Days before tickets go on sale for the limited theatrical run of Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon, Netflix decided to close out its Geeked Week 2023 festivities by dropping the first full trailer for the controversial director's latest spectacle-filled project. It's an epic and explosive first look at Rebel Moon -- Part One: A Child of Fire, a space adventure in which a young woman from the outskirts of the galaxy leads a band of rebels in a fight against a tyrant.

To anyone hung up on the plot's resemblance to a little franchise by the name of Star Wars, my response is: The overlords at LucasFilm would actually do well to check this one out. With the exception of Andor on Disney+, it's been years since I've cared about anything or anyone from the galaxy far, far away, a result of Star Wars falling into the same trap as Marvel. Hidebound, increasingly averse to creative risk-taking, paint-by-numbers plots, and visuals that stopped impressing me a long time ago. Say what you will about Snyder, but his movies tend to be wild, escapist, and unapologetically fun.

Sofia Boutella as Kora in Rebel Moon. Image source: Clay Enos/Netflix

Netflix is giving Rebel Moon a one-week run in select theaters starting Dec. 15, ahead of its Dec. 22 debut on the streamer, and I don't blame them. Snyder is clearly going for a supersized movie experience here -- in more ways than one, actually. His script, for example, was long enough that it required splitting Rebel Moon into two parts, with the second (Rebel Moon -- Part Two: The Scargiver) coming in April 2024. And as if that wasn't enough, both parts of the movie will also come with longer director's cuts.

"When a peaceful settlement on a moon in the furthest reaches of the universe finds itself threatened by the armies of the tyrannical Regent Balisarius," the official Netflix summary explains, "Kora (Sofia Boutella), a mysterious stranger living among the villagers, becomes their best hope for survival. Tasked with finding trained fighters who will unite with her in making an impossible stand against the Motherworld, Kora assembles a small band of warriors -- outsiders, insurgents, peasants, and orphans of war from different worlds who share a common need for redemption and revenge.

"As the shadow of an entire Realm bears down on the unlikeliest of moons, a new army of heroes is formed."

Checked the new Rebel Moon trailer below:

The post Zack Snyder’s first full Rebel Moon trailer teases an epic, action-packed revenge saga appeared first on BGR.

Trending Right Now:

1. Airbus is testing a new wing design that could revolutionize flight
2. Martian rocks keep hitting Earth, but something doesn’t add up
3. I can only think of one use for the Humane Ai Pin, and even that isn’t worth it

Confession time: I've read the Scott Pilgrim graphic novels by Bryan Lee O'Malley, at this point, too many times to count. I also thought director Edgar Wright's 2010 live-action adaptation of the story was an absolute blast (obviously!). So you can only imagine how excited I am to return to Toronto to get re-acquainted with Scott, Wallace Wells, Ramona Flowers, Sex Bob-Omb, and the league of evil ex-boyfriends when a new eight-episode anime adaptation of the Scott Pilgrim graphic novels joins all the other brand new Netflix releases next week.

And it's not just because I'm such a fan of the story. It really does feel like it's been forever since we've had something this unapologetically fun to binge on the streaming giant. Based on the screener episodes that I've already started watching, I can confirm this anime treatment is an absolute delight for fans of the books -- while, at the same time, there are also plenty of surprises packed into the story.

That's because this isn't a straightforward adaptation of the books; the story goes to some unexpected places, including a shock death of [SPOILER] at the end of the first episode that I didn't see coming.

Image source: Netflix

Image source: Netflix

Of course, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off isn't the only new title coming to the streamer over the next several days. In addition to Netflix's animated romp about the bass-playing, lovelorn slacker who fights Ramona's ex-boyfriends in video game-style fights, next week's Netflix releases also include new episodes of The Crown, a documentary about gangsters, a new live Netflix sports event, and much more.

Once I finish watching the final showdown between Scott Pilgrim and Gideon Graves -- the most evil of Ramona's evil ex-boyfriends -- I'll be streaming the Netflix releases that you can read more about below (Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, by the way, debuts on Nov. 17).

