, but the writers don't concern themselves too much with how to make a better season. Instead, they focus on what comes next and how to make Percy and his supporting cast better equipped to deal with it. The grander story, evolution, action sequences, and personal growth are results of the time invested in the characters and lore Rick Riordan has crafted. If the first two episodes are any indication, fans old and new will love Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season Two. Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season Two premieres on Disney+ on December 10. Percy Jackson & the Olympians Season 2 © Disney + About Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2 Premiere Date:  December 10, 2025 Based on: The Book series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, by Rick Riordan Episode Count:  8 Showrunners: Jonathan E. Steinberg, Dan Shotz Writers: Jonathan E. Steinberg, Joe Tracz, Monica Owusu-Breen, Andrew Miller, Craig Silverstein, Directors: James Bobin, Anders Engström, Jet Wilkinson Production:   Co-Lab21, The Gotham Group, Mythomagic, Quaker Moving Pictures, Quaker Moving Pictures, 20th Television Distribution:  Disney Branded Television, Disney+ Cast:   Walker Scobell, Leah Sava Jeffries, Aryan Simhadri, Daniel Diemer, Charlie Bushnell, Dior Goodjohn Synopsis: Percy Jackson sails to the Sea of Monsters to rescue his friend Grover and save Camp Half-Blood.

UPDATE: Elizabeth Olsen is no longer attached to the project. Sources tell Nexus Point News that Elizabeth Olsen is set to star in Peaked with Molly Gordon.  Gordon will direct based off a script written by her and Allie Levitan ( Adults , Saturday Night Live ). Gordon will produce with David Hinojosa and Zach Nutman of 2AM for A24. Peaked  will be Gordon’s second film as a director and first as a solo director. The film follows two women in their late-twenties, Bobby (Gordon) and Millie (Olsen), who were once the most popular girls in their high school, but have now amounted to nothing. When they don’t receive an invite to their 10 year high school reunion, they plan to crash the reunion. Olsen will next be seen starring in A24’s Eternity alongside Callum Turner and Miles Teller and Sam Esmail’s Panic Carefully . She’s best known for her role as Wanda Maximoff in the Marvel Cinematic Universe which she has appeared in several projects across film and TV since 2014. Her other credits include Martha Marcy May Marlene , Godzilla , Oldboy , and Love & Death. Olsen is repped by CAA, Brillstein and Sloane, Offer. Gordon made her directorial debut with Theater Camp  which she also starred in. This past year she co-wrote and starred in Sophie Brook’s Oh, Hi!  She’s best known for her roles in Life of the Party , Good Boys , Booksmart , Shiva Baby , Animal Kingdom , and The Bear . Peaked begins production in January in New Jersey for A24. We have reached out to A24 for comment and we'll update the story as details come in.

We've reached the pinnacle time in the gaming industry where The Game Awards arrives, one of the most prestigious game award ceremonies that celebrates the industry and gives them the flowers that they deserve. It'll be streaming live at 7:30p ET / 4:30p PT / 12:30a GMT / 9:30a JST and can be watched on YouTube, Twitch, X/Twitter and on The Game Awards website . It'll be hosted by Geoff Keighley with a series of presenters ranging from Bethesda's Todd Howard, The Muppets' own Miss Piggy, previous winner for Best Performance Maggie Robertson, Dispatch's Jeffrey Wright, Rowlf the Dog joining Miss Piggy, Neil Newbon and a performance from Evanescence as they perform Afterlife from Netflix's Devil May Cry . We’ll be updating the winners live right here as they’re announced, so stay tuned for the full list! Best Family Game Donkey Kong Bananza (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo) (WINNER) LEGO Party!  (SMG Studio/Fictions) LEGO Voyagers (Light Brick Studios/Annapurna Interactive) Mario Kart World  (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo) Sonic Racing: Crossworlds  (Sonic Team/Sega) Split Fiction  (Hazelight Studios/EA) Innovation in Accessibility Assassin's Creed Shadows  (Ubisoft) Atomfall (Rebellion) Doom: The Dark Ages (ID Software/Bethesda Softworks) (WINNER) EA Sports FC 26  (EA Canada/EA Romania/EA) South of Midnight  (Compulsion Games/Xbox Game Studios) Best Esports Game Counter-Strike 2  (Valve) (WINNER) DOTA 2  (Valve) League of Legends  (Riot) Mobile Legends: Bang Bang  (Moonton) Valorant  (Riot) Best Esports Athlete brawk - Brock Somerhalder (Valorant) Chovy - Jeong Ji-hoon (League of Legends) ( WINNER) fOrsakeN - Jason Susanto (Valorant) Kakeru - Kakeru Watanabe (Street Fighter) MenaRD - Saul Leonardo (Street Fighter) ZywOo - Mathieu Herbaut (Counter-Strike 2) Best Esports Team Gen.G (League of Legends) NRG (Valorant) Team Falcons (DOTA 2) Team Liquid PH (Mobile Legends: Bang