Reel Perspectives January 22, 2026 Courtesy of Getty Images From Sinners to K-Pop Demon Hunters, these films and creators show how Black and BIPOC art is shaping the future of film and entertainment. So… Who’s Being Taken Seriously Now? We talk about the Oscars every year like they exist in a vacuum — like the films we  love, argue over, meme into oblivion, and champion on Black and BIPOC Twitter somehow disappear once awards season rolls around. They don’t. And neither do we. Because our art doesn’t vanish — it just gets judged by a different standard. So when this year’s nominations dropped, the real question wasn’t “ Did we get representation? ”  It was where  it showed up — and how hard it was to ignore. Not tucked into side categories. Not framed as a courtesy nod. But front and center, across spaces that have long decided who gets to be considered “serious.” That’s what feels different this year. Not perfection. Not closure. But movement — slow, deliberate, and impossible to dismiss — led by projects that didn’t wait to be taken seriously, because they already were. And whether the Oscars catch up or not, the following works of art have already answered the question the industry keeps pretending to ask: Who gets to be taken seriously? 🎬 Sinners: Leading the Field, Changing the Math No film defines the 2026 Oscar season more than Sinners  — and it didn’t do it quietly. With a historic 16 nominations , the Ryan Coogler–directed epic didn’t just break records; it forced the Academy to engage everywhere . From Best Picture to the technical categories that actually build cinema, Sinners  showed up fully formed — not as a “moment,” but as a standard. Key nominations include: Best Picture Best Director & Best Original Screenplay — Ryan Coogler Best Actor — Michael B. Jordan Best Supporting Actor — Delroy Lindo Best Supporting Actress — Wunmi Mosaku Best Original Song — “I Lied To You” Production Design — Hannah Beachler; Set Decoration by Monique Champagne Cinematography, Sound, Visual Effects, Film Editing, Costume Design, Makeup & Hairstyling, Original Score This level of recognition doesn’t happen by accident. Sinners  isn’t being rewarded for a single performance or a headline-friendly narrative. It’s being acknowledged as a complete cinematic ecosystem  — one where Black excellence lives above the line and  deep in the craft. Michael B. Jordan stars as Smoke and Stack in Sinners; Courtesy of Warner Bros For Coogler, the milestone is personal. The filmmaker behind Fruitvale Station  and Black Panther  has called Sinners  — a film he will fully own outright in 25 years — his most intimate work to date. Speaking with AP News, he met the moment with humility and humor. “I love making movies. I’m honored to wake up every day and do it… Honestly, bro, I still feel a little bit asleep right now.” The morning was equally emotional for Michael B. Jordan , who earned a Best Actor nomination for Smoke. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter , Jordan shared that his first call was to his mother, the person who made the dream possible in the first place. And there aren’t enough flowers in the world for Wunmi Mosaku  and her Supporting Actress–nominated performance as Annie, a hoodoo practitioner whose emotional clarity and spiritual grounding give Sinners  its beating heart. The nomination marks a long-overdue moment of recognition for an actor whose work has consistently balanced power with restraint. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter , Mosaku shared that she intentionally grounded herself the night before nominations by returning to the musical film Annie  — the movie that first made her dream of acting feel possible — this time watching it alongside her young daughter. And then Mosaku awoke to the award nomination news this morning: “My husband came in, and I was like, ‘What is going on? Why are you on the phone at 5:30 in the morning?’ And he said, ‘You’ve been nominated for an Oscar!’” And then there’s Delroy Lindo , finally earning his first Oscar nomination at 73 . After decades of genre-defining performances, his recognition feels less like a late arrival and more like the Academy catching up. Before Oscar morning, Sinners  had already dominated the season — Golden Globes, Critics' Choice, Black Reel Awards, AFI, National Board of Review. But Thursday confirmed what audiences already knew. Sinners didn’t arrive as an exception. It arrived as the standard. 🎭 One Battle After Another: Acting, Music, and Momentum While Sinners  led the count, One Battle After Another  built something just as important: longevity . The film earned nominations across acting and technical categories, signaling industry confidence that extends well beyond a single performance. Notable nominations include: Best Picture Best Supporting Actress — Teyana Taylor Best Supporting Actor — Benicio Del Toro Best Original Score Film Editing Production Design Sound At the center of it all is Teyana Taylor. Her Supporting Actress nomination isn’t a pivot — it’s a culmination. After nearly two decades navigating music, fashion, performance, and reinvention, this moment lands as recognition of intention, not reinvention. Teyana Taylor plays Perfidia Beverly Hills; Courtesy of Warner Bros Speaking with Deadline , Taylor framed the nomination through a mantra she’s long carried: “The wait was not punishment; it was preparation for what was already written.” That philosophy is embedded in her performance — restrained, controlled, quietly devastating. And it mirrors the film’s broader showing: confident, cohesive, uninterested in chasing flash. Supporting Actor nominee Benicio Del Toro brings veteran weight to the ensemble, adding another Oscar chapter to a career that already includes a win for Traffic and a reputation for choosing complex, character-driven roles. In a crowded season, One Battle After Another  didn’t rely on noise. It relied on craft — and performances that feel lived-in, not announced. 🎥 The Alabama Solution: Truth-Telling as Representation Not all representation arrives through fiction. Some arrive through documentation of a real-world tragedy in the making. The Alabama Solution  earned its Best Documentary Feature nomination by doing what fiction often can’t: bearing witness.  The film chronicles life inside Alabama’s maximum-security prisons using footage recorded by incarcerated people on contraband cellphones — images captured at immense personal risk. You can view the trailer below: HBO / Youtube Leaking sewage. Overcrowded dorms. Medical neglect. Violence rendered mundane by repetition. The footage is difficult to watch — and impossible to dismiss. Premiering at Sundance and now streaming on HBO Max, the documentary stands apart in an awards season dominated by prestige gloss. It doesn’t ask audiences to imagine injustice. It shows it. And in doing so, it reinforces a crucial truth of this year’s nominations: representation isn’t only about who tells stories — it’s about whose realities are finally allowed to be witnessed . 