The Rewind: “This is going to ruin the tour” and more thoughts on ‘Smile 2’
Plus "Severance" Season 2, "We Live in Time," "Dune" updates and more!
Welcome back to The Rewind!
For the new folks, here’s your guide to everything you might have missed the last week in pop culture. Plus, we’re debuting a brand new button this week: Record!
⏪ Rewind: A recap or review of a new release that we’re dying to talk about.
▶️ Play: One recommendation each for you to watch based on what we watched last week.
⏸️ Pause: Stories from the past week that deserve an extra moment of pause.
⏺️ Record: We’re on the record breaking down a story from the week and what it means, or making bold predictions for what’s to come.
⏩ Fast Forward: A look ahead at what’s to come this week and what we recommend.
Let’s get started.
⏪ Rewind: “This is going to ruin the tour” and more thoughts on ‘Smile 2’
I’m not gonna lie, I may have missed major plot points in “Smile 2” because I simply could not stop thinking about how I was immediately going to log the movie on Letterboxd and use Justin Timberlake’s now infamous reaction as my witty little one-liner. Mission accomplished.
Let’s take a second to think deeper about the movie, though. Sure, the demonic entity that makes you kill yourself is bad, but the real villain? Skye Riley’s mom, played by Rosemarie DeWitt. Go watch the movie and tell me I’m wrong.
For many reasons, “Smile 2” absolutely rips. It’ll make you scream, squirm and spiral into madness – everything you want from a horror blockbuster.
Check out the full “Smile 2” review below.
▶️ Play: Gotta get back to Hogwarts
Zach: Andrew Garfield. Florence Pugh. What more do you need? Toss in the fact that it’s a weepy British romance and suddenly “We Live in Time” starts to sound like the best movie ever? Can confirm. Part-cutesy love story, part-devastating drama, this movie has quickly earned a spot towards the top of my 2024 rankings. Garfield and Pugh’s charm needs to be studied by scientists in a lab, the chemistry is just that good. Bring your tissues. “We Live in Time” is now playing in theaters.
Johnny: With spooky szn in full swing, and with the holidays right around the corner, it’s a widely-held tradition to throw on at least one or two of the more festive “Harry Potter” films. Like many, I grew up with the franchise and have seen it many times over, but it’s been years since I’ve properly rewatched them. I finally cracked open my 4K boxset and have made it through the first five films over the last week. It’s been a really neat trip down memory lane, with enough time removed to judge the franchise on its own terms. Alfonso Cuarón’s “Prisoner of Azkaban” is in a league of its own, but the entire saga is an undeniably impressive, one-of-a-kind cinematic achievement. I definitely encourage folks to give them a look this holiday season – whether it’s for the first time or the fiftieth. The “Harry Potter” series is available to stream on MAX and Peacock.
⏸️ Pause: A closer look at this week’s headlines
Nearly three years after it first premiered, the teaser for Season 2 of “Severance” has finally arrived. The teaser doesn’t give much, but the eeriness is most certainly back, thanks in part to the music choice: The Who’s “Eminence Front,” a song about a party where people hide from their problems behind a façade. Seems applicable. (Apple TV+)
“Mr. & Mrs. Smith” is one of my favorite shows from 2024 so far, and that finale twist has Amazon looking for a new John and Jane to lead Season 2. Rumor has it Billie Eilish is in the running, which honestly makes sense considering she’s got history with both Prime Video and Donald Glover. (Deadline)
Tom Holland and Matt Damon are set to lead Christopher Nolan’s next summer blockbuster, hitting theaters in July 2026. Damon is a Nolan vet after “Oppenheimer” and “Interstellar,” but Holland’s career outside of “Spider-Man” has been midsville… if anyone can help him take the next step, it’s Nolan. (THR)
In other “Avengers” updates, Chris Hemsworth is in talks to star in Disney’s upcoming “Prince Charming” film from “Wonka” director Paul King. Folks… what are we doing here? (Variety)
⏺️ Record: Denis Villeneuve is ready to let the spice flow again with ‘Dune Messiah’
I talked in last week’s edition of The Rewind about Denis Villeneuve doing the rounds this award season for “Dune: Part Two.” While the focus has largely been on this project, it was a matter of time before folks tried to squeeze out some details about a third “Dune” film, and Deadline Hollywood’s Baz Bamigboye delivered.
Read the full updates on “Dune Messiah” below.
⏩ Fast Forward: A new era in Gotham City
If you’re not watching “The Penguin,” you’re missing out. It doesn’t even matter if you’re a comic book fan – this goes beyond the superhero category. Just like “The Batman” gave us a serial killer mystery movie set in Gotham City, “The Penguin” is doing the same when it comes to “Sopranos”-esque crime family dramas. Colin Farrell may turn heads thanks to his transformative performance as Oz Cobb, but it’s Cristin Milioti as Sofia Gigante, née Falcone, that elevates “The Penguin” to make it the best show on TV right now. (Episode 6 premieres Sunday at 9 p.m. on HBO/MAX)
Other Recs This Week: “Disclaimer” Ep. 5 (Friday, Apple TV+), “Olivia Rodrigo: GUTS World Tour” (Tuesday, Netflix), “Survivor” Ep. 7 (Wednesday, CBS), “Shrinking” Ep. 4 (Wednesday, Apple TV+)
That’s a wrap on this week of The Rewind!
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