Bang) Team Vitality (Counter-Strike 2) ( WINNER) Best Mobile Game Destiny: Rising  (NetEase Games) Persona 5: The Phantom X  (Black Wings Game Studio/Perfect World/Atlus/Sega) Sonic Rumble  (Rovio Entertainment/Sonic Team/Sega) Umamusume: Pretty Derby  (Cygames/Kakao Games/Komoe Game/Bilibili) (WINNER) Wuthering Waves  (Kuro Games) Best Independent Game Absolum  (Guard Crush Games/Supamonks/Dotemu) Ball x Pit (Kenny Sun/Devolver Digital) Blue Prince  (Dogubomb/Raw Fury) Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandall Interactive/Kepler Interactive) (WINNER) Hades II (Supergiant Games) Hollow Knight: Silksong  (Team Cherry) Best Adaptation A Minecraft Movie (Warner Bros. Pictures) Devil May Cry  (Netflix) The Last of Us : Season 2 (HBO) (WINNER) Splinter Cell: Deathwatch (Netflix) Until Dawn (Sony Pictures) Best Action Game Battlefield 6  (Battlefield Studios/EA) Doom: The Dark Ages  (id Software/Bethesda Softworks) Hades II (Supergiant Games) (WINNER) Ninja Gaiden 4  (Team Ninja/PlatinumGames/Xbox Game Studios) Shinobi: Art of Vengeance  (Lizardcube/Sega) Best Performance Ben Starr  (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33) Charlie Cox (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33) Erika Ishii (Ghost of Yotei) Jennifer English (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33) (WINNER) Konatsu Kato (Silent Hill f) Troy Baker (Indiana Jones and the Great Circle) Games For Impact Consume Me  (Hexacutable) Despolote  (Panic) Lost Records: Bloom & Rage  (Don't Nod Montréal/Don't Nod) South of Midnight  (Compulsion Games/Xbox Game Studios) (WINNER) Wanderstop  (Ivy Road/Annapurna Interactive) Best Ongoing Game Final Fantasy XIV (Square Enix Business Division 5/Square Enix) Fortnite (Epic Games) Helldivers 2 (Arrowhead Game Studios/Sony Interactive Entertainment) Marvel Rivals (NetEase Games) No Man's Sky (Hello Games) (WINNER) Best Audio Design Battlefield 6  (Battlefield Studios/EA) (WINNER) Clair Obscur: Expedition 33  (Sandall Interactive/Kepler Interactive) Death Stranding 2: On the Beach  (Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment) Ghost of Yotei (Sucker Punch Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment) Silent Hill f  (Neobards Entertainment/Konami) Content Creator of the Year Caedrel Kai Cenat MoistCr1TiKaL (WINNER) Sakura Miko The Burnt Peanut Best Fighting Game 2XKO  (Riot Games) Capcom Fighting Collection 2 (Capcom) Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves  (SNK Corporation) (WINNER) Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection  (Digital Eclipse/Atari) Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage  (Ry Ga Gotoku Studio/Sega) Most Anticipated Game 007 First Light  (IO INteractive) Grand Theft Auto VI  (Rockstar Games) (WINNER) Marvel's Wolverine  (Insomniac Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment) Resident Evil: Requiem (Capcom) The Witcher IV  (CD Projekt Red/CD Projekt) Best Action/Adventure Game Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment) Ghost of Yotei (Sucker Punch Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment) Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Hollow Knight: Silksong (Team Cherry) (WINNER) Split Fiction (Hazelight Studios/EA) Best Art Direction Clair Obscur: Expedition 33  (Sandall Interactive/Kepler Interactive) (WINNER) Death Stranding 2: On the Beach  (Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment) Ghost of Yotei  (Sucker Punch Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment) Hades II  (Supergiant Games) Hollow Knight: Silksong  (Team Cherry) Best Sim/Strategy Game Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles  (Square Enix) (WINNER) Jurassic World Evolution 3 (Frontier Developments) Sid Meier's Civilization VII  (Firaxis Games/2K) Tempest Rising  (Slipgate Ironworks/3D Realms) The Alters (11 Bit Studios) Two Point Museum  (Two Point Studios/Sega) Best Debut Indie Game Blue Prince (Dogubomb/Raw Fury) Clair Obscur: Expedition 33  (Sandall Interactive/Kepler Interactive) (WINNER) Despolote  (Panic) Dispatch  (AdHoc Studio) Megabonk  (Vedinad) Best Score and Music Christopher Larkin (Hollow Knight: Silksong) Darren Korb (Hades II) Lorien Testard (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33) (WINNER) Toma Otowa (Ghost of Yotei) Woodkid & Ludvig Forssell (Death Stranding 2: On the Beach) Best Sports/Racing Game EA Sports FC 26  (EA Canada/EA Romania/EA) F1 25  (Codemasters/EA) Mario Kart World  (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo) (WINNER) Rematch  (Sloclap/Kepler Interactive) Sonic Racing: Crossworlds  (Sonic Team/Sega) Best Community Support Baldur's Gate 3  (Larian Studios) (WINNER) Final Fantasy XIV  (Square Enix Business Division 5/Square Enix) Fortnite (Epic Games) Helldivers 2 (Arrowhead Game Studios/Sony Interactive Entertainment) No Man's Sky  (Hello Games) Best VR/AR Game Alien: Rogue Incursion  (Survios) Arken Age  (VitruviusVR/Vitruvius Technologies Inc.) Ghost Town  (Fireproof Games) Marvel's Deadpool VR  (Twisted Pixel Games/Oculus Studios) The Midnight Walk  (MoonHood/Fast Travel Games) (WINNER) Best RPG Avowed  (Obsidian Entertainment/Xbox Game Studios) Clair Obscur: Expedition 33  (Sandall Interactive/Kepler Interactive) (WINNER) Kingdom Come: Deliverance II  (Warhorse Studios/Deep Silver) The Outer Worlds 2  (Obsidian Entertainment/Xbox Game Studios) Monster Hunter Wilds (Capcom) Best Narrative Clair Obscur: Expedition 33  (Sandall Interactive/Kepler Interactive) (WINNER) Death Stranding 2: On the Beach  (Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment) Ghost of Yotei (Sucker Punch Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment) Kingdom Come: Deliverance II  (Warhorse Studios/Deep Silver) Silent Hill f (Neobards Entertainment/Konami) Best Player Voice Wuthering Waves (Kuro Games) (WINNER) Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandall Interactive/Kepler Interactive Dispatch (AdHoc Studio) Genshin Impact (Hoyoverse) Hollow Knight: Silksong (Team Cherry) Best Multiplayer Game Arc Raiders  (Embark Studios) (WINNER) Battlefield 6 (Battlefield Studios/EA) Elden Ring Nightreign  (FromSoftware/Bandai Namco Entertainment) Peak  (Aggro Crab/Landfall) Split Fiction  (Hazelight Studios/EA) Best Game Direction Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandall Interactive/Kepler Interactive) (WINNER) Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment) Ghost of Yotei (Sucker Punch Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment) Hades II (Supergiant Games) Split Fiction (Hazelight Studios/EA) Game of the Year Clair Obscur: Expedition 33  (Sandall Interactive/Kepler Interactive) (WINNER) Death Stranding 2: On the Beach  (Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment) Donkey Kong Bananza  (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo) Hades II  (Supergiant Games) Hollow Knight: Silksong  (Team Cherry) Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (Warhorse Studios/Deep Silver)

This article contains spoilers for Goodbye June . Goodbye June © Netflix Goodbye June is a deeply moving family drama that captures the ache of impending loss and the torment of anticipatory grief with a recognisable truthfulness, particularly during the festive period. At its centre is June, played with heartbreaking fragility by Helen Mirren, an elderly matriarch whose cancer has spread to various parts of her body after her last round of chemotherapy was not as effective as once hoped. What follows is an unsparing look at her final days, witnessed by her fractured, dysfunctional, and loving family. Although the film is, at its core, about death, it’s just as much about those left to confront the shattering realisation that there is nothing that they can do to keep it at bay, and the often-messy attempts they make to meet it with whatever grace they can muster. Timothy Spall is especially affecting as Bernard, June’s husband. He is frail, forgetful, occasionally infuriating, and, later, overwhelmed by grief he cannot yet process. His old age is worn on him, and he seems on the brink of physically and mentally breaking at any moment. June, meanwhile, begins the film collapsing from breathing difficulties. Her family arrives at the hospital only to learn that her cancer has spread aggressively through her abdomen and pelvis, that further treatment would be cruel rather than helpful, and that there is now no meaningful intervention left. The doctors’ blunt gentleness reflects, with awful precision, the suffocating stillness of conversations in which your world shrinks after you are informed that your loved one is terminal. Quietly, and almost apologetically, it's confirmed that June is unlikely to live to Christmas, barely two weeks away. Andrea Riseborough, Johnny Flynn, Kate Winslet and Timothy Spall in Goodbye June. © Netflix The family consists of three sisters: Julia (Kate Winslet), Molly (Andrea Riseborough), and Helen (Toni Collette), and their brother, Connor (Johnny Flynn), all of whom could not be more different from one another. Julia is an overstretched mother of three; Molly, juggling four children of her own, is self-righteous to the point of comedy (her refusal of a non-organic sandwich is priceless, particularly when her child promptly takes a bite out of his cousin’s instead). Helen is the pregnant free spirit abroad, teaching holistic dance therapy, and Connor, troubled and evidently vulnerable, still lives at home. The relationships between them, and particularly between Julia and Molly, have been strained for years. Once their worst fears about June are confirmed, snipes, blame, and resentment emerge between the two who do not wish to be near the other. Molly even goes as far as to create a visiting rota so that their time with their mother never crosses. If you