Sam Elliott and his beautiful, beautiful mustache are returning to TV, in "1883," the prequel to "Yellowstone." Faith Hill and Tim McGraw are in it, too. Tell your dad! |
Stay safe out there. And happy watching. |
… an hour, and I want to believe. |
 | | "U.F.O.," a new docuseries on Showtime, explores reports of unidentified flying objects.Showtime |
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When to watch: Sunday at 9 p.m., on Showtime. |
J.J. Abrams ("Lost," "Fringe," a couple of "Star Wars" movies) has spent a lot of his career in the precincts of science fiction. This serious-minded four-part documentary series, produced by Abrams's Bad Robot, wonders if maybe some of that science isn't so fictional after all. The series, which leans heavily on reporting by The New York Times on the Pentagon's U.F.O. program, includes some remarkable archival photos and videos. The first two episodes elide rational explanations — like, say, military aircraft or wonky camera angles — in favor of more extraordinary ones. But why should critical thinking get in the way of those nifty blinking lights? |
… a few hours, and I'm feeling communal. |
 | | Maia Mitchell, left, and Cierra Ramirez in "Good Trouble."Beth Dubber/Freeform |
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It's not so much that "Good Trouble" improves upon "The Fosters," its predecessor. But the kids on "The Fosters," a show about a multiracial two-mom family, grew up. And "Good Trouble" lets them keep growing. Set in Downtown Los Angeles amid the Coterie, a communal living space with a sweet rooftop pool, the show centers on the novice lawyer Callie (Maia Mitchell) and the tech goddess Mariana (Cierra Ramirez), adoptive sisters who don't always get along. But the show makes space for their many roommates, too, allowing them the square footage to breathe and change. An exploration of found family and hard-won self-acceptance, "Good Trouble" recently returned for the back half of its third season. Rents are reasonable. Stay a while? |
… a few hours, and who needs a vacation anyway? |
 | | Sydney Sweeney, left, and Brittany O'Grady in "The White Lotus."Mario Perez/HBO |
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If the Delta variant has you postponing travel plans, Mike White's six-episode traumedy-in-paradise might make you feel better about that. An orchid-scented sendup of the white, wealthy and variously terrible, set amid the rooms and grounds of a Hawaiian hotel, it airs its finale Aug. 15 on HBO. So why not spend the weekend catching up on Jennifer Coolidge's boozy heiress, Murray Bartlett's unctuous manager and Sydney Sweeney and Brittany O'Grady's absolutely terrifying college students? The writing is sharp, the satire is sharper, the performances beautifully unhinged. Fun fact: No amount of tropical fruit can sweeten the class war. |
Your newly available movies |
 | | Nicholas Cage and a friend in "Pig."Neon |
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In a big week for home viewers, James Gunn's revamped and extra-bloody take on "The Suicide Squad" stands to draw a lot of attention on HBO Max. But our critics are more excited by two culinary adventures: The one-of-a-kind Nicolas Cage vehicle "Pig," about a recluse who searches Portland, Ore.'s fine-dining underground for his stolen truffle pig, and the Anthony Bourdain documentary "Roadrunner," which contends with his inspiring but thorny legacy. |
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 |
Michael Sarnoski's stunningly controlled first feature is a mournful fable of loss and withdrawal, art and ambition. Told in three chapters and a string of beautifully delineated scenes, the movie flirts with several genres — revenge drama, culinary satire — while committing to none. — Jeannette Catsoulis (Read the full review here.) |
'Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain' (A Critic's Pick) |
With immense perceptiveness, [Morgan] Neville shows us both the empath and the narcissist: The man who refused to turn the suffering he saw in war zones into a bland televisual package, and the one who would betray longtime colleagues to please a new lover. — Jeannette Catsoulis (Read the full review here.) |
Joke, joke, kill, kill — that more or less sums up "The Suicide Squad," the latest installment in the DC Comics franchise. Shiny, busy and self-satisfied to a fault, this chapter follows the comic-book movie template, now with 20 percent more gore. — Manohla Dargis (Read the full review here.) |
More a self-portrait than a profile, "Val" tells the story of a Hollywood career with a candor that stops short of revelation. The tone is personal but not quite intimate, producing in the viewer a warm, slightly wary feeling of companionship. — A.O. Scott (Read the full review here.) |
It's all about the beat — in music and in "Vivo," a new animated movie with an uneven story but dynamite songs from the "Hamilton" maestro himself, Lin-Manuel Miranda. — Maya Phillips (Read the full review here.) |
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