The Crown: Season 6, Part 1 (Nov. 16)

This coming week, among other things, marks the beginning of the end of one of Netflix's biggest original releases of all time. The Crown, from creator Peter Morgan, did so much to supercharge the streamer's ambitions around original prestige -- and its peeling back the curtain around the British Royal Family brought in viewers by the tens of millions.

Given that it wants to squeeze every last bit of viewership it can out of the sixth and final season of the show as possible, Netflix has chopped up the final season into two parts. With 10 episodes in total, the first four episodes drop on Nov. 16, with the final six coming on Dec. 14.

Plot-wise, the new season deals (among other things) with Princess Diana’s and Dodi Fayed’s fateful car journey, during which they were relentlessly pursued by the paparazzi. Continues Netflix about the new season: “Prince William tries to integrate back into life at Eton in the wake of his mother’s death as the monarchy has to ride the wave of public opinion. As she reaches her Golden Jubilee, the Queen reflects on the future of the monarchy with the marriage of Charles and Camilla and the beginnings of a new Royal fairytale in William and Kate.”

Suburræterna (Nov. 14)

By way of setting up this next title of the coming week's Netflix releases, one easy point of comparison is HBO's Gomorrah. Which is to say: If, like me, you loved that one, this continuation of the Suburra saga should appeal to you, as well.

Mind you, I'm not saying Suburræterna is as good as Gomorrah -- but, then again, nothing is. Also, this new series is not too far below it in terms of quality, so that's saying something.

Netflix's three-season crime drama Suburra: Blood on Rome was a bloody-yet-addictive saga set in Italy's capital that shows how the Church, state, organized crime, and real estate developers collude and collide in a never-ending quest for power. Suburræterna is an eight-episode continuation of that story. New players, for example, are upsetting the power dynamic in Rome, and revolution is spreading from City Hall to the shores of Ostia.

Continues Netflix: "Spadino (Giacomo Ferrara) must return home to avoid his own family being eradicated along with it and will have to make new allies, even among people he would’ve never thought could join forces ... But war is war, and the control of Rome is once again at stake."

Two more can't-miss Netflix releases

In addition to those Netflix releases, meanwhile, here's a brief snapshot of what else is coming to the steamer over the next few days -- including a first-of-its-kind Netflix live event.

• How to Become a Mob Boss: In this 6-episode docuseries, coming on Nov. 14, Peter Dinklage's narration guides viewers through a "darkly satirical how-to guide that explores the rise and fall of history's most notorious mob bosses -- from Al Capone to Pablo Escobar -- and their tactics for success."
• The Netflix Cup: Swing to Survive: Netflix has experimented in fits and starts so far with live events (examples: Its Chris Rock special, and baby animal cam). On Nov. 14, Netflix will stream its first-ever live sporting event -- The Netflix Cup, featuring athletes from its series Formula 1: Drive to Survive and Full Swing. “The drivers and golfers will pair up to compete in a match play tournament at Wynn Golf Club at Wynn Las Vegas, the only 18-hole, championship golf course on the Las Vegas Strip, to kick off the week of the inaugural Formula 1 Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix.”

The post Netflix new releases: Five of the biggest titles coming next week appeared first on BGR.

Trending Right Now:

1. Airbus is testing a new wing design that could revolutionize flight
2. Martian rocks keep hitting Earth, but something doesn’t add up
3. I can only think of one use for the Humane Ai Pin, and even that isn’t worth it

On Friday, Netflix took to YouTube again for another Geeked Week 2023 showcase. Similar to the Thursday Showcase, Netflix premiered a boatload of new trailers, teasers, and clips from its upcoming TV shows and movies, including 3 Body Problem, The Brothers Sun, Yu Yu Hakusho, and The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep. If you didn't tune in for the live stream on Friday afternoon, don't worry -- we've rounded up all of the trailers for you below.

3 Body Problem

Curious about what Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have been up to since their HBO show ended? Well, they've been working on a new adaptation for Netflix. 3 Body Problem is an original series based on the Chinese science fiction series written by Liu Cixin. The books follow an alternate history in which Earth contacts an alien civilization from a nearby system. And wouldn't you know it -- the fate of humanity is at stake.

