Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos: Netflix, Everett Collection, Amazon Prime Studios
We’re merrily rolling along into another weekend. In theaters, we have a sequel to Universal’s adaptation of the horror video game starring the internet’s boyfriend and favorite meme Josh Hutcherson and a pro shot of a Stephen Sondheim revival, which nabbed Jonathan “I get wet” Groff a Tony. Gotta go see that Groff spit up close and personal. If that’s weirdly not your thing, here’s everything else to see up close and personal this weekend.
Noah Baumbach’s latest film stars George Clooney and Adam Sandler as an aging movie star and his manager, Ron. In the throes of a midlife crisis, the pair find themselves traveling across Europe as Kelly tries to reconnect with his daughter (Grace Edwards) and himself.
➽ See where Jay Kelly falls in our ranking of every George Clooney role. (Spoiler: Dozens of places higher than Batman & Robin.)
Here’s your chance to see Quentin Tarantino’s revenge epic the way he has always insisted it was meant to be seen — as a sprawling, blood-soaked feature. There’s also a never-before-included animated sequence. Fear not for your bladder: There will be an intermission. — Alison Willmore
➽ There most likely won’t be a Kill Bill 3, but there is Kill Bill on Fortnite, so.
“If the first Five Nights at Freddy’s played like a clunky attempt to introduce youngish kids to the cadences of horror, then its sequel plays like a clunky attempt to introduce now slightly olderish kids to the clichés of horror.” (In theaters now; Read more of Ebiri’s review here)
Gillian Anderson and Lena Headey are feuding matriarchs in this tale of class and love in the Washington Territory; the deep cast includes Michael Greyeyes, Nick Robinson, and Patton Oswalt. The show was created by neo-western aficionado Kurt Sutter (Sons of Anarchy): It was just a matter of time before he left the bikes behind and actually traveled to the 19th century. —Roxana Hadadi
Spartacus was one of the network’s landmarks, a menagerie of blood and sex in ancient Rome. Now, another spinoff imagines a different future for the defeated warrior. What if Ashur had lived and ended up in charge of his own gladiator school? Bringing a character back from the dead for his own series is impressive retconning. —R.H.
In director Michael Showalter’s last film, The Idea of You, Anne Hathaway ran away into the arms of Nicholas Galitzine. Now, in Oh. What. Fun., Michelle Pfeiffer is running into the arms of Eva Longoria’s TV personality Zazzy Tims. (Granted in a more platonic way.) Pfeiffer plays Claire Clauster, an overwhelmed and dutiful mother who hopes to compete in Tims’s Holiday Mom contest. But when her kids forget to enter her, Claire decides to ditch her family and travel to join the show on her own accord. Alongside Pfeiffer, the cast includes Jason Schwartzman, Felicity Jones, Denis Leary, Chloë Grace Moretz, and Dominic Sessa.
Christmas-movie season is not complete without Lacey Chabert. This time she’s an inspector for the Naughty or Nice Group, because even Santa is outsourcing labor. —Kathryn VanArendonk
Maria Friedman’s successful 2023 revival of the classic Stephen Sondheim musical is making its way from one theater to hundreds with this special pro-shot release. Jonathan Groff, Daniel Radcliffe, and Lindsay Mendez star as three friends whose relationships with one another crumble in the span of 20 years.
“The hardest thing about watching the premiere of this Vanderpump Rules reboot is not to compare it to the original. Version 1 point oh-no-you-didn’t gave us a spectacular run of seasons that (after a calamitous dip) rewarded us with #Scandoval, one of the greatest story lines ever to grace our TikTok feeds, meme pages, TV screens, and whatever the hell it is we call Peacock. It’s nearly impossible to watch this first episode and not think, Was Jax already a monster? Was Stassi already a villain? Was Scheana making it all about her? Doing so is a fool’s errand. Comparison is not only the thief of joy but also the ex-boyfriend of growth. (Bear with me, I am still workshopping this metaphor.)”
Read more of Bravo expert Brian Moylan’s recap here.
➽ Plus, for double the helping of reality series, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills returns this week as well.
Now that the Entity is trapped inside of Paramount+, you’re free to rewatch the submarine scene and the biplane scene of the last Mission: Impossible movie as often as you’d like. Don’t worry about the ending. —James Grebey
➽ Also, every season of Mad Men is now on HBO Max in a 4K remaster, albeit with some problems.
Want more? Read our recommendations from the weekend of November 26.