have lived through something similar, it’s all painfully believable. As the eldest sister, Winslet’s Julia brings a worn pragmatism that would push anyone to their breaking point. Her confrontation with Molly, in which years of resentment spill out, is one of the film’s finest scenes, played in an empty hospital corridor. Molly reveals her bitterness at feeling abandoned when Julia left home at thirteen and built what she assumes is a life in which Julia has it all (she doesn’t). Julia, in turn, carries the guilt of missing her children’s lives because she works to support everyone, and neither sister wants to admit that they need each other, and will need each other even more once their mother is gone. The reconciliation that follows, orchestrated by June, who wants to pass knowing her family is together again, feels hard-earned.  Andrea Riseborough as Molly, Kate Winslet as Julia in Goodbye June. © Kimberley French/Netflix 2025. June, meanwhile, grows increasingly fragile. Her distress at the everyday indignities of dying, from wishing to no longer receive blood-thinning injections in her stomach, to the frustration of not being able to use the toilet, to her desire to look presentable, is portrayed with such honesty that it’s impossible not to think of your own parents or grandparents. These moments are softened slightly by Nurse Angel (Fisayo Akinade), whose gentle presence offers June a dignity and patience that families often cannot manage in their own grief. He also forms a bond with Connor, allowing him to process what he is about to lose after sharing that he lost his own mother as a child. He has since made it his duty to ensure that people get good goodbyes, a promise the film honours. Her clarity comes and goes, but in one of her most lucid moments, she asks Julia and Molly to help her write a letter for Helen and her unborn baby, a gesture the film returns to in its final moments. In another, she earnestly tells Julia that she hopes to come back as snow so she can still be with her family at Christmas, then innocently asks, “You don’t mind if I die, do you, darling?” Though there isn’t a moment in Goodbye June  when Mirren isn't breaking your heart, her most devastating scenes are those in silence. A shot of her lying in the darkness of her hospital room with tears streaming down her face is among the film’s most agonising images, one that will stay with me for a long time. Helen Mirren as June, Kate Winslet as Julia in Goodbye June. © Kimberley French/Netflix 2025. Winslet directs with the confidence and sensitivity of somebody who has been doing this for years, despite Goodbye June  being her directorial debut. She builds the film’s world with an actor’s understanding, stripping the sets to their essentials and favouring unshowy compositions with longtime collaborator Alwin H. Küchler. The result is a hospital environment that feels lived-in rather than clinical, shaped by days spent observing NHS wards and realised through Alison Harvey’s production design. Winslet’s choices, from locking off cameras and stepping away to give actors privacy to creating an inclusive space for the seven child performers, who are each brilliant within an environment that is difficult for children to understand in real life, never mind through fiction, speak to a director who understands the emotions of the story she is telling. It’s a film that certainly deserves BAFTA attention when the time comes. The film’s final act builds towards an inevitable but heartwarming end. Bernard, struggling to face the reality of losing his wife, initially retreats into drink and denial, prompting Connor to confront him in another one of the film’s gut-wrenching scenes. Knowing June will not live to Christmas, the family bring the holiday forward, complete with a nativity performed by the grandchildren on the hospital’s top floor. These moments are tender and dignified, but no less devastating as a family comes together in loss and love. “Good memories live forever,” June narrates in her letter, “just like me.” In its snowy ending a year later, Goodbye June  suggests that this is true. Goodbye June . © Netflix About Goodbye June Release Date:   In Select Theatres December 12, on Netflix December 24. Writer: Joe Anders Director: Kate Winslet Production:   Kate Solomon and Kate Winslet Distribution:  Netflix Cast:   Toni Collette, Johnny Flynn, Andrea Riseborough, Timothy Spall, Kate Winslet and Helen Mirren. Additional Cast : Stephen Merchant, Fisayo Akinade, Jeremy Swift, and Raza Jaffrey. Synopsis: The film takes place just before Christmas, when an unexpected turn in their mother’s health thrusts four adult siblings and their exasperating father into chaos, as they navigate messy family dynamics in the face of potential loss. But their quick-witted mother, June, orchestrates her decline on her own terms — with biting humour, blunt honesty, and a lot of love.