The Brothers Sun

"When the head of a powerful Taiwanese triad is shot by a mysterious assassin, his eldest son, legendary killer Charles “Chairleg” Sun (Justin Chien) heads to Los Angeles to protect his mother, Eileen (Michelle Yeoh), and his naive younger brother, Bruce (Sam Song Li) — who’s been completely sheltered from the truth of his family until now," says Netflix.

Obliterated

What if The Hangover was also an action thriller? Enter, Obliterated. This new series from the creators of Cobra Kai is about an elite special forces team that got so drunk they accidentally defused a fake bomb, so now they have to find the real one.

Leave the World Behind

Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Myha’la, and Kevin Bacon come together for an apocalyptic thriller from Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail. Oh, and if that didn't pique your interest, Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground is producing.

Code 8 Part II

To be entirely honest, I didn't know there was a Code 8 Part I, but fans of brothers Robbie Amell (Upload) and Stephen Amell (Arrow) will be thrilled to know that both star in this sequel set in a world where "4% of the population are born with abnormal powers."

Masters of the Universe: Revolution

"It’s technology versus magic when He-Man and the heroic warriors face the forces of Skeletor and something more in MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVOLUTION – the new epic chapter in the battle for Castle Grayskull!" Netflix teases. This is a direct sequel to the 1983–1985 series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.

Onmyoji

For the first time, the Onmyoji Heian-period supernatural mystery novels by Baku Yumemakura are being adapted into an anime series, and this is the first clip.

The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep

Fans were devastated when they learned that Henry Cavill would no longer play Geralt of Rivia after The Witcher season 3. Netflix is doing its best to make it up to them by casting Doug Cockle as Geralt in the upcoming animated movie, The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep. You'll recognize Cockle's voice from The Witcher 3 video game, in which he voiced Geralt.

Yu Yu Hakusho

Yu Yu Hakusho is the latest live-action anime adaptation from Netflix. In case you haven't seen the anime, the story is about a teenager named Yusuke who dies trying to save a young boy from being hit by a car. In the afterlife, he is given the opportunity to be revived, but in return, he has to become an Underworld Detective and battle demons.

Blood of Zeus season 2

Here's what happens in this clip from Blood of Zeus season 2: "Heron reflects on the war for Olympus and his battle with Seraphim, and channels his new demigod powers."

The post Netflix drops trailers for 3 Body Problem, Yu Yu Hakusho, and more appeared first on BGR.

Trending Right Now:

1. Airbus is testing a new wing design that could revolutionize flight
2. Martian rocks keep hitting Earth, but something doesn’t add up
3. I can only think of one use for the Humane Ai Pin, and even that isn’t worth it

Shortly after the 2023 actors' strike came to an end, as SAG-AFTRA and the studios reached a new three-year deal, Disney shared new release dates for four upcoming Marvel movies. These delays are sure to frustrate fans of the franchise, but given the sad state of the MCU, this might be the break that both the viewers and Marvel need.

As for the new release dates, Deadpool 3 is now set for July 26, 2024; Captain America: Brave New World hits theaters on February 14, 2025; Thunderbolts lands on July 25, 2025; and Blade moves to November 7, 2025. That's right -- we're only getting one Marvel movie in 2024, and it won't arrive until the second half of the year.

I think this should be a net positive for everyone involved. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a bloated mess, and as I have pointed out on half a dozen occasions, the four lowest-rated MCU projects to date have all been released in the last three years (and The Marvels currently has a worse rating than Thor: Love and Thunder on Rotten Tomatoes).

As a self-proclaimed fan of the MCU, I have felt obligated to keep up with every new show and movie. More often than not, I've been let down by Marvel's latest releases, from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness to Secret Invasion. I don't have comic book fatigue -- I'm playing and loving Marvel's Spider-Man 2 on PS5 right now! -- but I am struggling to get excited about the MCU. I know I'm not alone in that, and I have a feeling that the next 12 months are going to shape the future of Marvel Studios and the MCU.

On Friday, The Marvels began playing in theaters. The initial reaction has been relatively tepid, both from critics and box office projections. However it ends up faring, there's a decent chance that it will be the least financially successful Marvel movie in years.

After that, Marvel has three Disney+ shows on the docket: What If...? season 2 in December 2023, Echo on January 10, 2024, and X-Men '97 in early 2024. These shows might not appear to have much in common at first glance, but they do have a key similarity: They aren't beholden to the ongoing story of the MCU's Multiverse Saga.

