NBC announced this week that "Ultimate Slip 'N Slide," a show based on Slip 'N Slides, will make its debut this summer following the closing ceremony of the Olympics. |
This weekend I have … a half-hour, and I'm goofy |
 | | Charlotte Nicdao, left, and Rob McElhenney in a scene from "Mythic Quest."Apple TV+ |
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I couldn't get into the first season of this workplace comedy set at a gaming company, but its second season is a ton of fun — brighter, funnier and more fully realized. Just jump in with the recently released stand-alone episode "Everlight" and then head into Season 2; the first two episodes arrive Friday, and the rest roll out weekly after that. "Mythic Quest" has some of the slick satire of "Silicon Valley," but it also has a surprisingly emotional side, reminiscent of pensive, auteur-y dramedies. |
… 3 hours, and I like honesty |
 | | Lori Arnold, right, and a friend in a scene from "Queen of Meth."Discovery+ |
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When to watch: Arrives Friday, on Discovery+. |
This three-part documentary about Lori Arnold, sister of Tom Arnold, and the role she played in the methamphetamine market in Iowa is candid and intimate without being salacious or invasive. It's a pinhole camera piece — one that filters labor rights, sexual exploitation, generational trauma, family dysfunction and addiction through one small story of an individual and out comes a vivid, moving portrait. There's plenty of pain to go around, but a lot of grace and forgiveness, too. If you think frankness is a virtue, watch this. |
… 4 hours, and I like to see things through |
 | | Aidy Bryant in the final season of "Shrill."Hulu |
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When to watch: Season 3 arrives Friday, on Hulu. |
The third and final season of "Shrill" can't quite live up to the shimmering excellence of the first, but it's insightful and tricky in all kinds of interesting ways. Aidy Bryant stars as Annie, who in this season has conquered some of her body-image issues but is struggling on professional and romantic fronts. Being oneself, really and truly, is messy work, and characters on "Shrill" often bump up against their own wistful immaturity, a happy but limiting inertia between adulthood and real adulthood. I'm sad to see this show end but glad it told its whole story. |
Your newly available movies |
 | | J Balvin as seen in "The Boy from Medellín," directed by Matthew Heineman.Amazon Studios |
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After last week's bonanza of Critic's Picks, no films this week got the full stamp of approval. But our critics still found things to like about documentary profiles on the reggaeton star J Balvin ("The Boy From Medellín") and the actor-activist Sean Penn ("Citizen Penn"). Also, the actor David Oyelowo makes his directorial debut with "The Water Man," part of his attempt to offer more Black representation in family films. |
Some independent films are available via "virtual cinemas," which share the rental fees between distributors and theaters. Unless otherwise noted, other titles can generally be rented on the usual platforms, including Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu and YouTube. SCOTT TOBIAS |
Known for his gritty documentaries about international conflicts ("Cartel Land," "City of Ghosts"), [The director Matthew Heineman] delivers a relatively sophisticated form of celebrity publicity in this film, armed with stunning concert footage but unoriginal insights into the burdens of modern fame, like the difficulty of balancing the expectations of fans with personal desires. — Beatrice Loayza (Read the full review here.) |
Sean Penn's work in Haiti after its devastating 2010 earthquake continues to this day. And this new documentary "Citizen Penn" is a revealing, engaging chronicle of the actor's activism. — Glenn Kenny (Read the full review here.) |
'Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street' |
The movie "Street Gang" never shakes the sense that much of this story has been told elsewhere, but it feels close to comprehensive, and the visual component is crucial. — Ben Kenigsberg (Read the full review here.) |
The mythos the movie trucks in carries hints of Miyazaki's "Princess Mononoke" and the Y.A. novel and film adaptation "A Monster Calls." But this picture is a more anodyne vision over all; even when the narrative calls in a wildfire to raise the emotional stakes, the viewer remains confident that things will work out. — Glenn Kenny (Read the full review here.) |
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