🎶 KPop Demon Hunters: Global Culture, K-Pop Power Representation at the Oscars isn’t limited to live-action drama — and KPop Demon Hunters  is proof. The animated feature earned nominations for: Best Animated Feature Best Original Song — Golden Rooted in global fandom and K-pop performance culture, the film blends animation, music, and mythology without sanding down its specificity. In a category often dominated by legacy franchises, KPop Demon Hunters  feels loud, joyful, and unapologetically of the moment. The Huntrix trio of KPop Demon Hunters; Courtesy of Netflix For creator and co-director Maggie Kang , the nomination marked a full-circle moment shaped by years of studying K-pop artists and live performance culture — a connection reflected not just in the film’s sound, but in its reception. Sing-alongs, cosplay, and fans across ages and backgrounds have embraced the movie because they see themselves in it. That visibility extends to the film’s music, where songwriter and performer EJAE  has been on the front lines of what it means to be heard. The nomination for “Golden”  doesn’t just honor a catchy anthem — it validates a voice shaped by industry gatekeeping and cultural translation. Speaking about the moment, EJAE admitted the weight of recognition hit her all at once: “That hit me later,” she said. “I was just sitting on the couch like, ‘Wait — I have to perform it!’ I’m nervous, but I’m trying to approach it in a way where I don’t freak out. I guess I just need to practice a lot.” It’s a human, joyful anxiety — one rooted in finally being seen on a stage that hasn’t always made space for voices like hers. This isn’t animation chasing prestige. It’s international animation and global pop culture, forcing prestige to finally catch up.   And when Huntrix hits the Oscars stage, the fans are going to lose it. 📜 Hamnet: Reclaiming the Canon Through a New Lens Hamnet  may not register as an obvious BIPOC headline — but its significance lives in authorship. The film’s nominations, including Best Adapted Screenplay for Chloé Zhao and Maggie O’Farrell , reflect a growing understanding that representation isn’t only about who appears onscreen. It’s about who shapes perspective , and whose sensibility is trusted to reinterpret the canon. Zhao’s approach reframes literary history through grief, domestic life, and interiority rather than legacy or monument. Instead of centering myth, Hamnet  lingers in emotional aftermath — the quiet spaces where loss reshapes a family, and where women’s interior lives are treated as narrative engines rather than footnotes. Jessie Buckley (left) and Paul Mescal (right) star as Agnes and William Shakespeare in a scene from Hamnet, directed by Chloé Zhao; Courtesy of Focus That shift resonated deeply with the film’s cast. Following the nominations, Jessie Buckley , who stars as Agnes and is nominated for Best Actress, credited Zhao in The Hollywood Reporter with unlocking the emotional core of the adaptation: “It’s an absolute honor to be recognized by the Academy,” Buckley said. “Chloé Zhao, you cracked my heart wide open when you asked me to step into Maggie O’Farrell’s world and create our Agnes beside you.” In a year where representation spans genre, geography, and form, Hamnet  serves as a quieter reminder: progress doesn’t only arrive through spectacle. Sometimes it shows up in reinterpretation — and in who is trusted to do it. 🎖️ Honorable Mentions: Presence Beyond the Spotlight Kokuho  — Best Makeup & Hairstyling  A Japanese period drama that uses transformation and design to explore identity and legacy, reminding us that craft is storytelling. It Was Just an Accident  — Best Original Screenplay; Best International Feature (France)  A politically charged, darkly humorous film by Jafar Panahi that interrogates power through the everyday. The Voice of Hind Rajab  — Best International Feature (Tunisia) A restrained, devastating work centered on memory and regional trauma — bearing witness without spectacle. The Reel Perspectives Verdict: There’s No Confusion Here We shouldn’t pretend that the work is finished — and honestly, nobody’s asking us to. But this year’s Oscar nominations give us something we don’t always get: evidence. Evidence that the conversation is shifting. That Black and BIPOC creatives aren’t just being acknowledged on the margins, but trusted at the center — across genres, formats, and categories that have historically been closed off. This wasn’t a year of token nods or “finally” moments. It was a year where excellence showed up fully formed and refused to be ignored. Whether the wins follow or not, the message is already clear: the industry is being forced to reckon with what audiences have known all along. So the Academy’s choice is simple: ignore the new standard at its own expense, or keep up and win. And at Reel Perspectives, we’re keeping up, all the way to Sunday, March 15, 2026, when the 98th Academy Awards, hosted by Conan O’Brien, take over the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

Reel Perspectives January 20, 2026 Prime Video The Night Manager  Season 2 is a gripping, stylish return that proves that the world of The Night Manager still has plenty of intrigue left to offer. After an arduous ten-year wait, Tom Hiddleston returned to our screens as Johnathan Pine in the highly anticipated second season of the acclaimed series The Night Manager. This British spy thriller, based on the 1993 novel by John le Carré and adapted by David Farr, follows Pine, who was recruited in Season 1 by the Foreign Office to investigate illegal arms trafficking and infiltrate the organization of the ruthless mercenary Richard Roper. The series was released earlier in the UK and premiered with the first three of its six episodes on Prime Video on January 11, with weekly episodes continuing through the season finale on February 1. Tom Hiddleston once again delivers a magnetic performance as Jonathan Pine, blending quiet intensity with emotional depth that anchors the entire series through espionage, deadly twists, and secrets at every turn, making it endlessly compelling to watch. Prime Video Years after Season 1, Pine is living under the alias Alex Goodwin as a low-level surveillance M-16 officer and running a quiet surveillance unit in London, until a former associate of Richard Roper's resurfaces, prompting a call to action that pulls him back into the world of international arms dealing. This time, he faces a new enemy: Colombian mercenary Teddy Dos Santos (Diego Calva) and his associate Roxana Bolaños (Camila Morrone), who reluctantly helps him infiltrate Teddy's arms operation. Pine goes undercover in Colombia, and once again is deeply thrust into a deadly plot involving arms and the training of a guerrilla army. As allegiances splinter, Pine races to expose a conspiracy seducing a nation into destabilization. With betrayal at every turn, he must decide whose trust he needs to earn and how far he's willing to go before it's too late. Season 2 is just as thrilling as fans would hope, with striking international locations and moody cinematography that elevates the drama. The supporting cast, which includes Paul Chahidi as Basil Karapetian, Hayley Squires as Sally Price-Jones, Indira Varma as Mayra Cavendish, Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Dr Kim Saunders, Slavko Sobin as Viktor, Unax Ugalde as Juan Carrascal, Alberto Ammann as Alejandro Gualteros, Diego Santos as Martín Álvarez, and Cristina Umaña Rojas as Consuelo Arbenz, adds to the overall texture of the season, creating complex dynamics that keep the season unpredictable. The Night Manager  Season 2 is sexy, sleek, and continues to respect its audience and its characters. It balances intelligence and entertainment, reaffirming the series as one of the standout spy dramas on television—and reminding us why Tom Hiddleston remains perfectly suited to the role. The Night Manager is streaming now on Prime Video.