In fact, Echo will be the first project under Marvel's Spotlight banner, which the studio describes as "a platform to bring more grounded, character-driven stories to the screen, and in the case of Echo, focusing on street-level stakes over larger MCU continuity." In other words, you don't have to watch 30+ movies to understand what's going on in Echo.

Meanwhile, What If...? does explore alternate realities that are part of the MCU multiverse, but these are mostly standalone stories. And X-Men '97 is a direct sequel to X-Men: The Animated Series from the '90s. That's three consecutive Marvel releases that have little or nothing to do with the multiverse, incursions, or the end of reality.

After that comes Deadpool 3, which, as noted above, will be the only Marvel Studios theatrical release of 2024. The last time Marvel released one movie in an entire calendar year was 2012. You probably remember it, because that was The Avengers.

Putting that much pressure on Deadpool 3 isn't fair to director Shawn Levy or producer and star Ryan Reynolds, but the movie needs to be a smash hit. Marvel has one chance to get us back on board as we round the back half of the Multiverse Saga. If they can't do it with a sequel to two of the most successful R-rated movies of all time, it might never happen.

The post Marvel’s movie delays give us the break we need from the MCU appeared first on BGR.

Trending Right Now:

1. Airbus is testing a new wing design that could revolutionize flight
2. Martian rocks keep hitting Earth, but something doesn’t add up
3. I can only think of one use for the Humane Ai Pin, and even that isn’t worth it

The concept of longevity, of physical things that are built to endure, can sometimes feel like an anachronism in a consumer culture with far more coders per capita than old-school artisans. The men and women who hunch over workbenches and who make or repair non-digital objects with their hands -- like the craftsmen of the Los Angeles Unified School District, depicted as unsung heroes in the poignant new documentary short The Last Repair Shop -- can even feel a little like displaced refugees of a bygone era.

But the work that keeps the dwindling tribe of technicians busy in that Los Angeles repair shop, patching up the musical instruments of public schoolchildren, nevertheless feels surprisingly urgent and consequential in this documentary from directors Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers. One by one, The Last Repair Shop introduces us to students who explain, with beatific smiles on their faces, how instruments like the violin, the saxophone, and the piano have made a profound impression on their lives. Maybe even saved them.

"I love the violin," one proud young girl declares, holding her instrument triumphantly. "If I didn’t have my violin from school, I’d probably … I don’t even know what I’d do. Don’t even jinx me with that!"

Another young girl shows off her saxophone, polished to a perfect shine. "My school gave me a saxophone, a case, everything I need.

"Whenever I'm feeling tense or angry," she continues, before playing a short, hauntingly beautiful melody, "the saxophone calms me down. But the G-sharp key always gets stuck."

The documentary, which is streaming for free on The Los Angeles Times' YouTube channel as well as at latimes.com, then draws a straight line from those instruments and the children who play them back to the school district's repair shop -- to the men and women who polish the brass, fix the keys, re-string the bows, and search for the cracks in broken instruments. Some of them have spent years mending cracks in their own broken lives, like the repair shop supervisor who still chokes up over the murder of his father and the young immigrant mother who got this job when she was penniless.

"When wood breaks, it breaks in unique ways," muses one repair shop technician, who as he talks weaves in the story of his coming out as a young man.

"It's really hard being a kid. Some of them come from a place of love and support, and others come from huge dysfunction. The emotional broken things, and the mental broken things, are more difficult. You can't glue that back together."

I've already watched this documentary short twice and can't wait to dive back into it a third time. It's a beautiful tour de force of storytelling. I was particularly drawn to the repairman with a gravelly voice and a twinkle in his eye named Duane; he fell in love with music as a young man, begged his mother to front him $20 to buy a violin he found at a swap meet, and would not only go on to master the instrument but perform all over the world. It's also the reason he met his wife, who was in the audience one day listening to him play.

So when he explains to the camera that fixing this one instrument could change a child's entire life, you believe him. "You could feel like you're fixing the instrument of a future Grammy winner, if you wanna kinda dream a little bit," he adds, with a broad smile.

Los Angeles, we learn through the documentary, is the last US city to provide freely repaired music instruments to schoolchildren. It continues to do so, a closing voiceover narration tells us, because the repair shop does a job that's about more than just fixing things. There's something much more important and long-lasting going on here. "I think a lot of people see a broken thing, and they just think it's broken," one of the craftspeople muses.

"It could be anything. Maybe it's public schools. Or maybe it's the United States. Maybe it's just a $20 fiddle found at a swap meet. But when we see a broken thing, we think, oh -- with a little something here, and a little something there, we can fix the part that's broken and make things whole again."

The post The Last Repair Shop gets my vote as the best documentary of 2023 appeared first on BGR.

Trending Right Now:

1. Airbus is testing a new wing design that could revolutionize flight
2. Martian rocks keep hitting Earth, but something doesn’t add up
3. I can only think of one use for the Humane Ai Pin, and even that isn’t worth it

If you've been waiting to see someone other than Sony show off the PlayStation 5 Slim or the PlayStation Portal, you're in luck. While the two products aren't available to buy just yet, reviewers have started to get their hands on both devices for our viewing pleasure.

First, let's check out the PS5 Slim. Ahead of its official release later this month, The Verge has gotten their hands on the console. According to their first impressions, the new console is definitely smaller, but even though its volume shrank by “more than 30 percent," it is still a "big boi!” They also describe its removable disc drive as a "strange growth" coming out of the side of the console.

Continue reading...

The post PS5 Slim and PlayStation Portal hands-on impressions start popping up online appeared first on BGR.

Trending Right Now:

1. Airbus is testing a new wing design that could revolutionize flight
2. Martian rocks keep hitting Earth, but something doesn’t add up
3. I can only think of one use for the Humane Ai Pin, and even that isn’t worth it

Loki is a must-see MCU story, no matter what sort of Marvel fan you might be. If you follow every new release, you probably haven't skipped this hotly anticipated TV show. But if you pick and choose your MCU stories, you should definitely have Loki on your radar. The story is complete now that the Loki season 2 finale is streaming on Disney Plus. And if you already thought that Loki influences the MCU's past, present, and future, well, season 2 will further reinforce that idea.

In what follows, I'll give you the biggest takeaways from the season 2 finale titled Glorious Purpose, which shouldn't be confused with season 1 episode 1, also titled Glorious Purpose.

Big spoilers from Loki and the entire MCU will follow below.

Continue reading...

The post Loki is a must-see MCU show: 6 big takeaways from the season 2 finale appeared first on BGR.

Trending Right Now:

1. Airbus is testing a new wing design that could revolutionize flight
2. Martian rocks keep hitting Earth, but something doesn’t add up
3. I can only think of one use for the Humane Ai Pin, and even that isn’t worth it

It looks like Hollywood is wasting no time after the release of the Walter Isaacson biography on Elon Musk. As reported by Puck, a biopic film about the richest man in the world is already being optioned, and some interesting people are potentially attached to the project.

According to the report, the film would be based on the biography written by Isaacson. This isn't surprising, especially since his biography on Steve Jobs was also used when screenwriter Aaron Sorkin and director Danny Boyle made the 2015 Steve Jobs film. That film earned Michael Fassbender an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of the late Apple founder.

Continue reading...

The post An Elon Musk biopic is in the works appeared first on BGR.

Trending Right Now:

1. Airbus is testing a new wing design that could revolutionize flight
2. Martian rocks keep hitting Earth, but something doesn’t add up
3. I can only think of one use for the Humane Ai Pin, and even that isn’t worth it

Like magic, the SAG-AFTRA strike concluded just in time for The Marvels premiere. Of course, there's no connection between the strike and Marvel’s final MCU movie of the year.

However, the former lets Marvel restart work on Deadpool 3 and the future movies and TV shows that will lead to the Avengers adventures of the Multiverse Saga. As for The Marvels, it advances the arcs of three of the Earth’s mightiest heroes while also delivering a few exciting developments in the post-credits scenes for the overarching story.

Specifically, The Marvels' post-credits scenes help link the movie to two important developments we’re about to witness as we head to Avengers: Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. I’ll explain both of them, but know that big spoilers follow below. And this time around, I’ll address confirmed leaks, as The Marvels has started playing in early previews on Wednesday night in some regions.