Reel Perspectives January 20, 2026 Marissa Lior Winans plays Young Annabeth Chase; Disney / David Bakach With the Golden Fleece in play and war on the horizon, Episode 7 locks in loyalties, exposes betrayals, and sets Camp Half-Blood on a collision course with destiny. This Season on Percy Jackson... Ready to go to war for these kids — Camp Counselor Morgan reporting for duty as we enter the penultimate episode of Percy Jackson and the Olympians  Season 2. And folks? The clock is ticking. This season has put our demigods through an absolute gauntlet: fireball-hurling Cyclopes, sea monsters with grudges, sirens doing long-term emotional damage, Tyson surviving 2-3 character death attempts, homicidal camp leadership, Grover vanishing like a group project partner, and Percabeth angst thick enough to replace the mist to cover Olympus. We’ve survived mythological chaos, trust issues, and character growth under pressure — all building toward something that now feels unavoidable. Aryan Simhad plays Grover Underwood; Disney / David Bakach   And with just 17 hours  until the finale drops, Episode 7 isn’t about setup anymore — it’s about alignment. Lines are being drawn. Stakes are solidifying. And the question that’s haunted this season from the jump — who’s ready to lead with their heart, and who’s driven by revenge?  — is no longer theoretical. So saddle up on your annoyed Pegasi. Camp Half-Blood is holding its breath, the gods are absolutely watching, and Percy Jackson  is officially entering Olympic-level endgame mode . We Learn the Gods Watch — but the Kids Choose Episode 7  opens mid-nightmare, mid-revelation. Annabeth Chase (Leah Sava Jeffries)  dreams of Thalia Grace (Tamara Smart) and her final stand against the Season One villains — the Furies, who honestly feel quaint compared to this year’s mess. But the dream shifts when Thalia’s voice cuts through, steady and familiar: “Hey, kid. Let’s get out of here. We take care of our own.” Annabeth wakes up aboard the Princess Andromeda — aka the deceptively branded Kronos Cruise from Tartarus — and immediately clocks that something’s different. Her injuries from Polyphemus? Gone. The Golden Fleece worked. She barely has time to process before a door opens, she plays possum, and someone yonks the fleece right off her. Leah Sava Jeffries as Annabeth Chase; Disney / David Bakach   Back on Long Island, Kronos-aligned son of Aphrodite Aidan thinks he’s in control — until Tyson (Daniel Diemer)  uses his extremely cool voice-mimicry powers to trap him, landing Aidan squarely in the clutches of Clarisse La Rue (Dior Goodjohn) , Tyson, and Percy Jackson (Walker Scobell) . Percy wastes zero time demanding Annabeth’s location.  Forget the fleece. He’s here to save his girl. Clarisse drops the real news: her team stopped the fleece from being used on Kronos. A heated argument follows, with Clarisse blaming Percy for losing it — and Percy firing back with a truth bomb that lands way too close to Clarisse’s prophecy anxiety: “Know why you’re gonna fail? Because you push everyone away.” Ouch. Even Grover Underwood (Aryan Simhadri)  has to step in and referee. Clarisse storms off like a one-woman war machine, determined to finish the quest solo. Percy decides he’ll find another way. Aidan, ever smug, assumes the war just got easier. Narrator voice: It did not. Back aboard the Andromeda, Luke Castellan (Charlie Bushnell)  tries — and fails — to stop Alison Sims (Beatrice Kitsos) from killing Annabeth. Instead, he placates her Artemis-bred persistence by placing the fleece on Kronos’ sarcophagus, playing magical doctor to a Titan who absolutely does not deserve healthcare.  Beatrice Kitsos as Alison Sims; Disney / David Bakach   While they’re distracted, Clarisse sneaks aboard and immediately discovers her fatal flaw: snacks. Yes. Chips. While hiding, she overhears that Iris-messaging is down — demigod communication is officially cut off. Meanwhile, Percy infiltrates the upper deck, frees Luke’s disloyal steed Blackjack after locking up his Pegasus wrangler, and swipes a keycard. Clarisse, still hiding, is forced to endure a painfully nerdy conversation about Mythomagic cards — very much demigod Magic: The Gathering energy.  Her eye roll says everything. No judgment from here, I have a Pokemon Card shoebox somewhere in my closet.  Things escalate fast when a partially healed Kronos orders Alison to kill Annabeth. She recruits the card-playing crew to kill the traitor, forcing Clarisse to choose: protect the fleece or save a friend. Dior Goodjohn as Clarrise La Rue; Disney / David Bakach   She chooses correctly. Percy reunites with his “Wise Girl” Annabeth, who explains what she felt during her healing — the fleece’s power isn’t just restorative; it’s transformative. “The fleece is all that matters. Clarisse is right.” Before Percy can process that emotional gut punch, he has to vanish using Athena’s extremely itchy invisibility cap. Luke enters and tries to convince Annabeth that helping Kronos is the right thing — until Annabeth drops the real bomb: the fleece could bring Thalia back. Not heal her. Bring. Her. Back. Luke falters. Annabeth reminds him of Thalia’s words — we take care of our own. Kronos isn’t that. Also, Luke — being the absolute snitch he is — tries to rat out Percy to Annabeth for handing over the fleece: “Kid’s got heart. I’m not gonna lie.” And that’s the difference. Percy follows his heart. Luke listens only to Kronos. Back on land, Grover and Tyson scramble for transportation. Tyson shows off his very concerning carjacking skills, while Grover relives — with trauma — Percy’s driving from last season.  Aryan Simhad plays Grover Underwood, Daniel Diemer as Tyson; Disney / David Bakach   Solution? Call Mom. Tyson calls Sally Jackson (Virginia Kull) , whose mom-spidey senses Grover’s “field trip mishap” lie immediately: “Grover, I’ve been mother to a demigod for 13 years and to a Cyclops for one. Just tell me what’s really going on.” Sally Motherf*cking Jackson, everybody. Also, shoutout to the deli lady’s background side-eye — Emmy-worthy. Run her back next season. Back aboard the ship, Percy confronts Kronos, who offers a deal — including the first verses of the Great Prophecy — before Percy snatches the fleece and runs straight into Luke. What follows is a brutal sword fight between former brothers-in-arms, ending with Luke stabbing Percy through an elevator door. Charlie Bushnell as Luke Castellan; ; Disney / David Bakach Yeah. That just happened. Percy wraps the fleece around the wound, heals instantly, and books it. Meanwhile, Clarisse absolutely bodies Alison (I cackled), Annabeth holds her own against Kronos’ cronies, and the girls finally fight together — strategy, strength, trust from the Daughters of War.  Beatrice Kitsos as Alison Sims, Dior Goodjohn as Clarrise La Rue ; Disney / David Bakach   On the upper deck, Percy reunites with them, recruits Blackjack, and sends Clarisse back to Camp Half-Blood with the fleece — trusting her to finish the quest. Percy apologizes for weaponizing her fears. Clarisse accepts.  Progress! Growth! Respect! The kids are alright!  Clarisse rides off to finish the quest while Percy, Annabeth, Tyson, and Grover pile into Sally’s mysterious blue Prius... Did she carjack it? Unclear, but I would be even more impressed with Sally if she did.  