Continue reading...

The post How The Marvels post-credits scenes set up the future of the Avengers appeared first on BGR.

Trending Right Now:

1. Airbus is testing a new wing design that could revolutionize flight
2. Martian rocks keep hitting Earth, but something doesn’t add up
3. I can only think of one use for the Humane Ai Pin, and even that isn’t worth it

It feels like, all of a sudden, Hollywood can't stop talking about Apple TV+. Some of the biggest and buzziest movies of the year, backed by the iPhone maker's now four-year-old streaming service, include Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon and Ridley Scott's Napoleon -- the latter of which arrives in theaters later this month ahead of its release on Apple TV+. As a superfan of the service, it's certainly exciting to see everyone coming around to its potential, notwithstanding the cynical take that Apple is just throwing gobs of money at the biggest names it can find and hoping something sticks.

One of the many things I like that Apple does more of, compared to its bigger streaming rivals, is its offering of generally shorter TV seasons. They quite often run to no more than, say, 8 episodes or so. Netflix also does that, to a degree, but it seems to be more of the norm at Apple TV+. The thing is, though, I have less and less time to invest in new TV series these days and find myself increasingly drawn to the movie side of the Apple TV+ content library.

And, thankfully, the hit-to-miss ratio there remains satisfyingly high -- at least for this Apple TV+ subscriber.

Eight can't-miss Apple TV+ movies available right now

For anyone out there who's a new subscriber to the service -- or, maybe you've paid for it but haven't dipped into the app all that much -- here are some suggestions for what to watch. Specifically, these are eight of the best movies available on Apple TV+ that, for a variety of reasons, I'd classify as "can't-miss."

Flora and Son

Eve Hewson in "Flora and Son" on Apple TV+. Image source: Apple

We'll start with one of the newest Apple TV+ movie releases. In this music-filled delight from writer-director John Carney, Eve Hewson plays a single mom who's struggling with how to handle her rebellious teenage son. The police encourage him to pick up a hobby, so Flora takes that ball and runs with it -- bestowing upon him a beat-up acoustic guitar. Mother and son, over time, eventually learn to bond over the power of music.

The Pigeon Tunnel

British best-selling author John le Carre, photographed during an interview with Deutsche Presse-Agentur at a hotel in Hamburg, Germany, 16 October 2017. Image source: Christian Charisius/dpa (Photo by Christian Charisius/picture alliance via Getty Images

Another of the most recent Apple TV+ movie releases is this documentary from director Errol Morris, featuring the last-ever interview with the father of the modern spy novel himself -- John le Carre, aka David Cornwell. I'm going to quote myself here, from my review of Morris' The Pigeon Tunnel: "In the documentary, le Carre comes across as an avatar of the Cold War-era spy caught in a cycle of delusion and futility, an impression that stands in contrast to the Hollywood glamor of 007.

"Betrayal is a recurring theme in his novels, as is reinvention -- and le Carre, the alter ego of a son whose mother abandoned him at five and whose charlatan father was a 'confidence trickster' he never respected, spent a lifetime in the thrall of both ideals. A first-rate fabulist who equates history with chaos, his cat-and-mouse stories about spy games probe deeper truths about a profession that le Carre believed to be devoid of answers in 'the inmost room.'"

CODA

Emilia Jones in the Apple TV+ movie "Coda." Image source: Apple

Apple's 2021 movie CODA, starring Emilia Jones as the only member of an all-deaf family who also has a talent for singing, was the first film from a major streamer to win a Best Picture Oscar (much to the chagrin of Netflix, which has been trying to win the award for years). So, I kind of have to include CODA on this list of must-watch Apple TV+ movies, right?

This one is a no-brainer if you're looking for feel-good and family-friendly content. The title, by the way, has multiple levels of meaning, being both a reference to the “coda” section of a piece of music as well as an acronym that stands for Child of Deaf Adults. Jones plays 17-year-old Ruby, -- who, instead of continuing to help her father work on his fishing boat, dreams of going to a prestigious music school and honing her talent for singing. This movie will have you laughing, crying, and cheering by the time it's all over.

Tetris

Taron Egerton and Nikita Efremov in "Tetris" on Apple TV+. Image source: Apple

Somehow, the Tetris movie Apple released earlier this year functioned as much as a drama filled with Cold War intrigue as it did the story of how the video game Tetris was created.

Taron Egerton stars here as Henk Rogers, the entrepreneur who negotiated a dispute over the rights for the game (which was created by a Soviet software engineer). Nintendo eventually licensed the game in order to package it with the Game Boy handset, but the rights to it were so complex that at one time about a dozen different companies believed they owned them. No wonder there was a movie's worth of drama to be found in the story of this simple game.

Causeway

Jennifer Lawrence and Brian Tyree Henry in "Causeway." Image source: Apple

Director Lila Neugebauer's Causeway, which stars Jennifer Lawrence in the kind of atmospheric drama she used to make before she got really big, offers a narrative about two lonely people who come to take solace in each other.

Lawrence plays a soldier back home in New Orleans who's grappling with PTSD after an IED explosion in Afghanistan. “It’s a painful and slow recovery,” Apple says about the film, “as (Lynsey) relearns to walk and retrains her memory, aided by a chatty but tender caretaker (Jayne Houdyshell). But when she returns home to New Orleans she has to face memories even more aching and formative than those she had in service -- a reckoning with her childhood.”

Lawrence’s character stays with her mother (Linda Emond), with whom she has a tense relationship. Meanwhile, she’s desperate to get back to work as an engineer. Her doctor (Stephen McKinley Henderson) isn’t sure she’s ready, so she takes a job cleaning pools. “When her truck breaks down,” Apple continues, “she meets James Aucoin (Brian Tyree Henry), who works at the auto repair shop and offers her a ride home. Slowly, they start to rely on each other for company and solace. James, it turns out, is also suppressing his own past trauma."

Cha Cha Real Smooth

Vanessa Burghardt and Dakota Johnson in the Apple TV+ movie "Cha Cha Real Smooth." Image source: Apple

Where do I even begin with this Sundance favorite from director (and star) Cooper Raiff?

For starters, this Apple TV+ gem boasts one of those soundtracks that will send you hunting down more than one song to add to your playlists. As "Domino," Dakota Johnson gives one of the most effervescent performances of her career. And then there's Raiff, the earnest, love-struck star of this breezy, charming film.

“Fresh out of college and without a clear life path going forward,” Apple’s summary explains, “22-year-old Andrew is stuck back at home with his family in New Jersey. But if there’s one thing that belongs on his nonexistent résumé, it’s how to get a party started, which lands him the perfect job of motivational dancing at the bar and bat mitzvahs for his younger brother’s classmates. When Andrew befriends a local mom, Domino, and her daughter, Lola, he finally discovers a future he wants -- even if it might not be his own.”

Finch

Image source: Apple

These final two Apple TV+ movies both star Tom Hanks, in vastly different roles. In 2021's Finch, for example, he plays a robotics engineer who's slowly dying. It's at a time when a solar flare has caused global devastation -- and, because his character doesn't have a lot of time left, he builds a robot to take care of his beloved dog named Goodyear after he’s gone. Make sure you have a box of Kleenex handy for this one.

Greyhound

Image source: Apple

Finally, this next Apple TV+ movie finds Hanks portraying a World War II-era naval officer assigned to protect a merchant ship convoy from Nazi submarines. There’s a claustrophobic intensity that pervades the entire film, thanks to the fact that the viewer essentially stays at Hanks’ side for almost the entirety of the movie, on the ship he commands. Overall, the movie features the perfect mix of action and drama, and I highly enjoyed it.

Speaking of WWII, by the way, Hanks also reteamed up with Steven Spielberg on Masters of the Air, the follow-up to HBO's WWII miniseries The Pacific and Band of Brothers -- both of which, in my opinion, are among the best things HBO has ever produced.

The post Apple TV+ movies: My picks for the best films on the iPhone maker’s streamer appeared first on BGR.

Trending Right Now:

1. Airbus is testing a new wing design that could revolutionize flight
2. Martian rocks keep hitting Earth, but something doesn’t add up
3. I can only think of one use for the Humane Ai Pin, and even that isn’t worth it