Elsewhere, Luke realizes Kronos never told him the fleece could resurrect Thalia. Kronos responds coldly: “The time for your mercy is over.” Luke chooses war — and yes, to kill Percy. Again. As the kids drive toward their next battle, Annabeth is hopeful. But poor Percy remembers his vision of Thalia thunderbolting him straight back to Tartarus. So… there’s that. Will saving Thalia doom Percy? Will Luke try to murder him again? And will anyone remember Aidan is probably still tied up somewhere on Long Island? Okay, Campers. Lessons over. Buckle your armor. War’s coming. 🔱🧡🦉 Top 3 Percabeth Squee Moments 🔱🧡🦉 💖 “Where’s Annabeth?” — PRIORITIES LOUD, LOYALTY LOUDER When Aidan smirks at Percy like his Aprodite senses clocked the connection, Percy doesn’t flinch, bargain, or pivot to strategy. He demands Annabeth’s location before the Golden Fleece, because in Percy Jackson’s moral hierarchy, saving his people comes first — always. That’s not recklessness; that’s values. Love doesn’t distract Percy from the quest; it defines it, and this moment makes crystal clear who he’s not becoming: another Luke, another Kronos listener, another demigod willing to sacrifice people for a prophecy. 💞 “You’re my priority. And the fleece was hers.” — CHEMISTRY DOING THE MOSTEST When Seaweed Brain and Wise Girl reunite, the chemistry is chemistry’ing, but what really lands is the alignment. Annabeth doesn’t fawn or soften; she backs Percy’s choice by defending him to Luke while Percy is literally invisible and listening. Percy, in turn, listens when Annabeth tells him the fleece matters more than staying to protect her — because Annabeth Chase is not someone who needs saving, she’s someone who sees the whole board. And you can tell Annabeth guides Percy to where the Fleece is during her sneaky conversation with Luke. They don’t coddle each other. They calibrate. That’s all, Percabeth, baby ! 💗 “No… this thing really works, huh?” — UNDERSTANDING, WITHOUT WORDS That quiet recognition — both of them healed by the fleece — carries more weight than any declaration. There’s an unspoken understanding there: we survived , we changed , we’re not the same kids who started this quest . Annabeth watching Percy hand the fleece to Clarisse and apologize feels like a realization snapping into place: Percy isn’t chasing glory or feeding prophecy anxiety, he’s choosing people, accountability, and trust. In that moment, the contrast between Percy and Luke is unavoidable — one listens to power, the other listens to his heart — and Annabeth sees exactly who Percy is becoming. That’s not puppy love. That’s partnership--it’s a mortgage in the making.  Just kidding, they wouldn’t be able to afford one in the future.  🫀 Shipping Verdict: Episode 7 confirms Percabeth isn’t about grand gestures — it’s about choosing each other before  the quest, during  the war, and after  the healing. Loyalty isn’t Percabeth's fatal flaw anymore. It’s their shared language. 🏛️ Olympian-Level Quotes 🏛️ 🪦🌲⚡ “Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus, has made the ultimate sacrifice. And now, her spirit will protect us. Just as she protected the ones she loved.”  — Chiron’s eulogy hits hard, but it also exposes the rot at the heart of Olympus. I’ve been tough on Luke — deservedly so — but this is the one moment where his anger feels justified. Thalia’s death is framed as Zeus’ mercy , when the truth is painfully obvious: the King of the Gods could have done more to save his daughter and chose not to. If you ever needed Exhibit A for why demigods stop trusting gods, this is it. 🪽🖤 “Blackjack, not buddy. My bad.”  — Percy apologizing to Luke’s disloyal  Pegasus is peak Percy Jackson behavior. Respecting names, correcting himself, and doing it kindly — even mid-chaos. It’s a throwaway line that quietly explains why Blackjack bonds with Percy and not Luke. Energy matters. 🎩😖 “Your hat’s really itchy. Is it itchy for you?”  — Percy, wondering why Athena’s invisibility cap is irritating his curls, is both hilarious and deeply relatable. Maybe his scalp is allergic to silk-lined caps. Try some peppermint oil, honey. 🗡️🌀 “It was mine first, remember? Things always end up where they should.”  — Luke reminding Annabeth that he gave her the dagger is loaded in ways he absolutely intends. This isn’t nostalgia — it’s manipulation. Ownership. Destiny. Inevitability. Sir, please unclench. Also, if that blade doesn’t end up back where it belongs by the finale, I will be filing a formal complaint with the Fates. 🐐🚗😱 “No! No! Bad idea. Bad… bad idea.”  — Grover’s PTSD flaring up at the mere idea  of Percy driving remains one of the funniest running gags of the series. This child has seen too much. Thank the gods, Percy is a New Yorker and will remain spiritually, emotionally, and legally subway-bound. 🚙🔥 “Get in!”  — Percy, moments before battle, still not grasping urgency, while Mom pulls up like, Say less . Sally Jackson offering them a ride to camp — free, immediate, and possibly stolen or at least rented under mysterious circumstances — is exactly the parental energy the demigods need. Crisis? Handled. Snacks and juice boxes? Almost certainly in the back seat. 🎥 The Reel   Demigods Behind the Camera 🎥 Episode 7, “I Go Down With the Ship,” is directed by Jason Ensler and written by Tamara Becher-Wilkinson , and you can feel the confidence of two storytellers who know how to balance spectacle with emotional fallout. Becher-Wilkinson — a Queens-born, South Florida–raised writer and producer — brings serious genre credibility from Daredevil , Runaways , Iron Fist , Doom Patrol , and Star Wars: The Bad Batch , with a career that began in production before breaking through NBC’s Writers on the Verge  program. Her fingerprints are all over this episode’s character-first tension: the quiet reckoning, the moral forks in the road, and the way mythology bends around emotion instead of overpowering it. Ensler’s direction keeps the episode moving like a ticking clock, grounding the chaos aboard the Andromeda while letting the character moments breathe — exactly what a penultimate episode should do. 🎓 Da Reel Perspectives’ Grade 🎓 9.2 / 10 Penultimate-Episode Pressure Cookers Episode 7 earns its score by doing exactly what a second-to-last episode should: tightening the screws. The pacing is relentless, the character choices feel consequential, and nearly every storyline converges into a clear moral crossroads — heart versus prophecy, loyalty versus power, people versus gods. Luke’s manipulation reaches new heights, Clarisse’s arc finally clicks into place, and Percabeth’s trust feels earned rather than performative. Most importantly, every character this season gets their own hero moment — even Luke, in his own complicated way, when he saves Annabeth — and the cast consistently shines in both their brightest and darkest beats. 🔮⚔️ What to Expect in the Finale: Episode 8 — “The Fleece Works Its Magic Too Well” All signs point to an all-out reckoning. The Golden Fleece is on its way back to Camp Half-Blood, Luke is done pretending to be conflicted, and Kronos is officially done asking nicely. Expect Poseidon to finally show up  — because if there was ever a moment for Percy’s godly dad to stop watching from the sidelines, it’s now . War is coming to Camp Half-Blood, and it won’t be symbolic. Lines will be crossed. Loyalties will be tested. Kids will be asked to fight battles meant for gods. And hovering over it all is the biggest wildcard of the season: Thalia Grace . If the fleece really does what Annabeth believes it can, her return won’t just change the battlefield — it’ll rewrite the prophecy, the power structure, and Percy’s future in ways that feel both hopeful and  terrifying. We also might get a Rick Riordan book moment with the return of Chiron and his epic Party Ponies. So saddle up, folks! See you on the battlefield:

Reel Perspectives January 19, 2026 Courtesy of Steffan Hill/HBO George R. R. Martin's newest book-to-drama HBO show opens with a grounded, character-driven premiere that trades spectacle for sincerity, following an awkward and super tall hedge knight and a persistent orphan as they navigate the unforgiving margins of Westeros.   We Learn Knighthood Is Earned, Not Inherited If you’re coming to A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms  expecting dragons, dynastic scheming, and a morally questionable council meeting every ten minutes, allow this premiere to gently recalibrate your spirit. Episode 1 is less Game of Thrones  and more a sad medieval road trip with no music to listen to —and somehow, that’s exactly the assignment. For timeline girlies who like to be oriented: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms  is set after House of the Dragon  but long before   Game of Thrones . The Targaryens still sit firmly on the Iron Throne, dragons are a very recent memory, and Westeros hasn’t yet descended into full “everybody betrays everybody” mode. Power is stable. Legacy is intact. And yet, none of that really matters to the man at the center of this story. Peter Claffey as Ser Duncan "Dunk" the Tall; Courtesy of Steffan Hill/HBO The series opens on one of the bleakest sights Westeros has ever offered: Peter Claffey as Ser Duncan "Dunk" the Tall  standing over the worst grave imaginable, trying—and failing—to find the right words for his fallen knight, Danny Webb as Ser Arlan of Pennytree . It’s not cinematic grief. There’s no swelling score, no dramatic monologue. It’s awkward. Lonely.  Very much a “I didn’t prepare an eloquent eulogy” kind of energy. Dunk isn’t mourning a legend. He’s mourning someone the world barely remembers—and Westeros makes it painfully clear it does not care. So what is an aspiring and unfortunately unknighted knight to do next? Update his LinkedIn profile? Sell his trio of horses? Or—against all common sense—try to make a destiny in a realm that barely notices him?  A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms  chooses the latter, following Dunk—after a George R. R. Martin–canon, unfortunately detailed (and loud AF) potty break—as he takes on the mantle of a wandering, landless hedge knight and heads toward Ashford with grief in one hand and hope in the other, poorly armored, emotionally unprepared, and very much on a “we’ll figure it out when we get there”  plan. Dexter Sol Ansell as Egg; Courtesy of Steffan Hill/HBO Along the way, he runs into a bald, sharp-tongued child tending the stables— Dexter Sol Ansell as Egg —who sizes Dunk’s tall ass up immediately. Egg feeds the horses, gives him a once-over like he’s being judged on Project Runway: Westeros , and then, without hesitation, asks to become his squire. Dunk says no. Politely. Respectfully. With his whole chest. While Egg hears, “Try again later.” Their early exchanges are funny, but there’s tension underneath it—the kind that comes from two people who know the world isn’t built for them. Both are orphans. Both are navigating a realm obsessed with banners, bloodlines, and who can co-sign your existence. Egg’s persistence isn’t cute—it’s survival. And Dunk, still shaky after Ser Arlan’s death, isn’t ready to be anyone’s protector yet, especially when he’s barely holding himself together. That emotional imbalance becomes the episode’s thesis. Dunk moves through Westeros like someone who showed up overdressed and under-informed—too tall, too earnest, and wildly unprepared for how transactional knighthood really is. As one character sums up his life as a hedge knight with brutal efficiency: “It’s like a knight, but... sadder.” And honestly? That’s the most accurate Facebook comment Dunk gets all episode. This version of Westeros isn’t interested in grandeur, prophecy, or who’s next in line for the throne. It’s interesting what knighthood costs . Win a tilt, and you gain honor, recognition, maybe even land. Lose—and you owe your sword, your armor, your horse, and whatever dignity you walked in with. Dunk can’t afford to lose—financially, emotionally, spiritually. The more people dismiss Ser Arlan’s name, the more determined Dunk becomes to make it matter. Danny Webb as Ser Arlan of Pennytree; Courtesy of Steffan Hill/HBO Dunk tries to make it matter. Call it grief. Call it loyalty. Call it refusing to let the realm erase you. That quiet resolve finally meets recognition in one of the episode’s most unexpectedly joyful sequences. Enter Daniel Ings as Ser Lyonel Baratheon , loud, unfiltered, and radiating pure “chaotic uncle at the cookout” energy. He reads Dunk instantly and slices through the insecurity with a line that reframes everything the show is asking about knighthood: “Do it, Ser Duncan. Any knight can make a knight.” It’s not notarized or official. Nor is it approved by the Iron Throne. But it lands . Daniel Ings as Ser Lyonel Baratheon; Courtesy of Steffan Hill/HBO For a franchise obsessed with bloodlines and birthrights, this idea that knighthood can be chosen—affirmed person to person—feels quietly radical, especially in 2026.  By the time Dunk and Egg reunite for the night, the decision feels inevitable. Their final scene together unfolds beneath an open sky, deliberately set apart from the silk pavilions and polished armor surrounding them. While other knights retreat into status and soft living, Egg remains awake, already more aware of the world than most men twice his age: “A falling star brings luck to those who see it. All the other knights are in their pavilions by now, staring up at silk instead of sky.” It’s a gentle drag. A quiet rebuke. And a thesis statement for the series as a whole. Dexter Sol Ansell as Egg, Peter Claffey as Ser Duncan "Dunk" the Tall; Courtesy of Steffan Hill/HBO Dunk’s response isn’t heroic or poetic. It’s tentative. Hopeful. Human: “So, the luck is ours alone?” A loyal duo is formed—not by prophecy or blood, but by choice. And just like that, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms  makes its intentions crystal clear. This isn’t a story about who rules Westeros. It’s about who belongs in it. Set during a relatively stable era of Targaryen rule but focused firmly on the margins, Episode 1 favors character over conquest, intimacy over intrigue. Small in scale, rich in heart, and refreshingly uninterested in spectacle for spectacle’s sake, it’s an antidote to everything we thought a Game of Thrones  spinoff had to be. 🗡️ Westeros-Level Quotes 🗡️ 🥚 “I know that eggs do well to stay out of frying pans.”  — Dunk laying down the law early, proving that even in Westeros, boundary-setting is an essential life skill. Protective, cautious, and already tired in a way only a reluctant guardian can be. 🙇🏽 “Yes, my lord.”  — Egg being Egg, while fooling absolutely nobody. 💰 “Good armor and a good horse means a good ransom if I unseat him.”  — Dunk explaining Knighthood, but make it financial literacy. Dunk understands that honor doesn’t pay the bills, and survival sometimes means knowing the resale value of your opponent’s gear. 🐎 “A knight with no horse is no knight at all.”  — Ser Lyonel Baratheon cutting straight through the romance of knighthood to deliver the most practical truth in Westeros. No horse, no status, no debate. Just facts. ⚔️📽️ Behind the Iron Throne ⚔️📽️ For longtime readers of George R. R. Martin , A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms  represents a deliberate shift in scale. Adapted from Martin’s Dunk and Egg  novellas—stories that exist in the same sprawling universe as A Song of Ice and Fire  but operate on a far more intimate level—the series resists the franchise’s usual obsession with power and prophecy. Often joked about as coming from Martin’s “30,000-page brain,” The Hedge Knight  focuses instead on the margins of Westeros, where knighthood is less about destiny and more about survival. Loneliness and bad luck linger beneath the surface, shaping a story that values character over conquest and small moments over spectacle. Dexter Sol Ansell as Egg, Peter Claffey as Ser Duncan "Dunk" the Tall; Courtesy of Steffan Hill/HBO That restraint allows the cast to shine. Peter Claffey as Ser Duncan the Tall  anchors the series with an earnest, physical performance that emphasizes Dunk’s awkwardness as much as his size, making him instantly endearing rather than heroic by default. Dexter Sol Ansell as Egg  brings sharp intelligence and quiet determination to a role that could have been played for novelty, grounding their dynamic in genuine chemistry. Meanwhile, Daniel Ings as Ser Lyonel Baratheon  injects humor and warmth, offering a Baratheon who is loud, blunt, and unexpectedly affirming. Together, the performances give A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms  its beating heart—proof that this corner of Westeros doesn’t need dragons to feel alive. 🏰✨ Dat Reel Perspectives Grade ✨🏰 8.6 / 10 — Well-Shod Horses 🐴 A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms  earns a solid 8.6 for understanding exactly what kind of story it wants to tell—and telling it with confidence. It’s character-first, refreshingly intimate, and uninterested in racing toward spectacle just to remind us it’s part of the Game of Thrones  universe. The premiere succeeds because it resists excess. Instead of dragons and dynastic chaos, it offers awkward silences, economic anxiety, and a knight who doesn’t quite know where he fits yet. The chemistry between Dunk and Egg carries real emotional weight, and the series’ gentle humor gives Westeros room to breathe again. Like a knight with a sturdy horse and just enough armor to survive the road ahead, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms  may not look flashy—but it’s prepared. If the series continues to honor its small-scale storytelling and character-driven heart, this could quietly become one of the most beloved corners of George R. R. Martin’s world. Before the road gets longer—and the stakes get higher—here’s a look at what awaits Dunk and Egg this season: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 1 is streaming now on HBO and HBO Max, with new episodes dropping every Sunday. Follow along with Reel Perspectives for weekly recaps and analysis.

Reel Perspectives January 19, 2026 L- Tamara Tunie. R- Clifton Davis (CBS) CBS groundbreaking daytime soap opera Beyond The Gates is making a meaningful change by shifting focus from its daily drama to collaborate with the Know Your Lemons Foundation. Founded by the passionate Dr. Corrine Ellsworth Beaumont, this nonprofit is dedicated to enhancing early breast cancer detection through creative education. This exciting partnership aims to raise awareness of a disease that significantly affects many African American women, introducing vital, life-saving initiatives through a new storyline that began airing on December 15. The new soap opera, which launched in February of 2024, is set in a leafy Maryland suburb just outside of Washington, D.C, and focuses on the Duprees, "a powerful and prestigious multi-generational family that is the very definition of Black royalty." The new storyline sees matriarch Anita Dupree (Tamara Tunie) receive a triple-negative (TNBC) breast cancer diagnosis as her family (Clifton Davis) and daughters, Dani (Karla Mosley) and Nicole (Daphnee Duplaix), rally around her to support her. The storyline will continue to unfold in months to come as viewers follow Anita's chemotherapy journey and witness the emotional impact on the family as they navigate genetic testing for both the women and men who must confront the realities of the disease. Viewers will see the physical and mental effects of chemotherapy on Anita, including hair loss and the impact of the results of the BRCA gene test on her daughters and grandchildren. The special awareness includes two PSAs, the first of which aired on January 1 and features series regulars Karla Mosley and Daphnee Duplaix in a joint effort. Per CBS' press release, the campaign not only raises awareness for the character's breast cancer journey, but it also showcases what it means to be positive for the BRCA gene and how that ripples through families and communities. Anita's journey offers a heartfelt, realistic look at a tragically common situation. Despite a 44% decline in breast cancer deaths since 1989, there is a mortality gap between Black and white women. Access and awareness are often barriers to Black women getting the care they need. By partnering with Know Your Lemons,  Beyond The Gates  takes a step toward bridging this gap. Beyond The Gates executive producers Michele Val Jean and Tracey Thomson said: "Our goal is to tell a story that raises awareness about the prevalence of triple-negative breast cancer and the importance of regular screenings to aid in early detection. Beyond that, we want to encourage and empower women to take an active role in their own breast health. You are your own best advocate." CBS Dr. Corrine Ellsworth Beaumont, CEO and founder of the Know Your Lemons Foundation, added: "So often, we don't learn about breast health until we have a breast problem. In partnership with BEYOND THE GATES, we can educate about the 12 symptoms of breast cancer and share an app that has saved many lives through early detection of breast cancer. Including us in the promotion of Anita's diagnosis is a meaningful way to not only raise awareness among viewers but also encourage them to get screened, report a change, and feel more confident about their health. We're thrilled to be working alongside the show team to bring this education to everyone." Their Know Your Lemons campaign and award-winning app have reached over 2 billion people worldwide, helping to make breast health knowledge accessible, visual, and the reason why many lives have been saved from breast cancer. Know Your Lemons app features: Customize options for Black breast health Calculate a personalized risk score based on age and health history Build a custom screening plan tailored to country guidelines and risk factors Learn the 12 signs of breast cancer using easy, memorable visuals Follow self-exam audio guides to understand what feels normal and how to report a change Get reminders and earn badges to stay on top of screening and monthly self-exams The series is a CBS Studios/NAACP Venture, led by Sheila Ducksworth, in partnership with P&G Studios, a division of Procter & Gamble, and executive-produced by Michele Val Jean. Additional executive producers are Julie Carruthers, Tracey Thompson, Leon W. Russell, Derrick Johnson, Kimberly Doebereiner, and Anna Saalfeld. Catch a special Martin Luther King episode on Monday, January 19th, as the cast comes together to discuss their respective storylines and take viewers on an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Season 1 and a preview of Season 2. Beyond The Gates airs weekdays at 2 pm EST on CBS, with full episodes available to stream on Paramount+ and the CBS app.

Reel Perspectives January 17, 2026 Courtesy of Paramount Plus Starfleet Academy brings bold new Trek shifts focus to cadets, legacy, and the uncomfortable work of inheriting Starfleet ideals. 🖖🏾🎓 Star Trek Goes Back to School — and So Do Our Expectations It’s time to live long and watch  as the latest Trekkie spinoff boldly goes where Star Trek  hasn’t gone before: cadet school. This time, the focus isn’t captains or command chairs, but a new generation of would-be officers drawn together by promises of hope, optimism, and Starfleet’s carefully polished ideals. If you’ve ever watched a franchise reinvent itself and thought, “I respect the ambition, but I’m a little nervous,”  congratulations — Star Trek: Starfleet Academy  was made with you in mind. Holly Hunter as Chancellor Nahla Ake, Tig Notaro as Jett Reno; Courtesy of Paramount Plus Under the watchful — and often unforgiving — eyes of their instructors, these cadets navigate blossoming friendships, explosive rivalries, first loves, and a looming threat that puts both the Academy and the Federation itself at risk. And yes, for even the most dedicated of fans, that’s a problem. But Starfleet Academy  knows exactly what it’s doing with that discomfort. So consider this your orders, Trekkies: engage. 🚀 A Franchise That’s Never Been This… Awkward Star Trek  has always sold aspiration — to boldly go where no Vulcan, Klingon, Borg, or occasionally reckless human has gone before. Even at its darkest ( Deep Space Nine   truthers, we see you), the franchise usually knew where its moral center lived. Starfleet Academy  deliberately destabilizes that comfort from Episode One. Holly Hunter as Chancellor Nahla Ake; Courtesy of Paramount Plus Early on, Chancellor Nahla Ake  ( Holly Hunter ) reframes Starfleet service not as glory, but as accumulation — an idea the series returns to repeatedly: “Tiny acts of service to your fellow cadets — a single stitch and another and another — until you have devoted yourself to something greater than you ever imagined, a tapestry that is Starfleet.” It’s a noble sentiment, but the series is far more interested in what happens when that tapestry begins to fray. The Academy itself feels less like sacred ground and more like a pressure cooker — a place where ideals are taught in theory and stress-tested in practice. That tension plays out most clearly through cadets who don’t fit cleanly into inherited molds. Karim Diané as Jay-Dean Kraag, Kerrice Brooks as Sam; Courtesy of Paramount Plus Jay-Den Kraag  ( Karim Diané ), a Klingon cadet whose instincts lean toward care rather than combat, quietly challenges expectations baked into both Starfleet and Trek history: “A warrior does not let a friend face danger alone.” That restraint feels intentional — a signal that this series is less interested in performing legacy than interrogating it. It’s also where longtime fans begin to feel uneasy. Those expecting tidy allegories and episodic exploration instead get overlapping arcs, unresolved tensions, and characters who don’t always make choices that feel particularly Starfleet-approved. But don’t get it twisted — that friction isn’t accidental. That friction, and the drama it creates, is exactly why this show is worth watching. 🖤 Legacy, Rewritten by the Kids Who Inherited I t What Starfleet Academy  understands — and what makes it quietly radical — is that reverence doesn’t automatically transfer across generations. These cadets didn’t build the Federation. They inherited it post-collapse. Their relationship to Starfleet isn’t mythic; it’s complicated, transactional, and deeply personal. That tension lands most powerfully through Series Acclimation Mil aka “Sam”  ( Kerrice Brooks ), the first of her kind to attend the Academy: “Sometimes I feel invisible… but mostly awkward.” It’s a line that resonates because Starfleet Academy  understands visibility — not valor — as the real currency here. That awareness extends outward through characters like Genesis Lythe  ( Bella Shepard ), an admiral’s daughter determined to make her own name, who instinctively understands how power and access circulate long before anyone names it outright. Paul Giammati as Nus Braka, Holly Hunter as Chancellor Nahla Ake; Courtesy of Paramount Plus And then there’s Nus Braka  ( Paul Giamatti , who is clearly having the time of his life ), the season’s antagonist, whose critique of the Federation refuses to stay safely theoretical: “Time, with its infinite sense of humor, will always fall upon itself like an origami chicken. This moment is that chicken.” When the villain sounds this incisive, Starfleet Academy  isn’t positioning him as a simple threat. It’s positioning him as a question the institution would rather not answer. The series isn’t asking whether Starfleet is good. It’s asking who gets to define that goodness — and who pays the price when the answer changes. 🎭 Why the "Is this a Trek Show" Debate Won’t Die For viewers looking for comfort Trek, Starfleet Academy  can feel crowded, unfocused, and even unsure of itself. It juggles politics, trauma, philosophy, and campus chaos — sometimes all in the same episode. But once you stop expecting the series to behave like legacy Trek, a different picture emerges. This is a show about formation, not heroics. About how institutions replicate themselves. About whether ideals survive contact with real people, especially young people who are less interested in preserving myths than in surviving systems. That’s why the show lands differently depending on who’s watching. If you’re looking for captains and certainty, it may feel like a miss. BUT if you’re interested in power, legacy, and who gets shaped by them, it starts to click. 🖖🏾 Sixty Years In and Still Asking the Right Question There’s something quietly audacious about premiering Starfleet Academy  during Star Trek’s  60th anniversary year. Instead of nostalgia, the series offers reflection. Instead of triumph, it offers tension. The callbacks are there — ships, names, mottos — but they function less as fan service and more as reminders of what’s at stake. The show knows the history. It just isn’t interested in worshipping it. Courtesy of Paramount Plus And honestly? That feels right. Because after sixty years, Star Trek  doesn’t need another reminder of where it’s been. It needs to ask whether its future still believes in the same promises — and who gets to define those promises in a fractured galaxy. So yes, Starfleet Academy  doesn’t always have the answers. But it sure knows that the question of belief, power, and inheritance is the one that matters. Set phasers to play and catch the official trailer below: Episodes 1 and 2 of Starfleet Academy are now streaming on Paramount+.

Reel Perspectives January 17, 2026 Matt Damon as Lieutenant Dane Dumars and Ben Affleck as Det Sergeant J.D. Byrne; Courtesy of Netflix Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s latest crime caper is a slow-burning thriller about what loyalty costs when temptation won’t leave the room 🧑🏽‍🤝‍🧑🏼💰 Old Friends, Dirty Money, and a Moral Line That Will Be Crossed Okay, Fam, stay with me for a second. There’s something quietly reassuring in the year 2026 watching Matt Damon  and Ben Affleck  fall back into familiar territory — not the glossy, awards-season version of themselves, but the grown, tired, been-through-it  iteration. In The Rip , the Boston duo reunite for a Netflix crime thriller that isn’t trying to wow you with explosions. Instead, it asks a quieter, more unsettling question: what happens when doing the “right” thing stops being so clear? Courtesy of Netflix Directed by Joe Carnahan , whose films tend to live in the moral gray rather than the glow, The Rip  plays like a throwback with intention. This is adult Netflix genre storytelling — tension over spectacle, vibes over noise — the kind of movie that trusts atmosphere, performance, and uncomfortable silences to do the work. No hand-holding. No easy outs. Just people, pressure, and choices that start to look real different once money enters the conversation. 🌴🚔 Welcome to Miami On paper, this is the part where everyone pretends the answer is obvious. Damon and Affleck trade Boston grit for Miami heat with matching goatees, stepping into a narcotics unit that stumbles onto a massive stash of cartel cash during what should’ve been a routine operation. The rules are clear: lock it down, count the money, turn it in, go home. Easy… right? From the trailer, the choice feels straightforward: “From the outside looking in, it seems simple. Seize the cash, count it, and turn it in.” But The Rip  isn’t interested in how things look from the outside. It’s locked in on what happens once time stretches, nerves fray, and that neat little rulebook starts to feel less like guidance and more like a trap. The longer the team stays put, the more the room fills with questions — about loyalty, corruption, and who might already be playing both sides. Catalina Sandino Moreno as Detective Lolo Salazar, Teyana Tayloras as Detective Numa Baptiste; Netflix That’s where the pressure really kicks in. This isn’t about shootouts or flashy heroics. It’s about waiting. Watching. Listening a little too closely to who says what — and clocking who suddenly goes quiet. Damon’s Lt. Dane Dumars frames the entire ordeal as a test of judgment rather than force: “All I know is what we do right now — and who we talk to — matters.” That line tells you everything The Rip  cares about. The tension doesn’t come from immediate violence; it comes from uncertainty — who can be trusted, who’s already compromised, and whether doing the “right” thing is still possible once doubt has officially entered the room. 🎬🎭 Behind the Camera: Cast & Director Let’s be clear about one thing up front: The Rip  works because Carnahan has been here before — and he knows exactly what kind of tension he’s chasing. His career is built on grounded, character-first genre films that care less about flashy heroics and more about what pressure does to people when nobody’s watching. If you’ve seen Narc , you already know his vibe. That film didn’t just show corruption — it sat in it, letting guilt, grief, and moral exhaustion do the talking. The Grey  took a totally different setup and applied the same energy, stripping survival down to instinct and quiet despair. Even his louder titles, like Smokin’ Aces  and Copshop , are really about collision — personalities clashing under stress until something gives. ​​Steven Yeun as Detective Mike Ro and Sasha Calle as Desi; Courtesy of Netflix That approach carries straight into The Rip . Carnahan favors simmering unease over noise, letting scenes breathe just long enough for paranoia to creep in. He trusts silence. He trusts the audience. And he trusts that tension doesn’t need to shout to land. That restraint extends to the cast, too. Alongside Damon and Affleck, the ensemble includes Steven Yeun  (yes, The Walking Dead  Steven Yeun), fellow Golden Globe winner Teyana Taylor , Kyle Chandler , Catalina Sandino Moreno , and Sasha Calle  — a lineup that understands the assignment: hold the tension, don’t announce it. 🍿🔥 Why The Rip is a Saturday Night Must-Watch Inspired by a real-life Miami-Dade Police Department cash seizure, The Rip  isn’t all that interested in the mechanics of the bust itself. What it really wants to explore is what happens afterward — how money tests loyalty, corrodes certainty, and exposes fault lines within even the most disciplined teams. This is a movie about pressure. About how quickly “we got this” can turn into side-eyes and second-guesses once temptation enters the room. It’s not asking who the hero is; it’s asking who people become when the rules stop feeling protective and start feeling inconvenient. Carnahan, on the film’s emotional core: “The devil is in the details in this film. It’s really about human beings—what your team means to you, what your friends mean to you, and what the people you love mean to you.” That focus on human consequence is what elevates The Rip  beyond standard crime-thriller fare. Instead of sprinting toward explosions and easy answers, the film lingers in moral gray areas, letting discomfort breathe and trusting the audience to sit with the uncertainty. It’s the kind of thriller that doesn’t just fill the evening — it gives you something to chew on once the screen goes dark. Catch the trailer before the Feds do: The Rip is now streaming exclusively on Netflix.

Reel Perspectives January 15, 2026 Peacock Peacock's latest espionage thriller, Ponies , enters a crowded landscape of thrillers and still manages to feel sleek and emotionally grounded. Created by Susanna Fogel and David Iserson ( Mr. Robot ,  New Girl) , the series premiered on January 15 with all 8 episodes starring  Emilia Clarke and Haley Lu Richardson as two PONIES (persons of no interest in intelligence speak). Set in 1977 Moscow, the two work anonymously as secretaries in the American Embassy. That is, until their husbands are killed under mysterious circumstances in the USSR, and the pair become CIA operatives. Bea (Emilia Clarke) is an over-educated, Russian-speaking child of Soviet immigrants. Her cohort, Twila (Haley Lu Richardson), is a small-town girl who is as abrasive as she is fearless. Together, they work to uncover a vast Cold War conspiracy and solve the mystery that made them widows in the first place. It's slim pickings for a series headlined by two women, and Clarke and Richardson deliver magnetic performances set against the backdrop of the Cold War's heightened tensions between the United States and Russia. The series prioritizes the atmosphere and music of  Fleetwood Mac  over a fast-paced plot, with less emphasis on explosive action and more on coded conversations, glances, and the constant sense that every character is operating with only part of the truth. Clarke and Richardson are perfectly cast, each bringing a distinct energy that keeps their dynamic compelling. Clarke is calm and controlled, while Richardson is more spirited and overconfident, with a touch of vulnerability, making every scene feel entertainingly unpredictable. Together, they create a partnership defined by necessity and offbeat humor, which becomes the emotional engine of the series. Peacock In addition to Clarke ( Game of Thrones ,  Me Before You ), who also serves as executive producer, and Haley Lu Richardson ( The White Lotus ), the series adds Adrian Lester ( The   Sandman ,  The   Day After Tomorrow ); Artjom Gilz ( Tár ,  Das Boot ); Nicholas Podany ( Saturday Night ,  Hello Tomorrow! ); Petro Ninovskyi ( Shttl,   The Silence ); and Vic Michaelis ( Very Important People ,  Upload ) . Ponies  is a solid, understated thriller. It's not trying to reinvent the genre or overwhelm you with twists. Instead, it settles into a steady, easy rhythm and lets the story unfold at its own pace. What makes Ponies  especially engaging is its thematic focus.  A more serious series might explore what it truly means for women to exist on the margins - politically, socially, and personally - in that era, but the series is just as clever as its title. By the end of the season, which ends with a major cliffhanger, you realize that these two women were never Ponies, they're actually POIs (Persons of Interest) with their highly entertaining super sleuthing. All episodes of Ponies are streaming now on Peacock.